Years
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Vol. 65 No. 13 | Thursday, March 27, 2025
www.sdvoice.info
Serving San Diego County’s African & African American Communities 65 Years
WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH 41 Inspirational Women SEE PAGES 8–12
POLICYMAKERS, ADVOCATES
INSIDE
THIS WEEK'S ISSUE:
AND WORRIED CALIFORNIANS JOIN FORCES TO SAVE MEDI-CAL
YOUTH VIOLENCE SEMINAR SEE PAGE 4
GLOBAL PROTESTS ON APRIL 5:
HONORING HARRIET TUBMAN AT MALCOLM X LIBRARY SEE PAGE 4
APRIL 8th SPECIAL PRIMARY ELECTION VOTE CENTER & DROPBOX LOCATIONS SEE PAGE 5
PHOTO: Armand Burger/Courtesy of NNPA
CITIES UNITE AGAINST TRUMP AND MUSK By Stacy Brown BLACKPRESSUSA.COM SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT
Tens of thousands of people in the United States and around the world are preparing to take to the streets on Saturday, April 5, in what organizers are calling the largest single day of protest since Donald Trump was sworn in for a second term. With more than 600 events planned across all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and multiple international cities, the message is unified and urgent: Hands
off our rights, our resources, and our democracy. In London, demonstrators will gather in Trafalgar Square from 3 to 5 p.m. BST, joining the movement alongside Americans, Canadians, Brits, and others from around the world. “They’re threatening to invade Canada, Greenland, and Panama— and daring the world to stop them. Well, this is the world saying “NO,” organizers said. “This is a crisis, and the time to act is now.” See EDUCATION page 2
Asm. Pilar Schiavo (D-Santa Clarita), at the podium, urges the federal government to protect Social Security, Medicare, and Medi-Cal during a news conference held in front of the California State Capitol on March 4. PHOTO: Antonio Ray Harvey/CBM
By Antonio Ray Harvey CALIFORNIA BLACK MEDIA
Medi-Cal, California’s version of Medicaid.
The U.S. Congress is debating cuts to Medicaid and other social programs after voting for a $2 trillion reduction in federal spending. Those conversations are causing alarm among some Californians — particularly the elderly, disabled individuals and people enrolled in
Diana Madoshi, a community activist from Placer County, is one of many people in the state who are voicing their concerns about the pending cuts and how they would affect Medi-Cal. See MEDI-CAL page 2
EMERALD HILLS’ MARTHA ABRAHAM'S FIGHT FOR JUSTICE IN SOUTHEASTERN SAN DIEGO By Macy Meinhardt VV STAFF WRITER/CA LOCAL NEWS FELLOW Martha Abraham stood fearlessly at the podium of City Council chambers as she stared down the eyes of authority. “You can have blood on your hands, or you can do the right thing,” said Abraham, a resident of District 4.
and is now a homeowner there, the intent of Footnote 7 was obvious. It was structural racism at play. “What infuriated me the most was the injustice,” said Abraham in an interview with Voice & Viewpoint. The city faces a severe housing shortage, and the footnote worked to allow more homeownership opportunities in an affordable area. But the exclusive and non-transparent nature of Footnote 7 blurred that intent to something more sinister. The footnote had only applied to Southeastern neighborhoods, areas known for their high Black and Latino population and history of racist housing practices. “A housing crisis is being weaponized to destroy our community and violate our community plan,” said Martha during the Jan. 28 meeting.
Abraham was at City Hall last January to oppose Footnote 7. The regulatory zone change would have brought hundreds of new housing developments into Emerald Hills and Encanto—areas that already lack support and resources from the city. For Abraham, who grew up in Emerald Hills
Years of back and forth with the city over the housing projects culminated in this moment. After purchasing a home in Emerald Hills in 2019, Martha began to join meetings held by the Emerald Hills Neighborhood Council. Since then, she has evolved into a key advocate for her community, specifically in how it is fairly treated and developed. Around 2021, Martha began noticing cityposted signs throughout her neighborhood announcing new housing projects. The city’s
Martha Abraham, Emerald Hills resident and activist. PHOTO: Macy Meinhardt/ Voice & Viewpoint
plans for the Radio Tower Lot in Emerald Hills particularly caught her eye. The developer, D.R. Horton, wanted to put 120 homes on a lot space that was only zoned for 70. Unable to get a clear answer from the city on how this could be allowed, she joined forces with other neighbors in the Chollas Valley Community Planning Group to take matters into their own hands. After long nights of sifting through city records and decoding legal jargon, they found their smoking gun. Hidden amongst the city’s Land Development Code Update, passed in 2021, was
Footnote 7, a zone change that allowed projects like the Radio Tower Lot to take place. T-shirts and posters were made, and meetings were held to get community members involved in the effort to remove the footnote. Tenacious advocacy and persistence displayed by community members like Martha led to the repeal of the footnote by City Council on March 4. See ABRAHAM page 2
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