The Importance of Black-owned Coffee Shops and Creative Lounges in Inglewood

By Anuoluwapo Bamiro, Contributing Writer

Welcome back to What’s Up with Anuolu. I want to shed a light on black-owned coffee shops and creative lounges in the city of Inglewood. The two that I have found so far are Hilltop and Sip & Sonder.

As a kid, Downtown Inglewood was the place to grab some jewelry, clothing, and other accessories, if we didn’t want to go all the way to the Slauson Swap-meet nor the mall. They also had a beauty supply so that we could grab things from them while shopping and get something good to eat. It was always a hidden hood gem to me where I could do a plethora of things while still being down the street from my home.

Hilltop’s vibe is communal, they have a whole coffee bar, food, and pastries. The vibe is a little loud, everyone is either working on something, having dope conversations and or working in groups. The vibe of the place and how brightly lit it elevates my personal energy and allows me to feel comfortable, confident, and ready to conquer my to-do list. My favorite thing to get at Hilltop is a hot matcha latte with a couple of sticks of honey inside as well as their breakfast sandwich with turkey sausage instead of bacon. Hilltop is open from 8:00 am-3:00 pm.

I discovered Hilltop through an acquaintance when they wanted us to have a meeting about working together. As soon as I walked in, I realized that the location of Hilltop when I was a teenager was a Louisiana’s Chicken/ Chinese food spot. When we would be getting off the bus and wanting to grab

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Dear Inglewood Unified School District (IUSD) Staff, Students, Families and Community,

In our continued commitment to serving our community and providing current information, we have some important updates in this week’s message.

IUSD All-Star Employee Recognition

We are thrilled to name Natalia Castillo - Custodian - District Office as our AllStar Employee for the February 27, 2023 - March 13, 2023 time period. Congratulations, Natalia, and thank you for your hard work, dedication, and vital contributions to IUSD!

Every 2 weeks a classified employee from the District Office will be named as the All-Star Employee, offering them the privilege of parking in the first parking spot of the District Office labeled: “IUSD All-Star Employee”.

IUSD Trustee Area 3 Coffee Chat at Worthington TK-6

We are launching a new series of IUSD Trustee Area Coffee Chats that we will hold throughout our school communities in the coming weeks. Each trustee area coffee chat will be hosted by their Trustee Area Board Member and the District’s County Administrator. On Tuesday February 28, 2023, we will host our first two IUSD Trustee Area 3 Coffee Chats at Worthington TK-6 Elementary. The coffee chat will be held in the Auditorium at 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.

The Trustee Area 3 Coffee Chat will offer a space where students, staff, families and community members can have thoughtful and heartfelt conversations with Board President Brandon Myers and County Administrator Dr. James Morris. We look forward to having you join us at our Coffee Chat at Worthington TK-6 Elementary, as we work together in the best interest of our students.A Celebration of Black History Month at the City of Inglewood’s 40th Annual King Fest

History Month Career Panel event. At the event, the LADF featured Dodgers employees who shared their experience working in sports and how their pathway interests began in high school. Students also had the opportunity to network with employees, allowing them a space to learn more in depth about the various career pathway opportunities that are available in the sports entertainment industry.

IUSD Collaborates with PlayEquity in Celebration of Black History Month

Immunization Update

Willie Brown PUBLISHER

Kenneth Miller

VICE PRESIDENT

Gloria Kennedy PRODUCTION

Kenneth Denson QUALITY

This past weekend, the District joined the City of Inglewood in their celebration of Black History Month. The District hosted its annual Martin Luther King, Jr. (MLK) Art Expression Exhibition and Literacy Village. This remarkable event was filled with live entertainment, children’s literacy village, fun-filled family activities, student art exhibition themed: Why must the dream go on and where do we go from here?, a student MLK speech contest, and student awards. The District is extremely thankful for our remarkable partners who played an important role and contributed to the success of our event: the Inglewood Educational Foundation, California Department of Education, Brotherhood Crusade, and the City of Inglewood. A special thank you to our Board Vice President, Dr. Carliss McGhee for her visionary leadership, passion, and commitment, to offering our school communities a space where our student’s talents are showcased and literacy is supported and encouraged. The event was attended by members of our Board of Education, District Administrators, staff, students and families.

In celebration of Black History Month, the Play Equity Fund is highlighting the contributions of coaches that are making a positive impact in the community. Our Athletic Project Coordinator, Coach Omar Bray was profiled in the series, along with other coaches in the Los Angeles region. The Play Equity Fund is focused on bringing the transformational power of sport and play to all children and has partnered with our District on numerous projects. Coach Bray has been instrumental in ensuring new resources, programs and opportunities are leveraged to our students. Thank you Coach Bray for your steadfast commitment to the District. To view Coach Bray’s Social Media profile video, click here.

Black History Month

Over the past several weeks, notification letters have been sent to families whose children’s immunization records are not up-to-date. It is very important that families provide their child’s school with up-to-date immunization records, in order for their child to remain in school. Students who have been enrolled 30 days prior to February 1, 2023 and currently do not have up-to-date immunization records will not be able to attend school. Students will be marked absent, as required by the California Department of Education. In addition, we understand that there may be some exemptions to the requirement of student immunization records, as determined by the California Department of Education. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact IUSD Student Support Services at (310) 680-5170.

District Committee Meeting Updates

310-670-9600

Parents from the Child Development Center enjoyed an inspirational celebration of Black History Month with the Dream Big Assembly for parents with students singing and sharing their future career goals. The celebration began with a rendition of Lift Every Voice and Sing, also known as the Black National Anthem, and included other performances such as the I am Special song, an oration of Martin Luther King Jr.’s, I have a Dream speech, and ended with students sharing their future career aspirations. We will have a great representation of careers in the future from our CDC students including doctors, nurses, firemen, police officers, race car drivers, ballerinas, and even a paleontologist! Thank you Dr. Clifton for organizing this great event and supporting students’ future goals.IUSD High School Students Attend the Black History Month Career Panel at Dodger Stadium

On Thursday, February 23, 2023, our high school students from City Honors International Preparatory School, Inglewood High School, and Morningside High School had the opportunity to attend the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation’s (LADF) Black

Our District is proud to join the nation in celebrating National Black History Month. A month dedicated to honoring and celebrating the valuable contributions that African Americans have made in our country and our communities. In an effort to recognize the significant contributions of African American, we have kicked off a series by introducing African American owned businesses throughout the City of Inglewood. This week we are spotlighting Body Butter Lady.Body Butter Lady is an original line of shea butter products with all natural extracts from fruits and flowers. Founded in 2003, Senegalese Entrepreneur, Marianne Ndiaye’s, organic soap and shea butter from Ghana and Mali, has been a huge success among Los Angeles County residents. Some of her products have been featured in events such as Pan African Film Festival, UCLA Jazz Festival and more! The Body Butter Lady offers a wide range of products, including body scrubs, candles, bath oils, lip care and beauty kits.

What’s Happening in Our District and Schools?

Board of Education Meeting

At our Board of Education meeting, held on Wednesday, February 22, 2023, Educational Services recognized students, staff, families, and members from the City Honors International Preparatory School and Hudnall TK-6 school communities for their stellar achievements and contributions. We want to thank all of those recognized for their commitment to our mission and positive impact to our District.Important

In an effort to keep our community informed, our Citizen’s Bond Oversight Committee will take place on Thursday, March 16, 2023 at the District Office Board Room. The meeting is open to the public to attend, listen, and provide public comments. Please click here for information regarding our committee meeting agenda and supporting documents that will be posted 72 hours prior to the meeting. Furthermore, our LCAP Educational Partner Committee will take place via Zoom on Tuesday, March 7, 2023 from 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. To access the Zoom meeting link, click here.

Facilities-At-A-Glance February Newsletter

Our District would like to share some highlights and updates on the District’s current and completed school modernization and improvement projects. The modernization and improvement projects have been funded through the use of Measure GG and Measure I bonds funding proceeds, alongside private donations. To learn more about how the funding proceeds have impacted our schools, please click here.

Community Events and Resources

How to Pay For College Community Presentation

The Inglewood Public Library has partnered with the Growth Ready Organization and the Next Generation Champions, and will be hosting a community presentation on How to Pay for College. This event will take place on Saturday, February 25, 2023 at the Inglewood Public Library from 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. To learn more about the community presentation, click here.

Thank you staff, parents, students, and community members for your ongoing support and commitment to the success of our district.

Together, #WeAreInglewoodUnified

Sincerely,

James Morris, Ed.D. County Administrator