Ray Rice and Janay Rice

By Jameelah Medina, PhD

We have all heard about (former) NFL player, Ray Rice, receiving a 2-game suspension for a domestic altercation with his former fiancée. Janay Rice, who is now his wife, explained that she was partially at fault for the violence that led to being unconscious in an elevator; however, most did not know the extent of the violence. We all know that it takes a serious amount of force to render someone unconscious, but the recent release of the entire surveillance video showing how she lost consciousness set off a storm. In short, the video shows Mr. Rice reaching for her before they enter the elevator. Once in the elevator, he strikes her. She responds by pushing him, and he hits her again hard enough to knock her to the floor. On her way down, her head hits a handle bar in the elevator. Once on the floor, she does not move; she is unconscious. He is forced to drag her seemingly lifeless body from the elevator and out of the building.

While many were appalled at his violent actions, many chose to focus on  Mrs. Rice. They asked questions like, “Why did she stay with him?” “How could she marry him?” “Why would she lie for him?” “How could she sit at that press conference and support him so publicly?” While it is very easy to judge an abused woman, her behavior and choices; it is actually better to try to understand the psychological nature of abuse and the psychology of the abused and battered.

Relationships hardly ever start out abusive. There is a process of breaking in and breaking down a victim. This process involves possessiveness, isolation, verbal and emotional abuse, and other tactics. Women who have experienced physical, emotional, sexual or other forms of abuse as girls are at greater risk for entering into an abusive relationship. For many, become accustomed to seeing violence as a way in which love is shown. Others may have low self-esteem in general or at least when it comes to romantic relationships. While others see potential in the abuser and believe that they can help the abuser change.

Many women, especially in the African American community, also have an aversion to involving the authorities in domestic disputes; they would rather take the abuse than offer their abusive partner up to the criminal justice system. Within the African American community, there is also the stigma of being seen as weak and the stereotype of “the strong, black woman.” This often keeps African American women silent about the abuse they suffer.

Over 85 percent of domestic violence (DV) or intimate partner violence (IPV) is against women, and one in every three women will experience IPV in her lifetime. More than 33% of teenage girls already report experiencing violence in a dating relationship. Abused women are often killed by their abusive partners, and the most dangerous time is when she is leaving or has just left the relationship. Roughly 72% of all murder-suicides are the result of IPV. It also takes roughly 7-8 attempts at leaving before the woman leave for the final time. Many often wonder why these women stay and judge them harshly for doing so. Just because a woman stays with her abuser does not mean that she does not want to end the abuse or leave the relationship. Most times, she has carefully weighed her options and the safest one is remaining where she is. She may remain in hopes of changing the abuser or simply to buy herself more time to plan a safe exit. Most people think of leaving as a one-time event. However, leaving an abusive relationship is a process. Once a woman is committed to leaving the relationship, it may take her months or even years before the process is finalized. And, until the very end, she runs the risk of losing her life to the abuser. If there are children involved, the leaving process is further complicated.

I do not particularly care for the NFL nor do I think they deserve applause for ending Ray Rice’s contract. However, I believe that this case represents an excellent time for our community to openly and honestly discuss DV and IPV, especially with our pre-teen and teen population.

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

In this life, if you choose to follow God’s assignment and God’s call on your life, know that it won’t be easy. It will not be a bed of roses. The reality is, there will come times in your life, rather than whining about how bad things are, you have to develop the resolve to square your shoulders and look the devil square in the eye and tell him, “It’s going to take more than that.”

In the Scripture, Paul tells about all the things he went through. It is a litany of experiences from one extreme to the next. Out of the context of this crisis, he talks about how he went through it all to help us understand that our assignment in the earth realm has to be GREATER than our assault in the earth realm. The Apostle Paul had to face all sorts of threats and dangers. The detailed plots on his life, angry crowds, and storms at sea, shipwrecks, all the forces of hell seemed to have been intensifying their efforts to keep him from reaching Rome.  But after two weeks of hurricane storm at sea, he survived the storm; he made it through the shipwreck; he made it through the rain. He survived the snake attack unharmed, and then he turned around and healed a number of sick people on the island. What the devil intended for evil, God turned into good.Tell the Devil, “It’s going to take more than that!”

What makes us who we are is our resolve to tell the Devil that we are not rookies at this thing. That it’s going to take more that that to break us.That it’s going to take more than that to make us walk away. That it’s going to take more than that to uproot us. For we have been at this thing too long and we have seen God turn situations around and we believe in our Spirit that God is able to sustain us. Tell him that you have chosen to look to the hills from which comes your help. The Preservation of God. He preserved Noah and his family. He preserved Abraham when he went down to Egypt. He preserved the children of Israel in Egypt and in the wilderness. He preserved Jonah in the fish’s belly. He preserved Joseph in prison and made him prince in the palace of Egypt. He preserved Peter in prison and from death and He will preserve me. I tell you, “It’s going to take more than that!”

Can I testify for a moment. The devil tried to take me out and the crowd was watching and waiting happily to see me drop dead so they could get a kick out of it and throw themselves a devil’s party. But God kept me; He preserved me, and I’M STILL HERE. I refuse to die! I’m never going to quit! “It’s going to take more than that!”

What’s the point of all this?  Don’t be ignorant. Make no mistake about it; the Devil wants to deprive you of love and of life. He wants to destroy and do away with the very reason you were created. He wants to muffle and neutralize your glory unto God the Father. He wants to get you to neglect your purpose by allowing things and situations in your life to become distractions. He will speak lies and say you have no purpose here. He will begin to make you feel as if your life is useless, that everything you do is ineffective. I tell you, The Devil is a liar!  Even though he is powerful and he is out to kill our purpose, by trying everything in his power to get us to neglect and turn away from our purpose, “It’s going to take more than that!” “Greater is He that is in us, than He that is in the world.”

Kelsey Scott

Feature film star Kelsey Scott has just joined the star-studded line up at the 12th Annual 168 Film festival, a red carpet awards show designed as an international celebration of faith in film. The event takes place Saturday, September 13, at the Aratani Japanese Theater in Downtown L.A., located at 244 S. San Pedro Street. (Red Carpet, 5:30pm-7pm; Awards Show: 7:30pm-9pm.)

Highlighting the power of story to change culture, the 168 Film Festival showcases the work of worldwide filmmakers competing for top honors and more than $25,000 in cash and prizes. The event is presented annually by 168 Film, an organization founded in 2003 to train and equip filmmakers in the how-to’s of making God-honoring films. The talented Scott will take the stage as a Presenter this year.

Before starring opposite Chiwetel Ejiofor as “Anne Northrop” in director Steve McQueen’s Academy Award-winning 12 Years A Slave, Scott’s credits spanned a wide range of projects, including; True Detective, Grey’s Anatomy, House M.D., NCIS, Treme, Army Wives, and The Young and the Restless.  On working with McQueen, Scott says: ”Up to that point, I don’t believe I’d ever felt so trusted as an actor. He has a way of placing the scene into your hands, folding your fingers around it, and stepping back.”

This year’s festival takes on additional importance as the press declared 2014 as “The Year of Christian Film” following a host of box-office hits that grossed record numbers while dealing with faith-based themes (“God’s Not Dead,” “Heaven Is For Real,” “Son of God,” “Noah”).

According to 168 Film Founder and Executive Director John David Ware, “We in the media are in the culture-changing business. With ten amazing scripts, we could sell them all in the current climate.”

Scott joins an already all-star line-up including four-time Emmy winner Michael Learned (The Waltons); Nathan Kress (iCarly, Into the Storm); this year’s Host, comedian Kerri Pomarolli (The Tonight Show, Comedy Central, Lifetime); Vincent Irizarry (All My Children, Heartbreak Ridge, Homeland); twice Emmy nominated actor Max Gail (Barney Miller); Writer, Director Sean McNamara (Soul Surfer); Melissa Biggs (Baywatch, Dreamz: The Movie); Allie McCulloch (Homeland, Finding Amanda); Kim Estes (NCIS, Law & Order: L.A.; The Closer, The Matador, Rake, How I Met Your Mother); Melissa Disney (As Told By Ginger; Superman: Unbound); and Bryan E. Miller (film composer America, American Idol, Dancing With the Stars, Next Top Model, Access Hollywood.)

The “168 Film Festival” is a two-day affair, Sept. 12-13. Special programming for Saturday, September 13, includes “168KIDS!,” where kids ages 5-15 are invited to walk the red carpet and mingle with celebrities including Nathan Kress (iCarly), Carmina Garay (React To That), Nay Nay Kirby (Who’s Watching the Kids), Noah Dahl (Mr. & Mrs. Smith), Mandalynn Carlson (Machine Gun Preacher), Kiana Lyz Rivera (Immigrant) and Tara-Nicole Azarian (It’s Supernatural). The “Pastors & Producers Media Forum,” will bring Southern California pastors together with Hollywood leaders to discuss “Capitalizing On The Year of Christian Film,” from 3pm-4pm.

For interviews with actors, filmmakers or 168 Film Founder, John David Ware; or to obtain press kits, B-roll, stills or film clips, contact the 168 Film offices at 818-557-8507. For the full schedule or more info, visit www.168film.com.

HIGH DESERT, CA- There is a part-time position available as an Administrative Assistant for a marketing company. Potential candidate must be willing to work weekends and have reliable transportation and flexibility. Duties may require some traveling of up to approximately a 60 miles radius. Computer skills are a plus. Candidate must be personable and have a professional appearance. The salary is negotiable. For more information and those that are interested, please call (760) 298-1787

2014 Miss Inland Empire Rita Garabet, 21, of Redlands (right) and Miss Inland Empire Outstanding Teen Sophia Torres, 14, of Apple Valley, visit with Aubrey Olivas, 2, of Rancho Cucamonga, during the title holders’ stop at Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital on Wednesday, Sept. 10.

LOMA LINDA, CA  – Representatives from Miss Inland Empire spent time on Wednesday (Sept. 10) catching up with the young patients at Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital.

2014 Miss Inland Empire Rita Garabet, 21, of Redlands, and 2014 Miss Inland Empire Outstanding Teen Sophia Torres, 14, of Apple Valley, spent time playing and interacting with the children at the hospital. They also toured some of the units at the hospital, including the Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Unit and the Stem Cell Transplant Unit.

“I absolutely love visiting Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital; it’s a great place where children get the best care,” Garabet said. “I’m honored to visit the children, to interact with them, and hopefully help make their day,” she said.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- On Friday, September 12, the San Bernardino Black Cultural Foundation is proud to be celebrating 25 years of honoring unsung heroes. The Black Rose was the brainstorm of Dr. Juanita Scott, Jim King and Jeffrey Hill.  It was evident to them and to us that many individuals, companies and organizations were doing exceptional volunteer work in the Inland Empire but were not getting recognition.  These are, indeed, our unsung heroes because these volunteers do not look for compensation or recognition.

This year’s honorees include Tim Evans, founder of the Unforgettables Foundation; Dwaine Radden, Sr., newly appointed CEO of The PAL Center and PAL Academy High School; and The California Gas Company. Other long time sponsors being recognized include  The City of San Bernardino; Edison International; Arrowhead Credit Union; San Bernardino Unified School District; Dameron Communications; Derrick Vasquez; Community Hospital of San Bernardino; San Manuel Band of Mission Indians; and Adeola Davies-Aiyeloja. The Black Rose winners are as follows:  Arthur & Fredda Davis Foundation, Angela Brantley, Keynasia Buffong, C.O.P.E., Walter Hawkins, Patricia Nelson, and Dr. Gary Thomas.

The Awards Banquet will be held at the National Orange Show Valencia Room, 689 South E Street (entrance on Arrowhead Avenue). Social hour is at 6 p.m. with dinner and program beginning at 7 p.m. The cost for this event is $60 per person or $600 for a table of ten. Contact Margaret Hill at (909) 864-3267 or (909) 991-6422 for tickets.

WHO: All county departments, community and faith based organizations, and community members interested in learning about suicide prevention. Suicide Prevention Week is September 8 through September 14 and World Suicide Prevention Day is September 10.

WHAT: September 8 through 14 marks the 40^th Annual National Suicide Prevention Week and September 10 is World Suicide Prevention Day. The purpose of Suicide Prevention Week and World Suicide Prevention Day is to create awareness and provide information and education about the warning signs of suicide as well as reduce the stigma surrounding the topic of suicide.  The warning signs of emotional pain or suicidal thoughts aren’t always obvious.

WHY: Suicide is real, but can also be preventable.  According to the International Association for Suicide, the number of lives lost each year through suicide exceeds the number of deaths due to homicide and war combined.  Knowing what to look for and finding the words to show concern and support may be a life-saving act.

Here are some warning signs:

• Talking about wanting to die or suicide
• Increased drug or alcohol use
• Feeling hopeless, desperate, trapped
• Withdrawal
• Giving Away possessions
• Anxiety or agitation
• Putting affairs in order
• Changes in sleep
• Reckless behavior
• Sudden mood changes
• Anger
• No sense of purpose

WHEN:  National Suicide Prevention Week is the week of September 8 through 14, 2014. World Suicide Prevention Day is September 10, 2014.

WHERE: More information on the warning signs and ways to help can be found at www.suicideispreventable.org.  The national suicide prevention lifeline phone number is 1 (800) 273-TALK (8255).

CONTACT: For more information regarding Suicide Prevention please contact Erica Porteous at (909) 252-4050.

For County of San Bernardino residents in need of a Crisis Walk-in Clinic (CWIC) the following CWICs are available:

CWIC Rialto: 850 E. Foothill Blvd. Rialto, CA 92376 (909) 421-9495. Open Monday to Saturday from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.

CWIC High Desert: 16460 Victor Street, Victorville, CA 92395. (760) 245-8837. Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

CWIC Morongo Basin: 55475 Santa Fe Trail, Yucca Valley, CA 92284 (entrance to Inca Trail). (855) 365-6558. Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

For residents who are experiencing a mental health related emergency the Community Crisis Response Team (CCRT) is available for assistance 24 hours a day, 365 days a year:

East Valley: Office (909) 421-9233 Pager- (909) 420-0560

West Valley: Pager- (909) 535-1316

High Desert: Office- (760) 956-2345 Pager- (760) 734-8093

Morongo Basin: (855) 365-6558

For all numbers listed, TTY users may dial 711.

Hakim Hazim

By Hakim Hazim  

People call us loud and rightfully so. History teaches us that we must seize the opportunity to channel national attention toward the injustices we face. We are a loud people with voices that carry and at times we get caught in the emotion and don’t demonstrate proper restraint (I’m not talking about looting and the destruction of property. I’ll never give the criminal opportunists in our community the same standing as our sages and upstanding folks.). Wisdom provides restraint. This essay is an attempt to bring clarity to the events in Ferguson, Mo. It is an attempt to wrest the narrative away from all of the negative things perpetuated about our community and shine a light on how codified social stereotypes continue to be used against us in the media. The Black victim or the Black victimizer seems to be the only choice offered.  I believe Black Angst and anger and how these cousins are handled by us and law enforcement should be given equal time.

Angst is essentially the feeling of being told you are free to choose, but it’s accompanied by a perpetual anxiety about the outcomes of your choices. You believe your options are restricted to limited, insignificant rewards or heavy consequences. Anger at the injustice limited access to the American dream is the internal response. Authority is external imposition; leadership is internal elicitation. Authority is the art and science of imposing limits upon people and their actions, whereas leadership is the art and science of eliciting or drawing out the best in people’s decisions. Ferguson’s initial reaction was authority and the militarization of the city after the event. Its second response was leadership—drawing out the internal elements of trust, justice and responsible advocacy from the citizenry through the appointment of Captain Ronald Brown.

Society has progressed for us as a people, but for many financially struggling or impoverished Blacks, they don’t see it and are stuck. Ferguson has its own economic setting events.Alex Tabarrok is an internationally recognized economist and he has taken Ferguson to task based on his own research and a white paper by the ArchCity Defenders. What we are seeing is how cash-strapped local criminal justice systems in need of money use the law to secure resources. Citations of all types spiked. There are some glaring statistics.

Here’s the data:  Ferguson has 21,203 residents living in 8,192 homes. It’s 67% black and has violent crime rates consistent with the national average. However, its second largest source of revenue is court fines and fees: $2,635,400. That averages to three warrants and 1.5 case loads per home. Approximately 22% of the people are in poverty. If that’s not a powder keg, I’m not sure what is.

Now for us to continue to be proactive we must remember there are four things you can do with Angst and Anger as a Black person when it comes to dealing with our government:

1. Stay passive and submit to injustice and grow bitter.
2. Fight for reform,constructively,to better your situation and others.
3. Seek an occupation with the government apparatus and fight for change.
4. Become a token and profit from a system entrenched in ostensible narratives.

We really only have two legitimate options and I have done both: number (3) as an educator and correction specialist, and (2) now as a consultant. I’m most concerned about the narratives taking place on both sides. People use ostensible language narratives and theories that appear to be true, but in reality simply act as a cover for furthering misinformation—to create plausibility and then push their agenda ahead. As Black folks, we still need to hear the facts before making up our minds. And as far as the people perpetually against us, they will continue to recruit and place their mouthpieces in our community. I’ll also say this: we need to seek out new voices to address these crises that emerge in our community. We need nuanced, dexterous leaders who are focused on the future and securing the promises still afforded to us by a Creator who has not forgotten His covenant. Deal with the government, but put your faith in God folks. We know the epidemic of death among Black men through Black on Black crime and law enforcement sends the message that our lives have no value. I utterly reject this. Let’s love them before and after tragedy.

District Attorney Investigator Karen Cragg and the young boy play games and color with crayons while waiting for the father to arrive at the DA’s Office.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- The San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Child Abduction Unit (CAU) assisted in the successful reunification of a 4-year-old boy with his father last Tuesday, after the young boy’s mother took him out of state.

“When the father and grandparents arrived at our office, we all watched as the little boy ran to his grandma and gave her a big hug,” said Supervising Deputy District Attorney Denise Trager-Dvorak, who oversees the CAU. “When his father appeared, he ran into his Dad’s arms and told him how much he missed him and that he was sorry he hadn’t come back sooner.”

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.

The San Bernardino County District Attorney’s CAU staff consists of Deputy DA Kurt Rowley, DA investigators Karen Cragg and Larry Jackson, and Secretary Bert Mendez. In this case the CAU was operating under a statutory mandate to enforce the family law court’s child custody orders.

“The work they do every day is very emotionally-charged, and they continually do their best to ensure that children are safe and that the court’s child custody orders are followed,” said Trager-Dvorak. “In this situation, it was very rewarding to watch Dad, with tears in his eyes, happy to have his son back, and hugging him like he would never let go. I had to fight back tears myself.”

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

A 9/11 Memorial Ceremony and Ride is planned for Sunday, Sept. 7., to benefit Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital and other worthy causes. In this photo are, front row, left to right: Carlie Mason, a patient at Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital; Jake Feenstra, firefighter, Loma Linda Fire Department. Back row, left to right: Glenn Quaid, owner, Quaid Harley-Davidson; Don Benfield, battalion chief, Colton Fire Department; and Jimmy Todorovitch, of Quaid Harley-Davidson

LOMA LINDA, CA  – Firefighters from the cities of Loma Linda and Colton, and other community groups, will host a 9/11 Memorial Ceremony and Ride on Sunday, September 7, to benefit Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital and other worthy causes.

A memorial program is planned for 10:30 a.m. at Loma Linda Fire Department Headquarters, 11325 Loma Linda Drive, Loma Linda, Calif. The ceremony will feature a joint Honor Guard presentation by Loma Linda and Colton firefighters, along with members of the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.

The Honor Guard presentation will include a flag-raising and bell ceremony. Members of Firefighters Local 935 Pipes and Drums will perform in remembrance of those who were lost during the tragedies of Sept. 11, 2001. U.S. Marine Staff Sergeant Jaime Magallanes and representatives from the cities of Loma Linda and Colton will give brief remarks.

Leading up to the ceremony, Quaid Harley-Davidson and Loma Linda H.O.G. will host a 9/11 Memorial Ride that will travel in procession through the city of Loma Linda to the 9/11 Memorial Ceremony. People interested in participating in the ride may register by 8:30 a.m. at Quaid Harley-Davidson, 25160 Redlands Blvd., Loma Linda, Calif. Registration is free, and donations are encouraged to benefit Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital, The Loma Linda and Colton Injured Firefighter Fund, and the Wounded Warrior Project.

For more information, call (909) 796-8399.