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Volunteers help foster youth create senior portraits

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— Makeup artists, hair stylists and photographers flocked to Jensen Alvarado Ranch and Museum in Riverside earlier this month. They were among roughly 40 volunteers who helped create senior portraits for foster children preparing to graduate high school in May.  

“It’s amazing,” said 18-year-old Melissa Sauceda, a senior at Rancho Verde High School. “All of us don’t have the support and money to do it ourselves. We don’t have our parents so just to have volunteers to do it for free is just a great feeling.” The event, known as ‘High School Senior Portrait Day,” started five years ago with a dozen students. This year 60 kids signed up. DPSS Children’s Services Regional Manager Michelle Wohl said returning caretakers who bring students from all over Riverside County helped the event grow.

“This year DPSS signed a contract with Riverside County Regional Parks. With help from park rangers and Jensen Alvarado Ranch and Museum, foster youth teamed up with volunteers to spend the entire day preparing for senior pictures.

“It really gives us the opportunity to talk with the community about the awesome things that happen in child welfare,” Wohl said.

The foster youth ranged from age 17 to 20 and came from several school districts and communities across Riverside County, including Moreno Valley, Indio, Perris and Beaumont.



Famous Rodeo Drive in Baldwin Hills/Crenshaw Community Renamed Obama Boulevard

By Naomi K. Bonman

This has been an active year for the African-American community, as far as street dedications are concerned. From Nipsey Hussle Square to ‘Ruby Dee Place’ and ‘Ossie Davis Way’, and now Obama Boulevard, this is a positive vibe that appears to be gaining momentum as Los Angeles named a 3.5-mile stretch of road after former President Barack Obama.

After a successful fundraising campaign by Black Lives Matter Youth Vanguard co-founder, Thandiwe Abdullah, Obama Boulevard finally became reality on Saturday, May 4 during a block party festival in the Baldwin Hills/Crenshaw neighborhood. During the festival the renaming of Rodeo Road to Obama Boulevard took place.

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PCA Football player steps up at HBCU Combine

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— SAN BERNARDINO, CA— PAL Charter Academy is a small High school located in San Bernadino, California. PCA had a standout player in last weekends HBCU Combine. Donavon Becker received a second-day invite, at the 2nd Annual HBCU event held at Lynnwood High School in Los Angeles.

He was one of the hundreds of football players who came out to compete in a rigorous two-day Combine. All players that met the first-day evaluation received a callback to compete in the second day of the Combine.

Donovan Becker is a 6’6, 220 lb junior player at PCA High school that caught the eyes of HBCU’s and Junior College recruiters, and received a second-day invite.

Coaches came from all over to evaluate players from all over California to showcase their talent and to compete for a football scholarship. It was a robust combine that gave local players a huge opportunity to compete for a scholarship.  PCA’s Head Coach Julian Patrick said. Donovan held his own against Juco and High school players, and that earned him a second-day invite.

The HBCU combine has been an excellent platform for players to receive a football scholarship, quality education and the opportunity to experience college life outside of California.

‘The CROWN Act’ To End Hair Discrimination In The Workplace And Schools Passes Senate Vote In California

SB 188 Introduced by Senator Holly J. Mitchell Sponsored by National Urban League, Dove, Color of Change and Western Center on Law & Poverty

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— SACRAMENTO, CA— The CROWN Coalition, a national alliance comprised of the National Urban League, Western Center on Law & Poverty, Color Of Change, and Dove, is proud to announce the bill they are sponsoring, Senate Bill 188 (The CROWN Act), passed the Senate floor today in California. 

Introduced by Senator Holly J. Mitchell, SB 188 aims to “Create a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural Hair” (the CROWN Act) by clarifying that traits historically associated with race, such as hair texture and hairstyle, be protected from discrimination in the work place and in our K-12 public and charter schools.

“Many Black employees, including your staff, members, will tell you if given the chance that the struggle to maintain what society has deemed a ‘professional image’ while protecting the health and integrity of their hair remains a defining and paradoxical struggle in their work experience, not usually shared by their non-Black peers,” said Senator Mitchell shortly before the Senate vote.  “Members, it is 2019. Any law that sanctions a job description that immediately excludes me from a position, not because of my capabilities or experience but because of my hair, is long overdue for reform.”

The C.R.O.W.N. (Creating a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural hair) Act will ensure protection against discrimination in the workplace and schools based on hairstyles by prohibiting employers and schools from enforcing purportedly “race neutral” grooming policies that disproportionately impact persons of color.   Additionally, while anti-discrimination laws presently protect the choice to wear an Afro, Afros are not the only natural presentation of Black hair. SB 188 will ensure protection against discrimination based on hairstyles by extending statutory protection to hair texture and protective styles in the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) and the California Education Code.

“Dove has been committed to championing real beauty for women and girls for decades, and believes the individuality of all of our hair should be celebrated,” said Esi Eggleston Bracey, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of North America Beauty and Personal Care at Unilever.  “As a proud member of the CROWN Coalition, we’re overjoyed to see that the California Senate passed SB 188, and look forward to continuing to drive equity and fairness for all women and men, particularly around hair inclusivity.”

The CROWN Act corrects an inconsistency in existing anti-discrimination laws by amending the California Government and Education Codes to protect against discrimination based on traits historically associated with race such as hair texture and protective hairstyles.  The Coalition, in support of The CROWN Act, aims to put an end to the significant injustices of hair discrimination that has spanned decades across the United States.

The CROWN Coalition
The CROWN Coalition is a national alliance comprised of the National Urban League, Western Center on Law & Poverty, Color Of Change, and Dove as sponsors of Senate Bill 188 ‘The Crown Act’.  The CROWN Coalition members believe diversity and inclusion are key drivers of success across all industries and sectors.

For more information on SB 188 ‘The CROWN Act’ click here to see the legislation.


CSU Dominguez Hills to Bestow Honorary Doctorate Degree on Olympic Gold Medalist Carmelita Jeter during 2019 Commencement Ceremony

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— CARSON, CA— California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) and the California State University Board of Trustees will bestow an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree on 2012 Olympic gold medalist and CSUDH alumna Carmelita Jeter on May 17, at 6:30 p.m., during CSUDH’s 2019 Commencement Ceremony.

Jeter, who earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education from CSUDH in 2006, will be recognized for her athletic achievements and continued contributions to the sport of track and field, her dedication to her community, and her success as a speaker and businesswoman. She will receive the honorary degree and give the keynote address at the College of Health, Human Services and Nursing ceremony – one of six commencement ceremonies taking place May 17 and 18 in the Dignity Health Sports Park Tennis Stadium, located on the CSUDH campus.

Born and raised in Southern California, Jeter started her athletic career at Torrance’s Bishop Montgomery High School as a member of the basketball team. In order to stay fit during the off-season, she tried out for the track and field team. From the moment she stepped onto the track, her incredible sprinting talent was impossible to ignore.

After graduating from Bishop Montgomery, Jeter enrolled at CSUDH where she became the most decorated female athlete in university history. She set five CSUDH records that still stand and won six All-America awards.

During the 2012 Olympics, Jeter anchored the U.S. Olympic 4x100m relay team to take home gold. She became one of the few U.S. athletes to medal in both the 100m and 200m race at an Olympic Games, earning both the silver in the 100m and bronze in the 200m. 

Prior to her Olympic victories, Jeter earned the title “Fastest Woman Alive” for her personal time of 10.64 seconds in the 100-meter dash at the Shanghai Golden Grand Prix in 2009. She continued to live up to that title when she won the 100m race at the IAAF Diamond League in 2010, both the 100m and 200m races in 2011, and by winning the 100m finals at the USA Outdoor Championships and the IAAF World Championship in Athletics. U.S.A Track and Field presented Jeter with the 2011 Jesse Owens Athlete of the Year Award.

In addition to her success on the track, Jeter is deeply involved in community and philanthropic efforts, particularly those focused on health and fitness. She has organized community track clinics for youth and served as an ambassador for the Healthy Compton initiative, a citywide program designed to promote healthy lifestyle choices.

When her aunt was diagnosed with breast cancer, Jeter used her platform as a record-setting athlete to raise awareness, collaborating with Nike on hot pink spikes that she wore in competition. In 2015, she was named the official ambassador for Susan G. Komen’s California Circle of Promise Initiative, designed to promote breast cancer awareness among African American women.

Jeter will be one of six CSUDH alumni to serve as this year’s commencement keynote speakers, bringing words of inspiration to approximately 3,600 baccalaureate and master candidates and 36,000 friends and family.

CSUDH 2019 Commencement Speakers:

Rosemary Diaz (B.S., Physics, 2000), optics engineer for Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Friday, May 17, at 9 a.m., for the College of Natural and Behavioral Sciences.

Chiraz Zouaoui Kelly (B.S., Business Administration, 2005), president/CEO of Staffactory.
Friday, May 17, 1:30 p.m., for the College of Business Administration and Public Policy.

Carmelita Jeter (B.A., Physical Education, 2006), Olympic gold medalist and assistant coach for Track and Field at Missouri State University.

Friday, May 17 at, 6:30 p.m., for the College of Health, Human Services and Nursing.

Joseph Herrera (B.A., Labor Studies, 1999), vice president of corporate human relations for Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG).

Saturday, May 18, 9 a.m., for the College of Arts and Humanities; the College of Natural and Behavioral Sciences; and the College of Health, Human Services and Nursing.

Jan Vogel (M.A., Education, 1974), executive director/CEO of the South Bay Workforce Investment Board.

Saturday, May 18 at 1:30 p.m., for the College of Business Administration and Public Policy; the College of Natural and Behavioral Sciences; and the College of Education.

Ted Ross, CIO for the City of Los Angeles and General Manager of the Information Technology Agency.

Saturday, May 18, 6:30 p.m., for the Graduate Ceremony, which includes graduates from all CSUDH colleges.

The Dignity Health Sports Park is located at 18400 Avalon Blvd. in Carson. Media parking is available at in parking lot 10. To RSVP, please call Paul Browning at (310) 243-2740.

The commencement ceremonies will be broadcast live at http://dhtv.csudh.edu.  For more information, visit www.csudh.edu/commencement.

2019 Empowering Young Women’s Conference Inspires Girls to Feel Worthy, Powerful, Beautiful and Loved

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— RIVERSIDE, CA— In the height of the #MeToo movement, young ladies need to feel empowered and they need safe havens where they can connect with other young women in dealing with their daily struggles. The Empowering Young Women’s Conference gives girls ages 12-21 that space and will be held on Saturday, April 27 at Landis Auditorium at Riverside Community College, 4800 Magnolia Avenue in Riverside.

The one-day conference will be held from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The day will consist of workshops on topics such as: achieving your dreams, bullying, human trafficking, career education, suicide prevention, self-esteem, domestic violence, personal health and much more.

A couple of the featured speakers at this year’s conference include Leticia Juarez from ABC7 and Dr. Leita Harris from Nurturing You Women’s Health & Wellness. The conference is FREE and open to the public and is presented by The Adrian Dell and Carmen Roberts Foundation.

To RSVP, please visit www.eventbrite.com/e/empowering-young-women-conference-2019-tickets-56161929844.

TFCF’s, “Oh, the Places She’ll Go!” Gala a Remarkable Success!

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK–ENN)— ONTARIO, CA— Time for Change Foundation (TFCF) held their 17th Annual Awards Gala, “Oh, the Places She’ll Go!” on April 12, 2019 at the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario, CA.  What a beautiful sight it was to see the community come together in honor of local heroes, and to recognize the homeless women and children that have triumphed over trials!  

For 17 years TFCF has created a true pathway for these women and children to reach self-sufficiency. The event welcomed back alumni from over 15 years that have held onto the skills learned while at TFCF, some achieving Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees, other watching their children graduate from college.  “Oh, the Places She’ll Go!” highlighted the new heights these women have been able to achieve. Events like our gala enable us to highlight the successful journey of these resilient women and the obstacles they have overcome. 

Founder, Kim Carter stated, “We believe in the women! We believe in their ability to come back from devastation and no matter what, a second chance is deserving!”

In light of the amazing accomplishment throughout their 17-year history, TFCF celebrated and more importantly acknowledged the many local heroes who make daily contributions to our society. This year’s honorees included: Carlos & Audrey Martinez – Dynamic Duo Award, BLU Educational Foundation – RISE Award Restoring Inclusivity in Systemic Education Award, Johnson Family Child Care – Child Care of the Year Award, Linda Lindsey – Lady of Justice Award, Mayor Deborah Robertson – Public Service Champion, James & Rowena Ramos – Lifetime Legacy Award, Beatriz Solis – Melinda Gates Inspiration Award, Tim Evans – Ramos Family Spirit Of Compassion Award, and Dr. Roger Hadley – Community Health Champion Award.

Since its humble beginnings in 2002, Time for Change Foundation has demonstrated a remarkable determination towards ending homelessness for women and their children. 

Time for Change Foundation’s 17th Year Anniversary Gala took place on Friday April 12, 2019 at the Doubletree Hotel by Hilton in Ontario, CA. It was an awe-inspiring, and truly wonderful night for all. To find out more about future events, please visit www.TimeForChangeFoundation.org or contact Vanessa Perez at (909) 886-2994 or by email at vperez@timeforchangefoundation.org.

We accept all forms of donations. To see how you can help make a difference visit us on the web at www.TimeForChangeFoundation.org.

The mission of Time for Change Foundation is to empower disenfranchised, low income individuals and families by building leadership through evidence-based programs and housing to create self-sufficiency and thriving communities.

Celebrating the Life of ‘Nipsey Hussle’: A True Community Activist, Icon and Game Changer

By Naomi K. Bonman

LOS ANGELES – The community celebrated the life of a true change agent. The life celebration of Ermias Joseph Asghedom, better known to the world as Nipsey Hussle, was held on Thursday, April 11 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The center holds 21,000 and it was packed out with every seat filled.

The three-hour long service was a pure reflection of all that Nipsey represented during his 33 years on Earth –from the unity and array of the floral arrangements, to the words that each family member and close friend spoke, to the performances. The service began with a prolific photo of Nipsey Hussle on display with his song, “Victory Lap” playing as family, friends, the Nation of Isalm and the community gathered in the stadium. “Victory Lap” was indeed the perfect song that defined Ermias’ life.

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Here’s Why Eritrea has Taken U.S. Rapper’s Death Hard

By Aanu Adeoye, CNN

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK)— VIA CNN— Rapper Nipsey Hussle’s death in a shooting near his clothing store was greeted with shock and disbelief by celebrities and fans alike.

The 33-year-old musician, real name Ermias Davidson Asghedom, was shot dead in an attack on Sunday that also left two others injured.The city of Los Angeles where he grew up and dedicated his life to helping kids break out of the cycle of gang violence mourned his passing.

But somewhere, thousands of miles away in east Africa, Nipsey’s death was felt even more keenly by the people of Eritrea.

His father, Nipsey once said, fled a war in Eritrea to settle in the US.

Hussle visited Eritrea twice in his lifetime: first as an 18-year-old when he spent three months and most recently in April 2018.

With his brother Samiel and their dad, Hussle met the Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki and sat down with the Ministry of Information’s website for a wide-ranging interview about his life and experiences growing up in Los Angeles in a culture of gang violence.

Then he spoke of his love for Eritrea and his desire to connect with his extended family after fourteen years since his last visit.

“I am here to visit my family and reconnect with my grandmother, my cousins and everybody else,” Hussle said during the interview.

“I love to be here. The people, the food, the culture, and the lifestyle are extremely good.

“During his trip back to his father’s country, Hussle also visited a local textile factory in the capital Asmara to explore business opportunities.

Eritrea’s Minister of Information Yemane Meskel led the tributes to Hussle after news of his death broke.

“Extremely saddened to hear the news of the tragic and untimely death of iconic recording artist/entrepreneur Ermias Asgedom (Nipsey Hussle),” Meskel tweeted.

“RIP & condolences to his family.”

Billion Temesghen, the Eritrean journalist who interviewed him last year, wrote on Twitter: “Eritreans worldwide feel sorrow for the loss of a talented star, a loving family man & a compassionate compatriot. Condolences to us all.”

Hussle’s debut studio album, Victory Lap, was nominated for best rap album at this year’s Grammy Awards.

Mayor Deborah Robertson presented the Public Service Champion Award

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN) RIALTO, CA— Time for Change Foundation’s (TFCF) 17th Annual Awards Gala will honor community champions who go above and beyond to help care for our community and contribute to both the health, and happiness of its members.

Deborah Robertson was elected Mayor of Rialto in November 2012 – the latest achievement in a distinguished public service career that has included 12 years on  the Rialto City Council, leadership positions at the Southern California Association of Governments, the San Bernardino Associated Governments, and more than 20 years with the California Department of Transportation.

Under Mayor Robertson’s leadership, Rialto has gained regional and national recognition for innovation in the areas of public-private partnerships, business development and job creation. A leading voice on regional and national infrastructure issues, Mayor Robertson chairs the Public Health Subcommittee for SCAG’s 2016 Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy, is a member of the U.S. Conference of Mayors Water Council and Metro Economies, and member of Mayors Against Illegal Guns.

In addition, Mayor Robertson is a founding board member for the NFL/AFL Youth Life Skills Camp, has hosted the annual State of Women event in Rialto for the past seven years, and was recognized by Assembly Member Cheryl Brown as 47th District Woman of the Year.

“Mayor Robertson is a jewel in the Inland Empire, as a woman in leadership she is empowering other women to continue leading our communities, we are happy to honor her this year with the Public Service Champion Award” said Vanessa Perez, Director of Time for Change Foundation.

Other Award Honorees include:

Carlos and Audrey Martinez with the Dynamic Duo Award, BLU Educational Foundation with the Rise (Restoring Inclusivity in Systemic Education) Award, Johnson Family Child Care with the Childcare of the Year Award, Linda Lindsey with the Lady of Justice Award, Mayor Deborah Robertson with the Public Service Champion Award, James and Rowena Ramos with the Lifetime Legacy Award, Beatriz Solis with the Melinda Gates Inspiration Award, and Dr. Roger Hadley with the Community Health Champion Award.

Time for Change Foundation’s 17th Year Anniversary Gala will take place on Friday, April 12, 2019 at the Doubletree Hotel by Hilton in Ontario, CA from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm. To support TFCF’s efforts to help homeless women and children become self-sufficient, thriving members of society you can become a sponsor, purchase an ad in the event program book or purchase a Gala ticket. 

To purchase tickets for the event or to become a sponsor and increase your business’ visibility in the community, please visit our website www.TimeForChangeFoundation.org or contact Vanessa Perez at (909) 886-2994 or by email at vperez@timeforchangefoundation.org.

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