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SAN BERNARDINO, CA—- Showcasing its commitment to the local community, Hilton Garden Inn San Bernardino announced today it will be hosting a food drive with Feeding America Riverside/San Bernardino. The food drive will take place in the lobby of the hotel property, located at 1755 S. Waterman Avenue.

“Our signature hospitality and dedication to service extends beyond our hotel and into the surrounding community, so we are very excited to join together with Feeding America Riverside/San Bernardino on such a wonderful cause,” said Shari Hurley, general manager, Hilton Garden Inn San Bernardino. “Donating food is one of the best things that you can do to help others; there are millions of people that go without food daily. Donate today and help alleviate hunger.”

Feeding America Riverside/San Bernardino is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization which began in 1980 as Survive Food Bank in response to the increasing concern about the dual problems of hunger and food waste in the Inland Empire. Today, Feeding America Riverside/San Bernardino is the primary source of food for over 470 nonprofits, distributing over 2.5 million pounds of food monthly to emergency food pantries, homeless shelters, soup kitchens, high-need elementary schools, halfway houses, senior centers, residential treatment centers, shelters for the abused, after school programs and group homes. More than 425,000 men, women, and children each month rely on the food bank’s distribution center to make ends meet.

For more information, please visit Hilton Garden Inn San Bernardino or call (909) 806-4040.

Read more about Hilton Garden Inn at www.hgi.com.

By California Black Media

Keeping up with the high cost of pensions in California is hurting public sector employers, city budgets and leading to the firing of some minority money managers at CalPERS, the California Public Employee Retirement System, which is valued at $387 billion, according to Bloomberg News. 

In its annual report, released in November, CalPERS confirmed that it risks falling into “low funding levels.” If this happens, the agency responsible for managing the health and pension benefits of more than a million public employees in California may not able to pay its bills or pay out its commitments. 

The League of California Cities, which represents more than 400 municipalities across the state, is alarmed by the growing mandatory payments they have to cough up to CalPERS for employee pensions and benefits, too, according to CalMatters. Between fiscal years 2016 and 2017, that number skyrocketed by more 8 billion. 

In an effort to streamline its own costs, CalPERS announced last week that it is scaling back on its “Emerging” equity fund program. Launched in 1991 to increase diversity among its portfolio managers, the program contracts external money mangers, mostly women and minority-owned firms managing assets worth less than $2 billion who are charged with investing on behalf of the largest public pension system in the United States. 

The returns those “emerging” managers were bringing in fell below the agency’s targets by 126 “basis points,” according to an agency spokesperson. 

The Rev. Al Sharpton, President and Founder of the National Action Network, said CalPERS’ decision to cut the minority money mangers is “unacceptable” and comes as a surprise to him. 

“Last year, the National Action Network and I met with Marci Frost and Ted Eliopoulis from CalPERS in Sacramento, both of whom committed to increasing the utilization of diverse asset managers across all asset classes by creating a level playing field,” Sharpton told California Black Media. “It is clear that Ted is gone and the board has inoculated the new CIO, Ben Meng, from finding and utilizing high performing talented diverse managers that reflect the diversity of the pensioners.

In an October memo, CalPERS CEO Marcie Frost said the agency is “restructuring” its emerging manager program, “reducing” the number of managers, and cutting the assets those investors manage from $3.6 billion to $500 million. 

REDLANDS, CA—- Members of the Redlands Community Center Youth volunteers, known as “Teens Inspiring Others,” conducted their second tobacco litter cleanup on Monday, November 25.

As part of the #freeourbackyard campaign, the volunteers, partnering with the CommonVision Coalition and the Institute for Public Strategies, collected cigarette butts and tobacco litter around Sylvan Park’s picnic area and skate park. Within 40 minutes, the youth volunteers picked up more than 2,167 cigarette butts, tobacco-related litter and marijuana paraphernalia. 

Cigarette butts are a toxic, non-biodegradable substance that is left behind to pollute the environment and is the most commonly littered item in the United States. These items are especially problematic when they are found in areas that are frequented by children and pets. They pose an additional risk if they are ingested.

When smoking occurs in public areas, like parks, it also places the public at the risk of third-hand smoke, a toxic residue that is left on surfaces long after the smoke from devices such as cigarettes and electronic cigarettes has gone. According to the California Department of Public Health, third-hand smoke contains high levels of nicotine and cancer-causing chemicals. Some of the chemicals in third-hand smoke are different from those found in fresh smoke because it changes over time and becomes more toxic.

This cleanup was made possible through the collaborative efforts of the Common Vision Coalition, Teens Inspiring Others and the Institute for Public Strategies to promote wellness in the community.

“I am excited to have my youth volunteers collaborate in a project that allows them to get out into their community, learn the importance of civic engagement, and advocate for themselves,” said Jennifer Michaels, Teens Inspiring Others Youth Volunteer Coordinator.

“It is great to see the teens in our community taking a passion in beautifying our public parks,” said Seth Henry, Community Gardens Coordinator. “They did an amazing job, and I was happy to see them working together as a team to serve their community.”

The well-known Hilton Hotels attract guests of all ethnicities and cultures due to their 4-star rating, rave reviews, amenities, and luxury ambiance. These qualities also attracted Heather M. Bassett. After carefully researching her many Hotel options in the area, Heather decided this Hotel was where her and 7-year old daughter would stay, as they visited Disneyland for her daughter’s first time. To their dismay, Heather’s decision wasn’t filled with “fond memories” as Kathrine S. (Hilton Hotel’s Corporate Guest Relations Specialist) states:

“We strive to make sure that each guest has an excellent stay with fond memories”, but rather, Heather and her daughter’s stay resulted in memories of inconveniences and great stresses; as they experienced unethical practices from the Hotel staff.

Heather explains her story: Heather’s decision to stay at the Hilton Hotel – Anaheim was influenced by a couple amenities; such as the water playground area for her daughter, a refrigerator in the room, and the most important factor, a restaurant in the Hotel which offered vegetarian food. As a vegetarian and borderline vegan, Heather completed her due diligence as traveling requires extra research on menu options and hours of food preparation for the days not eating out. On the day of travel, she carried two small ice chests filled with pre-made food, including: smoothies, non-dairy yogurt, beans, and vegetable dishes, which quickly went into the room refrigerator, upon their arrival. Heather planned their first night to dine at The Mix, and already knew the menu options they would order. After driving 9 hours, restless, and hungry, Heather and her daughter arrived at the Mix around 7 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. eagerly anticipating the food options. To their utter disbelief, the waitress expressed, the Hotel couldn’t accommodate their vegetarian requests because the “chief wasn’t there,” apologized, and said “there was nothing they could do.” Heather immediately spoke with one of the Hotel Managers, but he too just apologized and assisted them with looking at a map of the other restaurants in the area.  

The next morning Heather and her daughter awoke in total excitement, dressed, and went to the refrigerator to find there was no cooling coming from the inside, at all. The refrigerator didn’t work and all their food for the next two days, was ruined. Heather contacted Hilton customer service late that night, but all that was offered was $100 off the bill.

                                    Vegetarian Challenges

If you are not a vegetarian/border line vegan one cannot possibly imagine how these issues impacts someone’s life; especially on vacation. You see, Heather and her daughter refrain from eating sugars, processed foods, gluten, dairy, meat, and eggs so without their prepared food, their health was affected, they experienced uncomfortable symptoms, and were incredibly inconvenienced with making trips to the grocery store, but couldn’t prepare meals, or put food in the refrigerator because the Hotel didn’t offer to come fix or replace it.  

Over a year later, November 2019, Heather emailed her thorough complaint to two of Hilton Hotel customer service representatives, CEO – Christopher Nassetta and finally mailed a certified letter to Jonathan Witter – Chief Customer Officer, requesting small compensation and the Hotel policies for vegetarian options being made available to the guests. The only thing Heather received were apologies from 3 representatives and this statement from Executive Ambassador Colleen Rosales who wrote;

“In the future should you have a problem at a hotel please bring your concerns to the management team so that they can investigate it and make it right while you are the hotel.”
And customer service representative Marielle O who stated:

“Anything below our Brand Standards is immediately addressed. We regret to inform you we are only able to go back as far as 12 months to address any issues. We sincerely apologize.”

Clearly, the actions communicated from these representatives were not executed at the time of Heather’s stay, complaint instructions were not provided to Heather, and most importantly, the Hotel is now neglecting the main issue of discrimination against a vegetarian’s lifestyle.

Hilton Hotel may be one of the largest brands in the World but fails greatly in Hotel guest accommodation.

Freweini Mebrahtu has dedicated her life to keeping girls in school by designing a reusable menstrual pad and trying to end the cultural stigma around the issue — and because of her work, she has been named the 2019 CNN Hero of the Year.

“I don’t even know what to say,” Mebrahtu said when receiving the award. “I am so humbled and grateful for CNN … this is for all the girls and women everywhere. Dignity for all.”

Online voters selected Mebrahtu as the 2019 CNN Hero of the Year award from among the Top 10 CNN Heroes finalists. Mebrahtu — who is from Ethiopia and studied chemical engineering in the US — designed and patented a reusable menstrual pad in 2005.

She and her team produce 750,000 reusable pads a year at her factory in Ethiopia. Nearly 800,000 girls and women have benefited from her work. More than 80 percent of the pads she manufactures are sold to non-governmental organizations that distribute them for free.

SAN DIEGO, CA—- Covered California continued its statewide open enrollment campaign by teaming up with the Challenged Athletes Foundation in San Diego for its Holiday Boot Camp on Tuesday. The event comes as Covered California alerts consumers about a critical upcoming deadline. Consumers must sign up by December 15 if they want their coverage to start on January 1.

“We want all Californians to know that if they want coverage for all of 2020, the deadline to sign up is this Sunday,” said Covered California Executive Director Peter V. Lee said. “Now is the time to check if you qualify for the new state subsidies that are available for the first time this year, which are lowering costs for hundreds of thousands of Californians, and ring in the New Year with a quality health care plan.”

The event continues Covered California’s campaign of teaming up with well-known Californians who promote healthy lifestyles and understand the importance of access to quality care. 

Scout Bassett will share her awe-inspiring story of perseverance and courage, which saw her go from being adopted as an amputee from a chemical fire in Nanjing, China to growing up with a family in the United States, and eventually becoming a World Record-holding Paralympian in the 400 meters and American record-holder in 100-meter and 200-meter sprints.

The Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF) was established in 1997 and assists, supports, and provides opportunity to people with physical challenges — like Bassett and hundreds and others — so that they can lead active lifestyles and compete in athletic events.

“CAF believes all people deserve the right to a healthy lifestyle and wellness through sports. We are excited to host an inclusive Holiday Bootcamp with Covered California to showcase our commitment to athletes of all ages and abilities, and a shared priority for staying healthy”, says Bob Babbitt, Co-Founder of CAF.

In addition, Covered California will be joined by Betina Gozo at the Boot Camp.  Gozo began learning dance, performing and music at a very young age and used her love of fitness to become a Nike Master Trainer.  She has traveled the country working to help people become the best versions of themselves through fitness and health.

Covered California also wants to make sure that consumers know that California has restored the penalty that was part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act from 2014 through 2018, meaning consumers who do not get covered could face a fine when they file their 2020 taxes in the spring of 2021.

For those facing a penalty, a family of four would pay at least $2,000, and potentially more, for not having health insurance throughout 2020.

“Consumers need to take action now during open enrollment,” Lee said. “This is when people can sign up to get health insurance and avoid the potential of a big surprise when they file their taxes in 2021.”

Those interested in learning more about their coverage options can:

• Visit www.CoveredCA.com.
• Get free and confidential in-person assistance, in a variety of languages, from a certified enroller.
• Have a certified enroller call them and help them for free.
• Call Covered California at (800) 300-1506.

Open enrollment runs through January 31, 2020.

By Dr. Salvatore J. Giorgianni, Jr.

African-American boys and men in America continue to kill themselves at an alarming rate.

Over the past several months the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has released several reports about the demographics of this national disgrace. African-American men and boys continue to have a higher death rate in nine of the 10 leading causes of death than is seen in women.  It is most unfortunate that the overall healthcare system is inherently non-male friendly, and, in some health care situations men tell us they do not feel welcome at all.

One consequence of this shocking and disturbing reality is the male suicide rate in America.  Males are 3 to 7 times more likely than females to commit suicide, which explains why suicide is the 6^th leading cause of death for males. According to the Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health, African Americans are 20 percent more likely to experience serious mental health problems than the general population.

African American youth, particularly young men, who are exposed to violence are at a greater risk for PTSD by over 25 percent. African Americans are also more likely to be exposed to factors that increase the risk for developing a mental health condition, such as discrimination, social isolation, homelessness and exposure to violence.

In the African American community, people often misunderstand what a mental health condition is and therefore the subject is uncommon. This lack of understanding leads many to believe that a mental health condition is a personal weakness or a form of punishment and that impedes boys and men from talking about emotional issues let alone seeking medical help.

A careful reading of the CDC data shows that the current rate of suicide for males is the overwhelming majority of all suicides.  And the news gets worse. Recently, the CDC highlighted a significant increase in the number of suicides for teens and younger men. The incidence of suicide for Millennials increased almost 300% from the 1950s for the Baby Boomer generation.

Most male suicides occur in boys and men who have not been diagnosed as depressed or have a history of mental health issues. We believe, in part, this is because:a lack of cultural competence in mental health care, which results in misdiagnosis and inadequate treatment for those of color; African-American men, like men in general, access health care far less frequently then do women; there are no clear guidelines on when and how to screen men; health care providers do not properly or regularly screen them for emotional-wellness.  The importance of the screening is underscored by the fact that this is something integral to Well Woman Visits, and for post-partum female care.

Earlier this year, Men’s Health Network (MHN) convened a meeting of 27 internationally recognized experts in health care and mental health to examine the failure to identify mental stress and depression in boys and men and propose a comprehensive call-to-action that provides a blueprint for identifying and helping boys and men in trouble before it is too late.  This free report is found at www.MensHealthLibrary.com, Behavioral Aspects of Depression and Anxiety in the American Male.

While the reasons for this national tragedy are complex and still not certain one thing is certain, this is unacceptable in a society that values lives.  Report after report, death after death, the situation becomes more and more tragic. There is a tragic and perplexing lack of acknowledgement of the magnitude of male suicide.  All too many studies give top line results without underscoring the disparity in male suicide by homogenizing data.  This would not be an acceptable practice in most any other type of medical reporting.

Men’s Health Network recommends that those charged with the health and social welfare of boys and men consider the following: 1) acknowledge the heterogeneity of boys and men and the unique needs of diverse populations; 2) develop culturally appropriate male-focused screening tools; 3) develop  guidelines that recognize the need to regularly and routinely screen boys and men; 4) address the poor reimbursement for behavioral health clinical services and; 5) establish culturally and gender appropriate programs to identify, interrupt, triage, and manage mental health issues in African-American boys and men for those in the community who interact with boys and men.

In addition, we urge insurance companies and other payers to include adequately reimbursed Well-Man medical visits similar to the yearly Well Woman Visits required under the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). The ACA, as passed by Congress, does not provide for Well Man Visits.

Men’s Health Network (MHN) is the oldest non-profit organization whose mission is to reach men, boys, and their families about comprehensive wellness and health matters.  MHN believes much more can and must be done by all stakeholders in both the public and private sector to address the root causes of suicide and prevent them.  The humanitarian, emotional and financial cost to American society of continuing to treat the growing treads of male suicide as just another blended statistic in a long litany of health concerns is no longer acceptable. 

We genuinely hope that this new data from the CDC will be the catalyst to bring the topic of men’s health onto the front burner in any discussions of healthcare, whether in Congress, among presidential hopefuls, or in the media. By doing so, we’ll not only save the lives of thousands of men and boys who are dying prematurely, but also improve the lives of the women and girls who love them.

According to the Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health, African Americans are 20 percent more likely to experience serious mental health problems than the general population. African American youth who are exposed to violence are at a greater risk for PTSD by over 25 percent.¹ African Americans are also more likely to be exposed to factors that increase the risk for developing a mental health condition, such as homelessness and exposure to violence.

In the African American community, people often misunderstand what a mental health condition is and therefore the subject is uncommon. This lack of understanding leads many to believe that a mental health condition is a personal weakness or a form of punishment.

REDLANDS, CA—- Cooking guru, entrepreneur and auctioneer extraordinaire, Martha Green served as the keynote speaker at the recent Salvation Army Red Kettle Kick Off at the ESRI Café in Redlands.  The event raised $72,000 of the $100,000 goal. All funds raised will go to help the Homeless, Hungry and Hopeless.

“Please give at the Red Kettles this Christmas Season so that we can help more people in need,” said Green.  Last Christmas The Salvation Army assisted over 1000 families and delivered 5,500 toys to 1,400 children.

The Red Kettles are one of the main fundraisers for The Salvation Army and the funds raised help those in need here in the county throughout the year.

The Salvation Army has served the Inland Empire since 1887, supporting those in need without discrimination.
“Just wanted to take a quick moment to thank all who attended and donated to this years Red Kettle Kickoff”, said Major Edward “Duke” Markham, Corps Officer/Administrator, The Salvation Army San Bernardino California South Division.  “I want to thank Martha Green for joing us, she did a great job and has shared that she will continue to be of support to us and our mission here in San Bernardino County to help those in need,” Major Markham.
Donations may always be made online at www.salvationarmyusa.org or by calling 1-(800)-SAL-ARMY.  For more information please call: 909.792.6868 or 909.888.1336.
-end-

About The Salvation Army San Bernardino Corps
The Salvation Army has been in existence since 1865 and in San Bernardino County since 1887, supporting those in need without discrimination.  The Salvation Army provides emergency services including food; lodging for homeless or displaced families; clothing and furniture; assistance with rent or mortgage and transportation when funds are available.

The Salvation Army is an evangelical part of The Universal Christian Church, and also offering holistic programs for people of all ages. One of the largest charitable and international service organizations in the world,

The Salvation Army of San Bernardino serves the communities of: Redlands, Yucaipa, Calimesa, Mentone, Bloomington, Loma Linda, Colton, Grand Terrace, Highland, Rialto, Muscoy, San Bernardino and other Mountain Communities. Donations may always be made online at www.salvationarmyusa.org or by calling 1-(800)-SAL-ARMY. Our local numbers are (909) 888-1336 or (909) 792-6868.

NABJ President Heads to Doha for Al Jazeera Press Freedom Symposium

The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) President Dorothy Tucker will travel to Doha, Qatar in the coming days as part of the organization’s plans to intensify efforts to combat increasing verbal and physical attacks against journalists, including NABJ members, in the United States and abroad. 

Tucker, who was elected in August, will speak at the two-day Al Jazeera Center for Public Liberties and Human Rights’ symposium, titled “The Challenges of Press Freedom: Facing Impunity, Rule of Law and Human Rights.” 

The speech, which will be live streamed globally on December 9, will call for action and unity in the international fight for press freedom and journalists protection and share NABJ’s plan to be an active partner in the cause. Tucker plans to sign an NABJ Declaration of Partnership, meet with leaders of Al Jazeera and heads of various press freedom organizations while in Doha. 

According to a recent analysis from Reporters Without Borders’ 2019 World Press Freedom Index, the United States has been classified as a “problematic” media climate. “Of all the world’s regions, it is the Americas (North and South) that have suffered the greatest deterioration in its regional score measuring the level of press freedom,” the analysis states.
More than a year after NABJ passed a resolution condemning the U.S. Administration’s detrimental actions, statements and hostile attitude toward press freedom, NABJ is disheartened that progress has not been made. As a world leader, other countries follow the United State’s example and now more than ever we have seen a rise in not only the disrespectful and demeaning attacks that some Black journalists have experienced while covering their beats — such as the White House — but also in the rise in dangerous work environments for international journalists, sadly leading to violence, imprisonment and death.

“America must do better and governments worldwide must do better. No journalist should be attacked or harmed for simply striving to do their jobs effectively. Action must be taken because at this very moment a journalist somewhere in this world is being treated like a criminal or worse,” said NABJ President Dorothy Tucker. “The United States should be ashamed that esteemed journalists and NABJ members like April D. Ryan (American Urban Radio Networks, CNN), Joy-Ann Reid (MSNBC), Abby Phillip (CNN), and Yamiche Alcindor (PBS NewsHour) have been consistently and publicly verbally attacked by our own president for simply asking the important and tough questions that citizens deserve answers to. And, unfortunately, efforts to dilute and destroy press freedom abroad hit closer to home than one may think.”

During its National Convention in South Florida this summer, NABJ celebrated two Black journalists who have brought to light the heart-wrenching deaths of international journalists whose murders were a result of reporting on their governments. NABJ’s 2019 Journalist of the Year Karen Attiah, Washington Post Global Opinions editor, boldly used her platform and the pages of her Opinions section to sound the alarm on the disappearance and subsequent murder of her colleague Jamal Khashoggi. 
As Khashoggi’s editor, Attiah advocated for justice on his behalf after it was revealed that agents connected to the Saudi government were responsible for his murder. Khashoggi was forced to flee Saudi Arabia in 2017 and, upon Attiah’s recommendation, the Post hired him as a Global Opinions columnist. 

This summer, NABJ also honored Pap Saine, co-publisher and managing editor of The Point newspaper in The Gambia as the recipient of the 2019 Percy Qoboza Foreign Journalist of the Year Award. Saine has been arrested, criminally charged and imprisoned in the West African country for simply doing his job as a reporter. In 2009, he was sentenced to two years in prison with five other journalists for using his platform to criticize then-Gambian President Yahyah Jammeh’s comments about press freedom and the unsolved murder of his colleague and newspaper co-founder Deyda Hydara, a previous NABJ Percy Qoboza honoree. While he was eventually pardoned, he continued to endure harassment from the government.
Also, during NABJ’s Convention, media partner Al Jazeera shared the story of one of its journalists and the persecution he has endured. Mahmoud Hussein, who has been detained in Egypt for more than 1,100 days, since December 20, 2016, was allegedly accused of  “incitement against state institutions and broadcasting false news with the aim of spreading chaos.” 
According to Al Jazeera, Hussein’s incarceration is unfounded and has breached Egypt’s penal code, which sets a maximum pretrial detention period of 620 days for individuals being investigated for a felony. NABJ agrees with the International Press Institute’s call for the penal code to be upheld.

These stories are just some of the shameful incidents occurring around the world to muzzle journalists.

The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker, led by the Freedom of the Press Foundation and the Committee to Protect Journalists, in collaboration with other press freedom groups, reports that in the United States:

• 32 U.S. journalists have faced physical attacks so far in 2019
• 5 were killed in 2018
• 46 faced physical attacks in 2017
• Since 2017, 55 U.S. reporters have been attacked while covering protests

The Committee to Protect Journalists also reports that:

• 40 journalists and media workers have been killed to date in 2019 worldwide
• 64 journalists are missing worldwide so far in 2019
• 251 journalists were imprisoned in 2018

NABJ applauds these organizations for their valiant efforts to ensure that attacks on press freedom and the journalism profession do not go unnoticed and will endeavor to partner with such organizations to help advance this cause.

“As the attacks on press freedom continue to grow across the globe, we implore all governments to condemn any behavior that promotes the silencing of journalists and undue interference with their work, which in turn infringes on the public’s right to have access to information without censorship,” Tucker said.

Tucker is also extending NABJ’s support to the International Press Institute, Al Jazeera Media Network, the International News Safety Institute, and the Africa Media Initiative and their development of theInternational Declaration on the Protection of Journalists. The declaration outlines guidelines to ensure a global culture of safety for media professionals and offers important solutions to cease the harm that is being done to the journalism profession. We encourage all news companies, the United States government and other nations worldwide to consider adopting the solutions offered in the declaration.

Among its many solutions, the declaration states:

• All journalists, media professionals and associated personnel have the right to protection from all human rights violations and abuses, including through killing, torture, enforced disappearance, arbitrary arrest and detention, expulsion, intimidation, harassment, threats, etc.

• Journalists, media professionals and associated personnel whose fundamental rights and freedoms have been violated must be granted legal, medical and psychological aid in case such violations occur. Perpetrators of such violations should be brought to justice and denied immunity.

According to Tucker, NABJ will work with and support the International Press Institute, the Committee to Protect Journalists, the Fallen Journalists Memorial Foundation, and others to continue to call attention to lives that have been lost or impacted by efforts to suppress and, in many cases, kill press freedom.

TICKETS ON SALE NOW FOR THIS HISTORIC EVENT

SAN BERNARDINO, CA—- Experience a NEW renaissance inspired by Harlem’s late nights and hot jazz, at The Cotton Club 2020, Saturday, February 15. Come dressed in your 1920’s inspired attire and take a step into an unforgettable era of art, culture and music in the prestigious Renaissance Room at the National Orange Show, beginning at 5:30 p.m.

Garrett Management Group (GMG), LLC is pulling out all the stops Valentine’s Day weekend, where guests will enjoy a divine 3-course dinner, dancing and dynamite jazz performances by j.dee and the Big Time Band, with host Jammin Jay Lamont. Guaranteed to be the hippest event of 2020!

Tickets are on-sale now and can be purchased at www.gmgevents.net, www.showclix.com and for additional information by calling 1-866-514-3391. VIP Access is available for $100.00 where guests can expect to enjoy a 3-course pre-fixe dinner in the best seats in the house. VIP Access includes reserved seating, waiter service and a complimentary bottle of champagne at each table. A limited supply of VIP tickets is available and guests are encouraged to purchase their tickets early. General Admission tickets are $75.00. General Admission tickets are available for a discounted rate of $70.00 when purchased as a group of 6 or more.

The Cotton Club 2020 celebrates a great turning point in history where blacks began to control their social culture, music and artistry– what is recognized as the Harlem Renaissance. GMG is not just creating the music from this era, but they are creating the space and platform to make it happen. The infamous jazz clubs of the 1920’s were usually run by white gangsters selling bootleg liquor during Prohibition. Black people were not typically stakeholders in the clubs where they performed. However, this Cotton Club is from the black perspective, OUR point of view—reclaiming what makes us great. The event also allows a younger generation to experience the rich history of the Harlem Renaissance. GMG understands this event is different than anything else they have produced. “We’re recreating a historic moment in time, says Managing Partner, Alton Garrett. “From the fashion and costumes of the evening, it is the personal participation that will drive the excitement and energy around this event. Better believe people are going to show up and show out!”