Hardy Brown is honored on the floor of the California State Senate. Included in this photo from left to right: (back row) son-in-law and Stockton City Manager Kurt Wilson, granddaughter Kennedy Wilson, brother Vince Brown; (middle row) daughter and California Black Media chair Regina Brown Wilson, wife Assemblymember Cheryl Brown (D-San Bernardino); (front row) Senator Richard Roth (D-Riverside), Senator Connie Leyva (D-Chino), Hardy Brown, and Senator Mike Morrell (R-Rancho Cucamonga).

“Hardy’s life story is an inspiring one,” said Morrell. “The Black Voice News is an important news outlet in our region and provides valuable insight to its readers every week. But as much as Hardy and his wife Cheryl are known for their contributions to the publishing industry they are also generous philanthropists. They do incredible work on behalf of kids and families in neighborhoods across the Inland Empire. We are fortunate to have them as leaders in our community.”

“I’m truly humbled to be honored by Senators Mike Morrell and Connie Leyva during Black History Month, and am deeply appreciative of the graciousness displayed by the entire Senate body,” said Brown. “As the son of a poor-sharecropper from North Carolina, I never imagined that I’d be here today in front of you all, partaking in the American Dream. Words cannot fully express my appreciation. Thank you to my family, friends, community and employers who all believed in me and supported me over the past 50 years. I’ve dedicated my life to community service. This honor is a strong testament to the power of God and what he can do with someone who believes in Him.”

(Photo by Michael Bezjian/WireImage)

Four talented and diverse fashion designers showcased their collections to a select group of celebrities and influencers during Grammy weekend

LOS ANGELES, CA- Harlem’s Fashion Row (HFR) presented Style Beat, its first-ever West Coast event during Grammy Awards weekend in Los Angeles.  The glamorous daytime affair took place on Friday, February 6th at a luxurious Beverly Hills estate.  HFR is a unique movement founded to increase diversity in fashion by producing events to educate, stimulate, and advance opportunities for emerging designers of color.  Collections by four talented and diverse fashion designers were showcased to a select group of 250 tastemakers.  The featured designers were the legendary L.A.-based designer Kevan Hall, custom menswear designer Waraire Boswell, and emerging designers, Joseph Bethune and “Project Runway” finalist Kimberly Goldson.

As a partner, Verizon Wireless was able to help HFR’s Founder and CEO Brandice Henderson- Daniel pursue her passion through technology and bring Style Beat to life, which was co-hosted by actress/entrepreneur/model/TV personality Vanessa Simmons (styled by Shop Le Look) and recording artist/actor Quincy.  Attendees were able to take part in Verizon’s 360 Glam Cam to share their fashion and style. There was also a special one-on-one conversation with Kevan Hall discussing his career and influences.  The event culminated with the poolside runway fashion show featuring designs by Hall, Boswell, Bethune and Goldson.  Celebrity and influencer guests included Vanessa Williams, Tamala Jones, Melissa De Sousa, Michael Jai White, Gillian Waters, Cedric Sanders, Gloria Govan, Laura Govan, AJ Johnson, VaShawn Mitchell, Malina Moye, Kwame Boateng, Kofi Siriboe, Davidson Frere, V Bozeman, Kay Cola, Ugo Mozie, Daver Campbell and Harriette Cole, among others.  Guests were treated to a complimentary beauty bar, gifting, cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and much more.

“Style Beat could not have happened without the generous support from Prudential and Verizon Wireless.  Because of them, we were able to show four incredible designers, all of whom I’m thankful for their participation.  I am still blown away by the amazing welcome we received in Los Angeles and we look forward to presenting more events here in the near future,” said Brandice Henderson-Daniel, Founder/CEO of Harlem’s Fashion Row.

About Harlem’s Fashion Row 

Harlem’s Fashion Row (HFR) is an influential arts and entertainment organization that engages audiences and aligns brand partners with emerging multicultural designers.  HFR’s mission is to discover and showcase rising talent of color through a platform of national events and customized multi-platform programs.  HFR has gained corporate support from companies such as AOL, Target Stores, Iman Cosmetics, Smartwater, Dark & Lovely, and BET. Harlem’s Fashion Row has also been covered by Women’s Wear Daily, NY Daily News, Fashionista, New York Time Out, and Jones Magazine, as well as, “That’s So New York”, The Cut, NY Racked, Black Enterprise, and Centric.

About Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless operates the nation’s largest and most reliable 4G LTE network.  As the largest wireless company in the U.S., Verizon Wireless serves 108.2 million retail customers, including 102.1 million retail postpaid customers.  Verizon Wireless is wholly owned by Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ).  For more information, visit www.verizonwireless.com.  For the latest news and updates about Verizon Wireless, visit our News Center at http://www.verizonwireless.com/news or follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/VZWNews.

By Sylvia Mathews Burwell, HHS Secretary

Black History Month is an important time to reflect on the legacy of the African American leaders, thinkers, creators and philosophers who have made this country what it is today. From Harriet Tubman to President Obama, our black heritage is a story of courage, persistence, and indomitable strength.

Yet, despite the incredible progress that the African American community has made toward equality, these accomplishments must also remind us of how far we have to go.

Disparities still linger, and that’s especially true when it comes to health care:

• African Americans have the lowest life expectancy of any other race in this country.
• They are twice as likely to be diagnosed with diabetes and 40 percent more likely to have high blood pressure.
• African American women are 40 percent more likely to die from breast cancer – even though they are 10 percent less likely to be diagnosed with it.
• And the statistic that impacts all of that: African-Americans are more likely to be uninsured than white Americans.

These health inequalities impact our nation’s potential – from access to education to the stability of families and communities.

But we now have a chance to close these gaps.

Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, 7.8 million African Americans with private insurance from both inside and outside the Marketplace now have access to expanded preventive services with no cost-sharing. That includes screenings for cancer, pap smears and mammograms, well-child visits, and flu shots.

As of June 2014, 1.7 million African Americans (ages 18-64) gained private or public health insurance coverage during the initial open enrollment period. That’s a 6.8 percentage point drop in the uninsured rate over that time.

These changes are helping people all over this country get the care they need. These changes mean a doctor can find a cancerous lump with enough time to intervene. They mean a mom will learn how to manage her diabetes before it threatens her life. They mean that a dad will be able to afford the prescription that keeps his blood pressure in check. And they are helping families sleep a little easier at night, knowing a sickness or an accident won’t wipe out their life savings.

If you or someone you know needs health insurance, now is the time to act! The Open Enrollment deadline is February 15, and there is less than a week left to sign up.

HealthCare.gov—or the 24/7 call center at 1-800-318-2596—has more choices this year and that means more competition. We’ve worked hard to make the consumer experience simpler, faster, and more intuitive. And financial help is available…in fact the majority of people —87% to be exact – who selected 2015 plans through HealthCare.gov got financial assistance to help lower the cost of their premiums.

During this Open Enrollment, we have the opportunity to help our friends and neighbors get the coverage and care they need. Help us spread the word about affordable, quality coverage at HealthCare.gov.

Augustus Scott pictured with his three children, following their return to California.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- The San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Child Abduction Unit (CAU) assisted in the successful reunification of three young children with their father Jan. 30, after their non-custodial, biological mother removed them from their home and fled California.

According to Senior Investigator Karen Cragg, who is assigned to the case, Cari Ann Gleason withheld the three children from their biological father, 57-year-old Augustus Scott, of Victorville, without his consent, since Nov. 2014. After a lengthy investigation, the children were located in the State of Florida.

On January 30, 2015, investigators from the Child Abduction Unit traveled to Daytona Beach, Florida, where by prearrangement, 33-year-old Gleason voluntarily placed the children with the investigators for return to Scott in California. Upon their return to San Bernardino County the next day, the children were immediately reunited with their father.

“No matter how many times we do this, it’s always gratifying to reunite a child, or, as in this case, children, with their legal parent or guardian and ensure that the court’s child custody orders are followed,” Cragg said.

The work of the CAU focuses on protecting the custody rights of parents and legal guardians.  On a routine basis, the CAU partners with courts and law enforcement throughout the United States to recover abducted children who are carried across state lines. In cases of international child abduction, the CAU implements the terms of the Hague Convention, an international treaty signed by more than 60 countries.

For more information regarding the Child Abduction Unit, please visit: http://ow.ly/AS6cr

The San Bernardino County Museum in Redlands, California today announced it is adding high resolution images to the Google Cultural Institute allowing people across the United States to explore its collections online. The images will go online on February 10.

Native American baskets and pottery from the museum’s ethnology collections were selected to become part of the Google Cultural Institute. The resolution of these images, combined with a custom built zoom viewer, allows everyone from art-lovers anthropologists to discover details of objects they may never have seen up close before.

“We are delighted to join the Google Cultural Institute to make some of our collections accessible to a wider public,” said Leonard Hernandez, the museum’s interim director. “The artifacts that will be available for study and enjoyment through this project will expand many viewers’ perceptions of ‘art.’ These Native American baskets will be joined by examples of other aspects of the museum collections, including some beautiful mineral specimens that could be seen as Nature’s works of art.”

Visitors to the Google Cultural Institute can browse works by the artist’s name, the artwork, the type of art, the museum, the country, collections and the time period. Google+ and video hangouts are integrated on the site, allowing viewers to invite their friends to view and discuss their favorite works in a video chat or follow a guided tour from an expert.

The ‘My Gallery’ feature allows users to save specific views of any of artworks or artifacts and build their own personalized gallery. Comments can be added to each object and the whole gallery can then be shared with friends and family. It’s an ideal tool for students or groups to work on collaborative projects or collections. In addition, a feature called ‘Compare’ allows you to examine two pieces side-by-side to look at how styles evolved over time, connect trends across cultures, or delve deeply into two parts of the same work.

The Google Cultural Institute is dedicated to creating technology that helps the cultural community to bring their art, archives, heritage sites and other material online. The aim is to increase the range and volume of material from the cultural world that is available for people to explore online and in doing so, democratize access to it and preserve it for future generations.

ROSEMEAD, CA — There are at least 656 reasons balloons should not be released outdoors. If the adrift metallic balloons that caused the 656 power outages last year in Southern California Edison’s (SCE) service territory had been tied to a weight — as required by California law — or not released by someone, that number and the safety hazards it presents could have been drastically lower.

With Valentine’s Day approaching and balloons traditionally leading to an increase in those outages in February, SCE is urging its customers to make sure their balloons are always tied to those weights. This will help prevent the helium-filled objects from floating into power lines and causing power outages and potential injuries and property damage.

Last February, SCE experienced 30 balloon-related outages, down nearly 50 percent from the 59 in February 2013. But, last year’s 656 overall outages were down only 5 percent from the 689 in 2013. This led to 2,965 hours of interruption to customers compared to 2,455 hours in 2013.

“They’re easy to prevent, but it only takes one floating balloon on Valentine’s Day or any day to cause an outage for thousands,” said James Mackenzie, SCE principal manager of Corporate Safety Programs. “Keep them indoors if possible. But, tying them down or attaching them to a weight is the best prevention outdoors.”

SCE recommends some other safety tips for handling metallic balloons:

• Do not attempt to retrieve a balloon — or any foreign object — tangled in power lines. Instead, call SCE at 800-611-1911 and report the problem. • Never tie a metallic balloon to a child’s wrist. If the balloon comes into contact with electricity, it will travel through the balloon and into the child, causing serious injury or even death.
• Never attach streamers to any balloon — latex or metallic.
• If you see a downed line or dangling wire — even if it appears not to be live — don’t touch or approach it or anything in contact with it and call 911 immediately.
• When done with balloons, do not release them. Puncture them several times or cut the knot and throw them in the garbage to prevent them from floating away.

More on metallic balloon safety can be found at on.sce.com/staysafe. Follow Edision on Twitter and Facebook.

About Southern California Edison

An Edison International (NYSE:EIX) company, Southern California Edison is one of the nation’s largest electric utilities, serving a population of nearly 14 million via 4.9 million customer accounts in a 50,000-square-mile service area within Central, Coastal and Southern California.

This Sunday EMPIRE TALKS BACK Radio will cover

“Covered California’s” effort to recruit Affordable Care Act sign-ups before the February 15th deadline…

In-studio interviews with Dumas Martin & members of his “Idea Club” discussing their business ventures…

National Save Our Sons Night | 2-6-15

ATLANTA, GA- On Friday, February 6, 2015, the first annual NATIONALSAVE OUR SONS NIGHT (NSOSN) will take place across the country.  On this evening, various partners from faith-based, national and local nonprofits, and individual community members are hosting events to encourage and facilitate fathers spending more quality time with their sons. Currently there are 111 organizations in 62 cities registered to participate in support of the effort and facilitating activities to engage fathers/men and sons/boys.

“I am both humbled and excited that so many organizations from around the country have stepped up to the plate,” says Kenneth Braswell, Executive Director of Fathers Incorporated and founder of the campaign. “It is important that we set a new social image of black men and boys; one that shows them as loving, engaged and accountable.”

The campaign is supported by both Chris Broussard (ESPN Commentor) and Fred Hammond (Award Winning Gospel Artist) serving as national spokespersons. “So much of our work has been supported by both of these men of integrity. Their understanding of the need of America’s fathers and sons and those in the Black community more specifically has been demonstrated in how Fathers Incorporated has witnessed their own engagement in the lives of their children and community.”

Fathers Incorporated (FI), a not-for-profit organization, serves as a leader in the promotion of Responsible Fatherhood and Mentoring.  Its international, national, and local focus raises awareness about, and combats the impact of father absence. Fathers Incorporated works to change the current societal and cultural definition of family to include fathers.

For more information on National Save Ours Sons Night and to see a complete listing of both our partners and events, visit www.saveoursonsnight.com To learn more about Fathers Incorporated, please visit www.fathersincorporated.com .

(right) Ava DuVernay, diraector and writer of Selm

Credit: Earl Gibson III for NAACP

Last night, Thursday, February 5, 2015, The 46^th NAACP Image Awards announced the winners for the 45 non-televised categories at gala dinner at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium hosted by Affion Crockett and Chris Spencer.

Winners were voted upon by NAACP members and announced when the envelopes were opened on Thursday, February 5 (45 categories). The remaining 10 categories will be announced LIVE on stage during the two-hour star-studded TV One telecast on Friday, February 6 at 9:00pm ET (PT tape-delayed) hosted by Anthony Anderson. The LIVE red carpet show will air on TV One at 8:00pm ET (PT tape-delayed).

For all information and latest news, and complete list of winners, please visit the official NAACP Image Awards website at http://www.naacpimageawards.net.

FB: /naacpimageaward • Twitter: @naacpimageaward

The Winners From Last Night Are As Follows –

LITERATURE:

Outstanding Literary Work – Fiction

“A Wanted Woman” – Eric Jerome Dickey (Penguin Random House)

Outstanding Literary Work – Non-Fiction

“Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption” – Bryan Stevenson (Spiegel & Grau)

Outstanding Literary Work – Debut Author

“Forty Acres” – Dwayne Alexander Smith (Atria Books)

Outstanding Literary Work – Biography/Autobiography

“Breaking Ground:  My Life in Medicine” – Louis Sullivan with David Chanoff (University of Georgia Press)

Outstanding Literary Work – Instructional

“Promises Kept: Raising Black Boys to Succeed in School and in Life” – Joe Brewster, Michele Stephenson, Hilary Beard (Spiegel & Grau)

Outstanding Literary Work – Poetry

“Citizen: An American Lyric” – Claudia Rankine (Graywolf Press)

Outstanding Literary Work – Children

“Dork Diaries 8: Tales From A Not-So Happily Ever After” – Rachel Renee Russell with Nikki Russell and Erin Russell (Simon & Schuster)

Outstanding Literary Work – Youth/Teens

“Brown Girl Dreaming” – Jacqueline Woodson (Nancy Paulsen Books)

RECORDING:

Outstanding New Artist

3 Winans Brothers (BMG)

Outstanding Male Artist

Pharrell Williams (Columbia Records)

Outstanding Female Artist

Beyoncé (Columbia Records)

Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration

“Stay With Me” – Sam Smith feat. Mary J Blige (Capitol)

Outstanding Jazz Album

“My Old Friend: Celebrating George Duke” – Al Jarreau (Concord)

Outstanding Gospel Album (Traditional or Contemporary)

“Where My Heart Belongs” – Gladys Knight (Shadow Mountain Records)

Outstanding Music Video

“You and I (Nobody in the World)” – John Legend (Columbia Records)

Outstanding Song

“We Are Here” – Alicia Keys (RCA Records)

Outstanding Album

“Aretha Franklin Sings the Great Diva Classics” – Aretha Franklin (RCA Records)

ANIMATED OR COMPUTER GENERATED IMAGE (CGI):

Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance

Loretta Devine – “Doc McStuffins” (Disney Junior)

TELEVISION:

Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series

Sara Hess – “Orange is the New Black” – It Was the Change (Netflix)

Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series

Erika Green Swafford – “How to Get Away With Murder” – Let’s Get To Scooping (ABC)

Outstanding Writing in a Television Movie

Shernold Edwards – “A Day Late and a Dollar Short” (Lifetime Networks)

Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series

Ken Whittingham – “Parks and Recreation” – Prom (NBC)

Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series  

Carl Franklin – “House of Cards” – Chapter 14 (Netflix)

Outstanding Directing in a Television Movie

Reggie Bythewood – “Gun Hill” (BET)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

Laurence Fishburne – “black-ish” (ABC)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

Yara Shahidi – “black-ish” (ABC)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

Joe Morton – “Scandal” (ABC)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

Khandi Alexander – “Scandal” (ABC)

Outstanding Television Movie, Mini- Series, or Dramatic Special

“The Trip to Bountiful” (Lifetime Networks)

Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Mini- Series, or Dramatic Special

Blair Underwood- “The Trip to Bountiful” (Lifetime Networks)

Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini- Series, or Dramatic Special

Cicely Tyson- “The Trip to Bountiful” (Lifetime Networks)

Outstanding News/Information (Series or Special)

“Unsung” (TV One)

Outstanding Talk Series

“Steve Harvey” (Syndicated)

Outstanding Reality Series

“Iyanla: Fix My Life” (OWN)

Outstanding Variety (Series or Special)

“Oprah’s Master Class” (OWN)

Outstanding Children’s Program

“Doc McStuffins” (Disney Junior)

Outstanding Performance by a Youth in a Youth/ Children’s Program (Series or Special)

Fatima Ptacek- “Dora and Friends: Into the City!” (Nickelodeon)

Outstanding Host in a Talk, Reality, News/Information, or Variety Series

Steve Harvey- “Steve Harvey” (Syndicated)

DOCUMENTARY:

Outstanding Documentary – (Film)

“Through A Lens Darkly: Black Photographers and the Emergence of a People” (Chimpanzee Productions, Inc.)

Outstanding Documentary – (Television)

“Bad Boys” (ESPN)

MOTION PICTURE:

Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture

Misan Sagay – “Belle” (Fox Searchlight Pictures/DJ Films)

Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture

Antoine Fuqua – “The Equalizer” (Columbia Pictures)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture

Common- “Selma” (Paramount Pictures)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture

Carmen Ejogo – “Selma” (Paramount Pictures)

Outstanding Independent Motion Picture

“Belle” (Fox Searchlight Pictures/DJ Films)

Finding true love may be as easy as a visit to the local animal shelter. San Bernardino County Animal Care and Control (ACC) will host a seven day Furever Yours Pet Adoption Event at its shelters in Devore and Big Bear, Feb. 8-14, 2015. The Animals aRe First Fund (ARFF), a local non-profit charitable organization that assists animals in County of San Bernardino Animal Shelters, will be paying for the vaccination, spay/neuter fees.

The adoption fees for the week will be $25 for dogs and $17 for cats and includes a microchip for each pet. The fee does not include the cost of a dog license and there is a limit of two adoptions per family.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to match pets that need homes with those looking for a furever friend,” said Brian Cronin, Chief of San Bernardino County Animal Care and Control.  “If you are ready to add a lifetime of love and happiness to your family, then come and see all the wonderful companion animals that are available for adoption. They come in all sizes and shapes, colors and breeds.”

The Devore Animal Shelter, located at 19777 Shelter Way, San Bernardino. The shelter will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. For more information, call San Bernardino County Animal Care and Control at 1-800-472-5609 or visit their website at www.sbcounty.gov/acc to see photographs of the animals awaiting adoption.

Animal Care and Control is doing its part to help the community achieve the Countywide Vision by ensuring residents have the resources they need to provide the necessities of life to their families. Information on the Countywide Vision can be found at www.sbcounty.gov.