LAWT-10-15-09 by LA WATTSTIMES

October 15, 2009

SERVING LOS ANGELES COUNTY WITH NEWS YOU CAN USE

Vol. XXX, No. 1149 FIRST COLUMN

Brotherhood Crusade Still Serving the Community BY CHICO C. NORWOOD STAFF WRITER

Walter Bremond started it. Danny Bakewell Sr. built it. And now, Charisse Bremond-Weaver is growing it. Walter Bremond had a dream of an organization in the community that would support locals. In 1968, he and a small group founded the Brotherhood Crusade on a

Photo Courtesy of MARK RIDLEY-THOMAS’ OFFICE

MAKING AN IMPACT — Brotherhood Crusade President and CEO Charisse Bremond-Weaver accompanies Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas (Second District) on a tour of the Crusade’s L.A. Lakers Youth Foundation’s Books and Basketball Camp in August. The Crusade has several programs, including the financial literacy program Taking Financial Control Money Management, designed to aid youth, and the Gang Reduction and Youth Development Program. Founded in 1968, the organization has also raised and distributed more than $40 million in the South L.A. community.

$15,000 personal note from Bank of America. As part of its mission, the Brotherhood Crusade has raised and distributed more than $40 million in the South Los Angeles community. Under Bakewell’s leadership, the Crusade became well-known. He set the framework, which included obtaining funding through payroll deduction plans with cities, the county and state. Bakewell also established relationships with private corporations and launched aggressive fundraising initiatives. “He built the institution into one that was known and respected,” said Brenda Marsh-Mitchell, Bakewell’s longtime executive assistant. With Bakewell at the helm, the Crusade became a part of United Way and provided financial assistance to organizations including the Minority Aids Project, Jenesse Center domestic violence intervention program, Dickerson Lighted School and several others. Former Compton City Councilwoman Deloris Zurita helped start the Dickerson Lighted School program in 1968 at Dickerson Elementary School. Dickerson began as an afterschool program and has since evolved into the senior citizen Meals-On-Wheels program. Zurita said that although Bakewell helped the Crusade become a success, he never forgot her program. See BROTHERHOOD CRUSADE, page 3

Photo by ERIK S. LESSER

‘I AM AMERICA’ — Patrons move through Tavis Smiley’s “America I Am” exhibit. The 300-piece exhibit, which spans more than 400 years of African American life in the United States, will open in Los Angeles on Oct. 30.

‘America I Am’ Set to Open in Los Angeles BY DARLENE DONLOE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

A traveling exhibition celebrating nearly 500 years of the contributions, history and cultural influences of African Americans in the United States and around the world will open in Los Angeles Oct. 30. “America I Am: The African American Imprint” will have nearly 300 artifacts and memorabilia on display at the California Science Center until April 2010. The exhibit has items that convey the collective experience and saga of blacks in America, from the first steps of enslaved Africans on the nation’s soil to the present. The idea for the traveling exhibit, which will make the third stop of its 10-city tour in L.A., was

Stimulus Spending Tally Makes Public Debut BY AARON GLANTZ NEW AMERICA MEDIA

SAN FRANCISCO — The American public is about to find out how the government has been spending their stimulus money. That’s because today, Oct. 15, the Obama administration will release the most extensive list to date of who has received money from the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), how much they’ve spent, and on what. The financial information will be posted, along with an easy to use mapping tool, on the Web site Recovery.gov. “Warm up your computer Friday morning,” Greg LeRoy, director of the government accountability nonprofit Good Jobs First, said at a Oct. 13 teleconference with reporters. Just put your zip code or city into the map on Recovery.gov and you’ll be able to see which businesses in your community have gotten government contracts. The information being made available on Recovery.gov “will allow every citizen to see in their

neighborhood if there has been a small business loan, a school that’s been repaired or a pot-hole that’s been fixed,” the organization’s research director, Phil Mattera said. Visitors to Recovery.gov will also be able to see if their neighborhood is being bypassed by the stimulus package. Information will only be available for some of the recovery act’s provisions, however. According to the nonpartisan Coalition for an Accountable Recovery, the government will only be announcing details of federal contracts this week — between $6 billion and $12 billion of the estimated $356 billion in stimulus funds spent so far. Details on another $204 billion in stimulus spending will be announced Oct. 30, including grants to states and nonprofit organizations and small-business loans. The government is not planning to release detailed breakdowns in spending on the hundreds of billions of dollars in tax cuts and additions to entitlement programs, such as food stamps and unemployment benefits, which together make up

close to half of the entire stimulus package. Data being released this week “is just a sliver of the overall impact of the stimulus,” said Gary Bass, executive director of OMB Watch. But “when it comes to federal contracts, it’s a watershed.” The data being reported by the government Oct. 15 will for the first time allow the public to look on a simply designed government Web site and view not only the size of a federal contract but also how many jobs have been created by that contract. It will not show that level of detail on projects carried out by state or local governments with federal stimulus money, but Bass said the information being made available this week represents more than a good start. “The recovery act is the most transparent federal spending bill ever enacted,” he said, “and it should have a powerful effect on state transparency. No matter what you think of the recovery act, you have to like Recovery.gov.” Aaron Glantz is New America Media’s stimulus editor.

sparked two years ago by talk show and radio host Tavis Smiley, who in 2007 attended the 400th anniversary of the founding of the Jamestown colony, an entrance station for African slaves. “I started wrestling with the idea of how the story of the contributions we have made to this country over a 400-year period and all the things we’ve done could be told,” said Smiley, who is presenting the exhibit. Smiley said he first thought about doing a permanent museum exhibition, but realized it would be too limiting. He wanted something

the entire country could enjoy. “I wanted to tell the story beyond that (400th anniversary) weekend,” Smiley said. “Everybody knows the story of the immigrants coming through Ellis Island. That’s one story about the founding of America. But, the other story about the founding of this country is the story of Jamestown and the slaves on whose backs this country was built. “It’s been 400 years since those slaves first arrived, and so much of America, 400 years later, knows nothing about our story, about our See ‘AMERICA I AM’, page 10

NEWS IN BRIEF THE SOUTHLAND County Detectives Seek Transient in Fire Probed (AP) — Homicide detectives investigating a deadly wildfire that ravaged much of Angeles National Forest said Oct. 11 they were looking for a transient suspected of starting a smaller fire several miles away. Babatunsin Olukunle, 25, has not been linked to the massive Station Fire that burned northeast of Los Angeles, but detectives want to question him about that blaze, said Los Angeles County sheriff’s Lt. Liam Gallagher. Olukunle is suspected of starting a fire that burned a few square feet six days before the Station Fire broke out Aug. 26. The Station Fire destroyed 89 homes, burned 250 square miles, and led to two firefighters dying when their truck plunged off a mountain road. The smaller fire was extinguished by U.S. Forest Service workers who saw Olukunle walking into the forest and away from the fire, Gallagher said. “The fact that he was seen at a fire that had been started six days before and six miles up the road is

something that caught our attention and something we need to talk to him about,” Gallagher said. Olukunle, who dropped out of the University of California at Davis in 2004, is articulate and has an accent, Gallagher said. He was last seen in the Palmdale area recently. No arrest warrant has been issued.

Police Identify Boy Abandoned at Bus Stop (AP) — Police say a 3-yearold boy abandoned at a bus stop has been identified by his grandmother, who saw his picture on television. Police say Xavier Nelson was left at a bus stop in South Los Angeles shortly after midnight Oct. 9 by a woman in her 20s who got on a bus. They say the woman waved off a witness who pointed out she was leaving the sleeping child behind. After the witness turned the boy over to police, authorities put out a plea for help in identifying him. His grandmother, who lives in Bakersfield, came forward Oct. 10. Police said they are still trying to learn who left Xavier behind and why. See BRIEFS, page 5

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L.A. WATTS TIMES

October 15, 2009

OPINION EARL OFARI HUTCHINSON

Report Weighs in On Debate Over Racial Profiling, Good Police Work When blacks and Hispanics are pulled over by police, is it due to racial profiling or simple good police work? That’s the question in the eternal debate over whether police color-target black and Hispanic men during street stops under the guise of fighting crime. There’s no debate about whether police do stop tens of thousands of blacks and Hispanics every year on the streets and that they are far more likely to be stopped than white men. The Associated Press is one of the latest to weigh in on the chronic problem. It found that police stopped a staggering 1 million-plus persons on big city streets in 2008. As usual, the overwhelming majority were black and Hispanic males. The American Civil Liberties Union and civil rights groups again charged that the stops were racially motivated. Police groups and city officials again denied it. They countered that the stops not only were warranted but are the major reason for the plunge in crime to the lowest level in decades. There may be some validity to the police contention. Crime is way down. Streets are arguably safer. Most citizens, and that includes a significant number of black and Hispanic residents and community groups, silently and, in some cases publicly, applaud police efforts to

fight crime. They are more likely the victims of black-on-black and Hispanic-on-Hispanic crime and violence. But the proponents of massive street stops still dodge two crucial questions. One is that the overwhelming majority of stops result in no arrests, or even citations. And no weapons or drugs are found. New York, for instance, topped The AP list in the number of street stops. The New York Police Department made more than 500,000 street stops in 2008. Only 10 percent of the persons stopped were arrested. The AP found a comparable low number of arrests in relation to the high number of street stops in every other city. The obvious question is, why are so many stops made to arrest so few if the stops are completely racialneutral? The question still dangles unanswered. The other troubling and largely unanswered question is, why many of those who had been stopped have been prominent black and Latino professionals, business leaders, and even some state legislators and House representatives? The national firestorm over the momentary arrest of Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. put the ugly glare back on the susceptibility of even celebrated black men to be hauled off when there’s even the slightest suspicion, mistaken or oth-

erwise, of criminal wrongdoing. President Barack Obama has said that there were times in earlier days when he felt that he had been profiled by Chicago police. Before the Sept. 11 terror attacks, civil rights leaders had made some headway in drawing public attention to the fight against racial profiling. In its report “Police Practices and Civil Rights in America,” issued in 1999, the Civil Rights Commission called on police departments to immediately fire any officer guilty of racial profiling. The Justice Department initiated investigations of police departments in several cities for civil rights violations, mostly against young black and Latino males. It brokered consent decrees with city officials in Pittsburgh and Los Angeles to rein in the blatant and well-documented abusive practices of police departments in those cities in those years. There was some hope that Congress would finally consider passing the Traffic Stops Statistics Study Act introduced by Michigan Democrat John Conyers in 1999 and 2000. The bill required the Justice Department to compile figures from local police departments by race on highway traffic stops. The data would document why a driver was stopped and whether an arrest was made. The Justice Department could use the figures to determine how pervasive racial pro-

LETTER This letter is in response to Earl Ofari Hutchinson’s Oct. 8 commentary, titled “Chicago Beating Death Shocks White House — But Now What?” Hey Earl, Great article, but I found something very curious about it. You mentioned what everybody can do about the situation but the mommas and daddies of these young thugs. You can throw all the money and resources in the world at this problem and it won’t do a bit of good. These thugs don’t need understanding; they need pain — this I’m an authority on, because I was one. We need to come down on these youngsters and hold them and their parents responsible for their behavior. After all, we’re even held responsible if our dog bites somebody, so why not our kids? Somebody needs to be held accountable for their behavior. If the kid is deemed too young to be held accountable, then the parents should — both parents. It’s clear that these thugs don’t care about the mothers and fathers of their victims, so maybe they’ll care a little bit more about their own.

Every child should be attached to two people’s social security number — the mother and the father. Then if that kid commits a crime, one of the three should have to do some time. It’s not society’s fault what’s happening on our community. It’s the fault of irresponsible parents who are failing to properly raise their kids, and letting them run wild in the streets. Man, we’ve got to wake up and stop trying to blame everybody else for our shortcomings. Maybe if a brother knew he’d be picked up and jailed for the crimes his kids commit, he’d think before he produced them, or, wonder of wonders, try to be a real father once he did. I’m with the conservatives on this one. Society should not be held responsible for our reckless irresponsibility.

filing was. The bill would not force local police agencies to collect data and imposed no sanctions on those that refuse to compile statistics. The Conyers bill was stillborn in Congress. It remains so today, even though Conyers has periodically introduced versions of the bill during the past decade. Obama has lightly hinted that

the issue of racial profiling is something that his administration may revisit in the future. He has even urged congressional leaders to follow suit and re-examine the issue, again at an unspecified point in the future. The AP did not take any position or draw any conclusions from its See HUTCHINSON, page 3

Eric L. Wattree, Covina The L.A. Watts Times encourages submissions of letters. It reserves the right to edit or refuse to print all letters. Authors must include names, city of residence, telephone number and e-mail address.

Life, Health Care, Prisons and Cutting Costs BY SUNDIATA ACOLI

Health care costs are soaring and have become unaffordable for many families. It is no different for the Prison Industrial Complex (PIC), except they’re required by law to provide medical care to their wards. Although much of prison health care is inadequate, many of its youthful captives can at least squeak by on what’s presently provided. Not so for those over 50 years of age, most of whom are beset by the common old-age infirmities: high blood pressure and cholesterol, diabetes, clogged arteries, heart disease, cancer and the need for body part replacements. California has the largest prison population in the United States plus the highest health care costs, and spends $98,000 to $138,000 per year for each prisoner over 50. (See “Study Finds Record Numbers of Inmates Serving Life” by Solomon Moore, The New York Times, July 2009, page A20.) An Aug. 11, 2009, a New York Times editorial noted that just days before a Chino, Calif., prison riot, a three-judge panel ordered the state to reduce its 150,000-plus prison population by about 40,000 in the next two years as the only way to bring its prison health care system up to constitutional standards. The editorial concluded: “The

riot at Chino and the federal court’s ruling contain the same message for states everywhere: They must come up with a smart way to reduce prison populations and they must do it quickly.” More prisoners today are serving life sentences than ever before. They are called “lifers,” and their numbers have quadrupled since 1984 to more than 140,000, and they’ve become a major driving force behind the explosion of health care costs in prisons. Many lifers are over 50 and most are parole-eligible, while the remainder are doing life without parole (LWOP). Some reasons for the ballooning of life sentences are the “Three Strikes You’re Out” mandatory minimums, the 100-to-1 ratio of crack-to-powder cocaine sentences, children sentenced to LWOP — in clear violation of international law — and other harsh edicts of the law-and-order climate of the last several decades. Another reason for the balloon is the unrectified racial residue that has accompanied America’s justice system since antebellum days. Two-thirds of prisoners serving life sentences are Latino and black and nearly half of those serving life are black. In 13 states, blacks make up 60 percent of the lifers. In New York, only 17 percent of prisoners serving life are white. Many lifers over 50 have

already done 20, even 30 years or more, and some are 60, even 70 years old and older. Crime has been decreasing for the Sundiata Acoli last decade or two and all indicators show that elderly prisoners, once released, rarely commit another crime and are least likely to return to prison. So, it is self-evident that the smartest and quickest way to begin reducing prison health care costs and prison overcrowding is to release aged and infirmed lifers and LWOPs whose age — plus years served — equal a fixed number, say 70 years, for example, which could be further reduced in proportion to the seriousness of the lifer’s illness. Such a release process would not only be smart but ethical, and prisoners’ families, loved ones, and the public would be even wiser to urge their Congress member to put such a prison cost-cutting bill into effect immediately. Sundiata Acoli is a 72-year-old prisoner at FCI Otisville, N.Y., who is sentenced to life with the possibility of parole, afflicted with common old age infirmities and has been imprisoned 36 years to date. He was arrested for the May 2, 1973, New Jersey Turnpike shooting incident in which his passenger,

Zayd Shakur, and a New Jersey trooper, Werner Foerster, were killed and another trooper, James Harper, was wounded as was Sundiata’s other passenger, Assata

Shakur. Sundiata and both his passengers were members of the Black Panther Party at the time.To find out more about Acoli, visit www. sundiataacoli.org.

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October 15, 2009

L.A. WATTS TIMES

BIZSHORTS NSN to Present Panel Discussion on Economy The local chapter of the National Sales Network will hold a panel discussion called “New Economy. New Corporate America. Where Do You Fit?” Oct. 22, 6 to 9 p.m., at the Exposition Center, 3980 S. Menlo St., Los Angeles. Attendees will have the chance to learn about aspects of having a successful business, including having an organization that makes profits and getting customers to continually come to you for business. Nonmembers must pay $15 to attend, but members can come to the event for free. Information: (310) 281-1781, info@nsnla.org, www.nsnla.com.

Nominations Sought for Small Business Awards (SBA) — The U.S. Small Business Administration will recognize the estimated 27.2 million small businesses in America May 24 to 26, 2010, as part of National Small Business Week. SBA is currently accepting nominations for several SBA award categories, including the 2010 Small Business Person of the Year Award. Trade associations, chambers of commerce and business organizations frequently sponsor candidates. Business owners may also nominate themselves or other candidates. Business entrepreneurs throughout the Southern California area will

be honored during Small Business Week with many local events. Nomination criteria and deadline dates for all award categories can be found by visiting the “Spotlight” section at www.sba.gov/ca/la or by contacting Patrick Rodriguez at (818) 522-3222 or Patrick. Rodriguez@sba.gov. Send all nominations to the U.S. Small Business Administration, 330 N. Brand Blvd., Suite 1200, Glendale, Calif., 91203, Attn: Patrick Rodriguez.

Filmmaker Sues Chris Rock Over ‘Good Hair’ (AP) — A filmmaker sued Chris Rock for at least $5 million and tried to block the release of his documentary “Good Hair.” Regina Kimbell sued Rock and several film companies in federal court in Los Angeles on Oct. 5, claiming Rock’s project is a copycat of her film, “My Nappy Roots.” Kimbell states she screened her film for the comedian in 2007. The lawsuit states “My Nappy Roots” traces the business and cultural history of black hair care and has otherwise only been shown at colleges and film festivals since its completion in 2006. Her lawsuit claims several elements of her film have been copied. Rock’s publicist declined to comment. “Good Hair” was released in Los Angeles Oct. 9 and will be released nationwide on Oct. 23.

BROTHERHOOD CRUSADE Continued from page 1 The two organizations worked together in past years to provide Thanksgiving dinners to the needy. Zurita said that over the years the donations the Meals-On-Wheels program has received from the Crusade has been instrumental in keeping the program afloat. “The (funds) from the Crusade help offset the cost for those seniors who cannot give or afford the $2.50 donation,” she said. “Otherwise, we would have come up short $10,000 to $20,000 at the end of the year.” Nearly four years ago, Bakewell stepped down, and the reins were handed over to Charisse Bremond-Weaver, the founder’s daughter. While the Crusade continues its original mission of providing funding for local organizations, Bremond-Weaver has taken the organization to the next level by providing programs and services. “We did not run programs at the Brotherhood; we were too busy,” Marsh said. “What Charisse has done is not only … (bring) in money to give to organizations, but she’s running programs. She has done a marvelous job of bringing in other services.” Among the services Brotherhood offers is the financial literacy program Taking Financial Control Money Management, designed to aid youth. “If they (the youth) save up to $1,000 the Brotherhood matches $2,000, so it’s a 2-1 match. They can use the money to go to college, start a business,” Bremond-Weaver said. In August, the program’s partic-

ipants went to a Toyota facility where they learned about purchasing a vehicle, and understanding what a monthly note and down payment is. Participants also toured a new home where they learned about the housing market and purchasing a home. “We’re giving them real-life experience they would never get,” said Bremond-Weaver, who became executive director in January 2006. Another program is the Gang Reduction and Youth Development Program, a collaborative effort with the city of Los Angeles for the southwest area. Over the next year, the Crusade will aim to work with 200 youth and their families by offering services including mental health, academic assessment and recreational activities to deter them from gang involvement. Actor William Allen Young of “Moesha” fame was a featured guest speaker at a camp outing in the Santa Monica Mountains for participants in the gang reduction program. Allen said the program provides

HUTCHINSON Continued from page 2 report. It gave equal time to the ACLU and various police and city officials to make their respective arguments that the stops were needed to fight crime, and there was no racial harassment involved. Or that the colossal number of stops police make are again proof positive that police do systematically profile black and Hispanic men. The eternal debate over whether the stops are racial profiling or good

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BUSINESS It’s Not Too Late to Get Stimulus Cash BY AARON GLANTZ NEW AMERICA MEDIA

About eight months since President Barack Obama signed his $787 billion stimulus package, the government has obligated only 48 percent of the money, and $214 billion in stimulus cash is still available to families, students, nonprofits, local governments and small businesses. Here are 10 ways to access the stimulus: 1) Weatherize Your Home If you want to make your home more energy efficient, the stimulus package sets aside $5 billion for the Department of Energy’s Weatherization Assistance Program. The average family can make up to $6,500 in energy efficiency upgrades. It’s available to everyone who makes under 200 percent of the federal poverty level — about $44,000 a year for a family of four. Contact your state energy office, which will refer you to a local nonprofit that will have someone visit your house and do an energy audit before carrying out the work. 2) Get Extended Unemployment Benefits As a result of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, everyone on unemployment will receive $25 extra each week. The stimulus package also suspends federal income tax on the first $2,400 in unemployment compensation that unemployed workers collect in 2009. The stimulus packencouragement and support to former incarcerated kids that others have given up on. “They are reaching out to kids who are on the fringe, reaching out to those who are not only at risk of being lost, but some who are lost and trying to be found again,” said Young, founder of The Young Center for Academic and Cultural Enrichment, a nonprofit organization that offers educational programs to youth. “For those kids, there are not a lot of programs. These are kids that a lot of people are afraid to work with; not the Brotherhood Crusade.” Bremond-Weaver said the Crusade has a 10-year strategy to develop initiatives around health, education, economic development, and institutional building in South L.A. “When you look at those four core areas … that is our vision, to serve this community and look at solutions,” she said. “I know we are making a difference. When someone stops me and says, ‘You saved my life,’ I see the work.” For more information on the Brotherhood Crusade, visit www. brotherhoodcrusade.org/.

police work will continue to rage and so will the two dangling unanswered questions about why do police need to stop so many black and Hispanic men including, at times, prominent black and Hispanic men to successfully fight crime. Earl Ofari Hutchinson is an author and political analyst. His weekly radio show, “The Hutchinson Report,” can be heard in Los Angeles, Fridays on KTYM Radio 1460 AM, and streamed live nationally on ktym.com.

age also extends by 13 weeks the amount of time an unemployed worker can receive cash assistance. 3) Get the Government to Pay Your Health Insurance If you’re laid off from your job between Sept. 1, 2008, and Dec. 31, 2009, and you had health insurance with your old employer, the government will pay 65 percent of your health insurance premiums for nine months. This COBRA subsidy is available to most laid-off workers with a family income of under $250,000 — although in many states it does not extend to companies with less than 20 workers. Submit a claim for benefits with your health plan. 4) Buy an Appliance and Get $200 Buy an Energy Star-qualified appliance and get up to $200. Dishwashers, refrigerators and washing machines are covered by the recovery act’s $300 million grant State Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate Program. Details of how the program will be administered by each state are still being worked out. 5) Buy a House and Get $8,000 If you’re a first-time home buyer — or if you buy a house and have not owned your own home for at least three years — the IRS will send you a check for $8,000. All you have to do is fill out an IRS Form 5405 and include an amended copy of your 2008 tax return. Then, in about six weeks, the IRS will send you a check in the mail. This credit applies to purchases that close after April 8, 2008, and before Dec. 1, 2009. 6) Get a Small Business Loan The American Recovery Capital loan program offers interestfree loans of up to $35,000 to help businesses with existing debt for up to six months. The loans carry a 100 percent guaranty from the Small Business Administration (SBA) to the lender, and require no fees paid to the SBA. 7) Get Money for College The recovery act appropriated

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$17 billion for Pell Grants, which increased the amount of money for each grant from $4,850 to $5,350 in 2009 and $5,550 in 2010. You can apply for this benefit with your campus financial aid office. There’s also a new American Opportunity Tax Credit of up to $2,500, which can be used for education-related expenses and an additional $200 million for work-study programs to help students find jobs on campus. 8) Get Trained for a Green Job The recovery act sets aside a large pot of money for green jobs training in environmentally sustainable fields. The advocacy group Green for All has put together a Recovery Resource Center that lists opportunities created by the stimulus. 9) Get Help Paying Your Transit Bill Under the recovery act, you can set aside up to $230 a month from your paycheck tax-free for the cost of commuting to work on public transit (the previous benefit was $120 a month). Your employer must enroll in the program for you to claim this benefit. Tell your boss or supervisor they’ll also save money because they won’t have to pay payroll tax on the money you spend on your commute. 10) Get Money for Groceries If you’re having trouble putting food on the table, you can get more money for groceries from the federal government. Families eligible for food stamps can receive on average $80 more per month because of the recovery act. Aaron Glantz is New America Media’s stimulus editor.

Facts Oct. 15, 1968 Wyomia Tyus becomes the first person to win a gold medal in the 100-meter race in two consecutive Olympic Games. Source: blackfacts.com

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L.A. WATTS TIMES

October 15, 2009

COMMUNITY

WHAT’S GOING ON? Deadline for receipt of What’s Going On listings is Friday, 12 p.m., at least two weeks prior to activity. Fax to: (213) 251-5720, e-mail us at lawattsnus@aol.com or mail to: L.A. Watts Times, 3540 Wilshire Blvd., PH3, Los Angeles, CA 90010. POLICE BRUTALITY — The 14th annual “National Day of Protest to Stop Police Brutality” is scheduled to take place Oct. 22 with a noon assembly at Crenshaw Boulevard and Florence Avenue. There will also be a 2 p.m. march north on Crenshaw Boulevard to Leimert Park, where a rally will be held at 4 p.m., and a vigil will be held at 6 p.m. Information: (323) 446-7459, october22nd_la@ yahoo.com. FIREFIGHTER SOCIAL — The African American Firefighter Museum’s Annual Fundraising Social will take place Oct. 24, 9 p.m. to 2 a.m., at 1401 S. Central Ave., Los Angeles. There will be live jazz until 11 p.m., in addition to DJs Smooth and Gee-Q. Tickets are $20 in advance and $30 at the door. Information: (213) 744-1730, www.aaffmuseum.org. MY FRIEND’S HOUSE — My Friend’s House Foundation will celebrate its one-year anniversary Oct. 17, noon to 3 p.m., by feeding more than 300 homeless men and women. This event will take place in the San Julian Street parking lot of

the Union Rescue Mission, 545 S. San Pedro St., Los Angeles. Those who are interested in volunteering and sharing in the celebration through giving, or who know someone who will benefit from these services, can attend. Information: (323) 769-5433, info@myfriendshousela.org. ART SHOW — St. Francis Episcopal Church will hold an art show Oct. 24, 4 to 8 p.m., in the parish hall, 2200 Via Rosa, Palos Verdes Estates. Funds from this event will aid “Mama Hill’s Help,” a South Los Angeles after-school youth program the church has adopted as a community project. The art show is free to the public and open to any artist who wishes to participate. Each artist will be responsible for their own setup and display. A suggested donation of 20 percent from each art sale is requested, although artists will be permitted to exhibit their work for free. Information: (310) 377-0649. SEA FAIR — The Cabrillo Marine Aquarium will hold its 2009 Autumn Sea Fair Oct. 18, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Activities will include Beach Olympics, marine-related exhibits, a sand sculpture contest and a chance to search for buried pirate treasure. There is beach parking at $1 per vehicle per hour; guests can bring a picnic or purchase food and drinks from on-site vendors. The aquarium is at 3720 Stephen M. White Drive, San

Pedro. Information: (310) 548-7562. POTLUCK — Project Cry No More/Operation Survivor, a nonprofit support group for the loved ones of murder victims, meets on the third Sunday of every month. This month’s meeting will be Oct. 18, 3 p.m., at 200 N. Long Beach Blvd., Compton. The organization has trained professional social psychotherapists who can serve people dealing with the illeffects of homicide. Information: (310) 764-0165, projectcrynomore@ aol.com. TEACH-IN — ANSWER (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism) is sponsoring a teach-in on “The Afghanistan War: Renewing the Anti-War Struggle” Oct. 17, 2 p.m., in the chemistry building/room three of Los Angeles City College, 855 N. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles. Speakers will include Ron Kovic, Vietnam War veteran; Muna Coobtee, of the National Council of Arab Americans; Hamid Khan, of the South Asian Network; and others. Information: (213) 251-1025, www.answerla.org. WALKING TOUR — The Venice Historical Society will host a “Venice Beach Movie Locations Walking Tour,” led by historian/ author Harry Medved and location manager Barry Gremillion, Oct.18, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., beginning at the Rose Café & Market, 220 Rose Ave., Venice. The tour will cost $10 for

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nonmembers, $8 for VHS members, and reservations are recommended. Participants will observe Venice historical landmarks and locations from the days of Charlie Chaplin and Mack Sennett to Oliver Stone. Information: (310) 967-5170, www. venicehistorical.org. EMPOWERMENT SESSIONS — KRST Unity Center of Spirituality will sponsor African-centered activities and programs including Empowerment Sessions, Black Gnostic studies, and more, Sundays at 10:30 a.m.. The center is at 7825 S. Western Ave., Los Angeles. Information: (323) 759-7567. PET CLINIC — The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals will hold a low-cost vaccine and microchip clinic Oct. 24, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at its South Bay Pet Adoption Center, 12910 Yukon Ave., Hawthorne. Information: (310) 676-1149, www.spcaLA.com. SANKOFA’S WORD — The community is invited to participate in an evening of spoken word. The opportunity to present is open, but performers should come early to sign up. This event is free, but a love offering will be accepted. Food/refreshments will be available. This event will occur Oct. 21, 7 to 10:30 p.m., at the 27th Street Bakery, 4308 Crenshaw Blvd., Los Angeles. Massages, vegan food and visual arts will be available. Information: (323) 517-3222, San Kofa39Word@yahoo.com. CONFERENCE — The “Brick and Mortar Conference: Laying The

Foundation One Brick At A Time” is designed for women and young ladies. Speakers will address today’s life-challenging issues, and all subject matters are chosen by the Youth Advisory Board. This event will take place Oct. 24, 11 a.m., at the Chosen Temple Christian Fellowship Church, 2222 Manchester Ave., Inglewood. Information: (310) 967-7742, mb_ youth_foundation@yahoo.com. LUNCHEON — The Southern California National Council of Negro Women Inc. will celebrate the historic and current achievements of women at its 35th Annual Bethune Recognition Luncheon Oct. 24, 10:30 a.m., at the Doubletree Hotel San Pedro, 2800 Via Cabrillo Marina, San Pedro. This year’s theme is “Honoring Exceptional Women Who Are Building Toward the Future … Embracing Change.” Bethune Achievers, new life members and new legacy life members will also be recognized. Tickets for this event are $50. Information: (323) 299-9751.

Facts Oct. 16, 1968 Sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos give Black Power salute during medal ceremony at the Olympic Games in Mexico City. Source: blackfacts.com

October 15, 2009

L.A. WATTS TIMES

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COMMUNITY BRIEFS Continued from page 1

THE STATE California Controller Warns of Bigger Deficit SACRAMENTO (AP) — California’s state controller is warning that disappointing tax receipts will push the state into a bigger budget deficit than expected.

John Chiang

A report released Oct. 9 by Controller John Chiang says state revenue is about $1 billion short of what lawmakers and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger expected when they reached a budget deal during the summer. The report says the biggest dip is in income tax, with receipts down about 11 percent. Chiang says the recession continues to drag state revenues down. Even before the controller’s report, state leaders were bracing for more budget woes next year. The Department of Finance is anticipating a $7.4-billion deficit in 2010-11.

Mehserle’s attorney, Michael Rains, countered that the survey of about 400 potential jurors was credible and reliable. Rains wants the emotionally charged case moved, arguing that his client wouldn’t get a fair trial there due to excessive media coverage and racial tensions. Mehserle, 27, who is white, has been charged with killing Oscar Grant, an unarmed 22-year-old black man, with a gun shot to the torso at a Bay Area Rapid Transit station on New Year’s Day in Oakland. Mehserle has pleaded not guilty in the case. Rains argues that Mehserle meant to use his Taser to restrain Grant, but accidentally pulled his pistol while Grant was lying face down on the station platform. Rains was set to conclude his arguments Oct. 9. A trial could start as early as next month.

Oscar Grant

During the Oct. 8 session, Alameda County prosecutor David Stein said that a fair jury can be found in the case, and he also argued that some of the questions in a survey of potential jurors were worded to give results that would favor defendant Johannes Mehserle. Moving a trial without questioning potential jurors is “premature, unwarranted and unjustified,” Stein said.

Facts Oct. 15, 1883 The U.S. Supreme Court declares the Civil Rights Act of 1875 unconstitutional. Source: blackfacts.com

(Community Coalition) — The vice president of Program Development at the Community Coalition, Alberto Retana, will join President Barack Obama’s administration as the new director of Community Outreach for the Department of Education on Nov. 16. The coalition will honor Retana’s achievement with the Keeper of the Flame award at its 10th Annual Gala Dinner Oct. 22 at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel, 506 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles. Retana joined the coalition in 1998. He’s served as youth director of the coalition’s South Central Youth Empowered through Action program and as director of organiz-

Health Bill Clears Hurdle With Support from Snowe WASHINGTON (AP) — Historic legislation to expand U.S. health care and control costs won its first Republican supporter Oct. 13 and cleared a key Senate hurdle, a double-barreled triumph that propelled President Barack Obama’s signature issue toward votes this fall in both houses of Congress.

Olympia Snowe

“When history calls, history calls,” said Maine Republican Olympia Snowe, whose declaration of support ended weeks of suspense and provided the only drama of a 149 vote in the Senate Finance Committee. With her decision, the 62-year-old lawmaker bucked her own leadership on the most highprofile issue of the year in Congress, and gave the drive to remake health care at least a hint of the bipartisanship that Obama seeks. Nearly nine months after the president pledged in his Inaugural Address to tackle health care, legislation to expand coverage to millions who lack it has now advanced further than former President Bill Clinton’s ill-fated effort more than a decade ago — or any other attempt in more than a generation. The next move in the Senate is up to Majority Leader Harry Reid, whose office said the full Senate would begin debate on the issue the week of Oct. 26.

Navy Honors Civil Rights Martyr Medgar Evers JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Slain civil rights leader Medgar Evers has been honored with a Navy supply ship named for him. Navy Secretary Ray Mabus, a former governor of Mississippi, announced the honor Oct. 9 during a speech at Jackson State University. The nearly 700-foot-long vessel named for Evers will deliver food, ammunition and parts to other ships at sea.

federal education reform policy. In his spare time, Retana helped create Latinos for Obama.

Community Coalition Staffer to Serve in Dept. of Edu.

THE NATION

Change of Venue Hearing in BART Shooting Continues OAKLAND (AP) — A hearing stretched into another day as the attorney for a former transit officer charged in the killing of an unarmed man seeks to get the trial moved out of the area.

COMMUNITY MEETINGS, FORUMS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

Medgar Evers

During the Civil Rights Movement, Evers organized nonviolent protests, voter registration drives and boycotts in Mississippi, rising to the post of state field secretary for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. In 1963, Evers was assassinated in the driveway of his home in Jackson after returning from a meeting with NAACP lawyers.

Ore. Man Accused of Sending Noose to NAACP Leader PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A Portland white supremacist has been indicted on accusations he mailed a hangman’s noose to an Ohio civil rights leader, the Justice Department said Oct. 8. An indictment alleges that Daniel Lee Jones used the U.S. Postal Service to send a package that included the noose to the home of Jason Upthegrove, president of the Lima, Ohio, chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Upthegrove received the package on Feb. 14, 2008. The indictment says that before mailing the noose, Jones sent hate literature to Lima regarding the shooting of a black woman by a police officer. According to news reports at the time, Upthegrove urged calm after the shooting of Tarika Wilson ignited protests in the northwest Ohio city. Jones, regional director of the American National Socialist Workers Party, was arrested Oct. 7 by U.S. marshals after a federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment charging him with mailing a threatening communication and interfering with federally protected activities.

THE DIASPORA Somali Muslims Threaten to Attack Kenya MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — The Islamist insurgency in

African Marketplace and Cultural Faire to Take Place

Alberto Retana

ing. He is an advocate for African American and Latino unity, and has worked to build solidarity among all South Los Angeles residents. Retana’s work at the coalition helped expand college opportunities for South L.A. youth. In his new position, he will work with communities across the country to give them a voice in shaping Somalia may attack targets in neighboring Kenya, a Muslim official said Oct. 11. The insurgency’s appointed governor of Gedo region, Sheik Da’ud Mohamed Garane, made the threats on behalf of the al-Shabab militia following reports that Kenya’s military was stepping up recruitment of ethnic Somalis who are Kenyan citizens. “Our intelligence sources have already confirmed that Kenya is giving training and military equipment to Somali men in three different areas along its border with Somalia,” he told a crowd of some

The African Marketplace and Cultural Faire will join the 2009 Taste of Soul Festival on Oct. 17, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., on Crenshaw Boulevard, between Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Rodeo Road, Los Angeles. Live entertainment and soul food will be among some of the features at the festival. Information on the marketplace and cultural faire: (323) 293-1612, www.africanmarketplace.org. Information on the festival: (323) 299-3800, www.tasteofsoulla.com. 200 people in southwestern Somalia. “These men are being prepared to attack the peaceful positions we control. But let me tell Kenya that we will do all we can to prevent that to happen.” Kenyan officials were not immediately available for comment.

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L.A. WATTS TIMES

October 15, 2009

ARTS & CULTURE SHORT TAKES Micki Dickoff and Tony Pagano, about a Mississippi town trying to come to terms with its violent racist past. In addition, the festival will launch its first Human Rights Symposium Oct. 24, which will include the screening of a documentary highlighting the situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo; a symposium on “Ending Violence Against Women” in the Congo; and the presentation of an award to the winner of the “Come Clean 4 Congo” contest. Information: www.HollywoodFestival.com, www. arclightcinemas.com.

BOOKS • “The Tao of Wu” is scheduled to be released Oct. 15. Written by the RZA, founder of hip-hop’s classic underground group WuTang Clan, the 224-page hardcover book is a spiritual memoir that

lets the reader in on the foundation behind the RZA. Drawing from Buddhism, the Bible, Bruce Lee, and the Nation of Islam, “The Tao of Wu” costs $24.95. The RZA will sign copies of “The Tao of Wu” Oct. 20, 7:30 p.m., at Barnes and Noble in The Grove, 189 Grove Drive, Los Angeles. Information: www.us. penguingroup.com. • “Rebellion or Revolution,” originally written by social critic, essayist, and University of Michigan professor Harold Cruse in 1968,

was recently republished. The 280page paperback book, which costs $18.50, is a collection of the reviews and essays of Cruse written between 1950 and 1966. The work is still considered to be a critical contribution to the understanding of race in America. Information: www.upress. umn.edu/Books/C/cruse_rebellion.html.

FILMS • The 13th annual Hollywood Film Festival and Hollywood Awards will take place Oct. 21 to 26 at ArcLight Cinemas, 6360 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles. The programming includes features, documentaries, shorts and music videos from around the world. The documentary program will focus on social and humanitarian issues and include offerings such as “Neshoba,” by

THEATER/DANCE • The California State University at Dominguez Hills’ Department of Theatre and Dance will celebrate the 10-year anniversary of its Black Theatre Program with the alumni-based production of See SHORT TAKES, page 12

THERAPY TIME — Shane (Faizon Love) and Trudy (Kali Hawk) try to relax and enjoy their vacation at a tropical island resort. Unfortunately for them, management has other ideas in “Couples Retreat,” currently in theaters.

Marriage is Examined in ‘Couples Retreat’ BY DARLENE DONLOE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

“Couples Retreat” is a movie about four Midwestern couples who decide to take a trip together to a luxurious island. While one couple is there to get therapy for their fractured marriage, the other three are there to relax and have fun. However, there is a hitch. Unbeknownst to the three couples, if you’re on the island, you have ostensibly agreed to attend couples therapy. If you don’t, you’re sent packing. The alternative therapy consists of everything from swimming with sharks to a different, even sexually suggestive form of yoga. However, perhaps the mosttalked-about scene in the movie is comedian Faizon Love’s completely

nude scene. Not only is it hilarious, but it was rather ‘revealing’ to his cast mates. Although the dialogue is played for laughs, there are real marriage issues addressed in the film, including infidelity, trust, love and parenthood. The writers (Vince Vaughn, Jon Favreau and Dana Fox) should make a determination to either be serious while dealing with serious issues, or funny while dealing with funny issues. It’s neither, which leaves the script in disarray. The men in the movie come off as shallow, unhappy, wimpy, bitter and immature. Vaughn’s character, Dave, and his wife, Ronnie (Malin Akerman), have totally lost themselves in their See ‘COUPLES RETREAT’, page 8

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ARTS & CULTURE Actress Sheryl Lee Ralph’s 19th Annual Divas Simply Singing was held Oct. 10 at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills. Proceeds from the event, held to support HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention, benefited the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, Women Alive Coalition and Sisters Circle South Africa. Pictured: (counterclockwise, top to bottom) Gospel singer Yolanda Adams; R&B singer Faith Evans; ‘Diva’ Sheryl Lee Ralph.

The Special Needs Network Inc.’s fourth annual Evening Under the Stars event, held in support of children with autism, was held Oct. 11 at the Ebell of Los Angeles (formerly the Wilshire Ebell Theatre). Pictured: (clockwise, top to bottom) Host, actress Wendy Raquel Robinson; jazz artist Barbara Morrison; Mablean Ephriam, former host and judge of “Divorce Court”

He’s Funky, He’s Cool, He’s ‘Black Dynamite’ BY DARLENE DONLOE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

So, dig it. There’s a new hip cat in town that’s cooler than Shaft, smoother than The Mack, and sharper than Superfly. His name is “Black Dynamite!” Out in theaters Oct. 16, “Black Dynamite” is a righteously hilarious blaxploitation spoof starring Michael Jai White in the title role. Black Dynamite declares war and decides to take matters into his own hands after “the man” denigrates the ghetto with liquor stores, kills his brother and distributes drugs into orphanages. When he finds out “the man’s” ultimate plan is to put something in

the malt liquor to weaken a black man’s, uh, well, power source, Black Dynamite enlists the help of his partners in crime like Tasty Freeze (Arsenio Hall) and a hustler named Cream Corn, portrayed by Tommy Davidson. (The scene demonstrating the effects of drinking the malt liquor is priceless.) Whether he’s hittin’ the streets or trying to find justice in the hallowed halls of the “Honky House,” Black Dynamite, an ex-CIA commando, has his own way of gettin’ at the truth. In the ’70s, blaxploitation films were all the rage. They were a black alternative to the mainstream movies delivered by Hollywood that were usually devoid of

EXPLOSIVE! — Michael Jai White stars as Black Dynamite, which opens Oct. 16. Co-written by White, the film is an over-the-top homage to the blaxploitation films of the 1970s.

any positive lead roles for black actors. The stories reflected the gritty, realistic atmosphere of urban life. It was an era where black folks could finally see themselves on the silver screen with characters that were all too familiar. The decade saw a run of blaxploitation films like “Cleopatra Jones,” “Coffy,” “Blacula,” “Dolemite” and many others. Lead actors like Richard Roundtree (“Shaft”), Max Julian (“The Mack”) and Ron O’Neal (“Superfly”) became cult-like heroes playing tougher-than-nails characters with plenty of street attitude, who were larger-than-life and unafraid of standing up to the establishment. “Black Dynamite” is reminiscent of Keenan Ivory Wayans’ 1988 mock blaxploitation film “I’m Gonna Get You Sucka” and 2002’s “Undercover Brother,” both of which were successful in parodying the genre. “Black Dynamite” is so wacky and over the top, it doesn’t even come close to taking itself seriously, which is why it’s so much fun. The movie plays strictly for laughs. The spirit behind the movie is what gives it its edge. It’s a fitting, comical tribute to the genre. There are ridiculous fight scenes, hilarious shots of obvious stunt doubles, outlandish characters and nonsensical bad guys. White’s portrayal of the indestructible, immensely-mustachioed Black Dynamite is on the money. See ‘BLACK DYNAMITE’, page 11

STARTS FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16 AT THEATRES EVERYWHERE

NO PASSES ACCEPTED

Page 8

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October 15, 2009

HEALTH THE PULSE Cancer Foundation Celebrates 10th Anniversary “The Cause - The Care - The Cure: The 10 Year Journey” will take place Oct. 18, 2 to 5 p.m., at The Conga Room, 800 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles. This event, held by The Denise Roberts Breast Cancer Foundation, will include an award show and concert. Proceeds will go toward helping uninsured women get free breast screenings. Actress Wendy Raquel Robinson will be the host, and chef Wolfgang Puck will cater lunch. Information: Lisa Douet, (888) 833-6473, ext. 3, lisa@frontlinentertainment.com, www.tdrbcf.org/ foundersday_2009.

Children’s Fall Festival to Take Place (Young Communications) — Compton’s Fourth District Councilman Willie O. Jones and the City of Compton will host the 2009 Children’s Fall Festival Oct. 24, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., in Kelly Park, 2319 E. Caldwell St., Compton. The festival will focus on literacy, fitness and nutrition. Activities will be geared toward children in primary grades (K-6), but there will be events for all ages as well. Activities include a book giveaway, a celebrity reading corner, face painting, a pumpkin patch, pumpkin carving, exercise routines, jumpers, life-size Legos, free gifts and free food.

CDC: Fewer Schools Selling Candy, Soda to Students ATLANTA (AP) — Fewer U.S. high schools and middle schools are selling candy and salty snacks to students, the federal government said in a report released Oct. 5. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report was based on a survey of public schools in 34 states that compared results from 2006 to 2008. The study did not report the total number of schools that have changed. Instead, it looked at the proportion of schools in each state. It found that the median proportion of high schools and middle schools that sell the sugary or salty

snacks dropped from 54 percent to 36 percent. The share of schools that sell soda and artificial fruit drinks dropped from 62 percent to 37 percent. The improvements were most dramatic in some Southern states. In Mississippi, the proportion selling soda dropped from 78 percent to 25 percent. In Tennessee, it dropped from 73 percent to 26 percent. Those two states also saw dramatic reductions in sales of candy and salty snacks. The report marked a continued effort by health officials to combat childhood obesity. American Heart Association officials celebrated the progress, attributing it to aggressive legislation and school policy changes in some states that they hope will get children and teens accustomed to healthier eating.

Carter Seeks to Boost Caribbean Malaria Fight OUANAMINTHE, Haiti (AP) — An estimated 30,000 Haitians were infected this year with malaria and several thousand more across the border in the Dominican Republic. Former President Jimmy Carter was scheduled to visit the two countries Oct. 7 to spur their leaders to join an island-wide pact to fight the disease. Carter checked in on the progress of a $200,000 pilot project established by the nonprofit Carter Center that local health officials say has helped curb the spread of malaria. The pilot project in Ouanaminthe and neighboring Dajabon, in the Dominican Republic, will have nets treated with insecticide for residents to hang over their beds, microscopes to help lab technicians diagnose malaria samples, and motorbikes so field workers can zip along cramped alleys to test and treat residents. The center’s goal is to remove from this corner of the world the last vestiges of malaria, a disease that causes high fevers and flu-like symptoms and kills more than 1 million people each year. It also could eliminate the threat of the disease spreading to nearby islands, including Jamaica and the Bahamas.

‘COUPLES RETREAT’ Continued from page 6 marriage, spending most of their time on kids, friends and work. Jason (Jason Bateman) and his wife Cynthia (Kristen Bell) have been unhappy for a while. The fact that they are having a difficult time conceiving doesn’t make it any easier. And, although they have no plans to divorce, Joey (Favreau) and Lucy (Kristin Davis) would each like to sow whatever wild oats they have left. Jon, who feels the wild sex days have passed him by, is now a sex-crazed unhappily married man. The Eden Resort, where all the couples have congregated, turns out to be just the ticket each couple needed. And, of course, it turns out they all had the answers at their fin-

gertips the whole time. This is not the classic VaughnFavreau fare in the tradition of “Swingers,” which is more than a little disappointing. One of the funniest moments in the film is when a kid mistakes a store toilet for a real one. The kid should have had more scenes. He steals the movie. “Couples Retreat” isn’t a deep movie, but it is occasionally funny. Currently in theaters, the movie opened in the top spot with nearly $35 million. On the Donloe Scale, D (don’t bother), O (oh, no), N (needs work), L (likable), O (OK) and E (exquisite), “Couples Retreat” gets an L (Likable).

TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS — L.A. Care Health Plan held a Women’s Health Month event at its office in Lynwood. The purpose of the event was to raise awareness of the various health issues that women face and the resources that are available. Pictured (left): Participants stand in line to get their blood pressure checked. (Right): Dr. Elaine Batchlor, chief medical officer at L.A. Care, addresses the audience on the importance of women’s health.

U.S. Has No Good System to Track Medical Implants BY DAVID B. CARUSO AP WRITER

NEW YORK (AP) — Three years ago, the maker of a surgical clip called the Hem-o-lok issued an urgent recall notice warning doctors to stop using the fasteners on living kidney donors. It said the clips could dislodge in their bodies, with “serious, even life-threatening consequences.” Not everyone got the message. Last October, a surgeon in Brooklyn, N.Y., used one of the clips to tie off Michael King’s renal artery when he donated a kidney to his ailing wife. Twelve hours later, the clip popped off. King bled to death internally in the hospital as his wife lay helplessly nearby. He was 29. Experts say such deaths are the result of a major weakness in the nation’s system for recalling thousands of medical devices routinely implanted in people’s bodies, ranging from screws and plates to artificial knees and hips. “There is no system for being informed of what the problems are with the products you have in your body. Even your physician may not know,” said Terry Fadem, president of the Biomedical Research and Education Foundation in Philadelphia. Unlike the auto industry, medical equipment makers have no centralized system for tracking products throughout their life span. That means in some instances, manufacturers do not have an easy way of knowing where problematic devices are or which patients got them. Meanwhile, the number of items implanted in people’s bodies is soaring, as is the number of recalls. Nearly 2,500 medical devices were recalled for potential safety problems in fiscal 2008, according to the Food and Drug Administration. That was nearly double the number reported the previous year and a 164 percent increase since 2000. In 2006 alone, surgeons implanted a million hip and knee replacements, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. That number is expected to quadruple by 2030. Fadem’s foundation and other groups have been pushing for years for better tracking of devices, hoping to create something like the patient registries used in Sweden, England and Australia to keep tabs on artificial joints. Health care reform legislation being considered in Congress includes a proposal to set up the nation’s first comprehensive medical device registry. Doctors say its pri-

mary use would be to uncover safety problems, but it could also be used to locate patients quickly during a recall. Manufacturers trace many other medical products only as far as the distributor. Finding them again is not always easy, particularly after they have been implanted into someone’s body. Hospitals record the model and lot numbers of implants, but that information is often buried deep in billing records or operating-room log books. Manufacturers send out thousands of letters announcing recalls, and the FDA puts the information on the Web, but the warnings sometimes go unnoticed. More than 1,000 such recall notices were sent out in the first seven months of 2009 involving devices such as tracheal tubes, catheters, pacemakers, prosthetic hips, screws, pain pumps and pieces of artificial spine. More than 100 were ranked as “Class 1” recalls by the FDA, which involve a defect serious enough to create a “reasonable probability of adverse health consequences or death.” A lawyer for the King family, Jeff Korek, said that in Michael King’s case, the hospital had received a registered letter about the Hem-olok recall from the manufacturer, Teleflex Inc. He said it was unclear why the alert was not acted upon. The family is suing the hospital, SUNY Downstate Medical Center and the surgeon. Teleflex Medical said in a statement that it complied with all FDA regulations by notifying medical centers in writing that the clip, while fine for other types of surgery, should not be used to tie off the renal artery on living kidney donors. Some potential solutions are in the works. The FDA has been laying the groundwork for a registry of patients with artificial joints, which are more prone to breakage than other types of implants and are also experiencing a huge surge in use. The agency is also working on a system that would make tracking easier by associating each medical device with a unique ID number. Jeff Secunda, a vice president of regulatory affairs at AdvaMed, an association that represents medical device companies, said the new ID system being developed by the FDA could be “the answer to everyone’s problem” if combined with better electronic health records. AdvaMed has been more critical of the proposal for a national medical device registry, saying it would be too

costly and require doctors to gather information on products unlikely to pose a safety hazard. Secunda said incidents in which patients have been hurt because of difficulty with a recall are extremely rare. Yet mistakes do happen. Premier Inc., an alliance of 2,200 U.S. hospitals, said it examined one recent recall and found that even after a device with a potentially dangerous flaw was pulled from the market, doctors at more than 40 hospitals implanted it in at least 50 patients. “This is not just an issue in the United States. This is an issue across the globe,” said the group’s chief information officer, Joe Pleasant. Not content to wait for government action, some medical organizations have been trying to develop tracking programs on their own. The Kaiser Permanente health system in California has a registry keeping tabs on 75,000 artificial joints. It also gives doctors valuable information on how often they break down. “Within 24 hours, we get a printout, by patient and by doctor, of who has those implants,” said Dr. Thomas Barber, an orthopedic surgeon, associate physician in chief of the Oakland Medical Center and a board member at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Without that system, he said, hospitals can have a much tougher time. Many, he said, still keep track of implants using a system involving stickers, provided by the manufacturers, pasted into the pages of operating room log books. “When there is a recall,” he said, “hospitals have to manually go through the implant log by hand.”

This is personal. She was the cornerstone of our family. But my mother died of colon cancer when she was only 56. Let my heartbreak be your wake-up call. Colorectal cancer is the 2nd leading cancer killer in the U.S., but screening helps prevent this disease. Terrence Howard, actor/musician

Colorectal cancer is the 2nd leading cancer killer in the U.S., but it’s largely preventable. If you’re 50 or older, please get screened. 1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636) www.cdc.gov/screenforlife

October 15, 2009

L.A. WATTS TIMES

Page 9

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Page 10

L.A. WATTS TIMES

October 15, 2009

SPORTS BRAD PYE JR.

SPORTS BEAT Notes, quotes and things picked up on the run from coast-tocoast and all the stops in between and beyond. Just call the L.A. Dodgers and the L.A. Angels the sweepers. The Dodgers and the Angels swept the St. Louis Cardinals and the Boston Red Sox out of the playoffs, respectively, in three games. The Cardinals came to town to play the Dodgers in the first round of the National League playoffs with one full-time black coach,

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injury in a gym, so Allen Bradford should get much more playing time. USC has a parade of running backs, but Oregon Stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Jacquizz Rodgers is outshining them all. Jacquizz wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the only Rodgers standout in Oregon Stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 38-28 victory over Stanford. His older brother James Rodgers caught five passes for 71 yards and one TD. Oregon State isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the only top team in the state. The University of Oregon did a job on UCLA, beating it 24-10 on Oct. 10 at the Rose Bowl and leads the Pac-10 with a 3-0 report card and a 5-1 overall record.

Will Texas Rose Bowl quarterback star Vince Young be calling signals for the Tennessee Titians before the sixth game of the season? Starter Kerry Collins is 0-5, as of presstime. Young could be the answer to all of coach Jeff Fisherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s prayers. Jim Caldwellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Indianapolis Colts remained unbeaten with a 31-9 victory over the Titans. Mike Tomlinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers (32) dumped on the Detroit Lions 28-20. And the beat continuesâ&#x20AC;Ś All coach Robert Garrettâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Crenshaw High Cougars have to do is go 14-0, and they will be the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s representative in the state championship game at the Home Depot Center in December. Unbeaten Crenshaw High takes on Manual Arts Oct. 17 in quest of its sixth straight. And the beat continuesâ&#x20AC;Ś Serena Williams ranked No. 1 on Oct. 6, thanks to a loss by No. 1-ranked Dinara Safina in the China Open in Beijing. Williams kept her ranking, although she lost the next day to Nadia Petrova, 64, 3-6, 7-6 (5). Venus Williams lost to Russian teenager Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 3-6, 61, 6-4 in Beijing. She lost twice to the teenager in one week. And the beat continuesâ&#x20AC;Ś Golden Boy Productions hopes to have a bout between Sugar Shane Mosley (46-5, 39 KOs) and Andre Berto (26-0, 19 KOs) on Jan. 30 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. Also, Bernard Hopkins and Enrique Ornelas will fight in Philadelphia on Dec. 2. And the beat continuesâ&#x20AC;Ś Tiger Woods did his recordsetting thing in the Presidents Cup by going 5-0 and scoring the clinching point to lead the American team to a 191/2 -141/2. Woodsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; 5-0 finish made him the third player in the Presidents Cup to win all five matches. He is also the first player to score the decisive point in the Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup in the same year. And the beat ends. Brad Pye Jr. can be reached at switchreel@aol.com.

A PIECE OF HISTORY â&#x20AC;&#x201D; A photo display of well-known civil rights icon Rosa Parks being fingerprinted. The photo is part of nearly 300 items in the â&#x20AC;&#x153;America I Am: The African American Imprintâ&#x20AC;? traveling exhibition, which opens in Los Angeles Oct. 30. The exhibit celebrates nearly 500 years of the contributions, history and cultural influences of African Americans in the United States and will be on display at the California Science Center until April 2010.

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;AMERICA I AMâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Continued from page 1 backstory, or about our contributions over that 400-year history.â&#x20AC;? The 12-gallery exhibit will include multimedia, documents, rare historic objects and photos. A major inclusion is the centuries-old Door of No Return, a gateway from Ghanaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cape Coast Castle; hundreds of years ago, Africans walked through the door while on their way to slave ships. Other highlights include: â&#x20AC;˘ Malcolm Xâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Quran and journal. â&#x20AC;˘ Items from Michael Jordan, Jimi Hendrix, Etta James and several others. â&#x20AC;˘ Alex Haleyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s typewriter, used to compose the book â&#x20AC;&#x153;Roots.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;˘ The clothes of Frederick Douglass, along with a letter he received from Abraham Lincoln. The exhibitâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s items have been loaned and will be returned at the conclusion of the tour, which is expected to last for four years. The complete cost to develop, maintain and transport a show this size has not yet been determined, according to Smiley. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The answer is fluid because we have items that move in and out of (the) exhibit,â&#x20AC;? Smiley said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s priceless. People have loaned us their precious items. We have the Emancipation Proclamation. How do you put a price on that? We have the Declaration of Independence.

Some (W.E.B.) DuBois artifacts. The price would be astronomical. It will cost millions to travel it. Just think, you can see history right in front of you.â&#x20AC;? In order to â&#x20AC;&#x153;get it right,â&#x20AC;? Smiley said he enlisted the help of consultants who could help him figure out what the story was that needed to be told. He sought the help of scholars such as Cornel West and Henry Louis Gates Jr. As of presstime, future dates and cities werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t released. The exhibit has already been hosted by Philadelphia and Atlanta. The exhibition will go along with programming from the California African American Museum and an exhibit called â&#x20AC;&#x153;RACE: Are We So Different?â&#x20AC;? according to a press statement. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The two exhibitions are complementary; America I Am highlights the contributions of African Americans and opens a dialogue about our collective experience and the RACE exhibit encourages guests to explore the science and everyday impact of race and racism,â&#x20AC;? science center President Jeffrey Rudolph said in the press statement. The science center is at 700 State Drive in Exposition Park. For more information, call (323) SCIENCE, (213) 744-2019, or visit www.californiasciencecenter.org or www.AmericaIAM.org.

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October 15, 2009

L.A. WATTS TIMES

PUBLIC NOTICE APT. BLDG FOR SALE

By Owner, Growing Area in Dallas, 20 units, 16-1BR, 4-2BR, Only $675,000 Call 323-295-1984 $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, MELVIN JAMES COMEAUX, JR. in the City of Los Angeles. On Sunday, August 24, 2008, at approximately 8:40 p.m., Melvin James Comeaux, Jr. was fatally shot and killed by two armed men. Comeaux was walking on the sidewalk in the area of Normandie Avenue and 94th Place when he was approached by two men on bikes. One of the men produced a handgun and shot Comeaux several times before fleeing westbound on 94th Place. LAPD is still searching for the suspects and encourages witnesses to come forward, even anonymously, to assist them in their investigation. 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, APRIL 9, 2010. 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. 09-0010-s48 10/15/09 CNS-1708957# WATTS TIMES SUMMONS (CITACION JUDICIAL) CASE NO.(Numero del Caso) BC409221 NOTICE TO DEFENDANT: (Aviso Acusado) ROBERTA MELL; AND DOES 1 to 20 YOU ARE BEING SUED BY PLAINTIFF: (A Ud.le esta demandando) ANDREW LAZAR You have 30 CALENDAR DAYS after this summons is served on you to file a typewritten response at this court. A letter or phone call will not protect you; your typewritten response must be in proper legal form if you want the court to hear your case. If you do not file your response on time, you may lose the case, and your wages, money and property may be taken without further warning from the court. There are other legal requirements. You may want to call an attorney right away. If you do not know an attorney, you may call an attorney referral service or a legal aid office (listed in the phone book). Despues de que le entreguen esta citacion judicial usted tien un plazo de 30 DIAS CALENDARIOS para presentar una respuesta escrita a maguina en esta corte. Una carta o una llamada telefonica no le ofrecera proteccion; su respuesta escrita a maguina tiene que cumplir con las formalidades legales apropiadas si usted quiere que la corte escuche su caso. Si usted no presenta su respuesta a tiempo, puede perder el caso, y le pueden quitar su salario, su dinero y otras casasde su propiedad sin aviso adicional por parte de la corte. Existen otros requisitos legales. Puede que usted quiera llamar a un abogado immediatamente. Si no conoce a un abogado, puede llamar a un servicio de referencia de abogados o a una oficina de ayuda legal (vea el directorio telefonico). The name and address of the court is: El nombre y direccion de la corte es) Los Angeles Superior Court 111 N. HILL STREET LOS ANGELES, CA 90012 The name, address, and telephone number of plaintiff’s attorney, or plaintiff without an attorney is: El nombre, la direccion y el numero de telefono del abogado del demandante, o del demandante que no tiene abogado, es) Donald Iwuchuka, SBN 181726 Law Offices of Don Iwuchuku 3540 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 917 Los Angeles, CA 90010 NOTICE TO THE PERSON SERVED: You are served 1. [x] as an individual defendant. 2. [ ] as the person sued under the fictitious name 3. [ ] on behalf of (specify): PUBLISH DATES: 10/8/09,10/15/09, 10/22/09, 10/29/09

DBA’s and Legal Notices Call (213) 251-5700

Page 11

CAREERS

INVITATION FOR BIDS (IFB) NO. 1679 THE RE-ROOFING OF SIXTEEN (16) BUILDINGS AT AVALON GARDENS The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) invites vendors to submit bids for The ReRoofing of Sixteen (16) buildings at Avalon Gardens Housing Development located at 701 E. 88th Place, Los Angeles, CA 90002. Copies of the IFB may be obtained at the HACLA's General Services Department, 2600 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 3100, Los Angeles, CA 90057. Copies of the IFB may also be downloaded from the internet at WWW.HACLA.ORG/CGS. Bids will be accepted at the same location until 2:00 p.m. (local time), October 30, 2009. INVITATION FOR BIDS (IFB) No. 1681 THE RE-ROOFING OF TWELVE (12) BUILDINGS AT MAR VISTA GARDENS The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) invites vendors to submit bids for The Re-Roofing of Twelve (12) buildings at Estrada Courts Housing Development located at 11965 Allin Street, Culver City, CA 90230. Copies of the IFB may be obtained at the HACLA’s General Services Department, 2600 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 3100, Los Angeles, CA 90057. Copies of the IFB may also be downloaded from the internet at WWW.HACLA.ORG/CGS. Bids will be accepted at the same location until 3:00 p.m. (local time), October 30, 2009. 10/15, 10/22/09 CNS-1709755# WATTS TIMES ®

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP #7523) 2009 CONTINUUM OF CARE HOMELESS ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles invites proposals from qualified organizations interested in providing assisted housing and supportive services through the Section 8 Continuum of Care Homeless Assistance Programs. Copy of the RFP may be obtained beginning October 5, 2009 at www.hacla.org/ps or call (213) 252-5405 or 252-1832. Proposals will be accepted until 2:00 P.M., by October 23, 2009. 10/8, 10/15/09 CNS-1703632# WATTS TIMES FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No. 20091469841 The following person is doing business as: Colemine Studio 119 S. Hayworth Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90048 Michael A. Coles 119 S. Hayworth Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90048 This business is conducted by an Individual. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct (The registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false is guilty of a crime.) is Michael A. Coles. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles County on September 28, 2009. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on N/A. NOTICE: This Fictitious Name Statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the Los Angeles County Clerk. A New Fictitious Business Name Statement must be filed before that time. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a Fictitious Business Name in violation of the rights of another under Federal, State, or common law (See Section 14411 et seq., Business and Professions Code). First Filing: 10/1/09, 10/8/09, 10/15/09, 10/22/09 LAWT 387 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No. 20091518022 The following person is doing business as: Tasha’s Home Health Services 420 E. 131st St. Los Angeles, CA 90061 Veleka N. Gipson White 420 E. 131st St. Los Angeles, CA 90061 This business is conducted by a Individual. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct (The registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false is guilty of a crime.) is Veleka N. Gipson White. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles County on October 6 , 2009. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on N/A. NOTICE: This Fictitious Name Statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the Los Angeles County Clerk. A New Fictitious Business Name Statement must be filed before that time. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a Fictitious Business Name in violation of the rights of another under Federal, State, or common law (See Section 14411 et seq., Business and Professions Code). First Filing: 10/8/09, 10/15/09, 10/22/09, 10/29/09 LAWT 389

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No. 20091469840 The following person is doing business as: Out Da Basement 119 S. Hayworth Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90048 Da Funk Factory 119 S. Hayworth Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90048 Michael A. Coles 119 S. Hayworth Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90048 Taurus R. Hamilton 3659 Motor Ave., Apt. 1A Los Angeles, CA 90031 This business is conducted by an Unincorporated Association other than a Partnership. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct (The registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false is guilty of a crime.) is Michael A. Coles and Taurus R. Hamilton. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles County on September 28, 2009. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on N/A. NOTICE: This Fictitious Name Statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the Los Angeles County Clerk. A New Fictitious Business Name Statement must be filed before that time. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a Fictitious Business Name in violation of the rights of another under Federal, State, or common law (See Section 14411 et seq., Business and Professions Code). First Filing: 10/1/09, 10/8/09, 10/15/09, 10/22/09 LAWT 388 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No. 20091527268 The following person is doing business as: House of Venusian 1608 Centinela Ave., Suite 11 Inglewood, CA 90302 Stewart Clemons 1608 Centinela Ave., Suite 11 Inglewood, CA 90302 This business is conducted by an Individual. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct (The registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false is guilty of a crime.) is Stewart Clemons. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles County on October 7 , 2009. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on N/A. NOTICE: This Fictitious Name Statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the Los Angeles County Clerk. A New Fictitious Business Name Statement must be filed before that time. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a Fictitious Business Name in violation of the rights of another under Federal, State, or common law (See Section 14411 et seq., Business and Professions Code). First Filing: 10/15/09, 10/22/09, 10/29/09, 11/5/09 LAWT 390

REQUEST FOR NOTICE OF INTEREST TO SUBMIT AN RFP Project: I-405 Sepulveda Pass Widening Project, Contract No. C0882 Owner: Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) Kiewit Pacific Co. is the design-builder for the I-405 Sepulveda Pass Widening Project and is seeking sub bids and quotes from Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBE). Opportunities for subcontractors, professional services and material and/or equipment suppliers will occur throughout the life of the project. Requests for proposals (RFP), sub-bids and quotes will be ongoing as needed. All DBE’s must be certified by the California Unified Certification Program (CUCP). Currently, Kiewit is preparing to issue RFP’s for the following upcoming opportunities: Jacking and Boring / Directional Boring Wet Utilities / Dry Utilities Please submit a Notice of Interest no later than close of business Monday, October 19, 2009 to receive an RFP for your scope of work. All responsive subcontractors must posses a valid California contractor’s license and provide acceptable insurance. Responsible subcontractors and material contractors are required to provide bonding for 100% of their contract. Kiewit will reimburse bond premiums. Kiewit intends to conduct itself in good faith with all DBEs and all other business enterprises regarding participation on this project. For further information or questions regarding this design-build project, requirements of the contract, your scope of work or specialty, licensing, project scheduling, or insurance or bonding, please contact: Kiewit Pacific Co. I-405 Sepulveda Pass Widening Project Attn: Rebecca Manning 6060 Center Dr., Suite 200, Los Angeles, Ca 90045 (310) 846-2400 • (310) 846-2405 Fax I405.DBE@Kiewit.com

‘BLACK DYNAMITE’ Continued from page 7 His character’s swagger is fierce and his confidence and sculpted body are off the charts. White’s tongue-incheek homage is far out. This movie screams for a sequel. “Black Dynamite in Africa!” “Black Dynamite” is in theaters Oct. 16. Running time: 90 min-

utes. It’s Rated R for sexuality/nudity, language, some violence and drug content. On the Donloe Scale, D (don’t bother), O (oh, no), N (needs work), L (likable), O (OK) and E (excellent), “Black Dynamite” gets an O (OK).

Page 12

L.A. WATTS TIMES

October 15, 2009

SHORT TAKES Continued from page 6 August Wilson’s “Jitney.” The play starts at 8 p.m. on Oct. 16 and 17 and Oct. 23 and 24, and at 2 p.m. Oct. 18 and 25, at the University Theatre, 1000 E. Victoria St., Carson. “Jitney” tells the story of the middle-aged men who drive unlicensed gypsy cabs, or “jitneys,” as they strive to find honor and accomplishment in a world of diminishing opportunity. General admission tickets are $12 and $10 for students with ID and are available at the door. Information: (310) 243-3589. • The New York City-based dance company known as Complexions Contemporary Ballet celebrates its 15th anniversary this year. Complexions is on tour and will perform in a program that will feature both new and older works. The program will take place at the Carpenter

Performing Arts Center, 6200 Atherton St., Long Beach, on Oct. 24 at 8 p.m. Information: (562) 985-2488.

CONFERENCE • The “Dialogue in Music Project: Africa Meets North America, 3rd International Symposium and Festival” will take place Oct. 22 to 25 at 2539 Schoenberg Music Building, at the University of California, Los Angeles. Concerts are free. Scheduled per-

formers include Jamaican, Nigerian, Ethiopian, and U.S.-born artists and musicians. Registration for this event is $50 for the general public; $25 for UCLA faculty and staff; daily registration for those who do not wish to attend the entire symposium is $15 at the door. Students with valid student ID from any institution will be admitted for free. Information: www.amna.ethnomusic.ucla.edu, (310) 206-3033.

CD • Fred Hammond’s new CD, “Love Unstoppable,” was recently released by Verity Gospel Music Group. His first CD in three years, Hammond said that the making of “Love Unstoppable” was therapeutic for him and was also a joyful process because of the people he was able to work with on the project. The 15-track CD includes Hammond’s two children

and John P. Kee. “Love Unstoppable” costs $9.99. Information: www.verity records.com.

CONCERTS • In-House Music will present a CD release party for Phil Ranelin and Tribe Renaissance Oct. 23, 7:30 and 9:30 p.m., at The Culver Club, located in the Radisson Los Angeles Westside Hotel, 6161 W. Centinela Ave., Culver City.

There is a $15 food and beverage minimum and validated parking is also available. Information: (310) 649-1776, www. ranelin.com. • The 24th National Heritage Music Conference will present “The Cultural Tie That Binds” Oct. 21 to 24, 7:30 p.m., at Greater New Bethel Church, 601 E. 99th St., Inglewood. Gospel singers from all over the country and Southern California will attend. Gospel music enthusiasts are invited to register and participate. On Oct. 24 at 8 a.m., there will be an annual Breakfast and Fashion Show with music by conference guests at Trinity Baptist Church, 2040 W. Jefferson Blvd., Los Angeles. Tickets for the breakfast are $30. Full registration for the conference is $95. Information: (310) 674-1903, www.hmfgospel. com.

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