SACRAMENTO, Calif. — In a significant effort to support the state’s rich tapestry of ethnic and community media, Governor Gavin Newsom has officially signed Assembly Bill 1511 (AB 1511) into law. Authored by Assemblymember Miguel Santiago (D-Los Angeles), this legislation mandates state agencies to develop strategic plans aimed at increasing advertising spending within media outlets that serve California’s diverse populations.

The Latino Media Collaborative sponsored the bill, which aims to create a sustainable financial foundation for these crucial media organizations. “California’s ethnic and community media are essential to keeping our diverse populations informed through independent journalism,” said Arturo Carmona, President of the Latino Media Collaborative. “This law ensures that state advertising investments will go where they are needed most.”

AB 1511

AB 1511 requires all state agencies engaged in marketing or outreach to prioritize ethnic and community media when allocating their advertising budgets. With more than 300 ethnic media outlets operating throughout California, the legislation seeks to address the long-standing challenges these organizations face due to underutilization of government resources and evolving advertising models.

Regina Brown Wilson, Executive Director of California Black Media, praised the law, recognizing the invaluable role local, independent, and Black news outlets play in the state’s communication landscape. “Our publications have an indispensable role in the communication infrastructure of our great state,” she emphasized.

The new law is not merely a financial lifeline; it’s also a strategic initiative designed to improve public outreach to historically underserved communities. As Sandy Close, Executive Director of Ethnic Media Services (EMS), articulated, “AB 1511 ensures that all public information and engagement reaches the state’s diverse and underserved communities in coordination with their trusted messengers.”

The legislation includes accountability measures, requiring state agencies to submit annual reports on their progress in increasing investments in ethnic media. The Department of General Services has been tasked with creating a reporting template by December 1, 2025, to ensure transparency and effectiveness. These provisions will remain in effect until July 1, 2028, institutionalizing the commitment to ethnic media for the foreseeable future.

Martha Diaz Aszkenazy, Publisher of the San Fernando Valley Sun/el Sol Newspaper, expressed optimism about the bill’s potential impact. “Display ads are the lifeblood of community newspapers,” she said. “The passage of AB 1511 creates a win-win for both ethnic media and the state. But this is just the beginning—we need more investment to ensure these essential platforms stay strong.”

As California navigates its complex landscape of cultural and ethnic diversity, AB 1511 signifies a proactive approach to ensuring that all voices are heard and represented in the media. As Julian Do, co-director of EMS, concluded, “It’s a powerful recognition that California’s future is best served when everyone is informed and included in public issue conversations at all levels.”

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With this landmark legislation, California is setting a precedent for how states can leverage advertising dollars to strengthen ethnic media, foster community engagement, and bridge the information gap that often separates diverse populations from critical resources and public discourse. The road ahead is still long, but AB 1511 marks a crucial step toward a more equitable media landscape in the Golden State.

Related links for more information about AB 1511:

https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/bills/ca_202320240ab1511

https://prnmedia.prnewswire.com/news-releases/governor-newsom-signs-major-legislation-to-bolster-ethnic-and-community-media-through-the-state-s-advertising-power-878151915.html

SOURCE Latino Media Collaborative

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In a commendable effort to combat hunger across the United States, Darden Restaurants has once again joined forces with Feeding America®, marking the fourth consecutive year of their impactful partnership. Through a generous $2 million grant from the Darden Restaurants, Inc. Foundation, the company is donating 10 refrigerated trucks to food banks nationwide, significantly enhancing food distribution efforts for communities in need.

Strengthening Food Distribution Programs

These 26-foot refrigerated trucks are designed to carry up to 12,000 pounds of food, allowing food banks to expand their mobile pantry programs and serve individuals and families facing food insecurity more effectively. The trucks will be delivered to important food banks including:

• Central California Food Bank (Fresno, Calif.)
• Coastal Bend Food Bank (Corpus Christi, Texas)
• Feeding America, Kentucky’s Heartland (Elizabethtown, Ky.)
• Harvest Hope Food Bank (Columbia, S.C.)
• Inter-Faith Food Shuttle (Raleigh, N.C.)
• Middle Georgia Community Food Bank (Macon, Ga.)
• Second Harvest of the Greater Valley (Manteca, Calif.)
• South Texas Food Bank (Laredo, Texas)
• Three Square Food Bank (Las Vegas, Nev.)
• United Food Bank (Mesa, Ariz.)

Rick Cardenas, President and CEO of Darden Restaurants, emphasized the company’s commitment: “Darden is uniquely positioned to make a meaningful impact in the movement to end hunger. By leveraging our resources, we ensure nutritious meals reach families who need them most.”

Addressing a Growing Need

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), approximately 47 million people in the U.S. faced hunger in 2023. The increased rate of food insecurity—13.5% of households—highlights the critical need for reliable food distribution solutions. The ability for food banks to deliver food efficiently and minimize waste is paramount in addressing this growing crisis.

Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, CEO of Feeding America, reflects on the significance of this partnership: “Hunger exists in every zip code in the U.S., and it can affect anyone. Our continued partnership with Darden helps strengthen our efforts to ensure food reaches communities where it is needed most.”

Consistent Efforts Over the Years

Since January 2021, Darden’s partnership with Feeding America has delivered 45 refrigerated trucks to 45 food banks across 21 states, substantially enhancing the capacity of these organizations. Not only do these trucks provide logistical support, but Darden’s Harvest food donation program has also been crucial in addressing food waste, channeling surplus food from their restaurants to local nonprofits.

Over the years, Darden has donated more than 140 million pounds of food, translating to over 118 million meals for those experiencing hunger. This landmark initiative demonstrates a profound commitment to reducing food waste while simultaneously providing nourishment to communities across the country.

Embracing a Future Without Hunger

Darden Restaurants showcases an inspiring commitment to philanthropy through its wide array of dining brands, including Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, and Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen. The Darden Restaurants, Inc. Foundation has awarded over $110 million to non-profit organizations since its inception in 1995.

To learn more about Darden’s efforts and their partnership with Feeding America, you can visit Darden Restaurants and Feeding America.

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Together, through these initiatives, Darden and Feeding America continue to take significant strides towards a future where no one in America goes hungry. As we collectively tackle the challenges of food insecurity, it’s clear that impactful partnerships are essential in building a more inclusive and nourished society.

SOURCE Darden Restaurants, Inc.: General

The Bridge is a section of the STM Daily News Blog meant for diversity, offering real news stories about bona fide community efforts to perpetuate a greater good. The purpose of The Bridge is to connect the divides that separate us, fostering understanding and empathy among different groups. By highlighting positive initiatives and inspirational actions, The Bridge aims to create a sense of unity and shared purpose. This section brings to light stories of individuals and organizations working tirelessly to promote inclusivity, equality, and mutual respect. Through these narratives, readers are encouraged to appreciate the richness of diverse perspectives and to participate actively in building stronger, more cohesive communities.

https://stmdailynews.com/category/the-bridge

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Related links:

https://www.feedingamerica.org

https://www.darden.com

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https://prnmedia.prnewswire.com/news-releases/darden-restaurants-helps-feeding-america-expand-impact-in-the-movement-to-end-hunger-with-food-truck-donations-for-the-fourth-consecutive-year-302257990.html

Jared Bahir Browsh, University of Colorado Boulder

As a top producer of children’s entertainment, Disney is no stranger to America’s culture wars.

Liberals have long criticized the company for its products’ promotion of gender stereotypes and racist tropes. Meanwhile, conservatives have excoriated the company for being “too woke,” whether it was casting actresses of color in live action remakes of the “The Little Mermaid” and “Snow White” or coming out against a Florida statute that curtails discussion of gender and sexuality in public schools.

As Disney CEO Bob Iger grapples with the unenviable task of navigating criticism from all sides, I can’t help but recall how executives decided to table an effort to “Disneyfy” American history 30 years ago.

My research and teaching investigates how media companies such as Disney construct historical narratives for popular consumption. I can only imagine how today’s culture wars would have expressed themselves at Disney’s proposed theme park, which would have featured everything from Civil War forts to Native American villages.

Disney eyes the outskirts of DC

From his early days as an animator, Walt Disney presented a sanitized and nostalgic view of America.

Mickey Mouse represented the “everyman,” while the company’s animators drew a largely optimistic portrait of America, first in the studio’s animated films and later in their theme parks. Anyone who has walked down Disneyland’s Main Street, U.S.A., witnessed Magic Kingdom’s Hall of Presidents or visited Epcot’s American Adventure can see how Disney strives to present an uncomplicated, uncritical view of the nation and its leaders.

In 1984, Michael Eisner became the company’s CEO. He was credited with revitalizing Disney’s brand through producing hit animated features such as “Beauty and the Beast” and “The Little Mermaid,” and spearheading theme parks such as Disney–MGM Studios – now known as Hollywood Studios – and Disneyland Paris.

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A visit to Colonial Williamsburg inspired Eisner’s next venture: a theme park based on U.S. history that would be built outside of Washington, D.C.

Beginning in 1993, the company quietly started purchasing real estate in northern Virginia using shell companies. The land acquisitions became public knowledge only a few days before the announcement of the theme park, aptly named Disney’s America.

The news was largely welcomed by politicians. Eisner had already gained the support of the state’s outgoing and incoming governors, along with the Virginia Commission on Population Growth and Development. The plan was to build the park in Haymarket, Virginia, a small, wealthy area southwest of Washington, D.C., a few miles from Manassas, the site of two major Civil War battles.

History isn’t so simple

Although Disney had diligently worked to consolidate support ahead of the announcement, signs of conflict emerged during the first press conference, which featured Bob Weis, a Disney vice president who had helped oversee the planning of several theme parks.

“This is not a Pollyanna view of America,” he told the group of assembled reporters. “We want to make you a Civil War soldier. We want to make you feel what it was like to be a slave or what it was like to escape through the underground railroad.”

Questions over how Disney would tell the complex – often discriminatory – history of the nation spurred a group of historians, led by David McCullough, to lodge their concerns: How would Disney construct its narrative of the United States? And how would the park affect Manassas, one of the most important Civil War battle sites?

According to the original plans and brochures, Disney’s America would contain nine sections: a Colonial-era Presidents Square, an Indigenous village, Ellis Island, a factory town from the Industrial Revolution, a Civil War fort, a county fair, an early 19th-century port, a World War II-era battlefield and a Depression-era family farm.

On the surface, these themed areas seemed fitting. You could easily see them as exhibits at the Smithsonian. But issues emerged when people took into account that this was still a Disney theme park, with entertaining guests and making money likely taking precedence over historical accuracy and contemporary sensitivities and sensibilities.

The story of immigration, for example, would have been told through the musical-comedy stylings of Kermit the Frog and the other Muppets.

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There were also concerns over how Disney would handle the exploitative and violent history of the treatment of a number of groups.

This included the enslavement of Africans and the genocide of Indigenous populations, the latter of which was also connected to the forthcoming 1995 release of “Pocahontas.” Historians later highlighted the film’s distorted history, and it isn’t far-fetched to imagine rides or attractions based on those misrepresentations at Disney’s America.

Mickey Mouse goes to Washington

Even as plans came together for Disney, criticism began to mount.

Disney issued an ultimatum to the Virginia legislature to improve infrastructure surrounding the site, threatening to abandon the project if the US$150 million for infrastructure improvements were not passed on the last day of the Virginia General Assembly’s legislative session in March 1994.

In June, the U.S. House of Representatives introduced a resolution opposing the park, and the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources held a hearing regarding the proposed project’s environmental impact.

The now-infamous hearing featured discussions regarding sewage, traffic and lodging, and even saw U.S. Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell of Colorado, who at the time was a registered Democrat, place a Mickey Mouse hat on the lectern in a show of support.

As criticism mounted, Disney decided to shift its approach. In the summer of 1994, it renamed the project Disney’s American Celebration.

Rather than highlight periods or events in American history, the new concept would focus more on themes: Democracy, Work, Family, Generations, Streets of America and the Land.

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Many of the attractions featured in these lands would have resembled attractions already in Disney parks. For example, Generations would have been similar to the Magic Kingdom’s Carousel of Progress, while the Land was already a pavilion at Epcot.

This would have also opened more opportunities for sponsorship. The Work section of the park would have included virtual factory tours of popular brands such as Apple or Crayola, while Streets of America would have featured cuisine from around the country, similar to Downtown Disney, which opened in 1997 in Disney World and in 2001 at Disneyland.

It all falls apart

Disney abruptly announced on Sept. 28, 1994, that it would abandon these plans.

Although the criticism from historians was a factor, there were also concerns about the park’s profitability in colder months. The company faced mounting debt from its Paris theme park and uncertain leadership after the death of senior executive Frank Wells in a helicopter crash in April 1994. Eisner, meanwhile, had undergone bypass surgery in July 1994.

Many of the attractions that were planned for the Virginia site found their way into Disney parks, particularly in Disney’s California Adventure in Anaheim.

Disney, both under Walt’s leadership and after his death, has long leveraged patriotism for the sake of its media content and park experiences. From Mickey Mouse to the Hall of Presidents, Disney’s nostalgic, linear and uncomplicated view of American progress has been foundational to the Disney experience.

However, an entire park dedicated to this approach – just down the road from a real battlefield integral to the bloodiest war in U.S. history – was too much for historians and other critics to ignore.

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Disney’s failure to profit from an uncritical celebration of America may have been a blessing in disguise, as it avoided constructing yet another battlefield in the culture wars.

Jared Bahir Browsh, Assistant Teaching Professor of Critical Sports Studies, University of Colorado Boulder

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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