Local

By Bo Tefu, Joe W. Bowers Jr., and Lila Brown | California Black Media  

Los Angeles County introduced the first-ever Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) Commission in a ceremony hosted by Supervisor Hilda Solis.

The commission was created to recommend policies and address current and emerging issues that impact LGBTQ communities. This initiative was proposed and co-authored by Solis and Supervisor Janice Hahn, aiming to be more inclusive of LGBTQ individuals in California’s most populous county.

The commission’s executive director Sunitha Menon will work alongside 15 LGBTQ commission members including community leaders, local government officials, lawyers, and health professionals.

Solis said that the board of supervisors stands in solidarity with the LGBTQ community.

“Today, Los Angeles County is making history – again – and hopefully setting an example for the rest of the nation to follow,” said Solis.

The board of supervisors completed a year-long selection process when it appointed Menon as the commission’s executive director. The board also compiled a resolution to fly the Progress Pride Flag at all County facilities in honor of Pride Month.

Menon said that the commission will remain dedicated to ensuring the safety and survival of LGBTQ individuals in their respective communities.

“I look forward to working alongside the Commissioners to ensure we are uplifting the needs of the over 500,000 members of our community, particularly for our Black and Brown trans community members, and those who live in areas with less access to life-saving resources and support,” said Menon.

Supervisor Hahn said that LA County is on the right side of history by uplifting LGBTQ voices.

“There are too many states and local governments across the country who are moving backwards when it comes to LGBTQ rights,” said Hahn.

By Antonio? ?Ray? ?Harvey? ?|? ?California? ?Black? ?Media?

The NAACP California Hawaii State Conference (Cal-Hi NAACP) honored actor and political activist Danny Glover and social justice leader Rev. Amos C. Brown at its 12th annual Legacy Hall of Fame Ceremony held at the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Sacramento on June 10.

With that honor, Glover and Brown join a long list of activists, leaders and changemakers who have fought tirelessly for equal rights for African Americans, changes in law, and to advance the civil rights movement.

“These are nationally, known heavyweights,” said Cal-Hi NAACP President Rick Callender.

“They are both humble and national leaders. (The Hall of Fame) shows that they are here in attendance, reaching back into the community, and letting Mr. Glover and Rev. Brown know that they deserve this prestigious honor,” Callender continued.

The ceremony brought together a diverse group of guests, including NAACP members from across the state, corporate partners, supporters, and future leaders and delegates of the Youth and College Division.

State lawmakers in attendance were Sen. Angelique Ashby (D-Sacramento) and Sen. Susan Rubio (D-West Covina).

Rubio presented Glover and Brown with Senate resolutions outlining their civil rights accomplishments.

Secretary of State Shirley Weber gave remarks focused on the character and achievements of the honorees.  When she was the president of the National Council for Black Studies, Weber remembers Glover advocated for the academic discipline at San Francisco State University before he rose to fame in the film industry.

Weber also thanked Brown for his leadership as a member of the California Reparations Task Force, a nine-person panel created based on Assembly Bill (AB) 1321, legislation she authored when she served in the Assembly representing the 79^th District in San Diego. After a two-year investigation and study, the task force delivered a 1,100-page report with 115 reparations recommendations to the Governor and Legislature.

“Despite all the things they have done they’ve never forgotten where they once came from,” Weber said of the Hall of Fame inductees. “They continue to hold up the banner for us and to fight for us every day. Their task now is to make sure that you pick up the banner and move forward.”

Glover was born July 22, 1947, in San Francisco. His parents, Carrie and James Glover were both United States postal workers and active members of the NAACP. While at San Francisco State College, the young Glover led a student strike. The demonstration led to the first ethnic studies department in the country.

Glover studied the art of acting at San Francisco State College and trained at the Black Actors Workshop of the American Conservatory Theater.  Glover has and continues to nurture a long career in stage plays, television, and films.

Glover has produced social justice documentaries that align with his advocacy work. He has received numerous awards for his humanitarian efforts and once served as a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations and the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF).

“I certainly have so much respect for this particular moment,” Glover said of receiving NAACP honors. “But just to be around men and women of all ages, all ethnicities who work for a better community. That’s what it is all about — what it means to be a human being working on the half of humanity. Thank you for this honor.”

Rev. Amos Cleophus Brown was born Feb 20, 1941, in Jackson, Mississippi. He is one of only eight students who had the pleasure to take a college class taught by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. while he was a student at Morehouse College in Atlanta.

In 1961, Brown and King were arrested at a civil rights lunch counter sit-in. As a youth, Brown’s mentor was Mississippi NAACP Field Secretary Medgar Evers.

Brown has been the pastor of San Francisco’s Third Baptist Church in the Fillmore District since 1976. He served on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors from 1996 to 2000. Brown was first appointed to the position by former San Francisco Mayor and California Assembly Speaker Willie Brown before being elected to a two-year term.

Brown has served as national chairman for the NAACP Youth and College Division and the National Baptist Commission on Civil Rights. He is currently the president of the San Francisco branch of the NAACP.

“I want you to know that I am 83 going on 84 but I am going to stay in the struggle (for equality),” Brown said. “I am going to stay in the struggle because God has given me strength and God has been my light. I am going to stay in the fight until Black folks receive equality and opportunities in the United States of America.”

Every year, the NAACP CA/HI State Conference inducts individuals into the Hall of Fame who exemplify the commitment and courage to advocate for the betterment of Black people in California. The event also creates funding for youth leadership programs and initiatives.

“The one thing that I really like about this event is that we really are honoring folks that have been doing the business of civil rights for their entire life,” Callender said. “We’re just saying, ‘We’ve seen what you’ve been doing, we’re watching you, and yes, you deserve to be in our Hall of Fame.’”

By Lou K. Coleman | WSS News Contributor

Wake Up!  Wake Up!  Wake Up!

When you see a man rise among a ten-nation union subduing three kings, watch closely and know that the time is near! [Revelation Chapter 13].

Prophecies Concerning the End Time – Coming to Pass Now –

One World System where Satan will have absolute dominion over all the earth and people.

[Revelation 17-18] shows there are three components to the One World System of the Last Days. There’s a One World Religion, a One World Government, and a One World Commercial System. All which have been developing for longer than most people suspect and are rapidly coming to fulfillment. No longer just the realm of fanatical conspiracy theorists but coming to pass now. Wake Up!

The One World System will come to power by promising peace and safety in a time of chaos [Daniel 8:25]. Prophecies Concerning the End Time – Coming to Pass Now –

In [2023] Cinema Modeoff Sudan and Israel set signed peace agreement. Condition effective upon ratification by both parties Abraham Accords Peace Agreement: Treaty of Peace, Diplomatic Relations and Full Normalization Between the United Arab Emirates and the State of Israel.

Prophecies Concerning the End Time – Coming to Pass. Pay Attention. The signs are clear, and they serve as a warning from God. He is calling us to repentance and preparation. Time calls for immediate action. “Now is the accepted time; today is the day of salvation.” Every time your clock ticks, it’s saying, “Now, now, now, now, now, now, now.”

If you have not accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, do it now, for He is your only escape from what is about to take place. For He says: “In an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation. [2 Corinthians 6:2].

And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, if any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cop of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb; And the smoke of their torment ascendants up for ever and ever; and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receives the mark of his name. [Revelation 14: 9-12].

Wake Up! Wake Up! Wake Up!

By Darryl White | Special to California Black Media Partners

As we celebrate the 159th anniversary of Juneteenth, I cannot help but think of how far we still have to go to reach a level of equity in America. The cornerstone of slavery was illiteracy among enslaved populations. Slave owners did everything they could to keep slaves ignorant and illiterate, often imposing severe penalties for literacy among slaves and those who taught them. They realized early that knowledge meant power, and maintaining slavery required policies and laws that promoted high rates of illiteracy among enslaved populations throughout America.

Current statistics continue to paint a stark picture of literacy proficiency among California’s Black third-grade students. Today, only 27% are meeting or exceeding the English language arts state standards. Even more disturbingly, since 2018, scores have plummeted by four percentage points. Clearly, the post-COVID era has exacerbated an already dire situation.

Reading develops essential skills necessary for participating in American society, democracy, and the capitalist system. It enhances concentration, intellectual development, higher-order thinking, imagination, and creativity. Moreover, it helps individuals understand the world around them, allowing them to take advantage of available knowledge and opportunities. Those who read well tend to function more effectively in American society and advance more quickly. Systems of advancement are often centered around testing. For instance, students must take the SAT and compete with others to enter higher education. Those who cannot not read well, regardless of their true aptitude, perform poorly on the SAT. Their scores reinforce the false belief that the SAT determines inherent intelligence.

Today, if high schools graduated highly literate Black students, graduation day would be a jubilant celebration akin to Juneteenth. Just as the Emancipation Proclamation and the 13th Amendment provided access to civil rights, high literacy rates empower individuals to fully exercise these rights. Literacy opens doors to voting, fair trials, government employment, public facility access, housing, freedom of religion, and public education–transforming these rights from mere words into tangible opportunities. In this way, achieving high literacy rates is a modern emancipation, granting students the tools to realize the full promise of their civil rights.

In 2000, the National Reading Panel, a government-formed entity, conducted analysis to determine the most effective approach to teaching children how to read. Their findings–informed by rigorous, interdisciplinary scientific research from educators, psychologists, linguists, neuroscientists, and cognitive scientists–outlined five critical areas of reading instruction based on how a child best learns to read: (1) phonemic awareness, (2) phonics, (3) vocabulary, (4) fluency, and (5) comprehension. Moreover, the analysis advocates for the inclusion of evidence-based literacy instruction principles in teacher training programs to ensure educators are equipped to teach our children effectively.

Across seventeen states (and counting), legislation has been introduced to embrace the principles supported by the National Reading Panel and other literacy experts. Now, California stands poised to follow suit. The Black Parallel School Board fully supported Assembly Bill 2222 (Rubio), which introduced legislation in February 2024 requiring all California public elementary schools use evidence-based reading instructional materials and train educators on providing evidence-based early literacy instruction. Unfortunately, the 2024 version of the bill died in the Assembly without a hearing. We will again support the 2025 version of the bill because the cause is too important. Our children deserve nothing less.

Learning to read is a civil right. Therefore, the movement to ensure that all students learn to read well can be seen as the catalyst to emancipate BIPOC people trapped at the lower rungs of the education ladder. Until we assure every parent/caregiver in California that their public education system can and will prioritize teaching their children to read, Black children will continue to experience high rates of illiteracy and inequity.

Just as the Emancipation Proclamation freed enslaved individuals, evidence-based early literacy instruction will free BIPOC people from the historical and cultural enslavement of lower-class citizenship and liberate students from educational inequity, empowering them to fully participate in society and achieve their potential. The right to Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) is meaningless if an educational system created through civil rights fails to promote literacy, as it has then certainly failed to educate.

---

About the Author

Darryl White Sr. has been a teacher, curriculum specialist, race/human relations/equity trainer, and inner-city elementary, middle, and high school administrator.  As a middle school principal, he provided the leadership to move Vallejo’s lowest achieving middle school to the city’s best (includes charter schools) in only three years while improving the school’s Academic Performance Index (API) over 100 points.

 

EDD customers can choose the most convenient payment option for their needs

SACRAMENTO, CA—– The Employment Development Department (EDD) is now offering its unemployment, disability, and Paid Family Leave benefit customers a direct deposit option to receive their payments. Direct deposit is a safe, fast, and convenient way for individuals to have their benefits automatically deposited into their personal checking or savings account. This enhancement follows the Department’s transition to Money Network for benefit payment services earlier this year which included issuing new prepaid debit cards.

“We have been focused on improving our benefit systems as part of our ongoing effort to modernize and improve the customer experience for all Californians,” said EDD Director Nancy Farias. “Direct deposit offers our customers the safest and most convenient means of receiving the benefit payments that they need.”

EDD customers will need a myEDD account to select the best payment option to meet their needs. For help setting up a myEDD account, customers can view myEDD Registration and Overview (YouTube). Once logged in, customers can update their preferred payment option within UI Online for unemployment benefits or SDI Online for disability or Paid Family Leave benefits, after selecting Profile on the main menu.

EDD encourages customers to learn more about direct deposit and other payment options by visiting the Department’s Benefit Payment Options webpage. There are also videos available to assist existing customers with how to set up direct deposit if they so choose. New customers will make their selection when applying for benefits online.

The new direct deposit option is considered a secure, fast, and convenient way to receive payments for customers who have a bank account. Other options include a prepaid debit card as well as mailed checks for receiving benefit payments.

The new direct deposit option is available for workers who are accessing EDD’s services online starting June 17. In early July and again in August, EDD will be alerting these customers to the expanded benefit payment options through direct emails and text messages. Customers will also see online notifications when logging in to apply for benefits or manage their benefit claim.

For unemployment customers, notifications will be made available in the top eight languages, including English for those who have indicated a preference to receive translated communications.

Beware of Scammers

EDD will never email, text, or call to ask for login information or bank account details to enroll in direct deposit. Be cautious of unsolicited emails or text messages that request personal or financial information with a sense of urgency. EDD emails only contain links to websites that include “edd.ca.gov.” Visit the Fight Fraud webpage for tips on how to avoid scams.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— Rep. Pete Aguilar recently announced that Neighborhood Partnership Housing Service, Inc. (NPHS) will receive $1,666,279 in federal funding to make critical infrastructure upgrades for affordable housing units.

The funding will be used to make improvements such as plumbing, roofing, weatherization and other energy conservation upgrades to affordable housing units. This will make the units safer and more resilient to extreme weather events, and significantly lower energy costs for residents.

“It is my top priority to lower the cost of housing so that folks who want to live here and be a part of our community are able to do so,” Rep. Pete Aguilar said. “I’m proud to have fought for this funding to lower energy costs in affordable housing units while improving resident safety.”

“On behalf of the communities that will benefit from this investment, I extend my deepest gratitude to Congressman Aguilar for his unwavering support. The Community Project Funding award will play a crucial role in our mission to preserve affordable housing units in the City of San Bernardino,” stated Clemente Mojica, CEO of Neighborhood Partnership Housing Services, Inc. “This support not only strengthens our community but also ensures that more families have access to safe and affordable housing. Thank you, Congressman Aguilar, for championing housing affordability.”

Since 2023, Rep. Aguilar has announced over $72 million for affordable housing developments in the Inland Empire. These investments range from increasing the supply of affordable housing to renovating affordable housing units.

Rep. Aguilar also helped pass the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024 into law, which included over $17 million in federal investments for 15 local projects across the region Rep. Aguilar represents in Congress.

By Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media

On June 11, a heated debate ensued among lawmakers over reparations for Black Californians during an Assembly Judiciary Committee hearing on Senate Bill (SB) 1331, also known as The Fund for Reparations and Restorative Justice.

Assemblymember Kate Sanchez (R-Rancho Santa Margarita), a member of the Judiciary Committee, voted against SB 1331, commenting that the legislation is “fundamentally unfair” and “the pain of our past should not be paid by people of today.” She stated that California’s Asians and Latinos make up 55% of the state population and are not responsible for slavery, discrimination, or Jim Crow laws.

Senate Judiciary Committee chair Ash Kalra (D-San José) disagreed with Sanchez’s perspective and pushed back with a persuasive counterargument explaining why America owes Black Americans.

The Indian American lawmaker reminded Sanchez and other members of the committee that “the country became a superpower based on free labor” and “Black families over a generation “did not ask if it was okay to take their wealth, enslave them, or put their children in poverty,” Kalra said.

“We recognize it,” Kalra said, nearly breaking into tears. “I know it’s not going to be easy. It’s not supposed to be easy to actually admit what you’ve caused pain when you try to repair and heal that pain. And yes, we still benefit to this day from what happened to our brothers and sisters in the Black community so many generations ago.”

During a panel discussion held on June 15 in San Diego, organized by the Black Freedom Fund in partnership with the CLBC, Assemblymember Mike Gipson (D-Carson) criticized some Republican colleagues in the Legislature who uniformly and consistently vote no on reparations-focused legislation.

“Some of our Republican colleagues have taken it upon themselves to make this a very political issue, voting no on all our bills,” said Gipson. Any bills that deal with reparations, they are voting no. “They are also casting lies on how much these bills are going to cost and talking about the immigrant status and how they are not a part of what happened in California. So, it’s our responsibility to educate our colleagues on what’s going on.

SB 1331 was one of four reparations bills that the Senate and Assembly reviewed in various committees and voted to advance.

Assembly Constitutional Amendment (ACA) 8 made it out of the Senate Public Safety Committee on June 11 with a 4-1 vote. The legislation is on its way to the Committee on Elections and Constitutional Amendments.

Authored by Assemblymember Lori Wilson (D-Suisun City), ACA 8 seeks to abolish the language “involuntary servitude” from the state’s constitution, effectively prohibiting slavery of any form in the prison system.

“We have an opportunity to step in the direction that ends that legacy (of slavery in California),” said Wilson, the chairperson of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC).

“This bill throughout its history has enjoyed no opposition on record or testifying against it,” said Wilson. “I believe it is really consistent with California’s value and it’s time we showed it in writing and not just within talks.”

The public safety community members who voted in favor of ACA 8 were Sens. Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley), Scott Weiner (D-San Francisco), Aisha Wahab (D-Hayward), and CLBC member Steven Bradford (D-Inglewood). Sen. Kelly Seyarto (R-Murrieta) voted no. If the bill passes out of the Senate, it will be sent to Gov. Newsom for his signature and placed on the general election ballot in November.

Wilson’s legislation is one of 14 reparations bills introduced by the CLBC earlier this year. The package addresses the recommendations the California Reparations Task Force made last year in its 1,100-page final report.

ACA 8 is the legislative successor of ACA 3 – ??the California Abolition Act – aimed at removing slavery from California law.

It was first authored by then-Sen. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Los Angeles) but the bill failed in 21-6 vote on the Senate floor in June 2023.

Kamlager-Dove was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives after Karen Bass vacated the seat to run for mayor of Los Angeles. She still monitors the bill that Wilson picked up when she left the State Senate.

Kamlager-Dove is currently working to remove similar language regarding voluntary servitude from the U.S. Constitution.

“The exceptions for slavery and involuntary servitude in both the California Constitution and the 13th Amendment are moral disgraces that need to be addressed at both federal and state levels,” Kamlager-Dove said in a written statement to California Black Media. “In Congress, I proudly reintroduced the Abolition Amendment to amend the U.S. Constitution and abolish slavery once and for all. We must sustain this momentum at the state level. I urge swift passage of ACA 8 to end prison labor in California.”

In addition to Wilson’s ACA 8 bill, a number of reparations bills authored by members of the CLBC are advancing in the Legislature.

In addition to SB 1331, the Assembly Judiciary Committee voted to pass three of Bradford’s reparations bills, as of June 12.  The bills are Senate Bill (SB) 1403, that would establish the California American Freedmen Affairs Agency (CAFAA) and SB 1050, CAFAA’s required action to compensate families that lost property to eminent domain.

SB 1403 and SB 1331 are not part of the CLBC reparations package.

Assemblymember Joe Patterson (R-Rocklin) voted no on SB 1403 and SB 1331, but voted yes gave SB 1050 his full based on his knowledge of property rights and the historical unfair use of eminent domain.

“I think eminent domain should be extremely limited,” said Patterson, the vice chair of the Assembly Housing Committee. “I am 100% for something where you say you have to be compensated for fair-market value if the government is going to take your property. Because of that, I am going to support this measure.”

By McKenzie Jackson | California Black Media

When South Central Los Angeles native Nedric Miller was in the third grade he wanted to be gang member. He dropped out of high school when he was 16.

Two years later, Miller was in prison.

“Education wasn’t valuable to me,” he said. “Everyone around me was shooting up, doing drugs — doing this, that, and the third. No one was talking about education. People were trying to survive.”

When was Miller released from prison, he moved to Sacramento with a family friend and enrolled in Woodland Community College as a way to get off parole. He took science classes and discovered he enjoyed learning. Miller eventually received his associate degree and enrolled in Sacramento State. He graduated from the university this year.

“A lot of people lent a hand to me,” Miller said. “Kept me positive. Kept me motivated. Thank you for allowing me to graduate because I really didn’t believe I could.”

Miller’s remarks detailing his journey from the streets to walking across the stage to receive his degree in kinesiology, clinical rehabilitation, and exercise science came during the final day of Sacramento State’s Juneteenth Symposium.

Dr. Nadine A. Kelley, Sacramento State’s senior director of University Housing Services, said it was important for symposium attendees to hear Miller’s college journey.

“We save lives on college campuses,” she said. “You don’t have to be at a hospital to save a person’s life.”

The June 13-14 symposium was held to celebrate and recognize African American history and achievement, while also highlighting the anti-racism work being done at Sacramento State, which has a student body that is 10% Black, and the California State University system’s other 22 campuses.

The event was one of many celebrations scheduled across the Golden State in celebration of Juneteenth on Wednesday.  The national holiday commemorates the end of slavery in the United States.

On June 19, 1865, Black people enslaved in Galveston, Texas, learned of their freedom from Union soldiers. This happened two months after the Confederacy had surrendered in the Civil War and more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation.

On June 13, Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a Juneteenth proclamation.

“California is proud to recognize Juneteenth as an official state holiday, honoring the centuries of struggles and triumphs that have brought us to this moment,” the Governor’s statement read. “Amid misguided efforts to rewrite our nation’s history, California is committed to confronting the dark chapters of our past to continue moving forward in pursuit of a more perfect union.”

“This Juneteenth, I urge all Californians to reflect on the ongoing cause of freedom for Black Americans – remembering that, though General Granger’s announcement in 1865 called for “absolute equality,” that vision was, and remains, far from complete. Let us celebrate how far we have come and take stock of how far we must go to truly realize our nation’s founding ideals,” the statement continued.

Across the state, several events are scheduled for Wednesday, including Pleasant Hill’s second annual Juneteenth Celebration at the East Bay Area city’s city hall. The celebration will feature numerous activities such as chess tutorials by West Coast Chess Alliance, a reading by author Mackenzie Lee Foster, and African and Caribbean musical and dance performances. Additionally, there will be a reading of the Juneteenth Proclamation and the singing of “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”

In an announcement video, the Pleasant Hill Diversity Commission noted Juneteenth was initially celebrated at family and church center gatherings. There were also annual trips to Galveston Bay by formerly enslaved people and their families.

“Celebrations spread across the South became more popular in the 1920s and 1930s,” said Carson Sprott, the commission’s chair. “In 2020, the country’s important social justice movement renewed national interest in racial equity including the day that many consider our country’s second Independence Day.”

On June 19 in Los Angeles, actress Wendy Raquel Robinson will host Juneteenth at the Wilfandel, the oldest African American women’s club in L.A. This alcohol-free event will feature food, vendors, live entertainment and more.

In Oakland, the Hella Creative, an arts and culture collective is hosting Hella Juneteenth, a cookout featuring live music, Black chefs and Black-owned restaurants from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Oakland Museum.

In Pasadena, the local branch of the NAACP hosted the third annual Roller Jam at Pasadena City Hall. The event had arts and crafts, a live DJ, and roller skating.

On June 15, the third annual Juneteenth Festival at Black Miners Bar in the Folsom Lake Recreation Area featured a performance by the Grammy-award winning R&B group Club Nouveau. There was also beer and wine garden featuring Black-owned wineries and distilleries, food vendors, a petting zoo, a kid’s zone, and horseback riding.

Sacramento State’s Juneteenth Symposium featured award presentations, musical performances and panel discussions and speeches by a number of scholars and educational leaders, who discussed topics such as racial injustice and the lived experiences of everyday Black Californians.

Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, the founding director of the Boston University Center for Antiracist Research, discussed anti-racism.

“We have been taught the opposite of racist is not racist,” he said. “The actual opposite of racist is anti-racist. The heartbeat of the being racist has historically been denial, and the sound of that denial has historically been, ‘I’m not racist.’ What we should be striving to be is anti-racist.”

This resource is supported in whole or in part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library in partnership with the California Department of Social Services and the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs as part of the Stop the Hate program. To report a hate incident or hate crime and get support, go to CA vs Hate.

BALTIMORE, MD. – Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. applauds Major League Baseball’s (MLB) decision last week to merge Negro League Baseball statistics into their all-time records, now recognizing Hall of Famer Josh Gibson as MLB’s new all-time career leader over Ty Cobb.

MLB’s decision to fully recognize the contributions of professional Black baseball players, who were previously marginalized, enriches sports history, and finally honors players’ legacy, like Gibson. He played for the Homestead Grays and Pittsburgh Crawfords, with MLB’s new top career batting average of .372. Gibson also now leads in slugging percentage, and all-time single season records.

Alpha Brother Sean Gibson, who is the grandson of Gibson, was a leading advocate for the MLB’s decision and has kept his grandfather’s legacy alive as well as those of other Negro Leaguers through his Josh Gibson Foundation since the late 1990s.

The Fraternity is proud to support Brother Gibson and all those who fight to correct past injustices of racial discrimination as well as those who preserve the heritage of Negro League Baseball.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— The City of San Bernardino Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department is bringing back its popular “Sizzlin’ Summer Nights” Concert Series at Perris Hill Park’s Historic Roosevelt Bowl for eight Thursday nights starting June 6 and running through August 1. Now in its third year, the free series will feature music, food, artesian vendors, and activities.
Perris Hill Park’s Roosevelt Bowl is located at 1003 East Highland Avenue in San Bernardino.

Musical styles during the series will include Funk and Soul, Motown, Country, Big Band Swing, Latin Soul, Top 40, as well as performances by two popular Southern California tribute bands.

“Evenings at the Roosevelt Bowl are amazing, and the Summer Concerts turn it into one big dance party,” said San Bernardino Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Director Lydie Gutfeld.
Kicking off the series on Thursday, June 6, will be Nojac, a San Bernardino based funk and soul group. Nojac has opened for bands such as Tierra and Malo, and their set includes favorites from artists such as James Brown, Stevie Wonder, and Tower of Power.

Other performers during the series are:
June 6: Nojac (Funk and Soul)
June 13: Blue Breeze Band (Motown)
June 20: Nubes – Pride Night (Caifanes Tribute)
June 27: Pulp Vixen Band (Classic Rock)
July 11: Country Nation (Country)

July 18: Wise Guys Big Band (Big Band Vegas Swing)
July 25: Latin Soul Band (Cumbias, Salsa, Reggaetón)
August 1: No Duh (No Doubt Tribute Band)

Gates will open at 5:30 pm with each concert starting at 7:30 pm. Seating will be on a first come, first served basis. Activities, booths, food, and vendors will be available at 5:30 pm.
One of the new activities this year will be an “Art in the Park Sip and Paint Experience,” in which attendees will have the opportunity to try out their painting skills under the guidance of an instructor while enjoying a beverage.

There will be no performance on Thursday, July 4, in observance of Independence Day.

The 1,800-seat Roosevelt Bowl at Perris Hill Park was built and dedicated in 1934 as part of the depression era Federal Work Progress Administration. Since then, the outdoor amphitheater has been a featured gathering place in San Bernardino for musical, artistic,
and cultural performances, civic events, and graduations.