UPLAND, CA- “Concert in the Park”, “Stone Soul Picnic”, and “Inland Empire Family Reunion”, are the three names to describe the community event to be held on Saturday, August 19 at Upland Memorial Park located at 1100 E. Foothill Blvd. in Upland.

There will be plenty of shade to relax under with your family, friends, and associates. The gates open at 11 a.m. and the part won’t stop until 5 p.m. Live entertainment will be provided by Phazze One Band from Los Angeles, along with Andre Ray formerly with LTD, Monique Renee will blow sounds from artists Teena Marie and Anita Baker. This event will have plenty of great food vendors Including J&J Soul food, Pomona. Not to mention other great entrees such as: gumbo, shrimp and grits, Brazilan soul food, kettle corn, shaved ice, taco mobile, Q’s waffles & Wings and much more.

The Kids Zone will have lots of games and freebies. Mommie Helens will have the kids decorating cupcakes, along with selling delicious pies. They will be judges for the dessert baking contest. There will also be plenty of vendor to shop at, which include: Mary Kay, Paparazzi Jewelry, Damsel Defense, Sports shirts/hats, Behavioral health and more. In addition to the vendors, there will be a raffle for a FREE 7-day cruise, tickets are $10 to participate. Heart2heart-4-You, a non-profit, will also be giving away back to school tennis shoes.

So, come on down and dance to some oldies, eat, relax, and just have a ball! Don’t forget to bring your lawn chairs, blankets, dancing shoes, and singing voices. It’s a meet up reunion, come and meet in the park people from your home town of Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, Texas, Mississippi, New York, etc. Tickets are $5 in advance and $10. at the gate. Get your tickets online at www. HayesEvents.org or call (909) 437-3391 and ask for Kathy.

Patricia Jeraldine Lovett Carthen

Patricia Jeraldine Lovett Carthen, 86, of San Bernardino, passed away August 3, 2017. She was born in Los Angeles on December 19, 1930.

Pat graduated from Chaffey High School in Ontario in 1947 and received her Bachelor of Arts and Master’s Degrees from Cal State San Bernardino. She was married to James C. Carthen, on November 23, 1952.

Pat had a long career in education, working for the San Bernardino Unified School District, first as a teacher, and then as a high school guidance counselor for over 30 years. She served on the Boards of the YWCA of San Bernardino and Inland Behavioral Clinic; a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and Phi Kappa Delta Sorority, Inc.; and a member of Ecclesia Christian Fellowship.

Pat had a passion for football, theatre, jazz, travel, and most of all children and their education.

She is survived by her children Kevin Carthen, Shelley Carthen Watson, and Tracy Carthen (Twillea); grandchildren Kendall Carthen, Megan Carthen Jackson (Marcus), Sarah Carthen Watson, Eric Carthen, and Kenneth Wilkes; and her great grandchildren Isaiah, Kya, Kendrick and Kobe Carthen, and Ireland Wilkes. Predeceased by her husband, James Carthen, parents Robert Sr. and Frances Lovett, brothers Theodore and Robert Lovett Jr., and grandson Evan Carthen.

Visitation will be held on Monday, August 14, from 4 p.m. 8 p.m., at Mt View Mortuary & Cemetery, 570 E. Highland Ave., San Bernardino. Homegoing Services will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 15, at Ecclesia Christian Fellowship, 1314 E. Date St., San Bernardino. The Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Omega Omega Ceremony will begin at 12:30 p.m., followed by the Funeral Service at 1:30 p.m. Repast immediately following.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Scholarship Fund, P.O. Box 1355, San Bernardino, CA 92402; Phi Delta Kappa Patricia Carthen Scholarship Fund, P.O. Box 3147, San Bernardino, CA 92413; and Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino Counties or the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, Attn: Online Services, P.O. Box 96771, Washington, DC 20090-6771.

INLAND EMPIRE- Parents from local schools have a new tool in their back-to-school bag of tricks this year as all their school’s supply lists are now posted on TeacherLists.com.  

With just one or two clicks, parents can find their child’s exact supply list and then click right over to pre-filled shopping carts on Target, Walmart, Jet.com or Amazon to purchase their list and have it shipped right to their home.  Target and Walmart also offer in-store pick-up.  Super easy, super convenient.  

The site already includes lists for: Bloomington Christian Elementary School, Bloomington; Cajon High School, San Bernardino; Cooley Ranch Elementary, Colton; Dollahan Elementary School, Rialto; Excel Prep, San Bernardino; Grand Terrace High School, Grand Terrace; Lugonia Elementary School, Redlands; North Ridge Elementary, Moreno Valley; Packinghouse Christian Academy, Redlands; Palm Avenue Elementary School, San Bernardino; Reche Canyon Elementary School, Colton; Samuel W Simpson Elementary School, Rialto; Seneca Elementary, Moreno Valley; St Catherine Of Siena School, Rialto; and Valley Of Enchantment Elementary School, Crestline.

“For decades, the supply list process has been a frustration for parents,” points out TeacherLists President, John Driscoll.  “Where to find the lists?  When are they available?  Forgetting the list on the counter at home.  Hunting the isles for the specific items their teacher has requested.  All of those issues are solved with TeacherLists.”

More than 50,000 schools now have lists posted on TeacherLists.  Lists for more than 1 million classrooms are live on the site and include required and requested items as well as specific notes and clarifications from teachers and school staff. 

Complete details and all the lists are available at www.teacherlists.com/parents.

Pastor Owens

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- New Hope Missionary Baptist Church, a 106-year-old historic church in San Bernardino has selected Dr. Michael Andrew Owens as the new Pastor, who hails from Detroit Michigan. Beginning on Saturday August 12 at 6 p.m. there will be a festive musical celebration, featuring guest musicians, Evangelist Kimberly Whitsett and Minister of Music, Gregory Pearson from Bethel Baptist Church East.

On Sunday, August 13, “Installation services” will be conducted at the 7 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and commence with dinner and a formal 4 p.m. event.  Distinguished guest speakers will present during all services and the community and legislators are encouraged to join in sharing this exciting occasion.  Dr. Owens will continue a very proud, phenomenal, impactful leadership of spirituality and community service which New Hope Missionary Baptist Church has provided the Inland Empire.

Reverend Dr. Michael Andrews Owens accepted the call to preacher the age of fifteen and was licensed by the Bethany Baptist Church in his hometown of Chester, Pennsylvania.  In 1982, Rev. Owens was examined by the New Hope Baptist Association and ordained at the Calvary Baptist Church in Chester, Pennsylvania.  He now celebrates more than 40 years as a preacher of the gospel.

Empowered by the Holy Spirit, Dr. Owens further prepared himself for the ministry through secular and religious educational pursuits.  He earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from West Chester State University, West Chester, PA. He completed his theological education at Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Philadelphia, PA., earning both his Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry Degrees.

He was also a great asset to the community as he directed the Capital Area City-Wide Revival for 10 years as a part of his work with the Interdenominational Ministers Conference of Greater Harrisburg, PA.

Dr. Michael Andrew Owens formerly pastored Bethel Baptist Church-East in Detroit Michigan. Dr. Owens was called to serve as Pastor at New Hope Missionary Baptist Church on May 3, 2017. Pastor Owens continues to faithfully minister the Gospel in word and deed as he leads the church family to worship God in Spirit and in Truth. 

Emma Shaw

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- On Saturday, August 12 in San Bernardino, the Shaw family will gather together to celebrate the 105th birthday of the family matriarch, Emma Shaw.

Emma was the second born to James and Gertrude Armstrong on August 9, 1912 in Tallulah, Louisiana. Emma was raised by her aunt and uncle and attended Madison Parish Training School. Emma was not able to complete school because the family needed her to help in the cotton fields. At the tender age of 15, she met the love of her life, George Bernard Shaw.

Emma and George were married on February 6, 1929 and to this union God blessed them with 13 children; six sons, five daughters and two children who died at birth. Six of their children; Cleveland, Luretha, Johnny B, Joyce, Wiley and Mary were born in Tallulah. Emma and George were married for 62 years until he passed away.

In 1942 George saw potential for advancement by moving his family from Louisiana to Las Vegas, Nevada. While in Las Vegas, Emma was an employee at the El Rancho and Frontier hotels. Emma gave birth to Donell and Ronell before leaving Nevada in 1944.

As times began to change, George had the foresight again to relocate his family to San Bernardino, California in 1944. Emma began working in private homes as a maid. She then found new employment at Norton Air Force Base. After leaving Norton, Emma began doing seasonal work at the National Orange Show. Once the seasonal work was done, Emma found employment in Palm Springs where she worked for 16 years. While in California Barbara, Vernon and Valerie were born.

Though their resources were limited, that did not prevent Emma from sharing with those who were even less fortunate whenever they stopped by. She is an excellent cook and is known for her homemade biscuits, fried chicken and her peach cobbler.

Emma joined New Hope Missionary Baptist Church under the leadership of Reverend David Campbell. After the passing of Reverend Campbell, Mother Shaw changed her membership to Greater New Jerusalem Church of God in Christ, which was then under the leadership of Elder Herbert C. Pugh. Mother Shaw grew spiritually at Greater New Jerusalem where she became the Church Mother. She served as Church Mother for over 40 years and in recognition for this service Mother Shaw was appointed Church Mother Emeritus.

Everyone who knows Mother Shaw has heard her testimony and can repeat it verbatim as she starts to say…”Early one Saturday morning I was in my bathroom when I heard a loud voice saying, ‘Be ready, I’m on My way back’…” and from that time to this day, Mother Emma tells everyone that she encounters to be ready, the Lord is on His way back.

Emma Shaw is a legend living to celebrate her 105^th year of life here on this earth. She is still so full of wisdom, discernment, encouragement and honesty. She has a no nonsense attitude when ‘stuff ain’t right’, and she will speak her mind and let you know. When you hear ‘now looka here’, you know something of importance is about to follow.   

The matriarch of six generations Emma has 6 living children, and well over 300 grandchildren, great grandchildren, great great grandchildren and great great great grandchildren.

By Jasmyne A. Cannick | California Black Media

President Donald Trump’s proposal for a new merit-based immigration system that would screen visa applicants using a point system may be racist and exclusionary but so is an immigrant rights movement that excludes, overlooks, and straight up ignores the voices of their darker skinned counterparts.

Last week immigrant rights activists decried the Republican-backed proposal known as the RAISE Act or Reforming American Immigration for Strong Employment Act, that would highly favor people between the ages of 26 and 30 with a doctorate, high English proficiency and a job offer with a high salary.   Applicants with the highest number of points would go to the front of the line to receive visas.

The Los Angeles area is home to nearly 3.5 million immigrants with approximately one million of them undocumented.  Here, public officials are quick to proudly tout the dozens of languages that are spoken by Angelenos and how much immigrants–regardless of their citizenship status–contribute to the city’s economy and culture.  In theory, Democratic politicians and immigrant right activists will tell you that all immigrants matter but in practice only one immigrant’s voice is only ever represented, celebrated or invited to the table.

Mass deportation and ICE raids under the Trump administration are not exclusive to Latinos.  Under Trump, more and more Africans and Caribbeans are finding it difficult to qualify for asylum or refugee status when they arrive at U.S. ports of entries–one of the primary ways that they can successfully stay in the country.

An estimated 575,000 Black immigrants were living in the U.S. without authorization in 2013, according to the Pew Research Center study, making up 16% of all Black immigrant’s population. Among Black immigrants from the Caribbean, 16% are undocumented immigrants as are 13% of Black immigrants from Africa.

The Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI) and New York University Law School’s Immigrants’ Rights Clinic 2016 The State of Black Immigrants report found that Black immigrants maintain higher rates of employment in service and sales positions than their counterparts of other immigrant backgrounds.

According to the BAJI, immigrants from African and Caribbean countries comprise most the foreign-born Black population. Jamaica was the top country of origin in 2014 with 665,628 Black immigrants in the U.S., accounting for 18% of the national total.  Haiti seconds the list with 598,000 Black immigrants, making up 16% of the U.S. Black immigrant population.  Although half of Black immigrants are from the Caribbean region alone, African immigrants drove much of the recent growth of the Black immigrant population and made up 39% of the total foreign-born Black population in 2014. The number of African immigrants in the U.S. increased 153%, from 574,000 in 2000 to 1.5 million in 2014, with Nigeria and Ethiopic as the two leading countries of origin.

Los Angeles has a large and vibrant community of Black immigrants that but you’d never know because they are seldom reported on or heard from in the fight for immigrant rights–a fight that is led and dominated by Latinos. And while I expect Republicans to overlook Blacks until it’s politically convenient to pit us against one another, I do not expect the party of coalition building, solidarity and ‘we’re stronger together’ to do the same.

Let me put this into the right perspective for you. The party that calls out people, organizations and Republicans for their exclusion of women, transgender, the LGBT community, people with disabilities, members of the Asian/Pacific Islander community, Latinos, Blacks, veterans, seniors and I could go on and on does not itself (or very rarely) include Black immigrants.

Seldom discussed in mixed company is the fact that African-Americans privately agree with Trump’s assertion that “illegal immigration” has harmed the Black community economically. And even though Trump has no problem throwing African-Americans into the mix when it bolsters his immigration agenda, immigrant rights activists haven’t been as willing to include Black voices in their shared fight.

I look at the fight for the undocumented in America and think–strategically–Latino immigrant rights groups would do good to include the voices and images of Black immigrants to gain support from an already apprehensive and on the fence nation of African-Americans who may need more convincing that the fight for immigrant rights affects Blacks.  Despite HUD Secretary Ben Carson’s belief that slaves were immigrants–most African-Americans do not see themselves as immigrants and many are wary of and oppose the Democratic Party’s insistence that “illegal immigration” doesn’t harm Black employment.  Like white gay rights advocates and the Black community–it wasn’t until the visibility and voices of Black LGBT folks increased that real advances were made on LGBT issues with Blacks who mainly say gay rights as affecting and benefiting wealthy white gays.

Trump and the Republican Party are not going to stop pushing their anti-immigration narrative that “illegal immigration” threatens the jobs of poor Black people.  Many African-Americans already believe that there’s a prevailing attitude among Latinos that they don’t need anything from us except for the blueprint from our fight for our civil rights.

The pathway to victory for Democrats on comprehensive immigration reform needs both Black immigrants and African-Americans to succeed. While Latinos may outnumber African-Americans in cities like Los Angeles the reality is that our vote still matters and neither immigrant rights activists nor the Democratic Party can afford for African-Americans to remain on the fence about immigration reform. We win elections by bringing people together and working together

Quictamac

By Lue Dowdy

Rap Artist, Quictamac is What IT DO Inland Empire! Another dope artist making it happen through music. I’m going to need y’all to read all about it right here.

Quictamac Samuel Quictamac” Maeshack is a Hip-hop artist born in Los Angeles California and raised in Long Beach, California. As a teenager, he was recognized locally for having great rhymes and lyrics needed to become a Hip-hop legend. In 1993, he was approached by the Press-Telegram, who wrote an article about his prevailing name in hip-hip music.

Quictamac has an active solid fan base locally and globally. He has been actively involved in the Hip-hop industry since 1993, which gives him over 16-years of industry experience and exposure.

It is known on the streets that Quictamac lyrically battled daily, as he was born to do. Over the course of his career, he has written four songs for Lil Half Dead’s debut album, “The Dead Has Arisen,” and he was also featured on Half Dead’s second single and video, “12 Pacofdoja.” He went on tour with Lil Half Dead and the Dogg Pound across the country and performed at Teens Summit in Washington D.C. Quictamac’s image continued to grow and that growth resulted in a signed contract with Def Jam West in 1995 through 1998, fulfilling his contractual agreement.

As Quictamac developed into an artist, he also developed into the role of fatherhood, placing a strain on his development and growth. He saw this as an opportunity to commence his college career and develop not only as an artist, but as a father, leader and manager in the Hip-hop industry. His keen ability to learn and develop resulted in his following features: “True Crimes: Streets of LA” soundtrack which was featured on Xbox, PlayStation 2 and Game Cube which co-featured Snoop Dogg (2003).

Quictamac’s unique style can also be heard on Lil C-Style’s Blacc Balled album, “Bounce Yo Ridahz.” In addition, Quictamac has performed with some of Hip-hop’s legends such as Snoop Dogg, Tha Dogg Pound, Tha Twinz, Mack-10, KRS-1and Slick Rick to name a few. He has a current following on the internet and has thousands of fans which frequently blog with him daily. Make sure you follow and support this talented artist on all social media channels under Quictamac.

Until next week L’s way up in da air!!!

With students preparing to head back to school, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) urges parents and guardians to check the vaccine record of their children. Many vaccine-preventable diseases, such as measles, can easily spread in child care and school settings.

“By getting children all the vaccines recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), parents can protect their children from serious diseases,” said Dr. Karen Smith, CDPH Director and State Public Health Officer. “If you haven’t done so already, check with your child’s doctor to find out what vaccines your child needs before going back to school.”

When children are not vaccinated, they are at increased risk for getting sick and spreading diseases to students in their classrooms, and children and adults within their communities. Babies who are too young to be fully vaccinated, and people with weakened immune systems due to cancer or other health conditions are especially susceptible.

California law requires students to receive certain immunizations to attend public and private elementary and secondary schools as well as licensed child care centers. Schools and licensed child care centers are required to enforce immunization requirements, maintain immunization records of all children enrolled, and report student immunization status to CDPH.

Last April, CDPH reported encouraging results from the annual immunization assessment of children attending kindergarten in California in the 2016-17 school year. The report found that vaccination rates are at record levels: compared to 2015-16 results, the percentage of students attending kindergarten in 2016-17 who had received all required vaccines rose from 93 percent to 96 percent.

“Let’s keep raising our immunization rates in schools and daycares to keep our children healthy and in the classroom,” said Dr. Smith.

To learn more about the vaccination rate of your child’s school or childcare is, go to the Shots for School website, scroll down to the left bottom of the page and click on the “How many students in your school have required shots?” banner. Enter the name of your child’s school or daycare in the online tool.

Visit Shots for School for more information on immunizations for school children in California at www.shotsforschool.org.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- From cobblestone streets in European cities to lush greenery in tropical paradises, Cal State San Bernardino offers students an array of locations to study abroad. With more than 20 countries available, and 14 programs scheduled during summer 2017 alone, there is a place of interest for virtually every student.

The annual three-week study abroad program to Jamaica and the annual four-week program to London both wrapped up in July. The programs, like all CSUSB’s study abroad programs, are a blend of traditional academic studies and cultural exploration.

This year, 12 students participated in the Jamaica study abroad program, which took place June 26 to July 16. The program began in 2006 and materialized after Rafik Mohamed, dean of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, spent 10 days on the island as a member of the production staff for a large music festival.

“I spent most of my time with Jamaicans who were also working for the festival, and they introduced me to places and people tourists typically don’t encounter,” said Mohamed, who also has ancestral connections to Jamaica. “Because of that experience, and more significant than my family ties, I felt Jamaica was a place that could meaningfully put on display for students what I’ve come to describe as the ‘paradox of paradise.’”

According to Mohamed, Jamaicans often refer to their homeland as “the land of contradictions.” While it is often viewed as a tropical utopia, Jamaica faces many social challenges and is heavily tied to its colonial past.

“We, therefore, challenge our student-participants to consider the contradictions captured by this juxtaposition between the images of Jamaica put forward by the Jamaica Tourist Board and the vastly different economic and social conditions experienced by everyday Jamaicans,” said Mohamed.

Through an interdisciplinary curriculum and community engagement involving formal partnership with local community agencies, the program offers students an overview of Caribbean society and culture from the beginning of the trans-Atlantic slave trade to the present. Activities include visiting different towns and historical plantations, hiking up waterfalls and even touring musician Bob Marley’s home.

“I really enjoyed the activities since they were related to what we learned in class,” said Jasmin Limon Acosta, biological psychology major. “It was a really great experience embracing it all and seeing how different the culture is.

I also liked where we stayed — it was very local and we got to speak to a lot of the locals and interact with them.”

Students learn from various texts including poems, short stories, music, and historical and sociological articles and essays. The program includes curriculum from sociology, marine science, English, communication, philosophy and theater. Mohamed plans to add anthropology to the agenda in 2018.

“Participating in the Jamaica summer study abroad program was an experience I will never forget. From the classes, readings, excursions and tours, to the community involvement and social gatherings, I will admit that it made learning about the Jamaican culture much richer than sitting in a classroom and getting lectured on it,” said psychology major Ana Romero Baltazar.

“With the knowledge I have gained from this trip, I feel as if I can see the world with a much more open mind, and make connections that I could not have been able to do so before learning a bit more about the history of a different culture,” Baltazar said. “The three weeks felt as if they flew by, but I am thankful for each day I was there, for all the people I met, and for the way the program was structured and put together.”

The London study abroad program, which took place June 27 to July 28, was led by Bradford Owen, associate professor in the communication studies department, and Cherstin Lyon, associate professor in the history department.

Twenty students immersed themselves in academic classroom teachings as well as excursions to cultural sites, theater plays and historical places of interest.

“London is a richly multicultural city with inhabitants from all over the world,” said Owen, who lived and taught in London for an academic year while he was a visiting assistant professor in USC Annenberg School of Communication’s London Program. Owen also co-founded the London study abroad program in 2013 and has co-directed it for the last five years.

For biology major Gabriela Ochoa, it was a trip of a lifetime, satisfying both her desire to travel to London and her college requirements.

“I knew my parents didn’t have the resources to send me on their own, and when I saw I can go with school, I took the opportunity,” she said. “Not only was I visiting the city of my dreams, but I also got school credit for it.”

The academic courses, which were held at the FSU London Study Centre, included HUM 340: Interpretation and Values, taught by Owen, and SSCI 325: Perspectives on Gender, taught by Lyon. HUM 340 explored the similarities and differences in British and American values and cultures through British cinema, while SSCI 325 used scientific, humanistic and social science perspectives to foster an understanding of how gender roles in Western culture are established, maintained and changed.

Syeda Rahman, an English literature major, took Owen’s HUM 340 class. “The course was designed not to overwhelm us with assignments, but to soak in the entire experience, including excursions, the topics we talked about, our stay at Newman House, our stay as a group and also the class assignments. I thought, overall, it was great learning experience.”

Liberal studies major Jocelyn Rodriguez found Lyon’s SSCI 325 course to be eye opening. “Dr. Lyon is a really great professor, and she was able to get us to see gender through multiple different lenses that I would never think to view it through.”

The program also offered HUM 582: European Experience, an independent study course in which a student undertakes independent work under supervision.

To learn more about the city, students participated in four day-long excursions, which included a six-hour walking tour around central London, and admission to six major sites: Westminster Abbey, the Tower of London, Windsor Castle, Hampton Court, the Churchill War Rooms and Tower Bridge Exhibit. In addition, students partook in out-of-town trips to Salisbury, Stonehenge and Bath.

For Karen Watkins, who graduated this past June with a bachelor’s in sociology, these trips related perfectly to what she was learning in Owen’s HUM 340 course. “I enjoyed how our class discussions and films revolved with what we had already seen or were about to see. London was indescribably beautiful. Everything I saw, I will carry with me.”

The program also featured five in-London events, including two theater performances (one at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre), a guided tour of the Tate Modern gallery, the “Making of Harry Potter” tour at Warner Brothers UK, and a farewell afternoon tea.

For the first time in the program, CSUSB President Tomás D. Morales met with the study abroad group for a couple days. He visited Lyon’s SSCI 325 class one morning and joined the group for a walking tour in East London.

“I truly enjoyed having President Morales in London,” said Syeda Rahman, who believes the president’s visit broke many barriers for a lot of the students. “Now I feel that I can go up to him and have a conversation or just write to him. I think it was a great opportunity for me to have him in London because I probably would have graduated without even getting to know the president of the university.”

Jocelyn Rodriguez enjoyed her experience with President Morales as well, and feels she got to know him on a one-on-one basis. “I was able to ask him questions about his life, his education and how he got to where he is in life right now.”

CSUSB also offers summer study abroad programs to places like Mexico City, Italy, Costa Rica, Spain and Taiwan.

For more information on study abroad programs at CSUSB, visit the Center for International Studies & Programs at international.csusb.edu/studyabroad.aspx.

For more information on Cal State San Bernardino, contact the university’s Office of Strategic Communication at (909) 537-5007 and visit news.csusb.edu.

William Lacey, Class of ’18, provides live vocals for “I Will Never Leave” by Maura Townsend’s Project21Dance.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- Good food and fine entertainment always seem to go well together, especially for San Bernardino Valley College student William Lacey, 26, of Highland.

This master of the arts is not quite sure which one will win out in the end?—?his standout vocals or culinary prowess. Eventually, he would like to combine them at his own restaurant where he can train chefs to prepare Cajun cuisine, and maybe indulge his operatic side every now and again.

Lacey is a natural classical aficionado. He has had three years of classical vocal training at SBVC, and credits his instructors for keeping him on track with his career and education.

A private voice class helped Lacey hone his skill, and one day after choir, he sang the national anthem for SBVC Music Department Chair Matie Manning Scully.

“She looked at me and said ‘Kiddo, you’ve got a great voice. I would love to work with you.’ It started from there.”

Lacey also performs regularly with choreographer Maura Townsend and her Project21Dance Company. During Black History Month, he sang his richly-layered baritone rendition of Paul Robeson’s “Ol’ Man River” as part of Townsend’s “Hope Through the Struggle” event held at San Bernardino Valley College.

He said that Ms. Townsend, an adjunct professor at the college, has also been instrumental in giving him a creative venue for his artistic side.

“From that point, we kind of hit the ground running. She asked me to join her company, and I continue to do pieces with her dancers,” he said.

Lacey grew up in the city of Highland, where his grandmother was his best critic at church and home. It’s also where he, his mother and grandmother would often sing gospel and cook large family meals together. When his grandmother passed away, it was the toughest time of his life. He barely spoke complete sentences throughout junior high school.

In 2018, Lacey is on track to graduate with an A.S. in Restaurant Management and an A.S. in Business Administration. He credits SBVC with giving him the tools to move forward with confidence. 

Over the past four years, he has worked as Chef De Partie at Forest Home, Inc., where he navigates a fast-paced food environment, oversees utility workers, and handles about one million meals per year. In the past, he has interned at the Hilton Hotel and the Sun Room Cafe as a line cook.

When he first started at SBVC, his goal was culinary arts, but he soon fell in love with opera in his choir class elective. Without any prior formal training, developing his operatic side came with a learning curve. It took about two months for his voice to readjust to a classical tone.

“I’m connected to it, I listen closely to the detail, the emotion in their voices because I understand it now,” he said.

In his day job, he prepares breakfast, lunch, and dinner with finesse, and is also known as “the singing chef.” It’s an unexpected niche that often draws an encore.

“I’ll sing a song about halfway through the meal. If the people like it, they say, ‘Oh, can you sing another song before we leave?’ It works, I get to sing opera to an audience that actually enjoys it.”