The ONME Network

Fresno parents and teachers were struggling to help their children and themselves deal with loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemicIn "Brewing Within" episode 5, ONME News, Julia Dudley Najieb talks to a parent who resides in Fresno County where her son was transitioning from eighth grade to the ninth grade -- in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. She found some workable solutions, as well as roadblocks that were challenging.Thereafter, Dudley Najieb talks with renowned teacher and coach Chris Finley, who felt pulled in different directions as a parent, teacher and coach. He describes the difficult experience he had to wade through, and the biggest upsets he felt could have been avoided if there was better communication.

Dr. Weber takes her oath of office to serve as California's first elected Black secretary of stateThis 2022 election marks several, notable, historical first among Black candidates now serving in very powerful positions in California's legislature as elected officials. ONME News first noted that former congresswoman, Karen Bass, became the second Black elected-mayor of Los Angeles but the first female to serve in the position; Los Angeles is the biggest city in California with over 3.9 million people. Such a seat will require political prowess due to the many woes that plaque the southern California city.Meanwhile, former chair of the California State Board of Equalization, Malia Cohen, sworn into office Monday, Jan. 2, 2023, became the first Black woman to serve as state controller; this involves disbursing state funds, auditing government agencies and serving on more than 70 boards and commissions. Cohen will be California’s chief fiscal officer.Also at the state of California legislative level, Dr. Shirley Nash Weber, Ph.D., will serve as the first elected Black secretary of state. Sworn in Jan 10, 2023, Dr. Weber will serve as the 32nd Secretary of State of California.Dr. Weber, Ph.D. was nominated to serve as California Secretary of State by Governor Gavin Newsom on December 22, 2020 and sworn into office on January 29, 2021. She was California’s first Black Secretary of State then to be nominated, and only the fifth African American to serve as a state constitutional officer in California’s 170-year history.

Check out the latest MLK events happening throughout southern California.

Check out the latest MLK events happening throughout northern California.

Administrator Tracey E. Jenkins of Tulare City School District explains what happened to them during the pandemic and how they are succeeding through the aftermath.In "Brewing Within" episode 4, it explains in three parts the challenges that administrators, parents and teachers went through during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.In episode 4 part 1, ONME News, Julia Dudley Najieb has a candid, one-on-one interview with Tulare City School District principal, Mr. Tracey E. Jenkins about the disruptive COVID-19 experience his school district had to manage before and after--they are still succeeding against all odds.

In "Brewing Within" episode 4, it explains in three parts the challenges that administrators, parents and teachers went through during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.Central Valley coach, Todd Henderson, explains how the COVID-19 pandemic was an accidental beneficial experience for some of his athletes In episode 4 part 3, ONME News, Dudley Najieb talks with Central Valley coach and teacher, Todd Henderson, who reveals a different perspective of some of the positive outcomes for his athletes that happened during the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. He acknowledges the struggles he had as a teacher during that time, but he expresses his level of optimism for student athletes who got an extra year of playing time or field time; however, this situation was no so good for his seniors, who missed this opportunity when the state of California shutdown in 2020.

In "Brewing Within" episode 4, it explains in three parts the challenges that administrators, parents and teachers went through during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.In episode 4 part 2, ONME News, Dudley Najieb talks with Central Valley parent, Kimberly Belmontez-McKinney who expresses the challenges she went through during the COVID-19 pandemic while trying to manage eight children in her household. The children ranged from elementary school to high school; she witnessed the social behavioral changes from the beginning of the pandemic to the aftermath, which she is managing to this day.

In "Brewing Within" epsiode 3, ONME News, Julia Dudley Najieb has a candid interview with Washington Union High School administrator, Dennis Randle, M.Ed, who is the learning director, about the actual COVID-19 experience from the school's perspective. He addresses the unforseen issues students, teachers and staff were up against before, during and after the pandemic.

In the almost 40-minute episode 2 of the "Brewing Within" series (funded by NABJ Black Press Grant) ONME News publisher, Julia Dudley Najieb, narrates and navigates through the student vaccine mandate that was happening/did happen/or is still happening? Of course this issue continues to be a debate to this date, but Dudley Najieb navigates through the legalize and political stances.Thereafter, Dudley Najieb features key expert, Dr. Naomi Bardach, who was part of a team that was behind the scene of the impact of COVID-19 on California schools, and how to reopen as soon as possible. Dr. Bardach also talks about her personal experience with her son who suffered depression and anxiety during the shutdown in California. These video excerpts come from UCTV 70-min. program, “Is There an Off-Ramp for That? K-12 Schools and COVID-19”, where Dr. Bardach discussed the impact the pandemic had on children, educators and families and the measures schools employed to keep students and teachers safe while continuing to educate children. She explained what the research found and best practices for moving forward. In the next chapter, Dudley Najieb explores the pre-post stats of students of color suffering depression, anxiety and other traumatic mental health issues: The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention surveyed more than 7,000 high school students before the pandemic and found that 55.1% suffered emotional abuse, 44.2% reported persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, 9% attempted suicide. Medical experts from an Ethnic Media Services briefing reveal and explain the data and real-life experience concerning the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic on the health of children, parents and the like. Each of them expand on the data concerning ethnic students, and the daily discrimination these students were going through prior to the pandemic.

In the post-pandemic era, where people are learning to live with the different COVID-19 variants, and surges still persist in California this winter season, the aftermath of the coronavirus has proven to be more deadly economically for business, people of color, and especially California's struggling, public school system. ONME News tells this story in a five-part docuseries called, "Brewing Within."The "Brewing Within" series is funded by the National Association of Black Journalist - NABJ Black Press Grant; ONME News was chosen as one of the grantees to reveal the K-12 experience in the state of California in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. The series reveals the struggles that teachers, administrators and parents went through trying to navigate through the school system during and after the state of California shut down. It also reveals the damage done to students, especially students of color and/or impoverished students, although the state fully reopened June 15, 2021.The almost nine-minute episode 1 of "Brewing Within" tells the dramatic story of the state of California as it enters the pandemic, as well as the aftermath. From fear, to lack of information to misinformation, approximately 39 million residents did not know they were about to impacted by a novel virus in one way or another.Narrated by ONME News publisher, Julia Dudley Najieb, this initial episode brings the audience into the story of what was happening with California schools, K-12 as the pandemic ravaged the state of California.