What it do with Lue

By Edward Henderson | California Black Media

Last week, California Black Media (CBM) provided an update on four bills in the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) 2025 Road to Repair package.

The 16 bills in the Black Caucus’s 2025 “Road to Repair” package focus on “repairing the generational harms caused by the cruel treatment of African American slaves in the United States and decades of systemic deprivation and injustice inflicted upon Black Californians,” said the CLBC in a release.

This week, CBM examines four more bills in the package — each offering ways for Black Californians to receive restitution for past injustices — from housing assistance and reclamation of loss property to fairer pay and the establishment of a state agency charged with determining eligibility for reparations.

Here are summaries of these bills, information about their authors, and updates on how far each one has advanced in the legislative process.

Assembly Bill (AB) 57

AB 57, introduced by Assemblymember Tina McKinnor (D-Inglewood), would require that at least 10% of the monies in the state’s home purchase assistance fund be made available to applicants who meet the requirements for a loan under the home purchase assistance program and are descendants of formerly enslaved people.

“California has long been a leader in addressing historical inequities and AB 57 builds on that legacy by acknowledging and addressing the systemic barriers that have prevented descendants of enslaved people from achieving equitable access to homeownership,” said McKinnor in a release. “Homeownership is a cornerstone of wealth building, and this bill is an important step toward ensuring that this historically marginalized community has opportunities to close the wealth gap and achieve economic stability.”

Existing law requires budget allocation for the Home Purchase Assistance Program, which assists low- and moderate-income homebuyers in purchasing owner-occupied homes.

On March 26, the Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee held a hearing on AB 57 and approved it with an 8-0 vote.

The Assembly Judiciary Committee is currently reviewing the legislation.

Assembly Bill (AB) 62

AB 62, also introduced by McKinnor, would require the Office of Legal Affairs, to review, investigate, and make certain determinations regarding applications from people who claim they are the dispossessed owner of property seized from them because of racially motivated eminent domain. The bill would define “racially motivated eminent domain” to mean when the state acquires private property for public use and does not provide just compensation to the owner due in whole, or in part, to the owner’s race.

“For decades, racially motivated use of eminent domain uprooted communities of color, stripping families of their homes, businesses, and opportunities for generational wealth,” said McKinnor. “AB 62 acknowledges these injustices and works to provide pathways for redress, whether through the return of property or equitable compensation.”

If it is decided that a person should get their property back or be paid for it, the bill would require the Office of Legal Affairs to confirm that they have the right to either get their original property back, receive a different public property of the same value, or be paid money as compensation.

AB 62 is currently under review in the Judiciary Committee.

Senate Bill (SB) 464

SB 464, introduced by Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (D-Los Angeles), aims to strengthen the existing civil rights laws in California concerning employer pay data reporting. The bill mandates that private employers with 100 or more employees submit annual pay data reports to the Civil Rights Department. These reports must include detailed demographic information — including race, ethnicity, sex, and sexual orientation — pertaining to their workforce distribution and compensation across different job categories. Furthermore, beginning in 2027, public employers will also be required to comply with these reporting requirements.

“While the state has done significant work and made targeted investments to create greater upward mobility, our progress must be measured,” said Senator Smallwood-Cuevas. “Simply put, we don’t know what we don’t track. SB 464 expands upon existing pay data reporting requirements establishing greater transparency and accountability in these reports to ensure that we have adequate tracking and reporting mechanisms to guide policymaking and enhance existing programs.”

The amendments proposed by SB 464 are intended to enhance transparency in pay practices and address potential discrimination in compensation based on race, gender, and sexual orientation. By extending these requirements to public employers, the bill seeks to ensure that public sector pay equity aligns with practices in the private sector.

The Senate Committee on Labor, Public Employment, and Rules is currently reviewing SB 464. A hearing is expected to be held on April 23.

Senate Bill (SB) 518

SB 518, introduced by Sen. Akilah Weber Pierson (D-San Diego), establishes the Bureau for Descendants of American Slavery to address and remedy the lasting harms of slavery and the Jim Crow laws suffered by Black Californians.

“For generations, California upheld discriminatory policies and practices that denied Black residents access to land, wealth, education, and economic opportunity,” said Weber Pierson. “From exclusionary housing practices to barriers in employment and healthcare, these policies created deep racial disparities that persist today.”

Building on the findings and recommendations of the California Reparations Task Force, SB 518 would establish a state agency to verify lineage of eligible Black Californians and facilitate access to reparative justice programs. By ensuring that descendants of enslaved people receive recognition and targeted benefits in housing, education, and economic opportunity, this bill aims to take a step toward dismantling institutional barriers and advancing justice for African Americans.

SB 518 is under review in the Senate Judiciary Committee. A hearing is expected to be held on April 22.

SACRAMENTO, CA—A bill to make California Native American Day– celebrated annually on the fourth Friday of September –a paid holiday for state employees was approved unanimously today in the Assembly Committee on Public Employment and Retirement. Assemblymember James C. Ramos (D-San Bernardino) introduced the bill, AB 989, approved previously by the Governmental Organization Committee.

Ramos, a member of the Serrano/Cahuilla tribe, is the first California Native American lawmaker elected in the state’s almost 175-year history. He has been laboring to enact a California Native American Day since 1998.

Ramos said, “I was a San Manuel council member when I started working toward this goal with Senator Joe Baca Sr. “This is one more step forward in recognizing and building knowledge about the history, culture and contributions of California’s Native Americans.”

In 2021, he successfully authored AB 855 that created a paid judicial holiday. The legislation did not include other state personnel because they are governed by a different statutory code section. Ramos noted, “California Native American history is California history, and the current unpaid holiday designation is an inadequate acknowledgment of the state’s First People and their millennia-long presence, saga and stewardship of the lands now known as California.”

California Native Vote Project is the bill sponsor. Director of Organizing for the sponsor Calvin

Hedrick (Mountain Maidu) stated, “The California Native Vote Project is proud to sponsor and strongly support Assembly Bill 989. Making California Native American Day a paid state holiday is more than symbolic; it’s a long-overdue act of recognition for the sovereignty, resilience, and enduring contributions of our Native people in California. AB 989 ensures that our voices, cultures, and histories are honored with the same respect as other communities and sends a clear message that California is committed to truth, inclusion, and equity. We thank Assemblymember Ramos for his continued leadership in advancing justice for Native communities.”

Supporters include Blue Lake Rancheria Tribe of California, Cahuilla Band of Indians, California Consortium for Urban Indian Health, Chalon Indian Nation of California, Chalon Indian Nation of Bakersfield, Elk Valley Rancheria, California as well as Iipay Nation of Santa Ysabel, Indigenous Justice, Mongo Band of Mission Indians, Riverside-San Bernardino County Indian Health, Inc., Native Development Network and Society for California Archeology.

By Joe W. Bowers Jr. | California Black Media

California education leaders are pushing back against the Trump administration’s directive to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs in its K-12 public schools — despite threats to take away billions in federal funding.

The conflict began on Feb. 14, when Craig Trainor, Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), issued a “Dear Colleague” letter warning that DEI-related programs in public schools could violate federal civil rights law. The letter, which cited Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and the 2023 Supreme Court ruling in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, which ended race-conscious admissions, ordered schools to eliminate race-based considerations in areas such as admissions, scholarships, hiring, discipline, and student programming.

According to Trainor, “DEI programs discriminate against one group of Americans to favor another.”

On April 3, the DOE escalated the pressure, sending a follow-up letter to states demanding that every local educational agency (LEA) certify –within 10 business days — that they were not using federal funds to support “illegal DEI.” The certification requirement, tied to continued federal aid, raised the stakes for California, which receives more than $16 billion annually in federal education funding.

So far, California has refused to comply with the DOE order.

“There is nothing in state or federal law that outlaws the broad concepts of ‘diversity,’ ‘equity,’ or ‘inclusion,’” wrote David Schapira, California’s Chief Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction, in an April 4 letter to superintendents and charter school administrators.

Schapira noted that all of California’s more than 1,000 traditional public school districts submit Title VI compliance assurances annually and are subject to regular oversight by the state and the federal government.

In a formal response to the DOE on April 11, the California Department of Education, the State Board of Education, and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond collectively rejected the certification demand, calling it vague, legally unsupported, and procedurally improper.

“California and its nearly 2,000 LEAs (including traditional public schools and charter schools) have already provided the requisite guarantee that its programs and services are, and will be, in compliance with Title VI and its implementing regulation,” the letter says.

Thurmond added in a statement, “Today, California affirmed existing and continued compliance with federal laws while we stay the course to move the needle for all students. As our responses to the United States Department of Education state and as the plain text of state and federal laws affirm, there is nothing unlawful about broad core values such as diversity, equity and inclusion. I am proud of our students, educators and school communities who continue to focus on teaching and learning, despite federal actions intended to distract and disrupt.”

California officials say that the federal government cannot change existing civil rights enforcement standards without going through formal rule-making procedures, which require public notice and comment.

Other states are taking a similar approach. In a letter to the DOE, Daniel Morton-Bentley, deputy commissioner and counsel for the New York State Education Department, wrote, “We understand that the current administration seeks to censor anything it deems ‘diversity, equity & inclusion.’ But there are no federal or State laws prohibiting the principles of DEI.”

California Attorney General Rob Bonta has also condemned the directive, arguing that federal civil rights laws do not prohibit race-conscious initiatives designed to ensure inclusion and opportunity. Bonta reaffirmed that DEI efforts remain legal and essential for addressing systemic inequities in education.

Meanwhile, at least one local school board in California has decided to comply independently. Chino Valley Unified School District, led by conservative board president Sonja Shaw, bypassed the state and submitted the federal certification directly.

“This was a no-brainer for us,” Shaw said. “Our focus remains where it belongs — on reading, writing, math and achieving the best outcomes for our students… not in the ideologies and divisiveness that the state of California, [Gov.] Gavin Newsom and his cronies continue to push.”

While Chino Valley’s action is notable, there is currently no evidence that a number of California school boards have submitted certifications in defiance of state guidance.

Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said his district receives more than $1 billion in federal funding each year, supporting vital services like free meals, mental health counselors, and classroom aides. While LAUSD welcomes oversight, he said the Trump administration’s directive conflicts with state rules on race and gender — and that educators are both legally and morally obligated to protect students’ rights.

“We are morally compelled and legally required,” Carvalho said, “to protect their rights.”

Legal observers expect the conflict to end up in court. The NAACP and civil rights groups have already filed lawsuits against the DOE, arguing that the certification demand is unconstitutional and discriminates against schools serving students of color.

As the April 24 certification deadline approaches, California officials say they will uphold DEI values and challenge any federal attempt to condition funding on their removal.

RIVERSIDE, CA—Feeding America Riverside | San Bernardino (FARSB) is joining the Nourishing Neighbors Million Hour Volunteer Rally, an initiative led by the Albertsons Vons Companies Foundation to help end hunger in the community. The rally features a sweepstakes for volunteers who log their hours between now and May 15, 2025.

“Volunteers are the heart and soul of our mission to fight hunger,” said FARSB CEO, Carolyn Fajardo. “We’re excited to once again join the Million Hour Volunteer Rally and recognize those who are generously giving their time to nourish our community. This effort not only deepens volunteer engagement but also celebrates the impact every hour makes.”

From March 1 through May 15, 2025, Nourishing Neighbors is rallying communities to help reach one million volunteer hours. Volunteers who log their hours through this link will be entered into a sweepstakes for a chance to win prizes, including free groceries for an entire year. To qualify, each individual must log their own hours.

**Open to legal residents of the United States and the District of Columbia (excluding Albertsons United and Haggen divisions) who reside in states listed in Exhibit A in the Official Rules (“Eligibility Area”), including employees of Albertsons Companies Foundations or Albertsons Companies Inc., and their immediate families, who are 18 years and older. Void outside of the Eligibility Area and where prohibited. The Albertsons Companies Foundation Food Bank Volunteer Sweepstakes begins 9:00 AM PT on March 1, 2025 and ends 11:59 PM PT on May 15, 2025, see Official Rules.

For more information about FARSB’s hunger-relief programs, please visit: FeedingIE.org.

SAN BERNARDNO, CA— Haven’t found that perfect gift for Mom? San Bernardino Symphony Association Board of Directors President Donna Marie Minano has a suggestion.

Says Minano, “Why not start Mother’s Day early on Saturday, May 10, with the Pacific Trio in a very special 3 p.m. matinee concert! As a mother myself, I know how much spending time with my family uplifts my heart, and this is a unique and thoughtful way to celebrate any Mom who loves beautiful music.”

Comprised of world-renowned cellist John Walz, violinist Roger Wilke, and pianist Edith Orloff, the Pacific Trio has been praised by the Los Angeles Times as “one of the best.” The May 10 repertoire will include Beethoven’s Trio in Bb, Op. 11, Dvorak’s “Dumky” Trio, Op. 90, Rachmaninoff’s Vocalise, Brahms’ Hungarian Dance #6, and Gershwin’s Suite from “Porgy and Bess.” This ensemble concert will be performed at the historic San Bernardino Valley College Auditorium.

While multi-concert bundled tickets are the most economical way to enjoy the SBSO performance year, single concert tickets are also available at $20-$100 per seat, with student seats priced at $15 with an accompanying adult.

Concert tickets may be purchased online or by calling the Symphony office at (909) 381-5388 Monday through Friday between the hours of 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Venue box office sales are also planned prior to all concert performances, but the availability of seats can never be guaranteed so securing tickets early is always highly suggested.

The historic San Bernardino Valley College Auditorium is located at 701 S. Mt. Vernon Avenue in San Bernardino. Free parking is available adjacent to the venue for all concert performances. Doors open one hour prior to concert time and a reception follows each concert.

By Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media

On July 5, 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed into federal law the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). Also known as the “Wagner Act,” the law paved the way for employees to have “the right to self-organization, to form, join, or assist labor organizations,” and “to bargain collectively through representatives of their own choosing, according to the legislation’s language.

Today in California, over 600,000 rideshare drivers want the ability to form or join unions for the sole purpose of collective bargaining or other mutual aid and protection. It’s a right, and recently at the State Capitol, a large number of people, including some rideshare drivers and others working in the gig economy, reaffirmed that they want to exercise it.

On April 8, the rideshare drivers held a rally with lawmakers to garner support for Assembly Bill (AB) 1340, the “Transportation Network Company Drivers (TNC) Labor Relations Act.”

Authored by Assemblymembers Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland) and Marc Berman (D-Menlo Park), AB 1340 would allow drivers to create a union and negotiate contracts with industry leaders like Uber and Lyft.

“All work has dignity, and every worker deserves a voice — especially in these uncertain times,” Wicks said at the rally. “AB 1340 empowers drivers with the choice to join a union and negotiate for better wages, benefits, and protections. When workers stand together, they are one of the most powerful forces for justice in California.”

Wicks and Berman were joined by three members of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC): Assemblymembers Tina McKinnor (D-Inglewood), Sade Elhawary (D-Los Angeles), and Isaac Bryan (D-Ladera Heights).

Yvonne Wheeler, president of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor; April Verrett, President of Service Employees International Union (SEIU); Tia Orr, Executive Director of SEIU; and a host of others participated in the demonstration on the grounds of the state capitol.

“This is not a gig. This is your life. This is your job,” Bryan said at the rally. “When we organize and fight for our collective needs, it pulls from the people who have so much that they don’t know what to do with it and puts it in the hands of people who are struggling every single day.”

Existing law, the “Protect App-Based Drivers and Services Act,” created by Proposition (Prop) 22, a ballot initiative, categorizes app-based drivers for companies such as Uber and Lyft as independent contractors.

Prop 22 was approved by voters in the November 2020 statewide general election. Since then, Prop 22 has been in court facing challenges from groups trying to overturn it.

However, last July, Prop 22 was upheld by the California Supreme Court last July.

In a 2024, statement after the ruling, Lyft stated that 80% of the rideshare drivers they surveyed acknowledged that Prop 22 “was good for them” and “median hourly earnings of drivers on the Lyft platform in California were 22% higher in 2023 than in 2019.”

“We are thrilled that the California Supreme Court unanimously upheld the democratic will of the voters and did what’s right for California’s communities and economy. Prop. 22 was overwhelmingly passed by nearly 10 million California voters, and the effort to pass it was supported by more than 120,000 drivers and 140 community groups and organizations.

Wicks and Berman crafted AB 1340 to circumvent Prop 22. AB 1340, if it becomes law, would provide that Transportation Network Companies (TNC) drivers also have the right to refuse to join or participate in the activities of TNC driver organizations. The bill would require the Labor and Workforce Development Agency to enforce these provisions.

“With AB 1340, we are putting power in the hands of hundreds of thousands of workers to raise the bar in their industry and create a model for an equitable and innovative partnership in the tech sector,” Berman said.

In July 2024, Uber and Lyft drivers in the state of Massachusetts launched a first-of-its-kind ballot initiative to earn union rights in the rideshare industry. The ballot measure was passed by the voters in the 2024 General Election.

AB 1340 would also provide the following provisions: the prevention of wage theft from drivers, including tips; the outlawing of “Robo-firings,” where drivers are deactivated by algorithm; and the elimination of rideshare companies’ pricing practices, where riders are sometimes charged higher prices, but the drivers are still paid pre-set rates.

“By coming off a groundbreaking organizing win for drivers in Massachusetts, gig workers’ momentum is powerful and growing,” Wheeler said. “With California’s labor movement united behind drivers’ demand for the choice to form their union, we’re well on our way to growing the union strength needed to deliver what working people demand — fair wages, safe working conditions, and the opportunity to create a better life for our kids.”

By Lou Coleman

God has sent an eagle to fly above the earth and send out ONE FINAL APPEAL! Get under the Umbrella of the Almighty God NOW before the last three trumpet of judgments are released. [Revelation 8:6-12]. “I tell you, Nay: but, except ye REPENT, ye shall all likewise PERISH.” [Luke 13:3].

The Book of Revelation depicts humanity being perched upon the threshold of the Great Tribulation when utter desolation will befall the world. But, in keeping with God’s grace, he will not permit mankind to walk blindly into the Apocalypse.

Thus, [Revelation 14], shows how God does everything possible to save sinners and spare them from the coming wrath! This is God’s FINAL APPEAL to you sending his three angels to circumnavigate the globe and make a final proclamation to every living soul. Get under the Umbrella of the Almighty God NOW!

God has always sent a message to prepare people for significant events that affect their eternal destiny. When the world was going to be destroyed by water, as wickedness spread on the earth, the Lord called Noah to teach the gospel to his people. Noah warned the people that they must repent, or they would be destroyed by floods. Not only did the people refuse to follow Noah’s counsel, but they also became angry and wanted to kill him. [Genesis 6:5; Moses 8:18-26].  When the people would not repent, the Lord told Noah, ” I am going to bring floodwater on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish.” [Genesis 6:17].

When Jesus was about to take up His ministry on earth as the promised Messiah, God sent John the Baptist with a message of repentance to prepare the way. [Mark 1:2-3; Luke 3:2-16; Matthew 3:1-11].

God sent Jonah with a message to the people of Nineveh— “Repent or your city will be destroyed in forty days!” And the people repented. They responded to Jonah’s message, and their city was spared. [Jonah 3:1-5,10, Mark 1:14-20].

Every time there has been a major event affecting people’s spiritual destiny, God has had a message to prepare them to meet it by His grace. The three angels in [Revelation 14] proclaim messages of the greatest significance. They are God’s FINAL APPEAL to the inhabitants of earth.  REPENT and get under the Umbrella of the Almighty God NOW!

Jesus crying out with tears in His voice: O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. [Matthew 23:37].

That is the emotion God is feeling as He sends these urgent messages to earth. So many times, His Spirit has pled with men and women to turn to Him and be saved. Now the end is fast approaching, and God is doing everything He can to encourage you to come to Him. He has promised to be with you to the very end [Matthew 28:20].

And Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. And whoever sees me sees him who sent me. I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day. For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment what to say and what to speak. And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me.  [John 12:44-50].

God’s FINAL Appeal!

Listen, I don’t know how long God will continue this call to repentance and turning back to him, but there will come a day when the call will come to an end. The church will be gone and those left behind will be left to a world of delusion, lies and deception, where there will be little hope of survival.

Repent and get under the Umbrella of the Almighty God NOW! God loves you too much to allow you to go into judgment without giving you every opportunity to turn around.

God will use every means possible to warn mankind.

He uses the 144,000 Witnesses.

He uses Moses and Elijah.

He uses this trio of angels in [Revelation 14].

And he uses the witness of his Holy Word.

In so doing, God will have exhausted his grace, expended his mercy, and emptied his love in his final effort to redeem sinners. Thus, God will exhibit the fullness of his fairness and prove himself as faultless, in the least measure, from anyone facing him on Judgment Day and alleging they had insufficient opportunity to believe the Gospel. Repent and get under the Umbrella of the Almighty God NOW!

Like road signs on the highway, every warning can be given, and every direction shown to get us to our final destination, but if we ignore the signs and end up lost, it’s not the fault of the signs, nor of the one who built the highway. The fault is our own. We fail to read, we fail to listen, we fail to heed the warning which leads to destruction. Please Take Heed! Repent and get under the Umbrella of the Almighty God NOW!

The door was still open for any to come aboard. Nobody did. They watched as the Lord shut the door [Genesis 7:16]. The rain started. They all died!

God’s FINAL Appeal!

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— The City of San Bernardino has announced that eleven local neighborhood groups, community groups and non-profit organizations will be receiving $18,000 to complete community-based improvement projects as part of its “Love Your Block” initiative. The top prize of $5,000 was awarded to Tawyna Rhoades-Hensley for her “Unity in the Game: A Mural for Western Regional Little League” proposal.

“The proposals were absolutely amazing,” said San Bernardino Mayor Helen Tran. “It is so inspiring to see this much pride in our community and Love Your Block gave all of these groups an opportunity to make a difference in San Bernardino.”

The grant recipients were selected from amongst fifteen finalists who all made “Shark Tank” style pitches to a group of community judges on Saturday, April 19. The winning proposals were announced at an event on Tuesday, April 22 in conjunction with the sixteen other Love Your Block communities across the United States.

The top award will help fund an inspiring mural entitled “Unity in the Game,” to be painted by local artist Darren Villegas at Al Houghton Stadium, where the baseball and softball Little League World Series Western Regionals take place every year. The mural will feature baseball and softball players from the western region along with iconic landscapes and cultural elements representing the region, symbolizing unity and teamwork.

One of the presentations that had people buzzing came from three young members of Girl Scout Troup 1134. They were seeking funds to build a ”Little Free Library” at Blair Park.

“You could not deny the girls’ enthusiasm for their project,” added Tran. “And they also had detailed timelines, budgets, and goals. Those girls were incredible. It made my heart melt.”

Earlier this year, the City of San Bernardino, along with fifteen other cities across the nation, launched the “Love Your Block” initiative. The program, in partnership with the Bloomberg Center of Public Innovation, offered mini grants ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 to neighborhood, student, and civic groups or individuals to organize local art projects and community cleanups.

The City received 43 applications.

Based upon the success of this program, the City plans on holding a second Love Your Block competition later this year in search of community-based projects celebrating the upcoming 100th anniversary of the Historic Route 66.

The Love Your Block program was established in 2009 by the Bloomberg Center of Public Innovation to fund resident-led neighborhood revitalization projects in U.S. cities. The City of San Bernardino is one of only sixteen cities in the nation and two in California that were selected last year to be a part of the program.

Local partners include AmeriCorps Vista, Music Changing Lives, Making Hope Happen Foundation, and Neighborhood Partnership Housing Services.

Here is a complete list of Love Your Block winners:

• Unity in the Game: A Mural for Western Regional Little League   $5,000
• Arrowview Neighborhood Association Campo Santo Mural     $3,000
• The Bountiful Block                           $2,000
• Bond Street Clean-Up                         $1,500
• Blair Park Free Little Library                      $  500
• Pacific Street Pride                           $1,000
• Electric Avenue Art and Garden Project               $1,000
• Downtown Beautification                        $1,000
• Improving Arrowhead Heights                     $1,000
• Voices of Hope: A Community Mural Against Domestic Violence  $1,000
• Improving Pershing Street with Colorful Murals            $1,000

For  more  information,  visit  the  City’s  Love  Your  Block  website  at

https://www.sbcity.org/1636/Love-Your-Block

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

As a candidate for mayor, former U.S. Representative Barbara Lee released a “10-point plan” last week to reassure residents that she will tackle Oakland’s most pressing challenges.

Now that she has edged out her competitors in the ranked-choice special election with 50% or more of the vote, the former Congresswoman, who represented parts of the Bay Area in the U.S. House of Representatives, can put her vision in motion as the city’s first Black woman mayor.

“I accept your choice with a deep sense of responsibility, humility, and love. Oakland is a deeply divided City,” Lee said in an April 19 statement. “I answered the call to run to unite our community, so that I can represent every voter, and we can all work together as One Oakland to solve our most pressing problems.”

As of April 18, Lee had secured 47,045 votes (50.0%), while Loren Manuel Taylor trailed her with 42,276 (44.9%) votes, according to Alameda County election results. Lee and Taylor were among 10 candidates who vied for the office after embattled former mayor, Sheng Thao, was recalled in November.

On Saturday evening, Taylor conceded to Lee. There are still about 300 Vote-by-Mail ballots left to be verified, according to county election officials. The ballots will be processed on April 21 and April 22.

“This morning, I called Congresswoman Barbara Lee to congratulate her on becoming the next Mayor of Oakland,” Taylor said in a statement.

“I pray that Mayor-Elect Lee fulfills her commitment to unify Oakland by authentically engaging the 47% of Oaklanders who voted for me and who want pragmatic, results-driven leadership.”

The influential Oakland Post endorsed Lee’s campaign, commending her leadership on the local, state, and federal levels.

Paul Cobb, The Post’s publisher, told California Black Media that Lee will bring back “respect and accountability” to the mayor’s office.

“She is going to be a collegial leader drawing on the advice of community nonprofit organizations and those who have experience in dealing with various issues,” Cobb said. “She’s going to try to do a consensus-building thing among those who know the present problems that face the city.”

Cobb continued, “I also think she has the one thing that the previous leaders didn’t – the willingness to want to work with (Alameda) county to solve social issues like homelessness and housing because the county has the resources and the budget.”

Born in El Paso, Texas, Lee’s family moved to California while she was in high school. At 20 years old, Lee divorced her husband after the birth of her first child. After the split, Lee went through a tough period, becoming homeless and having to apply for public assistance to make ends meet.

But destitution did not deter the young woman.

Lee groomed herself to become an activist and advocate in Oakland and committed to standing up for the most vulnerable citizens in her community.

Lee traveled to Washington, D.C. to work for then U.S. Congressman Ron Dellums after receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree from Mills College in Oakland in 1973. Lee later won a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) fellowship to attend the School of Social Welfare, and she earned a Master of Social Work from the University of California-Berkeley in 1975.

Lee later served in the California State Assembly and State Senate before she was elected to Congress in 1998 to represent California’s 9th District, which includes parts of Berkeley and Oakland.

After serving in the U.S. Congress for more than 25 years, Lee ran unsuccessfully for California’s U.S. Senate in the 2024 primary election.

Lee joins current Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass and former San Francisco Mayor London Breed as Black women serving as chief executives of major cities in California over the last few years.

“For the past 100 days — as I have for the past 30 years — I worked hard every day to continue to earn your trust, your respect, and your vote,” Lee said in the April 19 press release. “I couldn’t be prouder of the margin of our collective win and our amazing coalition.”

In an April 10 press release, Lee said she expects to improve public safety, find effective solutions to address homelessness, and revitalize the city’s economic state in her first 100 days in office.

According to the United States Census, Oakland’s population was 436,504 in July 2023, a decrease of 4,165 since April 2020. The Black population makes up 21.1% of the city’s residents compared to the city of Los Angeles’s 8.5%. As it has all over the state, homelessness has risen considerably in Oakland over the last decade.

Cobb said that Lee’s work governing will take patience from the community. She not only has to repair the city’s image but also, “like the Betty Wright song, ‘Cleanup Woman,’ she’ll have to clean up the mess that was left behind,” Cobb said.

“That’s the role of Black women in politics – arriving to clean up the mess that was left by others,” Cobb said. “But I believe she can do both, repair and clean up some of the internal bureaucratic messes, while branching out to do things that others did not dare to do or did not care to do.”

Lee stated that she met with voters “every day in their living rooms, at their doors and at community events,” to hear their concerns and hardships of living in a city that once had three professional sports teams that were drawing revenue.

Part of her 10-point plan includes directing the City Council to develop a budget that puts Oakland on solid financial footing. She also wants to establish stronger links between the leadership of the City’s police department and business leaders to keep the city safe.

Another priority for Lee is deploying vegetation management crews to clear hazards in high fire danger zones to help protect residents and property from the growing threat of wildfires.

“I hear them loud and clear – they want a mayor who can make Oakland safer, address the fiscal crisis, and root out corruption,” Lee stated. “Together, we can build a safer, vibrant Oakland that works for everyone. This is our moment to reimagine what’s possible for our beloved city.”

Like chairs with hidden cracks, people carry pain that often goes unnoticed. BROKEN is where art and mental health meet, and healing begins. Empower You Edutainment utilizes performing arts to provide engaging theater, dance and music experiences that promote resilience, empowerment and overall wellness among youth and young adults.

RIVERSIDE, CA— Like chairs with hidden cracks, people carry pain that often goes unnoticed. “BROKEN is where art and mental health meet, and healing begins,” said Sharron Lewis, president and co-founder of Empower You Edutainment.

Broken is on Sunday, April 27th, at 3 p.m. at the Riverside Civil Rights Institute in the Bank of America Diversity Center, 3933 Mission Inn Avenue, Suite 102, in Riverside.  Doors open at 2:30 p.m.

According to Lewis, BROKEN is a unique healing experience that blends music, spoken word, storytelling, and the powerful symbolism of a broken chair to explore how we heal—emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.

“This event is more than a gathering. It’s a sacred space for release, reflection, and restoration. Just like a cracked chair or a splintered table can be repaired and made whole again—often stronger and more beautiful—so can we,” said Deborah McDuff Williams of The Links Incorporated, San Bernardino Valley (CA) Chapter.

Empower You Edutainment, a non-profit organization promoting health awareness, presents “Broken.” This unique event aims to shed light on the often-unnoticed pain that individuals carry and explore the healing power of art.

“Art has the incredible ability to reveal hidden emotions and provide a therapeutic outlet for those struggling with mental health issues,” said Lewis.

Empower You Edutainment utilizes the performing arts to provide engaging theater, dance and music experiences that promote resilience, empowerment and overall wellness among youth and young adults. Attendees can engage in various artistic activities designed to foster healing and self-expression.

“Through this event, we hope to create a supportive environment where individuals can find solace and understanding. We invite everyone to participate in this transformative experience and join a community that values mental health and artistic expression,” said Lewis.

Guest Artist Deborah McDuff Williams is a multifaceted artist whose work delves into themes of social justice, African heritage and the human experience. In addition to her visual art, Williams incorporates poetry to amplify her healing messages.

BROKEN is sponsored by: Empower You Edutainment, The Links Incorporated, San Bernardino Valley (CA) Chapter, the Civil Rights Institute, Inland Southern California, and Dameron Communications. .

For more information about BROKEN or to register for this free event at EventBrite.com, search for Broken or email Empower@empoweryouedutainment.org.

About Empower You Edutainment

Empower You Edutainment is a non-profit organization founded in 2016. The dedicated team of talented educators and skilled artists leverages their rich background in the performing arts to deliver engaging theatre, dance and music experiences that foster resilience, empowerment and overall wellness among youth and young adults.

Our mission is clear: We strive to dismantle social and economic barriers, providing empowerment, education and transformation to the often voiceless. We aim to inspire and uplift through the powerful mediums of song, interpretive dance, spoken word, music, improvisation and theater.

From our humble origins, we have enriched the Inland Empire with community theatre that draws attention to pressing social issues and positively impacts the lives of many.

About The Links Incorporated, San Bernardino Valley (CA) Chapter

The Links Incorporated, San Bernardino Valley (CA) Chapter, a not-for-profit corporation, established in 1946. It is one of the nation’s oldest and largest volunteer service organizations committed to enriching, sustaining and ensuring the culture and economic survival of African Americans and other people of African ancestry.

About The Civil Rights Institute of Inland Southern California

As the voice of civil rights for Inland Southern California, the Institute provides public programming and children’s programs focusing on civil rights and the region’s civil rights history. It offers programs, exhibits, and performances that support civil rights activities. The Institute is developing a digital archive of regional civil rights materials and conducts oral history projects, supporting the production of civil rights audio and video through the media center.  Additionally, it recognizes the region’s civil rights leaders and their impacts.