What it do with Lue

Urban Mystic Shows That ‘Conversational R&B’ Is Alive And Well 

R&B music seems to be headed in a more up-tempo/genre-bending direction, with its artists getting assists from rappers and others to create hits. As a result, this appears to be the perfect time for the return of one of the more underappreciated vocalists in the game: Urban Mystic, and his undeniably powerful voice.

He has consistently showed off his pipes throughout his career. His “Ghetto Revelations” and “Ghetto Revelations II” albums both charted very well. His last release, in 2015, “Soulful Classics” really showed off his range, and he covered a number of classic hits from musical giants.

Now, fresh off a six-year hiatus, Urban Mystic is using Instagram Live to draw his fans back in from his break while providing brief performances to remind them what he’s capable of.

Zenger News spoke with the Florida native, who is currently working on a single titled “Emotions,” as well as a follow-up album to drop later this year and a return to the stage.

Percy Crawford interviewed Brandon Williams, better known as Urban Mystic, for Zenger News.


Zenger: I love your voice and your music, brother. How have you been?

Percy Crawford interviewed Urban Mystic for Zenger News. (Heidi Malone/Zenger)

Urban Mystic: I’ve been good, bruh. I appreciate that.  It’s been crazy. Everything came to a halt. We had to put the tour on hold, and pretty much just go along with everything that was going on. It’s been all good. I took the time and used it for good. I got back in the studio and did some recreating, getting my album done that I will be releasing this year. I made the best of it, man. It’s just good to be getting back out on the road, seeing the fans and being on that stage again. I miss that.

Zenger: You haven’t released a full project since 2015. How has music changed since then and are you sticking to your formula no matter the changes?

Urban Mystic: Music changes with time, as does everything — music, fashion, movies. It’s usually for the good, so I go along with it. As far as music goes, it’s hard to take the soul out of it. That’s what I tell a lot of artists. I don’t care what you do, whether it’s hip-hop, or whatever, keep the same vibes.

Whatever I do, it’s going to always have that soul inside of it. I go along with the times, and I enjoy the new music that’s out there right now. I see a lot of these guys doing their thing. Rod Wave, for example: I love that song and what he’s doing. I’m here for it, man. I just love good music.

Zenger: You have that deep baritone voice that we don’t hear a lot of anymore. Why is that?

Urban Mystic: I grew up listening to groups like Ruff Endz, Jodeci, K-Ci and JoJo. Their sound helped mold me and my sound. And I can say that ain’t nothing like that going on in the industry right now. I hear it all the time: “Nobody’s got that raspy sound like you, it’s time for you to bring it back.” So, I’m going to bring it to you then.  This goes back to the Temptations/David Ruffin days, a sound that everyone gravitates to. I’m happy to be a part of being able to keep that sound alive.

A soulful vibe remains the center of Urban Mystic’s music. (Courtesy David Davis) 

Zenger: You mentioned the Temptations. You made a “Soulful Classics” album that became a classic itself. How did you choose the tracks you covered and was it a difficult process?

Urban Mystic: Ah man, it was so crazy. That was one of the hardest albums to come up with. We recorded about 80 songs. I performed different songs in different places, and I went with what gave me the most positive feedback. A lot of those songs that I recorded, were songs that I knew of, but I didn’t grow up listening to them. But the people loved them, such as Lou Rawls’ “You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine.” Those were huge records and the people loved them. I felt it was an honor and a pleasure to pay homage to those artists and those records.

Zenger: Your hit song “I Refuse” is an amazing example of “conversational R&B.” Tell us more about that approach.

Urban Mystic: Ah man, I appreciate it. It’s something about real R&B, that music that makes you feel like you are a part of it. That’s one thing that I tell all my fellow artists: Whatever you do, don’t take the realness out. Make the people feel the music. When I’m writing the music, I come up with a subject that might not be something that I’m going through but might be something that somebody I know is going through. I’m going to sing about it and talk about it because I know they can relate. That’s what it’s all about with music, making tunes that people can relate to.

Zenger: I love seeing you use social media to really interact with your fans. How important has that become in delivering your messages?

Urban Mystic: It’s highly important. I was one of the artists that came in the early 2000s, so social media wasn’t a thing back then. Being that that’s where it’s at now, that’s where everybody hanging out at, I had to switch gears and get over there. I wanted to find my fans. I love it because it gives me a closer relationship with my fans. It’s beyond reading fan mail that’s coming from a record label, you know what I mean. It’s definitely a plus with social media and I encourage all of my fans to holla at me, follow me, because it’s definitely me on there.

Zenger: When can we expect your new project?

Urban Mystic: We’re getting ready to wrap the album up by the end of next month. We’re dropping the first single next month; it’s called, “Emotions.” The album gonna be coming later this year. A specific date hasn’t been selected yet, but keep following me and I will make sure everybody knows what’s going on.

Urban Mystic drew from a list of more than 80 songs to create his “Souful Classics” release. (Courtesy David Davis) 

Zenger: Will it be the same Urban Mystic sound that we’ve grown accustomed to?

Urban Mystic: The sound that everyone expects from me, that’s the sound we are going with. But with this album, we’ve also got some new tracks on there with some of the new vibes and beats that are up to date. Those are mixed in with some of that soul singing and soulful vibe. Never taking away the urban in the mystic; it’s always going to be there.

Zenger: I’ve always been impressed with how you’ve stayed true to your essence. You had a song with Paul Wall, and you let him do his thing while you brought the vocals. You didn’t feel the need to try and rap or anything like that.

Urban Mystic: Dope man. I appreciate that. It’s always good to have people respect and appreciate good soul music. It’s still alive.

Zenger: You had a track on one of your early albums titled, “Where Were You?” where you rap, “Where were you, when you first heard Biggie or Pac and you knew you were blessed with the best of hip-hop?” Unfortunately, we have suffered a lot more tragic losses, especially recently in the hip-hop community. You ever think about doing a sequel to that song?

Urban Mystic: It’s crazy you say that — my son said the same thing. He was like, “Dad, you could remix that record and just change the Tupac and Biggie and use some of the newer people.” With all this tragedy and stuff that’s going on, man, you’re right. It is a timeless record.

That was my first record. Shouts out to [DJ] Kay Gee from Naughty By Nature, who helped produce and wrote that record for me. We definitely into re-creating that. Somebody mentioned the “I Refuse” part two and I said, “OK, I can just remix the whole first album.” Everybody was feeling that.

(Edited by Matthew B. Hall and Judith Isacoff)



The post Urban Mystic Shows That ‘Conversational R&B’ Is Alive And Well  appeared first on Zenger News.

UCR Host Virtual Doundounba Festival

RIVERSIDE, CA— Join host Makeda Kumasi for a free three-week Saturday Zoom Class series in West African Drum and Dance as we engage in strength, wellness and community support that is the Doundounba. The festival will be held on May 15 to May 29 from 12: 30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

  • Film Festival
  • Community Forum
  • Classes in West African Drum and Dance

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

SCHEDULE

May 15, 2021

Film Festival and Community Forum: Documentary Films by Makeda Kumasi and Imani Maat -Discussion w/ Master Dancer, Moustpha Bangoura and Dunham Scholar, Janice Blunt  -Introduction to West African Dance and the Doundounba w/ Moustapha Bangura & Company, direct from Guinea, West Africa

May 22, 2021

Introduction to West African Drums w/ Master Drummer, Bara M’Boup and Will Gordon

May 29, 2021

Master Dance Class w/ Master Dancer, Mouminatou Camara
*Classes will begin with Kemetic Yoga and conditioning lead by Makeda Kumasi

San Bernardino Approves $3M for Replacement of the 2nd Street Bridge over Warm Creek

Contract award moves forward with replacement of another important bridge connecting San Bernardino communities

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— During its regular meeting on April 21, 2021, the Mayor and City Council of the City of San Bernardino awarded a construction contract for replacement of the 2nd Street Bridge over Warm Creek between Arrowhead Avenue and Mountain View Avenue.

In early 2020, the bridge was inspected by the California Department of Transportation’s (Caltrans) Structures Inspection Division. On March 17, 2020, the 2nd Street Bridge was closed to vehicular traffic due to the findings of the advanced state of its structural deficiencies.

In anticipation of initiating construction, the 2nd Street Bridge Replacement Project funding was included in the City’s FY 2020/21 Capital Improvement Plan. Further, the project has been approved by Caltrans for Advanced Construction status, which allows the City to fund the construction work and seek reimbursement from Caltrans.

On April 21, 2021, the Mayor and City Council awarded a construction contract in the amount of $2,604,290 to Ortiz Enterprises, Inc. for construction of the 2nd Street Bridge Replacement and $404,107 in construction contingency, engineering and inspections.  “We are thankful to be moving forward with replacement of important infrastructure in our City. Improving our community streets for those who live, work and visit our City is our #1 priority” said Mayor John Valdivia.

“We understand the importance of improvements to our dilapidated structures. We are honored to be able to move forward with this significant project, in addition to the replacement of the Mount Vernon Bridge” said City Manager Robert Field.

The bridge should reopen to traffic in late 2023.

Letter to the Editor: It Might Be Time for a New Civil Rights Act

Because, according to the Courts, there’s no such thing as racism. It doesn’t exist.

By Dr. G.S. Potter, Senior Editor of the b |e note

If we are talking about justice, we are talking about structural reform. If we are talking about structural reform, we are talking about policy. And if we are talking about policy, then we are talking about the Courts. 

And according to the Courts, there is no such thing as racism.

You’re rubbing your eyes, but you read that correctly. The closest thing we have to racism, under the law, is discrimination.  There are a number of communities that have been legally designated as a “class” of people. And race can qualify as a protected class, as can sexual orientation or disability or age.  But racism does not, legally, exist. Discrimination does … and barely, at that.

Discrimination in general wasn’t outlawed until Congress passed the Fourteenth Amendment in 1868 which reads …

No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

Yet, immediately following its passage, Jim Crow was allowed to take hold and lynchings soon entered their golden era.  Why?

The white supremacists in the South were given shelter for their efforts by the Supreme Court. Congress passed the Reconstruction Acts with the intent of preventing white supremacists from denying Black men and women their freedom.  SCOTUS responded by gutting the Fourteenth Amendment. 

In 1872, despite the fact that the first section of the Fourteenth Amendment starts with the phrase “No state shall”, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that the privileges and immunities clause only applied to federal institutions and not the state.  As Justia describes, the primary holding of the Supreme Court was …

The Privileges or Immunities Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment is limited to federal citizenship rather than extending to state citizenship.

As a result, we saw states and localities pass law after law abridging the rights and threatening the lives of Black Americans. Legally. For the next century.

In the 1950s, a Civil Rights Movement began in America and once again discrimination against Black Americans was pushed to the forefront of the nation’s politics.  This time SCOTUS and Congress fell in line to end segregation through Brown v. Board of Ed (1954) and pass the Civil Rights Act (1964) and the Voting Rights Act (1965).

But as the courts grew more conservative, their determination to, once again, provide shelter for white supremacists expanded. By 1976, SCOTUS was willing to go on the offensive against freedom from discrimination. They did so by formally attacking the definition of discrimination itself.

Again, there is no such thing as racism in the United States legal system. Racism has traumatic impacts on Black communities and communities that are otherwise not White.  Discrimination doesn’t. At least, in efforts to protect a white nationalist’s most powerful weapon, SCOTUS moved to legally redefine discrimination itself by eliminating the ability to use the impact of a policy as the standard to prove discrimination.  They attempted to set a precedent by which discrimination only exists if it can be proven that it was intentional. 

In the case of Washington v. Davis (1976), SCOTUS ruled that testing applied in the District of Colombia Police Department’s hiring process was not discriminatory even though it served to prevent Black applicants from being brought onto the force.  They ruled …

Though the Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment contains an equal protection component prohibiting the Government from invidious discrimination, it does not follow that a law or other official act is unconstitutional solely because it has a racially disproportionate impact regardless of whether it reflects a racially discriminatory purpose.

According to the Equal Justice Society …

[B]ecause contemporary discrimination is frequently structural in nature, unconscious, and/or hidden behind pretexts (despite the fact that a tangible harm has resulted from their actions), the showing of “intent” becomes a near impossible burden for plaintiffs.

There are still fields of law where the intent standard is still applied.  Police misconduct and education are two examples.  We can see the fruits of that standard by watching the inequalities unfold in the criminal justice system and achievement gaps.  But Congress finally mustered the fortitude to push back when white nationalists were looking for SCOTUS to provide them cover in their efforts to disenfranchise Black voters. 

In 1980, the Supreme Court ruled in City of Mobile v. Bolden.  This case was a class action lawsuit launched on behalf of the Black citizens of Mobile. Rather that electing representatives for local districts, as is done with city councils nationwide, Mobile, Alabama deployed a system of local representation in which a three member commission was elected at large. This meant that a white majority would be able to dilute the voting power of the Black electorate.  The plaintiffs argued that this practice violated the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments of the Constitution, and the District court agreed. 

The Supreme Court, however, did not. They ruled …

(a) Only if there is purposeful discrimination can there be a violation of the Equal Protection Clause. And this principle applies to claims of racial discrimination affecting voting just as it does to other claims of racial discrimination.

(b) Disproportionate effects alone are insufficient to establish a claim of unconstitutional racial vote dilution. Where the character of a law is readily explainable on grounds apart from race, as would nearly always be true where, as here, an entire system of local governance is brought into question, disproportionate impact alone cannot be decisive, and courts must look to other evidence to support a finding of discriminatory purpose.

In other words, the results of a policy can be clearly racist, but unless it can be proven that the policy was written and applied with the intent to discriminate against a person or community because of race it does not violate the Fourteenth Amendment. The intended effects of this ruling was to establish a precedent in which intent, not impact, was the standard by which to analyze violations of voting rights. 

Congress took note and in 1982, they did their part to restore the right to vote by amending the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

The original text of the Voting Rights Act (1965) reads …

No voting qualification or prerequisite to voting, or standard, practice, or procedure shall be imposed or applied by any State or political subdivision to deny or abridge the right of any citizen of the United States to vote on account of race or color.

In response to the SCOTUS ruling in City of Mobile v. Bolton, Congress amended the passage to read …

No voting qualification or prerequisite to voting, or standard, practice, or procedure shall be imposed or applied by any State or political subdivision in a manner which results in a denial or abridgement of the right of any citizen of the United States to vote on account of race or color.

This amendment ensured that the disparate impact standard would be applied to cased involving the Voting Rights Act (1965).

SCOTUS is currently positioned to take another swing at giving the current generation of white nationalists and insurrectionists cover to deprive non-White Americans their right to vote with the case of Brvonich v Democratic National Committee, but Congress can and should be prepared to immediately pass legislation designed to formalize disparate impact as the official standard for all discrimination claims involving the right to vote. 

While they are at it, they should present legislation that removes the Intent Standard from cases of discrimination in all areas of Civil Rights. Congress can and should immediately present a new Civil Rights Act that restores our Fifth and Fourteenth Amendment Protections by updating the areas in which protection is secured and installing a disparate impact standard across the board. 

As a nation, we are in the throes of a new Civil Rights Movement.  We need a Civil Rights Act to match it. 

The Civil Rights Act of 2021 should ensure that disparate impact is not only applied to voting rights, housing rights, and employment rights. It should be expanded to also provide protection in education, health care, criminal justice, and environmental justice.  It should come with sharp teeth and devastating consequences for those that violate it.  And it should provide funding for lawyers for protected classes. 

There is no doubt that white supremacy is aggressively attacking our communities and institutions.  We need legal protections that are not only about us being equal, but provide better defense against those attacks. We need a new Civil Rights Act that closes the loophole of intent and gives us the tools to fight back against what is being done to our communities, whether a bigot admits it or not.  Congress has the power to give this to us.  And it’s time that we demand that from them. 

Marking “The Year That Changed the World,” Essence Releases First-Ever Quilt Artwork Cover — Capturing the Transformative Events Of 2020

The news of Derek Chauvin’s guilty verdict in the murder of George Floyd has caused many to reflect on the seemingly endless challenges—and endless hope, fight and resilience—that the Black community has experienced and demonstrated, particularly over the past year. Chronicling “the year that changed the world,” ESSENCE—the leading and only 100% Black-owned media, technology and commerce company at scale dedicated to Black women and communities—today debuted its May/June 2021 issue cover as a striking visual interpretation that juxtaposes the challenges and triumphs of a community after an unprecedented year of heightened social and political unrest, police brutality, economic and health inequities, COVID-19 and more. The quilt artwork cover, created by contemporary artist Bisa Butler and commissioned exclusively by ESSENCE, is one-of-a-kind and the first-of-its-kind used by ESSENCE for a cover in its more than 50-year history.  Butler is widely recognized for her depictions of African-American identity and life in the American experience, combining portraiture and the highly skilled craft and tradition of quilting to deliver engaging pieces that spark dialogue.

ESSENCE assembled an array of notable voices—from activists, journalists, artists and writers—who shared their perspectives on witnessing history unfold, creating change and being champions for freedom. Guest contributors include: activist and author Tamika Mallory, who shared an excerpt from her upcoming book State of Emergency; CNN anchor Abby Phillip; journalist and scholar Clint Smith; Paris-based producer Robin Allison Davis; race, culture and identity writer Kovie Biakolo; writer/activist Kimberly Latrice Jones; activist Lynee Vanee Bogues; and more. The issue also features ESSENCE CEO Caroline Wanga’s debut column entitled “Plate Full of Parsley,” which accentuates power, equity and authenticity as key ingredients for a new kind of soul food for the sisterhood.

“Some events are so defining that they continue to transform generations long after they occur, and such have been the collective events of the past year,” said Latraviette D. Smith-Wilson, Chief Strategy & Engagement Officer, ESSENCE.  “Whether those sworn to protect us having no regard for our lives, health and economic disparities heightened under a global pandemic, violent attacks on the U.S. Capitol and American democracy and more, we have witnessed a deluge of inhumanity that has only been rivaled by the resilience of our humanity.  This is what our incredible team has captured throughout the pages of ESSENCE’s  May/June Issue and what we are so honored that Bisa Butler has visually interpreted through the colors, textures, fabrics and patterns of this amazing quilt artwork—the first of its kind for an ESSENCE cover. Each stitch tells the story of these times and threads together the narrative of the work left undone and the future of social justice and racial equity that we must create.”

ESSENCE’s ongoing focus on social justice, economic inclusion and equity issues will be highlighted this week in its upcoming airing of the 2021 ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood Awards, on ESSENCE.com and ESSENCEStudios.com this Thursday, April 22. Building on its years of providing platforms to ensure Black creatives were recognized when others ignored them and that they continue to “receive their flowers” for their contributions to Hollywood and global culture, this year’s experience, with the theme “Mastering Our Stories,” will focus on the resiliency of Black women in Hollywood through the years—including during the unprecedented pandemic.

ESSENCE’s May/June issue will hit newsstands on Tuesday, April 27. For more on this issue, visit ESSENCE.com.

ABOUT ESSENCE COMMUNICATIONS, INC.

Essence Communications is the number one—and only 100% Black-owned—media, technology and commerce company at scale dedicated to Black women and communities. With a community of more than 31 million Black women, ESSENCE inspires a global audience through diverse storytelling and immersive original content rooted in Culture, Equity and Celebration. The brand’s multi-platform presence in publishing, experiential and online encompasses its namesake magazine; digital, video and social platforms; television specials; books; and signature live events, including Black Women in Music, Black Women in Hollywood, Street Style and the ESSENCE Festival of Culture.

Profile: Rev Brings Healing Approach to Domestic Violence Fight

By Sunita Sohrabji | Ethnic Media Services

Combating domestic violence requires a healing-centered approach which doesn’t always remove an abuser from the household nor criminalizes him, said Dr. Aleese Moore-Orbih, incoming director of the California Partnership to End Domestic Violence (CPEDV).

“I have never come across a woman who did not want to help her abusive partner. Leaving an abusive relationship is an old paradigm. Women of color want to stay with their partners and want agencies to help the abusive partner break out of their cycle of violence,” said Moore-Orbih, in an interview with Ethnic Media Services. “For me, the call has been to help people see one another, with all their shortcomings, and still love them.”

Moore-Orbih will officially joined the CPEDV team April 19.

The Partnership founded nearly 40 years ago, represents over 1,000 survivors, advocates, organizations and allied individuals across California. The organization has successfully advocated for over 200 pieces of legislation on behalf of domestic violence victims and their children, and it brings a racial justice focus to the issue.

Moore-Orbih, a United Church of Christ pastor, whose career has focused on racial justice and violence against women, hopes to bring a new paradigm to the role, focusing on the intersectionality of factors that can contribute to an abusive relationship, including race and ethnicity, socioeconomic class, gender and sexual orientation, age, ability, and immigrant identity. The Partnership noted in a press release that she “will raise the visibility of the Partnership’s anti-oppression work, move the public discourse, and support policy and community advocacy toward more effective prevention and intervention solutions.”

“People of color already live in an environment that is hostile towards them. Their survival mechanisms are seen as criminal and violent,” said Moore-Orbih, noting the generational trauma of slavery and Jim Crow laws, the continuous murders of young Black men without cause, poor economic conditions, and housing insecurity.

“It is a system that has traditionally tried to kill people of color, who are brought up with generations of disempowerment. When things are out of control most of the time, you attempt to control it, sometimes with violence,” she said.

For Black and Brown men, masculinity is determined by power. “They have spent a lifetime trying to prove their power to their communities, and their partners,” she said, noting that Black men have traditionally been underemployed while Black women are often over-employed. Women have had to do the delicate dance of bringing in the family’s income, raising their children, and pleasing their man.

“For a woman of color, domestic violence may be fourth or fifth on the list of things they have to deal with,” she said. “I can handle him, but this is all the stuff I cannot handle.”

COVID has added an extra layer of pressure for both survivors and their abusers. “Women doing the cha cha cha all these years are quickly learning the flamenco,” said Moore-Orbih. “But this is nothing new. Our communities have been doing the survival dance for decades.”

Domestic violence has spiked alarmingly as victims are trapped at home with their abusers amid lockdown orders during the COVID pandemic. The New England Journal of Medicine reported last year that one out of every four women in the U.S. and one in 10 men are currently facing abuse from a spouse or intimate partner. At the same time, traditional safety nets have largely been shut down. Domestic violence hotlines have seen a drop in calls as many victims cannot find safe spaces from which to make calls.

Shelters are closed or operating at full capacity, and thereby cannot take on new clients. Black and Brown victims of domestic violence are less likely to call police because of a mistrust of law enforcement or language barriers.

“When COVID broke, we were all struggling trying to figure out how to provide services,” said Moore-Orbih, adding that the number of people sent to hotels tripled, as survivors had to quarantine for 14 days before they could be sent to a shelter.

“COVID became another layer of pressure for people who were already drowning in anxiety, fear, ad trauma. If a person is trying to save you, you can’t see that,” she said.

Getting a woman out of her home and into a shelter to build self-esteem and self-reliance is just one small piece, said the reverend. “She is not healed.”

Similarly, Moore-Orbih does not support criminalizing perpetrators who must also be healed via the same holistic approach.

An integrative holistic approach must be brought to both survivor and perpetrator, said Moore-Orbih. “If we are looking to make people whole again, we must address the psyche, the physical ailments, forced immigration, and slavery.”

Sen. Padilla on Reparations: “We Can Walk and Chew Gum”

By Manny Otiko | California Black Media

California’s newest and first Latino Democratic Senator, Alex Padilla, says he supports reparations for Black American descendants of enslaved African people. He made the statement during an online news briefing with members of California’s ethnic press organized by Ethnic Media Services.

“It’s the morally right thing to do,” said Padilla. “For me, it’s not a difficult conversation.”

Padilla said reparations would go a long way to “address institutional injustices.”

For nearly two centuries now, Black American descendants of enslaved Africans have been making the case to an unbudging U.S. government for reparations. Advocates say payments would compensate for centuries of unpaid labor and an opportunity for the federal government to make good on its promise to provide 40 acres and a mule to each formerly enslaved Black person after the Civil War.

A shift in the national consciousness last year — some attribute to organizing around Black economic and political empowerment led in part by the American Descendants of Slaves Movement and the national reckoning on race that began last summer after the killing of George Floyd — has ushered in a political environment in the United States where many legislators are much more open than they have been in the past to reparations.

“We have to be able to walk and chew gum at the same time,” Padilla said. “We should be able to negotiate and advance and infrastructure package, and immigration reform and protect the rights of voters, and work on environmental protection, and address historical injustices like this.”

Earlier this month, Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee voted to approve forming a committee to study the idea of providing reparations to African Americans.

Padilla is a veteran politician who’s worked his way up the political ladder, previously serving as a Los Angeles city councilman, as a state senator and as secretary of State before he was nominated in January to replace outgoing Sen. Kamala Harris.

Padilla said that he has been senator for less than 100 days, but he’s packed a lot into that short period. During his first couple of months, he participated in President Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial, and voted to approve the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 intended to help Americans devastated economically by the coronavirus pandemic.

In the Senate, he is pushing and supporting a number of bills on a range of issues, including proposals focused on immigration reform (providing a pathway to citizenship for essential workers) and hate crimes against Asian Americans.

Padilla, the son of Mexican immigrants, grew up in the Pacoima, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley. His father worked for 40 years as a short-order cook and his late mother cleaned houses. Both parents were local activists who fought against violence in their community. Padilla said they were the inspiration for his political career.

“Through their hard work, we had a modest upbringing to put it mildly,” said Padilla. “We grew up with the values of service to others, and hard work, but we also saw our parents get very involved in the community.”

Reimagining School Safety in San Bernardino

SAN BERNARDINO, CA—- On Friday April 30th, 2021, student leaders with Inland Congregations United for Change (ICUC) and Inland Empire Prism Collective (IEPC) will host a youth-led conversation with San Bernardino Unified School District board members around access to mental health resources on their school campuses. The meeting starts at 5 p.m. via Zoom at: https://bit.ly/3mUluhK.

Now more than ever, students need support for their mental health needs. Covid 19 has proven to increase anxiety and depression in adults and children due to the mandatory social distancing, stay at home orders, and home circumstances youth have no control over. Youth leaders have been vocal advocates for properly equipped mental wellness centers to aid students in need within SBCUSD. Prior to Covid 19, students have been pressuring district leadership to allocate more funding to mental health resources because of the fear of mass shootings at schools across the nation. Over the past year, youth have also experienced trauma at large rates. From Covid 19 to police brutality, it is evident that students need these resources available to them to effectively handle the emotional impacts that these crises have had on them.

Many students within SBCUSD come from low income and marginalized backgrounds where access to mental health resources is often beyond their reach. By pushing forth this conversation, youth leaders are continuing to pave the way for the implementation of mental wellness centers by holding school board members accountable to allocating money towards the creation of these programs on all high school campuses and continuation schools within the district.

“As youth, we experience many forms of oppression that directly affect our mental health. Having mental wellness resources, such as therapists, available to us at our schools is a necessity for many of us that needs to be implemented as soon as possible.” – Scarlett Juarez, ICUC and IEPC Youth Leader

Glendora High School Senior Admitted into 18 Universities: Including Harvard, Stanford, and Yale

By Carl Dameron

Being accepted by just one major university is a life-changing event for many high school students.  Monique Vobecky is in a very different position.

Monique Vobecky a 17-year-old senior at Glendora High School, recently received her 18th acceptance letter, this one from another Ivy League University.  Many of the universities offered her full scholarships.

“This completed 18-for-18 high profile universities that accepted her as a freshman for the 2021 school year,” said her mother, Bianca Vobecky.

Monique is an excellent student with a 4.67 grade-point average, as well as an athlete and philanthropist.

“This is unreal!” said Monique, who is 17.  “I cannot believe all the letters said, ‘accepted.’”

Monique plans to make the most of this fantastic opportunity.

“I want the world to see that Black Girls are capable of amazing things.  We must be recognized and accepted for who we are and the talents, skills and passion we bring to the world…no matter how different we are… doctor, scientist, artist, musicians, or even a young poet like Amanda Gorman!”

How did Monique become such a sought-after student?

“She earned it,” said her father, Pete Vobecky.

Monique fell in love with sports and started playing soccer at an early age.  She’s been a captain on the Glendora High soccer team where she excelled as the 2017-18 “Defensive player of the year,” and she was selected MVP of the Soccer team for the 2019-2020 school year.

In 2018, Monique, then 14, created the Little Sunshine Foundation.  Her start-up was selected by the Glendora Chamber of Commerce as the ‘Nonprofit of the Year’ in 2019.

The Little Sunshine Foundation’s mission is to provide underserved youths with the necessary resources to improve their quality of life through tutoring, increased access to sporting gear, civic engagement and leadership.

Monique said she started the foundation because she believes “that every child deserves a little sunshine!”

Her parents said Monique gets to decide which university she’ll attend since she is the one who put in all the work.  Although Obama did go to Harvard, one noted.

“We don’t know all the reasons why all the universities accepted her.  What we know is that my daughter, a Black teenager from Glendora, California, put in the work to excel academically and take time to shine light in the lives of so many others,” said her mother, Bianca.

Her father, Pete, said, “Maybe it is time for Monique to be given an opportunity to have the light shine brightly on her for a while.”

Monique said she wants to major in medicine and become a doctor “to heal people and help them lead longer, happier lives.”

Pressed to name the lucky university she’s chosen, Monique said she doesn’t know yet.  She said she’ll let friends, family and the universities know when she decides.

The universities accepting Monique include:

  1. Harvard University
  2. Stanford University
  3. UC Berkeley
  4. UCLA
  5. Cornell
  6. Yale University
  7. Princeton University
  8. Cornell University
  9. Duke University
  10. Johns Hopkins University
  11. University of Southern California
  12. Northwestern University
  13. Brown University
  14. UC San Diego
  15. UC Santa Barbara
  16. UC Irvine
  17. Cal Poly SLO
  18. Cal State Long Beach

Love For Rap Music Deeply Rooted In Young Miller Tha Don

Young Miller Tha Don tasted music success early. As a teenager, he was part of Romeo’s Rich Boyz group. Romeo, the son of Master P and cousin of Young Miller Tha Don, formed the group that produced the hit “You Can’t Shine Like Me.”

Master P’s influence took Young Miller Tha Don from New Orleans to California, where he’s working to keep the legacy going. After taking a break in 2020 due to COVID-19 (including losing his father to the coronavirus), Young Miller Tha Don is ready to provide his fans with the sound they have grown accustomed to. But his new sounds are different, as he has removed all profanity from his music in order to appeal to a wider audience.

Using the experiences gained by being in a musical family and learning the rap game from every aspect, he feels now is the time to strike. He will be releasing a new single, “Easy Flow,” in the coming weeks and plans to drop the visuals shortly afterward. He’s also planning to have a full album by the end of the year.

During a recent conversation with Zenger News, Young Miller Tha Don expands on why he took a break from music, explains why he expunged explicit language from his verses and talks about Master P’s influence on his career.

Percy Crawford interviewed Young Miller Tha Don for Zenger News.


Percy Crawford interviewed Young Miller Tha Don for Zenger News. (Heidi Malone/Zenger)

Zenger: It looks like you’re getting back to the music. What kept you away?

Young Miller Tha Don: Definitely getting back to the music. It was COVID-19-related, including losing my dad in April of last year from COVID, so that kind of put a stop to everything. I just wanted chill out and get my mind right. Now I’m ready to get back into it.

Zenger: How did the success that you enjoyed at a very young age being with the Rich Boyz impact your career and your approach?

Young Miller Tha Don: I use it as fuel to move forward. Everything I soaked up being around my relatives; you know they are pioneers in the game, so I’m just using that as fuel to keep going. Everybody looks at me as the boss, so I gotta keep it going and show them how to get it going.

Zenger: You come from a musical family, Master P is your uncle, Romeo is your cousin. Obviously we know the Miller family well. What experiences did you gain being around them and entering their field?

Young Miller Tha Don: I got a lot of experience on the business side, the studio side, the video production side, photo shoots, clothing … you name it. I learned a lot and everything that I learned at a young age, I’m applying that to what I’m doing now.

Zenger: What took you from New Orleans to California?

Young Miller Tha Don: In 2000, I had moved with [Master] P to Houston, and he was telling my mom [that] the next year he was going to move to Cali because that’s where all his business was at, and he didn’t wanna just keep flying back and forth from Cali to Texas. So in 2001 we moved to Beverly Hills, and I’ve been there ever since. It was a humbling experience coming from New Orleans and moving to Beverly Hills. That’s why some of my people call me “The Real Fresh Prince” — instead of Bel-Air, I’m the “Fresh Prince of Beverly Hills.”

Zenger: Was it difficult to adjust?

Young Miller Tha Don: I kind of struggled going into it. Because you know in New Orleans, we like to crack jokes. I was doing that with the kids, they were sensitive and crying and all this. I just had to learn their culture. It was a great experience because some of those kids I was going to school with, their parents were big dogs, doing big things. I went to school with Nicholas Cage’s son and James Worthy’s daughters. I went to school with a lot of people’s kids, and just started building relationships with them. I still have relationships with some of those kids today.

Young Miller Tha Don moved from New Orleans to Beverly Hills two decades ago. (Photo courtesy Robby) 

Zenger: Given the fact that you have been in the industry for so long, you have witnessed the transitions in music from tapes, to CDs to streaming. What has that adjustment been like for you?

Young Miller Tha Don: P always told me, if you’re a hustler, you can adapt to any environment. I just had to figure it all out and get the streaming going. I do good with my streaming, so I just had to map it out, market stuff and plan. Get with my team and just treat the internet like the streets now. They used to have the street teams go out; now you have to go out and do that on the internet.

Zenger: Who were some of your musical influences growing up?

Young Miller Tha Don: I was heavy on Jay-Z, B.I.G. Pac, Nas, of course my family, Fat Joe, Big Pun. I listened to a lot of that.

Zenger: A lot of East Coast influence.

Young Miller Tha Don: Yeah, I definitely listened to a hell of a lot of that music growing up, bro.

Zenger: What can we expect from you musically?

Young Miller Tha Don: My vibe right now, I stopped cussing in my music, but I’m still talking that talk. I’m just challenging myself not to cuss and use more words, so my music can be played anywhere. But I’m bringing that good party music. I like to make records for the ladies, the R&B music, hip-hop records. That’s kind of my lane that I’m staying in.

Zenger: What prompted you taking profanity out of your lyrics? Was it just a matter of the radio being able to play it freely or something else as well?

Young Miller Tha Don: It was a combination of things. One day I was playing my music for these people and a little kid said the word that I said, and I was like, “Oh nah!” And then another reason, when you listen to music on the radio for those that still listen to the radio, I don’t want my voice to be distorted for every cuss word or to have entire blurred out lines. I just challenged myself not to cuss, and I’ve been doing that for like two years now, and it’s been working for me.

Zenger: That’s a major change and adjustment to pull off at this stage of your career, so the fact that it’s working for you says a lot about you as an artist. That’s big time.

Young Miller Tha Don: Yeah man, and a lot of people book me for that. I get a lot of gigs because of that, because some people don’t want to hear all of that. We are in a very sensitive era. So, calling women out and stuff like that don’t necessarily fly like that anymore. So, I’m just glad I made that change and people still vibin’ with it. And I’m not saying the ‘N’ word because I’m trying to break that barrier too.

Zenger: When can we expect a single from you?

Young Miller Tha Don: Man, I’m getting ready to drop my single, “Easy Flow,” and a video right behind it very soon, and then the follow-up will be right behind that. I’m just about to start dropping work consistently every month or every other month. Just drop a song, a video, and then I’m going to put out a full body of work around November.

Young Miller Tha Don plans to soon release a new single. ( Photo courtesy Robby) 

Zenger: Sounds the key for you right now is to live in the studio.

Young Miller Tha Don: I feel like, if you make a crazy record and everybody is vibin’ to it, that should be your motivation to go back in the studio and make an even crazier record. So that’s how I do it. I just made a crazy record. Everybody on my team is feeling it and other people in the industry who I sent it to, they feel like this is going to be that one. But to answer your question, staying in the studio is key because you have to keep the music going. You can’t run out of product when it comes to that music. You gotta keep dropping consistently. Give the people what they want. Music is different now. There are rappers born every day now. You have to keep being hot and winning.

Zenger: We lost a great one earlier this month with the death of DMX. Before I let you go, I wanted to give you the opportunity to speak on “The Dog.”

Young Miller Tha Don: That’s who I forgot to mention when you asked me earlier who I listened to. Definitely was a DMX fan. What he meant to the game was a lot. His unique style, his raw gutta flow — and he had the capability to jump from rapping to acting. We took a major loss. God bless X and his entire family, friends and fans. X would want everybody to keep his same energy going.

Zenger: I appreciate the time, is there anything else you want to add?

Young Miller The Don: World Fusion LLC is my label and DMG is my partner label. I want all the artists to keep going hard out there and keep pushing because eventually I’m going to want to sign some of them. That’s what me and my family are about, giving back and giving opportunities to the people that want to do it.

(Edited by Matthew B. Hall and Judith Isacoff)



The post Love For Rap Music Deeply Rooted In Young Miller Tha Don appeared first on Zenger News.