Years
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Vol. 65 No. 36 | Thursday, September 4, 2025
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Serving San Diego County’s African & African American Communities 65 Years
THREE BLACK CAUCUS REPARATIONS-FOCUSED BILLS
MOVE CLOSER TO BECOMING CALIFORNIA LAW By Antonio Ray Harvey CALIFORNIA BLACK MEDIA On Aug. 29, three bills from the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) “2025 Road to Repair” bill package were released from the Suspense File, where they were placed in July by the Assembly Appropriations Committee. The California Legislature places any bill that would potentially cost the state more than $50,000 from the General Fund Reparations advocates Reggie Roman, right, and Kim Mims, both members of Coalition for a Just and Equitable California (CJEC), wait or $150,000 from special funds in the Suspense File for further consideration at to hear which bills the Assembly Appropriations Committee will release from the Suspense File. PHOTO: Antonio Ray Harvey/CBM a later point in the legislative session.
Senate Bills (SB) 515, SB 518, and SB 437 advanced out of the Assembly Appropriations Committee after members reviewed the bills last week. Committee Chair, Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland), told California Black Media (CBM) that it is imperative that the bills get a full vote in the Senate and Assembly since they have not been deemed a financial risk. “They were important bills from our perspective, the body’s perspective, and the leadership that we keep these bills
moving along because they are important and critical,” Wicks said. “We’re always weighing the cost of something versus the impact. That’s the constant battle with all of these bills.” Bills removed from the Suspense File advance to the Assembly floor for a vote. If approved, they move on to the Senate, where they may undergo a similar legislative process before ultimately reaching the Governor’s desk for signature or veto. See BILLS page 2
JAZZ, SUNSETS, AND SENTIMENT: DISCREDITED TRUMP ADVISER
A SPARKLING SENDOFF FOR NAVARRO ATTACKS FEDERAL A BELOVED CONCERT SERIES RESERVE GOVERNOR LISA COOK'S The Unforgettable Finale of ‘Jazz at the Creek’ CREDIBILITY By Voice & Viewpoint Staff
INSIDE
T Headliner Gerald Albright brought the house down at the 14h Annual Jazz at the Creek concert series on Sunday, August 31, 2025 at ECC. PHOTO: Rochelle Porter
his past Labor Day Weekend marked the end of an era as Jazz at the Creek took its final bow with the 14th Annual Jazz at the Creek sunset finale. Held on the lush South Lawn of the Educational Cultural Complex in San Diego (ECC), the two-day celebration (August 30–31) brought together smooth grooves, gourmet bites, and golden-hour vibes for one last, dazzling hurrah.
THIS WEEK'S ISSUE:
NEW FIELD, BIG WIN FOR LINCOLN HORNETS SEE PAGES 6-7
See JAZZ pages 6-7
By Joe W. Bowers Jr. SPECIAL TO CALIFORNIA BLACK MEDIA PARTNERS Last week, Peter Navarro, a senior counselor in Donald Trump’s administration, called Federal Reserve Board Governor Lisa Cook a “DEI hire” and a partisan “animal.” This op-ed is in response to that comment. See NAVARRO page 3
Federal Reserve Board Governor Lisa Cook. PHOTO: Courtesy of CBM
AMERICANS SAY RACISM EXISTS, BUT SHRUG AT SOLUTIONS
By Liz Courquet-Lesaulnier WORD IN BLACK
It’s the kind of polling data that gets a “water is wet” side-eye from Black folks. But the results of a recent Gallup poll reveal that when asked whether racism against Black people is “widespread,” nearly two-thirds of Americans now say yes. Sixty-four percent, to be precise — the same record-high number Gallup recorded in 2021, in the summer of the so-called racial reckoning after George Floyd’s murder. But if Americans think racism is so pervasive, what do they want to do about it?
It turns out, not much.
The Vanishing Appetite for Civil Rights Laws In our current whitelash reality of Project 2025 and anti-DEI crusades, when even acknowledging racial inequities has become a liability for grade schools and colleges, less than half of America believes the country needs new civil rights laws to reduce discrimination. That’s down 15 points from 2020 after Floyd’s murder. Stark differences between white and Black Americans show up in the poll results. Nearly 75% of Black adults
want new civil rights protections, while just 40% of white adults say new ones are needed. Gallup has been asking the question “Do you think racism against Black people is or is not widespread in the U.S.?” since 2008. Back then, almost 60% of U.S. adults agreed racism was widespread. By the following year, when hope and change put Barack Obama in the White House as the nation’s first Black president, only 51% said racism was widespread. But the post-racial illusion of the Obama years didn’t last. See RACISM page 2
PHOTO: AP
A SALUTE TO OUR AFRICAN NATIONS
Eswatini’s Path to Independence: September 6, 1968 By Voice & Viewpoint Staff A NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER: This article continues our 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 September 6, 1968, Eswatini (Swaziland) officially gained its independence from the United Kingdom, becoming one of the last African states to do so in that decade. Swaziland spent much of the 20th century under British administration as a high commission territory. While colonial rule shaped its governance, the monarchy remained a central force in preserving Swazi traditions and identity. By the 1960s, as independence movements
spread across Africa, pressure grew for Britain to transfer power. Swazi leaders, through a peaceful, negotiated process, worked with British officials to establish a framework for sovereignty that recognized both modern governance structures and the traditional monarchy. The country adopted a constitutional monarchy at independence, but over time it evolved into an absolute monarchy with the king holding significant authority. In 2018, King Mswati III changed the nation’s name to Eswatini, embracing the local name long used by its people and distancing the country from its colonial legacy. Today, Eswatini celebrates Independence Day—also known as Somhlolo Day—each year on September 6, honoring its peaceful transition from British rule and the con- Swaziland men in traditional attire are seen, during the celebrations of Swaziland's King Mswati III birthday, on the outskirts tinued resilience of its national identity. of the city of Mbabane, Swaziland, Saturday, Sept. 6, 2008. PHOTO: Schalk van Zuydam/ AP
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