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(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK (ENN)— ONTARIO, CA—This Saturday, October 20, from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m., join Stephanie Wiltz Events located at 215 N Laurel Avenue in Ontario. Please join them for this year’s Cancer Awareness Photoshoot. If you attended last year, you will be blown away this year.

There will be photographers, music, Horderves, raffles, a Real men wear pink booth operated by Ava Hooks. Men are welcomed to take photos and encouraged to wear pink. Dress in what makes you feel beautiful, although jeans and heels work just fine.

There is a minimum of a $25 donation at the door or online. You’ll be supporting the work of Knock Knock Angels, Community Makeover. They are raising money to further their work in the community. If you can’t attend and would like to make a tax-deductible donation, please do so by visiting https://www.eventbrite.com/e/knock-knock-angels-annual-cancer-awareness-photoshoot-fundraiser-tickets-51226605155.

Free Concert Series Visits Los Angeles to Continue Support for Ronald McDonald House Charities, Introduces New Scholarship for one HBCU Student

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK (ENN)— LOS ANGELES, CA— – McDonald’s USA announced the return of one of its staple events, the 12th annual Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour. The longest-running, brand-owned gospel tour of its kind is back with an award-winning talent line-up sure to please fans nationwide. This free concert tour began May 17 and runs until October 20, culminating in Los Angeles.

The 2018 nationwide concert series appeals to a wide range of gospel music lovers with its lineup of award-winning talent, including urban contemporary gospel artist and preacher Deitrick Haddon, choir master Ricky Dillard, contemporary artists, JJ Hairston, and Todd Dulaney, as well as hip-hop gospel artist Canton Jones. The tour is set to stop in Los Angeles on October 20th at the 13th annual Taste of Soul festival.

The concert will take place on the Brenda Marsh-Mitchell Gospel Stage, located on the corner of Crenshaw Boulevard and W Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. The concert kicks off at 10 a.m.

The tour is just one way that McDonald’s displays its commitment to changing for the better. In fact, for nearly 50 years, the National Black McDonald’s Operators Association (NBMOA) has given back to the communities they serve by providing scholarships, donating time and money to local schools and hiring minority youth.

As with previous years, the tour will celebrate McDonald’s continued devotion to Ronald McDonald House Charities® (RMHC®). At each stop, the national tour will raise a love offering to support families served by the Charity. In just the last five years, the love offering has raised nearly $800,000 to aid in helping families stay close when their children are ill, raising nearly a quarter of a million dollars in 2017 alone. Attendees will be encouraged to support the Ronald McDonald House Charities® of Southern California (RMHCSC®) during the show.

“Southern California McDonald’s operators look forward to the Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour every year, as it gives us the opportunity to connect with our community through our shared love of gospel music,” states Kiana Webb, President of the Southern California Black McDonald’s Operators Association (BMOA). “We’re excited to celebrate another year of uplifting music, food and fun with our Southern California family.”

As a new part of the tour, McDonald’s will award one HBCU college student with a $10,000 Thurgood Marshall College Fund Scholarship at a select tour stop during the Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour. This is one of five scholarships McDonald’s is sponsoring throughout the year. More information regarding the scholarships will be available on www.mcdonalds.com.

“It’s a privilege to be apart of the tour I’ve watched and admired over the years. McDonald’s is doing something incredible by giving back to the community through a dynamic gospel tour. Getting behind this was a must,” said JJ Hairston, an award-winning, first-time artist on McDonald’s Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour.

Legendary singer, songwriter, and producer, Donald Lawrence will return as the tour’s music director. Tour favorite, contemporary gospel artist and radio personality Lonnie Hunter resumes hosting duties.

As always, all concerts are free of charge. Tour dates and locations have included the below, with the final stop set for Los Angeles:

• May 17 – Chicago, Jones Convocation Center
• May 18 – Detroit, Greater Grace Temple
• May 31 – Philadelphia, Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church East
• June 1 – Washington, DC, City of Praise Family Ministries
• June 8 – Raleigh, Wake Chapel Church
• July 12 – Birmingham, Bill Harris Arena
• July 13 – Atlanta, Word of Faith Family Worship Cathedral
• August 9 – Memphis, Brown Baptist Church
• August 10 – Jackson, Jackson Convention Complex
• August 18 – New Orleans, TBD
• August 31 – Dallas, The Potter’s House
• October 20 – Los Angeles, Taste of Soul Family Festival

McDonald’s Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour is an extension of the brand’s 365Black platform, an initiative that celebrates the pride, heritage, and achievements of African-Americans year-round. Dr. Pepper® also returns as the tour’s sponsor, showing its appreciation and commitment to the African-American community.

Visit www.365Black.com to learn more about the 12th annual tour and McDonald’s scholarship opportunities. Follow @365Black on Twitter for tour updates and join the conversation using #365BlackGospel.

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK (ENN)— RIVERSIDE, CA— October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Domestic violence is considered an epidemic that affects people from all walks of life. The NAACP-Riverside Chapter will be presenting, “Nowhere to Run” on Friday, October 12 to Sunday, October 14 at The Box Theater in Riverside.

Everyday sex trafficking victims, many of whom are simultaneously victims of domestic violence, appear in courtrooms throughout the United States. Rarely are they identified as victims of domestic violence and even less frequently are they recognized by judges and court personnel as the victims of sex or labor trafficking that they are.

The play “Nowhere to Run” gives you a look into the life of those suffering from mental and physical abuse. The play conception came about when some of the NAACP youth and college students became concern about the issue of sex trafficking. The production leaves you with an essential understanding that sexual exploitation can happen to anyone and that we must all work together to break the cycle of bullying, sex trafficking, and domestic violence.

PayPal is available on the NAACP website at www.naacp-riverside.org/news-and-events.

By Naomi K. Bonman

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK (ENN)— In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I wanted to recognize a true ‘shero’ of mine who is an extended family member, or as we now use the term ‘framily’. Niya Santos was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2016, at the young age of 24 and right before her 25th birthday.

Some may say, “Wow, so young!” According to American Cancer Society, women should start routine checks for breast cancer by the age of 40. Instead, they should start as early as possible because breast cancer sees no age. Despite being so young and a mother to three awesome, handsome and intelligent sons, Niya never gave up.

Finding her purpose.

Upon being diagnosed, Niya explained how she had found her purpose, which was to inspire the community. Her purpose grew even more after she was diagnosed with again with a harsher form of breast cancer.

On April 26, 2018, she was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer; it had also spread to her lungs. However, that still didn’t stop the fight. She fought harder and continued to live her best life and to continue fulfilling her God given purpose.

Niya lived out the purpose of telling others about God’s grace. She inspired many to get to know Him for themselves and to grow even closer to Him. She prayed for a countless number of people—no matter how she was feeling at the time, she would say a prayer for others. As we we’re praying and fighting the fight alongside her, she was praying for others as well.  She was living the testament of an unselfish life.

Niya gained her wings on July 16, 2018 at the age of 26. So, in honor of Niya the others that we have lost to the disease, as well as the breast cancer survivors, ladies let’s get our mammograms and educate others about breast cancer awareness. #NiyaStrong

EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK (ENN)— SAN BERNARDINO, CA— More than 700 individuals of all ages, enjoyed the entertainment and down home fun presented by Akoma Unity Center at the 1^st Annual Sunday Jazz in the Park on Sunday, September 30^.  hosted by Akoma Unity Center.

Sponsors for the event included: American Health Coalition, C.O.P.E, Del Valejo Middle School, Empire Management, Image Source USA, Plan B Printing, Westside Story Newspaper, and Sacred Sistahs.. Jazz in the Park unified and reignited a sense of community to over five generations on the West side of San Bernardino. Families enjoyed an evening full of joy, laughter, and love of good music. While continuing the legacy of Dr. Anne Shirrells

“The goal of this event was to deliver a sophisticated, family oriented community event that brought over five generations out to enjoy,” Jennifer Xicara, Operations Manager at Akoma Unity Center stated.

Akoma Unity Center has delivered! This event transformed Anne Shirrells Park into an oasis of premier music, election awareness, food, and fun, creating an ambiance like no other in the Inland Empire.

“Akoma Unity Center did a great job!”Jim Tickemyer, Director, Parks, Recreation and Community Services stated. “Seeing the community come together to just kick back and enjoy themselves was a great way to start the week. Please extend my gratitude to all of Akoma. Thank you for your vision and commitment to seeing it through to fruition.”

The stellar line up included genres for every jazz lover featuring: Inland Empire’s native, Amore the Songstress, who gave vibes of the amazing Anita Baker and Jill Scott intertwined in one; Johnny Meza and Company, whom had his original song Dirty Martini hit number 23 on the Billboard Smooth Jazz charts; and the closing performances by Gee Mack, a legendary guitar player and The Hottest Cats featuring Asia Raye. When musical groups were not on stage, DJ Wen provided old school music that inspired everyone to get up out their seats and dance.

Akoma Unity Center is a 501 C(3) Non-Profit organization committed to providing children with high quality, no-cost afterschool structured recreation, and development programs in a safe and supervised environment.

If you would like to learn more information about Akoma Unity Center, please visit our website at http://akomaunitycenter.org or call (909) 217-7956.

Publisher’s Commentary By Wallace J. Allen IV

My brother/uncle/nephew/son, be careful! The chickens are coming home to roost!  We have sometimes/often/always miss-treated the women in our lives! Notice that I did not say, “our” women! I did not use the term “our” because that is the road to miss-treatment!  The women in our lives do not belong to us… They are not our property!

However, there is an attitude that prevails among some men, a secret society of “We Who Stand 2P” that regards “Those Who Sit 2P” as a slave-gender! The membership of that secret society ranges from the very rich and powerful to the poor and weak.

Their mistreatment of women is the common thread. Many men have paid mistreatment dues to the society and now, thanks to social media, the books have been hacked and all of the receipts reflecting payment to the club are becoming public knowledge.

The time/era that overtly embraced sexism has passed but the memory/damages of that treatment is in our world-face.  The last ditch stand to legitimize the society is being led by President Donald P-Grabbing Trump!

My brother/uncle/nephew/son, you are being solicited every day to maintain your membership in WWS2P!   President P-Grabber wants you to believe that sexism is alive and well… Don’t! Our war is not the boys against the girls… It is/should-be about good vs evil!

Inequality & Outsourcing Spur Continued Unrest at University of California

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK (ENN)— LOS ANGELES, CA— Stalled labor negotiations between the University of California and its largest employee union, AFSCME Local 3299, reached a boiling point at Wednesday’s UC Board of Regents meeting when union leaders publicly announced that their members will be voting on whether to go on strike for a second time this year.

The forthcoming vote follows a 3-day walkout by 53,000 UC workers last May over the University’s outsourcing practices, which research shows is driving growing income, gender, and racial inequality within California’s 3rd largest employer.

“UC’s employment data shows that women are getting paid far less to start than men and that Black workers are vanishing,” said AFSCME Local 3299 President Kathryn Lybarger. “It’s because the University has stopped investing in career ladders and outsourced good middle-class jobs to low-wage contract companies that pay workers dirt.”

At issue for UC workers is the University’s practice of outsourcing career positions to independent contracting companies that pay workers less. In fact, data shows that the staffing ratio at UC San Francisco has been as high as 1 contractor to every 6 directly employed workers. UC workers say that the practice has the effect of taking jobs that once paid living wages with full benefits and turning them into low-wage contractor positions with few benefits and a higher risk of abuse. In the past, UC contract companies have been found to arbitrarily slash worker pay and pay full-time workers under multiple names in order to skirt overtime rules.

Research also shows that AFSCME Local 3299 represents the most diverse workforce segments at UC—resembling the demographic makeup of California as a whole more than any other workforce segment at the University. As such, workers argue that outsourcing has the effect of destroying career pathways for people of color and trapping them into low-wage positions. UC Davis Medical Center has even gone so far as to deny outsourced contract workers career Patient Care Technical Unit positions when they apply, despite the fact that the “temporary” terms of their contracts have been extended multiple years, in some cases.

“Outsourcing is pioneering a future of more inequality,” said Rosalyn Williams, an MRI Technologist at UCLA’s Ronald Reagan Medical Center who spoke during public comment on Wednesday. “We will not allow UC to normalize a reality where darker skin means lower pay.”

UC’s Patient Care Technical Unit will be voting on October 9th and 10th to authorize a strike while its Service Unit workers will be voting on whether to join a strike in solidarity.

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK (ENN)— FONTANA, CA— About 1,500 middle and high school students, including about 850 from San Bernardino County, will take part in the annual Manufacturing Day Expo at the Industrial Technical Learning Center (InTech) in Fontana on Friday, October 5.

Students will have the opportunity to meet with local manufacturers and participate in hands-on activities in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields. There also will be tours of the InTech facilities.

Participating school districts from San Bernardino County include Chaffey Joint Union High School District, Chino Valley Unified, Colton Joint Unified, Fontana Unified, Victor Valley Union High and Yucaipa-Calimesa Joint Unified.

The event is organized and sponsored by Chaffey College’s Economic Development Department, San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools’ Alliance for Education and the California Community College Chancellor’s Doing What Matters Campaign.

For more information about the event, visit www.mfgday.com.

Publisher’s Commentary By Wallace J. Allen IV

Judge Kavanaugh’s schoolmates have declared that while in high school he was drunk enough to puke his guts several times with witnesses… Judge Kavanaugh says he does not remember being drunk as stated. He has additionally stated that he did not attempt to forcefully disrobe Dr. Ford at a party while they were both drunk.  The judge has indicated that he was never drunk while in high school. However, Judge Kavanaugh and his classmates have exposed their affection for wild drinking parties in their yearbook, casual and income generating writings and in recent conversations… Enough has been said about their drunken conduct to suggest that someone is lying… Either the judge when he says he did not get drunk at all, or his classmates when they say that he did. If all of the classmates are lying, we need to know!  If the judge is lying, is he qualified to sit on the highest court in the land?…

What if the judge is lying? At this point that seems to be a serious possibility!  I think that the drunken acts of high school students should not be held against them for life… However, lying about  things that seriously affect and effect other people is extremely serious, especially if the lying one is being considered for a lifetime job that depends on that person’s honesty as well as their passion for the law and their compassion for the good of our country!  

There needs to be an independent investigation of each of the charges of sexual abuse regarding Judge Kavanaugh. The endorsement of Judge Kavanaugh by President Donald P-Grabbing Trump adds to my concern!

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK (ENN)— SAN BERNARDINO, CA— On Saturday, September 22 at MLK Middle School in San Bernardino approximately 1,000 city residents attended SB Pastors United Block Party. Prior to the ‘block party’, nearly 100 people marched in unity to encourage and bless the community.

The Community Block Party was filled with guest speakers, meet and greets with law enforcement and public officials, food and clothing giveaways performances and plenty of family activities.

(Photo Credit: Bill Sandefur)