It is with deep respect and sorrow that we recognize the passing of Congressman John Lewis. As an African American child living in Alabama, he not only experienced racism, but at a young age was drawn to understand how to address racial injustices. He studied the approaches of and worked alongside leaders of the times, including Dr. Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks, only to become a legendary leader himself. His life is a chronicle of lived experiences standing up for the rights of Black people and fighting against racism in all forms for all people. He not only lived with the pain of slavery, being a child of sharecroppers, but experienced brutal beatings by white supremacists and police, while participating in non-violent protests against racism. As a young adult he stepped up to participate in and eventually lead historic organizations and actions including the Freedom Riders, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and the Field Foundation. Since 1986 Congressman Lewis has been a leader in Washington DC continuing to include antiracism as foundational to the success of our country. During this time of renewed activism to stop systemic racism and police brutality, especially against Black, Indigenous, and people of color, Congressman Lewis was called upon to impart wisdom and advise. You can listen to a recent interview in June. Let us follow John Lewis' recent advocacy, "We must be able and prepared to give until we cannot give anymore. We must use our time and our space on this little planet we call Earth to make a lasting contribution. To leave it a little better than we found it. And now that need is greater than before."

 

Last week, the House approved USDA spending for fiscal year 2021, funding WIC at $5.75 billion for FY 2021, a $250 million decrease from FY 2020 levels, but WIC received $500 million in additional funding through the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, and the House has proposed $1.6 billion in WIC funding in the HEROES Act as well. The House bill continues last year's $90 million allocation for the Breastfeeding Peer Counselor program, which NWA had championed. The Senate has not taken up appropriations bills yet, significantly delayed while they battled the details of their version of a COVID relief bill. 

Election Day is still over three months off, but in light of major changes to the way California votes, and a lot of misinformation widely shared, voters should prepare now. By early October all counties will be required to send vote-by-mail ballots to the state's 20 million active registered voters, and elections officials will finalize mailing addresses as early as Labor Day. To make sure that you get your ballot as early as possible, you need to be registered where you currently live - many students and others have been forced to move during the pandemic, but haven't updated their address to receive voting materials this fall. Californians can register to vote and update their address at registertovote.ca.gov . The website also allows you to check your political party preference, your language preference for election materials, among other options. Once you receive and fill-out your mail-in ballot, you still need to sign the outside of the envelope. Experts from the California Voter Foundation also urge patience, as results in California as well as other parts of the country may be slow to come in.