LAWT 02-07-2013

W E E K E N D E R

Vol. XXX, No. 1322

www.lawattstimes.com

Thursday, February 7, 2013

L.A. Watts Times

SEE PAGES 6-7

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Thursday, February 7, 2013

HOROSCOPES

Feb. 7 - 13

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RIES~Your mind is busy this week with thoughts of new projects and the things you want to get done. Best course of action is to clear up pending and overdue items. You’ll have a clean desk in no time and will feel genuinely content and relaxed for the week. Soul Affirmation: I will actually write a love letter to the universe this week.

AURUS ~ Lots of opportunities are swirling around you, and it will require some diligence on your part to make the most of some of them. You’ll be happy you put in some extra effort this week! Soul Affirmation: I open up to the universe. The universe opens up to me.

EMINI ~ Stay focused on the tasks before you this week and find a way to do your work with love. The pace will pick up soon enough, and the vibrations will be more to your liking. Enjoy a sociable week.

Soul Affirmation: I let imagination light up my work.

ANCER ~ 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.

EO ~ 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: What life has given me is sufficient to any task.

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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Curren Price will be right at home in the “New” 9th District Respected and trusted public servant back where he belongs

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Curren Price

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L.A. Watts Times

Los Angeles City Council President Herb Wesson to receive the Unity Award for Man of the Year

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It has taken trusted and respected public servant Curren Price more than two decades to return to the city where he was born and accept the challenge of running for the continuous Los Angeles City Council 9th District.

Bishop Blake honors Council President Wesson

WEEKENDER

Danny J. Bakewell, Sr. ............Executive Publisher & Executive Editor Brenda Marsh Mitchell ..................................Executive Vice President Tracey Mitchell ......................................................................Controller Brandon I. Brooks ..................................................Co-Managing Editor Yussuf J. Simmonds ..............................................Co-Managing Editor Jennifer Bihm................................................................Assistant Editor Bernard Lloyd ....................................................Director of Advertising Benjamin Samuels ....................................................Graphic Designer Kim McGill ............................................................Production Designer

BY KENNETH MILLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

However, having represented a portion of the 9th District as a Senator for the 26th District since 2009, Price is more than qualified to address the needs and concerns of the constituency.

“I am very familiar with the opportunities and obstacles that exist in this district, almost one-third of which is in the 26th Senate District, which I now represent,” he said.

During an exclusive Editorial Board Meeting with the Sentinel this week, the Democrat discussed his candidacy and goals for what he hails “The New Ninth” as the March 5th municipal election nears.

In addition to being born in Los Angeles, before attending schools in Inglewood and being the first Black student body president in the history of Morningside High School in 1967, he is without question the most accomplished in the field of candidates for the race.

He won a scholarship to prestigious Stanford University earning a BA in political science and then obtained his law degree from Santa Clara University.

A lifetime credentialed adult and community college teacher, Price has See CURREN PRICE, page 8

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BlackFacts.com

February 12, 1930 In Tuskegee, Alabama, the Rosenwald Fund made grants to the Alabama State Board of Health to help meet the cost of a sutdy of syphilis in African American men living in rural Georgia and Alabama. Over 400 men were allowed to carry the disease without medical treatment for nearly 40 years.

Several government agencies including the Federal Public Health Service and the Center for Disease Control participated in the unethical study. It was kept a secret until 1972 when a newspaper reporter disclosed it.

Bishop Charles E. Blake, Founder and Chairman Emeritus of West Angeles Community Development Corporation (CDC), will bestow the Unity Award for Man of the Year to Los Angeles City Council President Herb Wesson on Thursday evening, February 7, 2013 at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills.

“Council President Herb Wesson has been a big proponent of our efforts to reduce blight, preserve homeownership and infuse economic vitality in the neighborhoods of South Los Angeles,” says Bishop Blake.

“It’s a special honor for me to be recognized by Bishop Blake and the West Angeles family,” said Wesson. “Bishop Blake has been an inspiration to me and our community for many years. Through his dedication and service, he has set an example and blazed a trail that more of us should follow.

This special honor inspires me to work harder, reach higher and continue to deliver for God and our community."

“I think West Angeles Herb Wesson and See WESSON, page 8 Bishop Charles E. Blake

Thursday, February 7, 2013

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Wilmington Ten team thanks Black Press for pardons

BY GEORGE E. CURRY NNPA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (NNPA) – Nearly two years ago, an emotional Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. stood before the National Newspaper Publishers Association Foundation’s annual Black Press Week observance in the nation’s capital, hoping the NNPA would launch a national campaign to win a pardon of innocence for each member of the Wilmington Ten from the governor of North Carolina.

On Thursday, he appeared at the NNPA’s mid-winter conference here, less than a month after the North Carolina governor issue the pardons

who urged the NNPA to seek pardons for the Wilmington Ten. So were James E. Ferguson II and Irvin Joyner, the original attorneys who represented the activists and stood by their side for

Photo by George E. Curry/NNPA

Wilmington Ten Leader Benjamin F. Chavis thanks Black Press.

Photo by George E. Curry/NNPA

Attorney James E. Ferguson II says prosecutor and judge acted improperly in Wilmington Ten trial. just before leaving office.

“First and foremost, we want to thank God Almighty and in thanking God, we thank the National Newspaper Publishers Association for your courage, for your dedication, for your steadfastness and commitment,” Chavis told the publishers.

“Gov. Beverly Perdue, the governor of North Carolina – the outgoing governor – on Dec. 31st, the eve of the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, issued a pardon of innocence to the Wilmington Ten. If it were not for the National Newspaper Publishers Association, your leadership, I doubt if we would be here today.”

But Chavis was here. And so was Mary Alice Thatch, publisher of the Wilmington Journal and the person

Photo by George E. Curry/NNPA

Cash Michaels was tireless in writing stories to keep Wilmington Ten story before the public.

more than 40 years. So was Cash Michaels, who wrote the stories that created tremendous pressure on Gov. Perdue to issue the pardons. And so were NNPA Chairman Cloves Campbell, who actively supported the campaign, and Dorothy Leavell, thenchairperson of the NNPA Foundation when it sponsored the Black Press Week luncheon where the NNPA decided to launch a national campaign to fully exonerate the Wilmington Ten. “I guarantee you that there’s no other organization of journalists that could have pulled off what you just pulled off,” said Chavis, now an NNPA columnist.

Photo by George E. Curry/NNPA

Attorney Irving Joyner What the NNPA pulled off was a 2-year campaign, which was accelerated last spring when Michaels accepted a request from Thatch to coordinate the campaign. Michaels immediately reached out to Irvin Joyner, a law professor at North Carolina Central University, to serve as co-chair of the Wilmington Ten Pardons of Innocence Project, and James E. Ferguson II, the lead attorney.

After more than a dozen stories by Michaels, most of which were published on the front page of Black newspapers across the nation; numerous public rallies, and a petition drive on Change.org that collected more than 150,000 signatures, Gov. Perdue issued the pardons on New Year’s Eve, See WILMINGTON TEN, page 11

WATTS Village Theatre Company welcomes back Lynn Manning Manning returns as Interim Artistic Director

BY LAWT NEWS SERVICE Lynn Manning, a playwright, actor, and poet, joined Watts Village Theater Company on Feb. 1 On February 1, Watts Village Theater Company (WVTC) welcomed back its co-founder Lynn Manning – an award-winning playwright, actor, and poet – who now serves as the nonprofit’s Interim Artistic Director.

Manning, a former WVTC Board Chair, holds the unique honor of having served as artist and board for the company, and now serving as the artistic visionary for the future of the innovative Watts-based theater company.

See below for a bio on Manning.

WVTC Interim Artistic Director Lynn Manning stated, “I’ll never have the charisma of Quentin Drew, nor the kinetic energy of Guillermo AvilesRodriguez, but inner vision and institutional memory I have in abundance.”

Manning added, “Having been

involved with the organization since it began, even during the period following Quentin’s death in 2005, I know how far the organization has come. As we approach out 20 year anniversary, I am excited about the innovative, first-rate artistic productions and educational programming addressing the needs of our community that that we have in store for Los Angeles – including this year’s Riot/Rebellion project, conceived by the incomparable Guillermo AvilesRodriguez. I look forward to applying my vision and institutional memory to the task of growing WVTC’s aesthetic and civic value to the community it was created to serve.”

As WVTC undergoes this historic transition period, it honors the years of service and dedication given by former Artistic Director Guillermo Aviles-Rodriguez.

David Mack, WVTC Managing

Lynn Manning Director stated, “Guillermo has maintained an exemplary career during his time at WVTC. Under his artistic leadership, the company has achieved unprecedented growth in its personnel, financial standing, strategic partnerships – including collaborations of new work with over 15 theatre companies from across Los Angeles – and audience development. Moreover, he conceived and stewarded monumental, original productions including Meet Me @Metro and Riot/Rebellion.

Though he will be missed, he still remains a permanent part of the WVTC legacy and alumni family.”

For full bio of Lynn Manning visit: www.lawattstimes.com.

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Thursday, February 7, 2013

CBC member says Inglewood residents: Obama disrespects Blacks hoodwinked and

BY GEORGE E. CURRY NNPA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Photo by Ann Ragland/NNPA

Rep. Alcee Hastings is upset with Obama. to others.

“If I was president of the United States, there is no way in hell that I would raise a billion dollars and don’t spend but a million dollars with people who probably had as much to do with my becoming president as anybody,” the Florida Democrat said.

Hastings, the first AfricanAmerican elected to Congress from Florida since the Reconstruction Era, expressed admiration for the Black Press, saying it covers the full scope of Black life better than White-owned media.

“I spent more money in this election than I have in any election,” said Hastings, who has served in Congress since 1992. “And I believe Bobby [Henry, publisher of the Westside Gazette in Fort Lauderdale] will tell you that I spent an equivalent or more money than the Obama for America people did with his newspaper.”

Hastings said he also outspent the Obama campaign in other media in Broward County, which makes up part of his congressional district.

“I did that because I wanted Obama to win the presidency, but I particularly went to the ground in this election to prove to him and his minions that this was territory that had been watered, flowered, grown and harvested long before anybody knew his (expletive) name.”

Hastings continued, “…Because of your efforts –national Black publishers – because of many of your efforts, we voted 2 percent in this election more than we did in ’08. And I received 2 percent more in the congressional district that I serve than he did – and that’s the message I wanted to send to him.”

He said a strong message also

business card bulletin board

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (NNPA) – Rep. Alcee L. Hastings says President Obama of consistently disrespects the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), the Black Press, and graduates of historically Black colleges, key groups that were critical to his re-election in November.

Speaking Friday at the mid-winter convention of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), Hastings, a former federal judge, said the Congressional Black Caucus carefully vetted candidates they felt would be ideal for the second Obama administration, which has come under criticism for being dominated by White males.

“The Black Caucus of Congress then sent 61 names to the White House,” Hastings recounted. “Time went by. Not one of that 61 was selected – not one.”

In a speech that had a rich blend of seriousness, humor and expletives, Hastings said during the campaign, the CBC pressed the Obama campaign about the paucity of advertising with Black newspapers in particular. He said a top campaign official said Obama initially planned to spend only $650,000 with Black newspapers, a figure that was raised under pressure to $1 million – which meant that $999 million went

needs to be sent to advertisers that fail to support the Black Press. According to a 2012 report by Nielsen titled, “African-American Consumers: Still Vital, Still Growing,” Black consumers will have a projected buying power of $1.1 trillion by 2012. Yet, of the $120 billion spent on advertising in 2011, only 2 percent was spent with AfricanAmerican media.

Hasting criticized several Florida newspapers and local advertisers by name.

“Many of the same people that advertise in these [White-owned] publications don’t advertise with you and that’s insulting because we ultimately wind up using the products that they advertise and somehow or another, our news is ignored.”

Hastings graduated from Fisk University in Nashville and Florida A&M University Law School, both historically Black colleges. His said Obama has also demonstrated insensitivity to HBCUs. Obama administration officials disagree with that assessment, pointing out that he announced a plan to increase spending on HBCUs by $850 million over the next 10 years.

“It was nine months into the administration before he appointed a single person, not just at the cabinet level … ” Hasting recalled. “But when you look at the Schedule 1, Schedule 2, and Schedule 3, none in his first nine months of his administration was from a historically Black college.”

Hastings predicted that the nation will lose half of its 105 HBCUs over the next 15 years.

“They, like you, will not survive unless you begin to form consortiums and unless you understand that you are Black-owned and not necessarily Black when it comes to this media business,” he said. “You’re going to have to form conglomerates; you’re going to have to form bonds of trust like you elders had to give birth to this organization being here in place in the first place.”

Hastings said that unlike some journalists employed by White-owned media, NNPA publishers are not conflicted by race. He recalled a speech he gave to a National Association of Black Journalists convention in Dallas where journalists were pondering whether they were journalists or Black first.

“I said, ‘If you are not sure about whether or not you are Black, look in the (expletive) mirror,’” Hastings recalled. “’And if the mirror does not give you an answer, ask your mama.’”

The congressman said Whiteowned media is failing, in part, because See DISRESPECTS, page 11

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bamboozled?

LAWT STAFF REPORT The short definition of hoodwink is tricking somebody, deceiving or duping them by trickery. Bamboozle refers to cheating somebody, tricking or deceiving through misleading statements or falsehoods, or perplexing somebody, to make them confused.

In other words, if you cheat, deceive, dupe, take-in, con, fool, or swindle someone, they may rightfully say that they have been hoodwinked or bamboozled.

As the city of Inglewood braces to receive several billion dollars in investment capital over the next few years and as some candidates, elected officials, and political campaign strategists position themselves for victory or large consulting fees, it certainly appears that Inglewood residents are being positioned to be hoodwinked and bamboozled.

Prompted by a review of a November 2012 edition of “The Morningside Park CHRONICLE,” a 12-page publication, represented as a newspaper that is ‘Informing Inglewood and the community,’ the three, front page articles offer the first suggestion that Inglewood residents are being deceived.

The banner article suggested that Mayor James T. Butts and council members Eloy Morales and Ralph Franklin may have violated the Brown Act, an act passed by the California State Legislature in 1953 that guaranteed the public’s right to attend and participate in meetings of local legislative bodies, by attending a public Town Hall Meeting on October 29th. There was no violation of the Brown Act and the article was clearly intended to suggest that the three elected officials acted unlawfully.

The article beneath the front page fold, at first appeared to be a report of the Space Shuttle Endeavour’s journey from the airport, through the streets of Inglewood, on its way to the California Science Center in Exposition Park. However, the article ended with negative suggestions that the mayor erred in the execution of the shuttle’s transport.

The fact is, the shuttle’s transport through the city of Inglewood, was the largest outdoor event in the city’s history that brought-out not only the best of the citizen’s pride but an international spotlight on the ‘city of champions.’ In addition, the city realized over $550,000 in product and services and a two-for-one tree replacement along the shuttle route.

The final article on the front page suggested a fake fire alarm, instigated by an Inglewood City Council member. There was no report of the city’s faulty fire alarm system that has had a history of sporadic false alarm alerts. According to Michael Falkow, Assistant City Manager of the City of Inglewood; “After meeting with LA County Fire to allow them entry to the fire alarm panel outside the west entrance to City Hall to cancel the alarm,

Randall Flemming (the Chronicle reporter) and a number of residents/Council meeting attendees had congregated at the East entrance to City Hall by the City Clerk's office.

Flemming made mention that he thought the fire alarm had been intentionally set off, and I specifically told him that was not the case, as the representatives from LA County Fire had just informed me it was a faulty panel on the sixth floor, which was empty at that time because the tenant office was closed and the State Assemblyman and State Senator offices were also closed for the day.

Mr. Flemming didn't want to believe me, as he appeared to have a preconceived notion that it was done intentionally. I responded to him that it would be illegal to do so, and he said that didn't matter.

I chose to not get into a verbal wrestling match with him, but I offered to meet with him at any time to discuss any issues he might have.

To date he has not taken me up on my offer.”

The publication’s masthead lists no street address or telephone number and lists, among others, Judy Dunlap and Mike Stevens, as contributing writers. Its publisher, TekaLark Fleming, in her inaugural editorial, vows to deliver “an objective view of Inglewood, a view of the city that represents the entire community...,” however, the tabloid is devoid of direct quotes, factual insertions, substantiated or corroborated information, and filled with back-handed insinuation and innuendo Hoodwinked?

Bamboozled?

Inglewood residents and voters beware.

It would certainly appear as though the publication was created and is supported by Council member Judy Dunlap, the veteran council member who was recently exposed for misleading her Los Angeles County Federation of Labor by claiming endorsements from elected officials that have not endorsed her, among them Board of Equalization Chair Jerome Horton and Yvonne Horton, the City Clerk. She falsely claimed the endorsement of the LA County fire fighters Local 1014.

Dunlap claims among her talents, the ability to channel the spirits of the dead. She claimed the endorsement of her long time adversary and former Inglewood Mayor and State Senator Ed Vincent. It would be difficult to have obtained his endorsement for this election since he passed away in 2012. She also claims the endorsement of a deceased minister, Rev. Merriweather.

Dunlap’s record on the council would be an excellent opportunity for the publication to pursue. There have been questions about her leadership for some time, specifically about the authenticity of her Inglewood residence, her repeated failure to vote for the payment of the city’s bills, her perpetual criticism of how poorly the city is managed, even though she has served on the council for over 20 See BAMBOOZLED, page 5

Thursday, February 7, 2013

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Berry Gordy receives Rainbow Push Award Rainbow PUSH Coalition Wall Street Project Economic Summit Post Mortem

Obama tries to unify senate democrats

BY JOSH LEDERMAN | ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is working to sell Senate Democrats on his strategy for tackling immigration, gun control and a host of fiscal dilemmas.

The president meets with senators Wednesday at a closed-door retreat in Annapolis, Md. Obama’s prospects for enacting his ambitious second-term agenda depend partly on Senate Democrats

putting on a unified front. Almost everything on his to-do list faces opposition from Senate Republicans — and even heavier opposition in the Republican-controlled House.

The retreat is also Obama’s first chance to press senators directly on his proposal for a quick fix to avert the sweeping spending cuts set to take effect on March 1. Obama says Congress should pass a short-term set of spending cuts and tax changes to give lawmakers more time to hash out a broader deal.

BlackFacts.com

Photo by Margot Jordan

(L to R) Jonathan Jackson, Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Dionne Warwick, Berry Gordy and Danny Bakewell, President, National Newspaper Association.

BY KAM WILLIAMS CONTRIBUTING WRITER The mood was both festive and businesslike at this year’s Wall Street Project Economic Summit, hosted by the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, in New York City. “For the first time,” former

U.S. President Bill Clinton opined during his speech last Thursday afternoon, “[minorities] are in a position to persuasively argue that the economic inequality, which exists in America today, is a severe strain on the economic future of all Americans.”

President Clinton was among a

Photo by Margot Jordan

Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Founder,Wall Street Project; Dr. Julianne Malveaux, former President, Bennett College for Women and President of Last Word; former President Bill Clinton; and Willie E. Gary, Esq., Law Firm of Gary, Williams, Lewis and Watson, P.L.

Photo by Margot Jordan

Mary Mary performs at the Access to Capital Luncheon, WSP Economic Summit.

plethora of luminaries, politicians, and businessmen who gathered for Reverend Jesse Jackson’s three-day See BERRY GORDY, page 11

February 12, 1909 Founded in 1909 in New York City by a group of black and white citizens committed to social justice, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is the nation’s largest and strongest civil rights organization. The NAACP’s principal objective is to ensure the political, educational, social and economic equality of minority group citizens of United States and eliminate race prejudice. The NAACP seeks remove all barriers of racial discrimination through democratic processes. This mission is accomplished by seeking the enactment and enforcement of federal, state and local laws securing civil rights, and by informing the public of the adverse effects of racial discrimination. From school desegregation, fair housing, employment and voter registration, to health and equal economic opportunity, the NAACP, working successfully with allies of all races, plays a significant role in establishing legal precedents in order to improve the quality of life of America’s downtrodden. People of all races, nationalities and religious denominations, who were united on one premise— that all men and women are created equal. Although, one could write great prose about the triumphs of the NAACP, there is nothing more powerful than the facts of how the existence of the oldest civil rights organization has changed the face of history for this country. And despite threats of violence, and official government policies that were racist the NAACP continued and will continue to persevere.

BAMBOOZLED Continued from page 4 years, yet, a blatant absence of any real accomplishments that benefit the city or even the citizens in the district that she serves.

Aside from her signature fedora, it was difficult to find an Inglewood resident capable of describing any characteristic or other accomplishment or display of leadership that Dunlap has demonstrated. On the other hand, her criticism of the city’s leadership call into question her perception of what Inglewood residents have a right to expect from their elected leadership.

One source, who asked to remain anonymous, suggested that the Chronicle was created by Dunlap and her longtime campaign staffer, Mike Triggs, a political consultant who reportedly served on the Inglewood School Board when Dunlap was a teacher and before she was elected to the city council. It has been suggested that he serves as her business community liaison and often brokers his relationship with Dunlap as an opportunity for prospective businesses to receive favorable support on behalf of their initiatives.

Butts was supported by Dunlap in his campaign for the mayor’s office and was introduced to the community by Dunlap, in a formal town hall meeting after he was elected, but before he was sworn-in.

He explained where their professional relationship hit a brick wall.

“I assured Ms. Dunlap that I would support the return of community television to the City of Inglewood,” said Butts. “I believe that is why she supported me for mayor. The rift began when I refused

to support her bid to hire Milton Brown, who business is named ICTV (Inglewood Community Television), at a cost of $20,000 per month, with Inglewood residents footing the bill.”

The mayor also explained that he discovered, and asked the City Manager to subsequently end, a practice that allowed Brown to continue to receive payments without a City Council approved contract.

Apparently Brown would provide services, without a specific contract, and later filed a claim for damages against the city in order to be paid.

The claim was later brought before the council in closed session for approval.

Another deceitful assertion advanced by the Chronicle, (in a fullcolor insert featuring Councilman Mike Stevens), was the notion that the mayor railroaded an ordinance amending the city’s municipal code to establish daytime council meetings, a measure opposed by Chronicle contributing writers Dunlap and Stevens.

According to the City Clerk, Yvonne Horton, Stevens’ political insert, in what is supposedly a newspaper, is false and misleading. She states: “My office received a petition from a senior citizen signed by 131 residents of the city requesting the City Council hold two council meetings per month in the afternoon. My office verified the authenticity of the names using voter registration information and presented the petition to the City Council for their review and action as the Council deemed appropriate.”

The city will soon establish two

daytime and two nighttime meetings each month and if there is a fifth Tuesday in the month, it will be a night meeting.

Another disturbing, and completely false connection asserted by the Chronicle is the notion that Butts is connected to former City Manager Tim Wannamaker, through an employee who served as Wannaker’s assistant, before his resignation from the city of Inglewood and the subsequent discovery of his misuse of credit cards and federal funds in Buffalo, New York.

“Wannamaker had departed the city of Inglewood before my arrival as mayor,” said Butts. “I saw him only once at a reception when he was hired by the city while I worked for LAWA and we only exchanged polite greetings. Furthermore, there is no information to support any suggestion that he committed any crimes as the City Manager in Inglewood.”

Butts continued. “This is just another example of this supposed newspaper presenting false statements in an attempt to deceive Inglewood voters.”

Inglewood elected officials are required to reside in the city of Inglewood. They are also required to file certain campaign financial disclosure statements on a regular basis and those filings are a matter of public record.

One source, who asked to remain anonymous, indicated that the residence Dunlap lists on her candidate for office statement has not had water service since 2009 and there is no evidence that anyone lives there.

See BAMBOOZLED, page 11

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F E AT U R E

Thursday, February 7, 2013

CICELY TYSON

SIDNEY POITIER

(Born December 19, 1933) An actress. A successful stage actress, Tyson is also known for her Oscar-nominated role in the film Sounder and the television movies The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman and Roots.

Tyson was born and raised in Harlem, New York, the daughter of Theodosia, a domestic, and William Tyson, who worked as a carpenter, a painter, or any other jobs he could find.

A member of Delta Sigma Theta sorority. On May 17, 2009, Tyson received an honorary degree from Morehouse College, an all-male college.

In 2010, she was awarded the Spingarn Medal from the NAACP. She was discovered or found by a photographer for Ebony magazine and became a popular fashion model. Her first credited film role was in Carib Gold in 1956, but she went on to do television such as the celebrated series East Side/West Side and the soap opera The Guiding Light. In 1961, Tyson appeared in the original cast of French playwright Jean Genet’s The Blacks, the longest running oơ-Broadway non-musical of the decade, running for 1,408 performances. She appeared with Sammy Davis, Jr. in the film A Man Called Adam (1966) and starred in the film version of Graham Greene’s The Comedians (1967). Tyson had a featured role in The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter (1968) and was in a segment of the movie Roots.

Tyson as Jane Pittman, 1974.

The handprints of Cicely Tyson in front of The Great Movie Ride at Walt Disney World’s Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park.

In 1972, she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in the critically acclaimed Sounder. In 1974, she won two Emmy Awards for The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman.

(Born February 20, 1927) actor, film director, author, and diplomat.

In 1963, Poitier became the first black person to win an Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in Lilies of the Field. The significance of this achievement was later bolstered in 1967 when he starred in three successful films: To Sir, with Love; In the Heat of the Night; and Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, making him the top box-oƥce star of that year.

In all three films, issues revolve around the race of the characters Poitier portrays.

In 1999, the American Film Institute named Poitier among the Greatest Male Stars of All Time, ranking 22nd on the list of 25.

Poitier has directed a number of popular movies, such as A Piece of the Action, Uptown Saturday Night, Let’s Do It Again (with friend Bill Cosby) and Stir Crazy (starring Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder). In 2002, thirty-eight years after receiving the Best Actor Award, Poitier was chosen by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to receive an Honorary Award, designated “To Sidney Poitier in recognition of his remarkable accomplishments as an artist and as a human being.”Since 1997, he has been the Bahamian ambassador to Japan. On August 12, 2009, Sidney Poitier was awarded the Presiden-

L.A. Watts Times WEEKENDER

tial Medal of Freedom, the United States of America’s highest civilian honor, by President Barack Obama.

DOROTHY DANDRIDGE (November 9, 1922 – September 8, 1965) was an actress and singer, and was the first African-American to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress.

She performed as a vocalist in venues such as the Cotton Club and the Apollo Theater.

After several minor bit parts in films, Dandridge landed her first noted film role in Tarzan’s Peril (starring Lex Barker), in 1951. Dandridge won her first starring role in 1953, playing a teacher in a low-budget film with a nearly all-black cast, Bright Road, released by Metro-GoldwynMayer.

In 1954, she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress and a BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for Carmen Jones, and in 1959 she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for Porgy and Bess.

In 1999, she was the subject of the HBO biopic Introducing Dorothy Dandridge, starring Halle Berry as Dandridge.

She has been recognized on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Dandridge was married and divorced twice, first to dancer and entertainer Harold Nicholas (the father of her daughter, Harolyn Suzanne) and then to Jack Denison.

She died at age 42.

JAMES EARL JONES Born January 17, 1931, an actor who in a career of over 50 years has become known as “one of America’s most distinguished and versatile” and “one of the greatest actors in American history.” Since his Broadway debut in 1957, Jones has won several awards, including a Tony Award and Golden Globe Award for his role in The Great White Hope. He is also known for his voice acting role as Darth Vader as well as many film, stage, and television roles.

As a child Jones overcame a stutter that lasted for several years. A pre-med major in college, he went on to serve as an Army Ranger during the Korean War, before dedicating his career to acting.

On November 12, 2011, he received an Honorary Academy Award.

www.lawattstimes.com

SARAH VAUGHAN (March 27, 1924 – April 3, 1990) was an American jazz singer, described by Scott Yanow as having “one of the most wondrous voices of the 20th century.”

Nicknamed “Sailor” (for her salty speech), “Sassy” and “The Divine One”, Sarah Vaughan was a Grammy Award winner. The National Endowment for the Arts bestowed upon her its “highest honor in jazz”, the NEA Jazz Masters Award, in 1989.

Biographies of Vaughan frequently stated that she was immediately thrust into stardom after a winning Amateur Night performance at Harlem’s Zeus Theater. In fact, the story that biographer Renee relates seems to be a bit more complex.

Vaughan was frequently accompanied by a friend, Doris Robinson, on her trips into New York City. Sometime in the fall of 1942 (when Sarah was 18 years old), Vaughan suggested that Robinson enter the Apollo Theater Amateur Night contest. Vaughan played piano accompaniment for Robinson, who won second prize. Vaughan later decided to go back and compete herself as a singer. Vaughan sang “Body and Soul” and won, although the exact date of her victorious Apollo performance is uncertain. The prize, as Vaughan recalled later to Marian McPartland, was $10 and the promise of a week’s engagement at the Apollo. After a considerable delay, Vaughan was contacted by the Apollo in the spring of 1943 to open for Ella Fitzgerald.

MARIAN ANDERSON (February 27, 1897 – April 8, 1993) was an AfricanAmerican contralto and one of the most celebrated singers of the twentieth century. Music critic Alan Blyth

Thursday, February 7, 2013

said “Her voice was a rich, vibrant contralto of intrinsic beauty.” Most of her singing career was spent performing in concert and recital in major music venues and with famous orchestras throughout the United States and

Critic John Bush wrote that Holiday “changed the art of American pop vocals forever.” She cowrote only a few songs, but several of them have become jazz standards, notably “God Bless the Child”, “Don’t Explain”, “Fine and Mellow”, and “Lady Sings the Blues”. She also became famous for singing “Easy Living”, “Good Morning Heartache”, and “Strange Fruit”, a protest song which became one of her standards and was made famous with her 1939 recording.

ELLA FITZGERALD

Europe between 1925 and 1965. Although oơered roles with many important European opera companies, Anderson declined, as she had no training in acting. She preferred to perform in concert and recital only. She did, however, perform opera arias within her concerts and recitals. She made many recordings that reflected her broad performance repertoire of everything from concert literature to lieder to opera to traditional American songs and spirituals.

Anderson became an important figure in the struggle for black artists to overcome racial prejudice in the United States during the mid-twentieth century.

BILLIE HOLIDAY (Born Eleanora Harris April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959) was an American jazz singer and songwriter. Nicknamed “Lady Day” by her friend and musical partner Lester Young, Holiday had a seminal influence on jazz and pop singing. Her vocal style, strongly inspired by jazz instrumentalists, pioneered a new way of manipulating phrasing and tempo.

(April 25, 1917 – June 15, 1996), also known as the “First Lady of Song”, “Queen of Jazz”, and “Lady Ella”, was an American jazz and song vocalist.

With a vocal range spanning three octaves (D?3 to D?6), she was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing and intonation, and a “horn-like” improvisational ability, particularly in her scat singing.

Fitzgerald was a notable interpreter of the Great American Songbook. Over the course of her 59-year recording career, she was the winner of 13 Grammy Awards and was awarded the National Medal of Arts by Ronald Reagan and the Presidential Medal of Freedom by George H. W. Bush.

BESSIE SMITH (April 15, 1894 – September 26, 1937) was an American blues singer.

Nicknamed The Empress of the Blues, Smith was the most popular female blues singer of the 1920s and 1930s. She is often regarded as one of the greatest singers of her era and, along with Louis Armstrong, a major influence on subsequent jazz vocalists.

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Thursday, February 7, 2013

Embracing Black History

BY JULIANNE MALVEAUX NNPA COLUMNIST One hundred and fifty years ago, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. It was a flawed document that freed enslaved people in Confederate areas that he did not control. At the same time, it was a progressive document because it initiated discussion about the Thirteenth, Fourteenth and Fifteen “FREEDOM” Amendments.

One hundred years later, in 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. riveted the nation with his “I Have A Dream” speech during the August 28 March on Washington. Many will remember that he said, “I have a dream that one day people will be judged not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” Somehow people forget that in the same speech he said, “We have come to the nation’s capital to cash a check that has been marked insufficient funds.” If people said “cash the check” as often as they said “I have a dream,” we’d move more quickly forward in closing the economic gaps that African Americans experience.

We’ve been doing this 50-year thing for the past couple years, and we’ll be doing it for another few. The “Greensboro Four” North Carolina A&T State University Students (with the help of Bennett College students, often ignored) sat in at Woolworth

Julianne Malveaux counters on February 1, 1960, more than 50 years ago. The March on Washington happened 50 years ago.

The Civil Rights Act was passed in 1964, and beyond that the 1960s will resonate for the next few years with commemorations and anniversaries.

These celebrations are important historical moments, but who remembers? The median age of the population in the United States is about 37 years old. Many of these folks remember the civil rights moment through

twice and thrice told tales. Those who are under the median age see the civil rights movement as something like a fable, something they heard about, but doesn’t really matter to them. Many of these young people see themselves as “post-racial.” They hang out with their peers, race notwithstanding. They have never experienced discrimination. Even when they experience it, they are slow to embrace it. They are post-racial, whatever that means.

If some of these young people had been immersed in history, they might understand why the Black unemployment rate is twice that of the White rate. If they had read some Dr. Martin Luther King, who spoke of racial disparities in much of his work, they would understand the many ways the struggle continues. But popular culture suggests that when Black folks and White folks can both act extreme fools on reality shows (I think I blanked out after about a minute of “Bad Girls Club”); there is some measure of equality.

There has been a rich history and legacy of struggle and protest that has been swallowed by the notion of postracialism in the first decades of this century. It is laudable that President Obama used both a Bible of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and that of President Abraham Lincoln, connecting the 150year-old dots. President Obama’s choice in using both Bibles in this anniversary year is a testament to his

sensitivity and ability to juggle the tightrope he must manage as both president of the United States and the first African American president of our nation.

Most folks 50 and older get it.

What about those who are both younger than our nation’s median age and unschooled in the nuances of history? Is our conversation about race in America stuck in some kind of time warp, where we are unable to speak cross generationally because we have extremely different memories, recollections, and knowledge about that which happened 50 years ago?

We do our nation a disservice when we duck and dodge our racially tinged history. We have to grace and embrace the past in order to move forward with our future.

Somehow this is a message that needs to be transmitted to young people, especially in this 150th year after emancipation, this 50th year after the March on Washington, this season of embracing and celebrating our history.

Julianne Malveaux is a Washington, D.C.-based economist and writer. She is President Emerita of Bennett College for Women in Greensboro, N.C.

CURREN PRICE Continued from page 2 served as deputy to two Los Angeles City Councilmembers, enjoyed a stellar stint on the Inglewood City Council and has been one of the leading lawmakers in the California legislature since 2006.

“I want to make sure that South Los Angeles gets its fair share of the resources that are entitled to them,” Price told the Sentinel.

For several years he was a consultant for the Small Business Administration, served on the Los Angeles County Commission on Insurance and Community Economic Development Committee and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s South Bay Governance Council.

During his tenure on the Inglewood City Council and in the legislature he has been a steadfast champion on economic development.

“I plan on encouraging more private sector investment, improving the infrastructure on roads, address the adequate housing and most importantly, safety in the New 9th,”

he explained.

The primary difference between him and the other candidates is that he has sustained the relationships with policy makers and in the private sector, who can be instrumental in helping him achieve these goals.

While, trailing candidates Terry Hara and Ana Cubas in campaign contributions, Price is the overwhelming choice of unions and Los Angeles City Council President Herb Wesson and Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark RidleyThomas.

“I believe that Sen. Curren Price would be the most viable candidate in the 9th Council District race. He is someone who is respected and someone around whom the community can unite,” said City Council President Herb Wesson.

Supervisor Mark RidleyThomas added; “I think the president of the City Council (Herb Wesson) has given a lot of thought to the 9th District and I am prepared to follow his lead. I agree with the council president Wesson that Sen. Curren Price will be very hard to beat.”

WESSON Continued from page 2 CDC could not have a better honoree than our own City Council President Herb Wesson,” stated Charisse Bremond, Brotherhood Crusade CEO. “He is a true leader, visionary and person who cares about the community at its core. I salute you Herb!

Well deserved.”

“I have known the council president for many years and I think it couldn’t have come to a better person to amplify the ability to get people to compromise and come together and get things done for people,” added Leon Jenkins, president of the Los Angeles NAACP. “I think it’s a wonderful award and I think it couldn’t go to a better person.”

“City Council President Herb Wesson has proven he is a leader where ever he goes,” says Yvonne Burke, former L.A. County Supervisor. “In the Assembly, he moved up to Speaker and is now President of the City Council. He does it because he takes a deep interest in people and their problems. It doesn't hurt that he knows how to get things done.”

Past honorees include Senator Dianne Feinstein, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas.

More than 500 community, corporate and political leaders, along with mayoral and city council candi-

dates, are expected to attend. The event begins at 6pm for the reception, dinner follows at 7:30pm.

The West Angeles CDC Annual Unity Awards is the first major event celebrating African American History Month in Southern California. This year, the Unity Awards will commemorate 150 years since the end of slavery in America.

Established in 1995, The Unity Awards recognizes the achievements and examples of leaders from politics, entertainment and business that support faith-based community development.

West Angeles CDC will also honor Freddie Mac with the Unity Award for Outstanding Corporate Citizen. “We have been impressed with the efforts of Freddie Mac to bring about recovery of the housing market across the nation and in our community with a spirit of partnership,” says Tunua Thrash, Executive Director of West Angeles CDC. The mission of West Angeles CDC is to alleviate poverty, increase social and economic justice and demonstrate compassion through the vehicle of community development.

For nearly twenty years, West Angeles CDC has been at the forefront of promoting, facilitating and saving homeownership; developing blighted properties; conducting financial education and assisting families in emergency crises.

Thursday, February 7, 2013

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Dick Gregory: Spike Lee is a punk and a thug

Dick Gregory and Spike Lee SPECIAL TO THE NNPA FROM THE TRI-STATE DEFENDER Legendary social activist, comedian and author, Dick Gregory, has weighed in on the controversial Quentin Tarantino film, “Django Unchained,” and he did so in explosive fashion.

In an interview posted to YouTube, Gregory says that the movie spoke to him in ways that no film had in all his years on earth. He then calls out Director Spike Lee for criticizing a film that he’s never seen, saying that if anyone has created movies that are disrespectful to our ancestors, it’s Lee himself: “I’ve seen ‘Django Unchained’ 12 times. Never in the history of Hollywood, have they ever made anything that freed the inside of me.

The inside of me. I’m 80-years-old, I saw cowboy movies, wasn’t no black folks in cowboy movies. I’m looking at a western, plus a love story. To those of you all that see it, you’ll never see a love story about a black man and a black woman where it wasn’t some foul sex and foul language, huh. And Spike Lee can’t appreciate that. The little thug ain’t even seen the movie; he’s acting like he white.

“So it must be something personal. And all them black entertainers that know Spike Lee, how you gone attack this man and don’t be attacking them … and then say everyone’s a fool but me. (Talking about) ‘it offended my ancestors,’ but when you did ‘She’s Got To Have It’ and some of those other thug movies you See GREGORY/LEE, page 10

TV One’s ‘Belle’s’ brings back the Black sitcom The highly anticipated half-hour African American comedy series –Belle’s, co-created and produced by legendary Emmy Award-Winning Producer Ed. Weinberger airs each Friday at 7pm on TV One. The all star African American cast features Keith David, Elise Neal, Tami Roman, Ella Joyce and Miguel Núñez and introduces Nadja Alaya is an emerging young talent, brings back to television a positive Black family sitcom.

This TV One original scripted series “Belle’s,” a comedy centered around widower William “Big Bill” Cooper (Keith David) who owns and operates his family’s upscale soul food restaurant.

The half-hour series is co-created

by Ed. Weinberger who created “The Cosby Show,” “Good News,” and “Sparks” Black sitcoms that revealed positive experiences of African Americans.

In “Belle’s,” Bill must deal with his two headstrong daughters: Jill (Elise Neal), the sensible hardworking manager of Belle’s who also juggles being a single mom; and Loreta (Tami Roman), a stylish, self-absorbed prima donna whose ambitions alternate between a career in the music business and finding

Nadja Alaya a rich husband. And if working with his daughters isn't challenging enough, Bill must deal with the temperamental chef at Belle's who also happens to be his thorn-in-the-side sister-in-law, Gladys (Ella Joyce).

Rounding out the family is cousin Maurice (Miguel Núñez), the irresponsible bartender and self-proclaimed ladies’ man who is always in hot water; and Jill's savvy tween daughter Pam

(Nadja Alaya), who seems to be the only one who has a handle on everyone and everything that happens in the family, and at Belle’s. Ultimately she could be the star of the series.

“Belle’s” takes a page from sitcoms of an earlier era by tackling hard hitting cultural issues through the prism of comedy and laughter.

In the premiere episode, Jill rents See ‘BELLE’S’, page 11

Braxton’s autistic son stars with her in new movie

BY NEKESA MUMBI MOODY | ASSOCIATED PRESS NEW YORK (AP) — Toni Braxton’s autistic son makes his acting debut in her new Lifetime movie, “Twist of Faith,” and could have had a bigger role, but the singer didn’t want to put too much pressure on him.

“He was supposed to play my son initially but by the time we worked out the shooting schedule, school had started,” Braxton said of 9-year-old Diezel. (She also has an 11-year-old named Denim.)

“Even though he’s considered high functioning right now, he wasn’t in the past, and that’s why I thought him carrying the movie and trying to do the movie and tutoring would have been too much for him,” the 45-yearold singer said.

Braxton decided he should take a smaller role.

See TONI BRAXTON, page 10

Photo by Katy Winn/Invision/AP, file

This Nov. 1, 2012 file photo shows singer and TV personality Toni Braxton at the Lupus LA’s Hollywood Bag Ladies Luncheon in Beverly Hills, Calif. Braxton’s autistic son makes his acting debut in her upcoming Lifetime movie “Twist of Faith.”

UNIVERSAL PICTURES PRESENTS IN ASSOCIATIONWITH RELATIVITYMEDIA A BLUEGRASS FILMS/AGGREGATEFIMUSICLMS PRODUCTION A SETHGORDONEXECUTIVEFILM “IDENTITYTHIEF” JASONBATEMANPRODUCEDMELISSA MCCARTHY JONFAVREAU AMANDA PEET TIP ‘T.I.’ HARRIS GENESIS RODRIGUEZ MORRIS CHESTNUT JOHN CHO ROBERT PATRICSTORY K ERIC STONESTREET BY CHRISTOPHERSCREENPLAY LENNERTZ PRODUCERS PETERDIRECTEDMORGAN DANKOLSRUD BY SCOTTSTUBER JASONBATEMAN PAMELAABDY AUNIVERSALPICTURE

BY JERRYEETEN AND CRAI G MAZIN

BY CRAI G MAZIN BY SETHGORDON SOUNDTRACK ON BACK LOT MUSIC AND LA-LA LAND RECORDS

STARTS FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8

© 2012 UNIVERSAL STUDIOS

CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS FOR THEATERS AND SHOWTIMES

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Thursday, February 7, 2013

Venus Williams pulls out of Qatar Open

Venus Williams

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Venus Williams has withdrawn from next week’s Qatar Open due to an ongoing lower back injury.

The 23rd-ranked Williams has been hampered by back problems since the Australian Open. She missed the Open GDF Suez tournament and will skip the upcoming Fed Cup match against Italy because of the injury.

Andrea Hlavackova will replace Williams in the Qatar tournament.

Williams lost in straight sets to Maria Sharapova in the third round of the Australian Open, and then lost in the quarterfinals of the doubles alongside younger sister Serena.

Serena Williams, who complained of back pain during her Australian Open quarterfinals loss to American Sloane Stephens, is scheduled to play at Qatar, as is top-ranked Victoria Azarenka.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar wins two NAACP Image Awards

The legend of John Brooks Dendy

BY MICHAEL DEAN SPECIAL TO THE NNP A FROM ARIZONA INFORMANT Before there was Sifford, or Rhodes or Spiller or Elder, there was John Brooks Dendy, the self-made golfer from North Carolina who made a name for himself in the 1930s.

Dendy grew up in Asheville and fell in love with the game of golf at an early age. He had scuffled around and found some discarded club heads with no shafts. He whittled down broom sticks, fitted them in the heads and began playing whenever he could. He also began caddying at Asheville Country Club and by his early teens had developed a game that was hard to beat.

Some of the members of the club took notice and quietly encouraged him.

At 18, Dendy had completed high school and was preparing to head to Paine College in Augusta, Ga. to play football. Because of his golfing prowess, a few members of the country club extended Dendy the financial assistance to enter the Southern Open at Lincoln G &CC in Atlanta and to the chagrin of homegrown heroes Howard

Wheeler and Hugh Smith, Dendy won.

During the awards ceremony, Dendy relinquished his amateur status and accepted the $50 prize money for first place.

Excited by his good fortune, his family encouraged him to compete in the 1932 United Golfer’s Association – Negro National Open in Indianapolis.

Dendy had never been that far away from home before and was only comfortable on the golf course. The virtual unknown whipped his competitors with ease earning the trophy and the $100 prize money.

In the pre-tournament “Calcutta,” Dendy had been purchased for $400 and the bettor won big so he gave his man a $500 bonus for winning, five times the amount of the winner’s check.

On his long trip home, Dendy never slept for fear that someone may attempt to rob him. He would go on the win National Open in 1936 and successfully defended in 1937. He also won the Southern Open again in 1934 and 1936 after breaking through in 1932.

One of the most legendary stories told about John Brooks Dendy occurred in Jacksonville, Fla. in 1933. He had

been invited to participate in an 18-hole exhibition and was pressed for time because the bus that he was on developed problems along the way. He arrived at the course, went to the first tee, and without warming up, cut the dogleg with his drive on the 342 yard opening hole. When he got to the green, he found his ball in the cup for a 1. He then played the next three holes 23-4, all of them birdies and finished the day with a score of 59. The 1-2-3-4, six-under par start, made Ripley’s Believe It Or Not. By 1940, Dendy hadn’t made any headway financially playing golf, so he opted to take a job as a locker room attendant at Asheville CC and later worked at Biltmore Forest CC where he served until he retired in 1980. He didn’t play much golf in his later years and died in 1985. Throughout his storied career Dendy won 52 tournaments, including three National and three Southern Open Championships. He was also a friend of heavyweight champion Joe Louis and the two often partnered successfully in money matches in Chicago and across the country. “Lest’ We Forget.”

TONI BRAXTON

GREGORY/LEE

Continued from page 9

Continued from page 9

“He was a little disappointed at first, but I think in the end, he’s happy about the turnout,” she said.

Braxton understands the pressure.

Although she has had small acting roles and stars in the WE reality TV series, “Braxton Family Values,” which has its season premiere March 14, she is the main star of “Twist of Faith” — and that makes her nervous.

“I never had to carry anything before. It’s a lot of work,” she said of her role in the film, which debuts Saturday on Lifetime (8 p.m. EST).

“Singing is indigenous for me, but acting is not. I’ve had to work to prepare for it,” said Braxton, adding later: “Be nice to me, guys! This is my first real acting debut! There are a few booboos. ... It’s a lot more technical than I

thought.”

Braxton is better known for her Grammy-winning, multiplatinum singing career, which has netted classics like “Un-break My Heart” and “Breathe Again.” She said she’s working on an album with longtime collaborator Babyface called “Love, Marriage, Divorce.” She’s also doing a few shows here and there, but she suffers from lupus, an autoimmune disease, which prevents her from doing more.

Recently, she was hospitalized for blood clots, but Braxton considers herself one of the “lucky ones” and is grateful she can still have a career.

“My doctors told me I would never be able to perform again,” she said.

“I’m very lucky that I’m still able to dabble in it a little bit.”

did…you took Malcolm X and put a Zoot suit on him…did that offend your ancestors, punk?

“It’s a game, man. So whatever he’s mad about is something that happened way, way a long ago. Thank God it didn’t work (to stop the movie from being successful).”

When the interviewer asks Gregory if he has a problem with Tarantino’s excessive use of the word “n*gger,” he said that he absolutely did not and that no other culture insists on the white-washing of their painful past in this country like black people: “We talking about history, man. It happened. Nigger happened.”

Gregory goes on to talk about the history of “the dozens,” slave rebellion and racism in Hollywood.

(L-R) Raymond Obstfeld, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Deborah Morales.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar took home two NAACP Image Awards tonight for “Best Documentary” for his film “On the Shoulders of Giants – The Story of the Greatest Team You’ve Never Heard Of” and the award for “Best Children’s Book” for “What Color is My World? – the lost history of African American inventors” authored by the legendary sports figure and Raymond Obstfeld. The film was nominated in the Best Documentary category and the book was nominated for Best Literary Work – Children’s category. Both were awarded in a preshow gala awards ceremony held in Los Angeles.

The NAACP Image Award is one of the highest accolades presented by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People which honors outstanding people of color in film, television, music and literature. Similar to other awards like the Oscars and the Grammys, the 40 categories of the Image Awards are voted on by the award organization’s members. The 2013 NAACP Image Awards aired on NBC Television live from the Shrine Auditorium.

On the Shoulders of Giants is a 75minute feature-length documentary currently airing on Showtime. The film honors a group of sports pioneers who have been all but forgotten over time.

The story finds its footing in the rhythms of jazz, its roots in the Harlem Renaissance and its voice in a group of basketball players much too talented to be ignored. It was produced and directed by Deborah Morales on behalf of Abdul-Jabbar in association with Iconomy Multi-media & Entertainment. Oscar winning actor Jamie Foxx did the honors of voice over throughout the documentary with notable appearances by Dr. Maya Angelou, Spike Lee, Bill Russell, Dr. J., Herbie Hancock, Chuck D, Dr. Cornell West, Charles Barkley, Jerry West as well as many other legendary celebrities and sports figures.

“Who would have thought that an African-American basketball hero from New York and a white Jewish girl from Boston would be working together let alone win an NAACP Image Award,” said Deborah Morales, a wellknown entertainment business manager. "I am so thrilled to receive this award not only because it justifies the very poignant message both Kareem and I set out to send as we began this journey but because the NAACP’s continued pursuit of civil rights is very important to both of us.

Abdul-Jabbar’s children’s book “What Color Is My World? –the lost history of African American inventors” children’s book was penned by the NBA legend and New York times bestselling author Abdul-Jabbar and his co-writer Raymond Obstfeld and offers an upbeat history lesson within a fictional narrative framework. Siblings Ella and Herbie, whose story unfolds within the pages of the book is taught by an eccentric handyman named Mr. Mital who teaches them about the contributions made by AfricanAmerican inventors through their own adventures and their fixer-upper house.

The book was illustrated by A.G. Ford, Ben Boos and published by Candlewick Press.

“It is a distinguished honor to be recognized by the NAACP in such an extraordinary way. To win two NAACP Image Awards is a remarkable moment for me ” said Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. “ I have spent much of my life working towards the recognition and understanding of AfricanAmericans in all fields and am extremely proud to know that this award stands profoundly for the fight for social justice for all Americans.”

For more information on “On The Shoulders of Giants – The Greatest Story of the Team You’ve Never Heard Of” and “What Color is My World? – The Lost History of African American Inventors www.kareemabduljabbar. com or www.iconomy.com.

Thursday, February 7, 2013

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WILMINGTON TEN Continued from page 3 less than a week before leaving office.

The road to complete vindication was not an easy one.

Chavis returned from New York to his home state when the United Church of Christ assigned him in Feb. 1971 to assist Black students in Wilmington protest unfair treatment of them in a newly-desegregated school system.

During a period of unrest, someone firebombed Mike’s Grocery, a Whiteowned business located near Gregory Congregational Church, where Chavis had set up headquarters. When fire fighters and police officers arrived, they were attacked by snipers.

Chavis and nine others were charged and convicted of arson and conspiracy for their purported role in the incident. Most of the defendants received a 29-year sentence, with Ann Shepard, a White woman from Auburn, N.Y., receiving the most lenient sentence of 15 years and Chavis getting 34 years, the longest sentence.

It was later disclosed that the chief accuser against the Wilmington Ten had mental problems and the prosecutor did special favors for him and two others willing to provi “I have decided to grant these pardons because the more facts I have learned about the Wilmington Ten, the more appalled I have become about the manner in which their convictions were obtained,” said Perdue, a Democrat.

“Justice demands that this stain finally be removed. The process in which this case was tried was fundamentally flawed. Therefore, as Governor, I am issuing these pardons of innocence to right this longstanding wrong.”

Although many Blacks in Wilmington had shunned the wrongfully accused defendants for years, they turned out in full force at a recent rally in which members or relatives of the Wilmington Ten were presented with the pardons of innocence.

According to the North Carolina governor’s office, a pardon of innocence is granted “when an individual has been convicted and the criminal charges are subsequently dismissed.

Application for this type of Pardon allows an individual to petition the Governor for a declaration of innocence when the individual has been erroneously convicted and imprisoned and later determined to be innocent.”

Chavis said, “Four members died before they could get that sheet of paper. When Fergie and Irv [the two attorneys] gave me the pardon, it was on two sheets of papers. I said, ‘Wow! This is some heavy two sheets of paper – a 40-year wait.’

“Another thing I’m most impressed about [are] my co-defendants, which you can see some of them on canes, can barely walk, they never let their spirit be broken – they kept their spirit intact.”

That spirit was captured in a moving video made by Cash Michaels, a video that documented the emotional church service in Wilmington after Gov. Perdue granted the pardons.

Throughout the video, Mary Alice Thatch, whose father supported the Wilmington Ten when many others in the community rejected them, wept qui-

Black Facts.com February 8, 1978 Leon Spinks defeated Muhammad Ali for heavyweight boxing championship. Ali regained the title on September 15 and became the person to win the title three times.

etly as she sat on the front row. She held a glass of orange juice in her left hand while using a tissue clutched in her right hand to slowly dab tears from each eye.

It was a process she would repeat throughout the 15-minute video.

When the video ended, NNPA Chairman Cloves Campbell noted that many people in the audience had also been shedding tears.

After thanking the publishers, Attorney Ferguson highlighted the uniqueness of the pardon by the governor.

“This was not just a pardon of innocence that the governor signed on Dec. 31,” he explained. “Some governors over time have given pardons of innocence. But there has been no pardon of innocence in the history of North Carolina – and I doubt in the history of the country – where a governor signed it, saying our system of justice has been disgraced by the prosecution in this case. And she talked about the findings from that prosecutor’s box.

“She talked about a prosecutor who racially manipulated a trial [by pretending to be sick when a jury of 10 Blacks and two Whites were selected; when he got “well,” he had picked a jury of 10 Whites and two Blacks].

“She talked about a prosecutor who had a list of jurors that said on one side where there were White jurors: ‘KKKgood.’ And on the other side: ‘Stay away from Black men.’ So it was right there in the prosecutor’s own handwriting. And one of the things that motivated this governor was the shame that she felt in seeing what a prosecutor in North Carolina had done in order to manipulate a conviction.”

Ferguson said the governor considered taking milder actions, including issuing a pardon of forgiveness that states a person had been forgiven of a criminal conviction. In the end, she took the bolder route.

“I want you to know that it didn’t come just from the goodness of their heart,” the attorney said. “It came because you put her in a position where she had no choice. And I can tell you that they sought choices.”

Ferguson said no credible evidence was ever presented against the Wilmington Ten, including the testimony of three African-Americans who were given lighter prison terms for unrelated crimes in exchange for their testimony.

“All three young men later also recanted their testimony,” Ferguson recounted. “All took an oath and said, ‘I lied. And I lied because the prosecutor induced me to lie.’”

In reversing a lower court decision that found the activists guilty, the defense attorney said the panel of appeals judges in 1980 issued a strong rebuke of Jay Stroud, the prosecutor.

“It was one of the strongest indictments of a prosecutor I have seen in my 46 years of practice,” Ferguson said. “… It said not only did these witnesses perjure themselves, but the prosecutor knew they were perjuring themselves at the time. And that the court – the judge – aided them in presenting perjured testimony.”

Professor Joyner said there are other cases similar to the Wilmington Ten that deserve media attention.

He told the publishers: “Wherever your newspaper is located, there is a story of injustice that you ought to go out and find and lift up in the very same way you lifted up the Wilmington Ten story.”

GOVERNMENT LOS ANGELES COUNTY METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY (METRO) INVITATION FOR BIDS Metro will receive bids for IFB No. C1048 Westside Subway Extension Project – Advanced Utility Relocations per specifications on file at the Office of Procurement & Material Mgmt, One Gateway Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90012 (9th Floor).

The Work generally involves the relocation and installation of power ducts, waterlines, and sewer manholes that interfere with the future construction of the La Brea Station and Wilshire/Western Access Shaft as shown on the plans included in the specifications. This includes, but is not limited to, the verification of existing conditions of the site and related coordination, potholing, demolition, traffic management, construction and supervision.

Metro’s Project Labor Agreement (PLA) will apply to this project.

All Bids must be submitted on forms furnished by Metro, and must be filed at the reception desk of the Office of Procurement & Material Mgmt on or before Tuesday, March 12, 2013 at 2:00 p.m.Pacific Time, at which time bids will be opened and publicly read. Bids received later than the above date and time will be rejected and returned to the bidder unopened. Each bid must be sealed and marked IFB No. C1048. A Pre-Bid conference will be held on Tuesday, February 19, 2013 at 1:00 p.m. in the Gateway Plaza Conference Room located on the 3rd floor at the address above.

You may obtain bid specifications, or further information, by emailing Sonia Gomez at gomezso@metro.net 2/7/13 CNS-2439818# WATTS TIMES

To place a Classified Ad Call (323) 299-3800

DISRESPECTS Continued from page 4

BERRY GORDY

of the rush to beat their competitors.

“The important thing for each of you is to be different from some of them,” he said. “You don’t have to worry about being first; most of you don’t publish but once a week. You’re last, so you can get the (expletive) story straight. And you can be accurate and, quite frankly, accuracy is what this online thing doesn’t allow for because everybody is rushing to be first.”

Hastings drew loud laughter when he discussed his deep aversion to social media.

“That rush to judgment that the media does is particularly damaging, especially when you got people in their bedrooms at 3 o’clock in the morning, sitting looking at a screen and Googling, twatting and tweeting all night long. It ain’t that much communications in the world,” he said.

“People ask do I have a Blackberry? No! A Whiteberry, either.

The kids asked to give me an iPad. What do I need an iPad for? I have a flip phone and I have no contacts on it.

I don’t give a (expletive) if nobody calls me. I want to be able to call when I want to call.”

In a more serious vein, Hastings said, “The substantive news has long since gone by the board you are the one that can still educate not only our community [but others]. Don’t you think they are not looking at your news.”

Continued from page 5

‘BELLE’S’ Continued from page 9 out the restaurant to the Crawford family to host their annual family reunion.

Just as the Coopers get ready to celebrate their sudden windfall, Big Bill is tormented to discover the Crawfords’ once owned his wife’s family during slavery.

Veteran comedic actor Miguel Núñez is executive producer of the

summit, which ran at the Roosevelt Hotel in Manhattan from January 30th through February 1st. Those in attendance, a veritable Who’s-Who of the African-American corps d’elite, included former New York Governor David Paterson, Philadelphia Mayor Michael A. Nutter, media mogul Reverend Al Sharpton, fund manager John W. Rogers, Jr., real estate mogul R. Donahue Peebles, Motown founder Berry Gordy, and attorney Willie E. Gary, among others.

To edify those unfamiliar with the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, the group is the brainchild of Reverend Jackson who merged two of his foundations, Operation PUSH (People United to Serve Humanity) and the National Rainbow Coalition, in 1996 with a mission to, “protect, defend, and gain civil rights by leveling the economic and educational playing fields, and to promote peace and justice around the world.”

This year’s summit, the Coalition’s 16th since inception, aimed to discuss numerous, serious economic issues that face minority communities today.

Discussions ranged from the importance of computer science education, a topic President Clinton specifically voiced concern about at considerable length, to the impact that Hip-Hop

series.

“TV One is honored to work with Ed. Weinberger and Miguel Núñez on this new comedy series,” said TV One Executive Vice President of Original Programming and Production, Toni Judkins. “Audiences love family comedies, and ‘Belle’s’ has all the perfect ingredients for success, from its awardwinning creators, to its amazing and versatile cast, to its relevant, witty storylines.”

music is likely to continue to have on the economy.

Despite the jam-packed agenda, the summit did take the time to celebrate the accomplishments of successful African-Americans such as Berry Gordy, who was honored at a gala Thursday night.

On the eve of Black History Month, Reverend Jackson expressed a debt of gratitude owed to the Motown visionary by sharing a story about how Mr. Gordy, on several occasions, personally funded Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s payroll when times were tough.

“But,” Jackson assured the audience, “Motown gave us more than money. It gave us an art form and a culture that lifted us beyond the boundaries and limits of the South…We’ve [now] won the White House twice…but before there was a politician on the stage, there were musicians [who]…color-crossed and [broke down] walls.”

BAMBOOZLED Continued from page 5 Furthermore, in violation of State law, Dunlap has failed to file her obligatory quarterly Campaign Financial Disclosure Form 460 for the past eight years.

Inglewood residents are well advised to understand the words hoodwinked and bamboozled before blindly embracing a publication that is, according to one Inglewood elected official, “a very acrimonious and destructive publication whose purpose is to de-stabilize confidence in those who serve the citizens and keeps people in fear all the time.”

Finally, one should be leery of a publisher who offers-up a contrived series of articles disguised as ‘an objective view of Inglewood, a view of the city, purportedly represents the entire community.’

12

Thursday, February 7, 2013

2/2013

e v e n t LISTINGS

L.A. Watts Times Calendar, Compiled by Brandon I. Brooks, Co-Managing Editor 2/9 WAYNE SHORTER QUARTET WITH ESPERANZA SPALDING: Listen to improvisa-

Wayne Shorter

tional sparks fly with a world-premiere commission by Wayne Shorter for Grammy-winning bassist and vocalist Esperanza Spalding and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. An aural painter of subtlety and vision and

NOW – 3/ 7 Charles White (artist) 1943.

Photo by Gordon Parks, a jazz master of our time, Shorter and his Quartet also perform several works with orchestra. WHEN: 8 p.m. WHERE: Walt Disney Concert Hall - 111 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA Esperanza Spaulding 90012. For more information call (323) 850-2000.

2/11 “MY THIERO BOYS: A LIFESTYLE DEALING WITH AUTISM”: Is the only film featuring African Americans facing the effects of autism.

As a single Mother with two boys diagnosed in the autism spectrum, Vana Thiero’s friends encouraged her to document her life. After videotaping her family’s activities for 3 years she produced “My Thiero Boys: A lifestyle dealing with Autism.” The Pan African Film Festival is screening it two days. WHEN: February 11th at 7:35 p.m. and February 14th at 3:35 p.m. WHERE: Rave Cinemas Baldwin Hills 4020 Marlton Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90028 (The former Magic Johnson Theater). Invited guest include, Holly Robinson Pete and Husband Rodney Pete, Tisha Cambell and Husband Duane Martin, Toni Braxton, Jenny McCarthy, and Shawn Stockman of the R&B Legends, Boys to Men. For more information call (818) 618-1585 or visit mythieroboys.com/ or visit www.paff.org/my-thiero-boys-a-lifestyle-dealingwith-autism/

2/12 AFRICAN AMERICAN TREASURES-KINSEY COLLECTION: The Santa Monica College Pete & Susan Barrett Art Gallery is proud to present “African American Treasures: History and Art from the Collection of Bernard and Shirley Kinsey” – a rare and historically rich assembly of art and materials that has been exhibited throughout the United States. Coming during African American Heritage Month, the show – which has toured eight cities and been seen by more than 3 million visitors. WHEN: Feb. 12 - March 9; opening reception Feb. 16. An opening reception will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., preceded by a book signing and gallery tour led by the Kinseys

from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Gallery hours are noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Saturday.

WHERE: The gallery is in the SMC Performing

Slow Drag by Ernie 1997.

Barnes, acrylic on paper, Arts Center (SMC Art Gallery Exhibit) on Santa Monica Boulevard at 11th Street.

For more information call The Cultivators by Samuel L. (310) Dunson, Jr., oil on canvas, 2000. 434-3434.

THE LOS ANGELES URBAN LEAGUE PRESENTS: “The 90 That Built L.A.,” an exhibit

NOW – 4/7

at the Museum of African American Art. This multi-layered exhibit chronicles and celebrates the League’s 90 plus year milestone of serving

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

Photos by Malcolm Ali

the city of Los Angeles, in addition to honoring 90 champions for change and equality, past and present. The exhibit will include personal artifacts from honorees; a retrospect of the social, economic, political and civic challenges and triumphs for Los Angeles residents of color and the League’s leadership and unwavering commitment to the community. WHEN: Museum hours are Thursday -Sunday: 12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Monday –Wednesday the exhibit will be closed. Admission is FREE! Where: Museum of African American Art 3650 W. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90008 (Located on the 3rd floor of Macy’s at the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Mall). For more information call (323) 294-7071 or visit www.theleague90.com.

For more information on the Museum of African American Art, visit www.maaala.org.

ON GOING NOW – 2/28

NOW – 3/16

WESSON ANNOUNCES AFRICAN AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH: Council

URBAN SCHOLAR SATURDAY ENRICHMENT ACADEMY: Urban Scholar Athletes, Inc. will

President Herb Wesson has announced that in commemoration of African American Heritage Month, the City Council is sponsoring an exhibit “From Where We Come – The Art and Politics of Slavery” featuring contributions from the Bernard and Shirley Kinsey Collection and highlighting the 150th Anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation.

WHEN: NOW - Thursday, February 28, 2013.

WHERE: City Hall Over-Bridge Gallery 200 North Spring Street Los Angeles, CA 90012.

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

conduct its Urban Scholar Saturday Enrichment Academy [Winter Term]. WHEN: Every Saturday, from January 19, 2013- March 16, 2013, from 11:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. WHERE: Darby Park Recreational Center, 3400 Arbor Vitae, Inglewood, CA 90305. The Academy is targeted for students currently in 1st-6th grade.

Certificated

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

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

NOW – 4/30 CRENSHAW/LAX CORRIDOR TRANSIT CORRIDOR – CONSTRUCTION NOTICE: Attention commuters and residents on 59th PL between 8th Ave and Crenshaw Blvd.

As part of advance utility relocation activities for the Crenshaw/LAX Transit Corridor Project, Metro’s contractor, Metro Builders, will be relocating sewer lines on 59th Pl in the City of Los Angeles to make room for the underground section of the Crenshaw Light Rail Line. WHAT: Sewer Relocation. WHEN: Beginning approximately Monday, January 21 through approximately April 30; Monday through Friday. The anticipated work hours are from 7:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. weather permitting. WHERE: 59th Pl between 8th Av and Crenshaw Blvd. WHAT TO EXPECT: 59th Pl will be closed to through traffic in the vicinity of the construction activities. Parking restriction will be implemented in the immediate area of the construction. No parking will be allowed on 59 Pl on either side of the street between 8th Av and Crenshaw Bl during working hours. Interruptions to driveway access for homes on 59Pl will be coordinated by the Contractor. Access for pedestrians will be maintained outside of the construction zone. Access for the Fire Department and emergency responders will be maintained. For more information, call the Construction Relations Team at (212) 922-2736 or email us at crenshawcorridor@metro.net or visit metro.net/Crenshaw.

TO MAKE A CALENDAR SUBMISSION: Include event name, 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.