Local

By Gloria J. Ingram

POMONA, CA- Heart and Soul Line Dance celebrated its’ 12^th Anniversary on Saturday, March 5, at the Palomares Community Center in Pomona with a Mardi Gras theme. Harriette Coggs Stuckey, Founder/Director of the line dance organization, welcomed new and experienced line dancers to the annual event, always held on the first Saturday in March.

The festive affair was sold out well in advance. An excited crowd started gathering at the entrance around 12 noon, an hour before the doors opened for admission. Many line dancers were dressed in green, purple, and/or gold…Mardi Gras colors, as well as costumes, including several ladies wearing a tri-colored tutu! Approximately 200 enthusiastic line dancers seemed to always rush to the dance floor as songs were played for popular and standard line dances. A King and Queen presided over the event. King Ulric Jones and his Queen, Jean Woods wore royal regali, both wearing a crown, he in a royal robe and sash, she wearing a sash, beads and gold fringed attire led the diverse crowd of revelers in a customary “Second Line.” The room seemed to reach a higher level of brightness because of so many happy, smiling faces. And, the floor seemed to reverberate as partygoers energetically stepped, pranced, and danced around, up and down the dance floor to lively music.

One of the many highlights enjoyed by all was a delicious soul food meal of BBQ chicken, red beans and rice, collard greens, and peach cobbler prepared by Executive Chef Terry Cleveland. Other highlights included, awarding gift cards as door prizes and a generous donation to the American Heart Association from the proceeds of a Money Raffle.

Heart and Soul Line Dance class members from Beaumont, Eastvale, Fontana, Menifee, Pomona, Rialto, Riverside, San Bernardino, and Walnut were well represented. The Line Dance Family at-large was also well represented by members of other line dance companies i.e. Jus Dancin, Marva Black and her L.A. Country Strutters, LA and Natalie Kelley, K- Stepmobile, L A. Others came from the Bay Area i.e. Novella Peterson, Shirley Jefferson, and Yvonne Carnelus. Congratulations to Harriette Coggs Stuckey for another stellar celebration of bringing line dance to so many throughout the Inland Empire and the San Gabriel Valley.

T’ana Phelice (left) at her event Lunch With T’ana and her childhood friend NaKendra (right)

By Naomi K. Bonman

LOS ANGELES, CA – Need a new book to read? Want to read a book that will not only hold your attention, but that is inspiring and powerful at the same time? Then come on down on Saturday, March 19 to Zahra’s Books & Things from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. to pick up T’ana Phelice’s books, get them signed, and engage in an insightful conversation with the author herself. Pigs & Pearls is $18, Bratty Tatty (for the kids) is $9, and JADED Diamonds is $16. So mark your calendars and let’s continue to support our Black entrepreneurs and keep Black literature alive! Zahra’s Books & Things is located a 900 N. La Brea Avenue in Inglewood

Patricia L Nickols-Butler, President, & CEO, CAPSBC, (center) & Members , Community Action Partnership Board of Directors, (not in the order named): Dr Margaret Hill, Joanne Gilbert, Nancy R White, John ‘Fred’ Sagoe Dr Joshua Beckley, William Anthony Ruh, Eladio ‘Eddie’ U Garcia, Deborah Robertson, Daniel Enz, Thomas Rice, Socorro Enriquez, Bob Lemley, & Tyneia Merritt.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- Almost everywhere we in the Inland Empire, whether via media outlets, social media, television, or through the windows of our cars as we go about our busy I.E. lives we see spreading signs of poverty,   social disruption and in some, a fading sense of confidence.   Who among us feels economically ‘secure’?
The Symposium identified excellent leaders and provided opportunities for their interaction, sharing, and support.   They dug deeply enough to expose not only the surface signs, but also the destructive interconnection of poverty’s ‘magnifier’, effects across modern lifestyles.   In today’s world, we depend on many and diverse kinds of knowledge, skills, and resources to advance common wellbeing. Join them !!!

RIVERSIDE, CA-  “Gurl…Ask Me Anything!” is an evening of storytelling and sharing, all part of a dynamic conference aimed at building authentic relationships to help women break free from the fears that hold them back from doing what God has purposed for their lives.

On Saturday, March 19, at the Mt. Rubidoux Seventh-day Adventist Church located at 5320 Victoria Avenue in Riverside, this amazing girls’ night out will feature soul-stirring praise and worship, spoken word, dance, a vendor expo, and inspiring stories by three women who will share how they moved from fear to freedom (#FromFearToFreedom).

Conference goers will hear from former professional soccer player, motivational speaker and author Jasmine Henderson. Her first book, A Broken Vow, was inspired by her life changing journey from virgin to single motherhood at age 25. Josie Aiello, a national recording artist, will share how she chose to leave a successful yet unfulfilling singing,songwriting career to answer “The Call” to sing for the Lord; and Dr. Sally D. Williams, an educational psychologist, author, and life coach, will speak on the importance of keeping your integrity when faced with fearful decisions.

“It’s time to have safe, open, relevant and needed conversations between women of all ages,” said Desiree Foster-Collins, president and co-founder of Excellence by Design.

“Gurl…Ask Me Anything” is open to women from ages 16 and up. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. for general admission and 5:30 p.m. for VIP premium ticket holders. VIP guests will be treated to a Meet and Greet with the featured guest speakers, an “Hors d’oeuvres Hour” before the conference, reserved seating, a special VIP gift and more. The program begins at 7 p.m.

Ticket prices range from $10 for students (ages 16-22 years) to $40 for the VIP package. There is also a special pricing for groups of 10 or more and an early bird ticket price of $20 that is available through March 12. After March 12 general admission ticket prices will be $25 per person. Vendor opportunities are also available. Child care will not be provided, and nursing mothers are welcome. For more information, to register as a vendor, and to purchase your tickets online visit excellencebydesign.us.

If you have questions about the conference, or want to know more about Excellence by Design (EBD) call 951-888-0398 or send an email to info@excellencebydesign.us.

Linda Jackson

SAN BERNARDINO, CA – In celebration of Women’s History Month, Linda Jackson, a senior certified housing counselor and branch manager of NID Housing Counseling Agency of the Inland Empire, is encouraging women to make personal financial matters a priority. Seasoned financial counselors like Jackson agree that one of the first steps towards financial freedom involves reviewing one’s credit report for items that need to be addressed such as errors or even unflattering information like late or missed payments. In response, Jackson offers a free credit education class that teaches consumers how to improve their credit score, avoid costly loan products, and enforce their consumer rights when dealing with debt collectors. The class also teaches consumers how to spot identity theft. One of the first places to discover identity theft is on one’s credit report. Research indicates that women are more likely to be victims of fraud than men.

“The importance of a good credit rating cannot be underestimated,” said Jackson. “As we celebrate the lives of extraordinary women this month, I believe this is the perfect time for all women to consider their financial legacy by becoming educated on how credit works. We teach valuable information that should be passed on to one’s children and grandchildren.”

Linda’s credit education classes are held in two Inland Empire locations. Pre-registration is encouraged by calling the NID office at (909) 887-8700 or by visiting Eventbrite and searching, Financial Fitness with NID. The classes are on Thursday, March 10 and Thursday, 17 from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Realty One Group located at 325 W. Hospitality Lane, Suite 100 in San Bernardino. On Wednesday, March 16 from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. the class will be held at Faith Church located at 9239 Utica Avenue in Rancho Cucamonga.

Gwendolyn Dowdy-Rodgers

ONTARIO, CA – Sacred Sistahs, Inc. will host its 8th Annual Awards Recognition and Scholarship Fundraiser on Saturday, March 12 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Radisson Hotel Ontario Airport located at 2200 East Holt Blvd. in Ontario.

Sacred Sistahs will honor three high school seniors with a scholarship. Akua Adeneke McLeod of The Webb School, La Verne, CA, Kennedy Jordyn Parker Tucker of Colony High School, Ontario, CA, both of whom have each completed the Sacred Sistahs, Inc. rites-of-passage program, and Nia Lynn Rasshan, also of Colony High School, Ontario, CA will receive scholarships at the start of their fall semester in college.

Sacred Sistahs will also honor several outstanding African American women who have significantly impacted the lives of others in the community including Dr. Melina Abdullah, Professor and Chair of Pan-African Studies at California State University, Los Angeles and Black Lives Matter Organizer, Shannon Kim Carter, Founder and Executive Director of the Nationally recognized Time for Change Foundation for her commitment to helping women and children, and Gwendolyn Dowdy-Rodgers, Founder and President Emeritus Young Women’s Empowerment Foundation and governing board member of the San Bernardino City Unified School District, for her outstanding contributions in the field of education. Carolyn Tillman, Special Assistant to the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools, will deliver the keynote address.

Sacred Sistahs, Inc. is a 501c3 non-profit organization whose mission is to empower, serve, and improve the overall health, well-being, spirit, and vitality of African American and African women and children by nourishing and elevating the mind, body, and spirit. For information on how to register, please visit www.sacredsistahsinc.org/news_and_events or call (909)910-7564.

SAN BERNARDINIO, CA- Love meeting new people? Do you love to eat and read? Do you need some inspiration in your life? The come out on Saturday, March 5 to the Denny’s at 702 E. Highland in San Bernardino for a day of inspiration with author T’ana Phelice. Come purchase and get your book signed, take photos, engage in empowering topics, watch a monologue performance, and of course network and grub! The following day, Sunday, March 6, T’ana will be a guest on Empire Talks Back with Wallace Allen at 10 a.m. You can tune in by calling 800-982-3197 (#100766589), logging onto www.kcaaradio.com, or tuning your dial to 1050 AM.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- The Buffalo Soldiers made a visit to Newman Leadership Academy last week where students were able to experience the rich history of the soldiers.

Perennial Sports & Entertainment’s CEO Lamell McMorris and Tanqueray No. Ten joined together on Wednesday, Feb. 24 to sponsor Alfre Woodard’s Seventh Annual Oscars Sistahs Soiree at the Vivienne Westwood Penthouse, attended by several notable and influential women of color in the entertainment industry including Rosario Dawson, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Aisha Tyler and Lorraine Toussaint.

The event provides an avenue for women of color in Hollywood to come together in celebration of their achievements and discussion of future opportunities in the industry. This year’s event is particularly poignant as the 2016 Oscars have come under immense scrutiny for lack of diversity in nominations. Woodard’s gathering aims to create a sense of sisterhood between invitees, acknowledging those who have been recognized by Hollywood’s most prestigious awards ceremony, and in her words, “in a perfect world, those who should have been.”

McMorris’ involvement rests on his ongoing support of civil and human rights initiatives and his aim to see these efforts pervade throughout the entertainment industry, and beyond. In his work with professional athletes, McMorris has seen the impact that young African American men have on their communities and sees the same reach stemming from these women. His sponsorship was inspired by this alignment and his belief that Woodard’s event provides recognition and a voice to a group that deserves to be heard.

“By setting the stage to empower women of color, Alfre has fostered a key channel for changing the tone toward minorities in entertainment, and I couldn’t be more proud to support her and the women here tonight,” McMorris stated. “Now more than ever, African American women are given a unique platform to be positive role models both on and off the screen and I have no doubt that the conversations held tonight will reverberate far past Hollywood.”

The high-profile affair attracted significant press interest with coverage in The Hollywood Reporter, Variety and InStyle. These articles captured the sentiments and goals of attendees through words and images, before doors were closed and the women moved to share their experiences privately. The coverage isn’t limited to the written word; US Weekly and People Magazine both shared images from the event, and HipHollywood released a video that compiles guests’ reactions.

The cast of “Underground” gather for a photo outside of the White House. Pictured left to right: Alano Miller, Amirah Vann, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Aldis Hodge, Jessica de Gouw, Christopher Meloni (PRNewsFoto/WGN America)

LOS ANGELES, CA- In celebration of Black History Month, the White House Office of Public Engagement hosted a panel and screening event for WGN America’s “Underground,” the upcoming original series, produced by Sony Pictures Television and Tribune Studios, set to premiere Wednesday, March 9 on WGN America. The February 22 White House event was attended by Senior Administration Officials including Valerie Jarrett, Senior Advisor to the President of the United States of America, who welcomed attendees with opening remarks about the powerful and gripping new series being a perfect fit for the Black History Month event entitled “These Hallowed Grounds and Underground Screening.”

Cast and creative team from WGN America’s “Underground” participated in two panel discussions that included executive producers John Legend and Akiva Goldsman, creators Misha Green and Joe Pokaski and director and executive producer Anthony Hemingway, and cast including Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Aldis Hodge, Christopher Meloni, Alano Miller, Jessica de Gouw and Amirah Vann, along with president and general manager, WGN America/ Tribune Studios, Matt Cherniss. The event was also attended by Peter Liguori, President and Chief Executive Officer, Tribune Media Company and Zack Van Amburg and Jamie Erlicht, Presidents, Programming & Production, Sony Pictures Television, as well as leadership from the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH).