By Bo Tefu and Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media

Former Black Panther Party leader Elaine Brown’s speech addressed Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s vision and the origins of the Black Panther Party movement. CBM photo by Antonio Ray Harvey.

Former Black Panther Leader Elaine Brown Delivers Keynote at Black Caucus MLK Breakfast

Former Black Panther leader Elaine Brown was the keynote speaker at the annual California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Breakfast held at the Sacramento Masonic Temple on Jan. 15.

Introduced by CLBC Chair Sen. Akilah Weber Pierson (D-San Diego), Brown delivered a powerful message emphasizing responsibility, activism, the ongoing fight for justice, and the need for sustained action to achieve equity.

Brown reminded the audience of the harsh realities of Jim Crow, including the physical signs and rigid social codes used to attempt to enforce the second-class status of Black Americans. She also highlighted the long struggle to dismantle segregation, political disenfranchisement, and racial terror.

A group photo of attendees at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast in Sacramento on Jan. 15. From left to right: Assemblymembers Mike Gipson (D-Carson), LaShae Sharp-Collins (D-La Mesa), Corey Jackson (D-Moreno Valley), Sade Elhawary (D-Los Angeles), Isaac Bryan (D-Ladera Heights); keynote speaker Elaine Brown; Sen. Akilah Weber-Pierson (D-San Diego); Sen. Laura Richardson (D-San Pedro); Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond; Asm. Mia Bonta (D-Alameda); California Attorney General Rob Bonta; and Sacramento Mayor Kevin McCarty. CBM photo by Antonio Ray Harvey.

“So much blood was shed in those fights just to integrate ourselves into a society that didn’t want us in the first place,” Brown said. “We were no longer valuable. We were only valuable when we were enslaved.”

Brown also spoke about Dr. King’s vision of a just society – one where systemic racism, poverty, and economic exploitation are no longer tolerated.

The Black Panther Party (BPP) was founded in Oakland in 1966 to make “revolutionary” changes for the betterment of the Black community, Brown said. However, the organization was infiltrated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, she shared.

Brown was a pivotal and trailblazing figure in the BPP, becoming the first and only woman to lead the organization as its chairwoman from 1974 to 1977.

Under her guidance, she expanded community services like the Free Breakfast for Children program, and later became an author, musician, and social justice activist known for her work in prison reform and Black liberation.

Brown led the development of a major affordable housing project in Oakland called “The Black Panther Apartments.” Fully leased by December 2024, the 79-unit building provides 100% affordable housing for low-income and formerly incarcerated individuals with incomes at or below 30% of the Area Median Income (AMI).

“When I think about Dr. King, I think of the work we did with the Black Panther Party,” Brown said. “There was a leader of our party named Fred Hampton. Fred Hampton would say, ‘I ain’t going to die slipping on ice. I ain’t going to die in no airplane crash. I’m gonna die for the people because I live for the people. I love the people. Power to the people.’”

The breakfast is an annual event organized by the CLBC and held in Sacramento to honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,

CLBC members, California state leaders, city government officials, professional sports figures, constitutional officers, law enforcement, and community members all attended the event.

New Ballot Push: Initiative Would End Prop 50 Temporary Congressional Maps After 2026

A proposed constitutional amendment that would end the use of temporary congressional district maps after the 2026 election has officially entered circulation, according to the California Secretary of State’s office.

California Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber announced that “the proponent of a new initiative was cleared to begin collecting petition signatures on Jan. 12, 2026,” allowing supporters to start gathering voter signatures statewide.

The measure responds to mid-decade redistricting actions taken in Texas and California voters’ subsequent approval of temporary maps in 2025.

The initiative, formally titled “Prohibits Use After 2026 of Temporary Congressional District Maps Adopted by Voters in 2025 in Response to Texas’ Partisan Redistricting,”would reverse part of Proposition 50, which required California to use new temporary congressional maps through 2030.

According to the Attorney General’s official summary, the measure “would instead allow use of the Proposition 50 voter-approved maps only in the 2026 congressional election,” and would require that the 2028 and 2030 elections use the maps adopted in 2021 by the California Citizens Redistricting Commission.

Under California law, the Attorney General prepares the legal title and summary that appears on initiative petitions. Once finalized, “the initiative may be circulated for signatures,” and the Secretary of State provides deadlines to proponents and county elections officials, the Secretary of State’s office said.

Fiscal impacts are expected to be limited. The Legislative Analyst and the Director of Finance estimate “likely minimal one-time costs to counties of less than a few hundred thousand dollars statewide” to revert to the commission’s 2021 maps beginning in 2028.

The proponent, James V. Lacy, must collect 874,641 valid signatures –equal to eight percent of the votes cast for governor in 2022 — by July 13, 2026, for the measure to qualify for the statewide ballot.

Black Caucus Chair Akilah Weber Pierson Applauds California Ban on Police Officers Wearing Face Masks

Sen. Akilah Weber Pierson (D-San Diego), chair of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) last week praised California’s new law limiting when law enforcement officers may wear face coverings, calling it a critical step toward accountability and public trust in policing.

The measure, SB 627 — also known as the No Secret Police Act — was signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom last year and took effect on Jan. 1.

It restricts law enforcement officers from wearing facial coverings while performing public duties, except under limited operational circumstances. The law applies to local, state, and federal agencies operating in California and requires departments to adopt and publicly post mask-use policies by July 1, 2026.

Weber Pierson, a co-author of the legislation, said the law affirms the public’s right to transparency.

“The public has a right to know who is enforcing the law in our communities,” Weber Pierson posted on Facebook on Jan. 14.

Framing the issue as more than administrative oversight, Weber Pierson stated that visibility and accountability are essential to community well-being.

“Transparency in policing is a public health issue,” she added, noting that communities cannot heal from historical trauma when officers wield authority anonymously.

Despite support from civil rights advocates, the law is facing a federal court challenge. The U.S. Department of Justice is seeking to pause its application to federal agents, arguing that the measure interferes with federal law enforcement operations, particularly immigration enforcement.

Federal attorneys told the court on Jan. 14 that the law improperly regulates federal officers and exposes them to increased safety risks.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said officers are increasingly targeted through facial recognition and AI tools, claiming an “8,000% increase in threats” against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. He also cited instances of agents being tracked to their homes and harassed.

During the hearing, the judge raised concerns about potential unequal treatment if exemptions apply differently to state and federal officers. A decision on the request to pause enforcement is expected soon.

Supporters of SB 627 argue the law advances civil rights by ensuring officers are identifiable during public interactions, while opponents contend it endangers officer safety and undermines federal enforcement authority — setting the stage for a legal battle with broader implications for policing and oversight in California.

CDPH: Super Flu Cases on the Rise in California

California health officials have confirmed the spread of a mutated influenza strain known as the “super flu,” as flu-related hospitalizations across the state reach their highest level of the season.

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) said Jan.15 that the strain, a mutated form of seasonal influenza A known as H3N2 subclade K, is present in the state. The announcement comes as the department confirmed a second pediatric death linked to the flu since the start of the current respiratory virus season.

State data show flu activity has eased slightly from a late-December peak. As of Jan. 3, about 15% of flu tests statewide were positive, down from 17% recorded through Dec. 27. Despite the modest decline, hospitalizations have continued to rise.

Flu-related hospital admissions reached a season high of approximately 3.8 per 100,000 people statewide as of Jan. 3, according to CDPH figures.

Public health officials continue to emphasize vaccination as the most effective way to reduce the risk of severe illness, even when circulating strains differ from those targeted by the vaccine.

“Current seasonal flu vaccines remain effective at reducing severe illness and hospitalization, including the currently circulating viruses,” said Dr. Erica Pan, CDPH director and state public health officer, said in a statement.

Pan added that “it is important for families to know that flu vaccines, tests, and treatments remain widely available for all Californians and that it is not too late to get a flu vaccine.”

Health officials urge residents to seek medical care if flu symptoms worsen and to take preventive measures as flu season continues across California.

Track statewide and regional weekly respiratory virus data.

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