WSSN Stories

By Naomi K. Bonman

Chris’ little sister from Everybody Hates Chris, which was played by Imani Hakim, is all grown up and is taking on more roles in movies that are making an impact in the life of millennials.

Hakim plays the love interest of Trevor Jackson in the upcoming Netflix film, Burning Sands, which premieres on Friday, March 10.

Burning Sands takes you on a raw, voyeuristic journey of fraternity pledging through the eyes of one favored pledgee, who is torn between honoring a code of silence or standing up against the intensifying violence of underground hazing. Led by a breakthrough performance by Trevor Jackson, director Gerard McMurray’s feature directorial debut brings an emotional honesty to the classic tale of “rites of passage” and the complicated bonds of brotherhood.

The film also stars ?Alfre Woodard, Steve Harris, Tosin Cole, DeRon Horton, Trevante Rhodes, Christian Robinson, Rotimi, Octavius Johnson, Malik Bazille, Mitchell Edwards, Serayah, and Nafessa Williams.

I recently caught up with the rising actress where she chatted on her experience in working with Trevor and the rest of cast and why the film is a must-see, especially for college students across the globe. Check out the interview and trailer below:

Describe your role in the film ‘Burning Sands’?

I play Rochon, the girlfriend of Zurich [played by Trevor Jackson]. Rochon is a strong and independent young queen who knows where she’s going in life. Rochon is also a fashion major at the college.

How was it working alongside Trevor Jackson?

The best! What really excites me about this film is that as a cast we are all young and up and coming, so being a part of something like this was probably one of the best experiences in my life. Everyone’s chemistry was off the chain. We all bonded out there in Virginia. We would all want to hang out and it felt like we were actually at college or summer camp. Working with Trevor and the other cast mates was amazing! We still have a group chat [we all talk on]; we just love each other so much!

What can viewers except from watching the film?

I think viewers can except reality, truth, and greatness. We are really shining the light and pulling the covers back on hazing. I didn’t even know how severe and intense this topic was until I started reading the script. I didn’t know that they do all the stuff that they do. I think that the [viewers] will have a [better] understanding of fraternity, sorority, and Greek life behind closed doors. I’m pretty sure a lot of college students will be watching it since it is a college film, but hopefully some of the stuff that happens behind closed doors will be changed and that it will encourage others to spread awareness.

What is next for you?

I have a couple movies that are coming out later this year and next year. No details or release date yet.

When does the Burning Sands release on Netflix?

Burning Sands comes out on March 10 on Netflix. 

Follow Imani Hakim:

Instagram: www.instagram.com/RealImaniHakim

Twitter: https://twitter.com/anakih1

Snapchat: @Imani_Hakim

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheOfficialImanihakim

By Lue Dowdy

Save the date for Thursday, March 30th, when LUE PRODUCTIONS present E.A.A.G., an entertainment/talk show, hosted by Ms. Lue

Come be a part of our live audience! We will have  amazing talent from all over, as our team of actors/comics bring the funnies. You will also get to see aspiring models rip the runway while having fun. The show will be filmed by Robert of Ilondon Fog Studio, former broadcaster for FOX and Paramount Pictures. The show will be held at Pro Center Barber Shop located at 626 N. Sierra Way in San Bernardino.

Seating is limited seating to the first 50 seats available. Please inbox to RSVP for your free seat. The first taping will be at 8 p.m. featuring Pop Locker Tydee Bone and Hip-Hop dancer BJ. The special guests will be CEO of S.E.S. (Something Extra Special Entertainment, Janet Kirtley; and featured model Dee Dela Cruz. The second taping will be at 9 p.m. and will fature radio personality 5 Cent and model Krystal Yvonne.

Please like us on Facebook under ‘LueProductions’. Until Next weel L’z! View the  event page at www.facebook.com/events/263559784066785.

Publisher’s Commentary by Wallace J. Allen

What do you think about owning a Credit Union? Will you please take the time to respond to the short survey on page three and submit as requested…

Here is what I think…

Credit Unions are owned by their members. Credit Unions are designed to reward their members as opposed to paying dividends to investors. Credit Unions provide regular/normal/customary/traditional banking services for individual, as well as business members. Credit Unions are conveniently accessible via brick and mortar sites, as well as via the internet. 

There are some special services that should be available in our Credit Union; for instance, our churches should be able to access loans. Our small businesses should be able to access loans. Individuals should be able to access auto and home loans. Obviously, checking and savings accounts must be part of the package. All this must be conveniently available at reasonable rates! 

The Credit Union should have Directors that are known members of our community. The Credit Union should run as lean and efficient as possible so that the emphasis is on customer service. Employees and contractors for the Credit Union should be members of our community.

A mission of the Credit Union should be to serve the members and community as an economic support and development resource.

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

The patient was fading fast, and doctors expected him to flatline [die] before the night was over. In his fading state, he hears a voice…. Are you sure you want change your mind God asks?  What more can I do to prove my love to you?  You see, “Break up to make up, that’s all we do… First you love me then you hate me… That’s a game fool’s play… We have got to get together or we’re through…” [The Stylistics]. “Choose you this day Whom you will serve…” [Joshua 24:14-16]. “After all the things that we’ve been through… you should understand me like I understand you… As long as we’ve been together it should be so easy to do… get yourself together or we might as well say goodbye….. what good is a love affair if we can’t see eye to eye…” [Harold Melvin/The Blue Notes].

I tell you it’s hard to imagine a more direct approach than the one taken by Jesus here.  “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.” [[Revelation 3:15]. Listen, God doesn’t want you to be lukewarm in your relationship with Him. He doesn’t want you to drift away from Him. He wants you to pursue a relationship with Him that grows stronger and deeper each day.  I want you to know that your love relationship with God is more important than any other single factor in your life. You were created by God to have a loving, intimate relationship with Him. God wants intimacy with you. His question, “Do you love me?” was not just for Peter but for all of us. There’s nothing that I’d rather do than spend every moment with you says God. You must choose your love and then maintain your choice: you either love Me or the world, but not both [John 2:15]. “To love and be loved in return. It’s the only thing that my heart desires.  Just appreciate the little things I do. I tell you we can build a world of love, a life of joy. Let’s make our goal each other’s happiness.” Seize the moment. Seize the time.  Seize the day.

I want you to know that in [1 Kings 17:8-16], a widow was facing her worst nightmare: she had a meal left for herself and her son. Death was mockingly starring at her. Then came a visitor sent by God. He made her an offer and she accepted it. Death was disappointed and put to shame. The woman lived better than she ever lived. This season, the Lord will visit you. Prepare for His visit. Get rid of every sin in your life. Obey Him completely. Be prayerful and sensitive to His call.

I also what you to know that the Lord does not compel us anymore than he compelled Peter. We are not forced to love God any more than we want to or any more than we are ready to. But the beauty is that each little bit of ourselves we do give over to the Lord is received by Him and transformed by His love into something greater. Peter learned the hard way what it means to love Jesus. He had vociferously declared his unfailing devotion to Him more than once. Yet when the chips were down, Peter’s self-confessed love failed and he openly denied three times that he even knew Jesus. His vaunted courage proved to be nothing but empty talk when facing a threatening situation. Don’t let that be said about you. In [John 14:15] Jesus put it plainly: “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” In verse 21 He added, “He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me” (cf. 15:10). As the Lord’s message was to the church at Sardis, so is it to each one of us: Check Your Spiritual Pulse. He, who has ears to hear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

“Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! [Deuteronomy 30:19].

Proceeds from annual fundraiser will go toward much-needed scholarships and supporting our service programs

The Claremont Area (CA) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated will host its 5th Annual Heart Truth “Red Dress” Luncheon on Saturday, February 25, 2017 at the Pacific Palms Resort Hotel in the City of Industry.  The theme is “From the Heart,” and the event is intended to raise awareness and supporting women who would otherwise ignore the threat of heart disease and other related issues.  More than 300 attendees are expected at this fundraising event.

A special highlight of this year’s luncheon program is a spotlight on the Chapter’s current scholarship recipients.

Over the last five years, the Claremont Area Links have given over $49,000 in scholarships to deserving high school seniors and college students. In addition to the monetary support, all scholarship recipients become part of the Chapter’s College Connection program. Throughout the year, recipients receive gift cards and notes to provide support and maintain contact as they migrate though their college years.  Awarding scholarships to deserving youth and supporting awardees provides an opportunity for the Chapter to establish a bond that is clearly focused on the expectation that the student graduates from college.

Proceeds from February’s luncheon will help further the Chapter’s commitment to providing financial assistance and support to our community’s youth, as well as supporting our service programs in the community. We invite you to join us for this important Heart Health Awareness event, and appreciate your support for our youth by purchasing a ticket, placing an ad in our souvenir journal or becoming a sponsor.

For more information, contact: Pamela Chavira, Chair at pmchavira@gmail.com.

By Lue Dowdy

A SUCCESSFUL performance by PRADA is WHAT IT DO!

It went all the way up on Saturday, February 8 at Status Night Club for recording artist, PRADA aka Dub Dollar’s mixtape release party. Prada took to the stage showing the fans why they should continue to support and to listen to a real one in the game.

Off his newly dropped project, “HAVE HEART & MAKE MONEY” he performed hits like “FADDED” and “THIS IS ALL WE KNOW.” The club was LITT!
The night consisted of networking and dope performances from artists like LA Duce, Maggic, and Turtle on the Beat. Of course DJ Muda one of the hottest DJ’s in the Inland Empire kept the crowd going.

Pay close attention as major moves are being made from the G.F.CASH Camp. The love was truly shown for Prada!

In the words of PRADA, “Hip Hop and community play a major role when it comes to influencing my lyrics.” “I plan to do with my influence or this music is pretty much tell the world my story, our story, and shed light on my city in every way possible.”

To checkout music by Prada go to GF Cash Records’ Soundcloud under https://m.soundcloud.com/user-194144347.

Until next week L’zzz!

O

n  February 16, at a special preview event for the new documentary “American Masters — Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise” at The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture (New York, NY), Dr. Maya Angelou’s grandson Colin Johnson (right), Co-Founder and Principal of Caged Bird Legacy, LLC, presented Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton (left) and President Bill Clinton (center) with a plaque of Dr. Maya Angelou’s inauguration poem, “On The Pulse of Morning,” that flew on the Orion Exploration Flight Test-1 (EFT-1) December 5, 2014.

Jurnee Smollett-Bell

Don’t let her enchanting smile and innocent beauty fool you, Jurnee Smollett-Bell isn’t just another pretty Hollywood face. As the star of WGN America’s hit series UNDERGROUND,the30-year-old actress represents for our enslaved ancestors who never stopped fighting for freedom and fairness.

EBONY goes one-on-one with the actress and activist to learn more about colorism in Hollywood,the second season of Underground and the importance of activism, especially now.  While many celebrities are just now finding their voice on social justice issues, Smollett-Bell was “woke” before it became a popular term. One of the topics she tackles is the reality of bias toward lighter skinned women in Hollywood and beyond.

“There are obstacles and challenges that my dark-skinned sisters face that I will never know,” Smollett-Bell acknowledges. “How they are perceived when they walk in a room of strangers is something I will never truly know. I would be ignorant to say colorism doesn’t exist, it’s gross and disgusting.” Speaking of standing for your sistas in the struggle, the 2017 women’s issue is devoted to uplifting Black women.

“It is no exaggeration when we talk about Black Girl Magic,” says EBONY Editor-in-Chief and Senior Vice President, Head of Digital Editorial Kyra Kyles. “Black women truly hold our community together. It is an honor to be able to celebrate ‘us’ in this issue.”

Issue highlights include:

• EBONY Beauty Innovation Awards—In our annual and acclaimed “it” list, EBONY highlights the latest game-changing products and tools you’ll want to try
• A Silent War: The battle between Black women and fibroids
• Women’s Work: Movers, shakers, waymakers—Call it the takeover by 20 brilliant enterprising women who are industry leaders and gamechangers, which include U.S. SenatorKamala Harris, newswoman Soledad O’Brien, White House Champion for Change awardee Kathryn Finney, ESPN’s Jemele Hill.
• ‘In Our Cities’: EBONY’s original new multimedia seriesheads west to the City of Angels for some California love—the cinematic shoot-outs of gang wars of the ’90s are a thing of the past. Today,Los Angelesis considered one of the safest cities in the United States and we give a nuanced and real view of the Black folks who make it great
• Culinary Queens—These kitchen warriors are reclaiming the game for the sisters

Elsewhere in the issue we take a look at Jordan Peele’s latest film GET OUT, Jermaine Dupri welcomes EBONY to Atlanta and innovative Apple exec Bozoma Saint John provides tips on how to be a game changer at work. For more, pick up the March 2017 issue of EBONY, which is coming to a newsstand near you. And to get more Smollett-Bell, watch behind-the-scenes video on Ebony.com. Read and join the conversation on social media using #FantasticJurnee

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

You see the Devil is a Liar! He tries to fool us into believing something is a certain way even though it’s not. I want you to know that REAL life is NOT an Illusion!  Stop allowing the Devil to prevent you from living your life to its fullest. Open your eyes and discover the source of true fulfillment. You know in the movie “The Matrix,” Neo had been living in a fake world, but Morpheus wanted to bring him into the real world. Morpheus told Neo, “This is your last chance. After this, there is no turning back. Take the blue pill, and return to the fake world of comfort. Take the red pill and everything changes.” That’s what Jesus was telling the disciples and is telling you today: This is your last chance. If you want out, do it now, because Satan virtual reality is to imprison you; to hide the truth and to keep you in bondage and slavery without you knowing it.  The Bible says that this world is our enemy and it caters for the sinful desires of men.   We must overcome it! The Bible also says that the world and all visible things are temporary, but the truth is eternal truth. Stop being bamboozled by the Devil!

It is very dangerous to be ignorant of Satan’s strategies and methods for leading us astray. God offers wisdom and victorious solutions for all of Satan’s malicious strategies, and Paul gives that very warning when he counsels the Corinthians to take care “lest Satan take advantage….” [2Corinthians 2:11].  I want you to know that Satan has orchestrated a whole world system to perpetuate his primary lie that true life can be found apart from dependent relationship with God. Not so!  The devil is a liar! As Christians, we need to be aware of Satan’s schemes. The world we live in is a world where sin is the matrix. It controls all that we do or think; and it is pervasive in every way. The battle we face is to stay out of the matrix, which is not experiencing life at all. It is death. If you want out, take the red pill and change the game. Do it now! “Repent and believe this good news.” God is here…God is active…God is calling…God’s reign.  Choose to be a part of it.

The fact is without God, your life is just like the one Solomon described in [Ecclesiastes 1: 2]– Vanity, and emptiness. Pleasure, education, the job, and wealth– these can never give life meaning. They are just fillers, not substance. They are just the condiments but the real meat of life is Jesus [John 10:10]. Do not be deceived.  May we all be vigilant as the Bible commands in [1Peter 5:8] because our adversary the Devil roams about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Things are not always as they seem.

 “This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live” [ Deuteronomy 30:19].

By Lou Coleman

Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, Madam C. J. Walker, Mum Bett, Shirley Chisholm, Wangari Maathai, Tegla Laroupe, Gertrude Kabatalemwa , Barbara Jordan,  Rosa Parks, Ida B Wells, Marva Collins, Miriam Anderson, Alice Walker, Maya Angelou, Dorothy Height, Mary Church Terrell, Marian Wright, Dolores Huerta, Daisy Bates, Fannie Lou Hamer, Septima Poinsette Clark, Ella Baker, Diane Nash, Anna Arnold Hedgeman, Mary McLeod Bethune, Odetta, Mahalia Jackson, Angela Davis, Betty Shabazz, Coretta Scott King, Viola Gregg Liuzzo, Anna Berry Smith, Yes…I Am…. Cotton Mather, Frederick Douglas, George Washington Carver, Marcus Garvey, Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Thurgood Marshall, Booker T Washington, W.E.B. Dubois, Paul Roberson, James Meredith, Stokely Carmichael, A. Philip Randolph, Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu, Olaudah Equiano, Kwame Nkrumah, Kofi Annan, Haile Selassie, Oliver Tambo, Shaka Zulu,  Nnamdi Azikiwe, E.D. Nixon, Cornet West, Benjamin Banneker; Richard Allen, John Lewis, Medgar Evers, Dick Gregory, Morris Dees, Percy Julian, Richard Loving, Mohammed Ali,  Andrew Goodman, James Cheney, Michael Schwemer, Dr. Carter G. Woodsons, Barack Obama, Richard C. Boone, Benjamin Banneker, Granville T. Woods, Louis Latimer, Garret Morgan; Charles Harrison Mason and countless others.

I don’t know from where you were stolen. I don’t know how many of you freed yourselves or died in bondage. Yet I claim you all and I honor you.  The savage ferocity of slavery has torn your names from the memories of your descendants but not your lives, your survival, your strength. Whatever it is that I am and all that I am, I am because you were. I cannot contemplate my future without reflecting on my past, our past.  As I look at the genesis of people of color and note our heroic journey traveled as a people—through enslavement, oppression, rejection and segregation—the greatest constant, on the path to the freedoms enjoyed today, was the presence of God-loving, God-fearing, and God-worshiping men and women. I thank God, whom I serve, as my ancestors did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. [2 Timothy 1:3]

In your name, in your memory we work and pray and struggle, weeping and rejoicing at what has been and what will be.