20 minute read
From The Editor Honoring Our Fathers
As an older Californian, I want to commend Governor Gavin Newsom for the work he has accomplished to make us the center of his “California for all” idea. He recognizes California’s population is aging rapidly. According to the California Department of Finance, in just ten years, our state’s population will have nearly twice as many older adults as in 2010. This shift will be felt by all of us- young and old alike, while impacting our economy, our families and our communities. His plan prepares us to meet the needs of this growing population. For senior citizens, the attempt to recall Governor Gavin Newsom is particularly misguided and even dangerous. For the first time in California’s history, we have a Governor who has prioritized the needs of our aging population. In June of 2019, Governor Newsom signed Executive Order N-14-19 calling for the creation and development of the California Master Plan for Aging, providing a roadmap for coordinated, system-wide change that equitably uplifts older adults, people with disabilities, and their family caregivers. In this time of urgent need, the Master Plan is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to boldly advance solutions over the next 10 years. One of the most important parts of the plan is the Equity portion. The racial, disability, income, immigration status, language, religion/faith, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation and family status included looking at those issues through an equity lens. As the plan was developed it was carefully making sure equity was “baked in not sprinkled on”. Equity requires strategies to equalize resources and opportunities. His plan notes that strengths and assets of each community must be highlighted to help us move in culturally inclusive ways. Systemic racism can only be eliminated through systemic solutions. Recommendations must be very specific and about the communities they are addressing. Terms like Communities of color or generic language weakens and takes power away from the group who has been systemically underrepresented. Included in his plan are a set of equity questions that guide staff and volunteers in making recommendations. Over the years, our aging population has suffered greatly from the lack of attention to their needs - whether poverty, lack of access to affordable housing, lack of transportation alternatives, lack of access to affordable in-home care, food insecurity, and workforce shortages, among others. Negative stereotypes and fears of aging have historically pushed aging issues into the background of societal discourse. The COVID-19 pandemic has magnified long-standing systemic problems that for years have been neglected. This has been found to be true across the country, with other states facing similar challenges. California’s Master Plan has the potential to re-imagine aging affecting how society thinks about, plans for and responds with equity and inclusion to the needs of a diverse aging population that has often been forgotten. Many said it would be impossible to accomplish in California, but today there is hope for meaningful reform, because of Governor Newsom. The Scan Foundation documented that he put his money where his mouth is. This year included in his budget is the funding needed for many of the programs. During these difficult times, the Master Plan provides a critical template for a better life for all Californians, not only for our older generations — but for all of us — to age with dignity and justice. As Governor Newsom has noted, California’s demographics are shifting, and older adults are the fastestgrowing population group. All of us, young and old alike, share a stake in planning for our future. A Master Plan that enables older Californians to age well at home, with innovative solutions to address isolation and loneliness, enriches all our communities. Recalling Governor Newsom is a futile effort grounded in misguided political animosity. Our state needs real, bold leadership. This is no time to jeopardize progress for older Californians by recalling the only Governor who has recognized this issue and taken action. Older Californians should reject this recall which distracts us from the necessary work at-hand.
Advertisement
Cheryl Brown is a former memver of the Caliornia Assembly (47th District 2012-2016) and Chair of the Aging and Long-Term Care Committee.
From the Editor
My dad rarely speaks of the things he has accomplished, except to reflect in one moment or another on a memory that was triggered by an event, statement or something he saw on television. In many cases, he has stood on the precipice of history, whether as a famed Tuskegee Airman or at the side of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., for whom he served as West Coast executive director of what was then known as the Western Christian Leadership Conference andwas responsible–along with the famed Xernona Clayton–for raising millions in the struggle for civil rights. Because of all he did we grew up in a home where our phones were tapped and if Dr. King was in Los Angeles, our house was under watch and my Dad and his pastor friends were shadowed by law enforcement officials. He counted among his close allies–former Ambassador Andrew Young, Gilbert Lindsay, a City Hall janitor who worked his way up to becoming the city's first black City Council member and Tom Bradley, L.A. first black mayor, who also just happened to be a high school classmate of his. My Dad was a man that let very few of his talents go to waste, including a great singing voice that early on landed him in local choruses and as the associate minister, under my grandfather, led to beautiful Sunday morning solos. When two years ago, he was asked to be a special guest at a ceremony posthumously honoring the life of Jessie Robinson, the first Black woman songwriter to be admitted to the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, ASCAP, he had forgotten that she had dedicated one of her songs to him. His vocal skills also landed him a stint as extra on the star-studded 1959 film, Porgy and Bess, starring Sidney Poitier, Dorothy Dandridge, Diahann Carroll and Sammy Davis Jr, whom he would later work with in the fundraising efforts for the March from Selma to Montgomery. But one of my biggest delights as a kid was seeing him alongside the great character actor, Joel Fluellen, in one of the opening scenes of the original “Mighty Joe Young” film as they sold the young gorilla to a young white girl. Fact is, I grew up a Daddy’s girl, and believe that what I got most from him was the fearlessness to spread my wings and make the fullest use of my talents. Now, don’t get me wrong, he was hardly perfect which is why his biggest gift to me was raising me up with a strong foundation in the church. In a column I once read titled “Fatherlessness Is Not Fatal”, author Chandra White writes, “the absence of an earthly father, while sad and unfortunate, can be overcome. The absence of God the heavenly Father cannot be overcome and is deadly. There is no substitute for Him. It’s vital we shift our focus to include the absolute necessities of our children knowing, loving, and following God; and parents making Him the foundation of our homes.” Not to make light of the fact that the impact of the absence of fathers in any home–regardless of race–has been well documented. Strong fathers can make the difference as parental separation is known to affect a child’s development and the psychological effects of growing up without a father can be traumatic. So, kudos to all you great Dads out there. You are loved, you are vital, and I join in the celebration of you this Father’s Day. In closing, I want to share one of my earliest memories of my Dad. It is also my earliest experience with Acrophobia, or the fear of heights. (Seems I’ve always liked being on solid ground). I must have been about four or five when he took my brothers and I to an amusement park and strapped us in to what was to be my first and last turn on a Ferris Wheel. I grew more and more uncomfortable as the gondola spun upward to about 60 or so feet and as it reached the top I began to scream. Note that this was probably the first rotation and just seconds into the ride. My brothers were fine and had that, ‘Oh-just-ignoreher, we’re-having-fun-look.’ But my Dad–who was standing near the Ferris Wheel operator– nearly choked on his popcorn as he nudged the guy and pointed to me. Realizing the man was not going to stop the ride, he tossed the popcorn, forcefully took the guys arm and said, “Stop the ride and let her off.” Fearful of what he might do next, the man acquiesced and just like that, my Dad became my hero. Happy Father’s Day. Keep the faith. LISA COLLINS Publisher
Councilwoman Emma Sharif Takes Solid Lead in Compton Mayoral Race
KEITH DELAWDER
Contributor
WAs the results of Compton’s June 1st’s general election continue to be counted, Compton City Councilwoman Emma Sharif has taken a commanding lead in her bid to become the city’s next mayor. So far, the 70-yearold Sharif has received 56% of the vote against her opponent, the 26-year-old real estate agent Christian Reynaga’s 46%. With about a third of ballots yet to be counted and ballots postmarked by election day still eligible to be received until Friday June 4th, Sharif is still waiting to declare victory though she remains cautiously optimistic. “Although I am not ready to claim victory, I am extremely proud of our lead after the initial votes have been counted,” Sharif said in a statement. “We will wait for updates from the County Registrar after the vast majority of votes are counted. I am thankful that our message resonated with the voters of Compton and they believed in our vision to create a better quality of life for all residents. I look forward to working with the City Council, staff and community to unify our city and serve all of the residents of Compton once elected. Lastly, thank you to all those who supported me throughout the campaign.” In January when the popular incumbent mayor Aja Brown-- who at the age of 31 became Compton’s youngest mayor- announced that she will not run for a third term, the people of Compton had to decide who was right to lead the city out of the pandemic. Despite Christian Reynaga receiving Mayor Brown’s endorsement, a strong showing in the primaries, and vying to become the first Latino mayor in a city that is about 68% Latino, voters so far have favored Sharif’s steady hand and years of experience. Sharif, who has represented Compton’s 4th District on the City Council since 2015 has built her platform on the five key areas of tackling homelessness, finishing street repairs, economic development through new business, increasing funding to expand senior citizen programs and increasing public safety by improving the city’s relationship with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. “To me this is a new beginning for this city and this community,” Sharif tells L.A. Focus. “We have a lot of things that we’re looking to accomplish but we need to start with our street repair program, and we also need to address the homeless population in our community, so we are working on and moving forward with our efforts there.” If elected, Sharif will be focusing her efforts on projects that will improve the quality of life for residents of Compton while making it attractive for businesses that will spur economic development. “We want to get a lot of the things done that the community has been asking for a while now, things like keeping the trees maintained,” says Sharif. “We will be continuing with economic development plans so that people still want to come to our city, and to make sure we’re cleaning up our city. If we focus on cleaning up our city, people will come, businesses will come, and people will move here. We will stay focused on building relationships here so that we can keep crime down in our city and make sure our community is safe.” A Compton resident for over 20 years, Sharif raised her children in the city working as a public school teacher and Youth Development Director. As a result of her passion and advocacy for her students Sharif was appointed to the Compton Unified School District (CUSD) in 2001 and would go on to serve as Trustee of the CUSD Board of Directors for fourteen years before joining the City Council in 2015. When asked what motivates her to continue serving the people of Compton in the city’s highest seat, her answer is simple. “I’m just here to serve this community. I don’t have any hidden agendas, I’m just here to be of service to the people,” says Sharif. “When I see that I’ve done something to really help this community, that’s what gives me motivation and hope that we can make positive change. And when people see things getting done, that gives everyone hope.” The results of Compton’s General Municipal Election are expected to be certified on June 14th
Compton Sues L.A. Sheriff’s Department
CHEZ HADLEY
Staff
Compton Mayor Aja Brown joined with the members of the city council and residents at the City Hall to announce the filing of a against Sheriff Alex Villanueva, Compton Station Captain LaTonya Clark, and unknown Los Angeles County Sheriff Department Deputies and personnel employed by the Los Angeles County Sheriff Department and County of Los Angeles for fraud. The complaint alleges that the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department had committed fraud which is likely to have cost the City multiple millions of dollars and potentially will cost the City additional millions into the foreseeable future. “The last time we assembled here, we demanded an independent investigation into the deputy gangs that run Compton station only to have Sheriff Villanueva deny their existence and deflect that I, myself raised this issue for political purposes and gain,” said Brown. L.A. Focus/ June 2021 “Yet, here we are one year later, deputy gangs have been confirmed and we're addressing more widespread fraud and abuse against the taxpayers of the great city of Compton. We are here to demand that Sheriff Villanueva no longer stand back and standby while the Compton station 6 runs rampant with deputies who are abusing their position, committing fraud.” The fraud concerns the use of “annual minutes” Compton is contracted to pay the L.A. Sheriff’s Department in exchange for their services. In 2019-2020, the city agreed to pay the LASD nearly $22,775,000 for 700,800 minutes of deputy crime suppression and 858,720 minutes of special assignment deputy sheriff services. Lawyers for the city of Compton, however, allege that the LASD has committed flagrant “minutes fraud” through the unauthorized use of City minutes for County non-crime suppression duties in violation of its contract, resulting in major understaffing, a lack of responsiveness to calls for service, increased crime and a financial loss to city taxpayers estimated to be in excess of $10 million. “In February of this year, allegations of minutes' fraud by the sheriff were made public by a whistleblower. These claims concerned fraudulent activities at Compton station,” Compton City Attorney Damon Brown said. “Today, the city of Compton is taking an exit from the road to nowhere at my direction, and with the approval of the city council, the law offices of douglas & Hicks' law filed a claim for damages this morning with the county of Los Angeles, alleging among other things, fraud and breach of contract Compton continued to page 24
Kroger Closes Two Ralphs Locations
TINA SAMEPAY
Contributor
When you pass through the Crenshaw district this week, you might be surprised to see that the red Ralphs logo that once decorated building on Slauson and Crenshaw is now gone. Kroger abruptly announced the closure of several Ralphs locations in March and kept true to their closing date of May 15th. In March, the Los Angeles City Council voted 14-1 to pass an emergency ordinance requiring large pharmacy and grocery store chains to provide their workers an additional $5 an hour. Companies would also have to pay hazard pay for all non-managerial employees at locations with 300 employees or more for 120 days. The ordinance is a move towards more fair compensation for those who have sustained large retail chains, while working for minimum wage during a global pandemic. “It is unfortunate that the store had to close, along with the other stores in L.A as well as Long Beach. This extra pay mandate put an extra layer of burden and expense on the store that we could no longer afford to operate sustainably. Instead of passing that on the customer, we had to close permanently,” said Ralphs media contact, John Votava. In addition to this location, Kroger also Ralph’s continued to page 24
Celebrities Rally Around Naomi Osaka
Despite her openly frank and vulnerable admission of bouts of depression she has had to cope with surrounding the anxiety of speaking to world media, Naomi Osaka’s withdrawal from the Grand Slam tournament after winning her first round match draw a firestorm of controversy. The 23-year-old four time Grand Slam singles champion and reigning champion at the U.S. Open was also fined $15,000 for refusing to participate in a subsequent press conference. “Here in Paris I was already feeling vulnerable and anxious, so I thought it was better to exercise self-care and skip the press conferences.” Reactions werer swift and mixed, but for the most part, supportive of what many are calling a courageous move on Osaka’s part as reflected in tweets from the likes of Ava DuVernay, Jada Pinkett Smith, Usain Bolt and Kyrie Irving. Fellow ace tennis players Serena and Venus Williams both encouraged Osaka to take care of herself, while Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry tweeted, “You shouldn’t ever have to make a decision like this-but so damn impressive taking the high road when the powers that be don’t protect their own.” And from women’s basketball great Lisa Leslie came this: “I stand with you @naomiosaka Your mental health is just as important as your physical health.”
USDA To Forgive $4 Billion in Debt to Minority Farmers
As part of the latest COVID-19 relief package, the U.S. Department of Agriculture will begin handing out $4 billion in payments to an estimated 16,000 Black farmers beginning as early as next June to counter decades of loan discrimination by the USDA. Some say the provision –introduced by Georgia Senator Raphael Warnock– would benefit Black farmers in a way no legislation has since the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In addition to debt relief, the funds would provide other forms of assistance in acquiring land including grants, training and education. Due to systemic racism, Black farmers in the nation have lost more than 12 million acres of farmland over the past century. The announcement came as Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack was to participate in a roundtable discussion with Black farmers. Last month, the Farm Service Agency published the first notice of funding availability for loan payments for eligible borrowers who have qualifying direct farm loans. “The Plan has made it possible for USDA to deliver historic debt relief to socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers beginning in June,” Vilsack says. “USDA is recommitting itself to gaining the trust and confidence of America’s farmers and ranchers using a new set of tools provided in the American Rescue Plan.” The Plan authorizes funding and authorization for the FSA to pay up to 120 percent of direct and guaranteed loan with outstanding balances as of January first of 2021. He says the tools are designed to increase opportunity, advance equity, and address systemic discrimination in USDA programs.
Most Blacks Locked Out of Market as California Median Home Cost Soars Past $800K
ANTONIO RAY HARVEY
CA Black Media
The California Association of Realtors (CAR), the California Building Industry Association (CBIA), and Habitat for Humanity California have joined together to urge lawmakers to make additional investments in this year’s state budget to encourage developers to build more homes across California. This is the only way, they insist, to solve two of the state’s most stubborn problems: a critical housing shortage and a general lack of affordable housing. Those three organizations, along with a coalition of homebuilders, racial justice activists and homeownership advocates, are also calling for investments in the budget to address the racial gap in homeownership by increasing the housing supply at every income level. Black and Latinx households are priced out of the market disproportionately, a CAR. representative said. The median sales price of a home in California surged past a record $813,980 in April, and housing production stalled for the second consecutive year in 2020. “California desperately needs more housing to meet the needs of diverse middle-class and low-income Californians,” Dave Walsh, president of CAR, said during a virtual news conference on May 20. “With a historic budget surplus, now is the time to address the racial divide in homeownership and fix California’s severe housing shortage.” As home prices in California continue to set record highs, and only one in four Californians able to afford a home priced at the median cost, investments in new housing supply would address severe disparities in homeownership and reverse decades of exclusionary housing policies, CBIA, CAR., and Habitat for Humanity California said in a joint statement. In February, CAR reported that housing affordability for the average Black household in California is 50% worse than that of their White counterparts. Less than one in five Black California households were able to buy a $659,380 medianpriced home in 2020. “To achieve the housing we need, our state must make the investment in creating housing opportunities for working Californians to access all forms of stable homeownership,” said Michael Gunning, Senior Vice President of Legislative Affairs for CBIA. “To close the racial homeownership divide, we must address segregation caused by explicit, historic government policies at the local, state, and federal level.” That figure is compared to two in five White households in the state who could buy the same dwelling. A minimum annual income of $122,800 was required to make a monthly payment of over $3,000 on a fixed-rate mortgage. Homeownership is a key element to building generational wealth and it helps to stabilize communities. Homeownership rates are at their lowest in California since the 1940s. Black and Latinx households are twice as likely to rent properties as White Californians. CBIA, CAR, and Habitat for Humanity California say that the record state budget surplus this fiscal year creates a historic opportunity to address California’s housing crisis and invest in more housing inventory across the state. Of the $9.3 billion allocated to housing in Gov. Newsom’s proposed May Revise budget, only $725 million, or less than 8%, goes toward expanding homeownership opportunities with programs such as down payment assistance, CAR points out. “It is time for California to lead through action in Sacramento to address these painful truths about past housing policies and create a new housing future that works for everyone,” Gunning said. “That can start with the budget investments we’re calling for today.” The groups are requesting for additional budget investments in a number of areas that would create opportunities to expand the housing inventory in the state, including matching grants and tax credits to complement those proposed by the Biden Administration; tax credits for first-time and low and moderate-income buyers; and incentives to increase construction. “This is about the future of our state. This is about keeping more Californians from being cost-burdened and falling into homelessness,” Walsh said. “It’s about creating true housing equity for all Californians. Let’s come together to prioritize more ownership housing – it’s the right thing to do to ensure the American dream of homeownership doesn’t slip away for Californians who call the Golden State home.”
