WSSN Stories

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

Why did you let this happen? Why did you let that happen? Why Lord, why? I tell you we are always quick to ask, “Why Lord?” ”Why Me?” when it seems like things is going bad and we need someone to blame. Well I want you to know that playing the blame game with God is always going to be a losing proposition. I tell you many of us blame God for everything! I wonder though, do we ever think about the flip side to that coin! Why don’t we look around for someone to blame when things are going good? I’ll tell you why… because when things are going good, were always the one to blame, or take the credit. I did it! It was me…! Hello! But what I want you to know is that the accuser, Satan is the one who is guilty of condemnation, that’s all he does and yet he usually gets blamed for nothing. You should be mad as Hell with Satan; because he is the one behind most of the problems you are having; Most of the fear, worry, doubt, guilt, in your life. I tell you some of us come to church Sunday after Sunday acting like all hope is lost. We behave like Israelites living in a strange land. We exhibit the same defeated spirit as the children of Israel when we declare: “Praise the Lord, O my soul”… as long as everything is going well for me and…, “The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want”… as long as I have money in the bank…. Not to mention, I’m like a tree planted by living water”… when I have a good job and a loving mate… Oh, but when the storm winds blow against us and our money is in short supply, we quickly get a case of spiritual amnesia. We don’t want to hear the fact that the rain falls on the just as well as the unjust [Matt. 5:45]. We feel as if life has dealt us a bad hand and our lips utter the agonizing refrain, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me” [Matt. 27:46].

What you need to remember is that the hand of the Lord is always upon you to guide, strengthen and protect you [Ezekiel chapter 37]. The text goes on to say that the Lord’s Spirit deliberately set Ezekiel in the midst of a valley full of bones. Ezekiel was not in that horrid valley because he wanted to be. Rather, God placed him to that desolate place for a reason. Once, Ezekiel stood in the valley, the Lord asked him a penetrating question, “Son of man, can these dry bones live?” (v.3). In other words, God challenged Ezekiel to assess the situation and determine if anything could be done to improve it. Ezekiel studied the ground full of bones; no blood to sustain life; no muscle to enable movement; no vital organs; no attached limbs; no flesh to cover the body; nothing to indicate that life existed. “But the question asked of Ezekiel was, can these bones live?” How would you have answered the Lord’s question about the revitalization of dry bones? Ezekiel’s response to God’s question demonstrated his faith and wisdom. He answered, “Sovereign Lord, you alone know.” Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord. So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them. Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’” So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army. Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones is the people of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’ Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘this is what the Sovereign Lord says: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord.” ….. I tell you, you need to start prophesying to the situations and circumstances in your life and stop blaming God for everything bad. Start declaring and decrees what thus saith the Lord. Amen. It is finished! [Isaiah 55:8, 9] [James 1:2].

By Eric Easter, Urban News Service

The just-opened National Museum of African American History and Culture is a work-in-progress — in every way. Surprisingly, this is its best asset.

In one way, that description is literal. On Media Day, less than 10 days before its grand opening, the museum’s grounds still were littered with the cigarette butts, snack bags and other leftovers from the hundreds of construction workers who put the final touches on the building.

Inside, journalists scoured the space for stories to tell. They navigated around carts that carried pieces of exhibits yet to be nailed in and observed priceless objects amid handwritten signs whose installation instructions read “too tall” and “put nothing on top.”

Yet even with the museum finally open for business, it remains incomplete — by design. Six hundred years of African American history — and the culture that grew from centuries of struggle, pain and triumph — is too sweeping an epic to contain on a few floors. The only way to do so is to consider the museum not a permanent collection of  artifacts, but a living space that will evolve, shift, re-focus and re-invent itself — just  like the community it seeks to reflect.

The extraordinary effort to fund and build the new museum has overshadowed the even harder work performed by the museum’s curators. They gathered and edited the more-than-37,000-item collection into a coherent narrative.

The decision to start the museum’s story in pre-colonial, 15^th-Century Africa involved an “intense” process, said Mary Elliott, curator of the museum’s history section. She consulted noted scholars including Ira Berlin, Eric Foner and Annette Gordon Reed to help set the necessary context for the full museum. But Elliott soon realized that a full reading of that time would be “too dense” for the average museum-goer.

“We needed to start with the reality of a free Africa and its position as a center of trade,” said Elliott. “But we wanted to go much deeper into the stories of the Italian role in financing the slave trade, as well as a more in-depth look at conditions in Europe that set the stage. But that’s a lot to ingest for the average museum-goer.”

The need to add some things and delete others at times was “heartbreaking.”

Those decisions, no doubt, will cause some to quibble about the tone, length or depth of some exhibits. And some criticisms will be fair. The displays on Reconstruction and the role of blacks in the military seem especially short given the importance of those themes.

But those arguments don’t account for the realities of a museum audience raised on Twitter, Wikipedia and TV on-demand. The tourist who tries to squeeze in all of Washington’s 17 Smithsonian museums in a few days will lack the capacity to absorb generations of pain and progress in one fell swoop. Return visits will be a must.

Still, those who want to go deeper will get that opportunity. The museum offers a full-time staff genealogist to help families discover their roots. Scholars can enjoy the museum’s research rooms. Public programming and temporary exhibits will let curators breathe more life into subject matter and explore contemporary themes and issues via multimedia and assorted technologies.

As a full body of work, the museum is a treasure. Its existence tells a story and stands as a tribute to a culture that has triumphed amid adversity. The displays simply accentuate that idea through stories that are tragic, critical, objective and, ultimately, celebratory. It is a museum about American possibility, as told through the story of a people whose American-ness too often has been denied and questioned. This museum should end such doubts.

What visitors will experience is best exemplified in a moment that occurred during one of many pre-opening receptions.

Speaking at an event hosted by Google, former Rep. Susan Molinari (R – New York), who is white, shared her experience at the museum. She fought through tears as she recalled one section that particularly resonated with her. The mostly black audience reacted politely. Many of them later said that, because of their own families’ legacies, they might have reacted differently to the same moment.

That may be what happens to everyone who passes through the museum’s doors. What one sees and experiences will be very different — depending on the history, knowledge and perspective that one carries through the entrance. That, in the end, is the true power of the place.

By Higher Heights

Dear 2016 Presidential Candidates:

In an effort to hear what issues Black women are most concerned with this election cycle, Higher Heights asked Black women across the country (at events and online), what is the most important issue facing Black women and their families. 49 percent stated that economic security was the most pressing issue.  

No wonder this was the top response, considering Black women are paid just 60 cents to every dollar paid to a White man.  In addition to economic security, the other top issues included Education Equity (19%), Police Violence (16%) and High Quality Affordable Housing (14%).

According to 2013 U.S. Census data, 71 percent of Black women are in the labor force (69 percent for women overall).  Black women are more likely than women nationally to work in the lowest-paying occupations (like service, health care support, and education) and less likely to work in the higher-paying engineering and tech fields or managerial positions.  The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that the percentage of Black women who are full-time minimum-wage workers is higher than that of any other racial group.  

The late Congresswoman Barbara Jordan once said, “What the people want is very simple – they want an America as good as its promise.”  Higher Heights is asking you, as a candidate for the highest executive job in the country, to pledge to make good on this promise by putting forward a comprehensive economic security strategy and plan at the top of your list of priority issues on which you will focus in the first 100 days of your administration, should you be elected.

Higher Heights is also asking Black women across the country to raise their voices on this issue at the ballot box this November.  We know that when you fire up a Black woman she does not go to the polls alone, she brings her house, her block, her church, her sorority, and her water cooler. For us, this election is about harnessing the power of Black women’s votes to ensure that you, as candidates feel compelled to address and support building economically stable communities and the other issues of the greatest importance to Black women.

It really isn’t that complicated.  Black women are voting this November and economic security is the No. 1 issue they care about. The next President of the United States will take office at a time of great opportunity for our nation. In the final weeks of the election, we encourage you to listen and devise a course of action to address the concerns of this very important constituency.  

By Lue Dowdy

Feeding the homeless on Tuesday, October 22 is WHAT IT DO! I’m calling out all Indie Artists and anyone affiliated with the entertainment game in the I.E. Mobilize with us to feed over a 1,000 homeless individuals in the Inland Empire. It’s better to GIVE. BE A BLESSING TO OTHERS THIS YEAR!

Last year we made 477 hot meals and passed out socks, sleeping bags and more. This year we’re doing it bigger and better. Please join in! To donate please contact us on Facebook under LUE Productions or call (909) 567-1000, or email Lue.info@yahoo.com. Until next week, much LOVE and L’zzz!

Items still needed include: Rolls, Cranberry sauce, Corn, Dressing Mix, Gravy packages, Napkins, Forks, Cakes and Pies, Socks, Scarves, Gloves, Blankets, and Hygiene kits. Shout to the following: Black Collar Entertainment for donating all the mash potatoes and water; 4ETE for donating all the green beans; Mama Loretta Smith for volunteering to cook turkeys and dressing; OWFO for volunteering to donate all the food containers; Sirr Jones for volunteering to donate Turkeys; Yawnie for volunteering to donate Turkeys; Moon Bush for donating hygiene kits; and Amanda Tatum for donating dressing mix.

Publisher’s Commentary by Wallace J. Allen

What can we do to get people who disagree to actually talk to each other? We must find common ground! My grandfather said, “It takes two fools to argue without seeking a solution.” My problem…When I ‘catch you in a lie’, I am left to wonder ‘how may did I miss?’

My Drug Counselor friends have suspiciously questioned the Trump Nose-sniffle that was so distractingly obvious during the opening portion of the debate, suggesting that while Hillary fortified herself with study, Trump was putting something in his nose to prepare himself for debate!

Both of the candidates apparently think my friends and I are more concerned about where they think Obama was born than what happens to the 25% of Blacks that desperately need jobs. Hillary and Donald spent too much time trying to make Black Folk be mad and scared, instead of describing plans that are encouraging and inspirational. Neither candidate spoke with passion about improving urban conditions with business development and job creation that can improve urban children’s prospects. Young people with bright futures do not seek out gang membership!

My final inspiration from the debate was to remember that while we know “a change is gonna’ come”, that the best way for us to speed the change is to ‘read to our children’ and ‘support and spend with Black Owned Businesses’ when possible. “Walk together children, and don’t you get weary”!

I would love to talk with someone who disagrees. Please call me at (909) 384-8131!

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

God says, “Don’t do that or you will go to Hell!” But then Satan whispers, “It ain’t true… God loves you too much to send you to Hell. It’s alright, go ahead and do what you want; besides you can always ask for forgiveness later.” Listen; don’t let Satan deceive you…. God will not be mocked!  Anyone who disobeys God’s Word has crossed the line over which the Lord says if a man goes, he has sinned. And we know that Sin equal Death! Now you wouldn’t be so foolish as to put a bullet in the chamber of a hand gun and put it to your head and pull the trigger, would you? Yet, in reality that is what you do every time you choose to willfully disobey the Word of God, leaving no sacrifice for sin [Hebrew 10:26]. Don’t let Satan’s lies deceive you into compromising your obedience to God.

You know God commanded Adam and Eve not to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, and warned of the dire consequences if they choose to disobey His Word, [Genesis 2:15, 16]. But afterwards, Satan strutted into the Garden and deceived Eve into believing that God was all talk; “He’s bluffing, He just wants to be God. He just wants to be a dictator. Don’t worry about Him; eat, drink and be merry…..” I tell you Satan is a liar! Disobedience to God is very consequential by nature. In many cases, it may end up costing you far more than you’ve ever thought. The consequences of disobedience are plain all throughout Scripture from the book of Genesis to Revelation. Oh, I say and I say it again, if you believe the lies of Satan, “Ya been had! Ya been took! Ya been hoodwinked! Bamboozled! Led astray! Run amok” [Malcom X]. This is what Satan does. Satan purpose is to kill, steal and destroy. He doesn’t care about you. He’s mad that God loves you so. You mean nothing to [Satan] He wants to chew you up and spit you out! You better know that you know!

Now the apostle Paul, in [2 Corin 2: 11], says that we are not to be ignorant of the schemes, or the plans, or the stratagems, or the tricks of Satan.  We need to know how he works.  We need to know something of his character, something of his person, something of his approach.  And since we have the Word of God, which unmasks Satan’s disguises, and which reveals his schemes, there’s really no reason to be ignorant.  Satan is a con artist and he will con you straight to Hell. Believe that! I tell you to be forewarned of Satan’s strategy is to be forearmed. His pattern for tempting Eve is essentially the same approach he uses today. But by studying and learning to recognize that pattern, you will not be ignorant of his schemes [2 Cor. 2:11]. Satan is crafty and deceptive, not straightforward. His methods involve deceit, schemes, lies, and trickery [John 8:44; 2 Cor. 11:3, 14, 15; 1 Tim. 2:14] His number one weapon against you is a lie, and if you believe that lie, your onward progress will stop with God.

I tell you, our adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone whom he may devour.” He is not to be joked about; he is not to be made fun of. He is a serious, formidable foe. The Bible describes him as the prince of this world who opposes God and lies to you, to appeal to the appetites of your flesh. The truth is this – obedience is costly! And I’m not going to tell you it’s not hard. Obedience is costly, but here’s the reality—it is not as costly as compromise! Disobedience is devastating. It stops your progress with God! That’s why some of you are not moving onward with God, because you’re playing around with things that are designed to defeat you. God’s Word is the only word that can be trusted. If you try to live your life by any other counsel, you will be defeated and the consequences are not going to be well with you; because disobedience brings a wide variety of consequences; spiritual, physical, emotional, and mental. With spiritual being the worst form of consequence that can ever fall upon an individual since it determines where people will spend their eternity. Careful in your choosing, because your eternity is at stake! Now “Who report will you believe?”

By Debbie Forté 

What is probate? Probate is the legal process whereby a will is “proved” in a court and accepted as a valid public document that is the true last testament of the deceased.  A probate also officially appoints the executor (or personal representative), generally named in the will, as having legal power to dispose of the testator’s assets in the manner specified in the testator’s will. However, through the probate process, a will may be contested.The probate process includes: proving in court that a deceased person’s will is valid (usually a routine matter); identifying and inventorying the deceased person’s property; having the property appraised; and/or paying debts and taxes

What is a transfer on death deed (TOD) and who can use it? The new Transfer on Death Deed (or Beneficiary Deed) is an easy and inexpensive way to bypass probate court when you leave real estate without a Trust or a Will.  It’s like a regular deed used to transfer real estate to your beneficiaries, with a crucial difference: It doesn’t take effect until your death. When you die, your real property is automatically transferred to your beneficiaries.  All states do not allow this but California is one that does.

What is an estate; and what happens to it if i don’t have a will or trust? An “Estate” is simply the legal term used to describe all of your assets and tangible items you own.  This includes: Your home and any real property you own; Furniture and furnishings; Clothing, jewelry and personal items; Car, Boat, Motorcycle; Bank and savings accounts; Retirement and pension funds; Stock, Bonds and IRA’s; and/or Interest in a business.

By Lue Dowdy

KCAA RADIO – “LISTENING WITH LUE (Launching Unique Entertainment),” a platform for Indie Artist’s and the ART’S is WHAT IT DO! Every Sunday tune in for a chance to win free tickets to upcoming events.

Enter by: 1. Just Listen and 2. Call In And Let Us Know The 5th Song In Rotation. Every Week We Will Have a Winner. You MUST LIKE OUR PAGE In Order To Get Tickets To Upcoming Events such as “The Lunell Comedy Show” on Saturday, October 1st Here In The I.E.

Until Next Week My Peeps L’z! Call In At 909.888.5222. #Listeningwithlue #KCAA #Lueproductions

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

Huh…. How do that work? It doesn’t! Listen, you must adopt the mentality that concludes: CHANGE BEGINS WITH ME. That’s right! If you want to see change you must first start within. It’s that simple and it’s that profound. You know Mahatma Gandhi said, “You must be the change you wish to see.” Maya Angelou said, “If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.” In other words, nothing happens unless you make it happen. You must become a game changer. And what is a game changer? A game changer is someone who will step up and make a big play that affect the outcome of the game. Change can only happen if you want to see it happen, and then the only way a change could happen is if you put your effort into it. The problem is you don’t want to do nothing, you just what things to change on its own. Well boo, boo, I hate to burst your bubble, but it doesn’t work that way!

You know most of us are praying that God will change our circumstances.  Well I want you to know that God is not the least interested in changing your circumstances.  He is interested in changing your character.  When those circumstances have changed your character then God may change your circumstances. Yea, we want God to change our circumstances. We want him to take away all of the problems, all of the pain, all the sorrow, all the suffering, all the sickness, and all the sadness.  But God says, yeah, I know that’s important but what’s most important is what’s happening in you. I’m far more interested in changing your mind than I am in changing your circumstance. Because the only way change is going to happen is if you change your mind. You change your life by changing your mind. Now why must you manage your mind; because your thoughts control your life as [Proverbs 4:23] so eloquent put it…. Nothing happens in your life until you renew your mind.

So if you are serious about wanting change, you’re going to have to live according to the Bible. You will need to read it, study it, memorize it, meditate on it, and apply it because the Holy Spirit provides the power, the conviction, and the direction for life change. I tell you, you have the remedy and you have the power to rectify the situation and change things. So where does this leave you? With a decision! Change will not happen until you make it happen.

Let’s tie it all together.  God has a plan and a purpose.  That purpose is to make you like Jesus.  God has guaranteed that purpose is going to be fulfilled someday.  But he doesn’t want to wait until someday.  He wants to do it right now so that you can be a display case to the glory of God to a lost and dying world.  And so that you can be a source of life to others as Joseph became a source of life to others.  God is right now in this life trying to accomplish that purpose.  Do you know what tools God uses for that purpose?   The tool of circumstances.  God will arrange for you a set of circumstances, tailor-made, that will fit you perfectly.  The purpose of those circumstances is to accomplish God’s purpose in your life. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose. We are not afflicted, either by chance or to our harm, but by God’s providence for our great profit: who as he chose us from the beginning, so has he predestined us to be made similar to the image of his Son: and therefore will bring us in his time, being called and justified, to glory, by the cross. Not only afflictions; but whatever else [Romans 8:28-29].

By Debbie Forté 

What is a health care directive? A Health Care Directive (also called a living will) is a document that express your wishes to medical personnel and your loved ones what treatments you will allow in the event of total incapacity, coma or life threatening illnesses.  In example, if you become brain dead with no chance of recovery you can elect to not be put on life support or have life support removed.  You can elect which surgeries, medications and treatment plans you support or wish to decline in the event these decisions have to be made.

It allows you to name an agent(s) to also be able to make medical decisions for you as well in the event you are unable to.

What is a durable power of attorney? A power of attorney is a legal document that gives someone you choose the power to act in your place to handle your finances in case you ever become mentally or physically incapacitated. A durable power of attorney simply means that the document stays in effect if you become incapacitated and unable to handle matters on your own.

With a valid power of attorney, the trusted person you name will be legally permitted to take care of important matters for you — for example, paying your bills, your banking needs, managing your investments, or directing your medical care — if you are unable to do so yourself. Your agent can handle mundane tasks such as sorting and opening your mail, depositing your Social Security checks, as well as more complex jobs like watching over your retirement accounts and other investments, or filing your tax returns. Your agent doesn’t have to be a financial expert; just someone you trust completely who has a good dose of common sense.

What is a HIPPA authorization and who needs one? The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), is a Federal law that required the establishment of national standards to protect the privacy of patients’ health care information. The Privacy Rule, which took effect on April 14, 2003, regulates the use and disclosure of “Protected Health Information.”

This authorization allows your doctor or hospital to disclose protected health information to a third party specified by you (your agent–spouse or family member) to obtain necessary information in order to make medical decisions for you in the event of you being incapacitated and unable to make decisions for yourself.