WSSN Stories

By Lou Yeboah

Change your direction. God has given you the opportunity to give your life to Him in this era of human history, but you have neglect it. About – face! Don’t gamble with your soul! God’s offer is only guaranteed for today. For [2 Corinthians 6:2] says, “Now is the accepted time; behold now is the day of salvation.” You may be dead tomorrow. Wake up! Don’t be like the people in Noah days, who were unconcerned about salvation and got left behind. Make every effort to enter the narrow door. For as [Luke 13:22] states, “there will be many who will try to enter in and will not be able to, because once the Master of the house gets up and closes the door, they will be standing outside knocking and pleading, sir open the door for us, but “He will answer,” I don’t know you or where you come from. About – face. Change your direction, position, and attitude!

Now, there may be someone who is reading this, who has been riding on the grace, mercy, and longsuffering of God your whole life. There may be another who may have never even thought about what will happen to you when you die. You may not see a need to be saved. You may be like the men of Athens – “we will hear thee again of this matter “– [Acts 17:32]. You may be like Agrippa, “Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian” – [Acts 26:28]. You may hate God, you may despise God, you may do everything you do in opposition to God – but I want you to know that there will come a day that you will have to stand before the same God you hate; the same God that you despise, and when that day come, if you have not accepted the Lord as your Savior, you will be sorry that you didn’t heed God’s warnings and pleas.

Change your direction, because as [Romans 14:12] reminds us, “Everyone will give an account to God, no one will escape. For if God spared not the angels but cast them down to hell; and if God spared not Sodom and Gomorrah but destroyed them; and if God spared not the old world which was destroyed in Noah’s flood, certainly God will not spare this current world. About – face! Change your direction! Don’t wait until it’s too late! The Bible is very clear that there comes a time when it will be too late to be saved. [Hebrews 9:27; Hebrews 12:17; Luke 16] Don’t you wait until it’s too late!

I can only imagine the sheer terror of realizing I have refused God one too many times. Like Belshazzar [Daniel 5], who saw the writing on the wall. But waited until it was too late! Judgment had been declared. The Bible records his trembling, his fear, his knees smote together in terror. He found no place of repentance, he found no mercy, he found no grace. God was done with him forever. In Genesis, when the angels came to Sodom, judgment had already been declared. Their fate was sealed. The angels came to save Lot and destroy the city. All the inhabitants were dead men walking even before the angels arrived in Sodom. Symbolically, they desperately groped for the door in the darkness, but like the handle to the door eluded them, so had the door to eternal life been slammed shut for eternity. Don’t wait until it’s too late! About- face! Change your direction! Change your position! Change your attitude and remember, Noah preached repentance, he warned of coming judgment, he warned the people of impending doom, the invitation to be saved and avoid judgement was extended for many, many years. But one day, the offer was withdrawn. There came a day when God shut him in. It was over, even before the raindrops began to fall; before the fountains of the deep were broken up; before there was any sign of the impending deluge. Heed the warnings, hear God’s plea because “When death comes, it will be too late for repentance. [Hebrews 9:27]

And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. [Revelation 22:17].

By Jenny Manrique, Ethnic Media Services

MIAMI, FL – Estephania Plascencia struggled with chronic depression and anxiety from when she was in grade school until her mid-20s when she finally sought help. The anxiety attacks had become so frequent, she hardly left her bed. A friend convinced her to see a therapist and she started learning healthy coping strategies and taking medication.

Today, Plascencia is the Youth Program Coordinator at the Miami-Dade chapter of the National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI), a peer-based organization of people with lived experience that offers free education classes and support groups for individuals with mental health conditions and their family members.

Post-pandemic kids are curious, Plascencia said. “Frequently they ask how to find mental help when parents don’t believe them and misread their symptoms as laziness or scold them for missing school or not finding a job.”

Eddy Molin, a psychiatric nurse at the Jackson Health System Miami, says he sees “parents being tough on their kids aiming for their success, but not acknowledging that they are experiencing a crisis.”

Over the last two months, Molin has noticed a rise in admissions among children with anxiety and disruptive behavior. He believes the mass shootings – especially those at school settings – have unsettled kids already struggling with isolation. He encouraged parents to be “compassionate and empathetic, to pay attention to symptoms such as withdrawal, a decline in personal hygiene, longer times in bed and disengagement from life, even with the things they used to love such as playing video games.”

“When you have a support system that is there for you, recovery is attainable,” Molin stressed. “Sometimes it’s important to be on medication, but sometimes that may be tiring, too. Show love. Love is the key.”

Joshua Ho learned this advice the hard way. For 14 years he worked six days a week as a dean of discipline at a middle school in North Miami. He was used to taking care of his immigrant students who faced “tragic incidents” within their families or countries of origin. “I thought I knew what mental health was about,” said Ho, an immigrant from Korea who today is the Program Director for Miami-Dade County Asian American Advisory Board.

But he was oblivious to the fact that his eldest son was struggling. When the son began having stomach aches, headaches, lack of energy and a constant need to sleep, Ho became angry. “As a typical Asian parent, my expectations for my son were very high…Why isn’t he doing what he’s supposed to do?” Ho recalls.

He sent his son to a church youth pastor and made an appointment with an acupuncturist, nothing worked. Finally, his son talked with a counselor and Ho learned he was suffering from mental illness. Now 20, his son is on the path of recovery.

“There is no book about how to be a right parent,” Ho said. “But yelling and screaming doesn’t help. Conversation does.”

For Susan Racher, Board President of NAMI Miami-Dade, “We have to start with education – knowing that you have a right to get help and knowing where to find health.” That’s what inspired NAMI’s monthlong public education campaign that has included public events, workshops, advertising, billboards. “Mental health conditions are more common than any other but unfortunately, care and mental health literacy are elusive in many communities,” she said.

Official data show that one in six youth have current diagnoses of Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, anxiety, behavior problems or depression, but only half received mental health treatment in the prior year.

Beth Jarosz, Acting Director for KidsData at the Population Reference Bureau, noted that the US suicide rate for 15-to-19-year-olds is nearly 60% higher in 2020 than it was in 2007. More worrying, she said, is that in Florida the suicide rate for 10-to-14-year-olds in 2020 is more than triple the rate in 2007. By contrast, rates in California are frozen at about 33% and rates in New York barely changed.

“Even though youth suicide rates are highest for whites and Asian and Pacific Islander Americans, rates for black youth are rising fast,” she said. “They have doubled in the past two decades.”

Jarosz said that the groups most at risk for mental health disorders are indigenous youth, youth who face an adverse childhood experience like suicide or substance abuse problems in their family, LGBTQ youth, and youth who experience homelessness or are in the foster care system.

From her path to recovery, Plascencia learned that mental illnesses are treatable and that’s the main message she wants to stress. “There’s help and definitely you don’t have to bear it alone.”

James H. Stevens of Los Angeles, California died on June 7, 2022, at the age of 95-years old. James was born November 1, 1926, in San Antonio, Texas to Homer and Minnie Stevens.

He attended Booker T. Washington Elementary, Douglas Jr. High and Phyllis Wheatley High School. James received his B.S. from Tillotson College in 1948 (currently known as Huston-Tillotson University on Austin, Texas).

James migrated to Los Angeles, California, after graduating from college. He took a job with the postal service as a letter carrier and ultimately retired in 1984 as a postal manager. He also served in the Army Airforce, during World War II and Honorably Discharged. James is a Mason and member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. His church affiliation is the church of Religious Science where his wife, Ruth, is also a member and a Reverend.

He had an ever-steady interest in organic farming, an avid reader and student of Black History, as well, a collector of early Black film. He married Ruth Martin-Allen, 45 ½ years ago, thereby inheriting two wonderful stepchildren, Wallace and Cheryl Gayle, who gave him eight Grandchildren, 11 great-grand children, and 1 great-great grandchild. James has said, “Life is a gift that keeps on giving and I am truly grateful.”

James Stevens was a member of the Neptune Society, and his cremated remains will be received by the Carter-Taylor-Williams Mortuary and interned at the Eastview Cemetery in San Antonio, Texas. At his family’s site, he will be placed at the foot of his parents. James Stevens is and will ever remain, dearly beloved.

By Edward Henderson | California Black Media

On June 8, community leaders, public health advocates and racial justice groups convened for a virtual press event to urge Gov. Gavin Newsom to support the Health Equity and Racial Justice Fund (HERJ Fund).

The initiative supports community-based organizations addressing the underlying social, environmental and economic factors that limit people’s opportunities to be healthy — such as poverty, violence and trauma, environmental hazards, and access to affordable housing and healthy food. Health advocates would also address longstanding California problems related to health equity and racial justice problems.

The fund cleared a significant hurdle last week when the State Legislature included $75 million in their joint budget proposal. This means both the Assembly and Senate support the HERJ Fund and they will go into negotiations with the governor to seek his support to approve it.

“Our state boasts a staggering $97 billion budget surplus. If not now, when? Given the devastating impact of racism on the health and well-being of Californians of color it’s a travesty of the highest order that racial justice isn’t even mentioned in the Governor’s budget proposal,” said Ron Coleman, Managing Director of the California Pan-Ethnic Health Network.

Wednesday’s virtual community meeting and press event capped off a series of rallies held by supporters in cities across the state calling on Gov. Newsom to make room in his budget for the HERJ Fund.

Coleman facilitated the online event featuring representatives from service organizations speaking about their support for the fund and presenting plans for how the money would be used to support their shared mission of providing services to minority and underserved communities in California.
Jenedra Sykes, Partner at Arboreta Group, spoke about inequalities that exist in funding for smaller grassroots nonprofits and how traditionally larger, White-led nonprofits use state funds to subcontract with grassroots nonprofits to provide services to communities of color at lower costs.
“The faith-based non-profits on the ground have the relationships, the access to those who are most vulnerable and marginalized among us who disproportionately have poorer health outcomes,” said Sykes. “This bill also evens the playing field a bit. Instead of going through the middleman of the established larger non-profits, funding will go directly to the people who are doing the work. The passion, the heart, the skills, the talents are there. It’s about the resources to fund these talents”

Coleman gave attendees an update on the status of the HERJ Fund’s path to inclusion in the state budget.

Now that the State Legislature has included the fund in their spending proposal for Fiscal Year ’22-23 (it was not included in Newsom’s “May Revise”), it must survive negotiations with the governor’s office before the June 15 deadline to finalize the budget.

A final budget needs to be in place by June 30, the last day for the governor to approve.

HERJ Fund supporters remain hopeful that funding for their program will be included in the final budget.
In the past, reservations have come from the Governor’s office supporting the fund came from questions around oversight, accountability and outcomes would look like. Updated mechanisms were added to the HERJ Fund’s proposal to alleviate those concerns and supporters of the fund believe that Governor Newsom is out of excuses.
“Our best shot at getting the HERJ Fund in the budget is now. We are hoping that all of you will keep the pressure on the Governor to ensure that this becomes a reality,” Coleman said. “If he does care about the intersections of health equity and racial justice then we will see funding.”
Attendees were encouraged to contact the Governor’s office and the Legislature to keep the pressure on them to include the fund. You can visit herjfund.org to learn more about the proposal and the effort to include it in the state budget.

Nadia Kean-Ayub, Executive Director of Rainbow Spaces, shared details about the valuable events and services community-based non-profits provide. She said there is no shortage of families in need who want to participate in their organizations’ programs but, due to limited funding for transportation, many people never access services meant to help them.
“This tells me that when things are created in our communities, they are not making the impact we need in our Black, Brown and API communities,” Kean-Ayub said. I will continue to fight. To really make this grow, we need the state to understand that the true impact comes from the community and the people who are living these issues and who know how to help them.”

By Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media

Black women running for political office on every level across the state of California showed up strong during the state’s June 7 primary election. They won the minds and the hearts of diverse groups of Californians and drew the numbers they needed to secure spots on the November general election ballot.

The results, some political organizers say, signal that Black women are fully engaged in California’s political process, and they are primed to succeed against stiff competition ahead.

“The June 7 primary election was another demonstration of the consistency of Black Women in the political process,” said Kellie Todd, founding convener of the Black Women’s Collective (BWC), an organization of Black women leaders and advocates working in politics, business, entertainment, health care and other professions across the state.

“And this time we didn’t just show up to cast our votes, we were on the ballot at every level, in diverse communities throughout that state,” Griffin pointed out.

After 168,338 mail-in ballots were counted after June 7, U.S. Rep. Karen Bass (D-CA-37) closed the gap against her better-funded, billionaire opponent Rick Caruso in the Los Angeles mayor’s race, according to results released June 10 by the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk.

Caruso leads with 155,929 votes (40.5%) to Bass’s 149,104 (38.8%), according to the latest vote count released June 11 by Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk. More than 500,000 votes remain uncounted, and ballots postmarked by election day will be accepted through June 14.

In statewide races, California Secretary of State Shirley Weber has 2,631,686 votes (59.2%) so far. She will face Republican Rob Bernosky in the general election in November. As of June 12, Bernosky is currently in a distant second place behind Weber with 848,373 votes (19.1%).

Malia Cohen, a current member of the State Board of Equalization, has won 21.3% of votes (973,549) in the race for State Controller, enough to land her in second place and secure a place on the ballot in the November General Election.

Cohen will face Lanhee Chen, the only Republican in a six-person race to replace California Controller Betty Yee. Chen leads the race in the primary election with 38.8% of counted votes (1,534,620).

Black Californians represented 26.9% of all candidates on the June 7 primary ballots running for U.S. House seats, a significant showing in a state where there are 2.6 million African Americans.

For the 37th Congressional District seat, currently held by Bass, former Los Angeles City Councilmember Jan Perry came in second place with 10,520 votes (18.6%). State Sen. Sydney Kamlager (D-Los Angeles) led the field of seven candidates with 24,354 (43.0%), according to election results released by the Secretary of State’s office on June 11.

U.S. Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA-13) has secured a comfortable lead in her reelection bid. She is ahead with 73,038 votes (86.3%) to Republican challenger Stephen Slauson’s 5,272 (6.2%). Lee and Slauson are likely to move on to the general election.

Republican Ronda Kennedy, a civil rights attorney running to represent the 30th Congressional District 30 (Burbank), is currently in third place (9,290) behind Democrat G “Maebe A. Girl” Pudlo (10,153). Either Kennedy or Pudlo will face leader Adam Schiff (D-San Diego) in November, Schiff has a commanding lead with 60,658 votes, according to the SOS office.

In the race to represent the 43rd Congressional District, longtime incumbent Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles) leads Republican Omar Navarro by a wide margin of 33,801 votes to 5,949.

Black Republican Tamika Hamilton could face incumbent Ami Bera (D-Elk Grove) for the District 6 congressional seat in Sacramento and Yolo counties.

Two months after winning the special election for the 11th District Assembly seat, Lori Wilson (D-Suisun City) came out ahead in the primary with 64.9% (48,657 votes). She leads Independent challenger Jenny Lailani Callison, who has 35.1% of votes counted so far (26,349).

“We proved that Black Women candidates can be competitive and can also win even without large financial backing from special interests,” Todd said. “This is just the beginning as we continue to build our political power and ensure we have a strong cohort of elected officials ready to serve.”

In another state race involving a Black woman, Contra Costa District Attorney Diana Becton declared victory in the race for the county’s chief law enforcement officer.

In State Assembly races, Assemblymember Akilah Weber (D-San Diego) is positioned to retain her seat representing the 79th District with 63.9% (30,005 votes). In the 18th Assembly District in Oakland, Assemblymember Mia Bonta, the only candidate on the ballot, won 100 % of the vote (36,226).

In the Assembly special election race to fill the Assembly District 62 seat that opened when Autumn Burke (D) resigned earlier this year, Tina Simone McKinnor (D), is in the lead with 51.6% (18,528) of the vote. She is ahead of her opponent Robert Pullen-Miles who has 48.4% of the vote (17,374 votes). In the primary race for the Assembly 61st District seat McKinnor has 30.1% of the vote (11,502 votes) and trails in second place behind Pullen-Miles who has 38.2% of the vote (14,600).

In the State Senate race for the 28th District, two Black women are leading in the primary to succeed Sen. Sydney Kamlager (D-Los Angeles). With 40.9% of the vote (33,687 votes), Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (D) is ahead of Cheryl C. Turner (D), who is in second place with 31.0% (25,508 Votes).

Becton is currently winning her reelection campaign with a substantial lead of 56.2% (93, 909 votes) to her challenger Mary Knox’sv 43.7% (73,100 votes). Knox is a prosecutor who works in her office.

Becton took office as District Attorney in 2017, the first woman and first African American to hold the position in the County’s 167-year history. Becton is currently the only African American District Attorney in California.

Becton thanked Knox for her years of service and emphasized the need to keep fighting for smart reforms that make all Californians safer.

“The status quo has decimated entire communities, separated families, and relegated generations of Black and Brown communities as second-class citizens,” Becton said in a June 8 statement. “That is why we will continue working to reduce racial disparities in our systems. We also must continue to hold anyone who harms our communities accountable – even if they are in elected office or wear a badge – because that is what real safety demands.”

By Aldon Thomas Stiles | California Black Media

The COVID pandemic intensified California’s housing affordability problem and forced the state to take urgent steps to secure emergency shelter for its unhoused population. Even in the wake of the global health crisis, the state is still reeling, facing increasing housing instability and a homelessness crisis that is enduring and more-and-more complex.

Approximately 160,000 Californians are unsheltered as affordable housing for so many continues to be difficult to come by.

This year, lawmakers introduced a number of bills to give unhoused Californians a safe and stable place to live.

SB 1335

Senate Bill (SB) 1335, authored by State Sen. Susan Eggman (D-Stockton), would disallow “housing-related discrimination” against individuals based on their credit history if they receive government housing subsidies.

SB 1335 includes people applying for a rental accommodation where there is a federal, state or local subsidy.

“Individuals using housing subsidies go into the housing market with a credit history and its stereotype attached to their applications,” Jacqueline Ramirez, Policy Associate with Housing California stated in a letter of support for the bill.

“However, credit scores are an unnecessary tool due to the reliability of payment for the voucher program. As a result, despite having most of the rent covered by the government, those applying for housing subsidies face rejections based on credit histories,” Ramirez continued.

On June 2, SB 1335 was referred to the Assembly Committee on Housing and Community Development. It is still being reviewed.

SB 1338

Senate Bill (SB) 1338, authored by State Sen. Tom Umberg (D-Orange County) and Eggman, establishes Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment (CARE) Courts, a program that provides individuals suffering from severe mental illness and going through the criminal trial process with court-ordered treatment in lieu of incarceration.

“The status quo on homelessness is not working. It’s time for a paradigm shift,” Umberg tweeted.

Disability Rights California (DRC), an advocacy organization, opposes the bill. DRC feels the bill does not go far enough to secure housing for mentally ill individuals who go through CARE Court.

“It does not guarantee housing as a solution to address homelessness; Evidence shows that adequately resourced intensive voluntary outpatient treatment is more effective than court-ordered treatment; It will perpetuate institutional racism and worsen health disparities,” their opposition letter reads.

According to DRC, there are alternative solutions to this aspect of the housing crisis.

“CARE Court is not the appropriate tool for providing a path to wellness for Californians living with mental health disabilities who face homelessness, incarceration, hospitalization, conservatorship, and premature death,” the letter states. “Instead, California should invest in evidence-based practices that are proven to work and that will actually empower people living with mental health disabilities on their paths to recovery and allow them to retain full autonomy over their lives without the intrusion of a court.”

SB 1338 is being reviewed by the Assembly Committees on Judiciary and Health.

SB 903

Senate Bill (SB) 903 would require the California Prison Oversight Board to examine the California Department of Correction and Rehabilitation’s (CDCR) efforts to address the housing needs of persons recently released from custody, including those identified with serious mental health needs.

“If we are serious about getting more Californians off the street, we can no longer ignore the ‘prison-to-street’ pipeline,” State Senate Majority Leader Emeritus Robert Hertzberg (D-Van Nuys), SB 903’s author, said.

“In California, leaving incarceration is a ticket to homelessness and recidivism. With prison populations continuing to shrink due to the pandemic and recent reforms, we must do all we can as a state to help those leaving become productive, law-abiding members of society. Our justice system depends on it,” he continued.

According to a study from California Health Policy Strategies, L.L.C. (CHPS), in 2019, 27% of Californians in jail reported being unsheltered before they were arrested, and 70% percent of unsheltered individuals reported having been previously incarcerated.

About 28% reported being recently released from a correctional institution.

SB 903 is being reviewed by the Assembly Committee on Public Safety.

AB 411

Assembly Bill (AB) 411, authored by Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin (D-Thousand Oaks), involves the Veterans Housing and Homelessness Prevention Bond Act of 2022, which provides affordable rental and transitional housing for low-income and homeless veterans.

The bill would authorize the issuance of up to $600 million in bonds for additional funding for the program.

“First authorized in 2014, this successful program has developed nearly 6,000 units thus far,” Irwin tweeted. “With an estimated 11,000 unhoused veterans living in California, we must continue this work.”

The Senate Committee on Government and Finance is reviewing AB 411.

SB 1336

Legislation introduced by Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) Senate Bill (SB) 1336 would allow religious institutions and nonprofit colleges to build affordable housing on their properties with less difficulty.

According to housing advocates, the current process is needlessly complicated and expensive.

“SB 1336 will open up an enormous amount of land for affordable housing and help address our housing crisis,” Wiener tweeted.

SB 1336 is being reviewed by the Assembly Committee on Housing and Community Development.

Both in California and across the United States, African Americans account for about 40% of the population, respectively.

By Lou Yeboah

That moment when you realize that you should have listen. Uh, Oh- That moment when you realize that you should have heeded God’s warnings. Uh, Oh – That moment when you realize that you are in Hell. Uh, Oh, [Luke 16:28].

Feasting on sin, giving yourself over to the present gratification, careless of the warnings of God’s Word, indifferent to the rebuke of conscience, saying to yourself: ‘There is no danger; I know the strength of my will, and before I near the rapids I shall fly away to safer habits and purer ways.’ But when the time comes, and the roar of impending judgment rings in your ear, you will find out that your will is paralyzed, that your affections and desires are so entangled in sin that you cannot escape. Uh, Oh – that moment when you realize that you should have heeded God’s warnings.

Change your ways today. Get off the broad way that leads to destruction and get on the narrow way that leads to life. Jesus is not playing games with us. You see, no one loves us more than Jesus does, and no one have warned us more of judgment and Hell than He did. He gave warning after warning and told parable after parable, practically shouting about judgment and the reality of Hell.

Don’t be bewitched by the fairy tale ending that everyone “lived happily ever after.” Just ask the rich man in hell… Meanwhile God is pleading, Come to me. Come to me before it is finally time to rise and close the door. You can’t go on living resistant and opposed to the Kingdom of God and its values, yet magically at death suddenly want to enter His Kingdom, which you have resisted your whole life.

Don’t choose the fleeting pleasures of sin and miss the Kingdom of God. Jesus says in [Mark 9:43-48], “And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

Why go to hell when you don’t have to?

Jesus scolded, begged, and pleaded with the Jews, to open their blind eyes and soften their hard hearts, to turn away from the broad way that leads to destruction, but to no avail. Jesus cried out in sorrowful desperation; “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!” [Matthew 23:37].

One of the saddest passages in Scripture is Jeremiah 6:16, “… they said, We will not walk in it.” Uh Oh!

ATLANTA, GA— During the weekend of June 10 to June 12, former community and entertainment journalist, Naomi K. Bonman, wrapped production on her first feature film, “Manifested Bliss”, in Atlanta, Georgia. Cast members flew in from Boston, Massachusetts and Houston, Texas to partake in the film. Other cast members that came into Atlanta drove in from Durham, North Carolina.

“I’m still in a state of awe,” Bonman states. “I couldn’t have been blessed with a more better cast crew. They are amazing. My cast. Not only came on set to and naturally transformed into their roles, but they all assisted in all areas of production from sound to staging to make-up and hair. I was truly blessed with the best.”

Naomi K. Bonman wrote, produced, and directed Manifested Bliss. Her cast members include Raisa D’Oyley (Ashlyn), Jeff Saint Dic (Nathen), Karen Elessie (Jade), JoJo Brooks (Brian), Aaliyah Reid (Briana), Kevin “Kaze” Thomas (Tyson), Marie France Louis (Stacey), Kori Poe (Rodney), Darryl Chambers (Jerome); and Cedric McKenzie (driver). In addition to a phenomenal and talented cast, the crew members that facilitated to make production a success were Kelsey Wilson (Director of Photography, Editor, Lighting Assembler) and Eric Clardy (Production Assistant).

“Manifested Bliss” is a romantic comedy about a Jezebel, who is now a soon to be wife, who has mastered the art of manifestation and attempts to get her friends husbands. The mission behind the film is to bring a light-hearted, narrative that people can relate to.

“With so much negativity within the Black community, it can real drag a person down,” Bonman explains. “After watching this film, I hope that the audience walks away with not just the desire to continue to find their soulmate, but to want to be the best version of themselves. “Manifested Bliss” is not just about love, but is also about self-awareness, growth, and finding yourself.”

The special thing about this film is that not only was this Bonman’s first feature film, but it was also most of the cast members first feature films and first film debuts.

“Just like that, my first film debut is a wrap!” Raisa stated. “I’m filled with such gratitude for the opportunity to do what I love with some amazing and talented people. I’ve been inspired in more ways than I can count.”

The team is currently in post-production and gearing up for their slated November premiere which will be held in Atlanta, GA. They are in a heavy marketing period, and all and any support is greatly appreciated.

To support the film and to learn more about it, please visit manifestedbliss.com.

By Aldon Thomas Stiles | California Black Media Partners

Two weeks ago, President Joe Biden signed a federal policing accountability executive order based on the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021 authored by Rep. Karen Bass (D-CA-37). That action supplements other criminal justice reforms affecting Californians that took place this year. Several other criminal justice reforms at the state level went into effect in January.

Here is a rundown highlighting four of those laws, detailing what they do, and recounting what California legislators have said about them.

Senate Bill (SB) 317 allows conduct credits to be earned while an individual who has been deemed mentally incompetent by the court is in a state hospital or other mental health treatment facility awaiting trial.

Authored by State Senator Henry Stern (D-Calabasas), SB 317 was signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in October of last year and went into effect this past January.

“SB 317 provides pathways to appropriate mental health treatment for defendants charged with misdemeanors,” said Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer (D-California), Chair of the Public Safety Committee.

SB 317 also changes some of the guidelines for trial competency.

“It is important to remember that not all options are available for every defendant, as those are dependent on the situation and mental health status of each defendant,” stated Jones-Sawyer. “This bill is a tailored approach that allows California to use existing tools to help defendants gain competency and avoid a cycle of incarceration.”

Assembly Bill (AB) 124 provides a petition process for an individual to request that an arrest or conviction for nonviolent offenses be vacated — if the booking or crime resulted from the person being a victim of intimate partner violence or sexual violence.

“This bill ensures that survivors of sexual violence are able to receive justice through our legal system, which typically overlooks the context of abuse when determining whether to arrest,” said Jones-Sawyer.

Newsom signed AB 124, which was authored by Sen. Sydney Kamlager (D-Los Angeles), in October last year. It took effect on Jan. 1, 2022.

“Incarcerated survivors of trafficking & violence need a 2nd chance at holistic justice,” Kamlager tweeted last year before the bill passed. “We cannot continue to criminalize behavior born of desperation and liberation when our systems don’t benefit those who need it most.”

The law also allows a coercion defense to be used in the case of a serious felony or charge of human trafficking if the defendant is a victim of human trafficking and their offense was a direct result of that.

“Many trafficking survivors are incarcerated for crimes committed to protect themselves from further violence. AB 124 allows for more just outcomes moving forward,” stated Jones-Sawyer.

Senate Bill (SB) 73, authored by Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), ends mandatory minimums for nonviolent drug offenses.

The legislation allows a court to suspend a sentence or grant probation for drug offenses such as possession or transportation of opiates or cannabis.

“Mass incarceration for nonviolent drug offenders hasn’t reduced drug use or addiction,” Wiener tweeted after the bill passed last year. “Time for a new approach.”

Assembly Bill (AB) 333, authored by Kamlager, limits the state’s gang enhancement law.

Gang enhancements are additional prison sentences prescribed to individuals who courts determine are associated with a gang.

Under the previous law enacted in 1988, individuals who are found to be affiliated or associated with a “criminal street gang” could receive gang enhancements for any felony even if it is not connected to gang activity.

“When 92% of gang enhancements are used against BIPOC – that’s a massive systemic problem,” said Kamlager.

Just six months into the year, it is not clear how effective these new laws have been but the push for criminal justice reform continues inside and outside of the California legislature even as more conservative opinions harden against them.