(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— ATLANTIC OCEAN— Ship’s Serviceman Seaman Apprentice Jaethomas Smith, from Apple Valley, Calif., hugs his wife aboard the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Bainbridge (DDG 96) before departing for deployment April 1. USS Bainbridge (DDG 96) departs Naval Station Norfolk as part of Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group’s (ABECSG) deployment in support of maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 5th, 6th and 7th Fleet areas of responsibility. With CVN 72 as the flagship, deploying strike group assets include staffs, ships and aircraft of Carrier Strike Group Twelve (CSG-12), Destroyer Squadron Two (DESRON 2) and Carrier Air Wing Seven (CVW-7); as well as Alvaro de Bazan-class Spanish frigate ESPS Méndez Núñez (F 104).

By Lou Yeboah

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— You see, [Proverbs 15:3] says: “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.” Those who think they have God fooled are only fooling themselves!

Listen, when the Holy Spirit gives you an opportunity, and He begins to touch your life, and He begins to deal with you and point out areas in your life that you need to change and then bring you to a place of repentance, and you say, “Yes, Lord, I repent, and then you turn back and act the same way, you’ve treated that which is Holy as common. You’ve profaned the Holy. You’ve been touched, blessed, convicted, repented–all these things have taken place–you draw near to God–only to go and do the same darn thang. I tell you, you ain’t fooling nobody but yourself, because you sho ain’t fooling God!

You pray and you weep and you repent and you say, “God forgive me. Cleanse me. Set me free, Jesus, please, Lord, pardon my sin.” Then you go and act the same way you did before.  You are in danger of judgment. How can someone be so active in the church and still be lost? How can you sit in so many worship services, and not grow in your understanding of God? How can you go into the presence of the Holy Spirit and not find conviction? Get yourself right! This is the ultimatum. In God’s message through Isaiah his prophet, the ultimatum is made clear. It is God’s way or it is God’s wrath, the choice is given, the consequences are made clear. “If you consent and obey, you will eat the best of the land; “But if you refuse and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.” It is as simple as black and white. No gray areas, no need for arbitration, no compromise, no meeting God halfway. It is all or nothing. It is God or the devil. It is blessings or eternal cursing.  [Isaiah 1:18-20]. I tell you, you ain’t fooling nobody but yourself, because you sho’ ain’t fooling God!

We think we are so smart, we think we are able to pull a fast one on God. We ain’t fooling nobody but ourselves.  I tell you, “The time of ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent.” [Acts 17:30]

The conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— RIVERSIDE, CA— William Chester Jordan, an award-winning historian of medieval Europe, is the Dayton-Stockton Professor of History at Princeton University, where he teaches courses on the Middle Ages. On April 18 and 19, he’ll arrive at UCR as part of the Phi Beta Kappa Society’s Visiting Scholar Program, which gives undergraduate students nationwide the opportunity to learn from leading scholars in their fields.

On April 18 from 4 to 5:30 p.m., Jordan will present a public lecture, “The First Crusade and Jewish Martyrdom.” The presentation is free to attend and will take place in room 335 of UCR’s Arts Building. Jordan will present a second public lecture, “The Lorn Land: A Winter’s Tale,” on April 19 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. The lecture is also free and will take place in the History Department Library, located in room 1303 of the Humanities and Social Sciences Building.

A prolific author, Jordan will publish his latest book, “The Apple of His Eye: Converts From Islam in the Reign of Louis IX,” this spring. His other recent books include “From England to France: Felony and Exile in the High Middle Ages” (2015), “Men at the Center: Redemptive Governance Under Louis IX” (2012), and “A Tale of Two Monasteries: Westminster and Saint-Denis in the Thirteenth Century” (2009).

At Princeton, Jordan has served as chair of the history department, executive director of the Shelby Cullom Davis Center for Historical Studies, and chairman of the Interdepartmental Committee and Program in Medieval Studies. He is past president of the Consortium for the Teaching of the Middle Ages and served as president of the Medieval Academy of America.

Hosted By SoCal Black Chamber/SBVC Black Faculty & Staff

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— SAN BERNARDINO, CA— Saxophonist Mark Allen Felton was impressing folks with his smooth sax sounds before he was in high school. On Friday, March 29 you will be able to share his smooth sax sound, as Mark Anthony Felton, affectionately known as ‘Panther’, brings his horn and talented band to the San Bernardino Valley College Auditorium.

Felton is an accomplished and celebrated saxophonist who has delivered with four well received albums. His fifth album, ‘Soul Real’, is dropping later this month… So those in attendance on March 29th will be treated to an exclusive debut.

Felton points out that this release is different than previous recordings and enthusiastically predicts that fans and soon-to-be fans will love it.

Mark says, “This one is a little more upbeat… And funkier than the last record.”

And though Felton says he really digs the funk. He also says and demonstrates that he loves performing jazz, gospel and obviously soul music.

His ‘hipstrumentals’, as he calls them are sure to hit your senses in all the right places. And many can bear witness.

During his career Felton has played with some of the greats including Grammy Award winner Patti Labelle, the late great Al Jarreau, Bobby Womack, Kirk Whalum to name a few.

On Friday, March 29th, Felton will be performing music from his latest release live in a concert event sponsored by the Southern California Black Chamber of Commerce, Inland Cities East and the San Bernardino Valley College Black Faculty and Staff Association. Included in the night’s festivities is a cocktail social from 6 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. and the concert main event from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.. During the night there will be door prizes, giveaways, and, of course, Mark Allen Felton.

To purchase tickets, visit: blackchamberofcommerce.org

By Lou Yeboah

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— “And the Lord said, [insert your name]! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren [Luke 22:31-32].

Yes, the Devil wants you. He wants to “sift you as wheat.” He wants to expose everything that could bring shame and accuse you before God. Let this be a warning to you. Satan would like to chew you up and spit you out! I tell you, as followers of Christ we must never be so naïve as to think that Satan pays most attention to those who have already surrendered to his demonic powers. No, the opposite is true. It is those who follow Christ and have a reputation for being godly Christians who have Satan on their backs. You better know that you know. And let me just say this, if you have never met the Devil, it is because you and the Devil are going in the same direction.

Satan, the serpent, the Great Dragon, Beelzebub, the ruler of this world, the prince of the power of the air, the evil one, and the adversary, who came to steal, kill, and destroy. Satan doesn’t give a crap about you. He is Satan. And—if you are a follower of Jesus Christ—he hates your guts with a passion. Like a roaring lion he is prowling about seeking to destroy you. You better know that you know!

And be sure of this, Satan is desirous to trip up the preacher, the deacon, the Sunday School teacher and every devoted Christian that he can. He is at work to keep a church fooling around with things that don’t matter while the world goes to hell. He brings friction into the Christian family to cause brokenness and ineffectiveness.  I tell you, there is a lion loose today, and he trying to defeat you, to bind you, to keep you from becoming what God would have you to be. Satan promises the best, but pays with the worst; he promises honor and pays with disgrace; he promises pleasure and pays with pain; he promises profit and pays with loss; he promises life and pays with death. But we can overcome him through our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ as we put on the whole armor of God. I tell you, be watchful! Because our adversary, the Devil, walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” [1 Peter 5:8].

NEVER allow his-sight to see you – search to smell you – chase to catch you – grasp to hold you- tongue to taste you – teeth to crush you – throat to swallow you – stomach to digest you – and never let his lunch be you! NEVER ALLOW HIS- DECEPTIONS to derail you – DELUSIONS to detain you – DISSATISFACTIONS to detour you- DEPRESSIONS to destroy you – and DISAPPOINTMENTS to deny that God lives. The enemy’s schemes are ruthless and cunning. Know your weaknesses. Know where you are vulnerable, know what your Achilles Heel is, because if you don’t, Satan does and he will eat you up and spit you’ out!”

“Therefore let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall.” [1 Corinthians 10:12]

 May God help us to stay alert, awake and anointed in the face of the evil one.

July 24, 1927 to March 16, 2019

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— Anita Joy Dimery-Riley passed away on Saturday, March 16, 2019 at the age of 91.

Anita was a member of New Hope Missionary Baptist Church, where her passion was working with incarcerated youth through Prison Ministry, as well as being a member of the Eula B. Wheeler Mission Circle. She was also active in many community organizations, including Urban League and Adrianettes.

She is survived by her husband, Richard Riley; her son, Charles Slaughter and his wife Tracy; her son, Rudolph Dimery; and her grandchildren Lauren Dimery, Charles Slaughter and Sara Slaughter. She is also survived by her brother, John Watson and her sister Mary Abalos, as well as many other relatives.

Visitation will be held on Sunday, March 31 from 3 p.m. to to 7 p.m. at New Hope Missionary Baptist Church located at 1575 N 17th Street in San Bernardino. The service will also be held at New Hope on Monday, April 1 at 10 a.m. Internment will be at the Riverside National Cemetery on Tuesday, April 2 at 9:30 a.m.

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— Women have worked tirelessly to have their voices heard in a male-run society. Through tests and trials, they have pushed their voices to the forefront, shedding light on the injustices constantly thrust against them.

Women’s History Month applauds these successes.’

The month of March is a time to celebrate all that women have accomplished thus far. Yet it is also time to focus on the women’s movements that many are still fighting for.

The way that women go about making sure the world hears their voices and opinions varies. Whether it’s marching, speaking, dancing—there are many ways for women to express their thoughts. More and more women are going about that by writing poems, essays, short stories, and fiction; women are using the pen-to-paper technique to shed light on thoughts, opinions, and injustices.

During March there are numerous female authors who release books. Some of these empowering books written by women of color are focusing on or include current themes found in society today. These authors use their books to demonstrate how impactful words are for gathering support and creating solidarity.

Empowering Books Written by Women of Color March 2019

A Woman is No Man

Etaf Rum’s novel, A Woman Is No Man, focuses on arranged marriage and how that severely affects a young woman’s self-worth. The bravery shown by the female characters leaves something for women across the world to latch onto.

Long Live the Tribe of Fearless Girls

Long Live the Tribe of Fatherless Girls, written by T Kira Madden, is a raw debut memoir about her life as a queer and biracial teenager living in the privileged and racially tense Boca Raton, Florida. Honesty and compassion rip through the pages—and with no apology for it either.

Internment

Another novel that has intense ties to the present climate of the United States is Internment by Samira Ahmed. Set in the near future United States, this novel follows a girl and her parents as officials force them into an internment camp for Muslim American citizens.

Good Talk: A Memoir in Conversations

This is a bold and wry graphic novel that talks about identity, interracial families, and division—all in the form of questions. These questions are ones many found themselves asking during the 2016 election; specifically, the racial climate of the country is talked of with an odd, but necessary, intimacy.

These books all share a common theme—strong women; women who do not give up even with adversity consistently thrust upon them. Whether it’s books that focus on celebrities and their feminist standpoints (think Beyoncé) or high fiction novels that show the courage and strength of women, there is much to learn from these characters.

Courage is resilient—standing up for what you believe in is of the utmost importance. Without that, where would Women’s History Month be?

Photos by John Coleman

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— FONTANA, CA— The Concerned Citizens for the Development of North Fontana work annually with a wide array of others to plan and present it’s Black History and Culture Program.

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By Carol McGruder

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— Coming of age in the 1970s, I can still vividly remember seeing Marvin Gaye at the Kool Jazz Festival at the Oakland Coliseum and thinking how wonderful it was that Kool cigarettes were supporting our artists. I was a teenager and didn’t connect that Big Tobacco’s sponsorships, product giveaways, and money were simply part of their master plan to get and keep Black people hooked to menthol cigarettes. It was predatory targeting and customer recruitment all dressed up as support for the Black community.  Their ability to link this deadly product to the natural “coolness” of Black people was a true marketing triumph.

Menthol has been the tobacco industry’s recruitment tool for far too long. It has been added to cigarettes for nearly a century, masking tobacco’s harsh flavor, making the smoke feel smoother and easier to inhale – but that ease comes with a price.  The smoothness of menthol allows smokers to inhale more deeply, so harmful particles can settle lower in the lungs.  Menthol cigarettes are also harder to stop – people who use menthol cigarettes have a lower rate of successfully quitting.

2019 marks 10 years since the passage of the Tobacco Control Act (ACT) – an historical piece of legislation that among other things, banned flavored cigarettes, all flavors except menthol. While the Act was intended to stop the tobacco industry from using the allure of sweet, enticing flavors to hook a new generation to cigarettes, it failed to do one important thing. Stop the sale of menthol-flavored cigarettes.

Yes, the Tobacco Control Act was a huge victory for all of us who had worked for decades to combat the tobacco industry but exempting menthol cigarettes from the initial legislation was a heartbreaking setback and anyone who loved Black smokers knew it.

Big Tobacco would like us to believe that this exemption was preserving smokers’ choice, particularly for communities of color, who have higher rates of using menthol cigarettes.  For example, in California, 70 percent of African American adult cigarette smokers smoke menthols – the highest usage rate of any group.  Big Tobacco is using choice as a smokescreen to hide the fact that menthols are one of their best tools to addict new customers, and they refused to let it, and Black people, go.

Let’s look at what’s really going on. Since the Tobacco Control Act was signed, although cigarette use has declined in the U.S. in recent years, sales of menthol cigarettes have steadily increased, especially among young people and new smokers, essentially having the opposite effect the Tobacco Control Act intended!

The milestone we should be celebrating are the more than the 320,000 deaths that would have been averted by 2050 had the menthol cigarette ban gone into effect in 2011.  And though Black folks are only ten percent of the U.S. population, a third of those saved lives would have been African Americans. This huge disparity is a testament to the effectiveness of the decades of predatory tobacco industry targeting that we have endured.   Menthol cigarettes are the main reason why African American communities experience the greatest burden of tobacco-related mortality of any racial or ethnic group in the United States. Smoking-caused illnesses continue to kill more African Americans than AIDS, car crashes, murders, drug and alcohol abuse combined.

It’s important to note that menthol sales bans do not criminalize individual people who smoke menthol cigarettes or punish smokers targeted by the tobacco industry for decades to use these deadly products – they are merely aimed to prevent their sale. The truth behind the smoke is that the tobacco industry is working hard to prevent sales bans – It’s estimated that the industry’s contributions to the African American community is as high as $25 million per year. I hope that our people have more information now than they did in the seventies and that they know  what the tobacco industry is really trying to buy…our future.

Make no mistake, this year we have an opportunity to take a major step forward in protecting our state’s health — one that’s 10 years in the making. Banning the sale of menthol cigarettes is a strong message from our elected officials that our cities will no longer participate in the sale and distribution of these deadly products.  Let’s not miss this chance to get rid of menthol cigarettes for good. To learn more about menthol visit www.tobaccofreeca.com.

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Carol McGruder is Project Director of the African American Statewide Coordinating Center Ms. McGruder is a seasoned veteran of California’s tobacco control experience and has served as an advisor in many capacities, most recently as a founding member and Co-Chairperson of the African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council (www.savingblacklives.org). In 2017, the San Francisco National Association for the Advancement of Colored People honored Ms. McGruder for her community activism. She is a recipient of the prestigious Jefferson Award for community activism in tobacco control and in 2007 she was the American Legacy Foundation national honoree for “Community Activist of the Year.”

An impressive lineup of women-directed films in 2019 may increase the critically low number of female directors who made it onto the 2018 list of top films.

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— Successful women-directed movies in 2018 dropped 3 percent from the previous year.

According to a report from the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film, only 8 percent of the top 250 films at the domestic box office had female directors. This is even lower than the 9 percent of female directors who made into 1998’s list of top films.

However, a slew of promising women-directed movies scheduled for release this year may help turn this statistic around for 2019.

New female-directed films range from action to Indy and are led by familiar and up-and-coming directors.

Captain Marvel was one of the most anticipated movies of 2019 and comes from co-directors Ryan Fleck and female filmmaker, Anna Boden. The two have previously worked together on multiple films such as Half Nelson and It’s Kind of a Funny Story.

Their newest project hit theaters on March 8 and scored a solid 82 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. The film takes place in the 90s and centers around a strong female protagonist who becomes one of the most powerful heroes in the universe.

Other female-directed films scheduled for release this year include The Sun Is Also a Star, a romantic coming-of-age film by Ry Russo-Young, and The Kitchen, a comedy directed by Andrea Berloff about three women who take over their husbands’ mob empire in the 1970s.

Disney fans will be happy to know that the highly-anticipated sequel, Frozen 2 will premiere on November 22, 2019. The film was co-directed by Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck—the same filmmakers who created the first movie.

Thanks to this impressive lineup of releases, an increase in the number of female-directed movies that make it into this year’s list of top films are promising. However, only time will tell if there will be an improvement from the critically low percentage of successful women-directed films in 2018.