Happily Divorced And After

Dr. Mildred Henry

Lyrics of a once popular song said that “we should accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative”.  Many of our  youth are engaged in great humanitarian  endeavors, however, their good works are too often overshadowed in the news media by negative, sensationalized acts of barbarism.

The elementary school scholars at Henry Elementary School in San Bernardino are engaged in a Global Studies program. Recently, 4^th and 5^th graders  researched Global indigenous tribes around the world.  They studied tribes such as The Awa in Brasil, The Matses in Brasil, The Wichi in Argentina, The Bushmen in Botswana, The Ogiek in Kenya, The Aboriginal people of Australia, The Batak in the Philippines, The Dongria Kondh of India, and the Siberian Tribes of Russia, among others.

Each scholar presented a major power point film documentary of their research, complete with credits at the end of the film.  The young scholars filmed, narrated, and operated all of their equipment.  I was absolutely amazed!  During the research, scholars found that many native people were in danger of having their lands destroyed.  The scholars found a website on international tribal survival, and planned a “Tea for Tribes” to raise funds for tribes that are endangered due to deforestation and loss of resources. Donations were forwarded to help these less fortunate tribes around the globe.

Our youth were giving instead of taking, providing food instead of drugs, making friends and collaborating instead of  fighting.  The young scholars were smiling and excited rather than sullen and bullying.   Their skills and researched knowledge was absolutely “off the charts”!  They deserve Kudos for the great humanitarian activities in which they are engaged.

Congratulations to the young Henry Elementary School scholars for their sensitivity, to their superlative principal, Dr. Marcus Funchess, and to the great Henry staff, for truly Accentuating the Positive.   They truly live up to their artistic expression,  “We are smart, We are Intelligent, We are full of greatness!”

   Come on Adults, the children are leading the way.  Let’s get on board, reach out and touch, and make this world a better place!  We can!

                             -Mildred Dalton Henry, Ph.D.

The 1st place winner of The PAL Center 4th Annual Christmas Tree Essay Giveaway Contest, Joanna Ballesteros along with CEO, Dwaine Radden. Previously, before the picture was taken and winners were announced, Dwaine Radden gave an amazing speech with the closing statement, “We are very proud of you all. All essays were very wonderful and I just want to encourage each one of you to keep up the good work. I’m very grateful to have a group of students like this who seems to know so much about the true meaning of Christmas. We at The PAL Center love each and every one of you.”

Christmas isn’t just about presents or just a day to celebrate, but spending time with family and friends. Having laughs and memories; I love spending time with my family especially my nieces and nephews. Also the smell of Christmas, the pine cones, food and coldness.

Most importantly it gives us the opportunity to cherish relatives. When it’s Christmas it reminds me of my mother, stressing while keeping a smile on her face, her warm hugs and sweet laughter. Now when it’s this time of year I wrap myself and keep warm with my nieces and nephews.

Even if there’s nothing to give it’s being thankful for what you have. Not only is it just a present opening day it’s also an eye opening day. The day the Lord, Jesus Christ birth is celebrated. Even though you do get presents still thank the people who got you something.

Left to right: Salvation Army Major Daniel Henderson, Captain Anya Henderson; Tom Brickley, Salvation Army Advisory Board Chairman; Mindy Silva, Program Officer- Health & Economic Development, San Manuel Band of Mission Indians; Attorney Wilfrid Lemann, Partner Fullerton, Lemann, Schaefer & Dominick, LLP .

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- A $30,000 grant from the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians helps the San Bernardino area Salvation Army serve the needs of thousands of hungry, homeless and hopeless people in San Bernardino, Highland, Rialto, Colton, Grand Terrace and Bloomington.

Bob Butler

By Bob Butler 

The second half of 2014 has been marked by the shooting deaths of four African-American males by local law enforcement — Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri; Eric Garner in New York, John Crawford and Tamir Rice in Ohio — that have attracted the attention of national media and the federal government, and shined a light on the issue of policing in minority communities.

It has also been marked by some exceptional journalism on the subject, as well as some alarming narratives from journalistic choices that, while not necessarily intentional, serve to perpetuate stereotypes of Black men as dangerous criminals.

Race is present in the dynamics around these stories and those who are involved in producing these stories. Put another way: while a diverse group of journalists has been on the ground reporting this story, the same cannot be said about who makes decisions about what will be covered and how.

Some of the coverage goes into great detail about how the victims’ actions may have contributed to their own demise: John Crawford should not have tried to buy a toy rifle at Walmart, Mike Brown should not have (allegedly) stolen cigars from a convenience store, Eric Garner should not have (allegedly) been selling loose cigarettes and Tamir Rice should not have been playing with a toy gun.

These cases are not the first, nor will they be the last, involving Black males and the police. It must be pointed out that Black males are not the only ones being shot. Dillon Taylor in Utah and Gil Collar in Alabama were White and also unarmed when police shot them. The difference is the media coverage of their cases does not imply that they deserved to die.

From the breaking news coverage of these events to the analysis that followed, and will hopefully continue, it is important to recognize the negative patterns that can emerge in such stories, and to discuss strategies for countering these patterns.

Two questions can help guide this process: Is this information relevant? And how will this affect the story?

A big part of how narrative is shaped in these stories starts with the photos of those involved. While availability of photos can be a challenge, especially in the early stages of a fast-moving story, efforts must be made to paint the fullest picture (pun intended) of the central figures. Images depicting black men solely as menacing, threatening or dangerous only fuel existing stereotypes.

Weighing whether to include details about a black victim’s criminal background or drug use also contributes to the narrative. Here, balance is important. Is there an attempt to report the officer’s history? Does the officer have a disciplinary history or a record of complaints regarding use of force? Is the victim’s background relevant to the specific incident that ended his life? If so, explain this to readers, lest it be interpreted as gratuitous or malicious.

In the case of Tamir Rice, why did the Northwest Ohio Media Group report on his parents’ criminal records? What did that have to do with Rice being shot by police?

Stories like Ferguson and the deaths of Crawford, Garner and Rice reaffirm the urgency of more diverse American newsrooms. Look no further than the membership of the National Association of Black Journalists to find many examples of responsible reporting.

NABJ was founded in 1975 in part, “to monitor and sensitize all media to racism.” Nearly 40 years later, NABJ still finds it necessarily to fulfill this role. It is our hope that those committed to a better approach to exploring issues of race and society will join us in examining how we can all improve.

Bob Butler is the President of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ). NABJ is the largest organization for journalists of color in the nation, and provides career development as well as educational and other support to its members worldwide. For additional information, please visit, http://www.nabj.org

In bow tie -Dr. Samuel Gibbs, Polemarch with Richard Stewart
in red jacket- both are Chapter members. They are pictured with Carla Stone.

RIVERSIDE, CA- The Riverside Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., donated toys to the Young Visionaries Youth Leadership Academy. Terrance Stone, YVYLA CEO reflected on the need for toys:

“Many of our children suffer the effects of poverty every day, continuously going without, knowing that luxuries like new toys or clothes are simply not available to them. Our children handle this reality with an incredible grace and humility that is truly touching. This is why watching their faces on Christmas morning, is so special for us.”

“We believe we are growing stronger each year and will continue to bring energy, effort, innovation, and commitment to the vital area of community service. This toy drive is key and critical to the face the community sees from our Fraternity and therefore important to our overall efforts in engaging youth, community leadership, and making a difference,” said Carl Willis the Chapter’s Guide Right Chairman.

Members of the Chapter will be a part of The 9th Annual Toy Drive and Resource Fair December 20th 10:00am-2:00pm at 16725 Valencia Ave, in Fontana, CA. Significant supporters include Fontana Mayor Acquanetta Warren, Southern California Edison, Spark of Love, Kaiser Permanente, New York Life, Inland Body and Paint, and Fountain of Youth Apostolic Church

Russell Hicks (center) of Ebony Suns Enterprises is named 1st-place winner in the Cricket Community Stars: Salute to Solopreneurs contest. Hicks is joined by Cricket store staff and supporter Jon McKay during a Small Business Saturday celebration.

Russell Hicks of Ebony Suns Enterprises Named Grand Prize Winner of the Cricket Community Stars: Salute to Solopreneurs Contest

Receives more than $5,000 in cash and mobility prizes,

incl. a Samsung Galaxy S 5

ATLANTA, GA–Cricket Wireless announces Russell Hicks, founder of Ebony Suns Enterprises in Philadelphia as the grand prize winner of its Cricket Community Stars: Salute to Solopreneurs contest. Launched in October of 2014, the contest recognizes solo entrepreneurs who make it a priority to provide positive contributions to the community.

“We are pleased to recognize Russell Hicks as the first Cricket Community Star and congratulate the other finalists who are committed to building both their brand and community,” says Jermaine Spight, Senior Public Relations Manager, Cricket Wireless. “Cricket Wireless is a community brand that supports organizations making a difference in the neighborhoods where our customers live, work and play.”

Through Ebony Suns Enterprises, Hicks provides sustainable business consulting to individuals and organizations, and actively contributes to the community by mentoring urban youth and creating social entrepreneurship programs.  He currently works with more than 75 young entrepreneurs through various green industry sectors including eco-tourism, sustainable real estate, organic apparel design and merchandising. As grand prize winner, Hicks will receive $5,000, and one year of complimentary service on Cricket’s reliable, nationwide 4G LTE network.

Finalists Zondra Hughes, founder of Six Brown Chicks, and Michael Ferrera, founder of Michael Ferrera Custom Clothing were awarded 2^nd– and 3^rd-place prize packages and will respectively receive $2,500 and six months of complimentary service, and $1,000 and three months of complimentary service from Cricket.

Additionally, Hicks, Hughes and Ferrera will each receive a Samsung Galaxy S^® 5 courtesy of Samsung Telecommunications America. The Samsung Galaxy S 5 delivers simplified control and experiences on a brilliant 5.1-inch display, a 16 megapixel rear- facing camera, lightning fast data connections, and health and wellness monitoring to help solopreneurs stay connected to their world, community, friends and family at home or on the go.

“Samsung is proud to join Cricket Wireless in recognizing true community stars,” says Steven Schultz, National Sales Manager, Samsung Telecommunications America. “We hope that the Samsung Galaxy S 5 devices help these entrepreneurs stay connected in business and with their communities.”

The Cricket Community Stars: Salute to Solopreneurs contest was open to residents of Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Washington D.C. All entries were reviewed and evaluated by Cricket before being narrowed down to three finalists who recorded video entries which were uploaded to the Cricket YouTube channel for further social media engagement. Finally, a panel of judges reviewed the finalists’ entries and chose Cricket’s 1^st-, 2^nd– and 3^rd-place winners.

About Cricket Wireless

Cricket is bringing consumers more value with a simple, friendly, and reliable nationwide wireless experience with no annual contract.  The power of Cricket is our fast, reliable, nationwide 4G LTE network; easy and affordable unlimited plans with taxes and fees included; annual loyalty rewards; and a great selection of phones customers love. Cricket, Something to Smile About.  Cricket is a subsidiary of AT&T Inc.

Samsung and Galaxy S are all trademarks of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

The 14th Annual Christmas Outreach was held on Friday, December 19 at a Servant Heart Outreach in San Bernardino  where 3,800 children received toys with special help and donations from 29 Palms Marine Corps Toys for Tots, Nestle, Stater Bros., Elegant Shoe Collections, San Bernardino County School District, and the Pacific High School Cheerleaders.

There were also Christmas characters that included Santa Clause, the Red Queen of Wonderland, the Mad Hatter, and the White Queen of Wonderland.

Bringing Holiday Cheer to Others Giving Overseas. Loma Linda University Health employee Karen Westphal holds a package that she and her husband filled with Christmas goodies for their adopted missionary family.

LOMA LINDA, CA- This year, the second annual Adopt-a-Missionary Christmas project is connecting 15 missionary families with various groups and individuals in the Loma Linda community.  Christmas cheer is being spread throughout the world in the form of large flat-rate postal boxes.

The Loma Linda University Health (LLUH) Global Health Institute (GHI), in collaboration with Students for International Mission Service (SIMS), organized the project for the first time in 2013. The project received so much support that they decided to continue it this year.

The missionaries include LLUH alumni, global service awardees (GSAs), deferred mission appointees (DMAs), and Adventist Health International (AHI) long-term volunteers who are working overseas at LLUH strategic interest sites as dentists, hospital administrators, nurses, public health educators, and more.

Rainey Davis, a LLUH student, class of 2016, decided to sponsor one of the missionary families with the help of her own family back home in Washington state.  After serving as a student missionary, Davis reflected on the fact that it meant a lot to her knowing that people still cared about her even though she was far away.

“I just remember it was so nice to get something that reminded me of home,” Davis said.   “Even if I couldn’t use the gifts myself, I knew that I could give them to someone else in my village, and they would appreciate it.”

Angeli Yutuc, program manager of international service at GHI, coordinated the project and mentioned that this year, even more than last, the collaboration across campus has been inspiring. In addition to individual sponsors, LLUH departments and groups of students chose to adopt many of the mission families. When the boxes were filled, these sponsors were still asking how they could continue to give more.

Jackie Aitchison, an employee in Loma Linda University Health’s Risk Management unit, sponsored four boxes with her department and said the only complaint was that the boxes were too small.

“Several of us came to work and realized we had completely filled the boxes with presents for the children before we were even done shopping for the entire families,” Aitchison remarked.  “So we are actually sending an additional box to one of our sites.”

“It’s nice to see the campus come together and support our international projects and volunteers,” Yutuc shared.  “It gives them a little glimpse of the people serving abroad that our office is connected with on a daily basis.  It certainly helps our volunteers to feel valued and remembered during the holiday season when they are not necessarily able to be with family or go home for the holidays.”

To learn more about the project for next year, please visit lluglobal.com/adopt or contact Angeli Yutuc at 909-558-4876 or ayutuc@llu.edu.

This holiday season, Landry’s, Inc. is offering a gift-giving solution wrapped with convenience and flexibility that is sure to please – the Landry’s Gift Card. Unlike traditional restaurant gift cards, the Landry’s Gift Card may be used at any Landry’s concept across the country from now through December 24, 2014, including Morton’s The Steakhouse, The Oceanaire, McCormick & Schmick’s, Vic & Anthony’s, Chart House, La Griglia, Grotto, and many more.

Customers who purchase over $50 in Landry’s Gift Cards will receive Rewards Cards to use during their next visit. Cards are redeemable through May 2015 and may be purchased at any Landry’s restaurant or online at www.landrysinc.com.

Click here  to get your card!