Covered California is using a new data-driven approach to target specific ZIP codes across the state, pinpointing where higher numbers of uninsured and subsidy-eligible African-Americans live.

Research conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago in the spring of 2015 revealed that while California’s African-Americans are aware of Covered California, they lag behind other ethnicities when it comes to awareness of the financial assistance that is available only through Covered California and that helps consumers pay for their monthly insurance premiums. Data can be found at www.CoveredCA.com/news/PDFs/AAEI-slides.pdf.

New data show that active enrollment among subsidy-eligible African-Americans is at 2.4 percent while African-Americans constitute 5 percent of the state’s subsidy-eligible population. The exchange’s focused efforts to increase the enrollment percentage begins with the third open-enrollment period, which runs from Nov. 1, 2015, through Jan. 31, 2016.

The campaign centers around establishing enrollment storefronts at highly familiar and visible locations; conducting marketing and outreach that is specific to African-American consumers; and engaging businesses, schools, churches and community organizations. The exchange will encourage uninsured Californians to stop coping with a lack of health coverage and instead enroll in a health insurance plan through Covered California.

“Changing our state from a culture of coping to a culture of coverage is a long-term proposition,” Covered California Executive Director Peter V. Lee said. “We’ve made great progress in helping African-Americans gain the coverage they need and deserve, but we recognize there is much more to be done to prove to the remaining uninsured the value of having health coverage.”

Outreach materials will advise African-American consumers that their health and well- being is worth insuring and that many Californians are receiving thousands of dollars each year to help with the cost of health insurance premiums — money that African-American consumers should not walk away from.

Covered California is targeting specific areas in Los Angeles and San Diego counties and the Inland Empire, where two-thirds of California’s 130,000 subsidy-eligible African-Americans reside, as well as targeting areas in Northern California in parts of Alameda, Contra Costa, Solano and Sacramento counties.

Covered California will push enrollment through service channels like storefronts in African-American communities where Certified Insurance Agents and Certified Enrollment Counselors will be on hand to assist consumers. With support from Covered California community partners, the agency will sponsor education and outreach campaigns, with resources for pastors at church enrollment events, informational materials for barbershops and hair salons, and “enrollment block parties” in high-priority African-American neighborhoods.

In addition, enhanced social media and marketing campaigns will be launched to reach African-Americans, and Covered California will have partnerships with local schools, businesses and community-based organizations that serve African-American communities.

“We’ll reach out to consumers where they live, work, pray and play,” Lee said. “Covered California will continue to focus on reaching the state’s diverse population and enrolling consumers in all communities during its upcoming open-enrollment period. We want to make sure we see the enrollment numbers in our African-American communities rise.”

REDLANDS, CA- Senior Pastors Anthony and Jackie Green have led the historic Second Baptist Church for 28 years and have been a pastoral team that has preserved the Church History for future generations.  2015 marks l23 years that the first historic African American Church in the Inland Empire is still “alive and well.”

Sunday, November 8 will be celebrated with an l0 a.m. morning service and 4 p.m. evening service.  The morning speaker will be Reverend Michael Smith, Jr. of Reno, Nevada, a spiritual son who grew up and was licensed and ordained by Second Baptist Church.  The afternoon speaker will be Pastor Joshua Beckley, Senior Pastor of the Ecclesia Christian Fellowship of San Bernardino. Deacon Terry and Melissa Richey are the Anniversary Chairpersons.

Second Baptist has a unique history and was incorporated in 1892.  It has been at three locations in Redlands, founded on Orange Street in 1891, then moved to State Street and now resides at the corner of 9^th and Stuart Street in Redlands since 1924.  In its early years it was well known for Gospel quartet singers, founding of the Citrus Valley District Ushers and great cooks of African American cuisine.

Second Baptist Church has brought a unique flavor of high spirited worship and Gospel preaching. It is known for its work with the University of Redlands Martin Luther King Jr. Events, and Redlands Police Department in chaplaincy and a twenty year collaboration of Pastor Anthony Green through “Midnight Basketball Hoopz” to minister to At-Risks teens monthly on the third Friday of the month from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. at the Redlands Community Center.  Second Baptist has led several city and statewide prayer gatherings and movements under the leadership of Bishop Dr. Jackie L. Green.

The community is invited to the grand celebration and afro-centric decorations especially for this historic occasion.  The Church is located at 420 East Stuart Avenue in Redlands.  For further information on worship and events, please visit www.secondbaptistredlands.com or call (909) 793-1074.

Tomas Morales, President, California State University, San Bernardino, (center), & several community members who joined the ‘MOB’ to greet & encourage the invited students, & to connect them to an academic future with CSUSB, & beyond.

By John Coleman

On October 23, buses from the Colton Joint Unified School District,  Fontana Unified School District,  Rialto Unified School District,  San Bernardino City Unified School district and Victor Valley Joint Unified School District, brought more than 300 African American and Latino eighth-grade boys to the Inaugural Black & Brown Conference for Young Males at California State University, San Bernardino.

As the students arrived, they were surprised but excited to be greeted by a “MOB” of campus and community leaders, including CSUSB President, Dr Tomas Morales;  City of San Bernardino Mayor, R. Carey Davis; a handful of others.

The FELLAS, a group of African American men who took time from their businesses and jobs to show their support for the growth, education and advancement of our Black & Brown youth, especially the males; that they, too, could take and learn required courses,  that the work they do in high school will prepare them for success in college and careers,  and that they still will have time for fun and a good life.

They entered the CSUSB Inaugural Black & Brown Conference as ‘champions’ through a path of well-wishers giving ‘high fives’ to each visiting student. Campus and Conference officials reported that student high energy and good behavior persisted throughout the Conference Program and events.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- In appreciation for the contributions of the men and women who have served in our nation’s armed forces, Omnitrans is offering free bus rides to US military veterans on Veterans Day, Wednesday, November 11.

Veterans may simply show retired military ID when boarding any Omnitrans bus including the sbX rapid line, freeway express and local bus routes, or OmniGo community shuttles. Accepted IDs include those issued by US Departments of Defense or Veterans Affairs, and San Bernardino County Veterans Affairs.

“It’s our way of saluting those who served to protect our freedom,” said Omnitrans CEO/General Manager P. Scott Graham, himself a veteran of the US Marine Corps.  Approximately 79,000 veterans reside in the Omnitrans service area of the San Bernardino Valley, stretching from Yucaipa in the east to the Los Angeles County line in the west.

In January 2015, Omnitrans introduced a reduced fare category for veterans.  “Since then, we have tallied over 100,000 rides taken by local veterans,” said Omnitrans spokesperson Wendy Williams.  Osvaldo Maysonet, 211 Access & Mobility Coordinator for VetLink was instrumental in advocating for the discounted veteran fare.

“The introduction of a veterans fare by Omnitrans has meant the world to our veteran population of the San Bernardino Valley,” said Maysonet. “The thing I like the most is that Omnitrans sees this veteran fare not as a financial burden, but as just a small token of appreciation for their service to our country.

Students at New Generation Nursery and Primary School are all smiles after receiving shoes and school supplies donated from Helping Hands and the 1 Uganda Project.

By Sheri Stuart

A team of local missionaries has returned from Uganda.  The team departed Oct. 7 to work side-by-side with the founders of New Generation Nursery and Primary School and the nonprofit organization Open Hearts in Action based in Mukono, a district located in the Central Region of Uganda. The team, working in support of the 1 Uganda Project, distributed much needed supplies and resources to the children and school staff, including back packs, paper, pencils, LED flashlights and candles.  Helping Hands, associated with Amazon, donated hundreds of shoes and rain boots, which were distributed to the more than 300 students enrolled at the school.

“Our team is overwhelmed by the generous support received from Helping Hands through the connection from Amazon”, said Angela Morrow, founder of 1 Uganda Project based in Bloomington.  “Because of the support from both Amazon and Helping Hands, we were able to put smiles on the faces of many children in need and continue our legacy of promoting self-sufficiency through spiritual, emotional, educational and economic support.”

The team also visited the District of Jinja and distributed food supplies and mosquito nets to help prevent the spread of malaria, a leading cause of death in Uganda. The 1 Uganda Project will return to Mukono in April and October 2016.

Dr. Spinner

LOS ANGELES, CA- Happening on Saturday, November 7, at the Chucos Youth Justice Center, in Inglewood, the Bully Awareness Network will launch its Move 2 Improve Tour, which consists of a series of events that seeks to empower the youth and encourage them to mirror and exemplify positive behavior. Dr. Spinner, the organization’s founder and president, believes that this is the first step to ending all forms of bullying is to change the behavior of individuals positively.

The Bully Awareness Network’s events have been called memorable and epic and have captured the city by storm as reported in CNN ireport, and the organization, a non-profit, has drawn rave reviews that have touted its president, Dr. Spinner, as the “Black Pope.”   Dr. Spinner has gone into schools, churches and communities, to preach his mantra, “end all forms of bullying.”  His passion stems from wanting to see all children, teenagers and young adults to be in environments that are free from bullying.

His noted book, A Systematic Approach to Ending Bullying caught the attention of Lou Gossett Jr. , who considers this book to be a must read and the methodologies discussed in the book essential to end bullying in our society.  Bullying is not only one person’s problem; it is everyone’s problem to come together as a cohesive unit to resolve this travesty.  The Bully Awareness Network’s supporters include: students, parents, community leaders, government executives, city officials, celebrities, professional athletes and others; noted individuals include: Senator Holly Mitchell, Ambassador Diane Watson, Lou Gossett Jr., John Amos,  the legendary Supremes, Jewel Diamond Taylor, Lisa Nichols, and Reverent June Diamond Taylor.

The thing the separates the movement from others is what it represents.  According to Dr. Spinner, “We strive to be a true network, like Gumbo, a lot of ingredients that forms a cohesive, savory taste. We welcome other organizations, share our resources, and bring a platform of unconditional love and unity.”  The Bully Awareness Network’s mission is to end all forms of bullying by purposefully seeking to teach and spread the core building blocks of its anti-bullying program: unity, knowledge, entrepreneurship and leadership.

The organization’s November 7 event will allow the youth to showcase his/her unique and special talents in dance, rap and signing in front of the industry’s best to encourage the youth that being gifted, talented and uniqueness should never be the basis of being bullied but the basis of the evidence of one’s greatness, which is why our creator only could make only one of me.  Some of the judges for the dance battle include Shane Sparks from America Can Dance Contest, one of the top Choreographers in the world; Ceasare Willis from the dance film Rize; and Kio from Dancing with the Stars; and Boogaloo Shrimp, one of the originators of the dance battle.   The judges for the signing portion include Kevin McCall, a Grammy award winner songwriter/singer who has written hit songs for Chris Brown; Cheryl Cooley of the fabled group Klymaxx; Dorsey Fuller, the head director for the beat and manager for the Grammy nominee Angie Fisher; and Kurupt.

The Bully Awareness Network is pleased to have Jerome Ro Brooks, an actor in Tyler Perry’s the Haves and the Have Nots, and Victor Battle, a national casting director, as presenters to speak to the youth about acting and getting casted.  In addition to the talent showcase and presentations, the youth will hear many positive messages in alignment with the organization’s mission from the best speakers, attorneys, city officials and school officials and more. There will be number of noteworthy celebrity speakers such as Gary Gary, director of the hit sensation movie Straight Out of Compton. The event will end with a comedy show, starring Wild ‘N Out very own funny woman, Aarona Lopez; Lester Barrie, a renown actor and comedian, and a host of others.

The Move 2 Improve tour will continue on December 22 with its toy give-a-way and Christmas Extravaganza at the Bradley Source Family Center. Selected contestants from the November 7 event will receive the opportunity to perform at the event in front of prominent city officials, celebrities, and elected guest.   In January 2016, the Bully Awareness Network has been selected to be a part of the Martin Luther King Parade, as a recognized non-profit organization for its service to the community.

First Sergeant Raymond Rincon

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- The 16^th Annual Veteran’s Day Parade & Car Show will be held on E. Street in San Bernardino on Saturday, November 7.  The parade will begin at 10 a.m., beginning at San Bernardino High school and end at the Inland Empire Military Museum and McDonald’s Museum at 14^th and E. Street, which is historic Route 66.  In addition, the E Street Cruizers Car Club will hold a car show on E Street.  The street will be closed to through traffic from the high school down to Baseline. The parade is sponsored by Juan Pollo and the Inland Empire Military Museum. This family event of cars, food, and music will take place from 8 a.m. till 4 p.m.

This year’s Grand Marshall is First Sergeant Raymond Rincon.   “I joined the U.S. Army in 1966. I was stationed at Fort Campbell, Kentucky and assigned to the 101^st Airborne Division, 501^st Infantry. I went to Viet Nam in November 1967 with the 2^nd and 3^rd Brigade on C-141 Jets, not knowing if we were going to land or parachute in”, said Rincon.

Rincon was awarded The Purple Heart after being injured in the war. In addition to his Purple Heart, Rincon received a Bronze Star with “V” Device; Vietnam Service Medal; Combat Infantry Badge; Airborne Jump Wings; Air Assault Badge; and 18 other ribbons and badges from the U.S. Army, National Guard and the State Military Reserve. He served in the State Military Reserve for 20 years working with the National Guard. Rincon retired as a First Sergeant with 24 years of Military Service.

The day’s festivities also include special guest Richard Hanna, a World War II Marine Corps Veteran.

Participating Veteran’s organizations are Catholic War Veterans Post 762; I.E. Vietnam Veterans Chapter 47; Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8737; I.E. Airborne Association; and the American legion Post 772.

For the last 4 years, muralist Phil Yeh has been painting a massive mural on the walls of the historic site of the first McDonald’s. Along with Rory Murray, Beth Winokur, Jan Windhausen, Sandy Cvar, and others, these murals show the history of San Bernardino on one side and California’s Route 66 on another wall. Now, Murray and Yeh have just about finished the front of the building. They have painted some noted cars and an image of the original 1948 McDonald’s. Sandy Cvar came out this year to do a portrait of Richard and Maurice McDonald.

The McDonald’s Museum is located at 1398 N. E. Street in San Bernardino and is open daily. The Inland Empire Military Museum is open on weekends. Admission to both museums is free.

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

Jesus! —- You pause in astonishment; with your tail between your legs. You want to run but you can’t move. You don’t know what to do. Then you hear a voice that says, “Tonight, your soul will be required!”  I want you to know that this is not a childhood game. Eternity is at stake and Jesus is saying, “Ready or Not, Here I come!” There are warnings that should be heard and heeded by every person reading this message. This is a wake-up call! It challenges the saints to be ready, and it calls for the lost to get ready. The Bible says, “Christ will come like a thief in the night, when you least expect him. It will happen in the twinkling of an eye, with the sound of a trumpet.” But the devil has whispered a different lie into the ears of many believers. That lie is, “Christ has delayed His coming.” Jesus addresses this in Matthew 24 in his parable about being ready for his return: “Be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.” Paul constantly cried, “Wake up! It is past midnight, and the Lord’s coming has drawn near. Stir yourself and don’t be slothful. Jesus is coming for those who are expecting him.” He wrote to the church in Rome: “Knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light” Romans 13:11-12. In Revelation 22:17, “The Spirit and the bride say, come.” This verse shows us the very last cry, or prayer, of the Holy Spirit, when he knows his work on earth is about to be completed: “Come, Lord Jesus!” In Verse 7 of this chapter, Jesus announces, “Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that kept the sayings of prophesy of this book.” May all such blindness be removed!

The truth is that God is shaking all that can be shaken. And what is still to come is too dreadful to think about. In the midst of all this, I hear Jesus saying, “Surely I come quickly” Revelation 22:20. I also hear the bride of Christ answering, as John did, “Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” I want you to know that before the flood, people couldn’t imagine water falling for forty days and forty nights. They couldn’t imagine the great deep bursting forth and the floodgates of heaven opening up. It was inconceivable to them that water would destroy them and their world. If anyone did believe it and actually prepared for it, they called them a fool Genesis 7:14. But then one day, the flood came and wiped the earth away. I don’t know where a message such as this finds you today. If you have never trusted Jesus as you Savior and you would like to be saved, I invite you to give your life to Him today.  If you are saved, but the Lord has shown you that you are not ready for Him to return, confess your sin(s) before the Lord and repent. If He has spoken to you on any level, heed His voice. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour God is coming. The Bible says that when Noah and his family entered the ark God shut them in Genesis 7:16. There always comes a time when it is too late. Why not make preparation? “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” 2 Cor. 6:2.

By Angela M. Coggs

On Tuesday, October 20th at 5pm an important rally took place at the San Bernardino City Unified District Board meeting in support of a new discipline policy. The community asked the school board to institute new policy that will ensure new discipline practices, such as Restorative Justice and Positive Behavior Support to be implemented throughout the district. The rally was attended by activist, students, parents, community members, and elected officials.

Restorative Justice is defined as a system of criminal justice that focuses on the rehabilitation of offenders through reconciliation with victims and the community at large. Positive Behavior Support is based on understanding why problem behaviors occur – the behavior’s function. This approach to behavior can occur on a school-wide level, in a specific setting, classroom, or with an individual student.

San Bernardino Unified School District ranks the 14th highest in suspension rates among African American students in California. Also, San Bernardino is 44th in the state with the highest number of willful defiance suspensions. This translates to the increase: 614 Latino and African American student related arrests, and the direct decline: 274 African American and Latino students who graduated this year college ready. The cities of San Bernardino and Stockton made over 90,000 arrests from 1997 to 2013. These numbers are inconceivable.

What is the school-to-prison pipeline? The “school-to-prison pipeline” refers to the policies and practices that push our nation’s schoolchildren, especially our most at-risk children, out of classrooms and into the juvenile and criminal justice systems. This pipeline reflects the prioritization of incarceration over education. For a growing number of students, the path to incarceration includes the following: failing public schools, zero-tolerance and other school discipline, policing school hallways, disciplining alternative schools, and court involvement and juvenile detention.

This failure to meet educational needs increases disengagement and dropouts, increasing the risk of later court involvement. Some school districts have embraced zero-tolerance policies that automatically impose severe punishment regardless of circumstances. Overly harsh disciplinary policies push students down the pipeline and into the juvenile justice system. Many under-resourced school districts become pipeline gateways by placing increased reliance on police rather than teachers and administrators to maintain discipline. Students pushed along the pipeline find themselves in juvenile detention facilities, many of which provide few, if any, educational services. Students of color are far more likely than their white peers to be suspended, expelled, or arrested for the same kind of conduct at school. Though many students are propelled down the pipeline from school to jail, it is difficult for them to make the journey in reverse. Students who enter the juvenile justice system face many barriers to their re-entry into traditional schools. The vast majority of these students never graduate from high school.

Schools that neighbor a state or federal prisons are more likely to have higher suspensions. San Bernardino City Unified School District is one of two districts in California to have the authority to arrest students and administer citations on their permanent record. The determination of organizations such as C.O.P.E (Congregations Organized for Prophetic Engagement), Youth Action Project (YAP), and I.C.U.C. (Inland Congregations United for Change) have played a vital role in organizing community leaders, parents, and students in rousing their mutual voices in implementing policy change. A direct result of this groundbreaking progress is the decline in overall suspensions from 11% to 5%, and the significant number of willful defiance suspensions from 7001 to 1371.

The criminalization of youth of color remains a threat, especially to African American students who continue to experience significantly disproportionate discipline for disruption/willfull defiance and face higher rates of school related arrest and referrals to law enforcement than other subgroups of students. Research has shown that when committing the same or similar subjective behavior offenses, African American students are inclined to receive more severe disciplinary consequences (Noltemeyer & McLoughlin, 2010a; Noltemeyer & McLoughlin, 2010b; Skiba, et al., 2002). African American and Latino students combined experience school-based arrest at a higher rate than those who complete A-G course requirements and are prepared for college and career.

“My prayer is for all students to have an equal opportunity to access information and skills that will prepare them to be whatever they wish to be and to make a significant contribution in the communities they will inherit. I commend C.O.P.E. and ICUC for identifying all current barriers that prevent students from that goal or divert them toward a negative outcome, particularly one that leads to prison,” said Carolyn Tillman, Special Assistant to the Superintendent, San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools. “I commend C.O.P.E. and ICUC for their commitment to educate, monitor and hold accountable all institutions and individuals who contribute to or uphold the status quo for conditions that are counter to creating positive outcomes for kids. A rally is a good start; still we must do the daily intentional work to divert a pipeline from failure to success.”

San Bernardino City Unified School District board member, Danny Tillman, spoke from his heart in regards to the issue of the school to prison pipeline. He explained what the real intent for the citations has been misconstrued. He also stated that he is proud of the San Bernardino City Unified School District Police Department but they were put in place to “keep our students safe and benefit them. It was never meant to put our kids at a disadvantage because of a citation we give them which happens to be from a sworn police officer or sworn peace officer of the state of California. So whatever it takes to fix that, that’s what we must do.” He also mentioned an incident in his youth that could have been detrimental to his future if he was subjected to what many children are faced with today in our schools. “I would not have been able to achieve what I have if I had a citation given to me with the same repercussions.”  His comment spoke volumes. It was an honest response to the facts that were presented to the board.  His passion has felt by many of the parents and students in the room.

“The school to prison pipeline has been a concern of mine since I heard a hip hop album called, ‘No More Prisons’ by Raptivism in the late 90s and most recently I consider it to be one of the foremost issues of our time after reading the New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander.  San Bernardino area groups and coalitions like COPE, ICUC, WAG, The Fellas and the African American Education Collaborative are doing to highlight the fact that if we can reduce student suspensions and arrest, we have a greater chance of keeping students in the classroom and on a path to graduate and accomplish career goals. I know other determinants like having multiple teaching methods and deeper cultural awareness trainings for teachers and staff assists in the cause,” stated Jonathan Buffong, Buffong Consulting Solutions, a Consulting Group that work with local educational providers in the areas of leadership and program development.

“I also know that the desperate increase involvement by the families of students play large role in dropping those numbers but the of show concern this past Tuesday evening at the school board was geared to the San Bernardino Unified School District and their implementation of policies that will ensure that the current numbers drop. My hat goes off to this effort because I believe it is a step in the right direction. We also must support these efforts by educating our students and parents to understand that our schools should not have to put up with anything that distracts our children from learning so that they can accomplish their goals,” added Buffong.

Several board members participated and mingled with the community members during the rally prior to the school board meeting. The energy of the crowd was positive and uplifting. However, once the subject of citations was up for board discussion the mood in the room was turned quickly to serious business. It was a call to action. “As a lifelong resident of San Bernardino it was nice to see so many community members and activists come out and voice their concern for our students with a very supportive board who always keeps the best interest of our students in mind,” said Trimonisha Singer. “I am positive that they will do what is best for our community.”

This was just the beginning of what’s more to come. The board members all appeared to agree with what was presented to them that evening but only time will tell. Superintendent Dale Marsden suggested a subcommittee be convened to research what others districts are doing. However, Tillman and Flores both pointed out that C.O.P.E. and ICUC have already done the work for them. The community will not let this issue fall by the waist side. It is too important. “C.O.P.E. and ICUC has brought this to our attention, that we have to do more,” said Flores. “I admit it, we’ve come a long way but we need to do more.”

By Dr. Mildred D. Henry

Pick up the newspaper and you will read that San Bernardino is one of the cities with the highest crime rate in the nation. I turn on the TV and Internet and see that San Bernardino is one of the 10 worst cities in which to raise a family. The city of San Bernardino continues to be portrayed as the worst this and the worst that. Unfortunately, the same so-called news will broadcast for three days straight as if there are no other events taking place in the world. Particularly in the sports world, negative behaviors make the headlines.

I want to share some good news about San Bernardino.  Good things are happening in our city. San Bernardino has an unbeaten Minor League football team that just defeated unbeaten Las Vegas to maintain San Bernardino’s undefeated record of 9-0.

The San Bernardino California Raiders, a group of young men from assorted backgrounds and temperaments, molded into a winning machine that brings positive notoriety to the city. They should be recognized and lauded for their efforts and achievements.  A minor league football team that is affiliated with the National Developmental Professional Football League (NDPFL), The Raiders play teams from all over Southern California and Las Vegas, Nevada.

These young adults come from different gang related neighborhoods and nobody asks about gang membership or turf.  They come from law enforcement, from the corporate world, and on Saturday night the players all wear the California Raiders colors and share the one common thrill of winning a championship. This is reportedly the longest running, winnings, minor-league football team in the Inland Empire.

The Raiders have been located at San Bernardino High School, engaged in the same sport, for 10 years. On Saturday nights you will find them on the football field rather than on the street corners. How about a pat on the back and some kudos for these positive thinking football players. The detrimental elements of our society can so easily entice our young people to go astray. Consequently, when we have young people in school and organizations, that are engaged in positive endeavors, we should praise and support them as much as possible.  This is an excellent program for young men, 18 years of age and older, who aspire to play football.

Hats off to owner, Dwaine Radden, Sr., the coaches, the players, and supporters of the San Bernardino California Raiders.  Full speed ahead to another championship!