Taking a New Route SDMNEWS lends Black San Diegans a new lens for viewing the future! The journey and the destination When you look back on your life over the past 5 years, how do you feel about where you are today? Maybe you feel satisfied and content. You got the job you always wanted and even settled in a new home earlier than you expected. Or maybe you feel the exact opposite – wondering when you could have made a different move along the way. No matter what you feel, when you look back on the decisions you have made to get here today remember that you are on a journey. The world is quick to tell us, “life is what you make it”, but what if you don’t know what to make of your life? What if you have no structure or direction? The secret of this statement rests in what is not said. What can only be imagined. This is your life re-imagined. Taking agency over your life and reflecting on what you can do differently can feel very overwhelming. The behavior patterns, mindsets and ideas that have shaped your life may seem set in stone. Change is a choice and this choice leads to a shift in your practice – what you say and what you do.
Let us take this a step further, Say that you have made the choice to make a change. What now? Return to the thought and feeling about where you are today on your journey. Take a moment to think about the lens through which you look at your life. Are you more futureoriented or stuck in the past? Do you put pressure on yourself to do more or do you feel like you are doing way too much? Tell yourself right now that you are already enough. The value of your life is not measured by what you can do or what you achieve with your time. Your life is valuable because you live, you have a unique experience and a story to tell. No matter where your journey guides you, remember that you are in control of every decision you make along the way. This is not to discourage you, but to inspire you. You are the master with all the tools to make the most of this experience. You have time, THIS is your time. What will you do with it? Your life is to be lived.
The San Diego Monitor
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RE-BRANDING
BLACK AMERICA
Gender and sexuality in the Black Lives Matter Movement Black people, people of the African diaspora, engaging in critical and challenging conversations at the frontlines – we are organizing and make decisions towards our next steps forward. Let us take a moment to look around at the table. Who is missing? What voices are we not hearing? Elevating Black politics and culture to new heights, we will not forget those who also shape the movement and traditions that we know. When we talk about Black lives, we will not have a separate conversation about the lives of Black transgender women or men. We will not debate about whether Black gender non-conforming and nonbinary lives matter. Black lesbian, bisexual queer lives. They all matter innately. To these people, these Black royal beings, they exist sharing the collective reality that we all share. They do not question their Blackness or the value of their lives. Our movement will not either. These are not hopeful wishes for representation, these are declarations of agency. LGBTQIA+ leaders have paved the way for Black people to exist as themselves in America. We will honor our ancestors and Black trans, queer, leaders will lead. They don’t need permission to exist in their Blackness, to organize and rage in their Blackness. Indya Moore, Trans activist, writer and actor, reminds us “We're standing on the shoulders of so many people who have broken down so many barriers”
Looking back at where we have been, we must now look forward to the direction that we must go. Indya’s words challenge Black people to think critically about those who sacrifice and dedicate their lives to the work of uplifting their people. How do we honor those doing the work to liberate Black lives today?
Why Black women are at the frontlines The work of Black women goes unrecognized because Black women exist as a force in their community that is unbounded. Black women are dependable, Black women are hard workers, Black women are dedicated, Black women are gentle and fierce. They do what they do because it is their lives that they are advocating for, their children futures that they are fighting to change, the safety to love and be loved by their own people. Black women are at the frontlines because they have always been amongst the thinkers and innovators pushing us forward. With so much invested, Black women will be protected and respected in movement spaces. They deserve space and agency to exist in their experience, in all their intersections and identities. Black women will not be forced to pick their Blackness over their womanhood. Black women are Black women, period. We are no longer expecting Black women to do what Black people can and will do for themselves. Black women will not carry Black struggles on their backs alone. Black women are people first, we will be gentle with Black women. We will honor the lives and work of Black women. We will empower and uplift Black women, all their differences, beauties and complexities. Continued on pg. 7
“Today and always‌â€? Healthy Relationships - A letter to the Black people we love The relationship shared between Black women and men influences all relationships in the Black community. There are a variety of notable relationships shared between Black people, and the importance of these relationships is not invalidated. Black people need Black love in all its forms, though we must challenge ourselves to see ourselves beyond the limitations of toxic femininity and masculinity. Femininity and masculinity are energies, and although they function in all people, no matter biological presentation, they become generalized and associated with standards of thinking and being that contradict the very essence of the energies themselves. Black women and men must recognize the divinity in our shared experience. It is vital to our progression for Black women to love Black men, for Black men to love Black women. Holistically and spirituality. The challenges we face are not put in our paths to divide us, but to bring us closer. To make us stronger and more resilient. The love that thrives generation after generation is stronger than the pain that we carry deep inside us. The love that is us is strong enough to heal us. Black women and men must love themselves enough to want to love each other unconditionally.
This is a letter to the Black people that we are everyday learning to love, unconditionally. Today and always, I remember that our love is sacred. Divine. An energy that must be cherished but not caged. Free. From the beginning, in each other, in our love, we were free. Time carries us into phases, embraces the many faces of our love. Today and always, I remember our love. I remind myself of the beautiful impermanence of life. Nothing truly lasts forever, and I accept this fate. With you, I remind myself to be present today. Every moment shared in our love is enough, today. Our future is now, what we have built, what we have dreamed of. Today and always, I remind myself to be in our love. I show appreciation in all the ways that I know best. I learn to love you in all your greatness. Our love is mysterious, it is still unknown to me how I can love someone outside myself this deeply. I do with pride. I do with a smile and a deep sigh. Today and always, I am grateful for our love. I will always cherish our universal love. Our uncaged and unobstructed love. When you go, I will remember our love as a reminder to appreciate the opportunity to love you. Love always, your Beloved.
The San Diego Monitor
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Looking Back To Look forward Conversations on Black History & Culture “It’s not wrong to go back for that which you have forgotten” This African proverb comes from its Twi translation, “Se wo were fi na wosankofa a yenkyi”. Twi is a dialect spoken throughout Ghana, West Africa, this proverb relates to the West African symbol, Sankofa. The Sankofa symbol is represented by a bird looking backwards while carrying an egg in its mouth. Reminding us of the power of our past to help us birth an abundant future. Black people have always maintained some connection to their ancestral continent, Mother Africa. This connection has inspired culture, politics and economic systems developed throughout the history of Black people in America. In the early 1900’s, Black people in Tulsa, Oklahoma took advantage of an opportunity to develop a reality that reflected the lives they wanted to live. Organizing resources, skills and the community, Little Africa was born. “Little Africa was possibly the most prosperous area that Blacks had ever collectively developed any place in the world” Historian, Ed Wheeler makes this statement in reference to the city that harbored over (00) homes, (00) schools, (00) stores, (00) banks, and other self-sufficient institutions developed by the community, for the community.
When we look back at the progress Black people have made towards their collective liberation, we must uplift more than just the stories. We must embody this work and push our legacies forward into our future. Conversations on Black Culture Is Black culture a reflection of what we want to become or what we want to leave behind? The story of “Little Africa” may sound very familiar, as it has made a recent reappearance in Black popular culture. Today we know “Little Africa” as “Black Wall Street”. As we uplift the pride that our history instills in us, we must also recognize the ways that we use our past to keep us stagnant in the present. The legacy of Little Africa is not lost to Black people. In fact, for Black youth this provides a new image of Black excellence and entrepreneurship. These young leaders are pouncing at the opportunity to redefine their image of themselves, but most importantly our collective image of Blackness. The work that we must do lies at the core of our understanding of history. Who are Black people? Where do they come from? These questions may seem very simple, but many of us are not thinking critically about who we are in the context of our history as a people. What does it mean to be a person of African descent with the privilege and access that we have as Black Americans? Continued pg. 9
The San Diego Monitor
SDMNEWS Must Read
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Campaign Filings and Responsibilities
2020 CA Census Guide
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Candidate Intention Statement
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Campaign Contribution Account
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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
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Candidate Qualifications and Information
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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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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
The San Diego Monitor Black women’s position in the Black Lives Matter Movement, and all movements toward the liberation of all people, reminds us to honor ourselves for all that we are. We cannot forget that we were born into these boxes; categories and binaries to make sense of our complex greatness in a narrowly defined world. Black women are Black women and they are so much more. Black people are so much more than the fight that we have had to endure to validate our lives in a world where we have immense and immeasurable purpose. Honoring our lives beyond the movement The Black Lives Matter movement and every organized revolution that precedes it stands as a living testament to the pain that Black people have faced in a country that they have sacrificed so much for. Our sacrifice will be honored in every step we take forward, and every step we take towards ourselves. When three Black women, Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi, started the Black Lives Matter movement they had a vision to expand the world’s image of Blackness, to uplift Black stories, and Black voices. In the years that the movement has progressed and expanded, its purpose has been misunderstood as a Black emotional response to an overstimulation of trauma in our everyday lives.
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Yes, Black people are tired, and they are redirecting their energy into new ways of addressing old problems. Our movements must be inclusive of the healing that needs to be done for us to make space for the liberation that we want to embody. The OneLife Institute in Oakland, CA uplifts healing as a key factor in restoring our power and drive to keep pushing forward. “Where those on the front lines of social change and community service can be supported and renewed” (OneLifeInstitute.org) Their Healing Black Lives Retreat is dedicated to honoring our spiritual beings, our needs as humans who feel, our desires to bring joy back into our relationships with each other. This is the work that allows us to love Blackness as is, the work that teaches us how to love ourselves fully for all that we are. What is a movement without the people who make it? If Black people are not balanced in their relationships with themselves and each other then the foundation will always be unstable. Our future depends on the work that we do today to expand our understanding of who we are, our potential and purpose in the world. Then, will Blackness take on its true and most divine form.
The San Diego Monitor
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How does “Black Wall Street” replace “Little Africa”? When we lose sight of who we really are, our image of ourselves becomes a collection of who believe we are and who we believe were supposed to be. Black people have never lost their connection to themselves as African people. That is central to their essence, to everything that makes them who they are. The problem rests in the culture and society that they are socialized in. Black people are surrounded by ideologies that contradict who we really know ourselves to be. Yet still, these images and ideas surround us, and we consume them daily. They eventually become internalized if we don’t have images of ourselves or ideas about who we are that are in alignment with our truth as a people. “Black Wall Street” is step toward our true selves but recognizing who we are is claiming and uplifting “Little Africa” as the narrative. Little Africa’s Legacy Today The last living testament that we knew of Little Africa was documented in world history with the late Dr. Olivia J. Hooker. This pioneer was believed to be one of the last survivors of the 1921 Tulsa riots, and her life encourages us to think about the recency of these events and the work that we must continue to do. Dr. Hooker lived to be 103 years old, she was six years old when her life was changed forever. Black children of today and tomorrow will have their own wars to fight for being who they want to be in this world, but we will do the work now to make sure that they are not fighting the same wars.
"Our parents tried to tell us, don't spend your time agonizing over the past. They encouraged us to look forward and think how we could make things better." Dr. Hooker’s words are the chants of our ancestors telling us, “The time is now!” Read more at sdmonitornews.com
7 Accelerators and Incubators You Should Know About Black founders have a tendency to be overlooked in the tech industry. Overall, Black founders represent one percent of venture-backed companies, according to CB Insights. The #ProjectDiane study by DigitalunDivided reported Black women-led startups have raised $289 million in venture capital funding since 2009. This only accounts for .0006 percent of the $424.7 billion raised in venture funding during that time. Programs like Backstage Accelerator—which last month announced the launch of training programs in four different cities for underrepresented tech founders— offers small companies led by diverse founders support for accessing venture capital to help to build successful businesses. Check out the list below to learn about some other incubators and accelerators. NewMe In 2017, NewME startup accelerator moved their program from the Silicon Valley to Miami in an effort to better serve entrepreneurs of color. “The old [accelerator] model works for a particular type of entrepreneur. Our model is more about the entrepreneur and what they want to accomplish,” founder Angela Benton told The Miami Herald. NewME is known as one of the first accelerator programs geared toward providing support for entrepreneurs of color. Founded in 2011, the accelerator offers more accessible boot camps focused on building long-term relationships with entrepreneurs. NewME has helped diverse founders collectively raise over $43 million in venture capital funding. The program offers a 12-week online boot camp and oneweek long accelerators hosted in their co-working space, Roam, located in the Little Havana neighborhood of Miami. “Many minority entrepreneurs just aren’t able to take 12 weeks out of life,” Benton said.
Last year, NewME received $191,000 in funding from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation to help expand its
Hillman Accelerator’s first cohort of three companies raised a combined $3 million and created 22 jobs with plans to generate $3 million in revenue based on signed contracts. The first three participating startups included: Solo Funds, a peer-to-peer lending platform; Aleras, a medical device utilization software for hospital systems; and Warmaloo, a non-electric instant warming blanket. The second 4-month-program launched in June. In addition to infrastructure support, education, and strategy guidance—each startup receives seed investments of $100,000. Founder Gym Founder Gym launched their online training program for underrepresented tech startup founders earlier this year. The accelerator recently announced the rollout of a new cohort designed to serve Black entrepreneurs. Founder and CEO of Founder Gym Mandela SH Dixon reported demand for access to accelerators is high among Black entrepreneurs. Sixty-two percent of graduates from the program identify as Black. Founder Gym—who recently announced the launch of an accelerator cohort exclusively for Black founders—solely operates their program online with training designed to dig into how to raise venture capital funding. Since its inception, Founder Gym has served over 170 underrepresented founders who have collectively raised $20 million (and counting). They have also served founders from all over the world including, Jamaica, Colombia, Nigeria, Egypt, Mexico, Canada, the UK, and US. Read More sdmonitornews.com
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The San Diego Monitor
Defunding the Police or Reformation? Are we ready for what’s next? In the most recent years, Black people have expressed their frustrations with police brutality and the lack of justice awarded for lives taken unjustly. The fight to reform the institution of policing urges legislators to make changes in policies that can create accountability and wellinformed practices for de-escalating crime and violence. Though this strategy may seem effective on paper, it still does not address the relationship between police and communities of color, namely Black communities. Recent uprisings over the violence against Black lives has led many Black people to question if reform is what we need, and if not, what are our options?
When will we decide to let go of the systems that have always worked to oppress us? Our futures and our lives? Transformation or Reformation? It is not a secret that there is more money invested in the institution of policing than the public education school system, health care system, and public welfare system. Systems that work to support our growth and development, not our detriment. The decision is ours to make and the question remains, are we ready for what’s next?
History of Police Violence #BlackLivesMatter is a movement that has expanded beyond the United States of America. With over 30 chapters around the world, we have witnessed the love and support for Black lives. This is not surprising the those who live this experience, who know what it feels like to always be on edge about the value of your life and the people you love. This is not an experience limited to Black lives, and that is why so many people are engaged in the conversation. How has the institution of policing impacted our lives? What does justice look like for communities who have been harmed by the police? The history of police violence for Black people has roots that extend as far back as the European Slave Trade.
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