By Emil Guillermo

In our polarized country, half of America can’t wait, while many of us still wonder, “where’s Kamala?”

I hope President-elect Trump — who famously said during the campaign that he’d be a dictator on day one — eats his words.

Dictators aren’t doing so well these days.

Last weekend, the dictator Bashar al-Assad was run out of Syria and sought exile with his puppet master/dictator Vladimir Putin of Russia. In just about two weeks, a coalition of rebels applied enough pressure to end a family regime in Syria that lasted 50 years.

al-Assad’s wealthy family dictatorship plundered Syria and ruled in terror.

It sounds all too familiar to Filipino Americans, many of whom came to the U.S. fleeing the Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos.

al-Assad’s end was different from the Filipinos who forged a peaceful People Power movement that chased the Marcos family to Hawaii where they sought refuge from their U.S. puppet handlers.

But as in Manila, there was cheering on the streets of Syria.  Men, women, and children. Christian, Muslims, different sects and ethnicities, all united against al-Assad.

al-Assad has been described as a genocidal narco-trafficking tyrant, whose friends were America’s biggest enemies, Iran, Hezbollah, and Russia, said Mouaz Moustafa, the executive director of the Syrian Emergency Task Force, on CNN.

Moustafa said it was amazing that there would be no more Russian airstrikes, no more al-Assad gulags torturing civilians. “To see good triumph over evil is an amazing thing,” he added.

But last weekend has some trickle down.

Consider that we are talking about al-Assad, the one Tulsi Gabbard consorted with and hyped to her colleagues when she was in Congress. Now Assad has been shamed into exile with his puppet master Russia, and Gabbard wants to be the U.S. director of national security? Given her wrongheaded judgment on al-Assad, can she be trusted with any national secrets?

It’s still not over in Syria, as now there will be a scramble to see what kind of governing democracy emerges.

Predictably, Donald Trump has said, “The United States should have nothing to do with it. This is not our fight. Let it play out. Do not get involved.”

Nouveau isolationism?

What’s happened in Syria has the potential of reshaping the politics of the entire Middle East. The U.S. can’t afford to sit back and do nothing. Now is the time to exert peaceful, diplomatic influence on how Syria maintains stability and goes forward with a new democracy.

Overall, the ouster of the dictator should give Trump pause.

If by nominating MAGA loyalists like Gabbard, Pete Hegseth and Kash Patel, Trump’s testing the evolution to strongman rule in the U.S., he should consider what happened before last weekend.

In South Korea, a weak president tried to declare martial law and was voted down by Parliament. That’s a faux strongman.

Let’s hope Trump learns a lesson from the week’s news.

The next president sets the tone for a politics that’s already toxic.

He needs to remember the joy in Syria this week when an autocrat was dumped in the name of freedom and democracy.

About the Author

Emil Guillermo is an award-winning Bay Area journalist. His commentaries are on YouTube.com/@emilamok1. Or join him at www.patreon.com/emilamok

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By Antonio‌ ‌Ray‌ ‌Harvey‌, ‌California‌ ‌Black‌ ‌Media‌

The California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) made history on Dec. 2. For the first time, most of its members are women. Nine out of its 12 current members are Black women, the highest number in the organization’s 57-year history.

During the last legislative session, five out of 12 CLBC members were women.

For the 2025-26 Legislative session, three CLBC women members are serving in the State Senate and six in the State Assembly.

Sen. Laura Richardson (D-Inglewood) and Sen. Akilah Weber (D-LaMesa) were sworn in on the first official day of the 2025-26 Regular Session in the chambers of the State Senate by the Hon. Patricia Guerrero, Chief Justice of the California Supreme Court.

“Yesterday, I was sworn in as Senator of the 39th Senate District! I am so honored to do this work and excited to get started, Weber posted on her Facebook page on Dec. 3. “I introduced my first bill on my first day, SB 32, to address maternity ward closures in the state.”

Before winning her Senate seat, Weber had served in the State Assembly for three years, representing the 79^th District in San Diego County.

She was also sworn in as Chair of the CLBC on Dec. 2.

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Weber and Richardson are joining CLBC member Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (D-Ladera Heights), previously the only Black woman serving in the State Senate. Smallwood-Cuevas was elected in 2022.

“This has been a long journey,” said Smallwood-Cuevas. “We wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for all of you coming together and standing up and supporting this effort to ensure that Black women have a voice here in Sacramento, representing the communities we all care about.”

New CLBC lawmakers in the Assembly — Assemblymembers Sade Elhawary (D-South Los Angeles), Rhodesia Ransom (D-Stockton) and LaShae Sharp-Collins (D-San Diego) — were also sworn in on Dec. 2 on the Assembly floor.

Elhawary, Ransom, and Sharp-Collins and are joining Richardson as the newest members of CLBC. However, Richardson previously served in the Assembly before being elected to Congress in 2007.

Returning CLBC members in the State Assembly are: immediate past CLBC Chair, Assemblymember Lori Wilson (D-Suisun City), and Assemblymembers Tina McKinnor (D-Inglewood), Mia Bonta (D-Alameda), Issac Bryan (D-Ladera Heights), Corey Jackson (D-Moreno Valley) and Mike Gipson (D-Carson).

Outgoing CLBC members include Sen. Steve Bradford (D-Inglewood), who was termed out and is running for Lieutenant Governor. Assemblymembers Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento), Chris Holden (D-Pasadena), and Reggie Jones-Sawyer (D-Los Angeles) also left. McCarty did not seek reelection to the Assembly to run for mayor of Sacramento, a race he won. Holden and Jones-Sawyer were termed out.

The CLBC was established in 1967 by Black members of the California Legislature to address the concerns of African Americans and other citizens of color.

The new members of the CLBC say they are inspired, motivated, and ready to start working on behalf of their constituents.

Sharp Collins stated. “I look forward to working with my colleagues and our Assembly leadership to better the 79th District and the State as a whole.”

“There is so much work to be done,” she said.

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By Edward Henderson, California Black Media

When Sen. Steven Bradford (D-Inglewood) was sworn into the California Legislature in 2009 as an Assemblymember, he brought with him a long and faceted record of accomplishments in both the private and public sectors.

From his experiences as a Fortune 500 corporate executive at IBM and Southern California Edison to earning his chops as the first Black Gardena City Councilmember, Bradford excelled in various roles before being elected State Senator in 2016.

In the State Senate, Bradford secured millions of dollars to support projects, programs, and institutions in his district.

Earlier this year, he announced that he is running for Lieutenant Governor.

Bradford, who served as Vice Chair of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) until this month, says he continues to pursue and enact policies geared toward equity and fairness.

California Black Media (CBM) spoke with Bradford recently. He reflected on his current goals, his many accomplishments, disappointments, and lessons learned over the course of the last year.

Responses have been edited for clarity and length.

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

The fact that we got substantive legislation on reparations through both houses with very little opposition, despite the fact that one of those bills was vetoed and two, were not brought up on the floor for a vote.

I still think that’s a major success. We were also able to secure $12 million in the budget, especially during a deficit year, to fund reparations initiatives.

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

I think my career overall has been about moving the agenda for not only African Americans, but those who’ve been most disenfranchised, not only by the State, but also by this country. I think my record speaks for itself when you look at the Ebony Alert law, the Bruce’s Beach settlement, or NIL legislation, that not only directly impacted people of color, specifically African Americans, but also helped all people with the challenges they face here. Also, a first-time low-income funding for internet and public housing – $30 million for that.

We secured $40 million for Allensworth, the historic Black-majority city, now state park, that was founded by Colonel Allensworth.

What frustrated you the most over the last year?

The veto of my bill, SB 1050, and the fact that 1403 and 1331, two other reparations bills, didn’t even have a vote on the Assembly Floor, despite the fact that those bills made it through both houses with little or no opposition.

What inspired you the most over the last year?

The fact that we’re resilient. You have to keep hope.

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

Always be prepared for the double cross. I was told that almost 30 years ago by my mentor, the late Mervyn Dymally, former State Senator, former Assemblyman, Lieutenant Governor, Congressman. He says always expect the double cross because it will happen.

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

Unity. We are, in many ways, moving forward but in a very fragmented way.

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

To keep being a voice for positive change.

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