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Years
Vol. 65 No. 12 | Thursday, March 20, 2025
www.sdvoice.info
Serving San Diego County’s African & African American Communities 65 Years
TRUMP TARGETS PUBLIC EDUCATION WITH MASS JOB CUTS By Stacy Brown BLACKPRESSUSA.COM SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT
PHOTO: NNPA
The Trump administration has taken its first steps in dismantling the Department of Education, slashing more than 1,300 jobs and closing regional offices in cities including New York, Boston, Chicago, and Cleveland. According to Rachel Oglesby, the department’s chief of staff, employees were informed via email last Tuesday that the Washington headquar-
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ters and regional offices would be closed that Wednesday for unspecified “security reasons” before reopening the following Thursday. “Today’s reduction in force reflects the Department of Education’s commitment to efficiency, accountability, and ensuring that resources are directed where they matter most: to students, parents, and teachers,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon said.
CELEBRATION OF LIFE INFORMATION FOR THE HONORABLE LEON L. WILLIAMS SEE PAGE 5
See EDUCATION page 2
FAILED PROMISES: PARENTS ALLEGE NEGLECT AT HARRIET TUBMAN VILLAGE CHARTER SCHOOL Part 1 in a 2-part Series
CAFÉ X SHARES A HEARTFELT GOODBYE SEE PAGE 8
By Macy Meinhardt V&V STAFF/CA LOCAL NEWS FELLOW When Robin Perry began to search for a new school for her daughter in March 2023, representation was a top priority. She did not want her child to be the only Black student in the classroom. “She was in private school and was the only Black girl in her class,” Perry said. “She was struggling.” Harriet Tubman Village Charter School, a kindergarten through eighth-grade school with a large African American and Somalian student body located in the family’s La Mesa neighborhood, seemed the perfect fit. See PROMISES page 2
Harriet Tubman Village Charter School, located in La Mesa. PHOTO: Macy Meinhardt/ Voice & Viewpoint
2nd ANNUAL FLAG FOOTBALL FOR CANCER SEE PAGE 9
REPORT STORM DAMAGE
IN UNINCORPORATED COUNTY AREAS
WITH THE TELL US NOW APP ENDING DEI COULD IMPACT MINORITY-OWNED BUSINESSES By Tihut Tamrat VOICE & VIEWPOINT STAFF
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives have long played a pivotal role in fostering opportunities for minority-owned businesses. However, in February 2025 the Trump administration issued executive orders to terminate all federal programs related to DEI and directed federal contractors to stop promoting diversity. The potential consequences of such a shift could be profound, for various sectors, but particularly for small businesses and minority entrepreneurs. “What’s interesting about the rise of entrepreneurship is it happened disproportionately in communities of color,” said Dilawar Syed, former deputy administrator of the Small Business
PHOTO: Freepik
Administration (SBA). “These [DEI] programs make sure there’s access for capital through regional banks and community banks who actually bank with these communities. Unfortunately, with the [Administration] rolling back these programs, demands are unmet for services to build your business, to have in-language support, to have access to lenders in your communities that actually provide SBA loans. That is going to dry up,” he adds. DEI policies help minority-owned businesses secure contracts with larger corporations through supplier diversity programs. Without them, economic disparities could widen. See DEI page 2
PHOTO: Courtesy of the County News Center
VOICE & VIEWPOINT NEWSWIRE Residents of San Diego County’s unincorporated areas can report non-emergency storm damage through the “Tell Us Now!” app. Storm damage includes potholes, fallen trees, flooded roadways and downed powerlines. The free app makes it easy to report these issues and track the progress of your report on your smartphone.
You can download the app on both Apple and Android devices, it is also available in Spanish for those whose phone settings are set to Spanish. See APP page 2
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