Rev. Leon “Sonny” Clark, Longtime Orange County Pastor and Community Leader, Dies at 72
Bo Tefu | California Black Media
Rev. Leon William “Sonny” Clark, longtime pastor of New Spirit Baptist Church in Santa Ana and a respected faith and community leader in Orange County, died Sept. 9. He was 72.
Born Oct. 2, 1953, in Bennettsville, South Carolina, Clark was a U.S. Navy veteran who later built a life of service centered on family, faith, ministry and community.
Clark began his formal ministry at Metropolitan Baptist Church in Altadena in 1978. After acknowledging his call to ministry in 1980, he preached his first sermon and went on to serve churches throughout Southern California, including Second Baptist Church in Riverside, Mount Vernon Baptist Church in Rubidoux, Antioch Missionary Baptist Church in Pomona and Friendship Baptist Church in Yorba Linda.
In November 2003, Clark was called to lead New Spirit Baptist Church in Santa Ana, where he served as pastor for more than 22 years. His work extended beyond the pulpit through counseling, mentoring, civic engagement and efforts to strengthen Orange County’s African American community.
Clark was involved with the Orange County Heritage Council and supported efforts to preserve and celebrate African American history and culture. He assisted with the Orange County Black History Parade and Unity Festival, served on the Interfaith Committee and Orange County Transit Authority, and was president of the Orange County Ministers Conference.
In 2024, the City of Santa Ana recognized Clark for his contributions to the community. He also received the Orange County Southern Baptist Association Hall of Faith Award and was previously honored as Pastor of the Year by the Orange County Heritage Council.
Clark is survived by his wife, Andrea Joyles Clark; six children, Shawn Williams, Le Ondra Clark Harvey, Kyla Coward, Joshua Clark, Marissa Clark and Ashley Clark; grandchildren and great-grandchildren; siblings; extended family; and the New Spirit Baptist Church congregation.
A wake will be held Thursday, Oct. 1, from 4 to 8 p.m. at New Spirit Baptist Church, 701 S. Sullivan St. in Santa Ana, with a remembrance service from 5 to 6:30 p.m.
A Celebration of Life will be held Friday, Oct. 2, at Friendship Baptist Church, 17145 Bastanchury Road in Yorba Linda. Viewing begins at noon, followed by the service at 1 p.m.
Burial will take place Monday, Oct. 5, at 10:15 a.m. at Riverside National Cemetery.
Clark often shared a guiding principle that shaped his ministry: “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.”
Tesla Race Discrimination Trial This Week Set to Begin in Oakland
Tesla is scheduled to go on trial Sept. 21 in Oakland over California’s allegations of systemic racial harassment, discrimination and retaliation against Black employees.
Opening statements are set to begin Sept. 21 at 9 a.m. in Alameda County Superior Court. The trial had previously been scheduled to begin July 20.
The case, filed by the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) in 2022, will be decided by a judge rather than a jury. The court estimates the bench trial will continue through Oct. 30, with each side receiving about 45 hours to present its case.
CRD sued Tesla following a roughly three-year investigation into conditions at the company’s California facilities. The department alleges Black employees were routinely subjected to racial slurs, including the N-word, sometimes in the presence of — or by — supervisors and managers.
According to the lawsuit, workers at Tesla’s Fremont factory referred to the facility as the “plantation” and called Black employees “slaves.” The state also alleges that Black workers were segregated, assigned more labor-intensive jobs and paid less than non-Black employees.
An analysis cited by CRD found that Black employees’ monthly compensation was $1,533 lower than that of white workers from June 2018 through June 2024. Black employees who complained allegedly faced harsher performance reviews, reprimands and termination.
Tesla has denied wrongdoing in racial discrimination cases and has maintained that it does not tolerate workplace harassment.
In May, the Alameda County Superior Court rejected Tesla’s attempt to have the state’s case dismissed, ruling that CRD had presented evidence raising factual questions about the company’s potential liability.
“Tesla claims to be built on the promise of creating a more sustainable future,” said CRD Director Kevin Kish. “But its employment practices remain rooted in some of the ugliest relics of the past. Black workers are paid less for their work. They are subjected to racist slurs. They face threats of being fired for speaking out. In California, we will not and cannot allow these alleged practices to continue. We look forward to having our day in court to hold Tesla accountable and to protect the rights of workers in our state.”
The trial is expected to examine whether Tesla knew about the alleged conduct and failed to prevent or correct it.
Poll: Becerra Widens His Lead Over Hilton; Californians Split on Wealth Tax
Democrat Xavier Becerra holds a 22-point lead over Republican Steve Hilton in California’s governor’s race, while voters remain closely divided over a proposed one-time tax on billionaires, according to a new Public Policy Institute of California poll.
The September PPIC survey found that 60% of likely voters support Becerra, compared with 38% for Hilton. His lead is actually narrower than it was in July, when he led Hilton 61% to 36%.
Becerra leads among independent voters, with 57% supporting him compared with 38% for Hilton. Party loyalty remains strong, with 93% of Democratic likely voters backing Becerra and 92% of Republicans supporting Hilton.
Hilton leads in the Central Valley, where 52% of likely voters support him compared with 46% for Becerra.
Affordability remains a major factor: 65% of likely voters say candidates’ plans to address cost-of-living issues are “very important” to their vote.
“Affordability continues to be top of mind for Californians when considering their choice for governor,” said Mark Baldassare, PPIC Statewide Survey director and Miller Chair in Public Policy.
The poll also found a narrow split over Proposition 40, a proposed one-time tax of up to 5% on taxpayers with assets exceeding $1 billion. Fifty-two percent of likely voters said they would vote yes, while 46% said they would vote no.
Support for the wealth tax varies sharply by party. Seventy-two percent of Democrats favor Proposition 40, compared with 46% of independents and 21% of Republicans.
Two competing measures also drew majority support. Fifty-one percent back Proposition 41, while 54% support Proposition 42, both of which could affect the wealth-tax proposal.
The findings come as Californians express broader frustration with the state’s political direction. Seventy-one percent of likely voters expect bad economic times in California over the next year.
“Californians are clearly grumpy and aren’t enamored with any particular political party or movement,” Baldassare said.
The survey interviewed 1,745 California adults, including 1,103 likely voters, from Sept. 4-10. The margin of error for likely voters is plus or minus 3.8 percentage points.
