W E E K E N D E R
Vol. XXX, No. 1318
www.lawattstimes.com
Thursday, January 10, 2013
L.A. Watts Times
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Thursday, January 10, 2013
HOROSCOPES
Jan. 10 - 16
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RIES ~ An unexpected piece of excellent advice comes from an old friend. Heed well what is said. Follow your intuition concerning matters at work. Your gut feelings are wiser than your brain this week. Trust you feelings more than your thoughts. Soul Affirmation: I let my instincts light my way this week. AURUS ~ This is a good time for personal inventory. Dust off old ideas. They will shine brighter than any new ideas this week. You are primed for success in an agreement about a money matter. Soul Affirmation: I find many things about myself that I really love. EMINI ~ Socially your positive vibes can take you a long way this week. Your intuition serves you well in business. A new move is favored. Open yourself up to financial flow. It’s coming. Soul Affirmation: I open myself up to the wealth of the universe. ANCER ~ Your home can be your best profit center this week. Expand your concept of what profit is. Boost your attention to your lover’s personal needs. Invest time in being considerate. Put other people first this week. Soul Affirmation: By rewarding others I reward myself. EO ~ Begin working to improve the quality of life in your community. Don’t hang back. Do it. Joy comes from what you give this week. This week your charm will open doors that were previously closed. Soul Affirmation: I look for the good in all that comes to me this week. IRGO ~ Be open and honest in your dealings with a co-worker. Deception will double back on you, if you try it. This is a bad week for being sly. Your true intentions show on your face. Be thorough don’t cut corners. Soul Affirmation: I let my words reveal the not-so-hidden truth about my being.
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IBRA ~ The boss is depending on you at work this week. The reward is buried in the gifts you give to whoever crosses your path. Don’t look for payment for the good you do. Time will send it surging out at you. Soul Affirmation: I give thanks for the chance to give. CORPIO ~ You’ve always had the ability to take the slow and easy route to getting things done. This week is an excellent week for practicing that method to the maximum. Friends are not going to help you with the problem you face, but go slow and easy and you can handle it alone. Soul Affirmation: Slow and easy is the best way for me to travel this week. AGITTARIUS ~ Use your tried and true formula for a successful week. Remember the things that worked for you in the past. Now is not the time to try anything new. Forget about a minor irritation that comes from someone you love. Soul Affirmation: I find comfort in the familiar. APRICORN ~ Give yourself a chance to grow, and not by eating more. Eating good is alright but for true growth expand your horizons. Look at life a little bit differently. Take a walk on the other side of the question. Soul Affirmation: I look to distant horizons to find truth this week. QUARIUS ~ Just start talking. What you need to say next will come to you. You’ve got some explaining to do and silence will get you nowhere. Love can be yours at this time but you’re going to have to use your gift for gab to get it. Soul Affirmation: Charm is my middle name this week. ISCES ~ This is just the kind of time you like so enjoy it. Family members are not busy. You can get into their heads and see what’s going on. Open up your own head and let someone in. You are at your best, socially, so have some fun. A Romantic bond becomes stronger. Soul Affirmation: I love charming, positive head games.
Inside This Edition
Entitlement programs may still be on the chopping block despite New Year’s Day “deal”
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L.A. Watts Times WEEKENDER Published Weekly – Updates 3800 S. Crenshaw Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90008 Administration – Sales – Graphics – Editorial 323.299.3800 - office 323.291.6804 - fax
THANDISIZWE CHIMURENGA LAWT CONTRIBUTING WRITER
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WWW.LAWATTSTIMES.COM
EMAIL: wattsweekender@yahoo.com Circulation ..................................................................................30,000 The opinions expressed by contributing writers are not necessarily those of the L.A. Watts Times. The L.A. Watts Times is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs, CDs or tapes. CIRCULATION AUDITED BY CIRCULATION VERIFICATION COUNCIL
The dreaded “fiscal cliff” of government spending cuts and tax raises that was to take effect on January 1 has been averted for now, thanks to an agreement by the White House and Congress reached last week. Congress and the Obama administration have only temporarily averted the “cliff” by about two months when they will return to the issue of sequestration – the automatic, across-theboard federal spending cuts. For now, the agreement that was reached calls for ending a payroll tax “holiday” that reduced the tax by two percent; establishing permanent tax relief for lowincome and middle-class families and extending federal unemployment benefits. Tax cuts will end for individuals with incomes of $400,000 or more ($450,000 for couples).
Although Social Security and Medicare were left pretty much intact, the entitlement programs may very well be on the table when Congress takes up the issue again. These two key programs were the topic of much analysis – and some hand wringing – at last November’s annual meeting of the Gerontological Society of America. The 65th Annual Meeting, held in San Diego, brought close to 4,000 people together – the country’s largest interdisciplinary conference on aging – to network, present and discuss new academic and medical research, and policy issues directly See SOCIAL SECURITY/ MEDICARE, page 11
114-year-old woman, oldest living U.S. citizen, dies ASSOCIATED PRESS
Beverly Cook – Publisher, Managing Editor 1976 – 1993 Charles Cook – Publisher 1976 – 1998 Melanie Polk – Publisher 1998 – 2010 Danny J. Bakewell, Sr. ............Executive Publisher & Executive Editor Brenda Marsh Mitchell ..................................Executive Vice President Tracey Mitchell ......................................................................Controller Brandon I. Brooks ..................................................Co-Managing Editor Yussuf J. Simmonds ..............................................Co-Managing Editor Jennifer Bihm................................................................Assistant Editor Bernard Lloyd ....................................................Director of Advertising Benjamin Samuels ....................................................Graphic Designer Kim McGill ............................................................Production Designer
Social Security and Medicare still not safe
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BlackFacts.com
January 13, 1979 A commemorative stamp of Martin Luther King, Jr. is issued by the U.S. Postal Service as part of its Black Heritage USA commemorative series. The stamp of the slain civil rights leader is the second in the series. January 15, 1929 Activist and civil rights leader, Martin Luther King Jr was born.
A 114-year-old South Carolina woman who was the oldest living U.S. citizen has died, two of her daughters said Jan. 5. Mamie Rearden of Edgefield, who held the title as the country’s oldest person for about two weeks, died January 2 at a hospital in Augusta, Georgia, said Sara Rearden of Burtonsville, Maryland, and Janie Ruth Mamie Rearden was born in Osborne of Edgefield. They said their mother 1898. She earned the title after broke her hip after a fall about three weeks ago. 115-year-old woman died last The Gerontology Research Group, which month. Rearden broke her hip verifies age information for Guinness World three weeks ago. Records, listed Mamie Rearden as the oldest living American after last month’s passing of 115-year-old Dina Manfredini of Iowa. Rearden’s Sept. 7, 1898, birth was recorded in the 1900 U.S. Census, the group’s Robert Young said. Rearden was more than a year younger than the world’s oldest person, 115year-old Jiroemon Kimura of Japan. “My mom was not president of the bank or anything, but she was very instrumental in raising a family and being a community person,” said Sara Rearden, her youngest child. “Everybody can’t go be president of a bank or president of a college, but we feel just as proud of her in her role as housewife and particularly as mother and homemaker.” Mamie Rearden, who was married to her husband Oacy for 59 years until his death in 1979, raised 11 children, 10 of whom survived, Sara Rearden said. She lived in the family homestead with a son and a daughter on land that had been in the family since her father’s accumulation of acreage made him one of the area’s largest black landowners. Her father sent her off to earn a teaching certificate at Bettis Academy on the far side of the county, and she would spend an entire day on a loaded wagon to reach the school along dirt roads, her daughter said. She taught for several years until becoming pregnant with her third child. In the mid-1960s at age 65, when some settled into retirement, she learned to drive a car for the first time and started volunteering for an Edgefield County program that had her driving to the end of remote rural roads to find children whose parents were keeping them home from school, Sara Rearden said. Mamie Rearden always counseled that her children should treat others as they wanted to be treated and that included never gossiping or speaking ill of others. When asked about a preacher’s uninspiring sermon, her daughter recalled her mother saying: “‘Well, it came from the Bible.’ She never would bad-mouth them.”
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Sentinel & Watts Times Kingdom Day Parade selects Danny J. Bakewell Sr. as Grand Marshall Editor returns home Civil Rights from hospital Advocate and Media STAFF REPORT Yussuf J. Simmonds, managing editor of the Los Angeles Sentinel and co-managing editor of the L.A. Watts Times Weekender newspaper, returned home from the hospital after suffering a stroke while in Washington DC. Simmonds is recuperating well although he will need a lengthy rehabilitation and will be on an extended medical leave. People who want to support Simmond’s convalescence can send contributions to the Los Angeles Sentinel, 3800 Crenshaw Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90008. Checks and money orders should be sent in the name of Yussuf J. Simmonds (Joseph Simmonds), in care of Los Angeles Sentinel/L.A. Watts Times. Please address to Yussuf Simmonds and mark correspondence personal and confidential. Danny J. Bakewell, Sr., execuPhoto by Sabir Majeed for LAWT tive publisher of the Sentinel and Yussuf J. Simmonds Watts Times said, “I had lunch with Yussuf this past week and am pleased to report that he is doing well and is very happy to be home with his wife, Tina, and his children. Yussuf was comforted to hear about the numerous calls from our readers asking about him, wishing him well and praying for his complete recovery. His Sentinel family also wishes him a full recovery.�
Mogul to lead parade on Jan. 21st BY KENNETH MILLER LAWT CONTRIBUTING WRITER Los Angeles Sentinel and L.A. Watts Times Publisher Danny Bakewell will join a long and prestigious list when he serves as the Grand Marshal l of the 28th annual Kingdom Day Parade on Saturday Jan. 21 in Los Angeles. “This was the last wish of our founder Larry Grant and Mr. Bakewell was an overwhelming choice of our board of directors because of his services as a civil rights advocate during his many years as chairman of the Brotherhood Crusade and as publisher of the Sentinel and L.A. Watts Times newspapers,� said Adrian Dove chairman of the Kingdom Day Parade and California Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) which is presenting the event. “He has continued promote equality and demand justice for the underserved.� Grant, founded the event 32 years ago after receiving permission from the late Coretta Scott King, subsequently
Photo by Brandon I. Brooks for LAWT
Danny J. Bakewell, Sr. and Adrian Dove moving it from San Diego to Los Angeles in 1978. The parade commemorates the Martin Luther King national holiday. Grant died on Aug. 12, 2012. The list of previous Grand Marshalls is long and distinguished with such individuals as California Attorney General Kamala Harris, sports icon Magic Johnson, boxing great Muhammad Ali, Rep. Maxine Waters, Rep. Karen Bass, Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley
Thomas, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Stevie Wonder, The Jackson Five, Academy Award winning actor Lou Gossett Jr., singer Chaka Kahn, actress Debbie Allen and Gov. Jerry Brown during his first term. Bakewell has a long and storied history, as a powerful advocate for the civil rights movement, was instrumental in transforming the Brotherhood Crusade from a fledging non-profit into See GRAND MARSHALL, page 4
Sentinel appoints Brandon I. Brooks as Acting Managing Editor EMPOWERMENT CONGRESS SUMMIT
EMPOWERMENT:THE REAL ELECTION CONNECTION SATURDAY, JANUARY 19, 2013 University of Southern California ~ Bovard Auditorium National Observance of Martin Luther King, Jr.Weekend REGISTRATION: 8:00AM ¡ PROGRAM: 9:00AM - 1:00PM
$GYRFDWLQJ IRU &KDQJH ‡ 2UJDQL]LQJ IRU (PSRZHUPHQW Brandon I. Brooks STAFF REPORT Bakewell Media is proud to announce Brandon I. Brooks, as the newly appointed Acting Managing Editor for the Los Angeles Sentinel Newspaper. Brooks has worked with the Sentinel and Bakewell Media in several different capacities over a 7-year span. He is most known for his work with the L.A. Watts Times Weekender Newspaper, where he still serves as CoManaging Editor. The Bakewell Family purchased the Watts Times in August of 2010. In just two years with the Watts Times, Brooks led the organization to being
Photo by Troy Tieuel for LAWT
voted the “number-one Black Tabloid Newspaper in America,� by the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), two consecutive years, 2011 and 2012. The recent appointment came with the unfortunate news that Sentinel Managing Editor, Yussuf J. Simmonds will be out indefinitely, after suffering a stroke while traveling from Washington D.C. in mid-December (2012). “It is unfortunate that this appointment comes under these circumstances�, said Brooks. “Yussuf and I are a team and always will be a team. I consider Yussuf my Yoda (referring to the character from Star Wars) because See BROOKS, page 4
Plenary Session City of Los Angeles 0D\RUDO &DQGLGDWHV )RUXP ‡ &RXQFLOPHPEHU (ULF *DUFHWWL ‡ &LW\ &RQWUROOHU :HQG\ *UHXHO ‡ .HYLQ -DPHV (VTXLUH ‡ &RXQFLOPHPEHU -DQ 3HUU\ ‡ (PDQXHO $ 3OHLWH] ћљіћђ Ń’Ń”Ń–Ń ŃĄŃ&#x;ŃŽŃĄŃ–ŃœŃ› Ń–Ń ŃœŃ¤ Ń?ђћӔ www.EmpowermentCongress.org
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Thursday, January 10, 2013
Victor James McClinton Sunrise: July 30, 1963 – Sunset: December 25, 2012 BY DANNY J. BAKEWELL, JR. LAWT CONTRIBUTING WRITER
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Victor James McClinton
Photo Courtesy of the McClinton Family
was a shining example of how people should live a life of service to others. Sheriff Lee Baca, spoke at the service and gave him great accolades for his longstanding work in the Sheriff’s Department as an exemplary employee and, most important, for his lifetime of community service to the thousands of children he coached throughout the years. Walt Butler, a local Pasadena businessman who had been friends with McClinton for many years said “He was more than just a friend; he was like a son to me. He was the most honorable man that I had ever met and I will miss him always.” McClinton who was born in Las Vegas, NV and raised by his maternal grandmother grew up in Pasadena and later moved to Watts. He attended the prestigious all boys Catholic School Verbum Dei where he played soccer and ran track. After graduation he moved to Pasadena and attended Pasadena Community College. While in Pasadena, he began working and coaching at the Foothill Family YMCA. McClinton quickly rose up the ranks at the YMCA to become the sports director of the YMCA’s youth sports pro-
business card bulletin board
Victor James McClinton (49) was a man who dedicated his entire life to helping kids in his community; a man who impacted the lives of more than 20,000 children in the Pasadena area over the past 20 years; a man who gave countless hours volunteering his time, resources and effort to making life for young people better no matter what their circumstances were; a man who was a devoted husband for over 25 years; and a man who’s greatest joy in life was spending time with his two sons, Kristian and Kameron, as he watched them blossom into the men they have become. McClinton shared a love and dedication to family and shared an extremely close relationship with his sister, Velma McClinton, who he considered one of his best friends and closest confidants. McClinton was killed on Christmas morning by a stray bullet from a drive by shooting, which occurred about 300 feet from his home. Over 1000 people packed Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in Pasadena on Saturday, January 5 to pay tribute to this great man. The hundreds of people who attended the service came out, not only to grieve the death of McClinton, but to celebrate the life of the man who had touched so many. Those in attendance shared stories of how he had impacted their lives and the lives of their children and how he gave selflessly and how he
Calif. high court won’t let Scouts conceal files
gram. At the same time, he went to work for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department as a service technician where he remained until his untimely death on Christmas morning. When the YMCA decided to terminate their youth sports program, McClinton leaped at the opportunity to launch his own youth sports program. With a grant he secured from the Los Angeles Brotherhood Crusade, McClinton launched the Brotherhood Crusade Youth Sports League which he operated for the past 18 years. The Brotherhood Crusade Sports League became an institution in the Pasadena Community as well as surrounding areas. What made the Brotherhood Crusade Sports League so unique was its ability to attract children from every walk of life and was representative of the socio economic diversity, which surround the Pasadena area. “Victor was able to build a league which mixed a diverse group of kids and allowed them all to meet and play on equal footing. My kids probably would have never had such a diverse array of friends if it were not for him and the Brotherhood” stated See McCLINTON, page 11
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The Boy Scouts of America must release two decades of files detailing sexual abuse allegations after the California Supreme Court refused the organization’s bid to keep the records confidential. A Santa Barbara County court ruled last year that the files must be turned over to attorneys representing a former Scout who claims a leader molested him in 2007, when he was 13. That leader later was convicted of felony child endangerment. Last week, the state Supreme Court rejected an appeal from the Boy Scouts to halt the files’ release. The former Scout’s lawsuit claims the files, which date to 1991 and involve allegations from across the nation, will expose a “culture of hidden sexual abuse” that the Scouts had concealed. The Boys Scouts of America has denied the allegations and argued that the files should remain confidential to protect the privacy of child victims and of people who were wrongly accused. “The BSA will comply fully with the order, but maintains that the files are not relevant to this suit” and won’t be made public unless used as evidence in the case, spokesman Deron Smith told the Los Angeles Times. It’s not clear how soon the files will become public. The documents are
covered by a judge’s protective order and can’t be revealed until they become part of the open court record in the former Scout’s lawsuit. “Our hands are tied, and we are forbidden to publicize the files,” Timothy Hale, an attorney for the former Scout, said in an email to The Associated Press on Tuesday. A pretrial conference is scheduled next week in Santa Barbara. Hale said lawyers for the two sides likely will discuss how long the Boy Scouts need to turn over the files and then how much review time he and his colleagues will need before the case can go to trial. Hale surmised it could be fall or later before that happens. He urged the Scouts to turn over the files to law enforcement and publicly identify people accused of abuse. The Boy Scouts kept internal files on alleged sexual abuse for nearly a century. Through other court cases, the Scouts were forced to reveal files dating from 1960 to 1991. They detailed numerous cases where abuse claims were made and Boy Scout officials never alerted authorities and sometimes actively sought to protect the accused. The organization has improved youth protection policies in recent years. It has conducted criminal background checks on volunteers since 2008 and in 2010 mandated any suspected abuse be reported to police.
GRAND MARSHALL Continued from page 3 an institution of empowerment for the community of Los Angeles and a benchmark for the nation. Since purchasing the Sentinel more than a decade ago, he has sustained the legacy of the 80-year old weekly publication, salvaged the L.A. Watts Times and has infused the social consciences and awareness in both newspapers that he has steadfastly believed in. “Both of these newspapers that Mr. Bakewell owns have a function of doing good and are social communities centers wrapped in one,” explained Dove. “When we reach out to these individuals to ask of them to serve as Grand Marshall, many times we don’t know what their response will be. I will tell
that there has never been a more pleasant experience than this one,” he added. The theme of this year’s event is; “Self Liberation in the Present, Remembering the Past and Moving into the Future.” An estimated half million spectators will attend the 3 mile, two hour parade that will also pay a fitting tribute to its late founder and torch carrier Grant. “I am honored to be associated with a parade that is in the heart of the Black community and that is reflective of the deeds of arguably the greatest American who ever lived in Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.,” stated Bakewell. For more information go to kingdomdayparade.org.
BROOKS Continued from page 3 he is a mentor and more than a friend, he is family.” Brooks shared that he hopes to have Simmonds back before the year is out. Due to the severity of the stroke, he is more concerned with his mentor’s health. “I just want Yussuf to heal and come back,” said Brooks. “I appreciate the opportunity and position granted by Executive Publisher Danny J. Bakewell, Sr. but I have to admit, my primary concern is my friend’s health. I pray for Yussuf and his family and that he recuperates and returns better than he left us. Yussuf is a strong mind and a brilliant man. I am confident he will win the fight and come back to us stronger and much wiser than before…”
“As we approach our 80th Anniversary this April, I am absolutely confident with the appointment of Brandon I. Brooks,” said Bakewell. “Brandon has demonstrated time-andtime again, that he is the right person for the job. He knows what it takes to get the job done and I am simply amazed at how he connects the dots across the board. I have seen him grow immensely in 7 years and I am excited to know he can continue to grow within our organization. His leadership qualities are precisely what our company needs moving forward and toward the future. Yussuf has mentored Brandon well. I have no doubt that Brandon will step up to the plate and lead the Sentinel to new heights in 2013.”
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Biden pledges urgent City Hall exhibit highlights Kinsey Collection Obama action on gun control BY LAWT NEWS SERVICE
AP Photo/Susan Walsh
Vice President Joe Biden, with Attorney General Eric Holder at left, speaks during a meeting with victims’ groups and gun safety organizations in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House complex in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2013. Biden is holding a series of meetings this week as part of the effort he is leading to develop policy proposals in response to the Newtown, Conn., school shooting. BY ERICA WERNER ASSOCIATED PRESS Vice President Joe Biden vowed urgent action against gun violence in America Wednesday, pledging steps by the Obama administration that he said could “take thousands of people out of harm’s way” and improve the safety of millions more. But a day ahead of a meeting with the National Rifle Association, which has sunk past gun control efforts and is opposing any new ones, Biden signaled that the administration is mindful of political realities that could imperil sweeping gun control legislation, and is willing to settle for something less. He said the administration is considering its own executive action as well as measures by Congress, but he didn't offer specifics. “I want to make it clear that we are not going to get caught up in the notion that unless we can do everything, we’re going to do nothing,” Biden told an array of gun control advocates, crime victims and others at the White House. “It’s critically important we act.” Shortly after last month’s slaughter of schoolchildren at Newtown, Conn., President Barack Obama tasked Biden with heading a commission to come up with recommendations on gun policy by the end of this month. Obama supports steps including reinstating a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines and closing loopholes that allow many gun buyers to avoid background checks. The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence says that some 40 percent of gun sales are made without background checks, such as at gun shows and over the Internet. The tragedy in Newtown, in which 20 young children and six adults were gunned down by a man with a militarystyle semiautomatic rifle, has prodded
the administration to act. Obama had remained largely silent on gun control after the 2011 shootings in Tucson, Ariz., that killed six people and wounded 12 others including thenRep. Gabrielle Giffords, and the Colorado movie theater killing of a dozen people and wounding of many more last July. Connecticut is moving cautiously on gun control, but Gov. Andrew Cuomo in neighboring New York proposed a wide-ranging package of restrictions on Wednesday. He called for loopholes to be closed in a New York ban on assault weapons and ammunition magazines that carry more than 10 bullets. The Democrat also wants to require holders of handgun licenses to undergo follow-ups to make sure they are still qualified to possess a weapon, and he is calling for increased sentences for certain gun crimes. Biden, referring to the Newtown shootings, said at the White House: “Every once in a while, there’s something that awakens the conscience of the country, and that tragic event did it in a way like nothing I’ve seen in my career.” “The president and I are determined to take action. ... We can affect the wellbeing of millions of Americans and take thousands of people out of harm’s way if we act responsibly.” Biden said that the administration is weighing executive action in addition to recommending legislation by Congress. Recommendations to the Biden group include making gun-trafficking a felony, getting the Justice Department to prosecute people caught lying on gun background-check forms and ordering federal agencies to send data to the National Gun Background Check Database. Some of those pieces could happen by executive action, but congressional say-so would be needed for See GUN CONTROL, page 10
Council President Herb Wesson has announced that the City Council’s annual exhibit commemorating African American Heritage Month will be “From Where We Come – The Art and Politics of Slavery,” featuring the extraordinary Bernard and Shirley Kinsey Collection, and also highlighting the 150th Anniversary of the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. The Kinsey’s will be contributing approximately 60 items from their award-winning collection of authentic and rare art, artifacts, documents and manuscripts spanning 400 years of African American history. The collection has been on national tour since 2007, and has been seen by over 3 million people. “Bernard and Shirley Kinsey have made a major contribution to the cultural heritage of the United States,” said Wesson. “The city of Los Angeles is indeed privileged and grateful to be able to exhibit elements from their amazing collection.” Signed during the Civil War by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation is one of the nation’s most revered documents. It declared “that all persons held as slaves” within the rebellious states
Los Angeles City Council President Herb Wesson “are, and henceforward shall be free.” This historic document captured the hearts of millions of Americans and transformed the character of the war. The exhibit, “From Where We
Come – The Art and Politics of Slavery,” will be displayed on the City Hall Over-Bridge Gallery beginning February 1, through the end of the month.
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By Kenneth Miller LAWT Contributing Writer The final curtain has closed on the college football season with Alabama blasting its way to a second consecutive BCS National Championship, but there were three African American coaches to make history during the final week of the season. It all began on New Years Day in the Rose Bowl when 40-year old Stanford coach David Shaw led the Cardinals to their first Rose Bowl since 1973 piloting his team to a 20-14 victory over Wisconsin. Shaw, a San Diego native and the son of long time NFL assistant Willie Shaw, is a two-time Pac 12 Coach of the Year and is 23-4 in two season as head coach at Stanford. He coached his team to an upset victory over high-powered Oregon to prevent the Ducks from playing for a potential BCS National Championship. Shaw out coached Oregon’s Chip Kelly who has been wooed for head coaching jobs in the NFL. None of the NFL team inquired about Shaw whose offense is more suited to the pro game and who was most instrumental in the success of Indianapolis Colts star rookie quarterback Andrew Luck. It was Shaw who was Luck’s offensive coordinator for three years and head coach for his Heisman Trophy runner-up senior campaign. Not only was his Rose Bowl victory a first for a Black, but also coupled with Louisville’s Charlie Strong who led his team to a win in the Sugar Bowl, it marked the first time that two Black coaches had won BCS Bowl Games. Strong, 52 has served as defensive coordinator with six college teams including Florida and Notre Dame and was the first Black coordinator in the SEC at South Carolina. As a heavy under-dog to No. 3 ranked Florida, Strong’s Cardinals ran away from the Gators 33-23 in the Sugar Bowl in a game that was not as close as the final score reflected. In three seasons at Louisville his teams have won two Bowl games and his impressive record of 28-15 has raised eyebrows around the coaching landscape, but it was Syracuse Doug Marrone with a 25-25 mediocre record
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at Syracuse who was selected as NFL head coach with the Buffalo Bills, not Strong. Marrone is white and his only head coaching experience has been at Syracuse. The historical Black coaching trifecta was completed when 48-year old Kevin Sumlin led Texas A&M to a blowout win in the Cotton Bowl over Oklahoma 41-13. Sumlin led the Aggies to an 11-2 record in his first season on the job. A one-time Texas A&M offensive coordinator, Sumlin got his first head-coaching job at the University of Houston where his high-powered offensives led to 35 wins against just 17 defeats in four seasons. In his first year at Texas A&M he coached freshman quarterback Johnny Manziel to the Heisman Trophy, defeated coaching power Bob Stoops of Oklahoma and was the only coach to win a game against BCS National Champion coach Nick Saban. One would think that after Eddie Robinson labored for 57 years at Grambling to become the all time winning college football coach with 408 victories and a .707 winning percentage that Black coaches would get a fair shot. Nothing could be further from the truth. It’s a sport where more than 50 percent of the athletes are Black, but not even one percent of the head coaches are Black. Former Kent State coach Darrell Hazell became the fourth head coach in the long history of the Big 10 when he was selected to guide the Purdue Boilermakers for the next six years. Hazel was 11-2 in 2012 at Kent State. Curtis Johnson Jr. is head coach at Tulsa, Garrick McGee at UAB and DeWayne Walker New Mexico State, but with the national success of Shaw, Strong and Sumlin the status quo of hiring Black coaches must go out the door.
L.A. Watts Times WEEKENDER
Louisville head coach Charlie Strong celebrates following a 3323 win over Florida in the Sugar Bowl NCAA college football game Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2013, in New Orleans.
SUGAR BOWL
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Thursday, January 10, 2013
Stanford head coach David Shaw celebrates during the Rose Bowl NCAA college football game against Wisconsin, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2013, in Pasadena, Calif. Stanford defeated Wisconsin 20-14.
Texas A&M head coach Kevin Sumlin celebrates in front of the trophy following their 41-13 win against Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl NCAA college football game Friday, Jan. 4, 2013, in Arlington, Texas.
ROSE BOWL
COTTON BOWL
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Wilmington Ten Pardons: Black Press at its Best “I wish to congratulate Mary Alice Thatch, publisher of the Wilmington Journal who led the way and propelled the effort to enlist myself and my colleague Dorothy Leavell, publisher of the Chicago Crusader, to get the Black Press behind her efforts to get a pardon for the Wilmington Ten. None of this would have come to fruition if it had not been for the effort of Ms. Thatch who was the driving force behind the rallying call for the governor’s historic pardon of the Wilmington Ten. All of the 200 publishers should be proud and take ownership of being part of this historic accomplishment. Once again this underscores the power of the NNPA/Black Press of America. Thank you to my brother Ben Chavis and members of the Wilmington 10, for his courage and leadership for standing steadfast through the storm to find justice and honor for Black people” – Danny J. Bakewell, Sr. BY GEORGE E. CURRY NNPA COLUMNIST When then-National Newspaper Publishers Association Chairman Danny Bakewell, Sr. asked me to emcee the Black Press Week luncheon at the National Press Club in 2011, I had no idea that I would be witnessing history. At the urging of Wilmington Journal Publisher Mary Alice Thatch, the NNPA decided to launch a national campaign to win pardons for the Wilmington 10, a group of activists who were falsely convicted and sentenced to a combined total of 282 years.
George E. Curry But the past affects the future, which is why I brought him back to my original question. This time, he gave a direct, emotional answer. “I was warned not to go into the shower,” he said, his voice barely audible. “I couldn’t take a bath for eight months.” And the reason Chavis was reluctant to take a bath was because of death threats. No one should have to live like that, especially after the criminal justice system has been manipulated to obtain a false conviction. For Chavis, the trouble began after the all-Black high school was closed as
The Wilmington 10 at a 1976 news conference: From left, front row, Rev. Ben Chavis, Joe Wright, Connie Tindall, Jerry Jacobs; from left, back row, Wayne Moore, Anne Sheppard, James McKoy, Willie Vereen, Marvin Patrick and Reginald Epps. Everyone knew it would be an uphill battle, but it was a battle the NNPA was willing to wage. It established The Wilmington Ten Pardon of Innocence Project whose goal was “to generate national and worldwide support for the petition, to the state of North Carolina, and specifically the governor, to grant individual pardons of innocence to the Wilmington Ten.” NNPA publishers saw a video about the Wilmington Ten at the luncheon and its leader, Benjamin Chavis, Jr., was interviewed by me and the publishers. When I asked Ben, a longtime friend, about his lowest point in prison, he tried to steer me away from the question by saying he preferred to focus on the future, not the past.
part of the court-ordered desegregation of New Hanover County, N.C. schools. The Black students were forced to attend the previously all-White high school, where they were harassed. In February 1971, the United Church of Christ dispatched Chavis, a native of Oxford, N.C., to help organize a school boycott. During that period of unrest, someone firebombed Mike’s Grocery, a White-owned business located a block away from Gregory Congregational Church, where Chavis had set up headquarters. When fire fighters and police officers arrived, they were attacked by snipers. Chavis and nine others were charged and convicted of arson and
conspiracy in connection with the incident. Most of the defendants received a 29-year sentence, with Ann Shepard, the White woman from Auburn, N.Y., receiving the lightest sentence of 15 years and Chavis, then only 24 years old, getting 34 years, the longest sentence. In 1980, a federal appeals court overturned the convictions of the Wilmington Ten. The court ruled that the trial judge had wrongly restricted defense attorneys from cross-examining witnesses who had received special treatment in exchange for their testimony and that the prosecutor violated due process rights by failing to turn over evidence that would have impeached the testimony of its chief witness, Allen Hall. In addition, the prosecutor refused to turn over a second statement made by Hall that directly contradicted at least 15 of his allegations. After taking up the cause of the Wilmington Ten, NNPA newspapers gave prominent display to stories written about the case by Cash Michaels, editor of the Wilmington Journal, and distributed to member papers by the NNPA News Service. Through talent and dogged persistence, neither Cash nor his publisher, Mary Alice Thatch, would let the campaign for pardons stall. The national campaign heated up last spring when Michaels produced a string of stories examining every aspect of the case. In one story, Michaels traced the shattered lives of the seven survivors (one has since died) and the families of three deceased members of the Wilmington Ten. He found that some of the survivors, including Chavis, had successfully rebuilt their lives while others had not. One blockbuster story began: “In an extraordinary discovery, the 40-yearold case files of the prosecuting attorney in the two 1972 Wilmington Ten criminal trials not only document how he sought to impanel, according to his own written jury selection notes, mostly White ‘KKK’ juries to guarantee convictions, but also to keep Black men from serving on both juries.” Michaels story continued, “The prosecutor chose, in his own words, ‘Uncle Tom’ types to serve on the jury, it was disclosed. The files of Assistant New Hanover County District Attorney James ‘Jay’ Stroud Jr. also document how he plotted to cause a mistrial in the first June 1972 Wilmington Ten trial because there were 10 Blacks and two Whites on the jury, his star false witness against the Ten was not cooperating, and it looked very unlikely that he could win the case, given the lack of evidence.” Without Michaels’ exceptional reporting and the national exposure, many of the facts about the Wilmington Ten injustice would still remain unknown – and Gov. Perdue would not have pardoned the civil rights activists. This was the Black Press at its best. George E. Curry, former editorin-chief of Emerge magazine, is editor-in-chief of the National Newspaper Publishers Association News Service (NNPA.) He is a keynote speaker, moderator, and media coach. Curry can be reached through his Web site, www.georgecurry.com. You can also follow him at www.twitter.com/currygeorge.
Boehner: intemperate, ignorant and out of control BY JULIANNE MALVEAUX NNPA COLUMNIST Congressman John Boehner was re-elected speaker of the House of Representatives with a narrow vote. Needing 218 votes, he barely clinched it with 220. His narrow vote reflects the fact that no Democrat would vote for him and that many Republicans are disillusioned of him. Perhaps it also reflects the fact that he has so poorly comported himself that he does not deserve reelection. Most folks who curse do it behind closed doors. In deference to their position, they attempt to parse their public statements to reflect the dignity of the office they hold. Not Mr. Boehner, who dropped the “f” bomb at Senator Harry Reid not once, but twice, in the middle of fiscal cliff negotiations. To his credit, Senator Reid did not respond, but behaved as if he perhaps did not hear the out-ofcontrol Boehner. The Speaker of the House of Representatives comported himself as intemperate, ignorant and out of control. The fact that Boehner appeared out of control is no surprise to those who have observed him over these past two years. He leads with bombast and bluster then backs down into defensiveness and profanity. Last December, he refused to compromise with President Obama on fiscal matters surrounded by a defiant set of Republicans who agreed with him. When he backed down, he was surrounded by not a soul, virtually abandoned by his party. Déjà vu. After pontificating, and offering a nonsensical Plan B for a House vote, his party rebuked him and he had to tuck tail and sit down at the negotiating table. No wonder he managed so much ire that he cursed the Senate Majority leader. You can cuss in public and you can cuss in private. The fact that Boehner chose to kick New York to the curb as a big an “F” bomb as the one he offered Senator Reid. After being promised that relief for Hurricane Sandy was forthcoming, Boehner broke his promise and pushed the vote back to the 113th Congress. Only after Democrats and Republicans, governors and Congressional representatives excoriated him on the House floor, did he agree to vote on $9 billion plan on January 5, with another $53 billion up for vote on January 15. Meanwhile, many New Yorkers are still living in the backs of their cars, lacking electricity and other basic needs, eating in soup kitchens, bathing in shelters, no better off than they were when the hurricane hit. Have we not learned lessons from Hurricane Katrina? Can we not get relief to people just a bit sooner? Must New Yorkers be treated as pawns in this partisan nonsense? Should Boehner have the right to metaphorically fling the “f” bomb at them? New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo,
Julianne Malveaux a Democrat, and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, a Republican, have expressed their righteous rage at Congressional chicanery. This has not moved a Congress that bootstrapped fiscal cliff legislation with goodies for Puerto Rican rum producers, some Hollywood moguls, and other assorted pork. The day of the earmark has supposedly expired, but those with special interests spent more time promoting them than they did no repairing the damage from Hurricane Sandy. Congressman Peter King (RN.Y.) calmed down after a private meeting with Boehner. He had it absolutely right before he calmed down though. Then he raised questions about the way Congressional representatives run to New York for fundraisers and support, but have not rushed to support New York and New Jersey in this crisis. While monies may yet be forthcoming, it should have hit New York, Connecticut and New Jersey at least a month ago. And while $9 billion is seemingly assured, with a new Congress, the affected areas may be lacking much longer. I’d bet that if one of Boehner’s Ohio’s eighth district constituents complained about sleeping in a car, he might care more. I am sure he wouldn’t bristle and use profanity (or behave profanely) with those who presumably vote for him. But Boehner has abdicated all claims to decency in the past year or so. He has led a nonproductive and incompetent Congress, and tainted fiscal cliff negotiations with earmarks and setasides. Why not an earmark for hurricane victims? Why not pure decency for his peer, Senator Harry Reid? Why not pretend to have good sense, even if you don’t. Can Boehner stoop any lower? Let’s see what other stunts he pulls as House Majority Leader of the 113th Congress. Julianne Malveaux is a Washington, D.C.-based economist and writer. She is President Emerita of Bennett College for Women in Greensboro, N.C.
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Baltimore child actor T-Boz puts life on display with new reality show to portray young Frederick Douglass in PBS film BY JONATHAN LANDRUM JR. ASSOCIATED PRESS
SPECIAL TO THE NNPA FROM THE AFRO-AMERICAN NEWSPAPER Anthony Michael Hobbs, a child actor and second grade student at Baltimore’s Our Lady of Victory catholic school, will portray a young Frederick Douglass in the Public Broadcasting System (PBS) special The Abolitionist to premiere Jan. 8. Actor/director Richard Brooks (Law & Order, The Crow) will play the adult Frederick Douglass. The three-hour documentary airs in three parts on Jan. 8, 15 and 23 as part of PBS’ American Experience Series. Frederick Douglass is one of five abolitionists highlighted who pushed to end slavery. The other four abolitionists included William Lloyd Garrison, Harriet Beecher Stowe, John Brown and Angelina Grimke. The actor and model who will turn eight in April expressed his desire to act at the age of four, according to Kerri Hobbs, his mother and manager. Confused about how actress Lauren Keyana “Keke” Palmer could be one character on True Jackson, VP he watched on the Nickelodeon Channel and another character in the Tyler Perry movie Madea’s Family Reunion, he was told by his mother that the girl “learned to make pretend to make a story.” Anthony then
Anthony Michael Hobbs announced he wanted to do that, too, she said. Having honed his reading skills with books two age levels ahead of him, he was able to read scripts at the age of five, and soon learned to memorize them in just a few minutes–often with assistance from his actress-mother, he quickly racked up a list of performance credits. He is an otherwise normal gradeschooler, except that when he is absent for an audition, he has a lot to share at show-and-tell, when he returns to class. See PBS FILM, page 11
For TLC singer T-Boz, it has been a rocky road since the 2002 death of Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes. She has faced foreclosure, filed twice for bankruptcy and dealt with an abusive marriage that ended in divorce. The 42-year-old has also experienced life-threatening health issues that derailed her singing career. She’s hoping her struggles — and getting past them — will connect with audiences through her new reality show, “Totally T-Boz,” an hour-long, four-episode series on TLC. The show debuted last week and airs Tuesdays (8 p.m. Eastern). “This is a real story about a real girl who did real things,” said T-Boz, who was born Tionne Watkins. “This is a show of substance (and) shares more about me that many didn’t know about.” Along with Left Eye and Rozanda “Chilli” Thomas, TLC released backto-back hits, including “Creep,” “Waterfalls” and “No Scrubs.” Their Grammy-winning sophomore album, “CrazySexyCool,” sold more than 10 million units. But since Left Eye’s death, TLC’s music career has fallen off-track. A new member was to be brought on to replace Left Eye, but it didn’t happen.
AP Photo/Paul Hurschmann, File
In this Sept. 7, 1995 file photo, the band TLC, from left, Rozanda “Chilli” Thomas, Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins and Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes, pose for photographers backstage at New York’s Radio City Music Hall during the 12th Annual MTV Video Music Awards. TLC won in the Best R&B Video, Viewer’s Choice and Best Video of the Year categories for “Waterfalls.” For R&B singer Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins, it has been a rocky road since the 2002 death of Lisa “Left Eye” Lopez. Now, she puts her life on display through her new reality show, “Totally T-Boz,” an hour-long, four-episode series that airs on cable network TLC on Tuesdays, beginning Jan. 1, 2013. T-Boz, who has moved from her hometown of Atlanta to Los Angeles, dealt with a brain tumor in 2006, and
the surgery left her with partial hearing and sight. She said it took three See T-BOZ, page 11
The 2013 NAACP Image Awards nominees announced BY RYCH MCCAIN SPECIAL TO THE NNPA The Nominees for upcoming 2013 NAACP Image Awards were recently announced at the Paley Center for The Media Arts in Beverly Hills. The nominations were read by Anthony Anderson (Guys with Kids), Niecy Nash (The Soul Man), Yvette Nicole Brown (Community), Garcelle Beauvais (Flight), Tyler James Williams (Go On) and Zendaya (Shake It Up). The NAACP Image Awards celebrates the accomplishments of people of color in the fields of television, music, literature, and film, plus, honors individuals or groups who promote social justice through creative endeavors. Winners will be announced during the two-hour star- studded event, which will air live on Friday, February 1 (8 ET live/PT tape-delayed) on NBC. The nominees in the TV categories were led by ABC and CBS with 20 and 12 nominations respectively. HBO and Lifetime had 10 noms and NBC had 9. In the recording category, RCA leads with 11 nominations, followed by Atlantic with 10 nomina-
Photo by: Samanta Ofole
Comedic actors Niecy Nash and Anthony Anderson announce the NAACP Image Awards 2013 nominees. tions. The Weinstein Company leads with 4 nominations, along with Lionsgate and Paramount Pictures, with 4 in the motion picture category. “We are proud to celebrate the artists and activists who use their craft to share positive images of our culture.” stated NAACP Chairman Roslyn M. Brock. “The artistic community is an See IMAGE AWARDS, page 11
© 2012 UNIVERSAL STUDIOS
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Investor seeking to buy Kings BY TIM BOOTH ASSOCIATED PRESS Investor Chris Hansen has contacted the Maloof family about buying the Sacramento Kings, setting up the possibility of the NBA’s return to Seattle. Hansen’s interest was confirmed Wednesday by people with knowledge of the situation. They spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press because no deal has been reached. One person said the Kings could sell for more than $500 million. The Kings’ future in Sacramento has been uncertain because the Maloofs and the city haven’t been able to come up with a long-term arena solution. Yahoo! Sports first reported the discussions between the Kings and Hansen. Yahoo! reported a possible sale could land the Kings in Seattle for the 2013-14 season where the team would play at KeyArena as a temporary home until a new arena is constructed. “I know as much as you do,” Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn said when asked about the situation. “If it’s true, ain’t it cool?” His counterpart in Sacramento thought the news anything but cool. At an afternoon news conference, Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson said Wednesday was significant because for the first time Kings fans know the team is for sale. Johnson said he would do all he could to try to find a buyer with a Sacramento connection to possibly purchase the team and keep it in
California’s capital city. Hansen, a Seattle native and San Francisco-based investor, reached agreement with local governments in Seattle last October on plans to build a $490 million arena near the city’s other stadiums: CenturyLink Field and Safeco Field. As part of the agreement, no construction will begin until all environmental reviews are completed and a team has been secured. Hansen’s group is expected to pitch in $290 million in private investment toward the arena, along with helping to pay for transportation improvements in the area around the stadiums. The plans also call for the arena to be able to handle a future NHL franchise. The remaining $200 million in public financing would be paid back with rent money and admissions taxes from the arena, and if that money falls short, Hansen would be responsible for making up the rest. Other investors in the proposed arena include Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer and two members of the Nordstrom department store family. Hansen’s goal has been to return the SuperSonics to the Puget Sound after they were moved from Seattle to Oklahoma City in 2008. Asked in September if he could envision a team being in Seattle for the 2013 season, Hansen was cautious about finding an option that quickly. The NBA had no comment. Representatives for Hansen did not return messages seeking comment. Any
franchise looking to relocate must submit their plans to the NBA by March 1 and the move must be approved by the league. “As we have said for nearly a year, we will not comment on rumors or speculation about the Sacramento Kings franchise,” Maloof family spokesman Eric Rose said when contacted Wednesday by the AP. The Kings’ asking price would top the NBA-record $450 million the Golden State Warriors sold for in July 2010. Johnson said he’s had past discussions with more than one group about possibly stepping forward as owners if the Kings were up for sale. “All indications that I have seen and read and heard is they are exploring opportunities to sell the team and that is public and that is the first I have ever heard,” Johnson said. “We need to put ourselves in a position to find an ownership group and buyers to keep the team here in Sacramento.” Johnson said he had not spoken with any members of the Maloof family or NBA Commissioner David Stern on Wednesday. News of the discussions came a day after officials in Virginia Beach, Va., announced they were dropping their efforts to build a new arena. Virginia Beach was thought to be a relocation option for the Kings. The Maloofs backed out of a tentative $391 million deal for a new downtown arena with Sacramento last year, reigniting fears the franchise could relo-
AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli
Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson speaks during a news conference in Sacramento, Calif, Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2013. People with knowledge of the situation said that investor Chris Hansen has contacted the Maloof family about buying the Sacramento Kings basketball team, setting up the possibility of the NBA’s return to Seattle. cate. Johnson and the Kings broke off all negotiations in the summer with the Kings saying the deal didn’t make financial sense for the franchise. In 2011, the Kings appeared determined to move to Anaheim before Johnson convinced the NBA to give the city one last chance to help finance an arena. At one point, Johnson seemed so certain the team was gone he called the process a “slow death” and compared the city’s efforts to keep the Kings a “Hail Mary.” Johnson made a desperate pitch to the NBA Board of Governors in April 2011, promising league owners the city would find a way to help finance a new arena to replace the team’s current outdated suburban facility. He also bought time by presenting more than $10 million in commitments for new advertis-
ing, ticket purchases and other financial support from regional businesses for this season. The NBA’s relocation committee, headed by Oklahoma City owner Clay Bennett — who moved the team now known as the Thunder from Seattle in 2008 — recommended that the league give the city a shot to follow through and handed down a March 1 deadline to come up with a plan to help finance an arena. Johnson delivered the agreement that March 1 to send the plan to the City Council. On the night of March 6, 2012, the Sacramento City Council passed a deal — brokered by the NBA and with Stern’s blessing — for a new downtown arena. A sea of supporters packed the grounds for the vote, which seemingly saved the Kings from relocation.
GUN CONTROL Continued from page 5 more far-reaching changes such as reinstating the ban on assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines. Congress let the ban expire in 2004 under heavy pressure from the NRA. Democrats blamed a backlash against some lawmakers who voted for its enactment 10 years earlier for steep election losses that year. Since then Democrats have been wary of legislating on guns, and efforts have fizzled in Congress. Already there are signs any new legislative effort by Obama could face tough going. Some pro-gun Democrats have voiced doubts, and the Senate’s top Republican has warned it could be spring before Congress begins considering any gun legislation. Obama has said that his efforts on guns can be successful only if he has the support of the public, and advocates who attended Wednesday’s Biden meeting said part of the White House message was for participants to
spread the word and keep up pressure on Washington. “They have made clear that they’re in this for the long haul and they want us to be in this for the long haul,” said Dan Gross, president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. Advocates participating in Wednesday’s meeting, some of whom have been critical of Obama’s silence on guns in the past, said they were optimistic that the president and Biden are committed to the effort this time around. “I think it’s for real,” said Shira Goodman, executive director of CeaseFirePA. Biden also held a call with Wednesday with more than 30 governors, mayors and other state and local officials to get their input on ways to curb gun violence. The president hopes to announce his administration's next steps to tackle gun violence shortly after he is sworn in for a second term on Jan. 21.
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McCLINTON Continued from page 4 Frank Gangi a local real estate developer whose sons currently attend St. Francis High School in La Cañada. Shelly McClinton, Victor’s wife of over 25 years wanted her husband to be remembered not as a victim of a senseless drive by shooting, nor did she want him to be considered a poster child for the fight against gang violence or even remembered as someone struck down in the prime of his life far too soon. What she asked that he be remembered for is being a man who no matter what the circumstances or situation, always saw the best in people. Shelly wanted him remembered as a man who was dedicated to serving others and who knew his purpose in life was to mentor the lives of thousands of young people one at a time. Unfortunately, stories about senseless deaths of people within our community are reported way too often. But when you have to write one of these stories about the tragic, senseless and untimely death of your best friend the story becomes that much more difficult. I attended high school with McClinton; we worked at the Pasadena YMCA together (along with Jacques – our other best friend who shared over 30 years of friendship and memories with Vic and me); I was there when his mom passed away; I introduced him to his wife (Shelly); I am the godfather to his sons Kristian and Kameron and unfortunately, I was there at the hospital at the moment of his untimely death. All I can say is that the world was a better place because he was in it. He was a friend
like no one else; it didn’t matter if you had spoken to him every day (like we often did) or if you had not talked to him in months (like we often did as well). He was always the same loving, caring person. Loyalty meant everything to Victor; I guess that is why he was such a wonderful husband, a wonderful father and a great friend. All I can say is that I am a better person because of our friendship, that my family has been enriched because he was a part of it and while I am deeply saddened over his crazy and senseless death, I am still and will forever remain grateful for the times and memories we shared. McClinton’s life is celebrated and his memory cherished by wife, Shelly, his sons, Kristian and Kameron, his sisters, Velma, Patricia, Selina, and Senola, and by his brother, Vincent, as well as by a host of relatives and friends. His enthusiastic belief in the possibility that all young people may realize their dreams with hard work and by “doing right” lives on through the hundreds of young people and children who have benefited from his mentoring and coaching. A Friend Forever!!! Many caring and concerned families have asked how they may help the McClinton Family, a fund has been established to assist them in their time of mourning. Please send all contributions to: The Victor McClinton Family Fund, c/o JP Morgan Chase, Attn: Cheryl McMurray, Branch Manager, 1305 Fair
IMAGE AWARDS Continued from page 9 important ally for social justice, and the NAACP Image Awards provides an excellent venue to recognize those who make a difference through art and activism.” “We are happy that once again the Image Awards will be aired on NBC,” said NAACP President and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous. “For 44 years, the Image Awards have recognized the best that communities of color have to offer, both in the arts and in civil rights. The NAACP is proud to honor all of these achievements.” Founded in 1909, the National
PBS FILM Continued from page 9 A client of several acting/modeling/voice-over agencies such as Wilhelmina Philadelphia and Prestige Management in New York, he most recently appeared in a new United Way public service announcement that started airing in December and was in a Norwegian Cruise-Line commercial that started airing in October. An extended version of the commercial is airing during the cruiseline voyages. Hobbs also stars in the PBS Sprout Network mini-segment on the Sunnyside Up Show, to start airing March. On top of that, the talented young actor stars in a PSA spot for the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC) that started airing in October, 2012. Hobbs also stars in the DreamWorks documentary How to Train Your Dragon: Dragons and Dinosaurs. The DreamWorks docu-
Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is the nation’s oldest and largest civil rights organization. The organization’s halfmillion adult and youth members throughout the United States and the world are the premier advocates for civil rights in their communities and monitor equal opportunity in the public and private sectors. The 44TH NAACP Image Awards are sponsored by: FedEx, AARP, UAW/Chrysler, Wells Fargo, Ford Motor Company, Anheuser Busch, Hyundai Motors, AT&T, Southwest Airlines and Walgreens. For a complete list of nominees go to www. rychmccainhollyhoodnotes.blogspot.com.
mentary is also available on DVD. Hobbs can also be seen in the national classroom program called KinderRhyme. KinderRhyme is a program of Success for All Foundation (SFAF), which appears in over 2600 preschool, elementary, middle and high school programs. Hobbs is the winner of eight Global Stars Network acting awards., Hobbs can also be seen on two other PBS Sprout Network segments, Claritin Kids Allergy Medicine and Good Night Show. As a voice over actor Anthony’s voice can be heard on an instructional video for advertising firm TBWA World Wide, the largest advertising holding company in the world. Other acting projects include the film Waiting for Godot; an industrial commercial for the U.S. National Park Service; a Baltimore County recycling commercial; a Greater Philadelphia Coalition Against Hunger commercial, and a U.S. Department of Agriculture Healthy Kids 2011 print campaign.
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO. 2012 234020 The following person (s) is (are) doing business as: COMMUNITY FRESH START FAMILY UNITY PROGRAM, 11204 ALVARO STREET, LA. CA. 90059. County of Los Angeles. Registered Owner(s): COMMUNITY FRESH START FAMILYUNITY PROGRAM, 11204 Alvaro Street, Los Angeles, CA. 90059. This business is conducted by a Corporation. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above as true information which he or she knows to be false is guilty of a crime). S/SANDRA STRAIGHT, DIRECTOR. The statement was filed with the County Clerk of LOS ANGELES County on NOVEMBER 29,2012 NOTICE- in accordance with subdivision (a) of section 17920. Where it expires 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of fictitious name in violation of the rights of another under federal state or common law (see section 14411 et seq. Business and Professions code.) Original 12/20, 12/27, 01/03, 01/10/2012. LA SENTINEL 430764
T-BOZ Continued from page 9 years of physical therapy to recover, and now she’s hoping to relaunch her music career as a solo artist and tour for TLC’s 20th anniversary. “I superseded a lot of things. I was told I wouldn’t live past 30,” said TBoz, who also has chronic sickle cell anemia. “The realistic thing is that I have a child to live here for, and if I was dead, I couldn’t do it.” T-Boz says she doesn’t want to overwork herself at the expense of her health. She said she’ll take a step back and focus more as a writer and producer if necessary. “I've never been camera-happy, so I don't mind being behind the scenes,” she said. “Honestly, those are the people who aren’t killing themselves to get a paycheck. ... I don’t want to be 55 years old in a smoky club, singing my old songs. No way, honey.”
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) will hold public hearings in February 2013 to receive public input on the Metro draft disparity study of its contracting in the Los Angeles County region. The disparity study includes experiences of business owners and whether or not there is evidence of discrimination or its effects based on race, gender or ethnicity in the transportation contracting industry. Metro will review this information as it considers implementation of its Federal Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program on Federal Transit Administration-funded contracts. The draft disparity study report is available for review on the Metro website: at metro.net/ disparity-study. All public hearings will be held at Metro Headquarters Building, One Gateway Plaza, Los Angeles, CA. 90012: February 7, 2013, Metro Board Room, 3rd Floor at 9:30 am and at 6:00pm; February 21, 2013, Metro Board Room, 3rd Floor at 11:30am. The public hearings offer vendors, contractors, industry representatives, and others the opportunity to provide personal testimony and accounts of experiences and other information related to implementation of the DBE program, contracting with Metro, and any difficulties or barriers faced in the transportation contracting industry. The public is invited and encouraged to attend and participate by giving testimony. The public may view and provide testimony on the disparity study report for 45 days. Persons unable to attend the hearings may submit written testimony through 5:00 p.m. on February 28, 2013, the close of public comment. Submit all written testimony electronically via email with “DS Public Comment” as the subject line to dscomment@metro.net and postmarked by US mail to Metro, Diversity & Economic Opportunity Department (DEOD), Attn: DS Public Comment, One Gateway Plaza, 99-8-4, Los Angeles, CA 90012; Facsimile (213) 922-7660. CNS#2429626
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAMES FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No. 2012 234020 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as:
Community Fresh Start Family Unity Program, 11204 Alvaro Street, Los Angeles, CA 90059, County of LA 37637 Harvey Street, Palmdale, CA 93550 Articles of Incorporation or Organization Number: AI #ON: 2537121. Registered owner(s): Community Fresh Start Family Unity Program, CA., 11204 Alvaro Street, Los Angeles, CA 90059 This business is conducted by a Corporation The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on 08/01/1997 I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false is guilty of a crime.) Community Fresh Start Family Unity Program S/ Sandra Straight, Director This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on November 26, 2012. NOTICE-In accordance with Subdivision (a) of Section 17920, a Fictitious Name Statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the County Clerk, except, as provided in Subdivision (b) of Section 17920, where it expires 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A New Fictitious Business Name Statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a Fictitious Business Name in violation of the rights of another under Federal, State, or common law (See Section 14411 et seq., Business and Professions Code). Original 12/20, 12/27, 1/3, 1/10/13 CNS-2429844# WATTS TIMES
GOVERNMENT Los Angeles County Community and Senior Services (CSS) is issuing a Request for Statement of Qualifications (RFSQ) to qualified proposers to administer and operate Adult Employment Programs in the Los Angeles County Area. RFSQs may be picked up Monday through Friday, from 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. beginning Monday, January 7, 2013 at the following location: Community and Senior Services (CSS) 3175 West 6th Street, Fourth Floor, Room 403 Los Angeles, CA 90020 RFSQs must be picked up in person and will not be mailed in response to telephone requests. The RFSQs may also be downloaded from the LA County CSS website at http://css.lacounty.gov/ A Proposers’ Conference will be held on January 16, 2013 from 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. at CSS, 3175 West 6th Street, in the Collaboration Conference Room 105, Los Angeles, CA 90020. 1/10/13 CNS-2428767# WATTS TIMES
SOCIAL SECURITY/MEDICARE Continued from page 2 related to the fiscal crisis. Carroll Estes, professor at the University of California, San Francisco Institute for Health and Aging, told conference attendees at a special briefing that the “third rail” still exists – “if you step on it you’ll get electrocuted.” Social Security, created during the Great Depression, provides workers a basic level of income once they retire, in addition to disability pay and life insurance before they retire that provides income to the surviving spouse and their children. In fact, almost half of Social Security beneficiaries in African American and Latino families are covered by these disability and survivors benefits, compared with one-fourth of whites. Cuts to the program have been touted by Republicans, in particular, to help trim the $16 trillion national debt. However, because workers automatically pay into the system and their contributions are matched by employers, the program does not add to the deficit. Medicare, which provides health coverage to persons age 65 and older and those under 65 with permanent disabilities, was established in 1965 as part of the Social Security Act. According to Estes, immediate past-president of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, what we’re seeing now
is a “Social insurance hijack attack. It’s our money, we paid for and earned our benefits, we deserve and need them.” The Committee, headquartered in Washington, D.C., opposes any effort to raise the age of eligibility for Social Security or Medicare. The Congressional Black Caucus, in a statement released in December, has also said they will oppose any plan that raises the eligibility for Medicare, as well as any plan that cuts benefits to Medicaid beneficiaries. The Caucus also states, “Social Security does not contribute to our deficit and should be completely off the negotiating table.” Steven P. Wallace, a researcher with the University of California, Los Angeles CLA Center for Health Policy Research (UCLA) since 1980, was one of many speakers who put a human face on the issue of aging for the participants. In 2010 elders numbered 40 million people in the United States; that number is expected to double by the year 2040. Currently, 20% of those elders are people of color, and that number is also expected to double by the year 2050. While an increase in longevity has been seen in the U.S. and other parts of the world overall – life expectancy has increased in general from age 47 in 1900 to more than age 78 today according to the Centers for Disease
Control. According to Wallace’s research, wealth is not equally distributed and income has declined in the past year for African Americans and Asian Americans in the “Baby Boomer” age range (born from 1946 through 1964). This group also had the highest level of income decline. Half of ethnic elders in the U.S. are in poverty or close to it, Wallace said, and they have the least amount of reserves to fall back on; they are the most impacted by economic uncertainties. U.S. Rep. Karen Bass, D-CA-37, who represents much of South Los Angeles, expressed excitement about portions of last week’s fiscal deal that was reached with Congress, but she was also worried about its implications for many of her constituents. “I remain very concerned about cuts to programs like Medicare and Social Security that are important to many seniors across my District,” Bass said. “Included were cuts to services for diabetes, end stage renal disease and other illnesses disproportionately impacting seniors and we need to look at ways to restore that funding.” Thandisizwe Chimurenga wrote this article as part of the MetLife Foundation Journalists in Aging Fellowship, a program of New America Media and the Gerontological Society of America.
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Thursday, January 10, 2013
e v e n t LISTINGS
1/2013
L.A. Watts Times Calendar, Compiled by Brandon I. Brooks, Co-Managing Editor 1/10– 1/12 LUPUS FOUNDATION OF AMERICA AWARENESS TOUR: The Lupus Foundation of America is coming to Los Angeles in January as part of its ‘Help Us Solve the Cruel Mystery’ National Tour™. The tour will raise awareness among the community about one of the most mysterious and devastating diseases to which there’s no known cure. New data show that a majority of Americans at the highest risk for lupus know little or nothing about the disease. The tour features a 45-foot purple bus open to the public, with interactive exhibits to educate and build support for funding lupus
this song and tap dance concert with surprise celebrity guests. Tap is an indigenous art form that needs your support. You don’t want to miss this event. WHEN: 2 shows @ 3:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. WHERE: Stella Adler Theatre 6773 Hollywood Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90028. General Admission $18 in
Nate Holden Performing Arts Center, 4718 West Washington Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90016. WHEN 5:00 pm - 9:00 pm. The Open House begins at 5:00 pm, with the Public Hearing starting at 7:00 pm. For more information, please contact project staff at (213) 978-1209 or (213) 978-1204 or visit online at http://planning.lacity.org under New Community Plans for all proposed policies.
ON GOING NOW – 3/ 7 THE LOS ANGELES URBAN LEAGUE PRESENTS: “The 90 That Built L.A.,” an exhibit at the Museum of African American Art. This multi-layered exhibit chronicles and celebrates the League’s 90 plus year mile-
stone of serving the city of Los Angeles, in addition to honoring 90 champions for change and equality, past and present. The exhibit will include personal artifacts from honorees; a retrospect of the social, economic, political and civic challenges and triumphs for Los Angeles residents of color and the League’s leadership and unwavering commitment to the community. WHEN: Museum hours are Thursday -Sunday: 12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Monday –Wednesday the exhibit will be closed. Admission is FREE! Where: Museum of African American Art 3650 W. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90008 (Located on the 3rd floor of Macy’s at the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Mall). For more information call (323) 294-7071 or visit www.theleague90.com. For more information on the Museum of African American Art, visit www.maaala.org.
TO MAKE A CALENDAR SUBMISSION: Include event name,
research and education services. The bus will make several stops throughout the city this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, culminating with patient and physician education events on Saturday at noon, which will draw hundreds of people from the LA area to discuss coping strategies and experiences living with lupus. WHEN/WHERE: Thursday Jan. 10th, 8 a.m. – 1 p.m.: Civic Center-Little Tokyo Parking Lot 753. Friday Jan. 11th, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. UCLA Wilson Plaza 4 p.m.-8 p.m. UCLA Women’s Basketball Game at Pauley Pavilion Saturday, Jan 12th, 7:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. JW Marriott Los Angeles 900 W. Olympic Blvd.
1/12 C3 FOUNDATION: 4th Annual Laron Larrimore Health Awareness Fair & Community Walk. WHERE: Saint Andrews Park -8701 Saint Andrews Place. Los Angeles CA, 90047. WHEN: 11 p.m. – 3 p.m. Armed with a mission to promote Building a Healthy Lifestyle where you live, work and play. Derek Haskell and his team at C3 Foundation seek to educate, energize and encourage participants and onlookers alike to engage in healthier choices for their physical, emotional, mental and spiritual awareness. A day like this one will help to inform from a variety of choices for health and wellness in the community. Day Includes: 5K Walk through the park sample sessions with fitness trainers, free health screenings focused on high blood pressure, dementia, alzheimer, free hIV testing over 300 participants are expected to attend and walk for better health. For more information call (323) 596-5177. THE JL EXPERIENCE: Tap Soul Productions presents the return home of Broadway performer JL Williams of Fela! on Broadway in
advance online or $25 at the door the day of the event. For more information and tickets please visit www.tapsoulpro.com.
ST. MARY’S ACADEMY OPEN HOUSE: St. Mary’s Academy is an oasis for girls to grow and learn in a safe, caring environment. Through campus ministry and Christian service programs, college preparatory curriculum, sports program and student government activities, SMA’s faculty and staff contribute to the spiritual, moral, educational and social development of their students. Programs are offered in liberal arts, sports, communication arts and STEM, while focusing students on becoming a balanced, well rounded individual, which will contribute back to society. St, Mary’s Academy uniquely has 4 Career Path Programs: Accounting, Communication Arts, Engineering, and Health Careers. By offering such programs, SMA is bridging the gap and fostering young women leaders in these male dominated industries. St. Mary’s Academy has a long-standing legacy of alumnae that have held and continue to hold leadership positions in religion, health, education, law, science, politics, and government. SMA alumnae held these positions long before it was “trendy” for women to be so competitive in the workforce. This is especially impressive since recently, universities, colleges and private corporations are turning their focus on the education of girls and young women and the contributions they make in the workforce. St. Mary’s Academy provides an excellent education for young ladies in a loving, Catholic environment. Come Experience St. Mary’s Academy first hand! WHEN: 12 noon - 3 p.m. WHERE: 701 Grace Avenue, Inglewood CA 90301. For more information about SMA please call (310) 674-8470 or visit www.smabelles.org.
1/15 OPEN HOUSE AND PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE WEST ADAMS - BALDWIN HILLS LEIMERT COMMUNITY PLAN: The Los Angeles Department of City Planning invites the public to attend the Open House and Public Hearing for the West Adams - Baldwin Hills Leimert Community Plan. The West Adams Community Plan guides long range planning and land use policies that can to help make West Adams, Baldwin Hills, and Leimert Park more sustainable, livable neighborhoods. WHERE:
Photo by Malcolm Ali
date(s), time, location, contact/RSVP information and admission price, if any. Use BRIEF paragraph format (no lists, line breaks, or all caps). All calendar submissions are space-permitting and may be edited for brevity. Send submissions, along with any images, to brandon@lasentinel.net with the subject heading “LAWT Community Events.” Please include text in the body of your email, not in an attachment.