California Black Media

California Black Media, Ethnic Media Services, Host Award Show and Conference

The Ethnic Media Conference Awards and Expo took place at the Kimpton-Sawyer Hotel in downtown Sacramento on Aug. 31. The event celebrated the work of journalists, podcasters, photojournalists, and investigative reporters whose contributions have been published by media outlets serving ethnic audiences across California.

Published

2 years ago

October 10, 2023

Oakland Post

Andy Wong, representing Cynthia Choi, Chinese for Affirmative Action and Stop AAPI Hate, Manjusha Kulkarni, Stop AAPI Hate, Sandy Close, director of Ethnic Media Services, CalOES representative, Yurina Melara, Connie Nakano, California Department of Aging, Chris Holbein RS-E, Jamie Romas California State Library and Regina Wilson, California Black Media. Photo by Robert Maryland CBM.

By Antonio Ray Harvey
California Black Media

The Ethnic Media Conference Awards and Expo took place at the Kimpton-Sawyer Hotel in downtown Sacramento on Aug. 31.

The event celebrated the work of journalists, podcasters, photojournalists, and investigative reporters whose contributions have been published by media outlets serving ethnic audiences across California.

The awards ceremony, sponsored by Ethnic Media Services and California Black Media, recognized winners selected from over 300 entries republished between January 1 and December 31, 2022.

“We had more awards, we had more submissions than ever, and we had judges saying this was the best we’ve ever seen. Now, that is against the odds of remarkable,” said Sandy Close, Ethnic Media Services (EMS) executive director.

In all, 26 writers, communications specialists, educators, playwrights, and publishers from across the state served as the judges. The award categories were: Breaking news, commentaries, explanatory analyses, feature reports, and photography.

The Ethnic Media Conference Awards and Expo was an all-day event attended by over 300 journalists, publishers, elected officials, business leaders, and others.

Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber and U.S. Census Director Robert L. Santos opened the conference with messages that underscored the importance and power of ethnic media in California.

Diana Ding, Ding Ding TV, moderated a panel with Maricela Rodriguez, Senior Advisor for Civic Engagement and Strategic Partnerships Office of the Governor, Michelle Bass, director of the Department of Health Care Services, and Susan DeMarios, director of California Department of Aging. Photo by Robert Maryland CBM.

“California is the most diverse state in this nation, and It’s reflected in this room,” said Weber. “It’s reflected in our relationships with each other, and it’s reflected in our values. We will always celebrate that.”

California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) Chair Assemblymember Lori D. Wilson (D-Suisun City) and CLBC’s vice chair, Sen. Steven Bradford (D-Inglewood) made appearances at the event. State Controller Malia Cohen was the guest speaker at the awards ceremony and Secretary of Transportation Toks Omishakin participated in a plenary session.

Three plenary sessions were held. The breakout meetings were designed to discuss pressing statewide issues and how to develop public awareness campaigns that resonate with and engage all communities.

Rick L. Callender, the president of the California/Hawaii NAACP State Conference, spoke on behalf of Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) about how ethnic media covers issues that the mainstream media often overlook.

“If we cannot rely on the ethnic media and the Black press to do exactly what they are doing, to continue to report on what’s going on out there, or if we cannot partner with the ethnic media in the ways that we have; we won’t have anyone telling our stories. We need a strong, funded ethnic media,” Callender said.

“I know when I was listening to the folks from the state, we talked about the $90 million that was put into the community. Well, that’s excellent but I need to make sure that these dollars are getting to our ethnic media,” Callender added.

The final session before the presentation of awards was a Reporters Roundtable. A diverse group of journalists discussed the challenges of breaking the silence around community taboos and other sensitive issues that sometimes are left uncovered.

Ethnic media outlets are designed to cater to audiences defined by characteristics such as race, ethnic origin, religious affiliation, or gender identity.

Pan-ethnic media outlets target multiple ethnic audiences (such as pan-Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, pan African diaspora, pan-immigrant, pan people-of-color, pan LGBTQ+).

Integrated into the Ethnic Media Conference Awards and Expo was the Stop the Hate Campaign (STH). This campaign facilitates cooperation between leaders of community-based organizations and ethnic media to address inter-ethnic tensions and help communities heal from hate.

Authorized by the California Department of Social Services (CDSS), the STH program provides funding to qualified nonprofit organizations. These organizations offer support and services to victims and survivors of hate incidents and hate crimes, as well as their families. The program also promotes crime prevention measures.

The sponsors of the Ethnic Media Conference Awards and Expo were: Pacific Gas and Electric; BMO; SoCalGas; the California Wellness Foundation; the California Newspaper Publishers Association; Stop the Hate, Spread the Love; and Blue Shield California Foundation.

“Every time we come together like this, representing Black-owned and other Ethnic-owned media in California, we display the power we have to effect change in our communities and in our state government,” said Regina Wilson, executive director, California Black Media.

“The work we do in our communities is based on trust we have earned, commitment we have shown and relationships we have built over decades,” Wilson said. “Organizations can’t just show up, slap an ‘ethnic’ name on a media company and claim that they are serving our state’s diverse communities.”

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Air Quality Board Rejects Two Rules Written to Ban Gas Water Heaters and Furnaces

The proposal would have affected 17 million residents in Southern California, requiring businesses, homeowners, and renters to convert to electric units. “We’ve gone through six months, and we’ve made a decision today,” said SCAQMD board member Carlos Rodriguez. “It’s time to move forward with what’s next on our policy agenda.”

Published

12 seconds ago

June 17, 2025

Oakland Post

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By Antonio‌ ‌Ray‌ ‌Harvey‌
California‌ ‌Black‌ ‌Media‌

Two proposed rules to eliminate the usage of gas water heaters and furnaces by the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) in Southern California were rejected by the Governing Board on June 6.

Energy policy analysts say the board’s decision has broader implications for the state.

With a 7-5 vote, the board decided not to amend Rules 1111 and 1121 at the meeting held in Diamond Bar in L.A. County.

The proposal would have affected 17 million residents in Southern California, requiring businesses, homeowners, and renters to convert to electric units.

“We’ve gone through six months, and we’ve made a decision today,” said SCAQMD board member Carlos Rodriguez. “It’s time to move forward with what’s next on our policy agenda.”

The AQMD governing board is a 13-member body responsible for setting air quality policies and regulations within the South Coast Air Basin, which covers areas in four counties: Riverside County, Orange County, San Bernardino County and parts of Los Angeles County.

The board is made up of representatives from various elected offices within the region, along with members who are appointed by the Governor, Speaker of the Assembly, and Senate Rules Committee.

Holly J. Mitchell, who serves as a County Supervisor for the Second District of Los Angeles County, is a SCAQMD board member. She supported the amendments, but respected the board’s final decision, stating it was a “compromise.”

“In my policymaking experience, if you can come up with amended language that everyone finds some fault with, you’ve probably threaded the needle as best as you can,” Mitchell said before the vote. “What I am not okay with is serving on AQMD is making no decision. Why be here? We have a responsibility to do all that we can to get us on a path to cleaner air.”

The rules proposed by AQMD, Rule 1111 and Rule 1121, aim to reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from natural gas-fired furnaces and water heaters.

Rule 1111 and Rule 1121 were designed to control air pollution, particularly emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx).

Two days before the Governing Board’s vote, gubernatorial candidate Antonio Villaraigosa asked SCAQMD to reject the two rules.

Villaraigosa expressed his concerns during a Zoom call with the Cost of Living Council, a Southern California organization that also opposes the rules. Villaraigosa said the regulations are difficult to understand.

“Let me be clear, I’ve been a big supporter of AQMD over the decades. I have been a believer and a fighter on the issue of climate change my entire life,” Villaraigosa said. “But there is no question that what is going on now just doesn’t make sense. We are engaging in regulations that are put on the backs of working families, small businesses, and the middle class, and we don’t have the grid for all this.”

Rules 1111 and 1121 would also establish manufacturer requirements for the sale of space and water heating units that meet low-NOx and zero-NOx emission standards that change over time, according to SCAQMD.

The requirements also include a mitigation fee for NOx-emitting units, with an option to pay a higher mitigation fee if manufacturers sell more low-NOx water heating and space units.

Proponents of the proposed rules say the fees are designed to incentivize actions that reduce emissions.

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Activism

Congress Says Yes to Rep. Simon’s Disability Hiring and Small Biz Support Bill

“As the first congenitally blind person to serve in Congress, I am incredibly honored to lead and excited to celebrate the House passage of the ‘ThinkDIFFERENTLY About Disability Employment Act,’” said Simon.

Published

1 hour ago

June 17, 2025

Oakland Post

U.S. Rep. Lateefah Simon (D-CA-12). File photo.

By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

The House of Representatives unanimously passed the “ThinkDIFFERENTLY About Disability Employment Act” on June 3, marking a major win for U.S. Rep. Lateefah Simon (D-CA-12) and co-sponsor Rep. Pete Stauber (R-MN-08) in their bipartisan effort to promote inclusive hiring and boost small business accessibility.

The legislation establishes a federal partnership between the Small Business Administration (SBA) and the National Council on Disability to help small businesses across the U.S. hire more individuals with disabilities and provide resources for disabled entrepreneurs.

“Small businesses are the lifeblood of cities, making them accessible for all will maximize local economic activity and broaden the job market to everyone who is seeking to contribute to their communities,” she continued. “Investments in business and talent in our communities shouldn’t be limited to just those who are not disabled. Full stop, period.”

Since taking office in January 2025, Simon has introduced six bills. The House has approved two of them: this measure and the “Assisting Small Businesses, Not Fraudsters Act.”

Simon, a lifelong disability rights advocate and former BART board member, has focused her career on improving access, from public transit to the job market.

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“Unnecessary Danger”: Gov. Newsom Blasts Rollback of Emergency Abortion Care Protections

Effective May 29, CMS rescinded guidance that had reinforced the obligation of hospitals to provide abortion services under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) when necessary to stabilize a patient’s condition. Newsom warned that the rollback will leave patients vulnerable in states with strict or total abortion bans.

Published

3 days ago

June 14, 2025

Oakland Post

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By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

Gov. Gavin Newsom is criticizing the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for rolling back federal protections for emergency abortion care, calling the move an “unnecessary danger” to the lives of pregnant patients in crisis.

Newsom warned that the rollback will leave patients vulnerable in states with strict or total abortion bans.

“Today’s decision will endanger lives and lead to emergency room deaths, full stop,” Newsom said in a statement. “Doctors must be empowered to save the lives of their patients, not hem and haw over political red lines when the clock is ticking. In California, we will always protect the right of physicians to do what’s best for their patients and for women to make the reproductive decisions that are best for their families.”

The CMS guidance originally followed the 2022 Dobbs decision, asserting that federal law could preempt state abortion bans in emergency care settings. However, legal challenges from anti-abortion states created uncertainty, and the Trump administration’s dismissal of a key lawsuit against Idaho in March removed federal enforcement in those states.

While the rollback does not change California law, Newsom said it could discourage hospitals and physicians in other states from providing emergency care. States like Idaho, Mississippi, and Oklahoma do not allow abortion as a stabilizing treatment unless a patient’s life is already at risk.

California has taken several steps to expand reproductive protections, including the launch of Abortion.CA.Gov and leadership in the Reproductive Freedom Alliance, a coalition of 23 governors supporting access to abortion care.