Happily Divorced And After

By Antonio R. Harvey |California Black Media

The family of Stephon Clark’s independent autopsy revealed that the 22-year-old man was shot eight times by two Sacramento police officers in the backyard of his grandmother’s house on March 18.

Six of the bullets hit Clark in the back, said forensic pathologist Dr. Bennet Omalu, who conducted the examination. Clark also suffered gunshot wounds to his right side and left thigh. The Sacramento County Coroner’s Office has yet to release its autopsy report.

Dr. Omalu, along with the Clark family attorney Benjamin Crump, explained the examination, done in two increments, at a news conference held at the South Sacramento Christian Center. Dr. Omula said his findings “contradict” the police officers’ version.

He partly based his results on a video of Sacramento County sheriff’s helicopter that caught moving images of the shooting. The officers responsible for the shooting were wearing body cameras that were distorted from the view on the ground.

The autopsy was completed on March 28, Dr. Omalu said.

“I saw the video from the helicopter (March 29),” Dr. Omalu said. “The autopsy findings, as confirmed, would be consistent with the video documentation of the forensic scenario.”

The police say they were in pursuit of Clark after they received a 911 call of someone breaking windows of cars in the area around 29th Street and Florin Road.

Clark was shot and killed in the backyard of his grandmother’s house. The grandmother was inside the house with Clark’s little sister. Stephon Clark was shot at 20 times.  

“Death took about three to 10 minutes,” Dr. Omalu said of Clark’s fate. “Meaning that out of all seven, all he need to have died was just one of the seven (bullets). It was not an instantaneous death.”

The police first said Clark had a crowbar, and then a gun when they confronted him in the backyard. It was later reported that Clark was unarmed and with a cell phone. One of the police unions released a statement that the father of two boys was in a “shooting stance,” which triggered them to use force.

Crump said the officers’ accounts “contradict” Dr. Omalu’s examination.

“The narrative has been put forth was they open fire because he was charging at them,” Crump said during the news conference. “Dr. Omalu’s findings and the family autopsy, it suggests all the bullets were from behind.”

After the news conference, Crump was asked if he knew what type of bullets and weapons were used in the shooting.

“I do not know at this time,” Crump said.

Dr. Omalu is renowned for discovering Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, CTE, in former football players. Actor Will Smith portrayed the Nigerian-born medical doctor in the film, “Concussion.”

Dr. Omalu just left the San Joaquin County Coroner’s Office after he felt that the sheriff’s department in that jurisdiction was allegedly interfering with the results of officer-involved shootings. Dr. Omalu resides in the Sacramento area.

After his findings were revealed in front of many local community leaders, they thought of murder charges emerged for the police officers responsible for Clark’s death.

“The narrative that they’ve (Sacramento police) painted does not match the autopsy that we see today,” said Rashid Sidqe, member of the Law Enforcement Accountability Directive. “I look forward to hearing their response to this and their coroner’s report. But we need prosecution in this case. It speaks for itself.”

By Allison Kugel

Kind, conscientious, courageous and refreshingly candid, Ms. Vivica A. Fox has proven that as Hollywood careers go, second acts are often the sweetest. The multi-hyphenate actress-director- beauty entrepreneur-author is embracing life and not looking back, except to pull from her well of wisdom for her new memoir, Every Day I’m Hustling. And if you know Vivica like I got to know her during our conversation, you’d think the book’s title quite fitting. She enjoys hard work and has no plans to slow down.

Born Vivica Anjanetta Fox on the outskirts of Indianapolis, she went by Angie Fox, one of four siblings being raised by divorced mother who worked overtime to provide for her children. Her childhood home was hectic but loving and provided fertile ground for her to aspire for things grander than her mid-western upbringing.

After high school, she made her way to Southern California to attend college, all the while seeking out opportunities in Los Angeles to model and act wherever she could. It was in LA that Angie became Vivica A. Fox. She worked her way through the ranks on sitcoms and daytime soaps, and in 1996 got her breakthrough role opposite Will Smith in the classic blockbuster, Independence Day.  Next came a string of fan favorites including Set It Off, Soul Food, Two Can Play That Game, Kill Bill Volume I and II, and a string of subsequent roles in film and television, including Larry David’s sharp-witted houseguest, Loretta Black, on Curb Your Enthusiasm and Skye in the campy Sharknado franchise. Her eclectic career has kept her on the move for nearly three decades.

In 2016, Vivica joined the cast of the smash hit television series, Empire, playing conservative suburbanite Candace, Cookie Lyon’s (Taraji P. Henson) older sister and character foil.

During our interview we covered everything from movie stardom and maternal instincts to social media drama, setting boundaries and finding love.

Allison Kugel: When are you Angie and when are you Vivica? When do you take off the Vivica and become Angie from Indianapolis? 

Vivica A. Fox: Well first off, that’s Angie Fox from 38^th and Emerson in Indianapolis (laughs)! I’m Vivica Fox when I hit that red carpet and I’m ready to slay the game. That’s what I do. But I love that I have in my life, and in my journey, learned when to be Angie Fox. And that’s mainly when I’m with my family, time off, hanging out with my godchildren, having my Me Time and learning to take Me Time. That’s when I’m no makeup, baseball cap, chilling and blending in.

Allison Kugel: Do you prefer yourself that way?

Vivica A. Fox: Oh my gosh! To be honest with you, the older I’ve gotten, the more I prefer it. I work so much; I’ve been so blessed and so busy lately that I enjoy when I can have that Me Time. In fact, today I don’t have to be on. That’s what I really love about being with my godchildren. When they see me, I’m just G.G. or G-ma. G.G. stands for Gorgeous Godmother. G-ma, I don’t know where they got that one from, but I have five godchildren. Two of them call me G-ma and the other ones call me G.G. They like hanging with me. Not the drama or the glamour, they just want me.

Allison Kugel: I love the part in your book where your godson, Christian, sees you all done up as Vivica A. Fox, and he gives you that side eye like he doesn’t recognize you, and you say, “It’s okay, I’m just wearing my Vivica costume.” Then he asks, “You’re still my G.G., right?” And you reassure him that it’s still you.

Vivica A. Fox: It’s funny because he was just a baby the first time he saw me like that, and he was like, “Who are you!?” He was so used to seeing me in my tracksuit and baseball cap. But now at seven, he kind of likes it when he sees the reaction I get from people. He’s done a couple of red carpet events with me and he knows the difference between the two.

Allison Kugel: Coming from the Midwest, your father was a school administrator, your mother worked for a pharmaceutical company, so you really had no ties to entertainment, or Los Angeles for that matter. What gave you that spark of courage, that spark that made you believe that you could become a successful actress?

Vivica A. Fox: I was introduced to the world of fashion and modeling by Madame King, my late auntie. She had her own beauty salon back in the day. She was the first one to cut my hair and put me on a runway. I was kind of bitten by the bug at thirteen. From that point forward, I just fell in love with magazines and fashion. Then I went to go see Michael Jackson in concert, and Diana Ross in concert. I had never seen African Americans being so fabulous, and I was like, “Where do they live? That’s where I’m going! That’s what I want to do.” I decided that during my senior year in high school. But I had to trick my mama (laughs) and tell her I was going to college in California, and I did go to college. But I would be sneaking up to Hollywood and going to modeling agencies. I had a girlfriend who was an actress, and I used to read lines with her. She would say, “You’re pretty good at this, you should try it.”

Allison Kugel: Your book is part memoir and part motivational guidebook for success. Tell me about your mentor, or mentors…

Vivica A. Fox: My mentor would have to be a good friend of mine, and my first acting coach, Sheila Wills. I’m her two daughters’ godmother. Sheila, I met when I was doing [the daytime soap opera] Generations. She took me under her wing, and she would work with me with auditions. I would go into those auditions and just nail them. I attribute my success to her. She would say, “Vivica, you’ve got to stay ready. You got to be ready. You’ve got to take care of yourself.” And people who inspired me to be who I am would be Diana Ross and Pam Grier.

Allison Kugel: Do you know that you’re incredibly sexy? Is that something you’re aware of?

Vivica A. Fox: Well, okay now!

Allison Kugel: I’m not pulling your leg. You really do ooze sensuality. Do you know that? 

Vivica A. Fox: Thank you! I appreciate that. Got to keep it tight and right, girl (laughs)!

Allison Kugel: More so now, than twenty years ago, in my opinion…

Vivica A. Fox: Maybe because… No, not maybe! Because I am comfortable in my own skin. I’m very comfortable with me. I have embraced my womanhood through my pluses and my minuses. I’m good with me right now, so that’s what you’re seeing. My spirit is happy, more than anything else. It’s taken awhile, and that’s something I want to share with people. My book is a motivational memoir. I, too, have fallen down and had to figure out how to get back up and create new chapters for myself. I want to encourage, enlighten and inspire other people.

Allison Kugel: Why did you choose to share your journey with menopause in the book?

Vivica A. Fox: It’s part of life. It’s going to happen. And it’s like you just asked, “Do you know that you’re sexy right now?” But do people also know that for the last few years, that’s what’s been going on in my life? I embraced it and I got in front of it. I didn’t let it define me or make me want to whittle away. I don’t know why with women, we can’t talk about our bodies and what we go through, share it with others, and not feel like we have to hide that from people. I’m sharing it, and I got in front of it and took care of myself. I really feel like it made me take good care of myself.

Allison Kugel: And being that your image is sexy, you weren’t afraid of putting that out there…

Vivica A. Fox: No, not at all. You’re going to have naysayers and people that are going to try to come and say something, and they can. But I’m still me. It doesn’t change who I am. I’m still all woman.

Allison Kugel: When it comes to social media feuds and this clap back culture we’re living in, when do you take the high road and not respond, and when do you feel the need to clap back?

Vivica A. Fox: I will clap back occasionally, but to be very honest with you, if it’s not necessary, I don’t like that. I’m not one of those people who became famous by being a controversial celebrity. Normally, I’ll click on who that person is and see if they’re even worth it. If it’s somebody that you can tell is wanting to make TheShadeRoom or seeking attention, I just block them. They’re not worth it. When I clap back, it’s when somebody comes at me or I have to set the record straight.

Allison Kugel: Technology has made it very easy for people to say something mean spirited or join in the angry mob. For me, I try my best to practice the art of what I call Non-Reaction, where I feel like every time I don’t react I’m passing that next spiritual test. But occasionally, something will get me and I’ll react. And then I’ll wonder, was that a failure on my part, or was it warranted in that situation? Do you share that same internal struggle?

Vivica A. Fox: It’s an internal struggle with me too. Some days I’m like, “Why did I give that person my energy?” There are some people, they just come on your page to be mean, and you kind of want to go, “You looked me up, and took the time to write a response to be mean to me. Hmm, what does that say about your character?” There’s an old saying your mama told you. “If you ain’t got nothing nice to say, don’t say nothing at all.” I try to live by that old school motto. I don’t try to pass on bad energy to others, I don’t. If I don’t have anything nice to say I just keep my opinion right on over here. But you know, this generation with the social media, a lot of people like that negative feedback. They feed off it. I don’t.

Allison Kugel: Let’s talk about motherhood. I know you have all these nieces and nephews, and godchildren. I feel like motherhood, meaning the energy of motherhood, is something that is innate in all women. We have a need to nurture. How does that energy express itself through you?

Vivica A. Fox: I’m Mama Bear all the time! I have a nurturing instinct and I think I get that from my mother. My mother always loved to take care of others. Still to this day, she doesn’t take as good care of herself, because she is always looking out for others. I got that quality from her. When I’m on the set, I’m always looking out for others. When I walk on a set, I’m always making sure that I speak to everyone, that I try to make people as comfortable as possible.  In that way, I am very motherly. It’s just something in me, I like to look out for others. But the older I’ve gotten, I’ve learned to look out more for myself, as well. And I’ve learned a very important word: No. Because people will take, take, take from you child, till you drop! Then they’re satisfied, and you’re left over there feeling completely empty.

Allison Kugel: At what age did you learn how to say No?

Vivica A. Fox: It was in my late forties, or maybe just when I got to be about fifty, that I started really looking at my relationships and asking myself if they are all reciprocal relationships. I had that tendency to give, give, give, and I finally took off my Captain Save-A-Ho cape.

Allison Kugel: (Laughs).

Vivica A. Fox: I mean that. Sometimes you’ll talk to friends on the phone, and we all vent, it’s human. But if you talk to somebody that is constantly draining and negative, at some point… I’ve cut ties with a couple of friends and not felt bad about it. I call it the season of shedding, where not everyone’s going to the next chapter or the next level with you. And it’s okay. You don’t have to hate them, but there’s nothing wrong with making good choices for yourself.

Allison Kugel: How do you define glamour and beauty?

Vivica A. Fox: Someone who is a goddess, who just radiates confidence; someone who owns her moment, who seizes her moment. The older I’ve gotten, I believe that beauty radiates from the inside. Especially nowadays with these build-a-bodies, and everything is just makeup and fakeness in my opinion right now. It’s when you meet a person and they are a beautiful person, they radiate confidence and kindness. I find beauty in a woman that has no makeup on, but she’s confident in her own skin and radiates kindness and does for others, to me that’s beautiful.

Allison Kugel: In your book you give advice on achieving different areas of success in one’s life. I personally think that so many people have a misconception about success. People want that insta-recognition, that insta-success. I said to someone the other day that for all the people who think they would love to trade places with Mark Zuckerberg or Oprah, for example, most of those people wouldn’t make it through the first week if they saw the tremendous amount of work, pressure and sacrifice that it takes to be in that type of position.

Vivica A. Fox: To piggyback on that point, for myself, people don’t realize that for the last two to three years I slept on planes. I was always traveling, always busy, taking meetings, not sleeping, going here, going there, and going through changes of life and never letting it slow me down. There’s a lot of work required. All those seeds that I’ve planted, I’m now seeing them all blossom. But I had to do the work. That’s what I tell people. In my book, in the chapter about Being the Head Chick in Charge, I say, “Don’t let anyone outwork you.”

Allison Kugel: What do you think is the biggest misconception about success?

Vivica A. Fox: That it’s easy. When you’re successful, usually it’s taken a long time to build a career. It isn’t something that happens overnight. It takes time to build a career, and a career means being able to go through different stages and chapters of a career, not just being the hot chick of the moment. For me, I went from being the hot ingenue chick, to now building my brand and producing and directing.

Allison Kugel: Let’s talk about Empire. I started watching it last week, all four seasons in a row!

Vivica A. Fox: Oh, you binge-watched…

Allison Kugel: Yes, I binge-watched! I’m talking carrying the iPad with me all over the house; the show is that addictive and entertaining. Entertainment value, on a scale of 1 to 10, it’s a 12 plus. The one thing I had mixed feelings about is the way African Americans are depicted in the show. On one hand I’m loving it, on the other hand I’m thinking, “Does this play on negative stereotypes, the way this family is being portrayed?

Vivica A. Fox: Well, I think that’s why Empire has been so successful. It’s raw and right there in your face. It makes you uncomfortable. What I commend Lee Daniels and the cast of Empire for is they are like, “It may make you uncomfortable, but we are who we are. We’re not going to sugar coat this. We’re going to give it to you straight, no chaser.” That’s what made it a phenom. Some people felt like they couldn’t handle the gay [subject], or they feel it’s a little bit too raw, but that’s Empire. They have stayed true to what the show is about, and I have to commend them for that. That take courage, not to bow down to social or peer pressure.

Allison Kugel: Did Lee Daniels ever share with you the moral of the story of Empire, or his vision for the show?

Vivica A. Fox: Not really. The thing I love about Lee is that he is who he is. It’s taken awhile for him to become comfortable in his own skin, and that he’s a gay man and that he has talent, and he doesn’t have to hide who he really is anymore. We’ve all been in this business for twenty years, and I’m going to tell you that it’s been a long journey for him to put out a show like this. Some of the storylines in the show, absolutely, with the mother saying to her kids, “You’re this, you’re that (referring to the character, Cookie, having a penchant for hurling insults).” The father throwing the kid in the dumpster, it tugs at the heartstrings. It makes you uncomfortable, but it happens. I feel that with knowledge there’s power.

Allison Kugel: What will Candace be up to in the new season?

Vivica A. Fox: I can’t give away a whole bunch, but I will tell you that Candace is back and that you will get the chance to finally meet our mother, Renee, played by the very beautiful and talented Alfre Woodard.

Allison Kugel: Do you judge your character, Candace, the same way that Cookie judges her?

Vivica A. Fox: No. I believe we all have those relationships in our families where we’re all different, but we’re still family. In my career right now, I’ve embraced my womanhood and people are like, “Ooh, Vivica, you’re going to become today’s Diahann Carroll.” And I’m like, “Wow! Thank you for that.” But firstly, Vivica is a little bit more like Cookie. I like to have my rock star moments, and I love wearing the crazy clothes and all that stuff. But Candace is who I’m evolving into.

Allison Kugel: In your book you provide some back story about your mom and dad’s relationship, and how it’s affected your own love life. What I got from what you wrote is that in watching your mom nurse a broken heart over the divorce from your father, you saw her as a victim, and that framed your own love life.

Vivica A. Fox: Absolutely.

Allison Kugel: Do you still see her as a victim, or do you see things in a different light now? And what would it take for you to let your guard down in love?

Vivica A. Fox: I see my mother now as a survivor. My mother grew up in a time where you stuck by your guy. He was her one true love, and I definitely have those qualities. What I learned from her, in wanting her to live and to love and to laugh more, I wouldn’t take those same steps that she did. I can open my heart again. For my part, I’m making sure that I’m not lustful anymore. I don’t look at somebody and right away say, “Oh yes, he’s the one!” I make sure that I take the time to get to know someone. That’s something I pass along in my book, as well. Don’t jump into the shallow end of the pool head first. You’ve got to take the time to get to know people. So yes, I am open to love. I want to love again and have someone that’s really special. But he has to prove himself, and I would have to prove myself to him, that I’m worthy to be his mate. Sometimes women are so afraid to be alone that they just take that first thing coming, and they get the short end of the stick. They keep dating the same guy over and over again. That’s why, in the book, I say to make your chart out. Do you keep dating the same guy over and over again? Because you’re going to get the same result.

Allison Kugel: Do you want Hollywood to be colorblind in writing and casting roles, or do you want to be identified, and cast, as an African American actress?

Vivica A. Fox: Of course, I always want to be seen as a talented African American actress, because that’s who I am. I feel that right now, what’s going on in Hollywood is that, man, that glass ceiling has been busted wide open. It’s been a long time coming, with the success of Black Panther, with the success of television shows like Scandal and Empire and How to Get Away with Murder; with Oprah having her own network. It’s about damn time.

Allison Kugel: Is it an I Told You So moment?

Vivica A. Fox: I don’t know if it’s I Told You So as much as it is, Finally.

Allison Kugel: Finish these sentences for me. I know I can trust someone when…

Vivica A. Fox: When I’ve truly gotten to know them.

Allison Kugel: I know that God is speaking to me when…

Vivica A. Fox: Woo! Hmm. All the time. Every day when I wake up and I can thank Him for letting me see another day. I would say, I know God is speaking to me all the time, and He helps me make better choices.

Allison Kugel: My spiritual mission in this life is…

Vivica A. Fox: To be kind, to do unto others and to leave a good mark.

Vivica’s memoir, “Every Day I’m Hustling,” is available everywhere books are sold April 3^rd and available for pre-order on Amazon.

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Allison Kugel is a syndicated entertainment and pop culture journalist, and author of the book, Journaling Fame: A memoir of a life unhinged and on the record. Follow her on Instagram @theallisonkugel.

By Lue Dowdy

Date Night at Zorbas Lounge is WHAT It Do!

Back by Popular demand, and we brought friends (Talon Networks and the Mac Rome Show), is the LUE Productions LATE NIGHT! SPOTLIGHT (L.N.S.)!

Let’s get intimate once again! This is a grown and sexy event. Come out and network with likeminded individuals. Please join us Saturday, April 28 for the comeback. You will not be disappointed! It will be an evening of comedy hosted by Comedian Mac Rome. There will be live interviews and performances hosted by Queen Lue, as well as a mini fashion show sponsored by Diva Outlaw.

The L.N.S. was created in the Inland Empire in an underground location a few years back. The event took place in the late nights leading into the early mornings featuring some of the most talented individuals from the I.E. The word got out and artists from other cities began to join in. The goal is to provide platforms for aspiring artists while creating entertaining shows for all to enjoy.

The show will take place at Zorbas Lounge located at 4360 N. Sierra Way in San Bernardino. We have presale tickets for $10. They’ll be $20 at the door. Please text us at (909) 567-1000, (909) 567-0932 or (909) 556-7637. Tickets can also be purchase through the Talon Network and Chef Music Studio. We want you there!

There will be special appearances by NofacE Shadowmen (funk master), West Tantrum, and Mack Pepperboy. Comedy will be provided by The Diva Rodriguez, Dennis Wilson, Here is Larry, Bigg Wheezy, Hostile Takeover and Dennis Wilson. Performances will include Marie Popenz, Johara Dante, Tydee Bone, Ipyani Lockhert and Lil Jack. There will also be model representation by Jasmine Hill, Krystal Yvonne, December Red, Porscha Dillard, Essence Johnson, Lola Lestrange, Chondra Smith and Lil Kiki. Vendors that will be on site include: ChaChe Designs, Chef Music, Lue Productions, Diva Outlaw, Paparazzi Accessories and the Talon networks.

Publisher’s Commentary by Wallace J. Allen

This week we relive the agony generated by the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.!  Many proclamations and declarations will be made about how far we have come or about the progress that has or has not been made. Much of the comparison will speak to the anticipated conduct of white people, especially the white people and institutions that have historically and traditionally impeded our progress.

This is to encourage that we, Black people and non-Blacks of conscious, involve ourselves in supporting two institutions that Dr. King suggested are paramount and critical to our development. He said that we should all get a life insurance policy from a Black Owned Insurance Company and that our churches should be depositing Sunday tithes and offerings into Black owned and operated banks and or credit unions!

I submit that when we decide to put our money in institutions that are focused on developing our communities, it will matter less about the anticipated/expected/desired conduct of people and institutions that we know are preying upon us as well as praying against us!

For information about supporting Black owned and operated Insurance and banking institutions, feel free to call and leave me a message at (909) 384-8131. I will return your call with specific information!

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- On Saturday, April 7, 15 young men will walk across the stage at Sturges Center for the Fine Arts in downtown San Bernardino as part of the Mr. Cardinal City Pageant.

At first glance, the pageant may appear to be a high school popularity contest, but the contestants know it’s an experience that teaches them professionalism and good etiquette, requires high academic achievement, and shapes their perspective on community service.

This year, the students are using the event as a way to shed light on the #NeverAgain movement. Pageant coordinator and founder, Jamie Rios, confirmed the 15th Annual Mr. Cardinal City Pageant will be dedicated to the victims and survivors of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting that took place in Parkland, Florida on February 14.

“This could happen to anyone,” Rios said. “We have to be there to support others in need.”

Rios added that Mr. Cardinal empowers participants to develop interpersonal skills and a strong sense of community.

The 2017-2018 Mr. Cardinal contestants are: Aldo Ramirez, Alfonso Sanchez, Alonzo Sanchez, Anthony Valencia, Benito Fregoso, Bryan Rosales, Daniel Cardenas, Daniel Villegas, Hervin Labandaria, Jedn Corona, Jeremy Barrios, Omar Santana, Roman Camarena, Samuel Herrera, and Yair Alcantara.

To purchase tickets, contact any Mr. Cardinal contestant or pageant coordinator Jamie Rios at jamie.rios@sbcusd.com or call (909) 881-8217. Red carpet event starts at 5 p.m. and the pageant begins at 6 p.m. at Sturges Center for the Fine Arts located at 780 North E Street in San Bernardino.

Local associates read books to students on Dr. MLK Jr,’s Legacy at Fontana Unified School District Elementary Schools as part of national service effort

FONTANA, CA- Wednesday, April 4 marked 50 years since the death of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and his message and values of dignity, equality, justice and service still inspire and motivate millions of people. To honor Dr. King’s legacy and commitment to service, local Walmart leadership and or associates in Fontana hosted and participated in a book reading on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy starting at Dorothy Grant Elementary School.

“Dr. King’s lessons have stood the test of time and continue to unite our communities, bridge differences and bring us together as a people,” said Walmart Market Manager Jondolon Bush. “We encourage everyone to volunteer in an act of service – no matter how big or small – to honor the legacy of Dr. King this week and beyond.” 

As part of this event, Walmart donated 1,000 copies of Brad Meltzer’s book, “I Am Martin Luther King Jr.” to students across 10 Fontana USD elementary schools. Students were challenged to think critically about Dr. King’s message of equality, service, and leadership, and given an activity to illustrate what they want their positive impact in the community to be. Walmart presented the Fontana USD with a $1,500 donation.

“The Fontana Unified School District is proud to partner with Walmart on this day of American history to share with the students of Fontana the values Dr. King preached,” said Fontana USD Superintendent Randal S. Bassett. “We hope that Dr. King’s messages of service, justice, and equality resonate with students today.”

Today’s act of service is part of Walmart’s national effort to honor Dr. King and his legacy. Among several activities planned, fifty Walmart leaders across the country and at least 50 stores nationally are participating in, and encouraging others to engage in, acts of service in their local communities.

Along with the acts of service, the Walmart Foundation has awarded nearly $4 million to 12 nonprofit organizations working to help promote access, equity and inclusion among diverse populations.

The grand opening of the “Stuffe ‘D’ Soul & Cajun” Fine Dining Restaurant is just in time for Easter! The restaurant is open from 2 Pm  for dinner until 10 p.m. located at 1566 Orange Street in Redlands, the theme and motif is Mardi Gras, and the food is authentic Soul and Cajun, and it features a full bar.

The proprietor, Amanda Ferguson, is a graduate of East Redlands high School. She interned for two years at Edwards Mansion and was chef at the Waikiki Beach Hilton Hotel. She makes her own desserts and guarantees satisfaction!

Regular hours are Wednesday through Sunday from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m.. The phone number is (909) 335-5895. Reservations may be helpful!

By Lou Coleman-Yeboah

You have the right to remain silent.  Anything you say or do can and WILL be used against you in a court of law. You who are living in sin, you who are refusing the Savior, you who are delaying the time of repentance, you who have backslidden, and those of you who are opposing the gospel: “The Word of the Lord is against you.” For thus saith the Lord, “I will destroy you, and none will be left.” [Zephaniah 2:5]. There it stands, bearing testimony against you, who, in due time, unless you become partakers of the grace of the Lord, shall be overwhelmed, and destroyed without remedy.  Oh, that God may help me to speak so that your life may be changed, and that the Word of God may be against you no longer!

O sinner man! Consider the fearful danger you are in!  You have made God your enemy, what a terrible thing this is. For thus saith the Lord, “Therefore will I also deal in fury; mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity; and though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice, yet I will not hear them” [Ezekiel 8:18]. Talking about the wrath of God, there is no other way to put it, it is infinitely dreadful.  

Listen, God stands ready to pity you. This is a day of mercy; but once the day of mercy is past, your most pitiful and sad cries and screams will be in vain. God will have no other use to put you to, but to suffer misery; for you will be a vessel of wrath fitted to destruction. God will be so far from pitying you when you cry to him, that it is said he will only “laugh and mock, [Proverbs 1:25-26]. Today however, you have an extraordinary opportunity, a day wherein Christ has thrown the door of mercy wide open, and stands in calling and crying with a loud voice therefore, let everyone that is out of Christ, now awake and fly from the wrath to come. Let everyone fly out of Sodom: “Haste and escape for your lives, look not behind you, escape to the mountain, lest you be consumed.” Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation. [2 Corinthians 6:2] Don’t wait until it’s too late. Tomorrow isn’t promised. The only time you have is right now. God says, “Now”, “Today”, not “Tomorrow.”

“Come NOW, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool” [Isaiah 1:18].  “TODAY if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts” [Hebrews 4:7(b)].  “Boast not thyself of TOMORROW; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.” [Proverbs 27:1].

See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil; In that I command thee this day to love the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the Lord thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it. But if thine heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them; I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish, and that ye shall not prolong your days upon the land, whither thou passest over Jordan to go to possess it. I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: That thou mayest love the Lord thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them [Deuteronomy 30:15-20].

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- Kingdom Culture Community Development Corporation in partnership with All Nations Worship Assembly San Bernardino, is gearing up to host their largest annual free Egg Hunt in the San Bernardino County.

The “Easter Eggstravaganza” lives up to its name by being a dynamic experience for the community. On March 31st, at 1 p.m., over 2000 San Bernardino County residents will arrive with their families at Indian Spring High School to join in on the fun. The Easter Eggstravaganza allows families to enjoy free food, live entertainment, and 12,000 plastic eggs full of candy and treats.

“We do this Easter Egg Hunt every year because we want to be God’s extension of love to our city. It’s for the smiles on each child’s face when they walk away with eggs full of candy. If we can bring joy what’s deemed a dying city, then we’ve met out goal”, said Senior Pastor, Apostle Sherman Dumas.

Children of all ages will enter age appropriate Egg Hunts and enjoy numerous activity booths. This experience welcomes all residents of the San Bernardino County.

For more information visit AllNationsSBD.com.

FONTANA, CA- Students from several schools around the Inland Empire made their way to Heritage Intermediate School in Fontana, as community service organizations Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. hosted their 29th Annual Oratorical Contest. The event was emceed by local author and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity member, Kevin Eastman, and Candra Loftis, Heritage Intermediate School Academic Advisor and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority member.

Forty-eight students, in grades two through twelve, delivered speeches on pre-determined topics. The young people took full advantage of the opportunity, impressing the panels of judges with their interpretations of the importance of education, what happens when a person stands up for themselves, and the effects of the modern media on today’s society. Each topic was incorporated into a celebration of Black History Month.