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By Manny Otiko | California Black Media

Proposition 28 is one of seven statewide initiatives on the November 8 ballot. If passed, Prop 28 will boost arts and music education funding for 6 million public school students. The proposition requires California to dedicate 1% of the education budget to arts and music programs.

If the proposition passes, it will provide approximately $1 Billion to PK-12 schools.

Prop 28 is backed by Austin Beutner, former superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District, Arne Duncan, education secretary in the Obama administration, and a broad coalition of teachers, families, artists, entrepreneurs, community leaders and labor organizations.

Among celebrities and musicians supporting the proposition are Dr. Dre, Jimmy Iovine, John Lithgow, Issa Rae, and Will.I.Am

 “This initiative is timely as our country seeks to create a more just and equitable future for all children. A boost in arts and music education will help ensure the future workforce in media and technology properly reflect the diversity of the children in our public schools,” according to a joint statement from Beutner and Duncan.

As schools adapt to tightening budgets, arts and music are often the first to go. But these programs have a profound impact on students’ academic outcomes and behavior. This was shown in a study of 10,000 students in the Houston school system by University of Missouri professor Brian Kisada and Texas A & M professor Daniel H. Bowen.

“We find that a substantial increase in arts educational experiences has remarkable impacts on students’ academic, social, and emotional outcomes. Relative to students assigned to the control group, treatment school students experienced a 3.6 percentage point reduction in disciplinary infractions, an improvement of 13 percent of a standard deviation in standardized writing scores, and an increase of 8 percent of a standard deviation in their compassion for others,” the professors wrote in their Brookings Institution article.

There is no major opposition to prop 28, but some fiscal conservatives say it could lead to an increase in property taxes.

“If Prop. 28 passes, a 1% combination of state spending, in addition to the spending of each locality through property taxes, would be solely dedicated to music and arts education,” said Ari DeWolf, educational outreach manager at the Reason Foundation, an organization that promotes libertarian values.

“California already spends $95.5 billion on its public school system, translating to around $17,000 per student. This figure puts California in the top 10 states for per-student education funding. California’s current spending on K-12 education has reached a historic high, while public school enrollment is the lowest in two decades,” according to DeWolf.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond recognizes the importance of music and arts education. $3.5 billion has been budgeted for an Arts, Music, and Instructional Materials Discretionary block grant program according to a Department of Education press release. These one-time grants will be available to county offices of education, school districts, charter schools, and the state special schools in the 2025–26 fiscal year.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— Thousands of students participated in the annual Science and Technology Education Partnership (STEP) conference, referred to this year as STEPCon22.

This conference focused on exploration of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) with various exhibits that sparked students’ interest.

“STEM-based education provides our students with connections to grasp difficult concepts,” said County Superintendent Ted Alejandre. “STEPCon22 is giving students the opportunity to engage in hands-on learning with real-world applications that will strengthen our region’s workforce for the future.”

This annual event is designed to ignite student interest in STEM related career fields.

Through this conference, students became familiar with how STEM can be leveraged in careers such as first responders, law enforcement, military, engineering, manufacturing, environmental and healthcare sectors.

“There are not a lot of women in the STEM area,” said Nia Hoghs, a Yucaipa High School student. “I think it would make a big impact on people if we can get more women in this field because then they will see if she can do it, then maybe I can, too.”

Students had the opportunity to engage with college educators and industry professionals one-on-one. They also participated in hands-on science experiments, interactive technology exhibits, presentations, breakout discussions and a science showcase.

LOS ANGELES, CA— Covered California and Secretary Xavier Becerra of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services teamed up to officially launch open enrollment across the nation for the 2023 coverage year. Open enrollment is the time when Americans can sign up for health insurance coverage through Affordable Care Act marketplaces. This is the 10th open enrollment period under the landmark law, which has helped provide health insurance to millions of Americans and will feature increased and expanded financial help for consumers through the Inflation Reduction Act.

Becerra joined Jessica Altman, Executive Director, Covered California, Mayor Eric Garcetti, City of Los Angeles, Karen Bass, Representative 37th Districtand Dr. Mark Ghaly, Secretary of the California Health and Human Services.

The open-enrollment period begins with a record-high 14.5 million people enrolled in the federal and state marketplaces, including 1.7 million in Covered California. The increased enrollment has been driven by the increased financial help first made available through the American Rescue Plan and extended under the Inflation Reduction Act.

As part of its efforts, Covered California is launching a “10 Years Strong” campaign, celebrating a decade of providing quality health insurance plans and reducing the state’s uninsured rate to a historic low.

“Covered California is ‘10 Years Strong,’ celebrating a decade of expanding access to quality, affordable health care for millions of people throughout the state,” said Jessica Altman. “Open enrollment is here and now is the time to sign up for quality health insurance coverage through Covered California that will protect you and your family.”

10 Years Strong

Covered California’s “10 Year’s Strong” campaign will highlight the progress made in expanding health care access by increasing the number of people with health insurance in every region over the past decade. It will also showcase continuing efforts to reach into every community in the state to make sure all Californians have access to quality health care.

Since Covered California’s first open-enrollment period in 2013, federal data shows that California’s uninsured rate fell from 17.2 percent to a record low 7.0 percent in 2021, which is the largest percentage point drop for any state in the nation over this time.

During this time, more than 5.2 million Californians have received health insurance coverage through Covered California for at least one month. Covered California’s has seen its overall enrollment grow by more than 40 percent, including a nearly 50 percent increase in the number of people signed up in Los Angeles County.

One Million Uninsured Californians are Eligible for Low-cost or No-cost Coverage 

Covered California enters open enrollment with 1.7 million consumers. However, new data shows that there are more than 1 million uninsured Californians who are eligible for financial help to bring the cost of coverage within reach. Of that group, at least 55 percent – or about 568,000 people – could get quality coverage through Covered California or Medi-Cal at no cost.

The remaining 471,000 uninsured Californians are eligible for significant financial help that will lower the cost of their monthly health insurance premiums. Right now, 90 percent of Covered California’s enrollees qualify for financial help, and thanks to the increased and expanded financial help made available through the American Rescue Plan and extended through the Inflation Reduction Act, those consumers are saving an average of $475 per month, or an average of 80 percent of their monthly health insurance premium.

Currently, two-thirds of Covered California’s consumers are eligible for comprehensive health insurance coverage at a cost of $10 or less per month.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, CEO of Covered California Jessica Altman, Covered California enrollee Zhang Yue, United States Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra, California Congresswoman Karen Bass, and Secretary of the California Health and Human Services Dr. Mark Ghaly attend the kick off event for Health Care.gov and ‘California’s 10th open enrollment launch event on Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2022 in Los Angeles. (Mark Von Holden/AP Images for Covered California)

Signing up for Coverage is Easy

Consumers can discover their options by visiting CoveredCA.com, where they can easily find out if they qualify for financial help and see the coverage options in their area.

All they need to do is enter their household income, ZIP code, household size and the number of people who need coverage and their ages into the calculator on Covered California’s homepage.

Open enrollment began on Nov. 1 and is the one time of the year when eligible people cannot be turned away from coverage.

In addition to visiting CoveredCA.com, those interested in learning more about their coverage options can also:

• Get free and confidential assistance over the phone, in a variety of languages, from a certified enroller.
• Have a certified enroller call them and help them for free.
• Call Covered California at (800) 300-1506.

About Covered California

Covered California is the state’s health insurance marketplace, where Californians can find affordable, high-quality insurance from top insurance companies. Covered California is the only place where individuals who qualify can get financial assistance on a sliding scale to reduce premium costs. Consumers can then compare health insurance plans and choose the plan that works best for their health needs and budget. Depending on their income, some consumers may qualify for the low-cost or no-cost Medi-Cal program.

Covered California is an independent part of the state government whose job is to make the health insurance marketplace work for California’s consumers. It is overseen by a five-member board appointed by the governor and the legislature. For more information about Covered California, please visit www.CoveredCA.com.

By Jasmyne Cannick | Special to California Black Media

The situation with disgraced Los Angeles City Councilmember Kevin de León reached a new low Wednesday when he calmly declared during a news interview that he is not resigning, putting to rest any hope that he would do the right thing and step down.

“No, I will not resign because there is a lot of work ahead,” De León said.

In the two weeks since the leaking of the audio of the October 2021 meeting involving City Council President Nury Martinez, Councilmembers Gil Cedillo and Kevin de León, and Ron Herrera, the leader of the Los Angeles Labor Federation, in which they were overheard conspiring to retain and expand Latino political power to the detriment of Black residents, a lot has been said.

But now, Los Angeles, it’s time to put up or shut up.

Either you stand for and with racists and bigots or you don’t. There’s no in-between on this.

It is not easy to overlook the fact that far too many “leaders” and organizations hesitated before they could bring themselves to call for the resignation of all four involved

“There is no place in our city family for attacks on colleagues and their loved ones, and there is no place for racism anywhere in L.A.,” said Mayor Eric Garcetti in his first statement.

Performative activism on the issue of De León’s resignation should not be celebrated or accepted — by anyone.

City leaders cannot claim to stand with us on this issue and then go on as business as usual. That makes them just as complicit as Martinez, Cedillo, De León, and Herrera.

Labor and Democratic Party organizations cannot denounce the Racist Four and then not put measures in place to make sure that they are ineligible for future endorsements and resources for political campaigns in the future.

De León is a textbook narcissist who believes he has a bright political future ahead of himself, including his running for statewide office in 2026. In order for that run to be successful, he has to have the backing of labor, the Democratic Party, and Democratic clubs. These groups need to deliver a unified message that he can’t come to them for money, endorsements, or support.

But it doesn’t stop there.

Kevin has drawn a line in the sand: he’s not going to leave on his own.

We need to draw our own.

While I know many community, labor, and Democratic organizations were against the recall of Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón, those same groups should be using their political savviness and resources to spearhead the recall of De León — that is, if they truly found his comments abhorrent and want him off city council.

If Kevin De León isn’t a perfect example of an elected official who needs to be given his pink slip, I don’t know who is.

Despite public outrage and disillusionment, De León thinks he can sit pretty for the time being as long as he is only facing surface-level activism. Remind you of anyone?

That needs to change, and allies need to do more than issue strongly-wordedstatements. It’s time for some strategic, organized action.

And before I get out of here, it’s not just allies who need to show up.

Black people, we need to show up for ourselves, too, lest we prove De León’s “Wizard of Oz effect” to be true.

If you are not talking about this situation in some way every day, as the elders say, “you ain’t talking about nothin.” If you can’t be out there with Black Lives Matter and the other groups camping out in front of the homes of Cedillo and De León, then you support the people who are. There’s a role for everyone in fighting for our respect as a people.

How Los Angeles meets this moment will dictate the future of consequences for exposed racism and bigotry in our government. If De León is allowed to stay put, then going forward, no public official will allow themselves to be forced to resign over their anti-Black comments.

Gil Cedillo isn’t off the hook either. He, too, needs to kick rocks. Everything I said about labor and Democratic organizations withholding support from De León should apply to Martinez, Cedillo, and Herrera. At least with Cedillo, while we want him gone now, we know he will be gone in December. The bigger problem we face is giving De León the boot.

Being a leader means more than being the first with a tersely worded statement or performing before the news cameras. It also means taking action and taking a stand, even when no one is watching and it’s uncomfortable to do so.

We are still waiting for Los Angeles “leaders” to meet the moment.

A political strategist, Jasmyne Cannick is a former Special Assistant to previous Los Angeles City Council President Herb Wesson, a delegate in the Los Angeles County Democratic Party, and a proud member of The Blacks who stands with the Oaxacan, Armenian, Jewish, and LGBTQ communities.

By Aldon Thomas Stiles | California Black Media

In August, The Children’s Partnership hosted a mental health panel centered around the voices of young girls and women of color. The session was organized as part of the organization’s Youth of Color initiative.

“I had never been surrounded by a group of people with the same experiences and the same struggles regarding mental health, regarding being a person of color,” said Samantha Giles.

Giles, a California teenager, is one of the Children’s Partnership’s youth panelists.

 “I even got to go into a breakout room where we talked about how our parents don’t necessarily recognize our mental health struggles and I never really talked with someone else my age about my personal experience and their personal experience,” the teenager intimated.

Giles described the interactions she had with her peers as “eye opening.”

That same month, California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced his “Master Plan for Kids’ Mental Health,” an initiative that pumps $4.7 billion into the super-system providing mental health services to the state’s youth

See the Video: California African American Teens Speak Out

Some advocates and public health officials say the governor’s announcement serves as an appropriate policy response to what experts are calling a mental health crisis in the state. They see it as a positive step the state is taking to address the under-treated and often-overlooked challenges that youth like Giles are trying to overcome.

According to the California Health Care Foundation (CHCF), one in 14 children have experienced a mental or emotional disturbance that disrupts their day-to-day life.

Of the California adolescents who experienced major depressive episodes, 63.6 % did not receive treatment for those incidents.

Newsom touts California’s response to the national mental health crisis over that of other states.

“As other states take away resources to support kids’ mental health, California is doubling down with the most significant overhaul of our mental health system in state history,” Newsom said. “We’re investing billions of dollars to ensure every California child has better access to comprehensive mental health and substance use services.”

Some notable organizations have praised the state’s commitment to children’s and young adults’ mental health.

“The state has made some incredible and historic investments in children and youth mental health and well-being – both with the $4 billion Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative and with the $3 billion Community Schools Initiative,” Angela M. Vázquez, Policy Director at the Children’s Partnership, stated.

However, Vázquez raised concerns about many of these funds being one-time investments that might not fully address the needs of children of color.

Vázquez’s concerns, which mirror those of several mental health advocates in communities of color, extend to Newsom’s pledge to add 40,000 more mental health workers to California.

“Still, the reality is that the clinical workforce is and will likely remain for some time largely White and middle-class – not at all reflective of the diversity of our state’s children,” Vázquez stated.

The Children’s Partnership is currently working on a solution to the existing inequity that the organization says involves peer-to-peer interactions.

“Youth of color from The Children’s Partnership’s own youth policy council, the Hope, Healing, and Health Collective shared that greater investments in peer-to-peer programs would improve the opportunities for youth of color to connect and heal with members of their own communities and identities,” Vázquez stated. “Peer support is an essential evidence-based strategy for young people’s mental health that has the potential to build interest and foundational professional skills that lead to future opportunities for mental health career paths for more students of color.”

Contributing to the state’s youth mental health crisis are other factors like the COVID-19 pandemic, experts say.

According to research published by the Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, the state of mental health among Black people worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic with anxiety and depression being the main issues.

“These recent events have layered on additional psychological and emotional stress on children and youth of color, particularly Black youth,” Vázquez stated “In considering what serves young people well, it is imperative that we address the systemic barriers that have contributed to historic mental health disparities in youth, and develop innovative strategies, leaving space for healing outside of and in tandem with the traditional mental health system.”

The CHCF found that Black people had the hardest time amongst all other ethnic groups finding a doctor, especially a specialist.

In 2019, Black children in California were the most likely to experience serious emotional disturbances amongst children of all other racial groups at a rate of nearly 8%.

From 2017 to 2019, roughly 30% of Black 7th graders were projected to have experienced feelings of depression or depressive episodes.

These trends are not just documented among today’s Black children. African American adults are reported to have experienced more adverse childhood experiences that negatively impact their mental health more than any other ethnic group that self-reported, according to the CHCF.

In August, Newsom signed Assembly Bill (AB) 2508, authored by Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva (D-Fullerton). The new state law, Newsom’s office says, reimagines youth mental health services by strengthening care systems in schools and focusing on intervention and prevention instead of crisis care.

The governor says the legislation will “better define the role of school counselors.”

But Vázquez has some reservations about that bill, too. She feels it does not fully address the mental health needs of all of the state’s children.

“One thing that AB 2508 does not address is the urgent need for greater investments in California’s youngest learners’ mental health – children ages 0-5,” Vázquez stated. “The state needs to invest significantly more resources in community-based infant and early childhood mental health services, such as early childhood mental health consultations – an evidence-based model that reduces the number of preschool suspensions and expulsions, an issue that has significant disproportionate impacts on young Black children.”

California Black Media’s coverage of Mental Health in California is supported by the California Health Care Foundation.

By Lue Dowdy | LUE Productions

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— This holiday season, LUE Productions is searching for community singers that want to bring some cheer to seniors. Singers will provide a holiday performance servicing the elderly by sharing songs and music through a collective of popular Christmas carols. Some songs will be meshed into a medley and others will be sung by a soloist, duo, or trio. Practices will take place in November on Thursdays beginning November 10 at 7:30 p.m. at 555 N. Arrowhead Avenue in San Bernardino. If you are interested, please inbox LUE Productions on Facebook or text (909) 567-1000.

Another milestone in the Inland Empire was realized Thursday October 13 when Provisional Educational Services, Inc. (PESI) held the ribbon cutting and dedication of the “Dwaine Radden Sr. Field of Dreams” at the PAL Charter Academy (PCA) in Muscoy.  The inaugural football toss was the culmination of a determined effort by the PAL Charter Academy CEO to provide facilities for the PCA students and the community.  “You have to vision it out to carry it out”, said Mr. Radden.

The CEO has also discussed other visions, and Mr. Joe Baca, San Bernardino County Fifth District Supervisor, announced that his office is awarding a $1.7 million grant to Provisional Educational Services, Inc, and the PAL Charter Academy to enrich the athletic programs at the PAL Charter Academy.

The “Field of Dreams” event was enjoyed by a host of dignitaries, which included but was not limited to Joe Baca Jr., San Bernardino County 5^th District Supervisor;  Kimberly Calvin, San Bernardino City 6^th Ward  Electorate; Dr Mildred Henry, Founder;  Dr. Gwendolyn Dowdy-Rodgers, Candidate San Bernardino County Board of Education;  Jerry Garzon, Moreno Valley Chamber of Commerce and Master of Ceremonies;  Chief Joseph Paulino, Chief of Police, San Bernardino City Unified School District; PESI Board members Edwin Stricklan and Pamela Montana; Pastor Jerrold Thompson, San Bernardino Community SDA Church; Jasmine Jefferson and Diana McKee, Black Chamber of Commerce Inland Empire; Jhu Maani Chess, Vocalist; and other noted participants, students, parents, and staff.

Prior to the ribbon cutting event, students and staff of the PAL Charter Academy held a pep rally and introduced the volleyball and football teams.  One of the very few charter schools with their own football field, the students and staff cheered and shouted “Go Bulls!”

The Dwaine Radden Sr. Field of Dreams is already being utilized for events by community organizations.

Our weekly coverage of local news in San Bernardino County is supported by the Ethnic Media Sustainability Initiative, a program supported by California Black Media and Ethnic Media Services to support minority-owned-and-operated community newspapers in California.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA—- On Wednesday morning, Fifth District Supervisor Joe Baca, Jr. hosted his second College and Career Day event for 300 high school juniors and seniors from San Bernardino City Unified School District and Rialto School District. The event took place at San Bernardino Valley College and was meant to assist our current high school students to explore their opportunities after graduation. Over twenty community partners had both informative and interactive booths for students to engage with. The students were taught how to create a strong resume, engage in a technology presentation by Amazon, and explore various job opportunities with County Fire, Law enforcement, EMT departments and dozens of other workforce departments and post-secondary educational opportunities.

“It’s very normal to not know exactly what your future is going to look like after high school. Not everyone has a set plan and that is okay. But what is not okay is to not have any plan or be aware of what opportunities are surrounding you to grow. My plan is to host this event at least twice a year to assure that all the high school juniors and seniors in the Fifth District have been personally reached to broaden their horizons on what opportunities they have after high school. Success is always possible, and it is up to these young people to work and or study hard to achieve their goals. This event was meant to let our students know that the county is behind them every step of the way, cheering them on. This event would not be made possible without all the support from our local schools and community partners, so I thank you all for all the help and support you have shown our fifth district students.”-Supervisor Joe Baca, Jr.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— New Hope Missionary Baptist Church in San Bernardino, California will take the Gospel to the street on Saturday, October 29 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., bringing in a new season of ministry with its Fall Family Festival on the parking lot that wraps around the church edifice at 1575 W. 17th Street. The theme for the event is “Imitating the Model of Christ: Teaching, Preaching, and Healing” (Mt. 9:35-38).

The Church family, neighbors, and the community at large are invited to share in a celebration of faith, worship, fellowship, food, taco trucks, fun and games, music, and educational resources. A key offering in the day’s activities will be a COVID-19 Workshop and Vaccination Clinic, offering educational resources, first and second vaccine doses and booster shots.

The purpose of our Vaccinate All 58 Neighborhood Partnership Program inclusion in their Fall Family Festival is to educate community members on safe practices for the prevention of COVID-19.  They will host a COVID-19 educational Continental breakfast seminar at 10 a.m. for anyone interested.  Come learn the importance of “herd immunity” and the best ways to protect seniors and others who are vulnerable.  They are delighted for the partnership and opportunity to encourage the importance of vaccinations. They recognize that they are trusted messengers in their community and as a Faith-based institution, they can reach their membership and neighborhoods in effective and unique ways.

Dr. Michael Andrew Owens, Pastor of New Hope, says the festival is a continuation of the collaboration of the church with government and health care agencies to extend vaccine and testing opportunities into the heart of the community, in easy reach of vulnerable populations, where trust and access to care may be challenging.  Healing is central to the Gospel message of Christ, and a theme that will be amplified in an atmosphere of thanksgiving for being able to come together in person, as the COVID – 19 threat wanes and relationships are renewed.

For more information on the day’s activities and vendor applications, call 909-887-2526.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— Miss Black awareness scholarship pageant contestants enjoyed an afternoon of sisterhood at Fiesta Village in Colton, California, as they prepare for the race to the finish line.  The Miss Black Awareness Scholarship Pageant will be held on Saturday, December 17^th at the Cypress Neighborhood Community Center in Fontana. Doors will open at 5 p.m.  Get your tickets early and save $20 in advance and $25 at the door.