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By Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media

The California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) was established in 1967 when African American members of the California Legislature, under the leadership of former State Sen. Mervyn Dymally, came together to address issues faced by Black Californians.

The origins of the CLBC date back to 1918 when Frederick M. Roberts was elected to the California State Assembly. Roberts was the first African American to serve in the California State Legislature. In those early years, legislative efforts focused on abolishing laws and policies that restricted African Americans from fully exercising their civil, social and political rights.

Among these initiatives was a bill authored by Roberts in 1921 that prohibited the publication of education materials that portrayed negative images of people of color. Roberts also authored landmark civil rights legislation in 1919 and 1923, guaranteeing African Americans access to public accommodations.

During the 1960s, members believed that a caucus representing concerns of the African American community would provide political influence and visibility far beyond their numbers.

Today, the CLBC consists of 12 members.

Throughout its history, the CLBC and African American members of the legislature have been instrumental in crafting and supporting legislation that fosters racial and gender equality as well as advancing an agenda that assures quality health care for all, focuses on employment and economic security, and advocates for justice for all Californians.

During the 2024 legislative session, the CLBC hopes to secure funding

for critical programs and organizations working to improve the lives of Black Californians.

In addition, the CLBC will continue to support programs that encourage academic excellence. Two examples are the caucus’s Frederick M. Roberts college scholarship program, which provides scholarships to college-bound students, and the African American Leaders For Tomorrow program, a training institute for high school aged students.

California Black Media spoke with Assemblymember Lori D. Wilson (D-Suisun City), chair of the CLBC, about the organization’s priorities, challenges and plans for the next legislative session.

What does your organization do to improve the lives of Black people in California?

The 12 members of the California Legislative Black Caucus collaboratively develop and advocate for policies addressing economic justice, education, healthcare, criminal justice reform, and other issues impacting Black Californians. In 2024, the Caucus is prioritizing a reparations legislative package in response to the historic two-year Reparations study and report.

What was your greatest success over the course of the last year?

In 2023, the Caucus achieved legislative success by securing significant investments for institutions and programs supporting Black lives and advancing justice totaling more than $320 million dollars. Additionally, we introduced 10 legislative priorities, with three chartered into law.

Our nonprofit arm raised close to $3 million, funding our signature events and programs, like our annual Frederick Roberts college scholarship program, which supported 150 students this year with $3,500 awards, and our annual African American Leaders for Tomorrow program at California State Dominguez Hills.

CBM: In your view, what is the biggest challenge Black Californians face?

Housing, education, public safety and equity across the board remain the most significant challenges.

What was your organization’s biggest challenge?

Despite our best efforts to pool resources and collaborate with strategic partners, the ongoing challenge is the insufficient funding to address the breadth of issues faced by Black communities.

Does your organization support or plan to get involved in the push for reparations in California?

Absolutely. We are actively preparing for the 2024 legislative fight for reparations. Two of our caucus’s seasoned legislators, Sen. Bradford and Assemblymember Jones-Sawyer, served on the reparations task

force. From the two-year study, we have created a framework to achieve legislative and budget wins as well as to work collaboratively with strategic partners up and down the state.

How can more Californians of all backgrounds get involved in the work you’re doing?

We encourage all Californians to support Black legislators and join the movement to advocate for a better California for all, ensuring fair, just, and equitable representation. Participation is crucial for creating positive and transformational change in California.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— This holiday season, San Bernardino has announced the launch of “Shop Local SB,” an exciting program that puts the spotlight on the City’s local businesses. As part of the program, residents and visitors are invited to support local commerce and win prizes through two different “Shop Local SB” promotions.

“Discovering the unique businesses in our City is exciting and serves as a reminder as to what makes San Bernardino special,” said Amanda Hernandez, San Bernardino Economic Development Manager. “In addition, shopping locally contributes to the prosperity of the City by supporting local jobs and business owners, creating a positive multiplier effect throughout the entire community.”

Approximately 50 local businesses are already participating in the program, including: The Factorie, Knight Skate, Guadalajara Furniture, Tacos Don Ramon, Revival Arcade, and Invictus Barber Company.

The current “Shop Local SB” promotions include a social media contest and a drawing for participants who shop locally between now and the end of the year. Prizes for both contests are being supplied by the participating businesses.

Shop Local SB Contest Rules:

1. Spend a minimum of $25 at a participating San Bernardino business by December 31, 2023.
2. Eligible submissions receive a free gift bag (while supplies last), notified via email.
3. Submit receipts via the online form dated through December 31, 2023.
4. One submission per household, with a City of San Bernardino address.
5. Prizes generously provided by participating local businesses.

Shop Local SB Social Media Contest Rules:

1. Post a picture on Instagram with a participating local business.
2. Submit a screenshot of the post via the online form by December 31, 2023.
3. Follow and tag the Economic Development Department’s Instagram (@sbcityced).
4. Include the hashtag #ShopLocalSB in your post.
5. One entry allowed per Instagram handle account, with a chance to win an exclusive prize.

Winners will be randomly selected from qualified submissions on Wednesday, January 10, 2024,

To learn more about the program, to see the list of participating businesses, or to submit an entry, please visit the City of San Bernardino’s Shop Local SB website.

For San Bernardino businesses wanting to participate in this or future promotions, contact Joanna Gavilanes at Gavilanes_Jo@sbcity.org or (909) 384-7272 extension 3513. There is no cost to participate.

By Maxim Elramsisy | California Black Media

When Los Angeles hosted its annual car show a little over a month ago at the LA Convention Center, it not only showcased the latest in automotive technology, but the event also transformed into a policy forum on clean energy, previewing what lies ahead for California’s electric vehicle (EV) future.

Battery-powered cars took center stage. They accounted for the majority of the over 1000 vehicles on display, ranging from cars and trucks to motorcycles, recreational vehicles, and semi-trucks.

For Black and other minority advocates in attendance, several concerns emerged. Among them were the impact of the transition to zero emissions vehicles (ZEVs) on Black Californians and how the state will equip low-income neighborhoods with the infrastructure needed when California bans the sale of all gas-powered vehicles in 2035.

“It’s not enough to build the infrastructure in low-income neighborhoods, the people in those neighborhoods need to have access to the jobs installing and maintaining that infrastructure,” said Charles Dorsey of The Dorsey Group, a Black-owned-and-operated Long Beach-based consulting firm.

Speaking on the sidelines of the car show in a meeting room tucked away from showgoers, Dorsey engaged in a lively policy discussion about California’s clean energy future.

“My hope is that this is also an opportunity for us to make a decision to do business with small and growing businesses, understanding that you’re going to have to work with them, so they can get to the same place; and that can be a metric for [success],” Dorsey said. “How many small businesses did we rock with until they became medium businesses because of the contracts that we are intentionally delivering there?”

With an average price of around $58,000 per vehicle, affordability is a significant hurdle for potential EV buyers despite a federal tax credit of

$7,500. Concerns about the availability and access to charging stations — often referred to as range anxiety – may also impede adoption, especially in underserved markets where electric infrastructure is less available or apparent.

Advocates for equity say they are hopeful that there will be opportunities for Blacks and others to participate in the clean car value chain.

Plans to build charging stations and related infrastructure to support electric cars are creating new industries and opportunities for labor and manufacturing in the Golden State, they say, and positioning California as a leader in the EV market.

Los Angeles County has the highest number of chargers and EV registrations in the state, and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) is actively collaborating with businesses and residents to try to bring electrification infrastructure to areas across the region.

In another conference room at the auto show, the LADWP and the California Electric Transportation Coalition discussed their progress and shortcomings.

“We’ve been meeting with faith and community leaders about and listening to their feedback and needs. At the LA Department of Water and Power, we feel that we have resources and experts to do anything,” said LADWP representative Emil Abdelshehid, after acknowledging the need for substantial growth.

“The Leaders that came to us and talked about how there are no electric vehicle charging infrastructure in their neighborhoods,” Abdelshehid said. “[They asked] what can we do to get that infrastructure into those neighborhoods because a lot of these locations in the city of Los Angeles have space.”

Currently, there are federal incentives for domestic manufacturing and purchasing of domestically manufactured EVs.

With EVs now being more than a quarter of all cars sold in California, policymakers, advocates and industry experts agree that the California automotive economy will be a significant driver of economic transition to zero emission vehicles (ZEVs).

The federal Inflation Reduction Act, which was enacted in 2022, uses tax credits to incentivize EV manufacturers to begin building an end-to- end domestic pipeline so that their vehicles will qualify for the tax credit available to buyers.

Those incentives to spur domestic manufacturing appear to be working.

In just one year since the bill passed, areas not normally associated with the auto industry are getting involved in the production of batteries and the assembly of vehicles as domestic production ramps up. Billions of dollars of investments are creating green industry jobs across the country.

“These incentives complement investments from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and other federal initiatives that are spurring the domestic manufacturing of EVs and batteries and the development of a national EV charging network that provides access to low income and disadvantaged communities,” said a statement from the Whitehouse.

Demand for EVs in California is driving much of the ZEV market. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) estimates that California ZEV sales are 34% of all national clean car sales.

Gov. Gavin Newsom has taken several steps that signal strong support for the state’s full transition to EVs, which include continuing to develop electrification infrastructure. California currently has 93,855 public and shared private electric vehicle chargers, but equity of access remains a concern.

“It’s important that we look at jobs in targeted low-income communities– everything from the innovation and design to manufacturing, production, assembly, construction, installation of these assets. All of those have job components,” said Larry Rillera of the California Energy Commission, speaking during a panel discussion at the car show.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— The City of San Bernardino has released an executive summary of a recently completed personnel investigation into a complaint filed by a city employee against City Council member Kimberly Calvin under the City’s personnel rules and policies.

On Wednesday, December 6, the San Bernardino City Council voted 5-0 in closed session, with Council members Ben Reynoso and Kimberly Calvin absent, to release the executive summary.

The investigation was conducted by an outside firm, JL Group, LLC. A copy of the executive summary can be viewed here.

Additional inquiries should be made to the San Bernardino City Attorney‘s Office at (909) 384-5355 or Attorney@SBCity.org

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— Omnitrans introduced mobile fare validators onboard all its fixed route buses this month in order to make boarding more convenient and efficient.

“Omnitrans is committed to innovative mobility solutions,” said Erin Rogers, CEO/General Manager. “The new validators are the next step in enhancing customers’ onboard experience.”

Funded by a Federal Transit Administration grant, the validators allow customers to simply “scan and go,” rather than waiting for visual validation from their driver. Omnitrans mobile fares can be purchased via the Transit or Token Transit apps; wi-fi is not needed to activate a pass.

In addition to convenience, the validators reduce close personal contact time and handling of cash. As technology continues to progress, Omnitrans plans to utilize validators to record fares for its ID based student programs, Free Fares for School and GoSmart.

For more information on validators and an introductory video, please visit https://omnitrans.org/validators/. To learn more about Omnitrans routes and services, please visit www.omnitrans.org

SAN BERNARDINO, CA—- The City of San Bernardino is pleased to announce that Mayor Helen Tran and her family have welcomed a beautiful baby boy into the world on Christmas Day, bringing an extra dose of holiday happiness into their household. The child is the fourth for Tran and her husband Kong.

“On behalf of the City Council, the entire staff, and the residents of San Bernardino, we offer our heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to Mayor Tran and Kong on the new addition to their family,” said City Manager Charles Montoya. “I can’t think of a better Christmas present than a healthy baby.”

Tran, who was sworn into office one year ago, was still in the office working as late as Thursday, December 21.

While the Mayor and her family are thankful for the outpouring of support from the community over the past few months, they kindly request privacy as they celebrate these precious early moments with their newborn son.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA—- The City of San Bernardino has opened a new, half-mile section of State Street between 16th Street and Baseline Street, improving mobility in the west side of the City. The $7.4 million extension includes four lanes of divided road, as well as new medians, sidewalks, streetlights, and storm drains.

The street was opened to traffic at 12:00 pm on Friday, December 15.

“The completion of the State Street extension marks a significant milestone in the City’s ongoing efforts to improve connectivity, accessibility, and the quality of life for our residents,” said City Manager Charles Montoya.

The State Street extension is located just south of the 210 Freeway and parallels the Lytle Creek Basin. The new street improves access to the freeway, decreases cut through traffic in neighborhoods, and provides better access for residents to Arroyo Valley High School and Anne Shirrells Park.

“For over 20 years, this project has been a priority for San Bernardino residents on the West Side,” added Montoya. “We are thrilled to complete this project and see that vision become a reality. It looks beautiful.”

The $7.4 million project was approved by the City Council in August 2022 using Regional Circulation System funds. Work on the project by contractor Riverside Construction Company began in October 2022.

In the coming months, San Bernardino Public Works will add irrigation and landscaping to beautify the roadway. Plans are also underway to build a median between 16th Street and Hanford Street.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— The Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation along with the San Manuel Mission Band of Indians joined the City of San Bernardino on December 14 for a groundbreaking ceremony to kick off construction of three new Dodger Dreamfields at the City’s Blair Park. Also in attendance were Dodger outfielder Jonny Deluca and third base coach Dino Ebel.

The fields at Blair Park represent the 61st, 62nd, and 63rd baseball and softball fields built or refurbished by the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation since 2003.

“Everyone deserves a space to play,” said Nicole Whiteman, CEO of the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation. “We couldn’t be more thrilled to bring this vital resource to San Bernardino, a city with such great history.”

The $1.7 million investment will support youth baseball and softball with three refurbished fields at Blair Park. Refurbishments will include new playing surfaces and grass, enclosed fields, upgraded dugouts, upgraded irrigation systems, new pitching mounds, bullpens and LED scoreboards resembling Dodger Stadium. The project is expected to be completed by June 2024.

“This investment is not merely about refurbishing fields. It is about investing in our future,” said San Bernardino Mayor Helen Tran. “Much like Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels learned to play football on the fields of San Bernardino, tomorrow’s Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, and Shohei Ohtani can get their start on the fields we will be improving.”

Dodgers third base coach Dino Ebel, who attended San Bernardino Valley College and coached the San Bernardino Spirit minor league team, was happy to be back in San Bernardino. “This is a dream come true for the neighborhood and especially the kids,” Ebel said. “I am so excited to be a part of this.”

The project was made possible by a nearly $1.3 million grant from lead partner, the San Manuel Mission Band of Indians. This is the largest gift for a Dodgers Dreamfield project to date. Additional project sponsors include Security Benefit, LA84 Foundation and the Helen and Will Webster Foundation.

PASADENA, CA— Assemblymember Chris Holden hosted his Annual Shoe Drive with key community partner, Shoes That Fit, to provide new athletic shoes to school aged children in need. The shoe drive took place at his District Office on December 13, 2023, from 6-8pm and featured the La Cañada High School string quartet, light refreshments including delicious pastries from Vrej, the 41st District Small Business of The Year recipient, and updates on legislative successes and goals for the upcoming session.

“A good reliable pair of shoes can take you far in life and each year we get to show kids just how much this community cares about them and their fundamental well-being,” said Assemblymember Chris Holden. “It is always a pleasure to come together with Shoes That Fit and ensure that when our kids step out into the world that they are able to put their best foot forward.”

Shoes That Fit, based in Claremont California, has raised over 2.3 million pairs of new shoes to date to help school aged children and young adults build their confidence and self-esteem. Over the years, thanks to participation from the community, Assemblymember Holden’s shoe drive has collected over 1,000 pairs of shoes for Shoes That Fit.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— Ephesians New Testament Church will host “2 Days of Refreshment and Renewal” from Wednesday, December 27, 2023, and Thursday, December 28, 2023, at 7:00 p.m. nightly. There will be great preaching, music, and praise. The revival will be held at Ephesians New Testament Worship Center located at 9161 Sierra Avenue, Suite #110, Fontana, California.

The Speaker will be Dr. Raymond W. Turner of Temple Missionary Baptist Church in San Bernardino, California.

Come be blessed and get ready for the New Year! For additional information please contact Ephesians New Testament Church office (909) 823-2310.