Local

By Naomi K. Bonman

To commemorate Domestic Violence Awareness Month, I recently interviewed the author of “A Survivors Celebration of Life Beyond Domestic Violence”, which is written by Tahirah Ogletree.

Olgletree is an African-American actress, print model, author, filmmaker and advocate for domestic violence. Originally from Cleveland, Tahirah moved to Phoenix, Arizona to pursue her passion for film and acting. Over the years, she has been featured as a commercial print model in nationwide magazines and catalogs, starred in Internet commercials, and landed a role in a 2008 SIS TV Production. In 2011, she was rated as America’s top-aspiring African American woman, and was featured on the prestigious cover of the Blow, Hair & Fashion magazine. In 2012, Tahirah established her own film company, O’Tahirah Films, LLC. She wrote, produced and starred in two short films, Battered But not Broken and Phoenix Finest in Blue. In “Battered But Not Broken,” Tahirah played a battered woman who finds the strength to take back her life from the deadly grips of her abuser. Tahirah wrote “Battered But not Broken” to raise awareness on domestic violence and how rapidly it’s becoming an epidemic in so many households across America.

A Survivors Celebration of Life Beyond Domestic Violence is dedicated to every victim and survivor of domestic violence with the purpose of empowering, inspiring, educating, and helping to save and change lives. It is intended as a celebration of the beauty that all survivors have within, and is a reminder to everyone that there is life beyond the deadly grips of domestic violence. This empowering coffee table book is filled with inspiring quotes, tips on how to detect the early warning signs of domestic violence, tear-jerking testimonials from survivors around the world, Tahirah’s own autobiography, and a list of domestic violence hotlines with 24/7 access to highly trained advocates for immediate support.

In conjunction with her book release, Tahirah’s clothing line debuted with the launch of two t-shirt designs. The first derives from her original art pieces called “ Power Beyond the Fist.” The striking image translates two powerful messages. On one hand, it’s a collection of 52 inspiring phrases that help domestic violence victims understand they can overcome through faith in God, encouragement, forgiveness and a great support system. On the other, it sends the message to males that real men don’t hit women. “The Nubian” shirt hits the positive message home to victims and survivors that there is no excuse in settling for a life that’s less than one is capable of living; that there is true purpose in life beyond domestic violence. It is necessary to rise above and become the best version of oneself. When worn, these high-quality shirts act as strong messages to society, supporting the theory that we can break the silence of domestic violence.

To listen to the audio interview, please visit http://bit.ly/1JAuQCr. For more information on the book and how you can get it, visit otahirah.com.

LOS ANGELES, CA- McDonald’s is bringing its Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour to the 10th Annual Taste of Soul Family Festival on Saturday, October 17. Southern California McDonald’s will join local gospel choirs with today’s biggest names in gospel music for a day of fellowship and fun during the community festival.

Hosting the tour is Stellar-nominated artist and radio personality Lonnie Hunter. Joining him on stage will be music director and songwriter Donald Lawrence, vocal powerhouse Yolanda Adams, the “Rose of Gospel” Dorinda Clark-Cole, the incomparable choral-master Ricky Dillard, urban inspirational artist DeWayne Woods, Stellar Award nominee and BET’s Sunday Best season six winner Tasha Page-Lockhart and Christian comedienne Small Fire.

“In L.A. McDonald’s has a long history with gospel,” said McDonald’s franchise owner/operator Reggie Webb, former chair of the Southern California Black McDonald’s Owner/Operator Association and currently serves on the Board of Directors.

“We’ve put on a gospel fest for 19 consecutive years. Lindsay Hughes, an operator here, ran it for 19 years. And then, we started the Inspiration Gospel Celebration, [which] has grown every year.”

Back for its ninth year, McDonald’s Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour focuses on the importance of giving back to the community by supporting Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC). In recognition of the Charity’s 41st anniversary, this year concertgoers will have the opportunity to learn about RMHC and the important role it plays in helping families heal and thrive in their local community and worldwide.

“African Americans use all of the McDonald houses in Metropolitan Los Angeles to a greater percentage than we are a percentage of the population,” Webb explained.

“Our kids are more sick than the general population so more of our families are able to take advantage of the Ronald McDonald houses they can stay close to, to support their children while their children are being treated at children’s hospitals around the area for these very debilitating diseases…”

Attendees will also be encouraged to support Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southern California by donating to help local families served by the Charity.

To learn more about the tour and the 365Black initiative, visit www.365Black.com. For more information on local gospel acts gracing the stage and details, follow @McDonalds_SoCal on Twitter and join the conversation at #365BlackGospel.

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

Jesus was mistreated by Roman soldiers, Matthew 26:27-31. He was ridiculed by the Jewish leaders, Matt. 27:39-43. He was even ridiculed by the two thieves who were crucified with Him, Matthew 27:44. He endured all of this so that He might make a lavish purchase and redeem you from the slavery of your sins. If you stop and think about the price God paid to redeem you, how can you turn a deaf ear to His call? When you consider the price He paid, the shame He bore, and the lengths He went to, to make salvation possible, how can you not bow before Him in love, in obedience, and in gratitude? Oh I know… because you are selfish…. You are just like those who was in the days of Noah Matthew 24:37-39 eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage… selfishly going about life as usual, while ignoring the truth in the face of impending doom and judgment. How unfortunate! Wrapped up in you and not caring. Lost and on your way to Hell! You’ve forgotten your history. You’ve forgotten where you came from; you forgotten the blessings you have received along the way. And when that happens, you forget to be grateful to the One who has blessed you along the way. What tragedy!  Psalms 81 tells that story and the results for Israel. There is a history lesson and a warning in this psalm for us. If we forget our history with God, we will forget God. We will forget the good things He has done for us, chief of which is saving us from sin. Why want you choose to remember!

Listen, sometimes, you only get one chance. And if you miss it, you never get the chance to do it again. God says, “Behold.” “Pay attention!” “Listen up!” Hear what is being said!” There will be no reprieve. There will be no second chances…” Amos 8:11-14. I want you to know that if you are going to survive and thrive, you must be able to get a word from the Lord. When you refuse to hear the Word of God, God will give you His silence in Judgment. That is a judgment greater than any other. Jesus said in Matthew 11:15, “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.” I want you to know that those who turned a deaf ear to the Gospel of Christ, they all went to Hell Psalm 9:17. It is interested that the Bible says those who perished in the flood knew not until destruction was upon them. They sincerely didn’t believe Noah’s message of coming judgment and doom. The rich man knew not until he awoke in the fires of Hell. I know that many people alive today will not wake up until they are burning in Hell with the rich man, because they refused to listen.  While we are facing impending doom and destruction in this world, most people couldn’t care less. Just as the world didn’t care before the flood came and swept them away. Just as Sodom didn’t care before God reigned down fire and brimstone to consume them. Just as Jerusalem didn’t care before Babylon utterly destroyed them. Just as the rich man didn’t care before God cast him into the flames of Hell, so also is the wicked, who don’t care about the truth; but I want you to know… eternal judgment is coming!

I will leave you with food for thought…. the message in Hebrews 3:8-18 “Do not be stubborn, as your ancestors were when they rebelled against God, as they were that day in the desert when they put him to the test. There they put me to the test and tried me, says God, although they had seen what I did for forty years. And so I was angry with those people and said, “they are always disloyal and refuse to obey my commands.’ I was angry and made a solemn promise: “They will never enter the land where I would have given them rest! My friends, be careful that none of you have a heart so evil and unbelieving that you will turn away from the living God. Instead, in order that none of you be deceived by sin and become stubborn, you must help one another every day, as long as the word “Today” in the scripture applies to us. For we are all partners with Christ if we hold firmly to the end the confidence we had at the beginning. This is what the scripture says: “If you hear God’s voice today, do not be stubborn, as your ancestors were when they rebelled against God.” Who were the people who heard God’s voice and rebelled against him? All those who were led out of Egypt by Moses. With whom was God angry for forty years? With the people who sinned, who fell down dead in the desert. When God made his solemn promise, “They will never enter the land where I would have given them rest” – of whom was he speaking? Of those who rebelled.

To whom shall I speak, and give warning, that they may hear?

Claudell Curry

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- The Music Ministry of St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church is sponsoring a live recorded concert featuring Claudell Curry and the church’s mass choir.  Mr. Curry, who is “Celebrating Eighty Years of Joy for the Lord in Song,” will be rendering “Music with a Message” as he shares his God given bass vocal talents with resonance and clarity. He has been featured as a frequent soloist in the church’s choirs during his 54 years as a member of St. Paul as well as churches in the Los Angeles Districts of the AME Church.

This will also be an opportunity to preserve the church’s history by having a live recorded concert of the artist and mass choir by a professional recording company. The concert will be held on Saturday, October 10 at 3 p.m., at the Inghram Community Center located at 2050 North Mt. Vernon in San Bernardino.

Tickets for the concert are $10 and $25 for the concert and a copy of the CD.  For further information and to purchase tickets, please contact St. Paul AMEC at 1355 W. 21^st Street, San Bernardino or call 909-887-1718.

Adrena Ifill Blagburn

Adrena Ifill Blagburn is the 2015 recipient of the J. Franklin Jameson Archival Advocacy Award given by the Society of American Archivists (SAA). The award was presented at a ceremony during the SAA Annual Meeting in Cleveland, August 16–22. The award honors an individual, institution, or organization that promotes greater public awareness, appreciation, or support of archival activities or programs.

Since founding the strategic communications firm, Ifill/DoubleBack Global Group in 2002, Ifill Blagburn has been a leading advocate for the preservation of archival records documenting African-American Congressional history. As a result of her efforts to educate Black lawmakers about record retention policies, Ifill Blagburn has increased public awareness on the importance of not only preserving these records, but of the benefits of utilizing them for educational and historic programs. As a consultant, she directs the Avoice Project of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. As Chief Strategist for DoubleBack, she has developed exhibits, videos and events for various organizations to reach diverse audiences and empower them “to take history off the shelf.” Ifill Blagburn’s many strategic partners include the Moorland-Spingarn Research Center at Howard University, the Robert J. Terry Library at Texas State University, the DC Archives and the Center for Legislative Archives at the National Archives.

Ifill Blagburn is a graduate of Williams College and received her MBA from Howard University. With roots in the Caribbean and North Carolina, she learned firsthand the importance of preserving history and its global impact. Gaining access to “lost” collections and being able to double back with the descendants of unfamiliar historic figures to devise, creative ways to communicate these stories is one of Ifill Blagburn’s favorite things. Her advocacy is partly mission driven, tied closely to providing excellent customer service and assembling a team with in-depth knowledge of her clients’ specialty areas that produces innovative and timely results.

By Naomi Bonman

SAN BERNARDINO, CA-Balling for a cause to take back our youth by bringing awareness to the affects that bullying has among our kids is the reason why several of the Inland Empire’s finest in the music industry will be coming together. On Saturday, October 17 at Arroyo Valley High School in San Bernardino AV Lmkr, The Finatticz, Audio Push, The Rejects, and Dirty Birdy will be battling it out in the court for the young ones.

According to the National Education Association, an estimated 160,000 students skip school every day in hopes to avoid their aggressors. Bullying statistics also report that 1 out of every 10 students that drop out of school does so because of repeated bullying, and an estimated 64% of students have been bullied but do not report it.

Our community will not just be entertained through sports, but they will also be gaining knowledge in a fun and interactive way by getting up close and personal with each celebrity throughout the day. Other special guests include Vvs Vision and 99.1 KGGI.

The event will be held from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tickets are $20 at the door. Arroyo Valley High School is located at 1881 W. Base Line Street in San Bernardino.

Victorville rapper, Justified, with his two daughters at “Daughters Lives Matter”.

By Sheri Stuart  

COLTON, CA- Award-Winning Street Positive, a division of 4Positive Knowledge, has launched a national social engagement campaign promoting the importance of healthy father/daughter relationships. The “Daughters Lives Matter” campaign is dedicated to helping young girls avoid the destructive effects associated with child maltreatment, including sex trafficking, dating violence, and drug and alcohol abuse.  Individuals and families from both Riverside and San Bernardino County gathered at Fiesta Village Family Fun Park in Colton to take part in the Sept. 19 kick-off, which included remarks from civic leaders and elected officials who expressed the importance of family/community involvement in the lives of all children.

“The dialogue was powerful and helped raise community consciousness in terms of safety,” said Joe Paulino, chief of police for the San Bernardino City Unified School District. “We’re mindful that our daughters’ lives matter and their safety is important.”

Founder and CEO of Street Positive Terry Boykins

More than 400 people attended the campaign launch, which included the recognition of six distinguished women for their proactive efforts to support fathers and daughters throughout Southern California’s Inland Empire Region. Award recipients included: Acquanetta Warren – Mayor of Fontana; Josie Gonzales –

Individuals and families from the Inland Empire Region

San Bernardino County Supervisor, 5^th District; Pastor Karen Sykes – Cross Word Christian Church; Cheyenne English – Women Who Hide; Susana Zamudio-Riverside Unified School District; and Patricia Nichols-Butler-Community Action Partnership of San Bernardino County.

“It was a great event and we are so grateful to have been a part of it,” said Michelle Kapuscinski, owner of Fiesta Village Family Fun Park. “We’ve worked with Terry Boykins and Street Positive over the last eight years. It’s been incredible to watch the programs expand.  We look forward to an even bigger event next year.”

Carolyn Tillman, Special Assistant to the Superintendent of San Bernardino County Schools

Colton Mayor Richard A. DeLaRosa

Kenneth Young, Riverside Superintendent of Schools

HAWTHRONE, CA— October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and the Richstone Family Center is hosting a community event honoring the victims, survivors, and advocates who inspire change on Tuesday, October 6 at 8:30 a.m. The event will be held at The Richstone Family Center located at 13634 Cordary Avenue in Hawthrone, and will include special guest speakers, such as: Victor Rivers the National Spokesperson for the National Network to End Domestic Violence. Along with Victor, speakers include Steve Tabor, Associate Superintendent of Pupil Services; Lieutenant Meehan LA County Sheriff’s Department; and Jenny True, Crisis Counselor of Centinela Valley Union High School District.

For over 40 years, the Richstone Family Center has been dedicated to preventing and treating child abuse and trauma; strengthening and educating families; and decreasing violence in families, schools and communities. Each year, Richstone serves thousands of children and families through programs including: Counseling, home visits, and case management. They also provide Early childhood education programs; an After-school enrichment program; Domestic violence support groups; Parent education; anger management classes; and Transitional housing for young women exiting from foster care.

Mark Collins on the field (then)

SAN BERNARDINIO, CA- Former New York Giants defensive back and San Bernardino native Mark Collins will return to Pacific High School on Friday, September 25 to celebrate the Super Bowl’s 50th anniversary by presenting his alma mater with a gold football.

Collins, who graduated from Pacific High in 1982, is returning as part of a special NFL celebration honoring every high school in the world that has produced a player or coach who appeared in a Super Bowl. Collins was drafted by the New York Giants in the second round of the 1986 NFL draft. He played for the Giants from 1986 to 1993.

Mark Collins (Now)

The NFL estimates that over 3,000 players have played in the Super Bowl, along with 52 coaches. The league invited some of those 3,000 players to personally deliver the gold football to their individual high schools.

Collins’ homecoming will take place at noon on Friday during a special student assembly in the Pacific High Auditorium. It’s been 33 years since Collins graduated from Pacific High, a school he continues to support by participating in the development of the District’s Athletic Strategic Plan. The plan aims to increase student participation in sports by providing state-of-the-art facilities and academic support to athletes.

For Principal Hector Vazquez, Collins’ return to Pacific is an opportunity to remind all students, not just athletes, that setting goals and believing in themselves will take them far in life.

“Mark Collins is an amazing role model for our students,” Vasquez said.  “He’s proof that great things are possible when you set goals, work hard, and persevere.”

Kim Carter

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- Time for Change Foundation (TFCF) under the leadership of Kim Carter has been named a 2015 CNN Hero!  The CNN Heroes initiative is a year-long initiative that honors everyday people for their selfless, creative efforts to help others.  The campaign is now in its ninth year.

In the past eight years, CNN Heroes has received more than 50,000 nominations from more than 100 countries.  Since 2007, the campaign has profiled more than 200 CNN Heroes.  They‘re working in more than 80 countries around the world, helping hundreds of thousands of people.  Follow CNN Heroes on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.  To view the CNN Hero Award video please visit www.Timeforchangefoundation.org and click on the CNN Heroes button.

“I’m happy that CNN is shining an International spotlight on our organization.” says Phyllis Scott, TFCF Case Manager. Kim Carter, Founder and Executive Director of TFCF stated, “I am so grateful that I answered God’s call on my life.  My homelessness, substance abuse and incarceration experiences fuel my passion to help others succeed.  It’s that calling that started Time for Change Foundation.”

To celebrate, the organization is hosting a “CNN Watch Party” to celebrate the success of the community. The event will be held at the Feldheym Library at 555 West 6th Street
in San Bernardino on October 8 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Lunch will be provided by Kim Carter and the TFCF Team.