WSSN Stories

“Water That Has Been Begged for Does Not Quench the Thirst!” African Proverb – Soga, Ganda [Uganda]!”

By Lou Yeboah

Trust me, I’m going somewhere with this. Confining the history of an entire race of people to a twenty-eight-day period, not only does it diminishing the significance of our contributions, but it also allows the greater truth to be erased. The declaration of February as National Black History Month is but a tiny baby-step in the right direction towards understanding and wholeness in our country, but twenty-eight days is not nearly enough to celebrate and remember Black History. The celebration should continue all year round, as Black people’s achievements and successes are not limited to the twenty-eight days of February. But as the African Proverb translated says: Since you [we] do not have control over the help someone is rendering to you [us] it may [the help] not turn out exactly as you [we] expected. Ahh!

Because they have decided, “We are granted a whole twenty-eight days to remember Carter G. Woodson, Arthur A. Schomburg, Drusilla Dunjee Houston, Letitia Woods Brown, and John Hope Franklin; A whole twenty-eight days to remember Nate Turner, Colin Power, Rebecca Lee Crumpler, Lorraine A. Williams, Lorenzo Greene, John Henrik Clarke, Bill Picket, John Taylor, Alice Coachman, and Mary McLeod Bethune; A whole twenty-eight days to remember Otis Boykin, George Washington Carver, Malcolm X, Jesse Jackson, John Lewis, and W.E.B. Du Bios.”

“We get a whole twenty-eight days to remember Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, Dorothy Height, Ida B. Wells, Alice Coachman, Ella Baker, and Sojourner Truth; A whole twenty-eight days to remember Langston Hughes, Robert Hayden, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Marcus Garvey, Daniel Hale Williams, Crispus Attucks, Honorable Shirley Chisholm, Fannie Lou Hamer, Thurgood Marshall, and Adam Clayton Powell; A whole twenty-eight days to remember Ella Baker, Claudette Colvin, Gordon Parks, Bayard Rustin, Robert Sengstacke Abbott, Jesse Owens, Bessie Coleman, Rebecca Lee Crumpler, and Dr. Patricia Bath.”

“We get a whole twenty-eight days to remember the 30 times Martin Luther King Jr., was arrested between 1955 and 1965; A whole twenty-eight days to remember the year Muhammad Ali lost his championship title for simply standing up for something he believed in; We get a whole twenty-eight days to remember countless people of color who fought and died in the Civil War, laying down their lives for a country who wouldn’t think twice about theirs.”

“We get a whole twenty-eight days to remember 246 Years of Slavery [1619-1865]; A whole twenty-eight days to remember 400 Years of Oppression [1619-2019]; A whole twenty-eight days to remember 99 Years of Jim Crow Laws [1865-1964]; A whole twenty-eight days to remember 86 Years of Lynching [1882-1986]; A whole twenty-eight days to remember 14 years of Fighting for Civil Rights [1954-1968].” Why? Because “Water That Has Been Begged for Does Not Quench the Thirst.”

Are we aware of the extent to which we honor our predecessors? Or are we just celebrating what and when we’re told to celebrate? Is it that plausible to fit the entire span of hundreds of years into twenty-eight days? I quote Morgan Freeman, “Black history is American history.” The relegating of our history into one single month does nothing less than undermine the great things black people have done for this country. It’s almost like a subconscious insult to the entire black race, built on the premise of the “affirmative action” concept. It’s like someone is saying, “Give them their month so they can shut up already.” We were inventors, doctors, activists, botanists, scientists, poets, authors, carpenters, dancers, actors, artists, dreamers, and believers. We were all of the things for which white people were and are remembered. Some of the most important milestones achieved in American history go without proper acclaim. Meritorious, hard-earned accolades were stripped clean from the black man’s hands before he could touch them because at one point, he was only considered three-fifths of a person. But don’t worry, there’s still a little hope: This is the one month out of twelve where everyone else gets to praise us. We have twenty-eight days to show the world just how much we matter, so let’s act fast. Isn’t it great!” [Clip of an interview between Morgan Freeman and Mike Wallace on 60 Minutes a few years ago].

Celebrate and dance to the music “Black History” for there is no more powerful force than a people steeped in their history. And there is no higher cause than honoring our struggle and ancestors by remembering.  For the progress of the Black community in spite of the terrors of Diaspora from our homelands on the continent of Africa, the brutality of slavery, the horrors of inequality, discrimination, and lynching during the Jim Crow era, the disgrace of legal racial segregation, and current struggles against racism and injustice is nothing short of phenomenal.

“Only be careful,” as Moses warns, “and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.” [Joshua 4:9]. For our history as Africans and people of African descent in the Americas has been everything but comfortable, yet there is joy and hope to be shared and celebrated.

“Black History – Remember, Educate, Celebrate!”

“Lift every voice and sing, till earth and heaven ring, ring with the harmonies of liberty. Let our rejoicing rise, high as the listening skies, let it resound loud as the rolling sea. Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us. Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us. Facing the rising sun of our new day begun, let us march on till victory is won… May we forever stand, true to our God, true to our native land. [ The Black National Anthem…” Lift Every Voice and Sing was a hymn written as a poem by NAACP leader James Weldon Johnson].

 

Madame Secretary: Hon. Shirley N. Weber Reflects on Voting Rights, First Year in Office

By Tanu Henry | California Black Media

The first African American to serve in the role – and the 5th  Black person to become a constitutional officer in California – Weber took office on Jan. 29, 2021.

Weber has been a central and influential figure in California politics for years. She was an Assemblymember representing the 79th District in San Diego County and chaired the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC). In the Legislature, she introduced groundbreaking bills, including one of the strictest laws governing police use of deadly force in the country. It will protect Californians on “both sides of the badge,” she said, celebrating that legislation, which was supported by the California Police Chiefs Association.

Weber also introduced AB 3121, a bill that set up a committee called the Task Force to Study and Develop Reparations Proposals for African Americans. The group is charged with examining California’s involvement in slavery – and how California should compensate the descendants of enslaved Black Americans.

As SOS, Weber is responsible for conducting elections in all 58 counties, managing the operations of the State Archives, and keeping a registry of businesses and nonprofits statewide.

“We passed legislation that gives everybody a vote by mail ballot, and we’ve seen that it works” says Weber, sharing details about a major electoral policy change she has implemented as SOS. “We have to make sure that every eligible Californian not only gets the right to vote, but that they are registered to vote and that they show up.”

On Jan. 24, California Black Media interviewed Weber at her Sacramento office.

As an Assemblymember, you introduced groundbreaking legislation. What has the transition been like, moving from actively creating policy to settling into the administrative role of Secretary of State?

It’s been interesting, to go from being a legislator where you share the responsibility of representing all Californians with 80 others in the Assembly and another 40 in the Senate.

There, I wasn’t responsible for all registered voters and the protection of those who work at the polls and those who work to register voters.

Over here, you have an administrative role, and we support legislation like the Voting Rights Act.

It’s been somewhat difficult to let go of my District. Fortunately, my daughter is the Assemblymember there now.

The U.S. Senate did not pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. Why is that significant and why are voting rights so important in America right now?

When Gov. Newsom asked me to be Secretary of State, the first thing that popped in my mind was voting rights. This wasn’t a position that I had lobbied for. We had made some tremendous changes in the Assembly and passed some groundbreaking legislation.

Speaking to a reporter last December 22nd, I said this is a critical time because our nation is in peril. And he goes, “what do you mean?” I said, “our democracy is in crisis.” He didn’t understand. When January 6 hit (the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol), people understood.

I recognize this is a difficult and unique time for people in the nation, extremely difficult for African Americans, because most of us who have parents or we ourselves have lived through this struggle for voting rights.

My family understood the power of voting. My parents came out of Arkansas where they never got a chance to vote. My dad was an adult with six kids before he actually got a chance to register to vote in California.

What can ordinary Californians who care about expanding and protecting voting rights do?

We need to pay attention. We must fight laws that make it difficult for people to vote. Even though we don’t have that legislation coming out of our Legislature, we have people putting initiatives on the ballot.

California has expanded voting rights so much that people want to limit it. There’s only one group that can’t vote in this state: those who are physically in prison. Everyone else who meets the eligibility requirements in California can vote. And that frightens some people.

Do you see that movement to counteract the expansion of voting rights here in California or from other states?

It is coming from within and without. We have to be careful of the deceptive methods used. Take the campaign against bail reform. It had been signed into law. And a group of bail bondsmen took a whole bunch of money, manipulated African Americans and put their faces on television. It confused voters and wiped out this whole effort we had been working on for five or six years.

Do you think other Secretaries of State across the country will emulate California’s efforts to expand voting rights?

We are seeing that, especially in states with Democratic leadership. But in other places, we see also them fighting the Voting Rights Act.

Secretaries of State are a unique breed. Many are appointed by governors. Across the nation, people on the far Right are organizing to get candidates to run for Secretary of State, where before it was seen more as an administrative job with a few other responsibilities. Now, it is seen as a highly political job, especially given the legislation that’s coming out in some places that would empower Legislatures to overturn votes.

You’ve been in this job for a year. Do you feel like you’ve accomplished your goals?

I didn’t take this position because I needed to be a constitutional officer, or one day become Governor. The question for me was: What does the Secretary of State have to offer in these critical times? And obviously it is the defense of our democracy. I was coming in with the idea that we are going to expand our voting base. We have done that.

We’ve also expanded the California Voter Choice Act counties Half of our counties are Voter Choice Act Counties, which gives us additional resources to go into those counties. They are now outvoting the rest of the counties.

Statewide, 88 % of eligible Californians are registered right now to vote. My goal is to get it to 100 %.

Is California implementing additional safeguards to make sure irregularities are minimal?

Yes, we are. We have a system that verifies votes. We test every machine in California before every election. We make it possible for people to observe the process. They can’t come and start counting themselves. But they can observe. We do all this with transparency.

How does it feel to look at that long wall of portraits of past Secretaries of State, and know that your legacy will be enshrined in California history?

I’m very grateful. When I was sworn in, somebody says you’re the first African American after some 170 years. How does that feel? I said, well – what took so long?

Black History Song Spotlight: ‘Kristine Alicia Says “Hold Strong”’

In this ever-changing world of chaos, where normalcy is replaced with life threatening anxieties, music soothes the savage beast. Mental stability is frail having weathered two years of the unknown. This is a time when spiritual guidance can strengthen confidence and one’s well-being. Musical healing fueled with passion and heart can mediate fear into strength.

Kristine Alicia is the angel in the choir reaching out to calm our worried minds. The strength of her lyrics is delivered in a powerful commanding voice that not only soothes the soul but assures a light at the end of the road. Hailing from Kingston, Jamaica she proudly comes from the support and encouragement of a well-versed musical family including her brothers and sister. Her father is a pastor and musician who taught her classical piano. It is no wonder Kristine rises above the crowd with spiritual energy; divine, powerful and healing.

Kristine moved to the U.S. at age 13 and later received a master’s degree in Music Business. She began performing as a backup singer in the gospel arena. In 2007, she launched her first album “Get Ready” produced by Nigel Lewis. This album pushed her into the forefront of the Gospel community where she received Artist of the Year and Female Reggae Vocal Performance at the Martin Awards.  It was Kristine’s growing interest in love and social justice that linked her in 2017 with Rory “Stone Love” Gilligan, producer of her second album “Songs from Zion.” The album charted on iTunes Top 10 and Billboard’s Top 15 and received multiple accolades by a cross section of reggae media. Kristine has shared the stage at live events featuring Third World, Tarrus Riley, Papa San, Etana, Nadine Sutherland, Warrior King and Freddie McGregor. She crossed the globe performing from West to East including the Groove Party in Nairobi, Kenya in 2015.

Kristine has been through ups and downs. It was the passing of her husband in 2020 that resulted in a dramatic single entitled “Black Diamond,” a call to action for survivors, victims and those suffering in silence. The message is personal, yet reflects the trauma of a post pandemic world. In November 2021, Kristine released a plea for ‘people to find their voice and sing again’ with a single entitled “Gold” on the Raging Storm Riddim produced by Christopher Hurst.

Her new release “HOLD STRONG” remains true to her intuitive understanding of psychological stress experienced by those in fear and disillusionment. Her outstanding lyrics and delivery are  tied together by the psychosocial impact of life’s never ending struggles. “HOLD STRONG” will be released February 18, 2022 to be followed by an EP later in the year. Get ready to experience  musical medicine that will guide us to feel whole again.

“My hope is that ‘Hold Strong’ becomes a melody that lifts up the ‘strong one’ we sometimes forget, who needs our strength and reminds our people of the innate resilience that pushes us through trying times.” ~ KRISTINE ALICIA

Explain One Play: DeMar DeRozan’s Dagger Dime In Winning Time


By Nekias Duncan

The DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic pairing has been cooking lately.

Since Jan. 1, DeRozan and Vucevic have been the NBA’s most frequent ball-screen partnership, per Second Spectrum. The Chicago Bulls have scored 1.11 points per possession on trips featuring a DeRozan-Vucevic ball screen — the second-best mark among high-volume pairings.

(The Suns are getting an eye-popping 1.26 points per possession on trips featuring a Chris Paul-Deandre Ayton ball-screen. Good freakin’ luck, man.)

It makes sense that the duo works. DeRozan is a downhill savant with mid-range guile that reminds you of a former Los Angeles Laker. Vucevic can get busy as a roller, a short-roller and a pick-and-pop threat. That type of versatility makes life difficult for a defense, as we saw during the Bulls’ 120-109 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Monday night.

Duck under against DeRozan, and he’ll just slither his way into spots anyway. Go over a screen and commit extra attention on his drive, and Vucevic can find a lane to the rim or flare out for triples. Give too much attention to Vucevic, and DeRozan can bake single coverage.

Switch the screen, and you’re in double-trouble; DeRozan is generating one point per possession on isolations against centers this season, while Vucevic is punishing guards or forwards on post-ups at roughly the same clip (1.01 PPP).

And speaking of post-ups, you typically imagine guards spacing the floor around a bruising or skillful center. Because of DeRozan’s craft — and Vucevic’s shooting ability — the Bulls are able to invert that look. Devote too much attention to DeRozan, and you get stuff like this:

All of that sets the stage for the late-fourth-quarter dagger. In a game where he scored 40 efficient points, it was DeRozan’s seventh dime of the affair that caught my eye. I’ll show it in full below, then we’ll break this sucker down.

Whew. Okay. Let’s get into it.

First, in light of how effective the partnership is, and how effective it had been in the game (1.57 PPP on direct hookups), it makes sense that the Bulls wanted to end this game with a DeRozan-Vucevic ball-screen.

The Spurs tried drop coverage for most of the game, particularly in the first half, and it simply didn’t work. Too much space was afforded. The adjustment was to have their big — either Jakob Poeltl or Zach Collins — play “up to touch” on the screen, meaning they’d come to the level before settling into a drop.

On this possession, the Spurs are planning to do exactly that. The weak-side help is key though. With Poeltl playing this high up, the potential for Vucevic to slip through is there. Doug McDermott tasks Lonnie Walker IV with making the short-roll rotation; that leaves McDermott to split the difference — play between two defenders — on the weak side.

That’s a lot of ground to account for, and it’s especially tough to cover on the fly. That’s what makes DeRozan’s next move — a spin away from Vucevic’s screen — so freakin’ nasty. It leaves Keldon Johnson in his tracks, Poeltl on the wrong side of a screen that isn’t even used, Walker IV out of position and McDermott in an impossible spot at the same time.

McDermott is already accounting for two guys standing at least 20 feet from each other. Once Javonte Green cuts baseline, the play is really dead. DeRozan drives, leaps in the air while staring down Green’s cut to move McDermott, then fires a dart to Coby White for the open three.

I’m not sure what you’re supposed to do with that.

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The post Explain One Play: DeMar DeRozan’s Dagger Dime In Winning Time appeared first on Zenger News.

Your 2021 Taxes: 7 Things the IRS Wants You to Know

By Manny Otiko | California Black Media

As the 2022 tax season kicks off, the IRS is reaching out to the public, encouraging people to file their taxes online and early. This was the main takeaway from a recent news briefing featuring IRS officers that Ethnic Media Services organized.

During the virtual meeting, IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig and Ken Corbin, Wage and Investment Division Commissioner and Chief Taxpayer Experience Officer at the IRS, stressed the importance of filing via the internet and making sure all information submitted is accurate. That way, they said, taxpayers can avoid delays and seamlessly receive their returns into their bank accounts by direct deposit.

“It is our intent that filing is as smooth and easy as possible. We want to make certain that consumers are getting all the credits and refunds they are eligible to receive,” said Rettig.

“Paper returns have an inherent delay in processing,” Rettig emphasized.

During the presentation, Rettig and Corbin shared several updates and pointers they said everyone filing taxes this year should know. Here are seven important ones:

The Tax Deadline Filing Deadline This Year Is April 18

Unlike the last two years of the pandemic when the IRS moved the tax filing deadline to July (2020) and May (2021), this year’s deadline to file your taxes is April 18. That is much closer to the April 15 date we all know and have become accustomed to over the years.

You Can File Your Taxes Online for Free

The IRS is providing the option for you to file your taxes online at no coast via the IRS Free File Program. The IRS also provides a service to taxpayers called Volunteer Income Tax Assistant Program (VITA). The program allows taxpayers to get in-person tax filing assistance from certified tax professionals in their community for free. This year, due to the pandemic, some of the VITA professionals are offering virtual tax preparation sessions.

For customer support, Rettig is also discouraging taxpayers from contacting the agency via telephone. He said they should use the website instead. The IRS gets about 1 million calls a day and it only employs about 15,000 people to service the phone lines. The service is mainly for people who don’t have access to broadband or the internet, the Commissioner said.

Mistakes Could Delay Your Return

Corbin said it is important for people to be accurate when filing their taxes. Inaccurate filings mean the IRS has to schedule an employee to contact the filer, which will cause a delay.

“We urge taxpayers to take care, particularly for those who received a third economic impact payment or an Advanced Child Tax Credits in 2021,” he said. “Taxpayers should ensure the amounts they receive are entered correctly on the tax return.”

“This slows down the return process,” Rettig added, explaining that the automated system pushes filings with incorrect figures. “Last year we had 10 million returns that didn’t match.”

To get ahead of the problem this year, the IRS issued letters to taxpayers indicating the total amount received in 2021 by filers that were eligible for Advanced Child Tax Credits. Taxpayers can also create an account at IRS.Gov to verify the amount they received.  

Rettig said the IRS still owes people who received the Advanced Child Tax Credits between July and December 2021, but they have to make sure all the information they include in their tax returns is correct. “Know that was only half, of the advance tax credit they should receive,” he said. “To receive the other half, they must file a tax return with us.”

More Married Couples and Singles Qualify for Earn Income Credit

This year, Corbin says more families qualify for Earned Income Tax Credits (EITC), which is federal tax relief for filers with low to moderate annual incomes.

“Workers with qualifying dependents may be eligible for EITC if their earned income was less than $57,414,” he said. “The maximum EITC for those with no dependents is $1,502. That’s up from over $500 in 2020.”

The annual income requirement to qualify for EITC for taxpayers without dependents is $21,430 for single filers, and $27,380 for those filing joint returns.

“In the past, EITC for those with no dependents was only available to people ages 25 to 64,” he added.

You also don’t need to be under the age of 65 any longer to qualify for EITC without a qualifying dependent, and individuals and families who received investment income up to $10,000 may also qualify.

Homeless and Former Foster Youth Qualify for EITC

Homeless and former foster youth who are at least 18 years old also quality for EITC this year. The minimum age is 19 for most taxpayers and 18 for former foster youth and youth experiencing homelessness.

Beware of Scams

Corbin says tax filers should beware of scams.

“The IRS will not call you by phone without a notice in advance. Don’t accept a text, a call, especially if they ask for bank info or to pay with a gift card. That is a scam,” he said. “Those are the things we are seeing this season.”

The IRS Is Hiring

Rettig said the IRS, which is still processing a backlog of about 6 million tax returns from the last two years, is currently hiring. “We want to be reflective of the people we proudly serve,” the Commissioner said, touting the agency’s commitment to diversity. He said the IRS wants to employ people, including those who speak more than one language, who are able to communicate with taxpayers from all backgrounds. For more information, visit USAJobs.Gov.

“Until Death Do Us Part!”

By Lou Yeboah

Understand that nothing – no calling or circumstance, no adversity or advancement, no pain or promotion, no status or station – escapes the brush strokes of My love for you. My love bleeds into every fabric and fiber of your being. There is nowhere you can escape My love. My love for you is unconditional, unending, and unmistakable. You see, before your first conscious thought, before even your first breath on Earth, I already loved you! [Jeremiah 1:5], says the Lord. Until death do us part! Nothing can escape the brush strokes of My love for you! I will never leave you. I will never abandon you.” [Hebrews 13:5].

I tell you; Paul was right. “Nothing can separate us from the love of God. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God …” [Romans 8: 35, 37-39]. “

I want you to pause this morning, afternoon, evening, night, whatever time of day it may be where you are and consider the overwhelming love of God. [Romans 5:8]. A love that was mocked, beaten, spat upon and had a crown of thorns twisted into His skull as He was beaten beyond recognition all because He loved you and me. I can imagine Angels watching in a state of shock when they saw how their great and glorious Master, the Creator of Heaven and Earth, the Lord of Hosts, was humiliated and taunted by demons and sinners. The powers of the universe shuddered and trembled when Jesus died. Even Satan couldn’t believe his own obscured eyes when he saw how this Mighty Son of God, who was so full of the Amazing Power of God, could be killed so easily. He could hardly believe it. This same Jesus cast out thousands of his demons, and healed tens of thousands of people who had been overcome by the devil… And now… He was defenseless, powerless, a willing lamb… Why? Because “No Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” [John 15:13]. Jesus wasn’t forced to die. He wasn’t overpowered, outnumbered, or tricked into it. He chose the Cross because of the love He has for you and me.

So, if you are searching for love this Valentine’s, then look no further – “God is waiting for you, with open arms. Ready to receive you, forgive you, embrace you. And it doesn’t matter where you’ve been, it doesn’t matter what you’ve done, it doesn’t matter what you’ve experienced, it doesn’t matter what you have thought about yourself or what other people may have said about you – God loves you unconditional. His love is not like human love which can be fickle and fragile. “His Love is stronger than death,” says the Song of Solomon.

He loves you so much that he has engraved your name on the palm of His hand. [Isaiah 49:16]. He loves you so much that He knows how many hairs are on your head. [Matthew 10:30]. He loves you so much that He saves your tears in a bottle. [Psalms 56:8]. He loves you with an everlasting love. [Jeremiah 31:3]. For there is no greater love than the love the Father has for us. To send His one and only Son to sacrifice His life on our behalf is the greatest love story of all time. [John 3:16].

I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power… to grasp how wide, long, high, and deep is the love of Christ. — [Ephesians 3:17-18]. But if you ever doubt that you are loved, read the love letters He’s written you. They’re in the Bible. The history of His love, the depth of His commitment, your worth – how much he values you and cherishes you, the lengths He went to in order to have a relationship with you. It’s all there. Just for you. Maybe this Valentine’s Day, it’s time you discovered your greatest love.

Happy Valentine’s Day in Advance!

E. E. Ward Moving, Oldest Black-Owned and Operated U.S. Business, Named 2021 northAmerican® Agent of the Year

CHARLOTTE, NC—- Today northAmerican Van Lines joined E. E. Ward Moving & Storage in celebrating their 2021 Agent of the Year win at their offices in Charlotte, N.C. The win comes one year after E. E. Ward celebrated its 140th anniversary as the oldest continuously black-owned and operated business in the United States – as recognized by the U.S. Department of Commerce – and is the first northAmerican black-owned agent to receive this prestigious award.

“Safety. Quality. Customer Service. Teamwork. These four components have been the foundation of the northAmerican Agent of the Year award since its inception,” says Kevin Murphy, Vice President and General Manager of North American Van Lines, Inc. “Winning agents, like E. E. Ward, demonstrate a true commitment to providing our customers with the best service and quality moving experience possible. We are honored to have an agent of their caliber as part of the northAmerican family and welcome them into the Agent of the Year winner’s circle, a distinction they richly deserve.”

“Winning the Agent of the Year award reinforces the attitude of everyone on the E. E. Ward team that safety, service and quality come first,” says Brian Brooks, President and Co-Owner, E. E.

Ward Moving. “By staying focused on these principles, our company has been able to secure some significant honors including the American Moving and Storage Association 2017 Moving and Storage Agent of the Year Service Excellence Award and the 2020 BBB International Torch Award for Ethics Finalist. Our entire team is honored to be recognized as the 2021 northAmerican Agent of the Year.”

The northAmerican Van Lines Agent of the Year award recognizes the agent that attains the best overall scores in categories including service quality, hauling growth, sales growth, safety performance, and demonstrates the “Power of Blue” in supporting fellow agents and customers.

SoCal Black Leaders Hype Up Rams, Super Bowl with Hometown Love

By Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media

Black political leaders from Southern California are sounding off as a week of celebratory activities and high anticipation begins. It is the lead-up to the National Football League’s (NFL) Super Bowl LVI game between the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals.

The NFL’s premier sporting event will be played in front of an estimated 70,000-plus spectators on Sunday, Feb. 13 at SoFi Stadium, the state-of-the-art sports and entertainment complex in Inglewood, which opened two years ago.

U.S. Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA-43) was among the first hometown lawmakers to celebrate this year’s Super Bowl game featuring the hometown Rams being held in her city.

“We don’t want to brag but we’re the baddest! The @RamsNFL are going to be the #SuperBowl (champs) and the game will be happening in my district, the 43rd District! The world will be watching, and we will be winning,” Waters tweeted on Jan. 30.

The Rams moved from Los Angeles to St. Louis in 1994. In 2000 they won Super Bowl XXXIV played at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. The team returned from the Midwest back to the City of Angels in 2016 after a $790 million settlement was paid to the city of St. Louis.

Members of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) from the South end of the state also jumped in on the excitement, sharing their thoughts about the game and hyping up their hometown team that could bring a Super Bowl championship to Los Angeles.

“As Vice Chair of the California Legislative Black Caucus, it is my pleasure to wish the Los Angeles Rams a successful Super Bowl,” said Sen. Sydney Kamlager (D-Los Angeles). “It is no easy feat to represent the greatest area in the nation, but there’s no better team I can think of to do it. Rams house!”

Assemblymember Chris Holden (D-Pasadena) of the 41st Assembly District, which covers areas on the eastern end of Los Angeles County applauded the team’s grit that he says took them to the big game.

“Congratulations to the Los Angeles Rams for making it to the Super Bowl! You all earned the right to be there, make us proud,” he said

The excitement of the sporting event is reverberating across the state, but millions of eyes around the world will be on the city of Inglewood.

Inglewood is located in the South Bay region of Los Angeles County near Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and is17 miles from downtown Los Angeles. According to the 2020 United States Census, it has a population of 107,762. About 40.9 % of its residents are African American.

James T. Butts, Jr., who is African American, has been Inglewood’s mayor for the last 11 years. Butts, 68, a former law enforcement officer, has turned the South Bay town into a local economic powerhouse.

Butts helped negotiate the return of the Rams from St. Louis to the L.A. region. He also facilitated the relocation of the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) to Inglewood.

The Clippers, currently housed in Crypto.com Arena (formerly Staples Center) will start playing in the $1.2 billion Intuit Dome being built in Inglewood in 2024.

Next to SoFi Stadium, NFL Media moved its office from Culver City into a 2000,000-square-foot facility for its NFL Network, NFL.com, NFL app, NFL Game Pass, and NFL Redzone brands.

“This moment, this moment in time is the ultimate of my career,” Butts said during the Inglewood City Council meeting on Feb. 2. “I walk in the morning, in the last two days people will stop, roll down their windows and talk about how proud they are to live in Inglewood.”

The Inglewood sports and entertainment complex is on the former grounds of the Hollywood Park racetrack.

Under Butts Inglewood is experiencing a business and cultural renaissance. In October, the L.A. Philharmonic Youth Orchestra Program (YOLA) relocated to Inglewood in the 25,000-square-foot Judith and Thomas L Beckmen Center. The Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles have also moved from Marina del Rey to Inglewood.

In addition, Inglewood will host the 2023 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Championship College Football Bowl game and present the opening ceremonies for the Summer Olympics World Games in 2028.

The city of Inglewood announced that masks will be required at the Super Bowl game and spectators must show proof they’ve been vaccinated or recently tested negative for COVID-19 upon entry into SoFi Stadium.

For more Super Bowl 56 and traffic impact information, text ‘INGSB to 888-777 or visit www.cityofinglewood.org.

Allyson Felix named USC’s 2022 commencement speaker

The Trojan Olympian — winner of seven Olympic gold medals and the most decorated U.S. track and field athlete in history — brings a message of empowerment and perseverance.

LOS ANGELES, CA—-USC’s 139th commencement ceremony will take on a victorious spirit when Allyson Felix, Trojan alumna and renowned athlete and activist, delivers the keynote address in May.

“Allyson has already inspired the world as a runner and used her platform to push for women’s health and women’s rights,” said USC President Carol L. Folt. “Her spirit and her message will inspire our students as they set out to make their mark on the world.”

More than 15,000 degrees will be conferred during the May 13 ceremony. As many as 60,000 are expected to attend, and countless others around the world will watch online.

Felix will receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree at the commencement ceremony.

USC commencement speaker: Los Angeles roots, Trojan traditions

Felix, who has described herself as “a Los Angeles girl through and through,” grew up a Trojan fan.

She is the daughter of an ordained minister, and her mother is an elementary school teacher. Her older brother Wes is also a USC alum and a Pac-10 champion in the 200-meter dash in 2003 and 2004.

Felix first connected with track and field at Los Angeles Baptist High School, where her slight exterior belied a powerful human engine. She was named High School Athlete of the Year by Track & Field News in 2003.

She turned pro in 2003, the same year she enrolled at USC. She became an international track star, winning her first Olympic medal in 2004 in Athens — a silver in the 200-meter dash — as a sophomore. Shortly after earning her bachelor’s degree from the USC Rossier School of Education in 2008, she won her first Olympic gold in Beijing.

Felix took home three gold medals at the 2012 Olympic Games in London and two more at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro.

In the Tokyo Games last year, Felix ran her last race as an Olympic athlete at the age of 35. The wins brought her career total to 11 Olympic medals — seven gold, three silver, one bronze — making her the most decorated U.S. track and field athlete ever, surpassing famed sprinter Carl Lewis.

Allyson Felix: championing women’s rights

She earned her 11th Olympic medal after embarking on one of the most challenging and rewarding journeys of her life — to be a mother — and chose to publicly take on one of the largest companies in the world and her employer, Nike.

Felix knew her decision to start a family could end her career, but she fought for contractual protections during and after pregnancy while turning the national spotlight on working mothers and child care needs.

Other Olympians followed her lead. Soon after, many major brands announced new policies and protections. Felix also went on to become the first sponsored athlete for Athleta, a line of athletic apparel for women.

Felix was open about a difficult pregnancy and birth after her daughter, Camryn, was born in 2018. Felix has called Camryn “by far my greatest accomplishment.”

Motivated by her life-threatening experience, Felix testified before the U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means on the topic of the Black maternal mortality crisis in America in 2019.

She turned pro in 2003, the same year she enrolled at USC. She became an international track star, winning her first Olympic medal in 2004 in Athens — a silver in the 200-meter dash — as a sophomore. Shortly after earning her bachelor’s degree from the USC Rossier School of Education in 2008, she won her first Olympic gold in Beijing.

What If Jamal Murray Returns To Form THIS Season?


By Drew Maresca

The 2021-22 NBA season has presented us all with its share of surprises, and chief among them is the Denver Nuggets.

The Nuggets entered last season with high expectations. They made it as far as the Western Conference Finals in the 2020 playoffs behind superstar-level performances by Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic – and their superstars continued their strong play into 2020-21. The Nuggets’ future looked incredibly bright.

The team began the 2020-21 season much like they finished the previous one. But they didn’t rest on their laurels. Instead, Denver made a major mid-season move, adding Aaron Gordon from the Orlando Magic. The Murray-Jokic-Gordon trifecta looked like it could be formidable.

Unfortunately, after winning 34 of their first 52 games, Jamal Murray suffered a torn ACL (in April), ending the team’s hopes of contending for a championship. The Nuggets were eventually swept by the Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference semis.

Still, there is a lot to be excited about in Denver. Before losing time to a back injury, Michael Porter Jr. looked ready to live up to his potential, averaging 23.5 points per game in the team’s final 18 games after losing Murray. After struggling a bit to find his place, Gordon has fit in nicely this season, averaging 14.5 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. And since Murray’s injury, Jokic has solidified himself as a perennial MVP candidate.

But Murray is an integral part of the Nuggets’ success. They have been relatively successful so far in 2021-22 without Murray, of course. But if he returns, could the Nuggets make a push to snatch up home court advantage in the first round? They are currently 28-24, good for sixth in the West. Denver is only 1.5 games behind the fifth-seed Dallas Mavericks. Mavericks center Kristaps Porzingis has missed the past three games with a bone bruise in his right knee – he’s notoriously injury prone, so any trouble he suffers should be taken seriously. A longer-term Porzingis absence will further hurt Dallas’ chances at holding its place in the playoff race.

Along the same line of thought, the Nuggets are also just 3.5 games behind the fourth-seed Utah Jazz – who just lost Joe Ingles for the season. And while Utah’s Donovan Mitchell shot down rumors of a continued rift between himself and Rudy Gobert just the other day, there is probably something to the rumor, as it is not the first time its made its way into public discourse. Can the Jazz hang on without one of their key players and with their anchors allegedly feuding? Utah is just 3-7 in their last 10 so things don’t look great there, either.

But without reinforcements, the Jazz and Mavericks are probably safe in their respective spots – but reinforcements might not be too far off. Both Murray and Porter Jr. have recently taken part in the Nuggets’ pre-game warmups. Porter Jr. was never given a strict timeline, but that fact that he’s on the court so soon after a December surgery is a good sign for a pre-playoffs return. On the flip side, the NBA recently awarded the Nuggets a disabled player exemption, meaning that the league feels its highly unlikely he returns before June 15. So, maybe this one is a long shot.

There are pros and cons to Murray’s recovery, too. Murray could be on track to return before the playoffs. ACL injuries typically require approximately one year on the shelf, and Murray’s injury was suffered on April 12, 2021; the 2021-22 regular season ends on April 10 with the play-in tournament beginning on April 12.

Let’s assume for a moment that Murray returns (and Porter Jr. does not). Prior to the injury, Murray was in the midst of his best professional season yet, averaging 21.2 points and 2.8 assists per game. He was shooting a career-best 40.8% on three-point attempts, and he was posting career-bests in PER (18.3), box plus/minus (2.0) and VORP (1.7), too. Will he be able to regain his pre-injury form? Will he perform as efficiently? The good news is that Murray is still only 24, so odds are decent that he returns to form. But doing so immediately would be a small miracle.

But Murray is so good that any sort of form on him is better than nothing at all, and the combination of Murray, Gordon and Jokic can be downright lethal. And while rushing players back is usually frowned upon, this is probably the ideal season to do so because there is a void in the upper echelon of the NBA. There is no super team this season. The Nets and Lakers are both struggling to regain consistency, and both of the Clippers’ superstars are out with injuries. The Grizzlies are a nice story, as are the Cavs; but when healthy, the Nuggets probably see themselves as a step above those teams. Right now, the Bulls, Heat and Bucks are the best the East has to offer – the Suns and Warriors are the class of the West. All five of those teams are exceptionally talented, but do any of them strike fear in the hearts of league executives like the Kevin Durant-Steph Curry Warriors did? Or like LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh’s Heat did? I think not.

With the increase in player movement, there’s simply no guarantees for future seasons – and that goes for Denver’s roster, as well as their competitors. If Murray can return to form – which is admittedly a big “if” – Denver’s big three and its role players (e.g., Will Barton, Monte Morris, Jeff Green, Facundo Campazzo and Bryn Forbes) make up as formidable a roster as any.

The Nuggets are in the unfortunate position of seeing an opportunity in front of them, while having to weigh the significant risks involved with attempting to capitalize on it. Maybe Denver’s leadership decides to punt on 2021-22 in hopes of returning everyone entirely healthy next season. But if things line up just so, the Nuggets could be in perfect position to be dark horse favorites this season.

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