Los Angeles News Observer 6.17.21 4C

Dodgers Now Have a “Full House”

Hip Hop Icon Dr. Dre Opening the ‘Coolest High School in America’ Pages A3

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Los Angeles

Volume 36 Number 31

Serving Los Angeles County for Over 36 Years

Observer Group Newspapers of Southern California

Thursday, June 17, 2021

CA Unemployment Backlog

200,000 Claims .

Quinci LeGardye California Black Media California may be reopening beginning June 15, but for many unemployed workers, the economic struggle caused by the COVID-19 pandemic is nowhere near ending.

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 A. Gipson (D-Carson) hosted a press conference featuring constituents from his district who are seeking immediate help from EDD. Three constituents spoke about their struggles while trying to get their unemployment benefits.

They experienced extremely long wait times while calling EDD and faced difficulties trying to verify their identity or correct claim amounts with the department.

The difficulties with EDD that the speakers expressed in their stories 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 described her experience communicating with EDD representatives over the phone as “confusing.”

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 identity verification process with the thirdparty 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 then, 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.

(Shutterstock Photo)

“Having to contact a third party to qualify for your unemployment benefits is very stressful, especially when they do not have any human contact customer service available. With the ID.me verification, everything is done through your phone. So that in itself is very isolating.

I know how to work technology but what about the constituents that aren’t familiar with it. What about the constituents

Continued on page A2

Mobilizing to Find Missing Black Children Your Help is Needed!

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent When the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) posted a photo of 14-year-old Isaac Gastelum on Twitter, the response was telling.

“This has been almost a month since he went missing,” an individual with the Twitter handle @SdMerlins responded. “Do you guys need help with disseminating info?”

The answer is a resounding “Yes!” Isaac, an African American with brown eyes and black hair, hails from Oliver Springs, Tennessee.

NCMEC’s alert noted that the five-foot-tall and 150-pound Isaac “may still be in the local area, or he may travel to California or Michigan.”

He has been missing since May 12, 2021.

About one month after Isaac went missing, 15-yearold Aliyah Hardridge of Ottawa, Kansas, disappeared.

NCMEC describes Aliyah as 5-feet-7 inches tall and 195 pounds.

Aliyah has brown eyes and black hair and was last seen on June 13.

The National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) continues its series on the plight of missing African American girls and boys who have disappeared.

Throughout the series, which began in 2019, a common theme emerged: Black children who go missing receive far less media coverage and police priority than White children.

Reportedly, there are 425,000 missing children in America, and 40 percent – or 156,000 – are Black.

Other than by their families, neighbors, and friends, most of these young people can be forgotten — even by law enforcement officials charged with solving the evergrowing body of cold cases.

$4.5M Accepted

by Family of Man Killed by Police

BATON ROUGE (AP) – The children of a Black man killed by police in Louisiana’s capital city five years ago have accepted a $4.5 million settlement from the local government, the man’s family and the city’s mayor said Friday.

Alton Sterling’s 2016 shooting by a Baton Rouge police officer was captured on video and sparked anger and protests in the city’s Black community.

Sterling’s family issued a statement Friday confirming acceptance of the settlement after news outlets reported that court documents showed they had moved to have the suit dismissed last month. The settlement had been approved earlier in the year by the Metro Council for Baton Rouge and East Baton Rouge Parish.

“This settlement, which was reached through hard work and collaboration between attorneys for Mr. Sterling’s family and the Baton Rouge City Council, will allow the city to heal and provide a pathway for Mr. Sterling’s children to be provided for financially,’’ said the statement issued through the family’s attorneys. It also expressed hope that reforms implemented by the department will prevent future deaths.

“As a community, we must work together to implement changes in policy and in our community to ensure that no other families in Baton Rouge will endure this loss, trauma, or heartbreak,’’ Mayor Sharon Broome said in her statement.

The officer who shot Sterling during a struggle outside a convenience store lost his job and another officer was suspended. Neither was charged criminally after state and federal investigations.

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Sterling’s five children in 2017 by their mothers. It sought damages for violation of Sterling’s civil rights and claimed the local government was negligent in its hiring, training and supervision of Blane Salamoni, the officer who fired the six shots that killed Sterling.

The agreement will pay $1 million upfront to Sterling’s children from East Baton Rouge Parish’s insurance reserve funds, WBRZ-TV reported, with the remaining money being paid in equal installments over the next four years.

The initial funds will be allocated from the cityparish’s Insurance Reserve Fund, with the remaining payments pulled from the annual operating budget.

Sterling was fatally shot by Baton Rouge police responding to a complaint of a man with a gun outside a convenience store on North Foster Drive in 2016.

Widespread protests followed after cellphone video of the encounter was spread online.

Bay Area Home Converted to Mini Museum about Black Panthers

Authorities need your help locating 14-year-old Isaac Gastelum (left) from Oliver Springs, Tennessee and 15-year-old Aliyah Hardridge of Ottawa, Kansas.

When it comes to missing African Americans, the media is often silent. A Google and Yahoo! Search yielded no news articles about Isaac or Aliyah.

The apathy is palpable, particularly on social media.

“Hope [Aliyah] is not a runaway,” posted Twitter user @JR3154. “Maybe at a friends’ house and mad at her parents.”

In the same thread, user @Red_Dark_N_Blue added: No Amber Alert in the hood … I guess.” Revealing similar apathy and perhaps some sarcasm, the user continued: “We

don’t snitch … so we go missing?”

The work of NCMEC and organizations like the Black and Missing Foundation and the African American Juvenile Justice Project serve to keep a spotlight on the missing.

“Black, African American, and Afro Latinas are less likely seen as victims,” Sherri Jefferson of the African American Juvenile Justice Project told NNPA Newswire earlier this year.

Continued on page A2

Asm. Akilah Weber’s First Bill Pushes California to

Be Prepared for Next Pandemic

Aldon Thomas Stiles California Black Media As more Californians get vaccinated and new COVID-19 cases are on the decline, there’s an argument to be made that the state has rounded the corner from the worst stages of the global crisis.

As of June 6, 53.1% of Californians had been vaccinated and there were 757 new COVID-19 cases, down from the 40,423 new cases on Jan. 7.

However, the worst numbers remain stark. Some 63,544 Californians have died of the disease since the beginning of the pandemic.

Assemblymember Akilah Weber (D-San Diego), who was sworn in to represent the 79th District in April, has co-authored her first bill in the lower house of the state Legislature. It aims to ensure that California is more pandemic-ready than it was when the COVID-19 crisis began in 2020.

Weber won a special election earlier this year to replace her mom and former Black Caucus chair, Dr. Shirley Weber, in the Assembly after Gov. Newsom appointed the elder Weber late last year as California’s 33rd Secretary of State.

Assembly Bill (AB) 1207 would establish the Pathways

Free!

(Credit: Campaign Photo)

Through Pandemics Task Force in the California Health and Human Services Agency as a vehicle to prepare the state for the eventuality of a pandemic.

“The bill would require the task force to convene various entities to engage in discussions on the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, develop and recommend best practices for an equitable response to future pandemics, and determine the impact of state laws on coordinating the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, as specified,” the bill reads.

Weber, who is a board-certified obstetrician/ gynecologist, stressed the importance of this bill for California’s future.

“We must learn from the mistakes of our past in order to improve the possibilities for our future,” Weber stated.

“This is what establishing a Pandemic Taskforce through the passage of AB 1207 will do. The COVID-19 pandemic touched the lives of every Californian and impacted every business within our great State.”

Weber went on to discuss the way the pandemic has pulled the curtain back on some of the vital systems on which all Californians rely. “[COVID-19] changed the way we learn, the way we Continued on page A2

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) – A first-floor Bay Area apartment will soon be home to an exhibit of photos, banners and posters that explore the history of the Black Panther Party.

The San Francisco Chronicle reports Sunday that the 1,000-square-foot (93-square-meter) “minimuseum’’ will open in West Oakland on June 19.

The exterior of the home at the corner where party co-founder Huey P. Newton was fatally shot was decorated this year with a large mural dedicated to the women of the Black Panther Party. Inside, visitors can walk through a temporary exhibit curated by archivist Lisbet Tellefsen.

Homeowner Jilchristina Vest said she decided to convert the space after tenants moved out. She hopes to have the home designated as a landmark and transform the space into a community center.

“It felt like it needed to be something more than somebody’s apartment,’’ she said.

Visitors will each have 30 minutes to walk through the exhibit. Tickets are available online.

Racial Insensitivity LOS ANGELES (AP) – Chris Harrison, the original host of ABC’s “The Bachelor’’ and its spinoffs, is leaving the long-running franchise.

His departure comes four months after he defended contestant Rachael Kirkconnell against criticism over 2018 photos showing her at a fraternity formal with an Old South plantation theme.

Harrison is “stepping aside as host of `The Bachelor’ franchise. We are thankful for his many contributions over the past 20 years and wish him all the best on his new journey,’’ Warner Horizon and ABC Entertainment said in a joint statement Tuesday.

The producer and the network had no further comment, including on a replacement for Harrison. His publicist didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Harrison faced backlash after he voiced support for Kirkconnell during an “Extra’’ interview last February with Rachel Lindsay, who had been on “The Bachelorette’’ and was the first Black star of the franchise that begin in 2002.

In a subsequent online statement, Harrison apologized for what he called a “mistake.’’ While he had only intended to ask for “grace’’ and compassion for Kirkconnell so she could address the issue, Harrison said, he realized he had caused harm by “speaking in a manner that perpetuates racism.’’

He was on hiatus from the franchise before his permanent departure was confirmed. The current season of “The Bachelorette’’ is being hosted by former cast members Tayshia Adams and Kaitlyn Bristowe.

World & Nation

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Los Angeles News Observer

Thursday, June 17, 2021

Mobilizing to Find Missing Black Children

Continued from page A1

Awareness is a significant component to getting a missing person home safely, said B.J. Spamer, the executive director of the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NAMUS).

The organization counts as a nationwide information clearinghouse that offers free, secure, and easy-touse technology to help expedite case associations and resolutions.

NAMUS also provides free forensic services, investigative support, victim services, and training and

outreach.

In an earlier interview with NNPA Newswire, Spamer explained that the media highlights certain cases.

However, many others fail to get the same attention.

“The media plays a huge role in making sure that we raise awareness for all missing persons and also be able to raise awareness of the tools that families have available to them that they may not know are available,” Spamer remarked.

“We have had families sit down at the keyboard to

search the database and find their loved one, essentially resolving their own case.

She continued: “It’s an empowering thing to have families to be able to participate in the search using certain tools that we make publicly available. There are so many resources available today that didn’t exist 20 or 30 years ago when their loved one may have gone missing.

“We would love to see those families come forward today and provide whatever information they still

have on their loved one because we are routinely seeing identifications on cases that are 20, 30, or 40 years old.

And so as long as there’s a searching family member, it is never too late to file a report, get that case in NAMUS and potentially find a match and bring resolution to that family.”

Anyone with information about Isaac Gastelum or Aliyah Hardridge should call 911 or 1-800-843-5678.

Supreme Court Rules Against Lowering Sentences for Crack Cocaine Convictions “This is still White America, and the Supreme Court reflects this ‘white privilege’ mindset,” stated Tremaine Powell, an Alexandria, Va., resident who recently was released after a 15-yearto-life sentence for crack cocaine possession. “I’m on probation for the rest of my life,” Powell complained. “Some White Wall Street executive caught with zip-lock bags full of cocaine only gets probation.”

In December of 2018, Congress passed the First Step Act, and the law was viewed as a measure to correct the injustice tied to crack cocaine sentences and other criminal activity that otherwise should not have led to long prison terms.

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent On Monday, June 14, the Supreme Court ruled that those convicted of possessing small amounts of crack cocaine are prohibited from seeking sentence reductions.

Activists complained that the ruling is just another slap in the face to minority defendants who were disproportionately sentenced to lengthy prison sentences during the 1980s crack epidemic.

Congress passed laws in the 1980s in response to the crack epidemic that mandated that anyone arrested and convicted for possessing small amounts of crack would face sentences as long as someone caught with heavier weights of powder cocaine.

African Americans and Latinos found possessing small amounts of crack received sentences longer than White suspects who had power cocaine.

“This is still White America, and the Supreme Court reflects this ‘White privilege’ mindset,” stated Tremaine Powell, an Alexandria, Va., resident who recently was released after a 15-year-to-life sentence for crack cocaine possession.

“I’m on probation for the rest of my life,” Powell complained. “Some White Wall Street executive caught with zip-lock bags full of cocaine only gets probation.”

Tarahrick Terry, who lives in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, brought the case to the Supreme Court.

Terry served a little more than 15 years for possessing less than 4 grams of crack cocaine, which reports noted weighs about the same as four paper clips.

Terry sought relief from his sentence under the First Step Act, but a lower court ruled that the law did not apply to low-level offenses.

In December of 2018, Congress passed the First Step Act, and the law was viewed as a measure to correct the injustice tied to crack cocaine sentences and other criminal activity that otherwise should not have led to long prison terms.

According to the nonprofit Red Restorative Justice Program, the goal of the law was to “give deserving prisoners the opportunity to get a shortened sentence for positive behavior and job training and giving judges and juries the power that the Constitution intended to grant them in sentencing.”

wants to, should be able to get vaccinated,” said Newsom.

“Getting more people vaccinated will bring us closer to ending this pandemic. That’s why we’re working with employers to make it easier to access COVID-19 vaccines – so no one misses their shot at protecting themselves and their communities.” Newsom has also unveiled a $100 billion stimulus package to help California recover from the coronavirus-related economic downturn. The state also recently launched the “Vax for the Win” program, an effort that offers a series of financial incentives for people who get vaccinated. Prizes include cash awards and grocery

cards. “Getting every eligible Californian vaccinated is how we bring our state roaring back from this pandemic,” said Newsom.their communities.” Newsom has also unveiled a $100 billion stimulus package to help California recover from the coronavirus-related economic downturn. The state also recently launched the “Vax for the Win” program, an effort that offers a series of financial incentives for people who get vaccinated. Prizes include cash awards and grocery cards. “Getting every eligible Californian vaccinated is how we bring our state roaring back from this pandemic,” said Newsom.

Community Orgs Urge More Testing Manny Otiko California Black Media Covid-19 cases are plunging as California prepares to slowly reopen this week.

However, returning workers will face a different environment. Some workplaces such as restaurants and amusement parks will require proof of testing and vaccination. Testing -- or some other proof of vaccine status -- are already required to enter health facilities or to fly. According to Disney Parks’ blog, the organization recommends attendees be vaccinated or provide a negative test if they want to visit the park. Guests are also required to wear face masks. Kelsey Lynch, public relations manager, Disneyland Resort, said the amusement park will accept visitors from outside California after June 15. The California Department of Health’s website contains a link to a page where you can find the nearest testing site by

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entering your ZIP Code. The website also provides a list of all the testing centers in the state. According to the health department, it takes about two days to get the results of a COVID-19 test. Testing is still free at some locations.

Several community groups are also partnering with the state to keep testing free and accessible in vulnerable communities. The California African American Community Empowerment Council (AACEC) is partnering with the Tabernacle Community Development Corporation to provide testing at Black churches. Dr. Gerald Agee Sr., pastor of Friendship Christian Center, Oakland, and statewide director of the African American COVID testing program, is working with the California Department of Health to organize free testing sites at African American churches around the state. According to Agee, people can get tested at churches in San Bernardino, Alameda, Riverside, San Francisco, Solano, Sacramento and San Diego counties. Agee said, through their statewide church partnership, African Americans are still testing positive for COVID-19 at a rate of about of 4.5 %, which is higher than the state’s 1.5 % rate.

Agee explains that he has experienced the ravages of the coronavirus pandemic firsthand as many of his church members have contracted the disease.

“We won’t be satisfied until we’re testing at the same rate as the state,” he said. According to Agee, the key to driving down the Black community’s COVID-19 numbers is testing and vaccination. Many business leaders welcome the idea that the state is taking a sensible approach to reopening. According to Sabrina Lockhart, executive director of the California Parks and Attractions Association, the new guidelines outline how families can enjoy themselves at attractions. “The latest state guidelines give amusement parks a path to get more people back to work and provide visitors more options for safe family fun this summer,” she said. “As the state reopens, amusement parks will update their own safe and responsible plans for operation based on state and local guidelines.” Gov. Gavin Newsom recently announced the Employer Vaccination Toolkit, which aims to make it easier for employers to make the vaccine available to their employees. “Anyone who

Rev. Gerald Agee statewide director of the African American church testing program, getting tested at a San Diego church. (Photo by Brandon Johnson)

California EDD Backlogged

Continued from page A1

that 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.

Lozoya said, “I’m a welder, and I’m blessed to have a career that I worked hard to get. I pay a lot of taxes and I pay into EDD. The only thing they constantly do to me is

call me a liar -- that I’m stealing from them. They told me I owe them $69,000. How do I owe $69,000? At the time they were saying that I was claiming it, I was working.”

In the months 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 that the 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.

Asm. Akilah Weber’s First Bill Pushes California to

Be Prepared for Next Pandemic

Continued from page A1

interact with each other and the way we live our lives.

It also exposed some deep gaps in our society with regards to equity, access and our level of preparedness for a public health crisis,” Weber stated.

Weber specified who she believes suffered from these “deep gaps” during the pandemic in a Facebook post.

“California’s response to the pandemic highlighted existing inequities for people of color and low-income neighborhoods,” Weber wrote.

The bill passed on the assembly floor with 78 votes in favor and zero votes against.

Weber, who unpacked the bill before her colleagues on the Assembly floor June 3, tweeted that AB 1207 is her first authored bill. She also thanked her partner on the bill Assemblymember Luz Rivas (D-North Hollywood).

“Today I presented my first authored bill, AB 1207 on the Asm floor. [AB 1207] creates a taskforce that will

research and develop strategies for future pandemics. Thank you [Assemblymember Luz Rivas] for partnering with me on this bill. Together we are ensuring California prioritizes health for all,” Weber tweeted.

Rivas expressed her support for the bill in response to this tweet.

“Congrats! You’re the right author that will bring public health expertise to this issue. Onward,” Rivas tweeted.

Weber also received praise from Mayor Catherine Blakespear of Encinitas.

“Great start to your illustrious career in SAC and good choice of a partner in [Rivas],” Blakespear tweeted.

Weber spoke about the inevitability of another public health crisis and asserted that AB 1207 would help Californians be prepared for it.

“The next pandemic is not a matter of ‘if ’ but rather a matter of ‘when,’” Weber warned. “AB 1207 makes a

modest investment to ensure California has a roadmap for the future public health crises so that we can address the deficiencies we saw in our response to the COVID-19 pandemic and allow us to be better prepared for the future.”

According to the text of the bill, AB 1207 would require the established task force to report their conclusions about pandemic readiness to the Legislature by Dec. 1, 2024.

In a Facebook post, Weber again stated why she believes this bill is necessary.

“Together, we are ensuring we do everything we can to invest in sustainable plans that value the life and health of all Californians during a pandemic,” Weber wrote. “Now, on to the Senate!”

Thursday, June 17, 2021

Entertainment

Los Angeles News Observer A3

Laz Alonso stars as Carlos in director Guy Ritchie’s WRATH OF MAN, A Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures film. (Photo credit: Christopher Raphael)

Holt McCallany as Bullet, Jason Statham as H, Josh Hartnett as Boy Sweat Dave, and Rocci Williams as Hollow Bob in director Guy Ritchie’s WRATH OF MAN, A Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures film. (Photo credit: Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures)

FILM REVIEW: Wrath of Man This L.A.-set crime/action/thriller is based on the 2004 French film Le Convoyeur.

The English translation of that title is Cash Truck, which gives the premise away. The two writers of the original movie, Eric Besnard and Nicolas Boukhrief, are listed as co-writers on this one, but anyone who knows Ritchie’s career can detect his swag. He’s far more than just the third screenwriter. He’s it.

By Dwight Brown NNPA News Wire Film Critic “If he’s not a cop, what is he?” That’s the question of the day at Fortico Securities, an armored truck company, as the staff of guards wonders aloud about a new employee.

Team player? Rogue?

It’s been 27 years since the very sly British director Guy Ritchie and perennial tough-guy actor Jason Statham marked their impressive screen debuts in the snarky, violent

hit Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. Fans have good reason to be happy that the two blokes are back together again. They may be less enthusiastic about the movie.

This L.A.-set crime/action/thriller is based on the 2004 French film Le Convoyeur. The English translation of that title is Cash Truck, which gives the premise away. The two writers of the original movie, Eric Besnard and Nicolas Boukhrief, are listed as co-writers on this one, but anyone who knows Ritchie’s career can detect his swag. He’s far more than just the third screenwriter. He’s it.

An armored truck filled with money is ambushed, as a cement truck driven by robbers blocks its path. The security guards are killed and innocent folk too. Shortly after that, Patrick “H” Hill (Statham) shows up at Fortico looking for work. The very affable supervisor Bullet (Holt McCallany, Mindhunter) mentors H and hooks him up with a dimwitted partner named Boy Sweat Dave (Josh Hartnett, Black Hawk Down). On their first mission, crooks, led by a real dolt (rapper Post Malone), try to rob their vehicle. Dave cowers. H, who barely passed his driving and firearm tests, takes charge shooting and killing the adversaries like he’s a trained assassin. Who knew?

The seemingly unpredictable carnage may have fooled those not in the know. But Statham devotees could easily discern that H was sandbagging his co-workers. He’s the

alpha. He doesn’t play, he dominates.

As the story unravels, typical Guy Ritchie plot devices emerge. Crooked people are exposed. Cursing and trash talk fill the air. Guys have weird names (Moggy, Hollow Bob). Herds of thugs roam like packs of dogs: Bullet has his armed guards. H has a gang. A devious man named Jackson (Jeffrey Donovan, TV’s Burn Notice) directs a troop of ex-militia robbers. Even for a Ritchie crime/ thriller, which rarely features females in lead roles, there are a whole lot of guys on screen (Andy Garcia, Laz Alonso, Babs Olusanmokun, Cameron Jack, Darrell D’Silva). So many it is hard to keep track of who’s who.

Ritchie’s first film Lock… and his second film Snatch established him as a filmmaker with an ultra-cool bravura.

Short, jumbled scenes. Lots of violence. Cheeky dialogue.

Young actors on their way to bigger roles. Cool clothes. The hippest musical score and playlists. Ingenious camerawork.

It’s a flare so specific, fun and modish that other directors mimicked it. But none get it right. And now, with a dull LA setting, a jumbled inconsequential revenge storyline and no dazzling gunfights, it’s like he’s forgotten who he is.

He’s Guy Ritchie damn it. He should act like it.

The cast is functional—only Statham stands out. The one female supporting role of note is an employee played

by Niamh Algar (Raised by Wolves). You’d think, given the

scarcity of estrogen on the screen, that she might have been given a juicy pivotal role. She has not, and it’s a missed opportunity.

Why didn’t the soundtrack feature the latest rap, hiphop or heavy metal music instead of a draconian musical score (Christopher Benstead, Aladdin)? Why did the camera boringly stay in one spot in the back of the truck during the first heist (cinematographer Alan Stewart, Aladdin)?

None of the sets stand out (production designer Martyn John). The clothes are decent, but when you consider that costume designer Stephanie Collie worked on the gangster series Peaky Blinders, these threads don’t match those.

The deft editing (James Herbert, Aladdin) can’t cover up a blemished plotline and awkward time jumps.

Ritchie is either off his game a tad, or his decision to play things down is a mistake. Nothing is as clever as it could be. The violence on display is not as balletic as that in the John Wick movies. The gunfights aren’t as raw and nasty as those in the recent thriller Nobody. And that film’s lead, Bob Odenkirk, sweats more testosterone than Statham. How did that happen?

Fans of revenge films may be satiated. Fans of Ritchie and Statham may shrug their shoulders and reminiscent about the old days when two young Brits amassed a cult following by being brash and innovative.

Facebook.com/BlackPressUSA/Videos, YouTube.com/c/ BlackPressUSATV, and Twitter @BlackPressUSA. Mills’ team said the new music brings fans back to her traditional soulful sound infused with an empowering message that challenges the listener “to take an introspective look at oneself to create love and peace.”

A native of Brooklyn, New York, Mills has proven to be a treasure embedded in music’s fabric.

Her illustrious career spans a half-century.

The singer, whose voice knows no peers, began her professional career at the age of 11 with a Broadway run of “Maggie Flynn,” followed by the leading role of Dorothy in the Tony Award-Winning play “The Wiz.” After conquering the Great White Way, Mills recorded some of the most memorable songs in music history, including “Never Knew Love Like This,” “Putting a Rush on Me,” “Power of Love,” and “Home.”

Along with her singing and actor career, Mills is a lifelong social justice and civil rights activist and philanthropist.

She has earned multiple Grammy, American Music, and NAACP Image awards.

“My new music is a reflection of the sadness and heartache I’ve been feeling over the pandemic and George

Floyd and the systemic racism that plagues our people,” Mills asserted.

“Let’s Do the Right Thing’” is my personal plea for all people to rise up and come together,” she said.

The single is reminiscent of Gaye’s “What’s Going On,” where the late Motown great crooned disenchantment over the state of America and its involvement in the Vietnam War. Mills’ new song also decries the state of America, most notably the police killings of African Americans like George Floyd, Tamir Rice, Breonna Taylor and many other Black people.

Along with releasing her new single, Mills will debut the accompanying music video and perform her Billboard hit “Home” from The Wiz during the Juneteenth Celebration in New York with the historic Riverside Church and Middle Collegiate Church.

“The evening will embody Juneteenth’s spirit of freedom, celebration two Black-led faith institutions historically and presently combined to transformative justice work,” her team noted.

“Let’s Do the Right Thing” will be available on all streaming platforms beginning on June 19.

Stephanie Mills is releasing new music, including the song “Let’s Do the Right Thing,” an anthem not unlike Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On?” 50 years ago. (Courtesy Amp Harris)

Grammy Award Winner Stephanie Mills Releases New Music Decrying Racial Injustice, Police Violence

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent Music lovers, prepare yourself for one of the most anticipated comebacks in history.

The legendary Grammy Award winner Stephanie Mills has announced her new single, “Let’s Do the Right Thing,” an anthem not unlike Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On?” of 50 years ago.

Her long-awaited new music drops appropriately on Saturday, June 19 – Juneteenth.

“It’s all me. I am not doing this through a [traditional] record label,” Mills told the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) in an exclusive interview.

The NNPA is the trade association that represents the hundreds of African American-owned newspapers and media companies that comprise the Black Press of America.

Parts of the icon’s special interview, including the debut of Mills’ new single, can be seen on Friday, June 18, at 7:30 a.m. EST on the NNPA’s live morning news program, “Let It Be Known.”

Later that day, the NNPA will air the full interview at 5 p.m. EST on its “Fiyah!” broadcast.

Both livestreams air over several of the Black Press of America’s social media channels, including

Hip Hop Icon Dr. Dre Opening the

‘Coolest High School in America’

Hip Hop Icon and Business mogul Dr. Dre has teamed with music impresario Jimmy Iovine to launch a new high school in Los Angeles. (Photo: Jason Persse via wikimedia commons)

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent Hip Hop and business icon Dr. Dre said he lasted just two weeks in a college program and believed that many young ones don’t want to attend school because it’s boring.

“You keep flipping the same thing over and over and over again, year after year, with the same curriculum, the same teachers,” demanded Dre, whose real name is Andre Young.

The star, who reportedly has a net worth of more than $1 billion, revealed he and music mogul Jimmy Iovine are establishing the “coolest high school in America.”

“I want to reach the inner-city kid, the younger me,” Dre told the Los Angeles Times.

“Here’s a place that you can go where there’s something that you can learn that you’re really interested in,” he continued.

The concept has been approved by the Los Angeles Unified School District, the nation’s second-largest school system.

The Times reported that more than 80 percent of students are Latino and Black and about the same number come from low-income families.

According to the Times, Dre and Iovine’s school will be located at Audubon Middle School in Leimert Park, a longtime Black cultural hub, but in a larger community where many Black and Latino students have struggled with

low achievement.

The newspaper reported that the new school would be a “magnet,” meaning that students can apply from across the sprawling district.

Transportation will be provided for those outside the local area.

The school will enjoy high-tech equipment and projects with private industry.

“A task could have something to do with music or incorporate an element of music,” the newspaper reported.

But as Iovine said, this is no music school or Hip Hop High.

“This is for kids who want to go out and start their own company or go work at a place… like Marvel or Apple or companies like that,” Iovine stated.

“Working successfully in these areas means breaking down silos between different jobs and skills — and disrupting familiar patterns with creativity and purpose,” Iovine continued.

“This is nowhere near a music school,” he said.

Los Angeles Schools Superintendent Austin Beutner said the district must find new, better, and more engaging programs.

He said the new venture could create “the coolest high school in America.”

“We can better connect what a student learns in a high school today with a job opportunity in the future,” he said.

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FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO: 2021 109104 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: BABA’S STEEL FABRICATE & ERECTION at 1743 W 60th Pl., Los Angeles, Ca. 90047 Mailing Address: Same County: LA REGISTERED OWNERS(S): PEDRO A PARA, 1743 W 60th Pl., Los Angeles, Ca. 90047 The business is conducted by: an Individual SIGNED: PEDRO A PARA, Owner The date registrant started to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above: 04/2021 This statement filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles County on: May 12, 2021 DEAN C. LOGAN, Los Angeles County Clerk By: (Signature), Deputy NOTICE: IN ACCORDANCE WITH SUBDIVISION (a) OF SECTION 17920, A FICTITIOUS NAME STATEMENT GENERALLY EXPIRES ST THE END IOF FIVE YEARS FROM THE DATE OF WHICH IT WAS FILED IN THE OFFICE OF THE COUNTY CLERK EXCEPT, AS PROVIDED IN SUBDIVISION (b) OF SECTION 17920, WHERE IT EXPIRES 40 DAYS AFTER ANY CHANGE IN THE FACTS SET FORTH IN THE STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 17913 OTHER THAN A CHANGE IN THE RESIDENCE ADDRESS OF A REGISTERED OWNER. A NEW FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT MUST BE FILED BEFORE THE EXPIRATION. EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2014, THE FICTITIOUS

BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY THE AFFIDAVIT OF IDENTITY FORM. This statement expires on May 12, 2026 LOS ANGELES BAY NEWS OBSERVER (E) PUB: May 27, June 3, 10, 17, 2021

written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing.

NOTICE OF HEARING Date: JULY 29, 2021 Time: 8:30 a.m.

Dept: A Room: 904 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 LOS ANGELES NEWS OBSERVER Date: May 19, 2021 KRISTIN S. ESCALANTE JUDGE OF THE SUPERIOR COURT SHERRI R. CARTER Officer/Clerk Petitioner: MILA ALIZE GONZALEZ BY AND THROUGH DESTINY GONZALEZ 2601 E Victoria St. Spc 380 Compton, Ca. 90220 Phone: (323) 397-1379 LOS ANGELES NEWS OBSERVER (E) PUB: May 27, June 3, 10, 17, 2021

nue, San Diego, Ca. 92107 The business is conducted by: an Individual SIGNED: TAHJ TOWNSEND, Vice President The date registrant started to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above: 10/2020 This statement filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles County on: May 19, 2021 DEAN C. LOGAN, Los Angeles County Clerk By: S. PRAK, Deputy NOTICE: IN ACCORDANCE WITH SUBDIVISION (a) OF SECTION 17920, A FICTITIOUS NAME STATEMENT GENERALLY EXPIRES ST THE END IOF FIVE YEARS FROM THE DATE OF WHICH IT WAS FILED IN THE OFFICE OF THE COUNTY CLERK EXCEPT, AS PROVIDED IN SUBDIVISION (b) OF SECTION 17920, WHERE IT EXPIRES 40 DAYS AFTER ANY CHANGE IN THE FACTS SET FORTH IN THE STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 17913 OTHER THAN A CHANGE IN THE RESIDENCE ADDRESS OF A REGISTERED OWNER. A NEW FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT MUST BE FILED BEFORE THE EXPIRATION. EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2014, THE FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY THE AFFIDAVIT OF IDENTITY FORM. This statement expires on May 19, 2026 LOS ANGELES BAY NEWS OBSERVER (E) PUB: June 3, 10, 17, 24, 2021

������������������������������� ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME CASE NUMBER 21CMCP00063 SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES 200 W COMPTON BLVD. COMPTON, CA 90220 PETITION OF: MILA ALIZE GONZALEZ

BY AND THROUGH DESTINY GONZALEZ TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner: MILA ALIZE GONZALEZ BY AND THROUGH DESTINY GONZALEZ for a decree changing names as follows: Present name MILA ALIZE GONZALEZ Filed a petition with this court Proposed name MILA JHENE GONZALEZ 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

�������������������������������

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO: 2021 114217 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: SAMESUN HOLLYWOOD / SAMESUN WALK OF FAME at 6820 Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles, Ca. 90028 Mailing Address: Same County: LA REGISTERED OWNERS(S): PHOENIX DORMS, INC, DE, 4961 Newport Ave-

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Healing and Hope Beyond The Pandemic Pain

By Reverend Danté R. Quick, Ph.D. In almost every major wellness category, the African-American community facesdisproportionately negative impacts. What injures America, in general, devastates Black America in particular. Be it homeownership, violent interactions with law enforcement, or employment data, Black lives are consistently undervalued and disrespected.

As the Pastor of Friendship Missionary Baptist Church (FMBC) for more than a decade, with one of the largest Black congregations in the City of Vallejo, it has been a singular focus of ours to connect the historic liberating faith of our ancestors to the present-day well-being of our community.

The crisis of COVID-19 has been the latest hit to an already ailing Black collective body. The number of positive diagnoses and deaths among our seniors has stolen a generation of wisdom that can no longer be passed to future generations. High hospitalization rates have derailed the economic health of many Black households. The closing of schools has impacted our youth in ways that will take years for us to understand. Indeed, the pandemic has piled pain on top of already pain-ridden people.

We are seeing a hesitancy from the Black community that is largely fueled by mis- and disinformation instead of science and facts. Reservations are understandable given the many ways our community has been mistreated by government institutions. But internet theories designed to distract and deceive cannot be allowed to divert us from the obligations we have to protect ourselves and those we love. With the advent of Black healthcare experts in every area of the system, the history of medical racism cannot impact us now as it did in the past. God can work through science and heal through the hands of health professionals.

I do not believe in asking my congregation to do any-

thing that I am not willing to do first. I say with great pride that my entire family is vaccinated and doing our part to protect each other and our community. My children and I chose to do so to protect my mother, their grandmother. I hear, listen, and understand the community’s reservations.

But I know firsthand, and can tell you with the utmost confidence, that the vaccines have been scientifically proven safe and effective, and they remain our best tools to end the pandemic.

When our State sought advocates for Black health, FMBC responded by partnering with Solano County and The Governor's Office to provide life-saving access to COVID-19 vaccines. During our first vaccine clinic, we committed to offering 1,000 doses. The outreach was so well received that we distributed over 400 doses in the first few hours alone. We have since hosted an additional clinic, with the same results, and have scheduled to host more in the future.

Why are we doing this at FMBC? We have witnessed the pain and devastation this has caused our community. God would not have been pleased with our inaction, from the mass outbreaks at convalescent centers and high schools, to the deaths of loved ones. The vaccines are proven safe, completely free to receive, and the best chance we have to offer ourselves and those we love peace of mind, instead of the fear driven from this deadly virus.

I urge you to get vaccinated and do your part to end the pandemic. Come down to Friendship Missionary Baptist Church at 1905 Florida St, Vallejo, CA 94590, or find an appointment on www.MyTurn.ca.gov, but get vaccinated as soon as possible. The sooner we all receive our vaccines, the sooner we can all worship together without the concern of COVID-19, and that future can’t come soon enough.

Thursday, June 17, 2021

Thursday, June 17, 2021

Sports

Los Angeles News Observer A5

Rams Finish Their Mini Camp

By Earl Heath Contributing Sports Writer It’s a new season ahead and the Rams Mini Camp is where it all begins. They will open Sunday Night September 12th with a 5:20 kick-off at So-Fi Stadium. They got to have their final mini camp practice in front of fans.

The big named newcomers on the roster are quarterback Matthew Stafford acquired from Detroit and Desean Jackson who is reunited with coach Sean McVay. Stafford spent 11 years with the Lions throwing for over 45,000 yards and 283 TD’s during the regular.

It appears during the practices Jackson, Robert Woods and all the receivers are on the same page in the offense.

They both played locally, Jackson a Long Beach Poly standout and later attended CAL where he became a Consensus All-American. Woods prepped at Serra High (Gardena) and played at USC where he too was named an All-American.

“It’s been awesome working with Mathew,” said Jackson who signed a one year deal during the off season. “Having a veteran QB that’s played a lot of ball in this league.”

After one practice Stafford was ask what was like throwing to shorter receivers (Jackson and Woods) than the taller wideouts he had in Detroit.

“I try to put the ball right on the money as much as I can and let those guys do their jobs as easily as they possibly can with it,” said Stafford.

McVay and Jackson were together in 2014-2016 with Washington where McVay was offensive coordinator. In Jackson’s three years with Washington he had 142 catches including 56 in 2014 and 2017 to go with 2,542 rec yards and 14 Touchdowns. Jackson feels McVay understands players and knows how to put them in the best place to succeed. He knows how to put them in a successful position.

“The only thing I can say about Sean McVay is that’s changed about him is that he’s he gotten a lot smarter and

he’s already been smart,” added Jackson.

Cam Akers is the top running back early last season he Malcom Brown and Daryl Henderson but as the year progressed. He led the team in rushing barely with 625 yards on 45 carries to Henderson’s 624 on 138 carries.

Andrew Whitworth has been in many camps-He has seen something in Ackers many not close to the running bac might miss.

“He (Akers) is one of the few backs I have been around that has enough to run a play or have a good play and a bad play and still continue talking and communicating with the guys,” said the veteran Whitworth during a conference video call. “Almost like a bell-cow in a sense of like. ‘Hey come on guys lets get this’ or ‘if you guys get me a block I’m going to make something happen.’ “He’s talking to guys throughout the deal because he’s not in anyway starstruck. That’s a trait and mentality, that shows he’s wired different and he’s someone who expects to perform well and I think guys are excited to see him do his thing and continue to grow.”

On the defensive side Raheem Morris in now Defensive coordinator replacing Brandon Staley who left for the Chargers head job. Morris takes over the top ranked defensive team in the league brings 18 years of experience to the team including having been interim head coach of the Atlanta Falcons.

Aaron Donald will lead the way but also Taylor Rapp will be returning after missing games due to an injury. “I’m moving really well I am feeling well and I’m excited for next year” said Rapp by video conference.

Morris has the ability to connect to players and the and he will run the same scheme as Staley. He has an energy that you can feel all over the practice field.

“Morris is a great coach,” said veteran linebacker Kenny Young. “Honestly he loves ball and loves guys seeing ball the way he sees it.”

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford walks with teammates during NFL football practice in Inglewood, Calif., Thursday, June 10, 2021. (Keith Birmingham/The Orange County Register via AP)

Dodgers Now Have a “Full House” Los Angeles Dodgers’ Mookie Betts during a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies in Los Angeles, Monday, June 14, 2021. (AP Photo/ Kyusung Gong)

By Earl Heath Contributing Sports Writer Even though the Dodgers are World Champions this week was the first time they had a chance to play in front of a full house of home fans.

Mookie Betts sparked the ‘Men in Blue’ with three hits including a homer to give the team the lead in the seventh inning in a 5-3 win over Philadelphia. The crowd of 52,024 was frenzied up at the former MVP hit. Since COVID began it’s the largest crowd to watch a league sporting event.

This was the first day California restrictions were lifted on restaurants, bars and other venues.

“It was a great feeling knowing they were finally cheering on my behalf,” said Betts. “I definitely soaked it all in while I could.”

Betts appears to be recovering well as earlier in the sea-

son he had problems with his shoulder, forearm and back.

He would have days off and do treatment but he appears to have got over it for now.

“I’m trying to take it one day at a time, all it takes is a pitch or a swing, but I have been so in and out that it’s been so tough to find a rhythm’ he added.

He’s had 3 homers in the last six games. He’s upped his average to .296 batting (16 for 54) in the last 12 games. Julio Urias went 5 and 2/3 innings and gave up six hits and three runs 2 unearned. He also had an RBI double that was his fifth straight game with a hit. He’s batting 231.

On the year.

The Bullpen was solid though short-handed. Victor Gonzales shut the door in the sixth inning, Phil Bickford did well, the Mark Fidrych look-a-like got walked the first two he faced and got out of the jam. Blake Treinan closed out and got his third save of the season.

“It was a team win it really was” said Dodger Skipper Dave Roberts. “To just make a decision to want to take care of guys in the pen and not over use them and make sure you don’t put them in harms way. I felt good with Phil and the run of hitters he faced. He made pitches when he needed to.

The Dodgers have won the last 8 of nine while sweeping the Pirates having won 14 straight over the Bucs and taking two of three from the Rangers followed by two in a row vs. the Phillies. They are 41-26 (at press time) 15 games over .500 the best they’ve been all year.

Over the last 14 months Dodger Stadium has been a COVID-19 Vaccination site, a testing site and has served as a Polling place for voters. It’s a good feeling to get back got to baseball there.

Courtside with Clippers – Round 2 of the NBA Playoffs

By Cameron Buford whatsgoodinsports.com 6/8/21 Utah Jazz vs Los Angeles Clippers Round 2, Game 1 To progress past their Round 2 Series, the Clippers would need the entire team effort as they got from the squad to dispatch the Dallas Mavericks in Game 7 of the First Round of the NBA Playoffs. Racking up assists, hitting their threes, and playing consistent defense were key in that game. However, the Jazz will be coming with more than just one player to attack them.

This Jazz team boasts the league’s best record of the regular season. Though they have missed their point guard for several games this season, their budding Superstar Donovan Mitchell is aided by the league’s Defensive Player of the Year in Rudy Gobert and the league’s Sixth man of the Year in Jordan Clarkson. The Clippers would be traveling to Utah to take on the #1 seed in the Western Conference.

In the initial game of the second round, the Clippers would take an early lead on the Jazz. As the Jazz shot 5-28 from the field in that initial quarter aiding the Clippers to a 25-18 lead. The Clipper would take a 13-point lead into halftime behind Luke Kennards 4-5 shooting from the floor and 3-4 from behind the arc, as Donovan would finish the half with 13 points on 5 of 14 from the floor.

Though Kawhi and Paul George would finish Game 1 with 43 total points, however, Donavan Mitchell would finish the game with 45 points on 16-30 shooting. Mitchell’s teammates Jordan Clarkson and Bojan Bogdanovic would combine to shoot 37.5% from the floor and 45% from deep. This would aid the Jazz in outscoring the Clippers 59-65 in the second half.

The Clippers had a small chance to win this game, although a squandered possession in the final seconds of the game cost them an opportunity to get up a quality, game-tying shot off. However, if not for a few minor ingame mistakes this should have given them the confidence they can compete with the team with the best record in the league.

Post-Game Clippers Head Coach would address that why not he chose not to call a timeout in the final moments of the game, “I didn’t want them to take Gobert out of the game or have them switch the guys in or talk about as a team if they wanted to foul or not, but I just thought getting a stop and getting down on a break with Gobert on the floor was going to generate an open three, but he did a good job of closing out to the shooter. I have to watch it but that’s the best time to try to get a three especially when a team doesn’t know if they are going to foul or what they are going to do coming down in transition.”

6/10/21 Utah Jazz vs Los Angeles Clippers Round 2, Game 2 Having already won Game 1, the Utah Jazz were looking to control this series by winning Game 2 of this series against the Los Angeles Clippers. Before the game began Jazz Head Coach Quin Snyder and Team Owner Ryan Smith presented center Rudy Gobert with his third Defensive Player of the Year Award, in four years, before tipoff.

However, this game would become another game dominated by Jazz Guard Donovan Mitchell.

Mitchell came into this game shooting 22-of-32 in the previous four quarters for 59 points coming into Game 2.

Well, he didn’t slow down in this game, as he would go

Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard holds his knee after stepping awkwardly during the second half in Game 4 of a second-round NBA basketball playoff series against the Utah Jazz Monday, June 14, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/ Mark J. Terrill)

for 37 points in Game 2. As if that wasn’t enough, Jordan Clarkson would chip in 24 points after shooting 6-9 from behind the arc. Additionally, for the Jazz, Joe Ingles and Bojan Bogdanovic also combine for 35 points on 12-18 shots from the floor and 7-12 from three-point range.

Bogdanovic probably did and equally, good job frustrating Kawhi Leonard as best one can on the defensive side of the ball. Rudy Gobert, the league’s Defensive Player of the Year, also did his part by controlling the paint as he pulled down a Career-high 20 rebounds and pitch in with 13 points to help the Jazz go up 2-0 in this series.

Paul George would lead the Clippers with 27 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 assists in that Game 2. Kawhi Leonard would pitch in 21 on the night, though Reggie Jackson’s 27 points would give the Clippers a 101-99 lead late in the 4th quarter. Nevertheless, the Clippers would then miss their next nine field goals over the next 5 minutes of the game.

In his post-game press conference, Clippers Head Coach Ty said post-game about what he thought contributed to Game 2 loss, “Just the first half. You can’t dig yourself a hole like that against a good team and then you have to end and all your energy trying to get back in the game and you don’t have enough to finish. You just can’t dig holes like that especially on the road and playing from behind like that, and we talked about getting off to good starts. Once again Donovan Mitchell got the most of a great start and they just kind of took off from there.”

6/12/21 Utah Jazz vs Los Angeles Clippers Round 2, Game 3 Coming into Game 3 against the Utah Jazz the Clippers find themselves down 0-2 once again. For them to achieve their goals this season, they would need to do what no team in NBA history has done to this point. Which is to come back from a 2-0 series deficit multiple times in one season.

One would think, with them being down 0-2 presents many challenges for the Clippers, one would also expect

them to come into this critical game with an adequate sense of urgency. Though the Clippers had yet another ominous start in this game. As Bogdanovic scores the initial basket of the game, then Ingles makes a three-pointer before Kawhi turns the ball over then he hits his second shot after a missed shot from Paul George. Ty Lue jumps off the bench to call his first timeout minutes into the game.

Whether is the sole reason for the Clippers Run, the Clippers went on a 17- 10 run before the Jazz called a timeout. As Terance Mann entered the game who was just “out of the rotation” a couple of nights ago. Mann’s defense and energy complimented Paul George so well that he finished and who finished the second quarter with a team-high 20 points in this half. Paul George would say post-game about Mann, “He steps in and he’s a ballplayer. A kid that you can that can do anything and everything that you ask of him on the floor. Again, huge luxury to have a young guy that is just ready at all times. He’s been great for us!” Head Coach Ty Lue would also say about Terance Mann, “just his energy, flying around, being able to guard multiple positions, rebounding the basketball, attacking, and just his energy I thought was great. The fans love him. They love when he gets on the floor. He feeds off the crowd. So, we needed that lift today and he was great for us.”

By halftime, Paul George would pass, legendary Clippers guard Jamal Crawford for sole possession of third place on the team’s all-time postseason three-pointers made list. Where George owned the first half of the game Kawhi Leonard would own the second half of the game. As he scored a teamhigh 22 points, with 5 rebounds and 3 assists to close the game out.

This would be Kawhi Leonard’s fourth career postseason game with at least 30 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists. Three of these four games have come as a member of the Clippers. He finished Game 3 with a game-high 34 points after being named to the NBA’s All-Defensive second team.

The Clippers would grab two of their four steals early in the 4th quarter to maintain their double-digit lead. As Kawhi and George would combine for 65 points in Game 3 against the Jazz, this would be the first time they would score 30 points in the same playoff game. Additionally, they would get support from Nic Batum’s timely 17 points and 7 assists along with Reggie Jackson’s 17 points and 3 assists in this game leading to their 26-point win and first win of the series.

6/14/21 Utah Jazz vs Los Angeles Clippers Round 2, Game 4 To move on to the next round the Clippers would need to become the first team in NBA history to lose the first two games of consecutive series to win a championship. at home and come back to win a postseason series.

Oddly enough, they would also have to become the first team to win a game on their home court in this first-round series.

Similar to a counter puncher, the Clippers have allowed their opponents to strike first before they respond accordingly. When asked if he’s changed his coaching style, considering they appear to play best that way Clippers’ HC Ty Lue said this, “It hasn’t been different. You don’t want to be the counter puncher; you want to be the aggressor. First

two series, we came out, got down 2-0 and our backs were against the wall and we have to perform at a high level.

We’ve done that. It’s not something you want to get used to, digging yourselves holes like this. But give Utah credit.

They won two games on their home floor. We didn’t play well. We understand that. We still had opportunities to win both of those games.”

In front of a raucous crowd and the basketball world watching, the Clippers opened up Game 4 with a gamehigh 12 points from Kawhi Leonard’s 4 for 9 shooting, coupled with 11 points from Marcus Morris Sr. who shot 3 for 3 from behind the arc to give the Clippers fans a lot to cheer about.

After the Jazz was held to 13 points in that initial quarter, Donovan Mitchell was eager to leave his imprint on the game as he scored 17 points, on 6 for 14 shooting, in that second quarter.

As the Clippers pushed their lead up to 29 points in the third quarter, behind Kawhi Leonard’s 27 points and Paul George’s 22 points they are just the third duo in NBA history to each score 20+ points in their team’s first 11 games of the postseason.

The Clippers duo of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George would finish Game 4 with 31 points apiece, leading their team to consecutive wins, while tying this series up 2-2.

Which subsequently increases the importance of Game 5 in Utah. Additionally, they become the 5th duo since the 1976-77 NBA-ABA merger with 30 points each in backto-back playoff games.

Post-Game I asked Kawhi about his comparison to them being similar to a counter puncher, “It’s a competition. You know, somebody got to win the game and we got to go out with a mindset trying to win. You know, these guys are out there, play hard, play smart and shoot the ball with confidence and see what the results are at the end of the game.” In the words of Kawhi Leonard, “we showed character, we showed poise when we went down 2-0 going on the road.” Although, the Clippers will likely be without Kawhi in Game 5 of this series against Utah… they will have to rely on the Coaching of Ty Lue and the play of Reggie Jackson, Nic Batum, and Rajon Rondo to keep them in this series until Kawhi is cleared to return to game time action.

I like NBA fans from around the globe will be eager to see if Paul George can put this team on his back and carry them to a win on the road in Utah and simultaneously erase any slander that he’s dealt with since anointing himself as “Playoff P.” Feel free to reach out to me on Twitter @whatsgoodnsport to let me know what you think of this recent news and its impact on this team. Also, forward any suggestions on what additional topics or angles you’d like to see discussed to info@whatsgoodinsports.com.

If you haven’t done so, kindly subscribe to our weekly “Voice of the Fans Podcast.” It is available for you on most podcasting platforms Apple, and Google Podcasts including Spotify, TuneIn, and, iHeart Radio to name a few.

When you tune into our Podcast, you will hear passionate banter about various NBA storylines, while addressing the multitude of NFL topics.

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Local

Los Angeles News Observer

Thursday, June 17, 2021

Black America Needs a ‘New Normal’:

Equitable Credit Access to Build Wealth

By Charlene Crowell NNPA Newswire Contributor Over the past year, the COVID-19 pandemic has imposed dual crises. Over 542,000 Americans lives were lost and continue to increase. At the same time, the rippling effects of a massive economic downturn has caused the nation to lose 9.5 million jobs - more losses than even those of the Great Recession, finds the University of New Hampshire’s Carsey School of Public Policy.

Although many officials have called for a ‘return to normal’, millions of small businesses and communities need something new instead. In Black America especially, the ‘old normal’ never delivered equitable access to wealth-building opportunities as those that well-served served much of White America. Instead, a lengthy history of public policies designed to create and sustain a burgeoning middle class systemically excluded Blacks and other people of color.

Now, while federal lawmakers seek to understand how best to bring the nation out of health and financial crises, many advocates are calling for a new paradigm: intentional inclusion of all who have been shut out, knocked down and underserved. Recent testimony before Capitol Hill committees focused on different issues but led to the same conclusion: the time for change is now.

For example, comments during a February confirmation hearing for Adewale Adeyemo, nominated by President Biden to become Deputy Treasury Secretary, the nominee said, “Until we contain the pandemic, economic policy must remain focused on providing relief to those harmed by the public health crisis, especially those disproportionately impacted: low-income communities and communities of color. The pandemic has exacerbated inequality, strained families, and exposed disparities in opportunity throughout our country that existed long before COVID-19. Without additional relief, this hardship will become even more acute and will inflict long-lasting pain on countless Americans.”

Adeyemo is the agency’s point-person to implement the executive order requiring all federal offices to submit diversity and inclusion plans to the Office of Management and Budget. In the interim, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, as reported by the New York Times, announced plans to invest $9 billion into Community Development Financial Institutions and Minority Depository Institutions as they look to step up lending.

Concurrently, the U.S. House of Representatives’ Financial Services Committee has convened multiple hearings that featured expert witness testimony echoing the calls of Mr. Adeyemo.

On March 10 the full committee held a hearing entitled, Justice for All: Achieving Racial Equity Through Fair Access to Housing and Financial Services.

Rep. Maxine Waters, a California Congresswoman and committee chair’s opening remarks set the tone of the forum.

“Today we are here to discuss steps that this Committee can take to create justice and achieve racial equity through access to fair housing and financial services.... And no matter where you are—and who you are--in America or around the world, institutional racism based on skin color creates barriers that impact social and economic outcomes,” noted Ms. Waters. Testifying on behalf of the Center for Responsible Lending, Nikitra Bailey, Executive Vice President recounted the legacy of federal housing policies whose sum created today’s financial inequities.

A 1933 federal housing program, the Home Owners Loan Corporation (HOLC), supported redlining through its underwriting guidelines. As a result, Black and other communities of color, were denied access to mainstream financing. During the first 35 years of this program,

ic 1.1 million minority-owned small businesses employed more than 8.7 million workers and annually generated more than $1 trillion in economic output. Women own nearly 300,000 of them, employing 2.4 million workers.

Despite their significance, these businesses face underlying challenges that make them vulnerable during normal times.”

“Black-owned businesses, overall, also tend to start out with far less capital, whether from investments or bank loans, than White-owned businesses do,” continued James II. “And only 1 percent of black business owners get a bank loan in their first year of business, compared with 7 percent of White business owners. The COVID-19 crisis has compounded this issue: 42 percent of minority-owned small businesses responding to McKinsey’s US Small Business Pulse Survey reported that obtaining credit was becoming increasingly difficult, compared with 29 percent of all respondents.”

But credit terms and a pronounced shortage of accessible credit, according to James II, are equally lending conditions that must become more inclusive.

“Limited access to credit is a compounding factor that hurts the underlying health of minority-owned small businesses,” said James II. “Research has found that black small-business owners were significantly more likely to be asked to provide more information about their personal financials—including personal financial statements and personal W-2 forms—when applying for small-business loans than White small-business owners were, even when controlling for credit score and business characteristics.”

At the same time, as noted by James II, from 2009 While federal lawmakers seek to understand how best to bring the nation out of health and financial crises, to the second quarter of 2018, nationally, the number of many advocates are calling for a new paradigm: intentional inclusion of all who have been shut out, knocked Minority Depository Institutions (MDIs) dropped from 215 to 155. MDIs are also much smaller in assets than the down and underserved. (Photo: iStockphoto / NNPA) average non-MDI bank. only 2% of FHA insured mortgage loans went to Black lection, and stained credit all became inevitable and further “Black and Hispanic MDIs have average assets of and other homebuyers of color. complicated the financial disadvantages faced by commu- $245 million and $2.7 billion, respectively,” said James II, Similarly, the 1944 GI Bill, continued the same sys- nities of color. “compared to an average of $3.1 billion for all US banks.” temic discrimination. In Mississippi, for example, the “Without a safety net or a cushion to fall back on, “Even before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, 3,329 VA -approved mortgages included two Black ser- people of color are far less able to weather financial calamUS household debt was on the rise, reaching over $14 trilvicemembers.

Fast forward to more recent times, by the early 2000s, ities,” testified Carla Sanchez Adams, Managing Attorney lion,” testified Ashley Harrington, CRL’s Federal Advocacy half of all mortgages made to Black and Latino families with Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid, Inc. “With fewer assets Director. “While much of this debt stems from mortgagduring the run-up to the foreclosure crisis were unsustaina- to draw on, people of color find are more prone to poverty es, a growing amount stems from non-mortgage consumble subprime loans -- despite these consumers having credit traps.” er debt, including student loans, credit cards, installment records that qualified for cheaper, safer and more respon“Debt collection activities increased in 2020,” con- loans, and auto loans. As people continue to lose jobs and sible loans. tinued Sanchez Adams, “as did profits for debt collectors. have hours cut, and as deferred rental payments and other “Because of these lending practices,” testified Bailey, Auto repossessions were prevalent, and consumers were left debts come due, we can expect to see an uptick in delin“Black and Latino families lost over $1 trillion dollars in at the mercy of their lenders. Consumers would benefit if quencies and defaults on these non-mortgage debts.” wealth during the crisis. Moreover, Black homeownership all debt activity ceased during the pandemic. The problems Harrington offered a key recommendation to federhas been the slowest to recover from the Great Recession. with our credit reporting system continued and revealed al lawmakers that could begin to allow consumers to have In fact, there would be 770,000 more Black homeowners if the need for reform around what consumer information is more control over their own financial management. the homeownership rate recovered to its pre-crisis level in reported and how it is reported during a pandemic.…Con“Allowing every adult to save and hold onto at least 2000… The racial wealth gap contributes to the fact that sumers would benefit from a moratorium on the negative $1000 per week in wages, and $12,000 per bank account,” in the 46 largest housing markets in the country, a median reporting of unpaid debt during the pandemic. Scams and urged Harrington, “will help families avoid eviction and income Black household could only afford 25 percent of fraud also surged.” afford essential costs like medicine and food. While family homes on the market last year in comparison to the 57 Speaking on behalf of minority lenders and small savings cannot replace the social safety net, it is critical that percent that a median income White household could af- businesses, Robert James II, president of Carver Develop- families be able to provide for themselves at a minimum, ford. It will require focused and bold action to reverse these ment CDE and chair of the National Bankers Association, basic level. These protections are more urgent than ever: inequities.” emphasized the importance of minority-owned small busi- recent research has established that 8 million more families The following day, a subcommittee of House Financial nesses, the lack of convenient access to mainstream bank- have fallen into poverty since May 2020.”

Services convened yet another hearing. Entitled, “Slipping ing as well as the dwindling number of minority depository Charlene Crowell is a senior fellow with the Center through the Cracks: Policy Options to Help America’s institutions as issues demanding attention and correction. for Responsible Lending. She can be reached at Charlene.

Consumers during the Pandemic” the session spanned ac“Minority-owned small businesses are the lifeblood of crowell@responsiblelending.org. cess to affordable credit or small business capital, debt col- their communities,” testified James II. “The pre-pandem-