Happily Divorced And After

Regular Run September 10 to October 16

CLAREMONT, CA— Ophelia’s Jump Productions closes their 2022 Season with Inda Craig-Galvan’s, Black Superhero Magic Mama. The production will be performed at the OJP Theater, located at 2009 Porterfield Way, Suite I, in Upland, from September 10 through October 16, 2022.

About Black Superhero Magic Mama:
All the books Sabrina reads to her son, Tramarion, start off with a tragedy but then the young protagonists are made whole. Little does she know that Tramarion’s life is heading in the opposite direction. When Tramarion is gunned down in a parking lot by a cop who thinks the trophy in the 14-year old’s hand is a gun, Sabrina sinks into inconsolable grief. She balks at the expectation that she presents her grief for the public as a rallying call. When Sabrina does not make a public appearance the talking heads question her motives. “The mothers always go to the rally. Isn’t it, like, some kind of protocol?”

Facing crushing tragedy, Sabrina retreats into a fantasy comic book world created by her gifted son, Tramarion, and his friend Flat Joe. In that universe she is The Maasai Angel in search of an ultimate combat with a faceless entity to “get back what’s mine.” Ala Wizard of Oz, Sabrina confronts comic book style villainous avatars of people from her real life– the police, the media, Tramarion’s coach. This inventive play takes the audience inside the mind of one mother as she battles to overcome her sense of loss and find a way forward. The play is a wild ride mixing elements of graphic novels and gaming that coalesce into an imaginative, surprisingly funny, and deeply touching adventure.

Inda Craig-Galvan wrote Black Super Hero Magic Mama in response to the killing of Tamir Rice, a 12 year old boy who was playing with a replica gun when he was shot and killed by a white police officer. Since the play’s initial writing, black young men and boys have continued to be killed by police at a disproportionate rate. Black Super Hero Magic Mama continues to be powerfully moving, provocative, and painfully relevant.

The play contains strong language, stylized gun violence re-enactment, and exaggerated comic book style fight scenes, but will appeal to audiences of all ages in its treatment of family and our ideas about heroes. Parental discretion is advised.

Inda Craig-Galvan is the recipient of the Kesselring Prize, Jeffry Melnick New Playwright Award, Blue Ink Playwriting Prize, Jane Chambers Student Award for Feminist Playwriting, and Stage Raw’s Best Playwright Award.

By Aldon Thomas Stiles | California Black Media

Nationwide, book banning is on the rise. It’s reached a 20-year high, according to the American Library Association and Unite Against Book Bans.

Some of the books that have been banned include titles like “Beloved” by Toni Morrison, “I Am Enough” by Grace Byers and “Maus” by Art Spiegelman.

“It is also worth noting that most challenged books feature LGBTQIA-related topics or are by BIPOC authors,” Kadie Seitz, a librarian at the Los Angeles Public Library who focuses on youth services, wrote on the organization’s blog.

Troy Flint, Chief Information Officer at the California School Boards Association (CSBA), pointed out that book bans are not happening in California at the same level as in other states but cautioned that there is still cause for concern.

“There are a wide range of books that have been banned in a number of districts, although it’s a relatively small number,” Flint said.

“However, this is a concerning trend because the actual effects are on a much bigger scale than they might appear,” he continued.

Gov. Gavin Newsom says the bans are largely partisan.

“Republicans are trying to destroy public education. Banning history. Banning books. Banning student speech. And now Betsy DeVos is admitting it,” Newsom tweeted last month, responding to the former U.S. Secretary of Education declaring that she believes the nation’s Department of Education “should not exist.”

In March, the governor tweeted a picture of himself reading several frequently targeted books with the caption, “reading some banned books to figure out what these states are so afraid of.”

Flint also spoke about some of the perceived political motivations for the renewed vigor of book banning efforts across the United States.

“Partisan interest has been driving these kinds of decisions as opposed to objective assessments of material on the basis of what children can handle and what they should learn,” Flint said.

In 2020, the liberal leaning city of Burbank banned five well-known titles: “Huckleberry Finn” by Mark Twain, “The Cay” by Theodore Taylor, “Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry” by Mildred D. Taylor and “Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck.

The Burbank Unified School District objected to the inclusion of these books in their schools’ curriculum because according to them these titles “cast Black people in negative, hopeless, and secondary roles; and all but one are written from the lens of a White author.”

The same year Burbank Unified made its decision to challenge the use of five books, Pennsylvania’s Central York School District banned eight times the number of books and educational materials banned by the California district, including Brad Meltzer’s “I Am Rosa Parks” and the James Baldwin centered documentary “I Am Not Your Negro” directed by Raoul Peck.

While all the 40 books and multimedia articles that the Central York School District banned were either written by authors of color or relate to race, the board insists that the motivation for its controversial decision was the “content” of the material — not the race of the material’s content creator.

Flint argued that this trend of widespread book banning could lead to complications at the local level for educators and institutions who want to avoid legal trouble.

He warned that districts that ban several books in similar demographic target audiences could risk “self-censorship at a classroom and district level, even if some books have not been officially banned.”

By Lou Yeboah

“You who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear” [Ezekiel 12:2; Jeremiah 5:21] because of your own obstinate spirit, judgment is already in motion. [Isaiah Chapter 6]. My appeal to you was to seek Me while I may be found, call upon Me while I was near and I will have mercy upon you, for I would abundantly pardon. [Isaiah 55:6-7]. But naw, you wouldn’t listen, I tell you judgment is already in motion, says the Lord.”

“Then I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, ‘Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.” [Revelation 15:8]. “And the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star fallen from heaven to earth, and he was given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit.  He opened the shaft of the bottomless pit, and from the shaft rose smoke like the smoke of a great furnace, and the sun and the air were darkened with the smoke from the shaft. Then from the smoke came locusts on the earth, and they were given power like the power of scorpions of the earth.  They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any green plant or any tree, but only those people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads to torment them for five months, but not to kill them, and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings someone.  And in those days people will seek death and will not find it. They will long to die, but death will flee from them… [Revelation 9: 1-12].

“O sinner! Consider the fearful danger you are in, it is a great furnace of wrath, a wide and bottomless pit, full of the fire of wrath, of God, whose wrath is provoked and incensed as much against you, as against many of the damned in hell. You hang by a slender thread, with the flames of divine wrath flashing about it, and ready every moment to singe it, and burn it asunder; and you have no interest in any Mediator, and nothing to lay hold of to save yourself, nothing to keep off the flames of wrath, nothing of your own, nothing that you ever have done, nothing that you can do, to induce God to spare you one moment.” [Jonathan Edwards, in his famous sermon, Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God].

Oh, sinner man, repent before its too late! Time is running out! [Romans 13:11].

NATIONWIDE, CA— Calling entrepreneurs, activists and culture shifters. McDonald’s USA today announced the Black & Positively Golden Change Leaders program, an initiative to empower the next group of visionaries who are changing the world, one community at a time. The yearlong campaign is part of the Black & Positively Golden movement which began with the McDonald’s Future 22 program earlier this year. The Golden Arches is excited to lend its platform and award financial resources to a select group of 10 trailblazers, ages 18 to 30, to help support and foster their community-driven missions.

“The McDonald’s Future 22 program opened doors that I didn’t think existed,” said Marcyssa “Horizem” Brown, a competitive gamer and 2022 Future 22 leader. “Because of McDonald’s, I gained new experiences, relationships, and exposure. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for which I am forever grateful. I’m excited for the Change Leaders who will be selected!”

From now through October 9, 2022, change makers can apply at www.McDChangeLeaders.com. In a short video, applicants are encouraged to share their stories on how they are impacting their community. Those selected to be part of McDonald’s Change Leaders program will receive financial support from McDonald’s to further help their cause, an opportunity to raise awareness of their work in a national advertising campaign and be featured on McDonald’s Black & Positively Golden Instagram, @wearegolden.

“We know there’s a difference between being in a community and being a part of one. Through the Black & Positively Golden Change Leaders program, we’re honored to celebrate individuals, including our own crew, who embrace giving back to their communities, a value espoused daily by the company and our Owner/Operators,” said Veronica Thompson, Director of Cultural Engagement & Activations, McDonald’s USA. “We look forward to building on the McDonald’s Future 22 platform and shining a spotlight on a new group of incredible leaders as we continue feeding and fostering the communities we serve.”

The McDonald’s Black & Positively Golden Change Leaders program is just one of the many ways the Black & Positively Golden movement is serving up bright futures in the communities it serves. For more than 65 years, McDonald’s has uplifted the Black community through scholarships to HBCU students, impactful partnerships with community organizations like the National Urban League, NAACP, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, and more. And this year, McDonald’s is proud to celebrate the National Black McDonald’s Operators Association for 50 years of entrepreneurial and community excellence.

To learn more about the McDonald’s Black & Positively movement and Change Leaders program, follow @wearegolden on Instagram and visit blackandpositivelygolden.com.

About McDonald’s USA

McDonald’s USA, LLC, serves a variety of menu options made with quality ingredients to millions of customers every day. Ninety-five percent of McDonald’s approximately 13,500 U.S. restaurants are owned and operated by independent business owners. For more information, visit www.mcdonalds.com, or follow us on Twitter @McDonalds and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/mcdonalds.

By Solomon O. Smith | California Black Media | California Black Media

The #BlackDocsBelong campaign held a rally in Pasadena last Friday calling on Black medical doctors to join their movement dedicated to keeping and growing the ranks of Black physicians.

“We actively support and advocate for Black trainees and physicians facing workplace discrimination,” states the website of Black Doc Village, the group organizing the rally. “We aim to expand the Black physician workforce to improve health outcomes in the Black community.”

The national kickoff for the not-for-profit organization Black Doc Village, began with a breakfast at the Pasadena Hilton hosted by two Black Doc Village cofounders: nephrologist Vanessa Grubbs and educator and physician Aysha H. Khoury.

About 100 young medical students and staff gathered to march to the Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine. A wide range of ethnicities came to provide support.

A student who chose to remain anonymous shared the contents of a message about the protest from the Kaiser School of Medicine.

“Students who choose to participate in the demonstration tomorrow will not be penalized or retaliated against for doing so,” reads an email by senior associate dean for student affairs Dr. Anne M. Eacker, “and absence from class or clinical sites tomorrow morning will be considered an excused absence.”

The Kaiser School of Medicine was named the 6th Most Diverse Medical School in the nation and ranked 2nd in California by U.S. News & World Report after the School of Medicine at the University of California Davis.

With handmade signs and white lab coats the rally set off for a two-block march to the medical school. Walking in a single file line the doctors raised their voices in a shouted call-and-response chant.

“Stop pushing,” they shouted followed by the comeback, “Black docs out.”

Black medical professionals from across the country came to support the Black Doc Village rally.

Dr. Robert Rock, who practices on the East Coast, says he was inspired to go into medicine by his grandmother and the strength she exhibited when she “refused to be disrespected” by medical professionals during her care. He witnessed a racist act aimed at a patient which he described as shocking.

“We were deterred from talking about it,” said Rock. “It was then that I lost my faith (in the system).”

Jessica Isom is a Boston-based psychiatrist and an advocate for equity and justice for BIPOC patients. She has been an outspoken resource and advisor in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs through her company Vision for Equality, which has worked with several major brands and medical institutions. She sees part of the issue as a flaw in the culture of medicine which makes changing it difficult.

Isom says resistance to change is “perpetuated through training” and that people may not be conscious that change is needed. She referred to an article written by Rhea W. Boyd, a pediatrician who has spoken before Congress about racism in the medical profession.

“People see it. The person who serves you your food looks like me. The person who provides you your medical care often does not, and that is an intentional process of segregation,” says Isom.

Doctors were not the only ones who want more Black physicians and medical professionals in the industry. Robert Phillips was looking for a Black nephrologist, a doctor specializing in diseases and functions of the kidneys and found Dr. Grubbs. He felt ignored and unheard by White doctors.

Scores of studies show that health outcomes for African Americans have historically been among the lowest, according to various metrics. The Centers for Disease and Prevention (CDC) recently reported African Americans have the highest rate of infant mortality of any ethnic group. The number of Black doctors is also disproportionately low, at just 5 %, according to a 2019 survey by the Association of American Medical Colleges.

Some at the rally are in litigation against Kaiser, including Khoury. She is well-known for a viral thread on Twitter relating her story of how she was removed from Kaiser Medical School.

Kaiser has released a statement disputing Khoury’s claim.

“Regarding Dr. Aysha Khoury, one of the founders of the Black Doc Village organization, the school has been clear that Dr. Khoury was not placed on leave because she brought content related to anti-racism to the classroom or because she shared her experiences as a Black woman in medicine,” the Kaiser statement says.

Khoury and Grubbs say that issues with Kaiser are a small part of a bigger problem in the medical community and are hoping that their stories can be the jumping-off point for action.

“Kaiser is where we are today, but this is everywhere, not just there,” said Khoury. “This is why we need the whole village.”

By Lue Dowdy | LUE Productions

Congratulations to the first-place winners of LUE Productions Community Umbrella Services Summer Youth Talent Competition and Showcase. These young ladies came ready with fire in their eyes to take the prize. The crowd went wild when they ended the routine with their death drop move to the floor. The team looked amazing all decked out in their emerald green and black uniforms with their sneakers that lit up as they danced. I remember when they came into the auditions, the girls were a little shy and not quite all together. After talking to them, I saw the determination in their eyes and that they really wanted it. These girls worked hard, and it showed. The event took place Saturday, July 30 in the beautiful city of San Bernardino at the San Bernardino Women’s club. Once again congratulations, DDC!

MORE ABOUT THE DANCE COMPANY:

What is the meaning of NLAA DDC?

(Next Level Athletics Association) Dare Dance Company

List Board members and coaches

President/choreographer: Imani Travis

VP/secretary: Ernestine West

General Manager: Sonya Bellamy

Historian/ choreographer: Deja Brown

Assistant Coaches: Nikita Harris & Kayla Mitchell

Why was DDC started?

“DDC” was created to give our young boys and girls an opportunity to develop good work ethics and strive at their talent of dance. DDC is a non-profit organization that provides the youth with dance instruction that builds self-esteem, coordination, leadership skills, and the value of teamwork.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— San Bernardino native DeShawn Radden, who was a hit on season 41 of “Survivor”, a popular CBS TV show. The show pushes contestants to a breaking point and forces them to use social and emotional survival skills. DeShawn, 27 years old, is a native of San Bernardino, California. He will receive his White Coat from The Barry University School of Podiatric Medicine in Miami, Florida on Friday August 26, 2022. The White coat ceremony is known as the Right of Passage. This ceremony is performed in many medical fields when students transition from pre-clinical to clinical rotations.

Dwaine Radden Sr., father of DeShawn said, “I am so proud of him for always staying the course and for embodying the 3D code of “Discipline, Determination, Dedication equals winner always”! His mom will be truly missed today”. Radden said.  “She has the best seat in the house and will be there spiritually”. Mrs. Radden passed away on May 1, 2022. The Inland Empire salutes this hometown young man as he starts on the last component of his medical journey.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA—– The San Bernardino City Council has awarded a construction contract to extend State Street from 16th Street to Baseline Street, a project that has been envisioned to improve mobility for over 20 years. The contract, awarded on August 17th to Riverside Construction Company of Riverside, CA in the amount of $7,436,165, will construct a new four lane divided roadway that includes medians, sidewalks, and storm drains.

The project is located just south of the 210 Freeway and parallels the Lytle Creek Basin. The new street will improve connectivity to the freeway, decrease cut through traffic in neighborhoods, and provide better access for residents to Arroyo Valley High School and Anne Shirrells Park.

“The West Side residents of San Bernardino have been waiting for this for a long time,” said Councilmember Kimberly Calvin, who represents the area. “Our patience is being rewarded with a great new street that will serve as a major arterial for the entire area and position Ward 6 for more economic development opportunities.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— Two recent high-profile actions by the San Bernardino City Council have signaled that progress continues to occur in the redevelopment of the 43- acre Carousel Mall site, a project envisioned to revitalize San Bernardino’s downtown. This activity has also spiked interest in other downtown properties.

On August 3, 2022, the City Council approved adding national real estate developer Lincoln Property Company (LPC West) to the development team as the project’s principal partner, joining RD-ICO. On July 20, the Council approved seeking bids to demolish and clear the Mall property.

LPC West is the second largest apartment operator in the United States and has developed over 130 million square feet of mixed-use space throughout the country. They finance, construct, and operate large projects that bring together housing, office, and commercial space in one location.

“With their proven track record of developing large successful projects across the country, many inland cities have wanted to do business with Lincoln,” said San Bernardino City Manager Robert Field. “Having them committed to the Carousel Mall project speaks volumes about downtown San Bernardino’s potential.”

By Austin Gage | California Black Media

Thanks to the Biden-Harris administration’s latest allocation of $2.2 billion from the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) program, eight grants — totaling more than $119 million — were awarded by the US Department of Transportation (DOT) to local governments, transit agencies and a tribal nation to help improve transportation in California.

Grants were awarded to the Port of Los Angeles-Long Beach ($20 million), Sacramento Area Council of Governments ($5 million), Yuba-Sutter Transit Authority ($15 million), Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation ($1.6 million), City of Fontana ($15 million), City of Inglewood ($15 million), California High-Speed Rail Authority ($25 million), and San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency ($23 million).

The cities of Inglewood and Fontana are beneficiaries of the RAISE program’s goal, “to help urban and rural communities move forward on projects that modernize roads, bridges, transit, rail, ports, and intermodal transportation and make our transportation systems safer, more accessible, more affordable, and more sustainable.”

With different transportation needs and obstacles, the cities are slated to use the award money for different reasons.

In the case of Inglewood, the $15 million will be pushed into the “Inglewood Transit Connector Project” (ITC). The ITC, when fully complete, will consist of an approximately 1.6-mile fully elevated, automated transit system with three stations to complete a critical gap in the region’s transit system, on segments along Market Street, Manchester Boulevard, and Prairie Avenue. As Inglewood continues to experience increased traffic due to places of interest such as SoFi Stadium, transit systems such as the ITC have been a key piece of the puzzle for the city’s health and growth.

Supporters of the project say not only will it serve as a cleaner transportation option compared to personal vehicles, the ITC promises to provide jobs to local workers from the area. The ITC project includes a commitment to a Community Workforce Agreement to hire 35% local residents, 10% disadvantaged workers, and 20% apprentice workers.

Inglewood Mayor James Butts

Inglewood Mayor James Butts applauded RAISE’s transportation award for the ITC and explained the rationale for the project.

“The ITC Project will reduce traffic, improve air quality, and it will enhance the quality of life for residents and visitors across the region,” said Butts.

While Inglewood’s RAISE award money will focus on the ITC transit system, Fontana’s award will feed into the “Building A Better-Connected Inland Empire Project”. As described by the DOT, this program will make major complete streets improvements by constructing additional lane capacity, an integrated traffic system, medians with protected left turns, a roundabout, bus turnouts, streetlights, signage, and raised medians, more than 7.5 miles of bike lanes, including more than 2.5 miles of separated bike lanes, a half-mile of multi-use trail, crosswalks, a bridge, and countdown signal heads.

Sharing many of the same goals as Inglewood’s ITC, Fontana’s project goals include improved efforts for safety, sustainable environmental factors, economic competitiveness and opportunity, and innovation. DOT experts say the project will help Fontana citizens have easier access to approximately 7,500 job opportunities.

The RAISE award for the “Building A Better-Connected Inland Empire Project” was announced by Representatives Norma J. Torres (CA-35), Pete Aguilar (CA-31) and Fontana Mayor Acquanetta Warren.

“With this RAISE grant provided by the Department of Transportation, we will make our streets and bike lanes safer, better connect our residents to transportation services, and strengthen our local and regional infrastructure for generations to come – all while integrating equity and accessibility. Without a doubt, this $15 million grant will be transformative to Fontana and the Inland Empire and support every single resident living in the region,” Rep. Torres said.

Rep. Aguilar said, “I’m proud to partner with Rep. Torres to secure federal funding that meets the City of Fontana’s needs and will continue to raise the quality of life for our region.”

Warren was just as excited for PRAISE’s awarded money and the positive impact it will have on the city in general.

“This is a historic day for the City of Fontana. The “Building A Better-Connected Inland Empire” project will transform Fontana’s transportation corridors and create safe pathways for students and bicyclists. We are thankful to Congresswoman Torres and Congressman Aguilar for their work to secure RAISE Grant funding for Fontana,” said Warren.

With common goals like transportation safety, efficiency, accessibility, affordability, and sustainability, Inglewood’s ITC and Fontana’s “Building A Better-Connected Inland Empire” fit the criteria of what U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg was looking for when deciding which projects across the country should receive PRAISE awarded money.

“We are proud to support so many outstanding infrastructure projects in communities large and small, modernizing America’s transportation systems to make them safer, more affordable, more accessible, and more sustainable,” Buttigieg said.