LOS ANGELES, CA—- The National College Resources Foundation will
be presenting the Black College Expo this weekend in Los Angeles at the LA
Convention Center, located at 1201 S Figueroa Street in Los Angeles. The Expo
will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is FREE, and all students are
welcomed.
This is the perfect time to get accepted to colleges on the spot,
meet one-on-one with college recruiters, apply for scholarships on the spot have
all your application fees waived. There will also be an AFTER SHOW featuring
entertainment, celebrities, and an opportunity to win some cash. Students
please remember to bring at least 10 copies of your transcripts and SAT/ACT scores.
Every year the expo also has seminars to attend. This year’s
seminars include: ‘How to Find Money for College’; ‘411 for the Student Athlete’;
‘Why Attend an HBCU’; ‘Booming Careers’; ‘How to Start a Business’; and more!
Wave of key endorsements follow recent polling showing strong support for Schools & Communities First
With a wave of critical new endorsements for the Schools and Communities First initiative, momentum continues to build behind the most important measure on the ballot this cycle. These key endorsements follow recent polling conducted with the new Title and Summary showing 58 percent support amongst likely voters, further emphasizing that Californians are ready to reclaim $12 billion every year for schools and local communities by closing corporate property tax loopholes while protecting residential property and small businesses.
The initiative has already garnered key endorsements from many of California’s most important leaders and organizations. These endorsements include state leaders such as Speaker Anthony Rendon and a large number of legislators; mayors Eric Garcetti, Michael Tubbs, and Libby Schaaf; presidential candidates Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg; and many of the most powerful community and labor groups across the state.
San Francisco Mayor London Breed and the Board of Supervisors, joined by the San Francisco Board of Education, City College Board of Trustees, and a coalition of community and labor groups, endorsed the Schools and Communities First initiative today, showing incredible unity in San Francisco:
“As someone who went to public school in San Francisco and grew up relying on our libraries, our Rec and Park programs, and Muni, I understand how important it is for local governments to have the funding necessary to provide the support that the community needs. The Schools & Communities First ballot measure will make sure that our schools are strong and our young people have the opportunity to succeed, and will support our efforts here in San Francisco to create a City that is equitable and thriving. I’m committed to supporting this measure and working to get it passed this November, because our City is stronger when we put students and communities first.” – San Francisco Mayor London Breed
“Schools and Communities First will close commercial property tax loopholes on wealthy corporations and investors and reclaim $800 million for SFUSD, City College, and San Francisco public services without affecting residential property. This influx in revenue will help retain our public school teachers, librarians, and school staff in San Francisco. It will also help us address our city’s affordable housing and mental health needs. That’s why I am so proud to pass my resolution today that puts the City and County of San Francisco on record endorsing Schools and Communities First along with our School Board and College Board.” – Supervisor Gordon Mar
“Everyone at City College is dedicated to helping our students learn new skills and build a brighter future for themselves. But budget challenges and 100+ vacant positions make it hard for many students to access critical services like priority course registration, meal vouchers, the supplemental textbook assistance program, and more. Programs serving our most vulnerable students, like the Homeless At-Risk Transitional (HART) program, are badly understaffed, while over 2,000 student veterans of the Armed Forces have only two clerical staff to serve them. That’s why it’s critical for California’s students and communities that wealthy corporations start paying their fair share.” – Maria Salazar-Colon, President of City College of San Francisco
“Working people in SF know how important it is to pass Schools and Communities First and make the biggest corporations across California pay their fair share. Whether it is our partners pushing for full funding for black and brown students, or members fighting to guarantee muni access for all San Franciscans, these resources belong in our communities and we are proud to join elected officials, organized labor, and community organizations in supporting SCF.” – Emily Lee, Director of San Francisco Rising
“I am an accountant for the City and County of San Francisco for more than 11 years. My job is to make sure that our public dollars are spent fairly. This initiative will do that.” – Tina Cen-Camarao (???), IFPTE Local 21 Member and Accountant at San Francisco Recreation and Parks
California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond endorsed the Schools & Communities First initiative today in Sacramento, and was joined by the California Federation of Teachers (CFT), California Teachers Association (CTA), and California Parent Teachers Association (PTA):
“As the head of California’s educational system, it is my top priority to champion policies which give our students more opportunities to succeed. That’s why I’m endorsing the Schools & Communities First initiative. Right now, our schools and local communities face structural roadblocks to delivering on the promise of a world-class education and safe, healthy neighborhoods – corporations have avoided paying their fair share for years while school funding has fallen farther and farther behind. The Schools & Communities First initiative would reclaim $12 billion every year for our schools and local communities by closing corporate property tax loopholes. If we’re serious about addressing the historic inequities within California’s educational system and delivering results for our students, we all need to step up and pass this initiative.” – Tony Thurmond, California State Superintendent of Public Instruction
“As the state’s foremost education leader, and a decades long advocate for our students, Tony understands the power and promise of what a quality public education means for every student and community in California. And that is why we are here today. Because the Schools and Communities First initiative will reclaim $12 billion every year for schools and local communities to fund classrooms and critical local services that our students and their families rely on.” – Jeff Freitas, President of the California Federation of Teachers
“We are here because we all agree that California’s schools and communities are severely underfunded, with limited resources while wealthy corporations make millions by abusing loopholes that shortchange our students. We are also here because we want similar things: good schools for our children, a healthy family, and safe neighborhoods. To achieve these goals, it will take all of us to work together.” – Mike Patterson, California Teachers Association Board of Directors
“Due to lack of funds, California schools have difficulty providing students a full curriculum including robust arts, PE, and science programs. Schools and Communities First will support students to be better prepared for the future.” – Celia Jaffe, President of California State PTA
Equality California, the state’s largest statewide LGBTQ civil rights organization, announced their endorsement Monday:
“Equality California is proud to support Schools & Communities First because we believe it is a critical first step toward providing every child with a safe and supportive school and every family with the resources they need to succeed and thrive. California has led the nation in the fight for LGBTQ civil rights and social justice. But the reality is too many LGBTQ students and families across our state — especially LGBTQ immigrants, people of color and people living with HIV — still face persistent disparities in health and wellbeing. Four in 10 California youth experiencing homelessness are LGBTQ. Sixty-four percent of LGBTQ students report being bullied and harassed in school. Behind each of these statistics are real people with futures we simply cannot afford to sacrifice. Equality California is committed to creating a world that is healthy, just and fully equal for all LGBTQ people, and that starts with investing in educating all of our kids and in the vital services necessary to support our families and communities.” – Rick Zbur, Executive Director of Equality California
SAN BERNARDINO, CA—On Monday, January 20, at Arroyo High School in San Bernardino, the Southern California Black Chamber of Commerce in conjunction with several other community organizations, held the first annual Martin Luther King Jr. Parade and Expo. The parade started and ended on time which was another accomplishment.
“History was made today on the beautiful Westside of San Bernardino,” Lucrierta Dowdy, MLK committee member, stated. “We came together for the very 1st San Bernardino MLK Day Parade and Extravaganza. Special thanks to everyone that helped to make it a success.”
This is just the beginning for more to come to the City of San Bernardino.
As legalization spreads across the U.S. and the world, there is
much discussion of its use for medicinal and recreational purposes but often
forgotten is its use as a guide to spirituality and enlightenment.
At the February 1, 2020 meeting of the Marijuana
Anti-Prohibition Project, Terry Turner, an ordained Minister of Religious
Science with a Master’s Degree in Consciousness Studies and a Bachelor’s Degree
in Theology, will present a talk on Cannabis as Spiritual Practice.
Tracing its use back to 2000 B.C.E. in the
ancient Hindu Vedas where cannabis was revered as a sacred plant used for
health, pleasure and meditation, Rev. Turner asks the question is it morally
acceptable to get high? Rev. Turner challenges our reliance on materialist
science and technology for solutions to life’s various challenges and our
tendency to consider ancient spirit-based cultures as primitive and
superstitious.
The U.S. government enforces this belief by
continuing to deny the protection of the 1st amendment which
prevents government from “prohibiting the free exercise thereof,”
to any group which uses cannabis as a sacrament.
Rev. Turner points out that the cannabis
plant, being a mild psychedelic or entheogen, was seen by ancient cultures and
remains today as a powerful and sacred tool that deserves to be treated with
care and respect. He notes the states of consciousness available through
cannabis use can be even deeper than those achieved by seasoned meditators without
the years of discipline and training. Used reverentially and with proper
intention, it is capable of ushering its initiates into the realm of savikalpa
samadhi, the portal of mystical or unitive consciousness.
Rev. Turner will explore the uses of cannabis
in the practice of spirituality by exploring the intent of its use, how to
create a safe and sacred space for its use, the importance of set and setting,
understanding the proper ingestion and dose and concluding with a guided
session of meditative techniques which can be practiced for spiritual benefit
either with or without cannabis.”
Rev. Turner will make his presentations in
both Palm Springs and Joshua Tree on Saturday, Feb. 1. Everyone is invited to
attend and there is no charge for admission.
The
Palm Springs/Coachella Valley MAPP meeting will be held on Saturday, Feb. 1 at
12 noon at Crystal Fantasy, 268 N. Palm Canyon, Palm Springs CA 92262.
The
Joshua Tree/Yucca Valley MAPP meeting will be held on Saturday, Feb. 1 at 3
p.m. at the legendary Beatnik Lounge, 61597 Twenty-Nine Palms Hwy., Joshua Tree
CA 92252.
Background information on Rev. Terry Turner
Terry Turner is an ordained
Minister of Religious Science. He holds a Master’s Degree in Consciousness
Studies from Holmes Institute as well as a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology.
He has been a sojourner on the spiritual path for almost 50 years and has
been using cannabis for recreational medicinal and mostly spiritual
purposes for about 50 years as well. He is also an informal student of such diverse
disciplines as evangelical Christianity, kundalini yoga, I Ching, holotropic
breathwork, entheobotany, and shamanic studies. He currently makes his home in
Desert Hot Springs, CA
RANCHO CUCAMONGA – RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CA— Los Osos High School in the Chaffey Joint Union High School District will be the site for the 37th annual San Bernardino County Academic Decathlon competition, which will be held over two weekends, January 25 and February 1.
Approximately 450 high
school students have signed up to compete in this year’s event that features
teams representing 25 high schools. Both weekends of the competition will take
place at Los Osos, located at 6001 Milliken Ave. in Rancho Cucamonga.
There are 10 academic
events for students to compete, including written tests in the areas of math,
economics, music, art, language/literature, science and social science.
Students also write an essay, face a panel of interviewers and give impromptu
and prepared speeches.
For the final event on February 2, teams compete in a Super Quiz, a college bowl-style event consisting of multiple-choice questions. This year’s overall competition theme is “In Sickness and in Health: An Exploration of Illness and Wellness.” Rancho Cucamonga High School from the Chaffey district is the defending county champion of Academic Decathlon.
Teams consist of nine
students, three from each grade-point category: “A” (Honors),
“B” (Scholastic) and “C” (Varsity). Students compete for
individual and team awards.
This year’s
participating high schools and their districts are: Alta Loma High, Chaffey High,
Colony High, Etiwanda High, Los Osos High, Montclair High, Ontario High and
Rancho Cucamonga High, Chaffey Joint Union High; Chino Hills High, Chino Valley
Unified; Jurupa Hills, Kaiser High and Summit High, Fontana Unified; Citrus
Valley High, Redlands East Valley High and Redlands High, Redlands Unified;
Eisenhower High and Rialto High, Rialto Unified; Arroyo Valley High, San
Bernardino High and San Gorgonio High, San Bernardino City Unified; Upland
High, Upland Unified; and Cobalt Institute of Math and Science, Lakeview
Leadership Academy and Victor Valley High, Victor Valley Union High. Aquinas
High School, a private school, also is participating.
Winners and finalists from the Academic
Decathlon will be announced at an awards banquet on Feb. 7. The winning team
and possible other qualifiers will represent the county at the statewide
Academic Decathlon competition in March.
Crystal Fox is no stranger to fans of Tyler Perry’s “The Have and the Have Nots.” Since the show premiered in 2013, it has remained one of the Oprah Winfrey Network’s most popular series and Fox’s character, Hanna Young, the prayer warrior mother of Candace (Tika Sumpter) and Benny (Tyler Lepley), is one of the show’s most popular and recognizable characters. So much so that Fox shared, during an exclusive phone interview with Urban News Service, that “people who meet me on the street love Hanna so much that [they] ask me to pray for them.”
In “A Fall From Grace,” Tyler Perry’s first film for Netflix, Fox gives those fans a brand-new look. She plays Grace, a lonely divorcée who falls for a much younger man who isn’t who he seems. The fallout of that relationship lands her in prison where the young, inexperienced lawyer Jasmine Bryant (Bresha Webb) leads her defense. Phylicia Rashad plays her good friend Sarah. Tyler Perry and Cicely Tyson also have roles.
At age 56, this is the first starring film role for Fox, whose career has largely been on TV and in theatre. Prior to “The Haves and the Have Nots,” the Tryon, North Carolina native’s longest-running series was a six-year (1989-1995) stint as LuAnn Corbin, who rose from police officer to corporal, on “In the Heat of the Night.”
More recently, she played a memorable role as Elizabeth, mom to Zoe Kravitz’s Bonnie, on HBO’s hit limited series, “Big Little Lies.” Because “A Fall From Grace” is a huge first for her, Fox admitted to experiencing self-doubt.
“The thing that was intimidating to me was whether I could be a strong enough leading lady,” she said.
For Fox and many other Black actresses over 50, there have been few Hollywood opportunities to star in films featuring a strong storyline where they are not just playing someone’s mother or grandmother. In “A Fall From Grace,” she is so much more.
Reflecting on her three-decade-plus-long career as a professional actor, Fox, speaking via phone in New York City, told Urban News Service, “I feel like I’ve been unseen more than anything. The people who have the vision didn’t envision me; they didn’t have a placement for me. But, at the same time, I’m not trying to fault anybody, but they weren’t trying to get to know me either, or people like me.”
That’s why Fox looks forward to seeing more films like “A Fall From Grace” with interesting storylines starring women of color in the prime of their lives.
“I hope there will be another chance to do more with women like [Grace] so that you can see how multifaceted we are, especially as we’re aging.”
In the film, Fox and Rashad, who have primarily worked together on stage and are friends in real life, enjoy an easy chemistry as Grace and Sarah. But the relationship between Grace and her much-younger, untested lawyer Jasmine, who convinces her to forego her initial plea deal to stand trial, is one of the most interesting dynamics in the film.
“Her objective is hers and [Grace’s is separate from that]. So, when they come together and you see these opposing objectives, it creates some genuineness [in] discovering what [that] relationship is going to be,” Fox explained.
Fox believes that the relationship Grace and Jasmine develop makes an important statement.
“It says a big thing about women supporting women, in allowing another woman to fight for you.”
One of the most challenging parts of her role, Fox admitted, was the romantic scenes between her character and the younger photographer Shannon, played by 39-year-old Mehcad Brooks. “Oh my gosh, can I just tell you, I can do serious, I can do dramatic, left, right, top, center and I’m not nervous. When I had to do that love scene, I felt like I was two years old,” she laughed. Brooks, she shared, couldn’t have been nicer.
Fox, who was blown away by the enthusiastic applause following the private Atlanta screening she and Perry hosted on January 9, said she is grateful that the entertainment mogul and friend cast her in this role, even if she is not sure exactly why.
“I don’t know what he saw in me,” she said. “If he believes you when he watches you, that draws him in. So, whatever he saw me do, he believed in me.”
What she doesn’t doubt is that “A Fall From Grace” is a huge opportunity for her. “For me, it can be a big career shifter or something that will propel me forward, so it means a lot.”
“A Fall From Grace” Debuted on Netflix January 17.
SAN
BERNARDINO, CA— The Diocese of San Bernardino held their Migrant Mass at our
Lady of the Rosary Cathedral this past Sunday. Bishop Barnes celebrated the
mass with priest and practitioners from all over the diocese. During the homily
Bishop Barnes emphasized the importance of the census and our role as people of
faith.
“This year we are going to have the census, and, in the census, everybody counts, everybody!” Bishop Barnes explains. “So that the benefits can come to everyone, so we are going to help promote the census.”
Leaders
from Inland Congregations United for Change (ICUC) were in attendance to
collect pledge cards from churchgoers as they left mass. Collecting over 80
pledges. The census is important because it gives everyone a voice no matter
their immigration status. Parent and youth organizers with ICUC helped organize
the collection of census pledge cards.
“We are all a part of this community and we all belong, we all deserve to be counted,” Miguel Rivera, ICUC Organizer, states. “Let’s bring in the resources that we need for our communities. Having the bishop pledge to do the census is an honor and it shows just how important it is.”
If
you would like to learn more about the census, please visit censusie.org.
SAN BERNARDINO, CA— Mr. Joseph G. Paulino, Chief of Police for San Bernardino City Unified School District Police Department spoke to participants of the Social Lites, Inc. Beautillion program on Saturday, January 11, 2020 at the Center for Youth in San Bernardino on leadership and facts about police youth contact. Chief Paulino emphasized, “when people see you they see your history” using visuals of his identification cards from grade school, middle school, high school, military, and current identification card as Chief of Police. Future leaders were encouraged to guard their history. It was important for future leaders to be reminded, “don’t let an uninformed person speak into your life.” As leaders, Chief Paulino shared the importance of relationships, “it’s not who you know, but who knows you.”
Mr. Neuman Sneed II, Sir Knight 2019, sophomore at University Merced also guest speaker was in the audience prior to speaking appreciated Chief Paulino words of wisdom. Sneed II entered college as a sophomore. He shared with future leaders “college is hard.” He earned an Associate of Arts Degree while in high school and assumed college would not be as challenging as earning the AA degree while in high school. Sneed II plans to be an Optometrist. He shared living on his own, experiencing dormitory life, learning various faculty style has been challenging, one in which he welcomes and looks forward in the upcoming semester. Both Chief Paulino and Mr. Sneed II inspired the youth to “be good stewards as they pursue their goals in life.”
The 2029/2020 Beautillion Scholarship program will commence on Saturday, March 28, 2020. For more information regarding the Beautillion Scholarship Program, please telephone chairperson, Mrs. Tina Darling at tribicu2@msn.com or Ms. Lisa Blacksher, President at lisasocialities@gmail.com or Mrs. Bettye Brewster, Business Manager, bettyebrewster@yahoo.com
SAN BERNARDINO, CA—- San
Bernardino Valley College welcomed Senator Connie Leyva and Assemblymember
Eloise Gómez Reyes for a ceremonial presentation of a $35 million check towards
the renovation of the Applied Technology building on campus.
After championing the building’s renovation as a state budget priority earlier this year, these elected officials celebrated the project with other dignitaries on the grounds that will house a new 21st century training center for Inland Empire students. The $35 million check matches the state funds approved to build this nearly 100,000-square-foot modern career training hub, where students will receive the necessary preparation to sharpen their skill sets to meet the needs of today’s tech economy. Built in 1964, the current 78,000-square-foot technical facility is one of the oldest on campus. With the $70 million in state and Measure CC funds, it will be a huge boon for SBVC students to be able to not only learn but do hands-on training with state-of-the-art equipment.
“A new cutting-edge job training facility will elevate career technical education training in the Inland Empire and create pathways to the highly skilled, good paying jobs that our communities deserve,” said Senator Leyva to the San Bernardino Community College District. “I am proud to partner with Assemblymember Reyes and SBVC to bring good jobs and quality public education to the Inland Empire.”
Approved by 61 percent of voters last year, Measure CC will generate $470 million for upgrades to classrooms and job training facilities in the San Bernardino Community College District. The new Applied Technology Building is expected to begin construction in July 2021, with its final debut anticipated for 2023.
By Joseph Hammond, Urban News Service (A Division Zenger News)
Claressa Shields made boxing history in Atlantic City on January 10th when she earned a third world title becoming the quickest fighter ever in the sport to win world titles in three different weight classes in just 10 fights. The Michigan pugilist is set to have a breakout year with a Hollywood biopic and cross-over fights in the UFC set to take place.
Recently, Shields earned a dominate win over Croatia’s Ivana Habazin to earn the WBC and WBO junior middleweight titles. Shields had promised to knockout Habazin but, had to settle for an unanimous decision victory. Earlier she won the middleweight and super-middleweight titles.
“Congratulations to Clarissa Shields, the 2019 Women’s Sports Foundation Sportswoman of the Year, and now the quickest fighter, male or female, to win world titles in 3 different divisions,” tweeted Tennis icon Billie Jean King.
The Urban News Service caught up with Shields in London earlier this month, where she was doing her final training for the the Habazin fight.
London has been good to Shields where she became the youngest Olympic boxing champion since 1924 when she won a gold-medal there in 2012 at the age of 17. In 2016, she won a second Olympic gold medal at the Rio Olympics becoming the only American boxer to win multiple gold medals in the sport.
During an interview at a fight card held at York Hall, a historic venue dating to the 1929, which is the heart of the London boxing scene, Shields acknowledged her close ties to the United Kingdom.
“I love the fans – the York Hall fans, the British fans, I would love to fight here in the United Kingdom,” said Shields. “I love the atmosphere here. Maybe in 2020 or the year after she said.”
Many female boxers come to the sport from comfortable middle-class backgrounds. Shields’s life hasn’t been easy. Her life story is one of turning to tragedy to triumph. Born in Flint, Michigan, a town full of poverty, despair and though it was not known at the time, poisoned water. Her father spent time in prison for dealing drugs and she didn’t start speaking until the age of five. That same year she was molested by one of her alcoholic mother’s boyfriends.
She was picked-on at school and started boxing at age 11. She chooses the sport after overhearing her father lament he had never pursued his passion for the sport – though he initially objected to her boxing dreams. Despite that she soon joined a gym where she was the only female fighter. In boxing she found personal resilience and found further strength when at 13 she was baptized into a local church.
Not surprisingly
her rise through adversity to world champion has attracted the interest of
Hollywood filmmakers who are looking to turn the life of the 24-year-old into a
major feature film. It was announced last year that Ryan Destiny, perhaps
best known for her role in Fox’s television show “Star,” will
play Claressa Shields in Universal’s biopic “Flint Strong” which is
currently in production.
The
fight most British fans would like to see is a rematch between Shields and the
United Kingdom’s Savannah Marshal. Marshal defeated Shields in the amateurs. By
chance the two crossed paths at the York Hall event and posed for a promotional
stare down.
The
leading boxing promotional agency MTK Global released a press-release after the
encounter in which Marshal described being “amused” by the face-off with
Shields, “our rematch could 100% be the biggest fight in women’s boxing,” she
said.
As a
professional, Marshal, like Shields, is undefeated. While Shields has
accomplished more in her brief boxing career, Marshall at least according to
their professional records, could be the harder puncher. Shields has 10 wins
with two coming via knockout. Six of Marshall’s eight wins have come
by knockout.
Another
potential blockbuster fight in her future could be with UFC star Amanda Nunes.
Shields is training for a mixed-martial arts debut later this year. If all goes
well, she would like to fight a series of fights – one in the boxing ring and
one in the UFC octagon against the Nunes. Shields believes such fights could
have a cross-over appeal similar to the Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Connor
MacGregor fight in 2017.
“My
[MMA] debut is going to happen, and that fight is most likely going to be in
September and October,” she told Urban News Service. Shields will most likely
take a tune-up fight in the octagon before challenging Nunes.
As a
child, Shields was teased over her skinny arms and called “T-Rex” after the
proportions of that extinct dinosaur. Shields has embraced the name as ring moniker,
but her recent ring victories have led her to start using a new nickname
“GWOAT” the acronym for “Greatest Woman of All Time.”
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