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Obituary: In Remembrance of a Husband and a Father

James H. Stevens of Los Angeles, California died on June 7, 2022, at the age of 95-years old. James was born November 1, 1926, in San Antonio, Texas to Homer and Minnie Stevens.

He attended Booker T. Washington Elementary, Douglas Jr. High and Phyllis Wheatley High School. James received his B.S. from Tillotson College in 1948 (currently known as Huston-Tillotson University on Austin, Texas).

James migrated to Los Angeles, California, after graduating from college. He took a job with the postal service as a letter carrier and ultimately retired in 1984 as a postal manager. He also served in the Army Airforce, during World War II and Honorably Discharged. James is a Mason and member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. His church affiliation is the church of Religious Science where his wife, Ruth, is also a member and a Reverend.

He had an ever-steady interest in organic farming, an avid reader and student of Black History, as well, a collector of early Black film. He married Ruth Martin-Allen, 45 ½ years ago, thereby inheriting two wonderful stepchildren, Wallace and Cheryl Gayle, who gave him eight Grandchildren, 11 great-grand children, and 1 great-great grandchild. James has said, “Life is a gift that keeps on giving and I am truly grateful.”

James Stevens was a member of the Neptune Society, and his cremated remains will be received by the Carter-Taylor-Williams Mortuary and interned at the Eastview Cemetery in San Antonio, Texas. At his family’s site, he will be placed at the foot of his parents. James Stevens is and will ever remain, dearly beloved.

 

From Crafton to Harvard: One student’s journey to the Ivy League

YUCAIPA, CA—- Crafton Hills College (CHC) transfer student José Aaron Rosales is packing his bags and heading to Harvard University in the fall.

The Rialto resident received the news via email on March 31 while having dinner with family at a Texas Roadhouse.

“It was such a hard week after burying my grandmother, and here I am bawling,” the 33-year-old recalled after opening his acceptance letter on his cell phone. “I turned the phone to my wife and showed her what it said. She gave me a big hug. Only a few people knew I applied because it was not a guarantee I’d get in.”

Rosales is a first-generation college student, and he credits the height of the COVID-19 pandemic for changing the trajectory of his life. Rosales said the pandemic was “an eye-opener.”

“I was limited in what I could do to help without a medical background,” he said. “So, my wife and I talked about me going back to school.”

Rosales connected with two nonprofits dedicated to providing military veterans like him with an accelerated, clear path to college. He decided on CHC after hearing about their high transfer rate.

Rosales said both resources worked with him to prepare application requirements for consideration. As a result, 954 applicants were accepted into Harvard, and Rosales was one of only 18 veterans included.

Rosales is preparing to move back east to attend the university with his wife, Christina, and eight-year-old daughter Audreyana. He expects to graduate with the Harvard Class of 2026 with a bachelor’s degree in Physics. After graduation, Rosales plans to attend medical school and eventually give back to the veteran community.

“I couldn’t have done any of this without the support of my family, the nonprofits I worked with, and Crafton,” Rosales said. “It was a team effort.”

 

The San Bernardino Juneteenth Committee Celebration of Freedom is What it Do!

By Lue Dowdy | LUE Productions

Juneteenth also referred to as “Freedom Day” has now been declared as an official holiday. More than half of the states around the world now acknowledge the date June 19th as a national holiday. The day is a celebration to the end of slavery in the United States.

The Juneteenth celebration at San Bernardino Valley College this past Saturday was EPIC. The weather was perfect, and the vibe was right. There were 1500 plus attendees from all over the Inland Empire and beyond. The theme, “Celebrating Freedom a Fun Family Experience” was just that. It was great to see so many families, friends, and community members coming together in honor of such a historical achievement. Children were laughing, playing, and running freely within the kid’s zone sponsored by First 5 San Bernardino. Food, Resource, and MERCH vendors were placed along one row which was named “Vendor Row”. The row had more than 80 vendors. I was able to get over 30,000 steps in by walking back and forth.

The opening ceremony began at noon and took place in the auditorium hosted by ya’ girl, yes me, Lue Dowdy. Reverend Bronica Martindale, CEO of “Reverend B. Productions”, began with a Libation ceremony, as Pastor Joshua Beckley of “Ecclesia Christian Fellowship Church” led in prayer directly after. The spirit was in the building.

Keynote Speaker, Dr. Daniel Walker, was a breath of fresh air. He definitely got the audience engaged and excited to learn and reflect. Remarks were given by Dr. Scott Thayer, San Bernardino Valley College Interim President; Karen E. Scott, Executive Director for First 5 San Bernardino; Damon Alexander, San Bernardino City Councilmember 7th Ward; Dr. Gwen Dowdy-Rodgers, San Bernardino Unified School District; and Kimberly Calvin, San Bernardino City Councilmember 6th Ward. Additional speakers and live performances took place outdoors in the Greek Theater throughout the day.

This celebration had so many moving pieces such as mini educational seminars, a pie eating contest, art walk, bike and car show, domino tournament, mac and cheese contest, sidewalk chalk contest, spades contest, gaming tournament and more. Coach Cooley and his team from DGK gave away 30 professional skateboards along with helmets to youth. Community drawings took place and winners received gas cards, event shirts, paintings, and other items. Tournament winners received either a cash prize, a trophy, or medal.

In honor of Father’s Day, the committee gave away eight community father awards to deserving individuals that work day in and day out to service the community of San Bernardino and its members. Congratulations to Johnathan Buffong – (THE SPIRIT AWARD) Buffong Consulting, Josiah Bruny – (THE COMMUNITY ACTIVIST) Music Changing Lives, Reverend Samuel Casey – (THE NOBLE AWARD) C.O.P.E. Congregations Organized for Phrophetic Engagement, Uncle Daytona – (THE PEOPLE’s CHOICE AWARD) Uncle Daytona’s Barbershop, Rich Wallace – (THE STAND AND DELIVER AWARD) Southern California Black Chamber of Commerce, Edwin Johnson – (THE COMMUNITY FATHER AWARD) Chords Youth Enrichment Center, Ian Franklin- (THE MENTOR AWARD) Project Fighting Chance, Terrence Stone – (THE PINNACLE AWARD) Young Visionaries Youth Leadership Academy.

The City of San Bernardino on Wednesday, June 15, 2022, presented the SBJC with a proclamation at the San Bernardino City Council Meeting, then on Tuesday, May 24, 2022, the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors voted to declare June 19 each year as Juneteenth. Now it’s a paid holiday. The goal of the San Bernardino Juneteenth Committee was to provide something for everyone to enjoy and in my opinion the goal was accomplished. Be part of the fun next year by becoming a 2023 committee member. For more information, please email the SBJC at Eventjuneteenth@gmail.com.

The San Bernardino Juneteenth Committee is orchestrated of several amazing organizations based out of San Bernardino and neighboring cities. The board consist of Edwin Johnson: President, Ronecia Miller: Vice President, Lue Dowdy: Director of Operations, and Zepporah Johnson: Director of Administration. If you missed it this year, please be on the lookout for next year’s.
Committee Members: Kecia Miller, Kecia Worline, Dawn Gains, Calisha Millage, Krissy Harper, Porscha Dillard, Amanda Smart, Cat Clark, Dee Goins, Robin McKinnon, Kimberly Woods, Kristen Aguas, Shalita Tillman, Mary Valdemar, Shiana Cole.

Title Sponsors & Supporters: San Bernardino Valley College, Southern California Black Chamber of Commerce, 47th District Supervisor, Eloise Gomez Reyes, First 5 San Bernardino, IEHP, ICUC, Health Net, City of San Bernardino, Chase Bank, LifeStream Blood Bank, 5th District, Supervisor Joe Baca Jr, Helen Tran, City of San Bernardino Parks N REC Department, Westside Story Newspaper, Domino Tournament Winners:1st Shug Wesley, 2nd Keyon Sams, and 3rd Dillard Anderson

Mission: The Mission of the Juneteenth Committee is to bring together the community in celebration of African American FREEDOM and HOPE.
Vision: To bring forth a community gathering to increase awareness of our past struggles and triumphs by coming together as a collective to reflect, educate, uplift, in celebration of the observed national holiday.

 

County Schools Seniors Earn High School Diplomas

SAN BERNARDINO – Graduating students, family, friends, school staff, county administrators and county board members filled the California Theatre on June 10 to celebrate 156 graduating seniors from the alternative education programs and schools operated by the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools (SBCSS).

“I don’t have to tell you what a momentous occasion this is,” said County Superintendent Ted Alejandre during ceremony remarks. “The sacrifices you have made, the perseverance you have shown, the daily struggles you have overcome – they are all accomplishments that have gotten you to this day.”

Alejandre challenged students to be lifelong learners and to never quit. He reminded them that there are other influences in the world today trying to pull youth in other directions. He commended the graduates for being steadfast and for overcoming personal challenges.

The graduation ceremony marked the seventh graduating class from the County Schools Student Services programs.

Anita Miller, from the SBCSS Independent Learning Academy, was the invited motivational speaker. She was the Alternative Education Teacher of the Year in 2020.

“No one says your journey will be easy, each step forward requires choices, sacrifices, discipline, and consistency,” said Miller. “You are smarter than you know, braver than you imagine and more determined than you realize. Tough times never last, but tough people do. Have courage, be kind, stay humble, remain focused and have faith.”

The student speaker for the Class of 2022 was Christopher Bustamante, from Bob Murphy County Community School. He encouraged his graduating class to pursue paths that will make a positive impact in our region.

For more news and information, visit the SBCSS Newsroom and follow us @SBCountySchools on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. #transforminglives.

Kentucky City’s Incubator Seeks To Produce More Black-Owned Businesses


By George A. Willis

Two years ago, Dave Christopher knew something had to change.

COVID-19 shut down his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, in the spring of 2020. Many businesses in his city didn’t survive, while others barely managed with the help of grants and Paycheck Protection Program loans.

But Christopher took a closer look and saw a deeper problem.

Statistics compiled by Louisville  showed the city’s black population stood at 23.4 percent, but only 2.4 percent of its businesses are black-owned. Those numbers roughly mirror national figures, where blacks represent 12.4 percent of the United States population in a country where just 2.4 percent of the businesses are black-owned, according to a study by LendingTree.com.

Even more troubling: eight out of 10 black-owned businesses fold within the first 18 months, according to CNBC.com. 

A black Air Force veteran with 12 years of service and an entrepreneur since childhood, Christopher didn’t understand the statistics he was reading. It didn’t make sense. And the more I looked into it, the more frustrated I got. And the more concerned I got, I thought: What can I do? Christopher told Zenger.

Gregory Johnson is the managing director, U.S. Equity and Economic Opportunity Initiative for the Rockefeller Foundation. (The Rockefeller Foundation)

Raised by a mother with undiagnosed Parkinson’s disease and a father who lived with a fused crooked spine, Christopher learned to look past problems to find solutions. His first move was to construct a 17-page plan he shared with friends who encouraged him to pursue helping people of color achieve the American dream.

Launching educational initiative

After raising $3 million in nine months, including a hefty contribution from the Rockefeller Foundation, Christopher launched The Russell Technology Incubator in January 2021. Named after the neighborhood it’s based in, the incubator offers a curriculum focused on what he sees as the three essential elements needed for a successful business: capital, networking and education.

The incubator welcomed its first class of 34 students last year. All graduated, and 27 businesses are now up and doing well, Christopher said.  A second class of 34 candidates is working through the year-long program.

“I knew there was no such thing as a startup business community for black people,” Christopher said. “If you had an idea and went into a bank or funding source to get money for your idea, almost always, you’re asked what have you done so far? That’s not the idea of a startup. A startup is: I have this really great idea and I need something to help me prove the concept for the idea. That doesn’t exist for black people, so I wanted to create that.”

The program is broken into four quarters. The first quarter is dedicated to discovery or understanding the business idea and what it needs. The second quarter is focused on education, teaching business fundamentals, such as accounting, marketing and branding.

The third quarter deals with funding and how to gain capital to support your business, while the fourth is geared toward the launch of the business.

Each entrepreneur in the incubator is also assigned a wealth strategist coach to meet with once or twice a month.

“Everybody who walks through our door, we believe is capable of doing whatever they chose to do. They just don’t have the resources,” he said. “We take credit for providing the resources, so they can do those amazing things.”

The Russell Technology Incubator is a year-long program in Louisville, Kentucky, packed with workshops and mentors for those wanting to create their own business. (Russell Technology Incubator)

The primary requirement for consideration is each candidate needs to have a specific business idea. “If someone came in with an idea on the back of a napkin, they could get in the incubator,” Christopher said.

The waiting list to apply has 500 people, ranging from those with just an idea to others struggling to stay afloat after eight years in business.

The incubator offers the type of resources most minority entrepreneurs don’t access, including lessons and experts in networking, business presentation and mental health. “Every day you’re banging your head against a brick wall you don’t even know is there,” he said.

Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer acknowledged the need for the incubator during a press conference held in July 2021. “We recognize that we are not going to reverse the effects of redlining, disinvestment and disenfranchisement overnight,” Fischer said. “It is going to take time and dollars.”

The incubator meets for two hours each Thursday. There are workshops and mentoring sessions following graduation. “We’ve had great success stories,” Christopher said. “People are so much better off than they were a year ago.”

Facing challenges

Placing legitimate businesses hasn’t been easy. A recent ribbon-cutting ceremony for the opening of a restaurant three times the size of its previous location was a cause for celebration. But it wasn’t without its hurdles. Christopher recalls facing blatant racism with one leaser saying, “We don’t think you’ll be successful here.” Other tactics include making potential black owners pay an excessive deposit.

“This incubator breaks down all those barriers, issues and concerns they face,” Christopher said. “We’re not asking people to change rules unless they are systematically racist practices, which some are. I’m not asking you to lease it to me for less than what you would lease it to anybody else. I not asking you to make concessions. I just want you to do it the way you’re supposed to do it — and do it in all fairness.”

Christopher is hoping his program becomes a national model to help close the financial gap between whites and people of color. The LendingTree.com report shows that while 86.5 percent of all businesses in the United States are white-owned, whites make up 72 percent of the U.S. population.

“The wealth gap is the same for black folks all over the country,” Christopher said. “We’re all at the bottom of the pile. This is something that will work to change that.”

Edited by Fern Siegel and Matthew B. Hall

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The post Kentucky City’s Incubator Seeks To Produce More Black-Owned Businesses appeared first on Zenger News.

New Hope Missionary Baptist Church Celebrates Dr. Michael Andrew Owens 5th Anniversary

New Hope Missionary Baptist Church invites the entire community to share in a weekend of celebration for Pastor, Dr. Michael Andrew Owens 5th Anniversary. Beginning June 24th, Friday,  with the “Talent Showcase“ at 6:30pm featuring a family array of talented entertainment. Please RSVP limited seating for an evening of fun.  909-887-2526.
On June 25th,  Saturday evening  at 5:00pm “Alive at 5” concert featuring acclaimed musician Brent Jones, gospel artist, culminating Sunday, 26th with a 9:30am worship message delivered  by guest speaker Pastor W. Charles Harris, Village Missionary Baptist Church, Los Angeles, and also a Birthday celebration and acknowledgment for Pastor from auxiliaries.
Pastor Owens leadership over the past 5 years has been exemplary we celebrate his contributions to community life as  well as church development. Come out and join us!

California Primary ’22: Black Candidates Advancing to the Nov. General Elections

By Joe W. Bowers, Jr. | California Black Media Partners

Polls closed for in-person voting at 8 p.m. on June 7, the final day of the Statewide Direct Primary Election.

Vote-by-Mail ballots must be postmarked by the US Postal Service on or before June 7 and received no later than seven days after Election Day to be counted. The last day for county elections officials to certify election results is July 7.

The top two vote-getters in the primaries regardless of political affiliation advance to the November Election — whether one candidate receives the majority of the votes cast in the primary election. Only candidates running for State Superintendent of Public Instruction or candidates for voter-nominated offices in special elections can win outright by getting a majority of the vote (over 50 %) in the primary election.

County elections officials will be conducting the semifinal official canvass of votes at least every two hours until completed and providing the results to the Secretary of State.

Preliminary results are available for the 145 statewide elections being held to fill state and federal offices.

California Black Media (CBM) reports that 68 Black candidates are running in 45 of the elections. That is 31% of the races. Blacks make up 5.8% of California’s population.

This is a list of statewide races and Black candidates running.

Governor – Gavin Newsom (D) is projected to advance to the November General election and will face Brian Dahle (R). Black candidates failing to advance were Shawn Collins (R) in 6th place, Major Williams (R) in 8th place, Woodrow “Woody” Sanders III (No Party Preference) in 23rd place and Serge Fiankan (No Party Preference) in 26th place.

Lt. Governor – Angela E. Underwood Jacobs (R) is in second place and should advance to face incumbent Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis in November.

Secretary of State – Incumbent Dr. Shirley Weber (D) the only Black candidate in the contest is leading by a wide margin over six opponents.

State Controller – Malia Cohen (D) the first African American woman to serve on the board of Equalization is running in second place behind Lanhee Chen (R).

Superintendent of Public Instruction – Incumbent Tony Thurmond has an overwhelming lead over his six opponents. He is below the 50% majority to win outright. Ainye E. Long, the other Black candidate is in second place but has a very narrow lead over the 3rd place and 4th place candidates.

California Insurance Commissioner – Incumbent Ricardo Lara (D) leads his eight challengers. His Black opponents are Vinson Eugene Allen (D) in 5th place, Jasper “Jay” Jackson (D) in 7th place and Veronika Fimbres (Green Party) running 8th.

US Senator – Two separate US Senate contests are on the ballot. One is the regular election for the full six-year term beginning January 3, 2023. The other is a special vacancy election, to complete the unexpired Senate term of Vice President Kamala Harris. Sen. Alex Padilla (D) who was chosen by Gov. Newsom to replace Harris leads the vote in both contests.

In the full-term contest, Padilla is ahead of 22 opponents. Black candidates not advancing to the November ballot are John Thompson Parker, (Peace and Freedom Party) running in 9th place, Akinyemi Agbede (D) in 11th place, Myron L. Hall (R) running 12th, Daphne Bradford, (No Party Preference) is 23rd and Deon D. Jenkins (No Party Preference) is 26th.

Candidates Hall is running 7th and Bradford is running 8th in the partial/unexpired term contest.

The Black candidates running for 17 US House seats are:

District 3 (Yuba) -?Kermit Jones? (D) is ahead of three other opponents and will advance to the General Election. This district leans Republican.

District 4 (Napa) -?Jimih L. Jones (R) is running in 5th place. Rep. Mike Thompson (D) is leading in this race.

District 6 (Fair Oaks) -?Tamika Hamilton (R) is in second place. Karla Black (R) is running 6th. This is a solid Democratic district. Rep. Ami Bera (D) is leading in this race.

District 8 (Vallejo) – Cheryl Sudduth (D) is running a distant 3rd. Rep. John Garamendi (D), a current member of Congress, is leading in this race.

District 9 (Stockton) – Jonathan Madison?(R) is in 5th place. This congressional district leans Democratic. Josh Harder (D), a current member of Congress, is leading in this race.

District 12 (Oakland) – Barbara Lee (D) a current member of Congress representing District 13 (Oakland) is leading. Democrat Eric Wilson (D) is in 4th place.

District 25 (Riverside) – Brian E. Hawkins?(R) is running second to Rep. Raul Ruiz (D). This is a solid Democratic district.

District 27 (Santa Clarita) – Quaye Quartey? (D) is in 3rd place. Rep. Mike Garcia (R) is leading in this race.

District 30 (Burbank) -?Ronda Kennedy?(R) is in second place with a narrow lead over G “Maebe A. Girl” Pudio. Rep. Adam Schiff (D) is leading in this race.

District 32 (Sherman Oaks) – Aarika Samone Rhodes (D) is in 5th place. Rep. Brad Sherman (D) is leading in this race.

District 36 (Torrance) – Joe E. Collins III?(R) is running second to. Rep. Ted W. Lieu (D). This is a solid Democratic district

District 37 (Los Angeles) – Sydney Kamlager? (D) is in the lead. Jan C. Perry? (D) is in second place and ?Daniel W. Lee? (D) is running 3rd. Rep. Karen Bass (D) currently represents this district.

District 39 (Moreno Valley) – Aja Smith?(R) is running second to Rep. Mark Takano (D). This is a solid Democratic district.

District 42 (Long Beach) – William Moses Summerville? (D) is in 7th place. No current member of Congress was on the ballot for this race.

District 43 (Los Angeles) – Incumbent Maxine Waters?(D) is in the lead.?Allison Pratt?(R) is in 3rd place and Jean M. Monestime (D) is running in fourth place.

District 44 (San Pedro) – Morris Falls Griffin? (D) is in third place. Nanette Diaz Barragan (D), a current member of congress, is leading in this race.

District 49 (Carlsbad) – Nadia Bahia Smalley? (D) is in 6th place. Mike Levin (D), a current member of Congress, is leading in this race.

Black candidates running for two State Senate seats are:

Senate District 16 (Bakersfield) – Gregory Tatum (R) is in 4th place. This a new district predicted to be a tossup for the Republicans and Democrats on the ballot.

Senate District 28 (Los Angeles) – Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (D) is in the lead. Cheryl C. Turner (D) is in second place. Kamilah Victoria Moore (D) is running 4th and Jamaal A. Gulledge (D) is in 5th place.

Black candidates running for 19 State Assembly seats are:

District 6 (Sacramento) – Incumbent Kevin McCarty (D) is the vote leader and will be advancing to the November General Election.

Assembly District 10 (Elk Grove) – Eric M. Rigard (R) is in third place and Tecoy Porter (D) is running 4th. This is a solid Democratic district. No incumbent was on the ballot.

Assembly District 11 (Vallejo) – Incumbent Lori D. Wilson (D) is the vote leader advancing to the November General Election. This is a solid Democratic district.

Assembly District 12 (Marin) – Ida Times-Green (D) is in 4th place. This is a solid Democratic district. No incumbent was on the ballot.

Assembly District 18 (Oakland) – Incumbent Mia Bonta (D) ran unopposed for re-election.

Assembly District 20 (Alameda) – Jennifer Esteen (D) is in 4th place. Her opponents are two Democrats and a Republican. No incumbent was on the ballot.

Assembly District 21 (San Mateo) – Maurice Goodman (D) is running in 6th place. He ran against five Democrats and a Republican. This is a solid Democratic district. No incumbent was on the ballot.

Assembly District 30 (San Luis Obispo) – Jon Wizard (D) is in 3rd place. He ran against three Democrats and a Republican. This is a solid Democratic district. No incumbent is on the ballot.

Assembly District 36 (Imperial) – Marlon G. Ware (D) is in a distance 3rd place. He is unlikely to advance to the November ballot.

Assembly District 39 (Palmdale) – Andrea Rosenthal (D) is in 3rd place. She had one Republican and two Democratic rivals. This is a solid Democratic district. No incumbent was on the ballot.

Assembly District 41 (Pasadena) – Incumbent Chris Holden (D) ran for re-election unopposed.

Assembly District 47 (Palm Springs) – Jamie Swain (D) is in 4th place. She is unlikely to advance to the November ballot.

Assembly District 55 (Los Angeles) – Incumbent Isaac G. Bryan (D) is in the lead. He will advance to the November General Election.

Assembly District 57 (Los Angeles) – Reggie Jones-Sawyer (D) ran unopposed for re-election.

Assembly District 60 (Moreno Valley) – Corey A Jackson (D) is in second place. He has three opponents. This is a solid Democratic district. No incumbent was on the ballot.

Assembly District 61 (Inglewood) – Robert Pullen-Miles (D) is leading this race. Tina Simone McKinnor (D) is in second place and James Arlandus Spencer (R) is running 3rd. This is a solid Democratic district. No incumbent was on the ballot.

In a special election to fill Assembly District 62 seat opened when Autumn Burke (D) resigned, McKinnor is leading Pullen-Miles.

Assembly District 65 (Compton) – Incumbent Mike Anthony Gipson (D) is leading in his re-election bid.

Assembly District 69 (Long Beach) – Al Austin II (D) is running in 2nd place and Janet Denise Foster(D) is in 3rd place. Four Democratic candidates are running for the seat. No incumbent was on the ballot.

Assembly District 79 (La Mesa) – Incumbent Akilah Weber (D) is leading in her bid for re-election against two Republican opponents. This is a solid Democratic district.

 

Leader Wilk: Democrats’ Fake Budget Won’t Help Those Reeling from the High Cost of Living

SACRAMENTO –  Recently, Senate Republican Leader Scott Wilk (R-Santa Clarita) released the following statement after Legislative Democrats passed the primary 2022-2023 Budget Bill:

“With an almost $100 billion surplus, rising gas prices, and skyrocketing inflation, the best relief Legislative Democrats came up with is a $200 refund that gets to you months down the road. That’s $16.66 per month, which for the record, won’t even cover your gas taxes paid this year,” said Leader Wilk.

“The White House is seriously weighing a federal gas tax holiday. We all know the quickest way to help Californians is by suspending the gas tax, but instead we are stuck with the supermajority’s months-long squabble and broken promises.”

This budget, contrary to today’s rhetoric, is not the state’s final spending plan but merely a placeholder to meet the constitutional deadline of June 15 for passage of the state’s budget. It lacks details on many critical spending proposals and does not reflect negotiations with Governor Newsom. Senate Republicans voted against the fake, placeholder budget.

According to a recent Cal Tax Foundation report, despite a massive projected surplus of $97.5 billion this year, legislative Democrats have no shame and have introduced $194 billion in new legislation and fees. Read the CalTax report here.

Last month, Senate Republicans delivered a specific list of budget priorities and outlined their full budget priorities to address affordability and homelessness. Click here to read the full budget request letter.

–FULL Gas Tax Holiday – The state should immediately suspend the gas tax to reduce the cost of fuel for families suffering from record-high prices. The revenues should be backfilled by the General Fund so that transportation projects will not be impacted.

–Lower Costs for Renters – To help offset rising rental costs, California should increase the renter’s tax credit to $1,000 for spouses filing joint returns, heads of households, and surviving spouses. It should also include a $500 tax credit for other individuals to provide temporary assistance for one of California’s most significant problems.

–California Student Tax Credit – To assist students with the rising costs of housing, transportation, or other school expenses, California should offer up to several thousand dollars in student tax credits per year for eligible students.

–Address Mental Health and Substance Abuse Needs – The state should invest $10 billion to build the facilities needed to address the related crises of mental health, substance abuse, and homelessness.

–Invest in Water Storage – The state must invest the $2.6 billion necessary to fully fund the already voter-approved Sites Reservoir that will provide water storage for 1.5 million homes per year.

–Prepare for Wildfires – The state needs to remove the red tape and roadblocks stalling wildfire prevention and treatment projects.

Advocates Pressure Gov. Newsom to Fund Health Equity, Racial Justice in Final Budget

By Edward Henderson | California Black Media

On June 8, community leaders, public health advocates and racial justice groups convened for a virtual press event to urge Gov. Gavin Newsom to support the Health Equity and Racial Justice Fund (HERJ Fund).

The initiative supports community-based organizations addressing the underlying social, environmental and economic factors that limit people’s opportunities to be healthy — such as poverty, violence and trauma, environmental hazards, and access to affordable housing and healthy food. Health advocates would also address longstanding California problems related to health equity and racial justice problems.

The fund cleared a significant hurdle last week when the State Legislature included $75 million in their joint budget proposal. This means both the Assembly and Senate support the HERJ Fund and they will go into negotiations with the governor to seek his support to approve it.

“Our state boasts a staggering $97 billion budget surplus. If not now, when? Given the devastating impact of racism on the health and well-being of Californians of color it’s a travesty of the highest order that racial justice isn’t even mentioned in the Governor’s budget proposal,” said Ron Coleman, Managing Director of the California Pan-Ethnic Health Network.

Wednesday’s virtual community meeting and press event capped off a series of rallies held by supporters in cities across the state calling on Gov. Newsom to make room in his budget for the HERJ Fund.

Coleman facilitated the online event featuring representatives from service organizations speaking about their support for the fund and presenting plans for how the money would be used to support their shared mission of providing services to minority and underserved communities in California.
Jenedra Sykes, Partner at Arboreta Group, spoke about inequalities that exist in funding for smaller grassroots nonprofits and how traditionally larger, White-led nonprofits use state funds to subcontract with grassroots nonprofits to provide services to communities of color at lower costs.
“The faith-based non-profits on the ground have the relationships, the access to those who are most vulnerable and marginalized among us who disproportionately have poorer health outcomes,” said Sykes. “This bill also evens the playing field a bit. Instead of going through the middleman of the established larger non-profits, funding will go directly to the people who are doing the work. The passion, the heart, the skills, the talents are there. It’s about the resources to fund these talents”

Coleman gave attendees an update on the status of the HERJ Fund’s path to inclusion in the state budget.

Now that the State Legislature has included the fund in their spending proposal for Fiscal Year ’22-23 (it was not included in Newsom’s “May Revise”), it must survive negotiations with the governor’s office before the June 15 deadline to finalize the budget.

A final budget needs to be in place by June 30, the last day for the governor to approve.

HERJ Fund supporters remain hopeful that funding for their program will be included in the final budget.
In the past, reservations have come from the Governor’s office supporting the fund came from questions around oversight, accountability and outcomes would look like. Updated mechanisms were added to the HERJ Fund’s proposal to alleviate those concerns and supporters of the fund believe that Governor Newsom is out of excuses.
“Our best shot at getting the HERJ Fund in the budget is now. We are hoping that all of you will keep the pressure on the Governor to ensure that this becomes a reality,” Coleman said. “If he does care about the intersections of health equity and racial justice then we will see funding.”
Attendees were encouraged to contact the Governor’s office and the Legislature to keep the pressure on them to include the fund. You can visit herjfund.org to learn more about the proposal and the effort to include it in the state budget.

Nadia Kean-Ayub, Executive Director of Rainbow Spaces, shared details about the valuable events and services community-based non-profits provide. She said there is no shortage of families in need who want to participate in their organizations’ programs but, due to limited funding for transportation, many people never access services meant to help them.
“This tells me that when things are created in our communities, they are not making the impact we need in our Black, Brown and API communities,” Kean-Ayub said. I will continue to fight. To really make this grow, we need the state to understand that the true impact comes from the community and the people who are living these issues and who know how to help them.”

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