LAWT-5-05-2011

W E E K E N D E R

L.A. Watts Times Vol. XXX, No. 1230

FEATURE STORY

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Thursday, May 5, 2011

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Thursday, May 5, 2011

HOROSCOPES A

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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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.

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.

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.

APRICRON ~ 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.

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.

ISCES ~ This week is likely to make you feel young again. You’0ll 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!

Blast From The Past...

Professional light-heavyweight boxer of the 1930s, Archie Moore, weighs in.

Self-proclaimed “The Old Mongoose,” Moore gave himself this alias to influence chaffing about his seemingly mature age for the sport. However, despite his age, Moore became light-heavyweight champion from 1952-1963, winning 194 fights throughout his career. In 141 of those fights, he would defeat his Photo by Harry Adams opponents by knockouts.

This photo is part of series of pictures that will be showcased in the L.A. Watts Times Weekender. It was provided courtesy of Kent Kirkton, curator and director of the Institute for Arts and Media at California State University, Northridge.

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Black Facts May 6, 1967 Four hundred students seize the administration building at Cheyney State College.

Source: blackfacts.com

L.A. Watts Times

May 6, 1886 Inventor M.A. Cherry patents the tricycle.

Source: blackfacts.com

WEEKENDER 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

Inside this Edition

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WWW.LAWATTSTIMES.COM Danny J. Bakewell, Sr. ..........Executive Publisher & Executive Editor Brenda Marsh Mitchell ................................Executive Vice President Tracy Mitchell........................................................................Controller Brandon I. Brooks ............................................Co – Managing Editor Yussuf J. Simmonds..........................................Co – Managing Editor Samuel Richard..........................................................Associate Editor Bernard Lloyd....................................................Director of Advertising Benjamin Samuels ..............................................Production Designer Chris Martin ........................................................Production Designer EMAIL: lawattsnus@aol.com Circulation ................................................................................50,000 The opinions expressed by contributing writers are not necessarily those of the L.A. Watts Times.

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

CIRCULATION AUDIT BY CIRCULATION VERIFICATION COUNCIL

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Thursday, May 5, 2011

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Thursday, May 5, 2011

One-on-one with Maya Angelou

BY SHALONNA MCROY SPECIAL TO THE NNPA Dr. Maya Angelou, the celebrated poet, memoirist, educator, director, actress, historian, filmmaker, and civil rights activist is perhaps one of the most legendary names in both Black and American history. Yet, all her mentioned titles barely cover the inspiration that is Dr. Maya Angelou, author of “I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings” and her latest book, “Great Food, All Day Long.”

Her words of wisdom have stirred millions, with more than 60 years of influence from the poetry of Langston Hughes and James Baldwin, the political and world views of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, and the novel pursuits of Alex Haley.

With her words, thoughts and feelings expressed in such seminal classics as “Phenomenal Woman and Still I Rise,” Dr. Angelou has even had influence on the highest levels of world leaders, having been selected by former President Bill Clinton to write and recite “On The Pulse of Morning” for his 1993 presidential inauguration. She was even a catalyst for Dr. Maya Soetoro-Ng, the sister of President Barack Obama, who received Angelou’s namesake in 1970.

Angelou has been named as one of the most eloquent speakers of our time, sharing more than 80 years worth of wisdom and experiences. She recently sat down with the Arizona Informant to speak about life, love, receiving the Medal of Freedom from President Obama, and how her greatest achievements were not just for fellow

African Americans, but for everyone.

McRoy: You’ve witnessed a transformation of poetry into modern-day rap from artists like Nikki Giovani and Gil Scott Heron, and more recently, Common. With the unique perspective that you have, where do you feel poetry fits in with today’s rap?

Angelou: Well it’s all the same. If you listen to the poetry of Paul Lawrence Dunbar between 1892 and 1893, or even the poetry of George Moses Horton in the 19th century, who wrote, “Alas! And Am I Born For This,” their lyrics are the same, and the rhythm sometimes (sounds similar to those of today). Paul Lawrence Dunbar wrote a poem called ‘When Malindy Sings.’ (Angelou recites poem). And, that was 1893.

Then there was ‘A Negro Love Song,’ written in 1898. A man speaking to his wife. To his beloved. This could’ve been written for someone like Queen Latifah two weeks ago. (Recites the poem).

McRoy: In your book, ‘Letters To My Daughter,’ you mention that a kind word, a vote of support is a charitable gift, and that you will give freely of your resources. Knowing that you’re an advocate of mentorship, what kind word or vote of support, did your mentors, Malcolm X or Langston Hughes, give to you?

Angelou: Malcolm told me that I would always be listened to because I have a human soul. And, I really trust that. I accepted it, before he said it. I believe that human beings are more alike than we are unalike, no matter what our color — our race, our creed, our sexual preferences, our age, our status, our education. Still,

AP Photo/Nell Redmond

In this May 20, 2010, file photo, poet Maya Angelou smiles as she greets guests at a garden party at her home in Winston-Salem, N.C. Angelou’s personal papers, documenting decades of her literary career, have been acquired by the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in New York. we are more alike than unalike.

And, I read this recently, a letter that Dr. King sent to Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt. He said, “If you want the job done, I suggest you get Miss Angelou to do it.” (In October, 1960, Martin Luther King Jr. sent a letter to former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, thanking her for serving as a member of the Committee to Defend King And The Struggle To Defend Freedom In The South.

Dr. Angelou became coordinator of SCLC’s New York office beginning in the summer of 1960, following the departure of Bayard Rustin).

I was so flattered, I cried.

I think Langston encouraged me to laugh more. And, I love that and I still laugh a lot. I don’t trust people who don’t laugh and are too serious, and act as if they put airplane glue on the back of their hand and stuck it to their forehead.

Not only are they too serious, they’re boring as hell. Langston always encouraged the laughter, and to laugh at yourself first. I am the funniest person you’ve ever heard of. I may not let other people know it, but the truth is, if some of my thoughts were told out loud, people would run like hell and holler, “fire!”

McRoy: Throughout ‘Letters to My Daughter,’ I especially enjoyed your ‘revelation.’ The revelation, that is, your son, and how the day of his birth was the greatest day of your life. What advice do you have for young mothers?

Angelou: Love your child but don’t fall in love with them. You can really screw the child up — so that he or she could be exactly like you.

Don’t do that. Love your child and educate yourself so that you can help educate the child.

Because you know, he or she may not be getting it in school. Go to the library. Read some books.

Talk to someone who could elevate your mind.

Teach he or she to speak different languages, including their own language, which may be their easy language. The child needs to have standard English. Otherwise, how is she going to become a doctor? How is she going to figure out the answer to prostate cancer? How is he going to eradicate racism? He has to have the standard language. And you know, sometimes, bullies make young people ashamed by saying, ‘Look at you — trying to be White.’ No, I’m just trying to be educated. Encourage the child to speak a few languages and to embrace all of them. They are really keys that open doors.

McRoy: You recently won the Medal of Freedom along with Arizona Informant friend

Ms. Gerda Weissmann Klein. I love the lady.

Isn’t she wonderful?

Angelou: Yes, we met many years ago at the Holocaust Museum, in Washington.

McRoy: What did it mean to you to receive the award from America’s first Black president, especially knowing that you were such an inspiration to he and his family early on?

Angelou: Well, I think before that. What did it mean for me to get it period? I am a descendant of all the people who came here from 1619 to 1865, arriving in a nightmare praying for a dream. Arriving on slave ships, just to get out and be carried on auction blocks. Those are my ancestors. And, so here I am. They came here hoping for freedom. And, here I am — receiving the Medal of Freedom. And, then I thought about all the immigrants and where they came from.

Ireland, Scandinavia, Mexico, South America — wherever they came from — Asia, Eastern Europe — wherever they came from; also trying to escape the persecution of poverty, religious persecution, and racial persecution. Trying to come and find freedom. So for me to receive it, I stood there for all of them. I accepted it for them, whether they know it or not, in order for it to be given to me by a Black president.

McRoy: So it all came back full circle, didn’t it?

Angelou: It certainly did. I was so, so glad.

And, I was told that the honorees wouldn’t be asked to speak. And, I am glad because I would’ve just been blubbering. I couldn’t stop crying.

Angelou’s “Letter To My Daughter,” dedicated to the daughter she never had, reveals her path to living well, and living a life with meaning. In the book, she speaks about being a 22year-old single mom holding two jobs, renting a room and living a life far from glamorous. The decision to prepare for greatness was sparked during a visit from her mother, who labeled Angelou as “the greatest woman she has ever met.”

She described her as a rare combination of intelligent and kind, placing her in the same category as Mary McLeod Bethune and Eleanor Roosevelt. It was then that Angelou decided to stop her dangerously bad habits, and thought, “Suppose I really am going to become somebody. Imagine … someday.” Just think of the impact we could make on younger generations, if we each consistently spoke such greatness into their lives.

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Thursday, May 5, 2011

Brandon I. Brooks appointed as assistant managing editor of Sentinel SENTINEL STAFF REPORT The Los Angeles Sentinel newspaper is pleased to announce the recent promotion of Brandon I. Brooks as the new assistant managing editor.

This historic mark comes just six months after Brooks was named co-managing editor of the L.A. Watts Times Weekender newspaper.

“Brandon is the youngest editor to have held these prestigious positions,” shared Danny J. Bakewell Sr., executive editor and publisher of both the Sentinel and the L.A. Watts Times Weekender.

Bakewell went on to share that “Brandon will not only continue his current duties as editor, but also manage and lead the reconstruction of both the Sentinel and Watts Times websites.”

Bakewell Sr. serves as chairman of the National Newspapers Publishers Association (NNPA), the Black Press of America, an organization that consists of nearly 200 Black newspapers nationwide.

“I feel Brandon can keep the Sentinel and the Watts Times competitive and help bridge the gap between newspapers and the younger

generation of readers,” Bakewell shared. “We are looking to expand our brand and with the assistance of Brandon we can transition to the new era of web media and social media.”

Brooks first started working with the Sentinel organization as a contributing writer in 2005, when he released a column, “Bump it or Dump it,” which rated rap and R&B music and gave a “street” perspective to music and hip-hop culture.

After graduating from California State University, Long Beach, in 2005, with a degree in Communication Studies, Brooks continued working with the Sentinel as a contributing writer while simultaneously working at Warner Bros. as a production assistant.

After working at Warner Bros. for a brief period, Brooks reached out to Danny J. Bakewell, Jr., who at the time was serving as executive editor of the Sentinel. Brooks reached out for a permanent position with the Sentinel and first came on board as an entertainment writer. Brooks later served in several departments including accounting and sales.

He also worked as assistant entertainment editor, entertainment editor and web manager.

With you when

“During his tenure with the Sentinel, Brandon has clearly demonstrated that he can lead the Sentinel and the L.A. Watts Times in the right direction,” said Bakewell Sr. Brooks will work closely with Yussuf J. Simmonds, current managing editor of the Sentinel and co-managing editor of the L.A. Watts Times Weekender.

“I look forward to working closely with Brandon in his new role as assistant managing editor,” said Simmonds. “I am proud to call Brandon a friend, but more importantly, as a business partner and fellow editor, he is a tough competitor and a great leader. I know we can continue to grow the Sentinel and the Watts, and make history with one another.”

Brooks is 27 years old and lives in Los Angeles. He is a native of Inglewood.

“I am grateful and honored for my promotion, but more importantly I am determined to do the work that has to be done,” Brooks shared.

“I am determined to make sure that the L.A Watts Times and the Sentinel live up to our duties: ‘to be the voice of our community, speaking for itself.’ ”

opportunity hits home

Photo by Malcolm Ali

Brandon I. Brooks

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Thursday, May 5, 2011

A mother who’s endured Clelia Thompson has lost several of her kids. Despite many tragedies, she’s enjoyed being a mother.

BY JENNIFER BIHM CONTRIBUTING WRITER Amazingly, Mother’s Day is still a special time for 81-year-old Clelia Thompson. She looks forward, she said, to spending that time with her remaining family. They’ll get together, have dinner and talk.

“They tell me their troubles, what they’re going through. They usually get together and buy me a little something like flowers…”

It’s seemingly mundane as far as “special” Mother’s Days go, but for the matriarch who birthed 10 children and buried eight, quality time with loved ones is her most valued possession. If she were to win a million dollars, she said she would fix up her modest home in Los Angeles, and that’s about it.

She really has no need for anything else.

More than five years ago, a

gruesome discovery propelled Thompson’s life — an existence mired in tragedy — into the spotlight. An 11-year-old girl playing soccer with friends near 89th and Main streets, according to news reports, went to retrieve an errant ball, which landed atop the roof of an abandoned building. There, in the building’s chimney was a human skeleton, later proving to be what remained of Thompson’s son Robert, who had gone missing on Christmas Eve in 1977.

When the story broke, the woman who suffered for years in silence began to share her wretched tale.

“The first little girl I lost was 11 months old,” Thompson recalled during a recent interview with the L.A. Watts Times. “(Her name) was Letha Mae, after my sister. She was a real cheerful little baby.”

Photo by Samuel Richard

Clelia Thompson

w w w . l a w a t t s t i m e s . c o m

Little Letha Mae had, along with her mother and siblings, contracted a flu that put them all in the hospital. The baby was the only one to succumb. The year was 1958.

About seven years earlier, a young Thompson had left her home in Oklahoma to start a new life in South Los Angeles with her young husband Melvin Howell. Already in tow were two children — Melvin Jr. and Shirley.

A severe mental illness that Melvin Sr. had eventually led to Thompson’s separation with him.

Thompson met Smith Thompson the same year Letha Mae died. Their union produced five children: Johnnie, Rose, Robert, Clinton and Smith Thompson III. “Robert was the first to come up missing,” Thompson said.

Her account was that the mentally challenged 14-year-old who suffered from grand mal seizures had disappeared shortly before breakfast.

“We went to looking for him; nobody couldn’t find him. We looked and looked and kept looking all day that Christmas Eve. We called the police and they looked for a minute and then didn’t look no more.”

The case eventually went cold.

The family suffered through, however, dealing with drug and alcohol abuse and juvenile delinquency. The second youngest, Clinton died in the summer of 1987, shooting himself in the head for reasons his mother could only speculate.

Bennie was next in July 1988, stabbed to death during an argument with a female. Then there was the seriously troubled Rose, who suffered from drug addiction and abusive rela-

tionships. She was stabbed to death by her boyfriend in March 1990.

Three years later, the youngest, Smith, was said to have hung himself while in the custody of California Youth Authority (though Thompson believes he was actually killed). A six-year respite ended in 1999 with the second oldest, Shirley, who died from complications of lupus.

Thompson suffered through a nervous breakdown and stint with alcoholism during those times but credited her strong faith in God with getting her through.

“I believe when I start suffering in any kind of way that Jesus will bring me through and He does,” she said. “I have that much faith.”

The family was finally able to bury little Robert in 2006. Then, in 2011, the oldest Melvin, who had suffered serious mental illness since after his service in the Vietnam War, died. Jeanie and Johnny are the only two that remain.

“I enjoyed being a mother,” Thompson said.

“I loved raising my kids; they were the joy of my life.”

Thompson still grieves, she said. However, despite everything she is thankful to God for her life.

She is thankful to be 81.

“My children are with Jesus,” she said. “I can’t do nothing else for ’em. I want ’em to be with Jesus.”

Associate Editor Samuel Richard contributed to this report.

More information about Thompson and her life can be found in the book “Where is Robert?” by Russell W. Moore.

Contact information: russellwillmoore@aol.com, whereisrobertbook.com.

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Thursday, May 5, 2011

‘Some Rap artists need suburban White kids to exist’

BY STAN SHEPPARD News flash! Breaking news! “Some Rap artists need suburban White kids to buy their music, or they will eventually go broke.” Sad headline … but oh so true !

In the past 15 years, if it were not for uninformed and impressionable White kids from the suburbs, some of the most popular rap artists in the game today would be applying for unemployment benefits and government assistance.

The rap music industry has given rise to a number of artists who make a beautiful living speaking about their socalled “gang connections” and their ability to move large quantities of narcotics across the country and overseas.

They also speak of being “bosses” who are capable of having you “hit” if you cross them by just picking up a phone and making that request. (News flash!

It’s sad to say … but anyone who has about 500 bucks these days can have a person rubbed out. That’s how desperate people have become.

That’s not having “boss status.”)

If you listen to the radio these days to any rap music station, I promise you not one hour will go by where you don’t hear some artist say he is a “boss,” “pimp” or “gangbanging shot caller.” It is absolutely ridiculous.

Now let me ask you a question: “Who do you think really believes this garbage?” I’ll tell you … suburban White kids and the mentally impaired.

Trust me, they have them on “lock.” These White kids will fall for anything.

They actually believe this horse crap and they fire up their computers to download the latest musical adventure of “Al Capone-ScarfaceJohn Gotti-Johnson” to blast out of their car windows and annoy anyone who happens to be within 20 miles of their stereo system.

Personally, I would love to see one of these so-called “shot caller/bosses” come to the neighborhood where I grew up (79th Street on the South Side of Chicago) and talk that BS to the gang bangers running the streets there. It would take a nano second to get a bullet in their behinds talking that foolishness. Or I would love to have a front row seat to witness them under questioning in a Drug Enforcement Administration office facing a life sentence for dealing drugs. They would be singing so loud and long that the label they were signed to would have a double CD that was mixed, mastered, packaged and ready for distribution within 24 hours.

When I was president/owner of my own rap label in Los Angeles, I had the opportunity to witness first hand a number of people who claimed to be “gangsta rappers.”

Stan Sheppard They would sit down with me and say “Stan, I’m from such and such ’hood, and I am the man there. And me and my manager call the shots on the streets. Nobody else.” Well, once I heard that statement, I knew that particular artist was living in fantasy land and I was looking to end the meeting as soon as possible.

You see, the facts are I do not know one major neighborhood that is controlled by “one shot caller anymore.” There is not one Blood or Crip who has control of everybody in a large neighborhood. They can have the “respect” of the shot callers in different neighborhoods but that’s as far as it goes these days.

So, if this article applies to you, Mr. so-called boss, when you are recording your next verse on your new single, why don’t you throw in a couple of lyrics to thank the suburban White kids and the mentally impaired record buyers who seem to be financing your make-believe lifestyle. Its only right to give a little “respect” to the people who “ride with you” and look up to you on a daily basis. You can take a few moments away from the “We Tip Hotline” to thank your true fans.

Case closed.

On the creative tip, please be on the lookout in a couple of weeks for a fantastic new single by the artist Jerry Long, aka “Kokane,” called “Out Of My Mind.” For those of you who don’t know, this artist is “the most featured artist in rap music” during the last 15 years. He has been featured on hit singles/albums from 50 Cent, Busta Rhymes, Snoop Dogg, E-40, Too Short, George Clinton, George Duke, Stanley Clark and numerous other platinum recording artists. His new album, scheduled to be released this summer, is called “In The Middle Of The Road,” and it will be distributed through his own label, Bud E. Boy Entertainment.

Jerry Long is also preparing to

shoot the video to another release off the project entitled “Who Iz U?” that will feature a remix version with the Grammy award-winning artist Cee-Lo Green and Gipp Goodie of the Goodie Mobb.

The video will be filmed in Los Angeles in late April.

This album will have a little bit of something for everybody. The cuts I have heard have a pure “R&B” vibe to them and they have some elements that will take you back, musically speaking, to the late ’80s and ’90s. I am just lovin’ this project big time. Wait ’till you hear this.

The project will be promoted/marketed nationally

by Tonestruck Entertainment, headed by Mr. Lee Ford Jr. This is the same company that is currently promoting the extremely popular song entitled “Can’t Keep Runnin Away” by the rap artist Que from Milwaukee that has been heavily promoted by BET Television. This song deals with the subject of “Bullying” and can be viewed on YouTube and purchased on iTunes.

Also, if you’re still sleeping on R&B vocalist Lena J, then you need to wake up. This woman is baddddd. Her music is a mixture of old school meets new school, and it definitely works. The project, called “Passion, Pain & Pleasure,” can be purchased on iTunes and it will be a welcome addition to your musical collection.

On the rap music side of things, be on the lookout for a hot new artist out of South Central Los Angeles called G-Sinatra. The debut album is entitled “The Gathering” and it will feature production by the multiplatinum producer DJ Battlecat.

Just about every major rap artist on the West Coast is in the studio recording new songs with him. Also, the Grammy-nominated sax player Mr. Gerald Albright heard a song by this new artist called “Another Question” that blew him away, and he is now featured on this new recording. Do I really need to say anything more about the potential of this project?

It’s being released in June on Let’s Get Paid Entertainment.

Until next time … stay safe, stay focused and stay with God. To reach Stan Sheppard, e-mail stansheppard2011@hotmail.com.

Black Facts May 5, 1905 Robert Sengstacke Abbott founds the Chicago Defender, calling it “The World’s Greatest Weekly.”

May 6, 1960 President Dwight Eisenhower signed Civil Rights Act of 1960.

Source: blackfacts.com

MY JOURNEY

Discovering Black America …

BY LINDA TARRANT-REID WEATHERING THE STORM OF ADVERSITY SPECIAL TO THE NNPA FROM THE WESTCHESTER COUNTY PRESS Spring has finally arrived in the northeast but not without devastating consequences. A band of wild weather swept across the country’s southeast region in April as a result of extreme climactic changes that spawned the second deadliest outbreak of tornadic activity in U.S. history since 1925. The death toll has risen in seven states to nearly 340, where reportedly more than 100 tornadoes, including at least one EF-5 (the highest rating) packing winds of 200 miles per hour or more, touched down.

And in Alabama, the hardest-hit state, an estimated 246 have died so far, with scores injured.

Watching the images on TV, I was reminded of the tenuousness of life and how in a blink of an eye, all that you have acquired can be wiped out. As the residents reconnected with missing relatives, I witnessed their absolute joy and gratefulness that their family members had survived. These scenes of gratitude made me more conscious of the fragility of life and how important our connections to each other.

Amid the devastation in the southeast, spring signals the start of the graduation and reunion season.

These events provide an opportunity to remember and reflect on our own relationships as we reconnect with our families and friends.

My 40th college reunion is in a few weeks, and I’m not certain that I will make it because of prior obligations. Nonetheless, this occasion has inspired me to reach out to former classmates on Facebook and via e-mail that I’d lost contact with. It has also given me the opportunity to reminisce with college friends, that I see regularly, about our student days at Hampton Institute, now Hampton University, in Virginia.

I had visited Hampton in the spring of my junior year in high school during a college tour sponsored by the local chapter of the Zeta Phi Beta Sorority. I was a member of their youth group, La Jeunesse. That visit confirmed my choice and I entered the freshmen class of ’71 in August of 1967.

During the ’60s and ’70s, America was experiencing cataclysmic change. The era was characterized by political, social, and cultural upheaval. Protests against the Vietnam war, demands by Black students for Black studies programs, and the emergence of the Black

Linda Tarrant-Reid Power Movement, which inspired Black pride and Black identity, were taking place on campuses all over the country. Young college students were swept up in this vortex of change and Hampton was no exception.

In 1970, a group of us took over the Administration Building for four days, demanding more relevant course offerings, co-ed dorms and student representation on the board of trustees and the administrative council. This was a bold move because Hampton was a fairly conservative institution. After much back-and-forth between the student leaders and the administration, our demands were met. When it was over, all students were asked to leave campus immediately, classes were cancelled for the remainder of the semester, and so was our graduation.

All of our memories, both bitter and sweet, of the historically Black university experience, bind us forever. Sneaking off campus to parties, pulling all-nighters studying for finals, and consoling each other after a bad break-up are the stuff of good memories. My dear friends Sandy, Gwen, Cheryl, Adele, Donna, and Connie easily transform into the young 18-year-old girls we were back in the day at our home by the sea whenever we spend time together. The teasing support, the gentle competitiveness, and most of all the enduring love we have for each other continues to this day.

Hampton University also endures.

The residents of Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, and the other affected states have a daunting task in front of them to rebuild their lives and their communities. With support from the national community and all of our prayers, they too will endure.

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L.A. Watts Times WEEKENDER

Thursday, May 5, 2011

OSAMA BIN LADEN IS DEAD! AP Photo/File

One unwary phone call led US to bin Laden doorstep

BY ADAM GOLDMAN AND MATT APUZZO Associated Press WASHINGTON — When one of Osama bin Laden’s most trusted aides picked up the phone last year, he unknowingly led U.S. pursuers to the doorstep of his boss, the world’s most wanted terrorist.

That phone call, recounted Monday by a U.S. oƥcial, ended a years-long search for bin Laden’s personal courier, the key break in a worldwide manhunt. The courier, in turn, led U.S. intelligence to a walled compound in northeast Pakistan, where a team of Navy SEALs shot bin Laden to death.

The violent final minutes were the culmination of years of intelligence work. Inside the CIA team hunting bin Laden, it always was clear that bin Laden’s vulnerability was his couriers. He was too smart to let al-Qaida foot soldiers, or even his senior commanders, know his hideout. But if he wanted to get his messages out, somebody had to carry them, someone bin Laden trusted with his life.

Photo courtesy of the White House

In a secret CIA prison in Eastern Europe years ago, al-Qaida’s No. 3 leader, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, gave authorities the nicknames of several of bin Laden’s couriers, four former U.S. intelligence oƥcials said. Those names were among thousands of leads the CIA was pursuing.

One man became a particular interest for the agency when another detainee, Abu Faraj al-Libi, told interrogators that when he was promoted to succeed Mohammed as al-Qaida’s operational leader he received the word through a courier. Only bin Laden would have given al-Libi that promotion, CIA oƥcials believed.

If they could find that courier, they’d find bin Laden.

The revelation that intelligence gleaned from the CIA’s so-called black sites helped kill bin Laden was seen as vindication for many intelligence oƥcials who have been repeatedly investigated and criticized for their involvement in a program that involved the harshest interrogation methods in U.S. history.

“We got beat up for it, but those eơorts led to this great day,” said Marty Martin, a retired CIA oƥcer who for years led the hunt for bin Laden.

Mohammed did not reveal the names while being subjected to the simulated drowning technique known as waterboarding, former oƥcials said. He identified them many months later under standard interrogation, they said, leaving it once again up for debate as to whether the harsh technique was a valuable tool or an unnecessarily violent tactic.

AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta

It took years of work for intelligence agencies to identify the courier’s real name, which oƥcials are not disclosing. When they did identify him, he was nowhere to be found. The CIA’s sources didn’t know where he was hiding. Bin Laden was famously insistent that no phones or computers be used near him, so the eavesdroppers at the National Security Agency kept coming up cold.

Then in the middle of last year, the courier had a telephone conversation with someone who was being monitored by U.S. intelligence, according to an American oƥcial, who like others interviewed for this story spoke only on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive operation.

The courier was located somewhere away from bin Laden’s hideout when he had the discussion, but it was enough to help intelligence oƥcials locate and watch him.

In August 2010, the courier unknowingly led authorities to a compound in the northeast Pakistani town of Abbottabad, where al-Libi had once lived. The

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Thursday, May 5, 2011

AP Photo/Jim Collins

Photo courtesy of the White House

walls surrounding the property were as high as 18 feet and topped with barbed wire.

Intelligence oƥcials had known about the house for years, but they always suspected that bin Laden would be surrounded by heavily armed security guards.

Nobody patrolled the compound in Abbottabad.

In fact, nobody came or went. And no telephone or Internet lines ran from the compound. The CIA soon believed that bin Laden was hiding in plain sight, in a hideout especially built to go unnoticed. But since bin Laden never traveled and nobody could get onto the compound without passing through two security gates, there was no way to be sure.

Despite that uncertainty, intelligence oƥcials realized this could represent the best chance ever to get to bin Laden. They decided not to share the information with anyone, including staunch counterterrorism allies such as Britain, Canada and Australia.

By mid-February, the oƥcials were convinced a “high-value target” was hiding in the compound. President Barack Obama wanted to take action.

“They were confident and their confidence was growing: ‘This is diơerent. This intelligence case is different. What we see in this compound is diơerent than anything we’ve ever seen before,’ ” John Brennan, the president’s top counterterrorism adviser, said Monday. “I was confident that we had the basis to take action.”

Options were limited. The compound was in a residential neighborhood in a sovereign country. If Obama ordered an airstrike and bin Laden was not in the compound, it would be a huge diplomatic problem. Even if Obama was right, obliterating the compound might make it nearly impossible to confirm bin Laden’s death.

Said Brennan: “The president had to evaluate the

Photo courtesy of the White House

strength of that information, and then made what I believe was one of the most gutsiest calls of any president in recent memory.”

Obama tapped two dozen members of the Navy’s elite SEAL Team Six to carry out a raid with surgical accuracy.

Before dawn Monday morning, a pair of helicopters left Jalalabad in eastern Afghanistan. The choppers entered Pakistani airspace using sophisticated technology intended to evade that country’s radar systems, a U.S. oƥcial said.

Oƥcially, it was a kill-or-capture mission, since the U.S. doesn’t kill unarmed people trying to surrender.

But it was clear from the beginning that whoever was behind those walls had no intention of surrendering, two U.S. oƥcials said.

The helicopters lowered into the compound, dropping the SEALs behind the walls. No shots were fired, but shortly after the team hit the ground, one of the helicopters came crashing down and rolled onto its side for reasons the government has yet to explain.

None of the SEALs was injured, however, and the mission continued uninterrupted.

With the CIA and White House monitoring the situation in real time — presumably by live satellite feed or video carried by the SEALs — the team stormed the compound.

Thanks to sophisticated satellite monitoring, U.S. forces knew they’d likely find bin Laden’s family on the second and third floors of one of the buildings on the property, oƥcials said. The SEALs secured the rest of the property first, then proceeded to the room where bin Laden was hiding.

The SEALs killed bin Laden with a bullet to the head. Using the call sign for his visual identification,

Photo courtesy of the White House

one of the soldiers communicated that “Geronimo” had been killed in action, according to a U.S. oƥcial.

Bin Laden’s body was immediately identifiable, but the U.S. also conducted DNA testing that identified him with near 100 percent certainty, senior administration oƥcials said.

Photo analysis by the CIA, confirmation on site by a woman believed to be bin Laden’s wife, and matching physical features such as bin Laden’s height all helped confirm the identification. At the White House, there was no doubt.

“I think the accomplishment that very brave personnel from the United States government were able to realize yesterday is a defining moment in the war against al-Qaida, the war on terrorism, by decapitating the head of the snake known as al-Qaida,” Brennan said.

U.S. forces searched the compound and flew away with documents, hard drives and DVDs that could provide valuable intelligence about al-Qaida, a U.S. oƥcial said. The entire operation took about 40 minutes, officials said.

Bin Laden’s body was flown to the USS Carl Vinson in the North Arabian sea, a senior defense oƥcial said. There, aboard a U.S. warship, oƥcials conducted a traditional Islamic burial ritual. Bin Laden’s body was washed and placed in a white sheet. He was placed in a weighted bag that, after religious remarks by a military oƥcer, was slipped into the sea about 2 a.m. EDT Monday.

Said the president: “I think we can all agree this is a good day for America.”

Associated Press writers Kimberly Dozier, Eileen Sullivan and Ben Feller in Washington and Kathy Gannon in Islamabad, Pakistan contributed to this report.

Cover Photo: AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais

AP Photo/Mark Lennihan

AP Photo/Evan Vucci

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Thursday, May 5, 2011

San Fernando Links honor the publisher Bakewell CEO and Publisher is honored by Links Chapter for community service On April 30, the San Fernando Valley Chapter of The Links, Inc. (SFVCTLI) honored National Newspaper Publishers Association Chairman

Danny J. Bakewell Sr., CEO and publisher of the Los Angeles Sentinel and L.A. Watts Times Weekender. Bakewell was feted at the Sheraton Universal

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Created in 1986, the SFVCTLI presents the Top Hat Award to AfricanAmerican community members who have reached the pinnacle of dedication and service in the community.

Bakewell has gone above and beyond when it comes to improving the everyday life of Black America.

His dedication to fighting for the rights of African Americans has taken place on the local and national stage. From president of the Brotherhood Crusade for 35 years to publisher of two highly esteemed Black newspapers, he has blazed a trail and created a legacy.

He is responsible for creating lifechanging organizations such as Mothers in Action, The Respect-Me Campaign, popular community events such as “Taste of Soul� and has been honored by having a school, the Danny J. Bakewell School, named after him by the Los Angeles Unified School District. He’s been recognized by countless organizations such as the NAACP, Congressional Black Caucus, Southern Christian Leadership Conference and now the SFVCTLI. Beverly Lofton, president of the SFVCTLI, stated: “We are united this afternoon at the beautiful Sheraton Universal Hotel to commemorate our newest Top Hat Honoree, Mr. Danny J. Bakewell, Sr., for his outstanding contributions to civil rights and the advancement of our communities in Southern California.�

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Danny J. Bakewell Sr. (right) Annette Williams, organizer of the SFVCTLI, stated: “My congratulations to Mr. Danny J. Bakewell, Sr. and to the members of the San Fernando Valley Chapter of The Links, Incorporated for honoring this giant in the community.�

Actress and business entrepreneur, Anna Maria Horsford, known

for her roles on “Amen� and “The Wayans Brothers,� served as the mistress of ceremonies at the event.

Members of SFVCTLI gave presentations, acknowledgments and accolades in Bakewell’s honor.

L.A. Sentinel staff writer Brian Carter contributed to this report.

Information from: the San Fernando Valley Chapter of the Links Inc. program.

Mumia Abu-Jamal’s 1982 Death Sentence is Again Declared Unconstitutional SPECIAL TO THE NNPA FROM THEDEhelps to relegate the kind of unfairness FENDERSONLINE.COM on which this death sentence rested to The United States Court of the distant past.�

Appeals for the Third Circuit has unanRitter noted that, “Pennsylvania imously declared that Mumia Abu- long ago abandoned the confusing and Jamal’s death sentence is unconstitu- misleading instructions and verdict slip tional. that were relied on in Mr. Abu-Jamal’s In a recent decision, the Court of trial in order to prevent unfair and Appeals reaffirmed its 2008 finding unjust death sentences. Courts now use that Mr. Abu-Jamal’s sentencing jury clear and unambiguous language to was misled about the process for con- advise sentencing juries about their sidering evidence supporting a life sen- ability to consider evidence that favors tence. a life verdict. Mr. Abu-Jamal is entitled The court found that, in violation to no less constitutional protection.� of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1988 deciAbu-Jamal he has been on death sion in Mills v. Maryland, the jury was row in Pennsylvania for 29 years. improperly led to believe that it could only consider unanimously agreed-upon evidence favoring a life verdict.

The NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund Inc. (LDF) and professor Judy Ritter of Widener Law School represent Mr. Abu-Jamal in this appeal of his 1982 conviction and death sentence for the murder of a police officer in Philadelphia. “This decision marks an important step forward in the struggle to correct the mistakes of an unfortunate chapter in Pennsylvania history,� said John Payton, director-counsel of LDF. “Again acknowledging the existence of clear constitutional error in Mr. Abu-Jamal’s trial, the Court of Appeals’ decision enhances confidence in the AP Photo by Chris Gardner criminal justice system and Mumia Abu-Jamal

www.lawattstimes.com 11

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Submission — what is it anyway?

The first sister reflects on life with brother Barack

BY PASTORS ALAN AND T. MARVENE WRIGHT THE WORD CENTER CHURCH OF LOS ANGELES

BY KAM WILLIAMS CONTRIBUTING WRITER

treating her badly. The Scripture reveals that if Hagar would submit herself, God would show favor to Hagar. Genesis 16:10,11 states, “And the angel of the Lord said unto her, ‘I will multiply thy Submission has been defined as seed exceedingly, that it shall not be yielding to, resigning, or surrendering to numbered for multitude.’ And the angel the power, will, or authority of another of the Lord said unto her, ‘Behold, thou or others. As a Black female born in art with child, and shalt bear a son, and Florida in 1952, the word “submit” was shalt call his name Ishmael; because the like a four-letter curse word to me. Lord hath heard thy affliction.’ ” Submission in our house was an alco- Although it may not have been a comholic daddy swinging a belt buckle, and fortable situation for Hagar, her submisa crying mother who was being beat sion would benefit her greatly. down by my father who cussed with Paul admonishes the Corinthians every breath. Or it was White folks “to let everything you do be done in love (true love to God and man as inspired by God’s love for us). Now, brethren, you know that the household of Stephanas were the first converts and our firstfruits in Achaia (most of Greece), and how they have consecrated and devoted themselves to the service of the Pastors Alan and T. Marvene Wright saints (God’s telling us to “get to the back of the line” people). I urge you to pay all deference or “you can’t come in here.” After leav- to such leaders and to enlist under them ing the South and coming to California and be subject to them, as well as to for high school and college, I would sit everyone who joins and cooperates on the steps at University of Southern (with you) and labors earnestly” (1 California near Tommy Trojan and listen Corinthians 16:14-16, Amplified Verto Black brothers talk about genocide, sion). The benefit of this submission is institutional racism and eugenics. After two-fold. First, they are aiding in a good being educated on the steps, I didn’t cause; second, they are fulfilling the want to see or hear another Black man command of love. tell me what to do; neither did I want to Another Scripture comes to mind hear another White man tell me what I concerning submission. It is a Scripture wasn’t going to do. that should never be misunderstood. It What was confusing to me, howev- has been misunderstood and misused. er, was that I would hear preachers use That Scripture is, “Wives submit yourthe Bible to teach on “submission,” but selves unto your own husbands, as unto when they got to that subject matter they the Lord (Ephesians 5:22).” There have always reminded me of my cussing been those who have used this portion of daddy. I have found over the years that scripture to lord it over the wife, and put well-meaning Christians have used the her in bondage. The misunderstanding is Bible to perpetuate racism, gender dom- corrected by looking at the context. inance, and other types of enslavement. Verses 21, 23-33 gives great clarity to One thing I learned immediately from the subject being discussed. We are to the Rev. Keith Moore in my Submission submit to one another. Husbands are to and Authority Class at Rhema Bible love their wives, even as Christ loved the Training Center was that “submission is church. Husbands are to provide, pronot agreement.” It is easy to follow, tect, and care for their wives. The illusagree with or yield to something or tration is plain, just as Christ loves the someone you harmonize with. But to church, so husbands ought to love their follow through with a directive, request wives. Christ gave his life and time for or action which does not fall in sync with the church. He had to make hard deciyour decision is “submission.” As a sions, but gave up His will to fulfill the female and member of the Body of Father’s will.

Christ, I get more clarity and underWe should all practice being doers standing of submission by reading the of the Word. The Bible says, “Love fifth chapter of Ephesians. never fails (1 Corinthians 13:8a).” The Pastor Alan Wright: husband is also told to love his wife as As a male growing up in a denom- his own body. If we love ourselves, it is ination which did not believe in women easy to love others, especially our wives. ministers and had a discipline book full If Christ gave himself for the church, we of restrictions for women, I had to truly as husbands should do no less. learn by studying the word of God and Throughout this passage of Scripture, developing relationships with people of we see clearly the covenant of marriage.

God in various circles. We find the first It is a covenant where two people mention of submission in Genesis 16:9: become one. It is based on the com“And the angel of the Lord said unto her, mandment to love. And if we, as hus‘return to thy mistress, and submit thy- bands, love according to the Bible we self under her hands.’ ” Hagar, Sarai’s will always get Bible results, which is maid, had run away because Sarai was reverence from the wife.

Dr. Maya Soetoro-Ng is a lecturer at the University of Hawaii’s College of Education, but is perhaps better known as the sister of Barack Obama.

Here, the First Sister talks about both her bestseller and about her big brother, the 44th President of the United States.

WATTS: How often do you get to speak to your brother and to visit the Obamas in the White House since he’s been elected?

MSN: I speak to him on a fairly regular basis, and I’ve been to the White House quite a few times.

He is concerned about making sure that his daughters and all of us are able to have as much normalcy as possible. He doesn’t want his job to be stressful for them. So, he still does many of the same things he did before becoming president. For instance, he spends every Christmas in Hawaii and we engage in much of the same routines as before. And we spend summers together, and I’ve been fortunate enough to see him a few times in between.

WATTS: What message would you give to young students who aspire to the lofty heights of your brother?

MSN: Go for it! My brother didn’t run for student government, he didn’t get straight A’s, and he wasn’t perfect as a child. And he was much more interested in basketball than in student government. I think young people should be emboldened by the fact that he managed to craft this extraordinary life by thinking about how to make his mark, and how to make his foot-

w w w . l a w a t t s t i m e s . c o m

Photo courtesy of Marlonross.com.

Maya Soetoro-Ng prints matter once he decided that his life should serve some meaningful purpose.

WATTS: The Judyth Piazza question: What key quality do you believe all successful people share?

MSN: I honestly think that it’s love.

12

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Thursday, May 5, 2011

SPORTS BEAT B

Y BRAD PYE JR.

AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki

AP Photo/Matt Sayles

Blake Griffin (right) in an April 6 game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant (24) and Pau Gasol turn the ball over while defended by Dallas Mavericks’ Jason Kidd, left, and Tyson Chandler during the second half in Game 1 of a second-round NBA playoff basketball series Monday, May 2, 2011, in Los Angeles. The Mavericks won 96-94.

Clippers’ Griffin unanimously voted top NBA rookie LOS ANGELES (AP) — Blake Griffin played his entire rookie season like a man making up for lost time.

Now that the Los Angeles Clippers’ dynamic dunker has been

“THE

named the league’s top rookie in a landslide, he’s already thinking about ways to improve on a delayed NBA debut that was well worth the wait.

See GRIFFIN, page 15

Here we go again. After blowing a 16-point lead, the Los Angeles Lakers fell apart in last few seconds on Monday against the Dallas Mavericks.

Kobe Bryant missed a three pointer that would have beaten the Mavericks as time expired.

The Mavericks won, 96-94. They did it again on Wednesday night, beating

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the Purple and Gold, 93-81.

The Lakers are now in a 0-2 hole.

The Lakers lost their first-round opener against the New Orleans Hornets and went on to win the series, 4-2. Will they win 4-2 in this series?

Games 3 and 4 will take place in Dallas on Friday and Sunday, respectively. If Game 5 is necessary, it will be played at the Staples Center on May 10.

The favored Lakers weren’t the only favorites to lose their second openers. So did the Chicago Bulls.

The only difference with the Bulls is that the team won Game 2 against the Atlanta Hawks, 86-73.

Speaking of the Bulls, its star player Derrick Rose was named the NBA MVP. Check out what The Associated Press reported: “He has a ways to go before he catches Jordan, who won five MVPs and led the way to two championship three-peats, but he sure is off to a good start.

‘I’m not even touching that man right there,’ Rose said. ‘I’m far away from him. If anything, it would be great to be close to him. This is a different team, a different era.’ ” It continued: “The 22-year-old Rose got 1,182 points and 113 first-place votes from a panel of media voters, supplanting Wes Unseld as the youngest to win the award with a runaway win.

Orlando’s Dwight Howard (643 points) finished second, Miami’s LeBron James was third, the Lakers’ Kobe Bryant was fourth and Oklahoma City star Kevin Durant finished fifth.”

Will Los Angeles Lakers assistant coaches Brian Shaw, Frank Hamblen, Jim Cleamons and others be retained by the new head coach when Phil Jackson makes his exit?

For all the contributions Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has made as a player and for coaching Andrew Bynum into one of the best seven-footers in the NBA today, he should have a lifetime job.

Question No. 2: Will Shaw or Cleamons be Jackson’s replacement?

The San Antonio Spurs posted the best record (61-21) in the NBA this season, but was wiped out in five games of the playoffs in the first round, 4-1. The Spurs had to edge the Memphis Grizzlies in overtime to remain in the race in the first round.

Shame on the Boston Celtics’Paul Pierce (of Inglewood High) for picking up a pair of technical violations and being expelled from the first game of the second round against the Miami Heat.

The Heat put the smack down on the Celtics, 99-90, on Sunday. It burned the Celtics on Tuesday in a 102-91 win.

Games 3 and 4 are on Saturday and Monday, respectively, in Boston.

And the beat continues…

Because of a minor injury suffered in the Masters, Tiger Woods will miss several weeks of play. He had to pull out of the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow in North Carolina.

And the beat continues…

The Cincinnati Reds’ Dusty Baker and Ron Washington’s Texas Rangers are battling for the leads in their respective NL and AL divisions.

And the beat continues…

When the University of Southern California was hit with that two-year bowl band and other infractions, the university’s athletic director was a man of color — Mike Garrett, Troy’s first Heisman Trophy winner. Now that Ohio State has been socked with some suspensions — more may be coming — the university’s athletic director is also a man of color — Gene Smith.

And the beat continues…

Young tennis player Donald Young isn’t making many friends as one of the few African Americans on the U.S Tennis Association.

And the beat continues…

Look for Sugar Shane Mosley’s brilliant career to come to an end May 7 in Las Vegas when he takes on “global superstar” Manny Pacquiao for the world’s welterweight title.

It’s the old guy (Mosley) against the younger boxer. Somebody should fall come Saturday night.

And the beat continues…

The old NFL greats just keep fading away: Joe “The Jet” Perry, the San Francisco 49ers star and Hall of Famer, was the latest to die. He passed away last week. Perry was 84.

Perry, the first NFL player to rush for 1,000 yards in back-to-back seasons, is a product of Jordan High and Compton College.

And the beat ends.

Brad Pye Jr. can be reached at switchreel@aol.com.

www.lawattstimes.com 13

Thursday, May 5, 2011

A Q-and-A with Sister Souljah

BY JOY CHILDS CONTRIBUTING WRITER When you Google her name, you might be inclined to think it’s spelled colloquially, i.e., “Sistuh” or “Sista Soldier.” But you’d be wrong. As Sister Souljah explained in a recent phone interview, she came up with that particular spelling “because ‘soldier,’ as it’s spelled in the regular dictionary, is a masculine word, with a masculine feeling and a masculine sound. So when I want to call myself a ‘soldier’ — because I am a fighter (but) I want to have a feminine presence, I spell ‘sol,’ ‘soul,’ which means “the essence of …” and ‘jah,’ which means ‘God.’ ” Put it all together and you get the full meaning of her name: “Sister Souljah, fighting to bring back the essence of God — fighting to arouse the essence of God in you.”

But not just any sister. Souljah is a wife and a mother, an educator of the young and a student of life — and a New York Times bestselling author of “The Coldest Winter Ever” (entering at No. 7) and “Midnight.” In her third novel, “Midnight and the Meaning of Love” — which came out this past April, entering at No. 15 — protagonist Midnight, a ninja warrior, devoted Muslim and protector of his family, falls passionately in love with and marries a younger, Japanese teenager, Akemi, in Japan.

Asked what kinds of feedback she’s gotten about the interracial relationship of her novel, Souljah says: “The overwhelmingly majority of people who have responded ... have given me a positive response. She (Akemi)’s so creative. I think her expression of her art makes people love her. It kind of shows her soul through her eyes and through her creation of beautiful artwork. I think are people are fascinated with the fact that she’s Japanese and (about) Japanese culture and the country itself, which kind of mirrors reality in the sense that a lot of people are fascinated with Japan and with what that small island has been able to accomplish in the world … Some people are upset that the character is not an African American female but they were definitely in the minority.”

LAS: What’s up next for you?

SS: The next novel that I’ll put out will be the Porsche Santiaga story.

And I’m also writing the next “Midnight” story simultaneously ...

When I finished “Midnight and the Meaning of Love,” I found that to be such a powerful story that the characters continued talking even after I put my pen down. So when my characters continue talking — continue living in my mind — it’s important for me to write it down.

LAS: Thirty to 40 years ago, there were only a few ways to do a

Sister Souljah book tour. Nowadays there are the actual book tours, virtual book tours, etc. So you have all of these avenues available to you nowadays to promote and market your book. Is there one of those media forms that you really prefer?

SS: I’m on Twitter and that’s something that I do on a daily basis.

Also, I like the setting that is the most attractive because I don’t wanna just talk and have everybody listen. I kind of enjoy more a meaningful conversation. When I do my in-person events, I’m looking to read to the audience or speak to the audience but I’m really listening to their responses, to their questions and interacting with them, even when I‘m being challenged or debated.

That’s really the most exciting part of the whole thing.

LAS: What brings you joy?

SS: Actually, learning. Learning is a very joyful thing for me. When I’m traveling the world, I’m being introduced to all of the different languages, culture and people that God created. I’m amazed constantly by the expressions of our creator — all of the wonderful things and people and creatures. So I just love exploration and I love learning. And that’s what brings me joy.

LAS: Tell me about your upbringing, especially your early upbringing.

SS: The first book I wrote was “No Disrespect.” It told the whole story of my childhood of living in the projects, and so people who want to know about my background [should read that.] … I think everything that happens is everyone’s life has an effect on them, leaves an impression on them, has some kind of impact on them. So my living in the projects in the Bronx in the early part of my life, you know, definitely gave me certain insights.

Online: Twitter: @souljahbooks E-mail: sistersouljah@sistersouljah.com

A mother’s passion for music and life

BY BRANDON I. BROOKS CO-MANAGING EDITOR Karen A. Clark is not your average everyday woman. Better stated, Clark is not your average everyday mother.

This mother of two defines the phrase “triple threat,” as she juggles her busy life as a corporate executive, talented artist and loving mother.

Since the release of her second album, “The Karen A. Clark Project,” on her family owned label, C-Sick Records, Clark’s life has been busier than ever fulfilling her dreams as a performing artist and making history as an executive force in the banking industry.

2011 has been one of the busiest times for Clark, as she transitioned from her job at US Bank, where she worked as the multicultural marketing manager, to now working with City National Bank, where she works as Senior Vice President. Clark was brought in to help City National build a multicultural marketing program and to assist them with building their base of diverse customers.

Her other focus is to assist City National Bank with talent acquisitions and to bring in some highly seasoned African-American professionals across business lines.

With such a demanding day job, it’s hard to believe that this working mother can find the time to do anything but work in the corporate world.

“I’ve been in banking for 20-

w w w . l a w a t t s t i m e s . c o m

something years,” Clark shared. “But how I got into it was my husband and I had two kids in college and we were both artist, he more on the production side and filmmaking, and me as a performing artist. But when we came to L.A., I went to a head hunter and had to get a day job because I wasn’t making money. I had a degree in economics and fell into banking, but I always pursued the arts. I have always been into arts in some form or fashion.”

Clark and her late husband, who passed away about three years ago, produced and wrote many plays, and even produced many artists.

“We had started a little business, an independent record label.” Clark shared, “We have done all types of shows, big theatres and little theatres.

The company is called C-Sick Records.”

Clark recalls, one day her late husband said, “I want to produce you.”

They went in the studio and did a project immediately.

The project was not all spoken word, as it showcased Clark’s singing ability. But after meeting some new producers and connecting with the right people, Clark went back in the studio and found spoken word would be the genre that she would go after. Her poetic style of writing was magnetic and had to be center stage.

“When people started doing spoken word, you know that

Karen A. Clark

See KAREN A. CLARK, page 15

HILARIOUS, SWEET AND RELATABLE.”

“

Mike Sampson, JOBLO

UNIVERSALPICTURES PRESENTS IN ASSOCIATIONWITH RELATIVITY MEDIA AN APATOW PRODUCTION “BRIDESMAIDCO-S” KRISTEN WIIG MAYA RUDOLPH ROSE BYRNE WENDIPRODUCED MCLENDON-COVEY ELLIE KEMPER MELISSA MCCARTHY WRITTEN CHRIS O’DOWD PRODUCERS KRISTEN WIIG DIRECTED ANNIE MUMOLO EXECUTIVE

BY JUDD APATOW CLAYTON TOWNSEND BARRYMENDEL BY ANNIE MUMOLO & KRISTEN WIIG PRODUCER PAUL FEIG

BY PAUL FEIG A UNIVERSAL PICTURE SOUNDTRACK ON RELATIVITY MUSIC GROUP

© 2010 UNIVERSAL STUDIOS

LOCAL LISTINGS FOR STARTS FRIDAY, MAY 13 CHECK THEATERS AND SHOWTIMES

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Thursday, May 5, 2011

EVENT 5-12-11 LUNCHEON — A Faith and Health Luncheon will take place May 12, 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., at New Philadelphia Church, 19100 S. Susana Road, Rancho Dominguez. Some organizations involved with the event include Immunize Los Angeles Families, the American Diabetes Association and more. People who want to attend the event — which is partly designed to give Blacks in the church knowledge about community resources available to them — must RSVP by May 6.

RSVP information: Petra Niles, (323) 930-6219.

LISTINGS

must have 10 or more participants on their team (teams will receive special gifts and prizes).

Registration fees for the competition race for ages 4 to 17 are $15 and $25 for adults. For the Fun Run, registration fees for ages 4 to 17 are $10 and $20 for adults. Fees go up $5 on May 6. Online registration is at www.bcirunwalk.com.

5-15-11 TEA WITH THE LADIES — “A Visionary Tea

5-14-11

05/11

happening this month COMEDY — A comedy show featuring comedians from the Caribbean will take place May 21, 7:30 p.m., at the Crowne Plaza LAX hotel, 5985 Century Blvd., Los Angeles.

The event will also include dancing.

Attendees must pay $28 for admission.

More information: (310) 922-4005, marcusbgt@earthlink.net, www.marcusbentertainment.com.

ONGOING

BIBLE QUIZ-O-RAMA — L.A. County Seventh-day Adventist churches will gather for the annual Bible Quiz-o-Rama on May 14, 4:30 p.m., to see who knows their Bible.

The event will be at the Los Angeles Adventist Academy, 846 E. El Segundo Blvd., Los Angeles. This year’s subject is the book of Romans.

More information: (323) 321-2585.

MALCOLM X EXHIBIT — An exhibit on Malcolm X will continue until May 19 at Zambezi Bazaar, 4334 Degnan Blvd., Los Angeles.

More information: (323) 299-6383.

Workshop!” — featuring open dialogue, finger sandwiches and more — will take place May 15, 12 to 1:30 p.m., at the Lucy Florence Coffee House at 5671 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles. A second event will take place the same day from 2 to 3:30 p.m.

Seating is limited to 20 people, and ladies who want to attend must RSVP before the event.

Donation: $15. RSVP: (310) 621-8487.

5-21-11

SPRING CONCERT — The Los Angeles Children’s Chorus 25th annual Spring Concert will take place May 14, 7 p.m., at the Ambassador Auditorium, 131 S. St. John Ave., Pasadena. Tickets, more information: (626) 793-4231, www.lachildrenschorus.org.

5K RUN/WALK (BRITTICARES INTERNATIONAL) — The 6th Annual Brittiana “Smile For Life” 5k run/walk will take place May 14, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Kenneth Hahn Park, 4100 La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles. Registration will start at 7 a.m. All team participants are asked to raise a minimum of $100 per member and

WORKSHOP (CONCERNED BLACK MEN) — A workshop titled “College isn’t for everyone” is scheduled to take place May 21, 1 to 3 p.m., at the Hyde Park Miriam Matthews Library, 2205 W. Florence Ave., Los Angeles. The Concerned Black Men of Los Angeles, a nonprofit mentoring organization, offers a series of youth mentoring workshops through its Welcome-to-Manhood Program. Workshops and youth activities are free. Workshops are designed for youth 11 to 19 years of age. Call (213) 359-3378 to preregister.

FASHION SHOW — A fashion show, which will include giveaways and prizes, will take place May 21, noon to 3 p.m., at the Watts Senior Center’s Rose Garden. Tickets cost $10.

The center is at 1657 E. Century Blvd., Los Angeles. More information: Toni Hester, toni.hester@lacity.org, (323) 564-9440.

The deadline for receipt of calendar listings is Friday, noon, at least two weeks prior to events.

Fax to: (323) 299-3896, e-mail us at lawattsnus@aol.com or mail to: L.A. Watts Times, 3800 Crenshaw Blvd., L.A., CA 90008.

All calendar items are received from various sources and are subject to being edited.

www.lawattstimes.com 15

Thursday, May 5, 2011 Trustee Sale No. CA09000295-10-1 . Title Order No. 100075253CA-GTI Loan No. 1009166370 APN 2646-012-005 NOTICE OF TRUSTEE'S SALE YOU ARE IN DEFAULT UNDER A DEED OF TRUST DATED November 22, 2006. UNLESS YOU TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY, IT MAY BE SOLD AT A PUBLIC SALE. IF YOU NEED AN EXPLANATION OF THE NATURE OF THE PROCEEDINGS AGAINST YOU, YOU SHOULD CONTACT A LAWYER. On May 18, 2011, at 01:00 PM, At the front entrance of the Pomona Superior Courts Building,350 West Mission Blvd, Pomona CA, MTC FINANCIAL Inc., dba Trustee Corps, as the duly appointed Trustee, under and pursuant to the power of sale contained in that certain Deed of Trust Recorded on December 4, 2006, as Instrument No. 06 2680706 of Official Records in the office of the Recorder of Los Angeles County, CA , executed by: RAMON LOPEZ, A MARRIED MAN AS HIS SOLE AND SEPARATE PROPERTY, as Trustor, in favor of SBMC MORTGAGE as Beneficiary, WILL SELL AT PUBLIC AUCTION TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER, in lawful money of the United States, all payable at the time of sale, that certain property situated in said County, California describing the land therein as: As more fully described on said Deed of Trust. The property heretofore described is being sold "as is". The street address and other common designation, if any, of the real property described above is purported to be: 13682 CARL STREET, LOS ANGELES, CA 91331 The undersigned Trustee disclaims any liability for any incorrectness of the street address and other common designation, if any, shown herein. Said sale will be made without covenant or warranty, express or implied, regarding title, possession, or encumbrances, to pay the remaining principal sum of the Note(s) secured by said Deed of Trust, with interest theron, as provided in said Note(s), advances if any, under the terms of the Deed of Trust, estimated fees, charges and expenses of the Trustee and of the trusts created by said Deed of Trust. The total amount of the unpaid balance of the obligations secured by the property to be sold and reasonable estimated costs, expenses and advances at the time of the initial publication of this Notice of Trustee`s Sale is estimated to be $333,651.15 (Estimated), provided, however, prepayment premiums, accrued interest and advances will increase this figure prior to sale.

Beneficiary`s bid at said sale may include all or part of said amount. In addition to cash, the Trustee will accept a cashier`s check drawn on a state or national bank, a check drawn by a state or federal credit union or a check drawn by a state or federal savings and loan association, savings association or savings bank specified in Section 5102 of the California Financial Code and authorized to do business in California, or other such funds as may be acceptable to the trustee. In the event tender other than cash is accepted, the Trustee may withhold the issuance of the Trustee`s Deed Upon Sale until funds become available to the payee or endorsee as a matter of right. The property offered for sale excludes all funds held on account by the property receiver, if applicable.

If the Trustee is unable to convey title for any reason, the successful bidder`s sole and exclusive remedy shall be the return of monies paid to the Trustee and the successful bidder shall have no further recourse. DATE: April 21, 2011 MTC FINANCIAL INC dba Trustee Corps TS No. CA09000295-10-1 . 17100 Gillette Ave Irvine, CA 92614 949-252-8300 Clarisa Gastelum, Authorized Signature SALE INFORMATION CAN BE OBTAINED ON LINE AT www.NoticeSolutions.com AUTOMATED SALES INFORMATION PLEASE CALL 714-786-5351 TRUSTEE CORPS IS A DEBT COLLECTOR. ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED WILL BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE. Ad #11712 2011-04-21 2011-04-28 2011-05-05 TS# 1011-245 NOTICE OF TRUSTEE'S SALE YOU ARE IN DEFAULT UNDER A DEED OF TRUST, DATED 6/03/2009 , UNLESS YOU TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY, IT MAY BE SOLD AT A PUBLIC SALE. IF YOU NEED AN EXPLANATION OF THE NATURE OF THE PROCEEDING AGAINST YOU, YOU SHOULD CONTACT A LAWYER. On May 19, 2011 , at 1:00 PM the undersigned, as duly appointed Trustee under and pursuant to: Deed of Trust recorded 6/08/2009 , as Instrument No. 20090850868 in the Official Records of the County Recorder of Los Angeles County, California, and executed by R.E. Corporation of America, a California Corporation. WILL SELL AT PUBLIC AUCTION TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER, for cash or cashier's check drawn on a financial institution authorized in Civil Code Section 2924h(b), at: THE FRONT ENTRANCE TO THE POMONA SUPERIOR COURTS BUILDING 350 WEST MISSION BLVD. POMONA, CA all right, title and interest conveyed to and now held by it under said Deed of Trust in the property situated in said County and State as more fully described in said Deed of Trust. The property address and other common designation, if any, of the real property described above is purported to be: 9110 Miner Street, Los Angeles, CA 90002 APN: 6045-019-001 The undersigned Trustee disclaims any liability for any incorrectness of the street address and other common designation, if any, shown herein. Said sale will be made, but without covenant or warranty, express or implied, regarding title, possession, or encumbrances, to pay the unpaid balance of the note(s), secured by said Deed of Trust, to-wit $ 40,856.41 including as provided in said note(s), advances, if any, under the terms of said Deed of Trust, fees, charges and expenses of the Trustee and of the trust created by said Deed of Trust. Notice of default and election to sell the described real property under the deed of trust was recorded in the county where the real property is located. FOR TRUSTEE'S SALE INFORMATION PLEASE CALL (714) 786-5351 If the Trustee is unable to convey title for any reason, the successful bidder's sole and exclusive remedy shall be the return of monies paid to the Trustee, and the successful bidder shall have no further recourse.

Dated: April 19, 2011 MFTDS, INC. A California Corporation dba MASTER FUNDING CO. By: Stephen Leslie Wheeler, President (951) 694-3903 28636 Old Town Front St., Ste 202, Temecula, CA 92590 Mailing Address: P.O. Box 2467, Temecula, CA 92593-2467 Ad #11955 2011-04-28 2011-05-05 2011-05-12 Trustee Sale # CA0948010-2 Loan# 1009140052 Order # 090440602 NOTICE OF TRUSTEE'S SALE YOU ARE IN DEFAULT UNDER A DEED OF TRUST DATED 01/08/2007. UNLESS YOU TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY, IT MAY BE SOLD AT A PUBLIC SALE. IF YOU NEED AN EXPLANATION OF THE NATURE OF THE PROCEEDINGS AGAINST YOU, YOU SHOULD CONTACT A LAWYER. On 05/27/2011 at 01:00PM, MTC FINANCIAL INC., dba TRUSTEE CORPS as the duly appointed Substituted Trustee under and pursuant to Deed of Trust Recorded on 01/17/2007 as Document No. 20070088704 of official records in the Office of the Recorder of Los Angeles County, CALIFORNIA, executed by, SUSANA PULIDO, A MARRIED WOMAN AS HER SOLE AND SEPARATE PROPERTY, as Trustor, INDYMAC BANK, F.S.B., A FEDERALLY CHARTERED SAVINGS BANK, as Beneficiary, WILL SELL AT PUBLIC AUCTION TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER FOR CASH (payable at time of sale in lawful money of the United States, by cash a cashier's check drawn by a state or national bank, a check drawn by a state or federal credit union, or a check drawn by a state or federal savings and loan association, savings association, or savings bank specified in section 5102 of the Financial Code and authorized to do business in this state). AT: At the front entrance of the Pomona Superior Courts Building, 350 West Mission Blvd, Pomona CA The property heretofore described is being sold "as is". All right, title and interest conveyed to and now held by it under said Deed of Trust in the property situated in said County and State describing the land therein: APN # 5469-026-023 AS MORE FULLY DESCRIBED ON SAID DEED OF TRUST. The street address and other common designation, if any, of the real property described above is purported to be: 5364-5366 IRVINGTON PLACE , LOS ANGELES, CA 90042 The undersigned Trustee disclaims any liability for any incorrectness of the

street address and other common designation, if any, shown herein.

Said sale will be made, but without covenant or warranty, expressed or implied, regarding title, possession, or encumbrances, to pay the remaining principal sum of the Note(s) secured by said Deed of Trust, with interest thereon, as provided in said Note(s), advances, if any, under the terms of the Deed of Trust, estimated fees, charges and expenses of the Trustee and of the trusts created by said Deed of Trust. The total amount of the unpaid balance of the obligation secured by the property to be sold and reasonable estimated costs, expenses and advances at the time of the initial publication of the Notice of Trustee's Sale is: $444,305.87 (estimated amount). Accrued interest and additional advances, if any, will increase this figure prior to sale. If the Trustee is unable to convey title for any reason, the successful bidder's sole and exclusive remedy shall be the return of monies paid to the Trustee and the successful bidder shall have no further recourse. The Beneficiary under said Deed of Trust heretofore executed and delivered to the undersigned a written Declaration of Default and Demand for Sale, and a written Notice of Default and Election to Sell. The undersigned caused said Notice of Default and Election to Sell to be recorded in the County where the real property is located and more than three months have elapsed since such recordation. Compliance with California Civil Code Section 2924f: The Beneficiary or Beneficiary's agent has indicated that the requirements of California Civil Code Section 2924f have been met. Compliance with California Civil Code Section 2923.52: 1. Pursuant to California Civil Code 2923.54 the undersigned, on behalf of the beneficiary, loan servicer or authorized agent, declares as follows: X Servicer does hereby state that Servicer has obtained from the commissioner a final or temporary order of exemption pursuant to Section 2923.53 that is current and valid on the date of the notice of sale is filed. 2. Timeframe for giving notice of sale specified in subdivision (a) Section 2923.52 __ Does X Does not apply pursuant to section 2923.52 or 2923.55 Dated: 05/05/2011 MTC FINANCIAL INC., DBA TRUSTEE CORPS, as Successor Trustee By: ERNIE AGUILAR, TRUSTEE SALES OFFICER TRUSTEE CORPS 17100 Gillette Ave, Irvine, CA 92614 FOR SALE INFORMATION CONTACT: (714)786-5351, (949) 252-8300 FOR REINSTATEMENT / PAY OFF REQUESTS CONTACT: (949) 252-8300 RPRequests@trusteecorps.com Ad #12104 2011-05-05 2011-05-12 2011-05-19

GRIFFIN

Continued from page 12 Griffin accepted the Rookie of the Year award on Wednesday, becoming the NBA’s first unanimous choice for the award in 21 years.

The No. 1 overall draft pick out of Oklahoma in 2009 missed all of the 2009-10 season after breaking his kneecap in the Clippers’ final preseason game. But Griffin returned with one of the most impressive debut campaigns in a generation.

Griffin frequently thought back to that season in limbo while picking up his award during a party at the Clippers' training complex.

“To miss my entire first year and then be able to be up here today is definitely satisfying,” Griffin said. “When I got injured, I just decided I had to come back even better. I had to keep improving even while I couldn't play, and I dedicated myself to that.”

Griffin received every first-place vote from a panel of 118 media members, easily outdistancing Washington’s John Wall.

The Clippers’ 22-year-old power forward is the first unanimous choice since San Antonio’s David Robinson in 1990, and just the third in NBA history after Ralph Sampson in 1984.

New Orleans’ Chris Paul came close in 2006, missing by one vote.

Griffin led all rookies in scoring and rebounding while playing in all 82 games for the Clippers, finishing 12th in the entire NBA in scoring (22.5) and fourth in rebounds (12.1) while ranking second among rookies in assists (3.8).

The 6-foot-10 Griffin was the NBA’s first rookie All-Star since Yao Ming in 2003, and he won the dunk contest at All-Star weekend in Staples Center with an iconic leap over a car.

Although Griffin’s aerial acrobatics made him a staple of nightly highlight reels with more than 200 dunks of varying viciousness, he’s already at work in the offseason rounding into an even more complete player.

“He’s a highlight at any second of the game, but he’s also smart enough to know that the fundamentals are the part that will make him better and help this team,” Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro said. “He handles it very well. He has great humility and great character.”

Griffin received a maximum 590

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAMES FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No. 2011002870 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: Travel A Peal Group Getaways, 3870 S. Crenshaw Blvd., Suite 773, Los Angeles, CA 90008, County of Los Angeles Registered owner(s): E. Denise Peal, 3870 S. Crenshaw Blvd., Suite 773, Los Angeles, CA 90008 This business is conducted by an Individual The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on N/A 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/ E. Denise Peal, Owner This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on April 7, 2011 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 4/14, 4/21, 4/28, 5/5/11 CNS-2081426# WATTS TIMES

points in the voting, while Wall had 91 of the 118 second-place votes to finish with 295 points. New York’s Landry Fields received 12 second-place votes and 62 points, but finished fourth in the overall voting behind Sacramento’s DeMarcus Cousins, who got 11 secondplace votes and 81 points.

San Antonio’s Gary Neal and Detroit’s Greg Monroe were the only other rookies receiving votes.

Wall, the No. 1 pick last summer, tweeted his approval of Griffin’s victory, saying: “Congrats to the homie ... well deserved!”

Cousins’ teammate, Tyreke Evans, won the award with the Kings last season.

Griffin was named the Western Conference’s Rookie of the Month six times, becoming the first player to sweep that award since Paul did it with the Hornets five years ago. He’s the first rookie to average 20 points and 10 rebounds since Elton Brand in 1999-00, and the only rookie among the league’s top 45 scorers and top 20 rebounders.

Request for Proposal County of Los Angeles Child Support Services Department The County of Los Angeles Child Support Services Department, District Attorney’s Office and the Office of the Public Defender, are soliciting proposals from qualified businesses, consortiums, partnerships or corporations to provide As-Needed Secretarial/Clerical and Accounting Temporary Services.

Proposer’s who have demonstrated verifiable experience in Secretarial/Clerical and Accounting Services are invited to submit a written proposal in accordance with the Request for Proposal package. Copies of the Request for Proposal package can be obtained beginning May 26, 2011 at 8:00 a.m., at the Child Support Services Department, 5770 South Eastern Avenue, Commerce, California 90040-2924, by calling Linda Billups, Contract Analyst, at (323) 8893364 or by email to: lbillups@cssd.lacounty.gov. There will be a mandatory Proposer’s conference on July 12, 2011 at 9:30 a.m., at the Child Support Services Department, 5500 S. Eastern Avenue, Commerce, California 90040,Philip L. Browning Conference Room 137, 1st Floor.

PSOMAS REQUEST FOR NOTICE OF INTEREST Psomas is responding as a Prime Consultant to the following solicitation from the County of Los Angeles: Request for Proposal for As-Needed Watershed Engineering and Water Quality Support Consultant Services for the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works (LADPW) Psomas is seeking qualifications from CBEs and other professional subconsultants for the following work: • Water Resources Engineering including: storm water and surface water supply or retention, groundwater recharge, multi-purpose watershed management facilities, stream restoration, and engineered wetlands.

• Flood Hazard Mitigation Engineering including: flood management facilities and open channel design.

• Water Quality Mitigation Consulting such as: structural and nonstructural BMPs to address water quality objectives or requirements such as TMDLs or the NPDES Permit.

• Environmental Engineering including: sanitary engineering, industrial waste and solid waste management, environmental assessment (CEQA/NEPA), and sustainability.

• Project Management (PM) including: PM services for development and implementation of engineering and other consulting projects.

• Other Consulting/Engineering Disciplines including: environmental stewardship, landscape architecture, geotechnical engineering including geologists, aerial and spectral imagery (should be able to provide analysis and reports based on defined GIS layers), hydrology studies and hydraulic analysis, public affairs, cost estimating, and design services during construction.

This proposal is in alignment with the L.os Angeles County Community Business Enterprise (CBE) Program. Certified CBEs—Disabled Veterans, Disadvantaged Business Enterprises, and Minority- and Women-Owned Businesses (DVBE, DBE, MBE, WBE)—are encouraged to respond. Psomas can provide assistance to firms in obtaining required bonds, lines of credit, or insurance. In addition, No plans are available but the RFP can be provided, if needed.

Psomas intends to conduct itself in good faith in regards to all firms. Interested firms should email a two-page firm overview with LADPW experience and CBE documentation by May 12, 2011 to Outreach_LA@psomas.com.

KAREN A. CLARK Continued from page 13

whole resurgence, a decade or so ago it was lovely,” said Clark. “I grew up doing spoken word ... I do sing, but I want to drive the spoken word home.”

Her favorite track on the album is “Determined” because the word determined sums up what we all have to be to in order to make it in this world.

“No matter what you are trying to do, you have to be determined,” Clark shares. “Keep on the grind and keep going. It kind of combines a whole earthy thing about how I have to keep it moving. I am determined to reach my dream. But then it also builds in some real sexy content and takes it to a different level talking about relationships.”

Clark is a lyricist. You normally hear the term lyricist when discussing hip-hop music, but Clark is a lyricist with lasting impression. She combines words and phrases as if she was a Shakespearian poet and delivers them in a passionate tone to capture the audience.

Being that Clark is a corporate

executive, performing artist and dedicated mother, she was asked by the Sentinel to share and give advice to women who balance many things on their daily plate.

“I would say this to people: Life is short; in the twinkling of an eye it is over,” said Clark. “So every day you wake up, you better figure out how you want to use those 24 hours because we all have 24. …

Clark is leaving no stone unturned as she lives out the rest of her life. She may have lost her husband but she will never lose her passion for music and life. She is a living testament to mothers everywhere that you must deal with the cards that are dealt. But always remember you play the cards you have your way.

“You know I’ve just been blessed in my corporate life to always meet people who always put me in a place to have unique jobs,” said Clark. “And I’ve been traveling for 20 to 25 years through my job and seeing the world.

You know it’s all God but in terms of

this project, I just love to perform, so I have never stopped. I’ve always performed and so now this just gives me another vehicle to share. I just have joy when I am on the stage, and I just love being in front of people.”

Karen A. Clark will be performing live at UCLA’s Reggae Jazz Festival on May 29.

The “Karen A. Clark Project” is available via iTunes, spoken word category. The CD is available at Midnight Records, 2867 S. Robertson Blvd., Los Angeles. For more information, visit www.thekarenaclarkproject.com.

Black Facts May 5, 1969 Moneta Sleet becomes the first African American to win a Pulitzer Prize for his photograph of Mrs. Martin Luther King Jr. and her daughter at her husband’s funeral.

Source: blackfacts.com

16

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Thursday, May 5, 2011

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