www.facebook.com/ SDVoiceandViewpoint
Years
Vol. 65 No. 34 | Thursday, August 21, 2025
www.sdvoice.info
Serving San Diego County’s African & African American Communities 65 Years
TRUMP TARGETS BLACK-LED CITIES DESPITE RECORD CRIME DECLINES By Stacy M. Brown BLACK PRESS USA SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT Donald Trump’s takeover of Washington, D.C.’s police force and his threats to extend the same approach to other Black-led cities are being denounced as racially motivated and tied directly to the Project 2025 blueprint. The facts tell a different story: under Black mayors, these cities have recorded some of the most dramatic 2025 National Guard troops on standby during a downdrops in violent crime in decades. town Los Angeles demonstration against expanded ICE operations and in support of immigrant rights, June 8, 2025. PHOTO: Shutterstock/Courtesy of CBM
In the nation’s capital, Trump declared what
BLACK LAWMAKERS AT THIS WEEK'S FOREFRONT OF NEWSOM–TRUMP ISSUE: REDISTRICTING CLASH
INSIDE
he called “liberation day in D.C.,” vowing to “wipe out crime, savagery, filth, and scum.” But his rhetoric is at odds with his own Justice Department’s data, which shows the District reached a 30-year low in violent crime in 2024. Overall violent crime fell 35% from the year before. Homicides dropped 32%, robberies 39%, and armed carjackings an astonishing 53%. Assaults with dangerous weapons also declined, continuing a trend of steep reductions since a post-pandemic peak in 2023. See TRUMP page 2
DECEIVED REIMAGINED
AT OLD GLOBE SEE PAGE 7
G.O.D. RADIO WINS 2nd STELLAR AWARD! SEE PAGE 12
IN THE SHADOW
OF ICE
Trust in San Diego Policing Tools Continues to Crumble
Assemblymember Isaac Bryan (D-Los Angeles), vice chair of the California Legislative Black Caucus, speaks at Governor Newsom’s press conference Aug. 14 in response to Texas redistricting efforts in Texas. PHOTO: Maxim Elramsisy/CBM
By Joe W. Bowers Jr. CALIFORNIA BLACK MEDIA
and union leaders, said California has a responsibility to respond.
At the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles, Gov. Gavin Newsom and top California Democratic leaders unveiled a plan to authorize a special election for new congressional district maps in response to President Donald Trump’s push for partisan gerrymandering in Texas and other states to benefit House Republicans in next year’s midterm elections.
“Donald Trump, you have poked the bear, and we will punch back … I know they say, ‘Don’t mess with Texas.’ Well, don’t mess with the great Golden State,” Newsom warned.
The museum, which chronicles Japanese American incarceration during World War II, carries symbolic weight underscoring California’s commitment to safeguarding civil rights. Newsom, standing with legislative leaders, members of Congress, civil rights advocates
During the press conference Q&A, Newsom added: “We’re not going to sit back … and be complicit… and watch this system get rigged and watch our democracy fail.” He also pointed to the presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents outside the museum, calling it “a sign of weakness, not strength” from Trump’s allies. See CLASH page 2
A SALUTE TO OUR AFRICAN NATIONS Gabon’s Path to Independence: August 17, 1960 By Voice & Viewpoint Staff A NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER:
By Macy Meinhardt VOICE & VIEWPOINT STAFF WRITER, CA LOCAL NEWS FELLOW
budget hearing where many residents voiced concerns over surveillance technology concerning immigration.
In the backdrop of intense federal deportation measures, community trust in local law enforcement faces renewed scrutiny, particularly over the use of surveillance tools like automated license plate readers (ALPRs) to track an individual's whereabouts.
“It seems within the realm of possibility that this administration would try to force the City of San Diego to share ALPR data and use that data to enforce its immigration policies,” said Councilmember Whitburn, who represents the South Park neighborhood, where a controversial raid took place at an Italian restaurant in May.
ALPR technology uses cameras and software to capture images of vehicle license plates. The data can be searched to track vehicle movements or identify stolen or suspect cars. If not used in an investigation, data is deleted after 30 days, according to the San Diego Police Department (SDPD). Whi le a de cade-old California law, Senate Bill 34, bars local agencies from sharing ALPR data with federal or out-of-state entities, local communities fear the protections may not be enough.
This article initiates a salute to the independence anniversary of African nations. This acknowledges our respect and appreciation of our brothers and sisters among us as we work together to build better lives. On August 17, 1960, Gabon officially gained its independence from France, becoming one of 17 African nations to shed colonial rule that year. The road to sovereignty had been shaped by decades of French administration, during which Gabon was part of French Equatorial Africa. Following World War II, political reforms in France opened the door to African participation in governance, and Gabonese leaders like Léon M’ba emerged as key voices for autonomy. In 1958, Gabon voted to remain within the French Community, but growing pressure for self-rule soon followed. By 1960, negotiations between Paris and Libreville paved the way for a peaceful transfer of power, with Léon M’ba sworn in as the country’s first president. That moment symbolized not just independence from colonial oversight, but the assertion of Gabonese identity on the world stage.
Graphic: Macy Meinhardt/ Voice & Viewpoint
PHOTO: Wikimedia Commons
Each year, Independence Day is honored with parades, cultural performances, and national reflection. The holiday highlights Gabon’s dual legacy: the endurance of its indigenous cultures, from Fang storytelling traditions to Punu masks, and the resilience of its people in shaping a modern nation. Independence brought challenges—navigating political instability, resource dependence, and post-colonial ties to France—but it also offered the opportunity to chart a sovereign course. Today, Gabon’s remembrance of August 17, 1960 stands as both celebration and solemn reflection: a reminder of the sacrifices and negotiations that secured freedom, and a call to uphold the promise of independence for generations to come.
As of June 2025, San Diego’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office, which handles illegal movement of people, goods and money, has made over 1,339 arrests throughout the county. An Axios analysis from the Deportation Data Project reveals that 72% of arrestees had no criminal record or conviction. Despite state laws, “the Trump administration is taking a much more authoritarian approach than I have seen in my lifetime,” said District 3 Councilmember Stephen Whitburn, during a June
Doubling down on oversight Heightening concerns, a report from San Diego’s Privacy Advisory Board criticized the department’s lax audit processes, documenting instances where SDPD fell out of compliance with SB 34, including sharing data with U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
revisions to prevent future unauthorized access. Meanwhile, District 8 has the highest share of ALPR cameras, raising concerns given its large Hispanic population in neighborhoods like Barrio Logan, Logan Heights, Otay Mesa, San Ysidro, and the Tijuana River Valley. District 3 has the second-highest number of cameras, followed by District 4. PHOTO: Courtesy of CBM
“Latino and immigrant communities are already being targeted based on the color of the skin, language, last names and identity,” said Miguel Avila during the hearing. “Our communities live in constant fear of being monitored.” See ICE page 2
The Privacy Advisory Board, currently made up of seven members, was established in 2021 to advise the Mayor and Council on policies and issues related to privacy and surveillance. “We have zero intention of violating SB 54 or doing the federal government’s job,” said San Diego police Capt. Charles Lara, who oversees compliance. “People who are concerned about us being an arm of ICE—we are not. We’re not doing that work.” In response to the privacy board’s findings, SDPD released a June memorandum outlining new safeguards and
www.sdvoice.info