Marketing yourself amongst Fresno's high unemployment

In an US News article, Fresno was noted as one of the cities suffering with some of the highest rates of unemployment. At over 15%, the city is in the company of other communities made up of younger people and immigrants such as Modesto, Stockton and Redding. On the other side, cities like Arlington, VA and Anchorage, AK have grown during the recession due to strong industries-- energy and government, respectively.

Before you pack your bags for Alaska to get a place where you can 'see Russia from your house', there are opportunities to better market yourself that will you help you snag that new job.

Just Pay 20%
The County of Fresno, Fresno Economic Development Corporation (EDC) and other organizations and agencies have teamed to implement the federal Economic Stimulus 80/20 Program. The 80/20 Program will pay 80 percent of the cost to hire a new employee for a year including salary, training, insurance and even uniforms. The employer pays the remaining 20 percent. The employer cannot have laid off workers in the past 90-days and the new employee must be a CalWorks recipient. Watch the ABC-30 News Story.

Market Tax Credit to Pay Your Salary
Depending on where you live and where you potential employer is located, you could be worth thousands of dollars of tax credit for that business. Search the Fresno tax credit map to see if you are eligible.

While times are tough, there are still thousands of jobs out here in Fresno. Sites like http://www.careersinthevalley.com has hundreds of locally posted jobs on a daily basis.

Feb 24th Links- IPA Hearing & Obama Speech

Thanks to Mike Rhodes, KFCF has archived the testimonies of the IPA Hearing on its website at

http://www.kfcf.org/archives/IPA/.

Also, if you missed President Obama's "state of the union" address, you can play or download a copy at KCFC's sister station KPFA's archives at http://www.kpfa.org/archive/id/48690 .

Pictures from DC

The Spirit in Washington: Inauguration

America made history on January 20^th, 2009. I was a part of history. I will be able to one day to look back and tell the story of where I was the day that the first black man was made president. Though this sound cliché’, these words were amongst many quoted and described by myself and other visiting universal citizens from across the globe that quickly filled the streets of Washington D.C.

The cold morning of waiting for the Green line Metro in Greenbelt Maryland started the morning of inauguration at about a windy 18 degrees. The line of patron reached half a mile to the back fence of the metro station. SheRee Johnson, my best friend, also from the Central Valley and me attended this historical event together.

Standing in line for over an hour and a half seemed like no time as we talked and fellowshipped with other visiting patrons. I was surprised to see people openly communicating with each other. I also was touched by the stories that I heard. D.C. reportedly had no arrest. That shows that what I am saying about the sense of family and peace promoted by President Obama was a valued ethic during the inauguration events. As each person openly stated on the train where they were from, and how cold the weather was or how they didn’t care that they took an unpaid day off work or even an AWOL was well worth attending this almost unbelievable day.

By the time I arrived to the National Mall, it was 8:15 a.m. The streets were full, and the air was almost unbearable. I recall wearing three pairs of thermal pants and a pair of jeans, four tops, a trench pea coat and a scarf. The weather was nothing to play with. There were people everywhere. I even saw people within the entertainment industry freely walking the streets of D.C. A statement that the Obama family was the celebrities of this event. I mean this was the most people I seen in my life at one event. I approached the capitol from the behind, with hopes of getting a good spot in front. But s authorities informed us the Mall had been closed well before 7 a.m. being that it was over capacity.

We traveled by foot 1.5 miles around the large crowds and finally reached the Metro Center Metro Station and traveled to a more urban neighborhood in D.C, known as U St. Which is also home to Ben’s Chilli Bowl, where Obama ate just 5 days prior to our arrival. Entering the door of the historic Busboys and Poets Bookstore/Restaurant we were met with hellos and tear filled eyes as the Clintons approached the seating area on the television screen and the ceremony came to a start.

We made friends, exchanged numbers, made toast and even cried with strangers as our first African American President was inaugurated. A feeling of equality can describe what I felt after the intense words of Obama’s speech. I felt no race, no color, no gender and others in the room felt the same way. As the tissues passed and champagne filled glasses everyone basked in the ambiance of hugs and on the spot utterance of their feelings after reality had set in.

I was in fact overjoyed that I was able to experience this historical moment. After being exhausted from the large crowds and heavy walking I retired as the rest of the world partied…………….to be continued.

Leonard Smith
Bowie State University '09
Hometown: Lemoore, CA

From Washington: Tuesday

What a day was today!

The college friend I'm staying with in Washington and I left at about
6:45am, and headed to the Metro for a ride to the Capitol area. What
we found were subway trains already PACKED with exuberant
inauguration-goers. We found out later that the crowds were made
thicker by a half-hour delay on that line due to a passenger having
fallen onto the track. No word on any injuries, but apparently the
incident did cause a delay of about half an hour.

When we reached the destination station near the Congressional office
buildings, everything came to a standstill. The station exit simply
couldn't handle such a flood of people. Three trains arrived during
the time it took us to exit. The station operator was on the PA
system telling everyone to "walk straight through the gate" and "keep
it movin'". Eventually, being in an irrepressibly cheerful mood, the
crowd started to parrot these calls, and the words seem to take on a
political dimension. The station operator caught on too, and started
mixing in "yes we can" with her other instructions. This made a long
and frustrating wait thoroughly enjoyable. It was a remarkable
display of unity and the powerful of a joyful spirit.

We met briefly with friends from Fresno who had just flown from
Sacramento into New York, driven directly to Maryland, parked there
and made their way by subway into Washington. This was at about
7:30am, and they were already clocking a 24-hour day. We shared
tickets and split up from there. We didn't see them again because
they were on their way back to New York as soon as the ceremony was
over. What commitment! (And, ouch!)

The ceremony was fantastic. You saw it all on TV -- and you probably
had a better view than almost any of the 2,000,000 of us on the Mall.
Having tickets, we were able to get a little closer and could at least
see the Capitol (though we were too far away to see any individuals).
Mainly we relied on a Jumbotron, partially obscured by an
inconveniently placed tree, to show us the action. A 3- or 4-second
delay between the video and sound made the viewing a bit odd.

Later, walking away from that location, I realized how lucky we were.
Hundreds of portable toilet units were in place FAR from the Capitol,
near the Washington Monument. From there, depending on where you were
situated, you couldn't even tell where the Capitol was. Certainly
seeing the Capitol made things feel special.

The other special thing was the crowd. The Jumbotrons showed the
various celebrities and dignitaries filing in. There were strong
reactions -- positive and negative -- to the different figures. I was
particularly interested to hear impressions from some of the DC
residents about some of the national or local figures I didn't
recognize. It was a fun way to share a story with a friendly neighbor
and help pass the time. After all, speaking of passing the time,
things didn't really start until 11am, and we were in place by about
9. So, plenty of waiting. Not to mention being packed in so tight
that you felt pressure from your neighbors on all sides!

As chaotic as arriving was, leaving the Mall area was particularly
rough. My friend and I ended up walking several miles, sometimes in
circles, trying to escape the rush of the crowd, looking for a working
subway station, and navigating blocked streets, which were many and
seemed placed at random. By the time we reached our home station and
got ourselves to a restaurant, we had been on our feet for nine hours
straight -- all with almost no food or water. So you can understand
why we didn't stick around for the parade!

Those I've talked to all agree this is a historic occasion which we
would never have missed. However, at this point, I also agree with
those who say it's probably something I'll never want to do again!

Elliott Balch

From Washington: Monday

I knew when I ran into -- who else? -- Lyle Lovett at Dulles airport
Sunday night that it would be a good trip to Washington. If Lyle can
marry country, gospel, and jazz, surely the nation can come together
for one day to celebrate a historic new beginning in its leadership.

And come together we have. At the Marriott next to my friend's
apartment near the Zoo yesterday, I passed part of a cohort of 5,000
university students in town for the national Inaugural Convention.
They were waiting for charter buses to take them downtown.

When I got downtown via Metro, I realized a bus would be the last way
I'd want to try to get around. Lines to get in the House Office
Buildings, which house the Representatives' personal offices, were
wrapped around the block. Just to get in the Rayburn Building, where
I was picking up inauguration tickets, the line was over quarter-mile
long and three abreast. It took two hours of standing in the cold
just to get in the building.

Once in the building, the scene was slightly chaotic. Not everyone
had arranged tickets through a Member of Congress, so folks were
storming the halls looking for any extras. Extras were hard to come
by, though. I got really lucky that Congressman Radanovich had a last
minute cancellation or two, freeing up a ticket for me.

Elliott B.

Fresno Swearing-In Ceremony

Today, well wishers, the media and family members from as far away as Aspen, Greece gathered to welcome the change of the guard in Fresno's leadership. At the first council meeting of the year, the City Clerk swore in Council members Andreas Boregas and Lee Brand along with Mayor Ashley Swearengin. In a capacity filled chamber, Brian Calhoun, Jerry Duncan and now former-Mayor Alan Autry also said farewell and thanked their colleagues, staff and the residents of Fresno for the opportunity to serve.

In her usual get-down-to-business fashion, Mayor Swearingin took the opportunity to speak about her plans for her first 100 days in office. Of the number of task and initiatives she plans to employ immediately, here a few I found interesting:

• Conduct a city efficiency analysis. This would be an update to a 2002 report comparing our city service to like cities
• An in-depth department evaluation. Along with this evaluation, department are being asked to present budget scenarios with 4 and 8 percent reductions for the upcoming 2009-20 fiscal year.
• Revamping and refocus of economic development department to the Downtown & Community Revitalization Department. Announce of the changes and its team was presented last week in a press conference at the Holiday Inn's Sky Room.
• Revising and simplifying the city's procurement process that will favor local businesses
• Partnering with community initiatives to increase resident's awareness and access to free earned income tax credit (EITC) services in the city.
• Establishing the Fresno Citizens Academy, a voluntary program to educate and engage citizen leaders

Kudos the Mayor for demonstrating political class by recognizing her former campaign opponent and current council member, Henry T. Perea for his service while voicing her willingness to work with him.

In addition, the Council elected Councilmember Cynthia Sterling as the first African-American and woman to hold the position of Council President. The Black Women Organized for Political Action (BWOPA) presented flowers to both Sterling and Swearengin.

Like liquor stores, like payday... regulate them

While I'm not a huge fan of payday lending and check cashing companies, I do believe they provide a needed service in low-income communities-- access to basic banking and lending services. The larger question is why are these companies doing so well in certain neighborhoods? It's because of the lack of traditional financial institutions in these neighborhoods.
Like liquor stores that concentrate where there are few grocery stores, these act as a viable alternative at a premium to their customers. Similarly, I believe the non-traditional financial industry should be regulated as state and local government does liquor stores in two ways:

(1) These non-traditional financial institutions should be required to get a city-issued condition use permit (CUP). Liquor outlets are required to get a CUP which requires to some form of resident oversight through entities like the District Implementation Committees or the Planning Commission.

(2) The City of Fresno Planning Department should restrict the number of pay-day loan and check-cashing services within a neighborhoods. The state Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) restricts the concentration of liquor outlets in residential areas. .

Lastly, the City can encourage/incentivise development of neighborhood banking. It was encouraging to see the City Council began to evaluate its financial/banking policy. With a near billion dollar budget, the City can influence the practices of bank through its deposit policy. The City's Bank of Fresno is a step in the right direction.

For more information on pay day loan services, consumer tips in using them and more, check out Americans for Fairness in Lending.

Fresno's New Focus on Downtown & Revitilization

Congrats to Craig Scharton, Travis Sherdian & Elliott Balch as they began a new adventure at the City's newly formed Downtown & Community Revitalization Department. At the press conference held yesterday in downtown Fresno, Mayor-elect Swearengin announced that this new team will replace the Economic Development department.

Craig spoke to the team’s focus on great design & planning, increasing foot traffic and business districts in downtown, locally-owned businesses and community-led design in the surrounding neighborhoods (Lowell, Jefferson & West Fresno). These are all strategies mentioned in the Creative Economic Council Report that Craig along with others in Creative Fresno helped produce.

Ashley has assembled a great team with the passion and capacity to foster change in our city. Craig has been a man on a mission to revitilize downtown and its surrounding neighborhoods since being on the Fresno City Council in the 1990s. Since 2006, Craig has served as the CEO of the Central Valley Business Incubator and the Claude Laval WET Incubator that provides technical assistance for locally-owned businesses. Craig has also served as the executive director for Main Street Hanford and the Pleasanton Downtown Association, both organizations with the goal of developing and promoting the downtown community (more on Craig and the Incubator). Elliott is the current district director for Assemblymember Juan Arambula (D-31) and Chair of the Fresno Downtown Association. He spreadheaded the Association's successful Fulton Plaza Thursdays that brought thousands to the Fulton Mall for the local music & food festival. Travis is currently at the Central Valley Business Incubator with Craig as the Member Service Director and previous managed Public Relations at Astone. He is currentl the chair of Creative Fresno. But what have they gotten themselves into?

Downtown has many challenges. Fulton Mall foot traffic sometimes is one (depends on when you go). Others included finding the balance of viable businesses that respects the commitment current vendors have made while fostering an environment that encourages new enterprise into downtown.

There is a desperate need to integrate the surrounding neighborhoods into the plans for downtown as they impact the perspective and vitality of Fresno.

The Super Six?

The department will needed all the help they can get. Craig will be joined by Wilma Quan, Elaine Robles-McGraw and Elizabeth Johanson who will focus on redevelopment, neighborhood revitalization and multicultural marketing & enterprise. Elliott and Travis will focus on downtown and local small businesses. Members of the department will start on the same day Mayor Swearengin takes office on January 6.

Fresno's Black Buying Power?

Annual Black Purchase Power in Fresno County?

$486 Million (Source: 2000 Census)

Based on the Selig Center for Economic Growth's estimation that national black buying would grow 34% over five years could have local buying power in 2007 more than $652 Million.

Selig estimated national black buying power to be $847 billion while minority toppled more than $2.1 trillion in 2007.

Who passed the Cheese?

The community opposes an odorous milk & cheese waste processing plant in West Fresno

On Wednesday, December 17, a group of about 30 concerned citizens and organizations won their plea before the Fresno Planning Commission asking them to uphold the City's decision to not allow the southwest Fresno Cottonwood Creek South Gate facility to operate. Cottonwood Creek Consultants, a locally owned renewable technology company had operated a single cell protein production facility that processed water waste from milk and cheese industries into caloric feedstock for animals, appealed to the Commission about the revocation of their site plan.

Recently retired planning director, Nick Yovino had revoked the site plan that allowed them to operate this fall after working with Cottonwood Creek for eight months with no resolve on numerous solid waste and public nuisance violations and citations at the plant due to odor and overwhelming air-borne chemicals. The City's code enforcement department was asked by Yovino to investigate the situation after the former director, others members of city staff and the community went on a tour of the Darling International meat rendering plant in October 2007. The group noticed a significant odor that wasn't coming from Darling as it was not online at the time but from the adjacent city-owned South Gate Pre-Industrial Wastewater Plant. Yovino promised to have the situation investigated as the group noticed four uncovered pools of foaming water and milk products.

In the appeal case heard before the Commission, code enforcement officers testified under oath that the odor and the chemicals presence were so strong it was difficult for them to stomach staying on site but for a few minutes. The City also cited speaking to homeowners at the Habitat for Humanity subdivision at West & Church stating they could not open their windows due to the pervasive odor that persisted throughout the day. A neighboring business & property owner located at the corner Church & Walnut testified that he had difficult keeping employees and lost potential tenants because of the odor. The site plan was revoked due to violations of the conditions that the City was sold on by the owners that the operation would emit no odor.

The owners armed with the staff, consultants and the Central Valley Business Incubator spoke to the merits of the demonstration site and how it produced 200,000 gallons of recycled water a day available to water-starved Westland Water District for irrigation along with a resalable product from the milk waste-feedstock. One commissioner countered that the quantity of water was relatively small given that 27,000 gallons are needed to do a one inch irrigation of one acre of farm land (how did we calculate that?) and the Westlands is compromised of 600,000 acres.

The Incubator argued that the pain should be tolerated in order to support a locally headquartered company that would produce jobs (presently 18 employees) and build up the renewable/recycling industry. Members of the community countered that the smell was too profound especially in a one-mile radius of five schools (preschool-12), four churches, and hundreds of residents. Also Sarah Sharpe, Environmental Health Director from Metro Ministries and Edison High alumnus spoke to the potential unknown health hazards that the facility may present in its' open air biological processing.

The owner and regional investors also spoke to the $3 million investment they had made into the project, which they didn't expect to make a significant return for another eight years. Tate Hill, Chair of the District Three Implementation Committee stated the Edison/Southwest Fresno Merger II Advisory Planning Committee approved the project on the contingency that the site would do no harm. He was concerned about the odor's impact on the Housing Authorities' HOPE VI Project that has $20 million of federal funding along with the $100 million plus of potential commercial and housing development in the surround area.

Among the individuals that came out for the almost four hour agenda item included representatives from California Rural Legal Assistance, The Concerned Citizens of West Fresno and the National Network In Action that spoke in support of the city's action. At the end, the Commission agreed the City and voted unanimous to deny Cottonwood Creek's appeal.

Where were you when President-elect Obama delievered his victory speech?

I was sitting along Edison alumni Sarah Sharpe (Class of '96) in a crowd of about twenty at the Perea campaign party in the Tower District. We were huddled around a small television provided by one of the news camera crews listening with others including my Valley Black Talk co-host Julia Dudley-Najieb and Councilmember Cynthia Sterling.
There was a certain energy all about us as we cheered like other across the country that America--a country of dreamers-- made history with a resounding choice for change.

Share where you were and what you felt on Election Night.

The Best of Black Fresno survey

This past spring, In the Black e-newsletter, focused on providing an African-American perspective to local topics, conducted a survey administered by Constant Contact to its over 230 readers in a desire to gain an African-American perspective on leadership, civic participation, business and local market preferences. The survey entailed a series of questions asking participants to rate the performance, effectiveness and satisfaction with individuals, organizations and agencies in Fresno.

The Best of Black Fresno Survey Summary

Go to Blog Talk Radio to hear the radio program about the results that airs Monday, July 28, 2008 at 8 PM on KFCF 88.1 FM. Guest included Councilmember Cynthia Sterling and Keith Kelley.

Fresno's Ethnic Professionals under 40: Changing the way we think about leadership

Last week Business Street, a local business newspaper announced their list of “top business professionals in the private and public sectors in central California who are leaders in the community, and have experienced great success before the age of 40”. Of the 40 individuals listed, only nine were of color. This say one of two things: (a) this is another example of how ethnic minorities are excluded from mainstream media messages and the dominant culture’s concept of power and success; or (b) there is continued concentration of real power and influence amongst Caucasians in a community that is 55% comprised of Blacks, Hispanic/Latinos and Southeast Asians. One would hope those undesirable traits of previous generations would not be passed on as a rite of passage as our age bracket proclaims to stand at a higher level of equity and social justice.

Some satisfy their internal struggle of being perceived as socially equitable when developing comprehensive lists such as these or collecting community data by stating they aren’t aware of members of disconnected, disenfranchised or minority groups (it’s the same rationale used by those over 40 to exclude those under 40 from the conversation). OK….. why don’t you? With access to the internet, six local cambers and business associations of which four are ethnic based, and the thousands of ethnic business owners alone the age of ignorance is inexcusable. Even if none of those resources existed, one could make a good ol’ fashion telephone call to a few knowledgeable people of color in their network (there is an assumption there) as I did to come up with these individuals:


Debbie McKenzie, came to the Valley four years ago as a AmeriCore VISTA and now works under the County Administrator’s Office as the coordinator of the County of Fresno’s Gang Taskforce.

Dwayne Ferguson, owner of Overcolor Print & Design and developer of BlackXchange.net, a nationwide black business directory and search engine

Darrell Stamps & Veda Ramsay-Stamps, formerly the County Housing Manager and City Council Budget Analyst, they are now managing partners of Catalyst Development and The Ramsay Group whose clients include The California Endowment, City of Fresno, and The Redevelopment Agency and Fresno Works for Better Health. Veda is the co-chair of the City’s 10X10 Housing Taskforce.

Crystal Smith, City of Fresno management analyst who administered the City’s $9M CDBG funds now working in the Mayor’s Office as a budget analyst.

Terence Frazier, Frazier Realty. FSU and professional baseball athlete turned owner/broker/real estate developer. Terence seats on the board of the Central Valley Business Incubator.

Sandy Cha* is the local Community Development Officer for Wells Fargo Bank and sits on Wells Fargo Asian Business Services Strategic Advisory Board. Sandy is on the board of the Fresno County Women’s Chamber of Commerce and a graduate of Leadership Fresno.

Yammilette Gutierrez Rodriguez, government relations liaison for PG&E and the former Director of Admissions at Fresno Pacific University

Lawrence D. Garcia, since taking over his father’s business in 2000, he has grown AmeriGuard Security to a $4M private security company with 12 times the number of employees. AmeriGuard is one of the largest locally-Hispanic owned businesses that employs 180 Valley residents and has been featured on the Hispanic Business 500 List and in The Business Journal’s Book of List. Lawrence is the treasurer of the Central CA Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and a member of Chief Dyer’s Advisory Board.

Rev. Shane Scott* is the newly installed pastor of largest African-American church in the greater Fresno area, Saints Rest Baptist Church with over 1100 members. He is overseeing an onsite 20,000 sq. ft expansion that will include a new recreational and community center. Because of his work in the SF Bay Area before moving to Fresno, he is well connected and resourced nationally.

Silas Cha is the associate director at Fresno Center for New Americans serving the Valley’s 30,000 plus refugee community. Silas leads Hmong-American Concerned Citizens and is a recognized advocate in health care and refugee-related issues. This UC Berkeley alumus is a graduate of Great Valley Center’s IDEAL program and sits on the regional advisory board for the Central Valley Health Policy Institute.

Marcus Davis & Nickolas Crawford* of Creative Solutions Marketing Group is one of the upcoming marketing solutions firms being incubated by the Central Valley Business Incubator. But don’t think these guys are beginners. With clients from CSU Fresno, Cool Hand Luke’s and the National Baptist Convention of America. Not sure if you’ve their work? Think about the Bruce Bowne Foundation, FWCED or Cooper River Ranch websites, the website and materials for the Worlds Aparts, Future Together Summit (Fall 2006), CSUF Football tickets… that’s Creative Solutions.

Tate Hill*, former Vice President of Program Services at Fresno West Coalition for Economic Development who helped bring $1.1 M of new grants to southwest Fresno, finalized the West Fresno Association serving over 350 Empowerment Zone residents with access to the Fresno County Federal Credit Union and participated in the launch of African-American micro loan fund through Valley Small Business Corporation. Tate was the founding chair of Creative Fresno and member of the Mayor’s Creative Economy Council. Currently, he is the Central Valley Vice President for Youth Leadership Institute.

* under 30

Fresno MLK Events- 2008

click poster for larger view

Graffiti Walls "What Will I Commit to do to Fulfill the Dream?"
Think of this Holiday as a day to ACT! Write your commitment to action on one of our Graffiti Walls.
Date(s): January 15-18 2008
Location(s): Free Speech Area, University Courtyard, USU Pavilion @ CSU Fresno

Dr. King's Birthday Tribute to Dr. King and Acknowledgement of the 100th Anniversary of the founding of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
(The Sorority of Coretta Scott-King)
Date: Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Time: 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.
Location: Free Speech Platform @ CSU Fresno
Speakers: University President John D. Welty, Associated Students President Juan Pablo Moncayo, Black Student’s United President Dalitso Ruwe and Assistant Vice-President Joyce Ester

Poetry Jam!
Come hear local and regional poets, musicians and performing artists give tribute to Dr. King.
Date: Friday, January 18, 2008
Time: 8 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Location: Satellite Student Union (SSU) @ CSU Fresno

Contact for CSU Fresno Events: Central Valley Cultural Heritage Institute at CSU Fresno

23rd Annual Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Breakfast
Enjoy a delicious breakfast, wonderful speakers, and musical performances.
Start Date: 1/19/2008
End Date: 1/19/2008
Time: Breakfast: 8:30am, Program: 9:30am
Location: Clovis Veteran's Memorial Building Independence Room - 453 Hughes Ave.
Contact Info: Fresno MLK Unity Committee: Caroline Carlson - (559) 324-2416

23rd Annual Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Candlelight Vigil
Enjoy a variety of community speakers and musical performances.
Start Date: 1/20/2008
End Date: 1/20/2008
Time: 5:00 - 6:00pm
Location: First Congregational Church, 2131 N. Van Ness, Fresno
Contact Info: Fresno MLK Unity Committee: Dr. David Howard - (559) 277-9552

23rd Annual Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. March
Start Date: 1/21/2008
Time: March begins 9:30am,
Location: St. John Cathedral, 2814 Mariposa Ave to Saroyan Theatre, 700 "M" St.
Contact Info: Fresno MLK Unity Committee: March & Food Drive - James Lett lll - (559) 284-6420

23rd Annual Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemoration Program
Commemorate the contributions of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by marching from St. John Cathedral to the Saroyan Theater. Listen to local leaders honor Dr. King at the steps of City Hall and conclude with an inspiring program of local talent. The march also supports a food drive to end childhood hunger, with donated food being collected at the church.
Start Date: 1/21/2008
End Date: 1/21/2008
Time: March begins 9:30am, Commemoration Program 11:00am
Location: St. John Cathedral, 2814 Mariposa Ave / Saroyan Theatre, 700 "M" St.
Contact Info: Fresno MLK Unity Committee: Commemoration Program - Julia Dudley - (559) 352-1444

Hillary Hysteria?

On Monday, October 22, presidential hopeful Senator Hillary Clinton made a campaign stop in the Central Valley. To a diverse crowd of nearly 1000 supporters and a few outskirt protesters, the former first lady of the White House touted her stance on the war in Iraq, health care, education and need to investment in renewable energy. Some of the platform speakers, which included Delores Huerta (co-founder of the United Farm Workers), Council President Henry Perea, Councilmember Blong Xiong and program emcee Cynthia Sterling, sang Mrs. Clinton’s praise and mentioned the Valley hadn’t been inspired to such Democratic-fever since the famed Robert Kennedy visit over forty years ago.

Four black leaders were on the platform in front of Fresno High School at Monday's rally including Rev. Shane B. Scott, the senior pastor of St. Rest Baptist Church. His support for Senator Clinton centers on the issues that are important to him and his congregation-- health care and education. "My support is based on qualifications over race", says Pastor Scott, when asked what drew him away from his early support of Senator Barack Obama. Like others, he had contacted Obama's staff about planning a visit to the Central Valley, only to be told the campaign preferred to utilize resources elsewhere in the state.

Where is Brother Barack?

As the campaign proceeds and Senator Clinton continues to command strong support national wide by African-American voters, the question is— where is Brother Barack? Given Senator strong showing, will he reconsider visiting Valleycrats, who tend to be more conservative than their counterparts in the Bay Area and Southern California? Can he appeal to the Valley’s younger demographic (age 18-34), where his support is the strongest?