L.A. Focus Newspaper November 2021

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CHURCH NEWS Mt. Zion Names Successor to E.V. Hill II PAGE

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SEE PAGEe 10

Hollywood Buzz Real Housewives of “Atlanta” Lineup Revealed PAGE

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Upfront

Bass Campaign Celebrates Official Launch, Survey Finds Her to be Best Liked Candidate Hundreds turned out for the official launch of Karen Bass’ mayoral campaign on Saturday held at Los Angeles Trade Technical College in downtown Los Angeles in a show of support for the Congresswoman whose very presence– and growing support–has energized the race just as her words electrified those in attendance.

EYE IN GOSPEL CeCe Winans is “Gospel Artist of the Year”

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contents

L.A. Focus Publications

November 2021

L-R: Regina King places her handprints and footprints in cement outside Hollywood’s famed TCL Chinese Theatre; Macy Gray, Areva Martin, Bonnie Berry L-R: Lemon and Kym Whitley at the Special Needs Network’s Evening Under the Stars; Assemblymember Mike Gipson celebrates presentation of $50 million check from the state of California to Charles Drew University. Pictured with Gibson are Dr. David Carlisle, president and CEO of CDU, along with other representatives and students; Congresswoman Karen Bass poses with actress Tiffany Haddish who was on hand for the official launch of Bass’ mayoral campaign.

5 Commentary

From The Editor The Political Expediency of a Rush To Judgement

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The Racist Roots of the Anti-Vaxxer Movement

6 7

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IRS Helps Taxpayers with Expanded Child Tax Credits and Other Benefits

Biz News Briefs

8 Headlines From Africa Perspectives In Black And White

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Cover Story Rush To Judgement: Angered Tenth District Residents Say They Are Disenfranchised by the L.A. City Council’s Suspension of Mark RidleyThomas

staff

Publisher/Editor-In-Chief Staff Writers Photographer Advertising

Lisa Collins Gerald Bell, Tina Samepay, Chez’Ney Hadley Ian Foxx Kisha Smith

Elle’s Women In Hollywood Gala

Gospel Artist of the Year • Kierra Sheard and Mom Set New Milestone • Kingdom Business

Bren Hererra

Karimah Westbrook

14 GameChanger 15 Church News 16

The Deadly Secret Some Teens are Keeping

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Councilman Curren D. Price opened it’s district office on Oct. 29th to The University of California’s First Black assist neighbors President Sets Out to Break New Ground interested in the Basic Income Guaranteed: Los Angeles Economic Mt. Zion Names Successor to E.V. Hill II After Assistance Pilot Two-Year Search • Pastor Thom Washington Succumbs to Cancer (BIG: LEAP). For more information, call the 9th District office at: Didi Watts, The R.O.C.K. Church 323-846-2651

First Lady Files

honorary advisors West Angeles C.O.G.I.C. City of Refuge Greater Zion Church Family Southern Saint Paul Church Faithful Central Bible Church Mt. Moriah Baptist Church Baptist Minister’s Conference Inglewood Minister’s Association

Bishop Charles Blake Bishop Noel Jones Pastor Michael Fisher Rev. Xavier L. Thompson Bishop Kenneth C. Ulmer Pastor Emeritus Melvin Wade Pastor K.W Tulloss Bishop Robert T. Douglas Sr. L.A. Focus/November 2021

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Address all correspondence to: L.A. Focus, 333 W. Florence Ave., Suite C333 Inglewood, CA 90301 • (310) 677-6011 Subscription rates $25.00 per year.

George Hurtt

Special Report

Jay-Z Makes A Giant Move in the Cannabis Industry • Laphonza Butler Named President of Emily’s List • Fast Break for Small Businesses

Head to Head

Red Carpet Style Eye On Gospel

Money Matters

18 From The Pulpit of 19 21 In Good Taste Saving Grace 22 Pastor Profile

All Nations Worship Assembly – San Bernardino– Pastor Sherman Dumas

Denzel Washington

Bass Campaign Celebrates Launch, Survey Finds Her to be Best Liked Candidate • L.A. Makes Big Leap With First Guaranteed Basic Income Program • LADWP to Launch City’s Largest Utility Customer Debt Assistance Initiative

America’s Richest Blacks

“Real Housewives of ATL Lineup Revealed • Dave Chappelle Moves On • Dre’s Divorce Drama • New TV series for Martin Lawrence

Footnotes

UpFront

On the Money

Hollywood Buzz

advisory board Napoleon Brandford Pastor Beverly Crawford Lem Daniels Bob Blake

Siebert, Brandford, Shank & Co. Bible Enrichment Fellowship International Church Morgan Stanley Bob Blake & Associates

Cover Design: UpScale Media Group

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3

Commentary

DAVID A. LOVE Guest Columnist

“The Racist Roots of the Anti-Vaxxer Movement”

T

he COVID-19 pandemic has given birth to a next generation anti-vaxxer movement which, like the anti-vaxxer movements before it, is rooted in racism. In America, whether it is infectious disease or some other issue, ultimately race and racism manage to find their way into the discussion.

The predominantly White anti-vaccination movement, with White parents storming school board meetings and threatening violence, has a similar feel to the segregationists who fought school integration during the civil rights movement.

Remember the photos and film clips of White parents protesting the desegregation of public schools in the 1950s and 1960s? What is going on today in school systems throughout the country looks, feels, and smells very similar to what took place decades ago, and for the same reasons.

Anti-vaccination advocates have used racist language while promoting their beliefs. One example includes a hearing in Orange County, California, when antivaxxers called an Asian-American official “one of these communist parasites” and told him to “go back to Vietnam”–reflecting the anti-Asian racism among White right wingers who associate the origins of the coronavirus with Wuhan, China.

Anti-vaxxers are exploiting the vaccine hesitancy found in some corners of the Black community as a marketing ploy, even as Black people are twice as likely to die from COVID-19. For example, a film released by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. features false information about the coronavirus and clips of Black people calling COVID19 “propaganda.”

Further, the film compares the vaccination of Black

people to the forced gynecological experiments once performed on enslaved Black women.

Kennedy said those who agree with his film should use “the tools of advocacy that Martin Luther King Jr. talked about,” and promote the film as an act against totalitarianism. Other anti-vaxxer activists have invoked the Tuskegee syphilis study against Black men or have even quoted Malcolm X along with false statistics to make their point.

Both relying on White supremacy and embracing the rhetoric of the civil rights movement, the anti-vaccine

From the Editor

movement has claimed vaccine freedom is the next civil rights struggle. This, as Russian trolls on social media reportedly have assumed African American and Black Lives Matter personas to foment racial division regarding vaccinations.

And even as White nationalist government officials have promoted policies that spread the virus and cause death, they have managed to scapegoat Black people for the pandemic.

For example, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick blamed African Americans for the COVID surge. “The COVID is spreading,” Patrick said, “particularly, most of the numbers are with the unvaccinated and the Democrats like to blame Republicans on that. Well, the biggest group in most states are African Americans who have not been vaccinated.”

However, there is a bigger picture at play here. It is no accident that some White people are mad and taking their anger to the schools to rail against masks, vaccines, and critical race theory. Whether it is the ban on critical race theory or the opposition to masks and vaccines in the schools, White nationalist racism is fueling these movements.

This is all part of the culture wars, winning elections, and maintaining White minority rule. And when you cannot win on your unpopular policies, racism will do.

David A. Love is a professor, journalist and commentator who writes investigative stories and op-eds on a variety of issues, including politics, social justice, human rights, race, criminal justice and inequality. He is a writer for CNN, The Appeal, theGrio, First Boulevard, Al Jazeera and BlackCommentator.com.

LISA COLLINS Publisher

“The Political Expediency of a Rush to Judgement ”

I

reserved for those with over 30 years of service to the community, just police officers who shoot unarmed black men?

That people are forming opinions based on insinuation, their own prejudices and rumors has created a social media storm of reaction that will destroy the presumption of innocence over time, not just for Mark Ridley-Thomas but for any of us.

(One need only look at the criminal justice stats to know that the scales of justice have historically not been balanced in our favor).

Each of us is entitled to our day in a real court. It is a protection guaranteed by the sixth amendment to our constitution and while our country fights to preserve our democracy, it must just as surely fight to preserve the presumption of innocence that is guaranteed to all accused by the fifth amendment to our constitution.

Ask yourself how hard it will be for Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas to get a fair trial by a jury composed of those who’ve taken note of actions by the L.A. City Council, or who’ve been inundated with news headlines that all too often cast Mark Ridley-Thomas in the shadows of guilt and corruption.

Then again, perhaps we are missing the point. One pointed out by several who were interviewed for our cover story on page 10.

“This is political expediency”, said a Tenth District stakeholder. “A lot of them [City Council members] benefit from a weakened Mark Ridley-Thomas as councilman. That’s what this is all about. It’s a political act” And from one of his lawyers came this statement: “There is no question that in suspending Councilmember Mark Riley-Thomas, the City Council's behavior was not only outrageous, but it was also calculated to disempower the most effective member of that body.”

There is also the notion that if “they” can do this to one of the most powerful black politicians in the city, what does that mean for you or I. Sure, a 20count indictment sounds damming, but not nearly as damming as the thought that Black people are weak as a community and as a people, especially when all we’ve gone through tells a different story of triumph, victory and the strength to endure to heights of success that our ancestors could only have dreamed of.

Still, if the City Council doesn’t hear loud and clear from the community after their hasty rush to judgement, will any of our leaders be safe?

And will we lose the right to select our leaders if we stand by and watch as they are picked off so easily, (particularly if all it takes is an assumption of guilt without trial) and if it looks like we are not strong enough to fight the disenfranchisement that actionslike the councilman’s su plow the road for.

On a personal note, I am constantly reminded that none of us are perfect even if we are made in the image of a perfect God and while we have many faults, we can’t afford to let complacency get the best of us now.

Keep the faith!

L.A. Focus/November 2021

–like many of you–was surprised and shocked to hear of the indictment of the Honorable Mark Ridley-Thomas. Not only is he a friend, but he is one of the most transformative and brilliant political strategists to serve this city–and particularly South Los Angeles–and evidence of that can be seen across the county, from the Martin Luther King Hospital to the revitalization of Leimert Park and the significant inroads he has made on the frontlines of the battle against homelessness.

On its face, the indictment sounds damming, but as I reserve judgement to a court outcome, I am reminded that an indictment is an allegation. It is not evidence or proof of evidence. It is an assertion of what a prosecutor believes can be proved during a trial. No one is convicted of anything in an indictment until there is a trial.

No one has testified under penalty of perjury against Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas. Simply put, people are forming opinions based on the absence of a preponderance of evidence. We have a process. Why are they not willing to wait for it to run its course? Instead, folks are speculating, showing their biases, suspicions and skepticism and a fundamental misunderstanding of an indictment.

By the way, don't be fooled. No one outside of the justice department has seen all the evidence. If probable evidence has been shared with any agency, like the Los Angeles City Council or their attorneys, there would be grounds to throw out the indictment.

The City Council does not get a sneak preview or sneak peak, yet they have acted like judge and jury and have taken his salary while he is to be presumed innocent.

What ever happened to paid administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation or is that not

5

UpFront

News Briefs

“Bass Campaign Celebrates Official Launch, Survey Finds Her to be Best Liked Candidate

H

Hundreds turned out for the official launch of Karen Bass’ mayoral campaign on Saturday held at Los Angeles Trade Technical College in downtown Los Angeles in a show of support for the Congresswoman whose very presence–and growing support– has energized the race just as her words electrified those in attendance.

“I am a Democrat who will work to support and strengthen the business community because I care about income inequality, and we need to make LA attractive to businesses, large and small, that provide living wage jobs so people can afford homes," Bass said. "And we need to ensure that minority- and women-owned businesses are included and fully participate. We need to use the platform that the Mayor has, the bully pulpit and formal Mayoral authority, to celebrate our city, recruit employers, clean neighborhoods and cut red tape, so that we can attract good jobs to LA and rebuild our middle class...so that we can attract jobs that pay for mortgages, that pay for college savings, that pay for retirement and that offer dignity and stability. And in the midst of this pandemic, we have to fight for these jobs

more than ever."

Speakers and special guests at the event included Congresswoman Judy Chu, Actress Tiffany Haddish, and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

The Congresswoman discussed how her career has uniquely prepared her for this moment: first as an organizer, then as a Physician Assistant working in one of the largest Emergency Rooms in Los Angeles, and finally as an elected official serving Los Angeles at the state and federal level.

“When neighbors, store owners, nonprofits, teachers, parents, tenants, homeowners, activists, and City Hall work together, and work in partnership with the business community, we can change our neighborhoods -- each and every neighborhood," said Rep. Bass. "And as a former healthcare provider, I know we can reach out into and reassure even the hardest hit communities about the need to protect ourselves against COVID-19.

I’ve seen it. I’ve done it----we’ve done it together."

Bass has pledged to make homelessness a priority.

“In 1994, we treated the emergency

KISHA SMITH Staff

[of the earthquake] as an emergency," she remarked. "We mobilized local, state, federal governments, the private and non-profit sectors. Neighbors helped neighbors. We found temporary shelter and rebuilt our city. In record breaking time. We can fix our city again. 40,000 people on the street is an emergency.

Solving this emergency -- solving homelessness -- will be my overwhelming top priority as Mayor. The humanitarian and public health crisis of homelessness has been decades in the making. But we can’t wait decades to solve it. It’s up to us to solve it -- right now. If you elect me as Mayor, the status quo on homelessness will not stand... Los Angeles you have called me home and I am ready to serve."

The congresswoman said she hopes her campaign will become a movement that people together from all over the city to confront the crisis at hand.

A growing list of endorsements include the daughter of former L.A. Mayor, Lorraine Bradley.

"I have no doubt that Karen Bass is the right choice to carry on my father’s legacy," said Bradley. "And she’s going to win in the exact same way he did: by building a strong coalition of support across the entire city of Los Angeles. We’re watching history being made."

Proof positive that the excitement and hype surrounding the campaign is real and tangible is news from campaign manager Jamarah Hayner, that in just 20 days the campaign had raised more than $1 million, more than half of it from donors contributing $100 or less.

"In less than 3 weeks, this campaign rallied hundreds of supporters from every corner of the city in person and raised more than $1 million. We actually raised more than $100,000 on the first day we announced. The overwhelming enthusiasm from voters and donors across the city is clear -- Karen Bass is the clear choice to be the next Mayor of Bass continued to page 20

L.A. Makes Big Leap With First Guaranteed Basic Income Program

A

L.A. Focus/November 2021

pplications are now being accepted for the city’s first guaranteed basic income program, which will provide more than 3,200 households in Los Angeles with an unconditional $1,000 per month for one year. Dubbed “Big: Leap”, the $38 million program is being described as the largest povertydisrupter pilot program in the country offering no-strings attached direct-cash payments.

“When Los Angeles puts its stamp on a transformational issue, we don’t follow – we lead, and we believe that BIG:LEAP will pay large dividends for health and stability across our city and light a fire across our nation,” said Mayor Eric Garcetti. “This program is a small but steady investment in a simple concept: When you provide resources to families that are struggling, it can give them the breathing room to realize goals that many of us are fortunate enough to take for granted: put food on the table and cover childcare with less stress, keep their children’s focus on education and pursue new opportunities with fewer worries about the dayto-day needs of their household.”

To qualify, applicants must reside in the City of Los Angeles; be

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18 years of age or older; have at least one dependent child or be pregnant; have income at or below the federal poverty level; and have experienced economic and/or medical hardship related to COVID-19.

"Where programs like this have been introduced, we have seen a reduction in crime, increased school attendance, improved health outcomes, and a stronger sense of well-being,” said Councilmember Marqueece HarrisDawson. “This is how government should work, to reduce the strain on our social safety nets and trust that people who experience economic vulnerability are best equipped to make financial decisions for their families."

“We continue to make history as we push forward a progressive agenda that puts working families first,” said Councilmember Curren Price, who proposed the program. “District 9 will be the epicenter of BIG:LEAP, because the times we are living in require real investment in the lives of real people.”

The majority of the participants will be residents of the Ninth district encompassing a huge portion of South Los Angeles and part of downtown L.A., representing the largest percentage of

Angelenos living in poverty who are mostly people of color.

“Here is where more than 780 families will be turning the corner. We’re going to be mobilizing the community in a big way," said Price of his efforts to assist residents in applying for the program.

"Sadly, this pandemic has only exacerbated the racial wealth gap and it's laid bare a mountain of inequities that impact us all."

The 10-day application period started October 29 and runs through November 7, 2021. The recipients of cash assistance from BIG:LEAP will be randomly selected by the City’s research partner, the Center for Guaranteed Income and will be required to provide eligibility documentation to prove they meet program requirements. Upon confirmation, they will receive a prepaid debit card which will be reloaded with $1,000 every month. The City anticipates the first disbursement of funds in late January 2022 Applicants can apply online at https://BIGLEAP.lacity.org/ or visit a BIG:LEAP Community Partner (list of partners available by calling 311) or locate a FamilySource Center (16 locations) for assistance.

LADWP to Launch City’s Largest Utility Customer Debt Assistance Initiative The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) Board of Commissioners has announced the most comprehensive effort in the city’s history to help hundreds of thousands of financially strapped customers who have been burdened by mounting unpaid utility bills due to the sustained economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. In all, an expected $300 million will be used to reduce customer utility debt for over 250,000 customers.

“We want all of our customers who have struggled to pay their electric and water bills during the COVID-19 pandemic, and those who struggle every day to make ends meet, to know that help is on the way,” said LADWP Board President Cynthia McClain-Hill. “No one should live under the stress-inducing, day-today threat of having their utilities shut off because their DWP bills accumulated while they were effectively severed from their livelihood by a pandemic.”

LADWP has developed plans to mount a citywide effort to reduce utility customer debt, and in some cases eliminate their past due debt, through an economic relief program made possible by a federal, state, and local funding collaboration. LADWP will partner with community-based organizations (CBOs) and organized labor in its outreach effort to help DWP customers in need of assistance. LADWP will dedicate $15 million dollars to complement the state and federal funding to further assist lowincome customers who were late on their utility bill before the pandemic or who continued to need assistance after the state funding eligibility period.

Cal Warns Businesses, Landlords Using Felonies and COVID To Discriminate

EDWARD HENDERSON CA Black Media

The California state government has been reminding businesses across the state that it is illegal to discriminate against job applicants because of they have committed felonies or misdemeanors in the past. Authorities in Sacramento have also taken steps to make sure businesses do not use COVID-related restrictions to deny entry to customers they do not want based on race or other factors.

So far, the state has sent more than 500 notices to businesses informing them that they have violated protections put in place to protect people seeking work.

“The California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) announced a new effort to identify and correct violations of the Fair Chance Act, a pioneering state law that seeks to reduce barriers to employment for individuals with criminal histories,” a statement the DFEH released last week reads.

The Fair Chance act, which took effect on January 1, 2018, was written to increase access to employment for Californians with criminal histories in an effort to reduce recidivism, among other goals. Employers with five or more employees are prohibited from asking a job candidate about conviction history during the hiring process or when advertising a vacancy.

The DFEH says it is implementing new technologies to conduct mass searches of online job applications that include unlawful statements.

For example, some businesses explicitly state in hiring advertisements that they would not consider applicants with criminal records.

DFEH encourages individuals to report job advertisements in violation of the Fair Chance Act or other instances of discrimination.

Money Matters IRS Helps Taxpayers with Expanded Child Tax Credits and Other Benefits

O

n the same day that marked the last pandemic-related extension for filing taxes, IRS officials briefed ethnic media reporters about another major benefit under the American Rescue Plan -- the expansion of the Advance Child Tax Credit.

One of the most widely used tax credits in the country, the plan increased this benefit for 2021: formerly capped at $2,000, qualifying families can now receive up to $3,000 for each child between the ages of 6 and 17 and $3,600 for those under the age of six. To be eligible, children must be these ages as of December 31, 2021.

Half of these advance payments began to be issued as of July 15, 2021, in monthly installments, and the other half can be claimed with the 2021 tax return. This benefit is expected to help more than 39 million households.

"The new law enhances the credit by making it fully refundable for certain taxpayers," said Ken Corbin, Commissioner of the Wage and Investment Division and Chief Taxpayer Experience Officer, at the IRS, speaking at an EMS briefing Oct.15. "This means that taxpayers can benefit from the credit, even if they don’t have earned income or don’t owe any income taxes."

The IRS has provided three virtual tools for families to verify whether they can access this benefit. The first is the Eligibility Assistant, which allows a parent, another family member, guardian, or caregiver to determine if they qualify for the tax credit by answering a series of questions about themselves and their family members.

"This includes those taxpayers who could be experiencing homelessness, low income households and other underserved groups," Corbin said. The IRS has partnerships with over 5,000 homeless shelters, which can provide their mailing address for homeless people to receive their payment.

The second tool is the Non-filer Sign-up Tool to report qualifying children of those taxpayers who are not required to file a 2020 tax return, or have a gross income less than the applicable standard deduction amount, and have a main residence in the United States for more than

On the Money

JENNY MANRIQUE

America’s Richest Blacks

Ethnic Media Services

half a year.

The third tool is the Update Portal that allows families to enroll or exclude themselves from advance payments if they have already received them, add or remove beneficiaries, report a change in their marital status or income, change the form of receipt from a paper check to direct deposit, change account numbers to which the payments are directed and update their address.

"Taxpayers may prefer to claim the full credit when filing their 2021 tax returns next year," added Corbin.

Advanced payments are not subject to federal income taxes nor are they counted as income when determining eligibility for amounts of benefits or assistance under federal programs such as unemployment benefits, food stamps, or Medicaid.

Singles and couples who have social security numbers can claim the earned income tax credit even if their children don't have a SSN. “In January 2022, the IRS will be sending recipients of the advanced child tax credit payments and the economic impact payments, a letter that tells them how much they received in 2021. This information is important to make sure that when they file their 2021 returns, it will match IRS records,” Corbin explained.

For those without children, the rescue plan also provides benefits such as the earned income tax credit (EITC).

Eligible workers who are at least 19 years old can receive up to $1,502, triple the amount authorized by the government in 2020.

"These credits are a great deal of money in many households so it's very important to ensure sure no one else gets them," said Susan Simon, Director of Customer Assistance, Relationships and Education at the IRS. “We have worked very hard with representatives from banks and other state and federal organizations to ensure that the taxpayer gets the money they have applied for,” added Simon, offering a tool for people to protect themselves from identity theft: irs.gov/security.

Those who have had trouble with scammers can also Money Matters continued to page 20

L

ast month, Forbes Magazine released its annual list of the 400 richest Americans and just two blacks were on it, and no, Oprah wasn’t one of

them.

In fact, the wealthiest black man in America–Vista Equity Partners founder/CEO Robert Smith–bowed in on the list at number 141 with a net worth of $6.7 billion.

Smith, whose fortune was made in venture capital, is best remembered as the man who paid off the entire student loan debt of Morehouse College’s 2019 graduating class.

The only other black to make the list was David Steward who ranked #182 with a net worth of $5.8 billion.

The lesser known Steward is the founder of World Wide Technology, a St. Louis-based firm with upwards of 7,000 employees and 30 offices globally that is one of the federal government’s largest suppliers of advanced technology solutions. Reporting annual revenues of $13 billion, it is one of the largest privately owned companies in the nation.

His 2004 book, Doing Business by the Good Book: Fiftytwo Lessons on Success, Straight from the Bible, puts forth the importance of integrity, trust, teamwork, and diversity of thought and experience.

Topping the Forbes 400 list of richest Americans for the fourth year in a row was Amazon founder, Jeff Bezos, whose fortune is valued at $201 billion. Ranked at number two is Elon Worth with a net worth of $190.5. Rounding out the top five were Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg ($134.5B), Microsoft’s Bill Gates ($134B) and Google cofounder Larry Page ($123B). Clippers owner Steve Ballmer weighed in at #9 with $95.5 billion.

To get on the list you had to be worth $2.9 billion. Winfrey, who had been on the list, didn’t make the cut this year, but don’t cry for her. She’s still a billionaire. Other black billionaires who didn’t make the list include Tyler Perry, Jay-Z, Michael Jordan and Kanye West.

Robert Smith

Biz News Briefs Jay-Z Makes A Giant Move in the Cannabis Industry

It is often said that Jay-Z does nothing small.

Proof of that is his latest business move in the Cannabis market. The billionaire rap mogul and his cannabis company, The Parent Company, have acquired the Coastal Dispensary for a reported $56.2 million, with the additional option of equity in other stores bumping the deal up $9 million to a total price tag of $65 million.

Headquartered in Santa Barbara, the threeyear old company–which operates five of six licensed locations spanning from West Los Angeles to Vallejo–has been a dominant player in the cannabis industry and is credited as being the secondlargest operating retail dispensary in the state with an expanded reach to over 80% of its population.

“I am thrilled to add Coastal to our expanding retail network,” said Troy Datcher, chief executive officer of The Parent Company. “With strategically positioned locations in high-traffic, densely populated regions, Coastal enables us to significantly increase our reach to a broader potential audience of consumers with both in-person retail and delivery options. In just over four months, we

have more than tripled our operating retail stores in California.”

The deal–pending approvals–is expected to be finalized in 2022 and would boost the company’s current retail store and delivery footprints to eleven and six, respectively. Earlier this year, The Parent Company signed a $17 million deal to acquire four acres of licensed high-quality outdoor cannabis cultivation located in Sonoma County, California from a consortium of experienced cannabis farmers.

In yet another high profile deal, Marcy Venture Partners–the venture firm co-founded in 2018 by Jay-Z, former Roc Nation CEO Jay Brown and former Walden VC general partner Larry Marcus, reports that it has closed its second fund with $325 million in capital commitments and is now managing $600 million in assets altogether. The firm is described as having a passion for building game-changing consumer businesses and massmarket brands that resonate with culture across products and services, media and technology. Among the companies it has invested in include Rihanna’s lingerie company Savage X Fenty.

Laphonza Butler Named President of Emily’s List Laphonza Butler was recently named the President of EMILY’s List, a move that will take her from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C., to head the organization that bills itself as “the country’s largest resource for women in politics.”

She is the first African American CEO of the organization that says its mission is “to elect democratic pro-choice

women to office and to add diversity to our political leadership.”

When she was just 30 years old, more than 400,0000 members of California’s largest labor union, SEIU Local 2015, elected Butler to be their president. Known for her outspoken, straight-shooting style as she is for her poise and even temper, Butler has a reputation for being a leader capable of building bridges and driving consensus.

“Fast Break for Small Businesses” LegalZoom and the National Basketball Association (NBA have teamed up for a new multiyear partnership, “Fast Break for Small Busines.” The community-based initiative will award $6 million in grants and LegalZoom services to support thousands of small businesses throughout the country. The first-of-its-kind program will provide capital and other critical resources small businesses need to operate and grow, changing the game by removing barriers minorities, women, immigrants and members of the LGBTQ+ community often face.

“Our mission at LegalZoom is to democratize law in ways that help all small business owners thrive,” said Dan Wernikoff, CEO of LegalZoom. “Our commitment to promote social equality and economic inclusion align perfectly with the values of the NBA, WNBA and NBA G League. The ‘Fast Break for Small Business’ program accelerates our ability to support both new and existing small businesses while reducing the endemic inequalities in the financial and legal systems.”

For more information, visit www.legalzoom.com/fastbreakforsmallbusiness.

HeadToHead Perspectives In Black And White

W

hy doesn't President Joe ing of Colin Powell, let us recall the Odds and Biden place illegal immi- Ends, Ends at following criticism leveled at him grants in college dorms? when he served as secretary of Odds They would be around people who state: "In the days of slavery ... you love them and want them here. They got the privilege of living in the house if would get better food, housing and medical you served the master. ... Colin Powell's care. And they would get a firsthand look committed to come into the house of the at the open-mindedness and tolerance of master. When Colin Powell dares to sugthe young American Left. gest something other than what the masJust as the welfare state changed the ter wants to hear, he will be turned back culture of out-of-wedlock births by incen- out to pasture." – tivizing women to marry the government Harry Belafonte. and men to abandon their financial and When I lived in moral responsibility, free money and evic- Cleveland, a city with tion moratoriums have changed the cul- a majority black poputure of work by reducing the stigma of not lation, I went to a doing work.

Harry Belafonte conStudents in communist China study sci- cert in a nearby subence, technology, engineering and math. urb. Aside from the Larry Elder Students in America study "critical race staff working in the theory." What could possibly go wrong? sold-out 3,000 seat theater, my girlfriend It's a shame Biden did not choose Sen. and I were about the only blacks in the Bernie Sanders, D-Vt., for Housing and audience. Wonder if Harry was thinking, Urban Development Secretary. He could "Thank goodness the master bred the have explained how a socialist can acquire white folks in this house"? three houses.

I had a far-left white friend who took If you are black and believe in hard pride in living in a nearby "racially work, accountability and personal respon- diverse" suburb on a "racially diverse" sibility, then you become the black face of street. A few years later, he moved his white supremacy. If you are white and family further away to a nearly all-white believe the same things, then you become suburb in search, he said, of "better the proof of white supremacy. schools." I asked him why he continues to Real quick. Has anyone asked LeBron vote for the party that opposes school James what to do about the supply chain choice. We are no longer friends. backlog?

"I have said in the past – and I'll Reporters described the white woman repeat again –that the best reparations who threw that egg at me during my we can provide are good schools in the gubernatorial campaign as "wearing a inner city and jobs for people who are gorilla mask." At the risk of my sounding unemployed." – former President Barack sexist, how do we know it was a mask? Obama, 2008. "So the bottom line is that Maybe she was having a bad hair day. it's hard to find a model in which you can As long as California Democrats hate practically administer and sustain politiRepublicans more than they hate rising cal support for those kinds of efforts. ... violent crime, rising homelessness, rising Everybody potentially can make the claim cost of living, poor urban schools, bad for- that we should all be treated fairly." – est management, water rationing due to Obama, 2016. "So, if you ask me theoretiinadequate water infrastructure, "rolling cally: 'Are reparations justified?' The brownouts" due to an inadequate power answer is yes." – Obama, 2021. Had grid, and COVID-19 mandates of dubious Obama not done a 180 on reparations, he legality, California will continue having would have been canceled. Cancel culture these problems. California will not reverse eats its own. its decline until Democrats and independ- Larry Elder is a bestselling author and ents, like drug addicts and alcoholics, real- syndicated radio talk show host. His latest ize the state has hit bottom. What is the book, "The New Trump Standard," is definition of bottom? When a homeless guy available in paperback. To find out more takes a dump on your front lawn. about Elder, visit www.LarryElder.com.

As compliments poured in at the pass- Follow Larry on Twitter @LarryElder.

Headlines From Africa Congo: The World Health Organization has initiated an action plan to help prevent sexual exploitation following allegations of sex abuse against humanitarian workers during the Ebola response in Congo. The UN health agency is allotting $7.5 million to set up programs in ten countries with the highest risk profile.

Ethiopia: Escalating violence in the Tigray-Ethiopia conflict has led to the curtailment of humanitarian assistance programs due to safety concerns.

Ghana: Leaders of major churches in Ghana have united to denounce homosexuality as a “perversion” and an "evil to the society" and have advocated for stringent penalties for those practicing what they have dubbed as "unnatural relations."

L.A. Focus/November 2021

Ivory Coast: After ten years abroad, former President Laurent Gbagbo returned home to the Ivory Coast and announced that he has launched a new political party: the African People’s Party of Ivory Coast.

Kenya: President Uhuru Kenyatta has said Kenya’s ambition is to become a continental leader in sustainable development by scaling up usage of low carbon transportation systems and practicing smart agriculture. He says the country’s made tremendous progress in green energy utilization and was on course to supporting other Horn of Africa nations to develop their renewable energy capacities.

Liberia: Former Liberian warlord-turned-president Charles Taylor, jailed five decades for war crimes, has filed a lawsuit against his country's government over its "refusal" to pay his pension and retirement benefits.

Madagascar: Amnesty International reports that the global climate crisis has intensified a devastating drought in southern Madagascar, where catastrophic hunger has brought 1 million people to the brink of famine. The report is titled “It will be too late to help us once we are dead”.

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or more than a century, Maybe White “One of the worries that I have school districts preferred about the way that we’re talking People textbooks that taught stu- Should Feel about race is that it either seems so dents about “happy slaves” big that somehow white people Bad and framed the Civil War as a dishave to feel guilty for what hapagreement over taxes. Republicans still pened in the past,” Rice said. “I would like refuse to admit voter suppression exists or Black kids to be completely empowered; to that there was an insurrection on Jan. 6. know that they are beautiful in their Entire sections of the country will burn, Blackness; but in order to do that, I don’t flood and be blown away because most have to make white kids feel bad for being Republicans still won’t white.” admit that climate Since we have repeatedly explained that Kchange is real.

12 schools don’t actually teach CRT, let’s In describing our get to the meat of her argument: that conpast propensity to per- textualizing America’s long history of petuate untruths, we inequality and structural racism will make could say “America white children feel bad. lied.” But, to capture Why shouldn’t white children feel bad? the present situation, Even though white children are now the Michael Harriot we would need to add minority of America’s school-age populathat “America is lying.” And, because none tion, most white children attend majorityof these things are changing, we should white schools that are better funded than also state that: America be lying. the schools attended by Black kids. White These lies all have the same purpose: to students have access to a more advanced make white people feel comfortable. When curriculum and even better food than nonwhite people are comfortable, they are white students. complacent and less likely to demand If they knew about these disparities, change. And, because maintaining the sta- they would have to conclude that they bentus quo benefits them, feeling comfortable efit from them, which might make them is one of the few white privileges that actu- feel bad. But it also might make the next ally perpetuates inequality. generation of children work to eliminate There’s no need to fight for voting rights this structural discrimination. A person if half of white people believe we should can only fix a problem if they know the focus on preventing ineligible voters from problem exists and educating children on casting ballots. It’s easy to venerate the America’s history of systemic racism is the slave-owning Founding Fathers and the only way to fix it. Therefore, not teaching despicable Confederate monuments if only them the history of why this inequality 46 percent of whites think that “increased exists actually why these disparities still public attention to the history of slavery exist! and racism is good for society,” according to Maybe we should make white people Pew Research. feel bad.

This is why America be lying.

This is not a theory; history is rife with Which brings us to Condoleezza Rice. examples of how making people feel bad Recently, Rice sat down with the ladies actually starts the process of fixing probof The View and avoided every condemna- lems. Seeing cops in Birmingham spray tion of her party’s toxicity by explaining Black children with firehoses made white why “we should move on.” While talking people feel bad. We passed the Voting about Critical Race Theory, Sec. Rice Rights Act after people felt bad about launched into a soliloquy defending the Alabama state troopers cracking the skulls fragile white children whose lives would be of nonviolent protesters marching over the destroyed by learning the truth about Edmund Pettus Bridge. White people felt America’s past. As she recounted how she so bad about children being locked in cages grew up in segregated Birmingham, Ala., that the anti-immigrant Trump adminisshe conveniently forgot that white people tration changed its family separation poliwere the ones who bombed churches, mur- cy. White people felt so bad when they saw dered children and perpetuated the dis- Derek Chauvin kneel on George Floyd’s crimination she experienced in her youth.

Harriot continued to page 20

A look at current news from the continent of Africa Nigeria: Nigeria has become the first African nation to launch a digital currency, the eNaira, which the Central Bank of Nigeria calls a "major step forward in the evolution of money in Africa’s most populous country.

Rwanda: Rwandan prosecutors filed an appeal against a court ruling that sentenced "Hotel Rwanda" hero Paul Rusesabagina to 25 years in prison on terrorism charges. Rusesabagina, 67, and his fellow accused were convicted and sentenced on September 20 after a trial that rights groups and his supporters had branded a sham.

South Africa: Cricket star Quinton de Kock sparked headlines after refusing to play in a T20 World Cup game against the West Indies in protest of Cricket South Africa ordering its players to take a knee before matches in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Sudan: Sudan’s military seized power after it arrested Prime Minister Abdulla Hamdok and dissolved the transitional government on October 25. The U.S. has threatened to cut aid and the world bank has suspended aid in an effort to put pressure on the coup’s leader, Gen Abdel Fattah Burhan, to reinstate the civilian government. Burhan has said that the army would take over and a technocratic government would be formed to run the country until elections are held in July 2023.

Tanzania: A ban on pregnant students and adolescent mothers attending school has denied tens of thousands of girls their right to education in Tanzania, according to Human Rights Watch. Public schools across Tanzania conduct compulsory pregnancy testing and expel pregnant girls before completing their education.

Uganda: Uganda is joining with Kenya and Ethiopia to pilot the Survivor Leadership Fund to get money directly into the hands of organizations led by survivors of modern slavery - and then trust them to spend it in the ways they think will achieve the most impact.

J

ust minutes after a 20-count indictment was announced against L.A. Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas – alleging conspiracy, wire and mail fraud in an alleged quid pro quo scheme to get his son into USC in exchange for steering lucrative contracts to the university– fellow city councilmember Joe Buscaino sent out a tweet calling for his resignation, followed by a public statement hours later by Council president Nury Martinez that the City Council would need to take “appropriate action”.

Two days after the indictment–and several days before his official arraignment–there was speculation about what would become of the many sites and L.A. landmarks named for the councilman and serve as a testament to his three-plus decades of public service.

And just hours before he could enter a not guilty plea in federal court, Ridley-Thomas had been stripped of his duties, salary and benefits as the duly elected councilmember representing L.A.’s Tenth District, which includes Koreatown, Leimert Park, Gramercy Park, Mid-City, Wilshire Center, Arlington Heights and the Baldwin Village.

“We are acting … too early without consideration of our full range of options and with too much uncertainty before us,” Councilman Mike Bonin said following the motion to suspend Ridley-Thomas, made by Council president Nury Martinez and seconded by Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell. “The allegations are only a week old.

"Having known Mr. Ridley-Thomas for 30 years,” Bonin continued, “I think it is important to give him the benefit of the doubt and the opportunity to defend himself before we rush to judgment."

“Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas has a right to due process, and that should take place in a court of law, not in these council chambers,” stated Councilmember Curren Price. “I refuse to slaughter the reputation of someone who has a [long] track record of public service.”

Councilman Marqueece Harris-Dawson, who also spoke against the motion, pointed out in an interview with KCRW that multiple members of the council knew about the allegations against Ridley-Thomas two years ago and

LISA COLLINS Editor still endorsed him when he ran for District 10.

“When there's a political opportunity to kick him, they are happy to kick him,” said the councilman who has publicly made note of others at LA City Hall who’ve faced federal investigations without suspension.

Hoping to avert the move, Ridley-Thomas penned a letter days before to his fellow city councilmembers offering to step back, though not resigning the seat.

“I fully appreciate the importance of the Council being able to conduct its business with minimal distractions,” Ridley-Thomas wrote. “With that in mind, and with deep respect for each of you, I write to let you know of my intention to immediately step back from participating in both full Council and Committee meetings.”

In a letter to the City Council prior to the vote, Micheal Proctor, the attorney for Ridley-Thomas urged councilmembers to either deny or remove from consideration the motion.

“There is no basis for invoking Section 211 because it is undisputed that Councilmember Ridley-Thomas is not being accused of a crime that relates to a violation of his official duties as a Councilmember,” Proctor wrote.

“Moreover, there are significant differences between this accusation and those against previous Councilmembers who have been indicted of crimes,” Proctor continued. “Unlike the others, the allegations against Councilmember Ridley-Thomas, which are false and will be refuted, make no assertion that he had received any personal gain. Furthermore, the contracts which are the subject of alleged wrongdoing were not doled out in a back room. They were standard contracts voted on in full view of the public and approved by the full Board of Supervisors. After allegations were first made, in 2018, the County of Los Angeles went back and did a comprehensive review to ensure that there was no wrongdoing, and indeed none was found.”

Following the vote, the L.A. native issued a statement stating that he was humbled by those who supported him and disappointed by those who didn’t.

"Eleven members of this Council have stripped the constituents of the 10th District of their representation, of their voice and of their right to the services that they deserve,” the statement read. “They have removed from action a member - and his team - who together are among the most productive and effective advocates on the crisis of

There is no question that in suspending Councilmember Mark Riley-Thomas, the City Council's behavior was not only outrageous, but it was also calculated to disempower the most effective member of that body. I also believe it was unconstitutional because it did afford him due process. It is clear that the councilmember is the region's leader on homelessness; he is the most knowledgeable about redistricting, and he has the strongest record on law enforcement reform....Without his presence, his District and the entire city are at a disadvantage.

homelessness. I will continue fighting to clear my name, and I remain confident that such will be the case. But in the interim, the council has disenfranchised the residents of the 10th District."

The residents responded with an outpouring of letters and phone calls to the City Council as well as a rally downtown at City Hall with residents and supporters chanting “You stole our vote” as members of the L.A. City Council as they approached the parking entrance at City Hall in advance of a subsequent council meeting.

Harry McElroy, president of the Hepburn Avenue Block Club was one of them.

“Elected officials always claim they want to follow constitutional law,” McElroy said. “One of the foundations of our constitutional government is the fact that you’re innocent until proven guilty and here is a prime example where a body moves to basically punish somebody ahead of a trial, particularly when you take a person’s pay and healthcare insurance. That is a total punishing act.

“This is political expediency. A lot of them benefit from a weakened Mark Ridley-Thomas as councilman. That’s what this is all about. It’s a political act.”

Charles Johnson, senior pastor of the Cochran Avenue Baptist which is located in the Tenth District, rallied not only in solidarity but out of concern for the lack of representation in his district.

“Our entire church community is up in arms,” Johnson reported. “We have so many extenuating conditions and situations that require attention right now, and it’s unfair that as of this moment, we are unrepresented. That should never happen in this city.

Downtown Crenshaw co-founder Damion Goodmon, who has butted heads with Ridley-Thomas in the past, characterized the suspension as “coldblooded”.

“They could have at least waited until the man had entered his plea,” Goodmon observed. “But it’s not about Mark, it’s about the 260,000 residents in the Tenth District who are now left without representation and that includes me. Whether you like Mark Ridley-Thomas or not, the City Council should have–at a minimum–articulated the process for adequate representation in the Tenth District. We can’t be down a councilmember as they’re drawing redistricting lines for the next ten years.”

Since his first election to the L.A. City Council in 1991, the now 66-year old seasoned politician–who has served on the City Council, the State Senate and California Assembly before spending 12 years on the Board of Supervisors– has helped to shape the political landscape of the city and particularly South L.A. and has been a keen tactician in fighting for–and seeing that others addressed– the issues of African Americans and communities of color.

“Our neighborhood has begun to make changes, positive movements for us as a group. We were getting the support we needed, and I think it’s important that we have his ability to help us keep the tenth district moving forward as it is an historical district, important in many ways to the overall area,” said Donna Jones, who serves as acting chair of the West Adams Neighborhood Association.

Jones was one of the more than two dozen Tenth District stakeholders–including actress Debbie Allen and Norn Nixon— who fired off a letter to the City Council expressing their shock and horror regarding the council’s “hasty action” to suspend Ridley-Thomas.

“Our parents and grandparents, and many of us, fought for our right to vote,” the letter read. “This right is one we hold as sacred, as it allows us to meaningfully participate in a democratic society. Less than a year ago, 61% of voters in the 10th District elected Councilmember Ridley-Thomas. Your move to recklessly remove him from office, without even providing him with the opportunity to defend himself, or for the residents and stakeholders of the 10th District to meaningfully weigh in, reveals that the democratic principles of which our society is based now ring hollow for the 11 members of the Council.

“Please do the right thing and reverse course,” the letter concluded.

In the meantime, a team of well-known lawyers, is exploring all legal remedies available to right what they view as an unconstitutional wrong.

Leading the team is John Sweeney.

Said Sweeney, "There is no question that in suspending Councilmember Mark Riley-Thomas, the City Council's behavior was not only outrageous, but it was also calculated to disempower the most effective member of that body. I also believe it was unconstitutional because it did afford him due process.”

Sweeney, who grew up in the Tenth District and says

he knows what Ridley-Thomas has meant to the community.

“It is clear that the councilmember is the region's leader on homelessness; he is the most knowledgeable about redistricting, and he has the strongest record on law enforcement reform. These issues are controversial, and only someone with the councilmember's experience and leadership abilities can successfully address these important issues. Without his presence, his District and the entire city are at a disadvantage.”

There is no contesting the tremendous impact RidleyThomas has had in the community over his career in public office, from the re-opening of the Martin Luther King Jr. Hospital to leading the fight to pass Measure H, the ballot initiative approved by voters in 2017 that will raise $3.5 billion for homeless services through 2027; to his founding the Empowerment Congress, the region’s most successful initiative in neighborhood-based civic engagement.

“After 30 years of service, you don’t treat someone like this. You let them have their day in court,” maintains SCLC President and Pastor William Smart –who lives in the Tenth District.

“The city council was wrong and we’re not going to take this. They’ve pre-judged and they disrespected our district.”

Rev. K.W. Tulloss, president of the Baptist Minister’s Conference, called the suspension a “political hit job.’

“It’s ironic that Nury Martinez, who introduced the motion– wasn’t suspended when she was under investigation,” he said. “And Kevin de Leon was named in an FBI probe investigating whether or not he violated campaign rules several years ago.

“There are some racial overtones to what’s happening here.”

Pastor Welton Pleasant–who as president of the California State Baptist Convention, represents churches in the Tenth District–viewed the action taken by the city council as a form of voter suppression.

“Our vote has been disenfranchised through this process and it’s not fair to the citizens of District 10.

America’s hallmark of democracy is the presumption of innocence,” Pleasant noted. “He has not been found guilty of anything so where is the presumption of innocence? It’s unfair that the City Council would rush to judgement and take away his right to make a living and we can’t let that stand.”

A legal defense fund has been set up to help offset attorney fees.

Both Pleasant and Tulloss were among 400 pastors, community leaders and residents who turned out for a Citywide Prayer Service for Ridley-Thomas.

“What does my presence mean at this meeting here tonight? It means I love Mark Ridley-Thomas,” Bishop Charles Blake said. “After doing so much for our city over so many years, there is no way we should allow him to have a challenge like this and not have the [faith] family to gather together…”

The event was organized by Pastor Xavier Thompson with the assistance of Bishop Noel Jones in just 72 hours following Ridley-Thomas’ indictment.

“This is not a matter of right or wrong, guilty or innocent,” stated Thompson, who serves as pastor of the Southern Missionary Baptist Church. “This is our own and we don’t abandon our family. The least we can do is come together and pray for our beloved public servant. I am aware of the 20-count federal indictment, but I’m going on record to say that the man I know is one of character.

The man I know is integral who has been above board in all of his doings.

“An indictment is not a conviction,” Thompson added.

“We’re innocent until proven guilty. So, I’m motivated by love to just rally the community and clergy and this is a unified effort– an effort of solidarity.”

Insiders say that the city council is considering names for an individual who could serve as caretaker for the district for the time being. Attorney Grace Yoo, who was soundly defeated by Ridley-Thomas for the seat in an election last year, has indicated she would accept an acting appointment, but as Councilman Harris-Dawson and others have pointed out, she has already been rejected by voters.

For Pastor Johnson, selecting a caretaker is not the answer.

“Sure, they can appoint someone to temporarily take over, but my vote is my voice,” he continued. “We don’t want a puppet leader. We deserve the right to choose who represents us and our choice is Mark Ridley-Thomas.”

What the L.A. City Charter Says: Sec. 211. Suspension Pending Trial.

Pending trial, the Council may suspend any elected officer, and the appointing power may suspend any appointed officer, against whom felony criminal proceedings, or criminal misdemeanor proceedings related to a violation of official duties as described in Section 207(c). The temporary vacancy shall be filled in accordance with the Charter.

Section 207(c): An office becomes vacant when: (a) the incumbent dies, retires, resigns, is adjudged insane, pleads guilty or no contest to or is convicted of a felony, is removed from office or fails to qualify within ten days from the time he or she receives his or her certificate of election or appointment; (b) the incumbent ceases to be a registered voter or resident of the City, where being a registered voter or City residency is a qualification for the office; (c) the incumbent is convicted of an offense involving a violation of official duties, including, without limitation, a violation of the conflict of interest and government ethics provisions of the Charter or City ordinances. However, removal from office for violating conflict of interest or governmental ethics provisions shall be required only if a court determines that the seriousness of the offense and degree of culpability of the officer so warrant;

City Councilmembers Who Have Been Targets of Past Investigations, (but were clearly treated differnently and were not suspended from office) L.A. City Council President Nury Martinez: There were two investigations centering in on Martinez’s fundraising activities in 2015 after prosecutors received an allegation that Martinez’s campaign had engaged in fraud when it secured more than $65,000 in city taxpayers matching funds for her reelection bid.

Kevin DeLeon: Served with a recall notice just months ago for his handling of the homelessness crisis, DeLeon was the subject of an FBI inquiry in 2013 over a possible violation of campaign rules.

John Lee: Investigated in the probe against former Councilmember Mitchell Englander, who was indicted for federal corruption following allegations he had accepted cash, hotel rooms and other illicit perks. Lee, who served as Englander’s chief of staff and accompanied him on at least one such Las Vegas trip. In response to calls on the part of some of his constituents to resign, a spokesman for Lee asked that “everyone please look at the facts and not jump to conclusions.”

HO L LY W OOD SPOT LIGHT Chez Hadley “King Richard” Everything about his dream seemed impossible. Two black girls from Compton–youngest daughters Venus and Serena Williams–shaking up the world through the then lily white sport of tennis.

Some called him eccentric. Others derided his courtside antics, but by all accounts, Richard Williams was determined to do the impossible with unrelenting focus and a 78-page plan. The film tells his story of drive and resolve to raise and coach two of the world’s greatest sports legends and the obstacles he had to overcome to do it.

Will Smith plays the controversial Williams whose commitment to making Venus and Serena Williams the

best in the game meant constant practice rain or shine on Compton’s abandoned tennis courts and bordered on the kind of obsession that disrupts family life and yet remains undeterred in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.

Smith is convincing in the role of the father whose unpredictable moves

and unprofessional behavior around the toney tennis crowd could make one’s hairs stand on end. It’s hard, however, not to appreciate the behindthe-scenes glimpse into the world of tennis for blacks in the 1980s-1990s and to revel in his success as we know how this story turns out. And yes, the film offers some great tennis action.

Saniyya Sidney stars as Venus Williams and Demi Singleton stars as Serena Williams, with Aunjanue Ellis as mom, Oracene and Tony Goldwyn as coach Paul Cohen. Both Serena and Venus Williams–along with Jada Pinkett Smith– are among the film’s executive producers.

The film opens November 19.

OUT THIS MONTH

HOLLYWOOD BUZZ

The Harder They Fall November 3

“Real Housewives of Atlanta” Lineup Revealed

Red Notice November 12

King Richard November 19

of her Bravo spinoff, “Porsha’s Family Matters”, which is set to bow on November 28.

L.A. Focus/November 2021

Bravo recently revealed the cast for season 14 of the “Real Housewives of Dave Chappelle Moves On Atlanta” and there are some Comedian Dave Chappelle said he’s pretty big changes, though been disinvited to film festivals, and for the most part, much of that there is now little interest from the lineup had already been any company or studio in entertaining leaked on social media. his new documentary due to the fallout Returning to the show are from the LGBTQ community over comKandi Burruss, Kenya ments made in his controversial Moore and Drew Sidora. Netflix special, “The Closer,” but other Marlo Hampton–who has than that the 48-year old entertainer been characterized as a hasn’t skipped a beat. He was all friend of the show for the smiles with Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos last decade–has officially as he inducted Jay-Z into the Rock and been promoted to the title of Roll Hall of Fame and a couple of days “cast member”. Rejoining earlier teamed up with comedian Joe the cast is former Real Rogan before a sold out crowd in New Housewives of Atlanta cast Orleans, reportedly breaking attendance records at the Smoothie King member Shereé Center where the concert took place.

Whitfield while Taking to the stage in New Orleans, joining the cast he used the controversy as a punchas a newbie is four-time line, poking fun at being “cancelled” Olympic Gold medalist and quipping that he hadn’t been “in Sanya Richards-Ross, this much trouble in my life.” He who holds the distincadded that he believed his critics tion of being the did something in their lives fastest American they can’t forgive themselves woman in history for and that they should at 400 meters. forgive themselves rather (She might than coming for him. not want to ditch On the Home Front t h o s e Dr. Dre’s divorce drama running is once again making shoes for news after reports that all the his estranged wife had drama she will him served with divorce no doubt have to papers at his grandmothdodge). No word yet er’s funeral. According to on a premiere date court documents obtained for season 14. Not

by Radar, ex-wife Nicole returning to the listed a total of $1,001,729 show are Porsha in her bank accounts with Williams and average monthly expenses Cynthia Bailey. of $2,356,936. Court docuWilliams is gearments further outlined the ing up for the debut Kandi Burruss

12

Ghostbusters Afterlife November 19

couple’s expenses while they were together to include over $80k on their children, $322k on travel, $645k on gifts, $12k on entertainment, $59k on clothes, $121k on household expenses and $10k on jewelry.

In The Works Martin Lawrence has been tapped to star in an adaptation of the highly popular Israeli series Nehama, in what will be his first TV role in seven years.

The series tells the story of a happily married father of five (Lawrence) who quits his suffocating job in high tech to chase his original love of stand-up comedy. When his wife suddenly dies, he must decide whether he should pursue his dream and risk losing his kids — who are lost without their mother, exploring the theme of “having it all” from a uniquely male perspective.

Lawrence will also produce the U.S. of the show through his RunTelDat production company.

Coming Soon Coming to Netflix on November 24 is “True Story”, starring Wesley Snipes and Kevin Hart in the story of a comedian (Hart) who makes a tour stop in his hometown of Philadelphia only to get caught in some intense and dangerous situations that threaten to destroy everything his success has built thanks to his wayward older brother (Snipes)…And bowing on November 24 (in theaters November 14) is “Bruised”, marking the highly anticipated first feature directed by Halle Berry, who also stars in the movie about a mixed martial arts fighter who has left the sport in disgrace and is coaxed into a brutal underground fight by her manager and boyfriend that gets the attention of a fight league promoter who promises her a life back in the octagon. Of course, there are a lot of twists and turns along the way.

Footnotes Denzel Washington Hometown: Mt. Vernon, New York Big Break: 1996 release of “Ice Cream Man” Upcoming Project: “The Tragedy of Macbeth” (In theaters December 25) This veteran, two-time Oscar winning actor who also has three Golden Globe Awards and a Tony Award, was ranked by the New York Times as “the greatest actor of the twenty-first century” in 2020, thanks to his work in such film classics as “Glory”, “Malcolm X”, “The Pelican Brief”, “Philadelphia”, “Training Day” and “The Equalizer”. Offstage, he is an ardent Christian who recently was among the featured speakers at ‘The Better Man Event” in Orlando, Florida, where he spoke to his own spiritual journey. Here is some of what he shared.

On this stage in his life: At 66, getting ready to be 67, having just buried my mother, I made a promise to her and to God, not just to do good the right way, but to honor my mother and my father by the way I live my life, the rest of my days on this Earth. I'm here to serve, to help, to provide.

On what it means to be a man: The world has changed…The John Wayne formula is not quite a fit right now. But strength, leadership, power, authority, guidance, patience are God's gift to us as men. We have to cherish that, not abuse it.

On his onscreen persona: What I played in the movies is not who I am, it's what I played. I'm not going to sit or stand on any pedestal and tell you about what I had in mind for you or your soul, because the fact of the matter is, in the whole 40year process, I was struggling for my own soul.

On fear: Fear is nothing but contaminated faith. My chest is sagging right now because I haven't been lifting weights. I'm losing weight first. So, you got to lift them faith weights. You got to do your curls and your squats daily. You may get injured; you may want to throw them down, you may want to give up, you may never be big ... you have to refill your bucket every night. You have to refill your bucket every morning.

On fame: It [the Bible] says in the last days we'll become lovers of ourselves. The number one photograph now is a selfie. So, we all want to lead. We're willing to do anything – ladies and young men – to be influential. ...

Fame is a monster, and we all have these ladders and battles, roads we have to walk in our given lives. Be you famous or whoever's out there listening, we all have our individual challenges. Money, don't make it better. It doesn't. Fame just magnifies the problems and the opportunities.

On his advice for younger men: Stay on your knees. Watch me, but listen to God. I hope that the words in my mouth and the meditation of my heart are pleasing in God's sight, but I'm human. I'm just like you. What I have will not keep me on this Earth for one more day. Share what you know, inspire who you can, seek advice. If you want to talk to one someone, talk to the one that can do something about it. Constantly develop those habits.

RedCarpet Style

CIARA turned heads in this revealing all-white Monot dress

KERRY WASHINGTON sparkled in this Ralph & Russo gown

The carpet may have been black but the fashions were red hot at Elle’s Women In Hollywood gala. Kerry Washington, Jennifer Hudson, Ciara and Halle Berry were among the nine women honored for their acheivements in the entertainment industry.

HALLE BERRY was a stunner in this slinky Peter Dundas flowered maxi

NICOLE ARI PARKER stood out in this yellow spaghetti strapped midi

JENNIFER HUDSON donned this classic white Ralph Lauren tuxedo suit

Eye On Gospel “Gospel Artist of the Year” Cece Winans capped off what was a big year for the 57year old gospel singer at the 52nd Annual Dove Awards, where for the second time, she was named “Gospel Artist of the Year”. Winans, who was nominated for five awards was one of the night’s big winners with four awards, including “Gospel worship album of the year”, “Gospel worship recorded song of the year” (“Believe for It”) and “Inspirational recorded song of the year”, for “Great Is Thy Faithfulness”, the duet she performed with Carrie Underwood from Underwood’s My Savior album.

"God is faithful to every generation. And I am just honored to be a part of this industry. I'm honored to lift up the name of Jesus," Winans said in accepti n g t h e award.

“After so many years of d o i n g this, I'm breathing harder but it gets better,” Winans said backstage. “I feel so encouraged.

And it reminds us that the Word of God is always relevant. It doesn't matter how old you get, the Word of God never gets old. And so, I'm excited that I'm getting

the chance to connect with the younger generation “I've been able to see them start and continue to rise, and I get excited because they're remembering that it's not just about a song … but it's about your life, the lifestyle that you live behind the song. I'm excited about encouraging the next generation.”

Other of the night’s winners included Koryn Hawthorne (Contemporary gospel album of the year– “I Am”); Marvin Sapp (Traditional gospel album–”Chosen Vessel”); Jekalyn Carr (Traditional gospel song– ”Changing Your Story”) and Lecrae (Rap/hip hop recorded song of the year for “Deep End”).

Kierra Sheard and Mom Set New Milestone Award-winning artist, actress and entrepreneur Kierra Sheard hits #1 on two Gospel radio charts, with her latest single “Something Has to Break” (feat. Karen Clark Sheard), topping Billboard’s Gospel Airplay chart and the MediaBase Gospel chart. The family duet with Kierra and her mother, Gospel icon Karen Clark Sheard, marks a milestone as the first mother-daughter duo to hit #1 on Billboard’s Gospel Airplay chart.

This latest chart success for “Something Has to Break” also marks Kierra’s fourth #1 overall on Billboard’s Gospel Airplay chart, following her third #1 for the hit single “It Keeps Happening,” which are both featured on her album KIERRA-Deluxe.

In addition to performing, Kierra continues to share the latest activities in her life with rehearsing, writing music, traveling, answering questions, tips on her vocal routine, self-care and more on her vlog series “Katching Kierra.” Kierra is also the creator of her fashion line Eleven60 and authored her first book earlier this year, with her memoir “Big, Bold, and Beautiful: Owning the Woman God Made You to Be.” Kierra Sheard-Kelly returns to Lifetime next year in the original thriller, Line Sisters. Line Sisters follows four sorority sisters- Valerie (LeToya Luckett), Cassandra (Kierra Sheard-Kelly), Simona (Ta’Rhonda Jones;) and Dominique (Drew Sidora) — as they reunite at a Black Greek Weekend celebration held on the Outer Banks of

North Carolina. Having pledged the Alpha Beta Omega Sorority, Inc., they share more than the bonds of sisterhood, after the mysterious death of the dean of pledges 15 years prior. But the past comes knocking on their door as they arrive to the island and strange and inexplicable things begin to happen.

Kingdom Business BET+ has given the greenlight to the new music-driven drama, Kingdom Business. The eight-episode series– executive produced by Kirk Franklin, Holly Carter and DeVon Framklin– explores the gospel music industry through the multiple lenses of family, faith, love and the redemptive power of music.

The drama is centered around the reigning Queen of Gospel ‘Denita Jordan,’ and her exproducer/songwriter/lover, ‘Caesar,’ who created her sound and launched her career. ‘Denita,’ who also runs an in-house record label and megachurch, is determined to guard her family and its many secrets at all costs to retain her place on the throne. Things seem to be unfolding in ‘Denita's’ favor until an unsuspecting young woman on the rise with a checkered past enters the scene. Destined and anointed to challenge gospel music conventions, ‘Rbel,’ also a former exotic dancer, will see if her newfound voice can carry her to the top of the gospel kingdom.

Kingdom Business is tentatively scheduled to air in May 2022.

Briefly: Renowned faith-leader, author, and pastor E. Dewey Smith, releases his first solo EP "God Period," under his new record label, Pebble Street Records. “The pandemic has brought much grief, anxiety, division, fear and uncertainty in the world," said Smith. "I have a deep conviction that even in the most difficult of times, we can be refreshed, renewed and rejuvenated by reflecting on the essence of God. I sense that many people are desirous of encountering and experiencing God in a sincere way. This project will be a tremendous catalyst for those with that pursuit.

SpecialReport “The Deadly Secret Some Teens are Keeping”

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ikki R. was a seventeen-yearold student at the HBCU of her dreams when in her freshman year she began dating a 19-year-old classmate. But just two months into their relationship, during a heated argument he punched her in the face. The violent incident was only the start of an abusive relationship that would come to threaten her very health.

L.A. Focus/November 2021

Nikki R. is one of over 4,000 who fall victim to teen dating violence daily. In 2016, 7% of all adolescent deaths was caused by a romantic partner. Teen Dating Violence (TDV) is abuse, harassment, or stalking of any person ages 12 to 18 by a girlfriend or boyfriend. Today, one in four U.S. teenage girls killed in a homicide is slain by her dating partner.

A study conducted by the National Institute of Justice found that 5.8% of boys and 4.2% of girls said they had been physically attacked by their boyfriend/girlfriend in the past year. While female teens reported more psychological and sexual abuse, boys ironically reported more physical abuse at the hands of their girlfriend.

Fact is, one in three adolescents in the United States leave for school or a date and become a victim of physical, emotional or verbal abuse. The statistics are staggering and Alexandria Tillard-Gates, a licensed family therapist and founder of Her Healing (a Los Angeles based mental health service organization) can remember when she set out to change them.

“I was working at the rape treatment center at UCLA and part of my job was to provide sexual assault workshops to schools in west LA and after realizing how big the problem really is. I started my school-based counseling program. I created my own curriculum and expanded the topics to cover consent, abuse and healthy relationships.” Tillard-Gates said. “One of the biggest things I found to be needed was educating teenagers on just what is sexual assault or abuse. Many of them didn’t know what consent is, and how to get consent from someone else. If you know what it is you can call it out, protect yourself and avoid situations.”

Statistics show that females ages 16-19 are four times more likely than the general population to be victims of abuse or sexual assault. Tillard-Gates explains what makes the problem even worse, “Most victims don’t tell.

It’s scary and a lot of victims are afraid to tell. They blame themselves. They are afraid of what others may

14

CHEZ HADLEY Contributor

program that provides counseling, classes on healthy dating practices, training and work force development.

The goal of the program is to provide both a prevention-base continuum of programmatic activities aimed at ending the cycle of abuse and prevents violence such as bullying, date violence, taunting, inappropriately aggressive behavior, assaults, emotional and verbal abuse.

“Anyone that is experiencing domestic violence can come to our shelter and take our classes. We have a very good participation rate and are very helpful.” Says Niarah Stansberry, a director at Jenesse Center.

Stansberry also states that they have seen a spike of abuse in teens since Covid-19 pandemic hit in March of 2020 and says they have been at compacity with about 10% being teens.

Along with professional help, psychotherapist Dr. Robi Ludwig recommends Parents help their children by staying connected with their teen and doing activities that they enjoy, so that the teen has a place to go that is safe and separate from the abuser.

Eleven-24, a foundation that provides prevention education programs, teaches that prevention starts with adults having those uncomfortable conversations with young people about setting and respecting boundaries.

According to a 2012 Cornell study, victims of TDV are more than twice as likely to repeat the same damaging relationships as adults than teens with healthy dating experiences. They also are more likely to suicidal thoughts and to engage in substance abuse.

Experts say TDV can be hard to identify. A few signs to look out for are falling grades, unexplained injuries, and isolation from friends and family. In fact, modulating all one’s time and demanding it’s spent with only their abusive partner are commonly the first signs that something is awry in the young relationship.

Teen years can be the most vulnerable, not quite a child but still not an adult. Navigating love and relationships is a forever journey. To start with a good foundation is vital and exposing the dark secret of TDV can save a teen’s life.

think and say. They want to escape it and forget about it.

A lot of times they don’t know where to go for support.”

Finding help for abused teens is paramount in order for them to have healthy relationships in the future.

Teens from any socioeconomic environment can fall victim to TDV but teens from lower income families are more likely to experience abusive relationships. For this reason, Jenesse Center, a shelter in Los Angeles, created Jeneration J, a youth-led teen dating violence prevention

This article is the final installment of an eight- part series on domestic violence in collaboration with California Black Media and the Blue Shield of California Foun-dation. It explores how individuals, families and organizations in our community can seek creative solutions to work through the host of problems that stem from intimate partner violence.

For more information, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or visit: www.thehotline.org.

GameChanger

KISHA SMITH Staff

The University of California’s First Black President Sets Out to Break New Ground

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is is a career of firsts. First African-American to be named president of Ohio State University.

First African American to be named chancellor of a general campus in the UC system with his appointment as Chancellor of UC Irvine in 2005. First African-American full tenure professor in his department.

And in July of 2020, Michael V. Drake made history as the 21st president–and first African American– of the University of California’s 10 campuses, five medical centers, more than 280,000 students and 230,000 faculty and staff.

T h e

announcement followed a ten month search for who would lead the UC system upon former president Janet Napolitano’s announcement that she was leaving.

“UC faculty, staff and students repeatedly told us they want a president who will prioritize issues of equity and fairness and be a powerful advocate at the state and national level,” said Regent Gareth Elliott, who chaired the search committee.

They got their man in Drake, who at 71, has set records for fund-raising, research, student diversity, retention and graduation.

At Ohio State, the university saw record-high applications and graduation rates, groundbreaking research, strong donor support and successful programs to increase student access and affordability under Drake’s tenure. And under his watch, UC Irvine rose to join the top 10 public universities in U.S. News & World Report’s annual list and was ranked by Times Higher Education as the No. 1 university in the U.S. under 50 years old.

The hallmark of Drake’s success has been measured by his advancement of three basic priorities: access, affordability, and excellence.

Today, he’s proud of the fact that the University of California’s current enrollment marks largest class of students that we've ever admitted to the University of California.

“It's also the most diverse class of students that we've ever admitted to the University of California system-wide.

About 43% of the students who are coming

to the university are members of underrepresented minority groups, particularly in our Riverside campuses, [where] underrepresented students from underrepresented backgrounds are the majority,” said the longtime champion of access and inclusion, who oversees a $40 billion operating budget.

Affordability, another of his three priorities, is key to those enrollment numbers.

“Affordability is critically important,” says Drake. “First, 56% of our students pay no tuition today and that's generally a surprise to people. That's most California undergraduate students. Many others have reduced tuition. In addition to “no tuition” or “reduced tuition”, we have robust financial aid that exists for students even after their tuition has been paid.

“We understand, of course, that books and room and board and all those things cost money, so we have robust financial aid to help students with those costs,” Drake adds.

“We were working on an active plan to make it that the vast majority of our students have a pathway to no debt within the next five years…with a little bit of help in Sacramento and some other programs underway at the university.”

As it stands, Drake is proud to report that for students who have to borrow money, the average debt of graduation is $21,000, much lower than the national average.

The third of his stated priorities is

excellence– one that can be best demonstrated by Drake own life story. The New York native who grew up in the shadow of Jim Crow segregation excelled as president of his high school class, graduated from med school (becoming an ophthalmologist) and taught at the UC San Francisco School of Medicine for 20 years before taking a five year stint as vice chancellor of health affairs for the University of California, and subsequently being appointed Chancellor at UC Irvine.

Fact is, for the last 40 years, Drake has not applied for any of the jobs he’s held.

Instead, he has been called. That, he says, has a great deal to do with his going above and beyond in his work ethic.

“You have to lean into it and be engaged and do your very best if you're going to get an outcome you're proud of. I started like we all do, one step at a time,” Drake explains. “You get up in the morning, do your homework and try to move forward. That's been my creative. I just try to do a good job every day. We have 500,000 people in our community–that's about 225,000 employees, about 280,000 students and I feel a personal responsibility to every single person as an individual.

“The part of the job that's the most exciting and the most challenging is that there are multiple stakeholders in everything we do and putting together programs that satisfy the needs and the fears of all of the different stakeholders is a challenge,” he continues, “but you're always kind of tuning it and trying to get it to be just right and that's exciting.”

ChurchNews

Agape Church of Los Angeles Worship Center: Barbara Morrison Performing Arts Center 4305 Degnan Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90008

Mt. Zion Names Successor to E.V. Hill II After Two-Year Search

Corprate Office: 4602 Crenshaw Blvd, Suite 2A, Los Angeles, CA 90043 (323) 295-5571 www.agapela.org Bishop Craig A. Worsham, Founder & Senior Pastor

In other local church appointments: With the retirement of Pastor Reuben Ford, Kirkpatrick Tyler has been appointed pastor of Parks Chapel AME in Pacoima.

Rasheera McCray was appointed to St. Mark AME… Finally, George Hurtt has been named as the new pastor of New Revelations Baptist Church in Pasadena following the recent retirement of William Turner after 50 years of leadership. Hurtt will continue to serve in the capacity of senior pastor at Mt. Sinai Missionary Baptist Church.

Pastor Thom Washington Succumbs to Cancer

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L.A. Focus/November 2021

t. Zion Missionary Baptist Church’s two-year search for a pastor is officially over as Joshua M. Daniels of Houston has been named to succeed Edward V. Hill II. “After much prayer, deliberation and interest from pastors across the country, the Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church is proud and humbled to welcome Pastor Joshua M. Daniels as the new Pastor--elect and successor to our beloved Pastor, E.V. Hill II, who led and loved our congregation for 15 wonderful years, and his world renowned father, Dr. E.V. Hill Sr, who faithfully served Mt. Zion for over 42 years, making Mt. Zion a nationally and internationally respected congregation and leader in the faith community”, a statement from the church’s board read.

“Rev. Daniels is a nationally known and highly respected preacher, teacher, and pastor, whose heart for the people of God and love and commitment to the work of our Lord make his call to Mt. Zion the clear and decisive answer to much prayer.”

The search for a pastor of the storied 129-year-old congregation known for its involvement in civil rights, civic affairs and the powerful oratory skills of legacy pastors like the famed E.V. Hill–one of the most prominent pastors in the nation– and his son, had been a topic of conversation in the L.A. faith community.

“Mt. Zion has been one of the leading churches in California and the faith community is excited that the church has attracted a prolific, young and capable pastor in Joshua Daniels,” said Pastor K.W. Tulloss, president of the Baptist Minister’s Conference.

At 27, Daniels is honored to shepherd Mt. Zion into what the church hopes to be a new season of ministry.

“I am beyond humbled and honored to have been selected by God and elected by the congregation to serve as the 14th Senior Pastor of the Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church,” Daniels wrote in an Instagram post.

“For 42 years, the pulpit of Mount Zion served as the home of the preaching ministry of the iconic and peerless Dr. E.V. Hill. In an age before social media and the internet, he epitomized what it meant to go viral as his ministry touched every corner of the known world! To stand where he stood is humbling and horrifying to say the least,” he continued.

“I am blessed to follow his son and my predecessor, Pastor E.V. Hill, II., who led Mount Zion greatly for 15 years. His life and ministry were such a tremendous blessing to Mount Zion and the Kingdom of God as a whole.”

Daniels has served as senior pastor/founder of the Freedom Worship Assembly in Houston, Texas since 2018. Prior to planting Freedom Worship Assembly, Daniels served as Senior Pastor of the Rising Sun Baptist Church in Beaumont, Texas and the historic Damascus Missionary Baptist Church in Houston.

The married father of two–who preached his first sermon at the age of six and began his pastoral ministry at age 19–currently serves as the Assistant Recording Secretary for the National Missionary Baptist Convention of America.

Daniels will officially preach his first sermon as pastor-elect on Sunday, October 17th. A formal installation date is pending.

16

Thom Washington, professionally-trained chemist, songwriter, local gospel artist whose award winning choir has won the Verizon’s How Sweet the Sound Title of “Best Small Choir in Southern California”, and senior pastor of the Long Beach-based, Christian’s Community Center Los Angeles (3CLA) has passed. He was 53.

“It is with immeasurable grief that we announce the passing of our beloved brother, husband, son and friend, Pastor Thom Washington,” a statement from the family began. “Thom was a source of immense light and love to all who knew him. Singer, songwriter, philanthropist, brilliant chemist, you name it. Anything Thom touched turned to gold because he lived freely and courageously.

“It was the honor of his career to release music that inspired the world His forthcoming album, ‘Nevertheless’ will be released soon. He transitioned peacefully, surrounded by his wife, daughter and family…”

Baptized and filled with the Holy Ghost at the age of eight, Washington–the son of retired pastor, Dr. Will T. Washington–had been in church for as long as he could remember. Exhibiting an early love and proficiency in music, Washington was named minister of music at Christian’s Community Center.

Under his leadership CCC’s Cathedral Choir ministered all over Southern California, garnering two awards in the McDonald’s Gospel Fest competitions and in 2008 won the How Sweet the Sound “Best Small Choir in Southern California” title. The choir when on to appear on the Channel 4 News as Fred Roggins’ Weather Choir.

In 1996, Washington married his soul mate, Stephanie Henderson and the couple was blessed with a daughter, Kennedi.

In 2007, he was installed as youth pastor at CCC of Los Angeles and years later–with his Dad’s retirement– took over as senior pastor.

In 2017, Washington was diagnosed with stage 4 color cancer and underwent chemotherapy to treat it.

“I spread the gospel in those chemo sessions,” Washington told L.A. Focus two years ago. “I was praying for people in that room. A guy that I prayed for who had bladder cancer was also healed. We were having church, talking about the word, praying for other patients. My message was telling people you have got to hold on to your faith, so it was like a mission. I was supposed to be there.

“I saw God’s hand everywhere I was. He kept speaking to me and I’m so glad I was listening.”

In 2019, Washington was told he was cancer free and returned to growing the church and his music.

Earlier this year, Washington was gearing up for the release of his latest music project, when it was discovered that the cancer had returned. Ironically, the title of his lead single was “Breathe”.

Sunday School: 10:00am Morning Worship: 11:00am Loving, Lifting & Liberating Humanity Through The Word Bethel Missionary Baptist Church of South L.A. 10905 S. Compton Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90059 (323) 566.5286 Pastor Alvin Stafford Jr. Sunday School: 9:30am Morning Worship: 10:30am Book by Book Bible Study (Wed.): 6:30pm Sunday service broadcast on Facebook live Sunday school and Book by Book Bible Study services are conducted on Zoom For more information, visit www.bethelsola.com

Bryant Temple AME Church 2525 W. Vernon Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90008 (323) 293-6201 • F: (323) 293-0082 Pastor Dwaine Jackson Sunday School: 8:15am Morning Worship: 9:15 am Bible Study (Tues): Noon Pastor’s Bible Study( Tues): 6:00pm

Calvary Baptist Church 4911 W. 59th Street,Los Angeles, CA,90056 (323)298-1605•F: (310) 568-8430 • calvarybaptistla.org Rev. Dr. Virgil V. Jones Sunday Prayer: 8:30am Sunday School: 9:30am Sunday Worship: 11:00am Wednesday Bible Study: 12:00pm & 7:00pm We are the Church on the Hill where the Light Shines Bright!

Congregational Church of Christian Fellowship 2085 S. Hobart Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90018 Phone: (323) 731-8869 • F: (323) 731-0851 www.christianfellowshipla.org Pastor James K. McKnight Sunday LiveStream: 10:00am (facebook.com/christianfellowshipla) Sunday Conference Call: 10:00am (310-372-7549 / code: 342408) Tue/Thurs Morning Word & Prayer: 7:00am Wed. Bible Study w/ Elder Stephen Brown (701-802-5001 / code: 825252# Crenshaw Christian Center 7901 South Vermont, Los Angeles, CA 90044 (323) 758-3777 • F: (323)565-4231 • www.faithdome.org Pastor Frederick K. Price, Jr. Sunday Service: 9:45am Bible Study (Tue): 11:00am & 7:30pm Tue. Night Children’s Ministry: 7:30pm Tue. Night Bible Study (Teens): 7:30pm Alcohol & Drug Abuse Program (Wed): 7:30pm

God’s Faithful Disciple of Jesus Christ / Prayer Clinic & Deliverance Ministry P.O. Box 561368, Los Angeles,CA 90056 (323)293-7566 • www.gfdjc.org • gfdjc@att.net Dr. Ruby I.Cottle, Ph.D., Pastor/Teacher Prophetess June Morgan / Assistant Pastor

Services Every Friday: 7:00pm We meet at this location: St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church 3901 West Adams Blvd, LA, CA 90018 Watch Dr. Cottle on HBN TV every Wed at 7:30am Channel 886 Dish, Smart TV, Local Channel 35.2

Grace Temple Baptist Church 7017 South Gramercy Place, Los Angeles, CA 90047 (323) 971-8192 Rev. Rodney Howard Sunday L.I.F.E Group: 8:30am Sunday Worship Service: 9:30am Wednesday Intercessory Prayer: 6:30pm Wednesday Night Bible Study: 7:00pm E-Mail: gtbcla@gmail.com

Grant AME Church 10435 S. Central Avenue • Los Angeles, CA 90002 (323) 564-1151 • F: (323) 564-5027

New Antioch Church of God in Christ 7826 So. Vermont Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90044 (323) 778-7965 • www.newantiochcogic.org Superintendent Jeffrey M. Lewis

Rev. Dr. J. Arthur Rumph, Senior Pastor

Sunday Early Worship: 8am Sunday Morning Worship: 11am Sunday School: 9:30am Tuesday Bible Study: 11am Wednesday In The Word: 7pm All services streamed on Facebook and You Tube @New Antioch Church of God In Christ

Reappointed to Grant AME Church Los Angeles Rev. Dr. James A. Rumph

Sunday School: 8am Worship: 9:30am Wed. Bible Study: 11:30am •6pm

Greater Ebenezer Baptist Church 5300 S. Denker Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90062 (323) 759-4996 Rev. DeNon Porter Early Worship: 8am Sunday School: 9:30am Mid-Morning Worship: 11am Radio-KALI 900AM: Sun. 11-Noon, 7-8pm KTYM 1460AM Sundays: 5:30pm Bible Study (Tues, Wed & Thurs): 7pm

Holman United Methodist Church 3320 W. Adams Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90018 (323) 703-5868 • www.holmanumc.com Email: holman@holmanumc.com Rev. Dr. Ken Walden, Senior Pastor Sunday Morning Worship: 8:00am & 11:00am Sunday Radio: KJLH 102.3FM at 11:00am Sunday School: 9:30am (Children/Youth) & 9:45am (Adults) Bible Study: Every Thursday @ Noon We Gather,Grow,Go and Live the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

Macedonia LA 1751 East 114th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90059 (323) 569-9561 • www.macedonia-la-org

Senior Pastor Shane B. Scott Sunday Worship Service: 7:30am|10:00am Live MondayBible Study: 7:00pm (Log-in to Zoom Meeting ID: 377-818-648 or Dial In: 346-248-7799)

McCarty Memorial Christian Church 4103 W. Adams Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90018 (323) 731-4131 • www.mccartychurch.org Senior Pastor Edward Anderson Sunday Worship: 10:45am Bible Study: Tues @ 12:30pm/ Wed @6:00pm Zoom Call Into: (605) 472-5454/Access:188857 Online Services Stream Live: Sundays@10:45am to www.mccartychurch.org Give: Text 77977 Instagram@mccartyconnect Mount Moriah Baptist Church of Los Angeles, Inc. 4269 South Figueroa St. Los Angeles, CA 90037 (323) 846-1950 •Fax: (323) 846-1964 Reverend Johnteris Tate-Pastor Sunday Church School: 8:00am Worship Service: 9:15am Baptist Training Union: 7:00am Tues. Bible Study/Prayer:Noon & 7:00pm Mt. Sinai Missionary Baptist Church 3669 W. 54th St. Los Angeles, CA 90043 • (323) 291-1121 F: (323) 291-1133 • office@sinai.church • www.sinai.church George E. Hurtt, Pastor-Teacher Sunday Worship: 8:00am, 11:30am Discipleship Groups (Sun): 9:45am Noonday Bible Study(Tue): 12:00pm Tuesday Night in the Truth: 7:15pm Radio: KKLA 99.5 FM (Sat): 9:00pm Our Goal: To glorify God by winning more Christians and developing better Christians (Matt. 28:18-20) Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church 1300 E. 50th Street Los Angeles, CA 90011 (323) 235-2103 • F: (323) 235-3177 • www.mtzionla.org Dr. Edward V. Hill, II, Pastor Sunday Intercessory Prayer: 9:15am Morning Worship: 9:30am Children’s Church: 9:30am Sunday School: 11:30am Baptism: 2nd Sun. & Lord’s Supper: 1st Sunday Tues. Pastor’s Bible Study: 6:30pm Wed. Noon-day Prayer: Noon

FIRST LADY FILES

KAREN A. BROWN Contributor

Didi Watts

D

The R.O.C.K. Church

eveloping a multi-ethnic, multi-generational church in the heart of Los Angeles, California, has been the mission of The R.O.C.K. Church and its leaders Pastor Pete and Lady Didi Watts since its inception in 2008. The R.O.C.K., which stands for “Reaching Out Christ’s Kingdom”, seeks to embrace the “whosoevers” and impact the community.

This is part of the work that Lady Didi does as she canvasses the streets, spreading the news about worship opportunities to the community. “I remember right before Easter, we were out putting out signs and trying to encourage people to go to service”, said Watts.

She is involved in many aspects of the ministry as she has led the Women’s Ministry with hopes to fully bring it back after the pandemic. Another project that Lady Watts is passionate about is the Care Portal. It is a resource which supports persons in danger of going into the Foster care system.

“As a church we took that on to be able to meet the needs of the people. It was a program that I formerly led”, said Watts.

Lady Didi met her husband when they were students in college before he received the Call to preach.

“He told me that he thought that God was calling him to teach,” she recalls. But as God would have it, teaching was not the totality of the Call. He would become a preacher, pastor and planter of a life changing ministry.

Lady Didi reflects on the time when they launched their church; she and her family would do everything to set up for worship. “I know what I’m good at and now I say, that’s not an area where God has gifted me.” She is clear that her strengths and talents are in Administration and Leadership.

This mother of three and grandmother of one is committed to the healing of “broken and breaking places.”

Lady Didi and Pastor Pete have been married for 27 years.

Park Windsor Baptist Church 1842 W. 108th St. Los Angeles, CA 90047 (323) 756-3966 • RevTerrellTaylor@sbcglobal.net Rev. Terrell Taylor

St. Mark Missionary Baptist Church 5017 S. Compton Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90011 (323) 231-1040 • stmarkmbcofla.org Reverend Dr. Lovely Haynes, Pastor Sunday Morning Worship: 8:00am & 11:00am Sunday School: 9:30am Mon-Wed Corporate Prayer: 6:00 - 6:55 pm Monday Night Bible Study: 7:00pm Wednesday Noon Prayer: 12 Noon Wed. Exposition of Sunday School Lesson: 7:00pm

The Potter’s House at One LA 614 N. La Brea Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90036 (818) 763-4521 • www.tphla.org Sr. Pastor Toure’ Roberts Sunday Worship: 9:00am, 11:15am & 1:00pm Thursday Midweek Service: 8pm Watch Live: http://tphla.org/watch-live/

Trinity Baptist Church 2040 West Jefferson Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90018 (323) 735-0044 • F: (323) 735-0219 Rev. Alvin Tunstill, Jr Sunday Worship Services: 10:00 am YouTube channel: tv.trinitybaptist.cloud Facebook/Website:trinitybaptistchurchofla.org SundayRadio Broadcast KJLH FM: 9:00am Zoom Wed. Night Virtual Bible Study: 7:00pm Sign in to zoom.us click on “join in a meeting” enter meeting ID: 480-271-5449. By phone call 1-699-900-6833 give zoom ID. Sign-in at 6:55pmrchofla.org Weller Street Baptist Church 129 S. Gless St, Los Angeles, CA 90033 (323) 261-0949 • F: (323)264-6601 • www.wellerstreetlive.com Pastor K.W. Tulloss Sunday School: 8:00am Sunday Morning Worship: 9:00am Tues. Bible Study: 6:45pm www.wellerstreetlive.com “We have not walked this way before” Joshua 3:1-6

West Angeles Church of God In Christ Office Hours: Tuesday - Friday 8:30am-5:30pm (323) 733-8300 Bishop Charles E. Blake Sunday Services: 10am West Angeles Cathedral 3600 Crenshaw Bvld, Los Angeles, CA 90016 Sun. Radio Broadcast KJLH 102.3FM: 10am (Westa.org)

Citizens of Zion Missionary Baptist Church In Compton 12930 No. Lime Ave., Compton, CA 90221 (310) 638-0536 • F: (323) 636-2080 • www.citizensofzion.org Rev. Bobby Newman, Jr., Senior Pastor; Rev. B.T. Newman, Pastor (Pastor Emeritus) Service Time: 10:45 Virtual Worship: Youtube

Greater Zion Church Family 2408 North Wilmington Avenue, Compton, CA 90222 (310) 639-5535 • (Tues - Thurs 10am -4pm) Dr. Michael J. Fisher, Senior Pastor

Morning Worship: 8:00am & 11:00am Bible Study Wednesday: Noon & 7:00pm Communion: 1st Sunday at 8:00am & 11:00am

People’s Independent Church of Christ 5856 West Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90043 • (323) 296-5776 Pastor Roshod Sundays: Morning Worship: 8:00am & 11:00am Wednesday Bible Study & Mid Week Worship: Noon & 7:00pm Prayer Meeting: 6:30pm

Sunday Worship: 9:00am Online Wednesday Bible Study: 7:00pm FB: GreaterZionChurchFamily IG: GZCFamily www.gzcfamily.com

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Holy Chapel Missionary Baptist Church In Compton 1016 E. Rosecrans Avenue, Compton, CA 90220 (310) 537-3149 • F: (310) 537-3149 Rev. Dr. George L. Thomas Sunday School: 9:45am & 10:15am Early Morning Worship: 7:30am Mid-Morning Worship: 11:15am New Members’ Class: 9:45am Holy-Communion (1st Sunday): 7:30 & 11:15am Mid-Week Prayer & Bible Study (Wed)- 7:00pm Broadcast (KALI 900AM - Sunday): 2:00pm3:00pm Love and Unity Christian Fellowship 1840 S. Wilmington Ave, (P.O. Box 5449), Compton 90224 (310) 604-5900, www.loveandunity.org • info@loveandunity.org Apostle Ronald C. Hill, Sr. Founder and Pastor Live Stream Sunday Worship:10am & 6:30pm Live Stream Bible Studies:Wed.7:30pm&Sat 9am Live Stream Prayer w Apostle: Fri: 9am Food For Your Soul TV Ministry Impact Televison Network: Mon-Fri @6:30amPST KJLH 102.3 Sundays 9:00pm

The City of Refuge 14527 S. San Pedro Street, Gardena, CA 90248 (310) 516-1433 Bishop Noel Jones

In Gardena

Morning Worship: 8:00am & 11:00am Evening Worship: 6:00pm Bible Study (Wed): Noon & 7:00pm BET/Fresh Oil (Wed): 7:00am

Atherton Baptist Church 2627 W. 116th Street Hawthorne,CA 90250 (323) 757-3113 • www.athertonbc.org F: 323-757-8772 • athertonbaptist@sbcglobal.net Pastor Larry Weaver

In Hawthorne

Sunday Morning Worship: 8:00 & 11:00 am Sunday Bible Enrichment Class: 9:45am Mon.-Thurs. Bible Study: 7:00pm Wednesday Bible Study: 12:30pm & 7:00pm

Bible Enrichment Fellowship International In Inglewood 400 E. Kelso, Inglewood, CA 90301 (310) 330-4700 • www.bamcm.org Dr. Beverly “BAM” Crawford Morning Worship: 9:30am Tues. Bible Study: 7:30pm Wed. Mid-Week Prayer: 5am, Noon & 7:00pm Wednesday Pathway: 7:00pm Thurs Bible Study: 10:00am Sat Marriage & Family Prayer: 7:30am

Blessed Family Covenant Church 325 North Hillcrest Blvd, Inglewood, CA, 90301 (310)-674-0303 • F: (310)-674-0303 • blessedfamilycovenant.org Pastor Wendy Howlett Sunday Morning Worship & Word: 9:30am Wednesday Prayer & Bible Study: 7:00pm View Sunday Worship: www.youtube.com (Under Blessed Family Covenant Church)

Center of Hope LA 9550 Crenshaw Blvd., Inglewood, CA 90305 www.GO2Hope.com•#centerofhope•#cohla•Info@GO2HOPE.com Give: Text COHLA to (833) 246-7144 Pastor Geremy L. Dixon Service Times: 8:00am & 10:00am Watch Via: Facebook|YouTube|Live Stream Closer To People...Closer To God!

Faithful Central Bible Church 321 N. Eucalyptus Ave. Inglewood, CA 90301 (310) 330-8000 • F: (310) 330-8035 Bishop Kenneth C. Ulmer, Ph.D. Senior Pastor/Teacher Sunday Services: 7:00am, 9:30am & 11:45am Wed. Mid-Week Service: 7:00pm The Tabernacle is located at 321 N. Eucalyptus Ave., Inglewood www.faithfulcentral.com

Jacob’s Ladder Community Fellowship, inc.

1152 E. Hyde Park Blvd., Inglewood, CA 90302 (866) 330-1702 • F: (310) 674-0760 Watchman/Shepherd Dr. Robert T. Douglas Sr. Sunday Fresh Start & Prayer 9:00am Sunday School: 10:00am Morning Services: 11:45am Evening Service: 7:00pm Wed. Lock & Load Prayer: 7:00pm Wed. Bible Study: 7:30pm 3rd Friday Youth Night: 7:30pm www.jacobladderschurch.com

Pastor Profile: George Hurtt Church: Mt. Sinai Missionary Baptist Church & New Revelations Baptist Church Hometown: Detroit Family: Single Congratulations on your new appointment as pastor of New Revelations Baptist Church. How did it come to be and how challenging will it be for you to pastor both Mt Sinai [Missionary Baptist Church] in L.A. and New Revelations in Pasadena at the same time?

It came about through Pastor Turner who called me and asked about my interest, and me saying I would pray and consider it and talk to our leaders about it. I felt like it was an opportunity for us from a mission level to take on the assignment, but then more importantly, it was out of respect and admiration for Dr. Turner. I felt led to at least give it a try to see how we could make it work.

L.A. Focus/November 2021

And how will you make that work?

It's going to be a challenge. We plan to do the services at noon in Pasadena and at 8:00 and 10:00 at Mount Sinai.

I plan to dedicate my time to learning the people at Pasadena before trying to lead them.

Learning them, then loving them, and then leading them– in that order. And I ' v e been very

18

clear about the fact that if this is something that's not working for either parties, there should be no hard feelings. Right now, we're moving as two separate entities.

It's becoming more common for people to have churches in two locations or to plant churches in different areas. Did you have a goal of planting churches or did this just happen?

It just happened. I think L.A. feeds into that as a sense of normalcy because of the cost of living here and the changing – if not declining –church climate. So, it’s difficult for some churches to find quality leadership and paying full time pastor’s salary at the same time. And being bi-vocational is difficult within itself, but [it’s] tremendously difficult to be a bi-vocational pastor in L.A. You’ve been at Mount Sinai for 13 years now, are you on track with your goals?

Yeah. We usually exceed our goals at Sinai by God's grace. Even in the pandemic, we have been able to do what we expected and pick up new things at the same time. We have been able to do a full remodel the sanctuary, as well as give hundreds of thousands of dollars of outreach supporting black restaurants as we’ve done food giveaways and we’ve financially supported a number of small businesses in our church.

Surprisingly, the pandemic has projected us further forward in a different way, not the way we expected, but definitely we’ve progressed.

I’m inspired by how you've motivated the youth in your church. Was that always a big part of your goal?

Well, for me at Mount Sinai, I was the high school Sunday school teacher for lot of those youth, so they've always had my heart. And me being relatively younger when I took over, I kind of knew their world a little bit better. So, it was just a natural fit. Now I have to work a little bit harder being older and not being as in touch with many of them as I would like. But I believe everything that happens successfully pastorally starts with having a heart for whatever group that is.

Some studies say that a church grows 10 years younger or 10 years older than the pastor. For the most part that becomes relatively true and I think that's not connected scientifically towards their age, as much as it is their compatibility with those groups. I know pastors that are older, but still young at heart, so they attract younger.

You have a radio show–do you see a need for churches to have outreach activities like a radio show?

Yeah, the radio show is Hurtt for the Hurting, which is also the name of our nonprofit. It’s on Sundays at 6:00 on KKLA 99.5 and I feel like media outreach is critical during this time. So, we don't just have a radio show, but we started what we call Mount Sinai TV, which is our digital

platform that has content from social to spiritual, from sermons to documentaries, and things of that nature.

We’ve just emphasized that media technology component. We believe having a digital imprint is everything nowadays. Your digital presence–not just social media– is critical.

How did you come to be a preacher?

My father was a Pentecostal bishop at Mt. Carmel Pentecostal Church until he passed away when I was ten. By high school, I found that I had become a student of preaching. I would have my mother drop me off at revivals. I was a loner and always a free thinker. I didn't embrace the notion of doing stuff because everyone else was doing it.”

You followed H.B Charles–who is a great preacher– as pastor of Mt. Sinai, were you the least bit intimidated?

It wasn't intimidating, because I was already on staff during the whole time. So, it wasn't like Mount Sinai had any expectations of me that they already didn't know. It would have been intimidating if I just came there, but I had already been on staff eight years at that point, so they knew me, and I knew them.

What is your goal as a pastor?

My number one task when I go to the pulpit,” said Hurtt, “is not to make people think I have a good style, not to be like the former pastor, not even to be relevant to people, but to be faithful to what the Bible is saying. Being clear is the most important thing in the pulpit and explaining scripture in such a clear way that those who are listening can apply it to their life spiritually.

“Understanding the Bible” is not enough. You got to understand the Bible in light of going through a divorce, in light of your child dying, in light of the child being in jail, in light of being diagnosed with cancer. What is the implications of what you know? When I was growing up, it was that you didn't preach unless you went to the death, burial, Resurrection of Jesus Christ. There's still some preachers that feel that way. And I think more than me stating He died and He got up, I need to be stating the implications of Him dying and getting up. So I think my preaching has changed from a perspective standpoint of that.

What is your biggest strength as a pastor?

This will sound cliché, but knowing my weaknesses and being able to operate around those realities.

How do you think Mount Sinai has changed the community around it?

I think hopefully–through our outreach and activities– that we have able to give the neighbors and residents a better view of what church is and what church should look like in a community context.

From the Pulpit of: Faithful Central Bible Church “Submissive Love”— Ephesians 5: 22-31

O

ur current culture is very visual and physical; and when it comes to relationships, people start with the visual, skip the Biblical and spiritual, and go straight to the physical.

This is dangerous because we often end up in what our culture calls today, “a soul tie.”

Biblically, we understand what Ephesians 5:31 restates, “for this reason a man should leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” However, when you go from the visual to the physical (one flesh), not only do you skip this step, but you often end up glued to someone that you shouldn’t have in the first place just to fulfill your own physical desires. Can we go a little deeper?

Picture becoming “one flesh” as two separate pieces of wood being glued together as “one.” Once they are glued together, they aren’t meant to be separated. However, in a soul tie, people are often glued together and struggle to get out because they have already become physical.

In fact, when a woman is touched in a loving way, her brain secretes oxytocin, which activates feelings of closeness and trust. Breastfeeding has a similar effect, encouraging mommy-baby bonding. The more intimate physical contact a woman has, the brain produces more oxytocin, which leads to a greater desire for closeness.

As you can see, when oxytocin is released, it becomes harder for a woman to leave a relationship even if it isn’t good for her. Ending the relationship could feel a painful as her baby being snatched away from her.

This also has an impact on men. When men are physical, vasopressin floods the brain which leads to bonding, but the more they are physical with multiple partners this feeling dissipates making it more difficult to be in a long-term rela-

tionship. When a couple is glued together in this way and you separate the two, they both leave with residue!

Any married person can tell you, being physical isn’t enough to sustain a marriage. If it is solely based on the physical, it won’t last. This is why Paul centers the entire chapter around the word, “submit.”

But what does submission mean?

Especially in a culture that prides itself on individualism, narcissism and independence.

The word submit means to arrange under and is exemplified in Scripture in our relationship with God and each other.

For example, submission is used to describe the people of God submitting themselves to His Law, ways, and will.

Submission is also displayed amongst believers submitting themselves under one another to fulfill the mission of the Church while building the kingdom. It could be argued that the key to success for the believer is their ability to submit themselves under God and to one another.

In our text, this is the kind of submission that Paul refers to when he tells wives to submit to their husbands.

Ephesians 5:22-24 says, “22 Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord.23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.

24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

Ladies, stay with me! Submit does NOT mean you become a doormat. It does NOT mean your husband is God and can Lord over you. Galatians 3:28, reveals the value of both men and women in Christ, so submission doesn’t mean you are less valuable.

What Paul means by submit to your husband as to the Lord, is that it is out of the wife’s relationship with God, she submits to her husband. Just as Christ is responsible for the Church, so is the husband responsible for the household, including the wife.

True Friendship Missionary Baptist Church 7901 South Van Ness Ave. Inglewood, CA 90305 (323) 750-7304 Rev. James A. Perkins Sunday School: 9:30am Early Worship: 8am Morning Worship: 10:45am Bible Adventure Hour (Tues): 6pm Bible Study (Tues): 7pm Bible Study (Thurs): Noon

Antioch Church of Long Beach 350 Pine Ave. ,Long Beach, CA 90802 (562) 591-8778 •www.antiochlb.com Senior Pastor Wayne Chaney, Jr.

In Long Beach

Online Services Stream live: Sunday 10:00 am at antiochlb.com Give: text antiochib to 77977 Social Media: facebook.com/antiochlb instagram.com/antiochlb youtube.com/antiochlongbeach

Christ Second Baptist Church 1471 Martin Luther King, Jr., Ave. Long Beach, CA 90813 (562) 599-3421 • Fax: (562) 599-6175 • www.csbclb.org Rev. Welton Pleasant II, Senior Pastor Sunday School: 8:30am Sunday Worship Service: 9:40am Wed. Bible Study: 7:00pm Wed Youth & Young Adult Ministry: 7:00pm

Moreover, when Paul says you must submit to your husband in everything, he never intended to suggest that the wives were servants or required to follow every desire of the husband. This did not give the husband a license to use force or manipulation. Paul is speaking of a husband whose life is submitted to God. Therefore, his actions would be reasonable and should not contradict the will of God (or Word of God).

Here, Paul paints a picture of a wife willing to submit to her husband because of her relationship with God and her willingness to trust her husband with herself entirely. So, if a woman isn’t willing to submit, it reveals at least one or two things. Either a disconnect in her relationship with God and/or she doesn’t really trust her husband with herself.

But Paul doesn’t stop there! Next, he switches to the husband. Ephesians 5:2530 says, “25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church– 30 for we are members of his body.

In this passage, Paul paints a picture of what a husband’s love should look like. He says, “love your wife like Christ loved the Church.” This is a picture of sacrificial love. Christ literally gave his life for the Church. He was the perfect atonement (sacrifice).

Therefore, a husband should sacrifice his self-interest because of his love for his wife.

When a man is single, he makes deci-

sions for himself, but when he gets married that should change. After all, the wife has submitted to her husband, trusting he will be reasonable and responsible in his decision making for the betterment of the household. Now, let me be clear.

The husband’s sacrificial love does NOT mean he becomes the wife’s personal living sacrifice. This does NOT mean that the husband has to lose himself and all of his interest because he is now married.

It does not mean he can’t enjoy his hobbies or hang with his friends. In fact, if you don’t smother him and you give him some freedom (within reason) I believe after he refuels, he might comeback home loving you more than he did before he left!

Subsequently, Paul connects the husbands care for his own body to how he should care for himself. He says, “In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.

After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church.

In Paul’s day, men in the culture did not neglect themselves. It would have been very uncommon for a man to do so. continued to page 20 Co-Pastor J.P. Foster

In Lynwood

Christian’s Community Center of Los Angeles 3960 E. Gilman Street, Long Beach, CA 90815 (562) 597-3252 Senior Pastor Thom Washington Live Stream Sunday Service: 11:00am Wednesday Night Prayer: 6:00pm Sunday Bible Class: 9:30am Sunday Afternoon Services: 4:00pm (2nd & 4th Sunday) Wednesday Prayer: 6:00pm Bible Study Wednesday 7pm

Greater Emmanuel Temple 3740 E. Imperial Highway, Lynwood, CA 90262 (424) 296-0400 •www.greateremmanuel.org

Gospel Memorial Church of God In Christ 1480 Atlantic Ave. Long Beach, CA 90813 (562) 599-7389 • F: 562-599-5779 • gospelmemorial@aol.com Bishop Joe L. Ealy Sunday School: 9:30am Sunday Worship: 11:00am Evening Worship: 6:30pm Wed. Intercessory Prayer: 7:00pm Wed. Pastoral teaching adults: 7:30pm Wed. Youth Ministry Boot-Camp; Youth Bible Study: 7:00pm & Choir Rehearsal: 7:30pm

Walking In The Spirit Ministries Double Tree (Sonoma Grill) 13111 Sycamore Drive, Norwalk CA 90650 (213) 248-6343 P.O Box 1597 Norwalk CA,90651 Tim & Leshia Brooks

Grant AME Church of Long Beach 1129 Alamitos Ave. Long Beach, CA 90813 • (562) 437-1567 grantamelb@aol.com • www.grantamelb.org Rev. Dr. Michael W. Eagle, Sr.

Arise Christian Center In Westchester 6949 La Tijera Blvd. Suite C,Westchester, CA,90045 (310)568-8445•F: (310) 568-8430 • Arisechristiancenter.com Pastor Ron Taylor Morning Worship: 9:00am & 11:15am Bible Study Wednesday: 7:00pm Intercessory Prayer Tuesday : 7:00pm Intercessory Prayer Sunday: 8am - 8:45am Thursday:11:30am-12:30pm

Sun. Worship Experience: 10:45am 3rd Sun. Healing & Anointing: 10:45am Wed. Bible Study: Noon & 6pm Mothers of Murdered Youth & Children Where all receive a little attention, affection and love.

Pastor Nissan Stewart Sunday Morning Worship: 11:00am Wednesday Prayer: 6:30pm Mid-Week Refuel/Bible Study: 7:00pm (Wednesday) Follow us: @GETFamilyNow The Greater Emmanuel Temple App Available in App Store

In Norwalk

Morning Worship: 11:00am Services Held Every 2nd & 4th Sunday and Free Breakfast Is Served Bible Study: 8:30am (Every 5th Friday)

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Bass continued from page 6 Los Angeles."

Adding to the momentum is a recent survey of likely voters in the city of Los Angeles–conducted by Sextant Strategies and Research–which found Congresswoman Karen Bass to have decided advantages over the field of contenders in the 2022 mayoral primary. Further, it found that Bass started the race in a stronger position than the other candidate, and that she was the best known and best liked candidate in the field.

Results showed a massive 20-point gap between her and the next candidates, with the Congresswoman initially receiving 20% of the vote as demonstrated in the figure below.

The survey was held in two parts, before and after hearing profiles of the candidates. Given more information about Bass, her lead only continued to grow

resulting in a 22 p o i n t margin and more v o t e s f r o m t h o s e who had b e e n undecided.

Bass wins a massive 45% of votes from White Democrats after the profiles — a lead of 33 points over the next highest candidate (De Léon). Initially, she receives 35% of the White Democratic vote — a 29-point advantage over the field.

Among Latinos, Bass leads De Léon by a 2-to-1 margin (28% to 14%) after the profiles. They are statistically tied on the initial vote (Bass leading 16%-14%).

Michael Harriot continued from page 8 neck that they took to the streets last summer.

In fact, white people feeling bad is commonly used to spark change. White people felt bad about Vietnam, so we ended the war without a victory. Even though more white people used and sold crack, white people feeling bad about it somehow made authorities target Black people. The “economic anxiety” that got Donald Trump elected is just a euphemism for white people feeling bad. You know what else feels bad?

Racism.

Knowing your Black newborn is three times more likely to die if they have a white doctor feels bad. Sending a child to a school in a majority-Black, middle-class neighborhood that gets less funding than the poorest, majority-white school feels bad. Knowing your kid is six times more likely to be shot by a police officer feels bad. It feels bad knowing your home would be worth $48,000 more if it was in a majority-white neighborhood that has the same amenities and resources as your Black neighborhood. Trust me, the reality of racism feels bad.

But, apparently, not as bad as white people feel when they have to hear about all that Black stuff.

Imagine if your doctor didn’t inform you that you had cancer because he didn’t want to upset you. Somehow, racism is the only issue on the entire landscape of American problems that we think we can fix by not talking about it. We can openly debate taxing the rich, terrorism and sexual misconduct, even though it might make predatory capitalists, predator drone manufacturers and sexual predators feel bad. Yet, when it comes to race, we avoid the subject like the plague just so we can spare white people’s feelings.

America loves Social Security, Medicare, farm subsidies and the military but they hate “socialism” because they don’t know what the word means. They love to quote Martin Luther King but have no idea that most white people disapproved of him when he died. Forty-one percent of Americans believe something other than slavery caused the Civil War. Fortysix percent don’t know that the 13th Amendment is what ended slavery.

And the reason they don’t know these objective facts is that their teachers, their textbooks and America’s entire education system didn’t want white people to feel bad. They still don’t want white people to feel bad. And all these new anti-CRT laws are feeble attempts at ensuring that white people won’t feel bad in the future. And that’s why Condoleezza Rice be lying.

Michael Harriot is a journalist, poet, author, TV writer, storyteller and a senior writer at Theroot.com where he covers the intersection of race, politics, and culture. @michaelharriot

Money Matters continued from page 9 attend low-income tax clinics found in all 50 states.

With tax season looming in early 2022, the IRS also released the get ready webpage available in eight languages, that allows taxpayers to find the information they need to file their return and select a tax return preparer to do it online and submit electronically.

"Something new that we are very proud of this year is the Form 9000 that can be attached to the tax return and that allows taxpayers to select preferred alternative media in Braille, large print or in audio format."

Finally, Simon recalled that for people who cannot use virtual tools, either due to lack of internet access or knowledge, there is a telephone line in English and Spanish (800-829-1040) and another for different languages (833 -553-9895) where they can be assisted. They can also schedule an appointment in person at one of the IRS taxpayer assistance centers.

Pastor profile continued from page 6 In this example, Paul gives us a picture of nurture and growth. For it is the man’s responsibility for the growth and maturity of his wife. In other words, what the wife looks like is a reflection of the husbands love for himself.

Stay with me husbands. This means whatever your wife is or isn’t, is a reflection of your love! I know it’s bad English, but it’s good theology!

Remember, everything we just read, is under the umbrella of mutual submission.

Paul begins his address to the husband and wife in verse 21 stating, “submit to one another.”

If you want your relationship to work. If you want your marriage to thrive. It must be done in mutual submission. Both the husband and the wife must agree to submit under the authority and covering of God and then agree to submit to one another, willingly out of love.

It’s like watching a couple walking under an umbrella in the rain. The umbrella represents God. As the two walk under it, they are submitting to God and trusting His divine protection. But they are also walking with one another arm-in-arm, side-by-side, and step-by-step. As they journey through life together, they are both submitting to God, so when the storms of life come, God will protect them like an umbrella does when the rain falls.

But they also have each other fully committed to walk through the storms of life together without wavering.

I pray you remain under the covering of God and remain committed to the husband or wife God brings into your life. As you submit to one another; may God prosper you and allow your relationship to bring Him glory!

L.A. Focus/November 2021

21

SavingGrace

W

L.A. Focus/November 2021

hen actress Karimah Westbrook was looking for her big break, she didn’t wait for it to be handed to her-she took it. In year 2000, when Westbrook-who was then in her early 20’s-- found out that the film “Save The Last Dance” was casting in her hometown of Chicago, she just showed up-- without a film agent or even an appointment. Despite not being exactly what the casting call was looking for, Westbrook was able to earn the part which helped jump-start a career in film and television that includes roles working alongside A-listers such as Matt Damon in “Suburbicon”, Johnny Depp in “The Rum Diary”, and in the critically acclaimed “American Violet”, among others.

Three years ago, Westbrook became a series regular on the CW’s breakout hit “All American”, and last month the high school football-themed drama returned for its fourth season.

Westbrook says that she knew the show-- which centers around a young black male from South L.A. who gets recruited to play football for a high school in Beverly Hills and is inspired by the life of former NFL linebacker, Spencer Paysinger– was going to be a powerful series from her first reading of the pilot script.

“I loved the world that it was taking place in and I thought this show would have a strong voice,” says Westbrook. “I had a feeling that it was going to have some really good things to say and I believe the show offers a lot of different perspectives in the storylines they’ve created.”

Westbrook, who is not a mother herself, plays the hard working single mother of a high school football phenom so seamlessly that fans of the show have reached out to her about how they identify with her character.

“I got kids calling me mom like, ‘you remind me of my Mom’, and that’s cute-- a little weird, but cute”, says Westbrook., who adds “I’ve been really surprised by the messages I’ve gotten from fans asking me for advice. One young lady reached out to me about some serious trauma happening in her life. It’s humbled me and made me more prayerful, because it feels like a really big responsibility and I don’t take that lightly.”

She’s even had some fans give her the ultimate compliment for an actress portraying a TV mom.

“A couple of times I’ve read comments that were like, ‘Best black mom since Clair Huxtable’, and that just freaked me out!”, says Westbrook. “That’s the biggest compliment ever. But really it’s just a reality check on what I’m doing, the role I’m playing and how it is touching people in a certain way I have to be mindful of.”

Now that “All American” is streaming on Netflix, Westbrook is hopeful that the shows growing audience

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Karimah Westbrook will help raise her profile for more film opportunities. “‘All American” is the biggest project I’ve worked with in a television capacity, I think it set me on the map,” says Westbrook. “I love that!”

In 2019, she appeared in the critically acclaimed film “Bolden”, which explored the mythical life of pioneering jazz trumpeter Buddy Bolden with Westbrook appearing as Bolden’s mother, Alice Bolden. The film-- which was over a decade in the making-- was special for Westbrook as she has been involved with the project from its beginning.

“Working on “Bolden” was a great experience. I’d been involved with the project since the film first started back in 2007,” Westbrook reports. “It was a completely different script and cast when we first started so it has a special place in my heart, because I’ve been with it so long. Our director Dan Pritzker made the movie he wanted to make and did an excellent job as far as the way he told the story which was a creative and fresh take on storytelling.”

Not unlike the process of getting a ground-breaking film such as “Bolden” produced and filmed, getting Westbrook’s acting career rolling took more time and patience than she initially expected.

“I wouldn’t say it’s been difficult, but it has been a process,” says Westbrook on her acting journey. “I definitely thought that things would move a lot faster than they did. I’ve been able to accomplish a lot of the goals that I set very early on for myself-- but the only thing is I thought they would happen within five years.”

Though the five years Westbrook was expecting it take to achieve something like a series regular on a network TV show took closer to twenty years, she now understands that everything happens in its right time.

“It feels like divine timing because there's a lot of preparation that's involved with the industry and being able to handle it on an emotional and mental level,” Westbrook adds. “Early on, I feel like I still had a lot of growing to do as a person. So now, I feel like I'm at a place where I'm mature and grounded enough to really be able to handle the workload and everything else that comes with it.”

For Westbrook, acting was something that has been in her life from a very early age. She started performing for her family and in school plays at the age of five, but it wasn’t until her late teens when it occurred to her that her passion was something she could do for a living. At the age of 22, Westbrook moved to from Chicago to L.A.- without knowing a soul in the city-- to pursue her career as actress. It was a move that brought a great deal of concern to her mother.

“Initially my mother was really concerned because she didn’t know anything about the industry and it seemed like something that wasn’t really stable,” recounts Westbrook. “When I first started everyone was like, ‘what? Where are you going to work? How are you going to support yourself?’ My mom was always telling me to have a backup plan, which to me was very annoy-

ing because I felt like she didn’t believe in me-- but now I can see that she was just being protective. Now she’s very supportive. Once I started working more in L.A., that gave her a bit more ease that, ‘okay she can do this.’”

Looking to the future, Westbrook has produced several short films, including most recently a short she wrote, co-produced and directed during the pandemic, entitled “New Growth,” which she showed at the Cannes Film Festival this past summer.

“I’m always writing, trying to create something for myself versus waiting for someone to hire me”.

Through her long and unpredictable journey, the confidence that has come from her faith has been her saving grace and allowed her to persevere the path to becoming a successful working actress.

“Faith is my foundation,” says Westbrook. “If it wasn’t for my faith, I wouldn’t still be in L.A. Faith causes me to keep growing and to believe in God and the power of His spirit, and that we’re all vessels God works through.

“My beliefs keep me in the game and are my saving grace because my life experiences have revealed to me that God is real, and anything is possible.

I’ve learned not to put a timetable on things and to trust in divine guidance which allows me to do anything I set my mind to in life.”