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to ti ci ei g cr ng ord ed of the murd hite, al m ng met it b aden D eir client’s him. h dismay. ro A test- chelle Obamedia. His insults taurgde and racist and co resigned innocenceke several months, er porters of ers Joshua Ryenwan The lone N mments et a, w ed an U il l ,S d th fo su B . d e rm fi R la In 1 rvivor nally exon ep ck shooting er erate they are disappoRinyens and Hughesfaalmily, friends and su victim. . Maxine Waters andFirst Lady Mion four co9u85, a San Diego Co Th l p te ac d o an mas ross the stat with e go unnamed “Unfortunat 26 and an nts of murder. At unty jury convicte vernor’s dec e say Los Angeles oR. Parker, a former ely, over tith the time of d Cooper for justice in is ffi d m io ep ce cord - incluescaped prison inm n e , u . it b ty h th el is se is h ie em ar ead of the This guy is ves case matters rest, he was no Distric s the victi FBI’s in Pennsylv ding several burglaate. His lengthy cr innocent,” Cooper. s’ desire “The eviden iminal re- “Prior DNtAAttorney Jason Anless and less,” San m ries and the ania – did h e ce to ld w as B th d er o n te er e p n ot help his n Cooper, form rape of a m st la so N ar th in n ew n d te e g icl sa d st th ai Y , id an ork at r. Coo med ould he was fram d.” case. inor erly named in 1958 p sought,in a statement. exonerate M ed, the copTimes.

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N ll d te ti ie t ta y ec A o n st o m n ab ti is if g te s p fi io at ad u ab st er c en y se n o o in o ev in o rs d ti n le u to g g id o gannounced u t sc h ro , n se co th en struck by a im k al en Reddit cofounder, Alexis Ohanian, ad ce a mental h in Southerhas living in se Antonio Ray Harvey other roun ce. attack, andd to nail Cooper. The methods and storieep raising California Governmes early in the telow anthat ealth facilintyters. In 1982, Coce n Cthe v L al er ag he is stepping down as a member of al d C ornia. I polic es re u rm al o o o in n e h p in r if f a av er w w o o in sw v B rn ea f the progre estie high expec hose suppo escaped fro California Black Media each Police ifboard. orn testimo Pennsylvan pons were u ia. three attack th15 e O rt ra m co-founded @reddit years ago to help people ta ss O ia er n n se iv ti er fficefind g y, s b d o e e o s ef Josh Durithe County Reg in th n the politi wh ore moving r Thomas Last week, reacting of George NA testing ns. g hviolent someo is murddeath cal Land ister he init to could have been Hoiswere White. He lautea Ryen said he sawe solve “D community a sense ofnbelonging. gued thtoat n e’ ef s er p t sh et tr o w u ia ld th h ia l, C en p r e o Floyd, an unarmedRAfrican American man in Minnesota, p im F an te o R ro eb th F p st ic m y se u . e er en ifi . ed rt 1 cu ca ed k 9 h Serena Williams’ husband discussed his decision ia il t ca . tors succes er complica led husban yen, their 1 tely take p darted in llfry th that they Chiang sa se and final an sf ti d n 0 la u id n am California Assemblymember Mike A. Gipson (D-Carson) -y an ll ly ce g y d ea d M th ed en u to re- and wrote, ar r-old d gh w ring the ca e rosecuti cG“It neighb website to do ont Diana Rop sure juston uireissalong that DNA yme, ice his s whoverdue ons’ claims, mpaign. “N ter Jessica ifane Doug and Peggy- belonging to er came foprw thedoing is servthing. ev en an id introduced a new bill. or Christopher Huau en h im the right I’m this for for my family, e ed ce al g ,” b o a h o ca d w u t w er t ard with blo t testing in out to chec as bigger th an 1 n h p law g es. Police fo mnly is it pro Anim enforcemoen ody clothoin an The legislation, AB 1196, bans law henforcement is case woel and myven country.” He continued, writing found the1-year-old dinesal. She turned thermer boyfriend who w a houthis al Contro“I’m se ca Even thoth t soalvfor g u ld ev b to tr as lo l id co o o an e o a y ffi en m d cr ed v ie ce u an io ce e im d g it as father who needs to be able to answer his Black rs at le imal hospit h Newsom officers in the state from using carotid artery restraints to es, tr over to the . nt crim- is bold, he rushed tht.e no cost to th ’s al au p A , d is o w ec fr e m li tr h ic st is ce a. ead ere it was d ble an American ion , but they issue that daughter at when e.” she asks: ‘What did you do?’” subdue and detain suspects. The chokehold — commonly iagnose s, Hispanic Californiaing carefully on a poin the CooHe p D er r. ca also posted his statement as an K se w ri s v te at st oters across and other m called the “sleeper hold” among wrestling fans — is ntially pola i Krause, a Instagram ching. He shhis e ex v th is ri in p et ec zi e o video, encouraging followers to help “fix our broken k er n p ri ts ee in g o ties liv- Co ping his fo li supposed to render victims unconscious, but it has proven spectr back into ththe 11-pound (5-k arian, tells th ntinued o cus on fairtical nation.” ilogram) ca e wild after n page A ness and ujum are to be deadly.

2 it regairesigned stice fatherMcG Olympia’s continued, “I have uire visited ns strengtht to th “The world watched as the 200-pound weight of a at th . if e he sees b as a member of the reddit board, I have urged o b ca tthem it again, he’ on Friday. police officer was leveraged on the neck of George Floyd ll issu to fill my seat with a Black candidate, and I will use e a tick for over 8 minutes. Two other officers held him down future gains on my Reddit stock to serve the Blacket for j and another watched as his body succumbed to the attack community, chiefly to curb racial hate, and I’m starting with a pledge of $1M to Colin Kaepernick’s Know Your and went limp before expiring,” said Gipson, who coRights Camp.” authored the bill with other legislators who are members Finally, Ohanian said, “I believe resignation can of California’s Black, Latino, Asian & Pacific Islander, and actually be an act of leadership from people in power LGBTQ caucuses. right now. To everyone fighting to fix our broken At a ceremony held at the state Capitol to unveil the nation: do not stop.” bill Monday, Gipson said, “My bill creates a unified policy Williams responded to her husband’s decision across law enforcement departments so that these methods and tweeted, “Having diverse views on any boards is can no longer be used here in the state of California. important. So proud of you Alexis. I know Olympia “I also want to point out,” he continued, will be too.”

“Congresswoman Karen Bass, on the federal level, along with Speaker Nancy Pelosi, introduced a similar piece of legislation.”

Carotid artery restraints are choking maneuvers that prevent blood from reaching the brain of the victim by compressing arteries in the neck. In 2014, New York City LOS ANGELES (AP) – Fox News apologized Saturday for how it displayed a chart correlating the police officers used the tactic to kill Eric Garner, another stock market’s performance with the aftermath of the unarmed African American man, on Staten Island in that deaths of George Floyd, Martin Luther King Jr. and city.

Michael Brown.

Last Friday, Gov. Newsom announced that he has The graphic that aired Friday to illustrate market ordered the state Commission on Peace Officer Standards reactions to historic periods of civil unrest “should and Training to stop using carotid artery restraints. have never aired on television without full context. We Assemblymember Mike Gipson (D-Carson) speaking at a press conference June 8, at the State Captiol.

“Across this country, we train techniques on apologize for the insensitivity of the image and take this strangleholds that put people’s lives at risk. Now, we can issue seriously,’’ the cable channel said in a statement.

Dr. Lee T. Snook, one of the speakers at AB 1196 argue that these are used as exceptions, but at the end of the using any object and can easily go wrong. This time it was The chart included on “Special Report with Bret Baier’’ illustrated gains made by the S&P 500 index after day, a carotid hold, that literally is designed to stop people’s a knee,” Gipson said, commenting on the legislation he introduction in Sacramento, said various medical King’s assassination in 1968; the Ferguson, Missouri, associations across the country have been asking, “What blood from flowing into their brain, that has no place authored. police shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown in 2014, Right after Floyd’s death, the San Diego, Davis, and more can we do to end this systemic racism in the house of any longer in the 21st-century practices and policing,” and the May 25 death of Floyd while in Minneapolis Sacramento police departments officially announced that medicine and justice?”

Gov. Newsom said during a news conference held at the police custody. It also measured the financial yardstick the agencies would immediately refrain from using the Snook, is the president-elect of the California Medical California Museum’s Unity Center in Sacramento. against the 1991 acquittal of Los Angeles police officers carotid artery restraint, also known as the “chokehold.”

Association (CMA), a professional organization founded There are nearly 600 law enforcement agencies in in the beating of Rodney King.

Under California Senate Bill 1421, which went into in 1856 that currently has nearly 50,000 members. CMA California, including police stations, and almost 80,000 It was shown as part of a segment with Fox News police officers, according to the United States Bureau of effect in January 2019, the carotid artery restraint method supports Gipson’s bill. and Fox Business reporter Susan Li focusing on the is one of the practices law enforcement agencies are “We believe this bill is small, but a significant step Justice Statistics. market rally that followed an unexpectedly lower number of jobless claims.

Since Minneapolis Police Department officers killed required to disclose in officers’ misconduct cases to increase in that effort,” Snook said. “Carotid restraints have been Other business publications and TV channels in routinely misused, abused, and have proven fatal. We see Floyd on Memorial Day, protests calling for racial and accountability. recent days have compared the market’s performance to Sen. Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) authored SB 1421. it in dozens of cases that go unnoticed by the press every economic justice have erupted in cities and towns in current and historic social upheaval, but with significant The city of San Francisco has also taken steps to single year.”

California, across the country and around the world. background and explanation. prohibit the use of the deadly-force technique.

“The deadly use of force technique can be performed Rep. Bobby Rush, D-Illinois, tweeted that the graphic makes it clear that Fox News “does not care about black lives,’’ while Michael Steele, former Republican National Committee chair and a MSNBC political analyst, posted, “This is how they mourn the loss of black men at (hash)FoxNews - by how much the stock market goes up.’

Baier retweeted Fox’s apology without further comment.

Later Saturday, on Fox’s “America’s News HQ’’ telecast, anchor and senior correspondent Eric Shawn said the graphic should not have been used.

“Last night, Fox News Channel aired an a decent human being could look at this and say it’s okay.” infographic attempting to show the stock market on occasion gained ground in the midst of turmoil, civil Chief Terry communicated with the panel the unrest and even tragedy,” Shawn said. “In trying to screening methods, laws, the rights of peace officer and make that point, the program `Special Report’ failed other policies surrounding the work of police officers. to explain the context of the times we are living in and Several suggestions and ideas for policy changes were should not have used that graphic.’’ discussed in hopes of improving relations between the African American community and other people color and the BPD. Traco Matthews; KCSOS HR Director stated that having an outside agency periodically audit and hold police officers and the police department accountable. By tracking the number of incidents (focusing on excessive force), as well as having an advisory committee to “coach” LOS ANGELES (AP) – Andrew Alexander, the officers and relay the data to the department, was one the CEO and co-owner of famed The Second City of several ideas shared during the conference. improv theater, said he is stepping down after a former NAACP President, Patrick Jackson, stated that “unless performer leveled accusations of racism against the policies are fixed, true change won’t occur.” comedy institution.

Questions and comments from the community In a lengthy letter posted on the company’s poured in through the virtual online chat. website, Alexander said he “failed to create an anti-racist environment wherein artists of color might thrive. I am “For far too long the policing profession has decided so deeply and inexpressibly sorry,’’ what the community needs based on dots on a map, He vowed Friday that he will be replaced by a based on reports here or there. We have decided what the person of color. appropriate strategy is to reduce those incident dots on a The originally Chicago- and Toronto-based Second map.”

City was an early training ground for “Saturday Night “You (police officers) are not being deployed into our Live’’ players including John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, neighborhoods. You are a part of our neighborhoods, a Gilda Radner and Chris Redd, among other comedy part of our community.” stars such as Keegan Michael-Key and the company In response to those comments, Chief Terry said “Why produced “SCTV’’ TV series in the 1970s and ‘80s.

Download and use your “Observer Interactive” App over this photo to watch the full Zoom Meeting held the are we still dealing with this? (Police brutality) Because we Alexander’s announcement Friday followed online BPD to discuss Police Brutality and Policing the Black Community of Bakersfield. (Courtesy Photo) criticism from Second City alumnus Dewayne Perkins, haven’t been dealing with it, he said. Going forward, we an actor, comedian and writer (“Brooklyn Nine-Nine’’). are going to be making changes. And I’m ready to do that.”

Perkins said the company had refused to hold a benefit conversation,” Waller said. “He agreed and allowed me Goals moving forward were:

By Darlene L. Williams show for Black Lives Matter unless half of the proceeds to organize this call with his team and within 3 days of · Peaceful protests were encouraged Contributing Writer also went to the Chicago Police Department, and it also · Initiation of more conversations and actions to build BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — 300 local residents, planning, we had over 500 Zoom RSVP’s.” created obstacles for performers of color.

Those in attendance expressed their concern and trust with the community elected officials, and representatives from the Bakersfield His tweets were in reply to a Second City tweet Police Department (BPD) came together in a virtual outrage at the shocking video-taped death of George · Implementation of an advisory and/or oversight board posted last week in support of Black Lives Matter amid protests around the country over the death of George that could provide accountability to BPD Zoom conference entitled, ”Conversation, Cops, and Floyd. The world watched in horror as a restrained Floyd Floyd, a black man who died at the hands of police in CommUNITY” to discuss police brutality, policing showed no signs of resistance, but repeatedly stated, “I · Implement better policing strategies Minneapolis. policies, and racial inequalities that have plagued the can’t breathe” and in final pleas for his life called out for · The continuity of ongoing conversations In a tweet noting Alexander’s resignation, Perkins his deceased mother. · More Zoom meetings to be held for those who could African American community for decades. had a one-word comment: “Oop.’’ The harrowing images of Floyd’s death have ignited not participate this time could do so next time.

The urgent public outcry came just days after the May The London-born Alexander said he is “fully Panelists for the virtual meeting were: SPGA; Arleana 25, 2020 death of George Floyd (Minneapolis, Minnesota) the largest civil rights movement in history. According to removing myself from overseeing The Second City’s at the hands of a white police officer who knelt on his neck multiple news sources, 50 states and 18 countries have Waller, BPD Chief; Greg Terry, Leadership Strategist; operations and policies and will divest myself from the joined in the protest that has sparked riots, fighting, and Arnita Taylor, Therapist; Tahlua Goosby, KCSOS HR for 8 minutes and 46 seconds until he died. company as it stands.’’

Director; Traco Matthews, Trustee with PBUSD; Keith Arleana Waller, She Power Global Ambassador several deaths.

A Second City statement Friday laid out steps the company planned to take regarding the hiring Assistant BPD, Chief Joe Mullins voiced his anger Wolaridge, Mayor; Karen Goh, BPD Assistant Chief; Joe (SPGA) and MLKcommUNITY INITIATIVE member, and training of artists of color, along with diversifying Mullins, Lt. Clayton Madden; NAACP President; Patrick contacted BPD Chief Greg Terry to organize the June 2, over the video,” I was mad, mad for all of that going on!” its theater audiences and making donations to fight “My anger, Mullins said, changed to dismay because Jackson, Assemblyman; Rudy Salas, Civil Rights Activist; 2020 meeting. oppression and support black-owned businesses and “With a heavy heart and tears streaming down my it went on and on and on; for 8 minutes and 46 seconds. Christina Laster, Author; Bob Prater, Ret. KCSO Deputy; schools.

How could anyone think that this is okay?

There is no way Clarence Hosey, and US Congressman; TJ Cox. face, I called Chief Terry and asked for a human to human

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BAKERSFIELD NEWS OBSERVER

ASK DR. KEVIN:

World & Nation

Why Romney Marched

An Unfamiliar, Rare Disease Associated with Heart Failure in The path that led the African Americans Republican senator to march in a Black Lives Matter protest began half a century ago with his father.

By Dr. Kevin Williams The Chief Medical Officer for Rare Disease at Pfizer The “Ask Dr. Kevin” series is brought to you by Pfizer Rare Disease in collaboration with the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) to increase awareness and understanding of ATTR-CM, or transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy, and the risk to African Americans.

As you may already know, heart disease is a leading cause of death for all Americans, but certain minority groups face a greater risk than others. In fact, according to one study, African Americans were 45 percent more likely to die as a result of heart failure-related hospitalization compared to Caucasian populations in the United States.

With the disproportionate rates of heart failure, heart attacks, and other serious heart conditions in the African American community, it’s important to fully explore the underlying cause of these conditions with the help of a cardiologist.

As the “Ask Dr. Kevin” series enters its fourth year, I want to turn my focus to a rare, but very serious form of heart disease known as ATTR-CM. ATTR-CM is a lifethreatening, underdiagnosed disease associated with heart failure, but many people have never heard of it or don’t know what it is. In this article, I’m going to explain more about ATTR-CM, and answer some of the most commonly asked questions in hopes it will help raise awareness of the condition and the misunderstood symptoms that often delay diagnosis.

Who is Affected By ATTR-CM? There are two sub-types of ATTR-CM, wild-type and hereditary. Wild-type ATTR-CM is thought to be the most common form of ATTR-CM, is mostly associated with men over the age of 60 and is not caused by a mutation in a person’s genes. Most wild-type patients are white.

Hereditary ATTR-CM is inherited from a relative and is due to genetics, affecting both men and women.

In the United States, the most common genetic mutation associated with hereditary ATTR-CM is found almost exclusively in people of African or Afro-Caribbean descent.

Symptom onset can occur in people as early as their 50s or 60s; however, people who have the mutation may never develop symptoms of the disease.

What Are the Symptoms of ATTR-CM? Since many patients and even some doctors are unfamiliar with ATTR-CM, the condition is highly underdiagnosed. Many people with ATTR-CM present with symptoms similar to those of more common causes of heart failure • such as fatigue, shortness of breath and swelling in the lower legs • or have symptoms that are not commonly perceived to be linked to a heart condition, like carpal tunnel syndrome (numbness, tingling, or pain in the fingers), bicep tendon rupture, gastrointestinal issues (constipation, diarrhea and nausea) and lumbar spinal stenosis (a narrowing of the open spaces in the lower spine). All of these factors can lead to delays in diagnosis or misdiagnosis.

If you’d like to learn more about hereditary ATTR-CM, including signs and symptoms, visit YourHeartsMessage. com.

Mitt Romney—his face wrapped in a white mask, his sleeves rolled at the wrists—marches toward the White House alongside protesters chanting about police brutality. A reporter asks him what he’s doing there, and the Republican senator from Utah responds: “We need to stand up and say that black lives matter.”

When the video appeared on Twitter late yesterday afternoon, it drew a torrent of predictable reactions.

Trumpites sneered and called him a loser. Leftists sneered and called him a poser. A small but vocal cheering section praised him for marching. And several people speculated— as they always do—that the 73-year-old senator was laying the groundwork for another presidential bid.

In reality, Romney’s path to yesterday’s Black Lives Matter protest began half a century earlier with his father—a man whose legacy has long shaped, and sometimes haunted, his son.

George Romney was the Republican governor of Michigan during the 1967 Detroit riots, which left 43 people dead and 2,000 buildings destroyed. In the aftermath of the violence, he addressed his constituents in a statewide broadcast.

“Some already are saying the answer is brute force such as would be used on mad dogs,” the governor said.

“Others are questioning present social and economic programs because they claim Negroes don’t appreciate what has already been done … As citizens of Michigan, as Americans, we must unhesitatingly reject all these divisive courses.”

As the journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones has detailed, George went on to enact a fair-housing law in his state, and called for an end to discriminatory zoning practices. When white voters sent him angry letters, he would write back, “Force alone will not eliminate riots. We must eliminate the problems from which they stem.”

The elder Romney was well known for such acts of defiance. Whether he was denouncing Barry Goldwater at the Republican National Convention or crusading against segregationist policies from inside the Nixon administration, he prided himself on putting principle over party—especially when it came to civil rights.

For Mitt, these heroic stories are never far away. He invokes them frequently in speeches and interviews— including several of my own conversations with him—

and he seems to measure his own success by that of his father. In the 2014 Netflix documentary Mitt, Romney rhapsodizes to his family about the obstacles his late dad had to overcome.

“He was the real deal,” Romney says. “The guy was born in Mexico. He didn’t have a college degree. He became head of a car company and became a governor … I started where he ended up. I started off with money and education and Harvard Business School and Harvard Law School.”

“I’m standing on his shoulders,” he concludes.

For all his paternal admiration, Romney has seemed at times to define his political career in opposition to his father’s. When he ran for president in 2012, he instructed aides to study George’s short-lived presidential candidacy, which was torpedoed by an impulsive Vietnam War gaffe.

As a candidate, Mitt Romney was cautious and calculating, and less than eager to confront the toxic forces that were taking over his party.

But the Trump era has had a liberating effect on Romney. After Charlottesville, he said the president’s response “caused racists to rejoice.” After the impeachment trial—when he became the only Senate Republican to vote

for Trump’s conviction—he told me he’d been guided by a favorite scripture of his father’s. And last week, as protests spread across the country, he tweeted a photo of his father marching for civil rights.

Like any self-aware politician, Romney is quick to deflect talk of how history will view him. (“Frankly, I don’t think I will be viewed by history,” he told me in an interview last year.) But press him on the question hard enough, and some truth peeks out from beneath the selfdeprecation.

“I think of my dad,” he told me once. “My dad was an extraordinary man, but I don’t think history’s going to record George Romney’s impact on America … I don’t look at myself as being a historical figure.”

Maybe he’s right. But just because he’s not thinking about future historians doesn’t mean he’s unconcerned with his legacy. His father set a high bar—and as Romney nears the end of his career, he wants to be seen reaching for it.

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With the disproportionate rates of heart failure, heart attacks, and other serious heart conditions in the African American community, it’s important to fully explore the underlying cause of these conditions with the help of a cardiologist. (Photo: iStockphoto / NNPA)

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The Stuff of Dreams —

MLK Goes Right on Marching More than 50 years later and still so much to be done

By Ray Curry Secretary-Treasurer, UAW “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” — Martin Luther King Jr. The citizens of this country are in the midst of a battle that we have been fighting for a very long time. A battle of racial inequality, systemic abuse, and injustice.

It is time to win this battle once and for all.

Across the nation over the past weeks, protesters are saying they have had enough. They are weary of the ongoing struggle for equality and equity, of the battle against systemic injustice, and the fear of being a person of color in America. The horrific, needless death of George Floyd on May 25 at the hands of four police officers in Minneapolis is tragically all too familiar. And we are seeing our nation cry out in pain. It is the pain of generations of inequality and the pain of a nation divided.

It is shocking that in 2020, mothers in African American and minority communities still have to worry about the safety of their sons and daughters when simply going off to the store, going out for a jog and or being stopped at a traffic light.

This must end.

Generations of misery George Floyd is sadly one of many, many African Americans who have been the victim of racial profiling and brutality. The larger tragedy of our society is that this criminal activity did not start with Mr. Floyd. Or with Breona Taylor or Tony McDade, who also lost their lives in the past month for similar reasons. Nor did it start with Eric Garner, killed in 2014 due to a police strangle hold — or Rodney King’s brutal beating in 1991. The names and stories stretch back generations and are part of the ongoing racial disparity and injustice that permeates our system. A product of 400 years of oppression, prejudice and fear.

How many stories like George Floyd’s must we hear? How many lives cut tragically, brutally short? At the UAW, we have been fighting for generations against systemic racism. Think back to August 28, 1963, when more than 200,000 demonstrators took part in the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in the nation’s capital. Two men participating in that march — Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and UAW President Walter Reuther — were dedicated to breaking the color lines and fighting for

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Mathew Ahmann at the Civil Rights March on Washington, D.C. (National Archives)

equality in wages, opportunities, housing, healthcare and fair societal treatment.

A wound that will not heal The 1968 March on Washington succeeded in getting those in power to sit up and take action. It was successful in pressuring the administration to initiate a strong federal civil rights bill in Congress. It was a time that gave Americans — especially minorities — hope. But how far have we come since then if we still are marching, if we are still protesting?

Not nearly far enough.

It is time for this country to transform from the ways of the past. To turn our backs on the prejudices, fear and hate of our past. To vote in local and federal elections for leaders that will represent men and women of this country and no longer their self-interest.

I truly worry if we cannot do this, this wound will continue to tear our nation apart. In today’s marches across the country, we are seeing history repeating itself.

Again, our community members are joining together, young people especially, and taking up the cause to demand change. And the UAW, with its long history of supporting and fighting for civil and human rights, is right beside them.

It is not just police brutality that affects the African American community. Because of socioeconomic and environmental factors — many due to continued disparity in opportunities — when COVID-19 struck this country it hit people of color especially hard.

Currently, the UAW is working with Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s office serving on the Michigan Coronavirus Task Force on Racial Disparities.

The task force will act in an advisory capacity to the Governor and study the causes of racial disparities in the impact of COVID-19 and recommend actions to

immediately address such disparities and the historical and systemic inequities that underlie them.

We need real change But we cannot just talk about it. We must DO something about it. Just like we saw civil rights legislation that came out of the demonstrations in the past, this tragedy and these demonstrations and clashes will need to result in legislation and reforms passed. PASSED and ENFORCED. And while I do not want to vilify all men and women in blue — we cannot not turn away from the horror of George Floyd’s death. An American citizen begging for his life on an American city street for 8 minutes and 46 seconds.

This is not an on-the-sidelines hurt for me. I am an African American man born in raised in the south and now living in an urban center, but I am speaking here as an American, as a union member, and I am speaking to all of us.

When we look at the many tragic incidents over the past decades, most recently Mr. Floyd’s horrific death, I can only think that we as a nation failed this young man, as we have failed so many others. This cannot continue. As Americans, we need to serve a warning to all who have the power — our representatives, our law enforcement officers, our leaders, our detractors — we are watching. And we are all committed to the safety and personal rights of ALL Americans. We will hold those accountable, regardless of who they are, if they put any of us in peril. While doing so we must remember the legacy of two men, two friends, who worked tirelessly for so many years. We must honor that relationship, as well as our fellow men and women, as we address the challenges that we still face today.

But we must take action now — and we must make permanent change — for all of us.

Wednesday, June 10, 2020

BAKERSFIELD NEWS OBSERVER A3

Legal Notices

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF ANGELA EGBIKUADJE aka ANGELA ARHONA EGBIKUADJE aka ANGELA A. EGBIKUADJE CASE NUMBER: BPB-20-002318 To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both, of ANGELA EGBIKUADJE aka ANGELA ARHONA EGBIKUADJE aka ANGELA A. EGBIKUADJE A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by GABRIEL WANKAR and FRANCA NIAMEH in the Superior Court of California, County of KERN 1215 Truxtun Ave Bakersfield, Ca. 93301 Branch Name: THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that GABRIEL WANKAR and FRANCA NIAMEH be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent.

THE PETITION requests the decedent’s will and codicils, if any, be admitted to probate.

The will and any codicils are available for examination in the file kept by the court.

THE PETITION requests authority to administer the estate under the independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval.

Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.) The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.

A HEARING on the petition will be held in this court as follows: Date: June 25, 2020 Time: 10:30 a.m. Dept: P Room: P located at 1215 Truxtun Ave., Bakersfield, Ca. 93301 IF YOU OBJECT to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney.

IF YOU ARE A CREDITOR or a contingent creditor of the deceased, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within four months from the date of first issuance of letters as provided on Probate Code section 9100.

The time for filing claims will not expire before four months from the hearing date noticed above.

YOU MAY EXAMINE the file kept by the court. IF you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (for DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate code section 1250. A request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk.

Attorney for Petitioner: John A. Mangini 400 Oyster Point Boulevard, Suite 205 South San Francisco, Ca. 94080 Telephone: (650) 876-0188 Email: john@manginilaw.com Attorney For: Gabriel Wankar and Franca Niameh, Executors

OF NAME CASE NUMBER BCV-20-100942 Superior Court of the State of California, for the county of Kern, 1415 Truxtun Ave., Bakersfield, CA 93301 PETITION OF: JESSE ROBERT GAUNA FOR CHANGE OF NAME TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner: JESSE ROBERT GAUNA for a decree changing names as follows: Present name JESSE ROBERT GAUNA Filed a petition with this court Proposed name JESSE ROBERT VALENZUELA THE COURT ORDERS: that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted if no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing.

NOTICE OF HEARING Date: Aug 10, 2020 Time: 8:30 a.m.

Dept: 12 The address of the court is: Same as noted above.

A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once a week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county BAKERSFIELD NEWS OBSERVER Date: April 30, 2020 Linda S Etienne COURT COMMISSIONER Yesenia Sanchez DEPUTY JESSE ROBERT GAUNA PO Box 5104 Delano, Ca. 93216 Phone: (661) 721-6300 IN PRO PER BAKERSFIELD NEWS OBSERVER (E) PUB: May 27, June 3, 10, 17, 2020

the courthouse nearest you. If you cannot pay the filing fee, ask the court clerk for a fee waiver form.

If you do not file your response on time, you may lose the case by default, and your wages, money, and property may be taken without further warning from the court.

There are other legal requirements.

You may want to call an attorney right away. If you do not know an attorney, you may want to call an attorney referral service. If you cannot afford an attorney, you may be eligible for free legal services from a nonprofit legal services program. You can locate these nonprofit groups at the California Legal Services Web site (www.lawhelpcalifornia.org), the California Courts Online SelfHelp Center (www.courtinfo.ca.gov/ selfhelp), or by contacting your local court or county bar association.

NOTE: The court has a statutory lien for waived fees and costs on any settlement or arbitration award of $10,000 or more in a civil case. The court’s lien must be paid before the court will dismiss the case. ¡AVISO! Lo han demandado. Si no responde dentro de 30 días, la corte puede decidir en su contra sin escuchar su versión. Lea la información a continuación.

Tiene 30 DÍAS DE CALENDARIO después de que le entreguen esta citación y papeles legales para presentar una respuesta por escrito en esta corte y hacer que se entregue una copia al demandante. Una carta o una llamada telefónica no lo protegen. Su respuesta por escrito tiene que estar en formato legal correcto si desea que procesen su caso en la corte. Es posible que haya un formulario que usted pueda usar para su respuesta. Puede encontrar estos formularios de la corte y más información en el Centro de Ayuda de las Cortes de California (www. sucorte.ca.gov), en la biblioteca de leyes de su condado o en la corte que le quede más cerca. Si no puede pagar la cuota de presentación, pida al secretario de la corte que le dé un formulario de exención de pago de cuotas. Si no presenta su respuesta a tiempo, puede perder el caso por incumplimiento y la corte le podrá quitar su sueldo, dinero y bienes sin más advertencia.

Hay otros requisitos legales. Es recomendable que llame a un abogado inmediatamente. Si no conoce a un abogado, puede llamar a un servicio de remisión a abogados. Si no puede pagar a un abogado, es posible que cumpla con los requisitos para obtener servicios legales gratuitos de un programa de servicios legales sin fines de lucro.

Puede encontrar estos grupos sin fines de lucro en el sitio web de California Legal Services, (www. lawhelpcalifornia.org), en el Centro de Ayuda de las Cortes de California, (www.sucorte.ca.gov) o poniéndose en contacto con la corte o el colegio de abogados locales. AVISO: Por ley, la corte tiene derecho a reclamar las cuotas y los costos exentos por imponer un gravamen sobre cualquier recuperación de $10,000 ó más de valor recibida mediante un acuerdo o una concesión de arbitraje en un caso de derecho civil.

Tiene que pagar el gravamen de la corte antes de que la corte pueda desechar el caso.

The name and address of the court is (El nombre y dirección de la corte es): SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF KERN 1415 Truxtun, Bakersfield, CA 93301 The name, address, and telephone number of plaintiff’s attorney, or plaintiff without an attorney, is (El nombre, la dirección y el número de teléfono del abogado del demandante, o del demandante que no tiene abogado, es): THE DUNNING LAW FIRM APC Donald T. Dunning (144665) James MacLeod (249145) 4545 Murphy Canyon Road, Suite

200 San Diego, Ca. 92123 Telephone: (858) 974-7600 Fax: DATE (Fecha): October 28, 2019 TAMARAH HARBER-PICKENS, Clerk (Secretario), by Layton Johnson, Deputy (Adjunto) (SEAL) NOTICE TO THE PERSON SERVED: You are served.

BAKERSFIELD NEWS OBSERVER (DLF) PUB: June 3, 10, 17, 24, 2020

cuotas. Si no presenta su respuesta a tiempo, puede perder el caso por incumplimiento y la corte le podrá quitar su sueldo, dinero y bienes sin más advertencia.

Hay otros requisitos legales. Es recomendable que llame a un abogado inmediatamente. Si no conoce a un abogado, puede llamar a un servicio de remisión a abogados. Si no puede pagar a un abogado, es posible que cumpla con los requisitos para obtener servicios legales gratuitos de un programa de servicios legales sin fines de lucro.

Puede encontrar estos grupos sin fines de lucro en el sitio web de California Legal Services, (www. lawhelpcalifornia.org), en el Centro de Ayuda de las Cortes de California, (www.sucorte.ca.gov) o poniéndose en contacto con la corte o el colegio de abogados locales. AVISO: Por ley, la corte tiene derecho a reclamar las cuotas y los costos exentos por imponer un gravamen sobre cualquier recuperación de $10,000

ó más de valor recibida mediante un acuerdo o una concesión de arbitraje en un caso de derecho civil.

Tiene que pagar el gravamen de la corte antes de que la corte pueda desechar el caso.

The name and address of the court is (El nombre y dirección de la corte es): SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF KERN 1415 Truxtun, Bakersfield, CA 93301 The name, address, and telephone number of plaintiff’s attorney, or plaintiff without an attorney, is (El nombre, la dirección y el número de teléfono del abogado del demandante, o del demandante que no tiene abogado, es): THE DUNNING LAW FIRM APC Donald T. Dunning (144665) James MacLeod (249145) 4545 Murphy Canyon Road, Suite 200 San Diego, Ca. 92123 Telephone: (858) 974-7600 Fax:

DATE (Fecha): December 3, 2019 TAMARAH HARBER-PICKENS, Clerk (Secretario), by Gina Sala, Deputy (Adjunto) (SEAL) NOTICE TO THE PERSON SERVED: You are served.

BAKERSFIELD NEWS OBSERVER (DLF) PUB: June 3, 10, 17, 24, 2020

above on: N/A This statement filed with the County Clerk of Kern County on: May 21, 2020 MARY B BEDARD County Clerk By: M HERNANDEZ, Deputy This fictitious Business Name Statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the County Clerk’s Office. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before that time. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another to a trademark or trade name under federal, state, or common law (see section 14411 ET SEQ., business and professions code).

I declare that all information in this Statement is true and correct. (A) Registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false, is guilty of a crime This statement expires on May 21, 2025 BAKERSFIELD NEWS OBSERVER (E) PUB: June 10, 17, 24, July 1, 2020

BAKERSFIELD NEWS OBSERVER (E) PUB: May 27, June 3, 10, 2020

������������������������������� ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE

������������������������������� SUMMONS (CITACION JUDICIAL) CASE NUMBER (Número del Caso): BCL-19-018175 NOTICE TO DEFENDANT (AVISO AL DEMANDADO): ROBERTO GIL MENDEZ, an individual; and DOES 1 to 5, inclusive YOU ARE BEING SUED BY PLAINTIFF (LO ESTÁ DEMANDANDO EL DEMANDANTE): SUNSTREET ENERGY GROUP, LLC, a limited liability company NOTICE! You have been sued. The court may decide against you without your being heard unless you respond within 30 days. Read the information below.

You have 30 CALENDAR DAYS after this summons and legal papers are served on you to file a written response at this court and have a copy served on the plaintiff. A letter or phone call will not protect you.

Your written response must be in proper legal form if you want the court to hear your case. There may be a court form that you can use for your response. You can find these court forms and more information at the California Courts Online SelfHelp Center (www.courtinfo.ca.gov/ selfhelp), your county law library, or

������������������������������� SUMMONS (CITACION JUDICIAL) CASE NUMBER (Número del Caso): BCL-19-019162 NOTICE TO DEFENDANT (AVISO AL DEMANDADO): MARY PETTIS, an individual; and DOES 1 to 5, inclusive YOU ARE BEING SUED BY PLAINTIFF (LO ESTÁ DEMANDANDO EL DEMANDANTE): LENDMARK FINANCIAL SERVICES, LLC, a limited liability company NOTICE! You have been sued. The court may decide against you without your being heard unless you respond within 30 days. Read the information below.

You have 30 CALENDAR DAYS after this summons and legal papers are served on you to file a written response at this court and have a copy served on the plaintiff. A letter or phone call will not protect you.

Your written response must be in proper legal form if you want the court to hear your case. There may be a court form that you can use for your response. You can find these court forms and more information at the California Courts Online SelfHelp Center (www.courtinfo.ca.gov/ selfhelp), your county law library, or the courthouse nearest you. If you cannot pay the filing fee, ask the court clerk for a fee waiver form.

If you do not file your response on time, you may lose the case by default, and your wages, money, and property may be taken without further warning from the court.

There are other legal requirements.

You may want to call an attorney right away. If you do not know an attorney, you may want to call an attorney referral service. If you cannot afford an attorney, you may be eligible for free legal services from a nonprofit legal services program. You can locate these nonprofit groups at the California Legal Services Web site (www.lawhelpcalifornia.org), the California Courts Online SelfHelp Center (www.courtinfo.ca.gov/ selfhelp), or by contacting your local court or county bar association.

NOTE: The court has a statutory lien for waived fees and costs on any settlement or arbitration award of $10,000 or more in a civil case. The court’s lien must be paid before the court will dismiss the case. ¡AVISO! Lo han demandado. Si no responde dentro de 30 días, la corte puede decidir en su contra sin escuchar su versión. Lea la información a continuación.

Tiene 30 DÍAS DE CALENDARIO después de que le entreguen esta citación y papeles legales para presentar una respuesta por escrito en esta corte y hacer que se entregue una copia al demandante. Una carta o una llamada telefónica no lo protegen. Su respuesta por escrito tiene que estar en formato legal correcto si desea que procesen su caso en la corte. Es posible que haya un formulario que usted pueda usar para su respuesta. Puede encontrar estos formularios de la corte y más información en el Centro de Ayuda de las Cortes de California (www. sucorte.ca.gov), en la biblioteca de leyes de su condado o en la corte que le quede más cerca. Si no puede pagar la cuota de presentación, pida al secretario de la corte que le dé un formulario de exención de pago de

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO: 2020-B2391 Doing business as: 7 ELEVEN 38530A at 1900 Union Ave, Bakersfield, Ca. 93305 Mailing Address: 5901 Moonlight Peak Drive, Bakersfield, Ca. 93311 County: Kern Full name of registrant: GREWAL H & R, INC., CA, 5901 Moonlight Peak Drive, Bakersfield, Ca. 93311 The business is conducted by: Corporation SIGNED: HARDEEP SINGH GREWAL The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed

Wear Your Armor Spiritually Speaking

By James Washington Jr. Co-Publisher, Dallas Weekly News With everything going on in our world today, my question to you is how does one put on the full armor of God in the midst of pandemic, the continuation of overt racism, state sanctioned discrimination and even murder?

The bible says, “Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” Ephesians 6:11. This passage may not tell you how to put on the armor, but it certainly lets you know why you need it.

That’s kind of why I pose the question.

I wish I could say most of this is original but it’s not.

I’m paraphrasing most of it, but I think it’s important to understand when people talk about warfare, Satan’s power in the physical world or, just plain battling against sin, this is what they’re talking about.

Spiritual warfare, as my bible says (for believers), is fought in the mind, in the emotions and in the will.

It is in these areas that we do battle and most times we think we’re struggling with ourselves, our own weaknesses of flesh and blood, and discipline and integrity, pride and envy. When in actuality, we’re really struggling against “the devil’s schemes.” Let’s not overlook or be complacent about where a lot of this is coming from.

At these rather intense times, we sometimes lose sight of the fact that Satan and his forces have already been defeated and to a large extent disarmed. We give him power when we forget this simple little fact. Our emotions take over and, in a state of complete exasperation, judgement gets clouded and actions happen in the spur of a moment.

I’ve said on many occasions that the fight is fixed in our favor but we do have to go through the mental reality of this in order maintain control and think ourselves into the solutions we so desperately need to navigate what some believers term a temporary existence called ‘life.’

Here is something that sums it up pretty well straight out of my bible: How do we put on spiritual armor?

We do so by daily absorbing scripture as truth, living in obedience to God, sharing the gospel and trusting Christ. That’s how to put armor on, study the Word, live according to biblical principles and believe that we live in a place infused with Jesus’ protection. That knowledge will protect us as we come under spiritual attack. It doesn’t protect us from spiritual attack. But it does it makes us less vulnerable, less susceptible to the ‘devil’s schemes’ i.e. better able to handle what comes at us.

You see, in this world Satan is free to tempt, deceive and entice, but he has no authority over you. My bible says when we overcome temptation in the spiritual sense; we play out the victory in the physical world.

We win emotionally. We win physically. Pure and simple we win. The point here is you’ve got to recognize that a lot of what you’re going through is the direct result

James A. Washington is a father, husband, Christian, writer, entrepreneur and the owner/co-publisher of the Dallas Weekly.

of coming under attack and not because of some great flaw within you. Success or better yet victory, necessitates controlling the mind game.

When you put on the armor of which I speak you know this. It’s like knowing that it’s going to rain and taking an umbrella. But you have to pay attention to the signs of bad weather in order to be prepared. You can’t be prepared for the devil properly unless you know Jesus Christ personally. He is your and my umbrella so to speak.

And please don’t take my word for it. Just read the bible.

The streets are dangerous. Please be safe and aware of who you are and who’s coming at you. Protect yourself.

May God bless and keep you always.

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING FOR PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO THE COUNTY OF KERN’S ANNUAL ACTION PLANS FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS On July 14, 2020 the County of Kern Board of Supervisors will conduct a public hearing to provide the opportunity for public comment regarding the proposed amendment of the County’s Annual Action Plans for Community Development Programs (Action Plans). The Amendment will create a Home Investment Partnerships (HOME) Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO) project for the acquisition and new construction of twelve (12) new affordable rental housing units comprised of 3 fourplex one bedroom units on scattered residential vacant infill lots within the unincorporated greater Bakersfield. Acquisition and new construction will be partially funded with CHDO funds. Following the public hearing, the Board will be asked to approve the following amendment to the Action Plans: Create HOME CHDO Project #34.20.2 - Golden Empire Affordable Housing II Scattered Site Rentals This new Project will be created with $764,124.90 CHDO funds to provide financial assistance to Golden Empire Affordable Housing II in the form of loans on individual residential properties with a provision for deferred payments as determined by projected revenues and expenses for each property with a minimum term of 15 years.

All properties will be rented to households with incomes at or below 50% of the Area Median Income at initial occupancy with maximum rents not to exceed HOME limits as may be established from time to time by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Immediately after the public hearing, the Board will consider the following actions: a. Approve amendment to Kern County’s Annual Action Plans for Community Development as provided herein; b. Authorize County’s Planning and Natural Resources Department to submit all documentation related to the amendment to HUD. The public hearing is scheduled for: Location:

Date: Time:

Board of Supervisors Chambers County Administrative Center 1115 Truxtun Avenue, First Floor Bakersfield, California 93301 July 14, 2020 2:00 P. M. or thereafter

Comments and/or questions prior to the public hearing concerning the proposed amendments can be directed to Catherine Vasquez, Housing Programs Manager at: Planning and Natural Resources Department Community Development Division 2700 M Street, Suite 250 Bakersfield, California 93301 Phone: (661) 862-5062 Facsimile: (661) 862-5052 TTY Relay: (800) 735-2929 The Board of Supervisors Chamber is accessible to persons with disabilities. Disabled individuals who need special assistance to attend or participate in a meeting of the Board of Supervisors may request assistance at the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors, Fifth Floor, 1115 Truxtun Avenue, Bakersfield, California or by calling (661) 868-3585, or via TTY Relay: (800) 735-2929. Every effort will be made to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities by making meeting material available in alternative formats.

Requests for assistance should be made five (5) working days in advance of a meeting whenever possible.

Published The Bakersfield News Observer June 10, 2020

Biden Visits Black Lives Matter Protest

As Trump rages on Twitter against demonstrators Democratic U.S. presidential candidate and former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden visits a site of the protest over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody, in Wilmington.

Democratic U.S. presidential candidate and former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden visits a site of the protest over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody, in Wilmington. Reuters Images via Biden campaign Former Vice President Joe Biden on Sunday made an unannounced visit to a site in Wilmington, Delaware where protests against police brutality and racism took place the night before.

Leaving his home for the second time in a week, Biden recognized the death of George Floyd, a black man who was killed in Minneapolis police custody last week.

"The original sin of the country still stains our nation today," Biden said in a video released Friday. "We need justice for George Floyd."

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump repeatedly attacked protesters and threatened violence against them on Twitter.

Former Vice President Joe Biden on Sunday made an unannounced visit to a site in Wilmington, Delaware where protests against police brutality and racism took place the night before.

Leaving his home for the second time in a week, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee recognized the death of George Floyd, a black man who was killed in Minneapolis police custody last week. His campaign posted a photo of Biden kneeling on the ground facing a black man also kneeling with his young son.

Biden has attempted to strike a unifying tone in his public statements as demonstrations continued in at least 75 US cities over the weekend.

We are a nation in pain right now, but we must not allow this pain to destroy us.

As President, I will help lead this conversation — and more importantly, I will listen, just as I did today visiting the site of last night's protests in Wilmington.

In a five-minute video released on Friday, Biden urged the country to come together and address the "national crisis" of police brutality against black people.

"The original sin of the country still stains our nation today," he said. "We need justice for George Floyd."

"We are a country with an open wound. None of us can turn away. None of us can be silent," Biden wrote in an accompanying tweet. "None of us any longer can hear those words — 'I can't breathe' — and do nothing. We must commit, as a nation, to pursue justice with every ounce of our being."

The Biden campaign announced in a Sunday email to reporters that the candidate will meet with community leaders in Wilmington on Monday morning and will hold a virtual roundtable with mayors afterwards.

Biden's response to Floyd's death and the ensuing protests has been markedly different than the president's.

Over the past few days, Trump tweeted out a slew of attacks on the protesters, including one message quoting a white police officer who sparked a race riot in the 1960s.

"When the looting starts, the shooting starts," Trump declared in a message that was later flagged by Twitter for violating the platform's policy against content that "glorifies violence."

In a series of tweets on Saturday, Trump warned that the Secret Service was "just waiting for action," and would use "vicious dogs" and "ominous weapons" against protesters who breached the White House security boundary outside his residence.

A4 BAKERSFIELD NEWS OBSERVER

Entertainment

Wednesday, June 10, 2020

FILM REVIEW: Blue Story

By Dwight Brown NNPA NewsWire Film Critic “They act like guns are toys until they get shot.”

That’s it. Kids playing games and suffering grownup consequences. It’s a symptom of misguided adolescent gang life.

With a great feel for modern times and hip-hop music, Rapman (aka Andrew Onwubolu) mixes a bit of Boyz N the Hood, with Menace II Society. Seasons that with some Juice and New Jack City swag. Then tops it off with a touch of West Side Story and a twist of African/ Caribbean culture.

The setting is bustling London, a city in a state of change. What’s in store? Rapman gives it away in a lyric: “I ain’t tryna justify, but imma show you what these young boys are fighting for.”

They’re mates. Best mates. Timmy (Stephen Odubola) is shy and from the Deptford neighborhood. His nurturing parents have sent him to a high school in the “better” Peckham district. Peckham is home to folks of African and Caribbean descent who fill convenience shops, hardware stores, butchers, boutiques and ethnic restaurants. The faces on the street represent the new England and increasingly multi-cultural capital city.

The African heritage interloper has become chummy with Marco (Michael Ward), a Caribbean student who has gang ties. All is well between the two blokes, until Marco is jumped and pummeled by some of Timmy’s old friends. A fissure grows between the two guys. Tit-for-tat revenge leads to beatings, shootings and then murders. The escalation of violence and vitriol spirals out of control.

Wise as a hip-hop shaman, Rapman, a British rapper turned music producer, actor, writer, YouTube sensation (Shiro’s Story) and now a film director lays the groundwork.

His script, with its autobiographical leanings, maps out the challenges that urban youth face and the futility of gang violence. The storyline becomes more engrossing by the minute. Lively characters, hardened rivalries, revenge subplots, sneaky betrayals and street mayhem mount to a fever pitch. Shakespearian? If Romeo and Juliet and Julius Caesar come to mind it’s because of the dramatic ill-fated love affairs and tragedy of theatrical proportions.

How do you send a message to impressionable adolescents that violence leads you nowhere and gang warfare is pointless? Show them the folly firsthand, without being preachy. Just tell the story, show the negative results of bad choices and audiences can take the hint.

As a director Rapman injects an inexplicable verve in every scene of a film that never seems glossy or superficial and proudly flaunts its rough edges. This is grassroots filmmaking. Within the confines of its low budget, it brims with real emotions and a tangible inner-city atmosphere that films that cost millions more never achieve.

Surely, Rapman developed his low-to-the ground technique as he made his YouTube videos. He shoots candid scenes (cinematographer Simon Stolland, Shiro’s Story) that look like they could be uploaded to Facebook or Instagram. He cuts the footage with a sharp knife (editor Mdhamiri Á Nkemi), trimming it to 91 minutes.

The sloppy action scenes are more reminiscent of a street gunfight gone viral or on a newsfeed than overly choreographed battle sequences. Conversely, Rapman is particularly judicious with love scenes. They’re erotic, not graphic. Steamy, yet loving. Like kids who are finding their way around the bedroom for the first or second time.

A natural and spontaneous feel is accentuated by the foot-thumping musical score by Jonathon Deering. Also,

Stephen Odubola and Karla-Simone Spence costar in Blue Story. (Photo: Nick Wall)

characters sing or rap in-between dramatic scenes with lyrics that augment feelings and plot points. Call it “rap narration.”

The leads are magnetic: Stephen Odubola as the African/English Timmy has a gentleness about him that makes you gasp when his behavior becomes more sinister.

Michael Ward’s Marco brings that cool West Indian vibe to the party. The ensemble cast plays friends, bangers,

siblings and love interests with equal authenticity. Eric Kofi Abrefa, Khali Best, Richie Campbell and Jo Martin are electrifying. Karla-Simone Spence as Leah, Timmy’s lover, brings a humanity and vulnerability to her role.

Junior Afolabi Salokun shines as Madder.

Towards the end of this heartbreak and misfortune, a veteran thug shows some remorse: “I should never have gotten you into this gang bang thing in the first place.”

It’s too late for the characters to reap any benefits from his confession. But not for the audience.

Heads up. First-time feature filmmaker Rapman has schooled Generation Z with a cautionary urban tale that is both raw and affecting.

Visit NNPA NewsWire Film Critic Dwight Brown at DwightBrownInk.com and BlackPressUSA.com.

Williams’ journey from Texarkana, Texas to Motown and global superstardom, is chronicled in his acclaimed autobiography, “Temptations,” written with The New York Times best-selling author Patricia Romanowski, as well as “The Temptations,” an Emmy Award-Winning television mini-series.

Williams is unlike any other musical artist in American culture.

The cultural significance of his life achievements, along with his success musical career and longevity have ensured his status as an icon for millions of fans all over the world.

“I have to give accolades to the late great Paul Williams. He started our choreography,” Williams shared

during the live interview. Cheryl Smith, publisher of the Texas Metro News and I Messenger Media, co-hosted the interview. Williams also graciously answered questions from the livestream’s viewers.

“Smokey Robinson got us started with ‘The Way You Do the Things You Do.’ He looked at us and said, ‘you guys are fantastic. I love what you do on stage,’” Williams recalled.

His story is also chronicled in the Tony AwardWinning Broadway Musical, “Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations.” Williams revealed that he isn’t among the millions who’ve watched the television min-series. “Too emotional,” Williams stated, noting that

Robinson has encouraged him to “Break out the Kleenex and watch it.”

This year, The Temptations plan to record and release a new album, and, in 2021, the group will mark its 60th anniversary with a tour and other celebrations.

“As I look back in the rear-view mirror of my life, Motown was no happenstance,” Williams stated about the famed record label responsible for the Temptations, Robinson, Marvin Gaye, and so many others.

“Motown sent its artists to school. They schooled us about being artists in show business. They took on another kind of dimension.”

Otis Williams Talks Music, History, and the Temptations’ 60th Anniversary

Kareem Abdul Jabbar

It’s Important for Athletes to Speak Out in Wake of George Floyd Protest

The Temptations’ Otis Williams joined BlackPressUSA for an exclusive live interview to discuss music, history and social change.

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior Correspondent Otis Williams, the founding and only surviving original member of the legendary super-group, The Temptations, joined BlackPressUSA for an exclusive live interview to discuss music and social change.

Named the No. 1 R&B Artists of All-Time with hits like “My Girl,” “Just My Imagination,” and “Papa Was a Rolling Stone,” The Temptations have sold tens of millions of albums, and they’ve earned four Grammy Awards.

The group has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Vocal Group Hall of Fame, and have earned stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Apollo Theater’s Walk of Fame.

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior Correspondent Los Angeles Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is no stranger to social activism and protests.

Jabbar, the all-time leading scorer in NBA history who earned six world titles, boycotted the 1968 Olympics in the wake of social unrest and the aftermath of the murder of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. In a live interview with the BlackPressUSA, Jabbar said he believes the murder of George Floyd by police and the subsequent protests around the globe, signal a sea change.

“Across America, people of all descriptions got an understanding of what it means to be a Black American, to be singled out and discriminated against,” Jabbar said during the interview, co-hosted by Brandon Brooks, Managing Editor of the Los Angeles Sentinel.

“For so many Black Americans, it’s just a daily grind of possible bad situations that you come across just because of the color of your skin. And people are starting to realize that and understand that it can’t be tolerated,” Jabbar stated.

The Hall of Fame center has worked almost his entire life to help bring change. He said he even changed his name and became a Muslim because he sought ways to make a difference.

Jabbar commended his fellow athletes for their history of activism, including LeBron James, who has spoken out about Floyd’s murder.

“It is really important for athletes, especially those in African-American communities and communities of color, to speak out because the young people in those communities look up to athletes as the people that set the tone and have the knowledge and courage to do what is right,” Jabbar insisted.

“They look upon athletes in a way that is just a little bit less than how they look at their own parents. So, athletes are very important to the hopes and dreams of young people in those communities.”

Jabbar commended fellow athletes for their history of activism, including LeBron James, who has spoken out about Floyd’s murder.

Wednesday, June 10, 2020

BAKERSFIELD NEWS OBSERVER A5

Local

Robert Forbes Dies Over the Weekend After Being Struck

by Vehicle at Protest

By Lizette Chavez South Kern Sol A black man struck by a car near downtown Bakersfield during a protest on Wednesday night has died, the Bakersfield Police Department confirmed.

Attorney Amar Shergill confirmed the death of Robert Forbes in an updated GoFundMe post, which was initially raising money for his medical bills. The funds will now be used to help pay expenses for his funeral, according to the GoFundMe page.

The BPD’s Major Collision Investigation Team is investigating this incident. Investigators have obtained video filmed by a community member who was trailing the main group of demonstrators as they marched westbound on California.

When BPD was asked if Moore would be arrested or charged with vehicular manslaughter, BPD said they were still investigating. BPD said in a news release the vehicle had its headlights on. It was traveling at a speed consistent with the flow of traffic.

Forbes was protesting Wednesday night with others in support and remembrance of George Floyd, a black man that was suffocated and died will in the custody of the Minneapolis Police Department.

Forbes was with a small group of protesters in the East bound lane when the incident occurred on California Avenue.

Megan, a protester who was with Forbes Wednesday night who wishes to be identified with her first name only, said she thought something had fallen from the car or that it had hit something else. She said she soon realized the sound was Forbes’ body landing on the ground after being hit.

“It happened right in front of me. The car hit him, and he flew seven feet in the air,” Megan said. “I will never forget that sound. It will always stay with me.”

Megan was one of the first to reach Forbes. She said he wasn’t moving. Shortly after, an EMT trained protester attempted to help Forbes.

The Bakersfield Police Department showed up shortly after the incident occurred. BPD has not identified the driver because no charges have been made.

Videos of the incident posted to social media show the driver is a white man. Officers can be seen speaking to him and standing in front of him facing protestors as the driver smokes a cigarette.

Protestors are heard shouting, “Cuff him,” and “arrest him,” to police as protesters demanded justice for what they perceived to be an intentional attack.

BPD eventually took the driver into custody, but he was shortly released after they ruled out any substances or speeding as contributing factors.

“It wasn’t an accident,” said Michael, another protester who wishes to be identified with his first name only.

Michael said he was almost hit too and was barely able to get out of the way.

Michael said he saw the driver’s car coming and heard it accelerate, and he said he tried to warn Forbes who was standing next him.

“I tried to warn him. I was only able to say ‘Move,’”

A petition has been started in response to the incident on Change.org, demanding Moore be charged for Forbes death. The petition has more than 73,000 signatures as of Monday morning.

Michael. “But it wasn’t enough. It didn’t work.”

Michael said the car moved left and right as it approached the protesters.

The driver, Timothy Kieth Moore, identified himself on Facebook when he posted a public apology on Facebook that has now been deleted. Moore said in the Facebook post he thought it was a DUI checkpoint. He said he was unaware of the protest taking place and pulled over

immediately after the incident occurred.

“I prayed for the man, and I know our paths have crossed for a reason,” Moore said on Facebook. “I’m not sure why but they did, and I’m looking for the positive in this.”

Some say Moore has tattoos that indicate his affiliation with the white supremacy movement. This has not been confirmed.

BPD said a final determination for this collision will be made once all the evidence has been collected. Anyone with information regarding this investigation is encouraged to contact the Bakersfield Police Department at (661) 3277111, or by emailing Officer C. Ott at cott@bakersfieldpd. us.

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BAKERSFIELD NEWS OBSERVER

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Wednesday, June 10, 2020