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“Empire” Shows Black Dollars Matter
A Precinct Reporter Group Publication – The Community’s Newspaper – ServingLong Beach and Surrounding Communities
“I wholly
disapprove of
what you say, but
I will defend to
the death your
right to say it” –
Voltaire
Your Resource for Over 15 Years Thursday, March 26, 2015
CSUF, APAC Want MoreBlack Students
By Dianne AndersonStaff Writer
Concerns that the Black student population atthe Cal State University represented a 7.5%enrollment back in the mid-1990's make it hard toimagine that those were the good old days.
Last year, the CSU External Relations report-ed that of the system-wide 450,000 students, 33%were Hispanic/Latino, 17% were AsianAmerican/Pacific Islander and a mere 4% wereAfrican American.
Demetrius Lykes, president of APAC, theAlliance for the Preservation of AfricanConsciousness, said that he has watched theBlack student population continue to contract toridiculously low levels, from about 4.1% in 2008,to now roughly 2% at Cal State University,Fullerton.
Either they fled the campus in search of amore socially supportive environment, or theyjust lost interest with the small selection of Blackprograms and limited student engagement. Thereis a tight knit community, but the Black Greeks,all but the Kappas, have gone away.
Today, the big difference from when he firststarted at the campus is that students can lookaround and easily see the void. One of his ownclose friends left for lack of community and sup-port.
“Today, people are just dropping out or trans-ferring to different schools, or financial issues, orgrades. Or, they just don't like the school or theblack community campus,” he said.
Lykes, who is majoring is public relationswith a minor in ethnic studies, graduates in May,with a career lined up in the movie industry.
He said that regaining Black students thathave been steadily leaving the campus since 2008can happen, but it will take commitment from thecampus administration. He sees a lot of hisbrethren seeking stronger alliances at campuseslike University of LaVerne, Cal State UniversityLong Beach, Cal State University, DominguezHills.
Out of 30,000 students, there are only 800Black students now at the Fullerton campus.
“All the Black Greeks are gone now, they've
NUL Report:Black America
Remains inCrisis
By Freddie AllenNNPA Senior Washington Correspondent
Washington (NPA) – When it comes tothe equality in America, a new report by theNational Urban League says that Blacks aremissing nearly 30 percent of the pie.
The annual State of Black America(SOBA) report compared how well Blackswere doing in economics, health, education,social justice and civic engagement.
In the introduction to the report, MarcMorial, president and CEO of the NationalUrban League, wrote that “on many fronts,Black America remains in crisis – and we seejustice challenged at every turn.”
Morial added: “The world watched asnon-indictments of the police officersresponsible for the deaths of unarmed Blackmales including Eric Garner, Michael Brownand John Crawford signaled that policeaccountability for taking Black lives wasreaching a modern-day low – and that thewidespread and dangerous mistrust betweenlaw enforcement and too many communitiesof color in America was reaching a newhigh.”
Morial also expressed concerns aboutseparate and unequal resources in schools,double-digit unemployment in the Blackcommunity and continued attacks on votingrights.
The Black equality index increased fromrevised score of 71.5 percent in 2014 to 72.2percent in 2015. In 2005, the Black equalityindex was 72.9 percent.
Higher scores in social justice (56.9 per-cent reported in 2014 report vs. 60.6 percentin the 2015 report) and health (78.2 percentvs. 79.8 percent) fueled the rise in the index.The economic indicator also rose slightlyfrom 55.4 percent to 55.8 percent.
“The education (from 76.7 percent to76.1 percent) and civic engagement (from104.7 percent to 104 percent) indexes bothdeclined slightly,” stated the report.
The report said that fewer Blacks arefalling victim to violent crimes and a lowernumber of Black high school students arecarrying weapons, which had a positiveaffect on the social justice index. The reportalso credited the Affordable Care Act and adecline in binge drinking for helping toimprove the health index.
However, the report found that gaps in
unemployment and homeownershipwidened.
“With an index of 65 percent, the small-est Black–White unemployment gap was inthe Providence–Warwick, RI–MA metroarea, where the Black unemployment ratewas 13 percent and the white rate was 8.5
HIV/AIDS Free TestingMobile Unit
By Dianne AndersonStaff Writer
As a certified HIV/AIDS cli-nician, Debborah Collins tries toget screening into one thehottest breeding grounds forsexually transmitted diseasesaround, which also happens tobe the place where the eruditecongregate.
But smart doesn’t necessari-ly translate into safe.
On college campuses,according to one StanfordUniversity report, one fourth ofall college students are infectedwith an STD, with youth 15-25representing about half of the 20million new cases nationwideyear after year.
Of those cases, AfricanAmerican youth are still at thehighest risk for STDs, includingHIV/AIDS several times overwhites, or Latinos.
While students are not flock-ing to her mobile unit for fast
free testing, she said there is asteady impact of testing for var-ious campuses all year round.
“We are there and we'rewaiting for them, we have about10 to 15 tests per visit,” saidCollins, director of ClinicalServices for the city’s healthdepartment.
Because the Black commu-nity is still at highest risk ofHIV/AIDS, she said the falloutof social stigma is still a prob-lem for outreach. Historic uneth-ical Black medical experimenta-tion – such as the Tuskegeesyphilis experiments, or lately,Henrietta Lacks – keeps theBlack community from seekinghelp when they need it most.
“In our community, there is alot of stigma around the behav-iors that cause you to be infect-ed with HIV and STDS, and theway that the African Americancommunity feels about usinghealthcare facilities,” she said.
Locally, she is also looking
to provide services for transgen-dered or gay male sex, anotherhigh risk group. One hurdle isthe Machismo factor for boththe Black and Latino men, whooften don't consider themselvesgay, even though they engage inhomosexual sex.
“I have had patients that Ican't identify the risk becausethey tell me they only have het-erosexual partners. Then I findout their heterosexual partnersare transgendered men,” shesaid.
Over time, she hopes theAffordable Care Act may helpget more students tested as theycontinue under their parent'scoverage. For now, even thoughHIV/AIDS is high among Blackyouth and adults, it also indi-cates that to some extent, testingis being reported, which is good.
But, she is more concernedabout whether the numbers
(Cont. on Page 3)
(Cont. on Page 6)
(Cont. on Page 2)
(Cont. on Page 6)
(See Page A-4)
Vol. 18 - No. 9
Marc Morial
African American Women are the focus of a new breast cancer awareness initiative. See storyPage 3. Pictured above are Dorothy Richardson, president, 100 Black women of OC; BarbaraBagneris, president, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority OC alumnae chapter; Dr. Robina Smith, MD;Michelle Davis, Delta Soror; Dr. DeVera Heard, chair, Circle of Promise African AmericanInitiative. Photo: Dowdy
Help Kids inNeed of Safe
FamiliesIn Los Angeles County, the Department of
Children and Family Services receives over10,000 calls each month about children who maybe victims of child abuse and neglect. Just in themonth of February, they investigated nearly12,000 cases. After social workers investigatethe calls, some children cannot safely live athome. If there are no relatives who can takethem in, they need to go into a safe and lovingfoster homes, until their parents can resolve theirproblems.
In Los Angeles County, there are currentlyabout 9,000 children in foster homes and grouphomes. Some children can never return home andneed loving adoptive homes found for them.Currently there are nearly 500 children waiting tobe adopted.
This significant number of children in need isa silent crisis facing our community.Councilmember Al Austin is once again partner-ing with Supervisor Don Knabe, the L.A. CountyDepartment of Children and Family Services andother local agencies to raise awareness about thisissue, and to provide information to adults whomight be interested in becoming foster or adop-tive parents.
“There is not enough attention being placedon this need that impacts our community,” saidCouncilmember Austin. “The response to ourlast ‘Share Your Heart, Share Your Home’ eventwas incredible, but there continues to be a hugeand ongoing need for more foster and adoptivefamilies. I am honored to be working once againwith Supervisor Knabe and DCFS on this impor-tant issue.”
The second annual “Share Your Heart…Share
“Empire” Shows Black Dollars MatterYour Resource for Over 30 Years
A Precinct Reporter Group Publication – The Only Black Publication Serving All of Orange County
“I wholly
disapprove of
what you say, but
I will defend to
the death your
right to say it” –
Voltaire
Thursday, March 26, 2015
CSUF, APAC Want MoreBlack Students
By Dianne AndersonStaff Writer
Concerns that the Black student population atthe Cal State University represented a 7.5%enrollment back in the mid-1990's make it hard toimagine that those were the good old days.
Last year, the CSU External Relations report-ed that of the system-wide 450,000 students, 33%were Hispanic/Latino, 17% were AsianAmerican/Pacific Islander and a mere 4% wereAfrican American.
Demetrius Lykes, president of APAC, theAlliance for the Preservation of AfricanConsciousness, said that he has watched theBlack student population continue to contract toridiculously low levels, from about 4.1% in 2008,to now roughly 2% at Cal State University,Fullerton.
Either they fled the campus in search of amore socially supportive environment, or theyjust lost interest with the small selection of Blackprograms and limited student engagement. Thereis a tight knit community, but the Black Greeks,all but the Kappas, have gone away.
Today, the big difference from when he firststarted at the campus is that students can lookaround and easily see the void. One of his ownclose friends left for lack of community and sup-port.
“Today, people are just dropping out or trans-ferring to different schools, or financial issues, orgrades. Or, they just don't like the school or theblack community campus,” he said.
Lykes, who is majoring is public relationswith a minor in ethnic studies, graduates in May,with a career lined up in the movie industry.
He said that regaining Black students thathave been steadily leaving the campus since 2008can happen, but it will take commitment from thecampus administration. He sees a lot of hisbrethren seeking stronger alliances at campuseslike University of LaVerne, Cal State UniversityLong Beach, Cal State University, DominguezHills.
Out of 30,000 students, there are only 800Black students now at the Fullerton campus.
“All the Black Greeks are gone now, they've
NUL Report:Black America
Remains inCrisis
By Freddie AllenNNPA Senior Washington Correspondent
Washington (NPA) – When it comes tothe equality in America, a new report by theNational Urban League says that Blacks aremissing nearly 30 percent of the pie.
The annual State of Black America(SOBA) report compared how well Blackswere doing in economics, health, education,social justice and civic engagement.
In the introduction to the report, MarcMorial, president and CEO of the NationalUrban League, wrote that “on many fronts,Black America remains in crisis – and we seejustice challenged at every turn.”
Morial added: “The world watched asnon-indictments of the police officersresponsible for the deaths of unarmed Blackmales including Eric Garner, Michael Brownand John Crawford signaled that policeaccountability for taking Black lives wasreaching a modern-day low – and that thewidespread and dangerous mistrust betweenlaw enforcement and too many communitiesof color in America was reaching a newhigh.”
Morial also expressed concerns aboutseparate and unequal resources in schools,double-digit unemployment in the Blackcommunity and continued attacks on votingrights.
The Black equality index increased fromrevised score of 71.5 percent in 2014 to 72.2percent in 2015. In 2005, the Black equalityindex was 72.9 percent.
Higher scores in social justice (56.9 per-cent reported in 2014 report vs. 60.6 percentin the 2015 report) and health (78.2 percentvs. 79.8 percent) fueled the rise in the index.The economic indicator also rose slightlyfrom 55.4 percent to 55.8 percent.
“The education (from 76.7 percent to76.1 percent) and civic engagement (from104.7 percent to 104 percent) indexes bothdeclined slightly,” stated the report.
The report said that fewer Blacks arefalling victim to violent crimes and a lowernumber of Black high school students arecarrying weapons, which had a positiveaffect on the social justice index. The reportalso credited the Affordable Care Act and adecline in binge drinking for helping toimprove the health index.
However, the report found that gaps in
unemployment and homeownershipwidened.
“With an index of 65 percent, the small-est Black–White unemployment gap was inthe Providence–Warwick, RI–MA metroarea, where the Black unemployment ratewas 13 percent and the white rate was 8.5
HIV/AIDS Free TestingMobile Unit
By Dianne AndersonStaff Writer
As a certified HIV/AIDS cli-nician, Debborah Collins tries toget screening into one thehottest breeding grounds forsexually transmitted diseasesaround, which also happens tobe the place where the eruditecongregate.
But smart doesn’t necessari-ly translate into safe.
On college campuses,according to one StanfordUniversity report, one fourth ofall college students are infectedwith an STD, with youth 15-25representing about half of the 20million new cases nationwideyear after year.
Of those cases, AfricanAmerican youth are still at thehighest risk for STDs, includingHIV/AIDS several times overwhites, or Latinos.
While students are not flock-ing to her mobile unit for fast
free testing, she said there is asteady impact of testing for var-ious campuses all year round.
“We are there and we'rewaiting for them, we have about10 to 15 tests per visit,” saidCollins, director of ClinicalServices for the city’s healthdepartment.
Because the Black commu-nity is still at highest risk ofHIV/AIDS, she said the falloutof social stigma is still a prob-lem for outreach. Historic uneth-ical Black medical experimenta-tion – such as the Tuskegeesyphilis experiments, or lately,Henrietta Lacks – keeps theBlack community from seekinghelp when they need it most.
“In our community, there is alot of stigma around the behav-iors that cause you to be infect-ed with HIV and STDS, and theway that the African Americancommunity feels about usinghealthcare facilities,” she said.
Locally, she is also looking
to provide services for transgen-dered or gay male sex, anotherhigh risk group. One hurdle isthe Machismo factor for boththe Black and Latino men, whooften don't consider themselvesgay, even though they engage inhomosexual sex.
“I have had patients that Ican't identify the risk becausethey tell me they only have het-erosexual partners. Then I findout their heterosexual partnersare transgendered men,” shesaid.
Over time, she hopes theAffordable Care Act may helpget more students tested as theycontinue under their parent'scoverage. For now, even thoughHIV/AIDS is high among Blackyouth and adults, it also indi-cates that to some extent, testingis being reported, which is good.
But, she is more concernedabout whether the numbers
(Cont. on Page 3)
(Cont. on Page 6)
(Cont. on Page 2)
(Cont. on Page 6)
(See Page A-4)
Vol. 30 - No. 38
Marc Morial
African American Women are the focus of a new breast cancer awareness initiative. See storyPage 3. Pictured above are Dorothy Richardson, president, 100 Black women of OC; BarbaraBagneris, president, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority OC alumnae chapter; Dr. Robina Smith, MD;Michelle Davis, Delta Soror; Dr. DeVera Heard, chair, Circle of Promise African AmericanInitiative. Photo: Dowdy
Help Kids inNeed of Safe
FamiliesIn Los Angeles County, the Department of
Children and Family Services receives over10,000 calls each month about children who maybe victims of child abuse and neglect. Just in themonth of February, they investigated nearly12,000 cases. After social workers investigatethe calls, some children cannot safely live athome. If there are no relatives who can takethem in, they need to go into a safe and lovingfoster homes, until their parents can resolve theirproblems.
In Los Angeles County, there are currentlyabout 9,000 children in foster homes and grouphomes. Some children can never return home andneed loving adoptive homes found for them.Currently there are nearly 500 children waiting tobe adopted.
This significant number of children in need isa silent crisis facing our community.Councilmember Al Austin is once again partner-ing with Supervisor Don Knabe, the L.A. CountyDepartment of Children and Family Services andother local agencies to raise awareness about thisissue, and to provide information to adults whomight be interested in becoming foster or adop-tive parents.
“There is not enough attention being placedon this need that impacts our community,” saidCouncilmember Austin. “The response to ourlast ‘Share Your Heart, Share Your Home’ eventwas incredible, but there continues to be a hugeand ongoing need for more foster and adoptivefamilies. I am honored to be working once againwith Supervisor Knabe and DCFS on this impor-tant issue.”
The second annual “Share Your Heart…Share
Page 2 Thursday, March 26, 2015 Tri-County Bulletin/Long Beach Leader
Touching the individual • Transforming the community • Impacting the world
REACH CommunityChurch
‘Power Hour’
Adult Bible Study: 7:50am
Worship Service: 9:30am
Administrative Office:22600-D Lambert St., Suite 1006, Lake Forest, CA 92630949-597-0700 • www.reachcommunitychurch.com
Pastor TTommy SStewart
Margaret Mansfield
Retiring in Style: BishopPaul S. Morton is planning amusical extravaganza for his liverecording this summer.Performing live with the GreaterChange Mass Choir, the award-winning artist will also welcomea host of guest stars to the stage,as they come together on thisspecial concert celebration inhonor of his career in ministryand more than 30 years as agospel recording artist.
The event is schedule forJuly 13, in New Orleans at theGreater St. Stephen Full GospelBaptist Church.
The event marks Morton’sretirement from internationalministry as the founder of theFull Gospel Baptist ChurchFellowship International(FGBCFI). The presiding bish-op’s will be recognized with sev-eral milestones this year, includ-ing Bishop Morton being honored as the recipient of theJames Cleveland Lifetime
Achievement Award at theupcoming 30th Annual StellarGospel Music Awards on March28th, and as an honoree by theGospel Music Association’supcoming GMA Honors 2015 onMay 5th.
Produced by Trent Phillips,known for his award-winningwork with Bishop Morton andDonnie McClurkin, special guestartists who will join BishopMorton’s live recording includePJ Morton, gospel legendsPastor Shirley Caesar and RanceAllen, Zacardi Cortez, TashaCobbs, and Le’Andria Johnson,with producer/songwriterAy’Ron Lewis as MusicalDirector.
Morton’s live recording willbe backed by the incrediblesound of the Greater ChangeMass Choir – a 100 person choir
bringing together the acclaimedGreater St. Stephen Full GospelBaptist Church Choir and theChanging A Generation FullGospel Baptist Church Choir.
Morton’s live recording willkick off a full week of celebra-
tion of his career, including aspecial white tie gala honoringBishop Morton presented by theFGBCFI, and this year’s FullGospel Conference 2015.
Since its inception by BishopPaul S. Morton, the FGBCFI hasgrown nationally and interna-tionally, celebrating over 20years of change and impactfulministry in 2014, with thousandsof locations. In addition to hisroles as a bishop, recordingartist, and author, BishopMorton also created the recordlabel Tehillah Music Group,helming the label as CEO.
Briefly: Condolences tosinger Dorinda Clark-Cole onthe loss of her father-in-law Mr.Cleveland Cole, who died March15, at the age of 85. In a heartfeltFacebook message, the 57-year-old Preachers of Detroit star
Rance Allen
Shirley Caesar
CHURCH DIRECTORYFirst Church of Christ, Scientist
3629 AAtlantic AAvenue
Long BBeach, CCA 990807
562-4427-66061www.1stchurchcslb.org
Sunday Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9:30 a.m. & 11:00 a.m.
Wednesday Testimonial Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7:00 p.m.
Reading Room M-F 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. & Sat. 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Johnson Chapel A.M.E. Church(African Methodist Episcopal)
1306 West Second Street, Santa Ana, CA 92703(714) 972-8983
Rev. Donnell O. Miles
Saints Of Value “World” Ministries
Ministerial Training Center
1211- E. Firestone Bl., Norwalk, CA 90650
562-864-4474 Fax: 864-4234
E-Mail: [email protected]
Radio (Sun 9 a.m.) www.GroovinU.com
Dr. Vicki Lee,Sr., Pastor
Sundays . . . . . . . . . . . .3:00 p.m.
Bible Study (Wed.) . . . . .9:00 a.m.
Prayer (Thurs.) . . . . . . .5:00 p.m.
Ministry Training (Thurs.) 6:00 p.m.
Sunday ServicesChristian Discipleship Teaching & Training – 8:15 AMMorning Worship and Praise Service – 9:45 AMCommunion Service (1st & 3rd Sundays) after morning worship Thursday Night Alive, Prayer & Bible Study – 7:00PM New Christian Training Encounter and Fellowship Every Sunday Morning
Rev. Curtis P. Roberson Pastor(714) 541-9346 Email: [email protected]
Graceland Community Church1817 W. 3rd Street Santa Ana, CA 92703
The Church where Christ, Caring and Sharing Count
Elder Maxwell Deadrick
New Spirit Baptist ChurchRev. Leon W. Clark, Pastor – Teacher
701 Sullivan StreetSanta Ana, California 92704
(714) 543-4746www.NewSpiritBaptistChurch.com
Sunday: 9:30 AM Sunday School and 11:00 AM Worship ServiceWednesday: Noon and 7 PM Bible Study
Sunday Morning:
8:00AM service *10:00 AM SundaySchool* 11:15 AM Service
Bible Studies:
Tuesday 7:00 PM *Wednesday 7:00 PM *Thursday 6:30 PM
AWANA [Sept-May] 6:00 PM
Ivan S. Pitts, Sr. Pastor
Sunday Morning: Bible Studies:
Ivan S. Pitts, Sr. Pastor
S
Sunday Morning: Bible Studies:
Ivan S. Pitts, Sr. Pastor
4300 Westminster Ave.Santa Ana, CA 92703 (714) 741-0590
www.sbccurchfamily.com
Christ Our Redeemer AME ChurchRev. Mark E. Whitlock, Pastor45 Tesla, Irvine, CA 92618949-955-0014www.corchurch.org
Sunday Worship Services 8:00am and 10:30am1:00, COR West, Univ. of California, Irvine, Cross Cultural Center
wrote, “To the most remarkable,incredible, sweet, humbled, manI know, Dad you were the epito-me of what a father, grandfather,great grandfather, husband,uncle and father-in-law shouldbe.”...Karen Clark Sheardreleases her latest new single,"My Words Have Power" (feat.Donald Lawrence & The Co).The second single off her highly-anticipated 6th solo album, "MyWords Have Power.” The singleis available now.
Finally: Looks like new
Karen Clark Sheard
music from CeCe Winans is onthe horizon thanks to a leak fromBishop Hezekiah Walker. “It wasgreat working with CeCe in thestudio can't wait to hear it,” hecaptioned a photo posted onInstagram. Winans signed withMotown Gospel in 2013. Winanslast album was Thy KingdomCome released on April 1, 2008.
This week’s scripture: “Forthe wages of sin is death, but thefree gift of God is eternal life inChrist Jesus our Lord.” Romans6:23
Tasha Cobbs
reflect before, not after, an indi-vidual has infected many others.
“What percentage are wemissing? Are we at the tip of theiceberg?” she said.
Many of her mobile unit andstaff are African American, andthey have a minority aids targetgroup.
“What we're trying to do istarget because statistics showthat the highest number of newinfections is in the AfricanAmerican and Latino communi-ties,” she said.
The other reason why peoplein the community still feel dis-tant from the threat is becausethe disease has been hushed.Even at death, it can be catego-rized as another illness, such aspneumonia or an infection stemming from the immune dis-order.
“HIV opens the door for dia-
HIV/AIDS Free Testing(Cont. from Page 1)
betes, cancer and heart disease.Technically, people really do diefrom other things,” she said.
As a result, she said report-ing cause of death is left up tothe physician, and families donot want the information on thedeath certificate because it mayimpede getting an insurance pay-out. Often, AIDS may be listedafter the primary or secondarycauses of death.
This year, she is optimisticthat President’s Obama's push toregulate routine testing will givea better glimpse into how thedisease has increased, not only
in the Black community, but allcommunities.
The government's AIDSwebsite reports that one of everysix people with HIV in Americais unaware that they are infected.
So far, the industry is notheavily regulated, and follow upcare and health resources in thecommunity is the only thing thatcan help. Until there is a cure,access to medications is whatkeeps infected people alive.
“We try our best, we know ifwe can link them to care, we canreduce the risk of transmission,and we can also them keep themwell,” she said.
For more information, seewww.aids.gov
For free testing, call (562)570-4348.
New Hope Presbyterian Church will host guest speakerKenneth Morris, Jr., a direct descendant of both Booker T.Washington and Frederick Douglass on Saturday, March 28 at5.p.m. at 191 N. Orange St., in Orange.
By Eliz DowdyStaff Writer
The Susan G. Koman affili-ates of California launched theCircle of Promise Initiative inApril 2014. The initiative isworking to establish a model thataddresses racial disparities thatexist in breast cancer deathsbetween African Americanwomen and White women.Statistics reveal that althoughwhite women are more prone tobreast cancer than AfricanAmerican women, the latterhave a 44% chance of dyingfrom the cancer, due in part tothe diagnosis after the cancer hasprogressed to advanced stages.The tumors in Black womentend to be larger than those thatdevelop in white women also.
The initiative seeks toaddress these disparities throughcommunity organizing, directeducation, screening and breasthealth awareness. These effortswill extend to all socio-econom-ic areas where African Americanwomen live, work and play.
Immediately following Dr.DeVera Heard’s welcome andopening, the Orange representa-tive for Susan KomanFoundation, Lisa Walter gave anoverview of the Circle ofPromise, what it is designed toaccomplish in the communitiesof color, and the Foundation’spromise to be proactive in theeradication of health disparities.The Foundation is moving for-ward with forming the collabora-tion with the African Americancommunity to provide breast
health information. The collabo-rative is about creating partner-ships and strategies to reach notonly low income women, butAfrican American women as awhole. African American organ-izations at the table included:Barbara Bagneris, president ofDelta Sigma Theta Sorority,alumnae chapter; Donald Drake,founder/chair of Black inOrange County; DorothyRichardson, president of 100Black Women of OrangeCounty; Donald Craig, presidentof Orange County NAACP; Rev.Leon Clark, New Spirit BaptistChurch of Santa Ana; and repre-sentatives from Christ OurRedeemer AME Church andSecond Baptist Church.
The keynote speaker was Dr.Robina Smith of St. Joseph’s
Health Group. She is anoncoplastic surgery breast sur-geon. Her opening statementbroke through any lingeringwaves of lethargy when she stat-ed that Black women will beextinct if the epidemic of breastcancer deaths are not stopped.Breast cancer is second only tolung cancer in the cancer king-dom. Black women are dyingdisproportionately to populationdensity. Twenty five millionwomen will be diagnosed withbreast cancer.
White women have benefit-ted from mammograms morethan Black women she stated,primarily because Black womenare diagnosed when the cancer isalready in the third stage. Shedelivered a poignant plea forbreast health awareness by theattendees including knowingwhat is normal for their bodies.
At the conclusion of herspeech, three groups comprisedof two tables were asked to givefeedback on three questions on aquestionnaire. After the group
discussion and suggesting possi-ble solutions they shared theinformation with the
whole group.Dr. DeVera Heard, the chair
for the initiative has maintaineda high profile as an educator anda community volunteer. She wasin the field of education for thir-ty years, and she is past presi-dent of Delta Sigma ThetaSorority; president of the OrangeCounty Section of NCNW; andpresident of the Orange CountyHeritage Council.
Tri-County Bulletin/Long Beach Leader Thursday, March 26, 2015 Page 3
Groups participated in breakout sessions. Photo: Dowdy
Breast Cancer InitiativeLaunched
Irvine Pushes Louisvilleto Limit: 57-55 Loss
UC Irvine, making its firstNCAA Tournament appearance,had a chance to tie the gameagainst fourth-seeded Louisvillewith eight seconds remaining,but never had the opportunity toget the shot off as a turnover athalf-court ended the ‘Eaters’ sea-son in a 57-55 loss to theCardinals Friday afternoon atKey Arena.
Luke Nelson’s driving layupfrom the top of the key gave UCIthe 55-53 lead with one minuteremaining but WayneBlackshear, who led theCardinals with 19 points,answered with a tough shot overMamadou Ndiaye with 43 sec-onds left to tie the game.Nelson’s next attempt fromabove the arc missed the markand Quentin Snider drew thefoul as both UCI and Louisvillegave chase on the long rebound.Snider sank both free throws togive Louisville the lead forgood.
Will Davis II and Ndiayecombined for 26 points and 14rebounds to lead the ‘Eaters,who played with poise and out-scored Louisville 34-28 in thepaint and edged the Cardinals onthe boards, 29-25.
UCI kept the game close inthe first half despite makingthree straight bad passes in thefinal three minutes, and slashedinto a seven-point Louisvilleadvantage to end the half.Nelson sparked the rally with aminute left, connecting fromthree and after Davis reboundeda miss by Chinanu Onuaku, thesenior delivered on both ends ofthe court, tipping in a Nelsonmiss with two seconds left tolead UCI into the locker roomtrailing by two at 30-28.
In the second half, Louisvilleedged out to take a five-pointlead at 44-39 as Blackshear hit athree-point shot but AaronWright calmly hit a pair of freethrows (44-41), the first for UCI
in the game at 11:10. Ndiayethen went on a run, scoring sixstraight points, including comingup with an emphatic dunk at5:58 to bring UCI to within oneat 48-47.
“It was a good basketballteam we were up against,” saidhead coach Russ Turner. “It’shard to say we were better thanthey were because of the way thegame ended up but we were a
play away from winning thatgame.”
“It’s tough to lose but there’san incredible, positive feeling in[our] locker room because of thepositive growth for the programand in each of these youngmen,” said Turner.
UCI, which lost just its sec-ond game when holding theopposition to 60 points or less,ends the season 21-13.
Will Davis II
percent. Last year’s most equalmetro—Augusta–RichmondCounty, Ga.,–S.C.—fell to #13this year as the Black unemploy-ment rate increased from 13.3percent to 16.5 percent and theWhite unemployment rate wasessentially unchanged.”
Toledo, Ohio’s Black unem-ployment rate was 22.6 percent,the highest rate among the metroareas in the study.
The National Urban League
also reported that the, “Blackand white incomes were leastequal in SanFrancisco–Oakland–Hayward,Calif., where the gap was 42cents on the dollar.”
Morial wrote that 2014 was acatalytic year propelled by cata-clysmic circumstances, “littleaccountability for law enforce-ment responsible for killingunarmed Black men, teenagersand children; a continual assault
NUL Report(Cont. from Page 1)
on voting rights; widening eco-nomic inequality gaps; and anincreasingly partisan educationdebate far more rooted in politi-cal agendas than in putting ourchildren first.”
Morial continued: “While wecelebrate the tremendousprogress and transformation ofour nation, we have a continuingneed to be vigilant, to persevereand to protect past gains. Wemust not allow the forces of divi-sion, intolerance and right-wingextremism to turn back the handsof time.”
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Tri-County BulletinThe Only Black Publication Serving All of Orange County.Adjudicated a Legal newspaper of general circulation on July 15, 1988 case numberA143589 by the Superior Court of Orange County. The Tri-County Bulletin is pub-lished every Thursday by the Precinct Reporter Group, 2401 E. 17th Street, #152,Santa Ana, CA 92701. Telephone: (714) 547-4118
Long Beach LeaderThe Community’s Newspaper serving Long Beach and Surrounding Communities.Established as a newspaper of general circulation on January 23, 1997. The LongBeach Leader is published every Thursday by the Precinct Reporter Group, P.O. Box91055, Long Beach, CA 90809. Telephone: (562) 490-3299.
Publisher and Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brian TownsendController . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mary TownsendSports Writer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Willie Ellison, IIOrange County Social Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jacqueline JohnsonGraphic Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ken Jordan
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West Coast Black Publishers AssociationAssociated Press
Page 4 Thursday, March 26, 2015 Tri-County Bulletin/Long Beach Leader
By Marc H. Morial
“That all citizens will be given an equal start through a soundeducation is one of the most basic, promised rights of our democra-cy. Our chronic refusal as a nation to guarantee that right for allchildren, including poor children, is a national disgrace…It is a fail-ure which threatens our future as a nation of citizens called to acommon purpose, allied with one another in a common enterprise,tied to one another by a common bond.” – Senator Paul Wellstone,Teachers College, Columbia University, March 2000
Sitting beside his first teacher, “Miss Katie” Deadrich, in frontof the one-room Texas schoolhouse he once attended, PresidentLyndon B. Johnson signed the Elementary and SecondaryEducation Act into law on April 11, 1965. ESEA, commonlyknown as No Child Left Behind (NCLB), was a cornerstone in thepresident’s “War on Poverty” initiative. Its intent was to close theeducation achievement gap between children from lower- and high-
er-income families. Fiftyyears later, with Congress cur-rently considering a reautho-rization of the law, the gap ineducational opportunity,achievement and funding isgrowing.
For the first time in ournation’s history, students ofcolor are the majority of theU.S. student body. Accordingto a recent survey by theSouthern EducationFoundation, a majority of allpublic school students are low-income. In another troublingmilestone, the National Centerfor Education Statistics esti-
mates that during the 2013-2014 school year, a majority – 51 per-cent – of public school students were deemed eligible for free- andreduced-price meals, a common indicator of poverty.
This is even more alarming when we consider a finding that our2015 State of Black America® revealed and that we shared at thelaunch this week: On average, larger academic achievement gapsare in states with large urban areas home to large populations ofpeople of color who live in highly segregated neighborhoods withhigh rates of concentrated high poverty.
During a press call with Secretary of Education Arne Duncanlast week, we mapped out the landscape of education in Americaand warned against the dangerous course our nation would chart ifwe do not spend our education dollars where the need is the great-est. Right now in more than 20 states, school districts serving the
highest percentage of low-income households spend fewer state andlocal dollars per student than in districts that have fewer students inpoverty. The same shortchanging trend is the norm in 20 states thathave a high percentage of students of color, where school districtsare spending fewer dollars in those schools than in schools with alower percentage of students of color.
The National Urban League has been—and will remain—at theforefront of this issue, having advocated for equal economic andeducational opportunity for 105 years with the clear understandingthat neither is mutually exclusive. Last week, the National UrbanLeague released our annual State of Black America® report, thisyear titled “Save Our Cities: Education, Jobs + Justice.”
For the first time in the report’s history, we included a state-by-state Education Equality Index™ and ranking. The index exam-ines state-level racial and ethnic disparities in K–12 education, doc-umenting the extent of Black and Hispanic achievement gaps, whencompared to Whites, in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.The State Education Index also includes supporting data on some ofthe factors that contribute to narrowing or widening these gaps.
The National Urban League adds its advocacy and voice to thechorus of education and civil rights groups, government officialsand families demanding that Congress revisit and recommit to theoriginal vision and mission of ESEA. When signing the bill,President Johnson declared that our nation would “bridge the gapbetween helplessness and hope for…educationally deprived chil-dren.”
How can we begin to bridge the gap President Johnson spoke of50 years ago, when all-too-often the greatest percentage of educa-tion dollars is allocated to already resource-rich schools? How canwe begin to make the promise of equality in education a realitywhen we refuse to admit that equality in education does not alwaystranslate to equitable funding?
The 1954 groundbreaking Supreme Court decision in Brown v.Board of Education made it clear that “education must be madeavailable to all on equal terms.” But as long as Congress passeslaws that continue to embolden state school districts to exacerbateinequities by providing less money to those with the greatest need,we do neither honor nor justice to the spirit of the law – or ournation’s children and future.
Marc H. Morial, former mayor of New Orleans, is president andCEO of the National Urban League.
“Empire”Shows that
Black DollarsMatter
By Ron Busby, Sr.
According to a Nielsen consumer report, African Americansare voracious consumers of media, watching 37 percent more tele-vision than any other slice of American demography. While that’snot new news, it is disturbing that we don’t completely understandthe connection between our TV consumption and the huge profitsgenerated by our connection to television.
To be fair, some TV programming can actually be beneficial.The recent coverage of the 50th anniversary of “Bloody Sunday”opened the eyes of generations of Americans who were unaware ofthe brutality of racial oppression in America. Much of television,however, is simply escapist entertainment for us, but a tremendouscash cow for programmers and advertisers. Take for example“Empire” on Fox. The network is known for its history of racistbanter and has exploited Black America while simultaneously ben-
efiting from Black consumers.Statistics show that “Empire”is Fox’s highest grossing showin three years, which translatesinto a huge pay-off for Fox.
How big?How about the $45.2 bil-
lion Comcast/Time Warnermerger? How about the $48.5billion AT&T acquisition ofDirecTV or the estimated $1.3trillion dollars spent annuallyby Black consumers? Not tomention the $20 billion law-suit filed by the NationalAssociation of AfricanAmerican Owned Media andEntertainment Studios
Networks, against Comcast, Time Warner, and other civil rightsorganizations as party to a plan to ensure that profits from Blackviewership continue pouring into the same pockets?
We’ve watched with interest and commented on this situationearlier, but the situation has not improved. We will reserve judg-ment on the soundness of Entertainment Studios Network’s CEOByron Allen’s pending legal action, but there are a few things ofwhich we are absolutely certain:
No telecom giant has a plan for meaningfulparticipation/inclusion of Black business in their day-to-day pro-curement activity;
No programming giant has a plan to include, develop or sup-port the development of positive Black portrayals to any meaning-ful degree;
No cable/pay TV provider makes programming targetingBlack consumers available at their basic service level, whichrequires their best customers to pay extra to view their favoriteshows;
No advertiser using the TV/PayTV medium includes Blackbusiness in any significant way in the development, production,delivery/distribution of their products to this loyal consumer base.
Telecom companies and consumer product companies are gear-ing up for an assault on your wallets like nothing you’ve ever seen,and if you’re riveted by the latest episode or game-of-the-week, youmay not even notice your pocket being picked. Decisions aboutyour money are being made right now. These decisions are beingmade by people who don’t know you, and whose only interest ishow long you’re in front of your TV before you go buy the prod-ucts they are selling.
We understand it’s about business – big business. We alsounderstand that it is Black consumers’ money that makes the busi-ness so big. But if Black businesses don’t flourish as a result of allthis activity designed to move dollars out of Black pockets, we’ll beback to “Good Times” in the projects instead of building Empires.All the more reason to invest money in the Black community. If youcan devote time to watching your favorite television show, then youcan also devote time to buying from your local Black businesses.Make #Blackdollarsmatters not just a hashtag, but a way of life.
Ron Busby, Sr. is president of the U.S. Black Chambers, Inc.
By Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr.
I know from firsthand experience that the “criminal justice sys-tem” today in the United States is in serious and urgent need ofreform, repair and restructuring. Millions of families have beendevastated by the “overcriminalization” of people in America.Black American families in particular have suffered and continue tosuffer disproportionately as a result of an unjust system of justice.
When I was unjustly incarcerated in the 1970s as member of thefamed Wilmington Ten civil rights case, I personally witnessed howthe massive warehousing of prison inmates in overcrowded prisoncells led to unspeakable dehumanization and self-destruction. Infact, the inhumanity and senselessness of the prison system itselfdirectly contributed to the increased in violence and prison recidi-vism.
Forty-five years ago, the myriad of problems concerning thenation’s courts and prison systems was not seen as a national prior-
ity. Today, however, the dys-function of the criminal justicesystem is not only a matter ofnational and global disgrace, ithas also now become a multi-billion dollar counterproduc-tive albatross around the neckof the nation.
According to a fact sheetby the National Association forthe Advancement of ColoredPeople (NAACP), during thelast four decades the prisonpopulation in the U.S.“quadrupled-from roughly500,000 to 2.3 million people.”There are nearly a millionBlack Americans in jails and
prisons across the country.The NAACP has identified the following other racial dispari-
ties in U.S. incarceration:African Americans are incarcerated at nearly six times the
rate of Whites;Together, African American and Hispanics comprised 58
percent of all prisoners in 2008, even though African Americansand Hispanics make up approximately one quarter of the U.S. pop-ulation;
According to a November 2007 report titled, “UnlockingAmerica,” if African American and Hispanics were incarcerated atthe same rates of Whites, today’s prison and jail populations would
decline by approximately 50 percent;One in six Black men had been incarcerated as of 2001. If
current trends continue, one in three Black males born today canexpect to spend time in prison during his lifetime
1 in 100 African American women are in prisonNationwide, African-Americans represent 26 percent of
juvenile arrests, 44 percent of youth who are detained, 46 percent ofthe youth who are judicially waived to criminal court, and 58 per-cent of the youth admitted to state prisons (Center on Juvenile andCriminal Justice).
The recent public outcries about allegations of police brutality,prosecutorial misconduct, and unfair targeting of judicial sanctionsbased on race and socioeconomic status are all symptoms of a muchborder and larger systemic problem.
The problems of inequalities within the criminal justice systemare structural and institutional. While the U.S. is only 5 percent ofthe world’s population, 25 percent of the world’s prisoners arebeing held in the U.S.
Yet, the calls for reform of the criminal justice system are notrevolutionary or misplaced. Both conservatives and liberals seem toagree that some fundamental changes need to be put in place whenit comes to the nation’s courts, sentencing, jails and prisons. Whatis missing is a sense of urgency to get reform actions and policiesestablished. Every day and every hour Black America is negativelyimpacted by the criminal justice system.
The Pew Charitable Trust has a study that documents the corre-lation between mass incarceration and the persistence of poverty inthe U.S. There is no question that in the Black American communi-ty the lingering negative effects of imprisonment and poverty areclosely related. Similarly a revealing Villanova University study onpoverty and criminal justice found that “had mass incarceration notoccurred, poverty would have decreased by more than 20 per-cent….. several million fewer people would have been in poverty inrecent years.”
We all should find ways and means to tackle the reformation ofthe criminal justice system as a top priority. It is urgent and it is longoverdue. So many lives and so many families are at risk. If we donot assert the responsibility to demand change and reform of a sys-tem that continues to brutalize and harm our families and commu-nities, then we will not be our sisters and brothers keepers as weshould.
Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. is the President and CEO of theNational Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) and can bereached for national advertisement sales and partnership proposalsat: [email protected]; and for lectures and other professionalconsultations at: http://drbenjaminfchavisjr.wix.com/drbfc
Criminal Justice SystemNeeds Urgent Reform
Inequity in Education FundingShortchanges America
John Legend on Race, Common,Sam Smith, ‘Blurred Lines’
By Mesfin FekaduAP Music Writer
Austin, Texas (AP) -- JohnLegend says he’s concernedthat the “Blurred Lines” verdictcould set a scary precedent forartists creating music inspiredby others.
In a wide-ranging interviewwith The Associated Press, theGrammy winner said he under-stands why people say 2013’sbiggest hit song by PharrellWilliams and Robin Thickesounds like “Got to Give It Up,”Marvin Gaye’s 1977 hit,adding: “I said that when I firstheard it, too.”
But he said he doesn’t agreewith the jury that determinedthe performers copied elementsof Gaye’s work.
“You have to be carefulwhen it comes to copyrights,whether just sounding like orfeeling like something isenough to say you violated theircopyrights,” the singer-song-writer told The AssociatedPress on Saturday before per-forming at the South bySouthwest music festival.“Because there’s a lot of musicout there, and there’s a lot ofthings that feel like other thingsthat are influenced by otherthings. And you don’t want toget into that thing where all ofus are suing each other all thetime because this and that songfeels like another song.”
Williams, with whomLegend has worked in the past,
and Thicke also were ordered topay nearly $7.4 million to threeof Gaye’s children.
“I think we have to be care-ful about that, and I’m a littleconcerned that this verdictmight be a slippery slope,”Legend said.
Legend also spoke aboutcollaborating with Sam Smith,whose debut album earned himGrammys for song and recordof the year last month; his col-laborator Common’s recentcomments about racism thatsparked some backlash; andmentoring budding artists withfor the AXE White Label.
Here are some highlightsfrom the interview:___
AP: Are you working on anew album?
Legend: A week fromMonday I’ll start. I’m going onvacation next week because Ineed it (laughs) and then I’llreally jump in the studio to startwriting again.
AP: “All of Me” was such ahuge hit. Is there any pressureas you head into the nextalbum?
Legend: The pressure I puton myself isn’t, `I have to makeanother `All of Me.” It’s just Ihave to write great songs. Iwant to make a better recordthan I made the last time. I wantto grow. I want to discover newthings about myself creatively.
AP: You and Common wonan Oscar for “Glory” from (themovie) “Selma.” Where did you
about is education. But alsoanother one is incarceration,which is what I talked about atthe Oscars. And mass incarcera-tion is a policy that’s kind ofbuilt up over the last fourdecades and it’s destroyed fam-ilies and communities, andsomething we need to change.And it’s fallen disproportionallyon black and brown communi-ties, especially black communi-ties, and it’s kind of a manifes-tation of structural racism. Sowhen you think about that kindof thing, it’s not enough to saywe need to love each other, youhave to go behind that and saywe need to change these poli-cies, we need to fight, we needto protest, we need to agitate for
By Antracia Moorings
Oprah’s Auction: In prepa-ration for her move fromChicago to Los Angeles, OprahWinfrey is auctioning off valu-ables. According to NY DailyNews, 550 items are up forgrabs, inclusive of English,French and continental furnitureand decorative pieces, paintings,prints, drawings, porcelain, crystal, silver, memorabilia,
clothing and accessories withsome items selling for as low as$50. All proceeds will go towardOprah’s Leadership AcademyFoundation, that aids the schoolshe started in South Africa, theOprah Winfrey LeadershipAcademy for Girls. “This isproperty from her Water Towerapartment in Chicago,” LeslieHindman of Leslie HindmanAuctioneers, announced. She ishandling the auction taking placeon April 25 in Leslie HindmanAuctioneer’s Chicago saleroom.“People love her,” Hindmansaid. “People will be very, veryexcited to own something thatshe owned.” Winfrey, 61, is clos-ing Harpo Studios after 26 yearsand moving all production toLos Angeles.
Netflix Nabs Deal WithComedian: After years in the
entertainment business, ChrisTucker is releasing his first full-length stand-up comedy specialwhich will be available this sum-mer exclusively on Netflix. Thevideo streaming site purchasedthe actor and comedian’s specialand plans to air it Friday, July10, reports Variety. “ChrisTucker is a true global moviestar and a one-of-a-kind talentwhose remarkable energy, deliv-ery and original style make himone of the funniest comedians ofour time,” Netflix chief contentofficer Ted Sarandos said. “Wecannot wait to share his distinctand hilarious voice with ourmembers across the globe.Tucker said, “I’m thrilled to bepartnering with Netflix, one ofthe true global leaders in enter-tainment, on my first comedyspecial. Before people startedseeing me in movies, I wasdoing stand-up. It’s always beena part of me, and now I’m excit-ed to share it with my fansaround the world.”
Beyoncé is teaming up withItalian shoe designer GiuseppeZanotti on a new pair of shoes—and we're pretty positive they'llbe fit for a Queen Bey. In arecent interview with Forbes,the designer revealed that theduo will collaborate on an exclu-sive design. “I’m doing a shoewith Beyoncé right now,” hesaid. “Beyoncé has very clearideas—she knows exactly whatshe wants. I’m working on final-izing the shoe with her stylistright now,” Zanotti said. “AndBeyoncé will then say what shelikes and what she doesn't like. Itwill be one shoe only.”
Briefly: NeNe Leakes of TheReal Housewives of Atlanta haspurchased a $2.1 million homein Georgia . According to TMZ,the 9,511 square-foot homeincludes 6 bedrooms and 7 bath-rooms and is located in theswank gated Sugarloaf CountryClub...CSI: NY alum Hill Harperis returning to CBS with a co-starring role opposite JakeMcDorman and JenniferCarpenter in CBS’ drama pilotLimitless, based on the 2011 fea-
ture starring Bradley Cooper.The pilot, executive pro-
duced by Cooper, follows BrianSinclair (McDorman) as he dis-covers the power of the mysteri-ous drug NZT and is coercedinto using his newfound drug-enhanced abilities to solve week-ly cases for the FBI, reportsDeadline.com. Harper playsBoyle, a former military officerwho is now an FBI asset withexperience testing the effects ofNZT on FBI Special Agents.
Finally: The “Blurred Lines”verdict that ruled in the favor ofMarvin Gaye‘s family hascaused an increase in the latesinger’s music according toBillboard. While Robin Thickeand Pharrell Williams have topony up $7.4 million for thecopyright infringement of “Gotto Give It Up” Gaye’s “Number1’s” debuted at no. 175 onBillboard 200 after the verdict.
The best-of-album sold 4,000units and is his first album inmore than a decade since 2001’s“The Very Best of MarvinGaye.” The biggest sales went toGaye’s hit “Got To Give It Up,”which sold 10,000 downloads.The song increased by 246 per-cent.
put it?Legend: It’s sitting on my
piano in New York at our apart-ment there.
AP: Common receivedsome backlash for his com-ments about ending racism on“The Daily Show” last week.What are your thoughts?
Legend: Oh yeah, I heard alittle bit about it and I under-stand what he’s saying becauseI do believe that part of us end-ing racism is us seeing each
other’s humanity and learningto love each other, even if welook different or worship differ-ently or live differently. But Ithink it’s not enough for us toextend the hand of love. I thinkit’s important that that goesboth ways. It’s important alsothat we look at policies we needto change as well.
It’s important for us also tofight for certain changes thatneed to happen. And one ofthose issues that I really care
Chris Tucker
Beyoncé
change.AP: What was it like work-
ing with Sam Smith on thecharity single “Lay Me Down”?
Legend: It was great. I loveSam. I think he’s one of themost talented new artists outright now, and our voices workreally well together. And weboth love soul music and want-ed to make a really powerfulsong together, and we were ableto do that _ and do it for a greatcause. And I’m excited for allthe traction the song has gotten;it hit No. 1, my first No. 1 in theU.K.
AP: Have you been toSXSW before?
Legend: I’ve performedhere many times, just differenttypes of events. There’s alwayssomething going on. The firsttime I played here was actuallyfor Starbucks, outside ofStarbucks in 2005 for my firstalbum. I’ve come back for dif-ferent purposes different years.I’ve done a show with Kanyehere.
AP: What was it like men-toring budding musicians?
Legend: I love it. It’s some-thing I’ve always done anyway.A lot of it has been informal;some of it is me signing artistslike Estelle or executive pro-ducing artists like Stacy Barthe.It’s always been a part of what Ilike to do, and I benefited fromit as well. Kanye signed me andhas mentored me, StevieWonder has mentored me. Allkinds of people have given megreat advice over the years, so Ilike to pay it forward as well.
—Online:http://www.johnlegend.com
/us/http://sxsw.com/
Tri-County Bulletin/Long Beach Leader Thursday, March 26, 2015 Page 5
Page 6 Thursday, March 26, 2015 Tri-County Bulletin/Long Beach Leader
By Todd Steven Burroughs
Yosef Alfredo Antonio ben-Jochannan, known to the Africanworld as “Dr. Ben,” believed thateducation belonged to any mem-ber of his race who wanted it.
Perhaps that was because ofthe 20th century tradition of ad-hoc “street universities,” withstep-ladder orators as varied asMalcolm X and “Porkchop”Davis, a tradition he understood.Perhaps it was because of theracism he experienced as ayoung Black man study-ing engineering.
Or perhaps it wasbecause he believed that ifhis people knew their col-lective root, their ancientgreatness, they wouldfight for their freedom andachieve it.
“Dr. Ben,” one of thefounding scholars and lec-turers in what is nowknown as AfricanaStudies, died last weekafter a long illness. Hewas 96.
Active for at least 50years, his death representsanother milestone in theslow passing of political-ly-and-culturally Black,pre-gentrified Harlem, afabled place that not onlyexisted in books on MarcusGarvey or the HarlemRenaissance but in reality: thecapital of Black (Nationalist)America, where fiery, independ-ent scholars taught classicalAfrican history in communitymeetings and on the local air-waves, shaping those lecturesinto swords against whitesupremacy. Dr. Ben existed andthrived in what could be calledThe Harlem Century—the timebetween the too-brief era of thegreat scholar-activist HubertHenry Harrison, the street-cor-ner orator known as “The BlackSocrates” who publicly intro-duced Marcus Garvey to its peo-ple, and now, the dawning of anew Harlem.
The man known as “Dr. Ben”joined his Ancestors on Mar. 19;the morning of the first day ofthe annual meeting of the organ-
ization he helped found, theAssociation for the Study ofClassical African Civilizations.
“Our People are now safe-guarded [in] the After-Life byDr. Ben, Dr. [John Henrik]Clarke, Dr.[Cheikh Anta] Diop,Minister Malcolm X, Elijah[Muhammad], The HonorableMarcus Garvey…..and manymore of our Greats,” announcedLeonard Jeffries in a quickly cir-culated announcement email.
“Though Painful [,] this is aVictory, that we had him for 97
plus [SIC] years,” continuedJeffries, retired professor ofAfricana Studies at City Collegeof New York and one of ben-Jochannan’s unofficial aides.“We will be raising monies tomake his Celebration Eloquentand we will message this and thearrangements."
Jeffries and Professor JamesSmall, another pioneeringAfricana Studies historian, hadbeen the spokespeople for theben-Jochannan family and itsyoutube public face as his condi-tion worsened. They had updat-ed admirers during the monthwhile maintaining their vigil out-side the specialized care unit inthe Bay Park Nursing Home inthe Bronx, where ben-Jochannanspent his final years.
New York City CouncilMember Jumaane D. Williams(D-Brooklyn), co-founding
member of the council’sProgressive Caucus and a mem-ber of the body’s Black, Latino& Asian Caucus, said in a state-ment that Dr. Ben’s “extensiveresearch on Egypt, black cultureand history gained him notorietynot just among educators butpeople of more color across theworld.
"As Dr. Ben once said, 'trustis a continuous examination, andfact... always supersedes belief.'It's my hope that all NewYorkers remember his prolific,
eye-opening legacy andreflect on his thoroughwork for Afrikan people.We can take solace know-ing that he did so muchwhile here and has nowjoined the ancestors."
“So much” is anunderstatement. Dr. Beneducated more than twogenerations of activistswhile influencing classi-cal African and Judeo-Christian historiographiesand Pan-Africanistthought. He explainedhow the stories and teach-ings of Judaism andChristianity, for example,come from ancientEgyptian religious sys-tems that existed thou-sands of years before the
birth of Jesus Christ.Dr. Ben was Africana Studies
way before it was in vogue. Hetaught at City College andMalcolm-King: Harlem CollegeExtension from the 1950sthrough the 1970s. In 1976, dur-ing the end of the birth ofAfricana Studies as a formal aca-demic discipline in Americanuniversities, he was given anadjunct appointment in theAfricana Studies department ofCornell University, where hetaught for several years.
He sponsored educationaltours to the center of the ancientBlack world—Egypt, the Sudanand Ethiopia—for at least threedecades. And there and every-where, the one fact he stressed—that the ancient Egyptians, proudmembers of the most advancedcivilization in the ancient world,as well as the original Jews,
were dark-skinned Africans—made him distinctive andbeloved in Black radical circlesand controversial in white com-munities.
Among those who followedthe “street universities” in Blackcommunities during the 20thcentury, ben-Jochannan wasknown as the hardcore, bluntface of African-centered thoughtto the sometimes more gentlepublic façade of his longtimefriend and oftentimes lecturingpartner, John Henrik Clarke.
Both taught members of theHarlem community through ben-Jochannan’s “First WorldAlliance” lecture series, whichoperated on weekends from1977 through the 1990s. Theseries, which started in ben-Jochannan’s home, was movedto a local church when it grew inpopularity.
On the street, in communitymeetings, in speeches and inarticles in Black newspapers andmagazines, “Dr. Ben” was oftennamed in the same breath asClarke, his fellow historian. Butthe staunch race-first Garveyiteclaimed he had strong ideologi-cal differences with his longtimebroad-based African-centeredleftist friend, who died in 1998.
Like Clarke, ben-Jochannanbecame well-known in the NewYork metropolitan area in thelate 20th century because of hismany decades of frequent televi-sion and radio appearances on1190 WLIB-AM, then a localBlack news-talk radio station,and WABC-TV’s Black public-affairs mainstay, “Like It Is.” Hebecame nationally known via“Nighttalk with Bob Law,”National Black Network’s week-night public affairs radio pro-gram. Like Dr. Ben and Clarke,these forums are either gone orchanged in 2015.
Everything about Dr. Benwas worldly, with a tinge of theancient. The pioneeringEgyptologist was born in 1918 inEthiopia. Ben-Jochannan movedto the United States in 1940,after going to school in St.Croix, Virgin Islands and univer-sities in Puerto Rico andHavana. He received his Ph.D.in Cultural Anthropology fromthe University of Havana.
“Dr. Ben”’s 49 books, pam-phlets and academic papersreflect his decades of teaching,research and activism aroundNew York and the world. Hismost popular ones includedAfrican Origins of MajorWestern Religions, The BlackMan and The Nile and HisFamily, and We, the Black Jews:Witness to the “White JewishRace” Myth, Volumes I & II. Heself-published many of hisworks, but many eventually gotpicked up by Black ClassicPress, a Baltimore-based inde-pendent book publisher ofBlack-oriented major nonfictionbooks. These works becameunderground classics in Black-consciousness settings from thewaning days of the Black PowerMovement in the late 1970s untiltoday.
“Dr. Ben” remained a strongrace man his entire life. Unlikemany Black scholars who donatetheir papers to places like theSchomburg Center for Researchin Black Culture or the Morland-Spingarn Research Center, in
2002 ben-Jochannan donated hispersonal library—an estimated35,000 books, ancient scrollsand manuscripts—to the Nationof Islam.
His long love affair withHarlem was not without hard-ship. He was assaulted on aHarlem street in 2003, an inci-dent that made national news inBlack America. His son Nnandiwas shot and killed in Harlemthe following year.
He is survived by two daugh-ters, Ruth and Naomi Johannes,and other family members.
Todd Steven Burroughs, anindependent researcher andwriter based in Hyattsville, Md.,is the author of Son-Shine onCracked Sidewalks, an audio-book on Amiri Baraka and RasBaraka through the eyes of the2014 Newark, N.J., mayoralcampaign. He is the co-editor,along with Jared Ball, of A Lieof Reinvention: CorrectingManning Marable’s Malcolm Xand the co-author, with HerbBoyd, of Civil Rights:Yesterday & Today.
SociallySpeaking
By Jacqueline Johnson
Thanks and more to all whotook a moment to acknowledgethe birthday of Perry E. Johnson,on March 19, and to SharonTaylor and Quion McCode fortaking the train to San JuanCapistrano and "beingthere"...fantastic program for theswallows return, as “most mayhave missed their flight"??Upcoming and belated birthdaywishes to: Donald Mathis, andShuntele Andrews...Anniversarywishes to Tony and AlesiaJackson...June 13 is the date ofthe upcoming Juneteenth cele-bration hosted by OrangeCounty NAACP, at the GardenGrove Elks Lodge...I was
told/taught that it was called“Juneteenth” because it wasbetween 13th and 19th thatinformation was received, Notbecause people could not sayJune nineteenth?..Dah.. So gladto hear/see that Linda Burnett(Stewart) is doing so very wellafter a stroke...and my SaintJessie Allen is on the mend...Iam beyond hurt to have foundout in the Obituary of OCRegister that Joel Price, Jr., hadpassed. Sympathy to his familyand friends. Another regret is thedecrease in communication witheach other...I guess Zip Codesand the In list dictate who knowswhat???
Til Next week
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670 N. Arrowhead Ave., Suite B, San Bernardino, CA 92401
Your Home” event is takingplace on Saturday, March 28for anyone interested in learningmore about becoming a foster oradoptive parent. There will alsobe information about becominga weekend host for an olderchild. The session is from 11a.m. to 1 p.m. in the NordicLounge (Building E) at LongBeach City College, located at4901 E. Carson St.
A panel featuring currentfoster parents and resourceproviders will share their experi-ences and answer questionsabout what is involved in pro-viding a stable foster or adoptivehome.
Information will also beavailable on additional resourcesand support that are available tofamilies that open up theirhomes. Lunch will be provided,and there will be a supervisedplay area for the children ofattendees.
Kids in Need(Cont. from Page 1)
AN APPRECIATION:
‘Doctor Ben,’ LegendaryScholar of Egypt Succumbs
To RSVP for Saturday’sevent or for more informationcall 888-811-1121.
To also help raise awareness,the Heart Gallery is on display inthe lobby of the Long BeachCity Hall, presenting a stirringand unique portrait exhibit ofadoptable children and siblinggroups sharing the same dreamof having a permanent family.Those pictured in the gallery areactual children in need of loving
homes.Foster and adoptive parents
can be single, married, divorcedor living with a partner. Theycan live in an apartment orhouse, and either rent or own.There is no minimum incomerequirement, other than support-ing oneself and providing a safeand stable home. Financialassistance, medical coverage andsupportive services are avail-able.
To learn more about adoptingor fostering, people can call(888) 811-1121 or visit the web-sitewww.ShareYourHeartLA.org
graduated. There’s like one left.”he said. “There's no recruiting ofBlack students on campus, that'sprobably why you don't see any.The numbers have justdropped.”
Coming up, he hopes somehomecoming events can bringstudents back to the fold on April9 for the Fusion with Def JamPoetry, a big annual spokenword and rap. On April 11, theDivine Servant’s event andgospel conference is at 7:30p.m., which is also the eveningof BSU's Black Grammys.
His organization is also plan-
ning its Glow in the Dark Mixerwith dancing and music thatpulled a decent crowd last year,so he expects another goodturnout.
Every August, the AfricanAmerican Resource Center alsoreaches out for the annual orien-tation held each year for incom-ing freshmen, which helps.There, students tour campus, andhe tries to help spread the wordon that event.
But he feels that the collegecampus administration can, andmust, do more so Black studentscan get a foot in the door.
More Black Students(Cont. from Page 1)
“The school has to dorecruiting as well, we can onlydo so much. The school [CSUF]should be going to the highschools and recruiting blacks outof high school. They don't dothat, it's not consistent,” he said.
Even though he is leaving forhigher ground soon, he saidAPAC will continue to go strongon campus, and won't stop tryingto get more programs and out-reach to Black students at vari-ous high schools.
“That’s my plan for APACthis summer, and we have greatpotential,” he said.
To join APAC, or find outmore about events, call 714-654-9153 or email [email protected]
Tri-County Bulletin/Long Beach Leader Thursday, March 26, 2015 Page 7
Use food color to create custom egg dyes you won’t find in a kit. Visit McCormick.comfor seasonal color combinations inspired by the Pantone Spring “Fashion ColorReport” as well as simple directions to create an egg-cellent floral centerpiece.
FAMILY FEATURES
Brighten up your Easter feast with unique flavor twists torefresh traditional dishes like ham and deviled eggs. Anddon’t forget the decorations — it’s easy to create vibrantcenterpieces using eggs dyed in the hottest seasonal shades.
“We’ve developed easy tips to dress up your table, from the hamto the centerpiece,” said Mary Beth Harrington of the McCormickKitchens. “An orange glaze can bring new flavor to the classic ham,while food color can be used to make a variety of spring-inspiredegg dyes to feature in Easter table décor.”
For more Easter dinner recipes and egg dyeing ideas, check outwww.McCormick.com and visit McCormick Spice on Facebook and Pinterest.
Orange Glazed HamPrep time: 10 minutesCook time: 1 hour 45 minutesServings: 24
1 bone-in spiral-cut ham, about 10 pounds1 cup orange marmalade1 teaspoon McCormick Mustard, ground
1/2 teaspoon McCormick Garlic Powder1/4 teaspoon McCormick Black Pepper, Ground1/4 teaspoon McCormick Cloves, Ground
Preheat oven to 325°F. Place ham on side in roasting pan. Mixmarmalade and spices in small bowl until well blended. Brush 1/2marmalade mixture over ham, gently separating slices so mixturecan reach middle of ham. Cover loosely with foil.
Bake 1 hour, basting occasionally with pan drippings. Removefoil. Brush with remaining marmalade mixture. Bake 45 minuteslonger. Serve ham with pan drippings.
Tip: Pair spices like ginger or chipotle with fruity jams andpreserves to balance out saltiness of ham. Cherry Bourbon, ApricotPineapple Chipotle or Lemon Ginger are easy flavor combinationsyour guests will love, and are all available on McCormick.com.
Smoky Deviled EggsPrep time: 10 minutesServings: 6
6 hard-cooked eggs, peeled1/4 cup mayonnaise1/2 teaspoon McCormick
Mustard, Ground1/2 teaspoon McCormick
Paprika, Smoked1/4 teaspoon Lawry’s
Seasoned Salt2 slices bacon, crisply
cooked and crumbled
Slice eggs in half lengthwise.Remove yolks; place in small bowl. Mash yolks with fork or potato masher.
Stir in mayonnaise, mustard,smoked paprika and seasoned saltuntil smooth and creamy. Spoon or pipe yolk mixture into egg white halves. Sprinkle with crumbled bacon.
Refrigerate 1 hour or until ready to serve.
Tip: Deviled eggs are a snap tocustomize once you create the baseof egg yolks, mayonnaise and groundmustard. Try adding chili powder, redpepper and cumin for a Southwestvariation or dill weed and parsley for a Dill Mustard version.
Easy Lemon Daisy CupcakesPrep time: 30 minutesCook time: 20 minutesServings: 18
1 package (2-layer size) white cake mix1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons
McCormick Pure Lemon Extract, divided1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened2 tablespoons sour cream1 package (16 ounces) confectioners’ sugar
10 drops McCormick Yellow Food Color18 large marshmallows
Decorating sugarJelly beansGreen sprinkles
Prepare cake mix as directed on package, adding 1tablespoon of lemon extract. Spoon into 18 paper-linedmuffin cups, filling each cup 2/3 full. Bake as directedfor cupcakes. Cool cupcakes on wire rack.
For frosting, beat cream cheese, butter, sour creamand remaining 2 teaspoons lemon extract in large bowluntil light and fluffy. Gradually beat in confectioners’sugar until smooth. Stir in food color until evenlytinted. Frost cooled cupcakes.
To decorate cupcakes, cut each marshmallowcrosswise into 5 slices. Sprinkle 1 side of eachmarshmallow slice with decorating sugar. Arrange 5 marshmallow petals on top of each cupcake to resemble daisy, pressing marshmallows intofrosting. Place jelly beans in center of petals. Garnish with sprinkles.
Page 8 Thursday, March 26, 2015 Tri-County Bulletin/Long Beach Leader