WSSN Stories

Humble Beginnings

By his own admission, Gerald D. Thomas attended one of the toughest high schools on the Westside of Chicago, a neighborhood that has infamously been awarded the title of the “most dangerous neighborhood” in the US on more than one occasion. His cousin, who worked for the high school, convinced Gerald to attend so that he could be a “beacon of light” to his soon to be peers. Gerald was just that. From honor and AP classes to becoming senior class president, Gerald was the light his cousin aspired for him to be.

It wasn’t easy though. “I have had friends who have been killed. I’ve had to come home in the middle of gun crossfire. I’ve seen all of the violence, but I wasn’t going to let that shape my narrative.”

In 2007, during a college recruitment event at his high school, Gerald was introduced to Dr. Walter M. Kimbrough, then president of Philander Smith College, a private Historically Black College & University (HBCU) located in Little Rock, Ark. He offered Gerald a scholarship on the spot, opening a door that would soon lead Gerald down a path of success.

After excelling in high school against all odds in academics, he graduated as the school’s first UNCF scholar in 2008 with more than $100,000 in scholarship offers, but, ultimately, he chose to attend Philander Smith on a full scholarship.

The Launch

During his time at Philander Smith College, Gerald let his light shine even brighter, interning at The Source magazine, launching his career in entertainment.

After graduating college in the Summer of 2012, Gerald did missionary work with the General Board of Global Ministries in the Philippines and New Orleans. Using his background in entertainment and his passion for empowering minority youth, It was here that he worked with inner city schools and the Fountain of Youth to help produce a documentary film shown during the ESSENCE Fest. This experience lit a fire in him and was the beginning of a lifelong passion for helping to better the lives of others.

In the Fall of 2012, Gerald moved to Los Angeles and began freelancing for PR agencies and entertainment powerhouses like BET.

If you know Gerald, you know that he enjoys the finer things in life, but as his career in entertainment PR was going at light speed, he realized that he wanted to do more meaningful work. “I wanted to incorporate service and advocacy through everything that I did, even the entertainment and lifestyle events that I produced.

A Deeper Responsibility

Recounting his time at Philander Smith College, Gerald felt a deeper responsibility to cling to the school’s mission of graduating “academically accomplished students, grounded as advocates for social justice, determined to change the world for the better.”

“Even though a scholarship is what brought me here, I would have been doing myself a disservice if I didn’t take heed to what was right in front of me all along.”

At age 25, Gerald took on this responsibility, and decided to focus more on social justice and step away from the red carpet lifestyle he had come to know and love. “It wasn’t the only thing I wanted to do with my life, I wanted a deeper sense of purpose.”

From there, Gerald returned to Little Rock to work with organizations that had strong foundations in impacting the lives of children and underprivileged minorities through the arts, education and technology. Gerald has produced and assisted in the production of benefit fashion shows through his namesake PR firm, The GDT PR Agency, and Designer’s Choice Fashion Preview (DCFP) presented by the Timmons Arts Foundation.

Gerald was determined to create new avenues for nonprofits and organizations in the community.

Forging New Ground

In 2019, Gerald joined Centers for Youth and Family as an Emerging Leader. The mission of Centers for Youth & Families is to provide specialized prevention, intervention and treatment services that promote emotional and social wellness for children and families in Arkansas.

“The programming was pretty boring and dated,” he says. With the vast majority of its stakeholders being elderly and white, Gerald saw an opportunity to introduce their work to an untapped resource… millennials. Gerald didn’t just want to be another token Black guy so that the organization could just check a box… he wanted to be an instrumental piece of the puzzle in helping to attract this new audience.

In April of 2019, Gerald led a brainstorming session goaled at coming up with new ways the Emerging Leaders would help raise money and better engage millennials. The group of four met continuously and originally concepted the idea of a coupon book… but what happened next was groundbreaking.

Bottomless Brunch

The coupon book evolved into BrunchFest… an interactive event celebrating the area’s best brunch food, good vibes and, of course, bottomless drinks. One hundred percent of the event’s proceeds would

Nearly 40 restaurants provided food for 500 guests, with no cost to Centers for Youth & Families. With unlimited food, beer, tequila and mimosas, the event raised more than $30,000 in its inaugural year.

This event and others like it are the epitome of Gerald’s new direction in life. Marrying entertainment and social advocacy; forging new paths to raising awareness to some of the world’s most pressing issues.

What’s Next

While Gerald’s ultimate goal is to work for an entertainment company’s philanthropic foundation, he is still very active in his local community and committed to bringing fresh ideas to Arkansans across the state.

“Arkansas has so much untapped potential and I want everyone here to realize that we have all of the needed resources to stack up against ‘more notable’ cities across the US,” says Gerald.

Looking at Gerald’s rocket-fueled career trajectory, one can only imagine what his next move will be. Stay on the lookout for what’s to come.

Facing indifference from Governor Newsom, advocates race against time to save the lives of incarcerated people in CA state prisons 

SAN PEDRO, CA––Newsweek reports that more than a third of federally incarcerated people with coronavirus are now in one institution, Terminal Island Prison in Southern California. 

The Federal Board of Prisons (BOP) recorded a staggering 900% increase in coronaviruses cases this week. Criminal justice advocates have pummeled state authorities with unprecedented campaigns for mass releases since early March, warning that California’s state prison system and any adjacent communities are only weeks away from widespread, deadly COVID-19 outbreaks if urgent action is not taken to reduce prison populations. 

“Governor Newsom has done virtually nothing to protect the 118,000 people serving sentences in California prisons and the 37,000 people who work there,” said Amber-Rose Howard, Executive Director of Californians United for a Responsible Budget (CURB), a grassroots coalition of more than 80 organizations demanding the release of incarcerated people from prisons, jails and detention centers in the interest of public health. “It’s shocking to watch this preventable tragedy unfold,” said Ms. Howard. “By not authorizing vast clemencies and releases, our governor is allowing Californinas to face the deepest devastation during this pandemic. The right thing to do is so clear.”

Activists from California Coalition for Women Prisoners (CCWP), a CURB member organization, say they are in a race against time to prevent widespread illness and death for the most vulnerable prison populations. The group launched a new website this morning––CareNotCages.com––to support elderly and at-risk people in women’s prisons who are petitioning the Governor Newsom for clemency and immediate release. The first three women to appear on the site––Lucia Bravo, 82; Patricia Wright, 68; and Maria Aredondo, 67––all have been diagnosed with cancer. 

“It’s heartbreaking. These women present no risk to public safety. They’ve all been in prison more than 20 years. Two are grandmothers,” said Romarilyn Ralston, Project Director at Project Rebound and an advocate with CCWP. “They belong at home with their families, who are willing to care for them.” 

Governor Newsom received hundreds of applications for commutation months ago, including the womens’ applications, but has yet to respond. 

California is ready to partially reopen major sectors of its economy as early as this Friday, including retail shops and the manufacturers that supply them, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday. 

Clothing outlets, bookstores, florists and other merchants across the state will be allowed to offer curbside pickup as long as they obey physical distancing guidelines meant to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus. California companies that make clothing, furniture, toys, and other goods those retailers sell can also resume operations, with appropriate worker protections. 

“This is an optimistic day as we see a little ray of sunshine on the horizon,” said Newsom. 

While more details on which specific industries would be allowed to reopen won’t be available until Thursday, Newsom’s announcement marks the first major relaxing of the statewide shelter-in-place order he issued March 19 and the first time the governor has offered a specific date by which California can enter the second stage of the administration’s four-stage recovery plan.

CA is led by data and SCIENCE.

Based off our progress, we’ll begin to gradually move into Stage 2 this FRIDAY.

Some sectors where there’s a lower risk of transmission will be able to adapt & re-open with modifications.

This will include some retail and manufacturing/logistics.

— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) May 4, 2020

With COVID-19 hospitalization rates stabilizing, testing capacity improving and a sufficient inventory of personal protective equipment, Newsom said the state can begin the delicate dance of reopening its battered economy while trying to prevent a second major wave of infections. 

In a nod to growing pleas from more rural parts of the state less affected by the virus, Newsom’s plan allows individual counties to reopen restaurants and offices if local public health officials certify those plans as safe. But the governor cautioned the state would intervene if it suspected community transmission of the virus was reaching dangerous levels, referencing an unspecified “trigger” that would prompt state action. 

“To the extent that we start to see community spread, that we start to see that the certification and the commitments they made at the local level aren’t manifesting and they weren’t able to hold up…then the state can once again intervene,” he Newsom.

Counties could also opt to maintain stricter shelter-in-place orders than those proposed by the state, Newsom said, indicating some Bay Area counties may consider that approach. 

While picking up T-shirts outside an Old Navy or paperbacks outside a local bookseller may provide some Californians with a sliver of pre-pandemic normalcy, wide swaths of the day-to-day life will remain shuttered even under the updated shelter-in-place order, including gyms, hair salons, and movie theaters. Newsom did not indicate when he believed those enterprises, slated for “Stage 3” of the state’s plan, may reopen. 

And malls are specifically excluded from the kinds of retail businesses that would be allowed to start welcoming customers beginning Friday.

Yuba, Sutter and Modoc counties, all in relatively sparsely populated regions of the state, have already allowed the reopening of private gyms and some other businesses still not approved by the state. Newsom declined to answer whether he was planning to punish counties that moved too fast than the administration preferred. 

Key to the administration’s confidence it could reopen parts of California safely was a new initiative to create an “army” of coronavirus contact tracers–public health workers tasked with tracking down people exposed to the virus so they can safely self-isolate and prevent the disease from spreading. 

Newsom said a partnership with UCLA and UCSF will allow for online training of 3,000 new tracers a week, starting Wednesday, that will work for local public health agencies. Those workers will initially come from a pool of local and state government workers. 

CalMatters.org is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN to the Joe Biden campaign if he announces that he will appoint President Barack Obama as Attorney General on day one of his Presidency?

WHAT IF Biden names some of his Cabinet members prior to the election. Would a Biden Cabinet Dream Team help his candidacy?

WHAT DO YOU THINK will be the impact/effects of a Biden Cabinet Dream Team campaigning to ‘hit the ground running’?

 WHO DO YOU NOMINATE for what Cabinet position in the Biden Administration Cabinet Dream Team?

During The COVID-19 Crisis I choose to shelter and move cautiously. If you choose to gather and group, either to protest or work, I support your right to do so. I just request that you allow your movement to be contact tracked and your health be monitored so that science and the rest of us can benefit from your social experiment.

The National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) highest governing body announced last week that it is moving toward allowing student-athletes to receive compensation for endorsements and promotions. 

The NCAA’s Board of Governors says it now supports lifting longstanding restrictions on student-athletes that ban them from getting compensation for third-party endorsements both related to and separate from athletics. The new guidelines pave the way for college student-athletes around the country to earn compensation without affecting their scholarship eligibility. 

The board is also giving its consent for other student-athlete compensation opportunities, such as social media promotions, businesses ventures they have launched and personal appearances. But colleges and universities still cannot give student-athletes paychecks. 

“Throughout our efforts to enhance support for college athletes, the NCAA has relied upon considerable feedback from, and the enNCgagement of, our members, including numerous student-athletes, from all three divisions,” said Michael V. Drake, chair of the Board of Governors and president of Ohio State University. 

California state Sen. Steven Bradford (D-Gardena), who is African American, co-authored and introduced legislation last year that will give student-athletes in California the green light to earn money for endorsements and more while retaining their NCAA eligibility. Gov. Newsom signed the bill, Senate Bill 206 (SB 206), into law last fall. The first legislation of its kind in the United States, SB 206 will go into effect in January 2023. 

“I commend the NCAA governing board for their decision to allow college athletes the opportunity to monetize their name, image and likeness through sponsorships and endorsements,” Bradford said. “This is an issue that has been long debated, and its time has come.” 

Bradford and Sen. Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) co-authored SB 206, the Fair Pay to Play Act. Supporters of the policy say the California student-athlete law was the catalyst that put pressure on the NCAA. 

In a conversation with California Black Media, Bradford expressed some lingering concerns about how the country’s premier college sports institution will roll out its plan by the 2021-2022 school year. 

Bradford said, while he likes some changes the NCAA plans to implement, there are others he doesn’t care for, point out that a few key changes come with a litany of restraints. 

“I’m not fond of the fact they are going to try to limit how much a student 

can make per year. I think that should be dictated by the market and not by the university,” he said. 

In addition, Bradford says he has an issue with a proposal that would allow the NCAA to ask the U.S. Congress to side with colleges and universities in a decision that would reclassify student athletes as school employees. 

“The NCAA adding the Congress equation to the issue, Drake countered, is to 

build a legal and legislative landscape that would not undermine college sports and to meet the needs of college athletes as they pursue a higher-education degree. 

“We must continue to engage with Congress in order to secure the appropriate legal and legislative framework to modernize our rules around name, image and likeness,” Drake said. “We will do so in a way that underscores the Association’s mission to oversee and protect college athletics and college athletes.” 

The changes also prevent student-athletes from using schools’ team uniforms or logos for personal endorsements. These specific changes do not satisfy the student-athletes’ needs, Bradford said. 

Popular college student-athletes say their schools often sell sports merchandise that bears the athletes’ names or likeness. Under the new NCAA rules, universities can still cash in on selling items such as jerseys. 

“Some of these things are red flags to me,” Bradford told CBM. 

The NCAA is also setting up rules to ensure that sports agents and other representatives do not influence high school prospects to choose a school because it offers them prime benefits. 

But the athletes can hire sports agents and attorneys. 

“To be able to hire an agent or lawyer apart from the universities are good guidelines because we don’t want any conflicts between what might be university involvement and enticing an athlete to attend,” Bradford said. 

Since California laid the groundwork for other states to draft legislation similar to SB 206, New York, Illinois, Florida, and up to 10 other states have introduced their versions of “Fair Pay For Play” laws. 

Bradford and other supporters of California’s law and the NCAA’s new policy say African Americans college athletes sports have been getting raw deals while universities, coaches, and the NCAA itself walk away with fat pockets. 

The NCAA, a nonprofit institution, sets the rules for three collegiate sports divisions (Divisions I, II and III) and rakes in $1billion annually in revenues. Most of the money comes from lucrative television contracts with football and basketball coverage leading the way. 

After Gov. Newsom inked SB206, he said the compensation problem in college athletics is connected to “social justice.” Bradford agrees, calling it a “civil rights issue.” 

“Without a doubt,” Bradford said when he was asked if he still stood by his civil rights statement. “A majority of these athletes are people of color. And regardless of race, how do you discriminate against athletes versus any other students? If you’re a computer science major, on full scholarship, and develop an app, you can monetize it. But if you’re a college athlete you can’t monetize your name, image or likeness?” 

The Board of Governors are sending the recommendations to all three divisions. They should adopt the guidelines in January 2021. The rules will go into effect in the fall of the next year. 

Since California’s SB206 is less than three years away from becoming law, legislators in Sacramento are watching carefully how the NCAA will set the guidelines in motion. 

“As they say, the ‘devil is in the details,’” Bradford said. “As they are adding parts, Skinner and myself are going to closely monitor what the NCAA finally comes up with and what they approve. We are going to be watchdogs.”

For months, ESSENCE – the leading media, technology and commerce company serving Black women and communities – had planned an impressive schedule of activities and celebrations to launch in May 2020 in honor of its 50th anniversary.  Then, the COVID-19 global pandemic hit – with Black communities being most disproportionately impacted in the United States.  Still, demonstrating how it has been able to thrive for five decades, ESSENCE has continued with a relentless commitment and innovation in service to its community – providing critical content, digital and virtual offerings, a new streaming platform and more to inform, empower and inspire during these times. 

That same sense of purpose compelled ESSENCE to shift its 50^th anniversary strategy amidst the pandemic and launch its Golden Anniversary Collector’s Edition issue entirely remotely for the first time ever — paying homage to the incredible legacy of its community, while also capturing the current realities brought on by a global pandemic.  In honor of ESSENCE’s milestone year, iconic supermodel Naomi Campbell partnered with ESSENCE to grace the magazine’s first self-shot and styled cover.  In Campbell’s cover story, At Home With: Naomi Campbell, the supermodel prepares to celebrate her own milestone 50^th birthday later this month and takes readers inside her life with an intimate self-portrait during COVID-19 social isolation.  Using an iPhone, Campbell shot and styled all the photos herself — marking the first time she has ever photographed herself for a cover.

ESSENCE’s special Golden Anniversary issue also takes a look at some of the joys, pains, laughter, triumphs and stories that have impacted the Black community over the past half-century—including the novel coronavirus and its effects on the lives of Black women and the community at-large today.  Throughout this special edition, readers will be able to travel through time for some of the most inspiring, stirring and significant moments shaping and shaped by Black culture throughout ESSENCE’s 50 years—as well as look to what’s ahead, particularly post-COVID-19.  ESSENCE is also inviting its community into the coverage and conversation by sharing their own COVID-19 stories for ESSENCE.com.  Click here for details.

“Our nation and our world are enduring a crisis at a scale that our generation has never seen, but this time also reminds us of the power of our resilience, innovation and community – which have sustained ESSENCE for 50 years and will help ensure it thrives for the next 50 advancing global Black culture, economic inclusion and ownership,” said Richelieu Dennis, founder and chair of Essence Ventures, parent company of ESSENCE. “We could not be more excited to mark the 50th Anniversary of ESSENCE as a 100% Black-owned business that has not only revolutionized the publishing and media industries, but that has also become a cultural institution and home for Black women and communities globally.  Since its inaugural issue in May 1970, ESSENCE has expanded beyond the pages of a ground-breaking flagship magazine to multi-platform stages, experiences, and digital and brand extensions including the unparalleled ESSENCE Festival of Culture, ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood, ESSENCE.com, ESSENCE Studios, industry-recognized podcasts, television specials, books and more.  We have been able to do this because of our uncompromising focus on the evolving needs of our community and our community’s unyielding support of us.  While we have shifted the majority of the ESSENCE 50^th Anniversary activities and engagements to 2021, this incredible special collector’s edition issue marks the beginning of our milestone celebration of Black culture, community, achievement, progress and the work that remains to be done.”

Additional 50^th Anniversary Collector’s Edition editorial packages include:

• COVID-19 Essay Feature: ESSENCE editors share their personal journeys of adjusting to the new reality of social isolation in these challenging times.  Despite differing experiences, the essays have a common thread of what ESSENCE staff and the world are looking to for hope.

• ESSENCE Uncovered: 50 Years: ESSENCE compiles its most iconic covers along with an essay/timeline on its evolution over the last five decades. The package illustrates ESSENCE’s impact, as well as the impact of those whose stories graced its pages.

• Power—State of Black Women: By the Numbers: ESSENCE takes a deep dive into how Black women are doing and how their lives have changed over the last five decades across its key verticals—Fashion, Beauty, Culture, Power (News + Wealth) and Thrive (Lifestyle, Wellness + Love).

• Ageless Beauties: #ThisIs50: In this fan-favorite feature, ESSENCEinvites eight readers from across the nation who, like ESSENCE, are turning 50 this year for an exclusive photoshoot and beauty spread.

“For 50 years ESSENCE has showcased the brilliance, beauty, power and resilience of Black women, and now more than ever, in these unprecedented times, that is on display,” said MoAna Luu, ESSENCE Chief Content & Creative Officer.  “In our Golden Anniversary issue, we are taking the best of the past, bringing it to the present and showing what our future looks like beyond the pages.  By creating a meaningful multi-channel ecosystem that entertains with impact, we continue to reimagine ourselves to reach Black women everywhere and provide a seamless content experience across mobile, tablet, desktop and of course, our signature magazine.  At ESSENCE, our approach to what we do and how we serve is timeless – reflecting and celebrating our culture and telling the truth with open hearts and open minds.”

For more on the 50^th Anniversary Collector’s Edition/May-June issue, visit ESSENCE.com. 

SACRAMENTO – The California Department of Public Health today announced the most recent statistics on COVID-19. California now has 56,212 confirmed cases and 2,317 deaths.

Testing in California

As testing capacity continues to increase across the state, the California Department of Public Health is working to expand access to COVID-19 testing. Testing should be used for medical evaluation of persons with symptoms of COVID-19 as well as for efforts by public health agencies and essential employers to prevent and control the spread of COVID-19. Individuals prioritized for testing include:

• Hospitalized patients
• Symptomatic and asymptomatic healthcare workers, first responders, and other social service employees
• Symptomatic individuals age 65 and older or symptomatic individuals of any age with chronic medical conditions that increase the risk of severe COVID-19 illness
• Individuals who are tested as part of disease control efforts in high-risk settings
• Asymptomatic residents and employees of congregate living facilities when needed to prevent disease transmission
• Symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals in essential occupations such as grocery store and food supply workers, utility workers and public employees
• Other individuals with symptoms consistent with COVID-19

As of May 4, 779,902 tests have been conducted in California and reported to the California Department of Public Health. This represents an increase of 32,028 tests over the prior 24-hour reporting period. These numbers include data from commercial, private and academic labs, including Quest, LabCorp, Kaiser, University of California and Stanford, and the 25 state and county health labs currently testing. The Department is now reporting all tests reported in California, rather than the total number of individuals tested.

New Data Portal
The state has launched a new, user-friendly data portal at update.covid19.ca.gov that tracks COVID-19 cases statewide and by county, gender, age and ethnicity. The portal also outlines statewide hospitalizations and testing efforts. The data presented on the portal will be updated daily and will include additional information as it is available.

Racial Demographics – A More Complete Picture
The California Department of Public Health is committed to health equity and collecting more detailed racial and ethnic data that will provide additional understanding for determining future action. Health outcomes are affected by forces including structural racism, poverty and the disproportionate prevalence of underlying conditions such as asthma and heart disease among Latinos and African American Californians. Only by looking at the full picture can we understand how to ensure the best outcomes for all Californians.

The differences in health outcomes related to COVID-19 are most stark in COVID-19 deaths. We have nearly complete data on race and ethnicity for COVID-19 deaths, and we are seeing the following trends. Overall, for adults 18 and older, Latinos, African Americans and Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders are dying at disproportionately higher levels. The proportion of COVID-19 deaths in African Americans is about double their population representation across all adult age categories. For Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, overall numbers are low, but there is nearly a four-fold difference between the proportion of COVID-19 deaths and their population representation. More males are dying from COVID-19 than females, in line with national trends. More information is available at COVID-19 Race and Ethnicity Data.

Health Care Worker Infection Rates
As of May 4, local health departments have reported 6,167 confirmed positive cases in health care workers and 33 deaths statewide.

How People Can Protect Themselves
Every person has a role to play. Protecting yourself and your family comes down to common sense: 

• Staying home except for essential needs/activities
• Practicing social distancing.
• Washing hands with soap and water for a minimum of 20 seconds.
• Avoiding touching eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands.
• Covering a cough or sneeze with your sleeve, or disposable tissue. Wash your hands afterward.
• Avoiding close contact with people who are sick.
• Staying away from work, school or other people if you become sick with respiratory symptoms like fever and cough.
• Following guidance from public health officials.

What to Do if You Think You’re Sick
Call ahead: If you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 (fever, cough or shortness of breath), call your health care provider before seeking medical care so that appropriate precautions can be taken.

For more information about what Californians can do to prevent the spread of COVID-19, visit covid19.ca.gov.

California continues to issue guidance on preparing and protecting California from COVID-19. Consolidated guidance is available on the California Department of Public Health’s Guidance web page.???

www.cdph.ca.gov

Does California have a “legacy of unequal treatment” of minorities and women? That’s language from Assembly Constitutional Amendment 5 (ACA-5) introduced by Assemblymember Dr. Shirley Weber (D-San Diego) and Assemblymember Mike Gipson (D-Carson). Members of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) want their colleagues in the legislature to consider that question and examine whether affirmative action is the right response for redressing that history of inequality. 

The Opportunity for All Coalition is a group that has formed in support of ACA-5, which would repeal Proposition 209. 

In 1996 voters passed the controversial amendment to the state constitution. It banned discrimination or preferential treatment based on race or gender in public education, employment, and contracting. 

“It’s been 24 years — 24 long years — since Prop. 209 was promoted as a civil rights initiative,” said Weber. 

On May 1, the Opportunity for All Coalition held a virtual seminar. More than 100 people logged on to take part in a discussion about the ethnic disparities of the COVID-19 crisis. Coalition member and the Chair of the California State Board of Equalization, Malia Cohen, said data revealing that communities of color are disproportionately impacted by the coronavirus crisis highlights inequities in society and the need for affirmative action. A recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report confirmed that death rates for African Americans and Latinos “were substantially higher than that of white” people. 

Coalition member Vincent Pan is the Co-Executive Director of Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA). During the discussion he referenced recently-released California Department of Public Health (CDPH) data that showed Pacific Islanders and Native Hawaiians are also dying at a higher rate than their representation in the population. CDPH numbers show, as of April 30, 2,073 people have died in California from COVID-19. 

Coalition members said Proposition 209 exacerbated disparities. While people from communities of color are more likely to be hospitalized for the virus, they’re 

less likely to have healthcare coverage and more likely to work essential service jobs. ACA-5 supporters also said this population is less likely to have access to public job opportunities, and women and small business owners who are Black or from other minority groups are less likely to earn government contracts. “Proposition 209 cost women- and minority-owned businesses $1.1 billion each year,” Weber said in a written statement. 

Prop. 209’s impact on admission at California’s most competitive public universities has remained a flashpoint in public debate about the policy. Ethnic minority groups have mobilized on both sides “… with the intent to divide the various ethnic communities to fight over the scraps at the University of California,” said Weber at the March 10 press conference announcing ACA-5. 

The movement against reestablishing affirmative action in the state is also virtual. “No On ACA-5″ is the name of a Change.org petition being circulated by a Silicon Valley-based Asian American group that campaigned to block past repeal efforts in 2014. As of May 2, more than 22,000 people have signed the petition. One supporter wrote that “race-based” policies are “unconstitutional” and are not fair to Asians. The Asian American Coalition for Education (AACE) used similar language in a press release encouraging Californians to join the fight. The national organization known for accusing Harvard University of discriminating against Asians wrote: “ACA-5 will surely result in racial discrimination against Asian Americans in California.” 

Groups opposed to ACA-5 argue that race-conscious policies favoring other groups take opportunities away from qualified Asian American students. In a written statement, the Opportunity for All Coalition said the state’s ban on affirmative action hurts everyone, citing a decrease in college-educated workers and lost wages. 

“We can’t have shared success without shared opportunities to get ahead,” The Opportunity for All statement read. “We refuse to let the rich and powerful use race and lies to divide us when so much is at stake. We’re not going to rebuild a stronger California unless we come together to end discrimination and ensure real equal opportunity for all.” 

The number of Asian students enrolled in the University of California (UC) system increased in the absence of affirmative action. While post Prop 209, Black, Latino, and Native American enrollment at UCLA and UC Berkeley dropped by 60 percent. The same UC Institutional Research and Academic Planning report found an overall decline in diversity. 

Race-neutral programs targeting students from disadvantaged communities have helped to increase enrollment for some minority groups. The number of Latino students also increased as the population grew statewide. Still, African American enrollment at the UCs hasn’t rebounded. In the fall of 2019, Black students made up 3.8% of the student body systemwide. Asian students made up 36% while accounting for about 15% of the state population. 

UC research also finds a denial letter can derail a student’s life trajectory. Applicants shut out of UCs are less likely to earn a degree or high wages. This might help to explain some of the emotion driving the dispute that has gone before the nation’s highest court. The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld the use of affirmative action in college admissions only to achieve diversity. The Court also ruled that race cannot be the deciding factor in admission. California is one of eight states that has barred affirmative action altogether. 

Opponents of the ban argue affirmative action is not preferential treatment. Instead, they say, it removes barriers. Supporters of ACA-5 say, in the absence of affirmative action, historically excluded groups are denied opportunities for upward mobility. They argue public organizations should reflect the communities they serve — and point to data that shows that diverse environments foster understanding and respect for others. 

Though less often discussed, Prop. 209 has impacted public contracts and hiring for nearly a quarter of a century. “This law served as an impediment to state contracting, hiring and legislative policies addressing economic and social disparities experienced by women and people of color,” said Weber. One example is the state’s efforts to increase the number of Black and Latino teachers to address the achievement gap between Black and Latino students and their white and Asian peers. 

In a statement appealing to Asian American business owners, CAA wrote, “repealing Proposition 209 would unlock billions of dollars in economic opportunities for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) small business owners. In cities where affirmative action is legal, like Chicago or Atlanta, AAPI-owned businesses earn much more in public contracts than in San Francisco or Los Angeles.” 

In addition to virtual meetings, the Opportunity for All Coalition is encouraging supporters to tweet Assemblymembers Ken Cooley (D-Rancho Cordova), Freddie Rodriguez (D-Pomona) and Patrick O’Donnell (D-Long Beach) to encourage the Democratic lawmakers to vote for ACA-5. It would take a two-thirds majority vote to repeal Proposition 209. 

Opponents are working to stop the bill in its tracks. The campaign against affirmative action includes drumming up support mostly online and encouraging people to contact their state representatives. 

Organizers on both sides say they’re fighting for equality. ACA-5 is set to be discussed Tuesday May 5 in committee when the state Assembly reopens for sessions this week. If the constitution amendment passes and meets all requirements by June 25, voters could once again have a chance to weigh in on a ballot measure in November that decides whether affirmative action is the right answer for California.

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Due to the statewide stay-at-home order and guidance on physical distancing, seating for this hearing will be very limited for press and for the public.  All are encouraged to watch the hearing from its live stream on the Assembly’s website at 10:00 a.m. https://www.assembly.ca.gov/todaysevents.

Via New York Post

Some Americans could be suffering from “quarantine fatigue” and leaving home to go out more frequently, according to a new report.

A study by the Maryland Transportation Institute at the University of Maryland showed a subtle shift toward people making more outdoor trips – ones expected to rise with some states starting to reopen, according to The Washington Post.

The study tracks more than 100 million people monthly using “privacy-protected data from mobile devices.”

The study had noted six weeks of the staying-home percentage increasing or holding steady – until April 17, when the numbers staying home dropped from 33 percent to 31 percent, the report says.

Although a small change, it is statistically significant because the sample size is so large, lead researcher Lei Zhang told The Washington Post.

“We saw something we hoped wasn’t happening, but it’s there,” Zhang told the paper. “It seems collectively we’re getting a little tired. It looks like people are loosening up on their own to travel more.”

Dr. Wilbur Chen, an associate professor at the university’s School of Medicine, told the paper that it is too soon to know whether the findings are the start of an ongoing trend or just a one-week blip.

Researchers also won’t know for weeks whether the change has any impact on the contagion spreading, he said.

“If people are out and about, there’s more risk of transmission, and when there’s transmission, you have more cases of hospitalizations and deaths,” Chen told the paper.

By Lou Yeboah

Ain’t that ‘bout a pickle. You have sown the seeds of your own destruction. I tell you, you ought to mimic Paul approach to sin: “All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful.” You see, the disillusionment of sin always promise far more than it delivers. Sin is a yoke of bondage, an enslavement that holds you, hostage. An entanglement that wraps itself around your very soul and hijacks your identity. Sin kills and destroys everything it touches. This is the purpose behind everything Satan does. Jesus said, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, to kill, and to destroy.” You can’t dabble in sin without being swept away.  Sin will cause you to hook, line, and sinker. Sin is divisive, deceptive, destructive and deadly. Sin thrill, then it kills. Sin fascinates, then it assassinates. Sin always destroys lives, both for time and eternity. Scripture constantly reminds us of this truth. Sin ain’t no joke!

Listen, Satan is the enemy of our soul,  he doesn’t give a cramp about us. He is not our friend. Satan is a con artist and he will con you straight to Hell. He has been seducing for years and the results have always been the same. He seduced Adam and Eve and the result was the fall of mankind.  He seduced King David and the result was the death of his son and the division of his kingdom. He seduced Judas Iscariot and the result was the betrayal of Jesus and Judas committing suicide. He seduced Ananias and Sapphira and the result was that they dropped dead. He tried to seduce Jesus and the result was the destruction of the Devil himself. Jesus forever proved that Satan could be defeated and that man did not have to bow down to his seduction. You can be victorious against the seduction of Satan. 

You see, I also once were foolish myself, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending my life in malice and envy. As an unbeliever, I was the pawn of Satan, under his dominion, carrying out his dictates. I was unaware of this because he controlled me through the influence of the world and the flesh.  But now that I have been born again, in Christ I have been raised from my dead state spiritually to newness of life. And because of this, I am to renounce to the world and its dominion over us. We are to “put off” fleshly things and “put on” the things of the Spirit. Even, though the power of sin seems so strong at times, the tug, the pull, the pressure, the battle, the struggle. Even though it can get to the point where it seems and feels overwhelming. You must put forth effort to do what is right.  Do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. Sin shall not be your master….” Romans 6:12-14.

Jesus said that He has come to set the captives free. Sin doesn’t have the power to hold you prisoner. God has broken the chains. It’s what Jesus had in mind when he cried those last words on the cross: “It is Finished!” God’s will is for you to overcome.  You can be free from bondage by admitting your sin to God and giving Him control of your life through Jesus Christ. Only He can untangle you from the tangled web of sin that you have weaved. In Christ, you are no longer a slave to sin. Nor are you a servant to its power or choke-hold. Your body belongs to Christ. You are His treasure, He has paid for you with His Blood. He has set You free. Out of bondage comes freedom. Out of surrender comes victory. Submit yourself until the Lord and be free!

Some sat in darkness, in utter darkness, prisoners suffering in iron chains… Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress. He brought them out of darkness, the utter darkness, and broke away their chains. Let them give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for mankind, for He breaks down gates of bronze and cuts through bars of iron. — Psalm 107:10, Psalm 107:13-16