WSSN Stories

“As the Year End and The New Year Begins Do Not Be Deceived!”

By Lou K Coleman-Yeboah

Take heed! Be on your guard! Things that will appear to be good, will not be good at all. Because the Antichrist is here, and not yet here. Not yet here in its consummation, but already here in significant fulfillments. Be on guard! Be alert! Because it won’t be long now before this evil and ruthless man will be ruling this world. [2 Thessalonians 2:3, 6-7, 9]. He is “already” here, and he is “not yet” here. [1 John 4:3]. In fact, John goes so far as to say: “You have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come” [1 John 2:18]. This is a call to live a sober life of alertness and faithfulness. Your mind should be girded for action [1 Peter 1:13]. You should put on the whole armor of God [Ephesians 6:13–18]. This is all the more urgent, for you to know how late it is; time is running out. [Romans 13:11]. A massive deception is coming. All we see taking place is moving the world right into the final conflict and deception. I’m not just blowing smoke here or coming up with some fun theory. What I am telling you is the absolute truth of God – it is not fiction, not fantasy, not a myth– this is straight from the Word of God. Might you be awake.  Might you be alert. Might you be ready. Because I tell you, it is almost showtime. A cataclysmic event will soon take place that will change the world. Take heed! Be on guard! Watch and pray!

“For, he came near where I stood, and when he came, I was afraid and fell on my face; but he said to me, understand, [daughter] of man, that the vision refers to the time of the end. [Daniel 8:17]. He said, listen, and I will tell you what will take place later in the period of wrath, for it refers to the appointed time of the end. [Daniel 8:19].  So, as the year end and the new year begin, do not be deceived. Take heed! Be on your guard because the Book of [Revelation 13] prophesied of two ‘beast’ powers, [nations] which would be the main end time kingdoms to deceive the world into receiving the mark of the beast. Those two beast powers are the very ones causing the troubles behind the scenes and then they will come in front stage to appear as ‘saviors’ to bring ‘peace.’ [Daniel 7:23; Revelation 13] but it is all part of the deception to gain control over the world. Do not be deceived. Nothing in your life will remain the same. Wake up! Pay attention! Be vigilant in watchfulness as Gideons army of 300 men described in [Judges 7:1-7].

What I say to you, I say to everyone, “Be on the alert, stay awake and be continually cautions. [Mark 13:37]. If you don’t recognize this, then you are unprepared for what is to come. The news is full of Bible prophecy fulfilling events now, and there can be no doubt that we are living in the last days. Don’t wait until it’s too late to escape the snare. Be vigilant and pray!

“For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.” [1 Thessalonians 5:3].

 

Pittsburgh Yards’ Coworking Members and Tenants Bring Kwanzaa Principles to Life Year Round

ATLANTA, GA—- Pittsburgh Yards, a mission-driven entrepreneurial development on the southside of Atlanta, is a community of more than 140 Black-owned and run businesses and organizations that is community-inspired. Its mission is simple – to serve as a catalyst to spur economic equity, job growth and entrepreneurship to benefit area residents and entrepreneurs throughout Atlanta for future generations. Situated in the historic Black neighborhood of Pittsburgh with a rich history (352 University Avenue), Phase I of Pittsburgh Yards was completed in 2020 and included James Bridges Field, the infrastructure for the pad sites for future development, and The Nia Building, which serves as the development’s nerve center and hub. Named after one of the seven principles of Kwanzaa – Nia means purpose in the African language of Swahili. The word “purpose” defines the mission of Pittsburgh Yards as a place to create unprecedented opportunities for the community and beyond. What happens at Pittsburgh Yards and through the businesses there personifies the principles of Kwanzaa throughout the year.

As Pittsburgh Yards delivers against its purpose and mission and encourages mission-driven businesses and organizations to join and become coworking members or tenants, many of the businesses bring the seven principles of Kwanzaa to life. Here are just a few:

Umoja (Unity) – Stakeholders within the community came together in 2017 through numerous community meetings and work groups to engage in creating the spirit of Pittsburgh Yards, from the actual name to the art from local artists throughout The Nia Building. The space was designed for collective productivity and as an enjoyable place to work and collaborate with a vibrant group of like- minded entrepreneurs and businesses. As Pittsburgh Yards evolves and grows, husband and wife team, Anthony and Sharon Pope, principles of Atelier 7 Architects, LLC, are at the center of designing the ten shipping container retail spaces for the future Container Courtyard that will be situated adjacent to an access point to Atlanta BeltLine’s Southside Trail.

Kujichagulia (Self-Determination) – Born in Atlanta, Mary-Pat Hector is a graduate of Spelman College and a current graduate student at Georgia State University. She began community organizing at the age of 12 years old. At the age of 18, she was one of the youngest community leaders to advise President Barack Obama on criminal justice reform in the oval office. By the age of 19, she became the youngest woman and person of color to run for public office in the state of Georgia, losing by only 22 votes. She is the founder of Equity for All, an organization that develops that develops successful get-out-the-vote programs for partners across the South. Hector finds inspiration in this quote by Coretta Scott King: “Struggle is a never-ending process. Freedom is never really won. You earn it and win it in every generation.”

Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility) – Our Village United, the collaborative partner and organization that leads the programming and curates community culture for Pittsburgh Yards, is grounded in the core belief that by serving the whole business, the entire community prospers economically and holistically. Through their work, they support the growth of Black solopreneurs and microbusinesses by delivering targeted technical assistance and shared professional services that not only focus on the health of the business but also the health of the business owner to empower and elevate small businesses to grow and scale.

Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics) – Malika Redmond is CEO and co-founder of Women Engaged, an initiative that uses a creative, hands-on learning approach to advancing Black women’s human rights, youth empowerment and civic engagement efforts in Georgia, offering leadership development opportunities, public policy advocacy, and year-round non-partisan voter engagement campaigns. She solicited the talents of Amber Lawson, the president/CEO of Aspire Construction & Design to design and build out her office space at Pittsburgh Yards. Aspire is a commercial design-build general contractor providing entrepreneurs like Malika and Women Engaged a one stop shop for design and construction services. She launched Aspire to provide opportunities for under-represented demographics in the architecture and construction industry. Her real passion is imagining the possibilities of a space – building something different than what was there yesterday, and doing that for other entrepreneurs, especially women entrepreneurs.

Nia (Purpose) – Reggie Hammond, CEO of Your Crescendo, empowers individuals, teams, leaders and organizations to connect their work to their purpose. This includes coaching, strategic planning, high performing team building and placement services – all centered in purpose.

Kuumba (Creativity) – There’s no shortage of creativity at Pittsburgh Yards. In addition to having an artist studio, there’s an inspirational, art-centered environment in which to work. From coworking member, Thomas Gray, CEO of Zwenty 58 Entertainment, the creator of Adult Game Nights games, to Destiny Brewton, CEO of A House Called Hue, which is more than a high-quality embroidery company, but also a business that has become an incubator for local creatives in the community, thus developing more artists in Atlanta. And then there’s Sharon Brooks Hodge, CEO and managing partner of Phenomenal Media Productions, a company that creates multimedia content relevant to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Black businesses. It includes content development and traditional media, new media, social media, and corporate communications.

Imani (Faith) – “Chin up champ, you’ve got this!” is the quote Danielle Walker, CEO and founder of BLKGTV Network LLC, has used to motivate herself, even before she was an entrepreneur in the business of helping independent filmmakers maximize their revenue growth through viewership by providing a controlled environment for them to host their content. Although she’s had her business for 9 years under the parent company YJLM LLC, BLKGTV Network was founded in 2021. According to Walker, being a part of the community has elevated her confidence in her ability to grow her company to its fullest potential.

“Pittsburgh Yards is motivating and inspiring because you are in a building with like- minded individuals — all working towards one real goal and that’s to be the change we want to see,” said Walker. “Pittsburgh Yards is a movement. It represents hope.”

You can explore more businesses by going to the 2022 Pittsburgh Yards Gift & Giving Guide.
More information about becoming a Pittsburgh Yards coworking member or tenant can be found at PittsburghYards.com or by visiting the community in person and taking a tour on the second Thursday of every month at 11:30 a.m. or at 2:30 p.m. at 352 University Avenue in Atlanta. Contact Pittsburgh Yards via email at info@pittsburghyards.com or by phone at 470-890-5030.

MORE PHOTOS of Pittsburgh Yards and business owners mentioned in this story can be found here. SIDEBAR: To Expand the Economy, Invest in Black Businesses – Make it a New Year’s Resolution

During the heart of the COVID-19 pandemic, wealth and access to capital inequities were exposed as having a significant impact on Black communities and Black-owned businesses, becoming national news. Despite the systemic-based challenges the pandemic brought to light, it also inspired many to pivot, grow and spurred the creation of new Black-owned businesses, showing resilience to change. A leading public policy organization, the Brookings Institute, reported there are 7,539 Black-owned businesses in Metro Atlanta that create approximately 6 jobs on average per firm. Supporting Black entrepreneurs and helping them grow and gain access to the tools needed to scale their businesses is an essential component to rectifying the inequity that exists. The institute issued a report supporting this concept, “To Expand the Economy, Invest in Black Businesses.” Unique to the Pittsburgh Yards ecosystem is the strategic technical support offered to coworking members and business tenants offered by Our Village United.

2022 Movers and Shakers Year in Review – Marc Philpart

By Edward Henderson | California Black Media

Marc Philpart was named executive director of the California Black Freedom Fund in April 2022.

The five-year $100 million fund is an initiative to ensure that Black power-building and movement-based organizations have the sustained investments and resources they need to eradicate systemic and institutional racism.

On December 13th, the fund announced $1 million in general operating support to be distributed to five Black power-building organizations in Los Angeles. This is the fund’s fifth round of grants to date, with a total of approximately $26 million in investments that are building Black power across the state. Los Angeles Community Action Network (LA CAN), Dignity & Power Now, Students Deserve, The Hub at LA Black Worker Center, and Youth Justice Coalition were recipients of the funding to supercharge their organizing efforts in 2023 and beyond.

California Black Media asked Philpart to reflect on the past year and share his plans for 2023.

With the work you do advocating for African Americans in California, what was your biggest accomplishment in 2022?

The California Black Freedom Fund is a five-year, $100 million initiative to ensure that Black power-building and movement-based organizations have the sustained investments and resources they need to eradicate systemic and institutional racism.

The first state-based fund of its kind, the California Black Freedom Fund prioritizes investments in the courageous and visionary grassroots advocates and community leaders who are transforming our cities, our state — and our world.

In 2022, across three rounds of grants, the California Black Freedom Fund invested approximately $11.8M in Black led power building organizations and networks across California.

What did you find most challenging over the past year?

Part of our work is to organize and educate the philanthropic sector on the giving gap and needs facing Black power building organizations in California.

Philanthropy has a shared opportunity and responsibility to marshal our resources in order to tackle systemic racism and anti-Blackness in communities across California.

We believe that private and corporate philanthropy has a huge opportunity to prioritize building the power and capacity of Black-led organizations as a strategic imperative.

I look forward to working with philanthropic leaders throughout California in the next year and beyond on this goal.

What are you most looking forward to in 2023?

We are excited to develop programs that can support the advocacy, research, and programming needs of Black power building organizations throughout California. By creating and accelerating a new statewide ecosystem of Black-led organizations confronting racism and anti-Blackness, this fund aims to affect the culture, policy and systems changes necessary to realize equity and justice in California.

What’s the biggest challenge Black Californians will face next year?

Our communities must prepare for a mass civic engagement effort that will dramatically expand the Black electorate in the 2024 election. Black power building organizations will need to advocate for new laws, educate and register voters, and innovate new approaches to voter turnout.

What’s your wish for this holiday season?

My one wish is that people keep ever present the threat that Black communities face with so much injustice in the world and give to Black led power building organizations in their communities or to the California Black Freedom Fund to support the critical work happening throughout the state. You can donate to CBFF here.

Multi-Platinum Recording Artist & Actress Jordin Sparks Shines a Spotlight on Cantu Beauty in the Community as Brand Ambassador

“It’s a dream to be working with Cantu to help uplift the next generation of women who are on their own unique and powerful journeys to building their bright futures,” Sparks shares.

STAMFORD, CONN— Award-winning hair care brand, Cantu Beauty, has announced Grammy-nominated, multi-platinum singer/songwriter Jordin Sparks as the brand’s ambassador. As a longtime fan of the brand’s hydrating conditioning treatments and styling gels, Sparks is joining forces with Cantu to help shine a spotlight on the brand’s community initiatives that give back to young women all over the world, specifically with the brand’s partnership with global nonprofit, Women Empowering Nations.

“It’s a dream to be working with Cantu to help uplift the next generation of women who are on their own unique and powerful journeys to building their bright futures,” Sparks shares. “Beyond the products, Cantu really does so much for the community specifically for women empowerment in which I am super passionate about.”

Sparks officially kicked off the partnership last month as she made a surprise virtual visit to the final 11 young women who were awarded a spot in the Cantu GLOW Global Fellowship, a four-month hands-on experience in the beauty industry with Women Empowering Nations. The fellowship concluded with a capstone and group travel seminar to Accra, Ghana this month where each young woman was immersed in four areas within the beauty industry — consumer, concept, commercial, and campaign — allowing them to experience a beauty campaign from concept to shelf.

“We’re so honored to have Jordin Sparks join the Cantu Crew as our brand ambassador,” says Dametria Kinsley, Cantu’s Global Vice President of Marketing. “She has been a pillar in Black and Brown communities for years through her own philanthropic efforts and we’re excited to join forces to extend additional resources to women all around the world.”

The Cantu GLOW Global Fellowship is just one of Cantu Beauty’s commitments to elevate their communities through bespoke events, programming, and both financial and intellectual resources. This year, the brand continued a multi-year relationship with nonprofit Gyrl Wonder, to support Black and Latina communities by nurturing the next generation of female leaders from curl to toe. Additionally, the brand celebrated its second year of Cantu Elevate, the brand-owned entrepreneurship accelerator program for Black female-led businesses in partnership with BrainTrust Founders Studio.

For more details on Cantu Beauty’s community initiatives or to join the Cantu Crew, follow @cantubeauty on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter or visit them at cantubeauty.com.

“Blow the Shofar!”

By Lou K Coleman-Yeboah

Something is about to happen. Alert the people of impending danger. Cry out like a mother who has lost her child. Blow the Shofar! Chaos and crisis are breeding grounds for revolution, the rise of despotic leaders, and totalitarian governments. The Great Reset: Think about COVID-19, the lockdowns, the economic crashes, the mandatory mask wearing, the race riots, ANTIFA, ID2020, Bill Gates, the Document of Human Fraternity, Chrislam, ponder for a moment on all of it. When you have wrapped your head around all those things, now wrap your head around this. Everything we have been experiencing, it is all part of the Great Reset, and it is all driving towards the same outcome. That is, the resetting of the entire world to prepare us for the arrival of Antichrist. That’s how close we are to seeing him step out of the shadows and onto the world stage. Everything that has been happening in the world over the last two years are different arms of the same beast, and The Beast, who is on his way right now, and will be the crown jewel in the ungodly crown of evil. Blow the Shofar!

We are not living in ordinary times. We are nearing the end of an age—the end of a civilization. As Franklin Delano Roosevelt spoke in the midst of the Great Depression: “This generation… has a rendezvous with destiny.” Our entire life is about to change. Events will unfold soon to destroy the way of life as we have known it. We must take the means of escape God has provided – before the throne of grace and pray for grace in time of need; in other words before we fall. Blow the Shofar!

For “By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not yet seen, moved with fear.” [Genesis 6:3]. Pray and ask God to speak to your heart as I speak to your mind because our world is rapidly approaching the time prophesied in the Bible where it will be joined together as one. The recent development of centrally controlled digital currencies and the growing overreach of governments into people’s personal lives is part of the veiled scheme. Blow the Shofar!

Listen, God gave us [Revelation 13] to sharpen our minds, and spiritual senses, warning us before the curtains of deception are pulled fully closed. So be warned. Stay alert! We are in the end time already and the stage is set for all the things that were written about the last days to happen.

When he receives this power, the devil will demand a one-world government be formed. Lucifer will set himself up as King of kings and Lord of lords and no one can stop him. He will demand everyone who refuses to worship him be put to death. To make his dominion complete, the devil will abolish and outlaw the religions and governments of the world. There will be one faith, one Lord, and one baptism. At this time, the 144,000 will announce an inflammatory third message to counter this global development. Awake from your slumber! Massive deception and danger is lurking around the corner. Blow the Shofar!

The agony they suffered was like that of the sting of a scorpion when it strikes a man. The torture was so great that, during those days men will seek death, but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them. [Revelation 9:5-6].

Celebrating Hanukah: The History, Traditions and the Faithful

By Solomon O. Smith | California Black Media

Hanukkah, one of the most visible holidays of the Jewish faith, is right around the corner.

As much as the public may be aware of Hanukah, many Californians don’t understand the basics of this holiday, which will be celebrated by millions around the world for eight days beginning the evening of Sunday, Dec. 18 and ending the evening of Monday, December 26.

Origins of Hanukah

Hanukkah began with a war and a miracle, according to Rabbi Isaiah Rothstein, a rabbinic scholar and Black Jewish leader in the Jewish Equity, Diversity & Inclusion program of the Jewish Federation of North America, or JEDI.

It marks the freeing of Judea by the Jewish freedom fighters called the Maccabee over the Assyrian-Greek occupiers more than 2,300 years ago. After recapturing the Holy Temple in Jerusalem which had been desecrated by the occupiers, the freedom fighters searched for oil to light the Temple menorah as part of the rededication of the temple. They found a single day’s worth of fuel, but it miraculously burned for eight days before being resupplied.

“So, there’s a combination of things in the holiday, which is really celebrating that the oil lasted longer, and also the War of the few against the many,” said Rothstein “And then, the over the last 15 or 20 years, many other themes have come into being, like light over darkness.”

By many, the holiday is referred to as the “festival of lights” and is celebrated on the 25th of Kislev on the Hebrew calendar. Because the Hebrew calendar follows the lunar cycle, the dates of Jewish holidays change from year to year according to the Gregorian calendar. As a result, the beginning of Hanukkah can range from late November to late December.

Although often compared to Christmas, Hanukkah is not one of the High Jewish Holidays, which are considered more core to the belief system. Hanukkah is closer to Thanksgiving in tone. It celebrates the rededication of oneself to God, the faith and family.

 The Celebration

The most visual part of the holiday is the lighting of the Hanukkah menorah, or “hanukkiah” in Hebrew. It holds eight candles, one for each day of the festival, and a helper candle or “shamash,” in the center which is used to light the others. It can be made of a wide range of materials and has become a symbol of the faith.

Many communities have large communal hanukkiah which are lit as part of an inclusive celebration. Washington, D.C. has a National Menorah and lighting festival, while New York claims the world’s largest Hanukkah menorah.

The tone of Hanukkah is not the same as Christmas which has traditionally become a holiday heavily focused on youth. Christmas gifts are ubiquitous in the United States and the eight days of Chanukkah have also begun to include gifts.

In other parts of the world, where Jews were persecuted a quieter less public observance took root. Many in Europe escaping Nazi persecution or Russian pogroms were raised to be cautious in their celebrations according to Rothstein.

Often the very act of displaying or lighting a hanukkiah could be dangerous. It led to the lighting of the menorah to be associated with rebellion against oppression.

Some of the concepts of the menorah and lighting its candles have even influenced other holidays like Kwanzaa, some religious and cultural observers say. For Hanukkah, each candle represents a day of the holiday; for Kwanzaa, each one stands for a life principle.

A custom associated with Hanukkah is playing games with the dreidel, a small spinning top. According to Rothstein the toy was used to fool the ruling authority and hide the study of the Torah.

Another Hanukkah custom is to give money (called Hanukkah gelt) to children. Hanukkah-themed chocolate coins wrapped in gold or silver foil are used as substitute to real money gifts.

Food is a big part of the holiday. Traditional Hanukkah recipes include foods fried in oil, to commemorate the original miracle of the oil. Fried donuts and potato pancakes or latkes are a favorite. Dairy products are also popular during Hanukkah.

The People

There are about 7.6 million persons who identify as Jewish across the country, with California containing 15%, the second highest behind New York at 21% according to the American Jewish Population Project.

There are a number of national organizations that help the public understand Judaism, including the celebration of Hanukkah.

The Jewish Federation of North America provides a range of services to the community and brings together over 300 different organizations according to Niv Elis, the communications director at the Jewish Federation of North America.

“So, the Jewish Federation we’re a system that encourages Jewish communities to flourish,” said Elis. “That’s our main thing is that we think of ourselves sometimes as the backbone of the Jewish community. We’re not the entirety of it, but we support all the different parts.”

The Jewish diaspora is widespread and crosses many borders, including race. In the United States some Black members of the faith can find it to be an isolating experience.

Robin Washington’s article for NPR about being the singular Black Jewish person left in Duluth, Minnesota is just one example. He points out that there are a lot of Black Jews.

There are at least 200,000 Black American Jews. There are biracial Jews with a Jewish parent like him. Some converted to Judaism, and some belong to Black Hebrew congregations that formed at the turn of the last century.

Rothstein and his organization are working to connect to African American members and address those feeling disconnected.

“We’re building community, like every single week,” said Rothstein. “We connect with different Black Jews and Jews of color from across the community, across the country.”


This California Black Media report was supported in whole or in part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library.

The Purple Purse Party was a Success!

On October 23, 2022, Positive Results Corporation (PRC) hosted it’s fifth Annual Purple Purse Tea Party & Gala at the beautiful Wallis Annenberg Building in Exposition Park, California.

They were honored to celebrate community partners who dedicate their lives to help heal their communities. The organization also celebrated the birthday of it’s Executive Director Kandee Lewis.

PRC would love to send out a special thank you to their guests and supporters. The organization could not do this work without them! Together, they all make the difference.

WNBA Star Griner Freed in Swap for Russian Arms Dealer Bout

By Eric Tucker, Matthew Lee and Zeke Miller

WASHINGTON (AP) — Russia freed WNBA star Brittney Griner on Thursday in a high-profile prisoner exchange, as the U.S. released notorious Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout but failed to win freedom for another American, Paul Whelan, who has been jailed for nearly four years.

The deal, the second in eight months amid tensions over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, secured the release of the most prominent American detained abroad and achieved a top policy goal for President Joe Biden. But it carried what U.S. officials described as a heavy price.

“She’s safe, she’s on a plane, she’s on her way home,” Biden said from the White House, where he was accompanied by Griner’s wife, Cherelle, and administration officials.

Biden’s authorization to release Bout, the Russian felon once nicknamed “the Merchant of Death,” underscored the heightened urgency that his administration faced to get Griner home, particularly after the recent resolution of her criminal case on drug charges and subsequent transfer to a penal colony. Griner, who also played pro basketball in Russia, was arrested at an airport there last February for bringing less than a gram of cannabis oil in vape cartridges into the country.

Griner is a two-time Olympic gold medalist, Baylor University All-American and Phoenix Mercury pro basketball star, whose arrest in February made her the most high-profile American jailed abroad. Her status as an openly gay Black woman, locked up in a country where authorities have been hostile to the LBGTQ community, injected racial, gender and social dynamics into her legal saga and brought unprecedented attention to the population of wrongful detainees.

The Russian Foreign Ministry confirmed the swap, saying in a statement carried by Russian news agencies that the exchange took place in Abu-Dhabi and that Bout had been flown home.

Biden spoke with Griner who was at an airport in Abu-Dhabi after she was greeted by U.S. officials. She was expected to be back in the U.S. within 24 hours, Biden said. U.S. officials said she would be offered specialized medical services and counseling but declined to go into specifics citing privacy concerns.

Both Russian and U.S. officials had conveyed cautious optimism in recent weeks after months of strained negotiations, with Biden saying in November that he was hopeful that Russia would engage in a deal now that the midterm elections were completed. A top Russian official said last week that a deal was possible before year’s end.

Even so, the fact that the deal was a one-for-one swap was a surprise given that U.S. officials had for months expressed their their determination to bring home both Griner and Paul Whelan, a Michigan corporate security executive jailed in Russia since December 2018 on espionage charges that his family and the U.S. government has said are baseless.

“We’ve not forgotten about Paul Whelan,” Biden said. “We will keep negotiating in good faith for Paul’s release.”

U.S. officials said they did not see an immediate path to bringing about Whelan’s release, saying Russia has treated his case differently because of the “sham espionage” charges against him. Still, they said they believe communications channels with the Russians remain open for negotiations for his freedom to continue — though it was not yet clear what cost would need to be paid to secure it.

“We didn’t want to lose the opportunity today to secure the release of one of them,” said Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Whelan’s brother David said in a statement he was “ so glad” for Griner’s release but also disappointed for his family. He credited the White House with giving the Whelan family advance notice and said he did not fault officials for making the deal.

“The Biden Administration made the right decision to bring Ms. Griner home, and to make the deal that was possible, rather than waiting for one that wasn’t going to happen,” he said.

In releasing Bout, the U.S. freed a former Soviet Army lieutenant colonel whom the Justice Department once described as one of the world’s most prolific arms dealers. He was arrested in Thailand in 2008 and extradited to the U.S. in 2010.

Bout, whose deeds were featured in a Hollywood movie, was serving a 25-year sentence on charges that he conspired to sell tens of millions of dollars in weapons that U.S officials said were to be used against Americans. Biden issued an executive grant of clemency to free the arms dealer from a federal prison in Illinois to effect the prisoner swap.

The exchange was carried out despite deteriorating relations between the powers prompted by Moscow’s war against Ukraine.

Over the summer, the imprisonment of Americans produced a rare diplomatic opening, yielding the highest-level known contact between Washington and Moscow — a phone call between Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov — in more than five months.

In an extraordinary move during otherwise secret negotiations, Blinken revealed publicly in July that the U.S. had made a “substantial proposal” to Russia for Griner and Whelan. Though he did not specify the terms, people familiar with it said the U.S. had offered Bout.

Such a public overture drew a chiding rebuke from the Russians, who said they preferred to resolve such cases in private, and carried the risk of weakening the U.S. government’s negotiating hand for this and future deals by making the administration appear too desperate. But the announcement was also meant to communicate to the public that Biden was doing what he could and to ensure pressure on the Russians.

Besides the efforts of U.S. officials, the release also followed months of back channel negotiations involving Bill Richardson, the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and a frequent emissary in hostage talks, and his top deputy, Mickey Bergman.

Griner was arrested at the Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport in February when customs officials said they found vape canisters with cannabis oil in her luggage. She pleaded guilty in July, though still faced trial because admitting guilt in Russia’s judicial system does not automatically end a case.

She acknowledged in court that she possessed the canisters, but said she had no criminal intent and said their presence in her luggage was due to hasty packing.

Before being sentenced on Aug. 4 and receiving a punishment her lawyers said was out of line for the offense, an emotional Griner apologized “for my mistake that I made and the embarrassment that I brought on them.” She added: “I hope in your ruling it does not end my life.”

Her supporters had largely stayed quiet for weeks after her arrest, but that approach changed in May once the State Department designated her as unlawfully detained. A separate trade, Marine veteran Trevor Reed for Konstantin Yaroshenko, a Russian pilot convicted in the U.S. in a cocaine trafficking conspiracy, spurred hope that additional such exchanges could be in the works.

Whelan has been held in Russia since December 2018. The U.S. government also classified him as wrongfully detained. He was sentenced in 2020 to 16 years in prison.

Whelan was not included in the Reed prisoner swap, escalating pressure on the Biden administration to ensure that any deal that brought home Griner also included him.

Inland Valley News coverage of local news in San Bernardino and Riverside Counties is supported by the Ethnic Media Sustainability Initiative, a program created by California Black Media and Ethnic Media Services to support minority-owned-and-operated community newspapers across California.

First Black Woman Vice President Swears in First Black Woman Mayor of Los Angeles

By Maxim Elramsisy | California Black Media

On Sunday, December 12, Karen Bass was sworn in as Los Angeles’ first Black woman and second Black mayor.

Vice President Kamala Harris, who has a home in Los Angeles, conducted the swearing-in of the new mayor. Though originally planned to be conducted at Los Angeles City Hall, rain moved the ceremony to the Microsoft Theater in downtown.

The ceremony was highlighted by several live performances by well-known celebrities, including 25-time Grammy award winner Stevie Wonder and the first National Youth Poet Laureate and Los Angeles native Amanda Gorman.

In her inaugural address, the former congresswoman set the tone for new office.

“Tomorrow morning, I will start my first day as mayor at our city’s Emergency Operations Center, where my first act as mayor will be to declare a state of emergency on homelessness,” Bass said.  “My emergency declaration will recognize the severity of our crisis and break new ground to maximize our ability to urgently move people inside and do so for good. And it will create the structure necessary for us to have a true, unified, and citywide strategy to set us on the path to solve homelessness.”

Homelessness was one of the major issues debated during the election. Bass and real estate developer Rick Caruso sparred over strategies of how to get people into housing in a city where, according the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, residents spend 38% of their income on housing, compared to the national average of 34.3%.

“We know our mission – we must build housing in every neighborhood and the very best way for this to happen is by neighbors working together and deciding where housing should be built. We cannot continue to overcrowd neighborhoods that are already overcrowded. This is my call to you, L.A. – to welcome housing in every neighborhood.”

Bass made the point to elected leaders in attendance as well as Angelenos that she would be calling on them to work with her to contend with the homelessness crisis.

“Vice President Harris, Governor Newsom — my colleagues in Congress here today — look for me on your caller ID. If we come together and focus on solutions rather than jurisdiction, on linking arms rather than pointing fingers – if we just focus on bringing people inside, comprehensively addressing their needs, and moving them to permanent housing with a way to pay their bills — we will save lives and save our city – that is my mission as your mayor.”

Bass also spoke about her ambitions about addressing public health, the violent crime surge, the economy and the environment.

“Right now, there is a role for everyone,” Bass proclaimed. “If you are a Hollywood creative, I call on you to help me inspire people to help our city. If you are a tech entrepreneur, I call on you to help me make City Hall run smarter, faster and with more accountability. If you are retired, I call you to share your wisdom with our youth. If you are a community organizer, let’s organize our neighborhoods together. And finally, I call on you to come work for the city. Did you know L.A. City has hundreds of vacancies in the very departments that respond to community needs? If you want a good paying union job — you should literally come work for the City of L.A. I call on the people of our city to not just dream of the L.A. we want, but to participate in making the dream come true.”

Bass thanked and acknowledged the many national and local officials present. She also spotlighted women breaking barriers in government, including Vice-President Harris, California’s first female Lt. Governor, Eleni Kounalakis, the first female California Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins and the all-female Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors – Hilda L. Solis, Holly Mitchell, Lindsey Horvath, Janice Hahn and Kathryn Barger.

“We are all going to make so much history together in a state that has enshrined in our constitution a woman’s right to decide what happens to her body.”

Bass acknowledged outgoing Mayor Eric Garcetti for his 21 years of service to the city. Garcetti sat in the front row next to Gov. Gavin Newsom and California’s First Partner, Jennifer Siebel Newsom.

The Best Man: The Final Chapters

Based upon the eponymous Universal film franchise written and directed by Malcolm D. Lee, the series will catch up with Harper, Robyn, Jordan, Lance, Quentin, Shelby, Candace, and Murch as relationships evolve and past grievances resurface in the unpredictable stages of midlife crisis meets midlife renaissance.

ABOUT THE SERIES:

  • Premiere Date and Drop Cadence:December 22, 2022, all 8 episodes
  • Cast: Morris Chestnut, Melissa De Sousa, Taye Diggs, Regina Hall, Terrence Howard, Sanaa Lathan, Nia Long and Harold Perrineau
  • Creator of the Best Man Franchise, Co-Developed By, Writer, Executive Producer, Director, Co-Showrunner: Malcolm D. Lee of Blackmaled Productions
  • Co-Developed By, Writer, Executive Producer, Co-Showrunner: Dayna Lynne North of Loud Sis Productions
  • Executive Producer: Sean Daniel of Hivemind & Dominique Telson of Blackmaled Productions
  • Produced By: Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group
  • Directors: Malcolm D. Lee (four episodes), Charles Stone III, Robert Townsend and Stacey Muhammad
  • Format: Limited Drama Series, 8 episodes x 60 minutes
  • Filming Locations: New York City, Kearny, NJ and Dominican Republic