WSSN Stories

Yolanda Holder

By Cecilia Harris

Yolanda Holder is a twice Guinness World Book record holder, a mother of two grown children, a wife, a power walker, and a goal achiever.  Seven years ago, when she turned 50, she wanted to challenge herself to do something different in her life.  Her kids were in college.  So she decided to walk – power walk – 50 marathons in 50 weeks.  She did not succeed.

Instead, in October 2008 when she finished her 50^th marathon (Silicon Valley Marathon) she realized that she still had more time left in the year.  So she completed 65 marathons in 52 weeks.  This was her start that has no end.  In 2009, she went on to complete another 77 marathons/ultras.  She would complete an ultra marathon (50K) on a Saturday and then complete a marathon on a Sunday.  It wasn’t until November 2009 that she realized that she was different—so different that Runner’s World has yet to do a story on her—because she is NOT a runner.  Yolanda has never been a runner.  When you are runner, you can slow down and walk.  But when you are a walker, how do you slow down?  You are already walking!  It is not easy to be a power walker.  But no one said life was easy.

After contacting Guinness to find out if there were any other women who had completed more marathons in a year, she completed 106 in 2010.  Her first World Record.  But runners were still not giving her respect. 

In 2011, she cut down on her events and only completed 50-60 marathons.  She was still referred to as “just a walker.”  And in her mind she was not an athlete.

But 2012, she was determined to set the record straight – a second Guinness World Record!  She not only completed 120 events, but she power walked three 100-milers, two 50-milers, 40 50Ks, and 75 marathons in one year.  Bam – in your face runners!  Yolanda was now a world champion walker; and an athlete.

2013 brought a total of 300 lifetime marathons before having major surgery in November 2014.  And on February 14, 2015, she hit the mark for 500 lifetime marathons/ultras. 

It was in Alaska at her first 6-day event.  She power walked 403 miles, placing 3^rd for women and 10^th overall out of 100 runners.  Only about 15 Americans competed.  The multiple-day ultra is more popular around the world than in the United States.  But that may be changing. 

Yolanda has since completed two other 6-day events (getting on the podium in all three) and will be competing in her first 10-day event “Sri Chinmony 10 Day Race April 19 – 29, 2016, Queens New York.  Yolanda will be breaking Sutushi Lang (USA)  19 year record (510 miles) and will be the second American Woman to run or walk a 10 Day Race.

Yolanda believes the human body is amazing.  “If you treat it well – run, walk, ride a bike – the body will achieve what the mind believes.  Physical, mental, anything – it can be done.  Positive thinking and believing – believing got me through it,” proclaims Yolanda.

After losing her father in 2003 and then her mother in 2013, Yolanda needed to honor her parents and take a stand against Type 2 diabetes.  With her sponsor, Nissan, she walked from Corona to Oakland – 525 miles – to raise funds and awareness for the devastation that diabetes has and is causing in the African American community.  She believes that you don’t have to be a runner. You don’t have to go to the gym 7 days a week.  But you have to be responsible to yourself and move.  A little today, a little more tomorrow, a little to save your life so that your kids don’t have to keep picking up the phone to call you only to remember that you are gone – too soon.

Today, there are lots of people who have done a 5K or a 10K.  The numbers of participants in half marathons has exploded.  And it is not elite athletes that are building these numbers.  It is the middle-aged woman who decided that she didn’t want to sit on the couch anymore.  It is the young girl who has joined her girlfriends to walk for a cause.  And soon, the ultra – the 100 miler – is going to be the new 26.2.  Because you don’t have to win, you just have to complete.  And if you want to win, that’s okay too.

Today, Yolanda has completed 527 lifetime marathons/ultras.  She is competitive, but she still will make time for a selfie or two out on the course.  He father would always tell her, “I can never help my family,” and she lives this as well being one of eleven siblings, three with diabetes.  She inspires who she can.  This is her lifestyle.  She believes the average person can do anything.   Know your goal.  Stick to your plan.  Believe.  Achieve.

By Lou Coleman

According to Jesus, there are some who claim to be Christian, yet who are still lost and headed to Hell! What a startling communication. A statement by Jesus that engages and holds my attention appears near the end of the Sermon on the Mount [Matthew 7:21]. He says, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but ONLY HE WHO DOES the will of my Father who is in heaven. God makes it clear that not all who profess Him possess Him!  I tell you, “Everybody talkin’ ’bout Heaven ain’t goin’ there – O my Lord.” This should awaken us to examine the quality of our obedience to God— above all else. It is clear that Jesus is telling us that there will be some who will think they are saved and in reality they are deceived. Tragic!

Why would I believe this? Because the Bible has much to say about this matter:  “For many are called, but few are chosen.” [Matthew 22:14]. The parable of the Wheat and the Tares [Matthew 13:24-30; 13:36-43]. Paul also knew that there would be some in the church who would be fooled by their profession [2 Corinthians 13:5]. Simon Peter also mentioned this phenomenon, “Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall” [2 Peter 1:10].

Listen, Heaven is prepared for those who are prepared [Hebrew 11:13-16]. Your life affects your eternity, [Galatians 6:7-10; Romans 2:5-11] and Jesus warned to live right! [Luke 13:3, 5; 1 Peter 4:1-6]. The shock is that many who call Jesus Lord will be sent by God to eternal hell. We do not want to be ignorant, deceived or wrong about our future beyond the grave. Do not take this lightly. Remember, the gospel is always a command. So, how can we be certain that we enter the kingdom, that we struggle, strive, agonize in the right way, you may ask? Read [Luke 13:22 – 13:35] which is primarily about heaven and how to gain entrance into it. Do not be deceived. Hell is full of people who admired Jesus, the Bible, even the Sermon on the Mount. Hell is full of people who admire Christians. Hell is full of people with empty words and empty hearts, who will claim right up to the end to be worshippers of God and Christ. Don’t deceive yourself, be sure.

The Bible says that if we will confess our sins, God will be faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us of all unrighteousness. Write [Revelation 20:11-15] in your membrane. That passage tells us that God has a record of every sinful thing everyone has ever done and that each individual will have to stand before Him one day and give a personal account for their sins. Can you imagine the desperation a person will feel when they hear Christ say, “Depart from Me for I never knew you?” Tragic!  Hopelessly lost for eternity! Don’t wait until it’s too late! Seize the opportunity to enter the kingdom.

It is my prayer that you will allow the Spirit of God to speak to your hearts today. It may be that there are some who have never been truly saved. Perhaps this is the day when you will meet Jesus as your Savior. Maybe there are those who think they are saved, but in truth, you’re not. I am praying that God will speak to your heart today! Perhaps there are those who know you have never been converted. There is no better time than right now to get that taken care of. My friend, you had better be sure where your faith is today! Why? Your eternity depends on what you trust in! Remember, not everyone gets to go to Heaven!

By Lue Dowdy

Public Relations is vital in the entertainment world. This week, Publicist, Naomi K. Bonman is WHAT IT DO WITH THE LUE! For those of you don’t know of her well you need to know. I’m so proud of this talented young Queen.

The first time I met Naomi it was through a shared mentor of ours, Mr. Wallace Allen, Owner and Founder of The Westside Story Newspaper. It was something about her drive and passion that made me connect with her. Please catch Naomi live on our radio show this Sunday titled, “Listening with LUE”.

Check out more about this Diva below:

Over the span of 10 years in journalism which has given her several opportunities to interview some of the top entertainers and elected city officials, Naomi K. Bonman has remained true to her calling and purpose in Journalism. Even in the demise and downfalls of print journalism and having to pick up a “regular” day job on the side, Bonman never gave up her first true love and continued to pursue and live out her passion and purpose, no matter what the odds were.

Bonman is currently the editor of a San Bernardino, California newspaper; a contributor of CBS Local’s Best of section; and she also runs her own digital publication Sophisticated Relations and Posh & Tailored where she is at the forefront of creating opportunities for millennials of color in business, lifestyle, and entertainment. With her years of experience in the field, she is ready and is seeing the green light to emerge full-time into a major news station where she can expand her horizon and grow even more into her field. She believes that the sky is the limit and knows that ‘No’ is never the answer.

A graduate of Clark Atlanta University with her Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Masters of Public Administration from DeVry University, Ms. Bonman has ensured that she is equipped with multiple talents which make her more marketable in claiming her career path. During the span of her Journalism career she has been blessed with the opportunities to interview some of the top entertainers, which include but are not limited to Kelly Rowland, Charli Baltimore, David Ruffin Jr., son of Temptation’s lead singer, David Ruffin. She also has experience in reporting in sports, fashion, business, community, finance, health, fitness, and relationship issues.

In addition, Bonman has covered major events such as Style Week LA, NAACP Awards Luncheon, Pan African Film Festival, and several community and corporate events. She is also a publicist where she has clients in literature, music, acting, and management. Bonman is a firm believer in giving back to her community which is why she emerged into doing public relations on the side in helping others achieve their dreams.

Some of the organizations that Ms. Bonman is involved in is the Clark Atlanta University Alumni Association, the National Association of Black Journalists, and several blogging societies where she participates in campaign branding opportunities.

When Ms. Bonman is not on the red carpet covering an event, networking, or elevating her career to new heights, she enjoys spending time with her fiancé, spending time with family, hanging with her girls, and traveling to see new places and doing new things.

By Lou Coleman

Recently I spoke with a young lady. She is a Christian, but she refuses to go to church anymore. You know what her excuse for not going is, “Everybody there’s a hypocrite,” she says. They are so phony. They live one way all week and another on Sunday’s.” Please tell me you’re not the one she’s talking about?  You see one of the biggest excuses the world uses to rationalize why they don’t come to church or are not Christians is the hypocrite excuse. “I don’t go to church because it’s full of hypocrites.” “Who needs church if the people in it are no more genuine than the people outside it?”

Listen, we cannot be phony Christians who nullify our witness by our deeds. William Barclay once said, “A man’s message will always be viewed in context with his character.” In other words, your message don’t mean squat if your actions don’t follow suit. [Titus 1:16] says, “They claim to know God, but by their actions deny Him.” You’re not the one this verse is referring too are you? I want to know; because there is probably no greater a curse on the church than that of hypocritical [phony Christians]. You see the world is not so much turned off by what we preach. They are turned off by the fact we don’t practice what we preach. We don’t walk the talk we talk. That’s why [1Peter 2:1] instructs us to, “rid ourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.” We cannot be phony Christians who turn the world off because we fake our relationship with God. Just going through the motions! They aren’t fooled. We must be aware that our deeds affect the lost. [1 Peter 1:21] says, “Live such good lives among the pagans that though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.”

You know a few years back the Coca Cola Bottling Company decided to start a new campaign to sell Coca Cola. They called it the “Real Thing.” Because they found that people are searching for authenticity. And so it is in our world; people are looking to see if we are the “Real Thing.” Authentic followers of Christ! I tell you we must live our life of authenticity and character so that there will be no doubt in their minds about who we are and Whose we are.

Let me tell you a story. “Once upon a time a grouchy old Deacon was teaching a boy’s Sunday school class. He wanted to help them understand what a Christian was, so he asked them a question. He asked, “Why do people call me a Christian?” There was a moment of silence and then one of the boys said, “Maybe it’s because they don’t know you.” Just like that little boy, Jesus always told it just like it was. He told the Pharisees and the scribes exactly what they were. He told His disciples exactly what resided within the hearts of men. Pretending to be something they were not! I don’t know about you but I would rather be called anything than a hypocrite! Therefore as [Titus 2:7-8] instructs us, “In everything [let us] set the world an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about you.”

I tell you, our day-to-day living must become genuinely more and more Christ-like, and not just fake it. We should never be false or defeated Christians. Even if everyone around you seems hypocritical—or even if no one else around you is a Christian—you need to be a real Christian. That is your calling. You need to stand out from the

Front row: Mayor Carey Davis, City of San Bernardino; Supervisor Josie Gonzales, 5th Supervisorial District; San Bernardino Councilman Fred Shorett, 4th Ward; Assemblymembers Eric Linder (R-Corona), Freddie Rodriguez (D-Pomona), Tom Lackey (R-Palmdale), Cheryl Brown (D-San Bernardino), Jose Medina (D-Riverside),Marc Steinorth (R-Rancho Cucamonga), and Jay Obernolte (R-Hesperia); Senator Mike Morrell (R-Rancho Cucamonga); San Bernardino Councilman John Valdivia, 3rd Ward; and San Bernardino Councilwoman Virginia Marquez, 1st Ward.

Back row: Robert Duarte Gutierrez, American Medical Response; Captain Jack DeJong, San Bernardino County Fire; Chief Mark Garcia, Redlands Police Department; Annemarie Teall, San Bernardino Police Dept. Dispatch Unit; Deputy Sheriff Shaun Wallen, San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Dept.; Chief Jarrod Burguan, San Bernardino Police Dept.; San Bernardino County Sheriff John McMahon; Chief Thomas Hannemann, San Bernardino City Fire; Ryan Starling, San Bernardino City Fire; Eric Sherwin, San Bernardino County Fire; anonymous lady John Chamberlain on behalf of Kathleen Opliger, San Bernardino County Fire; and Dr. Michael Neeki, Arrowhead Regional Medical Center/San Bernardino County Department of Probation.

Waudier “Woodie” Rucker-Hughes accepts the Chamber’s Citizen of the Year Award from Chairman Bob Stockton and past Citizen of the Year honoree Nick Goldware. Photo credit: Michael Elderman.

By Dr. Paulette Brown-Hinds

She has spent her adult life as an advocate for “the least, the lost, and the last.” She is a champion for social justice. For many she is a beacon of hope, serving simultaneously as a guide, an access point, a connector between what is plausible and what is possible. And last week, as the Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce honored her as Citizen of the Year, I joined hundreds of our fellow citizens in tribute to Waudier Rucker-Hughes, known affectionately to most of us simply as “Woodie.”

Woodie is a problem solver. She’s one of the few people I can call with a difficult issue and know she will find a resolution. She never says “no I can’t…” Probably because she grew-up hearing the phrase, “can’t is a lazy animal that doesn’t try,” an adage her parents regularly repeated during her formative years. Many of her parents’ beliefs have been “indelibly imprinted” on her brain, “Your attitude about life will determine how far you get in this life.” Those beliefs inspired her and in turn she uses them to inspire others.

As the longtime president of the Riverside Branch of the NAACP and an advocate for homeless and foster youth with the Riverside Unified School District, the work she does on behalf of others is more than just a job. Like her hero Martin Luther King, Jr. she has the drum major instinct. She is a model of love, moral excellence, and generosity. In his address to the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in 1967, Dr. King outlined those attributes:

“We all have the drum major instinct. We all want to be important, to surpass others, to achieve distinction, to lead the parade…and the great issue of life is to harness the drum major instinct. It is a good instinct if you don’t distort it and pervert it. Don’t give it up. Keep feeling the need for being important. Keep feeling the need for being first. But I want you to be the first in love. I want you to be the first in moral excellence. I want you to be the first in generosity.”

A citizen. A beacon. A drum major. A remarkable woman and community leader. Woodie earns the “citizen of the year” moniker every year through her giving spirit, her love for others, and her understanding that excellence is not a skill, it is an attitude, which is another lesson she learned from her parents:

“Good…Better…Best…Never Let Them Rest…Until Your Good Becomes Better…And Your Better Becomes Best!”

By Dee Hunter, Urban News Service

Planned reforms to federal drug and sentencing laws that imprisoned many African-Americans have become locked up by election-year politics.

“The cost of incarceration and a growing awareness of the problems with mandatory minimum sentences have created a diverse coalition calling for reforms,” said Kevin Ring, of Families Against Mandatory Minimums.

Senator Cory Booker (D-New Jersey). Photo by Joe Ruffin

Reform supporters span civil rights advocates, law enforcement organizations, numerous federal judges, conservative groups and even Republican stalwarts, the Koch Brothers. Eighty percent of American voters support ending mandatory minimum sentences for drug offenses, according to a February Pew Charitable Trusts poll.

President Obama has made this issue a priority. He issued an executive order in January to prohibit solitary confinement of juveniles. He discussed criminal justice reform in his latest State of the Union address, and pardoned 95 federal inmates at Christmas. He also became the first president to visit a federal prison.

Several relevant bills enjoy broad bipartisan support in Congress. The Senate Judiciary Committee approved the Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act of 2015 by a 15-5 vote last October.

Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) introduced this legislation, which enjoys 28 Senate co-sponsors. “Our sentencing bill is a compromise that shows that senators from both sides of the aisle can come together to address a serious problem in a reasonable and responsible way,” Grassley said.

Traditional crime fighters and criminal-justice reformers debate whether drug offenders are violent. Thirty-five percent of drug offenders in federal prison had minimal criminal histories and no previous imprisonment, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics. However, BJS also reports that 25 percent of drug offenders also used weapons in their most recent offenses.

Senator Ted Cruz (R – Texas) voted against the bill. As amended, it provides “leniency for violent criminals who use guns and gives lighter sentences to criminals already serving time,” he said before the Judiciary Committee.

“That claim is false and does not factually line up with the reality of who is behind bars in our federal prisons,” said Senator Cory Booker (D-New Jersey) in response to critics who say the bill would free violent criminals. “Each case must also go before a federal judge, with the prosecutor present for an independent judicial review.”

Grassley’s measure addresses several stringent sentencing provisions that have helped swell the federal prison population over the past 30 years. It would repeal the “three strikes” law that requires a mandatory life sentence without parole for anyone with a third conviction on drug or violent-felony charges. Instead, the bill creates a mandatory 25-year sentence.

This legislation retroactively applies a 2010 sentencing-reform provision that reduced the disparity between crack and powder cocaine penalties. This change alone would let about 6,500 prisoners petition the courts for release or reduced sentences. Grassley’s bill also includes juvenile-justice reforms and language to help former prisoners transition back into society.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky), facing pressure from tough-on-crime Republicans, has not said whether he will allow a vote on Grassley’s proposal. “Our system of justice is not broken,” former U.S. attorney general John Ashcroft wrote last month in a letter to McConnell, signed by 40 high-ranking former law-enforcement officials. “Mandatory minimums have caused a dramatic reduction in crime.”

Reform advocates do not consider Grassley’s legislation the major overhaul of mandatory-minimum sentences for which they long have fought, saying his bill does not go far enough.

“It’s a Goldilocks reform bill. It’s not too much. It’s not too little. But it’s better than nothing,” said Nkechi Taifa of the Open Society Policy Center. “There was a time when this looked like a slam dunk…It was the right issue at the right time. Now it is not so clear.”

This bill only applies to the federal justice system, where about 200,000 inmates are held. This is just 8 percent of the 2.5 million Americans confined to state prisons and local jails.

While the Senate’s path remains clouded, the measure has a brighter future in the House. Legislators and reform advocates consider Speaker Paul Ryan (R- Wisconsin) an ally in overhauling sentencing and drug laws. Ryan said he supports all the measures that have cleared the House Judiciary Committee. “We will schedule floor time for them,” Ryan told journalists at a recent Capitol press briefing.

Until then, reformers sound as impatient as ever.

“All there has been is talk, and more talk,” said civil rights leader Barbara Arwine. “Action is long overdue. Mass incarceration threatens many of the gains we fought for in the Civil Rights Movement. It’s time for a vote.”

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- BLU Educational Foundation (BLU) is inviting the community to join them as they celebrate Women’s History Month with a neighborhood screening of the award-winning provocative news documentary, The Souls of Black Girls.  The screening, which will be held Thursday, March 24 is free to attend and will include a post-screening panel discussion with thought leaders from the Inland Empire Region.

Produced by rising filmmaker Daphne Valerius, the documentary raises the question of whether or not women of color may be suffering from a self-image disorder as a result of trying to attain the standards of beauty that are celebrated in media images. The candid piece features interviews with young women discussing their self-image as well as social commentary from Rapper/Political Activist Chuck D, Actresses Regina King and Jada Pinkett Smith, PBS Washington Week Moderator Gwen Ifill and Cultural Critic Michaela Angela Davis, among others.

The screening will be held in the Library Viewing Room of San Bernardino Valley College located at 701 South Mt. Vernon Ave. A pre-screening reception featuring spoken-word performances given by students who work closely with Dina Walker, founder of BLU, will begin at 5:40 p.m. The screening will start at 6 p.m. Seating is limited.  Reservations may be secured online at Eventbrite. Questions about the screening may be directed to OneNation Media Services at (909) 657.0578.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- On Tuesday, April 5 to Thursday, April 7 at 7 p.m., New Hope Baptist Church will be holding its annual spring revival. The theme this year is entitled, “God’s Called, God’s Sent and God’s Righteous(ness).-Isaiah 6:8 and Romans 10:9-15.”

Dr Jerry M. Carter, Jr., Pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Morristown, New Jersey, will be the guest evangelist. Guest lecturers include: Dr Warren Stewart, Pastor of First Institutional Baptist Church in Phoenix, AZ and Dr. Frederick Fairley, SR., Pastor of Berean Bible Church, in Phoenix, AZ. This will be a revival you will want to come and invite your neighbors and friends. Let their prayers during their 21-day fast be for a spirit-field, renewing and restoring, worship service each night of our revival.

The public is invited. The church is located at 1575 W. 17^th Street in San Bernardino. Please call (909) 887-2526.

Submitted by Stephanie Liggins with the assistance and information corrections and additions of Betty Hempstead.

The Ricks family historian has blessed New Hope Missionary Baptist Church the past several years with mementos of several generations of her family.  Annually, the Mission Department has a Black History Display which highlights contributions and accomplishments of our people.  Sister Betty Newbern-Hempstead has a quarter of the room to display the relics of her family history.

Raised by her maternal aunt, Rebecca Ricks-Winston, and her husband L. J. Winston (whom she called Mama and Daddy), she has collected many things that belonged to her mother, aunt and uncle – things many would have long since thrown away and forgotten.

In her collection are Western Union telegrams delivering bad news reading, “Your father died suddenly.”  Another read, “Your mother died yesterday.  Funeral on Thursday.”  If the younger generation never understood why Western Union was dreaded, these notices clearly reveal the reason. There is also a receipt for funeral expenses from 1928 for her uncle’s brother in Detroit.  One could still afford to die back then and be properly buried for under $300.  Certainly, the price might have been considered high then, but looking back and comparing, there is no way that it could have been as exorbitant as the cost is today.

Also among her collection are original N.A.A.C.P. membership cards from 1923.  Her beloved uncle, known as Happy Winston in the city of Decatur, Illinois, was very active in the organization and often served as President of the Decatur Branch – so much so that his activities were often published in the Crisis Magazine. In her archive of pictures is three year old Betty with her Uncle Happy Winston among the officers and delegates’ First Annual Conference of Branches of Illinois N.A.A.C.P. Meeting at Springfield, Illinois (1934) where the organization began. Yes, she is the only child in the picture, but somehow she is not out of place.

One of the most interesting items in the collection is the high school diploma from “The Colored High School of Tuscumbia, Alabama.”  Her Aunt Rebecca was able to leave “the country” and stay with a relative in the town of Tuscumbia and graduate from the high school in 1910.  That was an extraordinary opportunity during a time in history when many of our people could not attend school at all– especially not high school. In 1921, the name of the high school was changed to Trenholm High School.  One of her school mates was Harper Councill Trenholm who went on to become the fifth president of what was then called Alabama State University – now known as H. Councill Trenholm State Community College at Montgomery, Alabama.

At eighty-five years young, Sister Hempstead has stories of historical events, ways of life and relics that helped shape the way we live and operate today.  There was an old toaster, a popcorn popper, a bottle capper, a Remington watch and a grooming kit unlike I have ever seen. But more pertinent than the artifacts, are the people of yesterday that opened a  door for our present opportunities.  We must learn of them.  We must know who they are and we must know who we are.  Next year, when New Hope’s Mission Ministry has the Black History Display, make your way to see it and be enlightened and inspired– and ask Sister Hempstead to tell you a bit about her family.