WSSN Stories

By Lue Dowdy

Aspiring Rap Artists, Sirr Jones is WHAT IT DO WITH THE LUE! OMG! So I met this dude via Facebook and it was all over from there.

The versatile Sirr Jones’ passion for all forms of music created his belief that, “Music is the soul of man.”  He practices this belief through his conglomeration of catchy and insightful tunes and at times hilarious freestyles. Hailing from California’s Inland Empire it was 2007 in the Tucson Desert where Sirr’s epic crusade began with small town hits such as “Light it Up.”

During his time in Tucson his stage presence and freestyle earned him the moniker “Sirr,” meaning all would have to address him with respect. Jones true strength is his ability to change with the mercurial world of Hip Hop and R&B, while maintaining his own distinct style. His high energy changeups and freestyles has also gotten the attention of many reputable artists, such as Lil Wayne, Kurupt, and Bone Thugs and Harmony, who invited Jones to be a part of different shows and acts. Sirr Jones’ passion and versatility only grows as he crusades to drop hits.

Not only does this talented recording artist make magic in the studio, he also has his own clothing line titled, “Multiple hustles,” because as we all know you gotta’ have multiple hustles these days in order to make it. Make sure to follow Sirr Jones on all media sites. Until next week folks, L’z!

By Naomi K. Bonman

The Tea Rose Garden in Pasadena, California was filled with such positive energy of women, young and seasoned, uplifting one another and supporting each other on their journey to greatness at the 3rd Annual Phenomenal Women Tea presented by LyLuLs Mentoring.

LyLuLs Mentoring, which stands for ‘Love Yourself Like You Love Shoes,’ was founded by Charmel Sanders has a mentoring group dedicated to the empowerment of young women ages 14 to 18. LyLuLs was launched two years ago as an event to provide young women with a safe shopping environment at Sanders’ shoe boutique called, “The Shoe Lounge.”

“As the event grew, I added guest speakers and partnered with the Art Institute of Riverside Fashion Club to provide the girls with life skills and self-esteem tools for success,” Sanders stated. “My Motto is, ‘Stepping up to help others Step out into Success.”

Saturday’s tea was MC’ed by Matumaini “Matu” Taylor who did an excellent job of keeping the afternoon flowing as she introduced each guest speaker and activity of the day. The guest speaker of this year’s event was Danielle Holloway. Holloway poured motivation and knowledge to the graduating seniors on how to succeed on the next step in their journey.

Spelman graduate, Sabra Marie, also gave the girls inspiring words through a spoken word piece that she wrote about the journey that we go through in life as girls coming up to womanhood. In keeping the creative energy flowing, the Epifani Dancers gave a dance tribute to the tunes of “I Rise Up” and Jimmy Soul Smooth serenaded to the young ladies with a neo-soul piece to show them how they are appreciated and to always know their worth. That wasn’t the only singing though, Jackie Coco-Ford did an inspiring acapella piece for the girls.

The afternoon ended with a raffle and an award ceremony for the mentors and mentees who have assisted in making LyLuLs Mentoring a success, and those who have shown great community service. Mentors of LyLuLs presented Sanders with flowers for her dedicated work to the community and said a prayer over her vision for the organization as it continues to move forward.

Again, congratulations to the graduates, Destinie Wortham, Taylor Evans and Christine Jackson.

Blacks in the United States continue to lag far behind whites in key areas of economic well-being like wealth, income and homeownership, a new report from the Pew Research Center finds. While these trends have been consistent for decades, what’s particularly notable is that these disparities between blacks and whites persist regardless of the level of education they attain, said Juliana Horowitz, an associate director of research at Pew. “Even when we only look at people with bachelor’s degrees, we still see these gaps,” Horowitz said. Take income. In 2014, the median household income for whites was $71,300 compared to $43,300 for blacks. But for college-educated whites, the median household income was $106,600, significantly higher than the $82,300 for households headed by college-educated blacks.

Click here for the full story

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

Our age is characterized by pathetic preachers and pitiful churches. Christ Himself gave this evaluation of the Laodicea church: “Thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, blind, and naked.” [Revelation 3:15-17]. The Head of the church [Jesus] was nauseated and said, “You make me sick!” You are a spectacle in the pulpit and a dis­grace in the community and need to be exposed for what you are. This was a church filled with self-deceived hypocrites. As a result of their ambivalence to spiritual things, Jesus would have nothing to do with them. He would “spit them out.” How did they get this way? [Jeremiah 14:3] says, “They came to the pits [cisterns], and found no water; they returned with their vessels empty.” The weeping prophet, Jeremiah, lamented, “They are not valiant for the truth… they know not me” [9:3].

Listen, you can’t put live chickens under a dead hen. There are too many preachers standing behind a sacred podium who have never been born again. They are spiritually dead. Their messages and manner of living reveal their inner condi­tion. Christ warned, “By their fruits ye shall know them” [Matt. 7:20]. Paul admonished, “But he that is spiritual judgeth all things” [I Cor. 2:15]. Don’t hate the messenger! I just deliver the mail….You cannot have the life of the kingdom of God until you have entered the kingdom of God. What you need is a conversion experience like that of Saul of Tarsus. You need a trip to Calvary. Let’s face it! Nehemiah was frank when he declared, “And, lo, I perceived that God had not sent him” [6:12]. Preaching is a calling. It is not enough to like to preach or merely feel that one ought to preach. There must be a holy compulsion that says, “Woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!” The spiritual plight of many ministers is found in the parable of the persistent friend [Luke 11:6]: “And I have nothing to set before him.” Job complained, “Miserable comforters are ye all” [6:2]. The Apostle Paul warned, “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradi­tion of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ” [CoI. 2:3]. Don’t get stuck on stupid! The religious world is full of un­sent preachers. “Wherefore wilt thou run, my son, seeing that thou hast no tidings ready?” [2Sam.18-22]

I tell you, there are a lot of windbags in the pulpit. Isaiah expressed the same opin­ion: “We have as it were brought forth wind; we have not wrought any deliverance in the earth” [26:18]. Jeremiah deplored, “And the prophets shall become wind, and the word is not in them” [5:13]. The writer of Proverbs states, “Whoso boasteth himself of a false gift is like clouds and wind without rain” [25:14]. Job declares, [13:4] “But ye are forgers of lies, ye are all physicians of no value.”  Shall I remind you that the Laodicea church is head­ed for judgment? “God says in [Jeremiah 12:10] you have destroyed my vineyard.” The Head of the Church, Jesus Himself, is nauseated with a flabby, flaccid, halfhearted church. It is dope ad­diction of the spirit, alcoholism of the heart, cancer of the soul, and blindness of the mind and pover­ty of vision from which the peo­ple perish.

How did you get this way? The Prophet Haggai put it thus, “Ye looked for much, and, lo, it came too little” (1:9). Isaiah gives the reason: “This day is a day of trouble, and of re­buke, and of blasphemy: for the children are come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth” (37:3). I tell you, the early church turned the world upside down. Today the world is turning our churches up­side down! Almost a generation ago A. W.Tozer wrote: “The preaching that once an­gered the atheists and brought them charging out against God and the Bible has pretty much disappeared. Hellfire, miracles, and the necessity that men please Almighty God are no longer a serious part of current Christian teaching. Christianity has been watered down until it is little more than “cheer-’em-up stuff.” We are so afraid of being nar­row that we have opened the doors to worldliness. Christ would share the grief of Jeremiah who grieved, “Mine heart within me is broken because of the prophets” (23:9). So many preachers these days are talking but not saying any­thing. The tragedy of today’s preaching is that most preachers give the people what they want to hear, not what God’s Word declares. Woe unto you!

So what can be done for pathetic preachers and pitiful churches you may ask? Consider the Potent Cure; “Begin at My Sanctuary,” says the Lord [Ezek. 9:6]. “Be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord,” declared Prophet Isaiah [52:11)]. “Carry forth the filthiness out of the Holy place” [II Chron. 29:5].

Listen, Christ said, “He would spew the Laodicea church out of His mouth.”  “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the House of God…” “The hour is late. The invitation is open by the Savior Himself: Repent! “Behold, I stand at the door~ and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door~ I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me,” [Rev. 3:20]. Don’t wait too late! The clock is ticking… Tick, Tock, Tick, Tock!

By Ronda Racha Penrice, Urban News Service

The roots of soul food run deep.

Mary McCallum-Stewart isn’t as well-known as Sylvia Woods, purveyor of Harlem’s legendary eatery, Sylvia’s Restaurant. But McCallum-Stewart also built a soul food legacy.  The Jackson, Mississippi native launched her own soul food empire in 1969.  Los Angeles’ M&M Soul Food Restaurant was inspired by her nickname, “Mississippi Mary.”

Although McCallum-Stewart passed away in 1998, her contribution thrives through various restaurants that bear some form of her name. They reach from southern California to Las Vegas, where her younger brother Ventress McCallum expanded the business. Her daughters Nicole Shaw and Debra Ratliff run Mary Stewart’s Southern Soul Food in the city of Rialto in the L.A. metro area.

“We had to learn by our mom showing us,” Shaw says of their culinary inheritance. “It’s not like us cooking by watching Food Network, by measurement. You can’t cook by measurement . . . We had to learn by our mom showing us, ‘This is what you do,’ and you cook by taste.”

Oxtails — cow tails, actually — are their most popular dish, along with greens, mac and cheese, yams, and red beans and rice.

For most, the term “soul food” harkens back to the 1960s’ civil rights and black power movements. But the term has a longer history, says Adrian E. Miller, the Denver-based author of Soul Food: The Surprising Story of An American Cuisine, One Plate at a Time. Shakespeare employed the expression in his first play, The Two Gentlemen of Verona. During early American history, black Americans used “soul food” in a religious context for centuries. Black jazz musicians created a style of play in the 1940s known as “soul food” that white musicians couldn’t easily duplicate. Soul food became most popular, though, during the 1960s.

“What happens in the ’60s is that ‘soul food’ as a term gets racialized and radicalized,” says Miller, also known as “the Soul Food Scholar.” “The Black Power advocates were trying to figure out, ‘How do we connect the very diverse African-American communities around the country?’ because what was happening in the rural South resonated with people to some extent, but what was going on in the urban North and out west was different. So they decided that culture was one of the best ways to connect people, and food was the great connector.

“[Also,] the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, by this time in the mid-’60s, had expelled all the white members. A manifesto of theirs was leaked to The New York Times, and that manifesto said that white people can’t understand things like ham hocks, brains, pig’s feet, which was news to white Southerners because they’d been eating the same foods for 200 years.

“So, at that point, in that decade, ‘soul’ becomes ‘black,’ and ‘Southern’ becomes ‘white,’ and we’re still living with the legacy of that today. So much so that African-American contributions to Southern cuisine have been obscured,” Miller says.

National Soul Food Month, observed in June, is in its 15^th year, says Charla Draper, a former food editor for both Ebony and Southern Living magazines. She now provides food consulting and public relations through her company, It’s Food Biz.

“National Soul Food Month grew out of a conference that was hosted in Chicago by one of the organizations I belong to, the Culinary Historians of Chicago,” Draper says. “The conference occurred in 2000 and 2001. The conference was called Grits and Greens and, in the second year of the conference, we created the National Soul Food Month identity, just really to help spread the word.”

Today some may view soul food as the unhealthy cuisine that black Southerners carried over from slavery. But the “unhealthy” assessment, Miller says, is untrue. “When you look at what people were eating, it’s actually closer to what we call ‘vegan’ today because there wasn’t a lot of meat,” he says. “[Meat] didn’t anchor the meal the way it does now.”

Food pioneer Edna Lewis — whose grandparents were enslaved — recalled in her revered 1976 cookbook, The Taste of Country Cooking, fried chicken was “a very special dish … produced only once a year in late spring through early summer” in her native Freetown, Virginia. Today, fried chicken is widely considered a soul food staple.

One main soul food feature never changes, however. “We just cook from the heart,” says Nicole Shaw. “We just cook from the foundation of what we were brought from.”

Minister Keith Pringle

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- Ephesians New Testament Church is hosting a FREE Concert featuring Minister Keith Pringle along with Special Guest: The Pentecostal Community Choir. The concert will be held on Sunday, June 26 at 5 p.m. at the church’s new location, Mountain View Community Church, 8833 Palmetto Avenue, in Fontana.  For additional information, contact the church office at (909) 823-2310 or visit www.ephesianschurch.com.

D’zyl

Big package with a lot of talent is What It Do With The LUE this week! I’ve always heard about the rapper known as D’zyl but never had the opportunity to meet him in person until this year through a mutual friend. .I was able to get ahold of his music and was like WOW! His flows and lyrics are definitely inspired by true Hip-Hop. Please take a moment to know more about D’zyle.

D’zyl 5k1 (Diesel 5001) born Daniel Edward Fromm, a man of German and Black descent, as well as a Gemini, fully understands duality and the nature of relativity, especially with music. He boasts of listening to literally almost all types of music and being able to relate and pull from those genres to help mold his own sound. Born in Hollywood, California but raised in a gritty place known as the Inland Empire, San Bernardino to be exact, he chose to never let his environment limit his imagination or dictate his future, but rather inspire it.

Primarily a hip hop artist, he believes that he should never be confounded by titles or barriers. He enjoys singing, of all styles, and will even try to sneak in some opera at any chance he can. With a novelist’s wit, he has penned songs for numerous artists, has written a book, and a few scripts. There is no limitations to what he can or will do.

One of his goals is, “to be one of those names that people drop when they’re trying to sound cool haha.” With the way things are going and the tenacity he displays day in and day out, that day will soon be among us.

D’zyl has opened for Chino XL, Planet Asia, Layzie Bone, X-Clan, Keith Murray, Percee P, Bomshot, Coolio, Dirty Birdy, Speak, Reverie, Big B of Kottonmouth Kings, and many more. He has several song placements in various films, has performed at SXSW and countless festivals, including headlining the first ever Community Fest of his city and being among the first rappers to perform at the National Orange Show, and has been in the newspapers and radio on more than a few occasions. He is barely scratching the surface and will continue to spread his therapy to the world in years to come. Make sure you check him out links are located at www.wssnews.com. Until next week L’z!

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: Whatever you sow, you will also reap.  If you sow to the flesh, you will of the flesh reap corruption.  If you sow to the Spirit, you will reap everlasting life. Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant [Galatians 6:7-8].  [Proverbs 4:14-19] says… “Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of evil. Avoid it, do not travel on it; Turn away from it and pass on…

The Apostle Paul places this warning in strong language, designed to make sure the point gets across without mistake.  It would be the height of foolishness to think that you are a match for the wits of God.  You cannot trifle with God. There is a caveat to the decisions of life and the choices you make.  Every choice has a consequence and every consequence is preceded by a choice.  It comes down to this, you can choose your choice, but you cannot choose your consequences.

The apostle Paul got down to specifics with respect to the pattern we should imitate, and the path we should avoid. He wrote; therefore be imitators of God as dear children and walk in love as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them (Ephesians 5:1-7).

I tell you, there is great value—and even the prospect of eternal reward—in taking the time to stop and ask yourself, “Am I walking on the right path? Am I headed toward a good end? Don’t be another Jehoram, [2 Chronicles 21] who knew the path to take but chose not to walk in the godly pathway that his father took. After all that he saw, he knowingly chose to follow the ungodly path of the wicked kings of the northern kingdom of Israel. And as a consequence of his choice, his end was the most pathetic and dishonorable of any of the other kings of Judah. His life story—and the end of it—is a great reminder to us that we must choose wisely the path we’ll walk before God; because—as invariably as night follows day—there are consequences to our choice.

I want you to know that in verse [12 of 2 Chronicles 12], it seems that the time finally came when God had enough of Jehoram’s unfaithful walk; “And a letter came to him from Elijah the prophet . . .” (v. 12a). It was a letter that had all the authority of a word directly from God Himself; and here’s what it said: Thus says the LORD God of your father David: Because you have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat your father, or in the ways of Asa king of Judah, but have walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and have made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to play the harlot like the harlotry of the house of Ahab, and also have killed your brothers, those of your father’s household, who were better than yourself, behold, the LORD will strike your people with a serious affliction—your children, your wives, and all your possessions; and you will become very sick with a disease of your intestines, until your intestines come out by reason of the sickness, day by day (vv. 12-15). I tell you warning comes before destruction!

May God help us learn the hard lesson from the life of Jehoram; and choose to walk—all the way to the end—the path that leads to life!

By Lue Dowdy

The winner of our 1st annual B.B.W. Model Competition and Fashion Show/Fundraiser is What It Do! Congratulations to the beautiful Dee Dela Cruz. All of the ladies did an amazing job and were absolutely beautiful. Congratulations to the 1st runner up Mrs. Porsha McCoy and for taking home the award for “Most Photogenic,” and congratulations to the 2nd runner up Mrs. Ayanna Eubank.

Our court is poppin’ with beauty and talent. Congratulations to Andrea Adams for taking home the “crowd participating award.” This wasn’t easy. Each girl had to attend mandatory workshops and promote at community events. The panel of judges had a hard job, but as we know it can only be one winner.

We are super excited to have Dee Dela Cruz represent LUE Productions! She came, she saw, and she SLAYED! Until next year L’z! Please follow LUE Productions on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Sacramento, CA – Today, to celebrate the 150^th Anniversary of the Buffalo Soldiers, an historic group of African American service members, Senator Tony Mendoza (D-Artesia) and Senator Isadore Hall III (D–Compton), Chair of the Legislative Black Caucus, hosted a reception in the State Capitol and presented Senate Concurrent Resolution 128.

More photos may be found at Senator Mendoza’s website: http://sd32.senate.ca.gov/150th-anniversary-buffalo-soldiers-honored-state-senate-capitol-ceremony-reception-june-6-2016

“I am honored to recognize the great accomplishments and service of the Buffalo Soldiers. These men made history by breaking barriers and serving our country with honor and distinction during war and peacetime under tremendously challenging circumstances,” said Senator Tony Mendoza.

“I thank their families and descendants for sharing their inspiring history and legacy with all Californians,” added Senator Mendoza.

SCR 128 celebrates the 150^th Anniversary of the Buffalo Soldiers, an historic group of African American service members established on July 28, 1866, by an Act of Congress. It was officially known as the 9^th and 10^th Calvary regiment and was comprised of former slaves, freemen, and black Civil War soldiers. The Buffalo Soldiers were the first African Americans to serve in the United States Army during peacetime.

During the latter part of the nineteenth century, the Buffalo Soldiers were assigned to Fort Riley, Kansas, and other areas of the Midwest, where they endeavored to maintain order between Native Americans and the settlers arriving in those areas, built forts and roads, patrolled borders, and protected mail coaches and railroad construction crews. When the campaigns against Native Americans ended in the 1890s, they went on to fight in Cuba during the 1898 Spanish-American War and served as Park Rangers in Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks.

Resolution:

Senate Concurrent Resolution    No. 128

Introduced by Senator Mendoza Senators Mendoza and Hall

April 06, 2016

Relative to the Buffalo Soldiers.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SCR 128, as amended, Mendoza. The Buffalo Soldiers.

This measure would honor the Buffalo Soldiers for changing the face of the United States Armed Forces forever through their record of unique accomplishments.

WHEREAS, On July 28, 1866, by an act of the United States Congress, African American men were allowed to join the post-Civil War army in special segregated units — the 9th and 10th Cavalry Regiments of the United States Army; and

WHEREAS, Comprised of former slaves, freemen, and black Civil War soldiers, the Buffalo Soldiers were the first African Americans to serve in the United States Army during peacetime. During the latter period of the nineteenth century, the soldiers of the 9th and 10th Cavalry Regiments were assigned to Fort Riley, Kansas, and other areas of the Midwest, where they endeavored to maintain order between Native Americans and the settlers arriving in those areas, built forts and roads, patrolled borders, and protected mail coaches and railroad construction crews; and

WHEREAS, Out of respect for their courage and fighting spirit, as well as for the dark curly appearance of their hair and the thick coats made from buffalo hide that these soldiers wore during winter, the Native Americans of the Midwestern plains honored the members of the 9th and 10th Cavalry Regiments with the nickname of “Buffalo Soldiers”; and

WHEREAS, When the Indian Wars ended in the 1890s, the Buffalo Soldiers went on to fight in Cuba during the 1898 Spanish-American War and thereafter acted as rangers in Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks; and

WHEREAS, The Buffalo Soldiers of the regular African American army regiments were among the first to serve as park rangers in the newly created National Park Service; and

WHEREAS, Approximately 500 Buffalo Soldiers from the 9th, 10th, 24th, and 25^th Regiments served in Yosemite and nearby Sequoia National Parks, with duties ranging from evicting poachers and timber thieves to extinguishing forest fires; and

WHEREAS, The accomplishments of the Buffalo Soldiers as park rangers include building the first trail to the top of Mount Whitney in Sequoia National Park, building the first arboretum in Yosemite National Park, and clearing miles of trails and building roads into the national parks for visitor enjoyment; and

WHEREAS, Colonel Charles Young, the third African American graduate of West Point, served as acting military superintendent of Sequoia National Park in 1903; and

WHEREAS, Despite the Buffalo Soldiers wearing the uniform of the United States Army, performing their duties presented challenges to overcome due to racial prejudice. Buffalo Soldiers serving in Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks had to fulfill their duties using perseverance and diplomacy; and

WHEREAS, During World War II, members of the Buffalo Soldiers branched out and formed into famous units, including the 24th and 25th Infantry Divisions, the famed Tuskegee Airmen that included the 99^th Pursuit Squadron the larger 332nd Fighter “Red Tails” Group, the 761st Tank Battalion of the Third Army, plus nearly the entire 92nd Infantry Division; and

WHEREAS, Due to Executive Order 9981 issued in 1948 by President Harry Truman eliminating racial segregation and discrimination in the United States Armed Forces, the last all black units disbanded during the first half of the 1950s, and, in 2005, the nation’s oldest living Buffalo Soldier, First Sergeant Mark Matthews, passed away in Washington, D.C., at 111 years of age; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly thereof concurring, That the Legislature honors the Buffalo Soldiers for changing the face of the United States Armed Forces forever through their record of unique accomplishments, which testify to their skill, discipline, integrity, and heroism, and recognizes and thanks their families and descendants for sharing an inspiring legacy that speaks to the sense of excellence, potential, and patriotism shared by all Americans; and be it further

Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.

Senator Tony Mendoza, a Los Angeles native and former elementary school teacher in East Los Angeles, represents the 32^nd Senate District encompassing portions of Los Angeles and Orange Counties. For more information about Senator Mendoza visit his website or follow him on Facebook and Twitter.

MISSION STATEMENT
“To help constituents and the community through courteous, friendly, non-judgmental service and to help educate and lead the next generation of leaders.”