LAWT 11-29-2012

W E E K E N D E R SEE PAGES 8-9

Vol. XXX, No. 1312

www.lawattstimes.com

Thursday, November 29, 2012

L.A. Watts Times

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Thursday, November 29, 2012

HOROSCOPES

Nov. 29-Dec. 5

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RIES ~ Ding-dong! Destiny is at the door. Let it in and enjoy the change of pace. You’ll be happy to make a few adjustments for this most welcome guest. Follow through on instincts and hunches! Soul Affirmation: My spirit makes all things new.

AURUS ~ Stay on course with your current decisions and dreams. You may doubt your progress this week but you really are moving toward a better tomorrow with your determined attitude. Keep your emotions under control this week for sure.

Soul Affirmation: I enlarge my happiness by forgetting about myself this week.

EMINI ~ You feel great ! Your shining spirit attracts many seekers this week so let your best wisest self answer questions that are put to you by those who want advice. You’ll smooth over a sticky situation at work with ease. Soul Affirmation: Distant love is sometimes sweeter.

ANCER ~ Busy week. You’ll want to get up with the birdies and you may even want to whistle a happy little tune.

You’ll be very much in demand for your expertise and positive attitude. Way to go!

Soul Affirmation: I enjoy the act of adoring.

EO ~ A quiet week will work wonders for you. Make an effort to slow your pace, both physically and mentally this week. Use your imagination to think of quiet ways to entertain yourself. Soul Affirmation: Knowing I can do it is the biggest preparation for getting it done.

IRGO ~ While you may have much work facing you in the beginning of the week, a steady, patient attitude will help you accomplish a great deal this week. Be good to yourself and take things nice and slow.

You’ll finish what you need to. Soul Affirmation: The sunlight of my spirit shines in the land beyond the horizon.

IBRA ~ This week is another week when your intuition and insights are remarkable. A lesson you learned in the past may suddenly reveal itself as more this week; you’ll have plenty of food for thought. Soul Affirmation: I paint my world in colors of the rainbow.

CORPIO ~ Someone whose values are different than yours may annoy you this week if you let them. Let your most tolerant mind-set rule, and enjoy being able to listen to others’ points of view. You’ll feel very blessed by the end of the week. Soul Affirmation: Change is my middle name.

AGITTARIUS ~ You learn something this week that makes you very happy.

One of your most wonderful gifts is your ability to be delighted with all forms of learning and education. This is a terrific week for personal delight. Soul Affirmation: Trust gives me a deep sense of peace and joy.

APRICORN ~ Shopping has its appeals this week, and you’ll want to check your bankbook balance before indulging in anything that is whimsical and expensive. Give yourself hours to think about what’s important to you. Control impulses this week. Soul Affirmation: I change the way I look at business this week.

QUARIUS ~ A road trip might be in the offing; grab a friend and go dutchtreat. You’ll enjoy yourself more if you are sharing costs this week. Mutual generosity in all things will make your week perfect.

Soul Affirmation: As chances come around again. I take advantage of them.

ISCES ~ This week is likely to make you feel young again. You’ll want to play jokes and tricks on people around you.

Make sure they are ready to deal with your playful mood. Enjoy yourself, you fabulous being! Soul Affirmation: Superficiality is often the best route to clarity.

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Inside This Edition

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L.A. Watts Times Published Weekly – Updates 3800 S. Crenshaw Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90008 Administration – Sales – Graphics – Editorial 323.299.3800 - office 323.291.6804 - fax Beverly Cook – Publisher, Managing Editor 1976 – 1993 Charles Cook – Publisher 1976 – 1998 Melanie Polk – Publisher 1998 – 2010

The opinions expressed by contributing writers are not necessarily those of the L.A. Watts Times.

The L.A. Watts Times is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs, CDs or tapes.

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MOMBASA SQUARE ANSWERS FROM 11-22-12

Circulation ..................................................................................30,000

“A lot of times people believe that they ate too much sugar and that is what caused their diabetes,” said Pam Davis, diabetes educator for Novo Nordisk Inc. “In reality, there are a lot of things that contribute to why people have diabetes. Certainly what you eat can play a role. But, for instance, genetics, having a family history of diabetes, age, ethnicity, all of those kinds of things that we cannot change are kind of the underlining things that we always have to look at.”

Other risk factors include: being overweight, sedentary lifestyle, high blood pressure, being over 45 years of age and giving birth to large babies. There is no cure for the chronic disease, but according to medical experts, if managed and controlled properly diabetics can live long healthy lives. Some ways to manage diabetes are: taking medication properly, eating healthy, exercising and staying active, regular doctor’s visits, checking blood sugar levels and avoiding stress.

The key to keeping diabetes in control is first having a good team.

A good team usually consists of support from family and friends, a doctor, a nurse, an ophthalmologist, a podiatrist, a nutritionist and an endocrinologist. Your team will help with creating meal plans, plan-

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ning workouts or physical activities, scheduling when to check sugar and take medications, planning blood sugar goals and providing emotional support.

“There’s no reason why someone with diabetes can’t live a long healthy life, but they do have to do something about it to make it stay that way,” Davis said.

According to Davis and other diabetes experts, one out of 12 Americans has diabetes. Typically doctors test and can tell if a patient has the disease by an A1C of 6.5 percent or higher or blood sugar levels higher than 126. The A1C is an average number from your blood glucose levels over the course of two to three months.

A healthy A1C should be no higher than seven percent, they said. Symptoms include frequent urination, being thirsty and hungry more than often, unusual weight loss, frequent periods of fatigue, irritability, blurry vision, wounds that won’t heal and numbness or tingling hands or feet.

“One of the things that we teach people is that diabetes is a progressive disease meaning that it does tend to get worse unless we do things to combat it. So, complications that can result from diabetes are preventable ... and so we prevent that by keeping our blood sugar in good control and making sure that it’s as close to normal as possible.”

FAMU asks lawsuit from hazing death be dismissed

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What Blacks need to know about diabetes

Attorneys for Florida A&M University on Wednesday asked a judge to dismiss a lawsuit brought by the family of a drum major who died last year after being hazed by fellow band members, claiming Robert Champion was a willing participant in the ritual.

University attorney Richard Mitchell said Champion wasn't forced to board a bus parked outside an Orlando hotel where the hazing took place. He was an adult able to make his own decisions at age 26, and he had risen through the ranks of the famed Marching 100 band without taking part in hazing until that fateful night in November 2011, Mitchell said.

Champion’s willingness to take part in an illegal act gives the university immunity from the wrongful death lawsuit, Mitchell said.

“Robert Champion knew exactly what he was doing,” he said. “If

Mr. Champion had not gotten on that bus, he would not have been hazed.”

Circuit Judge Walter Komanski didn't immediately issue a ruling.

Champion’s parents filed a lawsuit contending university officials did not take action to stop hazing even though a school dean had proposed suspending the Marching 100 band just days before their son died. The lawsuit also alleges that school officials fell short in enforcing anti-hazing policies.

An attorney for Champion’s family asked the judge to allow a jury to decide who was responsible for Champion’s death.

“A jury needs to decide how to allocate responsibility for the death of Mr. Champion,” said lawyer Kenneth Bell. “Please allow that to be heard.”

Champion’s parents, Robert and Pamela Champion of Decatur, Ga., rejected a $300,000 settlement offer from the university earlier this See FAMU, page 3

Thursday, November 29, 2012

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Making History in L.A. Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas will be the first African American man to chair the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors

Trayvon Martin shooter to seek expense money

BY MIKE SCHNEIDER ASSOCIATED PRESS George Zimmerman plans to step up fundraising to pay for his expenses while he awaits trial for fatally shooting 17-year-old Trayvon Martin.

The former neighborhood watch leader’s attorney said Wednesday that Zimmerman plans to launch the New George Zimmerman Defense Fund next month.

Donors will receive “thank you”

cards individually signed by Zimmerman.

Attorney Mark O’Mara said an existing fund has raised $140,000 since last May, but the money it is running a bit low.

Zimmerman has pleaded not

guilty to second-degree murder and claims the shooting was self-defense under the state’s “stand your ground” law.

A trial is set for June, but a “stand your ground hearing” could be held by April.

FAMU Continued from page 2

BY YUSSUF J. SIMMONDS In 2008, Mark Ridley-Thomas was elected the first Black man to become a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, as Supervisor of the Second District.

On Friday, November 30, at 10 a.m., he will make history when he is sworn in as the first African-American man to hold the position of board chairman.

The ceremony will include highlights of Ridley-Thomas’ first term in office, such as the completion of the new Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Public Health, more than $5.7 billion of existing or planned investments in new libraries, community centers, parks, community gardens, medical and transportation infrastructure, as well as tens of thousands of jobs created thanks to his advocacy on local worker hiring policies for major county transportation and construction projects.

The event also will note upcoming developments such as the construction of the new Crenshaw-toLAX light rail line, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Hospital and other Second District projects. Renata Simril, Senior Vice President of External Affairs for the Los Angeles Dodgers will be the Mistress of Ceremonies, and Dr. Robert Ross, President and CEO of the California Endowment, will officiate. Inner City Youth Orchestra, the trio Sweet Harmony, and the Latin band sensation, Hot Peppers will perform, and about 500 people are expected to attend.

Ridley Thomas has already started on one of his future agenda items.

Last Tuesday, the board unanimously approved his motion on a Framework for Funding Affordable Housing and Economic Development. His focus will be to target redevelopment funds for disadvantaged communities severely impacted by Governor Jerry Brown’s discontinuance of Community Redevelopment Agency departments statewide.

“The work that redevelopment

agencies were initially set up to do mitigate blight, promote economic development and establish affordable housing - is far from over,” he said. “[This] action by the Board of Supervisors sets the framework for a continued investment is these significant priorities that are necessary to revitalize and empower communities.”

During his first term in the Second District, Ridley-Thomas’s highest priority was re-opening the Martin Luther King Jr. hospital for his constituents, a goal he has already reached.

“In a couple of weeks I will mark my first anniversary on the Board and I am pleased that I was able to make the announcement of the reopening of MLK Hospital,” he said in a speech during that time.

Now, besides the CRA issue, the new chairman said he has a list of other issues to tackle. For instance, as one who is always in the community among his constituents, RidleyThomas said he is keenly aware of the Crenshaw and surrounding community’s concern about the Leimert Park Village stop along the Crenshaw LAX line, scheduled to begin in the near future. To that end, he requested a funding study to examine ways to pay for the stop, and moving an 11-block section of the rail line along Crenshaw Boulevard below ground, within the existing cost estimate.

According to the Supervisor, the financial analysis shows that if there is the will, there is a way to pay for the proposal. He said, “We can and must distinguish great investments from great costs. Finding money is always a challenge, but funding challenges must not shrink our ambitions.”

He added, “The need for a Leimert Park Village Station is obvious – a Crenshaw Corridor rail line must include the most prominent cultural center on its route. The Park Mesa Heights tunnel would prevent See MARK RIDLEY-THOMAS, page 15

BlackFacts.com November 29, 1780 Lemuel Haynes, Revolutionary War veteran, is licensed to preaching to the Congregational Church. After the winter of Valley Forge, Black slaves and free men were welcomed into the American Army. There were Black soldiers in the Revolutionary army from all of the original thirteen colonies.

Most of the estimated five thousand Black soldiers fought in integrated units. Blacks soldiers were in the front lines in most of the big battles of the war. They were at White Plains, Stillwater, Bennington, Bemis Heights, Saratoga, Stony Points, Trenton, Princeton, Eutaw, S.C., and Yorktown. Blacks were critical factors in the battles of Rhode Island, Long Island, Red Bank, Savannah, Monmouth and Fort Griswold. There were Black fifers and drummers in some units.

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Mark Ridley-Thomas, Chairman of the Board of Supervisors

month. An attorney for the family, Chris Chestnut, said no further talks are taking place.

Ten FAMU band members face felony hazing charges in the case, while two others face misdemeanor counts. They have pleaded not guilty. Hazing that involves bodily harm is a third-degree felony in Florida.

“This is a commonsense case.

It’s complex but common sense,” Chestnut said after the hearing.

“There is a clear history of hazing at FAMU.” Champion’s parents also are suing the bus company that operated the bus on which the hazing took place, as well as its driver. An attorney for the bus driver said her duty to protect the students ended when she dropped them off at the hotel.

An attorney for the bus company told the judge that Champion’s participation relieved them of liability.

“It is not an issue of whether he was a participant in hazing,” said Dick Ford, an attorney for Fabulous Coach Lines. “He certainly was a participant in hazing.”

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Thursday, November 29, 2012

Egypt judges strike to Rastafarianism protest president’s decrees grows in Jamaica after long disdain

AP Photo/Khalil Hamra

Egyptian protesters clash with security forces near Tahrir square, in Cairo, Egypt, Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2012.

Egyptian state television says the country’s highest appeal court has decided to suspend its work nationwide to protest the president’s decrees giving himself nearly absolute powers.

In an escalation of the tug-of-war between Egypt’s president and the

powerful judiciary, judges in the country’s top courts went on strike Wednesday November 28 to protest Mohammed Morsi’s seizure of near absolute powers, while Islamists rushed to complete a new constitution, the issue at the heart of the dispute.

The moves came a day after at least 200,000 protesters filled Cairo’s central Tahrir Square to denounce the decrees Morsi issued last week, which place him above oversight of any kind, including by the courts.

Threatening to turn the dispute into violent street clashes, Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood and the more radical Islamist Salafi Al-Nour party, called for a counter-demonstration this weekend in Tahrir Square, where Morsi’s opponents have been holding a sit-in for over a week.

business card bulletin board

BY SARAH EL DEEB ASSOCIATED PRESS

Morsi says the decrees are necessary to protect the “revolution” that helped drive Hosni Mubarak from office last year as well as the nation's transition to democratic rule. The constitutional declaration also provides the 100-member panel drafting a new constitution with immunity from the courts.

In a sign the dispute may take a sharp turn, the Supreme Constitutional Court said in a statement that it will go ahead with plans to rule Sunday on whether to dissolve the assembly writing the new constitution, which is dominated by the Brotherhood and its Islamist allies.

“The court is determined to rise above its pain and continue its sacred mission until the end, wherever that takes us,” Maher Sami, the high court’s See EGYPT PROTESTS, page 15

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In this Nov. 17, 2012 photo, young and old Rastafarian adherents play drums and chant in a square at the town of Papine, a bustling market community in the outskirts of Kingston, Jamaica. More people are joining Jamaica’s homegrown Rastafarian religion some 80 years after it was founded by the descendants of African slaves in response to black oppression on the Caribbean island.

BY DAVID MCFADDEN ASSOCIATED PRESS The robed Rastafarian priest looked out over the turquoise sea off Jamaica’s southeast coast and fervently described his belief that deliverance is at hand.

Around him at the sprawling Bobo Ashanti commune on an isolated hilltop, a few women and about 200 dreadlocked men with flowing robes and tightly wrapped turbans prayed, fasted, and fashioned handmade brooms — smoking marijuana only as a ceremonial ritual.

“Rasta church is rising,” declared Priest Morant, who wore a vestment stitched with the words “The Black Christ.” “There’s nothing that can turn it back.”

The Rastafarian faith is indeed rising in Jamaica, where new census figures show a roughly 20 percent increase in the number of adherents over a decade, to more than 29,000.

While still a tiny sliver of the mostly Christian country's 2.7 million people, Jalani Niaah, an expert in the Rastafari movement, says the number is more like 8 to 10 percent of the population, since many Rastas disdain nearly all government initiatives and not all would have spoken to census takers.

“Its contemporary appeal is particularly fascinating to young men, especially in the absence of alternative sources for their development,” said Niaah, a lecturer at the University of the West Indies.

Founded 80 years ago by descendants of African slaves, the Rasta movement’s growing appeal is attributable to its rejection of Western materialism, the scarcity of opportunities for young men in Jamaica and an increasing acceptance of it.

For the black nationalist Bobo Ashanti commune, the Rastafarian faith is a transforming way of life, where Rastas strive to live a frugal existence uncomplicated by binding relationships to “Babylon” — the unflattering term for the Western world. They share a deep alienation from modern life and Jamaica is perceived as a temporary harbor until prophecy is fulfilled and they journey to the promised land of Africa on big ships.

Life is highly regimented at the isolated retreat, cut off from most of the comforts of modern society. But it has a strong appeal for some, among them 27-year-old Adrian Dunkley, who joined the strict sect two months ago after years of questioning his Christian upbringing and struggling to find work as an upholsterer.

“This place is helping me a whole heap. I’m learning every day, and things are starting to make sense,” the new recruit known as Prince Adrian said in the shade of one of dozens of scrap-board buildings painted in the bright Rastafarian colors of red, green and gold.

Other Rastafari adherents follow a more secular lifestyle, marked by a passion for social justice, the natural world, reggae music and the ritualistic use of pot to bring them closer to the divine.

A melding of Old Testament teachings and Pan-Africanism, Rastafarianism emerged in colonialera Jamaica in the 1930s out of anger over the oppression of blacks. Its message was spread by the reggae songs created by musical icons Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Burning Spear and others in the 1970s, and the movement has attracted a following among reggae-loving Americans, See RASTAFARIANISM, page 15

Thursday, November 29, 2012

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Testimonial to Leadership Banquet Attorney General It was the 29th annual benefit dinner saluting those who promote Harris announces successful businesses for the benefit of the community homeowner assistance grant program

Photo: Malcolm Ali Photography

Top Left: Araceli Garcia, office manager; Brooke Jackson, principal; Staci Ahmad, lunch/testing coordinator; Debra Hasan, business office manager. Bottom Left: Murad Rahman, executive director; Regina Muhammad and Jami Muhammad, United Economic Development Fund; Emily Clarida, office assistant; Joan Faqir, CAL Board President; Garth Newberry, CAL Board Member. Front: Zahkia Ahmad daughter of Staci Ahmad, CAL student.

BY YUSSUF J. SIMMONDS CO-MANAGING EDITOR Whenever an event is held annually for the benefit of business growth in the community, and has lasted for 29 years, there is something fundamentally progressive about it.

Recently, the Bilal Center held its annual Testimonial to Leadership Benefit Dinner honoring three outstanding business entities: Aadib Abdullah,

Attorney General Kamala D. Harris Attorney General Kamala D. Harris recently announced a $10.4 million grant program for organizations that provide housing counseling and legal services to homeowners. The grant funds were secured through the National Mortgage Settlement with the goal of providing assistance to homeowners impacted by California’s foreclosure crisis.

The California Department of Justice will award Consumer Assistance Grants for housing counseling and legal service providers ranging from $150,000 to $750,000 per organization. A Homeowner Bill of Rights Implementation Grant of approximately $1 million will also be awarded to assist in the implementation of California’s new homeowner protection legislation sponsored by Harris this year.

Grant applications must be received electronically no later than January 14, 2013. Details regarding the application process can be found at http://oag.ca.gov/grants.

The California State Bar, under the leadership of Executive Director Joe Dunn, will work with

the Attorney General’s office to administer the grants.

The California Homeowner Bill of Rights, signed into law earlier this year, restricts dual-track foreclosures, where a lender forecloses on a borrower despite being in discussions over a loan modification to save the home. It also guarantees struggling homeowners a single point of contact at their lender with knowledge of their loan and direct access to decision makers, and imposes civil penalties on fraudulently signed mortgage documents.

The California Homeowner Bill of Rights expanded Attorney General Harris’ response to the state’s foreclosure and mortgage crisis. Harris created a Mortgage Fraud Strike Force in March, 2011 to investigate and prosecute misconduct related to mortgages and foreclosures. In February 2012, she negotiated a commitment from the nation’s five largest banks to dedicate an estimated $18 billion to mitigate harm to California homeowners caused by bank conduct in the foreclosure process.

who received the Community Service Award; the Kimborough Family, who received the Entrepreneur Award; and Drs. Nwachukwu A. & Vickie M. Anakwenze, who received the Humanitarian Award. The guest speaker was Vivian Powers, herself a business owner, who outlined some of her struggles that rewarded her with a successful business for the last 60 years.

One of the highlights of the evening was the reading of a letter by the grand-

daughter of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, Halimah Muhammad, about the Smithsonian Museum of African American History and Culture’s desire to include archival materials about the Nation of Islam in the development for its inaugural opening, scheduled for 2015 on the National Mall.

The opening and closing prayer was given by Imam Talib Abdullah, and the closing remarks were given by Imam Abdul Karim Hasan.

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Thursday, November 29, 2012

Obama, Romney to meet Obama says he’ll at White House Thursday do what it takes to avoid cliff

BY JULIE PACE AND STEVE PEOPLES ASSOCIATED PRESS

President Barack Obama will host his former political rival Mitt Romney for a private lunch at the

AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney

White House Thursday, their first meeting since the election.

Obama promised in his victory speech earlier this month to engage with Romney following their bitter campaign and consider the Republican’s ideas.

AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File

President Barack Obama

“In the weeks ahead, I also look forward to sitting down with Gov. Romney to talk about where we can work together to move this country forward,” Obama said at the time.

Obama aides said they reached out to Romney’s team shortly before Thanksgiving to start working on a date for the meeting. The two men will meet in the White House’s private dining room, with no press coverage expected.

In the days after his loss, Romney told top donors that the president was re-elected because of the “gifts” Obama provided to blacks, Hispanics and young voters, all of which are core Obama constituencies.

“The president’s campaign, if you will, focused on giving targeted groups a big gift,” Romney said.

Many Republican officials, eager to move on quickly after the loss, disputed Romney’s comments and urged the party to focus on being more inclusive.

White House spokesman Jay Carney said Obama was looking forward to having a “useful See OBAMA, ROMNEY, page 13

AP Photo/Susan Walsh

President Barack Obama gestures as he speaks in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, on the White House campus in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2012, about how middle class Americans would see their taxes go up if Congress fails to act to extend the middle class tax cuts.

The president said he believes that members of both parties can reach a framework on a debt-cutting deal before Christmas.

BY BY DAVID ESPO ASSOCIATED PRESS The White House and a key congressional Democrat hinted at fresh concessions on taxes and cuts to Medicare and other government benefit programs this Wednesday as bargaining with Republicans lurched ahead to avoid the year-end “fiscal cliff” that threatens to send the economy into a tailspin.

Increasing numbers of rank-andfile Republicans also said they were ready to give ground, a boost for House Speaker John Boehner and other party leaders who say they will agree to higher tax revenues as part of a deal if it also curbs benefit programs as a way to rein in federal deficits.

“I’ll go anywhere and I’ll do whatever it takes to get this done,” President Barack Obama said as he sought to build pressure on Republicans to accept his terms — a swift renewal of expiring tax cuts for all but the highest income earners. “It’s too important for Washington to screw this up,” he declared.

For all the talk, there was no sign of tangible progress on an issue that marks a first test for divided government since elections that assured Obama a second term in the White House while renewing Republican control in the House.

“It’s time for the president and Democrats to get serious about the spending problem that our country has,” Boehner said at a news conference in the Capitol. He, like Obama,

expressed optimism that a deal could be reached.

At the same time, he publicly disagreed with one GOP lawmaker, Rep. Tom Cole of Oklahoma, who said he was ready to go along with Obama’s plan to renew most but not all of the expiring income tax cuts. “It’ll hurt the economy” to raise rates for anyone, said Boehner.

Separately, at a closed-door meeting with the rank and file, the speaker told fellow Republicans they are on solid political ground in refusing to let tax rates rise. He circulated polling data showing the public favors closing loopholes to raise revenue far more than it supports raising rates on incomes over $250,000.

There were no face-to-face talks between the administration and lawmakers during the day, although the White House is dispatching Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner and top legislative aide Rob Nabors to a series of sessions with congressional leaders on Thursday.

On Wednesday, a group of corporate CEOs pushing for a deal met separately with top Democratic and Republican leaders in the House, joined by Erskine Bowles, who was co-chairman of a deficit commission Obama appointed earlier in his term.

Speaking to reporters before a session with business leaders, House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi of California said the bargaining ought to begin where deficit talks between Obama and Boehner broke down 18 See OBAMA FISCAL CLIFF, page 10

Thursday, November 29, 2012

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First A.M.E. Church moves forward After the stepping down of Rev. John J. Hunter, FAME fully intends to move forward as a beacon of hope for the community with new pastor, J. Edgar Boyd.

BY BRIAN W. CARTER LAWT CONTRIBUTING WRITER On Wednesday, Nov. 21, the First A.M.E. Church of Los Angeles’ new pastor, J. Edgar Boyd, along with fellow parishioners, met with the press to share with the public that “FAME rises.” Boyd stood poised and has already taken the helm to continue leading FAME as a positive influence in the community.

FAME has recently had its share of trials and tribulations. Former pastor, John J. Hunter recently stepped down from the church amid scandal and misuse of funds.

Boyd made it clear in his announcement to the media and public that he intends to continue in the tradition and the same spirit that the honorable, Rev. Dr. Cecil L. “Chip” Murray, established at FAME. “I’m here to help, I’m here to serve, I’m here to heal,” said Boyd.

“I made the commitment to provide whatever I can to help FAME be what it needs to be to become.

The financial challenges that lay ahead of us as a congregation will be faced amicably…and each of them will be responded to in time.”

Boyd was assigned as senior

pastor to FAME October 20 and seems to meet with the approval of his new congregation so far. Church members and First Lady, Florence Miles-Boyd, flanked the pastor with love and support. Many of them feel that the recent incident has led to a revival of the church and stand ready to take the next step with Boyd.

Boyd’s Pastoral Assignments have included St. John A.M.E. Church, Pueblo, Colorado, 19711973; Pastor of Grace A.M.E. Church, Casper, Wyoming, 19731975; Pastor of Walker Chapel AME Church, Seattle, WA, 1975-1980; Pastor of Brookins AME Church, Oakland, CA, 1982-1986; Pastor and Bethel AME Church, Los Angeles, CA 1986-1992; Pastor of Bethel AME Church, San Francisco, CA, 1992-2012. He was appointed pastor of FAME, LA, By Bishop Theodore Larry Kirkland on October 28, 2012.

“So far, from what I’ve seen, I like [Boyd] very much,” said FAME member, Arshell Qualls. “He seems like a very down-to-earth, hands-on guy.

“I’ve already seen changes and I like it” FAME member, Montel

Photo by Brian Carter for LAWT

New Senior Pastor, J. Edgar Boyd and First Lady, Florence Miles-Boyd (left) of FAME Church of Los Angeles.

McClellan felt the announcement was, “very timely and it [needed] to happen.”

He continued, “We suffered through this long enough without being aware of what was going on.

We believe that the new pastor will take charge.”

“It was important for our new pastor to begin to set the ground rules to identify anything that he sees that is out of order and to begin to put the house in order,” said FAME member, Carmen HaywardStetson. “I agree with [Boyd’s] posi-

tion that it’s not about pointing fingers, or blame because we don’t worship any man.

“We worship Christ Jesus but at the same time—we are responsible to be good stewards and we have to clean up this house.”

“FAME still rises,” said Boyd.

“And yet, out of the ashes of destruction all around us and the downturn of a bad economy, we are here to rise together today as a solid community of faith, to say to this community that, ‘we are here for you.’

Photo by Brian Carter for LAWT

FAME members showed their support as Pastor Boyd spoke to media about FAME and it’s future.

“‘We are here for the needs of those who seek our help and our aid…God Bless you.’”

Recently, Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church rejected the troubled Los Angeles pastor, Hunter from taking the pulpit. The presiding elder, Rev. W. Bartalette Finney Sr., urged Bethel members to focus on their personal relationships with God and not on the problems of the church.

Hunter had been transferred from the FAME Church in Los Angeles to lead the San Francisco church. But in an unprecedented move, leaders at Bethel AME drafted an emergency resolution barring him from taking control.

They stated that the reassignment could "impair the legacy, reputation, relationships and goodwill" of the church in the community.

“It’s going to take time and it’s going to work,” said FAME member, Cynthia Sam. “For that last three Sundays, church has been ‘old school.’”

When asked about former pastor Hunter, members said that they would keep him in their prayers, while some offered no comment.

“I pray for him [and the family] everyday,” said Sam. “When I pray to God, I don’t give no commentary.”

First African Methodist Episcopal Church of Los Angeles is the oldest church founded by African Americans in the City of Angels. In 1872 Mrs. Biddy Mason (a former slave) received the vision from God to establish a church that would minister to the mind, body and soul of all who would join that small band of believers. That vision and small band of believers has grown to what is now a congregation of more than 19,500 members and several dozen ministries within 13 corporations that bless and reach tens of thousands of seekers in greater metropolitan Los Angeles.

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Thursday, November 29, 2012

F E AT U R E

L.A. Watts Times WEEKENDER

SHABAZZ MUHAMMAD SHOOTING GUARD HOMETOWN: LAS VEGAS HEIGHT: 6’6” AGE: 19

www.lawattstimes.com

Thursday, November 29, 2012

9

Great One!

By Kenneth Miller | LAWT Staff Writer

The fists full of mud began slinging in the direction of the high school basketball phenom and UCLA star recruit before the ink could dry on his National Letter of Intent.

Shabazz Muhammad, a 6’6 wunderkind had just concluded one of the most celebrated high school careers since LeBron James, but the NBA imposed age limit prevented him from taking his talents straight from high school to the NBA. He had just polished off a prep career where he averaged more than 25 points per game, was 2011 Nevada Gatorade Player of the Year, 2012 Morgan Wootten Player of the Year, 2012 McDonald’s AllAmerican MVP, 2012 Jordan Brand High School All-American co-MVP, 2012 Naismith prep Player of the Year, 2012 Mr. Basketball USA, was the ESPN ranked number 2 high school senior and participated in the prestigious 2012 Nike Hoop Summit.

Muhammad had narrowed his final college choices to three of the most powerful programs in the nation; Kentucky, Duke and UCLA. Muhammad decided to attend UCLA, lifting the Bruins’ already elite recruiting class to No. 1 in the nation and thus increasing the already lofty expectations of the most storied college basketball program America even higher.

A newly renovated Pauley Pavilion awaited his arrival and coach Ben Howland and Bruins fans breathed a collected sigh of relief because in Muhammad UCLA was getting its most promising recruit since Baron Davis.

Similar to Davis more than a decade ago, Muhammad’s flight to UCLA was grounded before it took off by the NCAA. The governing body that rules collegiate sports had open an investigation into a possible amateur rules violation alleging that Muhammad had received improper benefits because a close friend of the family supported him in making an unofficial visit to Duke and North Carolina.

Muhammad’s father is former USC star Ron

Holmes and his mother Faye Muhammad was a track standout for Long Beach State University.

One would think that with two educated parents who are quite familiar with the NCAA that they would not do anything that would jeopardize their son’s collegiate future.

After all we’re not just talking about some future college kid, we’re talking about a projected lottery pick, a basketball player who could have easily took millions to play overseas before landing in the NBA. To Muhammad’s credit, both he and his family did not take the money and run, but instead played by the rules for their son to achieve college eligibility.

Instead of allowing Muhammad to play after he enrolled at UCLA and then rendering a decision, the NCAA decided that he was guilty before allowing him to prove his innocence.

Kyle Anderson, his high school friend was also subjected to the NCAA’s rush to judgment but was allowed to travel to China for an exhibition tour with the team before he was subsequently cleared.

Meanwhile, Muhammad was left in limbo while the legal bills continued to mount.

As the season approached, the NCAA ruled that he was ineligible on Nov. 9. To their credit the administration at UCLA immediately appealed.

Three games were gone and seemingly the whole season of Muhammad’s freshman season before it was revealed that the NCAA was intending to keep Muhammad from playing the entire season.

Memphis, Tenn. attorney, Florence Johnson Raines, said she heard a man who said he was dating “an NCAA attorney” loudly telling people around him that his girlfriend had said Muhammad would never play college basketball this season because he broke rules.

The lawyer emailed a letter to Dennis Thomas, and then a member of the NCAA infractions committee, saying she was concerned that what should have been a confidential matter was being discussed in such a way.

The Los Angeles Times obtained a copy of

Raines’ letter and spoke to the lawyer.

When contacted, she confirmed her story and added details such as the man referring to his girlfriend as “Abigail.” Abigail Grantstein was the NCAA’s lead investigator on the Muhammad case.

Not long after, The NCAA announced that Muhammad would be eligible after paying $1,600, which was the approximate cost of the recruiting trips, and serving a three-game suspension. It effectively made him immediately eligible because he had already missed three games.

The circumstances raise the specter that the NCAA’s process is not always fair. Clearly if Muhammad was not such a high profiled player no one would have ever known or perhaps there would not have been an NCAA investigation to begin with.

It is the only governing body in college athletics. It is for the most part a monopoly that creates rules that in many instances only they could understand.

If Muhammad’s parents could not afford a lawyer to challenge his case on his behalf he would have been doomed.

His season began in a nationally televised game against Georgetown where he came off the bench and scored 14 points in a UCLA defeat.

Muhammad will lead UCLA against San Diego State on Saturday Dec. 1 in Anaheim in another high profile game.

Many consider Muhammad a sure fire lottery pick in the 2013 June NBA draft.

A lefty with crazy bounce and a motor that just won’t quit, he is the prized gift that comes around every 25-30 years, but that’s not what makes him truly special. It’s what he represents, his family his religion and his character, ingredients the NCAA should be proud to be associated with.

COVER PHOTO CREDIT: ȍLȎ AP PHOTO/JASON REDMOND ȍRȎ AP PHOTO/DAMIAN DOVARGANES

The NCAA nearly derailed the next

10

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Giving thanks for adoptive families

BY REP. KAREN BASS As we move into the holiday season, it’s easy to take for granted opportunities to spend time with cherished family and friends. For many of us, our families are our backbones and being at home surrounded by so much love gives us the motivation to face each and every one of life’s challenges.

Unfortunately, thousands of foster children around the country won’t be celebrating the holidays with a permanent family, denying them the same opportunities we sometimes take for granted.

In the United States, thousands of children in foster care have waited years to be adopted by a permanent, loving family. What’s worse is that for many of these foster youth who age out of the foster care system at 18 years old, the prospects for living a safe, healthy and productive life are dim. Foster youth who age out of the system are at a higher risk for unemployment, homelessness and incarceration, often left facing the prospect of long-term dependency on public assistance.

For years youth often wait in foster care before finding a permanent family through adoption. During their time in foster care, children are moved from home to home, changing schools, losing friends, coping with separation from siblings, and wondering if they will ever have anyone to call “mom” or “dad” again.

African-American children are overrepresented within the foster care system and are almost three times as likely to be in foster care as a white child. Black children comprise 33% of foster youth despite only being 14% of the overall child population. They also tend to stay in the system longer and are less likely to be adopted or reunified with their families.

Although this is all quite discouraging, there is hope. Many families are stepping up to the plate and offering brighter futures for foster youth across the country.

For African-American children, the last decade has shown dramatic decreases in the percentage of children in foster care. Between 2002 and 2010, the number of children in foster care decreased by 21% - from 533,000 to 408,500 and African-Americans

Rep. Karen Bass accounted for more of this decrease than white children.

On National Adoption Day (November 17), the National Adoption Day Coalition set a goal of finding 4,500 foster youth loving and committed families willing to make a lasting difference in the life of a child through adoption or relative-based care.

Nearly 48 million Americans have considered adopting from foster care according to a recent National Adoption Attitudes Survey commissioned by the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption.

If just one in every 500 of these adults adopt, every child in foster care waiting for adoption would have permanent families.

This National Adoption Month, like so many others, reminds us it’s both our responsibility and in our best interest to find solutions that ensure children have the opportunity to live in a safe and loving home.

In Congress, I have been working to do my part as well. Through the bipartisan Congressional Caucus on Foster Youth, which I co-founded, a voice is being given to these issues.

The Foster Youth Caucus aims its efforts around developing legislative recommendations to strengthen the

child welfare system and improve the overall well-being of youth and families.

Our caucus has traveled around the country, most recently Massachusetts and Rhode Island seeking out partners to enlist in our efforts to create more substantive federal policy that reduces the number of foster youth in our foster care system and creates awareness for the many families who have loving homes to offer.

Working with both Democrats and Republicans and many people like you, I know we can lay the groundwork to dramatically transform our foster care system and help to place many more youth with loving families.

So as we close out this year’s National Adoption Month and prepare for the holiday season, let’s do so with a newfound resolve to usher in the New Year more committed than ever to deliver on the promise of providing opportunity to every child, especially those without stable families to care for them.

Each of us working together can continue to positively impact the lives of foster youth and save them from lives of even more heartache, never knowing the comfort that comes from a loving family.

If your representative is not a member of the caucus, please write, call or tweet them and ask that they join our efforts.

If you are one of the millions of Americans who have considered adoption but have yet to follow through, please remember the life that can await those who remain locked in the foster care system and the positive change you can have on their young lives by opening your home.

And if you have yet to think of adoption, please take this holiday season to remind yourself of what family means to you and how good it would feel to offer those same blessings to a child in need.

U.S. Rep. Karen Bass represents the 33rd Congressional District, which includes Los Angeles, Hollywood, and Culver City and was the 67th Speaker of the California Assembly. Rep. Bass serves as the founder and a co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Foster Youth.

OBAMA FISCAL CLIFF Continued from page 6 months ago “and go from there to reach an agreement.”

She didn't say so, but at the time, the two men were exchanging offers that called for at least $250 billion in cuts from Medicare over a decade, and another $100 billion from Medicaid and other federal health programs. Among the changes under discussion — with Obama’s approval — was a gradual increase in the eligibility age for Medicare from 65 to 67, as well as higher fees for beneficiaries.

Also on the table at the time was a plan to curtail future cost-of-living increases for Social Security and other benefit programs.

Those negotiations faltered in a hail of recriminations after the president upped his demand for additional tax revenue and conservatives balked. At the same time liberals were objecting to savings from Medicare and Social Security.

Now, more than a year and one election later, Obama has said repeated-

ly he is open to alternatives to his current proposal to raise additional tax revenue. But he also says he will refuse to sign legislation that extends the current top rates on incomes over $200,000 for individuals and $250,000 for couples.

Instead, he is pushing Congress to renew expiring tax cuts for all income below those levels as an interim measure — an offer Boehner and Republicans generally say is unacceptable because it would mean higher taxes on small business owners.

Bowles said during the day that Obama might be willing to back off his demand that the top rate revert all the way from 35 percent to 39.6 percent, where it was a decade ago before tax cuts sought by then-President George W. Bush took effect.

At the White House, spokesman Jay Carney sidestepped questions. “If I told you how much flexibility the president had, it would eliminate his flexibility,” he said.

He noted that Obama has said he

will listen to alternatives, but the spokesman said, “The most basic, simplest, most efficient way to achieve that revenue target is by returning the rates for top earners back to those that were in place in the Clinton era,” when the top rate on personal income was the 39.6 percent.

The goal of the talks is to produce a long-term deficit-cutting deal that will allow the cancellation of tax increases and spending cuts scheduled for the end of the year that numerous economists say threaten a new recession.

While the obstacles are numerous, there are other political imperatives pushing the two sides toward an agreement.

Unemployment benefits expire for some of the long-term jobless at the end of the year. Additionally the government is expected to need an increase in borrowing authority early next year or face the possibility of a default. Any agreement on that is expected to raise the current $16.4 trillion level.

Aspirations Purposeful giving

BY MICHELLE THORNHILL We’ve all heard the adage, “the more you give, the more you receive.” I believe that most people are willing to give, but uncertain about how to make the most meaningful contributions. It’s perfectly fine to give as opportunities arise. However, being proactive about charitable giving allows you to deliberate about how you “invest.” That’s right, charitable giving is an investment and should be treated with as much forethought as any other investment.

Although my family has always made charitable contributions, I’ve spent the last few years developing a specific giving strategy for us. Here are the things I considered: Identify a cause In deciding where to invest, I began by identifying areas where my family is most passionate.

Having school-age children, my husband and I are particularly passionate about education. Our goal is to ensure that we prepare our sons academically to compete in a global society. Beyond this, it is also our desire to help as many students as possible achieve success, particularly disadvantaged students.

Whatever your passion, always consider ways to align your charitable efforts with a relative cause/organization.

Decide what you’ll invest After you identify what you’re passionate about, give careful thought to what you will invest – time, talent or treasures. When we think of charitable giving, we typically focus on treasures (or money). Thinking more broadly allows you the opportunity to contribute in a way that works best for you, even when you may not have the financial resources.

Are you really good at doing something, or are you professionally trained? Perform services for an organization that they wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford.

Select an organization Once you’ve decided how you will invest and a cause you want to help, determine where you will invest. Whether volunteering or providing financial resources, nonprofits rely on individual contributions. However, stretching yourself too thin by contributing to multiple organizations might not be as valuable as focusing on one or two.

Again, you want to make sure the organization supports a cause that is important to you. For instance, given my passion for education, I

Michelle Thornhill

decided to search for a local organization that advocates for success in education. I now serve on its board of directors, where I can dedicate my time in a meaningful way.

Research your charity Giving in any form is a commitment, which is why it’s important to know whether the organization you choose is registered and reputable. Several sources evaluate charities and compile findings in an online database of registered organizations (see references below). If you’re unable to find a specific charity using these resources, contact the organization directly to request documentation, including: 501(c) (3) status; IRS Form 990; or its most recent annual report. For local organizations, or national organizations with regional offices, you can also contact your state government for verification.

Better Business Bureau -Wise Giving Alliance http://www.bbb.org/us/charity/ Charity Watch (formerly known as American Institute of Philanthropy - AIP) http://www.charitywatch.org/in dex.html As you begin to set goals for 2013, make sure creating a giving strategy is on your list.

This article has been prepared for informational purposes only.

The accuracy and completeness of this information is not guaranteed and is subject to change. Since each individual’s financial situation is unique, you need to review your financial objectives to determine which approaches might work best for you. © 2012 Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. All rights reserved.

BlackFacts.com December 1, 1955 Rosa Parks, a seamstress and activist, arrested after she refused to give her seat to a white man on a Montgomery (Ala.) bus.

Thursday, November 29, 2012

11

e v e n t LISTINGS

11-12 / 2012 happening these months

L.A. Watts Times Calendar, Compiled by Brandon I. Brooks, Co-Managing Editor 11/30 FRIDAY NIGHT ONE NIGHT SPECIAL EVENT: Come out and enjoy Chicago jazz vocalist, Ava Long. WHEN: 8:00 p.m.

WHERE: The Barbara Morrison Performing Arts Center, 4305 Degnan Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90008 The Cover Charge is $20.00 per person. Refreshments will be available for purchase. For reservations, please call 323-296-BARB (323-296-2272).

For more information, and to buy online, please visit the website, www.barbaramorrisonpac.com.

12/1

stories that celebrate their lives and memories. WHEN: 2 p.m. WHERE: The Ray G. Clark Theatre Institute of Musical Arts Building, 3210 West 54th Street Los Angeles, CA 90043. You can by tickets online at wvyesmother.eventbrite.com or by visiting www.imalosangeles.com You may also pay by cash, check or credit card at the IMA office while supplies last. For additional information call (323) 300-6578.

AUTHOR E. N. JOY BOOK SIGNING: BLESSEDselling Author E. N. Joy is coming to Los Angeles to celebrate the release of her latest title with a book signing of “The Sunday Only Christian.” WHEN: 4:00 p.m.-

JAZZ HEALS: Help us reach our goal to send 15 jazz bands/musicians to perform at 15 nursing homes for the holidays. WHERE: Pips on La Brea. WHEN: 2 p.m. – 5 p.m.

The mission is simple but powerful. Jazz Heals is dedicated to uplifting the well-being of people in our local and global communities through the power of music and providing spiritual, physical and economic support from jazz events held locally and around the world.

Bring smiles and joy to those who need it most. Join us and learn more. Great food, Great jazz. Great cause! Donations requested - $5. For more information please call (313) 218-6998 or visit www.jazzhealspeople.org.

Checks payable to JazzHeals.

FREE COMMUNITY FORECLOSURE PREVENTION FORUM: The National Council of La Raza invites you to a FREE Community Foreclosure Prevention Form. WHERE: Held at Watts Labor Community Action - 10950 S. Central Ave. Watts, CA 90059. WHEN: 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. The Community Foreclosure Prevention Form will provide information and help homeowners facing or in the process of the Foreclosure. To

register for the event please contact us at (888) 532-3021.

INSTITUTE OF MUSICAL ARTS & SPOKEN WORD STUDIOS: Proudly present “Yes Mother!” by Women’s Voices. Come “eavesdrop” on this colorful group of long-term friends as they gather on the front porch to sample a new cookie recipe and reminisce about past holidays, and to enjoy the much needed break between Thanksgiving and Christmas. They remember that mother was always the center of celebrations, but only realized how hard she had worked when they become mothers themselves. You will feel transported as Gwedolyn Chambers, Laura Duncan, Marion Hinton, Barbara Hunter, Roylene Walker and Barbara White present

ON GOING NOW – 4/7/13

UP & COMING 12/10

CAAM PRESENTS GO TELL IT ON THE MOUNTAIN: The California African

CG YOGA STUDIO WANTS TO ADOPT-AFAMILY: ‘Tis always the season to give, but

American Museum (CAAM) presents the exhibition “Go Tell It On The Mountain.”

WHEN: On view through April 7, 2013, which 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. In connection with the “Go Tell It On The Mountain” exhibition, CAAM will host a presentation and lecture, facilitated by theologian Dr. Darmise Maris entitled The Black Church and the Shaping of African American Culture, Sunday November 25th at 2 p.m. CAAM exhibitions and events are free and open to the public.

WHERE: CAAM is located at 600 State Drive, Exposition Park, Los Angeles.

For more information visit www.caamuseum.org or call (213) 7442024. Parking is $10 per vehicle and available on 39th and Figueroa streets.

this holiday season CG Yoga Studio wants to give a little more. We are currently seeking submissions to adopt a family in need living in the Los Angeles area. CG Yoga Studio will supply the selected families entire Christmas: Tree, Meal, & Gifts. WHEN: Deadline for submissions is Monday December 10, 2012.

WHERE: 223 S. LaBrea Ave Inglewood, CA 90301. For more information please call (310) 673-9643. Please email submissions to: info@cleargardensyoga.com. Donations are welcomed.

12/12 CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING CEREMONY AND WINTER SHOWCASE TOY DRIVE: The City of Carson Recreation and Human

12/1/12 – 1/6/13

E. N. Joy

6:00 p.m. WHERE: Museum of African American Art located at Macy’s 3rd floor Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza 4005 Crenshaw Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90008.

FREE ADMISSION & FREE PARKING. Buy One Get One Free Tickets will also be available for December 2, 2012. For Book Signing information and to purchase tickets for the play please call (323-294-7071) or contact Betty Johnson (323-779-6347) and or Paulara Hawkins (323-807-4187).

For more information please contact: Museum.african1976@att.net.

GLIDING THROUGH THE HILLS: Beverly Hills Conference & Visitors Bureau and the City of Beverly Hills celebrate the holidays with the city’s first ever full-scale, public ice rink located in the Golden Triangle.

WHERE: Positioned in front of the iconic Beverly Hills City Hall building on Crescent Drive between North and South Santa Monica Boulevards. WHEN: The ice skating rink (made of real ice) is open December 1, 2012 January 6, 2013, providing entertainment throughout the season for visitors and locals alike. The ice skating rink will operate seven days a week, Sunday through Thursday 1 2 p.m. – 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday 12 p.m. – 10 p.m. Skate admis-

12/2 TARGET SUNDAYS AT CAAM: Celebrating Family, Community and Culture. Join Target Sundays at CAAM in their annual holiday celebration kicking off the season with a special Kwanzaa ceremony. We will also herald the arrival of Christmas and Hanukkah with musical performances to enhance everyone’s holiday experience. This event is free and open to the public, for more information visit www.caamuseum.org.

WHEN: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. RSVP (213) 7442024. WHERE: CAAM is located at 600 State Drive, Exposition Park, Los Angeles, 90037. Parking is $10 per vehicle and available on 39th and Figueroa streets.

Services Division will be hosting its Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony and Winter Showcase Toy Drive. WHERE: Congresswoman Juanita Millender-McDonald Community Center located at 801 E. Carson St. in Carson. WHEN: There will be Carolers singing holiday favorites to launch the ceremony at 5:00 p.m. in the Atrium with Santa and his sleigh. The Tree Lighting will take place promptly at 5:30 p.m. The doors for Halls A, B, and C will open immediately following with the Winter Showcase starting at 6:00 p.m. The Winter Showcase is a collection of performances put on by Carson children. There will be one group from each of the 12 city parks performing. This is an opportunity for everyone to enjoy Carson's young talent. There is a $3.00 admission fee at the door, or attendees may bring an unwrapped toy in place of the admission fee. One unwrapped toy admits one adult and one child only. For more information on the event, please contact the Human Services Division at (310) 847-3570.

TO MAKE A CALENDAR SUBMISSION: Include event name, sion and rental is $15 (adult) and $11 (children under 12) per hour session (session times vary, visit lovebeverlyhills.com for schedule). Bottled water, gloves and socks will be available for purchase and the rink will include viewing areas for those who wish to watch the skaters and lockers for personal belongings.

date(s), time, location, contact/RSVP information and admission price, if any.

Use BRIEF paragraph format (no lists, line breaks, or all caps). All calendar submissions are space-permitting and may be edited for brevity. Send submissions, along with any images, to brandon@lasentinel.net with the subject heading “LAWT Community Events.”

Please include text in the body of your email, not in an attachment.

12

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Berry Gordy’s role as a “History Maker” is solidified

Lenny Kravitz to play Marvin Gaye in biopic

AP Photo/Doug Pizac, Chris Pizzello

This combination of 1983 and 2012 file photos shows Marvin Gaye, left, and Lenny Kravitz. Kravitz has signed on for his first leading film role, playing Gaye in a biopic that will be shot in 2013, according to his publicist on Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2012.

Berry Gordy being honored Berry Gordy Jr. may only be five-foot tall in height but he left big shoes to fill when he sold Motown Records nearly 25 years ago.

As founder of the historic record company in 1960, which launched the careers of Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, and the groups The Temptations and The Supremes, Gordy, 82, said he had a vision to introduce Black singers to America.

“I knew there was talent beyond just white voices. There were soulful sounds being made by Blacks but no one could hear them because they had nowhere to go to produce the kind of music Blacks wanted to hear,” Gordy told an audience during a tribute to him at the Art Institute of Chicago.

“All I wanted to do was help Black singers recognize their talent and share it with the world.”

He added that he always took the unconventional route to success, regardless what the circumstances were. This was a man who, as a child, could not recite his alphabet from A to Z but could sound them off backwards. He recalled how he was once stopped in Los Angeles by police for suspected drunken driving and was let go after the officer told him to recite the alphabet backwards.

He also talked about what he had to do for the classic movie “Lady Sings the Blues” starring Diana Ross to get made and released by Paramount Pictures.

The movie studio had only budgeted $500,000 for what he said they described as a Black movie.

“I told them that this is not a Black film (but) a film with Black stars,” recalled Gordy.

These were some of the memorable stories he recalled during a PBS-TV taping where journalist Gwen Ifill interviewed him before a

live audience. The History Makers, a non-profit organization in Chicago, hosted the tribute. The show is expected to air spring 2013.

Joining Gordy at the tribute was the Rev. Jesse Jackson; Suzanne de Passe, a former Motown Records executive; Los Angeles Sentinel and L.A. Watts Times Publisher Danny Bakewell; Gordy’s daughter Hazel Gordy and son Stefan Gordy.

Audience members were treated to a performance by two cast members of Gordy’s upcoming Broadway show, “Motown: The Musical.” The scene, he said, reenacted Gordy (portrayed by Brandon Victor Dixon) and Diana Ross (played by Valisia LeKae) falling in love in Paris. The song: Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell’s “You’re All I Need to Get By.” Entertainment at the tribute included a performance by singers Kem and Valerie Simpson, who performed “I’ll Be There,” originally sung by the late Michael Jackson and his brothers known then as the Jackson 5.

Berry had dropped out of high school to pursue a career as a boxer before finding his niche in music.

Before pursuing music Berry was a lover of boxing. So he dropped out of high school to pursue a boxing career, which lasted until 1950 when the United States Army drafted him for service in the Korean War. In 1953, he returned home from service and married Thelma Coleman.

In 2001, Berry Gordy established a relief fund for former Motown artists, musicians & writers who are down on their luck.

The Gwendolyn B. Gordy Fund assisted artists from the 60’s and 70’s with Gordy donating $750,000 in the name of his late sister.

ASSOCIATED PRESS Lenny Kravitz has signed on for his first leading film role, playing singer Marvin Gaye in a biopic that will be shot next year.

The rocker’s publicist Carleen Donovan confirmed the news Tuesday November 27. Kravitz has played supporting roles in the past, including a small part in “The Hunger Games.”

Rolling Stone first reported details about the 48-year-old performer’s part in the film, directed by Julien Temple.

The magazine says the “Are You Gonna Go My Way” singer will portray Gaye during the 1980s when he was fighting his addictions and attempting to restart his career. Gaye died in 1984 after being shot by his father.

Audra McDonald new ‘Live From Lincoln Center’ host

BY LYNN ELBER ASSOCIATED PRESS Broadway superstar Audra McDonald is adding a new chapter to her long history with Lincoln Center.

The singer-actress is the new host of “Live From Lincoln Center,” Lincoln Center said this week.

McDonald will emcee seven broadcasts from December through spring 2013, starting Dec. 13 with “The Richard Tucker Opera Gala” and Dec. 31 with the New York Philharmonic’s New Year's Eve gala.

“It’s a great honor. I'm thrilled that they came to me and trusted me to do it,” said McDonald, 42, whose five Tony Awards include a trophy this year for “The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess.”

Her memories of the Lincoln Center performing arts complex in Manhattan run deep.

“I remember watching Beverly Sills broadcasting from the Met (the center’s Metropolitan Opera House) on my PBS channel at my home in Fresno,” McDonald said, adding that she was amazed at the venue’s size and “inspired by the music.”

As a high school student, she had the chance to visit the center and recalled thinking, “This is where I want to be some day.”

That wish was fulfilled when she moved to New York to attend The Juilliard School, which has its campus there.

Stepping in as host of the PBS series “feels like it’s my way of thanking Lincoln Center,” she said.

“We can’t imagine a more perfect match,” said Elizabeth Scott, the center's executive in charge of the TV series. McDonald’s passion for the performing arts is “infectious,” Scott added.

AP Photo/”Live from Lincoln Center,” Chase Newhart

Audra McDonald poses for a portrait in front of the Lincoln Center in New York.

McDonald, who starred in “Private Practice” as Dr. Naomi Bennett, has performed on the long-running PBS showcase several times, including programs with Elvis Costello, Patti Lupone and the New York Philharmonic.

She will be working especially hard New Year's Eve when she hosts and performs in the holiday program, “One Singular Sensation: Celebrating Marvin Hamlisch” (check local listings for time).

“We’ll see if I fall down by the end of the evening, or by the middle,” she

said, lightly. What she’ll sing is a secret for now, but McDonald said it’s among Hamlisch’s most famous pieces.

The composer, who died in August at age 68, created more than 40 film scores and won a Tony and the Pulitzer for Broadway’s “A Chorus Line.”

“Live From Lincoln Center” is in its 37th broadcast season. In recent years, artists and actors including YoYo Ma and Alec Baldwin have filled the host’s job that previously saw long tenures by famed opera singer Sills and TV personality Hugh Downs.

Thursday, November 29, 2012

13

After Sandy, Keys schedules Black Ball for Dec. 6

Mike Tyson to take his 1-man show nationwide Mike Tyson speaks on stage during his speaking tour, “Day of the Champions” at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre on November 16, 2012 in Brisbane, Australia.

(Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

BY MARK KENNEDY ASSOCIATED PRESS Lock up your ears — Mike Tyson’s coming to a theater near you.

The former champion boxer and convicted rapist will take his one-man show “Mike Tyson: Undisputed

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Truth” on a three-month tour to more than a dozen cities, including Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Detroit and Washington, D.C. The two-hour show, directed by Spike Lee and written by Tyson's wife, Kiki, debuted in Las Vegas and had a limited run on Broadway this summer. The tour starts in

Indianapolis in February.

The show traces Iron Mike’s rise from violent street hood in Brooklyn to a fearsome athlete. Then comes the fall — prison inmate, tabloid target, cocaine and Evander Holyfield’s delicious ear. There are stories about first wife Robin Givens, promoter Don King and Brad Pitt.

Steven Tyler addresses Nicki Minaj ‘racist’ claim

OBAMA, ROMNEY Continued from page 6

ASSOCIATED PRESS Steven Tyler is apologizing — if Nicki Minaj misinterpreted his recent comments.

The former “American Idol” judge and Aerosmith frontman responded to Minaj’s claim that he’s a racist.

Minaj took offense to comments Tyler made during an MTV interview in which he said Bob Dylan would likely be immediately dismissed from this year’s show.

“Idol” premieres Jan. 16 with Minaj, Mariah Carey and Keith Urban serving as new

Nicki Minaj (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)

Steven Tyler of Aerosmith (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP, File)

Superstorm Sandy won’t stop Alicia Keys from staging her annual Black Ball.

The singer said the New Photo by Victoria Will/Invision/AP York event will now be held Dec. 6. The fundraising gala In this Monday, Nov. 26, 2012 photo, for Keys’ charity, Keep a Child American singer-songwriter, record proAlive, was originally set for ducer and actress, Alicia Keys poses for a portrait in promotion of her fifth album Nov. 1.

Black Ball REDUX will “Girl on Fire,” in New York. The album take place at Harlem's historic releases this week, and features Frank Apollo Theater. Honorees Ocean, Bruno Mars, Babyface, Emeli Oprah Winfrey and Beninese Sande, Maxwell, Nicki Minaj, John singer Angelique Kidjo will Legend, her husband Swizz Beatz and attend. Bonnie Raitt, Jennifer their son Egypt.

Hudson and Alabama Shakes’ Brittany Howard will perform. dozens and causing billions of dolWhoopi Goldberg will be the lars in damage.

Keep a Child Alive assists peonight’s emcee.

Superstorm Sandy hit the New ple affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa York area hard last month, killing and India.

judges. The rapper called the comment racist and fired an expletive at the Aerosmith frontman, as well.

During an interview with the Canadian entertainment news program “eTalk,” Tyler spoke directly to Minaj, saying: “I apologize if it was taken wrong, Nicki.”

“I am the farthest from — what did she say I was? — a racist,” Tyler said in the interview. “I’m the last thing on this planet as far as being a racist. I don’t know where she got that out of me saying I’m not sure how she would have judged Bob Dylan. I was just saying that if Bob Dylan came on the show, he would’ve been thrown off, so maybe I spoke out of turn. But a racist I am not, Nicki.”

discussion” with his former competitor. But he said there was no formal agenda for the lunch.

While in Washington, Romney will also meet with his former running mate, Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan, according to a Romney campaign aide. Ryan is back on Capitol Hill, where he’s involved in negotiations to avert a series of automatic tax increases and deep spending cuts that have come to be known as the “fiscal cliff.”

Much of that debate centers on expiring tax cuts first passed by George W. Bush. Obama and Romney differed sharply during the campaign over what to do with the cuts, with the Republican pushing for them to be extended for all income earners and the president running on a pledge to let the cuts expire for families making more than $250,000 a year.

The White House sees Obama’s victory as a signal that Americans support his tax proposals.

Obama and Romney’s sitdown Thursday will likely be their most extensive private meeting

ever. The two men had only a handful of brief exchanges before the 2012 election.

Even after their political fates became intertwined, their interactions were largely confined to the three presidential debates.

Romney has virtually disappeared from politics following his loss in the Nov. 6 election. He's spent the last three weeks largely in seclusion at his family's southern California home. He has made no public appearances, drawing media attention only after being photographed at Disneyland in addition to stops at the movies and the gym with his wife, Ann. Former aides confirm that Romney is expected to move into an office at the Boston-area venture capital firm Solamere Capital.

The firm was founded by his oldest son, Tagg Romney, and Spencer Zwick, who served as his presidential campaign’s national finance chairman.

It’s unclear what role, if any, Romney will play at the firm.

Former aides said Romney was subletting office space from Solamere.

14

Thursday, November 29, 2012

FBS leadership, coaches remain mostly white, male

AP Photo/Brennan Linsley

Former University of Colorado football head coach Jon Embree cries during his farewell news conference in Boulder, Colo., Monday, Nov. 26, 2012.

Embree was fired Sunday with three years left on the five-year contract he signed nearly two years ago

BY KYLE HIGHTOWER ASSOCIATED PRESS A study of the racial and gender makeup of leadership and coaching positions among the Football Bowl Subdivision membership showed it remains largely white and male.

The report recently released by the Institute for the Diversity and Ethics in Sport at the University of Central Florida said that 100 percent of FBS conference commissioners, 76 percent of school president positions and 84 percent of all athletic director positions were held by white men at the beginning of the 2012-13 academic year.

It also showed a decline in the percentage of women in campus leadership positions with a slight increase in the representation of people of color, especially for Latinos and Asians.

Among the FBS’ 120 institutions, there were 18 minority head coaches to begin the season, down from an all-time high of 19 last year.

That total included 14 AfricanAmericans, two Latinos and two Asians.

“For me as somebody who has worked on college campuses for 30plus years it’s especially discouraging that in terms of hiring practices they are far behind the professional levels,” said primary study author Richard Lapchick. “I would have hoped that colleges would have at least kept pace, but they are clearly behind in hiring practices.”

For the position of faculty athletics representative, 94.4 percent are white and 31.7 percent are women.

According to 2011 data compiled by the Chronicle of Higher Education, 6.3 percent of full-time faculty members are Asian, which is 1.2 percentage points less than the 2007 data reported in last year’s study. African-American and Latino faculty members have grown by 1.6 and 0.6 percentage points respectively, to seven and 4.2 percent.

Forty-seven percent are women.

For coaches, the study’s numbers don't reflect the recent dismissals of Joker Phillips at Kentucky, and Jon Embree from the University of Colorado, who drew attention to the poor rehire rate for minority coaches.

During his final news conference earlier this week, Embree hinted at a double standard for AfricanAmerican hires after they are fired from a head coaching job.

Tyrone Willingham is the only African-American coach to be hired for another head coaching job (by Washington in 2005) after having been fired (by Notre Dame in 2004).

“We don’t get second chances,” Embree said. “And that’s OK, you know it going into it ... But every minority coach knows that going into it. Eventually that'll change.”

The numbers show that change is coming at a slow pace.

Since 1982, there have been 546 head coaches hired in the FBS and

Black Facts.com December 3, 1982 Thomas “Hit Man” Hearns wins the WBC Junior Middleweight title.

This is one of five weight classes that he has won a boxing title making him the first Black to win boxing titles in five different weight classes.

December 5, 1981 Marcus Allen, tailback for the Univ of Southern California, wins the Heisman Trophy.

41 African-Americans since Willie Jeffries became the first at Wichita State in 1979. There have also been three Latino and two Asian/Pacific Islander head coaches hired in FBS history.

“Our representation is not consistent on the court or on the playing fields,” Black Coaches and Administrators executive director Floyd Keith said. “You have to look at the numbers.”

Keith noted that a pair of other African-American coaches have been fired from FBS jobs and rehired, though not on the FBS level.

“Turner Gill was fired at Kansas but ended up at (Football Championship Subdivision) Liberty.

We had Tony Samuel at New Mexico State and he ended up at Southeast Missouri State. With only 41 individuals hired in history, it’s not a very good record,” he said.

“You have to say getting back in the cycle is difficult. So you have to make the most of your first chance.”

Keith also echoed the importance of getting more diversity at the leadership positions.

“I think in total it’s about college athletics,” he said. “When you’re making decisions, there was the old term ‘Out of sight, out of mind.’ If you aren’t represented around the table, your concerns aren’t heard.

And that’s at all levels.”

Both Keith and Lapchick continue to advocate for an “Eddie Robinson Rule,” which like the NFL’s Rooney Rule, would mandate that minorities are included in the interview process for open head coaching and key front office positions.

Since the BCA started putting out its hiring report cards in 2004, the number of minority coaches in the FBS increased 600 percent from three to last year’s high of 19.

BCA partners with Lapchick to put out the report cards and said that in the latest one, which is scheduled to be released this week, three schools that hired black coaches received poor grades because they didn’t invite more minority candidates to the interview process.

“If they continue to be excluded from that interview room, not much is going to change,” Lapchick said.

Keith said the process of bringing a Robinson Rule to college athletics continues to be a slow process.

“We’ve had meetings, and I don’t think anything has ever seriously developed out of it ... they simply have been discussions,” he said. “We keep talking about it. We see minor advances in terms of overall landscape, but there’s hasn't been a watershed change.”

He said his resolve to see it happen won’t be affected by the pace, though.

“Perseverance. We’ve got to keep being advocates,” Keith said.

“We have to continue it and keep it going.”

LeBron, Knicks top NBA jersey-sale lists

AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee

Miami Heat forward LeBron James (6) and guard Dwyane Wade celebrate after they defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 110-108 in an NBA basketball game on Saturday, Nov. 24, 2012, in Miami. James finished with 30 points for the Heat, who remained perfect at home despite leading for only 2 minutes, 29 seconds, and Wade added 18 points.

BY TIM REYNOLDS ASSOCIATED PRESS

New York and NBAStore.com from April through Nov. 26.

“I give all of the credit to the fans,” said James, whose Cleveland jersey topped the league sales charts in 2004. “I would also like to thank all of my supporters and the Miami Heat organization. Let’s keep it going.”

In the team sales rankings, the Knicks were one spot ahead of the Heat. New York was No. 2 in the April rankings, with Miami then at No. 4.

The Lakers are No. 3 on the new list, followed by Chicago (which was No. 1 in April), Boston, Oklahoma City, Brooklyn, the Clippers, San Antonio and Dallas.

The NBA said it had record-breaking sales over Thanksgiving weekend, saying sales on the so-called Cyber Monday were up more than 10 percent over last year. Cyber Monday last year fell two days after the league and its players announced a tentative end to the NBA lockout.

It was Westbrook’s first time on the list. Rondo and Paul each moved up four spots, and the Lakers were the only team with three players among the top 15 best-sellers.

Rose was No. 1 on the most recent list, released April 26. Houston guard Jeremy Lin, whose now-former Knicks jersey was No. 2 in the April rankings, fell out of the top 15.

LeBron James is atop the NBA's jersey-sales list once again.

The Miami Heat star has the league’s hottest-selling jersey, marking the third time the NBA’s reigning MVP and Finals MVP has held that distinction. James was No. 4 in the most recent rankings, released in April.

Since then, all he’s done is win his third MVP award, a second Olympic gold medal and help the Heat win the NBA championship — the franchise's second and his first.

“It’s an honor to be No. 1,” said James, who last had the league’s bestselling jersey in April 2011.

The league released its latest salesrankings list on Wednesday, with the New York Knicks leading the teamsales category for the first time since December 2004.

On the players’ list, Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant checked in at No. 2, six spots higher than where he was in April and likely buoyed by the Thunder reaching the NBA Finals.

Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers has the league’s No. 3-selling jersey, followed by New York’s Carmelo Anthony, Chicago’s Derrick Rose, Boston’s Rajon Rondo, Miami’s Dwyane Wade, the Los Angeles Clippers’ Blake Griffin, the Lakers’ Dwight Howard and the Clippers’ New York Knicks’ Carmelo Chris Paul at No. Anthony (7) is guarded by Detroit Pistons’ Tayshaun 10.

B r o o k l y n ’ s Prince during the second Deron Williams is half of an NBA No. 11, followed by basketball game in Oklahoma City’s New York, Sunday, Russell Westbrook, Nov. 25, 2012. the Lakers’ Steve The Knicks won Nash, Boston’s 121-100.

Paul Pierce and Dallas’ Dirk Nowitzki.

The list is based on sales at the NBA Store in (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Thursday, November 29, 2012

15

MARK RIDLEY-THOMAS

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAMES

Continued from page 3 disruptions to traffic and local businesses caused by a train running at street level.”

Furthermore, the Supervisor’s vision is that the long-term investments regarding the stop at Leimert Park Village would greatly enhance the area as a cultural destination, and the underground Park Mesa Heights tunnel would speed travel times for passengers on the Crenshaw/LAX line.

Then there was a serious health problem caused by soil contamination in a residential apartment complex called Ujima Village – which the Supervisor inherited. When the matter came to his attention, he went after Exxon-Mobil, the responsible party, and publicly stated that they must also be held accountable for cleaning up the contaminated land, and making the community whole since they are responsible for causing the contamination. Back then, he emphasized that an investigation is currently being conducted by the Los Angeles Regional Board to determine the extent of the contamination.

“As of August 2010, all of the residents from Ujima Village had been relocated. In 2009, I effectively urged the Housing Authority to cease eviction efforts, and I personally met with all of the remaining residents in Ujima Village to make sure that they were receiving proper relocation support,” he said during an earlier interview.

Ridley Thomas has also taken on redistricting: the re-shaping of the county electoral districts in accordance with the ten-year census, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the demographic shifts. After the new boundaries were re-drawn and misunderstandings arose, he explained the process to the public.

“When re-drawing the boundaries of the county, we have a constitutional obligation to follow the law, including and specifically the Voting Rights Act

of 1965,” he said.

“Why is that particular piece of law so important for us to keep in mind? Because the Board has a record of failing to do so. We failed to be guided by its requirements in the 1990s and as a result, the courts redrew the lines of our districts for us.

That should be a sobering memory.”

Many of the community’s leaders chimed in on the historic significance of Supervisor Ridley-Thomas’ ascension to the role of Chairman of the Board of Supervisors.

REPRESENTATIVE KAREN BASS (CA-37): I will look forward to the Supervisor's tenure as Pres of the Board---he made history by being the first AA male Supervisor and I have no doubt the leadership he will provide in the region will also be history making.

COUNCIL PRESIDENT HERB WESSON (CD-10): Supervisor Ridley-Thomas' colleagues have chosen him to be Chairman because he's a wise leader who can bring people together. As President of the Los Angeles City Council, I'm looking forward to continuing our many collaborations on behalf of the people of our community.

SENATOR CURREN PRICE: It’s a historic moment … I think the greatest honor is to be recognized by your colleagues and to be selected for your leadership skills and abilities … and Mark Ridley-Thomas has been a leader, not only on the Board but also in our community.

CONGRESSWOMAN DIANE WATSON (ret.): Mark Ridley-Thomas was one of those individuals who was a quick study; he took in every change in the political arena and he worked with me to get elected. He was very, very bright. Mark is a product of our community’s efforts of good government.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No. 2012211377 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: Fashion Driven by IstyleIsmile, 6625 Springpark Ave Apt 14, Los Angeles, Ca. 90056, County of Registered owner(s): Monét Lorenz Lamb, 6625 Springpark Ave Apt 14, Los Angeles Ca. 90056 This business is conducted by an Individual The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false is guilty of a crime.)

S/ Monét Lorenz Lamb, Owner/Operator This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on October 23, 2012 NOTICE-In accordance with Subdivision (a) of Section 17920, a Fictitious Name Statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the County Clerk, except, as provided in Subdivision (b) of Section 17920, where it expires 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A New Fictitious Business Name Statement must be filed before the expiration.

The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a Fictitious Business Name in violation of the rights of another under Federal, State, or common law (See Section 14411 et seq., Business and Professions Code).

Original 11/8, 11/15, 11/22, 11/29/12 CNS-2406285# WATTS TIMES

GOVERNMENT LOS ANGELES COUNTY METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY

EGYPT PROTESTS Continued from page 4 deputy chairman, said in a televised speech.

The expected decision on Sunday, regardless of which way it goes, would constitute a direct challenge to Morsi, who took office in June as Egypt's first freely elected president

RASTAFARIANISM Continued from page 4 Europeans and Asians. Academics believe at least 1 million people practice it worldwide.

In the United States, the population of Rastafarians appears to be steadily growing due in part to jailhouse conversions, said Charles Price, associate professor of anthropology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the author of “Becoming Rasta: Origins of Rastafari Identity in Jamaica.”

“I regularly get letters from inmates seeking information,” Price said. “I also get regular invitations to talk to prisoners at local North Carolina juvenile facilities, often from chaplains trying to figure out what to do.”

Besides the well-known ritual use of marijuana, Rastas endeavor to reject materialist values and practice a strict oneness with nature, eating only unprocessed foods and leaving their hair to grow, uncombed, into dreadlocks.

Most of its many sects worship the late Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie, even though he was widely considered a despot in his native land and paid little heed to his adulation by faraway Caribbean people whose ancestry tended to be West African and not Ethiopian.

The worship of Selassie is rooted in Jamaican black nationalist leader

Marcus Garvey’s 1920s prediction that a “black king shall be crowned” in Africa, ushering in a “day of deliverance.” When an Ethiopian prince named Ras Tafari, who took the name Haile Selassie I, became emperor in 1930, the descendants of slaves in Jamaica took it as proof that Garvey’s prophecy was being fulfilled. When Selassie came to Jamaica in 1966, he was mobbed by cheering crowds, and many Rastafarians insisted miracles and other mystical happenings occurred during his visit.

Adherents were long treated as second-class citizens in Jamaica and other Caribbean islands, looked down on for their dreadlocks and use of marijuana. But discrimination never stopped businessmen from cashing in on the faith, whose red, green and gold clothing and accessories earn millions in sales of T-shirts, crocheted caps and other items. Marley’s music and the faith's pot-laced mysticism has also been used to promote Jamaica as a tourist destination Rastafarian and veteran reggae luminary Tony Rebel said discrimination against Rastas has faded considerably in recent years in Jamaica.

“That discriminatory vibe has relaxed. But even so, we still we don’t see a person with locks working in a bank these days, we don’t see a person

with locks in the police force as we would see in America or other places,” Rebel said.

The first dreadlocked politician in Jamaica’s Parliament was elected only last year.

Many Rastas advocate reparations for slavery and a return to Africa. The latter is a particularly fervent desire among those at Bobo Ashanti, who differ from other Rasta sects in the belief that their founder, King Emmanuel Charles Edwards, was the black incarnation of Jesus Christ.

Some Jamaicans dismiss the faith as bizarre.

“There is a whole part of the society that would still consider Rastafari to be delusional, and this is largely hinged on the claims made about Emperor Haile Selassie and also the consumption of (marijuana) and the idea of repatriation,” Niaah said.

But for adherents like Prince Xavier, a 27-year-old Frenchman who moved to the Bobo Ashanti commune a couple of years after being introduced to Rastafarians in his native Paris, it’s providing answers and a positive self-identity.

“I’m learning a lot about Rastafari and about our heritage,” said the bearded Frenchman, clad in a red turban and black robe. “It is a matter of life and death.”

but has enraged pro-democracy activists who claim he is acting too much like the authoritarian leader he replaced.

Complicating matters, the constitutional panel was rushing to wrap up its work and some members said a final draft could be completed as early as Thursday. This would allow the president to call for a nationwide referendum on the document even before the court convenes Sunday, circumventing its decision.

In an unprecedented move, meanwhile, Egypt’s highest appeal courts went on strike to protest the presidential decree. Judges with the high and lower courts of appeal said they would not return to work until Morsi rescinds his decrees, according to state TV. Many of the country’s courts already had stopped functioning due to individual strikes.

The high court of appeal is led by Mohammed Mumtaz Metwali, who also chairs the Supreme Judiciary Council, which oversees the nation's court system. Members of the council met Morsi November 26 to discuss his decrees.

In a statement, judges of the high appeals court, known as the Court of Cassation, denounced Morsi’s decrees as an “unprecedented” assault on the judiciary and its principles. It said the decision to halt work at all its circuits was justified by the “magnitude” of the crisis.

“This is the highest form of protest,” said Nasser Amin, the head of the Arab Center for the Independence of the Judiciary and the Legal Profession.

Morsi and his allies in the Muslim Brotherhood have accused the judiciary of being dominated by Mubarakera appointees who are trying to undermine the new leader, allegations

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11/29/12 CNS-2412836# WATTS TIMES

the judges have rejected.

The constitutional court ruled in June to dissolve parliament’s lower chamber, which is dominated by Islamists, on grounds that the law governing the elections didn’t provide equal opportunities for candidates.

There were warnings before the vote that such legal pitfalls might be forthcoming but the elections went ahead anyway.

The court denounced Morsi’s claim that it was part of a “conspiracy” against him.

“The allegation that the (June) ruling was reached in complicity with others to bring down elected state institutions and consequently the state’s collapse ... is incorrect and untrue,” said Sami, the high court’s deputy chairman.

In response to Tuesday’s massive anti-Morsi protests, the Brotherhood and other Islamist parties announced plans to hold a rival rally on Saturday in Tahrir Square, dubbed “In support of legitimacy and Shariah (Islamic law).”

Previous rallies where Islamists and secular forces met in the square have turned violent.

The liberal opposition has said it will not enter a dialogue with the president about the country’s latest political crisis until Morsi rescinds his decrees. Activists planned another massive rally for November 30.

16

Thursday, November 29, 2012

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