“How fortunate and blessed we are to know about the types of COVID vaccines that are available today. Why then should we deny ourselves getting vaccinated? We all have the opportunity to be informed, receive advice from professionals we trust and understand how we can protect ourselves by getting vaccinated.”
Those were the words of Lillie Tyson Head, daughter of Freddie Lee Tyson, a United States Public Health Service Syphilis Study Victim at Tuskegee and Macon County, Alabama and President, of the Virginia-based, Voices for Our Fathers Legacy Foundation https://www.voicesforfathers.org, speaking on a panel entitled “Vaccine Hesitancy: Understanding the Science and Getting people to Trust It.” The panel was part of the Annual Round-Up of Education Leaders, co-hosted by the California Association of African American Superintendents and Administrators, https://www.caaasa.org/the Los Angeles County Alliance of Black School Educators and the National Coalition on Education Equity under the theme “Addressing Equity for African American and Other Students of Color.”
The organizations, including educators from throughout California, met recently at the Reef Restaurant in Long Beach, to discuss several issues related to education equity. The Annual Round-Up of Education Leaders was co-hosted by the California Association of African American Superintendents and Administrators, the Los Angeles County Alliance of Black School Educators and the National Coalition on Education Equity under the theme “Addressing Equity for African American and Other Students of Color.”
The presentation on vaccine hesitancy, also featured Dr. Barbara Ferrer, Director, LA County Department of Public Health and Dr. Oliver T. Brooks, Chief Medical Officer, Watts HealthCare Corporation and Past President, National Medical Association and was one of four highlighted throughout the day.
During her speech, Tyson Head shared information about the history of Public Health Service’s Study and corrected some of the misinformation that has been widely circulated for decades. For one, she requested that the monikers, “The Tuskegee Syphilis Study,” and “Tuskegee Experiment,” cease from being used. Tuskegee Institute (now University) was not the owner of the study, nor were they responsible for it, she said
“The study began in 1932 and was initially funded by the Rosenwald Foundation for six months and then, for the next 39 years and 6 months, it was approved and funded by the US government,” she said. “This study is the longest lasting, non-therapeutic, biomedical study in US history.” The participants were African American men; struggling farmers or poor sharecroppers with little formal education. They were NOT injected with syphilis, as the myth has been circulated. The “recruits” included men with congenital syphilis, latent syphilis or no syphilis.
“The men were told that they had ‘bad blood’ and that they would receive treatment. They were never told they were in a study and the intent of the study.” To make matters worse, those with syphilis were denied Penicillin, when it became available in 1945, despite the drug’s proven results in treating the disease.
“The ramifications of this study are still haunting and fosters mistrust” she said. “Forty nine years after the study was exposed and 89 years after the study began, people, particularly in the African American communities, distrust certain medical treatment and medical research. And they are using this study as reasons for hesitating getting vaccinated or refusing to get vaccinated at all.
Other Round-Up highlights included virtual greetings by California Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tony Thurmond and Education Trust West Executive Director, Dr. Christopher Nellum. Panel discussions included: Supporting Students Experiencing Homelessness; Families and Educational Stakeholders: Maintaining an Equity Focus, Post-COVID; and Supporting the Mental Health of Black Students and Educational Stakeholders.
Founded in 1993, CAAASA is an education equity and advocacy organization that works through collaboration, network-building and direct community engagement to promote the success of African American, Latinx and other underserved California K-12 public school students and families. CAAASA’s members include school superintendents, administrators, teachers and other educational professionals from throughout California.
Although its primary focus is education, CAAASA has been at the forefront of numerous issues impacting the health of the African American community. Once vaccines became available within LA County, CAAASA hosted a webinar with noted medical professionals, to address the concerns of African American students, families and education stakeholders. Additionally, CAAASA is currently engaged in campaigns, funded by the County COVID-19 Community Equity Fund (CCCEF) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to provide individuals with valuable information about COVID-19, in the hope of increasing vaccine awareness among African Americans living in the Antelope Valley area.
In keeping with the tradition of “Making the Chair Fit,” Menah Pratt-Clarke asked Virginia Tech alumna and senior video producer for the Department of Defense, Juanisha Brooks, what her favorite chair was during a recent segment.
“The director’s chair, because not many Black women occupy that chair,” said Brooks, a 2008 graduate and recent addition to the university’s Alumni Board of Directors. She has served as a volunteer for the Black Alumni Reunion since 2014.
Pratt-Clarke, vice president for strategic affairs and diversity, hosts “Making the Chair Fit,” an entertaining and informational series. Through the series, she examines and highlights the many people and programs dedicated to serving underrepresented and underserved students, faculty, and staff.
As senior video producer for the Department of Defense, Brooks is part of an in-house multimedia production unit that produces documentaries and training materials, as well as interviews with military and high-level intelligence officials. Part of her daily responsibilities include serving as producer, editor, and director for a wide range of video productions for the agency’s internal and external media platforms. Because of the sensitive nature of much of her work, Brooks had to obtain top-level security clearance through a process that took more than seven months.
Growing up, Brooks thought she’d be in front of the camera as an actress. In high school she signed up for television production and found it both fun and powerful, so she chose to major in communication at Virginia Tech. She was selected as a fellow for the International Radio and Television Society, received the Steger Award for Undergraduate Poetry, was awarded the Virginia Tech NAACP Female Undergraduate of the Year Award, and was a finalist for Undergraduate Woman of the Year.
Brooks’ first big break in broadcasting came when she was selected — from a pool of more than 8,000 applicants nationwide — to be a part of the prestigious NBC page program. She then became a production assistant at the MSNBC headquarters in New York City. In 2012, Brooks was hired as media coordinator for the CNN Washington bureau, where she helped produce political coverage for the “Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer.”
Despite her successful career and high-level government clearance, Brooks recently fell victim to racial profiling. While driving home late one night, Brooks was stopped by the police, arrested, jailed, and charged with four crimes.
“It broke my heart to know that I could one day work in a role where the main mission is to support and defend, yet I was not treated with the same respect,” Brooks said. “The service didn’t matter, all that mattered was the color of my skin. The people who were assigned to protect and serve me did not, and that is something that has sat with me.”
When asked why she is speaking up about the case, Brooks quoted Audre Lorde, “Your silence will not protect you.”
“I could have lost my life. I could have lost my career,” said Brooks. “Black lives matter — but also, black livelihoods matter,” she added.
When asked what advice has been transformational, Juanisha replied, “My mother said that no matter what happens in life, keep going. Put one foot in front of the other and keep going. If you have that determination you can keep going.”
The incident has since been expunged from her record.
“Virginia Tech is where I initially developed a spirit of service and saw future military leaders in action through the Corps of Cadets,” she said. “No matter what path I take next, I will take valuable lessons of service with me.”
Looking ahead, Brooks – who chairs the communications committee for the Black Alumni Reunion, said, “I am passionate about connecting Black alumni, building community, and increasing engagement across decades. I am looking forward to the in-person reunion in 2022.”
SAN BERNARDINO, CA— The Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) has named City of San Bernardino Council Members Kimberly Calvin and Damon L. Alexander to their 2022 Housing Policy Leadership Academy.
With State legislation focusing on regional housing needs and market forces accelerating housing production, the SCAG Housing Policy Leadership Academy will expose emerging and established leaders to best practices to increase the availability of affordable housing in their communities. The program will focus on five specific issues: producing housing for all; preserving vulnerable housing, promoting equity and inclusion, protecting tenants and small landlords, and preventing displacement.
“Affordable and inclusionary housing is a critical issue for both the residents of San Bernardino and our region,” said Calvin. This is a tremendous opportunity for Councilmember Alexander and I to take what we learn during this program and apply it locally.”
During the Academy, program participants and issue experts from across the state and region will examine housing issues from diverse perspectives and apply their learning to current policy challenges. Discussions will examine solutions that consider both the physical and social aspects of a healthy housing ecosystem for all.
“With more developers looking at opportunities in San Bernardino, we are poised for growth. We need to be sure that inclusionary and affordable housing is part of that growth,” said Alexander, who represents San Bernardino’s seventh ward. “The timing of this Academy could not be better, and we look forward to being a part of it.”
The Housing Policy Leadership Academy consists of ten monthly sessions and runs through November. SCAG is the nation’s largest metropolitan planning organization, representing six southern California counties, 191 cities and more than 19 million residents.
Mrs. Moses moved to Perris Valley in 1957 and hit the ground running—taking on leadership roles in a variety of organizations that initiated infrastructure improvements, including installing roads, water and natural gas; and construction of an elementary school, community center, and fire station in the rural area of Good Hope, where she resides.
Mrs. Moses’s leadership in Perris Valley’s first Human Relations Commission facilitated dialogue and training for community leaders that helped move race relations forward in the community and schools. Mrs. Moses’ vision, and her respect for the diverse needs of her community and fair-minded leadership style have earned her the respect of residents and community leaders alike. Willie Lee has served the community well and her wisdom and stalwart example will no doubt have lasting impacts in Perris Valley, and beyond. Mrs. Moses is deeply cherished in her beloved community, where she is often dubbed “The Mayor of Good Hope.” Although Willie has slowed a bit in in the past few years, the fruits of her good work and shining example are ever present.
Willie’s daughter Eleanor stated, “My mom’s optimism, and commitment to shape the world around her and make it a better place, are constants. She really embodies that adage “be the change you want to see. Hard to find a more stalwart and hopeful public servant. She’s such an inspiring role model in these fractious times.”
A celebration in her honor of Willie Moses and her purpose filled life will be held at the Riverside County Moses Schaffer Community Center on her 100th Birthday on Friday, February 18, 2022, from 1 p.m. to 4 PM. The event will be held both virtually and in person. For additional information or to RSVP, please contact Eleanor Moses at willieleemoses@gmail.com, or 510 290-4563.
Facts about Willie Moses
It did not take long for Willie Lee and Henry Moses to discover Perris Valley was conservative and resistant to change when they relocated to Good Hope from Compton in 1957.
The Moses’s were active in the community from the beginning taking a leadership role in community development, quality education, working as an activist during the civil rights era. They were involved with many Democratic political campaigns, and public education efforts.
The couple worked with other leaders to build strategies for improving race relations in Perris Valley and help the community evolve in positive directions. Every race, nationality, and religion could be found in the Moses home which was a hub for many community, political and family events. They were a constant resource and support for family, neighbors, and community leaders over the years.
Willie Lee Moses Nee Wanza was born February 18, 1922, in a small Louisiana town. Despite encountering many difficulties living in the racially charged South Willie developed a strong belief early on that you can accomplish anything you set your mind to. She has maintained that self-assuredness and spirit of resilience throughout her life and speaks lovingly of family and community members who believed in her and guided her early development.
Willie migrated West in 1944 after graduating valedictorian of her high school class, attending several years of teacher training at Grambling College and teaching school for a short period.
Looking for better opportunities, Willie joined her future husband Henry in Washington state, where they both worked in the war effort. Willie worked in an armory processing ammunition before moving on to monitor ammunition inventory coming on and off ships. The couple relocated to Southern CA in 1946 where they purchased a large home and business enterprise, hosting many friends and relatives migrating from Louisiana.
Just three generations from slavery, Willie broke many barriers in Perris Valley as the first African American to take assertive leadership roles in a variety of community organizations. Her legacy of deeply principled activism, service, and community building are still evident throughout Perris Valley.
Willie was instrumental in helping bring water, natural gas, roads, and other critical infrastructure to her rural community, and successfully advocated for development of an elementary school, community center and fire station in Good Hope. She was tireless in her work to provide resources for the elderly and needy, coordinating a free food program for low-income seniors nearly 35 years. Concerned about the quality of her children’s education Willie stepped up without hesitation to serve as president of the Perris Elementary, Middle and High School PTAs. Sometimes serving as president of multiple PTA at the same time.
Instrumental in developing a new elementary school in the neighborhood, Willie also served as first PTA president of the new Good Hope Elementary School where she helped raise funds for free lunches, the purchase of clothing and shoes for underprivileged children and distribution of food baskets to seniors in addition to school oversight duties.
Willie had a leadership role in Perris Valley’s first Human Relations Commission, which was successful in opening dialogue and improving race relations among community leaders in Perris Valley, and students in the Perris Unified School District.
A Perris Elementary School District food service manager for nearly 25 years, Willie also served as a job steward for classified employees in the region. All of this and more while keeping up a large turn of the century home and raising five girls on a five-acre property filled with fruit trees, pigs, chickens, rabbits, and the occasional cow. While her husband worked, Willie was often left single handedly keeping five girls in either Brownies, Girl Scouts, band, drill team, cheerleading, school plays, speech contests, sports teams, Sunday School and church.
The Moses home was the nucleus of a large extended family, and the broader community. Often the hub of large gatherings, meetings and political events.
A stalwart public servant, Willie has an open heart, and endless energy for family and community. The most notable testament to her years of advocacy is when she is lovingly referred to as “Mayor of Good Hope”. Riverside County renamed their community building in Good Hope, Moses Schaffer Community Center. In honor of Willie and another super volunteer and former co-worker. In 2018 she received an honorary theology PHD for a lifetime of community service. She has many formal acknowledgements for her work over the years..
Willie was a member of Bethel AME Church nearly 60 years, where she served as a missionary and exhorter.
The pandemic has prevented Willie from participating in-person with clubs and organizations, but she continues to be involved and give council. Approaching 100, she still has an extraordinary ability to mix her faith and love of life, family, community and friends into a living storybook that deserves celebrating. She’s defiantly an inspiration in these fractious times.
When asked advice she has for leading a good life. Moses responded: “Just, treat others the way you want to be treated;” “give the best you have, and the best will come back to you.” “I draw a lot of strength from the 23rd It’s my favorite scripture.” “When our ancestor had to pray in the bushes and arbors, for a better future for themselves and their children. They may not have known what it looked like, but they were good folks, and they believed, and just kept pushing forward. I never forget, or let my children forget that we stand on the shoulders of those elders and their toil, and we need to keep carrying the torch forward.”
“Almost eighty-five years ago as a fifteen-year-old girl I was fortunate to win a regional speech contest competing with many older students. Thanks to good schooling, and the confidence that was instilled in me at an early age, I went on to become valedictorian of my high school in Farmersville LA. The poem I recited in that competition The House by the Side of the Roadhttps://allpoetry.com/The-House-By-The-Side-Of-The-Road has been a guiding light for me throughout my life. Its a constant reminder to be tolerant and compassionate.”
Andre Herndon talks about his journey to his new role, some of his most proud achievements, and his relationship with his family in an exclusive interview with Westside Story Newspaper.
By Savannah Thomas
Working in politics takes a special kind of drive and personality: thankfully, Andre Herndon is the man for the job.
On January 26, 2022, Herndon was promoted to Mayor Garcetti’s Chief of Staff. Herndon has been a part of Garcetti’s team since 2015 and has spent his entire career in politics working his way through multiple roles to get to where he is today. Now, it seems as though years of hard work are finally paying off.
Herndon has always had an interest in public service, but it would be many years before he would work directly in politics. He started his career as a journalist in the mid-1990s, working for the Westside Story newspaper before moving to the LA Wave in 2000. He worked as an editor at the paper for nearly a decade before shifting gears to becoming communications director for the city council, then into Parks and Rec, and finally accepting a job offer working for Mayor Garcetti. Now, Herndon has graduated from reporting on the city budget to helping write it.
And Garcetti couldn’t be happier to have him.
“Andre’s thoughtful leadership and dedication have been essential to everything we’ve done to make Los Angeles a safer, more prosperous, and well-run city,” wrote Garcetti in an email to Westside Story. “In my years of working with him, I have seen that he isn’t just a strong leader—he inspires people to work harder and embrace new ways of solving our most pressing challenges. That’s the kind of leadership Los Angeles needs, and it’s why I know he will make an excellent Chief of Staff.”
In 2021, Mayor Garcetti and his team unveiled their Justice Budget, an ambitious project aimed at targeting underserved communities in Los Angeles. According to Herndon, the process to create and launch this project was time-intensive but resulted in being one of his most impressive projects to date.
“That was my baby for over a year,” Herndon admits, referring to Basic Income Guaranteed: KA Economic Assistance Pilot (BIG: LEAP), a pilot program that will provide 3,000 Angelenos with $1,000 a month for 12 months. It’s a big step towards trying to assist low-income individuals by setting an income floor for them in this time of need.
Given his dedication to making the city of Los Angeles a more equitable place for everyone, it should come as no surprise that Herndon also had a hand in creating Los Angeles Reforms for Equity and Public Acknowledgement of Institutional Racism (LA REPAIR): a program designed to provide $8.5 million in funds to low-income communities of color that were struck the hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic.
It should come as no surprise that this field of work requires a lot of time and dedication. In fact, Herndon admitted that he often “spends more time with his [coworkers] on a weekly basis than his family”. But that doesn’t stop him from finding time to be present in his son’s lives when he clocks out at the end of the day.
Herndon, who had thus far come across as a somewhat closed-off public figure, finally cracked a smile when talking about his family. He recalled taking one of his sons to the Kanye West and Drake benefit concert late last year, and the fond memories that came from it.
“It was very cold, but I braved it,” Herndon said, laughing. “Because I want [my children] to have those experiences.” According to Herndon, his family is something he holds very dear, and he wanted to make an attempt at being a present figure in the lives of his children since being in public service is often-times demanding.
It takes a very special kind of person to do well in politics, but thankfully, Andre Herndon is more than qualified.
In 2021, “NBA” was the No. 1 trending Google search in the United States, beating out “Squid Game,” “Mega Millions” and “stimulus check” among other top searches. “NBA” also fared well globally, ranking as Google’s No. 4 trending search worldwide.
Kevin Esteves, the NBA’s associate vice president of digital strategy and analytics, did a double take when Google released this data a few weeks ago.
“I read it a few times just to make sure I understood what they were capturing and measuring,” Esteves told BasketballNews.com in a phone interview. “It’s an incredible stat. In a year like 2021 — with all of the news and trending searches that would’ve been in contention for the No. 1 spot — for the NBA to occupy that top spot, I think it’s just a testament to the health of the brand and how exciting the league has been over the last few years. It’s an incredible brand-health metric for us, but I think it also speaks to how the NBA is more than just a basketball league; it kind of infiltrates the conversation across culture, music, fashion and social justice.”
The NBA has always had an excellent social-media presence, but 2021 was perhaps the league’s most impressive year to date.
Last year, the NBA was the most-viewed and most-engaged pro-sports-league account on social media, driving 24 billion views and 2.3 billion engagements across all platforms. Also, the NBA added 18 million followers across Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and Facebook combined last year — the most of any U.S. pro sports league.
“What’s really been our guiding philosophy throughout is we’ve tried to be a first-mover on all of these platforms, and in many cases, we were the first sports-league account on the platform,” Esteves explained. “Then, it’s about optimizing content for the platform that we’re on — not just spraying the same piece of content across all of our platforms, but really optimizing for each platform, nurturing that fan base and giving them exactly what they want. That’s sort of been key in our recipe for success.”
In addition to growing its following on the larger platforms like Instagram and Twitter, the NBA also had a number of successful live activations on Twitch and TikTok among others. Even the way the league embraced Clubhouse during the height of its popularity — with regularly scheduled Watch Parties — is indicative of this philosophy.
“I think a lot of brands can be hesitant around new platforms as they’re emerging because they aren’t sure if the ROI is there, or they’re not sure exactly how it ladders up to their overall company objective,” Esteves said. “When you think about social media when it first started, a lot of brands were in the business of driving people back to their website or other offerings, whereas I think we’ve always had the directive from our executives to optimize for the platform we’re on and nurture engagement there.
“At first, it was a very big marketing platform for us, but now, social drives just about every business objective that we have. But I don’t think we could have achieved that if we were thinking that our first post on each platform had to drive 10 of our business objectives. We had to nurture engagement on those platforms to then be able to capitalize in the long-term. I think we benefited from that approach. Globally, I think you’re starting to see more and more sports leagues embrace a similar approach, being on multiple platforms and [creating specific] content that they make available on those platforms to engage fans and ultimately increase the reach of the sport.”
The NBA currently has the most followers of any pro-sports-league account on Instagram (63.1 million), Twitter (35.9 million), YouTube (17.7 million) and TikTok (14.2 million). In comparison, the NFL has just 22.7 million Instagram followers, 28.3 million Twitter followers, 8.7 million YouTube subscribers and 7.4 million TikTok followers.
Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey (L) and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver speak at a press event at CES 2019 at the Aria Resort & Casino on Jan. 9, 2019, in Las Vegas, Nevada. The two discussed their partnership on #NBATwitter. (David Becker/Getty Images)
A big part of Esteves’ job is trying to turn those followers into regular viewers. He describes this as “a pivotal challenge and opportunity.”
“We believe that social [media] is a driver of awareness and reach, and that it can complement and increase linear viewership,” Esteves said. “We know that there are such avid communities, whether it’s the #NBATwitter community or the communities that we have on YouTube, Reddit, you name it. They are among the most vibrant social communities on each platform, and we believe that it’s a complementary offering. It’s long been our strategy to drive awareness through social.
“For a game like Klay Thompson’s return, we had a live social producer on hand to capture Klay’s arrival, his warm-up routine, him coming out of the locker room and just all of that context. For all of our biggest nationally televised games, we’re making it appointment-style viewing. We know that fans on social are inundated with content. You see the trends on a platform like TikTok, where seemingly anyone can go viral now with content that they just captured on their phone.
“There’s so much content saturation out there right now, so you really have to break through the noise, and we’ve found that the best way to do that is to be authentic and provide access that nobody else can. Before tip-off of Klay’s return, we had a video of Klay running right up to the stanchion and he jumps into the camera. There’s no way you can get closer than that! And we’ve always felt that is important.
“Something that [Commissioner] Adam Silver always says is, ‘Ninety-nine percent of our fans never get to attend a game live.’ So how do we use social to bring the game courtside and make them feel like they’re actually there? We feel like that’s a critical bridge between social and TV tune-in, creating those authentic relationships and providing the context for why this is such a big game or matchup. We use social to do that storytelling.”
Having a live social producer on hand for Thompson’s return paid off, as the NBA’s Instagram generated 103 million views — the most-viewed regular-season day in the account’s history. Klay-specific content generated more than 110 million views across the NBA’s socials, making Thompson’s return the most-viewed regular-season moment ever. Video of Thompson’s pregame introduction received 22.3 million views, which is the NBA’s second-most-viewed Instagram video of all-time.
It translated to linear viewership too. On NBA TV, the game averaged 844,000 viewers, making it the league’s most-viewed regular-season game since 2016. Locally, NBC Sports Bay Area had a 12.7 household rating, the network’s highest-rated regular-season game since 2016.
The NBA is terrific at creating these moments that get everyone talking. During the 2021 NBA All-Star Game in Atlanta, the league’s Instagram account generated more than 139 million views — the most of any account on the platform that day. The NBA’s IG also racked up the most views of any account when Stephen Curry broke the NBA’s all-time three-point record, generating 63 million views in 24 hours.
And thanks to the super active and passionate community on #NBATwitter, it’s not uncommon to see multiple players and teams trending on Twitter whenever something notable happens in the NBA. Several years ago, I asked Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey about the rise of #NBATwitter and how it became one of the most-engaged communities on the platform.
“I think the first reason it’s become so strong is the league’s acceptance of it. And not just acceptance, but usage of it,” Dorsey told me. “There’s a very open mindset to technologies like Twitter and that’s helped immensely. I also think the pace of Twitter matches the pace of the NBA and basketball in general. We [focused on] very brief moments and it’s fast-paced and there’s a lot going on, and you find a lot of the same dynamics within basketball and an appreciation for those things within the fan base.
“We were fortunate to get a lot of the players on the service [early] and also the commentators — a lot of the smart commentators… We have some of the most amazing fans on #NBATwitter too… I think it’s a good companion to the event and to what you’re watching. It also has that feeling of making the world smaller. We’re all watching this game at once; we all saw the same thing and here’s how we all feel about it — whether we’re outraged or we’re excited, we’re [part] of the crowd.”
Esteves agrees with Dorsey.
“When it comes to #NBATwitter, we’ve leaned in, of course. Our game is high-paced, volatile, real-time and has all of those ‘did-you-just-see-that’ moments that are kind of perfect fodder for a platform like Twitter. I think we’ve benefited from the product on the court. The NBA is an extremely exciting product on the court with many rising talents,” Dorsey said.
“The other day, Ja Morant had his freakish block in transition, and that’s just fuel for Twitter and the conversation that’s occurring there. In many ways, it’s also a credit to the media, who are such a valuable part of that ecosystem and conversation, and to our players, who not only produce on the court but have been very invested. Shaq was among the first people with a Twitter account, period. Having our players invested in the platform helped. We’ve benefited from that marriage, that partnership over the years, and our game has grown as a result.”
If you’re a basketball fan, it’s almost impossible to avoid #NBATwitter these days. Even if you aren’t on the platform, you’re bound to hear about various tweets and the drama that unfolds there. When DeAndre Jordan flip-flopped on his free-agency decision to join the Dallas Mavericks and re-signed with the Los Angeles Clippers, that saga played out on #NBATwitter. Bryan Colangelo lost his job as general manager of the Philadelphia 76ers because some #NBATwitter sleuths discovered his burner account. Nearly every free-agency signing, trade and draft pick is reported first on #NBATwitter. It has become an integral part of the NBA landscape. It’s also wildly entertaining.
“My favorite account — and one that I think makes #NBATwitter so special — is Draymond Green’s mother, @BabersGreen,” Dorsey told me several years ago. “She has found all the other NBA moms on Twitter and she trash-talks them during games! She also trash-talks her own son during games! Watching a game with her tweeting about what’s going on with Draymond or with other moms is just entertaining. The basketball game is amazing in itself, but to see her comment on it just makes it funny.”
The NBA’s YouTube channel is also a huge point of pride. The channel generated 1.94 billion views in 2021, which was the most-viewed year in the channel’s 16-year history.
“These staggering numbers on YouTube are among the [metrics] we’re most proud of because, as I like to say from the data side, this single-year record viewership has been years in the making,” Esteves explained. “The NBA has been on YouTube since 2005, and the optimizations that are required to kind of perfect your algorithmic traffic are so nuanced; it comes down to thumbnails and headlines and captions and the length of the video and the pace of the video. We’re constantly tweaking and optimizing those things, and one thing that we’ve seen is that as you further optimize, you get this domino effect where one successful video fuels the performance of the next video and the next video and so on. So, seeing these numbers peak in 2021 is a testament to a lot of the optimizations that we’ve made over the course of several years.”
This was something that Esteves pointed out several times: the NBA’s success in 2021 was the culmination of several years of hard work.
“I sit on our Digital Content Strategy and Analytics team and we sit hand in hand with the content-publishing team, and we created that feedback and optimization loop over several years and now we’re seeing the dividends of all that work,” Esteves said. “Also, we’re trying to increase data fluency throughout the entire company. We don’t want all of the answers to sit in one group that sends out an email or report saying ‘X, Y and Z.’ We want more people throughout the organization to understand the data and be able to analyze it themselves; I think that has also been part of our success.”
Esteves joined the NBA in 2012, so not only has he witnessed the league’s tremendous growth across various platforms, but he’s also seen how the digital landscape has changed over the last decade.
“It’s been an incredible transformation,” he said. “I started at the NBA out of school as a project employee on our Social Content team. When I first started, on a lot of these platforms, it was rather intuitive what content you published on each because they were all so different. Twitter was kind of the lifeblood of everything going on with news and commentary, and it was very tech specific. YouTube was where all videos existed and it was kind of the searchable domain of all video. Facebook was more for friends and family and conversations. Instagram started as a photo-only platform.
“From a content-strategy perspective, it was rather intuitive, understanding what content we put on each platform. But now, all of the platforms have evolved so much, and they have replicated a lot of the same features — from stories to videos to live-streams to audio-only formats. Now, it’s a lot more nuanced in terms of trying to understand where the content is going to work best, and that’s where the data becomes so important. We’re pulling in data from each of these platforms and really getting granular about trying to understand what performs best on each platform.
“I think part of what has made us so successful is being open to the data and leaning in to the data, and understanding what’s performing well versus what’s not performing well. Sometimes, it’s hard to admit the things that aren’t working, but we’ve been very transparent and honest with ourselves, and we hold ourselves accountable to make sure we’re optimizing on each of these platforms. Having that approach is another ingredient to our success and how we’ve been able to continue growing.”
This data includes interesting details about the NBA’s demographics. For example, the NBA’s Facebook, Instagram and TikTok accounts have more than 24 million combined followers from the Philippines — the most of any country outside of the United States.
“One of the things that makes the NBA so unique is its global reach, and we see that show up time and time again in the demographics,” Esteves said. “The fan support we have in the Philippines, I think, is among the most amazing things I’ve witnessed from the data side for the demographics of the NBA. For that country to represent such a significant portion of the consumption we have on a person-to-person basis, they just love the NBA; they love the stories and the players. Our content performs exceptionally well there.
“We see support from countries all over the world — in Europe, Australia, Africa and so on — but the Philippines is an example of something that really stood out to me. I think that ties back to a lot of the globalization that the NBA has done, with some of its global games being held in Manila and other locations outside of the U.S. That’s been critical and we’ve seen that show up in the numbers.”
Utilizing these platforms, the NBA has gone from connecting to its biggest local supporters to reaching an audience that spans the entire world.
“Being based in New York, sometimes you have that U.S.-centric bias when you’re looking at stuff, but once you see the data, it opens up your mind like, ‘Wow, this content is being consumed in real time across so many different territories and countries across the globe.’”
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To ensure Black communities across the state voice their thoughts and concerns and provide input, the California Task Force to Study and Develop Reparations Proposals for African Americans is partnering with six “anchor organizations” to host public listening sessions.
Each organization will help the task force hear various perspectives of Black Californians as it assesses the state’s involvement in slavery and Jim Crow discrimination. The committee expects that process to inform the work they do when developing recommendations for compensating African Americans for past and ongoing race-based injustices.
The Coalition For A Just and Equitable California (CJEC) is one of the host organizations. A state-wide network of organizations, associations, and individuals united to push reparations for the descendants of enslaved men and women, the CJEC will participate in 12 sessions involving Black Californians from different social and economic backgrounds.
“We’ve been at this since 2019. We worked hard for this assignment and it’s really a testament of waking up, networking, and organizing Black folks around the state,” Chris Lodgson, a founding member of CJEC, told California Black Media.
“What we are expected to do as part of that process is produce at least two listening sessions and the task force will support them. These sessions will allow Black Californians to think about what reparations should look like and how it should be implemented,” Lodgson continued.
Lodgson said CJEC will “coordinate” with the other five anchor organizations to prevent “doubling efforts” and provide a cross-section of opportunities and ideas from the sessions.
“At least two Task Force members are expected to attend each listening session,” Lodgson said.
“We really want to talk to people in our community that get overlooked the most,” Lodgson said. “People who are unhoused, formerly incarcerated, from the foster care system, street organizations, et cetera, are the people we want to hear from. Their thoughts matter, too.”
At its first two-day meeting of 2022 on Thursday, Jan. 27, and Friday, Jan. 28, task force members will explain in more detail the rationale and process of the listening sessions. The virtual meetings will begin at 9:00 a.m. both days.
During the upcoming meetings, task force member Dr. Cheryl Grills will highlight the task force’s “Community Engagement Plan, providing more information about the listening sessions.
The meeting will also feature testimony from experts during the “Discrimination in Technology,” “Community Eligibility,” and “Public Health” segments on Jan. 27.
During the task force’s second meeting last July, Grills introduced the idea of the listening sessions.
Black communities in the southern, northern, and central parts of the state (where many Black farmers reside) are expected to be involved in the process.
“Black folks exist in an ecosystem and the system includes a diverse, cultural base of people, social class, education levels, etc.,” Grills said. “So how do we make sure that those people, who are a part of the ecosystem, are impacted? They need to be at the table.”
Grills was appointed to the National African American Reparations Commission (NAARC) earlier this month. She is a professor of Psychology at Loyola Marymount University, former national President of the Association of Black Psychologists, and founder/director of a non-profit program evaluation organization called Imoyase Community Support Services.
NAARC is comprised of a distinguished assembly of activists, scholars, civil rights, human rights, labor, and faith leaders. The organization devised a 10-Point Reparations Program to serve as a guide and frame of reference for the growing reparations movement in the country.
“Dr. Grills has been amazing. She’s has done a great job in leading our community engagement effort,” Lodgson said. “She’s been largely responsible for looking for groups to be anchor organizations, bringing together resources, and facilitating the conversations.”
On Friday, Jan. 28, the California Task Force will hear testimonies from experts discussing mental health and physical health.
California’s Assembly Bill (AB) 3121, titled “The Task Force to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans,” created a nine-member commission to investigate race-based inequity in education, labor, wealth, housing, taxation and more. The commission is also charged with analyzing the state’s involvement in slavery, segregation, and the historic denial of Black citizens’ constitutional rights.
Current California Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber authored the bill when she was a member of the State Assembly and chair of the California Legislative Black Caucus.
AB 3121 requires the task force to submit its recommendations to the legislature no later than 2023.
The COVID-19 winter surge has impacted different age groups in different ways, as caretakers struggle to take care of the elderly during this pandemic and parents remain wary of their children returning to in-person classes.
“It’s been here but it’s been everywhere for like the last 14 days,” said Los Angeles County resident Clarence Johnson whose wife, Tanesha Johnson, decided to shut down their daycare last year.
Across the United States, 1,099 children under 18 have died from COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In California, the state Department of Public Health reports that 47 children have died of the disease.
This past December saw a four-fold increase of children admitted to hospital over the past year, according to the African American Wellness Project.
Tanesha Johnson, owner and director of the Sunshine Academy Childcare Center in Inglewood, made the choice to close her daycare after reflecting on her own concerns as a parent.
“When I started seeing how fast the COVID-19 virus began to spread, I had to now think as a mother and not just as a business owner,” said Johnson. “I said, ‘okay, if I did not own a daycare, would I feel comfortable sending my children to school at this time,’ and the answer was no.”
Johnson said she is still cautious about her children returning to school and hopes that kids will be required to test before returning.
Both the federal and state governments have been pushing for more tests in schools, with Gov. Gavin Newsom announcing each student in public school will get two at-home COVID-19 tests.
The Biden administration announced that they will be implementing initiatives that will increase the number of tests in schools by 10 million per month.
“These additional tests will help schools safely remain open and implement screening testing and test to stay programs. With the additional ten million tests per month, we will make available to schools more than double the volume of testing that took place in schools across the nation in November 2021,” read the press release from the White House.
In the US, only 27% of parents of 5- to 11-year-olds are in favor of vaccinating their children, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) survey.
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about a number of challenges for the country’s aging population as well, particularly for African Americans and other minorities.
Only 7% of people ages 65 and older who received a booster shot are Black.
Earlier this month, retired Assemblymember Cheryl R. Brown (D-San Bernardino), who is a member of the California Commission on Aging, hosted a news briefing with journalists featuring caregivers discussing the difficulties of taking care of aging adults in the state. The virtual conversation was organized by St. Paul AME Church in San Bernardino, Black Voice News in Riverside and Ethnic Media Services.
According to Donna Benton, Research Professor of Gerontology at USC, caretakers of aging Californians, including family members, have also been impacted.
“The majority of care, elder care in our state, is done by family members,” she said. “We are an essential part of the healthcare system.”
Benton, who is also director of the USC Family Caregiver Support Center and the Los Angeles Caregiver Resource Center, said there are nearly 4.5 million family caregivers in California.
One caretaker, Ruth Rembert, who lives in the Inland Empire, talked about tending to her ill husband and how the pandemic puts him at greater risk.
“His immune system was compromised,” she said. “He has two strikes against him, number one is his age and also his medical issues.”
She also emphasized her support for more people being immunized.
“This pandemic has definitely been a challenge for me and for my husband,” she said. “We all wish this would be over, but it doesn’t look like it’s going to be anytime soon unless we take seriously the importance of vaccinations.”
The Rev. Noella Buchanan, Caregiver Coordinator for the Southern California Conference of the African Methodist Church Ministerial Alliance, said most elderly African Americans are people of faith and that plays a role in the way they approach their health care.
“We need to share with them that if God has opened up a way for someone to come up with a vaccine, we need to trust. And part of our trust comes from what we are seeing. We are seeing loved one die. And the loved ones that are dying are the one that have not taken the shot,” she said.
California Black Media’s coverage of COVID-19 is supported by the California Health Care Foundation.
RIALTO, CA— San Bernardino County Fifth District Supervisor, Joe Baca Jr. is joining Darious Harris, the founder of Never Stop Grinding (NSG), to host the third free dental and vision services event. This event is meant to serve those who need exams, cleanings, fillings and extraction, full eye exams and free prescription glasses, all at no pocket cost to participants. The event is open to the public and will have dentists and optometrists on site. The event will take place in Rialto on Saturday, February 5 from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. This event is available to all those who fill out the application and receive a notification of their appointment time. Spaces are limited, so we please urge you to apply promptly as walk-ins will not be accepted. We cordially invite community members to sign up for this free dental and vision services event.
“Dental and vision health is pivotal to the quality of our lives and to our individual health. Being able to spread the word and assist those who would appreciate this free event is something I am more than ecstatic to do. Considering the recent surge of COVID-19 in our county, we will also be providing rapid COVID-19 tests to be performed before each appointment. All CDC and COVID-19 guidelines will be followed. We cannot wait to have a lot of the community come out and receive necessary dental and vision services at no cost. Again, I would like to thank Darious Harris and all at NSG for their constant support to San Bernardino County.” -Supervisor Joe Baca, Jr.
Address will be disclosed to only those who are selected to render services. Register for the event at this using this link:
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