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SBCUSD Names Harry “Doc” Ervin as Superintendent

Empire News Network

SAN BERNARDINO, CA – The San Bernardino City Unified School District (SBCUSD) Board of Education voted unanimously to appoint Harry “Doc” Ervin as Superintendent during today’s Board of Education meeting. Ervin will assume the leadership post on July 1, officially filling the seat vacated by Dr. Dale Marsden.

Ervin joins SBCUSD from Bakersfield City School District, where he has served as superintendent since 2016. He was selected during a nationwide search that resulted in more than 20 highly qualified applicants.

“The Board of Education listened closely to our SBCUSD community about the qualities we should look for in a new superintendent, and Doc Ervin stood out for his passionate commitment to equity and excellence,” said Board President Gwen Dowdy-Rodgers. “We are confident we have found a transformational leader as his experience at all levels of the educational system will help us effectively navigate the opportunities and challenges that come as we recover and grow from the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Ervin, who is fluent in English and Spanish, has dedicated his career to bringing equity and access to economically disadvantaged students from culturally diverse backgrounds, setting high expectations for their success. He brings more than 25 years of experience in education as a classroom teacher, school principal, assistant superintendent, and superintendent in districts across the state, serving areas that include Kern County, Monterey County, Los Angeles County, and San Bernardino County. 

“I am pleased to accept the position of Superintendent of the San Bernardino City Unified School District, and I look forward to ensuring every SBCUSD student has the support they need to be successful,” said Ervin, who was present for the Board of Education’s virtual meeting. “SBCUSD has a lot of great programs in place for students, and I look forward to taking what they have to the next level.”

The SBCUSD Board of Education selected Ervin through a locally driven process where the public was offered multiple opportunities for input. Preparation began a year ago with community listening sessions and surveys to capture stakeholder thoughts about the qualities most important for the new district leader. Among these desired characteristics was a successful track record working in a socioeconomically diverse, multicultural community with similar demographics to San Bernardino. Recruitment was disrupted by COVID-19 and resumed in January of this year where community members were again invited to participate by submitting questions for the Board to consider in their interview process.

Ervin is a proud veteran of the United States Marine Corps who holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Studies and Master of Science in Education Administration from Alliant International University and his Administrative Credential from California State University, Fullerton. He is married with three sons and one daughter.

The SBCUSD Board of Education will formally approve Ervin’s contract at its April 6 meeting. Between now and July 1, Ervin will work with now Interim Superintendent Dr. Harold Vollkommer to ensure a smooth transition.

Catch an Encore of San Bernardino Symphony’s Spring Concert on Saturday, April 10

By Empire News Network

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— On Saturday, April 10 at 7:30 p.m., the San Bernardino Symphony will be airing their Spring Concert again on the Symphony’s new SBSOtv platform accessible from their website.

April 10th is the Final Airing of Tchaikovsky, Vivaldi, and Grieg

Want to know more about the concert?

Concerned you won’t be able to access a digital concert?

Here’s how it’s done:

  1. On concert day, go to www.sanbernardinosymphony.org
  2. Click on the SBSOtv tab (third white tab from the left just below the purple page header).
  3. Input your password at the first prompt, then the same password at the second prompt.
  4. Watch the concert from your computer or cast it onto your SmartTV the same way you would other computer-based content.
  5. Enjoy the concert from the best seat in Your House!

Remember, even if you’re not right on time, you won’t have missed a thing!

The concert starts for you when you input your password!

See what previous show goers thought

“Breathtaking program, performance, video, sound quality, studio, organ, bassoon – phenomenal details of beauty, curiosity and virtuosity! Wowww!!”

“Another exceptional concert  Loved hearing Anthony on the bassoon all while conducting the orchestra! What a nice surprise to hear the Wurlitzer. Thanks for all that SBSO has been able to present despite the pandemic.” 

“The Golden Era of the San Bernardino Symphony is upon us!” 

“Stunning performance in every way!!! Bravi Tutti, SBSO!! Brilliant!!! And Maestro Anthony, your incredible conducting, commentary and virtuoso bassoon concerto – unreal!! Crying tears of joy of how amazing it was and thinking about the history of your bassoon and its journey back!”

“Extremely moving and beautiful!! “

“Fantastic concert, and especially great to hear Maestro Parnther reunited with his bassoon, singing to us in the Vivaldi concerto. Loved every moment!” 

“This concert was what my soul needed.”

“The concert was so lovely. Hearing our maestro play was so wonderful, a very talented musician in so many ways. The organ pieces were astounding, so many pipes, such amazing ability to play that instrument-our senses were mesmerized. The strings, of course, were angelic-we are so fortunate to have this orchestra for San Bernardino.”

“Another beautiful concert! Loved your brilliant performance, the camera work, and historical background. Well done, everyone!”

“Outstanding concert, the music, the arrangements, the musicians, the videography, the editing, and post production all made for an amazing experience. I look forward to any/all future concerts by SBSO.”

“Sounded really full & the vertical harmonies really balanced about as close to perfect as possible.“ 

“The music brought tears to my eyes it was so beautiful. Thank you for a lovely afternoon!“

Eddie Griffin Announces April 1 Premiere of ‘Docucomedy’ Laughin’ Through Your Mask

Eddie Griffin reflects on a year of COVID, social distancing, and social justice with the live presentation of his new ‘docucomedy’ special, Laughin’ Through Your Mask, premiering Thursday, April 1, 2021 as a sneak peek for fans ahead of its launch on the iTunes and Amazon streaming platforms on Tuesday, April 20.

The acting and comedy legend, who took his successful Las Vegas stand-up show on the road despite a multitude of risks and touring inconveniences during an unprecedented worldwide pandemic, shares his personal experiences of how the events of 2020 impacted his career.

Griffin also delivers razor-sharp, unapologetic observations about nerve-touching subjects of today’s current events, as the special was filmed exactly one day after the storming of the United States Capitol and violent attack against the 117th United States Congress at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, January 6, 2021.

Griffin, who shot to fame with memorable film and TV roles such as Undercover Brother Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo, John Q, Scary Movie 3, A Star is Born and Malcolm & Eddie, has built a millions-strong fan following through the power of his stand-up shows, attracting record audiences through touring, his residency at Las Vegas’ Sayers Club, and stand-up specials including You Can Tell ‘Em I Said It, Undeniable, and E-Niggma.

Tickets for the world premiere of Laughin’ Through Your Mask are on sale now for $9.99 exclusively at laughinthroughyourmask.com; watch the official trailer at YouTube.com.  

Become a Griffin Insider and get the latest updates at EddieGriffin.com and through Twitter @eddiegriffincom.

Women Leading California’s COVID-19 Response: Yolanda Richardson, Sec. Of Gov. Ops

By Bo Tefu | California Black Media

This Women’s History Month, California Black Media is profiling three Black women on the leading edge of California’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic: Surgeon General Nadine Burke Harris, California Gov Operations Secretary Yolanda Richardson and Kimberly Goode, Senior Vice President of External Affairs at Blue Shield of California. The profiles explore how these exceptional women have brought their experience, knowledge and leadership abilities to driving California’s COVID-19 recovery efforts. It also looks at the challenges they have faced, the successes they have won and how they balance the rigors of their public roles with the responsibilities of their private lives.

Profile: Yolanda Richardson, the Operator

In January 2020, Gov. Newsom appointed Yolanda Richardson as California’s new Secretary of the Government Operations Agency. Now, one year into that role, the governor has charged Richardson with spearheading California’s vaccination distribution. That’s in addition to other COVID-19 emergency response initiatives she leads, including promoting equitable testing and supplying personal protective equipment where needed to keep California’s population of 40 million people safer.

Richardson hit the ground running responding to the COVID-19 pandemic four days after being sworn into office by Newsom. She is responsible for 11 state departments and programs that ensure that the California state government runs smoothly and achieves its goal of overcoming the challenges presented by the pandemic. Richardson’s passion for problem-solving was an effective tool in boosting state efforts to build a coronavirus testing laboratory and establishing a vaccine task force. Her 25 years of experience in the healthcare industry has sharpened her expertise and “get-it-done” leadership style as one of three African American women to lead California’s efforts in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

A major challenge for Richardson was, “being thrust into a situation,” to fight the pandemic and find new ways to “get things done in an environment in which we never imagined,” she said.

“The biggest challenge to us has been: How do we keep state government working effectively and continuing to deliver services efficiently,” said Richardson.

Despite the unprecedented challenges of COVID-19, Richardson saw an opportunity to support legislation that enabled Californians to make a smooth transition to work-from-home and homeschooling policies. The operation’s team also implemented the governor’s plans to manage

$7.6 billion in COVID-19 relief funds, $6.6 billion for state schools, and $30 million in grants to support local organizations.

“The biggest win was that people did what they needed to continue moving forward during one of the biggest shifts our state has seen,” said Richardson.

The state of California has partnered with various community-based organizations, leaders, and businesses, a unique approach to the pandemic, in efforts to promote equity, she said.

“In everything we do, we have to be thoughtful about all of the different situations that we find people in,” said Richardson. “I think the state has just done an amazing job of really thinking about being thoughtful and trying to make sure that the approaches and the things that we do meet people where they are.”

The state’s operations team continues to evaluate progress through data-tracking and managing collaborative efforts with community partners to make sure the state achieves its desired outcomes, she said.

Richardson discussed racial equity in the healthcare system with medical experts and leaders in the Black and Latino caucuses, as part of Gov. Newsom’s plans to provide community clinics and health centers with COVID-19 testing and vaccines.

“I’m very passionate about allocating more vaccines to our communities that are mostly populated by Black and Brown people,” said Richardson. “I am very much committed to using my voice and the platform I’ve been blessed with to make sure that I do everything I can to help those in need.”

Vaccine hesitancy fueled by misinformation and disinformation about COVID-19 has made it hard for the state to reach vulnerable populations in low-income areas, according to state officials. However, community leaders expressed concerns regarding access to adequate health care, COVID-19 testing, vaccine distribution.

“We’re leveraging trusted advisors, using people in the community that the communities listened to the most,” Sec. Richardson said. “We’re looking at all the different strategies we can employ that are most comfortable and familiar to those in diverse communities so that they can feel comfortable about getting the vaccine.”

Among her list of impressive titles, Richardson is a proud mother of two, an enthusiastic dog owner and wife to her husband of 23 years, who are the anchor to her sanity and peace, she said.

“I have an amazing family that is very supportive,” Richardson said. “I am very blessed to have a beautiful family that keeps me balanced.”

Although balance is hard for any leader, Richardson said her operations team has pushed her to accomplish California’s objectives in serving communities statewide. California’s leaders still

have a long road ahead to achieve its goal of overcoming the pandemic and safely reopening the state.

“There’s so much to do, we joke and say every day is Monday in the state of California. But I have the most extraordinary colleagues who have been a huge support,” said Richardson.

Women Leading California’s COVID-19 Response: Surgeon General Nadine Burke Harris

By Quinci LeGarye | California Black Media

This Women’s History Month, California Black Media is profiling three Black women on the leading edge of California’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic: Surgeon General Nadine Burke Harris, California Gov Operations Secretary Yolanda Richardson and Kimberly Goode, Senior Vice President of External Affairs at Blue Shield of California. The profiles explore how these exceptional women have brought their experience, knowledge and leadership abilities to driving California’s COVID-19 recovery efforts. It also looks at the challenges they have faced, the successes they have won and how they balance the rigors of their public roles with the responsibilities of their private lives.

Profile: Nadine Burke Harris, the Equity Advocate

Nadine Burke Harris is California’s first Surgeon General, a role that consists of a number of high-level internal governmental obligations as well as a significant amount of public-facing responsibility. In addition to advising the governor on health matters, she is also the state’s “public health spokesperson,” Burke Harris told California Black Media.

“Probably the biggest part of my job is that I translate science into information that people can use to help keep themselves healthy. That’s probably my favorite part of the job,” she says.

When asked what her biggest success has been regarding California’s pandemic-related public-health efforts, Burke-Harris focused on the state’s equity measures. They include equity metrics within the state’s reopening blueprints for counties as well as an equity strategy within COVID-19 vaccine allocation that reserves 40 % of vaccines for socio-economically disadvantaged communities. She also mentioned her role as co-chair of the Community Vaccine Advisory Committee, which is part of the process of determining how California allocates and distributes its vaccines.

“I think our reopening blueprint really demonstrates how seriously California is taking the issue of equity because our whole notion is that we recognize that this pandemic is disproportionately hard on Black communities, and we really want to make sure that when we are reopening that we are doing an equitable reopening,” said Burke-Harris.

Prior to becoming California’s Surgeon General, Burke-Harris treated children as a pediatrician. She is the founder of the Center for Youth Wellness in the Bayview Hunters Point neighborhood of San Francisco. In her decade and a half working in the community, Burke-Harris saw how certain equity and accessibility issues would impact her patients’ ability to receive care

Burke-Harris says, “There are a lot of little things that you realize. For example, I was just on a conversation where we were talking about how close a vaccine site has to be in order to be considered accessible. One of the things that I highlighted is that I live in San Francisco, and I

have a car, so for me, something that’s five miles away is perfectly acceptable. But for the patients that I cared for, I had the experience of seeing how hard it is for someone who’s got two or three kids to take three buses across town to get where they have to go. Five miles away may not be accessible. That has certainly informed my role in the state and how I advise the governor.”

In addition to her work on the COVID-19 response, Burke-Harris has also continued her previous work on raising awareness about Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and how toxic stress affects children. A training initiative, which she began in January 2020, has now educated almost 20,000 doctors about how to identify and improve healthcare outcomes for people who have experienced ACEs.

As for her biggest challenge during the pandemic, she acknowledged a feeling of exhaustion. Such exhaustion, she says, is common among health care providers and others on the frontline of the COVID-19 response and relief efforts, after a full year of the pandemic.

“It’s been a real sprint. My colleagues in government, and especially in health and human services, have been working around the clock responding to this emergency. It’s a lot, it’s late at night, on the weekends, my family not seeing enough of me. I think that for all of us, just the endurance has been pretty intense,” Burke Harris says.

To help recover from the daily pressures of work, Burke Harris values self-care and family time. She makes an intentional effort to practice meditation as selfcare when life gets hectic. As for family time, she enjoys game nights and snuggles from her children to cultivate joy. Also, her kids are quick to tell her when she seems stressed.

Burke Harris says, “I remember there was one point during the January surge that was really intense. I was having dinner with my family and my eight-year-old said, “Oh no, it looks like Mama lost her giggle.” In that moment, he just held up a mirror for me, and how much the intensity and the pressure of my work was coming into our family life. It just reinforced for me that no matter what I’ve got to keep that sense of playfulness with my kids.”

Women Practitioners Take the Lead on California’s COVID-19 Recovery Efforts: Kimberly Goode Profile

By Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media

This Women’s History Month, California Black Media is profiling three Black women on the leading edge of California’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic: Surgeon General Nadine Burke Harris, California Gov Operations Secretary Yolanda Richardson and Kimberly Goode, Senior Vice President of External Affairs at Blue Shield of California. The profiles explore how these exceptional women have brought their experience, knowledge and leadership abilities to driving California’s COVID-19 recovery efforts. It also looks at the challenges they have faced, the successes they have won and how they balance the rigors of their public roles with the responsibilities of their private lives.

Profile: Kimberly Goode, the Implementer

During a time when an all-out effort is underway to get Californians vaccinated, a few women leaders in California are leading the charge to reach the communities hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic, including Black families in “hard-to-reach” areas across the state.

Kimberley Goode, the Senior Vice President of External Affairs for Blue Shield of California) is one of those Black women in on the frontlines.

Blue Shield of California is the state’s “third-party administrator” as California ramps up its push to get its 40 million residents vaccinated. Goode says the company, with headquarters in Oakland, has taken a number of steps to support the state’s goal to get vaccines to all Californians – particularly those who have been disproportionately impacted — in a way that is safe, equitable and swift. Blue Shield’s provider network boasts more than 1,200 vaccination sites in California, including community clinics, multi-county entities, hospital systems, medical groups, pharmacies and others.

“The state makes final allocation decisions. The state makes all decisions around eligibility,” says Goode. “Our job is to make sure that the robust network that we’ve built is able to get that vaccine to the providers who are throughout every community in the state of California – to reach every zip code.”

Goode says their distribution efforts target areas in the state where data shows there are higher incidents of infection and death. “Those are the places we really want to double down on and make sure that we have more vaccines there, more quickly,” she said. “We make sure we partner with local community clinics, trust

“Our goal is two reach 3 million doses per week by March,” Goode added.

A public-relations specialist, Goode’s position with Blue Shield of California puts her in charge of communication and outreach on behalf of the nonprofit that generates more than $20 billion in annual revenue and serves more than 4 million members in commercial, individual, and government markets.

“There is a lot of concern about the impact of COVID-19 on communities of color and, in particular, the African American community,” says Goode. “One of the things that should give comfort to people in this process is that there are a lot of people who care about equity, and two state leaders I work with, Dr. Nadine Burke Harris and Secretary Yolanda Richardson – they are two very important voices that are ensuring that equity is at the forefront of the decision-making process, and the implementation of the vaccine distribution.”

She has more than 25 years of communications experience with several global companies, including Kellogg’s, Prudential Financial, American Express, and Allstate. She also spent time as the vice president of Corporate Communications and Corporate Affairs at Northwestern Mutual, where she was responsible for leading the company’s internal and external communications strategy.

In the summer of May 2017, Goode joined Blue Shield of California to provide strategic leadership in corporate communications, government affairs, and corporate citizenship. She is also responsible for building relationships that help advance the nonprofit health plan’s mission.

“If that’s not enough titles, I get to work on the communication, education, and equity workstream for the third-party administration work that we’re doing on the behalf of the state for the vaccination program,” said Goode, who chairs Blue Shield of California’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Leadership Council.

Goode is active professionally and in the community with a number of organizations, including the Executive Leadership Council, the Bay Area Council, Children Now Leadership Council and California Women Lead Advisory Council, Jack and Jill of America, Inc., and The Links, Inc.

At home, Goode says she has been working from home and sheltering in a “four-generation family bubble” with her husband, her two daughters, her 75-year-old mother and her 95-year-old grandmother.

“The silver lining of this pandemic has been that it has really helped me to reflect on what matters most and prioritize my time with my family – to focus on the things that are meaningful. We engage in some old fun activities. We play “Black Panther Monopoly.” It’s a board game that is a ton of fun. Just having fun with family in ways that we used to take for granted.”

But the greatest reward of her work right now, Goode says, is working for a “mission-driven company.”

“This is work that enables us to help every Californian,” she said. It is very gratifying to know that when I wake up and come to work every day (even though it is in my living room), it is not

focused on ‘how I can help Blue Shield today.” It is focused on “how can Blue Shield help Californians across the state.’”

As California Reopens, Black Doctors Answer Nagging COVID Questions

By Tanu Henry | California Black Media

Can COVID vaccines affect fertility? Were Black people used in the COVID vaccine research studies? Do you still need to get vaccinated if you’ve already had COVID-19? What is emergency use authorization? 

These are just four out of about 50 resurfacing questions a group of Black doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals’ answers in a video intended to penetrate clouds of misinformation about COVID-19 as it provides vital information that address lingering questions, still unanswered, that many people have about COVID-19. 

The video titled “A Conversation: Between Us, About Us,” is moderated by Palo Alto native, comedian and San Francisco resident W. Kamau Bell. The video is produced with the support of a partnership between the Black Coalition Against COVID (BCAC), a national advocacy group, and the San Francisco-based Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), a philanthropic non-profit focused on generating data and resources to equip policymakers and the general public with important health information. 

Berkeley-based Jacob Kornbluth Productions worked with KFF and BCAC to create the videos. California Health Care Foundationthe Commonwealth Fund and Sierra Health Foundation also contributed to funding the production and distribution of the video. 

“I was a part of the expert African American panel, which is a group of providers like myself – with doctors, nurses, community people, et cetera. This is a group that was created through National Institutes of Health to review the various vaccine protocols for the different companies that were developing the vaccines,” said Orlando Harris, a public health researcher, during the introduction of the video featuring him. 

The healthcare professionals’ push to educate African Americans with the intention to reduce “vaccine hesitancy” is just one of many other similar campaigns around the country organized by civil rights organizations, government agencies, professional organizations, community groups, foundations and others. 

The information they are providing comes at a time when California is taking major steps to relax social isolation guidelines, reopen large businesses like theme parks and restart in-person learning for children attending K-12 public schools. Last week, Gov. Newsom announced that the state is investing $6.6 billion into recovery efforts that include facilitating the safe reopening of schools. 

On Friday, Mark Ghaly, California Health and Human Services Secretary, said he believes as more Californians become vaccinated the safter it would be to change the state-issued guidance on restricted activities. Theme parks could reopen as soon as April 1, he said. 

“We feel like now is the appropriate time to begin to reintroduce these activities in some fashion and, again, in a guarded way, in a slow and steady way, with the other protective factors of the blueprint all sort of wrapped around it,” Ghaly said during the news briefing. 

The medical professionals who participated in “Conversation” project say the information they share in the videos will facilitate discussions among family members and arm health workers with credible information they need to answer questions patients may have. 

“Taking off my hat as a clinician and a researcher, I have to go home and have conversations with my mom, with my dad, and my grandparents about the vaccine and why taking the vaccine is important,” explained Harris, who is also a family nurse practitioner and assistant professor at the University of California San Francisco School of Nursing. 

“Being on that panel with the rest of my colleagues and reviewing the protocols, gave me great insights,” he continued. “So, now I can have the conversation with you. I can have it with my family, and I can say, actually, we were represented in the trials and these are the numbers, et cetera. 

Black Americans are among groups least likely to get the vaccines even though their COVID-19 mortality rates are among the highest in the U.S., according to KFF. The report states that 34 % of Blacks across the country say they will “wait and see” if the vaccines are working on others before they take it. 

 “As Black health academicians, researchers, and clinicians, we understand our empathy-based responsibility to provide our community with the resources and guidance on surviving this pandemic,” said Dr. Reed Tuckson, a member of BCAC. “As such, we appreciate this partnership with KFF to produce one of the largest of its kind campaigns to creatively provide trustworthy information that will save Black lives.”

In California so far, there have been 54,128 COVID-19 deaths as of March 7. Across the state, there have been about 3.8 million confirmed cases with about 1.2 million of them registered in Los Angeles County alone. 

Dr. Pamela Simms-Mackey is chair of Pediatrics and Chief of Graduate Medical Education at Alameda Health System in Oakland. She says much of her work has been centered around promoting equity and reducing health disparities for African Americans and other minorities who have been underserved. 

“When people in their minds think of side effects, they think of something that happens that is not supposed to happen,” she said. “Soreness at the injection site, headaches, fever, a swollen lymph node. Those are vaccine-anticipated reactions. That shows your body is reacting to the vaccines. Those are good signs. You want to see that. That shows that the vaccine is working in your body.” 

Dr. Rhea Boyd, a physician at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation and Chief Medical Officer of San Diego 211, a community health organization, says she believes roadblocks that prevent African Americans from getting COVID-19 vaccines have little to do with hesitancy. 

“The barriers are accessible facts about the COVID-19 vaccines and convenient access to receive a vaccine,” said Boyd. She co-developed the project with KFF and the Black Coalition Against COVID. 

“This is a comprehensive effort on behalf of Black health care workers across the country,” she said. 

CA Black Elected Officials Unite to “Crush Unfair” Effort to Recall Governor Newsome

By Manny Otiko and Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media

Fourteen California Black Democratic elected officials serving at the federal, state, county and city government levels joined hands in a virtual show of support for Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday during a news briefing on Zoom. In one-minute statements, each one explained why she or he is standing behind Newsom as a Republican Party-led effort to recall California’s 40th governor gains ground across the state.

The two main organizations spearheading the recall effort, RescueCalifornia.org and RecallGavin2020.com, announced last week that they had collected the signatures of more than 2 million Californians for the petition they expect will soon trigger a recall election.

To begin the process of removing Newsom from office, the governors’ opponents must collect 1.5 million signatures – or 12 % of the total number of people that voted in the last gubernatorial election. They must also submit the signatures to registrars in all 58 counties by close of business on March 17.

“This is the beginning. Let’s hope this is the last time we come together to talk about this. But mark my words, if this recall does qualify, we will crush it because we will be united. We will not fall for a trick,” said U.S. Congresswoman Karen Bass (D-CA-37), pointing out that Gov. Newsom has done nothing that should warrant him being removed from office.

Bass said based on the price tag of past attempts to recall California governors, most recently Gov. Gray Davis in 2002, an election to remove Newsom from office would cost taxpayers over $100 million.

A total of 9.4 million voters cast ballots in the special election that ended Davis’ governorship.

Because the state, will hold a gubernatorial election next year, Bass says, it not fiscally responsible to hold one this year.

U.S. Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA-13) said there is “no reason to recall the governor of the state of California.”

“There will be an election in June 2022 and people will have a chance to vote. So, I urge everyone to join us in this unfair recall against Governor Newsom,” she said.

Sen. Steve Bradford (D-Gardena) said Gov. Newsom has been a “friend of the African American community.”

“This governor has stood with us on criminal justice reform. He has eliminated and paused executions because he realized the majority of people of death row are minorities – Black and Brown individuals who are over-sentenced and over-prosecuted all the time and many times are innocent,” said Bradford. “So, we stand with this governor. He has stood with us.”

So far, recall supporters say they have over 2 million signatures – well over the minimum required by the state. The Secretary of State’s office has until April 29 to verify the signatures.

Many supporters of the recall effort say their plan to oust Newsom has been motivated largely by frustration over the strict coronavirus lockdown the governor imposed on the state. Some of the leading supporters are the California Republican Party, 2018 Republican gubernatorial candidate John Cox, former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer and the Republican National Committee. Both Cox and Faulconer have put their names forward to replace Newsom, if he’s removed from office.

“We’ve proven we can win. And I did it twice in San Diego. San Diego’s registration mirrors that of California — 24 % Republican — it’s the same in San Diego as it was statewide,” Faulconer said in an interview with the conservative magazine National Review. “So, I know how to build coalitions and win and get results. I know how to use the power of the bully pulpit to go out and win the argument publicly and then win the vote. That’s what you have to do to be successful in California and you have to get not just Republicans but independents and a portion of Democrats as well.”

But according to Ballotpedia, Republicans have had it in for Newsom for a while. This is the sixth recall attempt against Newsom since 2019. But the previous five weren’t successful.

In addition to Bass, Lee and Bradford, the other African American California elected officials who joined the media briefing to express their support for Newsom are: State Sen. Sydney Kamlager (D-Los Angeles); Assemblymembers Autumn Burke (D Inglewood), Reggie Jones-Sawyer (D-Los Angeles) and Mike Gipson (D-Carson); San Francisco Mayor London Breed; Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell; California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond; California Board of Equalization Member Malia Cohen; Antioch Mayor Lamar Thorpe; Los Angeles City Councilmember Mark Ridley-Thomas; and Los Angeles City Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson.

Gov. Newsom, who has said very little publicly about the recall, spoke up in an email to supporters Monday.

“I am not going to take this recall attempt lying down,” Newsom said. “I’m going to fight because there’s too much at stake in this moment.”

The governor also took to Twitter.

“I won’t be distracted by this partisan, Republican recall — but I will fight it,’’ he tweeted. Getting Californians vaccinated, our economy safely reopened, and our kids back in school are simply too important to risk.”

Breed said Newsom had led the state through a difficult time. She said Newsom showed more leadership than former President Donald Trump. According to Breed, Trump had abandoned San

Francisco during the early days of the coronavirus pandemic. She dismissed the recall effort as a “right-wing attack.”

In Washington, Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Bernie Sanders (D-VT), Alex Padilla (D-CA) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) all came out in full-throated support of Newsom the same afternoon. Shortly after, Georgia Democrat Stacey Abrams also voiced her support for California’s governor.

“This governor was duly elected and deserves to serve his full term,” said Cohen. “A recall is the ultimate statement of voter suppression. Citizens of California came together and voted disproportionately to support Gov. Newsom. It is our duty to fight this baseless, senseless recall.

Harry Doc Ervin Voted in as San Bernardino Unified School District’s First African American Superintendent

Ervin became superintendent of the Bakersfield City School District (BCSD) in 2016. Mr. Ervin came to BCSD after having served as Superintendent for the Greenfield Union School District in Monterey County. He has served as a classroom teacher, school principal, and assistant superintendent at various school districts across the state. Ervin is fluent in Spanish and received both his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Liberal Studies and his Master of Science in Education Administration from Alliant International University and his Administrative Credential from California State University, Fullerton. He is a proud veteran of the United States Marine Corps.

His start date and salary with SBUSD are to be determined.