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Election 2020: Results Show California May Not Be That Liberal After All

By Quinci LeGardye | California Black Media 

California’s unofficial 2020 proposition results have shown an electorate that is fairly moderate, supportive of business interests and concerned about issues affecting older citizens.

It also showed that there is limited support for progressive policies. Initiatives a majority of African Americans and young Californians supported such as affirmative action and rent control also fell short. 

Prop 16, the ballot initiative to reinstate affirmative action programs in California, failed with 56 % of voters voting no. The proposition would have allowed public universities and state and local governments to consider race, sex, ethnicity and national origin in their hiring, contracting or admission decisions. Although supporters of the proposition argued that it would increase racial equity in the state, it faced heavy opposition. With the no vote, affirmative action is still banned in California.

The most recent attempt at rent control also failed, with 60 % of voters rejecting Prop 21. The initiative would have allowed local governments to enact rent control on housing built over 15 years ago, while exempting landlords who own no more than two properties. Instead, California’s statewide ban on new forms of rent control will stay in effect, at a time when millions of Americans are struggling with rent or facing eviction due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

After months of high spending and heated debate, Proposition 22 passed with over eight million yes votes, as of Nov. 8. Gig economy companies including Uber, Lyft and DoorDash are now exempt from AB 5, the California law that classifies workers. The companies will be allowed to continue classifying their drivers as independent contractors.

The Yes on 22 campaign received over $202 million in contributions, making Prop 22 the most expensive ballot initiative campaign in California history. According to Ballotpedia, the top five donors for Yes on 22 were Uber, DoorDash, Lyft, InstaCart and Postmates, with Uber and Lyft spending over $50 million each.

Voters also struck down Prop 23, which would have required dialysis clinics to have at least one licensed physician on site during treatment. Opponents of the proposition had argued that the ballot initiative’s passage would force multiple clinics to reduce hours or shut down due to the increased hiring costs.

Voters said no to rolling back previous criminal justice reforms, rejecting Prop 20 by the widest margin, with 62 percent of voters voting no on upgrading several crimes to violent felonies and upgrading some theft crimes to be chargeable as either misdemeanors or felonies.

Voters also rejected replacing money bail with a risk assessment system, with 55 % voting no on Prop 25. Although it was billed as an attempt at serious bail reform, multiple social justice groups had concerns that the risk assessment system would lead to increased racial profiling against Black and Brown suspects awaiting trial.

Two propositions this year focused on voter rights. Prop 17 passed with 59 % of yes votes, giving parolees the right to vote upon release from incarceration. With Prop 17’s passage, tens of thousands of predominately Black and Brown parolees have regained their voting rights. However, Prop 18 fell short, with 55 % of voters saying no to allowing 17-year-olds to vote in primaries if they turn eighteen by the next general election.

In both of this year’s propositions related to property taxes, voters resisted tax increases. Prop 15, which proposed an increase on property taxes for commercial properties to fund education and local governments, failed by a margin of about 425,000 votes as of Nov. 8. Prop 19 passed, with 51 % of the vote approving tax breaks for property tax assessment transfers for homeowners over 55 years old, people with severe disabilities and victims of natural disasters.

Voters approved Prop 24, to strengthen the California Consumer Privacy Act and establish and limit the use of sensitive consumer data among businesses. Also, Prop 14 passed, approving the issue of $5.5 billion in state bonds to fund stem cell and other medical research.

Letter to the Editor: A Huge Victory – and More Work to Do

By Ben Jealous

After four exhausting years of President Donald Trump and four excruciating days of vote counting, the election was called for President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris on Saturday. Hallelujah! 

Those days of counting felt agonizingly slow to many of us, but the momentum was always on our side: Democratic voters—mostly Black voters—in and around Philadelphia, Detroit, Milwaukee and Atlanta delivered the battleground state votes needed to deny Trump a second term. In Nevada and Arizona, Latino and Native American voters provided crucial votes. 

News that Pennsylvania put Biden over the top sparked dancing in the streets and tears of joy in many households. So did the sight of Kamala Harris making her historic appearance as our next vice president—the first woman, first Black woman, first South Asian woman, to be elected to the White House.

In his speech Saturday night, Joe Biden made it clear that he understands how much he owes to Black folks. “The African American community stood up again for me,” he said. “They always have my back, and I’ll have yours.”

We will all need to help Biden make good on that commitment with policies that address our communities’ needs. There’s a lot to do. 

We need a more effective response to COVID-19 pandemic and its particularly hard impact on the health and economic well-being of people of color. 

We need a vision and a plan for an economy that does not leave Black communities behind, an economy where opportunity is widely available and prosperity is widely shared—not one that strips wealth out of middle-class and lower-income families and funnels it to the richest people in the world.

We need to eliminate voter suppression strategies—and resist ongoing efforts by Trump and his allies to delegitimize and overturn his decisive defeat.

We need to confront the systemic racism that leads to police killings of Black men, women, and children—killings for which justice far too often is delayed and denied.

We need to address the corruption of our federal court system by Trump and Senate Republicans and the hard-right judges they have spent four years packing into our federal courts, which we can no longer count on to uphold our constitutional and civil rights. 

All those jobs will be made so much harder if Republicans maintain control of the Senate. The unprincipled obstructionist Republican leader Mitch McConnell has turned that half of Congress into a graveyard for legislation the American people need to advance the vision of a more just society for which we just voted.

So, we have work to do, right now, in Georgia, where two U.S. Senate races are headed for runoffs in early January. Both races feature corrupt, Trump-enabling Republicans who represent the worst kind of politician. Both are being challenged by smart, progressive Democrats who will help Biden and Harris achieve good things for the American people. 

Those victories in Georgia are achievable, largely in part to the brilliant organizing work of my dear friend Stacey Abrams. She responded to her own unjust defeat in Georgia’s race for governor in 2018 by leading a coalition that registered hundreds of thousands of new voters and turned the state blue this year. 

She believes Democrats can absolutely win the Senate runoffs, and that the outcome of those races will help determine whether we have access to health care and access to justice in the U.S. The excellent Democratic candidates, Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, need and deserve all the support we can give them.

Defeating Trump and electing Joe Biden and Kamala Harris was a huge victory. Let’s celebrate, get a good night’s sleep or a long nap, and get back to work.

In Memory of Gospel Legend Rance Allen

One of gospel biggest icons passed on October 31. 71-year-old Rance Allen, leader of The Rance Allen Group died recently while recovering from a “medical condition” at Heartland ProMedica in Sylvania, Ohio.

Discovered by a Stax Records promotion man, Rance Allen and his brothers Thomas and Steve were signed after appearing in a Detroit talent show. He co-founded the Rance Allen Group with his brothers in Detroit in 1969. He was the lead vocalist and was known for his powerful voice.

An eight-time Grammy nominee, Allen had grown up in the shadow of Motown, recorded for Stax and been influenced by Chuck Berry, but his songs were always a deeply profound and fervent expression of his religious faith.

The Rance Allen Group combined rock and soul with gospel music to create a crossover sound. They had a top 30 R&B hit in 1978 with “I Belong to You.” And “Ain’t No Need of Crying” was one of their most successful and popular hits. In 1998, the Rance Allen Group were inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame. Allen was nominated for a Grammy in 2009 for best gospel performance for the song “I Understand,” which featured Mariah Carey and Bebe Winans. He sang at the White House in 2015 for President Barack Obama.

Allen born in Monroe, Michigan was a longtime Toledo, Ohio resident and most recently bishop for Church of God in Christ for the Michigan Northwestern Harvest Jurisdiction.

Rance Allen is survived by his wife of 49 years Ellen Allen. They had no children together.

Discovered by a Stax Records promotion man, Rance Allen and his brothers Thomas and Steve were signed after appearing in a Detroit talent show. He co-founded the Rance Allen Group with his brothers in Detroit in 1969. He was the lead vocalist and was known for his powerful voice.

An eight-time Grammy nominee, Allen had grown up in the shadow of Motown, recorded for Stax and been influenced by Chuck Berry, but his songs were always a deeply profound and fervent expression of his religious faith.

The Rance Allen Group combined rock and soul with gospel music to create a crossover sound. They had a top 30 R&B hit in 1978 with “I Belong to You.” And “Ain’t No Need of Crying” was one of their most successful and popular hits. In 1998, the Rance Allen Group were inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame. Allen was nominated for a Grammy in 2009 for best gospel performance for the song “I Understand,” which featured Mariah Carey and Bebe Winans. He sang at the White House in 2015 for President Barack Obama.

Allen born in Monroe, Michigan was a longtime Toledo, Ohio resident and most recently bishop for Church of God in Christ for the Michigan Northwestern Harvest Jurisdiction.

Rance Allen is survived by his wife of 49 years Ellen Allen. They had no children together.

Barack and Michelle Obama and Others, Congratulate President-Elect Joe Biden, and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris

By Derek Major

Former Vice President Joe Biden has now become President-Elect after being named the projected winner of the 2020 presidential election. Supporters were quick to show their support.

“Finally, I want to thank everyone who worked, organized and volunteered for the Biden campaign, every American who got involved in their own way and everybody who voted for the first time,” Obama wrote. “I know it can be exhausting, but for this democracy to endure, it requires our active citizenship and sustained focus on the issues—not just in an election season, but all the days in between.”

Biden was declared the winner Saturday morning, after days of ballot counting, protests, and Donald Trump’s wildly false claims about election fraud. Biden won states on both coasts, including Washington, California, Oregon, and Nevada as well as New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and New Jersey. But it was the states in the middle of the country that made the difference. Biden and Harris also took Minnesota, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin, the last two of which flipped from Republican.

The former first lady also congratulated Biden and his wife, Jill, as well as Harris and her husband Douglas Emhoff.

“I’m beyond thrilled that my friend @JoeBiden and our first Black and Indian-American woman Vice President, @KamalaHarris, are headed to restore some dignity, competence, and heart at the White House. Our country sorely needs it,” the former first lady wrote on Twitter.

Hillary and Bill Clinton also expressed their congratulations to Biden’s and Harris for winning the White House.

“America has spoken and democracy has won,” tweeted former President Bill Clinton, less than an hour after the Associated Press officially called the election for Biden after receiving the 270 electoral college votes necessary. Hillary Clinton wrote “It’s a history-making ticket, a repudiation of Trump, and a new page for America.”

CNN reported Sunday Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) both called and congratulated Joe Biden on his election victory. They were the only two Republicans to express their support to Biden and Harris.

Congress Approves Medal of Honor for Army Sergeant Who Dragged Comrades from Burning Vehicle

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — After a 15-year effort by his family and members of Congress, the U.S. Senate on Tuesday passed a bill authorizing a posthumous Medal of Honor for U.S. Army Sgt. First Class Alwyn Cashe.

Introduced by U.S. Reps. Stephanie Murphy (D-Fla.), Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas) and Michael Waltz (R-Fla.), the bill waives a federal law that requires a Medal of Honor be awarded within five years of the actions that prompted it.

The House of Representatives passed it on Sept. 22, but its momentum slowed while Senate Republicans were focused on Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s confirmation process. The bill will go to the White House to be signed into law. It permits the Department of Defense to waive the five-year rule for Cashe.

Cashe died on Nov. 8, 2005, from injuries he sustained while rescuing his fellow soldiers from a vehicle destroyed by an Improvised Explosive Device in Iraq.

“I am so grateful the Senate passed our bill to pave the way for the President to award Alwyn Cashe the Medal of Honor,” said Murphy, who represents the Sanford, Fla., and Oviedo Fla., communities where Cashe was born and raised.

“We are now very close to recognizing this unbelievably heroic soldier, who died saving his men, with our nation’s highest award for combat valor, which he earned beyond a shadow of a doubt.”

Cashe Family with Rep. Stephanie Murphy: SFC Cashe’s son, Andrew, a newly minted Army infantryman, poses in front of a memorial plaque with Cashe’s sister, Kasinal Cashe White, and Rep. Stephanie Murphy (D-Fla.) at the renaming of the Oviedo Post Office. (Courtesy of Rep. Murphy’s Office)

Murphy’s co-sponsors were effusive after the bill cleared the Senate on the eve of Veterans Day.

“We are one step closer to properly recognizing Sergeant First Class Alwyn Cashe for his bravery in risking his own life to save his fellow soldiers,” said Crenshaw, a former Navy SEAL. “He is deserving of the Medal of Honor, our nation’s highest military award for bravery on the battlefield, and we urge President [Donald] Trump to quickly sign our bill into law to make sure that happens.”

“It’s not every day you read an extraordinary story like Alwyn Cashe’s,” Waltz, a former Army Special Forces officer, said. “His bravery in the face of danger has inspired so many already, and this is a significant step forward to properly recognize him for his heroism.”

Cashe will be the 91st African American serviceman to receive the Medal of honor.

The long, hard road to now

Cashe was born on July 13, 1970, the youngest of a blended family of 18 children. He is remembered by his sister as a “rambunctious, spoiled, somewhat bad kid” with a passion for the outdoors.

“He was very outdoorsy,” said Kasinal Cashe White, 62, a registered nurse in Tallahassee, Fla. “His favorite times were when he had a gun on his hip or a fishing pole in his hands.”

For more than 15 years, Cashe family and members of Congress have lobbied for a posthumous Medal of Honor. (Courtesy of the U.S. Army)

After graduating from Oviedo High in 1988, Cashe enlisted in the U.S. Army, where, as an infantryman, he served tours of duty in the 1991 Gulf War and during the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

On Oct. 17, 2005, acting as a platoon sergeant for 1st Platoon, Alpha Company, Cashe, and his troops embarked on a mission to clear a route in the city of Daliaya.

According to Military Times reports, Cashe was in the lead Bradley Fighting Vehicle when it struck an Improvised Explosive Device, rupturing the vehicle’s fuel cell, covering him in fuel, and causing the Bradley to engulf into flames.

While ablaze and under heavy gunfire from insurgents, Cashe rescued six soldiers from the burning vehicle, returning multiple times and refusing medical assistance until everyone was pulled from the burning wreckage.

At the end of the skirmish, an interpreter was killed in action, with 10 soldiers wounded, seven severely.

Cashe was flown to a medical facility in Germany after having 72% of his body severely burned before being transported to Brooke Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, where he ultimately succumbed to his wounds.

When the news of her brother’s incident first came to light, White thought little of it.

“I was told that Al had been hurt,” she said. “My sister, Bernadine, told me he’d been in an accident, so I thought maybe he broke his leg.”

During her commute from her then-Lake Butler, Fla., home to Gainesville, Fla., where she was working as an intensive care nurse, she received another call: the description of his condition was downgraded from “hurt” to “wounded.”

“Now, you’ve got my full attention,” she said. “I was routed to the doctor in Iraq that told me Al had been burned and was in critical condition. That’s not a term that’s used loosely. All I could think was, ‘please don’t let my brother die. Send him home to me.’”

The fog of war made initial reports of the action sketchy. Unaware of how badly wounded Cashe was and the extent of his heroism, mainly performing a rescue while taking on enemy gunfire, his battalion commander at the time, now-Lt. Gen. Gary Brito, nominated Cashe for the Silver Star.

Along with a Purple Heart, that award was presented to Cashe’s mother outside his hospital room, where he lay fatally wounded.

Meanwhile, the hospital staff provided Cashe’s sister with more details of his actions on that fateful day in Daliaya.

“They were telling me that my brother was a hero, but, in the U.S., that’s a word we throw around a lot,” said White. “But, I did my research and concluded that my brother deserved a Medal of Honor.”

After getting the “run-around” from former Sen. Bill Nelson and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who both claimed they could not aid in her efforts to upgrade Cashe’s Silver Star to a Medal of Honor, Rep. Murphy took up the mantle.

The U.S. Senate on Tuesday passed a bill to authorize a posthumous Medal of Honor award for U.S. Army St. First Class Alwyn Cashe. (Photo: U.S. Army)

“She called me and said, ‘Ms. White, I’ve been reading your brother’s story, and I can’t believe a Florida citizen did this, and there’s not a building named after him. I will support you,’” said White.

On July 14, 2014, a new Army Reserve Center in Sanford, Florida got Cashe’s name. The Oviedo, Florida post office was renamed in his honor in May 2019.

Buoyed by additional statements provided to the Army by Brito to justify upgrading Cashe’s award to a Silver Star, Murphy, Waltz, and Crenshaw reached out to Secretary of Defense Mark Esper last fall to formally request the upgrade.

“After giving the nomination careful consideration, I agree that SFC Cashe’s actions merit award of the Medal of Honor,” Esper responded in a letter to Waltz on Aug. 24.

“However, 10 U.S.C. § 7274 requires that the Medal of Honor be awarded ‘within five years after the date of the act justifying the award.’ Before we can take further action with this nomination, Congress must waive this time limit. Once legislation is enacted authorizing the President of the United States to award, if he so chooses, the Medal of Honor to SFC Cashe, I will provide my endorsement to the President.”

After skepticism born of a decade and a half of trying, White said she is elated at the news.

“My heart is overjoyed. We now have passed the Senate, which means we have full support,” she said. “This means more than you’ll ever know because now all we need is for the president to sign off on the endorsement, and my brother, Sgt. First Class Alwyn C. Cashe, will finally get the medal he deserves, our nation’s highest honor.”

(Edited by Daniel Kucin Jr. and David Matthew)



The post Congress Approves Medal of Honor for Army Sergeant Who Dragged Comrades from Burning Vehicle appeared first on Zenger News.

“When You Understand That There Is Nothing and I Mean ABSOLUTELY NOTHINGThat Can Happen ?Unless I Allow It ? You Will Be Alright!”

By Lou Yeboah

Mad because the affairs of man did not turn out the way you wanted them too. Who do you think you are? Listen, and listen good. ALL existing authority is set up by Me. [Romans 13:1]. There is no authority except from Me, and those that exist have been placed there by Me. I tell you, when you understand that there is nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing that can happen unless I allow it, you will be alright. For I am God and God all by myself! And let me just say this, if you resist the authorities whom I have appointed, you will incur judgment. You better know that you know! For it is I, who declare how things turn out long before they ever happen. For it is I, who declare not just natural events, but human events. I rule the kingdom of men and give it to whom I will. [Daniel 4:32]. I plan and govern all things, not you. [Isaiah 46:8-11]. It is I, who declare the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done. It is I, who removes kings and set up kings. [Daniel 2:21]. I tell you, when you understand that there is nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing that can happen, unless I allow it, you will be alright.” My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all My purposes. “For the earth is Mines and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.” [Psalm 24:1]. EVERYTHING is subject to My command. Nothing can take place without My sanctioning it. If you will only grasp this truth and comprehend that fact, you will stop worrying about a lot of things because absolutely nothing happens without My permission. Even the devil has to seek My permission.  Know that I will use anything and anyone of My choosing to fulfill My divine purpose. [Job 1:6, 12; 2:6] [John 19:11].  “For no plan of Mine can be thwart.” [Job 42:2].

I want you to know that EVERYTHING in the universe is either caused by God or allowed by God. Nothing ever “just happens” and nothing is caused by someone or something outside of God’s control. Whatever is happening to us is part of the working of God’s plan. God is at work in all things at all times to accomplish His will in the universe. He does whatever pleases Him. And He will ALWAYS have the final say! [Ephesians 1:11].

“Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.” [Proverbs 16:33; 19:21].

I believe “all Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness…” [2 Timothy 3:16, 17.] and that includes the text in [Romans 13

Who Was Voting How? (Part I)

By Charles Ellison via b | e note

The 2020 American Election Eve Poll, a 15,000-sample sized election eve poll that will provide the most accurate information about the 2020 vote choices and motivations of Latino, African American, Asian American/Pacific Islander, and Native American voters, released its first collection of select national findings. 

Sifting through that data, some interesting findings to highlight. 

First: Race and the 2016 Vote

Before we get into these 2020 findings, it’s useful to look at the 2016 exit polls in terms of the racial demographics, particularly those broke down by gender and age.

Now back to 2020 … 

The Black Vote

This is the total Black Vote …

Black Men Vote … 

Black Women Vote …

And young, Gen Z/Millennial Black voters showing the second largest cut of Black voters going for Trump compared to other cross tabs … 

Along with Black Independents showing a rather significant shift towards Trump … 

The White Vote 

This is the total White vote … 

This is White men … 

And here we see that, at least according to this poll, White women in 2020 are nearly voting the exact same way they did in 2016 … 

Interestingly enough, slightly more White voters age 60+ voted for Biden … 

… Than White GenZ and Millennial White voters … 

COVID-19 infections seemed to make little difference to White voters who experienced it … 

 Biden won slightly more White independents, however … 

The Latino Vote … 

Here is the total Latino Vote – four percentage points more for the Democrat than in 2016 … 

There is a slightly larger share of Latino men voting for the Democrat than Trump, but still significantly more Latino men voting for Trump than Black men … 

Significantly more Latino women voting for Biden than Trump – more Latino women for the Democrat in 2020 than 2016 … 

Older Latino voters, however, showing the most inclination to support Biden than any other group within the Latino voting bloc … 

Low-income/working class Latinos show the strongest support for Trump among all income groups …

And huge differences in Biden vs. Trump support among Mexicans …

            Puerto Ricans … 

            And Cubans … 

People in Prison Can Receive $1,200 Stimulus Payments

By Quinci LeGardye | California Black Media 

The first round of economic impact payments funded by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, or the CARES Act, has been opened to a new group of Americans. 

Incarcerated individuals can now apply to receive their stimulus payments of up to $1200. 

According to a June report from the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), the IRS initially sent nearly 85,000 payments, totaling about $100 million, to incarcerated individuals. After the report raised concerns about the payments, the IRS decided that payments to incarcerated people were not allowed under the CARES Act and ordered that the payments sent should be returned. 

Then a class-action lawsuit was filed. Lawyers argued that denying the payments solely based on an individual’s incarcerated status was against the law. The language of the CARES Act does not explicitly say that incarcerated individuals cannot receive payments. 

On Sept. 24, Judge Phyllis Hamilton of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California ordered the Treasury Department and the IRS to reverse the decision. The previously rescinded stimulus payments now have to be returned to the incarcerated individuals. 

On Oct. 14, Hamilton also ordered the IRS to extend the deadline for incarcerated individuals covered by the lawsuit to file paperwork to receive the money to Nov. 4. People covered by the lawsuit who did not file a 2018 or 2019 tax return will have to submit a postmarked simplified Form 1040 paper return by Nov. 4 to receive the stimulus payment. 

The IRS also extended the online deadline to register for a stimulus payment for people who don’t typically file a tax return to Nov. 21. 

According to the IRS website, the government is working on an appeal to the decision. “The government has filed an appeal and request to stay the preliminary injunction. Any updates regarding the appeal will be posted on this webpage,” the IRS states. 

Under the CARES Act, stimulus payments must be made by Dec. 31. People will still have an opportunity to get the stimulus funds next year, but they won’t receive the money until they file their 2020 tax return. 

Information on how to help an incarcerated person file for a stimulus payment is available at caresactprisoncase.org. The website includes directions on where to mail the simplified return, as well as a sample Form 1040 with instructions on where to add the incarcerated individual’s personal corrections number to ensure payment is sent to the right place.

Black Employees Say Racism is Rife at Cal Air Resources Board

By Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media

Mary Nichols, an influential California attorney known and respected in environmental policy circles across the United States, is finding herself at the center of racial storm brewing at home.  

Black employees say racism is widespread at the California Air Resources Board (CARB), the organization Nichols chairs.  

In September, African American employees hit CARB with a 13-page letter alleging that they have been experiencing racism – widespread, routine and systemic, they point out – at the air-pollution and climate agency.? 

The “Concerned Black Employees at CARB (CBE CARB),” the Black group that submitted the letter, says its members have been the target of cynical comments at the organization and that they have been excluded from promotions, and have had to face other atrocities because of the color of their skin. 

The letter details discriminatory hiring practices, incidents of intimidation, low representation of Black employees, and a general lack of support. CARB, the letter alleges, has a total of 1627 employees and only 73 of them are Black. Only one African American has held an executive position with the organization.

“You will find a compilation of Black stories about our experiences at CARB along with messages we received from those experiences,” CBE CARB stated in the introduction of the document. Although these stories are first person accounts of experiences, we believe that most of them apply (or have applied) to all Black employees at some point and time at CARB.” 

The state of California charges CARB with protecting the public from the harmful effects of air pollution and developing programs and actions to fight climate change. Founded in 1967, the Sacramento-based organization also sets air quality standards, oversee automakers’ emissions compliance, conducts research on air pollution, measures reductions of air pollutants and promotes public health, among other functions.  

In July, Assemblymember Jim Cooper (D-Sacramento), who is African American, called out Nichols online after she posted a message that drew parallels between the lack of clean air the death of George Floyd.

“How dare you use a dying man’s plea for help as a way to discuss your agenda. Have you no shame?” Cooper reacted to Nichols’ tweet.  

Floyd died when a Minneapolis police officer pinned his knee on the unarmed Black man’s neck for nearly nine minutes in late May. The shocking incident caught on video a bystander caught was shared millions of time, sparking anti-Black racism protests across the globe.  

On June 1, Nichols posted, “‘I can’t breathe’ speaks to police violence, but it also applies to the struggle for clean air. Environmental racism is just one form of racism. It’s all toxic. Government needs to clean it up in word and deed.” 

Nichols later issued an apology via Twitter, stating “I apologize for speaking at the wrong time about the wrong topic. Racism comes in many forms and I believe we must fight every instance of it in our society.” 

Nichols has served on the CARB Board under Gov. Jerry Brown (1975–82 and 2010–18), Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (2007–2010), and Gov. Gavin Newsom (2019–present).? 

She also served as California’s Secretary for Natural Resources (1999–2003), appointed by Gov. Gray Davis. Her term under Newsom ends Dec. 31. There is speculation in Sacramento political circles that Nichols, 75, could be in line for a job as the head of the Environmental Protection Agency should Joe Biden win the presidency. 

Published reports say CARB’s Executive Director Richard Corey forwarded CBE CARB’s letter to the air CARB’s staff about a week after he obtained it. The 13-page document is dated Sept. 4. 

CARB’s board, which the governor appoints and the Senate confirms, consists of 14 voting members with two lawmakers in non-voting roles. The board does not have any Asian American or African American members.  

“There is no doubt the letter eloquently describes a history of poor treatment, lost potential, and deep-seated pain,” Corey wrote in a memo to his staff, according to Politico. “But, when I consider the courage it took to write and submit the letter, I have a sense of optimism as I know that change begins with the ability to openly acknowledge and discuss issues.” 

CBE CARB also stated that its only intent is to “shine a light on areas where CARB can improve” and asked the air pollution and climate agency to move forward and be “part of the solution.”? 

“Our intent in sharing this Letter and Action Plan is not to shame or belittle CARB, or to assign blame. We enjoy the work we do at CARB and want to do all we can to improve CARB for the future, and our future careers with the agency,” CBE CARB stated in conclusion of the letter.??

Young Black Sibling Entrepreneurs Beat Pandemic Odds, Open “Plenty of Fish Seafood” Eatery in the High Desert

Two young sibling entrepreneurs had a master plan and stuck to it. Billy Wright II and his sister, Bree Wright recently opened Plenty of Fish Seafood, their first restaurant in a chain of seafood eateries, in Lancaster, CA, the heart of the Antelope Valley’s high desert! The astute young visionaries are promising a winning combination of good customer service, fresh food and a squeaky-clean environment that they hope will keep customers coming back for more. The millennial duo was determined not to let the challenges and constrictions of the coronavirus undermine their hopes, plans and dreams and have so far succeeded. 

LANCASTER, CA— The dry and arid Antelope Valley region, located right outside of bustling Los Angeles, is not a locale that makes one think of mouthwatering seafood meals. Add the current pandemic to the equation, and the odds seem even more unbeatable. However, two young sibling entrepreneurs had a master plan and stuck to it. Billy Wright II and his sister, Bree Wright recently opened Plenty of Fish Seafood, their first restaurant in a chain of seafood eateries, in Lancaster, CA, the heart of the valley’s high desert! The astute young visionaries are promising a winning combination of good customer service, fresh food and a squeaky-clean environment that they hope will keep customers coming back for more. The millennial duo was determined not to let the challenges and constrictions of the coronavirus undermine their hopes, plans and dreams and have so far succeeded.  

Billy, 24 and Bree, 25, both attended Palmdale High School in the Antelope Valley and share a strong commitment to the region. They reside outside of the area now but wanted to return and create a Black business to serve their former community. Plenty of Fish Seafood will be a licensing and franchise operation, with the Lancaster/Palmdale location serving as home base. The restaurant will feature an outside dining area per current Covid compliance and will focus heavily on takeout and delivery servicing.  

Plenty of Fish Seafood is designed to operate beyond the typical “you buy we fry” establishments, and will present a wide variety of comfort cuisine, including enticing seafood, both fried and grilled, along with delicious seafood-based salads. In an effort to support the economy with domestic based employment, all the seafood will be nationally sourced and not imported. A host of delectable signature side dishes will also grace the menu, including collard greens, potato salad, mouthwatering red beans and rice and an assortment of homemade desserts. The brother and sister team believe that what sets their diner apart from all the rest, however, is their signature batter, a secret recipe mixture handed down from both of their grandmothers, one from Oklahoma and the other from Louisiana!

Billy Wright II, co-owner, Plenty of Fish Seafood

“Our dad is my biggest inspiration in this venture. I had been working closely with him in a restaurant chain he was involved in, and I made great suggestions that were successfully implemented. Finally, one day he told me that my ideas were too good to be giving away and I should put my money where my mouth was and come up with my own concept and do things my way! I heeded his advice, got my sister on board and went to work on conceptualizing Plenty of Fish Seafood,” explains Billy.  

Bree Wright, co-owner, Plenty of Fish Seafood

“Our dad eventually left the operation he was working with and came to work with us. So, Plenty of Fish Seafood is a family infused business, all the way from the food to the day to day operations,” adds Bree. “With so much craziness going on in the world, we feel blessed to have had so much love and support around us during these trying times. Things often seemed bleak, but our Dad remained a stronghold with his wisdom and guidance.”  

Billy and Bree have their eyes set on the bigger picture. Once Plenty of Fish Seafood in Lancaster is self-sustaining, they will begin licensing other locations throughout targeted cities across the country. For now, they are busy with duties that include managerial tasks to overseeing marketing and advertising for the flagship shop.  

“This is a great time for millennial entrepreneurs,” adds Billy Wright II. “We were already planning beyond the traditional brick and mortar restaurant even before Covid. My sister and I were already thinking about how far technology will go in the quick service industry. Right now, Plenty of Fish Seafood will be utilizing all the local delivery services, but I believe delivery drones and self-driving cars are the wave of our future and food servicing will be at the forefront of this change.”  

“In addition, health and wellness is an even more essential concern now,” cites Bree. “So, we will eventually offer CBD infused dishes for its healing components.”  

As the High Desert’s ultimate destination for down home inspired, scrumptious seafood dining, Plenty of Fish Seafood represents a positive ray of hope for the community during these pandemic times!  

Plenty of Fish Seafood is located at 43937 15th Street West Lancaster, CA 93534. Go fishing and follow them on Facebook at @Plenty of Fish Seafood and on Instagram at @PlentyofFishSeafood. Order your plate online at (661) 471-9620.

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