(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— U.S. Sailors perform a dance during a Black History Month celebration on the mess decks aboard the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) in the Pacific Ocean, February 20, 2019. The John C. Stennis is deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations in support of security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Skyler Okerman)
(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— SAN BERNARDINO, CA— Participants of the Social Lites, Inc. Beautillion Program attended both 7 a.m. and 10 a.m. Church services at New Hope Missionary Baptist Church on Sunday, February 24, 2019. It was a wonderful experience to celebrate the end of Black History Month at one of the historic African American Churches in the Inland Empire. New Hope Missionary Baptist Church located at 1575 W. 17th Street, San Bernardino has been in the community for over 106 years. One of the most wonderful experiences for all to take part in was a Black History exhibit set up in the fellowship hall that included samples of southern cooking all to enjoy.
Morning worship also included a guest speaker from Live Stream in partnership with the Blood of the Martyrs Blood Drive Committee in memory of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to inform congregation of the upcoming Blood Drive at New Hope Missionary Baptist church from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on March 31, 2019.
The Beautillion program will commence on Saturday, March 30, 2019 at the National Orange Show of San Bernardino. For more information, please contact: knight.beautillion@gmail.com
The San Bernardino Black Culture Foundation, Inc., met on Friday, February 1 to celebrate the recipients of the SBBCF 2019 Scholarship Awards and to announce the appointment of the 2019 SBBCF Honorary Senior Queen and King.
The SBBCF has shown appreciation and given recognition to individuals and couples whose personal lives both demonstrate and contribute to the quality of life in San Bernardino and surrounding communities, and have expressed this annually since 1985. They do this through the SBBCF (Honorary) “Black San Bernardino, Senior King & Queen” designation.
(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)—CORPSU CHRISTI, Texas (Feb. 14, 2019) — NHC Corpus Christi Sailors of the Quarter for the first quarter of the fiscal year 2019. From left, Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class (FMF) David B. Butler, of Munford, Tennessee, Sailor of the Quarter; Hospital Corpsman 1st Class (FMF) Raul M. Cervantes, of Yoakum, Texas, Senior Sailor of the Quarter; and Hospitalman Dominic Briones, of Apple Valley, California, Blue Jacket of the Quarter. Not pictured: Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Alec Bushong, of San Antonio Detachment, Junior Sailor of the Quarter. (U.S. Navy photo/Bill W. Love)
Let us remember that the Commission has been given. As [Joshua 1:1-18] reminds us, “that after the death of Moses [Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, Sojourner Truth, Nelson Mandela, W.E.B. DuBois, Wangari Muta Maathaia, Ida B. Wells-Barnett, Deratu Tulu, and all of those whom we celebrate today] that the LORD spoke saying, “Moses, My servant is dead; now therefore arise, cross this Jordan… to the land which I am giving to you… Every place on which the sole of your foot treads, I have given it to you, just as I spoke to Moses [and to all your ancestors]. From the wilderness and this Lebanon, even as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and as far as the Great Sea toward the setting of the sun, will be your territory. No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, and [your ancestors] I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. Now arise, cross this Jordan!
I tell you, what was true for Joshua is equally true for us. Regardless of the obstacles, we need to act on this fact by faith in the Lord’s person, promises, and provision, just as our ancestors did. [Joshua 1: 16-18]. This is significant. We must be careful to do according to all the law which Moses [Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and all of those whom we celebrate today] commanded us; do not turn from it to the right or to the left; for then we will make our way prosperous, and then we will have success.
I tell you, the Commission has been given…. Arise, Let’s cross this Jordan!
(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)– GREAT LAKES, Ill— Seaman Recruit Jasmine Recio, an Upland High School graduate and Upland, California, native, graduated as top Sailor from Recruit Training Command, Division 914, earning the Military Excellence Award on February 8.
Recio said she was honored to receive the MEA.
“I’ve been bestowed one of the greatest honors an RTC graduate can achieve, and having been compared against countless of other talented and motivated recruits in my training group, I consider it a blessing,” Recio said.
(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— With Black History Month upon us, it’s important to take time and recognize the people who worked tirelessly to make a difference. Check out these inspirational quotes from civil rights activists you haven’t heard of, and learn more about their impact on society and the Civil Rights Movement.
One of the most esteemed leaders of the sit-in movement, Diane Nash was prominently involved in some of the most influential campaigns of the Civil Rights Movement. All in her early 20s, Nash helped found the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and led the Selma Voting Rights Movement. She also organized the Nashville Student Movement Ride from Birmingham to Jackson, Mississippi.
Influential Quote: “The movement had a way of reaching inside you and bringing out thing even you didn’t know were there.”
Although he died before the start of the Civil Rights Movement, his influence was undeniable. Houston was a Black lawyer who worked to dismantle the Jim Crow laws, and he also helped train Thurgood Marshall, another influential American lawyer. He knew how important it was to fight the good fight and give a voice to disadvantaged individuals.
Influential Quote: “The hate and scorn showered on us Negro officers by our fellow Americans convinced me that there was no sense in my dying for a world ruled by them. I made up my mind that if I got through this war I would study law and use my time fighting for men who could not strike back.”
Bates and her husband distributed a weekly African-American newspaper in Arkansas—something not often heard of, but undeniably important. Her way with words and her passion for the Civil Rights Movement led her to become the NAACP Arkansas chapter president. She was also the guiding force behind enrolling nine Black students (The Little Rock Nine) in an all-white high school. Without Bate’s passion for equal opportunity, these students would have never been able to go on and achieve the things they did.
Influential Quote: “No man or woman who tries to pursue an ideal in his or her own way is without enemies.”
Rustin worked closely with Martin Luther King, Jr. as a proofreader, ghostwriter, and non-violence strategist. He worked thoroughly and tirelessly behind-the-scenes, most notably as the chief organizer for the March on Washington. He promoted non-violence and advocated for the rights of the LGBTQ+ community as well as African-Americans.
Influential Quote: “People will never fight for your freedom if you have not given evidence that you are prepared to fight for it yourself.”
Another important leader behind the March on Washington, Height fought constantly for the rights of the Black and the female community. She worked with major Civil Rights activists such as MLK Jr., and people regularly called upon her for advice on political issues—most notably, Eleanor Roosevelt and Dwight D. Eisenhower. In 1994, President Bill Clinton awarded her with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Influential Quote: “Greatness is not measured by what a man or woman accomplishes, but by the opposition, he or she has overcome to reach his goals.”
(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— Riverside-based publisher of the Black Voice News, Dr. Paulette Brown-Hinds, was recently sworn in as the first African-American president of the California News Publishers Association (CNPA). The 131-year-old organization, headquartered in Sacramento, represents more than 400 newspapers across the state.
The CNPA installed Brown-Hinds at its annual conference on February 6, 2019. Over a hundred California media professionals – from major big city dailies and small campus weeklies to historical Black, Latino and Asian outlets – attended the gathering. This year’s discussions touched on issues facing minorities in the upcoming 2020 Census. It also tackled sticky, longstanding media industry problems and pulled apart laws that could impact news operations across the state in the future.
“We have always valued the work CNPA has done on behalf of the industry,” Brown-Hinds told her colleagues in her inaugural speech as President. “The work that the Black Voice News has done over the years is impactful work in the community that changed lives, policy. I knew it was important for me to do this as well.”
Taking the helm of the CNPA is history-making not only because Brown-Hinds is the first African American and ethnic minority to lead the influential statewide organization. Her personal and family history of advocacy and community service brings a certain grassroots heft that has the potential to benefit the organization as it takes on major legislative issues facing the media across the state in 2019. She is also a professor at the University of California Riverside, and board member of the James Irvine Foundation.
“[Paulette] is a fearless leader. She’s not afraid to confront complex issues. She never stops working and is a shining example of diplomacy,” said Ron Hasse, immediate predecessor.
“Part of our mission,” she said. “is giving voice to the voiceless. That is why I appreciate the press, in particular the Black press, because it is rooted in advocacy.”
As Brown-Hinds takes the helm of the CNPA, she faces a number of important policy issues that California newspapers have the responsibility to unpack for their audiences across the state. One of them is the upcoming 2020 Census.
This years CNPA conference dedicated a panel discussion to exploring the details of the decennial census. The Trump administration’s decision to add a citizenship question to the 2020 national population count was a hot topic. Panelists explored how that decision may or may not impact the participation of minorities, immigrants and undocumented people in California.
The panelists also talked about how Census enumerators in the past have undercounted ethnic minorities and other “hard-to-count” populations in California and other states by millions of people. Those inaccuracies could result in the loss of billions of dollars in federal funding and even cost California a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. During the,2010 Census, about 200,000 minority children in California alone were undercounted.
“Power comes from numbers. Power comes from data. If your numbers are wrong and your data is wrong, it undermines your power,” said Arturo Vargas, the Chief Executive Officer of NALEO Educational Fund. His organization is a national non-profit that promotes the participation of Latinos in civic life.
The way the Census Bureau will categorize and sub-categorize people by race on next year’s questionnaires may also pose problems for some Asians, Blacks, Latinos and other minority groups. For example, People of Arab descent from places in North Africa and the Middle East like Egypt, Syria and Morocco will be counted as White. Afro-Latinos from places like the Dominican Republic will only also be able to only identify as Latino – with no option to choose Black.
The NAACP has filed a lawsuit in Maryland arguing that the 2020 Census is designed purposefully to undercount Blacks, Vargas told the media professionals in the room.
DitasKatague, the Director of the California Complete Count Office, was a panelist as well. She has also served on the U.S. Census Bureau’s National Advisory Committee on Race, Ethnicities and Other Populations.
Having worked on three censuses in the past, Katague sees the problems looming with next year’s count in California. She approaches them, though, with a surprising sense of confidence. She is familiar with the process and has decades of experience working with minorities and the media across the state to successfully increase participation.
After the 2020 census, she told the journalists in the room, “What I want to see is that California achieves a complete and accurate count and we outpace the entire country.”
In an effort to reach that goal, Katague’s organization plans to spend tens of millions of dollars partnering with California media, including ethnic media who she says “hard-to-count” minority populations trust.
“Locally created messages resonate. Understand your audience. Educate your audience,” she told them.
(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— U.S. Marine Corps Pfc. James Anderson Jr. became the first African-American U.S. Marine to receive the nation’s highest honor. Anderson was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions on Feb. 28, 1967.
Anderson was born on January 22, 1947 in Los Angeles, California. After graduating from high school, he attended Los Angeles Harbor Junior college for a year and a half before enlisting in the U.S. Marine Corps in Compton, California in 1966.
Anderson received recruit training at the 1st Recruit Training Battalion, Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego, California. After Anderson graduated from recruit training he was promoted to the rank of private first class. He would continue his training at Camp Pendleton, California before receiving orders to Vietnam.
Anderson was sent to Vietnam in December 1966. He was a rifleman assigned to the Company F, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division in the Quang Tri Province of Vietnam. He would give his life two months later.
On February 28, 1967, his platoon was northwest of Cam Lo in an effort to extract a heavily besieged reconnaissance patrol, when they came under intense enemy small arms and automatic weapons fire. As the fire fight ensued, “an enemy grenade landed in the midst of the Marines and rolled along side Private First Class Anderson’s head.”
With complete disregard for himself, Anderson “reached out, grasped the grenade, pulled it to his chest and curled around it as it went off.” Anderson received the brunt of the explosion. In a singular act of heroism and selflessness, the young Marine saved his comrades from severe injury and possible death.
Anderson had celebrated his 20th birthday one month prior.
According to the original Medal of Honor citation, his personal heroism, extraordinary valor, and inspirational supreme self-sacrifice reflected great credit upon himself and the Marine Corps and upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
The Medal of Honor was presented to Anderson’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. James Anderson, at the Marine Barracks in Washington, D.C. It was presented by Navy Secretary Paul Ignatius on August 21, 1968.
Today, a grateful nation remembers. Robert Lishey, who grew up in the same “Willowbrook” neighborhood as Anderson talks about how his hometown holds great respect for his sacrifice. “A park in Carson, CA is named in your honor,” he wrote in a Wall of Faces remembrance for Anderson.
The sacrifice of this young Marine is an example of heroism, camaraderie and devotion to country. He was hero with love for his brothers-in-arms. The story of Pfc. James Anderson shows that many are called to a life bigger than oneself and his legacy will live forever.
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