LAWT 01-17-2013

W E E K E N D E R see pages 8-9

Vol. XXX, No. 1319

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Thursday, January 17, 2013

L.A. Watts Times

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Thursday, January 17, 2013

HOROSCOPES

Jan. 17 - 23

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RIES ~ Take the lead, especially in romantic matters. Throw modesty out the window. Be in shameless pursuit. You know that your need is great this week. Seek to satisfy it. Your lover might be surprised, but you can make the surprise a pleasant one. Soul Affirmation: I hunt for love in all the right places.

AURUS ~ Heads or tails! Go or stay!

What to do? This week you’ll find yourself pulled in two exactly opposite directions. There is no way to satisfy both pulls. Let your friends decide. Take whatever suggestion comes first. Soul Affirmation: I let my friendships guide my way.

EMINI ~ Don’t waste time thinking about the past. Sure they were wrong, but what does it matter now. Enjoy the present. Find something good to do for the rest of the week. Avoid conflict. Nothing is so important that it needs to be resolved this week. Soul Affirmation: This week I forgive myself for everything that has happened.

ANCER ~ Stop thinking about work.

Sure there are pressing matters, but they’ll wait. Tap into the fun side of your personality. Get deep into that side and stay there. Don’t keep pulling back to think about things that need to be fixed. Soul Affirmation: I give my mind a big vacation this week.

EO ~ Let the pleasure principal win the battle with your sense of duty. Give yourself up to the sunshine, the fresh air, the outdoors. Stop talking and get moving. Your own motion will clear your mind of things that have been hanging on. Soul Affirmation: I celebrate freedom of mind this week.

IRGO ~ There are so many good things to do that the challenge will be in deciding what to do and what to not do.

Great place to be. Count your blessings -all of them and flip a coin. What a time to be alive. Call someone. Let them decide what you should enjoy first. Soul Affirmation: I know that my life is full of good things. I enjoy!

IBRA ~ Give yourself a chance to know yourself better. Let others reflect the beauty that is you and that will give you added knowledge of yourself this week. Ask for opinions and listen closely, making something good out of whatever is said. Soul Affirmation: I spend the week celebrating me.

CORPIO ~ You’ll meet someone that you could come to adore. Make sure you’ve laid the groundwork because they might not be ready for all the adoration that you are ready to give. Make sure that you don’t adore a bird in the bush while neglecting a bird in hand. Soul Affirmation: I enjoy the act of adoring.

AGITTARIUS ~ Being an artist doesn’t always mean painting a picture. This week apply your artistry to anything that you do.

Look at life as an empty canvas upon which you have the skill to paint almost any wonderful thing that you want. Soul Affirmation: My life itself is my greatest creation.

APRICORN ~ This week is better than last week for career goals. Think deeply about what you really want for a career. Clarity is easy to come by. Charm is an extremely effective tool for you this week. The smile is needed more than at any recent time. Soul Affirmation: I keep my smile shining, especially at home.

QUARIUS ~ Believe that it is true when a friend or family member praises you this week. There is something good happening with you that you cannot see.

Expect good news about a publishing, educational or legal venture. Romance is in the air, revel in it. Soul Affirmation: All the good things said about me this week are absolutely true.

ISCES ~ This week let your nurturing spirit shines through. Your tremendous adaptability will make it possible for you to show kindness even where it is not deserved. Know that you kindness is appreciated. All week long you’ll find yourself in helpful conversations with friends or family members. Soul Affirmation: Everyone deserves kindness this week.

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Inside This Edition

It’s ON-Saturday Jan. 19 at 10 am “Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle. And so we must straighten our backs and work for our freedom. A man can't ride you unless your back is bent.”

—Martin Luther King, Jr.

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Dodgers star Matt Kemp to join Sentinel Publisher Danny Bakewell Sr. in line-up

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L.A. Watts Times

BY KENNETH MILLER SENTINEL STAFF WRITER Los Angeles Dodgers All Star outfielder Matt Kemp will join Los Angeles Sentinel and LA Watts Times Publisher Danny J. Bakewell Sr. as celebrity grand marshal for the 28th annual Kingdom Day Parade on Saturday Jan. 19th at 10:15 a.m. on Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. in Los Angeles.

The 28-year old Kemp is the face

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Player of the Year in 2011.

Kemp will follow Kingdom Day Parade Grand Marshal-Danny Bakewell Sr., the long time civil rights advocate and media mogul, in the parade line-up that will feature

(Back row) The Kingdom Day Parade Committee CORE-CA, Sponsoring Organization Chairman Adrian Dove; Parade President DaShon Williams; and Co-Chairman Tong Sun Chun. (front) The Parade Royal Court; Queen Carla Banks, Princesses Destiny Tiana Givens, Avery Swinson and Jenelle Mascardo. This year’s parade is being held on Saturday January 19, at 11:00am instead of its usual Monday which this year would have been at the same time as the Second Inauguration of President Barak Obama.

Beverly Cook – Publisher, Managing Editor 1976 – 1993 Charles Cook – Publisher 1976 – 1998 Melanie Polk – Publisher 1998 – 2010

EMAIL: wattsweekender@yahoo.com

Danny Bakewell Sr.

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WEEKENDER

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

Kingdom Day Parade ready to roll

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of the Dodgers having established himself as a superstar with two All Star game selections, two gold glove awards, two silver slugger awards, the National League home run champion in 2011 and Baseball America

BlackFacts.com

January 20, 1986 Today the first national Martin Luther King Jr holiday was celebrated.

January 20, 1993 “On The Pulse of Morning”

by Maya Angelou delivered at the Presidential Inaguaration Ceremony, January 20, 1993 January 20, 2001 Colin Luther Powell is sworn in by President George W. Bush as Secretary of State. He is the first black secretary of state in U.S. history.

Matt Kemp

more than 100 entrants. Kim Young Jio will serve as the International grand marshal.

Sponsored by Congress of Racial Equality (CORE-CA), a local nonprofit organization, The Kingdom Day Parade will be held without its founder Larry Grant for the first time.

Grant died in August 2012.

However, Grant’s grandson DaShon Williams will serve as the parade president, which will carry the theme, “Self Liberation in the Present, Remembering the Present the Past and Moving into the Future.”

The event honors the legacy of Dr. King who was murdered at the age of 39 almost 43 years ago.

President Ronald Reagan signed a law in 1983 declaring the third week of January as a commemoration of a national holiday.

Veteran actress Marla Gibbs and Academy Award winning actor Lou See KINGDOM DAY PARADE, page 10

Thursday, January 17, 2013

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Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: A Presidential Impact King dreamed it, Obama realized it … but how much farther to the promise land?

THANDISIZWE CHIMURENGA LAWT CONTRIBUTING WRITER The inauguration of President Barack Hussein Obama for his second term in office will be held in

AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin

The statue of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is seen unveiled from scaffolding during the soft opening of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in Washington, Monday, Aug. 22, 2011. The memorial will be dedicated Sunday, Aug. 28. The Washington Monument is at right.

Washington, DC, on Monday, January 21. The date also marks the federally recognized holiday of the birth of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The significance of these two events has been widely noted. Many comparisons have been made with Dr. King throughout Obama’s first term, and countless memorabilia items have been created that cement the comparison.

Some of what Obama shares with Dr. King are his charisma and handsomeness, a beautiful and intelligent wife who can hold her own and beautiful children.

Both men come from strong culturally-intact backgrounds – Dr. King was raised in the loving bosom of an African American and Baptist family and community during the era of segregation; President Obama’s upbringing was multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and international in scope.

Both men were intellectuals, with Dr. King receiving the Doctor of Philosophy degree from Boston University in Massachusetts, while President Obama taught Constitutional Law after receiving his law degree from Harvard University.

Both men have written books and were awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace. And both men have been staunch supporters of the state of Israel.

Various memorabilia that cement the comparisons of the two men also imply that the Obama Presidency is a fulfill-

AP Photo

U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson, right, talks with civil rights leaders in his White House office in Washington, D.C., Jan. 18, 1964. The black leaders, from left, are, Roy Wilkins, executive secretary of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP); James Farmer, national director of the Committee on Racial Equality; Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference; and Whitney Young, executive director of the Urban League. ment of Dr. King’s legacy. But is it?

“It is absolutely,” said Dr. David Horne, professor of Pan African Studies and Public Policy at California State University, Northridge (CSUN). “Part of what Dr. King hoped for was an

America that could judge its worthwhile citizens by the ‘content of their character, more than the color of their skin.’ President Obama is a living testament to that,” said Horne.

“Dr. King also said we have to

struggle for more than a seat at the table, or a place in the dining hall,” Horne continued. “We had to struggle to achieve real political influence and See KING: PRESIDENTIAL IMPACT, page 15

“Whatever YOUR life’s work is, do it WELL.” - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. th

Proud Sponsors of the 28 Annual Kingdom Day Parade American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees (AFSCME) District Council 36 American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 3090 American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 685 American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Local 1521 American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Local 1521A International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States (IATSE) Local 33 International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States (IATSE) Local 728 International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) Local 1014 International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) Local 112

International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 11 International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 18 International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) Joint Council 42 International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT), District Council 36 Laborers International Union of North America (LIUNA) Local 300 Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Healthcare Workers West (UHW) Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 721 Service Employees International Union (SEIU) United Long Term Care Workers (ULTCW) Service Employees International Union (SEIU) United Service Workers West (USWW) United Association (UA) Pipetrades District Council 16 United Food & Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) Local 770 United Steelworkers (USW) Local 675

LOS ANGELES COUNTY FEDERATION OF LABOR, AFL-CIO

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Thursday, January 17, 2013

Obama’s 2nd inauguration smaller, yet still grand

BY NEDRA PICKLER ASSOCIATED PRESS President Barack Obama’s second inauguration is shaping up as a highenergy celebration smaller than his first milestone swearing-in, yet still designed to mark his unprecedented role in American history with plenty

of eye-catching glamour.

A long list of celebrity performers will give the once-every-four years right of democratic passage the air of a star-studded concert, from the bunting-draped Capitol’s west front of the Capitol, where Obama takes the oath Jan. 21, to the Washington Convention Center, which is expected

to be packed with 40,000 ball-goers that evening.

The first family will lead a parade of clanging bands, elaborate floats and marchers, including costumed dancers, prancing horses and military units, down Pennsylvania Avenue.

The president will dance with the first lady, whose dress seems destined to be

AP Photo/Charles Dharapak

In this Jan. 20, 2009, file photo, President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama walk the inaugural parade route in Washington.

AP Photo/Ron Edmonds, File

In this Jan. 20, 2009 file photo, Barack Obama, left, joined by his wife, Michelle, second from left, and daughters Malia, third from left, and Sasha, takes the oath of office from Chief Justice John Roberts to become the 44th president of the United States at the U.S. Capitol in Washington.

most anticipated fashion statement of the second Obama administration.

A new element of the inaugural events will be announced next week, with the appointment of around half a dozen “citizen co-chairs,” community leaders from across the country chosen because they represent the president’s accomplishments and commitments. They will take part in inaugural events throughout the weekend.

Estimates of turnout are 600,000 to 800,000, compared with the 1.8 million in the record crowd on the National Mall four years ago to see the first swearing in of a black president.

The mood of this 57th inauguration will be tempered by the weak economy, high unemployment, the aftermath of the Connecticut elementary school shooting and the long war in Afghanistan that’s expected to require U.S. combat forces through the end of next year.

Yet developments in the last week have shown that inaugural enthusiasm is high.

A limited offering of $60 inaugural ball tickets for the general public sold out quickly, and inauguration planners have tried to crack down on a See INAUGURATION, page 13

AP Photo/Ron Edmonds, File

In this Jan. 20, 2009 file photo, President Barack Obama gives his inaugural address at the U.S. Capitol in Washington.

Thursday, January 17, 2013

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5 arrested in Los Angeles store hostage drama

BY TAMI ABDOLLAH ASSOCIATED PRESS Five people were arrested for a brutal takeover holdup of a clothing store during which 14 employees were held hostage, including one who was

Airport last week while two women were suspected of helping them after the robbery, Police Chief Charlie Beck said at a news conference.

Twenty detectives worked on the case around the clock and all five suspects were identified and arrested last

mine whether to file criminal charges.

Officers were sent to the secondfloor shop on the night of January 10 after a 911 caller said his girlfriend had reported that gunmen were in the store.

Police officers and SWAT team members rushed to the Promenade at Howard Hughes Center, an outdoor shopping center that also has restaurants and a theater.

They entered the store early the next day and found most of the employees in a storage room, although some were hiding elsewhere, said Capt. William Hayes, head of the LAPD’s RobberyHomicide Division.

A woman employee was stabbed in the neck, another was sexually assaulted and others were pushed or manhandled during the hours-long ordeal, police said.

The robbers got away but with very little money.

“This was a huge location with multiple exits. It was very difficult for responding officers to cover all of them,” Beck said.

The getaway car, a sport utility vehicle, was found abandoned a few miles away.

Beck praised the calm of the employees, 13 women and one man who are in their 20s to 40s, as they faced three men armed with handguns.

“The detectives have universally commented on how composed they were and how brave they were,” he said.

The chief said detectives watched

surveillance videos, interviewed witnesses and collected evidence. Four arrests were made last week in Los Angeles, according to the Los Angeles County sheriff’s website.

Troy Marsay Hammock, 29, of Los Angeles, was arrested on suspicion of robbery and was being held without bail for allegedly violating parole, Beck said.

Everett Oneal Allen, 24, of Los Angeles, was arrested on suspicion of

robbery and was held on more than $1 million bail.

Rochelle Monique Sherman, 33, and Paula Roneshia Bradley, 29, both of Los Angeles, were arrested on suspicion of being accessories after the fact and remained jailed on $100,000 bail each.

Raymond Sherman Jr., 34, of Los Angeles, was arrested in Phoenix, Ariz., on suspicion of robbery and was held without bail.

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stabbed and another who was sexually assaulted, police announced Monday.

Three Los Angeles men are believed to be the gunmen who robbed the Nordstrom Rack store at a mall near the Los Angeles International

AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes

Saturday evening, Beck said.

It was not immediately clear whether any of them had obtained attorneys. Beck said investigators planned to send their reports Monday to county prosecutors who will deter-

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Thursday, January 17, 2013

Robin Roberts hoping to be back at ‘GMA’ soon

BY FRAZIER MOORE ASSOCIATED PRESS

AP Photo/ABC, Donna Svennevik, File

This Aug. 20, 2012 file photo released by ABC shows co-host Robin Roberts during a broadcast of “Good Morning America,” in New York. Roberts’ grueling road to recovery will be bringing her back to the “Good Morning America” anchor desk soon.

Robin Roberts’ grueling road to recovery will be bringing her back to the “Good Morning America” anchor desk soon.

Appearing from her home on Monday’s show, Roberts wore a broad smile as she announced that her most recent bone marrow test showed no sign of the life-threatening disease that has kept her off the air for months.

That means she can begin the process of returning to the anchor chair, she said, emphasizing she needs to go through a “process of re-entry.”

She said she hopes to be back “in weeks, not months,” perhaps as soon as February.

“I’m coming home,” she declared during a festive appearance complete with “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” played as a musical accompaniment.

One of Roberts’ physicians, Dr. Gail Roboz, said the test last week gave them the results “we were looking for: Right now, did we get rid of what we started out trying to get rid of?”

She described Roberts’ recovery process as “no vacation — this has been brutal.”

See ROBIN ROBERTS, page 11

Colin Powell says GOP having ‘an identity problem’

Colin Powell ASSOCIATED PRESS Former Secretary of State Colin Powell says his own Republican Party is having “an identity problem.”

The former Joints Chief of Staff chairman who twice endorsed Democrat Barack Obama for president tells NBC’s “Meet the Press” that in recent years there's been “a significant shift to the right,” and

AP Photo

that’s produced two losing presidential campaigns.

He says the GOP needs to “take a very hard look at itself and understand that the country has changed” demographically, and that if the party doesn’t change, “they’re going to be in trouble.” He also bemoans what he calls “a dark vein of intolerance” in some elements of the party.

He describes himself as a moderate but still a Republican.

Link between pot smoking and IQ drop challenged

BY MALCOLM RITTER ASSOCIATED PRESS A new analysis is challenging a report that suggests regular marijuana smoking during the teen years can lead to a long-term drop in IQ. The analysis says the statistical analysis behind that conclusion is flawed.

The original study, reported last August, included more than 1,000 people who’d been born in the town of Dunedin, New Zealand. Their IQ was tested at ages 13 and 38, and they were asked about marijuana use periodically between those ages.

Researchers at Duke University and elsewhere found that participants who’d reported becoming dependent on pot by age 18 showed a drop in IQ score between ages 13 and 38. The findings suggest pot is harmful to the adolescent brain, the researchers said.

Not so fast, says an analysis published online Monday by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Ole Rogeberg of the Ragnar Frisch Center for Economic Research in Oslo, says the IQ trend might have nothing to do with pot. Rather, it may have emerged from differences among the study participants in socioeconomic status, or SES, which involves factors like income, education and occupation, he says.

AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez

He based his paper on a computer simulation. It traced what would happen to IQ scores over time if they were affected by differences in SES in ways suggested by other research, but not by smoking marijuana. He found patterns that looked just like what the Duke study found.

In an interview, Rogeberg said he's not claiming that his alternative explanation is definitely right, just that the methods and evidence in the original study aren’t enough to rule it out. He suggested further analyses the researchers could do.

The Duke scientists, who learned of Rogeberg’s analysis late last week, say they conducted new statistical tests to assess his proposed explanation. Their verdict: It’s wrong.

Rogeberg says they need to do still See POT IQ, page 14

Thursday, January 17, 2013

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President Obama unveils potential gun control reform

BY ERIC LEE LAWT CONTRIBUTING WRITER On Wednesday President Barack Obama took to the podium in Washington to propose legislative actions that will take a comprehensive approach to tackling gun violence in the United States, including universal background checks, an assaults rifles ban, strengthening punishments on gun trafficking, and a ten round limit on magazine clips.

Though these measures are still to be discussed and debated on the congressional floor, the president implemented 23 executive orders that surpass the need for congress approval, taking place immediately. These orders include ending a ban on gun

violence research by federal agencies, reinforcement of the existing background check system, putting more counselors in school, and increasing access to mental health programs.

With the most controversy surrounding gun control law in years, the president’s address was met with mixed reactions. The National Rifle Association (NRA) actually released an advertisement prior to the speech, depicting the executive as a hypocrite for allowing his children to be protected by government agencies while the children of civilians are not. The lobbyist group received immediate backlash from both sides of the political pond, but has yet to retract statements.

Other organizations, such as Mayors Against Illegal Guns, praised Obama

President Barack Obama, accompanied by Vice President Joe Biden, gestures as he talks about proposals to reduce gun violence, Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013, in the South Court Auditorium at the White House in Washington.

AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster

for his efforts to distain violence in America.

As for now, the majority of American people seem to align with the president on gun control. CNN, Time, and ORC released a combined poll claiming that the American populous stands 80/20, 70/30, and 60/40, on matters of universal background checks, magazine clip round limits, and an assault rifle ban respectively.

In fact, the poll showed 55% of Americans to be in favor of new gun laws, while 44 percent are not.

Ironically as the government is receiving praise for the valid attempts to hinder the impact of weapons in our nation, the poll shows many Americans to be skeptical of the new law’s productivity. The poll shows that 61 percent of Americans do not believe gun reform will deter vio-

lence, while 39 percent believe it will.

After the most recent of events, rather aligning with forces in support or against weapons, all sides agree that something needs to be done to make our country safer. It seems as if the issue of gun control will be a major factor in the president’s second term, with the possibility to make or break Obama’s image in the history books decades from now.

®

C E LE BR ATING THE LEGAC Y OF DR . M ARTIN LUTHE R KING JR .

“HIS DREAM WILL NEVER DIE” The Los Angeles Dodgers and Co-Grand Marshal Matt Kemp are honored to sponsor the 2013 Martin Luther King Jr. parade celebrating the legacy of a great civil rights hero.

Line up with us to salute another great hero who led the brave revolution of the Civil Rights movement.

JAC KI E RO B I NSO N N I G HT DODGERS vs . PA DRES MO N DAY, A P R I L 15 @ 7:10 PM

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F E AT U R E

Thursday, January 17, 2013

L.A. Watts Times WEEKENDER

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

IN RETROSPECT President Lyndon B. Johnson meets with Martin Luther King, Jr. in the White House Cabinet Room, 18 March 1966. Photo by Yoichi R. Okamoto,White House Press Office (WHPO)

Right: Montgomery, Ala. — King, center, rides a newly integrated bus Dec. 21, 1956. In front of King, left, is the Rev. Ralph D. Abernathy, and to King’s right is the Rev. Glenn Smiley of New York. (AP Photo)

Visitors gather at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in Washington on Sunday, Jan. 15, 2012, for a wreath laying ceremony at the monument of the civil rights leader in observance of his of 83rd birthday-anniversary.

(AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)Office (WHPO)

Cover Photo: Martin Luther King speaks in Atlanta in 1960.

(AP Photo)

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. reacts in St. Augustine, Fla., after learning that the senate passed the civil rights bill, June 19, 1964. (AP Photo) Photo: Anonymous, STF

Left: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his wife, Coretta Scott King, sit with three of their four children in their Atlanta, Ga, home, on March 17, 1963. From left are: Martin Luther King III, 5, Dexter Scott, 2, and Yolanda Denise, 7. (AP Photo/Beaumont)

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Thursday, January 17, 2013

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Left: Washington — King gives his “I Have a Dream” speech.

“We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence.” (AP Photo)

Above: Montgomery, Ala. — The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. is welcomed by his wife, Coretta, after he leaves court in Montgomery, Ala., on March 22, 1956. King was found guilty of conspiracy to boycott city buses in a campaign to desegregate the bus system, but a judge suspended his $500 fine. (AP Photo/Gene Herrick)

Left: Heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali is shown conferring March 29, 1967 with Dr. Martin Luther King, and King said later, the sooner this country does away with the draft, the better off we’ll be. Ali was here for his court suit to prevent his Army induction April 28 in Houston.

The court refused, however, to block his callup. (AP Photo)

Below: Washington — Martin Luther King Jr. acknowledges the crowd at the Lincoln Memorial, where he delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech during the March on Washington. (AP Photo)

Georgia — The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and his wife, Coretta, lead a march. (AP)

Below: Boston — King uses a bullhorn to address a crowd. In Boston to lead a civil rights march, he toured the city’s Roxbury section to see schools in a predominantly African American district and urged people to participate in the march. (AP Photo)

Left: Memphis, Tenn. — The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. stands with other civil rights leaders on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel a day before his assassination. From left are Hosea Williams, Jesse Jackson, King and Ralph Abernathy. (AP Photo)

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Thursday, January 17, 2013

MSNBC sees viewership gains in Black audience

Latest American conspiracy theory claims Newtown mass shooting a hoax

BY LEE-ANNE GOODMAN ASSOCIATED PRESS

Courtesy Photo

BY ZENITHA PRINCE SPECIAL TO THE NNPA FROM THE AFRO-AMERICAN NEWSPAPER MSNBC had a banner year in 2012, seeing a 20 percent increase in ratings overall. The boost was fueled, undoubtedly, by the 2012 presidential campaign, but there was another major factor: Black viewership.

The cable news channel announced that its already robust Black audience increased by 60.5 percent to 284,000 in 2012 from 177,000 in 2011, and now comprises 31.4 percent of their total audience.

Among Black viewers, MSNBC outshined its major competitors: CNN saw a 23.7 percent increase (to 162,000 in 2012 from 131,000 in 2011) while FOX News saw a 23.7 percent decrease (to 29,000 in 2012 from 38,000 in 2011).

“I think we made a commitment, we decided, that in order for this channel to succeed, that we had to reflect the country. This meant that we had to be part of the country in ways that the other channels weren’t,” MSNBC President Phil Griffin told Mediaite.com.

Black viewers were likely drawn by the channel’s progressive approach to current issues, but also by the “look” of the network. The array of diverse on-air talents

includes hosts Tamron Hall, Touré, Melissa Harris-Perry, and Rev. Al Sharpton, and contributors such as Joy Reid, Goldie Taylor, Karen Finney, Prof. Michael Eric Dyson, former RNC Chairman Michael Steele, Eugene Robinson, and Jonathan Capehart.

“We have a diverse on-air group of people,” Griffin said, “because that matters, and people want to know that we reflect their world. And it’s not just a single show—it’s across the board. You look at the guests every hour and we make sure that we have women, African Americans, everything, and I think to spend a day watching MSNBC is to see America as we have seen it.”

That diversity was not calculated solely to increase numbers, Griffin added, but was a natural outgrowth of the channel’s core philosophies.

“It wasn’t like we said ‘Oh, we have to have a diverse person on here and there,’” he said. “We made a decision. We made a commitment in ideas, issues and everything – the audience followed, and that goes back to four or five years ago. As we grew, we recognized that it was the right thing to do. It’s giving a voice to people in these kinds of programs who don’t always get a voice. Our look is as diverse as any on mainstream TV. I’m incredibly proud of it.”

KINGDOM DAY PARADE Continued from page 2 Gossett Jr. are scheduled to participate as well as Leroya Sanford, Beth Tayne and Harold Williams from the entertainment industry.

Radio station KJLH, LAUSD Beyond The Bell Program, AEG, Los Angeles Dodgers, 7-11 Corp., McDonalds, BP and Ace Beverage are among the contributing sponsors for the parade.

“The important things is that people realize that without the support of a great team that features DaShon Williams, Grandmaster Chun and Del Huff this task would have been impossible,” said Adrian Dove, chairman of the Kingdom Day Parade.

Event organizers decided to move the date to Saturday for the first time in the history of the event to accommodate the Inauguration of President Obama which will take place on Monday Jan. 21.

Among this year’s highlights that will be televised by KABC 7, are

floats such as the late Henry Armstrong Memorial Float, which is a recreation of a full boxing ring.

Other prominent entrants include The Clinic float, a float by SEIU Local 721 and the always-popular Teamsters semi-truck.

An estimated crowd of more than 300,000 are expected to follow the route that covers 3.1 miles and is scheduled to last roughly two hours, concluding with a festival at Leimert Park.

The Kingdom Day Parade is considered among the most prestigious and longest running events celebrating Dr. King’s legacy in the nation, beginning 32 years ago in San Diego under the guidance of the late Grant.

Grant will be memorialized along with his idol during an event that he dedicated his life to, and on Saturday Jan. 19 it is surely ready to roll just as if he would have it himself.

The United States has long been a breeding ground for conspiracy theorists, spurred by an often-violent history riddled, in particular, with shadowy political assassinations.

But the latest conspiracy movement seems custom-made to underscore the need for a national debate on mental illness. Some of the Sandy Hook Truthers, as they’ve been dubbed, believe last month's mass shooting in Newtown, Conn., was a hoax.

The Obama administration perpetrated the hoax, the conspiracy theorists claim, in order to ratchet up support for tougher gun control measures.

They call themselves Operation Terror, and many of the movement's adherents appear to have ties to the socalled 9-11 truthers who have long held that the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, were an inside job by the George W. Bush administration.

Their theories on the Dec. 14 shooting in Sandy Hook appear to lack any basis in fact, reality or common sense. But Google Trends suggests the movement is gaining momentum with both a Florida college professor and a libertarian Fox News anchor in Cincinnati questioning the official narrative on the events.

On various websites and blogs, some Sandy Hook truthers crow about the “smoking gun” they say proves the shooting was a hoax — a photo of President Barack Obama, backstage at a Newtown vigil two days after the shooting, a young blonde girl sitting on his lap.

They insist the girl is six-year-old Emilie Parker, one of the 20 child victims of the shooting. The Sandy Hook truthers claim her parents slipped up in their participation in the hoax, and allowed their eldest daughter to cuddle up to Obama.

“The story that she was killed at Sandy Hook is not possible, because here she is sitting on the president’s lap after the shooting,” intones the narrator of a YouTube video, one of dozens of its kind, this one the recipient of more than 260,000 web hits.

In fact, it’s the dead girl’s little sister.

The child’s father, Robbie Parker, was also faking his profound despair when he tearfully addressed the media shortly after his daughter's murder, the believers claim, and was reading from cue cards.

The family members of the massacre’s tiniest victims aren’t the only ones being accused of such unthinkable fraud as they continue to grieve.

A town resident who sheltered six youngsters after they fled Sandy Hook Elementary School in terror is even facing harassment from some of the conspiracy theorists.

Gene Rosen, a 69-year-old pet-sitter, told Salon.com this week that he’s getting phone calls and emails accusing him of fabricating his story.

One email read: “How are all those

Gary Hunter for LAWT

Newtown, CT - A memorial for victims of the Newtown massacre. little students doing? You know, the ones that showed up at your house after the ‘shooting.’ What is the going rate for getting involved in a governmentsponsored hoax anyway?”

Police are investigating the harassment. Rosen, who also comforted a frantic mother who came to his door looking for her deceased child, told Salon he’s furious at anyone who believes in such an outrageous conspiracy theory.

“There must be some way to morally shame these people, because there were 20 dead children lying an eighth of a mile from my window all night long,” he said.

“I am rageful about it, both for the children and for the mother of the child who came to my house looking for her son.”

Other Newtown conspiracy theorists allege there were four perpetrators from Israeli special forces, and that it wasn’t children who died, but a secret United Nations delegation.

Fox News’s Ben Swann is among those doubting Adam Lanza was the only shooter.

A Florida college professor also suggested on his personal blog that the Sandy Hook shooting may not have played out the way many believe it did — if it happened at all.

“I said that there may very well be elements of that event that are synthetic to some degree, that are somewhat contrived,” James Tracy, of Florida Atlantic University, recently told a local TV station in Boca Raton.

“I think that, overall, the media really did drop the ball. I don’t think that the media have gotten to the bottom of some of the things that may have taken place there.”

Conspiracy theories, indeed, are part of the national fabric of the United States.

A veritable cottage industry still surrounds the assassination of John F. Kennedy almost 50 years ago, with alleged culprits ranging from the CIA to the mob, Fidel Castro and Lyndon Johnson, or a combination of them all.

One book even alleged a UFO connection.

During the Cold War, some believed Republican president Dwight

D. Eisenhower was a Communist plant.

The 9-11 truthers assert that the twin towers of the World Trade Center in lower Manhattan were brought down by timed explosions by those working for the Bush administration. And it was a guided missile that hit the Pentagon, not a jetliner, they allege.

More recently, the so-called birther movement advanced the theory that Obama was born in Kenya, not in Hawaii, and is therefore an illegitimate president.

One expert on the American conspiracy theory phenomenon points out, however, that throughout the course of U.S. history, there have been no shortage of massive government cover ups — and they’ve only served to encourage skeptics.

“There have been so many welldocumented conspiracies in American history,” James Broderick, a professor at New Jersey City University, said in an interview.

Broderick points to everything from weapons of mass destruction to Lance Armstrong’s admission of longtime drug use after years of denials and Robert F. Kennedy’s recent acknowledgement that his family has long believed the official government report on JFK’s assassination was a whitewash.

“It does seem appalling the way conspiracy theorists, and many people in general, try to exploit for their own petty political purposes a national tragedy — it's sickening and disgraceful,” said Broderick, the co-author of the 2008 book “Web of Conspiracy.”

“But what the 9-11 truthers told me is what’s truly sickening and disgraceful is to not look deeper, to just accept pat answers without asking questions.”

Some of the people advancing theories of more than one shooter in Newtown might have their hearts in the right place, Broderick said.

“But of course there’s also a segment who are just angry at the government and at Obama all the time — the people who believe he’s a Muslim and a fascist and everything else — and they have jumped on the bandwagon, posted terrible things on the web and tried to fuel the fires in the most shameful ways.”

opinion

Thursday, January 17, 2013

11

BUSINESS EXCHANGE

The way we were RGIII Takes Care of Business in 2012

BY WILLIAM REED NNPA COLUMNIST

African-American sports pundit, Rob Parker created a clamor and got himself suspended for saying on live television: “My question is … Is he a brother or is he a cornball brother?

He’s not real… He’s kinda Black, but he’s … off into something else… I keep hearing these things… he has a White fiancé…there’s this talk … he’s a Republican.”

Robert Griffin III’s reply to the criticism was: “I don’t want to be the best African-American quarterback; I want to be the best quarterback. But to fans … who think that way and look at me as an African-American, it’s important I succeed for them.”

Race is still a category that separates and divides us, but the image and illusion around RGIII is evidence that some of the historical boundaries that separate the races are breaking down.

RGIII is that All-American guy next door that you root for even if he plays for a team not your own. It’s been an incredible National Football League (NFL) rookie campaign for the Redskin quarterback. The number of RGIII jerseys sold by the NFL is more than any other player in a single year since the NFL began keeping track.

Griffin III broke the record previously held by Brett Favre. Griffin wears number 10 for the Redskins, with “Griffin III” on his back. This makes him the first player in the history of the “Big Four” professional sports leagues NFL, MLB, NHL and NBA to have a

AP Photo/Nick Wass

Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III smiles as he wears a NFC East Division Champions hat after an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys Monday, Dec. 31, 2012, in Landover, Md. The Redskins won 28-18, securing a playoff berth.

Roman numeral on the back of his jersey, as the NFL changed the rule in 2012 to allow players to include generational titles in their names. Griffin previously had “Griffin III” on the back of his jersey while in college, which was actually necessary in order to distinguish him from the other Robert Griffin on the Baylor team.

After being drafted second by the

AP Photo/Alex Brandon

Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III throws a pass during an NFL preseason football game against the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday, Aug. 25, 2012, in Landover, Md.

Washington Redskins, RGIII signed a four-year $21.2 million contract that had a $13.8 million signing bonus.

Andrew Luck was drafted first by the Indianapolis Colts and got a slightly bigger team contract. But, Griffin has made more money with the endorsement deals he has with Castrol Motor Oil, EA Sports, Subway, Gatorade, Nissan and Adidas. A Masters Degree candidate in communications, RGIII has become a media darling.

Griffin is a force to be reckoned with. He’s now the face of one of the most storied NFL franchises in one of the nation’s top 10 media markets. He’s got personality, skills, a big smile, and plenty of talent. Overall, marketers have been extremely impressed with Griffin’s poise in interviews and remembering brand message points.

In regards to Griffin’s “White fiancé,” studies say that interracial marriages “are good for society.” Among opposite-sex married couples, one in 10 (5.4 million couples) are interracial.

In 2010, multiracial Americans numbered 9 million, or 2.9 percent of the total population – but 5.6 percent of the multiracial population is under 18.

Griffin III met his fiancée, Rebecca Liddicoat, at Baylor. He proposed to her in 2010. She’s White, and “a total non-issue” among the parents. “She doesn’t see him as African American; she sees him as a man,” Griffin’s mom told the Washington Post. Jacqueline.

And Robert Griffin, Jr. say that in their household, “faith development was essential” and that “He doesn’t see her as a Caucasian woman; he sees her as a woman.”

RGIII was born in Okinawa, Japan.

In 1997 the family settled in Copperas Cove, Texas, were RGIII attended high school and was a three-sport star in basketball, football, and track and named to USA Today’s 2007 All-USA Track and Field team.

Griffin has to be considered “quite a catch.” RGIII graduated high school a semester early after being “class president” and “7th place” in the class. He began attending Baylor University during the spring 2008 semester when he was 17. While a member of Baylor’s track and field teams, Griffin graduated in three years with a degree in political science and a 3.67 GPA. Griffin made the Dean’s List twice.

William Reed is head of the Business Exchange Network and available for speaking/seminar projects through the Bailey Group.org.

ROBIN ROBERTS Continued from page 6 The good news came 138 days after Roberts’ September bone marrow transplant. The donor for the 52-yearold Roberts was her older sister, SallyAnn. “Her cells continue to make themselves at home in my body,” Roberts said.

In June, she disclosed that she had MDS, a blood and bone marrow disease. Her last day on “GMA” was Aug. 30 before she began extended medical leave from the ABC morning show, which last summer overtook longtime ratings leader “Today.”

“I haven’t been live on television since the end of August,” she reminded

her colleagues Monday. “My heart is beating so fast right now. But that means I’m alive. I’m alive!”

Roberts hasn’t exactly been absent from “GMA.” Reports on her condition have been faithfully showcased on the show, maybe to excess in the minds of some observers.

Pressed for details by her coanchor, George Stephanopoulos, Roberts likened her return to an athlete getting back on the field after an injury.

“They don’t go right back into the starting lineup. They go to practice, they throw the ball, and see how their body reacts,” she explained.

One preliminary step: “I got up at 4

a.m. this morning,” she said proudly.

“I’ve got to get back on ‘GMA’ time.”

Next week, she will go through a dry run: arriving at the studio and getting into makeup as if she were about to do the show, but stopping short of actually going on camera. It will be a test to see how her body reacts to the stress of being back in the studio environment, she said, adding that she will even need to re-accustom her skin to the studio lights.

After the dry run, Roberts and her doctors will evaluate her status to further pinpoint a return date.

“We’re going to take it step by step,” she said.

BY CHERYL PEARSON-MCNEIL NNPA COLUMNIST Our brand new year is in full swing – full of promise and new beginnings.

Even as we move forward with shining, new resolve, it’s always fun to look back at our consumer behaviors and trends over the previous 12 months. Let’s start with how we rang in the New Year. No matter how you brought in 2013, chances are it involved an effervescent, grown-up libation. You are not alone.

It will probably come as no surprise to you that consumers around the world celebrated with a lot of cork popping on New Year’s Eve. Here in the U.S., we enjoyed our bubbly throughout the year.

Sparkling wine sales are strong, rising Cheryl Pearson-McNeil 4.6 percent over the last 52 weeks. It will also come as no surprise that the data shows that the last eight weeks of the year – the holiday season – account for one-third of annual sales.

Our palates and our pocketbooks have an array of choices in the sparkling wine category in both country of origin (real champagne only comes from the champagne region of France; other countries, like ours, use the Méthode Champenoise) and price point. The biggest sparkling wine seller throughout the year is the $10-25 category. However, the report shows that folks are willing to spring for a little more over the holidays, as sparkling wines in the $20-$60 range triple in sales during this time versus the rest of the year. Let’s see how some of your favorites stacked up in 2012: Prosecco: This Italian favorite, averaging $11.78 a bottle, has grown almost 40 percent over the last 52 weeks; garnering eight percent of sparkling wine sales, up two points from this time last year.

Sparkling Moscato: This sweet, fizzy offering, which goes for under $10, is also gaining sales growth in the sparkling wine segment. No wonder, it grew over 100 percent in the last 12 months and now accounts for almost six percent of sparkling wine sales, double its share a year ago.

Rosé Sparkling Wines: These wines are a bit pricier at more than $17 per bottle. But, their sales are also growing in the realm of sparkling wines, carving out nine percent of sales. Overall sales for this choice grew three and half percent over the last 52 weeks.

I don’t like the taste of alcohol, so I very rarely indulge and it’s simply not worth the calories. But there is an exception to every rule and for me, Moscato is it.

Let’s move on to entertainment trends for 2012. Again, you can see if any of your favorites (or your kids’) made the cut. Did your dollars contribute to the successes? Remember, that’s something to consider, because your consumer dollars make these rankings possible; which, of course, influence the decisionmakers. The compiled lists are pretty extensive, so I’m just going to give you a couple of categories here. As always, I invite you to visit Nielsen’s website for more information.

Top DVD Titles of 2012 1.

“Avengers” 2.

“Hunger Games” 3.

“Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1” 4.

“Brave” 5.

“Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax” 6.

“Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows” 7.

“Puss in Boots” 8.

“Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked” 9.

“Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted” 10. “Hop” Now, let me just preface the adult fiction rankings for book sales by saying you have got to give props to E.L. James for giving such a major shot-in-the-arm to the publishing industry, and for almost sweeping this entire category – no matter how you feel about her erotic trilogy of books. (Umm while flying, I saw many passengers trying to cover up the fact that they were reading one of these hot tomes on the plane. Mmm-hmmm). People, if you’re over 21, there should be no shame in your game. Here’s how the adult fiction category broke out: Top 10 Print Book Sales of 2012 – Adult Fiction 1. “Fifty Shades of Gray” (trade paperback) E.L. James 2. “Fifty Shades Darker” (trade paperback) E.L. James 3. “Fifty Shades Freed” (trade paperback) E.L. James 4. “Fifty Shades Trilogy” (boxed Set) E.L. James 5. “Gone Girl” (hardcover) Gillian Flynn 6. “The Casual Vacancy” (hardcover) J.K. Rowling 7. “Bared to You” (trade paperback) Sylvia Day 8. “The Racketeer” (hard cover) John Grisham 9. “The Lucky One” (mass market paperback) Nicholas Sparks 10. “The Last Boyfriend” (trade paperback) Nora Roberts I hope your New Year’s Resolution was to continue to wield your consumer power with every choice you make!

Cheryl Pearson-McNeil is senior vice president of public affairs and government relations for Nielsen. For more information and studies, please visit www.nielsenwire.com.

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Thursday, January 17, 2013

Dennis Haysbert talks ‘LUV’ Adorned by the Much love for new film, LUV, with Common, Danny Glover, Charles Dutton and Dennis Haysbert Grammys: Miguel has breakthrough

AP Photo/Danny Moloshok

Actor Dennis Haysbert poses the premiere of “LUV” during the 2012 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah on Monday, Jan. 23, 2012.

BY SANDRA VARNER TALK2SV.COM CONTRIBUTING WRITER He was cast as David Palmer, president of the most powerful country in the world on the smash TV hit, 24; and, his commanding baritone voice can be heard daily in nationally televised commercials for All State

Insurance.

On inauguration weekend, Bay Area (San Mateo) native Dennis Haysbert (Wreck-It-Ralph, Breach, Jarhead) costars alongside a band of celebrated colleagues in the new crime drama, LUV, touted as rapper/actor/advocate Common’s first dramatic lead.

LUV is a timeless classic with a

MOVING M OVI V NG AND POWERFUL! POWE ERFUL!

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A NE NEW W CONTEMPORARY C NTEMPOR ARY CL CO C CLASSIC ASSIC.” Shawn Edwards, FOX-TV

COMMON MICHAEL RAINEY JR.

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S HELDON CANDIS

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contemporary, masculine gloss.

SYNOPSIS: An 11-year-old boy gets a crash course in what it means to be a man when he spends a day with the uncle he idolizes in LUV, a poignant and gritty coming-of-age story featuring standout performances by Danny Glover, Charles S. Dutton and newcomer Michael Rainey Jr. With his mother in rehab and his father out of the picture, young Woody Watson (Rainey Jr.) lives with his grandmother (Lonette McKee) in suburban Baltimore and longs for his family to be reunited. His charismatic Uncle Vincent (Common) has recently returned home after eight years in prison, determined to straighten out his life by opening a high-end crab shack that will establish him as a solid citizen with a legitimate future.

One day, instead of dropping Woody off at school, Vincent decides to give the boy a tutorial on how a man gets things done. After a trip to a tailor to get Woody a custom-fitted suit, the pair heads to the bank to sign off on the loan Vincent needs to fulfill his dreams. But when his meeting with a bank officer puts the brakes on his plans, Vincent has no one to turn to for help but his former associates, including Baltimore crime boss Mr. Fish (Haysbert) and his brother Arthur (Glover).

A day that begins with a parkinglot driving lesson and Woody’s first oyster takes a desperate turn when Fish insists Vincent run one more drug deal to demonstrate his loyalty. Soon Vincent finds himself pulled back into the violent world he is trying to escape—and Woody has to decide whether to follow his hero…or become his own man. Running time is 94 minutes.

LUV is directed by Sheldon Candis from a script by Candis and Justin Wilson.

Additional cast includes Meagan Good (TV’s Deception, Stomp the Yard, “Californication”), and Michael Kenneth Williams (“The Wire,” “Boardwalk Empire”).

My conversation with Dennis Haysbert: Sandra Varner/Talk2SV: LUV is an intriguing story with a fresh approach. Yes, we’ve seen the perils of poor decisions, miss-steps and predictable outcomes of drugs and the like. It all takes place in a 24-hourperiod; certainly you have experience in storytelling. Share your analysis of this film.

Haysbert: Yes, as well miss-steps with relatives. Well from my perspective, Mr. Fish, my character’s perspective, he always treated Vincent (Common) like a son, at the very least, a younger brother that he brought up in the business. When my business gets popped, Vincent took the rap and went to jail for it. He’s released early, which leads me to wonder what he has done or said to get out so early. So I think he’s betrayed me. Thus, I send him out on a fool’s errand and I wait to see the results of that.

Talk2SV: You talk about what your character’s feelings are about betrayal yet so much of the story centers on trust; the trust that obviously See HAYSBERT, page 15

Photo by Amy Sussman/Invision/AP Images

In this Friday, Jan. 4, 2013 photo, American recording artist, songwriter and producer, Miguel, poses for a portrait, in New York. Miguel is nominated for five Grammy Awards, including song of the year for his No. 1 R&B hit, “Adorn,” and best urban contemporary album for his sophomore release, “Kaleidoscope Dream.” The Grammys air Feb. 10, 2013.

BY MESFIN FEKADU ASSOCIATED PRESS When record executive Mark Pitts heard “Sure Thing,” a song Miguel wrote for possible inclusion on an album by Usher, Pitts felt there was something special about the young songwriter. Then he heard “Quickie,” another song from Miguel, and Pitts knew he had to meet the man behind these infectious R&B jams.

“He came and performed and just had no fear. I loved him,” said Pitts, president of urban music at RCA Records. “He was like Elvis. He was all over the place at the time, but it was just different. With a little tweaking, this could be special.”

Instead of giving the songs to Usher, Pitts gave Miguel a recording contract. The 25-year-old kept the songs for his 2010 debut album, “All I Want Is You,” and the tracks became R&B hits. “Sure Thing” was 2011’s top R&B song.

Now the singer who almost fell behind the scenes is nominated for the coveted song of the year Grammy with “Adorn,” his third No. 1 hit on the R&B charts. The song is Miguel’s crossover single to pop territory and is from his sophomore album, “Kaleidoscope Dream.”

“Interestingly I’ve only more recently realized how big of a deal it is,” he said of the top category nomination, which pits him against No. 1 pop smashes from Carly Rae Jepsen and Kelly Clarkson. “I think it’s nothing short of a blessing. I’m like, ‘Wow. Of the year? Of the year? Really?’”

And that’s just one of his five nominations.

“Kaleidoscope Dream” is up for best urban contemporary album, a new category where Miguel will compete with Frank Ocean’s “channel ORANGE” and “Fortune” by Chris

Brown. “Adorn” is also up for best R&B song and best R&B performance, while “Lotus Flower Bomb,” his collaboration with rapper Wale, is nominated for best rap song.

Like his debut, L.A.-based Miguel tackles various sounds on his latest album. He describes his music as “dangerous” and “quietly killing.” He combines R&B vocals with smooth beats at times and electro-flavored ones at others. “Adorn” is a mellow R&B outtake, as is his latest single, “Do You ...” But he also meshes funk, electric and rock sounds on his album, and he’s drawn comparisons to Prince, thanks to his futuristic vibe; shiny, fitted fashion ensembles; trendy hairstyle; and electrifying stage presence.

But Miguel’s debut didn’t splash like his latest album: He didn’t earn any Grammy nominations, though he had produced multiple R&B hits and toured with Mary J. Blige and Usher.

Miguel says he was more confident when he recorded his recent album.

“I trusted myself so much more this time. I just felt a lot sturdier and kind of went with my gut on a lot of things,” he said of “Kaleidoscope Dream,” which made several critics’ best records of 2012 lists. “I had a good idea, but I don't know if I knew how to convey the idea the best way and the most honest way, and it took that first album for me to learn the ropes.”

Miguel’s growth also comes from songwriting: He co-wrote three songs on Usher’s “Raymond v. Raymond,” co-wrote the Blige and Musiq Soulchild duet “Ifuleave” and Jaheim’s “Finding My Way Back.” He’s also expanding his audience: He recently wrapped up a tour with R&B crooner Trey Songz, and is the opening act for Alicia Keys’ “Set the World on Fire Tour,” which kicks off March 7 in See MIGUEL, page 15

Thursday, January 17, 2013

13

Review: A$AP Rocky is impressive on debut album

BY JONATHAN LANDRUM JR. ASSOCIATED PRESS Rapper A$AP Rocky meshes his laid-back lyrical persona with a melodic sound, delivering an impressive piece of work with just a few flaws on his debut a l b u m , “Long.Live.A$AP.” Much of the 12track set is an easy listen with solid production from Jim RCA Records Jonsin, Hit-Boy, T- A$AP Rocky, “Long.Live.A$AP” Minus and Clams Casino. The 24-year-old, who hails from Harlem, N.Y., raps with abstract rhymes and metaphors that are easy to grasp on songs like “Goldie” and “Phoenix.” He shows an abundant amount of bravado on “LVL,” declaring his emergence as hip-hop’s next big star. And he holds his own on the catchy hit, “(Expletive) Problems,” which features Drake, Kendrick Lamar and 2 Chainz.

The only thing missing from “Long.Live.A$AP” is a theme or story line to help us learn more about A$AP Rocky and what he stands for as an artist.

INAUGURATION Continued from page 4 scalping business that’s sprung up online. There’s an impressive list of celebrities, including Beyoncé, Katy Perry and Usher, who have signed on to perform.

While organizers said Obama was cutting back the number of balls from 10 last time to just two this year, The Associated Press has learned that they are expecting more than 35,000 to attend the larger of the two and 4,000 to attend a ball in honor of U.S. troops — double the size of four years ago.

Another factor that could increase turnout is the unseasonably warm weather in Washington. Early forecasts indicate that Obama will be taking the oath of office while the temperature is in the 40s, with hardly any chance of precipitation.

Steve Kerrigan, president and CEO of the Presidential Inaugural Committee, said that just because the festivities are going to be smaller doesn’t mean they are going to be any less significant.

“What we’ve been seeing from the very beginning is a passion and energy for this inaugural because people want to be a part of history,” Kerrigan said. “This is a moment that’s only happened 56 other times.”

Obama’s speech gives him a moment to command the world's attention on a level that’s rare even for a president.

If history is any guide, Obama will try to put behind the divisive election. He has the State of the Union three weeks later to make his points on taxes, guns, immigration and other issues. It’s a good bet this day will be a patriotic love letter to America.

“Second inaugurals are often a kind of victory lap speech in a lot of ways, that would go back to Thomas Jefferson in 1805,” said presidential historian Leo Ribuffo of George

Washington University. “Presidents are often reflecting on accomplishments of the administration and the challenges that will continue into the second term.”

The 2009 inauguration will be remembered as a milestone for a nation built on slavery and bloodstained by the civil rights movement.

But Obama clearly has that historical context in mind for his second goround, as evidenced by the Bibles he chose to place his left hand on while taking the oath of office — one owned by Abraham Lincoln and one

by Martin Luther King Jr. Their selection is especially symbolic because Obama’s second inauguration comes on the federal holiday marking King’s birthday and in a milestone anniversary year involving both men. It was 150 years ago when Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation to end slavery, and 50 years ago when King delivered his “I Had a Dream” speech from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial — a monument that will be straight ahead in Obama’s sight as he speaks to his country.

“We’ve got the Bible of the great emancipator on top of the Bible of the leader of the civil rights movement for an African- American president to take the oath of office,” Kerrigan said. “It’s an amazing moment that people want to touch and feel and be a part of.”

The inauguration will transform Washington, where most federal offices would be closed for the King holiday, by shutting down streets downtown and bringing regular daily life in the city to a halt. Viewing stands are set up along Pennsylvania Avenue for the parade from the Capitol to the White House. Street lamps will be removed, then replaced at the day’s end.

Louis Gossett Jr. honored

by UT human rights group ASSOCIATED PRESS Oscar-winning actor Louis Gossett Jr. has become the first out-of-state resident honored by a Utah human rights group.

The 76-year-old Gossett received the Drum Major Award from the Martin Luther King Jr. Utah Human Rights Commission during a luncheon last Friday in West Valley City.

Then-Gov. Michael Leavitt signed an executive order creating the commission in 1999 in an effort to promote principles of human rights.

Gossett stressed the importance of education and being sensitive to other cultures during an address to a crowd of about 200.

Gossett has appeared in dozens of films. He won an Oscar for best supporting actor in 1983 for his portrayal of the no-nonsense Navy flight school sergeant who whips Richard Gere into shape in “An Officer and a Gentleman.”

Louis Gossett Jr

© 2012 UNIVERSAL STUDIOS

STARTS FR FRIDAY RID DAY, JANUARY Y 18

CHECK LOCAL LISTING LISTINGS GS FOR THEATERS AND SHOWTIMES SHOW WT TIMES

14

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Story of Te’o girlfriend death apparently a hoax

AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki, File

In this Oct. 27, 2012, file photo, Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o stands on the sidelines during an NCAA college football game against Oklahoma in Norman, Okla.

BY TOM COYNE ASSOCIATED PRESS The wrenching story of Notre Dame football star Manti Te’o’s girlfriend dying of leukemia — a loss he said inspired him to play his best all the way to the BCS championship — was dismissed by the school as a hoax perpetrated against the linebacker.

Notre Dame said Wednesday night it believes Te’o was duped into an online relationship with a woman whose “death” was then faked by the perpetrators of the hoax.

The school made the statement following a lengthy story by Deadspin.com, saying it could find no record that Lennay Kekua ever existed.

“This is incredibly embarrassing to talk about, but over an extended period of time, I developed an emotional relationship with a woman I met online,” Te’o said in a statement. “We maintained what I thought to be an authentic relationship by communicating frequently online and on the phone, and I grew to care deeply about her.”

However, he stopped short of saying he had ever met her in person or correcting reports that said he had, though he did on numerous occasions talk about how special the relationship was to him.

“To realize that I was the victim of what was apparently someone’s sick joke and constant lies was, and is, painful and humiliating,” he said.

“In retrospect, I obviously should have been much more cautious. If anything good comes of this, I hope it is that others will be far more guarded when they engage with people online than I was.”

Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick said at a news conference that Te’o told coaches on Dec. 26 he had received a call while at an awards ceremony earlier in the month from Kekua’s phone number.

“When he answered it, it was a person whose voice sounded like the same person he had talked to, who told him that she was, in fact, not dead. Manti was very unnerved by that, as you might imagine,” Swarbrick said.

Swarbrick said the school hired investigators and their report indicated those behind the hoax were in contact

with each other, discussing what they were doing.

The investigators “were able to discover online chatter among the perpetrators that was certainly the ultimate proof of this, the joy they were taking,” Swarbrick said. “The casualness among themselves they were talking about what they accomplished.”

Swarbrick said for Te’o “the pain was real.”

“The grief was real. The affection was real,” he said. “That’s the nature of this sad, cruel game.”

Swarbrick said Notre Dame did not take the matter to the police, saying that the school left it up to Te’o and his family to do so. He added that Notre Dame did not plan to release the findings of its investigation.

“We had no idea of motive, and that was really significant to us. ... Was somebody trying to create an NCAA violation at the core of this? Was there somebody trying to impact the outcome of football games by manipulating the emotions of a key player? Was there an extortion request coming? When you match the lack of sort of detail we lacked until we got some help investigating it with the risk involved, it was clear to me until we knew more we had to just to continue to work to try to gather the facts,” Swarbrick said.

The Deadspin report changed all that.

Friends and relatives of Ronaiah Tuiasosopo, a high school classmate of Te’o, told Deadspin they believe he created Kekua. She does not have a death certificate, Deadspin reported. Stanford, where she reportedly went to school, has no record of anybody by that name, the website said. Attempts by The Associated Press to reach Tuiasosopo by telephone were unsuccessful.

Deadspin said a record search produced no obituary or funeral announcement. There is no record of her birth in the news.

There are a few Twitter and Instagram accounts registered to Lennay Kekua, but the website reported photographs identified as Kekua online and in TV news reports are pictures from the social-media accounts of a 22-year-old California woman who is not named Lennay Kekua, the website reported.

Still, Swarbrick said, “Nothing about what I have learned has shaken my faith in Manti Te'o one iota.”

Te’o talked freely about their relationship after her supposed death and how much she meant to him.

In a story that appeared in The South Bend Tribune on Oct. 12, Manti’s father, Brian, recounted an anecdote about how his son and Kekua met after Notre Dame had played at Stanford in 2009.

Brian Te’o also told the newspaper that Kekua had visited Hawaii and met with his son. Brian Te’o told the AP in an interview in October that he and his wife had never met Manti’s girlfriend but they had hoped to at the Wake Forest game in November. The father said he believed the relationship was just beginning to get serious when she died.

The Tribune released a statement saying: “At the Tribune, we are as stunned by these revelations as everyone else. Indeed, this season we reported the story of this fake girlfriend and her death as details were given to us by Te’o, members of his family and his coaches at Notre Dame.”

The week before Notre Dame played Michigan State on Sept. 15, coach Brian Kelly told reporters when asked that Te’o’s grandmother and a friend had died. Te’o didn’t miss the game. He said Kekua had told him not to miss a game if she died. Te’o turned in one of his best performances of the season in the 20-3 victory in East Lansing, and his playing through heartache became a prominent theme during the Irish’s undefeated regular season.

“My family and my girlfriend’s family have received so much love and support from the Notre Dame family,” he said after that game. “Michigan State fans showed some love. And it goes to show that people understand that football is just a game, and it’s a game that we play, and we have fun doing it. But at the end of the day, what matters is the people who are around you, and family.

I appreciate all the love and support that everybody’s given my family and my girlfriend’s family.”

He was asked again about his girlfriend on Jan. 3 prior to the BCS title game, saying: “This team is very special to me, and the guys on it have always been there for me, through the good times and the bad times. I rarely have a quiet time to myself because I always have somebody calling me, asking, ‘Do you want to go to the movies?’ Coach is always calling me asking me, ‘Are you OK? Do you need anything?’”

Te’o was a Heisman Trophy finalist, finishing second in the voting, and led Notre Dame to its first appearance in the BCS championship. His widely reported story was among the most heartwarming of the season.

“It further pains me that the grief I felt and the sympathies expressed to me at the time of my grandmother’s death in September were in any way deepened by what I believed to be another significant loss in my life,” Te’o said in his statement.

“I am enormously grateful for the support of my family, friends and Notre Dame fans throughout this year. To think that I shared with them my happiness about my relationship and details See TE’O, page 15

Knicks boss may want to hear what’s said to Melo

AP Photo/Frank Franklin II

Boston Celtics’ Paul Pierce (34) and teammate Kevin Garnett (5) defend New York Knicks’ Carmelo Anthony (7) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, April 17, 2012, in New York.

ASSOCIATED PRESS Listen up! Talk trash to Carmelo Anthony at Madison Square Garden and you may wind up on tape.

Days after Anthony’s overreaction to some bad words led to an NBA suspension, MSG chairman James Dolan had listening devices monitoring everything said to and by Anthony, according to a report in the Newark Star-Ledger.

The report Monday said Dolan had two MSG Network audio technicians stationed at opposite corners of the court during last week’s home game against Chicago. Holding umbrella-shaped parabola microphones, they were told to record Anthony’s interactions and send the tape directly to Dolan himself.

The Knicks did not comment on the report. The team left Monday night for a game Thursday in London against Detroit.

Anthony and Boston forward Kevin Garnett exchanged words during the Celtics’ 102-96 victory on Jan. 7. Anthony, clearly thrown off his game and finishing just 6-of-26 from the field, then tried to confront Garnett near the locker room and team bus following the game, and received a one-game suspension from the NBA. Anthony would not reveal what was said by Garnett, only that it was something he felt a man shouldn’t say to another man.

Dolan apparently wants to ability to hear for himself.

Teams routinely send videotape of plays they felt should have been fouls to the league office, and perhaps Dolan wants to be able to provide NBA officials with audio proof of what goes on with Anthony.

Dolan hasn’t taken questions from reporters covering the Knicks in nearly six years, but remains keenly interested and insistent in knowing what is going on with the team. Public relations officials used to record interviews with players and coaches, and they continue to listen and take notes of what is said.

General manager Glen Grunwald rarely conducts interviews and Dolan is such a stickler for his media rules that when he fired Larry Brown in 2006, he withheld payment for cause because Brown had conducted a roadside interview with reporters without a public relations official present, in violation of MSG rules.

An NBA spokesman said there was nothing wrong with the extra equipment — there already were additional microphones around the court Friday because it was a national TV game — and added that the league doesn’t comment on anything teams send for review.

POT IQ Continued from page 6 more work to truly rule it out.

Experts unconnected to the two papers said the Rogeberg paper doesn’t overturn the original study. It “raises some interesting points and possibilities,” but provides “speculation” rather than new data based on real people, said Dr. Duncan Clark, who studies alcohol and drug use in adolescents at the University of

Pittsburgh.

Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, said observational studies of people like the Duke work can't definitively demonstrate that marijuana cause irreversible effects on the brain. In an email, she said Rogeberg’s paper “looks sound” but doesn’t prove that his alternative explanation is correct.

Thursday, January 17, 2013

15

KING: PRESIDENTIAL IMPACT Continued from page 3 leverage within the American system and the ability to help shape the world towards a better place. We had to be the bearers of political morality and integrity, and we should strive for leadership in that regard. Again, President Obama is all that. This is not to say that were he alive, Dr. King would have agreed with every decision President Obama has made – the issue of Libya and drones both come to mind quickly – but, understanding the meticulousness with which he makes tough decisions, the manner in which he has conducted himself as husband, father and as president of the United States, and the very character of the man as president, Dr. King would have been a relentless ally and an indefatigable defender and supporter of this president. Is President Obama, a Black man who is president, within the legacy left by Dr. King? Without any doubt.”

Damien Goodmon, executive director of the Crenshaw Subway Coalition, thinks differently. “I do take issue with people thinking that solely through his election, Barack Obama is the fulfillment of Dr. Kings dream,” said Goodmon. As the recipient of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference –Los Angeles’s 2013 Drum Major for Justice Award, Goodmon stated, “As a Black man sits in the White House, Black inequality on several levels – income, mass incarceration, health – remains, and I don’t think the cause of Dr. King was solely to get Black faces in high places, but to improve the conditions of all people, prominently Black people.”

It is hard to deny the symbolism of Obama in relation to Dr. King’s Legacy, specifically his “dream” as shared on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington in August, 1963. According to Dr. Karin L. Stanford, political scientist and chair of CSUN’s Pan Afrikan Studies Department, “Symbolism is always important for role modeling, mentoring and demonstrating the possibilities of what one can accomplish, especially for Black children if they live in impoverished neighborhoods, and for adults when you consider the assaults on Black personhood that we see constantly in the mass media.”

“Based on that,” said Dr. Stanford, “the symbolism of a Black person who has the standing of a president is extremely important.”

Very few have downplayed the

importance of the symbolism of Obama’s first term but many have been critical of how that first term has impacted African Americans.

In other words, where is the substance to go with the symbolism?

“The president’s educational policies have been very progressive – more funding for Pell grants, student loans, and he has provided a lot of support for community colleges which is a firststop for many, many students of color before they enroll in four-year educational institutions, said Prof. Stanford, adding that, “He has also provided relief to the unemployed by extending the limits of the federal unemployment insurance program.”

Stanford believes that at least some of the blame for a lack of substance can be found outside of the White House.

“President Obama is part of a political system; the president has limited power,” said Stanford. “And part of our problem is that many Black organizations took the position, argued that we should not criticize him publicly, so we have been silent. It is the job of Black organizations to advocate for what we want as a body of Black people. Now that he has been re-elected, we must advocate for our policies aggressively.”

“The role of a president and the role of a person who pushes a president are different, and we should have different expectations for them both,” said Goodmon. “President Barack Obama will never be Dr. Martin Luther King, and there will probably never be another leader as great as Dr. Martin Luther King.”

Although there should be differing expectations, one cannot help but notice the similarities.

Just as glaring however, are the differences.

First and foremost, Dr. King maintained an inner circle of men who looked like him and shared many of his same experiences: Ralph Abernathy, Andrew Young, Hosea Williams, James Orange, Bayard Rustin, Kwame Ture (aka Stokely Carmichael) and others.

Relying on these men (and some women like Ella Jo Baker) and others he met while engaged in the struggle for Black civil rights helped to move Dr. King to a position where he began to criticize both the economic and foreign policies of the United States. As president of the U.S., Barack Obama has sworn to uphold those policies.

Dr. King told us that we must begin to examine “an edifice that produces beggars” and that it “must be restructured.” Thus far, President Obama’s policies have given succor to banks and other Wall Street corporations, and the “Grand Bargain” he is attempting to reach with the Republican Party threatens to gut Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare which, according to the online newsite Black Agenda Report dot com, “80 percent of Americans, and virtually the totality of the Black American polity, reject.”

While Dr. King told us that militarism was an evil that must be looked at for what it is, President Obama has permanently placed American military troops – approximately 3000 so far – on the continent of Africa through AFRICOM (Africa Command); conducted a ground/air war in Libya which led to the murder of that country’s leader; and continues to maim and murder children, women and men in Pakistan and Yemen through the use of Predator Drones (unmanned aerial vehicles).

“Obama’s Presidency raises a lot of contradictions for us,” says Kwazi Nkrumah, coordinator for the Martin Luther King Coalition for Jobs, Justice and Peace, founded in Los Angeles in 2009.

“On the one hand, there’re Black folks being included in the system and making progress through inclusion. In one sense, that’s what the Civil Rights Movement and Dr. King’s work was raising. What Obama’s presidency has raised, in a very practical way, is that our inclusion in the system, as it is, does not necessarily represent progress for us. But in Dr. King’s last years, he was clearly questioning the system itself; what he was raising is that this system, as it is, is not ultimately where we want to go, as Black people, other people of color, poor whites.”

As we approach the inauguration of President Obama’s final term in office, it seems almost fitting, then, that we ask the question that Dr. King asked in the title of one of his books: where do we go from here?

“He didn’t really feel that this system was the end-all-be-all of our freedom,” remarks Nkrumah of Dr. King.

“This economic system, the international relations that grow from it, and the politics based on it, have to be restructured,” Nkrumah said.

said he’s been influenced by a number of acts, including James Brown, Freddie Mercury, Van Morrison and Jimi Hendrix. His sound is part of the progressive movement in R&B that includes acts like The Weeknd and Ocean, who earned six nominations at this year’s Grammys.

“I think they’re all helping each other at this point,” said Pitts, who’s worked with Notorious B.I.G., Diddy, TLC and Nas. “What Frank Ocean is doing — musically and what he stands for, him coming out, all of that — is bringing attention to the sound. ... So is Miguel ... and now the Grammys.”

Miguel said the progressive R&B movement is made up of soul-influenced “freethinkers” who are “hungry to be ourselves.” “(We) acknowledge the fact that we’re influenced by soul music or were raised on soul music, but ... we’re hun-

gry to transcend the expectations or the idea that soul music is one thing, (that) R&B is one thing,” he said. “R&B is an actual genre and I miss that the only expectation is to be soulful — the sound of it and the delivery is completely up to the artist.”

The 55th annual Grammy Awards will air live on CBS from the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Feb. 10.

MIGUEL Continued from page 12 Seattle. Keys also co-wrote a song on Miguel’s latest album.

Miguel, who is black and Mexican,

TE’O Continued from page 14 that I thought to be true about her just makes me sick. I hope that people can understand how trying and confusing this whole experience has been.”

Te’o and the Irish lost the title game to Alabama, 42-14 on Jan. 7. He has graduated and was set to begin preparing for the NFL combine and draft at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., this week.

“Fortunately, I have many wonderful things in my life,” he said in his statement, “and I’m looking forward to putting this painful experience behind me as I focus on preparing for the NFL Draft.”

BlackFacts.com January 23, 1977 ABC-TV begins televising the Roots mini-series (which would go on to be the most watched mini-series in history), based on Alex Haley’s book.

January 22, 1800 Leader of the Virgina slave revolt, Nat Turner is born

CITY OF LOS ANGELES

GOVERNMENT

$50,000 REWARD NOTICE The City of Los Angeles offers a reward payable at the discretion of the City Council to one or more persons in the sum or sums up to an aggregate maximum total sum of $50,000 for information leading to the identification and apprehension of the person or persons responsible for the act of murder against, MIGUEL MENDEZ, in the City of Los Angeles. On Saturday, November 17, 2012, at approximately 7: 00 p.m., Miguel Mendez, an 18-year old disabled male, was walking across Broadway near Century Boulevard. A vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed, south on Broadway, struck Mr. Mendez as he crossed the street. The vehicle slowed momentarily, but then fled the scene without stopping or rendering aid to Mr. Mendez, who died as a result of his injuries. Detectives are continuing to investigate this hit-and-run incident, but have been unable to identify the driver at this time. The vehicle that hit Mr. Mendez is described as a late model (possibly 1999-2006) Dodge or Plymouth minivan, possibly light green or silver in color. Detectives hope that a monetary reward compels member of the public to provide more information. The person or persons responsible for this crime represent an ongoing threat to the safety of the people of Los Angeles.

Unless withdrawn or paid by City Council action, this offer of reward shall terminate on, and have no effect after, JULY 13, 2013 The provisions of payment and all other considerations shall be governed by Chapter 12 of Division 19 of the LAAC Code, as amended by Ordinance Nos. 158157 and 166666. This offer shall be given upon the condition that all claimants provide continued cooperation within the criminal justice system relative to this case and is not available to public officers or employees of the City, their families, persons in law enforcement or persons whose misconduct prompted this reward. If you have any information regarding this case, please call the Los Angeles Police Department at 1-877-LAWFULL, 24 hours.

C. F. No. 12-0010-s49 1/17/13 CNS-2431741# WATTS TIMES

LOS ANGELES COUNTY METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY (METRO) REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS Metro will receive proposals for RFP No. C0980, Regional Connector Transit Corridor Project – Design/Buildper specifications on file at the LACMTA Office of Procurement & Material Mgmt, One Gateway Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90012 (9th Floor).

All proposals must be received on or before Tuesday, May 21, 2013, at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Timeat the address listed above, sent to the attention of Ivan Page, Director of Contract Administration.Proposals received later than the above date and time may be rejected and returned to the proposer unopened. A Pre-Proposal conference will be held on Tuesday, February 5, 2013, at 9:30 in the Board Room located at the address above.

You may obtain a complete set of the RFP documents on DVDs, on January 9, 2013, or after, for the purchase price of $25.00 each, and it is available at the Metro Gateway Plaza building at One Gateway Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90012-2952, 9th Floor Receptionist; or purchased for a price of $50.00 if requested to be mailed. The RFP package is not available to review on, or download from Metro’s website. Requests must be accompanied by payment to Metroin the form of a money order, a company check, a cashier’s check, or a certified check, (personal checks are not an acceptable form of payment); Monday through Friday (except holidays) between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. at the Metro Gateway Plaza building at the address above.

All communications in connection with the RFP must be directed to Ivan Page, Director of Contract Administration, at (213)922-6383, or by fax at (213) 922-1004, or by e-mail to pagei@metro.net.

1/17/13 CNS-2432117# WATTS TIMES

HAYSBERT Continued from page 12 Mr. Fish and Vincent once had until your perception of his betrayal blew up in Vincent’s face as well as in your character’s.

Haysbert: Yes, exactly. Mr. Fish is trying to figure out just how much damage has been done and Vincent’s not talking. Then he comes to me for a loan to start his own business, all the while saying how innocent he is; there is a lot of mistrust. You can go back to The Godfather (movies) for that same example. Actually, while doing this scene, I was reminded of a line in The Godfather that Michael Corleone says, “This is not personal, it’s business …,” so as soon as it becomes personal, then there’s a problem.

Talk2SV: That’s a great parallel; I think that this film is full of parallels.

There are several resonant themes throughout; we’ve talked about two of them. But I also enjoy the platform of strong male personalities --in conflicted and restricted settings-- having to work out their problems. What was the tenor of the set when everyone came together, particularly at the dinner table scene when all of the problems hit the fan?

Haysbert: That was a lot like a chess match to me. Just seeing what these parties were working with. I think my character showed a lot of finesse and skill in getting out of the predicament he was in. It’s still not clear whether or not I sent Vincent to his doom, even though he’s being shot at in an attempt to kill him.

Talk2SV: What backstory did you give your character?

Haysbert: Well that’s supposed to be a secret until opening day (laughter). But I’ll tell you in broad strokes.

I consider my character to be a Fortune 500 executive with street knowledge. I mean, you see a lot of black men in businesses now as executives, but when you think about Baltimore (the setting of the story) and some of your impoverished areas in the country, my character didn’t have a formal education, but he was a basketball player so he must have gone to college and was able to use that aspect

of education to do what he does, to be his own boss, to run the streets and so forth. One has to have a kind of flare for the streets and you have to want that kind of life.

Talk2SV: As an established and successful talent, what inspired you to work with first-time filmmaker Sheldon Candis?

Haysbert: You know, as far as I’m concerned with movies, everything starts with a script. If the script flows, it makes sense and has a clear march towards a clear conclusion; I am in hook, line and sinker. Sheldon’s personality is such that it was very welcoming. If he wasn’t the kind of person that he is I probably would have thought more about taking on a role like this. You have to have somebody that is confident in what they’re doing in order to do a movie of this magnitude – and – to do it for as little money as they had. I was very impressed with that.

Talk2SV: Given the quality of your voice and your entire packaging, we’ve heard you in animated films and seen you on stage. Are you using your voice talent in particular in other areas?

Haysbert: Currently, I am narrating documentaries. I just completed three documentaries that are due in the coming months.

Talk2SV: What do you want your career footnote to reflect?

Haysbert: I want to continually perform strong leading roles that challenge me; that thoroughly entertains the audience and provides the opportunity to learn something.

Talk2SV: In summary, LUV posits a familiar tale in the hands of this cast of wonderful black male actors, lending to the film’s authenticity.

Haysbert: Thank you. I was ecstatic to be involved with these gentlemen and let me close by also saying Michael Rainey was incredible. He’s a fine young actor and I think he’s got a bright, bright future.

Read my interview with LUV’s director Sheldon Candis at www.Talk2SV.com.

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Thursday, January 17, 2013

1/2013

e v e n t LISTINGS

L.A. Watts Times Calendar, Compiled by Brandon I. Brooks, Co-Managing Editor 1/17

1/19

THIRD THURSDAYS – SPEED NETWORKING AND COCKTAILS: Bring your warmest smile

8TH ANNUAL CULVER CITY MLK JR. CELEBRATION - REALIZING THE DREAM, LIVING THE LEGACY: WHEN: 12 NOON -

& best elevator pitch to THIRD THURSDAYSL.A., a monthly speed-networking event for business owners, professionals and new entrepreneurs in a FUN, fast-paced environment!

Enjoy speakers, information, exhibits, refreshments, drawings - all while building connections! WHEN: 5-6 p.m. - Registration, cocktails, complimentary Museum Tour. 6-8 p.m. – Networking. WHERE: 1401 Central Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90021 just North of 10 Fwy. Free Parking! To RSVP or for INFO on exhibitor space or sponsorship, email ThirdThursdaysLA@gmail.com See you there!!!

6:00 p.m. WHERE: Culver City Senior Center 4095 Overland Avenue, Culver City, CA 90230.

Free to the public. Parking at Veterans Memorial Park, Culver Blvd at Overland Ave. For more information contact the Culver City Parks, Recreation, and Community Services department at 310.253.6675.

1/20

will present a free two-hour workshop for investors and realtors on how to get started finding and buying foreclosure properties. WHEN: 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. WHERE: Lloyd Taber-Marina Del Rey Public Library, 4533 Admiralty Way, Marina Del Rey, CA 90292. Guest speaker will be Lloyd Segal, author of “Foreclosure Investing” and “Stop Foreclosure Now.” The workshop is complimentary, but reservations are required. To register, please call 310-379-0101 or visit www.ForeclosureWorkshop.net.

TARGET SUNDAYS AT CAAM: One Dream, A National Influence, A World of People - Cohosted by actor Jeffery Anderson-Gunter and actor, singer, writer and director Hattie Winston, this MLK celebration will feature live multicultural performances by 10-year-old inspirational speaker, Anthony Gill; the Jung Im Lee Korean Dance Academy, one of the largest Korean dance studios in Southern California; belly dancers Veena & Neena; singer Jamar Rogers, who was a finalist on “The Voice;” and Wangari, an Afro-Jazz fusion band led by singer, Wangari. WHEN: 1 p.m. – 5 p.m. live program (Doors open at 11 a.m.). WHERE: CAAM is located at 600 State Drive, Exposition Park, Los Angeles. For more information visit www.caamuseum.org or call (213) 744-2024.

1/19

1/21

MENTORING PROGRAM FOR AFRICANAMERICAN YOUTH: The Concerned Black

CAKE

FREE FORECLOSURE INVESTING WORKSHOP: California Foreclosure Institute

Men of Los Angeles, a non-profit mentoring organization, offers a powerful series of youth mentoring workshops through its signature Welcome-to-Manhood Program, promoting education, career and life skills guidance, and instructions in the importance of self-mastery and personal achievement. Workshops and youth activities are free. Workshops are designed for youth 11 to 19 years of age.

WHEN: Our next workshop Prim, Proper, and Prepared is scheduled from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

WHERE: Hyde Park Miriam Matthews Library 2205 West Florence Avenue, Los Angeles at the corner of Florence and Van Ness. For more information please call 213-359-3378 to preregister for yourself and friends.

KINGDOM DAY PARADE: The world famous Martin Luther King Jr. Parade (Kingdom Day Parade). WHEN: 10:30a.m. – 2 p.m. WHERE: The historic Martin Luther King Blvd. in Los Angeles, California.

orees; a retrospect of the social, economic, political and civic challenges and triumphs for Los Angeles residents of color and the

FOR

NOW – 4/7 CAAM PRESENTS GO TELL IT ON THE MOUNTAIN: The California African

Photos by Malcolm Ali

KING: CAAM will screen the

documentary “King: Man of Peace in a Time of War,” while Babe and Art Evans hold storytelling in the gallery, reading “My Brother Martin” written by Christine King Farris, as well as leading a writing and journal-decorating workshop. Speed painter, Zachary Brown, will be on site impressing the attendees with his incredibly fast paintings of portraits of Dr. King and actor Gerald Rivers will deliver re-enactments of Dr. King’s speeches from the main stage. In honor of Dr. King’s birthday, CAAM will offer free slices of birthday cake starting at 2p.m. until the tasty treat baked by Nooks and Grannies is all gone. WHEN: 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.

WHERE: CAAM is located at 600 State Drive, Exposition Park, Los Angeles. For more information visit www.caamuseum.org or call (213) 744-2024.

THE DREAM@50 AWARDS CEREMONY: K12 students created artwork inspired by a word or phrase from Dr. King’s “I Have A Dream Speech,” with the artwork titled accordingly for the competition.

The national competition will hold its regional awards ceremony for Los Angeles at CAAM. The ceremony will include live performances and four winners will be announced. There will also be special guest appearances and presentations. The winner and semi-finalists work will be on display at CAAM through March 3, 2013. WHEN: 3:00 – 4:30 p.m. WHERE: CAAM is located at 600 State Drive, Exposition Park, Los Angeles. For more information visit www.caamuseum.org or call (213) 744-2024.

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.

NOW – 3/16 URBAN SCHOLAR SATURDAY ENRICHMENT ACADEMY: Urban Scholar Athletes, Inc. will conduct its Urban Scholar Saturday Enrichment Academy [Winter Term]. WHEN: Every Saturday, from January 19, 2013- March 16, 2013, from 11:00 a.m.4:30 p.m. WHERE: Darby Park Recreational Center,

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 milestone 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 hon-

American Museum (CAAM) presents the exhibition “Go Tell It On The Mountain.” The exhibit showcases 24 artists who examine Christianity’s role in fostering political action and social engagement. The exhibition’s curators, Nery Gabriel Lemus and Mar Hollingsworth, utilized James Baldwin’s 1953 novel of the same title, “Go Tell It On The Mountain,” as a point of departure to select a variety of pieces. The selections celebrate faith and, at times contrast, the oppositional forces within Christianity and the underlying tensions of religious control as well as human hypocrisy.

WHERE: CAAM is located at 600 State Drive, Exposition Park, Los Angeles. For more information visit www.caamuseum.org or call (213) 744-2024. Parking is $10 per vehicle and available on 39th and Figueroa streets.

UP & COMING 1/26 HELP AND HOPE TOWN HALL AND RESOURCE FAIR: Congresswoman Karen Bass will be hosting a town hall and resource fair that we will offer mortgage assistance and resources in accessing food stamps, healthcare and the earned income tax credits during tax season which would provide a family earning less than $50,000 per year as much as $6,000 extra dollars. These are under used resources particularly in the African American community and in California. As you know the state is ground zero in foreclosures. Also, California ranks LAST out of all 50 states for those who are eligible for food stamps but don’t apply. Several hundred are expected to attend and receive help with their mortgages and in accessing federal resources to improve their lives.

Congresswoman Bass will be joined by Chairman Jerome Horton from the 4th district California State Board of Equalization to speak with community folks about these issues. WHEN: 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. WHERE: Vermont Village Community Development Corporation, at Crenshaw Christian Center, 7901 South Vermont Ave, Los Angeles, California 90044.

TO MAKE A CALENDAR SUBMISSION: Include event

ON GOING NOW – 3/ 7 THE LOS ANGELES URBAN LEAGUE PRESENTS: “The 90 That

upcoming California standardized test.

Additionally, throughout the program, students will have an opportunity to earn “scholar bucks” for prize redemption, receive free books, and participate in fieldtrips and community service initiatives. Program registration is $40.00, which includes the 1st session, t-shirt, and a Scholastic Weekly Reader magazine subscription. Weekly classes are $20/week, in which sibling discounts are available. For additional information about the program, contact Alexis Coleman, Program Director, at (310) 528-3845/info@urbanscholarathletes.com or visit the website at www.urbanscholarathletes.org.

3400 Arbor Vitae, Inglewood, CA 90305. The Academy is targeted for students currently in 1st-6th grade.

Certificated and experienced teachers will help students explore specialized areas of science, reading, and math in fun and engaging ways as well as prepare students for the

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