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EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK (ENN)— The 3-13-22 ETB Broadcast features two segments: An interview with Yung Muusik, produced by WSS News columnist, Lue Dowdy. The second segment features a conversation with Don Smith, a 25-year IE Housing advocate with the Rent Relief program ending on March 31st, evictions and foreclosures are eminent.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA — Approximately 80 students from the High Desert region showcased their talent and hard work during the 2022 San Bernardino County High Desert High School Honor Band Concert on Saturday, Feb. 26.

“I am proud of the collaboration that enables us to support the performing arts and music education in the High Desert region,” said County Superintendent Ted Alejandre. “The arts are proven to further successful academic outcomes, so promoting events like this one is vital to helping students reach their fullest potentials.”

Since 1986, San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools has collaborated with the San Bernardino County Music Educators Association to host the honor band concerts for students involved in music education programs throughout the county.

This is one of several county student arts performances taking place in person for the first time in over two years due to COVID 19 restrictions. 

“It’s really nice to come together and create a meaningful experience in music and camaraderie and connection,” said Alec, a senior at Serrano High School and clarinet player in the county High Desert Honor Band.  “It’s a very great experience because this honor band is something I’ve been a part of since middle school and elementary school, and it just feels really good to be able to represent my school.” 

Brent Levine conducted students from 10 area high schools at the Barstow Community College Performing Arts Center. Levine, the newly appointed Interim Associate Director of Bands at Northern Arizona University, attended Serrano High School in the Snowline Joint Unified School District, the same region where the performing students are from.

The Basin region’s honor band concert is scheduled to be held on April 16 at the University of Redlands, COVID-19 protocols permitting.

For more news and information, visit the SBCSS Newsroom and follow us @SBCountySchools on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.#transforminglives.

EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK (ENN)— On Sunday, March 6, 2022, Real Estate Agent and author, Mary Welch was a special guest on Empire Talks Back (ETB). Host Wallace J. Allen, IV., chatted with her on how listeners can save their homes from probate. Welch recently released her manual entitled, “Save Your Home from Probate”.

“Since 1987, the U.S. Congress has designated March as Women’s History Month, a time to commemorate and recognize the key role of women in American history — and to encourage the study, observance, and celebration of that history.

During Women’s History Month and beyond, USC experts highlight the continuing struggle for women’s equal rights and the legacy of the trailblazing women who have transcended gender barriers to contribute to a more perfect — and equal — union.

Women’s history offers a lesson in what progress looks like

“What being a professor of gender and sexuality studies has taught me, and our students, is that progress isn’t measured as a straight line. Things don’t consistently get better. In fact, every time progress is made, reactions to that progress push us steps backward.

“Part of what we learn is how to move through these different cycles of change and transformation and how to keep the momentum going, even when sometimes the task can feel Sisyphean. For example, many gains women made in the 1970s around reproductive health are meeting challenges now.

“We need to celebrate achievements and ‘firsts’ because there’s always going to be more work to do. Women’s History Month shows us the different sacrifices our forbearers have made. They’ve managed to transform worlds and cultures that were often hostile to them. We can use that example to fortify our efforts to change and transform our roles and to make things better; to make what seemed impossible, achievable.”

Karen Tongson is a professor of English, gender and sexuality studies, and American studies and ethnicity, and chair of the Department of Gender and Sexuality Studies at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences.

Contact: tongson@usc.edu

The next frontier of the women’s movement: Valuing care work

“Reflecting on Women’s History Month, it is clear the women’s movement has been successful in terms of freeing women to move from the domestic sphere into public life. Compared to 50 years ago, there has been a staggering shift in terms of women’s participation in the workforce.

“One unintended consequence is the risk of neglecting what was traditionally the women’s sphere, including the work of caring for others. Our individualistic society has always undervalued care labor. The monumental amount of unpaid care labor that women have done historically has been undercompensated and overlooked.

“We saw that in the pandemic because suddenly, the institutions and structures that help support families — everything from daycares to public schools to nursing homes — closed. Women were the ones who disproportionately left the workforce or scaled back their work hours to care for children and elders.

“The next frontier for the women’s movement is to reconsider how we value traditionally feminine pursuits like care labor. We can focus on better pay for caring professions and on policies like parental leave. In a progressive society where care work and domestic labor are just as valued and just as respected as business careers or STEM careers, we could celebrate when women — and men — contribute to building a more nurturing society.”

Darby Saxbe is an associate professor of psychology who studies how family relationships “get under the skin” by exploring both biological and social processes that take place within the context of the family. She directs the USC Dornsife Center for the Changing Family.

Contact: dsaxbe@usc.edu

Reacting to the historic Supreme Court nomination of a Black woman

“Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, if confirmed to the Supreme Court, will help diversify an institution in which Black women have, through law, custom, and practice, been excluded for over two centuries.

“Her credentials are top notch: Double Harvard graduate, former Supreme Court clerk, former district court judge and current circuit court judge.

“She also brings a credential to the court that is lacking among the current personnel: She is a former public defender. It is clear that Judge Jackson is a highly qualified nominee who will bring a diverse set of experiences to the Supreme Court.”

Franita Tolson is a professor of law and vice dean for faculty and academic affairs at the USC Gould School of Law. Her scholarship and teaching focus on the areas of election law, constitutional law, legal history, and employment discrimination.

Contact: ftolson@law.usc.edu

Who sits in the director’s chair?

“Inclusion in the Director’s Chair” is a new report from the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative examining directors of the 100 top U.S. films each year from 2007 to 2021. The analysis of 1,500 movies looked at the prevalence of directors by gender, race and ethnicity — as well as the intersection of these two identities.

“Although the results of this study point to increases for women and underrepresented directors, an intersectional examination of the data reveals that not everyone has reason to celebrate,” the authors explained. “White women and men of color have seen increased opportunities, but this did not extend to women of color. Only five women of color directed a top-grossing film between 2020 and 2021, and fewer than 2% of all directors across 15 years were women of color.

“Yet, women of color earned the highest average and median Metacritic scores (scores that assess the critical reception of movies) for their work, suggesting that the quality that women of color bring to filmmaking is not an explanation for their lack of participation in top-grossing films.”

Stacy L. Smith, Katherine Pieper and Al-Baab Khan are with the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. “Inclusion in the Director’s Chair” is their latest report studying diversity and inclusion in entertainment.

Contact: kpieper@usc.edu

Women in the military and as advocates for peace

“Women’s History Month shines a light on how women continue to break barriers in previously male-dominated professions, including in the military. In 1973, when military conscription ended, women constituted 2% of the active-duty military. Women now represent 16% of the active-duty military.

“In my recent research on U.S. military veterans’ peace organizations, I witnessed a younger cohort of women—many of them women of color, some queer-identified—emerging as leaders. These veterans had absorbed trauma from sexual and gender harassment, sexual assault, racist and homophobic abuse during their military service, some of it in combat zones.

“Now, they are using this collective knowledge to transform the veterans’ peace movement, linking anti-militarist work with movements for racial justice, stopping gender and sexual violence, addressing climate change, and building anti-colonial coalitions. Through this work, they bend the arc of history toward peace and social justice.”

Michael Messner is a professor of sociology and gender studies at the USC Dornsife College. His new book is “Unconventional Combat: Intersectional Action in the Veterans’ Peace Movement.”

Contact: messner@usc.edu

 By Kenny Williams Jr. | Blavity

Black excellence got a whole lot more stylish thanks to the many celebrities who showed up and out. The 53rd annual NAACP Image Awards took place in Los Angeles, and it was filled to the brim with a multitude of our favorite public figures who spared no expense as they luxuriously swarmed the Hollywood Roosevelt for the event’s red carpet. From Shoniqua Shandai channeling the iconic Diana Ross to social media personality La’Ron Hines dripped in 50 shades of slay, the fashions were one for the books.

By Nyah Marshall | Howard University News Service

Americans around the country, including legal scholars and Black women, are praising President Joe Biden’s announcement last week nominating Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to replace Associate Justice Stephen Breyer on the U.S. Supreme Court. If confirmed, Jackson would make history as the first Black woman and the first former federal public defender to serve as a Supreme Court justice.

“For too long, our government, our courts haven’t looked like America,” Biden said at the White House, flanked by Vice President Kamala Harris and Judge Jackson.

“I believe that we should have a court that reflects the full talents and greatness of our nation with a nominee of extraordinary qualifications and that will inspire all young people to believe that they can one day serve our country at the highest level,” Biden said.

Jackson, 51, currently sits on the District of Columbia (D.C.) Court of Appeals and has broad judicial, academic and practical legal experience.  She was three times confirmed by the Senate, twice unanimously, when picked to serve on the U.S. Sentencing Commission and when appointed by President Barack Obama to be on the D.C. Federal District Court.

In her acceptance speech, Jackson revealed that she shares a birthday with Constance Baker Motley, the first Black woman appointed to serve as a federal judge.

“Today, I proudly stand on Judge Motley’s shoulders, sharing not only her birthday, but also her steadfast and courageous commitment to equal justice under law,” Jackson said.

“Judge Motley – her life and career — has been a true inspiration to me, as I have pursued this professional path,” she explained. “And if I’m fortunate enough to be confirmed as the next Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, I can only hope that my life and career, my love of this country and the Constitution, and my commitment to upholding the rule of law, and the sacred principles upon which this great nation was founded, will inspire future generations of Americans.”

“Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson is an outstanding nominee,” said Danielle Holley-Walker, dean and professor at the Howard University School of Law, whose alumni include Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall.

Holley-Walker said a noteworthy aspect of Jackson’s background is that she has devoted most of her career to serving the public. As a federal public defender, Jackson represented defendants on appeal who did not have the means to pay for a lawyer and worked to identify errors that occurred during their trials.

“I think one of the most important things for those of us who are interested in issues of justice and equality is that she served as a public defender, and she would not only be the first Black woman on the Supreme Court. She would also be the first public defender to ever serve on the Supreme Court,” she added.

Jackson was born in Washington, D.C., in 1970 and grew up in Florida with her parents who are both graduates of HBCUs. After graduating from Harvard, Jackson clerked for three federal jurists, including retiring Justice Stephen Breyer.

Later, she began representing clients in criminal and civil appellate matters at Goodwin Procter LLP, appearing before the Supreme Court in the case McGuire v. Reilly. In this case, she represented Massachusetts reproductive rights groups, arguing that the state law prohibiting anti-abortion protesters from harassing people seeking reproductive health care should be upheld.

During her seven years as a district judge, Jackson issued several rulings on topics like federal environmental law, employment discrimination and the Americans with Disabilities Act. The most notable one included Committee on the Judiciary v. McGahn, in which she ruled that Don McGahn, the former White House counsel to President Donald Trump, was required to testify before the House Judiciary Committee as part of its investigation into Russia’s interference in the 2016 election.

Jackson was involved in the case against Trump’s efforts to block the release of documents related to the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. A federal district judge in Washington rejected Trump’s request to block the disclosure of the documents, and the D.C. Circuit, in an opinion by Judge Patricia Millett that Jackson joined, upheld that ruling.

Biden’s announcement came nearly a month after Justice Stephen Breyer announced his retirement and two years to the day Biden pledged to appoint a Black woman as the next Supreme Court justice.

“I’m looking forward to making sure there’s a Black woman on the Supreme Court to make sure we in fact get everyone represented,” Biden said during the South Carolina primary in February 2020.

Biden’s selection of Jackson gives him a chance to deliver on this campaign promise to Black voters, who were crucial to his election win. In fact, 86% of Black women voters supported prioritizing such a nomination, according to a poll by Change Research and Higher Heights for America, an organization that describes itself aa a “political home” for Black women and allies to organize.

Biden met with at least three potential Supreme Court nominees, all of whom are Black women, before choosing Jackson. They included Leondra Kruger who sits on the California Supreme Court, and J. Michelle Childs, who sits on the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina.

“There were lots of exceptionally qualified capable women to choose from, but Biden’s selection of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson demonstrates that there’s no need for America’s highest court to be off limits to Black women anymore,” said strategist and political commentator Donna Brazile, who is the Gwendolyn S. and Colbert I. King Endowed Chair in Public Policy at Howard University.

Jotaka Eaddy, founder of #WinWithBlackWomen (WWBW), shared similar sentiments. “With this nomination, President Biden and Vice President Harris will once again elevate a woman, and in this case, a Black woman, to a position that has long been covered by a cement ceiling,” Eaddy said in a statement. “Today that ceiling is shattered into a million pieces.”

Known for making a significant impact on the historic election of the nation’s first Black woman Vice President, #WinWithBlackWomen also stated that it will work to “ensure that Judge Jackson receives a fair and expeditious confirmation process.” WWBW is a collective of Black women leaders from public and private sectors committed to advancing and uplifting Black women, families and communities.

Though Jackson’s appointment would be historic, it will not change the ideological makeup of a Supreme Court that has a majority of conservative justices.

“We’ve only had seven justices in the entire history of the U.S. Supreme Court who have not been White men,” Holley-Walker explained. “So, I think it’s both an incredible day for our country, specifically for Black women, and also to have such a highly qualified nominee. We hope to see her confirmed in the way that is represented in terms of her credentials.”

Howard law professor Alice Martin Thomas also sees Jackson as a highly qualified nominee who will be a fair judge.

“I believe she’s a tenacious personality,” Thomas said. “I believe she will not shrink. And she’s going to have to stand up against a torrent of negativity and ugliness that we’ve all had to deal with. … She is more than capable and able of doing it graciously”

“She will advance her point of view. And she’ll be fair. That’s all we can ask of a judge. I’m also glad she’s young. She has her whole life in front of her,” Thomas concluded.

Nyah Marshall is a reporter and regional bureau chief for HUNewsService.com.

Publishers Commentary by Wallace J. Allen IV

There would be no reason to teach Black History if the history taught in America was truly America’s history; however, American history, as it is taught, is America’s glorification of White people. Black History is acknowledged as information not only untold, but often denied and purposefully hidden by White society in general and European based political entities in specific. From the false religious interpretations justifying the enslavement of Africans to the present-day denial of institutional based systematic racism; we can conclude that if truth is important, teaching Black History is necessary!  We are confronted today with the governor of Florida perpetuating a racist theory by wallowing in the sloppy racist concept that teaching the truth about the history of Black People will make white children feel guilty, and thus should not be taught! I say that denying truth should not be considered as comforting!

The fact that American history as taught does not accurately depict the pain and anguish of enslavement and its denial of basic human needs and human rights, to the enslaved, is undeniable… That fact is the justification of why Black History must be taught!  Why are there Black and white American Legions, Black and white medical associations, Black and white lawyer associations, Black and white fraternities and sororities? The short answer is that the white organizations denied entry to Blacks.

America is a living organ that has not only a potential for life but also like all living things, has a potential for death! Any entity that denies its past is existing as a lie! The past only becomes the past when it is acknowledged!  When the past is regarded and treated like a dirty secret, it requires all who keep it to become liars! Existing as a liar, running from the truth, is, in my opinion, not living! America needs to tell her truth if she is to live!

I do not regard uninformed or misinformed people as liars.  Those that know better are the only ones responsible for doing better! Those who know the truth are responsible for telling the truth!

Why is there a Black History Month?

Please study and explore the history of Black people in and beyond the American experience. Ask the questions! Seek the answers! Think critically! Tell and be the truth!

By Tanu Henry | California Black Media

The first African American to serve in the role – and the 5th  Black person to become a constitutional officer in California – Weber took office on Jan. 29, 2021.

Weber has been a central and influential figure in California politics for years. She was an Assemblymember representing the 79th District in San Diego County and chaired the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC). In the Legislature, she introduced groundbreaking bills, including one of the strictest laws governing police use of deadly force in the country. It will protect Californians on “both sides of the badge,” she said, celebrating that legislation, which was supported by the California Police Chiefs Association.

Weber also introduced AB 3121, a bill that set up a committee called the Task Force to Study and Develop Reparations Proposals for African Americans. The group is charged with examining California’s involvement in slavery – and how California should compensate the descendants of enslaved Black Americans.

As SOS, Weber is responsible for conducting elections in all 58 counties, managing the operations of the State Archives, and keeping a registry of businesses and nonprofits statewide.

“We passed legislation that gives everybody a vote by mail ballot, and we’ve seen that it works” says Weber, sharing details about a major electoral policy change she has implemented as SOS. “We have to make sure that every eligible Californian not only gets the right to vote, but that they are registered to vote and that they show up.”

On Jan. 24, California Black Media interviewed Weber at her Sacramento office.

As an Assemblymember, you introduced groundbreaking legislation. What has the transition been like, moving from actively creating policy to settling into the administrative role of Secretary of State?

It’s been interesting, to go from being a legislator where you share the responsibility of representing all Californians with 80 others in the Assembly and another 40 in the Senate.

There, I wasn’t responsible for all registered voters and the protection of those who work at the polls and those who work to register voters.

Over here, you have an administrative role, and we support legislation like the Voting Rights Act.

It’s been somewhat difficult to let go of my District. Fortunately, my daughter is the Assemblymember there now.

The U.S. Senate did not pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. Why is that significant and why are voting rights so important in America right now?

When Gov. Newsom asked me to be Secretary of State, the first thing that popped in my mind was voting rights. This wasn’t a position that I had lobbied for. We had made some tremendous changes in the Assembly and passed some groundbreaking legislation.

Speaking to a reporter last December 22^nd, I said this is a critical time because our nation is in peril. And he goes, “what do you mean?” I said, “our democracy is in crisis.” He didn’t understand. When January 6 hit (the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol), people understood.

I recognize this is a difficult and unique time for people in the nation, extremely difficult for African Americans, because most of us who have parents or we ourselves have lived through this struggle for voting rights.

My family understood the power of voting. My parents came out of Arkansas where they never got a chance to vote. My dad was an adult with six kids before he actually got a chance to register to vote in California.

What can ordinary Californians who care about expanding and protecting voting rights do?

We need to pay attention. We must fight laws that make it difficult for people to vote. Even though we don’t have that legislation coming out of our Legislature, we have people putting initiatives on the ballot.

California has expanded voting rights so much that people want to limit it. There’s only one group that can’t vote in this state: those who are physically in prison. Everyone else who meets the eligibility requirements in California can vote. And that frightens some people.

Do you see that movement to counteract the expansion of voting rights here in California or from other states?

It is coming from within and without. We have to be careful of the deceptive methods used. Take the campaign against bail reform. It had been signed into law. And a group of bail bondsmen took a whole bunch of money, manipulated African Americans and put their faces on television. It confused voters and wiped out this whole effort we had been working on for five or six years.

Do you think other Secretaries of State across the country will emulate California’s efforts to expand voting rights?

We are seeing that, especially in states with Democratic leadership. But in other places, we see also them fighting the Voting Rights Act.

Secretaries of State are a unique breed. Many are appointed by governors. Across the nation, people on the far Right are organizing to get candidates to run for Secretary of State, where before it was seen more as an administrative job with a few other responsibilities. Now, it is seen as a highly political job, especially given the legislation that’s coming out in some places that would empower Legislatures to overturn votes.

You’ve been in this job for a year. Do you feel like you’ve accomplished your goals?

I didn’t take this position because I needed to be a constitutional officer, or one day become Governor. The question for me was: What does the Secretary of State have to offer in these critical times? And obviously it is the defense of our democracy. I was coming in with the idea that we are going to expand our voting base. We have done that.

We’ve also expanded the California Voter Choice Act counties Half of our counties are Voter Choice Act Counties, which gives us additional resources to go into those counties. They are now outvoting the rest of the counties.

Statewide, 88 % of eligible Californians are registered right now to vote. My goal is to get it to 100 %.

Is California implementing additional safeguards to make sure irregularities are minimal?

Yes, we are. We have a system that verifies votes. We test every machine in California before every election. We make it possible for people to observe the process. They can’t come and start counting themselves. But they can observe. We do all this with transparency.

How does it feel to look at that long wall of portraits of past Secretaries of State, and know that your legacy will be enshrined in California history?

I’m very grateful. When I was sworn in, somebody says you’re the first African American after some 170 years. How does that feel? I said, well – what took so long?

In this ever-changing world of chaos, where normalcy is replaced with life threatening anxieties, music soothes the savage beast. Mental stability is frail having weathered two years of the unknown. This is a time when spiritual guidance can strengthen confidence and one’s well-being. Musical healing fueled with passion and heart can mediate fear into strength.

Kristine Alicia is the angel in the choir reaching out to calm our worried minds. The strength of her lyrics is delivered in a powerful commanding voice that not only soothes the soul but assures a light at the end of the road. Hailing from Kingston, Jamaica she proudly comes from the support and encouragement of a well-versed musical family including her brothers and sister. Her father is a pastor and musician who taught her classical piano. It is no wonder Kristine rises above the crowd with spiritual energy; divine, powerful and healing.

Kristine moved to the U.S. at age 13 and later received a master’s degree in Music Business. She began performing as a backup singer in the gospel arena. In 2007, she launched her first album “Get Ready” produced by Nigel Lewis. This album pushed her into the forefront of the Gospel community where she received Artist of the Year and Female Reggae Vocal Performance at the Martin Awards.  It was Kristine’s growing interest in love and social justice that linked her in 2017 with Rory “Stone Love” Gilligan, producer of her second album “Songs from Zion.” The album charted on iTunes Top 10 and Billboard’s Top 15 and received multiple accolades by a cross section of reggae media. Kristine has shared the stage at live events featuring Third World, Tarrus Riley, Papa San, Etana, Nadine Sutherland, Warrior King and Freddie McGregor. She crossed the globe performing from West to East including the Groove Party in Nairobi, Kenya in 2015.

Kristine has been through ups and downs. It was the passing of her husband in 2020 that resulted in a dramatic single entitled “Black Diamond,” a call to action for survivors, victims and those suffering in silence. The message is personal, yet reflects the trauma of a post pandemic world. In November 2021, Kristine released a plea for ‘people to find their voice and sing again’ with a single entitled “Gold” on the Raging Storm Riddim produced by Christopher Hurst.

Her new release “HOLD STRONG” remains true to her intuitive understanding of psychological stress experienced by those in fear and disillusionment. Her outstanding lyrics and delivery are  tied together by the psychosocial impact of life’s never ending struggles. “HOLD STRONG” will be released February 18, 2022 to be followed by an EP later in the year. Get ready to experience  musical medicine that will guide us to feel whole again.

“My hope is that ‘Hold Strong’ becomes a melody that lifts up the ‘strong one’ we sometimes forget, who needs our strength and reminds our people of the innate resilience that pushes us through trying times.” ~ KRISTINE ALICIA

By Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media

Black political leaders from Southern California are sounding off as a week of celebratory activities and high anticipation begins. It is the lead-up to the National Football League’s (NFL) Super Bowl LVI game between the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals.

The NFL’s premier sporting event will be played in front of an estimated 70,000-plus spectators on Sunday, Feb. 13 at SoFi Stadium, the state-of-the-art sports and entertainment complex in Inglewood, which opened two years ago.

U.S. Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA-43) was among the first hometown lawmakers to celebrate this year’s Super Bowl game featuring the hometown Rams being held in her city.

“We don’t want to brag but we’re the baddest! The @RamsNFL are going to be the #SuperBowl (champs) and the game will be happening in my district, the 43rd District! The world will be watching, and we will be winning,” Waters tweeted on Jan. 30.

The Rams moved from Los Angeles to St. Louis in 1994. In 2000 they won Super Bowl XXXIV played at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. The team returned from the Midwest back to the City of Angels in 2016 after a $790 million settlement was paid to the city of St. Louis.

Members of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) from the South end of the state also jumped in on the excitement, sharing their thoughts about the game and hyping up their hometown team that could bring a Super Bowl championship to Los Angeles.

“As Vice Chair of the California Legislative Black Caucus, it is my pleasure to wish the Los Angeles Rams a successful Super Bowl,” said Sen. Sydney Kamlager (D-Los Angeles). “It is no easy feat to represent the greatest area in the nation, but there’s no better team I can think of to do it. Rams house!”

Assemblymember Chris Holden (D-Pasadena) of the 41st Assembly District, which covers areas on the eastern end of Los Angeles County applauded the team’s grit that he says took them to the big game.

“Congratulations to the Los Angeles Rams for making it to the Super Bowl! You all earned the right to be there, make us proud,” he said

The excitement of the sporting event is reverberating across the state, but millions of eyes around the world will be on the city of Inglewood.

Inglewood is located in the South Bay region of Los Angeles County near Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and is17 miles from downtown Los Angeles. According to the 2020 United States Census, it has a population of 107,762. About 40.9 % of its residents are African American.

James T. Butts, Jr., who is African American, has been Inglewood’s mayor for the last 11 years. Butts, 68, a former law enforcement officer, has turned the South Bay town into a local economic powerhouse.

Butts helped negotiate the return of the Rams from St. Louis to the L.A. region. He also facilitated the relocation of the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) to Inglewood.

The Clippers, currently housed in Crypto.com Arena (formerly Staples Center) will start playing in the $1.2 billion Intuit Dome being built in Inglewood in 2024.

Next to SoFi Stadium, NFL Media moved its office from Culver City into a 2000,000-square-foot facility for its NFL Network, NFL.com, NFL app, NFL Game Pass, and NFL Redzone brands.

“This moment, this moment in time is the ultimate of my career,” Butts said during the Inglewood City Council meeting on Feb. 2. “I walk in the morning, in the last two days people will stop, roll down their windows and talk about how proud they are to live in Inglewood.”

The Inglewood sports and entertainment complex is on the former grounds of the Hollywood Park racetrack.

Under Butts Inglewood is experiencing a business and cultural renaissance. In October, the L.A. Philharmonic Youth Orchestra Program (YOLA) relocated to Inglewood in the 25,000-square-foot Judith and Thomas L Beckmen Center. The Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles have also moved from Marina del Rey to Inglewood.

In addition, Inglewood will host the 2023 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Championship College Football Bowl game and present the opening ceremonies for the Summer Olympics World Games in 2028.

The city of Inglewood announced that masks will be required at the Super Bowl game and spectators must show proof they’ve been vaccinated or recently tested negative for COVID-19 upon entry into SoFi Stadium.

For more Super Bowl 56 and traffic impact information, text ‘INGSB to 888-777 or visit www.cityofinglewood.org.