Opinion

The Republican Recall? It’s The January Sixing of California; Census’ Diversity

Diversity means we need to coalesce even more for common goals. No one group is dominant.

Published

3 years ago

August 21, 2021

Isabelle Price

I Voted Sticker Reem, Photo courtesy of Element5 Digital via Unsplash

Larry Elder is an LA talk host who shows up as a guest on Fox News and has more money than most of the 47 candidates who want to steal Gavin Newsom’s job.

Now, we’ve all seen Black conservatives before. Armstrong Williams. Herman Caine. Clarence Thomas. What did you think of any of them? They all love Donald Trump. Elder is like Trump plus. He looks like us. But he goes beyond Trump, which makes him more dangerous. He doesn’t believe in a minimum wage, nor a women’s right to choose.

Elder’s ads call Gov. Gavin Newsom elitist. But the governor is not elite enough for the rich white establishment who voted more than 60% against him in 2018. Most of them like Elder. So, who’s the darling of the elite? They go after Newsom in this way as an emotional pitch to agitate you over all the problems in California. Then you can scapegoat and vote to recall Newsom.

But that would be a vote against your self-interest.

Three years ago, 62% of Californians elected Gavin Newsom. Even before the pandemic, the effort to “steal back” the election with a recall effort began. It’s the only way Republicans figure they can win California.

It’s the Jan. Sixing of California.

It could work if we’re asleep and let it happen.

Don’t. The recall ballots are coming in the mail. A No vote on question No. 1, the recall itself, means you don’t even have to pick a candidate in question No. 2. Just mail in the ballot. No stamp is necessary and do it ASAP.

If the Republican recall effort succeeds, a candidate among the 47 just needs a plurality to become governor. That means someone with less than 30% could become your governor.

That’s what makes the recall an attempted theft of the governorship of California.
It could happen if we’re not paying attention—the “January Sixing of California.”

The Census Mirror

It’s no mistake I find myself in the Oakland Post. I first met the Berkeley family, the founders of the paper more than 20 years ago when I did the New California Media-TV show, the first “Meet the Press” type talk show about ethnic media ever. The theme of NCM was that we were the voices of the “New California,” where the minorities are in the majority. NCM was a look into the future of America.

That was more than 20 years ago. The Census unveiling last week shows it’s happening eight years sooner than expected nationally, with the white population declining by 2.6% due to aging and low birthrates.

This is the U.S. now: 57.8% white, 18.7% Hispanic, 12.4%Black and 6% Asian.

That’s the broad picture of diversity.

The biggest gain came in the multi-race category, what I call “race plus-one.” That number grew to 33.8 million.

It’s the browning of America. Or the loving. I always said when we all showed a love interest in one another, as the song goes, we’d come together.

Diversity means we need to coalesce even more for common goals. No one group is dominant. But right-wing talk host Tucker Carlson was on air last week saying celebrants of diversity were extolling “white extinction.” No sirree. We are embracing what is: the evolving New America.

But Tucker C is now we part of the 3 C’s of denial: Climate, COVID, and now Census.

Census deniers are diversity deniers.

It’s also why the recall is happening.

And Newsom knows it.

“Why this recall is on the ballot is connected to this issue of diversity,” Newsom told a group of ethnic media reporters recently. “We’re the most diverse state in our world’s most diverse democracy. That’s our greatness, our strength. We celebrate, we (just) don’t tolerate diversity.”

Do your part. A ‘No’ vote on the recall is important. It stops the January Sixing of California.

Emil Guillermo is an award-winning journalist and commentator. He vlogs at www.amok.com and on Facebook Watch.

Isabelle Price

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Oakland Post: Week of January 1 – 7, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of January 1 – 7, 2025

Published

9 hours ago

January 2, 2025

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

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2024 In Review: 7 Questions for the California Association of Black School Educators 

CABSE members represent governmental agencies, charter schools and charter school organizations, public school districts, traditional public schools, and community colleges. The organization’s primary goal is to expand PK-14 educational opportunities for all students in California, with an emphasis on under-represented and under-served Black students.

Published

4 days ago

December 30, 2024

Oakland Post

CABSE members represent governmental agencies, charter schools and charter school organizations, public school districts, traditional public schools, and community colleges. The organization’s primary goal is to expand PK-14 educational opportunities for all students in California, with an emphasis on under-represented and under-served Black students.

CABSE President Satra Zurita and Conference Chair Micah Ali.

By Edward Henderson, California Black Media

The California Association of Black School Educators (CABSE) is an organization consisting of elected and appointed school officials, administrators and instructors from across California who are committed to advancing equity for Black students.

CABSE members represent governmental agencies, charter schools and charter school organizations, public school districts, traditional public schools, and community colleges.

The organization’s primary goal is to expand PK-14 educational opportunities for all students in California, with an emphasis on under-represented and under-served Black students.

California Black Media (CBM) spoke with CABSE President Satra Zurita and Conference Chair Micah Ali about this year’s successes, disappointments, and plans for the organization coming into the new year.

Looking back at 2024, what stands out to you as your most important achievement and why?

Ali: I would have to say that two highlights have been the ongoing support of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Engie, and other sponsors that have enabled us to bring together like-minded education leaders twice a year to collectively advance innovative and meaningful strategies to achieve change on behalf of Black students across our state.

How did your leadership and investments contribute to improving the lives of Black Californians? 

Zurita: CABSE’s leadership and investment in improving the education system for Black students in our great state has resulted in a long-standing focus on transforming public education and its response to Black students. By pulling from the very wisdom of those educators and leaders who care deeply about Black students and who are showing great promise through their efforts.

What frustrated you the most over the last year? 

Zurita: Continuing to see the deep impact of COVID-19 Pandemic school site closures on students academically and emotionally — especially Black students. This makes our work and our advocacy more vital than ever.

CBM: What inspired you the most over the last year?

Zurita: Seeing our CABSE convenings grow in depth and breadth — our strategies, powerful content and reach.

What is one lesson you learned in 2024 that will inform your decision-making next year?

Ali: Our Blueprint for Education Equity is a crowd-sourced framework of strategies that have shown great promise for improving the education experiences and opportunities for Black students. In 2024, we developed an equity self-assessment tool for districts to use in evaluating their own efforts on behalf of Black students. Strategies are helping Black students.

In one word, what is the biggest challenge Black Californians face?

Zurita: Many Black students across our state are dealing with a host of challenges: homelessness, food insecurity, exposure to violence, not to mention bias remains a pervasive problem. To add to the challenge, educators are worn out, tired, and frustrated. We now need to think about how we can simultaneously inspire and empower students and educators alike. The system needs an overhaul.

What is the goal you want to achieve most in 2025?

Zurita: In 2025, we hope to stand CABSE up as a fully functioning non-profit organization engaged in research and policy design.

Ali: We also aim to deepen the content of our convenings, including adding a Math Track and what we are calling Social Determinants of Education Track to our annual conference and institute, which will address those social contexts that prevent Black students from realizing their potential as students.

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2024 in Review: 7 Questions for Social Justice Executive Kaci Patterson

Kaci Peterson, the founder and Chief Architect of Social Good Solutions and the Black Equity Collective, has over 18 years of experience in the non-profit and philanthropy sectors. California Black Media (CBM) spoke with Peterson recently. She discussed the organization’s successes, disappointments, and lessons from 2024 as they continue their initiatives into the new year.

Published

4 days ago

December 30, 2024

Oakland Post

File photo: Kaci Patterson, founder of Los Angeles-based Black Equity Collective, represented grassroot organizations from across the state that demanded the state invest into a coalition that aims to build a healthy relationship between philanthropy groups and the public sector. May 10, 2023, Sacramento, California. CBM photo by Antonio Ray Harvey.

By Edward Henderson, California Black Media

The Black Equity Collective (BEC) is a community-focused, public-private partnership with Black equity as its central, driving force.

Born out of two organizations – the Social Good Solutions Firm and the Black Equity Initiative — BEC’s mission is centered on the belief that progress on Black equity and racial justice must be part of any credible social justice movement in the United States. Additionally, the collective believes equity is only achieved when philanthropic investments, public policies, and institutional practices converge to boldly confront racial injustice.

Kaci Peterson, the founder and Chief Architect of Social Good Solutions and the Black Equity Collective, has over 18 years of experience in the non-profit and philanthropy sectors.

California Black Media (CBM) spoke with Peterson recently. She discussed the organization’s successes, disappointments, and lessons from 2024 as they continue their initiatives into the new year.

Looking back at 2024, what stands out to you as your most important achievement and why? 

This year, we celebrated our 10-year anniversary as a firm. Since the firm’ s inception we are proud to announce that cumulatively we’ve been able to raise and leverage over $55.5 million for Black-led organizations in California.

One of the things that we have accomplished is our expanded membership. We had an initial goal of 30 to 40 organizations. We have a current membership of 54 organizations and a waiting list of over 120.

How did your leadership and investments contribute to improving the lives of Black Californians? 

We launched a survey involving 200 Black-led organizations to study the economic impact of Black-led organizations on California’ s GDP. The results of that survey will be released in early 2025.

What frustrated you the most over the last year?

The decline in philanthropic investment after the height of commitments following the murder of George Floyd, following COVID.

What inspired you the most over the last year?

I am always inspired by the leaders on the ground who just continue to do monumental work. The fact that here in Los Angeles, we’ve been able to stand up a doula hub in response to the policy advocacy work that so many of our leaders, our Black women in particular, really pushed and got state legislation passed a couple of years ago so that doulas can be an approved and reimbursable expense through Medi-Cal.

What is one lesson you learned in 2024 that will inform your decision-making next year?

I started an 11-week sabbatical on Nov. 1. I think oftentimes as Black leaders, we are burning the candle at both ends. And I don’ t think Black people are even aware of the social, emotional, and physical toll that taken on us/ We must rest, retreat and take respite as part of our journey to justice.

In one word, what is the biggest challenge Black Californians face?

Erasure.

We’ve really leaned into a narrative of Black permanence and what it means to preserve our community, our culture, our contributions, our language, our history, our leaders, our institutions.

What is the goal you want to achieve most in 2025?

I really want to start up an endowment for the collective. I think it’s really important to be able to preserve all of the things that the collective has contributed the philanthropic ecosystem so far.