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PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
PERMIT NO 585 SAN DIEGO, CA
“People Without a Voice | Thursday Vol.Vol. 5957 No. No. 3935| Thursday, September August 31, 26,2017 2019
..
Cannot be Heard”
Serving Serving San Diego SanCounty’s Diego County’s African & African AfricanAmerican & African Communities American57Communities Years 59 Years
CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE
HOLDS HEARING ON BALLOT INITIATIVE District 4 Councilmember Monica Montgomery
District 4 Councilmember Monica Montgomery chaired the Public Safety and Livable Neighborhoods Committee meeting last week, with vocal participation from many in attendance on the Police Policies and Practices ballot initiative.
Staff Writer Photos by Voice & Viewpoint
The organization Women Occupy was once again at City Hall. This time it was to speak in support of the proposed ballot initiative on Police Policies and Practices. The Initiative would be an amendment to the San Diego City Charter to create
a Commission of Policies and Practices that would have both independent counsel and subpoena powers. The proposal was before the Public Safety and Livable Neighborhoods Committee, chaired by Councilwoman Monica Montgomery of the Fourth Council District. Attorney Andrea St. Julian, the drafter of the provision and the initial
ballot proposal placed before the City Council under the former City Council members, presented the present Initiative with some modifications that would not require the Commission to investigate every complaint, but set the scope for determining which cases should be investigated in the interest of not over burdening the Commission.
The San Diego City Attorney presented her version of what independent legal counsel should look like for the Commission. Her proposal was met with great resistance and rejection from community members present and speaking out. In the end, Committee Chairperson Montgomery agreed to include some of the language of the City Attorney proposal in the new
and amendment initiative and the Committee voted the measure out so that it might be reviewed by the City Attorney and go forward for a full council vote. This would place the measure on the Ballot for the March 2020 Primary. The question of cost was raised and at least one committee member had requested that the Independent See COUNCIL page 2
HOW DO AFRICAN AMERICANS FEEL
ABOUT THE FUTURE OF WORK?
AKA Raises
$1 Million for HBCUs, Announces Collaboration
See page 10
See page 8
with Black Press
DHS Issues Strategy to Counter Violent White Supremacy
The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies recently released groundbreaking survey data on the future of work and race
Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties addresses “Transnational Terrorist Threat” Newswire For her four-year tenure as president, Dr. Glenda Glover has implemented a five-point plan for AKA which includes the HBCU initiative. Photo: NNPA
By Stacy M. Brown
Voice & Viewpoint
Washington, D.C. — Friday, September 20, Rep. Jamie Raskin, the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, and Rep. Stephen F. Lynch, Chairman of the Subcommittee on National Security,
issued the following joint statement in response to the release by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) of its Strategic Framework for Countering Terrorism and Targeted Violence after multiple hearings on violent white supremacy: “We are pleased that DHS is finally taking See STRATEGY page 2
NNPA Newswire Correspondent
Excerpt of an article by Melanie Eversley On July 24, the Joint Center released Racial Differences on the Future of Work: A Survey of the American Workforce. The report highlights the findings of a Joint Center survey of over 2,000 Black, Latino, White, and Asian Americans on their perspectives on the changing economy. Key findings include: • People of color have a significant interest in education and training. Asian Americans, African Americans, and Latinos were all more likely than Whites to be interested in obtaining education or training from all See FUTURE page 2
For the second year in a row, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, the oldest Greek-letter organization established by African American college-educated women, raised $1 million in just 24 hours during this month’s HBCU Impact Day. The AKA Sorority, Inc. also has agreed to collaborate in the planning for the upcoming 80th-anniversary celebration of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) in 2020.
Why is Suicide a Growing Problem
in the Black Community? By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Correspondent
Dr. Glenda Glover, International President of Alpha Kappa Alpha, Inc., said the sorority would work with NNPA Chair Karen Carter Richards See AKA page 7
It’s no secret that African Photo: iStockphoto / NNPA
Americans – particularly teens – are committing suicide at record levels. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide rates have increased by 30 percent See SUICIDE page 15
2
, 26, 2019 •
The San Diego Voice & Viewpoint
ARTICLE CONTINUATION Council: continued from page 1
Budget Analysis (IBA) give an estimate of the cost of implementing the Commission. But following his presentation, Attorney St. Julian provided data to show that the cost of $1.4 million for the proposed Commission here in the City of San Diego was still cheaper than San Jose and a number of comparable cities in California that spend upwards of $1.4 million and more for commissions of the same size. There was also a report from the San Diego Police Department on the implementation of AB 953, The
Racial and Identity Profiling Act of 2015, better known as “RIPA”. AB 953 mandated the creation of an advisory board for gathering data to analyze incidents of racial profiling. There was a public comment period following the police report and those persons speaking spoke of the need to change the culture of the police department as being just as important as gathering and studying data on police stops.
any difference in saving the lives of those persons who have died in custody this year; Francine Maxwell, a member of Women Occupy, not only spoke in support of the bill, but also spoke of the need for the new San Diego Police Chief to do more in terms of adding people of color to the force and that the promotion of two African Americans on the “7th Floor” of the police department is no substitutes for new recruits.
In addition to Attorney St. Julian, there were several speakers from the community that provided passionate statements not only in support of the new language on the Commission on Police Policies and Practices, but also on R.I.P.A. Tasha Williamson spoke on the failure of the R.I.P.A. of 2015 making
The committee hearing and passage was a victory for the supporters, but the battle is not over yet. There is a “meet and confer” requirement in the Police Officers Union contract. This item was used to kill the language in the last city council. There appears to be a strong likelihood this will not happen again.
FUTURE:
racial-differences-future-of-work.
continued from page 1
African-Americans are more interested than other groups in affordable education, people of color are more likely than Whites to pursue online or community college education and Latino workers are finding that they are more often relegated to hourly work as opposed to more frequent salaried employment than in the past.
the provided options, including an in-person college degree program, online college, community college, a trade union, and a GED. • Eighty-five percent of African-Americans, a higher proportion than in any other group, support free college or training, and people of color are more likely than Whites to pursue education online or at community colleges, according to the report. • All four groups cited financial constraints as the biggest barrier to obtaining additional training. The least cited barrier was feeling personally incapable of acquiring new skills. • A significant majority of Americans support free education or training as a response to job displacement (see graph pictured above). • With regard to the most impactful steps schools can take to prepare children for the future economy, African Americans, Latinos, and Asian Americans were much more likely than Whites to prioritize teaching computer programming. Read the report at https:// jointcenter.org/research/
These are among the most striking findings of the newly released study on people of color and the future of work and perhaps the most extensive study of its kind to date. The 36-page report was produced by the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, a Washington-based think tank focused on issues affecting people of color. The report stirred conversation, particularly at the National Urban League annual conference and at the Congressional Black Caucus Institute’s Mississippi Policy Conference in Tunica, MS. The report is timely as the country gradually moves toward a majority-minority dynamic and with technology becoming more prevalent in society, Harin Contractor, workforce director at the Joint Center, said in an interview with Diverse Issues in Education. Contractor wrote the report in conjunction with Dr. Ismail White, the center’s
director of survey research.
African-Americans.
Perhaps the finding with the strongest reverberation is that African-Americans want opportunities that will lead them to education and to work. That runs counter to a stereotype that people of color do not want to work and instead prefer to live off of government assistance.
“They’re not Luddites,” Overton said of African-Americans. “They’re not technophobes. They anticipate the future.” Another finding that illustrates changes in the working world is that one-fourth of Latino workers report they’ve moved from salaries to hourly work on their jobs. The gradual shift away from more lucrative salaried jobs for Latino workers is indicative of the shift for all workers to a more consultant-rooted economy, Contractor said.
Dr. Ismail White
The Joint Center report “completely runs counter to that,” Spencer Overton, president of the Joint Center, told Diverse. “This is the data; this is what the data said.” “African-Americans want access to college, they want access to training, they want access to on-ramps,” Overton said. The report also shows that between 21 percent and 32 percent of all groups believe schools should be prodded to offer more vocational training. The report also shows that Asian Americans are 70 percent more likely than African-Americans to believe technology has given them more opportunities in the workplace. When it comes to such varied thinking, Overton explained that African-Americans are more skeptical about what technology has afforded them professionally. Forty percent of Asian Americans in the study believe technology is providing them opportunities at work, compared to 24 percent of
Spencer Overton
Among other key findings: • Workers are interested in employer-provided training. Respondents from all racial backgrounds were very interested or somewhat interested in participating in employer-provided training, with Asian Americans most interested at 85 percent compared to about 70 percent of White, Black, and Latino workers. • A majority of respondents from all racial backgrounds are willing to invest their own money to get more job training that could possibly advance their careers. However, the interest seems concentrated in spending up to $2,000 and declines significantly for higher amounts. A larger percentage of African-Americans (24 percent) and Whites (19 percent) expressed an
unwillingness to invest any of their own money in training, with Latinos at 15 percent and Asian Americans at 14 percent. Significant racial disparities in interest for spending one’s own money for training begin to appear at amounts over $500. • Regardless of race, financial constraints were the most-cited barrier to obtaining additional job training. Roughly half of the respondents from each racial group reported that money issues stood in the way. The least-cited barrier was feeling personally incapable of acquiring new skills. • Americans across racial groups generally see the federal government, individuals/families and employers as bearing greater responsibility than schools and state governments for preparing the workforce for a changing economy. African-Americans were more likely to believe that the federal government has the greatest responsibility, and they were less likely to believe that individuals/families bear the greatest responsibility. Whites and Asian Americans were more likely than African-Americans and Latinos to believe that employers bear the greatest responsibility. The survey is the first of six in an anticipated series, and this first offering indicates that society needs to adjust to meet the desires of workers of color to participate more in the changing economy. “We believe that the inclusive upscaling of society needs to be reinforced,” Contractor said. This article originally appeared in Diverse Issues in Education.
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Strategy: continued from page 1
steps to address the deadly threat posed by violent white supremacy. However, we need additional information about the strategy—and the Department’s implementation plans—to evaluate its potential effectiveness, as well as the safeguards it includes to protect civil rights and civil liberties of non-violent Americans. We will continue to engage with DHS to ensure that this strategy meets the magnitude of the threat and becomes comprehensive and real.” In May and June, the Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties held its first two hearings on Confronting Violent White Supremacy. At the second hearing, Chairman Raskin stated: “We … need to hear from the Department of Homeland Security to answer one fundamental question: is there an overall strategic plan to prevent the rise of white supremacist violence? I fear the answer is ‘no.’” During the hearing, Assistant Secretary Elizabeth Neumann admitted DHS lacked an effective strategy, commenting: “We know we’re not doing enough.” After being pressed by the Subcommittee, she committed to improving DHS’s strategic approach. Last Friday, , September 20, Chairmen Raskin and Lynch held a third hearing on the transnational nature of violent white supremacy, where both called on the Administration to implement a whole government strategy to counter the violent white supremacist threat. Chairman Raskin said:. “The problem of violent white supremacy in this nation is obviously not newly-minted. It is the nation’s original sin. Yet, in recent years we have seen the convergence of traditional violent racism with a global terror network that poses a clear and present threat to free societies around the world. “ “The Trump Administration has completely failed to recognize the threat violent white supremacists pose to public safety and national security, and it must realign our counterterrorism priorities to confront this reality. In addition to the FBI and DHS, other national security agencies, such as the National Counterterrorism Center, must treat transnational white supremacy as a transnational national security threat. That is what it is.” Chairman Lynch said:
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“Unfortunately, for too long, the U.S. national security community has focused almost exclusively on the jihadist terrorist threat. We need to start treating violent white supremacy with the same urgency as we do violent Islamic extremism and with a whole-of-government counterterrorism approach. ”
The San Diego Voice & Viewpoint
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The Recent Hate Attack on Lincoln High Students By Dr. John E. Warren Publisher
By now, the whole community and all of the nation has heard of the racial attacks on San Diego’s Lincoln High School students while playing a football game in Orange County, California, It was good of both sides to agree to a conversation, but it would have been better if the offenders, being the Orange County youth, had been taught at home that all people are human and equal and that what they know as “white privilege” does not
give them the right to degrade other human beings. The discussion between the offenders and the victims will not erase what exists in the hearts and minds of those families who are still teaching their children that they are better than others because of the color of their skin. And let us not forget the school districts who decided to use the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) for this sensitivity training when the
ADL itself has a history against the Black Muslims and Islamic groups, even though the ADL represents their own ethnic community, which happens to be Jewish. For many in communities of color the very selection makes the exercise itself suspect. Yes, racism is alive and well and even more so under our current President. And no, we are not living in a “post racial” america. It appears that “brotherhood” still has to be approached with caution.
Poverty & Homelessness Beyond the Urban Core By Gregory C. Scott
Here’s a staggering n u m b e r — 553 , 0 0 0 . Imagine what you would do if 553,000 dollars were deposited into your bank account today. Imagine what you can see if you travel 553,000 miles around the world? That is a significant number. The truth is, that’s the number of homeless people recorded in the United States in 2018. Yes, the most developed country in the world allows a whopping 17 percent of its population to live on the streets. California holds a total of 113,952 abandoned homeless individuals; this represents 20 percent of all homeless people in the United States. Approximately 15,179 are veterans. People in this country are turning a blind eye as if this is some “new normal.” We have abandoned our neighbors, and homelessness is a clear symptom. In Orange County, we have over 7,000 abandoned homeless citizens, and another 300,000 dealing with food insecurity and poverty. During my career, I have encountered veterans who once fought for our country, now defeated and suffering from PTSD, drug and alcohol addiction, and hopelessness. I spoke with women who through life’s circumstances were now selling their bodies to protect themselves from being raped or killed on the streets. Children who should be living carefree, filled with hope for the future were begging for food. Finally, I saw leaders and organizations whose mission it is to serve the poor and homeless, frustrated after decades upon decades of working to provide housing and wrap-around medical and mental health services. I still remember my first encounter on the streets of Skid Row in Los
Angeles over a decade ago. Like most, I had no comprehension of the magnitude of the problem of homelessness abandonment until I saw men, women, and children (yes children) who lived on the streets for years. The decay of precious lives had a life of its own, and the idea of survival had a shallow success rate. Digest this for one moment, abandoned citizens die homeless in the streets each day, but it doesn’t make the evening news—ever wonder why? Could it be because the problem is a sobering reflection on all of us? Imagine senior citizens who live their golden years in food insecurity or children who go to bed hungry every night. Imagine the little girl who is afraid her parents will be taken away due to immigration and the Public Charge. Imagine families who don’t make a living wage and living below the poverty line and can’t afford to take their sick child to the doctor due to inequity in health care. Imagine having to decide to pay for food or your utility bill or medication for an ill family member or diapers for an infant. Just imagine… While it has been easy to focus our attention on concentrated poverty in urban areas, we are finding more and more that poverty has no boundaries and has crept into suburban communities. Poor suburban families face a unique set of challenges that our communitydevelopment ecosystems are not designed to address, including limited public transportation, a widely dispersed population, fewer jobs, and fewer resources to help those in need This crisis won’t be solved by one organization or strategy, but instead requires a way of working that deals with the interconnected
nature of issues that propel poverty, homelessness, and inequity. We need efforts of coordinated resources, integrated investments into systems and infrastructures that feed effective solutions to address affordable housing, economic and workforce development, aligned political and social justice action, and a myriad of other ways to leverage support. We don’t have a city problem or a suburban problem; we have a regional problem. The more cities and suburban areas can work together to confront this issue, the more we can have a collective impact to address poverty on every level. So how exactly can you help? First, let’s stop referring to our brothers and sisters, our children and our veterans as “the homeless” they are indeed “the Abandoned.” Who abandoned them? We leave them each day when we don’t vote for legislation that helps improve education, decrease housing costs, and decrease healthcare costs. We stand by when large companies receive tax breaks, draining our economy and resources. We believe the myth of “lack” when there is plenty to go around for us all. When we step over families and children and don’t get outraged— these are all forms of abandonment. Volunteer, donate, vote, fight, and let your voice be heard. Edmond Burke wrote, “All that needs to be done for evil to prevail, is good men doing nothing.” Homelessness must not become the new norm, because 553,000 of our neighbors are affected. Gregory Scott is the CEO and president of Community Action Partnership in Orange County, California—an agency in Southern California that fights poverty and homelessness.
• , 26, 2019
3
What Does a Just America Look Like? By E. Faye Williams Exclusive to NNPA Newswire
Sometimes I allow myself to imagine a world with justice for all—not just in words, but by deeds. Before I go around the world with what I would like to see I want the best there is for everybody no matter where they live. Maybe to some, what I wish for seems far-fetched, and is if we’re not willing to work for something better for all. Here’s what I think a just America would look like. First, we should always refuse to return hate with hate, but always be concerned about every human being’s well-being. In a just America, all of us would have a livable wage. We’d always have a high-quality health plan that prevents illnesses, rather than a mediocre and unnecessarily highpriced one that only treats us after we’re sick and makes us even sicker when we see the bill! In a just America, all of our children would have access to a high-quality and useable education. Everyone would live in a safe and comfortable home they can afford. We’d be able to vote without wondering if our votes would count without having computer breakdowns as happened when I ran for office or hearing that the Russians were allowed to manipulate our vote. We could register to vote at will, having assurance our names wouldn’t be wiped off the rolls without just cause to enable someone else to win. I’m sure Secretary Hillary Clinton would back me up on that, as would Stacey Abrams and Andrew Gillum. I might even add Beto O’Rourke as another recent example. In a just America, racism would disappear and would never be rewarded. We’d have a Commission on the Elimination of Racism. Another commission that actually mandates reparations for Black people and our community would go a long way toward proving
America has suddenly become fair and just to all. There’re a few things we’d need to do, too. We’d spend our money only with those who respect us and not those who oppress us. We’d spend most of our money with our own people, and when we own the businesses, we would pay our people fair wages and charge our people fair prices. In return, we who do business with our own, we’d treat those businesses as our own. We would never feel the need to use white people as our standard for what we should be. Once we have prepared ourselves for a job or a business, we would walk out of an interview with confidence we’d have a fair chance at getting the job or if in business, we would walk out of the bank where applied for a loan feeling confident we would get it if we had filled all of the requirements that others are asked to fill. Once we apply for a school or university admission, we could be confident that we would be admitted on our merits—especially when our merits exceed those of our competitors and not because our parents could afford to buy a slot for admission. In a just America, non-white children would see themselves in the people on the news with the good they are doing on a regular basis. They would hear the stories of people who look like them when they, too, are accomplishing great things. As the late Barbara Jordan once said, “What the people want is very simple. They want an America as good as its promise.” Black people are still waiting for America to make real that promise, and when that happens, we’d have a just America. Williams is national president of the National Congress of Black Women, Inc.
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, 26, 2019 •
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CHURCH DIRECTORY
Rev. Dr. Eugenio D. Raphael
St. Paul United Methodist Church
The Church of Yeshua Ha Mashiach Hebrew for “Jesus the Messiah”
Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church of San Diego
3094 L Street San Diego, CA 92102
1819 Englewood Dr. Lemon Grove, CA 91945
3085 K Street San Diego, CA 92102
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Sunday School 8 : 00 a.m. Sunday Worship Service 9 : 30 a.m. Wednesday Bible Study 12 : 00 noon Thursday Bible Study 6 : 30 p.m. 2nd Saturday Men’s Bible Study 3rd Saturday Women’s Saturday Bible Study
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Sunday Worship 10 : 00 a.m. Sunday School 8 : 45 a.m. Bible Study Wed. 7: 00 p.m.
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Sunday School 8 : 30 a.m. Morning Worship 9 : 45 a.m. Tuesday Bible Study 10 : 00 a.m. Wednesday Bible Study 6: 00 p.m.
Pastor Jared B. Moten
Sunday School 9 : 30 a.m. Sunday Worship 11: 00 a.m. Wednesday Prayer & Bible Study 6: 00 p.m.
“A Life Changing Ministry” Romans 12:2
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New Hope Friendship Missionary Baptist Church
Total Deliverance Worship Center
Linda Vista Second Baptist Church
2205 Harrison Avenue San Diego, CA 92113
2774 Sweetwater Springs Blvd. Spring Valley, CA 91977
2706 Korink Ave. San Diego, CA 92111
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Early Sunday Morning Worship 7: 45 am Sunday School 9 : 30 am Sunday Morning Worship 11: 00 am Children and Youth Bible Study Tuesdays 6 : 30 pm Bible Study Tuesdays 6 : 30 pm Mid-day Bible Study Wednesdays 12 : 00 pm
I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the LORD! ” Psalms 122:1
Pastor Dr. John E. Warren
Suffragan Bishop Dr. William A. Benson, Pastor & Dr. Rachelle Y. Benson, First Lady
Sunday Early Morning Worship Service 8 : 00 a.m. Sunday Christian Education (Sunday School) 9 : 30 a.m. Wednesday Noon Day Bible Study 12 : 00 p.m. Wednesday W.O.W. • Worship on Wednesday (Bible Study) 7: 00 p.m.
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Sunday School: 8 : 45 a.m. – 9 : 45 a.m. Sunday Service: 10 : 00 a.m.
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3619 College Ave. San Diego, CA 92115
36 South 35th Street San Diego, Ca 92113
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Leollia “Leo” Valentine III
Michael Dean Love
• , 26, 2019
Jacqueline Dunaway
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MICHAEL DEAN LOVE, 68 of San Diego, California passed away peacefully after a short illness on September 11, 2019.
LEOLLIA “ LEO” VALENTINE III Memorial Service on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2019 at 4:00PM at Vacation Isle East (Mission Bay). PLEASE BRING MEMORIES, BLANKETS and YOUR OWN CHAIRS.
Michael was born on April 4, 1951 in San Diego, California to Teresa Rodriguez and H. Robert Love. A bright and talented young man, Michael graduated from San Diego High School in 1969 where he played football. He later studied at San Diego State University.
From south or east San Diego, take Interstate 8 to the Sports Arena Boulevard exit, make a right onto West Mission Bay Drive, and continue straight to Ingraham Street. Cross over one bridge, and then make a left at the stoplight to West Vacation Road.
After graduation, he was drafted into the United States Army and served in Vietnam. Upon his return to the United States, Michael began a career in sales and later in investment banking and brokering. He also spent time as a boxing promoter and would travel throughout the world.
From north San Diego, take Interstate 5 to the Sea World Drive exit, make a right onto Sea World Drive, and continue straight to Ingraham Street. Cross over one bridge, and then make a left at the stoplight to West Vacation Road.
Michael was a long-time member of Bethel Baptist Church and would later serve as Minister until his death. He found great joy from preaching the Gospel and the various missions trip he made to Haiti and Southeastern Asia.
Parking is free in these lots, but they do fill up early during the summer months.
Larry Charles “Chief” Noble
Michael was preceded in death by his parents and 3 siblings. Michael’s memory will forever be cherished by his wife Charmaine, children Taneh (Joe) Morris, Monsio (Anthony) Joof, Christian (Shania) Love, Brittney (Jeremy) Cavaco, Michael (Sashka) Love and Mikhaila Love; grandchildren Tiana, Ahmad Michael, Toni Sahai, Michael, Laila, Lathan, Makai, McKenzie, Maile, Zara and Zuri; great grandchildren Brooklyn and Carter; siblings Carmen, David and Renee , stepchildren: Mark Hatchett, Jr., Marissa Hatchett, and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, loved ones and friends.
SUNRISE
A memorial service honoring his life will be held at noon on Saturday, September 28, 2019 at Bethel Baptist Church, 1962 Euclid Ave. San Diego, CA. Interment followed at Holy Cross Cemetery.
11/20/51
SUNSET 9/14/19
LARRY CHARLES “CHIEF” NOBLE was born November 20, 1951 in Wharton, Texas to the late La Pearl Foster-Noble and Sandy (Jack) Noble.
“Memory is a way of holding on to the things you love, the things you are, the things you never want to lose.”
He moved to San Diego, California at an early age when his parents relocated for a better life. Larry grew up in San Diego in the loving home of his dad and mom, the late Bobbie Rice Noble. Larry attended San Diego Unified schools, where he met his lifelong childhood friends, Byron Glover and Kenny Wayne King at Knox Elementary. He enjoyed learning and continued his education in the Grossmont Adult Schools, until his health failed. Larry worked for many years with the Casper Company and BAE Systems. He was a hard worker, honorable and had a kind demeanor. Larry’s entered his new home on September 14, 2019. He is survived by his brother: Jackie C. Nobles, Aunt, Emma L. Norman (Texas), nephew, Alex C. Garrett (Solange) Georgia, great nephew and great niece (Liam and Elizabeth), cousins, Sandra B. Norman (Michael) Moreno Valley, Deborah Campbell (Julius) Pasadena, Calif., Susan Norman (Houston), Carolyn Norman (Arthur) San Diego, Sharon McCullough, Angela Williams and Shanda Williams (Texas), his best of friends Kenny Wayne King, Byron Glover and a host of friends and family. A celebration of life will be held, Saturday, September 28th at 11 a.m. at the Clementine McDuff Elks Lodge, 6 Hensley Street, San Diego, Ca. 92102. Private interment at Mt. Hope Cemetery
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Jacqueline Yvonne Dunaway, Our beloved Jacqueline Yvonne Dunaway was born in Pensacola, Florida on August 13, 1952 to Cicro Dunaway Sr. and Essie Lois Dunaway. She was the fourth of ten siblings of the Dunaway Family. In June of 1956, the family moved to San Diego, California where Jackie attended Dewey Elementary, Collier Jr. High and graduated from Point Loma High with the “Class of 1969”. She continued her education at City College and San Diego State University where she received her Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration. One of Jackie’s first job was with Channel 10 News. After graduating from SDSU, she started her life-long career with SAIC as a Data Control Analysis, where she retired in 2007 after more than 30 years of exemplary service. Jackie loved to shop, travel, have family gatherings which included playing cards such as spades, pitty-pat, and tonk. She especially enjoyed spending time with her children and grandchildren. She also enjoyed hanging out with her sisters and many friends at Dad’s Place, Oasis Night Club, Black and Tan, Black Sabbath, Oceanview Park, Round Table, Dolphin Inn, Elks Lodge and The No Name. Jackie’s heavenly entrance was on Wednesday, September 11, 2019. She was preceded in death by her parents, Cicro Dunaway Sr. and Essie Lois Dunaway; sisters: Andrea Dunaway, Angela Epperly and Sharon Dunaway; brothers: Fredrick, Kenneth and Cicro Dunaway Jr.; nephew, Darrell Jackson; grandson, Andre Mims; aunt, Pauline Green; best friends: Cynthia Hinds–Malory and Lenore Thomas. She leaves to cherish her memory her children: Quentin Mims, Melvin Beaty Jr., Larry Willis Jr., Joanna Hamilton and son-inlaw, Jimmy Hamilton; grand-children: Shanarra, Quentin Jr., Ashley, Dominique, Melvin III, Shamiya, Lil Melvin, Darrell, Aliyah, Deshawn, Kaden, Jakai and Karson; 7 Great grands: sisters: Rosilyn Davis, Miachell Dunaway, Leticia Dunaway, Linda Faye Sterling-Joyce, and Michelle Allen; special nephew Else Lee and a host of nieces, nephews, great nieces and great nephews; Uncle Clyde Harris; Cousin Jeffery Harris; goddaughter, Camiessa “Camarasha” Stuart and a host of other family and friends.
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STATE NEWS
In Memoriam: Sacramento OBSERVER Publisher Emeritus Dr. William H. Lee to establish his own firm, however, led him to open his own real estate and land development company in 1960. The success he had in real estate allowed him to invest in the much-needed community newspaper publishing business. He along with local radio connoisseur Geno Gladden and businessman John W. Cole, launched The Sacramento Observer on November 22, 1962. A short time after starting the paper, Gladden passed away. And, in 1965, Lee and his wife, Kathryn, became sole owners of the paper, also starting at the time the Lee Publishing Company. The publishing company grew during the 1970s and 80s, to publishing at one point, six distinct publications in California and Nevada — including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Stockton, Solano County, Reno, Nevada and Sacramento.
Voice & Viewpoint
DR. WILLIAM H. L He was tireless in the fight for access and respect for Black journalists and relentless in championing for Blacks to have a seat at the proverbial table. Sacramento OBSERVER publisher emeritus Dr. William H. Lee went on to his glory, having passed away on Sunday, September 22. Dr. Lee was 83 years old. Dr. Lee was born on May 29, 1936, in Austin, Texas. His parents (Rev. Charles R. Lee, father, and Carrie
Lee, mother), with sons William and James R. Lee, moved to California, first to San Francisco and then to Sacramento, in the early 1940s. Dr. Lee attended Sacramento State University (1953-1955) and went on to earn a B.A. degree (Accounting) from UC Berkeley in 1957. He was awarded an Honorary Ph.D. from Southeastern University in 1970. After graduating from UC Berkeley, Lee had short, but fruitful, employment stays with both Aerojet and IBM Corporations. His dream
honor given by the National Newspaper Publisher’s Association.
A recognized business leader, Lee served on the board of directors of a number of national and local companies, including Blue Cross of California; Methodist Hospital (Sacramento); the Superior Valley Small Business Development Corporation; the advisory board of Wells Fargo Bank; and, the advisory board of the former Home Savings financial institution. Dr. Lee’s commitment to serve others kept him active in civic and educational circles. He was named Alumnus of the Year (1993), by UC Berkeley’s Black Alumni Association. He was appointed by California Governor George Deukmejain to chair the statewide Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday committee, leading to the state’s observance of the MLK holiday. Years later, in January 2014, Dr. Lee would serve as the Dr. Lee took on local, state and Grand Marshal of the annual Dr. national leadership roles. From Martin Luther King Holiday March 1970 to 1989, he served on the in Sacramento. board of directors and as an officer of the National Newspapers In Sacramento, the prestigious Publisher’s Association (NNPA), Sacramento Magazine named the Black Press of America. He Dr. Lee as one of the “50 Most was co-founder and a long-time Powerful Leaders” in the City president of the West Coast Black (2006). He was a co-founder and Publisher’s Association (WCBPA). former President of the Men’s Lee was named “Publisher of the Civic League; co-founder of the Year” by the WCBPA in 1985. Sacramento Urban League; as well Active in the field of journalism as co-founder of the Sacramento and the newspaper industry, Lee’s Area Black Caucus. Dr. Lee has publications, along with his call been honored by a large number for quality and excellence in the of groups and organizations for industry, gave him a national his long and dedicated community reputation. He was a member of service and leadership. He received the jury, judging for Pulitzer Prize winners in Journalism in 1987. Lee’s newspaper, The Sacramento Observer, has been named the nation’s No. 1 Black newspaper six times; being awarded the coveted John B. Russwurm trophy, the nation’s top newspaper publishing
Lifetime Achievement Awards from the California Black Chamber of Commerce and the Sacramento Chapter of the Links and the OBSERVER was inducted into the Sacramento Metro Chamber of Commerce’s Hall of Fame in 2012. Dr. Lee has also been saluted by Sacramento 100 Black Men, Inc; the Sacramento Branch of the NAACP (D.D. Mattocks Award); the American Leadership Forum (Exemplary Leader Award) and was a recipient of the Congressman Bob Matsui Award (for Distinguished Community Service); The Greater Sacramento Urban League’s Co-Founder Award; the California State University, Sacramento Alumni Association’s Distinguished Service Award; and many others. In 2012, Fortune School of Education named an elementary school, William H. Lee College Prep, in honor of Dr. Lee. The school’s computer lab is named after Dr. Lee’s late wife.In January 2015, Kevin Johnson, Sacramento’s first African American mayor, awarded Dr. Lee with the Mort Friedman Legacy Award, which honors an outstanding individual who has made notable civic and community contributions within the Sacramento city and region. A memorial service has been tentatively set for Sacramento on Tuesday, October 1. Details to follow.
California Charter Stories Bring Hard Data to National School Choice Debate By Tanu Henry California Black Media
North Carolina passed a law prohibiting Black slaves from reading and writing during the state’s 1830-31 legislative session. The law read in part, “That any free person, who shall hereafter teach, or attempt to teach, any slave within the State to read or write, … or shall give or sell to such slave or slaves any books or pamphlets, shall be liable to indictment in any court of record in this State…not exceeding thirty nine lashes, nor less than twenty lashes.” When the emancipation proclamation freed AfricanAmerican slaves some 32 years later, slave-holding states like North Carolina did not automatically throw out the harsh anti-literacy legislation they had been using to oppress slaves. Those laws, the Jim Crow ones that followed, segregated schools, under-funded school districts – as well as other economic, political and social factors - all played a role in erecting barriers to a quality education for African Americans over the decades that followed.
American boys, are failing in the American education system at alarming rates. Social scholars are saying it’s an epidemic in need of a remedy now. “Since we entered this country, there has been a system in place with the explicit expectation that our humanity will be robbed from us,” said Steve Perry, an AfricanAmerican educator, school choice advocate and head of Capital Preparatory Schools in Connecticut and New York. Perry was participating in a panel discussion on charter schools and school choice that took place during the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Annual Legislative Conference, held in Washington, D.C., September 11-15 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.
Journalist Roland Martin leads a traveling town hall called “School Choice is the Black Choice.” This month, he brought the town hall to the Black caucus convention with a panel of educators. On stage, Perry joined Elizabeth Davis, president of the Washington Now almost 150 years later, Black Teachers Union; Shawn Hardnett, students, especially African- founder and executive director of
Statesman Preparatory Academy for Boys in Washington, D.C.; and Margaret Fortune, President and CEO of Fortune School, a network of California charter schools based in Sacramento. More than 100 guests showed up for the talk focused on discussing ways to improve African American educational outcomes.
the authorization process to open also shared data with the audience a charter school and running her about the progress her school has system of K-12 college prep schools. made since first opening in 1989. She also recounted highlights of her grueling fight this year against three bills in California – supported by the NAACP - that would have restricted the operations and growth of the taxpayer-funded independent schools in her state. Most of them operate in poor minority communities.
She said students at Fortune schools in Sacramento - mostly poor, Black and Latino - are excelling above state averages. Three of them are among the top 10 achieving schools in all of California
“In my flagship school,” she said,”66 percent are reading and doing math “To keep Black children in a failing at grade level.” school system is absurd, and should be illegal,” said Fortune, who shared “I challenge Black education leaders personal accounts with the audience to come together for the benefit of about her experience going through Black children,” urged Fortune, who See SCHOOL page 16
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BAPAC General Meeting Staff Writer
The San Diego Chapter of the Black American Political Asdvoicessociation of California held its general membership meeting at the Education Cultural Complex. Dr. Willie Blair gave an overview of California state politics and the number of African Americans running for office in the state. He said there were 400 persons seeking such positions and at least 10 running for offices in San Diego County. Since there were no special guests on the agenda for this meeting, President Ellen Nash used the occasion to have those present introduce themselves and their
Aka:
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For her part, Dr. Glover and the AKAs have steadfastly continued to promote support of HBCUs across the nation. Dr. Glover, who is an HBCU graduate, has led that challenge for contributions as part of a four-year $10 million fundraising goal to benefit HBCUs.
them as a first option,” she said.
AKA began on the campus of Howard University in Washington, D.C., in 1908. Today, nearly 300,000 members make up the sorority in and NNPA President and CEO Dr. approximately 1,018 graduate and Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., during the undergraduate chapters in the U.S., NNPA’s annual convention June the U.S. Virgin Islands, Liberia, 23-25, 2020 in New Orleans. “As a college president, I need to the Bahamas, Bermuda, Canada, “When you need to know the recognize the need for HBCUs. I Dubai, Germany, Japan, and South positive stories – the real stories – need to recognize the operating Korea. about African Americans, then you needs, and the financial needs understand our dependence on the because we need funds to survive,” For her four-year tenure as president, Dr. Glover has implemented a fiveBlack Press for our news,” said Dr. Dr. Glover said. point plan for AKA which includes Glover, the international president of AKA and president of the In February, AKA gifted $1.6 the HBCU initiative. The other historically-Black Tennessee State million from their AKA-HBCU four plan points include a women’s healthcare and wellness plan; University. While the first African Endowment Fund to 32 HBCUs. building your economic legacy; the American-owned newspaper was founded 192 years ago, the “The actions of Alpha Kappa Arts; and global impact. establishment of the NNPA took Alpha Sorority, Inc. will go a long place in 1940 during a meeting in way toward ensuring that HBCUs “We try to make sure that we handle remain open and able to encourage certain national and international Chicago. Community Ad_Voice_&_Viewpoint_RUN: 9_26_19_TRIM: 6.4375” x 10.5” the best black students to choose issues,” Dr. Glover said. “We
IN AN EMERGENCY, IT TAKES A VILLAGE.
As a community, we prepare for emergencies daily. Whether it’s for a wildfire or an earthquake, our firemen, policemen, social service agencies and public utility companies plan together and practice together. When disaster strikes, it will take each of us to ensure the safety of all of us. The best way to protect yourself, your loved ones and those around you is by preparing before an emergency occurs. Be ready for anything. Prepare for everything that may come your way. If an emergency occurred today, what would you do? Don’t leave your safety to chance. Visit sdge.com/wildfire-safety.
Follow us on: © 2019 San Diego Gas & Electric Company. Trademarks are the property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.
have a program of wellness and health. We have a breast cancer mobile unit that travels around the country giving free mammograms to African American women,” she said.“We know that breast cancer tends not to be found in black
Photos by Voice & Viewpoint
interests. There was an extensive discussion of how the organization can remain relevant to the Black Community. The discussion included: the Census 2020; boards and commissions, Redistricting, the Regional Task Force on the Homeless Board Vacancies, Proposition 47 Board Vacancies as well as other boards and commissions in the city that are going vacant. It was announced that October is Mental Health Month and that there would be a big agenda at the October meeting.
women until it reaches stage 4,” Dr. Glover said. “With all of our initiatives, we want to make sure that African Americans don’t get lost in the shuffle. That is why we have programs and services that benefit the community.”
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the people’s alliance for justice
Grand Opening
Photos by Andrew Harford
By Andrew Harford Contributing Writer
The National Headquarters for the People’s Alliance for Justice ( PAJ) held their Grand Opening and Empowerment Luncheon in Paradise Hills on Saturday, September 21st, 2019 at their newly inaugurated home base. Hosted by the legendary San Diego native, Nick Cannon, who has always used his platforms, such as Wild n’ Out, to create inclusion and opportunities for the black community as well as others, and led by The People’s Alliance for Justice founder and President, Rev. Shane Harris, the Grand Opening was well attended. Making an important impact in the community, PAJ is a non-profit organization that focuses on problems in society such as: economy, education, criminal justice and police reform, and foster care. Their intent is to launch a proactive approach to civil rights in America and human rights throughout the world. A voice for the voiceless and a champion for the fostered, their objective is to operate as a private sector separate from government funding so that there is no bias or interference towards their quest for social equality and justice. The event was kicked off with everybody gathered outside for the ribbon cutting. Afterwards, a drumline played (fitting as Nick Cannon was there) and they led the way to the entrance of the headquarters (courtesy of the Heartbeat Music & Performing Arts Academy). Aligned outside with tables and booths were local vendors from the community such as RUE (Refined Unmerited Elegance, a company that sells a variety of homemade and healthy treats) who had an opportunity to sell their products and promote their services. Following the outside festivities, a full house gathered inside and sat in attendance as the luncheon commenced. Prayer was held, thank you’s were expressed and awards, certificates, and recognitions were presented to Assemblymember Shirley Weber, Black San Diego, Marc Arabo, Nick Cannon, and Rev. Harris. Finally, a conversation about taking charge and changing social and economic issues was held between Nick Cannon and Rev. Harris as they spoke thoughtfully about topics ranging from vocational jobs, education, HBCUs (Cannon is currently enrolled in one), healthcare, prison reform, culture, the economy, and politics. Cannon serves as Ambassador for The 400 Years of African-American History Act (a commission designed to plan, organize, and carry out federal grants, activities, and programs for the African-American community), which got a fair amount of discussion as well. The conversation touched on many subjects. The dilemmas being faced are complicated and need to be approached from many different aspects.
Friday, February 7, 2020 Jacobs Center
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The panel opened by Rev. Harris asking Cannon why it was important to him to be a part of this, to which Cannon responded, “I’m here for you. I’m here for the community, my community.” Rev. Harris mainly moderated the discussion as Cannon answered the questions in depth. He talked about the importance of unity and that we of African descent have a family ancestral line that runs through all of us and we have an innate spirituality that brings us together. He also said that there is power in local government and that knowing who you elect for mayor and other local offices is half the battle, but knowing who to support and what these officials represent is a step in the right direction for tangible change. There was an opportunity for members in the audience to ask Nick Cannon questions after the conversation between Nick and Rev. Harris. The first man to speak was from Flint, Michigan and, instead of asking a question, he proudly declared how inspired he was by the energy in the room. He commented that what PAJ is doing is important, necessary, and welcomed. It was a testament to the impact PAJ has made through their determination to care and yield results for not only the black community but the world as a whole. The luncheon ended in prayer from Rev. Harris and though it was over, people still remained, talking amongst themselves and enjoying each other’s conversation and company. Cannon remarked, quoting a familiar phrase, “You have to feed the people before you lead the people.” Thanks to the efforts of Rev. Harris, Mr. Cannon, PAJ, catering, and all the volunteers, everyone was fed and left full of inspiration. Important community leaders were honored and recognized, but most importantly the National Headquarters for PAJ was officially opened.
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CHEVY. MORE J.D. POWER QUALITY AWARDS ACROSS CARS, TRUCKS AND SUVS THAN ANY OTHER BRAND OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS.
S:20.5"
2019 EQUINOX
2019 SILVERADO
2019 TRAVERSE
2020 MALIBU
Awards based on 2013–2019 model year vehicles.
More than 448,000 owners were asked to rate the quality of their vehicles. And over the last four years, Chevy rose to the top across cars, trucks and SUVs. So over the long haul, driving a Chevy is a quality decision.
Chevy received the highest number of awards among the car, truck and SUV automotive segments over the last four years as compared to all other brands in the J.D. Power 2016–2019 U.S. Initial Quality (IQS) and Vehicle Dependability (VDS) Studies. IQS measures new vehicle owners’ experience with their vehicle after 90 days of ownership. VDS measures long-term quality for the original owners’ experience with their 3-year-old vehicles during the 12 months prior to the survey. For J.D. Power 2019 award information, visit jdpower.com/awards for more details.
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COMMUNITY SPORTS
Skyline’s Tiny-Mite Tigers Run Through Balboa’s Silver Raiders Photos and article by Darrel Wheeler
Speed, execution and good old fashioned will-power from Skyline’s tough Tiny Mite Tigers proved to be the difference versus the hosting Silver Raiders. Due to their lack of experience, attention to detail and poor-tackling the young Raiders could not keep up with Skyline’s fast-paced Tigers. Skyline’s Patrick Franklin, Thomas Nava, Trayshawn McNair, Giovanni Womack, Ki-Barton, Leam Ortiz, Anthony Rose, Ricki Payne, Rylan Hammock, Kenneth Anderson and Big C Anderson would not be denied their second victory of the season. “On defense we were trying to stop the Raiders from scoring and getting first downs,” Tiger Big C Anderson said. “We really needed this win today so we can try to go to the playoffs and win a championship.” Competition between these two teams could be very interesting in the future.
Valencia Park’s Hornets Renew Rivalry with Balboa’s Raiders Photos and article by Darrel Wheeler
It’s been a little over a decade since the two storied youth football associations met for a Saturday morning football contest. Balboa’s 12-and-under Raiders easily overwhelmed the rebuilding Hornets with a superior defense, keeping Valencia Park (VP) off the scoreboard at San Diego High’s Balboa stadium last Saturday. On offence the more experienced Raiders scored almost at will, finding the opposition’s end zone a nice place to hang out. “We were really prepared for this game. We had good practices and we played together as a team today and now we have to get ready for Bonita next week,” Raider Lee Norman shared. Mr. Isaiah Collins, Donald Reed, Jayshawn Knox and Isaiah Jackson with Lee Norman were some of the players that led the attack-mode Raiders to another impressive victory. Realizing the miss-match VP Head Coach Mike Ford pulled the plug on the game in the third quarter. “ I didn’t want to risk getting any more players hurt with the score the way it was. It didn’t make sense,” Coach Mike shared. “It’s good to have VP back in the league. Hopefully they can get back to their competitive ways. I think they will be alright,” Balboa President Ed Smith said. Mr. Smith is also asking all former Raider coaches, players, cheerleaders and family to a Raider reunion at Balboa Stadium Oct 5th.
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INTERNATIONAL NEWS
THOUSANDS JOIN IN GLOBAL CLIMATE JUSTICE STRIKE Global Information Network
Millions of young climate activists are declaring “enough is enough” to the use of fossil fuels that are superheating our planet and unleashing floods, hurricanes and droughts unlike any we’ve seen before. On Friday, a Global Climate Strike led by school children and adults marched and rallied in 185 countries around the world— making it the biggest climate protest ever. 350.org, one of the groups behind the Strike, tallied 600,000 people in the U.S. alone. An estimated 300,000 took over the streets in New York, from Foley Square to Battery Park, waving hand-painted signs and chanting “You had a future, so should we!” “Today we saw a movement of people saying we need a future based in climate equity and justice,” said May Boeve, executive director of 350.org.
Friday’s event channeled the frustration and anger of young people at the complacency of older generations. Signs, hand-drawn by the strikers, read: “Science not Silence,” “Our Earth Matters,” “Respect Existence or Expect Resistance”, and over a globe and a green background: “Respect your Mother.” Strikes were planned for at least seven Nigerian cities including Lagos, which is clogged by mountains of toxic waste, and Port Harcourt, capital of the country’s oilproducing region, whose residents and their possessions have been covered in soot for decades. Protests were scheduled at a proposed coal plant in Ivory Coast, while in Ghana, a group called Young Reporters for the Environment was leading a march from the city hall of the capital, Accra.
In Senegal, actions were planned in Rufisque, Thies, Kaolack, Bargny, and Dakar where air pollution is causing an increase in respiratory problems linked to sulphur-laden diesel. Greta Thunberg, a 16-year-old environmentalist from Sweden, is credited with inspiring the global movement after spending close to a year sitting outside the Swedish parliament to protest inaction on climate change. Known for her bluntness, Thunberg told a session of U.S. lawmakers to save their praise. “We don’t want it,” she said, “especially if you intend to talk about climate change without doing anything about it.” Meanwhile, African leaders at this week’s UN climate summit are seeking more money from rich countries to help them combat global warming.
The president of Gabon, the current chair of the Committee of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change, is scheduled to deliver the demands, drawn up at an August meeting in Ethiopia to prepare Africa’s position for the UN summit.
DOCTORS’ GROUP SLAMS WORLD HEALTH BODY FOR RATIONING EBOLA MEDS Global Information Network
Congolese people seeking a vaccine against the Ebola epidemic could be getting the runaround by the World Health Organization (WHO) which stands accused of rationing the distribution of a drug deemed highly effective against the deadly disease. The humanitarian medical group Doctors Without Borders (MSF) criticized the pace of ongoing inoculations “too slow” and “largely insufficient” According to MSF, between 450,000 and 600,000 people should have been immunized by now—more than double the actual number. MSF blamed “tight controls on supply and eligibility criteria” over the vaccine produced by the U.S.-pharmaceutical company Merck. They called for an international, independent committee to oversee vaccination efforts instead. The WHO dismissed the charge, saying it was only implementing a strategy recommended by an independent advisory body of experts and as agreed with the government of the D.R.C. and partners.” In the current outbreak, 3,157 cases and
2,108 deaths were reported as of Sept. 19, when the WHO admitted that disease transmission had worsened, with 57 new cases that week, versus 40 the week before. The affected region includes the provinces of North Kivu and Ituri, in the northeastern part of the country, near the borders of Uganda, Rwanda and South Sudan. So far, around 225,000 people have received the Ebola vaccination manufactured by the American pharma giant Merck since August 8, 2018. Another experimental vaccine, manufactured by the US-based firm Johnson & Johnson (J&J), is due to be introduced from midOctober in areas which do not have “active Ebola transmission”, the U.N. health agency said this week. J&J’s vaccine requires two injections eight weeks apart. The Merck vaccine, estimated to be 97.5 percent effective, requires a single shot. Congo’s previous minister of health, Dr. Oly Ilunga, strongly opposed using any vaccine but the Merck one, saying people had come to trust it and would be
unlikely to accept a new one. He resigned in July after Congo’s president took control of the Ebola response. In his resignation letter, Ilunga cited outside pressure to deploy the J&J product and accused unspecified “actors” of showing a
“lack of ethics” over the issue. Dr. Ilunga was arrested on Sept. 14, accused of mismanaging some $4 million meant for the Ebola response, a claim that his lawyers deny.
AFRICAN VACATION SPOTS FEAR CHAOS AFTER UK TRAVEL GROUP FOLDS Global Information Network
Sunbathers snoozing away the last days of summer awoke to a cold water bath of reality when news of the bankruptcy filing by the famed Thomas Cook travel group hit the airwaves, leaving many with no way home. With its profits decimated by online travel services such as Expedia, Priceline and Hotel.com, the 178-year old Cook agency had struggled to stay af loat. The shockwave hit thousands of tourists—many holed up at famed African vacation spots that now faced unpaid bills and a struggle to rebuild their lucrative tourist trade. Collapse of the iconic travel operator could have been averted with a $250 million infusion from private investors—but after considerable effort the rescue deal f lopped.
Thomas Cook package deals. Tunisia’s tourism minister, René Trabelsi, said hotels were owed about $70,000,000 from Thomas Cook for stays in July and August. “I will have a meeting on Tuesday with the British embassy in Tunisia and the hotel owners to see how debt could be redeemed,” he said. Gary Seale, a guest at the Orangers Hotel in Hammamet, Tunisia, posted on Facebook that “security have refused to let us out of the hotel and barricaded us in”. He later posted that he had reached the airport and f lew home on Sunday.
Most of the tourists are from the UK estimated at 150,000, followed by Germany with about 140,000 holidaymakers.
One of the surviving online ads for Cook’s Kenya Tour Packages lists Kenyan Safaris, Kenyan Dhamakas, Kenyan Discovery and Grand Bargain South Africa with Kenya. A group tour is listed with the unfortunate choice of name: Kenyan Safari with Tanzanian Surprise.
The collapse could lead to the loss of thousands of jobs directly dependent on
Tunisia, Morocco and Egypt were part of Thomas Cook’s top travel destinations.
Last year, Thomas Cook announced that its travel to Egypt had increased by 40 percent year-on-year, with Marsa Alam and Hurghada as the top destinations. Thousands of Thomas Cook passengers are
being brought home in what the UK Civil Aviation Authority has called “the UK’s largest ever peacetime repatriation”, after the company failed to secure a last-ditch rescue deal in meetings with shareholders and creditors on Sunday.
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HEALTHY LIVING September is Suicide Prevention Wellness Awareness and Early Month: Supporting Veterans Screenings Key to Men’s Health By Michelle Langlois and Valerie Creedon
It is estimated that 20 veterans die by suicide per day, but only six of those veterans come to the VA for care. The good news is that suicide is preventable. Approximately 85–90 percent of people who make a suicide attempt never go on to die by suicide. Most suicidal ideas are associated with treatable disorders. Helping someone connect with treatment can save a life. The acute risk for suicide is often time-limited. If you can help the person survive the immediate crisis and overcome the strong intent to die by suicide, you have gone a long way toward promoting a positive outcome. The first thing is to identify some of the risk factors that can lead a veteran to having thoughts of suicide. Some risk factors are recent major loss, trauma, feeling like a burden, lack of support, legal issues, acute mental health/medical problems, substance abuse, a history of a suicide attempt/s and recent discharge from the military. Next, recognize the signs that a veteran may be thinking about suicide. These can include: talking about feeling like a burden or death, isolating from their support system, engaging in risky behaviors, reporting feelings of hopelessness, increase in substance use, posting things on social media, giving away prized possessions, and
feeling they are trapped, “nothing is going to change.” Once you have identified a veteran who you feel is at risk for suicide, there are many options to get the veteran into treatment. If the veteran is in imminent danger of hurting themselves, contact 911 to ensure the veteran remains safe and gets immediate care. If the veteran is not in imminent risk and is unwilling to come in and get care, you can contact “Coaching into Care,” at 1-888-823-7458. This confidential line will provide consultation to those who are concerned about a veteran and how to get them into treatment. If the veteran is willing to come to the VA for treatment, they can come to Jesse Brown veterans Health Care System (JBVHCS) as a walk-in and be seen by a clinician, a psychiatrist, and start on medications (if desired and appropriate) the same day. No appointment is needed. JBVHCS has a plethora of services that can assist the veteran in addressing their crisis which includes a robust Mental Health and Addiction Department, Homeless Program, Primary Care and Specialty Services, Pain Clinic, and Whole Health to name a few. In addition, veterans and their families can call the veteran’s Crisis Line number
at 1-800-273-8255 #1 or text 838255. The Veterans Crisis Line is open 24 hours per day, 7 days per week VeteransCrisisLine.net/Chat. Finally, we challenge everyone to #BeThere for a Veteran BeT hereForVetera ns.com. Some things you can do to be there for a veteran is take them out for coffee, send an email/text/or make a call. Offer to make them dinner or babysit their children so they can attend an appointment. It can just take a small thing to help a veteran in crisis. Michelle Langlois is a suicide prevention coordinator. Valerie Creedon is a Transition and Care Management program manager, and acting Public Affairs officer for the VA.
Veterans Crisis Line 1-800-273-8255, #1 or Text 838255 Veterans Crisis Line is open 24 hours, 7 days a week VeteransCrisisLine.net
By Voice & Viewpoint Newswire
The statistics for men’s health are alarming. For men, life expectancy is 76.3 years; for women, it’s 81.2 years. The Kaiser Family Foundation points out that nearly 71 percent of men are at risk of being overweight or obese, compared to 59 percent for women. Far more women than men are likely to go to a physician office visit, according to the Centers for Disease Control. These statistics may be worrisome for men and their loved ones, but many of the health risks men face can be prevented by adopting a healthy lifestyle and getting recommended and timely preventive health screenings. “It’s important for men to take charge of their health,” said Dr. Chad E. Bittner, a chief medical officer of OptumCare. “And there are a number of things men can do to get and stay healthy.” Bittner offers the following tips to help men improve their health and well-being: Physical activity: Regardless of gender, Bittner said he gives people the same general health advice, although men often need more reminders. One focus area for patients is physical activity. Regular physical activity can control
weight, reduce risks of developing heart disease and some cancers, and can improve overall mental health and mood. Nutrition: Another important priority is nutrition. Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables every day, and limit foods and drinks high in sugar, salt, saturated fat and alcohol.
the United States. Prescriptions: All patients need to work with their doctors to get a full understanding of the purpose and side effects of the prescriptions, overthe-counter drugs and supplements they take.
He points out other important reminders for men:
Depression: It’s important for men and those close to them to be aware of the warning signs for depression.
Sunscreen: Don’t overlook the importance of using sunscreen, African Americans included. Skin cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer in
If you or the men in your life are not making positive health choices, now is the perfect time to take charge and make some healthy changes.
EDUCATION
Local Students Enroll in
UC San Diego Extension Courses
with No Upfront Cost For the first time, UC San Diego Extension and the San Diego Workforce Partnership announced that more than 50 local adults are in the classroom learning the skills they need to move their careers forward—at no upfront cost. Classes like Business Intelligence and Digital marketing are touted as addressing San Diego’s tech talent shortage while helping workers advance their careers.
They enrolled through the Workforce Income Share Agreement (ISA) Fund, and will not be required to make any payments until they land jobs that allow them to pay with a percentage of their salary. The program, known as an income share agreement, is a first-of-its-kind, according to the San Diego Workforce Partnership and its educational partner, UC San Diego Extension. Designed to provide students with “a more affordable higher education option and to boost the economy by addressing the need for skilled employees,” students like Courtney McGowan and Myron Cumigad can enroll in 9–12-month certificate programs while also gaining access to job placement, internship, mentorship and other support to help them land a job in fast-growing technology occupations. “I want to take measurable risks and challenge myself, and also show to future employers my adaptability and commitment to professional and personal development and growth,” says Courtney McGowan, Workforce ISA Fund student. “I feel a real urgency to invest in myself and it’s difficult to turn down an opportunity to do just that with no upfront financial investment.”
Courtney McGowan
Myron Cumigad
PHOTOS: WWW.AWESOMESAUCEVISUALS.COM
The students can pay over a set amount of time after they’ve gained employment. Their payment will be based on their income. Depending on the program, 6 to 8 percent of their income will be required to be paid back over a 36-60 month period. Yet there is a minimum income threshold. Students will not owe anything if they don’t get a job after graduation that pays at least $40,000 a year, or
PHOTO: BAUMAN PHOTOGRAPHERS
if their income falls below that amount, they experience a period of unemployment. The program is designed to support students in and outside of the classroom and beyond. “We believe that everyone deserves access to a great education. We also know from experience that students succeed when they feel supported not only in the classroom but by the administration, mentors, and the business community—and that’s exactly what this program provides,” says Josh Shapiro, Assistant Dean of Innovation and Research Affairs at UC San Diego Extension. Visit https://workforce.org/ISA/ or https://extension.ucsd.edu/student-resources/ financial-resources/ISA for more information
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BUSINESS
Helen Griffith Named Inaugural Executive Director of The Preuss School UC San Diego By Staff Writer
Following a nationwide search, UC San Diego alumna Helen V. Griffith, Ed.D., has been appointed the inaugural executive director of The Preuss School UC San Diego, effective Oct. 7, 2019. Most recently, Griffith was the well-respected founding executive director and CEO of е3 Civic High, a public charter high school located in the San Diego Central Public Library, a role which she has held since 2012. Griffith is a former dean of students at Crawford High School, vice principal at Lincoln High School and founding principal of Millennial Tech Middle School. Griffith’s appointment is significant because she is the first African American female to lead the school, which has consistently ranked as one of the top high schools in the country. “Helen Griffith’s proven leadership in education and expert knowledge of the San Diego community make her a perfect fit,” said UC San Diego Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla. Griffith will report directly to UC San Diego Executive Vice Chancellor Elizabeth H. Simmons and work closely with Chancellor Khosla, the Preuss School Board of Directors, school administrative leadership, stakeholders, and the broader school community to advance the school’s mission and strategic vision and address students’ needs. She’ll also play a key advocacy role at the local, state, national and international levels. “It is an honor to join the team of highly talented and skillful
educators as they seek to surpass their record of proven results,” said Griffith. Griffith has a strong background in leading innovative schools that serve diverse populations in the San Diego region like Preuss. She’s received several professional honors lauding her 20-plus years of transformational work in leadership development, school transformation and educational entrepreneurship. She earned her bachelor’s degree in communications from UC San Diego, and holds a master’s in educational technology and a doctorate in educational leadership from San Diego State University. The Preuss School is located on the UC San Diego campus. The public charter school enrolls more than 800 local, low-income youth in grades six through 12 who strive to become the first in their families to graduate from college. Students come from over 40 diverse San Diego communities. Preuss School is recognized by U.S. News & World Report as the best high school in San Diego County, 7th in the state of California, and 58th nationwide. For parents curious to learn more about the benefits of having their child attend Preuss, the former Lincoln vice principal said, “Your child will be surrounded by non-intimidating peers who come from your neighborhoods. Some South of the 8, some North of the 8. It’s very diverse.” Griffith says students will be uniquely immersed in the ‘college going culture,’ with skills to immediately get a job in the workforce, if they so choose.
PHOTO: ERIKA JOHNSON, UC SAN DIEGO
“Students are prepared for college or career,” she said. Griffith is certainly an inspirational role model to many. “I’m a native of San Diego. Raised in southeast San Diego,” Griffith said. Asked about any words of wisdom she might share with those who strive to improve themselves, she said, “I come from the same neighborhoods as you, I went to the same San Diego schools. Keep your standards high, work hard, never give up, set your mindset [to succeed], regardless of where you come from. Believe that you can do it.” For more information on The Preuss School, visit https:// preuss.ucsd.edu/.
Department of Commerce Honors Minority-Owned Businesses at National MED Week By Voice & Viewpoint Newswire
The Minority Enterprise Award is the highest level of national recognition that a U.S. minority-owned firm can receive from the Department The following firms and individuals were honored as 2019 National Minority Business Award recipients and Champions of Minority Development:
of Commerce. The awards celebrate the outstanding achievements of minority entrepreneurs, as well as the individuals and organizations that have demonstrated their commitment to advancing minority business enterprises. “Minority-owned businesses are growing at a faster rate than non-minority owned businesses. It is a national imperative that the United States continues to invest in MBEs,” said MBDA National Professional Services
Director Henry Childs, II. The Minority Enterprise Awards Ceremony was the kick-off event for the annual observance of Minority Enterprise Development Week (MED Week), held September 8-14. Other MED Week events included: Growth Equity M2M Investment Summit, Global Markets Roundtable, Enterprising Women of Color Forum, MBE Policy Symposium, and MBDA Digital Day. Distinguished Supplier Diversity Award
Minority Business Enterprise of the Year
Angelique Bartholomew, VP of Business Development, MPACT Strategic Consulting
Renard Johnson, CEO, METI Inc.
Management and Engineering Technologies International (M ET I), a fe der a l a nd nat iona l ly c ont r ac te d i n for mat ion te ch nolog y and engineering support services company. Construction NEZ/FCI Native American, LLC. a premier construction company primarily serving Native American Country in the greater Southwestern United States.
MPACT Strategic Consulting, one of the fastest growing emergency management and disaster recovery firms in the country.
Jackie LaJoie, Ingersoll Rand
Ingersoll Rand, a diversity and inclusion workforce development firm. The Ronald H. Brown Leadership Award
Technology V-Soft Consulting, one of the top 100 fastest growing technology services companies in the U.S. Access to Capital Award DreamSpring, a community development organization that bridges the ‘credit gap’ for underrepresented entrepreneurs. The Advocate of the Year Award Cindy Ramos-Davidson, President and Chief Executive Officer of the El Paso Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
Denise Burgess, president and CEO, Burgess Services, LLC
Denise Burgess, president and CEO of Burgess Services, LLC, a Denver-based construction management firm.
MED WEEK Award Winners
MBDA is the only Federal agency dedicated to the growth and global competitiveness of U.S. minority business enterprises through the mobilization and advancement of public and private sector programs, policy, and research. In 2019, MBDA commemorates 50 years of economic empowerment through entrepreneurship and recommits to Winning the Future for all U.S. minority-owned businesses. For more information visit www.mbda.gov.
BUSINESS DIRECTORY
In Washington, DC September 9, The Minority Enterprise Awards, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) honored eight business leaders as recipients of the 2019 Minority Enterprise Awards.
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The San Diego Voice & Viewpoint
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1619 National Celebration of Black Women Opens Oct. 4 at the Women’s Museum
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Voice & Viewpoint Newswire
Friday, October 4, The Women’s Museum of California presents; “1619 National Celebration of Black Women Exhibit” in their main gallery at Liberty Station. The exhibit is mounted in partnership with the local 1619 Committee, dedicated to educating and uplifting Black women and girls about their ancestors while encouraging them to walk in their power. This exhibition with original artworks, historical artifacts and local stories will take visitors on a visually journey and provide a glimpse of the celebration. Curated by Leah Goodwin, the exhibit features significant and some new work of local African American artists: Dorothy
SUICIDE:
Located in the Arts District at Liberty Station, the exhibit runs October 4 - December 2019. the Women’s Museum was founded in 1983 and has an extensive history of educational programming and events such as the 1619 Project. San Diego was the pioneering For more information visit:http:// city, for this event and recognizes w w w.w o m e n s mu s e u m c a . o r g / that the daily actions and history. contributions by individuals, organizations, and institutions across the country are part of a larger movement. The goal of 1619 National Celebration of Black Women is to educate and empower communities and show Black women and girls that a new day is on the horizon, and the continued path of greatness paved by their ancestors is boundless. Annette, Manuelita Brown, Albert Fennell, Brenda De Flanders, Calvin Manson, Mary Fredericks, and artifacts from the collection of Dr. Willie Morrow.
continued from cover
psychiatric emergency. CDC officials also caution that those who have suicidal thoughts should understand that it doesn’t make one weak or flawed.
understand, and be a safe warmly attuned place for comfort,” she said.
“Throughout my life, I’ve been faced with difficult situations which festered into five mental illness diagnosis – ADHD, PTSD, severe depression, bipolar tendencies and anxieties – and I did not understand what was going on until I took the steps to get help,” McFerren said.
“Social media show users pictures and videos of everyone living better lives than they are; even though these pictures are often staged and paint an inaccurate picture, the brain isn’t able to differentiate and simply sees that everyone else is better off,” he said.
Famed Beverly Hills family and relationship psychotherapist and author, Dr. Fran Walfish said she’s treated hundreds of thousands of children and teens each year and recently she’s seen the number of troubled teenagers who are cutters and dealing with suicidal thoughts, feelings, ideas, plans, and even attempts of suicide.
“Social media also puts numbers on your popularity – your followers, your likes, your replies. And, no matter how many you have, you’ll always want more,” Gertsmann said.
Sam Gertsmann, the founder of Opinion-Lounge, a website for “Why are we killing ourselves? discussing politics, said he’s had The lack of treatment of mental extensive experience working illness is the key factor to why suicide hotlines. suicide is on the rise in the black community,” said Clarence “While suicide is a complicated McFerren, a mental health topic, it’s clear that the rise of advocate and author who admits social media is one of the main to previously having suicidal causes of the recent jump in suicide rates,” Gertsmann said. thoughts as a teenager.
since 1999 and nearly 45,000 lives Among the 204 black teen females were lost to suicide in 2016 alone. who died by suicide from 2015 to 2017, 56 percent used strangulation A June 2019 study conducted by or suffocation and 21 percent used the Journal of Community Health firearms, according to the study. revealed that suicide deaths among black females aged 13 to Experts and others have tried to 19 rose 182 percent between 2001 determine why African Americans and 2017, while the rate among increasingly are choosing to end black teen males rose 60 percent their lives. Theories have run the gamut – from the lack of strong during that same period. father-figures to racism and social From 2015 to 2017, 52 percent of media and even the increase in black teen males who died from black wealth. suicide used firearms, a method with a fatality rate of nearly 90 Whatever the reason, the CDC percent. Another 34 percent used said it’s important to note that strangulation or suffocation, suicidal thoughts or behaviors are which has a fatality rate of about both damaging and dangerous and should be treated as a 60 percent.
Kevin Darné, the author of “My Cat Won’t Bark! (A Relationship Epiphany), believes that the suicide rate among young African “There is nothing glamourous Americans is due to the growing about suicide. The one common- list of black millionaires and denominator shared by all who cut, billionaires. contemplate or attempt suicide is that they feel emotionally alone in “Today, we have Oprah owning a their families,” said Walfish, the TV network, Tyler Perry owning author of “The Self-Aware Parent,” his own studios, Shonda Rhimes and who appears regularly as owning her night of television on an expert child psychologist on ABC, Jaz-Z becoming a billionaire, the CBS Television series, “The Dr. Dre selling ‘Beats’ to Apple for $3 billion, and a few Fortune Doctors.” 500 black CEOs, black doctors, “They feel there is no one person lawyers, and entrepreneurs,” they can talk to about their Darné said. pain who will listen, validate, “Although racism is still alive, it’s impossible to deny the fact that the rise of a black upper middle class and an increase in black millionaires [contributes to others having lower self-esteem],” he said. “The irony is the more black success that someone sees in various industries could make a person start to wonder about what’s wrong with themselves. Depression and lack of fulfillment can cause people in a rich country to consider suicide … when there’s a huge gap between one’s expectations and their reality, life can seem miserable,” Darné said. Next in this series: Possible solutions for those contemplating suicide
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Across the United States, AfricanAmerican students are performing at 24 percentage points below their White counterparts in math. In English and language arts, they are trailing White students by almost 30 percentage points. In California, 68 percent of all African American students perform below their grade level in English and language arts. In math, about 80 percent of Black students fail to meet the state’s proficiency mark. According to an EdSource report, only 73 percent of African-American high school seniors in California earned a diploma in 2017, compared to 93 percent of Asian students, 81 percent of Hispanics and 87 percent of White students. The only sub-group Black public school students outperform in California is students with
schools, particularly in Washington, D.C., where she is based, need more Many teachers unions across the oversight as well; that they need to country, including the National be more transparent about how they Education Association (NEA) and spend taxpayer dollars. the California Teacher’s Association (CTA), say they are concerned about The group agreed that it is a mistake dwindling financial resources to to look at the charter-school-versesprovide a quality education to all traditional-public-school debate as students. They say charter schools a national issue because education siphon away the limited funding for policy is decided at the state, county public education that governments or municipal level. allot to school districts, especially in low-income neighborhoods across “Education in America is a local issue,” said Martin. “You have the United States. different rules in different states.” “I was a supporter of charters,” said Davis. “We’ve had some bad In California, Gov. Newsom signed public charter and (non-charter) SB 126 into law in March. The public schools and they should be legislation, introduced by Sen. closed if they aren’t up to speed, Connie Leyva (D-Chino) and Patrick but I’ve noticed there is a pattern O’Donnell (D-Long Beach), holds of systematically starving public the more-than 1,300 charter schools schools in certain parts of the city.” in the state to the same rules around open meetings, public records and Davis argued that charter public conflict of interests that govern disabilities.
traditional public schools. During the back-and-forth, several of the school choice advocates on the panel pointed out that the national conversations that relate adequate funding to student performance are misleading. That thinking, they argued, leads charter school educators to believe that their traditional public school peers are only concerned about their salaries, pensions and contracts - rather than the academic achievement of the children they educate. Assembly Bill 1505 in California initially required authorizers to evaluate the financial impact a charter school would have on a school district in order for its license to be renewed. For many charter school proponents in California, they won a victory by convincing the author of the bill to add academic performance as a factor.
AROUND TOWN
EXTRA! EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT… ARE YOU A VETERAN? DO YOU HAVE BENEFITS? WE WANT TO HELP YOU!!! VETERANS HELPING VETERANS!!!
NEVER LEAVE ONE BEHIND VETERAN FAIR GET YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED BY EXPERTS DATE: SATURDAY, October 5, 2019 TIME: 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM LOCATION: CARE COMMUNITY CENTER 12 North Euclid Ave., National City, CA 91950 (CORNER OF EUCLID AVE. & DIVISION ST.) Please RSVP to 619-255-4134 by Friday, September 27th so we will have enough printed information and refreshments for everyone. SEATING IS LIMITED, FIRST COME FIRST SERVED. Age 18 and older please
The following Speakers will be in attendance: JOHN HOOD (DAV) – Transition Service Officer LAKEMBA HINTON – Psychology Technician LARRY PRICE – CEO and Founder IF YOU ARE 100% UNEMPLOYABILITY AND YOU WOULD LIKE TO APPLY FOR STRAIGHT 100%, YOU WILL NEED TO BRING YOUR MEDICAL RECORDS AND YOUR RATING SHEET FROM 0% TO 100% WITH YOU. Never Leave One Behind www.neverleaveonebehind.org PO BOX 152344 San Diego, CA 92195 Never Leave One Behind (NLOB) is a non-profit 501 (c)(3) tax exempt organization. We are personally committed to the successful reintegration of military veterans into the community by providing them with knowledge and access to available benefits and services. To Donate or Pledge please call 619-255-4134 or send donations to the PO Box referenced above. EIN# 45-4436861
SUBSCRIBE TODAY - (619) 266-2233 or sign-up online - www.sdvoice.info
Gov Newsom is expected to sign the bill into law. Davis, the only educator on the panel defending traditional public schools, was outgunned 3-1 by the other panelists and Martin, who was the moderator. Martin admitted he uses his voice and platform to “elevate the issue” of school choice and spell out to African Americans around the country how it benefits poor Black children and create job opportunities in their neighborhoods. Fortune chimed in, too. “I don’t want to have to apologize for the fact that I’m starting schools to close the Black achievement gap. I do that without apology,” she said. View the entire panel discussion here: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=WGrgK7pAoZ8