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Upfront

Delta Variant Poses Serious Risk to Communities With Low Vaccination Rates With the Delta variant of COVID-19 spreading like wildfire in communities with low vaccination rates, there is renewed concern for serious risk in L.A.’s African American communities. A new Kaiser Family Foundation report finds that continued lower vaccination rates put minority groups at a greater risk....

Church News: L.A. Baptists Mourn the Passing of Rev. Reginald Pope

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July 2021

L.A. Focus Publications

Left: Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas and Assemblyman Isaac Bryan join community members in the ceremony to reopen Leimert Park on Juneteenth; Middle: Dr. Deborah Prothrow-Stith, CDU President Dr. David Carlisle and Dr. Richard Seidman of L.A. Care pose with a $5 million check committed by L.A. Care to support a new medical school in South Los Angeles; Right: Quarterback Russell Wilson –named one of ‘Earth’s Mightiest Athletes–celebrated Father’s Day with his wife, Ciara, and a group of L.A. kids who were treated to a shopping spree at the Lego Store.

4 Commentary

From The Editor The Fuss Over Critical Race Theory

UpFront

Jacob Lattimore

Efforts to Recall George Gascon Intensify Despite Mixed Reviews and One Woman’s Personal Story; Takeaways from New Law Benefitting Landlords and Tenants; Delta Variant Poses Serious Risk to Communities With Low Vaccination Rates

8 Headlines From Africa

Head to Head

Cal Unemployment System Backlogged With More Than 200,000 Claims

Biz News Briefs T.D. Jakes and Tyler Perry Announce Significant Investments in Atlanta

On the Money The High Cost of Preserving Childbirth

Cover Story “The Power of Possibility: Cynthia McClain Hill’s Rise to Lead the Largest Municipal Utility in the Nation & How She’ll Transform the DWP and the City of Los Angeles

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Eye On Gospel Kirk Franklin is Back on Top; Virginia Union Launches Hezekiah Walker Center for Gospel Music

Juneteenth Is Just A Start

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LeToya Luckett, YaYa Da-Costa and Morris Chestnut to Headline “Our Kind of People”; The Best Man–The Final Chapters

One On One

Getting to the Bottom of Critical Race Theory

Hollywood Buzz

14 Special Report 15 GameChanger

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

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First Lady Files

Pastor Shep Crawford Launches Organization to Quell Gang Killings; The L.A. Baptist Community Mourns the Loss of Reginald Pope

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Dr. Jerry Abraham– dubbed as “South L.A.’s Dr. Fauci” holds up an issue of L.A. Focus featuring him on the cover. Abraham is still cautioning people that pandemic is not over, advising that we continue to wear our masks, wash our hands and get vaccinated. See page 7 for the latest on the COVID-19 pandemic.

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L.A. Focus/July 2021

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Commentary

ARMSTRONG WILLIAMS Guest Columnist

“The Light of the American Dream”

t long last, we can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. We are inching closer and closer each day to the end of the COVID-19 pandemic here in America. We are not quite there yet. There are still 500 of our countrymen dying every day from complications of this insidious virus. But all over the nation, there is a different feeling in the air. There are people in the streets and restaurants. They are talking, hugging, smiling and laughing. It's simple, but it was missing for the last year. We are finally seeing a marked lift in the spirits of the American people, and there are some important lessons we can draw from this. Restaurants have reopened their doors. Public events are being held. Conferences are taking place. Droves of people have voted with their feet for this to happen. They have made the decision that, after giving in to fear for so long, they are ready to reclaim their lives. The American people have stood up and shown that it is time to get back to work and get back to life. In recent days, the CDC has had to scurry to catch up with the reality: Americans who have chosen to get vaccinated, and even many who have not, are largely forgoing mask-wearing and getting back out into the world. The CDC declared something most Americans already had internalized when it decreed on May 13 that those who have been vaccinated don't have to wear a mask even indoors, except in specific situations, such as hospitals, nursing homes and public transportation. This is a prime example of the people leading the way and our health officials following. This was not guidance as much as an admission of the truth. The power of the people is palpable. The belated guidance demonstrated that the people still have the power to shape policy in America, should we

only decide to use it. COVID-19 is real. The death toll has been significant, and the impact on all of us undeniable. The number of lives COVID has claimed in the last year and a half is nothing short of gut-wrenching. At the same time, the hysteria, paranoia and fear generated by the virus had its own toll: on our mental health, economy and so much more. Thankfully, as the death toll is easing in America, so is the feeling of unease and apprehension. The people are no longer letting fear run our lives. We are reclaiming our liberties as we shed our anxiety alongside our masks. And yet, even with the pandemic winding down, we are finding that this may not be the only instance where

From the Editor

health officials have been lagging. The recent news that the Biden administration and the scientific community are now investigating whether the virus originated from a lab accident at the Wuhan Institute of Virology comes after a full year of this idea being derided as a conspiracy theory. It was dismissed out of hand by the left-wing media; proponents of the theory were immediately written off as nuts or racists. We still do not know exactly what happened, but it is clear that we need the facts. We owe it to the American people, and the entire world, to thoroughly investigate and conclusively determine how and why COVID-19 started. The people have the power to encourage that to happen, so let's raise our voices. We are ready to put this pandemic behind us. With vaccines in arms, Americans are ready to get back to what we do best: working hard, succeeding and leading the world. There is light at the end of the tunnel. The American dream is just waiting for people to step forward and claim it. In the coming months, as more people emerge, we will see life begin to go back to normal. Businesses will reopen. Friends and families will reconnect. The toll of the pandemic is diminishing, because the people have made it so, and the government followed our lead. Years from now, COVID-19 will be a unique moment in time that did not derail us but did challenge us. Then it led us to even higher levels of resilience and success. We are almost there. Armstrong Williams is a political commentator, author, entrepreneur. To find out more about Armstrong Williams and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

LISA COLLINS Publisher

“Getting to the Bottom of Critical Race Theory”

L.A. Focus/July 2021

o three words seem to have set conservatives afire in 2021 as critical race theory with the debate over the teaching of systemic racism sparking a culture war and engulfing national politics and a growing number of local school boards as hysterical white parents seemed to have whipped themselves into a frenzy over the idea of it being taught to their kids. One white parent called it ““psychological child abuse.” Wrote one conservative columnist, “It is a perverse worldview, unsupportable by the evidence, in which all of America's key institutions are inextricably rooted in white supremacy; it is an activist campaign demanding the destruction of those institutions.” Even Televangelist Pat Robertson stirred the pot telling his 700 Club viewers: “People of color have been oppressed by the white people and that white people begin to be racist by the time they’re two or three months old, and therefore the people of color have to rise up and overtake their oppressors and then — having gotten the ‘whip handle,’ if I can use that term — then to instruct their white neighbors how to behave. Now that’s critical race theory.” The hysteria –fueled by former President Trump who labeled CRT as toxic propaganda after the release of the New York Times 1619 Project–reached fever pitch in January as conservatives launched a growing misinformation campaign around the academic concept. In January, GOP lawmakers began quietly drafting and introducing bills in an effort to stop schools from teaching about racism or any topics that confront America’s history of racial oppression and over the past

six months, Republicans in more than two dozen states have proposed bills that aim to curtail educational discussions about race, racism, and systemic oppression in the U.S. Under a bill that was proposed in Arizona, teachers could be fined $5,000 for teaching students to feel “guilt” over their race. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., introduced the Combating Racist Training in the Military Act, a bill prohibiting the armed forces and academics at the Defense Department from promoting "anti-American and racist theories" including critical race theory. To be honest, as informed as I am, I was unfamiliar with critical race theory, which clearly wasn’t around when I was in school. And I am not alone. One informal poll found just a third of those surveyed understood what critical race theory was. So, what is critical race theory? Well, that depends on who you ask, but at its core is the premise that racism is a social construct and that it is not merely the product of individual bias or prejudice, but also something embedded in America’s legal systems and policies." Hardly new, critical race theory reportedly originated in the 70s with the late Harvard professor Derrick Bell, dubbed as the father of critical race theory, who taught a course entitled “Race, Racism, and American Law. In 1993, a group of legal scholars published a seminal book on the theory, Words That Wound: Critical Race Theory, Assaultive Speech, and the First Amendment. As believed by some, it does not assume that all white people are racist, but instead seeks to engage government, systems and individuals about how policies and

practices work to disadvantage and harm racially marginalized populations. “For ins t a n c e , applying a critical race lens to the issue of mandatory minimum prison sentences helps us focus on the over-policing of Black youth (making them more likely to be searched, arrested, and tried for minor offenses)." That’s according to African-American Policy Forum, founded by Kimberle Crenshaw, a leading scholar of critical race theory. For all of the controversy, most experts agree that it is the misinformation about CRT that is shaping its resistance and fueling the controversy. Personally, while I believe that there is a benefit to fully understanding how America’s policies–including systemic racism have shaped and intersect with all facets of society, I am proud to have been born from a race of people who despite a plethora of challenges and obstacles have accomplished so much after having started with so little (like the woman who inspired our feature story on page 10); and to worship a God through whom all things are possible. Keep the faith!

UpFront

News Briefs

Efforts to Recall George Gascon Intensify Despite Mixed Reviews and One Woman’s Personal Story

istrict Attorney George Gascon continues to receive mixed reviews and a lot of pushback over the new reforms and special directives he issued on his first day in office and as groups organize rallies from Pasadena to Lancaster, the controversy surrounding Gascon is only intensifying. Opponents are gathering signatures to begin the petition process to recall Gascon and in January, the Los Angeles Prosecutors Union also filed a lawsuit against Gascon. Many still, however, praise Gascon’s special directives and view him as a progressive D.A on the mission to undo decades of racist laws and practices that have existed on the books in L.A County. These reforms include charging youth offenders as adults, ending cash bail along with three strike laws, as well as gang and weapon enhancements and have yielded him the support of prison reform groups in Los Angeles, to more mainstream activist groups like BLMLA, who are one of the most visible groups supporting Gascon. Jennifer Solorzano says she would have most likely voted for Gascon, had she not been grieving the death of her boyfriend Jonathan McLinn during the 2020 election. McLinn was shot outside a club in Van Nuys Jan. 2020. However, Solorzano says her views have changed because Gascon’s new reforms directly affect the outcome of McLinn’s case. “Being a minority, I understand why people voted for him because he does have progressive directives and policies. Unfortunately, I feel he is using it as a blanket,” Solorzano expressed. “I don’t understand how his new policies are affecting people like John’s case when

these were brutal murders.” Initially, Detectives told Solorzano that the gang and gun enhancements would be tossed out under Gascon’s new reforms, which meant McLinn’s killer faced 15 years, while the get-away-driver faced probation. For now, the enhancements are still in play as the Judge in the case rejected a motion to toss them out. Solorzano has been meeting with the family members of others like her who are also frustrated with the way cases are being reviewed under Gascon’s direction. “His policies, they affect people of color the most because our people are the ones being killed, these killings are not happening in White neighborhoods,” Solorzano said. “When I go to these meetings, I would say that 80-90% of these people are Black and Latino.” Monet, 25, is a paralegal in Los Angeles who supports Gascon’s new

L.A. Focus/July 2021

ty net helping them keep their home. While our state may be emerging from the pandemic, in many ways, the lingering financial impact still weighs heavily on California families," Senate President pro Tem Toni G. Atkins (D-San Diego) stated. "People are trying to find jobs and make ends meet and one of the greatest needs is to extend the eviction moratorium–which includes maximizing the federal funds available to help the most tenants and landlords possible–so that they can count on a roof over their heads while their finances rebound." AB 832 also prioritizes cities and counties with "unmet needs." Kendra Lewis, executive director of the Sacramento Housing Alliance, said the law will benefit families impacted by the pandemic that are still struggling. "The pandemic showed us all how unequal housing is and how many renters are vulnerable," Lewis said. "We need to do a better job at outreach and education because if you're in a vulnerable community, or any situation regardless of your race or whatever, and the government has a program where it's going to help you pay your rent, there's going to be some apprehension." Lewis praised the eviction moratorium extension, claiming that many families will benefit from it. "Imagine being in a vulnerable community, worried about losing your job or you're a frontline worker with kids at

Contributor

directives. She understands the institutional racism rooted in many L.A laws, but is more concerned with resources provided to the formerly incarcerated upon release. “I think that if Los Angeles works together more to help inmates upon release, that may help them from returning to a negative lifestyle. There needs to be more programs to help inmates with immediate jobs and housing,” Monet expressed. It is however, the voices of those families of victims that ring the loudest. Take the case of Jessica Corde, a mother, whose son Marquis Leblanc, an 18-year old Black teen, was killed in a racially motivated attack in 2009. Leblanc was at a house party in Pomona and begged for his life after being chased out the house, dragged, exposed and beaten in the street around party-goers who had gathered outside. His attackers showed no mercy as they stabbed him in the heart and then shot him. Leblanc’s only offense was dancing with Latina girls at the party. The suspects later bragged about beating Leblanc and questioned if he was dead the day after his murder. These messages were shown during trial, which is why Cordae was surprised when she received news that her son's killer was up for parole after only serving 11 years. According to Cordae, a parole board member told the killer of Corde’s son that his parole was being granted and consoled him as he cried, telling him that they were not going to hold his past against him. This, despite the fact that her son’s killer admitted to killing anothGascon continued to page 21

Takeaways from New Law Benefitting Landlords and Tenants ov. Gavin Newsom has signed into law Assembly Bill (AB) 832, which updates California’s eviction moratorium rules and extends it. “California is coming roaring back from the pandemic, but the economic impacts of COVID-19 continue to disproportionately impact so many low-income Californians, tenants and small landlords alike," Newsom said last week after reaching a deal on the moratorium with lawmakers. The governor said the agreement he reached with the Legislature also gives the state more time to provide the over $5 billion in federal rent relief funds for eligible tenants and landlords. According to a spokesperson with the Business Consumer Services and Housing Agency (BCSH), over 85,907 Californians have submitted rent relief applications to the state-run program and 37,189 of them are already being processed as of June 22. 15.79% of those applicants are identified as Black or African American. According to the BCSH, $660 million in rental assistance has been requested and the state has paid a total of $61.6 million in back rent so far through the program. “Our housing situation in California was a crisis before COVID, and the pandemic has only made it worse – this extension is key to making sure that more people don’t lose the safe-

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home. The last thing you need is to be evicted," Lewis said. How Tenants Will Benefit From AB 832 · Allows a tenant to receive full amount due if the landlord doesn’t participate in the program so that they are not carrying it as consumer debt. · Permanently masks COVID rental debt civil cases, thus protecting tenants from having these cases impact their consumer credit. · Extends current eviction moratorium. How Landlords Will Benefit From AB 832 · Increases rental assistance payments to give 100% of rent owed for eligible landlords and tenants. · Allows a longer timeframe for rental assistance funds, so more unpaid rent can be covered. · Authorizes rental assistance payments to be provided to landlords in situations where the tenant has moved out and now lives in a new place, but still owes rent payments to their prior landlord. · Requires a tenant to fill out the necessary paperwork for the rental assistance program within 15 business days of receiving notice of their landlord filling out its portion when a three-day eviction notice has been served. · These eviction protections do not apply to new tenancies beginning on or after October 1, 2021

Bill Cosby Hopes To Get Back On Stage “Sooner or Later” On his first night home from prison, comedian/actor Bill Cosby enjoyed pizza, cracking jokes and according to spokesman Andrew Wyatt, plans of getting back to comedy. Four the last three years, life for the 83-year old entertainer has been no laughing matter. But on June 30, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania has ruled that Bill Cosby was denied a fair trial and after spending nearly three years of a three-to-10-year sentence in a state prison, Cosby was set free. The ruling overturns Cosby’s 2018 conviction for allegedly drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand in 2004. Constand, a former Temple University employee who testified that she was assaulted by the entertainer in his Pennsylvania mansion, was one of over 50 women who accused Cosby of sexual assault. The court found in favor of Cosby’s attorneys who’d argued that the now 83-year old entertainer had relied on an agreement made with prior prosecutor, Bruce Castor, that would have prevented him from being criminally charged in the case and was led to believe that the testimony he’d originally given at the time was immune from prosecution. It was Castor who had originally declined to charge Cosby in 2005. With the case behind him, Wyatt told Fox News that "He wants to get back on stage sooner or later.” In the meantime, Wyatt said Cosby was excited about the precedent set with his release. Said Wyatt, “This is a resounding statement around the world that you cannot take a person's constitutional rights away especially when they're given a deal.”

Civil Case Against Former D.A. Jackie Lacey and Her Husband Allowed to Move Forward Last month, a judge ruled that David Lacey, the husband of former Los Angeles County D.A. Jackie Lacey, would avoid jail time in the three misdemeanor charges of assault with a firearm when on March 2, 2020, he pulled a gun on– and threatened–Black Lives Matters protesters just days before his wife’s election primary. The 67-year old will instead enter a diversion program and be required to perform 100 hours of community service, attend gun safety courses and anger management as well to have the criminal case against him dismissed. However, he will not entirely be off the hook. Still pending is a civil lawsuit filed by Black Lives Matter activists Dr. Melina Abdullah, Dahlia Ferlito and Justin Marks against both the former D.A. and her husband in connection with the incident. The 16-page lawsuit alleges assault, negligence and infliction of emotional distress. This week, that case was allowed to move an L.A. Superior Court judge allowed the case to move forward. “Dr. Melina Abdullah, Dahlia Ferlito, and Justin Marks are thrilled that we have now overcome all of the procedural challenges and can turn the spotlight of this matter back on David Lacey’s outrageous use of force against three peaceful protesters,” said Attorney Carl Douglas, who was retained by BLM. “Jackie Lacey and her army of lawyers have thrown every procedural hurdle known to man against us, and today, finally, Judge Theresa M. Traber said enough is enough, let's move this case towards a jury trial. That process begins now with us placing Jackie and David Lacey under oath forcing them to answer for their outrageous transgressions.

UpFront Delta Variant Poses Serious Risk to Communities With Low Vaccination Rates

ith the Delta variant of COVID19 spreading like wildfire in communities with low vaccination rates, there is renewed concern for serious risk in L.A.’s African American communities. A new Kaiser Family Foundation report finds that continued lower vaccination rates put minority groups at a greater risk for the coronavirus as new variants–like the Delta variant– spread. While recent trends suggest a narrowing of racial gaps in vaccinations at the national level, particularly for Hispanic people, who have received a larger share of vaccinations compared to their share of the total population, the Los Angeles County Public Health Department reported 275 new Covid-19 cases among Blacks in the last week of June (which was up by 77). It marks the third consecutive week of rising numbers for new cases of COVID-19 among blacks in L.A. county, where the total number of diagnosed Black cases are 47,653 with 1,919 deaths. The White House has said it would send out special teams to hot spots around the United States to combat the highly contagious Delta coronavirus variant amid rising case counts in parts of the country where vaccination rates remain low. "It is clear that communities where people remain unvaccinated are communities that remain vulnerable," said U.S.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Rochelle Walensky. The easily transmitted Delta variant is believed to h a v e

become the second most prevalent coronavirus variant in the United States according Walensky. County officials were so concerned about the variant that they recommended that vaccinated residents resume wearing face coverings indoors after detecting that about half of all recent cases were the delta variant. In the week ending June 12, Delta variants comprised of nearly half of all variants sequenced in Los Angeles County. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) noted that Delta vari-

ants are now responsible for about one in every five new infections across the country, up from approximately one in every 10 the week before. “While COVID-19 vaccine provides very effective protection preventing hospitalizations and deaths against the Delta variant, the strain is proving to be more transmissible and is expected to become more prevalent,” said Barbara Ferrer, Director of L.A. County Public Health. “Mask wearing remains an effective tool for reducing transmission, especially indoors where the virus may be easily spread through inhalation of aerosols emitted by an infected person.” President Joe Biden had set a goal of 70 percent of all adults getting at least one shot by July 4. CDC data show that as of June 30, 66.5 percent of adults age 18 and older had received at least one shot. At the same time, the data show that 87.9 percent of adults age 65 and older have gotten at least one vaccine dose. “We still have to be careful and cautious,” said Dr. Jerry Abraham of Kedren Health. Abraham–dubbed by some as “South L.A.’s Dr. Fauci’–also pointed out that the national hospitalization and death rates are just as high as they were two months ago. “It’s been a difficult 17 months now, but that doesn’t mean it’s all over,” Abraham continued. “The faster we all get vaccinated, the faster we all get back to life.”

City Council Adopts Ordinance To Engage the Unhoused and Promote Public Safety The Los Angeles City Council has taken steps to adopt an ordinance that would engage unhoused homeless individuals and connect them to housing and services, while promoting public health, safety and access to the public right of way. “I fundamentally believe that in order to address homelessness — and particularly street homelessness — we must lead with a trauma-informed perspective. Trained outreach workers from experienced community-based nonprofits must take the lead in engaging our unhoused individuals. Bringing people indoors can take time, and there is no one-size-fits-all solution for individuals that have lost everything,” said Councilmember Ridley-Thomas. “But we must also recognize that there are public health, safety and access issues created by the conditions on the streets that impact the quality of life of Angelenos. We are seeing an unprecedented level of fires involving homeless encampments, and far too many unhoused individuals are killed by vehicle incidents each year. Not every space is a safe space for those who are forced to sleep outside.” The ordinance approved by the City Council would provide the City with authority to maintain the public right of way, in a manner that is consistent with City Council continued to page 20

HeadToHead Juneteenth—Is Just A Start

igh props go to 94-year-old Not Jumping this legislation, just as he gets credOpal Lee, the Texas woman it for going to Tulsa at the hunfor determined to make Juneteenth dredth commemoration of the Juneteenth a national holiday. destruction of Black Wall Street. Thanks to her efforts and those of others While both these things are primarily like Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee symbolic, these are symbolic gestures that (D-Texas) and Senator Cory Booker (D- he did not have to make. If Biden doesn’t NJ), Juneteenth is now a federal holiday, “get” race and racism (and honestly, what the eleventh national holiday, and the first white person does), he’s spent enough time since Dr. Martin Luther King’s birthday with Senior Advisor Cedric Richmond and was made a holiday. For federal employ- Vice President ees, it means a paid day off work. Some Kamala Harris to private employers will also make communicate his Juneteenth a paid day off. I chuckle at the affinity for Black peoirony of Klan members getting a paid day ple and his commitoff work to commemorate Juneteenth. ment to some Perhaps that will help them with the con- progress. It’s up to us, cept that the South lost the Civil War! now, to push him on While I am buoyed by the new holiday, what needs to happen Julienne Malveaux I’m not jumping for joy nor dancing in the next. street. The Senate passed the holiday legWe aren’t likely to get the John Lewis islation unanimously. How come they can’t Voting Rights Act passed unless the filido the same for the George Floyd bill or buster is eliminated. Still, President Biden voting rights. While the Juneteenth holi- has shillyshallied about getting rid of the day is impactful, the ease with which it got filibuster, and West Virginia’s DINO Senate passage ought to give us all pause. (Democrat in Name Only) Senator Joe It is easier to support a holiday than to Manchin is no help. He says he values support the principle of democracy, which bipartisanship, but he seems to appreciate is allegedly at the foundation of our democ- nothing more than the attention he gets by racy. It is easier to support a holiday than “negotiating” with recalcitrant to abolish the use of the chokehold. It is Republicans who love the former president easier to support a holiday than to support more than they value justice. Sure, they SB 40, the Senate’s reparations bill. voted unanimously to make Juneteenth a Juneteenth reminds me of justice and federal holiday. Still, several in Congress equality denied. Those Galveston enslaved voted against it, and several others voted people didn’t find out they were free until to withhold the Congressional Medal of nearly two and a half years after President Honor from the capitol police officers who Lincoln signed the Emancipation bravely defended them on January 6. Proclamation. Their exploiters were the Some of them still adhere to the big lie beneficiaries of thousands of hours of free that the previous won the election. But labor. They intended to game the system they voted to make Juneteenth a holiday. and exploit Black people for as long as they I’m not jumping. could. Fast forward. The exploiters are Juneteenth represents more than symstill gaming the system with prison labor, bolic progress, though. While most of substandard wages, and other forms of white America had never heard of economic injustice. It will take something Juneteenth, now they have. They now more than a holiday to right those wrongs. have the opportunity to reflect on our If Juneteenth goes the same way other nation’s history in ways they haven’t American “holidays” do, it will be commer- reflected on it before. Annually, there will cialized. Consider Dr. King’s birthday and be a flurry of newspaper articles and telethe sales that holiday motivates. I cringe vision specials focusing on Juneteenth. to think what might be sold to commemo- The ignorant can change the channel or rate Juneteenth, but capitalism is the flip the pages of their newspapers, but mother of exploitation, so I’m sure the evil- commemorating Juneteenth begins the ly creative will come up with something. process of fully embracing our flawed hisNo, I’m not jumping for Juneteenth. tory. President Biden gets credit for signing Julianne Malveaux continued to page 20

Headlines From Africa

Botswana: Government officials have announced that the discovery of 1,098-carat diamond is believed to be the third largest diamond mined in history. Cameroon: The U.S. is calling for both the Cameroon government and separatist armed groups to end the ongoing conflict and to engage in dialogue without preconditions. It is urging all relevant stakeholders in Cameroon and in the diaspora to engage constructively and seek a peaceful resolution to fighting. The U.S has also imposed visa restrictions on those believed to be responsible for, or complicit in undermining the peaceful resolution of the crisis.

L.A. Focus/July 2021

Central African Republic: Fighting against forces loyal to the government has sparked a humanitarian crisis with 57 percent of the population in need of assistance. The looting and militarization of civilian infrastructure, such as schools and hospitals, have hindered already inadequate access to basic services and undermine the protection of civilians and assistance. Ethiopia: Late last month, Ethiopia declared a unilateral cease-fire in the Tigray region which has been the site of deadly clashes and has withdrawn troops as Tigrayan forces seize the regional capital. Thousands have been displaced and at least 300,0000 face famine. Ivory Coast: Former rebel leader and Prime Minister Guillaume Soro has been sentenced to life imprisonment in absentia on charges he plotted a coup against President Alassane Ouattara in 2019. Ghana: Ghana aimed to plant at least five million trees in a single day to help regrow the country’s lost forests and curb the impacts of climate change. Over 7 million seedlings were distributed to parks, schools and businesses as planting kits were handed out at malls in major cities with participants able to choose from fruit, crop or ornamental trees.

he good news is that delayed if not denied. When Juneteenth Juneteenth is a federal holPresident Abraham Lincoln enactfederal holiday iday. The bad news is that ed his Emancipation Proclamation is a start, but Black people still need that on New Year’s Day in 1863, that Black America freedom, which a June 19 celebradid not impact the millions who isn’t free tion fails to provide. And while we were enslaved by the Confederacy. should not trivialize the symbolism of a Even when the Civil War ended in April federal Juneteenth holiday, it is no substi- 1865 after secessionist General Robert E. tute for federal legislation that would help Lee surrendered to the Union Army, Black make Black people truly free. people were enslaved for another two In what can only months. It was not until June 19 when be described as an Union Major-General Gordon Granger unexpected move in traveled to Galveston and notified the 2021, on the tail end of enslaved they were free. a historic pandemic, The Thirteenth, Fourteenth and President Joe Biden Fifteenth Amendments and the signed the law making Reconstruction-era civil rights laws also Juneteenth a national freed Black people, until Jim Crow wiped holiday. The legisla- them away. So, too, did the Civil Rights David A. Love tion passed the Senate and Voting Rights Acts a century later. unanimously, with all but 14 Republican Now, white supremacist lawmakers hope white men in Congress approving of the to enact a Jim Crow 2.0 and erase all Black new holiday. progress. And while Texan lawmakers Rep. The moral of the story is that none of us Sheila Jackson Lee, a Democrat, and Sen. are free, until we are all free. Whether John Cornyn, a Republican, made the back in 1865 or in 2021, when America Juneteenth holiday possible in a rare show tells Black people they have been emanciof bipartisanship, it is worth noting that pated, one must read the fine print. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott just signed a law Today, the police murder of George banning the teaching of critical race theo- Floyd and countless other Black souls, and ry. Texas is also one of the numerous white the attack on the U.S. Capitol have forced nationalist-led states pushing bills to sup- the nation to focus on systemic racism in press voting rights for Black people and policing and the criminal justice system, cement white minority rule for genera- the body politic, our institutions, and tions. everywhere in American society. In other words, they will give us Although Black people were supposedly Juneteenth, and hope we are not looking as emancipated and have lived in this country they ban any curriculum that teaches for over 400 years, we still live in a hostile Americans about the history of environment. The remnants of slavery are Juneteenth, and pass laws – 389 bills in in our laws, policies, practices, procedures 48 states – stripping Black Americans of and customs. Racism is systemic and institheir citizenship rights. tutional, not merely a few bad apples or a Juneteenth, which began in Texas, is small group of people doing harmful our Independence Day. Because on July 4, things. This is not simply a matter of a few 1776, Black people remained in a state of neo-Nazis or Proud Boys burning Black enslavement. Juneteenth is a day of cele- churches, but an issue of power and white bration and a day of commemoration, a day privilege, and the microaggressions Black to remember the ancestors and lost family people face in schools, in the workplace and members, a time to build ourselves up, daily life. reclaim our history and center ourselves The U.S. has not come to terms with its and our experiences. legacy of racism and white supremacy, Further, Juneteenth is a reminder that including a history of slavery and how it freedom has always been a precarious denies Black people of their humanity, digproposition for Black folks in America, nity and equality. filled with conditions and dashed hopes, Now is a perfect time to honor shifting goalposts, backsliding and lots of Juneteenth, and we need this. However, bloodshed. And justice has always been David A Love continued to page 20

A look at current news from the continent of Africa Kenya: Kenya is banking on the speedy administration of COVID-19 second doses to tame the virus spread amid surges in western parts of the country that have exerted strain on public health infrastructure. Liberia: The World Bank approved $40 million in funding to support and enable inclusive growth, development and reforms in Liberia, including economic and social inclusion. Nigeria: A militant group that nearly crippled Nigeria’s economy during the first term of President Muhammadu Buhari—cutting oil production to less than half—has once again set its sights on undermining the nation’s economy and targeting political actors believed to be collaborating with the government to sabotage the interest of the Niger Delta people. Rwanda: Rwanda plans to deploy troops to help Mozambique fight an insurgency that’s left more than 2,900 people dead and halted Africa’s biggest private investment. Senegal: Tensions were high in the capital city, Dakar, ahead of a vote on a controversial anti-terrorism law that the opposition fears would be used to ban protests and criminalize dissent and amid uncertainty over whether President Macky Sall will seek a controversial third term. South Africa: Despite South Africa’s embracing same-sex marriages for all and polygamy for men, a proposal by the South African government to legalize polyandry — the practice of a woman having more than one husband at the same time— has led to protests from conservatives. Zambia: The nation of Zambia mourned the passing of its founding president, Kenneth Kaunda, last month at the age of 97. Kaunda—who led the nation for 27 years—championed Africa’s struggles against apartheid and HIV. Zimbabwe: Vice President Constantino Chiwenga has announced that getting a COVID-19 vaccine will soon become mandatory in public markets such as Harare as the government intensifies its vaccination campaign.

Money Matters Cal Unemployment System Backlogged With More Than 200,000 Claims

alifornia may have reopened June 15, but for many unemployed workers, the economic struggle caused by the COVID-19 pandemic is nowhere near over. Many Californians are still waiting for the state’s Employment Development Department (EDD) to clear their backlog of claims, with the department’s data page showing over 221,000 claims are pending past 21 days as of June 12. On May 28, Assemblymember Mike Gipson (D-Carson) hosted a press conference featuring constituents from his district who are seeking immediate help from EDD. Three spoke about their struggles trying to get their unemployment benefits–experiencing extremely long wait times and difficulties trying to verify their identity or correct claim amounts. The difficulties mirrored complaints the department’s service and call centers have been reporting since the pandemic began last year. Roneisha Williams, a Gipson constituent, is waiting on an appeal after receiving an incorrect benefit amount. She said that she received conflicting information from the EDD and representatives asked her for a different set of documents each time she called. “When you call and speak with someone regarding the solution, you're not given the same information. You can call one representative and they'll tell you to submit a documentation. You submit that documentation. You call to confirm that it has been received. The other representative will tell you that not only you weren't supposed to submit that documentation, but really you need to go to this step, and we need to see this documentation.” Williams also spoke about her difficulties going through the ID verification process with the third-party company ID.me. EDD launched the ID.me verification process in October 2020 as part of an effort to crack down on fraud. The department also suspended 1.4 million accounts last December and made some claimants verify their identities. Since, unemployed Californians directed to ID.me have faced delays and technical issues. Willams also expressed concern for less technologically-savvy claimants who may have to use ID.me. “Having to contact a third party to qualify for your unemployment benefits is very stressful, especially when

QUINCI LEGARDYE California Black Media

On the Money The High Cost of Preserving Childbirth

they do not have any human contact customer service available. With the ID.me verification, everything is done through your phone. I know how to work technology but what about the constituents that aren't familiar with it, who don't have a high-powered or accurate camera on their phone to send a copy of their ID?” Williams said. Roger Lozoya, a pipeline welder who also lives in Gipson’s district, lost his job five months ago, and has had no income since. He said his identity was stolen and used to receive EDD benefits. So, when he tried to get benefits, the EDD told him that he owed them money. Without income, Lozoya said that he has sold his possessions, including his work truck and tools, to support his family. During the press conference, Gipson called on the EDD to take measures to get through the claims backlog. He also urged the EDD to extend working hours and keep phone lines open during evenings and weekends. Gipson also mentioned the state audits of EDD, and suggested that implementing the recommendations of the State Auditor would likely help address the backlog. “We absolutely have to do everything we can to make sure people who need this help the most, get the help that they're seeking to put food on the table, clothes their children's back and also a roof over the head,” said Gipson. In response to a California Black Media request for comment, EDD Media Services said, “We understand how challenging this pandemic has been for millions of people. Since April 2020, EDD call centers (1-800-300-5616) are open 12 hours a day, seven days a week -- among many other efforts to continually work to improve the customer experience. EDD offers useful self-help information including a 24-hour self-help line 1-866-333-4606, a YouTube channel with helpful videos, and other resources at EDD.ca.gov.“ EDD says it has also improved the online help text to clearly explain what is required by the bi-weekly certification questions to help claimants avoid delays and launched a new feature that allows a caller to hold their place “in line” when contacting the call center until the Department calls the claimant back. The agency is also continuing to monitor customer areas of confusion and trending issues and addressing them with improved public information.

mixed-income housing and retail. The development is part of Jakes’ long-term vision to cultivate quality affordable housing for the underserved in a model that will be duplicated across the country. “In my travels across all of America, I see too many Black and Brown working-class people still falling victim to the continued gentrification of our neighborhoods. This project will bring solutions to the quality-of-life problems and elevate the lives of the Atlantans that will live, work and play there," Jakes said. “We share in the City of Atlanta’s belief that the redevelopment of this fertile neighborhood is criticaal to the future growth of Atlanta,” Jakes continued. “My vision is to develop an oasis within our cities for working families, walking them toward economic viability through financial literacy programs, live-work spaces, mixed income housing and multigenerational options that are so imperative to the betterment of our society.” “This agreement marks another monumental chapter in the history of Fort Mac,” said Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms. “Thank you to Tyler Perry and Bishop T.D. Jakes for their vision and investment in the Southwest Atlanta community. The positive impact will be felt for generations to come.”

Navigator Pilot Program. Established by the American Rescue Plan, the program will leverage a community navigator approach to reach our nation’s smallest businesses, with a priority focus on those owned by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals, as well as women and veterans. Applications will be accepted through July 12, 2021 at grants.gov., with award decisions to follow by August 2021. Competitive grant awards will range from $1 million to $5 million for a two-year performance period. Selected partners will engage in targeted outreach for small businesses in underserved communities to help small businesses get the resources and support they need to get back on track as the economy continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. “The Community Navigator Pilot Program is a crucial addition to our SBA programs because it helps us to connect with small businesses that have historically been underserved or left behind. These businesses — the smallest of the small in rural and urban America, and those owned by women, people of color, or veterans — have suffered the greatest economic loss from this pandemic,” said SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman. “If we’re going to build back better, we need to ensure that all entrepreneurs have the support they need to recover.” The Community Navigator Pilot will provide counseling, networking, and the assistance needed during this time of economic recovery. For more information on the Community Navigators Initiative, please visit www.sba.gov/navigators.

ith women delaying childbirth to their late thirties and into their forties, more and more are looking into the option of freezing their eggs in an effort to offset the declining fertility that begins at age 35. Egg freezing allows women to safeguard higher quality and younger eggs for use when and if they do decide to get pregnant. Most doctors recommend egg freezing for medical reasons and not necessarily for delaying motherhood. However, it is not guaranteed, nor is it cheap and it is rarely, if ever, covered by insurance. In fact, just 16 states require insurance companies to offer coverage for infertility treatment. California is one of them, requiring certain insurers to offer some coverage for in-fertility diagnosis and treatment. One single egg freezing cycle–including tests, medications and the surgery to retrieve the egg–ranges anywhere from $6,000 to $20,000, with the average somewhere in the $10,000 - $15,000 range. And that doesn’t include the fees to store the eggs, which can start at $600 per year, with eggs being viable for 10-15 years or more. While each cycle can yield an average of 10 eggs, not all of them will be high quality enough to freeze, for that reason, most women require more than one cycle, ofttimes doubling the fees. Success rates depend on who you ask. They are as low as 5% and as high as one in five. Experts advise that when considering egg freezing as an option, it is important to note that the ideal age for egg freezing is under 35 years of age with the general rule being, the younger, the better. Men can also consider freezing their sperm, though most do for medical reasons. It is much cheaper (averaging up to $1,200), which may or may not include the cost for storage. Once again, however, age is a factor as semen quality decreases with age and the risks for autism, schizophrenia and other conditions increase.

Biz News Briefs T.D. Jakes and Tyler Perry Announce Significant Investments in Atlanta

Tyler Perry is expanding his empire with the addition of 37.5 acres to the existing 330 acres of Fort McPherson property that his studios now occupy. However, the property is not an extension of his studio. Instead, he intends to use the land to create an entertainment hub open to the public complete with retail stores, restaurants and a theater district. “Today is a good day,” said Perry. “I’m grateful for the opportunity this gives Tyler Perry Studios to extend our footprint in Atlanta and create more opportunities for the people of Southwest Atlanta with restaurants, entertainment venues and other business opportunities. I’m looking forward to collaborating with my friend T.D. Jakes on his separate but adjacent project and I also want to thank Governor Kemp and Mayor Bottoms for their continued efforts to make Atlanta a better place.” In a separate deal, the Local Redevelopment Authority Board of Fort McPherson approved the sale of approximately 94.5 acres of remaining land on the historic army base to T.D. Jakes Real Estate Ventures, LLC after nearly two months of negotiations, clearing the way for the Dallas-based firm to redevelop the property for

SBA Launches Community Navigator Pilot Program To Help Hard Hit Small Businesses In accordance with President Biden’s priority to deliver equitable relief to hard-hit small businesses, the SBA (Small Business Administration) recently announced that it is accepting applications for its new Community

LISA COLLINS Editor-in-Chief

erhaps it is LADWP Board President Cynthia McClainHill’s law firm motto that best encapsulates her meteoric rise on L.A.’s civic and political landscape. “There are forces beyond economic at work in today’s marketplace,” it reads. “We know how to use them.” It is a bold statement from a woman who is known for making them and most importantly

L.A. Focus/July 2021

can back them up. Says McClain-Hill, “There are not that many people that look like me who have been willing to get in the arena and fight it out and have learned how to navigate in a way that can move an agenda forward”. Her prowess at moving an agenda forward has landed her at the helm of the nation’s largest municipal utility– the L.A. Department of Water & Power (DWP) with more than 9,000 employees and an annual budget of $6 billion. In a statement announcing her nomination, Mayor Eric Garcetti said, “Cynthia never stops fighting to move L.A. forward – and I know that she will bring those same values to the job of overseeing a DWP that powers our households, empowers ratepayers, and leads the charge toward a sustainable, clean energy future.” In an L.A. Daily News op-ed entitled, “Who Should Be the Next Mayor of Los Angeles?”, her name was mentioned among the civic leaders who would make an extremely effective steward. And she has the credentials to prove it, from National President of the National Association of Women Business Owners to appointments on the California Coastal Commission and California Fair Practice Commissions to the Board of the L.A. Police Commission and as founder of Strategic Counsel, a land use law firm that is well-versed on public policy and government regulations. Many feel, however, that it is at the helm of the L.A. Department of Water & Power, that McClain-Hill will make the most impact and at the top of her list of priorities is racial equity. “When I joined the department, I knew that it was a coveted place to work in the city of Los Angeles,” states McClain-Hill. “I also knew that there were people that called it ‘the department of white peo-

ple.’” The latter was something she set out to change, and the timing couldn’t have been better. In the wake of social unrest in the summer of 2020, Mayor Eric Garcetti issued Executive Director No. 27. This Directive instructed all City departments to create a Racial Equity Action Plan to foster efforts to promote equity throughout Los Angeles. “That caused the walls to come crashing down at DWP,” McClain-Hill recalls. “Not only did the board get seriously engaged in these issues, but we literally went into the department and surveyed our entire department about racial equity.” Determined not to just perform the perfunctory check the box report, McClain-Hill convinced her board colleagues, the LADWP General Manager, senior leadership, as well as union leaders that the department needed to have an outside entity perform a comprehensive analysis on the culture and operations of DWP. A team of minority consultants from Dakota Communications and Cordoba Corporation led the effort to produce the top to bottom analysis, which included focus groups, interviews, and an employee survey. The report–which was responded to by an unprecedented 3,400 DWP employees, about one third of the entire workforce– revealed that DWP had no real enforcement policies to punish rogue managers, supervisors, or employees for discriminatory behavior. Thus, harassment and retaliation of whistle blowers persisted. Focus groups revealed that 53% of staff and 50% of supervisors felt DWP management did not take appropriate action in response to incidents of discrimination. African Americans fared much worse than other ethnic groups. Nearly 40% of Black survey participants felt they had been discriminated against for career opportunities. Fifty-nine (59%) of Black survey participants witnessed discrimination compared to only 36% of total survey participants witnessing discrimination. Additionally, there were currently no Black executives in management. “On the day the mayor issued his racial equity directive, I was the only African-American that sat on the senior executive board and noted that was an issue the department needed to change,” McClain Hill adds. “The mayor ordered that every department create a racial equity officer, but what we've done is to create an office of diversity, equity and inclusion with significant resources and as many as 30 people reporting to it.” She pauses for a moment. “We've got to change institutions

I've learned over the years to push the envelope and not care what other people think, but I didn't start out that way. [Instead it was] being cautious, being in the background, supporting other people, pushing them forward, letting them take credit. Been there done that. Being resilient is probably my greatest gift and I've had to lean on it a lot. You don't regret the things that you try and fail. You regret the things you don't try.

and that takes resources, and it takes focus. This new office will embody the transformative change that is needed to advance diversity and inclusion efforts for all stakeholders.” And it is a commitment she says that is not just top down, but bottom up. “The department’s work around racial equity since Mayor Garcetti issued Executive Directive 27 has been nothing short of breathtaking and it’s something that I am very proud of,” said McClain-Hill of an action plan that includes a workforce development initiative that creates good paying jobs and career opportunities for historically disadvantaged communities, and spearheading LA100 Equity Strategies - a comprehensive study to ensure all Angelenos, especially residents in communities of color benefit from a just transition to 100% renewable energy. She is just as clear that her presence is part of that impact. “I am unapologetically a black woman and have no difficulty being very clear about what I'm looking for in part because I don't take no for an answer and I can be very blunt; and it's easier to speak truth to power when you see someone modeling that and you think you're going to be heard.” The L.A. native concedes that navigating the challenges haven’t been easy. “We're now in a place where we're demanding that everybody squarely face the impact of systemic racism and stop pretending they haven't benefited from it and that it has improved other groups,” McClain-Hill observes. “It's sometimes difficult to take that in when you think, ‘oh, but I'm a good person’. I have to hear that, be patient with it and then get people on board and move them forward. We've been successful at doing that, but it's a work in progress.” She is just as determined about DWP’s transition to 100% renewable energy and the city's climate change efforts in a way that is equitable, understanding underserved communities aren’t there yet. “You can't talk about solar rooftops and not talk about housing, because not everybody lives in a single family home and not everybody can afford or has access to the ability to put solar on their rooftops,” McClain-Hill explains. “You have to realize that communities that are underserved are filled with renters. You've also got to figure out who's going to pay for all this stuff and what's it going to cost? “People are not talking about renewable energy, because they're talking about how they pay the rent or how to get and keep a good paying job,” she continues. So rather than talking about renewable energy, we're really talking about what the climate change future of Los Angeles is going to be and that's been decided. “We've got a governor saying that California is going to stop allowing the sale of gas combustion cars by a date certain. If that's what's going to happen, then we've got to start approaching communities with strategies about how they get connected to that. They might [instead] be interested in a conversation about the industries that will be recruiting and hiring and growing as a result of that transition.” She is sensitive enough to weigh the impact of that

transition through the lens and interests of those who that will have to pay for it. “Everyone that lives in the city of LA, pays a bill to DWP. You have no choice, so since you have no choice, this affects you and the department is committed to understanding how it affects you and making sure that it is done in a way that it enhances the community, not detracts from it.” And she is fortunate enough to work in tandem with a board and executives like LADWP General Manager and Chief Engineer Martin L. Adams who agree. “As LADWP expands these programs and adds many more, we must ensure that customers who are impacted by poor air quality and have the least ability to afford higher electric bills, are able to benefit from the clean energy transformation,” Adams said. McClain-Hill’s success is equal parts strategy, opportunity and hard work. “My firm is called strategic counsel, but in terms of my own career, I've worked hard and been really clear about what was important to me,” she reflects. “I just had my first grandchild, so I am very connected to the fact that opportunity for me was created by people that marched and died and that took advantage of the law and politics to open doors. My own devotion to politics and engagement in civic affairs has been to do my bit to keep those doors open and to open them a little wider. To that extent, I've been strategic.” As the eldest of three daughters, McClain-Hill had no idea what was possible in the world, except that her parents told her that anything was possible. Thanks to them, she’s never questioned her capabilities, her self-worth or her place in the world and because of that she took advantage of opportunities as they presented themselves. Learning to redefine failure, she says, was critical to her success. “It didn't happen until my probably early 40s when I figured out that there's no such thing as perfect,” the UCLA alumnus recounts. “I've learned over the years to push the envelope and not care what other people think, but I didn't start out that way. [Instead it was] being cautious, being in the background, supporting other people, pushing them forward, letting them take credit. “Been there done that. Being resilient is probably my greatest gift and I've had to lean on it a lot. You don't regret the things that you try and fail. You regret the things you don't try.” Always fueling her passion and drive was the desire to make a difference. So much so, she recalls, “When I was a young lawyer, my goal was to get a front page obituary in my hometown newspaper to know that I made a difference. “In my law practice, I make money, which helps fuel my life, but in my other areas of work, I make a difference and I always have time for that.” It’s as if she owes it to the people who made her life possible, not just her parents, but her grandmother who was a domestic and an uncle who was a black panther. And she adds, “All of those people I don't know who marched and died. “The fact that we, as Black people, survive all we have is what causes me to do what I do. In the face of that, I

can't b e afraid of anything.” Ironically, of all the positions and appointments she’s received, it was her appointment to chair the LADWP that brought the 63-year old, once recognized among California’s “Super Lawyers” to tears. “I thought about my mother and my beginnings,” she says. “My dad got his GED in the Navy and my mother had me when she was 19 and made it her mission to send me to college. So, the day I got that appointment, I thought about how hard my parents worked, how much they wanted for me and what an awesome responsibility and a pretty incredible amount of power came with this position.” With that power, McClain-Hill intends to not only lead the LADWP in modeling what effective structural change in in a major municipal utility looks like, but to set a new standard of equity that can be replicated in the city and across the nation. “In the next two years, DWP will complete a study on equity strategies that will be the first of its kind in the nation,” she states of the Racial Equity Action Plan that can be freely assessed on the DWP website. “A study that will define and quantify what is necessary in order to have an equitable climate change transition in the city of Los Angeles and it will be a model for the rest of the country to follow. Over the next five years, the DWP, I expect to see people of color at every single level of our department. DWP will not only be a pipeline for jobs into the department in the city, but we'll also have a pipeline for jobs with our third party contractors and that will change the game in terms of numbers of jobs people can aspire to. “We're intending to lead the way, not just in terms of climate change, renewable energy, but we're determined to lead the way in terms of how you engage with your community in a way that is equitable, that is inclusive, and that lifts all boats at the same time. So, DWP is going to be a model agency, and it's going to model the best in terms of technology, opportunities, service and workforce development. We're going to build a stronger L.A.”

Right: Cynthia McClain Hill climbing the poles at the DWP Training Center and left, speaking at Mayor Eric Garcetti’s Green New Deal press conference.

HO L LY W OOD SPOT LIGHT Chez Hadley “Summer of Soul” It has been characterized as a powerful and transporting documentary— part music film, part historical record created around an epic event that celebrated Black history, culture, and fashion. And this month, Roots drummer and front man, Questlove, makes his directorial debut with the two-hour documentary, Summer of Soul, subtitled “Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised). Dubbed as “The Black Woodstock”, the documentary featuring never before seen concert performances by Sly and the Family Stone, Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, B.B. King, Mahalia Jackson, Gladys Knight, the 5th Dimension, the Staples Singers,

Max Roach, Moms Mabley and Pigmeat Markham, was filmed at the Harlem Cultural Festival–a series of concerts held in 1969 at Marcus Garvey Park to an estimated audience of 300,000. It was in 2019 that Questlove was approached by two producers who said

they had 45-plus hours of footage from a little known, but culturally historic, music festival. Said Questlove, “I was shocked that there was all this footage out there and that no one had done much with it.” The racial justice protests of last summer gave the project even more meaning. The film’s climax is Nina Simone performing “Young, Gifted and Black” with a recitation from the Last Poets’ David Nelson: “Are you ready to smash white things, to burn buildings…Are you ready to build black things?” The documentary arrives in theaters and will be available on Hulu on July 2.

OUT THIS MONTH

Cinderella July 16

LeToya Luckett, YaYa DaCosta and Morris Chestnut to Headline “Our Kind of People” LeToya Luckett, Yaya DaCosta and Morris Chestnut have all been set as leads in the Fox drama series Our Kind of People, based on the critically acclaimed book: Our Kind of People: Inside America’s Black Upper Class. Set in Martha’s Vineyard, Our Kind of People is the story of a strong-willed single mom Angela Vaughn (DaCosta) who sets out to reclaim her family’s name and make an impact with her revolutionary haircare line that highlights the innate, natural beauty of Black women. But she soon discovers a dark secret about her mother’s past that will turn her world upside-down and shake up this community forever. Luckett w i l l p l a y Leah

L.A. Focus/July 2021

HOLLYWOOD BUZZ

Zola July 2

Franklin-

Space Jam: A New Legacy July 16

Dupont, a strong, confident, elegant businesswoman, who, along with her husband Raymond (Chestnut), sits at the top of the food chain of the wealthy, long-standing Black elite in Martha’s Vineyard and makes it her business to bar Angela’s acceptance into the elite conclave fearing that Angela will destroy everything Leah’s family has built.

The Best Man—The Final Chapters Fans of “The Best Man” movie franchise will be pleased to know that a ten-episode limited dramedy series The Best Man: The Final Chapters is in the works, with the core members of the original cast–Chestnut, Nia Long, Terrence Howard, Regina Hall, Sanaa Lathan, Taye Diggs, Melissa De Sousa and Harold Perrineau– all reportedly signing seven figure deals to return. Morris Chestnut is a hot commodity these days. The actor–who stars on The Resident–is one of the producers behind the upcoming feature Greenwood Avenue, about the Tulsa Race Massacre. The film will follow the story of a Philadelphia lawyer who goes to Tulsa, Oklahoma to discover the events of the Black Wall Street massacre of 1921 and her family’s connection to it. In the meantime,

Tiffany Haddish to Bring FloJo Story to Life Tiffany Haddish is set to produce and star in a biopic about Olympic Goldwinning track and field athlete Florence (“Flo-Jo”) Griffith Joyner to detail her remarkable accomplishments and untimely death at the age of 38. The fastest woman of all time, the records Flojo set back in 1988 for the 100 and 200 meters events still stand. Her indelible impact on the world of sport also had a great deal to do with her fashion. “I am looking forward to telling FloJo’s story the way it should be told,”

Jungle Cruise July 30

Haddish told Deadline. “My goal with this film is making sure that younger generations know my ‘she-ro’ Flo-Jo, the fastest woman in the world to this day, existed.”

Diana Ross Shows Her Gratitude Diana Ross has a new album set for release this fall and its message is simple. Said Ross, “This collection of songs is my gift to you with appreciation and love. I am eternally grateful that I had the opportunity to record this glorious music at this time. I dedicate this songbook of love to all of you, the listeners. As you hear my voice you hear my heart. "Let Love Lead the Way". Recorded in her home studio, "Thank You" offers a powerful, inclusive musical message of love and togetherness. Ross co-wrote and collaborated on the 13 songs. In other news, Danny Glover and Samuel L. Jackson are among those chosen to receive Honorary Oscars, at the long-delayed 12th annual Governors’ Awards…Seems Dwyane Wade and wife Gabrielle Union’s “Shady Baby”, Kaavia, has inspired the couple’s next collaboration. “We’re so excited to officially announce our new baby company, Proudly. As we continue to work on new endeavors together, our goal is to always center our work around being the change we want to see while championing diversity, equity and inclusion,” the two said in a statement. “With Proudly, we’re proud to have a range of products that caters to the unique skin care needs of children of color that are so often overlooked in the mass market”…Finally, even though his upcoming biography isn’t out yet, Will Smith’s book, Will, has been listed as Amazon’gs #1 best seller among actor and entertainer biographies. In a post, the 52-year old actor thanked his fans for their preorders. The book is set to be published on November 9.

Q&A

Jacob Lattimore Hometown: Milwaukee, Wisconsin Big Break: Black Nativity Upcoming Projects: Gully This 24-year old singer/actor got his big start starring in Black Nativity opposite Forest Whitaker, Jennifer Hudson, Angela Bassett and Mary J. Blige at the age of 16. It led to roles in “The Maze Runner”, “Collateral Beauty”, “Detroit” and most recently “Like A Boss” starring Tiffany Haddish and Salma Hayek. A talented vocalist, he has released two albums and scored a hit single in 2017 with “Heartbreak Heard Around The World” featuring T. Pain. In 2018, He was cast to star in “The Chi”, which is presently in the midst of its fourth season. On shooting the new season of “The Chi”: “It’s been incredible. This is the first time we are going to be airing while we’re actually finishing up a few episodes. The show started May 23 and we are on episode eight right now. I like this way where we shoot and put it out. It’s kind of like you’re doing a music video. We definitely need this out for the people right now. The moment seems right and we saw the trailer and said ‘oh my goodness, we just finished filming that a couple weeks ago. On Season four’s focus on the police abuse of Black men: As a Black actor, it seems like almost every TV show or movie has to have it because it is so much a part of our reality,” said Latimore. “It’s relevant to our experience. We are The Chi and represent the culture and we have to talk about those issues. It has been really difficult to film with COVID and we haven’t been really able to come together as a cast off set as much as we used to. It’s definitely been difficult in that way. Everyone is so isolated when we are there. It’s difficult, but we are making it work and making it look good On how much you see of him in his character, Emmett: I’ve been able to put a lot of myself in the character. I’m really goofy and funny and I’ve been craving a character like this where I can just be myself. I wanted to show my personality a little more. I’ve done a lot of dramas and films like “Detroit” and “Collateral Beauty.” I had to bring the tears to screen and you will see a different dynamic from Emmett this year because he has to go through a lot this year. Overall, it’s been fun to be the light of the show. To be comedic, smiley and fun, it’s dope.” On his music: I'm actually getting ready to release some new music. I'm reallyexcited about the coming visuals. The visual (music videos) really shows me as an entertainer. I love to dance, I love perform and you know, Chris Brown, Usher, Bruno Mars, that's like the type of artist I really want to be like. I'm very vocal about it right now. I wasn't that vocal when I was younger, I was just kind of doing things, but now I know exactly what I want and expect it.

RedCarpet Style

ANDRA DAY in a spaghetti-straped pink gown

JENNIFER HUDSON in Dolce & Gabbana

The red carpet was back in full swing at the 2021 celebration of the BET Awards in Los Angeles late last month. Here were some of the most memorable looks.

H.E.R. in Giorgio Armani

TARAJI P. HENSON in Versace

SAWEETIE in Dolce & Gabbana

Eye On Gospel Back On Top Kirk Franklin is back on top of the charts with “We Win”, his collaboration with hip hop star Lil Baby on the first single from the Space Jam: A New Legacy Soundtrack, out July 9. "I'm humbled. There are so many dope gospel artists in this genre, and I'm honored to shed some light on the music that we make," Franklin told Billboard. "What else can I say but thank you. Thank you to the Father for letting me borrow something for this record, to Lil Baby for jumping on the track and to everybody that helped make this record possible." Also making strong chart moves was Brian Courtney Wilson, who landed his first No. 1 since 2018 with the recent release of “Still”. Wilson recently teamed with Ledisi to record the Donny Hathaway / Roberta Flack Classic "Be Real Black For Me.” In other chart news, Grammynominated Todd Dulaney returns with all-new music and his highly anticipated live album, Anthems & Glory. Recorded live at All Nations Worship Assembly in Chicago, this new body of music finds Dulaney leading listeners literally back to the scriptures for hope, comfort, answers, instructions, and everything to live life

according to the Bible. Anthems & Glory features a collective of 17 tracks and a stellar line-up of special guests that include Kierra Sheard, David Wilford, Todd Galberth, Smokie Norful, Tamela Mann, Apostle Matthew Stevenson and Tim Bush.

Virginia Union Launches Hezekiah Walker Center for Gospel Music Virginia Union University (VUU) will launch the Hezekiah Walker Center for Gospel Music at Virginia Union University. The center is the first of its kind in the United States. It will provide education and resources to help musicians and budding gospel artists to learn the cultural and business aspects of gospel music and the industry. Courses will be available to all VUU students and a variety of certification courses related to work in the industry will also be available to the general public. “The strong theological training I’ve received here at Virginia Union during the past two years has helped to shape my ministry,” said the Grammy-winning artist who is a second-year student of the Virginia Union University’s Samuel Dewitt Proctor School of Theology. “My goal is to give back to the school that has poured so much into me, by helping emerging gospel artists learn the business, as well as theological aspects of the gospel music industry.” “Gospel music is an important part of our culture and VUU is honored to partner with Walker to create a central hub for the study, writing, and preservation of gospel music. Walker has poured his spiritual gift and innovative ideas into the development of courses and events planned for the Center,” said Dr. Hakim J. Lucas, President and CEO of Virginia Union University. “VUU is growing to meet the changing career interests of our students by creating academic programs where the workforce demand is high or where students can explore opportunities in STEM, history, or the arts.”

“The Greatest Night in Gospel Music”

The “Greatest Night in Gospel Music” returns Live with the 36th Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards, taping on July 10th at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center in Nashville, TN. Tye Tribbett and contemporary artist and multiple Stellar Award winner, Jekalyn Carr have been tapped to host the highly-anticipated event, which will feature inspirational performances from the genre’s most celebrated artists, including Jonathan McReynolds, J.J. Hairston, Maverick City Music, Pastor Mike Jr. and Tamela Mann. The Clark Sisters, who will receive the James Cleveland Lifetime Achievement Award, are also expected to deliver a moving performance at this year’s ceremony. “After a challenging 2020, we are thrilled to return to the mainstage in one of the music epicenters of the world, Nashville, TN, for the 36th Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards,” said Don Jackson, Founder of the Stellar Awards and Chairman of Central City Productions. “With a theme of ‘Lighting the Way with Our Faith, Music and Family,’ we are set to deliver an evening of inspiration and celebration, led by the incomparable Tye Tribett and Jekalyn Carr, who are sure to bring high energy and excitement to the evening.” “I'm so hyped to return to the Stellar stage this year as a host alongside my sis, Jekalyn Carr,” said Tribbett. “This is the biggest night in gospel! I can't wait to see and hear all the amazing music that has blessed us this year!!” The Stellar Awards not only recognizes the year’s best performances in the genre, but honors Gospel music icons, and those who have been instrumental in advocating for the gospel industry. Top nominees for this year’s ceremony include Anthony Brown & group therAPy, Kierra Sheard, Maverick City Music, and Pastor Mike, Jr., each receiving seven nominations, including a nod each for Artist of the Year. Other celebrated artists receiving multiple Stellar nominations include Tasha Cobbs Leonard, The Clark Sisters, Rev. Luther Barnes and the Restoration Worship Center Choir, the Chicago Mass Choir and host Jekalyn Carr. Tramaine Hawkins will receive the Aretha Franklin Icon Award for her contributions to gospel music.

GameChanger:

Carol McGruder: “Taking on Big Tobacco and Winning”

L.A. Focus/July 2021

he African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council (AATCLC) won a major victory in their battle against menthol cigarettes when last month the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced it was working toward issuing proposed product standards within the next year to ban menthol as a characterizing flavor in cigarettes and ban all characterizing flavors (including menthol) in cigars. While they say the decision was based on pure science in an effort to reduce tobacco addiction and curb the death rates of tobacco related illnesses, at least some credit in part is due to the culmination of a 12-year effort by one California woman–Carol McGruder. It is the efforts of McGruder and the African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council she helped to cofound (and is co-chair of) that have pushed through legislation to regulate–if not all out ban– the sale of menthol and all flavored tobacco in California last year with the passage of SB793 in addition to such breakthroughs as the recent announcement from the FDA. In fact, the AATCLC has been at the forefront of the national movement to restrict the sale of mentholated tobacco products, assisting municipalities across the country (Chicago, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Oakland, Berkeley, Massachusetts, New York) in passing ordinances to get tobacco products out of their communities. “We're just hoping to make this moment count because moments don't last forever,” said the anti-smoking crusader. Fact is, if McGruder has her way, smoking will altogether be banned…and in her lifetime. “There was a time when people thought smoking would go on forever on airplanes or in nightclubs, but it’s been about community norms change. So, this is not going to be something overnight. It’s a process and part of the process is getting people ready,” said McGruder. “I worked on apartheid as a student and never thought I would wake up one day and Nelson Mandela would be out of jail and the president of South Africa. This will happen in my lifetime. I'm not going to pass this legacy on to another generation of my children.” Ironically, McGruder got into tobacco control by a fluke. “I needed a job and there was one available, but I had been an activist my whole life on many different issues, AIDS, black infant mortality, Afrocentric parenting,” McGruder recounts. “When I got into commercial tobacco control, I had already lost my favorite aunt who was an incredible businesswoman ashamed at her addiction to nicotine and unable to kick it, even when she was on oxygen in the later stages of her illness.” For McGruder, it’s simple. Whether you smoke or not, you are impacted by the tobacco industry. “It's not just about the individual. As a community, we have to say we will not look back and have lost a million people –because that's how many black people have died in these past 20 years from tobacco induced diseases–a million mothers, fathers... people who are the bedrock of our families and communities,” she states. “We've added many laws over time, starting with you can't smoke indoors anymore. There are certain number of people who quit then because every time they had to get and go outside. It made them think about what they were doing. Then there are other people who are so addicted, they'll stand out and smoke in a blizzard. We need to keep working until we find what works for them to get them off.” For now, it is an all-out ban of menthol cigarettes. AATCLC, Action on Smoking and Health, the American Medical Association, and the National Medical Association, which represents Black physicians sued the FDA last year for its failure to enact public health policy that protects the health and welfare of African Americans. According to the FDA, there is strong evidence a menthol ban would help people quit. Studies show that menthol increases the appeal of tobacco and facilitates progression to regular smoking, particularly among youth. It also masks the unpleasant flavors and harshness of tobacco products, making them easier to start using. Tobacco products with menthol can also be

more addictive and harder to quit by enhancing the effects of nicotine. One study suggests that banning menthol cigarettes in the U.S. would lead an additional 923,000 smokers to quit, including 230,000 African Americans in the first 13 to 17 months after a ban goes into effect. An earlier study projected that about 633,000 deaths would be averted, including about 237,000 deaths averted for African Americans. Menthol has been in the crosshairs of McGruder for some time. “We focused on menthol because when [the tobacco companies] were sued and in discovery litigation, their own internal documents showed how they went after us [African Americans] and how they increased our prevalence from 4% to 20% to 50% to 80%.” Mitch Zeller, J.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products agrees. “For far too long, certain populations, including African Americans have been targeted, and disproportionately impacted by tobacco use,” Zeller reported. “Despite the tremendous progress we’ve made in getting people to stop smoking over the past 55 years, that progress hasn’t been experienced by everyone equally.” “We're not saying we want menthol smokers to become non-menthol smokers,” McGruder adds, “but menthol is what has been used against black people. So, the vast majority of black smokers– over 85%– smoke mentholated tobacco products. We'll get to the other 15%, but for right now, let's deal with the main issue, which is menthol. Think of the health disparities in our black men that would go away if we got our black men to stop smoking menthol.” Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). And that, in a nutshell, is what fuels McGruder’s passion. “Nobody loves a black smoker more than the AfricanAmerican Tobacco Control Leadership Council. This is for you,” she says, happily noting the number of people who have thanked her after breaking the habit due, in part, to her efforts. The AATCLC not only goes after big tobacco but seeks to expose the people who take money from them. At one time in her life, McGruder says she thought it was wonderful to see companies like Kool and Newport support events like jazz festivals that featured A-list artists. That was until she learned that Big Tobacco’s sponsorships, giveaways and financial support were part of a “master plan,” she said, to keep Black people hooked on their products. Said McGruder, “Senate bill 793, which was passed and signed into law by Governor Newsom, would have taken Newport cigarettes and flavored tobacco off the market on January 1, but the tobacco industry got enough signatures to put it on the ballot in November, 2022. So, people are going to be hearing it's racist, and the other and all this conversation about the unintended consequences of criminalization when, in fact, police aren’t going to be stopping blacks to ask them if they’re smoking menthols. “You need to ask those people, do you take money from Reynolds American? Do you take money from the makers of Newport cigarettes?” For all their advances–including the recent action by the FDA which will reduce youth initiation, increase the chances of smoking cessation among current smokers, and address health disparities experienced by communities of color –McGruder and the AATCLC’s mission goes even further, including reparations to African Americans for what the tobacco industry has done. “How much are black people due as a community for the irreparable harm that they have put upon us in our community? McGruder states. “That's what people need to be looking at. “There's money that's been paid to people to settle things, there are foundations that have been created. People being paid off. “Part of what I want to do before I retire,” she continues, “is to lead my people to that well so that we are part of our own solution. We have small grants we give out to organizations and we're helping them to infuse what

“

We have kept this engine going when nobody thought we would ever get any traction on menthol; when our own public health policy professionals and foundations threw up their hands and said, well, it's a done deal when the tobacco control act was signed, and still we never gave up. This goes to prove that a few people can move the needle and I want to tell you we have moved the needle and we will continue to move it. they're already doing into tobacco control. We pass this tax and there's money there for our resources, for our community, including jobs and careers.” It is a far cry from where McGruder started and had no funding for the first few years of the AATCLC’s existence. “We have kept this engine going when nobody thought we would ever get any traction on menthol; when our own public health policy professionals and foundations threw up their hands and said, well, it's a done deal when the tobacco control act was signed, and still we never gave up. This goes to prove that a few people can move the needle and I want to tell you we have moved the needle and we will continue to move it.”

SpecialReport The Alarming Intersection of Domestic Violence and Homelessness Among Women

hen in 2001, “Brenda C.” decided she had finally had enough and decided to leave her abusive husband. She gathered up her young daughter and some of their belongings into the car, drove to a nearby hotel and checked in. She never looked back. She is one of the more fortunate victims of domestic violence, having the wherewithal to leave. In fact, some of the most recent research shows that domestic violence is one of the main drivers into homelessness for the over 18,330 homeless women in Los Angeles County. Of the women surveyed in a 2019 Los Angeles City Women’s Needs Assessment–conducted by the Downtown Women’s Center, more than 60% had experienced violence at some point in the last 12 months, and 25.7% reported the violence as occurring constantly or often. Once a woman decides to leave an abusive relationship, her biggest obstacle is likely to be that she has nowhere to go. This is particularly true of women who are without the financial bandwidth. Lack of affordable housing and long waiting lists for assisted housing means that many women, and their children, are forced to choose between staying in abusive home environments or life on the streets. Sadly, shelters are frequently filled to capacity and have to turn away battered women and their children. “Some women come to [our shelter] with absolutely nothing or very little employment experience because they have been raising kids and the person harming them doesn’t allow them to work,” says Elizabeth Eastlund, Executive Director of Rainbow Services, an emergency shelter that provides temporary housing to individuals and families faced with homelessness due to domestic violence. “Some survivors are able to move through our system fairly quickly and get back on their feet, but for others it may take a while because they come from situations where they have

only known abuse, and that very often includes financial abuse.” While the number of unhoused women due to intimate partner violence has skyrocketed in the last decade, the resources for women fleeing abusive partners is also lacking. Eastlund said that more and more survivors of domestic abuse have unmet needs for both short and long-term housing. “I work with many women who have unfortunately experienced domestic violence or sexual assault or even child abuse,” says Amy Turk, CEO of the Downtown Women's Center. “But the dynamics of domestic violence are the financial isolation. So, without any finances it’s really difficult for people to leave and then go pay for housing somewhere else.” According to the National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH), domestic violence victims often have poor credit records and employment histories because of the violence they have experienced. Landlords often discriminate against victims if they have a protection order or any other indicators of domestic violence. Moreover, if violence occurs in the home, landlords can evict their tenants–resulting in a victim becoming homeless because she was abused. In a podcast for Heal California, Turk said that women who are victims of domestic violence typically make less money than men. “And of course, that’s more true for women of color,” she adds. “The compounding impact of not being able to add to your wealth over time has also left many older women in particular, either vulnerable to homelessness or homeless themselves.” “Our community must address the deep-rooted causes within larger safety net systems that stop people from falling into homelessness,” argues Heidi Marston, Executive Director of the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA), an

I work with many women who have unfortunately experienced domestic violence or sexual assault or even child abuse,” says Amy Turk, CEO of the Downtown Women's Center. “But the dynamics of domestic violence are the financial isolation. So, without any finances it’s really difficult for people to leave and then go pay for housing somewhere else. agency of the City of Los Angeles that has conducted numerical and demographic counts of homelessness since 2005. In 2020, LAHSA reported that women comprised 32% of LA’s total homeless population and that 29% experienced domestic/intimate partner violence. "We, as a society, have become desensitized and even have normalized homelessness," Marston said in a state of homelessness address. "We have convinced ourselves that the basic human need of shelter or housing is something that has to be earned or deserved, and that's what we have to stop, that's what we need to change." To combat the increase of homeless families struck by domestic violence, many cities are providing motel vouchers for the nights when the shelters are full, the NCH reports. But it takes a longer period of time for many to find permanent housing because of the nature of being a homeless family. “There’s been a lot of efforts made in the last five to six years to highlight the intersection of domestic violence and homelessness,” says Eastlund. Her agency has a Domestic Violence Housing First program that supports victims with their rent or other costs related to staying some-

GERALD BELL Contributor

where safely. “If you are living in poverty, six months of rental assistance is nice. But after that six months you’re likely not going to be able to afford the rent on your own.” An emergency shelter is just a first step in meeting the needs of women who are able to escape intimate partner violence. NHC stated that shelters (such as the Downtown Women’s Center and Rainbow Services) exist to provide only that immediate safety net to battered women and their children. Which is why so many other wraparound services are required to help them regain full control of their lives. Senator Susan Rubio (D-Baldwin Park) introduced a bill earlier this year that would recognize unaccompanied women who are experiencing homelessness as a distinct subpopulation in order to target resources to help them. Senate Bill 678 — the Unaccompanied Women Experiencing Homelessness Act of 2021 would require the Homeless Coordinating and Financing Council to collect data about this subpopulation in accordance with state and federal privacy and confidentiality laws, and include that data in the state’s Homeless Data Integration System in order to improve the state’s ability to design programs and strategies to address their specific needs. "We can end homelessness," said Marston. "How do we know this? Because we created it. Policy choices and underinvestment brought us to where we are today." This article is the third in a eight- part series L.A. Focus is producing on domestic violence in collaboration with California Black Media and the Blue Shield of California Foundation. 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.

ChurchNews

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

Pastor Shep Crawford Launches Organization to Quell Gang Killings

n response to the uptick of shootings and killings in Los Angeles, Pastor Shep Crawford, hosted over 100 rival current and ex-gang members for a mediation lunch that included guest speakers Councilman Curren Price, Minister Tony Muhammad and radio personality Dominique DiPrima. “I am president of an organization called “United We Stand Up”, which is an alliance of ex-gang bangers who have come together from different sets in the neighborhood on the east side of Los Angeles to talk peace,” said Crawford. “Before the pandemic we were able to actually have rival gangs sit down. Two of them who had 45 years of beef and since then there’s been no killings from those two particular tribes and so our mission is to do more. “We as pastors, law enforcement can’t go in there and stop those wars. The OGs and the ones who are about that life can, so my job is to serve and to get behind them and push their agenda of peace.” The event was held as the official launch of United We Stand Up. Crawford, who pastors the Experience Christian Ministries, was opened up to such opportunities after delivering the eulogy at the funeral of Nipsey Hussle. “The goal is to continue to bring rival gangs to the table to talk peace, to squash beef, to forgive and heal and also to find ways to get to the youth, because if you’re going to tell them to put down the guns, you’re going to have to give them something to pick up,” Crawford states. “We know that the 10-12 year-olds out here on the streets who are fatherless are the next ones to be interested in gang life. Our mission is not only to stop the killings now, but to provide those fatherless youth with another sense of family because that’s what everyone is looking for–family.

The L.A. Baptist Community Mourns the Loss of Reginald Pope

L.A. Focus/July 2021

The L.A. Baptist community is mourning the recent death of Pastor Reginald Pope, who served for 45 years as the senior pastor of Bethel Missionary Baptist Church and as the founder of Watts Area Ministers. He was 89. In 2015, the city of Los Angeles recognized Pope for his contributions to the Watts community with Councilman Joe Buscaino designating Compton Avenue–from 109th Street to 110th Street–as Pastor Reginald A. Pope Way. “The landscape of Los Angeles has changed dramatically in the passing of Paster Reginald Pope. He was an asset to our church community,” said Pastor Ticey Brown of Mt. Tabor Baptist Church. “He was cool, caring and will definitely be missed as one of the elder statemen of our great city.” The sudden death came as a shock to many in the faith community as well as the church he pastored for nearly a half century. “He wasn’t ill, so it was sudden,” said Pastor Alvin Stafford, who was appointed pastor of Bethel Missionary Baptist Church when Pope–who was his great uncle– retired. “For over 45 years, he’s been faithful and a pillar not only in our church and community, but our family. He had a gift and a calling for teaching, and he honored and praised the Lord all the way to the end.”

“He was a mentor and a great friend”, said Pastor Robert Taylor of the Beulah Baptist Church in Watts. “He taught me basic principles on how to survive as a pastor and that’s important. Not to mention that he was responsible for getting me involved in the Watts Area Ministers and now I’m president.” The non-profit–initially organized to re-activate the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. celebration in Watts some years ago–has since become a viable force in addressing the needs of the Watts community. The Ringgold, Louisiana native–who had a gift for singing– joined Bethel Missionary Baptist Church in 1975 and was able to grow the church from 80 people to 250 with ten associate ministers. He retired last year. “The most satisfactory thing in my ministry is to see the growth of the members. It is not necessarily about numbers but is about the spiritual balance and well-being. That’s most satisfying to me,” Pope told L.A. Focus in 2019. “I try to get my members motivated to take outside what we do inside these walls.” “Any time a person comes to Christ and gets his life in better shape, that’s motivation, that’s encouragement and that’s fulfillment and what ministry should be about.”

Southern Baptists Make The Right Choice Upwards of 16,000 turned out in Nashville last month for what is the largest religious gathering since the pandemic– the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention. By all accounts, it is an organization in conflict with ultra conservatives against moderate conservatives battling over the direction of the 176-year old group recognized as the world’s largest Baptist denomination. The highly public infighting has been over the group’s position on a handful of things including women preaching, critical race theory and their next leader. The debate over critical race theory–coupled with tensions arising from the last year’s social justice protests has led to a deep chasm in the group with African American pastors exiting and or taking issue with the group’s policies as one former SBC official described a culture of racism within the group. One of those pastors who have been most vocal include Dwight McKissic, pastor of the Arlington, Texas-based, Cornerstone Baptist Church. “You have rules outside the Baptist Faith and Message you don’t know. Now CRT is becoming one of the litmus tests...whether you vote Republican, and whether you against women preaching. It’s a test of whether you’re in or out,” McKissic said. “When you don’t know the players or have a good grasp of the cultural do’s and don’ts, it’s extremely difficult for a person of color when you’re trying to navigate waters that are not your waters.” McKissic took issue with the group when it adopted a resolution condemning critical race theory as incompatible with the Baptist faith and message and depending on the outcome of the vote for the group’s next leader, threatened to exit the group. Instead, the group elected Ed Litton, who has made racial reconciliation a hallmark of his work since at least the 2014 riots after the killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. McKissic, who did not attend, posted his thoughts on social media following the election of Litton. “Without Ralph West, Charlie Dates, Marshall Ausberry, Fred Luter & Ed Litton, having placed reputations & invitations on the line, sounding the alarm that a wind was blowing in the SBC that was not in the best interest of AAs, Nashville would have been a PR disaster, as AAs exited,” McKissic tweeted. In other local church news: Pastor and Carson councilmember Jawane Hilton (City on The Hill Church in Carson) has accepted the post of pastor at Brister Memorial Baptist Church in Compton. For more, see our pastor profile on page 18.

Corprate Office: 4602 Crenshaw Blvd, Suite 2A, Los Angeles, CA 90043 (323) 295-5571 www.agapela.org Bishop Craig A. Worsham, Founder & Senior Pastor 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 Ruby Cottle, Ph.D., Pastor & Teacher Prophetess June Morgan / Assistant Pastor

Services Every Friday: 7:00pm-9:30pm We meet at: St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church 3901 West Adams Blvd, LA, CA 90018 Watch Dr. Cottle on HBN TV on Wed’s 7:30am Starting May 2nd: Channel 886 Dish, Smart TV 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 Rev. Dr. J. Arthur Rumph, Senior Pastor 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)

Life Of Faith Church 8216 S. Hover Street, Los Angeles,CA 90044 Office: (562) 375-1668 Website: www.lofnation.org • Youtube:LifeOfFaithChurchLive • Facebook: LifeOfFaithChurch•IG: LifeOfFaithC Pastor Anthony Pigee, Jr. Morning Worship: 10:00am Bible Study: 7:00pm

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

Lady Charle Johnson Metropolitan Baptist Church of L.A.

“T

he storm is worth the testimony” is a tagline from the newly released book Storm Watch and it is the summation of the life that Lady Charlé Johnson has lived and witnessed since the birth of her first child, Evan, who was born with health challenges. Now seven years old, Evan has had five full open heart surgeries, the first when he was only two weeks old. “As pastors and first ladies or as leaders of the church, it’s our job to push hope, push faith all while our faith and hope is being tested,” says Lady Charlé. Recently appointed as the executive pastor, she serves in ministry with her husband, Pastor Elton Johnson at the Metropolitan Baptist Church of Los Angeles. “It is my job to execute the pas-tor’s vision, whether it’s a service or community event. I make sure that all of the details and logis-tics are in place.” With Philippians 4:13 as a driving force for her life she is not allowing challenges to define her. “It is a constant reminder that no matter what state I’m in, I can make it with the strength of the Lord.” Lady Charlé, has been a praise dance leader for many years also is the Event Coordinator, Chief of Staff and a member of the Media Team at her church. Loaded with wisdom and great advice, Lady Charlé says to new pastor’s wives, “Be comforta-ble in who you are because comparison is the thief to joy. Do what it is that you have been called to do at your church.” She sees the 21st Century role of the pastor’s wife as one who is “out in the open and engaging with the people”. Lady Charlé and Pastor Elton Johnson are the proud parents of four children. An object of our prayers: Evan still needs another open heart surgery.

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

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 3045 Crenshaw Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90016 (323) 733-8300 Bishop Charles E. Blake Sunday School: 8:00am & 10:30am Early Worship: 8:00am Morning Worship: 11:00am Evening Worship (North Campus): 7:00pm Wed. Mid-Week Worship: 7:00pm Sun. Radio Broadcast KJLH 102.3FM: 10am www.westa.tv 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 Sunday Worship: 9:00am Online Wednesday Bible Study: 7:00pm FB: GreaterZionChurchFamily IG: GZCFamily www.gzcfamily.com

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: 8:00am & 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)

Church of God Center of Hope 9550 Crenshaw Blvd., Inglewood, CA 90305 (323) 757-1804 www.go2Hope.com Pastor Geremy L. Dixon Morning Worship: 8:00am & 11:00am Wed. Mid-Week Service: Noon Wed. Teaching Ministry: 7:00pm 1st Sunday Communion 5th Sunday Baptism

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: Jawane Hilton Church: Brister Memorial Baptist Church How Long at Church: One month Hometown: Los Angeles Civil Service: Carson City Councilmember Family: Married to wife Chantae, three children Congratulations on your new assignment at Brister Memorial Baptist Church–how did it come to pass? It was literally a God move. The church was in need of a pastor. Their former pastor died a couple of years ago and they were in transition and I was referred. You founded City on Hill 14 years ago and remain its pastor, will you be merging the two congregations? Yes. We will worship at the Compton site.

L.A. Focus/July 2021

What are your plans for the church? Brister Memorial has a rich history in Compton, so we hope to build and improve on the legacy; also add some community programs and food program. Possibly create a partnership with a school. I hope to be a voice of clarity and to create partnerships with other stakeholders in the community. To shine a light on issues that may plague Compton and to lend m y voice o f

support in any way I can. You also serve as a Carson councilmember, why did you decide to run for office? I was the former public policy director for a large non-profit in Carson and that was my first brush with politics. As you know Dr. King was on the front lines of the civil rights movement and traditionally, when people wanted to get elected, they came to the church. We’ve always been on the lines of making protests, but rarely on the lines of making policy, so I thought that we could use that power to leverage making policy. Is there a conflict in there being a pastor and politician? When I sit there, I don’t sit as a pastor. I sit as a legislator, but following the heart of God, so I don’t think it’s a conflict. The policy that is drafted impacts the people we serve [as pastors] every day. You can pray all day long, but you’ve got to be active. The Bible says faith without works is dead. Sometimes we have to go out with our prayers and actions… I saw my Mom work two jobs to raise us. I wanted to get involved in setting policy where people can get quality jobs and don’t have to be at work all day. What of the separation of church and state? I know that there’s a difference between church and state, but I think the reason we’re going through all that’s happening today is because people have taken God out of our governments. How has your involvement in city politics impacted the way you do ministry? It gives me a seat on the other side of the table to create partnerships and foster relationships. As I go into the city of Compton, I have a relationship with the new Mayor and most of the city council, so I look forward to bringing those resources they might have to our church. Not only has being an elected official improved my ability to do ministry, but it has helped me to understand land use issues. To understand how to leverage the property that churches have that lay dormant to create resources, jobs and hubs in our community, particularly in this season where there is a housing crisis. I look at it from a communal standpoint. Community partnerships are important. We shouldn’t’ be limited to the four walls on Sunday, but should be working in the community at least six days a week. When did you embark on the path to ministry?

I always knew that I was called from a young age. I used to go to church with my grandmother and she would tell me, ‘one day you’re going to be a pastor’. Other stuff didn’t fascinate me. My mom would try and get me involved in sports, but I would want to stay home and watch a documentary about Dr. King or something. I guess you could call me like a nerd, but I had a good mind to be a criminal genius. My cousin used to say I knew you were going to be something great, but I just didn’t know whose team you were going to be on. Then one night when I was in college and I remember not being able to sleep and literally hearing the voice of God as clear as day saying, ‘I’ve asked you to pledge to me, when are you going to do it?’ I’ve been doing it ever since. I started my first church on October 7, 2007. No doubt ministry has come with its own share of challenges–what were they for you? Our first baby died at birth and it was very difficult. My wife carried her to term but when we got to the hospital, they said her heart had stopped beating. We still struggle with it from time to time. Then just before the election my little brother–who was 24 at the time–fell dead in my mother’s living room. My mom called and said she thought he had a seizure and when I got there he wasn’t breathing. I remember going to the hospital with him and we waited an hour and thirty minutes and we prayed and all of a sudden he came back. The doctor told me, ‘surely if he comes from this, he’ll be brain dead’, but today he’s fine. That was a major defining moment in our lives to know that God is still healing. That’s why we keep on going. I see miracles every day. What is your philosophy of preaching/ministry? My style of preaching is expository. My process of ministry is to make sure the messages are thought-provoking and life changing –that people can apply them to their lives. For too long the church has been concerned just about what’s happening on their corner. Now it’s time for us to get out beyond the four walls and make things happen for our communities. We’ve never been at the center of policy making because we don’t pool our resources together, but if we come together, we could make a huge impact. In the since you began pastoring, how have your goals changed? The one goal I started with is still the same, building people to build a city. I always say, if you help people build their lives, they will help you to build a church. So our main goal is to make sure that every need of their life is met be it physical, be it mental or emotional to help them improve their lives.

From the Pulpit of: Beulah Baptist Church “Don’t Lose the Glory”

Samuel 4:19–“And his daughterin-law, Phinehas’ wife, was with child, near to be delivered: and when she heard the news that the Ark of God was taken and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and travailed for her pains came upon her. At about the time of her death, the woman that stood by her said unto her, fear not for thou has born a son, but she answered not, neither did she regarded. And she named the child Ichabod, saying, the glory is departed from Israel because the Ark of God was taken and because of the deaths of her father-in-law and husband. And she said, “the glory is departed from Israel for the Ark of God is taken.” From this scripture, we want to talk about don't lose the glory. My brothers and sisters, right now is a time of hope as well as anxiety. We have hope for a better day after COVID-19, yet we are anxious because of the unknown. More people are getting vaccinated and the numbers of COVID-19 cases and deaths are smaller. With less restrictions in place, we’re finding ourselves able to experience freedoms that have been gone for some time. Sporting events are allowing fans in the stands. Restaurants have returned to sit down dining. The sad thing about normalcy is that it is often followed by complacency and mediocrity. Understand, the virus has not disappeared. People are still getting sick and dying, but we’re beginning to envision what life after the pandemic might look like. The important thing is not to become so comfortable that we fall into a position like this again. Over the past year and a half, there were a lot of things we weren’t able to do, but there were some things that grew exponentially. The pandemic forced churches to move from the four walls of eloquent edifices to online with an escalated determination to ensure doctrine-based content. Seems that when sickness, death and darkness descended on the world, it became the catalyst for many to reflect on

what was truly important. There was a greater hunger for the word and people began to understand that revelation is pure, interpretation is good, application is a necessity and timing is everything. Gone was the entertainment and concert-type atmosphere that made people feel good for the moment, but rarely produced a life-changing relational experience with God. I'm not one of those who would say that just as Amazon has made many brick-andmortar stores obsolete, so has the church become after the pandemic. Instead, we must understand that the church is the body of Christ made up of many members, fitly joined together. It is the light of the world and salt of the earth. Light shows the way and salt preserves. If the light goes out, how can we show people the way? Glory, when used as a verb, describes what we give. One songwriter put it like this: when I think of the goodness of Jesus and all that he has done for me, my soul cries out Hallelujah. That's giving God glory with the fruit of our lips and offering a sacrifice of praise. Glory is an adjective and a verb. As an adjective, glory describes God's attributes–powerful, majesty, and greatness. When I say, ‘don't lose the glory’, it has nothing to do with the adjective, but everything to do with the verb. Now in the text, the glory had departed from Israel because of their lack of obedience to God. They’d become a superstitious and idolatrous nation that was complacent and mediocre at best. The children of Israel were at war with the Philistines and someone came up with the idea of bringing the Ark of the Covenant into battle with them. Now, the Ark of a Covenant was a beautiful symbol of God's presence and glory– made from an extremely hard wood and overlaid with gold. The top was covered by what we call the Mercy Seat, – solid pure gold with two figures of cherubim facing each other, their wings stretched above their heads forming an arch, representing God's throne in heaven. The Ark was so full of God's glory that it was not to be touched by human hands.

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

When transported, it had to be carried community beyond the walls of our ediwith staves or poles. fices. Uzzah was the son of Abinadab. The Being the church will cause us to appreArk of the Covenant had been in ciate the mission more than the building. Abinadab’s house for 20 years and Uzzah We must make church less Sunday-cenhad become comfortable being around the tered and more about spiritual growth Ark. Because of his comfortability, he than physical appearance, less guilt-ridtouches the Ark and that is the reason he den and more love-filled with healing, died. deliverance, and the power of a God that Back to the text, God never told them to desires a relationship with His people. bring the Ark into battle. What they needI hear people say, ‘I come to every wored to know was that their safety was not in ship service and I pay my tithes’. So what? the Ark of the Lord, but in the Lord of the God is looking for more from us. He's tired Ark. of our old sacrifices. (The pandemic has made us recognize Romans 12:1 says, “I beseech you therethat our safety is not in the house of the fore brethren by the mercies of God that you Lord, but in the Lord of the house). present your bodies a living sacrifice Holy Now, when Eli, the high priest got word acceptable unto God, which is your reasonof what happened–that his sons had been able service.” killed and the Ark of the Covenant was Often in the pre-pandemic church, we taken–he fell backward off of his seat, went to church just because. Post-pandembroke his neck and died. His daughter-in- ic, we must strive to get beyond just comlaw, Phinehas’ wife went into labor, gave ing to church and learn how to get into the birth to a male son and called him Ichabod, very presence of God. meaning “the glory has departed”. When you have a church and don't see Let me drop this one in for free– the the glory of the Lord operating in it, then Ark being captured was not the reason for you have a church that’s not giving God the glory departing. Truth is, the glory was the praise He rightfully deserves. already gone. Capturing the Ark was just When the glory of the Lord has left the the manifestation of the glory being gone, church, people will leave out the same way demonstrating that the glory can depart they came in. No prayers are being without us realizing it until much later. answered, Sadly, the glory had departed from cries are many churches pre-pandemic, but we n o t failed to realize it until later. We had some Ichabod choirs that could sing wonderfully. We had some Ichabod praise teams that made us want to jump and shout, but really had no substance to their song. There were Ichabod preachers that gave sugarcoated sermons and going to church had for some become more of a religious activity than a relational experience. The pandemic exposed that the glory had departed, making us realize that the church's existence was essentially one of social gathering. In the post pandemic church, we must make sure we don't lose the glory and literally change how we do church. We need to be the church. We have to understand that the Kingdom of God is at hand and continued Pastor Robert focus more on people and the Taylor to page 24

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)

Malveaux continued from page 8 So, while I won’t jump, I’ll pause for a minute to thank the Juneteenth warriors who made this holiday happen. And I’ll ask President Biden not to rest on his laurels. We need the John Lewis Voting Rights Act to be passed yesterday, and by whatever means necessary. Melvin van Peebles wrote a play in the 1970s, Ain’t Supposed to Die A Natural Death. One of the lines that stuck with me through these many years is from a woman folks assume is suicidal because she is standing on a ledge. She says, “I ain’t leaping. I’m just learning”. That’s how I feel about the Juneteenth holiday, not leaping for joy but leaning in gratitude and progress. Dr. Julianne Malveaux is an economist, author, and Dean of the College of Ethnic Studies at California State University, Los Angeles. David A. Love continued from page 8 honoring Juneteenth means making the promise of freedom real. A holiday is not the end, but rather the beginning of our journey to true liberation. Black people will not be free until Congress passes crucial legislation, including the For the People Act, which would restore voting rights and bring about electoral reform; the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021, which would remedy racial abuse in law enforcement; the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which would restore the protections of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 gutted by the Supreme Court, and especially H.R. 40, which would establish a commission to study reparations for slavery. Anything less than this would be pure symbolism and empty slogans at this point. David A. Love is is a freelance journalist and commentator who is a contributor to theGrio and whose writings have been featured on CNN. Follow him on twitter at @davidalove Pulpit continued from page 19 being heard, and no tears are being wiped away. No healing is taking place. I made up my mind I'm not going to let no pandemic, no depression or no person separate me from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus. You shouldn’t either. Romans 8:35 declares, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword.”

We have to understand that crisis brings about transformation. There are many out there that have comprised five-step, 12-step and even some 20-step methods to becoming a post-pandemic church. The best advice that I can give is to make sure we don't lose the glory. Even though the world may be focusing on getting back to “normal”, we can't go back to church as usual. We cannot afford to lose the glory. We cannot operate with the spirit of mediocrity. We have to ensure that as we entered this post-pandemic age that we practice a spirit of excellence determined to the process of kingdom building. City Council continued from page 6 ADA requirements and addresses any imminent public safety issues. It would also allow the City–after a resolution is passed by the City Council and a 14 day public notice posted–to prohibit encampments around schools, preschools and day care facilities, as well as in areas where there has been a threat to public safety due to fires, violent crimes or other hazardous conditions.

“It will be our responsibility to ensure that for each and every location considered for restrictions, there is not only ample public notice and deliberation by City Council, but that our outreach workers have thoughtfully offered suitable housing alternatives,” said Councilmember RidleyThomas. “Ordinances won’t solve the homeless crisis only a bold investment in trained outreach workers that can link the unhoused to affordable and supportive housing will.” Ridley-Thomas also introduced an amendment to ensure that the final ordinance does not contain language that compounds the plight of the unhoused by subjecting them to the criminal justice system. The modification would make sure that any violation resulting from individuals refusing to comply be enforceable only as infractions. “The bottom line is that we seek not to marginalize or stigmatize people experiencing homelessness. The changes we offered to the ordinance will ensure that no one will go to jail simply due to the fact that they have been sleeping on the street,” said Councilmember RidleyThomas.

InGoodTaste

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Gascon continued from page 6 er Black man while in prison and said he thought of Leblanc as he committed the murder. “I told Jennifer Shaffer if you don't want to live around them, then why are you going to make us live around them?” said Cordae. “If they murdered and raped your kid would you feel the same way?” Shaffer is the current head of the California Board of Parole Hearings. Corde had to review the gruesome files and act as her own counsel after the D.A’s office refused to send representation. She finally sought assistance from the Governor to help in her son's case. After reaching out to Governor Gavin Newsom, Corde received a call on her birthday telling her that they were reversing the parole granted to her son's killer. Corde, whose discontent stems deep, would like to see cases reviewed on an individual, rather than a collective basis. “I lived in the ghetto. I have lived around gang-members. They’re dangerous. So, it doesn't matter what these people say or how they are saying it, because they are sitting high and looking low,” Corde said. “A person can go to federal prison for life for selling weed, but someone can brutally murder my kid and you want them out after

11 years?” Corde questioned. A silver lining for Corde is working for prison reform as well as victims’ families, with film producer Scott Budnick. Budnick served as executive producer of The Hangover and is also founder of the Anti-Recidivism Coalition (ARC). Budnick also mentors youth offenders and coincidentally worked with the killer of Corde’s son, advocating for his parole. He reached out to Corde after seeing her on the news pushing back against the release. “You're not qualified to speak to the value of my murdered son. Every time you do, I’m going to give you pushback because I am his mother,” Corde told him. Although Corde says she and Budnick got off to a rough start, he apologized for she brought him to another level of awareness. Budnick is also helping Corde with the process of passing the Marquis Leblanc Fair Parole Act, to increase fairness in parole hearings by allow eligible victims, survivors or their legal representative to participate in parole hearings. “I understand there has been harsh sentencing for Black and Brown kids but when you go around killing people’s loved ones, raping and murdering people, there is no filter for you. You satisfy the crime with the time,” Corde stated.

L.A. Focus/July 2021

For Information, call (310) 677-6011

SavingGrace

L.A. Focus/July 2021

ictoria Rowell has a lot to celebrate these days. Last month, her hit digital series, The Rich and the Ruthless, struck a new deal for a home at BET+ with the fourth season of the drama premiering on May 13 along with seasons one through three streaming on the ViacomCBS platform. The award winning show–created by Rowell–centers on the fictional plot of the first black-owned soap on broadcast TV, pulling out all the stops to stay on top. Rowell, who serves as executive producer and director, also stars in the series, along with Richard Brooks, Michael Colyar, Chrystale Wilson, Robert Ri’chard, Alesha Rene and Bryton James. Rowell knows a great deal about soap operas having spent 14 years as a prime player on the top-rated CBS soap, The Young & The Restless” and is an 11-time NAACP Image Award winner because of it. But it is what fuels Rowell’s enormous drive that makes her story most compelling. “I wanted to create this fictional world which in terms of behind the camera is a composite of all my experience,” says Rowell. “I've worked with some of the best in the business, whether it's producers or directors like Forest Whitaker, Kasi Lemmons who was the director of Eve’s Bayou and Madam CJ Walker story that we've seen up on Netflix. “Also, I wanted to bring diversity into daytime behind the camera and really show in this fictional setting – with the Barringer family–the difficulties…the work that it takes to produce 64 pages a day, which is what daytime broadcast drama does. As a producer, writer, director, I’m able to hire people that simply should be given the opportunity that weren’t necessarily offered one, so it’s been exciting.” Daytime, for Rowell, has been a great place to have a career. “I have a podcast I do that is called Secrets of Soap opera Diva. What people don't understand,” Rowell continues, “is that everyone from Morgan Freeman, to James Earl Jones, to Cicely Tyson, to Felicia Rashad, to Vanessa Bell Calloway, (I could go on forever). They have all been part of the African-American soap family that helped lift the viewership and I think many people don't realize how long we've been in the game. “So, I was inspired to create my own book series, my own soap opera…to hire elegant gifted talent like Richard Brooks and Crystal Wilson, Michael Cawley, Robert Burchard, Brenda Epperson. The list goes on. Not only in front of the camera, but behind the camera from my food services to one of my DPs, my directors of photography, to my producers. If not you're in a seat of power, things aren't going to change.” Last year, Rowell credits part of the change happening now in Hollywood to the murder of George Floyd and the protests that grew up around it. “The black lives matter movement has really moved corporate minds and I'm seeing change before my eyes. I have a lot of work to do. We have a lot of work to do,” she affirms. “We cannot let that gas pedal up.” That is why these days Rowell is proud to be calling the shots. “I’ve cast the net wide and I’m really proud of the show in front of and behind the camera”, Rowell states. Not only is she able to hand out opportunities, but the

Victoria Rowell The black lives matter movement has really moved corporate minds and I'm seeing change before my eyes. I have a lot of work to do. We have a lot of work to do,” she affirms. “We cannot let that gas pedal up. If not you're in a seat of power, things aren't going to change show expanded Rowell’s own opportunities as a director and producer as well. She recently directed a Christmas movie titled “A Rich Christmas”, starring Bill Bellamy and Vanessa Williams; and later this year, she is set to direct the Hattie McDaniel story, “Behind the Smile”. Her talents, however, are not limited to work in front of and or behind the camera. She is a published author with a two-book deal for her popular soap opera novel series, a seasoned speaker and has been recognized by 193 members of Congress for advocacy work on behalf of education, arts, foster and adoptive youth and parents. Rowell grew up in foster care and the experience cuts at the core of her very essence. From what she eats to where she lives to what they touch and the very breath she takes. And if that sounds a little extreme, Rowell would have you to understand that foster care is extreme. “You don't know that as a child because that life is all you know,” Rowell reflects somewhat pensively. “You're never quite sure what's going to happen next, so it’s one day at a time” Rowell says. “You're just in a bed and hopefully you're in a bed only you sleep in, and it’s a nurturing bed–not an abusive bed. Whatever the case, it was normal for me to live the way I was living. That's what saves a lot of kids, that they don't know the difference." She was just 16 days old when instead of going home from the hospital to doting parents; she went directly into foster care. Instead, the journey that started in her hometown of Portland, M a i n e

would take her through five sets of foster parents before her emancipation from the system at the age of 18 in New York City. Along the way, Victoria fell in love with dance, and it is her love for dance and pursuit of the arts that she says saved her. She was eight when she won a scholarship to the Cambridge School of Ballet thanks to the assistance of a foster mother who gifted her with her first pair of ballet slippers. And eight years later at 16, it was dance that landed her at the famed American Ballet Theatre in New York City, –all the while navigating her way through the foster care system. She made her acting debut in the 1987 comedy film, Leonard Part 6 and in 1990 joined the cast of the Young & the Restless as Drucilla Barber Winters. Just two years later, she was a breakout star as Eddie Murphy’s love interest in “The Distinguished Gentleman and in 1993 landing an eight-year co-starring stint on Diagnosis Murder, starring Dick Van Dyke. She has worked steadily since. Her sixty-plus acting credits include roles opposite Jim Carrey, Will Smith, Samuel L. Jackson, Shemar Moore, Beau Bridges, Forest Whitaker, Harry Lennix and more. That Rowell has been so focused is something she credits to foster mom Agatha Armstead, who was nearly a senior citizen when she took Rowell and her two biological sisters in. In 2007, Rowell paid homage Armstead and other mentors in her book The Women Who Raised Me: A Memoir, which was published to critical acclaim. “She was faith driven and a real pragmatist. She had me at two and a half and imparted scruples and life lessons,” Rowell recounts. “I still carry them with me and I walked with faith because of her. “I was very fortunate to have that woman in my life who taught me that there is a power unseen, but you feel it and you hold on to that and I've always leaned into my faith. I also had the gift of prayer taught to me, so I learned the power of prayer and faith.” It is that faith combined with drive that helped her to convince a consortium of black investors to back The Rich and the Ruthless. “You have to be disciplined and believe in your project,” adds the mother of two adult children. “If you don't believe in it, your investors surely will know you don't believe in it.” In fact, Rowell can hardly contain the passion for what she is doing. “I'm always excited about what I do”, states Rowell. “I'm still excited like the little girl that auditioned for that ballet school. I'm excited about material that defines my community, but also shows how intrinsic…how much we interface with the world. I'm open to not only black content, but I'm interested in what we are doing to integrate us into the world, into the diaspora. “In the meantime, I want everyone to go to the richandtheruthless.com. Get your BET Plus subscription. It's only $9.99 and they have a free trial. So if you're not going to stay, all right, but watch my show. And you can always follow me on Twitter and Instagram @Victoria Rowell.”