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The president and governors of both political parties with the support of local municipalities and businesses pushed to reopen the country even as medical experts warned against moving too far, too fast.

It appeared they weighed dollars and cents against the value of Black lives, those of the elderly and others. Apparently, it was a gamble they were willing to take to help save the economy.

Today, as the number of COVID-19 cases exceeds 2.2 million nationally and the country’s death toll rapidly approaches 120,000, California is among the growing number of states contributing to these rising numbers.

San Bernardino and Riverside Counties are not idle bystanders in this deadly march as indicated by the rising hospitalizations experienced in both counties last week.

As warranted, the number of people being tested for COVID-19 in both Riverside and San Bernardino Counties are increasing and most understand the correlation between the increased number of people being tested and the increasing number of positive cases. However, embedded in the rising numbers of positive cases lies the potential for increased hospitalizations.

The increasing number of hospitalizations is not a benign measure as in too many instances, it serves as a harbinger of grief—especially for Blacks and the elderly.   

On Thursday, June 18, 2020 Riverside experienced the highest number of hospitalizations in a single day with 291 COVID-19 patients countywide; and San Bernardino saw its highest number in recent weeks with 313 hospitalizations. Though the numbers are still below peaks recorded earlier this year—the trend is ominous.

Regardless of how one may argue the need for prioritizing the economy—the value of human life is immeasurable.

By Friday, June 19, 2020, San Bernardino County reported 8,959 confirmed cases and 233 deaths. Riverside County, (ahead in COVID-19 testing) reported 12,778 cases and 410 deaths.

As a result of Riverside Counties rising numbers, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has added the county to its Data Monitor Watch List which calls for targeted engagement between the county and the state as a result of its rising numbers of hospitalizations and deaths.

At this point it is important to remind the community how Riverside County applied for and received a variance to move more quickly through Stage 2 of the state’s reopening process even though it did not meet all the requirements to do so.

Now, barely a month later as noted by the CDPH, “Riverside County is experiencing elevated disease transmission based on the following: general increases in local gatherings; outbreaks at state prisons and skilled nursing facilities; potential transmission at public protests; in-county patient transfers from Imperial County; patients seeking care from Northern Baja California and traveling along SR-86 corridor into Coachella Valley.”

CDPH has recommended the county take several steps to help slow the spread of the virus and reduce the potential for increased hospitalizations and deaths.

The steps include closely monitoring the data, the need for increased testing at both county and state test sites, the implementation of a Quick Response Team for high-risk skilled nursing facilities; and expanding its contact tracing workforce.

The state has further recommended the county increase its messaging about the importance of personal protection measures. And finally, it called for increased coordination and communication between the local health department, CDPH, and California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) to curb and contain outbreaks at state prisons.

On Thursday, Governor Gavin Newsom issued a new order requiring all Californians to wear a mask in public. This came just a day after the state reached a record high on Wednesday, in the number of new COVID-19 cases recorded since the state reopened for business.

That day California reported 4,165 new cases—the highest daily number recorded since the onset of the pandemic. 

YUCAIPA, CA—- This spring, eight students completed the Radiologic Technology (Rad Tech) program at Crafton Hills College. The 22 ½-month program, offered in partnership with Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, prepares students to perform diagnostic imaging examinations. Each student received his or her associate degree in Radiologic Technology or Radiologic Technology certificate and is eligible to take state and national board examinations to qualify for entry-level employment in radiography.

The graduates are Jason Brown, Fabian Cano, Lewis Middleton, Jerry Padgett Jr., Desiree Perez, Julianne Richter, John Shields and Alexis Ward. These individuals endured a difficult final semester with the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.

“All of the graduates worked hard and persevered through all of life’s unexpected surprises in 2020,” said program director Melissa Huynh. “I’m so proud of them!”

In addition to the awarding of degrees and certificates, the program faculty also presented awards and scholarships at the informal “socially distant” gathering on June 9.

Jerry Padgett, Jr. received the Clinical Achievement Award for his superior clinical performance and commendable attendance record. Padgett plans to continue his education in computed tomography (CT).

Alexis Ward was recognized for her academic excellence in the didactic portion of the program with the Academic Achievement Award. Ward is continuing her education and pursuing a license in mammography.

Another award, the Cristi Hall Award of Excellence in Radiography, in memory of Cristi Hall RT(R), who exemplified the value of being a caregiver and team player, went to Desiree Perez, selected for demonstrating these values. This year, the award was accompanied with an inaugural $500 scholarship in memory of Michael Scott.

Scott, an alumnus of the CHC Rad Tech program was the recipient of the Cristi Hall Award in 2012. He went on to become an instructor in the program until he passed away in 2019. Scott’s family endowed a scholarship in his name this year that will accompany the award given to a deserving grad in perpetuity.

“I was blessed to have known Mike personally,” Perez declared. “The scholarship will go towards covering my State exam fees as well as my fluoroscopy license exam fees. As I continue my journey to become a rad tech, I hope I can exemplify all the qualities that Mike had. He was kind, compassionate, and eager to help the students.” Perez will be continuing her education in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Each of the students were commended by Huynh for being flexible through this unprecedented time and finishing the program strong. In lieu of a formal ceremony, a graduation recognition video, which includes messages from faculty and staff along with individual photos of each graduate is available at  craftonhills.edu under “Latest News.”

For more information about the Rad Tech program, contact Melissa Huynh at mhuynh@sbccd.cc.ca.us or visit www.craftonhills.edu/academic-and-career-programs/divs-and-depts/career-ed-and-human-dev/allied-health-services/radiologic-technology/

“SHOW & TELL: A Story of Our Ancestors Freedom Fight”! Please take a moment out of your to walk through history. Our goal is to educate and bring awareness to ALL. These exhibits will be impactful and will tell the story!

Dates: July 4th and 5th from 11 am to 3 pm

Social distancing will be set in place and Masks will be required for safety.

Participating Agencies:

• YouthBuild Charter School – Africa American Icons
• Southern California Black Chamber of Commerce ICC- Before Black Wall Street the story Estonville
• Westside Story Newspaper – Liberation through Black Media
• T’ana Phelice Productions – short skit ‘The Only Tired I Am’
• LUE Productions – musical timeline of music that helped our people sustained through dark times.
• African American Mental Health Coalition – Methods of treatment provided for Africa American Woman with mental health
• Music Changing Lives – When the 4th of July was Black
• Purposely Awaken – (Liberation through Black Media Media in conjunction with the Westside Story Newspaper
• Off The Chain Alliance – The Discrimination and elimination of African American Hair
• Uniteee – Born Guilty a as look at incarceration and social inequality
• 320 Premier Event Hall – Event Sponsor 
• Painter Maurice Howard
• YWE Young Woman Empowerment – Human Trafficking Awareness -Social and Emotional barriers that prevent young women from achieving their Aspirations
• We 3 Productions – Isolation Concentrations: Under the Boabab Tree

Want to participate as an exhibitor or volunteer? Please call 888.466.7408 ext 11 cell 909.566.1000 or email Lue@Blackchamberofcommerce.org.

Free admission for unique community experience; donation to local food banks encouraged

ONTARIO, CA—- Are you tired of streaming videos and binge-watching old sitcoms? Are you longing for a good old-fashioned movie experience? 

The City of Ontario, Ontario International Airport (ONT) and Street Food Cinema have a deal for you – a series of free drive-in movies, displayed on two 50-foot screens with digital sound fed directly into your vehicle via FM radio signal. “Drive-In Movie Nights at Your Airport” will take place over four different nights through July at Lot 5 on the northeast corner of the airport property.

The series will premiere on Friday, June 19, with – appropriately enough – “Ford v Ferrari,” a major portion of which was filmed at ONT. It will be followed by a showing of “The Sandlot” on July 3, “Princess Bride” on July 17, and “Napoleon Dynamite” on July 31. Showtime for all four nights is 8:30 p.m. 

“Drive-In Movie Nights at Your Airport” is a collaboration between the City of Ontario, ONT and Street Food Cinema, a Los Angeles-based creative marketing and events company which has produced outdoor movies since 2012. The movie series is designed to bring neighboring communities together while providing critically needed support to local food banks. To that end, movie-goers are encouraged to bring donations of canned or boxed food.

“The drive-in movie experience is something so many of us remember fondly, and the City is proud to be able to offer these events to our community in light of what we’ve all been through as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is a wonderful opportunity for movie-goers to enjoy a night out with their families and watch a film from the comfort and safety of their vehicle,” said Dan Bell, Communications & Community Relations Director for the City of Ontario. 

The City of Ontario and ONT both have a rich film tradition, with movies such as “Argo,” “Catch Me If You Can,” “A League of Their Own” and “Up In The Air” among dozens of features that have been shot here.

“When you think about all of the films and TV shows that have featured ONT, it’s the perfect backdrop for our ‘Drive-In Movie Nights’ program. Providing this kind of opportunity for our community and region is just one of the ways we can say thank you for the support we’ve received since our return to local ownership,” said Atif Elkadi, Deputy Chief Executive Officer for the Ontario International Airport Authority.

Movie-goers are asked to reserve their spot by visiting: https://ontmktg.info/ONT-Movie-Night-1. Food will be available for sale from several vendors, including Poutine Brothers, the Grilled Cheese Truck, After’s Ice Cream and My Delight Cupcakery.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA—- The year 2020 marks the start of a new decade and it signals change.  More and more parents of Latinx high school students want their children to succeed and they seek the help of role models in their communities to aid their children to go to college. The 36^th Annual Inland Empire Future Leaders Program (IEFLP) aims to meet that need by offering leadership development, cultural pride, and educational awareness to Latinx eighth- and ninth-grade students from schools representing San Bernardino, Riverside, Orange, and Los Angeles counties.

IEFLP’s goals are to motivate Latinx students to graduate from high school, strive for academic excellence, become leaders in school, and in their communities, and eventually, earn a college degree.  In addition, participants will receive leadership training, financial literacy information and will learn communication skills which are emphasized in combination with cultural pride workshops.

115 Latinx eighth- and ninth-grade students are confirmed to participate in the 36th annual IEFLP conference. Amid the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and in order to protect the wellness of the students, staff volunteers, and conference presenters IEFLP has deemed best to host the entire summer conference via an online platform. Students who do not have access to electronic devices and/or reliable internet connection will receive support from IEFLP. This year’s program will be held from June 17, 2020, to June 19, 2020. 

IEFLP seeks to create a meaningful and enduring virtual connection amongst the delegates (a name used to address the participants of the conference). Dr. R.C. Heredia, an alumnus of Colton High School, UCLA, and Pepperdine Univ. and chair of the IEFLP Board of Directors alongside with Vanessa S. Ibarra, Esq., an alumna of California State University, San Bernardino and Loyola Law School and this year’s IEFLP Executive Conference Director, acknowledge that “now more than ever, our community will need continuing education, guidance, and uplifting support from one another to persevere during this unprecedented difficult time.” According to Vanessa S. Ibarra, Esq., “IEFLP will empower the next generation of future leaders that will shape reforms to uplift our community.”

IEFLP will offer a network with IEFLP alum and college students throughout the country, provide exposure to role models, and allow students to connect with high school students throughout Southern California. Role models like the 2019 recipient of the IEFL Art Arzola Scholarship ($1500) Mariah Grajeda, 2019 valedictorian of Middle College High School and current student at UCLA. Grajeda, along with the rest of the 100% volunteer staff, has helped make IEFLP a special experience for all delegates. Rodolfo Monterrosa, Esq., is another conference participant from the 1988 IEFLP, currently a public defender and immigration attorney at Monterrosa Law. “Rudy” is a native of Bloomington where he was the valedictorian of the class of 1991. He graduated from Stanford University and Notre Dame Law School. The delegates will receive mentorship and guidance from successful Latinx individuals like them. 

In the past, delegates who benefitted from the experience have expressed their gratitude to IEFLP. Arturo Rodriguez, 2009 delegate said, “The program encouraged me to follow my dreams and never give up. It sparked my interest in becoming a public servant and serving the Latinx community in any way, shape, or form. This program gave me the necessary tools to become a leader in my community and strive for change.” Additionally, Dr. R.C. Heredia, a 1992 conference delegate, said, “Having experienced this program as a high school student, I learned the leadership tools that have helped me to succeed in high school, at UCLA, in graduate school, and in my career. The confidence in myself and the network that I developed from my experiences with IEFLP was instrumental for me in earning a doctorate degree.”

Over 4,400 students have participated in the program, which commenced in 1985. The program’s popularity and effectiveness among students, parents, educators, and community supporters can be shown from yearly surveys since 1990, which indicates that 99 percent of student participants graduate from high school and 90 percent attend college. For the past thirty-five years, Inland Empire Future Leaders has helped many of its delegates attend and graduate from: Harvard, Notre Dame, Pepperdine, Stanford, UCLA, USC, UCR, UCSB, UCSD, CSUSB and the list goes on and on. Many of the conference’s delegates have gone on to become: lawyers, teachers, doctors, professors, filmmakers, journalists, and even congressmen (U.S. Members of Congress Pete Aguilar and  Dr. Raul Ruiz)!

This year’s conference will be dedicated to Judith Segura-Mora, an alumna from the original IEFL conference in 1985.  Judith has volunteered her time and energy for the program since the 1980s and currently serves on the Board of Directors. Funding for the program is provided through individuals, community groups, businesses, foundations, school districts, and government agencies. IEFLP encourages you to visit our website at www.iefl.org, add us on Facebook at Inland Empire Future Leaders Program, and/or follow us on Instagram at ieflp. 

Disney Parks, Experiences and Products recently announced proposed plans for a phased reopening of the Disneyland Resort. Pending state and local government approvals, Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa and Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel plan to reopen on July 23, and Disneyland park and Disney California Adventure park will plan to reopen on July 17. Additionally, Downtown Disney District will begin reopening on July 9. 

Because theme park capacity will be significantly limited to comply with governmental requirements and promote physical distancing, the Disneyland Resort will manage attendance through a new theme park reservation system that will require all guests, including Annual Passholders, to obtain a reservation for park entry in advance. Theme park reservations will be subject to availability. More details about this new reservation system will be available soon. At this time, there will also be a temporary pause on new ticket sales and Annual Passport sales and renewals. Additional details will be available soon. Please check Disneyland.com for the most current information. 

Once approved, the Disneyland Resort will reopen with enhanced health and safety measures. In addition, a Guest Experience Team will be available throughout the parks and Downtown Disney District to assist guests with questions regarding these new policies.

Certain experiences that draw large group gatherings – such as parades and nighttime spectaculars – will return at a later date. While character meet and greets will be temporarily unavailable, characters will be in the parks in new ways to entertain and delight guests.

Pending governmental approval, Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel and Disney Vacation Club Villas at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa are planned to reopen to guests and members starting on July 23. Plans to support physical distancing as well as increased cleaning measures, along with a number of other health and safety protocols, will be implemented as part of the phased reopening of the hotels and the Vacation Club.

Downtown Disney District will begin reopening on July 9 in line with the state’s reopening guidelines, with its unique variety of shopping and dining experiences, including the flagship World of Disney store. With the health of guests and Disney cast members at the forefront of planning, several operational changes will be implemented based on guidance from health authorities to promote physical distancing and cleanliness throughout the Downtown Disney District.

Additional information on enhanced health and safety measures and operational changes for reopening locations will be shared soon. These policies are under continuous review and are subject to change as the Disneyland Resort monitors conditions and receives guidance from health and government authorities.

Disneyland holds a special place in the hearts of people around the world. It was created as a place where family members of all ages could have fun together – a place to “leave today and enter the world of yesterday, tomorrow and fantasy.” Sixty-five years later it still is.

It’s time for magic – and we look forward to welcoming you back. 

Please visit Disneyland.com and DisneyParksBlog.com for the latest information, and be sure to check back often as we continue to update important details.

With 2020 unfolding as a year of reckoning for institutional racism, the Juneteenth holiday rises to new significance. President Donald Trump has rescheduled for this weekend a campaign rally originally set for June 19 in Tulsa, where a century ago, hundreds of Black Americans were killed and thousands were injured in a massacre that wiped out Black Wall Street. The president plans to accept the Republican nomination in Jacksonville on Aug. 27, which is the 60th anniversary of an attack on Black protesters in that city known as “Ax Handle Saturday.” USC experts discuss the significance of Juneteenth, a holiday on June 19 meant to celebrate the end of slavery in America.

The work that must be done

“What is the meaning of freedom? What are the contours of freedom and how is it an illusion? As a historian of anti-colonialism, Islam, and the Black freedom struggle, my research examines a number of mechanisms that Black people across the African diaspora have successfully used to challenge white supremacy including religion, protest, and legal and legislative mechanisms.

“In recent weeks, protesters have taken to the streets to demand justice for the victims of police violence and to insist on institutional change. On Friday, African Americans will celebrate Juneteenth, the commemoration of the official end of chattel slavery 2 ½ years after Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. Ongoing protests make this Juneteenth significant and this year presents an opportunity to reflect on the notion of freedom and the work that must be done to sustain it.”

Alaina Morgan is assistant professor of history at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. Trained as a historian of the African Diaspora, Morgan’s research focuses on the historic utility of religion, in particular Islam, in racial liberation and anti-colonial movements of the mid- to late-20th century Atlantic world.

Contact: alainamo@usc.edu

Why was the rally originally set for Juneteenth?

“President Trump has chosen Tulsa, site of a terrible racial cleansing of African Americans from the early 20th century’s Black Wall Street to carry his message of bigotry and xenophobia to his voter base — and had originally chosen Juneteenth, the date on which African Americans in Texas celebrated emancipation from slavery.

“If he did so knowingly, it demonstrates breathtaking cynicism; if unknowingly, breathtaking historical ignorance.”

Ariela Gross is a professor of law and history at the USC Gould School of Law. Her research focuses on race and slavery in the United States and she is the author, with Alejandro de la Fuente of Harvard University, of Becoming Free, Becoming Black: Race, Freedom, and Law in Cuba, Virginia, and Louisiana.

Contact: agross@law.usc.edu

Struggle for freedom continues

“Juneteenth is an important remembrance and celebration of Black resistance and struggles for freedom and liberation. In the United States and elsewhere, Black people and others come together to commemorate the ancestors and social movements that upended slavery and who after its abolishment struggled against new forms and systems of racial violence, death, and injustice. It is a demonstration of Black joy; a celebration of Black family, community, and networks of kinship; and an altar to honor the people of past, present, and future whose sacrifices and resilience help mobilize and sustain us and raise our consciousness.

“What is ultimately important to recognize about Juneteenth is that it is not a celebration of the ‘freeing’ of Black people, but rather of Black people’s agency in rejecting and resisting dehumanization and terror. We were not freed. We have constantly struggled to free and liberate ourselves and others.”

Robeson Taj Frazier is an associate professor of communication at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, and director of the Institute for Diversity and Empowerment at Annenberg (IDEA). He is a cultural historian who explores the arts, political and expressive cultures of the people of the African Diaspora in the United States and elsewhere.

Contact: rfrazier@usc.edu

The irony of Juneteenth as a celebration of freedom

“Juneteenth is set aside to celebrate freedom. The irony is that it marks a time more than two years after the end of the Civil War when Black people had not been given their full humanity and many did not yet know that legally, enslavement had ended. It also ushered in Jim Crow and continued segregation and dehumanization.

“The parallel with today is there has to not only be an announcement of change, but the action of change. This Juneteenth we should think about what was it intended to commemorate: What did freedom look like over the past 155 years? Freedom for whom? What is freedom? Have we achieved it?”

Sharoni Little is associate dean and chief diversity, equity, and inclusion officer at the USC Marshall School of Business. Her research and expertise centers on organizational leadership, strategic communication, and diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Racism affects “where we live, work, learn, and pray”

“Institutional and structural racism is something that lingers and lasts. Even if we were able to get rid of all prejudice, even if we were able to put something in the water tomorrow that had us all wake up and not feel any racial animosity towards anybody, we would still have neighborhoods that have crumbling schools.

“Institutional racism goes to what banks will loan what money to what customers, what neighborhoods they will make mortgage loans in. It goes to the fact that a lot of black neighborhoods are close to environmental toxins. That’s why black people have a higher asthma rate; a factor when it comes to coronavirus and making it more lethal. The legacy of racism is baked into our social and economic arrangements: where we live, work, learn, and pray, the quality of the air we breathe, the food we eat, the health care we get — it permeates every nook and cranny of our collective social existence.”

Jody Armour studies the intersection of race and legal decision making as well as torts and tort reform movements as the Roy P. Crocker Professor of Law at USC Gould School of Law.

Contact: armour@law.usc.edu

The Faith community will not be silent! On Friday, June 19 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on the Corner of Baseline Street and Waterman Avenue (across from Walgreens), the Decently & In-Order Ministry will be holding a ‘Peaceful March for Justice’.

Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, and Cel-Liberation Day, is an American holiday celebrated in remembrance of the Emancipation Proclamation on June 19, 1865.

For more information on the march, please contact Evangelist Jerry Musgrove at JerryMusgrove@aol.com or Dr. Reginald Woods at lcmchurch@msn.com.

The San Bernardino City Unified School District’s (SBCUSD) high schools are holding drive-thru graduation ceremonies for the Class of 2020.

District graduates have had their traditional commencement ceremonies postponed due to social distancing restrictions implemented as a response to COVID-19. SBCUSD is committed to holding traditional graduation ceremonies as soon as possible. In the meantime, SBCUSD high schools are holding drive-thru graduations. During the ceremonies, graduates and their families and friends arrive in a single vehicle. Party buses and limos are not permitted. Only the graduate exits, has their name read, and walks across the stage. Spectators must remain within their vehicles at all times, and graduates and staff must wear masks.

These drive-thru graduations are not open to the public. The ceremonies are held in multiple shifts during the designated time period. Members of the media who wish to attend should contact the SBCUSD Communications/Community Relations Department.

San Bernardino High School

June 6, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

San Andreas High School

June 9, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Cajon High School

June 11, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Pacific High School

June 11, 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Indian Springs High School

June 12, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Middle College High School

June 13, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Arroyo Valley High School

June 16, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Sierra High School

June 18, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

San Gorgonio High School

June 18, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.