By Dr. Oliver Brooks, pediatrician and CMO, Watts HealthCare 

As California moves into the next phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, children remain a key component to the state’s SMARTER plan and keeping our communities safe and healthy going forward. Children’s exposure to the virus in schools, social events, and in family settings puts them, their loved ones, and communities at greater risk for infection, making their vaccination more important than ever.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), vaccination rates for children have dropped sharply since earlier the pandemic. The decline has continued as vaccines have now been made available for children and youth 5-17. Recent CDC data shows that, nationally, approximately 9.1 million U.S. children ages 5-11 have received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, which is only 32 percent of the age group. In California, the number is even lower at just 19 percent.

To bring it closer to home, Black and African American children in California are the second most likely to die from the virus among Californian’s younger than 18, with 1.2 deaths per 100,000 Black and African American children.

It is important to remember that children remain susceptible. More than 700,000 children and adolescents in California have been infected with COVID-19. There have been more than 6,500 pediatric hospitalizations in our state since July of last year, and we have lost too many young lives since the start of the pandemic. Vaccinations protect kids from the most dangerous impacts of COVID-19, like hospitalization.

Lagging vaccination rates for school-age children means that not only are children at risk for infection, but so are teachers and other school staff, and their families.

We have a long way to go, nationally and in California; and the journey will be only longer if we do not get more of our children fully vaccinated.

Low vaccination rates are a signal of access issues in Black and African American communities. Examples of access issues include lacking transportation to get to an appointment, internet to schedule a vaccination appointment, or not having a primary care physician.

California has taken steps to start to address these barriers to vaccination. By making your appointment on the state’s vaccine portal by visiting MyTurn.ca.gov or calling 1-833-422-4255 and indicating you need help with transportation, the state will call you to arrange an in-home visit or transportation when available. Local pharmacies and community-based clinics are also great resources to get vaccinated near where you live or work.

Fears about vaccine safety are also a factor, with some parents expressing concern that COVID-19 vaccines may harm their child. The COVID-19 vaccines had to undergo rigorous testing and clinical trials to be approved for use, and all tests have deemed the vaccines are safe for children.

Children being vaccinated against COVID-19 is essential for public and population health. However, it is also important for their physical and mental health according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Children thrive when they can socialize with their peers as part of their overall health. Being fully vaccinated ensures they can stay healthy for school and play.

For more about COVID-19, including guidance on masking and testing, visit covid19.ca.gov. You should also visit covid19.ca.gov or the CDC.gov more timely, accurate information about the pandemic. To schedule an appointment for a vaccination or a booster, visit MyTurn.ca.gov, or call 1-833-422-4255.

The next phase of COVID-19 is here for California.  By increasing vaccination rates among children and their families, we will help protect them and the entire community from COVID-19 infections.

By Tanu Henry | California Black Media

As gas and food prices continue to shoot up at a rapid clip, Californians might be hit with sticker shock from another bill that skyrockets later this year: their health insurance premiums.

According to officials at Covered California, monthly premiums for insurance coverage could jump by as much as 100% — or an average of about $70 — for more than 2 million Californians if federal government subsidies provided by the American Rescue Plan are allowed to expire at the end of 2022.

An estimated total of 14 million Americans could be affected by the price increase.

“The American Plan built on the Affordable Care Act and provided more financial help than ever before to help people get covered and stay covered largely in response to the pandemic,” said Peter V. Lee, former Executive Director of Covered California.

Lee was speaking during a press briefing held earlier this month to inform the public about what he sees as an impending crisis if the federal government does not take action.

As a sidenote during that virtual meeting, Lee announced that he was stepping down from Covered California.

In February, the agency’s Board of Directors announced Jessica Altman, former Commonwealth Insurance Commissioner of Pennsylvania, as Covered California’s new Chief Executive Officer.

Lee said funds the federal government currently provides to states to help lower health care premiums for Americans led to record numbers in enrollment across the country, including about 1.8 million new signups in California.

The largest increases in enrollment in California were among African Americans and Latinos.

About 90% of Covered California enrollees have received discounts on their premiums through the program.

“The American Rescue Plan increased affordability by paying a bigger share of consumers’ monthly premiums. As a result, the portion that consumers pay dropped significantly by 23 % nationally and 20 % here in California,” said Lee.

“Those are big drops. That meant that two-thirds of our consumers were eligible for a plan that cost $10 or less,” Lee continued. “For a lower income consumer, low cost is a critical ingredient for getting and keeping coverage.”

Covered California is the Golden State’s federally subsidized public insurance marketplace where individuals and businesses can purchase health care plans.

Lee said nearly $3 billion from the American Rescue plan allowed California to subsidize the insurance costs of more middle-income people. The eligibility window expanded to include Californians earning up to $52,000 as a single person or $106,000 as a family of four.

Before help from the American Rescue Plan kicked in there were hundreds of thousands of Americans paying up to 30 % of their income for insurance, according to Covered California.

If the federal supplement expires, “those who can least afford it would be hit the hardest,” warned lee.

Lee says the program is helping more middle-income people than ever before.

“In California today, about one out of 10 of our subsidized enrollees earn above 400% of the poverty level. They are getting financial help that is needed and meaningful,” said Lee. “Without the extension of the American Rescue Plan, those gains would be wiped away and consumers would be faced with staggering cost increases.”

Lee says if the federal subsidies expire, the loss of funding will also hurt people who do not qualify for the subsidies and pay for insurance at market rates.

For Californians earning more than $52,000 a year, their premiums could increase by an average of more than $270 per month or nearly $3,000 annually.

“As people drop their coverage, the rising premiums would be felt by everyone. When you price people out of coverage, people that drop coverage first are healthy people. If you’re sicker, you keep your coverage,” said Lee.

“What does that mean? If the American Rescue Plans subsidies are not continued, we are very likely to see a premium spike. As health plans say, ‘next year will be the year we have fewer insured people, they are going to be sicker on average, we are going to have to boost our premiums,’” Lee emphasized.

If the U.S. Congress does not act to make the subsidies permanent – or at least to extend them — Californians will first see the new increased amount of their monthly premiums in the fall when they receive their renewal notices for 2023.

Publisher’s Commentary by Wallace J. Allen IV

Dorjil Apartments is in foreclosure… The San Bernardino west side apartment complex consisting of 34 units was built forty years ago to provide subsidized low-income housing. The foreclosure is based on administrative and financial defaults causing a sales auction to be scheduled for Monday March 21.  It is possible that a thirty-day delay of the sale date may occur. It is possible that the original developer, John Dukes will maintain control of the property.

The dilemma of ownership is a story that must include chapters on property management, property maintenance and customer service… The Dorjils were developed by Vivian Nash and John Duke creating great pride and national accolades for the project and for the Black couple. Dorjil is a great story that deserves to be told, I hope John is writing the book!

The dilemma of homelessness is immanent when one’s housing is in foreclosure.  Where will the people who now occupy the Dorjil apartments, live if the foreclosure sale takes place? Where will they live if present ownership prevails? Those questions both are rooted in the maintenance/condition of the property. The condition of the property is of immediate concern to the residents, and ultimately the responsibility of the owner regardless of who that may be.

Some residents have been withholding rents, they say, because of the property conditions… If new ownership occurs, will the condition of the property be an excuse/reason for tenant displacements during improvements?   If ownership remains the same, will residents pay rents before repairs are made? Will management handle repairs prior to collecting withheld rents? Will residents get evicted? Does the forty-year-old development continue to provide subsidized housing, or will it become the reason for housing trauma that may lead to homelessness?

The residents are organized to withhold rent because of not only maintenance concerns, but also recently about what they consider to be questionable if not illegal rent collection procedures. The management and many of the residents are at odds. I have not heard all the residents but of the dozen or so that I have heard, all of them are upset, saying they don’t trust management!

Distrust is not a good foundation for negotiation. There is a solution… I hope we find it!

By Charlene Muhammad | California Black Media

To mark Women’s History Month, The California Black Women’s Collective (CBWC) honored more than 100 Black women leaders from across the state from different professional backgrounds, including media executives, public health professionals, activists, politicians and more.

The organization also held a series of panel discussions leading up to the celebration and highlighted several policy priorities, including aging and elder care.

The Hon. Cheryl Brown, a retired California Assemblymember and a Commissioner on the California Commission on Aging said 23% of Black women live in poverty, which is the second highest percentage in the U.S. — only behind Native American women.

Brown pointed out that Gov. Gavin Newsom set aside $2 billion for the Master Plan on Aging, a 10-year project, but she questioned, how would the people the money is intended to help access the money. Brown said currently there are not effective systems in place to inform people about the help they need.

The funds, she said, will funnel down through the California Department of Aging down to county agencies.

“That’s why it’s critical to get involved on those levels,” Brown emphasized.

Ahead of Women’s History Month, a group of influential California Black women brought their perspectives together last month in a virtual “fireside chat” to take a broader look at aging and elder care in the Black community.

Whether they were expressing the joys of caring for a loved one or exposing the range of challenges Black women face as they age, the panelists shared useful insights that could shape public health policy or improve ways African American caregivers attend to the needs of aging family members.

“This is our third event as part of the California Black women Empowerment series,” said Yvonne Wheeler, a member of the strategy team of the CBWC. The event was organized in partnership with Black Women Organized for Political Action (BWOPA).

“Our goal is to talk about the issues that are important to Black women in California and today the topic is ‘Black Women Aging With Dignity and Respect.’”

During their remarks, panelists outlined resources Black women need to make sure that their needs are met while elevating some concerning statistics.

“Black women in California have many barriers in their everyday life. As we get older, the issues don’t change. The issues just get more complicated,” said Regina Brown Wilson, moderator of the event and Executive Director of California Black Media.”

“Before COVID-19, we were already experiencing financial hardship, poor health outcomes, and when the pandemic hit, older Black women were among the most vulnerable because of their circumstances, Wilson stated. “Approximately 80% of Black women are breadwinners who earn 40% of the household income. Seventy-four percent of Black women breadwinners are single mothers.”

The panelists were Brown; Sylvia Drew Ivie, Special Advisor to the President, Charles R. Drew University; Delane Sims, Founder and CEO, Senior Moments; and Shavonda Webber-Christmas, Community Benefits Program Manager at LA Care Health Plans. The women helped shed light on issues that Black women experience as they age in their older years.

Webber-Christmas said it is critical to ensure that there are culturally competent providers helping Black women navigate resources available to them and to make sure that they are practicing the self-care they need to maintain long, healthy lives.

“If you’re missing food, your likelihood of being healthy is low. So, we do try to look at the whole person and not just medical needs when we talk about the services that we contract for, or services that we provide grants for. We want those to be holistic,” she said, highlighting some of the wraparound social services LA Care provides to the people it serves.

“I think that when we talk about older women, we’re not talking about someone who just became that person,” Webber-Christmas added.  We’re talking about someone, if you look over the life course of the individual, it’s incremental. What we are doing today determines what we experience in later life.”

Sims spoke about the experiences of Black women who live longer and the various challenges they face as caregivers.  Her own father lived to be 115 years old, she shared. Sims said taking care of him became a challenge as his other caregivers aged.

“It was daunting to say the least, to be sort of thrust into caregiving and not being prepared, but just feeling like it was something I absolutely needed to do to honor my mother and certainly my stepfather. But that is also one of the challenges,” said Sims.

She encouraged Black women caregivers to seek emotional support, avoid missing meals, talk to someone and even join a support group.

Brown said Black families must take a collective look at caring for their aging loved ones.

“We have to look out for each other,” she said. “It has to be an inter-generational thing.”

Kellie Todd Griffin, convenor of the CBWC said there is an emerging trend of communal living among Black single mothers.

“They are buying homes together. Sharing in the costs of daycare and helping each other out. We have to be creative,” she said.

Griffin said it is also important for Black women to organize.

“We have got to raise our voices and knock on doors. When we show up at the Capitol and in those district offices, that’s when they start listening to us,” she pointed out. “It is important to show up to those town hall meetings that legislators have in their communities.”

EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK (ENN)— The 3-13-22 ETB Broadcast features two segments: An interview with Yung Muusik, produced by WSS News columnist, Lue Dowdy. The second segment features a conversation with Don Smith, a 25-year IE Housing advocate with the Rent Relief program ending on March 31st, evictions and foreclosures are eminent.

The Disneyland Resort celebrated soulfully during Black History Month this February. Guests in the Downtown Disney District discovered beautiful chalk art installations by Marcella “Marci” Swett, Disney Live Entertainment senior production artisan. Her art pieces honored African American heritage and history through dynamic visual storytelling.

“To be able to leave a mark by educating individuals on matters that they had no idea about, and to hear that they will share that knowledge with others is a wonderful experience,” Marci shares.

Elsewhere around the resort, guests experienced Celebrate Gospel in Disneyland park, a lively celebration of the rich legacy of gospel music, in addition to new menu items and jazz music featured at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa. PULSE, the Business Employee Resource Group representing and advocating for the Black community, also brought more programming to cast members throughout the month and had a special meet-and-greet with Bruce W. Smith, Creator of “The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder” on Disney+.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA—- The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors recently approved $2,500 to be disbursed to qualified businesses through the Microbusiness COVID-19 Relief Grant.

This grant is open to businesses and nonprofits with five or fewer full-time employees, gross revenues of less than $50,000 in the 2019 and 2020 tax years, and those who did not receive the California Relief Grant issued by Lendistry. Businesses must be located in San Bernardino County.

Applications will be open soon. For more information, please call 909-915-1706 or https://selectsbcounty.com/major-initiatives/microbusiness-covid-19-relief-grant.

By Joe W. Bowers | California Black Media

This weekend, the California Democratic Party, for the first time in state history, endorsed three Black candidates for statewide office at the same convention.

Delegates attending the virtual convention threw their support behind Dr. Shirley Weber for Secretary of State; Tony Thurmond for State Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI); and Malia Cohen for Controller.

“I’m asking for your ongoing support, running for my first term as Secretary of State. I’m going to fight whatever happens. The democracy that gave me life, gave me opportunity and gave me purpose,” said Weber, who Gov. Newsom appointed Secretary of State in December 2020 after he selected Alex Padilla to replace Kamala Harris in the US Senate when she became Vice President.

96.4% of the delegates attending the convention, themed “We Are California” and held March 4-6, voted to endorse Weber.

The convention attracted more than 3000 Democratic office holders and district delegates to engage each other and mobilize the party faithful as they prepare for the 2022 primary and midterm elections.

Democratic National Convention (DNC) top brass also attended the annual conference, including Vice President Kamala Harris; House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA-12); DNC Chair Jaime Harrison; and members of California’s delegations to the United States Congress, among others.

Rusty Hicks, California Democratic Party Chair, praised the endorsements and admitted the party needs to do more to empower voters — not just engage them.

“Our party over the last two years, actually stood up an organizing department specifically to engage communities across the state on a year-round basis, not just on electoral work, but on important issues and policy work,” Hicks told California Black Media, addressing concerns about the decreasing number of Black men voting for Democratic candidates in elections across the country.

Cohen received endorsement votes from 93.7% of the delegates. Cohen, who is currently President of the state Board of Equalization, was chosen over Los Angeles City Controller Ron Galperin.

“I’m a proud lifelong Democrat. I’m a proud graduate of Fisk University. We are the alma mater of the great John Lewis. You remember, John Lewis. He was the one that coined the phrase “making good trouble,” she said. “Well, Fisk is the place where I learned the art of making good trouble. A notion that has shaped my career and my public service.”

Thurmond, who was endorsed by 93.7% of the delegates, was elected SPI in 2018 in a close race over his opponent Marshall Tuck. That race was reportedly the most expensive campaign ever for a state education chief.

“In 2018 you endorsed me to serve in this role. I’m before you again asking for your endorsement as I seek re-election to continue the great work to support our six million students in this State,” he said.

Thurmond told Party leadership and delegates – some attending from a production studio in Los Angeles, others mostly participating from home – that he

Lost his only parent to cancer when he was six years old.

“I ended up being raised by a cousin who I met for the first time when I showed up on our doorstep,” he said. “We were raised on the free lunch program, on public assistance and government cheese.”

Thurmond said he found the strength to succeed by his belief in “the promise of education that my teacher shared with me –and saying that my life would be better than it had started.”

Other candidates the delegates endorsed for the June 2022 California primary include: Gavin Newsom for Governor; Eleni Kounalakis for Lt. Governor; Alex Padilla for US Senate; Rob Bonta for Attorney General; Fiona Ma for Treasurer; and Ricardo Lara for Insurance Commissioner.

Approximately 200 students from the High Desert, Needles, Trona and other regions are representing their high schools in the 8th Annual San Bernardino County Student Advisory Panel, which offers youth a chance to share their thoughts on community issues.

Each year, students share their thoughts on our Countywide Vision’s Community Vital Signs Transformation Plan. Topics include the economy, education, safety, and health/wellness. After the four weekly sessions, students offer their feedback and recommendations to elected officials and community leaders.

Four students from each high school in the county are invited to participate in the panel. For more information about the Student Advisory Panel, please call 909-386-2413.

By Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media

California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) Chair Sen. Steven Bradford (D-Gardena) is calling on Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones to resign for “dereliction of duty” and for “breeding a culture of racism, hatred, and ignorance.”

Bradford was commenting on an investigation of Kate Adams, a former Sacramento County sheriff’s captain, who was placed on administrative leave for misconduct, which included the distribution of racially charged text messages, memes, and photographs.

Adams has since retired from the position.

“Former Sacramento County Sheriff’s Captain Kate Adams, acting as the Chief of Police of the Rancho Cordova Police Department under the supervision of Sheriff Jones. is the poster child for law enforcement bias,” Bradford stated.

Bradford, who is also the chair of the Senate Public Safety Committee, added, “for the first time in California, both the Senate and the Assembly Public Safety Committee chairpersons are African Americans. I am concerned, outraged, but not surprised by this behavior.”

“The pervasive, ongoing racism that is rooted in law enforcement and in America is an issue that all people of color should be concerned and outraged by,” he continued.  “This ongoing, blatant racist behavior under Sacramento Sheriff Scott Jones stops now.”

Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer (D-Los Angeles), who is also a member of the CLBC, is the chair of the Assembly Public Safety Committee.

The Greater Sacramento Branch of the NAACP (GSNAACP) asked Bradford to expand the investigation now that Adams has resigned from the Sheriff’s office. RCPD is under contract with the county office and uses deputies to patrol the community.

“Unfortunately, we’ve seen that racist conduct is ignored until it reaches a level that the public becomes aware of it. Similar cases of racist texts between law enforcement officers in Los Angeles, Torrance and San Francisco should have taught us that transparency on this issue is a must,” wrote Betty Williams, Branch President of GSNAACP.

Adams would have been able to seek employment as a law enforcement officer elsewhere in California without a hitch if it were not for Senate Bill (SB) 2. Bradford authored the bill that became California law on Jan. 1, 2022.

SB 2 authorizes the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) to decertify officers if investigations find they have engaged in serious misconduct.The inquiry into Adam’s actions was called off after she retired but Bradford said she should still be held accountable.

“The investigation of Captain Adams must be completed and if the allegations are found to be confirmed, she should lose her POST certification so that she is unable to be hired by any other law enforcement agency to continue racist and hateful misconduct in another community,” Bradford stated. “In addition, the hundreds — or perhaps thousands — of cases she’s handled over the years, under a climate of bias, must all be reviewed in an independent investigation.”

In a statement, GSNAACP said SB 2 “could not have been achieved without the support of many legislators, community organizations, families, and entertainers” who persistently “advocated non-stop for accountability in our policing system.”

“We use this moment to recognize that social

media messaging is used as a pathway to perpetuate racism while also exposing those who use racism in their positions of power. Rancho Cordova’s Chief Adams had a responsibility to stand against racism and bias,” the statement continued. “Instead, what has been communicated to the GSNAACP is a person who finds the historic and traumatizing use of (high-powered water) hoses against Black people a mockery.”

With a Black population of over 6,800 out of a total of 74,000 residents, Rancho Cordova is 15 miles east of downtown Sacramento. The Adams case is not the first time the CLBC has weighed in on misconduct involving officers of the Rancho Cordova Police Department.

In April 2020, a Rancho Cordova officer was caught on video punching a defenseless 14-year-old boy. The deputy was in the area due to complaints from citizens about hand-to-hand sales of alcohol, tobacco, and drugs to minors.

“The deputy saw what he believed to be a hand-to-hand exchange between an adult and juvenile,” according to an April 2020 statement from the Rancho Cordova Police Department.

“After an administrative investigation (related to the incident), the deputy was terminated from employment,” the sheriff’s office said in a September 2020 written statement.

Bradford said peace officers in California are accountable to the people they serve.

“Our communities must have faith that all law enforcement officers in California are held to the highest standards,” Bradford stated.