Local

SAN BERNARDINO, CA-Authors from throughout Southern California have been invited to discuss their works, sell, and sign books at the Norman F. Feldheym Central Library on Saturday, April 23, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. 

This is a good opportunity to meet local authors and authors from around Southern California who represent many genres; including fiction, non-fiction, science fiction, fantasy, poetry, political cartoons, children’s books, young adult books, local history, and mystery. 

Over 30 authors, poets and cartoonists have confirmed their participation; including Al Ward, Alice Hall, Beth Winokur, Beverly D. Thomas, Carol Wright, David Brown, Elizabeth Briggs, Ernie Garcia, Fred Smith, Gary & Isabel Walbourne, Gina Rider,Herb Williams, Jeri Westerson, John Weeks, Judith Valles, Loralie Kay, Lynette Davis, Makeda Kumasi, Margaret Hill, Marilyn King, Mary Ruth Hughes, Michael Palmer, Mike Kennedy, Molly Jo Realy, Myron Portley, Nick Cataldo, Phil Yeh, Rhea Frances-Tetley, Robert Kirkconnell, Roberta Smith, T’ana Phelice, Terri Elders, and Victoria Taylor. Local non-profit group PoetrIE will have a table and will be doing readings in the Bing Wong Auditorium during the event.

This event is sponsored by the Friends of the San Bernardino Library. For more information, contact Program Coordinator Linda Adams Yeh at (909) 381-8238 or visit www.sbpl.org or www.facebook.com/SBPLfriends.

By Diana L. McKee

There are a few outstanding STEM Plus schools in America which has a near 10 years track record of success with their methods of implementing STEM + concepts within their curriculum.  Whether it be STEM+ entrepreneurship, STEM + internships or SSTEM + Project based learning, these schools have proven to be very effective when implemented and executed correctly.  Good examples can be seen by three schools in Ohio: ·  MC²STEM High School, Cleveland, Ohio, Linden-McKinley Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics High
School, Columbus, Ohio and Metro Early College High School, Columbus, Ohio

At MC2 they focus on project based learning.  Linden McKinley focuses on the latest technology with upwards of 1000 registrants in their school.  Metro Early focuses on real life science experiences with an emphasis on personalized growth and support.

To my knowledge no one has ever successfully argued that STEM subjects are not necessary subjects for college and ultimate scholastic success.  The true scholastic issue is how to weave in the other elements of education in order for the Students to develop the greatest potential for success.

By using models from successful schools, A charter school which is poised to be in Rialto this August is destined to be the next great charter school which successfully combines business, volunteerism and internships to create a 360 degree educational experience for all of their graduates.

Prior to completing their high school education they will have the benefit of experiencing all three of these additional elements to their STEM education.  Then name of the school is Transforming Lives Charter School.  The Location Rialto.  Status-Now registering 7th and 8th grade students.  Be a part of this school, and register your children now.

Chidera Okam

By Jamal Eric Watson

If colleges and universities want to find out how to best retain young African-American males, they may want to consult Chidera Okam.

Okam, 20, a senior at California State University, San Bernardino has some concrete and simple ideas that he says can prove useful in keeping young Black men in college.

The upper-class Black men have to get to the first-year students before they drop out of school, says Okam, an economics major from Nigeria who has plans to go on to law school. We have to target these young brothers and educate them about what college is really like.

Seem simple? Perhaps, but experts say that these kinds of high-touch examples go a long way in strengthening ties between young Black and helping them to graduate at higher rates.

For the past four years, Okam has been a member of the Student African American Brotherhood (SAAB) on his campus, an organization founded by Dr. Tyrone Bledsoe in 1990, that has been a forerunner to some of the more recent initiatives focused on African-American men, including President Obama’s My Brother’s Keeper initiative.

Since its inception, SAAB has expanded its national presence and now includes more than 200 chapters on college and university campuses and in middle and high schools across the nation.

Okam and about 300 other young men mostly African-American gathered in Dearborn, Michigan, over the weekend with their faculty advisers for the group’s annual national conference. Over two days, the young men networked and talked during fireside chats about a range of topics from mentoring to community building. They also heard from actors Lamman Rucker, Dondre Whitfield and Halle Berry. This year’s theme was, “Transforming the Mindset … Redefining the Narrative.”

“It’s been an eye-opening experience,” Okam says of his participation in SAAB. “I am really committed and eager to reach out and help others coming along.”

These men hug and embrace. They’re not afraid to use the word love. And they openly share their life’s challenge, as one young man did when he reflected on being suicidal a few years ago. Now, he says, he’s on a forward path and has no desire to return to those dark days.

That form of brotherhood has caught the attention of national funders such as the Lumina Foundation, which has been a sponsor of the organization headquartered at the University of Toledo.

Amadin Agho, a marketing and supply chain management major at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), is a junior and attended his second conference.

At IUPUI, there are about 30 students who are active in the SAAB chapter. They get together regularly to talk about personal and academic matters.

“It’s amazing to see so many young Black men who are driven,” says Agho. “It’s also good to see that the SAAB family is growing and that there are new faces joining the family. We are able to lean on each other for support and that’s a good thing.”

Jamal Eric Watson can be reached at jwatson1@diverseeducation.com. You can follow him on Twitter @jamalericwatson.

FONTANA, CA- In honor of our local youth, the Inland Empire Alliance of Black School Educators (IEABSE) presents “It Takes a Village” 2016 Scholarship Celebration, sponsored by Black Voice Foundation and New Life Christian Church. The scholarship celebration will take place on Saturday April 16, 2016 from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Jessie Turner Center located at 15556 Summit Avenue in Fontana. This event is open to the public with a $20 donation, but seating is limited. The Scholarship Celebration foreshadows the IEABSE annually hosted Inland Empire High School Black Graduation Recognition Ceremony (I.E. Black Grad).

The I.E. Black Grad is the largest High School Black Graduation Recognition Ceremony in Southern CA and will be held this year on May 14 at 2 p.m. on the CSU San Bernardino campus where over two thousand individuals are expected to be present. The Scholarship Celebration offers family members, educators and community members an opportunity to celebrate the accomplishments of local African American students. The scholarship donors are comprised of local organizations and businesses as well as individuals who desire to see Inland Empire students thrive in their educational aspirations.

Seniors from all districts throughout the Inland Empire were invited to apply for our “It Takes A Village” Scholarship Contest where winners will be awarded from $500 to $1000. Each application was evaluated on academic merit, community service, perseverance and leadership.

This year’s special guests include 47^th District Assemblymember, Cheryl Brown, and Fontana Mayor, Aquanetta Warren. There will be representatives from each donor organization and the high schools of the scholarship recipients. An anticipated highlight of the ceremony will be “The Reveal” where students will make final decisions on their college/university choice. For more information please contact IEABSE directly at ieabse@gmail.com.

Front L/R: Joyce Smith, VP Social Lites, Inc., Cynthia Wilhite, Social Lites,, Inc. Member and Chairman, Edna Wade. Back Row L/R: Zonte Walker, Julian Houston, Donovan Ferguson, Tyree Walk, Courtney Wilson, Terrance Bradshaw, Brigitte Shaw, Twillea Evans-Carthen, Linda Hart, Ariella Houston, and Madison Gill

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- Social Lites, Inc. under the leadership of Bettye Brewster, president, held its inaugural healthy living seminar on Saturday, April 2, at the National Orange Show in San Bernardino.  According to the chairperson of the event, Cynthia Wilhite, “Healthy leaving is a lifestyle that needs to be developed and practiced.”  Daily monitoring of healthy choices will help to develop a healthy habit in balancing, nutrition, exercise, and rest.

Brigitte Shaw educated attendees to pay attention to their mental health as well as their physical health.  Dr. Steve Wilson of “In Your Best Interest Medical Clinic,” was among the guest speakers who inspired attendees to work towards preventive care to avoid sickness and illnesses, including heart disease by way of making healthy food choices.

Healthy leaving is more than diet and exercise.  Rest and creating healthy habits is key.  “The life in front of you is far more important than the life behind you.” Educational information both oral and written were provided to all along with healthy snacks. Participants left the event expressing the morning seminar was time well spent in a relaxed environment to “Learn, Grow and Live Healthy!

SAN BERNARDINO, CA-      Mr. Donovan D. Ferguson, senior at Grand Terrace High School was recognized as Sir Knight 2016 at the 49^th Social Lites, Inc. Beautillion program among approximately 200 guests at the formal event held at the National Orange Show in San Bernardino on Saturday, April 2.  Mr. Ferguson has participated in this annual program as a “Page,” (elementary school) a “Squire,” (middle school) and now a “Knight.”  Also, during this Beautillion season, Mr. Ferguson held the office of president and was awarded “Mr. Congeniality” among his peers.   Mr. Ferguson will be attending Bendict College in Columbia, South Carolina in the Fall and will major in Psychology to work towards becoming a High School Counselor.

This year’s event included guest speaker, Dr. Edward Bush, President of Consumnes River College in Sacramento.  Dr. Bush shared with the “Young men of valor: from vision to reality” to be more than ordinary men, and that they should  strive to become successful men and an asset to society.

All Knights were awarded various scholarships and gifts to help with their future college expenses.  Congratulation to Sir Knight, Donovan D. Ferguson and all participants in the Beautillion program!

For more information for future events and activities, please contact Mrs. Bettye Brewster, President at bettyebrewster@yahoo.com.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA-During National Boys & Girls Club week, which was held from March 7 to March 12, Wells Fargo Cajon District employees participated in the “Blue Jeans for Blue Doors” campaign, a campaign that raises funds by allowing employees to wear jeans to work in exchange for a small donation to the Boys & Girls Club of San Bernardino.

On Monday, March 28, Shirli Driz, District Manager; and Deborah Smith, Community Business Relationship Specialist, presented a check for $1,255 to the Boys & Girls Club of San Bernardino. The funds were raised entirely by Wells Fargo employees.

By Naomi K. Bonman

For some time now, many African Americans have complained that there were no Black owned hair supply stories and that the Asians were dominating the hair industry. Through the midst of the complaints, no one was doing anything about it until now.  Two young entrepreneurs from Moreno Valley, California decided to quit talking and to be about it!

The Davis sisters, Kayla (19) and Keonna (21), have opened KD Haircare Supply located at 24453 Sunnymead Blvd. Although the city has a high population of Blacks, there is not a large mass of Black owned businesses, so KD Haircare Supply is definitely a major milestone for both the city and for other millennials who aspire to work for themselves and making a living while doing it.

We salute these two! If you’re in the area make sure you stop by and tell them that Westside Story Newspaper sent you. Also be sure to follow them on the social networks @kdhaircarellc or visit www.kdhaircaresupply.com.

Panelist Zumar Zamaan (back center) pictured with students who work closely with Dina Walker

SAN BERNARDINO, CA – – BLU Educational Foundation (BLU) launched a thoughtful dialogue this month with the community screening of the award-winning provocative news documentary, The Souls of Black Girls. The screening was held Thursday, March 24 at San Bernardino Valley College and included a post-screening panel discussion with thought-leaders from the Inland Empire Region. The panel also included local students who work closely with Dina Walker, founder of BLU.

Dina Walker, Founder of BLU, pictured with community leaders (l to r) Hardy Brown II and Jonathan Buffong

“Our objective was to provide a safe environment where the community could come together to discuss socially relevant issues facing African American girls and women,” said Walker. It’s important for all women to have a healthy self-image. We’re optimistic that this discussion will extend well beyond Women’s History Month.”

Panelists included Zumar Zamaan, a local writer; Dr. April Clay, a counseling consultant; Faith Ellis, an English teacher; and students Davina Clay, Raihanah Medlock, and Breanna Smith. They each shared personal experiences and how they’ve chosen to navigate issues such as family dynamics, dating relationships and public perceptions of black women.

The screening also served as a precursor to BLU’s Soul Sister’s Leadership Academy and Conference slated for this summer and fall respectively. T-shirts bearing the slogan #BlackGirlsMatter can be purchased to support the Academy and participant scholarships.

Produced by rising filmmaker Daphne Valerius, The Souls of Black Girls raises the question of whether or not women of color may be suffering from a self-image disorder as a result of trying to attain the standards of beauty that are celebrated in media images. The candid piece features interviews with young women discussing their self-image as well as social commentary from Rapper/Political Activist Chuck D, Actresses Regina King and Jada Pinkett Smith, PBS Washington Week Moderator Gwen Ifill and Cultural Critic Michaela Angela Davis, among others.
 

Dennis M. Brown

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- Memorial services for Pastor Dennis M. Brown will be held on Friday, April 8 at 7 p.m. at Temple Missionary Baptist Church located at 1583 Union Street in San Bernardino. Pastor Brown was called “The Voice of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.” When he would sing, members of the community caked him the Black Elvis.

Pastor Dennis was called home to be with The Lord on Thursday, March 24 at 4:35 p.m. For more information on the services, please call Bishop Leroi Lacey at (949) 705-8191 or Bishop Daniel Frazier at (909) 534-1383.