WSSN Stories

By Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media

Last week, California Attorney General Rob Bonta called on the federal government to outlaw additional fees companies charge homeowners for paying their mortgages.

California is joining 20 other states and the District of Columbia in the effort.

“Some financial service providers charge fees if a consumer decides to use a certain type of payment method, such as making a payment over the telephone, through a website, or through a third-party service,” Bonta and other attorneys general wrote in a letter they co-signed addressed to Rohit Chopra, Director, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). The Hawaii Office of Consumer Protection also signed the letter.

“While these type of “pay to pay” fees are charged by service providers in several different markets, the issues raised by these fees are particularly insidious in the mortgage industry because, unlike most marketplaces, homeowners have no choice in their mortgage servicer,” the letter continued.

When homeowners decide to take out a mortgage, many believe that they are entering into a long-term relationship with a specific financial institution. That is not always the case, according to the California Department of Justice (DOJ).

After origination “many mortgage loans and their servicing rights are sold in secondary markets,” and could be “sold many times over the course of the loan,” the DOJ states.

“This means that homeowners don’t and can’t know who will service their mortgage loan and are therefore unable to avoid ‘pay to pay’ fees by taking their business elsewhere,” The DOJ explained.

Bonta said the problem is critical in California because the state is already facing a housing affordability problem.

“As costs of living continue to rise, the last thing Californians need is mortgage servicers taking advantage of this captive market in order to pad their bottom lines,” Bonta said. “I urge CFPB to put a stop to these abusive junk fees.”

Homeowners and renters in California struggle with the costs of housing costs and taxes. Additional fees companies tack onto payments increase those burdens on consumers in the Golden State, where only about 31 % of households can afford to buy a median priced home, according to the Public Policy Institute of California.

African American homeowners in California also potentially face increased costs due to documented discriminatory practices common in the homebuying and selling processes.

Last year, Gov. Newsom signed Assembly Bill (AB) 948 after several reports revealed home appraisers valued homes owned by Blacks and other minorities at much lower prices than ones owned by Whites.

Wells Fargo has come under fire more than once for its discriminatory lending and banking services. According to findings of a Bloomberg News analysis released last month, the global San Francisco-based financial services company rejected 53 % of Black homeowners who applied for refinancing loans during the pandemic in 2020. It only rejected 28 % of White applicants.

The board of the California-Hawaii State Conference of the NAACP met this weekend to discuss Wells Fargo’s record on providing its services to African American customers.

Among the country’s major lenders, Wells Fargo’s gap between Whites and Blacks the company approved for loans was the widest.

According to Zillow’s Consumer Housing Trends Report released last year, Black and other minority renters pay more in application fees and security deposits when renting apartments. They also fill out more rental applications, on average, before finding a place to live than White renters.

The multistate coalition’s letter says, “There is no uniformity in convenience fees among mortgage servicers. Some charge them and some don’t.”

And the charges can add up.

For example, the letter spotlights one servicer that currently charges its borrowers $7.50 to make an online payment or pay via telephone through an automated service. If consumers want to speak to a live operator to make their payment, they will be charged $17.50.

Based out of New Jersey, the mortgage company that provides this service calls the process “SpeedPay,” which is one of the “one-time payment options” that a borrower may use to make his or her monthly mortgage payment, as stated on the company’s website.

States joining the initiative are Illinois, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Washington.

Bonta agrees, adding that the payments are “one example of junk fees charged to consumers in a multitude of financial products and services” offered by some banks, credit card companies, pre-paid debit card providers and others.

“For struggling homeowners trying to make their monthly mortgage payment, ‘pay to pay’ fees only rub salt in the wound,” said the California Attorney General.

 

NATIONAL NEWS—- Director Lee Daniels and Mo’Nique have moved on from their longtime feud.

Daniels and Mo’Nique famously collaborated on the 2009 film Precious, with the latter landing an Oscar for her turn as the title character’s abusive mother; in the 13 years that followed, they did not speak. The feud stemmed from Mo’Nique’s public accusation that Daniels, Oprah Winfrey, and Tyler Perry blackballed her for refusing to promote the film during awards season. She explained that it wasn’t in her contract at the time, and she simply didn’t want to spend time away from her family.

In a recent social media posting, Mo’Nique was on stage during a comedy event in New York when Daniels joined her and offered a public apology in front of the crowd.

I am so sorry for hurting you in any way I did,” Daniels said to the comedian, leading her to put her hand to her heart and appear emotional. “Y’all, and she was my best friend — my best friend. Y’all think that Precious was just — that was God working, through both of us.”

He continued, “And we’re gonna fk*ing do it again!” as the two then briefly danced onstage. Daniels concluded his onstage moment by telling the star, “I love you,” she also told him she loved him.

Deadline has reported that Mo’Nique will star in Daniels’ Demon House for Netflix, joining the previously cast Andra Day, Glenn Close, and Aunjanue Ellis. She is replacing Octavia Spencer, who had to bow out of the film because of a scheduling conflict with her Apple TV + television show Truth Be Told.

By Lou Yeboah

I writhe in pain! Oh, the pain in my chest! My heart pounds within me; I cannot be silent. For I have heard the sound of the horn, the alarm of battle. [Jeremiah 4:19]. Fear and a snare is come upon us, desolation, and destruction. [Lamentations 3:47; Jeremiah 50:22]. “I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar, which is before God, saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, ‘Release the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.” The four angels, who had been prepared for the hour, day, month, and year, to kill a third of mankind. I also heard the number of the horsemen to be two hundred million” [Revelation 9:13-16]. My Anguish, My Anguish! I cannot be silent.

“For the spoilers shall come unto her from the north, saith the Lord” [Jeremiah 51:48]. They themselves will be terrorized by the destruction and havoc they unleashed upon the earth. “The Lord of hosts hath purposed it, to stain the pride of all glory, and to bring into contempt all the honorable of the earth. He stretched out his hand over the sea, he shook the kingdoms: the Lord hath given a commandment against the merchant city, to destroy the strong hold thereof [Isaiah 23:9,11]. Soon, very soon, a nightmare will explode into reality. It will come suddenly and without warning. [Jeremiah 51:13] and few will escape. In one hour, it will all be over! Our days are numbered. Judgment is at the door!” And the church is asleep, the congregations are at ease, and the shepherds slumber. Oh, the pain in my chest! My heart pounds within me; I cannot be silent. I have heard the sound of the horn, the alarm of battle.

“The Second Woe is past, and behold, the Third Woe is coming quickly. Once the seventh seal is opened the trumpet judgments begin. These seven trumpets are “The Day of the Lord.” They are God’s wrath on mankind for refusing to believe. “Then I looked and heard an Eagle flying in mid-heaven saying with a loud voice, woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth because of the remaining blast of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound [Revelation 8:13]. Open your ears. The trumpet is blowing!

For it is a matter of God’s judgment that this world has been given more than enough time and information to know and to understand what is about to come upon it in the form of a final war. But how will they scoff and laugh at this message. Theologians will reject it because they can’t fit it into their doctrine. The pillow prophets of peace and prosperity will publicly denounce it. I no longer care. God has made my face like flint and put steel in my backbone. I am blowing the Lord’s trumpet with all my might. Believe it or not, the world is about to be shaken and set aside by swift and horrible judgments. Judgment is at the door! Prepare, awaken!

But He said unto them, All men cannot receive this saying, but he that is able to receive it, let him receive it. [Revelation 19:11-12].

Perhaps only the overcomers will accept and hear the sound of this trumpet blast, but I proceed with these warnings because God called me to be a watchman. I hear the Word of God to Ezekiel ringing in my ears, “[Daughter] of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their coasts and set him as their watchman: If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blows the trumpet, and warn the people; Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood will be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul. But if the watchman see the sword come and blow not the trumpet. and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; So, thou, O [daughter] of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore, thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me” [Ezekiel 33:2-7]. My Anguish, My Anguish! I writhe in pain!

By Manny Otiko | California Black Media

Some California legislators want to shorten the standard American workweek from 40 hours to 32.

But critics of the proposed law say it will hurt productivity and slash business’ revenues.

Assemblymembers Cristina Garcia (D-Bell Gardens) and Evan Low (D-San Jose) introduced Assembly Bill 2932 in February. The legislation aims to limit the work to eight-hour days and 32 hours per week for companies with 500 or employees. However, the bill forbids companies from reducing workers’ pay.

If lawmakers approve the legislation, it will affect 50.4% of California businesses, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy. The other 49.6 % of business in the state have between 1 and 499 employees.

According to the proposed bill, which is currently under review in the Assembly Committee on Labor and Employment, work above 32 hours per week would count as overtime.

“Any work in excess of eight hours in one workday and any work in excess of 32 hours in any one workweek and the first eight hours worked on the seventh day of work in any one workweek shall be compensated at the rate of no less than one and one-half times the regular rate of pay for an employee,” the bill language reads. “Any work in excess of 12 hours in one day shall be compensated at the rate of no less than twice the regular rate of pay for an employee.”

Last year, Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA-41) introduced a similar federal bill.

Takano says a 32-hour workweek would improve worker productivity and reduce employer premiums spent on healthcare.

“I am introducing this legislation to reduce the standard workweek to 32 hours because — now more than ever — people continue to work longer hours while their pay remains stagnant,” said Takano. “We cannot continue to accept this as our reality. Many countries and businesses that have experimented with a four-day workweek found it to be an overwhelming success as productivity grew and wages increased.”

“After the COVID-19 pandemic left so many millions of Americans unemployed or underemployed, a shorter workweek will allow more people to participate in the labor market at better wages,” the lawmaker continued.

The 32-hour workweek has been experimented with in Iceland, where it was deemed a success. According to the Association for Sustainable Democracy in Iceland, workers who tried the new workweek format reported less burnout, improved productivity and health, and less stress.

The proposed shorter workweek has also been tried in the U.S. at Kickstarter, a global crowdfunding platform, and D’Youville College, a private school in Buffalo, N.Y.

However, some members of the business community in California have already criticized the proposed law, saying it is one more burden that lawmakers are placing on the back of businessowners in the state.

Ashley Hoffman, a policy advocate with the California Chamber of Commerce, described the bill as “a job killer” in a letter to Low.

“This significant rise in labor costs will not be sustainable for many businesses. Labor costs are often one of the highest costs a business faces. Such a large increase in labor costs will reduce businesses’ ability to hire or create new positions and will therefore limit job growth in California,” said Hoffman.

American workers are infamous for working long hours and taking shorter vacations according to workers in other industrialized nations. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the average American worker put in 1,770 hours a year. OECD also stated that American workers labor longer than all workers living in the world’s largest economies.

 

 

Chrissy Teigen, John Legend and their kids, Luna and Miles, pose with Minnie Mouse while celebrating Luna’s birthday at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, Calif., April 14, 2022. The family enjoyed multiple attractions, including a voyage on ‘it’s a small world,’ complete with a cast of nearly 300 audio-animatronics dolls representing children from every corner of the globe singing the classic anthem.

By Lue Dowdy, LUE Productions

Royale Records Presents the Official Lorie V. Moore Birthday Bash and Video Release Party is taking place this coming Saturday, April 23, at Celebrities Bar and Grill located at 127 W 40th Street, San Bernardino, CA 92407. The bash starts at 2 p.m. There will be a special Live Performance by Lorie Moore and Special Guest, Annyett Royale, CEO of Royale Records. Sound will be powered by none other than Wendell Djwen Patterson. Don’t miss this amazing concert showcasing two very talented Queens. For Table Reservation Please email collectivenetwork2019@gmail.com.

X Factor Semi-finalist, Lorie V. Moore’s first single of the year “Rare Breed” is a product of her sudden growth on TikTok coupled with direct fan engagement. After allowing access to witness the process in creating this song, Lorie’s followers vocalized support during her live streams and donated to help the Chicago native materialize the official music video of which she wore the hats of director and editor. The Single was produced by AJxOTB, written by Lorie V. Moore and mixed and mastered by Johan Lowenstorm, co-founder of Zeptagram (a platform created to help artists sell shares of their music to fans and investors by creating NFTs). Both the Song and the visual are set for release on April 22, 2022. Staying devoted to her fan base, Lorie pays homage by placing elements from her TikTok content like comic relief to tell a complete story.

“Lorie is truly a Rare Breed. As her team, we are elated to be the label that presents this particular piece at this particular time in her career” – Annyett Royale

Longtime friend B. Slade and mentor Tisha Campbell were Lorie’s main industry influences, while the concept of the song itself was inspired by so many of her female-identifying-friends, fans, and supporters. Rare Breed examines the concept of what chivalry looks like today and how women who hold steadfast to their standards may be perceived in today’s environment.
Going beyond normal artist roles and taking on the Directing and Editing of the video, Lorie has developed new skills that have inspired and compelled her to enroll in the Los Angeles Film School where she is now studying Filmmaking. This added talent is sure to bring another dimension and layer to her already unique creative perspective. Be on the lookout for full scale productions from Lorie V. Moore in the future.

For more information, promo requests, or to arrange an interview, email ARroyalerecords@gmail.com.

By Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media

Sen. Steven Bradford (D-Gardena) summed up what he viewed as the reason for low turnout and public engagement at the ninth meeting of the California Task Force to Study and Develop Reparations Proposals for African Americans.

“Rudimentary, basic communications of alerting the community about meetings must be mandatory. That’s the part where we failed. We have a great story to tell but we are not telling it,” Bradford said April 14 during the second session of the two-day meeting.

“Frankly, I thought we’d have standing-room only these two days. I thought everybody in California wanted to be here. I think we missed the mark in promoting the first in-person meeting. That’s where the frustration is and where it is with me.”

Held at the Third Baptist Church in San Francisco, located in the city’s historic Fillmore District, the first in-person meeting since the task force convened in June 2021 was hosted by the Rev. Amos Brown, who is vice chair of the task force.

Brown, who is also president of San Francisco’s NAACP branch, said the panel’s communication’s strategy, or lack thereof, “has been compromised.”

The few dozen attending the meeting had no difficulty finding a seat in the large sanctuary of the historic church, which is a city landmark.

Founded 170 years ago, the Third Baptist has been a spiritual and cultural hub for local community leaders and hosted national icons, including WEB DuBois, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, Josephine Baker, Adam Clayton Powell Jr, and Paul Robeson.

Leading up to the April meeting, there were simmering disagreements about the public relations strategy of the task force. The tensions came to a head when task force chair Kamilah Moore expressed her “concerns” with the firms contracted to handle communications at the March 29 meeting.

For nearly two hours at that meeting, the panel discussed challenges it has experienced with the contracted communications teams.

The Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA); Young Communications Group, a Los Angeles-based PR firm; and A/B Partners, a national social impact firm — were contracted to run the task force communication shop through the California Department of Justice.

No representative from the communication firms showed up at last week’s meeting, which was attended by six of the nine task force members on the first day. Eight task force members were present the second day.

Due to the high levels of tension that surfaced at the meeting in March, task force member Dr. Cheryl Grills said A/B Partners “resigned,” fearing harm to its reputation and the “vote of no confidence” in the company’s work as reflected in the statements of some task force members.

Concerns about the Bunche Center and two communications firms were related to “seven anchor organizations” charged with conducting community listening sessions.

Aside from the task force meetings, the anchor organizations are responsible for hosting public-engagement sessions in April, May, and June.

Grills, a professor of psychology at Loyola Marymount University, defended the Bunche Center, citing unique structural challenges hindering the organization because it functions under the umbrella state government. Grills said those problems delayed the center from performing its duties although it was “operating at warp speed” to make good on deliverables.

The bottom line, Grills shared, is that the Bunche Center has to abide by UCLA’s snail-paced process of handling contracts. The staff at the center missed two important “deliverables” in January and February waiting for greenlights from higher ups.

“The approval process is not under the purveyance of the Bunche Center,” Grills said. “We must understand that UCLA is a high-level bureaucracy of the state of California, which means that nothing happens quickly.”

Task force member Jovan Scott Lewis, chair of the Department of Geography at UC Berkeley, supported Grills’ explanation by providing his experiences with the UC system of schools.

UCLA’s Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) review and approve proposals and contracts before a research project is conducted. And each anchor organization is required to submit applications to be categorized as “vendors” by the university.

“I think that there is something to be said for the complications of getting something out of this process,” Lewis said. “When you add in the actual intellectual limits of the (anchor organizations), the requirements are typical for IRB. It’s quite reasonable to think about the delays. That’s the UC system’s (process).”

Michael Stoll, professor of public policy and urban planning, the new director of the Black Policy Project, which is housed at the Bunche Center, addressed some of the panel’s concerns by phone.

Grill said it has not been a smooth experience but offered assurances that the Bunche Center will respond to the anchor organizations’ needs and provide guidance for listening sessions.

“I think we’ve been fairly responsive,” Stoll said of addressing the anchor organizations’ needs. “Our goal was to plan and execute the listening sessions to their best potential as possible, and I think we are doing it fairly well.”

Young Communications Group (YCG), a Los Angeles-based public relations firm, did not attend the meeting in San Francisco.

While operating without financial resources, Grills said the task force, YCG and A/B partners were in the process of finalizing contracts and were ready to proceed with directions from the nine-member panel.

“Everything came to a halt at our March meeting,” Grills said. “Unfortunately, we may have put a negative spin on the reputations of communications firms that have spent years building credibility.”

Since the start of 2022, national media coverage of the task force has increased, including Moore’s appearance on MSNBC’s Tiffany Cross Show to discuss the panel’s decision to use lineage over race as the factor that determines who is eligible for compensation. That decision squeaked through with a 5-4 majority vote.

Lewis was interviewed by NBC Nightly News for a reparations-related clip involving Black Gold Rush pioneers who may have lost their land to the state in the 1940s. Other members of the task force have made their media rounds as well.

Members of the task force say they want the community-engaged listening sessions to happen without a hitch.

Seven anchor organizations will host public listening sessions that will help the task force hear various perspectives of Black Californians as it assesses the state’s involvement in slavery and Jim Crow discrimination.

Chris Lodgson, a founding member of the Coalition for A Just and Equitable California (CJEC), one of the host organizations, told the task force in San Francisco to add more communications firms.

“I gotta keep it business with you but the performance of the communications firms has been subpar,” Lodgson said. “I want to encourage (the task force) to find additional firms to get the word out to the community.”

Before the April meeting ended, Moore who is listed on the ballot as a candidate for the 28^th District Senate seat, was officially appointed the task force’s spokesperson. She and Grills will serve on the “solutions-oriented” Advisory Board Committee working directly with the Bunche Center and Young Communications to “triage” media and public affairs activities, Moore said.

“What we’re dealing with can be complex and convoluted,” task force member Monica Montgomery-Steppe said. “And getting that across on a national stage, because we are the example of what we hope for this nation, does need a larger strategy…a level of experience.”

By statute, the task force will issue a report to the Legislature by June 1, 2022, which will be available to the public.

Bradford said the communication shop can be instrumental in writing press releases and speeches, conducting research, problem-solving and disseminating information.

“This (Task Force to Study and Develop Reparations) will sell itself if we get it to the right people,” he said.

By Antonio? ?Ray? ?Harvey? ?|? ?California? ?Black? ?Media?

Pastor Amos BrownThe California Task Force to Study and Develop Reparations Proposals for African Americans will hold its ninth meeting this week on April 13 and April 14 at Third Baptist Church in San Francisco.

Both days, sessions begin at 9 a.m.

During the meeting, the task force plans to discuss the challenges some members say the committee has been having with communications organizations it has hired to develop public information campaigns and handle public relations.

The firms — the Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA); Young Communications Group, a Los Angeles-based PR firm; and A/B Partners, a national social impact firm — are contracted to work with the task force through the California Department of Justice.

Task force chair Kamilah Moore expressed “concerns” with the communications firms at the task force’s March 29th meeting, questioning their ability to successfully perform the work the nine-member panel has assigned to them.

“We have given these (communications firms) upward of $1 million to do a job and they are not doing it by virtue of what has been stated in the contract,” Moore said of the issue from her perspective. “This is a serious concern. This has to be addressed sooner rather than later. We have to have a comprehensive conversation about this at our next meeting. We may have to open up the process again (to hear other communications firms) about what they can do and what deliverables they can bring to this process.”

One of the firms “missed at least two deliverables” in January and February, and the other two groups gave out a “wrong email” when they were asked for an address to a website about task force inquiries, Moore said.

Concerns about the communications firms are related to seven “anchor organizations” charged with conducting community “listening sessions,” according to Moore.

The anchor organizations — different from the communications firms – are tasked with hosting public listening sessions in April, May and June, said task force member Dr. Cheryl Grills, a professor of psychology at Loyola Marymount University.

The “anchor orgs,” as they are referred to in meetings, will help the task force hear various perspectives of Black Californians as it assesses the extent of the state’s involvement in slavery and Jim Crow discrimination.

Grills took issue with Moore raising concerns about the communications firms, specifically bringing up allegations involving her, without giving prior notice before speaking about them in public.

Pushing back, Grills publicly said Moore met with an attorney that “organizes” and “convenes” meetings for the anchor organizations a week before the task force’s eighth meeting held March 29 and March 30. Moore did not lodge any complaints with the attorney, Grills stated.

“You didn’t raise any concerns, so then you bring it up in a public forum,” Grills told Moore during the meeting. “You cast a potentially negative light on the communications firms and the Bunche Center. That feels unfair to me. From a process perspective, this is troubling to me how you are operating.”

The task force’s vice chair Amos Brown is the pastor of Third Baptist Church, where the next meeting will be held. It is located at 1399 McAllister in San Francisco.

On the first day of the April meeting, the history of discrimination at colleges and professional education institutions and the school-to-prison Pipeline will be discussed.

On the second day, the task force will preview its first report.

On the afternoon of April 14, the communications firms will present their strategies for responding to press inquiries, facilitating meetings for the anchor organizations and educating the California public on report findings.

The Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies was founded in 1969 as the Center for Afro-American Studies It was renamed in 2003 for diplomat, scholar, activist, and UCLA alumnus Ralph J. Bunche, who was the first Black person the win the Nobel prize.

According to its website, the Bunche Center supports research that expands the knowledge of the history, lifestyles, and sociocultural systems of people of African descent. It also “investigates problems” that have relevance to the psychological, social, and economic well-being of persons of African descent.

Recently, the work the task force is doing has been garnering national attention. But members say they must implement a stronger communications and public relations strategy leading up to the release of its findings.

By statute, the task force must issue a report to the Legislature by June 1, 2022. Their findings will be available to the public.

Other task force members who have fielded complaints about the communications firms are Sen. Steve Bradford (D-Gardena), Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer (D-Los Angeles), and San Diego City Councilwoman Monica Montgomery-Steppe.

Brown told the nine-member panel that “communications have to be at an optimum.”

He told his colleagues that the task force must leverage mainstream media, and Black-owned newspaper reporters, editors, and publishers should be contacted and informed of the group’s activities.

The civil rights leader said that Black churches, nonprofits that do community activism, and social organizations should have inside knowledge of the task force leading up and after the reports are submitted to the state legislature.

“We’re in the driver’s seat. We have to tell them what we want to be done without delay,” Brown said of the communications firms. “If they can’t fulfill it … we might have to make a change.”

 

 

By. J Edgar Boyd, Senior Minister and CEO of First AME Church

Faith and science are not opposing forces: they are two sides of the same coin that have saved countless lives throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The vaccinations that are protecting Californians as we enter the third year of battling this deadly virus are nothing short of miraculous and have given Christians new meaning to the edict to “love thy neighbor” by helping their community and themselves stay safe and healthy.

As we reflect upon Jesus’ sacrifice during Lent and prepare to celebrate Easter with our congregations, friends and loved ones, let’s continue to do our part as good neighbors and people of faith, to protect our family, friends, and ourselves from COVID-19 by getting vaccinated and boosted.

For two years, Californians have led with kindness and understanding on our united mission to prevent additional COVID-19 cases and keep our loved ones safe. This Easter, we look forward to seeing many members of our congregations in-person, some for the first time since the pandemic began.

But even though California recently moved forward from most public health restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic with the state’s SMARTER Plan, it remains critical to continue practicing the measures that we know work and have helped lower case rates as we resume activities, visit with family and friends, and go to work and school. We know that vaccination remains our best tool against COVID-19 and getting eligible family members ages 5 and older vaccinated and boosted protects them from the worst outcomes of COVID-19 is extremely important.

Vaccinations have helped us overcome the most recent surge and see infection levels decline, especially for our kids who have experienced tremendous stress, puts their young lives on hold and patiently waited to fully resume their daily routines.

Children remain susceptible to COVID-19. More than 700,000 children and adolescents in California have been infected with COVID-19. There have been more than 6,500 pediatric hospitalizations in our state since July of last year, and we have lost 38 young lives since the start of the pandemic. Children can also experience “long COVID,” and the virus can also cause Multi-system Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C), in which a hyperactive immune system attacks the child’s body.

According to the California Department of Public Health, comprehensive clinical trials involving more than 4,500 children ages 5-11 demonstrate that the COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective in this age group, resulting in a strong antibody response in children who received the vaccine. The COVID-19 vaccine was found to be safe for children ages 5-11, with only mild side effects like fatigue, fever, and headache.
In addition, while wearing masks in public is no longer mandated, it is still strongly recommended by state health officials and is required in healthcare facilities, public transit, long-term care facilities and other high-transmission settings.

Protecting our kids from COVID-19 provides parents, and pastors, peace of mind as we get back to in-person activities and spend more time with the ones we love. When you are ready to get your child or yourself vaccinated, you can visit MyTurn.ca.gov or call 833-422-4255 to schedule an appointment. Help is available in more than 200 languages.

Several churches around Southern California are helping their communities get protected against COVID-19 ahead of the Easter holiday by hosting vaccine and testing clinics:

• FAME LA, 2270 S. Harvard Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90018: Saturday, 4/16 from 9:00 am – 2:00 pm
• Temple of Deliverance, 38448 20th St. E., Palmdale, CA 93550: Friday, 4/15 from 4:00 – 8:00 pm
• Burning Bush, 14849 Seventh St., Victorville, CA 92395: Saturday, 4/16 from 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
• 16th St. SDA, 1601 W. 16th St., San Bernardino, CA 92411: Easter Sunday, 4/17 from 12:00 – 4:00 pm

This spring, let’s take solace in knowing that getting our eligible family members vaccinated or boosted can protect them from the worst outcomes of COVID-19, including hospitalization and even death. By taking these precautions and gaining protection, we can safely celebrate a joyous Easter with our family, friends and congregation together once again.

 

By Lou Yeboah

Living between the Tik and the Tok! What’s wrong with you? What is your life? It is even a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanishes away. [James 4:13-17]. Listen, God’s offer is only guaranteed for today. [2 Corinthians 6:2] says, “Now is the accepted time; behold now is the day of salvation.” God has given you the opportunity to give your life to Him in this era of human history, but if you neglect it, the Lord could come any day as a thief in the night, and it would be forever too late. Living between the Tik and the Tok. What’s wrong with you? Don’t wait until it’s too late!

[Hebrews 12:17] says of Esau, “For you know that even afterwards, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears.” The awful story of the rich man and the poor man summarized in two words: TOO LATE! The rich man in hell did everything that the poor man did on earth; however, he did them simply TOO LATE! Wake up! The time is short! [Romans 13:11-14]. How much time is left? We don’t know. That is a mystery that God holds in His hand, and He will not tell us. But what he does tell us in [Romans 13:11-14] it’s later than you think. Time is passing quickly! I tell you; the hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over the day is almost here.” Living between the Tik and the Tok while the supreme Event of history is around the corner! Jesus is standing at the very threshold of returning again! Get it together before your Tik-Tok runs out!

Like the parable of the wise and foolish virgins, the wise had oil in their lamps. They didn’t wait till the bridegroom was near to start preparing, they were always prepared, get it together, because I tell you, the last days are not coming, they are already here. Repent Now Before It Is Too Late! Christ is not going to wait forever. For He says in [Genesis 6:3], “My Spirit will not always strive with man.” God appeals to you today, seek ye the Lord. Seek Him while there is yet time, for when He stands up and the temple is filled with smoke, it’s too late. The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and you are not saved. [Jeremiah 8:20]. How tragic! Living between the Tik and Tok!

Listen, you may be like the men of Athens who said– “we will hear thee again of this matter” go away – [Acts 17:32]. You may be like Agrippa, “Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian” – [Acts 26:28]. I want you to know that everyone will give an account to God, no one will escape. God spared not the angels, God spared not Sodom, God spared not the old world which was destroyed in Noah’s flood and God will not spare this current world. Be sure of this one thing, God’s wrath and judgment is coming to this world. They will say peace and safety, they will be going about business as per usual, they will be marrying and giving in marriage, they will be eating, drinking, and partying. They will know not until the day of the Lord comes like a thief in the night. Maybe you just think you can live your life how you want now and worry about where you’re heading later or negotiate it when you get there. Well make no mistake, the Bible is very clear that there comes a time when it is too late to be saved. [2 Corinthians 6:2]– For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succored thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation. When God stops dealing with you, it’s over. For there is a time for every unbeliever when it is too late. And only God knows the time, it is not for me or any man to say. But I can only imagine the sheer terror of realizing I have refused God one too many times. I want you to know that in Daniel, Belshazzar saw the writing on the wall. Judgment had been declared. It was too late. That night Babylon fell, and Belshazzar was slain. The Bible records his trembling, his fear, his knees smote together in terror. He found no place of repentance, he found no mercy, he found no grace. God was done with him forever. In Genesis, when the angels came to Sodom, judgment had already been declared. Their fate was sealed. The angels came to save Lot and destroy the city. All the inhabitants were dead men walking even before the angels arrived in Sodom. Symbolically, they desperately groped for the door in the darkness, but like the handle to the door eluded them, so had the door to eternal life been slammed shut for eternity. They were in the mist of darkness forever.

We see the longsuffering of God in Genesis with the story of Noah. Noah preached repentance, he warned of coming judgment, he warned the people of impending doom, the invitation to be saved and avoid judgment was extended for many, many years. But one day, the offer was withdrawn. There came a day when God shut him in. It was over, even before the raindrops began to fall before the fountains of the deep were broken up before there was any sign of the impending deluge. One can only imagine the icy hand of terror which took hold of their hearts as the rain fell and the water exploded up from underneath. They would no doubt have been hammering on the door of the ark, pleading to be let in. Fingernails began desperately clawing at the door. Noah, Noah, let us in! Noah, Noah, we believe you now! The door was shut forever. Eternal darkness, eternal punishment, eternal wrath awaited even as they were scurrying for higher land. The water covered the earth, the only people who survived were those in the ark. There would have been many that realized that Noah was right, but too late.

Today, the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. [Revelation 22:17]. Leaving the Tik-Tok behind!