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By Solomon O. Smith | California Black Media | California Black Media

The #BlackDocsBelong campaign held a rally in Pasadena last Friday calling on Black medical doctors to join their movement dedicated to keeping and growing the ranks of Black physicians.

“We actively support and advocate for Black trainees and physicians facing workplace discrimination,” states the website of Black Doc Village, the group organizing the rally. “We aim to expand the Black physician workforce to improve health outcomes in the Black community.”

The national kickoff for the not-for-profit organization Black Doc Village, began with a breakfast at the Pasadena Hilton hosted by two Black Doc Village cofounders: nephrologist Vanessa Grubbs and educator and physician Aysha H. Khoury.

About 100 young medical students and staff gathered to march to the Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine. A wide range of ethnicities came to provide support.

A student who chose to remain anonymous shared the contents of a message about the protest from the Kaiser School of Medicine.

“Students who choose to participate in the demonstration tomorrow will not be penalized or retaliated against for doing so,” reads an email by senior associate dean for student affairs Dr. Anne M. Eacker, “and absence from class or clinical sites tomorrow morning will be considered an excused absence.”

The Kaiser School of Medicine was named the 6th Most Diverse Medical School in the nation and ranked 2nd in California by U.S. News & World Report after the School of Medicine at the University of California Davis.

With handmade signs and white lab coats the rally set off for a two-block march to the medical school. Walking in a single file line the doctors raised their voices in a shouted call-and-response chant.

“Stop pushing,” they shouted followed by the comeback, “Black docs out.”

Black medical professionals from across the country came to support the Black Doc Village rally.

Dr. Robert Rock, who practices on the East Coast, says he was inspired to go into medicine by his grandmother and the strength she exhibited when she “refused to be disrespected” by medical professionals during her care. He witnessed a racist act aimed at a patient which he described as shocking.

“We were deterred from talking about it,” said Rock. “It was then that I lost my faith (in the system).”

Jessica Isom is a Boston-based psychiatrist and an advocate for equity and justice for BIPOC patients. She has been an outspoken resource and advisor in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs through her company Vision for Equality, which has worked with several major brands and medical institutions. She sees part of the issue as a flaw in the culture of medicine which makes changing it difficult.

Isom says resistance to change is “perpetuated through training” and that people may not be conscious that change is needed. She referred to an article written by Rhea W. Boyd, a pediatrician who has spoken before Congress about racism in the medical profession.

“People see it. The person who serves you your food looks like me. The person who provides you your medical care often does not, and that is an intentional process of segregation,” says Isom.

Doctors were not the only ones who want more Black physicians and medical professionals in the industry. Robert Phillips was looking for a Black nephrologist, a doctor specializing in diseases and functions of the kidneys and found Dr. Grubbs. He felt ignored and unheard by White doctors.

Scores of studies show that health outcomes for African Americans have historically been among the lowest, according to various metrics. The Centers for Disease and Prevention (CDC) recently reported African Americans have the highest rate of infant mortality of any ethnic group. The number of Black doctors is also disproportionately low, at just 5 %, according to a 2019 survey by the Association of American Medical Colleges.

Some at the rally are in litigation against Kaiser, including Khoury. She is well-known for a viral thread on Twitter relating her story of how she was removed from Kaiser Medical School.

Kaiser has released a statement disputing Khoury’s claim.

“Regarding Dr. Aysha Khoury, one of the founders of the Black Doc Village organization, the school has been clear that Dr. Khoury was not placed on leave because she brought content related to anti-racism to the classroom or because she shared her experiences as a Black woman in medicine,” the Kaiser statement says.

Khoury and Grubbs say that issues with Kaiser are a small part of a bigger problem in the medical community and are hoping that their stories can be the jumping-off point for action.

“Kaiser is where we are today, but this is everywhere, not just there,” said Khoury. “This is why we need the whole village.”

By Lue Dowdy | LUE Productions

Congratulations to the first-place winners of LUE Productions Community Umbrella Services Summer Youth Talent Competition and Showcase. These young ladies came ready with fire in their eyes to take the prize. The crowd went wild when they ended the routine with their death drop move to the floor. The team looked amazing all decked out in their emerald green and black uniforms with their sneakers that lit up as they danced. I remember when they came into the auditions, the girls were a little shy and not quite all together. After talking to them, I saw the determination in their eyes and that they really wanted it. These girls worked hard, and it showed. The event took place Saturday, July 30 in the beautiful city of San Bernardino at the San Bernardino Women’s club. Once again congratulations, DDC!

MORE ABOUT THE DANCE COMPANY:

What is the meaning of NLAA DDC?

(Next Level Athletics Association) Dare Dance Company

List Board members and coaches

President/choreographer: Imani Travis

VP/secretary: Ernestine West

General Manager: Sonya Bellamy

Historian/ choreographer: Deja Brown

Assistant Coaches: Nikita Harris & Kayla Mitchell

Why was DDC started?

“DDC” was created to give our young boys and girls an opportunity to develop good work ethics and strive at their talent of dance. DDC is a non-profit organization that provides the youth with dance instruction that builds self-esteem, coordination, leadership skills, and the value of teamwork.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— San Bernardino native DeShawn Radden, who was a hit on season 41 of “Survivor”, a popular CBS TV show. The show pushes contestants to a breaking point and forces them to use social and emotional survival skills. DeShawn, 27 years old, is a native of San Bernardino, California. He will receive his White Coat from The Barry University School of Podiatric Medicine in Miami, Florida on Friday August 26, 2022. The White coat ceremony is known as the Right of Passage. This ceremony is performed in many medical fields when students transition from pre-clinical to clinical rotations.

Dwaine Radden Sr., father of DeShawn said, “I am so proud of him for always staying the course and for embodying the 3D code of “Discipline, Determination, Dedication equals winner always”! His mom will be truly missed today”. Radden said.  “She has the best seat in the house and will be there spiritually”. Mrs. Radden passed away on May 1, 2022. The Inland Empire salutes this hometown young man as he starts on the last component of his medical journey.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA—– The San Bernardino City Council has awarded a construction contract to extend State Street from 16th Street to Baseline Street, a project that has been envisioned to improve mobility for over 20 years. The contract, awarded on August 17th to Riverside Construction Company of Riverside, CA in the amount of $7,436,165, will construct a new four lane divided roadway that includes medians, sidewalks, and storm drains.

The project is located just south of the 210 Freeway and parallels the Lytle Creek Basin. The new street will improve connectivity to the freeway, decrease cut through traffic in neighborhoods, and provide better access for residents to Arroyo Valley High School and Anne Shirrells Park.

“The West Side residents of San Bernardino have been waiting for this for a long time,” said Councilmember Kimberly Calvin, who represents the area. “Our patience is being rewarded with a great new street that will serve as a major arterial for the entire area and position Ward 6 for more economic development opportunities.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— Two recent high-profile actions by the San Bernardino City Council have signaled that progress continues to occur in the redevelopment of the 43- acre Carousel Mall site, a project envisioned to revitalize San Bernardino’s downtown. This activity has also spiked interest in other downtown properties.

On August 3, 2022, the City Council approved adding national real estate developer Lincoln Property Company (LPC West) to the development team as the project’s principal partner, joining RD-ICO. On July 20, the Council approved seeking bids to demolish and clear the Mall property.

LPC West is the second largest apartment operator in the United States and has developed over 130 million square feet of mixed-use space throughout the country. They finance, construct, and operate large projects that bring together housing, office, and commercial space in one location.

“With their proven track record of developing large successful projects across the country, many inland cities have wanted to do business with Lincoln,” said San Bernardino City Manager Robert Field. “Having them committed to the Carousel Mall project speaks volumes about downtown San Bernardino’s potential.”

By Austin Gage | California Black Media

Thanks to the Biden-Harris administration’s latest allocation of $2.2 billion from the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) program, eight grants — totaling more than $119 million — were awarded by the US Department of Transportation (DOT) to local governments, transit agencies and a tribal nation to help improve transportation in California.

Grants were awarded to the Port of Los Angeles-Long Beach ($20 million), Sacramento Area Council of Governments ($5 million), Yuba-Sutter Transit Authority ($15 million), Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation ($1.6 million), City of Fontana ($15 million), City of Inglewood ($15 million), California High-Speed Rail Authority ($25 million), and San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency ($23 million).

The cities of Inglewood and Fontana are beneficiaries of the RAISE program’s goal, “to help urban and rural communities move forward on projects that modernize roads, bridges, transit, rail, ports, and intermodal transportation and make our transportation systems safer, more accessible, more affordable, and more sustainable.”

With different transportation needs and obstacles, the cities are slated to use the award money for different reasons.

In the case of Inglewood, the $15 million will be pushed into the “Inglewood Transit Connector Project” (ITC). The ITC, when fully complete, will consist of an approximately 1.6-mile fully elevated, automated transit system with three stations to complete a critical gap in the region’s transit system, on segments along Market Street, Manchester Boulevard, and Prairie Avenue. As Inglewood continues to experience increased traffic due to places of interest such as SoFi Stadium, transit systems such as the ITC have been a key piece of the puzzle for the city’s health and growth.

Supporters of the project say not only will it serve as a cleaner transportation option compared to personal vehicles, the ITC promises to provide jobs to local workers from the area. The ITC project includes a commitment to a Community Workforce Agreement to hire 35% local residents, 10% disadvantaged workers, and 20% apprentice workers.

Inglewood Mayor James Butts

Inglewood Mayor James Butts applauded RAISE’s transportation award for the ITC and explained the rationale for the project.

“The ITC Project will reduce traffic, improve air quality, and it will enhance the quality of life for residents and visitors across the region,” said Butts.

While Inglewood’s RAISE award money will focus on the ITC transit system, Fontana’s award will feed into the “Building A Better-Connected Inland Empire Project”. As described by the DOT, this program will make major complete streets improvements by constructing additional lane capacity, an integrated traffic system, medians with protected left turns, a roundabout, bus turnouts, streetlights, signage, and raised medians, more than 7.5 miles of bike lanes, including more than 2.5 miles of separated bike lanes, a half-mile of multi-use trail, crosswalks, a bridge, and countdown signal heads.

Sharing many of the same goals as Inglewood’s ITC, Fontana’s project goals include improved efforts for safety, sustainable environmental factors, economic competitiveness and opportunity, and innovation. DOT experts say the project will help Fontana citizens have easier access to approximately 7,500 job opportunities.

The RAISE award for the “Building A Better-Connected Inland Empire Project” was announced by Representatives Norma J. Torres (CA-35), Pete Aguilar (CA-31) and Fontana Mayor Acquanetta Warren.

“With this RAISE grant provided by the Department of Transportation, we will make our streets and bike lanes safer, better connect our residents to transportation services, and strengthen our local and regional infrastructure for generations to come – all while integrating equity and accessibility. Without a doubt, this $15 million grant will be transformative to Fontana and the Inland Empire and support every single resident living in the region,” Rep. Torres said.

Rep. Aguilar said, “I’m proud to partner with Rep. Torres to secure federal funding that meets the City of Fontana’s needs and will continue to raise the quality of life for our region.”

Warren was just as excited for PRAISE’s awarded money and the positive impact it will have on the city in general.

“This is a historic day for the City of Fontana. The “Building A Better-Connected Inland Empire” project will transform Fontana’s transportation corridors and create safe pathways for students and bicyclists. We are thankful to Congresswoman Torres and Congressman Aguilar for their work to secure RAISE Grant funding for Fontana,” said Warren.

With common goals like transportation safety, efficiency, accessibility, affordability, and sustainability, Inglewood’s ITC and Fontana’s “Building A Better-Connected Inland Empire” fit the criteria of what U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg was looking for when deciding which projects across the country should receive PRAISE awarded money.

“We are proud to support so many outstanding infrastructure projects in communities large and small, modernizing America’s transportation systems to make them safer, more affordable, more accessible, and more sustainable,” Buttigieg said.

By Lou Yeboah

Listen, God sent warning through Ezekiel conveying that He was finished with disobedience and hard hearts, and He was ready to judge and punish His people for their rebellious spirit and actions. For Thus saith the Lord, “Behold, I Myself am going to bring a sword on you, and I will destroy your high places; And I will send My anger against you; I will judge you according to your ways and bring all your abominations upon you. My eye will have no pity on you, nor will I spare you; then you will know that I am the Lord!” [Ezekiel 7: 4-9].

Listen, God gave Ezekiel three specific prophecies regarding how the people will be punished—one-third will die by plagues or famine; one-third will fall by the sword; one-third will be scatted to every wind.

But the people could not believe God would punish or hurt them, so they ignored the prophecies which instructed them to repent and turn to their own. [Ezekiel chapters 4-7]. Don’t you do it! Don’t you be like disobedient Israel. God’s patience was all used up and the penalty for their disobedience was coming no matter what. [Ezekiel 23:35]. Instead of trusting God, they refused to enter the Promised Land. As a result, they missed settling in their own homeland and instead wandered in the desert for 40 years until that generation died.

You see all throughout the Bible, God has tried to get us to do right, but naw, we want to do what we want to do. Well, I got news for you; continue to do you boo, boo, and see what happens. Soon and very soon you will regret your rebelliousness toward the Lord. God desire is for us to “learn and turn.” Don’t be a hard head like the rebellious Israel who died after wandering in the desert for 40 years. “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. [Matthew 7:13]. So, if your hand cause you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched–where ‘Their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.’ And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched–where ‘Their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.’  And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire–where ‘Their worm does not die, And the fire is not quenched. [Mark 9:43-48].

I tell you every day God is doing everything possible to keep us from going into that awful, inconceivable place. God wants all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth [1 Timothy 2:4]. So repent before it’s too late! As the Apostle Peter says, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise . . . but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” [2 Peter 3:9]. So, I ask you what will it take before you heed the word of God? Keeping in mind that there could come a time when God says, “Enough is Enough!”. Shudder at the thought. Do not take God’s forbearance for granted, for if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall you escape if you neglect so great a salvation, which at first spoken by the Lord and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him. [Hebrews 2:1-3]. You ought to know that God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked but would rather that we should turn unto Him and live. [Romans 2:4]. Turn and be saved, for Jesus says of those who refuse to be saved, “These shall go away into everlasting punishment [Matthew 25:46] and be lost forever.

A Voice from Hell. [Luke 16:19-31]. “In Hell, he lifted up his eyes being in torment” It is an awful cry, “Cool my tongue, for I am tormented in this flame.”

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— The Concerned Citizens for the Development of North Fontana invite you to the Mommy and Me fashion show and tea. You can show your support to the young ladies who are doing something positive and their mothers who are leading by example!

The afternoon tea is a fundraiser to sponsor the 54th Miss Black Awareness Scholarship Pageant to be held December 17, 2022.

The tea will be held on Saturday, August 27 from 11:45 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Josephine Knopf Senior Center located at 8384 Cypress Avenue in Fontana. To register for the tea, visit www.missblackawarenesspagent.webs.com.

By Edward Henderson | California Black Media

On August 15 on what would have been his 37th birthday, the late Grammy-nominated rapper, entrepreneur, and philanthropist Nipsey Hussle’s was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

He is the 11th rapper to have a Walk of Fame star.

Hussle’s fans, family and friends from the industry attended the ceremony.

“I think I speak for the entire city of LA when I say that we’ve known Nip was destined for greatness,” said Lauren London, Hussle’s longtime girlfriend who spoke at the ceremony. “This moment only amplifies that for us. Nip would have been honored by this moment. I think he would want everyone to remember that you can’t get to what’s possible unless you commit to moving forward. It doesn’t mean forgetting where you come from, but it requires acknowledging the reality you were born into and the power you must change that reality for the better.”

Los Angeles City Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson declared Aug. 15, Nipsey Hussle Day in Los Angeles.

“Today, on his born day, we finally got him a star on the walk of fame. Rest in Paradise Nip” Assemblymember Isaac Bryan (D-Los Angeles) a guest in attendance at the 30-minute ceremony posted on Twitter.

Born Airmiess Joseph Asghedom, Hussle was a Los Angeles native who rose to fame in the mid-2000s. After gaining notoriety locally following the release of a string of mixtapes, his gritty sound and inspirational spirit captivated listener’s imaginations.  He became more famous as he sold physical copies of his mixtapes for $100 each, an unheard-of strategy given the music was available digitally for free. This declaration of self-worth caught the attention of his fans and the music industry at large. Jay-Z famously bought 100 copies of the mixtape in a show of respect and support.

Hussle’s crowning musical achievement was the release of his 2018 album ‘Victory Lap’. The effort received a Best Rap Album Grammy nomination in 2019. In 2020, at the 62^nd Grammy Awards, he posthumously earned three more nominations and took home two wins for Best Rap Performance and Best Rap/Sung Performance.

His impact on the community impact grew with the opening of his Marathon clothing store in the heart of the Crenshaw commercial district. The store gave customers access to exclusive music along with the clothing. Hussle would go on to buy the entire shopping mall that surrounded the Marathon clothing store, in which he invested in STEM technology workspaces and housed other local entrepreneurs.

On March 21, 2019, Hussle was killed outside of his Marathon store by Eric Holder who last month was found guilty of first-degree murder. Following his death, there was an outpouring of tributes. People in his community, across California and around the country honored his life with murals, vigils and other remembrances, reflecting the impact Hussle had on California and the hip hop community worldwide.

While the Marathon store has closed, the location remains a memorial to Hussle where fans pay daily tribute to his memory. There are plans to open a second store on Melrose Avenue. However, no date has been set for its opening.

Writer and sports media personality Justin Tinsley narrated an ESPN 30 for 30 special about Hussle and his close relationship with athletes and the sports world, particularly LA Sports.

“That star on the Walk of Fame is symbolic of so much,” said Tinsley. “Nipsey is one of those people who will always be remembered, yes, as an incredible rapper. But even more than that, he was a man who had a vision for himself and his people. He put that into action and the result of which will keep his name alive for generations of Black folk. That’s so beautiful and it’s inspiring that he cared so much to do everything he did. But that star is also symbolic of everything we lost with him to. Everything he was yet to think of. Everything he was supposed to do and accomplish.”

Tinsley said he feels the sadness following the senseless murder of Hussle still lingers amongst his supporters but that the joy, pride and motivation he brought to many cannot be forgotten.

“Losing Nipsey in the physical sense will never truly make sense. It’s something God — or whomever you pray to — can truly answer. But it’s such a blessing that we were all given the time to be impacted by him whether up close and personal or from afar. And through all the pain that’s still there — and will always be there — that’s how we got to look at it. Grief is a very real emotion. But it shouldn’t be the only one when we talk about Nipsey Hussle.”

The concept of ‘The Marathon’ was a staple in Hussle’s music. Persevering through obstacles to reach your goal and enduring the pain that inevitably comes when striving for greatness. At the conclusion of London’s Walk of Fame induction speech, she referenced this concept and left a message for everyone visiting Hussle’s monument.

“Whenever you’re in the City of Angels and you see this star, I hope it encourages you to break away from whatever might be holding you back and for you to run your marathon until God says that it is finished,” she said.

By Lue Dowdy | LUE Productions

Once again folks it’s ya’ girl LUE DOWDY here to tell ya’ about an amazing talent. I’d like to congratulate Recording Artist, ‘LJ Savvy’ on taking Second (2^nd) place at ‘LUE Productions Community Umbrella Services’ Youth Talent Competition and Showcase. Straight out of ‘P TOWN’ (Pomona) and a senior at The School of Arts and Enterprise, this young man had the stage LITT with his energy, and the Mic on fire with his dope lyrics.

My first encounter with LJ Savvy was back in April at San Bernardino Valley College. He was one of the youth performers performing at a youth showcase presented by ‘CHORDS YOUTH ENRICHMENT CENTER’, overseen by Founder/CEO Edwin Johnson. From the moment the beat dropped he had me hooked. LJ Savvy has several gifts and he’s been performing since the age of 12. He plays instruments and writes poetry. Currently, Savvy is working on designing his own show and will be dropping new music throughout the year. His team is working on a music video for his song, titled, ‘Getting It’.

“Drake and Kendrick are two of my biggest influences musically and Kyle influences my performances. I also get inspiration from my need to grow and impact people through my music, and of course, having fun”! Savvy states.

This aspiring rap artist, under the guidance of his parents, is one to watch for. Make sure you look him up on all social media platforms under, ‘LJ SAVVY’.

For more information on events and showcases provided by LUE Productions please visit our website at lueproductions.org, or visit us on social media. Please call or email us at 909.567.1000 lue.info@yahoo.com