Dorella Anderson

By Naomi K. Bonman

Family members, extended family, friends, and community residents came together on Friday, May 29 to celebrate the life of Riverside community trailblazer, Dorella Anderson, better known as Dorie to most, or Mrs. And Sis. Anderson to others. The homegoing services were all that the late community leader would have wanted. The sanctuary of Park Avenue Baptist Church in Riverside was overflowing to capacity, filled with those that loved and cherished Dorella, Godmother Dorie (as I called her).

Mrs. Anderson, 79, served has a champion and advocate for families and youth on the Eastside of Riverside for the past 35 years at the Community Settlement House, just minutes away from Downtown Riverside. She played a pivotal role in assisting immigrants adapt and settle into life in the States by helping them obtain citizenship and addressing issues that assited them to remain in the country legally. Her work with families on the Eastside spans two generations.

“She led a life that supported the Eastside children for more than 50 years. She was talented, beautiful, athletic, and had a confidence that drew people towards her. The events at Lincoln Park and the Community Settlement Association continued the work of a prior generation of local families who truly made the area a community,” Dorella’s cousin, Craig Goodwin stated.

Anderson was the founder and lifetime member of the Riverside African American Historical Society and will be remembered for bringing “Toys for Tots” to Riverside, teaching crafts, dancing, and for her involvement in numerous community affairs.

As a personal extended family and church member of Anderson’s I will miss her gentle and sweet spirit and her willingness of speaking her mind to anyone and saying how she felt, and because she was not afraid to speak her mind and speak out you felt even more comfortable around her.

She will definitely be missed among Riverside and surrounding cities, but she lives on in our hearts forever until we all meet again.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- The San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Gang Resistance Intervention Partnership (GRIP), in partnership with the San Bernardino City Unified School District, hosted a graduation ceremony for second and fifth grade students from Hunt Elementary School in San Bernardino today.

“This is a proactive partnership between our educators and students that allows us to make a positive impact in the lives our children,” District Attorney Ramos said. “By effectively using time and resources today to teach our students, we can steer them away from the dangers and influences of gangs tomorrow.”

During the graduation celebration, 200 students received certificates and a GRIP backpack filled with supplies. After the graduation, students were treated to a surprise visit and photo session with Inland Empire 66ers mascot Bernie. Each graduating student received two complimentary baseball tickets donated by the Inland Empire 66ers organization.

The second grade students who participated in the program successfully completed a 7-week course, while the fifth grade students completed a 9-week course. Both curriculums—which focus on the dangers of gangs and drugs, positive choices and respect for others and property—were instructed by school security officers with the San Bernardino Unified School District.

“We are pleased to partner with the San Bernardino County District Attorney and San Bernardino City Unified School District in preventive efforts that focus students on positive behaviors and keep them engaged in school and their communities,” County Superintendent Ted Alejandre said. “The GRIP program has had great success and is making a positive impact in the lives of students and families.”

The GRIP Program is now in its fifth year and has graduated over 4,500 students.

“We need to be proactive, and intervention and prevention is the best way to get the job done,” District Attorney Ramos said.

Tee Babie

By Naomi K. Bonman

From the “You’re a b—h, you’re a ho, you’re a thot”, as ladies and respectful men, we can attest that there needs to be a change in the way our women are viewed within the lyrics of hip hop, and music in general. These mainstream male rappers are most likely accustomed to a certain type of female that they only “glorify” one type of women—the type that makes the rest look bad.

This where more women come in to give a voice to modern day women. Rising rapper and singer, Tee Babie, is that positive, powerful, and dynamitic force that is filling the void in a positive woman movement in music.

Hailing from St. Louis, MO, but born and raised out of West Covina, CA, Tee Babie has had music instilled and planted in her veins since the tender age of three. As her mother recalls, Tee would sing around the house to the late Whitney Houston. By the age of 18, as most young adults, Tee decided to spread her wings and experience life on the East Coast. While on the East Coast, the aspiring star took a keen to live music and also started developing her style. She stayed in Maryland, VA for 2 years before making the move to Las Vegas, NV.

Upon her move to Las Vegas, Tee met her mentor, King Al Hefner (founder of Beats How You Want Em), who would soon expand her horizon within the music industry. Shortly after, in 2012, King’s Brother RJ II came onto the scene and gave Tee vocal lessons to develop her ear for the music.  King and RJ are Grammy winning producers of the “Misunderstood” by Lil Wayne from the ‘Carter II’ album.

“From there I have just blossomed within these last three years,” Tee said.

In a recent interview with the rising star, she discussed her upcoming projects, her passion for becoming a more positive and strong voice for woman, and what she looks forward to accomplishing in the near future.

What makes you stand out from the rest?

I try to give a more uplifting voice for females. Right now we two types of music when it comes to females, either the “down and out, sad, cheated on, looking for love” or “she’s a ‘ho’, she’s a thot, she’s a ratchet, shake it for a real n—a”.

I’m bringing in a more powerful voice that says, “Hey I am all woman, I am powerful not only that, I am not a thot”. I want to bring out the absurd, confident, but successful and today’s woman. The modern women of today are not miserable, we’re not super sad because we don’t have a dude because most of time we’re juggling multiple or we’re working just as hard if not harder than men.

In my R&B music as well as my rap music, I want to make sure that it’s not only smooth, but relevant.

Being that voice for women, what advice do you have for others that may want to pursue a career in entertainment?

If you want to do it, especially if you have the support, get it, learn it, and study it. To be the best you have to study your craft. It took me a little while to train my ear on what quality sounds like. We think we know, but we don’t until we really study what the difference between what is and is not quality. It’s great if you’re good at something, but to be great at it you really have to emerge your feet in it. It takes time, so perfect your craft, stud it, and be patient. It takes at least 2 to 4 years, just as it does with school to perfect a particular craft, and you just have to be aware of the time frame.

What projects are you currently working on?

This month (May 2015) I will be dropping an EP with Paper Boy Beatz from Detroit called “He Say, She Say”. If you love blues, R&B, Pop, Hip Hop, and rap, then you’ll love this EP. There’s something for all on it. We will be distributing it worldwide and it will be available on iTunes and Amazon. We also hope to shop it around to different TV shows and movies for the future.

Do you have any shows coming up?

Yes I do. I’ll be in San Pedro, Hollywood, Ontario, and Vegas. Then from May 24 to May 31 I will have about five shows lined up in Atlanta.

You’re constantly back and forth between Las Vegas and California and you work a full-t

It has been insane! I am blessed and fortunate to be at a secular position that gives me a little bit of freedom. If you’re in a place that can give you a little bit of freedom or an avenue into your craft that will be the best way to go. It is very hard balancing a secular job and doing music as a side gig because it is very time consuming, but you find the balance and have to pace yourself. You also have to make sure that you’re not slipping on your day job and putting in at least above average to a minimum. You just learn to take it day by day.

What are your goals that you would like to accomplish within the next 1 to 2 years?

I’m hoping to work with a lot of mainstream artists as a songwriter, hook specialist, or as a featured artist [on a track]. My ultimate goal is to utilize and share my songwriting abilities with the likes of Beyonce, Kanye West, Jay-Z, T-Pain, Alicia Keys, Lauryn Hill [and others], so that I can get my voice out there.

Who do you want to work with on a regional level?

AV Compton, he’s my next target! California is huge though and there is a lot of great talent out there that I would love to work with. I am also into the Indie, Rock, Pop, and AC/DC scene a well.

Who would you like to work with on the mainstream level?

Shawna, of course, she is one of my favorites. I get a lot of my swag from her. If I can work with Beyonce, I would know that I made it. Others are Future; Nicki Minaj, I love how influential she is in and how she represents the female movement; Ne-yo; Esther Dean; and so many others.

What do you like to do in your free time? What are your hobbies?

Besides being in the studio, I love the beach, traveling, shopping, I love fashion, and kicking it with my best friends and family.

Where have you traveled to so far?

Belize, Mexico, and Mahogany Bay

Where do you want to travel to next?

Dhabi, Panama, Rio, Africa, and Europe

Any last remarks that you want to leave the readers with?

I’m very genuine when it comes to my music. Everything that I sing about is something that I’ve experienced. I work hard to get to reach my goals and I have real and genuine people surrounded around me that I do not want to take for granted.

Life is amazing and very short, so we must use our time productively as possible. Follow your dreams and study your craft, and don’t stop; keep going and pushing through every up and down in life.  

Follow Tee Babie:

Soundcloud

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

Snapchat: TeeCheriBabie

Reverbnation

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- The Inland Empire Alliance of Black School Educators (IEABSE) is proud to announce the 5th annual “It Takes a Village to Raise a Child”, High School Black Graduate Recognition and Scholarship Ceremony. The event will take place at the Santos Manuel Student Union Event Center on the campus of California State University of San Bernardino at 6 p.m. on Friday, May 16.

IEABSE will present over 15 scholarships in the amounts of $500 and $1000 to African American graduating seniors from the Inland Empire. The evening will be filled with cultural celebration, community connectedness, and will end with a mantra from the students who pledge to support each other, be responsible family members, and become leaders within the Inland Empire. San Bernardino native Professor Anthony Blacksher will be the keynote speaker and will be challenging the students to analyze the role education has played in African American history and leverage present opportunities as tools to achieve their desired hopes and dreams.

Over 1000 supportive family members are expected to be in attendance to watch these graduates receive their Kente Stoles. The Kente Stoles symbolize academic accomplishment, community leadership, and personal responsibility. The Dorothy Ingram Award will be given to an educator from the Inland Empire that has inspired students to achieve at high levels. This individual is a drum major for student achievement and is being acknowledged for going the extra mile to ensure the success of our Inland Empire students.

“One of the most pressing issues facing San Bernardino and Riverside Counties is the college going rate and college readiness, events like the IE Black Graduation go a long way in celebrating high school students that will be attending our local colleges and universities,” Dr. Thomas Morales, President of California State University San Bernardino, said.

A special thanks to the Inland Empire High School Black Graduate Recognition Ceremony Planning Committee, San Bernardino City Unified School District and their Communications Department Director Linda Bardere, President of California State University of San Bernardino Dr. Tomas Morales, and San Bernardino Pacesetters. For any additional information please contact Keynasia Buffong at (909) 838-6131 or by email at ieabse@gmail.com

Derron Smith

By Naomi K. Bonman

The NFL Draft took place this past weekend from Thursday, April 30 to Saturday, May 2. Young men from all across the Nation seen their dreams of playing for the NFL unfold before their eyes, including Banning resident and Fresno State alumni, Derron Smith, 23. Smith was included in the third day of draft picks where he was picked to join the Cincinnati Bengals as Starting Safety.

Smith finished his college football career with 297 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, and 33 passes defensed—15 of which he intercepted. He was also the 11^th player in school history at Fresno State to be named to the all-conference team three times. Smith is the cousin to the editor of the Westside Story Newspaper, Naomi K. Bonman.

1 st Anniversary celebration includes free rides, giveaways, prize drawing

SAN BERNARDINO, CA-  Over half a million riders have climbed aboard the sbX rapid transit line serving Loma Linda and San Bernardino since it launched a year ago. Omnitrans is marking the anniversary with free rides, daily giveaways at sbX stations and a sweepstakes drawing that would provide a year of free rides to the winner, among other things.

sbX launched on April 28, 2014 with a free week that attracted over 3,000 riders per day on average. Since fare collection began on May 5th , average daily ridership has grown from about 1,325 to 2,375, an increase of 79 percent. “We expect sbX ridership to grow by another 30 percent by next year, mostly due to the opening of San Bernardino Transit Center in September,” said Omnitrans spokesperson Wendy Williams. The sbX station on E Street at Rialto Avenue is adjacent to the new transit center which will be the hub for 13 Omnitrans bus routes, making for easier connections.

As part of the anniversary celebration, sbX free ride coupons good any day from April 27 through May 1 are available online at http://www.omnitrans.org/services/sbx/promotions/. Contest entry forms are available on board buses or online. Daily giveaways focus on the many destinations along the sbX line.

• April 27 – Take sbX shopping. 1,000 shopping bags giveaway on board and at stations all day.
• April 28 – Take sbX to the game. 100 IE66ers baseball tickets at the Rialto St. Station, 11 am to 1 pm.
• April 29 – Take sbX to lunch. Restaurant coupon giveaways at all Hospitality Lane stations, 11 am to 1 pm.
• April 30 – Take sbX to work. Free sbX travel mug when boarding at Loma Linda or Palm & Kendall Park-and-Ride Stations, 6 am to 9 am.
• May 1 – Take sbX to the Movies. 100 Regal Cinema tickets at Court Street Station, 1pm to 3pm. The one-way fare on sbX, and all Omnitrans bus routes, is $1.75; a 1-day pass is $5. 7-day and 31-day passes offer savings for frequent riders. Persons with disabilities, seniors age 62 and up, US military veterans and youth age 18 and under, qualify for discounts.

Dr. Joy DeGruy
Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome The Continuation

Workshop Be the Healing

Saturday April 25, From 11am through 1pm
Regency West
339 West 43 Street, Los Angeles, CA 90008

Picture reflects those who attended the “Welcome to South Africa” trip including coordinator of the trip Ms. Shalimar Horsely, front row, and 9th person in black top.

Following a presentation to chapter members and two years of prayer and planning, members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Eta Nu Omega San Bernardino/Riverside Chapter, completed its pilgrimage to the Motherland during the month of March 2015 with an itinerary started in London, England, and continued to Cape Town, South Africa, Chobe Safari Lodge, Botswana, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, and Johannesburg, South Africa, along with thirty-nine member group included eighteen Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority members, representing chapters from California, Maryland, Illinois, and North Carolina.

The development of the trip began as a vision of local chapter members, Annette Weathington, Immediate Past President, and Shalimar Horsley, Global Poverty Chairman, both of Eta Nu Omega Chapter who had visited South Africa in 2011 and 2013, respectively, with tour group, Mahogany Vacations, an African American owned travel company. While touring in Africa, the ladies easily noted the beauty and rich culture of the people, but the deprivation in countries where the economies boast some of the world’s highest levels of unemployment, poverty, and medical challenges had a much greater impact. The deplorable conditions were a reminder of Alpha Kappa Alpha’s commitment to address the issues of global poverty; Eta Nu Omega Chapter members eagerly embraced the challenge that Shalimar proposed with the cooperation of Mahogany Vacations owner, Perez Melhado a life changing “vacation with a purpose” was organized by the pair.

Visits to Baphumelele children’s home, founded by Rosalie “Mama Rosa” Mashale in 1989, for orphaned children ages 0-18, and the Iliso Care Society, a soup kitchen founded by activist Vivian Zilo in 2005, provide services to underserved children. Both organizations are located in the Khaylitsha Township where they provide services to underserved children.   The Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority members, the members of the Mahogany Vacation staff, and the other tour guests collectively donated food, clothing, diapers, personal hygiene items, toys and other supplies, as well as monetary donations.

Other highlights of the trip included a visit to Robben Island where President Mandela and other political activists were imprisoned, participation in several African safaris, a tour of Cape Town vineyards, a walking tour through the glorious Victoria Falls, and a visit to District Six, a former inner-city residential area in Cape Town, South Africa, where over 60,000 inhabitants were forcibly removed during the 1970’s by the apartheid regime.  Tours of Nelson Mandela’s presidential home, as well as his Soweto home, the Apartheid Museum, and the Iziko Museums Slave Lodge was additional highlights that contributed to the experiences of the group.

Local presiding Eta Nu Omega Chapter president, Tiena Johnson-Hall stated, “Our objective was to do more than tour different African countries, we wanted to witness and better understand the history of the countries we visited and to provide support for two grass-roots projects that were actively making a difference in the lives of the people in those communities.  Service to mankind is a key component of Alpha Kappa Alpha’s principle goals, so participating in a cultural tour that included a giving back element is quite rewarding on many levels.”

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- Last week, world acclaimed investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas met with publisher of the Westside Story Newspaper, Wallace Allen, during a brief visit to Southern California. You can view Anas’ extensive portfolio at anasaremeyawanas.org.

More than 30 Inland Empire youth attended the annual Youth Symposium

RIALTO, CA- More than 30 area youth ages 13 to 17 were treated to a wealth of information by local leaders and a youth panel and received more than $1,200 worth of electronic door prizes at the Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc. Youth Symposium, hosted by the Theta Pi Sigma Inland Empire alumnae chapter.

Using the national theme “Building Partnerships to Support Our Youth,” the event, held at Rialto Middle School, included engaging community partnership speakers. Cynthia “The Tech Diva” Frazier led an interactive segment on proper Internet and social media use, as well as practical tips to avoid becoming a victim of Internet predators. 100 Black Men, Inland Empire president, and senior law enforcement official Damon Alexander’s timely session presented “real talk” on the proper way to interact with law enforcement officers.

Terrance Stone, founder of the Young Visionaries Youth Leadership Academy, gave the young attendees vivid examples of how to secure “mountain climbing” life success. Nutritionists Art and Ikssa Giovanni displayed examples of the amount of sugar, salt and fat found in common snacks, fast foods and drinks and the health pitfalls that result from it.

The event also included a youth panel discussion led by local high school and college students. Panelist Manny Gray, a full-time student at Cal State – San Bernardino who also grew up through the foster care system, asked the youth to consider his motto: “I don’t live life to merely exist; I live life to make a great impact.”

Other panelists included Kidisti Daniel, a senior majoring in psychology at the University of California at Riverside and member of Sigma Gamma Rho and Jaire Bowen, a high school senior, most notably known for his lead role in the February 2015 documentary Searching for Mentors.

Every youth attendee was asked to complete questionnaires before and after the event to gauge the level of learning and to secure input that will be used to further improve the event for next year. While several lessons and nuggets of wisdom were made available to all of the attendees, each had their own special takeaways. Door prizes included a flat screen TV, a variety of headphones, Bose speakers, an electronic tablet, a Kindle and other electronics for educational use and pleasure.

Generous donations in support of the youth were provided by the Riverside Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc., Pi Rho Alumni Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc., and the Riverside Kappa Alpha Psi Silhouettes.