Ve 02 08 18 4c

Celebrating BLACK HISTORY

News Observer FREE!

The Valley’s

Volume 33 Number 15

Observer Group Newspapers of Southern California

Black Millennial Entrepreneur has Success in Call Center Industry Tavere Johnson Jr. Says He’s Just “Your Average Genius”

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Contributor At 28, Tavere Johnson Jr. has established himself as an author, creative entrepreneur and, as many who know him say, a forward thinker.

The Jamaican-born Johnson has still another way of describing himself: “Your Average Genius,” or “YAG” for short, which also happens to be the title of his new book that should hit book stores this year.

“I just try to reveal the very simple idea of the average genius, who lives inside all of us,” Johns o n said.

“I used t h e word average not to downp l a y t h e greatn e s s of us, but to encourage and promote courage, work ethics, drive, self-confidence and the willingness to risk it

Black millennial entrepreneur Tavere Johnson Jr. is the author of “Your Average Genius.” (Tavere Johnson Jr.)

all for what you believe in and to be great.”

In fact, Johnson has a unique view of stress.

In one chapter of his book, subtitled “Enemies and Obstacles,” Johnson explains the need to battle adversity and not being overcome by stress.

“Most people look at the word stress and they frown upon it,” he said. “I actually enjoy stress. If you are stressed, it means something that you care about is at risk, so the question becomes, ‘What are you going to do about it?’”

Johnson’s friends note that he approaches life and business with an eye on what’s applicable.

He said “YAG – Your Average Genius,” is for the budding businessperson, the titan of the industry or even the everyday go-getter.

The tome is a way of sharing how a spiritual—but not religious—and positive approach will bring success by maximizing individuals’ resources, approaching obstacles with positive energy and taking time to consider a person’s goal and the consequences of obtaining them, he said.

“At this point in my life, I want to make a positive impact on people I rub shoulders with,” Johnson said.

Born in Jamaica, Johnson and his family immigrated to the U.S. and settled in Florida, when he was 13.

Johnson said he’d always been “a hustler,” who played sports and loved sneakers.

“I had a lemonade stand and then I went to work at a car wash,” Johnson said. “I was a sponge, though, who put himself around the right people, because I always had that entrepreneurial and hustler spirit.”

In a lot of ways, Johnson said he’s like his father, Tavere Johnson, Sr. “He’s my mentor and he motivates me,” Johnson said. “I’m a hybrid of him, but I’m a little more tenacious, especially in this digital age, but he’s the root of it and is what’s got me going. Everything springs from there.”

Johnson began his career in the corporate world of call centers just three years after he arrived from Jamaica. As he

King Center and Bernice King, the daughter of the late civil rights leader.

“Neither @TheKingCenter nor @BerniceKing is the entity that approves the use of #MLK’s words or imagery for use in merchandise, entertainment (movies, music, artwork, etc) or advertisement, including tonight’s @ Dodge #SuperBowl commercial,” The King Center tweet stated not long after the ad was broadcast.

April 4, 2018 was the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Memphis, Tennessee, at the hands of James Earl Ray. “The worst commercials are those that use icons like Martin Luther King Jr to sell things like a Dodge Ram truck,” tweeted Boston Globe Deputy Bureau Chief Matt Viser. He wasn’t the only one who noticed.

“So, Ram Truck appropriated Martin Luther King Jr. and used an all white cast + 1 token black to sell trucks to Trump supporters as if we’re back in the 1950s. #Super-

climbed the corporate ladder, Johnson said he also attended trade shows and seminars to further his knowledge and experience.

At just 21, Johnson founded his first lead generation call center with a group of partners, and later he used his own capital to start a healthcare lead generation agency call center, which he said is currently valued at more than $4 million.

“It’s one of the more dynamic call centers,” Johnson said.

Writing the book, he said, was a personal milestone.

Johnson knew right away that he didn’t want to just distribute the book to his parents and family friends.

“I want to make an impact, a positive impact, so for six or seven months and from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m., after I got out of the daily grind, I wrote and put this book together,” he said.

Johnson continued: “I am the average genius. That’s the cornerstone of what drives me and encourages me to instill this in everyone that I rub shoulders with. I don’t think I’m a cliché genius and I feel like everybody can accomplish what I have and what I will, so I want to be of encouragement.”

If there’s one message Johnson said he wishes everyone would take from the book, he said its positivity.

“Positivity always wins,” Johnson said.

Bowl,” stated Lucy Amato on Twitter.

“Using a “Martin Luther King” speech and completely taking it OUT OF CONTEXT for a truck commercial is a disgrace,” another Twitter user reacted in a typical statement.

Super Bowl advertisements have become an annual obsession as the expensive and targeted marketing to a huge audience has become a place where products are debuted for the first time. Super Bowl ads have also become an annual time to analyze and study the many marketing strategy, as well as the “hits and misses” of the ads seen during the game.

It’s likely that the ad featuring King’s voice and words will likely be the source of analysis over the coming days. The ad might also reignite discussion on some of the decisions being made by Dexter King and Martin Luther King III regarding the use of their father’s image and words.

City Treasurer Student Intern Program Ends

Wanda Brown City of Inglewood Treasurer The 13th City Treasurer Student Intern Program ended December 2017. 38 students enrolled in the program.

It is a four week program where students meet with City Treasurer Dr. Wanda Brown for two and a half hours. The focus of the program is to acquaint the interns with the day to day operations of Municipal government, how their local elected officials represent their community and how the office of the City Treasurer functions. Important financial concepts were also taught such as, the Rule of 72, bond concepts, compound interest, to give them a basic understanding of how money works.

Students visited the Council Chamber where they were given the opportunity to play the roles of mayor, council members, city treasurer, city clerk, city attorney, and city manager. Mayor Butts invited the student interns to the executive conference room to give them a presentation about changes in their city and the history of how it has come to be what it is today. Councilman Alex Padilla, who represents district 2, also provided kids with details of what his duties consist of and he provided lunch for the interns for one of the four sessions.

Tours of Residential Sound Insulation, 911 Dispatch and the Police Department were provided. During the Police Department tour students were given a K-9 demonstration as well as a tour through the jail.

Students were given a take-home examination to see how much of the information taught they were able to grasp. A minimum score of 85% was required for passing. Most of the scores were in the 90% percentile and 5

Inglewood City Treasurer Wanda Brown surrounded by the student interns. (Office of the City Tresurer courtesy photo)

students scored 100%! 38 plaques were presented at the plaque awards ceremony. Over 60 student interns, parents, and family members attended the event.

Amusment Park Changing Name of “Rebel Yell” Roller Coaster RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - A Virginia amusement park is changing the moniker of a roller coaster named after the war whoop of a Confederate soldier.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports that Kings Dominion amusement park will rebrand its “Rebel Yell” roller coaster as “Racer 75.” The park outside of Richmond opened in 1975.

Confederate symbols have been widely debated since self-avowed white supremacist Dylann Roof killed nine African-American parishioners at a church in Charleston, South Carolina, in 2015. Since then, numerous cities including Richmond have been reviewing Confederate symbols.

A Friday post on the Kings Dominion blog describes the name change as part of a “revitalization.”

The newspaper asked public relations manager Katelyn Sherwood if the change was due to sensitivities over Confederate iconography. On Saturday, she said “we’re constantly evaluating elements of the park.”

Superbowl Using MLK to Sell Trucks

By Lauren Victoria Burke NNPA Newswire Contributor There were ads with Morgan Freeman rapping and ads with babies from around the world and fast cars with singer Steven Tyler. There were ads with medieval themes, magic and song.

Then there was the ad using the words and voice of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to sell Dodge Ram sell trucks.

“Everybody can be great,” Dr. King said in a speech in 1968, two months before he was murdered. “You only need a heart full of grace; soul generated by love.”

The advertisement featured images of football players, cowboys, U.S. troops and first responders as a backdrop to King’s voiceover. The advertisement ended with an image of a soldier, a Dodge truck, and the words “Built to Serve.”

The commercial for Dodge trucks provoked protest on social media shortly after it aired from many Super Bowl LII viewers. It also induced a reaction tweet from the The

Thursday, February 8, 2018

The program will be offered again in May or June 2018. For information about the program contact Dr. Wanda Brown at (310) 412-5642.

5-year-Old Girl Burned in Voodoo Ritual 2 Charged EAST BRIDGEWATER, Mass. (AP) - Two sisters tied down and burned a 5-year-old girl, permanently disfiguring her, in a voodoo ritual meant to rid her of a demon causing her to misbehave, police said. The women also threatened to cut off the head of the girl’s 8-yearold brother with a machete, authorities said.

The boy said his sister was tied down on at least two occasions while the sisters blew fire over her face and cut her on the arm and in the collar area with a needle-like object, drawing blood, according to police.

The girl said the women also poured over her eyes a substance that stung.

Peggy LaBossiere, 51, and Rachel Hilaire, 40, of East Bridgewater, denied injuring the girl and threatening the boy, the Brockton Enterprise reported . They pleaded not guilty on Jan. 29 to mayhem, assault and other charges. A public defender for the women didn’t return a call seeking comment on Saturday.

Police say the girl’s mother is a hair stylist of Haitian descent who has LaBossiere as a client and requested the ritual. She has not been charged but is receiving mental health treatment.

The sisters will be back in Brockton Superior Court on Wednesday for a hearing to determine whether they’re too dangerous to be released.

The sisters told police that they have performed “cleansing baths”for family and friends in the past, something that involves chanting prayers, rubbing frankincense and eucalyptus oils and sea salt on their bodies, and burning myrrh, the newspaper reported.

Children sometimes get burned as spirits leave the body, they said.

The girl suffered a third-degree burn across her face that will leave her permanently disfigured, police said.

She was treated at a hospital and taken into custody by state welfare authorities, along with her brother, who described to police what happened at the sisters’ house over multiple days.

Voodoo refers to religious practices developed centuries ago by enslaved Africans in the Caribbean, primarily in Haiti, where the practices are sometimes spelled “vodou.”

Bank Robber Who Threw Money on SoCal Freeway Sentenced

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (AP) _ A bank robber who threw wads of stolen cash onto a Southern California highway while being chased by police has been sentenced to seven years in prison.

City News Service reported Monday that 25-yearold Thomas Jerome Burke pleaded guilty last week to robbery. Prosecutors dropped a charge of felony evading.

Burke led deputies on a high-speed chase that ended with a crash after robbing a Bank of America branch in Lake Elsinore. During the pursuit he tossed money out of the car onto Interstate 15 southeast of Los Angeles.

Witnesses reported seeing motorists stopping on the highway to pick up the cash.

After Burke was arrested authorities asked anyone who grabbed the money to return it. It’s unclear if anyone did.

According to court records, Burke has prior convictions, including for robbery.

World & Nation

A2

THE VALLEY’S NEWS OBSERVER

Thursday, February 8, 2018

Black AIDS Institute Launches New Programs As Phill Wilson Retires,

Black AIDS Institute President and CEO Phill Wilson leaves the Institute well positioned to take on the challenges of future. (Black AIDS Institute)

Black AIDS Institute Launches Bold Vision for the Future: Announces Retirement of President and CEO Phill Wilson, New Board Members, New Staff, New Partnerships, New Programs As part of a new strategic plan to prepare for the next generation of Black HIV/AIDS response, the Black AIDS Institute announced several organizational changes, including the retirement of long-time president and CEO Phill Wilson.

Wilson launched the Black AIDS Institute in 1999 with a clear mantra (“Our People, Our Problem, Our Solution”) and mission, “to stop the AIDS pandemic in Black communities by engaging and mobilizing Black leaders, institutions and individuals in efforts to confront HIV from a uniquely and unapologetically Black point of view.

“In order for a movement to endure, there must be a plan for the future,” said Wilson, in a statement. “Stepping down as the President and CEO of the Institute, where I have had the privilege of serving for the last 19 years, is bittersweet for me. I have been involved in this fight for almost my entire adult life.”

The statement continued: “In 1983, when I started doing this work, none of us could have imagined this mysterious new disease, first identified at U.C.L.A. Medical Center, would become the defining health issue of our generation. We are at a turning point. Are we are going to build on the remarkable advances we have made over the last decade and continue to push forward and finally end of the HIV/AIDS epidemic or are we going to go back to the dark days of despair and death?”

In the statement, Wilson said that the Institute is committed to doing everything in its power to end the HIV/ AIDS epidemic, especially in Black communities.

“The time is right. The organization has the infrastructure and capacity to do the changes set forth by the Board to prepare for a new generation of capacity building, advocacy, mobilization and service delivery,” said Wilson. “I am very proud of the work we have done over the last 19 years and of the organization’s commitment to new leadership. That commitment is more important now than ever before.”

Pursuing new executive leadership is a part of a larger effort on the part of the Institute to prepare for the next generation of HIV/AIDS response in Black communities.

Ahead of the Curve From the African American HIV University (AAHU) and Black Treatment Advocates Network, to the ground-breaking State of AIDS in Black America reports and acknowledgements of Black excellence at the annual Heroes in The Struggle Awards Gala, the Institute has been relentless in its focus on Black communities.

The organization enlisted Traditional Black Institutions, such as the NAACP, Black fraternities and sororities, Black journalists in mainstream media and Black-owned publications, and others, to commit to raising awareness, fighting stigma, increasing HIV/AIDS literacy and mobilizing Black people. It launched the Black Hollywood Task

New Jersey Could Be First State to Ban Menthol Cigarettes

By BRUCE SHIPKOWSKI Associated Press TRENTON, N.J. (AP) _ New Jersey could soon become the first state to outlaw the sale of menthol cigarettes.

Legislation banning the cigarettes was approved Monday by the state Assembly's Health and Senior Services

News Observer The Valley’s

Adjudicated a Newspaper of General Circulation July 2, 1991, Los Angeles Superior Court Decree, Case No. BS007262, Government Code 6023.

Bulk Mailing Permit 724 Bakersfield, CA 93385 Published By Observer Group Newspapers of Southern California, Inc. Corporate Office 1219 20th St. Bakersfield, CA 93301 (661) 324-9466 Member: West Coast Black Publishers ., National Newspaper Publishers Assc., Associated Press President: Ellen Coley Operations Manager: Jon Coley Editor: James Luckey

Credo - The Black Press believes that America can best lead the world away from racial and national antagonisms when it accounts to every person, regardless of race, color, or creed full human and legal rights. Hating no person, fearing no person, the Black Press strives to help every person in the firm belief that all are hurt as long as any one is held back.

The Observer Group Newspapers reserves the right to publish views an opinions that may not necessarily reflect those of the staff and management and are soleley the product of the responsible individuals who submit commentaries published in these newspapers. Letters, articles and comments appearing in the Observer Newspapers reflect the opinions of the contributor and do not constitute the opinion or endorsement by The Observer Newspapers or its staff. The Observer Group Newspapers assumes no responsibility for photographs, articles, letters, press releases and unsolicited materials. Decisions as to the editiing and publishing of materials are at the discretion of the Publisher and Editors. All rights are reserved on materials accepted for publication unless otherwise specified.

THE OBSERVER GROUP NEWSPAPERS • The Valley’s News Observer • Bakersfield News Observer • Los Angeles News Observer 1219 20th St. Bakersfield, Ca 93301 Mailing Address P.O. Box 2341 Bakersfield, CA 93303 Phone (661) 324-9466 FAX. (661) 324-9472 email general info: observernews@gmail.com advertising: observeradvertising@gmail.com www.ognsc.com

Committee and now heads to the Appropriations Committee for further consideration. Similar legislation has not yet been introduced in the state Senate.

The measure would amend existing state law by adding menthol-flavored cigarettes to the state's list of prohibited flavored cigarettes. It also would update that list to include clove cigarettes.

A look at the issue: PROPOSED BAN Democratic Assemblyman Herb Conaway, who is also a physician, is the bill's sponsor.

He argues that menthol cigarettes should have been outlawed in 2009, when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration forced tobacco companies to do away with other flavored brands, partly because of their allure to youths.

Last summer, San Francisco became the first city to approve a ban on menthol cigarettes. The European Union has also implemented a ban that is due to take full effect in May 2020.

PROPONENTS Conaway describes menthol cigarettes as “enemy No. 1” when it comes to lung diseases. The cooling effect of menthol allows smokers to draw more toxic substances into their lungs and hold them there, he said.

“Science supports the fact that it promotes cancer,” Conaway said. “That's why the other flavors and cooling agents have been removed.”

The lawmaker and others have also argued that marketing for menthol cigarettes targets blacks and low-income communities. They note studies have shown advertisements for menthol cigarettes are more likely to appear in publications with high black readership.

While acknowledging potential revenue losses for businesses and the state, Conway has said that would more than matched by the “gain in lives.”

OPPONENTS A group that represents hundreds of food retailers in New Jersey has rallied against the bill, citing the economic impact it would have on convenience stores, small businesses and the state.

The New Jersey Food Council says its members report that menthol cigarettes account for 35 percent to 40 percent of their total sales. They also say convenience stores and other establishments will lose out on ancillary sales _ such as sandwiches, snacks and cups of coffee _ if customers stop frequenting those businesses because they can't get menthol cigarettes.

The group also warns the state would take a hit in tax revenue.

The legislation does not contain an estimate of how much the state would lose in sales, but Conaway says any revenue loss is more than matched by the “gain in lives.”

State officials have estimated that roughly $750 million in tax revenue is generated annually from tobacco sales.

Lawmakers opposed to the bill expressed similar concerns. They also note that smokers seeking menthol cigarettes could simply buy them in neighboring states.

MEDICAL COMMUNITY Medical and public health groups have not taken a public stance so far on the bill but say they are reviewing it and considering its potential impact.

“We support efforts to reduce tobacco use and the availability of deadly tobacco products, as tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable death,” said Marc Kaplan, a spokesman for the American Cancer Society.

The American Cancer Society says on its website that while specific dangers of menthol cigarettes are an active area of research, they are not safer than unflavored cigarettes and could be even more dangerous.

It says the cooling sensation of menthol cigarettes lessens the cough reflex and covers the dry feeling in the throat that smokers often have, and as a result, people who smoke menthol cigarettes can inhale deeper and hold the smoke in longer _ something the sponsor, Conaway, noted.

Force on HIV, currently co-chaired by Jussie Smollett, star of the FOX musical drama “Empire,” and veteran actress and humanitarian Vanessa Williams, to leverage the power of celebrity to amplify messages about prevention, testing, treatment and ending stigma.

“We have always been ahead of the curve in understanding HIV/AIDS and how it relates to the Black community,” says Institute Board Chair, Grazell Howard. “This change is a continuation of that legacy. The search for new executive leadership is a part of a new strategic plan. We have brought on new Board members like Representative Donna M. Christensen (retired), Dr. David Cook, David Munar and Gina Brown to help us with expand our policy work, our clinical services and add Black-women programs, respectively. We’ve also re-energized our Black Hollywood Task Force on AIDS with new ambassadors and supporters like Ledisi, Karamo Brown, Taraji P. Henson, Alfre Woodard and Van Jones.”

Board member David Munar, the president and CEO of the Howard Brown Health Center in Chicago, says “almost every milestone in the fight against AIDS domestically, and in some cases internationally, has been paved by the Black AIDS Institute, and that’s a credit to the Institution and its many supporters and affiliates across the country.”

Codifying Wilson’s Vision Wilson leaves the Institute well positioned to take on the challenges of future.

The organization is staffed by the next generation of HIV/AIDS activists and organizers, whose work embodies the Institute’s commitment to helping Black communities save themselves through their lived experience. “Every day is Black AIDS Awareness day at the Black AIDS Institute’” says Raniyah Copeland, the Institute’s Director of Programs. “Our staff are of the communities we serve. We are Black men and women. We are Black people living with HIV/AIDS or at high risk of infection. We live, work, pray and play in the communities we serve. We don’t need to do ‘outreach’ because we are there 24/7.”

The Institute recently brought on new staff to strengthen their capacity, like Maxx Boykin (previously with AIDS Foundation of Chicago) to work on a new advocacy and policy initiative, Maya Merriweather to work on mobilization, and Saron Selassie to strengthen the Institute’s monitoring and evaluation work. On World AIDS Day, the Institute launched a new website and a redesigned Black AIDS Weekly, the organization’s electronic newsletter, to more effectively reach people who use smartphones to access health information.

Jesse Milan, president and CEO of AIDS United and chair emeritus of the Institute’s Board, notes that the Institute has also been developing programs to help end the epidemic through its Los Angeles-based direct service efforts.

On this February 7, National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, the Institute, in partnership with St. John’s Well Child & Family Center, a federally-qualified, community health center in Los Angeles, will launch the first Black PrEP clinic in Los Angeles. Later this spring, the partnership will open a Black men’s primary care clinic in the Leimert Park area of L.A. A Black gay men’s drop-in center will launch in Compton during the fall. “The PrEP clinic, the men’s primary care clinic and the Black gay men’s drop-in center will help us achieve a new dimension of our mission,” Milan says.

“We are proud to build on Phill’s bold and unapologetic legacy through direct service, new policy, initiatives to address Black women and HIV, and other efforts that will codify Phill’s vision of ending AIDS,” says Copeland.

Rather than resting on past successes, the Black AIDS Institute is “going where the epidemic’s trajectory is calling it to go,” says Munar, who calls the new initiatives “excellent examples” of how the organization is transforming in ways that will allow it to thrive without Wilson at the helm. “It’s exactly what every community needs to be do-

ing. BAI wants to do it first in its own backyard, then help others across the country replicate similar strategies.”

“Such approaches are particularly important in the South,” National Capacity Building manager Leisha McKinley-Beach says. “The Institute has become one of the driving forces for ending the AIDS epidemic in America due in part to its work in southern states, where most Blacks live, and awareness-raising about what’s happening there. We have been on the frontline of training and capacity building in the South. I am particularly excited that we are going to be housing our policy and advocacy work in the South and looking forward to having Max join me in Atlanta.”

“We can’t achieve our goals in the HIV/AIDS epidemic nationally unless we work harder in the South to reduce new infections, bring more people into care and eliminate stigma and discrimination,” said Milan. “The statistics and reality in the South are dire, especially for African Americans and we must focus on them now.”

Passing the Mantle “For those of us who have been doing the work and standing with Phill shoulder-to-shoulder for many years, it will be hard to imagine this work without him,” said Munar. “But this transition is not about Phill Wilson, it’s really about a mission, a vision, a commitment to mobilize a community, to leverage influence wherever we can, to eliminate AIDS and make this world a better place for people who are affected by HIV.” “It is with great pride and role modeling that the Black AIDS Institute shows that you can have an organization that can grow a budget, have a vibrant and fully-engaged board of directors and be founded by a brilliant, courageous, creative man who knows when it is time to pass the mantle,” says Howard.

“This is an important moment,” says Munar. “Phill is passing the baton onto a newer generation. He’s leaving the organization on a strong footing so that it can continue to march forward.”

Call Me

Email Me

PROTECTION THAT PAYS www.myfes.net/ognsc (661) 324-9466 observeradvertising@gmail.com

Repair & protect your credit

ENROLL NOW

learn more >

BORN TO BE GREAT To be ready for the jobs of the future, students need learning experiences that meet them where they are, engage them deeply, let them progress at a pace that meets their individual needs, and helps them master the skills for today and tomorrow. To learn more about ESSA and how you can get involved, visit www.nnpa.org/essa.

Made possible by a grant from the

© 2018 National Newspaper Publishers Association. All rights reserved

Thursday, February 8, 2018

Features

THE VALLEY’S NEWS OBSERVER A3

Jerry LeVias –College Football ‘Alone Pioneer

Jerry LeVias taking the field while at SMU. (Courtesy photo)

By Earl Heath Contributing Sports Writer America’s past has had its share of segregation and there have many who have pioneered the way for others.

Jerry LeVias is one of those pioneers.

He was known as Jerry “The Jet“ LeVias a quarterback at Herbert High in Beaumont, Texas. He was listed as 5’9” and 177 pounds, (but actually measured closer to 5’7” and 140 pounds out of high school) he made up for his size with great speed.

During the sixties most of the black high school athletes in Texas left the state to play in college sports. Two included LeVias’s cousins Miller Farr (UCLA) and Mel Farr (Wichita ). They both went on to play in the NFL. The Legendary Bubba Smith was the top Beaumont player during that time period and he went on to become All-American at Michigan State. And went on to become an NFL Hall of Famer.

The Southwest Conference was one of the top leagues in the country it included Texas, Baylor, Texas A&M, Arkansas, Texas Tech, Houston, and SMU. Conference administrators had a “gentleman’s agreement” not to recruit blacks. LeVias was recruited by a large number of out of state colleges.

It took Hayden Fry in 1965 then SMU’s Head coach to step in. LeVias and his family trusted Fry. When he visited the home he always talked about education and getting a degree. Rarely did he talk football.

Jerry’s grandmother made Fry promise that he and Jerry’s would call every Saturday before games. One time they had difficulty getting through and Fry and LeVias found themselves in a phone booth When Fry got the green-light to bring in a black athlete in the average student had to have a 700 test score for entry to SMU. LeVias had to have a 1000 to gain entry- his score was over 1200.

Jerry LeVias taking time out at home. (Courtesy Photo)

Thus began, LeVias said, years of “living hell.” For four years he had no roommate. LeVias became the only black athlete on campus.

During his junior year Jerry was joined by two other black player came to SMU they roomed together. The white players would not take a chance of rooming with LeVias. Can you imagine today’s college student living in a world like that.

He wore No.23, at his grandmother’s insistence, for Psalm 23.

LeVias was three times consensus All-SWC 1966–68, and All-American as a senior. He twice led the league in receiving and held every career record when his three varsity seasons ended, including the single game mark for reception yardage (when he caught 8 passes for 213 yards against North Carolina State in 1968.) LeVias ended his career with a TD catch in SMU’s scintillating victory over the Oklahoma Sooners in the 1968 Bluebonnet Bowl and followed that as the MVP of the Senior Bowl.

He played in an All-star game and Bear Bryant was the coach, there were about three minutes left in the game and the team trailing. Bryant called time out. He told his team to give the ball to LeVias on an end around, reverses and any pass. LeVias scored the winning touchdown.

After the game was over Bryant was walking the field with his arm around LeVias and he said to him “Jerry when they let me I am going to get some of you-all”. –That was a real compliment’ said LeVias.

It was his sophomore year when Dr. Martin Luther King came to visit the Dallas campus to give a speech. He met privately with LeVias and gave him a solid word of faith during this meeting. “Always keep your emotions in control is what he told me”, said Levias.

He also was named Walter Camp First Team All-American in 1968. He was part of the backfield that honored Leroy Keys and O.J. Simpson.

Despite all the turbulent times and atmosphere People LeVias graduated on time with a marketing degree and was Academic All-American. He went on to play six season’s professionally for the Houston Oilers and San Diego Char-

gers. Today he lives in Houston with his lovely wife Janice.

He summed up his thoughts n the way things are now.

“We are still on this journey for equality and racism.”

Tyrone Wallace Named to Western Conference MidSeason All-NBA G League Team The NBA G League today announced that Clippers two-way guard Tyrone Wallace has been named to the Western Conference Midseason AllNBA G League team. Wallace, 23, has appeared in 23 games (all starts) for the Agua Caliente Clippers, averaging 22.8 points, 6.0 rebounds and 5.4 assists in 33.2 minutes. He has appeared in 13 games for the L.A. Clippers, averaging 12.1 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 32.7 minutes.

With the first-ever NBA G League International Challenge replacing the traditional NBA G League All-Star Game this year, the NBA’s official minor league is recognizing its top performers by

naming the Midseason All-NBA G League Teams.

NBA G League coaches, general managers and players voted on the top performers from the first half of the season from their respective conferences, based on the performance of players in games through January 21, 2018.

Eligibility for players to be selected for recognition is based on having played in 50 percent of their team’s games through January 21st and being on an Active Roster. Two-Way players and players on assignment from the NBA are eligible to both vote for and receive Midseason All-NBA G League recognition.

Rod Doss Honored with Lifetime Achievement Award

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Contributor For 50 years, Rod Doss has remained dedicated to the New Pittsburgh Courier and his success has been among the more celebrated of Black Press publishers.

Doss received the National Newspaper Publishers Association’s 2018 NNPA Publisher Lifetime Achievement Award at a ceremony in Las Vegas.

“There is no greater honor than to be recognized by your peers,” said Doss.

NNPA Chairman Dorothy Leavell, NNPA President and CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., and Real Times Media CEO Hiram Jackson were on hand to present Doss the award.

Doss was joined on the podium at the ceremony by his sister, Marilyn Harvey, who he called his biggest booster and biggest fan.

“His integrity as a journalist is impeccable,” said Leavell. “He’s contributed a lot and he’s really deserving of this honor. [Rod Doss] put the ‘I’ in the word ‘integrity.’”

Chavis said that Doss not only continues to manifest a distinguished career as a publisher of a Black-owned newspaper in America, but also that his work ethic embodies the high standards of journalism; Chavis added that Doss is committed to freedom, justice and equality for all humanity.

Robert W. Bogle, the chairman, president and CEO of “The Philadelphia Tribune,” agreed.

“He worked his way up and made a real difference,” Bogle said. “He’s provided leadership to the New Pittsburgh Courier that’s led to the success of the newspaper.”

Doss joined the Courier in 1967 as an advertising sales representative. He climbed the ladder at the paper for years and, in 1983, he began running the publication as vice president and general manager.

In 1997, after the death of legendary publisher and Doss mentor John H. Sengstacke, Doss was named editor and publisher.

Under Doss’ leadership, the New Pittsburgh Courier has earned more than 100 NNPA Merit Awards, including the coveted John B. Russwurm Trophy and A. Philip Randolph Messenger Award.

“I went to the ‘University of The New Pittsburgh CouContinued on page A4

(Left-right) Dorothy Leavell, the chairman of the NNPA; Rod Doss, the publisher of the New Pittsburgh Courier; Marilyn Harvey, Rod Doss’ sister; Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., the president and CEO of the NNPA; and Hiram Jackson, the CEO of Real Times Media, celebrate Doss’ career achievements, during the 2018 NNPA Mid-Winter Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Freddie Allen/AMG/NNPA)

A4

Legal Notices

PUBLIC NOTICE

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO: 2018007035 The following person9s) is (are) doing business as: S&B LIEN SALES 10948 Atkinson Ave, Inglewood, Ca. 90303 Mailing Address: Same County: LA County REGISTERED OWNER(S) WARREN R. WOOLFOLK, 10948 Atkinson Ave, Inglewood, Ca. 90303 This business is conducted by: Individual Registrant Signature: WARREN R. WOOLFOLK The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on: 01/2007 FILED: Jan 9, 2018 I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS COPY IS A CORRECT COPY OF THE ORIGINAL STATEMENT ON FILE IN MY OFFICE. DEAN C. LOGAN, Los Angeles County Clerk by: JUANITA CARPENTER, Deputy

NOTICE: In accordance with subdivision (a) of section 17920. A Fictitious name statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on 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.

The filing of this statement dies not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see section 14411 Et Seq., business and professions code).

EXPIRES: Jan 9, 2023 LOS ANGELES NEWS OBSERVER (E) PUB: Feb 1, 8, 15, 22, 2018

News

THE VALLEY’S NEWS OBSERVER

Rod Doss Honored

Continued from page A3

rier’ and it was there that seasoned professionals took me in and taught me everything I needed to know about the newspaper business,” Doss said. “When I came into the operation, I knew nothing and they taught me sales, layout and design; they taught me how to write headlines, write articles and they taught me everything that I needed to know on a one-on-one personal basis.”

Doss continued: “I was so pleased with that, that I shared it and passed it along and today I have a staff of people who are the most stable in the entire organization. They lift me up and I lift them up. They celebrate me and I celebrate them.”

Doss said his “graduate studies” began at NNPA. “Right here, attending many informative sessions, year after year, and receiving invaluable training, meet-

WIRELESS CONNECTION

T

Mobile

323.903.6241

Get the Valley's News Observer Online at

ognsc.com News Observer Remembering Martin Luther King Jr. 1929-1968

The Bakersfield News Observer is also available online at ognsc.com

Bakersfield

Volume 44 Number 19

Server Kern County for over 40 years Celebrating Our 40th Anniversary 1977- 2017

Observer Group Newspapers of Southern California

King’s Lasting Impact on Equity in Education

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King at a rally in Chicago’s Grant Park, in 1966.

Oprah’s Barn Raiser Speech What president?

A year after politics — and the newly elected occupant of the White House — dominated the conversation and tone of the Golden Globes, there was barely a mention of such things at Sunday’s ceremony. This year, it was all gender politics, and of course the #MeToo movement that has engulfed Hollywood and spread into the culture at large with astonishing speed. From the sea of glittering black gowns worn in solidarity on the usually multi-colored red carpet, to sly references to unequal pay and recognition for women, to Frances McDormand’s salute to “a tectonic shift” in the Hollywood power structure, it was a night for reckoning — crowned by Oprah Winfrey’s barn-raiser of a speech proclaiming “Their time is UP!” Some key moments: SERIOUS CARPET TALK: Usually, red carpet interviews focus on the provenance of designer gowns and jewelry. This year, there was talk of working conditions for farmers and janitors, and demands for equal pay across society. Several actresses, including Meryl Streep, Michelle Williams and Emma Watson, brought social activists with them , to focus on real-life solutions to gritty problems far from Hollywood.

“We feel emboldened in this particular moment,” Streep said, “to stand together in a thick black line dividing then from now.”

LAURA DERN’S NORTH STAR: It was a night of unusually powerful speeches, whether long or short, that touched eloquently on the #MeToo moment. One came from Laura Dern, who won supporting actress for “Big Little Lies,” a TV series that, aptly, depicts not only sexual abuse, but a group of women who only fully discover their power when they unite. Using her character to describe a past culture in which people were afraid to speak out, Dern urged Hollywood to support and employ survivors brave enough to come forward. And she went further: “May we teach our children,” she said, “that speaking out without the fear of retribution is our culture’s new North Star.”

A SLY NOD TO A GLARING OMISSION: One of the most glaring snubs in this year’s movie nominations came in the best director category, where Greta Gerwig was passed over for her much-loved “Lady Bird.”

Natalie Portman, presenting the director prize, was not about to let that go unnoticed. “And here are the all MALE

Continued on page A6

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Contributor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s influence on the Civil Rights Movement is indisputable, but his fight for equity in education remains a mystery to some.

That fight began with his own education.

“He clearly had an advanced, refined educational foundation from Booker T. Washington High School, Morehouse College, Crozer Theological Seminary, and Boston University,” said Reverend Jesse Jackson, Sr., the founder of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition. “His education in his speeches and sermons and writings were apparent and he wanted us all to have that type of education.”

King completed high school at 15, college at 19, seminary school at 22 and earned a doctorate at 26.

“Dr. King laid down the case for affordable education for all Americans, including Polish children—from the ghetto and the barrios, to the Appalachian mountains and the reservations—he was a proponent for education for all and he believed that strong minds break strong chains and once you learn your lesson well, the oppressor could not unlearn you.”

Rev. Al Sharpton, the founder and president of the National Action Network (NAN), said that NAN works with Education for a Better America to partner with school districts, universities, community colleges, churches, and community organizations around the country to conduct educational programming for students and parents.

“The mission of the organization has been to build bridges between policymakers and the classrooms by supporting innovations in education and creating a dialogue between policymakers, community leaders, educators, parents, and students,” Sharpton said. “We’re promoting student health, financial literacy, and college readiness in our communities, just like Dr. King did.”

King was a figure to look up to in both civil rights and academia, Sharpton told the NNPA Newswire.

“Then, when you look at his values, he always saw education, especially in the Black community, as a tool to uplift and inspire to action,” Sharpton said. “It’s definiteContinued on page A2

Press,” he said. “The Black Press was critically important, and King had a healthy appreciation for the Black Press.”

Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr., another close confidant of King, agreed.

“The kinship King had with [former EBONY and Jet owner] John Johnson, [National Newspaper Publishers Association founder] John Sengstacke and others was apparent, and he realized their value and they recognized his value,” Jackson said.

Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., the president and CEO of the NNPA, said he will always cherish the days that he worked with King and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

“I witnessed, first-hand, the fearless courage of Dr. King as he spoke out against global racial injustice and war when it was not popular to do so,” Chavis said.

Chavis continued: “The mainstream press routinely mischaracterized Dr. King as a principle-less agitator.

But, it was only the Black-owned newspapers during the 1960s that would, without apology, tell the truth that Dr. King was both a theological and intellectual genius whose worldwide vision, activism and principles demanded a public stance against the unjust Vietnam War, and against the duel racist Apartheid in America and South Africa.”

Chavis recalled one of King’s most famous quotes: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

Dr. Wornie Reed, the director of the Race and Social Policy Center at Virginia Tech, who marched alongside King in the 1960s, said too few people knew about King’s major project when he was assassinated, HYPERLINK “https://www.britannica.com/topic/Poor-Peoples-March” “The Poor People’s Campaign.”

“The Memphis garbage workers strike was a side issue, the kind he was frequently involved in. He was putting in long days and nights across the country, calling on all of us who cared to come to Washington to help him to put maximum pressure on the federal government to come forth with concrete plans to reduce poverty in this rich country,” Reed said. “King was promoting a level of pressure that the federal government had never faced Continued on page A8

FREE!

This image released by NBC shows Oprah Winfrey accepting the Cecil B. DeMille Award at the 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Sunday, Jan. 7, 2018. (Paul Drinkwater/NBC via AP)

Rod Doss, the publisher of the New Pittsburgh Courier, received the NNPA Publisher Lifetime Achievement Award during the 2018 NNPA Mid-Winter Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Freddie Allen/AMG/NNPA)

California Procescutors Reduce & Dropping Pot Convictions

By PAUL ELIAS Associated Press SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - With pot now legal in California, prosecutors in San Francisco and San Diego are moving to erase thousands of marijuana convictions en masse, a step that could prove life-changing for some and could especially help minorities, who were more likely than whites to be arrested for such crimes.

“We want to address the wrongs that were caused by the failures of the war on drugs for many years in this country and begin to fix the harm that was done not only to the entire nation but specifically to communities of color,”San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon said.

Advocates are calling on more counties to do the same. Gascon's office said Thursday that other California district attorneys have called San Francisco for advice on handling marijuana cases.

Gascon said he hopes to spark a trend in California.

“That's awesome. It's wonderful and appropriate,”said Josh Freeman, a marijuana farmer who recently had his felony conviction for selling small bags of weed at a reggae concert reduced to a misdemeanor.

Freeman can now obtain permits to grow marijuana legally, something he couldn't do with a felony record.

He can also legally buy a gun and take up hunting again, he said.

In addition to being barred from owning guns, felons cannot vote and are disqualified from holding many professional licenses. Also, people with felony convictions often have difficulty finding work and housing.

Californians voted in November 2016 to legalize recreational marijuana and abolish a host of pot-related crimes. California is among eight states that allow adults to use pot recreationally. The federal government still considers marijuana illegal.

California's measure applied retroactively to hundreds of thousands of cases, but people who wanted to get their convictions erased or reduced had to petition the courts themselves. And fewer than 5,000 people have gone through the time and expense involved.

Freeman, for example, hired an attorney to get his Monterey County conviction reduced, and it took several months and repeated visits to the court.

As a result, Gascon announced on Wednesday that his office will review nearly 8,000 cases dating to 1975

and that prosecutors will seek mass dismissals and reductions. Gascon said just 23 people filed petitions in San Francisco last year.

The National Conference of State Legislatures said nine states have marijuana laws that let people clear or modify their records.

African-Americans and other minorities have been arrested for marijuana crimes at far higher rates than whites, and as legalization spreads, states and cities are trying to redress that inequity.

Across the San Francisco Bay, Oakland has set aside a number of marijuana sales permits for minorities convicted of specific pot-related crimes and requires some stores to be opened in low-income neighborhoods hard hit by arrests.

“It was a huge relief,”said Ingrid Archie, a 37-yearold black woman who may have been the first person in the state to petition a court to reduce a felony marijuana conviction.

Archie was sentenced to three years in prison after police seized a pound of pot from her home. Four hours after the polls closed on election night in 2016, Archie said, she emailed her petition to a judge. Three months later, her marijuana conviction was turned into a misdemeanor.

She now works for the Los Angeles nonprofit group A New Way of Life, which campaigned for legalization and helps those released from prison resettle in the community.

Archie said more counties should follow the lead of San Francisco and San Diego and take it upon themselves to throw out or reduce convictions.

San Diego District Attorney Summer Stephan said prosecutors in her office immediately reviewed all pending marijuana-related cases after the ballot measure passed. Soon, 55 people were released from jail and hundreds more removed from probation.

So far, 680 cases in all have been dismissed or reduced in San Diego, Stephan said.

Groups like the Drug Policy Alliance, which advocates broad marijuana legalization, and county public defenders have organized legal clinics throughout the state to encourage people found guilty of pot offenses to petition the courts. They have had limited success.

Mississippi Judge; Racial Bias Suit Against Coroner Can Proceed

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) _ Six black-owned funeral homes can proceed toward trial with their lawsuit alleging that a Mississippi Gulf Coast coroner discriminates in favor of white-owned competitors, a federal judge has ruled.

U.S. District Judge Keith Starrett on Friday ruled mostly for the plaintiffs, although he dismissed some of the claims against Harrison County Coroner Gary Hargrove. Ten of the original 13 legal grounds for the lawsuit remain alive.

The dispute revolves around cases where Harrison County pays for a body to be picked up, stored, autopsied or buried, usually at Hargrove's direction.

Starrett wrote that the plaintiffs produced enough evidence that Hargrove treated black-owned funeral homes differently from white-owned funeral homes for the case to proceed. One black funeral home owner has testified that Hargrove once told her that ``white bodies go to the white funeral homes and black bodies go to the black funeral home.''

The plaintiffs told Starrett there's plenty of evidence that Hargrove discriminated against them when directing who would get county-controlled business. ``Defendants have all but completely excluded plaintiffs from receiving mortuary business in their control,'' lawyer Steven Art wrote in November, urging Starrett to let the case go forward. ``Plaintiffs repeatedly have observed the coroner exercise his authority based on race; the coroner has said that his decisions are influenced by race; and thousands of the coroner's own files_produced by the coroner himself and extensively analyzed by plaintiffs and their experts_reveal racial discrimination.''

Hargrove and a lawyer for Harrison County deny discrimination, saying they follow the wishes of the deceased and their families. They say black-owned funeral homes have limited refrigeration facilities, and that a pathologist whom Hargrove didn't control had done all autopsies in the past at white-owned funeral homes. ``The limited exceptions occur when an autopsy is required or when a family member cannot be promptly located necessitating refrigeration of the body,'' lawyer Daniel Seawell wrote in October. ``Hargrove has no control over the sites where autopsies were performed and no control over a funeral home's decision to provide proper refrigeration with sufficient capacity.''

ities say a young child has died in a fire inside a storage unit where a family of five had been living.

Kern County officials say firefighters responding near Bakersfield early Wednesday found the storage unit engulfed in flames.

KABC-TV reports a child 4 or 5 years old died.

Three other family members were hospitalized with unknown injuries.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Suspect Shot after Driving at Officer DELANO, Calif. (AP) _ Authorities in California

say an officer investigating a suspicious vehicle shot and killed the driver when he accelerated toward him.

Police in Delano near Bakersfield say the officer feared for his life when he opened fire Sunday, striking the driver.

KBAK-TV reports a passenger in the car got out after the shooting and ran to a nearby home. The man was arrested following a standoff lasting several hours.

The investigation is ongoing.

NAACP Wants Fans at Game to Wave Towels ATLANTA (AP) _ The NAACP wants to see white

Mainstream media often ignores Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s fight for economic justice and his strong relationship with the Black Press. (Wikimedia Commons)

ing people and learning from established professionals all of the ins and outs,” he said.

Along with receiving many accolades, Doss is known for giving his time through serving on numerous boards and by participating in community events.

He currently serves as chairman of the Rivers Club Board of Governors, a position he’s held for just over one year.

Doss credited much of his success to his own father, Eli Doss, and John H. Sengstacke, the famed publisher and civil rights activist.

“There were a couple of people in my life who really made a difference,” he said, remembering Sengstacke as a “walking legend in the publishing industry,” and his father as the person who taught him how to be a man.

Doss continued: “I can say that I am my father’s son.”

Wednesday, January 10, 2018

Child Living in Storage Container Dies in Fire BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (AP) _ California author-

MLK’s Unheralded Victories

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Contributor Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. will always be remembered as a social activist and Baptist minister whose role was integral in the Civil Rights Movement.

Publicly and privately, King fought for equality, justice and human rights for African Americans and others who suffered from racism, segregation and other injustices.

His sermons, including the “Drum Major Instinct,” and his speeches like, “I Have a Dream,” are as important as they are legendary.

But, those closest to King recalled some of his more unheralded feats. They also recalled the importance of the Black Press during the movement.

“I would say King’s abiding commitment to focus on poverty and to deal with the wealth and equity gaps, and particularly the conditions of the poor, has been less heralded than his other accomplishments,” said Dr. Clarence Jones, a visiting professor at the University of San Francisco and a scholar and writer-in-residence at Stanford University’s Martin Luther King Jr. Institute.

Jones met King in 1960 when he was 29 and King was 31.

Jones served on King’s legal team and help draft many of his most important speeches, including the 1963 “I Have a Dream” masterpiece.

But, it was a speech that King delivered just five days before his April 4, 1968 assassination that Jones remembers most.

“I’ve said so often that the sermon he gave at the National Cathedral in Washington was most important,” Jones said. “He captioned the speech, ‘Sleeping Through a Revolution,’ and that’s exactly what he’d say today, if he were here.”

Many of King’s accomplishments were aided by his relationship with newspapers like the Atlanta Daily World, the Pittsburgh Courier and other Black-owned newspapers, Jones said.

“The two essential pillars of support of the Civil Rights Movement were the Black Church and the Black

Thursday, February 8, 2018

FEATURING LAWRENCE FRANK AND JERRY WEST FOLLOWING NBA TRADE DEADLINE

LA Clippers to Host “The Playbook” Event Call Me

Email Me

towels amid the crimson, white, red and black worn by fans to send a message to President Donald Trump during the national college football championship in Atlanta.

Atlanta’s NAACP chapter said on its Facebook page that it wants fans inside the stadium for the College Football Playoff title game to wave white towels “Simulating a blizzard.’’

It’s one of several anti-Trump protests planned as Trump visits Atlanta on Monday night to attend the showdown between the University of Georgia and the University of Alabama.

The NAACP also is urging people to hold anti-Trump signs and wear white to mock the “snowflake” label Trump’s supporters use to describe their opponents.

Another group, Refuse Fascism ATL, says they’ll “Take a knee against Trump”outside CNN’s world headquarters near the stadium before kickoff.

LET US HELP YOU WITH ALL YOUR BUSINESS ADVERTISING NEEDS

(661) 324-9466

PROTECTION THAT PAYS www.myfes.net/ognsc (661) 324-9466 observeradvertising@gmail.com

Repair & protect your credit

ENROLL NOW

The L.A. Clippers will host “THE PLAYBOOK,” an exclusive event for all Clippers MVPs (the term the team uses for season ticket holders) and partners, following the NBA Trade Deadline. The event will feature Clippers basketball leadership speaking candidly to attendees about the direction and future of the team.

Following the event program, Clippers President of Basketball Operations Lawrence Frank, Consultant and NBA Hall of Famer Jerry West and guard Patrick Beverley will speak to the media in what will be their sole media availability following the trade deadline.

WHO: President of Basketball Operations Lawrence Frank Consultant and NBA Hall of Famer Jerry West President of Business Operations Gillian Zucker Clippers Guard Patrick Beverley WHEN: Thursday, February 8 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. – Reception 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. – Event program Media availability will be held following the conclusion of the program.

WHERE: Shrine Auditorium 665 W. Jefferson Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90007

Entertainment

Thursday, February 8, 2018

Meet

THE VALLEY’S NEWS OBSERVER A5

TYRONE WALLACE

Bakersfield native Tyron Wallace Saturday against the Chicago Bulls. (LA Clippers courtesy photo)

During a timeout at Saturday’s game against the Chicago Bulls, Tyrone Wallace was recognized for being named to the Western Conference midseason All-NBA G League Team. (Bakersfield News Observer Photo) Tyrone going up for a score against Karl Anthony-Towns of the Minnesota Timberwolves. (LA Clippers courtesy photo)

By Cam Buford LA News Observer Contributing Sports Writer This left handed guard is a Bakersfield native and became the Bakersfield Drillers All-Time leading scorer in high school. Tyrone is the Cal Golden Bears only player to rank in the Top 10 in scoring, assists, and steals by the time he left. He is also in the Top 15 in rebounding for the Bears. Wallace was drafted by the Utah Jazz in the 2016 NBA Draft.

After being drafted by the Utah Jazz, he was shortly acquired by the Salt Lake City Stars, which is the Jazz’s NBA Development League affiliate. In September of 2017, Wallace was acquired by the Los Angeles Clippers. Shortly thereafter he was signed to the Clippers G League affiliate

the Agua Caliente Clippers and subsequently signed to a “two-way contract” to play for the Los Angeles Clippers in January 2018.

Since being acquired by the Los Angeles Clippers, Tyrone has become an integral part of the Clippers rotation. When Head Coach Doc Rivers was asked specifically about Wallace’s development he emphatically stated, “I love him!” He continued on by stating, “Ty’s going to be an NBA Players for a long time. He’s got a chance to be a better than good NBA Player for a long time. He’s got a lot of skill to him and confidence. The run they made was with him on the floor, I don’t think that was a coincidence.”

Having been a scorer throughout the various stages of his career, he has proved to have the tools needed to excel in the role Doc Rivers has given him on the Clippers. “We have bunch of guys who can put the ball in the hole, my role is to be aggressive, score when needed and create for

my teammates.” Wallace says about his role with the Clippers. He went on to say, “Doc, wants us to score as quickly as Tyrone shooting a jumpshot in we can!” game easier this season. (LA When asked about aClippers courtesy photo) a specific “ah, ha” moment Wallace modestly says, “It’s still basketball!” “The games doesn’t change; it’s always nice to see the ball go into the hole.” This attitude severed him well when he debuted for the Clippers last month and scored a career-high 22 points off the bench in their 125-106 win vs the defending NBA Champions.

His message for the young hoopers coming out of Bakersfield is similar to the universal message for overcom-

ing life’s obstacles. Though he doesn’t use Facebook much he does see that, “the city tags him on certain pages and shows him a lot of love!” When talking about growing in Bakersfield, “We’re underdogs in Bakersfield!” For Tyrone, he “represents the grind” of those from the area North of Los Angeles. It wasn’t until he got a chance to play AAU that “allowed him to get his name out there and play against top guys to show that he can play!”

Tyrone was adamant when asked about his message for the youth of his hometown of Bakersfield by continuing with, ”Keep grinding; Dreams come true! Don’t let nobody tell what you can’t do!” “I’ve had people knock me at every level. I keep fighting and I keep my head forward, and keep praying. If you work hard, take care of your business in the classroom and stay on the right path you should be good!”

Tyrone Wallace is a prime example of hard work paying off! His message of fighting to overcome circumstances is one all of us can learn from. Congratulations to Mr. Wallace for reaching this level and per Doc, we should enjoy watching his growth in the NBA for years to come. Please let me know What’s Good, by sharing your feedback, in the comment section below this article at whatsgoodinsports.com.

What’s Good Superbowl Recap

By Cam Buford- Sponsored by COAST FITNESS LA News Observer Contributing Sports Writer Football fans all across America was rewarded handsomely by the NFL as we tuned in to see the Philadelphia Eagles and New England Patriots compete for Superbowl LII, which seemed to summarize the NFL Season perfectly.

Not only did we have the most points scored in a Superbowl; we saw the most yards gained in the NFL’s Championship game along with two questionable TD Catches that needed instant replays, which oddly did not favor the defending champions.

Early on in the game it was evident that the Philadelphia Eagles were going to be able to move the ball against that Patriots defense, as they their first drive net them nearly 75 yards for an early lead. Although the Patriots managed to tie the game up, in their initial drive... The Tom Brady dropped pass seemed to take some of the sting out of the Patriots. Especially considering how the Eagles converted their QB reverse pass for a touchdown on 4th and goal. This play symbolized the attitude and the confidence Head Coach Doug Pederson had his team playing with on Sunday!

Considering the Patriots defense wasn’t stellar all season, far by it from me to say that Malcom Butler could’ve been or what’ve been a determaining factor in this game.

Whether Butler was late to a team meeting after going to a hip hop concert, Belichick was stern with his discipline of Butler. Some have said, this benching may have caused his team a championship.

This argument actually holds water, as with their initial start Nick Foles was on point all game long. He finished with a QB Rating of 106.1 while completing 65% of his passes for over 370 yards and 3 Touchdowns. However two of his TD passes required an additional look via Instant Replay. Clement was hit in stride coming out the backfield early in the 3rd Quarter and Zach Ertz caught a less controversial TD pass late in the second half, to regain the lead for the Eagles.

All that being said, the game still came down Tom Brady had a chance for him to add yet another 4th quarter comeback to resume. Seeing as Brady has thrown for nearly 500 yards in the game, he has come back from behind to win in each of his 5 Superbowl wins! The Patriots got the ball, for the final time, down by 5 before he was stripped of the ball by Brandon Graham... The Eagles subsequently drained more time of the clock before they kicked a field goal and went up by 8 points.

After a 46 yards field goal by the Eagles. The Patriots final opportunity to tie the game up came with .58 seconds to go on the clock. Brady picked up 30 yards and went 3 for 6 before the Eagles called a timeout to reset their defense. This only allowed time for 2 failed Hail Mary’s from Brady that ended their hopes of a Repeat and the

Philadelphia Eagles could finally celebrate their first ever Superbowl Championship!

The lingering question from the Superbowl has everyone asking, what should the Eagles do in regards to their Quarterback situation, since their backup QB has now won the Superbowl? Coming off the bench in Week 14 Nick Foles has played extraordinary in the playoffs while earning the Superbowl MVP? This should line him up for

a revised contract at minimum. However, he replaced a guy that may have won the regular season MVP and the Eagles are expecting a healthy return from Carson Wentz’ season ending injury.

Though I picked the New England Patriots to win this game fairly easily... I was just as excited to recite the words “Fly Eagles Fly!” How did you enjoy the game? Did it live up to your expectations and what should the Eagle do with Nick Foles now... Please let me know What’s Good, by sharing your feedback in the comment section below at whatsgoodinsports.com.

Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles.

(Bing Image courtesy photo)

A6

Local

THE VALLEY’S NEWS OBSERVER

Thursday, February 8, 2018

Black Women Show the Way Forward in 2018

By Monica Simpson Executive Director, SisterSong There is a reckoning afoot in this country. On one side, Trump has emboldened and embodied a virulent and reckless hate that targets women, Black people, and immigrants (among many others). Each day brings a new outrage. On the other side, #MeToo has followed #BlackLivesMatter as a hashtag-turned-movement, led by courageous truth-tellers who are sick and tired of a violent and largely ignored status quo. The conversation about race and gender in this country has broken open, and now we must all contend with the truth of who we are as a nation.

While this may feel like scary and unfamiliar territory to some, in reality, the U.S. is just catching up to an understanding and analysis that Black women in this country have had for a long time. Black women have never had the luxury of ignorance—not to police violence, not to the rampant sexual harassment and assault that women experience at home, school, and work. In 2018, we should look to the work of Black women to see the path forward for a troubled and divided nation. In a way, Black women scholars and organizers have left breadcrumbs for us to follow to liberation, if we’ll only pay attention.

In 1989, legal scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw coined the term “intersectionality” in her paper for the University of Chicago Legal Forum to explain how Black women’s oppression on the basis of gender combined with oppression on the basis of race to create something altogether new, an experience of discrimination did not match what either white women or Black men experience. This concept would lay the groundwork for social justice organizing that now spans the globe, and provided a vocabulary for something Black women experience on a daily basis. While intersectionality risks dilution as an increasingly popular buzzword, the analysis it provides is a crucial tool to cut through the noise and understand the Trump administration’s policies and their impact on different communities.

Take for instance the recent Jane Doe case, and similar cases, of the Trump administration blocking young immigrant women from getting reproductive healthcare.

The mistreatment of the “Janes” (as they’ve come to be called) at the hands of the Trump administration targets them both as women and as immigrants, and the two identities cannot be pulled apart. “Intersectionality” provides an analysis that explains why their treatment is so much more extreme, and its impact so severe.

Monica Simpson, the executive director of SisterSong, says that the work of Black women will help us understand and combat Trump’s agenda, with Black women leading the fight. (Monica Simpson/SisterSong)

Monica Simpson, the executive director of SisterSong, says that the work of Black women will help us understand and combat Trump’s agenda, with Black women leading the fight.

(Monica Simpson/SisterSong)

Sheriff's Deputies Pull Over Low Flying Balloons

Black women have never had the luxury of ignorance—not to police violence, not to the rampant sexual harassment and assault that women experience at home, school, and work.

Just five years after Crenshaw’s groundbreaking work, the reproductive justice movement was founded by Black women who, like Crenshaw, saw that their perspectives and experiences were being, once again, left out of the equation. Reproductive justice brought intersectionality and a global human rights framework together with a nuanced understanding of U.S. policies of reproductive coercion.

The founding mothers of reproductive justice rejected White feminism’s focus on the birth control and the legality of abortion as too narrow, and described a vision for a world, where we can all prevent pregnancy if we want to, end a pregnancy if we need to, and have and raise children in healthy environments and without fear of violence.

Reproductive justice broadened the lens of abortion rights to include low-income women and women of color “and” broadened the entire conversation to recognize the ways in which U.S. policies denied motherhood to some women even while forcing it on others against their will.

This framework is crucial to connect the dots among Trump’s reproductive policies. Trump wants to make birth control unaffordable, push abortion out of reach, and punish women for having children. What seems inconsistent on the surface is, in fact, all part of one agenda to coerce and control a woman’s decisions about pregnancy, childbirth, and parenting.

When Trump was first elected, Black women were the least surprised. We saw Trump coming from a mile away and we already knew how deep this country’s anti-woman and anti-Black sentiment ran. Now, more than a year later, the work of Black women will help us understand and combat Trump’s agenda, with Black women leading the fight.

Let 2018 be the year of the Black woman.

Let 2018 be the year Black women’s brilliance, leadership, and analysis are heeded at last. Let 2018 mark the beginning of a new era of listening to, respecting, and trusting Black women. Just stop for a moment and imagine what might happen, if we actually made those words a reality.

The day after the Alabama Senate race, the hashtag #TrustBlackWomen was all over social media. And yes, we should trust Black women voters, because they’ve kept us from the brink many times. But Black women’s wisdom and contributions have so much more to teach us all—and we’re going to need to understand that if we hope to keep Trump from dragging us backward.

Like many other Black women across the country, I was standing up in my living room cheering and clapping my hands as I watched Oprah deliver her passionate speech at the Golden Globes. The next day the media went wild with hopes for and critiques of a theoretical run for president—but they missed the point. While the thought of it made me smile, what I saw was an invitation.

I saw an invitation for Black women to take every opportunity that we are given speak up and speak out for ourselves. I saw an invitation for Black Women to take up even more space. I saw an invitation for Black women to take the mic, to move to center stage and demand the attention and respect we have always deserved.

Monica Simpson is the executive director of SisterSong: The National Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective, based in Atlanta, Ga., and the director of the Trust Black Women Partnership. You can follow SisterSong on Twitter at @SisterSong_WOC.

YUCAIPA, Calif. (AP) _ Sheriff's deputies have pulled over two hot-air balloons for skimming rooftops in San Bernardino County.

The San Bernardino Sun reports that the Sheriff's Department began receiving calls shortly before 8 a.m. Tuesday about the balloons coming dangerously close to rooftops in Yucaipa and even hitting the tops of trees.

A sheriff's statement says deputies went to the neighborhood, where they saw a green balloon and a blue balloon flying above a golf course and coming within 5 feet of rooftops.

The deputies got the attention of the pilots and had them land. One set down on a high school baseball field and the other in an orange grove in Mentone.

Authorities will send a report to the Federal Aviation Administration, which will decide if the pilots violated any air laws.

R E L E A S E DAT E R&E LSET AR SE EA MD IANT GE & STREAMING

2-16-18 IN STORES O2 N- 1A6L-L1 8P LI AN T SF OT OR RMESS O N A L L P L AT F O R M S