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Years
Vol. 65 No. 8 | Thursday, February 20, 2025
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Serving San Diego County’s African & African American Communities 65 Years
COMPANIES FACE IMMEDIATE BACKLASH
FOR ABANDONING DEI PLEDGES By Stacy M. Brown NNPA
INSIDE
THIS WEEK'S ISSUE: BLACK HISTORY MONTH EVENTS TO ENJOY!
DAYGO EATZ CELEBRATES BLACKOWNED BUSINESSES SEE PAGE 8
SEE PAGE 10
CHANDRA REID APPOINTED TO SERVE AS
JUDGE IN SAN DIEGO
COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT VOICE & VIEWPOINT NEWSWIRE
PHOTO: gov.ca.gov
Chandra Reid, of San Diego County, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the San Diego County Superior Court. Reid has served as a Commissioner at the San Diego County Superior Court since 2021. She served as a Deputy District Attorney in several roles at the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office from 2005 to 2021. She served as a Deputy City Attorney at the San Diego City Attorney’s Office from 2001 to 2004. Reid received a Juris Doctor degree from Catholic University Law School. She fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Kenneth Medel. Reid is a Democrat.
THE POWER OF A CALL:
RING YOUR REPS!
Corporate America’s retreat from diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) commitments is already having significant repercussions, with consumer boycotts, stock fluctuations, and mounting legal battles reshaping the financial landscape for major firms. Companies that once championed DEI efforts in the wake of George Floyd’s murder have begun to abandon these initiatives under mounting conservative pressure, only to face PHOTO: Screenshot via NYSE/Voice & Viewpoint economic and public relations consequences of their own. on the retailer’s bottom line has been undeniable, with Target’s stock price experiencing a sharp decline. On a recent trading day, Target is at the center of a lawsuit alleging it misled investors about its Environmental, shares dipped another 28 cents. Further, Social, and Governance (ESG) and DEI polBlue Chip Partners LLC reduced its holdicies. The lawsuit argues that Target’s mesings in Target by 6.8% in the fourth quarter, saging led to widespread boycotts following selling more than 10,000 shares. its 2023 LGBTQ+ Pride campaign, which extended into a 2024 backlash. The impact See DEI PLEDGES page 2
NNPA LAUNCHES NATIONAL PUBLIC EDUCATION AND SELECTIVE BUYING CAMPAIGN By NNPA The National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), representing the Black Press of America, has announced the planning and implementation of a national public education and selective buying campaign across the nation in direct response to those corporate entities that have dismantled their respective Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) commitments, programs and staffing. NNPA Chairman Emeritus Danny Bakewell Sr. explained, “Now is the time for the Black Press of America once again to emphatically speak and publish truth to power.” See NNPA page 13
RARE PORTRAITS REVEAL THE HUMANITY OF THE SLAVES WHO REVOLTED ON THE AMISTAD By Kate McKinnon HISTORIAN OF GLOBAL SLAVERY, SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION AS PUBLISHED IN THE CONVERSATION On the night of July 1, 1839, 53 enslaved Africans revolted aboard the slaving schooner La Amistad — Spanish for “Friendship” — while they were being shipped to a plantation in Puerto Príncipe, Cuba.
PHOTO: Freepik
By VOICE & VIEWPOINT STAFF In an era where digital messages can be easily ignored, a ringing phone remains one of the most powerful tools for holding lawmakers accountable. To get ahold of your local, state, and federal politicos, a phone call far surpasses sending an email or a long-winded social media rant. Ringing lines can force congressional offices to take immediate notice. Now, more than ever is the time for resistance, voice, and action.
Whether you're urging action on an issue or holding officials accountable, persistence is key—here’s how to get in touch with your local officials.
Call Your Members of Congress: For the “big stuff” Congress, the legislative branch of the U.S. government, consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives. See RING page 2
Kidnapped and trafficked from modern-day Sierra Leone to Havana on a larger vessel, they had been transferred to the smaller La Amistad to reach Puerto Príncipe. A 25-year-old man named Sengbe Pieh led the rebels, who suffered 10 fatalities in the fray. They still managed to kill the captain, Ramon Ferrer, and take control of the ship, ordering the surviving crew to return them to Sierra Leone. But the crew instead sailed the vessel north, where it was captured in Long Island Sound.
Marqu, drawn by William H. Townsend, was one of three enslaved girls aboard the Amistad. PHOTO: Library of Congress
With the rebels detained in Connecticut, their fate would be decided by the state’s legal system. See AMISTAD page 2
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