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By Rachel Becker, CalMatters

California still does not have enough capacity to test for coronavirus, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Sunday, despite furious efforts by private, university and government laboratories to scale up to handle thousands of more patients. 

To help triage the crush of Californians in the Bay Area who want to be tested for the novel coronavirus, Newsom announced a new website created in partnership with Alphabet’s subsidiary Verily that will provide screening and testing support.

Starting Monday, Californians with mild symptoms or who are concerned about exposure can take a questionnaire that will direct those especially at risk from the virus to two pilot testing sites in Santa Clara and San Mateo, according to a Verily news release.

As of Monday morning, however, the questionnaire did not ask about risk factors or exposure history, and did not direct people to testing. Verily did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Newsom called it “the next phase” for testing in California, which to date has conducted 8,316 tests for the virus — of which, 335 have come back positive for the novel coronavirus. “That’s a 14 percent increase from the prior day,” Newsom said. “Tragically, we now have six individuals that have passed away.” 

In the press briefing, Newsom said California has the capacity for just shy of 9,000 tests. But he alluded to issues surrounding the availability of supplies, saying he was worried now about access to adequate numbers of swabs for collecting patient samples. The governor’s office declined to elaborate further during the press briefing or afterward. 

“There’s still some capacity concerns not only on the diagnostic side on the back end with the labs — both private, public, commercial — but as it relates to supplies,” Newsom said. “And one must be honest about that.” 

Politicians and health officials across the country have criticized the slow rollout of U.S. testing relative to other countries. Until the end of February, labs were barred from using tests they created themselves without prior federal approval, even as labs across the country discovered flaws in the CDC’s early tests. 

Now, academic medical centers in California, as well as private companies, are racing to catch up to what is expected to be a dramatic increase in the spread of the virus.

The test itself is a standby of molecular biology called a reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, or RT-PCR. Clinicians collect samples by swabbing a patient’s nose and throat and send it to a lab to extract genetic material called RNA from the swab. 

The challenge is detecting the virus in the soup of human and microbial genetic material, so lab workers use probes that stick to parts of the virus’s genetic code and run a series of reactions to amplify the signal. That way, if the virus is there, they’ll be able to see it. 

“The PCR is the really easy part,” said Frances Sladek, a professor of cell biology and toxicology as well as the divisional dean of life sciences at UC Riverside. Freshmen who have never touched scientific instruments learn in a lab course how to run PCR well enough to identify species of fish from the filets at a store, Sladek said. That’s why it’s so incomprehensible to her, she said, “that there’s any problem at all with this.”  

In addition to bureaucratic slowdowns from the federal government, testing has been hampered by a series of technical failures. Many of the early tests sent out by the CDC had faulty components that made it impossible to tell if a positive result was real, according to Science. The CDC did not respond over the weekend to a request for more information about the flawed tests. 

Then, another hold-up: Politico first reported a shortage of key ingredients needed to extract genetic material from patient samples. “The availability of those reagents is obviously being looked at,” CDC Director Robert Redfield told Politico. “I’m confident of the actual test that we have, but as people begin to operationalize the test, they realize there’s other things they need to do the test.” 

Newsom publicly criticized the test kits Thursday, calling them incomplete. “You’re going to the store and purchasing a printer, but forgetting to purchase the ink,” he told reporters. “I’m surprised this is not more of the national conversation.”

But the governor’s office directed followup questions to California’s Department of Public Health, which said questions about RNA extraction kit supplies would need to be answered by the CDC.  Neither state public health officials nor the CDC responded to CalMatters’ questions about the number of extraction kits California expected, or how many it received.  

The bottleneck may be coming from the CDC itself: the CDC only names RNA extraction kits from two vendors — QIAGEN and Roche — on a webpage detailing the supplies sent to public health laboratories. And until Sunday, CDC’s instructions for the diagnostic test only listed QIAGEN’s kits for RNA extraction, saying that “names of vendors or manufacturers are provided as examples of suitable product sources. Inclusion does not imply endorsement by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.” 

Still, Yousef Haj-Ahmad, president and CEO of Norgen Biotek Corp, a Canadian Biotechnology Company that also makes RNA extraction kits, said Norgen’s kits should have made the cut. “CDC made an error by only recommending Qiagen; doing so created a bottle[neck] for testing,” he told CalMatters in an email. 

A Qiagen spokesperson told Reuters on Friday that Qiagen ramped up production of its extraction kits by 70 percent, and isn’t to blame for the testing delays in the US. Qiagen could not be reached for comment over the weekend.

But even as medical centers at UC San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego offer in-house tests for the novel coronavirus, they too are bracing for a shortage. 

Right now UCSF is only testing hospitalized patients, not the general public, spokeswoman Laura Kurtzman said. And while UCSF is not currently hurting for RNA extraction supplies, it “may encounter this as testing continues to ramp up,” Kurtzman said. “In parallel, we are developing tests that may potentially bypass the extraction step so would not need these chemicals.” 

Farther south, UCLA Health is testing hospitalized patients with the same test that the CDC and California Department of Public Health are using, according to spokesman Enrique Rivero. Citing the shortage of RNA extraction kits, Rivero said, “UCLA’s laboratory is working to modify the CDC kits to work with other reagents.” 

It’s a near-universal challenge, Nam Tran, associate professor and senior director of clinical pathology at UC Davis, told CalMatters on Sunday. “When every hospital is competing for the same thing, that’s what happens — you end up being in very short supply.” 

UC Davis’s strategy is to bring not one but three different types of tests online over the next several weeks. One is a CDC-type test. Another runs cartridges containing samples on a more automated device that Tran compared to working like a video game: “You put the cartridge in, or device in, and press start. And in an hour and a half, you get a result.” The test can run samples from 12 patients at a time, and Tran expects it to be ready in the next week. 

The third test will take longer to be up and running; it’s a home-grown assay that runs on an SUV-sized piece of equipment called the cobas 6800 made by biotech company Roche. The instrument can run 1400 tests in a day, according to Tran, which he called a “game changer.” 

Stanford, which recently announced drive-through testing, has been running in-house tests through its clinical virology laboratory since March 4, according to Benjamin Pinsky, associate professor of pathology and medicine. He couldn’t say how many tests but said the number is increasing. The lab is testing samples from a number of hospitals including Stanford Hospital, Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, and Kaiser Northern California. 

“At this point, the demand for testing and need for testing outpaces the availability of testing,” Pinsky said. His team has also experienced shortages in key components, including some of the Qiagen extraction kits, and is now working to validate other kits and enzyme mixes. 

“I’m really proud of Stanford that we were a little bit ahead of the game here and we’re able to provide this testing for the Bay Area,” Pinsky said. “I think that has really helped patients in this area get the right care.” 

Companies also are stepping up. Quest Diagnostics has been running a lab-developed test for the novel coronavirus at its infectious disease laboratory in Juan Capistrano since March 9. The company is rolling out the test nationally and expects to be performing 10,000 tests per day by the end of this week, according to a news release. 

While Quest’s test does include a step to extract genetic material from patient samples, spokeswoman Rachel Carr told CalMatters the company has the supplies needed to perform the tests.“It’s the largest laboratory in the world, and we have continuous access to the reagents we need, and so right now we’re not experiencing any shortages,” she said. “However, we’re closely monitoring our supply continuously.” 

Quest CEO Stephen Rusckowski announced the company also would incorporate a newly approved diagnostic test from biotech company Roche. The test can run on the same cobas 6800 instrument the team at UC Davis uses, which Roche said can turn around results in about three-and-a-half hours. “Upon authorisation Roche will have millions of tests a month available for use on the cobas 6800 and 8800 systems,” the release said. 

Of course, all the tests in the world won’t help if healthcare workers can’t safely collect samples from patients. Carmela Coyle, president of the California Hospital Association, said in a state Senate budget subcommittee meeting on Thursday that more test kits may not widen the bottleneck if another shortage isn’t addressed, and quickly: personal protective equipment. 

“We’re already short,” she told lawmakers. Without equipment like face shields and masks that protect health workers from infectious droplets, she’s concerned about a backlog. “That will very quickly become a rate-limiting factor, and we’re concerned most of the testing, as a result, will end up back in hospitals.”

In the hearing, Kat DeBurgh, executive director of the Health Officers Association of California, asked for help addressing yet another shortage: staff, to help track down people who might have been exposed and follow through with quarantine orders.  

Over the past 15 years, 11 public health labs have closed in California, according to DeBurgh. And last year, the Health Officers Association of California and the County Health Executives Association of California requested $50 million in ongoing funding to shore up the state’s infrastructure to address infectious diseases, she said. “We got $40 million in one-time funding. And we can’t hire staff with one-time funding — and staff is our greatest need.”

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CalMatters.org is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.

By Nigel Duara and Jackie Botts, CalMatters

Six utilities serving more than 21 million Californians have announced that they will not shut off customers’ power for non-payment as the coronavirus continues to disrupt daily life.

Southern California Edison, Pacific Gas & Electric, San Diego Gas & Electric and Pacific Power are taking the step until further notice. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, which is the nation’s largest municipal utility, will not shut off power or water for non-paying customers until at least the end of March, and the Sacramento Municipal Utility District made the same announcement for its power customers.

Utilities usually protect customers who are struggling to pay bills only during major natural disasters.

“We’re trying to reduce the burdens people have,” said Pacific Power spokesman Tom Gauntt, whose company serves customers in Northern California, Oregon and Washington. “We do a similar thing during a big ice storm.”  

A seventh utility, Liberty Utilities, which serves about 50,000 electricity customers near Lake Tahoe, is considering a moratorium across the 14 states it serves, said Liberty western region spokesperson Alison Vai, but hadn’t made a final decision on Friday. 

California also has dozens of other municipally-owned electric utilities, including Pasadena, Anaheim, Riverside and Glendale.

“I think it’s a good thing that the utilities realize that we are in a public health care crisis with the coronavirus pandemic. It is appropriate to make sure that people aren’t disconnected in the middle of it,” said Mark Toney, executive director of the consumer advocacy organization Utility Reform Network, based in San Francisco. “A lot of people are going to not get paid, can’t go to work, can’t collect a salary.” 

In 2017, PG&E, Edison, SDG&E and the Southern California Gas Co. shut off power to about 886,000 households, affecting more than 2.5 million people, according to a report from the Utility Reform Network. These power disconnections are most common in California’s North Coast, Central Valley, the Inland Empire and parts of Los Angeles. Zip codes with large Latino populations are disproportionately affected, according to the report.

SoCal Edison shut off power about nine times for every 100 customers in 2016, while PG&E did so about six times per 100 customers. SDG&E’s rate was three shutoffs per 100 customers, and for SDG&E it was two, according to the Utility Reform Network report. And about 1 percent to 2 percent of Pacific Power’s customers have their power shut off during a typical year, Gaunt said.

Power usage could be altered by the pandemic in unexpected ways, said Wes Jones, communications manager for San Diego Electric & Gas. People who are self-quarantining or self-isolating will likely use more power than if they went to a job. Schools are closing across the state, meaning kids could be spending more time at home, too. 

It all will likely add up to higher power bills for California customers. 

The decision to stop disconnecting customers who can’t pay bills represents a distinct change from how utilities responded to the slower-moving Great Recession, when economic disconnections nearly tripled between 2007 and 2009, according to a 2017 report from the California Public Utilities Commission, which regulates privately owned utility companies. Only after the Commission intervened in 2009 did the companies stop shutting off power to customers who were late on their bills.

“I think they’re having a new relationship with their customers in acknowledging that just being punitive is not the answer,” said Commissioner Martha Guzman Aceves. “And that really helping their customers stay in a home with power will only help them revive economically. And that it’s in their interest to keep these customers healthy.”

The Federal Communications Commission on Friday asked Internet and cable providers to hold off on non-payment shutoffs, to not charge late fees and to open wireless hotspots for no charge until May 13, 60 days after the request. Most major telecom providers have agreed, according to a memo by FCC Chairman Ajit Pai. 

The same day the California Broadband Council moved to “formally request that providers offer free Internet services until the end of April due to the State’s pandemic emergency,” said Alice Scott-Rowe, communications deputy director for the California Department of Technology. 

About 26 percent of California households lack a broadband subscription at home, according to a Public Policy Institute of California analysis of 2017 survey data from the Census Bureau. Those without broadband will find it nearly impossible to telecommute to work or attend classes online as more workplaces and schools shut down, said Guzman Aceves.

New York and New Jersey both announced Friday that no utility will be permitted to shut off power, heat or water during the states’ emergencies. But there is no statewide edict in California.

As the coronavirus threat spreads, six California legislators have asked Gov. Gavin Newsom for a host of measures aimed at assisting low-income state residents and those facing eviction. Their letter asked for a stay on all evictions and foreclosures, along with a statewide pause on any utility shutoff and a postponement of any adversarial hearing before a housing authority for recipients of housing assistance. 

Twelve Democratic members of Congress have asked for a national moratorium on water shutoffs, citing a survey of 73 utility companies across the country that found that utilities cut water service to at least 1.4 million people in 2016, disproportionately affecting low-income and minority communities. 

ProPublica found that though large water districts in Washington state have vowed not to shut off service for non-payment, smaller towns have made no such assurances, only saying they’ll be flexible regarding bill payment. 

In the last two years, at least two states have declared moratoria on shutoffs for non-payment, both of them weather-related. In Arizona, a woman died of heat-related causes in 2018. The following summer, the state forbade utilities regulated by the Arizona Corporation Commission from shutting off customer power during the state’s brutal summers. 

Wisconsin did something similar: In 2019, the state legislature passed a bill that prevents utility companies from shutting off electricity or heat from Nov. 1 to April 15. 

Guzman Aceves said it’s hard to predict how big of an economic impact the moratorium will have on utilities’ bottom line. 

“The real question is what kind of economic downturn is this virus going to cause and if we’re able to rebound? And that’s going to determine how many people are just not going to be able to pay their bills,” Guzman Aceves said. 

“I’d like to think that this is something (the utilities) can weather. I have no idea what this virus is capable of.”

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Jackie Botts and Nigel Duara are reporters with CalMatters. This article is part of The California Divide, a collaboration among newsrooms examining income inequity and economic survival in California.

By Anthony Thigpenn; Convener, Black Census and Redistricting Hub; President, California Calls

Throughout the history of the United States, the Black community’s consistent fight for recognition has been an unfortunate and inescapable reality.

History is not a precise science, nor an impartial one. Take a glance at a history textbook from past decades, and you will quickly understand that American history was written from the viewpoint of white men.

In so many ways, the history of Black Americans IS the history of America. Slavery, the Civil Rights Movement, and, in the modern era, the preeminence of Black popular culture, have all shaped and still define this country.  

This year we have an opportunity to set a positive trajectory for the future of Black communities in the nation’s most economically and socially powerful state. A chance to be counted, to ensure our voices are heard, and to secure the resources we deserve for the next generation – through participating in the 2020 Census.

History hasn’t been kind or accurate when it comes to counting Black neighborhoods. In Census after Census, the supposedly straightforward act of counting everyone in America has dismissed and disregarded millions across the country.

Nationally, the last Census in 2010 undercounted Black people by 2.1 percent — a total of 800,000 people missing from the record, rendered invisible. Black children were twice as likely to be missed as white children, affecting federal funding allocations to programs to provide support to children in schools.

The reasons many in the Black community wind up overlooked by the count are complex and pervasive. Complex housing issues, including renting, instability and living in unique arrangements make them even more likely to be missed in the Census.

There are also strong cultural and political headwinds. Decades of segregation, legal discrimination, and police brutality mean that many Black communities understandably reject the federal government as an agent for positive change. Wary of providing information, many fear it will be used against them.

California is leading a collaborative effort to educate and motivate the hardest-to-count Californians to fill out the Census form. We have the power to change the course of our history.

Across California, which has the fifth largest Black population in the country, Black activists and organizations are once again stepping up. This time to partner with the state to conduct the most comprehensive and diverse outreach campaign in state history. 

As such, California Calls, a growing alliance of 31 grassroots, community-based organizations spanning urban, rural and suburban counties across the state, is reaching out to communities in California to make the case for being counted. As one of California’s outreach partners for the 2020 Census, California Calls has done outreach to Black populations throughout the State using door-to-door canvassing, phone banking, and digital communication strategies.

My Black Counts is an education and awareness initiative convened by California Calls as part of The California Black Census and Redistricting Hub Project. This is our chance in California to right historical wrongs and for communities to claim what is rightfully theirs.

We hope –– no, we will make certain – this time around there will be a difference. We are telling communities that the Census is safe and secure. Not only is the U.S. Census Bureau required by law to keep any personal information it collects confidential, but that information also cannot be used for law enforcement purposes or to determine eligibility for government benefits. 

Starting in mid-March, the U.S. Census Bureau will invite all Californians to complete the Census. It’s a short form – 9 questions per person – and households can participate by phone, mail or online. In May, Census enumerators will visit homes in person to count those who don’t respond.

The 2020 Census is an opportunity for Black Californians to correct the record and chart a better way forward. But for that to happen, we must all stand up and be counted.

We have a big task ahead, but we know Black Californians are up to meeting the challenge. It’s our time to show we aren’t invisible.

SACRAMENTO, CA— This week, under the direction of Governor Gavin Newsom, the Department of Managed Health Care directed all commercial and Medi-Cal health plans regulated by the Department to immediately reduce cost-sharing to zero for all medically necessary screening and testing for the COVID-19. This includes waiving cost-sharing for emergency room, urgent care or provider office visits when the purpose of the visit is to be screened and tested for COVID-19. The need for COVID-19 testing is based on medical necessity, a clinical determination made on a case by case basis by medical professionals.

“Californians shouldn’t have to fear a big medical bill just because they took a test for COVID-19,” said Governor Newsom. “This action means that Californians who fit the testing requirements can receive the test at no cost. We’re all in this together, and I’m grateful to those health providers who have already stepped up and heeded our call.”

“This action will ensure that Californians who need a test will receive one at no cost,” said Dr. Mark Ghaly, secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency.

“This doesn’t mean every Californians should be seeking a test. If you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 and may have had contact with a person with COVID-19 or recently traveled to countries with apparent community spread, call your health care provider or local public health department first before seeking medical care.”

The California Department of Insurance issued similar direction providing cost free medically necessary testing for an additional 2 million Californians. Combined these announcements ensure that 24 million more Californians are eligible to receive testing, should their health care provider deem it medically necessary.

By John Coleman, Community Photographer

Two outstanding Black History Month exhibits were featured at the San Bernardino County Museum on the eve of Wednesday, February 26, but the largely Black population filling the museum reception area were there instead to attend the 2nd Annual Membership Meeting of the recently state registered Cooperative Economic Empowerment Movement-IE  (CEEM-IE); or ‘CEEM’, but clearly and seriously intended to grow into a MOVEMENT following  the model of the “Civil Rights Movement” we celebrate, but we lack progress toward  the goal of economic empowerment.

Reggie Webb, Founder of Webb Family Enterprises and former official in the McDonald Franchise system, is leading an organizational effort to improve Black economic health;  work cooperatively with and within our communities; buy and sell within our communities; and earn and share the benefits of and by participating actively within this nation’s trillion dollar economy. The CEEM membership meeting is partially a public report to its membership and a welcome to interested others. Visit www.ceem.coop/membership for more information or to sign up.

FONTANA, CA— The morning before the parade, the phenomenal, honored guest were appropriately invited to the Jessie Turner community center for a breakfast reception, at which time they took part in a sash presentation, awarded by Diane Hall presenter for the Rialto/Fontana branch of the NAACP. Each lady received certificates from California State Treasurer Fiona Ma, City of Fontana and Assemblywoman Reyes office.

San Bernardino County Sheriffs phenomenal female mounted posse color guard, 1926 fire truck engine #1 led the grand procession with our phenomenal California State Treasurer Fiona Ma Grand Marshal riding in one of the original Jeep commissioned in the Korean War, where thousands of African Americans served during a time when President Truman ordered the Armed Forces to be desegregated. 

Other honorable women of the event included: San Bernardino County Honorary Phenomenal Grand Marshals, People’s Choice Dr. Margaret Hill;  PAL center founder Humanitarian Dr. Henry, San Bernardino county’s first Charter School in San Bernardino;  Dr. Yolanda Friday Dean Chaffey college Fontana campus.  Riding in Cruising Brothers car club red mustang, cowgirl, trailblazer, and Bill Pickett rodeo title holder in barrel racing, Miss Sharon Braxton.  Miss Fifi Locke NAACP National life membership representative.  Pacesetter Riverside Superior Court Commissioner Belinda Handy.  Daphne Hawkins representing non-profits that are making a difference in our community.  Pioneers of North Fontana Phenomenal Living Legacy Grand Honorary Marshals, who are both over the age of 90, Mrs. Margie Pullen Fontana unified School district retired teacher; and Mrs. Christine White director of the North Fontana neighborhood employment center. 

The parade would not be a parade without, Dorothy Grant elementary School, all-female equestrian riders from the Bill Pickett rodeo participating, San Bernardino pacesetters drill teams, dance teams, elementary schools, and various car clubs.

At the expo it was exciting to have present Rosa Parks niece who will be releasing a children’s book soon about her aunt. There was also food, unique vendors, a kid zone, and live entertainers.

Ellen Turner, President for the Concerned Citizens for the Development of North Fontana, stated, “Each year when planning the parade it has more significance then the year before.  It is important to us that we continue to bring awareness to our CommUNITY of the accomplishments African Americans have made and still contribute to the Americas.”

She continues, “Mayor Warren is living example. Having an African American mayor in a city that was influenced by Ku Klux Klan is a sign of the times. I am so happy that the Mayor makes every effort to participate in this parade. People who have lived Southern California knew North Fontana as Fontucky, the KKK, and our racial struggles North of Baseline.  This parade each year is so important for the County of San Bernardino as a whole, it symbolizes our progress.”

By Arthur Davis

This is a story that I am very proud to tell about my granddaughter, Tayler Davis, born to our son LaMond Ray Davis and daughter-in-law Patrice Townsend, and of course her proud grandparents Arthur L. and Fredda Davis. 

My wife and I grew up in San Bernardino and attended the local schools, as well as our oldest son LaMond Ray, who lives in San Jose with his wife and family where he currently works as a Sergeant with the Santa Clara Sheriff’s Department.

Tayler Davis was born on September 27, 1991.  She had early influences in her life that made her the compassionate young woman that she is today. When one hears the saying, “It takes a village to raise a child”, it was clearly the case with Tayler.

She spent her early childhood with her maternal great grandparents, both paternal and maternal grandparents, she was also surrounded by many aunts and uncles who helped shaped her morals and values. She started her schooling at Apostles Lutheran School in San Jose where she attended from Kindergarten to eighth grade. It was very structured and taught her discipline and respect along with developing faith and trust in God. 

During elementary school years she developed her passion for tennis at the tender age of 7.  She was blessed with an African American coach, Don Johnson.  He picked up Tayler and her younger sister from school during the week to help develop their tennis skills. 

From the very beginning when she first picked up a racquet, one could tell how gifted she was. She was very athletic, has excellent hand/eye coordination, was competitive, and was yearning to learn the sport and soak up all the strategies and techniques involved to become a top player. 

Tayler was also very tall for her age due to the Davis’ gene.  She quickly emerged as a top junior player in the United States Tennis Association (USTA) in a very competitive sport that requires much time and travel in order to become a top junior player in the U.S.  She was able to obtain a sponsorship for her racquets, clothes, lessons, travel, and tournaments due to her high ranking and was able to secure an African American scholarship to help offset some of the costs involved. She ended up being top 10 in the nation by the end of her junior year. She was offered scholarships to various academies early on, but would have to be home-schooled and live in dorms at the academy. She chose not to pursue the academy road, but rather focus more on school as she wanted to go to college and secure a college scholarship to play tennis.

Tayler decided to attend a private Catholic school Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose.  The school is well known for top academics with elite athletic teams; admission is very difficult to get into. Tayler entered her freshman year and wanted to play on the tennis team. 

The tennis team was very competitive and was in a very tough conference which was the WCAL (West Catholic Athletic League).  Tayler played on the varsity tennis team in the #1 singles position. It is very rare for any freshman to play in that spot due to mostly senior veteran players who has experience and can win at the important position. Tayler ended up playing all 4 years for Archbishop Mitty and compiled a 101-3 record.

She was selected team MVP for 4 years, Mercury News Athlete of the Year 4 years, team captain 4 years, WCAL MVP for 4 years and ultimately selected for the highest honor at the school which was induction into the Hall of Fame for Mitty High School in 2015. There were notable other athletes such as Drew Gordon, UCLA basketball player, Aron Gordon, 1^{st round} draft pick, Orlando Magic basketball, Keilani Ricketts, softball player at Oklahoma and USA Olympic team. Tayler was also selected to Hall of Fame for leading the tennis team championship in 2017 for winning league and state with a record of 31-1. 

During her high school studies and tennis, Tayler missed 32 days of school per year as she traveled to various US cities in order to compete at a much higher level and continue her high ranking. At this time she developed her discipline, organization and sacrifices to be the best student and athlete in order to continue on with her dreams. She missed various, dances, proms, parties and other social functions that interfered with what she was aspiring to do in her life. She did always find a balance to incorporate fun in her life to attend football games, hanging out with friends, school sporting events and dates.  She was featured in various newspapers, cover of ESPN sports, cover of Mercury News many times, community newspaper and of course the USTA media outlet.

Tayler ended up with a 3.8 GPA and was offered many scholarships to all the top schools in the nation for tennis. She committed to CAL Berkeley with a full tennis scholarship her junior year basing her decision on staying close to home, CAL academics, top 5 NCAA tennis team and the diversity of the school.  She had a very successful college career, playing at the number 3 or 4 spot in the singles line up and playing number 2 spot for doubles. Her highest ranking was #30 in the NCAA. She was voted co-captain her sophomore year thru her senior year. She was a strong leader and a role model for her teammates. She continued on with her discipline to focus and persevere with her mind set on graduating in Legal Studies in 2016. It is very difficult to play college tennis at such a high-level school that also excels in top academics due to the length of the tennis season which is August until May. The student athlete misses many lectures, classes and notes.  Tayler stayed on track and graduated in 4.5 years which is the standard due to their tennis schedule.

After graduation, Tayler was undecided on what she wanted to pursue after college, so she traveled all over as a hitting partner for a young top player in the world 15-year-old Cici Bellis. Tayler spent 1.5 years practicing every day with her when they were not traveling, they were playing WTA (women’s tennis association) tournaments with all the pros in the world.  She gained knowledge, experience and dedicated her time and effort to help this young girl reach her aspirations.

From her work she was able to save $70,000 and then decided to take the LSAT (Law School Admission Test) to attend law school.  She continued to teach and share her knowledge of the game to younger students while studying and preparing to take the test. She passed the test and was offered another scholarship to Santa Clara University Law School. 

In order to maintain the African American Scholarship, she needed to end the school year in the top 3% of the class each year. Once again, she dedicated her life to pursuing her dream to become a lawyer. She sacrificed much of her three years to study tirelessly to pass the bar in 2019.

She continued giving tennis lessons early in the morning or in between classes to keep up with her financial responsibilities and even traveled with young students in the summer to take them to out of state national tournaments just as she did when she was a junior player.

During her law studies, she became involved in the Innocence Project for 2 years and was instrumental in helping 2 different clients get exonerated. It was truly her passion to help others who were wrongfully accused of a crime and not having strong representation due to financial or poverty issues. Tayler continued as an intern for Santa Clara County in the public defender’s office learning and gaining experience for her next journey after law school.

Tayler graduated from Santa Clara in May 2019 with her JD degree (Juris Doctor). She was able to maintain her scholarship for 3 years and is proud to have paid the remaining balance with the money she saved, entering her career debt free, a truly amazing feat!

She took the bar after studying for 3 months in May 2019 and was getting the results in November. Needless to say, with her dedication and hard work, she passed it the first time. The California Bar is said to be one of the toughest to pass in the US.

She was already working as an intern for Santa Clara County however there was only 1 opening for the public defender position. There were 4 colleagues in the department that also passed the bar. They all needed to interview with a panel of 5 judges. Tayler received all 5 unanimous votes and was selected to begin her career in December 2019 as Santa Clara County Public Defender, Attorney Davis!  

She was sworn in December 2019 by a judge who Tayler worked for during her internship who shared she had nothing but praise for her work ethic and was not surprised she was offered the opportunity, and this is only the beginning for her.  When reflecting back on all her success and accomplishments in both academics and athletics, it is beyond amazing the characteristics she possesses and the hard work she puts in day after day without ever losing sight on what she sets her mind and heart to do!

We are most proud of the woman who wants to stand up and provide legal aid for those who are poor and needy, being able to provide representation for those who cannot afford an attorney to represent them. 

She has become one of the most well educated, well trained and a very dedicated person to advocate for others that there is no limit on what she can attain.

She plans to move up within the Public Defender’s office and possibly pursue politics as her next move. We are beyond proud of the amazing young woman she  become!  My Granddaughter thank God every day for all the gifts she has been given.

By Tanu Henry | California Black Media

The California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) announced March 10 that it has introduced legislation to repeal proposition 209.

The bill is called ACA 5 or the California Act for Economic Prosperity.

“Since becoming law in 1996, Proposition 209 has cost women-and-minority-owned businesses $1.1 billion each year,” said Assemblymember Shirley Weber (D-San Diego), who is chair of the CLBC.

“It has perpetuated a wage gap where women make 80 cents on every dollar made by men and has allowed discriminatory hiring and contracting processes to continue unhindered,” Weber continued.

Weber announced the bill at the California state Capitol flanked by members of the CLBC, the  California Legislative Women’s Caucus, other progressive lawmakers, as well as  supporters like Asian Americans Advancing Justice.

In 1996, after a heated public debate divided Californians who supported Proposition 209 and those who opposed it, voters passed the ballot initiative.

Also known as the California Civil Rights Initiative, Prop 209 outlawed the consideration of race and gender in hiring, awarding state contracts, college admissions, policymaking, and even in most forms of official state documentation.

The entire CLBC co-authored ACA 5. And supporters range from churches and civil rights organizations to community based organizations, labor unions and legal aid providers.

Besides Weber, other members of the CLBC are: Senators Steven Bradford (D-Los Angeles) and Holly J. Mitchell (D-Los Angeles); and Assemblymembers Autumn Burke (D-South Bay, Los Angeles), Jim Cooper (D-Sacramento), Mike Gipson (D-Carson), Chris R. Holden (D-Pasadena), Reginald Jones-Sawyer (D-Los Angeles), Sydney Kamlager (D-Los Angeles), and Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento). 

By Aldon Thomas Stiles | California Black Media  

After a tough battle with Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-VT), former Vice President Joseph Biden sealed the frontrunner position in the race for the Democratic Party U.S. presidential nominee on Super Tuesday. Sanders; however, snatched a few key victories, one of which was California with 29.5 percent of the vote.

So far, Biden has picked up 390 Democratic National Convention delegates compared to Sanders’ 330.

The 2020 presidential primary election took place in California, 13 other states, and one U.S. territory (American Samoa) Tuesday March 3. Voters got the opportunity to back their favorite candidate to challenge President Donald Trump in November’s general election.

With five Democratic candidates remaining, after Mayor Pete Buttigieg dropped out of the race this past Sunday and Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s withdrawal Monday, Super Tuesday was a pivotal moment for presidential hopefuls.

Then, a day after the former U.S. vice president’s big win, former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg dropped out of the race and endorsed Biden, his former rival for the nomination.

Over the course of their campaigns, Democratic candidates have relied on several different demographics to help swing votes in their favor. One such demographic is African Americans, and these candidates all had strategies to secure that vote.

Some relied on targeted advertising blitzes. Biden, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Bloomberg’s camps all ran campaign advertisements touting relationships with former President Barack Obama.

Meanwhile, Sanders continued to invoke his involvement in the civil rights movement and his relationship with prominent progressive personalities like recording artist Michael Santiago “Killer Mike” Render.

Biden also claimed to have been arrested in South Africa in the 1970s while attempting to meet Nelson Mandela. He has since retracted that claim following evidence to the contrary.

Before Super Tuesday, in the South Carolina primaries this past weekend, Biden led the race with Black voters, clinching 61 percent of the Black vote, according to Washington Post exit polls. Sanders trailed Biden with 15 percent of the Black vote.

On Super Tuesday, Biden secured 72 percent of the Black vote in Alabama, 71 percent in Virginia, 62 percent in North Carolina and 53 percent in Tennessee, according to USA Today.

Bloomberg has had some controversy regarding Black voters resulting from his “stop-and-frisk” policies when he was mayor of New York City and from subsequent statements he made in 2015 defending said policies.

“So one of the unintended consequences is people say, ‘Oh my God, you are arresting kids for marijuana that are all minorities,’” Bloomberg said in his 2015 speech. “Yes, that’s true. Why? Because we put all the cops in minority neighborhoods… Why do we do it? Because that’s where all the crime is.”

Despite this, Bloomberg secured endorsements from several prominent African-American politicians like Assemblymember  Shirley A. Weber, chair of the California Legislative Black Caucus. Some Black members of the U.S. House of Representatives, including Rep. Lucy McBath (D-GA), Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY) and Del. Stacey Plaskett (D-VI) endorsed the former New York City mayor as well.

Several high-profile lawmakers, including U.S. House of Representatives Majority Whip Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC) — as well as former presidential candidates Buttigieg and Klobuchar — have endorsed Biden.

 Former President Barack Obama also gave Biden his blessing.

Warren only won 12 delegates, placing her last on Super Tuesday behind Bloomberg, who picked up 36. 

RIVERSIDE, CA— In a historic win, Corey A. Jackson projected to become the first African American elected to be Riverside County Board of Education. After being outspent by over $100,000, Corey Jackson won convincingly defeating the California Charter School Association’s candidate.

“The corporate charter school lobby tried to buy this election. The community fought back because our votes are not for sale,” said Corey Jackson.

Corey A. Jackson, a local nonprofit leader and civil rights leader specializing in youth development, culturally responsive interventions and social justice issues. He currently serves as the founder and Chairman/CEO of the SBX Youth and Family Services whose mission is to break the cycle of poverty and violence through mentoring, education, and community organizing. Mr. Jackson is an expert in Afrocentric interventions for middle school and high school adolescents. Continuing to serve his community, he serves as the President of the Moreno Valley City-Wide Coalition, Political Action Chair of the Riverside NAACP.

He also serves as Youth Minister at the Moreno Valley Church of Christ. Being appointed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to the California State University Board of Trustees, Corey represented over 400,000 thousand students in the largest and most respected public higher education system in the nation from 2004-2006.