Government
Post Office renamed in honor of Marvin Gaye
WAVE NEWSPAPERS — A local post office has been rededicated in honor of the late Grammy-winning soul singer Marvin Gaye. “Marvin Gaye’s music has transcended generations and gave the ‘70s and ‘80s a sound,” said U.S. Rep. Karen Bass, D-Los Angeles, who introduced House Resolution 1496 to name the post office at 3585 S. Vermont Ave., adjacent to USC, as the Marvin Gaye Post Office.
SOUTH LOS ANGELES — A local post office has been rededicated in honor of the late Grammy-winning soul singer Marvin Gaye.
“Marvin Gaye’s music has transcended generations and gave the ‘70s and ‘80s a sound,” said U.S. Rep. Karen Bass, D-Los Angeles, who introduced House Resolution 1496 to name the post office at 3585 S. Vermont Ave., adjacent to USC, as the Marvin Gaye Post Office.
Because of solo hits such as “How Sweet It Is,” “Ain’t That Peculiar,” “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” “What’s Going On” and “Sexual Healing” and his duet singles with such singers as Mary Wells and Tammi Terrell, Gaye was dubbed “The Prince of Motown” and “The Prince of Soul.”
He won Grammys in 1983 for best male rhythm and blues vocal performance and best R&B instrumental performance for “Sexual Healing.”
Gaye — shot and killed by his father on April 1, 1984, one day before what would have been his 45th birthday — was posthumously elected to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1987 and received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1996. In 2016, he was inducted into the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame.
“His music was cathartic,” biographer David Ritz said. “His songs were prayers, meditations, strategies for survival.”
The U.S. Postal Service issued a stamp in honor of Gaye on April 2, which would have been Gaye’s 80th birthday, as part of its Music Icons series.
The post office had been known as the Dockweiler Post Office, named in honor of Isidore B. Dockweiler, a prominent lawyer in the first half of the 20th century who held numerous government positions and was once called by humorist Will Rogers “the Democratic Party of California.”
This article originally appeared in Wave Newspapers.
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of April 17 – 23, 2024
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 17 – 23, 2024
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California Black Media
Yahushua’s Law: Senate Advances Bill to Protect Students from Extreme Weather
In a significant move towards student safety, the California Senate Education Committee passed Senate Bill (SB) 1248, also known as Yahushua’s Law, on April 3. The bill is named in memory of Yahushua Robinson, a 12-year-old student from Lake Elsinore, who tragically died due to a heat-related illness during a physical education class in 2023. It is a pioneering effort to prevent similar incidents in the future.
By California Black Media
In a significant move towards student safety, the California Senate Education Committee passed Senate Bill (SB) 1248, also known as Yahushua’s Law, on April 3.
The bill is named in memory of Yahushua Robinson, a 12-year-old student from Lake Elsinore, who tragically died due to a heat-related illness during a physical education class in 2023. It is a pioneering effort to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Authored by Senator Melissa Hurtado (D-Bakersfield) and co-authored by Assemblymember Akilah Weber, M.D. (D-La Mesa), SB 1248 directs the California Department of Education to develop comprehensive guidelines for schools regarding student activity during all extreme weather conditions.
“No student should ever lose their life on campus to extreme weather when we can take steps to protect them by preparing statewide plans to minimize exposure to the most harmful elements of exposure,” Hurtado said after introducing SB 1248.
The bill stipulates that schools must implement safety measures which include monitoring weather forecasts, postponing or relocating outdoor activities during hazardous conditions, and ensuring students have proper hydration and access to shade. It also requires schools to establish clear communication plans to keep parents, teachers, and students informed about potential weather hazards.
Supporters of the bill include the Robinson family, advocate Christina Laster, Bold Enterprises LLC, California Black Women’s Collective Empowerment Institute, Familias Empoderadas del Valle Central National Action Network, The Black Student Advocate, and the Ventura County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.
Thanking Hurtado for introducing this crucial legislation, Weber said, “The story of Yahushua Robinson last year was heartbreaking. We have protections for farm workers and other industries in the case of extreme weather, now climate change is forcing us to also extend similar protections to students at school.”
City Government
LAO Releases Report on Racial and Ethnic Disparities in California Child Welfare System
Racial inequalities in California’s child welfare system disproportionately impact poor Black and Native American children, according to a report released April 3 by the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO). The report, which was presented to the Assembly Subcommittee No. 2 on Human Services — chaired by Assemblymember Corey Jackson (D-Moreno Valley) — states that the proportion of low-income Black and Native American children in foster care is four times larger than other racial and ethnic groups in the state.
Racial inequalities in California’s child welfare system disproportionately impact poor Black and Native American children, according to a report released April 3 by the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO).
The report, which was presented to the Assembly Subcommittee No. 2 on Human Services — chaired by Assemblymember Corey Jackson (D-Moreno Valley) — states that the proportion of low-income Black and Native American children in foster care is four times larger than other racial and ethnic groups in the state. Half of the children from each racial group has experienced some level of child welfare involvement before reaching legal age.
Jackson is a member of the California Legislative Black Caucus.
“Racial and ethnic disproportionality and disparities are present within initial allegations and persist at all levels of the system — becoming the most pronounced for youth in care,” the report states.
The disparities have persisted over the last decade across the state, the LAO found, adding that Black children living in poverty are more likely to enter foster care. State data shows that there is a correlation between poverty and foster placement in each county.
“Throughout all levels of the child welfare system, families experiencing poverty are more likely to come to the attention of and be impacted by the child welfare system,” stated the report.
Overall, the report revealed that more than half of the families affected by the state child welfare system earn $1,000 per month, significantly less than the national average of $5,000 a month.
The financial disparities highlighted in the LAO report align with existing research indicating that poverty is among the main factors contributing to the likelihood of child maltreatment. State anti-poverty programs include cash aid, childcare subsidies, supportive housing, and nutrition assistance.
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