Local

$5 million fundraising goal and an innovative model of philanthropy

INLAND EMPIRE, CA—- Thanks to the long-standing leadership of Black-led organizations and the power of the cross-racial coalitions they have built, we are seeing tremendous advancements in racial equity in the United States and globally. Countless government agencies, corporations, and foundations have, in a matter of weeks, redoubled their commitments to racial equity and combating anti-Black racism.

Black-led organizations (BLOs) in the Inland Empire are an important part of this story. Capitalizing on decades of patient work and incremental wins to advance racial equity, BLOs in the Inland Empire have scored some significant policy victories in recent weeks. These include getting San Bernardino County as the first in California to declare racism a public health crisis, replicating these victories in several other cities in Southern California, and getting San Bernardino County to include equity as a standalone element in its Countywide Vision.

Continuing in that tradition, the Inland Empire Funders Alliance (IEFA) is proud to partner with the Black Equity Initiative of the Inland Empire in launching the Black Equity Fund—a regional pooled fund with a preliminary goal of raising $5 million over two years and updated thereafter to support long-term investments in Black-led organizations. The Black Equity Fund is being seeded with investments from The California Endowment and the Inland Empire Community Foundation, and has already garnered interest from several foundations and private donors.

The IE Black Equity Fund is the first known regional pooled fund on Black equity that brings together statewide, regional and local funders as well as private donors and corporate philanthropy, working in partnership with leaders of the Inland Empire Black Equity Initiative to advance their priority issues. 

An important innovation of the IE Black Equity Fund is to follow the guiding principles of theTrust-Based Philanthropy Project, which recognizes “the inherent power imbalance between foundations and nonprofits” and approaches grantee relationships “from a place of trust, humility and transparency.” Partners in the regional fund pledge to: 1) give multi-year, unrestricted funding; 2) center IE Black Equity Initiative leaders in decision-making; 3) simplify and streamline paperwork; 4) be transparent and responsive; and 5) offer support beyond the check by participating in peer learning with IE Black Equity Initiative leaders to improve Black equity in funders’ overall grantmaking practice.

Organizers of the Black Equity Fund—including the Inland Empire Funders Alliance, IE Black Equity Initiative, Inland Empire Community Foundation, and the Center for Social Innovation—noted the importance of seizing the moment, and doing so in a way that fundamentally alters power relationships in philanthropy and empowers Black community leaders as much as possible.

 “The Black Equity Fund is being developed through an iterative process based in equity whereby those most impacted and closest to the problems and conditions we need to change are driving the strategy and decision making process.  It’s in those lived experiences where generative and relevant solutions are birthed,” said Margarita Luna, Senior Program Manager at The California Endowment and vice-chair of the Inland Empire Funders Alliance.  

Dina Walker, President & CEO of BLU Educational Foundation noted another innovative aspect of the partnership: “The Black Equity Initiative is a collective impact model with a cultural lens centered on the principles of Kwanzaa,” she noted. “This includes self determination, collective work, and responsibility. It is from this foundation that we work together to create the vision, develop strategy. work the plan and ultimately reap the harvest. We trust and move forward together knowing that our success is intrinsically tied to the success of each other.  This is how we meet the needs and dreams of our community.”

Felicia Jones, Associate Director at Congregations United for Prophetic Engagement, noted that Black led organizations have a powerful track record for leading equity work in the Inland Empire. “Groups began to formally collaborate on issues of educational equity more than a decade ago, moving important reforms in school districts throughout the region,” she noted. “The collaborative, formerly known as the African American Education Collaborative and later renamed the IE Black Equity Initiative, continued to evolve from a group of 10 to now more than 20 Black led organizations and has expanded its collective work into criminal justice reform, higher education, and civic engagement.”

“There is going to be an intentional need for philanthropy to embrace this moment with us, heal with us, learn with us, and see this as a movement building opportunity,” said Pastor Samuel Casey, Executive Director of Congregations Organized for Prophetic Engagement. “We cannot have a short attention span when it comes to systemic solutions. We will need long-term, general operating support to ensure that the gains and wins that have been, and will be achieved, are sustained.” 

Michelle Decker, CEO of the Inland Empire Community Foundation and a co-investor in the Black Equity Fund, underscored the need for funders to repair the damage from decades of underinvestment in Black communities. “We need to come together in a manner that honors the expertise of Black-led organizations,” she noted, adding that “the economic and health challenges of COVID-19, as well as the collective trauma of the killing of Black lives, have shown us that the success of the region will rise or fall based on its progress on racial equity.”

Finally, the Center for Social Innovation led by Professor Karthick Ramakrishnan at UC Riverside is a strategic data partner to both the Black Equity Initiative and the Black Equity Fund. It will provide research support to help motivate, inform, and learn from philanthropic investments in Black-led organizations in the Inland Empire. “The Inland Empire is a center of innovation when it comes to advancing racial equity,” Ramakrishnan noted. “Our communities have come together in even more powerful ways after COVID-19 than they did previously, and we are grateful that our data and narrative work can help strengthen regional investments and support the leadership of Black equity organizations in the region.”

By Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media 

Draymond Green, 30, who has won three National Basketball Association (NBA) Championships with the San Francisco-based Golden State Warriors, is known to be an agitator on the court. 

Now, the three-time NBA All-Defensive First Team selection has mounted an attack off the hardwood in another arena: Politics. Green is speaking out, online and off, expressing his displeasure for Assembly Bill (AB) 1998, the “Dental Practice Act,” which is authored by Assemblymember Evan Low (D-Campbell). 

Low’s district covers parts of the South Bay and Silicon Valley. Home to a number of tech companies, the area is more than 50% White and under 3% African American. Latinos account for about 17%. 

Last week, Green fired off a series of tweets directed at AB 1998 and Low. He tagged the politician in them. 

The NBA player went on the defense after Low made an indirect reference to him in a published report. “No Californian deserves to be harmed by substandard, profit-hungry care, regardless of whether they’re an NBA champion,” the politician said. 

Green took Low’s comment as a flagrant foul — aggressive contact, in this case, coming from a politician against an opponent. 

Green shot back, telling Low his bill would hamper low-income communities’ access to dental products. 

“The only issue of profits here is you giving more to dentists, while, once again, underserved communities are shut out. Sounds like you’d prefer if I shut up and dribble @Evan_Low,” Green tweeted on July 10, the day Low’s comment surfaced in the media. 

AB 1998, the “Dental Practice Act,” if passed by the California Senate, would require dentists to conduct an in-person examination of their patients prior to approving a treatment plan for clear aligners or other orthodontics. 

The bill would also prohibit internet companies from offering direct-to-consumer products to Californians until legislation is passed that establishes parameters for how teleorthodontic companies may operate. 

Green’s political pushback against AB 1998 may be rooted in more than one stake the athlete has in teledentistry. Green has a financial investment in the SmileDirectClub (SDC), a global leader in the online dental care industry. He also shares personal stories of how affordable direct-mail dental products helped him fix his teeth and regain his confidence while he was growing up. 

SDC markets non-prescription straightening aligners at discounted costs to correct teeth-positioning problems. 

In September 2019, Forbes reported that Green started investing in SDC four years earlier in 2015 at a $150 million valuation. The financial publication also mentioned that Green could make 40 times more from his investment. 

SDC began trading publicly on Sept. 12, 2019, according to Forbes. 

On May 21, during a Business and Professions Committee hearing on AB 1998, Low opened up his presentation to the members of the committee with a salvo declaring that teledentistry and telehealth are “telecrap.” 

“This will disproportionately hurt communities of color; not everyone can go to health-care providers,” Low said. “The reality is that subpar treatment can do real harm, the risk is too high.” 

Green says he is standing up for disadvantaged African Americans who can’t afford to just drop into a dentist’s office to get x-rays and clearance before they can purchase dental products they need from companies like SDC. 

“Do you want them to tell them they’re not worthy of a good smile? They’re not worthy of confidence, employment opportunities, and so many other benefits, a good smile brings? @Evan_Low,” Green tweeted. 

If approved, AB 1998 would make it more difficult to access teledentistry services by requiring an in-person visit to a dentist. 

Two days before Green’s Twitter rant, he sent a two-page letter to several California politicians explaining the hardship he experienced trying to get affordable dental care. 

In it, the athlete said his mother struggled to pay $7,000 for the metal braces he wore between his eighth and 12th-grade years. He also wrote that he broke his retainers when arrived at Michigan University and couldn’t leave to fix them because of the strict demands of his basketball schedule. 

Because of “crooked teeth,” he wrote, smiling wasn’t a gesture of his for many years. 

“After 7 years of hiding my smile, I made a decision that I was going to finally fix my teeth again. Only this time I decided that I would try invisible aligners. I came across a tele-dentistry platform with licensed dentists by the name of SmileDirectClub,” Green stated in the letter. 

Green told recipients of his letter that the California State National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the California Black Chamber of Commerce are all opposed to AB 1998. 

In March, California State NAACP President Alice Huffman asked the legislature to knock down any bill that would create an obstacle to affordable dental care. 

Huffman said SDC’s teledentistry platform for clear aligner therapy treatments has helped more than 100,000 Californians, including African Americans. 

“Now, more than ever, the African American community needs as many options as possible to close the disparity gap for oral health care. African Americans and other people of color have the right to affordable, quality health care treatment,” Huffman said. 

In his letter, Green said because Assemblymember Low’s constituents are among the richest Californians, maybe he is unaware how his legislation might hurt poor Californians. 

“If there is something I’m missing as to why you would consider adopting a bill that would take away doctor discretion to subject a patient to radiation, that would also limit access and significantly increase the cost of dental care then let’s set up a call to discuss,” he offered. “This is California. We’re supposed to be leading on these issues. Instead, this bill is a step in the wrong direction.”

By Khalil Abdullah, Ethnic Media Services

If Willie Sutton were alive, he wouldn’t be robbing banks, more likely he’d be a scam artist, siphoning off a portion of the almost $70 million that Indiana consumers alone have reportedly lost to fraud even before the COVID-19 pandemic opened up a pandora’s box of new scam opportunities.

“At the Federal Trade Commission, we always say the fraudsters follow the headlines,” explained Todd Kossow, Director of the Midwest Region of the FTC. “They take advantage of the major news stories of the day and find new ways to access consumer’s personal financial information. The corona virus pandemic has been no exception to that.”

Kossow’s remarks were delivered at an on-line convening for ethnic media primarily covering Indianapolis and nearby regions. In addition to FTC staff, presenters included representatives from state and local agencies responsible for consumer protection, as well as from non-profits like the AARP, the Better Business Bureau, and others on the frontlines of battling scams and deceptive marketing practices.

“Scammers are like vampires who bleed their victims not just of money but of hope and self-respect,” said conference moderator Sandy Close, director of Ethnic Media Services. Close urged media participants “to shine a light on these activities through your media coverage and your community service.”

Susan Bolin, from the Better Business Bureau, concurred with the need for increased media coverage and involvement. While acknowledging active media participation in Fort Wayne and Evansville, “we still need more help. Just imagine the impact that we can have if every media outlet partnered with us.” Ultimately, Bollin said she wants to make Indianapolis a scam-free zone.

The goal is a daunting one.

Scams that have proliferated since the pandemic include large up-front money payments to companies claiming they can assist homeowners to renegotiate mortgage payments they missed because of COVID linked job layoffs; or scams that promise small businesses an inside track to securing federal paycheck protection funds to retain employees.

“So what are the main types of COVID-19 related scams that we’re seeing?” Kossow asked. “Scammers who are pitching so-called treatments and cures for COVID-19 without any proof that they work… The FTC has sent warning letters to nearly 250 companies making such claims.”

Presenters cited several “red flags” typically associated with scams: run out and buy a gift card to make a payment; a money wire transfer is required; an upfront payment is necessary before a prize can be claimed; authentication of your bank account number or verification of your Social Security number as mandatory in order to speed or complete the application or funding process.

Several speakers said that humiliation over being scammed often discourages victims from reporting what happened. There’s also a sense that trying to recover the money is a hopeless task. This is particularly true with gift card transactions. At least with payments made on credit cards, victims have a bank record to point to in filing a fraud claim. Moreover, victims have a self-interest in reporting scams, Andrew Johnson, Chief of Staff of the FTC’s Division of Consumer Affairs, emphasized

“Since July, 2018, In just a two-year period, the FTC mailed $23.6 million to almost 140,000 people in the state of Indiana, which is pretty remarkable,” Johnson said. “Generally, when the FTC settles or wins a case, and we get money that we can return back to consumers, one of the main ways we determine who to send money to, is we look back at our database of who reported to us.”

One net result of the pandemic’s advent is a decrease in face-to-face counseling that would encourage reporting to the FTC.

Cheryl Koch-Martinez, who works at Indiana Legal Services, said her organization assists low-income residents in understanding their financial options and advising them on consumer fraud cases. Given the imperative for social-distancing, “face-to-face communication is just not there,” she said. Telephone and e-mail are inefficient substitutes for the sensitive conversations that need to occur.

Reverend David Green, Senior Pastor, Purpose of Life Ministry, shared the experience of a maintenance engineer at his church. Originally from El Salvador,

he immigrated to the United States 20 years ago and obtained citizenship. He sent $1,000 to purchase a trailer in Kentucky and then sought to make arrangements with the sellers to personally pick it up. “They said, ‘no,’” Green reported. “They said they needed to deliver it and that if he would go to PayPal and send $600 for the insurance on the delivery of the trailer, that when the trailer got delivered, he would get the $600 back.”

In this case, Reverend Green encouraged his church’s employee to file a report with the FTC and the Better Business Bureau after the seller would answer phone calls but promptly hang up.

Several speakers highlighted the debilitating effects of scams that prey on people’s loneliness. While romance scams come readily to mind, scammers also have used a victim to become unwitting money mules, someone who moves money to a third-party. The use of third parties makes the origin and movement of financial transactions more difficult for authorities to trace.

Such was the case Assistant U.S. Attorney MaryAnn Mindrum described of an elderly woman who was told she’d won the lottery and had to pay fees before she could secure her winnings. She did not win the lottery, lost a substantial amount in so-called fees, “but,” Mindrum explained, “she talked to the scammer for two years!” Mindrum said her office stepped in to end the relationship, extradited the scammer to the U.S. and successfully prosecuted him. The woman was not charged.

By Lou Yeboah

Prophecy is being fulfilled right in front of our eyes! Wake up! Wake up from your slumber! Be alert! Be discerning! Watch and Pray! Pray in order that you may have strength to escape the things that are about to take place. Live in the light of Christ coming. Do this, knowing that your salvation is nearer than when you first believed.  [1 Peter 4:7]. For indeed the “fig tree” is putting forth “buds!” I tell you, you best wake up, and wake up now! Because the end to all things is approaching, says the Lord. “Prepare for a time of trouble. Seek Me while I may be found. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts… “[Isaiah 55:6-7]. Be clear-minded, and understand what time it is!

I want you to know that world situations are preparations for events leading to Christ’s return. One event, the return of Israel to their land which God promised to them many times in the book of Genesis.  This prophecy was fulfilled. Another world event, the rise of Russia to a place of international power and importance. This prophecy is being fulfilled. And yet, another the important developments and mind-boggling events is the development of a one-world government. I tell you, you best wake up and wake up now!  These and multitudes of other prophetic fulfillment are among the strongest proofs of the accuracy, truthfulness and inspiration of the Bible. It is imperative that you make sure you are ready to meet your Maker, The closer we draw to the second coming of Christ, the more urgent it is that we awake out of spiritual sleep! If ever there was a time to pay attention and get prepared, it is now! Wake up! Be discerning! Know what time of day it is! As Paul admonishes us in Ephesians 5:16? If we do not use this period of grace that we have been given by God with the correct focus, we might be blown away like so much chaff.

I tell you, prophecy is being fulfilled right before our eyes, and it pains God to know that the suffering is about to get much, much worse. It grieves Him to consider the diseases and other horrors soon to be visited upon Earth. But it is all part of His plan to teach man the absolute necessity of obeying His law. And scripture after scripture shows that God’s plan will succeed! I tell you, you best wake up, and wake now!

“Hearken, O ye nations of the earth, and hear the words of that God who made you. … “How often have I called upon you by the mouth of my servants, and by the ministering of angels, and by mine own voice, and by the voice of thundering, and by the voice of lightnings, and by the voice of tempests, and by the voice of earthquakes, and great hailstorms, and by the voice of famines and diseases of every kind, … and would have saved you with an everlasting salvation, but ye would not!”

Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near,” [Revelation 1:3, see also 22:7].

END TIME SIGNS … [Daniel 12:4; Zechariah 12:3; Matthew 13:25-30; Matthew 24:6-14,24; Luke 21:25-26;

1 Thessalonians 5:3; 1Timothy 4:3-4; 2 Timothy 3:1-52Timothy 4:4; 2 Peter 2:1-3; 2 Peter 3:3-6].

INLAND EMPIRE, CA—- Riverside Arts Council, Arts Connection – the Arts Council of San Bernardino County, and Music Changing Lives are excited to announce they have formed a regional arts collaborative, Arts for I.E., with the purpose of bridging arts advocacy, empowerment, and access across the Inland region. 

In 2019, Josiah Bruny, CEO of Music Changing Lives, spearheaded the vision of One Inland Empire, a collective of organizations who together would solve pressing issues across Riverside and San Bernardino counties. When COVID-19 began threatening community access to the arts, demanding immediate virtual adaptations, forcing closures and cancelations of events, reducing staff and resources, he realized the need to unite and advocate for the arts was even more pressing than ever before.

Josiah brainstormed creative strategies with Jennifer Kane, Executive Director of Arts Connection, the Arts Council of San Bernardino County and Patrick Brien, Executive Director of Riverside Arts Council to bring more visibility, resources and partnerships to the IE arts community. Online convenings were the first step, but the group felt more was needed. All three leaders felt a regional approach would be greatly beneficial for the Inland Empire and together the idea of Arts for I.E. was born.

“The arts in the inland region have too often been underrepresented,” said Patrick Brien of the Riverside Arts Council. “We have had collective voices in Riverside County and in San Bernardino County, but never a collective voice that brings the two counties together. With the partnerships we have and that we are continuing to build, this is an exciting time.”

Arts for I.E. is committed the following four initiatives:

1. Advocating for the arts locally and statewide as one voice for the Inland Empire, bringing together businesses, organizations, elected officials, and artists at monthly convenings.
2. Increasing access to the arts for vulnerable and underrepresented populations within the Inland Empire through individual and organizational development and mentorship opportunities.
3. Establishing an art fund to serve diverse arts organizations across the region.
4. Creating an online community engagement forum for IE artists and arts organizations to share resources, programs and services, events and ideas to establish deeper connections within the arts.

“For the first time in history we’ve created a platform for artists and arts organizations across Riverside and San Bernardino Counties, to have a voice and the opportunity to be trained and paired with mentors to fast track their efforts to create immediate change and endless opportunities. Which is needed now more than ever for diversity to become achievable, and sustainable,” stated Josiah Bruny.

The Arts for I.E. collaborative is already making headway in the region and has a total of twenty-nine partner organizations on board, with more outreach taking place for artists and arts organizations to join. 

If you would like to join the Arts for I.E. collaborative or would like more information, please contact ArtsforIE@gmail.com.

By Quinci LeGardye 

Gov. Newsom says he wants to help small businesses. Combined, they are a major economic engine in the state. He wants them to get online quicker and expand their markets to reach new customers in cyberspace. This is as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to hammer their bottom lines and change the way we shop. 

To that end, the governor declared July 2020 “California for All Small Business Month” in a proclamation issued July 8. 

“With local businesses across the state working to meet unprecedented challenges during the COVID-19 crisis, California for All Small Business Month is an important time to recognize their essential contributions to our state, and each do our part to help California’s diverse small businesses recover and thrive,” reads the proclamation. 

African American business owners and advocates across the state are optimistic. The much-needed assistance Gov. Newsom has announced in a time of crisis, they say, will enable them to remain competitive in a rapidly changing global marketplace. 

“95% of the world customers are outside of the United States. As small businesses learn to pivot as a result of the Covid pandemic, it is imperative that they have the online presence and access to capital to reach those potential clients,” said Gene Hale, president of the Greater Los Angeles African American Chamber of Commerce (GLAAACC). “ Supporting local businesses will help stimulate those communities and invigorate job growth.” 

The Small Business Month proclamation coincided with the start of “Calling All Californians: #ShopSafeShopLocal,” a new campaign the governor’s office is leading. 

The #ShopSafeShopLocal campaign encourages shoppers in California to help small businesses operate safely during the pandemic. It also provides small business owners with resources to help them improve their online presence, including free website development and digital marketing. 

The Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development has partnered with leading tech companies in the state, including Google, eBay, Square and Yelp, to provide services to small businesses, including free online advertising, free websites, and COVID-19 relief. They will also connect California businesses with under 750 employees to shipping companies that can help them set up e-commerce deliveries. 

“Local has taken on a new meaning and California’s beloved small businesses need our help now more than ever,” said Isabel Guzman, co-chair of the Small Business Subcommittee and Director of the state’s Office of the Small Business Advocate, in an OpEd she co-authored with Sarah Friar, who is co-chair of the Small Business Subcommittee and CEO of San Francisco-based Nextdoor. The Press Enterprise, a Riverside County media outlet, published their statement. 

Nextdoor is a San Francisco-based company that provides a hyper-local social networking platform to connect people with each other and to businesses and resources in their community. 

“Supporting nearby stores, business owners, and local employees, as they modify operations to slow the spread of COVID-19, is an essential commitment to our community,” Guzman and Friar wrote. 

In addition to resources from business partners, the campaign’s website includes links to state and county industry guidance, free business consulting, and the California Manufacturers and Technology Association’s personal protective equipment (PPE) marketplace. The online portal links California businesses with COVID-19 safety equipment. 

“California’s small businesses are adapting to the new marketplace, integrating technology at higher rates than ever, developing creative ways to connect with clients digitally and repurposing to serve their communities with innovations that meet the moment,” said Gov. Newsom. “California remains committed to helping all of our diverse small businesses become more resilient and thrive.” 

There are nearly 4 million small businesses in California. In good times, they make up over 99% of all businesses in the state and employ nearly half of the state’s workforce — over 7.1 million people, according to U.S Small Business Administration’s 2018 numbers. 

Before the pandemic, across the United States, African-American and Latino women-owned businesses were experiencing the fastest growth, according to 2012 U.S. Census Bureau data. 

But COVID-19 is presenting new financial and operational challenges, especially for businesses owned by African Americans and other ethnic minorities in California. 

“According to the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research, in the last 4 months, there has been a 15 percent drop of active business owners across the nation,” Guzman and Friar shared. “That decrease is nearly double for Black-owned and operated businesses at 26%, and at 19% for Latino, 21% Asian, and 25% immigrant. 

The governor also emphasized the importance of maintaining social distancing protocols while shopping. 

“Critically, amid the ongoing emergency, we must all do our part to keep small business employees, owners, and others safe by wearing face coverings when we go out, practicing safe shopping and following public health protocols.”

By Lou Yeboah

I’ll tell you how…. We can honor their memory by remembering and rediscovering the “Faith” that allowed them to survive. The Faith, that enabled our forefathers to endure trials and hardships that we can only imagine. The Faith, that inspired leaders to respond courageously to the problems of our people. We can build on the legacy they have left us by carefully following the One they followed – Jesus. For we have an extraordinarily rich spiritual heritage and there is victory in our bloodline. We belong to the family of God, and being engrafted into His family means that we are over-comers through the Blood of Jesus; the Blood of the Lamb, the Conquering Weapon. Without remembering the past we have no future, and present comes meaningless. Don’t forget to remember!

You see, the Bible commands believers to “Remember the days of old” and what took place in previous generations, so that it might inform our current realities [Deuteronomy 32:7]. This generation and future generations need to understand what God has done in previous generations to deliver His people from darkness and bring them into the light. How did the slaves endure, overcome, and find hope while being in physical bondage for over 200 years? They learned the story of Israel having been delivered from Egyptian slavery. They heard sermons based on the story. They originated songs based on the story. Don’t forget to remember – BLACK HISTORY!

Understand this truth…. God has chosen us for Greatness…. And there’s nobody, there’s nothing, and there is no circumstance, under the Sun that can keep God from doing exactly what He wants in us for His Glory! We have victory through Jesus Christ, the Risen Savior who lives and Reigns in our heart…. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” So, if God be for us, who can defeat us? If God be for us, who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen?  If God be for us, is there anything that we can’t do? I hear our ancestors answering, “No!” I hear the civil right marchers, answering, “No!” Because Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The same Jesus who heard the songs of the slaves and the chants of the civil rights marchers will hear the prayers of those who now cry out for justice throughout our country.

Therefore, let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the pioneer and perfecta of our Faith. For it wasn’t by power nor by might, but by the Spirit of God—the wisdom, authority, power, and presence of the Most High God—that freedom, equality, and justice was and will be.   Let us learn from the stories of the great cloud of witnesses.  “Though beaten, they were not beaten down by life because they looked to Christ. Though enslaved physically, they were not enslaved spiritually because they were free in Christ. For a people in bondage for 400 years— it is a sustaining and comforting reminder to know that God has not forgotten. “He has seen!” our afflictions, and heard our cries: every tear shed was preserved, and every groan uttered was being recorded, in order to testify at a future day, against the authors of the oppressors.”

Oh, what an amazing future it is! Living moment by moment looking back with thankfulness on all that God has done for us, and looking forward at all God promises to do for us because of Christ. For empowered by God as they were, we can continue their work and likewise pass down legacies of strength, perseverance, faith, and victory to future generations. [Psalm145:41].

As it is written: “For our sake [they] were killed all day long; [they] were accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” Yet in ALL THESE THINGS [they] were MORE than CONQUERORS through Him who loved us. They were persuaded that neither death nor Life, nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers, nor things Present nor things to come, nor Height nor Depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate them from the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. [Romans 8:35-39].

Surely, We Shall Overcome!

Thanksgiving toward the Past, Faith toward the Future!

Broadband should always be free to students

By Dr. Caprice Young | Learn4Life

In the 1920s, radio was an essential communications device — and it was free. In the 1950s, television became an important means of communication — and it was free. Here we are now in 2020 and there’s a big question: Why isn’t internet free when we need it to educate our children? It’s time for the Federal Communications Commission to step in. Broadband should always be free to students.

Students who don’t have broadband access are severely disadvantaged. The next 18 months will likely require sporadic sheltering in place and remote learning solutions. Schools, parents and communities are struggling to pay for a few months of internet access, but we need to recognize that learning must take place at school and online at home … forever.

That means every student should have access to broadband anywhere, anytime — to level the playing field and help close the achievement gap. Academic success means the ability of students to do homework and to explore the world online.

When schools closed, for example, Learn4Life quickly distributed thousands of laptops to our students. These days, laptops are under $200 — less than the cost of textbooks for one semester of high school. So, the return on investment is easy to justify, but the big issue is the lack of internet access.

In the schools I lead, 85 percent of our 23,000 at-risk students don’t have internet access at home. This is more than a significant competitive disadvantage. Their families don’t have access to the basic lifesaving information we access through the internet on a regular basis, such as public data about COVID-19 and where to get tested, solutions for how to create your own masks, and community resources for food, medical care and shelter. Basic civic and economic information anyone needs to function in the modern world isn’t part of their world. They don’t have access to news, candidate information, free job training or online employment applications. Families without internet access are shut out.

Most families do have access to a smartphone of some sort, and it is a vital lifeline. Low-income parents will often pay for their phones before they pay for rent, or sometimes even food. This makes sense because cell phones connect them to jobs, church and family. I even witnessed a teen selling his sneakers to get cash to add minutes and data to his cell phone. Being connected isn’t a luxury. It is a necessity.

Some of our students were writing their papers on smartphones before we put laptops into their hands. They made do, but cell phones don’t always have the unlimited data needed for online education. Video chats with teachers, group collaboration, YouTube and Vimeo downloads, document sharing, e-books and online research all require significant broadband access. Full-time school online requires much more than two gigabytes of data downloads per month.

Learn4Life is struggling to find the 19,000 hotspots we need—and the telecom companies are charging us for devices that used to be free. Prior to COVID-19, my telecommunication providers would give me a hotspot to access WiFi if I signed up for a year-long $10 per month WiFi contract. Now, WiFi hotspots are hard to find. The advertised two months of free WiFi requires a year-long contract at $35 per month, making WiFi more expensive than laptops. Getting broadband consumes resources needed for teachers, counseling, academic intervention and eventually, school cleanliness and nurses.

When we return after stay at home orders end, we likely will have a year of sporadic remote learning requirements when outbreaks must be addressed. But the plain truth is that our modern lives require ubiquitous WiFi, like clean air and water, shelter and basic nutrition, and students should not be penalized based on their parents’ ability to pay. It is time that we recognize that students of all economic backgrounds need to be connected.

FCC requirements to support public access to telecommunications has long been part of national policy. Radio and television were supported by advertising, but public access to cable broadcasting was an active part of the last century. Just in the last decade, eRate became a vital program that enabled every school in the country to get connected to the internet. Policymakers knew that the proper functioning of our schools demanded this basic infrastructure. The COVID-19 crisis has done a simple favor in forcing us to recognize that student learning outside of the classroom is just as important as inside. Eliminating this necessary barrier to 21st century learning is a practical and simple way to help reduce inequity in our education system and build success in all students.

Broadband should be free for students always.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA—- Congratulations to class of 2020 Social Lites Beautillion Knights who will be celebrated virtually due to COVID-19 on Saturday, July 25, 2020.  We are so proud of these distinguished young men.  A bright future awaits them!

The Beautillion Program was started in the Inland Empire out of concern for the future and survival of the young black men in the community in which they live and serve.  High school seniors who participate in the program are known as Knights.  This program is designed to help young men who are seniors in high school prepare for college through the solicitation of ads, leadership development, accountability, responsibility, etiquette, attire for all occasions, spiritual growth, public speaking, and community service.   The all-around Knight will be identified as Sir Knight on July 25, 2020 along with other awards for academics and other achievements.  

For more information, please telephone chairperson, Mrs. Tina Darling at tribicu2@msn.com or Ms. Lisa Blacksher-Owens, President at lisasocialities@gmail.com or Mrs. Bettye Brewster, Business Manager,bettyebrewster@yahoo.

“How Full Is My Train” Gives Riders More Comfort for Safe Return to Public Transportation 

LOS ANGELES – Metrolink, Southern California’s passenger rail service, today launches an online tool called “How Full Is My Train?”. The tool allows riders to check recent ridership levels of a train they plan to ride and confirm they will have the ability to maintain safe distances on board trains. 

Metrolink’s goal is to keep ridership at or below 30 percent of the available seats per rail car to allow for up to six feet of social distance between riders. Ridership is closely monitored on all trains so when one has consistently reached 30% ridership, Metrolink can add a passenger car or additional train service, as possible, to allow for social distancing. 

“How Full is My Train?” users will be able to view average train ridership before boarding. If their travel plans are flexible, they may choose to take a train that usually has fewer people on it. In many cases, riders will be able to simply move to other cars if one car appears crowded.

“We know that safety is top of mind with our customers,” said Metrolink Board Chair Brian Humphrey. “Safety is foundational at Metrolink – and a shared responsibility.  Riders are required to wear face coverings while on our platforms and on board our trains. This tool empowers the rider to practice social distancing.” 

Metrolink’s recent Customer Survey, found that social distancing and cleanliness are among the top concerns of riders. Close to 81% of survey respondents indicated they would ride with Metrolink again, with 29% planning to return as soon as the stay-at-home measures are lifted. The survey also revealed that popular amenities like electrical outlets and Wi-Fi are now taking backseat to riders’ desire for hand sanitizers on every rail car.
Safety First at Metrolink
Since March, Metrolink has significantly enhanced cleaning and other safety protocols to keep riders safe. These include:

• Enhancing cleaning protocols, which include wiping down regularly touched surfaces such as doors, restrooms, head rests, armrests, handrails, tables and trash areas using disinfecting products, as well as the daily use of electrostatic sprayers that mist hospital-grade disinfectant on all areas of train cars – especially helpful for hidden and hard-to-reach locations.

• Introducing a new Clean Care Crew dedicated to cleaning and disinfecting trains throughout the day.

• Installing hand sanitizer stations on each train car, and ensuring they are filled more often.

• Requiring face masks and coverings for anyone on board Metrolink trains and on Metrolink platforms and providing conductors with a limited supply of face masks for riders who have forgotten their face covering.

Continuing to reiterate guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and other health authorities on ways to keep themselves and others safe through personal hygiene and social distancing.
For more information about Metrolink, please visit metrolinktrains.com.