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By Joseph Hammond , Urban News Service

Most Americans had not heard of Rep. Frederika Wilson until she accused President Trump of making insensitive remarks in a condolence call to the widow of an American soldier killed in Niger.

But her connection to the military’s often secretive work in work in Niger came as little surprise to intelligence officers who know the Florida Congresswoman as a long-time supporter of U.S. counter-terrorism missions in Africa. Since her election to the House in 2010, Wilson has become one of the staunchest advocates for U.S. support in the fight against the jihadist group Boko Haram.

In an exclusive interview with the Urban News Service days before the attack in Niger, she said she is especially concerned about the threats Boko Haram and other terrorist groups could pose to America’s homeland.  “What you are going to see is little black boys in communities that Boko Haram will [target by] sending people in to change the trajectory of what’s happening in our inner cities and they too will become terrorists,” she said.

African security has long been an issue for the congresswoman. Wilson was part of the first congressional delegation to go into another African country, Nigeria, after Boko Haram abducted 276 girls in 2014 from a school in the town of Chibok, stirring international outrage and inspiring the social media hashtag #bringbackourgirls. Boko Haram has released many of the girls, but 113 remain missing.

In a Facebook posting following the death of four Americans soldiers in Niger at the hands of Islamic terrorist on Oct. 3., Wilson framed their losses as part of a larger struggle against Boko Haram and Da’esh (ISIS) in Africa. She also noted that she had sponsored a successful piece of legislation which directs the United States to aid Nigeria and its neighboring countries, including Niger, in developing a five-year strategy to fight Boko Haram.

Although that legislation did not call for a direct role for American troops. She has outlined financial moves and controversial arms sales as moves the Trump administration could take to help Nigeria.

“We have money in our banks that was confiscated from Nigeria – its dirty money and it’s now up to us to return the money to the Nigerian government so they can use the money to help international displaced people,” she said. “There are thousands of them who have been rooted from their homes because of Boko Haram.”

Like insurgencies around the world, Boko Haram’s ability to launch raids in one country and seek safety in another has made the group especially difficult to confront. Wilson stressed that U.S. must make sure “that the Multinational Joint Task Forces that we put in place is working with Chad, Niger and Nigeria and make sure it’s working and make sure they can cross boundary lines to chase Boko Haram.”

The congresswoman has also supported the controversial sale of warplanes to Nigeria a stance that contrasted sharply with some in her own party.

Nigeria has long sought to purchase a dozen Super Tucano A-29 aircraft for its use in its campaign against Boko Haram. The propeller plane is produced by Brazil and the United States and is designed for counter-insurgency operations and aerial reconnaissance.

The Obama administration initially approved a sale of the aircraft to Nigeria, but put it hold in January after the Nigerian air force mistakenly bombed a refugee camp along the Nigerian-Cameroonian frontier that killed 115 people and 100 people injured.  The Trump administration approved the sale this summer.

The sale has proved controversy for other reasons. Two Senators Corey Booker (D- New Jersey) and Rand Paul of Kentucky (R-Nigeria) have also opposed over the concerns regarding the Nigerian government’s violent treatment of its Shia Muslim minority.

“We are concerned that the decision to proceed with this sale will empower the government to backtrack even further on its commitments to human rights, accountability, and upholding international humanitarian law,” the two senators wrote in a joint letter to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in June.

Asked about her sale of the warplanes Wilson put the issue in the context of the corruption in the former administration of President “Goodluck” Jonathan Taylor. He was defeated in 2015 elections by the current president, Muhammadu Buhari, a former military strongman who has made defeating Boko Haram a priority. Wilson expressed confidence that Bukhari had addressed corruption and other concerns that had plagued the sale in the past. 

“It takes a while for them to get the planes and it will take a while for Nigerian soldiers to be properly trained,” she said, [but} we should see that very soon in Nigeria.”

 Bukhari is potentially open to military assistance from the U.S., which then President Taylor halted in 2014. Nigeria, however, was not listed on a list of countries where U.S. forces are deployed in a letter the Trump Administration sent to congress this summer.

Under Bukhari, the Nigerian military in concert with its regional allies has put Boko Haram on the defensive in Nigeria. Boko Haram first emerged in 2002 amongst disaffected members of the Kanuri tribe.  Ironically the place where Boko Haram may have its best chance to regain the initiative is in Niger.

The recent withdrawal of Chadian forces from Niger could mean that Boko Haram could potentially form a tactical alliance.  Niger is the only country in Africa where Boko Haram, Da’esh and Al-Qaeda have all launched attacks.

It remains unclear if members of Al-Qaeda, Da’esh (ISIS), or another terrorist group operating in Niger were responsible for the attack.

A Pentagon statement linked the attack to Al-Qaeda. As of press-time, no terrorist group has taken responsibility for the deadly October 4^th attack.

By Lue Dowdy

Looking for the Next Plus Size/BBW Queen is WHAT IT DO!
Who will be crowned our 2018 Plus Size/BBW Queen? LUE Productions 2nd
annual BBW (Big Beautiful Women) Model Competition and Fashion Show will be a must attend event. It will be a night of girl power at its finest! The winner will walk away with the following: $500 cash, a crown, a trophy, a photoshoot opportunity, a magazine/newspaper feature, hosting gigs, and exposure and promo for one year or more.

If you want to compete, please register today! Registration is $50 before January 1, $100 after February 1, and $150 after April 1. The requirements to compete include: Must be a size 14 and up, must be 18 years and older, must be willing to participate in all activities surrounding the promotion and success of the event, and must register no later than May 1.

You can register in person or by texting (909) 567-1000, (909) 556-7637, or (714) 833-3196. Once we receive your registration fee, our application will be emailed to you requesting the following: 2 head shots and 1 full body shot.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA—Television and Film and can seem like reality, although most of the time its fiction, but just imagine if what was depicted on television happened in real life. This is the synopsis behind the upcoming film, “Full Method” written, produced, and directed by San Bernardino native Katz Carter.

“Full Method” tells the story about two friends who are preparing to play a serial killer for a new television drama series, but end up accidently becoming killers themselves. The film was inspired by Alfred Hitchcock’s, ‘Rope’ from playwright Patrick Hamilton.

This upcoming Suspense-Thriller will feature an award-winning cast which includes: Aiden Davari (Matthew Campbell), Shane Cervantes (Frank Genger), Cara Kluver (Liz Riley), Caroline Lee Sanchez (Caroline Prescott), and Terri J. Freedman (Janet Witt).

The film is currently in pre-production mode and in the process of accumulating all the funds necessary to make it a success.  There is currently a GoFund me page set up, so if you love a great, juicy thriller and love supporting local talent, please don’t hesitate to donate at www.gofundme.com/KatzCarter1st.

Katz started acting at a young age trying to follow in his father’s footsteps, doing community theater. In high school, he realized he can make a living from his love of movies and started considering camera work. In college when everyone else around him was acting, he figured someone had to write and direct so that everyone else can act, and that is what started his 15-year journey into the life of filmmaking. He developed a real love for directing and left acting behind to pursue a career in directing and producing.

RIVERSIDE, CA- Extraordinary leaders will be recognized and awarded at the Theta Pi Sigma (TPS) Inland Empire alumnae chapter observance of the 95th Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc. Founders’ Day on Sunday, Nov. 12, 2 p.m., at the Moreno Valley Conference & Recreation Center in Moreno Valley.

Receiving Sigma Gamma Rho’s coveted Beacon of Enduring Light Award is the 12^th Riverside County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Judy D. White. Heralded by the community as a “history maker and stereotype breaker,” Dr. White describes herself as a servant leader and has added value to every position that she has ever held.

As a past educator, teacher, principal, assistant superintendent, deputy superintendent in San Bernardino City Schools and Superintendent of Moreno Valley Unified School District, Dr. White is known for increasing graduation rates, empowering students through internships and facilitating a citywide adopt a school process.

According to TPS President Deborah Moore, annual award recipients are not lightly selected. “Our Beacon of Enduring Light Award recipients,” explains Moore, “are men and women whose achievements meet the requirement of proven sustainable impact that will be felt for generations to come.”

In addition to the honored, the event will feature Gwendolyn Lorraine Dowdy-Rodgers, San Bernardino City Unified‘s board of education member, as the keynote speaker for the event’s theme “Spiritual Fitness: Fit to Serve.”

Also, being honored as community Torchbearers are impactful leaders representing each of the five historically African American fraternities: Kevin Hall, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc.; Dr. Mel Palmar, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc.; Vice Admiral USN (ret) Edward Moore, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc.; Danny Tillman, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc.; and Damarea Parker, Iota Phi Theta Fraternity Inc.

Tickets are $55 each for the Founders’ Day observance and can be purchased through Eventbrite.com by entering “Theta Pi Sigma Chapter Founders’ Day”; by contacting the chapter at thetapisigma1922@yahoo.com or 951.777.4148; or by contacting any of the chapter members directly. Proceeds will help fund scholarships for Inland Empire youth and other community support efforts. Donations can be made via Eventbrite as well for those unable to attend.

The festive event will also feature the inspirational sounds of songstress Tahera Christy and praise dancer Meosha McAfee.

Lou Coleman-Yeboah

By Lou Coleman-Yeboah

[Boo] your homie, let me in.   I don’t know any [Boo]. Man it’s me, let me in. I tell you, you better not open that door. You better let [Boo] stay where [Boo] is… On the outs. You see, [Boo] ain’t really [Boo]. [Boo] is Satan himself in disguise. He ain’t your homie and he show ain’t your friend. If you let [Boo] in, make no mistake about it, you will pay the piper. You better take heed to what [Ephesians 4:27] and [1 Peter 5:8] says, “Do not give Satan a foothold. Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” If you open that door, you can be assured that once he enters and establishes his ground, he will build a fortress of lies around himself to protect and maintain his presence and control. Satan wants nothing more than to enter certain areas of your life so he can gain a stronghold. He’ll try anything to throw you off center, distract you from your focus, and render you ineffective for the Kingdom of God. Don’t be deceived: the devil will never come to benefit you! He will never come to bless you or to give you life, he comes to kill, steal and destroy. He is good for nothing but always up to something. Don’t let the devil in, and don’t give him a key! Don’t do it! Keep his behind on the outs!

Don’t be like David. The devil came knocking, and David opened the door.  It was as if he turned the light on, opened the door, shook the dust off the welcome mat and asked him to come in. You and I never have to fall prey to the devil! If we can shut every door, close every window, and seal every place in our lives through which the enemy would try to access us, we can prevent him from getting in.  You see when the devil came knocking during Jesus 40 days of fasting, Jesus didn’t open any doors. In fact, he slammed them shut [Luke 4].

I tell you following in the footsteps of Jesus, we must refuse to make deals with Satan, no matter how attractive the trinkets. We must refuse to be a commodity that is for sale to the highest bidder. We must refuse Satan’s insistence to relax in the passenger seat of our life. For me, I want no part of Satan’s negotiations, and I don’t need any arbitration either. We are not friends. We are and forever will be enemies. And, I am okay with that. Don’t open that door! Decide and Conquer [Revelation 3:7-13]. That’s it and that’s all!

On Tuesday, October 24, the world lost another great music legend. Fats Domino departed the earth, but his musical attributes will live on for decades.

In honor of his life, filmmaker Joe Lauaro’s 2016 documentary “American Masters: Fats Domino and the Birth of Rock ‘n’ Roll” is currently streaming on the American Masters website located at pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters.

The films digs into how Fats Domino’s brand of New Orleans rhythm and blues became rock ‘n’ roll. As popular in the 1950s as Elvis Presley, Domino suffered degradations in the pre-Civil Rights South and aided integration through his influential music. A production of HISTORIC MUSIC LIBRARY. 

Check local listings for encore broadcasts nationwide on PBS.

COLTON, CA- On October 17, 2017 Mayor Richard A. DeLaRosa, alongside the City of Colton’s City Council presented Assemblymember Eloise Gómez Reyes with the keys to the City and proclaimed her a “Key Supporter” of all the citizens within the City of Colton, throughout the Inland Empire Region and the State of California. Assemblymember Reyes was recognized for being a strong and vocal advocate for the people of the Inland Empire and the City of Colton. In her first legislative year in office, she successfully obtained $500,000 from the State of California for a new Colton brush fire engine. The funds have been received, the fire engine has been ordered and it will be delivered to the City of Colton early next year.

Assemblymember Reyes was also recognized by the Fire Fighters Association as an Honorary Colton Firefighter. Mayor DeLaRosa and the City Council presented a proclamation emphasizing that Assemblymember Reyes has been a visionary and continues to serve with great passion, unselfishly giving her time, never losing sight of her ideals, while promoting public service.

“I am so proud and humbled by this honor. As a public servant, I do not serve to be recognized, rather to help others. It is my goal to serve the 47th Assembly District with resources and opportunities,” said Assemblymember Reyes.

Mayor DeLaRosa shared, “the City of Colton is thankful to have Assemblymember Reyes as our representative. This fire equipment will assist our fire department in saving lives and property in our community.”  

By Naomi Riggins

The Community Initiatives for Visiting Inmates in Confinement (C.I.V.I.C), the Inland Empire-Immigrant Youth Collective and the Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice presented the #SchoolsNotPrisons tour to Adelanto. The “#SchoolsNotPrison Art and Music Festival” show was held on Friday, October 20 at the Adelanto Stadium. These shows are free, community events. 

At Friday’s show, there was an estimated 1,000+ concert-goers in attendance that came out to support Immigration reform. The MC for the evening was Comedian Cristela Alonzo and performances consisted of Los Rakas, Ceci Bastida and Buyepongo and fan favorite 8-year-old DJ Liva on the turntables, along with her dance crew. Grammy-Award-Winning R&B Artist Miguel blessed us with hits such as, “All I Think of is You” and “Adore,” as well as “Shockandawe,” and “Skywalker,” which are songs from his latest album War and Leisure.

Prior to the event, a press conference was set up directly across from the Adelanto Detention Center, which is the largest outsourced private detention center in California ran by GEO Group. Event organizers and community activist, along with Miguel, passionately spoke on the unethical mistreatment of immigrant detainees.

Miguel stated, “I’m hoping to shed whatever light I can on the families dealing with the cruel and unjust treatment in Adelanto.”

There are over 200 immigration detention facilities in the United States, most are located far from major cities and can house several thousand detainees at one time while awaiting approval requests from the immigration courts to continue living in United States. Currently, Adelanto has approximately 1,600 detainees awaiting judgment.

There have been reports of serious mistreatments of the detainees, such as lack of medical care, withholding medication, physical violence, sexual abuse, discrimination, sanitary conditions, lack of a bed, water, or food and forced to sign documents. The immigration courts have no due process, which means detainees have no idea how long they are going to be there; it could be days, months or even years.

The Community Initiatives for Visiting Inmates in Confinement (C.I.V.I.C) and #SchoolsNotPrions are calling for the closures of immigration detention centers and private-run facilities such as the Adelanto Detention Center. To take a stand today against Immigrant prisons sign this petition www.change.org/immigrantprisons.

LOMA LINDA, CA- Modern Healthcare, the industry’s leading source of health care business and policy news, research and information, has named Angela Lalas, MBA, senior vice president for finance at Loma Linda University Health, to its list of Up and Comers for 2017.

This year, the publication selected 15 outstanding individuals from among thousands of health care executives in the United States age 40 and younger. In choosing the 37-year-old Lalas, it reported that she has provided financial oversight for the $2 billion, 1,071-bed academic health system. 

The publication also pointed out that under her financial leadership, the hospitals have improved financial performance for two consecutive years, citing an increase in combined net operating income from $14.4 million in 2014 to $104.7 million in 2016.

Lalas has previously been recognized by Becker’s Hospital Review as a Rising Star in Healthcare — in both 2016 and 2017 — and one of 150 Hospital and Health System CFOs to Know in 2016.

Loma Linda University Health president, Richard H. Hart, MD, DrPH, said the latest honor for Lalas is a testament to her knowledge and ability to navigate the financial challenges in the health care field.

“Angela is a leader who exemplifies excellence, integrity and professionalism in everything she does,” Hart said. “She is a valued asset to this organization, and we are proud of her accomplishments.”

Lalas, who grew up in a Seventh-day Adventist family, told the publication that her choice of career in health care was a matter of faith, and that it is in the health care industry that she is able to positively impact the most lives. “I help support our providers in delivering top-quality care through faithful fiscal stewardship,” she said. 

She added that she is honored and humbled to be chosen to represent Loma Linda University Health on the Modern Healthcare list. “I am so grateful to God for blessing me with the privilege of serving with an outstanding team of mentors, colleagues and coworkers here at Loma Linda,” Lalas said.

The complete list is available at  www.modernhealthcare.com/community/up-and-comers/2017/.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- When Alma Lopez of Moreno Valley was a student at San Bernardino Valley College, she received guidance and encouragement from English instructor Dolores Moreno and counselor Laura Gomez.

Today, she works alongside them both as an English instructor and Co-Coordinator of the Puente program with colleague Elizabeth Banuelos, who is also a former student and mentee of the program.

At 19 years old, Alma knew that she wanted to work with adult learners at the community college level, but she was far from certain about her future. After a “disastrous” year at another local college, Alma switched schools to attend Valley.

“I didn’t seek academic counseling while I was at Chaffey,” Lopez said. “I didn’t feel any kind of connection to the campus. I knew I had to change when I came to SBVC. I had to do things differently if I wanted to be successful.”

It was the right move for Lopez, who “loved” her time as an SBVC student.

“I was always a quiet person in high school, and I slowly came out of my shell by being involved in student government, MEChA, working in the library, successfully completing my year in Puente, studying abroad in Spain, and being selected Homecoming Princess?—?I still can’t believe that one! Because I wasn’t involved in high school, it was important to me to be involved with my college.”

Lopez had wanted to study history, then sociology, but being a member of Puente, a program that works with under-represented students to make them leaders and mentors, and working with English Professor Dolores Moreno, made Lopez switch her focus to literature when she transferred to UC Santa Cruz. There, she earned her bachelor’s in literature, then her master’s in English from UC Riverside, and was excited to return to SBVC as an adjunct instructor in English in 2007. She became a full-time instructor in 2012, and earned tenure in 2016.

“SBVC is my home,” Lopez said. “SBVC is also my mother’s home?—?she studied at SBVC from 1955 to 1957 before transferring to the University of Redlands to earn her BA and her lifelong teaching credential. That’s my favorite part?—?these are my stomping grounds.”

Lopez has also enjoyed forging new relationships with her former professors and counselors, who are now her colleagues, and jokes that she “can even call them by their first names now. I can’t express how much it means to still have Laura Gomez and Dolores Moreno as my support system. They helped me realize my potential and claim my education when I was a student. They continue to offer their support, encouragement, and consejos as I navigate through my career.”

She also credits Dr. Horace Alexander and Prof. Colleen Calderon with her success, as their “passion for their subjects helped plant the teaching seed in me, too.”

For students who, like her, knew what they wanted to do after college, Lopez has some suggestions: Get to know your professors, get involved with student associations in your chosen field, and attend academic conferences. Most of all, “Don’t give up on your dream,” she said.

Lopez appreciates that she was able to come full circle.

“That I get to teach at my alma mater and my mother’s alma mater is one of the largest blessings of my life,” she said. “SBVC has saved me several times. I must give back what I have been given?—?I must.”

Alma Lopez (left) and Elizabeth Banuelos (right), SBVC’s Puente Coordinators, are both alumni of the program they now lead at San Bernardino Valley College.

Alma’s colleague in the Puente program, Elizabeth Banuelos, has a similar story.

Banuelos, who lives in Fontana, attended four colleges during her educational journey, but it was her experience at San Bernardino Valley College that made her return as a counselor to inspire others.

A native of Tijuana, she had moved to San Bernardino from Perris, and went with her mother to enroll in college classes at SBVC. Once she arrived, she was blown away by the kindness she encountered.

“Everyone was so warm, so it created a positive impact to stay at SBVC,” Banuelos said. As a first-generation college student, she said it took a “strong village” of faculty, staff, and tutors to help with her “success not only in academics, but in life as well.”

While an SBVC student, Banuelos was part of MEChA and Puente, which work to promote and increase the number of under-represented students at colleges and universities. She credits Laura Gomez and Mary Beth Barrios?—?another Puente counselor?—?for being the mentors who prepared her to succeed in higher education, including the possibility of transferring to a UC.

After continuing to work with Puente’s outreach program, she witnessed firsthand the incredible impact community college counselors make in the lives of so many students. “I was able to connect to my own experience, and decided to enroll in a counseling program,” she said.

Banuelos earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Riverside, and went on to receive a master’s degree from the University of Redlands. When she completed her counseling internship at Chaffey College, she felt inclined to return to the positive environment at SBVC.

Banuelos applied for an adjunct counselor position at SBVC, and has held that position on campus for the past two years. She also serves as a co-coordinator for the Puente program. “My experience at SBVC was remarkable,” she said. “I found it to be the most positive higher education environment I have experienced in my life. Everyone was willing to go above and beyond to support me in many ways.”

She now loves welcoming students into her office so that she can give the same encouragement she received as a student years ago. Banuelos says the counselors are making students “feel that this is a place that is so involved in their success, making a positive impression of faculty and staff, and reassuring students that they can and will complete their goals at SBVC.”

She also finds enjoyment from working alongside the same faculty members that helped her as a student, including her former counselor Laura Gomez, who “has been so supportive of my professional journey,” Banuelos said. “Laura has been a very important person in counseling and she has been so helpful since day one. Even if she has appointments booked, she will make the time to give a smile and answer any questions or share advice.”

Banuelos wants students to always keep their eyes on the prize, to know that it is possible to finish their degrees and find their dream jobs.

“I enrolled for my first semester in college somewhere else and SBVC made a difference between giving up or staying motivated to achieve my goals,” she said. “Everyone makes a difference. Please, let’s make a positive impact!”