WSSN Stories

Tee Babie

By Naomi K. Bonman

From the “You’re a b—h, you’re a ho, you’re a thot”, as ladies and respectful men, we can attest that there needs to be a change in the way our women are viewed within the lyrics of hip hop, and music in general. These mainstream male rappers are most likely accustomed to a certain type of female that they only “glorify” one type of women—the type that makes the rest look bad.

This where more women come in to give a voice to modern day women. Rising rapper and singer, Tee Babie, is that positive, powerful, and dynamitic force that is filling the void in a positive woman movement in music.

Hailing from St. Louis, MO, but born and raised out of West Covina, CA, Tee Babie has had music instilled and planted in her veins since the tender age of three. As her mother recalls, Tee would sing around the house to the late Whitney Houston. By the age of 18, as most young adults, Tee decided to spread her wings and experience life on the East Coast. While on the East Coast, the aspiring star took a keen to live music and also started developing her style. She stayed in Maryland, VA for 2 years before making the move to Las Vegas, NV.

Upon her move to Las Vegas, Tee met her mentor, King Al Hefner (founder of Beats How You Want Em), who would soon expand her horizon within the music industry. Shortly after, in 2012, King’s Brother RJ II came onto the scene and gave Tee vocal lessons to develop her ear for the music.  King and RJ are Grammy winning producers of the “Misunderstood” by Lil Wayne from the ‘Carter II’ album.

“From there I have just blossomed within these last three years,” Tee said.

In a recent interview with the rising star, she discussed her upcoming projects, her passion for becoming a more positive and strong voice for woman, and what she looks forward to accomplishing in the near future.

What makes you stand out from the rest?

I try to give a more uplifting voice for females. Right now we two types of music when it comes to females, either the “down and out, sad, cheated on, looking for love” or “she’s a ‘ho’, she’s a thot, she’s a ratchet, shake it for a real n—a”.

I’m bringing in a more powerful voice that says, “Hey I am all woman, I am powerful not only that, I am not a thot”. I want to bring out the absurd, confident, but successful and today’s woman. The modern women of today are not miserable, we’re not super sad because we don’t have a dude because most of time we’re juggling multiple or we’re working just as hard if not harder than men.

In my R&B music as well as my rap music, I want to make sure that it’s not only smooth, but relevant.

Being that voice for women, what advice do you have for others that may want to pursue a career in entertainment?

If you want to do it, especially if you have the support, get it, learn it, and study it. To be the best you have to study your craft. It took me a little while to train my ear on what quality sounds like. We think we know, but we don’t until we really study what the difference between what is and is not quality. It’s great if you’re good at something, but to be great at it you really have to emerge your feet in it. It takes time, so perfect your craft, stud it, and be patient. It takes at least 2 to 4 years, just as it does with school to perfect a particular craft, and you just have to be aware of the time frame.

What projects are you currently working on?

This month (May 2015) I will be dropping an EP with Paper Boy Beatz from Detroit called “He Say, She Say”. If you love blues, R&B, Pop, Hip Hop, and rap, then you’ll love this EP. There’s something for all on it. We will be distributing it worldwide and it will be available on iTunes and Amazon. We also hope to shop it around to different TV shows and movies for the future.

Do you have any shows coming up?

Yes I do. I’ll be in San Pedro, Hollywood, Ontario, and Vegas. Then from May 24 to May 31 I will have about five shows lined up in Atlanta.

You’re constantly back and forth between Las Vegas and California and you work a full-t

It has been insane! I am blessed and fortunate to be at a secular position that gives me a little bit of freedom. If you’re in a place that can give you a little bit of freedom or an avenue into your craft that will be the best way to go. It is very hard balancing a secular job and doing music as a side gig because it is very time consuming, but you find the balance and have to pace yourself. You also have to make sure that you’re not slipping on your day job and putting in at least above average to a minimum. You just learn to take it day by day.

What are your goals that you would like to accomplish within the next 1 to 2 years?

I’m hoping to work with a lot of mainstream artists as a songwriter, hook specialist, or as a featured artist [on a track]. My ultimate goal is to utilize and share my songwriting abilities with the likes of Beyonce, Kanye West, Jay-Z, T-Pain, Alicia Keys, Lauryn Hill [and others], so that I can get my voice out there.

Who do you want to work with on a regional level?

AV Compton, he’s my next target! California is huge though and there is a lot of great talent out there that I would love to work with. I am also into the Indie, Rock, Pop, and AC/DC scene a well.

Who would you like to work with on the mainstream level?

Shawna, of course, she is one of my favorites. I get a lot of my swag from her. If I can work with Beyonce, I would know that I made it. Others are Future; Nicki Minaj, I love how influential she is in and how she represents the female movement; Ne-yo; Esther Dean; and so many others.

What do you like to do in your free time? What are your hobbies?

Besides being in the studio, I love the beach, traveling, shopping, I love fashion, and kicking it with my best friends and family.

Where have you traveled to so far?

Belize, Mexico, and Mahogany Bay

Where do you want to travel to next?

Dhabi, Panama, Rio, Africa, and Europe

Any last remarks that you want to leave the readers with?

I’m very genuine when it comes to my music. Everything that I sing about is something that I’ve experienced. I work hard to get to reach my goals and I have real and genuine people surrounded around me that I do not want to take for granted.

Life is amazing and very short, so we must use our time productively as possible. Follow your dreams and study your craft, and don’t stop; keep going and pushing through every up and down in life.  

Follow Tee Babie:

Soundcloud

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

Snapchat: TeeCheriBabie

Reverbnation

NEW YORK, NY– In ESSENCE’s groundbreaking February 2015 ‘Black Lives Matter’ issue, ESSENCE editors and a myriad of esteemed contributors focused attention on the daring modern-day civil rights movement unfolding across the nation and set the agenda for ‘What We Must Do Now’ with a bold dialogue in the pages of the magazine. ESSENCE recently announced a slate of empowerment programming and a ‘Peace, Prayer & Purpose Rally’ to bring that conversation to life during the daytime Empowerment Experience at the 2015 ESSENCE Festival, July 2-5 in New Orleans.

“Communities across the country are rallying for justice, as Black Americans face systemic inequalities and troubling disparities with respect to police brutality, employment, education, earning power, health and upward socio-economic mobility,” said ESSENCE President Michelle Ebanks.  “In an effort to shed light on the issues, address the pain, explore solutions and advance the movement in these critical times, Essence is unveiling a series of powerful keynotes and in-depth conversations that will culminate in the ‘Peace, Prayer & Purpose Rally’.”

The ESSENCE Empowerment Experience programming will extend the conversation on race relations; addressing where we are now and where we go from here with a wide range of the nation’s foremost leaders, activists and influencers—including Deepak Chopra, Rev. Al Sharpton, Steve Harvey, Iyanla Vanzant, Donna Brazile and many more.

In addition, prominent mayors, including Karen Freeman-Wilson (Gary, IN) and Mitch Landrieu (New Orleans, LA), will join a Mayor’s Panel for a deep-dive conversation on the critical issues and best-practices in communities around the country; Sybrina Fulton, mother of Trayvon Martin, will deliver a keynote address entitled Moms on a Mission: Mothers Turning Tragedy Into Triumphant Change; and leading experts, including Senator Karen Carter Peterson, Dr. Steve Perry, Nicole Paultre Bell and more will weigh in on the educational, policy and social issues impacting our communities for a discussion on Where Do We Go From Here: Black Lives Matter.   The Empowerment Experience Sunday Prayer Vigil and All-Star Gospel Tribute round out the weekend programs with poignant moments of reflection, rededication and inspiration.

For more information about schedules, ticket sales, accommodations and the latest news about the ESSENCE Festival, visit ESSENCE Festival www.essencefestival.com, join the Festival community: follow us on Twitter @essencefest #EssenceFest and become a fan of 2015 ESSENCE Festival on Facebook.

T Bone

What it Do! What it Do! Well, this week rapper TBone is what it do folks. Have you ever met a person blessed with multiple talents? Tyronne a.k.a TBone has been doing music for a long time. Despite going through career changes and the ups and downs of life, Tyronne knew he had a special gift to share with the world. Performing all over Southern California, he is a jack of all trades. Stepping out into the entertainment game with no fear, this producer, rapper, engineer, and photographer made heads turn and ears open.

TBone is truly a passionate artist who’s serious about his craft. Developing his own label titled, “Knuckle Headz Recordz”, he takes time to work with other upcoming artists. He calls himself “The Number One IE Supporter”. Remembering what his mother and grandmother told him as child has kept him going.

TBone recalls, “I remember momma and grandma said that I will always be special, and I think I am. Not to be famous because in God eyes I am.”

Make sure you check this talented artist out and his music. All music links can be found under “TBone” on all social media sites. Until next time, L’s UP!

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

The Honorable Judge, God the Father, is presiding. All persons having business before the court, come to order. Good morning, Ladies and Gentlemen. Welcome to God’s Ultimate Supreme Court. We will hear the case as scheduled. First case on the courts calendar is {insert your name}. Counselors, are you ready to proceed?

Man… Have you ever wondered what it will be like to stand in God’s courtroom? “Well today, you will have the privilege of actually going into God’s courtroom kinda like court TV and seeing how at least one sinner fared in his trial…“ Believe it or not, one of these days we will ALL stand in the Ultimate Supreme Court of God. No one will be left out! The preachers, deacons, church members, popes, priest, nuns, choir members, drunks, whoremongers, drug addicts, pimps, pushers, homosexuals, liars, thieves, murderers, idol worshipers, fornicators, adulterous, brothers, sisters, grandmothers, grandfathers, moms and dads. The king, the pauper, the general, the president, the foot soldier, the master, the slave, the borrower and the lender we will all stand before God. There will be no escape and there will be no exceptions! {Hebrew 9:27; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Acts 17:31}

On that day the Judge will make no mistakes. His verdict will be true and accurate. His decision will be final!  There will be no negotiating. There will be no second chances. There will be no appeals.  Before the judgment begins, the earth and sky will be destroyed by fire {Revelation 20:11-12} {2 Peter 3:10} after that destruction we will then be judged accordingly. (2 Corinthians 5:10} {Revelation 20:12-13}.  The Books will be opened. {Romans 2:6-7} {2 Corinthians 5:10} {Matthew. 25:31}. We will be reviewed and examined. After the judgment period, we will witness the greatest separation that the world has ever seen. {Matthew 25:31; Matthew. 5:22; Mark 9:43 2Kings 23:10; 2 Chronicles 28:3}.  Are you prepared for the Final Judgment Day?  If you are not a Christian, you ought to be, and you can be one right now. Your eternal destination depends on it. Maybe you are a Christian, and lately you have not been living a faithful and fruitful life for the Lord. Possibly, there may be someone who needs to confess their sins before God. You may have been living in secret sin, trying to hide it from God and your brethren. But God’s hand has been heavy upon you and you are ready to confess. I just want to remind you that we still live in the day of grace. During this time in history, a sinner can come before God and cry out for forgiveness and the Lord will receive them and save them by His grace. Today is the day of grace. Today is the day of forgiveness. Today is the day of repentance. Today is the day of salvation. Today is the day of mercy. There will be none of those things given out on that Final Day. Only judgment, swift and sure, will be issued from the Great White Throne and from the Lord. Please don’t do a foolish thing and die without Jesus! Come to Him while the door is open.

Allow me to give you a glimpse of events that might take place on that day. In Zechariah chapter 3, it gives us a look at the guilt of the sinner. This drama is in the setting of a courtroom.  It is in the Ultimate Supreme Court.  God is the Judge; Joshua the High Priest the defendant and Satan is the Prosecuting Attorney. Satan, bringing his case against Joshua before the Lord.  He is standing at Joshua’s right hand opposing him. Satan’s says to the Lord, He is dirty. He says to the Almighty, He is guilty. He is a sinner whose righteousness is as filthy rags. The audacity of Satan: In the Ultimate Supreme Court of God standing around accusing God’s people of their sins. Image that! Talking about, “Drama in the Courtroom,” Ole Satan; the Accuser of the brethren… See how subtle and merciless Satan really is. Bringing up past sins, things that God has already forgiven us for. Bringing up things we did yesterday and even five seconds ago, accusing us, pointing a finger in our face. Bringing accusations to God that we deserve to die in Hell. Satan, the Accuser of the brethren! Accusing us before God; accusing us before men, and accusing us before ourselves… Truth be told though, Satan was right.  Joshua was dirty, sinful, and guilty.  Satan knew it, God knew it, and Joshua knew it.  But thank God that in the court of Heaven we have an Advocate – a Defense Attorney who has never lost a case. His name is Jesus. His plea on our behalf is always the same. Your Honour, the defendant is indeed guilty, but the penalty has been paid. I myself paid the ultimate penalty for his sin and died in his place. The DEBT is paid in full!  Thank God for Jesus! We are not only forgiven; we are justified. We are declared righteous.

Listen, you may be a guilty sinner or a backslidden saint.  Either way I want you to know that you have an Advocate in Heaven.  So no matter what you’ve done, if you will bring your guilt and your sin to God, He will take your case, plead your case, win your case, and commute your sentence from death to life.  I tell you the most indispensable requirement for knowing the Word of God is to understand our predicament – the fact of our sinfulness before God. I am guilty. You are guilty. Everybody in your family is guilty. We are all guilty before God.  Hold on to this truth. Let it make you wise. I don’t want you to perish. If God is opening your mind to understand His truth, now is the time to act! For there will be no second chances on that Day. I want you to know that on that Day, Witnesses will be called forth and they will testify either for you or against you. The first witness will be the Word of God itself- (John 12:48}. Jesus says, “Every word I have spoken to you will judge you on that day. My Word will be the witness!” Also, witnesses shall arise such as the men of Nineveh, the men of Sodom and the Queen of Sheba. {Matthew 12:41-42}. When you stand before the Judge and your book is opened, the vast multitudes of Ninevites will step forward. Those who died in the holocaust of Sodom and Gomorrah will come forth, as will those of Tyre and Sidon. These wicked ones will gather round, incredulous as they hear the list of all the opportunities you had to receive the Word of God: Bibles, radio, and TV, teachers, witnesses, and friends, family. They will cry out, “This man’s judgment ought to be worse than ours! How could he reject so many opportunities and deny such powerful light? We had no Bible, no constant reminders, and no second opportunity. But he had all this!” Jesus says Sodom would have repented if they had heard what you’ve heard – {Matthew 11:23; Matthew 24:14}. If you know in your heart you’re not ready to stand before Jesus –Act Now! If you don’t I want you to know that this one message is enough to damn you to eternal hell if you reject it. It will stand as a witness on Judgment Day… I want you to know that the Judge is keeping an account right now! Are you going to pass the test?

Derron Smith

By Naomi K. Bonman

The NFL Draft took place this past weekend from Thursday, April 30 to Saturday, May 2. Young men from all across the Nation seen their dreams of playing for the NFL unfold before their eyes, including Banning resident and Fresno State alumni, Derron Smith, 23. Smith was included in the third day of draft picks where he was picked to join the Cincinnati Bengals as Starting Safety.

Smith finished his college football career with 297 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, and 33 passes defensed—15 of which he intercepted. He was also the 11^th player in school history at Fresno State to be named to the all-conference team three times. Smith is the cousin to the editor of the Westside Story Newspaper, Naomi K. Bonman.

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

Listen; if you want to get off to a good start, you need to begin in the right place.  And it begins with a very frank admission. “Not that I have already obtained all this…” You see, the Word of God in Proverbs 16:18 tell us that, “Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.” That tells me that in and of ourselves we have absolutely nothing to brag or be prideful about. Now if there was anyone who had reason to brag about his accomplishments, I would think it would have been the Apostle Paul. But he doesn’t do that. Despite having met the Lord on the Damascus Road, despite having preached across the eastern Mediterranean region, despite being an apostle called by God, despite writing letters inspired by the Holy Spirit, despite all that he had endured, he did not brag about anything he said or did. None of that mattered to him. He knew that he was a sinner saved by grace. In fact in 1Timothy 1:15, he even called himself the “Chief of sinners.” He made no claim of being perfect or having arrived in his own spiritual journey. Now Simon Peter, that’s a whole different story. Simon Peter had made an assumption, and it’s the same assumption that we all make from time to time. He assumed that he had reached a place in his relationship with Jesus where he would never forsake Jesus and would never fail in his faithfulness to God again. I tell you, we must never assume that we can’t miss the mark, for the moment we do, we are headed for a fall. Paul said, although we are perfect through sanctification, through our salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ, many of us – in fact all of us – still have a long way to go.

I don’t know about you, but there’s nothing that bothers me more than someone trying to claim to be all that when the Bible says that, “There is none good, no not one!” But some folks believe that they are the exception. My message to all of us today is this: Like it or not, whether we want to believe it or not, we’re not as good as we think we are. We’re not as smart as we think we are. We’re not as clever as we think we are. We’re not as wise as we think we are; and we are not as strong as we think we are. The only thing that keeps us going is Jesus our wonderful Savior, and He is everything we are not. Don’t get it twisted! It has never been about us and it is not about us! It is about Him; the Alpha and Omega; the Beginning and End; the First and Last; the Wonderful Counselor. We have absolutely nothing to boast about, other than Jesus Christ… Throwing ourselves a party! Self-congratulations! Boasting! This is human temptation and human tendency; and a dangerous one at that. Careful! You are threading on dangerous grounds! Boasting is a growing cancer, an infectious disease, an intoxicating behavior.

Sadly, we live in a very proud and egotistical generation where it is now considered acceptable and even normal for people to promote themselves, to praise themselves, and to put themselves first. Pride is considered a virtue by many. Humility, on the other hand, is considered a weakness. Everyone, it seems, is screaming for his or her own rights and seeking to be recognized as someone important. The preoccupation with self-esteem, self-love, and self-glory is destroying the very foundations upon which our society was built. What’s worst of all, the preoccupation with self has found its way into the Church.  Jesus repeatedly taught against pride, and with His life and teaching He constantly exalted the virtue of humility. Nowhere is that more clear than in John 13. I tell you, there is no better garment to clothe yourself with than to be clothed with humility. A humble person is a child of God; but a proud and haughty person is a child of Satan. Who’s your daddy? Pride should not be a problem to us; for according to God’s Word even our own righteousness is as filthy rags (Is 64:6). Get off your High Horse!

Don’t misunderstand me. It’s not wrong to brag. It’s wrong to brag about trivial things. When you brag and you should brag, brag on the Lord, that’s all I’m saying. Besides, if it had not been for the Lord… Hello somebody! The message is simply: Pride is the sin that made the devil the devil, pride makes us like the devil, and pride can prevent us from entering heaven and lead us to hell. Clothe yourself with humility –Boast only in the Cross!

Anyone and Everyone Carrying Deadly Weapons In The Name Of Public Safety Should Be Videoed While Working…

Publisher’s Commentary by Wallace J. Allen

The general police response to Black Folk in America is and has been corrupt. The truth of that statement is based on the common “feelings” of parents and guardians of Black boys as we acknowledge the need to tell our boys “how to act” when confronted by the police. We instruct our sons to not just “be” cooperative but to “act” docile, childlike and very cooperative, to give the police no “additional” reasons to mistreat them.  Statistics prove the corrupted attitude which police generally express when dealing with Black folk and Black males in specific. The disproportionate number of Blacks in the penal system is any thinking person’s evidence.  However knowing that Blacks are a target does not get disturbing to some until they realize that the police were just “practicing” on Blacks… That their callous treatment of Blacks might be just a tune-up for how they will also treat Brown people and as demonstrated recently by San Bernardino County Sheriff Deputies, white people too.

It is a common theory among “thinking” people that Fire is ok in the Black Community, unless the smoke starts to disturb the White community…drugs symbolically represent that fire. For instance some have been heard to say, “Marijuana arrests are ok as long as the bulk of the people arrested are Black, but rather than arrest all of the whites that use it, they make it legal”!

So what happens when the first white man is recorded while receiving the “Black Beat-down” from San Bernardino County Sheriff Deputies? Two things of real importance subsequently occurred that allows white people to maintain confidence in their Sheriff Deputies’ service attitude. Only twelve days after the incident was broadcast across the nation, the County Board of Supervisors made an unsolicited award of $650,000 to the white victim. That settlement offer, if accepted by the victim will also protect the officers involved, because their corrupt conduct at the scene will not have to be dissected and explained in a very public trial. The Board Of Supervisors’ response can have the (intended?) effect of keeping the smoky threat from irritating the eyes of some white people, but the alarm has sounded.

I think that each day and with each police action more people agree that all peace officers should be recorded while they work. What do you think?

Hakim Hazim

By Hakim Hazim

The words of James 1:2-8 should hang in a prominent place in every man’s home today:

“Count it all Joy my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double- minded man, unstable in all his ways.” (English Standard Version)

I wonder how many Christian men really believe that God is truly at work in their lives in terms of trials and tribulations. We are quick to point out what the devil or what people are doing to us. We rarely seek God for any reason other than to remove the source of irritant or pain. We rarely identify the trials that God places us in as his designed training, and we seek out numerous instructors to help us make sense of what is taking place.

The truth is, deep down inside, we have a sense that there is a purpose within the trial, but we don’t want to believe it. We know that God instructs us to rejoice in trials, but we refuse to do it. He instructs us to hold fast and believe, but we are double minded. He instructs us to give our best in the midst of it, but we hoard or talents and possessions. He instructs us to let him lovingly prune us and remove everything that does not belong in our lives, but we fight tooth and nail. The very process that realigns our wills and accelerates our growth, we do everything we can to deny as an option in our lives.

We have been duped into waiting on the divine gravy train that will remove all of our struggles in life. Many have preached a message that struggles of health, resources, relationships and mental anguish indicate a lack of faith. Our honesty about these things arouses the instincts of predators, because they are drawn to struggling people by what they see as the scent of weakness. They promise that they can help you with these things—for a fee if they are a business or an offering if they are a ministry. If you pay close attention to the passage above, God is the author of the trial that befalls individuals and communities as well. He will also be the finisher. The key to overcoming any trial is focused endurance. You have to be anchored into the purpose of it, not simply the resolution. The passage I cited in James says trials—it’s plural. More trials will come. As long you have breath, they will come. Welcome and overcome them by faith. They are yours, designed for you! It does not matter the form in which they come.

Lastly, men: be careful of the wolves in sheep’s clothing—predatory peddlers of false hope and instruction designed to simply fleece you and channel your emotion to their cause. They are everywhere and too numerous to list. You are ultimately responsible for who and what you follow. Christ’s sheep know his voice. The problem is we stray often and find ourselves in places we simply should not be.

Our trials are designed by the Almighty to strengthen our resolve and to rid us of double mindedness. If you persevere, you may be one of the people God is calling to help lead this generation.

Hakim Hazim is the founder of Relevant Now and co-founder of Freedom Squared . He is a nationally recognized expert in decision analysis, criminality and security.

By McKenzie Jackson, California Black Media

The harsh drought that has dried up the Golden State over the past three years has severly hit one California community particularly hard. Allensworth, the historic and only town founded, financed and governed by African Americans in Tulare County knows all too well the impacts of no rain,  coupled with the contamination of city’s ground water supply by arsenic, the shortage of the water crisis is a blunt one-two punch for the town of a little more than 60,000 people.

Residents of the rural, mostly migrant community began receiving drought relief food early last summer and in January the state began delivering 48 gallons of drought relief water to households each month.

Denise Kadara, one of Allensworth’s few black residents, said the situation is dire but it could be worse.

“I know you have heard of East Porterville where a lot of the wells have gone dry,” she said. “We aren’t experiencing that yet. Our water systems are so old that they break. We just had a break in our system about six weeks ago, but luckily we had bottle water. Otherwise, we would have been 12 hours without water.”

Kadara’s East Porterville reference compares her city to the other Tulare County town where more than 1,000 private wells residents depended on for their water supply have completely dried up.

In response to the state’s record-breaking drought – the worst in more than 60 years according to experts – Governor Jerry Brown issued the first-ever statewide restrictions on water use on April 1. What effect the water reduction mandate will have on African-American communities is still yet to be determined.

Kadara, a member of the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board stresses that even without all the details of the Governor’s plan, communities need to be mindful of the ongoing dry spell, which has been sapping California’s water supply since 2012.

“If it is affecting us – any of the communities where African Americans live and are disadvantaged,” she said.

According to Brown, the goal of the restrictions is to reduce water use in the state by 25 percent or 1.5 million acre-feet. The restrictions call for school campuses, golf courses and cemeteries to make significant cuts in water use; prohibit new homes and developments from irrigating with potable water unless water-efficient drip irrigation systems are used; create a temporary, statewide consumer rebate program for residents who replace older appliances with water-saving and energy-efficient models; and ban watering of ornamental grass on public street medians.

In order to carry out the governor’s initiative, the California Water Resources Control Board has begun putting together a “Drought Emergency Water Conservation” plan that dictates communities’ water conservation targets based on an area’s track record of saving water and levels of usage.

A recent draft of the water board’s plan given to California Black Media by board spokesperson Andrew DiLuccia said water suppliers that recorded the lowest residential per-capita water use in July, August and September of last year will have to cut by only eight percent. Communities with the highest per-capita numbers during that period have to lower consumption by 36 percent.

According to the board’s 11-page, provisional chart titled “Urban Water Suppliers and Proposed Regulatory Framework Tiers to Achieve 25% Use Reduction”, some areas with a strong African-American presence in terms of population are in the low-end and middle tier of the water reduction plan. Compton in Southern California, for example, has to cut water usage by eight percent and nearbyInglewood by 12 percent.

San Diego, Vallejo and Long Beach have to slim their usage by 16 percent. The East Bay area, which includes Oakland and Richmond, has to trim its consumption down to 18 percent. The city of Los Angeles has to cut its water use by 20 percent and Sacramento’s goal is  set at 28 percent.

The proposal could change before the board formally adopts it early next month, insiders say,  but the tracking compliance will begin in July when the June numbers are reported. After that, it will perform monthly checks on the more than 400 urban water suppliers that have to comply with the order. A fact sheet from the State Water Resources Control Board said all water suppliers will need to do more to meet the 25 percent conservation standard.

“Conserving water more seriously now will forestall even more catastrophic impacts if it does not rain next year,” that document reads.

On April 23, a bill authored by Assembly member Cheryl R. Brown (D-San Bernardino), a member of the California Black Caucus, passed  by a vote of 78-0. In an effort to support Californians who choose to preserve water, Assembly Bill 1 protects property owners who do not water their lawns from being fined by municipalities.

Brown said since California is in a drought, it is irresponsible for cities to penalize residents for conserving water.

“If California is going to manage its water resources efficiently,” she said, “then we cannot fine individuals for doing their part.”

Aubrey Bettencourt, executive director of the California Water Alliance in Hanford, said the water reductions present an opportunity for California  to set the bar for the rest of the country on how to manage important natural resources.

“It’s a wake-up call to what water provides us,” she said. “Whether the governor can achieve his goal, I don’t know. But at the very least he has woken up the California public to the benefits of what water provides.”

Bettencourt said water talks need to center on how to bounce back from the drought and how to take steps to  make sure it never happens again. Not on the restrictions.

“How are we going to upgrade our infrastructure to meet 21st century demand and 21st century social priorities?” she said. “And how do we get our policies up to date so that is does two things. One is recovering our existing supply. Also, how are we going to update our policies to manage our water?”

As the details of the governor’s plan firm-up, its business as usual for companies in African-American populated areas although they  seem prepared to adapt to the realities of the water cuts.

Larry Tabeling, the owner of Live Art Plantscape, a commercial landscape contract company in the Los Angeles area said outside of reduced water mandates instructed by Brown there has been no finalization of how each city will reduce its water consumption to a certain percentage.

“We don’t even know what days we can water yet, if it is going to be restricted more from where we are at currently or what” he said. “So, a lot of stuff is still up in the air.”

McDonald’s 365Black Awards launched in 2003 as an extension of the company’s 365Black platform, which celebrates the pride, heritage and achievements of African-Americans year-round. Join them in celebrating today’s exceptional youth by nominating someone between the ages of 13 and 18 within your community to receive a $10,000 scholarship.

They’re looking to honor exceptional youth who make a difference within their community through their vision, compassion, relentless courage and daily diligence which have resulted in significant local, national or global impact. Two recipients, one male and one female, will be recognized during the star-studded event which will be held Friday, July 3 during the 21st annual ESSENCE Festival in New Orleans.

The purpose of the CCYA Scholarship is to assist the honoree to obtain a higher education or vocational skill at the school of his or her choice. If the recipient does not attend college or has sufficient alternate funding to attend college, then the $10,000 must be transferred to the honoree at the legal age of majority without the condition of a college attendance. However, at the honorees discretion, the scholarship can be applied against graduate or trade school tuition, fees and direct education expenses. All applicable taxes will be responsibility of the honoree.

All students nominated for this Program must meet the minimum criteria set by McDonald’s to qualify for the scholarship. The Scholarship will be applied to pay tuition and fees at any college or vocational school that the honoree is enrolled based on enrollment criteria recommended by Thurgood Marshall College Fund. Funds will be held until the recipient provides official proof of enrollment and then paid directly to the college, post-secondary school or any trade, vocational, technical school of choice for tuition and fees on behalf of the student.

Download the nomination form at www.365Black.com, starting April 21, 2015. Submit nomination materials to 365BlackYouthAwards@365Black.com until May 31, 11:59 p.m. CST.

Nominee must be able to travel on Wednesday, July 1st and must attend the 365Black Awards, Friday, July 3.