An Appetite for
Opportunity! Black San Diegans, Bon Appetit!
“You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.” The great poet and healer, Maya Angelou, speaks with such eloquence as she asserts the need for resilience against life’s adversities. There is a lesson in every wound we obtain on the battle filed called LIFE. How we choose to apply what is learned is always up to us, our choices, and decisions along the way.
We must also take conscious space to heal, rebuild and center ourselves after moments of deep transformation. In learning to apply your new paradigm on life find ways to soften your approach with humor, pleasure, and joy. It is always necessary to make space for new, healthy outlets, even when we are doing the hard work to be great. It is no wonder you are so great already, stay hungry for success and development! You are exactly who you want to be and there is still so much more to become.
The greatest advantage in overcoming a challenge is acquiring the strength and endurance to move forward with a different mindset and a new set of tools! Open your mind to what can really be achieved with this new foundation, and ask yourself… “Am I ready to take on the next challenge?” If you are reading this right now, the answer is always yes! Ms. Angelou will not let us forget that we are more than ready, in fact we were MADE FOR THIS!
OPPORTUNITY
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The San Diego Monitor
Re-Branding
Black America What does being Tired mean? – The struggle for racial justice in America 57 years have passed since the historical civil rights gathering at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. In that moment, the words of Martin Luther King Jr. echoed across crowds of passionate organizers from across America. The dream was equality and justice for all Americans, today we march on for the same cause.
“Systemized oppression is not an accident. America was built on a system that is still doing its job” On August 28th, 2020 organizer and leader, Ayalah Eastmond, spoke with the rage of one thousand ancestors. As one of the many speakers at the march she set the foundation for a conversation long overdue. Her words cause us to reminisce on the histories untold, the ancestors and traditions unknown. Her words inspire a deep feeling of frustration and urge. Our pain has been actualized in so many ways, and on this day in the year 2020 we, marched in demand of justice unimagined. Before the young leader parted from the stage, she expressed in few words a very outstanding truth.
“Black women are still the backbone of this movement”
Congresswoman, Ayanna Pressley, brought a force to the stage that directs our focus to our roots and the power that must be harnessed to imagine systems that can provide us the type of justice we are looking to receive.
“Today I am thinking of the ancestors, not just the ones recorded in our textbooks, but the ones omitted from those pages. The justice seekers, the freedom writers, the organizers, the community builders…” As we organize towards a victory long sought after in Black America, how can we prepare ourselves with the wisdom and guidance of those who have fought this battle before us? It is one thing to call upon the names of those who we know to be leaders, it is a wholly transforming experience to tap into the collective conscious of our people and call upon those ancestors who are ready and willing to carry us in this work. When community activist, Frank Nitty, came to the mic he made it very clear that our cries for justice are always on someone else’s time and terms. With a powerful assertion he shouts to the crowd,
“I’m tired. Are yall tired? Cause I’m tired. My grandsons ain’t gone be marching for the same stuff my granddaddy marched for. This a revolution…We not gone stop till we get change” Black people are a particular type of tired when it comes to their collective struggle with white America. This is the breaking point. Continued pg. 8
Justice For Black Lives Takes on a
New Adversary Eric Garner’s mother Gwendolyn Carr says, for Black Men, selling a single cigarette, known as “loosey,” can lead to an arrest, a prison sentence or even death. Six years ago, a police officer put her son in a chokehold and strangled him to death for allegedly selling illegal cigarettes on Staten Island, a borough of New York City. Now, Carr is speaking out in a new video against California Senate Bill (SB) 793, which she says will create the same circumstances – the illegal sale and use of menthol cigarettes and aggressive, racially-biased law enforcement -- that led to her son’s death. If the Senate passes the bill and Gov. Newsom signs it into law, it would ban the sale of menthol tobacco and other flavored cigarette products. “A new law would criminalize menthol cigarettes, which Black people smoke almost exclusively, giving police officers another excuse to harm and arrest any Black man, woman or child they choose,” Carr says in the video opposing SB 793. “A bad law has consequences for mothers like me.” Carr is not alone in her opinion of the bill. Across California, there is opposition to SB 793, which, if passed, would become the country’s strongest restriction on flavored tobacco products, including Newport, Kool and Salem cigarettes -three brands Blacks disproportionately smoke.
Old and young, faith leaders, retired law enforcement officers, and civil rights activists came together to protest SB 793. At protests in Los Angeles and Sacramento on Aug. 20, they called out the inherent discrimination coded into the language and spirit of SB 793, which California Sen. Jerry Hill (D-San Mateo) authored. “The goal of this protest is to ensure we are heard,” said Rev. K.W. Tulloss, President of Baptist Ministers Conference Los Angeles and co-founder of Neighborhood FORWARD, a community-based social action organization. “SB 793 is a bad bill that’s not good for California. The unintended consequences of this legislation are real. Bills like this take us backward.” But on the same day of the protests, the Assembly Appropriations Committee passed the bill, sending the bill to the full Assembly for consideration. The rallies were two in a series of three held against SB793. The first one was held in front of the home of California Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood). Like Carr, people and organizations that oppose SB 793 say it is discriminatory because some adult tobacco products -- those preferred by Whites – are exempted from the ban.
Continued pg. 9
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The San Diego Monitor
Difficult conversations in the black community From Trauma to Triumph: Using our Education to Heal and Build “Knowing what must be done, does away with fear.” That is the motivating mantra that was used by Rhode Island resident, Kathiana Dulcine, to create the new Coco
Community membership program. The Coco Community Membership Program provides a safe space for the Black community to discuss, express and learn about taboo topics on intimacy and relationships. The subject of intimacy has long been a taboo subject in the Black community owing to the tumultuous effects of slavery including the dehumanization and exploitation of the bodies of the ancestors for pleasure. However, being uncomfortable about matters of sensuality has consequences. It can impact the quality of relationships and prevent individuals from seeking resources to deal with mental health and healthcare concerns. The Coco Community Membership Program is on a mission to change this landscape and bring the black community to a place of confident conversations on intimacy and selfawareness. Creating a safe space to discuss intimacy is a passion for Dulcine, but this was not always the case. Sharing her motivation for creating the Coco Community Membership Program, Dulcine explained: “The comparison to other girls of different races was always a downhill battle for me as a kid.
“The need for acceptance and validation led to sexual assaults as a teenager and forcing myself into spaces and relationships that I didn’t belong in. As a Black woman, I felt as though there was nowhere for me to talk about my trauma, ask questions about my anatomy, or talk openly about intimacy” I created this program because I believe that confident conversations about intimacy is needed in our community. When you are not given a spot at the table, you have to create one for yourself and that’s exactly what I’ve done with Coco Community Membership Program.”
The Next Steps The Coco Community Membership Program offers two membership levels the basic at $9.99/month and the All Access for $19.99/month. The basic membership offers full content library access, email support, discounted eBooks, while the All-Access membership offers full library access, email support, up to 20% discount on eBooks, access to community discussion, demonstration videos, customized meal plans around erotic health and more. She even allows members to join risk-free by giving members a free 1-week trial.
For further information or to sign up for a membership, visit CocoConvos.com and follow the brand on Instagram @cococonvos_
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The San Diego Monitor
SDMNEWS Must Read
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Campaign Filings and Responsibilities
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Candidate Intention Statement
2020 CA Census Guide
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Campaign Contribution Account
Table of Contents
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Exceptions
Section 1: General Information (PDF)
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Additional Filing Information
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Initiative and Referendum Qualification Requirements
Section 3: Candidate Filing Information (PDF)
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Candidate Qualifications and Information
• Required Filing Fees, In-Lieu Signatures, and Nomination Signatures
Section 2: Nomination Requirements (PDF) •
Presidential Candidates
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United States Representative in Congress, and Member of the State Legislature Candidates
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Nomination Documents – Nomination Papers and Declaration of Candidacy
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Signatures In Lieu of Filing Fee
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Signatures In Lieu of Filing Fee and/or Nomination Papers
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Ballot Designations
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In General
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Write-In Candidates for the Office of President
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Write-In Candidates for Voter-Nominated Offices
Section 4: Candidate Checklist (PDF) •
President of the United States
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United States Representative in Congress
For download please go to www.sdmonitornews.com
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The San Diego Monitor
We came to DEMAND change
“We organize, cause they don’t expect that.
We are no longer on the question of why Black Americans are tired. The enslavement of African people, the generational economic and social displacement of African Americans, the prison industrial complex, Jim crow and the Black codes- the list of atrocities goes on. The conversation is now being pushed forward with a different sense of urgency. Black leaders and organizers are ready to apply the generations of efforts put forward by the leaders before them. It is time to tap in!
We gone come together, cause they do not expect that.
Now that we have reached our breaking point Black America, what are we willing to do for the kind of change that we are demanding? Now that we have organized a movement that emphasizes a need to move in a different direction, how are we organizing ourselves to embark on this new path? Change will not come easy. It will not come because we march and shout. It will not come on our terms or simply because we think we deserve it. Are we truly ready to hold this nation accountable for the ways that it has tried to impede the Black nation and the world?
We gone demand change, cause they don’t expect that” We are beginning to imagine new possibilities for ourselves. Where we can go, what we can create…what needs to be done so that we can get there with efficiency. We are tired of explaining our existence to the world. The world knows that Black Lives Matter. Now that we have realized the full force of this statement, we are ready to embody the power that we believe it holds, that which is really in us. Black America is ready to transform our helpless fatigue into inspired action. We have demands. We have plans. We have power. We have the people, charged up and ready to go! Read more at www.sdmonitornews.com
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The San Diego Monitor The retail sale of flavored handmade premium cigars with a minimum price of $12 are also not prohibited under this bill. Some California residents say that the exemptions for certain kinds of tobacco nearly mirror laws that unequally penalized people for selling or possessing the same amounts of crack cocaine and powdered cocaine. In 1986, the federal government passed the Anti-Drug Abuse Act, which mandated stiffer punishments for people who sold crack cocaine, the rock form of the drug, which more Blacks used. Penalties for possessing or distributing cocaine powder, preferred by Whites, were much lighter. Distributing just five grams of crack triggered a federal mandatory minimum prison sentence of 5 years. But it required 500 grams of cocaine for a distributor to receive a federal prison sentence of the same length of time – a 100:1 disparity. Law Enforcement Action Partnership (LEAP) and the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement (NOBLE) agree that the bill has a racist element to it. They say the bill demonstrates clear discrimination and preferential treatment between two tobacco products preferred by two different cultural groups. “We will not and cannot stand for more policies that resemble another Black tax yet find a way to make concessions and amendments for certain groups,” Rev. Tulloss said.
“Hookah is exempted, yet menthol cigarettes are not. The Speaker can make this bill fair and that’s all we’re asking.” Existing law prohibits a person from selling or otherwise furnishing tobacco products to a person under 21 years of age. It also prohibits the use of tobacco products in county offices of education, on charter school or school district property, or near a playground or youth sports event.
If SB 793 passes, each violation of the law would be punishable by a fine of $250. “We will not and cannot stand for more policies that resemble another Black tax yet find a way to make concessions and amendments for certain groups,” Rev. Tulloss said. “Hookah is exempted, yet menthol cigarettes are not. The Speaker can make this bill fair and that’s all we’re asking.” “We will not and cannot stand for more policies that resemble another Black tax yet find a way to make concessions and amendments for certain groups,” Rev. Tulloss said
“Hookah is exempted, yet menthol cigarettes are not. The Speaker can make this bill fair and that’s all we’re asking.” Existing law prohibits a person from selling or otherwise furnishing tobacco products to a person under 21 years of age. It also prohibits the use of tobacco products in county offices of education, on charter school or school district property, or near a playground or youth sports event.
If SB 793 passes, each violation of the law would be punishable by a fine of $250. The coalition of SB 793 supporters include the Office of Lieutenant Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, the Tobacco-Free Kids Action Fund, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, the American Heart Association, the American Lung Association, and the Common Sense Kids, who are all bill sponsors. “SB 793 coauthors, cosponsors, African American thought leaders in government, health, the faith community, science, the arts and among our youth, as well as other supporters, have provided strong counterpoints to the obfuscation,” Hill stated “We are confident that together we can ensure the strongest tobacco control restrictions in the country become California law.” Read more on www.Blackmedia.com
Small Businesses are
Speaking up! Jonathan Burgess co-owns Burgess Brothers with his twin brother Matthew. It is a popular American bistro-slashbarbecue restaurant and food supply company based in Sacramento. Locals treasure them for their delicious waffles; handcrafted gourmet barbecue sauce; sweet and spicy smoked sausages; among other specialties. The African American entrepreneur says small family-owned businesses like his are tempted by what digital food delivery services might offer them: A broader customer base and online advertising on highly trafficked apps. But that exposure comes with a crippling cost. “There’s only like a very thin 5% profit margin for most small restaurants. It is simple math. If you give Uber, Doordash or one of the others a nice chunk of that, it just doesn’t work out for you.” Burgess says food delivery services should offer special rates for local community businesses that are lower than what they charge chain restaurants. Those corporation-owned eateries typically buy their ingredients wholesale at much lower costs and they can make up for losses on delivery fees by what they make in volume. Assembly member Lorena Gonzalez (D-San Diego) has written a bill to address the challenges food delivery apps have posed for small restaurants like Burgess’s across California. Now, more than five months since the World Health Organization declared the international health crisis, COVID19, a global pandemic, more Americans than ever are faced with limited dining-out options, relying on food delivery apps to purchase meals from restaurants.
Grubhub, one app-based food delivery service, reports that it has more than 27 million active users and its orders have increased by over 32% over the last year. But Gonzales says those large tech companies like Grubhub and its competitors Uber Eats, DoorDash, Postmates and others -- all of them earn billions of dollars each year -- take advantage of small struggling restaurants when they deliver those eateries’ food without their consent or an agreement. “When food delivery companies take advantage of small mom and pop restaurants by delivering their food without permission, it can damage the customer’s experience and the restaurant’s reputation,” Gonzalez said, adding that food delivery companies have created “significant disruption” in the food service business. If passed, AB 2149 would require all food delivery companies in California to get the “express written consent of a food facility before delivering the business’ food,” according to a statement Gonzalez’s office released. In California, there are an estimated 76,201 food and drinking establishments, according to the California Restaurant Association (CRA). The CRA supports AB 2149. Hundreds of those California restaurants are Black owned. In the Los Angeles area alone, for instance, there are nearly 200 African Americanowned restaurants, according to Infatuation, an L.A-based website. “This bill will put the power back in the hands of small restaurant owners by ensuring they have agreed to the delivery arrangement beforehand,” Gonzalez continued Read more at www.Blackmedia.com
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The San Diego Monitor
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Over 14,000 fire firefighters are continuing to battle fires in different parts of Northern California, where six deaths have been reported, according to officials from the state’s fire department. Over 30 people have been injured.
California’s Secretary of State Alex Padilla praised the men and women for their efforts and valor on the “front lines.” Padilla also acknowledged fire personnel, under mutual aid agreements, from Washington and Oregon who joined the California first responders to fight the aggressive flames.
“They are doing their best,” Padilla said. “The good news is that this year’s state budget includes augmentation in staffing levels for Cal Fire, plus for equipment that is critically needed.” Due to widespread wildfires and extreme weather conditions, Gov. Gavin Newsom has declared a statewide emergency and activated the State Operations Center to its highest level “California is battling two of the largest fires in our history and has seen nearly 600 new fires in the last week caused by dry lightning strikes. These are unprecedented times and conditions, but California is strong – we will get through this,” Newsom said. The White House has approved California’s request for a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration to bolster the state’s emergency response to the wildfires ripping across Northern California.
California has secured Fire Management Assistance grants
The Santa Clara Unit (SCU) Lightning Complex fire, ranked the second-largest wildfire in California history, did not spread overnight and containment has been a challenge, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire). As of Sunday, Aug. 23, the SCU Lightning Complex fire had burned up to 339,968 acres and only10% of it had been contained, Cal Fire has reported. “This is not the first year we’ve had significant wildfires and we have now the second and third largest wildfires in California’s history only because previous records have been set two years ago and just last year,” Padilla said. “It’s become a little bit routine. It’s really testing our resilience but that’s what the government is here to do.”
Read more about this story at www.blackmedia.com WWW.SDMONITORNEWS.COM