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SFFD ‘Whites Only’ Policy on Fire Boat

Published

6 years ago

August 6, 2020

Kiki

Firefighters Hawk and Thomas

The San Francisco Fire Dept. was established in 1866 and it took almost 90 years before the first Black firefighter, Earl Gage Jr., was hired in 1955.

By then two of SFFD’s three fire boats had been built, the third in 2016. Docked at Pier 22 ½, they are named the Phoenix, the Guardian, and the St. Francis.

No Black people nor any other people of color have ever truly served on the fire boats, which figuratively have a “whites only” sign for employees.

Gage was the only Black employee for the SFFD for 12 years. Over the years, more Blacks were hired and David ‘Hawk’ Hawkins would be in their number. Lawrence Thomas dreamed of working on the historic fire boats and when he and Hawkins met, they decided that together they would make Thomas’ dream come true.

Thomas was hired by the SFFD as their first Black marine engineer in 2018 and the first Black to be hired to work on the fire boat. Hawkins was the first Black rescue swimmer in the history of the San Francisco fire boat and the second Black person permanently assigned to the fire boat.

Thomas initially thought “once I got the job, the battle was over.”

But he has never been given a shift.

On July 28, 2020, in the Superior Court of California in San Francisco, the law offices of Joseph L. Alioto and Angela Alioto filed a complaint for damages on four grounds:

Race discrimination in employment;
Unlawful retaliation for opposing race discrimination;
Unlawful retaliation for opposing race discrimination – hostile environment, and
Failure to prevent race discrimination and harassment.

Below is a quote from the preliminary statement of the complaint:

“Plaintiffs David Hawkins and Lawrence Thomas attempted to break the color line to work on the Fire Boat of the San Francisco Fire Department. The Fire Boat has been operated by the Fire Department . . . to serve the needs of the Port of San Francisco. No African American has ever worked as a pilot on the Fire Boat and, until Lawrence Thomas was hired in July 2018, no African American ever worked as a Marine Engineer. Hawkins was only the second African American to ever set foot on the Fire Boat as a permanent employee. The Fire Department pushed back on the Plaintiffs’ attempt to break the color line by first refusing to train Thomas and then refusing to give him any work. The Fire Department then removed Hawkins from the Fire Boat completely. In effect, the Fire Boat is again, what it has been for many decades; “Whites Only.” In response, the Plaintiffs’ sue for relief under the California Fair Employment and Housing Act.”

At a San Francisco Board of Supervisors committee hearing on diversity among first responders held on July 30 — just two days after Hawkins’ and Thomas’ lawsuit was filed — SFFD Chief Jeanine Nicholson admitted that the department has lost most of the Black battalion chiefs and that diversity was an issue in the SFFD.

Currently, there are two Black women and 13 Black men out of 200 in the Emergency Medical Services Division at Station 49.

Hawkins was constructively discharged June 30, 2020, from SFFD about one month before the lawsuit was filed.

Hawkins’ and Thomas’ suit is not the first time the courts had to get involved in integrating SFFD. In 1988, a consent decree required SFFD to diversify. At that time, 83% of the department was white males, now it’s less than half.

Women first joined the department in 1987 and now comprise 16% of the department.

Today, the department is 17% Asian, 9% Black, 17% Latino and 5.5% Filipino.

SFFD is not alone. Author Ginger Adams Otis published “Firefight: The Century-Long Battle to Integrate New York’s Bravest” in 2015

The book documented how in 1919 Wesley Williams integrated the Fire Department of New York and, nearly a century later, in 2014, the city of New York settled a $98 million lawsuit for discrimination.

Attorney Angela Alioto likens Thomas to Ralph Ellison’s “Invisible Man” in that he does not count and has not been offered any work since his hire. She says that the department’s actions are just the opposite of #BlackLivesMatter.

Hawkins makes the analogy that SFFD’s actions amount to “flagrant fouls.” He sees himself as an activist fighting “institutional racism,” and he is rightfully proud of emulating the late John Lewis’ by getting into “good trouble.”

The battle continues. Hawkins and Thomas continue to speak truth to power. Alioto adds that race-based discrimination is not limited to the SFFD. She has 22 lawsuits against the city of San Francisco.

“From the Firehouse to the White House, things must change now!” Hawkins said.

Kiki

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2026 Lucid Air Grand Touring Review — Is This $136K EV Sedan Worth It?

AUTONETWORK ON BLACKPRESSUSA — Finished in Stellar White Metallic with the Tahoe Grand Touring interior, this Lucid makes a strong first impression. The shape is sleek and low, but it still feels elegant instead of trying too hard. Features like soft-close doors, powered illuminated door handles, 20-inch Aero Lite wheels, and the Glass Canopy Roof help the car feel expensive before you even start it.

Published

2 weeks ago

May 3, 2026

Oakland Post

The 2026 Lucid Air Grand Touring is the kind of luxury EV that makes people stop and ask a simple question: Is this really better than a Tesla Model S, Mercedes EQS, or BMW i7? At $136,150, it has to do more than look futuristic. It has to feel special every time you get in it.

Finished in Stellar White Metallic with the Tahoe Grand Touring interior, this Lucid makes a strong first impression. The shape is sleek and low, yet it still feels elegant rather than trying too hard. Features like soft-close doors, powered illuminated door handles, 20-inch Aero Lite wheels, and the Glass Canopy Roof help the car feel expensive before you even start it.

Inside is where the Air Grand Touring really makes its case. The 34-inch Glass Cockpit Display and retractable Pilot Panel screen give the cabin a clean, modern look that still feels different from other EVs. The Tahoe Extended Leather and Lucid Black Alcantara headliner lifts the sense of occasion, and the front seats are a highlight. They are 20-way power-adjustable, heated, ventilated, and include massage. That matters because luxury buyers at this price expect comfort first.

Rear passengers are not ignored either. You get 5-zone heated rear seating, a rear center console display, and power rear and rear side window sunshades. Add in the Surreal Sound Pro system with 21 speakers, and the Air feels like a true long-distance luxury sedan.

Lucid also gives this car serious EV hardware. The dual-motor all-wheel-drive system, 900V+ charging architecture, and Wunderbox onboard charger are big talking points. Buyers in this segment care about range, charging speed, and everyday ease, not just raw performance. That is where the Lucid continues to stand out.

On the technology side, the Air Grand Touring includes DreamDrive Premium, with 3D Surround View Monitoring, Blind Spot Warning, Automatic Park In and Out, Automatic Emergency Braking, and a Driver Monitoring System with distracted and drowsy driver alerts. This one also has DreamDrive Pro, which adds future-capable ADAS hardware.

There are still some real-world annoyances. Based on your notes, the windshield wiper control is hard to find and use, and that matters more than people think in a high-tech car. When controls become less intuitive, even a beautiful interior can feel frustrating.

Still, the 2026 Lucid Air Grand Touring succeeds where it matters most. It feels luxurious, advanced, comfortable, and thoughtfully engineered. For buyers who want an EV sedan that feels truly premium and less common than the usual choices, this Lucid makes a very strong case.

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Snoop Dogg Celebrates 10 Til’ Midnight at the Compound

LOS ANGELES SENTINEL — The album is paired with a film that stars Snoop Dogg, Hitta J3, G Perico, and Ray Vaughn, and one of the strongest elements of the whole project is that the production stayed rooted right here in Los Angeles.

Published

2 weeks ago

May 3, 2026

admin

Snoop Dogg celebrated the premiere of 10 Til’ Midnight at his Inglewood recording studio & multipurpose facility, The Compound, but the night felt like much more than an album release. It felt like Los Angeles. It felt like legacy. And it felt like another major move from one of the city’s greatest cultural architects as he continues to prove that he is not just dropping music — he is building moments, shaping narratives, and pushing the culture forward in real time.

What made the event so powerful was the clarity behind the vision. During a panel conversation with DJ Hed, Snoop opened up about the heart behind 10 Til’ Midnight, explaining that the project was created to help bridge older and younger generations while also speaking to the long-standing divisions between Bloods and Crips in a unique way through film. That alone gave the project a different kind of weight. This was not just about songs. This was about using creativity as a tool for connection. This was about taking a story rooted in Los Angeles and telling it in a way that could bring people together.

Snoop Congratulated By Rapper & Fellow 10 Til Midnight Cast Member G Perico (CreativeLB/KreativeKapturez)

The album is paired with a film that stars Snoop Dogg, Hitta J3, G Perico, and Ray Vaughn, and one of the strongest elements of the whole project is that the production stayed rooted right here in Los Angeles. The film was shot in the city, including at WePlay Studios in Inglewood, which gave the entire project an even deeper hometown feel. It was not just a West Coast story in content — it was a Los Angeles-made production from the ground up.

That matters because, in a city like this, authenticity still carries weight. Snoop understands how to make sure that what he creates does not just represent Los Angeles on the surface, but actually comes from it.

What also makes 10 Til’ Midnight significant is that it represents another major step in Snoop’s evolution as both an artist and executive. Public reporting around the project identifies it as his 22nd studio album, but the bigger story is what it represents in this season of his life. This is one of several consecutive moves he has made in his 50s that show he is still building, still expanding, and still finding new ways to reinvent what the next chapter looks like.

Snoop Dogg at the Premiere of 10 Til Midnight (CreativeLB/KreativeKapturez)

Now, as the head of Death Row Records and the newly aligned leader of Death Row Pictures, he is taking the brand into a new dimension. That is what made this moment feel bigger than music. Snoop is not just protecting the legacy of Death Row — he is stretching it. He is expanding it beyond records and into film, visual storytelling, and larger creative worlds that can continue carrying the label’s impact forward. Public reporting has noted that this project arrives as part of that broader cinematic push.

That is a major Los Angeles move because the city has always been built on the intersection of music, film, neighborhood identity, and cultural storytelling. With 10 Til’ Midnight, Snoop is leaning all the way into that intersection.

The room at The Compound reflected that. It felt like a private premiere, but it also felt like a statement — a reminder that Snoop Dogg’s staying power has never been based only on nostalgia. It comes from his ability to remain connected, remain visionary, and remain in tune with how to move the culture without losing the essence of who he is.

That is why this premiere mattered. It was not just about celebrating another album. It was about witnessing a Los Angeles legend continue to evolve, continue to unify, and continue to use art to tell stories that hit deeper than entertainment alone.

In that sense, 10 Til’ Midnight became more than a project launch. It became another example of how Snoop Dogg is still taking Los Angeles to the next level — using music, film, and legacy together to build something bigger than a moment.

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OP-ED: Small Businesses Need Minnesota to Act on Pass-Through Tax Policy

MINNESOTA SPOKESMAN RECORDER — A Twin Cities immigrant entrepreneur who built several businesses including grocery stores in underserved neighborhoods is calling on Minnesota lawmakers to extend the Pass-Through Entity tax option before it expires, warning that its loss would hit small businesses already recovering from Operation Metro Surge with higher federal tax bills.

Published

2 weeks ago

May 3, 2026

admin

A Twin Cities Small Business Owner Is Urging Minnesota to Extend a Tax Policy That Could Save Thousands of Businesses

By Daniel Hernandez | Minnesota Spokesman Recorder

I came to the United States as a teenager with a clear goal: to build something meaningful through hard work. I put in long days in construction, restaurants, and landscaping; doing whatever it took to learn, save, and eventually start my own business.

Over time, I built and ran several successful ventures, including an event photography company, a magazine, a tax and accounting firm, and now grocery stores serving neighborhoods across the Twin Cities where other retailers chose not to invest. I’ve created jobs, supported families, and committed to communities that deserve stability and opportunity.

That’s why I’m speaking out now.

Small business owners in Minneapolis and the communities we serve are recovering from serious disruptions, including the impacts of Operation Metro Surge. That event hit immigrant communities especially hard. In my own case, I lost nearly half of my 60 employees and saw revenue drop by about 85%. While I worked to provide competitive wages, health benefits, and paid time off, the real hardship fell on the people who lost their jobs and income.

Even as we rebuild, small businesses are facing another challenge. The Minnesota Legislature is considering letting an important tax policy expire: the Pass-Through Entity tax option.

Here’s what that means in plain terms.

Many small businesses, including mine, are pass-through businesses. That means the business itself doesn’t pay income tax. Instead, the owners report the income on their personal tax returns. But under current federal rules, there’s a limit on how much state tax we can deduct. That often leads to higher federal tax bills.

The Pass-Through Entity option fixes that. It allows the business to pay the state tax directly, which means the business can fully deduct those taxes on its federal return and lower the total amount of income taxed federally. The result is straightforward: small business owners pay less in federal taxes, without reducing what the state collects.

This policy is not new or controversial. Thirty-six states already offer it. It doesn’t cost Minnesota anything, it’s revenue neutral. And it benefits more than 66,000 businesses across the state.

In a state where the cost of doing business is already high, it’s hard to understand why we wouldn’t offer the same basic tax treatment as states like California and Illinois.

Small businesses have carried a heavy load in recent years, through a pandemic, rising costs and public safety disruptions. We’ve adapted, reinvested and stayed committed to our communities. What we need now are practical policies that support that work, not make it harder.

If the Minnesota House does not act soon, many businesses will face significantly higher federal tax bills. That’s money that could otherwise be used to hire workers, raise wages or reinvest in local neighborhoods.

I urge Gov. Tim Walz and members of the House Tax Committee to pass House File 3127 and extend the Pass-Through Entity election.

Small businesses are the backbone of our communities. We’ve proven our resilience. Now we need our state leaders to show the same commitment to us.

Daniel Hernandez is the owner of Colonial Market located at 2100 E. Lake St.

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