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By Aanu Adeoye, CNN

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK)— VIA CNN— Rapper Nipsey Hussle’s death in a shooting near his clothing store was greeted with shock and disbelief by celebrities and fans alike.

The 33-year-old musician, real name Ermias Davidson Asghedom, was shot dead in an attack on Sunday that also left two others injured.The city of Los Angeles where he grew up and dedicated his life to helping kids break out of the cycle of gang violence mourned his passing.

But somewhere, thousands of miles away in east Africa, Nipsey’s death was felt even more keenly by the people of Eritrea.

Just in a day and half, @NipseyHussle visited many places in #Asmara.
Me: 'Aren't you tired?'
N: 'NO, I am VERY excited!'#Eritrea pic.twitter.com/alydCWcvuO

— Hadnet Keleta (@hadnetkeleta) April 20, 2018

His father, Nipsey once said, fled a war in Eritrea to settle in the US.

Hussle visited Eritrea twice in his lifetime: first as an 18-year-old when he spent three months and most recently in April 2018.

With his brother Samiel and their dad, Hussle met the Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki and sat down with the Ministry of Information’s website for a wide-ranging interview about his life and experiences growing up in Los Angeles in a culture of gang violence.

@NipseyHussle is an 'A class' rapper and a successful business man. He visited Dolce Vita textiles in #Asmara yesterday to explore the business opportunities in #Eritrea. pic.twitter.com/oJZfqhCwmu

— Hadnet Keleta (@hadnetkeleta) April 20, 2018

Then he spoke of his love for Eritrea and his desire to connect with his extended family after fourteen years since his last visit.

“I am here to visit my family and reconnect with my grandmother, my cousins and everybody else,” Hussle said during the interview.

“I love to be here. The people, the food, the culture, and the lifestyle are extremely good.

“During his trip back to his father’s country, Hussle also visited a local textile factory in the capital Asmara to explore business opportunities.

Eritrea’s Minister of Information Yemane Meskel led the tributes to Hussle after news of his death broke.

Extremely saddened to hear the news of the tragic and untimely death of iconic recording artist/entrepreneur Ermias Asgedom (Nipsey Hussle). RIP & condolences to his family. (Nipsey visited his home country in April last year; Profile interview attached) https://t.co/AM87gfgRPu pic.twitter.com/EPaHJGCzm8

— Yemane G. Meskel (@hawelti) April 1, 2019

“Extremely saddened to hear the news of the tragic and untimely death of iconic recording artist/entrepreneur Ermias Asgedom (Nipsey Hussle),” Meskel tweeted.

“RIP & condolences to his family.”

Billion Temesghen, the Eritrean journalist who interviewed him last year, wrote on Twitter: “Eritreans worldwide feel sorrow for the loss of a talented star, a loving family man & a compassionate compatriot. Condolences to us all.”

Ermias Asghedom AKA Nipsey Husle was an Eritrean rap star, a preformance phenomenon, who had just returned home. In my pleasant talk with him I was delighted to learn of the Eritrean & African pride he carried deep inside him. He is a legend. compassionate compatriot. We miss him pic.twitter.com/ogWbp0HrhA

— Billion Temesghen (@billietemesghen) April 1, 2019

Hussle’s debut studio album, Victory Lap, was nominated for best rap album at this year’s Grammy Awards.

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN) RIALTO, CA— Time for Change Foundation’s (TFCF) 17^th Annual Awards Gala will honor community champions who go above and beyond to help care for our community and contribute to both the health, and happiness of its members.

Deborah Robertson was elected Mayor of Rialto in November 2012 – the latest achievement in a distinguished public service career that has included 12 years on  the Rialto City Council, leadership positions at the Southern California Association of Governments, the San Bernardino Associated Governments, and more than 20 years with the California Department of Transportation.

Under Mayor Robertson’s leadership, Rialto has gained regional and national recognition for innovation in the areas of public-private partnerships, business development and job creation. A leading voice on regional and national infrastructure issues, Mayor Robertson chairs the Public Health Subcommittee for SCAG’s 2016 Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy, is a member of the U.S. Conference of Mayors Water Council and Metro Economies, and member of Mayors Against Illegal Guns.

In addition, Mayor Robertson is a founding board member for the NFL/AFL Youth Life Skills Camp, has hosted the annual State of Women event in Rialto for the past seven years, and was recognized by Assembly Member Cheryl Brown as 47th District Woman of the Year.

“Mayor Robertson is a jewel in the Inland Empire, as a woman in leadership she is empowering other women to continue leading our communities, we are happy to honor her this year with the Public Service Champion Award” said Vanessa Perez, Director of Time for Change Foundation.

Other Award Honorees include:

Carlos and Audrey Martinez with the Dynamic Duo Award, BLU Educational Foundation with the Rise (Restoring Inclusivity in Systemic Education) Award, Johnson Family Child Care with the Childcare of the Year Award, Linda Lindsey with the Lady of Justice Award, Mayor Deborah Robertson with the Public Service Champion Award, James and Rowena Ramos with the Lifetime Legacy Award, Beatriz Solis with the Melinda Gates Inspiration Award, and Dr. Roger Hadley with the Community Health Champion Award.

Time for Change Foundation’s 17th Year Anniversary Gala will take place on Friday, April 12, 2019 at the Doubletree Hotel by Hilton in Ontario, CA from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm. To support TFCF’s efforts to help homeless women and children become self-sufficient, thriving members of society you can become a sponsor, purchase an ad in the event program book or purchase a Gala ticket. 

To purchase tickets for the event or to become a sponsor and increase your business’ visibility in the community, please visit our website www.TimeForChangeFoundation.org or contact Vanessa Perez at (909) 886-2994 or by email at vperez@timeforchangefoundation.org.

Hosted By SoCal Black Chamber/SBVC Black Faculty & Staff

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— SAN BERNARDINO, CA— Saxophonist Mark Allen Felton was impressing folks with his smooth sax sounds before he was in high school. On Friday, March 29 you will be able to share his smooth sax sound, as Mark Anthony Felton, affectionately known as ‘Panther’, brings his horn and talented band to the San Bernardino Valley College Auditorium.

Felton is an accomplished and celebrated saxophonist who has delivered with four well received albums. His fifth album, ‘Soul Real’, is dropping later this month… So those in attendance on March 29th will be treated to an exclusive debut.

Felton points out that this release is different than previous recordings and enthusiastically predicts that fans and soon-to-be fans will love it.

Mark says, “This one is a little more upbeat… And funkier than the last record.”

And though Felton says he really digs the funk. He also says and demonstrates that he loves performing jazz, gospel and obviously soul music.

His ‘hipstrumentals’, as he calls them are sure to hit your senses in all the right places. And many can bear witness.

During his career Felton has played with some of the greats including Grammy Award winner Patti Labelle, the late great Al Jarreau, Bobby Womack, Kirk Whalum to name a few.

On Friday, March 29th, Felton will be performing music from his latest release live in a concert event sponsored by the Southern California Black Chamber of Commerce, Inland Cities East and the San Bernardino Valley College Black Faculty and Staff Association. Included in the night’s festivities is a cocktail social from 6 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. and the concert main event from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.. During the night there will be door prizes, giveaways, and, of course, Mark Allen Felton.

To purchase tickets, visit: blackchamberofcommerce.org

By Naomi K. Bonman

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— March is Women’s History Month. Women have been making strides for decades now and we continue to make our mark in the community through leadership and service. Local McDonald’s franchises, Kiana Webb is one of those woman who is worth looking up to. She is a true inspiration in our community. 

Ms. Webb, daughter of the local, iconic entrepreneurial legend, Reggie Webb, is a five-restaurant franchisee and is the President of Webb Family Enterprises, which operates a total of 16 McDonald’s restaurants. The company also invests in business incubation opportunities for young entrepreneurs of color. 

Kiana’s passion within the McDonald’s system is people and creating an environment where everyone who enters feels special and appreciated. I chatted with her more on her passion for the community in a recent interview. Listen below:

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE INTERVIEW

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— Over a century after her death, a Harriet Tubman biopic is finally scheduled for release in the fall of 2019.

The biographical movie, Harriet, will focus on the freedom fighter’s escape from slavery in 1849 and her heroic efforts to free hundreds of slaves as a conductor on the underground railroad.

While many remember Harriet Tubman as an influential abolitionist speaker and a Union Army scout during the Civil War, these aspects of her life will not appear in detail throughout the film. According to the film’s director, Kasi Lemmons, they made the choice to document the earlier portion of Tubman’s life to provide people with a new perspective on the popular historic figure.

“The images that we see of Harriet Tubman and the way we’re used to thinking of her is of a much older person, but to think what she did when she was a young woman is quite extraordinary,” she told Refinery 29. “That period of her life [is what] we often refer to, [but] we don’t really have a lot of [visuals] from that period, when she was really doing her superwoman thing.”

Cynthia Erivo, a British actress known for her Tony and Grammy award-winning role as Celie in the 2015 Broadway revival of The Color Purple, will be playing the role of Harriet.

According to Lemmons, Cynthia perfectly fit the image she had in her head of how she wants to portray Harriet.

“When I met Cynthia, I already had this picture of who this young woman was: very petite, very powerful and very spiritual, who could sing and who was an incredible mimic, and who had to be an incredible actress,” Lemmons said. “All of a sudden, I’m looking at this woman that is all of these things.”

While other actresses have played tribute to the historic figure in productions such as WGN’S Underground and NBC’s Timeless, Cynthia will be the first actress to represent Harriet Tubman in a biopic about her life.

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK-ENN)— SAN BERNARDINO, CA— Assemblymember Eloise Gómez Reyes honored Gwendolyn Lorraine Dowdy-Rodgers of San Bernardino as the 2019 Assembly District 47 Woman of the Year. Organized by the Legislative Women’s Caucus, the Woman of the Year award recognizes women from all over the state for accomplishments in their respective fields and for their dedication to improving the lives of others in conjunction with Women’s History Month.

Gwendolyn Lorraine Dowdy-Rodgers, a long-time noted speaker, assistant pastor, board of education member, and founder of the Young Women’s Empowerment Foundation was selected to receive this years’ Woman of the Year award based on her work with students and parents.  The Young Women’s Empowerment Foundation empowers young women to reach their highest aspirations via mentoring and scholarship opportunities that support participants from middle school through their first year of college. Gwen also established an annual spring “Girl Talk” conference for young girls along with an annual fall “Healthy Me” wellness conference for women to address chronic health issues.

“It is an honor to recognize Gwen for her commitment and dedication to the communities of the Inland Empire. Her leadership and sacrifice for others is a model we all should aspire to,” said Assemblymember Reyes. “Gwen is a champion for the region through her work to empower and uplift young women across the region.  Gwen made a decision to give back to her community with her time, efforts and knowledge and we should look to her as an example of what we can do to help others.”

In total, over 120 women were nominated from throughout the community for the Woman of the Year award which recognizes local women for accomplishments in their respective fields and for their dedication to improving the lives of others in conjunction with Women’s History Month.

Nominees came from a variety of different backgrounds ranging from educators and community advocates to county employees, students, business owners and heads of local non-profits.  After review, 30 finalist were selected before the final selection of Gwendolyn Lorrain Dowdy-Rodgers

2019 Woman of the Year Finalist for the 47^th District:

Alexa Sigala – Fontana

Alice Chow Geske – Grand Terrace

Aurelia Renteria – Fontana

Carol Malone – Rialto

Demi Espinoza – Muscoy

Dr. Letitia Wright – Fontana

Elsie Valdivia Robles – Colton

Erika Flores – Bloomington

Francine Blacksher – San Bernardino

Gloria Amaya – San Bernardino

Gwendolyn Dowdy-Rodgers – San Bernardino

Isabel Hunt – Fontana

Jean Kayano – Grand Terrace

Jennifer L. Morris – Rialto

Joyce Chambers Hampton – Rialto

Judith Valles – San Bernardino

Karen Larson Coleman – Fontana

Kathy Williams-Braxton – Colton

Kimberly Calvin – San Bernardino

Kimberly Clark – Fontana

LaKeisha Jackson – San Bernardino

LuCretia Dowdy – Bloomington

Maribel Núñez – San Bernardino

Maricela Soliz-Ferguson – Rialto

Megan Moeskau – Grand Terrace

Pamela Langford – San Bernardino

Paula Beauchamp – San Bernardino

Rebecca Gallegos – Colton

Rev. Bronica Martindale-Taylor – San Bernardino

Rosa Loera – Muscoy

A special reading of the Ted Lange’s play, “The Heart of Biddy Mason” took place in the heart of Downtown Los Angeles at The Pico House at El Pueblo Historical Monument. The reading was conducted by musicians who were part of the Barbara Morrison Trio.

ABOUT BIDDY MASON:
Biddy Mason was a former slave, nurse/ midwife, successful entrepreneur, humanitarian and founder of Los Angeles’s first African-American congregation. Bridget “Biddy” Mason was born a slave in Aug. of 1818 on a Georgia plantation owned by Robert Marion Smith and his wife Rebecca (Crosby) Smith. Mason had three daughters, Ellen, Ann and Harriet, whose father was reputedly Smith himself. In 1847, Smith became a Mormon convert and decided to move to the Utah Territory with his household and slaves. In the strenuous two-thousand miles cross-country, Mason was responsible for herding the cattle, preparing the meals and acting as mid-wife along with taking care of her own children. It is said that Mason walked behind her master’s 300-wagon caravan from Mississippi to Southern California. In 1851, Smith moved his household again, this time to San Bernardino, Ca. Smith sensed that Mason and her three daughters might seek their freedom in California, therefore he planned to take them back South. Luck came for Mason and her daughters after arriving in California, discovering that slaves were free in that state. She petioned a court in 1856 for her and her daughters freedom. A Sheriff asked Smith to appear in court to prove ownership of the family. He failed to appear in court and Mason won freedom for herself and her daughters. She and her daughters moved to Los Angeles where she found employment as a nurse and midwife. Hard work and her nursing skills allowed Mason to become economically independent. She later bought a site in what is now downtown Los Angeles on Spring St. for $250, becoming the first African-American woman to own land in Los Angeles. In 1884, Mason sold a parcel of her land for $1500 and built a commercial building with spaces for rental on the remaining land. She continued making wise decisions in her business and real estate transactions and her financial fortunes continued to increase until Mason had accumulated a fortune of almost $300,000. Mason gave generously to various charities and provided food and shelter for the poor of all races. She also remembered those in prison whom she visited often. In 1872, she and her son in-law, Charles Owens, founded and formed the Los Angeles branch of the First A.M.E. Church, Los Angeles’s first African-American congregation which began having services in Mason’s living room. Bridget “Biddy” Mason died in Los Angeles on Jan. 15, 1891 and was buried in an unmarked grave in Evergreen Cemetery. By the time Mason had died, the property, she owned had become the heart of Los Angeles’s financial district and was worth $250,000. On March 27, 1988, nearly a century after Mason’s death, a tombstone was unveiled at a ceremony which marked her grave for the first time. The ceremony was attended by Mayor Tom Bradley and about three thousand members of the First A.M.E. Church. On November 16, 1989, the citizens of Los Angeles declared a Biddy Mason Day and a memorial of her achievement was unveiled at the Broadway Spring Center located between Spring St. and Broadway at Third St. in Los Angeles.

The Story Behind Why Black History Month Is In February

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK–ENN)— The month of February serves as Black History Month; it’s a point in the year where we observe the difficult circumstances that Black people have faced throughout history as well as celebrate all their accomplishments. But why exactly is Black History Month in February? Many people have recognized the lack of representation Black people have within textbooks and school curriculum across America. Below, we outline the interesting and important story of why Black History Month is in February.

Carter G. Woodson: The Pioneer

In the early 20^th century, historian Carter G. Woodson saw first-hand the underrepresentation of Black people in the various books and conversations that shaped the study of American history. To try and fix this, Dr. Woodson founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History—now called the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH).

ASALH was and still is an organization that promotes the continuous study of Black history. Dr. Woodson believed this was essential because “if a race has no history, it has no worthwhile tradition, it becomes a negligible factor in the thought of the world, and it stands in danger of being exterminated.” Due to his determination to emphasize the importance of celebrating Black accomplishments, Dr. Woodson pioneered the field of African-American studies and set the foundation for Black History Month.

Douglass and Lincoln: The Abolitionists

In 1926, Dr. Woodson and the ASALH brought about “Negro History Week”—the purpose being to further their mission of getting Black history into more schooling systems. They chose the second week of February to honor Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln since their birthdays are within that week. This initiative spread quickly, and soon people everywhere were celebrating this week.

As the years went on, even after Dr. Woodson passed, people continued to celebrate this week. It wasn’t until the 1960s that people started to expand the week to a month-long celebration. Part of the reason for this expansion was the fact that “by the mid-1960s, the most popular textbook for eighth-grade U.S. history classes mentioned only two black people in the entire century of history that had transpired since the Civil War.” People knew there was so much more than that; therefore, colleges and universities across the country transformed to celebrate Black History Month instead of Negro History Week.

President Gerald Ford: The Solidifier

As the Civil Rights Movement spread across the country, it helped to snowball the initiative even further. By 1976, President Gerald Ford decreed Black History Month a national observance: “In celebrating Black History Month,” Ford said in his message, “we can seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”

Although the 20^th century was a tumultuous time, it resulted in massive steps forward for the Black community.

Black History Month: The Theme

Black History Month is a celebration of an underrepresented and abused people and their accomplishments. However, in 1976, the ASALH designated a theme to each year’s Black History Month. Every year since, there has been a theme. This year’s theme is Black Migrations, which emphasizes the movement of African people to new destinations and new social realities.

Akoma Unity Center has partnered with Empowered Mindz Stem Academy to bring a free, rigorous, robotics classes to Young Engineers. Students from all over the Inland Empire and Orange County attended this program.

According to Jennifer Xicara, the center’s operations manager, “Akoma is excited to inspire the next generation of Engineers with 5 more sessions to go”.

Akoma Unity Center is located on the West Side of San Bernardino at 1367 N. California Street. The phone number is 909-217-7956.

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By Tanu Henry California Black Media

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— Riverside-based publisher of the Black Voice News, Dr. Paulette Brown-Hinds, was recently sworn in as the first African-American president of the California News Publishers Association (CNPA). The 131-year-old organization, headquartered in Sacramento, represents more than 400 newspapers across the state.

The CNPA installed Brown-Hinds at its annual conference on February 6, 2019. Over a hundred California media professionals – from major big city dailies and small campus weeklies to historical Black, Latino and Asian outlets – attended the gathering. This year’s discussions touched on issues facing minorities in the upcoming 2020 Census. It also tackled sticky, longstanding media industry problems and pulled apart laws that could impact news operations across the state in the future.

“We have always valued the work CNPA has done on behalf of the industry,” Brown-Hinds told her colleagues in her inaugural speech as President.  “The work that the Black Voice News has done over the years is impactful work in the community that changed lives, policy. I knew it was important for me to do this as well.”

Taking the helm of the CNPA is history-making not only because Brown-Hinds is the first African American and ethnic minority to lead the influential statewide organization. Her personal and family history of advocacy and community service brings a certain grassroots heft that has the potential to benefit the organization as it takes on major legislative issues facing the media across the state in 2019. She is also a professor at the University of California Riverside, and board member of the James Irvine Foundation.

“[Paulette] is a fearless leader. She’s not afraid to confront complex issues. She never stops working and is a shining example of diplomacy,” said Ron Hasse, immediate predecessor.

 “Part of our mission,” she said.  “is giving voice to the voiceless. That is why I appreciate the press, in particular the Black press, because it is rooted in advocacy.”

As Brown-Hinds takes the helm of the CNPA, she faces a number of important policy issues that California newspapers have the responsibility to unpack for their audiences across the state. One of them is the upcoming 2020 Census. 

This years CNPA conference dedicated a panel discussion to exploring the details of the decennial census.  The Trump administration’s decision to add a citizenship question to the 2020 national population count was a hot topic. Panelists explored how that decision may or may not impact the participation of minorities, immigrants and undocumented people in California.

 The panelists also talked about how Census enumerators in the past have undercounted ethnic minorities and other “hard-to-count” populations in California and other states by millions of people. Those inaccuracies could result in the loss of billions of dollars in federal funding and even cost California a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. During the,2010 Census, about 200,000 minority children in California alone were undercounted.

“Power comes from numbers. Power comes from data. If your numbers are wrong and your data is wrong, it undermines your power,” said Arturo Vargas, the Chief Executive Officer of NALEO Educational Fund. His organization is a national non-profit that promotes the participation of Latinos in civic life. 

The way the Census Bureau will categorize and sub-categorize people by  race  on next year’s questionnaires may also pose problems for some Asians, Blacks, Latinos and other minority groups. For example, People of Arab descent from places in North Africa and the Middle East like Egypt, Syria and Morocco will be counted as White. Afro-Latinos from places like the Dominican Republic will only also be able to only identify as Latino – with no option to choose Black. 

The NAACP has filed a lawsuit in Maryland arguing that the 2020 Census is designed purposefully to undercount Blacks, Vargas told the media professionals in the room.

DitasKatague, the Director of the California Complete Count Office, was a panelist as well. She has also served on the U.S. Census Bureau’s National Advisory Committee on Race, Ethnicities and Other Populations.

Having worked on three censuses in the past, Katague sees the problems looming with next year’s count in California. She approaches them, though, with a surprising sense of confidence. She is familiar with the process and has decades of experience working with minorities and the media across the state to successfully increase participation.

After the 2020 census, she told the journalists in the room, “What I want to see is that California achieves a complete and accurate count and we outpace the entire country.”

In an effort to reach that goal, Katague’s organization plans to spend tens of millions of dollars partnering with California media, including ethnic media who she says “hard-to-count” minority populations trust.

“Locally created messages resonate. Understand your audience. Educate your audience,” she told them.