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By Quinci LeGardye | California Black Media 

After launching a campaign last year to push for another Black woman to replace Vice President Kamala Harris in the United States Senate, a coalition of California Black women leaders say they are not defeated. They are organizing. 

Many of the women – federal or state legislators, other elected officials and political leaders –have made history in California and across the nation. Now, they have come together to organize, launching an effort to ensure that more Black women are voted into elected office in California.  

On February 15, the California Black Women’s Collective (CBWC) hosted “Conversation with Congresswomen Karen Bass, Barbara Lee and Maxine Waters.” Melanie Campbell, President and CEO of the National Coalition of Black Civic Participation and convener of the Black Women’s Roundtable, moderated the virtual event.

“After we were disappointed that we were not able to keep the seat for the United States Congress, we wanted to make sure that we did not lose our momentum, so we brought together this collective of Black women across California to make sure that we stay visible and active and engaged,” said LaNiece Jones, Executive Director of Peralta Colleges Foundation and Black Women Organized for Political Action (BWOPA).

According to the event’s organizers, the goal of CBWC is to amplify the priorities of Black women and organize with the goal of securing adequate representation for Black women in government. They also work in solidarity with the #WinWithBlackWomen initiative, which advocates for Black women lawmakers nationally.

The congresswomen spoke about how they ended up serving in the state legislature and later Congress, with all of them mentioning that they were ushered in by other Black legislators who called them to serve. Congresswoman Karen Bass (D-CA-37) said she entered the race for the California Assembly because other Black legislators were going to Congress and there weren’t going to be any African American women serving in the state legislature had she not run and won. 

“That was very motivating to me because all of the issues that we had worked on in the community. When people leave, everything that you’ve worked on can be reversed. So, that’s what led me to run for office,” said Bass.

When asked who had been critical to their success in their career, the congresswomen spoke about Black women community leaders and local government leaders who have worked with and inspired them, including Mary Henry, Opal Jones and Lillian Mobley in South Los Angeles, Maudelle Shirek in Berkeley, Nolice Edwards and Kellie Todd Griffin in Sacramento, and Edith Austin in Oakland.

“What I liked most about them was the courage that they had. If you could’ve seen them operate, you would’ve been instilled with the kind of strength that they helped to generate for me. I’ve been out of place, outspoken, confrontational, all of that, because of all these women, and I love it, and I’m so pleased I knew them and embraced me,” said Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA-43).

Speaking about their legacy, the congresswomen all say they hope they will be recognized for the fights they have led on behalf of their communities, and for delivering for their constituents. Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA-13) emphasized the importance of changing systematically oppressive systems.

“Like Shirley Chisholm said, when you get inside it’s not about playing by the rules, it’s about changing those rules because they weren’t made for you and me. So, I hope that my legacy will be, I didn’t go along to get along and I tried to change the systems and structures that are creating such oppression for so many marginalized people,” said Lee.

State and local Black women legislators also spoke about the legacies they want to leave, and what they want to accomplish for both their constituents and the women who will follow in their footsteps in various roles. They also touched on the importance of creating a better future of Black Californians.

“I wanted to demonstrate to people from San Diego and for African Americans across the state, that we can actually fight this battle and win,” said California Secretary of State Shirley Weber. “That was something that was so important because so many of our communities settle for little or nothing in terms of representation. So, my goal was to basically demonstrate that we can get police reform, that we can get a reparations bill passed, that we can do things in California that others think that we couldn’t do.”

State Board of Equalization Member Malia Cohen said, “This country has done dubious things in terms of passing policies that have shaken the bedrock of our financial stability. When I think about my legacy at least, as I serve on the Board of Equalization, I really want to begin to elevate the conversation. There are very few women – let alone Black women that are in this space that are paying attention to taxes and fees and they’re paying attention to budget. That is the legacy that I hope to leave behind.”

Assemblymember Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Los Angeles), whose district includes Crenshaw, Ladera Heights, Baldwin Hills and Culver City, says Black politicians have to press their colleagues holding elected office to push for the changes they would like to see. 

“We are at the bottom of just about every statistic when it comes to talking about Black futures, and what our Black babies are going to grow into. At the end of the day, we have got to be riding every single fellow colleague and the administration on budget decisions that are coupled with policy decisions,” said Kamlager-Dove. 

Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors member Holly Mitchell emphasized that courage is required to succeed. 

“I want people to be clear about my ‘why,’ and understand that I was not afraid because fear is the only thing that can stop us as Black women from being overwhelmingly successful. Don’t be afraid. If others are afraid of you that is their problem, not yours,” Mitchell said. 

Assemblymember Autumn Burke spoke about her mother, Yvonne Brathwaite Burke, who also served in the state legislature. Burke said she now feels it’s her responsibility to bring Black women into the legislature as her mother did. 

“Creating a bench is incredibly important to me now. It was one of my mom’s legacies. So many of her staff became speakers and supervisors and city council members. It’s something she’s really proud of. And as I look now, as I’m getting a little bit older, I’ve realized how important that really is. When I look around that room, knowing that I’m going to be the only one there, and what a disservice that is to our communities,” said Burke.

San Francisco Mayor London Breed spoke about her motivation for getting into politics, after growing up in poverty. Now, she wonders why she was one of the only people in her neighborhood to go to college and get out of poverty.

“All the people I grew up with, I now see them in the Tenderloin, sometimes strung out. I’ve gone to more funerals and I can count. The only reason why I decided to do work as a public servant is because I wanted to change things from a perspective of someone who’s was forced to live in it for most of my life. So, what I want my legacy to be is I want to look back, and I want to feel and see a difference in people’s lives,” said Breed.

Cori Gordon, 28, never imagined she’d become one of Amazon’s youngest Delivery Service Partners when she migrated to the U.S. from Jamaica in 2013.   Bright-eyed and eager post completing her studies at Northern Caribbean University, Cori began her professional career working in the retail and automotive industries before realizing she had a penchant for entrepreneurship.

“I experienced burn out working 80 plus hours for someone else,” Cori says.  “After a bit of soul searching, I realized it was important for me to direct all those hours of energy into something I owned.”

Cori searched online for business opportunities that presented a built-in customer base and a clear track for success.  “I knew right away the Amazon Delivery Service Partner program could be a great fit for me,” Cori says.  “Everyone knows and loves the company and though I hadn’t led my own company before, the training and development resources they offered inspired me to apply.”

In 2018, Amazon launched the Delivery Service Partner (DSP) program to share its experience in operations and logistics with aspiring entrepreneurs. The program empowers entrepreneurs to build their own last mile delivery companies from the ground up with Amazon’s support, infrastructure, technology, and a suite of exclusive services.  In the two years since its inception, these thriving entrepreneurs have experienced remarkable growth, with more than 1,300 DSPs operating across the U.S., Canada, UK, Spain, and Germany and nearly 85,000 jobs created. 

Cori’s DSP, Cortoyou operates out of Amazon’s newly launched delivery station in Staten Island and delivers to customers in her home borough of Brooklyn.  “The most fulfilling thing about being a DSP owner is being a job provider,” Gordon says.  “It’s such an honor for me and I get so excited when an employee gets a new car, or a new phone, because I know their employment with my company is helping them reach their goals.” 

The breadth of diversity in the program has been inspiring.  Owners include military veterans, former sellers on Amazon.com, educators, city council members, and many others who come from a variety of backgrounds. They are great coaches and mentors who have built customer obsessed teams that have delivered more than 1.8 billion packages worldwide, using more than 40,000 Prime branded last mile vehicles—from electric vehicles to step vans to delivery vans—generating more than $4.5 billion in revenue for their small businesses.

In August, Amazon announced a new diversity grant to help reduce the barriers to entry for Black, Latinx, and Native American entrepreneurs interested in starting a DSP.  With the launch of this grant program, Amazon is investing in building a future for diverse business owners to serve their communities. The $1 million commitment funds startup costs, offering $10,000 for each qualified candidate to build their own DSP businesses in the U.S.  Those interested in applying can visit logistics.amazon.com.

As the eldest child of nine, Cori knew she had a knack for leading, but she never guessed she’d be in a position to employ more than 50 drivers and make history as an Amazon business partner.  “I hope my story inspires young people of color to look into the program and evaluate if they’re ready to align with a company driven by customer obsession and delivering results,” Cori says.  “The journey has been amazing thus far.”   

The? Pan African Film & Arts Festival (PAFF)? is excited to announce its added a special screening of Gregory Everett’s award-winning documentary 41st and Central: The Untold Story of the L.A. Black Panthers to this year’s schedule.

PAFF will take place virtually February 28 to March 14. Tickets and passes are available at www.paff.org/plans. Early bird discount pricing has concluded as of February 13.

As a tribute to the late filmmaker, who tragically lost his battle with COVID-19 on January 24 of this year, PAFF will host a global screening fundraiser supporting his family on February 20 at 5 p.m. PT.

41st and Central: The Untold Story of the L.A. Black Panthers was the first part in a documentary series that follows the Southern California Chapter of the Black Panther Party for Self Defense from its glorious Black Power beginnings through to its tragic demise. The film explores the Black Panther ethos, its conflict with the L.A.P.D. and the U.S. Organization, as well as the events that shaped the complicated and often contradictory legacy of the L.A. chapter.

This special screening is sponsored in part by The Cochran Firm California.

41st and Central: The Untold Story of the L.A. Black Panthers, winner of the 2010 Pan African Film Festival’s Audience Favorite Documentary, features exclusive interviews from Black Panther party leaders Geronimo Ji Jagga, Elaine Brown, and Kathleen Cleaver, retired Los Angeles City Councilmember and former L.A.P.D. Police Chief Bernard Parks. The film was the first part of a documentary series by filmmaker Gregory Everett that follows the Southern California Chapter of the Black Panther Party for Self Defense from its glorious Black Power beginnings through to its tragic demise. The film explores the Black Panther ethos, its conflict with the L.A.P.D. and the U.S. Organization, and the events that shaped the complicated and often contradictory legacy of the L.A. chapter.

Using exclusive interviews with former Black Panther Party members along with archival footage detailing the history of racism in Los Angeles, including the Watt’s Uprising, 41st & Central: The Untold Story of the L.A. Black Panthers, has been called the most in-depth study ever of the murders of L.A. Chapter founder Alprentice “Bunchy” Carter and John Huggins at U.C.L.A. The documentary includes first-hand accounts of the Party’s formation as told by the original surviving members and eyewitness accounts of the murders at U.C.L.A. Also featured in the film are former Black Panther members Ericka Huggins, Roland & Ronald Freeman, Wayne Pharr, Jeffrey Everett, Long John Washington, US Organization member Wesley Kabaila, U.C.L.A. Professor Scot Brown, and Bernie Morris, oldest brother of Bunchy Carter.

Visit www.paff.org for more information and remember PAFF will take place virtually February 28 – March 14. Tickets and passes are available at www.paff.org/plans. Early bird discount pricing concludes February 13.

To commemorate Black History Month, Black-owned media companies Rolling Out and BlackBookStore.com, in collaboration with publishing giant Penguin Random House, have launched a historic content partnership called #AmplifyBlackStories. Company representatives said the initiative’s mission is to introduce more stories written by Black authors to a diverse group of readers. 

“As our content and media partner, Rolling Out has developed a full slate of programming throughout the year,” said Anthony Key, Director of Multicultural Marketing at Penguin Random House. “Our collaboration will allow us to propel the awareness of Black literary excellence and introduce more stories by Black authors to a diverse group of readers.”

#AmplifyBlackStories will give power to the truth and testimonies of a wide array of Black voices through deep-dive discussions and thoughtful insights sharing from the book selections. This collective will include authors across the spectrum of gender identities, multigenerational writers, faith-based thought-leaders, and creatives in the LGBTQIA+ community. The partnership between Rolling Out, BlackBookStore.com, and Penguin Random House will undoubtedly help inject more pivotal Black stories into the American literary canon. 

“This partnership and cultural collaboration with Penguin Random House will herald Black creativity and promote cultural understanding by amplifying Black storytelling and Black voices,” said Munson Steed, CEO at Rolling Out. “We are on a mission to celebrate Black authors, both familiar and new, who are helping to tell a more complete cultural story––from social justice and betterment to romance and sci-fi.”

#AmplifyBlackStories kicked off in February with Rolling Out‘s Meet the Author series featuring renowned writer Kevin Powell talking about his long career telling Black stories, including his intriguing journey from reality show pioneer to a congressional candidate. 

#AmplifyBlackStories will continue to pay homage to Black authors with a roster of virtual programming throughout the month, including:

• The Rolling Out Book Club (February selection is A Promised Land by President Barack Obama)
• The Children’s Club (February selection is I Am Every Good Thing by Derrick Barnes)
• The Sunday Read (authors read favorite excerpts and reveal stories of inspiration)
• Black Book Brunch (a virtual sip and dine while uplifting our favorite Black authors and their journeys)
• Modern Manual (relevant thought-leadership books, beginning with The Purpose of Power by Alicia Garza)
• Literally Speaking (smart and layered talks of Black literature and the writing process)

“Our partnership with Penguin Random House demonstrates the importance and impact of connecting culture and commerce,” said Steed. “Giving content creators—our equity partners—opportunities to learn and grow with a Black-owned company produces real economic progress.” 

To join the virtual programming for #AmplifyBlackStories, please visit www.rollingout.com and follow Rolling Out on social media channels. Books can be purchased at www.blackbookstore.com.

BLK, the largest dating app made for Black singles, launched a new advertising campaign, Once You Go BLK, to reclaim and reappropriate the antiquated phrase “Once you go Black, you don’t go back”. Instead of “praising” outdated stereotypes of Black people, this initiative embraces the glory of being young, Black, and forging one’s path in life. In order to bring this campaign to life, BLK also partnered with its local network of Black businessowners and creatives.

With over 4 million downloads to-date, the dating app aims to reframe what it means to “go BLK” through empowering messaging about the positive outcomes and implications of being part of both the Black and BLK communities.

This campaign includes original content and video testimonials with BLK users, tailored to acknowledge how real people date, across the Black cultural spectrum. In organizing and executing Once You Go BLK, Austin, TX-local Black businessowners and creatives brought their talents to the strategy and set, such as T&J Hair Designs for hair, honeybeebeats for makeup, a Paola Mathè headscarf design, and Darian Younce as the set stylist.

Once You Go BLK chronicles the journeys of Black singles and how they each take their own distinct approach to dating, from what they look for in a partner and their outlook on both romantic and platonic relationships. This campaign lauds the unlimited potential of the millennial and Gen Z Black community. As these years are incredibly formative in one’s life, Once You Go BLK aims to provide support and celebration for its users as they create their coteries.

“Once You Go BLK embraces the culture of the Black community, while also shedding light on important community topics from state violence to supporting Black-owned businesses,” said Jonathan Kirkland, Head of Marketing & Brand for BLK, “Our ambition for this campaign is to foster more solidarity, from a cultural level, with our users while taking the power away from an ugly adage used against us.”

Global Black Film Festival to Feature Over 65 World Premiere Titles

The Pan African Film Festival (PAFF) announced today film nominations in its prestigious juried competition. The Pan African Film Festival is America’s largest and most prestigious Black film festival. Each year, the PAFF screens more than 200 films made by and/or about people of African descent from around the world. PAFF holds the distinction of being the largest Black History Month event in the country. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) has designated PAFF as an official qualifying film festival for live-action and animation short films.  The 29th Pan African Film Festival will take place virtually from February 28 to March 14.

This year, the competitions will include over 65 World premiere titles and over 29 US premieres.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 29th Pan African Film Festival will run February 28 – March 14 on-line and on-demand only. The virtual component allows this year’s Festival to reach a global audience. More information can be found at www.paff.org. 

Best Narrative Feature Competition

Back of the Moon (South Africa)
Director: Angus Gibson

Caged Birds (US)
Director: Fredrick Leach

Poppie Nongena (South Africa)
Director: Christiaan Olwagen

Red Pill (US)
Director: Tonya Pinkins

The Fisherman’s Diary (Cameroon)
Director: Enah Johnscott

The Ghost and the House of Truth (Nigeria)
Director: Akin Omotoso

The Milkmaid (Nigeria)
Director: Desmond Ovbiagele

Best Documentary Competition

City On the Hill (US)
Director: Xavier Underwood

Disruptor Conductor (Canada, US)
Director: Sharon Lewis

Firestarter – The Story of Bangarra (Australia)
Director: Wayne Blair, Nel Minchin

Fresh Guide To Florence with Fab 5 Freddy (Italy, US, UK)
Director: David Shulman

Lake Women (Rwanda, Germany)
Director: Deve Shema

Raymond Lewis: L.A. Legend (US)
Director: Ryan Matthew Polomski, Dean Prator

Through the Night (US)
Director: Loira Limbal

Uprooted – The Journey of Jazz Dance (Canada, France, UK, US)
Director: Khadifa Wong

Best First Feature – Director Competition

Narratives

African America (South Africa, US)
Director: Muzi Mthembu

Caged Birds (US)
Director: Fredrick Leach

Executive Order (Brazil)
Director: Lázaro Ramos

Love Like Winter (US)
Director: Artel Great

Shaina (Zimbabwe, South Africa)
Director: Beautie Masvaure Alt

Documentaries

Finding Sally (Ethiopia, Canada)
Director: Tamara Dawit

Hollywood’s Architect: The Paul R. Williams Story (US)
Director: Royal Kennedy Rodgers, Kathy McCampbell Vance

Softie (Kenya, US)
Director: Sam Soko

The Letter (Kenya)
Director: Maia Lekow, Christopher King

The Patterson: Another Bronx Tale (US)
Director: Bahati Adrien Best

Who is Gatsby Randolph (US)
Director: Kobie Randolph

Best Short Narrative (Animation or Live Action)

#WeAreDyingHere (South Africa)
Director: Shane Vermooten

Antivirus (Greece)
Director: Anastasia Sima

Guillermina (Cuba)
Director: Aida Esther Bueno Sarduy

Junebug (US)
Director: Winter Dunn

Junior (US)
Director: Jehnovah Carlisle

London Arabia (UK)
Director: Daniel Jewel

Nazen (US)
Director: Shemar Yanick Jonas

Pure (US)
Director: Natalie Jasmine Harris

Sër Bi (Les Tissus Blancs) (Senegal, France)
Director: Moly Kane

Smell of Summer (US)
Director: Kris Wilson

The Cypher (US)
Director: Letia Solomon

The McHenry Trial – Don’t Judge a Kid by Their Hoodie (US)
Director: Ken Sagoes

The Power Of Hope (US)
Director: Kalia Love Jones

Till Death Do Us Part (Póki ?mier? nas nie roz??czy ) (Uganda, Poland)
Director: Dolores Vunda

Tuk-tuk (Egypt)
Director: Mohamed Kheidr

Two Single Beds (UK)
Director: William Stefan Smith

In celebration of Black History Month, TidalWave Comics is proud to announce three new graphic novel collections featuring Black politicians, musicians, and athletes at the top of their fields.

Every February for the last twelve years of producing biography comic books, we celebrate Black History Month to show our respect for the Black community’s work and sacrifices. No stranger to honoring those who shape our politics and culture, TidalWave has profiled politicians, musicians, actors, and others for more than eleven years using graphic narrative’s unique storytelling properties.

The merging of compelling text with eye-popping art appeals to people of all ages, something that’s important to publisher Darren G. Davis.

“I was a reluctant reader as a kid,” said Davis. “But comic books drew me in. There’s something magical about the combination of words and pictures working together that appealed to me.”

That appeal is something adults, and kids enjoy. “Comics like this are collectible memorabilia,” said Davis, “but we also want them to be a great read about the people who are shaping our country’s politics and culture.”

The graphic novel collections explore the lives of real people who achieved fame and are considered at the top of their chosen fields.

The first collection, out on February 10, “Black History Leaders: Volume 2: Nelson Mandela, Michelle Obama, Kamala Harris, and Tyler Perry,” is a study in active, social leadership. Also available is “Black History Leaders: Volume 1 ” featuring: Oprah, Barak Obama, Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice. 

“What I love about working with TidalWave is that we focus on the real lives of our subjects. We don’t get mired down in conjecture. We strive for unbiased storytelling. Don’t think of this as a political book. Think of it as a profile of people who are influential in our political system.” Said writer Michael Frizell, whose work is featured in the section on Vice President Kamala Harris.

Chosen for their undeniable influence on the music scene, the second collection, “Black History Leaders: Music: Beyonce, Drake, Nikki Minaj, and Prince,” looks at leadership’s creative side. This collection is set for release on February 17.

“As a kid, I couldn’t get enough of Prince’s music,” said writer Frizell. “Sure, Michael Jackson sold more copies during that time, but Prince changed the way we listen to music. His combination of funk and rock was infectious. It was his innuendo-laden lyrics that got me in trouble with my parents as a kid.”

And finally, on February 24, “Black History Leaders: Athletes: LeBron James, Jackie Robinson, Russell Wilson, and Tiger Woods” explores the lives of people who pushed themselves to their physical limits and led their respective sports to fame. The cover was drawn by famed comic book artist Joe Phillips.

Upcoming comic book biography titles in 2021 featuring other African Americans include Stacey Abrams, Angela Davis, Amanda Gorman and a tribute to Herman Cain. 

The biography comic format allows TidalWave writers to delve into newsworthy figures’ history and explore what shaped them. Several media outlets, including CNN, FOX News, “The Today Show,” and Time and People magazines, have featured the company’s line of biographical comic books.

The “Female Force: Oprah Winfrey” comic book is displayed in the Smithsonian Museum.  Our titles also can be seen as part of the “Black History 101: Mobile Museum”.

Print copies of the comics are available on Amazon. Digital versions are available from iTunes, Kindle, Nook, ComiXology, Kobo, and wherever e-books are sold.

The latest biography graphic novels join TidalWave’s ever-growing library of more than 200 comic book biographies. Previous titles have profiled Barack Obama, Selena Gomez, Condoleezza Rice, George Bush, Cher, Marco Rubio, and Elizabeth Warren.

Please feel free to use the cover images and credit TidalWave Productions.  To download the covers, click here: http://bit.ly/3taevnI

Review copies in PDF form and interview opportunities are available upon request.

For more information about the company, visit www.tidalwavecomics.com

SOLICITATIONS

Black History Leaders: Volume 2: Nelson Mandela, Michelle Obama, Kamala Harris, and Tyler Perry

Writers: Robert Schnakenberg, Clay Griffith, Michael L. Frizell, C.R. Ward

Artists: Azim Akberali, Patricio Carbajal, Pablo Martinena, Juan Burgos, Steven Wilcox

Release Date: 2/10/2021

Print Price – $19.99

Digital Price: $11.99

ISBN: 9781954044425

The impact of the leadership demonstrated by Kamala Harris, Tyler Perry, Nelson Mandela, and Michelle Obama cannot be overstated. 

As the first woman to hold the office of Vice President of the United States, Kamala Devi Harris, lawyer, prosecutor, and former attorney general, has devoted herself to bettering her constituents’ lives while focusing on social issues that help minorities women.

Tyler Perry is known for wearing many different hats and wigs, such as actor, director, screenwriter, playwright, producer, author, and now comic book character. His inspiring life story has had dramatic highs and lows that have launched him to superstardom.

Nelson Mandela of South Africa is one of the most important figures of the last century. He symbolizes the struggle against racial and political oppression and serves as a model for sustaining that struggle with grace and decency.

From humble beginnings in Chicago, Michelle Obama rose to become an outspoken advocate, trailblazing First Lady, and international style icon.

Their stories inspire generations and shape our culture. Celebrate Black History Month by exploring the lives of those who made history.

Black History Leaders: Music: Beyonce, Drake, Nikki Minaj, and Prince

Writers: Michael L. Frizell, C.W. Cooke, Marc Shapiro, Michael Troy

Artists: Marcelo Salaza, Angel Bernuy, Keith Quinn

Release Date: 2/17/2021

Print Price – $19.99

Digital Price: $11.99

ISBN: 9781954044449

Drake, Nicki Minaj, Prince, and Beyoncé changed what music means.

He made a name for himself as an actor, portraying wheelchair-bound Jimmy Brooks Degrassi: The Next Generation, but when Aubrey Graham went by his middle name, Drake, he rocketed to stardom with a sound unlike any before him.

From her humble beginnings in Jamaica to her childhood in Queens, New York, to her spotlight alongside high-profile personalities on the American Idol judge’s panel, hip hop star Nicki Minaj came to conquer the music scene. She succeeded.

So much has been left unsaid about the passing of legendary music innovator Prince Rogers Nelson. Prince, a prolific musician from Minneapolis, started a musical revolution with the hits “1999,” “Little Red Corvette,” “When Doves Cry,” “Purple Rain,” “Batdance,” and more, challenging even the “King of Pop,” Michael Jackson, for chart supremacy during the 1980s.

She might not be a superhero, but judging by all the things she’s done, you’d be hard-pressed not to think she is. She’s amazing, fierce, and always striving to be the best. All the single ladies know that Beyoncé is one of the world’s hottest musicians, if not the hottest.

Explore the lives of those who made us stand up and take notice during Black History Month.

Black History Leaders: Athletes: LeBron James, Jackie Robinson, Russell Wilson, and Tiger Woods

Writers: C.W. Cooke, Scott Davis, Michael L. Frizell, Robert Schnakenberg

Artists: Marcelo Salaza, Angel Bernuy, Keith Quinn

Release Date: 2/24/2021

Print Price – $19.99

Digital Price: $11.99

ISBN: 9781954044432

Jackie Robinson, Lebron James, Tiger Woods, Russell Wilson have all held the title of “greatest player of all-time” in their respective sports. How did they get there? And what influence have they had on our culture?

The first African-American to play major league baseball, Jackie Robinson broke baseball’s color line and played a role in the Civil Rights Movement.

Now the holder of three NBA championships, four MVP awards, two Olympic gold medals, and much more, LeBron James’ fame has afforded him the ability to use his numerous endorsements to start companies, participate in social activism, and donate to worthwhile causes.

By far, Tiger Woods is the most famous golfer of all time who’s TGR Foundation delivers unique and empowering educational opportunities that lead to personal and professional excellence.

Expectations and the pressure following them could break lesser men. Fortunately for Seattle Seahawks fans, Russell Wilson manages to withstand success and defeat with grace and aplomb.

Read their exciting stories in Celebration of Black History Month!

About TidalWave Comics

TidalWave is a multifaceted multimedia production company with the mission of delivering dynamic storytelling in various forms by developing graphic and literary fiction and nonfiction, audio, film, and more. The company’s wide range of diverse titles delights readers through its creative and innovative storytelling in high-quality print and electronic formats.

TidalWave delivers a multimedia experience unparalleled in the burgeoning graphic fiction and nonfiction marketplace. Dynamic storytelling, coupled with groundbreaking art, provides an experience like no other. Stories are told through multiple platforms and genres, gracing the pages of graphic novels, novelizations, engaging audio dramas, and cutting-edge film projects. Diversity defines TidalWave’s offerings in the burgeoning pop-culture marketplace through its use of fresh voices and innovative storytellers.

As one of the top independent publishers of comic books and graphic novels, TidalWave unites cutting-edge art and engaging stories produced by the publishing industry’s most exciting artists and writers. Its extensive catalog of comic book titles includes the bestsellers “10th Muse” and “The Legend of Isis,” complemented by a line of young adult books and audiobooks.

TidalWave’s publishing partnerships include entertainment icon William Shatner (“TekWar Chronicles”), legendary filmmaker Ray Harryhausen (“Wrath of the Titans,” “Sinbad: Rogue of Mars,” “Jason and the Argonauts” and more), novelists S.E. Hinton (“The Puppy Sister”) and William F. Nolan (“Logan’s Run”), and celebrated actors Vincent Price (“Vincent Price Presents”), Dirk Benedict of the original “Battlestar Galactica” (“Dirk Benedict in the 25^th Century”) and Adam West of 1966’s “Batman” fame (“The Mis-Adventures of Adam West”). TidalWave also publishes a highly successful line of biographical comics under the titles “Orbit,” “Fame,” “Beyond,” “Tribute,” “Female Force,” and “Political Power.”

By Mark Kennedy | Associated Press

Cicely Tyson, the pioneering Black actor who gained an Oscar nomination for her role as the sharecropper’s wife in “Sounder,” won a Tony Award in 2013 at age 88 and touched TV viewers’ hearts in “The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman,” succumbed on Thursday, January 28 at the age of 96.

Tyson’s death was announced by her family, via her manager Larry Thompson, who did not immediately provide additional details.

“With heavy heart, the family of Miss Cicely Tyson announces her peaceful transition this afternoon. At this time, please allow the family their privacy,” according to a statement issued through Thompson.

A one-time model, Tyson began her screen career with bit parts but gained fame in the early 1970s when Black women were finally starting to get starring roles. Tyson refused to take parts simply for the paycheck, remaining choosey.

“I’m very selective as I’ve been my whole career about what I do. Unfortunately, I’m not the kind of person who works only for money. It has to have some real substance for me to do it,” she told The Associated Press in 2013.

Tributes from Broadway and Hollywood poured in, including from Broadway star Tracie Thomas, who thanked her for paving the way. “A queen and a trailblazer indeed,” she wrote on Twitter. Former co-star Marlee Matlin wrote: “She was a consummate pro and all class.” Director Kenny Leon added: “God bless the greatest and the tallest tree.”

Tyson’s memoir, “Just As I Am,” was published this week.

Besides her Oscar nomination, she won two Emmys for playing the 110-year-old former slave in the 1974 television drama “The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman.” A new generation of moviegoers saw her in the 2011 hit “The Help.”

In 2018, she was given an honorary Oscar statuette at the annual Governors Awards. “I come from lowly status. I grew up in an area that was called the slums at the time,” Tyson said at the time. “I still cannot imagine that I have met with presidents, kings, queens. How did I get here? I marvel at it.”

Writing in “Blacks in American Film and Television,” Donald Bogle described Tyson as “a striking figure: slender and intense with near-perfect bone structure, magnificent smooth skin, dark penetrating eyes, and a regal air that made her seem a woman of convictions and commitment. (Audiences) sensed… her power and range.”

“Sounder,” based on the William H. Hunter novel, was the film that confirmed her stardom in 1972. Tyson was cast as the Depression-era loving wife of a sharecropper (Paul Winfield) who is confined in jail for stealing a piece of meat for his family. She is forced to care for their children and attend to the crops.

The New York Times reviewer wrote: “She passes all of her easy beauty by to give us, at long last, some sense of the profound beauty of millions of Black women.”

Her performance evoked rave reviews, and Tyson won an Academy Award nomination as best actress of 1972.

In an interview on the Turner Classic Movies cable channel, she recalled that she had been asked to test for a smaller role in the film and said she wanted to play the mother, Rebecca. She was told, “You’re too young, you’re too pretty, you’re too sexy, you’re too this, you’re too that, and I said, `I am an actress.’”

In 2013, at the age of 88, Tyson won the Tony for best leading actress in a play for the revival of Horton Foote’s “The Trip to Bountiful.” It was the actor’s first time back on Broadway in three decades and she refused to turn meekly away when the teleprompter told to finish her acceptance speech.

“`Please wrap it up,’ it says. Well, that’s exactly what you did with me: You wrapped me up in your arms after 30 years,” she told the crowd. She had prepared no speech (“I think it’s presumptuous,” she told the AP later. “I burned up half my time wondering what I was going to say.”)

She reprised her winning role in the play for a Lifetime Television movie, which was screened at the White House. She returned to Broadway in 2015 opposite James Earl Jones for a revival of “The Gin Game.”

Her fame transcended all media. Wendell Pierce took to Twitter to praise Tyson as an actor “who captured the power and grace of Black women in America” and Gabrielle Union said “we have lost a visionary, a leader, a lover an author, an icon and one of the most talented actresses the world has ever seen.” Neil deGrasse Tyson called her “a force of nature unto herself” and Shonda Rhimes said “her power and grace will be with us forever.”

In the 1974 television drama “The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman,” based on a novel by Ernest J. Gaines, Tyson is seen aging from a young woman in slavery to a 110-year-old who campaigned for the civil rights movement of the 1960s.

In the touching climax, she laboriously walks up to a “whites only” water fountain and takes a drink as white officers look on.

“It’s important that they see and hear history from Miss Jane’s point of view,” Tyson told The New York Times. “And I think they will be more ready to accept it from her than from someone younger”

New Yorker film critic Pauline Kael offered her praise: “She’s an actress, all right, and as tough-minded and honorable in her methods as any we’ve got.”

At the Emmy Awards, “Pittman” won multiple awards, including two honors for Tyson, best lead actress in a drama and best actress in a special.

“People ask me what I prefer doing — film, stage, television? I say, ‘I would have done “Jane Pittman” in the basement or in a storefront.’ It’s the role that determines where I go,” she told the AP.

Tyson made her movie debut in the late 1950s with small roles in such films as “Odds Against Tomorrow,” “The Last Angry Man,” and “The Comedians.” She played the romantic interest to Sammy Davis Jr.’s jazz musician in “A Man Called Adam.”

She gained wider notice with a recurring role in the 1963 drama series “East Side, West Side,” which starred George C. Scott as a social worker. Tyson played his secretary, making her the first Black woman to have a continuing role in a dramatic television series.

She played a role in the 1968 drama “The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter” that was hailed by a reviewer as “an absolute embodiment of the slogan ‘Black is beautiful.’” In “Roots,” the 1977 miniseries that became one of the biggest events in TV history, she played Binta, mother of the protagonist, Kunta Kinte, played by LeVar Burton.

She also appeared on Broadway in the 1960s in “The Cool World,” “Tiger, Tiger Burning Bright” and other plays. Off-Broadway, she appeared with such future stars as Maya Angelou, Godfrey Cambridge and James Earl Jones in a 1961 production of French playwright Jean Genet’s “The Blacks.”

She won a Drama Desk award in 1962 for a role in the off-Broadway “Moon on a Rainbow Shawl.”

After her “Sounder” and “Miss Jane Pittman” successes, Tyson continued to seek TV roles that had messages, and she succeeded with “Roots” and “King” (about Martin Luther King) and “The Rosa Parks Story.”

She complained to an interviewer: “We Black actresses have played so many prostitutes and drug addicts and house maids, always negative. I won’t play that kind of characterless role any more, even if I have to go back to starving.”

She continued with such films as “The Blue Bird,” “Concorde — Airport ’79,” “Fried Green Tomatoes,” “The Grass Harp” and Tyler Perry’s “Diary of a Mad Black Woman.”

She won a supporting actress Emmy in 1994 for “Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All.” She was nominated for Emmys several other times, including for “Roots,” “King,” “The Marva Collins Story” “Sweet Justice” and “A Lesson Before Dying.”

In recent years, she was part of a panel discussion for “Cherish the Day,” an eight-episode OWN anthology series created and produced by Ava DuVernay. She played the mother of Viola Davis on the long-running “How to Get Away with Murder.”

Tyson’s parents moved from the island of Nevis in the Caribbean to New York, where Cicely (her name was spelled early on as Cecily and Sicely) was born in 1924, the youngest of three children. When her parents separated, her mother went on welfare. At 9 Cicely sold shopping bags on the streets of East Harlem.

When she graduated from high school, she found work as a secretary at the Red Cross. Her striking looks prompted friends to advise her to take up modeling and that led to acting schools, theater, movies and television.

“My mother told me I could no longer live in her house because I was determined to be an actress,” she told an interviewer in 1990. “I said `OK,’ and I moved out.”

Tyson was married once, to jazz great Miles Davis. The wedding was held in 1981 at Bill Cosby’s home in Massachusetts, attended by show business notables. They divorced in 1988.

Tyson was never hard to spot. She tried to say no to wearing a terrifically large hat to Aretha Franklin’s 2018 funeral, only to be overruled by her designer. The hat would become a viral highlight.

“I never thought in my career that I would be upstaged by a hat! And I did not want to wear it,” Tyson said later. “I said, ‘I can’t wear that hat, I will be blocking the view of the people behind me, they won’t be able to see and they’ll call me all kinds of names.’ He just looked at me and said, ‘Put the hat on.’”

She came around, telling the AP she thought of the hat as homage to Franklin’s appearance at Obama’s inauguration.

AP National Writer Hillel Italie contributed to this report.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— Berdoo is a powerful new film that follows the challenging lives of students in the San Bernardino City Unified School District (SBCUSD). It is a film that shares the stories of multiple students and their moving struggles surrounding school.

Berdoo ’s official, virtual premiere is Friday, January 29 at 5:30 p.m. The online watch party will include a live question-and-answer session and will include a special message from both SBCUSD and the creator of Berdoo.

Whether you live in San Bernardino or not, we invite everyone to view this documentary that paints a moving picture of struggle, perseverance, and hope. And, most importantly, Berdoo will give you a closer glimpse at some of the special people in SBCUSD who have dedicated their careers to education and their lives to making Berdoo, as we lovingly know this city, a better place for children.

The film was available for viewing on YouTube over the holidays and was viewed over 7,000 times. It has received an incredible response from the community and local organizations.

About Berdoo

Named for the moniker that locals use to refer to their city, Berdoo was inspired by research conducted at the Loma Linda University School of Public Health. The creator of the film, Nishita Matangi, and her team collaborated with the San Bernardino City Unified School District to look into the barriers to attendance among high school students in the school district. While gathering data, through interviews and focus groups, they heard the stories of resilience in both the students and the community as a whole. These stories weren’t reflected by the data and headlines they saw while conducting background research on San Bernardino. They knew the stories needed to be shared and conversations about a film began.

Matangi pitched Berdoo for a project in a program she was attending at Harvard Medical School called Media and Medicine. She then continued the production as part of the practicum requirements for her master’s degree in Public Health at LLUSPH. It was important to her to create a space for the community to share their own stories, so she made sure everyone involved in the project (from the crew to the interviewees) were from San Bernardino.

The film seeks to highlight some of the struggles students face while growing up in San Bernardino, but showcase the programs and people from the school district that are trying to address those struggles. It also highlights the resilience of the community and the people that are a part of it. Throughout the years, and no matter the economic situation, the San Bernardino City Unified School District has continued to be a resource for the community. Approximately two thirds of the San Bernardino population is impacted by the school district in one way or another.

Why Berdoo :

“I was inspired by the people and their intriguing experiences and realized my initial negative introduction through data and articles didn’t reflect the true sense of the community. It was important to me that this story be told by people from Berdoo, from the crew to the interviewees,” said Matangi.

Every person has a story that deals with barriers within this community. Take the story of Minessotta Vikings running back Alexander Mattison, whose family didn’t always have a place to call home, and who saw friends struggle to keep up with school while working and helping raise their siblings. He found hope through his family, friends, and the teachers that invested in him; teachers like Mr. Hinkleman, who invested in Alex on the field, in the classroom, and beyond.

Watch the premiere at https://www.facebook.com/BerdooFilm/

What you can do to help:

The most impactful way anyone can help out Berdoo is by sharing the content and supporting the Patreon.

• Visit our website at https://berdoofilm.com to watch the trailer and learn more about the project and how to get involved.
• Join our Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/berdoofilm
• Donate or volunteer your time by visiting https://makinghope.org/berdoo/

Producer Bio:

Nishita Matangi has her Masters in Public Health and runs her own health communications consulting business She takes on projects like Berdoo to create platforms for community voices and to make public health information accessible and relatable. While researching chronic absenteeism among San Bernardino City Unified School District high school students, the stories she and her team heard during focus groups and interviews inspired her to share the stories of resilience in the community. She pitched the idea for Berdoo for a post-graduate program, “Media and Medicine” at Harvard Medical School. Over a year later, she hopes the film will shed a positive light on the resilient community.

The Board of Supervisors today announced that all San Bernardino County residents ages 65 and over are now eligible to be vaccinated against COVID-19.  

“We know that our seniors are the most vulnerable to serious illness and death if they contract COVID-19 and we want to get them vaccinated as quickly as possible,” said Board of Supervisors Chairman
Curt Hagman. “We ask the community for patience as we continue to receive doses from the State of California to serve our senior population and as we continue to vaccinate health care workers.”

Vaccine supplies from the State are scarce, so appointments are limited. County residents 65 and over can make appointments through https://sbcovid19.com/vaccine/. Seniors can also sign up for email and text notifications to receive alerts about vaccination opportunities and other vaccination news through the “65+ Vaccine Notification Sign Up” link at https://sbcovid19.com/vaccine/.

Those who need assistance with appointments or signing up for notifications can call the COVID-19 hotline from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at (909) 387-3911.

Also coming soon to accommodate all vaccination tiers, especially those individuals 65 and older, are a variety of new options for county residents to receive the vaccine to compliment the sites already in place.  These include mobile vaccination units to serve residents with travel challenges, including seniors and residents in the most remote areas of the 20,000-square-mile county, community-based vaccination sites similar to the many county testing sites, through partnerships with local clinics and healthcare providers. In addition, a super-site for vaccinations will be announced soon.

Vaccinations for County residents 65 and over are available within Phase 1A of the Vaccination Roadmap, which includes all front-line health care workers. Appointments are available with equal priority to both populations.