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Lou Coleman-Yeboah

By Lou Coleman-Yeboah

Sure, you did! You knew what you was about to do was wrong, but you did it anyway. So what do you mean you didn’t mean to? What kind of fool do you think God is? Do you think you can do something that he says is wrong and you won’t have consequences in your life? Scripture is clear: “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows this he will also reap. Doing right is not an option in the Christian life. James says in [James 4:17] “Anyone who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, Sins. No matter what others do, you know what you have to do. You cannot afford to live the life that people are living simply because it is the acceptable thing to do. I tell you “Fools rush in where angels fear to tread””Look before you leap.”

Listen, the only way to grow is to take full responsibility for your actions. Scripture clearly shows that believers sin and must take responsibility for their own thoughts and actions. It is far better and far more biblical to say, “I sinned and I take full personal responsibility for all my thoughts, words and deeds. I cannot blame my circumstances, my friends, my loved ones, the world, my flesh, the power of sin within me, or even the devil. I must admit that I chose to sin and I confess it. I did it, no one else made it me do it. Now I must face the consequences.” 

What does this mean? It means, in the final analysis, you do right because it’s right to do right. Besides, you don’t want to mess around with God. God is a consuming fire!  “The Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah because of his irreverent act; therefore God struck him down and he died there beside the ark of God.” [2 Samuel 6:7].  He died, instantly. Why? Because he did wrong when he knew to do right. The Bible is full of stories like this. Remember the golden calf incident at Mt. Sinai, recorded in [Exodus 32]? Only because Moses pleaded with God to remember his covenant mercy did God decide not to destroy the entire nation of Israel after they offered unacceptable worship, [doing wrong when you know to do right], by making an image of him in the form of a cud-chewing stud. Even after Moses pleaded with God, they still didn’t get off scot free, about 3000 died and the rest was struck with a plague. When you know to do right, do it!

The underlying: A wheelbarrow doesn’t choose which direction it will go.  It moves in whatever direction the person pushing it decides is best.  A wheelbarrow doesn’t argue with the person pushing it or try to choose its own path.  A wheelbarrow simply goes where the person pushing directs. With God’s Spirit controlling us, we don’t have to try to do the right things.  We don’t have to try to obey God’s commands. We don’t have to try to guess which direction God wants us to go. [Ezekiel 36:27] says, “And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.”  These verses were written to the nation of Israel, but God’s promise applies to all who claim Him as God.  The message in this verse is that God has placed His Spirit in each of His children and this Spirit will move us to do right and to obey God.  God’s Holy Spirit will guide us in the direction that God knows is best for us. And when the Spirit moves us, it is up to us to obey.  It is up to us to go in the direction in which He is moving us.  The Holy Spirit will always move us in the right direction.  He will always move us to obey God and do God’s will.  We don’t have to move ourselves [make ourselves go in the right direction].  We simply need to allow God’s Spirit to move us in the direction that God know is best for us.

“But we pray to God that you may not do wrong—not that we may appear to have met the test, but that you may do what is right, though we may seem to have failed.” [2Corinthians 13:7].

May God richly bless you as you read these words. It is my sincere desire that all who read them may be enriched “

And this is my prayer,” Paul wrote, “that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness.” [Philippians 1:9]

SAN BERNARDINO, CA – On February 21,, Assemblymember Eloise Gómez Reyes (D-San Bernardino) hosted the 47^thAssemblyDistrict Young Legislators on their inaugural Sacramento Trip to the State Capitol. Students who participated attend San Bernardino City Unified School District, Colton Joint Unified School District, Fontana Unified School District, and Rialto Unified School District.

The students who were afforded the opportunity included: Abigail Menara, Adamaris Zamora, Adriana Golding, Amy Vasquez, Andres Torres, Ariel Ideishi, Ashley Garcia, Bryanna Gonzalez, Daniella Mora, Elizabeth Rubio, Eunice Molina, Gabriel Macias, Gabriela Vasquez, Guadalupe Tellez, Jacqui Ochoa, Jasmin Ponce, Jayleska Johnson, Josaline Moran, Joshua Lechega, Karen Rojas, Leslie Tapia, Manny Medrano, Sahvannah Rodriguez, Valarie Valero and Xiomara Thompson.

During the visit, the Young Legislators attended an Assembly floor session, toured the State Capitol, visited the State Library, participated in a meet and greet with State Legislators, a panel discussion with Assembly Fellows and professional staff, and presented legislative proposals to benefit San Bernardino County youth.

“Our young people are the next generation of leaders that will contend with the emerging challenges facing our region and state for years to come.  That is why it is so important they are engaged in their community and get a firsthand experience of the public policy making process,” said Assemblymember Reyes.

The Young Legislators is a yearlong program to provide high school students living in the 47^th District with leadership development training and an opportunity to discuss important youth related issues occurring in the community. Assemblymember Reyes is currently accepting applications for the next class of Young Legislators on her website at www.asm.ca.gov/reyes.

A couple of weeks ago, U.S. Representative Norma J. Torres traveled to several communities in and around the Inland Empire to ensure the needs of local residents are reflected in the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) budget. As Chair of the CHC Budget Task Force, Torres has been instrumental in crafting a budget that offers an alternative to the harmful cuts in the Trump Administration’s Fiscal Year 2019 budget. On her tour, Torres highlighted advancements made in veterans’ care, the need for greater investment in infrastructure and public safety upgrades, and a permanent solution for the nation’s Dreamers—priorities that align with the CHC’s mission to advance the Hispanic community and improve the lives of all citizens.

U.S. Representative Norma J. Torres views a project underway at the VA Loma Linda Healthcare System.

In Redlands, Torres visited the new Ambulatory Care Center (ACC) within the VA Loma Linda Healthcare System. The ACC features equipment and technology that make healthcare more accessible and affordable for the area’s veterans. In addition to preventative care, the ACC also provides veterans with mental health care and resources to combat the opioid crisis.

“It’s our responsibility to make sure that our veterans have access to quality and timely healthcare when they return home,” Torres said. “It’s great to see the strides the VA Loma Linda Healthcare System has made in providing the innovative and cutting-edge care and services California veterans deserve.”

In Ontario, Torres met with representatives from the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) to discuss funding upgrades and relieving congestion along the 71 Freeway. She also held a public safety funding roundtable with fire and police chiefs in Chino to address concerns regarding the Staffing for Adequate Fire & Emergency Response (SAFER) Grants program. The need to strengthen the capability of California’s 911 system to receive text messages and respond to cyberattacks was also discussed.

“Upgrades to our infrastructure should go hand in hand with meeting our public safety needs. Unfortunately, the President’s infrastructure proposal makes it harder for my district and our state to fund these much-needed upgrades,” Torres said. “It was important to hear firsthand from local transportation officials and emergency responders about the challenges they face. We need commonsense policies that move us in the right direction towards modernizing our infrastructure and 911 systems.”

At Cal Poly Pomona, Torres convened a meeting with more than 30 Dreamers representing area colleges, school administrators, and supporters to talk about the need for a permanent solution for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

“I am inspired by the bravery and perseverance of our Inland Empire Dreamers. The Trump Administration has unfairly thrown the futures of these bright young people into a state of uncertainty,” Torres said. “I will keep fighting for a permanent legislative solution that protects our Dreamers from deportation and extends benefits to all Dreamers.”

U.S. Representative Norma J. Torres speaks with fire and police chiefs in Chino.

By John Coleman, Community Photographer

Over 90 National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Inland Empire members and guests listened intently as professor and author, Terrence Roberts, MSW, PhD, honored guest and keynote speaker at the Inland Empire Unit of the National Association of Social Workers held it’s Annual Social Work Month  Awards and Recognition Celebration on Monday, March 5 at Kaiser Palm Court in Fontana.

Dr Roberts, recipient of the U S Congressional Medal, bestowed in 1999 by then President Bill Clinton is honored as a member of the renowned “Little Rock Nine”  one of nine 15 year-old Black junior high school students who, in 1957,  volunteered to attend the rigidly segregated all and only white Little Rock Central High School.

Sounds simple, but in 1957 then President Dwight D. Eisenhower took control of the Arkansas National Guard to prevent its use by the Governor and sent in a unit of the U S Army to protect the safety of the Little Rock Nine for the full 1957-58 school year.

Governor Faubus closed all public schools statewide for the following year in his attempt to prevent desegregation.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- March 9, 2018 marks a milestone in PAL Center history as Coach Domonique White and Coach Alex Avila lead the Bulls Boys Basketball team their first ever league Championship in PAL’s 34 year existence.

Under the leadership of Coach White, PAL introduced its Student Scholar Athletics program in the 2015 – 2016 school year. The success of the program developed discipline and academic accountability among PAL student athletes in sports offered: Softball, Volleyball, Basketball and Soccer.

As the underdog in the Inland Empire Alternative Schools League (IEASL) which provides competitive athletics for Inland Empire students at Charter and Continuation schools PAL Basketball program has fought for three seasons straight to earn the bragging rights of Champions. This year they absolutely earned the right as they finished the regular season in the fifth seat with no expectation of making it to the final dance.

The Bulls successfully fought through two rounds of playoffs to face Sierra High School of San Bernardino in the Championship game. An intense game resulted in PAL Charter Academy’s victory. Additionally, these scholar athletes maintained a cumulative 3.7 GPA throughout the season with no participant performing below a 2.7 GPA. The 2018 Bulls Basketball team has certainly made HISTORY as student SCHOLAR athletes!

PAL Charter Academy is a free public charter school which services students 6^th to 12^th grade. Applications are now being accepted for the 2018 -2019 school year. Please contact the main office located at 2450 Blake Street in San Bernardino or by phone at (909) 887-7002 for more information.

This year, Women’s History Month comes at a pivotal time – women’s voices and stories are being heard and lifted up in a way they never have before.  This opportunity should be celebrated, and gives us a chance to see history in new ways – including stories about things that impact women’s health.

Many may be surprised to know that one of the most critical health issues facing women today are menthol cigarettes.  They are a key reason why lung cancer is actually the leading cause of cancer deaths for women in the U.S.  In fact, almost twice as many women die from lung cancer than breast cancer, even though breast cancer is more prevalent.

Legendary African American singers, Mary Wells and Sarah Vaughan, had their voices silenced too early and suffered health related issues caused by smoking cigarettes. Mary developed cancer of the larynx because of her smoking habit.  She smoked two packs of cigarettes a day, lost all of her finances to expensive cancer treatments, and suffered with cancer until she died of pneumonia at age 49.

A longtime smoker, Sarah developed lung cancer and carcinoma of the joints in one hand. Sarah’s amazing contralto voice became huskier after years of smoking, and she died at the age of 66.

It’s important to understand the history behind menthol cigarettes.  They were actually created by tobacco companies specifically for women.  For decades the tobacco industry advertised and marketed them intentionally and directly to women by showing images of group fun, freedom, and glamour in their marketing.

Unfortunately, it worked.  Women are nearly twice as likely as men to smoke menthol cigarettes, and more than 50% of menthol smokers are women. In California, 70% of African American adult cigarette smokers smoke menthol cigarettes compared to only 18% of white adult cigarette smokers.

Research shows that menthol cigarettes are actually worse for the user than regular cigarettes. Menthol makes it easier for smokers to inhale more deeply and allows harmful particles to settle deeper inside the lungs. By reducing airway pain and irritation, continuous menthol smoking can mask the early warning symptoms of smoking-induced respiratory problems.  Menthol smokers are also less likely to successfully quit smoking than other smokers. 

“Menthol cigarettes are one of the worst, yet not explicitly identified, causes of health problems facing women today,” said Carol McGruder, Co-Chair of the African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council, a Bay Area organization that works to expose and address the inequities in tobacco use and its impact among diverse communities.  “It’s a serious problem that gets negligible attention – we need to inform women about what the tobacco industry has done to us.”

The fact that menthol cigarettes are still produced and sold is puzzling.  In 2009, the FDA banned the sale of all flavored cigarettes, except menthols – and the tobacco industry has managed to keep them legal since then. 

“For those who want to take local action, every county in California has a tobacco control coalition – people can check with their county department of health to learn when and where meetings are held, everyone is welcome.  There are also resources available for anyone who is personally affected,” said Ms. McGruder. 

Now is the time to break menthols impact on women for good.  For anyone who wants help to quit, the California Smoker’s Helpline is at www.nobutts.org or 1-800-NO-BUTTS.

By Lue Dowdy

Bringing Awareness to Domestic Violence is WHAT IT DO!

Domestic violence is a pattern of behavior which involves violence or other abuse by one person against another in a domestic setting, such as in marriage or cohabitation. This year’s event will provide information and resources for anyone in need. If your experiencing this type of behavior or know of a person that is, we encourage you to speak up and seek help.

Be a part of this epic event, a night of GIRL POWER! We are looking for a few more ladies for our $500 plus size model competition scheduled to take place Sunday, August 26.

No experience is needed, but you must pay a registration fee. Good luck to our registered beauties as they get ready to compete for the cash prize, crown, trophy, sash and more. They include: Browneisha Blackman, Chondra Smith,Essence Johnson, Jasmine Hall, Liz Brown, Lola Lestrange, Miia Carrington, Sunday DeLa Cruz and Tenisha White.

Come on out! Be a vendor, a sponsor or a volunteer! It’s not too late to participate ladies please text (909) 567-1000 or inbox us at @Lueproductions on Facebook.

 Until next week L’s!

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- Dr. Brian Haynes, Vice President of Student Affairs at California State University San Bernardino spent the afternoon on Sunday, March 11, at the San Bernardino Boys and Girls Club dialoguing with the Social Lites, Inc. Beautillion Knights and participants of the Beautillion program on the value of education, his personal journey in going to college and how higher education opened doors of opportunities for him. 

Haynes encouraged students to pay attention to deadlines in submitting applications for admission to desired colleges and/or universities, filing for financial aid, living on campus at a minimum for the first year of college and getting involved with the University/College of choice clubs and organizations. Haynes is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. which focuses on education, community service and brotherhood.

The 51st Beautillion program will commence on March 24, 2018 at the National Orange Show in San Bernardino. For more information, please telephone chairperson, Mrs. Donna Little-James at 909-528-9793 or co-chairperson, Mrs. Bridgette Shaw at (909) 648-6165 or publicity chairperson, Mrs. Twillea Evans-Carthen at tevanscarthen@yahoo.com.

Fifty years after the Kerner Commission criticized the news media for not sufficiently covering race issues, a new special report shows that women of color continue to be underrepresented in U.S. newsrooms and face multiple challenges in achieving equality in hiring and promotions.

The Women’s Media Center report  “The Status of Women of Color in the U.S. News Media 2018” offers a rare look at where women journalists of color are — and aren’t — in legacy print, radio, TV, and digital news. It is an important extension and extrapolation of data previously published in the Women’s Media Center’s annual “The Status of Women in the U.S. Media” study, and includes data about minority journalists released after the most recent version of that report was produced in 2017.

Women of color represent just 7.95 percent of U.S. print newsrooms overall, 12.6 percent of local TV news staff, and 6.2 percent of local radio staff, according to industry research that is based on news organizations’ replies to professional association queries.

“Whether intentional or not, it seems like there is a cap on people of color in newsrooms,” said Rummana Hussain, assistant metro editor, Chicago Sun-Times.

Among the journalism professionals offering their trenchant views in the report on what’s broken for women journalists of color, and how to repair the breach are journalist and author Dana Canedy, the first black female and youngest person to helm the Pulitzer Prize organization; such marquee broadcast news leaders as Soledad O’Brien, Ann Curry, Maria Hinojosa and Joy Reid; MacArthur “genius grant” winner Nikole Hannah-Jones; freelance journalist Jenni Monet; and women of far less fame who likewise excel in practicing their craft.

“There are so many micro-aggressions that come with being a journalist and female and not White,” according to Soledad O’Brien, founder and CEO, Starfish Media Group. “If you spend too much time seeing yourself — in terms of how they see you — as only those things, you will lose your mind. Because there are just a lot of slights.”

The report comes at a time when the nation’s population is changing rapidly. The U.S. Census projects that Blacks, Asians, Hispanics, Native Americans, Pacific Islanders, and those who are multi-racial will be the majority of the population by 2050.

“Women are more than half the U.S. population, and people of color nearly 40 percent,” said Julie Burton, president of the Women’s Media Center.  “But you wouldn’t know this from our media — because U.S. media does not look like, sound like, or reflect the diversity and experience of more than half the population.”

While acknowledging their successes, the women journalists of color say systemic racism, the old boys’ network, and gender bias, among other obstacles, are some of the reasons newsrooms are slow to change.

“Many, many talented women of color are rising through the ranks, as they have since the late ’60s and ’70s,” said Ann Curry, executive producer, reporter, host, We’ll Meet Again on PBS. “One of the most significant reasons they fail is that men tend to groom men.”

News staffs that reflect our nation’s racial, ethnic, and gender diversity are intrinsic to creating a credible media and to the nation’s democracy, said Gloria Steinem, WMC co-founder.

“Missing women of color in the newsrooms of this country is an injustice in itself, and an injustice to every American reader and viewer who is deprived of great stories and a full range of facts,” Steinem said. “Inclusiveness in the newsroom means inclusiveness in the news. Racism and sexism put blinders on everyone.”

“Women of color represent a substantial proportion of the population, and yet their stories are too rarely told and their voices too infrequently heard on most media platforms,” said Maya Harris, WMC co-chair. “The perspectives and findings this Women’s Media Center report offers not only illuminate this lost opportunity, but also help to identify what we must do to work toward a more inclusive democracy.”

Said Pat Mitchell, WMC board co-chair: “Fifty years after the Kerner Commission report, women of color are still battling systemic racism and sexism in the news media.  It is imperative that Black, Asian, Hispanic, and Native women be more visible and powerful in media. The Women’s Media Center won’t rest until our newsrooms are inclusive, representative, and equal.”

The report, compiled and written by journalist and custom content producer Katti Gray and edited by Cristal Williams Chancellor, WMC’s director of communications, offers solutions to editors, producers, publishers, and other news executives, including the need to intentionally search for talented women of color, increased accountability and transparency by news organizations, and innovative recruitment and hiring strategies. Both Gray and Williams Chancellor are veteran, award-winning journalists.

 “I don’t believe in embarrassing and shaming people, but I do believe in giving them actual solutions, people they can hire tomorrow,” said Benét Wilson, founder and editor-in-chief of Aviation Queen LLC and vice president of the Online News Association. “We don’t want to hear the excuses anymore.”

The industry studies on gender and race used in the report were released last year by the American Society of News Editors and the Radio Television Digital News Association.

The Women’s Media Center, co-founded by Jane Fonda, Robin Morgan, and Steinem, works to make women visible and powerful in the media. We do so by promoting women as decision makers and as subjects in media; training women to be media ready and media savvy; researching and exposing sexism and racism in media; and creating original online and on-air journalism.

For more information, contact Williams Chancellor at cristal@womensmediacenter.com or 202-270-8539.

The full report is available here.

The infographic is available here.

Lou Coleman-Yeboah

By Lou Coleman-Yeboah

Is that right? Are you sure that’s what you want to do? Because flirting with sin is flirting with death. That’s right! You flirt with sin, you flirt with death. [Romans 6:23]. The rule is simple: If you play with fire, you will get burned. If you think you can sin to your heart’s content without repercussions, and if you think you can go out and break the commandments of God over and over because you’re an exception to the rule, then you are deceiving yourself. God will not be mocked! If you compromise His rules, you will suffer horribly for it. Be forewarned reader!

Sin kills and destroys everything it touches. [Romans 6:13]. This is the purpose behind everything Satan does. Jesus said, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy” [John 10:10]. Be not deceived! You can’t dabble in sin without being swept away. You can’t gargle with toxins without ingesting poison. Sin will cause you to hook, line, and sinker. Do not underestimate the seriousness of sin! Sin is divisive, deceptive, destructive and deadly. Sin Thrills…then it Kills. Sin Fascinates…then it Assassinates. Sin always destroys lives, both for time and eternity. Do not flirt with it, and do not dabble in it!

[Matthew 5: 29-30] says, “If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. If your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.”

I tell you Satan always tries to minimize the serious nature of sin, so that we excuse it as no big deal, tolerate it as normal, or even re-package it as a good thing. The Devil is a liar! Sin is SINFUL and EXCEEDLING so! Sin appears attractive, but is hideously ugly. Sin appears to be right when it is wrong. Sin appears to bring life when it brings death. Sin appears to be so insignificant when it is so major. Do not be deceived! The wages of sin is death!

Listen, you get one chance to live your life; and then the judgment. If you do not make some radical decisions now, and set your face like flint to walk another way. If you go on yielding to the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life as your way of life, you will get just what sin warrant ? Death! Do not be misled – you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. [Galatians 6:7-8].

“Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God! Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortions, shall inherit the kingdom of God…” [1Corinthians 6: 9-10].

God’s warning is clear. If you compromise His rules, you will suffer horribly for it. Be like Joseph who when Potiphar’s wife grabbed hold of his coat and said, “Make love to me!” Joseph ran out of the house, leaving his coat there in her hands. He ran as far and as fast as he could. He knew that there would be hell to pay with God and men. He knew he would be burned if he stayed, so he ran from the fire [Genesis 39:12]. He evacuated the building as fast as he could, closing doors and windows behind him as he left… I tell you, the wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way…” [Proverbs 14:8].

As long as it is called ‘today,’ [be sure] that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin… for was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcasses fell in the wilderness? [Hebrews 3:13-18].

“Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?” (Romans 6:1].