What it do with Lue

By Lou K Coleman

You’re going to wish you had taken heed.  Look at the Bible. Look at Noah and his generation. In [Genesis 6:3], the Lord says, “My spirit shall not always strive with man.” For 120 years, God said, Please.” For 120 years, God said, “I want to save you.” For 120 years, God said, “Listen to Noah.” For 120 years, God was long-suffering. For 120 years, God was patient. For 120 years, God was merciful. But then the day came when God said, “I’ve had enough. I’m fed up. My patience is gone.” Noah’s people were destroyed by the wrath of God in the flood. Oh, I tell you, when God says I’ve had enough that’s it, no more warnings, you’re going to wish you had taken heed!

You know, there is one unusual thing about Esau; the Bible says, Esau sought repentance with tears, but God said, “No.” Why did God say No? Because prior to God saying No, God begged Esau. God said, “Esau, I beg you. I gave my Son to die for you. I love you Esau. I’ll blot out every sin you’ve committed, I’ll make you, My child. Please, Esau.” And Esau said, “No.”

Then one day, God said, “Okay, Esau, I’ve had enough. I’m fed up.” And God, in His mercy, turned that mercy to wrath and God’s long-suffering was turned to indignation and God’s forgiveness was turned to vengeance. Esau came and said, “Oh, God, I’m ready to get saved now.” And God said, “Not on your life.” “But, God, You are merciful.” “No longer.” “But, God, you are long-suffering.” “I’m fed up.” “But, God, forgive me.” “No.” “Please forgive me.” Tears of remorse flowed down his cheeks and God said, “No, Esau. You said no for the last time. I’m fed up with you.” “Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; But ye have set at nought all my counsel and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh… [Proverbs 1:24-28].

Will not the land tremble for this, and all who live in it mourn? The whole land will rise like the Nile; it will be stirred up and then sink like the river of Egypt. “In that day,” declares the Sovereign Lord, “I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth in broad daylight. I will turn your religious festivals into mourning and all your singing into weeping. I will make all of you wear sackcloth and shave your heads. I will make that time like mourning for an only son and the end of it like a bitter day. “The days are coming,” declares the Sovereign Lord, when I will send a famine through the land—not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the Lord. People will stagger from sea to sea and wander from north to east, searching for the word of the Lord, but they will not find it. “In that day the lovely young women and strong young men will faint because of thirst. [Amos chapter 8].

The Lord has sworn by himself, the Pride of Jacob: “I will never forget anything they have done. [Amos 8:7].

Then I saw the Lord standing by the altar, and he said: “Strike the tops of the pillars so that the thresholds shake. Bring them down on the heads of all the people; those who are left I will kill with the sword. Not one will get away, none will escape. Though they dig down to the depths below, from there my hand will take them. Though they climb up to the heavens above, from there I will bring them down. Though they hide themselves on the top of Carmel, there I will hunt them down and seize them. Though they hide from my eyes at the bottom of the sea, there I will command the serpent to bite them. Though they are driven into exile by their enemies, there I will command the sword to slay them. I will keep my eye on them for harm and not for good.” [Amos chapter 9].

Oh, When God Says I’ve Had Enough… You are going to wish that you had taken heed!

SEA OF JAPAN— Lt. Giovann Lopez, from Chino Hills, California, oversees the launch of an MH-60R Sea Hawk attached to the Warlords of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HMS) 51, from the recovery assist, secure and traverse control station aboard the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Shoup (DDG 86) while conducting routine operations in the Sea of Japan, September 27. Shoup is assigned to Commander, Task Force (CTF) 70, and is forward deployed to Yokosuka, Japan in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific.

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

Last week, Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer (D-Los Angeles) and former Compton city councilmember Michelle Chambers received key endorsements from powerful California unions in their respective candidacies for elected office.

Teamsters Joint Council 42, which represents 250,000 members in 23 local branches across Southern California, Southern Nevada, Guam, Saipan and Hawaii, endorsed Jones-Sawyer his run for L.A. City Council.

The Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO is supporting Chambers, who is a former AFSCME member and the former external affairs manager for California Attorney General Rob Bonta. Chambers is running to represent Senate District 35, currently being represented by Sen. Steven Bradford (D-Inglewood), who terms out next year.

Jones-Sawyer, who is termed out from his Assembly seat, has received the support of more than 20 unions and professional organizations in his bid to represent Council District 10 in California’s largest city.

“Teamsters Joint Council 42 is proud to support Reggie Jones-Sawyer for Los Angeles City Council because as a state lawmaker, he has been a champion on behalf of our members and all of California’s working families,” said Teamsters 42 President Hector Delgado in a statement.

“Throughout his decades-long career in public service, Reggie has fought tirelessly for better conditions, wages, and benefits for working families time and time again, while demonstrating a profound commitment to social and economic justice,” Delgado continued.

Yvonne Wheeler of the LA County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO said she looks forward to partnering with Chambers when she is a lawmaker in Sacramento.

“On behalf of over three hundred affiliated union and labor organizations representing more than 800,000 members, I am excited to announce that the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor has endorsed Michelle Chambers for State Senate, said Wheeler. Michelle proved her support for workers as an elected official, and as a former union member she understands the issues facing California.”

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

On October 14, visitors will make the annual trek to Allensworth, a historic township in Tulare County founded by Blacks, to celebrate a little-known piece of California history, and the spirit of self-reliance and determination that marked its establishment.

In 1974, the California Department of Parks and Recreation purchased the land where Allensworth was located and created a state park called Allensworth State Historic Park.

“Allensworth holds a unique place in our state’s history,” writes a press release about the event. “The annual Rededication event is a time to reflect on this legacy, celebrate the accomplishments of its founders, and inspire future generations to recognize and cherish this rich history.”

From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the day of the rededication, Amtrak San Joaquins is offering fares at 50% off for visitors traveling to Allensworth. There will also be a shuttle at the station to take guests to the park. Get train schedule and tickets here. (westsidestorynewspaper.com).

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By Joe W. Bowers Jr. | California Black Media

Recently, Gov. Gavin Newsom conducted press briefings at Sacramento area public schools to talk about the initiatives he’s supporting to reform and revolutionize public education in California.

At the Miwok Village Elementary School in the Elk Grove Unified School District, Newsom promoted his “California’s Family Agenda,” a public-school initiative that aims to provide students with the right environment and opportunities for growth, learning, and success.

At River City High School in the Washington Unified School District, Newsom signed an executive order that initiates the development of a Master Plan on Career Education to prepare students for future careers, including those that don’t require college degrees.

Newsom has made K-12 education a top priority. Among his accomplishments are increased funding to reduce class size, the hiring of more teachers, providing more resources for students; and universal transitional kindergarten. The Governor has also expanded afterschool and summer programs, especially support for student tutoring; universal free school meals; full-service community schools; and ethnic studies in high school.

While Newsom has tried to improve equity and outcomes for all students, a comprehensive survey titled “California Black Voters Perspectives on the Quality of Education for Black Students” commissioned by the Black in School Coalition (BISC) found that only 27% of Black voters agree that Newsom is doing enough to improve educational outcomes for Black students.

The BISC is a statewide organization dedicated to enhancing academic and social outcomes for Black students in California. Their statewide survey of 1,200 Black voters gauges Black voter viewpoints on education funding, school performance, and major challenges confronting Black students. Insight from the survey provides valuable information for policymakers, educators, and other stakeholders to develop more effective programs to enhance the educational experience of Black students.

Newsom’s Family Agenda is centered around four freedoms: Freedom to Decide, Freedom to Thrive, Freedom to Learn, and Freedom to Succeed. It includes initiatives to invest in community schools and high schools with specialized career and trade pathways. It provides parents and students with access to high-quality instruction, wraparound services, and social assistance.

“We believe in parents’ rights to decide and support their kids. We believe that kids have the right to learn and the right to succeed. And that’s what our agenda lays out,” Newsom said.

Newsom’s Master Plan on Career Education aims to strengthen career pathways, prioritize practical learning, and promote universal access and affordability through collaboration across government and the private sector.

“California is leveraging billions of dollars in investments to prepare students and workers for good-paying, long-lasting, and fulfilling careers,” Newsom announced.

Attending the press conference in support of the Career Education Master Plan were State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, University of California President Michael Drake, Cal State Chancellor Mildred Garcia, CA Community College Chancellor Sonya Christian, and other state officials and legislators.

But Newsom failed to highlight in the press conferences how his education initiatives will tackle concerns Black voters have regarding the quality of education Black students are receiving.

Black students remain the lowest performing academic subgroup in California public schools despite Newsom’s efforts. Seventy percent of Black students are not meeting English language arts standards, and 84% are not meeting math standards. Black students are disproportionately suspended and expelled from school. In the 2021-22 academic year, Black students, who made up 10.7% of the student population, accounted for 23.3% of suspensions and 19.1% of expulsions. The disparity is most pronounced in early childhood education, where Black male students are 6.2 times more likely to be suspended than their peers of other races.

Despite the ongoing challenges, there have been encouraging advancements for Black students under Newsom’s leadership. This year’s budget includes an ongoing funding of $300 Million called the Equity Multiplier to fulfill a commitment he made to Assemblymember Akilah Weber (D-La Mesa) who introduced a bill which would have provided more money for Black K-12 students.

Margaret Fortune, the President and CEO of the Fortune School of Education and a leader of BISC, has expressed concerns about Newsom’s plan for distributing Equity Multiplier funds. She argues it deviates from Weber’s bill intent by directing the funding towards high-poverty schools instead of specifically towards Black students. The funding protocol appears to undermine the bill’s intent, with BISC analyses showing that only 11% of the funds are benefiting Black students.

Seventy-nine percent of respondents in the BISC survey supports a legislative proposal to change the public-school funding formula by creating a new grant for California’s lowest performing subgroups, including Black students.

Fortune told California Black Media (CBM) that she will be pushing in for the Equity Multiplier in future state budgets to be based on academic achievement, not on income. “It is a permanent part of our funding mechanism in California, there’s an opportunity to have that conversation,” Fortune said.

Newsom’s office told CBM that it would not comment on the BISC poll because it has not obtained access to its underlying methodology and a breakdown of its results. They stated, “The Governor’s sweeping initiatives to improve equity in education and ensure Black children and families succeed have received strong praise and wide recognition from Black leaders across the state – including the California Legislative Black Caucus and academic leaders including the California Association of African American Superintendents and Administrators.”

In the BISC survey, 48% of respondents do not believe that the California Legislature is working hard to improve education for Black students.

While Newsom and the Legislature, especially the California Legislative Black Caucus, have supported initiatives aimed at improving educational outcomes for Black students, Black voters and Black education advocates believe they are not specific enough and fail to consider the unique needs of Black students.

About the Author

Joe W. Bowers Jr. is a contributing editor to California Black Media. He is a graduate of Stanford University.