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Extreme Heat: Humanity’s Greatest Climate Killer

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Jul 20, 2023

Extreme Heat: Humanity’s Greatest Climate Killer

By Amara N. Beaty, Voice and Viewpoint Staff Writer

Heat is the deadliest and most threatening weather hazard to human health. With heat temperatures rising in the state of California and across the globe, it’s important to understand the dangers of extreme heat and how to stay cool in its midst. Ethnic Media Services and the Office of Community Partnerships and Strategic Communications (OCPSC) held the first of three special news briefings on July 13, 2023, to highlight what extreme heat is, its dangers and what resources the state of California is implementing in response to the hazardous weather.

The briefing, just one week after Planet Earth recorded the four hottest consecutive days on earth thus far, included five guest speakers to highlight the various ways heat affects California residents: Professor V. Kelly Turner, Assoc. Director of Urban Environmental Research at UCLA; Dr. Lucía Abascal, MD, PhD, MS of CA Dept. of Public Health (CDPH); Marta Segura, City of Los Angeles’ Chief Heat Officer and Director of Climate Emergency Mobilization; Sandra Young, Founder of Mixteco Indigenous Community Organizing Project (MICOP); and Dr. Kimberly Chang, MD, MPH, Asian Health Services Family Physician.

Prof. Turner, brought to the conversation her expertise on the science of extreme heat and how that applies to policy change in California. Already noted is the fact that heat poses the greatest weather-related risk to human health. Extreme heat, such as heat waves, have an even greater effect on urban cities as opposed to more rural ones due to buildings, roads, and parking structures made from heat-absorbing materials — known as the “Urban Heat Island Effect”. Turner explained one way to combat this effect is through “shade infrastructure,” like trees and awnings, which can reduce heat by around 30 to 40 degrees celsius.

The state is mobilizing resources to help beat the heat as well through the implementation of cooling spaces like the aforementioned shade infrastructure as well as cool zones like malls, libraries and shaded parks. Plans for planting more trees and the placement of “bus shelters” are also in the works. Gov. Gavin Newsom launched a $20 million multi-ethnic education campaign, Heat Ready California, July 11, 2023, to help mitigate the health risks caused by heat exposure in California. Planning information, resources and strategies for staying safe and cool in the heat can be found at HeatReadyCA.com.

According to Segura, California cities, such as Los Angeles, are working on implementing more cooling centers, as the state is experiencing longer heat seasons, with high-heat lasting from about mid-June to mid-November, and more heat waves, with waves frequenting five times more than they were 10 years ago.

Dr. Abascal offered some tips on behalf of CDPH to stay cool at home and on a daily basis. Utilize the cool zones and to keep the air conditioning on at home if possible. Staying hydrated and checking in on friends, family, and neighbors is also important during these times of harsh weather. This is especially vital for vulnerable CA residents including pregnant women, older adults aged 65+, small children, people with disabilities and chronic conditions, residents of urban communities, and the homeless population.

Healthcare providers also hold a key role in the prevention of heat-related illness, as symptoms of heat stroke and other health issues due to heat exposure can often be ignored or misunderstood. This is especially true for vulnerable residents.

“It’s important as providers to recognize [headaches, fatigue, rashes, dizziness, and fevers as symptoms] being tied to heat exposure,” said FNP Young. “I think we don’t do that good a job [of] recognizing those connections many times.”

Be sure to stay informed, cool and hydrated during these record-high temperatures.

New York City Agrees to Pay $13 Million to 2020 Racial Injustice Protesters in Historic Class Action

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Jul 20, 2023

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New York City Agrees to Pay $13 Million to 2020 Racial Injustice Protesters in Historic Class Action

By JAKE OFFENHARTZ, Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — New York City has agreed to pay more than $13 million to settle a civil rights lawsuit brought on behalf of roughly 1,300 people who were arrested or beaten by police during racial injustice demonstrations that swept through the city during the summer of 2020.

If approved by a judge, the settlement, which was filed in Manhattan federal court Wednesday, would be among the most expensive payouts ever awarded in a lawsuit over mass arrests, experts said.

The lawsuit focused on 18 of the many protests that erupted in New York City in the week following the killing of George Floyd by a police officer in Minneapolis. With certain exceptions, people arrested or subjected to force by NYPD officers at those events will each be eligible for $9,950 in compensation, according to attorneys for the plaintiffs.

The agreement, one of several stemming from the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests, allows the city to avoid a trial that could be both expensive and politically fraught.

It comes as many other cities across the U.S. are negotiating their own settlements with protesters who spilled into the streets to decry racist police brutality after Floyd’s death, a period of unrest that saw 10,000 people arrested in the span of a few days.

Attorneys with the National Lawyers Guild, which represented the plaintiffs in New York, accused NYPD leaders of depriving protesters of their 1st Amendment rights through a “coordinated” campaign of indiscriminate brutality and unlawful arrests.

Through more than two years of litigation, attorneys for the city maintained that police were responding to a chaotic and unprecedented situation, pointing to some unruly protests in which police vehicles were set on fire and officers pelted with rocks and plastic bottles.

A spokesperson for the NYPD deferred questions to the city’s Law Department, which did not respond to a request for comment.

During some of the 2020 protest marches, officers deployed a crowd control tactic known as kettling against peaceful protesters, corralling them in tight spaces and attacking them with batons and pepper spray before making mass arrests.

Adama Sow, one of the named plaintiffs in the lawsuit, said their group of marchers were trapped by police without warning. Sow and the other arrestees were placed in zip ties until their hands turned purple, then held in a sweltering correctional bus for several hours.

“It was so disorganized, but so intentional,” Sow said. “They seemed set on traumatizing everyone.”

The city invoked qualified immunity, which protects police officers from lawsuits stemming from lawful work performed in the line of duty, and defended the decision to arrest medics and legal observers as within the rights of the department.

While attorneys for the plaintiffs cited past crackdowns on large demonstrations, including during the 2004 Republican National Convention, as evidence of longstanding “systemic violations” by the NYPD, attorneys for the city said there was no systematic effort to deprive people of their right to protest.

“There is no history — or present or future — of unconstitutional policing,” Georgia Pestana, an attorney for the city, wrote in a memo. “There is no frequent deprivation of constitutional rights.”

The lawsuit named former Mayor Bill de Blasio and retired NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea as well as other police leaders as defendants. Under the settlement agreement, neither the city nor the NYPD is required to admit any wrongdoing.

Protesters who were arrested on certain charges — including trespassing, property destruction, assaulting an officer, arson or weapons possession — will be excluded from the settlement. Those who were seen on video blocking police from making arrests may also be ineligible.

Unlike some other lawsuits related to the 2020 protests, the class action was not meant to force the NYPD to change its practices. There are several other lawsuits aimed at injunctive relief that are ongoing, including one brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James that calls for a federal monitor to oversee the NYPD’s policing of protests.

Another class action settlement announced earlier this year would award $21,500 to those arrested by police during one demonstration in the Bronx, a payout that could total around $10 million including legal fees.

Separately, more than 600 people have brought individual claims against New York City related to police action during the 2020 protests, according to the city’s comptroller, Brad Lander. Roughly half of them have resulted in settlements and resolutions, costing the city nearly $12 million to date.

Wylie Stecklow, an attorney for the protesters in the class action lawsuit, said the growing cost to taxpayers should serve as a “red flag” for city leaders about the NYPD’s inability to correct its “decades old problem with constitutionally compliant protest policing.”

“While the arc of the moral universe is indeed long, sometimes it needs reform to bend towards justice” he said.

From the Desk of the Editor GOD Latest Episode

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Jul 20, 2023

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From the Desk of the Editor GOD Latest Episode

Watch GOD Radio latest episode and hear all of what Dr. Warren, Dr. Richmond and host Dr. Thompson have to say.

Watch full episode bellow:

Home Depot Faces a Lawsuit Alleging Discrimination Against Disabled African American Veterans

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Jul 20, 2023

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Home Depot Faces a Lawsuit Alleging Discrimination Against Disabled African American Veterans

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

Home improvement retailer Home Depot is facing a civil rights lawsuit filed by Larry and Denise Boggs, disabled African American veterans, who claim the company purposefully discriminated against them and denied them services based on their race and disabilities.

The lawsuit, filed in the Southern District of New York, accuses Home Depot of violating various laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the New York State Human Rights Law, and federal civil rights statutes.
According to the complaint, the Boggs sought assistance from Home Depot to make their home more accessible for Denise, who uses a wheelchair due to a below-the-knee amputation.

The Home Depot Foundation, a nonprofit organization affiliated with Home Depot, had entered into a contract in October 2017 to perform construction improvements on the Boggs’ home, ensuring ADA compliance and meeting Denise’s needs.

However, the Boggs allege that Home Depot and its affiliates breached the contract and discriminated against them based on their race and disabilities.

The lawsuit claims that the company failed to complete the agreed-upon improvements, withheld necessary building supplies, and performed faulty work that violated local building codes.
Additionally, Home Depot allegedly misused grant funds for building materials to purchase unrelated tools.

The Boggs also claim that Home Depot employees informed them that work on their home would be delayed due to the return of Hasidic Jewish residents for the summer.
When the couple contacted Home Depot to address the ongoing issues, they said company officials told them to complete the work themselves, with Home Depot employees providing only minimal assistance.

The lawsuit asserts violations of the ADA, breach of contract, violations of the New York State Human Rights Law, and federal civil rights statutes.
The couple seeks compensatory and punitive damages, declaratory relief, attorney’s fees, and other appropriate relief.

Home Depot, which operates over 2,200 stores across the United States, including numerous locations in New York State, has yet to issue a public statement regarding the lawsuit.

Earlier this year, U.S. District Judge Philip M. Halpern rejected Home Depot’s motion to dismiss the race and disability discrimination suit filed by the Boggs.
Judge Halpern ruled that the couple sufficiently proved that Home Depot employees had prioritized work for white, Hasidic Jewish residents, causing the abandonment of the Boggs’ home renovation.

Halpern dismissed Home Depot’s argument that the Boggs’ did not have the right to enforce the renovation grant provided by the nonprofit Action Towards Independence Inc.
The judge also found that the Boggs’ had a recognizable property interest in using their own home and that Home Depot’s alleged racial discrimination impacted their ability to utilize their property.

Halpern further ruled that Home Depot must face the couple’s breach of contract claim due to the terms of the grant contract and the Boggs being third-party beneficiaries.
Additionally, Halpern rejected Home Depot’s argument that the disability discrimination claim under the New York Human Rights Law should be dismissed, stating that the law applies when a place of public accommodation discriminates at a private residence.

“This is an elderly Black family in a predominately white and Hasidic Jewish neighborhood,” said the couple’s attorney, Onyuwoma W. Igbokwe.
“They obviously didn’t have the financial capability to take care of their home. Home Depot was supposed to step in there and help them out.”

Climate and Violence Hobble Nigeria’s Push to Rely on its Own Wheat After the Hit from Russia’s War

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Jul 20, 2023

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Climate and Violence Hobble Nigeria’s Push to Rely on its Own Wheat After the Hit from Russia’s War

By TAIWO ADEBAYO, Associated Press

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Abubakar Salisu was terrified when he discovered arid sand in the middle of his farmland, rendering a broad strip unfit for crops. Now, extreme heat is killing his wheat before it is ready for cultivation.

Wheat normally requires heat, but in the last three years, farmers in Nigeria’s far north, part of Africa’s Sahel region that largely produces the country’s homegrown food, have seen an “alarming” increase in heat — much more than required, said Salisu, a local leader of wheat farmers in Kaita, Katsina State. Plus, rain is irregular.

“The unpredictable rain pattern is affecting us because wheat is planted immediately after the rainy season, but sometimes we will plant it thinking the rain has stopped, only to have it start again, thereby spoiling the seeds,” said Salisu, 48.

The vicious heat and rain cycle, worsened by climate change, has contributed to his wheat yield dropping in half.

He is not alone — others in northern areas ripped apart by violence suffer even more. Conflict and climate change are driving a food security crisis in Nigeria, exacerbated by supply disruptions tied to Russia’s war in Ukraine. It means people are spending more for food in Africa’s largest economy as it becomes more reliant on imported grain, which is priced in U.S. dollars, and its currency weakens.

Nigeria is trying to become self-sufficient: The government has launched programs to provide loans to farmers and boost domestic grain production. But extreme weather and violence from both gangs and farmers and cattle herders clashing over resources have hindered those efforts. It’s left Nigeria unable to produce enough wheat to bridge a gap in supply of more than 5 million metric tons.

Russia’s decision this week to back out of an accord allowing Ukraine to ship grain from the Black Sea could make things worse. Ukraine had announced a plan this year to send more wheat to the West African country at expected lower prices, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Now, that initiative in doubt.

The Nigerian program providing loans to growers “worked to a reasonable extent, but corruption played a part, as did the failure of farmers to repay the loans as climate change and insecurity undermined their production,” said Idayat Hassan, senior Africa program fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Wheat is one of Nigeria’s most consumed grains, and it imports largely from the U.S., South America and Europe, according to the Trade Data Monitor. Russia was a key source of affordable wheat, but its shipments have dwindled to almost nothing amid the war.

The loan program for growers failed to help increase local wheat yields, so the government has introduced new initiatives to boost how much land is harvested and distribute high-yielding seeds, pesticides and equipment to wheat farmers.

The flour milling industry, which struggles with Nigeria’s weakening currency and high costs like diesel fuel, has also made a deal with farmers to source more wheat locally at competitive prices, potentially encouraging growers to increase production.

With the new efforts, the USDA projects Nigeria’s wheat production to increase 42% in the 2023-2024 trading year over the year before. But the agency warned that “the challenges outweigh the opportunities.”

Besides climate change creating irregular rainfall, extreme heat and dry land, “security challenges across the wheat-producing region restricts farmers’ access to fields,” the USDA said in this year’s Nigeria grain report.

The same problems will also decrease production of rice and corn, the department said.

“Of course, insecurity is affecting our activities because sometimes we can’t go to our farms even if we plant, and some of our colleagues have completely stopped farming, while some of us have reduced the number of our farmlands,” said Sama’ila Zubairu, a wheat farmer in Katsina’s Faskari area ravaged by violence.

Gangs control vast swaths of the north’s rural areas, carrying out killings and abductions for ransom. There also are perennial clashes between farmers and cattle herders competing for land and water.

Zubairu has not seen his land degrade like Salisu, but he said “climate change affects me in two ways: excessive heat and rain patterns, which affect my turnout.”

He harvested enough wheat to fill 20 bags last year and 18 most recently — down from 35 two years ago.

“And I am not alone,” Zubairu said.

Farmers being unable to reach their fields amid the violence triggers “both human security and food security crises,” said Hassan of the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Consumers are struggling with food inflation of 24%, with wheat-based staples like bread and pasta nearly doubling in price.

“The price surge has affected me because I have to double the costs of what I normally buy, and I would still not be able to buy enough,” said Chinedu Edeh, cooking gas retailer and installation technician in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja. “Pasta has gone from 370 (naira) to 550 per unit.”

He avoided the coarse wheat flour semolina in his last trip to the market and bought cheaper cassava flakes instead.

Last week, President Bola Tinubu released a policy statement on food and agriculture acknowledging rising food costs and declaring “a state of emergency,” with a commitment to include food and water availability in the government’s national security system.

Spokespeople for the president and the ministry of agriculture declined to comment or did not send answers to questions.

The government should “appreciate the full extent of how climate change fuels insecurity and food crisis and localize climate plans so that they affect real people who actually produce food for the country,” Hassan said.

Never Leave One Behind Hosts Veterans Fair

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Jul 20, 2023

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Never Leave One Behind Hosts Veterans Fair

By Darrel Wheeler, Contributing Writer

There were some serious health and veteran’s benefits-related conversations held at the Never Leave One Behind Veteran Fair held last Saturday at the Jackie Robinson YMCA.

No subjects dealing with health or financial-benefits were off limits at the NLOB community information day event. Informative speakers willingly shared their knowledge (with) all of the room’s interested listeners. Cancer, COVID, blood pressure, diabetes, stress, cardiovascular issues and much more were some of the health-related topics of discussion. Non-veterans were also invited to attend the gathering for the health & wellness portion of the special event.

“I want to thank some of the important people that helped to make this critical event possible,” said NLOB founder Larry Price. “Dr Jeromy Dr. Jerome Robinson, MD; Veterans Benefit Adviser David Hood; NLOB Board members Melvin Price and event facilitator Dr Dr. Inez Price; Bud Watkins of All Guard Insurance; Samantha Williams and her staff from JIREH Providers; the YMCA for the use of the building; Lakemba Hinton; and all of our friends for their unwavering support.”

For more information, visit www.neverleaveonebehind.org.

For full stories and photos only published in print, pick up a paper at a newsstand near you, or check out our latest edition of our newspaper.

Vice President Kamala Harris Matches Record for Tiebreaking Votes in Senate

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Jul 20, 2023

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Vice President Kamala Harris Matches Record for Tiebreaking Votes in Senate

By CHRIS MEGERIAN and LISA MASCARO, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Kamala Harris, who made history as the first woman, the first Black person and the first person of South Asian descent to serve as vice president, has made history again by matching the record for most tiebreaking votes in the Senate.

Her 31st such vote, on Wednesday, advanced the nomination of Kalpana Kotagal to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The only other vice president to cast so many was John C. Calhoun, vice president from 1825 to 1832.

“It is a moment and I think that there’s still so much left that we have yet to do,” Harris told reporters afterward.

“My mother gave me great advice, which is that I may be the first to do many things,” she added. “I’m going to make sure I’m not the last.”

Unlike Calhoun, who spent eight years accumulating his total, Harris reached 31 in 2 1/2 years. It’s a reflection of her unique circumstances, with a narrowly divided Senate and a sharply partisan atmosphere.

“It really says more about our time, and our political climate, than it does about anything else,” said Joel K. Goldstein, a vice presidential historian. “Our politics is so polarized that, even on the sort of matters that in the past would have flown through, it takes the vice president to cast a tiebreaking vote.”

The occasion was hardly memorable or particularly ceremonial. Harris spent only a few minutes in the chamber, reciting a brief script to record her vote, and then received congratulations from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

Under the Constitution, presiding over the Senate and breaking ties is one of the only constitutional duties of the vice president. Schumer described it as an “immense burden,” and he said Harris has “carried out her duties with supreme excellence” in the midst of “all the other demands she faces” in her job.

Harris had expected to get a reprieve from that role after the midterm elections, when Democrats expanded their majority from 50 to 51 votes.

But circumstances intervened. Sen. John Fetterman, a newly elected Democrat from Pennsylvania, was hospitalized for clinical depression. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., contracted shingles and was hospitalized as well.

The absences revived Harris’ string of tiebreakers. Earlier this year she helped confirm two federal judges, one in Massachusetts and the other in California.

Both Fetterman and Feinstein have returned to the Senate, but contested nominations can still require Harris’ presence, such as on Wednesday.

Harris did not seem eager to make history with tiebreaker votes when she became vice president. Before taking office, she wrote in the San Francisco Chronicle that “it is my hope that rather than come to the point of a tie, the Senate will instead find common ground and do the work of the American people.”

But tiebreakers swiftly became a core part of her job. The task could prove frustrating at times, limiting her travel and keeping her tethered to unpredictable events on Capitol Hill.

However, it also meant that Harris cast deciding votes on issues like the American Rescue Plan, a $1.9-trillion pandemic relief measure, and the Inflation Reduction Act, which limited the costs of prescription drugs and created financial incentives or clean energy.

“It’s a blessing,” Goldstein said, “because it associates her with some important accomplishments of the Biden administration.”

After Nearly 30 Years, There’s Movement in the Case of Tupac Shakur’s Killing. Here’s What we Know

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Jul 20, 2023

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After Nearly 30 Years, There’s Movement in the Case of Tupac Shakur’s Killing. Here’s What we Know

By JONATHAN LANDRUM JR., AP Entertainment Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) — An investigation into Tupac Shakur’s unsolved killing has been revived. It took nearly three decades, but a new twist came when authorities in Nevada served a search warrant this week in connection with the rap star’s shooting death, they confirmed Tuesday.

Here’s what to know about one of the most infamous fatal shootings in hip-hop history:

WHAT’S NEW IN THE INVESTIGATION?

Las Vegas police served a search warrant in connection to the killing of Shakur, who was gunned down Sept. 7, 1996.

The warrant was executed Monday in the nearby city of Henderson. It’s unclear what they were looking for or where they searched.

Citing the ongoing investigation, a police spokesperson said he couldn’t provide further details on the latest development in the case, including whether a suspect has been identified.

WHAT HAPPENED THE NIGHT SHAKUR DIED?

The 25-year-old rapper was traveling in a black BMW driven by Death Row Records founder Marion “Suge” Knight in a convoy of about 10 cars, apparently headed to a nightclub, after watching Mike Tyson knock out Bruce Seldon in a championship fight at the MGM Grand.

After the fight, Shakur, Knight and associates were involved in a fight at the hotel.

While driving down the Las Vegas Strip, a white Cadillac with four men inside pulled alongside the BMW while it was stopped at a red light. One person opened fire, riddling the passenger side of Knight’s car with bullets, police said. Sitting in the passenger seat, Shakur was shot four times, at least twice in the chest. Knight was grazed by a bullet fragment or shrapnel from the car.

Shakur was rushed to a hospital, where he died six days later.

WHAT IS THE RAPPER’S LEGACY?

Shakur is one of the most prolific figures in hip-hop, also known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli. His professional music career only lasted five years, but he sold more than 75 million records worldwide, including the diamond-certified album “All Eyez on Me,” which was packed with hits including “California Love (Remix),” “I Ain’t Mad at Cha” and “How Do U Want It.”

Shakur has had five No. 1 albums including “Me Against the World” in 1995 and “All Eyez on Me” in 1996, along with three posthumous releases: 1996’s “The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory,” 2001’s “Until the End of Time” and 2004’s “Loyal to the Game.”

The six-time Grammy-nominated artist was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame by Snoop Dogg in 2017.

As a rising actor, Shakur starred in several popular films such as John Singleton’s “Poetic Justice” with Janet Jackson and Ernest Dickerson’s “Juice.” He also played major roles in “Gang Related” and “Above the Rim.”

In April, a five-part FX docuseries called “ Dear Mama: The Saga of Afeni and Tupac Shakur” delved into the past of the rapper’s mother, Afeni Shakur, as a female leader in the Black Panther Party, while exploring Tupac’s journey as a political visionary and becoming one of the greatest rap artists of all time.

Last month, Shakur received a posthumous star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

“He defied the distinction between art and activism,” said radio personality Big Boy, who emceed the ceremony.

Shakur has been remembered with museum exhibits, including “Tupac Shakur. Wake Me When I’m Free” in 2021 and “All Eyez on Me” at the Grammy Museum in 2015. He’ll soon have a stretch of an Oakland street renamed after him.

WHAT ABOUT HIS BIGGEST RIVALRY?

Shakur’s death came amid his feud with rap rival the Notorious B.I.G., who was fatally shot six months later. At the time, both rappers were in the middle of the infamous East Coast-West Coast rivalry, which primarily defined the hip-hop scene during the mid-1990s.

The feud was ignited after Shakur was seriously wounded in another shooting during a robbery in the lobby of a midtown Manhattan hotel in 1994. He was shot several times and lost $40,000.

Shakur openly accused B.I.G. and Sean “Diddy” Combs of having prior knowledge of the shooting, which both vehemently denied. The shooting sparked enough of a feud that created a serious divide within the hip-hop community and fans.

The New York-born Shakur represented the West Coast after he signed with the Los Angeles-based Death Row Records. He often traded verbal jabs with New York-natives B.I.G. and Combs, who hailed from the East Coast while representing New York City-based Bad Boy Records.

Diss tracks were seemingly delivered to drive home their ferocious points across. Shakur released the aggressive single “Hit ’Em Up,” which took aim at B.I.G., who on the other hand returned with “Who Shot Ya?,” a record that was received as a taunt. However, B.I.G. claimed the song was not directed toward Shakur.

HBCUs Revamping Admissions Policies Amid Affirmative Action Decision

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Jul 20, 2023

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HBCUs Revamping Admissions Policies Amid Affirmative Action Decision

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

In the wake of the Supreme Court’s recent decision to end affirmative action in college admissions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have taken steps to adapt their admissions policies.

With the expected increase in applicants, HBCUs reportedly are gearing up to become more selective, aiming to maintain the quality of education they provide.
Last month’s ruling by the high court, which prohibits colleges from considering race during the admissions process, has sent ripples through the academic landscape.
For many universities, affirmative action has been crucial for fostering diversity and inclusion.

While not entirely unexpected, the decision poses a significant challenge to HBCUs, which have historically played a pivotal role in educating Black graduates and promoting racial diversity.

The Root reported that HBCU leaders anticipate a surge in applications from students seeking environments that encourage open discussions about race during the admissions process.

The schools have long served as bastions of support for Black students, especially in the face of systemic challenges like underfunding, housing shortages, and aging infrastructure.
Compared to predominantly white institutions, The Root noted that HBCUs have also struggled with subpar cybersecurity measures and limited WiFi access, further adding to their uphill battle.

“If our applicant pool doubles, we could not double our student body without seriously compromising the quality of our education,” David A. Thomas, the President of Atlanta’s prestigious Morehouse College, told the outlet.

With Morehouse College expecting a significant surge in applications over the next three years, maintaining its commitment to providing an economically diverse student body is at the forefront of its agenda, Thomas asserted.

To combat some aspects of the Supreme Court’s ruling, Aminta Hawkins Breaux, President of Bowie State University, suggested the inclusion of an essay component in admission applications as a possible measure.
She said that approach would allow students to reflect on their experiences and articulate the importance of race in their lives and aspirations.

Meanwhile, Morgan State University’s Admissions officials reportedly are contemplating using essay prompts or letters of recommendation to encourage applicants to engage in meaningful discussions about race.

As the spotlight shines brightly on HBCUs after the affirmative action verdict, officials at those schools maintain that they are determined to rise to the challenge and continue their commitment to fostering diverse, inclusive, and intellectually stimulating environments.

“Historically Black colleges and universities are carrying an outsized burden to diversify so many industries in America,” Howard University President Wayne A.I. Frederick, said in a nationally televised interview.
“We represent only 3% of the higher [education] institutions, but we are responsible for 25% of the bachelor’s degrees,” he said.
Frederick called the court’s decision, “unfortunate.”

He added that, “By not allowing race to be considered in admissions elsewhere, you can put an even more outsized burden on historically Black colleges and universities who don’t have the capacity to carry that type of a burden.”
Frederick further acknowledged that HBCUs admissions decisions now will become more complicated.

“Obviously, we all are going to be kind of avoiding lawsuits, and so trying to have a very sterile process,” he asserted.
“It is going to be almost impossible, and trying to create one is going to be far more difficult today given this ruling. So I think that we are all going to have to look at the rules very carefully.”

Finally, Fredrick told CNN that the ruling could put an additional burden on HBCUs to produce more graduates to work in various industries and set up institutions to worry about legal challenges that could be presented over admissions.
“So, it is going to be a road that is going to require a lot more resources. I think that for institutions that don’t have as many resources could be blindsided by lawsuits about this,” Frederick said.

Divided, Assembly Committee Advances GOP Child Sex Bill After Public Outrage, Gov. Intervention

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Jul 20, 2023

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Divided, Assembly Committee Advances GOP Child Sex Bill After Public Outrage, Gov. Intervention

By Antonio Ray Harvey, California Black Media

Tensions mounted in Sacramento when the California Assembly Public Safety Committee – including three members of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) — blocked a bill proposing increased criminal penalties for repeat offenders involved in sex trafficking children.

Senate Bill (SB) 14 proposes adding sex trafficking of minors to the list of “serious” crimes under California’s Three Strikes law, which increases prison sentences to 25 years for defendants convicted of previous felonies.

Under the provisions of SB 14, if a defendant is charged with a “violent sex crime, “plea bargaining is prohibited unless there is insufficient evidence to prove the people’s case, or testimony of a material witness cannot be obtained.”

The bill’s author, Sen. Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield), said the need for SB 14 is obvious.

“Trafficking of children is a growing tragedy that disproportionately targets minority girls, and California is a hotbed because of our lenient penalties,” Grove said during the Public Safety Committee’s SB 14 hearing.

Public Safety Committee Chair Reggie Jones-Sawyer (D-Los Angeles) was among several Democrats who did not vote for the bill when it came before the committee on July 11. Many of these Democrats are vocal opponents of the over-incarceration of Black men, women and children in California.

“SB14 makes no new corrective actions or enhancements to laws already in place,” Jones-Sawyer said in a statement after the committee’s “no” vote.

Opponents of SB 14 argue that while the bill may seem like a tough and reasonable measure to prevent heinous sexual crimes against vulnerable children, hidden are the bill’s harmful side effects. They claim the bill is ineffective as a deterrent to sex trafficking and its penalties would destabilize minority communities, particularly Black and low-income families. Additionally, they argue that the bill would have adverse effects on victims of sexual crimes, contribute to recidivism, and perpetuate the poverty-to-prison pipeline.

Some members of the Assembly Public Safety Committee also support refocusing California’s criminal justice system from punishing felons to rehabilitating them as a means to reduce repeat offenses and address prison overpopulation as mandated by the U.S. Supreme Court.

“Longer sentences don’t actually stop things from happening,” said Assembly Majority Leader and CLBC member Isaac Bryan (D-Ladera Heights). “All they do is increase our investment in systems of harm and subjugation.”

On July 13, Bryan supported his argument tweeting, “The people most vulnerable to being charged with trafficking are the victims of trafficking themselves. Charges are used to leverage their cooperation in prosecution and their survivor status is erased with many currently incarcerated in both youth and adult prisons.”

Critics of SB 14, also point out that Black offenders are “heavily overrepresented” among people serving sentences with “third-strike enhancements, according to a 2022 California Policy Lab study, “Three Strikes In California.”

The evening after the vote, Grove held a press conference expressing her frustration with her Democratic colleagues but declaring her willingness to work with them to pass the bill.

However, a Democratic staffer close to the Safety Committee’s review of SB 14 who asked to remain anonymous, revealed to California Black Media that Grove was not willing to accept amendments to the bill.

After the Public Safety Committee vote, Gov. Gavin Newsom and newly elected Assembly Speaker, Robert Rivas (D-Hollister), intervened. According to Grove, the Governor contacted her to express his disappointment with the committee’s failure to pass the bill and offered to help see the legislation through the process.

Before the Assembly held a special hearing on SB14 on July 13, Newsom and Rivas both urged Jones-Sawyer to work on a resolution with Grove. On June 12, Jones-Sawyer agreed to meet with Grove. The next day, he announced that the Public Safety committee would reconsider the bill, even though Assembly Democrats had blocked a full floor vote on it. However, Jones-Sawyer cautioned that the bill needed to be amended, which Grove indicated in her press conference was not an option.

“Human trafficking is a serious crime. But SB14 needs to be fixed. It could charge trafficking victims and children with a felony. We are going to improve this bill and provide justice for victims,” Jones-Sawyer tweeted on July 13.

The same day, the Assembly Public Safety Committee reconsidered SB 14 and advanced it with a 6-0 vote.

“Today is a victory for every survivor. However, the battle is not over. SB 14 must still go through the Assembly Appropriations Committee when legislators return from summer recess,” Grove said as she celebrated the committee’s approval.

Jones-Sawyer voted “yes” on SB 14 the second time around, along with Republican committee members Tom Lackey (R-Palmdale) and Juan Alanis (R-Modesto). Three Democrats, Liz Ortega (D-San Leandro),

Rick Chavez Zbur (D-Santa Monica) and Miguel Santiago (D-Inglewood) also voted to pass SB 14 out of the committee.

CLBC members on the committee, Bryan and Mia Bonta (D-Alameda) abstained from voting for the bill.

During the hearing on July 11, Grove referenced California’s Ebony Alert law, introduced by CLBC Vice Chair Steven Bradford (D-Gardena), which increases resources to locate missing Black youth and women.

“The coalition to Abolish Slavery and Human Trafficking in Los Angeles, California Noted that 50% of their domestic trafficking clients are Black and over 90% of women in their emergency shelters program are Black,” Grove stated.

April Grayson, a formerly incarcerated woman and human trafficking survivor, sees the problem differently.

Grayson reminded the Assembly that human trafficking is already a crime on the books in California punishable by as much as 15 years to life during the hearing.

“I have to remind the authors in this committee that this bill will actively harm any survivors of human trafficking — especially, the Black, Brown, Native, poor, LGBTQ women, and trans survivors who are already the least likely to see justice,” Grayson said.

Robert Marquel Young

Digital Editor

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Jul 20, 2023

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Robert Marquel Young was born on January 9, 1969 in Cleveland, OH. He was the firstborn to Carol and Robert Young. The family moved from Cleveland to Hawaii when Robert was a young boy. Shortly after, they made their roots in San Diego, California in 1970.

Robert was a big-hearted, adventurous, sports-loving kid, but mostly, he perfected
the role of big brother. Robert played in the little league for the Dodgers at Southeast and Pop Warner for Valencia Park. It was through youth sports that he developed several close, lifelong friendships.

Robert attended and graduated from Morse High School and was a star cornerback on the football team. He also wrote for the school newspaper. Robert got his first job laying base in construction and used his earnings to get his first apartment at the age of 18.

Robert married Shalisa Wilson in 2001, and the couple welcomed their only child
together, Marquel Thomas Young.

Robert worked as a Skycap at the San Diego International Airport. However, most
of the work he did throughout his life revolved around cooking. Robert loved his wife, family, and old school music. He was a bonafide Rastafarian, and a die-hard Lakers, Raiders, and Ohio State Buckeyes fan. He called basketball a game of poetry in motion.

Robert’s favorite TV shows were Martin, Everybody Loves Raymond, Perry Mason, and 60 Minutes. His favorite movies were Titanic and The Hunt for Red October. Robert also enjoyed reading, mostly the Bible and Moby Dick, or anything written by Assata Shakur, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Coretta Scott King.

On June 18, 2023, the day of his transition, the last words he heard were of scripture that he asked to be read to him; “It’s more blessed to give than to receive.”

Robert is survived by his wife of 29 years; Shalisa, his sons; Robert Mandela Young and Marquel Thomas Young, siblings; Marie Young of the Philippines, Kimberly McMann, Reese (Nina) Young and Kaci (Jamone) Patterson, who all live in Los Angeles, mother-in-law Emma Wilson of San Diego, sister-in-law Sadalya Diamond, brother-in-law Stefan Wilson, uncles; Ted Johnson, William Mines, Gary Henderson, Rodney Henderson, and Thomas “Skip” Appling, aunts; Anita Miller and Valerie Appling, best friends; Morgan Long and Tim Robertson, Donnie, Lamont, Cass Jr, a host of extended family including first, second, and third cousins, nieces and nephews, church family, and friends.

Vercie Carmon-Johnson

Obituaries

Digital Editor

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Jul 20, 2023

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Vercie Carmon-Johnson was born August 2, 1940 and called by her Maker on June 25, 2023. Her legacy will forever be etched in the hearts and minds of people who knew her as a somewhat private, yet very caring, dedicated, and loving person.

She devoted her life to educating children and adults. Vercie labored, without counting the cost, as an educator for The Diocese of Lafayette, Archdiocese of New Orleans, Diocese of San Diego, San Diego Community College District, the University of San Diego, and San Diego Unified School District, where she held different positions throughout her career.

Although she had no biological children, she considered all of her nieces and nephews as her children. Each of them was her favorite.

Vercie was devoted to her church, where she served in a variety of ministries. She was thankful and felt blessed to have been born into a staunch Roman Catholic family.

Family was important to Vercie. She made sure that special occasions in the life of family members were honored and celebrated.

Vercie is preceded in death by her loving parents Aristile and Edna Carmon, brothers; Bishop Dominic Carmon and Clifford Carmon, and sisters; Theresia Davis and Virginia Fonternot.

Survivors include her devoted husband Amos Johnson, Jr., brothers; Clifton (Ann) and
Aubrey, nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends whom she loved and admired.

Vercie will be honored at the following Memorial Services:

Thursday, July 27, 2023 Friday, July 28, 2023
10:30 a.m. 10:30 a.m.
New Creation Church Mission San Luis Rey Parish
3115 Altadena Avenue 4070 Mission Avenue
San Diego, CA 92105 Oceanside, CA 92057