WSSN Stories

Yvonne Wheeler Elected New President of L.A County Federation of Labor

By Edward Henderson | California Black Media

Yvonne Wheeler was elected the new President of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, (LA Fed) Nov. 21. The historic unanimous vote by her peers makes Wheeler the first Black woman to hold the title and makes her one of the most influential people in Los Angeles politics.

The LA Fed, the second largest central labor body in the nation, is a federation of over 300 affiliated union and labor organizations that represent more than 800,000 members. LA Fed is known for fighting for better wages, establishing respect in the workplace and the vast political influence their endorsements hold.

“Yvonne is the best selection and most informed Union leader in the state,” said Danny Bakewell, Executive Publisher, LA Sentinel and the Chairman/CEO of Bakewell Media.

She has integrity, understands union leadership and she is one is those rare leaders that the community and the people trust,” Bakewell continued. “She is the perfect person at the perfect time for this role.”

Wheeler’s election comes in the wake of a political scandal involving former LA Fed President Ron Herrera and three City Council Members – Council President Nury Martinez, Kevin de León, and Gil Cedillo.

A secret recording of Herrera and the City Council members was released in October that featured a conversation involving crude and racist remarks directed towards African Americans, Jews, Armenians, and other ethnic groups. They also were plotting ways they could use the council’s redistricting power and influence to their advantage.

Herrera stepped down from his position as president the day after the LA Times released their initial report on the recording. Massive protests and demonstrations followed the release of the report and the audio of the conversation.

The LA Fed’s decision to elect Wheeler shifts attention from the scandal and directs focus on its mission of representation and inclusivity for the diverse workers they represent.

“I am honored to be elected to lead during such a critical time for workers,” said Wheeler. “In a post-COVID reality, we have to rebound, restabilize and reimagine from the perspective of workers to ensure we are on the right path, and that has to be our priority.”

A Baton Rouge, Louisiana native, Wheeler was serving as the LA Fed’s vice president at the time of her election. Her years of experience as a labor worker, union representative, and activist earned her a reputation as a steward of speaking up for the voiceless and demanding fair treatment from employers.

Wheeler emerged as a labor leader in the late 90s when her advocacy for Black operators at South Central Bell (SBC) prompted her co-workers to elect her to lead the local union. She became president of the Los Angeles Chapter and President of the California State A. Philip Randolph Institute, an AFL-CIO-sponsored group bridging the gap between the African American community and the labor movement through civil rights campaigns, voter registration, and job training.

“Yvonne and I grew up in the labor movement. She is the right person to lead the LA Labor council. She has integrity and she is a true leader who understands how to bring people together from diverse backgrounds. She is fearless and at the same time very humble. She is a natural organizer and a natural leader. She will bring those skills to the labor council and the labor movement will thrive,” said Doug Moore, Executive Director, UDW/AFSCME, and AFSCME International Vice President.

In 2002, she was recruited by the AFL-CIO as a national field representative. Wheeler also co-chair of the L.A. Immigrant Workers Freedom Ride in 2003, championing the plight of immigrant workers. Her credits include pivotal L.A.-area campaigns such as the longshore union lockout, supermarket strike/lockout, and helping to defeat Gov. Schwarzenegger’s 2005 special election initiatives.

Wheeler served as an AFL-CIO Senior Field Representative covering all of Southern California. She also served as the California Area Director for AFSCME Western Region prior to serving in Washington, DC as the Special Assistant to the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) National Secretary-Treasurer. She transferred back to California to reunite with her family in 2014.

“Change is never easy,” Wheeler said. “But it is what we need right now. Our members, our communities rely on us, so we will fight to uplift their voices and build their power to make sure they are never put in this position again. My term as President will not be about what I can do, or what my staff can do, but what we will all do together.”

Daughter Seeks Emergency Order to Attend her Father’s Execution, Despite Missouri Law

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Corionsa “Khorry” Ramey, the 19-year-old daughter of Kevin Johnson, is asking a federal court to allow her to be present for her father’s execution.

The American Civil Liberties Union filed an emergency motion on behalf of Ms. Ramey today in the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri.

A Missouri law bars people under the age of 21 from being present at an execution. Mr. Johnson, whose execution is scheduled for November 29, has put his adult daughter on this witness list, and Ms. Ramey wants to attend.

The filing argues that the state law violates Ms. Ramey’s right to equal protection under the Fourteenth Amendment and her First Amendment right of association, and that the age threshold is not reasonable and not supported by any safety or penological purpose. The federal Bureau of Prisons and the overwhelming majority of death penalty states either have no age requirement for family of the condemned person to witness an execution, or the minimum age is 18. Ms. Ramey is asking the court to find the Missouri law violates her constitutional rights, and to permit her to attend her father’s execution.

Mr. Johnson was 19 when he committed the crime that resulted in a death sentence, the same age as his daughter is now.

“My father has been the only parent for almost all of my life, and he is the most important person in my life,” Ms. Ramey stated in her declaration to the court. “If my father were dying in the hospital, I would sit by his bed holding his hand and praying for him until his death, both as a source of support for him, and as a support for me as a necessary part of my grieving process and for my peace of mind.”

She continued, “The harm that I will suffer because Missouri officials bar me from attending my father’s execution for no other reason than my current age is deep and cannot be fixed.”

Mr. Johnson, who is 37, has been an involved and active parent since his daughter was a small child — despite his incarceration. They built their bond through years of consistent prison visits, phone calls, emails, and letters. Mr. Johnson even set up an academic liaison from prison with his daughter’s school so that he could be involved in her educational progress. Ms. Ramey graduated from high school in 2020 and is pursuing a career in nursing. Last month, Ms. Ramey brought her newborn son to meet his grandfather (photograph attached).

The following statements can be attributed as noted: 

Michelle Smith, co-director, Missourians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty: 

“Khorry has and is experiencing unimaginable suffering in dealing with the impending loss of her dad, the only parent she has left. Denying her access to attend the execution of her beloved father is but a further piling on of the trauma and unfairness she endures. Logic escapes me in trying to understand how a person can receive the death penalty at 19, a person can receive a life sentence in prison at 19, and a person can even be hired as a prison guard with the Missouri Department of Correction at 19; yet a person cannot witness an execution at 19. The institutional injustices and systemic inequities continue to plague this family and Khorry continues to be most harmed. She, more than anyone, has the right to be a witness when the state executes her father.”

Corene Kendrick, deputy director, ACLU National Prison Project, attorney for Ms. Ramey: 

“The Missouri law barring Ms. Ramey from attending her father’s execution is illogical and irrational. If the State of Missouri thinks that her father’s actions when he was 19 make him mature enough to warrant execution, then a 19-year-old should be mature enough to witness that execution. There is no dignity when a state kills its residents. The State of Missouri can refrain from needlessly inflicting even more profound and grievous pain on Ms. Ramey — a loving daughter with a simple wish to be with and say goodbye to her only living parent when the state takes him away from her.”

Anthony Rothert, director for integrated advocacy, ACLU of Missouri: 

“Ms. Ramey has built a strong relationship with her father over many years — despite his incarceration — through personal visits, letters, emails, phone calls, and even introducing her son to his grandfather. Kevin Johnson is Ms. Ramey’s only living parent — and as she says, the most important person in her life. It will not hurt the state or harm the state’s interest if it permits Ms. Ramey to witness her father’s execution. On the other hand, if the state continues to deny Ms. Ramey’s request — it will cause her irreparable harm.”


Court filings: 

Complaint: https://www.aclu.org/legal-document/ramey-v-parson-complaint

Brief in Support of Motion for TRO/Preliminary Injunction: https://www.aclu.org/legal-document/ramey-v-parson-brief-support-plaintiffs-motion-tro-and-preliminary-injunction

Affidavit of Corionsa “Khorry” Ramey: https://www.aclu.org/legal-document/ramey-v-parson-affidavit-corionsa-ramey

Photograph of Corionsa Ramey and her baby son with her father, Kevin Johnson, Jr.: photo of Khorry Ramey, Kevin Johnson and baby Kaius.jpeg

This press release is available online: https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/daughter-seeks-emergency-order-attend-her-fathers-execution-despite-missouri-law

Panel Discuss Supreme Court Case Threatening End of Affirmative Action

By Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media

A webinar hosted by ChangeLawyers, American Constitution Society (ACS) Bay Area, and Equal Justice Society was held on November 15 to discuss the possible outcomes of the United States Supreme Court’s pending decision in the case Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) v. Harvard.

The online event titled, “The End of Affirmative Action: How SCOTUS Is Coming After BIPOC Students” delved into the impact of banning the consideration of race as a factor during the college admission process.

Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) students would be affected by such a ruling, said panelist Lisa Holder, an attorney and president of Equal Justice Society (EJS). EJS is an Oakland-based nonprofit and civil rights organization that does work geared toward transforming the nation’s consciousness on race through law, social sciences, and the arts.

“(Ending Affirmative Action) essentially, completely upends our ability to level the playing field and remediate for centuries of discrimination and marginalization,” said Holder said. “If you do not have intervention and take affirmative steps to counteract continued systemic racism it’s going to take hundreds of years to repair those gaps. It will not happen by itself.”

Holder is also a member of the California Task Force to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans, a nine-member panel established after Gov. Newsom signed Assembly Bill 3121, authored by then-Assemblymember Shirley Weber. The task force is investigating the history and costs of slavery in California and is charged with recommending an appropriate remedy for the state to implement.

Also participating on the End of Affirmative Action panel were Sally Chen, education equity program manager at Chinese for Affirmative Action, and Sarah C. Zearfoss, Senior Assistant Dean for the University of Michigan Law School.

Shilpa Ram — Senior Staff Attorney for Education Equity, Public Advocates and a board member of the ACS Bay Area Lawyer Chapter — was the moderator.

On Oct. 31, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) listened to oral arguments in two cases challenging race-conscious student admissions policies used by Harvard University and the University of North Carolina (UNC) to promote creating diverse student populations at their schools.

The case emerged in 2014, when SFFA, a nonprofit advocacy organization opposed to affirmative action, brought an action alleging Harvard violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act (Title VI).

SFFA argues that Harvard instituted a race-conscious admissions program that discriminated against Asian-American applicants.  SFFA also alleges that UNC is violating the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment, by unfairly using race to provide preference to underrepresented minority applicants to the detriment of White and Asian-American applicants.

Chen is a first-generation college graduate from a working-class immigrant family. She is an alumna of Harvard College. She was one of eight students and alumni that gave oral testimony in support of affirmative action in the 2018 federal lawsuit Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. Harvard.

“Particularly as these cases were taking advantage of a claim that Asian American students don’t benefit from Affirmative Action or are harmed; we really saw how this was a misrepresentation of our community needs,” Chen said of hers and seven other students’ testimonies. “My testimony really spoke to that direct experience and making clear that Asian American students and communities are in support of affirmative action.”

In 1965, Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson issued Executive Order 11246, requiring all government contractors and subcontractors to take affirmative action to expand job opportunities for minorities.

Fifty-seven years later, a decision by SCOTUS could be reached at the end of the current term in late June or early July 2023 banning affirmative action. The decision would dismantle race-conscious admission policies that overwhelmingly help BIPOC students create a better future for themselves, members of the panel stated.

“Schools take race into account as a factor in admission because that is the single best, most effective way to create a racially diverse class,” Zearfoss said.

Zearfoss directs the University of Michigan Law School Jurist Doctorate (JD) and Master of Law (LLM) admissions and supervises the Office of Financial Aid.

California ended affirmative action policies in 1996 with the passage of Proposition 209.

Prop 209 states that the government and public institutions cannot discriminate against or grant preferential treatment to persons based on race in public employment, public education, and public contracting.

Proposition 16 was a constitutional amendment designed to repeal Prop 209, but the initiative was defeated by voters in 2020. Secretary of State Dr. Shirley Weber introduced the legislation that was the basis for Prop 16 when she was a state Assemblymember for the 79th District.

“When we no longer live in a White supremacist society then we can start thinking about ending these interventions that are necessary to counteract preferences for White people that exist and continue to exist,” Holder said.

A Sampling of Dining Out Options for Thanksgiving Soul Food Around California

By Aldon Thomas Stiles | California Black Media

Thanksgiving is around the corner, and with that comes greens, beans, candied yams, turkey (roasted and deep-fried), dressing, mac n’ cheese, sweet potato pie and all the other soul food “fixins” that make the holiday meal arguably the tastiest meal of the year for many African Americans. We can choose from a diverse menu of food options that we prepare at home, or we can try to enjoy those options dining out.

The city of Inglewood, for example, is hosting a drive-thru turkey giveaway on Nov. 23 with special guest Snoop Dogg.

The event will go from 9 am to 12 pm and is located at Hollywood Park.

The goal is to serve 2,500 Inglewood residents with free turkeys provided by Don Lee Farms.

While many people enjoy preparing and eating that turkey dinner at home, some people prefer to outsource their feast.

For those folks, here’s a small sampling of some soul food restaurants around the state that will be open on or around Thanksgiving

StreetCar (San Diego)

First up is StreetCar in San Diego. On Nov. 24, they will be hosting a Thanksgiving Feast Event.

“Bring your friends and family on Thanksgiving Day for a celebratory feast,” it reads on their flier.

The event is located at 4002 30th St. and will go from 11:00am to 10:00pm.

Founded by Ron Suel and RaVae Smith in 2014, StreetCar specializes in southern cuisine and features an all-day brunch menu.

“You will find classic southern dishes and Louisiana favorites,” their website reads.

ComfortLA (Los Angeles)

In Downtown Los Angeles, ComfortLA is an option for those who want to eat out this holiday as it’s open on Thanksgiving Day.

Located on 1110 E. 7th St., ComfortLA was once a pop-up restaurant founded by Jeremy McBryde and Mark E. Walker.

ComfortLA focuses on taking a clean approach to their menu, sporting a variety of all-natural soul food options.

“We use locally sourced, fresh and organic ingredients and healthier cooking methods to create top-notch, Southern cuisine including ‘Cousin Kina’s Mac ‘n’ Cheese,’ ‘Clean Mean Greens’ and our signature ‘Organic Not Your Average Fried Chicken’ with ‘That Sauce,'” it reads on their website.

They also have an Inglewood location, though that restaurant is not open on Thanksgiving.

Minnie Bell’s (Emeryville)

Minnie Bell’s – a soul food truck in Emeryville up north – may not be open the day of Thanksgiving, it will be open on the 23rd for those who want to celebrate a little early.

Founded by Fernay McPherson in 2013, “Minnie Bell’s Soul Movement” is born out of legacy.

“Fernay learned to cook from her great aunt Minnie and late grandmother Lillie Bell,” the website reads. “Fernay’s family arrived in San Francisco during the Great Migration as part of the relocation of more than 6 million African Americans from the rural South to cities in the North and West.”

Minnie Bell’s is located in the Emeryville Public Market at 5959 Shellmound St.

Hotville Chicken (Los Angeles)

The last establishment on this list is Hotville Chicken in Los Angeles.

This restaurant is not open the day of Thanksgiving but patrons can order ahead of time and pick their food up on the 24th.

Hotville, then known as the BBQ Hot Chicken Shack, was founded by Thornton Prince in 1936 in a segregated part of town.

Thorton’s great-great niece Kim Prince now runs the family business.

Their website boasts about how spicy their chicken is, as Thorton’s original recipe focused heavily on a fiery flavor.

“If you’ve never heard about Nashville-style hot chicken, it’s certainly time to get familiar,” it reads.

Prince’s focus is on community, as Thorton’s original chicken recipe “brought people together” even in a divided town.

Hotville is located at 4070 Marlton Ave.

 

To Address Rising Hate, More Focus on Prevention and Crimes It Triggers

By McKenzie Jackson | California Black Media

When hip hop icon and fashion designer Kanye West wore a black, long-sleeved shirt with “WHITE LIVES MATTER” emblazoned on the backside in white block letters at his Yeezy fashion show in Paris on Oct. 3, it started a national conversation on racism that intensified four days later when West broadcast on Twitter that he was going to go “death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE” in a since deleted tweet.

Then, on Oct. 27, NBA player Kyrie Irving posted a link on Twitter to the 2018 film “Hebrew to Negroes: Wake Up Black America,” and shared a screenshot on Instagram of the film’s rental page on Amazon. The film, directed by Ronald Dalton Jr., who also wrote a 2014 book under the same name, contains antisemitic tropes disparaging Jewish people.  The film also claims the Holocaust never happened.

Irving was suspended for several games by the Brooklyn Nets for refusing to say he has no antisemitic beliefs and Nike suspended his shoe contract. Irving has apologized for his social media actions, and discussions on biased hate in the U.S. have been heightened.

Los Angeles Lakers star Lebron James said on Nov. 6 that Irving was in the wrong.

“Me, personally, I don’t condone any hate of any kind,” James told the media. “To any race. To Jewish communities, to Black communities, to Asian communities.”

According to the FBI, over 10,000 people nationally reported to law enforcement in 2021 that they were victims of hate crimes because of their race or ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, religion or disability.

Hate is on the rise in California. For example, there was a 6% increase in hate crimes and hate incidents in Orange County from 2020 to last year.

Of the 398 bias-motived activities, Black people were the target of 25 incidents and 16 crimes, according to the “2021 Orange County Hate Crimes Report” released by Orange County Human Relations Council on Sept. 15.

Don Han, the Council’s director of operations, said the trend is concerning.

“Orange County has 2% African Americans in the demographic, so a very small percentage, but in terms of hate crimes they are within the top three,” Han said. “That speaks volumes for us, and that is something very intentional for us in how we support the community here in Orange County, so that people can feel that they belong.”

A hate incident is an action or behavior motivated by hate but legally protected by the First Amendment right to freedom of expression. A hate crime is an illegal action committed against an individual, group, or property motivated by the victim’s real or perceived protected social group.

Overall, there were 97 documented hate crimes in Orange County and 301 reported hate incidents a year ago. A large swath of the incidents in 2021 — 153, a 164% increase from 2020 — were against Asian/Pacific Islanders. Sixteen crimes were committed against gay men, while 26 of the crimes had an unknown bias.

The rise in hate crimes and incidents in the Southern California county is part of a broader pattern around the Golden State.

A report released by California Attorney General Rob Bonta in June revealed hate crimes inspired by racism and homophobia resulted in a 33% uptick in reported incidents in the state in 2021.

Hate crimes against Blacks were the most prevalent, according to the state report. There were 513 crimes committed against Blacks in 2021, 13% more than the 456 in 2020. Overall, there were 1,763 crimes reported in 2021. Crimes spurred by sexual orientation bias jumped from 205 in 2020 to 303 in 2021.

Crimes involving religion bias increased from 180 in 2020 to 218 last year. Crimes involving a gender bias decreased to 54 in 2021 from 62 in 2020.

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 2282, meant to crack down on hate crimes and protect minority communities in California, on Sept. 18. The bill equalizes and strengthens penalties for using hate symbols and bolsters security for targeted religious and community-based nonprofits.

“California will not tolerate violence terrorizing any of our communities, and this measure updates state law to punish the use of universally recognized symbols of hate equally and to the fullest extent of the law,” Newsom said. “California will continue to lead the fight to stamp out hate and defend those under attack for who they are, how they identify, or what they believe in.”

The legislation brings parity to penalties for burning crosses and using swastikas and nooses. Using a noose as a hate symbol currently has the lightest penalty of the three while cross burning is the most highly penalized. People who use any of the three symbols of hate will be subject to the strongest of these criminal penalties under the signed bill.

Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (D-Orinda), AB 2282’s author, said hate symbols are violent and terrifying.

“With hate crimes increasing across the state, it is critical to recognize the power and destructiveness of these symbols, and restrict their use equally,” she said.

On Aug. 21 Krishnan Jayaraman, who is Indian was in a Taco Bell in Fremont when Singh Tejinder hurled anti-Hindu comments and racists slurs at him. Tejinder used the N-word several times, called Jayaraman a “dirty Hindu,” and seemingly twice spit at Jayaraman.

Tejinder, who is Asian/Indian, was charged by Fremont police with a hate crime in violation of civil rights, assault and disturbing the peace by offensive language.

Han of the OC Human Relations Council said his group attempts to prevent hate activities in the county by organizing educational programs with schools and other organizations.

“We work with different communities on hate crime prevention and on how to report a hate crime and hate incidents,” he said. “We work with law enforcement. If they are responding to a hate crime, and the victim speaks a language other than English, we are able to connect them with organizations that we partner with to make communication possible.”

Reena Hajat Carroll, executive director of the California Conference for Equality and Justice (CCEJ) in Long Beach, said racism and bigotry are big problems in California.

CCEJ battles prejudice via workshops and trainings in schools, and with its restorative youth diversion program, meant to be an alternative to the juvenile justice system.

“CCEJ’s work with young people is key,” said Carroll. “It creates a generation of people who know how important it is for us all to fight bias, bigotry, and racism. No matter what age, no matter what race, etc. We have to all be in this together because the problem is too pervasive.”

Han said the best way to prevent hate activities is education and for to people get to know each other.

“We have created a safe space to have conversations, so hopefully those conversations will create common ground,” he said. “If you know someone as a person or another human being, when you truly know me and we know each other, it’s harder to have bias-motivated feelings.”

For more information on hate crimes and resources victims, visit https://oag.ca.gov/hatecrimes.


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

Commentary: Study Linking Relaxers to Cancer is “Fake News”

By Cheryl Morrow | Special to California Black Media

A major study by the National Institute of Health (NHI) found that women who received hair relaxer treatments at least four times a year had a 3x greater risk of uterine cancer. A previous study found a 30% increased risk of breast cancer.

Manufacturers are currently facing lawsuits across the country, because, according to the plaintiffs, they failed to warn them about the cancer risks associated with exposure to toxic chemicals in products.

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump says manufacturers have “aggressively misled Black women to increase their profits.” He recently filed a lawsuit on behalf of a client who contracted uterine cancer after using chemical hair straightening products sold by L’Oréal USA.

Cheryl Morrow, daughter of Black haircare legend Dr. Willie L. Morrow delivered this letter to attorney Crump and his co-counsel, and it reads:

I am the daughter of the greatest textured beauty scientist in the history of the world, and a legatee of the only industrial revolution for American-born Africans. It is my opinion, American born Africans represent the greatest human ascent in the modern civilized world as well as in human history.

“Enough is enough.” The exploitation of Black health for profit is ENOUGH!

The latest study of relaxers being linked and making Black women four times more susceptible to uterine cancer is simple junk research. This is an attack. I am taking the NIH study as an attack on our legacy.

What researchers seem to be missing, is that out of all the so-called corrosive salon treatments all races of women receive, relaxers are the one that carry the least amount of processing time. This simply means that researchers have not taken this into consideration, the time exposure factor.

Ben Crump and attorney Diandra Zimmerman, along with their client Jenny Mitchell, blindly filed this lawsuit while being grossly ill-informed.

If you, Attorney Crump want to chase a lawsuit because you think L’Oréal has deep pockets and money to blow just to save its face, I will push to encourage them not to do so. This will cast a stain on an ethical industry and will be an atrocity for an industry that has built enormous wealth and power for Black America.

I will not allow the propaganda machine’s random research to destroy and wither our industrial juggernaut with false concern and hidden agendas. This is fake news and junk research at its best.

I am all for research as my late father Willie Morrow, the greatest scientific mind in the history of beauty science, we’ve had always blazed the trail toward safe innovation for the Black haircare industry. The language attorney Crump and his co-counsel are using is reckless and feckless.

Black hair care is not predatory, and it sickens me to receive countless calls from my peers having to defend our profession from layperson idiocy and blood thirsty lawyers.

Having spent 19 years in New York City, I have also devoted expertise in this area. This is not about me defending the giant beauty conglomerate L’Oréal, “lord knows I have had my issues with corporate run beauty companies, but food for thought here; the lack of state governed cosmetology boards addressing the scientific aspects of hair and scalps of texted hair Americans and the distinct way it grows and thrives, it just goes to show that all hair (textures) aren’t the same after all.

The apathetic way in which state boards and state policy makers focus on minor issues like cultural styling, which falls under the First Amendment freedom of expression clause, doesn’t deter discrimination from occurring. However, junk research is more sinister. It is about affecting economic bottom lines.

I will not have this happen!

Hair straighter (relaxer), or better known as lye, is a plantation concoction and was originally a Black man’s thing called the Konkaline aka “The Conk” trend. This was formulated, mixed in the kitchens on planation slave camps of America. This was created by Africans on plantations due to our native-born styling implements not accompanying us to the Western world.

Having served as an expert witness in many Black haircare litigations for defendants, relaxers fall under the FDA’s category of depilatories. This means it is a dissolver and not a penetrator. The nature of high alkaline pH treatments doesn’t interact with skin as you would like them to, nor do they work like most industry professionals, state board officials and chemists have educated us to believe they do.

This is the ignorance my father Willie L. Morrow tried to combat in 1982, but his efforts fell on deaf ears. Correcting this malfeasance is most urgent.

Every state board in the United States should also be sued if you want to go the lawsuit route. To be frank, because the consumer also has a home-based version and buys it at their own discretion, like tap faucet water, your eagerness to pick up on the NIH’s study that is not conclusive is beneath the oath you took when you became an attorney, my dear sir.

I have, and am willing, to educate all Americans and all adjacent professional industries that will join me in making beauty safer. We are a proud industry, with high ethics and I do not appreciate this assassination of Black haircare.

My father would be a soldier in this attack. We have worked countless years and have amassed the most extensive and invaluable texture enhancement scientific data in the industry to date. Black haircare is leading in this regard. Our research is rooted in Afro-textured science, these findings are sound research that show a different picture on the overall health risks for Black women who relax.

We do have a lot of work to do, however. My legacy will be to return Black haircare to its glory era, the one that I grew up in, the industry that has and should continue to make Black America economically sovereign to create its own version of the American dream.

Spelman and Morehouse Colleges C’88 and C’89 Part of Historic Homecoming 2022 Milestones

BLACK PR WIRE—- As homecoming season ends at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), some of these institutions are celebrating significant milestones. At Spelman and Morehouse colleges more than 40,000 participants from around the country descended upon the Atlanta campuses during the weekend of Oct. 20-23. It was the first in-person homecoming event after the two-year pandemic shut down – drawing its largest attendance ever. From the game, tailgate and the parties, a record- breaking number of alumni, students, and guests spent time catching up on campus and personal affairs, enjoying food and fellowship, making donations, visiting with students, and exploring what is new.

“Morehouse is a special place. It helped me get a clear sense of my vocation, and I met some of the most important people in my life during my time there,” said platinum sponsor Dr. Eddie Glaude, C’89, author of the new book, Begin Again: James Baldwin’s America and its Urgent Lessons. “Homecoming affords us a chance to reconnect and to share memories—to leave the pressures of the world behind, if just for a moment, as eat, drink, and laugh together. It helps replenish the spirit and we can return home with a little more energy to tackle the world. That is why I did not hesitate to become a sponsor.”

It took intensive collaboration to organize the return of this in-person event after the two-year pandemic hiatus. For example, the SpelHouse C’88 and 89 welcomed classmates back to a joint tailgate experience that raised the presentation bar. A modern trailer rendered with pub flair and dual-sided serving, large TV monitors and two restrooms served as an anchor for a larger living room-setting with wide, cozy couches, charging stations under a huge canopy to keep the crowd cool. Nationally known, Atlanta-based phenomenon Kemit was the featured DJ for the specially curated experience.

“After being deprived of the opportunity to experience SpelHouse Homecoming since 2019, it was important to really think through how best to design our outdoor space to facilitate a flow to optimize fellowship without creating bottlenecks or over-crowding,” noted Maria Maxie Whitfield, C’88. “The C’88 and C’89 SpelHouse tailgate committee was steadfast in its commitment to host an optimal experience that would exceed expectations.”

Supporters of the SpelHouse C’88 and C’89 Homecoming experience include platinum sponsors include Ronald Sullivan, C’89 and Carmen Shirley, C’89; silver sponsors Bruce Riggins, C’88 (Ciceros’ Moving), Malcolm May, C’89, T-Shirts To Go; and bronze sponsors Rhetta Andews, C’89; Tony Laurent, C’90, Muscle and Bone-NY; Oz Nesbitt, AEE Productions and The Social Box.

“Let’s Make a Deal!”

By Lou K Coleman-Yeboah

For thus saith the Lord, “I have stretched out my hands all day long to a rebellious people who walk in a way that is not good, according to their own thoughts; A people who provoke Me to anger continually to My face…” [Isaiah 65:2] blindly walking in their own selfish and greedy path and in their arrogance thinking that I will sit quietly by and do nothing. I tell you, the cry on the day of the Lord will be bitter, that day will be a day of wrath, a day of distress and anguish [Zephaniah 1:14-15]. Mine anger and my fury shall be poured out upon this place, upon man, and upon beast, and upon the trees of the field, and upon the fruit of the ground; and it shall burn and shall not be quenched. [Jeremiah 7:20]. For I am against you, O arrogant one. [Jeremiah 50:31]. This is the declaration of the Lord of Hosts. I will make your chariots go up in smoke and the sword will devour your young lions. I will cut off your prey from the earth, and the sound of your messengers will never be heard again.” [Nahum 2:13]. Because I have called and you have refused, I have stretched out my hand and no one regarded, because you disdained all my counsel, and would have none of my rebuke, I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your terror comes, when your terror comes like a storm, and your destruction comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you. Then you will call on Me, but I will not answer. You will seek Me diligently, but you will not find Me. Because you hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord. You would have none of My counsel and despised My every rebuke. Therefore, you shall eat the fruit of your own way, and be filled to the full of your own fancies. For the turning away of the simple will slay you, and the complacency of fools will destroy you. [Proverbs 1:24-32].

Look at the Bible. Look at Noah and his generation. In [Genesis 6:3], the Lord says, “My spirit shall not always strive with man.” For 120 years, God said, “I want to save you.” For 120 years, God said, “Listen to Noah.” For 120 years, God was long-suffering. For 120 years, God was patient. For 120 years, God was merciful. But the day came when God said, “I’ve had enough. I’m fed up. My patience is gone.” Noah’s people were destroyed by the wrath of God in the flood. I tell you, when God has had enough, it ain’t gonna be nothing nice, you best believe that!

God has been generous to you, but the thanks offered in return is void and insulting. Know that the Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” [2 Peter 3:9]. Talking ‘bout “it’s your prerogative you can do what you want to. It’s the way that you wanna live. No one can tell you what to do, you don’t need permission, you make your own decisions.” You fool you should know differently. Every one of us shall give account of himself to God [Romans 14:12]. I tell you when God has had enough, you gonna wish you had listened. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. [Romans 1:18]. You better know that you know!

Run to God’s mercy while there is still time. Because one day, God will say, okay, I’ve had enough. I’m fed up. And God, mercy will be turned to wrath and God’s long-suffering will be turned to indignation and God’s forgiveness will be turned to vengeance.” [Hebrew 12]. Don’t be another Esau who refused to repent. Because as [Job 4:9] states, “By the blast of God they, [the unrepentant] will perish, and by the breath of His anger they will be consumed.

I tell you when God has had enough, it ain’t gonna be nothing nice! Repent before it is too late!

[Inserts used from Bobby Brown – It’s My Prerogative]

Health4Peace Fundraising Gala Raises $20,000 To Aid Hospitals and Medical Facilities In Rural Areas of Chad, Senegal, Ghana, South Africa and Nigeria

Health4Peace (health4peace.com) – a nonprofit organization founded by Nathalie Beasnael scored a huge win by raising $20,000 during the Health4Peace Fundraising Gala at the Renaissance Los Angeles Airport Hotel in Los Angeles. The event was hosted by Actor Miguel A. Núñez Jr. and KJLH Radio Personality Tammi Mac. Funds raised will benefit hospitals and medical facilities in Chad, Senegal, Ghana, South Africa, and Nigeria.

The event began with a champagne reception on arrival, allowing attendees to socialize. After the hour-long champagne reception, celebrities and VIP attendees walked a signature pink carpet. Celebrity and VIP attendees included Nathalie Beasnael (Founder and CEO of Health4Peace), Haoua Mangue (VP of Global Affairs of Health4Peace), Miguel A. Núñez Jr. (Actor), Tammi Mac (KJLH Radio Personality), Emmy-Nominated Actress & Stun Woman Janeshia Adams-Ginyard (Black Panther II), Actress Daniele Lawson (King Richard), Actress Rachelle Henry (STARZ Knight’s End), Court Bailiff Petri Hawkins Byrd (#1 Daytime Show “Judge Judy”), Karlee Perez (Actress), Award-Winning Film Actor Jason Zlatkus (The First Rule), Amarachi Odinma (BET TV Personality), Justin Jaye Vorist (BET TV Personality), Tyrone DuBose (Radio Personality; TV Contributor), Jarred “Bear” Fiorda (MMA Cage Fighter), Jessica Odega (TV Personality; Naija Bad Babes), Jason Valdovinos (Film Director), Danny Arroyo (Latino Actor “HOLA: The Phenomenal Growth of Latino TV”), Meaku (Grammy Nominated Nigerian-American Singer), and many others.

Attendees were ushered into the ballroom for the commencement of the awards ceremony, sit-down dinner, and live performances at 6 pm. Awards were handed out to the following honorees Dr. Lawton Tang (Plastic Surgeon), Dr. Richard Benveniste (Dentist), Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim (Geologist, Activist, Humanitarian), Dr. Gloria Bozeman Herndon (Humanitarian), Sonia Gloria Ogiri (Nollywood Actress), Apostle Vincent Akosah (Pastor & Inspirational Speaker), Pamela Asobo-Anchang (Editor In Chief of The Immigrant Magazine), April Sutton (Media Personality), Alexandre Amontchi (survivor of drunk driving accident), Elizabeth Dedeh Arthur (survivor of domestic violence), Haoua Mangue (Entrepreneur), Tanna Frederick, and Caleb Rimtobaye Afrotronix (Music Artist) with a special presentation by Health4Peace Ambassador, Actress Connie ChiumeRomeo Mputu (Health4Peace Performer), Sandra Iszadore (Health4Peace Performer and Speaker), and Oved Amitay (Health4Peace Speaker).

The Health4Peace Fundraising Gala was well supported by sponsors, which included Health4Peace, Beasnael “WeAreNotTheSame”, Team Chad Clothing, Top Dreams Universal, Persevere Aviation, Coquette Kouture, Grocery Outlet, Mila Spiced Coffee, IMPACT Radio Show, Immigrant Magazine, DEHESA Investor Group, Like Minded People, Intention Pen, NAIIZ Hair, ME.com, 4EverGrace, Clinton Wallace of Photomundo, North America Chadian Initiative (NACI), SMB Entertainment LLC, Daraya, and Cote D’azur WEBFEST TV Originals.

To learn more about Health4Peace, visit www.Health4Peace.com.

ABOUT HEALTH4PEACE

Health4Peace is a non-profit 501c3 organization designed to help hospitals and medical facilities in rural areas worldwide. The organization currently has hospitals in Chad, Senegal, Ghana, South Africa, and Nigeria. Health4Peace is founded by Nathalie Beasnael whose goal is to promote, protect and improve the lifelong health of individuals and communities in rural of the world while bridging the gap between diasporas and Africans through education on health issues with the assistance of technology. To learn more visit www.Health4Peace.com.

ABOUT NATHALIE BEASNAEL

Nathalie Beasnael is Founder and CEO of Health4peace. She holds a board position as Director of International Affairs with Upward African Woman. Currently, Nathalie works as a Recovery Nurse at Surgical Institute in Beverly Hills working closely with Dr. Tarek Smiley. She is licensed and certified as follows: Registered Nurse, Licensed Vocational Nurse, Licensed Esthetician, AHA First Aid and BLS/CPR Certification. Los Angeles Fire Department (Hospital Fire and Life Safety Certified), Tracheostomy Certification, and Ventilator Certification. She has clinical experience as a Surgical Nurse at California Surgical Institute and as a Charge Nurse at Grand Valley Healthcare.

To learn more visit www.Health4Peace.com.


Photo Credit: Eugene Powers Photography / Courtesy of Health4Peace

Beyoncé Ties Grammy Record After Leading Nominations With 9

By Jonathan Landrum Jr. 

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Beyoncé has propelled herself into the highest Grammy echelon: The star singer claimed a leading nine nominations Tuesday, making her tied — with her husband Jay-Z — as the most nominated music act in the history of the awards show.

Beyoncé’s “Break My Soul” reeled in record and song of the year nominations, while “Renaissance” — which ventured into the world of dancehall music — netted an album of the year nod. With Jay-Z also earning five nods this year, each spouse now holds the record for the most-ever Grammy nominations at 88 apiece.

Kendrick Lamar came away with the second-most nominations, with eight. Adele and Brandi Carlile both received seven nods. Harry Styles, Mary J. Blige, Future, DJ Khaled, The-Dream and mastering engineer Randy Merrill each picked up six.

Nearly half of this year’s leading nominees — announced by the likes of Olivia Rodrigo, John Legend, Machine Gun Kelly and Smokey Robinson —are women and more than half are people of color, according to the recording academy. The ceremony will be held Feb. 5 in Los Angeles.

“This makes me feel very proud, but it makes me conscious of the fact that we have to maintain the work we have done,” said Harvey Mason jr., the Recording Academy’s CEO. He said there have been strides in the peer-driven voting system and increased membership, but he still believes more progress can be made

“This year, I’m pleased with the result and work the voters did,” he continued. “We have almost 13,000 voters now. It’s really important work. I’m pleased to think they spent the time listening to the music and evaluating. I think you see by the type of nominations that they are not only going for just popular music or music that has a lot of streams. It’s just music of high quality.”

The academy added a special song for social change and five new categories including songwriter of the year, which Harvey says will further help diversify the 65th edition of the annual awards.

The non-classical songwriter category will recognize one individual who was the “most prolific” non-performing and non-producing songwriter for a body of new work during an eligibility year. It will take a different approach than song of the year, which awards the songwriters who wrote the lyrics or melodies to one song.

Harvey said implementing the songwriters category is a “significant” step forward for the music industry. Last year, a rule update allowed that any songwriter, producer, engineer or featured artist on a work nominated for album of the year could ultimately earn a nomination.

“The academy and voters are placing a high importance on the craft of songwriting,” Harvey said of the new category, in which nominees include The-Dream, Amy Allen, Nija Charles, Tobias Jesso Jr. and Laura Veltz. “Personally, as a songwriter, I’m happy to see it being a significant part of our process. We realize that songwriting is at the heart of our industry. It’s one of the building blocks for every artist’s career.”

Beyoncé, the most decorated woman in Grammy history with 28 wins, could break the late Hungarian-British conductor Georg Solti’s record for most awards won if she wins four awards. Solti, who has 31 Grammys, has held on to the record since 1997.

For the first time in Beyoncé’s lauded career, she was nominated in the dance category. Her seventh studio project “Renaissance” is up for best dance-electronic music album and “Break My Soul” is nominated for best dance-electronic recording. Other nominations include best R&B song for “Cuff It,” R&B performance for “Virgo’s Groove,” traditional R&B performance for “Plastic Off the Sofa” and song written for visual media for “Be Alive,” the Oscar-nominated song from the “King Richard” soundtrack.

Merrill grabbed two nominations in the record of the year category for the second straight year for his work on Adele’s “Easy on Me” and Styles’ “As It Was.” It’s also his first time being nominated three times in the same year for album of the year.

Other album of the year nominees include: Adele’s “30,” ABBA’s “Voyage,” Bad Bunny’s “Un Verano Sin Ti,” Mary J. Blige’s “Good Morning Gorgeous” (Deluxe), Carlile’s “In These Silent Days,” Coldplay’s “Music of the Spheres,” Lamar’s “Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers,” Lizzo’s “Special” and Styles’ “Harry’s House.”

Tracks competing with “Break My Soul” for record of the year include Styles’ “As It Was,” Doja Cat’s “Woman,” Adele’s “Easy On Me,” ABBA’s “Don’t Shut Me Down,” Blige’s “Good Morning Gorgeous,” Steve Lacy’s “Bad Habit,” Lamar’s “The Heart Part 5,” Lizzo’s “About Damn Time” and Carlile’s “You and Me On the Rock” featuring Lucius.

Three of Jay-Z’s nominations came through DJ Khaled’s “God Did,” a song featuring Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, John Legend and Fridayy. The track is up for best rap performance and rap song along with song of the year, which also has Jay-Z nominated for his writing efforts on Beyoncé’s “Break My Soul.” The rapper also received a nod for album of the year for his work on his wife’s “Renaissance” album.

Young Thug and Gunna both received nominations despite being currently locked up in a racketeering criminal case. The rappers are up for best rap song and rap performance through Gunna’s “pushin P,” featuring Thug and Future.

Christina Aguilera’s comeback to Latin music with her self-titled album earned her two nominations for best Latin pop album and immersive audio album. Among the 10 nominees for best new artist are Muni Long, Latto and Eurovision winner Maneskin.

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.