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Memphis Police Murder Case Puts Spotlight on California Legislation

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Feb 15, 2023

Memphis Police Murder Case Puts Spotlight on California Legislation

By Charlene Muhammad, California Black Media

There was no “protect and serve.” Just an out of control and outside-the-bounds-of-their-authority attack on an unarmed Black man, said Sen. Seven Bradford (D-Gardena).

Bradford was referring to the beating death of Black motorist Tyre Nichols in Memphis.

The Memphis Police Department has terminated the five officers involved in Nichol’s death: Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Desmond Mills Jr., Emmitt Martin III and Justin Smith. Each one was indicted on a second-degree murder charge and faces up to 60 years in prison if convicted.

Since the incident, Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn “CJ” Davis has deactivated the city’s SCORPION (Street Crimes Operations to Restore Peace in our Neighborhoods) unit. The 50-person unit of crime suppression officers was launched in 2021 to patrol hot spot crime areas.

“The beating and murder of Tyre Nichols by five Memphis Police Officers is brutal and heart-breaking,” said Bradford. “This is yet another example of the need to hold police officers accountable regardless of the color of their skin.”

In 2021, Bradford authored Senate Bill (SB) 2. The law creates a process to make sure police officers who break the law can never wear a badge again in California. “This legislation will save lives,” he said.

Bradford is currently working on SB 50, which would prohibit police in California from making traffic stops for low-level violations. This will reduce the potential for more harm to innocent citizens, said the lawmaker.

“We tend to pass a lot of legislation that doesn’t really have a lot of binding power,” said Cephus “Uncle Bobby” Johnson. His nephew, Oscar Grant, III was shot in the back while subdued on a Bay Area Rapid Transit District station platform on New Year Day in 2009.

The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act does not adequately address some of the most critical issues that we’re dealing with, said Johnson, referring to the bill named for the 46-year-old Minneapolis Black man who was murdered by White cop Derek Chauvin on May 25, 2020. The officer was convicted of 2nd and 3rd degree murder and manslaughter.

The bill would end police restraint techniques, including chokeholds and carotid holds at the federal level, as well as improve police training.

More money for training has been part of the problem, according to Johnson, who supported Assembly Bill (AB) 392, the California Act to Save Lives, which mandates that police officers should only use deadly force when necessary. It was introduced by California Secretary of State Shirley Weber when she was a San Diego Assemblymember. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed that bill in 2019.

“What happened to Tyre impacted so many in California. It re-traumatized many of the families,” said Johnson. “Many families’ wounds have been reopened. Many families’ hopes that there has been some progress have been totally erased,” continued Johnson.

In Los Angeles, the Rampart police division scandal exposed gang unit officers planting evidence, framing suspects, and stealing drugs and money.

In Oakland, a group of cops dubbed the “Riders” stood trial for beating, planting evidence on, and stealing drugs and money from alleged suspects. But a deadlocked jury acquitted them of eight charges and a judge declared a mistrial after they could not agree on 27 other charges. The officers went free.

“Initially, it looks like they’re doing great things but behind the scenes, people in communities will tell you they are terrorized by them,” said Johnson.

Marc Philpart, executive director of the California Black Freedom Fund, organized 26 foundation CEOs and leaders to issue a call to action to push back against systemic barriers. Established two and a half years ago following the murders of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, and countless others, the California Black Freedom Fund is a five-year, $100 million initiative created to mobilize the resources necessary to build Black power and eradicate systemic and institutional racism.

The coalition leaders posted on cablackfreedomfund.org a letter reminding the public of the protests that gave voice to collective outrage, frustration, and grief that permeated Black communities and communities across the country in 2020.

“America recognized that the problem lies not within Black communities, but within structures that institutionalize and perpetuate racial violence and inequity,” they wrote.

Nationally, police killed at least 1,176 people in 2022 – about 100 a month – making last year the deadliest year on record for police violence since killings began being tracked, according to Mapping Police Violence.

“While the nation is grieving, some are making statements telling Black people how to express their outrage. That’s not the focus of our letter. Our letter is a call to action for everyone concerned with the brutalization of Black people and Black communities,” the leaders wrote.

Police screenshot from body camera footage of Tyre Nicholes lying on the ground after being brutally beaten by police officers.

During a Jan. 29 protest for Mr. Nichols and 31-year-old Keenan Anderson, Dr. Melina Abdullah, co-founder of Black Lives Matter L.A. and Black Lives Matter Grassroots, said outrage over the police-involved murders of Black men is justified.

“We should shed tears. We should feel it. We should refuse to become numb. Our hearts should break,” shouted Abdullah.

“We should allow ourselves to sob in the dark of the night. And we should demand justice, not just for what’s happening in Memphis, but what’s happening right here in L.A.,” said Abdullah to demonstrators blocking the intersection of Lincoln and Venice boulevards. The location is where Anderson, a cousin of Black Lives Matter Movement co-founder Patrisse Cullors, flagged down a Los Angeles Police Department motorcycle officer for help following a traffic collision.

Anderson died in police custody hours later, after being tasered six times on the back of his heart, according to family attorneys. LAPD body cameras detailed what happened during the minor traffic stop, when a man, afraid, called the police for help, said family attorney Carl Douglas. In every way, Anderson was respectful of authority: “Sir! Help me, sir,” the unarmed and compliant man repeatedly pled, Douglas said.

“That officer then calls for backup, and Keenan sees several officers then rushing toward him. His reaction then was a reaction that several Black men would react in a similar situation, one of fear. And that fear drove him to run into the middle of the street,” stated Douglas.

Back in Memphis, Mr. Nichols’ brother Michael Cutrer urged people to stand together and fight for their rights. “We definitely speak loud and proud, and we are there marching and protesting and all that’s great, but it has to be about something,” he said.

Why We Need Diverse Books in Schools

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Feb 15, 2023

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By Maya Pottiger, Word in Black

Ever since he was young, Marchánt Davis has always loved children’s media and the power it possesses. Though his favorites were “Sesame Street” and “Reading Rainbow” — especially seeing himself represented on screen through LeVar Burton — he says he was “strangely” inspired by “Snow White.”

“It was always playing on TV,” says Davis, an actor, director, writer, and now author of “A Boy and His Mirror.” And it was this story that he wanted to repurpose for his own children’s book geared toward the current generation.

Thinking about the relationship kids have with their phones and what identity means, Davis wanted to create a story that spoke to people coming up in a world with Tik Tok, Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat.

But, mostly, Davis wrote the book hoping young Black boys would read. Though he doesn’t believe any one thing will cure problems, he wants the book to be a step toward boys acknowledging their feelings and countering some of the toxic masculinity in the Black community.

Davis called back to what Sheryl Lee Ralph said in her acceptance speech at the Critics Choice Awards.

“When you look in the mirror, you gotta love what you see,” Davis quoted. “And so I wrote a book in an effort to help kids look in the mirror and love what they see.”

Though he hopes the book empowers young Black boys, they aren’t the sole audience Davis has in mind.

“It’s a book for anybody who feels ‘other’ by the way they look, or anybody who has self-doubt,” Davis says. “It’s a book that I want kids to read and feel empowered, feel like they have agency.”

The problem is that, around the country, books like Davis’ are being removed from the shelves of classrooms and school libraries. Books that feature Black protagonists or talk about Black history.

And that’s a problem.

‘I Grew Up Thinking We Wanted to Learn History So We Wouldn’t Repeat it’

Between books being banned, challenged, and removed from school shelves — and the College Board giving in to bullying and altering its AP African American Studies course — there’s a lot of talk about what should be taught in classrooms, how it should be done, and who should have a say.

We shouldn’t be hiding history from students because they need to learn the truth, says Kathy Lester, a middle school librarian and president of the American Association of School Librarians. Plus, when students find books they’re interested in, they read more, and it creates conversation and opens up topics for discussion.

“I always grew up thinking that we wanted to learn our history so we wouldn’t repeat it,” Lester says. “We can learn from it and grow from it.”

I always grew up thinking that we wanted to learn our history so we wouldn’t repeat it

KATHY LESTER, PRESIDENT OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL LIBRARIANS

We can’t understand our current politics and culture without understanding the treatment of African Americans in the United States, as well as the integral role they’ve played in shaping the country, says Caroline Richmond, the executive director of the nonprofit We Need Diverse Books.

“In order for us to be the nation that we claim to be — a land where all people are created and treated as equals — we have to teach our children how this has not been and still is not the case today,” Richmond says. “And so, if we’re not teaching Black history in our schools, then our students — of all races and backgrounds — are not receiving a holistic education.”

In its “Banned in the USA” report, PEN America collected book bans in states around the country between July 1, 2021, and June 30, 2022. The analysis found that bans occurred in 138 school districts across 32 states, and these districts represent 5,049 schools with a combined enrollment of nearly 4 million students.

While the majority of states with reported bans saw less than 50, some states racked up over 100, with Texas topping the list at 801 bans.

But it’s not just about history books. For Black and Brown kids, it’s about seeing yourself represented in history, in a book, but also in the daily experiences that children face.

“We want our kids — and we want every kid — to be able to see the experiences of Black children in the books that they read because it makes every person more relatable,” says Derrick Ramsey, co-founder of the nonprofit Young, Black & Lit. “If you can see that person, a Black student, doing a science project through a book, then that’s exciting to any student who wants to get into science.”

Davis says there’s more power in variety than singularity because there is so much more to learn.

“It’s a very dangerous act to not allow children and people the experience of reading a variety of different texts because that’s what informs us about the world. That’s what helps us build our ideas and thoughts around what we believe,” Davis says. “If we are showing kids a singular thing, then I think we’re alienating them and we’re manipulating them.”

The Message a Book Ban Sends

Banning these books sends a message — both to Black students and their non-Black peers.

“It sends a message to Black students that their history doesn’t matter, that it’s not important,” Lester says. “Then, for white students, that it’s not important for them to learn about it or that their history is more important — which are not good messages to be sent.”

And their non-Black peers are also harmed because they end up learning a lopsided view of history that ignores huge swaths of the American narrative, Richmond says.

“They won’t have the opportunity to really grapple with our shared past,” Richmond says, “to read primary sources, to ask probing questions, and to engage in thoughtful discussion and build empathy. Acknowledging past harm and our current inequitable society is the first step in creating real, long-term, sustainable change.”

Of the banned books studied by PEN America, they were most likely to have LGBTQ+ content (41%) or characters of color (40%). Among the top reasons for book bans were titles having to do with race or racism (21%), and titles with themes of rights or activism (10%).

When thinking about these book bans, Davis thinks there are some important questions to ask those doing the banning: What do you want? What do you want Black children to feel by removing those books? What does removing them actually do?

“I’m just like, ‘Why?’” Davis says. “What’s your intention? What are you saying to the kids about that book, specifically?”

For Ramsey, the message is clear: “Your history doesn’t matter. Your experiences don’t matter. Who you are doesn’t matter.” It’s a challenging space for a child who is already trying to find their path in the country and in the world.

Plus, it’s not just talking about Black history or Asian history, Ramsey says, it’s American history.

“Education should be the space where you can learn about everything and anything that you want. There should be no limits to the creativity of the ideas and the dreams that you inspire into every child,” Ramsey says. “This really takes away a lot of that opportunity to see what you could be, even if you hadn’t thought about it before.”

Read These Books in February (and All Year Long)

No matter your age or background knowledge, here are book recommendations to read during Black History Month — or all year.

EPA Outlines $27B ‘Green Bank’ for Clean Energy Projects

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Feb 14, 2023

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EPA Outlines $27B ‘Green Bank’ for Clean Energy Projects

By MATTHEW DALY, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration on Tuesday outlined how states and nonprofit groups can apply for $27 billion in funding from a “green bank” that will provide low-cost financing for projects intended to cut planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions.

The so-called Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, created by Congress in the landmark climate law approved last year, will invest in clean energy projects nationwide, with a focus on low-income and disadvantaged communities.

The Environmental Protection Agency expects to award $20 billion in competitive grants to as many 15 nonprofit groups that will work with local banks and other financial institutions to invest in projects that reduce pollution and lower energy costs for families.

Another $7 billion will be awarded to states, tribes and municipalities to deploy a range of solar energy projects, including residential rooftop solar, community solar and solar storage.

EPA Administrator Michael Regan said the green bank — modeled after similar banks established in states such as Connecticut, New York and California — will unlock billions of dollars in private investment to enable neighborhoods and communities “that have never participated in the clean-energy economy to participate in full force” in creating green jobs.

Low-income and disadvantaged communities “who pay the largest percent of their income toward energy bills have been left out of the investment game (and) have not seen the infusion of private capital to help them realize opportunities … for lots of reasons,” said Regan, the first Black man to head the EPA.

“What we are focused on here is ensuring that this $27 billion opportunity is thought-out in a way that allows for that community, that population, to be along for the ride,” he added. ”Obviously, if this had been done before, there would be no reason for the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. We are charged with bringing private capital off the sideline.”

The program expects to begin making grant awards this summer and has already received nearly 400 responses to preliminary inquiries, said Jahi Wise, the program’s acting director.

Even before the grants are awarded, Republicans in Congress have taken aim at the green bank, calling it a taxpayer-funded “slush fund” ripe for abuse.

Rep. Gary Palmer, R-Ala., said he will sponsor a bill to repeal the fund, which he said will benefit Wall Street firms but “doesn’t help the American people with their utility bills.

“Will this $27 billion slush fund lower the cost of heating for these American families?” Palmer asked.

Sean Kelly, a spokesman for House Energy and Commerce Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., said the fund “allocates an incredible amount of authority and resources” to the EPA, yet lacks measures to ensure accountability or transparency in how the resources are used.

“In other words, this provision creates a taxpayer-funded slush fund for Wall Street and heightens the risk for overspending, fraud and abuse,” Kelly said in a statement. “That is not a responsible way to allocate these resources.”

Democrats were much more optimistic, calling the fund a historic opportunity to cut greenhouse gas emissions, protect public health and create economic opportunity in disadvantaged and under-resourced communities.

“For years, we’ve fought to take the idea of a national climate bank from a vision to a reality. With today’s action from the EPA, we’re one step closer,” said Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., who pushed for the green bank along with Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey and other Democrats.

Markey and Van Hollen said in a statement that they will work with EPA to ensure the new fund is national in scope, has a substantial “multiplier effect” with private investment and includes diverse stakeholders, including “communities that have been historically underserved” by banks and other financial institutions.

Biden to Award Medal of Honor to Vietnam-Era Army Officer

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Feb 14, 2023

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Biden to Award Medal of Honor to Vietnam-Era Army Officer

By DARLENE SUPERVILLE, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — One of the first Black officers to lead a Special Forces team in combat will receive the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest award for bravery on the battlefield, nearly 60 years after he distinguished himself during the Vietnam War.

President Joe Biden telephoned ret. U.S. Army Col. Paris Davis on Monday “to inform him that he will receive the Medal of Honor for his remarkable heroism during the Vietnam War.”

The White House also said Biden told Davis that he looks forward to hosting him at the White House. A date for the medal ceremony was not immediately announced.

Davis was recommended for the Medal of Honor after he distinguished himself on June 18, 1965, during a pre-dawn raid on a North Vietnamese army camp in Bong Son. A major enemy counterattack followed and wounded every American there.

Davis, who retired as a colonel in 1985, repeatedly sprinted into an open rice paddy to rescue each member of his team, using his pinkie finger to fire his rifle after an enemy grenade shattered his hand, according to the ArmyTimes. His entire team survived the battle.

The paperwork recommending Davis, who is now in his early 80s, for the Medal of Honor disappeared at least twice, the paper reported. He eventually was awarded a Silver Star Medal, but members of Davis’ team have long argued that race was a factor in the handling of the recommendation.

In early 2021, Christopher Miller, then the acting defense secretary, ordered an expedited review of the case. He argued in an opinion column in June 2021 that awarding Davis the Medal of Honor to would address an injustice

“Some issues in our nation rise above partisanship,” Miller wrote. “The Davis case meets that standard.”

Mississippi Lawmakers Seek Return to Jim Crow with Separate White System of Justice

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Feb 14, 2023

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Mississippi Lawmakers Seek Return to Jim Crow with Separate White System of Justice

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

Mississippi’s Black community is outraged that state lawmakers are moving closer to establishing a separate justice system in Jackson for whites and African Americans.
According to Mississippi Today, the proposed new law would let the state’s white chief justice of the Mississippi Supreme Court, its white attorney general, and its white state public safety commissioner appoint new judges, prosecutors, public defenders, and police officers to run a new district in the city that includes all the city’s majority-white neighborhoods.

Such a move would create a separate justice system for whites in an area where whites are statistically the majority.
And it would happen without a single vote from any of Jackson’s 80 percent Black residents for any of these officials.

“It makes me think of apartheid,” Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba said.
Three of the bill’s principal backers said on the floor of the Mississippi Legislature that “public safety” was the bill’s primary goal because of worries about the crime rate in Jackson.

But Newsweek reported that some legal experts said that what the Mississippi Legislature was trying to do was a way for white conservative politicians to try to hurt the Black vote in a way that hadn’t occurred since the Jim Crow era.
Many Republican lawmakers who voted for the bill live in districts being fought over by groups like the American Civil Liberties Union because they make it harder for Black people to vote.

Bill Quigley, a retired law professor at Loyola University-New Orleans and a former lawyer for the NAACP Legal Fund, told Newsweek, “I am shocked by this.”
“I know of no other such legislation in judicial elections or selections in decades. This is not a step backward. This is a complete Olympic-level broad jump backward to Jim Crow era politics.”

Quigley said that this kind of system was “the rule for decades” in the South until the Voting Rights Act passed in 1965 and formally prohibited arbitrary rules like poll taxes and literacy tests designed to prevent African Americans from voting.

Experts stated that the latest proposal from the Mississippi Legislature would likely be unconstitutional because it has a clear racial bias, which is against the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

In 2020, Lumumba said he wanted to make Jackson “the most radical city on the planet” by implementing policies like a universal basic income, a reformed police department, and other progressive policies.

Lumumba has been under constant scrutiny from Mississippi’s conservative establishment.
The Voting Rights Act would have helped Jackson in this case, but the U.S. Supreme Court removed many protections offered by that law.

State leaders had recently been very critical of Lumumba’s government and of the city’s liberal leanings, leading to claims that the latest move is politically motivated.
Experts said the only problem is that, unlike other states, Mississippi does not have a clause in its constitution that says laws can’t target one group, which would make this more difficult for the city to challenge the law in court.

“In the absence of any evidence that this was done with a racial purpose—people don’t tend to do things for racial reasons as much as they used to—and so the courts kind of often will conclude that their hands are tied,” Fred Smith Jr., a scholar of the federal judiciary at Emory University, told Newsweek.

“It’s concerning to see from a perspective of democracy. While in some ways, it’s not as bad as declaring secession, it also is in the sense people’s taxes are being invested in a system they cannot democratically control.”

A Black Woman-Owned Business Encounters Discrimination in Quest to Help Ukraine

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Feb 14, 2023

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A Black Woman-Owned Business Encounters Discrimination in Quest to Help Ukraine

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

Carolyn Davis, like many others, had an immediate reaction to the destruction in Ukraine caused by the Russian invasion.
“Those folks need help,” said Davis, the CEO of the District of Columbia-based CDAG International.

To help, her construction company visited areas of the war-torn country where civilians and military personnel alike needed assistance.
Davis said her group had installed “living containers and living facilities” that provided families with things like furniture and bunk beds, as well as generators.
“We installed electrical systems and other mandatory features,” she stated.
As the war’s anniversary approaches, though, it appears that American impulses have also kicked in.

U.S. politicians, government organizations, The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and others have neglected CDAG’s work, even though U.S. military aid and spending has reached over $50 billion, and firms are pitching services to gain contracts to help reconstruct that Eastern European nation.

Davis has repeatedly requested that USAID allow the company to compete for contracts to provide relief in Ukraine, but USAID has routinely declined.
USAID counts as an independent agency of the government that’s responsible for providing civilian foreign aid and helping development.

Legislators also have ignored CDAG’s attempts to contact them.
Davis stated, “They do not recognize me. I’m just some Black woman who wants to lend a hand. And that’s exactly what they perceive. I can’t imagine why they wouldn’t want to support a Black-owned business, but they clearly don’t.”

The American envoy to Ukraine also snubbed CDAG’s request for a meeting, despite the Ukraine Ministry of Defense having given Davis’s firm a glowing recommendation.
The Defense Ministry expressed gratitude to the United States government in a letter dated December 30, 2022, for its support during Ukraine’s conflict with Russia.
The letter addressed to Nathaniel Adler, the principal director of the U.S. Office of the Under Secretary for Policy at the Department of Defense, noted that Ukraine still requires urgent supplies, equipment, and logistical support.

Meeting such requirements would be impossible without access to necessary resources and a reliable support system, the defense minister wrote.
“Due to the intense fighting in several areas, it’s very difficult to get these materials to our troops on the front line and other locations, and there are very few companies that can accomplish this task,” the letter continued.

“CDAG International has worked with our military and has proven that they can assist the Ukrainian government to acquire critical services and facilitate many of our requirements. CDAG has proven beneficial to our troops and had contributed to saving lives.”
The letter is only one of many testimonials to CDAG’s capabilities, according to Dwight Brown, senior managing partner for CDAG and a retired U.S. Army Sgt. Major.
“We’ve created enough housing to accommodate 3,000 people and we’ve done it in approximately eight months,” Brown said.

CDAG has focused its efforts on the western side of Ukraine, where the war’s destruction has forced many people to relocate, he said.
“There are people who left Ukraine and are trying to make their way back,” Brown noted. “We see a lot of squatters and in villages there are people with tents on the side of the road. We want people to get back inside warm structures before it gets too far into the winter there.”

The Ukraine government provided CDAG 60 acres of land, but without funding or even a token commitment from the American government, it will be difficult for the company to meet current demand.

CDAG managing partner Warwin Davis added that the firm has supplied heating, generators, and external stoves to aid Ukrainian forces.

Davis, who has managed multinational supply chains for almost three decades, insisted, “We made history over there.”
“Historically speaking, it was Carol Davis who made history,” Davis demanded.
“It’s incredible that we haven’t been able to acquire a quarter from USAID despite what we’ve shown that we can accomplish.”
CDAG hopes to meet with White House officials.
“The elephant in the room is we are a woman-owned and minority small business, and the U.S. government and USAID are giving all the dollars to the regular companies,” Brown asserted.

“We’re going not continue to ride the Office of the Secretary of Defense, USAID, and congressional offices. People with weaker constitutions than us would have thrown in the towel. That’s not us. When they tell us ‘No,’ it just means next opportunity. We’re coming to the table and not asking for special set asides, just an opportunity.”

The Grammys Ended in Controversy, Again. Here’s What to Know

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Feb 14, 2023

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The Grammys Ended in Controversy, Again. Here’s What to Know

By NARDOS HAILE, Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) _ A night in music brimming with shocking upsets, historic wins, tributes for artists like the late rapper Takeoff and hip-hop’s 50th anniversary, the 65th Grammys were back in full swing Sunday. Once again, Beyonce was in the running for the top honor.

Once again, the show ended with someone else winning album of the year.

This year was widely seen as a chance for the Grammys to honor the superstar with a marquee award, especially on a night where she could have ( and did ) become its most decorated artist.

Instead, Harry Styles won, and a line from his acceptance speech stung those who thought Beyonce should have won.

Here’s what happened, how it’s been perceived and who picks the Grammys’ top honors.

WHAT’S CONTROVERSIAL ABOUT STYLES’ WIN?

Styles won for his third album, “Harry’s House,” and even he seemed surprised when his name was called.

The British pop star was competing against other giants in the industry: acts like ABBA, Adele, Bad Bunny, Brandi Carlile, Coldplay, Lizzo, Kendrick Lamar, and Beyonce.

While accepting the award, he said, “This is really, really kind. I’m so, so grateful… I’m just so _ This doesn’t happen to people like me very often. And this is so, so nice. Thank you very, very much.”

The line, “this doesn’t happen to people like me very often,” drew criticism in the hours after his win.

Styles was born and raised in Northern England and rose to fame in 2010 when he auditioned for the Simon Cowell-led talent competition show https://sdvoice.info/beyonce-emerges-as-grammys-queen-styles-wins-album-honor “The X Factor.” He placed third with the boyband One Direction. His solo career has earned him several Grammys and Billboard-charting albums and singles.

Styles hasn’t said what he meant by his words. Some have interpreted it as him trying to express how far he’d come from his youth. Others, however, see the remark as an example of white privilege.

WHY ARE PEOPLE MAD AT STYLES’ WORDS?

Many of Beyonce’s fans are fiercely protective of the singer. They’re called the Beyhive, after all.

Despite Beyonce’s 32 Grammy wins – the most of any artist in history – many are troubled by the fact she has yet to win album of year and that she’s lost to white musicians every time she has been nominated.

Washington Post pop music critic Chris Richards, in a story headlined “Beyonce just made Grammy history. Why does it feel like she still lost?” wrote that her historic achievement feels hollow.

“Why does that feel like not enough,” Richards asked. `”Because for the past 20 years and counting, the Recording Academy has routinely failed to recognize Black artists at their creative peaks _ and to her credit, Beyonce keeps updating that peak with each new album.”

Similar criticism was raised in other stories and by online commenters, some of whom noted a Black woman hadn’t won album of the year since Lauryn Hill in the late `90s.

Ashley Smalls, a Black feminism and pop culture doctoral student at Penn State University criticized Styles’ speech in a tweet: ”`this doesn’t happen to people like me very often’ when a Black woman hasn’t won that award since 1999 is crazy lol.”

WHAT IS BEYONCE’S GRAMMYS HISTORY?

The artist is tied with her husband, Jay-Z, for most nominations all-time with 88 but she has only won 32 times. Most significantly, Beyonce has lost album of the year four times to Taylor Swift, Beck, Adele and now Styles.

Beyonce has been nominated in each of the most prestigious categories across her decadeslong career but she has won in these categories just once for “Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It).”

A Black woman has not won album of the year since Lauryn Hill received the accolade for her breakout album, “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” in 1999. The last Black person to win the award was Jon Batiste, last year for his album”We Are.”

WHO DECIDES ALBUM OF THE YEAR?

According to Billboard, the Recording Academy boasts more than 12,000 voting members. The entire membership is allowed to vote in the big four categories _ best new artist, record, song and album of the year. Members are also responsible for nominating in their area of expertise, as well as voting on the winners this categories.

Numerous artists have criticized how the Grammys nominate artists. The Recording Academy is undergoing a campaign to diversify its membership and has a goal of having 2,500 female members by 2025.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR BEYONCE AND STYLES?

Both are hitting the road for international tours.

Styles’ next show is in Thailand next week and he’ll play shows in Asia and Europe into the summer.

Beyonce will be starting her “Renaissance” tour in May in Sweden and will play dates in Europe and the United States.

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Related post: Beyoncé Emerges as Grammys Queen

LeBron has Defied Odds, with No Drop-Off in Sight

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Feb 14, 2023

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LeBron has Defied Odds, with No Drop-Off in Sight

By TIM REYNOLDS, AP Basketball Writer

LeBron James is 38 years old. He is in Season 20 of his NBA career. He is, by conventional basketball-playing standards, ancient.

History says his decline should have started already.

Except it hasn’t. Not even close. And count that as just another example of what sets James apart from so many other greats, so many other superstars of their sport who were good enough for long enough to climb atop some lists in the record books.

The NBA’s new scoring leader _ he caught Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on Tuesday night, one Los Angeles Lakers great taking the record from another _ is still one of the very best in the game. He is talking about playing two more years, three more years, maybe more. He could raise the scoring-record bar so high by the time he retires that it would be, at best, highly unrealistic for anyone to catch him.

“I know I’m still playing at a high level. … I’ve been able to do some incredible things in this league,” James said after he scored 38 points on the record-setting night to lift his career total to 38,390 _ three more than Abdul-Jabbar, whose reign atop the NBA scoring list ended after almost 39 years. “And hopefully I can do some more incredible things before I’m done.”

The unfortunate part about most longevity records is this: Young athletes don’t set them. By design, they’re usually broken by athletes who are at or near the end of their career.

Take Pete Rose, for example. Rose got his 4,192nd career hit _ a record-breaker, the one where he passed Ty Cobb’s official total (some say Rose actually had the record a few hits earlier, but the recognized number for Cobb by Major League Baseball remains 4,191 hits) _ on Sept. 11, 1985.

At that moment, when Rose lined that hit off Eric Show, he was a .304 career hitter. But after the record-setter, he batted .225 for the remainder of his career. In fairness, he was 44 and 45 years old during that stint of batting .225.

He slowed down. It happens to everyone. Well, almost everyone.

“I think about the wear and tear on LeBron’s body and the lack of sleep and the 3 1/2 games a week, season after season, how he takes care of himself, “NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said. “I hope the young players pay attention to that. Anyone who’s ever been around LeBron, he’s always working on his body.“

Tiger Woods got 79 wins in 295 PGA Tour starts between 1996 and 2013, a ridiculously high-for-golf 27% winning rate. Since then, after off-the-course issues and a slew of injuries, Woods has won three times in 62 starts. He has tied Sam Snead for the all-time wins record on tour with 82. No one would dare doubt that Woods can find a way to get one more win and claim the record outright, but few would also say that it should be considered likely.

Wayne Gretzky caught Gordie Howe for the all-time NHL goals record and was still every bit The Great One _ his moniker for decades now. But over his last five seasons after setting the record, Gretzky’s production predictably dipped a bit. He averaged 0.25 goals and 1.1 points per game over those last five seasons, at the ages of 34 through 38. Before that, he averaged 0.71 goals and 2.2 points per game.

Even Abdul-Jabbar, after catching Wilt Chamberlain in 1984, saw his numbers decrease. Before the record, Abdul-Jabbar averaged 27.0 points. Afterward, 17.7 points.

“Kareem was a great player his entire career, even after setting the record,” said Pat Riley, his coach with the Lakers and now the president of the Miami Heat. “The record didn’t change anything for him.”

There are two notable exceptions to the notion that says player production almost always must drop off after setting records.

James is the first one. Kobe Bryant averaged 17.6 points in his 20th season, a record for anyone who played that deep into their NBA career. It won’t be a record much longer. James is averaging 30 per game in his 20th season.

The other exception is Tom Brady.

The recently retired seven-time Super Bowl champion never slowed down after catching Drew Brees for three of the biggest records a quarterback can have _ most completions, most touchdowns and most yards.

Consider what Brady did this season, his 23rd, at 45 years old: 4,694 yards, 25 touchdown passes, a career-best and league-high 490 completions, a career-best and league-high 733 attempts. It might not have been his best year, but it was still incredibly prolific.

“There’s always going to be a part that wants to play and a part of me that feels like I can play,”Brady said on his “Let’s Go!” podcast when explaining his retirement decision. “I think there’s just a decision to know that it’s the right time. I think for me, it’s going to end at some point and now’s the time.“

Brady never dropped off. Ever.

So far, we can say the same about James. He continues to defy Father Time.

And now, sit back and watch how many more points he adds to this total. Barring injury, 40,000 points will happen. If he plays two or three more full seasons, 42,000 or 43,000 isn’t unthinkable.

“He’s going to extend this record even further,” c told TNT after the game Tuesday night. “And it’ll be interesting to see how far it goes.”

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California Lawmakers Push Bill to Grant Prisoners Right to Vote

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Feb 14, 2023

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California Lawmakers Push Bill to Grant Prisoners Right to Vote

By Maxim Elramsisy, California Black Media

Last week, Assemblymember Isaac Bryan (D-Los Angeles) the chair of the Assembly’s Committee on Elections introduced Assembly Constitutional Amendment 4 (ACA-4). The legislation proposes amending the California Constitution to allow felons serving time in state and federal prisons to vote.

Proposition 17, approved in 2020 by California voters, enabled persons convicted of felonies on parole to vote.

If the bill passes the Assembly and Senate, and the governor approves it, voters in California could vote to join Vermont, Maine, and Washington D.C. in allowing incarcerated individuals to vote.

“After the 13th Amendment liberated the slaves, we started to see different types of voter disenfranchisement occurring,” Bryan explained in an interview with California Black Media (CBM).

“We saw Black code, we saw Jim Crow, poll taxes, literacy tests, felony disenfranchisement, becoming more commonplace in statewide constitution and so it’s through that legacy that we’ve been trying to roll back all of these years and make sure that our democracy is inclusive of everybody,” Bryan commented on the systemic discrimination and disenfranchisement African Americans have endured over centuries.

Lawmakers opposing the legislation say allowing incarcerated felons to vote is a slap in the face to victims of the crimes they committed.

“I believe that it discounts the impact that this will have on people who have suffered being a victim of a very violent offense,” Assemblymember Tom Lackey (R-Palmdale) told CBM.

“Part of rehabilitation is going through a process of recognizing the seriousness of what has been done, and I think when we allow someone to exercise the most sacred privilege that we have in this country, that people have died so that we can exercise that privilege, that is an affront against those who have suffered ill, and a lot of times eternal pain,” Lackey said.

Responding to Lackey’s objection, Bryan said, “That’s like saying allowing incarcerated persons to breathe is an affront to their victims, allowing incarcerated persons to drink water, allowing incarcerated persons to hold conversations with one another.”

“There is no reason that that should be coupled with disenfranchisement and the expelling of individuals as citizens of this country.”

“There’s a difference between suspending a privilege and dehumanizing someone,” Lackey said. “Certainly no one expects someone to go through inappropriate suffering. That is not part of justice. That’s not part of our judicial process.”

David Liamsi Cruz, an advocate from Initiate Justice, was released in September after serving 13 years in prison.

“One problem that I constantly came across was that people serving their sentence alongside me felt that they didn’t have the means to improve their environment that controlled their lives or to contribute to their families’ wellness outside. Despite what many people assume, people in prison care about the same political issues that we outside do,” Cruz said.

“Those who were willing to become civically engaged with me were diligent in their work, they even brought me bill ideas that could have solved issues that were longstanding in their communities. I was honored to witness their passion for change, for an opportunity to grow, and to contribute to something way bigger than themselves. Even though I am home [from] prison now, I have not forgotten the 10,000 voices of people who are still inside and have so much to contribute. I want their voices to be heard.”

Supporters of the plan say that reducing recidivism – or the reincarceration of persons less than 3 years after they are released from prison – is one of the primary benefits of this plan.

“We already know a lot of the facts, and the facts are that the more someone is engaged in their democracy, they are 50% less likely to reoffend,” said Assemblymember Ash Kalra (D-San Jose) who is a co-sponsor of the bill.

“So, if we already know this, then the policy not allowing those who are incarcerated to vote has nothing to do with public safety.”

Kalra said when he was a public defender it was “plain as day” to see who was given second chances.

“Those who were given probation versus prison, and it was so connected to race and class and the same communities who have been fighting to be free since the inception, and before the inception of this nation,” he said.

Another concern is the ability for those who are incarcerated to hold public officials accountable. “Those who are incarcerated and their families are some of the most educated people in our state, far more educated than the average voter,” said Kalra. “And they will hold us accountable, and maybe that’s what people are afraid of. They don’t want that accountability from those who are suffering the most from decisions that are made traditionally in [the Capital].”

The legislation is backed by a coalition of lawmakers, including California Legislative Black Caucus members – Assemblymembers Lori Wilson (D – Suisun City), Reggie Jones-Sawyer (D-Los Angeles), Tina

McKinnor (D – Inglewood), Mia Bonta (D-Oakland), Dr. Akilah Weber (D – San Diego) and Senators Steven Bradford (D- Inglewood) and Lola Smallwood Cuevas (D–Ladera Heights).

“There was a time where women couldn’t vote,” Jones-Sawyer said at the press conference held last week to announce the bill. “There was a time when African Americans couldn’t vote, and just recently we tried to get slavery out of the California state constitution and it failed, because of Democrats.”

“An American citizen’s right to vote is the most powerful right in our nation,” McKinnor said. “Let’s be clear, an incarcerated American citizen is an American citizen, and no law should ever restrict an American citizen’s right to vote. Too many Americans have died, too many Americans have sacrificed, too many Americans have been denied the right to vote for too long.”

Lackey and others who oppose the legislation, however, insist that denying a felon to vote is appropriate punishment.

“There has to be a period of reflection and a period of suspension of certain what I would call privileges or rights in order for the judicial process to be effective,” Lackey said to CBM.

Bryan said the protection of citizens’ rights is paramount.

“There are some basic human rights, and then there are some basic American rights that have to be preserved, even in the systems of accountability,” he emphasized.

GOP Election Tactics no Surprise to Wisconsin’s Black Voters

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Feb 14, 2023

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GOP Election Tactics no Surprise to Wisconsin’s Black Voters

By HARM VENHUIZEN, Associated Press

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Recent revelations about Republican election strategies targeting minority communities in Wisconsin’s biggest city came as no surprise to many Black voters.

A Wisconsin election commissioner bragged about low turnout in predominantly Black and Latino neighborhoods during last year’s elections. Weeks later, an audio recording surfaced that showed then-President Donald Trump’s Wisconsin campaign team laughing behind closed doors about efforts to reach Black voters in 2020.

Many people who voted this past week in the state’s primary election said they had long felt targeted by Republicans. The difference now is the public display of strategies that at best ignore the priorities of Black voters and at worst actively look to keep them from voting.

“It’s a plan that they devised and carried out with quite a lot of precision,” said lifelong Milwaukee resident Dewayne Walls, 63. “It’s a repeatable pattern that’s going to continue to happen over and over as long as they have that plausible deniability and as long as they have the power in Madison” — the state capital.

Walls and other Black voters said they are tired of the countless hurdles that disproportionately try to keep them from being heard at the ballot box. Voters said their experiences with the GOP have been as voices to silence, not to win over.

“The Republican Party needs a lot of work. All of them need to actually step into our shoes, go in our neighborhoods, work our jobs, do the things that we’re doing on a daily basis and see how they feel about what’s going on once they experience it,” said Valeria Gray, 59.

She described the relationship between Milwaukee and much of the rest of the state as one divided by race.

“It doesn’t look like it’s gonna ever go anywhere,” she said.

Voting rights advocates for years have accused Wisconsin Republicans of pushing policies to suppress voters of color and lower-income voters. Many such policies centered on the Democratic stronghold of Milwaukee, home to nearly 70% of Wisconsin’s Black population.

Those claims were reinforced by an email sent to about 1,700 people in December from Bob Spindell, a Republican member of the Wisconsin Election Commission. He said Republicans “can be especially proud” of depressed midterm voter turnout in predominantly Black and Latino neighborhoods in Milwaukee, a heavily Democratic city.

Spindell later said his email was meant to convey the steps Republicans took to counter Democratic messaging in the city.

The Associated Press then obtained an audio recording of a meeting in which the head of Trump’s 2020 Wisconsin campaign team talked with staff about their efforts to reach Black voters: “We ever talk to Black people before? I don’t think so,” the campaign official said to laughter.

Dwayne Morgan, 59, called it “the same old, same old” for the GOP in Milwaukee. “They’re trying to get us not to vote. They’re trying to wipe away the history,” he said.

Republican-drawn legislative maps adopted last year dilute Milwaukee’s influence and nearly guarantee a Republican majority in the Legislature. That’s despite statewide races routinely being decided by narrow margins and Democrats winning the major statewide offices, including for governor, attorney general and secretary of state.

The Republican-controlled Legislature enacted strict voter ID laws in 2011 under then-Republican Gov. Scott Walker. Since his first term began in 2019, Democratic Gov. Tony Evers has vetoed more than a dozen GOP-backed bills that would make it harder to vote. Those include ID requirements for older and disabled voters who are indefinitely confined, limits on when and where absentee ballots could be collected, and prohibiting election officials from filling out missing voter information.

Nonetheless, Republicans have prevailed in the courts, using lawsuits to outlaw ballot drop boxes and deny election clerks the ability to fill in missing information on the envelopes containing mail ballots. The Wisconsin Supreme Court’s conservative majority, which is at stake in this year’s election, has routinely ruled in favor of Republicans on consequential voting decisions.

That adds to a host of reasons Black voters in Milwaukee have increasingly felt as if their votes don’t matter. The city has some of the worst racial disparities nationwide in health care, education, wealth and incarceration.

Low-income residents, who are disproportionately Black, already struggle to meet basic needs. Confusion over new election rules or limited options for when and where they can vote further discourage voting, said the Rev. Greg Lewis, founder of Souls to the Polls Milwaukee.

“Suppression is not just a few things,” he said. “It’s not just, not being able to vote without IDs. It’s not just, not being able to take your ballots to the drop box. It’s not just language barriers. It’s all those things together.”

For Barbara Bryant, 76, “all the extra steps” were the biggest barrier to voting. But she wasn’t going to be deterred from participating in this month’s primary. This past week, amid a snowstorm, a poll worker helped her from her car and into an early voting location.

Bryant said she has preferred voting early in recent years so poll workers have time to explain any new rules, but she has seen inaccessible voting sites and the removal of drop boxes discourage other older adults from voting.

Wisconsin Republicans told the AP they have been trying for a decade to make inroads with Black and Latino voters in Milwaukee.

The state party opened its first office in downtown Milwaukee in 2019, specifically with the goal of reaching out to Black voters. The focus is on engaging them in conversation, rather than meeting typical campaign metrics such as knocking on a certain number of doors, said Mark Jefferson, the state GOP executive director.

He said the party is not trying to suppress votes, but to chip away at the support for Democrats in those communities.

“People are listening when they haven’t before,” Jefferson said. “I think we’ve learned a lot. I think we are cutting into Democrats’ margins, albeit faster currently in the Latino community and the Hispanic communities. But we’re also cutting into margins on the north side of Milwaukee, as well. And that’s because we are more in touch than we were.”

Angela Lang, executive director of Milwaukee-based Black Leaders Organizing Communities, wasn’t worried about Republicans gaining a foothold with Black voters. She said the GOP’s priorities are fundamentally at odds with what most Black voters in Milwaukee want.

But Lang said she was concerned about the precedent that could be set by Republicans so openly talking about strategies to lower turnout.

“It’s incredibly dangerous, because when one starts, then people just feel more emboldened,” she said.

Several Black votes interviewed at the polls said they had seen little activity from Republicans in the city and described the GOP outreach center as more of a showpiece for the party.

“I don’t think they ever come down here to try to reach us at all,” said voter Damario Wright, 36. “I mean, you barely see a Republican in Milwaukee — come on, now.”

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Associated Press writer Scott Bauer in Madison, Wisconsin, contributed to this report.

Students walk out after told to limit Black History program

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Feb 14, 2023

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Students walk out after told to limit Black History program

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — More than 200 students walked out of class at an Alabama high school after they say they were told by school leaders to omit certain relevant events from an upcoming student-led Black History Month program.

However, school officials have denied the allegations even while acknowledging the need for students’ concerns to be heard.

Students told WBMA-TV they were ordered to leave out major historical moments, including slavery and the civil rights movement, from the program scheduled for Feb. 22 at Hillcrest High School in Tuscaloosa.

The students were told they “couldn’t talk about slavery and civil rights because one of our administrators felt uncomfortable,” said Black History Month Program board member J’Niyah Suttles, a senior who participated in Wednesday’s walkout.

She said the the direction from a school administrator left her hurt.

“My protector from 8 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. — for you to tell me I can’t talk about something that is dealing with my culture is very disturbing, it’s very confusing,” Suttles saidO

Fellow Hillcrest senior Jada Holt expressed similar emotions.

“Why am I being censored about my culture, something that is rooted in me? Why can’t I talk about it? History is history and it’s already been made, and it can’t be erased,” she said.

Senior Jamiyah Brown, who helped put the program together, organized the walkout, which lasted about an hour.

“Without our history we are nothing. Without teaching our youth where we come from, how can we move forward?” Brown said.

Tuscaloosa County Superintendent Dr. Keri Johnson, in a statement, denied allegations that an administrator told the students to leave out historical elements.

“It is not true that faculty or staff told students that slavery or the civil rights movement could not be part of the program,” Johnson said. “When several community members heard this and contacted Hillcrest High administration out of concern, administration explained to them that this was false information that was circulating.”

Johnson said the school system supports the students’ right to peacefully demonstrate.

“A number of our Hillcrest High students have concerns about the culture within their school. We care deeply about our students, and it is important that their concerns are heard. We are putting together a plan to make sure our students feel heard, so that we know the right steps to put in place to ensure all students know that they are valued,” Johnson said.

The president of the Tuscaloosa Branch of the NAACP, Lisa Young, said the alleged direction was a disgrace.

“I don’t know how you can talk about Black history in this country without talking about slavery or the civil rights movement,” Young said.

She said she has asked to meet with Johnson but has yet to be given a date.

Young said she was “angry and part of me feels like we failed our students. We want to see what we can do to assist them, and make their school a safe place.”

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Related Post: It’s Time to Show Up for Black Teachers

The Struggle for Affordable Housing in San Diego

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Feb 14, 2023

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The Struggle for Affordable Housing in San Diego

By Sara Garcia, Tenants United Memb

The increases in rents throughout the United States continue to hit the pockets of the poorest families the hardest. In San Diego, these have become an outrage, an infamous blow to the well-being and dignity of the most vulnerable people.

The owners of apartment complexes, houses, and small properties continue to raise rents, provoking a dangerous imbalance in the lives of those who are forced to rent a place to live, and who barely survive on a salary of misery. A number of people, and even entire families, have been forced to leave their homes to go live in a shelter, others have the street as the only alternative. These are the fateful results of the shortage of everything essential for life —and housing—, despite being a human right, is increasingly through the roof, as the predatory policies of capitalism do not give the poor any respite.

In San Diego, CA, the situation does not look any better as rents have become unaffordable for a worker who earns a minimum wage of $16.25 dollars per hour, that is, $2,600 per month. If we compare what a person earns with the average rent in SD for this 2023, which ranges between $2,024 – $2,525, how will you be able to keep your rent and other essential expenses afloat?

Even if you earn a little more (say $20 per hour), working 40 hrs. per week and after paying the taxes and everything that is removed from each worker’s check, from the payroll. The question is: Both the owners of the rental houses, the politicians and government officials, how the hell do they think that a worker survives these devious attacks of the high cost of rents?

It is totally absurd that they do not realize the great disadvantages, and the inhumane abuses that they commit.

We know that only organization amongst tenants and the fight for dignity and human rights will be able to put a stop to the greedy and ambitious abuses of the owners of the housing to rent. Organizations like THE SAN DIEGO TENANTS UNION, directed by Rafael Bautista and Sandra Galindo, are a clear example of organization and struggle.

Clearly success does not appear overnight, rather it is the result of a great collective effort between tenants and organizers, and this can take a long time. In the same way, they will have to overcome retaliation and hostile confrontations from the owners and their employees (and sadly, from some tenants who want to look good for the owners), who will defend tooth and nail their privilege to continue making money, at their expense. of the need for housing of the families who are squeezed with the cost of their rents.

Losing our fear of the powerful, seeing them as normal people who are no more important than us, adds to the courage, dedication, effort of the tenants and the need for a real change to the policies that protect the abusive practices of the owners. A law is needed that regulates rents in a fair and equitable manner, for this reason the San Diego Tenants Union has dedicated itself to fighting for that human right, giving a strong fight to Goliath, the giant.

It is admirable how the tenants of the Island Gardens apartment complex have come together – unfortunately few – to demand respect for their right to affordable and healthy housing. They do this not only to protest the high percentage increase in their rents, but also because of the unsanitary conditions in which the units are found, since the owners ignore this problem that affects the way families live.

Island Garden tenants have to face indignant situations in their apartments, such as infestations of cockroaches, mice, bedbugs, humidity, old bathrooms, doors in bad condition, heaters that don’t work, among other bad conditions, and still face an increase of up to 25% in some cases, which was applied from the beginning of January of this 2023. Thanks to the collective struggle of several tenants, supported by the Director of the Tenants Union, Rafael Bautista, a meeting was achieved with the new owner and Management accepted their mistake and retracted the increase, reducing it to a 9% increase for all tenants who have lived in the building for more than one year. The Union tried to negotiate at 7%, because the units need a lot of repair work, but management would not accept it.

Despite this refusal, the 9% is a great achievement, and with this victory it is very clear that if PEOPLE JOIN WITH THE SAME VOICE to demand a change, and THERE IS A STRIKE where NOBODY pays rent to apply pressure on the owners, great things can be achieved. This has been demonstrated by the tenants who have participated in one way or another, responding to the call of the Tenants Union to stop the abuses of abusive landlords.

We must continue to press until we achieve rent control that protects the poorest families. It is not fair that the existing laws continue to take care of the interests of the elitists who have plenty, and who still squeeze the pockets of the worker. The working class that day by day barely survives in the midst of an unjust society that has been divided by social classes, where the powerful manage the world at will even though they debase the lives of millions, because the privilege they enjoy and that They do not intend to let go, that make them masters of the chess pieces that they move at will —and we are those pieces—… until the giant working class people permit it

Sara Gzarcia, is a writer, author and journalist and is a member of San Diego Tenants United.

Original Spanish Version:

La Lucha Por Vivienda Asequible

Los aumentos a la renta de vivienda en todo Estados Unidos, sigue golpeando fuerte los bolsillos de las familias más pobres. En San Diego CA, estos se han convertido en un atropello, en un golpe infame al bienestar y a la dignidad de las personas más vulnerables.

Los dueños de complejos de apartamentos, de casas, de pequeñas propiedades continúan con el alza de alquiler, provocando con esto un desbalance peligroso en la vida de quienes están obligados a rentar un lugar para vivir, y que sobreviven a duras penas con un salario de miseria. Cantidad de personas, y hasta familias completas han sido obligadas a desalojar sus hogares para vivir en un refugio, otros, con la calle como única alternativa. Estos son los fatídicos resultados de la carestía en todo lo esencial para la vida —y la vivienda—, a pesar de ser un derecho humano, cada vez más está por las nubes, pues las políticas depredadores del capitalismo no dan tregua al pobre.

En San Diego, CA la situación no pinta mejor ni poquito, por el contrario, las rentas se han vuelto inalcanzables para un trabajador que devenga un salario mínimo de $16.25 dólares por hora, o sea, $2,600 al mes. Si comparamos lo que una persona gana con el promedio de renta en SD para este 2023, que oscila entre los $2,024 — $2,525, ¿cómo podrá sostener a flote su renta, y los demás gastos esenciales?

Incluso si se gana un poco más (digamos $20 x hora), trabajando 40 hrs. por semana y después de pagar los taxes y todo lo que se le quita del cheque a cada trabajador, de la nómina de pago. La pregunta es: Tanto los dueños de las viviendas de alquiler, los políticos y funcionarios del gobierno, ¿cómo carajos piensan que un trabajador sobreviva a estos embates arteros del alto costo de rentas?

Es totalmente absurdo que no se den cuenta de las grandes desventajas, y de los abusos inhumanos que cometen.

Sabemos que únicamente la organización entre inquilinos y la lucha por la dignidad y los derechos humanos, podrán poner un alto a los avaros y ambiciosos atropellos de los dueños de la vivienda para rentar. Organizaciones como EL SINDICATO DE INQUILINOS (SAN DIEGO TENANTS UNION), dirigido por Rafael Bautista y Sandra Galindo, son un claro ejemplo de organización y lucha.

Claramente el éxito no aparece de la noche a la mañana, más bien es el resultado de un gran esfuerzo colectivo entre inquilinos y organizadores, y estos pueden llevar bastante tiempo. De igual forma se tendrán que sortear represalias y enfrentamientos hostiles de parte de los dueños y sus empleados (y tristemente, de algunos inquilinos que desean quedar bien con los propietarios), quienes defenderán con uñas y dientes su privilegio de seguir haciendo dinero, a costillas de la necesidad de vivienda de las familias a las que exprimen con el costo de sus rentas.

Perder el miedo a los poderosos, verlos como personas que no son más que nosotros se suma a la valentía, a la dedicación, al esfuerzo de los arrendatarios y a la necesidad de un cambio real a las políticas que protegen las prácticas abusivas de los propietarios. Se necesita una ley que regule las rentas de manera justa y equitativa, por ese motivo el Sindicato de Inquilinos en San Diego se ha abocado en luchar por ese derecho humano, dando una pelea fuerte a Goliat, el gigante.

Es admirable cómo los inquilinos del complejo de apartamentos Island Gardens se han unido —pocos, lamentablemente— para exigir respeto a su derecho a una vivienda asequible y saludable. Esto no lo hacen únicamente para protestar por el alto porcentaje al aumento a sus rentas, sino también por las condiciones insalubres en que se encuentran las unidades, ya que los propietarios hacen caso omiso sobre esta problemática que afecta la manera en cómo viven las familias.

Los inquilinos de Island Garden tienen que enfrentar situaciones indignas en sus apartamentos, como infestaciones de cucarachas, ratones,chinches, humedad, baños viejos, puertas en malas condiciones, calentones que no sirven, entre otras malas condiciones, y todavía enfrentar un aumento de hasta el 25% en algunos casos, que se aplicó a partir de principios de enero de este 2023. Gracias a la lucha colectiva de varios inquilinos, apoyados por el Director del Sindicato de Inquilinos, Rafael Bautista, se logró una reunión con el nuevo propietario y la Gerencia aceptó su error y se retractaron del aumento, quedando en un 9% de aumento para todos los inquilinos que tengan más de un año viviendo en el edificio. El Sindicato intentó negociar a un 7%, porque las unidades necesitan mucho trabajo de reparación, pero la gerencia no lo aceptó.

Pese a esta negativa, el 9% es un gran logro, y con esta pequeña victoria queda muy claro que si LAS PERSONAS NOS UNIMOS EN UNA MISMA VOZ para exigir un cambio, y SE HACE UNA HUELGA de no pagar NADIE la renta para presionar a los dueños, se pueden lograr grandes cosas. Así lo han demostrado los arrendatarios que han participado de una u otra manera, respondiendo al llamado del Sindicato de Inquilinos para frenar los abusos de propietarios abusivos.

Debemos seguir presionando hasta lograr un control de rentas que proteja a las familias más pobres, no es justo que las leyes existentes sigan cuidando los intereses de los elitistas que tienen en abundancia, y que todavía exprimen los bolsillos del obrero. La clase trabajadora que a día a día apenas sobrevive en medio de una sociedad injusta que ha sido dividida por clases sociales, donde los poderosos manejan el mundo a su antojo aunque con ello envilecen la vida de millones, porque el privilegio del que gozan y que no piensan soltar, los convierten en amos de las fichas de ajedrez que mueven a su antojo —y nosotros somos esas fichas— … hasta que el gigante pueblo trabajador lo quiera.