VALLEY'S 02.14.19 4C

CELEBRATING

BLACK HISTORY MONTH

News Observer The Valley’s

Volume 34 Number 14

Observer Group Newspapers of Southern California

Maxine Waters Concerned About the Nomination of World Bank President WASHINGTON — Today, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Chairwoman of the House Financial Services Committee, and Congressman Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO), Chair of the Subcommittee on National Security, International Development, and Monetary Policy, issued the following statements on the nomination of David Malpass, Under Secretary of the Treasury for International Affairs, to serve as President of the World Bank.

“It’s difficult to believe that any serious effort to find a qualified candidate with a compelling vision for the mission of the World Bank and a belief in the legitimacy of international development finance would lead to the nomination of Treasury Undersecretary for International Affairs David Malpass,” said Chairwoman Waters.

“His agenda for international development policy seems to begin with a reliance on unfettered private capital flows and end with a diminished role for the public sector, as the engines of global growth. He is an antiinternationalist, anti-worker market fundamentalist who understands neither the markets nor the importance of an effective public sector in helping reign in market excesses, promoting stability, and ensuring that the benefits of growth are broadly shared in society. Moreover, if the World Bank’s board of directors ultimately votes to confirm Mr. Malpass, the Bank’s climate finance agenda, which is an increasingly essential element of global economic cooperation, will also be under threat. If the Trump Administration is allowed to embed its ideological bias into the world’s most important multilateral development institution, the institutional framework for the post-World War II global economic order will be imperiled.”

“The nomination of David Malpass as the next World Bank President should have every American deeply concerned,” said Chairman Cleaver. “His strong criticism of global organizations and disdain for multilateral institutions are antithetical to the mission of the organization of which he has been asked to lead. For nearly eighty years the World Bank—guided by American leadership—has led a development of the global economy unmatched in human history. The Bank has played a pivotal role in the reduction of global poverty, protection of workers, and fight to close the enormous income inequality gap. If Mr. Malpass cannot commit to advancing this agenda and supporting

Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Chairwoman of the House Financial Services Committee, and Congressman Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO), Chair of the Subcommittee on National Security, International Development, and Monetary Policy

FREEEE!!

Thursday, February 14, 2019

Feds Investigating Shooting Death of Black Man at Mall

HOOVER, Ala. (AP) – Federal officials are investigating an Alabama mall shooting in which a police officer killed a black man he mistook for the gunman.

News outlets report that U.S. Attorney Jay Town issued a statement Friday that the Department of Justice has been reviewing and is continuing to investigate the shooting death of 21-year-old Emantic “EJ” Bradford Jr. Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall announced Tuesday that the officer will not face charges. The state’s investigation determined that the police officer in the Birmingham suburb of Hoover was justified in shooting Bradford because Bradford carried a weapon and appeared to pose a threat.

That decision has prompted outrage among activists. The Alabama NAACP says Marshall’s decision essentially tells Alabama’s black residents their lives don’t matter.

The officer mistook Bradford for the person who fired shots moments earlier on Thanksgiving night.

Virginia University Names Hall after President’s Slave

First African American Oscar Winner

HARRISONBURG, Va. (AP) – A university in Virginia will name a residence hall after a freed slave who once was owned by founding father James Madison.

The Washington Post reports that James Madison University honored former slave Paul Jennings on Friday by naming the new residence hall after him. The building in Harrisonburg will open this fall and have 500 beds.

Jennings spent more than half his life as an enslaved servant to Madison and his wife, Dolley Madison. That time included Madison’s stay in the White House as the nation’s fourth president. Jennings later earned his freedom and owned a home.

JMU has about 22,000 students. About 5 percent of undergraduates are black.

JMU’s honoring of Jennings is the latest effort

by Virginia’s public universities to acknowledge slavery’s indelible mark on the state’s history.

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Correspondent Long before Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and the Internet, Hattie McDaniel knew what it meant to “clap back” against her haters.

Upon hearing backlash for film roles where she portrayed a servant – during a time when servants were the only available roles for African Americans in Hollywood – McDaniel remarked, “I’d rather play a maid in the movies than be one in real life.

A trailblazer who opened the doors for blacks in Hollywood, McDaniel was the first African American to win an Academy Award when she was recognized for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Mammy, a black maid, in the 1939 classic, Gone with the Wind.

The ceremony, the 12th Academy Awards, was held at the segregated Ambassador Hotel and producer David Selznick had to petition for McDaniel to enter the hotel’s glitzy Cocoanut Grove nightclub.

When she took the stage at the 1940 Oscars, she was the only Black woman in the room.

According to Entertainment Weekly, co-stars Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable sat together while the 46-year-old McDaniel, clad in a blue dress and gardenias in her hair,

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) – A Fort Worth defense contractor that monitors part of the U.S.Mexico border with high-tech surveillance towers wants to expand the technology in more states along the southern border.

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports that Elbit Systems of America has operated dozens of towers along the border in Arizona since 2015 under a $145 million contract with U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The Texas company is a U.S. subsidiary of Israeli defense contractor Elbit Systems.

Radar sensors and cameras on the 80- to 120-foot towers detect motion along the border. The monitoring is used as an early warning system so border agents may be dispatched, if needed.

Elbit officials say they’re eager to install towers in Texas, New Mexico and California as President Donald Trump continues border security talks.

the core mission of the World Bank, then the board should reject his nomination.”

The House Financial Services Committee is responsible for conducting oversight of U.S. participation in the multilateral development banks, including the World Bank.

Financial Services Committee Democrats have consistently pushed for strong leadership at the World Bank and insisted on more transparency and disclosure of information. As a result, Committee Democrats have continuously played an active role in helping to shape the

sat at a separate, segregated table in the back of the venue.

After hearing her name announced, McDaniel eschewed the speech Selznick had prepared for her, and delivered one she’d written with the help of Ruby Berkley Goodwin, a Black writer and close friend, Entertainment Weekly reported.

“It has made me feel very, very humble, and I shall always hold it as a beacon for anything I may be able to do in the future,” McDaniel said. “I sincerely hope I shall always be a credit to my race and to the motion picture industry.”

Little did she know, McDaniel’s win paved the way for 38 Black film industry professionals, including actors, musicians and directors to win an Academy Award or to receive an honorary distinction. Winners have included Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington, Louis Gossett Jr., Forest Whitaker, Octavia Spencer and Lupita Nyong’o.

Born on June 10, 1893 (with some sources listing her year of birth as 1895), in Wichita, Kansas, McDaniel was her parents’ 13th child, according to Biography.com.

Her father, Henry, was a Civil War veteran who

development policies that have helped make the World Bank the preeminent development institution that it has become.

In previous Congresses, Committee Members conditioned U.S. support for the Bank on the creation of the Inspection Panel — an independent accountability mechanism that could investigate allegations by citizens of the Bank’s failure to follow its own policies and procedures.

The Committee has also worked in a bipartisan manner to successfully push for debt relief for impoverished countries.

Black History:

Continued on page A3

Highway Segment Being Named for Civil Rights Activist

The pinnacle of McDaniel’s career, Gone with the Wind, premiered in 1939 amid controversy. Though the role would eventually lead to an Oscar win for McDaniel, she was banned from the premiere. In fact, none of Gone with the Wind’s Black actors were allowed to attend the film’s Atlanta premiere.

Hattie McDaniel/Courtesy Classic Movie Hub

Immigrants Are Suing US Over End to Protected Status

By AMY TAXIN Associated Press Immigrants from Honduras and Nepal have filed a lawsuit alleging the Trump administration unfairly ended a program that lets them live and work in the United States.

The lawsuit filed late Sunday in federal court in San Francisco alleges that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's decision to end so-called temporary protected status for the countries was motivated by racism.

The suit - which was filed on behalf of six immigrants and two of their American-born children - also alleges that the department changed how it evaluated conditions in these countries when determining whether immigrants could return there.

“We bring evidence the Trump administration has repeatedly denigrated non-white non-European immigrants and reviewed TPS designations with a goal of removing such non-white non-European immigrants from the United States,” said Minju Cho, a staff attorney at Asian Americans Advancing Justice in Los Angeles.

The group is one of several representing the immigrant plaintiffs, who live California, Minnesota, Maryland, Virginia and Connecticut.

A message seeking comment was left for the Department of Homeland Security.

The lawsuit is the latest in a series of court filings challenging the Trump administration's decision to end the program for a cluster of countries whose citizens have lived and worked legally in the United States for years.

Last year, a federal judge in San Francisco temporarily blocked the U.S. government from halting the program for immigrants from El Salvador, Haiti, Nicaragua and Sudan.

The suit filed by citizens of those countries, much like this one, cited Trump's vulgar language during a meeting last year to describe African countries.

The U.S. government grants temporary protected status, also known as TPS, to citizens of countries ravaged by natural disasters or war so they can stay and work legally in the United States until the situation improves back home.

The status is short-term but renewable and some immigrants have lived in the country for decades, raising American-born children, buying homes and building careers.

Critics have said the program was meant to be temporary and shouldn't be extended for so long.

The Trump administration announced last year that the program would be ending for Honduras and Nepal. Honduras was designated for the program after a

Contractor Wants More Border Towers

devastating 1998 hurricane and about 86,000 immigrants from the country have the status, according to the lawsuit.

About 15,000 immigrants from Nepal _ which was designated following an earthquake in 2015_ are covered, the suit said.

Together, these immigrants have more than 50,000 American children who would be affected by an end to the program, which lets those who are already in the United States stay in the country and obtain work permits, the suit said.

One of them is the 9-year-old daughter of Honduran citizen Donaldo Posadas Caceres, who came to the United States shortly before the hurricane in 1998. After Honduras was designated for the program, he obtained the status, and now works as a bridge painter and owns his home in Baltimore.

He said he doesn't want his children to return to a country they don't know and where life is so dangerous.

His elder daughter, he said, is in college studying to be a lawyer while the 9-year-old has plans of her own.

“She has the dreams of a child: she wants to be president,” he told reporters in Spanish during a telephone conference. “And I want to be here in the United States to support them, and see their achievements.”

CENTREVILLE, Miss. (AP) – A segment of highway is being named for a civil rights activist who wrote the memoir, “Coming of Age in Mississippi.”

Legislators voted in 2018 to name part of Mississippi 24 as the Anne Moody Memorial Highway .

The segment runs from Woodville to Centreville, in the southwestern part of the state.

A dedication ceremony is set for Feb. 20 in Centreville, where Moody grew up. One of the speakers will be her brother, the Rev. Fred Moody Jr. Anne Moody was born in 1940. As a Tougaloo College student, she participated in a sit-in that challenged segregation at a Woolworth’s lunch counter in Jackson in 1963.

Moody also participated in the 1963 March on Washington and the 1964 Voter Registration Project.

Moody was 74 when she died in 2015.

Pot Smokers Find Caged Tiger in Abandoned House

HOUSTON (AP) – Houston police say some people who went into an abandoned home to smoke marijuana found a caged tiger.

They called police on Monday and the major offender animal cruelty unit and animal shelter volunteers arrived on the scene. Authorities nicknamed the tiger “Tyson” after the movie “The Hangover.”

Officials tell KHOU-TV the tiger was well fed, but the cage was secured by a nylon strap and screwdriver.

Officials say it could easily open and the tiger could have gone on a “rampage.”

The tiger was taken to an animal shelter and will be transferred to an undisclosed animal sanctuary in Texas.

It’s legal to own a tiger in Texas if the owner has a wild game permit. But it is illegal to have a tiger in Houston.

A2

THE VALLEY’S NEWS OBSERVER

Thursday, February 14, 2019

World & Nation

The State of the Black Union

Raynard Jackson is founder and chairman of Black Americans for a Better Future (BAFBF), a federally registered 527 super PAC established to get more Blacks involved in the Republican Party.

By Raynard Jackson Founder and chairman of Black Americans for a Better Future (BAFBF) During the month of February in America we celebrate Black History Month. As we celebrate the achievements of Blacks in the making of this great country, I can’t help but think about the state of the Black community in 2019.

The state of our Black union is depressing!

We, as a community, must stop asking others to do for us what we should be doing for ourselves. We have more education than our parents and grandparents; yet have a lower quality of life. We have more opportunities than our parents and grandparents yet have less to show for them.

We have more Blacks in elected political offices than ever before, yet our economic indices in cities run by Blacks are horrible, i.e.: Washington, DC, Baltimore, and Atlanta to name a few.

Hardly a week passes by without a Black person having some deadly encounter with law enforcement.

How did we, in the Black community, get to where it seems to be open season on our people by law enforcement?

Yes, racism still exists, but racism is not the cause of the condition of our community.

According to the Centers for Disease control and Prevention, over 70% of Black babies are born to unwed mothers. It is estimated that since the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion in 1973, that over 16 million Black babies have been murdered — 55 million babies in total.

In New York City every year, more Black babies are aborted than are born. Yes, you heard right. According to their Health Department, between 2012 and 2016, 136,426 Black babies were aborted versus 118,127 babies born. Blacks are the only group in America that have more babies aborted than born!

If Black lives matter, does that include their babies?

The solution to this culture of death in the Black

community specifically, and America in general, is very simple. We need to reconstitute the family unit; meaning mother, father and children. These perverted variations of the traditional family unit will not restore our traditional values back to our community or our society.

Study after study has shown that if you graduate high school, get married, and then have children, you are almost guaranteed not to live in poverty.

The traditional family unit is the solution to all the ills facing the Black community and America.

But yet, the media appointed Black leaders and their radical liberal groups spend all of their time promoting homosexuality, amnesty for illegals, and Planned Parenthood.

When have you ever heard the Congressional Black Caucus, the NAACP, or the National Urban League talking about the traditional family unit is key to righting the ship in the Black community?

When Bill Cosby gave his famous “Pound Cake” speech, he was eviscerated by the Black liberal elites.

When have you ever heard Al Sharpton, President of the National Action Network, Derrick Johnson, President and CEO of the NAACP, or Marc Morial, President of the National Urban League talk about the family unit; or telling girls to keep their damn legs closed if they cannot financially afford to care for a child?

How did the Black community allow the homosexuals to hijack our fight for Civil Rights? Their issue has absolutely nothing to do with Civil Rights.

How did we allow George Soros, Bill Gates, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Mark Zuckerberg to get media-appointed Blacks to put illegals ahead of their own community? Can you imagine willingly training someone who is going to take your job and agreeing with them that they have a right to take your job.

According to Planned Parenthood’s 2017 annual report, they had total revenue of $1.3 billion, $555 million from the federal government. They made a profit of $77 million. Yes, they get paid to kill.

They also have spent over $38 million in political campaigns between 2012-2016. Yes, they buy Black, Democrat politicians!

To paraphrase Jay-Z, “Blacks folks got 99 problems, but homosexuality, amnesty, and Planned Parenthood should not be one.”

We survived slavery, overcame segregation, and fought discrimination and are still standing.

But, in order to restore the Black community, we must turn away from the media-appointed Black leaders. They have sold us out at every chance.

Just imagine if we put the same amount of energy fighting for our own people and causes like we do for other groups.

Just imagine if we took the energy we put into hating President Donald Trump and Republicans [put it] into getting young girls to stop having babies before marriage; getting Black entertainers and athletes to hire Black C.P.A.s, publicists, lawyers, managers, etc.; getting Black churches to stop caving in to the radical homosexual agenda; and creating more Black entrepreneurs.

We don’t need a law to make any of the above reality; but what we do need is leaders who cannot be bought off by those who have no concern for the Black community.

The state of our union can be brighter, but you can’t have union without “u” “n” “i.”

Raynard Jackson is founder and chairman of Black Americans for a Better Future (BAFBF), a federally registered 527 super PAC established to get more Blacks involved in the Republican Party. BAFBF focuses on the Black entrepreneur. For more information about BAFBF, visit www.bafbf.org. You can follow Raynard on Twitter @ Raynard1223.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article do not reflect the official policy or position of BlackPressUSA.com or the National Newspaper Publishers Association.

Cephus “Uncle Bobby” Johnson speaks at the press conference about the murder of his nephew, Oscar Grant, who was shot dead at a San Francisco-area train station in 2009. He is surrounded by bill supporters including Assemblyman Jose Medina, Assemblymember Dr. Shirley Weber and Senators Holly Mitchell and Steven Bradford.

Legislators Bills Regulating Police Use of Force

By Manny Otiko California Black Media Assemblywoman Dr. Shirley Weber (D-San Diego) has again sponsored a bill to hold police officers accountable for deadly shootings.

Assembly Bill 392, “The California Act to Save Lives,” will restrict officers from using deadly force only when faced with bodily harm. Officers could also use deadly force to save a life.

Police killings continue to be a significant problem in California. According to the Department of Justice figures, California police killed 162 people in 2017, and half of them were unarmed. Cities such as Bakersfield, Stockton, Santa Ana, Long Beach, and San Bernardino ranked in the top 15 when it came to nationwide police killings.

“AB 392 will include effective police best practices to reduce civilian deaths without compromising officer or community safety,” said Weber. “We are aligning California law with the recommendations of policing experts and scholars, the Obama Administration Department of Justice and the California Attorney General’s office.”

Weber filed a similar bill last year, but it failed to move forward. However, Weber hasn’t given up on her quest to hold officers accountable.

Assemblymember Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento), a co-sponsor of the bill, said the current law is outdated.

“Police misconduct undermines justice and costs lives.

Updating California’s use of force standard will help law enforcement transition to policies that prevent unnecessary deaths, increase accountability, and build much needed public trust,” he said.

He added that the proposed law is pertinent as the city

of Sacramento is currently negotiating a settlement with the family of Stephon Clark, who filed a $20 million wrongful death lawsuit. Clark was shot dead in his grandparents’ backyard within minutes of officers arriving on the scene.

Another person present during Weber’s press conference was Cephus “Uncle Bobby” Johnson. His nephew, Oscar Grant, was shot dead at a San Francisco-area train station in 2009. He was restrained and complying with police when Bay Area Rapid Transport Officer Johannes Mehserle claimed he mistook his gun for his taser and shot Grant in the back at point-blank range. Mehserle served less than two years in jail after being found guilty of involuntary manslaughter. (Grant’s story was memorialized in the film “Fruitvale Station,” which was directed by Ryan Coogler, who also helmed “Black Panther.”)

“If de-escalation tactics had been used, Oscar Grant would be alive today,” said Johnson.

In addition, Sen. Anna Caballero (D-Salinas) has introduced legislation that would require police departments to follow use-of-force standards. The rules would require police departments to follow de-escalation tactics, alternatives to deadly force and provide first aid to suspects. Caballero’s bill is backed by police associations.

“We have to find balance within our communities that build trust and respect in order for law enforcement to effectively do their jobs, while at the same time ensuring the best possible outcomes during serious use of force events,” said David Swing, president of the California Police Chiefs Association. “This measure protects our communities through comprehensive policy focused on doing just that.”

CFPB Makes Move to Support Payday Lenders Kathy Kraninger, the Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced the agency’s plan to repeal a rule aimed at stopping the payday lending debt trap. (Photo: iStockphoto / NNPA)

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

By Charlene Crowell Communications Deputy Director with the Center for Responsible Lending and NNPA Newswire Contributor Each February, Black History Month commemorates the unique American experience of Blacks in America.

This year marks the 400th anniversary of the Jamestown, Virginia arrival of captured and shackled Africans.

In the ensuing years, as slavery grew, so did the wealth of those who claimed our forefathers as ‘property’. By April 12-13, 1861, the wealth built on slave labor was forcefully protected with the Battle of Fort Sumter, considered by historians to be the start of the Civil War that lasted until 1865 and the war’s end.

Slavery’s iron shackles that bound women, children and men may be gone. But in today’s America, the iron has been replaced by a different kind of shackle, just as debilitating as iron: predatory debt.

Abundant research has shown that payday and cartitle lenders trap people in debilitating debt that can trigger a series of negative consequences: overdraft fees, the loss of a bank account, loss of personal vehicles and even bankruptcy. People struggling to repay these loans have been reported to forego daily living needs or needed medical treatments.

So, it is indeed troubling that in 2019, that under the Trump Administration, the federal agency with a designated mission to provide consumer financial protection took an about-face to protect predatory lenders instead of consumers on February 6. Kathy Kraninger, the Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced the agency’s plan to repeal a rule aimed at stopping the payday lending debt trap.

Promulgated by CFPB’s first director during the Obama Administration, the rule requires payday and other small-dollar lenders to make loans only after determining borrowers’ ability-to-repay. That now-suspended rule followed years of public hearings, rulemaking sessions, and research that ultimately found that triple-digit interest rates on loans were virtual debt traps for borrowers.

Further, the people targeted for these predatory loans are those who could least afford interest or fees that exceeded the principal borrowed: the poor, the elderly, communities of color, and military veterans.

The Bureau’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) announced by the CFPB offers a two-part plan. The first is to needlessly delay the effective date of a common-sense consumer protection rule. The second is to rewrite and likely gut the substance of the rule itself.

The likely cumulative effect will allow payday and other predatory lenders to continue to ply their wares and continue financially exploiting consumers of color.

Reactions to CFPB’s announcement were as strong as they were plentiful.

“With little accountability for their actions, payday lenders have long preyed upon communities of color and drained them of their hard-earned savings,” noted Hilary O. Shelton, NAACP’s Washington Bureau Director and Senior Vice President for Policy and Advocacy. “Stripping the key protections of this rule is a disservice to the public,” he added.

Similar comments came from other civil rights organizations.

“This decision will put already struggling families in a cycle of debt and leave them in an event worse financial position,” said Vanita Gupta, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. “This administration has moved the CFPB away from protecting consumers to protecting the very companies abusing them.”

When given the chance at the ballot box, Americans overwhelmingly vote to impose a 36 percent or less rate cap. Today, 16 states and the District of Columbia have these rate caps in place, providing strong protection from payday loan sharks. In remaining states – those without a rate cap – interest rates run as high as 460 percent in California, over 400 percent in Illinois and 662 percent in Texas.

According to Rebecca Borne, a CRL Senior Policy Counsel, Kraninger’s announcement ignores five years’ worth of input from a broad group of stakeholders: faith leaders, veteran and military organizations, civil rights groups, consumer advocates and consumers across the

country.

“But over the past year, payday lenders have spearheaded an in effort with Mick Mulvaney and now Kraninger’s help, to take consumer protections away from financially vulnerable Americans, “said Borne. “We urge Director Kraninger to reconsider, as her current plan will keep families trapped in predatory, unaffordable debt.”

Let us all hope and work for a different kind of emancipation: financial freedom.

News Observer The Valley’s

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

Bulk Mailing Permit 724 Bakersfield, CA 93385 Published every Thursday by The Observer Group Newspapers of Southern California, Inc.

Member: National Newspapers Publishers Association, Associated Press, Better Business Bureau, GLAAACC

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 editing 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 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 emails- General info: observernews@gmail.com Advertising: observeradvertising@gmail.com Online: www.ognsc. com

Thursday, February 14, 2019

Legal Notices

PUBLIC NOTICE

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME CASE NUMBER 18TRCP00073 Superior Court of the State of California, for the county of LOS ANGELES, 825 Maple Ave, Torrance, Ca 90503 Southwest PETITION OF: MAGDALENA MARFIONE FOR CHANGE OF NAME TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner: MAGDALENA MARFIONE for a decree changing names as follows: Present name MAGDALENA MARFIONE Filed a petition with this court Proposed name MIGDALA ENNIS THE COURT ORDERS: that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted if no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing.

NOTICE OF HEARING Date: Mar 1, 2019 Time: 8:30 a.m.

Dept: B 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 BAY NEWS OBSERVER Date: Dec 18, 2018 ERIC C. TAYLOR Judge of the Superior Court MAGDALENA MARFIONE, 2510 Monterey St #3021 Torrance, CA 90510-0402 Phone: (424) 271-0106 Self-represented LOS ANGELES BAY NEWS OBSERVER (E) PUB: Jan 31, Feb 7, 14, 21, 2019 NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF JAMES R COOK CASE NUMBER: 17 STPB09987 To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both, of JAMES R COOK A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by CHRISTOPHER N COOK

PUBLIC NOTICE

in the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles 111 N Hill St, Los Angeles, CA 90012 THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that CHRISTOPHER N COOK be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent.

THE PETITION requests the decedent’s will and codicils, if any, be admitted to probate. The will and any codicils are available for examination in the file kept by the court.

THE PETITION requests authority to administer the estate under the independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.)

The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.

A HEARING on the petition will be held in this court as follows: Date: Mar 12, 2019 Time: 8:30 a.m. Dept: 4 located at 111 N Hill St, Los Angeles, CA 90012 IF YOU OBJECT to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney.

IF YOU ARE A CREDITOR or a contingent creditor of the deceased, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within four months from the date of first issuance of letters as provided om Probate Code section 9100. The time for filing claims will not expire before four months from the hearing date noticed above.

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

A request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk.

Attorney for petitioner: MICHAEL A YOUNGE, 170929 Law Office of Michael A Younge, 180 N Riverview Dr, #210 Anaheim Hills, CA 92808 Telephone: (714) 242-4027 Fax: (714) 276-1443 E-Mail: youngelaw@aol.com LOS ANGELES BAY NEWS OBSERVER (E) PUB: Feb 7, 14, 21, 2019

Standing Against Discrimination

By Gerald Johnson General Motors North America Vice Pres of Manufacturing Recently, the Toledo Blade and other media outlets have reported on racial discrimination issues at Toledo Transmission. I am General Motors’ vice president of North American Manufacturing. The plant in Toledo is under my team’s supervision. I want the city of Toledo and the African American community to know exactly how I feel about this situation personally and professionally, and I want to reaffirm our values as a company and the stand we maintain against discrimination.

I’m outraged that anyone at Toledo Transmission – or any facility – would ever face threats or discrimination.

My heart goes out to anyone who was touched by this bigotry. This is not who we are. I and the entire leadership team at GM, condemn – in the strongest possible terms – any type of intimidating or intolerant behavior. If we find that someone has engaged in such discriminatory behavior and violated our notolerance policy, we will terminate them.

We are proud of the culture of diversity and inclusiveness that we enjoy and we plan to protect it.

From the news reports, I understand some people are Gerald Johnson, General questioning how the Motors North America Vice issues have been dealt President of Manufacturing with at the plant. Even & Labor before the media coverage started, my team had been working aggressively to address these issues since they were reported internally. Here are a few important actions we have taken: • We immediately investigated the issues and took action to remove any offensive material. Sadly, we have not found the culprits in all cases but we continue to investigate. In addition, we have and are taking additional steps to ensure that no such conduct happens again, and that we find those responsible for such acts.

• We have engaged law enforcement and engaged a handwriting expert.

• We have also reiterated our strong anti-harassment/antidiscrimination stance to all employees and we are working with outside experts on additional training to reinforce our policies.

• We have provided additional security, cameras and support to employees expressing concern for their safety.

• We have stopped production at the plant across all shifts to conduct mandatory anti-discrimination and antiharassment training for all employees in Toledo.

• We have rolled out this training across the country in manufacturing and non-manufacturing sites with 50,000 of our people attending in-person sessions in 2018.

• We reiterated our promise that employees can report any concerns, without fear of retaliation, and we provide multiple ways for them to do so safely and anonymously.

• Recently, we met with Rev. Jesse Jackson and influential members of the Black, Hispanic and Asian Pacific Congressional Caucuses to discuss ideas to strengthen our diversity and inclusion efforts.

We believe in our workforce. The bad actions of one or a few do NOT represent the people of Toledo Transmission, the surrounding Northwest Ohio community nor GM in total. Every day, 99 percent of GM employees show up to work with a spirit of teamwork, helping one another build great products for our customers. Our company has a strong record of diversity and inclusion – I know this personally as a 38-year employee who has worked in six plants during my career.

Everyone at GM is expected to uphold a set of values that are integral to the fabric of our culture. That culture is predicated on an environment that is safe, open and inclusive. We have zero tolerance for behavior that does not live up to these values.

We believe discrimination is unacceptable – anytime, anyplace. My leadership commitment to our organization is that I will do everything I can to insure these values are maintained and protected. I expect the same commitment from leaders across our business. Together, we can aggressively address these issues and prevent such behavior from ever occurring at our workplaces.

THE VALLEY’S NEWS OBSERVER A3

Features

First African American Oscar Winner Continued from page A1

suffered greatly from war injuries and had a difficult time with manual labor. Henry was later described by one of his sons as a minister, though this was a fictionalized account.

McDaniel’s mother, Susan Holbert, was a domestic worker.

In 1901, McDaniel and her family moved to Denver, Colorado, where she attended the 24th Street Elementary School, and counted as one of only two black students in her class. While at East River High School, McDaniel started professionally singing, dancing and performing skits in shows as part of The Mighty Minstrels.

Her natural flair for singing – in church, at school and in her home – was apparent early on and gained her popularity among her classmates, according to Biography. com.

In 1909, she decided to drop out of school in order to more fully focus on her fledgling career, performing with her older brother’s troupe.

In 1911, she married pianist Howard Hickman and went on to organize an all-women’s minstrel show.

In the 1920s, McDaniel worked with Professor George Morrison’s orchestra and toured with his and other vaudeville troops for several years.

By mid-decade, she was invited to perform on Denver’s KOA radio station, according to biography.com. Following her radio performance, McDaniel continued to work the vaudeville circuit and established herself as a blues artist, writing her own work.

In 1931, McDaniel scored her first small film role as an extra in a Hollywood musical. Then in 1932, she was featured as a housekeeper in The Golden West.

The pinnacle of McDaniel’s career, Gone with the Wind, premiered in 1939 amid controversy. Though the role would eventually lead to an Oscar win for McDaniel, she was banned from the premiere. In fact, none of Gone

with the Wind’s Black actors were allowed to attend the film’s Atlanta premiere.

McDaniel continued to land parts here and there, but as roles for black actors were hard to come by, she was again forced to take odd jobs to make ends meet.

During World War II, McDaniel helped entertain American troops and promoted the sale of war bonds, but she soon found the film offers to be drying up. She responded by making a strategic return to radio, taking over the starring role on CBS radio’s The Beulah Show in 1947.

In 1951, McDaniel started filming for the television version of The Beulah Show. Unexpectedly, she suffered a heart attack around the same time, and was forced to abandon her career upon being diagnosed with breast cancer.

Responding to criticism over her maid roles, McDaniel said it was her prerogative to accept whatever roles she chose. She also suggested that characters like Mammy proved themselves as more than just measuring up to their employers.

McDaniel lost her battle with cancer in Los Angeles, California, on October 26, 1952.

After her death, the groundbreaking actress was posthumously awarded two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She was inducted into the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame in 1975 and honored with a commemorative U.S. postage stamp in 2006.

A well-received biography on her life was published in 2005—Hattie McDaniel: Black Ambition, White Hollywood, by Jill Watts.

Last year, it was announced that producer Alysia Allen had obtained the film rights to the book and was looking to develop a biopic.

Blackface Ran Rampant in ‘80s

By RUSSELL CONTRERAS Associated Press At the time Virginia's future political leaders put on blackface in college for fun, Dan Aykroyd wore it too – in the hit 1983 comedy “Trading Places.”

Sports announcers of that time often described Boston Celtics player Larry Bird, who is white, as “smart” while describing his black NBA opponents as athletically gifted.

Such racial insensitivities ran rampant in popular culture during the 1980s, the era in which Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam and the state's attorney general, Mark Herring, have admitted to wearing blackface as they mimicked pop singer Michael Jackson and rapper Kurtis Blow, respectively.

Meanwhile, Chicago elected its first black mayor, Michael Jackson made music history with his “Thriller” album, U.S. college students protested against South Africa's racist system of apartheid and the stereotypesmashing sitcom “The Cosby Show” debuted on network television.

It would be another 10 years before the rise of multiculturalism began to change America's racial sensibilities, in part because intellectuals and journalists of color were better positioned to successfully challenge racist images, and Hollywood began to listen.

“We are in a stronger position to educate the American public about symbols and cultural practices that are harmful today than we were in the 1980s,” said Henry Louis Gates Jr., director of the Hutchins Center for African & African American Research at Harvard University.

During the `80s, college faculties and student bodies were less diverse, Gates said. Some scholars who entered college during the 1960s had yet to take on roles in which mainstream culture would heed their cultural critiques, he said.

At the time Northam and Herring put on black makeup, Hollywood and popular culture still sent messages that racial stereotypes and racist imagery were comical and harmless, despite pleas from civil rights groups and black newspapers.

Herring was a 19-year-old University of Virginia student when he wore brown makeup and a wig to look like rapper Kurtis Blow at a 1980 party. Three years before

that, white actor Gene Wilder darkened his face with shoe polish in the movie “Silver Streak” co-starring Richard Pryor. He used a stereotypical walk to impersonate a black person living in an urban neighborhood.

On television, viewers could see a Tom and Jerry cartoon featuring the character Mammy Two Shoes, an obese black maid who spoke in a stereotypical voice. The 1940s cartoon series was shown across several markets throughout the 1980s. Television stations ignored complaints from civil rights groups.

Elsewhere, Miami erupted into riots following the acquittal of white police officers who killed black salesman and retired Marine Arthur McDuffie in what many called a case of police brutality. President Jimmy Carter visited and pressed for an end to the violence, but a protester threw a bottle at his limousine as he left.

When Northam wore blackface to imitate Michael Jackson and copy his moonwalking skills at a 1984 San Antonio dance contest, television stations still aired Looney Tunes episodes with racially insensitive images using Bugs Bunny and other characters despite some controversial episodes being taken off the air in 1968.

African-Americans, however, had reason to be hopeful amid electoral gains. A year before, in 1983, Chicago became the latest city to elect a black mayor, Harold Washington, after activists registered 100,000 new black voters. That election, Jesse Jackson later said, paved the way for him to seek the Democratic nomination for president in 1984.

“It was out of that context that my own candidacy emerged,” Jackson said in the 1990 “Eyes on the Prize” documentary. Jackson lost the nomination to former Vice President Walter Mondale.

Two years after Northam's moonwalk performance, the comedy “Soul Man” hit theaters. In the movie, Mark Watson, played by white actor C. Thomas Howell, takes tanning pills in a larger dose to appear African-American so he can obtain a scholarship meant for black students at Harvard Law School. The movie drew a strong reaction from the NAACP and protesters to movie theaters.

Still, “Soul Man” took in around $28 million domestically, equivalent to around $63.5 million today.

Despite those images, new and popular black

cultural figures also emerged, including Eddie Murphy, Oprah Winfrey and a young Michael Jordan. Black Entertainment Television, or BET, was founded in 1980 by businessman Robert L. Johnson, giving the country access to black entertainment using 1970s sitcoms and music.

But as Nelson George argued in his book “Post-Soul Nation: The Explosive, Contradictory, Triumphant and Tragic 1980s as Experienced by African Americans,” BET failed to counter negative images by relying on free music videos and investing little money in original programming.

“Through this conservative strategy, BET prospered while offering little new to a community starved for images of itself,” George wrote.

In addition, the new black cultural figures rarely engaged in politics or spoke out against racial injustice.

Sometimes, stereotypes and comments did result in consequences. For example, CBS fired sports commentator Jimmy Snyder, known as Jimmy the Greek, in 1988 after he suggested in a television interview that black athletes were better because of slavery. The Los Angeles Dodgers fired general manager Al Campanis in 1987 for saying on ABC's “Nightline” that blacks “may not have some of the necessities to be, let's say, a field manager or perhaps a general manager” and they were poor swimmers.

In 1987, black demonstrators marched in all-white Forsyth County, Georgia, to protest the racism that kept blacks out for 75 years. They were promptly attacked by white nationalists hurling rocks and waving Confederate flags. The shocking images sparked national outrage and led Oprah Winfrey to air an episode of her then-5-monthold syndicated talk show from the county.

“What are you afraid that black people are going to do?” Winfrey asked the audience.

“I'm afraid of them coming to Forsyth County,” one white man told her.

Today, Gates said, people can no longer claim ignorance. While it should have been understood that blackface was offensive during the 1980s, one might have had to go to the library to learn exactly why, he said.

“We also have more records digitized,” Gates said.

“The access to archives is larger, and we have more diversity in the media so we can say these images are painful ... and why we shouldn't use them.”

Push to Honor Black Tennis Star Comes Amid Blackface Scandal

By DENISE LAVOIE Associated Press RICHMOND, Va. (AP) – A movement to rename a Richmond, Virginia, thoroughfare for groundbreaking black tennis player Arthur Ashe Jr. is cresting just as the state finds itself in turmoil over a blackface scandal involving the governor and attorney general.

The man behind the street renaming says the confluence of the two unrelated developments involving race and history could become an opportunity to start a conversation about race at a pivotal time.

“If we can rename the Boulevard after him, it would be a huge cultural step forward. This is where we can start with reconciliation and we can start talking about the issues,” says Ashe's nephew, David Harris Jr. “It would be an opportunity for the City Council to be leaders on this. We know what's going on down the street at the state Capitol. This would be a way for the City Council to say, `We want to show you the way.”'

Ashe's once-segregated hometown boasts an athletic center named after him, and a bronze sculpture of Ashe sits among Richmond's many Confederate statues. But a proposal to rename a historic street for Ashe has been defeated twice since his death in 1993.

A third proposal comes before the City Council for a vote Monday amid the blackface scandal .

Leaders throughout Virginia's political structure have called on Gov. Ralph Northam to resign after a racist photo on his 1984 medical school yearbook page surfaced recently.

Northam apologized, initially saying he appeared in a photo showing one man in blackface and another wearing a Ku Klux Klan hood and robe. Northam did not say which costume he wore. The next day he said he no longer believed he was in the photo but acknowledged wearing blackface the same year to look like Michael Jackson in a dance contest.

Days after Northam's admission, Attorney General Mark Herring was forced to acknowledge that he, too, wore blackface in the 1980s while trying to look like a rapper at a college party.

Meanwhile, for all of Richmond's hometown pride in Ashe, repeated attempts to rename a city street after him have failed. Harris initially resurrected the idea of renaming the street after his uncle last year.

Called simply “Boulevard,” it's a busy 2.4-mile (3.9-kilometer) stretch dotted with restaurants, museums and stately homes. Modeled after grand European boulevards in the late 19th century, Boulevard was designated as a state and national historic landmark in 1986.

At one end sits Byrd Park, with tennis courts where Ashe was denied access during his childhood because of segregation. The athletic center named for Ashe is also on Boulevard.

City Council member Kim Gray, whose district covers a portion of Boulevard, has sponsored the Ashe renaming

ordinance.

Some residents and business owners say they don't want to change the historic name. Others cite the inconvenience and expense of officially changing their address, including getting new letterhead and signs.

Harris and Gray say they understand those concerns but also believe racism may underlie some of the opposition.

“I find it hard to believe that people get that angry over stationery,” said Gray, who said she's received racist emails over the proposal.

Longtime residents insist they have nothing but admiration for Ashe but believe there are better ways to honor him than legally changing the name of their street. A group called the Boulevard Coalition wants the Richmond History and Culture Commission to hold citywide community discussions about how to honor Ashe and then make a recommendation to the City Council.

The controversy comes at a time when Richmond, a one-time capital of the Confederacy, has been grappling with calls to remove Confederate statues. Richmond's Monument Avenue features statues of five Confederate figures, including Gen. Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson.

Ashe's statue was erected among those rebel icons in 1996, but only after rancorous debate.

Harris said renaming Boulevard after Ashe would give Richmond a chance to shed its past image and show it has become a progressive city.

“We've celebrated things that have been associated with slavery for years. Well, let's celebrate equality, inclusion and diversity, as opposed to the slave picture we've had in Civil War history,” Harris said.

Ashe was the first black player selected to the U.S. Davis Cup team and the only black man to ever win the singles title at the U.S. Open, Wimbledon and the Australian Open. He was also well-known for promoting education and civil rights, opposing apartheid in South Africa and raising awareness about AIDS, the disease that eventually killed him.

Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney urged the City Council last month to approve the change, calling Ashe “one of Richmond's true champions.”

A 2004 city ordinance says street names indicated on city maps for 50 years or longer should only be changed under “exceptional circumstances.” Gray and Harris say they believe naming Boulevard after Ashe is one of those circumstances.

But City Council member Parker Agelesto, whose district covers part of the street, said his constituents favor an “honorary renaming” that keeps Boulevard as the street's official name.

“Nobody wants this to be controversial, and Arthur Ashe is not a controversial figure,” Agelesto said. “The question is: How do you make it successful for all parties involved?”

Entertainment

A4

THE VALLEY’S NEWS OBSERVER

Thursday, February 14, 2019

Netflix Explores the Life & Death of Sam Cooke Friends and colleagues recall the legacy of Chicago-raised singer-songwriter Sam Cooke — referred to as “the father of modern soul music” — on a new episode of Netflix’s music documentary series “ReMastered.”

Cooke, who died in 1964 at the age of 33, is known for hits “You Send Me,” “Chain Gang” and “A Change is Gonna Come.” He was born in Mississippi and raised in the Bronzeville neighborhood on the South Side. He attended Wendell Phillips Academy High School before joining the gospel group the Soul Stirrers. He eventually embarked on a solo career and used his “magic voice” to not only sing, but also speak out on civil-rights issues and wield power in the record industry.

“Chicago is a place where people had to figure out how to hustle for themselves, and I don’t think it’s a coincidence that someone like Sam Cooke would eventually say, ‘I’m going to own my own record label. I’m going to own my own publishing company.’ Because that’s what you saw in Chicago. You saw businesses everywhere, and I’m sure he was impacted by that,” writer/activist Kevin Powell said in interview for “ReMastered.”

“The Two Killings of Sam Cooke,” which dropped Friday, features archival footage and interviews with music legends including Smokey Robinson, Dionne Warwick and Quincy Jones. The episode title refers to “the murder of the physical being who was Sam Cooke, but there’s also the murder of his legacy.”

Cooke was fatally shot by a female Los Angeles motel manager, who claimed Cooke rushed into her office in pursuit of a woman whom he had recently met and who turned out to be a prostitute. Both women said he was violent with them. Those interviewed for “ReMastered” expressed doubt about the circumstances of Cooke’s death — which was ruled a justifiable homicide — because they said Cooke wasn’t known to be aggressive towards women.

“It just didn’t seem like he was the person who gets shot down in the way that he did. And there had to be

Muhammad Ali and Sam Cooke.

something more at play, and that sort of fueled the idea of this being some sort of conspiracy,” Boston Globe associate editor and columnist Renee Graham said on

“ReMastered.” “Elvis believed that there was a sense in the black community thought. You know, that this was about a music industry that Sam was getting too powerful and had black man who didn’t know his place, and to stop him, he to be stopped, which echoed what a lot of people in the had to be murdered.”

At 94, Legendary Cicely Tyson Remains an ‘Optimist’

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Correspondent At 94, the legendary actress and freedom fighter, Cicely Tyson, absolutely stuns on the cover of TIME. Clad in an elegant Michael Couture dress and stylish Taffin earrings by James de Givenchy with hair and makeup by Armond Hambrick, Tyson graces Time’s cover this month in celebrate of the magazine’s second annual “Optimists Issue.”

In the issue, Tyson talks openly about her more than six-decade acting career, from her film debut in “Carib Gold” in 1956, to her most recent role as Annalise Keating’s mother in ABC’s “How to Get Away with Murder.”

“When I made the decision to use my career as a platform, to try to make a dent in some of these injustices that I witnessed and experienced in life, I said if I just reach one person, one person, then I will be happy,” Tyson told TIME. Born in Harlem New York City on December 19, 1933, Tyson’s parents were immigrants from Saint Kitts and Nevis in the West Indies, according to her biography at BlackPast.org, the website that records African American history.

Photograph by Djeneba Aduayom for TIME

After graduating from Charles Evans High School in Manhattan in 1951, Tyson landed a position as a secretary for the American Red Cross. Unsatisfied with the work, she

enrolled in the Barbara Watson Modeling School to pursue a career in modeling, according to her biography: By the late 1950s, Tyson had become one of the top black models in the United States. Her face appeared on the cover of black-oriented magazines, such as Ebony and Jet. While waiting in the offices of Ebony Magazine, she was encouraged to audition for a role in the film, The Spectrum, which discussed conflicts between dark- and light-skinned blacks.

Tyson won the role but The Spectrum was never completed due to financial problems. This experience however, persuaded Tyson that she should pursue a career in acting.

Tyson began her career on the stage.

In 1961, she appeared in the original cast of French playwright Jean Genet’s The Blacks, which became the longest running non-musical of the decade with over 1,400 performances.

In 1963 at the insistence of Academy Award-winning actor George C. Scott, she became a part of the cast of East Side/West Side of which Scott was the star.

By the mid-1960s and early 1970s, Tyson was a frequent guest star on television appearing in I-Spy, Naked City, The Nurses, The Bill Cosby Show and a number of other programs. Her movie career progressed more slowly.

Like many black performers of her generation, Tyson was leery of the “blaxploitation” films of the era and held out for a film that promoted positive images of African Americans.

That film came in 1972 when she was cast in the role of Rebecca Morgan in Sounder.

The film examined the life of a Black family in the Depression-era South with dignity and compassion.

Tyson’s performance garnered positive reviews from critics and she was nominated for both an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award.

In 1974, she broke new ground for black actors when she received an Emmy Award for her portrayal of the character Jane Pittman, based on a novel written by Ernest J. Gaines.

Her performance made her one of the premier actresses of her generation.

Tyson appeared as Coretta Scott King in the 1978 movie King opposite actor Paul Winfield.

Other acclaimed movie roles included Roots, The Marva Collins Story, When No One Would Listen, and The Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All. “There isn’t a day – I’m grateful to say – that when I walk out of my doors, I don’t run into somebody who says, ‘I can’t tell you what you’ve done for me. ‘You changed my life,’” Tyson shared with TIME. “It just confirmed for me that I was on the right track and I stayed on the right track.”

A Kennedy Center Honors recipient who also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from former President Barack Obama, Tyson said she has no plans to retire.

In keeping with the article’s theme of optimism, she said, “Look at the world today, you better be an optimist.”

“You really do have to have faith and belief and understanding in order to survive. And know that you will not be defeated if you really think positive, about yourself and the life you’ve chosen to live.”

Film Review: What Men Want

Poet Langston Hughes

'BlacKkKlansman' Screenwriter to Pursue Langston Hughes Film LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) – A Kansas screenwriter who co-wrote Spike Lee's latest film, the Oscar-nominated “BlacKkKlansman,” is setting his sights on his next project: a documentary about poet Langston Hughes.

Kevin Willmott, who is also a University of Kansas film professor, told the Lawrence Journal-World that he's looking forward to making a two-part documentary on the American literary icon. The film, “I, Too, Sing America: Langston Hughes Unfurled,” will delve into the life of the African-American author, who spent part of his childhood in Lawrence, grew up in the Midwest and became a leader during the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920s.

Willmott is co-directing the film with four-time Emmy winner Madison Davis Lacy, who also teaches film at the University of Kansas.

Willmott said one of the first books he read as a child about being African-American was Hughes' children's book, “The First Book of Negroes.”

“Hughes is such a personal hero (of mine) and a figure that has deserved a big documentary for a long time,” Willmott said. “People know his name, but they really don't know his story or his significance. They don't really know how amazing his story really is.”

The documentary is currently in fundraising stages, while Willmott is occupied with his Academy Award nomination for best adapted screenplay. “BlacKkKlansman,” the Lee-directed film that won six nominations altogether, is the true story of a black detective who infiltrated a Colorado Springs, Colorado, cell of the Ku Klux Klan in 1979.

“It's very exciting and I'm just going to try to represent Kansas and KU the best I can,” he said.

Willmott and the group creating the Langston Hughes documentary hope to release the film next year. It'll likely air on television.

By Dwight Brown NNPA News Wire Film Critic It’s about time Taraji P. Henson, after a string of B-movies (Proud Mary, Acrimony), rocked a bonafide comedy. On talk shows her innate sense of humor is evident. On the big screen (Hidden Figures, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) and small one (Empire) she’s built a solid, award-winning rep in drama. Now she’s digging into ribald humor and has surrounded herself with the right producers (Girls Trip), director (Adam Shankman, The Wedding Planner, Hairspray), screenwriters (Tina Gordon, ATL; Peter Huyck, Veep) cast and crew. If most of the ingredients are right, the cake will turn out just fine.

The source material for this flagrant, shameless comedy is What Women Want (2000), directed by Nancy Meyers and starring Mel Gibson. (Remember the days when he was loved?). He played a chauvinistic advertising executive who, after a freak head injury, could hear what women thought. He used that advantage to rally against a female exec who got a promotion he wanted. In the process he learned life lessons. Hold that thought.

Fast forward 19 years. Ali Davis (Henson) is a top agent at an elite sports management firm. She drives a Porsche (leased), has an overly-attentive assistant (Josh Brener, The Front Runner), whom she treats like a dog and a bevy of girlfriends (Tamala Jones, Wendi McLendon-Convey, Phoebe Robinson) she counts on for moral support. Ali needs all those trappings if she is to survive the constant stream of disappointments and derision she encounters with her male peers at Summit Worldwide Management.

The source of Ali’s biggest frustration is that she can’t make partner and is constantly over-looked by her boss Nick (Brain Bosworth, former Seattle Seahawk), who stifles her: “You don’t connect well with men. You do well in your lane. Stay in your own lane.” Even though she handles top star athletes like Lisa Leslie and Serena Williams, her achievements are marginalized by her colleagues.

The agency is trying to land the next big basketball draft pick, a skinny talented young player named Jamal Barry (Shane Paul McGhie). That’s the easy part. He’s managed by his pushy, stage-dad, health-freak father Joe “Dolla” Barry (Tracy Morgan), who is a pain in the ass.

That’s the difficulty. The agent who signs Barry will be the next hot shot at Summit. Can Ali take the crown?

What Women Want, was a genteel, safe romantic comedy. What Men Want, is not. Twenty minutes into it, the outrageous sight-gag sex scenes, flippant dialogue and over-the-top performances yank the old premise firmly into the 21st century with a brand of humor fans of Bridesmaids will enjoy. There isn’t one subtle comic turn in this entire film. That gives Henson a chance to show her Tiffany Haddish side, which is more than willing to do anything to make viewers laugh.

Tucked into the debauchery are moral-to-the-story subplots that are somewhat touching. Ali’s romance with the hunky bartender Will (Aldis Hodge, Straight Outta Compton) involves his young son Ben (Auston John Moore) and Ali’s selfish deceit. Her egocentric antics test her friendship with her girlfriends. And, the way she treats her assistant Brandon, who is gay, goes from patronizing and vile to dehumanizing. Ali’s got issues. Lots. And when she’s being introspective, she admits it: “Winning doesn’t matter if you’re a horrible person.”

The inciting incident that changes her trajectory comes when she meets a weird psychic named Sister (Erykah Badu) who gives her a cup of a magical, drug-laden tea.

The mysterious potion, along with a head injury, makes Ali hear what men are thinking. As she hones this new talent, she picks up the hidden feelings of her fellow workers (no wonder they never invite her to their weekly poker game),

her assistant (he really wants a promotion) and even her supportive dad (Richard Roundtree).

The script was developed by writers whose wheelhouse is sitcoms, so this modern tale is told in broad strokes. If you’re looking for a demented and sophisticated comedy (The Favourites), look elsewhere. Every situation here is meant to make the targets (urban and female audiences) laugh until they lose bladder control.

Initial scenes lack the kind of dazzling cinematography (Jim Denault) audiences expect from a motion picture, making sets and exterior scenes look like they belong on a TV show. Certainly, Shankman’s unimaginative direction (too many scenes are shot in rooms, offices, cars) lacks the style and creativity top feature film directors display.

The better tech elements belong to: Sekinah Brown’s (Ride Along) costume design; Emma E. Hickox’s (Kinky Boots) judicious editing, which after a few initial slow scenes, makes the footage breeze by in 1hr and 57min; Brian Tyler’s (Iron Man 3) fun musical score is aided greatly by a hip playlist with vibrant songs like Jill Scott’s very upbeat and cool tune “Golden.”

Tracy Morgan is clearly in his element as the dodo-brain dad.

Can’t tell how much of his dialogue is based on the script or improvised, but fair to say he’s never

been funnier. The girlfriend trio is quite humorous. SNL’s Pete Davidson milks laughs as a lecherous officer worker.

Hodge may be the new Morris Chestnut. And it is a gift whenever Richard Roundtree appears in a film.

Back to Henson. Given the chance, in a decently thought-out and developed comedy, she ups her game.

Her Ali is manic and bossy with her assistant (bordering on distasteful), deceitful with her paramour, insensitive to her gal pals and able to stand up to the brutal, self-entitled co-workers who play her for a wuss. The scattered string of emotions and feelings don’t stump Henson. She towers over all the other cast members with her bravura performance.

Except, the scenes in which she deals with the very enigmatic Sister.

Somewhere hidden under a gigantic wig that would even embarrass Diana Ross, lurks the very shrewd and hysterical Erykah Badu, who portrays the psychic who launches Ali’s outer and inner trek to salvation. Smug, ethereal, dizzy and flaky as a pothead, the “Tyrone” singer displays an astute comic nature that equals Henson’s.

Girls Trip is the alpha raunchy female comedy. What Men Want is not as strong. But it grazes that high standard thanks to Taraji P. Henson’s over-thetop performance.

Taraji P. Henson in What Men Want from Paramount Pictures and Paramount Players.

Welcome to Observer Interactive

Deeper Content. Pictures Move. Ads Talk. Live Shopping.

1. Get the app by downloading it from Google Play or The App Store

2. When you see this logo scan over the whole picture with your tablet or smartphone.

Thursday, February 14, 2019

THE VALLEY’S NEWS OBSERVER A5

Sports

Davis vs Ruiz PBC Fight Card on Showtime Recap

By Cameron Buford Whatsgoodinsports.com This past Saturday night from Dignity Health Sports Park, formerly StubHub Center, in Carson, California Premier Boxing Champions in conjunction with Showtime Championship Boxing showcased some young talented

fighters that put on a show for boxing fans. That fact this card was headlined WBA Super Featherweight World Champion Gervonta Davis, many stars came out to enjoy that fun night of boxing. Before we reached the main event on Saturday night fans witnessed a multitude of talented fighters that put on an awesome night of boxing.

Leading off the Showtime-televised portion of the fight night was a 10 Round fight between Former World Champion Javier Fortuna defeating Lightweight contender Sharif Bogere in a unanimous decision. This was a deserving decision as neither man deserved to lose this fight. The Fortuna knockdown of Bogere gave him the edge in this fight. Richard Zamora and Mario Barrios were next to fight in a 10 round Welterweight fight.

In his own words, Fortuna’s shared his thoughts in his post-fight comments, “It was in the sixth that my trainer told me I looked tired so right there we changed the game plan to use a different fight approach. The knockdown was correct. I saw his eyes were a little glossy and his legs buckled a bit. When I saw that he was cut, the game plan changed again, and we had to work again to attack the cut.”

He went on to challenge the headliner by saying “What I want right now is a contract so I can fight Gervonta Davis wherever. Lomachenko, any of them.”

Barrios proclaimed prior to the fight that he wanted to show off his “Mexican style fighting,” which is exciting to all boxing fans, as it means they are looking to “bang” in the ring. And bang he did. Barrios’ power and length overwhelmed the valiant Zamora. The fight was ended in the 4th round after a flurry of power punches from Barrios, with little resistance from Zamora.

“I am feeling stronger than ever. I am knocking down the door for a world title right now. He was a warrior. He brought it, but the ref had to call it. I know I have to have the patience for that title, but I am ready when the time comes,” and excited Mario Barrios said about the fight with Zamora.

In his fight in American soil Gervonta Davis, also was eager to show off his boxing skills in his first title defense

on Showtime. His ring entrance was probably longer than the fight itself, as he came out to a rendition of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” complete with zombie dancer and all which he walked through to get into the ring.

The Two-time super featherweight World Champion Gervonta Davis took no time showcasing his speed and power with the unsuspecting Hugo Ruiz in his fourth world title appearance. The 24-year-old Davis can also boast being the youngest US-born fighter with a boxing Championship. After punching Ruiz into the corner, it was a Ieft was a fierce right hook, that caused a delayed reaction from Ruiz who subsequently took a knee in the ring. After the Ref began the count Ruiz apparently said he didn’t want to continue.

Davis was excited about his quick work stating that “Tonight, I just wanted to put on a great performance. I was scheduled to fight Abner Mares, but he had an injury, so my main goal tonight was to make a great performance, which I did. I knew it was coming. When I touched the jab, I saw his arm was in front of his face so if I threw a hook or uppercut it was right in line. I’m very confident that I will be more active this year. I have three, probably four fights lined up this year. I’m happy with my team and ready for the next.”

This fight card promoted by PBC which was aired on Showtime was exciting as expected. Although Ruiz stopped in, in short notice, Davis did what he supposed to do against a fighter wasn’t ready for the moment. Fortuna’s and Barrios’ fight also left fans talking about their performances.

Please share your thoughts on this past weekend’s Premier Boxing Championship promotions exciting fight cards by commenting in the comment section of this article on www.whatsgoodinsports.com or reaching out to us on twitter @whatsgoodinsports.

Gervonta Davis gets a first round knockout on Hugo Ruiz this past Saturday evening. (Photo Credit: Dave Mandel)

SANTA CRUZ VS. RIVERA PBC Fight Card on FOX

Davis stalks his prey, before finishing off Ruiz at the Dignity Health Sports Park this last Saturday night.

(Photo Credit to Dave Mandel)

By Cameron Buford whatsgoodinsports.com Premier Boxing Champions will be hosting another exciting fight card for boxing fans to enjoy. Leo Santa Cruz vs. Rafael Rivera is a Premier Boxing Champions on FOX and FOX Deportes event that will see featherweight world champion Leo Santa Cruz take on Mexico’s Rafael Rivera in the main event Saturday, February 16 from Microsoft Theater at L.A. Live in Los Angeles.

This telecast will begin at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and features unbeaten former champion Omar Figueroa battling hard-hitting John Molina Jr. and a matchup between unbeaten prospects Sebastian Fundora and Donnie Marshall. Rising prospect and 2016 U.S. Olympian Karlos Balderas will compete in a swing bout that will air live if time permits.

Tickets for the show, which is promoted by TGB Promotions and Ringstar Sports, are on sale now and can be purchased at AXS.com.

Prior to this PBC on FOX fight card, Welterweight Champion Errol Spence Jr. & Four-Division Champion Mikey Garcia to Square Off at Unprecedented Live Press Conference on FOX & FOX Deportes This Saturday, February 16 at 4:30 p.m. ET/1:30 p.m. PT from Microsoft Theater at L.A. Live Fighters to Preview Blockbuster Showdown During Nationally Televised Press Conference Leading up to Saturday, March 16 FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, prior to the Leo Santa Cruz vs. Rafael Rivera at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.

Unbeaten welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr. and undefeated four-division champion Mikey Garcia will go face-to-face at a special FOX PBC PRESS CONFERENCE that will air live on FOX and FOX Deportes this Saturday, February 16 at 4:30 p.m. ET/1:30 p.m. PT from Microsoft Theater at L.A. Live in Los Angeles.

“Errol Spence Jr. versus Mikey Garcia is one of the most intriguing fights of the year and having them face off before a live audience on network television is an unprecedented and unique way to build interest for this fight,” said Bill Wanger, EVP of Programming, Live Operations and Research, FOX Sports. “We’re excited to

highlight these two undefeated fighters before they go toeto-toe in the ring.”

“This is a historic occasion. I can’t recall the last time, if ever, in my 30 years in the sport when there has been a press conference live on broadcast television,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “It’s just further proof of the commitment that FOX has to the sport and the PBC boxers. It’s also a win for the fans who tune-in because they will get a sneak peek at what awaits when these two champions step into the ring at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on March 16.”

“Spence vs Garcia is a more than a fight. It is an event that will determine who is pound-for-pound the best fighter in the world,” said Richard Schaefer, Chairman, and CEO of Ringstar Sports. “It is an event that transcends boxing. The legendary AT&T Stadium is the perfect host for this event, where two champions in the prime of their careers will put their records and their legacies on the line. On March 16, the world will be watching and witness one of the biggest events of our generation.”

The hour-long show on FOX will be hosted by Kate Abdo along with analysts Ray Mancini and newly crowned IBF World Super Middleweight Champion Caleb Plant.

Kenny Albert hosts the press conference with fighters in the ring, while Jimmy Lennon Jr. introduces fighters. Heidi Androl serves as the reporter, adding interviews during the show. Spence and Garcia will preview their upcoming FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View showdown taking place Saturday, March 16 from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Once again PBC is offering another wonderful fight card for boxing to tune-in and enjoy. PBC’s coverage for their upcoming three-fight broadcast from Microsoft Theater begins at 5pm PST on FOX and FOX Deportes.

In the main event, Featherweight World Champion Leo Santa Cruz will be defending his title against Mexico’s Rafael Rivera. Please share your thoughts on the recent calendar of Premier Boxing Championship promotions and their exciting fight cards by commenting in the comment section of this article on www.whatsgoodinsports.com or reaching out to us on twitter @whatsgoodinsports.

AAF is here

These are the 8 teams for competing in the AAF inaugural season. (Bing Photos picture)

By Cameron Buford Whatsgoodinsports.com Identifying that football has rapidly become America’s favorite pastime, CEO/ Co-Founder Charlie Ebersol has assembled a strong team to appease America’s appetite for football. Beginning a few shorts weeks after the NFL concluded, the Alliance of Alliance Football plans to capitalize on America’s craving for tough hard nose football.

Realizing that the new model of the NFL left more to be desired for the longtime football fans, the AAF plan to capitalize on this within their new professional football league.

It is too soon to know if the could be a potential feeder league for the NFL, though these games are filled with former NFL players, Canadian Football League players and former college players getting a chance to put good thing’s on film. As the Alliance of American Football planned to begin to play their inaugural season, they identified some of the shorts coming of the NFL and implemented some changes to draw in football fans accordingly.

Some of the changes they have made in response to the ticky-tacky NFL rules are as follows; - No Kickoffs, each team will get the ball at own 25yard line.

- No Onside Kicks, each team will get 1 play to convert 4th and 12 from own 28-yard line.

- They will employ the use of a “Sky Judge.” This “Sky Judge” will sit in the press box and will correct “obvious and egregious” officiating errors In their inaugural season, the AAF will have 8 teams.

These 8 teams will play a 10-week season with their playoffs

beginning Sat. April 20., with their Championship Game schedule on April 27. The participation of the NFL Super Bowl winners Bill Polian (Head of Football/ Co-Founder), Troy Polamalu (Head of Player Relations) and Hines Ward (Head of Football Development) provides instant creditability to their new league. In their first weekend of play, their ratings beat those of a prime-time NBA game.

The teams are listed as follows; Arizona Hot Shots Orlando Apollos Atlanta Legends Salt Lake Stallions Birmingham Iron San Antonio Commanders Memphis Express San Diego Fleet Although there are only 4 each weekend, I couldn’t watch much of the games. I didn’t have many complaints from the football I did see! I noticed immediately the game moved along faster without the kickoffs and punts. I like the idea that teams are forced to attempt a two-point conversion after a touchdown, as it provided more exciting scoring plays more often than we are accustomed too. They play on the field terrible, though it was easy to identify we weren’t looking at the best of the best.

There were several for NFL players and coaches on each sideline, this appeared to have an impact on the players’ preparedness as the game appeared to be well played. I’ll likely take a better look into this weekend, will you? Please advise if you will be watching this new AAF football league and let me know if you are interested in seeing more football, during the NFL offseason, by sharing your thoughts with us by commenting in the comment section of this article on www.whatsgoodinsports.com or reaching out to us on twitter @whatsgoodinsports.

A6

THE VALLEY’S NEWS OBSERVER

Thursday, February 14, 2019

Local

LA County Child Support Employer Workshops WORKSHOPS ASSIST EMPLOYERS AND PAYROLL PROFESSIONALS AND IMPROVE COLLECTION OF CHILD SUPPORT FOR FAMILIES The Los Angeles County Child Support Services Department (CSSD) is announcing five dates in 2019 for its Employer Workshop on child support wage withholding and health insurance requirements. Hundreds of payroll professionals and employers in Los AngelesCounty have benefited from this free instructional workshop.

For 15 years, CSSD has staged the award-winning Employer Workshop as a service to employers to answer their questions about child support requirements. The increased collaboration with employers enables L.A. County CSSD to improve child support collections for families and children in L.A. County.

“Last year our Department collected close to a half billion dollars in child support for families and children,” observed Dr. Steven J. Golightly, Director of L.A. County CSSD. “Close to seventy-percent of those collections came through child support income withholding orders that

were handled by employers. So we clearly need to be in close partnership with employers to improve our collection of support for families.”

Employers can register for all 2019 Employer Workshop dates at the CSSD website at http://cssd. lacounty.gov/employer-workshop/. The first workshop of 2019 will take place on Friday, March 8th at the Rowland Heights Community Center, 18150 East Pathfinder Road, Rowland Heights, CA. 91748. The event is from 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. There also will be Employer Workshops held during the year in Playa del Rey, Santa Clarita, East LosAngeles and La Mirada.

L.A. County CSSD serves families by establishing parentage, obtaining child support and medical support orders and enforcing child and spousal support obligations.

For more information, call 866-901-3212, view the website at cssd.lacounty.gov and follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @CSSDLA.

Newsom to Tackle State Water Issues

Daniel Simpson walks past the water storage facility on the property of Monterey Park Tract. Water is transported six miles from the City of Ceres. (Antonio R. Harvey/CBM photo)

WIRELESS CONNECTION

T

By Antonio R. Harvey California Black Media Gov. Gavin Newsom is off to an ambitious start as Governor of the fifth largest economy in the world. His first budget proposal set a record $209 billion towards addressing the needs of Californians.

Last month, at the Dr. Martin Luther King celebration breakfast, hosted by the California Legislative Black Caucus in Sacramento, Newsom mentioned visiting Monterey Park Tract located in the Central Valley a few days before the breakfast with members of his administration.

Like Flint, Michigan, Monterey Park Tract residents have a water problem that has existed for decades.

Monterey Park Tract is an unincorporated community in East Stanislaus County, with about 133 residents six miles southwest of Ceres. It’s in a remote area surrounded by dairies and acres of land.

This community was an area that was predominantly inhabited by African Americans. Today many of the black residents still own portions of the community but second and third generations have migrated to other areas.

Daniel Simpson first moved to the area from Richmond, California with his family in the 1950s. He was in attendance when Newsom made his visit days after being sworn into office. He is concerned about the water and the future of Monterey Park Tract.

Simpson, an African American male who moved back to the Tract after his mother passed away, said he spends “about $20 to $30” each month on bottled water.

“I don’t know what the future of Monterey Park Tract will be,” Simpson said. “There’s nothing but love out here.

We all live here together. However, I do hope the Governor can help us and other communities in the state that are having the same water problems.”

Monterey Park Tract was once populated with black people who migrated to the area in the early 1940s. Those numbers have dwindled over the decades. Only 12.8 percent of the residents are black, according to the 2010 United States Census records.

California cities and communities of color across the state have historically had water access and quality issues.

From rural places like the town of Allensworth, now a historic state park located 30 miles outside of Bakersfield to cities like Compton located in Los Angeles County.

In a news story reported by Our Weekly newspaper, Sativa Water District based in Compton made headlines last year when the water district was taken over by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors for failing to provide clean drinking water, misappropriating taxpayer dollars, and causing a financial burden on its low-income residents.

Gov. Newsom said, “the Monterey Park Tract situation is an example of why California must get serious about its issues and lock into a commitment to different levels of engagement to solve the problems.”

Monterey Park Tract’s water is not safe for drinking, despite a seven-mile pipeline from Ceres, the residents are still worried about arsenic, manganese, and nitrates that have polluted their habitat.

“Literally, dozens of residents can’t bathe in water that they are paying for that cost one-and-a-half times more than water cost for customers in Beverly Hills,” Gov. Newsom said. “That is a fact in our state. They can’t even bathe because they get rashes. This is not Flint Michigan.

This is the state of California.”

Dale R. Hunter, a founder of the Hunter Group and an expert on water issues for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, said “Newsom’s visit to Monterey Park Tract was unique. It looks like he’s trying to get out in front of it,” Hunter told CBM. “Where you live in California dictates what the type of quality of water you are serviced.”

Hunter explained California’s water fight dates back to the 1800s during the Gold Rush. As many people migrated to this state and the population continued to grow, a result of this massive growth placed a strain on the government to distribute the water supply by need.

According to Hunter, there are resources collectively available to deal with some of California’s water challenges but acknowledged the lengthy permitting time it takes to get projects completed and smaller districts limited capacity to apply for grants.

“There is about $25 billion in local infrastructure projects that are on the books today,” said Hunter. “From San Diego County, Los Angeles County, Central Valley, and the Bay Area.”

Newsom addressed some of these issues in his proposed budget released in January for safe and affordable water to help impoverished communities such as Monterey Park Tract. Over $168 million would fund technical assistance, emergency water supply, and safe drinking water projects across the state.

As for Simpson, he recounted great childhood memories growing in this community and how many grandkids spent their summers with grandma hunting, fishing, and playing in the alfalfa fields.

“I was happy to see him come because there are a couple of little ladies dancing in heaven,” said Simpson.

“To see the fact that the Governor took the time and really be interested in what is going on.”

Look for Part II of California Black Media’s series on water issues and how they affect the Black community of California.

Mobile

3420 W. SLAUSON AVE. SUITE G LOS ANGELES, CA 90043

323.903.6241

Dulan’s

Soul Food

On Crenshaw

Restaurant, Catering & Banquet Hall Gregory Dulan

844.293.5184 | WWW.BENCRUMP.COM

Owner

(323) 296-3034 4859 Crenshaw Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90043 www.dulansoncrenshaw.com

Orleans

4454 W. Slauson Ave. LA, CA 90043 T • (323) 291-8800 400 E. Florence Ave. Inglewood, CA 90301 T • (310) 671-6200 333 South Spring St. LA, CA 90013 T • (213) 687-0400/0600

&

YORK

D E L I

Cases We Handle

Car Accidents

Employment Law

Truck Accidents

Talcum Powder/Cancer

Personal Injury

Civil Rights

Medical Malpractice

Workers’ Compensation

Wrongful Death

Fire/Burn Injury

Slip & Fall

Negligent Security

Class Actions & Mass Torts Mesothelioma Nightclub Shooting Apartment/Condo Sexual Assault For more, visit www.bencrump.com

673 East University Dr., Carson, CA 90746 T • (310) 324-3100 3868 Crenshaw. Los Angeles, CA 90008 T • (323) 903-6650/6651

Orleans’ PO-BOYS

Tallahassee Office

California Office

Washington D.C. Office

122 S. Calhoun Street Tallahassee, FL 32301

11111 Santa Monica blvd, Suite 700 Los Angeles, CA 90025

717 D Street, N.W., Suite 310 Washington D.C. 20004 Attorney Adver tising