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UN Raises $1.2 Billion for Yemen, far Below its 2023 Target

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Feb 27, 2023

UN Raises $1.2 Billion for Yemen, far Below its 2023 Target

By SAMY MAGDY, Associated Press

CAIRO (AP) — Global donors on Monday pledged about $1.2 billion at a conference aimed at generating funds to help millions of people in Yemen suffering from the fallout of an eight-year civil war, a U.N. official said. The amount is far below a target of $4.3 billion set by the United Nations to stave off one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

More than 21 million people in Yemen, or two-thirds of the country’s population, need help and protection, according to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, or OCHA, which says the humanitarian needs in Yemen are “shocking.” Among those in need, more than 17 million are considered particularly vulnerable.

“The people of Yemen deserve our support. But more than that, they deserve a credible path out of perpetual conflict and a chance to rebuild their communities and country,” said U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, addressing the donors.

The UN Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths said they received 31 pledges at Monday’s conference, totaling about $1.2 billion. He said the U.N. hopes to collect more funds throughout the year to help cover its needs.

At least one charity working in Yemen slammed the shortfall in global pledges, despite appeals from humanitarian officials.

“The international community today showed it has abandoned Yemen at this crucial crossroads,” said Erin Hutchinson, the Norwegian Refugee Council’s Yemen Country Director. “This is woefully inadequate and gives the signal that some humans are less valuable than others.”

The high-level gathering was co-hosted by Sweden, Switzerland, and the U.N. in the organization’s Palais des Nations in Geneva. It was attended by officials from across the world including the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Germany’s Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock.

Baerbock was the first to announce a pledge, saying her country will provide 120 million euros ($127 million) to Yemen’s 2023 humanitarian response.

In his speech to the conference, Blinken called on donors to step up their contributions to meet the humanitarian demands in Yemen, pointing to last year’s funding shortages that forced U.N. agencies to scale down operations including food rations for thousands of families. He said the U.S. will provide more than $444 million in humanitarian assistance to Yemen in 2023.

“The scale of the challenge we face is daunting. But I urge everyone to keep our focus on the people we seek to help,” he told the conference.

Blinken also called for an end to restrictions on humanitarian workers and operations, especially in Houthi-controlled areas where the rebels restrict the movements of female aid workers by forcing them to be accompanied by male guardians.

The $4.3 billion appeal for 2023 is almost double the $2.2 billion that the U.N. received in 2022 to fund its humanitarian program in Yemen. The U.N. had sought $4.27 billion for 2022.

The conference came the global economy remains rattled by the yearlong Russian invasion of Ukraine. Inflation rates have surged over the past year across the world, forcing many governments to focus on elevating the needs of their own people.

Yemen’s conflict started in 2014, when the Iran-backed rebel Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, and much of the country’s north. A Saudi-led, U.S.-backed coalition intervened months later, in early 2015, to try and dislodge the rebels and restore the internationally recognized government to power.

The conflict has in recent years become a regional proxy war that has killed more than 150,000 people, including over 14,500 civilians. The war has also created a horrendous humanitarian crisis, leaving millions suffering from food and medical care shortages and pushing the country to the brink of famine.

The conference is taking place as the warring sides continue to observe an informal and fragile cease-fire. Efforts are underway to declare a new truce after the parties failed to renew a U.N.-brokered truce in October.

“We have a real opportunity this year to change Yemen’s trajectory and move towards peace, by renewing and expanding the truce,” Guterres, the U.N. chief, said.

The truce, which took effect in April, brought some relief for Yemenis, especially in Houthi-held areas. It enabled commercial traffic to resume at Sanaa’s airport and the sea port of Hodeida.

However, partly because of the territorial division — with roughly half of Yemen under Houthi control and the other half under government control — the country is haunted by an economic crisis. There is dual system of currency, dual exchange rates, restrictions on imports and double taxation on goods, according to the U.N. Panel of Experts investigating Yemen’s conflict. Annual inflation reached 45%, and food prices surged 58%, according to the panel’s report.

There have also been Houthi attacks on oil facilities in government-held areas, resulting in the disruption of oil export, which is a major source of funds for the government.

The war has decimated the country’s civilian infrastructure including its health care system. Hospitals and medical facilities have repeatedly been attacked.

“Yemen requires urgent and robust support from international donors and other partners to effectively avert the potential collapse of its health system,” said Adham Ismail, the World Health Organization’s representative in Yemen.

He said $392 million was needed for WHO-led operations in 2023 to ensure health facilities remain functioning and provide “even the most basic services to the 12.9 million most vulnerable people.”

Climate change has added to the suffering. Yemen, located at the southwestern corner of the Arabian Peninsula, is “at the forefront” of a global climate crisis, as natural disasters, including floods and arid weather, threaten lives, the U.N. has said.

Angela Bassett, ‘Wakanda Forever’ top NAACP Image Awards

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Feb 27, 2023

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Angela Bassett, ‘Wakanda Forever’ top NAACP Image Awards

By Associated Press

PASADENA, Calif. (AP) — Angela Bassett won entertainer of the year at Saturday’s NAACP Image Awards on a night that also saw her take home an acting trophy for the television series “9-1-1.”

The Bassett-led Marvel superhero sequel “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” won best motion picture at the ceremony, which was broadcast live on BET from Pasadena, California.

Viola Davis won outstanding actress for the action epic “The Woman King,” a project she championed and starred in. Will Smith won for the slavery drama “Emancipation,” his first release since last year’s Academy Awards, where he slapped comedian Chris Rock on stage before winning his first best actor trophy.

“I never want to not be brave enough as a woman, as a Black woman, as an artist,” Davis said, referencing a quote from her character in the film, which she called her magnum opus. “I thank everyone who was involved with ‘The Woman King’ because that was just nothing but high-octane bravery.”

“Abbott Elementary” won for outstanding comedy series. Creator and series star Quinta Brunson invited her costars onstage and praised shows like “black-ish” for paving the way for her series.

The 54 NAACP Image Awards were presented Saturday in Pasadena, California, with Queen Latifah hosting. Serena Williams received the Jackie Robinson Sports award, which recognizes individuals in sports for high achievement in athletics along with their pursuit of social justice, civil rights and community involvement.

The ceremony, which honors entertainers, athletes and writers of color, was hosted by Queen Latifah. Special honorees included Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union and civil rights attorney Ben Crump.

Reparations: San Diego Tax Code Discussion Was Preamble to Task Force Meeting in Sac This Week

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Feb 27, 2023

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Reparations: San Diego Tax Code Discussion Was Preamble to Task Force Meeting in Sac This Week

By Antonio Ray Harvey, California Black Media

Two tax planning lawyers shared their perspectives on one of the ways to pay for the racial injustices suffered by Black Californians with the California Task Force to Study and Develop Reparations Proposals for African Americans.

At the task force’s last two-day meeting held in San Diego on Jan. 27 and Jan. 28, the estate and tax planning attorneys Raymond “Ray” Odom and Sarah Moore-Johnson proposed several options to the nine-member task force for funding reparations through the federal tax code system — including an estate tax as a means to increase racial equity.

The tax discussion, held about a month ago, was as a lead-in to the task force’s next meeting in Sacramento focused on compensation and titled “Redressing the Harms Delineated in Report 1.” That meeting will be held Friday, March 3 and Saturday March 4 at the Byron Sher Auditorium at the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA) Headquarters, beginning at 9 a.m. both days.

Moore-Johnson kicked off her presentation at the San Diego meeting during a panel titled “The Forgotten 40 Acres: Repairing Wealth Disparity Using the Estate Tax and New Charitable Incentives.” She said, “the tax code has incentivized White wealth building for years,” and that she and Odom have now found a way to redistribute wealth through tax exemptions at the state level.

“For years, Ray and I intuitively understood that if we could harness those tax incentives to create a public-private partnership to help fund reparations we could get our wealthy clients to willingly enthusiastically embrace using their own money to pay for reparations,” Moore-Johnson said. “We believe that tax deductions should be allowed for private contributions to racial repair because individual taxpayers would be paying a debt of the federal or state government on the government’s behalf,” Moore-Johnson said.

Potential revenue sources, the attorneys say, could be the state estate tax, mansion tax, graduate property tax, and metaverse tax.

Johnson mentioned that the graduate property tax revenue would not apply to California because of Proposition 13, a law that restricts increases in the state tax code.

Odom and Moor-Johnson’s presentation was a condensed introduction to the wealth disparity resulting from chattel slavery and Jim Crow law and the connection to wealth transfer and wealth taxation. Odom, however, emphasized that their idea to use the tax code is intentional but it is not a manipulation of the federal tax system.

“I really think that it is so important to set the narrative — and that narrative isn’t around who’s getting something for nothing, but what we are going to do about this gross wealth disparity,” Odom said. “We need to solve this problem for all Americans, but especially for Black Americans.”

Odom – a Chicago estate and tax planning attorney who works at Northern Trust and conducts racial wealth disparity speaking engagements across the country – is a fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC). He is one of five Black tax attorneys among ACTEC’s 2,500 fellows.

Established in Los Angeles in 1949, ACTEC is a nonprofit association of lawyers and law professors skilled and experienced in the preparations of wills and trusts; estate planning; and probate procedure and management of trusts and estates of the deceased, minors and helpless.

Odom and Moore Johnson explained that the racial wealth gap started to expand in 1981 when Ronald Reagan was in office and the biggest tax cut in history took place. Odom said reparations would be an opportunity to replace “swollen wealth” with the “stolen wealth” of Black people.

Moore-Johnson, an estate planning lawyer and a founding partner at Birchstone Moore in Washington DC, became president of the Washington, DC, Estate Planning Council three weeks after George Floyd was murdered in 2020. She is also an ACTEC fellow.

In March of 2021, during a national ACTEC meeting, Odom and Johnson came up with the idea of funding reparations for slavery through the estate tax. They started their research to better understand the history of slavery, post-slavery, reparations and the wealth gap. Through their research, the duo learned that the racial wealth gap exists, partly, because of the way the federal tax code is set up.

Task force member Sen. Steven Bradford (D-Gardena) stated that the tax attorney’s recommendations provided a “clear road map” to reparations.

“All that said, I think it’s comforting, informative and powerful,” Bradford said after the tax attorneys’ presentation. “As a legislator, the takeaway is, we can afford it. This is a debt that’s owed.”

Brown: Georgetown Law School tax law professor Dorothy A. Brown from her perspective offered insight of how the tax code could benefit Black Americans.

Dorothy A. Brown addressed the task force by teleconference and shared her views about reparations and the tax code. She is a tax professor at Georgetown Law and the author of the book “The Whiteness of Wealth: How the Tax System Impoverishes Black Americans and How We Can Fix It.”

Brown’s literature goes to the core of how the complex federal tax system disadvantages the Black community and how it has helped White households secure more solid financial standing.

“Our tax laws as written have a racially disparate impact. Black Americans are less likely to gain access to their tax breaks than their White peers receive,” Brown said. “Therefore, (Black Americans) are more likely to pay higher taxes than their White peers.”

Brown told the task force that she supports a “wealth tax credit applicable to all taxpayers and households,” which would serve the majority of Black people and be available to all “regardless of race and ethnicity.”

“I want to be clear that I’m not providing tax advice or guidance for providing a possible analysis of any reparations payments,” Brown said. “I leave it to your tax council (economic experts) to make a final determination that you would rely upon moving forward.”

Black, Unhoused and Mentally Challenged: The Case for Housing and Health Care

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Feb 27, 2023

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Black, Unhoused and Mentally Challenged: The Case for Housing and Health Care

By Dr. Lenore A. Tate, Special to California Black Media Partners

Numerous studies have confirmed that homelessness and behavioral and mental health problems affect African Americans at disproportionate rates in California and around the United States.

On a very primary and personal level, homelessness affects an individual’s mental health. Looking at the data: approximately 30% of people who are chronically unhoused have a mental health condition, about 50% have a co-occurring substance use problem and 42% have a disabling condition such as a developmental disability, HIV/AIDS or injuries from combat such as post-traumatic stress disorder.

In California, 43% of the Black Californians interviewed reported that someone close to them has experienced homelessness – a rate much higher than any other racial group in the survey, according to a survey conducted by the California Health Care Foundation,

Black women in particular – are at a higher risk for exposure to mental health stresses.

“A variety of circumstances put Black women at high risk for mental and emotional stress – economic insecurity, responsibilities of caregiving, neighborhood violence, lack of social support and physical illness or disability,” reads the website of the California Black Women’s Health Project.

“As a result, many are plagued by tension, anxiety, worry and fear. Because of the powerful and complex links between the mind, emotions and body, chronic states of stress and anxiety can have dangerous and sometime fatal, health consequences. In addition, the daily struggles of coping with racism and sexism further exacerbate mental and emotional stress,” the write-up on the website reports.

When these intersecting issues go unaddressed, they can compound and adversely affect individuals.

Black people make up 13.6% of the population in the United States and account for approximately 21% of those living in poverty. Blacks in California comprise 6.5% of the population but are more than 40% of the homeless/unhoused population! In fact, in most shelters, food banks, drop-in centers for the unhoused, the majority of those served are from Black or Brown communities. Black people outnumber White people 12 to 1 among the homeless population.

California has more unhoused than any other state. Seventy percent of California’s homeless are living on the streets and in tents, etc. while in New York, data reflects that only 5% of their homeless are living on the streets.

California has instituted several policies and passed a series of laws to address the mental health and homeless crises. Last year, during his annual budget proposal, Gov. Gavin Newsom connected the challenge of solving homelessness in the state with inadequate approaches the state has taken so far to address mental health.

Among different approaches taken to address the state’s mental health challenges and, consequently, the homelessness crisis is the passage of the Community Assistance, Recovery and Empowerment Act (CARE) Act in California last year. This law, which Newsom signed into law, establishes CARE Court, an alternative to the Criminal Justice System for people who are mentally ill.

But more needs to be done if we are to address the mountainous monumental challenges of our mental health and homelessness crises, particularly as it affects minorities. The resources and programs the state has made available have simply not kept up with the demand for services.

California was the first state in the country to propose housing as a human right under Assembly Constitutional Amendment 10 (ACA-10) (Bonta 2020). This amendment would ensure shelter for the unhoused and recognize that housing as a human right. However, after more than 70 years, housing still appears to be treated as a commodity rather than a human right.

Across the board – from prevention and early intervention to strategically providing housing and chronic care — we need to do more in the Golden State across the board.

Medical professionals need to be provided cultural sensitivity training and more needs to be done to destigmatize mental health care in the Black community. Social support systems must be strengthened, and more resources need to be committed to outreach and research so that both care and information can be targeted to serve the needs of Black Californians.

We need a combination of solutions working at the policy level, within the health care delivery system and among our social and community networks that attack the problems from various angles.

Committing to funding, decreasing hurdles in zoning, working collaboratively with public and private sectors, and creating space for ingenuity would be steps towards solving these crises. Recognizing that Black and Brown communities, children, families and seniors are unhoused as well as those that carry the weight of mental illness, leads us to act and consider prioritizing vulnerable populations of unhoused.

We must utilize all our available resources so that every Californian will be afforded the right to have housing and a ‘home’ and adequate mental health care, allowing for security, safety, and comfort.

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About the Author

Lenore A. Tate, Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist in private practice in Sacramento. She has previously worked as Principal Consultant to the California Assembly and Senate Health Committees as well as the Senate Office of Research. Dr. Tate has also served as a university professor in Texas, Arizona and California. She specializes in neuropsychology, geriatrics and behavioral health.

California Black Media’s coverage of mental health in Black communities is made possible with the support of the California Health Care Foundation

The Unseen and Unknown Genius of Black People

Maria

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Feb 26, 2023

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The Unseen and Unknown Genius of Black People

By Aaron Allen, The Seattle Medium, Word in Black

There are two sayings, “America was built by the African slave and America was built on the backs of African Americans, and to some extent these statements hold true. But also, humanity was built on the creative and intellectual genius of Africans and their descendants as far back as antiquity.

Throughout the history or “story” of Africa and the African diaspora the eruditions and contributions to humanity have been “hidden” purposefully in the ongoing effort of Europe and her diaspora to maintain the falsehood of “white supremacy and control of the narrative.

Yet, scholars such as Dr. Al Black, a former African American Studies professor at the University of Washington, believes it is vital for the descendants of Africa to be in command of their own narrative.

I think it is critically important that groups of people have the freedom and ability to tell their own history

DR. AL BLACK

“I think it is critically important that groups of people have the freedom and ability to tell their own history,” says Black. “People think that history is just a matter of recording facts, events, incidents and so on, but actually history is something that is obviously written by someone, or a group and it is written from their point of view.”

“When we talk about matters of race and we look at the difference in positions that we occupy racially versus the white race for example, clearly there are going to be different perspectives and it is absolutely crucial, therefore, that we make certain that our perspectives are heard and understood and we need to defend that with everything that is in us,” Black continued.

Within history there are a plethora of human experiences where Black people played an intricate role in the creation and development of life changing and societal altering inventions and discoveries. Efforts that have not been given the proper recognition for how they positively enhanced the lives of humanity.

Within history there are a plethora of human experiences where Black people played an intricate role in the creation and development of life changing and societal altering inventions and discoveries.

“The contributions we have made to this country, to humankind, that history is extraordinarily important for obvious reasons,” says Black. “The kind of pride that our young people develop as a result of coming to know that we have made contributions and not only to the history of the United States but to the history of what we call “mankind” which is really “humankind” is very important.”

For example, in the early part of the 18th century Boston experienced a smallpox epidemic that for its time was devasting. Between April and December of 1721, there were 5,889 Bostonians who had smallpox and 844 who died of it. Smallpox caused more than three-quarters of all deaths that year.

As sickness swept through New England, an enslaved African known only as Onesimus suggested a potential way to keep people from getting sick.

The contributions we have made to this country, to humankind, that history is extraordinarily important for obvious reasons.

DR. AL BLACK

The procedure Onesimus referred to consisted of rubbing pus from an infected person into an open wound on the arm. Once the infected material was introduced into the body, the person was inoculated against smallpox. It wasn’t a vaccination as we know today but it did activate the recipient’s immune response and protected against the disease most of the time.

Also, when it comes to heart surgery, we can again thank a Black person for furthering the development of medicine beyond its capabilities in that moment.

In 1941 Vivien Thomas — a Black man that was hired by a white doctor, Dr. Alfred Blalock to join his surgical staff — devised an operation to save “Blue Babies”, infants born with a heart defect that sends blood past their lungs. According to eyewitness accounts the fate of the baby was not in the hands of Dr. Blalock but in the instructions given to him by Thomas.

History reveals that many of the greatest western thinkers and philosophers were taught and educated by Africans.

According to Denton Cooley, a Black medical student who arrived with Thomas in 1940 at John Hopkins, “it was Vivien who had worked it all out in the lab, in the canine heart, long before Dr. Blalock did Eileen, the first Blue Baby. Thomas stood on a stool overlooking Blalock’s work each step of the way.

Again, another example of Black African genius at work when all else fails. Life is easier for the human being because of countless unseen and unknowns, countless patents stolen or not afforded to Black innovators and inventors, and their inventions that we use on a daily basis and even take for granted. Creations that change the trajectory of human life, human expediency and human comfort and convenience.

Many of us were taught that the foundations of civilization were a product of Greek and Italian genius. However, history reveals that many of the greatest western thinkers and philosophers were taught and educated by Africans. Thales and Pythagoras were not the only Greeks to have been instructed by Kemet (modern day Egypt). Plato, Aristotle, and Isocrates were all said to have been educated by Black Africans and their philosophy.

Paper, the alphabet, art, alchemy, mathematics, medicine, music, science, universities were all introduced by Black people.

The watch on your wrist, the design and completion of Washington DC were things that were created and attributed to Benjamin Banneker. Every time you stop at a stoplight to avoid an accident, you can thank a Black man for the creation.

The reason you take an escalator and not the stairs is because of a Black man, Alexander Miles. The reason you have modern toilets and not an outhouse or a hole in the ground is because of a Black man, JB Rhodes. Paper, the alphabet, art, alchemy, mathematics, medicine, music, science, universities were all introduced by Black people.

Some of us are old enough to remember driving around town and relying on our own wits to not get lost until the Global Positioning System (GPS) was developed based on the brilliant mind of a Black woman. Gladys Mae West, born October 27, 1930, is an American mathematician known for her contributions to the mathematical modeling of the shape of the Earth, and her work on the development of the satellite geodesy models that were eventually incorporated into the Global Positioning System (GPS).

Knowing our history and making certain that we teach our version of it is critical.

DR. AL BLACK

It is becoming well-documented the deeper you dig, the darker history gets, that not only was humanity birthed in Africa, and with Africans being the first to circumnavigate the globe they were able to nurture, educate and help civilize all of humanity. There is not a civilization in the history of mankind where their foundation is not steeped with African biological and intellectual influence.

“Knowing our history and making certain that we teach our version of it is critical,” says Black. “We cannot allow anybody or any group to deny us this history. And we have to recognize that when Florida, Texas or any state or Governor in terms of Critical Race Theory deny us the right to teach our history to our children as well as their children, the fact of the matter is their racial group did the things that it did and they need to be aware of what that was so they won’t repeat what it is that they did.”

Today Africa and her diaspora battle for their place in history. As evidence mounts of the truth, it our responsibility to pass this vital knowledge to our children. As Marcus Garvey conveyed, “A people without knowledge of their history, is like a tree without roots.”

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The post The Unseen And Unknown Genius Of Black People appeared first on The Seattle Medium.

A Look at Lesser Known Figures of Black History

Maria

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Feb 26, 2023

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A Look at Lesser Known Figures of Black History

By Taylor Gardner, Afro News

Each year Americans flock to the history books in search of stories about great Black heroes in time. From important scientists and their discoveries to civil rights icons and artists, we can recite the list of names that have been ingrained in our memory over the decades: George Washington Carver, Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Harry Belafonte and so many others who have stood in the spotlight of time. But what about the lesser-known change-makers? The men and women who broke barriers in the small towns of America and countries abroad. This week, the AFRO is taking a look back at some of the people who made history — but missed some of the history books.

Have you heard of these great Black men and women? Do you know of a “great Black first” that we should write about? Find us on social media and let us know!

Andrea Campbell

Just last month, Andrea Campbell was sworn in as attorney general in Massachusetts, making history as the first Black woman to serve as the state’s top lawyer. She is also the first woman of color to hold statewide office.

“Today, I stand on the shoulders of all those who came before, far too many to name,” Campbell said during her historic inauguration address on Jan. 18.

She continued:

“Today, I stand on the shoulders of a beautiful and resilient Black people who stood up for civil rights, freedom, inclusion, love including interracial love; Who fought to integrate our public schools, our higher education institutions, our law schools; Who testified and were beaten while fighting to ensure our political system represents all of us; A people who were enslaved, picking cotton to build the wealth and prosperity of this country; A people who started businesses in the face of significant financial discrimination and exclusion to build wealth in their communities; A people who became lawyers at prestigious law firms and fought hard to become a partner; A people who invented the most beautiful artistry, music and culture; A people who are the epitome of resilience!”
Campbell has set an agenda that includes protecting elders, creating gun safety enforcement and expanding women’s rights to access abortions and reproductive care.

Alice Coachman

Alice Coachman became the first Black woman to win an olympic gold medal.

Shortly after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball, Coachman competed in the Olympics. She took home the gold medal and wrote herself into history with her high jump at the London Games in 1948.

Baroness Valerie Ann Amos

Baroness Valerie Amos made history across the pond in 2003 with her appointment as leader of the House of Lords. With this title, she became the first Black woman to serve in a British Cabinet, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica. The Cabinet is the main body of people that controls policies and coordinates activities of governmental departments in the United Kingdom. Her appointment to the position included hopes of inspiring young Black and Asian voters, who report feeling cut off from British politics.

Wendell Scott

Wendell Scott was a racing legend who passed away on Dec. 23, 1990. He was the first Black driver to win a major NASCAR race, which he accomplished on Dec. 1, 1963. Scott was also the first African-American team owner in NASCAR to compete at the sport’s highest level.

He paved the way for Bubba Wallace who, according to information released by NASCAR, became only the second African-American driver to win a race in 2013

Mark Williams

Mark Williams is the first Black male to lead a major North American orchestra. In April 2022, Williams went to work as the CEO of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra after serving as the chief artistic and operations officer for The Cleveland Orchestra.

Robert McFerrin Sr.

Robert McFerrin Sr., father of the world-renowned artist Bobby McFerrin, was the first Black man to sing a solo at the New York Metropolitan Opera. In 1953, he was the winner of the Metropolitan Opera national auditions and made his debut as the first Black male with this company in 1955. McFerrin is also known for providing vocals in the 1959 movie, “Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess” for Sidney Poitier.

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The post AFRO review: a look at lesser known figures of Black history appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers .

Chicago Mayor’s Race Dominated by Concerns About Crime

Maria

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Feb 25, 2023

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Chicago Mayor’s Race Dominated by Concerns About Crime

By SARA BURNETT, Associated Press

CHICAGO (AP) — For years, Republicans have sought to win over voters by depicting Democratic-led cities as lawless centers of violence that need tough-on-crime policies. In Chicago, some of the Democrats running for mayor are deploying the same strategy as they debate how to make the city safer.

One leading candidate, who touts his endorsement from the Chicago police union, says “crime is out of control” and the city needs hundreds more officers patrolling its streets. Another hopeful says that if suspects flee a crime scene, officers should be able to “hunt them down like a rabbit.”

Even incumbent Lori Lightfoot, the first Black woman and first openly gay person to serve as Chicago mayor, has used language right out of the GOP playbook, accusing a top rival in her reelection bid of wanting to defund the police.

The shift in rhetoric reflects the degree to which concerns about crime have dominated Tuesday’s mayoral election in Chicago and threatened Lightfoot’s reelection bid. Far from being an outlier, the nation’s third-largest city is just the latest Democratic stronghold where public safety has become a top election issue.

In San Francisco, progressive District Attorney Chesa Boudin was ousted in a recall election last year that was fueled by frustration over public safety. In Los Angeles, two Democrats running for mayor debated how to deal with rising crime rates and an out-of-control homelessness crisis. In New York City, voters elected Eric Adams as mayor, elevating a former city police captain who pledged to fix the department and invest more in crime prevention. And in Philadelphia, candidates running for mayor this year are debating how to curb gun violence.

The increased attention on public safety follows a spike in crime rates in many communities that coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic. High-profile incidents of police misconduct drew more scrutiny of policing, and there has been disagreement even among Democrats about so-called progressive public safety policies such as ending cash bail or providing safe injection sites for drug users.

Jaime Domínguez, a political science professor at Northwestern University, said it’s the first time in 20 years that he’s seen public safety be “front and center” in a Chicago mayoral election.

The difference, he said, is that crime is no longer largely isolated to some predominantly Black and Latino neighborhoods. As more crime is occurring in other parts of the highly segregated city, including in the downtown and other areas frequented by tourists, public safety is also top of mind for white voters.

“Historically, it was primarily a pocketed matter. It was still pernicious and candidates spoke to it, but it didn’t really affect areas where you see crime occurring now,” Dominguez said. “That has been blown up. It’s just, it’s everywhere.”

Chicago has a higher per-capita homicide rate than New York or Los Angeles, but it’s lower than other Midwestern cities, such as St. Louis and Detroit. Still, the number of homicides in Chicago hit a 25-year high in 2021 with 797, according to the Chicago Police Department.

That number decreased last year but is still higher than when Lightfoot took office in 2019. Other crimes, such as carjackings and robberies, have increased in recent years.

Nine candidates are running in Tuesday’s officially nonpartisan mayoral election. With no candidate expected to get over 50% of the vote, an April 4 runoff between the top two vote-getters is likely.

Randall Fearnow, a 67-year-old health care attorney who is white and who lives near Wrigley Field on the city’s north side, experienced the city’s crime problem firsthand when he and his wife walked in the back door of their home one day last October and discovered burglars inside. The criminals ransacked the home and stole thousands of dollars’ worth of jewelry and money before running out the front door, he said. Police didn’t catch the perpetrators.

“It happened in the broad daylight,” Fearnow said. “When you step out, it makes you feel a little uneasy. … You’re not immune anywhere from crime in the city.”

Fearnow cast an early ballot for Paul Vallas, who was endorsed by the Chicago police union. He also voted against Lightfoot four years ago, saying he believed her rival in the 2019 runoff was “much more level-headed.” This year, Fearnow said the two most important factors in his vote were crime and rising property taxes.

“The city gets more expensive to live in and less safe,” he said. “So somebody needs to do something.”

As she fights to land a spot in the April runoff, Lightfoot has taken on opponents she sees as a threat — among them Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson. In a recent ad, Lightfoot accuses Johnson of wanting to defund police, using video of him speaking on a local radio program in 2020. She said Johnson, who avoids the word “defund” when speaking on the campaign trail about policing, isn’t being candid with voters.

“He’s asked direct questions at a variety of forums, and that guy’s got more bobs and weaves than Muhammad Ali,” Lightfoot said.

Johnson, a former teacher and union organizer endorsed by the Chicago Teachers Union, says he wants to invest more in areas such as mental health treatment. In a statement responding to Lightfoot, his campaign said that doesn’t mean cuts to the police department. Johnson also notes that Chicago still has a violence problem even though the police budget grows every year.

“Lori Lightfoot hasn’t made Chicago safer, but I will,” Johnson says in a new ad. “It’s time to get smart, not just tough.”

All of Lightfoot’s opponents want to fire the police superintendent she hired, saying that the former Dallas police chief has been ineffective and that hiring an outsider hurt morale. Lightfoot has defended the superintendent, David Brown, and says that while the city faced never-before-seen challenges such as the pandemic, their strategies are working and some crimes are falling.

Vallas, an adviser to the Fraternal Order of Police during the union’s contract negotiations with Lightfoot’s administration, says that if he becomes mayor, he would promote a new leadership team from within the department. Vallas says he would welcome back hundreds of officers who have retired or gone elsewhere out of frustration with Lightfoot. He also wants to return to a community policing strategy, with dedicated officers assigned to patrol each of the city’s nearly 300 police beats.

“We’ve got to restore public safety,” said Vallas. “Everything proceeds from that.”

Wealthy businessman Willie Wilson, another mayoral candidate, has doubled down on his comment that suspects in violent crimes should be hunted down like rabbits. Wilson says he lost a son to gun violence, and he believes police officers are being prevented from doing their jobs.

The other candidates are Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, Chicago City Council members Sophia King and Roderick Sawyer, activist Ja’Mal Green and state Rep. Kambium “Kam” Buckner.

___

Associated Press writer Claire Savage contributed to this report.

Keeping the Black dollar in the Black community

Maria

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Feb 25, 2023

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Keeping the Black dollar in the Black community

By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer

According to a Nielsen report entitled, “The State of the African-American Consumer,” African Americans have a buying power of more than $1 trillion, which is nearly equivalent to the GDP of the 15th largest country in the world.

However, dollars circulate just one time in the Black community compared to six times in the Latinx community and an unlimited amount of times in the White community.

The websites and apps below will help you support Black-owned businesses and keep your dollar flowing in the Black community.

Buy Black Baltimore 365

This local directory was created for Baltimoreans who want to find Black-owned businesses in the Baltimore Metropolitan Area. Buy Black Baltimore 365 has information for more than 200 businesses and allows users to search by industry and location. Creator Meredith Hurston designed the site to catalog local Black businesses that were being promoted in a Facebook group called Buy Black Networking Baltimore. Buy Black Baltimore 365 also manages a Facebook group, the Black Business Owners Lounge, which allows entrepreneurs to share resources and tips with one another.

Hayti

Launched in 2021, Hayti is a mobile app that curates articles, videos and podcasts from Black publishers in the U.S. and abroad. The platform derives its name from the historic Hayti District in Durham, N.C. There, Black businesses and Black wealth flourished during the early 1900s. Founder Cary Wheelous designed the app to support Black news and media organizations and prevent them from collapse. When users click on a news article, they are taken directly to the news site, allowing publishers to generate more advertising dollars.

Official Black Wall Street

Official Black Wall Street hails as the largest platform for Black-owned businesses. Not only does the app allow you to shop by product, but it provides a list of Black-owned brick-and-mortar stores and restaurants in your city, as well as Black-owned e-commerce enterprises. Official Black Wall Street can also connect you to professional services with Black experts.

Sip Consciously Directory

If you enjoy wine, the Sip Consciously Directory can introduce you to BIPOC-owned wine businesses around the U.S., including retailers, wineries, brands and distributors. The register was created out of a collaboration between Monique Bell, the author of “Terror Noir: Study of Black Wine Entrepreneurs,” and Angela McCrae, founder of Uncorked and Cultured.

EatOkra

Husband and wife duo Anthony and Janique Edwards founded this platform for foodies in 2016. EatOkra has a directory of more than 9,000 Black-owned restaurants, eateries and food trucks across the country. Okra is included in the title of the app because it was the first plant brought over from West Africa during the slave trade. Since its creation, EatOkra has served nearly 350,000 people. This Black History Month the platform is partnering with Pepsi for the #DigInShowLove campaign. Customers can visit Black-owned restaurants through the end of February; take a photo of their meal; post it on Instagram or Twitter; tag @PepsiDigIn and the restaurant’s handle; and use #DigInShowLove and #Sweepstakes for a chance to win $5000 in cash while earning the restaurant a $5000 donation.

I Am Black Business

Joseph Guster and Lee Lewis Jr. created I Am Black Business to support budding entrepreneurs and uplift Black-owned businesses. The platform leverages technology to streamline communication between business owners and consumers. I Am Black Business has a directory of more than 5,000 Black businesses The platform also has a “Projects” section that allows users to shop from dedicated business segments, like black-owned liquor brands and black-owned cigar brands.

Megan Sayles is a Report for America corps member.

‘Twice As Hard’: Why Entering Medicine Has Never Been Easy for Black Women

Maria

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Feb 25, 2023

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‘Twice As Hard’: Why Entering Medicine Has Never Been Easy for Black Women

By Alexa Spencer, Word in Black

Becoming a physician has been an uphill battle for so many Black women like Jasmine Brown — a third-year medical student at the University of Pennslyvania who testifies about her trials in her new book, “Twice As Hard.”

Since she was a youth, Brown made it her mission to fight for more representation in medicine after being the only Black student in her AP classes. On top of feeling alone, she endured racist insults from her peers.

Sadly, the discrimination didn’t stop when she got to college.

It only transformed as she experienced, once again, the isolating experience of being the only Black student in her lab class.

But like Black women often do, she kept showing up despite the frustration she felt inside. She didn’t let her goals die.

Brown used her academic studies as a refuge and began researching the lives of past Black women physicians and their plight to hold space in the medical industry, all while being pushed out.

That research, which she conducted as a Rhodes Scholar — one of the world’s most prestigious awards that brings college graduates to the University of Oxford — led her to become a published author.

Her debut book — “Twice As Hard: The Stories Of Black Women Who Fought To Become Physicians, From The Civil War To The 21st Century” — chronicles the hills climbed by women like Rebecca Lee Crumpler, who became the first Black American woman to receive a doctor of medicine, and other pioneering women whose stories have gone untold.

Brown sat down with Word In Black for an interview about what it took for her to persevere in the midst of racism, write a book about other women who’ve done the same, and her master plan for increasing diversity in medicine.

WIB: In your debut book, you chronicled the challenges Black women breaking into medicine faced in the past. How relatable were their experiences for you and others in today’s society? And what challenges have you faced as a Black woman in medicine?

JB: I could relate to various challenges that the Black women physicians in my book experienced. For example, many of them grew up being told that they couldn’t become physicians because they were Black women. In the 1930s, Dr. Lena Edwards was even rejected from a residency program eight years in a row. The chief of staff at the hospital said the reason she had been rejected was because she had two “handicaps” — she was Black and a woman. This physician was asserting that Dr. Edwards wasn’t likely to succeed in residency because her identities made her inferior. I’ve been told similar things. When I was in elementary school, one of my classmates told me that I won’t do well in school because “I’m Black and Black people are stupid.”

On the flipside, I had family, friends, and teachers who have encouraged me to go after my dreams. I also found that the women in my book had people supporting them along their journeys. I believe having a strong support system was crucial to our success.

WIB: What did the women in your book do to activate their resiliency? How did they heal or press on after racist and sexist encounters?

JB: Many of the women in my book remained focused on their goals of becoming successful physicians. That kept them moving forward even when painful encounters with racism and sexism could’ve knocked them off track. Once they became physicians, they put a lot of energy into serving disadvantaged communities who had limited access to proper healthcare. I imagine having a positive impact on others helped them heal from the racism and sexism they experienced throughout their medical journeys.

WIB: And what about you? How have you kept going despite the discrimination you’ve faced as a Black woman in medicine?

JB: My book, and other advocacy work that I’ve done, has had a similar impact on me. I’m working to reduce the number of racist and sexist encounters that people face in medicine. Helping others in that way gives me a lot of joy and helps me to heal from the difficult experiences I’ve had along my journey.

WIB: Can you talk more about your mission to increase diversity in medicine? I read that this has been your focus since you were a child. What inspired such a serious undertaking at a young age? 

JB: About 10% of my high school classmates were Black, but I was typically the only Black person in my AP classes. I felt like my Black classmates were just as smart as me, but many didn’t have as much support as I did.

A big challenge that many of us faced was being told racist stereotypes at a young age. Since elementary school, I had classmates telling me that I wouldn’t do well in school because I’m Black and “Black people aren’t smart.” This messaging could’ve negatively impacted my own perception of my capabilities. Thankfully, my parents counteracted those negative messages with positivity. They told me that they knew I was capable of excelling in school, and that’s what they expected of me. They also supported this goal by creating a good study environment at home and helping me with my studies whenever I needed it. In comparison, some of my Black friends were not able to spend as much time on their studies because they were working part-time to help support their families.

I believed that this difference in support contributed to the lack of Black students in these advanced classes and would have long-term repercussions on the students’ lives. So, when I was in high school, I had this desire to do something that would increase the number of Black students in higher education and STEM careers. I started working towards that mission in college when I founded the Minority Association of Rising Scientists [at Washington University-St. Louis].

Many of the women in my book remained focused on their goals of becoming successful physicians. That kept them moving forward even when painful encounters with racism and sexism could’ve knocked them off track.

WIB: How do you hope for your book to contribute to your mission? 

JB: The potential impact of my book is two-fold. First, by sharing the stories of Black women physicians, I will counter one of the barriers that Black women pursuing medicine still experience today: a lack of mentors and role models who share their identities and have pursued a similar career path. With these narratives, more Black girls, and other young people who don’t see themselves represented in medicine, may be inspired to become physicians.

Second, sharing the challenges Black women physicians experienced throughout history could be a catalyst for change. Many race- and gender-based barriers to entering medicine have persisted throughout history. By showing the historical progression of social and structural barriers that make it difficult for oppressed groups — such as Black women — to enter medicine, those interested in addressing issues around representation and inclusion within medicine will have a better understanding of the underlying causes of this widespread issue allowing them to develop more effective strategies to address it.

WIB: Where can people find your book? Do you have any upcoming tours? 

JB: My book is available anywhere that books are sold! I’ve been giving talks at medical schools, universities, etc. If you’re interested in having me speak at your institution, reach out to me via my website: jasminebrownauthor.com.

WIB: What’s next for you in medicine?

JB: Currently, I’m in my third year of medical school. I have to take my medical licensing exams and a few more clinical electives (apprentice-like work in the hospital). Then, I’ll apply to residency programs!

Ben Jealous Is No Climate Justice Newbie

Maria

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Feb 25, 2023

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Ben Jealous Is No Climate Justice Newbie

By Maya Richard-Craven, Word in Black

When I get former NAACP CEO and president Ben Jealous on the phone, he’s in the middle of driving from Gulfport to Jackson, Mississippi.

That’s because in November, Jealous was named the new executive director of the Sierra Club, a 130-year-old grassroots organization that “fights for environmental and social justice.”

Jealous is the Sierra Club’s first leader of color, and his selection comes two years after the organization’s apology for founder John Muir’s racist views and statements about Black and Indigenous people.

Indeed, in a post on the Sierra Club website announcing Jealous’ selection as executive director, interim head Loren Blackford said his appointment “can point us to a future where we recognize the disproportionate impact of climate change and environmental decay, based on race, gender, class and other identities and that it will truly take all of us to preserve a livable planet and create a transition from an exploitative economy to one that works for everyone.”

In preparation for the role, Jealous has been on a five-week listening tour, visiting the organization’s chapters across the United States.

“Right now, my daily life is sitting in a van going from city to city,” he says with a laugh. The day before we spoke, he trekked roughly 250 miles from Birmingham to Mobile, Alabama, to hear what’s on the minds of Sierra Club volunteers and staff.

Climate change is the most existential crisis facing humanity.

BEN JEALOUS

But Jealous has a long and deep track record in the climate justice space. During his time as president of the NAACP, he launched its first-ever climate justice program and oversaw a 2012 report on 378 coal-fired power plants and their effects on low-income communities and communities of color. Prior to joining the NAACP, Jealous was a journalist who investigated environmental justice atrocities in Mississippi.

Read on to find out more about his environmental roots and what Jealous thinks about the intersection between the climate crisis and civil rights.

WIB: Can you think back to a moment in your childhood or adolescence when you first became aware of environmental issues?

I spent my school years running through the redwoods with my friends in Monterey County, California. Big Sur was my playground. The Sierras were my playground on family trips. Sometimes we would even sleep inside the trees. Redwoods are fed by the clouds. So, when you’re struck by lightning, the base burns out, but the tree doesn’t burn out. You end up with a teepee inside of a redwood tree. In my early teens, there was a lot of concern about an aggressive attempt to clear-cut growth redwoods in California. I felt deeply connected to those groves, from my earliest childhood memories. That spurred me to get involved in founding the first high school chapter of the Student Environmental Action Coalition. I helped organize a rally that my parents were involved in. The first protest that I organized was an anti-clear-cutting rally at the California State Capitol.

WIB: Why did you move from the civil rights space to the environmental world?

BJ: It’s all the same movement. That’s how it is on the ground. When I was a kid, there was tremendous overlap between the local NAACP chapter and the local Sierra Club chapter. We have both — California has 13 original chapters of the Sierra Club, and every other state just has one. In Monterey County, we have both the Ventana Chaplin Sierra Club with the Monterey branch of the NAACP. There was a lot of overlap. When I was president of the NAACP, I launched the NAACP’s climate justice program. We created climate justice committees. The fight to stop corporations from treating people as disposable is the same as the fight to stop corporations from treating our workplaces as disposable.

WIB: Have you faced any challenges as a Black man in the green space?

BJ: My first job at a major green group was when I was 21-years-old. I was called into the lone Black executive’s office by her. I was asked a very simple question: how does it feel to work for a white organization that will not change? That conversation and the conversations that have flowed from it convinced me that my time would best be spent assisting the environmentalist movement, not working inside of it. That led to a career as a journalist who investigated environmental justice atrocities in Mississippi. I was an organizer who launched the NAACP climate justice program and was hired as a leader and a board member of multiple environmentalist groups. At the end of the day, I have no regrets. God always has a plan, and all of that prepared me for this.

We have to get more serious about confronting the need to build a more inclusive green movement.

BEN JEALOUS

WIB: How do you think race plays a role in the climate crisis?

BJ: The NAACP produced a report mapping the places most likely to be impacted by climate-related disasters: low-income communities and communities of color regardless of income level. Low-income people tend to live in places that are susceptible to floods and tornadoes, and sea-level storm surges. Being a person of color generally puts you at higher risk for asthma and environmental-related illnesses. It also puts you at higher risk for exposure to climate-related disasters. Ultimately, that’s an artifact of the geography of colonialism and segregation.

WIB: Do you think climate change has a colonial legacy?

BJ: Climate change is the most existential crisis facing humanity. Stopping it will require us to organize and build coalitions across lines of division, originally shown in colonial times. I’ve been in this racial justice battle my entire life. It’s time that we recognize it doesn’t matter who is in first class. We have to get more serious about confronting the need to build a more inclusive green movement.

WIB: What have you found to be the greatest obstacle to progress in the environmental space?

BJ: First is our failure to see all the allies we have. The second is for us to internalize what Dr. King was trying to teach us when he was assassinated, which is that the persistence of poverty is ultimately an obstacle to anything good we want to do in this country. That’s also true for the environmental movement. If there isn’t a social injustice that is destroying the world, it’s poverty. The social injustice destroying the world is poverty. Poverty is the reason that an African nation auctions off its most precious rainforest to the gas industry and voters in West Virginia re-elect the politician who’s guaranteed to give a coal company the right to blow up the top of a mountain and dump it in a river and destroy both in the process.

For too long, the green movement allowed itself to imagine that you could save the earth in isolation from addressing major sources of social injustice. Dr. King was correct when he said we are all connected in a single garment of destiny. Our fates are all connected to the garment of destiny. The only way for us to succeed is to recognize that there are no disposable environmentalists. We need a coalition that is uncomfortably large. And our success would be assured the day that we succeed in building an economy that thrives on industries that help preserve the planet, not industries that profit off of destroying the planet.

WIB: What advice do you have to other Black environmentalists, especially those just getting involved in this work?

BJ: Encourage them to seek out elders in our community. The smartest thing to do is to seek out the elders and listen to them. That’s why I’m starting my tenure at the Sierra Club, taking a little over a month to listen to as many of our grassroots leaders as possible.

This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.

Mentorship Program Focuses on Personal, Professional Development of Young Girls

Maria

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Feb 25, 2023

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Mentorship Program Focuses on Personal, Professional Development of Young Girls

By Aaron Allen, The Seattle Medium, Word in Black

Girls On The Move (GOTM), a mentorship program for girls by Compukidz, will begin enrolling girls ages 11 to 18 years of age for their upcoming session.

GOTM is a four-week program that is designed to instill a better sense of self-awareness, self-esteem, decision making, and life management in its participants. The program also helps the participants cultivate better relationships with their parents, peers and professionals.

Studies have shown that when teens have positive role models and guidance it can make a huge impact in their development. GOTM provides its participants with the tools that they need to avoid some of the pitfalls in school that result in higher rates of suspensions and discipline.

“Girls On The Move is about teaching and facilitating soft skills to our young ladies,” says Wendy Armour, Director of Girls On The Move.

The idea was I wanted to pour into these young ladies because I had many amazing women that poured into me and gave me direction and love, just helping me to make good choices

WENDY ARMOUR, DIRECTOR OF GIRLS ON THE MOVE

“How this [program] came about was I was observing the behavior of young girls in of all places the mall and noticing a sense of lack of self-worth and self-pride as I watched them interact with young men,” continued Armour. “So, the idea was I wanted to pour into these young ladies because I had many amazing women that poured into me and gave me direction and love, just helping me to make good choices. So that’s what GOTM is really all about.”

According to experts, women mentoring young girls is important, as it helps them gain access to opportunities and cultivates their confidence. When more women lead, it creates a diversified leadership open to discussing multiple perspectives that improves decision-making and strengthens young girls to face the challenges of the future.

Armour says that GOTM’s programming is all about teaching the young ladies about leadership, while instilling in them that they are all leaders and helping them step into leadership roles.

“We are in control of what we want people to see in us,” says Armour. “I recently read an article that talked about how damaged our girls are within our school system. Just because they are getting such a bad rap, they are higher in discipline, higher in suspensions, higher in everything when it comes to negativity in our schools, so we have to do some things to combat that.”

When more women lead, it creates a diversified leadership open to discussing multiple perspectives that improves decision-making and strengthens young girls to face the challenges of the future.

Through their own research and study, Compukidz has discovered that many young girls are living in an environment of “tearing each other down” and lack a sense of comradery and sisterhood. GOTM focuses on and addresses the issue of support and works to pour into young girls a support system and sisterhood that carriers into their everyday pursuits.

“There is very little comradery [these days] between girls and that they don’t know how to lift each other up,” says Armour. “They seem to be so used to this system of tearing each other down and so that is a big thing that Girls On The Move focuses on as well.”

Vision and dream boards are a vital aspect of GOTM. The program urges their mentees to think about their futures. The program also introduces the girls to etiquette, fine dining, hosting, presenting for jobs, dating etiquette, even what GOTM calls “bra fitting”, where participants learn about how a woman’s body is always changing and how to adapt to those changes.

“I have so much fun teaching our ladies all these different things that, in some cases, they are learning things adult women were unaware of,” added Armour with a smile. “For example, ‘bra fitting,’ which was unheard of. Many of the moms were asking, ‘when are you going to do Girls On The Move for adult women.’”

Vision and dream boards are a vital aspect of GOTM. The program urges their mentees to think about their futures.

Over the years, Compukidz, which began in 1995 as a youth mentor program providing a pathway into the tech industry, has evolved into a more holistic program that emphasizes self-awareness and potential. Girls On The Move has been part of that evolution.

“We had to adapt the community to the changing times,” says Shaun Armour, who co-founded Compukidz with his wife Wendy Armour.

“We have morphed over the years into not only just computer training but also into educational tutoring. We also expanded into ‘soft skills’ which are communication and presentation,” he added. “We also morphed into social media training and workforce preparation. So, we have evolved over the years to be a continual stopgap for the community. If there is something that you need as far as vocational training, computer training, we can help you.”

Wendy Armour agrees and says that Compukidz is here to support the needs of the community.

“The community needs to know that we are here, we are here,” says Armour. “If you are having issues with your youth and you’re looking for a program, and you’re asking ‘I wish there was a program that helps kids’, we are that program.”

Compukidz is one of the many non-profit organizations that are participating in The Seattle Medium’s Support Black Orgs initiative to help generate community support for organizations like Compukidz through volunteerism and donations so that can further expand their reach and impact in our community. This article was made possible with support from the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle. Visit supportblackorgs.com to find out more about Compukidz and other non-profits that support our community.

Heirs of Bruce’s Beach Finalize Sale of Property Back to L.A. County

Maria

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Feb 25, 2023

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Heirs of Bruce’s Beach Finalize Sale of Property Back to L.A. County

By Antonio Ray Harvey, California Black Media

On Jan. 30, the heirs of Bruce’s Beach finalized the sale of the land they just reclaimed last year back to Los Angeles County for $20 million.

Antonio Moore, a Los Angeles attorney and co-founder of the American Descendants of Slavery (ADOS) movement, says the deal reached by the heirs of Bruce’s Beach “doesn’t seem to be at fair market value.”

In his Jan. 6 podcast, which can be viewed on Youtube, Moore said he crunched the real estate numbers of surrounding property in Manhattan Beach and claims that the land is worth more than the $20 million – the price at which the heirs of the controversial property were offered for the land.

The attorney said the option to sell back the land, which was first purchased in 1912 and illegally acquired by the city, is akin to the financial loss Black Americans have experienced over the decades due to “housing discrimination.”

“In essence, we are going to give them back the property but not assess any of the generational costs,” he said. “And then we (the county of Los Angeles) are going to create all types of limitations on the way they can access and use that property.”

Moore continued by saying, “The fact that this was sold back for $20 million should have everyone in an uproar. The fact that the (California) Reparations Task Force has literally said nothing about this is abject failure in my view.”

Moore said in his 37-minute podcast that no one really took the time to “contextualize” the agreement between the county and the Bruce family since the announcement was made. Houses and condos around Bruce’s Beach are priced at around “$3 or $4 million dollars,” he said.

According to Realtor.com, Manhattan Beach in Los Angeles County consists of five neighborhoods. As of Jan. 22, there were 57 homes for sale, ranging from $1.2 million to $22 million. As of July 1, 2022, 34,668 people resided in the beach town located about 30 miles southwest of Los Angeles. Of that number, 74.8% are White and 0.5% are Black, according to U.S. Census Bureau numbers.

“I am not here to attack this family,” Moore said of the Bruce family. “I am more so here to question how we got here.”

The Bruce Family’s attorney George C. Fatheree III told KBLA radio personality Tavis Smiley that the family was prompted to sell because it faced a long and drawn-out process to get approval for development by the city of Manhattan and the California Coastal Commission.

“The return of the property and the ability to sell the property and take funds and invest it in a way that’s important to their lives represents an important opportunity for my clients to get a glimpse of that legacy that was theirs,” Fatheree said.

The disturbing story of Bruce’s Beach Park — the location of the first West Coast seaside resort for Black beachgoers and a residential enclave for a few African American families — has received worldwide attention.

One hundred years ago, Manhattan Beach city officials seized Charles and Willa Bruce’s beachfront property through eminent domain, citing an “urgent need” to build a city park.

The use of eminent domain was the end result of segregation, intimidation, violence and threats from the Ku Klux Klan in Manhattan Beach. The plot of land that attracted Black people from all over the country was not developed for recreational use after it was forcefully taken from the Black owners.

On April 9, 2021, Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn announced the return of the land to the Bruce’s descendants. The Bruce’s purchased the real estate in 1912 for $1,225.

The transfer of ownership of the land was able to be completed with the help of legislation authored by state Sen. Steven Bradford (D-Gardena). Senate Bill (SB) 796 exempted the Bruce’s Beach property from state zoning and development restrictions and enabled the county to return the site to its rightful owners.

On Sept. 30, 2021, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed off on SB 796, allowing the Bruce family to retain property that has appreciated in value over the last century.

Two options sat on the table for the heirs. LA County was in line to lease the land for $413,000 per year. It also included an exchange to buy the land for as much as $20 million. The family took the latter.

After the news of the decision to sell the land back to the county broke, social media exploded with commentaries from the Black community – for and against the sale.

Opinions on Twitter ranged from, “they got hustled,” the family “knew they’d sell back the property due to taxes,” “I wish they could have reached out to grass roots for direction and assistance,” “sad,” “unbelievable,” to “This was theirs to sell in the first place. Why are we acting like this was ours?”

Holly J. Mitchell, L.A. County Supervisor for the 2nd District, stated in a Jan. 3 press release that she was “proud” that the county and state addressed the “systematic racist acts that have cost Black families generational wealth.”

“I fully support the self-determination of Black people and families like the Bruce’s to decide what is best for their lives and legacy,” Mitchell stated. “I will continue to advocate for the Bruce family to be fully informed and prepared for the immediate and long-term implications of this sale.”

Considering the well-documented history of racism in housing and real estate that have affected Black Californians, Bruce’s Beach draws attention to other areas in the state where discriminatory laws or practices that have caused Blacks to be illegally displaced or to lose valuable property. Many of these incidents have been highlighted by the California reparations task force.

Examples include land once owned by Black pioneers in Coloma, where the Gold Rush started in 1848; the removal of African Americans from their homes in downtown Santa Monica; and Black community loss of property in Russell City, located between Hayward and Oakland.

“The return of Bruce’s Beach to the rightful heirs of Charles and Willa Bruce will continue to serve as an example of what is possible across the globe when you have the political will and leadership to correct the injustices of the past,” Mitchell added.