Government

Gov. Shows Support For Bills Addressing Va.’s Racial Disparities

NEW JOURNAL AND GUIDE — During the 2019 session of the Virginia General Assembly, Black lawmakers and their allies proposed a number of bills to address the economic, social and educational disparities facing Virginia’s African-American community. The members of the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus have enlisted a reliable ally to make laws addressing those disparities a reality: Virginia Governor Ralph Northam.

Published

5 years ago

April 13, 2019

Web Staff

By Leonard E. Colvin

During the 2019 session of the Virginia General Assembly, Black lawmakers and their allies proposed a number of bills to address the economic, social and educational disparities facing Virginia’s African-American community.

The members of the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus have enlisted a reliable ally to make laws addressing those disparities a reality: Virginia Governor Ralph Northam.

Seven weeks ago, most of the state’s Black and white political leaders and civil rights advocates were calling for Northam’s resignation after images surfaced on his 1985 EVMS yearbook page of one white student in Blackface and another clad in a KKK costume.

He rejected calls for him to step down. And, unable to run for another term, Northam declared he would use his tenure to address issues of racial and economic disparities in the state’s racial legacy since slavery.

“I am going to do everything to really bring some good from these events which happened six weeks ago,” he said. “Actions speak louder than words.”

To that end, the Governor recently signed a number of bills introduced by members of the Black Caucus which will take effect July 1.

Among them, Northam signed a bill sponsored by Delegate Lamont Bagby, (Democrat-Henrico County) which will create the Virginia African American Advisory Board.

The board will be composed of 21 non-legislative citizen members appointed by the Governor, and at least 15 of the members must be African American.

The Secretaries of the Commonwealth, Commerce, and Trade, Education, Health and Human Resources, and Public Safety and Homeland Security will also serve on the board as ex-officio members.

Bagby said the board will be up and running after July 1, the beginning of the state’s new budgetary cycle. Members will be appointed by the Governor then.

“I am pleased to sign this bill into law, and I look forward to working closely with the members of this board to advance policies and legislation to promote the economic, social, educational, and cultural wellbeing of the African American community in Virginia,” Northam said.

The Virginia African American Advisory Board is charged with advising the Governor on developing economic, professional, cultural, educational, and governmental links between the state government and the African American community. Two other existing state boards, the Virginia Latino Advisory Board and the Virginia Asian Advisory Board, also serve to advise the Governor on issues affecting their respective communities in Virginia, including education, health equity, public safety, and minority-owned businesses.

Educational Spending Law

During the 2019 legislative session, Bagby said the Black Caucus got a head start by sponsoring a bill which addressed educational spending disparities. He said that the legislature provided additional funds for school divisions with large numbers of poor and at-risk children in rural and urban areas.

“This is one of the legislative victories which is long overdue,” said Bagby. “It will be charged to look at a number of issues including criminal justice, the impact of educational issues related to public schools suspensions, healthcare, minority access to the procurement dollars, our HBCUs, housing equity and creation of small businesses.”

In signing the bill into law, Northam said, “To build a more accessible, inclusive, and equitable Commonwealth, we must ensure the voices of all Virginians are heard, particularly those from underrepresented and historically disenfranchised communities.”

Non-payment of Court Costs Law

Northam also amended the state budget recently passed by the General Assembly to eliminate the suspension of driving privileges for nonpayment of court fines and costs.

This amendment would also reinstate driving privileges for the more than 627,000 Virginians who currently have their licenses suspended.

“The practice of suspending a person’s driver’s license for nonpayment of court fines and costs is inequitable – it’s past time we end it,” the governor said.

While signing the measure, Northam said, “A driver’s license is critical to daily life, including a person’s ability to maintain a job. Eliminating a process that envelops hundreds of thousands of Virginians in a counterproductive cycle is not only fair, it’s also the right thing to do.”

Governor Northam also included funding in his budget to address potential lost revenue from reinstatement fees to the Department of Motor Vehicles and the Trauma

Center Fund. While these bills ultimately failed, the funding remained in the budget.

Several states are addressing this issue, which impacts poor African Americans and Hispanic individuals the most, according to civil rights activists, who support such measures.

“Fundamentally, this practice of suspending one’s driver’s license without knowing their ability to pay and undermining the ability to potentially pay court costs in the future is cruel; and, it may even be unconstitutional,” said Delegate Cliff Hayes of Chesapeake. “Virginia knows better than to have such a practice. It’s time that we do better.”

Absentee Ballot Law

With his colleagues in the House, District 5 State Senator Lionell Spruill of Chesapeake and Norfolk, saw his legislation passed to abolish the policy where Virginians must give an excuse to vote using absentee ballot.

To avoid having it killed by a GOP-led committee, Spruill said he and its sponsors made a deal with the GOP lawmakers to have the bill not take effect until 2020, just in time to bolster voter turnout for the presidential elections.

Today, if a voter is to qualify to use an absentee ballot prior to election day, he or she has to give one of 17 reasons ,including doing business out of town.

But the bill passed in the House and Senate would do away with this policy.

Senator Spruill said this legislation is a “good start” until lawmakers can pass a law allowing people to vote at will prior to an election.

Lottery Winnings and Labor Laws

There have been no instances where a Virginian has won $10 million via the state or national lotteries.

But Spruill was among sponsors of a new law which will allow residents who win that much money through the lottery to remaining anonymous.

According to state law, people who shined shoes, were baby sitters, and/or kitchen aides did not qualify to be paid the state minimum wage.

Most of these people who held such jobs during the days of Jim Crow were African Americans who were targeted by the rule. Now according to Spruill, that policy has been abolished.

The few remaining shoe shiners must be paid the $7.25 state minimum wage.

Evictions Reduction Law

Northam signed one of State Senator Mamie Locke’s signature bills which would create a pilot program aimed at reducing eviction rates in Virginia.

The legislation is designed to reverse findings by a Princeton University research group which found that five cities, including Norfolk and Newport News in Virginia, have some of the highest eviction rates in the country.`

A pilot program will be launched next year in Richmond, Danville, Hampton, and Petersburg to reduce evictions in those cities. The law calls for the collection of data on the program’s effectiveness to help develop methods for preventing evictions around the state.

Managed by the city’s court system, tenants who meet certain criteria will be able to enter into a payment plan with their landlords to avoid a judgment of eviction.

Northam signed a package of bills aimed at reducing evictions by giving tenants more time to pay rent and fees ahead of an eviction notice and limiting the number of legal actions a landlord may file.

This article originally appeared in the New Journal and Guide.

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Activism

S.F. Black Leaders Rally to Protest, Discuss ‘Epidemic’ of Racial Slurs Against Black Students in SF Public School System

Parents at the meeting spoke of their children as no longer feeling safe in school because of bullying and discrimination. Parents also said that reported incidents such as racial slurs and intimidation are not dealt with to their satisfaction and feel ignored.

Published

14 hours ago

May 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Rev. Amos C. Brown, president of the San Francisco NAACP and pastor of Third Baptist Church. Photo courtesy Third Baptist Church.

By Carla Thomas

San Francisco’s Third Baptist Church hosted a rally and meeting Sunday to discuss hatred toward African American students of the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD).

Rev. Amos C. Brown, president of the San Francisco NAACP and pastor of Third Baptist Church, along with leadership from local civil rights groups, the city’s faith-based community and Black community leadership convened at the church.

“There has been an epidemic of racial slurs and mistreatment of Black children in our public schools in the city,” said Brown. “This will not be tolerated.”

According to civil rights advocate Mattie Scott, students from elementary to high school have reported an extraordinary amount of racial slurs directed at them.

“There is a surge of overt racism in the schools, and our children should not be subjected to this,” said Scott. “Students are in school to learn, develop, and grow, not be hated on,” said Scott. “The parents of the children feel they have not received the support necessary to protect their children.”

Attendees were briefed last Friday in a meeting with SFUSD Superintendent Dr. Matt Wayne.

SFUSD states that their policies protect children and they are not at liberty to publicly discuss the issues to protect the children’s privacy.

Some parents said they have removed their students from school while other parents and community leaders called on the removal of the SFUSD superintendent, the firing of certain school principals and the need for more supportive school board members.

Community advocates discussed boycotting the schools and creating Freedom Schools led by Black leaders and educators, reassuring parents that their child’s wellbeing and education are the highest priority and youth are not to be disrupted by racism or policies that don’t support them.

Virginia Marshall, chair of the San Francisco NAACP’s education committee, offered encouragement to the parents and students in attendance while also announcing an upcoming May 14 school board meeting to demand accountability over their mistreatment.

“I’m urging anyone that cares about our students to pack the May 14 school board meeting,” said Marshall.

This resource was supported in whole or in part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library via California Black Media as part of the Stop the Hate Program. The program is supported by partnership with California Department of Social Services and the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs as part of the Stop the Hate program. To report a hate incident or hate crime and get support, go to CA vs Hate.

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Bay Area

Mayor London Breed: State Awards San Francisco Over $37M for Affordable Housing

On April 30, Mayor London N. Breed announced San Francisco has been awarded more than $37.9 million in funding from the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) as part of the State’s Multifamily Housing Program (MHP). The HCD loan will provide the final funding necessary for development of Casa Adelante – 1515 South Van Ness, a 168-unit affordable housing project located in San Francisco’s Mission District.

Published

14 hours ago

May 4, 2024

Oakland Post

San Francisco Mayor London N. Breed (File Photo)

By Oakland Post Staff

The HCD loan will provide the final funding necessary for development of Casa Adelante – 1515 South Van Ness, a 168-unit affordable housing project located in San Francisco’s Mission District.

The new development at 1515 South Van Ness Ave. will provide 168 affordable homes to low-income families, formerly homeless families, and persons living with HIV earning between 25-80% of the San Francisco Area Median Income (AMI).

In addition, the project is anticipated to provide family-friendly amenities and ground floor community-serving commercial spaces that preserve the prevailing neighborhood character of the Calle 24 Latino Cultural District.

“This funding unlocks our ability to move on building affordable housing units for families in San Francisco at a crucial time. We understand the level of need for more housing that is accessible, and like the state, the city continues to face a challenging budget cycle,” said Breed. “1515 South Van Ness is a good example of what can be achieved in San Francisco when you have strong community partnerships and an unwavering commitment to deliver on critical needs for our residents.”

“From the beginning of my term as Supervisor, I have fought to bring affordable housing to 1515 South Van Ness” said Supervisor Hillary Ronen. “In the interim, the site has been utilized for homeless services and shelter, and I am thrilled that HCD has recognized the value of this development, and we are finally ready to break ground and bring 168 affordable homes to low income and formerly homeless families in the Mission.”

Owned and occupied by McMillan Electric Company until 2015, the City and County of San Francisco purchased 1515 South Van Ness Avenue in June 2019 with the intent of developing new affordable housing.

In November 2020, the San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development (MOHCD) released a Multi-site Request for Qualifications (RFQ) seeking qualified developers to build affordable housing on the site, and subsequently selected Chinatown Community Development Corporation (CCDC) and Mission Economic Development Agency (MEDA) in May 2021 to develop the site.

The project is expected to begin construction in winter 2025.

“A strong, long-term push by Mission advocates to make this site 100% affordable is now paying off, with 168 family units that include services and childcare. People of color communities know what they need, and we are excited to be in partnership with a team, consisting of MEDA, CCDC, and MOHCD, that listens,” said Malcolm Yeung, Executive Director at CCDC.

“We are excited to be in partnership with CCDC, yet again, and for the opportunity to develop intergenerational affordable housing in the City’s Mission District,” said Luis Granados, executive director at MEDA.

Increasing housing affordable to lower-income and vulnerable residents is a key priority in the City’s Housing Element which calls for additional funding for affordable housing production and preservation, as well as Mayor Breed’s Housing for All Executive Directive that sets out the steps the City will take to meet the bold goal of allowing for 82,000 new homes to be built over the next eight years.

Tuesday’s funding announcement emphasizes the importance of regional and state collaboration in order to reach our housing and climate goals.

“We are thrilled—not just to bring a project of this size to a community with great need — but to do so with community-based developers and their partners who understand the neighborhood and sensitivities around cultural preservation,” said HCD Director Gustavo Velasquez.

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Alameda County

D.A. Pamela Price Fights Back Against Recall

In an attempt to thwart the recall call campaign against her, Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price announced at a press conference on Tuesday, April 30, that her team is launching a state investigation on the political action committee funding the recall. Speaking at Everett and Jones Barbeque Restaurant at Oakland’s Jack London Square, Price accused the recall campaign as undemocratic and says she will fight against injustice.

Published

20 hours ago

May 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price addresses the media and her supporters during a press conference at Everett and Jones Barbeque Restaurant at Oakland's Jack London Square. Photo by Carla Thomas.

By Carla Thomas

Speaking at Everett and Jones Barbeque Restaurant at Oakland’s Jack London Square, Price accused the recall campaign as undemocratic and says she will fight against injustice.

Price announced that the California Fair Political Practices Commission (CFPPC) was looking into the complaint filed by her supporters against two groups supporting the recall.

Price said the group Reviving the Bay Area appears to be the financial and organizational arm of Save Alameda For Everyone (SAFE), the group leading the recall effort against her. The complaint by recall-opposing group Protect the Win for Public Safety alleges Reviving the Bay Area has breached the law by not filing a third quarter report listing its contributors and hiding its funding sources from the public at least through September of 2023.

Price also claimed that the SAFE recall group is functioning illegally both financially and operationally.

“Between September 2023 and November 2023, they donated approximately $578,000 to SAFE without complying with the laws that govern all political committees in California,” said Price. “We applaud the FPPC’s action to investigate this entity as well as the finances that have also come under question of the SAFE committee, where we’ve learned that they were paying some of the main spokespersons and funding an illegal force that they called a security force.

“So there have been a lot of financial irregularities, coupled with the irregular practices of the signature-gathering company PCI Communications that literally paid for hundreds of people to come into our community and gather signatures using bait-and-switch tactics and misleading people and engaging in fraudulent signature-gathering.”

Price also accused the Alameda County Registrar of Voters of not operating properly.

At a press conference at the City Hall Plaza late Tuesday afternoon, SAFE and recall supporters demanded that supervisors set a special election date before the November general election. Supporters of Price and opposers of Price clashed and spoke passionately against each other.

Supporters of the recall feel that Price’s, criminal justice reforms support perpetrators of crime, rather than the victims. They also blame Price for higher crime rates in the county. Price supporters feel that her reforms are necessary to transform an unjust system. “Price’s role is to uphold the law and this recall campaign is an attack on her,” said Oakland attorney Walter Riley.

Recall opponents reject those assertions and say Price’s critics don’t understand the role the county’s top prosecutor plays in the criminal justice system.

Price also said she would be going before the Alameda County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday to challenge the signature count for her recall campaign.

Later in the evening, the Board of Supervisors unanimously voted in support of the recall, citing that enough signatures had been collected for the recall effort to continue.

On May 14, the Board of Supervisors will determine a date for a special election recall or place on the November ballot. According to Price, a special election recall will cost the county 15-20 million dollars and her supporters hosted another rally last week, urging the Board of Supervisors to not approve a special election recall.

#PamelaPrice #Recall #AlamedaCountyDA