What it do with Lue

Interview by Naomi K. Bonman

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— Economic empowerment and wealth building is a major necessity in the African-American Community. According to the founder of Cooperative Economic Empowerment Movement (CEEM) Reggie Webb, in the Inland Empire, as in Greater Los Angeles area, African Americans are 7 percent of the population but own less than 1 percent of revenue from business ownership.

CEEM is bringing awareness to this issue in a fun and engaging way during the weekend of September 13 to September 15 at the Los Angeles County Fair in Pomona, California. This will be the second year that CEEM is “taking over” the fairgrounds.

The 2nd Annual CEEM Weekend at the LA County Fair will feature a “Tribute to Black Influence on Popular Culture!” The lineup includes musical acts and special celebrity appearances including:

• Live Entertainment
• Inspiring panel discussions led by African-American entrepreneurs and business owners
• A student-led pop culture art exhibit
• A fun and interactive Kids Zone
• Delicious soul food and fare from a variety of Black-owned businesses and vendors
• Inspirational Gospel Sunday

Listen to the interview click here.

The LA County Fair is located at the Pomona Fairplex at 101 W. McKinley Avenue in Pomona. Use promo code CEEM2019 to receive $8 tickets at lacf.com/buy-tickets.

For a detailed schedule and more information, visit www.CEEM.coop/LACF, or follow CEEM on Instagram and Facebook @CEEMCoop and Twitter @ceem_ie.

By John Coleman, Community Photographer

Every 10 years the US Census Bureau HIRES people to help complete it’s  vitally important ‘POPULATION RESEARCH STUDY.

THE U S CENSUS: HIRING HAS STARTED.   STILL TIME TO APPLY & GET HIRED.   

Openings for FULL time and/or  PART time JOBS.     

No special education or experience required.

Get PAID while training.  

Competitive WAGES.   

Be  Paid for WORK-RELATED Expenses

FLEXIBLE HOURS:   DAY,  EVENING,  NIGHT   WEEKEND,   Can WORK CLOSE to HOME.

WORK SCHEDULES  DEPEND  ON YOUR POSITION.     

POSITIONS ARE STILL OPEN.

BE A CENSUS TAKER. 

VARIOUS JOBS.    ONE  APPLICATION      EASY TO APPLY

APPLY ON LINE:  2020census.gov/jobs   or call:1-855-562-2020  or 1-800-877-8339 forTTY/ASCII

Endowment Fund has distributed $1.6 Million to 32 HBCUs

CHICAGO, IL—- Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated^® seeks to raise $1 million in 24 hours for a second consecutive year during HBCU Impact Day on September 16, 2019.  As part of a four-year $10 million fundraising goal, AKA International President Dr. Glenda Glover is leading the challenge for contributions that can help to secure fiscal sustainability and success across all Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

“This year, we are simultaneously launching a ten-month campaign to secure larger corporate giving matches, corporate pledges and donations to our AKA-HBCU Endowment Fund, while continuing our efforts to support these all-important educational institutions,” said Dr. Glover, who is also president of Tennessee State University, and an HBCU graduate.

On September 16, as part of the sorority’s recognition of HBCU week, chapters of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority will host fundraising events around the globe. Donors can make contributions by texting AKAHBCU to 44321, giving by mail or online at http://aka1908.com/hbcus/donate-hbcu during the 24-hour campaign. Money raised through HBCU Impact Day will assist in providing financial support to these schools over the next three years. 

“Last year, our members and supporters surpassed our million dollar goal in one day, and we began distributing funds almost immediately to support HBCUs around the country,” added Dr. Glover.

“This was a historic moment for Alpha Kappa Alpha, but it was also just as historic and meaningful for our HBCU families.”

In February, AKA gifted $1.6 million from their AKA-HBCU Endowment Fund to 32 HBCUs. Presidents from these institutions joined Dr. Glover and sorority leadership at a special Black History Month program at the Ivy Center International Headquarters in Chicago, Illinois. 

Organizations that provided the largest corporate matches to the AKA-HBCU Endowment Fund in 2018 were Caterpillar, General Electric, Hilton, Houston ISD, IBM, SAP America, State Farm Companies Foundation, UnitedHealth Group, and Wells Fargo Bank.  

These endowment funds can help schools reduce student debt through scholarships, fund industry-specific research, recruit and retain top faculty, and much more.According to The Network Journal, roughly a quarter of all African Americans with bachelor degrees graduated from an HBCU (22%). HBCUs have historically served all people regardless of race or economic standing and continue to do so. These schools are often the largest employer in rural areas, and educate students from pre-K through college via teacher education programs, charter schools and early college high schools housed on their campuses.  AKA believes the importance of these environments of higher learning and the need to support them has never diminished.  

For a complete list of institutions funded in the first cycle from the AKA-HBCU Endowment Fund, and more information on the sorority’s commitment to HBCUs, visit our online pressroom at www.AKA1908.com/news-events/.

National Science Foundation award will help increase the number of low-income students pursuing graduate and doctorate degrees in STEM fields

ONTARIO, CA—Today, U.S. Representative Norma J. Torres (D-Pomona) announced that the National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded a $279,000 grant to Cal Poly Pomona to increase the retention of low-income students in graduate-level mathematics programs. The NSF award will help recruit and support students pursuing Master’s degrees, and encourage them to continue with their doctoral studies in mathematical sciences.

“As one of the top universities for STEM careers, Cal Poly Pomona is known for its commitment to ensuring equity in the success and education of all students,” said Torres. “This grant will help academically promising low-income students access higher education and economic mobility, while strengthening diversity and representation in STEM.”

Torres is a member of the House Appropriations Committee, which is responsible for making decisions regarding federal spending.

Campaign Kicks Off Online Voting Competition  Today

SAN BERNARDINO, CA—- Time for Change Foundation (TFCF) announced today that they were selected as one of Aetna’s 2019 Voices of Health award recipients. This award places TFCF as a finalist in Aetna’s 2019 Voices of Health campaign, a competition and celebration of grassroots non-profit organizations across the country that are working to address social determinants of health in their communities.

Online voting will be available to the public between September 9 – October 13 at www.aetnavoicesofhealth.com.All organizations participating in this year’s Voices of Health competition, including Time for Change Foundation, were selected in April, during a public nomination period. Aetna will award $20,000 to the organization that receives the most online votes in its market. 

“TFCF understands that housing status is a powerful indicator of overall health status and a major social determinant of health,” said Director, Vanessa Perez. “The absence of a home directly correlates with increased risks of chronic illnesses and diseases which is why TFCF makes housing a priority.

“Since 2002, Time for Change Foundation has been dedicated to helping homeless women and children achieve self-sufficiency by using an array of evidenced-based practices coupled with a strength-based approach to address their needs. Our programs and supportive services help to assist families and individuals with the skills necessary to recover from the effects of homelessness, addiction, incarceration, mental and physical abuse. To date TFCF has helped over 1,200 women and children reach self-sufficiency and has reunited 282 children back with their mothers.

Campaigning for VotesThe Aetna “Voices of Health” website will feature a one-minute video from each organization describing how the prize money would help it further its mission. Organizations will be able to advocate for votes in different ways, including sharing their videos through social media and other communication channels. 

To learn more about Voices of Health or to vote, visit http://www.aetnavoicesofhealth.com/ To cast your vote for Time for Change Foundation click the link below. You can vote once per day with your Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and email accounts! 

To learn more about Time For Change Foundation, please visit: https://www.timeforchangefoundation.org/

Position Title: CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATE PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Location: Southern California such as the San Diego area, Los Angeles area, California Desert – i.e. Palm Springs, Joshua Tree, Victor Valley, Barstow, Moreno Valley, Redlands, San Bernardino

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

The Conservation Lands Foundation (CLF) is a national non-profit organization headquartered in Durango, Colorado with offices in San Francisco, Anchorage, Las Cruces, Joshua Tree, Las Vegas and Washington, DC.  The Conservation Lands Foundation was established in 2007 on the belief that our public lands are best protected when there is a national network of local advocates working to advance a common conservation vision. CLF and its Friends Grassroots Network work to protect the premier lands and waters under the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM’s) jurisdiction – specifically the 36+ million acres and 2,400 miles of National Monuments and National Conservation Areas, Wilderness and Wilderness Study Areas, Wild and Scenic Rivers and National Scenic and Historic Trails that make up our National Conservation Lands.

Our mission is to protect, restore and expand the National Conservation Lands through education, advocacy and partnerships.

POSITION DESCRIPTION:

The California Associate Program Director will help advance the Conservation Lands Foundation’s (CLF) expansion, protection and grassroots engagement efforts for the National Conservation Lands in Southern California. The position works collaboratively with regional and statewide conservation organizations, Friends groups, diverse partners, Bureau of Land Management and other federal agency staff to enhance support for the National Conservation Lands in Southern California. The California Associate Program Director is part of the Field Team and works under the leadership of the California Program Director. This is a tremendous opportunity for a motivated leader with strategic instincts, high-level organizing, and policy experience to maximize and strengthen CLF’s Friends Grassroots Network in Southern California and its efforts to defend, protect, expand, and restore the National Conservation Lands in the region.

The California Associate Program Director will have strong leadership and interpersonal skills with a proven ability to lead by creating opportunities for others to develop and grow, the ability to work with people from a range of diverse backgrounds and work on dynamic, high-performance teams. The candidate is committed to CLF’s mission, is emotionally intelligent and has high integrity.

POSITION OBJECTIVES:

?      Secure permanent and inclusive protections for the California Desert Conservation Lands that will withstand administrative and political variability

?      Defend current protections for California’s National Conservation Lands, particularly those in Southern California

?      Work with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and grassroots partners to ensure inclusive and strong conservation planning and management for the National Conservation Lands in Southern California

?      Strengthen and build the Friends Grassroots Network and partnerships in California to support inclusivity and diversity among leaders, partners, and coalitions.

?      Provide leadership, support and strategic direction for defensive and proactive campaigns in the California Desert.

Qualifications of a successful candidate:

?      Outstanding leadership skills and proven ability to build effective, results-driven advocates and coalitions.

?      Experience with grassroots advocacy, organizing practices and principles, and a proven track record of success connecting with, organizing, and mobilizing different communities.

?      Experience developing campaign strategies and managing campaigns.

?      Experience with or desire and ability to learn and apply BLM public lands policy. Understanding of non-profit management and organizational effectiveness

?      Technology savvy with experience using a wide range of traditional and cutting edge social, digital, and multimedia tools to share information and reach target audiences.

?      Ability to travel and work extended hours as needed. Driving, travel, temporary assignments and extended work hours are required. A valid driver’s license is required.

?      Experience handling confidential information appropriately

?      Commitment to advancing equity, inclusion, and diversity within the organization and in the environmental movement.

?      Ability to prioritize, adjust focus and wear many hats in a fast-paced environment.

?      Passion, creativity, integrity, positive attitude, and intellectual curiosity.

Salary Range and benefits:

Salary based on qualifications.

401(k) plan; health/dental/vision insurance; health and dependent care Flex Spending program, short term disability.

To Apply:

Send a cover letter and resume to socal@conservationlands.org

No phone calls, please.

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The Conservation Lands Foundation is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis race, color, age, ethnicity, religion, national origin, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, sex, marital status, disability or status as a U.S. veteran.

 This job description reflects the assignment of essential functions; it does not prescribe or restrict the tasks that may be assigned.

By Regina Brown Wilson | California Black Media

This is a direct appeal to Governor Newsom, Assemblymember Lorena Gonzalez and our entire state legislature. I’m writing this on behalf of the more than 20 African American-owned newspapers that operate in cities and towns across California.

As the leaders we’ve elected to represent and protect the interests of all Californians, we are asking each of you to search your hearts, look beyond blind spots, step in, and do the one thing that will prevent Assembly Bill 5 from putting the Black press in California out of business.

That is: Exempt the contract couriers who deliver our newspapers from being reclassified as employees under AB 5.

The bill Assemblymember Gonzalez is proposing intends to bring definition to our Supreme Court’s Dynamex decision and defend the rights of working Californians.

But in our push to create a more equitable California for all, we must not lose sight of the specific needs and priorities of our most vulnerable communities. Our best intentions may sometimes harm some Californians while uplifting others. We must always be as cautious and fair as we are forceful and deliberate in approaching our most challenging problems.

Shouldn’t AB 5 be helping to narrow the immense wealth gap that exists in the richest state of the nation? The disparity between the ultra-rich and the almost 20 million people in California who live below the poverty line – or who fight to hover just above it –  is growing. In Los Angeles and Orange counties, for example, the average household wealth for U.S. born Whites was $355,000 in 2014. For U.S. born Black families that same year it was only $4,000, according to the California Budget and Policy Center.

For African-American newspaper owners surviving in an industry the emergence of the internet has almost put on life support, Assembly Bill 5 would do the exact opposite of what Gonzalez wants it to achieve. She might as well just pull the plug on our businesses.

Although our publications reach almost 2 million Californians of all races, most of our operations are still family-owned businesses. We are small shops with multi-tasking staff members who struggle to attract advertising, grind to meet deadlines and tighten belts to remain profitable. None of our papers can afford to offer full-time jobs with benefits to the part-time delivery people who work, on average, about four hours on the days our newspapers are published. Many of our papers are weeklies.

My dad, Hardy Brown, former publisher of Black Voice News in Riverside, remembers a time when he had to gather the news stories, type them, take the copy to the printer and then deliver the published papers by himself throughout the Inland Empire at night. He would drop them off at churches on Sunday morning, too, because he could not afford to pay a courier. AB 5 would take Black newspapers back to those difficult days. 

Although some of our publications in California have websites, more than 60 percent of them still publish only print editions.

We’ve done the math. Having to hire couriers as full-time employees would force us to limit our circulation areas or raise the prices of our papers. Either option would hurt our revenue so bad, it would no longer make sense to stay in business.

We all know the backbone of our democracy is a free and independent press providing truthful, objective and balanced information critical to the lives, health and overall wellbeing of all our citizens. 

Since Freedom’s Journal, the first African-American newspaper, was published in 1827, the Black press in the United States has played a central role in the lives of Black Americans as an advocate, trusted source of information and rallying point for issues (often life-and-death ones) directly affecting our communities. From the years of legal slavery to the Emancipation Proclamation, through the Civil War and the eras of Jim Crow and lynching – on to the fight for civil rights  and economic improvement – we have always depended on the Black Press for news crucial to keeping our families safe, informing our decisions and shaping our opinions.

Today, Black newspapers across the country have a combined circulation of about 15 million.

Americans read Black publications even though mainstream newspapers exist. Those national or citywide papers often overlook or under-report very important issues vital to the lives of African Americans. Our papers bring unique perspectives to the news, pointing out how news stories may affect Black Americans differently. We expand the base of knowledge on every topic we cover and bring untold stories to the historical record.  Most of us also write in familiar and relatable voices, and from points of view, that resonate with our readers.   

In California, the cost to live in our coastal cities has become unaffordable for the majority of African Americans. More and more, we see our families migrating to distant suburbs or inland cities and towns east of Los Angeles, the Bay Area, the Central Coast and San Diego. While many of our papers are still located in historic Black neighborhoods near or our around those major metropolitan areas, our drop-off points have become more far-flung and the radius of our circulation areas have dramatically increased. Now, more so than ever before, the role of our contract delivery drivers is an essential aspect of our businesses.  

We understand the importance of passing AB 5 to introduce guidelines for implementing the Dynamex decision. But we also need your intervention to protect the legacy and livelihood of our publications as we live up to the responsibility upon us that we never take lightly: That is to strengthen and maintain freedom and democracy in our state and across our country.

In the words of educator and journalist Ida B. Wells, “The people must know before they can act and there is no educator like the press.”

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN) ONTARIO, CA—- Today, U.S. Representative Norma J. Torres (D-Pomona) visited Phoenix Motorcars in Ontario as the last stop on her annual “Made in the 35^th” manufacturing tour. Each all-electric zero-emission vehicle produced by Phoenix Motorcars reduces greenhouse gas emissions by more than 60 tons of carbon monoxide per year as compared to a comparable commercial vehicle.

“Fighting climate change begins here in the Inland Empire. For more than 15 years, Phoenix Motorcars has been a leader in manufacturing electric vehicles that make our region cleaner and greener. I’m pleased to close out my ‘Made in the 35^th’ tour with such an innovative business,” said Torres. “I’ll continue pushing for policies that help our local manufacturers grow, create good paying jobs, promote sustainability, and keep California’s economy strong.”

“As always our focus it to provide a safe, zero emissions, 100 percent electric vehicle of the highest quality to our customers while providing exceptional jobs and job training with our cutting edge technology all while making the planet a better place. We are very excited to host Representative Norma Torres and show her all the exciting projects we are working on,” said Tarek Helou, Vice President of Sales for Phoenix Motorcars.

Phoenix Motorcars, founded in 2003, is a leader in developing medium and heavy duty electric vehicles for the commercial markets. Phoenix Motorcars strives to provide fleets with clean transportation and renewable energy through advanced technology solutions and remains committed to excellence in electric vehicle innovation. More information available at www.phoenixmotorcars.com.

Torres is a member of the House Rules and Appropriations Committees.

Dear Community,

I don’t normally send emails to share my feelings so please hear my heart as you read this note.

Probably like you, I have been watching the devastation that hurricane Dorian has wreaked on the Bahamas and now on the east coast.  In spite of our natural and human caused disasters, I believe we have been truly blessed in southern California. 

Every time something occurs in another part of this country or globally I do at least three things:

• I pray for everyone who is impacted and all who are risking their lives to help.
• I give to help those affected.
• I thank God that we have not seen the wide spread devastation like other areas including northern California.

The next thing I do is ask these questions:  What will we do when that type of devastation does occur in southern California?Are we ready?  After eight years of helping faith and community based organizations prepare to respond and recover, I still do not believe we are ready for what we are seeing in the Bahamas or what happened during hurricane Harvey or Irma or the fire in Paradise, CA or any of the others.  No, we probably won’t see a hurricane but one day San Andreas or another fault will shake and we will see similar devastation.

Please prepare your homes, houses of worship, community centers, businesses and schools for all types of disasters!  Every mass shooting that has occurred has left people saying, “I never thought it would happen here.”

Please get ready to help your local community!  I am asking everyone to make a renewed commitment to identify how you can help.  If you have not done so, please:

1.  Connect with the local emergency management for your city, town or county.  Develop a relationship with them and work together to identify how your organization can help.  Let me know if you are not sure who to contact for your area.

2.  Get connected with an organization that is approved to help with response and recovery such as your local Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD).  Here’s the contact information for Riverside County VOAD (Michelle Kelly, michelle,kelly@rivco.org, 951-955-5665) and San Bernardino County VOAD (Yomar Cleary, sbcountyvoad@gmail.com, https://www.sbcovoad.org/, 909-492-0185) or a VOAD member agency such as Building Resilient Communities.

3. Complete the proper training to help with the services that will be most needed like emotional and spiritual care, donations management and volunteer coordination.  The state level donations and volunteer management class is being held in Rancho Cucamonga on September 18 & 19th.  This is a critical class for any house of worship or community based organization that wants to help with these services. Please see the flyer for further details.  Register at  https://ruasi.org/EBForms.aspx?EBID=112&EBType=WLR&RefID   Please plan to attend the 7th Annual Ark of Safety Forum on Thursday, October 10th.  Join other faith, community, government, education and business leaders to discuss preparedness, response and recovery for the Inland Empire.  This is an opportunity to talk about how we can work together for the good of our communities.  It’s an opportunity to strengthen partnerships and relationships with one another before the next disaster strikes!

There will be several agencies providing information on how you can get involved, including Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) groups from some of the cities, towns and counties. Now is the time for us to plan, train and exercise our plans.  Let’s not wait until the devastation happens.  It will be too late! Register at https://7tharkofsafetyforum.eventbrite.com Thank you for listening!  Thank you for taking action!  We can all make a difference when we work together. I pray peace and safety over you and your household. Debra Williams, CEO Phone: (909) 283-6872 info@buildingresilientcommunities.org www.buildingresilientcommunities.org

By John Coleman, Community Photographer

A large gathering of family, friends, students, supporters, & others met, August 22, 2019, at the Ontario Beverly Banquet Center, to remember, honor, share stories & memories about, mourn, & celebrate the life of Cynthia Renee Frazier, widely recognized as: ‘the Tech Diva’.

For all of her working career Cynthia had been immersed in education & technology,  She developed  her own teaching styles  & areas of competence   which formed her field of practice  in working with entrepreneurs, organizations, & communities;   and  developed skill in teaching different populations, including young children, even pre-schoolers.

Cynthia’s home live reflected her love for family;  From early in his life she showered love & attention on her grandson, Isaiah. even as she maintained her community activities.  Remarkable in so many ways he not only participated in many of her community tech/education events,  Isaiah’s early learning’s in math, tech, & science enabled him to model &/or demonstrate what  she taught.  Kids who ‘attended’ (brought by parents to) her events became interested when they saw what Isaiah was able to do with tools & ‘toys’.   Her partner, Ed Williams, was there, providing support.

Cynthia’s work proceeded over a span of years;  covered a range of STEM subject fields;  were held in different Inland locations;  possibly met a lot of people’s expectations;  & likely contributed to some of the progress people of color are making & receiving in the world that Cynthia Renee Frazier envisioned.

But….Cynthia Renee (the Tech Diva) Frazier also was a woman,  calm   soft spoken,  respectful,  but also militant,  aware of the continuing gross under-representation of women in STEM careers.  We Celebrate the Life, Labors, & Contribution’s Her Life represented…..that: 

 “GIRLS GET GEEK” !!!

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