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Panelist Zumar Zamaan (back center) pictured with students who work closely with Dina Walker

SAN BERNARDINO, CA – – BLU Educational Foundation (BLU) launched a thoughtful dialogue this month with the community screening of the award-winning provocative news documentary, The Souls of Black Girls. The screening was held Thursday, March 24 at San Bernardino Valley College and included a post-screening panel discussion with thought-leaders from the Inland Empire Region. The panel also included local students who work closely with Dina Walker, founder of BLU.

Dina Walker, Founder of BLU, pictured with community leaders (l to r) Hardy Brown II and Jonathan Buffong

“Our objective was to provide a safe environment where the community could come together to discuss socially relevant issues facing African American girls and women,” said Walker. It’s important for all women to have a healthy self-image. We’re optimistic that this discussion will extend well beyond Women’s History Month.”

Panelists included Zumar Zamaan, a local writer; Dr. April Clay, a counseling consultant; Faith Ellis, an English teacher; and students Davina Clay, Raihanah Medlock, and Breanna Smith. They each shared personal experiences and how they’ve chosen to navigate issues such as family dynamics, dating relationships and public perceptions of black women.

The screening also served as a precursor to BLU’s Soul Sister’s Leadership Academy and Conference slated for this summer and fall respectively. T-shirts bearing the slogan #BlackGirlsMatter can be purchased to support the Academy and participant scholarships.

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

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

By Dr. Paulette Brown-Hinds

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

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

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

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

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

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

(from left to right (front row): Derrick Norwood, Heru Bush, (kneeling) Anaiah Hollis; (middle row): La’Nae Norwood, Nana Kweku, Kimberly Phillips, Akyl Phillips, Kimberly Johnson-Calvin (Back row): John Griffin, Dumisani Phomello (Photo by Wallace J. Allen)

By Wallace J. Allen

SAN BERNARDINO, CA – Last Saturday, March 19, members of the United Nations of Consciousness (UNOC), a non-profit community based organization, gathered at San Bernardino’s Ann Shirrells Park and picked up about ten large garbage bags of trash. The clean up was part of the group’s, “Adopt a Community Project.” The clean up takes place once per month for two hours from March through November. During that time they pick up trash and debris, do landscaping, clear any safety hazards and meet and greet community residents and share information about their organization.

You are invited to inquire about UNOC and to join in their efforts, one of which is the  “Adopt A Community” Project.  They provide the clean up tools and supplies, including water and refreshments. Bring your gloves, a hat and some “elbow grease!” For more information about UNOC, call (909) 575-8862

By Angela M. Coggs

On Wednesday, March 9, over 100 community members and parents gathered at Life Center Church in San Bernardino for a town hall meeting to address public officials about a crisis of imprisonment that is fueled by the school-to-prison pipeline, mass incarceration, and high rates of prisoner recidivism. The meeting began with an outstanding dramatic monologue from actor and C.O.P.E.’s resident artist, Mr. Amad Jackson. His performance focused on ending the cycle of mass incarceration. The audience was encouraged by his noteworthy delivery.

The community concerns addressed in the meeting were: Challenging the use of citations that prevent students from getting a driver’s license and enlisting in the military, ensuring that San Bernardino county spends money on intervention/prevention programs and not prison, and making sure that school funding serves those most in need of academic support. The goal was to make the community voices heard with decision-makers who have the authority and power to do something about the community’s concerns.

San Bernardino County Supervisors, Josie Gonzales and San Bernardino County School Board Members, Hardy Brown Jr., San Bernardino County Schools Earl Smith, San Bernardino City Unified Director of Student Services Ray Culberson, and San Bernardino City School Board Members, Barbara Flores, and Gwendolyn Rogers, and Danny Tillman were all in attendance.

The town hall meeting, organized by Congregations Organized for Prophetic Engagement (COPE), intended to keep public officials focused on the school-to-prison pipeline and concerns that the excessive use of citations and arrests that could otherwise be handled apart from law enforcement involvement, could keep students in a never ending school-to-prison trap.  As school board members in San Bernardino City Unified School District continue to press for a new discipline policy that would, among many things, reform the district’s practices on school citations and school-based arrests, the town hall illuminated citations as a county—wide crisis.

Testimonies from two parents from the Rialto Unified School District highlighted the need for a county-wide look at discipline policies involving school citations.  Charnice Miller, shared a story about her daughter who was cited for a fight in which she defended herself after notifying the school administrator that she was being bullied.  The parent and student were never provided with an alternative to suspension and expulsion, nor adequately informed about the citation process but was mandated to pay a $400 fine. A similar story shared by another Rialto parent highlighted the pain and trauma her son experienced as a result of an incident in which he was ultimately found innocent but that landed him a ten day suspension. San Bernardino City School Board Member Barbara Flores agreed that the problem lies in “the way we (the district) communicate with our parents because right now it is unacceptable.”

Another parent shared a heart wrenching story about how her son, a SBCUSD graduate from Cajon High School, is still dealing with the effects of a school citation while away in college.  From the campus of Howard University, Brandon Watts shared a video testimony of how a citation issued in the 8th grade, may now impact his eligibility for a summer internship in the White House.  He urged public officials to take a different approach because citations can do a lot of harm. The SBCUSD motto is to “Make Hope Happen” but the constant issuance of citations to students is not giving the students hope, it is in fact discouraging the students. They are not feeling hopeful.

When questioned about what the San Bernardino City Unified School District board members intend to do to ensure that San Bernardino Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) money is earmarked for school funding , alternative discipline, as well as other intervention programs such as mental health programs so that students are adequately supported, SBCUSD Board Member Rodgers responded without hesitation. “What we are making sure is that funding is targeted to support necessary for the specific students that  are more at risk, which we all know is the majority of all of our students. The targeted funding what we have and we know that funding is on a limited bases but we have to make sure we maximize it in every way that we can.” She spoke about specific line items that are set for the specific needs and for the specific things that the community and parents have brought to the Board’s  attention.

“This is a critical time because once that money is allocated it definitely can change from year to year,” SBCUSD Board Member Tillman also added. The school district has been making positive changes on behalf of the students. “Two big things that we (the school district) did do was to ensure that all students have the ability to have access to a computer and the internet. Every student in our district can get one computer per household.” He also stated that school pays the monthly payment for the internet access. Secondly, Tillman stated that they also eliminated the wait list for the CAPS Program. “This past year the wait list went away. That cost us about three or four million dollars.”

On the other end of the pipeline, a testimony from a formerly incarcerated female, who is now drug free, working, and giving back to community, shares a story of redemption and what is possible when there are resources available.  Demita Burgess, a San Bernardino resident, urged the County to make sure that Proposition 47 meets its intended outcomes and give people a second chance to be productive citizens.  In 2014, California voters passed Proposition 47, a ballot measure to reduce some felony records to misdemeanors and uses the savings from prison spending for intervention and prevention services such as drug treatment and mental health services.  The savings may also be directed to youth intervention and prevention programs.  However, according to Governor Brown the savings from prison spending only amounts to approximately $29 million when the Legislative Analyst Office (LAO) says that the savings is closer to $100 million dollars.  Community members urged County Supervisor Josie Gonzalez and other officials to join a statewide effort urging the Governor to adopt the LAO’s calculations so that resources can be properly utilized for adult and youth intervention and prevention efforts. The collective voices have the power to dismantle the pipeline.

The break  a cycle imprisonment, community members want public officials to take action by instituting policies that undo the cycle and place youth and adults in a better position to be productive citizens.

This effort was organized by Congregations Organized for Prophetic Engagement in partnership with Inland Congregations United for Change, Youth Action Project, Inland Empire Concerned African American Churches, African American Mental Health Coalition, and members of the African American Education Collaborative.

“I was very inspired to become more involved in the community and school boards to ensure our children has the same chance and opportunities as their neighboring peers,” said Alondra Ladison, San Bernardino County Site Supervisor Preschool Services Department. She left the meeting enlighted and ready to stand up for all of our children.

With the input and feedback from the community hopefully the San Bernardino City Unified School District will depart from its current code of conduct, which is based on a zero-tolerance approach, and make a strong commitment to an approach that is grounded in teaching and learning, interventions and restorative practices.

RIALTO, CA – NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) welcomed 21 Rialto students who toured the facility for President Obama’s My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) Initiative. Students had visited the Spacecraft Assembly Facility, Space Flight Operations Facility, and the “Mars Yard” to see the twin of the Curiosity Mars Rover.
“I was so excited,” said Rialto Frisbie Middle School eighth grader and year one Summer Bridge graduate Cassandra Alvarez, “I’m looking forward to learning more about the Mars Rover.”
The initiative, launched in February 2014, addresses persistent opportunity gaps faced by boys and young men of color and their sisters in reaching their full potential. A goal of the My Brother’s Keeper initiative is to instill a passion for Computer Science, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM.)
“This is an awesome day for the youth of Rialto, we are one of only four organizations visiting JPL today, and the only group selected from San Bernardino County,” said Rialto Mayor Deborah Robertson, who went with the students to JPL.  ”It was so exciting to see the joy in the children’s faces as they learned about space and space technology.“

The City of Compton, Long Beach Neighborhood Services Bureau, and LA County Supervisor Solis’ students also attended. Each group brought youth who do not traditionally have the opportunity to visit local NASA Labs and Centers to JPL.
The Rialto Police Department’s Officer Javier Pulido and several other community-based organizations were instrumental in identifying youth from last year’s e3p3 GIP’s Summer Bridge program that showed promise and interest in STEM.
Ten of the students selected to go on the trip are distinguished graduates from year one of the Rialto’s e3p3 Gang Intervention and Prevention (GIP) program.
“The Rialto’s GIP project targets twelve-hundred Rialto Unified School District elementary and middle school students to receive classroom instruction and become Resilient, Empowered, and Directed. This field trip advances our efforts of helping youth become directed, immensely!” said Nate Van Cleve, project manager from M.H.M. & Associates.
The Rialto e3p3 GIP program receives grant funding from the Board of State of Community Corrections and is currently in its second year.   A select group of approximately 100 youth take part in a rigorous and highly interactive 12-week e3p3 Summer Bridge program, each summer.
For more information, contact City of Rialto, Office Javier Pulido, at (909) 421-4944

Patricia L Nickols-Butler, President, & CEO, CAPSBC, (center) & Members , Community Action Partnership Board of Directors, (not in the order named): Dr Margaret Hill, Joanne Gilbert, Nancy R White, John ‘Fred’ Sagoe Dr Joshua Beckley, William Anthony Ruh, Eladio ‘Eddie’ U Garcia, Deborah Robertson, Daniel Enz, Thomas Rice, Socorro Enriquez, Bob Lemley, & Tyneia Merritt.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- Almost everywhere we in the Inland Empire, whether via media outlets, social media, television, or through the windows of our cars as we go about our busy I.E. lives we see spreading signs of poverty,   social disruption and in some, a fading sense of confidence.   Who among us feels economically ‘secure’?
The Symposium identified excellent leaders and provided opportunities for their interaction, sharing, and support.   They dug deeply enough to expose not only the surface signs, but also the destructive interconnection of poverty’s ‘magnifier’, effects across modern lifestyles.   In today’s world, we depend on many and diverse kinds of knowledge, skills, and resources to advance common wellbeing. Join them !!!

  Sponsorship contract is What It Do with the LUE! Congratulations to hometown artist’s Gwaap Fam on their new sponsorship deal with Chef Music Studios.
This is a major, major move for the group as they embark on a new journey. Currently putting together their new project is clearly the group’s number one priority. Providing Quality Service, Chef Music is one of the hottest recording studios in Southern California with three locations to select from. Our company is excited about working directly with the team of Chef Music. We hope ya’ll ready for what’s COOKING in the studio with GWAAP FAM. They’re ready to make magic! Until next week L’z Up!
More on Chef Music:
Chef is an acronym for “Creativity is Heard and Emotion is Felt” with creativity and emotion being what they believe to be the ingredients for making good music. They are a multifaceted entertainment company specializing in quality vocal recordings, useful resources, and superior customer service since 2009.
Their main office is located in Burbank, California. Book your session with their recording engineer at your studio or choose from a list of Southern California locations that are sure to be creative, professional, and productive. Call them toll-free at 1-844-484-CHEF (2433)
Other Studio Locations include Victorville and North Hollywood. For more information, please visit chefmusic.com/musicservices.

Bill Norwood (left) and Tony Marshall (right)

By Cynthia Frazier

RIALTO, CA- Tony Marshall is on a mission to expose minority youth to opportunities available in the aviation industry, and there is no shortage of opportunities for the foreseeable future. According to a Boeing forecast, worldwide, there is a need for more than half a million new commercial airline pilots over the next couple of decades. In the U.S. the need is more than 95,000 new commercial pilots. Plus, airline pilots can command a salary between $100,000 and $200,000.

Looking back a few decades, the number of African American commercial pilots across all airlines was too small to count. In fact, it wasn’t until a landmark Supreme Court Case in 1963 that the color barrier was smashed and Marion Green became the first black pilot hired by a major U.S. Passenger Airline (Continental). A few years later, Marshall experienced the lack of opportunity for black pilots first hand. Although he hadn’t thought about it much at first, as a young newly hired pilot, Marshall realized that none of his fellow coworkers shared his cultural experiences as a black man.

While on one of his early flights, Marshall, along with his coworkers, walked proudly through an airport in uniform. Much to his surprise, another black pilot in uniform tapped him on the shoulder. It turned out to be Bill Norwood, the first black pilot hired by United Airlines. Mr.

Norwood welcomed Marshall to the company and congratulated him on getting hired. What happened next left a lasting impact on Marshall and continues to influence how he conducts his life today.

Mr. Norwood pulled Marshall to the side and reminded Marshall that other black pilots paved the way to open doors for young black men to get hired. Norwood continued, “Without the sacrifices and determination of men like the Tuskegee Airmen and myself, who fought to cross the color line, you would not have been lucky enough to have this opportunity. So now, it is up to you to make it your mission to help others succeed in this industry.” Mr. Norwood told Marshall that whenever he was in uniform, he should make time to talk directly to young black kids at the airport.

Tony Marshall said, “I took this advice to heart.”

Today, Marshall runs the California Shades of Blue Aeronautics Academy. With the support of Rialto Mayor Deborah Robertson, Shades of Blue completed two successful classes of middle school students in 2015. Participants in the Academy attend a five week academic course, and they get to meet aeronautics professionals like local Cessna Airplane owners. The Fall 2015 class was introduced to Jet Fighter Pilot Lt. Malone from San Diego.

One very exciting part of the course includes an orientation flight at Flabob Airport where students actually get to take control of a Cessna plane while in the air. “At first, I didn’t think I would like the class because it was early in the morning on a Saturday,” said 6th grade student Izaiah Frazier. “It turned out to be a great experience. I will never forget it.” Frazier continued.

Frazier attended the Fall 2015 session. In spite of the low diversity numbers that continue to plague the aerospace industry – only 4 percent women pilots, less than 3 percent African-American pilots, 2.5 percent Asia pilots, and 5 percent Hispanic pilots — there is good news for young minority students like Frazier. Going forward, the airline industry as a whole is preparing for tremendous growth. In addition to the large number of commercial airline pilots needed over the next 20 years, there will also be a need for over 600,000 additional commercial airline maintenance technicians, aircraft manufacturers, equipment trainers, and training delivery organizations. Marshall believes that helping students to discover these opportunities at a young age could have a big payoff somewhere down the line. He is determined that minority youth are poised to take advantage of the abundance of aviation opportunities to come.

It couldn’t come soon enough for Marshall. Today, only 4 percent of airline transport pilots are women, just under 3 percent are African-American, 2.5 percent are Asian, and 5 percent are Hispanic.

The Spring 2016 Academy opened on Saturday, February 20, 2016 in Rialto with words of wisdom from Mayor Deborah Robertson and Rialto School District Superintendent Dr. Cuauhtemoc Avila. Both shared personal stories of their life experiences, challenges, and successes. Students were advised to take full advantage of every opportunity that crossed their path.

Evan and Eric Carthen

SAN BERNARDINIO, CA- Evan Carthen, known on Cal Lutheran University campus as “Mr. President,” will be graduating with a dual major, BA in English and a BS in Political Science on May 14, 2016 along with his twin brother Eric Carthen who will be graduating with a BS degree in Criminal Justice.

Evan will be attending law school in the Fall. He has been accepted to several major universities with scholarships, including Ohio State University and Pepperdine University.  His decision will be announced soon.

The Future Alumni of California Lutheran University, who both will be graduating with honors, have a bright future ahead of them.

Breathing Words/Actions of Life that has Empowered People to Excellency!”

Wallace Allen IV

By Lou Coleman

Of all the gifts that we could every give to another person, none holds more potential than giving life itself. The idea that every interaction we have with another human being offers us that grand opportunity… to brighten another’s existence by breathing life into theirs. You may not see it or even realize it, but you have impacted many lives. Just by existing at this time and place, you’re changing what’s around you.

Words cannot describe and actions cannot do justice to the gratitude we feel when we think of all you have done. You challenge people to think about life differently. You challenge the world to think about life differently. When you read about injustices in our country and throughout the world, you show a righteous anger that is so pure and raw that it reminds us of what really should matter. Your work is essential, not only for the people you care for, but also for the society as a whole. Every effort you make, small or big, adds to people’s improved quality of life, and that is something to admire.

It is truly a great experience to be a part of your team! Thank you for the contribution that you have made in our lives! From all of us here at Westside Story Newspaper to you… Happy Birthday to our mentor and true leader… Much love!