(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK-ENN)— SAN BERNARDINO, CA— Assemblymember Eloise Gómez Reyes honored Gwendolyn Lorraine Dowdy-Rodgers of San Bernardino as the 2019 Assembly District 47 Woman of the Year. Organized by the Legislative Women’s Caucus, the Woman of the Year award recognizes women from all over the state for accomplishments in their respective fields and for their dedication to improving the lives of others in conjunction with Women’s History Month.

Gwendolyn Lorraine Dowdy-Rodgers, a long-time noted speaker, assistant pastor, board of education member, and founder of the Young Women’s Empowerment Foundation was selected to receive this years’ Woman of the Year award based on her work with students and parents.  The Young Women’s Empowerment Foundation empowers young women to reach their highest aspirations via mentoring and scholarship opportunities that support participants from middle school through their first year of college. Gwen also established an annual spring “Girl Talk” conference for young girls along with an annual fall “Healthy Me” wellness conference for women to address chronic health issues.

“It is an honor to recognize Gwen for her commitment and dedication to the communities of the Inland Empire. Her leadership and sacrifice for others is a model we all should aspire to,” said Assemblymember Reyes. “Gwen is a champion for the region through her work to empower and uplift young women across the region.  Gwen made a decision to give back to her community with her time, efforts and knowledge and we should look to her as an example of what we can do to help others.”

In total, over 120 women were nominated from throughout the community for the Woman of the Year award which recognizes local women for accomplishments in their respective fields and for their dedication to improving the lives of others in conjunction with Women’s History Month.

Nominees came from a variety of different backgrounds ranging from educators and community advocates to county employees, students, business owners and heads of local non-profits.  After review, 30 finalist were selected before the final selection of Gwendolyn Lorrain Dowdy-Rodgers

2019 Woman of the Year Finalist for the 47^th District:

Alexa Sigala – Fontana

Alice Chow Geske – Grand Terrace

Aurelia Renteria – Fontana

Carol Malone – Rialto

Demi Espinoza – Muscoy

Dr. Letitia Wright – Fontana

Elsie Valdivia Robles – Colton

Erika Flores – Bloomington

Francine Blacksher – San Bernardino

Gloria Amaya – San Bernardino

Gwendolyn Dowdy-Rodgers – San Bernardino

Isabel Hunt – Fontana

Jean Kayano – Grand Terrace

Jennifer L. Morris – Rialto

Joyce Chambers Hampton – Rialto

Judith Valles – San Bernardino

Karen Larson Coleman – Fontana

Kathy Williams-Braxton – Colton

Kimberly Calvin – San Bernardino

Kimberly Clark – Fontana

LaKeisha Jackson – San Bernardino

LuCretia Dowdy – Bloomington

Maribel Núñez – San Bernardino

Maricela Soliz-Ferguson – Rialto

Megan Moeskau – Grand Terrace

Pamela Langford – San Bernardino

Paula Beauchamp – San Bernardino

Rebecca Gallegos – Colton

Rev. Bronica Martindale-Taylor – San Bernardino

Rosa Loera – Muscoy

A special reading of the Ted Lange’s play, “The Heart of Biddy Mason” took place in the heart of Downtown Los Angeles at The Pico House at El Pueblo Historical Monument. The reading was conducted by musicians who were part of the Barbara Morrison Trio.

ABOUT BIDDY MASON:
Biddy Mason was a former slave, nurse/ midwife, successful entrepreneur, humanitarian and founder of Los Angeles’s first African-American congregation. Bridget “Biddy” Mason was born a slave in Aug. of 1818 on a Georgia plantation owned by Robert Marion Smith and his wife Rebecca (Crosby) Smith. Mason had three daughters, Ellen, Ann and Harriet, whose father was reputedly Smith himself. In 1847, Smith became a Mormon convert and decided to move to the Utah Territory with his household and slaves. In the strenuous two-thousand miles cross-country, Mason was responsible for herding the cattle, preparing the meals and acting as mid-wife along with taking care of her own children. It is said that Mason walked behind her master’s 300-wagon caravan from Mississippi to Southern California. In 1851, Smith moved his household again, this time to San Bernardino, Ca. Smith sensed that Mason and her three daughters might seek their freedom in California, therefore he planned to take them back South. Luck came for Mason and her daughters after arriving in California, discovering that slaves were free in that state. She petioned a court in 1856 for her and her daughters freedom. A Sheriff asked Smith to appear in court to prove ownership of the family. He failed to appear in court and Mason won freedom for herself and her daughters. She and her daughters moved to Los Angeles where she found employment as a nurse and midwife. Hard work and her nursing skills allowed Mason to become economically independent. She later bought a site in what is now downtown Los Angeles on Spring St. for $250, becoming the first African-American woman to own land in Los Angeles. In 1884, Mason sold a parcel of her land for $1500 and built a commercial building with spaces for rental on the remaining land. She continued making wise decisions in her business and real estate transactions and her financial fortunes continued to increase until Mason had accumulated a fortune of almost $300,000. Mason gave generously to various charities and provided food and shelter for the poor of all races. She also remembered those in prison whom she visited often. In 1872, she and her son in-law, Charles Owens, founded and formed the Los Angeles branch of the First A.M.E. Church, Los Angeles’s first African-American congregation which began having services in Mason’s living room. Bridget “Biddy” Mason died in Los Angeles on Jan. 15, 1891 and was buried in an unmarked grave in Evergreen Cemetery. By the time Mason had died, the property, she owned had become the heart of Los Angeles’s financial district and was worth $250,000. On March 27, 1988, nearly a century after Mason’s death, a tombstone was unveiled at a ceremony which marked her grave for the first time. The ceremony was attended by Mayor Tom Bradley and about three thousand members of the First A.M.E. Church. On November 16, 1989, the citizens of Los Angeles declared a Biddy Mason Day and a memorial of her achievement was unveiled at the Broadway Spring Center located between Spring St. and Broadway at Third St. in Los Angeles.

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— SACRAMENTO, CA— Assemblymember Marc Levine (D-Marin County) has introduced legislation to repeal the sales and use tax imposed on daily distributed print newspapers.

AB 1776, would apply the same tax free status to daily distributed print newspapers that is enjoyed by paid digital media news services. This bill would ensure that all forms of journalism, print and digital are treated equally in the marketplace.

“The Washington Post was correct when they said that ‘democracy dies in darkness,'” stated Assemblymember Levine. “At a time when the fundamental and constitutional rights of an open and free press are under attack at the highest level, we must not allow the voice of journalism to be silenced. Just as other essential consumer items are exempt from sales tax, AB 1776 affirms the essential role that a free and open press plays in the lives of Californians and all people in our democracy.”

California Sales and Use Tax law imposes a tax on the gross receipts from the sale, storage, use, or other consumption of tangible personal property. Currently, there are some piecemeal exemptions for certain newspapers and periodicals, yet the tax continues to be levied on daily and certain weekly print products.

“California’s sales tax continues to be applied to daily newspapers while virtually all media competitors for Californians’ time and attention are untaxed, such as radio, TV, Cable and all web-based media, whether content creators or aggregators,” said Thomas Newton, executive director of the California News Publishers Association. “As such, the tax is unfair, discriminatory and harms both newspapers’ ability to inform the public and the public’s right to be informed; interests protected by both the U.S. and California Constitutions.  We applaud Assemblyman Marc Levine’s introduction of AB 1776 and look forward to working with him to advance his bill through the legislative process and to the governor’s desk.”

AB 1776 will be considered by the California State Assembly in the Spring of 2019.

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— LOMA LINDA, CA— Josh Maldonado, an engineer for Loma Linda Fire Department, was recognized with the Hometown Hero Award at the 26^th annual Foundation Gala on Thursday, February 21.

Maldonado has been a key player in raising over $50,000 through the annual Tip-a-Firefighter at The Old Spaghetti Factory, an event that he initiated in 2012. He continues to volunteer for a full day at the event, which is hosted at the Redlands and Rancho Mirage restaurant locations.

With two kids of his own who had both been treated at Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital, Maldonado has been committed to giving back to the hospital that has been integral in his family’s life. He volunteers at numerous events, including the K-Froggers for KidsRadiothon, Gingerbread Village, Dishes for Wishes and the Quaid Harley-Davidson Toy Run. He has also coordinated thousands of dollars’ worth of toys to be donated to patients.

Maldonado not only gives of his personal time, but he also supports Children’s Hospital with an annual monetary donation. He shares his passion of giving back with others as well, being the voice for those who don’t have one, something that was instilled in him as a child.

“My family has always been one to help out where we can,” Maldonado said. “As a kid we always outreached in the city parks and at events. I’m trying to pass that on to my kids — that we can make life better for people, even if it’s just opening a door for someone.”

An Inland Empire native, Maldonado grew up in Colton. He married his high school sweetheart, Katie, 20 years ago, and they now reside in Grand Terrace.

After going through the explorer program at Colton Fire Department during high school, Maldonado attended Crafton Hills College Fire Academy. He was a firefighter at San Bernardino County Fire and then Fort Irwin before coming to LLFD in 2007.

“I feel very lucky to do what I do every day,” he said. “To be able to put this uniform on — to be able to have the platform to do things is humbling for me.”

According to Tiffany Hoekstra of the Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital Foundation, Maldonado is a true champion for children.

“He is always right there willing to help without any reservation,” Hoekstra said. “Josh is so incredibly humble and never seeks recognition for all that he has done, but from the bottom of our hearts we know he truly deserves it.”

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— U.S. Navy Sailors sing during a Black History Month celebration aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS Preble (DDG 88) in the South China Sea, Feb. 26, 2019. The Preble is deployed to the U.S 7th Fleet area of operations in support of security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Bryan Niegel)

The Story Behind Why Black History Month Is In February

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK–ENN)— The month of February serves as Black History Month; it’s a point in the year where we observe the difficult circumstances that Black people have faced throughout history as well as celebrate all their accomplishments. But why exactly is Black History Month in February? Many people have recognized the lack of representation Black people have within textbooks and school curriculum across America. Below, we outline the interesting and important story of why Black History Month is in February.

Carter G. Woodson: The Pioneer

In the early 20^th century, historian Carter G. Woodson saw first-hand the underrepresentation of Black people in the various books and conversations that shaped the study of American history. To try and fix this, Dr. Woodson founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History—now called the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH).

ASALH was and still is an organization that promotes the continuous study of Black history. Dr. Woodson believed this was essential because “if a race has no history, it has no worthwhile tradition, it becomes a negligible factor in the thought of the world, and it stands in danger of being exterminated.” Due to his determination to emphasize the importance of celebrating Black accomplishments, Dr. Woodson pioneered the field of African-American studies and set the foundation for Black History Month.

Douglass and Lincoln: The Abolitionists

In 1926, Dr. Woodson and the ASALH brought about “Negro History Week”—the purpose being to further their mission of getting Black history into more schooling systems. They chose the second week of February to honor Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln since their birthdays are within that week. This initiative spread quickly, and soon people everywhere were celebrating this week.

As the years went on, even after Dr. Woodson passed, people continued to celebrate this week. It wasn’t until the 1960s that people started to expand the week to a month-long celebration. Part of the reason for this expansion was the fact that “by the mid-1960s, the most popular textbook for eighth-grade U.S. history classes mentioned only two black people in the entire century of history that had transpired since the Civil War.” People knew there was so much more than that; therefore, colleges and universities across the country transformed to celebrate Black History Month instead of Negro History Week.

President Gerald Ford: The Solidifier

As the Civil Rights Movement spread across the country, it helped to snowball the initiative even further. By 1976, President Gerald Ford decreed Black History Month a national observance: “In celebrating Black History Month,” Ford said in his message, “we can seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”

Although the 20^th century was a tumultuous time, it resulted in massive steps forward for the Black community.

Black History Month: The Theme

Black History Month is a celebration of an underrepresented and abused people and their accomplishments. However, in 1976, the ASALH designated a theme to each year’s Black History Month. Every year since, there has been a theme. This year’s theme is Black Migrations, which emphasizes the movement of African people to new destinations and new social realities.

By Lou Yeboah

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— Yes, we have been endowed with a rare privilege to take their legacy further. Their mantle has been laid upon us as a symbolic action, therefore, it is time to stop talking about it and being about it. Like Elisha [2 Kings 2:13], we must make a conscious decision to pick up the mantle as a symbol of responsibility, service, and sacrifice.  Realizing that when we pick up the mantle, that not only do we honor the spirit of our ancestors, but it becomes the symbol of God’s power in our hands as it was for our ancestors. That when we pick up the mantle, we will not just be a passive observer to inequity and injustice.  That when we pick up the mantle, we say that we are willing to pay the price and sacrifice…. for the future is in our hands. The future belongs to us. Therefore, we must commit to the calling of something bigger than just a feel-good. We must commit ourselves to doing this, and doing it together.  Greatness is still standing among us. And now we must pass that legacy on . It is my obligation. It is your obligation. It is our obligation. “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders… and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us…. [Hebrews 12:1]

Now shall we ….

“Lift every voice and sing, Till earth and heaven ring. Ring with the harmonies of Liberty; Let our rejoicing rise, High as the listening skies, Let it resound loud as the rolling sea. Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us, Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us; Facing the rising sun of our new day begun, Let us march on till victory is won…““ [Lift Every Voice and Sing by James Weldon]

Akoma Unity Center has partnered with Empowered Mindz Stem Academy to bring a free, rigorous, robotics classes to Young Engineers. Students from all over the Inland Empire and Orange County attended this program.

According to Jennifer Xicara, the center’s operations manager, “Akoma is excited to inspire the next generation of Engineers with 5 more sessions to go”.

Akoma Unity Center is located on the West Side of San Bernardino at 1367 N. California Street. The phone number is 909-217-7956.

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Date of event: Saturday, March 2, 2019

Purpose: Recognizing mental health and substance use challenges can be difficult, which is why it’s so important for everyone to understand the warning signs and risk factors.

Mental Health First Aid USA is an 8-hour training to teach participants how to help someone who is developing a mental health problem or experiencing a mental health crisis. The evidence behind the program demonstrates that it helps trainees identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders.

Continental breakfast provided by Building Resilient Communities  Students responsible for lunch

Register quickly!  This class will fill fast.

By Manny Otiko | California Black Media 

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— SACRAMENTO,CA – On Friday, Feb. 22, Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered new DNA tests in a 35-year-old quadruple murder case involving African-American death row inmate Kevin Cooper.

Newsom’s decision could lead to the overturning of Cooper’s 1985 conviction in the killing of a rural Chino Hills family and their 11-year-old house guest. The case has the potential, some political watchers say, to divide Californians.

Both the California and United States supreme courts and more than a dozen lower courts have rejected Cooper’s past appeals.

“I take no position regarding Mr. Cooper’s guilt or innocence at this time,” Newsom said in his executive order about the high-profile case that has drawn international interest. New York Times’ columnist Nicholas Kristof, U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris and reality TV star Kim Kardashian have all called for re-testing using current, more sensitive forensic technology.

The ACLU and other human rights and social justice groups have also urged California state officials to launch a deeper investigation into Cooper’s conviction.

Gov. Newsom’s order Friday expands previous direction issued by former Gov. Jerry Brown in December to test four pieces of crime scene evidence. Brown’s order allowed analysts to perform DNA re-testing on a  tan T-shirt; an orange towel; and the handle and sheath of a hatchet prosecutors say Cooper used in the murders. 

In this new investigation, analysts will look at strands of hair from the victims’ hands, blood samples and a green button Cooper’s attorney Norman Hile maintains investigators planted at the scene of the crime. A retired Los Angeles County Superior Court judge will oversee the investigation.

Cooper, 61, has maintained his innocence over the years. His lawyers hope the results of the re-testing ordered by Gov. Newsom, which could take several months, will help prove their client’s innocence and finally exonerate him. 

In 1985, a San Diego County jury convicted Cooper on four counts of murder. At the time of his arrest, he was 26 and an escaped prison inmate. His lengthy criminal record – including several burglaries and the rape of a minor in Pennsylvania – did not help his case. 

Cooper, formerly named Richard Goodman, was born in 1958 near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. When he was six months old, he was adopted and renamed Kevin Cooper. During his childhood, his parents physically abused him and he spent a good part of adolescence living in several juvenile detention centers. In 1982, Cooper escaped from a mental health facility in Pennsylvania before moving to California. 

During his murder trial, prosecutors successfully argued that Cooper killed husband and wife Doug and Peggy Ryen, their 10-year-old daughter Jessica and an 11-year-old neighbor Christopher Hughes. Police found the bloodied bodies in the Ryen’s home with a total of 143 stab wounds. Joshua Ryen, the victims’ 8-year-old son, suffered a slash wound on his throat. He was the only survivor of the attack.

After Coopers’s jail break, investigators found, he illegally stayed in a house next door to the victims. They also say they found evidence in the Ryen’s home and in the family’s station wagon that tied Cooper to the murders. 

For some, Gov. Newsom’s order to broaden DNA testing in the case is being met with dismay. The lone survivor of the murders Joshua Ryen and family, friends and supporters of the Ryens and Hughes all across the state say they are disappointed with the governor’s decision. 

“Unfortunately, over time it seems the victims’ desire for justice in this case matters less and less,” San Bernardino District Attorney Jason Anderson said in a statement. “Prior DNA testing that Mr. Cooper sought, agreed to and claimed would exonerate him have all confirmed Mr. Cooper’s guilt.”

Yet persuasive arguments based on conflicting testimonies and allegations of evidence tampering, keep raising reasonable questions about the methods and stories investigators used to nail Cooper. Three weapons were used in the attack, and in sworn testimony, Joshua Ryen said he saw three attackers who were White. He later testified that they could have been Hispanic.

Further complicating the prosecutions’ claims, a woman named Diana Roper came forward with bloody clothing belonging to her former boyfriend who was a violent criminal. She turned the evidence over to the police, but they destroyed it. 

African Americans, Hispanics and other minorities living in the San Bernardino County are not surprised about the allegations Cooper’s attorneys are making about their D.A.’s office. Many of them frequently complain about racial biases and discrimination in the way their cases or complaints are handled. Just last month, a San Bernardino gang prosecutor Michael Selyem, who is White, resigned under pressure for making crude and racist and comments on social media. His insults targeted former First Lady Michelle Obama, U,S. Rep. Maxine Waters and an unnamed Black shooting victim.

Thomas R. Parker, a former deputy head of the FBI’s Los Angeles office, believes Cooper. 

This guy is innocent,” he told the New York Times. “The evidence was planted, he was framed, the cops lied on the stand.”

What has kept the case going – and Cooper alive – is a federal appellate court’s decision in 2004 to stay his execution and review the case with more scientific evidence. 

Gov. Newsom’s decision to allow another round of DNA testing comes early in the term of the progressive California Governor whose supporters on the political Left have high expectations. 

“DNA testing should immediately take place to resolve the Ryen case and finally ensure justice is served,” Chiang said during the campaign. “Not only is it proven that DNA evidence can help law enforcement solve crimes, but testing in this case would come at no cost to the state.”

Even though Newsom’s decision in the Cooper case is bold, he is treading carefully on a potentially polarizing issue that California voters across the political spectrum are watching. He is keeping his focus on fairness and justice with the realization that the convictions of thousands of felons – particularly African-American men – have been overturned after DNA testing proved their innocence. 

“Especially in cases where the government seeks to impose the ultimate punishment of death,” he said. “I need to be satisfied that all relevant evidence is carefully and fairly examined.”