Thursday, October 8 | Volume 40 No. 30

• Thursday, October 8, 2026
• Gov. Newsom Signs Bill
• Anonymous Costumed Seal
• Requiring Large

Delivers Serious Message

Corporations to Disclose at San Bernardino County Profits From Chattel Slavery Board of Education Meeting

By Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media

Assembly Bill (AB) 2599, the Truth in Disclosure Act, authored by Assemblymember Isaac Bryan (D-Ladera Heights), was signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom, making California the first state in the nation to require large corporations to disclose historical and financial ties to chattel slavery. Qualifying businesses must submit findings to the California Civil Rights Department via an affida vit under penalty of perjury. The first filings are due by January 15, 2029. Bryan told California Black Media (CBM) that Newsom waited until Sept. 30, the constitutional deadline, to sign AB 2599. But Bryan said, once he knew the bill would become law, his anticipation eased. “Yes, he waited until the last day because it’s a big bill, an important bill. It went down to the wire, but I think ultimately, we put a lot of pressure on him, and the governor knew it was the right thing to do,” Bryan said. Under AB 2599, companies with annual worldwide gross receipts exceeding $100 million that existed — or whose predecessor entities existed — on or before December 31, 1964, and historically profited from the slave trade must search their records for evidence of slavery-era commerce. The California Civil Rights Department will compile those disclosures into a searchable public digital database, allowing academics, journalists, advocates and others to trace how corporate participation in the slave economy contributed to modern-day wealth.

To read more, visit westsidestorynewspaper.com.

In this election cycle someone is clearly on the ballot, even though their name won’t appear on your ballot. It’s the President. Trust me, his continuance will be determined by your vote this November. A person on your ballot will either stop him or support him. They will either do what he says and go along with his wants or reverse his orders and undo his policies. Look carefully at the record and the rhetoric of the people appearing on your ballot. Where do you stand in all of this? Are you in agreement with what is happening in our country today? Are you aligned with the president’s view of the world? Are you happy with how the president views people here and abroad? Do you support his views? Do you back his actions? Does he do what you need from him? Yes, this is a presidential election occurring in the mid-terms. Vote like it.