By Lue Dowdy

Rapper, Yungan of 4ETE is What it Do With The LUE this Week!!! I totally love the way this dude rocks the MIC. Yungan, whose real name is Eric Taylor, was born in South Central of Los Angeles, California and currently resides in the Inland Empire. Yungan was inspired to write at the age of 12 and began his start in the rap game at the age of 18. Not boxing himself in, he started to explore other fields of the entertainment game such as acting, writing, producing, and modeling.     Currently under the management of 4everthugging Entertainment, Yungan is also a member of the management’s company group called Stoney Gang. Stoney Gang consists of four other talented solo artists.

Yungan has performed at several events and concerts throughout Southern California. His goal is to go international with it. The streets encouraged him to make money but music encouraged him to make HITS, stay out of the way, and not become a statistic. “I have little brothers and family that is depending on me,” says Yungan.

Recently he dropped his new project titled “Parties & Problems, Volume 1.”  Expect to see amazing things from this artist. You can catch this cutie pie performing live this weekend and on air at Mix & Mingle R&B King and Queen on Saturday, May 7at the American Legion Post 710 in San Bernardino; at the Red Cup Edition on Sunday, May 8 at the 420 Night Club in Ontario, and don’t forget to tune in to “Listening With LUE Radio Show” this  Sunday, May 8 on KCAA 1050 A.M. at 6:00 pm to hear Yungan. His other projects include STONEY California Hear me out vol. 1, 4ever LA vol. 1, and Red. Cup vol. 1.

Until next week peeps. L’z!

Submitted by Carl Dameron

On December 1st, 1955, after a long day at work, a courageous black woman by the name of Rosa Parks boldly challenged then-widely accepted Jim Crow laws, also known as enforced racial segregation, by refusing to give up her “colored” seat to a white individual on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama.

This one act of bravery led to the Montgomery bus boycott, an event that triggered what historians now refer to as the beginning of the civil rights movements in America, and that earned Parks the title of “the first lady of civil rights.”

Parks’ challenge to segregation on buses brought about the end of institutionalized segregation in the South. In March 2006, in honor of Parks’ trailblazing role in advancing civil rights, the California State Senate and Assembly designated the California Transportation Building in downtown San Bernardino as the Rosa Parks Memorial Building.

The memorial will include a life-sized bronze statue of Parks, which will be placed in front of the building. The statue will be created by renowned local artist Patrick Jewett and the project is proudly sponsored by the San Bernardino Black Culture Foundation.

“It seemed like after naming a building after her, the only thing missing was a statue of her,” Jewett said of why he took it upon himself to approach the state about creating the work of art. “And if not me, who?”

Jewett said he hopes that once the statue is in place it will give people a sense of empowerment in the ability to bring about change.

Plans for the statue have been underway for about three years and fundraising goals to turn an artistic dream into an enduring reality have nearly been reached.

The community at large is invited to top off the efforts by contributing to the project that will honor this American hero. The total amount needed is $15,000 to complete the statue. Tax-deductible donations may be to: The Rosa Parks Sculpture, C/O San Bernardino Black Culture Foundation, P. O. Box 7288, San Bernardino, CA. 92411-0288

Donor names will appear on a plaque near the sculpture. The Black Culture Foundation is a non- profit 501c3 charitable organization.

“By adorning our public buildings and parks with artistic monuments we can inspire a sense of appreciation and history in the hearts and minds of our fellow Americans,” said Jewett.

For more information on the project, contact Patrick Jewett at (909) 856-5487.

Submitted on Behalf of Terrance Stone

In honor of William Henry Jacocks, a longtime Rialto resident and active community member who with his wife, former Assemblywoman Wilmer Amina Carter, founded the Inland Area Kwanzaa Group, “The Fellas” dedicated their last Man Mob of the year to his memory. The Man Mob is a group of men from the local Inland Empire community who are interested in engaging and supporting the students at our schools.  Some are fathers, entrepreneurs, educators, college alumni, community and civic leaders, business owners, fraternity members, ministry groups, retirees, and current college students.  The me, show up to local schools, give hi-fives, tell the students to have a good day, encourage them to study hard, and let them know that they are supported by their community.  The goals are twofold: encourage and motivate students to succeed, and show them examples of positive, professional men of color.

The Man Mob is not just for students—it is for parents, teachers, school administrators and staff as well.  Indeed, before we visit a school we try to identify a teacher who has positively impacted children the most.  Once we get a consensus, we try and give that teacher a gift (e.g., certificate, hat, thank you card) to recognize their hard work, diligence and commitment to our students.  We work with superintendents, principals, district administrators, and school board members to plan and coordinate our meetings.  We invite them and let them know that we are coming to have a fun, safe, and joyful experience.

Lesford Duncan, a Child Abuse Prevention Coordinator for the San Bernardino County Children’s Network, was the first to propose the Man Mob idea in the fall of 2015.  Mr. Duncan saw a post on social media wherein a well-dressed group of African American fathers in Atlanta were hi-fiving elementary students who were entering the school building.  He suggested that the Fellas coordinate something similar here in the San Bernardino area.  It was then that several members of The Fellas (Jonathan Buffong, Terrance Stone, Hardy Brown, Ed Brantley, Keith Hosea, Joseph Williams, Alex Avila, Mars Serna, and Dr. Wil Greer, Charles Brown) organized the first Man Mob, which took place on August 17^th, 2015, at Del Vallejo Middle School in San Bernardino.

The experience was so positive that they decided to do it again at more schools.  Since then, The Fellasgroup has held a Man Mob during every month of the 2016-2017 school year, and we are inspired by the rise of additional groups.  Mars Serna and the Emerging Men of Fontana, Frank Kelley and the PACK Coalition Man Mob of the High Desert, and Corey Jackson of Moreno Valley have all held fantastic events, and fully represent the Man Mob spirit.  We are hopeful that the ongoing encouragement, across cities and schools, will have a ripple effect on children’s confidence, school engagement, and achievement.

The success of the initial Man Mob led to requests from a number of school leaders and teachers to come out and visit their school.  We knew early on that we would need a strategy for choosing schools that could most benefit from a Man Mob.  We also wanted to get organized, and make best use of our busy participants’ time and energy.  To do this, The Fellas came together and looked at school data from across the Inland Empire.  They identified schools with some of the greatest numbers of low-income and African American students, had several discussions, and added a sample of the schools to our 2015-2016 calendar.  Though the Fellas  have tried to stay true to our initial selections, we added some schools and a university along the way to be as responsive to demand as our time would allow. “The Fellas wanted to give tribute to the late Ratibu Jacocks, because we knew that this is something that he would proud of, matter fact, he would probably be the first person in front of the line giving a hi five!” Jonathan Buffong. Another program that is honoring the namesake of Ratibu is the Ratibu Shadidi Literacy Program. Dr. Wil Greer, Assistant Professor Educational Leadership & Technology at CSUSB has designed this opportunity to help African American boys in grades K-5 read at or above grade level. Please contact wgreer@csusb.edu for morning information.

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

Did He? Liar! If you are a Christian, Satan has no authority over you. You can’t say, “The devil made you do it.” [1 Cor. 10:13] There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

Listen; before I go any further, I want you to know that God has entrusted me with a ministry where there are No Corners-cut, No Pacifying, and No Round about Away.  Rebuke- Correction- Hope, in that order exactly!

I tell you, we always want to blame someone else. If you insist that the devil made you do it… What’s the solution? Bind the devil! Cast out the evil spirit! You see the devil’s wiles are easily defeated by knowing and believing the truth of God’s word rightly divided [2 Tim 2:15; 1 Thess 2:13]. Nobody else is responsible for your inward craving other than you… James says you are drawn away “of your own lust”—it is the direct agent. Lust of the flesh—living to please the senses; it feels, looks, tastes or sounds good. Lust of the eyes—living for material things; I want, I must have things in life. Lust of your life—proud of your life which leads to easy offenses, rebellion, etc. The devil does not make you sin! The devil lies, the devil tempts, but sin comes from the lust for it inside of you. Paul says evil is present in him [that is in his flesh] even after his salvation [Romans 7:21]. James, in another dispensation, defines sin as coming from every man’s lust not from God or the devil [James 1:13-15]. You sin because of your lust for it. You have a nature that is sinful. You have a natural taste for it. I tell you, nobody wants to take responsibility for their inappropriate actions. It is human nature to pass on the blame to someone else. But God wants us to go beyond the human, natural thing and become much more supernatural in our life.

Take Responsibility. The power to sin does not come from the devil, but from your old man. When you pass on the responsibility for sin, you pass on the need for the cross of Christ, and become religious in your behavior. Do not blame the devil. The devil did not make you do it. You sinned.  Take responsibility for your sin. Tell the truth, you did it because you wanted to do it. That’s the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth….

I want you to know that God created and fashioned us in such a way that Satan cannot, in any way, physically force us to do something, nor can he overtake our body and make it act against our will. Satan can only plant thoughts into our minds and try and deceive us. He cannot make us act on those thoughts. It is our choice how we will act on the thoughts and feelings in our minds and hearts. Besides, to give credit to Satan for our actions is to deny the power of God within us to act for ourselves.

So where do we get the strength and power to banish Satan from our minds and hearts? Where can we find protection? How can we stay safe from deception and lies and temptation all around us? We’ve already looked at the most crucial element: knowing God’s Word and hiding it in our heart. The second way to resist temptation is to understand how temptation works. We are tempted when desire and opportunity come together. Think of every time you gave in to a temptation. It always happens at the intersection of desire and opportunity. So when you feel the desire to sin, ask God to remove the opportunity. When you have the opportunity to sin, ask God to take away the desire. Remember, God will always provide a way of escape. Look for it. And remember, Satan can tempt us to sin, but he cannot make us sin. He can goad and press but never force us.

Petty Officer 1st Class Clarence Jones

SAN DIEGO – A 1998 Pacific  High School graduate and San Bernardino, California native is serving in the U.S. Navy as part of a team supporting one of the country’s most versatile combat ships.

Petty Officer 1st Class Clarence Jones is a gunner’s mate and a member of Commander, LCS Squadron One which supports both variants of littoral combat ships based in San Diego.

As a Navy gunner’s mate he is part of a training team for littoral combat squadron, specializing in training Navy boarding teams and weapons systems aboard ships.

“Even though I’m shore duty, it still gives me an opportunity to go out to the field and train crews of LCS ships,” said Jones. “I enjoy training others to do their job effectively for when they go out to the fleet.”

The LCS platform has a unique manning concept called “3-2-1,” where three crews serve aboard two different littoral combat ships, one of which is deployed.  This innovative manning concept allows the LCS to spend more time forward deployed without overtaxing the crew, according to Navy officials.

Designed to defeat threats such as mines, quiet diesel submarines and fast surface craft, littoral combat ships are a bold departure from traditional Navy shipbuilding programs. The LCS sustainment strategy was developed to take into account the unique design and manning of LCS and its associated mission modules.

“I have a pretty good chain of command, when stuff needs to get done it will get done,” said Jones. “Leadership looks out for their junior sailors, to where junior sailors look up to their chain of command.”

According to Navy officials, the path to becoming an LCS sailor is a long one.  Following an 18-month training pipeline, sailors have to qualify on a simulator that is nearly identical to the ship.  This intense and realistic training pipeline allows sailors to execute their roles and responsibilities immediately upon stepping on board.

“Sailors that work aboard this platform are expected to be capable of performing a variety of tasks to assist in the completion of the LCS mission,” said Capt. Warren R Buller, Commander, LCS Squadron One. “The training that is required of our sailors is rigorous and difficult. This ensures that they are mission ready to defend and protect America at all times.”

As a service member supporting the LCS mission, Jones explained they are building a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes. Sailors know how important it is for the Navy to develop new war fighting capabilities to continue their success on the world’s oceans.

“When I joined the Navy, I came in with the idea to serve my country the best that I can,” added Jones. “When I took the oath, I took every word seriously, and I plan on carrying out the oath until the day I retire.”

Through innovative planning, the design of systems, and crew requirements, the LCS platform allows the fleet to increase forward presence and optimize its personnel, improving the ability of the Navy to be where it matters, when it matters.

The ladies of the 2016 LUE Productions Model Competition. Photo by Freddie Washington

By Naomi K. Bonman

With shows such as America’s Next Top Model, many watch them and will wonder, “how come there isn’t a show that’s dedicated to the big and beautiful women?” Now there are more outlets that are starting to cater to full-figured women that showcases their beauty in a positive light. LUE Productions is gearing up to bring the First Inland Empire Full Figured Model Competition and Fashion Show to San Bernardino on Saturday, June 11 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Women’s Club located at 503 W 31^st Street.

The afternoon will be filled with plenty of treats and the venue is accepted to sell out! The Voice of the I.E., Big Dee will be the host alongside Tammy Martin Martin-Ryles of the Black Chamber of Commerce Inland Empire. There will also be special performances by some Inland Empire’s finest artists, as well as a keynote speech by Gwen-Rodgers, founder of Women’s Empowerment Foundation (YWE).

Tickets are now on sale for $15 and will be $20 at the door, so get your tickets early! If you are interested in being a vendor for the event please text (909) 567-1000 or call Deeveatva Foy at (909) 556-7637 or Freddie Washington to (714) 833-3196.

FONTANA, CA- A morning full of inspirational family support, community pride and student celebration. The Inland Empire Alliance of Black School Educators (IEABSE) presented “It Takes a Village” 2016 Scholarship Celebration on Saturday April 16 at the Jessie Turner Health and Fitness Center in Fontana. With the room filled to capacity, over forty scholarships were awarded to Inland Empire High School students for their academic achievements, community service, perseverance and leadership. This event was sponsored by Black Voice Foundation and New Life Christian Church. The scholarship donors were comprised of local organizations and businesses as well as individuals who desire to see Inland Empire students thrive in their educational aspirations. Long time scholarship donor Dina Walker, President of BLU Educational Foundation, stated “Saturday’s ceremony was philanthropy at its best! We see businesses, community, faith-based organizations and individuals contributing to secure the educational futures of our children”.

Mayor Acquanetta Warren of Fontana welcomed the audience to the growing city of Fontana and gave an encouraging message that focused on working together as a community to use education as a tool to attract resources to the Inland Empire region. The highlight of the morning was a series of what IEABSE has coined the “Reveals”. This is a similar process to when a student athlete selects their college choice on national signing day. IEABSE highlighted five stellar students from the entire group of scholarship awardees. Each student was joined on stage by family members and their most influential educators. On the table were their top four college considerations. Their parents began by talking about their children’s challenges, achievements and special qualities. In the short time the parents spoke the audience had an opportunity to peer into the lives of the students and identify with the awesome importance of their future educational decisions. As the anticipation rose to a height, the student was given the microphone and either unrolled a diploma or reported their choice to and audience of cheers.  Audience members were both impressed and inspired. “This was an epic and historic celebration of black youth achievement in the classroom, in life and at play. I found the entire experience moving, inclusive, & inspirational celebration of black youth achievement.” Rev Benita Ramsey, Jordan- Rustin Social Justice fund.

IEABSE board with checks

Inland Empire high school administrators, teachers, coaches and counselors were also on hand to encourage their students and celebrate in their triumphs. “The reveals were exceptional, allowing both parents and students to speak and key supporters to be acknowledged” Linda Wing, Ph.D. Chief of Information and Accountability. Rancho Cucamonga High School, Arlington High School and Summit High School seniors walked away with fifteen of the forty-three scholarship opportunities. The goal of the Scholarship Celebration was to offer family members, educators and community members an opportunity to celebrate and focus on the accomplishments of local African American students. The ceremony left students motivated, parents hopeful, and donors reassured.  Gwen Dowdy-Rodgers, Founder, Young Women’s Empowerment Foundation (YWE) and parent of a prior recipient declared “With so many of our students needing educational support Young Women’s Empowerment Foundation was happy to be able to provide a deserving student a scholarship thanks to IEABE’s community outreach”.

The Scholarship Celebration precedes the IEABSE annually hosted Inland Empire High School Black Graduation Recognition Ceremony (I.E. Black Grad). The I.E. Black Grad is the largest High School Black Graduation Recognition Ceremony in Southern CA and will be held May 14^th, 2016, on campus at California State University, San Bernardino, where over two thousand individuals are expected to attend. For more information please contact IEABSE directly at ieabse@gmail.com.

Alive in the Lights

By Lue Dowdy

All Female Youth rock band “Alive in the Lights” is WHAT IT DO WITH THE LUE this week. OMG! OMG! When you talk about talented youth right here in the Inland Empire, Richardson Prep High is bringing up contenders in a real way. I had the opportunity to hear and watch this group rock out at several community events. From the first time I saw them I was hooked. Each one can sing and play. The girls show no fear when performing, they bring the HEAT.

Alive in the Lights is a five piece all girl rock band with members ages 16 to 19. The group was originally a three-member group formed as a small project at Richardson Prep High in San Bernardino. This group originally performed primarily acoustic rock and featured Madelyn Porras (age 17) as a vocalist, guitarist and pianist; Simmy Grewal (age 16) on bass and vocals; and Amanda Martinez (age 16) on keyboards and vocals. After an extensive search, Alive in the Lights really came together when joined by local rockers, drummer Elita Barus (age 18) from Citrus Valley High, and lead guitarist, Alex Padilla (age 19).

Since their formation in 2013, Alive in the Lights has written and produced several original songs and has played numerous high energy shows at venues such as Knott’s Berry Farm, Disney California Adventure, the House of Blues, the Glass House, Chain Reaction, Raging Waters, Cal State San Bernardino and the Lake Arrowhead Summer Concert series. In addition to these professional shows, Alive in the Lights plays at 10 to 15 charity events per year.

Their first EP, “Contradictions,” was released in October 2015 and their first professional music video, “Tongue Tied,” was released just months later. The girls have their sights set on even bigger shows this year and are currently working on their second EP and music video.  This young and extremely talented group is one to watch in 2016.

The group is available for booking. So please do ya girl a favor and check out their music. I predict that these ladies are going to go all the way to the TOP. Until next week L’z and San Bernardino Strong!

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- It was a night of glitz and glam as Time for Change Foundation (TFCF) held their 13th Annual Star Studded Awards Gala to recognize unsung community heroes, and to celebrate their success in helping over 850 homeless women and children reach self-sufficiency over the last 14 years.

The night began on the red carpet where guests stopped to strike a pose followed by comedic opening remarks from Mistress of Ceremonies Actress/Comedienne Kim Coles. “I thought Time for Change meant menopause.”

The room was filled with elected officials, law enforcement, school board members, local businesses, and community organizations throughout the region. Special guest celebrity Taylor Schilling, actress of the hit Netflix show Orange is the New Black, dazzled the room with her acceptance of TFCF’s first ever “Acting for Change” Award.

Other awe-inspiring community heroes recognized included: Kim & Tommy Morrow with the Hometown Media Heroes Award, Dr. Tomás D. Morales with the Community Education Champion Award, SB Strong First Responders with the Ramos Family Spirit of Compassion Award, the Black Chamber of Commerce Inland Empire & the Greater Riverside Hispanic Chamber of Commerce with the Community Chamber Champions Award, Dr. Dale Marsden & Dr. Harold Vollkommer with the Public Education Dynamic Duo Award, Caliber Collision with the Community Business Leader of the Year Award, Senator Connie Leyva with the Public Service Champion Award, Manal Iskander with the Community Champion Award, and Alaina Mathews with the Humanitarian of the Year Award.

TFCF’s track record proves that consistent efforts, compassion and evidence based programs can transform the lives of homeless women and children and put an permanent end to their cycle of homelessness. However, they know that the work that they do is a community effort.

You can join in the efforts to end homelessness today by supporting the mission of TFCF  by making a financial contribution. For additional information, please visit our website www.TimeForChangeFoundation.org or call us at (909) 886-2994.

By Avis Thomas Lester, Urban News Service

‘Rest in purple,’ millions wish as pop master dies at 57.

As the world mourns the passing of the falsetto-voiced Prince – known for his sexual lyrics, sensual performances and steely determination to control his work  – the music industry is reeling over the loss of a peerless talent.

Prince Rogers Nelson died Thursday at his Paisley Park Studios in Chanhassen, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis where he was found unresponsive in an elevator. He was 57.

Local authorities announced Friday that an autopsy had been performed and a cause of death would be forthcoming. Carver County Sheriff Jim Olson said there were no signs of trauma at the scene and the case will remain “an open investigation” until autopsy results are returned. Authorities do not believe Prince took his own life.

News of his death stunned fans, inside and outside the music industry.

Prince was “one of a kind, the greatest musician ever,” Washington radio personality Donnie Simpson, a personal friend of the performer.

Stevie Wonder tearfully called him “incredible.”

The praise over the airwaves and on social media was effusive.

“Boys 4 Life…Ain’t nobody bad like Prince!” tweeted Morris Day, head of the Time, a Minneapolis-born funk group whose members worked with Prince and upstaged the star in his own celebrated 1984 movie “Purple Rain.”

“I have no words. The king is gone,” tweeted R&B singer Lalah Hathaway.

“Our GRAMMY family is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of seven-time GRAMMY Award winner Prince. Today, we remember and celebrate him as one of the most uniquely gifted artists of all time. Never one to conform, he redefined and forever changed our musical landscape,” posted Neil Portnow, president and CEO of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.

Prince’s death comes a little over two months after the passing of one of his protégés, Vanity, lead singer of the 1980s glam group Vanity 6. Vanity, whose real name was Denise K. Matthews, died Feb. 15 of renal failure; she was also 57. A few hours after her death, Prince remembered Matthews with a special rendition of his popular song “Little Red Corvette” while on tour in Australia, according to news reports.

His passing is the latest among several influential musicians in recent months. Rock legend David Bowie died Jan. 10 after battling cancer. And Earth, Wind & Fire founder and front man Maurice White died on Feb. 4 at age 74 of Parkinson’s disease.

Washington radio personality DJ Flexx said the deaths of Prince, White and Bowie will have a permanent impact on the music industry.  “We are losing innovators. We are losing trendsetters. We are losing leaders,” he said. “We are talking about people who changed the game, were responsible for trends that made people want to be like them. Who are we going to look to now to continue to lead?”

The son of a pianist father and a vocalist mother, Prince showed musical talent early in life. He taught himself to play the piano at age 7 and added guitar and drums to his repertoire by the time he reached high school.

According to statistics from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), Prince has sold 20.5 million records.

Grammy-winning producers Terry Lewis and James “Jimmy Jam” Harris, who worked with Prince as musicians in the Time, told Simpson in an interview that Prince was already a talented musician when they met him in middle school in Minneapolis.

“He was gifted, just totally gifted,” Lewis said. “We’ll always be celebrating his life because we’ll be celebrating that music forever.”

Harris said that Prince, Lewis and he took a piano class in middle school that was beneath their skill level. While the teacher was attempting to teach them children’s ditties, they were playing sophisticated music.

“I just remember he could play waves around me, man,” Harris said. “I thought I was good, but I was like, ‘Damn, this dude is ridiculous.’ He was on a whole different level, man.”

Lewis, a bass player, said Prince’s attempts to help his classmates could prove painful.  “He could pick up the bass and give you fits,” he said. “And … he could do that same thing to any person who stepped on the stage because he was a student of music … We used to say, ‘He is music.’ ”

Harris said Prince auditioned for a high-school program playing a complicated guitar solo from Chicago’s “Make Me Smile” album. During a break, Harris heard someone in the music room playing a drum solo so well that he thought it was the teacher.  “I come out and it is Prince on the drums. I didn’t even want to get back behind the drums after that,” he said.

He said Prince’s work ethic was  unparalleled. “Prince would rehearse us for four hours. He’d go rehearse his band for four hours. And then he’d go work in the studio all night. Then, the next morning he’d come to our rehearsal with a cassette in his hand and he’d put the cassette in and all of a sudden “1999” would play. And I don’t mean a demo of ‘1999’ –  I mean ‘1999’. ‘Little Red Corvette’ would play. We’d be like, ‘Damn, when did you do that?’ He would say, ‘Like, last night.’ ”

While many entertainers of his day had faded away, Prince was never far from the spotlight. After a string of hits in the 1980s and 1990s, people around the world welcomed the new millennium partying to his dance anthem “1999”. His 2007 Super Bowl half-time performance, delivered in a driving rain, is considered by many to be the best such performance yet.

He stayed relevant even as he worked to stay out of the spotlight. His penchant for privacy, as well as his colorful outfits and trademark high-heeled boots earned a reputation for being eccentric.

“He wore high heels and makeup and I still thought he was the sexiest man alive,” said Dorina Roberts, who was listening to Prince songs on her iPhone at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Monument in Washington, on Friday. “I loved his music and I loved him.”

Prince was also an activist. He traveled to Baltimore in May, 2015, in the wake of the death of Freddie Gray, who died after allegedly suffering an injury while in police custody, and the unrest that resulted. His “Rally 4 Peace” concert sold out. He sang a song he wrote called “Baltimore.” He donated the proceeds to charitable causes in the city.

Robert Scott Adams, student services director at the Omega Studios in Rockville, Maryland, where Prince once worked, said he first heard Prince’s music in 1979 while working as a student deejay at Clark Atlanta University and at rock station WKLF 96.

“I heard the first single from his first album, Prince, called ‘Soft and Wet,’ ” Adams said. “That was back in the day when you would read the album cover. First, I noticed that he had produced it himself and that was a really big deal to produce your own music back then. Then, I saw that he played all of the instruments on the album. It said he played 27 instruments and he was only, like, 17 years old. That was the start, pretty much from then on, I’m a fan.”

Adams, who said he frequently encountered musicians as a deejay, said he found himself speechless when he met Prince while working for a record company in 1983.

“I feel a presence behind me and I turn around and it is Prince and I freeze and I turn into a child,” Adams said, laughing. “I mumble something like, ‘Wow, you’re Prince!’ He said, ‘Yes, I am.’ I wanted to ask him my questions, but I froze. He waited some more, then he just walked away.”

As he signed off from his Washington radio show Thursday, Donnie Simpson said he believes there may be more of Prince’s music to come.

“It’s hard to believe [his] life is over, but I thank God that he left us with so much music, man. You know how much stuff he released. Just imagine how much is in his vault, thousands of songs, man, guaranteed.”

Visit the Urban News Service for more stories like this one.