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SAN BERNARDINO, CA- ‘Saving Our Sons’ is the theme for this year’s annual Juneteenth celebration presented by Willing Winn Associates and Mission (WWAM) Inc. After two successful events in previous years, WWAM was called to go even bigger for 2017! This year’s celebration will be kicking off at San Bernardino Valley College in The Greek Theatre on Saturday, June 24 from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. To coincide with the theme and location, the afternoon will consist of a lineup that the community cannot miss. Come get educated, enlightened, and of course be entertained.

“They have matters that need to be fixed that they don’t know how to fix themselves,” Dr. Deborah Winn, Founder of WWAM Inc., stated on why she chose this year’s theme.

The issues that our Black men and women, are going through have been plaguing the community for years and when things seem to get better, something else occurs that brings us back. From the shootings to the way we are raising our children, it is as if we are becoming numb to what love is.

“When we love ourselves, we won’t take our lives or anyone else’s lives,” Winn said. “We need to start being responsible and standing in harmony. With effort, we have the remedy; it starts at home.”

This issue along with others, as well as a history of what Juneteenth is will all be introduced and explained throughout the afternoon. The lineup of speakers who will be presenting them include: Dr. Margaret Hill, Professor James Smith, Mr. Thomas “TJ” Loftin, Oliver Petty, and Sharon Smith-Knight. Pastor Dr. Joshua Beckley, of Ecclesia Christian Church, will be opening the event up in prayer. Comedian Lamont Bonman a.k.a. Rev. Monty B. will be the Master of Ceremonies.

The day will be filled with not just education and enlightenment, but there will also be plenty of entertainment. There will be performances by JReal da Realest, Wyel Legend, Lex Lane, DJ Worldclass, Ciotti and Jenice Michelle, Cthree, Royal Believer, Adoration, and more.

In addition to the speakers and entertainment, the community will be able to visit several vendor booths which will include clothing, jewelry, food, children’s activities, voter registration, expungement services, and much more.  This is a FREE event. Free hot dogs and snacks will be served for children 13 and under. There will also be a special grocery giveaway to the first 350 families. Each family MUST have ID.

This event couldn’t have been made possible without the help of the following sponsors: Phoenicia, I.S.A.H. (It Starts At Home), Los Angeles Lakers, WWAM Inc., Community Action Partnership, KOHL’S, S.O.S. (Saving Our Sons), Mary Stewart’s Southern Soul Food, Southern California Edison, Target, Wal-Mart, San Bernardino Unified School District, San Manual Band of Mission Indians, and San Bernardino Valley College.

For more information please call (909) 889-9509 or visit www.wwaminc.org. The college is located at 701 S. Mt Vernon Avenue in San Bernardino.

By CBM Newswire

The African American Civic Engagement Project in conjunction with the California Legislative Black Caucus hosted their annual Juneteenth celebration at the California Railroad Museum June 7 highlighting leadership from California’s public universities. Four African American university president’s, were honored from California State University (CSU) and California University (UC) higher education systems.

By Lou Coleman

To my homeboys, home girls; thugs, drug dealers, pimps, prostitutes, thieves, rapist, addicts, gang bangers, adulterers, and the like. I want you to know that I GOT NOTHING BUT LOVE FOR YOU! You see in light of the public hatred toward those who are despised, those who are regarded as thieves and robbers, and those who have been deemed as the scum of the earth; it is significant that every time they are mentioned in the [Book of Luke], it is in a favorable light [3:12; 5:27; 7:29; 15:1; 18:10; 19:2]. So much so that Jesus picked an O.G. [Levi/Matthew] to be one of His twelve disciples. That’s right! Jesus hung out with thugs, pimps, prostitutes, and derelicts! Not to mention that He died between two criminals. Go figure! But naw, everyone, including the lowest person on the social totem pole, has made O.G.’s out to be that one person that no one could be lower than; to have the occupation of an [O.G] is extremely negative, ranked with harlots, considered traitors, deemed to be among the most apostate of all people, and potentially unclean for dealing with anyone. Yes, just like Levi, O.G.’s public opinion poll would be 100% unfavorable.

But what I want the “Holy than Thou” people to know is that what Jesus did shows’ a heart for sinners and the transforming power of God’s saving grace. Yet, somehow the Church today is hands off.  Why I don’t know! But perhaps because there are too many “Scribes and Pharisees,” in the church, who are confident of their own righteousness.  Listen, “God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved…” [John 3:17]. We must keep in mind that God loves His people, and that He has made a covenant to heal and save this generation. Thank God for the new covenant of mercy, love, and grace. Jesus receives sinners. That’s the message that comes through loud and clear in [Luke chapter 15]. And when Jesus receives sinners, he rejoices over them, he rejoices that they’ve been found and brought back. And not only does Jesus receive sinners, and not only does he rejoices over them, he does one more thing. He restores these sinners to his service.  

So to all you “Holier than Thou” “Scribes and Pharisees” ….Jesus is trying to get through to you; that what he is doing should be a cause for rejoicing, not grumbling, not pointing the finger, not thinking that you are better than any other. So in all your getting, get understanding. Because I tell you, Jesus lays it out pretty straightforward in [Luke chapter 15 verse 7]: He says, “Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who [think they] need no repentance.” “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors [O.G.’s] and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors [O,G,’s] and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him” [Matthew 21:31–32].

Let it be know that my only objective  is  to  share  Jesus’  love  with  anyone  He  brings,  to  build relationships with men and women or boys and girls and to see them saved.   Relationships   are   the   key.   Jesus’   whole   ministry   was relationship-based.    His  entire  reason  for  coming  to  live  among  us, dying, and overcoming death, was to restore relationship between us and  Himself  and  His  Father.    If  it’s  important  to  Jesus,  it  ought  to  be important  to  us. Jesus’  pursuit  of  us  is  relentless;  things  like  rejection or  offense  or  hate  do  not  deter  him.  He’s  not  frightened  by  what people  will  think  of  Him,  if  He  loves  too  much  or  if  He  is  hurt  in  the process.   He is single-minded in His pursuit, and we are called to the same focus. As a born-again, spirit-filled Jesus-lover, I am mandated to be like Jesus, to let Jesus live through me  –  to  love,  to  pursue,  to  risk,  to  persist,  to  endure  –  all  so  that  He [God] would   be   glorified   and   that   those   I encounter   would   be   drawn   to Himself.  

“If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone…” [John 8:7]

 “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the LORD, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, and they shall be as wool. [Isaiah 1:18]

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- As part of the San Bernardino Public Library’s summer events, the Feldheym Library will be hosting a party hat workshop presented by Emmy Lam.  This free workshop is open to ages 10 and up. It will take place on Tuesday, June 13 at 3:00 PM in the Children’s Room at the Feldheym Central Library at 555 W. 6th Street in San Bernardino.

Students will learn to use recycled paper to make creative and unique paper party hats. It is a fun and inventive way to transform unused and unwanted paper into lovely works of art.

Participants in the library’s summer reading game will get credit for coming to the program. This event is sponsored by the Friends of the San Bernardino Public Library. For more information call (909) 381-8235, visit www.sbpl.org  or www.facebook.com/SBPLfriends.

LOS ANGELS, CA-To mark National Dump the Pump Day Thursday, June 15, Metrolink is offering free round-trip tickets good for that day to those who pledge on Facebook in advance to park their cars and ride Metrolink trains.

Metrolink is Southern California’s regional rail system that serves Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, and northern San Diego counties and a favorite of long distance commuters tired of driving in worsening traffic. But Metrolink also directly serves many major tourist destinations from beaches in San Clemente and Oceanside to historic Mission San Juan Capistrano. There are also convenient connections to Disneyland and many other venues.

With summer in full swing, Metrolink also is the best travel bargain for tourists, their hosts, or families enjoying staycations, especially on weekends. On Saturday or Sunday, Metrolink offers unlimited rides for just $10.

“There’s no better way to get to work or play throughout the Southland and avoid the stress of driving in the world’s worst traffic than riding a Metrolink train,” said Metrolink CEO Art Leahy. “Once you experience the safety and comfort of train travel on Dump the Pump Day, we’ll likely see you again.”

“There’s no better way to get to work or play throughout the Southland and avoid the stress of driving in the world’s worst traffic than riding a Metrolink train,” said Metrolink CEO Art Leahy. “Once you experience the safety and comfort of train travel on Dump the Pump Day, we’ll likely see you again.”

Pledge to ride on Metrolink’s Facebook post on June 7-9 and get a ticket for a free round-trip ride on Dump the Pump Day. To see full details, click here.

Sponsored by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), the 2017 National Dump the Pump Day is a day that encourages people to ride public transportation and to take them where they need to go instead of driving a car saving money, stress and helping the environment.

According to the April APTA Transit Savings Report, individuals in a two-person household can save an average of about $10,000 annually by downsizing to one car.

Dr. Jawanza Kunjufu

By Dr. Jawanza Kunjufu

There is a 3-year gap between Black and White students. Many people love to believe it’s due to income fatherlessness, educational attainment of the parent and lack of parental involvement. I believe a major reason for the gap is we continue to close schools for the summer as if we are an agrarian economy. Very few Black youth will be farming this summer. If you multiply 3 months by 12 years you will see the 3-year gap. There is nothing wrong with Black youth if their schools remained open during the summer and/or their parents kept them academically engaged.

Middle-income parents who value education enroll their children in some type of academic experience during the summer. They also visit libraries, museums, zoos and colleges. Other parents allow their children to sleep longer, play more video games, watch more television and play basketball until they can’t see the hoop. These students will have to review the same work they had mastered in May in September.

Black parents cannot allow their child to lose 3 months every year. Black parents cannot say they cannot afford the library. It’s free! Most museums have discounted days. A male friend of mine shared his experience with me when he took his family to the museum. He wondered why so many people were staring at him. His wife and children had to tell him he was the only Black man in the building! I am appealing to every father to take his children this summer to the library, museum, and the zoo. I a appealing to every mother if he won’t, you will.

We need every parent to make sure their child reads at least one book per week and to write a book report. I am reminded of the formula Sonya Carson used to develop Ben Carson to become the best pediatric neurosurgeon. This low-income single parent, with a third-grade education, had enough sense to tell her sons to turn off the television, read a book and write a report that her sister would grade!

I have a theory that I can go into your house and within 5 minutes tell you the type of student who lives there and predict their future. I believe that engineers, doctors, lawyers, accountants etc. need different items in their house than ballplayers, rappers, and criminals. I am very concerned when I visit a house that has more cds and downloads than books. My company African American Images has designed a special collection of books for boys. Research shows one of the major reasons boys dislike reading is because of the content. The set is titled Best Books for Boys. We also have one for girls, parents and teachers. Enjoy your summer. Let’s close the gap. I look forward to your child’s teacher asking your child what did you do for the summer? And your child answering we went to the library, museum, zoo, colleges and other great

educational places. Excerpt from There is Nothing Wrong with Black Students.

LOS ANGELES, CA-The SAG-AFTRA Foundation announced today that Emmy®-nominated actress Rashida Jones will receive its Actors Inspiration Award, an honor recognizing artists who give back to the community by championing worthy philanthropic causes which make a difference in the world. On Monday, June 12th, the award will be presented to Ms. Jones at the Foundation’s 8th Annual Los Angeles Golf Classic, an event benefiting its assistance and children’s literacy programs.

Rashida Jones is an actor, director, producer, screenwriter, musician and activist. Her philanthropy includes work with the International Rescue Committee, traveling around the world as an advocate for the nonprofit which delivers lifesaving care to people fleeing conflict and natural disaster; serving on the board and as a celebrity ambassador for Peace First, a youth organization that encourages the development of the world’s next generation of peacemakers; and supporting Oceana in its mission to protect and restore the world’s oceans. In addition, she lends her voice to several other important charities including Amnesty International, the Elton John AIDS Foundation, and The Trevor Project. Ms. Jones is also a supporter of the SAG-AFTRA Foundation’s online children’s literacy program Storyline Online (storylineonline.net) and will be filming a new video for Storyline Online following the Actors Inspiration Award ceremony. She will join the ranks of actors Viola Davis, Lily Tomlin and Chris Pine as Storyline Online advocates. Rashida Jones’ commitment to supporting vulnerable populations around the world, the environment, and children’s literacy embodies the spirit of the Actors Inspiration Award.

“We are excited to present Rashida Jones with our Actors Inspiration Award and honor her tireless dedication for tackling issues around global poverty, improving health outcomes for people battling AIDS and cancer, and for using her artistic platform to support several important charities, including our very own children’s literacy initiative Storyline Online,” said SAG-AFTRA Foundation President JoBeth Williams.  “Rashida’s generosity and commitment to giving back to the global community is an inspiration, and we are proud and grateful she will accept this honor.”

Previous recipients of the SAG-AFTRA Foundation’s Actors Inspiration Award are Sofia Vergara, Kerry Washington and Leonardo DiCaprio, who were recognized for their philanthropic work.

Ms. Jones currently stars in the hit TBS series Angie Tribeca where she plays the title role, in addition to working behind the camera as executive producer and a director of some episodes. A multi-hyphenate in the entertainment space, this past year she was nominated for an NAACP Image Award for co-writing the first episode of Netflix’s third season of Black Mirror. She is the Executive Producer of Claws on TNT, a nail-salon turned money-laundering-front dramedy, set to premiere this summer. This past April, she released a docu-series on Netflix, Hot Girls Wanted: Turned On, a continued exploration of themes discovered in her Emmy-nominated documentary in 2015, Hot Girls Wanted, this time focusing on society’s relationship with sex and technology. Fans grew to love Ms. Jones from her beloved roles on The Office and Parks and Recreation and through the romantic film that she wrote and starred in, Celeste and Jesse Forever. She will next be seen in the upcoming feature films Zoe alongside Ewan McGregor and Léa Seydoux, and the comedy Tag with Jeremy Renner and Ed Helms.

The L.A. Golf Classic is a major annual fundraiser benefiting the SAG-AFTRA Foundation’s Catastrophic Health Fund and Emergency Assistance Program for SAG-AFTRA members facing life-threatening illness and severe economic hardship with the support of the entertainment community and generous sponsors. The tournament also benefits the Foundation’s children’s literacy programs Storyline Onlineand BookPALS, which reaches 14 million children worldwide every month. The L.A. Golf Classic is one of the biggest celebrity golf tournaments with over 125 actors and entertainment industry executives expected to participate in the 2017 event.

Celebrity participants in the L.A. Golf Classic to date include: Adam Baldwin, David Leisure, Don Cheadle, George Eads, Gregory Harrison, James Remar, Joe Mantegna, Joe Pesci, Jonathan Banks, Kevin Sorbo, Robert Hays, Ron Perlman, Tim Allen, and Tom Welling. Sponsors to date include: United Airlines, Johnny Carson Foundation, SAG-AFTRA, TNT, TBS, CBS, AMC, Anthem Blue Cross, Anthem Specialty Benefits, Express Scripts, Fiji Water, Dana Industries, Jerry Lasky, Wing & A Prayer Productions, Backstage, Subaru and Mike’s Hard Lemonade.

Since 1985, the SAG-AFTRA Foundation has granted more than $18.5 million in financial and medical assistance including $7.5 million in scholarships to SAG-AFTRA members and their dependents. In addition, the Foundation has offered 7200 free educational workshops, panels and screenings to union performers nationwide and its children’s literacy programs have brought the love of reading to more than 250 million children worldwide.

To learn more and for registration information and sponsorship packages (limited while availability remains) visit sagaftra.foundation/golf.

Juneteenth, also known as Juneteenth Independence Day or Freedom Day, is a holiday that commemorates the June 19, 1865 announcement of the abolition of slavery in Texas, and more generally the emancipation of African-American slaves throughout the Confederate South. Juneteenth is recognized as a state holiday or special day of observance in most states.

Riley Keene Temple’s recently published book, “Aunt Ester’s Children Redeemed: Journeys to Freedom in August Wilson’s Ten Plays of Twentieth-Century Black America,” examines the redemption story of each play – how the southern black oppressed, descendants of centuries of slavery, put the pieces of themselves back together. Temple analyzes how Wilson’s language – his poetry and the blues — and his dramatic narratives expose the responsibilities, the opportunities, and the challenges of freedom.

Wilson’s plays include “Fences,” “The Piano Lesson,” and “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.”  The New York Times obituary called him “the theater’s poet of black America.”

“Wilson, a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, died in 2005 at the age of 60. He would have wanted to see the wondrous celebrations of Juneteenth. He would have seen them as both meet and right,” says Riley Keene Temple.  

Riley Keene Temple is an avid American arts advocate and supporter, and has been honored for his leadership of arts organizations. He is a telecommunications attorney in Washington DC, where his Board memberships include the National Archives Foundation and the Trust for the National Endowment for the Humanities. He holds a Masters degree, cum laude, of Theological Studies from the Virginia Theological Seminary. He has written frequently on theology and the creative arts.

DJ Damiq

By Lue Dowdy

DJ Damiq burning up the turn tables is WHAT IT DO! OMG, the feeling you get when the DJ starts playing your favorite song. Keeping a crowd entertained and engaged can be intimidating, but not for DJ Damiq. Dripping with confidence, swag, and humbleness all rolled into one, this DJ makes it happen in several clubs all over Cali. With a large fan base, he stays booked. He gives back by providing free services for charitable and community events.

Demico Sherman, better known as DJ Damiq a.k.a. The People’s DJ, roots hail from the South which includes Houston, Texas and Mobile, Alabama. He was raised in Highland, California as a preacher’s kid that loved to sing and perform. He started djing when he graduated in the summer of 2001 The Arcade, former teen club. What started out as a favor became a hobby and before you knew it, people wanted him at their parties and events.

Being in high demand, Damiq’s network has provided him a long list of DJing accomplishments. Not to mention, he was awarded at the 2016 “My Music, My Mic Indie Artist Award Show” held by LUE Productions for his hard work.

In his words, “I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Even though I’m far from done, I’m at the stage of preparing the next generation of DJs that come along to have an equal amount of success. Team Work Makes the Dream Work!”

 The night life wouldn’t be right without DJ Damiq literally in the MIX. Until next week L’z!

RIVERSIDE, CA- For 45 years, African Student Programs (ASP) and Chicano Student Programs (CSP) at the University of California, Riverside campus has been providing a home away from home for students.

“‘Our duty in life is to make a difference in others’ lives,’ that was something a mentor once told me,” said Ken Simons, the director of African Student Programs. “That inspired me to do what I do. It’s rewarding to help these students, it’s rewarding to make a difference in their lives, it’s rewarding to provide a space for these students who might otherwise feel alone on a university campus.”

Simons has been the director of ASP for the past 14 years, and he’s been connected to UCR since 1979, when he was a student athlete. He said that, for many of the first-generation black students, ASP becomes the place where they feel comfortable expressing questions and concerns – especially cultural concerns.

“I’m real with the students, I tell them what they need to hear, because I realize they might not hear it from someone else,” Simons said.

Formerly referred to as Black Student Programs, ASP is generally agreed to have formed at UCR campus in 1972, out of the campus’ Black Student Union and Black Studies Department. Over the years, ASP has become a space where students can go to gain confidence, for support, and to feel at home.

“Years after graduating, we have students reflect on the mentorship they received during their time at UCR through ASP,” Simons said. “There are countless stories from students who recall getting through the tough times because of the conversations they had with staff at the organization.”

Since 1972, ASP has been a key component for the success of black students at UCR. Earlier this year, UCR was recognized as one of the nation’s best institutions in successfully graduating black students relative to their white counterparts. While black student graduation rates lag behind white student graduation rates by about 22 percent nationally, UCR graduates black students at a rate 1.7 percent higher than white students, announced The Education Trust, a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit organization that analyzed data from four-year colleges and universities in its report, “A Look at Black Student Success: Identifying Top- and Bottom-Performing Institutions.”

At UCR, 69.5 percent of black students graduate, compared with 41 percent nationally. Simons said that success can be linked to the variety of services ASP provides its students – like, informing them about scholarships, internships, research, and graduate school and career opportunities. ASP also sponsors a variety of events and programs every year, including an academic mentorship program, and the Black Graduation Ceremony – which is Sunday, June 11 at 2 p.m. at the Student Recreation Center.

Estella Acuna has been the director of CSP since 2004, and graduated from UCR in 1999. Acuna’s goal as the director is to give UCR students what CSP provided for her.

“I was a first-generation student, and CSP provided a home away from home for me. I felt safe, I felt connected to my peers and the community – I would have a hard time surviving without the amazing staff,” Acuna said.

Like ASP, CSP was founded in 1972. According to Acuna, the creation of the space stemmed from student and faculty movement aimed at developing an organization that would meet the needs of both Raza faculty and students on campus. They wanted a space that would nourish the growing Latino/a population of first-generation scholars coming to UCR.

“We are truly like a family at CSP. There is a sense of community, and unwavering support for the students,” Acuna said.

In 2015, UCR was recognized by the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics as a Bright Spot in Hispanic education. As a Bright Spot, UCR is part of a national online catalog that includes over 230 programs that invest in key education priorities for Hispanics. The university was honored for its student success efforts with the College of Natural and Agricultural Science’s freshman learning communities, as well as for its ethnic parity in campus graduation rates. It is rare in higher education to have little gap between students of different ethnicities.

CSP, like ASP, holds annual events, like Semana de la Raza, the César E. Chávez 5K Run/Walk, and Raza graduation ceremony, which will be Saturday, June 10.

For more information about both student programs, visit their websites: African Student Programs, and Chicano Student Programs.