For six and a half years, the neighborhood Jackie Robinson Family YMCA has hosted the Community Health and Resource Fair on the first Wednesday of every month from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Free resources including COVID-19 tests and vaccinations provided by JIREH Providers, breast exams for women, nutritional food distribution, and much more are continuously available to Southeastern San Diegan residents. This month was no different.
The Health Fair features booths that wrap around the entirety of the east YMCA wrap-around parking lot with tons of resources from healthcare providers and professionals made available to the public.
“A lot of people don’t take care of themselves as they should because they don’t know what [health care professionals] know,” said one of the many participating vendors. “This is why events like the Health Fair are important because we as [health care] providers have access to information and resources that the community would never know.”
The fair also features funky music from a live DJ, raffles that continue throughout the event, and point-based prizes that can be won for checking in with certain booths. Check out the next Community Health and Resource Fair, July 5th!
Living with dementia can be a frightening and fatiguing experience. People with the brain condition often suffer memory loss, confusion about time and place, and struggle to carry out day-to-day tasks.
Studies show that substance misuse and tumors can trigger various forms of the disease, but there’s a lesser-known risk factor appearing in research: quality of education.
A study published in JAMA Neurology in February found that people who attend school in states with lower education quality are more likely to develop dementia later in life.
The research by Kaiser Permanente revealed that its Black study participants were overly exposed to poor education compared to its white participants — a trend that impacts Black students nationwide.
Of the 20,778 Black and white adults who participated, 66 to 86% of Black adults attended low-quality schools versus 21 to 23% of white adults.
The authors determined a state’s quality of education by examining its school term length, student-teacher ratio, and attendance rates. Based on the results, the state was categorized as low-, medium-, or high-quality.
“Our study adds to the evidence that older Black individuals were unequally burdened by lower state-level educational quality,” Yenee Soh, lead author and research fellow with the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research, said in a statement. “Educational investments at the state level matter for dementia risk.”
Though only 14% of the national population, Black people account for one-third of all Americans with Alzheimer’s and other dementias.
Each participant was born in the United States between 1902 and 1931 — a time period known as the Jim Crow era, when schools were legally segregated, and Black students lacked access to quality learning material. And in the century before, it was illegal for enslaved Black folks to learn to read or write.
“This study underscores the importance of investing in education quality accessible by all for us to reach our goal of healthy brain aging for all,” Paola Gilsanz, a senior author and an investigator with the Division of Research, said in a statement.
Inequity in education didn’t disappear with Brown v. Board.
Black children are currently more likely to attend a high-poverty school, be suspended, and less likely to be college-ready. This translates to less time in the classroom and a higher risk for dementia.
“Differential investment in high-quality education due to structural racism may contribute to dementia disparities,” the authors wrote.
This may be true for the 1.1 million Black Americans living with Alzheimer’s disease. Though only 14% of the national population, Black people account for one-third of all Americans with Alzheimer’s and other dementias.
The authors say “cognitive reserve” may be the reason education and dementia are connected. When a person accesses a higher quality of education, it increases their brain’s ability to cope with aging and disease.
Higher educational quality may also lead to financial stability, which could provide more access to resources that protect health.
By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
In a move that reflects a determination to avoid any accusations of delay or sluggishness, Federal Judge Aileen M. Cannon, overseeing the prosecution of former President Donald J. Trump in the classified documents case, announced an ambitious timeline on Tuesday, with the trial set to commence as early as August 14.
Although the judge’s proposed timeline may face delays due to extensive pretrial litigation, particularly regarding handling classified material, her swift approach suggests a commitment to expediting the proceedings.
Due to Cannon’s relative inexperience as a judge, her earlier actions received much attention and criticism.
Last year, she disrupted the document investigation with several rulings in favor of the former president, only to have her decisions overturned by a conservative appeals court, which cited her lack of legitimate legal authority to intervene.
Brandon L. Van Grack, a former federal prosecutor with expertise in national security-related complex criminal cases, expressed doubt that the trial date would hold, given that the process of providing the defense with classified evidence during discovery has yet to commence.
Nevertheless, Van Grack told the New York Times that Judge Cannon appeared determined to move the case forward promptly.
“It signals that the court is at least trying to do everything it can to move the case along and that it’s important that the case proceed quickly,” Van Grack commented.
“Even though it’s unlikely to hold, it’s at least a positive signal – positive in the sense that all parties and the public should want this case to proceed as quickly as possible.”
In public statements following the recent indictment of Trump and his aide, Walt Nauta on 37 federal counts, two weeks ago in Miami’s Federal District Court, Special Counsel Jack Smith, who oversaw the investigation, emphasized his desire for a speedy trial.
The schedule outlined in Judge Cannon’s order aligns with that objective, requiring all pretrial motions to be filed by July 24.
The judge also ruled that the trial and all related hearings will be held in Fort Pierce, a small town in the northern region of the Southern District of Florida.
Trump’s arraignment took place at the federal courthouse in Miami.
NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball will stage a Negro Leagues tribute game at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama, on June 20, 2024, between the San Francisco Giants and the St. Louis Cardinals.
The 10,800-seat stadium, opened in 1910, is the oldest professional ballpark in the U.S. and a National Historic Site. The stadium was home to the Birmingham Black Barons from 1924-60.
The game will honor Hall of Famer Willie Mays, a Birmingham native who began his professional career with the team in 1948.
MLB said Tuesday it is staging the game around the Juneteenth holiday, which commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans in Texas in 1865. There also will be a Double-A game at the ballpark between the Birmingham Barons and Montgomery Biscuits of the Southern League on June 18.
St. Louis will be the home team for the June 20 game, scheduled to start shortly after 7 p.m. EDT and to be televised nationally on Fox. Period uniforms will be used relating to the Negro Leagues history of San Francisco and St. Louis.
“The legacy of the Negro Leagues and its greatest living player, Willie Mays, is one of excellence and perseverance,” baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. “We look forward to sharing the stories of the Negro Leagues throughout this event next year.”
Mays, 92, is generally considered baseball’s greatest living player. After playing with Birmingham, he signed with the New York Giants and was voted the 1951 National League Rookie of the Year as the Giants won the NL pennant.
A World Series champion with the Giants in 1954, Mays was a 24-time All-Star, tied with Stan Musial for second-most behind Hank Aaron’s 25. Mays won the 1954 major league batting title and was voted NL MVP in 1954 and 1965.
“I can’t believe it. I never thought I’d see in my lifetime a Major League Baseball game being played on the very field where I played baseball as a teenager,” Mays said in a statement. “It has been 75 years since I played for the Birmingham Black Barons at Rickwood Field, and to learn that my Giants and the Cardinals will play a game there and honor the legacy of the Negro Leagues and all those who came before them is really emotional for me. We can’t forget what got us here and that was the Negro Leagues for so many of us.”
MLB will work with the City of Birmingham and Friends of Rickwood to renovate the ballpark, the home of the minor league Barons from 1910-1961, 1964-65, 1981-87. The Barons have played since 2013 at Regions Field, about 3 miles away, and shift one game annually to Rickwood in a tribute to the team’s history.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Dr. Dre will need to make room in his trophy case for another prestigious award.
The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers said on Tuesday that Dr. Dre will receive the first-ever ASCAP Hip-Hop Icon Award. He’ll be honored at the organization’s Rhythm & Soul Music Awards on Thursday in Los Angeles.
“Dr. Dre’s groundbreaking early work laid a foundation for hip-hop as we know it today,” Paul Williams, chairman of the board and president at ASCAP. “As a champion for some of today’s biggest artists and a successful entrepreneur, he changed the culture around hip-hop.”
The honor Dre is receiving will be presented to ASCAP members whose musical contributions have made an “indelible impact” on the art and culture of hip-hop.
DJ Kid Capri and DJ Drama will provide music for Thursday’s event, which will celebrate 50 years of hip-hop.
Dre, a seven-time Grammy winner, has produced big hits for Jay-Z, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Gwen Stefani, Kendrick Lamar, Nas and 50 Cent. He won his first Emmy for last year’s Super Bowl halftime performance with Eminem, Mary J. Blige, Snoop Dogg, Lamar and 50 Cent.
The prolific producer emerged from the West Coast gangster rap scene alongside Eazy-E and Ice Cube as part of the group N.W.A., which made a major mark in the hip-hop culture and music industry with controversial lyrics in the late 1980s.
Earlier this year, Dr. Dre celebrated the 30th anniversary of “The Chronic” with a re-release of his highly acclaimed debut studio album. In 2010, he was honored with the ASCAP’s Founders Award.
By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
The Grammy Awards have issued changes to address how artificial intelligence (AI) affects music.
Among the revisions is a rule stating that only “human creators” are eligible to win the music industry’s highest honor.
According to the Associated Press, under the newly released “Artificial Intelligence (AI) Protocols,” a work lacking human authorship will be deemed ineligible for any category.
AI-inspired works will be accepted if a human creator has made a significant contribution to the music or lyrics, according to decisions made at last month’s Academy Board of Trustees meeting.
The requirements specify that the human authorship component must be significant.
Paul McCartney recently announced that a new Beatles record was created using artificial intelligence technology by using an old demo of John Lennon’s voice.
The utilization of AI in music has garnered attention in recent years, with instances where AI has regenerated or even impersonated artists like the late Notorious B.I.G and the imprisoned R. Kelly.
Even family members of the late King of Pop, Michael Jackson, have publicly doubted some of his posthumous releases as authentic.
These developments have prompted the Recording Academy to ensure integrity and human involvement in the creative process.
In addition to the AI rule, the Recording Academy has made changes to other categories.
In the Album of the Year category, a music creator must now account for at least 20% of the work to be eligible for a nomination.
That includes all credited artists, featured artists, songwriters, producers, engineers, mixers, and mastering engineers.
The modification differs from a decision made in 2021, which allowed anyone who worked on the album to receive a nomination.
Nominees eligible for the “Big Four” categories, Best New Artist, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and Record of the Year, have been reduced from ten to eight.
The academy said it aims to streamline the competition and enhance the prestige of being nominated in these highly coveted categories.
The Recording Academy has also revised the requirements for the “Best Music Film” category.
Previously, 50% of the documentary footage had to be performance-based, but this requirement has now been lifted to accommodate the evolving music documentary format.
The change acknowledges that music documentaries often combine actual and archival footage, as seen in Apple TV’s “Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry.”
However, biopics and dramatic feature films remain ineligible for this category.
Music videos that are part of a visual album are now eligible for awards, as seen with Beyoncé’s “Lemonade” film in 2016.
The Recording Academy said it updated its system to keep up with changes in music creation and maintain high standards for the Grammy Awards.
Officials said that by limiting AI’s role in music and refining the criteria for various categories, the academy seeks to celebrate and honor the enduring power of human creativity in the industry.
By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
Chicago, IL – The Chicago Police Board voted 5-3 on Thursday to terminate the employment of Sergeant Alex Wolinski due to his involvement in a botched raid in 2019.
The incident involved a raid on the home of Anjanette Young, a Black woman who was wrongfully handcuffed while naked after police officers were sent to the incorrect address.
According to a comprehensive 31-page written ruling, Wolinski was found to have committed multiple rules violations and displayed a “failure of leadership” during the ill-fated operation at Young’s apartment on Chicago’s Near West Side.
The Chicago Sun-Times reported that the ruling cited the sergeant’s actions as grounds for his dismissal.
Young, a social worker, was preparing for bed in February 2019 when several officers armed with a no-knock warrant forcefully entered her residence to pursue a man believed to have an illegal firearm.
Police body-camera footage from the raid revealed that officers handcuffed Young, who was completely unclothed at the time, despite her repeated assertions that they had arrived at the wrong location.
The city’s law department acknowledged that Young remained naked for approximately 16 seconds as officers claimed they struggled to keep a covering on her before finally allowing her to dress several minutes later.
The mishandling of the raid and subsequent actions by the city administration triggered widespread outrage among the clergy, lawmakers, and civil rights activists, who vehemently condemned the incident as racially motivated and an affront to the dignity of a Black woman.
Consequently, Young filed a lawsuit against the city, ultimately leading to the Chicago City Council unanimously approving a $2.9 million settlement in December 2021.
In response to Wolinski’s termination, Young, through a statement issued by her legal representatives, expressed that the decision was just a small step towards the justice she had been seeking.
She empathized with Wolinski’s family but voiced her wish that all eight members of the Chicago Police Board had recognized the urgency and necessity of his removal.
Former Police Superintendent David Brown initiated administrative charges against Wolinski in November 2021, strongly recommending his dismissal.
The sergeant, who had been a member of the Chicago Police Department since 2002, was accused of violating eight departmental rules, including inattention to duty, disobedience of an order, and mistreatment of individuals.
In addition to the board’s ruling, the Civilian Office of Police Accountability also called for Wolinski’s termination, and the suspension of several other officers involved in the raid.
However, no other officers have faced charges from the Police Board concerning the incident.
The raid occurred before former Mayor Lori Lightfoot assumed office in May 2019.
But her administration subsequently attempted to prevent the release of police video footage of the incident on television and rejected Young’s Freedom of Information request to obtain the footage.
Young eventually obtained the footage through her lawsuit.
By Joe Bowers and Edward Henderson, California Black Med
In Appearance on Sean Hannity Show, Gov. Newsom Defends Record; Pushes Back on Go-To Conservative Putdowns
Last week, Fox News TV host Sean Hannity interviewed Gov. Gavin Newsom at the Governor’s Mansion in Sacramento.
The back-and-forth between Newsom and Hannity was intense at times, but remained civil, overall.
The two men, who have polar opposite political views, sparred over a range of issues, including immigration, taxes, and gun control.
Newsom defended his record and achievements and pushed back on favorite Republican criticisms of him, President Joe Biden and the Democratic party.
On immigration reform and building a border wall, Newsom said, “I want to address all these issues, but I want to do it in a rational way and not just bastardize the conversation as exclusively about the border,” said Newsom.
London Breed, San Francisco Mayor Screenshot from the Sean Hannity and Gov. Newsom interview. // California Black Media
California Legislature Passes $311.7 Billion Budget: Proposal Contrasts With Governor’s $306.5 Billion Plan
On June 12, the California Legislature passed a $311.7 billion state budget.
In the Legislature’s proposal, some transit, climate change and childcare funding that Governor Newsom proposed cutting in his $306.5 billion spending plan, which was released in May, would be restored.
The Legislative Analyst’s Office projects that there will be a $34.5 billion deficit. To minimize the impact of this gap, the Legislature is proposing a mix of spending and revenue delays, cuts and shifts.
In their budget plan, lawmakers have chosen not to use $450 million from the state’s Safety Net Reserve unlike Newsom’s proposal. The plan rejects $2 billion in cuts to the Transportation Infrastructure Package. Bay Area and Los Angeles leaders were strong lobbyists for restoring the transportation funds. It also rejects a plan to delay funding for 20,000 subsidized child-care slots for low-income families and proposes releasing them on July 1, 2024. Lawmakers additionally committed $1 billion for another round of Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention grants.
If legislators had failed to approve a budget by June 15, they would not have gotten paid. However, negotiations with Newsom’s administration will continue through June 30. The governor must sign the final budget by July 1, the start of the new fiscal year.
The Governor and legislators will continue to make adjustments through trailer bills after that deadline.
After Charges, What’s Next for L.A. City Councilmember Curren Price?
A day after Los Angeles City Councilmember Curren Price was charged with five counts of grand theft by embezzlement, three counts of perjury and two counts of conflict of interest, LA City Council President Paul Krekorian filed a motion to suspend the Black City Council member. Price is a 10-year veteran of the city council.
Price has not resigned from the city council, but he stepped down from his position as president pro tempore and gave up committee assignments. Some Black Angelinos say Price’s loss of power points to the dwindling significance of African Americans in the leadership of California’s largest city.
“While I navigate through the judicial system to defend my name against unwarranted charges filed against me, the last thing I want to do is be a distraction to the people’s business,” Price said in a statement.
If Price is convicted, he would permanently lose his council seat, and his constituents would be left without a voting representative. Price is serving his third and final term on the council and was expected to leave in 2026.
“You’ve Never Lived It”: S.F. Mayor Breed Defends Decision to Arrest Drug Users
Mayor London Breed has been adamant in defense of her policy to arrest and detain drug users to get them into treatment programs.
Breed has directed the San Francisco Police Department to use public intoxication laws to make these arrests. So far, officers have cited or arrested 38 people under the “Intoxication Detention Program.”
Tensions flared over Breed’s policies during a Board of Supervisors’ meeting on June 13.
“Here we go, another White man talking about Black and Brown people as if you’re the savior of these people,” Breed told Supervisor Dean Preston, a frequent critic of both the mayor and police.
Preston interrogated the mayor on her plans to open wellness hubs for overdose prevention, as well as the recent drug-related arrests. Preston quoted from a Department of Public Health report that discouraged “punitive policies” and noted that Black, Brown and Indigenous communities have long been targeted by drug crackdowns.
“The fact is, it’s not just services; it’s also force,” Breed responded, using the example of a friend who had entered treatment after an arrest. “You can quote all these statistics all you want, but at the end of the day, you’ve never lived in it.”
Under Fed Ruling, Gig Workers Could Find It Easier to Unionize
On June 13, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) broadened the requirements for independent contractor classification. This ruling could open the door for new workers to organize, form unions and go on strike against their employers. Under existing labor law, only workers with employee status are allowed to unionize.
Gig economy workers such as Uber/Lift and DoorDash drivers as well as app-based healthcare workers would benefit from the ruling. About 16% of Americans have earned income in the gig economy according to a 2021 study.
“Applying this clear standard will ensure that workers who seek to organize or exercise their rights under the National Labor Relations Act are not improperly excluded from its protections,” NLRB Chair Lauren McFerran said in a statement.
Back in March, justices in the California court of appeals ruled that Proposition 22 (a ballot measure from 2020 that allowed Lyft, Uber and other gig economy platforms to classify their workers as independent contractors rather than employees) was constitutional. This proved troublesome for gig economy workers because they would not be eligible for certain benefits traditional employees receive such as health care and other insurance options.
Advocates Say Trailer Bill Language Will Weaken California’s Police Decertification Law
Last week, the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment Action held a press conference to speak out against new trailer bill language that could be passed along with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposed budget.
Their fear is the new language could counteract Senate Bill (SB) 2, a bill Newsom signed into law in 2021 that details harsh penalties for serious police misconduct including revoking their certifications. This would prevent officers from being employed by another department in California.
“What is happening here is that the administration is moving forward endorsing a policy in the dark that actually puts records of police officer misconduct in the dark,” said Carmen-Nicole Cox, Director of Government Affairs for ACLU California Action. “We cannot use a secret policy to remove police transparency.”
The press conference took place on the heels of a scandal within the Antioch Police Department involving 45 officers who were part of a text thread that included racist, misogynistic and homophobic messages.
Under SB 2, the certifications of officers involved in the thread could be revoked. However, the trailer bill language could keep instances like this out of the public eye.
“In various communications discovered, these officers wrote in great detail how they have assaulted, beaten, lied and falsified testimonials and evidence to incarcerate Black and Brown residents,” said Tamisha Torres-Walker, Mayor Pro Tem of the City of Antioch.
Former LA Councilmember Mike Bonin Joins Growing Number of California Leaders Who Have Endorsed U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee’s Run for U.S. Senate
On June 13, former Los Angeles Councilmember Mike Bonin — recognized as a leading progressive voice in California politics — endorsed the candidacy of Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA-12) for U.S. Senate.
“Barbara Lee has always been first in line to take on the
most important battles that face us. She was one of the first legislators to fight for survivors of domestic violence, to prioritize the fight against poverty, and to sign onto Medicare for All and a Green New Deal,” said Bonin.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration has proposed an end to public disclosure of investigations of abusive and corrupt police officers, handing the responsibility instead to local agencies in an effort to help cover an estimated $31.5 billion budget deficit.
The proposal, part of the governor’s budget package that he is still negotiating with the Legislature, has prompted strong criticism from a coalition of criminal justice and press freedom groups, which spent years pushing for the disclosure rules that were part of a landmark law Newsom signed in 2021.
The law allows the state Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training to investigate and decertify police officers for misconduct, such as use of excessive force, sexual assault and dishonesty. It requires the commission to make public the records of decertification cases.
The Newsom administration now wants to get rid of that transparency element. The commission says the public could still get the records from police departments. But advocates say local police departments often resist releasing that information.
A number of states with a police decertification process, including Republican-led ones such as Tennessee and Georgia, require state agencies to divulge records of police misconduct.
In Tennessee, records made available through the requirement provided a slew of new details on police officers’ actions when they brutally beat Tyre Nichols, a Black man, during a traffic stop earlier this year. Those details, released by the state police certification commission, were not previously made public by the local police department.
“It’s a slap in the face to the family members who have had their loved ones stolen from them that … a key provision of the decertification process is not being honored,” J Vasquez, of social justice group Communities United For Restorative Justice, said at a news conference last week.
Removing the transparency element from the 2021 law would continue eroding public trust, Antioch Mayor Pro Tem Tamisha Torres-Walker said. The city, 45 miles (72 kilometers) east of San Francisco, was shaken after a federal investigation found more than half of the officers in the Antioch police force were in a group text where some officers freely used racial slurs and bragged about fabricating evidence and beating suspects.
“To say, ‘go to the very people who commit the crimes against your community and ask them to reveal themselves to you so that you can hold them accountable,’ I don’t think that’s a fair process,” Torres-Walker said.
The coalition of more than 20 groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union, also accused the Democratic governor of abusing the budget process to push through his proposal introduced in April.
Carmen-Nicole Cox, director of government affairs for ACLU California Action, said Newsom’s proposal should have gone through the traditional legislative process, instead of being put into the budget.
Democratic Sen. Steven Bradford, who authored the 2021 landmark bill, declined to comment on the proposed change.
The governor’s office referred questions to the commission, whose spokesperson said the proposed change is a cost-saving measure that would still allow the public to access information on decertification cases from local police departments. California is facing a nearly $32 billion budget deficit this year after enjoying several years of record-breaking surpluses and the proposal is one of many of Newsom’s cost-cutting measures.
Neither the governor’s office nor the commission shared how much money the state could save under the proposal.
According to a May budget request, the commission estimated it will handle up to 3,500 decertification cases each year. That’s about 4% of all officers in California. The commission, which has suspended or decertified 44 police officers so far this year, requested an additional $6 million to handle the large number of complaints.
“Because of the substantial fiscal implications, as well as the need to urgently implement these cost-saving measures into law, the budget process is the most appropriate avenue for this,” commission spokesperson Meagan Poulos said in a statement.
For decades, police officers in California have enjoyed layers of legal protections helping shield most of law enforcement misconduct records from public scrutiny, First Amendment Coalition Legal Director David Loy said.
In 2018, things began to shift after the Legislature passed a bill requiring the disclosure of records pertaining to police misconduct including use of excessive force, sexual assault and dishonesty. That law was expanded in 2021 to include the release of investigations into police racist or biased behavior, unlawful searches or arrests and use of unreasonable force.
The 2021 decertification law was hailed as another mechanism to hold law enforcement accountable.
“California has always been a black hole for police transparency,” said Loy, whose group is part of the coalition opposing the change. “The last thing California should be doing is taking any step backward on police transparency.”
The state Legislature passed its own version of the state budget Thursday to meet its deadline without including Newsom’s proposed change to the decertification process. Legislative leaders and the governor’s office will continue negotiations to finalize the budget by the end of the month.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Homeless people in California are already a vulnerable group, often struggling with poor health, trauma and deep poverty before they lose their housing, according to a new study on adult homelessness.
The study released Tuesday by the University of California, San Francisco attempts to capture a comprehensive picture of how people become homeless in California, and what impeded their efforts at finding permanent housing. The representative survey of nearly 3,200 homeless people found that when they lost housing, their median household income was $960 a month, and for renters on leases it was $1,400 a month, of which on average half went to rent.
Homelessness is a national crisis, and all too pervasive in California, where an estimated 171,000 people — or 30% of all homeless people in the U.S. — are homeless. Political leaders are divided over how to address the crisis, with some, including Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, favoring tent encampment sweeps and a tough-love approach toward those with mental health and addiction issues.
It it not groundbreaking news that the state’s exorbitant housing costs are a major driver behind homelessness, but researchers at the UCSF’s Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative hope that the study will strengthen public support for policies that focus on offering housing and emergency rental assistance — rather than policies emphasizing punishment or stigma.
“People are homeless because their rent is too high. And their options are too few. And they have no cushion,” said Dr. Margot Kushel, initiative director and lead investigator. “And it really makes you wonder how different things would look if we could solve that underlying problem.”
Kushel’s team surveyed nearly 3,200 adults around California, and followed up to conduct in-depth interviews with 365 people, between October 2021 and November 2022.
The study found that Black people made up 26% of the homeless population in a state where they are only 6% of the general population. About 90% of participants were living in California when they became homeless. Half reported an inability to work due to age, health or disability. The median length of homelessness was a little under two years.
More than a third of adults surveyed met the criteria for chronic homelessness, meaning they had a disabling condition and were homeless for at least 1 year — or were homeless four times in the previous three years totaling more than 12 months.
In Los Angeles in 2015, Sage Johnson’s mother was evicted from their apartment when she was unable to meet rent that had increased to $1,200. In disability pay, she received about $1,340 a month. She bounced around, from LA’s notorious Skid Row to various convalescent homes while her daughter lived at a shelter.
Later, Johnson, 28, was able to place her mother in a home, where she stayed for about two years. In 2018 though, her mother died from a debilitating stroke.
Johnson, who now has stable housing, wishes she could have done more.
“But in the end, she did have a bed. She was inside. She didn’t have any more strokes outside. And she was able to regenerate and rejuvenate and restore some of her life while in the convalescent home,” said Johnson, a co-chair for one of the study’s advisory boards.
Among study participants, substance abuse and issues with mental health were common and predated becoming homeless. Of those surveyed, 45% reported current, regular use of cocaine, amphetamines and opioids or heavy episodic drinking. Participants described how heavy substance use contributed to losing their homes, but also how methamphetamine usage allowed them to stay alert to protect themselves from assault or theft.
Nearly half of the adults surveyed were not on a lease in the six months prior to becoming homeless, and had likely moved in with family or friends, contributing to rent when they could. Nearly a quarter cited conflict among housemates, desire for more space or not wanting to impose any longer on family and friends as primary reasons they left.
On average, people surveyed who were not on leases received only one day of warning before needing to move out.
Among people on rental lease agreements, more than 20% cited income loss or reduction as the primary reason they lost housing. “So it wasn’t so much that their housing costs increased, it’s that they could no longer keep up with it,” said Kushel.
California ranks as the most unaffordable state when it comes to housing, according to an annual report by the National Low Income Housing Coalition. A person earning an hourly minimum wage of $15.50 would have to work nearly 90 hours a week to afford the statewide average for a modest one-bedroom rental, which is nearly $1,800 a month, the coalition states.
The study was requested by Newsom’s administration, which has made addressing homelessness a priority, but the state did not fund it so didn’t play a role in analyzing data or interpreting the findings.
The report makes many recommendations, including deep expansion of rental assistance and pilot programs to facilitate shared housing for people seeking to get out of homelessness — and a rental stipend program for people living temporarily with family or friends.
Johnson said she hopes the public will find the report’s findings to be evidence that tax dollars are being put to good use in social safety net spending. She also hopes that people will support robust mental health and addiction treatment services along with affordable housing options.
“I don’t want to set anyone up for failure,” she said. “And I’m sure many of my peers can agree that folks need time to practice going back to, like, regular society life.”
By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
Tennessee Democratic State Reps. Justin Pearson and Justin Jones are set to receive the 2023 NNPA National Legacy Awards at the National Newspaper Publishers Association’s summer convention in Nashville.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, who successfully prosecuted all the officers involved in the murder of George Floyd and penned a new book about the experience, will serve as the keynote for the week’s proceedings.
With the theme, “The Black Press of America: Amplifying Progress, Excellence, and Voices of Black America,” the conference kicks off on Wednesday, June 28, at the sprawling JW Marriott hotel in downtown Nashville.
A Chairman’s Reception is planned Wednesday evening at the National Museum of African American Music.
The NNPA Fund will host its annual Messenger Awards on Thursday, June 29, recognizing the best of Black-owned media.
A Civil Rights tour and presentations by Chelsea Lenora White, Tina Xiao, and Keith Collins will serve as additional highlights of the conference.
Grammy winner Keith Washington will perform at the annual Legacy Awards dinner on Friday, June 30.
General Motors, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Nissan, Reynolds, Pfizer Rare Disease, Google News Initiative, Wells Fargo, Diageo, Comcast-NBC Universal, and Intuit are among NNPA partners and sponsors.
In his new book, “Break the Wheel: Ending the Cycle of Police Violence,” Ellison recounts the arduous journey undertaken by his legal team to secure the conviction of the four police officers responsible for Floyd’s murder.
Despite the public availability of video evidence, Ellison sheds light on the challenges faced by prosecutors when seeking justice against law enforcement officers.
In the book, he emphasizes the difficult reality faced by prosecutors who often have personal relationships with police officers.
“These are people we work with. ‘This is the guy I met going to the picnic with. I’m playing golf with this guy.’ And so, it creates tension,” he said.
However, Ellison asserted that prosecutors must prioritize seeking justice impartially.
If unable to do so, the case should be handed over to the attorney general rather than allowing justice to be compromised.
The book highlights the critical argument made by Ellison that police reform across the country can create less stressful working conditions for officers.
By recounting the gripping details of the Derek Chauvin trial, Ellison takes readers through the prosecution’s journey, unveiling breakthroughs and revelations during a defining moment of racial reckoning and social justice awareness.
Chauvin is serving a more than 20-year federal sentence, while his ex-colleagues Tou Thao, J. Alexander Kueng, and Thomas Lane serve at least three years for their roles in Floyd’s death, including violating his civil rights.
Ellison recently told NPR he kept a diary about the officers’ trials.
He described how he broke down in tears when he saw the video of Floyd’s murder for the first time.
“For me, it was a gut check moment, one of those moments where you ask yourself, ‘What am I about and what am I in this for?’” Ellison stated.
“And my answer had to be we’re going to do anything we can to try to make sure that the outcome is fair, just, and right.”
In “Break the Wheel,” each chapter examines the roles of various stakeholders within the justice system, including prosecutors, defendants, police union leaders, judges, activists, legislators, politicians, and media figures.
Ellison explores their contributions and attempts to break the cycle of violence, replacing it with empathy and shared understanding.
Ellison will speak to the more than 230 African American-owned publishers and media company owners during a special address on Friday, June 30.
“The National Newspaper Publishers Association enthusiastically announces that Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison will address the NNPA 2023 Annual National Convention,” said NNPA President and CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr.
“Keith Ellison has emerged as one of the most effective and courageous Attorney Generals in American history,” Chavis said.
“We look forward to his speech on ‘Ending Police Violence in America’ before the national assembly of our nation’s Black newspaper publishers, media industry executives, and community activists and leaders nationwide.”
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