HIGH DESERT, CA- High Desert Charitable organization strives to assist homeless residents with providing warm crocheted and knitted hats, caps, scarves etc. for warmth during the cold nights. Your assistance with providing a financial donation and/or yarn in an effort to complete the projects is very much appreciated and will serve many individuals and families in need. Kindly contact Bonita Merrill via email singerforlife777@gmail.com for more details on how you can help.
Who would have thought that in less than 15 days, I would have to coordinate and manage 1,000 young, Black student leaders from over 24 cities on 17 buses in the name of gun reform and safety?
The reality is, sometimes the work chooses you.
I started my new job one day before the mass school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. We’ve got over 650 active and registered NAACP chapters on high school and college campuses across the country. We are the only organization, period, that can reach that many Black, young, organized members.
Since February 14, 2018, the day of the Parkland shooting, I have followed these students who have built a national discussion on the safety of young people at school in less than a month. A movement that inspires, convicts and recruits people from across the country and now the world, to an issue that Black folks have been talking about for over a decade.
When gun violence happens in white communities, it’s always reported on as a mental issue or because they were racist. When gun violence happens in the Black community, it is because of poverty, underfunded schools, police brutality or gangs. This is necessary to understand because the solution we are fighting for can’t just be regulations against automatic military style weapons. It has to be a holistic solution to make all communities safe.
The March for Our Lives is only a march for OUR lives if people meet at the intersection of mass school shootings, community violence, poverty, the War on Drugs, police brutality and White supremacy. From Trayvon Martin to Stephon Clark, this is not the first time we’ve raised the issues of gun violence, but for many reasons, this moment is where we find ourselves with the most leverage of “people power.”
When the opportunity presented itself for us to be involved and bring our members, I spoke with my boss and told him I would only sign up to help build for the “March for Our Lives,” if we got to do two things:
First, I wanted to make sure that we weren’t just being used as representation at the march, but that we challenged the mainstream media, march organizers and organizational partners to think about the intersection of gun violence, when it comes to the Black community.
Second, it was important that this moment not turn into just another rally, but real opportunity for us to educate and engage future members about the organization.
Because a rally won’t end gun violence, I want my peers and young adults to make the clear connection from this issue to who should be held accountable for systemic and legislative change at the ballot box. That way, we know we showed up in numbers not just for a great rally, but for the start of a great revolution.
It is my belief, that if all of the young folks from this march, the women’s march, the immigration movement and Black Lives Matter joined together for a strategic effort, we could change this country literally overnight.
We must use this as a moment to help young Black folks see that if we want real gun reform, if we want better public schools, if we want community policing then we MUST show up to the ballot box. This demonstration, for the NAACP Youth and College Division is not a free trip to a rally. It is the moment that we are using to build real power that will impact the political navigation of this country.
Black students have the solutions and the answers.
We’re going to stop asking to be included in national movements, and just take over.
I am grateful to all of the staff, the partners and our donors who have helped make this vision possible. We can only use this moment to create bigger and better local victories for our people.
Cheers to the strong and fearless students from every community, who have ever stood up to violence in their communities. This march is a celebration of your leadership, and a call to action for those looking to change the world.
Tiffany Dena Loftin is director of the NAACP Youth and College Division, which serves more than 700 youth councils, high school chapters and college chapters across the United States. You can follow Tiffany onTwitter.
The desert, Palm Springs to be exact, got a new a vibe during the weekend of Friday, April 7 to Sunday, April 9. Style Fashion Weekpremiered Spring/Summer 2018 designer lines at the Palm Springs Air Museum.
Despite the wind that comes along with being in Palm Springs, Style Fashion Week was still a remarkable event with each designer bringing some of their hottest designs for the upcoming seasons. This season, the designers that were featured included: Sweet Talks Swim, Father Akki, Underrated, Richard Hallmarq, Andre Emery, Smock Me, Bohimi Couture, David Tupaz, Merlin Castell, Glaudi, Mario De La Torre, House of Grayling Purnell, Royal Heart by Sergio Davila and Andrew Christian.
In addition to the illustrious designers, Style Fashion Week always incorporates music. Some of the performers this season included: MANN, Sofia Zorian and Chris Stylez.
Tiger Woods changed the face of golf. Venus and Serena Williams TRANSFORMED tennis. And now Darrell “Bubba” Wallace Jr. MAY DO THE SAME FOR NASCAR. The 24-year-old race car driver’s Cup Series debut at the iconic Daytona 500 got the nation’s attention. As NASCAR’s first full-time Black driver in its elite series since Wendell Scott in 1971, all eyes were on Wallace. Thanks to his second-place finish, the highest-ever by both a Black driver and a rookie, those eyes didn’t waver. As Wallace traveled to Hampton, Georgia to race the Folds of Honor Quiktrip 500 February 25 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway, fan attention stayed riveted on him.
Even by NASCAR’s super media and fan-friendly standards, Wallace did a lot that Friday prior to the Quicktrip 500. On top of the requisite press conference, he squeezed multiple one-on-one interviews, mostly with local Atlanta TV media. Wallace knows that the heightened interest in him is a combination of his race and his Daytona 500 performance. Instead of downplaying the attention to his race, Wallace, whose father is white, has embraced it.
“There is only 1 driver from an African-American background at the top level of our sport. I am the 1. You’re not gonna stop hearing about “the Black driver” for years. Embrace it, accept it and enjoy the journey,” he tweeted November 8, 2017.
Embracing his race doesn’t mean dwelling on it though. “You can psych yourself up by reading all the history and whatnot and doing all of that but that just puts too much pressure on yourself,” he said during an interview at the Atlanta Motor Speedway. “So, I’ve learned to focus on just the driving aspect of it and let everything else settle in behind.”
Wallace, who was born in Mobile, Ala. and RAISED in Concord, N.C., began racing go karts at 9 YEARS OLD. By 16, he was competing in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, the sport’s main developmental series for grooming its next generation, as part of NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity initiative. His first race at the Greenville-Pickens Speedway, he won, becoming the youngest driver to ever win at the THAT track. After another win, he finished third overall in the series and received the Rookie of the Year award, a first for an African-American driver.
He won three more times in 2011. Driving for Joe Gibbs Racing TEAM in 2012, he held his own, staying near the top and even winning one race. He had five wins in two years. In 2014, he finished third overall while driving the truck series with Kyle Busch Motorsports. He followed that up by driving with Roush Fenway Racing in the Xfinity Series from 2015 to 2017. When Aric Almirola was injured last year, Wallace filled in by driving for the iconic Richard Petty Motorsports. His stellar performance prompted a welcome as their full-time driver of the legendary no. 43, now a Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, for the 2018 season.
NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty, nicknamed “The King” for a career that includes seven NASCAR Championship and Daytona 500 wins each, plus over 700 Top 10 finishes in 1,184 starts, strongly believes Wallace is a future NASCAR star.
APPROACHED DURING THE ROAR OF PRACTICE ROUNDS AT THE ATLANTA MOTOR SPEEDWAY February 23, the NASCAR LEGEND SAID HE SAW WALLACE AS part of the sport’s future. “NASCAR’s face, as far as driving, is changing,” Petty said. “It changes every 12 to 14 years; we’re right in the middle of that. That was one of the reasons I was looking for a younger driver. Of all the ones that we looked at, we thought Bubba was going to be as good or better than any of the rest of them, personality-wise, driver-wise, sponsor-wise, the whole deal.”
Bill Lester, the historic black NASCAR driver who raced two Cup-level races in 2006 and garnered seven top-10 finishes in the truck series from 2000 to 2007, champions Wallace but warns that the lack of major sponsorship is a huge obstacle to WALLACE realizing his full potential.
“If they do not get more corporate support, they’re going to struggle,” Lester said of Wallace and his team via telephone. “I always had a good looking car but, when it came to everything that was necessary to [run] at the front, I didn’t have it and that was because I just didn’t have the resources that the top-running teams had and he is in the same position.”
NASCAR sponsorship is a REVOLVING door so any race week, sponsors can step up. That has given Wallace an opportunity to attract nontraditional sponsorship like the black-owned, Columbus, Ohio-based moving company E.E. Ward. Brian Brooks, co-owner of the company founded by former Underground Railroad conductor John T. Ward in 1881 that also counts Richard Petty Motorsports as a client, shared that their support of Wallace in Atlanta, especially during Black History Month, was a very hopeful gesture.
“I think it would be a disgrace if we have to wait another 50 years for someone to come after Bubba to be a driver of color in NASCAR,” Brooks said via phone.
To be a strong contender, Lester insists that Wallace needs Fortune 500 support. “With him not having full sponsorship, which is about an $18 million to $20 million proposition per year these days, he’s at a deficit,” Lester said.
Like many in NASCAR, Derrell Edwards, a former college basketball player turned Austin Dillon pit crew member who is believed to be the first African-American over-the-wall crew member for a Daytona 500 winner, feels that Wallace’s success is a good look for NASCAR’s future. “I think a lot of the people are going to gravitate towards him …. and it’s going to be great for the culture,” he said.
“We’re lacking in that department when it comes to NASCAR,” Wallace said in conversation regarding the potential impact he and his team could have on increasing black representation in the sport. “For us to be able to go out and do what we do on the racetrack and try to be the best, I think it’s going to help that number grow.”
LUE Productions 2nd Annual Plus Size Model Competition is What Do! Calling all my full figure, BBW, Plus Size Beauties to come out and be a part of our Epic event happening right here in the beautiful City of San Bernardino on Sunday, August 26 at 5 p.m.
It’s not too late to sign up. This Saturday at 3 p.m. at Zorbas Lounge, LUE Productions will be conducting orientation for those already sign up. We’re truly excited! This will be a fun and life changing event as we bring awareness to domestic violence. The winner will receive a full prize package valued at $2500, which will include: $500 Cash, a crown, a sash, a photoshoot, a magazine cover and spread. A newspaper article, hosting gigs and one year of FREE promotion.
Will it be YOU? Until next week my peeps L’s! Contact us at (909) 567-1000 or email us at Lue.info@yahoo.com for more information.
“Not; Says the Lord!” I meant what I said and said what I meant! I am a compassionate God and I am not slack concerning My promise, as some men count slackness, but is longsuffering toward you, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance [2Peter 3:9]. But when the rubber meet the road, don’t get it twisted, I will not be a loving God at the expense of My holiness. Besides, how many times have I bowed to your pleas for mercy? “Please Lord, give me one more chance. I love you. I’m sorry. Please Lord, please! All right,” I said. “I’ll give you a break this time. Once more I relented. I said, “Okay, but this is the last time. If you don’t return back, I will become a consuming fire towards you. No excuses, no whining. Is that clear?” “Oh, yes, thank you Lord. I love you” you said. Profuse in your gratitude, and filling the air with solemn promises of loving me. What happened? What went wrong? Instead of loving and honoring me, you profane me.
I tell you, “After all the things that we’ve been through you should understand me like I understand you. To love and be loved in return, it’s the only thing that my heart desires. Just appreciate the little things I do… we can build a world of love, a life of joy make our goal each other happiness. I will do everything for you. Every day I want to do a little bit more….” [Teddy Pendergrass – When Someone Loves You Back]. What more can I do? “I gave my heart, soul and Spirit to you, didn’t I; didn’t I do it. I gave you the love you never knew. Didn’t I? I thought that heart of yours was true.” “Silly of me to think that I could ever have you for myself; Silly of me to think that you could ever know the things I do are all done for you [Silly –The Delfonics]. It’s obvious; you don’t love me as you did at first! Look how far you have fallen! [Revelation 2:4-5]. You have abandoned the love you had at first”–the love that caused you to drop everything and to follow me into the desert. This is the love that captures my heart and colors every moment of every day. Turn back to me “… or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place …” [Revelation 2:5].
Oh, how God longs to have a relationship with us. The Bible tells us that what God desires, what He really wants, is a meaningful relationship. “Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment” [Mark 12:30]. I tell you, the greatest investment we can make in this life is a wholehearted pursuit of a deep personal relationship with God. Think about the time in your life when your love for Christ burned more strongly than ever. Think back to what it was like when you first came to know the Lord. Remember how you felt? What you did? How often you prayed or read the scriptures? Remember how you responded to tough situations? It is easy to slip, to get busy and to fall away from that strong relationship with Christ. But, [Revelation 2] says to remember what it was like, to remember that spiritual infatuation you had with the Lord at the start. Go back and do the things you did at first. Return to your first love, renew your devotion. Because, nothing could be more important than living your life on the foundation of God’s greatest commandment: to love him. Let Him be your center, your focus, your everything.
For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor 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 [Romans 8:38].
I tell you, “ I have never been so much in love before, what a difference a true love made in my life, so nice so right, loving Him [Jesus]. He gave me something new that I’ve never felt, never dreamed of, something’s changed, and no it’s not the feeling I had before, ooh, it’s much much more. A love I never knew that it’s touch could mean so much… and when we walk hand in hand, I feel so real, lovers come and then lovers go that’s what folks say, but not my lover. What we have is much more than they could see, yeah so much more…” [L.T.D. – Love Ballad].
Are you prepared to let the one who loves you more than anything else in the world lavish His love on you? If so, Shhhh. Listen. Receive. Drink it in: Precious one, you might not know me, but I know you like none other. [Psalm 139:2] I am your most beloved companion. [Psalm 119:63] It is my desire to overwhelm you in my love. [1John 3:1] I chose you when I planned creation. [Ephesians 1:11-12] Nothing you have even done can separate you from my love. [Romans 8:38-39] You are not a mistake. [Psalm 139:15-16] I am healing all wounds and brokenness of heart. [Psalm 147:3] I will never stop doing good for you. [Jeremiah 32:40] I will never, no never, leave you nor forsake you. [Hebrews 13:5] You are my treasured possession. No one loves you like me. [Exodus 19:5].
Can you feel His lavish love? Go ahead. Do something outrageous and incredibly silly. Embrace His courtship and gentle wooing. Jesus loves you this I know!
Stephon Clark’s memorial service held Thursday was a chance for both national and local figures to share their opinions about the latest police shooting of an unarmed black man.
Hundreds gathered to mourn the life of Stephon Clark at BOSS Church in South Sacramento, CA. Clark was shot and killed by law enforcement officers that encountered him while responding to neighborhood complaints of car windows being broken on March 18. Clark was mistakenly believed to be in possession of a gun but was found only to be holding his cell phone.
Rev. Al Sharpton, president of the National Action Network, spoke at the memorial. He slammed the media for the way they were trying to frame the story.
“This is not black versus white, this is right versus wrong,” he said.
Photo by Antonio R. Harvey: Matt Barns Former NBA player, friends and family take Stephon Clark to his final resting place.
He also took a swipe at White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee-Sanders who described Clark’s shooting as “a local matter.”
“This is not a local issue, it’s a national problem,” he said. “A problem this president wants to ignore.”
Matt Barnes, a former NBA player, spoke after the memorial service. Barnes also organized a rally in Clark’s name. He said the issue hit home with him because he was a parent.
“I’m a father of two young boys, and I fear for their lives,” said Barnes. “Not only in the streets, but also behinds the hands of cops.”
Julie Debbs, a Sacramento resident, said Clark’s death could serve as a unifying force in the black community. She noted that several local gangs had attended the funeral peacefully.
“Everybody came together today. This is beautiful. Maybe this will bring us all together as one,” she said.
RIALTO, CA- Hoping to boost voter turnout for the upcoming mid-term and future elections, a collaborative of local nonprofit service organizations is pooling their resources to educate, empower and motivate residents (ages 16 years and older) to register, vote and become more involved in all levels of government that affect our lives.
The nearly 20 nonprofits — who have named their partnership Inland Empowered — are hosting two “B’CAUSE U” Voter Empowerment Workshops this month on Saturday, April 7 at the Carolyn E. Wylie Center located at 4164 Brockton Avenue in Riverside and on Saturday, April 14 at San Bernardino Valley College located at 701 S. Mount Vernon Avenue in San Bernardino. The workshops will begin at 10 a.m.
An opening performance by members of Youth Action Project will set the stage for the workshops, followed by the first presentation on “What Government Is & What It Is Supposed To Do For You.” Marc K. Fudge, Ph.D., Professor of Public Administration at Cal State University of San Bernardino (CSUSB) will present on April 7, and Dr. Brian Janiskee, Chair of the Department of Political Science at CSUSB will be the April 14 presenter.
Spoken word and dance performances by Destiny Muse, Chelsea Davis, Caleb Collins and others will precede and then follow the second presentation on “Understanding What Propositions Really Mean & Why Your Vote Matters.” Joan Donahue, Vice President of the League of Women Voters (LWV) of Riverside will make the presentation on April 7, and Jill Vassilakos-Long, Co-President of the LWV of the San Bernardino Area will present on April 14.
“Our collaborative chose to design a creative, educational program that will allow people to gain a better understanding of government on local, state, and federal levels and to become more involved in the decisions each level makes that impact their everyday lives,” said Lisha Smith, Chair of the Legislative Committee of the Inland Empire Section of the National Council of Negro Women, Inc., who manages Inland Empowered’s planning meetings.
“Inland Empowered believes that knowledge is power,” she added. “That’s what we are offering through these workshops, knowledge to awaken people to the realization of the power that lies within their vote.”
The workshops are free, but individuals attending are asked to register through Eventbrite.com. Free refreshments will be provided and there will be raffle drawings during the workshops.
Members of Inland Empowered
100 Black Men of the Inland Empire
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
BLU Educational Foundation
Congregations Organized for Prophetic Engagement
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
Fair Housing Council of Riverside County
Inland Empire National Pan Hellenic Council
Inland Empire Section, National Council of Negro Women, Inc.
Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.
Knights of Peter Claver
Ladies Auxiliary League of Women Voters of Riverside
League of Women Voters of the San Bernardino Area NAACP of Riverside & San Bernardino Counties Riverside
Jimmy Jean Louis at the Hollywood Stars Gala Wardour Studios (Photo credit: Maury Phillips)
BEVERLY HILLS, CA- Wardour Studios Hollywood Stars Gala Academy Awards Oscars Viewing Party was a success as many celebrities walked the red carpet, enjoyed a hosted VIP reception then dined on a four-course sit-down dinner while viewing the 90th Academy Awards.
The Hollywood Stars Gala Oscars event was held on Sunday, March 4, inside the elegant ballroom of the newly completed Beverly Hills Waldorf Astoria Hotel.
Celebrities and guests filled the ballroom in support of the evening’s theme “Women in Entertainment.”
The grand evening started as celebrities walked the red carpet into the luxurious hotel including Gretchen Rossi (“OC Housewives”), Jesse Metcalfe (“Desperate Housewives”), Janice Dickinson (“The Janice Dickinson Show”), Jimmy Jean Louis (“Joy”), Melia Kreiling (“The Last Tycoon,” “Tyrant”), and Erika Alexander (“Get Out”), Angelina Leo, (International Actress and TV Host), 2017 Primetime Emmy Award winner Kim Estes (“Dicks”), 2015-2017 Daytime Emmy Award winner Celeste Fianna (“The Bay”), Arthur Sarkissian (“The Foreigner”, “Rush Hour”), Dan Katzman (“Stuart Little 2”, “Roots”) and their guests were entertained during the hosted VIP Cocktail Reception by Deejay Tolula Adeyemi.
“It was so great to see so many celebrities, producers, music industry people, guest support this fabulous event, and especially gratifying to see everyone here stepping up to bring female filmmakers onto equal standing, as they should have always been” saidSteven Nia, Chairman and CEO of Wardour Studios. “We here at Wardour Studios are committed to aggressively keep the movement going forward as the industry enters this new era.”
Tables in the ballroom were decorated with gorgeous floral arrangements by George Ortega, Creative Floral Director of “Square Root,” which matched the elegance of the evening only the Waldorf Astoria could provide.
During the hosted VIP Cocktail Reception guests were able to catch glimpses of the Oscars® red carpet arrivals at the Dolby Theater on the screens around the room. While waiting for the Oscars® ceremony to begin, guests had the chance to smile and pose for the camera in the Socal Mirror Photo Booth, creating a memory of the nights’ celebration for them to take home.
When the Academy Awards hosted by Jimmy Kimmel started, those in attendance were invited to indulge in an exquisite dinner created by the Waldorf Astoria’s celebrity chef Jean-George, while watching the winners receive their Oscars® on large screens located around the ballroom.
Announced at the event was one of Wardour Studio’s newest Hollywood China co-productions, “Crossroads to Shaolin”. It is the story of a young American boxer who discovers how to be the true champion that he is at a Shaolin temple, helping him to go on to become world champion. Lee Baker is writing and directing the film, with Stephen Sobisky as visual effects supervisor, and Dan Katzman as producer.
Other celebrities that walked the red carpet or attended included:, Ruth Connell (“Supernatural”), Ellen Hollman (“Spartacus”), Kelley Jakle and Chrissie Fit (“Pitch Perfect 1,” “Pitch Perfect 2”), Sammi Rotibi (“Django Unchained”), Benjamin Zhu and Alex Nia (“Crossroads to Shaolin”), Victoria Smurfit (“Once Upon A Time”), Thora Birch (“American Beauty”), Ellen Hollman (SIX, Spartacus), 2017 Daytime Emmy Winner Meadow Williams (“The Bay”), Ali Levine (“Stripped”), Jeff Rice (“Lone Survivor”), Saxon Sharbin (“Freakish”), The Hon. Walton Brown Jr., JP MP, (Minister of Home Affairs, The Government of Bermuda), Richard Greenberg (“The Terminator”), Olga Safari (“The Dome”), Martyn Ravenhill (Liberace Mansion, Owner) and many others.
“Steven and I are extremely grateful for all the wonderful participants, this evening, and we hope to be working with many of them soon”, said Angelina Leo, COO of Wardour Studios.
About Wardour Studios Wardour Studios is a state of the art, next generation, film studio, with solid artistic and advanced technology foundation. Wardour Studios is the ultimate digital studio, with expertise in the production and distribution of feature films, TV, visual effects, VR – virtual reality, AR – augmented reality, which is addressing and exploiting the emerging challenges in the global, and specifically in the Hollywood and China entertainment landscape. Wardour Studios continues to grow into a vertically integrated global content platform of increasing diversity, reach and scale. The Company’s portfolio of assets includes film and television libraries, a world-class film business and an expanding global distribution footprint.
Wardour Studios Film Fund is supported by One Belt One Road Funds (OBOR Funds) and other designated Chinese film funds. The fund is co-managed by Wardour Studios and China Three Kingdoms, and will focus on English-language films, Chinese co-productions as well as Chinese-language movies. Wardour Studios Film Funds has received significant investment commitments for the production and distribution of the films described above, and it clearly aimed at Wardour Studios’ strategic positioning to expand its film and entertainment business in USA and China, the second-largest film market, as well as globally.
Wardour Studios’ management has the mission of creating and evolving a truly next generation film studio, which is emerging as a leading global entertainment company, with a fast growing and diversified presence in multiple areas of media and entertainment.
Moses E. Miller – Wardour Studios Hollywood Stars Gala credit Roel Meere
Kim Estes – Hollywood Stars Gala by Wardour Studios.Credit Maury Phillips
Erika Alexander – Hollywood Stars Gala by Wardour Studios- Credit Maury Phillips
Sammi Rotibi – Hollywood Stars Gala by Wardour Studios.-Credit Maury Phillips
LOS ANGELES, CA- After rave reviews and six sold out shows; by popular demand, The Penis Monologues “The Long Hard Truth” written and directed by Karen Roberson, is back for two encore performance May 19 and 20.
The Penis Monologues “The Long Hard Truth” will make you laugh, cry and celebrate the true essence of a man, as you will see them like never before! This is a MEN EMPOWERMENT SHOW for both men and women to see!
The Penis Monologues “The Long Hard Truth”, featuring performances by Mike Strong from Vivica A. Fox’s ‘Black Magic’, takes you on a journey of ten phenomenal men who will leave you spellbound in their raw and riveting portrayals of these real-life stories.
The Penis Monologues “The Long Hard Truth” characters are: “Angry Penis” played by Tobyus Green, “Broken Penis” played by Lamont Young, “Devoted Penis” played by Samuel Simmons, “Loving Penis” played by Lucky Conner, “Disappointed Penis” played by Marwan Granville, “Empty Penis” played by Louis Kameron Jack III, “I Don’t Penis” played by Reggie Myles, “I Do Penis”, played by Idrees Degas, “My Penis Matters”, played by Dejuan Christopher, and “Erotic Penis” played by Mike Strong.
The Penis Monologues “The Long Hard Truth” most talked about play in 2017 is back stirring up emotions of truth from men’s perspective Saturday, May 19 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, May 20 at 5 p.m. at California State University, Dominguez Hills Theater 1000 E Victoria Street in Carson.
Karen Roberson , a Compton California native was an honor student at California State University Dominguez Hills where she received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Theater Arts and Communication. She also obtained an Associate Arts Degree in Early Childhood Education from Los Angeles Southwest Community College.
She is the Owner and CEO of Mahogany Girl Productions LLC. MGP is a performing arts and community event based Production Company bridging performing arts, community, education and entertainment together on one platform in efforts to change the world one project at a time. MGP also host community and charity events fostering community involvement and positive change in the spirit of love and unity.
She is also the Founder and President of Mahogany Stars Inc, a 501(c)(3) federally tax exempt Nonprofit Organization providing programs for youth and young adults in underserved communities such as community building, financial literacy, career planning, communication skill building, self advocacy, community outreach, self awareness, college prep, educational assistance, mentorship programs, scholarships and more.
A consummate singer, actress, writer and producer, some of her stage credits include ‘Before It Hits Home’, ‘The Crowded Room’, ‘Talking Bones’ ‘African Company Presents Richard III’, ‘The Vagina Monologues’, ‘Intimate Apparel’ ‘Meetin in the Ladies Room’ and ‘Flyin’ West’ ‘The Conversation’ and ‘Roxy’ to name a few . Karen has also been featured in films such as “The Last Man Standing” Carte Blanche” and “Cut”. In her most notable performance, she worked with Jo Marie Payton (Harriet Winslow, ‘Family Matters’ ABC Network) and starred in her One Woman play, ‘The Drama That Surrounds Me, The Incomplete
Autobiography of Jo Marie Payton’ which had a successful sold out run in Los Angeles and was also featured at the Miami Theater Festival . Karen produced “A Woman Called Truth – The Sojourner Truth Story”, The Miss Greater West Coast Scholarship Pageant and her riveting and powerful original stage production “The Penis Monologues – The Long Hard Truth” that she wrote and directed which is set to kick off it’s national tour in
2018. She performed at various venues including Hollywood’s ‘The Sunset Room’, Leimert Park’s ‘5th Street Dicks’, ‘The Wilshire Ebell’ ‘The Fox Theater’ ‘The World Stage’ ‘The Conga Room’, The Shrine Auditorium, Hollywood’s House of Blues and the Saban Theater.
Her acting will captivate you, her singing will move you, her writing will empower you and her contributions to others and the communities she serves will inspire you.
Westside Story Newspaper – Online The News of The Empire – Sharing the Quest for Excellence
