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The West Coast Premiere of an ambitious filmed song cycle dedicated to the celebration of Black artistic voices, Breathing Free. One man’s experience with being Black in America, and the fight for racial justice…Still. Blake Hill-Saya talks about her biography of her great, great grandfather, Dr. Aaron McDuffie Moore, co-founder of Durham, North Carolina’s famed Black Wall Street.

The Broad Stage Presents The West Coast Premiere of
Heartbeat Opera’s Breathing Free

An ambitious filmed song cycle dedicated to the celebration of Black artistic voices.

Wednesday, February 10 at 7pm PT
Saturday, February 13 at 7pm PT

Featuring 9 interconnected music videos with music from
Beethoven’s Fidelio, Negro spirituals and works by Harry T. Burleigh, Florence Price, Langston Hughes, Anthony Davis and Thulani Davis.

Each screening will be followed by a live panel discussion with artists and advocates highlighting themes surfaced in Breathing Free relating to incarcerated populations.

Tickets and info at thebroadstage.org/breathingfree.

Heartbeat Opera, the radical indie opera company “leading the charge in online opera” (Parterre) with “groundbreaking” virtual content (Operawire) that is “hacking the corporate contours of Zoom into a postmodern proscenium” (Washington Post)—announces the West Coast Premiere of Breathing Free, an ambitious filmed song cycle dedicated to the celebration of Black artistic voices.

Breathing Free builds on Heartbeat’s 2018 collaboration with 100 incarcerated singers in six prison choirs, part of a contemporary Fidelio told through the lens of Black Lives Matter—a production that left Alex Ross of The New Yorker “blindsided by its impact.” Created in a time of George Floyd’s murder, a pandemic which is ravaging our prison population, and the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth—Heartbeat has curated a song cycle brought to life in vivid music videos, mingling excerpts from Fidelio with songs by Black composers and lyricists, which together manifest a dream of justice and equity.

This 45-minute “visual album” features three singers, three dancers, eight instrumentalists and a robust creative production team. Rehearsed remotely on Zoom, the cast has recorded their individual audio tracks at home, with the music team then layering the tracks together. Heartbeat’s filmmaker Anaiis Cisco collaborates with cinematographers to film the performers in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles.

The presentation will be livestreamed along with live opening remarks and post-screening panel discussions with artists and activists highlighting the timely themes surfaced in Breathing Free. Audience Q&A will follow the panels. Participants for each panel are TBD. The Broad Stage provided additional support for the creation of this work.

CREATIVE TEAM
Director: Ethan Heard
Filmmaker: Anaiis Cisco
Creative producer: Ras Dia
Co-Music Director and Arranger (Fidelio): Daniel Schlosberg
Co-Music Director: Jacob Ashworth
Movement Director: Emma Jaster

Director of Photography: Kathryn Boyd Batstone (Los Angeles)
1st AC/Gaffer: Celine Layous (Los Angeles)
Director of Photography: Jacob Mallin (New York & Chicago)
1st AC/Gaffer: Matt Iacono (New York & Chicago)
Associate Movement Director: Tamrin Goldberg
Arranger (Malcolm X, Balm in Gilead) & Associate Music Director: Sean Mayes
Stage Manager: Jessica Emmanus
Assistant Director: Mar Cox
Sound Editor: Gleb Kanasevich
Sound Mixer: Sam Torres
Music Assistant, Orchestra Manager & Copyist: Mona Seyed-Bolorforosh

CAST
Derrell Acon, bass-baritone
Curtis Bannister, tenor
Kelly Griffin, soprano
Randy Castillo, Tamrin Goldberg, Brian HallowDreamz Henry, dancers

Also featuring the voices of more than 100 incarcerated singers and 70 volunteers 
from six prison choirs: Oakdale Community Choir, KUJI Men’s Chorus, UBUNTU Men’s Chorus, 
HOPE Thru Harmony Women’s Choir, East Hill Singers and Voices of Hope

BAND
Jacob Ashworth, violin 
Marika Hughes, cello 
Miki Sasaki, trumpets
Kyra Sims, horn 
Thomas Flippin, guitars 
Britton-René Collins, percussion 
Daniel Schlosberg, piano 
Jason Thomas, piano

Prisoners Chorus features: Laura Weiner (horn), Nicolee Kuester (horn), Clare Monfredo (cello), 
Daniel Hass (cello), Euntaek Kim (piano) and Ben Cornavaca (percussion)

More Information:

Tickets are “Pay What You Wish” starting at $10 and can be purchased at thebroadstage.org.

For further assistance, call Patron Services at 310.434.3200 or email patronservices@thebroadstage.org.

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One man’s experience with being Black in America,
and the fight for racial justice…Still.

In a time of civil unrest, political uncertainty and the inability to produce on stage, Pasadena Playhouse has launched PlayhouseLive with Still., a very personal performance sharing the experiences of a Black man at a pivotal time in our nation’s history, commissioned by the Pasadena Playhouse. Written and performed by spoken word artist Javon Johnson and directed by Donny Jackson, Still. blends powerful imagery witty prose and beautiful lyricism in this timely, powerful theatrical experience. 

“This is an unprecedented time for our nation,” stated Danny Feldman, producing artistic director of the Pasadena Playhouse. He continues, “At times of national reckoning, the arts have played a major catalyst in sparking conversation. After the tragic murder of George Floyd and all the other countless Black men and women who have come before and after, the arts have been challenged to find a way to bring people together in a safe, socially distant way to talk about these issues. In that spirit, we launched PlayhouseLive, a nonprofit streaming platform, to use our art to speak to the nation and give voice to those in our community when it is needed the most. Still. brings support for the Black Lives Matter movement front and center; it is a  condemnation of systemic racism in our nation through Javon’s powerful words.”

When asked about the title, Still., award-winning artist Javon Johnson stated, “What I love about the title of the show is the way in which is calls for the fact that Black folks, that Blackness that the Black liberations efforts are still ongoing. That we’re still dealing with racism, racial inequality and injustice.  That we’re still dealing with the things that we thought, at least some of us, thought we were past. That we are still fighting. That we are still marching in the street. That we are still demanding for fairness, for equality. But even more than that, that we are still joyous. That Black folks still love. That we still laugh. That we still persevere in spite of the fact that some of the ways in which the world exists has tried to announce us dead upon arrival. But that we are still here living and engaging one another. That we are still giving the system graciously the opportunity to prove itself to us.  And even more, I think of still in the very biblical sense of ‘be still and know.’ That’s not a be still and know and not do anything, that’s to stand righteousness in the position that you are and just know that tomorrow will come. That something better will come with the work that so many people are putting in…still.“

More Information:

Still. can be rented through PlayhouseLive for $19.99 and is available. After the initial purchase, Still. can be watched on any of the PlayhouseLive apps including Apple OS, Android OS, Roku, FireTV and more. Closed captioning will be available in both English and Spanish.

Additional information about PlayhouseLive and its programming, including new announcements and pricing specials, is available at www.playhouselive.org.

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For Black History Month
Caltech launches Behind the Book, their new author series

Blake Hill-Saya
talks about her biography of her great, great grandfather,
Dr. Aaron McDuffie Moore, co-founder of Durham, North Carolina’s famed Black Wall Street

Monday, February 1 at 5:00 p.m. PT

Registration required for this online event:
https://events.caltech.edu/btb_blake

CaltechLive! is excited to begin Black History Month with biracial author Blake Hill-Saya as she discusses her recent nonfiction book, Aaron McDuffie Moore: An African American Physician, Educator, and Founder of Durham’s Black Wall Street, live on Monday, February 1 at 5 p.m. PT.

This event is the first in the Behind the Book authors series, which facilitates conversations with authors who explore the intersections of the arts, science, and society through the lens of family histories. Hill-Saya will be interviewed by Monique Thomas, program coordinator at the Caltech Center for Inclusion & Diversity.

Moore, who was Hill-Saya’s great-great-grandfather, was a physician, businessman, humanitarian, and co-founder of Durham, North Carolina’s famed Black Wall Street. He was a primary figure in establishing the city as the capital of the African American middle class in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Aaron McDuffie Moore: An African American Physician, Educator, and Founder of Durham’s Black Wall Street is published by University of North Carolina Press (May 18, 2020). It was co-written by G. K. Butterfield, U.S. representative for the 1st District of North Carolina, and C. Eileen Watts Welch, president and CEO of Durham Colored Library, Inc.

More Information:

Free and open to the public. Information at events.caltech.edu

Advance Zoom webinar registration is required.
Register at: https://events.caltech.edu/btb_blake

San Bernardino City Unified School District (SBCUSD) knows that some students and families are still adjusting to distance learning. To help support students, SBCUSD has been offering a free, virtual CAPS Expanded Learning experience that includes homework assistance every school day.

Although different from in-person CAPS, the virtual program continues to offer educational support for students of all ages and academic levels. In addition to homework assistance, CAPS staff provide students with fun enrichment activities that can be especially beneficial for students’ emotional and mental health during the COVID lockdowns.

CAPS sessions begin at 2:30 p.m. for middle school students and select high school students and at 3:30 p.m. for elementary school students, with homework assistance offered from 5 to 6 p.m. After logging in, students directed toward Zoom breakout sessions to provide support geared toward their needs.

Every week, students should receive an invitation with a Zoom meeting link via Google Classroom sent to their District-provided email address. Each school provides its own CAPS Zoom link, so students need to check their own email address for the link and not just use a sibling’s meeting link. “Join CAPS” will be in the email subject line.

For more information, visit https://sbcusd.com/district_offices/student_services/caps.

April 28, 1934-January 20, 2021

Dr. Amos Isaac, a retired educator and lifelong community leader, passed away at the age of 86. Final arrangements are entrusted to the care of Tillman Riverside Mortuary. Visitation will be at Tillman Riverside Mortuary on Thursday, February 11, 2021 from 10 am to 11 am. Due to COVID gathering restrictions, no more than 25 individuals may attend. Private graveside services will be held on February 11, 2021, at Riverside National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be sent to New Hope Missionary Baptist Church’s Scholarship Fund at 1575 West 17th St, San Bernardino, CA 92411. Tillman Riverside Mortuary 2874 Tenth St, Riverside, CA 92507. For more information, please call 951-682-6433.

Sacramento – AssemblyMajority Leader Eloise Gómez Reyes (D -San Bernardino) introduced AB 412 which establishes a new commission to oversee the status of human rights within the state of California. The California Commission on Human Rights would provide oversight and policy recommendations aimed to protect the human rights of all Californians.   

“California has been a long time leader in the advancement of social justice thus making the establishment of this commission consistent with the ideals that have made California home to people from all over the United States and across the world.   California has often led the nation in establishing legal protections that safeguard the dignity and human rights of the state’s population.”  Majority Leader Reyes continued “AB 412 will ensure that we hold ourselves accountable as a state to meet the ideals that are so important to all of us.”

“The Council on American Islamic Relations – California (CAIR-CA) is excited to co-sponsor, and are grateful for Majority Leader Reyes’s leadership, on this monumental legislation.  The creation of the California Commission on Human Rights will ensure that California is constantly prioritizing the human rights of Californians across the state.  The advisory body is one big step to ensuring California’s most vulnerable continue to be prioritized.” – Hussam Ayloush, CEO

“The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA) is proud to stand as a co-sponsor on AB 412 which will create the California Commission on Human Rights – a commission that will uplift the voices and needs of California’s diverse communities.  The advisory body will go a long way in ensuring that California can lead the way in promoting and protecting everyone’s human rights.” – Joseph Villela, Director of Policy & Advocacy

AB 412 would create the first statewide effort to review the status of human rights in the state of California on an ongoing basis.   The Commission would be tasked with creating regular reports, identifying human rights abuses and concerns, developing policy recommendations and advocate for them accordingly. This commission is crucial to protect and ensure human rights for all.

When Sidney and Essie Herndon welcomed their firstborn child in the spring before America entered World War II, they gave the glory to God and began pouring their love and attention into raising little Sidney in the small town they called home.

What the young couple may not have realized is that their son would usher in an extraordinary family legacy. That he would make history and distinguish himself as an outstanding leader and advocate, remarkable innovator, fount of soft-spoken wisdom, and exemplar of Black dignity and achievement before it was commonly recognized and celebrated.

Sidney Frederick Herndon was born March 30, 1941 in Broken Bow, Oklahoma. He was known as a precocious child who was always ready to accept the most adult responsibilities — a standing in life that was encapsulated in his parents’ decision to move west while Sidney was a student at Bing High School in Ada, Oklahoma: hardly old enough to possess a license, the teenager drove what had become a very large family most of the way to California.

The Herndons put down roots in San Bernardino, where Sidney — the eldest of 11 children — graduated from San Bernardino High School in 1957. He began studying to become a psychiatric technician immediately following high school, starting a lifelong career in mental health that began at Patton State Hospital and led to a decade at Camarillo State Hospital, where he became nursing coordinator; and then spent five years as program director, and then spent five years as program director for acute psychiatric patients at Metropolitan State Hospital in Norwalk. Along the way, he earned degrees from Antioch University and the University of the Pacific.

In the summer of 1980, at the age of 39, Sidney became the first African-American in California history named executive director of a state mental hospital — when he assumed the post on an acting basis at Metropolitan. On December 22 of that year, he was named executive director of Atascadero State Hospital, a 1,263-bed facility in San Luis Obispo County. Each hospital he led achieved accreditation.

After retiring from the State of California, Sidney moved to the Midwest and served as deputy director of hospital services in the State of Ohio.

Sidney’s approach to serving people with mental illness and supporting their caregivers was captured in remarks he gave to the San Bernardino Sun newspaper in 1980 — as he advocated for more community-based psychiatric clinics to treat mental illness at earlier stages and possibly prevent hospitalizations.

“State hospitals have a stigma about them,” he said, “and what I would like to do is take it (treatment) into the community and normalize it.”

Outside of his historic career and phenomenal record of professional and community leadership, Sidney never lost sight of what always meant most to him: family. While he was living in Oxnard, his parents entrusted him with caring for two teenage siblings — Willie and Ruben — eager to learn the ways of the world from their older brother.

Fatherhood came naturally to him, and his 1962 marriage to Gayle Cole was blessed with two children, Tina and Eric. He married Caroline Rotherman in [YEAR], a union that brought Timothy, Catherine and Elizabeth into their loving family.

Sidney enjoyed traveling with his family, especially trips to campgrounds with his children. He was a master of the motor home, and once took his parents on a memorable road trip to their Oklahoma hometown to visit relatives and reminisce.

After retiring from the State of Ohio, Sidney and his wife of 15 years, Hazel Simonette Herndon, lived in Trinidad before moving to Corona, California at the end of 2019.

Throughout his life, Sidney modeled a quiet strength and generous spirit that influenced, motivated, and sustained countless people and touched generations of lives.

After his father’s passing, Sidney took his role as family patriarch to heart: he was known to never miss a major function or moment in the lives of his loved ones. He took every occasion as an opportunity to exemplify the values he held dear: Put family at the center. Act with kindness. Be present for one another’s sake. Thoughtfully show what it really means to take care of each other. Lead quietly and confidently with intelligence and grace. Never lose sight of how valuable your mere presence can be for the people you love and who love you.

He was preceded in death by his beloved parents Sidney and Essie; and brothers Brent Astaire Herndon, Freddie Lee Herndon, Willie Cullen Herndon, Ruben Coleman Herndon, and Jerry Lyn Herndon.

Beyond his children and wife Hazel, Sidney is survived by his brothers Myles Edward Herndon and Byron Duryea Herndon (Regina); sisters Beverly Ann Martin, Evelyn Margie Tahiru, and Ida Ruth Martin (George). He will be remembered by a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends who looked to Sidney as a role model, mentor, and style icon — and his memory will be loved and treasured forever.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— Berdoo is a powerful new film that follows the challenging lives of students in the San Bernardino City Unified School District (SBCUSD). It is a film that shares the stories of multiple students and their moving struggles surrounding school.

Berdoo ’s official, virtual premiere is Friday, January 29 at 5:30 p.m. The online watch party will include a live question-and-answer session and will include a special message from both SBCUSD and the creator of Berdoo.

Whether you live in San Bernardino or not, we invite everyone to view this documentary that paints a moving picture of struggle, perseverance, and hope. And, most importantly, Berdoo will give you a closer glimpse at some of the special people in SBCUSD who have dedicated their careers to education and their lives to making Berdoo, as we lovingly know this city, a better place for children.

The film was available for viewing on YouTube over the holidays and was viewed over 7,000 times. It has received an incredible response from the community and local organizations.

About Berdoo

Named for the moniker that locals use to refer to their city, Berdoo was inspired by research conducted at the Loma Linda University School of Public Health. The creator of the film, Nishita Matangi, and her team collaborated with the San Bernardino City Unified School District to look into the barriers to attendance among high school students in the school district. While gathering data, through interviews and focus groups, they heard the stories of resilience in both the students and the community as a whole. These stories weren’t reflected by the data and headlines they saw while conducting background research on San Bernardino. They knew the stories needed to be shared and conversations about a film began.

Matangi pitched Berdoo for a project in a program she was attending at Harvard Medical School called Media and Medicine. She then continued the production as part of the practicum requirements for her master’s degree in Public Health at LLUSPH. It was important to her to create a space for the community to share their own stories, so she made sure everyone involved in the project (from the crew to the interviewees) were from San Bernardino.

The film seeks to highlight some of the struggles students face while growing up in San Bernardino, but showcase the programs and people from the school district that are trying to address those struggles. It also highlights the resilience of the community and the people that are a part of it. Throughout the years, and no matter the economic situation, the San Bernardino City Unified School District has continued to be a resource for the community. Approximately two thirds of the San Bernardino population is impacted by the school district in one way or another.

Why Berdoo :

“I was inspired by the people and their intriguing experiences and realized my initial negative introduction through data and articles didn’t reflect the true sense of the community. It was important to me that this story be told by people from Berdoo, from the crew to the interviewees,” said Matangi.

Every person has a story that deals with barriers within this community. Take the story of Minessotta Vikings running back Alexander Mattison, whose family didn’t always have a place to call home, and who saw friends struggle to keep up with school while working and helping raise their siblings. He found hope through his family, friends, and the teachers that invested in him; teachers like Mr. Hinkleman, who invested in Alex on the field, in the classroom, and beyond.

Watch the premiere at https://www.facebook.com/BerdooFilm/

What you can do to help:

The most impactful way anyone can help out Berdoo is by sharing the content and supporting the Patreon.

• Visit our website at https://berdoofilm.com to watch the trailer and learn more about the project and how to get involved.
• Join our Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/berdoofilm
• Donate or volunteer your time by visiting https://makinghope.org/berdoo/

Producer Bio:

Nishita Matangi has her Masters in Public Health and runs her own health communications consulting business She takes on projects like Berdoo to create platforms for community voices and to make public health information accessible and relatable. While researching chronic absenteeism among San Bernardino City Unified School District high school students, the stories she and her team heard during focus groups and interviews inspired her to share the stories of resilience in the community. She pitched the idea for Berdoo for a post-graduate program, “Media and Medicine” at Harvard Medical School. Over a year later, she hopes the film will shed a positive light on the resilient community.

The Board of Supervisors today announced that all San Bernardino County residents ages 65 and over are now eligible to be vaccinated against COVID-19.  

“We know that our seniors are the most vulnerable to serious illness and death if they contract COVID-19 and we want to get them vaccinated as quickly as possible,” said Board of Supervisors Chairman
Curt Hagman. “We ask the community for patience as we continue to receive doses from the State of California to serve our senior population and as we continue to vaccinate health care workers.”

Vaccine supplies from the State are scarce, so appointments are limited. County residents 65 and over can make appointments through https://sbcovid19.com/vaccine/. Seniors can also sign up for email and text notifications to receive alerts about vaccination opportunities and other vaccination news through the “65+ Vaccine Notification Sign Up” link at https://sbcovid19.com/vaccine/.

Those who need assistance with appointments or signing up for notifications can call the COVID-19 hotline from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at (909) 387-3911.

Also coming soon to accommodate all vaccination tiers, especially those individuals 65 and older, are a variety of new options for county residents to receive the vaccine to compliment the sites already in place.  These include mobile vaccination units to serve residents with travel challenges, including seniors and residents in the most remote areas of the 20,000-square-mile county, community-based vaccination sites similar to the many county testing sites, through partnerships with local clinics and healthcare providers. In addition, a super-site for vaccinations will be announced soon.

Vaccinations for County residents 65 and over are available within Phase 1A of the Vaccination Roadmap, which includes all front-line health care workers. Appointments are available with equal priority to both populations.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA—-On Friday, January 22 the Young Visionaries will be hosting a Virtual Talent Search. The show will begin at 6 p.m. and is open to youth ages 14 to 17. There will be cash prizes for 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd places ranging from $50 to $250.

The event will be hosted by I AM VanSwan, Miss Teen California US Alana Morgan, NFK Philadelphia Eagles Cheerleader Tamia Casey, and Gabriel Cannon.

The deadline to submit is January 8. If you miss the deadline, you may still be able to submit by sending your videos to iamvanswan@yvyla-ie.org.

The event will be hosted on Zoom via US02WEB.ZOOM.US/J/81117334150.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA—- On Monday, January 18 at 9 a.m. the Inland Empire African American Churches –IECAAC will celebrate the 41st Annual Dr. Martin Luther King. Jr. Prayer Breakfast. This year they will continue the tradition of the dreamer, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. through a virtual celebration. This year’s theme is “Embracing the Dream” found in Ecclesiastes 3:5.

The keynote speaker this year is Dr. Bishop Kenneth Ulmer. The event will be hosted by inspirational comedian, Lester Barrie. There will be a special performance by Stellar and Grammy Award Nominee, Brent Jones, and other guest performances. There will also be an award presentation for those individuals that excelled and showed concern and commitment helping to others.

To register for the event and receive access information, please visit: bit.ly/mlkcelebration2021. Or visit IECAAC website at www.iecaac.org.

The Inland Empire Concerned African American Churches thank you in advance for the prayers and support. If you have any questions, please call at 909-494-7036. At the conclusion of the event the MLK prayer breakfast committee will proceed to the MLK Jr. statue to lay the honorary wreath. It’s a day on, not a day off.  Please wear a mask, and social distance. Amen!

TAIWAN STRAIT—- Ensign Elijah Jones, from San Bernardino, California, plots on a maneuvering board in the combat information center as the guided-missile destroyer USS Curtis Wilbur (DDG 54) conducts routine operations. Curtis Wilbur is forward-deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific.