LAWT 05-09-2013

W E E K E N D E R

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Thursday, May 9, 2013

L.A. Watts Times

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Thursday, May 9, 2013 this week in the L.A. Watts Times Weekender

horoscopes

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L.A. Watts Times

LIBRA

13

VIRGO

LEO

CANCER

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GEMINI

TAURUS

ARIES

contents

MAY 9 - MAY 15, 2013

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

SWEET sincere emotions can run through you like the odors of different perfumes. Open yourself up and let it flow. If love offers itself this week please accept the offer. Everything is open. Write down what you think of yourself this week. Save it. Make a poster out of it. Soul Affirmation: Trust gives me a deep sense of peace and joy.

BUSINESS as usual is good business.

Energy is high. Others give back to you what you gave to them the past few weeks. We hope you were generous because what you get this week will be a multiple of what you bestowed.

Soul Affirmation: I love myself for being myself.

DID joy take a vacation on you?

Well, joy is back and ready to unpack.

Get the spare room ready or move over and let joy crawl in bed with you. Smile in joy’s face and make joy feel at home.

Know that you’ve done good.

Soul Affirmation: Joy is my house guest this week.

PUTTING the world back in balance is your chore this week. Cheerfulness has been a little lower on the scale than it should be. You can spread it around lavishly this week.

Give some to everyone. The more you give the more you’ll get.

Soul Affirmation: Goodness is its own reward.

CELEBRATE! It’s summer time!

Communications will flow easily for you this week. Dress up and get the weekend started earlier.

Social life can take your mind off of heavy subjects. Don’t tighten up, brighten up. Soul Affirmation: I get joy from giving good things.

STAY positive on all fronts this week.

You’ll receive subtle cues this week that will confirm what you already know to be true. Act on your instincts and others will be receptive to your vibes. Even if you feel fleeting moments of uncertainty this week, go with the flow, and be a team player. Soul Affirmation: This week is the day the Lord has made. I rejoice in it.

YOUR positive energy will spread feverishly among family and friends this week. Your timing is just right because your positive vibes will be the extra nudge someone needs to pull through the week. Your strength and friendship will be tested. Soul Affirmation: Facing down challenges makes me feel good about myself.

CALL a family member to ask for a second opinion on something important. A different perspective will give you more options on your action plan. Use your faith to guide you through a mental maze that might stir up confusion. Soul Affirmation: I smile and trust in the powers beyond myself.

GIVE yourself a break this week! You’ve been going at full speed and you need to shift down to a lower gear. Time is a luxury and it will be on your side this week.

Kick off your shoes, enjoy a long afternoon nap, or curl up with a good book that you’ve been meaning to read. Soul Affirmation: I let the outer world and inner world change places this week.

THIS week remember to pamper yourself by giving. To give with no expectation of receiving in return is truly a luxury of the joy filled spirit. The act of giving has a reciprocal effect on those that it touches.

So when you share your gifts know that as you do you are lavishing not only others but also yourself. Soul Affirmation: Giving is a luxury that a rich spirit can afford.

ROMANCE, friendship, family ties, no matter what you call it, love is indeed your special blessing this week. Allow yourself to show love and to be loved.

Bless someone by sharing your love and you will be blessed in return.

Soul Affirmation: Giving love is finding love.

YOU’RE not usually a gambler but luck is with you as never before in recent months. You have the Midas touch this week. Buy a lottery ticket or make a wager. Gamble on love if you have that option handy. You can’t miss if you follow your instincts.

Soul Affirmation: My hunches pay all day this week.

John S. Wilson Jr. Appointed President of Morehouse College Board selection of executive director of the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities reinforces commitment to supporting College’s key mission LAWT NEWS SERVICE The Morehouse College Board of Trustees today announced that Dr. John Silvanus Wilson Jr. has been named the College’s 11th president.

The appointment follows a rigorous, nationwide search conducted with professional recruitment firm Heidrick & Struggles. The search was launched following the January 2012 announcement that Dr. Robert M. Franklin would be transitioning from his role as president at the end of the year.

“I thank the Board and the search consultants for their thorough evaluation of the excellent pool of candidates and commend all on their outstanding recommendation,” said Robert C. Davidson Jr., chairman of the Morehouse College Board of Trustees. “Dr. Wilson has the vision, experience and passion to ensure that Morehouse continues to advance its aim of producing global leaders who will continue to make a difference in the world. His record of academic excellence and public service is exemplary of the standard we hold for Morehouse Men. The Board and I are confident that, with his leadership, we will be well-positioned to continue delivering the educational environment that prepares our students for lives of leadership and service.”

Wilson, a 1979 graduate of the College, comes to Morehouse with more than 25 years of leadership in higher education and a strong and successful record in institutional fund raising. In addition, Wilson has extensive expertise in defining and advancing the interests of black colleges through his research at George Washington University, his service on the Spelman College Board of Trustees and as executive director of the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

“John has been a trusted voice, helping my administration follow through on our commitment to strengthen historically black colleges and universities,” said President Barack Obama. “I wish John the best as he takes on this important new role as the president of Morehouse College and as he continues to inspire more of our nation’s youth to

John S. Wilson Jr. pursue higher education.”

As executive director of the White House Initiative, Wilson worked to strengthen the capacity of 105 HBCUs and led his team to work with the White House, 32 federal agencies, and the private corporate and philanthropic sectors in securing capital.

“John has been a leader among leaders, advocating for Historically Black Colleges and Universities and challenging them to be the best they can be,” U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said. “Morehouse College is fortunate to have John as its next president, and President Obama and I are fortunate to benefit from John’s continuing commitment to reach our national goal of leading the world in college graduates by 2020.”

Wilson will officially assume the role of president at the end of January 2013. Willis B. Sheftall Jr., interim provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs, will serve as acting president from January 1, 2013, until Wilson officially takes office.

“Throughout his distinguished career, Dr. Wilson has demonstrated his commitment to supporting the critical role HBCUs serve within our national educational landscape,” said Robert M. Franklin, 10th president of Morehouse. “Our institution and our students will be very well served

by Dr. Wilson’s experience, focus and passion.”

“I am honored to be chosen to lead this hallowed institution and my alma mater,” said Wilson. “Dr. Franklin’s efforts to raise the international profile of the College and advance our mission through his ‘Morehouse Renaissance’ are just a {See DR. WILSON, Pg. 10}

Thursday, May 9, 2013

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Over 700 Black voters will gather to discuss the next mayor and an agenda for Black LA Over 700 Black voters will gather to discuss the next mayor and an agenda for Black LA nities,” said Nabil Abu-Ghazaleh, president, WLAC. The ‘Dialogue In anticipation of the upcoming with Black LA’ event is ideally set May 21 runoff between LA mayoral here given that West serves the comcandidates, Councilman Eric Garcetti munities of Ladera Heights, Baldwin and City Controller, Wendy Greuel, Hills, the Crenshaw District, South community advocate and talk show LA and other neighborhoods with host, Starlett Quarles, of THE high African American populations.

Dialogue, in partnership with West Welcome to West!”

Los Angeles College, is hosting an Over 700 residents of Black LA event designed to bring members of will gather to hear experts discuss and Los Angeles’ Black Community address two Black agenda questions: together to discuss how they can be a "What Should Black LA WANT?" part of the new mayor’s agenda for the and "What Does Black LA NEED To city of Los Angeles.

Do?" Each panel will host seven comEntitled “A Dialogue with Black munity expert panelists each repreLA (DWBLA),” the civic engagement senting one of DWBLA’s Black agenevent will be free to the public and act da items: Economic Development, as a catalyst for a new call to activism Education, Criminal Justice, Cultural that is specifically designed to bring Competency, Health, The Faith Comabout tangible, positive changes in munity, and Political Accountability.

LA’s Black ommunities. In order to Panelists include: Kwanzaa achieve this objective, DWBLA Founder and Creator, Dr. Maulana organizers understood that the com- Karenga and Brotherhood Crusade’s munity itself would have to be more President, Charisse Bremond-Weaver, engaged. on Cultural Competency; “As an officially designated pre- Councilwoman Jan Perry of the 9th dominantly Black institution of higher Council District and Nolan Rollins, learning, we at West Los Angeles President of the Los Angeles Urban College (WLAC) are interested in League, on Economic Development; engaging in and facilitating dialogue and 54th District Assemblymember around the important global issues Holly J. Mitchell and Conand those affecting our local commu- gresswoman Karen Bass, on Political Accountability.

“Political accountability means having a dialogue and holding yourself accountable for what’s needed to move an agenda forward,” said DWBLA panelist, Congresswoman Karen Bass of the 37th ConMODERATORS: (L-R) Starlett Quarles, Host & gressional District. “One Executive Producer THE Dialogue Talk Show will of the ways I hold moderate the mayoral debate. Brandon I. Brooks, myself accountable is Managing Editor Los Angeles Sentinel Newspaper & making sure I’m in conL.A. Watts Times Newspaper will moderate panel 1. stant contact with the Erin Aubry-Kaplan, Author/Contributing Writer community through L.A. Times Newspaper will moderate panel 2. town halls and other LAWT NEWS SERVICE

PANEL 2: Row 1 (L-R) - Assemblywoman Holly Mitchell, 54th Assembly District; Nolan Rollins, President LA Urban League; Charisse Bremond-Weaver, President Brotherhood Crusade; Greg Akili, Board Member Institute of the Black World 21st Century; Row 2 (L-R) - Corri Ravare, Managing Reg. Dir. CA Charter School Association; Bryan Gaines, MSW, Director of Professional Training Alzheimer’s Association, California Southland Chapter; Rev. Everett R. Bell, Jr., Executive Director, Christ, Our Redeemer (COR) CDC.

methods to ensure I hear firsthand what my constituents are asking of me so that I can set the right priorities.”

The moderators for the DWBLA Panels represent the next generation of socially-progressive Black voices.

The Moderator for Panel 1 is Brandon I. Brooks, managing editor of the L.A. Sentinel newspaper and the L.A. Watts Times Weekender; the moderator for Panel 2 is Erin Aubry-Kaplan, LA Times contributor/author; while the mayoral candidate conversations will be moderated by Dialogue host, Starlett Quarles.

DWBLA concludes with Quarles conducting one-on-one interviews on political accountability and the agenda for Black LA with the final two mayoral candidates: Eric Garcetti and Wendy Greuel. With the candidates fighting for the vote of LA’s Black community, the goal of DWBLA’s Mayoral Conversations is to help answer the question: “Who Will Black LA Hold Accountable?” {See BLACK LA, Pg. 7}

MAYORAL CANDIDATES: L.A. City Councilman Eric Garcetti, L.A. City Controller Wendy Greuel.

PANEL 1: Row 1 (L-R) - Congresswoman Karen Bass, 37th Congressional District; Councilwoman Jan Perry, 9th District; Nabil Abu-Ghazaleh, President West Los Angeles College; Dr. Maulana Karenga, Creator & Founder of Kwanzaa; Row 2 (L-R) - Rev. J Edgar Boyd, Pastor FAME Renaissance; Dr. Orlando Pile, Internist LA County Sheriff's Department; Dr. Brickell Quarles, Clinical Supervisor Rikers Correctional Facility, NY.

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Thursday, May 9, 2013

Social Security changes could hurt Blacks most

BY MAYA RHODAN NNPA WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT

WASHINGTON (NNPA) – Social Security changes proposed by Obama could hurt African Americans more than other groups, a new report by the Center for Global Policy Solutions finds.

In this fiscal year 2014 budget, President Obama proposes switching the way benefit programs such as Social Security and civil service retirement adjust for inflation to the chained consumer price index, or chained CPI. Chained CPI calculates inflation differently from the consumer price index, the current yardstick. The move would save approximately $230 billion, according to the president’s budget.

“The chained CPI significantly reduces the purchasing power of those who rely on benefits issued by the federal government, and especially disadvantages retirees and the long-term disabled because it fails to take into account the higher costs they shoulder as a result of their increased need for health care services and related products,” the report reads.

The Center for Global Policy Solutions report finds that the changes may cause particular harm to older African Americans; many depend on Social Security for the majority of their retirement income.

LAWT FILE PHOTO

AARP's Mikki Waid has Concerns about the Elderly.

Nearly half of African American beneficiaries rely on Social Security for 90 percent or more of their income, compared to 35 percent of all beneficiaries. Two out of five Black retirees over 65 depend on Social Security for their entire income.

The report show that 18 percent of Black adults over 65 had an income below the federal poverty level; without Social Security benefits, 53 percent of older African Americans would be living in poverty

according to the AARP. The changes to COLA will also impact the one in five Black children receiving disability benefits. Black children are twice as likely to receive survivor benefits as well.

“Chained CPI is also a poor policy considering that Social Security does not contribute to our annual deficit, and the trust will run a surplus of more than $2.7 trillion until the 2030s,” Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) said in a statement. “I am disappointed then that President Obama would consider burdening those who are most in need of our support.”

The changes proposed by the president did not fare well with the constituents they will affect the most.

In April, AARP released a poll that showed that 70 percent of older voters are not in favor of using chained CPI for the Social Security cost-of-living adjustment and 78 percent are opposed to using the adjustment for veteran benefits.

“This cut to Social Security would break the promise to seniors and hurt veterans who’ve sacrificed so much for this great country,” AARP executive vice president Nancy LeaMond said in a statement.

According to AARP, those who rely on Social Security for the majority of their income, which includes 47 percent of African American beneficiaries, would experience an 8 percent

Assata Shakur placed on the FBI’s most wanted terrorist list First woman to be so designated; reward for her capture increased to $2 million dollars THANDISIZWE CHIMURENGA LAWT CONTRIBUTING WRITER The Federal Bureau of Investigation placed 1970s Black radical Assata Shakur — formerly known as Joanne Chesimard — on their list of Most Wanted Terrorists on May 2, 2013, the 40th anniversary of the murder of a New Jersey State trooper the government says Shakur is responsible for. Shakur is the first woman ever to be placed on the terrorist list, which was estab-

Aaron Ford, Special Agent in Charge of the Newark FBI office, made the announcement on May 2, 2013.

{See SOCIAL SECURITY, Pg. 15}

Cover of Assata Shakur’s Autobiography “Assata.” lished by former President George W. Bush following the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks, and the 46th person overall. Osama bin Laden, leader of Al-Qaeda, was on the list until he was killed in Pakistan in 2011.

The FBI also doubled the State of New Jersey’s reward for her capture to $2 million. In 2005, on the 32nd anniversary of the shooting, New Jersey announced it was offering a $1 million dollar reward for information leading to Shakur’s capture.

Aaron Ford, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Newark office, made the May 2nd announcement in a news conference. On May 2, 1973, a shootout occurred on the New Jersey Turnpike in which New Jersey State Trooper Werner Foerster, who had stopped Shakur and two of her associates, was killed.

Shakur was wounded in that shootout; her associate Zayd Malik Shakur was killed and the third man, Sundiata Acoli, escaped and was apprehended three days later.

Shakur was found guilty of murder in the killing of Trooper Werner Foerster and sentenced to life plus 33 years in 1997. She escaped from prison in 1979 and surfaced in Cuba several years later where she was granted political asylum.

“While we cannot right the wrongs of the past, we can and will continue to pursue justice no matter how long it takes,” said Ford. In a direct appeal to Shakur, he said: “Give yourself up, come to America and face justice.”

The placement of Shakur on the terrorist list and the doubling of the reward for her capture has angered activists and caused concern for civil libertarians who claim that Shakur is the one who deserves justice.

“Through her writing, Assasta Shakur has educated generations about how the FBI [through its CounterIntelligence Program – COINTELPRO] operated with impunity to neutralize the Black Panther Party.

Labeling Assata a terrorist and putting a bounty on her head is a clear attempt

by U.S. authorities to hide this chapter in history,” said Heidi Boghosian, executive director of the New York chapter of the National Lawyers Guild.

The group released a statement on May 2 calling for the FBI to respect Shakur’s political asylum status.

Attorney James Simmons of Human Rights Advocacy in Los Angeles, who also noted the legality of Shakur’s asylum status, said that it was an extension of the war that had been waged against Ms. Shakur and other activists like her back in the late 60s – early 70s.

“The FBI and State of New Jersey have intensified their persecution of Assata Shakur by appealing to mercenaries to kidnap her from Cuba, where she is protected by international law,” Simmons said.

“This political persecution against Assata Shakur is a continuation of over 40 years of lies, violence and torture against her founded in the illegal and discredited counter intelligence program founded by the {See ASSATA SHAKUR, Pg. 15}

Thursday, May 9, 2013

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Gwen Green…A mother President Obama nominates Rep. Melvin Watt for housing post who made change…

Green has spent her life being an advocate, social activist and a mother all in one breath BRIAN W. CARTER LAWT STAFF WRITER Every mother is special. They’re the reason the world goes round as they have birthed great men and mighty women for centuries. There are hundreds of thousands of mothers across this planet that should be highlighted for Mother’s Day. Today, we salute Gwen Green.

A native of Oakland California, Green grew up in a household of game changers. Born the only child to Rose and Edward Smith, Green also had the benefit of growing up with her grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Lee Williams.

“My grandfather and grandmother were quite active, my family has always been active in politics and welfare,” said Green. “At that time, 80 years ago, they didn’t have any Black social workers, policemen.”

At the age of five, Green remembers her grandfather getting involved addressing racism in the Oakland District Attorney’s office. The District Attorney at the time didn’t want a black secretary working for him.

“My grandfather got together with some people and they started a petition campaign,” said Green. “My grandfather took me out, took my hand and we went in the neighborhood and around everywhere and forced this man to hire this Black lady as his secretary.”

Her grandfather was Pullman porter who would eventually start up a training program, as there weren’t any at the time.

He went on to become involved in issues surrounding his profession and organizing within the system. Green’s grandfather and mother were also active in the NAACP, seeds that would undoubtedly grow within Green’s lifetime.

“My mother helped integrate the swimming pools in Richmond, California,” said Green. “They were very, very active.” Green attributes these early experiences to who she would become and what she would do with her life.

After she married Arthur Green at the age of 18, her journey began changing the world around her, one step at a time. Her husband Arthur, who was studying law, was the second Black to attend the University of Colorado.

Green would encounter racism with the same zeal and fortitude as her parent and grandparents.

Barbershops in Boulder, Colorado at the time refuse to cut her husband’s hair.

“Right away, I knew that we were going to have to do something,” Green. “I started to get names of people that wanted to join the NAACP and we started [one] there [in Boulder, Colorado].”

Gwen Green recently celebrated her 89th birthday.

Green would devote 65 years of her life to being a civil rights activist.

In the 1950’s, she has worked at various NAACP offices including San Francisco, Oakland and San Diego before moving to Los Angeles.

“All through the years, I’ve been involved,” said Green. “Wherever I lived—I was always involved in the NAACP.” In San Diego, Green became active in getting the women involved in positive activities in the community.

“The Black men were active in organizations but the women stayed home and weren’t involved in anything,” said Green. “When I got there, I became involved in the Children’s Home Society, that was for the adoption of minority children. So we formed an auxiliary in San Diego. “ Green continued, “I encouraged some of the ladies and they became involved.”

Eventually moving to Los Angeles in the late 1950’s, her husband, working for Golden State Insurance, Green would show no signs of slowing down.

She would work with numerous campaigns and grass roots efforts including working with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. She worked with King’s field director, Hosea Williams, as assistant director for the Summer Voting Drive in 1965. She travelled through six southern states and through 120 counties providing voter registration, helping people to a voice in this country.

Green would work with educators, dignitaries, actors and ordinary folks. She has worked with political giants such as Tom Bradley, Los Angeles’ first Black Mayor, Julian Dixon, Yvonne Burke, Alan Cranston, John Tunney, Herb Wesson, Mark Ridley-Thomas, Edmund G. “Pat” Brown and former {See GWEN GREEN, Pg. 7}

LAWT STAFF AND WIRE REPORT President Barack Obama nominated veteran Rep. Melvin Watt to head the Federal Housing Finance Agency, the government regulator that oversees lending giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. He also has chosen a former telecommunications lobbyist to head the Federal Communications Commission, the White House said.

Watt, a North Carolina Democrat who has been in Congress for 20 years, would replace Edward DeMarco, an appointee of Republican President George W. Bush, who has been a target of housing advocates, liberal groups and Democratic lawmakers.

Obama also has settled on Tom Wheeler, one of his top campaign fundraisers, to become the country's top telecommunications regulator.

The president is expected to name FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn to serve as acting chairwoman.

Senate confirmation is required for both posts.

“I commend President Obama on his nomination of Congressman Melvin 'Mel' Watt as director of the FHFA,” said Attorney General

PHOTO BY SHEVRY LASSITER, NNPA, WASHINGTON INFORMER

President Obama nominates Congressman Mel Watt in the State Dining Room at the White House on Wednesday, May 1.

Kamala D. Harris on May 1 after the nomination.

“As Californians work to recover from the mortgage crisis, they need a strong director at FHFA who will be an advocate for homeowners and champion their rights. My number one priority has always been the welfare of Californians, and I am confident that Congressman Watt will advance policies that serve the best interest of working families in

California and across the country. I look forward to working with him.”

Watt's nomination comes at a crucial time for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, two government-controlled mortgage-finance enterprises.

The government rescued the companies at the height of the financial crisis in September 2008 as they teetered near collapse from losses on mortgage loans gone bad. {See REP. MELVIN WATT, Pg. 10}

Put Your Child on a Path to College Green Dot students are more likely to graduate and be ready for college. Your child could be too.

A recent study by UCLA found that students who attend Green Dot schools are more likley to graduate than similar students at neighboring schools.

Green Dot’s tuition-free public schools feature: • Small Classroom Sizes • Effective, Caring Teachers • Full Range of Support Services, Including Clinical Services and Counseling • Advanced Placement and Honors Courses • College-going Culture Green Dot schools prepare all students for college, leadership and life in a safe, high performing learning environment.

Green Dot Students Graduate at a Higher Rate than Neighboring Schools1

Enroll at the Green Dot School nearest you:

The Locke Family of Schools Now accepting applications for 9th-12th grades 325 E. 111th St., Los Angeles, CA 90061 • Call (323) 420-2101 for assistance Ánimo College Prep Academy at the Jordan Education Complex Now accepting applications for 9th-12th grades

Green Dot Students

Neighboring Schools

2265 E. 103rd St., Los Angeles, CA 90002 • Call (323) 568-4136 for assistance Ánimo Watts Charter High School Now accepting applications for 9th-12th grades 12628 Avalon Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90061 • Call (323) 357-3936 for assistance Ánimo Middle School #2 Now accepting applications for 6th grade 810-820 E. 111th St., Los Angeles, CA 90059 Call (323) 568-8613 for assistance Come to an upcoming Registration Night for incoming sixth graders at Ánimo Middle School #2 Wednesday, May 22 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

™

Green Dot Public Schools are publicly funded and free to attend.

Learn more at www.greendot.org/enroll 1. National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards and Student Testing (CRESST), Center for the Study of Evaluation (CSE), Graduate School of Education & Information Studies, UCLA, “Evaluation of Green Dot’s Locke Transformation Project: Findings for Cohorts 1 and 2 Students”, February 2012. Table 12: Estimated Effect of Green Dot Locke on A-G Completion and Graduation (Matched Sample)

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Thursday, May 9, 2013

Congresswoman Waters host exporter forum Helps local businesses succeed in global economy LAWT NEWS SERVICE Congresswoman Maxine Waters (CA-43) hosted an exporter forum for small businesses on Friday, May 3 in Hawthorne, Calif. More than 75 representatives from local companies attended the event, which focused on how American companies can gain a competitive edge when exporting their products overseas. The forum was held in collaboration with Fred P. Hochberg, chairman and president of the Export-Import Bank (Ex-Im). Ex-Im Bank is an independent federal agency that helps create and maintain U.S. jobs by filling gaps in private export financing at no cost to American taxpayers. Local small businesses also received one-on-one trade counseling from Ex-Im Bank experts..

“I was pleased to see so many people from the business community gather to hear presentations on how to improve their exports,” said Congresswoman Waters. “Exports create and sustain U.S. jobs, and businesses in the 43rd Congressional District have much to gain

from such opportunities. I am confident that the forum provided them the necessary resources to sell their great exports around the world.”

“Exports help create jobs and boost our nation’s economy,” said Ex-Im Bank Chairman and President Fred P. Hochberg. "Ex-Im Bank will continue to host Global Access forums throughout the country so we can provide our local business leaders with the tools they need to expand globally."

Chairman Hochberg gave an overview of Ex-Im Bank's Global Access for Small-Business initiative, aimed at increasing the number of small businesses across the United States that export goods and services produced by U.S. workers.

This is an integral part of the President Obama’s National Export Initiative.

Global Access is supported by a wide variety of business, financial and government partners, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), and the Bank’s 60-plus city/state partners located throughout the U.S.

LAWT FILE PHOTO

(L-R) Congresswoman Waters is pictured with speakers from the first panel “Other Companies are Exporting, Why Aren’t You?,” from left to right: Nancy Mercolina, President and Owner of Ceilings Plus; Leland Lai, President of Aquafauna Bio-Marine, Inc.; Steve Wilburn, CEO of FirmGreen, Inc.; and Veronica Hendrix, Owner of Bromont Avenue Foods.

Thursday, May 9, 2013

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L.A.’s Black voters may decide winner in city’s mayoral runoff

May is ‘CalFresh Awareness Month’

Department of Public Social Services employees play a major role in department’s coordinated effort with community to reduce hunger in Los Angeles County

AAVREP Poll Results Show LAWT NEWS SERVICE A recent voter survey commissioned by the African American Voter Registration, Education and Participation Project (AAVREP) finds that – with little more than two-weeks to go before Los Angeles voters choose their next mayor – African American voters may decide the ultimate winner when balloting closes at 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 21.

The Feldman Group, Inc., a respected Washington, D.C.-based political research firm, conducted the poll for AAVREP. An analysis prepared on the voter survey results concludes, “Support from African American voters could be the deciding factor in the Los Angeles mayor’s race.”

The AAVREP Poll found L.A. City Controller Wendy Greuel favored by 47-percent of voters over her opponent L.A. City Council

Black LA {Continued from page 3} “‘A Dialogue with Black LA’ was born out of the need for the Black community to come together to discuss the creation of an agenda for Black LA,” said host and executive producer, Starlett Quarles. “As a community, we truly need to understand that City Hall will be won by our votes, and the next four years should not only be determined by endorsements but an overall Socioeconomic Development Strategy that not only benefits the Black Community but also includes Community Buy-In. That’s important. “ DWBLA begins at 8am with a

Gwen Green {Continued from page 5} LAUSD James Jones just to name a few.

She’s also recognized for having served as a consultant of the United Long Term Care Workers Union for 20 years. Green was a warrior for the union and in the late 1980’s, made it her mission to insure fairness for workers. She was instrumental in the campaign to get then Santa Barbara Ave. changed to MLK Blvd. Green is one of the founder of the New Frontier Democratic Club, one of the largest African American political clubs on the West Coast.

Green would become a mother of two daughters: her eldest daughter, Claudia who passed away two years ago and Robin. She has a host of grandchildren herself who she,

member Eric Garcetti with 29-percent of African American voter support citywide.

But the Feldman Group’s analysis of its polling results cautions, “The direction and consequence of the African American vote are far from forgone conclusions.”

“Much of the African American community has yet to form an opinion of either candidate, and both candidates will need to focus their efforts to win them over. The support of the African American community remains in play,” Diane Feldman wrote in an analysis of her firm’s survey results.

The Feldman Group’s voter survey found that a candidate’s high profile political endorsements could play a crucial role in voting decisions among L.A.’s African American when they vote-by-mail before Tuesday, May 21 on head to polling places in two-week’s time to cast their ballots on Election Day. community partner expo made up of local organizations and businesses that not only support the creation of an agenda for Black LA, but also provide products, services, and/or resources that can help to reinforce its evolution. The expo ends at 4pm.

A small number of food vendors will be onsite, including Earlez Grille, Pucker UP Lemonade, Creative Cuisine Concepts, and Oat-a-Mola Cookies.

“A Dialogue with Black LA” will be held on Saturday, May 11, 2013 from 8am to 4pm at West Los Angeles College, Fine Arts Theater, 9000 Overland Avenue, Culver City, CA 90230 (near Jefferson). The event is free to the public. Space is limited. To RSVP, please visit: www.DWBLA.com. undoubtedly, has passed her legacy of change to.

Green spoke about the importance of family and being a mother, pointing out where families today may be going wrong.

“The one thing I remember as a child, we sat around the kitchen table,” said Green. “We ate all our meals together, which they don’t do anymore.”

She also commented on her job as mother being twofold as her husband was also a part of the equation.

“I had a husband that was willing to work together and we were involved,” said Green.

Green has left an indelible mark on the world and her family no doubt. She must have if everybody calls her “mama.” You don’t get that title unless you’ve been one towards many and clearly she has been.

Happy Mother’s Gwen Green.

LAWT FILE PHOTO

(L-R) Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, Lynwood City Councilmember Jim Morton, Superior Grocers’ Chairman and CEO Mimi Song, Department of Public Social Services Director Sheryl l. Spiller, and Department of Public Health Nutrition Program Director Steve Baldwin, celebrate the kickoff of CalFresh Awareness Month at the Superior Market in Lynwood.

In an effort to meet the goals of the Department of Public Social Services (DPSS) and its broad based community partnership to reduce hunger in Los Angeles County and inspire healthier eating in May,

Director Sheryl L. Spiller has reached out to the department’s 13,000 employees, encouraging them to share the important CalFresh food assistance information in their communities with those

who need it most.

As they have done for the past two years, the Board of Supervisors enthusiastically proclaimed May, 2013 as “CalFresh Awareness {See CALFRESH, Pg. 10}

8

feature

Thursday, May 9, 2013

L.A. Watts Times WEEKENDER

Charges of LAPD racial profiling rocks USC campus

BY KENNETH D. MILLER | Assistant Managing Editor

Almost 50 years after the Watts Riots of 1965 erupted which resulted in six days of unrest and caused $40 million in damages, and 21 years following the infamous Rodney G. King video beating that led to the revolt of 1992, allegations of LAPD racial profiling have landed on the University of Southern California campus.

The May 5 early morning arrests of six USC African American students who attended a graduation party, seems to have heightened the contentious debate of bias against Blacks by one of the largest police department’s in the nation. During an open discussion at the Ronald Tutor Campus Center an overflow gathering of protestors estimated beyond 400 sharply criticized both the LAPD and campus safety officials at an organized town hall meeting held on Tuesday, May 7.

Moderated by Professor of Law Jody David Armour with a panel that included LAPD Inspector General Alexander A. Bustamante, LAPD Commander William Scott, USC Executive Director and Chief of Department of Public Safety John Thomas and LAPD Captain Paul A. Snell of Southwest Community Station, students sought answers and ongoing solutions to prevent future occurrences of such incidents.

EMERGING LEADER: Rikiesha Pierce, USC student who is a champion debater, McNair Scholar, Mellon Mays Scholar and valedictorian has emerged as the new powerful advocate in the fight against racial profiling. Pierce was one of the Black students at the party and organized the panel discussion held on campus Tuesday, May 7.

“My fellow students of the University of Southern California one of the most prestigious universities in the nation, a school at which the majority of the freshman class are in the top 10 percent of the graduation class. I saw first generation college students crying, confused and wondering why they were being treated like the enemy and I, like the abused need answers,” emphatically stated student Rikiesha Pierce who attended the party, held at the home of fellow student Nate Howard.

“I need answers for the injustice that I witnessed against my people. I am not saying that this whole thing was started because LAPD shut down a house party. It was bigger than a house party.”

Early on Sunday May 5 the department’s Southwest Station received a complaint call about loud music at approximately 12:20 a.m., but did not have a unit dispatched until 2a.m., according to Cpt. Snell. When they got there, Lt. Andy Neiman said they discovered there were two parties going on across the street from each other.

According to news reports, Howard’s party was attended by mostly Black students, while the party across the street was attended by mostly White students.

“The officers went to the first party and told them there

SEEKING SOLUTIONS: (from left) USC scholar student Rikiesha Pierce, Francisco Ortega of the Human Rights Commission, LAPD Southwest Station Captain Paul A. Snell, LAPD Inspector General Alexander A. Bustamante listens to LAPD Commander William Scott as he examines the latest accusations of racial profiling against African Americans.

Black scholars’ arrests spark outrage at police bias had been noise complaints so they needed to turn the music down and reduce the noise,” Neiman City News Service.

“The officers then walked across the street and told the organizers of the second party the same thing.”

Neiman said that while the officers were at the second party, whose organizers complied with the cease and desist order, the noise and music started up again across the street at the first party.

“So the officers went back over to the first party to cite the organizer because of the noise,” Neiman said.

But both Pierce who led Tuesday’s discussion and Howard said they willfully cooperated with the officers’ command to disperse the African American students, but were treated rudely.

LAPD arrested six students, some sustained injuries during the intervention. The six students arrested were charged with disorderly conduct and interfering with police, but a graphic video shown to the audience revealed an emotional gripping account of what the students experienced that morning. The video, which immediately went viral and exploded on social media, depicted students being arrested, shoved into the back of police cruisers, the sound of a police helicopter loudly hovering above the melody of the music that punctu-

FIGHTING ON: Nate Howard was the host of the graduation celebration a his house when LAPD arrested six USC African American students on Su day, May 5. Howard has since ignited a movement to prevent racial profil against Blacks whether a student or not.

I need answers for the injustice that I witnessed against my people. I am not saying that this whole thing was started because LAPD shut down a house party. It was bigger than a house party. ~Rikiesha Pierce, USC Student

at uning

www.lawattstimes.com

Thursday, May 9, 2013

R: More COMING TOGETHER: ents prothan 400 USC students tested the arrest of six African American students att a town hall sday, May 7. rally on campus Tuesday,

ated the scene amid screams of colliding voices.

For Howard, who said he did all of the necessary things to host the party by registering the event with the Department of Public Safety, the past few days have been like a nightmare from hell. Organizers of the competing party said they didn’t even register their party with campus security. At the meeting, while Cpt. Snell attempted to quell the notion that the events were racially motivated, white neighbors of Howard spoke and said the LAPD never came to their house and that they turned their music down on their own.

Cpt. Scott asked the audience if they thought the incident was racially inspired and the majority of the crowd raised their hand.

“I hear you! We hear you and I promise that we will look into to this,” said Scott.

“I was moved because I am a graduate of the University of Southern California. My daughter is a student here,” said Councilwoman Jan Perry, who cried after Pierce made her plea for justice at the meeting.

“It could have been my child face down on the sidewalk so it affected me very personally and I find it very difficult to comprehend.”

Perry was sitting in the audience not in an official capacity but as alumni and parent.

“I want to be proud of my community and the university and I know that LAPD has worked hard to improve relations, but to witness something like this and for it to be recorded by the hands of these young people who clearly are high achieving and very dynamic and it broke me down…it just broke me down,” she said.

Pierce told the audience that USC is known for its social life, “but there is a bigger fundamental issue when their are

students two blocks from campus being humiliated by their community law enforcement.”

“There is a fundamental problem there and even deeper, no one said anything,” she said, while encouraging the crowd to Tweet and Facebook, “right now!”

“Social media started this and social media will drive it,” she added.

Meanwhile, university officials indicated they would ask for all charges to be dropped and will also offer counseling to individuals at the event who were impacted by the circumstances.

Attorney Fred Dorton of the The Dorton Firm said that he is representing the six students who were arrested, but could not speak about their cases or release their names.

Rep. Karen Bass sent a message that she will be issuing a statement on the matter.

Pierce and Howard are both seniors and this week should be preparing for final exams and graduation ceremonies to take place on May 16.

9

10

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Blacks underrepresented in immigration debate

Rep. Melvin Watt {Continued from page 5}

ly to be White, and thus less feared, than Mexican immigrants. The Congressional Black Caucus is one The Senate’s Gang of Eight have of many groups that suggest that this put together an 844-page monstrosi$4.5 billion could be more effectivety known as the Border Security, ly spent, perhaps on STEM educaEconomic Opportunity and tion.

Immigration Modernization Act, The immigration bill is by no legislation that President means final. The House of Obama says he “basically Representatives still has to approves” of. The crafters of vote on it, and many of this essentially unreadable them will add amendments bill was put together by and exceptions to take care Senators Dick Durbin (Dof their “pet” causes.

Ill.), Robert Menendez (DMeanwhile, President N.J.), Chuck Schumer (DObama has been urging N.Y.), Michael Bennett (DDemocrats to accept the Col.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), immigration bill as it is, Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), John because too many amendMcCain (R-Ariz.) and ments may jeopardize the Lindsay Graham (R-S.C.). bill. For example, Senator On its surface, the bill Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) provides much-needed relief would like to propose an to many of the 11 million amendment that would undocumented people who allow gay Americans to live in our country. The chalsponsor their partners for lenge is that it disadvantages green cards. The Judiciary some immigrants, especially Committee is likely to pass African and Caribbean this amendment, but the immigrants, while helping whole Senate might not others. pass it.

Further, the Senators President Obama has crafting the bill put goodies had a bad year, so far. He into the bill that only serve to didn’t get his way on gun advantage themselves or control, and he’s been their states. Senator Lindsay kicked around by an Graham wants more visas for LAWT FILE PHOTO obstructionist House of the meat packing industry. Julianne Malveaux Representatives. He needs Senator Charles Schumer immigration reform to fulprovided special provisions fill promises he made to the for Irish people with a high school tion will prevent employers from Latino community during his camdiploma (why?), Senator Marco holding workers hostage because paign. But the unwieldy 844-page Rubio, the much touted possible their continuing employment is nec- piece of legislation contains lots of presidential candidate in 2016, essary in order to keep their visa. provisions that don’t pass the smell asked for more visas for the cruise The new legislation gives H-1B 60 test. It makes it more difficult for ship industry, and Senators Michael days to find a new job. But why do African and Caribbean immigrants Bennett wants more visas for work- we have H-1B visas at all. With to become citizens of the United ers in ski resorts. unemployment over 7 percent, and States.

Meanwhile, the legislation Black unemployment over 13 perThe African American communiwould eliminate the Diversity Visa cent, surely there are unemployed ty must take a closer look at this legProgram, which allows a visa lottery people who could work effectively in islation. If Senator Schumer can give for countries that have low levels technology companies. Howard 10,000 Irish immigrants the open (less than 50,000 people) of immi- University economist Bill Sprigs has door, how many Africans and gration to the United States. Many written that there are proportionately Caribbeans will he make exceptions African immigrants come here more African American students for? At the very minimum, Congress through this program (Ghana and majoring in computer science than should restore the Diversity Visa proNigeria each had 6,000 immigrants White. Many of these graduates can- gram. The bill is called the Border through this program in 2011; not find jobs. Meanwhile, African Security, Economic Opportunity and African immigrants are 36 percent and Caribbean immigrants get just a Immigration Modernization Act. of those receiving diversity visas). small percentage of H-1B visas.

Exactly who will have more economThus, while Senator Schumer pushThe Immigration Modernization ic opportunity? And is immigration es for special provisions for Irish bill will spend $4.5 billion in an really being modernized when it immigrants, there is no one on the attempt to secure the southern bor- locks foreign-born Black people out Senate side pushing for special pro- der, which will “secure” our country of the process? visions for African and Caribbean from Mexican immigrants, but • Julianne Malveaux is a immigrants. ignores the northern border, which Washington, D.C.-based economist Instead of the Diversity Visa makes our country more open to and writer. She is President Emerita Program, the Senate Bill 744 creates Canadian immigration. Of course, of Bennett College for Women in between 120,000 and 200,000 visas Canadian immigrants are more like- Greensboro, N.C. on a “merit based” system, which gives highest priority to those who gling, unaware they may be eligible have future employment opportunito CalFresh benefits, or afraid to ties. Because employers do not seek even inquire,” Spiller stated. “This {Continued from page 7} out African and Caribbean immipartnership represents an intense grants for employees (as they seek Month” in the County of L.A. The effort to address hunger and the pubout Indian and Chinese employees), the merit-based point system is like- annual effort is a collaboration lic health issues it presents. ly to provide fewer opportunities for between DPSS, other County CalFresh is a critical federal nutrithose from Africa and the departments, and various communi- tion benefit that helps eligible Caribbean. Senator Schumer’s spe- ty-based organizations to inform households make ends meet and stay cial provision for the Irish carries no low-income families and individuals healthier.”

For more information on stipulation that these people be about the benefits of the CalFresh CalFresh Awareness Month, visit employed, essentially granting them Program.

“While the local economy con- www.dpss.lacounty.gov/dpss/calfresh a pass from the merit-based point tinues to improve, there are house- or call the Health and Nutrition system. holds across our County still strug- Hotline at 1 (866) 613-3777.

BY JULIANNE MALVEAUX NNPA COLUMNIST

Many hi-tech companies use the H-1B visa program on the grounds that there is a shortage of skilled workers in the United States. There is evidence that this claim is specious and that employers prefer foreign workers who they can pay less and control more. The new legisla-

CalFresh

Taxpayers have spent about $170 billion to rescue the companies. So far, they have repaid $55.2 billion.

Fannie and Freddie together own or guarantee about half of all U.S. mortgages, or nearly 31 million home loans. Those loans are worth more than $5 trillion. Along with other federal agencies, they back roughly 90 percent of new mortgages.

The nomination comes as the housing industry is making a comeback. Home prices are up, foreclosures are down and housing construction is on the rise. Moreover, Fannie Mae had its biggest yearly profit last year, earning $17.2 billion.

Watt, a senior member of the House Financial Services Committee and former chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, played an influential role in the passage of a financial regulatory overhaul in 2010.

That legislation, however, did not address the fate of the major mortgage lenders, an issue likely to come up during Obama’s second term.

His colleague Congresswoman Maxine Waters described Watt as “thoughtful, well informed, principled and fair.”

“I have worked very closely with Representative Watt for almost 20 years,” Waters said in a statement, also released May 1 after the nomination.

“We have served together on the House Financial Services Committee

Dr. Wilson {Continued from page 2} few among the many significant accomplishments by which he will be remembered. I thank the Board for its confidence in my leadership and look forward to working with faculty, students and staff, and continuing our proud tradition of producing global leaders.”

Before working with the White House Initiative, Wilson was an associate professor of higher education in the Graduate School of Education at George Washington University (GWU). He also served as the executive dean of GWU's Virginia campus, and he helped to develop a strategic plan for the university. While at GWU, the focus of his research and teaching included advancement and finance in higher education and the role of black colleges and universities.

Wilson spent the first 16 years of his career at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), ultimately becoming the director of foundation relations and assistant provost, where he more than doubled the productivity of the office he managed and reached a record annual revenue stream of more than $50 million.

He received his bachelor’s degree from Morehouse and graduate degrees from Harvard University, including his master of theology and both a master’s and a doctoral degree in administration, planning and social policy. While working at MIT, he served as a teaching fellow in Harvard University’s Afro-American

since 1994, where Mel is highly respected by colleagues on both sides of the aisle as a consummate legislator with the vision to see what Congress can do to help make people’s lives better and the determination to move a good bill through the legislative process. Representative Watt is always respectful of opposing viewpoints and can often find common ground when others can find none. He is accepting, open-minded and collaborative – and he gets things done.”

Watt represents the Charlotte area, home base of behemoth Bank of America Corp. He becomes yet another high-profile African-American and the second North Carolinian nominated by Obama in three days to a top government post. On Monday, Obama nominated Anthony Foxx, mayor of Charlotte, to head the Transportation Department.

Watt, who has a consistently liberal voting record, is expected to face Republican opposition to his confirmation and Sen. Bob Corker, RTenn., was among the first to express disappointment.

The White House was already lining up supporters who might hold some sway with GOP senators.

“This gives new meaning to the adage that the fox is guarding the hen house,” Corker, a member of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, said in a written statement. “The debate around his nomination will illuminate for all Americans why Fannie and Freddie failed so miserably.”

Studies Department in its Graduate School of Education.

For 10 years, Wilson served as the president of the Greater Boston Morehouse College Alumni Association. In that role, he led an effort to raise more than half a million dollars toward scholarships and another half million dollars toward community outreach for his alumni chapter. In 1998, Morehouse awarded him the Benjamin Elijah Mays (Bennie) Award in Leadership.

Wilson recently has served as a consultant to the United Negro College Fund Institute for Capacity Building’s HBCU Institutional Advancement Program and on the Kresge Foundation’s Black College Advisory Board. From 1996 through 2000, he served as chairman of the Alumni Council of the Harvard Graduate School of Education. He has served on the boards of both the Samaritans and the Andover Newton Theological School.

He is married to Dr. Carol EspyWilson, an engineering professor at the University of Maryland, College Park. They have twin daughters and a son.

As the nation’s largest, private liberal arts college for men, Morehouse College was recently recognized as one of the top 100 Social Media Colleges

by Studentadvisor.com; as one of the top liberal arts college in the nation

by Washington Monthly; one of 45 “Best Buy” schools for 2011 by the Fiske Guide to Colleges; one of the nation’s Most Grueling Colleges in 2010 by The Huffington Post; and the number three HBCU in the nation for 2012 by U.S. News and World Report.

Thursday, May 9, 2013

11

5/2013

e v e n t CALENDAR L.A. Watts Times Calendar This Week 5/10 – 5/12 DERRICK’S JAMAICAN CUISINE: Come and visit Derricks Jamaican Cuisine for the best Mother’s Day special in town! Mom always shows you love.

Show her yours! Bring her to Mother’s Day weekend for only $17 per person. This wonderfully made meal includes: Festival Bread, Entree: BBQ Salmon or Spicy Shrimp, Rice & Beans and Healing Greens.

All mothers will also receive a complimentary: Mimosa and Slice of Lemon Cake.

Bring the family! WHEN: Mother’s Day weekend hours 11:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. May 10 – 12.

We are “Best for Taste and Best for Value.”

Additional Mimosas only $5 per glass. No plated brunch special this weekend. WHERE: Derrick's Jamaican Cuisine 6806 La Tijera

■

Compiled by Brandon I. Brooks, Managing Editor

Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90045. For more information call (310) 641-7572 or visit www.derricksjamaican.com.

INTERACTIVE BUDGET TOWN HALL: Join Assemblymember Steven Bradford and Next 10 for an interactive budget town hall meeting. Using the latest in audience-participation technology, you decide how much should be spent on programs and where the money should come from. Preview the Next 10 California Budget Challenge at www.next10.org/challenge. Open to residents of Gardena, Inglewood, Hawthorne, Lawndale, Lennox, El Segundo, Westchester/Playa, Marina del Rey, and Venice. WHEN: Saturday May 11, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Inglewood City Hall One West Manchester Blvd.

Inglewood, CA 90301.

Free parking is available at La Brea and Queen St. Light refreshments will be STEVE served. For more informaBRADFORD tion call 310-412-6400.

The Watts Labor Community Action Committee: Will pay tribute to Gilda GreenHagood for promoting 50 years of jazz in the city through programs like Jazz at Drew and Bones and Blues. WHEN: Saturday May 11, 4 p.m. – 9 p.m. WHERE: WLCAC (Watts Labor Community Action Committee) located at 10950 South Central Avenue in Los Angeles, CA 90059.

NDUGU Guests include Ndugu CHANCLER Chancler, Linda Miles, Charlie Chan and Retha Miles. Tickets are $50.00 at the door, $45.00 presale and $40 for groups of 10 or more. Call Gina Hardin at 323-273-8766, 323455-0847 or email ginahardin11@gmail.com for more information.

GILDA GREENHAGOOD

CSUN PRESENTS GRADUATE THESIS & OPEN STUDIOS: The CSUN Art Department and Art Galleries are having an opening reception for their Graduate Thesis & Open Studios. WHEN: Saturday May 11, 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. WHERE: Art and Design Center, off of Halstead St./ Lindley Ave. The exhibit will be open through June 1. Call 818-677-2156 or email michelle.giacopuzzi@csun.edu for more information.

Up & Coming 6/2 SECOND ANNUAL GOSPEL BRUNCH: Please join the Holman Community Development Corporation for an afternoon of soul-stirring music, fun, fellowship and great cuisine as we celebrate our our Second Annual Gospel Brunch. WHEN: Sunday, June 2. WHERE: The Crystal Rose, located at 9300 Jefferson Blvd. Culver City, CA 90232. Tickets are priced at $75 per person. For more information about ticket purchase, sponsorship opportunities or the Jobs for Kids program, please contact Nancy Harris at (323) 731-0140 or by email at homancdc@holmanumc.com.

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.

12

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Craig Is Good “Peeples” Craig Robinson The “Peeples” Interview Born in Chicago on October 25, 1971, Craig Robinson is currently appearing in the final season of “The Office” on NBC, where he portrays acerbic Dunder-Mifflin employee Darryl Philbin. He is definitely a world away from his original career intentions; before deciding to pursue a comedy career full-time, Robinson was a K-8 teacher in the Chicago Public Schools.

He had earned his undergraduate degree from Illinois State University and a Master’s in Education from St. Xavier University. It was while studying education that he discovered his love of acting and comedy upon joining the famed Second City Theatre.

Craig made his mark on the comedy circuit at the 1998 Montreal “Just for Laughs” Festival. That year, he also won the Oakland Comedy Festival Awards and the Miller Genuine Draft 1996 Comedy Search.

He soon went on to perform his act on “The Jimmy Kimmel Show” and on “Real Time with Bill Maher.”

His rise to success with “The Office” and his stand-up prowess quickly brought him to the attention of comedy maven Judd Apatow.

Robinson made audiences question

their notions of vanity, playing the sensitive bouncer in Knocked Up. He then kept audiences glued to their seats as one of the henchman hunting Seth Rogen and James Franco’s bumbling stoner characters in Pineapple Express, and made fans squirm when he co-starred with Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks in Zack and Miri Make A Porno.

In 2010, Craig starred alongside Rob Corddry and John Cusack in Hot Tub Time Machine. The story follows three men as they visit the hot tub where they once partied, accidentally discover it is now a time machine, and travel back to their raunchy heyday in the mid-1980s. Fans’ voices spoke loudly, and early negotiations are currently in progress for a sequel.

Here, he talks about his first leading man role as Wade Walker in Peeples, a comedy co-starring Kerry Washington.

LAWT: What interested you in Peeples?

CR: When I met with [director] Tina Gordon Chism, I was impressed with her passion about the project.

She had lived this experience of dating someone from a family with so many secrets, and watching them unravel. So, she knew what she was talking about. And when she let me know that Kerry Washington was playing the love interest, I went, “Okay, I’m in! Let’s go ahead and do it.”

LAWT: Harriet Pakula-Teweles says: You’ve done some great cameo and support roles, but now landed a lead role here. Congratulations! So, in Peeples, your fans will see more of you. How was it playing a main character and working with [producer] Tyler Perry?

CR: I worked with Tyler before on Daddy’s Little Girls. He couldn’t be smarter or more laid back and cool. He’s always throwing out lines and is funny as hell. And he was shin-

business card bulletin board

BY KAM WILLIAMS LAWT CONTRIBUTING WRITER

ing his light on Peeples, too, lending his name to showcase Tina as a firsttime director, and me as a first-time lead. I’m humbled and honored to work with him. He’s great!

LAWT: Editor/Legist Patricia Turnier would like to know what was it like to on the set with legendary actors like Diahann Carroll and Melvin Van Peebles?

CR: Diahann Carroll delivered a very moving speech at the start of the whole project, and Melvin pulled me aside on the set and told me to, “Stay strong!” in a way that carried considerable heft. These people are legends, and we couldn’t have been more thrilled about their participation in the movie and blessing it. It was superb.

LAWT: Patricia also says: Given that you are a singer, are you interested in recording an album one day?

CR: Yes I am. I have a sound. It’s called funk mixed with stank. That’s what I do.

LAWT: What’s it like having the same name as First Lady Michelle Obama’s brother?

CR: I was once dating a woman who got very upset after confusing the two of us when she found my picture next to his bio which indicated that he’s divorced with kids, and remarried. So, if you can imagine, that’s what it’s like.

LAWT: Larry Greenberg says: I'm just crazy about films with time travel. Where there any special issues or tricky scenes when you played Nick in Hot Tub Time Machine?

CR: Yes, there was a special issue. Her name was Jessica Paré. She was topless with me in the hot tub.

So, yes, that was a very special moment, and I watch the movie every night because of that scene.

LAWT: Dinesh Sharma asks: Do you think that your role describes a challenge most black men face today, of trying to fit into upper-class black society? Or was the movie just Meet

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Craig Robinson arrives at the world premiere of “Peeples” at the ArcLight Hollywood on Wednesday, May 8, 2013 in Los Angeles. the Parents with an African-American twist?

CR: Peeples is definitely not Meet the Parents. It’s more a movie about family secrets. It does explore class issues somewhat, but it’s mostly about living your own truth.

LAWT: What is your favorite dish to cook?

CR: I can bake the hell out of some chicken, my friend.

LAWT: The bookworm Troy Johnson question: What was the last book you read?

CR: Celestine Prophecies.

LAWT: The music maven Heather Covington question: What was the last song you listened to?

CR: Butterflies by Michael Jackson.

LAWT: The Uduak Oduok question: Who is your favorite clothes designer?

CR: JSLV, Just Live, it’s a company in California.

LAWT: When you look in the mirror, what do you see?

CR: Craig Robinson… I see growth.

LAWT: If you could have one wish instantly granted, what would that be for?

CR: To be able hug my deceased family members, friends and godfather.

LAWT: The Ling-Ju Yen question: What is your earliest childhood memory?

CR: Banging on the piano while my grandmother was watching me.

I’d run up to her and ask: “How was that, Grandma?” And she’d say, “That was beautiful, baby!” And I’d run back to the piano and play some more. I’m sure that’s why I still play today, because I was encouraged from such a young age, 2 or 3.

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

CR: Determination!

LAWT: The Mike Pittman question” asks: What was your best career move?

CR: Choosing my manager, Mark Schulman.

LAWT: PBS President Neal Shapiro asks: If you could really time travel and live in another period, which one would you choose?

CR: The Sixties, because it was the beginning of Rock & Roll. All the songs sounded alike, since they were using the same three chords, which would make it easy to hop out and rock.

LAWT: Is there any question no

one ever asks you, that you wish someone would?

CR: That’s a great question. I can’t think of one.

LAWT: The Viola Davis question: Who do you really believe you are when you go home as opposed to the person you pretend to be on the red carpet?

CR: The red carpet is weird because, when they don’t know who you are, you’re standing there posing and nobody’s taking pictures of you. And when they do know you, they’re calling your name from every which way and you don’t know in which direction to turn. For me, I’m more in control at home. On the carpet, I want to be in control, but it can be overwhelming.

LAWT: The Gabby Douglas question: If you had to choose another profession, what would it be?

CR: Rock star! Singing songs that the whole world knows, like my favorite band, Earth, Wind and Fire.

LAWT: The Anthony Mackie question: Is there something that you promised to do if you became famous, that you still haven’t done yet?

CR: No, because I don’t make promises unless I know I’m gonna keep ‘em.

LAWT: The Anthony Anderson question: If you could have a superpower, which one would you choose?

CR: Invisibility!

LAWT: The Jamie Foxx question: If you only had 24 hours to live, what would you do? Would you do the bad stuff, you never got a chance to do, or would you do good stuff to make sure you make it into heaven?

CR: I would live like I’m already living. If I couldn’t get to my family, I’d hit my favorite restaurant. I’d seize the moment.

LAWT: The Kerry Washington question: If you were an animal, what animal would you be?

CR: A whale.

LAWT: The Sanaa Lathan question: What excites you?

CR: The little things that let me know I’m on the right path, like running into an old friend, or getting into the car and catching an awesome song from the beginning.

LAWT: The Melissa HarrisPerry question: How did your first big heartbreak impact who you are as a person?

CR: I don’t get too close in relationships. I kinda have my arm out, {See CRAIG ROBINSON, Pg. 15}

Thursday, May 9, 2013

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Dancer says she gave Kirk Franklin headlines BET gospel celebration warnings about Jackson health LAWT NEWS SERVICE

AP PHOTO/MATT SAYLES, FILE

Katherine Jackson

BY ANTHONY MCCARTNEY ASSOCIATED PRESS A dancer who worked with Michael Jackson throughout his career testified on Wednesday that she told the director of Jackson’s illfated concert tour that she was worried about the singer's health.

Witness Alif Sankey told a jury deciding a lawsuit that the pop star appeared thin and unprepared in 2009 for the rigors of his planned comeback concerts known as “This Is It.” The singer showed up at one rehearsal with shoes that had holes in the soles, missed rehearsals and appeared much thinner than earlier in his career, Sankey testified.

Sankey showed jurors an email she wrote to tour director Kenny Ortega in early June 2009, urging him to try to improve Jackson’s health and spirits. She never got a direct reply but testified that Ortega raised the concerns with concert promoter AEG Live.

“Please help me help you to get him back into that Magical Light, please let me help you help him find what was lost, his GRAIL,” Sankey wrote to Ortega, who she had worked closely with for a number of years.

Testimony showed Ortega copied Sankey on several email messages that he sent to AEG executives about Jackson’s condition and the need for him to receive physical therapy and better nutrition.

“He requires more attention and management,” Ortega wrote in one email. “I truly believe he needs nourishment guidance and physical therapy (massage) for his fatigued muscles and injuries. He is not in great physical shape. I believe he's hurting.”

Sankey met Jackson while working on his 1987 video for “Smooth Criminal” and was an associate producer and planned to

dance onstage during “This Is It.” She was testifying at the trial of a negligent hiring lawsuit filed by Jackson’s mother against AEG Live LLC. Katherine Jackson claims AEG failed to properly investigate the doctor who was caring for her son and later administered a fatal dose of the anesthetic propofol to the singer in June 2009.

The promoter has denied wrongdoing and its attorneys have said the singer hid his addiction to propofol. Jackson's former physician, Conrad Murray, was convicted in 2011 of involuntary manslaughter.

Plaintiff's attorney Brian Panish asked Sankey about one message in which AEG executive Paul Gongaware told Ortega that he planned to talk to Murray.

“We want to remind him that it is AEG, not MJ who is paying his salary,” the message said. “We want him to understand what is expected of him.”

Sankey said she based some of her impressions of Jackson over the years on how he felt when they hugged.

“When I hugged him, he just felt like marble,” Sankey said about Jackson early in his career. “But when I hugged, when I saw him briefly in 2006, he didn’t feel like that anymore. He felt thin.”

On cross-examination, Sankey acknowledged that her impressions were formed from brief interactions with the singer and she never had a long conversation with him.

She was, however, trusted enough to be around Jackson’s children, whose privacy he fiercely protected.

Sankey testified that Paris Jackson once shared a secret, saying she didn’t want her father to find out about candy stuffed inside her purse.

There were also several tiny pictures inside her purse — all of her father.

An exciting line up is set for the ‘Sunday Best Live’ featuring Kirk Franklin and Friends gospel celebration at Club Nokia on Sunday, June 30.

The event is part of the BET Experience, an exciting weekend featuring concerts at Staples Center, Nokia Theatre L.A. Live, Club Nokia, along with the BET Film Festival, Fan Festival, live tapings of ‘106 & PARK,’ The BET GRAMMY® Museum exhibit, Music Matters Stage, BET Revealed Seminars and the BET Awards.

In addition, the L.A. Sentinel will present ‘A Taste of the Taste of Soul’ showcasing a wide range of vendors.

The concert and worship experience will feature gospel great Donnie McClurkin, who will be delivering an inspirational sermon, as well as performances by the legendary gospel singers Karen ClarkSheard and Kiera Sheard of BET’s ‘The Sheards.’

Also, Le’Andria Johnson, Amber Bullock and Joshua Rogers, all past season winners of the BET hit television competition, are also slated to perform.

Kirk Franklin For the first time ever, tickets to the BET Awards show are available to the public through VIP ticket pack-

ages. For more information and to purchase concert tickets and VIP packages, visit BETExperience.com.

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Thursday, May 9, 2013

Gay NBA player Collins seeks book deal (AP) — Jason Collins, the NBA veteran who last week announced he

was gay, is seeking a book deal, The Associated Press has learned.

AP PHOTO/OWN, CHUCK HODES

This May 1, 2013 photo released by OWN shows host Oprah Winfrey posing with NBA basketball player Jason Collins during an interview for “Oprah’s Next Chapter,” in Beverly Hills, Calif. The interview aired Sunday.

Officials at three publishing houses said Monday, May 6, that they had been contacted about a planned memoir by Collins, the first active player in any of four major U.S. professional sports leagues to come out as gay.

Officials at three publishing houses said Monday that they had been contacted about a planned memoir by Collins, the first active player in any of four major U.S. professional sports leagues to come out as gay. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the proceedings.

The officials said Collins was working on the book with Sports Illustrated's Franz Lidz, to whom he broke the news that he was gay, and was being represented by Kristine Dahl of International Creative Management. Dahl did not immediately respond to phone and email messages left by the AP. At least one publisher turned down the book, said one official, who noted the extensive media coverage of Collins and expressed concern that his story already has been told.

Earlier Monday, the Democratic National Committee announced Collins would headline its annual lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender gala, on May 29. President Barack Obama, a Democrat, has phoned the 34-year-old athlete to praise him for his courage.

Collins, who has played for six teams during 12 seasons, was most recently a center for the Washington Wizards. He becomes a free agent on July 1.

Rodman to Kim: ‘Do me a solid’ and free American THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Former NBA star Dennis Rodman is tapping his friendship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to ask for the release of a Korean-American man sentenced to 15 years of hard labor in the North.

“I’m calling on the Supreme Leader of North Korea or as I call him ‘Kim’, to do me a solid and cut Kenneth Bae loose,” Rodman said on Twitter. He later called the tweet a direct response to a Seattle Times editorial that dared him to ask Kim for the release if the two are really buddies.

Rodman visited North Korea in February and sat next to Kim as they watched an exhibition basketball game. His trip came at a time of high tension between Pyongyang and Washington and was not endorsed by the U.S. State Department.

Bae is a tour operator who was arrested in North Korea in November. The North’s Supreme Court sentenced him last week for unspecified “hostile acts” against the state. In a Foreign Ministry

AP PHOTO/ABC TELEVISION, LORENZO BEVILACQUA

In this Sunday March 3, 2013, photo provided by ABC television “This Week” host George Stephanopoulos, left, interviews former NBA star Dennis Rodman, just back from a visit with North Korea’s young leader Kim Jong Un, in studio in New York. Kim Jong Un doesn’t really want war with the superpower, just a call from President Barack Obama to chat about their shared love of basketball, says erstwhile diplomat Rodman. “He loves basketball. ... I said Obama loves basketball. Let’s start there as a way to warm up relations between U.S. and North Korea,” Rodman said.

RG3’s pink cleats, photos raise $33K for charity

AP PHOTO/RICK OSENTOSKI

Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III

Robert Griffin III’s knee is still feeling fine. His ability to turn a room upside down is better than ever.

The Washington Redskins quarterback made an appearance - and quite an impact - Wednesday at a luncheon for the American Cancer Society. He raised $33,000 in a matter of minutes, more than half of the $60,000 tallied during the auction portion of the fundraiser.

The crowning moment came when a man from Texas paid $15,000 for a pair of pink cleats worn by Griffin in a game last season.

“You don't think that a pair of cleats can make that kind of difference,” Griffin said. “But I guess they were highly sought-after.”

Eighteen people then paid $1,000 each to pose with Griffin for a photograph that the quarterback will sign. He flashed his charismatic smile for each and every flash of the camera.

The guest of honor was Tanya

Snyder, wife of Redskins owner Dan Snyder. A breast cancer survivor, Tanya Snyder received the society's Mother of the Year award.

The Snyders’ 17-year-old daughter Tiffanie gave a moving a tearful tribute to her mother and presented a slide show of intimate family photographs, offering a rare display of the media-shy owner’s personal side.

“I was going to cry,” Griffin said. “I think everybody got a little choked up.”

Overall, the event raised some $400,000 for cancer research.

Griffin also showed up his playful side, flashing bunny ears behind his fiancee as they posed with Tanya Snyder. And, of course, there was the inevitable football question: How’s the rehab coming along with his surgically reconstructed right knee?

“I’m doing great. The knee feels fine,” said Griffin, whose stated goal is to return by Week 1 of the regular season. “It’s about taking it slow, and each day is a better day because the knee feels better and you do more things. It’s just a process that I'm going through.”

statement on Sunday, North Korea said the 44-year-old Washington state man entered the country with a disguised identity.

Bae is at least the sixth American detained in North Korea since 2009. The others eventually were deported or released, some after trips to Pyongyang by prominent Americans, including former U.S. presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter.

North Korea’s Foreign Ministry rejected speculation that it was seeking a U.S. envoy to negotiate Bae’s release, saying he is not a political bargaining chip.

Analysts have said North Korea may be using Bae as bait to open direct negotiations with the United States over its nuclear arms programs. Bae’s sentencing came dur-

ing a lull after weeks of threats of war from Pyongyang against the U.S. and South Korea.

The U.S. has called for the North to immediately release Bae. It relies on Swedish diplomats in Pyongyang to deal with Bae’s case because the North and the U.S. have no formal diplomatic relations after the 1950-53 Korean War ended in a truce instead of a peace treaty.

North Korea has not described the exact nature of Bae’s alleged crimes. Friends say Bae is a devout Christian and tour operator based in China who traveled frequently to North Korea to feed orphans.

Rodman said after his trip to North Korea that he planned to return in August to vacation with Kim, a diehard basketball fan.

BY JOSEPH WHITE AP SPORTS WRITER

Thursday, May 9, 2013

15

Assata Shakur {Continued from page 4} disgraced former longtime head of the FBI J. Edgar Hoover.”

A 1988 article in the Washington Post noted that, between 1973 and 1977, Shakur was indicted ten times for a variety of offenses including bank robbery, kidnapping and murder.

Three trials resulted in her acquittal; one trial resulted in a hung jury; three of the indictments against her were dismissed without trial; and she was convicted in the death of Trooper Foerster after a change of venue to a New York county where all of the jury members on the trial were white.

Forensic evidence submitted at Shakur’s trial showed that she had been shot while her hands where raised in the air, and that her wounds precluded her from holding or firing a weapon.

In 1998, as then-Pope John Paul II made preparations to visit to the island of Cuba – the first time a religious leader from the Vatican had ever visited the island since its 1959 revolution – the New Jersey State Police wrote the pontiff requesting that he pressure former President Fidel Castro to return Shakur to the U.S. Alongside of that request was a resolution from the U.S. House of Representatives that called on Cuba to extradite Shakur and others who had fled the United States seeking asylum from political persecution.

Cong. Maxine Waters (D-CA, 43rd), initially voted in favor of the resolution but issued a retraction the next day, saying that the legislation referred to Shakur by her birth name of Joanne Chesimard and that the measure had been “quietly slipped [onto an] accelerated suspension calendar reserved for non-controversial legislation” by Republicans.

In her 1998 statement Waters said that she supported the right of Cuba to grant political asylum to persons just as she supported the right of the U.S. to grant asylum to others, and that she

Social Security {Continued from page 4} cut to their income after 30 years using chained CPI. According to the report, the coming reductions will result in about $3 lost for every $1,000 in benefits. That amounts to a lot for the African Americans over 65 who receive about $13,000 a year in benefits.

Although President Obama has proposed to protect “the most vulnerable Americans,” including those over 76 and beneficiaries who receive benefits for longer periods of time, Mikki Waid, AARP senior strategic policy advisor, says older African Americans won’t reap the benefits of being protected.

“African Americans don’t live as long, so even though the president has proposed these bump ups, an African American male that has made it to 65 is only expected to live to 81, women to 84,” Waid says.

“They aren’t going to benefit from the protections.

Waid adds, “The fact that they decided to exempt some individuals makes you wonder if it’s a more

Obayashi | Shimmick |Webcor, a Joint Venture, is Requesting Professional Services Proposals from CERTIFIED DBEs AND OTHER SMALL BUSINESS FIRMS for CONSTRUCTION MANAGER / GENERAL CONTRACTOR (CMGC) SIXTH STREET VIADUCT REPLACEMENT PROJECT CITY OF LOS ANGELES DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS BUREAU OF ENGINEERING BID DEADLINE: MAY 23, 2013 Opportunities include Professional Services, including but not limited to: Construction Management, Scheduling, Cost Estimating, M.E.P. Coordination Services, Project Controls, Safety, Quality Assurance/Quality Control, Engineering Services and Constructability Services A copy of the proposal is available for download at LA Business Assistance Virtual Network website (http://labavn.org). You can also request a copy by sending an email to julia@webcor.com.

We reserve the right to require all subcontractors/consultants to provide financial information and/or furnish 100% performance and payment bonds from a U.S. Treasury listed surety. Any premium costs to be included as a separate item. At our discretion, a bid bond and/or letter of bondability from a U.S. Treasury listed surety may be required. Obayashi |Shimmick | Webcor, a JV is an equal opportunity employer requesting proposals from all interested MBE/WBE/SBE/EBE/DBE/DVBE/OBE firms. Please note that certain trades may require Prequalification. Proposers are required to execute the joint venture’s standard agreement, including all standard provisions without modification. Willing to assist all MBE/WBE/OBE firms in obtaining bonds, lines of credit and/or insurance. If interested in participating in this project, contact Julia Gray at 213.239.2848.

Proposals with updated minority certification are due Thursday, May 23, 2013. Obayashi |Shimmick | Webcor, a JV will accept proposals faxed to 213.402.2244 with a hardcopy to follow by mail.

Obayashi |Shimmick | Webcor, a JV 550 South Hope Street, Suite 2100 Los Angeles, CA 90071 213-239-2800 | Fax 213-402-2244 Julia Gray | labids@webcor.com

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER ADOPTION OF CONGESTION MITIGATION FEE PROGRAM AS THE COUNTYWIDE CONGESTION MANAGEMENT PROGRAM DEFICIENCY PLAN The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is holding a public hearing on May 23, 2013 to consider adoption of a Congestion Mitigation Fee Program to meet the Deficiency Plan requirements of the Los Angeles County Congestion Management Program (CMP) in accordance with California Government Code Sections 65088 et seq. Conformance with the CMP, including preparation of a Deficiency Plan, is required by State statute in order for local jurisdictions to receive gas tax funds authorized by the voters pursuant to Proposition 111. This hearing is held in accordance with the California Government Code (paragraph (a), Section 65089.4, and paragraph (a), Section 66018), which provide that prior to adoption of a Deficiency Plan or a mitigation fee program, MTA shall hold a noticed public hearing to receive oral or written comments. All comments received will be compiled and submitted to the MTA Board of Directors for their consideration prior to final determination regarding adoption of the Congestion Mitigation Fee Program as the Countywide CMP Deficiency Plan. The final determination of the Board of Directors is scheduled during the Board meeting on May 23, 2013.

Written comments on this matter will be accepted through 12:00 pm on May 22, 2013. All comments should be addressed to: Stacy Alameida, Transportation Planning Manager, Long Range Planning, MTA, One Gateway Plaza, Mail Stop 99-23-2, Los Angeles, CA 90012-2952.

Comments may also be emailed to alameidas@metro.net.

An Equal Opportunity Employer

The Public Hearing will be held on: May 23, 2013 9:00 am Board Room - 3rd Floor One Gateway Plaza Los Angeles, CA

supported Shakur’s right to seek to also seek asylum.

“In a sad and shameful chapter of our history, during the 1960s and 1970s, many civil rights, Black Power and other politically active groups were secretly targeted by the FBI for prosecution based on their political beliefs. The groups and individuals targeted included Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Cesar Chavez, officials of the American Friends Service Committee, National Council of Churches and other civil rights, religious and peace movement leaders,” Waters said in her 1998 statement. “However, the most vicious and reprehensible acts were

taken against the leaders and organizations associated with the Black Power or Black Liberation Movement …

This illegal, clandestine political persecution was wrong in 1973, and remains wrong today.

Attempts to reach Cong. Waters for a statement on this recent development in Shakur’s case were not successful by press time.

According to Simmons, the FBI could better utilize its time and resources writing those exact wrongs.

“There are plenty of criminals that work for the FBI that they could chase after, who have caused the deaths and false imprisonment of

activists over the years such as Fred Hampton, Mark Clark, Bunchy Carter, John Huggins, Geronimo Pratt and many others, Simmons said. “Go find them and bring them to justice.”

Activists nationwide have scheduled a week of teach-ins from June 2nd – 9th to discuss the case of Shakur and other victims of the FBI’s CounterIntelligence Programs.

Information on those activities can be found at www.assatateachin.com. A teach-in has been scheduled for the Los Angeles, with the location and time to be determined. Interestd persons can call 424-200-4968 for further information.

accurate cost of living adjustment.

Is it really an accurate inflation measure of older Americans?”

The report finds, it isn’t.

A large portion of retirement income goes toward medical expenses, figures that are not considered in the chained CPI adjustment.

The average 65-year-old couple retiring will need $240,000 to cover future medical costs, according to Fidelity Investments, which tracks retiree health care costs. The median annual income for African Americans on Social Security is $14,400.

The report also finds that African Americans will be the most negatively impacted by the switch to chained-CPI because they have much less wealth that could be used to supplement the reduction in Social Security.

“As a result of racial wealth disparities, African Americans will be negatively affected by implementation of the chained CPI regardless of the non-means tested federal program from which they receive their benefits,” said Maya Rockeymoore, president and CEO of the Center for Global Policy Solutions . “With pre-

cious few other assets to help meet expenses, African Americans will experience deeper economic pain as a result of the chained CPI.” In 2010, Whites had six times the wealth of their African American counterparts, according to a new Urban Institute report. Whites who were age 32-40 in 1983 had an average family wealth of $184,000, a figure that rose to $1.1 million in 2010. Blacks, in comparison, had an average family wealth of $54,000 in 1983, which had only grown to $161,000 in 2010, when both groups were nearing retirement age.

Blacks have historically started off with less wealth than their White counterparts, and on average have not reached equal levels of wealth by retirement. Factors such as low wages, high unemployment, and lesser job opportunities have contributed to Blacks inability to accrue enough wealth to keep such large portions of the community from being solely dependent on Social Security into retirement.

The Great Recession, however, also lead to an increased loss of wealth within the African American community, especially in terms of retirement savings. Blacks, accord-

ing to the Urban Institute report, lost about 35 percent of their retirement assets during the recession, while White families saw an increase.

A major problem, Waid finds, with chained CPI is that the negative impact to benefits will take affect immediately.

“Chained CPI will effect beneficiaries immediately and it will effect

all beneficiaries,” Waid says.

She adds that because of this, unfortunately, there is little one can do to prepare.

“It’ll affect them now,” Waid reiterates. “But really what can you do? If you’re an African American 70-year-old woman, I wish I could tell them something they could do, but I just can’t.”

Craig Robinson

I am. It’s a chance for me to be connected. Whenever I’m performing live, the first thing I look for is to make a connection.

LAWT: What is your favorite way of performing?

CR: I’m in my element when I’m alone on stage with a microphone and a keyboard.

LAWT: What advice do you have for anyone who wants to follow in your footsteps?

CR: Be yourself, because you’re special. There’s only one of you.

Second, be tenacious, visualize success, and then live it. And remember everything you learned in kindergarten.

LAWT: The Tavis Smiley question: How do you want to be remembered?

CR: As a joy!

{Continued from page 12} like the Heisman trophy, because I don’t want to hurt somebody the way I was hurt.

LAWT: The Harriet PakulaTeweles question: With so many classic films being redone, is there a remake you'd like to star in with an eye toward a particular role.

CR: Yeah, Cannonball Run. LAWT: Attorney Bernadette Beekman asks: Do you have a favorite charity?

CR: No, I don’t.

LAWT: The Nancy Lovell Question: Why do you love doing what you do?

CR: Because it brings me closer to people, and it lets me explore who

To receive a copy of the Pilot Nexus Study Reports, Nexus Analysis Methodology, or any other document regarding adoption of the Congestion Mitigation Fee Program as the Countywide CMP Deficiency Plan please contact Stacy Alameida at (213) 922-7414 or visit our website at http:// www.metro.net/projects/congestion_ mgmt_pgm/projects_programs_cmp/ For more information regarding the public hearing, please call Stacy Alameida at (213) 922-7414 or email at alameidas@metro.net.

The Board Room is accessible to persons with disabilities CNS#2481870

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Thursday, May 9, 2013

The Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southern California are proud to support the success of the African American Future Achievers Scholarship recipients.

©2013 McDonald’s.

www.rmhcsc.org