WSSN Stories

By Quinci LeGardye | California Black Media  

Ahead of the November election, a group of dialysis nurses and patients have come out in strong opposition to Proposition 23.  

If passed, Proposition 23 would require all kidney dialysis clinics to have a physician, nurse practitioner or physician assistant on site during dialysis treatment. It would also prohibit clinics from reducing their services without state approval and make it illegal for them to refuse treatment for patients based on their insurance or payment source. 

Although the proposition’s supporters say passing it would improve clinics across the board, opponents argue that requiring the presence of a physician at each clinic would force many clinics to shut down and increase healthcare costs for 80,000 California dialysis patients. Opponents also point out that the ballot measure would not require the physician to be a nephrologist or kidney specialist. 

Dialysis is an important medical procedure for patients with kidney failure, with risk of death increasing by 30 % after one missed appointment. Patients need to attend a regular clinic to avoid complications in treatment that may arise if patients were forced to visit emergency rooms.  

Opponents of Prop 23 argue that many smaller clinics would not be able to afford the new staffing requirements and would be forced to shut down, leaving dialysis patients without a regular clinic. 

“They’re not going to be able to operate because they’re not going to be able to afford the additional expense of paying this doctor when some of these expenses could be utilized to improve the equipment we have and which basically impacts the improvement in the care of a patient. It’s a waste of money,” said Kim Bailey, an Inglewood-based dialysis nurse. 

African Americans make up the majority of dialysis patients. According to the National Kidney Foundation, more than 35 percent of all patients receiving dialysis for kidney failure in the U.S. are Black, even though Black people make up only 13.2 percent of the U.S. population. 

Bailey spoke about her staff, using tasks her employees perform as examples of the services that dialysis clinics already provide without Prop 23 in place. She emphasized that the patients, who come three times a week, are treated by nurses who match their shifts. This allows the nurses to bond with their patients and understand their conditions through familiarity. 

“This clinic is one of the largest ones in Southern California. I have 58 chairs, I have about 350 in-center patients, and then I have a home program as well. I have a medical director and associate medical director that are very accessible to us at any given time. Each patient has an assigned nephrologist. My physicians frequent the clinic. There is always someone in this clinic,” said Bailey. 

Los Angeles-based dialysis patient DeWayne Cox spoke about his own experience with dialysis, including what happened when he missed treatment, as an example of what might happen to other dialysis patients if the proposition passes. 

“I missed a shift for work on a Friday. I ended up in the emergency room that Saturday, and the physicians there did not know how to treat me. I received kidney failure because of high blood pressure, but I am not diabetic, but the physician there treated me like I was a diabetic and gave me insulin. I’d never had insulin before in my life, and I nearly died. And other patients do because of something like that, because they end up in the emergency room, because they miss a session,” said Cox. 

Kathy Fairbanks, the No on Prop 23 spokesperson who hosted the presentation, also spoke about the political backstory behind the ballot measure.  

Prop 23, she said, is a predecessor of 2018’s Proposition 8, which was voted down. Both the previous proposition and this year’s are supported by the SEIU-UHW West, a labor union for healthcare workers. Opponents of Prop 23 argue that Prop 23 is the union’s latest attempt to unionize dialysis clinic workers, 

“I think this is all part of a plan to put these initiatives on the ballot every two years, and essentially use it as a lever to force the dialysis provider to allow a union. If that were to happen, these initiatives every two years would cease to exist. We’d never seen another one on the ballot,” Fairbanks said. 

“I don’t like the fact that it is involving patient care. They need to continue to address the teammates that work in the dialysis facilities in terms of their union and not involve the patients in this,” Bailey said. 

By Quinci LeGardye | California Black Media  

Two years after California lawmakers passed the first consumer data privacy act in the country, voters have a chance to expand the law or leave it as it is.  

Proposition 24 on the November ballot would update the California Consumer Privacy Act to add new provisions and create an agency to enforce the laws. 

California’s consumer data privacy laws were established by the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (CCPA), which requires that large tech companies disclose the kind of data that they collect from people who use their apps and websites. It also allows users, referred to as consumers in the legislation’s language, to opt out of having their data sold to third parties, including advertisers. 

If passed, Prop 24 would give consumers an opt-out option so businesses would not be able to use their sensitive personal information, such as their race, Social Security number or exact location, for advertising or marketing. It also requires businesses to obtain permission before collecting data from consumers who are younger than 16. For children younger than 13, businesses need permission from a parent or guardian to collect data. 

The initiative would also establish the California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA), which would enforce the consumer privacy laws. This new office would be separate from the California attorney general’s office, which currently handles privacy concerns, and the office would receive at least $10 million in funding annually.  

The initiative would also triple fines for violations concerning customers under age 16. 

Prop 24 was filed by San Francisco real estate developer Alaistair Mactaggart, who was a proponent of the CCPA in 2018. The measure is endorsed by the California NAACP, Consumer Watchdog, and former presidential candidate Andrew Yang.  

Opponents of Prop 24 include the ACLU of California, Color of Change, League of Women Voters of California and Consumer Federation of California. 

Those in favor of the law argue that consumer privacy laws need to be stronger, especially now that so much of life has been moved online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Sean Dugar, social activist and Yes on Prop 24 supporter, spoke with California Black Media about the need for more data privacy to stop targeted ads and discrimination. 

“You hear the horror stories every day. You hear about women who were at Planned Parenthood clinics being targeted by anti-abortion groups, kids who are logging into their classrooms being targeted by pornographic ads, folks who are on dating apps having their sexual preferences sold to the highest bidder. All that is happening now, in addition to legalized redlining and being able, as a financial institution or as a developer or real estate agent, to opt out of certain communities, especially Black folks, limiting people who see their properties and their services,” said Sean Dugar, social activist and Yes of Prop 24 supporter. 

The Yes on Prop 24 campaign also issued a statement highlighting concerns regarding Black consumers’ data privacy, after recent reports found that the Trump campaign used sensitive personal information to suppress the African American vote in the 2016 presidential election. Prop 24 would stop businesses for compiling racial data. 

“Everything you can imagine is online and available to be sold, or even worse hacked, about you. And so, we need not just strong laws, but an enforcement agency that will be able to ensure that our privacy and our data are protected, and that we as Black folks specifically are no longer targeted and no longer racially profiled online,” said Dugar. 

Opponents of the ballot initiative argue that Prop 24 actually weakens consumer rights by including an Internet “pay for privacy” scheme, where those who don’t pay get inferior service and more pop-up ads. Also, they argue that Prop 24 would force consumers to notify each website and app they use individually to protect their data. 

Opponents also emphasize that the ballot measure was written with input from giant tech corporations, and that the measure’s sponsor rejected input from privacy and consumer rights groups. 

“No one reads the thousands of words of legal fine print that you have to accept before you can use an app or visit a website. The fine print is where you sacrifice your privacy. The same is true of Proposition 24. Its 52 pages are full of privacy reductions and giveaways to Facebook, social media platforms and big tech companies that misuse our personal information,” said?Richard Holober, President of the Consumer Federation of?California. “Advocacy groups that fight for the rights of Californians have read Prop 24’s fine print and that is why they oppose it.” 

By Lou Yeboah

Now most, “Americans” know what that means. On a theological level, the phrase can be translated as, “You can lead someone to God’s Truth, but you can’t make that person embrace and live according to those principles and values.”  You can show someone something that will benefit them, but you can’t force them to accept it. People, like horses, will do as they will. The problem with that is, as a good English Proverb says, “He that neglects the occasion, the occasion will neglect him.” Case in point. Jesus says, “Because you refuse to listen when I call and no one pays attention when I stretch out my hand, since you disregard all my advice and do not accept my rebuke, I in turn will laugh when disaster strikes you; I will mock you when calamity overtakes you— when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind, when distress and trouble overwhelm you. “Then you will call to Me, but I will not answer; you will look for Me, but you will not find Me [Proverbs 1:24-28].  Be appalled, O heavens, at this, be shocked, be utterly desolate, says the Lord, for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken Me, the Fountain of Living Water, and dug out cisterns for themselves, cracked cisterns that can hold no water. [Jeremiah 2:12-13].

You know, as I thought on this text, it reminded me of where I was when the Lord found me. Just like the Samaritan woman in the Book of John chapter 4, I was looking for something I did not have. I was drinking from every well I could find, but none were satisfying the thirst in my soul. When I met Jesus Christ, and He offered me a drink from His well, I found out that there was more than water in His well. What did He offer? He offered satisfaction and salvation for my soul. He offered me the opportunity to have all my sins forgiven. He offered me the opportunity to be right with God. He offered me the opportunity to miss Hell and go to Heaven when I die. What was the catch? There was no catch! All He requires from me and you, is everything! [John 7:37-38]. He wants you to come before Him, confessing yourself a sinner and calling on Him by faith. He wants you to take His death on the cross as the payment for your sins. He wants you to believe what the Bible says about Him and He wants you to accept it all on the basis of faith, [Romans 10:9]. If you are saved, let the Lord remind you how good He has been to you in redeeming your soul. If you are lost, answer Him as He calls you to come to Him and drink of His well, because every human effort of quenching your thirst apart from God will not bring satisfaction.

I admonish you, quench your thirst by drinking from the Fountain of Living Water. Understanding that Grace is God’s unmerited favor and it goes beyond mercy. Mercy is God not giving us the punishment that we deserve for our sins. Don’t hesitate to drink from the Fountain of Living Water, because when men have gone beyond the time of Gods mercies, and out-rowed the tide of Gods forbearance, and will not return, the Lord sets it down with Himself, that His wrath shall return upon them. He will no longer forbear: as [Hosea 9:15] reminds us, “There was a time wherein God did pitied them, but now He will not pitied them any more; twenty five years He called unto them and sought to bring them home; but because they stood out and refused, the Lord saith, I will love Ephraim no more.”

The Spirit is inviting you. Jesus is inviting you.  There is a river of Living Water flowing all around you, that will quench your deepest thirsts and desires. There’s a satisfaction beyond anything words can describe. All you have to do is drink of the Living Water.  It will change your life forever!  We wasn’t meant to live our lives with dehydrated hearts– recognize your need for the Living Water, Jesus Christ. As the Coca-Cola slogan says, “Obey your thirst,” and saturate yourself with water that lasts–water that only Jesus can supply.

Wisdom crieth without, she uttereth her voice in the streets. going up and down the City from street to street, and from door to door, crying his commodity, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. [John 7:37-52].

“And the Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let him who hears say, ‘Come!’ And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.” [Revelation 22:17].

By Bill Bird

Parents and Students for Racial Equality in California is opposing a measure that would result in legal racial discrimination in California. Proposition 16, an initiative on this November’s ballot, threatens to introduce institutionalized and legal race-based admissions in our public universities, as well as contracting and hiring policies in all California government settings.

“Although recent polling shows that this measure is struggling to gain traction with California voters, organizations opposed to racial discrimination must remain vigilant,” said organization spokesman and former California State Senate Minority Leader Bob Huff. “Proposition 16 represents a step backwards to the darkest days of this country, when racial discrimination was openly tolerated and encouraged. This is contrary to the fundamental principles upon which this nation was built and for which so many fought to secure. The Declaration of Independence tells us all men are created equal. Proposition 16 tells us that some are more equal and deserving than others.”

Proposition 16 would allow supporters to impose across the board, racial guidelines for all California public school and public university admissions and settings. It would also allow schools, colleges and other government agencies to discriminate in employment, promotions and contracting. The measure seeks to overturn Proposition 209, which appeared on the November 1996 ballot and passed with a strong 54 percent majority in support. Proposition 209 amended the state constitution to prohibit state government institutions from considering race, sex, or ethnicity, specifically in the areas of public employment, public contracting or public education.

Recent polling conduction by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) revealed that barely one-third of the state’s voters appear to support the idea of racial discrimination. Nearly half are opposed to the proposal and some remain unopposed. A second poll conducted by the Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies divulged nearly identical findings.“No person in California should ever be told that they cannot be admitted to a university or not awarded a job or contract because they are the wrong color or sex,” said Huff. “Discriminating on the basis of race, color, sex or religion represents the darkest part of California’s history. Measures like Proposition 16 only serve to divide our state at a time when everyone is needed to work together to heal wounds and create a brighter future.”

Parents and Students for Racial Equality is an organization that fights for the rights of all California citizens, regardless of race or color, and believes that government must judge all people equally, without discrimination.

By Glynda C. Carr

With November 3rd less than a month away, Black women voters hold a huge stake in this year’s election. With the first Black woman vying for the vice-presidency, a recent poll of 506 likely 2020 Black women voters conducted from September 30-October 4, 2020 by Higher Heights and Change Research, showed that 75 percent of Black women are now more motivated than ever to vote. But the remaining 25 percent of Black women polled are feeling hopeless that their ballot won’t bring the change they want to see.

In the poll, the top priorities and anxieties about the upcoming election for Black women included: the desire for a stronger response to the coronavirus and the need for racial justice. In addition, the Black women polled noted that when it came to the demographic who could bring about the change the United States needed with voter turnout, an overwhelming 64 percent, of course, chose Black women.

Over the last two presidential elections, Black women have continued to show up and show out. Whether it was voting for Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton, Black women have been at the forefront of trying to protect the United States from eating itself alive. But over the last 4 years, the Black community has dealt with everything from the coronavirus to the state sanctioned killings of Black people at the hands of law enforcement, as well as voter disenfranchisement.

For example, in Harris County, Texas, home to 2.4 million voters, Gov. Greg Abbott allowed the closing of ballot drop off sites, which has now resulted in several lawsuits. This is one of several examples of how voter suppression is in full force this election. But these tactics, along with long lines, changes to voting and the present pandemic won’t keep Black women from the polls. When asked in the survey, ‘what is one word or phrase that best describes your motivation for voting this year?’ participants responded with the need for change and racial justice.

As COVID continues to disproportionately affect Black and Brown communities, this election’s turnout is tantamount in putting someone in office who is capable of instituting laws that will protect the Black community’s health, as well as providing assistance to those who have been displaced from their homes or have faced unemployment. 48 percent of the respondents stated that the coronavirus was a top issue for them personally. But when it comes to what keeps them up at night, weeks before the election, racism was the most common response.

After a summer of protests and Black deaths at the hands of law enforcement, the poll results show that Black women voters are concerned about being safe in their Black skin, and if they would end up like Breonna Taylor. Others were also concerned about their Black children being safe once they leave their homes on a daily basis. Only 34 percent of respondents said they felt more hopeful of the progress that has been made in light of the recent protests, whereas 38% said they didn’t feel any different from before the protests, and 28 percent stated they felt less hopefully. Across the country, we saw millions of people hitting the streets in protest and allies standing in solidarity to the systemic racism that has engulfed this country for centuries. Black women know that the only way to rid the country of its vile history is by voting, and not only on a national level, but also on local levels. Black women know that we possess a political power like no other, and the poll results are reflective on that, particularly when 50 percent of the women polled said they felt motivated by the upcoming election.

Across the country, many people have already voted using mail-in ballots. But on November 3rd, others will head to their local polling location and cast their vote. And although the weight of the world seems as though it’s on the shoulders of Black women, this election is literally a vote or die situation. And once again, Black women will rise to the occasion to save their country.

WASHINGTON, DC— The U.S. Postal Service continues to celebrate Kwanzaa, which honors the values and beliefs around African American heritage, by dedicating a new Kwanzaa stamp today.

News of this Forever stamp is being shared with hashtag #KwanzaaStamps.

“This new Kwanzaa stamp captures the essence of the African American cultural celebration. The stamp depicts the profile of a reflective woman with a kinara, or candleholder, with seven lit candles in front of her,” said USPS Regional Processing Operations Eastern Vice President Dane Coleman, the dedicating official. “The stamp, which was hand-sketched and digitally colored, evokes a sense of inner peace with its cool tones and vibrant design elements to give a festive feel to the celebration of Kwanzaa.”

The stamp is available nationwide today. A virtual dedication ceremony will be posted on the Postal Service’s Facebook and Twitter pages. The event includes remarks from Coleman and Linda Hazel Humes, adjunct assistant professor, Africana Studies Department, John Jay College; and music by Sanga of the Valley.

Kwanzaa takes place over seven days annually from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1, bringing family, community and culture together for many. Each year, millions of African Americans gather with friends and family throughout Kwanzaa week to honor the Pan-African holiday’s seven founding principles — unity (umoja), self-determination (kujichagulia), collective work and responsibility (ujima), cooperative economics (ujamaa), purpose (nia), creativity (kuumba) and faith (imani). Each day of Kwanzaa is dedicated to one of these seven principles, collectively known as the Nguzo Saba.

Kwanzaa was created in 1966, drawing on a variety of African traditions, deriving its name from the Swahili phrase “matunda ya kwanza,” meaning “first fruits.” Kwanzaa is a festive time for rejoicing in the prospect of health, prosperity and good luck in the coming year. It is also a time for contemplation and recollection of past hardships, faced by individuals and communities, and the ways history can inform and impact future happiness.

Art director Antonio Alcala designed the stamp, and Andrea Pippins was the illustrator.

The Kwanzaa stamp is being issued as a Forever stamp in a pane of 20. Forever stamps will always be equal in value to the current First-Class Mail 1-ounce price.

A pictorial postmark of the first-day-of-issue location, Nashville, TN, is available at usps.com/stamps.

Greenwood has secured $3 million in seed funding from private investors as the first digital banking platform for Black and Latinx people and business owners.  Greenwood features best-in-class online banking services and innovative ways of giving back to Black and Latinx causes and businesses. 

Greenwood’s founders include: Andrew J. Young, civil rights legend, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, and former Mayor of Atlanta; Michael Render, aka Killer Mike, rapper and activist in Black financial empowerment; and Ryan Glover, Greenwood Chairman and founder of Bounce TV network. 

“Today, a dollar circulates for 20 days in the white community but only six hours in the Black community,” Ryan Glover stated.

He continued, “It’s no secret that traditional banks have failed the Black and Latinx community. We needed to create a new financial platform that understands our history and our needs going forward, a banking platform built by us and for us, a platform that helps us build a stronger future for our communities. This is our time to take back control of our lives and our financial future.  That is why we launched Greenwood, modern banking for the culture.” 

“Today, a dollar circulates for 20 days in the white community but only six hours in the Black community,” said Michael ‘Killer Mike’ Render. “Moreover, a Black person is twice as likely as a white person to be denied a mortgage. This lack of fairness in the financial system is why we created Greenwood.”

Greenwood’s executive leadership includes: 

• Aparicio Giddins, President & Chief Technology Officer (previously of Bank of America and TD Bank) 
• David Tapscott, Chief Marketing Officer (previously of Green Dot and Combs Enterprises) 
• Andrew “Bo” Young, III, Board Member (managing partner, Andrew Young Investment Group) 
• Dr. Paul Judge, Board Member (co-founder of Pindrop and TechSquare Labs) 

Product

Greenwood’s initial products are savings and spending accounts that come with a stunningly designed black metal debit card for customers who sign up by the end of the year.  Advanced features like Apple, Samsung, and Android pay, virtual debit cards, peer-to-peer transfers, mobile check deposits, and free ATM usage in over 30,000 locations are offered with no hidden fees. Customers who invite their friends to open accounts receive cash awards as a thank you from Greenwood. All deposits are FDIC insured by a partner bank. 

Additionally, Greenwood plans to work with brick and mortar minority-owned backs to provide deposits to help strengthen historically black banks.

“The work that we did in the civil rights movement wasn’t just about being able to sit at the counter. It was also about being able to own the restaurant,” said Ambassador Andrew Young. “We have the skills, talent and energy to compete anywhere in the world, but to grow the economy, it has to be based on the spirit of the universe and not the greed of the universe. Killer Mike, Ryan and I are launching Greenwood to continue this work of empowering black and brown people to have economic opportunity.”

Greenwood Gives Back

Greenwood has three key avenues to support Black and Latinx causes and businesses:

• For every customer sign-up, Greenwood will provide five free meals to a family in need. 
• Every swipe of a Greenwood debit card will prompt a donation to UNCF for education, Goodr to feed the hungry, or NAACP to support civil rights. 
• And every month, Greenwood will provide a $10,000 grant to a Black or Latinx small business owner that is a Greenwood customer.

History of the name “Greenwood”

The Greenwood name pays homage to the prosperous “Black Wall Street,” part of the  Greenwood District of Tulsa, Oklahoma, during the early 20th Century — a center of African American enterprise, entertainment, skills, wealth and investment capital.   Though it was destroyed by white mobs in 1921, the Greenwood District remains an enduring symbol of the economic potential of community solidarity. The new Greenwood neobank takes inspiration from the entrepreneurial and empowering spirit of the Greenwood District where a dollar typically circulated 36 times – and for up to a year — within the Black community. The new Greenwood also is proud to be a backer of the contemporary Greenwood Culture Center in Oklahoma.  

To sign up for a Greenwood account, visit www.bankgreenwood.com.

By Quinci LeGardye | California Black Media  

California is expanding aid and protections to health care workers as the COVID-19 pandemic continues through two new laws and an executive order. 

Late last month, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order that orders new actions on health care in response to the pandemic. 

The order allows public health officials working to mitigate COVID-19 pandemic to participate in the Secretary of State’s address-confidentiality program, known as the Safe at Home program.  

The Safe at Home program provides substitute addresses for groups that need protection against harassment or violence, including sexual assault and domestic violence victims. Multiple public health officials have reported receiving death threats, including Los Angeles County Health Director Barbara Ferrer and Santa Clara County Health Officer Dr. Sara Cody. 

“Our public health officers have all too often faced targeted harassment and stalking,” said Secretary of State Alex Padilla. This “program can help provide more peace of mind to the public health officials who have been on the frontlines of California’s COVID-19 response.” 

The order also authorizes the Department of Managed Health Care to gather data to assess the impacts of the pandemic on health care providers and health care service plans. 

Gov. Newsom also recently signed two bills, AB 2537 and SB 275, that would increase the amount of personal protective equipment (PPE) for health care workers.  

Assemblymember Freddie Rodriguez (D-Pomona) introduced AB 2537. The law requires hospitals to stockpile a three-month supply of PPE by April 2021. 

“We are currently experiencing something we haven’t before, and healthcare workers are at the frontlines of it all. While dealing with this pandemic, the last thing our workers should be worried about is whether or not, they will be protected from exposure. We must protect those providing care so that they too can continue to do their work,” said Rodriguez. 

SB 275 mandates the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) to establish a 90-day PPE stockpile for health care and other essential workers within one year. It also requires major health care employers, such as hospitals, nursing homes and dialysis clinics, to build an additional 45-day stockpile of PPE by 2023 or later. 

Under SB 275, essential workers will receive PPE from the CDPH stockpile include school workers, childcare providers, in-home support providers, and any workers who provide services directly supporting patient care. SB 275 was sponsored by the Service Employees International Union California. 

“One of the hard-learned lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic is the need for a well-managed supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) to keep California’s healthcare workforce and other essential workers safe. SB 275 creates a reliable supply of PPE to ensure healthcare workers, essential workers, and the public at large are protected during the next health emergency,” said SB 275 author Sen. Richard Pan (D-Sacramento).