By Lue Dowdy

BIG CED from THE NORTH, IE SWAGG, and KD is WHAT IT DO!

Tune in to Inland Empire Live and watch them LIVE! LUE Productions is proud to present an intimate listening party for GWAAP FAM.

GWAAP FAM celebrates the release of their L.P., “F.R.O.M.: Flicking Roches On Melrose,” which drops Friday, September 1! This talented rap group hails from the streets of the Inland Empire and is ready for the world to hear what they have been cooking up in the studio at Chef Music.

On this project through their realistic lyrics, you’ll be able to experience their struggle, love, disappointments, accomplishments, fears, setbacks, and bounce-backs. If you’re a GWAAP FAM fan, I encourage you to take a listen. Sponsored by Chef Music, this album is defiantly one to have. Fans will be able to hear hits such as, “Nothing,” “Everyday” featuring Tinigi Star, “Suicide,” “That’s Baby Right There” featuring Yung Muusik and more. Make sure to visit their website at www.gwaapfam.com for updates, as well as ‘Like’ them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/gwaapfam.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- Last week Assemblymember Eloise Reyes launched her inaugural Senior Advocacy Week from August 14 to 18.  During Senior Advocacy Week Assemblymember Reyes visited 15 senior facilities and met directly with hundreds of seniors to hear about their challenges and to identify ways on how to improve the quality of life for seniors in the Inland Empire.

“With over 200,000 Seniors in San Bernardino County, their specific issues and concerns can’t be ignored,” said Assemblymember Reyes “We will take a proactive approach to address the serious issues that are impacting their daily lives. In the 8 months since I have been in office seniors have shared with me the inequitable policies that diminish their quality of life, including lack of income, public transportation, unnecessary fees, lack of community spaces and affordable housing.”

The next decade is expected to see a boom in the over 65 population in California.  According to the Public Policy Institute of California the senior population in California will grow by four million people.  By 2030 over 1 million seniors are expected to need some assistance with self-care and another 100,000 will require nursing home care which will have a direct impact on state funding for senior care.  This has far reaching implications as the state will need more facilities and trained workers to assist the senior population as well as policies that allow seniors to stay longer in their own homes.  California will need a spectrum of policy responses to protect and advance the needs of aging populations.

RIVERSIDE, CA- On Saturday, August 20, Riverside Community Health Foundation held their annual “My Hair, My Health” conference at Riverside City College. The conference featured speakers, vendors, activities and a documentary screening. Dr. Leita Harris, of Nurturing You Women’s Health and Wellness, spoke on “My Hair, My Hormones”. Dr. Dede Teteh also spoke where she held a dialogue session entitled, “Sister to Sister.”

By Lou Coleman

This is a question that you should carefully consider. You see, every day you’re trading your life, your soul for something. The question is, for what? Fame, popularity, financial gain, sex, pleasure, power, success. If that is the case, think of what the rich man in Hades would tell you – [Luke 16: 22-24]. Think of what the souls of the redeemed would say to you [Revelations 7:13-17].Think of what God has done to save your soul!  [John 3:16]. 

Can I tell you about Esau?  Esau’s life is the story of a man who traded his soul for fleeting pleasure. He sold his birthright, which included not only material benefits and family privileges, but spiritual blessings as well, for a bowl of soup. It says that “he ate and drank, and rose and went on his way” [Genesis 25:29-34]. He didn’t think twice about what he had done. He did it, it felt good, and only much later did he come to regret it. [Hebrews 12:17] however says that, “afterwards, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears.”  Listen, the Bible says, “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires…. [Ephesians 4:22, 23]. Don’t let the devil corrupt your mind. “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus” [Philippians 2:5]. For God says, “I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” [Jeremiah 29:11].

I want you to know that the Devil doesn’t give a damn about you.  That’s right! THE DEVIL DOESN’T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT YOU!  He could care less if you go to Hell. Matter of fact that is his job, to get you to compromise knowing if you do, that you would go to hell. See his only job is to kill, steal, and destroy…. And if he can get you to exchange your soul for the trinkets of this world, then he had done his job. Now, I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness. … [Romans 6: 19].

 You see, in the world of the ancient Hebrews, everyone served someone. It wasn’t a question of if you would serve, but who you would serve. Everything you had came from someone else and it came with strings attached.  Choose your master wisely. Jesus puts it like this: “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. There I implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. [2 Corinthians 5: 18-20].

When the pressure of life seems to boil over—and it does for everyone—Pastor and Grammy-winning musician Smokie Norful has one piece of advice: take the lid off. This concept was inspired by watching his grandmother make her signature dish of sweet rice. When the heat got too high, the pot began hissing and boiling over, like it was about to explode. His grandmother would remind him the only way to avoid an eruption is to remove the lid. Similarly, the only way to avoid an emotional overload is to take our own lids off—that is, to stop being trapped inside ourselves and instead look to God and his grace to show us the strategy for becoming all he intends us to be.

This is the premise behind Norful’s new book Take the Lid Off: Trust God, Release the Pressure, and Find the Life He Wants for You (Thomas Nelson, September 5, 2017). In Take the Lid Off, Norful—who is the founder and pastor of Victory Cathedral Worship Center, a congregation of 5,000 members with three campuses in the Chicagoland area—outlines four steps that help us to relieve the pressure and draw closer to God in the process:

1. Look Inward, experiencing the cleansing of forgiveness and the power of God.
2. Look Outward, seeking for others to experience the joy of living for God and have the best God has to offer.
3. Look Upward and marvel at God’s love and strength to accomplish his purposes.
4. Move Onward, devising a strategy to accomplish all God has put in our hearts to do.

Norful, through detailed explanations and relatable examples, guides readers in understanding that, when you focus on these four steps, the pressure of life goes down, you gain peace and perception, and things work out much better in the end. By working to “take the lid off,” readers can become the people they were created to be.

To underscore the message of Take the Lid Off Norful is partnering with his long-time label home, Motown Gospel, to release a digital-only album titled Nothing Is Impossible. The twelve-track project, available September 9, 2017, features some of Norful’s most beloved songs of encouragement and inspiration, including “Still Say Thank You,” “No One Else,” and “Run ’Til I Finish.”

For more information, visit www.TaketheLidOffBook.com.

Sapira Cheuk

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- San Bernardino Valley College (SBVC) is proud to present Sapira Cheuk and Andrew K. Thompson’s two-person exhibition, Grey is the Color of Theory, in the Clara and Allen Gresham Art Gallery, opening August 23 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Andrew K. Thompson

The exhibition, Grey is the Color of Theory, will compare two dynamically different art practices that share visual similarities. The exhibition will showcase how art made from different mediums and motivated by different concepts can share stylistic commonalities. This exhibition will showcase the capacity of style and value to unify and create conversations across divergent mediums and themes.

The opening reception for Grey is the Color of Theory will be held on August 23 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. The gallery is free to the public and is located at 701 S Mt. Vernon Avenue in San Bernardino. Please check out the Clara and Allen Gresham Art Gallery’s website for more information at www.valleycollege.edu/artgallery.

About the Artists:

Sapira Cheuk’s work revolves around issues of the body and women’s sexuality. Her practice incorporates traditional Sumi Ink painting techniques and geometric elements to depict the complexity of the subject and corporeality. Cheuk has taken part in over 50 exhibitions, including those at the Orange County Contemporary Art Center, Riverside Art Museum, Rochester Contemporary Art Museum, Wignall Museum of Contemporary Art, and The Robert & Frances Fullerton Museum of Art. She received her BA at University of California, Riverside and MFA from California State University, San Bernardino.

Andrew K. Thompson lives and works in Riverside, California. Thompson holds a MFA degree from the California State University, San Bernardino, and a BFA in Photography from the Academy of Art, San Francisco. His work has been exhibited throughout the United States including exhibitions at the AIPAD Photo Fair, Klotz Gallery in New York, Gallery 1/1 in Seattle, and two recent solo shows at the SRO Photo Gallery at Texas Tech University and C.A.C.t.T.U.S. Long Beach.

LOS ANGELES, CA- Dr. Joel McLeod, Chancellor of the Next Dimension University, an accredited Bible College, with campuses throughout California and extension schools throughout the USA, is pleased to announce the 2017 Decennial Commencement and Awards Ceremony Weekend.  This year marks ten years of academic excellence at N.D.U. The Commencement will be held Saturday, August 19 at 2 p.m. at West Angeles Cathedral located at 3600 Crenshaw Boulevard in Los Angeles.  The Commencement is free and open to the public. 

Dr. Kenneth Ulmer, of Faithful Central Church, will give the commencement address, and Dr. Michelle Corral will give the official “Send Off” address.  NDU will be honoring local and International gospel greats, Warryn and Erica Campbell and Teddy and Tina Campbell (Mary Mary), Donald Lawrence, Vanessa Bell-Armstrong, David Hollister, Bobby Jones and more; honor will also be bestowed upon other ministry leaders such as: Apostle Beverly BAM Crawford, Apostle Jean Perez, Apostle Felix Larsen (from Botswanna, Africa) Dr. Margaret Douroux, Apostle Sarah Morgan, Apostle Venissa Jackson, First Lady Patty Shipp, Bishop Roger Thomas, Bishop Kevin Truitt, Bishop Curtis Kelley, and from the Netherlands, Apostle Evelyn Kuwoe and Howard and Danielle Taylor.

Other notables include: Kevin Nash, Vickie Mack, Reginald Utley, Paul Jackson Jr., Nate Watts, Sharon Takaha, Linda Johnson-Hayes and Nwannia Lyles.  

Special music by Beau Williams with the NDU Choir.  Lastly, we want to acknowledge and honor Mary Virginia Jones, a grandmother that served 33 years incarcerated and was faithful to God, studying the Word of God, believing her release was in God’s hands.

After the commencement, there will be a formal banquet: “The Black, White and Gold Gala” at the LAX Hilton. The Black, White and Gold Gala will be held at the LAX Hilton 5711 Century Bl. LA 90045.  Guest Speaker will be Dr. Beverly BAM Crawford.  This event will include The God Awards.  Recipients will be presented their Awards by special guest, to include Dr. Joel McLeod, the NDU Chancellor, Dr. Evelyn Saucer, Dr. Evelyn Reason and Dr. Rose Parker and other distinguished presenters.

NDU Alumni and Past Honorees, included Fred Hammond, Apostle Frederick K.C. Price, Yolanda Adams, Randall Cunningham, Judge Mablean, Janet’ Dubois, Judy Jacobs, Bishop Noel Jones, Cecil Murry, Jack Hayford and more.  

Red Carpet will begin at 12 noon on Saturday for the Commencement, and 6:30 p.m. on Saturday night for the banquet.   

For more information and for Banquet tickets; contact Dr. Evelyn Saucer, e.saucer@yahoo.com 951 567-9716.  For Press Conference, Interviews and Media credentials, contact Dr. Rose at drrose.ndu@gmail.com 909 528-8350. 

For information about Next Dimension University call 888 206-4344.  Visit our website at www.nextdimensionuniversity.com.   

LOMA LINDA, CA- Miss Los Angeles County 2017, Katie Bozner, visited patients at Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital (LLUCH) Wednesday, August 9. The 22-year-old beauty queen, a Corona native, spent the afternoon talking to patients in playrooms and went bedside to those who were unable to leave their rooms.

A University of Redlands graduate, Bozner’s interactions with the children came naturally. “I really enjoy visiting with kids,” she said during her visit, “and they seem to like me too.”

In addition to taking photos with the kids, Bozner delivered princess crowns, goodie bags and other gifts she made herself to patients, whose smiles reflected the sparkly crown adorned on her head. 

Bozner won the Miss LA County title in October 2016. Although she will give up her title in two months, she is looking forward to competing in the Miss California pageant in December.

Over the weekend, three people were killed and at least 34 were injured in a hate rally of several hundred right-wing extremists on the campus of the University of Virginia. The stated intention of this white nationalist rally was to protest the removal of a statue of Robert E. Lee, general of the Confederate Army, yet it was fueled by white supremacy ideology.

“The crime that took place in Charlottesville was one of domestic terrorism. It is the manifestation of the racial divide that we still face in our country that is fueled by fear and hatred of groups whose skin color, religion, or views do not match theirs,” said Assembly Member Chris R. Holden (AD-41), Chair of the California Legislative Black Caucus. “The Ku Klux Klan’s, or white nationalists’, atrocious message is a painful reminder that we have great work to do to unite this nation.” 

President Trump addressed the “Unite the Right” protest under the guise that “many sides” were responsible for the violence that ensued. However, the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) believes that the rally and the crime represent racism in its purest form.

Following the violent conclusion of the Charlottesville rally, Texas A&M has canceled their “White Lives Matter” rally which was scheduled for September 11^th featuring white nationalist Richard Spencer. California Universities have been targets in the past for white nationalist rallies. 

“The California Legislative Black Caucus stands against bigotry, divisive rhetoric, and complicity.   We ask that the California universities and colleges remain united for peace, equality, and inclusion because there is power in diversity,” said Holden.

LOS ANGELES, CA- The Leimert Park Village Book Fair will celebrate its 11th anniversary on Saturday, August 19 in Los Angeles. The book fair will run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the promenade of the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza (BHCP), located at 3650 W. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. The family-oriented event is held in the heart of Leimert Park, which is considered the center of the African American arts/intellectual scene in LA. The book fair will be held outdoors, and luckily, it rarely rains in Southern California!

“Voted One of LA’s Five Best Annual Book Festivals,” the LPVBF has become a much-anticipated cultural tradition in the community.  It provides authors an opportunity to promote their newest work as well as meet some of their fans up close and personal. Meet some of LA’s favorite and best-selling authors like Pamela Samuels Young, Gary Phillips, Tananarive Due, plus Jodi Baker, the YA writer of the “Between Lions” series, which New York Times calls it ” … definitely the YA series to follow.” 

The LPVBF is produced by Exum and Associates in collaboration with Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, District 2; the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs; City of Los Angeles and Capri Capital Partners of the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza mall. City leaders and philanthropists Dr. Bernard W. and Shirley Kinsey serve as the book fair’s chairperson.