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Advocates Connect Black Justice, Health and Money to Environmental Concerns

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The Healthy Air Alliance, a California-based organization committed to reducing environmental pollution and the Rev. Dr. William D. Smart Jr., president and CEO of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference of Southern California, co-hosted a panel discussion on environmental justice July 23.

Jamarah Hayner, president of the Healthy Air Alliance, moderated the Zoom event, bringing faith, social services, civil rights and policy leaders together to discuss solutions to health and environmental inequities in California.

Smart opened the discussion by highlighting the connection between the COVID-19 pandemic and environmental concerns already impacting Black communities.

“This discussion is important because, right now, we look at the risks of COVID-19 and see how the lungs of Black and Brown people are already infected with pollution,” Smart began.

“Now there’s a contamination that is furthering it.”

African Americans and other minorities living in the 10 most polluted ZIP codes in California are up to six times more likely to be exposed to harmful agents in the air than whites, according to the American Public Health Association. Results from another study released by the Union of Concerned Scientists revealed that Blacks and Latinos are exposed to about 40% more particulate matter from cars, trucks and buses than white Californians.

“We have to do something right now to create a better environment for Black and Brown people in Los Angeles so that they can breathe better,” Smart continued. “And so, this is a start. It’s about how we can work together and come up with the resources and the programs that can better fix our communities.”

Kip Lipper, chief policy adviser for energy and environment for the California Senate Pro Tempore Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) spoke on how communities of color tend to be left out of large-scale environmental policies in terms of their day-to-day impact.

“If a person in South L.A. is paying more on their electric utility bill, or a higher cost for their transportation, because they are in a disadvantaged community, that has an impact on them. That is an impact every bit as real on their pocketbooks as it is in their daily lives. This is a complicated area of law and policy that we work in,” he said.

The panel also looked at state legislation that focuses on environmental justice solutions.

Fabian Wesson, assistant deputy executive officer and public advisor for South Coast Air Quality Management District, spoke about her experience managing her organization’s AB 617 program.

AB 617, a bill that passed in 2017, aims to improve air quality in certain communities by offering financial incentives to replace high pollution equipment such as lawnmowers and cars that use gasoline with zero-polluting machines like electric models and hybrids.

“How do we keep the fight for environmental justice from stopping when the economic downturns come, when the attention stops focusing on Black Lives Matter, because it will,” she said. “It’s up to us to make certain that it does not stop. Because it’s the people that count, and if we work with the people, then we can make this happen.”

Quinci LeGardye | California Black Media  

Quinci LeGardye | California Black Media  

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Remembering George Floyd

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OP-ED: Oregon Bill Threatens the Future of Black Owned Newspapers and Community Journalism

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Nearly half of Oregon’s media outlets are now owned by national conglomerates with no lasting investment in local communities. According to an OPB analysis, Oregon has lost more than 90 news jobs (and counting) in the past five years. These were reporters, editors and photographers covering school boards, investigating corruption and telling community stories, until their jobs were cut by out-of-state corporations.

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By Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr.
President and CEO, National Newspaper Publishers Association

For decades, The Skanner newspaper in Portland, the Portland Observer, and the Portland Medium have served Portland, Oregon’s Black community and others with a vital purpose: to inform, uplift and empower. But legislation now moving through the Oregon Legislature threatens these community news institutions—and others like them.

As President and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), which represents more than 255 Black-owned media outlets across the United States—including historic publications like The Skanner, Portland Observer, and the Portland Medium—l believe that some Oregon lawmakers would do more harm than good for local journalism and community-owned publications they are hoping to protect.

Oregon Senate Bill 686 would require large digital platforms such as Google and Meta to pay for linking to news content. The goal is to bring desperately needed support to local newsrooms. However, the approach, while well-intentioned, puts smaller, community-based publications at a future severe financial risk.

We need to ask – will these payments paid by tech companies benefit the journalists and outlets that need them most? Nearly half of Oregon’s media outlets are now owned by national conglomerates with no lasting investment in local communities. According to an OPB analysis, Oregon has lost more than 90 news jobs (and counting) in the past five years. These were reporters, editors, and photographers covering school boards, investigating corruption, and telling community stories, until their jobs were cut by out-of-state corporations.

Legislation that sends money to these national conglomerate owners—without the right safeguards to protect independent and community-based outlets—rewards the forces that caused this inequitable crisis in the first place. A just and inclusive policy must guarantee that support flows to the front lines of local journalism and not to the boardrooms of large national media corporations.

The Black Press exists to fill in the gaps left by larger newsrooms. Our reporters are trusted messengers. Our outlets serve as forums for civic engagement, accountability and cultural pride. We also increasingly rely on our digital platforms to reach our audiences, especially younger generations—where they are.

We are fervently asking Oregon lawmakers to take a step back and engage in meaningful dialogue with those most affected: community publishers, small and independent outlets and the readers we serve. The Skanner, The Portland Observer, and The Portland Medium do not have national corporate parents or large investors. And they, like many smaller, community-trusted outlets, rely on traffic from search engines and social media to boost advertising revenue, drive subscriptions, and raise awareness.

Let’s work together to build a better future for Black-owned newspapers and community journalism that is fair, local,l and representative of all Oregonians.

Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., President & CEO, National Newspaper Publishers Association

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Hate and Chaos Rise in Trump’s America

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Tactics ranged from local policy manipulation to threats of violence. The SPLC documented bomb threats at 60 polling places in Georgia, traced to Russian email domains.

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By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent

The Southern Poverty Law Center has identified 1,371 hate and antigovernment extremist groups operating across the United States in 2024. In its latest Year in Hate & Extremism report, the SPLC reveals how these groups are embedding themselves in politics and policymaking while targeting marginalized communities through intimidation, disinformation, and violence. “Extremists at all levels of government are using cruelty, chaos, and constant attacks on communities and our democracy to make us feel powerless,” said SPLC President Margaret Huang. The report outlines how hard-right groups aggressively targeted diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives throughout 2024. Figures on the far right falsely framed DEI as a threat to white Americans, with some branding it a form of “white genocide.” After the collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, a former Utah legislator blamed the incident on DEI, posting “DEI = DIE.”

Tactics ranged from local policy manipulation to threats of violence. The SPLC documented bomb threats at 60 polling places in Georgia, traced to Russian email domains. Similar threats hit Jewish institutions and Planet Fitness locations after far-right social media accounts attacked them for trans-inclusive policies. Telegram, which SPLC describes as a hub for hate groups, helped extremists cross-recruit between neo-Nazi, QAnon, and white nationalist spaces. The platform’s lax moderation allowed groups like the Terrorgram Collective—designated terrorists by the U.S. State Department—to thrive. Militia movements were also reorganized, with 50 groups documented in 2024. Many, calling themselves “minutemen,” trained in paramilitary tactics while lobbying local governments for official recognition. These groups shared personnel and ideology with white nationalist organizations.

The manosphere continued to radicalize boys and young men. The Fresh & Fit podcast, now listed as a hate group, promoted misogyny while mocking and attacking Black women. Manosphere influencers used social media algorithms to drive youth toward male-supremacy content. Turning Point USA played a key role in pushing white nationalist rhetoric into mainstream politics. Its leader Charlie Kirk claimed native-born Americans are being replaced by immigrants, while the group advised on Project 2025 and organized Trump campaign events. “We know that these groups build their power by threatening violence, capturing political parties and government, and infesting the mainstream discourse with conspiracy theories,” said Rachel Carroll Rivas, interim director of the SPLC’s Intelligence Project. “By exposing the players, tactics, and code words of the hard right, we hope to dismantle their mythology and inspire people to fight back.”

Click here for the full report or visit http://www.splcenter.org/resources/guides/year-hate-extremism-2024.

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