Vol. 63 No. 5 | Thursday, February 2, 2023

CALIFORNIA’S BLACK STUDENT FUNDING DEBATE HEATS UP

By Joe W. Bowers Jr. California Black Media

When Gov. Gavin Newsom presented his 2023-24 budget, educators around the state were happy to hear his funding plans for California’s public schools. The deficit had little impact on education funding. K-12 per-pupil funding is $17,519 from the Prop 98 General Fund and is $23,723 per pupil when accounting for all funding sources. Last year, it was $22,893.

Newsom announced, “We’re keeping our promises.”

The budget reaffirms his commitment to invest in Transitional Kindergarten (TK)-12 education. Funding levels are being maintained for universal TK, community schools, behavioral health programs, special education, programs to mitigate learning loss during COVID-19, teacher and staff recruitment and retention and the universal meals program.

The biggest new program presented in the budget is called the LCFF (Local Control Funding Formula) Equity Multiplier.

“We made a commitment with leaders

CAN POLICING BE REFORMED? TYRE NICHOLS VIDEO SHOWS “NO”

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire

The devastating video of Memphis police officers rehearsing their excuse for their deadly use of force even as Tyre Nichols’ lifeless body lay just steps away painted a horrifying, if not entirely clear, portrait of ve cops who murdered a man for no apparent reason and then conspired to destroy his reputation.

e actions of Demetrius Haley, Tadarrius Bean, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills, Jr., and Justin Smith have le many convinced that policing in America cannot be reformed.

“One of the most devastating things to occur in this earthly existence is for one’s life to end in such a brutal and helpless way and to have the world watch, share, and analyze the video of you taking your last breath,”

BIDEN TO END COVID-19 EMERGENCIES ON MAY 11

By Zeke Miller and Amanda Seitz AP

President Joe Biden informed Congress on Monday that he will end the twin national emergencies for addressing COVID-19 on May 11, as most of the world has returned closer to normalcy nearly three years after they were first declared.

CALIFORNIA REPARATIONS TASK FORCE MEETS IN SAN DIEGO

By Voice & Viewpoint Newswire

For the first time, on Jan 27th and 28th, between the long hours of 9am - 5pm, the community of San Diego was welcomed at the Parma Payne Goodall Alumni Center in San Diego State University to take part in the broad conversation of reparations for African American descendants of slaves.

Written by Secretary of State Shirly Weber, and signed into legislation by Governor Gavin Newsom, AB 3121 was

enacted on September 30, 2020. It establishes a Task Force to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans and is also known as (The Reparations Task Force)

These proposals are complex in nature as they seek to quantify the ongoing and compounding harms experienced by African Americans as a result of systematic oppression since slavery.

The move to end the national emergency and public health emergency declarations would formally restructure the federal coronavirus response to treat the virus as an endemic threat to public health that can be managed through agencies’ normal authorities.

It comes as lawmakers have already ended elements of the emergencies that kept millions of Americans insured during the pandemic. Combined with the drawdown of most federal COVID-19 relief money, it would also shift the development of vaccines and treatments away from the direct management of the federal government.

Biden’s announcement comes in a statement opposing resolutions being brought to the floor this week by House Republicans to

Rev. Andre E Johnson, of the Gifts of Life Ministries, preaches at a candlelight vigil in Memphis, Tenn., on Jan. 26, 2023, for Tyre Nichols, who died Jan. 10, 2023, after being beaten by Memphis police offcers. Behind him, seated center, are Tyre’s mother RowVaughn Wells and his stepfather Rodney Wells.

PHOTO: Gerald Herbert/AP

See TYRE NICHOLS page 6

PHOTO: Katleho Seisa/iStock

Honorees

Ms. Regina Wilson Publisher's Award

Mr. Chuck Ambers Unsung Hero Award

Pastor Nate Stewart Good Shepherd Award

Pastor Rolland Slade Good Shepherd Award

Judicial Excellence Judge Rod Shelton

Gerri Warren Humanitarian Award Mr. Gordon Brown

Rev. J. Linzie Whitmill Good Shepherd Award

Dying While Black In America

By Dr. John E. Warren Publisher

The Last Poets, the original rappers with a message and a purpose, said “It’s alright to die for a cause, but not just because”. Those words continue to have meaning for us today when it has been proven time and time again that being Black, or just a person of color, can lead to death when encountering police. The unwritten crime appears to be living while Black. The only ones who appear to know that this is a crime, are the police. Let us remember that for an act to be considered a crime, it must first be a law enacted by some governing body.

Before we had laws enacted by legislative bodies, laws grew out of practice which became known as “Common Law”. This meant that if an act such as stealing a person’s horse occurred and the theft was caught and hung, the hanging of a person under such circumstances became an acceptable law long before laws were written. Well it appears today that police have made it a “common law” practice to deal with Black men under what “they” have made a “common law” assumption, that it’s alright to beat, brutalize and murder Black men on contact. There are no such laws in any of the states that Black men and women have been murdered under such authorized behavior. Yet, we see that the practice is almost universal, based on the location and number of fatal contact with police when “Living While Black”.

Just look at the list of those who have been in contact with police leading to trial and execution, all in one swift act. Most of us want to focus on George Floyd. But his murder at the hands of police came 30 years after the brutal beating of Rodney King. The difference is that King survived his beating and George Floyd did not.

Now we see that the murder of Black people by police is so deeply instilled in the culture of policing that the conduct is not limited to White police officers, but Black officers as well. But for people like Attorney Ben Crump, who has not only created a whole legal specialty in the area of “Wrongful Death” but has written a book that documents, by name and case, the individuals who have been victims of this unwritten law, for more than a decade.

Dr. King once said we can legislate laws but not the hearts of men. Those of us on the endangered list of “Living While Black”, must engage in a collective effort to make “Dying While Black” as unacceptable as cancer. As a matter of fact, it’s a cancer we must all get concerned about before it happens to us. Dr. King also said, “Injustice anywhere, is injustice everywhere”. We must all work to end “Dying While Black”, whether it be from police or other wrongs against “All of Us”.

Rap Music and Society

By Dr. David L. Horne, PhD, PAPPEI

Snoop Dogg is a national icon, doing commercials with Martha Stewart and idling on the beach with a cold brew. Even though Tupac and others are dead and Suge Knight is in long-term prison, Dr. Dre is a multi-millionaire, and Ice Cube is the very wealthy, and national folk-hero owner of the Three-on-Three basketball league and other entities.

Nevertheless, for all that cake icing, violent Black gang activity is far from dead and extinguished in America. Criminal investigators and prosecutors have worked hard to remind us of that fact, and one major and effective trend for them is to use the rap lyrics popularized in songs and concerts by both established and up-and-coming artists as an effective weapon in the attempt to decapitate growing youth violence in the U.S. But there remains a major controversy in the use of such evidence.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR:

REGARDING MAYOR GLORIA’S STATEMENT ON TYRE NICHOLS

(Letter Received from San Diego Resident) Mayor Gloria,

Recently I read your press statement regarding the killing of Tyre Nichols. I was troubled by the fact that it was devoid of any empathy. Your statement was limited to the condemnation of the Memphis Police. While that was a basic fact that needed attention, the City of San Diego goes on record as somewhat insensitive. I am curious if you consulted with any of your women of color on your cabinet or the Chief of Race and Equity regarding how they felt about the senseless death of a young man during a traffic stop who NEVER made it home. Trayvon Martin went to the store for Skittles and a drink and never made it home. Ahmaud Arbery went for a jog and never made it home. Brianna Taylor went to bed one night never to wake again. My point is that after centuries of murders of Blacks by the hands of others, society has become desensitized. That only changes when the policymakers keep it in front of us as an issue that must stop.

As a mother of two young African Americans, hearing Tyre calling out for his mom when he needed her, ripped through my heart. I pray I never have to view a video that has my child calling for me. With the damning evidence of the video, it is easy to immediately condemn those involved. True leadership is when you help all understand this young man was someone’s child who left and never made it home. Please show the leadership we elected.Sincerely,

Mrs. A. Howard

REGARDING SUPERVISOR NORA VARGAS

(Letter Received from San Diego Resident)

Dear Dr. Warren,

California, for example, recently passed a state law (AB 2799 The Decriminalization of Artistic Expression Act, 2022), banning the use by prosecutors in state criminal trials of rap lyrics emanating from artists put on trial for murder, mayhem, or other violent acts. There is also pending federal legislation — The RAP Act (Restoring Artistic Protection Act), aimed at preventing the use of lyrics as the sole or primary basis to criminally prosecute cases. There is already a coterie of House Democratic champions for this effort, but the current Republican majority will have none of it, and it will not pass this legislative session, and quite possibly in no other one.

In other jurisdictions in the country, however, that trial practice is being expanded, not reduced or eliminated. Atlanta, Ga., for example, is now the center of such action, as Young Thug, a well-known Atlantabased rapper, and others associated

with YSL (Young Slime Life) are on trial for murder and violent gang activity, based principally on the lyrics from their recent rap albums.

The leadership at the County leaves me scratching my head. How can someone with such a dismal record in their former elected position get what amounts to

Prosecutors say the album’s rap lyrics provide a roadmap to the violent gang activity that occurred after Young Thug’s record was publicly released. The Georgia state prosecutor (the same one investigating Donald Trump) and state law enforcement see such use as a major Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act (RICO) weapon in ending the increasingly violent and deadly gang activity haunting areas like Metro Atlanta. There may soon be another major migration of Black youth out of the South to California as a safe haven, but hopefully they will not reintro-

a promotion? Oh, that’s right, she is part of this so-called “power grab” by Latinos, Latinx, Hispanics, Mexicans et.al. No, this is not a reference to the scandal-ridden LA City Council, this is the S D County Board of Supervisors, Nora Vargas. They just elected Nora Vargas as chairperson of the Board of Supervisors. Why is this worth review? Because of her inept leadership at Southwestern College Board of Trustees. She was there during years of documented racial discrimination against Blacks.

The 5-year-old study conducted by the USC Race and Equity Center stated “The painful experiences of African American classified employees led us to one reasonable conclusion: There is a palpable climate of anti-Blackness at Southwestern College. It is important to note that anti-Black views are not only held by white people but also by their Latinx co-workers, many participants felt. Many had multiple examples of being passed over for promotions, while less-qualified colleagues from other racial/ethnic groups advanced.” This is being pointed out because in many parts of San Diego public departments, political offices, businesses etc., with Latinos in charge, they most likely will hire other Latinxs, often family members, even if they are underqualified.

A look at Supervisor Vargas shows a total lack of diversity. Disappointing coming from someone who had the responsibility of navigating through a serious racial divide. One who fell on her sword when she is quoted as saying, “We dropped the ball in my opinion,” Vargas said. “At least that’s where I drop the ball as a governing board member. I will take responsibility for that. I can’t take responsibility for my colleagues.” But did you?

We change hearts and minds when we are the example. It is difficult to govern effectively if you don’t have varying points of view. There are Latinx who have stated publicly that, “It’s our turn.” I’m not sure I understand what that means since the huge Latinx numbers are severely underrepresented at the polls. At the end of the day, [solving] the myriad of problems facing the County will require the best minds with a diversity of experiences and ideas. To have access to this necessary diversity means employing qualified individuals who can provide valuable input through a different lens, not just Latinos, Latinx, Hispanics, Mexicans et.al.

In the meantime, we will try to understand what Latinx mean when they say, “It’s Our Turn,” and what it will cost San Diego County.

Mr. Mone

duce the violent gang warfare of the 1970s and 1980s back into the state in their wake.

Interestingly, for all its gnarliness, Rap Music in American society has been relentlessly popular for over four decades. That is a major milestone and it is highly unusual in American culture. Most popular music styles have their brief heyday, then simply die or are pushed out by incoming musical tastes. Such was the fate of disco music, a worldwide style mainly of the 1970s. Rap, rock-rap combos, and power ballads eventually crushed the disco craze. Yet rap music 40 years in is still going strong.

And like many other public tastes that last beyond their expected expiration date, the genre has both reached new heights (a rapper, Kendrick Lamar, won the Pulitzer Prize for poetry in 2018, a previously unthinkable achievement), and been blamed for the rise of a new or modernized malady in the U.S. (widespread gangsterism).

Rap on, brother. Rap on.

Professor David L. Horne is the founder and executive director of PAPPEI, the Pan African Public Policy and Ethical Institute.This article originally appeared in OurWeekly.

Lionel Andre James Keijuan Eugene

ARRANGEMENTS BY ANDERSON-RAGSDALE MORTUARY

Funeral service was held on January 19, 2023, at Memory Chapel of Anderson Ragsdale Mortuary, with a burial following at Miramar National Park. Final arrangements were entrusted to Anderson Ragsdale Mortuary.

Lionel was a kind, caring, and loving man who always gave the best advice. He always had a smile that lit up the room and never had a dull moment.

Lionel was an avid fisherman, billiards player, gardener, car enthusiast, and traveler. He would always help others who needed a shoulder to lean on and keep them on track, whether they liked it or not.

Lionel Andre Thomas, 60, of San Diego, California, passed on December 28, 2022. He was born to Elijah Thomas and Berenice Edgerson Thomas on January 06, 1963. Lionel received his formal education in the St. Tammany Parish School System and graduated from Mandeville High School class of 1981. Lionel was a multi-sport athlete, excelling at football. He attended Southern University and enlisted in the United States Navy in 1983.

Lionel was stationed at the Long Beach Naval Base when he met Tina in 1986. He married Tina Thomas in 1988, and they lived together in San Diego, California. Lionel raised three children: Trevell Fleming (Lacombe, La), Lionel Thomas (Latisha), and Carla Thomas (San Diego, Ca). He had six grandchildren: Trevell Fleming Jr, Katie Ana Fleming, Schori Fleming, Amiah Fleming, Jocelyn Fleming, and Aniyah Scott.

Senior Chief Petty Officer Thomas served his country for 21 years in the United States Navy. He accomplished many medals and awards during his service. He made Chief in 1994 while on the USS Wabash. During his time with the Sea Bees in 1999, Lionel helped build a hospital and essential services for villages in Kenya. He was very proud of his contribution to this humanitarian mission. Lionel Honorably Retired from the Navy in 2004. Lionel later worked at the Department of Veteran Affairs San Diego as the Fleet Manager until he retired in 2022, and was passionate about affecting the most positive change in people.

Lionel leaves to cherish his memories of his wife Tina; son Lionel Jr.; daughter Carla and granddaughter (San Diego); five grandchildren (Lacombe, LA); two brothers Robert (Dorothy) Thomas and Carl (Sandra) Preston; sister Joyce Winston; aunt Gloria Edgerson; mother-in-law Arizona Woods; and a host of cousins, nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents Elijah and Bernice Thomas; four Brothers Ronald, Bruce, Charles and Herbert; son Trevell Fleming; and grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. He will be deeply missed by family and friends, and forever in our hearts.

ARRANGEMENTS BY PREFERRED CREMATION & BURIAL MORTUARY

Arrangements by Preferred Cremation & Burial. Funeral Services were held on January 24, 2023, at Ambassadors For Christ Missionary Baptist Church James Jones, Jr. known as “Lil James” or “King James,” was loved by everyone that he encountered. James had a huge heart and deeply loved his family. James Jones, Jr. was born on June 18, 1947, in Wabbaseka, Arkansas. He was the first-born child to Annie M. Jones and James W. Jones. His father was a pastor, and his mother was a missionary at Helping Hand Church of God in Christ in San Diego, CA.

James, Jr. attended Memorial Grade School and completed his education at Lincoln High School in San Diego in 1966. James loved working as a truck driver at Roadway Trucking Company for thirty years. He also enjoyed blues music, was a Master King playing the racehorses, a trick of trade playing all card games, and Raddle and Roll shooting the dice. James owned his private club for over thirty years in San Diego. He was very generous with his skills. James knew how to make an entrance and he was so funny and brought so much joy and laughter into everyone’s space. It is impossible for a few paragraphs to contain the life and legacy of our beloved James. He was a wonderful sweetheart and supportive husband. From time to time, James would find his way to Ambassadors for Christ Missionary Baptist Church in San Diego.

James passed on January 08, 2023. He was preceded in death by parents, two sisters, and one brother. He leaves to cherish his memories his loving wife Earnestine Jones-Howard; three children, James Jones (wife and son Biscuit), Jerrell Jones (son, DJ, Brandon, and daughter, Alissa Jones) and Janelle JonesPhillip (Larry) all of San Diego from a previous marriage that he loved dearly; daughters, Sylvia Bismissah, Starla Alaman, Sabrina Hughes, and Shatari (husband Wendell, Jr. and children, Lil Wendell, AJ, and KJ Wooley); sons, Shea Wade, Stevie Jones-Howard (wife Tanesha and children Aaliyah, Jabari, Jaheim, Baby James, Dooda and Jon Jon), and Richard Rehim Wade; sisters, Deloris Gibson, Ella A. Jones and Erma Smith; brother John Henry Jones (wife Crystal); a host of grandchildren nieces, nephews, and great-grandkids.

ARRANGEMENTS BY PREFERRED CREMATION & BURIAL MORTUARY

Arrangements by Preferred Cremation & Burial. Funeral Services were held on January 31, 2023, at Greater Life Baptist Church

Keijuan Eugene Franklin was born to Kimberly Hopson and Sammie Franklin, Jr. on Tuesday, October 1, 2002, in San Diego, California.

Keijuan was affectionately called “Pooh Face “or “Butts”, by family members, and close friends. He received his formal education from the San Diego Unified School District. He attended both Elizabeth Freese and Robert J. Fulton Elementary Schools. Keijuan was also a student at Samuel F.B. Morse High School, and he received his GED from Worthington Charter School in 2018. As a child, Keijuan was very active in sports. He played football for Skyline Pop Warner, and baseball with the Lemon Grove Little League. He was a phenomenal baseball player. Keijuan had a willingness and the attitude that HE could play each and every position on that field.

Keijuan enjoyed playing video games, watching his favorite sports teams, listening to music, going to the mall, hanging out with family and friends, and going on lunch dates with his mom.

In 2018 Keijuan met Jasmine, his high school sweetheart. From this courtship, they would later welcome and become proud parents to a beautiful baby girl. Journey Leiann Franklin was born February 16, 2020, and instantly became the love and greatest blessing of his life.

Keijuan worked various jobs, including Manna BBQ, Jack in the Box, and Job Corps. His most recent employment was with UPS. His infectious laugh, funny sense of humor, charming personality, light-hearted spirit, and that big beautiful smile is going to be deeply missed.

Before sunrise on Tuesday, January 10, 2023, Keijuan received his wings and was called home to be in the presence of the Lord. Keijuan was preceded in death by his grandfathers, Albert Hopson, Jr. and Sammie Franklin, Sr.; grandmother, Genethea Hare; and uncles, Jason Riley, Sr., and Albert Lorenzo Hopson.

Keijuan leaves to cherish his memory: mother Kimberly Hopson, father Sammie Franklin, Jr.; daughter Journey Franklin; sisters Shaniqua Jenkins, Kiana Moore, Alexis Franklin, Jaden Franklin, Jada Franklin, Jaidyn Franklin, Ayanna Franklin, Analys Franklin, and Ariani Franklin; brothers Michael Franklin, Mycah Franklin, and Mykel Franklin; stepsisters: La ‘Ren Daniels, Trineesha Turner, TaShawn Holiday, and Jackee’ Jones; stepbrothers: Larren Daniels, Le’Onte Leflflore, Vasante Young; grandmother, Faye McCastle; four nieces; one nephew; best friend and soulmate, Jasmine Timmons; as well as a host of aunts, uncles, many cousins, and friends who will miss him dearly.

Najee H. Woods

ARRANGEMENTS BY PREFERRED CREMATION & BURIAL MORTUARY

Najee Hakeem Woods was born on June 10, 1999, to his loving mother Kimberly Ford. Kimberly later married Charles Bircher, who took Najee in as his own as his tenth child. Najee went to Bostonia Elementary, Community Day Middle School, and Reach Academy High School. Najee excelled in school and was loved by his classmates, teachers, and counselors. Najee was a beloved member of the City of Praise Church; he was a part of the music ministry as a drummer and bassist. Najee desired to become a music producer after graduating high school.

Najee was baptized in Jesus’ name in 2015 and then began to exercise his spiritual gifting in music. Najee loved playing music in the house of God. He never had any formal training on any of the instruments he picked up, he played by ear and was self-taught. Najee practiced at home day and night and his family will always remember the tunes and beats he created.

Najee was a carefree and happy child. He loved playing outside with his siblings and friends, he had a natural sense of competition and his laugh was contagious. He loved swimming at the community pool in the summertime, he loved skateboarding at the Youth Venture in El Cajon, he also loved going laser tagging and to the movies with the youth group at The City of Praise Church. Najee loved his siblings and friends whom he lovingly called his brothers. Najee passed on January 10, 2023. His tragic and untimely death leaves an enormous void with his family and friends but God knew when He would call Najee home. Najee is preceded in death by his late paternal grandmother Doris Hollins, his dad Elder Charles Bircher and his mother Kimberly Ford-Bircher. Najee is survived by his father Waymon Keith Woods; his loving siblings, Cora Mayes (Richard), Michael Bircher (Donella), Nora Bircher, Robin Bircher, Johnathan Bircher (Melissa), Jaleel Ross, Jeanita Bircher, Shardey Sillemon, Kenitria Bircher (Percy), Vonittta Woods, Keith Anthony, Josiah and Wayman Keith Woods Jr; his aunts Denisha (Neece) Hollins, Vernon (Pooh) Hollins, Jacqueline Tidwell, Gwendolyn Woods; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, friends, and associates. He was loved by all who came in contact with him.

“

Memory is a way of holding on to the things you love, the things you are, the things you never want to lose. ” †¢

ARTICLE CONTINUATION

Tyre nichols:

Continued from cover

o cials at the nonpro t e Black Girl’s Guide To Healing Emotional Wounds wrote in a statement.

ey pleaded, “please, my friends, don’t share it or watch it. Let’s keep the family in our prayers and work to identify solutions to this nonsense.”

On Friday, January 27, over an hour of footage was extracted from the o cers’ body cameras and an overhead surveillance video that the men in blue were apparently unaware existed.

Each o cer was arrested and terminated. ey have been charged with second-degree murder, kidnapping, and other crimes in connection with Nichols’ death.

Sheriff Floyd Bonner Jr. said in a statement that two additional Shelby County sheri ’s deputies were placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation.

A body camera worn by an ocer revealed that Tyre was initially confronted on January 7 at 8:24 p.m. During what appeared to be a standard tra c stop, several ocers approached with their weapons drawn.

Immediate hostility ensued, with one o cer threatening Tyre, “You’re going to get your [expletive] blown o .”

Nichols is heard saying, “I’m just trying to go home. I’m not doing anything.”

He is then sprayed with pepper spray and repeatedly attacked. One of the o cers can be heard struggling to catch his breath while cursing Nichols due to the severity of the beating.

Nichols begins yelling for his

Student funding:

Continued from cover in the Assembly and the Senate, led by the great work that former Assemblymember Weber and now current member Weber is doing in terms of equity,”

“We’re committing an additional $300 million in this year’s budget,” Newsom described the program. Newsom was referring to the efforts Secretary of State Dr. Shirley Weber made with Assembly Bill (AB) 2635 and her daughter, Assemblymember Dr. Akilah Weber (D-San Diego), with AB 2774. The bills were written to fix the LCFF by creating a supplemental grant for California’s lowest-performing subgroup of students not currently receiving funding, which are African American students.

Black students have consistently been the lowest performing students in the state. Currently, 70% are not meeting the English Language Arts standards and 84% are not meeting math standards.

About 80,000 African American students -- or just over 25% -- are not receiving additional supple -

COVID-19:

Continued from cover

bring the emergency to an immediate end. House Republicans are also gearing up to launch investigations on the federal government’s response to COVID-19.

Then-President Donald Trump’s Health and Human Services

Secretary Alex Azar first declared a public health emergency on Jan. 31, 2020, and Trump later declared the COVID-19 pandemic a national emergency that March.

mother in a manner eerily similar to that of George Floyd, a Black man killed by police in 2020 in Minneapolis.

One of the o cers, displaying no compassion, pulls out a baton and yells, “I’m going to baton the [bleep] out of you!”

As the young man struggles to regain his balance, the officer strikes Nichols multiple times with the baton, while other o cers can be seen punching him in the face and head.

O cers eventually drag Nichols and toss him against a patrol car. More than 21 minutes pass before emergency medical personnel arrive, during which time the o cers celebrate their victory by st-bumping and laughing about their crime.

e release of the video sparked protests across the country, including in the District of Columbia, New York, Los Angeles, and Memphis, where the crime took place.

In addition to civil rights organizations, federal lawmakers ooded journalists’ email inboxes with

mental funding or accountability through the LCFF.

It’s only by targeting additional funds to the lowest performing subgroup that most school districts will be willing to adopt specific and concrete solutions to bridge the achievement gap for Black students.

Although Shirley Weber had shelved the bill in 2018, Gov. Jerry Brown agreed to fund AB 2635 with $300 million in one-time money. The funding went to “low performing students” not the “lowest-performing student subgroup”.

It is estimated that Black students received about 8% of that amount.

Last year, AB 2774 passed through the Senate and Assembly without opposition, but Akilah Weber opted to pull the bill before it was sent to Newsom due to potential constitutional issues and lack of an appropriation to fund it. However, she secured Newsom’s commitment to include it in the 2023 budget – targeted funding that would address the needs of Black students.

However, the LCFF Equity

The emergencies have been repeatedly extended by Biden since he took office in January 2021, and are set to expire in the coming months. The White House said Biden plans to extend them both briefly to end on May 11.

“An abrupt end to the emergency declarations would create wide-ranging chaos and uncertainty throughout the health care system — for states, for hospitals and doctors’ offices, and, most importantly, for tens of millions of Americans,” the Office of Management and Budget wrote

statements condemning the o cers. As is their custom, lawmakers promised legislation to reform American policing. Similar promises were made a er the murders of Floyd in Minneapolis, Breonna Taylor in Kentucky, Tamir Rice in Ohio, and Eric Garner in New York, among numerous others.

Multiplier Program Newsom is proposing falls short of the expectations of the educators and education advocates that supported AB 2774. They formed the Black in School Coalition and they are asking Newsom to develop a program more like AB 2774.

Coalition member Debra Watkins, Founder and Executive Director of the California Alliance of African American Educators, told California Black Media (CBM) the program was, “Almost the opposite of what we were asking for… it’s misguided.”

Dr. Margaret Fortune, the president and CEO of Fortune School of Education, a charter school network based in Sacramento told CBM, “You have a proposal that is put out there as the solution for Black kids, but the funding is not going to get to the Black kids.”

The Equity Multiplier Program is a $300 million ongoing add-on to the LCFF to accelerate gains in closing opportunity and outcome gaps.

The funds will be allocated to LEAs (Local Educational Agency) which are a school district, county office of education, or charter school with schools serving high concentrations of students eligible for free

in a Statement of Administration Policy.

More than 1.1 million people in the U.S. have died from COVID19 since 2020, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including about 3,700 last week.

Congress has already blunted the reach of the public health emergency that had the most direct impact on Americans, as political calls to end the declaration intensified. Lawmakers have refused for months to fulfill the Biden administration’s request for billions more

“ is does not represent policing or the men and women who wear a badge and dutifully protect their communities. I hesitate to even call these men police o cers, because what I saw on that video is not policing. ey deserve the strongest punishment allowed by Tennessee law.”

Boatwright added that in his state, “we have had historic police reform in our state over the last 5 years to ensure these types of actions don’t occur in Maryland. We will continue to be a partner with our communities as we work to protect those we serve.”

Patrick Gaspard, the president and CEO of the Center for American Progress, called driving while Black “one of the most dangerous acts in America.”

“As we all just witnessed in the searing video of the brutal slaughter of Tyre Nichols at the hands of police who are paid by us to protect all of us. e evidence here is startling and indisputable. ese o cers need to be tried, convicted, and imprisoned to satisfy justice and to send a message to police in all of our cities that this culture of violence in their ranks will no longer be sanctioned,” Gaspard stated.

President Joe Biden said he spoke with Nichols’ family and expressed his outrage.

“Like so many, I was outraged and deeply pained to see the horri c video of the beating that resulted in Tyre Nichols’ death,” the president stated.

In contrast, the Memphis officers were immediately red and arrested, and the police unions did not o er them any support.

“What I witnessed in that video was horri c. It was a barbaric assault on another human being and is sickening,” Maryland State Fraternal Order of Police President Clyde Boatwright said.

meals (90% or more free meal eligibility for elementary and middle schools and 85% or more free meal eligibility for high schools).

Brooks Allen, Education Policy Advisor to the Governor and Executive Director of the California State Board of Education, revealed to CBM that budget trailer bill language is being written to strengthen the ties between the three elements of California’s accountability system: the LCAP, the California School Dashboard, and the Statewide System of Support.

According to Allen, the trailer bill will require LEAs, where student group performance is low on a Dashboard indicator at the school level, to include specific goals, actions, and funding to address these demonstrated student group and school-level needs in the LCAP and LEA budget.

Assemblymember Weber told CBM, “I am a huge supporter of this proposal in its entirety…. It’s about making sure that the money that we’re getting is being used properly. That it’s going to the students that are supposed to be getting it and making sure that whatever indicators that we have found to indicate poor academic performance are being improved.”

dollars to extend free COVID vaccines and testing. And the $1.7 trillion spending package passed last year and signed into law by Biden put an end to a rule that barred states from kicking people off Medicaid, a move that is expected to see millions of people lose their coverage after April 1. Some things will change for Americans once the emergency expires. e costs of COVID-19 vaccines are expected to skyrocket. People with private insurance could have some out-of-pocket costs for vaccines. Free at-home COVID

“It is yet another painful reminder of the profound fear and trauma, the pain, and the exhaustion that Black and Brown Americans experience every single day.”

Editors Note: At press time, the Memphis Police Department suspended a sixth officer, Preston Hemphill, on Monday, January 30th, 2023, according to Reuters

Watkins is not convinced. “LCFF is almost 10 years old, and accountability was baked into it. That accountability legislated through LCFF has failed Black children. The money that was supposed to be directed to Black children, hasn’t gone to them.”

The Governor’s program is trying to address the needs of Black students given constitutional constraints. But his office has not let the press know what the constraints are.

The advocates for improving Black student performance are urging Newsom not to shy away from the possibility of being sued.

The discussions about the LCFF Equity Multiplier have been conducted without the benefit of the budget trailer bill language. Details are expected to be available in early February.

Negotiations on how best to fund Black students are expected to be ongoing with the Governor’s office, the Black in School Coalition and the Legislature until May 15 when Newsom releases his May budget revision. And further negotiations will likely continue until the June 15 deadline for the Legislature to pass the budget bill.

tests will also come to an end. Legislators did extend for another two years telehealth flexibilities that were introduced as COVID19 hit, leading health care systems around the country to regularly deliver care by smartphone or computer.

Officials said the administration would use the next three months to transition the response to conventional methods, warning that an immediate end to the emergency authorities “would sow confusion and chaos into this critical winddown.”

New York demonstrators gather during a protest in Times Square on Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023. PHOTO: Yuki Iwamura/AP

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump speaks at a Memphis, Tenn. news conference with the family of Tyre Nichols, with RowVaughn Wells, mother of Tyre, right, and Tyre’s stepfather Rodney Wells, along with attorney Tony Romanucci, left, on Monday, Jan. 23, 2023.

PHOTO: Gerald Herbert/AP

Cecil H. Steppe, former Director of the San Diego County Department of Social Services, has accomplished great things, so much so that a street on the 900-1000 block of 47th Street has been named in his honor.

Mr. Steppe turned 90 years old on Tuesday, January 31, 2023. To honor him on his birthday, family, friends, colleagues, and community members gathered in celebration at Gompers Preparatory Academy, where he has served as the Chairman of the Board of Directors for the last 18 years.

In addition to the birthday celebration, a portion of 47th Street, from Hilltop Dr. to C Street, was honorarily named Cecil H. Steppe Street.

Mr. Steppe raised five children, all while working three jobs, attending San Diego City College before transferring to California Western College where he earned his B.S. degree in Sociology. He started as a Probation Intern in 1964, eventually achieving notable milestones on his way up the

His accomplishments are many: twelve years, beginning in 1980, as San Diego County’s Chief Probation Officer; seven years as Director of the County of San Diego’s Social Services department (1992 - 1999); five years as President/CEO of the San Diego Urban League (2001 - 2007); San Diego Rotary “Man of the Year” (2004); Board Chairperson for Gompers Preparatory Academy (GPA) Charter School (2005), and time devoted to the Board of Directors for both Sharp Health Care’s and Goodwill of San Diego’s.

Mr. Steppe’s service to the larger San Diego community is not over. As aforementioned, he currently serves on the board at Gompers Preparatory. He also currently serves as the Chairman of the Board of Directors at Mental Health of America San Diego, and as the Chairman of the Board of Directors at Vista Hill Foundation.

Now, there is a sacred space on 47th Street specially dedicated to one of Southeast’s own.

THE NOTEBOOKS OF LEONARDO DA VINCI: FASCINATING

By Barbara Smith

For most, the name Leonardo da Vinci conjures visions of the master artist’s two most famous paintings, the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper. Now, the Old Globe’s production of The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci will open your eyes, and in fact, all your senses, to an elevated appreciation of the genius of this complex Renaissance man. Written and directed by Mary Zimmerman, The Notebooks premiered in 1993 at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, turning traditional theatre on its head.

“Zimmerman somehow recreates the dizzying sensation of seeing Leonardo’s drawings paired with his words, enchanting the eye with a choreographic suite of movements that connect word and image in one complete synthesis,” wrote dramaturg Drew Lichtenberg at its premiere.

Now in its 2023 iteration, prepare to be unprepared for a unique theatrical experience, a kind of art in the multiverse. Each of the eight characters in this enormously talented and culturally

diverse ensemble plays the role of Leonardo, and every spoken word, with the exception of one brief vignette, was written by Leonardo himself. Most of what we know about da Vinci is known because of his notebooks. Da Vinci called the nearly 5000 pages that comprise these tomes, which reveal his countless passions from human anatomy to the possibilities of human flight, “a collection without order.” Writer/director Zimmerman has masterfully culled his musings, philosophical assertions, and thoughtful meanderings into a captivating montage of brilliantly choreographed scenes. Zimmerman’s take is a fluid combination of spoken word, music, color, and movement. Each of the actors

- Adeoye, Christopher Donahue, Kasey Foster, John Gregorio, Anthony Irons, Louise Lamson, Andrea San Miguel, and Wai Yim - brings polish, virtuosic physicality, and panache to the role.

The play’s scenes are a visual spectacle, another splash of paint on the canvas. Dreams and characters come to life in pictorial splendor. In one standout display, Adeoye, statuesque in musculature and grace, and Andrea San Miguel, a core of beauty and strength, entangle and disentangle in an impossibly fluid wash of movement.

Wit and humor abound in “Vitruvius Man,” based on da Vinci’s pen-and-ink drawing of a male figure, which illuminates the artist/scientist’s fascination with human form and proportion. Measuring sticks, quizzical looks, and expressions of glee make for an engaging tableau. Another scene that pops incorporates ele -

ments of step dancing in a nod to the African American dance form. In a percussive mixture of footsteps, spoken word, and hand claps the scene soulfully unfolds.

The set, perhaps mirroring the complexity of da Vinci’s mind, features stage-high filing cabinets that the actors climb and sometimes reach inside a collection of intricately intersecting ropes; bars from which the actors hang and swing; and a changing colorful backdrop. It is dizzying and endlessly fascinating.

Whether you are already familiar with the genius of da Vinci or you arrive with a clean slate, this 90-minute flight of fancy provides an exhilarating ride. The mind-bending show is fittingly showcased at Balboa Park’s Old Globe Theatre, a venue surrounded by myriad museums exploring art, science, engineering, astronomy, and more. You’ll be challenged, entranced, and likely inspired to further explore Leonardo’s world after viewing the production. The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci runs through February 26. For ticket information, visit www.theoldglobe.org.

Photos: Mike Norris

(from left) Wai Yim, Adeoye, Andrea San Miguel, and Louise Lamson

Photos: Jim Cox

cast of The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci.

Mr. Cecil H. Steppe, center.

Skyline Community MLK Parade

By Voice & Viewpoint Staff

California Reparations Task Force Meets in San Diego

ARTICLE CONTINUATION FROM COVER

By Voice & Viewpoint Newswire

The hot topic with the proposal of African American reparations is a potential financial payout. Although that part of the discussion has generally been promoted in the media, the proposal drafted by The Task Force has several components that speak towards key difficulties and hurdles black people experience here in

America. The proposals represent more than monetary demand.

A detailed 485-page interim report was issued in June of 2022 that listed five categories of harm Black residents in California have suffered and that should be fixed. They are: housing discrimination, mass incar-

ceration, unjust property seizures, the devaluation of Black businesses, and health care.

Another of the proposed line items in the task force’s initial report is an acknowledgment of participation and an apology by the California State Government for its role in the slave trade.

The Skyline Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Recreations Center hosted the 13th Annual MLK Parade on Saturday, January 21, 2023. With over 100 people in attendance, it was a great day of celebration and honor for Dr. King.

PHOTOS: Rochelle Porter

PHOTOS: Rochelle Porter

A final report will be issued before July 1, 2023.

Secretary of State Weber said Friday, according to Market Watch, that the task force was addressing “some of the most important issues in the state.” She also mentioned the significant role she thinks California plays in the reparations movement, Market Watch reported.

As reported in Market Watch, Weber “introduced the bill in the California legislature in 2020 because ’the bill in D.C. once again had failed,’ Weber said. ‘We never seem to get across the line and make progress.’ So, she said,

‘California could do that. California is always the one that does innovative things.’”

“Other local governments around the nation are considering or exploring their own reparations programs,” the Market Watch report said. Federal legislation on reparations has been introduced several times since 1989 but has never gotten anywhere.

Secretary Weber stressed that the 9-member Task Force needs to create a “game changer”. She even addressed the members, saying, “You have to make sure your recommendations are going to have a lasting impact.” She

further stated, “We have the brainpower and capacity to make this happen.”

Although both days were long, the public showed up and were patient and attentive throughout the discussion.

The community was even given time to address the Task Force both in person and via telephone call-in.

Many San Diego residents, a majority of them African Americans of all ages,

approached the Task Force and expressed themselves.

Chad Brown, a spokesperson for the National Assembly of American Slavery descendants said this: “We are asking for the Task Force to take up,

across these harm areas that they have identified, bold measures such as free education, tax abatements, land allotment/land grants, running the entire gambet of what has been done to our community over several centuries”

Although the task force is confident that the July 1st deadline will be met, they are also in agreement that more time is needed for the life of the Task Force to ensure the follow-up and implementation of the actual rollout goes smoothly. Voice & Viewpoint Contributing Writer Dawud Hasan contributed to this article.

Library High School Celebrates Class of 2023

Mo re than two dozen San Diegans donned their caps and gowns Saturday to accept their high school diplomas. They recently completed the Library High School program and earned their degree entirely online.

Migell Acosta, Director of the San Diego County Library, shared, on the day of the ceremonies, “We have adults 18 and older in the San Diego region, who for whatever reason weren’t able to get a high school diploma, this program became available to libraries nationwide so we adopted it.”

Started in 2016, the Library High School program has graduated 131 San Diegans. The program is free and open to San Diego County residents who are at least 19 years old.

Library High School is nationally recognized and courses can be completed at the student’s own pace in as little as five months or up to 18 months.

“Once you’re a dad or a parent and you have kids, you just have to work, and work and school is not something you think of,” said Library High School Graduate, Jose Yescas during the graduation ceremony.

Holds 2023 Inaugural Summit

By Staff Writer

“There are reasons why we did not finish high school, things we couldn’t control. We finally controlled it, and we finally conquered it, and got it, and got it done,” fellow graduate Carolina Garibay said.

For more information, visit libraryhighschool.org.

SOURCE: County of San Diego Communications Office

On January 28th, 2023, The San Diego Chapter of the Black American Political Association of California held its Inaugural Summit at the Education Cultural Complex, with the theme “We Are the Margin of Victory.” In attendance at this year’s summit included former assembly member Lorena Gonzalez, National City Councilmember Marcus Bush and other elected officials, among many others.

The summit began with a memorial ceremony, honoring the life of the late Dr. Willie P. Blair, President of BAPAC SD, and had a centered focus on his life and contributions. Workshops were held throughout the summit, which included pre -

sentations on collaboration and partnership, the importance of data and research, and voter outreach.

There was also an extensive discussion on developing a strategy to strengthen Black and Latino communities in 2023 and in years to come.

The summit closed with BAPAC San Diego Chair, Ellen Nash, announcing the launch of the BAPAC San Diego Virtual Quality of Life Resource Center.

Biden-Harris Move to Protect Renters and Promote Affordability

By Stacy M. Brown

The pressure on the government to do something about rising housing costs has resulted in the Biden administration announcing major new initiatives to safeguard tenants and make renting more affordable. Now, several federal agencies announced they would collaborate to

compile data on discriminatory housing practices.

A non-binding “Blueprint for a Renter’s Bill of Rights” is also included to provide clear instructions for tenants to continue living in moderately priced rentals.

In addition, the White House is issuing a rallying cry called the “Resident-Centered Housing Challenge,” with the goal

of encouraging housing providers and state and local governments to bolster policy in their respective markets.

“Since taking office, the president has taken substantial steps to promote fairness in the rental market and ease the burden of rental costs for millions of American renters,” administration officials wrote in a Fact Sheet.

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Officials said the administration kept the national eviction moratorium in place until August 2021, which helped to prevent over 1.5 million eviction filings nationwide.Further, the administration has delivered over 8 million rental or utility assistance payments to reduce renters’ risk of eviction or housing instability.

The White House said more than $769 million has been provided for housing stability services by the Administration.

In 2022, the administration released a Housing Supply Action Plan, which set the goal of closing America’s housing supply shortfall in five years.

The administration has been making progress advancing a long-term goal of providing housing vouchers to all

eligible households: through the 2022 and 2023 president’s Budgets, the administration has secured rental assistance to more than 100,000 households through the 2022 and 2033 appropriations bills, and the American Rescue Plan.

And, recently, HUD published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on its efforts to Affirmatively Further Fair Housing.

As the housing market remains a major issue for renters, administration officials pointed out that inflation has reduced, but rental prices have continued to rise. The actions are the latest by the Biden administration to curtail evictions and to help make housing more affordable.

Reportedly, tenant unions, community organizations, and legal advocacy groups have called for an allout strategy, preparing an executive order for the Biden administration, advocating for a housing emergency declaration, and investigating rent control options.

Those plans, which involved several departments, were made to encourage federal authorities to look into alternative methods of lowering rental prices, the Washington Post reported. Many ideas were dismissed as unrealistic by White House advisors and administration officials, and some questioned the legitimacy of such drastic measures, the newspaper stated. The “Blueprint for a Renter’s Bill of Rights” emphasizes the importance of eviction prevention and diversion, the right to organize, and clear and fair contracts.

Over a third of the American population – 44 million households – rent their homes.

Before the pandemic, well over 2 million eviction filings and roughly 900,000 evictions occurred annually – disproportionately affecting Black women and their children, administration officials stated. Since then, rental housing has become less affordable with some landlords taking advantage of market conditions to pursue egregious rent increases.

1935

RAVEN WILKINSON IS BORN

Anne Raven Wilkinson was born in New York City on February 2, 1935, to Anne James Wilkinson and Dr. Frost Bernie Wilkinson, a dentist. Her family, which also included younger brother Frost Bernie Wilkinson, Jr., lived in a middle-class neighborhood in Harlem.

In August 1955 at the age of 20, Raven Wilkinson became the first African American woman to receive a contract to dance full-time with a major ballet company, the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo of New York City. She was promoted to soloist during her second season with the troupe and remained with the company for six years.

1897

BLACK INVENTOR ALFRED L. CRALLE PATENTS ICE CREAM SCOOP

Alfred L. Cralle, born on September 4, 1866, in Kenbridge, Lunenburg County, Virginia, was an African American businessman and inventor best known for inventing the ice cream scoop in 1897.

While working at a hotel in Pittsburgh, he developed the idea of the ice cream scoop when he noticed servers having difficulty getting ice cream into their cones due to the ice cream sticking to spoons and ladles.

Cralle responded to that problem by creating the mechanical device, initially called an Ice Cream Mold and Disher and now known as the ice cream scoop, designed to keep ice cream and other

PHOTO: Rochelle Porter

PHOTO: NNPA

NNPA Newswire

Kenyan Lawmakers Move to Let Workers ‘Disconnect’ from Employers

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA NEWSWIRE SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT

Kenya’s senate is considering a new bill that would make it illegal for employers to call, text, email, or give assignments to their workers outside of work hours, on weekends, or on public holidays.

The Employment (Amendment) Bill, sponsored by Nandi senator Samson Cherarkey, wants to give Kenyan workers “the right to disconnect in the digital age” and protect them from employers who make them do extra work without paying them.

The bill asserts that employees’ constant digital connectivity is cutting into their free time, which affects their work-life balance.

When making their out-of-work policies, firms with more than ten workers will have to talk to their workers or trade unions. Employers who don’t follow the law will have to pay a $4,000 fine.

Quartz Africa Weekly says the bill can’t be sent to the senate until Feb. 13, when lawmakers get back to work after a break. Kenya’s law-making process says it will take 90 days for the senate to read and vote on it. If the bill passes, it will be sent to the national assembly for another 90 days before the president signs it.

Nigeria Bets on Chinese-Funded Port to Drive Economic Growth

By Chinedu Asadu ASSOCIATED PRESS

If the bill becomes law, Kenya would be the first country in Africa to protect workers from burnout, fatigue, and long hours of unpaid work. This would give workers more time with their families.

Meanwhile, the executive director of the Federation of Kenyan Employers, Jacqueline Mugo, disagreed with the tenets of the right to switch-off from work.

Mugo said the bill would create indiscipline among employees, hurt the country’s micro-economy, and prevent the creation of new job opportunities in the public and private sectors.

US Urges Donors to Give Far More as Somalia Faces Famine

By Cara Anna ASSOCIATED

The first U.S. Cabinet member to visit Somalia since 2015 urged the world’s distracted donors Sunday to give immediate help to a country facing deadly famine, which she calls “the ultimate failure of the international community.”

The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield, heard perhaps the starkest warning yet about the crisis: Excess deaths during what is now Somalia’s longest drought on record will “almost certainly” surpass those of the famine formally declared in the country in 2011, when more than a quarter-million people died. This time, the world is looking elsewhere, many humanitarian officials say.

“Many of the traditional donors have washed their hands and focused on Ukraine,” the U.N. resident coordinator in Somalia, Adam Abdelmoula, told ThomasGreenfield during a briefing in Mogadishu.

While the U.S. ambassador declined to openly “name and shame” in her speech calling on donors for more help, saying “The countries know who we’re talking about,” the U.N. resident coordinator didn’t hesitate.

The European Union, for example, funded just 10% of the humanitarian response plan for Somalia last year, Abdelmoula told The Associated Press. The EU gave $74 million and the U.K. $78 million, according to U.N. data. Japan gave $27 million and Saudi Arabia $22 million.

The United States, meanwhile, funded roughly 80%, giving $1.3 billion to Somalia since the start of the 2022 fiscal year. The ambassador announced another $40 million on Sunday.

But the U.S. “can’t continue to pay at that level, even if there were no Ukraine,” Thomas-Greenfield told the AP in an interview, adding that Washington would like to see countries in the nearby Gulf region, for example, donate more.

She spelled out the fatal risks in the weeks ahead if other nations don’t step up. “According to the U.N., without contributions from other donors, critical food and nutrition assistance supporting 4.6 million people in Somalia will end” by April, Thomas-Greenfield said.

That will be just as a sixth consecutive rainy season in the parched country is expected to fail. The U.S. is “deeply alarmed” by the dire situation, she told humanitarian officials.

The ambassador delivered her speech in the seaside diplomatic compound at Mogadishu’s international airport, where bunker-bound officials try to respond to the growing crisis compounded by the security threat posed to large parts of Somalia from al-Qaida’s East Africa affiliate, al-Shabab.

Tens of thousands of people are thought to have died in the drought

that also affects parts of neighboring Ethiopia and Kenya. More than a half-million children under the age of 5 in Somalia alone have severe acute malnutrition, according to the U.N. children’s agency. Millions of livestock essential to families’ health and wealth have died.

While the latest data assessment released last year found that Somalia had not met the benchmarks for a formal famine declaration, the U.N. and U.S. have made clear that the limited humanitarian aid has only delayed the worst.

Almost 2 million hungry people in Somalia are at the crisis point where “bodies start to consume themselves,” a Western humanitarian official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

There are now 2.7 million more people in need than during Somalia’s last famine in 2011, the official added.

About 900,000 of them have been living in areas under control of the al-Shabab extremists, complicating efforts both to understand the drought’s toll and to reach people with help.

But the death toll from the drought remains unclear even as fears grow. “I don’t think any of us know the number,” Thomas-Greenfield said.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has marked the opening of a $1.5 billion, Chinese-funded deep seaport in the commercial hub of Lagos that authorities hope will help grow the West African nation’s ailing economy.

The Lekki Deep Sea Port is one of the biggest in West Africa and will create hundreds of thousands of jobs in addition to easing cargo congestion that costs billions of dollars in annual revenue, Lagos Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu said Monday.

The port — whose container terminal is able to handle at least 2.5 million 20-foot standard containers per year — will be operated as a joint venture between the Nigerian government, Lagos state, Singapore-based Tolaram Group and state-owned China Harbor Engineering Company. Both foreign companies own a majority stake of 75% in the project.

Nigeria is Africa’s largest economy but growth has been stalled for many years because of poor infrastructure and mismanagement. Although it has six major seaports, more than 80% of the country’s imports are handled by just two of the ports in Lagos, where congestion has led to a massive loss in revenue as cargoes are often diverted to other West African nations.

Authorities say the new deep seaport on the eastern edge of Lagos would divert traffic from congested ports and shore up earnings, with expected economic benefits of more than $360 billion.

Experts, however, argue it would make a “minimal difference” if ex-

isting pitfalls are not removed, including ensuring connections between ports and inland areas.

“There is poor and underinvested rail network connectivity, and the roads are not in top-notch condition,” said Ayotunde Abiodun, an economic analyst with the Lagosbased SBM Intelligence firm. “Also, the automation of processes at the port must be prioritized.”

As the port begins to operate with the first commercial vessel arriving Sunday, the Lagos governor said ships docking at the port “could be up to four times the size of vessels that currently berth at both Tin Can and Apapa ports,” the other two ports in Lagos.

The project would drive economic development not just for Lagos but for the entire country, according to Cui Jianchun, Chinese ambassador to Nigeria.

“This is (the) engine of the economy not only for (the) governor of Lagos but also for the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” Jianchun said. “This is equity of investment. This is not a loan, this is not borrowing — this is investment.”

The port has “immense potential” for the economy of Nigeria, which is battling a 33% unemployment rate and an ailing economy, said Abiodun, the analyst who added that industry players must work together for this to happen.

In the maritime sector, “there needs to be interagency engagement on important issues affecting industry operators,” Abiodun said. “A more troubling challenge has been the focus of these agencies on revenue generation rather than on value service delivery. This needs to change.”

Witnesses Say Latest Ethnic Clashes in Ethiopia Kill Dozens

By Cara Anna ASSOCIATED PRESS

Witnesses allege that several dozen civilians and fighters have been killed in the latest clashes between Oromo and Amhara ethnic groups in central Ethiopia.

The fighting erupted Saturday in Jewuha town in the Amhara region. One witness, like others speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation, told The Associated Press that fighters thought to be with the rebel Oromo Liberation Army attacked a camp used by Amhara special forces and killed more than 20 of them. The witness said they helped to bury three civilians as well.

Fighting has spread to other towns, the witness said. Another witness in Jewuha involved in burials said “several dozen” bodies had been collected.

A witness in Ataye town in the Amhara region alleged that clashes between OLA and Amhara special forces were ongoing and thousands of civilians were fleeing. A doctor at

Shewa Robit hospital told the AP it had received the bodies of “several people” since Monday as well as some victims with serious injuries.

The Amhara regional government on Wednesday confirmed the clashes and said members of the federal army, federal police and Amhara regional forces were working to bring the situation under control.

A federal police spokesman didn’t respond to calls. An Ethiopian government spokesman, Legesse Tulu, hung up.

Some Amharas and Oromos, two of Ethiopia’s largest ethnic groups, are in a bitter rivalry over new and old grievances. Amharas have been targeted in several locations across the neighboring Oromia region, prompting Amhara militias to deploy. Oromos also have alleged being targeted in deadly attacks by Amharas.

The Oromo Legacy Leadership and Advocacy Association in a statement this week said that “under international law, the Ethiopian federal government has a duty to protect its citizens.”

PHOTO: NNPA

PRESS

The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, second right, meets with humanitarian officials in Mogadishu, Somalia Sunday, Jan. 29, 2023. PHOTO: Cara Anna/AP

A Naval officer stands guard as a shipping container is seen at the Lekki deep seaport prior to its commission by Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari in Lagos, Nigeria, Monday, Jan. 23, 2023. PHOTO: Sunday Alamba/AP

Here’s Why Depression in Black Women Might Be Overlooked

A new study finds that depressive symptoms in Black women don’t always look the same as other groups

By Alexa Spencer Word In Black

Exposure to racism and other stressors increases the risk for depression in Black folks and other people of color. But for Black women — who are impacted by racism, sexism, and other forms of oppression — their depressive symptoms appear differently than other groups and may go overlooked by doctors.

A Dec. 2022 paper published in Nursing Research revealed that Black women are less likely to report stereotypical symptoms of depression such as sadness or hopelessness. Instead, they’re noting trouble sleeping, self-criticism, irritability, and an inability to experience pleasure.

This discovery — made by researchers at NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing and Columbia University School of Nursing — could mean Black women aren’t getting the mental health care they need.

“Based on our findings, it’s possible that health care providers may miss depression symptoms in Black women, resulting in underdiagnosis and undertreatment,” Nicole Perez, Ph.D., RN, a psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner and postdoctoral associate at NYU Rory

Meyers College of Nursing and the lead author of the study, said in a statement.

Black women are particularly at risk for major depressive disorder — or clinical depression — due to them bearing societal burdens of poverty, single parenthood, and racial and gender discrimination.

Depression is a serious mental illness that can impact how a person feels, thinks, or acts. It can also lead to emotional and physical problems that make it difficult to function at work or at home.

The illness is diagnosed by providers based on symptoms reported by patients during an evaluation. Some other symptoms that are considered common include low mood, loss of interest in activities, and changes in appetite or sleep.

While there are “common” symptoms, the reality is that depression appears uniquely for everyone. With over 1,500 possible combinations of symptoms that meet the criteria for a depressive disorder, it’s not

COVID-19 UPDATES

unusual for it to be undertreated. But with most research on symptom variation having been conducted on white people, it makes it even more likely that depression will be missed among Black women and other people of color.

Black women are particularly at risk for major depressive disorder — or clinical depression — due to them bearing societal burdens of poverty, single parenthood, and racial and gender discrimination.

The researchers examined data from 227 Black women who were screened for depression as part of the Intergenerational Impact of Psychological and Genetic Factors on Blood Pressure (InterGen) study — a study that sought to understand the genetics, psychological, and environmental factors that contribute to high blood pressure in Black mothers and children.

While the study results could be considered groundbreaking due to the lack of representation of Black women in previous research, the researchers caution people from generalizing their findings to all Black women. This is due to the fact that the study participants were younger and had “relatively low levels of depression.”

Nonetheless, the results further the conversation about the need for inclusive screening tools that account for all types of depression symptoms, including somatic — relating to the body — and self-critical.

“My hope is that these findings contribute to the growing dialogue of how depression can look different from person to person, and raise awareness of the need for more research in historically understudied and minoritized populations so that we can better identify symptoms and reduce missed care and health disparities,” Perez said. For more information on free mental health services near you, visit the National Alliance on Mental Illness at www.nami.org.

FDA’s Advisers Back Plan To Simplify COVID-19 Vaccinations

By Lauren Neergaard AP Medical Writer

The U.S. is poised to make COVID-19 vaccinations more like a yearly flu shot, a major shift in strategy despite a long list of questions about how to best protect against a still rapidly mutating virus.

The Food and Drug Administration asked its scientific advisers Thursday to help lay the groundwork for switching to once-a-year boosters for most Americans – and how and when to periodically update the shots’ recipe.

“This is a consequential meeting to determine if we’ve reached the point in the pandemic that allows for simplifying the use of current COVID-19 vaccines,” said FDA’s Dr. David Kaslow. The advisory panel mostly agreed with the FDA’s approach. COVID-19 vaccines have saved millions of lives and booster doses continue to help the most vulnerable even as more contagious variants have popped up. But protection does wane and the shots don’t fend off milder infections for long.

And people are tired of getting vaccinated. While more than 80% of the U.S. population has had at least one COVID-19 shot, only 16% of those eligible for the latest boosters – so-called bivalent doses updated to better match more recent virus strains –have gotten one.

That makes for tough decisions on how to move for-

ward: Who really needs another shot, how often and what kind?

“We’re still protected against severe disease, thank goodness,” even after the latest mutated omicron strains cropped up, noted FDA adviser Dr. Paul Offit, a vaccine expert at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

The first step: The FDA advisory panel voted unanimously that people should get the same vaccine formula whether they’re receiving their initial vaccinations or a booster. Today, Americans get one formula based on the original coronavirus strain that emerged in 2020 for their first two or three dosesand their latest booster is a combination shot made by Pfizer or Moderna that adds omicron protection.

The FDA would have to decide how to phase in that change. But “this isn’t only a convenience thing” to ease confusion about different kinds of shots, said Dr. Archana Chatterjee, dean of Chicago Medical School. Since the original coronavirus strain has disappeared, “moving towards the strains that are circulating is very important.”

Who needs another shot and when sparked more debate.

Looking ahead, the FDA said most Americans should do fine if they get a once-a-year booster targeted to the newest variants in the fall. The agency asked if some people might need two doses – adults with weakened immune systems and very

young children who’ve never been previously vaccinated. That’s similar to how youngsters get their first-ever flu vaccination.

But more data is needed to show exactly who might need two yearly doses - such as a careful count of who still gets hospitalized with COVID-19 despite being up-to-date with today’s vaccinations, Offit said.

“Only then can we really best make the decision about who gets vaccinated with what and when,” he said.

Nor is it clear that younger, healthier people would need a COVID-19 booster every year.

“It’s hard to say it’s going to be annual at this point,” said Harvard’s Dr. Eric Rubin.

Fall might not even be the best time to boost, something that would depend on when infections start rising and how long a booster’s protection might last, said FDA adviser Dr. Arthur Reingold of the University of California, Berkeley.

Unlike flu which in the U.S. circulates mostly during late fall and winter, COVID-19 waves have occurred year-round.

As for the recipe, the FDA’s plan is to call its advisory panel for another meeting in late May or early June to decide if the vaccine recipe needs tweaking – including which virus strain to target and whether it should be a single-strain or multi-strain shot. Pfizer and Moderna said that would give enough time to produce needed doses by fall while a third manufacturer, Novavax, urged an earlier start to any recipe change.

Also Thursday, U.S. officials updated how they’re tracking that the newest COVID-19 boosters are safe. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention spotted a possible warning signal that seniors getting Pfizer’s updated booster might have a slightly higher risk of stroke. But FDA safety expert Richard Forshee said data from Medicare and multiple other health systems – including in other countries – found no sign of trouble, leading the government to conclude it’s unlikely the red flag was real.

Photo: Alex Green / Pexels

Photo: Unsplash

Black-Led VC Firm Raises $58.1M for Employees

Apis & Heritage Capital Partners (A&H) recently closed their first investment fund at $58.1 million, Essence reports.

This Black-led venture capital firm plans to tackle the racial wealth gap using the same structure as the 100% Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). A&H looks to acquire profitable, privately-held companies, fill the workforce with workers of color then transition them into a 100% employee-owned business, which is called A&H’s Employee-Led Buy Out (ELBO) transaction. This business model is beneficial to the worker due to the tax advantages, opportunities, and stability it provides. According to A&H, millennial workers at ESOP companies have 33% higher median income from their wages when compared to millennial workers at non-ESOP companies; company sales, employment, and productivity increase by more than 2% per year after implementing an ESOP.

A&H recently announced the final close of its first investment fund at $58.1 million, exceeding their goal of $50 million.

Morehouse graduate and A&H founding partner Todd Leverette stated in a news release, “The whole A&H team is humbled by the outpouring of interest and support from the investment community for our novel approach. We are trying to create a better path for employees, especially workers of color, to gain from their own hard work and innovation while also building great small companies into great bigger companies.”

Phil Reeves, who’s also a Morehouse graduate and A&H founding partner, stated, “Our value-proposition has been well received by business owners. With two transactions under our belt, we have two founders/sellers who are proud of the legacy they are creating for their community and their workers by transitioning their companies into 100% employee-owned businesses through the auspices, capital and guidance of A&H. Since we focus on enterprises that have a large number of low-income workers and workers of color, we know we are going to make capitalism start working for people who have been denied these opportunities for so long. You might say A&H aims to put the “equity” back in private equity.”

This article originally appeared on Because of Them We Can.

Jay-Z’s Lawsuit Dropped After Officials Clean up Mississippi Prison

By Stacy M. Brown WI SENIOR WRITER, NNPA

Conditions at the notorious Parchman Prison in Mississippi have “substantially improved” since Jay-Z, a hip-hop star and business mogul, filed a lawsuit demanding better conditions for the thousands of people who are locked up there.

The superstar’s management company, Roc Nation, said that it would drop its lawsuit against the state Department of Corrections now that the maximumsecurity prison for men has been greatly improved.

The Jackson, Mississippi, newspaper Clarion-Ledger says that the Justice Department started looking into Parchman in 2020 after watchdog groups said there was more violent crime, less control over gangs, and living conditions that were less than humane.

Leaked cell phone footage from inside the prison at the start of the coronavirus pandemic showed that inmates were living in places that were flooded, full of bugs and rats, mold was everywhere in the building, and the food was often rotten or, at the very least, unhealthy.

As a result of Roc Nation’s lawsuit and a

subsequent — and ongoing — DOJ investigation, prison officials said they would make changes like giving the medical center at Parchman two working ambulances instead of an old van; installing new stainless-steel showers, toilets, and sinks; upgrading the heating, air conditioning, ventilation, and plumbing systems; adding basketball, flag football, and boxing as recreational activities; replacing broken tiles and getting rid of mold; and putting up a new fence around the property.

PHOTO: Apis & Heritage Capital Partners

PHOTO: NNPA

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OFFICE OF THE MINNESOTA SECRETARY OF STATE Certi cate of Assumed Name Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 333 Assumed Name: BRITANYA RANITA LEWIS Principal Place of Business: Care of, 3836 Alabama St. Apt. 203 San Diego, CA 00000 County of San Diego Nameholder(s) Lewis, Britanya Ranita Care of, 3836 Alabama St. Apt. 203 San Diego, CA 00000 Britanya Ranita Lewis Care of, 3836 Alabama St. Apt. 203 San Diego, CA 00000 Ranita Lewis Britanya Care of, 3836 Alabama St. Apt. 203 San Diego, CA 00000 :Britanya-Ranita: Lewis., Statutory Agent Care of, 3836 Alabama St. Apt. 203 San Diego, CA 00000

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Candidates are required to have a bachelor’s degree. Additionally, they should have 4 years of full-time professional level administrative, managerial and administrative experience, which includes pro ciency in Microso applications, including TEAMS, PowerPoint, Outlook, Word, and Excel.

To view additional quali cations and submit your resume (re ecting years and months of employment including beginning/ending dates), cover letter, and a list of six work-related references (two supervisors, two direct reports, and two colleagues) please go to: https://www.cpshr.us/recruitment/2148

For more information: David Niemeyer CPS HR Consulting (916) 471-3366 Online brochure: http://online. ipbuilder.com/kper/revk City of San Diego website: https://www.sandiego.gov

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