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Seven out of 10 African American youth between ages 12 and 17 who smoke use menthol cigarettes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).? 

And a higher percentage of Black adults who smoke began using menthol cigarettes (93%) — that’s more than two times higher than the number of White adults who did the same (44%), according to the CDC. 

The two top-selling mentholated cigarette brands in the United States are Newport and Kool.  

Anti-Tobacco advocates say these numbers are alarming. So, two of the nation’s top organizations committed to decreasing the use of tobacco in the United States are taking legal action to end the consumption of menthol by African Americans, calling them chemically unhealthy and deadly. They want it eliminated from all tobacco products. 

The two groups, the African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council (AATCLC) and Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) formally announced their joint lawsuit against the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) during a ZOOM news conference on June 17. 

“We are suing the United States’ Food and Drug Administration for their failure to enact public health policy that protects the health and welfare of African Americans,” said Carol McGruder, co-chair of AATCLC. 

Represented by Pollock Cohen, LLP, a New York City-based firm, the complaint requests that the court compel the FDA to act on the organization’s own conclusion that it would benefit the public health to add menthol to the list of prohibited cigarette flavors in the United States. 

The AATCLC and ASH’s lawsuit also asks the court to carry out its duties under the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act. That action would also result in the removal of menthol-flavored tobacco products from the marketplace. 

In California, there is no statewide ban on the sale or possession of flavored tobacco products. However, a growing number of communities in the state are banning the sale of them. So far, more than 30 jurisdictions have placed restrictions on the sale of mentholated cigarettes. San Francisco County was the first county in the state to ban menthol cigarettes in the summer of 2017.  

In an effort to protect the public and design a healthier future for all Americans, the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (Tobacco Control Act), was signed into law on June 22, 2009, by President Barack Obama.? 

“When the Tobacco Act was signed, all characterizing flavors were banned from cigarettes. All except menthol,” McGruder said. “Menthol was inexplicably given a pass. Characterizing flavors are the building blocks to nicotine addiction. As we witnessed last year with the nicotine baby epidemic, flavors seduce children (and) nicotine hooks them.” 

The Tobacco Control act gives the FDA authority to regulate the manufacture, distribution, and marketing of tobacco products, including: 

• Restricting Tobacco Marketing and Sales to Youth 
• Requiring Smokeless Tobacco Product Warning Labels 
• Ensuring  “Modified Risk” Claims are Supported by Scientific Evidence 
• Requiring Disclosure of Ingredients in Tobacco Products 
• Preserving State, Local, and Tribal Authority. 

Pollock Cohen law firm’s Christopher Leung, an attorney representing AATCLC and ASH, said he hopes the lawsuit “saves tens of thousands lives” and that it would correct “a terrible wrong perpetrated against the Black community.” 

“Over 10 years ago, U.S. Congress directed the FDA and the Department of Health to quickly address the harm caused by menthol cigarettes,” said Leung, who specializes in public-interest litigations. “In that time the FDA and the Department of Health have done nothing. Our lawsuit compels these agencies to do what congress directed them to do.”? 

Tobaccofreekids.org has reported that 45,000 African Americans die each year from a smoking-related disease. 

African American and Latino smokers —76.8% of whom smoke menthol cigarettes — likely prefer brands with menthol because the tobacco industry markets those products to young people and Black people, according to the FDA’s “Preliminary Scientific Evaluation of the Possible Public Health Effects of Menthol Versus Nonmenthol Cigarettes” study of 2013. 

Several studies have documented how major tobacco companies have target-marketed menthol cigarettes to African Americans, beginning in the 1950s.  

“By continuing to delay, the FDA and the U.S. government are failing to protect the health of U.S. Citizens, particularly, African Americans,”? Kelsey Romeo-Stuppy, ASH’s managing attorney said during the virtual press conference. “The U.S. is also falling behind the global trend as countries around the world are increasingly banning menthol.”?? 

Some African American leaders, including the Rev. Al Sharpton, have cautioned that making menthol cigarettes illegal will only create room for an underground market, which could expose Blacks to more criminal convictions and increase law enforcement surveillance — particularly in neighborhoods where there are more cases of police use of excessive force. Sharpton opposed a ban on menthol cigarettes in New York City last year that did not pass.  

Menthol has been laced in tobacco products for almost 100 years. It is a substance naturally found in mint plants such as peppermint and spearmint, according to smokefree.gov.?A synthetic version of the compound can also be manufactured.  

Smokefree.gov is a website operated by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) under the direction of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Smokefree.gov’s main objective is to assist efforts to reduce smoking rates in the United States, significantly among (certain) populations.? 

AATCLC educates the African American community about tobacco use and cessation, partners with community stakeholders, and public health agencies to inform and affect the direction of tobacco policy, practices, and priorities, as it affects the lives of Black people. 

Founded in 1967 and based in Washington, D.C., ASH is the country’s oldest anti-tobacco organization, dedicated to reducing tobacco-related deaths down to zero. ASH does not attack smokers. Its vision is to combat tobacco.? 

AATCLC and ASH are non-profit entities. The Public Health Law Center, an organization that collaborates with other groups to reduce and eliminate the use of tobacco, supports AATCLC and ASH’s lawsuit. 

“This landmark litigation is the culmination of a decade of pioneering work by the health champions of the African American Tobacco Control Leadership and other Black-led organizations,” Doug Blanke, the Executive Director of Public Health Law Center, said in a written statement. “It has the potential to reverse the leading cause of death in the Black community.” 

SAN BERNARDINO, CA—- During a lengthy NBA career, which including 4 titles, John Salley was on a different journey. He became a vegetarian during his playing days before going vegan in 2007. Now the TV host and chef has his very own vegan restaurant, the brand-new Cafe Organix located at 420 East Hospitality Lane, Suite A-10.

The grand opening was held on Friday, June 26. The event was definitely a celebratory one with community members from all throughout the Inland Empire and Los Angeles that stopped through. Kayla Collins DJ’ed during the last half of the event.

When asked why Salley chose San Bernardino for his establishment, he stated, “I wanted to be a part of the growth of veganism in San Bernardino, putting an end to food deserts in Black and Brown communities.”

Cafe Organix products are primarily made in-house with organic ingredients. “Expect a well-seasoned and tasty vegan cuisine. We will play with the menu to figure out the favorites and the foods we are good at making,” shared Salley.

Aside from offering drinks and eats, Cafe Organix will also stock frozen packaged goods, tea blends, candles, and other products! There is an art gallery inside the cafe that will feature a new local artist each month, and they also plan to host regular events for the community.

Visit CafeOrganix..com to plan your visit!

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On June 18, the United States Supreme Court ruled against the Trump administration’s decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. The renewable federal provision allows people who were brought illegally to the U.S. as children to defer deportation and receive legal permission to work, study and live in the United States. 

“Congratulations to DACAmented immigrants for this historic win,” said Nana Gyamfi, Executive Director of the Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI), a national advocacy organization that pushes for fair immigration policies. According to BAJI’s website, the group stands up for the rights of African, Caribbean and other minority immigrants across the United States; and stands with African Americans in the fight for racial justice. 

“This moment would not have happened were it not for the Black uprisings that have centered Black lives in this country,” Gyamfi continued. “This decision is a welcomed reprieve for DACA recipients and a call to action in support of Black Liberation. There are no permanent protections for any immigrants until African American human rights and dignity are protected.” 

The court decided by a 5-4 vote that the Trump administration had not provided “a reasoned explanation for its action,” according to the majority opinion written by Chief Justice John G. Roberts. 

California has played an integral part in the fight to keep the DACA program. Regents of the University of California were the defendants in the Supreme Court case, and the California Department of Justice led a coalition of 21 attorneys general in defense of the program. 

“The Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the University of California and the California Attorney General’s challenge against the Trump Administration’s capricious action is a victory for hundreds of thousands of young people who are making vital contributions to their families, schools, employers, and the nation,” said University of California President Janet Napolitano. 

“Today, America told the Dreamers that this is their home,” said CA Attorney General Xavier Becerra in a June 18 statement. “The highest court in our land saw through the Trump administration’s illegal, baseless excuses. The Court agreed: if you work hard and play by the rules, you deserve a chance to get ahead.” 

According the National Immigration Forum, about 653,000 “Dreamers,” undocumented immigrants who came into the U.S. as children, are currently protected under DACA, with over 200,000 recipients residing in California. The average DACA recipient arrived in the U.S. at age seven and has lived in the country for more than 20 years. 

The Supreme Court decision comes at a time when Dreamers are facing heightened hardships due to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the Center for American Progress, 202,500 DACA recipients are on the frontlines of the nationwide COVID-19 response. Most of these recipients are essential workers in healthcare, education, and food-related industries.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— Linda Bardere, director of the San Bernardino City Unified School District’s Communications/Community Relations and the Printing Services Departments, is retiring after 33 years.

Bardere served as the Communications officer for three years before being promoted to the position of director in 2003. Prior to that, Bardere taught at Highland-Pacific Elementary School from 1987 to 2000. During her time at Highland-Pacific, she taught budding young scholars in first, second and third grade.

Among Bardere’s accomplishments was the creation of a School Site Emergency Checklist. This handbook provides guidance for schools on who to contact and first steps to take during a school or community crisis ranging from a power outage to a natural disaster. This empowers school staff to act quickly and decisively during a crisis while the District offices provide support.

With Bardere’s departure, Ginger Ontiveros, executive director of Community Engagement, will guide the Communications/Community Relations and Printing Services Departments.

For the past six years, Ontiveros has guided the Community Engagement Office in building partnerships between the community and SBCUSD, connecting with alumni, developing resources, and growing the Making Hope Happen Foundation.

The Community Engagement office is located at the Board of Education building, 777 North F Street. Communications/Community Relations will remain at the Professional Development Center, 4030 Georgia Blvd. Ginger Ontiveros can be reached at ginger.ontiveros@sbcusd.k12.ca.us.

On Monday, the full California state Senate confirmed the appointments of two African Americans who have already stepped into top jobs at departments critical to the smooth operation of the state.  

Yolanda Richardson and Adetokunbo “Toks” Omishakin, are officially assuming their roles as state government executives in Sacramento at at time when the state is implementing deep cuts to its fiscal year 2020-21 budget in response to the global COVID-19 crisis.  

Despite the challenges, they both had already begun to execute the functions of their offices, pending this week’s final Senate approval.  

African American legislators and activists say the presence of Richardson and Omishakin in top-level state positions dovetails with the calls Americans across the country are making for more diversity in both the private and public sector — but there’s more work to do.  

In January 2019, when Gov. Newsom became governor of California he promised more inclusion of African Americans and other ethnic minorities.  

“I am deeply committed to building an administration that reflects California’s diversity, and it’s a goal I hope to advance at every level of state government,” he said.  

A little over 100 miles southwest of Sacramento in Santa Clara County, another African American, Rick Callender, assumed the top post of the region’s water utility last month.  

Meet Richardson, Omishakin and Callender:  

Yolanda Richardson, Secretary, California Government Operations Agency  

Yolanda Richardson, 49, is California’s Secretary of Government Operations Agency. She was appointed by Gov. Newsom on January 22.  

In her role, Richardson, a graduate of California State University Sacramento, oversees 10 state departments. Secretary Richardson oversees ten state departments vital to the smooth  administration of state business, including procurement, information technology, tax administration, human resources, among others.  

Immediately before joining Gov. Newsom’s administration, Richardson was president of Teloiv, a Sacramento-based consulting firm. Before that, she worked in leadership roles at both the California Health Exchange and at the San Francisco Health Care Plan.   

Richardson, a Democrat, lives in Rosedale and earns a salary of $217,292.  

Adetokunbo “Toks” Omishakin, Director, California Dept. of Transportation (CalTrans) 

Adetokunbo “Toks” Omishakin is the Director of the California Department of Transportation (CalTrans). Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed him in October 2019.  

Omishakin, 44, is the 33^rd director of the agency.  

As director of CalTrans, he manages a $15 billion budget and nearly 21,000 employees and oversees 50,000 lane miles of highways. He is responsible for maintaining 13,000 bridges and providing permits for more than 400 public-use airports. CalTrans also funds three of Amtrak’s busiest intercity rail services and provide transit support to more than 200 local and regional transit agencies. 

Before accepting the CalTrans director role, Omishakin was the deputy commissioner of environment and planning at the Tennessee Deparment of Transportation.  

Born in Knoxville, Tennessee, Omishakin and his wife have two children. He is completing a Ph.D. in engineering management at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.?He has a master’s degree in urban and regional planning from Jackson State University; and a bachelor of arts in engineering technology from Mississippi Valley State University. 

Omishakin, registered without a party preference, earns a salary of $200,000.  

Rick Callender, CEO, Santa Clara Valley Water District  

Rick Callender, 49, an attorney and longtime water executive, was elected CEO of the Santa Clara Water District (SCWD) by the organization’s board of directors last month.  

The organization serves as the water wholesaler for Santa Clara County and is responsible for providing water to — and flood protection in — the Santa Clara Valley.  

In the role, Callender will oversee an annual budget of more than $600 million. During his tenure, SCWD is also expected to take on several major capital projects, including a major reservoir expansion and a dam renovation.  

For more than two decades, Callender has worked in executive roles at Water Valley. He has also actively participated in local politics, organizing and advocacy, including serving as second Vice President of the California-Hawaii Conference of the NAACP. 

Callender was born in Las Vegas and grew up in San Jose, where he graduated from Santa Teresa High School.? He earned his bachelor of science degree in industrial engineering and technology from California State University, Chico, and his law degree from Northwestern California School of Law.  

A Democrat, Callender earns a salary of $326, 352 a year.  

By Derek Major

Several descendants of women who played “Aunt Jemima” are speaking out against the Quaker Oats food company’s decision to rebrand its Aunt Jemima breakfast line.

According to The Blaze, Larnell Evans Sr. believes Quaker Oats, which owns the brand, is trying to rewrite history. Quaker Oats announced last week that it will rename and rebrand the line due to the “racial stereotypes” it portrays.

“This is an injustice for me and my family. This is part of my history, sir,” Evans said. “The racism they talk about, using images from slavery, that comes from the other side — white people.”

“This company profits off images of our slavery. And their answer is to erase my great-grandmother’s history. A Black female,” Evans added. “It hurts.”

Evans’ great-grandmother, Anna Short Harrington, replaced the original Aunt Jemima, Nancy Green, a former enslaved woman, as the face of the Aunt Jemima brand in the early 1920s.

“She worked for that Quaker Oats for 20 years. She traveled all the way around the United States and Canada making pancakes as Aunt Jemima for them,” Evans explained.

“This woman served all those people, and it was after slavery. She worked as Aunt Jemima. That was her job,” he continued. “How do you think I feel as a Black man sitting here telling you about my family history they’re trying to erase?”

Evans is not the only descendant of a woman who played Aunt Jemima that was upset by the news. According to a New York Post article, Vera Harris said her family takes pride in Quaker Oats scouting her second cousin Lillian Richard to be a representative of the brand in 1925.

Harris added Richard worked for the company for 23 years, traveling the U.S. as Aunt Jemima to serve pancakes until she had a stroke.

“She was considered a hero in [her hometown of] Hawkins, and we are proud of that. We do not want that history erased,” Harris told the Post. “She made an honest living out of it for a number of years. She toured around Texas,” Harris added, noting there “wasn’t a lot of jobs, especially for Black women back in that time.”

The news of the change by Quaker Oats has led to other brands, including Uncle Ben’s Rice, to review changing their names.

“SHOW & TELL: A Story of Our Ancestors Freedom Fight”! Please take a moment out of your to walk through history. Our goal is to educate and bring awareness to ALL. These exhibits will be impactful and will tell the story!

Dates: July 4th and 5th from 11 am to 3 pm

Social distancing will be set in place and Masks will be required for safety.

Participating Agencies:

• YouthBuild Charter School – Africa American Icons
• Southern California Black Chamber of Commerce ICC- Before Black Wall Street the story Estonville
• Westside Story Newspaper – Liberation through Black Media
• T’ana Phelice Productions – short skit ‘The Only Tired I Am’
• LUE Productions – musical timeline of music that helped our people sustained through dark times.
• African American Mental Health Coalition – Methods of treatment provided for Africa American Woman with mental health
• Music Changing Lives – When the 4th of July was Black
• Purposely Awaken – (Liberation through Black Media Media in conjunction with the Westside Story Newspaper
• Off The Chain Alliance – The Discrimination and elimination of African American Hair
• Uniteee – Born Guilty a as look at incarceration and social inequality
• 320 Premier Event Hall – Event Sponsor 
• Painter Maurice Howard
• YWE Young Woman Empowerment – Human Trafficking Awareness -Social and Emotional barriers that prevent young women from achieving their Aspirations
• We 3 Productions – Isolation Concentrations: Under the Boabab Tree

Want to participate as an exhibitor or volunteer? Please call 888.466.7408 ext 11 cell 909.566.1000 or email Lue@Blackchamberofcommerce.org.

As California goes, so does the nation.  

You’ve probably heard that cliché many times before. It certainly rings true for Juneteenth.  

The state of California  started recognizing Juneteenth or Black “Freedom Day,” marking the emancipation of enslaved African Americans, back in 2003 as an official state observance. That was 17 years before Juneteenth became a household word across the United States this year.  

On June 19, 1865, Union General Gordon Granger led troops into Galveston, Texas, to announce the end of the Civil War and to let enslaved people in that

town know that nearly 250 years of slavery was finally over. They were now recognized as free people.  Thousands of African Americans in that former Confederate Gulf Coast town had not yet heard that more than two years before on January 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Proclamation. That document officially granted them their freedom.  

“Four hundred years, African Americans have fought through struggle and oppression only to rise to the occasion and be the creators, inventors and leaders of society,” said the Rev. Shane Harris, a San Diego based civil rights leader, reflecting on the history behind the holiday.  

In the wake of the brutal murder of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man who Minnesota police killed last month —  and amid the global protests his death has sparked — there were more Juneteenth celebrations across California than ever before in history. The commemorations took on especial significance as Californians up and down the state paid homage to the suffering and triumphs of African American history in the United States.  

“Juneteenth is Freedom Day and a cause for celebration,” said Assembly member Shirley N. Weber (D-San Diego, chair of the California Legislative Black Caucus. 

On Friday night in Sacramento, Weber, other members of the California legislature, and people from all walks of life, watched from the lawn of the  California Capitol as the building’s famous dome lighted up in Red, Green and Black. African Americans use those colors to symbolize the pain and the richness of the African American experience and the African heritage of Black people in the United Sates.  

 “What is encouraging is the renewed interest in Juneteenth by young people. I think it is this moment where they recognize their power to make change. The message of Juneteenth is especially salient in the context of the current protests over ongoing and persistent brutality and inequity in the lives of Black Americans,” said Weber.  

American ideals promise equality, but have yet to fulfill that promise. By lighting the State Capitol in red, black and green, the California Legislative Black Caucus demonstrates its commitment to making that promise a reality in California,” she said.  

Across the country, more and more, businesses  — including Nike, Target and Spotify —have started to consider Juneteenth a paid holiday. 

And as social and recreational venues began to open across the United States, Californians last weekend  organized events for an all-American holiday celebration throughout the state. 

There were marches for justices in San Francisco, Oakland, Fremont, Pittsburg, Palo Alto and Santa Clara that ended up with political rallies. Some events featured live performances, food and other entertainment.  

In Sacramento, the California Black Agriculture Working Group held an event at Cesar Chavez Plaza called “2020 Sacramento Juneteenth, Dia De Los Negroes.”  

According to their Eventbrite page, the goal of the event was to educate Californians about “the unique legacy of ‘Slavery in California’ our journey towards freedom and ongoing systemic impacts from ‘America’s Peculiar Institution’ here in the Great State of California.” 

Beginning last Friday, Californians have been joining other Americans around the country for a Juneteenth Online Festival, which will run through June 28,  2020. The U.S. Census Bureau is participating in the national virtual festival to raise awareness about this year’s census count.  

“This online festival is something for the history books,” said Betty Williams, president of the Sacramento NAACP branch and U.S. Census Bureau Sacramento area partnership specialist.  

“I think the first ever Juneteenth Online Festival will create a huge amount of curiosity, which will equate to a large interest from the Black community, resulting in a successful event,” she said before the event kicked off last week.  

From June 13th, the San Jose/Silicon Valley-based African American Community Service Agency has been hosting  their 39th annual Juneteenth In The Park Festival entirely online for the first time in its history.  

The festival featured African American art, a Black hair session and a live virtual musical performance by Neo-Soul singer Anthony Hamilton. He headlined the online event.  

In San Bernardino, The Dino Can and the M.U.D.A.Foundation, local grassroots community-based organizations, teamed up to organize a “community-centric” event on June 19 called “Feed The Dino.” It featured free food, music and entertainment and was held at Perris Hill Park in San Bernardino.  

Lexi, one of the founding members of the activist and art collective Kawaii Killas, expressed the importance of her organization’s involvement in the San Bernardino event. 

“Feed The Dino is an event me and Kawaii [Killas] are very excited to be a part of because in a city that is in the top three most dangerous in America, we are bringing light and joy to our city,” Lexi said. “We are serving the people that have paid their dues and maybe even fell victim to our streets. Feed the Dino is retribution to our people. The things everyone deserves: community, food and life.” 

Lisa, another founding member of Kawaii Killas, highlighted the need for a celebration in these turbulent times. 

“To me, Juneteenth means resting your soul just for a second,” Lisa said. “Just a day. Freedom, sweet but short lived in realization.” 

While Freedom Day is a celebration of the Emancipation Proclamation, many California organizations are reminding policy makers that there is still a civil rights movement for Black lives that has not seen its end. 

For those still wary about gathering in public on the 19th, the South LA/South Bay African American Infant and Maternal Mortality Community hosted a virtual Freedom Day celebration that that featured Dr. Sayida Peprah, a Los Angeles-based psychologist as the keynote speaker.  

Like the state Capitol, San Francisco and San Diego counties lighted their administration buildings, too. Swaths of red, green and gold light shone against the white exteriors of those local government centers.  

“Tonight we accomplished lighting the San Diego County Administration Building in honor of Juneteenth,” says Harris. “We are part of creating a new narrative.” 

“But we must move from just illuminating buildings on the outside to going inside of them to address the inequities facing African Americans,” he said.   

SAN BERNARDINO, CA—- The year 2020 marks the start of a new decade and it signals change.  More and more parents of Latinx high school students want their children to succeed and they seek the help of role models in their communities to aid their children to go to college. The 36^th Annual Inland Empire Future Leaders Program (IEFLP) aims to meet that need by offering leadership development, cultural pride, and educational awareness to Latinx eighth- and ninth-grade students from schools representing San Bernardino, Riverside, Orange, and Los Angeles counties.

IEFLP’s goals are to motivate Latinx students to graduate from high school, strive for academic excellence, become leaders in school, and in their communities, and eventually, earn a college degree.  In addition, participants will receive leadership training, financial literacy information and will learn communication skills which are emphasized in combination with cultural pride workshops.

115 Latinx eighth- and ninth-grade students are confirmed to participate in the 36th annual IEFLP conference. Amid the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and in order to protect the wellness of the students, staff volunteers, and conference presenters IEFLP has deemed best to host the entire summer conference via an online platform. Students who do not have access to electronic devices and/or reliable internet connection will receive support from IEFLP. This year’s program will be held from June 17, 2020, to June 19, 2020. 

IEFLP seeks to create a meaningful and enduring virtual connection amongst the delegates (a name used to address the participants of the conference). Dr. R.C. Heredia, an alumnus of Colton High School, UCLA, and Pepperdine Univ. and chair of the IEFLP Board of Directors alongside with Vanessa S. Ibarra, Esq., an alumna of California State University, San Bernardino and Loyola Law School and this year’s IEFLP Executive Conference Director, acknowledge that “now more than ever, our community will need continuing education, guidance, and uplifting support from one another to persevere during this unprecedented difficult time.” According to Vanessa S. Ibarra, Esq., “IEFLP will empower the next generation of future leaders that will shape reforms to uplift our community.”

IEFLP will offer a network with IEFLP alum and college students throughout the country, provide exposure to role models, and allow students to connect with high school students throughout Southern California. Role models like the 2019 recipient of the IEFL Art Arzola Scholarship ($1500) Mariah Grajeda, 2019 valedictorian of Middle College High School and current student at UCLA. Grajeda, along with the rest of the 100% volunteer staff, has helped make IEFLP a special experience for all delegates. Rodolfo Monterrosa, Esq., is another conference participant from the 1988 IEFLP, currently a public defender and immigration attorney at Monterrosa Law. “Rudy” is a native of Bloomington where he was the valedictorian of the class of 1991. He graduated from Stanford University and Notre Dame Law School. The delegates will receive mentorship and guidance from successful Latinx individuals like them. 

In the past, delegates who benefitted from the experience have expressed their gratitude to IEFLP. Arturo Rodriguez, 2009 delegate said, “The program encouraged me to follow my dreams and never give up. It sparked my interest in becoming a public servant and serving the Latinx community in any way, shape, or form. This program gave me the necessary tools to become a leader in my community and strive for change.” Additionally, Dr. R.C. Heredia, a 1992 conference delegate, said, “Having experienced this program as a high school student, I learned the leadership tools that have helped me to succeed in high school, at UCLA, in graduate school, and in my career. The confidence in myself and the network that I developed from my experiences with IEFLP was instrumental for me in earning a doctorate degree.”

Over 4,400 students have participated in the program, which commenced in 1985. The program’s popularity and effectiveness among students, parents, educators, and community supporters can be shown from yearly surveys since 1990, which indicates that 99 percent of student participants graduate from high school and 90 percent attend college. For the past thirty-five years, Inland Empire Future Leaders has helped many of its delegates attend and graduate from: Harvard, Notre Dame, Pepperdine, Stanford, UCLA, USC, UCR, UCSB, UCSD, CSUSB and the list goes on and on. Many of the conference’s delegates have gone on to become: lawyers, teachers, doctors, professors, filmmakers, journalists, and even congressmen (U.S. Members of Congress Pete Aguilar and  Dr. Raul Ruiz)!

This year’s conference will be dedicated to Judith Segura-Mora, an alumna from the original IEFL conference in 1985.  Judith has volunteered her time and energy for the program since the 1980s and currently serves on the Board of Directors. Funding for the program is provided through individuals, community groups, businesses, foundations, school districts, and government agencies. IEFLP encourages you to visit our website at www.iefl.org, add us on Facebook at Inland Empire Future Leaders Program, and/or follow us on Instagram at ieflp. 

By Tanu Henry | California Black Media 

On June 12, the California Assembly voted 61-12 to approve AB 3121. 

The “reparations” bill calls for the creation of a task force to study and propose ideas for how African Americans in California can be compensated for slavery and its “after lives,” as the author of the legislation, Dr. Shirley Weber (D-San Diego), describes the Jim Crow laws and other forms of injustice and state-sanctioned discrimination that have existed in the United States from 1865 until now. 

“The bill would require the task force to recommend, among other things, the appropriate mechanism for redress as it pertains to California’s role in the enslavement of Black people,” Weber read in a statement at the bill’s hearing to her colleagues on the California state Assembly floor. 

The California state Senate is now reviewing the bill and is expected to vote on it by June 25. 

If the bill passes the Senate and Gov. Newsom signs it into law, the state will appoint and commission an eight-member task force comprised of people from different backgrounds. The team would lead the study that defines what reparations should look like and who would be eligible to receive compensation. 

“Until the end of the U.S. Civil War, California city and county law enforcement authorities enforced a contract labor system, allowing slave holders to effectively hold persons in bondage,” Weber said. “In other words, California state, county and city authorities actively supported the institution of Black slavery both within and beyond California.” 

In May, the Assembly Judiciary committee voted yes on the bill. Nearly a month later, the Appropriations committee passed it, too, before it moved to the Assembly floor for a full vote last week. 

“Its time we took an honest look at our history. This is not about pointing fingers. It’s about getting to the truth. African Americans have loved this country, and we have served it, and we have contributed to its might as much as every other American,” said Hardy Brown, the founder of California Black Media. 

“We are not making this up. The history is all there. City councils, state legislatures and the federal government crafted racist laws and adapted racially-biased public policies that deliberately excluded African Americans,” Brown continued. “They erected legal barriers that held us back and robbed us of economic opportunities that were afforded others for centuries — both here in California and across this land.” 

Standing with Weber, all the other members of the California Legislative Black Caucus co-sponsored AB 3121. They are Senator Steven Bradford (D-Los Angeles), the group’s vice chair; Senator Holly J. Mitchell (D-Los Angeles); Assemblymember Sydney Kamlager (D-Los Angeles), secretary; Assemblymember Jim Cooper (D-Sacramento), treasurer; Assemblymember Chris R. Holden (D-Pasadena); Assemblymember Mike A. Gipson (D-Los Angeles); Assemblymember Autumn Burke (D-South Bay, Los Angeles); Assemblymember Reginald Jones-Sawyer, Sr. (D- South Los Angeles); Assemblymember Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento). 

“Justice requires that those who have been treated unjustly need the means to make themselves whole again,” Weber told her colleagues. 

Twelve of the 17 Republican members of the state Assembly voted no on the bill. They are Assemblymembers Frank Bigelow (R-O’Neals); Bill Brough (R-Dana Point); Steven Choi (R-Irvine); Jordan Cunningham (R-Paso Robles); Megan Dahle (R-Bieber); James Gallagher (R-Yuba City); Kevin Kiley (R-Rocklin); Tom Lackey (R-Palmdale); Devon Mathis (R-Visalia); Jay Obernolte (R-Big Bear Lake); Jim Patterson (R-Fresno); and Randy Voepel (R-Santee). 

The Assembly Republicans have not issued a formal statement opposing AB 3121. However, Joshua Hoover, Kiley’s chief of staff, has said that he believes a discussion about reparations for slavery should happen on the federal level.