WSSN Stories

Johnnie Fountain and Cindy Cotter

By Lue Dowdy

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK (ENN)— Breast Cancer Survivors Johnnie Fountain and Cindy Cotter is What it Do! It gives me pleasure to be able to feature such strong, brave and beautiful women.

Johnnie Fountain, the fighter, currently resides in the city of San Jacinto. She works as a Social Worker Supervisor Practitioner. This Queen kept it moving and never stopped. Giving back and working in her community gives her pleasure because she loves working with people. Her hobbies consist of reading and working in the ministry.

Cindy Cotter is a single mother and esteemed professor at Cal State San Bernardino. She has been there for over 20 years and is a fighter and a survivor. She valiantly fought against Stage IV metastatic breast cancer, through intense chemo and radiation. She was able to beat the disease and has been surviving and thriving for over 10 years. She enjoys karate, gardening, working with animals, being active in the United Methodist church and spending time with her kids and grandkids.

Education is vital not just for women, but for men as well. It’s important to get checkups regularly. Mammograms are needed to detect early signs of breast cancer. Mammograms can spot breast cancer before a lump can be felt. Please take care of your health and get tested. Until next week L’s!

By Naomi K. Bonman

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK (ENN)— Come dressed in your nines or at least dress to impress on Saturday, November, 3, for the premiere of Gospel Recording Artist Sherri Bryant’s video, “It’s My Time”. The premiere will be taking place at the classic and renowned Barnsdell Gallery Theater located at 4800 Hollywood Blvd. in Los Angeles.

It will definitely be a classy affair, so come photo op ready! Comedian John Hill will also be in the building to keep the guest entertained and the night flowing as the evening’s MC. Tickets for this event are just $10 and can be purchased via PayPal to sherribryant6@gmail.com, Cashapp to $sherribryant or itsmytime2018.eventbrite.com.

We also got to chat with Ms. Sherri where she explained the inspiration behind the video and what to except the night of the premiere.

By Lou Coleman-Yeboah

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK (ENN)— I Give Myself Away, so You can use me ….Here I am, here I stand… Lord, my life is in Your hands… Lord, I’m longing to see Your desires revealed in me… Take my heart; take my life, as a living sacrifice. All my dreams, all my plans… Lord, I place them in your hands.  I give myself away… Here I am to worship, here I am to bow down, Here I am to say that, You’re my God, You’re altogether lovely, altogether worthy, altogether wonderful to me.  I Give Myself Away…” [William McDowell]

When we recognize what God has done for us through his Son Jesus Christ, THE ONLY RESPONSE is to give ourselves completely to Him. Where would we be without God’s love and forgiveness? Where would we be without God’s presence in our lives? We have all sinned and deserve God’s judgment. God, the Father, sent His only Son to satisfy that judgment for those who believe in Him. Jesus, the creator and eternal Son of God, who lived a sinless life, loves us so much that He died for our sins, taking the punishment that we deserve… I ask you; What shall we render to the LORD for all His benefits towards us?

I urge you; Paul said, in view of God’s mercy, offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove, what is good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”  [Romans 12:1].

What shall we render to the LORD for all His goodness toward us?

We should lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord. We should fulfill our vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people. We should sacrifice a thanksgiving offering to Him…. [Psalms 116:12-19].

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.

“For thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.” [Mark 12:30].

Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for Your Great Grace towards me. You love me with an everlasting love. You look beyond my faults, failures and flaws, and you choose to use me anyway; by Your grace, for Your glory. So I give myself over to You. I hold NOTHING BACK! I give You all of me. Everything I give to You. There is no area of my life that is off-limits to You. I refuse to keep things from you any longer. I refuse to hold back certain things, like I used to. There was a time when I was not completely committed to You, but that time is over. I die to me. I decrease that You may increase in me. I minimize me, that You may maximize Yourself IN and THROUGH ME. I withhold nothing from you and I declare You will withhold nothing from me! I give myself completely to You and You give yourself completely to me. I draw near to You and You draw near to me. I humble myself and You exalt me. I lay before Your feet and You lift me up! I offer myself as a living sacrifice before You, and You open doors for me in this season that no man can shut. You also shut doors for me that no man can open. I give myself to you on a greater level and You pour out Your grace on me on a greater level. In this season I will experience Your Grace like never before, because You want to bless me and I WITHHOLD NOTHING from You! I declare this by faith. In Jesus name. Amen.

“All to Jesus I surrender, All to Him I freely give; I will ever love and trust Him, In His presence daily live. I surrender all, I surrender all. All to Thee, my blessed Savior, I surrender all. All to Jesus I surrender, Humbly at His feet I bow, Worldly pleasures all forsaken; Take me, Jesus, take me now. All to Jesus I surrender, Make me, Savior, wholly Thine; Let me feel Thy Holy Spirit, Truly know that Thou art mine. All to Jesus I surrender, Lord, I give myself to Thee; Fill me with Thy love and power, Let Thy blessing fall on me. All to Jesus I surrender, now I feel the sacred flame. Oh, the joy of full salvation! Glory, glory to His name!” [I Surrender All – Israel Houghton].

“I Surrender All to You, Everything I Give to You… Withholding Nothing, Withholding Nothing…” [William McDowell]

By Aubry Stone, California Black Media

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK (ENN)—- African Americans usually vote overwhelmingly for the Democratic Party, but that doesn’t mean they are always in line with Democratic state issues. Findings from a recent poll of 1,200 African American voters conducted by Evitarus, a public opinion research firm released new data that shares insight into black voters in California.

The California African American Policy Priorities Survey (CAPPS) poll was commissioned by the African American Voter Registration, Education and Participation (AAVREP) Project. The group’s mission is to increase African American and urban voter registration, education, and civic participation.

The survey questioned people via cell phone, landline, and the Internet. However, 82 percent of the responders completed their answers online.

According to the survey, 65 percent of African Americans are in favor of Proposition 10, a measure that supports affordable housing. However, a third of black voters were in favor of repealing the gas tax. This law was passed by Gov. Jerry Brown and opposed by Republicans. Republicans also support Proposition 6, which would repeal the gas tax.

In the gubernatorial race, African Americans favored Democrat Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Newsom has made affordable housing one of the central issues of his campaign.

“We’re experiencing a housing affordability crisis, driven by a simple economic argument,” said Newsom, according to his campaign website. “California is leading the national recovery, but it’s producing far more jobs than homes. Providing adequate housing is fundamental to growing the state’s economy.”

The survey showed that 34 percent of black voters had a very favorable view of Newsom, while only 5 percent of them had a very favorable view of Republican gubernatorial candidate John Cox. Cox is in favor of repealing the gas tax.  He also says that California’s many taxes make the state unaffordable for working families.

“California’s sky-high sales taxes, vehicle license fees, and the highest gasoline taxes in the nation are a major reason so many families just can’t make ends meet anymore.  These high fees are a major reason California now has the highest poverty rate in the nation.  The most urgent need right now is to repeal the new vehicle license and gas tax increases,” said Cox, according to his campaign website.

According to the poll, African Americans followed a familiar pattern on national issues. The survey showed that about 84 percent of black voters had an unfavorable view of President Donald Trump. This is not surprising since he criticized former NFL player Colin Kaepernick and other players who knelt in protest of police violence. Trump also called African nations “sh*thole countries.”

The survey showed that 53 percent of black voters said opposing the Trump administration’s agenda was a high priority. African-American voters listed public education, eliminating racial profiling and holding law enforcement agencies accountable and expanding access to mental health as more important issues.

According to Shakari Byerly, managing partner, and lead researcher, the survey findings will prove useful to politicians vying for the African American vote.

“One of the strongest findings from the survey is the high level of support for Proposition 10, which is aimed at increasing the amount of affordable housing, by giving cities and counties the authority to expand rent control. Affordable housing is a top priority for black voters, so it is not surprising to see such high levels of support. However, recent research conducted by PPIC suggests that support for the measure is lagging among voters overall,” she said.

Byerly also said, “Black voters will likely determine the margin of victory in key ballot measure propositions and congressional campaigns throughout California. It is therefore imperative that we understand the policy priorities and preferences of this important constituency. Candidates and ballot measure campaigns seeking to win this November ignore the black vote at their own peril.”

By Wanda Hukares, Inland Empire Resident

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK (ENN)— Checking out at the store, the young cashier suggested to the me that I should bring my own grocery bag because plastic bags are not good for the environment. I apologized to the young girl and explained, “We didn’t have this ‘green thing’ back in my earlier days.”

The young clerk responded, “That’s our problem today. Your generation did not care enough to save our environment for future generations.”

I said that she was right — our generation didn’t have the “green thing” in its day. I went on to explain:

Back then, we returned milk bottles, soda bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles over and over. So, they really were recycled. But we didn’t have the “green thing” back in our day.

Grocery stores bagged our groceries in brown paper bags that we reused for numerous things. Most memorable besides household garbage bags was the use of brown paper bags as book covers for our school books. This was to ensure that public property (the books provided for our use by the school) was not defaced by our scribblings. Then we were able to personalize our books on the brown paper bags. But, too bad we didn’t do the “green thing” back then.

We walked up the stairs because we didn’t have an escalator in every store and office building. We walked to the grocery store and didn’t climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time we had to go two blocks.

But she was right. We didn’t have the “green thing” in our day.

Back then we washed the baby’s diapers because we didn’t have the throw-away kind. We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy-gobbling machine burning up 220 volts. Wind and solar power really did dry our clothes back in our early days. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing.

But that young lady is right; we didn’t have the “green thing” back in our day.

Back then we had one TV, or radio, in the house — not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief (remember them?), not a screen the size of the state of Montana. In the kitchen, we blended and stirred by hand because we didn’t have electric machines to do everything for us. When we packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, we used wadded up old newspapers to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap. Back then, we didn’t fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power. We exercised by working so we didn’t need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity.

But she’s right; we didn’t have the “green thing” back then.

We drank from a fountain when we were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time we had a drink of water. We refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and we replaced the razor blade in a  razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull.

But we didn’t have the “green thing” back then.

Back then, people took the streetcar or a bus and kids rode their bikes to school or walked instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service in the family’s $45,000 SUV or van, which cost what a whole house did before the”green thing.” We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And we didn’t need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 23,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest burger joint.

By Lue Dowdy

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK (ENN)— Author Bonita BoSweets Miree-Likely is What it Do! Please take a moment to read all about another brave Cancer survivor. The beautiful and talented, Bonita Miree-Likely. They call her BoSweets!

BoSweets has been on a writer’s journey for over 20 years. Currently she resides in Saint Petersburg, Florida. She was raised in California where she attended Cajon High School in San Bernardino. This is where she was first introduced to the arts and developed a passion for oil painting and poetry writing.

She’s the Published Author of “Louder Than A Quiet Storm”, “She Writes & Secrets of The Soul”, and “Shattered Pieces Made Whole”. Her work is being described as tear jerking reality, full of action, uplifting, conducive, thrill feeling, and powerful!

One writer says, “This was written for my soul”! This honest and heartfelt writing can be found in the St. Petersburg, Flordia Public Library, order at your local bookstore or Amazon.

BoSweets’ passion for writing was a way of dealing with life’s issues and coping in urban communities of Southern California. At first it was escaping, releasing bottled feelings and private thoughts. She later learned of cafés with the same passion as hers and began sharing with others.

Tapping into another passion, she taught and counseled at risk teens in supported living and foster care settings identifying areas of need, volunteered with youth through Cincinnati Youth Collaborative, Beech Acres Family Services, My Sister My Friend, as well as in the community.

Since relocating in Saint Petersburg, Flordia, BoSweets continues to be an instrument in the community through volunteering motivational speaking skills in groups of 6th to 9th grade students in distressed middle school.

Please remember that education is vital not just for women but for men as well. It’s important to get checkups regularly. Mammograms are needed to detect early signs of breast cancer. Mammograms can spot breast cancer before a lump can be felt. Please take care of your health and get tested.

Until next week L’s!

By Naomi K. Bonman

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK (ENN)— In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I wanted to recognize a true ‘shero’ of mine who is an extended family member, or as we now use the term ‘framily’. Niya Santos was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2016, at the young age of 24 and right before her 25th birthday.

Some may say, “Wow, so young!” According to American Cancer Society, women should start routine checks for breast cancer by the age of 40. Instead, they should start as early as possible because breast cancer sees no age. Despite being so young and a mother to three awesome, handsome and intelligent sons, Niya never gave up.

Finding her purpose.

Upon being diagnosed, Niya explained how she had found her purpose, which was to inspire the community. Her purpose grew even more after she was diagnosed with again with a harsher form of breast cancer.

On April 26, 2018, she was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer; it had also spread to her lungs. However, that still didn’t stop the fight. She fought harder and continued to live her best life and to continue fulfilling her God given purpose.

Niya lived out the purpose of telling others about God’s grace. She inspired many to get to know Him for themselves and to grow even closer to Him. She prayed for a countless number of people—no matter how she was feeling at the time, she would say a prayer for others. As we we’re praying and fighting the fight alongside her, she was praying for others as well.  She was living the testament of an unselfish life.

Niya gained her wings on July 16, 2018 at the age of 26. So, in honor of Niya the others that we have lost to the disease, as well as the breast cancer survivors, ladies let’s get our mammograms and educate others about breast cancer awareness. #NiyaStrong

By Lou Coleman-Yeboah

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK (ENN)— It’s easy to fall into the same rut in which the world runs. It’s easy to go with the flow and do as the unconverted world around us does. It is easy to adopt the attitude of Ambrose of Milan when he said, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.” Many Christians do just that. We adopt the ways of the world. We adopt their fashions, their speech, their standards, their entertainment, and nearly everything else they do. All the while, the Lord tells us that we are to be different from them in every way. “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing…”[2 Corinthians 6:17].

Listen, if we are going to emulate anyone, let it be the Lord. If we are looking for an example to follow, let us look no farther than the Lord God Almighty. As Christians we are told by the Bible to live holy lives that reflect the nature of God. We are to separate ourselves from actions, influences, or people that will hinder our service to God. We should be like a thermostat that regulates the temperature around us rather than a thermometer that merely records the temperature. Ought not Christian to be different? Ought not we to be distinct, separate, not the same, out of the ordinary, unusual? Christ was distinct, separate, out of the ordinary, and he called his followers to be like him. Listen, Holiness is not an option. It is mandatory.

Know that everything we say, and everything we do, must be governed by who’s we are, and by who we are. Granted, there was a time in our lives when we were no different from the world around us. We were lost like them. We lived like them. We acted like them. We talked like them. We did so because we were them. But when Jesus saved us by His grace, He transformed us, by His power, through the new birth, into a new creature, [2 Cor. 5:17; 1 Pet. 1:23]. He delivered us from the bondage of the old life. Now, we do not have to live like the world lives. We do not have to act, talk, walk, or be like them in any way. We have the capacity, through Christ, to live new lives that glorify and honor God. The warnings are clear. The Bible says in [Romans 12:2] “Do not be conformed to this world.”

The whole point here is that God expects His people to live a certain way. He has reasons for what He demands, and there are consequences for those who disobey. If we want the blessings of God to be on our lives, then we must live holy, clean lives to His glory. If we don’t, we will certainly face His chastisement. An important teaching in the Bible is about believers being separated from sin and the ungodly activities of the world as much as possible.  It is taught all throughout the Old Testament.   God’s people, particularly Israel, were to keep their distance from the heathen so they would not be exposed or tempted by the ungodly involvement in sin. For centuries, separation from sin and even the “… appearance of evil …” (I Thessalonians 5:22) were preached from most pulpits and practiced by most people. Christians lived differently.  They spoke differently. They dressed differently. They believed differently.  They acted and thought differently.  They were ashamed, as were their families, when they were involved in sin or even imitated the lifestyles of the unsaved. God has not changed one bit since He had the words penned in [Lev. 20:7].

With a clear command from the Lord, we are commanded not to partake of the world’s ways.  The world has one pattern of living; we who know the Lord have another. We are not to live like them on any level. We have to live among them, but we do not have to live like them.

“Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children,” [Eph. 5:1].  “He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked,” [1 John 2:6].

In the World, But Not of It!

As the late Billy Graham once said, “Christians are like the Gulf Stream, which is in the ocean and yet not part of it. This mysterious current defies the mighty Atlantic, ignores its tides, and flows steadily upon its course. Its color is different, being a deeper blue. Its temperature is different, being warmer. Its direction is different, being from south to north. It is in the ocean, and yet it is not part of it.

…”You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellences of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. [1 peter 2Z:9-

May the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. [1 Thessalonians 5:23].

Publisher’s Commentary By Wallace J. Allen IV

My brother/uncle/nephew/son, be careful! The chickens are coming home to roost!  We have sometimes/often/always miss-treated the women in our lives! Notice that I did not say, “our” women! I did not use the term “our” because that is the road to miss-treatment!  The women in our lives do not belong to us… They are not our property!

However, there is an attitude that prevails among some men, a secret society of “We Who Stand 2P” that regards “Those Who Sit 2P” as a slave-gender! The membership of that secret society ranges from the very rich and powerful to the poor and weak.

Their mistreatment of women is the common thread. Many men have paid mistreatment dues to the society and now, thanks to social media, the books have been hacked and all of the receipts reflecting payment to the club are becoming public knowledge.

The time/era that overtly embraced sexism has passed but the memory/damages of that treatment is in our world-face.  The last ditch stand to legitimize the society is being led by President Donald P-Grabbing Trump!

My brother/uncle/nephew/son, you are being solicited every day to maintain your membership in WWS2P!   President P-Grabber wants you to believe that sexism is alive and well… Don’t! Our war is not the boys against the girls… It is/should-be about good vs evil!

By Aubry Stone, California Black Media

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK (ENN)—- One of the great advantages of Proposition 64 – the 2016 ballot initiative that legalized adult use cannabis – was the idea that it could start to address the disproportionately negative impact of marijuana arrests among communities of color. This disparity is well documented. Just a few years ago, the American Civil Liberties Union reported that African Americans were nearly four times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than whites, even though use of the drug was roughly equal among both populations.

Prop 64 not only promised to reduce or expunge certain past convictions, it also presented employment opportunities in the newly legalized cannabis industry as a gateway to the middle class for many underserved communities.

As the head of a statewide organization that supports many minority-owned cannabis businesses, I know firsthand that communities of color are not seeing the promised opportunities of this new marketplace being realized.