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Years
Vol. 66 No. 8 | Thursday, February 19, 2026
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Serving San Diego County’s African & African American Communities 66 Years
BLACK HISTORY MONTH INSIDE THIS WEEK'S ISSUE:
FDSRC CELEBRATES BLACK HISTORY HEART & SOUL SEE PAGE 6
SAN DIEGO VOICE & VIEWPOINT’S
66 ANNIVERSARY GALA th
Left to right: Voice & Viewpoint Publisher Dr. John Warren, Gerri Warren Humanitarian Award honoree Ms. Margaret Terrell and family, and Voice & Viewpoint Managing Editor Latanya West. PHOTO: Rashad Autman
Voice & Viewpoint Staff It was an evening to be remembered as people came out, dressed for the occasion. This was the 66th Anniversary of the San
Diego Voice & Viewpoint Newspaper, and the 13th Annual Gala held at the Liberty Station Conference Center. See GALA page 7
REVEREND JESSE LOUIS JACKSON, SR. PASSES AWAY AT 84
TO STRENGTHEN LOCAL JOURNALISM,
Reverend Jesse Jackson. PHOTO: Courtesy of Amsterdam News
By Karen Juanita Carrillo NY AMSTERDAM NEWS
GRANDPARENTS CONNECTION’S VALENTINE’S DAY LOVE SEE PAGE 6
CALIFORNIA LAUNCHES $20 MILLION CIVIC MEDIA PROGRAM Diverse Advisory Board Appointed
Civil Rights icon Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr., whose career took him from his early collaboration with Martin Luther King to creating the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition to two runs for the presidency and ultimately passing the torch to a new generation died Tuesday according to his family.
only to our family, but to the oppressed, the voiceless, and the overlooked around the world,” said the Jackson family in statement. “We shared him with the world, and in return, the world became part of our extended family. His unwavering belief in justice, equality, and love uplifted millions, and we ask you to honor his memory by continuing the fight for the values he lived by.”
To stabilize and strengthen local journalism across California, the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) announced on Feb. 10 that it has launched an initiative called the Civic Media Program and appointed a diverse advisory board to steer the effort.
“Our father was a servant leader — not
See REV. JACKSON page 2
See JOURNALISM page 2
By Edward Henderson CALIFORNIA BLACK MEDIA
PHOTO: Freepik
GOV. NEWSOM SIGNS VETERANS PROTECTION BILL —
DESPITE PRESSURE TO VETO Some Civil Rights Groups Opposed the Bill By Antonio Ray H arvey
CALIFORNIA BLACK MEDIA
PHOTO: Freepik
On Feb. 11, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 694 (SB) 694, also known as the “Veterans Benefit Protection Act,” into law despite pressure from civil rights organizations last week to veto it.
The legislation is designed to protect veterans from unaccredited individuals who make a profit from assisting with U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) benefit claims.’ See PROTECTION BILL page 2
AGambia’s SALUTE TO OUR AFRICAN NATIONS Path to Independence: February 18, 1965 Voice & Viewpoint Staff A NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER: This article continues our salute to the independence anniversary of African nations, acknowledging our respect and appreciation of our brothers and sisters among us as we work together to build better lives. A supporter of President Yahya Jammeh sings as he carries a Gambian flag in celebration of Jammeh's reelection in Banjul, Gambia, Saturday, Sept. 23, 2006. PHOTO: Rebecca Blackwell/ AP
Gambia’s path to independence from the United Kingdom was shaped by centuries of trade, col-
onization, and political organizing. British control began in 1664, when the territory became a key colonial outpost along the Gambia River, used for trade and the forced export of enslaved Africans. In the 20th century, Gambians increasingly demanded self-rule, inspired by broader African independence movements and growing nationalist political parties such as the People’s Progressive Party led by Dawda Kairaba Jawara. See AFRICAN NATIONS page 2
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