EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK— (ENN)— Meet Joseph Carswell and Daryl D. Jones, two African American entrepreneurs who have launched a very ambitious project called Wealth First City, a series of smart cities centered around technology, finance, and green space for about 10,000 citizens. Their first three smart cities will be completed by the year 2030 and will be located in Ghana, West Africa, the country of Belize, and the Cayman Islands.

To date, there are over 225 smart cities being built around the world with the leading smart city called Neom being built in Saudi Arabia and slated to be finished in 2025.

In addition to their smart city projects, Wealth First also helps to close the wealth gap by assisting hundreds of minority-owned businesses to secure capital. To date, the company has helped hundreds of businesses and individuals $10 million in loans and lines of credit.

For more details about Wealth First, visit its official web site at WealthFirstInc.com

When “Back to Lyla” hits major Video-on-Demand (VOD) streaming and cable/satellite TV platforms such as iTunes, Amazon, iTunes, and DirecTV, it won’t just be another romantic comedy. The feature film is undoubtedly a quirky, hilarious love story jam-packed with star power featuring performances from actors known for hit shows such as “Yellowstone,” “Legacies,” and “Shameless” just to name a few. But there’s another element that deserves a moment in the spotlight: “Back to Lyla” is the brainchild of a Latin American production company and a team led by a majority of female producers and filmmaker America Young. As empowering as the cast and crew will attest to this being for them, the combination is a rarity for a feature film in Hollywood.

“Everyone talks about more diversity and representation in Hollywood, especially with women at the forefront, but it’s rare to see it achieved on such a large scale, as we accomplished with “Back to Lyla,’” said Young.

Young is riding a wave of success with a number of high-profile projects under her belt and knows a thing or two about inclusion. Young, who was honored with the Humanitarian Award by  the University of California, San Diego in 2020 for empowering women in film and television, recently directed the pilot for a soon-to-be released Apple TV+ series “Surfside Girls.” “Back to Lyla” will be her second feature film in the director’s chair.

The story for “Back to Lyla,” which was written by Guillermo Noriega who hails from Mexico, centers around a young man who is under the belief he is dying. In a desperate attempt to make the most of his life, Mark, played by Argentina-born and BAFTA-winning actor Gonzalo Martin, recruits his childhood friends to help him track down the love of his life Lyla, played by Hassie Harrison known for her roles in “Yellowstone” and “Tacoma FD.” The film also stars Emma Kenney from “Shameless,” Tracie Thoms from “Truth Be Told,” and Chris Lee who is a series regular in the hit TV show “Legacies.”

“Back to Lyla” was Martin’s first stint as a producer — a test for the international actor, which Young firmly believes he passed with flying colors.

“It felt like the stars aligned with this wonderful cast and crew for Back to Lyla. So many factors have to come together and Gonzalo was the force behind all of it. He handled it all while still giving a layered and beautiful performance. He also had a brilliant support system with Julie and Graham. I could not be more proud of our team.” said Young.

The film was also produced by Ana Menendez, Julie Bersani, Graham E. Sheldon, and executive produced by Maria Jose Michelucci. The film will be released by powerhouse distributor 1091 Pictures, which acquired the rights earlier this year.

“‘Back to Lyla’ was a phenomenal experience. I had to pivot between producing and acting, which was quite challenging at times, but I worked with an outstanding cast and crew through the entire process who understood what I was trying to convey with this film. It was an honor to work with professionals who were all on the same page and helped the film become a reality,” said Martin.

“Maria Jose was a true visionary. She saw the potential of this magical story and continuously supported the development of the film. Working with her and such a stellar production team of diverse artists brought another dimension to the filmmaking process that I will always cherish. I believe our backgrounds also contributed to the quality and uniqueness of this film, which people will be able to see for themselves when it is released,” he added.

“Back to Lyla” will be released on digital streaming platforms such as Amazon, iTunes, VUDU, and cable/satellite providers AT&T, DirecTV, and more on June 28.

By Glynda  Carr

The Supreme Court just dealt a devastating blow to reproductive rights. With its decision in Dobbs v. Jackson, five Republican-appointed Justices on the U.S. Supreme Court swept away half a century of progress and eviscerated women’s rights and equality. After last month’s leaked opinion, we knew this moment could come, but that doesn’t make today’s news any easier to digest.

For Black women in this country, today’s decision is especially devastating. Thirteen percent of American women are Black, but 38% of people receiving abortion care are Black. Abortion is necessary healthcare – and a lack of access can quite literally mean life or death for many Black women. This is especially true for Black women who have lower incomes, live in rural areas, and do not have access to health care because of systemic racism and discrimination.

According to CDC data, Black women are nearly three times more likely to die during childbirth than white women and are more likely to face maternal health issues. With new abortion restrictions and bans, these health outcomes are expected to get even worse: a 2021 Duke University study estimated the potential death toll following a total abortion ban and found a 33 percent increase in Black women who died due to pregnancy-related complications.

The states that are already moving to ban abortion are among those with the largest Black populations in the country. Consider Mississippi, the state with the highest percentage of Black residents in the nation, and one of the 13 states with a “trigger law” that ensured today’s decision would result in a near-immediate ban on abortion access. Three other states with the highest proportion of Black residents – Tennessee, Louisiana, and Arkansas – have these trigger laws in place, and many other states, especially in the South, are moving to severely restrict or outright ban abortion.

The impact of new abortion bans and restrictions will be felt most acutely by poor and working-class Black women – Black women are significantly more likely to live in poverty compared to white women. For these women, the overturning of Roe won’t mean that abortions will end; it will mean that access to critical, potentially life-saving healthcare will move hundreds of miles out of reach. It will mean time off of work (likely unpaid) and travel and childcare costs – expenses that may not be possible for women living paycheck to paycheck, struggling to simply put meals on the table.

At a time like this, when daughters suddenly have fewer rights than their mothers and grandmothers, it is challenging to imagine a way forward. But the answer is to do everything we can to restore our rights and ensure every woman has access to the healthcare they need and deserve, a right afforded to them under our nation’s Constitution. To do that, we need to elect and elevate more Black women. Black women have been at the forefront of the fight to protect and expand reproductive rights – from members of Congress like Reps. Cori Bush, Ayanna Pressley, and Lauren Underwood, to our first Black woman Vice President Kamala Harris, to soon-to-be-seated Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. We must elect Stacey Abrams to lead the state of Georgia – one of the states that is now positioned to severely restrict, or overturn the right to access abortion care under the leadership of their current Governor, Brian Kemp. And finally, we need to not only encourage, but throw our unwavering support behind more Black women from all across the country to run for office – women who personally understand the deep impact that a lack of healthcare and abortion restrictions have on communities thathave lacked fair representation for far too long.

Today and every day, I stands with my partners and allies ready to continue the critical fight for access to affordable, safe, legal abortions for all women, no matter where they live, how they identify, or how much money they have. We will not back down.

Glynda Carr is president and CEO of Higher Heights for America, the only national organization providing Black women with a political home exclusively dedicated to harnessing their power to expand Black women’s elected representation and voting participation, and advance progressive policies.

The views expressed in this article are the writer’s own.

By Lou Yeboah

Boasting in your arrogance!  Deceived by your comfort! ‘Now hear this, O foolish and senseless people, Who have eyes but do not see; Who have ears but do not hear [Jeremiah 5:21]?  Be mindful, of the height from which you have fallen. Repent at once, and act as you did at first, or else I will surely come and remove your lampstand out of its place” [Revelation 2:4-5]. “What is your life, but a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” [James 4:14]. Repent while it is still daybreak!

For, “Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and destroy the sinners thereof out of it. [Isaiah 13:9]. For Thus saith the Lord, “I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.” [Isaiah 13:9-11]. Living on the Edge! Boasting in your arrogance! Deceived by your comfort! Repent while you still have a chance!

And when He, [Jesus] drew near and saw the city, He, wept over it, saying, ““If you, even you, had only known on this day the things that make for peace ??? but now they are hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side and tear you down to the ground, you, and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.” [Luke 19:41-44]. I tell you; God is about to turn up the heat. Repent now before it is too late!

“And the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star fallen from heaven to earth, and he was given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit. He opened the shaft of the bottomless pit, and from the shaft rose smoke like the smoke of a great furnace, and the sun and the air were darkened with the smoke from the shaft. Then from the smoke came locusts on the earth, and they were given power like the power of scorpions of the earth. They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any green plant or any tree, but only those people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads.  They were allowed to torment them for five months, but not to kill them, and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings someone. And in those days people will seek death and will not find it. They will long to die, but death will flee from them. [Revelation 9]. The results of Living on the Edge!

SAN BERNARDINO, CA – Community Action Partnership of San Bernardino County (CAPSBC) is urgently seeking new members to serve on its Community Action Board (CAB). Currently, there are three vacancies in the following sectors: Public Sector, Low-Income District 1, and Low-Income District 5. All applicants requesting consideration to represent these sectors on the board must reside in San Bernardino County. Board members provide critical input, expertise and perspective to CAPSBC in the organization’s work of supporting, advocating for and empowering residents to achieve self-reliance and economic stability.

Any applicants requesting consideration to represent the vacant Low-Income District 1 on the Community Action Board must reside in the Supervisorial District 1 which includes the following cities: Adelanto, Apple Valley, Hesperia, and Victorville. Any applicants requesting consideration to represent the vacant Low-Income District 5 on the Community Action Board must reside in the Supervisorial District 5 which includes the following cities: Rialto and portions of Colton and San Bernardino. Applicants need not be low-income themselves as long as they are selected in a manner that ensures that they truly represent the poor.

Board meetings are held at 11:30 a.m. on the third Tuesday in January, March, May, July, September, and November. Meetings are typically held at CAPSBC’s Administrative Office located at 696 S. Tippecanoe Ave. in San Bernardino. However, due to the pandemic, Board meetings are temporarily being held virtually.

If you are interested in applying or nominating an individual to serve on our Board, complete the nomination form for the specific sector along with the additional required documents. All documentation must be returned to our office by mail or email as soon as possible since we have an urgent need to fill these vacancies. The following information pertains to the specific board vacancies, board job description, and the required nominee profile and nomination forms that each interested candidate must submit:

We look forward to your support in assisting us to identify the best candidates to represent the low-income residents on our Board of Directors. If you have any questions or need more information, please contact Xiomara Henriquez-Ortega, Manager of Administrative Support, via email at xhenriquez@capsbc.org or call (909) 723-1525.

By Carrie Stanton

Did you know that most DMV transactions are currently being handled online? The newest options available may allow you to complete the driver’s license knowledge test from the comfort of your home before visiting a DMV office.

If you’re renewing your license with a knowledge test requirement, or are an adult taking it for the first time, the DMV offers two resources – a remote version of the traditional knowledge test, and an interactive eLearning course. Eligible customers are prompted to choose the remote knowledge test or eLearning course after filling out the online driver’s license application and paying the fee.

Currently, the remote knowledge test is available for the nearly 2 million tests taken by Californians renewing their license each year, the more than 1.3 million tests taken by adults getting their license for the first time who also don’t have a California identification card and Californians getting a REAL ID or motorcycle license for the first time. The eLearning course is available for Californians renewing their license.

The newly offered eLearning course can be taken on a computer, laptop, tablet, or mobile device and is available 24/7. There are seven interactive modules that must be completed, including quizzes, after each module. The eLearning course takes approximately 45 minutes and is currently only available in English.

When you choose to use an online testing resource, it significantly saves time by eliminating the need to wait in line and take your test in a DMV office. Customers with a testing requirement for their license are still required to go to a DMV office after completing one of the online options to provide the required identity and residency documents, take a photo, provide a thumbprint, complete a vision screening, and be issued a licensing document.

The online knowledge test is available in 35 languages to customers who have an internet-enabled computer or laptop with a webcam. The test cannot be taken on a tablet or mobile device. Customers can begin the online exam between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding state holidays.

For identity verification and as a fraud prevention measure, online test participants are required to verify their identity and agree to be monitored throughout the exam.

The test can be attempted online twice. If a customer fails to pass the test after two tries, they will be prompted to go to a DMV office to take the test a third time.

This is just one more example of how the DMV is modernizing to add more convenient services online that used to be only available in an office. Checking things off your DMV to-do list is now a lot faster . It all starts here: dmv.ca.gov.

LOS ANGELES, CA—- You’re invited to be our guests at “JOY ALL DAY” presented by BET on Saturday, July 2nd at the Orpheum Theatre in New Orleans! This star-studded event kicks off at 8:30 am where the party begins when you step on site. Doors officially open at 9:00 am followed by a motivational fitness and dance party led by Tai Beauchamp, Kym Whitley and Tina Lifford.  Get ready to grow beyond your limiting beliefs, discover your innate power and align with your authentic self.

Pampering experiences, including aromatherapy and mini facials, will be provided by MELE and Sienna Naturals.

For the afternoon, the party continues at 12:30 pm once you step on site. Doors reopen at 1:00 pm, when the “Play All Day” Party gets started with beats from DJ Spinderella! You can engage with your favorite BET and BET+ stars – the cast of Sistas and The Ms. Pat Show, as they will be in the building for a meet and greet, exclusive conversations, and more. Come and get your fun on in our “Play” areas which includes Rise-n-Fly Spades and Bid Whist, Rubik’s Cubes, Connect 4, Jenga, prizes and more!

So, Slay and Play with BET…All for FREE!

MEDITERRANEAN SEA—-Aviation Ordnanceman Airman Temani Wallace, left, from Houston, and Aviation Ordnanceman 3rd Class Marvin Barrett, from Rancho Cucamonga, California, move food in the hangar bay of USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75), during a replenishment-at-sea with USNS Supply (T-AOE 6) and USNS Robert E. Peary (T-AKE 5), June 17, 2022. The Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group is on a scheduled deployment in the U.S. Naval Forces Europe area of operations, employed by U.S. Sixth Fleet to defend U.S., allied and partner interests.

LOS ANGELES, CA— Areva Martin is one of the nation’s leading voices in media, covering topics such as law, race, politics, pop culture, celebrity, and breaking news! She has a unique way of blending her outstanding legal expertise with her passion for promoting inclusion, diversity, and equality within ALL environments!

A Harvard University law graduate, Martin releases a statement about the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade:

Statement by Areva Martin:

The aftershocks of today’s SCOTUS opinion overturning Roe vs. Wade are already rippling across the country, as many states have trigger laws withdrawing the established right to abortion. This devastating decision is happening despite that documented fact that a majority of this country — Democrats and Republicans alike — support the abortion and understand it as a fundamental right.

Black and brown women in this country have always struggled with obstacles to equality and with the bitter reality that, as citizens, we are “lesser than.” And, as always, Black and brown women and those struggling to get by financially will be hit hardest by the ruling.

As a lawyer deeply engaged with civil rights issue, I am appalled at a ruling that claims, at its core, the justification that the right to abortion is not specifically enumerated in the constitution. The Constitution is silent on countless other rights we rely on every day in this country; it’s [saying] that a woman’s right to abortion is the one the Court has chosen to decimate today.

The concurring opinion of Justice Thomas should be a wake-up call to everyone. Thomas calls out the rights to same-sex marriage and contraceptives as examples of others that are not enumerated in the constitution. He is laying out the game plan of the right. We should consider ourselves forewarned.

By Edward Henderson | California Black Media

Dr. Willie Morrow, publisher emeritus of the San Diego Monitor and creator of one of the most well-known symbols of Black pride, the Afro Pick, passed away at his home surrounded by family on Wednesday, June 22.

Morrow is also the creator of “California Curl,” a once-popular hair texturizer many call the forerunner to the Jheri Curl.

Born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, to a family of sharecroppers, Morrow taught himself the basics of barbering and chemistry, tools that served as the foundation to his hair care empire.

From the 1960’s to the mid-1990’s, Dr. Morrow set up his headquarters at 4165 Market Street in San Diego. The two-story building housed his barbershop, salon and publication company where he printed the San Diego Monitor newspaper and operated a San Diego’s 92.5 FM radio station

“There was no voice other than the radio at the time,” said Morrow in a 2017 interview with San Diego Voice and Viewpoint newspaper. “When we first started throwing the paper, we would have mountains of them, about 15 or 20 thousand. We would throw them in every home and church in the community. Then we married the print and radio components together (with 92.5). It became the most powerful tool in the Black community.”

In the 70s, as his popularity grew within the beauty industry, the Department of Defense enlisted Morrow to teach and cut hair on military bases and in war zones, which led to him writing several hair styling and barbering technique books.

In 2016, the Museum at California Center for the Arts in Escondido curated an exhibit honoring Dr. Morrow and his accomplishments. The exhibit featured more than 250 objects, from paintings to vintage hair styling equipment. Most of the objects were part of Morrow’s own private collection.

The exhibit also included a diorama of Morrow’s Market Street barbershop, featuring the barber chair he used for years. The red velvet chair hosted local Black leaders including the first Black judge in San Diego County, Judge Earl Gilliam, and even basketball hall of famer Michael Jordan as customers.

Following his death, Morrow’s daughter, Cheryl Morrow, will now take over the newspaper and oversee her father’s California Curl Company.

“He had the foresight not just to create the style but the service so it can enrich an industry,” said Morrow to ABC 10 News in San Diego. “Prior to 1962, you couldn’t buy a comb exclusively for your cultural affinity,” says Morrow. “While that whole era was going on, San Diego Black panthers had the best afros.”

Assemblymember Akilah Weber (D-San Diego) tweeted about the impact Morrow had on the city he called home.

“Our community is rocked by the news of the passing of Dr. Willie Morrow. He was a true San Diego success story; having built several businesses from hair care products to publishing. His legacy as an entrepreneur and community educator will continue to touch and inspire many.”

Shane Harris, a San Diego-based activist and founder of the People’s Association of Justice Advocates, expressed his grief about Morrow’s death.

“Lost for words. To a man I called Dad, mentor, and confidant. Rest in Peace. Dr. Willie Morrow was one of a kind and was an innovator. San Diego has lost a tremendous leader. The creator of the California Curl and so much more has now left his earthen vessel,” he tweeted.