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Inaugural Event Pays Off!

Dr. Corey Jackson, the Assembly Member representing California’s 60th district, hosted the ‘State of The Black IE’ on Saturday, which was the first of what is promised to be an annual event. It was held at the Moreno Valley Conference Center where approximately 300 excited guests mingled, as they glad-handed and hugged their ways to their assigned tables.

Dr. Jackson was the first amplified voice of the morning, with a call to order. He established that we were gathered, not to celebrate, not to network, but to recharge our commitment to service. Serving is sacred work.

The symposium presented data regarding health, housing, entrepreneurship, reparations, and topped it off with a crowd inspiring discussion with Nikole Hannah-Jones. She is the Pulitzer Prize-winning creator of the “1619 Project” and staff writer at the New York Times Magazine, as well as the book version of “The 1619 Project”, as well as the 1619 Project children’s book, “Born On The Water”, which ere instant #1 New York Times bestsellers. Her 1619 Project is now a six-part docu-series on Hulu.

Another highlight of the symposium was the presentation of a Million dollar check by Assembly member Jackson, from the State of California to the Black Equity Initiative (BIA). The BIA is composed of IE organizations that share a desire to improve social conditions through empowerment, education, and policy change.

Pam Montana, the Kiwanis president, honored the Provisional Accelerated Learning Academy and the PAL Center. She expressed how much the PAL Center and Charter meant to her and the community. The breakfast played host to many prominent organizations throughout the Inland Empire.

Kiwanis of Greater San Bernardino are local groups of like-minded volunteers who make a difference in our community. They are friends, neighbors, and anyone who loves working together to change children’s lives. Kiwanians are part of a global network of clubs and members who partner with each other, as well as organizations whose mission aligns with their own.PAL Charter is the first and longest-operating Charter school under the San Bernardino Unified City School District.

Their tenure as a school is 25 years and counting. PCA is a Free Public Charter School serving 6-12 graders. They have two campuses in San Bernardino and are using state-of-the-art equipment to drive home their school mantra, “Education with an Individualized Approach.”

San Bernardino City Unified School District named the Dr. Mildred Dalton Henry Elementary School in her honor. The school’s mission develops college-focus, internationally-minded scholars through AVID Elementary systems, global studies, and project-based learning using research and technology.

Henry is ninety years old and is still active in the organization. She told her Board members and friends our nonprofit ‘Provisional Educational Services, Incorporated, “has been in continuous operation for 39 years-!! We incorporated it in 1984! PESI, the nonprofit, community-based organization, has continuously served thousands of people from 5 to 85 years old for four decades! WOW!”

PAL Center and Charter School is currently under the leadership of CEO, Dwaine Radden Sr. the founder of Saving Our Sons, I.E. Live Market Nite, San Bernardino Pop Warner Football and Cheerleading, and has many other accomplishments throughout the San Bernardino area. Radden showed off the Kiwanis plaque to students and staff, thanked them, and said this is for you. Without you, there is no PAL Charter Academy or PAL Center.”

The PESI organization currently has a middle and high school: a Youth Build program serving young men and women between the ages of 16-24. Their Youth Build has programs like CNA, construction, and logistics programs. PESI also has an Upward Bound program, which helps students attend a four-year university or college, as well as the Food IMPACT program that feeds the local community. PAL Charter school also has a CTE program for pharmacy tech, automotive, construction, CNA, cosmetology, and culinary coming soon. For more information, visit https://www.palcenter.org or https://palcharteracademy.org.

By Antonio? ?Ray? ?Harvey? |? ?California? ?Black? ?Media?

Gov. Gavin Newsom has announced that his choice to succeed U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who passed away on Sept. 29, is Laphonza Butler, a labor leader and the president of EMILY’s List – the country’s most extensive resource for women in politics.

“As we mourn the enormous loss of Senator Feinstein, the very freedoms she fought for — reproductive freedom, equal protection, and safety from gun violence — have never been under greater assault. Laphonza will carry the baton left by Senator Feinstein, continue to break glass ceilings, and fight for all Californians in Washington D.C.,” said Newsom in a statement released Oct. 1.

Butler will make history as California’s first openly LGBTQ+ U.S Senator and the first Black lesbian to openly serve in the U.S. Congress. She will join 47 other Democrats and three independents who caucus with the Democrats in the Senate for the remainder of Feinstein’s term, which ends in December 2024.

“An advocate for women and girls, a second-generation fighter for working people, and a trusted adviser to Vice President Harris, Laphonza Butler represents the best of California, and she’ll represent us proudly in the United States Senate,” Newsom stated.

Assemblymember Mike Gipson (D-Carson), a member of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC), says he is proud of Newsom’s choice.

“As a proud member of @CABlackCaucus and Assemblymember for #AD65, I am extremely proud that @GavinNewsom stood by his commitment as he always has,” Gipson wrote on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. “And I appreciate him for standing by his word and providing a great successor amidst the passing of the honorable Senator Feinstein.”

“I am always excited when a Black Woman is elevated. Laphonza Butler will represent California well and will bring a perspective to the US Senate that is desperately needed as a Black, LGBTQ+, mother, organizer, and labor leader,” said Kellie Todd Griffin, founding convener of the California Black Women’s Collective.

“My goal is to lift up the voices and needs of Black Women throughout state,” continued Todd Griffin. “That’s what we did three years ago when we created Keep the Seat and what we did in this case. We will keep pushing for what we believe is right regardless of the outcomes.”

Butler, recognized as a Democratic Strategist and a labor leader, served for seven years as President of SEIU United Long Term Care Workers (ULTCW). The union she led represents over 325,000 nursing home and home-care workers across California.

Newsom, who has the constitutional responsibility to appoint a replacement, promised he would select a Black woman if Feinstein chose to step down before her term ended in 2024. He made that statement in 2021 after he chose Alex Padilla to fill the vacancy left by Sen. Kamala Harris when she resigned to become vice president. Black women groups had been urging him to appoint a Black woman to succeed Harris.

Until Butler is seated, the U.S. Senate has no Black women members even though Black women are the most influential – and most loyal – voting group within the Democratic party. More than 90 % of Black women voted for Joe Biden in the last presidential election.  Before Newsom’s announcement that he had been chosen her to succeed Feinstein, Butler expressed her condolences on X. She wrote, “I’m saddened to hear of the passing of Sen.@DianneFeinstein. Not only was she a titan in the Senate, but a legendary figure for women in politics and around the country. Her legacy and achievements will not be forgotten. My prayers are with her family. She will be deeply missed.”

Since Feinstein’s passing was announced, pressure had been mounting on Newsom to quickly appoint an interim Senator in her place.  Three well known candidates running to succeed her in the 2024 election are Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA-12), Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-CA-28) and Rep. Katie Porter (D – CA-45).Lee, the only Black woman contending for Feinstein’s seat, congratulated Butler in a post on X.

“I wish Laphonza well and look forward to working closely with her to deliver for the people of the Golden State,” she wrote.

On Oct.1, the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) wrote a letter to Newsom urging him to appoint Lee.“She is the only person with the courage, the vision, and the record to eradicate poverty, face down the fossil fuel industry, defend our democracy, and tirelessly advance the progressive agenda,” CBC Chairman Steven Horsford (D-Nevada), stated in the letter to Newsom. “For these reasons, we strongly urge you to appoint Congresswoman Barbara Lee to the United States Senate.”

Newsom had expressed that his appointee would not participate in the 2024 election out of respect for the candidates already running. However, this stance has changed. Now the decision to run in the 2024 election lies with Butler. The deadline for candidates to file for the office is Dec. 8.Butler, a native of Magnolia, Mississippi, earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Jackson State University, an HBCU located in Mississippi.

“I’m honored to accept Gov. @GavinNewsom‘s nomination to be U.S. Senator for a state I have made my home and honored by his trust in me to serve the people of California and this great nation,”, Butler posted on X.

By Antonio Ray Harvey  | California Black Media

Condolences and tributes poured in from California’s Black community after the passing of U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein. Lawmakers, business leaders, and political service organizations expressed their condolences and sympathy to family, friends, and staff of U.S. Sen. Feinstein, 90, who died of natural causes in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 28.

On Friday, in a statement, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said, “In Senator Feinstein’s honor, I am directing the flags flying at all City facilities to be lowered to half-staff.”

“I am saddened by the passing of Senator Dianne Feinstein, one of our nation’s great leaders and someone I was blessed to call a colleague and friend,” added Bass. “Senator Feinstein was a trailblazer on whose shoulders I, and women in elected office all across America, will always stand. She worked harder than anyone I knew on Capitol Hill, and she will be remembered as one of the most effective and impactful Senators in American history.” 

Feinstein made history as the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate from California. She served over three decades in the upper chamber of the U.S. Congress and was the oldest lawmaker on Capitol Hill.

“California lost a trailblazer and a giant today,” wrote Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA-12). “Senator Feinstein broke glass ceilings for women in politics and fought fearlessly for safer communities free of gun violence. My deepest condolences go out to her family and loved ones.”

Feinstein built a reputation as an independent voice, working hard to find practical solutions to issues confronting California and the nation. She was the first woman to chair the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, a position she held for six years beginning in 2009.

In 2017, Sen. Feinstein became the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee – the first woman to assume that role – where she helped shape policy on criminal law, national security, immigration, civil rights and the courts. She held that position until 2021.

“We have fond memories to cherish of the work accomplished together on behalf of our most vulnerable and underserved communities. The Senator is truly a trailblazer,” stated Black Women Organized for Political Action (BWOPA) founding member and state President Dezie Woods-Jones.

BWOPA’s mission is to empower and educate African American women about politics encourage involvement, and address issues affecting the African American community.

Over 50 years ago, BWOPA charter members Hon. Ella Hill Hutch and Hon. Doris Ward collaborated extensively with Feinstein on a range of social issues during her time on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and as San Francisco Mayor.

Woods-Jones recalls Sen. Feinstein hosted BWOPA’s first annual board retreat.

“May her profound legacy of supporting women’s rights and leadership continue to be front and center. Thank you for your years of service Senator,” shared Woods-Jones.” May her profound legacy of supporting women’s rights and leadership continue to be front and center.”

Feinstein was instrumental in helping another Black political organization grow and become a force to be reckoned with in California politics, the Black American Political Association of California (BAPAC). The group is dedicated to amplifying the economic, social, and political influence of the Black community in California.

According to BAPAC Sacramento Regional Director Rory Kaufman, BAPAC’s growth and influence were bolstered by the support of former Assembly Speaker Willie Brown, former two-time Gov. Jerry Brown, and Feinstein. The organization was founded by Percy Pinkney, an outspoken champion for solutions to challenges facing Black Californians, who also served as a senior state field representative for Feinstein.

“The bottom line is that Dianne Feinstein helped keep BAPAC alive because she had Percy Pinkney on her staff,” Kaufman said. “If history serves me correctly, it was either Brown or Feinstein that sent Pinkney to Indiana where he discovered an organization similar to BAPAC and brought it back here (to the West Coast) to start the organization.”

The California Black Women’s Collective (CBWC) also issued a statement on the passing of Feinstein. CBWC serves as a resource for lawmakers, elected officials, business leaders, and advocacy organizations.

“We are all saddened by the passing of Senator Diane Feinstein, who paved the way for women to serve their communities in California and nationally,” states Kellie Todd Griffin, founding convener of CBWC. “It is imperative that we all take a moment to honor her contributions that positioned California as a beacon for others to follow.”

Sen. Steven Bradford (D-Inglewood), vice chair of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) ,called Feinstein an “icon for her service and leadership.”

“Senator Dianne Feinstein dedicated her life to public service. As the longest-serving woman in the U.S. Senate, she was a trailblazer who served our state with strength, vision, and compassion,” said Bradford. “Her career was forged through the tragedy of gun violence which fueled her unwavering resolve to pass groundbreaking gun control. A true giant has left us.”

By Antonio Ray Harvey, Tanu Henry and Joe W. Bowers Jr. | California Black Media

The Writers Guild of America West (WGA) and SAG-AFTRA unions have reached a tentative agreement to end a historic and highly publicized strike that shut Hollywood down and lasted nearly five months.

“I am grateful that the Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers have reached a fair agreement and I’m hopeful that the same can happen soon with the Screen Actors Guild,” said Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. “Now, we must focus on getting the entertainment industry, and all the small businesses that depend on it, back on their feet and stronger than ever before.”

The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) – the organization that represents the studios – approved a potential new deal on Sept. 24 that allows 11,500 writers to return to work beginning Sept. 27 while the ratification process takes place. The new agreement will run until 2026.

The unions were protesting for higher wages and protections from studios using artificial intelligence in the creative process.

In the end, negotiations included streaming compensations and set a minimum number for writing staffs. Staff writers reportedly received a 5% increase in weekly pay, while story editors and executive editors saw a 3.5 to 4% increase in their compensation.

 “What we have won in this contract – most particularly, everything we have gained since May 2nd – is due to the willingness of this membership to exercise its power, to demonstrate its solidarity, to walk side-by-side, to endure the pain and uncertainty of the past 146 days,” the WGA stated in and email to members.

Ruth Stevens was named ‘Granny Goose’ by her first granddaughter, Myshjua, over 50 years ago.

The name has been echoed by eight grandchildren, 18 great grandchildren and one great-great granddaughter! The ‘Goose’ is shown here with one of her great granddaughters!

Ruth recently celebrated her 97th birthday. Her life is profiled in her book, “Ruthie ’Jewels”, available in the Amazon bookstore!

By Antonio Ray Harvey, Tanu Henry and Joe W. Bowers Jr. | California Black Media

On September 26, California Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) Tony Thurmond released a video announcing that he is running for governor in 2026.

In the video, Thurmond, 55, said his candidacy is “about people.”

“California has had a lot of governors,” Thurmond states in the introduction of his announcement. “My story is nothing like theirs.”

“I didn’t come from money, power or influence,” he continued. “Mom emigrated from Panama and became a classroom teacher, but died when I was six years old. My dad served the nation but left us after the Vietnam war.”

Raised by his mother’s cousin, Thurmond, who represented Richmond in the State Legislature from 2014 to 2018, shared the many lessons he learned from his childhood — about the value of hard work, pushing through adverse circumstances and focusing on success.

Also in the race for governor are Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounilakis and former California state Controller Betty Yee.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA—- On Saturday, September 23, San Bernardino High School (SBHS) celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Mr. and Miss Cardinal City Pageants.

Beyond the pomp and circumstance, this event has focused on academics, and it has helped hundreds of former students gain real-world skills that have led to success beyond high school.

Pageant founder and Bilingual School Outreach Worker Jaime Rios conceived of the pageant to promote SBHS and the City of San Bernardino through the young people who he said are the future of the community.

“The Miss and Mr. Cardinal pageant isn’t just about glitz and glamor,” Rios said. “It’s a platform where character is honed, leadership is cultivated, and resilience is fortified. Our participants aren’t merely contestants, they are the embodiment of ambition, grace, and unwavering determination.”

Gustavo Alvarez is one of those former students. He credits the pageant with helping him become the man he is today.

As the SBHS Class of 2012 alum and former Mr. Cardinal City, he is currently a doctoral student in mechanical engineering at Cornell University.

“Being Mr. Cardinal provided a space that encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone. As a truly shy high school student, I was able to gain more confidence in myself and my abilities to give back to the community,” said Alvarez.

Alvarez also works at the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source and with Argonne National Laboratory. His research into the study of heat transfer to semiconductors is on the nanoscale.

If all that sounds like rocket science, that’s because it just might be. The applications of Alvarez’s research could lead to space probes that can study the outer corona of our sun.

By Tanu Henry and Joe W. Bowers Jr. | California Black Media

California State Controller Malia Cohen announced last week that she will chair a “statewide multi-agency task force charged with developing audit criteria and best practices for identifying and preventing fraud in charter schools.

San Diego Superior Court Judge Robert Longstreth formed the task force after the state charged 11 defendants – including a school superintendent — for defrauding taxpayers of nearly $400 million by enrolling fictitious students in A3 Education, an online charter school, to collect state funds to educate each student.

Cohen says the leading defendants in the case Sean McManus and Jason Schrock have agreed to turn over all the assets of A3 Education and its subsidiaries to the state – and $215 million which will be put back in the “state’s coffers.”

“As the State’s chief fiscal officer and the office responsible for developing audit guidelines to be followed by auditors when auditing school district, I could not in good conscience allow this matter to proceed through the judicial system without offering my office’s assistance in drafting guidelines to detect and prevent a recurrence of this untenable situation,” said Cohen. “To do otherwise would be to neglect the confidence placed in my office to safeguard taxpayers’ dollars.”

By Tanu Henry and Joe W. Bowers Jr. | California Black Media

Last week, San Francisco’s Mayor London Breed issued a statement that reparations – particularly cash payments — for past injustices suffered by Black Americans who are descendants of enslaved people are best handled at the federal level.

Breed issued the statement after the San Francisco Board of Supervisors’ endorsement on Sept. 19 of a reparations plan submitted in June by an advisory board of Black leaders in the city.

The 400-page plan lists 115 recommendations, including individual payments of up to $5 million per eligible Black resident. It also calls for investments in Black-owned businesses, education, housing and attracting more Black residents to the city.

In her statement, Breed committed to undertake certain city initiatives to address inequity like a guaranteed income program and implementing a plan to allocate $60 million every year for investment in the Black community.