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(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)—ALEXANDRIA, VA— In celebration of its 25^th anniversary, Islamic Relief USA (IRUSA), a nonprofit humanitarian and advocacy organization, has awarded a $25,000 “Silver Anniversary” grant to two Redlands-based agencies – Building Resilient Communities (BRC) and Redlands Area Interfaith Council (RAIC) – to help develop a new platform for emergency management.  

The two organizations will work together on the Emergency Preparedness and Response Collaborative project. For the project, the organizations will partner with the Redlands Emergency Management and Human Relations Commission to give different faith groups (Muslims, Catholics, Mormons, Christians, among others) the opportunity to work together. The ultimate goal of the project is to provide toolkits and train 45 volunteers from the various RAIC member agencies to become cultural liaisons who will work with first responders and establish an emotional and spiritual care team.

“Building Resilient Communities (BRC) was established to help community and faith-based organizations prepare for that inevitable moment when they are called upon to build, repair and restore their community,” said Debra J. Williams, president of Building Resilient Communities. “This project is a wonderful opportunity for the entire faith community to come together to learn and collaborate for a common cause.  The relationships built through this project will go far beyond preparing for a disaster.  Building Resilient Communities is proud to be a part of such an important endeavor and we truly thank Islamic Relief USA for recognizing the value of our project.”

“This Islamic Relief USA grant will allow Building Resilient Communities, Redlands Area Interfaith Council, the City of Redlands Emergency Management and other groups to collaborate on providing disaster preparedness and response services that incorporate and respect cultural and religious norms,” said Dr. Shaheen Zakaria, M.D., vice president of the Redlands Area Interfaith Council (RAIC) and a commissioner of the Redlands Human Relations Commission. “An intricate tapestry of individual values, norms and culture tie every community together. To understand their culture is to understand them. This will be a great way forward towards understanding and building bridges among various community groups in Redlands”.

The “Silver Anniversary Community Bridge-Building” program is an initiative designed to bridge the differences that frequently divide communities – such as religion, race, or political opinion. The grant announcement generated 175 formal inquiries from organizations working in 36 states and the territory of Puerto Rico. That response demonstrates that people all across America are interested in finding common bonds and are committed to a common mission for the sake of their communities. 

“The tremendous response from grassroots, community-based and national organizations shows that people who on the surface have little in common can come together to make the world a better place – a place where there’s more unity, more sensitivity, and an endless amount of potential and promise,” said Anne Wilson, director of programs for IRUSA.

By Lou Yeboah

Why is it, do you think, that we need this constant reinforcement and reminding of the truth? Simply put, as Malcolm X said, “we have been bamboozled, hoodwink, and lead astray. While we may know the truth, we still are bombarded with worldly philosophies everywhere we turn. Make no mistake about it, as the chosen generation, a royal priesthood, our life is one of swimming against the tide. And so, being reminded of the truth is critical. Therefore as Peter said in [2 Peter 1:12-13] “I will always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you already know them, and have been established in the truth which is present with you.  I consider it right, as long as I am in this earthly dwelling, to stir you up by way of reminder.”

Peter says in this verse that a person may have heard the truth, been established in the truth, but not be stirred by the truth. And that, my friend, is a scary place to be in because it leads to spiritual apathy! We need to remember the importance of what we believe. We need to be stirred up, and gripped by the reality of it. History is the study of the human past. The past has left many traditions, folk tales, and works of art, archaeological objects, and books and written records of our accomplishments. Historians have been recording the events of history since the Phoenicians in Africa invented the first alphabet. Until the advent of Black History Month, our school children learned all of their black history when they studied the plight of slavery in the south prior to the Civil War. Very little truth was, and still is contained in our children’s textbooks about the depth of slavery’s pain in America. So it was not a bad idea to set aside one month out of the year to concentrate on setting the record straight. It is about time we taught our own Black children that there is more to our history than our ancestral enslavement. Because, “without history, [there is] no life.” [Nigeria- African Proverb]

I tell you, there is blessing in remembering. There is blessing in remembering that God is with us in our times of pain and sorrow. There is blessing in remembering our loved ones who now stand in the great cloud of witnesses, watching over us and encouraging us to persevere through life’s challenges. There is blessing in remembering our loved ones because it reminds us of who we are. That we are part of something bigger than ourselves; that we can count ourselves among the saints, those holy ones of God, who dwell in heaven and here on earth.  Yes, today we remember all of those who helped shape us into who we are, as a nation and as individuals. For our memories are the foundation of all that we see, and taste and hear and experience in this life. I want to remind myself over and over again that Black history is part of my history, is part of what shapes me as the person I am today. I want to dance in the celebration of the liberation stories. I want to cry in the face of the stories of suffering. I want to prepare for the ongoing work because we are far from done with the work we need to do.

In concluding, I quote [Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian]…. “This day I open my heart and my mind with appreciation for my ancestors: my father and grandfathers before me, my mother and grandmothers before me. This day I open my heart and my mind with appreciation for the path of my soul, I honor the paths of my ancestors who journeyed before me. This day I open my heart and my mind with appreciation for the earth. I give thanks for the gift of my body, and rejoice in the opportunity for awakening that it brings. May my spiritual awakening be a cause for celebration in the generations before and after me. Through me, may healing come: in our family, in our community, on our earth, in our world.  Peace, Amen” 

“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friend…. Remembering Jesus and our Ancestors on Valentine’s Day! [John 15:13]. Happy Valentine’s!

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)—SACRAMENTO, CA— Last month, Attorney General Xavier Becerra announced the recipients of Prop 56 grants to reduce illegal sales of tobacco which included $798,795 for the Cities of Colton and Fontana in the 47^th Assembly District.  The Department of Justice’s Tobacco Grant funds will support programs to reduce illegal tobacco sales, particularly to minors. This announcement comes after Assemblymember Eloise Reyes (D-San Bernardino) sent a letter of support for the cities’ grant application to the California Department of Justice.

 “I am so pleased that our cities are taking advantage of the resources available through the State of California,” said Assemblymember Reyes. “I continue to stay committed to doing my part in helping our community gain access to these funds.”

The Department of Justice’s Tobacco Grant Program is funded by Proposition 56, the California Healthcare, Research and Prevention Tobacco Tax Act of 2016. Proposition 56 raised the cigarette tax by $2.00 per pack, with an equivalent increase on other tobacco products. Funded activities include retailer training programs, decoy operations, youth outreach and prevention programs, tobacco retail license inspections, training for sworn peace officers, the installation of vapor and smoke detectors, and more.

The Colton Police Department will hire a school resource officer to educate, promote and deter students from using tobacco products. In addition, the police department will also install signage and vape detectors in schools and conduct decoy stings at retail establishments. The Fontana Police Department will identify and target problematic retailers, conduct enforcement and post-enforcement operations, conduct officer and retailer education classes and conduct intensive youth outreach.

Assemblymember Eloise Gómez Reyes represents Assembly District 47 which includes the cities of Fontana, Rialto, Colton, Grand Terrace, San Bernardino and the unincorporated areas of Muscoy and Bloomington.

Inland Empire Company Taking Applications 500 Jobs!

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)—SAN BERNARDINO, CA— An Inland Empire based security company is planning to hire 500 people to serve as security at two large upcoming events in Coachella Valley.

According to Diligent Security Services CEO, Garran Smith, they are presently taking applications for events scheduled in April.

“We are paying $15 per hour for workers who have Guard Cards and $12 for those who don’t. We provide transportation, daily meals and we pay weekly. The minimum age is 18 and everyone needs Government ID!” Smith stated. 

Over the next month, Diligent Security Services, will hold recruitment events locations nationwide. Several upcoming events include:  February 13 and February 27 at America’s Job Center of California Job Fair located at 658 E. Brier Drive in San Bernardino 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

The application is available online at www.diligentsecurityservices.com/apply.  You may also call (909) 900-7113 (909) 900-6517.   

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK-ENN)—EBONY reveals its 2018–19 top 10 EBONY HBCU Campus Queens and, for the first time, its top 10 EBONY HBCU Campus Kings. During a four-month online competition, voters select their favorite Kings and Queens from the 75 historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) that participate.

“The top 10 EBONY HBCU Campus Kings and Queens honor bright young Black men and women who exemplify leadership, community activism and philanthropy,” says EBONY Media Operations CEO Michael Gibson. “Given today’s climate, we make it our job at EBONY to praise and celebrate these HBCU royals and their achievements.”

This year’s top majesties are representative of a diverse group of men and women, all of whom carry their own distinct qualities, backgrounds and focuses.

Top 10 EBONY HBCU Campus Kings:

• Brandon Allen, Howard University
• Corey Greer, Fort Valley State University
• Drew Gray, University of the District of Columbia
• Everett Ransom, Livingstone College
• Jamaal Searcy, North Carolina Central University
• Jauan Durbin, Spelman College (Morehouse Student)
• Joseph Caldwell, Dillard University
• Kendall Chalk, Prairie View A&M University
• Mark Barton, Central State University
• Tommy Thompson, Bethune Cookman University

Top 10 EBONY HBCU Campus Queens:

• Aliyah Davis, Savannah State University
• Angelica Perkins, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
• Brittany Dorsey, Morgan State University
• Christina Harris, Winston Salem State University
• Janese Bibbs, Albany State University
• Kayla Waysome, Howard University
• Keadria Miller, Dillard University
• Kelsey Green, Xavier University of Louisiana
• Shelby Hunt, Livingstone College
• Tanzania Walker, Fort Valley State University

During the four-month run of the competition, Bennett College learned it was at risk of losing its accreditation due to financial instability. Many other Queens banded together in solidarity to show support for that college’s Queen, Brooke Kane, offering to forfeit their votes, send money and help raise donations via #StandwithBennett.. EBONY, along with many celebrities, alumnae and everyday people joined the movement. Today, Bennett College has surpassed its financial goal.

To learn more about the EBONY HBCU Campus Kings and Queen program and to see more information about all the Kings and Queens, visit EBONY.com.

Stay tuned to EBONY.com for highlights and behind-the-scenes EBONY HBCU Campus Kings and Queens content. Engage using the hashtags #EBONYHBCUCampusKings2018 and #EBONYHBCUCampusQueens2018.

By Hector Hernandez Jr.

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— SAN BERNARDINO, CA— San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools Ted Alejandre and San Bernardino County Board of Education celebrated the opening of their new administrative headquarters, named after San Bernardino educator Dorothy Inghram, on Monday, February 4.

Many in attendance remarked that opening the center, named after California’s first African-American superintendent of schools, was a fitting opening to Black History Month.

The Dorothy Inghram Learning Center, 670 E. Carnegie Drive, San Bernardino, is filled with the latest in audio-visual technology houses County Schools superintendent’s offices, the board of education chambers and offices, the county school’s cyber-security career program and the county’s Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA) administration.

According to Assistant Superintendent of Business Services Richard De Nava, once the property was purchased in June 2017 the 18-month remodeling the new facilities was a complex project with a tight timeline.

Each of the project’s goals was met in time thanks to the combined efforts of several departments and partners working as a team, he said.

One of the main goals of moving to new facilities was to enable County Schools to make state-of-the-art facilities and programs available to students of all of the county’s 33 school districts whether their home districts can afford or support those type of advanced programs or not, according to County Board of Education President Hardy Brown II.

Prior to cutting the ribbon, a video as well as several guest speakers including former Assemblywoman Cheryl Brown and San Bernardino City Unified School District Board Member Margaret Hill shared the history of Inghram.

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Longtime friends and former students remembered Inghram, who died in 2012 at the age of 106, as a supremely generous woman who believed every kid had potential and who greatly valued reading and libraries. These traits led the city of San Bernardino to name a city library after her in 1977.

Hill, a Highland resident, befriended Ingrham through bowling and the decades-long friendship was further cemented by a shared passion for education.

In a life full of momentous firsts, Inghram was one of the first students to graduate from San Bernardino Valley College (she wrote the school’s alma mater), one of the first African-American students to graduate from the University of Redlands.

She then became the county’s first African-American teacher, served as principal and then superintendent of the one-school Mill Street School District in San Bernardino. She became the state’s first African-American superintendent in 1953.

“She thought children had to have a future and wanted the library to stay open so the children of the community could have a place to go to dream and find out about the world around them,” said Cheryl Brown.

By Lou Yeboah

I am a Harriet Tubman, a Sojourner Truth, a Fannie Lou Hamer, a Rosa Parks, a Zora Neale Hurston, a Ida B. Wells-Barnett, a Maya Angelou, a Mary McLeod Bethune, a Elma Lewis, a Wangari Muta Maathai, a Meta Warrick Fuller, a Dr. Jane Cooke Wright, a Septima Poinsette Clark, a Madame C.J. Walker, a Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, a Bessie Coleman, a Deratu Tulu, a Zora Neale Hurston, a Charlotte E. Ray, a Maritza Correia, a Mary Church Terrell, a Coretta Scott King, a Flo Kennedy, a Katherine Johnson, a Gwendolyn Brooks, a Mary Mahoney, a Octavia E. Butler, a Shirley Chisholmand, a Tegla Laroupe, and a Josephine Baker. Oh, Yes I am!

I am a Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,  a Malcolm X, a Frederick Douglass, a Nelson Mandela, a Booker T. Washington, a W.E.B. DuBois,  a Benjamin Banneker, a Louis Armstrong, a Duke Ellington, a Paul Robeson, a Jackie Robinson, a Howard Thurman, a Langston Hughes, a Ralph Ellison, a Richard Wright, a James Baldwin, a Kofi Annan, a Romare Bearden, a Imhotep, a Bob Moses, a Desmond Tutu, a Toussaint Louverture, a Lewis Latimer, a Joe Louis,  a Muhammad Ali, a Hank Aaron,  and a Jesse Owens. Oh, Yes I am!

What makes me all of them: We are all co-heirs with Jesus, sons and daughters of the promise given to our father Abraham. And, because, “I am my mother’s daughter, and the drums of Africa still beat in my heart.” [African proverb] [Mary McLeod Bethune].

No matter who we are, where we live, or what our goals may be, we all have one thing in common: a heritage. That is, a social and spiritual legacy passed on from one generation to another. Every one of us is passed a heritage, lives out a heritage, and gives a heritage to our family. Consider our LEGACY and the legacy of others. What do we leave behind? And what do we do with what is left to us? What impact will our life have on those around us? What will your legacy be? Our legacy be?

As we celebrate our history let it remind us that empowered by God as they were, we can continue their work and likewise pass down legacies of strength, perseverance, faith, and victory to future generations. When I think about my ancestors, and when I think about how they lived their lives and followed God. They continue to impact my life as a heritage of faith that is worth following. For God has established his testimony in Jacob, he’s established his Law, his Word in Israel, and it’s each generation’s job to make sure the next generation gets it, that they would know God, that they would put their hope in God, and learn how to walk with God. That’s each generation’s responsibility toward the next.

In concluding, as Joshua Pawelek, a Unitarian Universalist minister, wrote: I believe it is a sign of spiritual health when we practice remembering and honoring those upon whose shoulders we rest. I believe it is a path to spiritual wisdom when we seek to know our ancestors’ stories. What obstacles did they face? If they were enslaved, how did they achieve liberation? If they wandered in the wilderness, how did they survive? What was their relationship to the Most Holy? For what were they thankful? What did they pass on to us?  As we know more clearly who our ancestors were, we know more clearly who we are.  May we remember and honor the ancestors, whether those we were born into or those in which we were adopted, and to all those who gifted us with something of value.

“Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave, I am the dream and the hope of the slave. I rise. I rise. I rise.”

[Maya Angelou, from “Still I Rise”]

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— Aviation Machinist’s Mate 2nd Class Tristen Rosentrater, from Montclair, Calif., assigned to the “Grandmasters” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 46 attached to the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Nitze (DDG 94), performs a phase inspection on a MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter, Jan. 29. Nitze is underway conducting composite training unit exercise (COMPTUEX) with Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 12. The components of CSG 12 embody a “team-of-teams” concept, combining advanced surface, air and systems assets to create and sustain operational capability. This enables them to prepare for and conduct global operations, have effective and lasting command and control, and demonstrate dedication and commitment to becoming the strongest warfighting force for the Navy and for the nation. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Apprentice Madysson Anne Ritter)

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— NEWPORT NEWS, VA— Master-at-Arms 1st Class Briauna Bellantoni, from Ontario, California, assigned to USS Gerald R. Ford’s (CVN 78) security department, explains the security reaction force basic training course to Ford Sailors at Huntington Hall. Ford is currently undergoing its post-shakedown availability at Huntington Ingalls Industries-Newport News Shipbuilding. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Brett Walker)