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Publishers Commentary by Wallace J. Allen

Greetings and Merry Christmas! As we enter this season of holidays and goodwill, I encourage you to remember the importance and impact of where you spend and invest your money. Please, all of you, regardless of your race ethnicity or political persuasion, help balance America’s economic opportunity by supporting Black Owned Businesses (BOB) whenever possible. There are jobs that follow your spending and being that the Black unemployment rates are the highest, spending with BOB creates potential employment opportunities that otherwise do not exist for some Black males. There are several Directories of Black Owned businesses on the web. Google, “Black Owned Business Directory” and you will find a variety of directories.

As we ask your participation in supporting the economic wellness of America via supporting BOB, we will make it easier for you by highlighting businesses in the Inland Empire.

This week we are highlighting a familiar face and place. Most of us can find the time and appetite to patronize McDonalds. Yes you can support BOB by eating at certain McDonalds restaurants! The following list of McDonalds restaurants is owned and managed by Webb Family Enterprises.

Reginald Webb, the founder and patriarch of Webb family Enterprises will be my guest on this Sunday’s “Empire Talks Back” (ETB) radio show. Listen to the program at 10: 00 AM via 1050 AM in San Bernardino/Loma Linda, 102.3 FM in Riverside/Moreno Valley and 106.5 FM in Redlands/Yucaipa.

The program streams live video via www.kcaaradio.com

Sheryl Lee Ralph

By Angela M. Coggs

Most people do not know that December 1, 2016 will mark the 31st annual World Aids Day. Over thirty years ago, a mysterious illness invaded the country. Doctors could not find anything to prescribe for the mystery illness because nobody knew exactly what it was. The world soon discovered the silent assassin was called HIV/AIDS. Once given a name, people who had contracted the disease were ostracized by many. The disrespect and lack of compassion for those HIV/AIDS patients inspired some people to help find a cure. One of those people was veteran actress of stage and screen, Sheryl Lee Ralph.

Just as AIDS commenced to devastate the United States in 1981, Sheryl Lee Ralph starred in the original production of the Broadway smash hit musical, “Dreamgirls.” That time in her life would be formative, and it would turn Ralph into one of the world’s preeminent AIDS activists.

An HIV/AIDS activist for over 25 years, Ralph has been in the forefront of why it is important to know ones status. Her activism began while she was performing on Broadway. “I witnessed so many people who were sick be treated horribly and with distain. People were hurtful to those who needed help,” said Ralph. She has memories of the friends she lost during that time. People talk about the success of “Dreamgirls” but you never hear how “we lost one third of our company to AIDS. It was devastating.”

Although HIV/AIDS has not been a current topic in the news anymore, the recent status report last year about actor Charlie Sheen recently diagnosed with HIV has brought HIV/Aids back to the forefront of a national conversation. Though Sheen’s recent status may be the reason why people are talking about HIV/AIDS again, Ralph doesn’t mind at all.

“As long as information regarding HIV/AIDS is being talked about openly means that people are once again aware and engaged.”

The loss of friends and witnessing the mistreatment of those afflicted inspired Ralph to get involved and be a voice for those who could not fight for themselves. That experience is what was to become the beginning of the DIVA (Driving Infectious Viruses Away) Foundation. With the success of the foundation, the Broadway actress took her activism to the next level by starting the DIVA’s Simply Singing Fundraiser Event.

DIVA’s Simply Singing Fundraiser is the longest consecutively running musical AIDS benefit fundraiser in the county to date. Last year the event was kicked off on August 27, 2015 in Philadelphia at the Del. Over 5,000 people attended the event. “It was wonderful to see all the people come out and be receptive to the message we delivered,” said Ralph. They were open the information and it is needed out there. “The South is a hotspot and no one realizes it.”

The fundraising event continued on October 25, 2015 in Los Angeles. The show will feature performances by some of the most talented DIVAS in entertainment, including Loretta Devine, Jennifer Lewis, A’ngela Winbush, Meli’sa Morgan, Shanice, CeCe Peniston, Jordin Sparks, the Supreme Mary Wilson, and more. The audience of donors packed the Montalban and supported the worthy cause. Not only were they donating to a worthy cause, but they were also treated to a magical night of entertainment and song. The DIVA’s Foundation in conjunction with World AIDS Day utilizes star power to help raise money, awareness and erase stigma associated with patients who have contracted the disease.

Unfortunately, the DIVA’s Simply Singing Fundraiser has been canceled. The star of Broadway’s original Dreamgirls made her debut in this season’s run of Wicked, one of Broadway’s longest running and praised productions, as Madame Morrible on Tuesday. Most notably, Ralph is the first African-American actress to take on the classic role. Regarding her groundbreaking return to Broadway, Ralph stated, “It’s so nice to be in a show that’s living forever.”

Proceeds from past benefit concerts have benefited organizations like Project Angel Food, Caring for Babies with AIDS and the Black AIDS Institute among others.

One hundred percent of the proceeds from “DIVAS Simply Singing!” support The DIVA Foundation’s awareness and prevention programs. The DIVA Foundation is a 501c 3 not for profit organization.

In addition to the DIVA outreach in the United States, Ralph recently visited South Africa and met a group of young women who are the definition of D.I.V.A. However, the dialogue of AIDS is as prevalent as we may think. “I was surprised that although South Africa is a hotspot for AIDS, it is still not talked about. It’s still a quiet secret.” Plans are currently in the works to expand the foundations outreach internationally.

The message that the DIVA Foundation wants to get out on World’s AIDS Day was for everyone to know their HIV status, be aware, and to put themselves first. In conjunction with providing important resources, DIVAS took a step closer to raising awareness by partnering with OraQuick, the 1^st in-home rapid HIV test. It is a quick in-home that is easy to use. Understandably, some people do not get tested because they are afraid of needles and having their blood drawn. The OraQuick kit does not use needles but it uses a swab. The person swabs the inside of their cheek, places it in the receptacle, and twenty minutes later the person see the results. For those who may need to talk to someone regarding the results they received, OraQuick has a 24 hour technical/phone support counselors are available to answer question and address any concerns.

The counselors available via phone are only the first step. OraQuick and the DIVA Foundation maintain the importance contacting your regular doctor for any follow up as needed. Partnering with the DIVA’s Foundation, OraQuick goal is to provide 10,000 HIV test kits to people in underserved communities.

In 2015, Ralph was announced as the Event Ambassador for the Atlanta AIDS Walk. The invitation was a very welcomed surprise. “I was elated,” exclaimed Ralph. “The committee was aware of my years as a HIV/AIDS activist and they called me. I was honored to be chosen.” The 25th annual AIDS Walk Atlanta & 5K Run took place on Sunday; October 18th, 2015 raised more than $950,000.

Sheryl Lee Ralph is a force to be reckon with on the stage, film, television, and, most importantly, in the community. She is passionate about her work and she dedicated to spreading awareness to this, still, devastating virus. She pledges to work toward prevention until a cure can be found. Congratulations are surely in order for Sheryl Lee Ralph!

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- The Inland Area Kwanzaa Group with San Bernardino Valley College will host the 50^th Anniversary Kwanzaa Karamu 2016 on Saturday, December 10, 2016 at 4 p.m. at San Bernardino Valley, Business Building Room B-100.

The Karamu celebrates family, community and culture with an African feast of fine foods, dance, song and poetry. This year’s event will be held in memory of Ratibu Jacocks, the Kwanzaa Group’s Co-Chair.

Kwanzaa is an African-American Cultural Holiday, celebrating family, community and Culture and is celebrated throughout the world African Community December 26 to January 1. As an African American and Pan African holiday celebration, the ancient and cultural traditions reflect the best in African and African American thought and practice.

To purchase tickets for $10 each and/or reserve a table for ten, please contact Sheila Umbaji Futch at umbaji@me.com (951) 235-5123 or Wilmer Amina Carter at amina@ef-cbs.com (909) 820-4406.

Publisher’s Commentary By Wallace Allen IV

Today, and every new day presents an opportunity to choose to attempt to go forward or to quit or possibly do something in between. The President Elect, Donald Trump, said things that some will find encouraging. He will rebuild the inner city and African American Community, build bridges and highways and create jobs, and he has not at this writing, mentioned building a wall!

However, many people are disappointed and possibly afraid of the Trump Presidency. I suggest that depending on government action is risky business even when you feel good about who is elected. Life is surely stressful if you feel disrespected by them. I suggest that the election of Donald Trump can and must become a good thing, and to assure our community’s success, we must play our “Trump” card!

Economic issues confronting our community require that concerned and talented community members visualize and effect plans that acknowledge our resources. Demonstrating respect for our resources and potential is a big but very achievable step. Consider that our churches deposit a estimated $500,000,000 per Monday. That deposit is not being levered. Additionally, our trillion dollar annual buying- power is promptly diluted by our propensity to immediately spend it outside of our community. Correcting that bad habit will change things very quickly. Circulating money is how a community grows itself. There can be safety and security in numbers. A community that successfully utilizes its member resources will find that others outside their community will respect that accomplishment and want to work with them also. Whether the President Elect is somehow able to do something for us or not, controlling our resources can be more beneficial than any government program.    

That a group of people can spend a trillion dollars a year and not be economically viable is a demonstration of inappropriate behavior. The fact is, behavior is something that can be corrected. In the ‘games of life’ we know that doing the unexpected, the unusual, can lead to triumph. Our community will find economic triumph by doing the unexpected, the unusual. Focusing on levering our resources and ‘vesting our money in developing our community’ is indeed, an unexpected change and definitely appropriate behavior!

In this game of economics, changing from a random, suicidal spending attitude to a focused buying/spending strategy is in effect, “playing our Trump card”!

By Naomi K. Bonman

Despite the harsh reality of Donald Trump as the 45th President of the United States, there is still a little praise to cheer about. California showed up and showed out in electing the state’s first new U.S. Senator in 24 years. State Atty. General Kamala Harris has become the first black politician in history to represent California in the Senate. This the start that we need in turning over the House of Representatives and Senate from the Republicans. Not only is Harris the states first new U.S. Senator in years, but she is only the second black woman ever to be selected to the Senate since 1999. 

As reported by the Los Angeles Times, the Harris-Sanchez Senate race was the first major test of California’s “top-two” primary system, an experiment in democracy that California voters approved in 2010 in an effort to reduce the highly partisan influence of the Democratic and Republican parties and give independents and moderates more clout in the political process. 

Like many Californians, I voted for Harris, and not just because she was a Black woman but because I believed in and loved her vision that she has for not only for the our state but for the Nation. I admired her speeches and I feel a little comfort knowing that she will be representing us in the Senate. Even after the news of our 45th President selection, she gave us even more comfort and perseverance through her words. 

“Our ideals are at stake right now, and we all have to fight for who we are,” she said in a speech far more somber than most victory addresses. “I believe this is that moment in time for our country, where we are collectively being required to look in the mirror, and with furrowed brow, we are asking a question: Who are we? In California, I believe the answer is a good one: We are a great country.”

The country has survived horrible presidents in the past and this one is no different. We can still preserve and achieve our greatness. Let’s not let fear hinder us, but to push us further into achieving what we need to achieve. 

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- The League of Women Voters provided a review and discussion of California’s seventeen voter initiatives last Saturday, October 30, at the Ingrahm Community Center in San Bernardino. The forum was organized by the Northwest Redevelopment Project Area Committee. The 9 a.m. to noon meeting was attended by committee members as well as the general public. Each proposition was discussed as well as the San Bernardino Measures. Though no recommendations were made, the general consensus was that the event and information was very helpful. For more information about the NWPAC, call (909) 913-0831.

Tammy Martin-Ryles

RIVERSIDE, CA- Extraordinary leaders and community programs will be recognized and awarded at the Theta Pi Sigma Inland Empire alumnae chapter observance of the 94th Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc. Founders’ Day on Saturday, November 12, 1 p.m., at the Christ’s Church of the Valley’s Etiwanda Gardens in Etiwanda. It is co-sponsored this year by Children’s Resources Inc. and the Turn It Around Foundation.

Tonia Causey-Bush

To be honored at the event are: Tonia Causey-Bush, Ph.D., a 23-year public education veteran and president/CEO and founder of Sacred SISTAHS (Sisters in Solidarity Teaching And Healing our Spirits) Inc.; Gwendolyn Lorraine Dowdy-Rodgers, a 20-year finance management professional, serving as a Community Development Specialist Civic/Government Relations for Uplift Family Services and a member of the San Bernardino City Unified‘s Board of Education; Cynthia “The Tech Diva” Frazier, a 25-year master of the power of creative thinking and business development and a leader and author in the area of STEaM and Digital programming and instruction for youth and teens; Tammy Martin-Ryles, president and CEO and a founding member of the Black Chamber of Commerce of the Inland Empire, as well as an educator with the Corona-Norco Unified School District. Each of this year’s honorees has established impactful local community movements geared toward equipping and inspiring women and youth to dream more, learn more,

Gwendolyn Lorraine Dowdy-Rodgers

do more and become more.

“As an international organization, we believe that authentic leadership is evidenced through work that is

Cynthia Frazier

intentional, impactful and measurable,” says Deborah Moore, president of the Theta Pi Sigma Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho. “And the achievements of each of these honorees speaks volumes to their standing as authentic leaders in the Inland Empire.”

Tickets are $55 each for the Founders’ Day observance and can be purchased through Eventbrite.com by entering “Faith & Fashion”; by contacting the chapter at thetapisigma1922@yahoo.com or 951.777.4148; or by contacting any of the chapter members directly. Proceeds will help fund scholarships for Inland Empire youth. Donations can be made via Eventbrite as well.

The festive event will also feature Minister Larry E. Lowe as emcee and songstress Pamela R. Olivia. Fashions are by Casonna.

Angela Coggs

By Angela M. Coggs

On Saturday, October 15, 2016 over 350,000 residents converged on Crenshaw Boulevard for Los Angeles’ largest street festival and the largest gathering of African American Businesses in the country- Taste of Soul. Bakewell Media hosted the 11^th Annual Taste of Soul Food and Family Festival 2016 from 10:00am to 7:00pm in Los Angeles, California. The event took place on Crenshaw Blvd. between Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. and Rodeo.

California Attorney General Kamala Harris, U.S. Senator Isadore Hall III, and Taste of Soul Founder Danny Bakewell

This year’s festival themed: “It’s A Family Affair” has become the 11th in what is now known as a destination event for all of not only the city of Los Angeles but Los Angeles County and surrounding communities. It was attended by over 350,000 men, women, students, children, celebrities and dignitaries from all over Southern California and across the United States, including a few residents from Riverside County.

“I had a great time. Everyone was so cool,” said LaToya Jones, teacher in the Riverside Unified School District for the past 15 years. This was her second time attending the Taste of Soul with her husband David. “I ABSOLUTELY loved Jazmine Sullivan’s performance. She is a true beauty with an incomparable voice and humble heart. The KJLH DJ had the crowd moving. The food was scrumptious. I can’t wait until next year.”

The event was a success. Free concerts took place on three major stages (KJLH, The Wave, and McDonalds). This year’s TOS was bigger and better than ever. With radio partners KJLH and 94.7 The Wave pulling together first class entertainment. KJLH featured contemporary, jazz, hip-hop, and R&B. Hosted by KJLH radio personality DJ Mal-Ski. This year, KJLH 102.3 radio station celebrated TOS’s eleventh anniversary by bringing back some local talent and artists such as MAJOR, Guordan Banks, 112, Mike “Mike Philly” Phillips, and Jazmine Sullivan. The KJLH music stage was sponsored by Buffalo Wild Wings.

94.7 The WAVE, whose music stage is sponsored by Budweiser this year, has been a media partner and radio sponsor with the Taste of Soul Festival since 2008.This year, the radio station took music lovers back to some of the greatest hits from artists including Chosen Recovery Gospel Group, On Tour, Tom Browne, Troop and War.

Mike Philly

The gospel stage which in year two was only a small stage in front of the Sentinel offices, has now has grown to feature The McDonalds Gospel Fest on the Brenda Marsh Mitchell Gospel Stage. The 2016 Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour at Taste of Soul featured every genre within the gospel music industry: contemporary, traditional, inspirational, instrumental, hip-hop, and comedy. Hosted by syndicated radio personality Lonnie Hunter, attendees experienced

Jazmine Sullivan- Incomparable Vocalist

renowned gospel artists Donald Lawrence, Marvin Sapp, Karen Clark-Sheard, Charles Jenkins, Jonathan McReynolds, Canton Jones, and Doug Williams. Also, acclaimed comedian, Small Fire provided entertainment for the entire family and community to enjoy.

There were various food and non-food vendors in attendance. Some of the notable food vendors included (African) Cocoa & Pitta Catering and Rafikiz Foodz, (American) Da Mudd Duck and Dipping Chicken, (BBQ) Big Mama’s Succulent & Savory BBQ, Bludso’s BBQ, Dulan’s, Gettch Grubb On, Not Your Mama’s Kitchen and Shabazz Good Food, (Creole & Jamaican) L.A. Jerk Shack and Smhokin Pot, and (Desserts & Treats) Sharon’s Heavenly Cobblers, Coco’s Lip Smacking Cupcakes, and Fun Time Kettle Corn.

There was plenty of love and no incidents were reported. This event has grown from having 35,000 in 2005 people in attendance during the first year to have over 350,000 in 2016. Over 350,000 African Americans gathered in the Black Community to celebrate, to share in a day of unity, love and togetherness.

Last year, Kamala Harris, currently California Attorney General now running for the United States Senate, attended the Taste of Soul in 2015. “It’s one of the most enjoyable things I do all year. Where else can you have all of the community turn out, family… it’s about love of community, supporting our local businesses. It is really one of the most important events in all of Los Angeles.”

It’s been called Los Angeles’s largest street festival for good reason. Thousands of attendees arrive every year to indulge in the “soulful.” From soul food to soul music, it’s hard not to have a great time. It’s a local gem that will be back again next year and the people are already looking forward to it.

LOS ANGELES, CA- On Saturday, October 15, the Los Angeles Sentential hosted its 11^th Annual Taste of Soul event in Los Angeles off of Crenshaw Boulevard. This year there were over 300,000 attendees. Pictured is the Black Southern California McDonald’s Operators, whom were part of the sponsoring group for the Taste of Soul. From left to right they include: Kyle Webb, Patricia Williams, Reggie Webb, Lindsay Hughes, Nichole Enearu, Rene Webb, Kiana Webb, and Norman Carter.

By Eric Easter, Urban News Service

The just-opened National Museum of African American History and Culture is a work-in-progress — in every way. Surprisingly, this is its best asset.

In one way, that description is literal. On Media Day, less than 10 days before its grand opening, the museum’s grounds still were littered with the cigarette butts, snack bags and other leftovers from the hundreds of construction workers who put the final touches on the building.

Inside, journalists scoured the space for stories to tell. They navigated around carts that carried pieces of exhibits yet to be nailed in and observed priceless objects amid handwritten signs whose installation instructions read “too tall” and “put nothing on top.”

Yet even with the museum finally open for business, it remains incomplete — by design. Six hundred years of African American history — and the culture that grew from centuries of struggle, pain and triumph — is too sweeping an epic to contain on a few floors. The only way to do so is to consider the museum not a permanent collection of  artifacts, but a living space that will evolve, shift, re-focus and re-invent itself — just  like the community it seeks to reflect.

The extraordinary effort to fund and build the new museum has overshadowed the even harder work performed by the museum’s curators. They gathered and edited the more-than-37,000-item collection into a coherent narrative.

The decision to start the museum’s story in pre-colonial, 15^th-Century Africa involved an “intense” process, said Mary Elliott, curator of the museum’s history section. She consulted noted scholars including Ira Berlin, Eric Foner and Annette Gordon Reed to help set the necessary context for the full museum. But Elliott soon realized that a full reading of that time would be “too dense” for the average museum-goer.

“We needed to start with the reality of a free Africa and its position as a center of trade,” said Elliott. “But we wanted to go much deeper into the stories of the Italian role in financing the slave trade, as well as a more in-depth look at conditions in Europe that set the stage. But that’s a lot to ingest for the average museum-goer.”

The need to add some things and delete others at times was “heartbreaking.”

Those decisions, no doubt, will cause some to quibble about the tone, length or depth of some exhibits. And some criticisms will be fair. The displays on Reconstruction and the role of blacks in the military seem especially short given the importance of those themes.

But those arguments don’t account for the realities of a museum audience raised on Twitter, Wikipedia and TV on-demand. The tourist who tries to squeeze in all of Washington’s 17 Smithsonian museums in a few days will lack the capacity to absorb generations of pain and progress in one fell swoop. Return visits will be a must.

Still, those who want to go deeper will get that opportunity. The museum offers a full-time staff genealogist to help families discover their roots. Scholars can enjoy the museum’s research rooms. Public programming and temporary exhibits will let curators breathe more life into subject matter and explore contemporary themes and issues via multimedia and assorted technologies.

As a full body of work, the museum is a treasure. Its existence tells a story and stands as a tribute to a culture that has triumphed amid adversity. The displays simply accentuate that idea through stories that are tragic, critical, objective and, ultimately, celebratory. It is a museum about American possibility, as told through the story of a people whose American-ness too often has been denied and questioned. This museum should end such doubts.

What visitors will experience is best exemplified in a moment that occurred during one of many pre-opening receptions.

Speaking at an event hosted by Google, former Rep. Susan Molinari (R – New York), who is white, shared her experience at the museum. She fought through tears as she recalled one section that particularly resonated with her. The mostly black audience reacted politely. Many of them later said that, because of their own families’ legacies, they might have reacted differently to the same moment.

That may be what happens to everyone who passes through the museum’s doors. What one sees and experiences will be very different — depending on the history, knowledge and perspective that one carries through the entrance. That, in the end, is the true power of the place.