Happily Divorced And After

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

My friend, I want you to know that God hasn’t changed! He is still a God who keeps His Word! Everything God has promised, He will do! There are some verses in the Bible that confirms this – {Romans 4:21; Heb. 6:18; Num. 23:19; Titus 1:2.} But I’m not telling you anything that you don’t already know. God has proven Himself time and again to us. He is still coming through for His people. Look back over the years and remember the times the Lord has displayed His great power in your life. Hasn’t He parted the waters for you? Hasn’t He opened the heavens and dropped the manna of His glory on your life over and over? Hasn’t He moved in response to your cries of faith? He has proven Himself to you and me repeatedly! All I am saying is that we can TRUST the Lord for EVERYTHING in our lives. We have a God who has demonstrated His power, His grace, His love and His character many times over. Think of the times He has delivered you; when He saved you, and the times He moved mountains in your life. Remember His power and all that He has done. Let His past works remind you that He is able, no matter what you face in life. GOD IS ABLE and He will come through for you, EVERY TIME! Let the past be your reminder and learn to TRUST HIM no matter what! “I’m just a Nobody, trying to tell Everybody  about Somebody who can save Anybody!”

Unfortunately though, there are many of us who call ourselves “Christians,” fail to trust the Lord and fail to remember that GOD CAN! As a result, we live our lives defeated and discouraged. It doesn’t have to be that way! I challenge you to GIVE IT ALL to the Lord today and find out for yourself that GOD CAN! Psalms 34:8 says, “O taste and see.” The psalmist invites us to come and “Taste and see that the Lord is good.”  We are invited to experience God’s presence. The psalmist is a poor man seeking to taste what he believes about God. He is calling upon God. He is experiencing deliverance from all his fears. He is experiencing God’s salvation in troublesome times. His shame is covered despite his failures. He is experiencing refuge in God and feeling the presence of the angels encamping around him. Will you give your doubts, your fears and your questions to Jesus? For the omniscient power of God has not, nor shall it ever change! I tell you, the closer we engage with God the more we can know His goodness. In Psalm 34:8 the Lord urges you to “Taste! Sample and see. Find out for yourself that He is good.” God’s goodness is what He wants us to experience. He offers Himself to us. Psalms 100:5 says, “For the Lord is good, His steadfast love endures forever, and His faithfulness is to all generations.” Every generation learns the truth – God goodness is something He wants us to experience. It flows to us as steadfast love and faithfulness and is present in everything He does. If you are a child of God, you will figure this out by the end of your life… God is good! Now there’s no telling what He will take you through to bring you that place. But eventually your value system will be set up in such a way that you say, “The Lord is good!” Everything he allowed; everything He withheld, every difficult season, and every stretching circumstance. God meant for your good. His disposition is kindness. His default action is for your benefit.  Oh magnify the Lord with me! “I’m Just a Nobody, Trying to Tell Everybody about Somebody Who Can Save Anybody!”  Somebody who can bring you from guilty, to not guilty. From death to life. From darkness to light. From hatred to love. From weakness to power. From bondage to freedom. From tribulations to triumph. From grief to joy. From gloom to glory. From defeat to victory. From failure to success. From fear to faith, from I can’t too I can.  Knowing all of this, who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril. As it is written, for thy sake we are killed all the day long, we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that love us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, no height nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Let us all be a little like Zacchaeus {Luke 19:1-10} who was curious about Jesus and wanted to see with his physical eyes what all the commotion was about. When Zacchaeus heard about Jesus travel through town, a thought came to him, a thought from the depth of his soul, he just HAD to see who this Jesus guy was.  Is He who He says He is? Zacchaeus, a man on a journey to find something to believe in. He embarks on a quest to see who this Jesus was and comes away converted to the way of Jesus and forgiven of all his sins. Oh, give God some praise!

Listen; if your life lacks meaning, if there is no hope, if everything you have tried has left you defeated, discouraged, disillusioned and looking for more, then Jesus is your answer. You don’t have to climb a tree to meet Him, all you have to do is to respond to His call and come to Him . If you will do that and if you will receive Him, He will save your soul! “I’m Just a Nobody, Trying to tell Everybody about Somebody who can save Everybody!”

Hakim Hazim

“Justice is nothing more than the advantage of the stronger.” -Thrasymachus

 By Hakim Hazim

The grand jury decisions in Ferguson and New York should not surprise us. Justice is in the eyes of the beholder and the criminal justice system is not blind. It derives its power from the larger societal framework that simply has many preconceived ideas about Black males. We must work relentlessly to change this and hold the system accountable. We must also support the people who are doing that and exercise patience in the process. Keep in mind the two chief law enforcement officers in this nation are Black: Barack Obama and Eric Holder, and racial tensions are at an all time high. To their credit they are doing quite a bit, but they face an uphill struggle. We should follow their lead on criminal justice reform and we should do everything we can for the young Black men around us before and after tragedy strikes. We should also consistently deplore what we are doing to one another; it’s senseless not too. All of these things reinforce the notion, “Black Blood is cheap.”

Current law enforcement approaches toward us as a people and the tacit societal approval behind it must change. Society inherently nurtures the belief that justice is nothing more than the interest and the sustained advantage of the stronger, and it has played out that way for centuries. The rationale is, “If they did things the right way, they would get what I have and so would their children.”  Such self-righteousness obscures reality.  The fact is people do all they can to give their descendants an advantage in the system and they tilt the scales to their advantage. It’s true with race, power and wealth and gender. It’s simply a human trait of passing the best of your efforts, lessons and acquisitions to your children, but you also pass your biases on as well.

When we first arrived, justice was never considered for us as a people. It was an elusive concept for which we prayed, fought, bled and died for. To this very day, she seems a distant stranger to many of our people still in terms of access, resources, familial ties and fair treatment in terms of the criminal justice system. Although all black people have felt the sting of injustice, poor black folks feel it the most. Having little to bargain with or offer they are viewed as inferior, unworthy and an unnecessary, troublesome burden by many—even middle class and upper class blacks. Our inner cities are filled with Black-on-Black crime, fatherlessness and substandard schools. This fertile ground of dysfunction produces young men who think that they or their peers have little value. Feeling powerless, they prey on one another and lash out at the larger system. This crab in a bucket mentality is celebrated in the music of popular culture. The sad fact is this, many of us have not learn to value one another the way we should and King’s Dream falls on deaf ears to many of the younger generation.

Let’s face the facts: statistics show young people who do well often succeed because of the systems and programs that strengthen them. Things like a solid family structure and access to education, faith-based organizations, mentoring agencies, activity, athletic and interest development organizations and employment services, give young people a fighting chance. If not, their doomed from the womb. The deaths of so many young black males or own the hands of many. The Black-on- Black gang wars, stand your ground advocates and law enforcement officers have all contributed to this. Passivity is not an option. Let your voice be heard, or remain entrenched in hypocrisy. The choice is yours.

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

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.