By Manny Otiko

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK (ENN)- I hate to admit it, but I have been sucked into the Kanye West-Donald Trump media storm. At first, I didn’t want to play a role in this manufactured event, but there are some important marketing, media and political lessons here.

West has always been a controversial figure. He’s a talented musician, who has won multiple Grammys. I bought two of his first CDs, back in the days when people bought CDs, and I enjoyed that his songs were different from the usual guns and blunts fare produced by other rappers. But in recent years, controversy has overwhelmed his talent.

There was the thing with Taylor Swift, the outrageous boasts and then the marriage to reality star Kim Kardashian. Several people in the industry have whispered that Kardashian’s reality TV antics are overshadowing West’s career and he has now been absorbed by the Kardashian clan. And more recently, West was hospitalized for “exhaustion” and rumored to be treated for a mental health condition. Now there is the sudden alliance with the Trump-MAGA crowd.  

This MAGA love happened just when West is promoting his new album. West comes from the showbiz world, where there’s no such thing as bad publicity. (Rapper 50 Cent once said that he didn’t mind some of the black gossip sites running stories about him being gay, because at least they were writing about him.)

West’s alleged alliance with Trump has news jacked social media and made him trend on Twitter, which is all great publicity for his album. This kind of publicity would cost you millions of dollars, and West just got it for free.

There is a history of people using outrageous antics to market their product. Madonna practically perfected it. I’ve never heard a song by rapper Azealia Banks, but her history of making crazy statements landed her in Playboy.

But there is a danger that West’s antics will alienate his base. And that’s already happening. He’s already lost millions of Twitter followers. And West has been hit by abuse on Twitter as fans are horrified by his comments. He might be embraced by MAGA lords, but they’re not going to buy his album or go to his concerts.

Part of the problem is because he’s allying himself with the Trump administration, which is one of the whitest supremacist presidencies in several decades. As ESPN’s Jemele Hill said, Trump has surrounded himself with open racists. He’s also implemented anti-immigrant, and anti-Muslim policies and referred to African countries as “sh*thole countries.” Even the phrase Make America Great Again (MAGA) is racist, because Trump supporters think America was great in the 1950s, when white males ran everything, and people of color had no representation.

Is this what West wants to ally himself with? If so, it’s no wonder his fans and management team have bailed on him.  It’s also ironic that West is getting praised by FOX News, a network that hates hip hop. FOX often tells entertainers that they shouldn’t talk about politics but loves to embrace Hollywood types if they have conservative views.

One of FOX’s arguments against Hollywood political commentators is they don’t know what they’re talking about. Well, that’s exactly the case with Kanye West! Just look at some of his statements:

• Kanye says he loves Trump and he is his brother, but he’s not political.
• He also once said that he doesn’t see the need to read books and bragged about not reading contracts.
• He also praised black conservative commentator Candace Owens, who said that police violence wasn’t a problem with the black community. She also called Black Lives Matter whiny. Owens appears on Alex Jones’ conspiracy show, Info Wars, which should be enough to kill her credibility. Jones has spent years denying that the Sandy Hook school shooting existed until he was sued by the parents of the children killed at the school.

African-Americans turning against West isn’t about group think. People are not rejecting him because he’s dallying with Republicans. They’re turning against him because he’s allying with racists and he doesn’t know what he’s talking about. It’s not about left or right, it’s about right or wrong.

But good luck to Republicans with their embrace of Kanye. He’s a loose cannon and when he explodes again, it’s going to be your problem.

Manny Otiko is a media professional who is based in Southern California. Follow him @mannyotiko on Twitter. This column represents the views of the author, not California Black Media.

LOMA LINDA, CA- (EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK (ENN)- Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital (LLUCH) patients were treated to a visit by Billboard’s country chart-topper Kane Brown on Monday, April 30. The 24-year-old stopped by several of the LLUCH units to meet with and encourage patients. 

He started out in the LLUCH Toyota Learning Center, playing games with patients and sharing stories with some students about his struggles in school, encouraging them to keep trying no matter their situation.

Brown then visited some of the LLUCH units, taking photos with excited fans, playing games with patients and sharing parts of his story.

LLUCH patient Jennifer Nguyen, 5, from Moreno Valley, was just one child who was excited to meet and talk with Brown. When Brown came into the room, Nguyen insisted on getting up out of bed, and couldn’t stop smiling as Brown talked with her about what made her happy. They ended the visit with a hug.

Brown’s visit was made possible by Inland Empire-based country radio station K-FROG 95.1 FM, which has a long-standing relationship with the hospital.

LLUCH Foundation representative, Tiffany Hoekstra, said she was grateful to K-FROG and Brown for making the day for patients and their families.

Izola Stewart

EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK (ENN)- Izola Stewart, also known as “PP” was born in Texarkana Arkansas on March 9, 1942 to the union of Arthur and Queen Esther Davis.

At the age of 10, Izola moved from Texarkana with her family to San Bernardino, California. She attended Mill Elementary, Richardson Junior High and Pacific High School.

On August 29, 1959, Izola married the love her life Lawrence Thomas Stewart “LT”.  To this union five children were born.  They established an auto detail business in San Bernardino then in 1968 they moved their family business to Monrovia, California. Izola and her husband gave family and many others an opportunity to work at their detail shop.  

HER LEGACY     

Izola Stewart was a devoted wife, married to her husband for 40 years until his death. She was a loving, caring mother, grandmother, great grandmother, sister, aunt and friend. She was very kind, and gentle, always greeted you with a loving smile. She never gossiped or said harmful things to anyone.  Her heart was as pure as gold, her generosity was sincere. Her love for family was solid as a rock.  Everyone who knew her loved her.

Izola cared for her dad who had Alzheimer during his entire illness. When her mother became ill she moved her into her home in Monrovia, California. After her mother’s stroke, she moved back with her mother to San Bernardino California; where she could be closer to her physicians.  Whenever her mother’s great grandchildren were in town Izola would take her to wherever they played tennis in the Inland empire.  Both parents had Alzheimer Izola insisted on her parents being able to remain at home until the Lord called them home. Her parents Queen Ester and Arthur and her brother Henry Davis also preceded her in death.

She leaves to cherish her memories:  One Son Lawrence Thomas Stewart (Geneva) San Bernardino, CA, four daughters Yvonne Stewart, Monrovia, CA, Yvette Huddleston (Michael), Los Angeles, CA, Yolanda Stewart, Monrovia, CA, Monique Bryant (Eric), Rialto, CA, sister Dorothy Wisnieski, San Bernardino, CA and brother Arthur Lee Davis (Fredda), Walnut, CA; Seven grandchildren:  Ebonise Stewart, Jaden Gresham, Ashli Huddleston, Tiquan Martin, Antoine Bryant, Britney Bryant, Shalena Stewart and Sabrina Jackson and one great granddaughter Maliah Campbell, a host of nieces, nephews, in-laws, relatives and special friends.

By Antonio R. Harvey | California Black Media

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK (ENN)- While residing in the Easter Hill Village public-housing project in Richmond, California during her younger days, Cynthia Marshall’s mother put two books in her hands — a publication of mathematics and the Bible to guide her through her life’s journey to success.

For a young person living less than 18 miles east of San Francisco, those two books became the important focal point of Marshall’s life and career in telecommunications. They lifted her out of despair and a constant element of crime.

Now that she is the Chief Executive Officer of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks, the professional sports team is discovering how the books still play an integral role in the task she has acquired. Marshall is an effective problem solver and has a strong Christian faith. 

“She put those two books in my hands at an early age and said, ‘If you keep your head in these books they will get you out of poverty,’” Marshall said of the advice given by her mother. “That’s what I did. When people ask me what is the secret to your success, I tell them it’s those two books. I kept my head and eyes in both of them because that is what I was told to do.” 

Today, Marshall, who retired from AT&T as its senior vice president of Human Resources and chief Diversity Officer, is not only the first Black female CEO of an NBA franchise, she is the first woman ever to hold the position.

At a time when the “Me Too” movement has rapidly picked up the pace, Marshall was specifically brought in to address and subdue an alleged culture of sexual violations against women within the Mavericks’ organization.

The Mavericks’ owner, Mark Cuban, announced that there would be in-house investigations, and then introduced Marshall as the interim CEO who would lead the independent review as well as provide solutions to ensure women work in a respectful environment. “The CEO interim tag has since been removed,” Marshall said.

Cuban’s decision to introduce Marshall into the corporate world of sports also brings hope to other African Americans and women who would like to follow her path. 

“I think for our community it means that we have opportunities, it means somebody like Mark Cuban saw the value and didn’t care if I was a man, woman, Black, White, or Asian. He didn’t care,” Marshall said. “He wanted somebody equipped to do a job and it just so happens he called upon a Black woman to do it. He made the call. It says a lot about our society. Hopefully, we’ll have more people like him that will follow suit and get beyond gender and race.”

Thanks to her mother providing her a math book and Bible, Marshall’s climb to leadership roles has been one of determination. She earned every position she attained since graduating from the University of California, Berkeley, where she was the first Black cheerleader on the campus and earned degrees in Business Administration and Human Resources Management.

Marshall started at AT&T in 1981, holding positions in operations, human resources, networking, engineering, planning, and regulatory and external affairs. She was named senior vice president of Human Resources in 2012, and then was appointed Chief Diversity Officer as a dual role in 2015. Black Enterprise listed Marshall as one of the Top 50 Most Powerful Women in corporate America the same year. She retired from AT&T in 2017 to start her own consulting firm.

Marshall was honored on the California Senate and Assembly floors at the State Capitol on April 19, 2018 in Sacramento, a place where she spent time advocating “good public policy” for AT&T, she said.

Loretta Walker, who worked alongside Marshall at AT&T before retiring as vice president of Employment Engagement Communication, said the Mavericks’ hiring of Marshall “makes sense.”

“From the standpoint of looking at an established institution in AT&T that has gotten a lot of recognition for diversity, they (the Mavericks) have gained a lot by allowing her to bring in her expertise,” Walker said. “I know I’ve been blessed. I know I’ve never experienced anything like (sexual harassment) in my lifetime working for a company like At&T.”

Cynthia Marshall extended the interview with California Black Media to touch on her duties and vision as an executive for the Dallas Mavericks.

CBM: After you took the CEO position for the Mavericks, you said that the ‘system failed’ under the previous leadership. What parameters have you put in place and have you made any progress?

Marshall: Yes, we have made progress. We put together a 100-day plan and we had to start with telling people that we are about zero tolerance. We put together a ‘respect-in-the-workplace’ training, harassment training, updated our code of conduct, and I started sitting down with the employees one by one. One of the first things that I did was roll out a set of values and hashtags. The hashtags are #RespectAtWork and #PerfectOurCRAFTS. The C.R.A.F.T.S. are our values — character, respect, authenticity, fairness, teamwork, and safety. When I say safety, it’s physical and emotional safety.

Those are the things we are trying to model in the workplace. And of course, we’re rolling out new policies, and we have brought in a new senior vice president of human resources, who is also a Black woman. We added a new position, a compliance officer, who can focus on investigations, misconducts, and setting the right tone.

Our leadership team has gone from no women to at least five women and three people of color. We’re making progress and that matters only because diversity matters. All the research says you make better decisions when you have a diverse group at the table.

CBM: You said that you first declined the offer to work for the Mavericks. But then changed your mind after talking to a couple people within the organization. What changed?

Marshall: First of all, they were asking ‘are you the new woman who is our new boss and Mark Cuban’s new boss?’ I was like wow, for him to tell people that he’s already excited about me coming in. The smart man that he is, obviously, he already did his homework and felt that I could help with this issue. Then they told me that this was not a workplace that’s really inclusive of women the way it should be. We were addressing everything, including pay disparities, which I am happy that we don’t have a big gender disparity around pay. Some things were done right, but clearly, some things were not done right. So we’re changing that culture. Those women said, ‘We need you. We absolutely need you. This place needs to focus more on women.’ We’re doing that.

CBM: Do you know that what you are doing could be a blueprint for the NBA, the entire league itself? How do you feel about that?

Marshall: Exactly. When NBA Commissioner Adam Silver called me to welcome me to the NBA, and he was so welcoming, to have him call me and send me a huge message that the whole league is watching and dedicated to getting this right, yes, hopefully, we can lay out a blueprint. So, if any other organization has an issue we can lay out the template on how to address it.

CBM: This is a great opportunity for you. Do you know what this could do for your career and others who want to follow your path from where you started to where you are now?

Marshall: You know, I worked for AT&T for 36 years. So now I am committed to this. But my ultimate dream is to lead a small college. Whether it be a rural college, Christian college or historic Black college. I want to lead an institution that needs a lot of help, where I can call upon all my friends to help for free, and that we can give those students a good education for free. That’s my vision. Those are the kind of calls that I want to get.

Donald Smith

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK (ENN)- Donald Smith was born on June 24, 1945 in Cincinnati, Ohio. He is the 7th of 9 children born to Oscar Smith Sr. and Mamie Louise Hill Smith of Yazoo City, Mississippi. The family attended Calvary United Methodist Church and the York Street Methodist Church. Donald and his siblings were very active in Church activities and recited biblical stories at Church functions.

He attended Heberle Elementary School, Bloom Junior High, and graduated from Central High in 1963. As a young man Donald moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan and was quickly drafted in the Army in 1964 where he served 3 years. Returning to Cincinnati, Ohio he continued his education to graduate from the University of Cincinnati.

In the following years, he met his future wife Maria. They were married and gave birth to his first child, Donald Jr. Donald moved his family to Houston, Texas where his second son David was born. There he managed a large restaurant chain and received a corporate recognition award. Donald was very disciplined and passionate and thrived as a successful entrepreneur for many

years. In his later years, he became a teacher and state compliance official for a reputable charter school in San Bernardino, California. Most recently he retired early 2018 after 15 years of service at the PAL Center.

On April 21, 2018, Donald’s journey was complete, and he transitioned to be home with the Lord. Donald is survived by sons Donald Jr., David and his wife Kelly, two granddaughters Naima and Nalaya, sister Helen Witt, brothers Douglas and Terry Smith, and a host of nieces, nephews, and extended family. Preceding him are his wife Maria, father Oscar Smith Sr., mother Mamie, and siblings Turner, Annie, Oscar, Sylvester and Dewey Smith.

By Lue Dowdy

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK (ENN)- Talented Youth is What It Do! It’s almost that time for the 2^nd“Show It Off I.E. Youth Talent Competition” presented by LUE Productions on Saturday, October 27, 2018. The show will be bringing awareness to Child Abuse and Human Trafficking.

If you can sing, rap, dance, act, recite poetry or spoken word, play an instrument or have any sort of unique talent, then here’s your opportunity!

Please don’t wait, text now to reserve your spot to (909) 567-1000. Sign –ups are on a first come first serve basis. Prizes consist of $500 to the winner including the following: A trophy; feature in the newspaper, an interview, and a photoshoot.

The following rules apply: Must reside in the Inland Empire, must be 19 years old or younger; and must audition. Auditions will be Saturday, June 30 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Norman Feldheym Central Library located at 555 W 6^thStreet in San Bernardino. If selected a $25 registration fee will be required. Let the community see your gift.

Collective embarks on public education campaign about the role of District Attorneys

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- (EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK (ENN)- The ACLU of Southern California and Congregations Organized for Prophetic Engagement (COPE) as part of the “Hey, Meet Your DA!” campaign, are collaborating with groups across San Bernardino County to educate the community on the critical role of the District Attorney. The collective of organizations are hosting a town hall meeting to educate the public about the impact that District Attorneys have on a range of justice issues. The town hall comes after a similar event was convened with residents in Riverside County less than a month ago.

However, the collective group of San Bernardino organizations was troubled and disappointed that their local District Attorney would be so hesitant to meet with the community even after being offered alternative dates and declined an offer to participate even for a short time on the Monday, April 30 town hall meeting. “We need a District Attorney who will represent the community, not avoid them” says Rev. Samuel Casey, Executive Director of COPE.

The press conference and rally that came as a result of the dismissal of the District Attorney drew a crowd of 30 organizational leaders and community members who discussed existing justice issues in San Bernardino. The recurring chant heard from the crowd, led by Casey “It’s time to ReThink Public Safety!” an initiative led by COPE to promote responsible, restorative, and redemptive approaches to justice reform in schools and communities throughout the Inland Valley Region. “We must transform what public safety looks like to our community. We need the DA to prosecute killer cops especially when they are killing our young sons just as police murdered Dante Yarber in a Barstow Walmart.” stated Lanae Norwood from Institute Developing Equity, Advocacy, and Leadership (IDEAL.)

The collective now is focused on their town hall set for April 30^th in the City of Fontana. Their man goal is to discuss with community members solutions needed to reform the San Bernardino County criminal justice system and inform them about the role and duties of district Attorneys.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- (EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK (ENN)- Bruce Atlas wants Inland Empire residents to refer to the Ontario Airport as “Our” Airport! Atlas, Chief Operations Officer of the Ontario International Airport, was the guest speaker at Monday’s Black Business Chamber Inland Empire (BBCIE) meeting.  

He spoke of the expected growth of the Inland Empire and of the planed airport expansion. He is enthusiastic about getting local businesses involved in the vender and contracting opportunities that come with the Airports growth.  Amy Goethals, the Liaison for The Ontario International Airport Small Disadvantaged Business Program, who was the other speaker, requested support in her quest to outreach and to otherwise accommodate the Airport working with local minority businesses. 

The BBCIE meets three times per month. BBCIE President, Tammy Martin-Ryles, says that the Chamber will continue to expose members to speakers who are able to educate, stimulate and facilitate opportunity.  

Bruce Atlas will be on Empire Talks Back (ETB) on Sunday, May 6 at 10 a.m. on KCAA 1050 AM, 102.3 FM and 106.5 FM. You can also watch the show live at kcaaradio.com.

Lou Coleman-Yeboah

By Lou Coleman-Yeboah

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK (ENN)- “A hardhead makes a soft behind.”  Now, if you don’t know what that means, you just keep on doing you. Keep on doing what you want, when you want. You will find out sooner than later what it means.  Talking ‘bout it’s your thang, you do what you want to do.”  Hmm mhmm… keep on Mr. “My Prerogative,” you will soon find out that it’s really “God’s Prerogative” not yours!

You know in [Genesis Chapter 27] four people song the same song that you are singing, “I Did It My Way,” Esau, Jacob, Isaac and Rebecca. But in the end they all came up empty and paid a high price for their selfishness. Saul who was the Lord’s chosen king for the Israelites.  Rather than trusting that God knew best, Saul’s ego took first place in his heart. When it did, “Doing Things His Way”—became his undoing. I tell you, there is a real danger in the “I Did It My Way” philosophy. Do not be deceived, God will not be mocked.  What you sow is what you will reap.

Listen, in the book of Judges the last thing Joshua did was told the people, ‘You choose how you are going to live your life. And they choose to do it “their way.”  And what a mess they made of it.  Over a 350 year period, they went through seven cycles.  Each cycle was worse than the one before.  The Israelites main problem was they always thought they knew better.   “Everyone did as they saw fit.” Each person saw themselves as being in charge. Each one said, “I am in charge. It is my life. It is my decision. I am the boss. I am in control.”Israel, lived like she had no king. She lived like there was no one to whom she was responsible. That was the problem. God was not acknowledged as King. He was not served as King. He was not worshiped as King. He was not obeyed as King, and because of thatthe result was anarchy, tragedy. Mama always did say, “A hardhead makes a soft behind!”

The conclusion of the whole matter: God says, “He will not tolerate blatant ungodliness. He will not tolerate stubborn, hardhead stiff-necked spirits any longer. 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]. Return .O backsliding children, for I am married to you. I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion. And I will give you a shepherd [Jeremiah 3:14-15].

I tell you, wisdom is the principal thing, but in all your getting get an understanding.” [Proverbs 4:7]. Love wisdom, and she will make you great. Embrace her, and she will bring you honor.” [Proverbs 4:7-8]. “Refuse good advice and watch your plans fail; take good counsel and watch them succeed.” [Proverbs 15:22-32]. For the Bible says it is of God’s mercy that we are not consumed. It is by His goodness that we are led to repentance. It is by His intercession that we are delivered. It is by His grace that we are sustained. It is of His love that we have been drawn to Him. It is because of His everlasting arms being under us that we are kept. It is by His faith that we are saved. It is by His blood that we are cleansed. It is by His righteousness that we are clothed and it is by His indwelling Spirit that we are filled and by His power that we are kept.

“If you listen to advice and are willing to learn, one day you will be wise.” [Proverbs 19:20]

By Naomi K. Bonman

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK (ENN)-When author and playwright, T’ana Phelice, decided to branch out from the literary world to the stage atmosphere, her followers and others in the community would leave her plays feeling inspired. After her first stage production, ‘The Diamond Monologues’ she wanted to continue to put out work that would impact people’s lives for the better, and hence her next stage production ‘Pass the Cornbread’ was created.

‘Pass the Cornbread’, which debuted on Saturday, April 21 at the New Hope Christian Life Center in San Bernardino, is about six cousins who are trying to get to the truth. They are trying to get to truth about their life, purpose and self-worth. Sunday dinners is when the cousins gather around the table for some good ol’ cornbread and home-cooking to not only come together as a family, but to update each other on what’s happening in their individual lives. They each inspire each other in some way or another. Towards the end of the production the audience can feel the redemption that each character has gone through.

The cast consists of six dynamic actors: T’ana Phelice, Audrica McPeters, Tiffany Smith-Brooks, Mike Braswell, Queene Esther and Nycce Blingsly. This production was very unique, not just from the storyline, but for the mere fact that each story was REAL! This is the first time that Phelice casted a play without a script. Each cast member gave her their testimony and the storyline was created it. 

If you missed this production, there will be more dates in the future. Follow T’ana Phelice on all social networks or visit her website at www.tanaphelice.com for upcoming events and updates.