Black Californians report racist health care + Former Assemblyman dies + Newsom endorses Ashby
Good morning and welcome to the A.M. Alert!
CALIFORNIA HEALTH CARE IS FAILING BLACK RESIDENTS, SURVEY SAYS
A new survey commissioned by the California Health Care Foundation finds that Black Californians are still dealing with racism in the health care system.
The study, conducted by the Black-owned firm EVITARUS, surveyed 3,325 Black California adults between March 5 and May 8 and found that nearly one in three has been treated unfairly by a health care provider because of their race or ethnicity.
Black Californians identifying as women or LGBTQIA+, or who have a physical disability or mental illness, were more likely to report experiencing racism and receiving inadequate pain treatment, according to the survey.
The survey found that Black Californians are “highly intentional” about their physical health and mental well-being; 77% of Black Californians put quite a bit or a great deal of effort into getting appropriate screenings or preventive care, while 79% focus on their mental health.
Two-thirds (66%) of Black Californians said that they research health conditions or concerns before meeting with a health care provider, while 35% say that they tailor their speech or behavior to make the provider feel at ease.
“What we found in this study is of no surprise to any Black person who has navigated our health care system,” the foundation’s Katherine Haynes said in a statement. “The study demonstrates exactly how much Black Californians are doing in pursuit of good health and the clear vision they have for addressing racism in health care and health systems. However, we need those who hold power within these systems to be partners in this vision.”
The stakes for this, the foundation argues, are life and death: While the average Californian lives to be 81, the average Black Californian lives to be 75.
Those who were surveyed agreed on four recommendations for what should be done to rectify this problem:
- Increase Black representation among health care leaders and providers.
- Expand community-based education and advocacy.
- Train providers and hold the health care system accountable.
- Develop more holistic approaches to health care.
You can read the report for yourself by visiting here.
FORMER CALIFORNIA ASSEMBLYMAN BRUCE YOUNG DIES
Former California Assemblyman Bruce Young, a Democrat who represented Cerritos in the Assembly from 1976 to 1984, died over the weekend. He was 76.
Young’s death was announced on Twitter by Sacramento lobbyist Jason Kinney.
“Moment of forlorn reflection: former legislator Bruce Young (@realassemblyman) passed last night. To many, he was a sagacious political strategist. To me, he was a mentor who loved what I love — beating Reeps & loving sports — and damn I will really really miss him. RIP friend,” Kinney wrote in the tweet.
Condolences came flooding in on Twitter for Young, whose Twitter bio listed himself as a “proud member of Willie Brown’s leadership (team) and Transportation Chair.”
Alex Vassar, of the California State Library, tweeted that Young was the fourth-youngest of 20 members elected to the “bicentennial class” of 1976, which included Tom Bates, Maxine Waters, Dennis Mangers, Mike Roos, Ron Cordova and Carol Hallett.
“With his passing, only half of the class remains,” Vassar wrote on Twitter.
Young was convicted of five counts of mail fraud in 1987 and ordered to serve 18 months in prison, according to a Los Angeles Times report at the time. A federal appeals court later overturned that conviction, the LA Times reported.
“A request from (Bruce Young) to those now writing his obituary: ‘It’s going to be ‘Bruce Young, who was convicted of five counts of mail fraud’ and then they may or may not say that it was unconstitutional and was thrown out when the government confessed error,’” Vassar wrote on Twitter.
NEWSOM ENDORSES IN CLOSELY WATCHED SENATE RACE
In a coup for Angelique Ashby, California Gov. Gavin Newsom has endorsed her Democratic bid for State Senate District 8.
“Angelique Ashby is the fighter the Sacramento region deserves and the partner I need in the State Senate to get things done,” Newsom said in a statement. “Angelique worked her way through college and law school as a single mom struggling to make ends meet and went on to start a small business helping women and foster youth. Now, as a City Councilmember, she puts our priorities first — championing paid family leave and access to childcare, creating affordable housing, and protecting our environment.”
Newsom added that Ashby would, if elected, be the first woman to represent the Sacramento region in the Senate in more than 20 years. She is running against another Democrat, former Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones.
Newsom is the highest-profile Democrat to endorse Ashby’s campaign. In doing so, he has once again broken with the California Democratic Party, which endorsed Jones. Newsom has also broken with the CDP, and sided with the California Republican Party, in opposing Proposition 30.
Ashby has racked up a number of other endorsements, including the state Sens. Richard Pan, Steve Glazer, Bob Hertzberg, Sydney Kamlager and Susan Rubio and Assembly members Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, Jim Cooper, Cristina Garcia and Blanca Rubio. She also is endorsed by the California Democratic Legislative Women’s Caucus.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“It’s campaign season: here is a reminder. Classifying campaign staff as independent contractors usually violated the law before California’s #AB5. Paid canvassers & phone bankers are employees, not 1099 independent contractors. Follow the law.”
- California Labor Federation Executive Secretary-Treasurer Lorena Gonzalez, via Twitter.
Best of The Bee:
Gas prices could hit an all-time high in California this week. Prices have been surging upward, with no clear indication of when they will stabilize, via Jacqueline Pinedo and David Lightman.
Gov. Gavin Newsom and state Sen. Brian Dahle, R-Bieber, will go head-to-head later this month in a gubernatorial debate hosted by KQED, the San Francisco radio station announced on Monday, via Maggie Angst.
The expanded ballot access has worked largely as hoped. Turnout increased overall in the 2020 presidential election thanks to universal vote-by mail. Yet research shows the consolidation of in-person polling locations in many California counties led to losses in Black and Latino turnout as a share of the electorate, via Ari Plachta.
California gasoline prices are soaring again — up more than a dollar over the last month — and the latest big congressional idea for relief involves creating an emergency oil supply that Washington would tap when prices soar. It’s called the Economic Petroleum Reserve. Experts, however, aren’t enthusiastic, and the plan is unlikely to ease prices anytime soon, via David Lightman.
Gavin Newsom keeps weathering crisis and winning big. Does he deserve to do it again? Via The Sacramento Bee Editorial Board.