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By Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media

Last week, Assemblymember Tina McKinnor (D-Inglewood) joined a diverse panel of women legislators at the “Women in California’s Legislature: 2023 Speaker Series on California’s Future” luncheon to discuss the essential roles they play in shaping governmental policies benefiting Californians.

The event was hosted by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) at the Sheraton Grand Hotel in Sacramento.

This year’s class of legislators includes the largest number of women in state history– 18 senators and 32 assemblymembers. Joining McKinnor on the panel by were state Senators Janet Nguyen (R-Garden Grove) and Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley), and Assemblymember Liz Ortega (D-San Leandro).

McKinnor said she made the decision to get into politics after seeing the video of police officers beating motorist Rodney King in Los Angeles in 1992.

Over the years, Mckinnor said, a major influence on her policy decisions are the learnings she gleans from raising a family.

“I think (women) bring diversity to the table because we are about taking care of our families,” McKinnor said. “So, the legislation that you see coming out of this (panel), I believe, will be around housing, jobs, equity, and public safety. The women here are going to make a tremendous difference because we take care of our families differently.”

Before McKinnor was elected to the California State Assembly in June 2022, she served as civic engagement director for the non-profit LA Voice and previously served as operational director for the California Democratic Party and chief of staff to several members of the State Assembly. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in accounting from California State University Dominguez Hills.

McKinnor is currently chair of the Public Employment and Retirement Committee. She serves on other policy committees, including the Business and Professions Committee, Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials Committee, and the Governmental Organization Committee.

McKinnor’s legislative priorities include California’s continued COVID-19 recovery, increased funding for public education, expanded universal access to healthcare, the state’s housing and homelessness crisis, and reforming the state’s criminal justice system.

“I never thought I’d be in politics in 1992. I thought I had better get off the sofa and pay attention to what’s going on,” McKinnor said. “After that, I didn’t sit down, and I got involved in the community.”

Black women are 7.7% of the total U.S. population and 15.3% of the total number of women in the country, according to the U.S. Census.

In 2021 study, the State Innovation Exchange (SIE) – a group that advocates for representation in state legislatures — and the National Organization for Black Elected Legislative Women (NOBEL Women) took a deep dive into their analysis of women serving in government.

SIE and NOBEL Women reported that Black women fill just 4.82% (356) of 7,383 state legislature seats across the United States. That same year, eight state legislatures convened without a single Black woman in their ranks: Vermont, South Dakota, Hawaii, Arizona, Idaho, Nebraska, Montana, and North Dakota – all places with Black populations falling in a range from 2 to 6%, the study revealed.

Currently, there are five Black women in the California Legislature: McKinnor and Assemblymembers Lori D. Wilson (D-Suisun City), Mia Bonta (D-Alameda), Akilah Weber (D-La Mesa) and Sen. Lola Smallwood Cuevas (D-Ladera Heights). They are also members of the California Legislature Black Caucus.

Smallwoold-Cuevas is the lone Black woman among 40 state senators.

“I am the 20th Black woman to be elected to the (California) legislature,” McKinnor said at the event held on International Women’s Day. “Sen. Lola Smallwood became the 21st Black woman. So, we still have a lot of work to do.”

PPIC, the nonprofit that organized the event, bills itself as nonpartisan think tank with a mission to inform and improve public policy in California through independent, objective, nonpartisan research. Former California Supreme Court Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye is PPIC’s president and chief executive officer.

Ophelia Basgal, an affiliate at the Terner Center for Housing Innovation at University of California, Berkeley, and a senior executive consultant for Inclusion INC, provided the opening remarks.

All the women legislators who participated in the event are members of the California Legislative Women’s Caucus, a political body that represents and advocates on the behalf of the diverse interests of women, children and families.

The panelists discussed gender diversity in state politics, how personal interests play out in politics, legislation they are currently working on, setting better policy for the state, and offered advice to women who are interested in running for office.

“In addition to the vision and experience, we bring that voice into the room that is often unheard and unseen,” said Ortega, a longtime labor leader and activist from an immigrant family. “We will make sure we are seen and heard and deliver (policies) for all in the state of California and the United States.”

The Sheraton Ballroom in downtown Sacramento was filled with women and men listening to the 60-minute conversation between the women that was at times passionate, thought-provoking, reflective and lighthearted.

“We’ve been truly inspired by this distinguished panel for their questions, insight, and answers,” Cantil-Sakauye said to the audience. “Thank you for making this (speakers series) memorable.”

By Edward Henderson | California Black Media

California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Florida Gov. Rob DeSantis seem to be on a political and philosophical collision course. Each one takes a shot at the other when the opportunity presents itself — which is often, as both men stand diametrically opposed, Left and Right respectively, on most issues.

Recently, some conservative media voices have joined the crossfire, taking aim at how Newsom responded to the COVID-19 pandemic.

When the global health crisis began in 2020, California responded with strict policies and shutdowns while Florida’s less urgent approach was a clear contrast. A new study from the Paragon Health Institute, a conservative think tank founded by former Trump administration economic advisor Brian Blase and other health experts– is critical of California’s handling of the pandemic.

Now, the Paragon study is adding fuel to the frequent back-and-forth between Newsom and DeSantis, who are both rumored to be Presidential hopefuls.

“Not a week goes by when Newsom is not boasting about how effective his policies were in addressing the COVID-19 crisis,” said Craig DeLuz to California Black Media. DeLuz is the Director of Communications for the California Republican Assembly, President of 2A News Corp and a director at the Frederick Douglass Foundation of California.

“He loves to compare California’s response to that of Republican-run states, claiming that he had greater success fighting the virus, while protecting his constituents,” DeLuz contnued his critique of Newsom. “His favorite target appears to be the state of Florida, which is run by likely 2024 presidential opponent, Ron DeSantis. There is one small problem with his grandstanding, though. It is all based on lies.”

Study Findings 

The study compares a quantitative measure of government interventions from the Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker — a systematic collection of information on policy measures that governments have taken to combat COVID-19. It uses health, economic, and educational indicators to measure the impact of government actions in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The study uses a metric called the Government Response Index, which is the Oxford researchers’ most comprehensive index. Low index scores are favorable over high scores.

According to the study, Florida achieved a low index score even though the state relaxed general lockdowns after a short time. On the contrary, despite California’s strict and prolonged lockdowns, the study gives the Golden State one of the highest Oxford index scores in the nation.

The study also looked into migration patterns in and out of Florida and California during the pandemic. The purpose was to see if there was a correlation between stricter and looser restrictions and the decisions of where people wanted to live.

“California’s severe lockdowns seemed to elicit a jump in its already high out-migration, while Florida experienced a significant in-migration increase during the pandemic as compared with pre-pandemic trends,” the Paragon Health stated in the study. “Florida’s commitment to keeping schools open was likely a significant factor in attracting people from around the country.”

In the conclusion of the study, Paragon Health offered the following recommendation: “In future pandemics, policymakers should avoid severe, prolonged, and generalized restrictions and instead carefully tailor government responses to specific disease threats, encouraging state and local governments to balance the health benefits against the economic, educational, health, and social costs of specific response measures.”

California’s Response  

When asked for a response to the study, the California Center of Disease Control did not have a statement. However, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office draws a comparison to Florida, relying on statistics in a Feb. 28  press release that declared an end to California’s COVID-19-related state of emergency

The release highlighted the fact that California’s COVID-19 death rate was among the lowest in the nation. Nationally, the COVID-19 death rate was 339 per 100,000, far above California’s rate.

“If California had Florida’s rate, 56,000 more people would have died here,” the press release stated.

Newsom’s office also addressed economics and education during the pandemic. California’s GDP grew, the press release points out, and unemployment rates fell twice as fast as other large population states.

The statement from Newsom office goes on to highlight that the state is on track to become the 4^th largest economy in the world, and it illuminates how, on average, California students experienced less learning loss than the rest of the nation. Eighth graders had no declines in reading scores in California. Nationally, however, 8th grader reading scores declined 3 points on the National Assessment of Educational Progress scale.

Regarding vaccinations, California has administered a total of 88,208,666. About 72.7% of the population has been vaccinated with a primary series and 9,308 people a day are receiving COVID-19 vaccinations (average daily dose count over 7 days).

Addressing Comparisons in Media  

Both Newsom and DeSantis have publicly shared their thoughts on the COVID-19 responses in their respective states. Newsom made appearances on ‘The View’ and ‘The Late Late Show with James Corden,’ and addressed the subject directly.

“Since the beginning of the pandemic, Florida has had a 53% higher death rate than the state of California, a 33% case rate and their economy has done worse. California’s example vs. Florida, its not even close in terms of the outcome if you care about life and you care about the economy,” Newsom said.

DeSantis was critical of California’s response during his inaugural address in January, saying Newsom and the state “imposed medical authoritarianism in the guise of pandemic mandates.”

Like two prize fighters taking turns exchanging quips at the press conference before their main event, time will only tell if DeSantis and Newsom will have the opportunity to square off on politics’ largest stage. What we can assume with some certainty, however, is the way they handled the pandemic will be a point of contention raised again and again if that day ever comes.

Join Kingdom Culture for a fun-filled day of free food, games, activities, and Easter Egg hunts for children ages 2 -11 including a special needs easter egg hunt!

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— Kingdom Culture Worship Centre San Bernardino is excited to announce the “Easter Eggstravaganza” event, taking place on April 8, 2023, from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. This free event is open to the public and promises to be a day of fun for the whole family.

Children aged 2-to-11 are invited to participate in the Easter Egg Hunt, where they can hunt for Easter eggs filled with treats and surprises. Additionally, there will be a special needs Easter egg hunt, ensuring that all children can participate in the fun.

Aside from the egg hunt, there will be plenty of activities to keep everyone entertained. Games, face painting, balloon twisting, and other fun activities will be available throughout the day. There will also be free food available for all attendees.

“We’re thrilled to be hosting this event for our community,” said Executive Pastor Bj Sims. “It’s a great opportunity to come together and build community with our neighbors.”

The “Easter Eggstravaganza” event will take place on the Indian Springs High School campus, located at 650 N Del Rosa in San Bernardino. Parking is available on-site. For more information, call 888-270-0988.

Don’t miss out on the fun! Mark your calendars for April 8 and come join in for a free day of Easter fun at Indian Springs High School.

By Lue Dowdy | LUE Productions

LUE PRODUCTIONS “All Ebony Burlesque Dinner Show”, is coming back with major excitement, thrills, and chills. Come be a part of our upcoming murder mystery dinner show. This will be our 4th show and each one thus far has been sold out. No experience is needed because we’ll give you the tools you need.

If you’re looking for exposure or a group of likeminded individuals, look no further. Our auditions are simple and fun. Below is a list of what we’re looking for in order to put on this amazing production.

We are casting for singers, dancers, comedians, actors, actresses, and stage and production crew members. Our goal is to provide platforms for the talented and entertaining shows for the City of San Bernardino. For more information, please text (909) 567-1000 or (909) 495-0848. You can also email us at lue.info@yahoo.com. For other upcoming events, please visit www.lueproductions.org.

Auditions will be held on Saturday, March 18 at 10:30 a.m. at 555 N. Arrowhead Avenue in San Bernardino.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA—- The City of San Bernardino celebrated the reopening of Second Street between Arrowhead Avenue and Mountain View Avenue on Tuesday, March 14, restoring vehicle and pedestrian traffic to a key downtown corridor. The road had been closed for three years for the demolition and reconstruction of the Second Street Bridge, which passes over Warm Creek and was found to have structural issues in 2020.

At a ribbon cutting ceremony to mark the completion of the bridge, Mayor Helen Tran stated, “I share in the excitement of our residents and businesses in the reopening of Second Street. It is a small bridge, but a big connection point.”

When Caltrans found structural issues with the bridge in March of 2020 and ordered it closed to vehicles and pedestrians, plans were already underway to replace it. In February of 2021, the City awarded a contract to Ortiz Construction to construct a new bridge. Construction began in June of 2021.
“I would often get asked by constituents when Second Street would re-open,” said Council Member Damon Alexander. “We are pleased that today is that day.”

Completion of the project was delayed by over a year due to supply chain issues experienced by both the contractor and Southern California Edison, who needed to construct new electricity connections through the new bridge to downtown San Bernardino.

“This project was the poster child for the supply chain issues experienced at the height of the pandemic,” said San Bernardino Public Works Director Daniel Hernandez. “I’d like to thank our contractors and utility partners for their flexibility and patience with each other.”

The project was further delayed last summer to ensure the existing electricity connection remained in place to meet peak load demand downtown.

The cost to replace the four-lane bridge was just over $3.2 million. Approximately $2.6 million was funded by the City, and $600,000 was funded for project design, inspections, and contingencies by Caltrans.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— The time has come to the last few weeks of the Knights training and completing of their six-month culminating program. Together they have learned, volunteered, persevered and staying the course. Through this process they have maturing and are ready for the next journey in their lives. The Social Lites’ Inc goal since 1968 has been to prepare these young men to understand the struggles and opportunities involved in the journey to succeed in college and in life.

They are recognizing these outstanding five Knights who are on their way to prestigious colleges across the country and will return to serve our communities. The community is invited to join them for the 56th Annual Beautillion Scholarship Program on April 1, 2023, at California State University San Bernardino in the beautiful San Manuel Student Union Building. The black-tie formal events’ tickets can be purchased for $50 at the door as you will witness the crowning of Sir Knight 2023.

If you have questions, please contact the Business Manager, Brenda Daniels at (909)856-6341 or the President, Sheri Lewis at (909) 320-0799.

As of earlier this week, the online interactive snow removal map created by the County Public Works Department showed that 409 miles or 79 percent of the roadways maintained by San Bernardino County had been made passable by crews working around the clock since last week from Mt. Baldy and Wrightwood to the eastern edge of the Big Bear Valley.

Please view this video documenting the County’s progress.

Passable means at least one lane open with less than 8 inches of snow, which can be navigated by four-wheel drive vehicles with chains.

As of this afternoon, 100 percent of the County roads in Wrightwood County Maintained Roads are at 100% passable with properly equipped vehicles and crews are working on clearing and widening the roads.

County Public Works crews also continue to make progress servicing County-maintained roads in the Crestline and Lake Arrowhead area, where more than 60 percent of the roads are now passable.

Please avoid driving and parking on newly plowed roads. The pathways are needed for emergency vehicles and additional plowing.

While the County is closing in on 100 percent clearance of County-maintained roads, those who live on privately owned roads must need to contact a private contractor to remove snow. The County and Caltrans are prohibited from plowing private property.

For other snow guidance from DPW, visit our Snow Removal Frequently Asked Questions site.

Meanwhile, mountain residents are urged to remember that if they make to down the hill on either Highway 18 or Highway 330, there is a very strong chance they won’t be allowed back up. For those who find themselves stranded down the hill, there is a Red Cross shelter at Redlands East Valley High School. For assistance, call 909-387-3911.

RIVERSIDE, CA—The Foundation’s annual College Television Awards recognizes and rewards excellence in student-produced programs from colleges across the country. Winners in the competition will be announced by television stars at the red-carpet awards ceremony April 1 at the Television Academy in North Hollywood, California.

Pettit has been nominated, along with two classmates from Brigham Young University, in the Animation Series category for a piece titled Cenote. Pettit served as the producer on the project, which was selected from over 132 submissions from colleges and universities nationwide by Television Academy members.

Cenote tells the story of Axel, a small axolotl who gets separated from his family by ancient magic. Along with an unlikely human ally named Memo, Axel must find his way out of the cenote he’s trapped in to get back to home.

Pettit graduated from Brigham Young University with a BFA in animation and a minor in computer science. He is currently a character shading/groom TD at Pixar Animation Studios in Emeryville, California.

“The world needs content that is not only uplifting but entertaining in nature,” said Pettit. “The story we told at its core is about the feeling of being alone and relying on others’ strengths to strengthen yourself and accomplish your goals. Being able to briefly connect the audience to the emotion of abandonment and then showing them how to reach out and rely on others’ strengths was something we wanted to show to our audience.

“I hope to create a greater voice for unique stories and technology that have not been heard or seen before,” continued Pettit. “As a character shading artist, I wish to push the bounds of what 3D animation can look like. We live in an exciting experimental time in animation both in story and look development. I hope to be a large force in encouraging this experimentation in the industry.”

2023 College Television Awards nominees will also participate in a variety of professional-development activities from March 29-April 1, including a special screening of all nominated projects attended by members of the Television Academy, an industry-professionals networking breakfast, Hollywood studio visits and additional career-enhancing activities before the red carpet awards show.

Nominees and winners of the 42nd College Television Awards automatically become members of the Television Academy Foundation’s alumni family, gaining access to year-round networking opportunities, events and professional development resources. Prominent College Television Awards alumni include CNN national correspondent Natasha Chen; Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan director Patricia Riggen; Maya and the Three executive producer Jorge Gutierrez; and Love, Victor executive producer Jason Ensler.

By Maxim Elramsisy | California Black Media

This profile is part of a series of 10 California Black Media articles capturing the stories of elected Black Mayors working to make a difference in the lives of Californians in large cities and small towns across our state.

When the City of Fontana hosted NASCAR Feb. 24, third-term Mayor Acquanetta Warren served as an honorary official for the final run of the Cup Series Pala Casino 400.

According to Warren, Auto Club Speedway, formerly California Speedway, will undergo reconstruction that will reduce its size from the current two-mile track to a half-mile one.

One observation stood out for Warren as the mayor reflected on the final race on the racetrack that opened in 1996 in the city about fifty miles east of Los Angeles.

“I’m seeing way more African Americans working on the cars. They are more among the vendors, and I think in two more years, we’ll have even more,” she said.

“I’m constantly trying to get younger sisters and brothers that look like me to understand that you can have these dreams and they can be fulfilled,” Warren told California Black Media (CBM). “Don’t limit yourself.”

Although stock car auto racing has a well-known lack of racial diversity, particularly among owners and drivers, former NBA great Michael Jordan bought a majority stake in NASCAR’s 23XI team in 2020. Driving the team’s “23 car,” a nod to Jordan’s Chicago Bulls jersey number, is Bubba Wallace, NASCAR’s only active Black racer.

Other racing teams are becoming more diverse, too. Lamar Neal, a 29-year-old Black man, was on the pit crew for Kyle Busch’s race-winning team.

“It’s a sport that’s waiting for young smart people, not just drivers or pit crew, but the analytical side, the engineers — a whole world waiting for young, good people,” said Warren.

As the race cars revved up their engines to the thundering roars of the race spectators, Warren said she was reminded that inflation continues to skyrocket and that natural gas prices are running higher than normal — a point many guests attending the series also pointed out.

“We recognize these are really hard times, especially with the gas costs. People are calling me with bills [totaling] $600 to $800 when they’ve been paying $52 a month. That is terrible,” Warren told CBM.

Leaders must respond urgently to the high costs, Warren said.

Enter Fontana Eats, a program distributing gift cards for food to residents of the city.

“We had already been working on this program, but I want to increase [the amount people in the program receive]. It is also an opportunity for us to get our residents out more and do it safely,” she said. “They can go to restaurants, or they can go to grocery stores.”

When Warren was elected mayor in 2010, she was an experienced local politician, having served eight years on the city council.

Like many places around the world, the COVID-19 pandemic presented new challenges.

“We probably had over a half a million free masks to give out,” Warren said, recalling a step the city took responding to price gouging by some businesses.

Measure EE, in San Bernardino County, narrowly passed in November 2022. It directed elected representatives for San Bernardino County to research and advocate for all methods (including secession from the state) for receiving an equitable share of state funding and resources.

Mayor Acquanetta Warren greets JROTC volunteers at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California on February 26, 2023. (Maxim Elramsisy | California Black Media)

“I really advocated for people to vote for [Proposition] EE, because it’s a study on whether or not we’re obtaining the funds fairly in this county. We always are the stepchildren,” said Warren. “San Bernardino County is the largest county in the United States by land mass. Yet, we can’t really make it work if we’re not getting adequate funding.”

For example, Warren says her city does not have enough courthouses and judges.

“People talk about fairness, equity and due process. Well, it would help if we could get them into court and get them out of jail. If you don’t have the resources, everybody has to wait,” she said.

In addition to advocating for funding and tackling food insecurity, Warren is pushing for more public parks.

“We’ve always focused on our recreation, particularly for our young people. We don’t want them to be graduates of sidewalk university,” she said. “We’ve got softball, we’ve got baseball, football, soccer, basketball. We have various programs that the kids can sign up for. They can do arts, they can dance.”

According to Warren, the city now has 59 parks to keep its 220,000 residents active.

As she walked across the front straight away, Warren spoke with anyone who approached her, and she stopped by to a room full of teenagers from the Boys and Girls Club of Fontana.

Warren says she moved to Fontana after the Rodney King riots in 1992 shook her neighborhood in Compton.

“When I got appointed to be the first African American on the council, people were making a really big deal, but I discounted it,” she said. “For many residents though, it was a big deal. The Black pastors and a lot of the older African Americans in this community called me to a meeting and they let me have it. They let me know that I stood on their shoulders, and they were proud of me.”

Warren is an advocate for more diversity among people addressing the challenges all Californians face. This month she was named the Chair of the Southern California Water Coalition’s Board of Trustees.

“We need more African Americans in the water world. All these people are retiring,” she said.

Although several heavy storms have hammered California over the past three months, including a historic storm disrupting the weekend race schedule, Warren doesn’t think California’s historic drought is over.

“The challenge will be, can we capture the water when it melts, and store it, and that’s where we fall short,” she said.

Drivers resume the race at the final NASCAR race on Auto Club Speedway’s 2 mile configuration in Fontana, California on February 26, 2023. (Maxim Elramsisy | California Black Media)

By Rick Burke, Navy Office of Community Outreach

MILLINGTON, TN. – A native of Rancho Cucamonga, California, recently completed an intensive 10-week training program to become a member of the elite U.S. Navy Ceremonial Guard.

Seaman Vicktor Flores, a 2013 Chaffey High School graduate, joined the Navy six months ago. Today, Flores serves as a U.S. Navy Ceremonial Guardsman.

“I joined the Navy to serve my country after being influenced by my family’s commitment of service,” said Flores.

Established in 1931, the U.S. Navy Ceremonial Guard is the official honor guard of the U.S. Navy and is based at Naval District Washington Anacostia Annex in Washington, D.C.

According to Navy officials, the U.S. Navy Ceremonial Guard’s primary mission is to represent the service in Presidential, Joint Armed Forces, Navy, and public ceremonies in and around the nation’s capital. Members of the Navy Ceremonial Guard participate in some of our nation’s most prestigious ceremonies, including Presidential inaugurations and arrival ceremonies for foreign officials.

“The biggest thing I’ve learned from being in the Navy is leadership,” said Flores.

Sailors of the Ceremonial Guard are hand selected while they are attending boot camp at Recruit Training Command in Great Lakes, Illinois. Strict military order and discipline, combined with teamwork, allow the Ceremonial Guard to fulfill their responsibilities with pride and determination. They are experts in the art of close order drill, coordination and timing.

The Ceremonial Guard is comprised of the drill team, color guard, casket bearers and firing party.

“I enjoy serving at my current command because I am able to execute ceremonies and missions that very few are fortunate to do in the Navy,” said Flores.

There are many opportunities for sailors to earn recognition in their command, community and careers.

“I am proud of taking the first step of joining the military, and proud of the fact that I was chosen to be a Ceremonial Guardsman,” said Flores.

As a member of the U.S. Navy, Flores, as well as other sailors, know they are a part of a service tradition providing unforgettable experiences through leadership development, world affairs and humanitarian assistance. Their efforts will have a lasting effect around the globe and for generations of sailors who will follow.

“Serving in the Navy means protecting my family, loved ones and the people that came before me to serve and defend our Constitution,” added Flores.