Local

Cool Cass

By Lue Dowdy

Smile! Take Three! Quiet on the set! Let’s Go! Just a few call out words that are used when on a live set. This week Cool Cass, the videographer, is WHAT IT DO.

In the entertainment industry you have to make so many connections in order to get your music out there. Artists must add visual which leads to what they call a music video. It’s a beautiful relationship that comes alive on film between the artist and the videographer. Here is more on the Cool Cass the Videographer!

Despite accessibility to technology, capturing today’s short attention spanned audience has proven to be much more challenging than film makers (enthusiast and pro’s alike) anticipated. These challenges ultimately force the requirement of storyteller purist Cool Cass and he has flourished under the new-leveled playing field. His robust background stems from a sports oriented family which undoubtedly led to playing college football in California; however, added ingredients like his service in the military and 2-year stay overseas further push the boundaries of storytelling that one is just not accustomed to seeing.

Ever since cutting ties with network marketing venture that proved semi-successful, Cool Cass has been applying knowledge gained from these experiences to the art of storytelling through music and video. He continuously showcases his ability to translate visions over a multitude of genres delivering smash hit videos such as, “Talk 2 You” and “Girl With The Tattoo” for Oakland, CA superstar Young Gully and “Wutz The Name” for Queen of Rock and Flow, Shirlee Temper.

Cool Cass takes pride in furthering the journey of self-development and enjoys the company of individuals with comparable traits. Need some video work done at an affordable rate? Contact COOL CASS now!

Until next week L’zzzz!

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- By following her dream of becoming a law enforcement official, Evelyn Calderon hopes to serve as an inspiration to her baby daughter, Isla.

“I definitely want to be a role model for her,” she said. “I want her to be not just where I am but even more successful. I am going to support her as my mother supported me.”

Calderon recently graduated from San Bernardino Valley College’s Police Academy and has already been hired by the Arcadia Police Department. Before heading to the academy, Calderon was a standout on the soccer team at A.B. Miller High School in Fontana, and had continued success, beginning in 2009, as part of the soccer program at Valley College.

“I had a great experience at Valley, with education as well as soccer,” she said. “We were back-to-back league champions and state champions as well. I had an injury, and I received so much support form the whole athletic staff and coaches and teachers. My coaches gave me the biggest push to get through everything, and everyone I came into contact with at Valley was so supportive.”

Calderon still holds the scoring record at Valley College, and her skills on and off the field helped her secure a full-ride scholarship to Long Island University in Brooklyn, New York.

“I was born and raised in California, so it was an adjustment, but it was fairly easy in a way because I went with my best friend, Angela Young, who also went to Valley,” Calderon said. “It made it easier to go with someone. I always liked the fast life so it was a fit for me, and definitely fun.”

She planned on majoring in criminal justice, but when the program was discontinued, she switched to political science. She always had her eye on training with the Police Academy, but put that plan on hold until after her daughter was born in 2015. Once she enrolled, Calderon spent six months in the academy, doing everything from physical endurance tests to learning how to operate emergency vehicles to writing memos, where every sentence and period was critiqued. You either make it through or you don’t, and Calderon excelled.

“It feels like a big accomplishment,” she said. “It’s something I finally accomplished, my lifetime goal and dream. To be able to provide my daughter with a better life is very fulfilling.”

Calderon is now joining the Arcadia Police Department, where she will immediately begin patrolling and is one of only a few women on the force. She is excited to begin this new chapter in her life and is thankful for the people who helped her along the way.

“Valley gave me the biggest push to where I am today,” Calderon said. “Once I started going there, with all the support I received, I knew it was going to help me achieve my lifetime goal. Without Valley, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- The Sensational Social Lites of the Inland Empire will be celebrating 60 years of service on Saturday, August 20 at the National Orange Show in San Bernardino.  Earlier this year, these amazing women were awarded the Citizens of Achievement Award from the San Bernardino League of Women Voters.  They continue to raise funds for scholarships for the youth, perform community service, and engage in civic causes to help enhance the lives of others in the communities in which they live and serve. One of the well-known program under this organization is the Beautillion program which is designed to uplift young men and assist them in preparing for furthering their education beyond high school. 

Guests to gala should plan to wear formal attire and enjoy dinner and dancing to a live band. Tickets are $60 per person.  Doors open at 6 p.m., dinner at 7 p.m.   For more information, go to www.sociallitesinc.com or contact Bettye Brewster, President at (951) 204-0022 or bettyebrewster@yahoo.com or Edna Noble at (909) 888-3788 or Helen Thomas at (909) 854-7730 or Socialites2@msn.com.

Loe Coleman

By Lou Coleman

I tell you it is amazing what some people will do to run away from God knowing darn well one cannot run away from God. God is Omnipresent. The tragedy of this and all methods of running away from God is that you really can’t run away from Him and at some point you will run into Him for [Romans 14:11] tells us that, “Every knee shall bow, every tongue confess…” So forget about it, there is no where you can go and God not know.

I tell you doing the right thing in life take guts and priority.  But many people will not do the right thing because they think they have much more to gain by doing the wrong thing. Jonah thought the same way. God had given him an assignment to go to Nineveh. He was to go to this city and proclaim, “Thus saith the Lord,” because God was ready to bring down His judgment to the city, but Jonah decided that he wasn’t going to do it, just like so many of us, we decide that we will not obey God’s command so Jonah made up his mind that he would run away.  Jonah felt that God should just wipe out the entire population in Nineveh. His feelings were that they did not deserve to live. Jonah was determined that he was not going to the city of Nineveh so he ran away to Joppa for passage on a ship and found one that was headed for the city of Tarshish. He was running from God. But little did Jonah know that you can run, but you can’t hide.

I tell you just like Jonah we find all sorts of excuses not to obey God’s voice. But I want you to know that to God there is no excuse that you can give Him for not fulfilling the call that He has placed on your life. So stop with the excuses and stop running from God!  Change your excuses by doing what God has called you to do and run to Him.  Make up your mind to love the Lord with all your heart, mind and soul and to serve him.  Jesus said the only kind of love acceptable to Him is obedience to His every command – obeying His Word in all things and at all times! With that said…. Well Boo-Boo, it seems that you are out of options… You cannot run from God so you might as well run to Him! Fear God and keep His commandments for this is “the whole duty of man.”  This is man’s reason for being, his “prime directive” for his existence. And this is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge. The basis by which we know that we know and love God. Having taken “everything” into consideration not just from what may be observed in life “under the sun” but from wisdom given by revelation as well the conclusion of the “whole” matter!  In view of the coming Judgment – in which every work will be judged – Whether it is good or evil…  You can run but you cannot hide!

Scripture Reading:  [Ecclesiastes 12:13] [John 14:15; John 15:10; 1 John 5:3] [1 John 2:3-4; 5:3] [Proverbs 1:7; 9:10] [John 14:15]  [Ecclesiastes 2:3,9] [1 King 4:29] [Ecclesiastes 3:17; 11:9] [Acts 17:30-31] [Romans 2:16]  [2 Corinthians 5:10]

By Lue Dowdy

“Runnin’ Threw Hunnits” with Tipse SmashGang is WHAT IT DO Inland Empire! OMG! When it comes to having high energetic performances, mixed with a dope beat, and fire lyrics, Tipse SmashGang got it.

JayQuan is his name but he goes by Tipse SmashGang in the music field. Born in Los Angeles, Tipse discovered that rapping was his talent during his childhood and coming up in age. He started pursuing music during his junior high school days and ended up falling in love with it.        This talented recording artist is so focused. Tipse is currently working on a new project titled, “Coming from the Westside.” Tipse SmashGang knows the importance of teamwork and how it makes the dream work. He formed his own crew called “SmashGang.”

“No it is not a gang it is just the name of our team,” Tipse explains. “SmashGang stands for Stacking Money And Swagging Hard Getting Any Necessary Gwap.”

Some of Tipse’s musical influences include legends such as, Notorious B.I.G, Snoop Dogg, T.I., and Ice Cube. He feels their music was real music and would love to bring it back. With his fan base of all ages and all over growing like wild fire, he’s bringing attention to his hit single. “Runnin Threw Hunnits” and “Go.” Performing through Southern California and with artist’s like Yg, Snoop Dogg, and Bone Thugs n Harmony, Tyga, Problem, Nipsey Hussle, Joe Moses and many more it won’t be long before he gets that big DEAL.

Overall, Tipse SmashGang has worked very hard to get to where he is now and he’s not going to give up until he makes it to the top. The love of his three beautiful children motivate him every day. This artist has his eye on the prize. Check out his music on websites such as Soundcloud, World Star Hip-hop, YouTube and several other websites under “Tipse SmashGang.” 

Until next week L’zzz waaaaay up cause I FEEL BLESSED!

Guest Commentary by Manny Otiko, Special to California Black Media

I have several friends in various parts of the world. Sometimes when I talk to them, the first words that come out of their mouths are, “What the hell is going on in America?”

On many occasions, I’m too embarrassed to even answer. Last week was one such occasion. Two African-American men killed in Baton Rouge and Minnesota were the latest casualties in a string of troubling police brutality cases – too many of them fatal.

The situation has gotten so bad that at least three countries — the Bahamas, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain — have issued travel advisories warning their citizens about coming to the United States. Can you blame them? If you’re a citizen of these countries and you’re considering sending your son or daughter to college here, there is a very real fear that he or she could be killed in a random encounter with the police.

The United States of America views itself as the most powerful nation on the planet and the standard bearer of global human rights.  However, there are some major problems in American society, especially the way it treats racial minorities. This fact is pretty glaring when you look at the statistics.

More than half of the people with wrongful convictions who have been freed from death row are Black, according to The Innocence Project. The organization is a national legal advocacy group whose mission is to free innocent people who are imprisoned.

Results from a close look at New York Police Department (NYPD) data is similarly troubling. Those statistics reveal that even though the New York Police Department (NYPD) stopped and frisked Black and Latino men at a higher rate, White people in America are statistically  more likely to be found in possession of drugs and firearms. That is a problem.

America’s treatment of racial minorities, especially Black men, is increasingly becoming an international embarrassment. How can the United States in good conscience criticize treatment of citizens in countries notorious for human rights abuses around the world when police murdering African-American men are becoming so commonplace at home?

These cases are also compromising America’s status as a moral leader in the world. They have the potential to hurt the country’s tourism industry and may significantly impact the United States being regarded as the most-desired destination on earth for international students seeking  higher education degrees.

China, often called out for ill treatment of its citizens by the international community, cited America in a 2013 report on human rights abuses. The report stated, “If the United States wants to be the self-proclaimed human rights judge of the world, though China and most countries do not agree, it first needs to sweep its own doorsteps.”

Some international critics are even calling on the United Nations to investigate human rights abuses in the Unite States. They usually point to the mass incarceration of Black men; the flawed death penalty system, which has likely killed hundreds of innocent people; the American prison system, which is rife with rape, torture and exploitation; and extra-judicial killings by the police.

Historically, the legal and law enforcement systems have not been the greatest defenders of Black human rights. This has lead to a widespread  lack of trust and frustration among African Americans when it comes to  police officers and the courts.

Although cities seem pretty happy to pay millions of dollars to the families of victims of police abuse, those payments do not compensate for the lives lost. And they do nothing to repair the damage to America’s image in the world.

Baltimore, for example,  has paid almost $6 million to the victims of police abuse since 2011.

According to the New York Post, the city of New York paid more than $185 million to settle claims against the NYPD in 2011. Last year, the city paid the family of Eric Garner, the Staten Island man choked to death by local police, $5.9 million.

As famed NYPD whistleblower Frank Serpico said in a 2014 Politico article,”the police are out of control.” And they don’t take too kindly to anyone who has the temerity to point out their crimes. Ramsey Orta, the man who videotaped Eric Garner’s fatal encounter with the NYPD, was recently sentenced to four years in jail after being followed, singled out and investigated by the police. Feidin Santana, the man who videotaped a South Carolina cop shooting a black man in the back, initially feared coming forward. Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who has been called the “worst cop in America,” runs his county like a corrupt, third-world despot. Arpaio had former District Attorney Andrew Thomas target anyone who spoke out against him. And when The Phoenix New Times ran stories critical of the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Department, Arpaio had the paper’s founders, Michael Lacey and Jim Larkin, thrown in jail on minor charges. The charges were dropped five days later and Maricopa County settled the case for $3.75 million.

Additionally, police officers rarely face harsh punishment for their crimes. For example, former Bay Area Rapid Transport officer Johannes Mehserle served less than two years in jail for killing 22-year-old Oscar Grant in 2009.  

The legal system continues to turn a blind eye to the widespread human rights abuses of Black people in America. Until it does, America will continue to lose its standing as a moral leader in the world and diminish its authority to challenge human rights abuses in other nations.

 About the Author

 Manny Otiko is Southern California-based journalist who was born in Nigeria and raised in the United Kingdom. 

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- BLU Educational Foundation (BLU) will  host its second annual Soul Sisters Leadership Academy starting Monday, July 18 at San Bernardino Valley College.  The four-day, intensive training program is designed for young Black women ages 14 to 21.  The purpose of the academy is to help young women connect with the historical legacy of Black women who have made, and are making, significant contributions throughout society and the world.  In addition, the program is designed to help young women develop a strong sense of self, cultural identity, and a connection to the importance of civic engagement and the positive impact they can make on their campus and in their community.  

Believing that service is key to civic engagement, BLU utilizes program alumni, college interns, and volunteers to help design and facilitate the trainings thereby developing valuable transferable skills and giving program participants real-world creative and project implementation experience.  Program attendees are encouraged to take their experience back to their respective centers of influence and continue to create and lead.  Last year’s academy consisted of 36 young women from 14 local cities and representing 23 high school and college campuses.

  The Soul Sisters Leadership Academy is one of the many leadership trainings BLU is conducting as part of their ongoing African-American Civic Engagement (AACE) Project. 

RIVERSIDE, CA- History and art enthusiasts from near and far will visit Riverside next month for the Association of African American Museums Conference (AAAM) taking place August 3 to August 6. The AAAM conference will take place at the Riverside Convention Center, but a host of activities including some receptions are planned in various locations throughout the Inland Region.

A Gospel Concert will take place Thursday, August 4 at Riverside Community College Landis Auditorium, led by Gregory Thomas as well as accomplished musician, singer and song writer Tony Wilkins. A mass community choir of 100 voices under the musical direction of clinician Thomas will joyously lift up praises together at this special event. The mass community choir rehearsals will commence at a week-long gospel workshop, open to anyone who wishes to participate: Monday, July 25 through Friday July 29 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Park Avenue Baptist Church located at 1910 Martin Luther King Blvd. in Riverside. The workshop fee is $10. For more information contact (951) 807-5066.

In addition to the gospel concert, Visual Voice art exhibit co-curated by renowned artists Charles Bibbs and Bernard Hoyes with assistance by curator Lisa Henry will take place Friday, August 5 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Riverside Art Museum. This exhibit covers Southern California Black artists’ ascent to the mainstream, culminating with the Black art scene in Los Angeles in the 1980s and 90s. Works of 19 masterful artists who played an integral role in what is to become the first full African American Art Movement over the last three decades includes: Ernie Barnes, Varnette P. Honeywood, Bernard Stanley Hoyes, Charles Bibbs, Nathaniel Bustion, Synthia Saint James, Kathleen Atkins Wilson, Kenneth Gatewood, Charles Dickson, Joseph Beckles, Charles White, Samella Lewis, William Pajaud, Richard Mayhew, Artis Lane, Jacob Lawrence, Noah Purifoy, Barbara Wesson and John Outterbridge.

In conjunction with the Visual Voice art exhibition, a Block Party with a stage of live entertainment will take place Friday, August 5 from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Mission Inn Avenue near the Riverside Art Museum. Blues, Jazz and R&B performers will give a musical tribute concert to celebrate the early century era with special guests to be announced. Both the Block Party and Visual Voice art exhibition are free and open to the public.

If you are interested in being a vendor, volunteering, or for general information about registering for the conference visit www.blackmuseums.org.

By Chairman Matthew Nelson Statement

It is with a heavy heart that I offer my first official communication as the national chair of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE). I find myself in a difficult situation when responding to recent instances of social injustice. A significant portion of the revenue used by NSBE to fund scholarships and programs for aspiring, young black minds comes from corporations seeking to increase their diversity through their relationships with our organization. I hope this letter does not estrange them. However, our mutual goal of a diverse engineering workforce is unattainable when black students are more worried for their lives than about their lectures, and when black employees lose productivity over concerns of prejudice.

Over the past few days, the deaths of Philandro Castile and Alton Sterling have peeled back the scab that covers the septic state of race relations in America. These incidents are especially concerning given the manner in which they occurred: Sterling shot while being pinned to the ground, Castile while reaching for his wallet at an officer’s command. Although both officers will face investigations to determine legal culpability, the visceral reaction evoked is one of shock, fear and fury. The most frightening notion is that our compliance with law enforcement officers may no longer be sufficient for survival. Recent events have caused individuals who have made significant contributions to the advancement of science, technology, engineering and math to question the relevance of their education in a society that undervalues their lives.

However, the value of life is not exclusive to one race or one profession. The solution to addressing the concerns of our community certainly does not reside in the assassination of public safety officials. Incidents like the recent shootings of police in Dallas during a peaceful protest make a hazardous atmosphere even more toxic. Just as we are praying for the families of the black men slain, we pray for the families of the police officers who were struck down while in the line of duty.

The issues plaguing the black community extend far beyond police brutality. Unemployment, lack of access to services, underfunded educational systems, the prison-industrial complex, black on black crime, etc.: all of those concerns need to be addressed. However, we must not avoid confronting the ugly truths around policing in America. We must hold our elected officials responsible for the conduct of the officers who work on their behalf. A sheriff is typically an elected official. A police chief or commissioner is usually appointed by a mayor or city council. Research your candidates for government offices, and continue to voice your concerns once they begin their terms.

In addition, leverage your economic power to influence policy. Choose wisely when deciding where you will live and pay taxes. Make the choice to shop and dine in areas where black consumers are welcomed and appreciated, not labeled and harassed. Take note of the response from the LGBT community to North Carolina House Bill 2 and the effect of that response on that state’s economy. Circumstances will not change until the message is made clear: the unjustified use of force against blacks will be met with swift political and economic repercussions.

Times like these challenge our belief in justice and our faith in humanity, yet we still must march on, carrying the burdens of oppression, discrimination and hatred in a country that often fails to acknowledge our contributions, our place in society and our rights as citizens. Although these events have obviously rocked us to our very core, emotionally and spiritually, this is not the time for us to lose sight of our mission. It is imperative that we continue to expose our people to opportunities and encourage each other to strive for excellence, while engaging in meaningful dialogue about how to navigate today’s world. Cultural responsibility must prevail. For additional resources to help you focus your frustrations on positive outcomes, read the post “STEM and Social Justice: Applying an Engineering Lens to Social Change,” located on NSBE’s website (www.nsbe.org) in the Blog section.

If you take nothing else from this letter, please understand that as the leader of NSBE, I feel the same pain, anger, confusion and hopelessness you may be feeling. When one of us is hurting, we all feel the effects. I realize that NSBE cannot turn a blind eye to the needs of the black community. We may not be able to address them all, but we must be cognizant of their impact.

Toward this end, I have activated NSBE’s Culturally Responsible Task Force for our 2016–2017 program year. The purpose of this entity will be, in part, to respond to issues that affect black communities; to create a safe space online where our members can express their frustrations about racism without fear of repercussions; and to write reports that capture concerns about racism on college campuses that have active NSBE chapters.

We also encourage you to use social media and the hashtag #NSBESpeaks to continue the conversation about social injustice.

I pray for your understanding of the constraints placed on our Society with regard to activism, and I hope for the day when Black Lives Matter is a historical reference and no longer a current cry for justice.

RIVERSIDE, CA-Last Thursday, after days of rallied in the Inland Empire decrying perceived police brutality in the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, protestors marched through Riverside demanding not just justice being brought to the system, but unity.

Riverside residents Jeff Luckey, 22, and Anthony Curtis, 23, said that was the goal in organizing the march, which started at noon outside City Hall, continued with a march toward Riverside Plaza about 2 1/2 miles away and ended about 3 p.m.

“Right now nobody’s together,” Luckey said. “We don’t want this to be a black thing or a white thing, we want to develop a solution.”

There were approximately 75 people that attended the protest at the plaza. Some held signs and many chanted as they walked saying, ““Hands up, don’t shoot,” a slogan that has become a rallying cry for those protesting police shootings of black men.

Hennesy Brown, of Ontario, attended the march with her 1-year-old son King and her 9-month old son Angel. Brown chose to participate in the event to raise awareness in the community so that her sons won’t share the fates of Sterling and Castile.

“I don’t want my sons to become a hashtag,” Brown said.

By 2 p.m., the crowd at the plaza had grown to about 100. People were initially standing in the street in front of the movie theater, blocking traffic and forcing cars to turn around, but they moved when requested by police. “I love the diversity, it shows that its not just black people who are affected,” Brown said.

“I’m glad to see that Riverside does care about its people,“ May said. “The city has a lot of heart.”