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Vol. 63 No. 40 | Thursday, October 5, 2023
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PUBLISHER'S EDITORIAL
THE 5th ANNUAL BFED!
BG&P: THE POLITICS OF HATE
SEE PAGE 8
SEE PAGE 3
Serving San Diego County’s African & African American Communities 63 Years
NEW STUDY REVEALS BLACK AMERICANS’
CONCERNS ABOUT NEGATIVE NEWS Pew Research Center study
LINCOLN’S CLASS OF ‘78 REUNION SEE PAGE 7
COUNTY PUSHES “COMMON SENSE”
GUN VIOLENCE SOLUTIONS Supervisor Terra Lawson spearheads gun violence reduction summit
PHOTO: NNPA
By Stacy M. Brown NNPA NEWSWIRE SR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT San Diego County Supervisor Terra LawsonRemer addresses chamber audience Gun Violence Reduction Summit. PHOTO: Macy Meinhardt/Voice & Viewpoint
By Macy Meinhardt VOICE AND VIEWPOINT STAFF WRITER Experts, legislators, and community advocates for gun violence control took to the podium on Friday to discuss ways in which San Diego can come together to curb gun violence.
San Diego City Council, California Attorney General Rob Bonta, mental health experts and stewards from organizations such Open Heart Leaders spoke on the panels.
The summit held four speaker panels with a targeted focus on suicide prevention, protecting children, community driven peace work, and holding firearm industries accountable.
Data conducted by the county over a five year span reveals the need for solution driven discussions of this kind. 1,310 lives have been lost to related firearm deaths between 2017-2022. In this time period, firearm suicides are found to be the leading cause of death at 71 percent, whereas firearm homicide rates have increased by 56 percent.
Elected representatives, including members of
See SOLUTIONS page 2
As discussions surrounding fair and informed journalism continue, it remains clear that many Black Americans are eager to see changes in news coverage that accurately reflect their experiences and perspectives. That perspective became more pronounced with the release of a new report by the Pew Research Center, which sheds light on the perceptions of Black Americans regarding news coverage that often portrays them negatively compared to other racial and ethnic groups. Based on a comprehensive survey of 4,742 U.S. Black adults conducted from February 22 to March 5, 2023, along with nine online focus groups held between July and August 2022, African Americans have expressed a growing desire for fair and informed reporting.
The key findings of the multi-method report provide a nuanced understanding of Black Americans’ views on news coverage include: 1. Perceptions of Coverage: The report reveals that 63% of Black Americans believe that news coverage about Black people tends to be more negative than that of other racial and ethnic groups. Additionally, more than half of Black adults (57%) feel that news about Black people only covers certain segments of their communities, while 50% think it often lacks essential information. Only 9% believe that the news adequately covers a diverse range of Black experiences and consistently provides the whole story. Worryingly, just 14% of Black Americans are optimistic that fair coverage of Black people will become a reality in their lifetimes, with 38% believing it is unlikely to happen. See NEWS page 2
GOV. NEWSOM NAMES LAPHONZA BUTLER TO SUCCEED SEN. DIANNE FEINSTEIN By Antonio Ray Harvey CALIFORNIA BLACK MEDIA
Laphonza Butler. PHOTO: CBM
Gov. Gavin Newsom has announced that his choice to succeed U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who passed away on Sept. 29, is Laphonza Butler, a labor leader and the president of EMILY’s List — the country’s most extensive resource for women in politics.
CITY HEIGHTS CELEBRATES OPENING
OF GEORGE WALKER SMITH EDUCATION CAMPUS
By Macy Meinhardt VOICE AND VIEWPOINT STAFF WRITER
School leaders, students, and supporters of the late George Walker Smith gathered Wednesday to celebrate the opening of an education campus named in his honor.
“As we mourn the enormous loss of Senator Feinstein, the very freedoms she fought for — reproductive freedom, equal protection, and safety from gun violence — have never been under greater assault. Laphonza will carry the baton left by Senator Feinstein, continue to break glass ceilings, and fight for all Californians in Washington D.C.,” said Newsom in a statement released Oct. 1. See BUTLER page 2 “Wilson Middle and Central Middle started with a dream. Someone had a dream for our City Heights community. And today we are all here to celebrate not only the idea behind the dream, but that that dream has actually come true today,” said Central Elementary Principal, Angelica Hueso-Garcia. As the first African-American elected to office in San Diego back in 1963, Reverend Smith served on the San Diego Unified School Board for over sixteen years, with four terms as president. His tenure in public service played an instrumental role in increasing the diversity of the district's teaching staff, and he displayed an unwavering commitment to ensuring equal educational opportunities for every student. Further expanding his scope of influence,
Known throughout the San Diego community as an esteemed leader in the fields of civics, religion, and education, the campus now houses Central Elementary School and Taj N. Stewart, Granddaughter of George Walker Smith, speaking to the audience at the dedication ceremony. See SMITH page 6 Wilson Middle School under his name and legacy. PHOTO: Macy Meinhardt/Voice & Viewpoint
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