Photo by Jay Parnell

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- Just in time for fight night, Willing Winn Association and Mission (WWAM) Inc., will be hosting their second BBQ Fundraiser of the year. They will be barbecuing it up behind the Family Dollar at 146 West Baseline Street in San Bernardino from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.

For the fight there will be a special “Fight Fix” at just $30 which includes 1 slab of pork ribs, 1 pint of potato salad, and 1 loaf of bread. Regular menu items and price includes: a beef brisket, $14; hot link plate, $11; chicken plate, $11; pork rib plate, $13; combo plate (3 meats), $17; and peach cobbler, $4. Each plate comes with two sides of cabbage, red rice, baked beans, or potato salad.

For more information, please contact (909) 890-8674.

Photos by Jay Parnell

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

Listen; if you want to get off to a good start, you need to begin in the right place.  And it begins with a very frank admission. “Not that I have already obtained all this…” You see, the Word of God in Proverbs 16:18 tell us that, “Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.” That tells me that in and of ourselves we have absolutely nothing to brag or be prideful about. Now if there was anyone who had reason to brag about his accomplishments, I would think it would have been the Apostle Paul. But he doesn’t do that. Despite having met the Lord on the Damascus Road, despite having preached across the eastern Mediterranean region, despite being an apostle called by God, despite writing letters inspired by the Holy Spirit, despite all that he had endured, he did not brag about anything he said or did. None of that mattered to him. He knew that he was a sinner saved by grace. In fact in 1Timothy 1:15, he even called himself the “Chief of sinners.” He made no claim of being perfect or having arrived in his own spiritual journey. Now Simon Peter, that’s a whole different story. Simon Peter had made an assumption, and it’s the same assumption that we all make from time to time. He assumed that he had reached a place in his relationship with Jesus where he would never forsake Jesus and would never fail in his faithfulness to God again. I tell you, we must never assume that we can’t miss the mark, for the moment we do, we are headed for a fall. Paul said, although we are perfect through sanctification, through our salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ, many of us – in fact all of us – still have a long way to go.

I don’t know about you, but there’s nothing that bothers me more than someone trying to claim to be all that when the Bible says that, “There is none good, no not one!” But some folks believe that they are the exception. My message to all of us today is this: Like it or not, whether we want to believe it or not, we’re not as good as we think we are. We’re not as smart as we think we are. We’re not as clever as we think we are. We’re not as wise as we think we are; and we are not as strong as we think we are. The only thing that keeps us going is Jesus our wonderful Savior, and He is everything we are not. Don’t get it twisted! It has never been about us and it is not about us! It is about Him; the Alpha and Omega; the Beginning and End; the First and Last; the Wonderful Counselor. We have absolutely nothing to boast about, other than Jesus Christ… Throwing ourselves a party! Self-congratulations! Boasting! This is human temptation and human tendency; and a dangerous one at that. Careful! You are threading on dangerous grounds! Boasting is a growing cancer, an infectious disease, an intoxicating behavior.

Sadly, we live in a very proud and egotistical generation where it is now considered acceptable and even normal for people to promote themselves, to praise themselves, and to put themselves first. Pride is considered a virtue by many. Humility, on the other hand, is considered a weakness. Everyone, it seems, is screaming for his or her own rights and seeking to be recognized as someone important. The preoccupation with self-esteem, self-love, and self-glory is destroying the very foundations upon which our society was built. What’s worst of all, the preoccupation with self has found its way into the Church.  Jesus repeatedly taught against pride, and with His life and teaching He constantly exalted the virtue of humility. Nowhere is that more clear than in John 13. I tell you, there is no better garment to clothe yourself with than to be clothed with humility. A humble person is a child of God; but a proud and haughty person is a child of Satan. Who’s your daddy? Pride should not be a problem to us; for according to God’s Word even our own righteousness is as filthy rags (Is 64:6). Get off your High Horse!

Don’t misunderstand me. It’s not wrong to brag. It’s wrong to brag about trivial things. When you brag and you should brag, brag on the Lord, that’s all I’m saying. Besides, if it had not been for the Lord… Hello somebody! The message is simply: Pride is the sin that made the devil the devil, pride makes us like the devil, and pride can prevent us from entering heaven and lead us to hell. Clothe yourself with humility –Boast only in the Cross!

Anyone and Everyone Carrying Deadly Weapons In The Name Of Public Safety Should Be Videoed While Working…

Publisher’s Commentary by Wallace J. Allen

The general police response to Black Folk in America is and has been corrupt. The truth of that statement is based on the common “feelings” of parents and guardians of Black boys as we acknowledge the need to tell our boys “how to act” when confronted by the police. We instruct our sons to not just “be” cooperative but to “act” docile, childlike and very cooperative, to give the police no “additional” reasons to mistreat them.  Statistics prove the corrupted attitude which police generally express when dealing with Black folk and Black males in specific. The disproportionate number of Blacks in the penal system is any thinking person’s evidence.  However knowing that Blacks are a target does not get disturbing to some until they realize that the police were just “practicing” on Blacks… That their callous treatment of Blacks might be just a tune-up for how they will also treat Brown people and as demonstrated recently by San Bernardino County Sheriff Deputies, white people too.

It is a common theory among “thinking” people that Fire is ok in the Black Community, unless the smoke starts to disturb the White community…drugs symbolically represent that fire. For instance some have been heard to say, “Marijuana arrests are ok as long as the bulk of the people arrested are Black, but rather than arrest all of the whites that use it, they make it legal”!

So what happens when the first white man is recorded while receiving the “Black Beat-down” from San Bernardino County Sheriff Deputies? Two things of real importance subsequently occurred that allows white people to maintain confidence in their Sheriff Deputies’ service attitude. Only twelve days after the incident was broadcast across the nation, the County Board of Supervisors made an unsolicited award of $650,000 to the white victim. That settlement offer, if accepted by the victim will also protect the officers involved, because their corrupt conduct at the scene will not have to be dissected and explained in a very public trial. The Board Of Supervisors’ response can have the (intended?) effect of keeping the smoky threat from irritating the eyes of some white people, but the alarm has sounded.

I think that each day and with each police action more people agree that all peace officers should be recorded while they work. What do you think?

Hakim Hazim

By Hakim Hazim

The words of James 1:2-8 should hang in a prominent place in every man’s home today:

“Count it all Joy my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double- minded man, unstable in all his ways.” (English Standard Version)

I wonder how many Christian men really believe that God is truly at work in their lives in terms of trials and tribulations. We are quick to point out what the devil or what people are doing to us. We rarely seek God for any reason other than to remove the source of irritant or pain. We rarely identify the trials that God places us in as his designed training, and we seek out numerous instructors to help us make sense of what is taking place.

The truth is, deep down inside, we have a sense that there is a purpose within the trial, but we don’t want to believe it. We know that God instructs us to rejoice in trials, but we refuse to do it. He instructs us to hold fast and believe, but we are double minded. He instructs us to give our best in the midst of it, but we hoard or talents and possessions. He instructs us to let him lovingly prune us and remove everything that does not belong in our lives, but we fight tooth and nail. The very process that realigns our wills and accelerates our growth, we do everything we can to deny as an option in our lives.

We have been duped into waiting on the divine gravy train that will remove all of our struggles in life. Many have preached a message that struggles of health, resources, relationships and mental anguish indicate a lack of faith. Our honesty about these things arouses the instincts of predators, because they are drawn to struggling people by what they see as the scent of weakness. They promise that they can help you with these things—for a fee if they are a business or an offering if they are a ministry. If you pay close attention to the passage above, God is the author of the trial that befalls individuals and communities as well. He will also be the finisher. The key to overcoming any trial is focused endurance. You have to be anchored into the purpose of it, not simply the resolution. The passage I cited in James says trials—it’s plural. More trials will come. As long you have breath, they will come. Welcome and overcome them by faith. They are yours, designed for you! It does not matter the form in which they come.

Lastly, men: be careful of the wolves in sheep’s clothing—predatory peddlers of false hope and instruction designed to simply fleece you and channel your emotion to their cause. They are everywhere and too numerous to list. You are ultimately responsible for who and what you follow. Christ’s sheep know his voice. The problem is we stray often and find ourselves in places we simply should not be.

Our trials are designed by the Almighty to strengthen our resolve and to rid us of double mindedness. If you persevere, you may be one of the people God is calling to help lead this generation.

Hakim Hazim is the founder of Relevant Now and co-founder of Freedom Squared . He is a nationally recognized expert in decision analysis, criminality and security.

Children raise signs at the Run for Hope fundraiser for the Best Dollars Raised. Photo by Vivien

LOS ANGELES, CA- OUR HOUSE Grief Support Center held its sixth annual ‘Run For Hope 5k Festival’, on Saturday, April 25. OUR House ambassador Melissa Rivers presented awards to the largest and most successful teams.

The event took place at the West Los Angeles Civic Center and was a day dedicated to celebrating and honoring the memory of loved ones who have died. This year’s presenting sponsors were The Hollander Family and Best Friends Animal Society. The Run for Hope, deeply rooted in the community, drew close to 1, 600 participants who raised over $370,000 to provide grief support directly to adults and children. Participants wore their personalized t- shirts with their loved ones’ photos commemorating and celebrating their memories.

All participants gathered at the stage following the In-Memory Walk and the 5K Run/Walk with a ?closing ceremony and festival, which included live music by DJ Sherpa and the School of Rock, a kids fun zone and expo.  Melissa Rivers presented awards to the largest and most successful teams, including the Largest Team: Team Tia’s Hope along with the four Top Fundraisers: Team Nico and Steven who raised $134,000; Team #Matthew who raised $10,000; Team Debbie Cohen in memory of Shirley Levine who raised $8,100; and Team Anne’s Angels who raised $7,300.

By McKenzie Jackson, California Black Media

The harsh drought that has dried up the Golden State over the past three years has severly hit one California community particularly hard. Allensworth, the historic and only town founded, financed and governed by African Americans in Tulare County knows all too well the impacts of no rain,  coupled with the contamination of city’s ground water supply by arsenic, the shortage of the water crisis is a blunt one-two punch for the town of a little more than 60,000 people.

Residents of the rural, mostly migrant community began receiving drought relief food early last summer and in January the state began delivering 48 gallons of drought relief water to households each month.

Denise Kadara, one of Allensworth’s few black residents, said the situation is dire but it could be worse.

“I know you have heard of East Porterville where a lot of the wells have gone dry,” she said. “We aren’t experiencing that yet. Our water systems are so old that they break. We just had a break in our system about six weeks ago, but luckily we had bottle water. Otherwise, we would have been 12 hours without water.”

Kadara’s East Porterville reference compares her city to the other Tulare County town where more than 1,000 private wells residents depended on for their water supply have completely dried up.

In response to the state’s record-breaking drought – the worst in more than 60 years according to experts – Governor Jerry Brown issued the first-ever statewide restrictions on water use on April 1. What effect the water reduction mandate will have on African-American communities is still yet to be determined.

Kadara, a member of the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board stresses that even without all the details of the Governor’s plan, communities need to be mindful of the ongoing dry spell, which has been sapping California’s water supply since 2012.

“If it is affecting us – any of the communities where African Americans live and are disadvantaged,” she said.

According to Brown, the goal of the restrictions is to reduce water use in the state by 25 percent or 1.5 million acre-feet. The restrictions call for school campuses, golf courses and cemeteries to make significant cuts in water use; prohibit new homes and developments from irrigating with potable water unless water-efficient drip irrigation systems are used; create a temporary, statewide consumer rebate program for residents who replace older appliances with water-saving and energy-efficient models; and ban watering of ornamental grass on public street medians.

In order to carry out the governor’s initiative, the California Water Resources Control Board has begun putting together a “Drought Emergency Water Conservation” plan that dictates communities’ water conservation targets based on an area’s track record of saving water and levels of usage.

A recent draft of the water board’s plan given to California Black Media by board spokesperson Andrew DiLuccia said water suppliers that recorded the lowest residential per-capita water use in July, August and September of last year will have to cut by only eight percent. Communities with the highest per-capita numbers during that period have to lower consumption by 36 percent.

According to the board’s 11-page, provisional chart titled “Urban Water Suppliers and Proposed Regulatory Framework Tiers to Achieve 25% Use Reduction”, some areas with a strong African-American presence in terms of population are in the low-end and middle tier of the water reduction plan. Compton in Southern California, for example, has to cut water usage by eight percent and nearbyInglewood by 12 percent.

San Diego, Vallejo and Long Beach have to slim their usage by 16 percent. The East Bay area, which includes Oakland and Richmond, has to trim its consumption down to 18 percent. The city of Los Angeles has to cut its water use by 20 percent and Sacramento’s goal is  set at 28 percent.

The proposal could change before the board formally adopts it early next month, insiders say,  but the tracking compliance will begin in July when the June numbers are reported. After that, it will perform monthly checks on the more than 400 urban water suppliers that have to comply with the order. A fact sheet from the State Water Resources Control Board said all water suppliers will need to do more to meet the 25 percent conservation standard.

“Conserving water more seriously now will forestall even more catastrophic impacts if it does not rain next year,” that document reads.

On April 23, a bill authored by Assembly member Cheryl R. Brown (D-San Bernardino), a member of the California Black Caucus, passed  by a vote of 78-0. In an effort to support Californians who choose to preserve water, Assembly Bill 1 protects property owners who do not water their lawns from being fined by municipalities.

Brown said since California is in a drought, it is irresponsible for cities to penalize residents for conserving water.

“If California is going to manage its water resources efficiently,” she said, “then we cannot fine individuals for doing their part.”

Aubrey Bettencourt, executive director of the California Water Alliance in Hanford, said the water reductions present an opportunity for California  to set the bar for the rest of the country on how to manage important natural resources.

“It’s a wake-up call to what water provides us,” she said. “Whether the governor can achieve his goal, I don’t know. But at the very least he has woken up the California public to the benefits of what water provides.”

Bettencourt said water talks need to center on how to bounce back from the drought and how to take steps to  make sure it never happens again. Not on the restrictions.

“How are we going to upgrade our infrastructure to meet 21st century demand and 21st century social priorities?” she said. “And how do we get our policies up to date so that is does two things. One is recovering our existing supply. Also, how are we going to update our policies to manage our water?”

As the details of the governor’s plan firm-up, its business as usual for companies in African-American populated areas although they  seem prepared to adapt to the realities of the water cuts.

Larry Tabeling, the owner of Live Art Plantscape, a commercial landscape contract company in the Los Angeles area said outside of reduced water mandates instructed by Brown there has been no finalization of how each city will reduce its water consumption to a certain percentage.

“We don’t even know what days we can water yet, if it is going to be restricted more from where we are at currently or what” he said. “So, a lot of stuff is still up in the air.”

Kim Carter

SAN BERNARDINO, CA – At the Young Visionaries Iron Sharpens Iron Gala this Friday night at The Hotel San Bernardino, Time for Change Foundation Executive Director Kim Carter will be honored with the Dr. Margaret Hill “Lifetime Achievement Award” for her work not only as a powerful voice for women who bear the scars of poverty, homelessness and incarceration for her result driven efforts to empower disenfranchised communities.

“I am humbled and honored” Ms. Carter said when she was informed that she would be recognized  for her work.  Kim Carter started Time for Change Foundation in her garage as a one women organization in 2002 with one shelter with 6 beds.  Today, Time for Change Foundation has a staff of 11, a total housing capacity of 114 annually along with evidence-based programs and supportive services that provide communities with the tools to recover from homelessness, drug addiction, mental and physical abuse, family separation and the effects of incarceration.

In addition to being the national model for housing and supportive services, Time for Change Foundation is also a low income housing developer, has a strong advocacy arm and provides evidence-based training to governmental and non-governmental agencies and organizations through its Center for Advocacy and Leadership Training (CALT).

For more information, call 909-886-2994 or visit us on the web at www.Timeforchangefoundation.org.

LOS ANGELES, CA- The Alliance for Women in Media, Southern California (AWM SoCal) Prepares for their highly-acclaimed Speed Mentoring event, presented by Sag-Aftra. Held Sunday, May 3, 2015 at Carla’s Café at CBS Radford Lot 4024, the event brings industry leaders together with students and job seekers in a fun, interactive environment similar to the speed dating concept.

Mary Schaffer, Director of Students and Scholarships for AWM SoCal, explains, “Mentors and mentees will be seated at tables. A five-minute stop watch will mark the time and when the bell rings, mentees will move down the line to the next mentor. It’s not only fun, but a great way to meet a lot of people and network with the top leaders in media and entertainment fields.”

The list of scheduled mentors includes:

• Corinne Baldassano, Senior Vice President, Programming and Marketing, Take On The Day, LLC/The Dr. Laura Program
• Samantha Brown, Vice President of Strategic Sales for Vubiquity
• Tish Ciravolo, Founder and President of Daisy Rock Guitars, the only girl guitar company in the world
• Vic Cohen, TV comedy writer (Emmy nominated), producer, show creator and comedic actor who has starred/written on comedy shows on Fox (“Mobbed”), NBC (“Deal or No Deal”), TBS (“Deal With It”), and other cable networks
• Bill Denton, General Sales Manager, KFI/KEIB/KLAC, iHeartMedia
• Tanya Memme, host of two Emmy Nominated TV shows on A&E “Sell This House” and “Sell This House Extreme,” Hallmark Channel’s Home & Family “DIY” Expert, and KTLA’s Best Vacations and mom entrepreneur
• Jenn Sherry Parry, Emmy award winning television producer with 14 years experience in the Los Angeles market. She is currently Senior Field Producer of “The Doctors”, a daytime medical talk show on CBS.

Desiree Duffy, Co-President of AWM SoCal, adds, “It’s all about meeting people, making connections and helping each other. All ages and career levels, both women and men, are welcome because everyone needs a little mentoring once in a while!”

Speed Mentoring takes place inside Carla’s Café at CBS Radford from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Space is limited. Advance registration is required no later than Thursday, April 30. Tickets are $20 for AWM SoCal members and $30.00 for non-members. Students who bring a copy of their unofficial transcript will receive a free AWM SoCal Student Membership with their registration. To register and for more information, and to see a complete list of mentors, visit www.AWMSoCal.org.

McDonald’s 365Black Awards launched in 2003 as an extension of the company’s 365Black platform, which celebrates the pride, heritage and achievements of African-Americans year-round. Join them in celebrating today’s exceptional youth by nominating someone between the ages of 13 and 18 within your community to receive a $10,000 scholarship.

They’re looking to honor exceptional youth who make a difference within their community through their vision, compassion, relentless courage and daily diligence which have resulted in significant local, national or global impact. Two recipients, one male and one female, will be recognized during the star-studded event which will be held Friday, July 3 during the 21st annual ESSENCE Festival in New Orleans.

The purpose of the CCYA Scholarship is to assist the honoree to obtain a higher education or vocational skill at the school of his or her choice. If the recipient does not attend college or has sufficient alternate funding to attend college, then the $10,000 must be transferred to the honoree at the legal age of majority without the condition of a college attendance. However, at the honorees discretion, the scholarship can be applied against graduate or trade school tuition, fees and direct education expenses. All applicable taxes will be responsibility of the honoree.

All students nominated for this Program must meet the minimum criteria set by McDonald’s to qualify for the scholarship. The Scholarship will be applied to pay tuition and fees at any college or vocational school that the honoree is enrolled based on enrollment criteria recommended by Thurgood Marshall College Fund. Funds will be held until the recipient provides official proof of enrollment and then paid directly to the college, post-secondary school or any trade, vocational, technical school of choice for tuition and fees on behalf of the student.

Download the nomination form at www.365Black.com, starting April 21, 2015. Submit nomination materials to 365BlackYouthAwards@365Black.com until May 31, 11:59 p.m. CST.

Nominee must be able to travel on Wednesday, July 1st and must attend the 365Black Awards, Friday, July 3.

RIVERSIDE, CA – The NAACP Riverside Branch’s annual fundraising gala, the “2015 Freedom Fund Celebration,” will recognize community leaders and organizations that have made significant contributions in their communities. This year’s theme: “Standing on the Shoulders of Giants: One Nation, One Dream, United” commemorates the 50^th Anniversary of the March on Selma. This formal affair will take place on Wednesday, May 13 at the Riverside Convention Center located at 3637 Fifth Street in downtown Riverside. Doors open at 5 p.m. with social networking, followed by a strolling dinner and awards at 6 p.m. The evening will also include live entertainment, special performances, dancing and more.

This year’s honorees include: Judy White, PhD, Superintendent of Moreno Valley Unified School District (Education); Joan Roberts, PhD, Owner/CEO-Visiting Angels Riverside County (Business Entrepreneur); Victory Outreach Riverside (Community Service); The Honorable Rita Rogers, Councilwoman-City of Perris (Government/Political); Angela D. Martin, M.D., Physician in Charge-Kaiser Meridian Clinic (Health); Wallace J. Allen, Founder/Editor, West Side Newspaper (Media/Journalism); Rev. Marrix Seymore, Sr., PhD, Pastor-Amos Temple CME Church (Religion); Bruce Wilson, Sergeant, U.S. Army (Military); and William Kennedy, Esq., Attorney at Law-Law Firm of Kennedy and Jimenez (Law/Justice). Presidential Honorees include: William Chamberlain, V.P. Sales and Marketing for Raceway Ford (Roy Wilkins Award); Tanya Humphrey, Consultant-Non-profit management and funding (Griot Award); and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Eta Nu Omega Chapter (Stratton Award).

Tickets are $75 per person or $750 per table. Tickets can be purchased online at www.naacp-riverside.org. The RSVP deadline is April 29^th. For more information contact the event chair Dr. Regina Stell at 951-217-0055 or 951-324-9603. Email rivnaacp@gmail.com and visit www.facebook.com/RiversideNAACP.