LAWT 07-28-2011

W E E K E N D E R

L.A. Watts Times Vol. XXX, No. 1242

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S E E PAG E S

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HOROSCOPES

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RIES ~ 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.

AURUS ~ 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.

EMINI ~ 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.

ANCER ~ 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.

EO ~ Celebrate! It’s summertime!

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.

IRGO ~ 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.

IBRA ~ 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.

CORPIO ~ 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.

AGITTARIUS ~ 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.

APRICORN ~ 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.

QUARIUS ~ 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.

ISCES ~ 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.

L.A. Watts Times WEEKENDER Published Weekly – Updates 3800 S. Crenshaw Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90008 Administration – Sales – Graphics – Editorial 323.299.3800 - office 323.291.6804 - fax Beverly Cook – Publisher, Managing Editor 1976 – 1993 Charles Cook – Publisher, 1976 – 1998 Melanie Polk – Publisher 1998 – 2010 WWW.LAWATTSTIMES.COM Danny J. Bakewell, Sr. ..........Executive Publisher & Executive Editor Brenda Marsh Mitchell ................................Executive Vice President Tracy Mitchell........................................................................Controller Brandon I. Brooks ............................................Co – Managing Editor Yussuf J. Simmonds..........................................Co – Managing Editor Joy Childs....................................................................Assistant Editor Bernard Lloyd....................................................Director of Advertising Benjamin Samuels ..............................................Production Designer Chris Martin ........................................................Production Designer EMAIL: lawattsnus@aol.com Circulation ................................................................................50,000 The opinions expressed by contributing writers are not necessarily those of the L.A. Watts Times.

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CIRCULATION AUDIT BY CIRCULATION VERIFICATION COUNCIL

Inside This Edition

Black Facts July 27,1962 Martin Luther King Jr. is jailed in Albany, GA.

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July 28, 1868 The 14th Amendment, making Blacks citizens, is passed.

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July 29, 1919 The first convention of the National Association of Negro Musicians is held in Chicago. It awards its first scholarship to a young Marian Anderson.

Source: blackfacts.com

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Inmates on hunger strike say they would rather die than suffer inhumane treatment

BY CHARLENE MUHAMMAD AND JAMO MUHAMMAD SPECIAL TO THE NNPA FROM THE FINAL CALL (FinalCall.com) — National and international support for California inmates who initiated a hunger strike to protest inhumane treatment has increased with urgency following reports of deteriorating health conditions.

Inmates housed in the Security Housing Unit (SHU) at the supermaximum Pelican Bay Prison have refused food for 19 days thus far, declaring that they are prepared to die rather than suffer inhumane conditions behind bars.

They told loved ones they simply want to serve their time in dignity and issued their five core demands by letter to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), Gov. Edmund “Jerry” Brown and G.D. Lewis, Pelican Bay warden: • Eliminate group punishments • Abolish the debriefing policy and modify active/inactive gang status criteria • Comply with the recommendations of the U.S. Commission on Safety and Abuse in Prisons (2006) regarding an end to long-term solitary confinement • Provide adequate food • Expand and provide constructive programs and privileges for indefinite SHU inmates.

“The message we should receive is the fact that these guys are united around this issue and also the type of torture that’s been going on for decades within not only California prisons, but other prisons as well.

“America puts forth this face that it’s this humane society that doesn’t

abuse any of its citizens when in actuality that’s not the case,” said Jitu Sadiki of the Black Awareness Community Development Organization, which works to eradicate violence impacting youth and communities.

What’s also important to note is that the strike was organized under extreme isolation across racial lines and geographic lines, said Isaac Ontiveros of Critical Resistance and a spokesperson for the Prison Hunger Strike Solidarity Coalition.

“They say they are slowly dying anyway by virtue of the conditions that they live under, that they might as well die for a cause, die to put the prison and the CDCR in the position where there is a clamor, a demand statewide, nationwide and worldwide for change,” said Barbara Becnel, activist, author and filmmaker, who is also part of a fivemember mediation team for the Pelican Bay SHU inmates.

By the 12th day of the strike, their health had rapidly worsened, Ms. Becnel told The Final Call.

“We just got word from connections we have at the prison that the prisoners are not even drinking water so as a consequence, they’re in bad shape.

Some of them are on the verge of renal failure,” she continued.

According to the Coalition, some prisoners have been unable to make urine for three days and some are having measured blood sugars in the 30 range, which can be fatal if not treated.

“The men are going to start dying and my son could be one of them and I’m terrified. I’m sick at work, not even working to my full capability because I’m so distraught with the mental anguish of what they’re going through,” said Dolores Canalas, who’s 36-year-old son John Martinez

authored the June 12 demand letter to prison officials. He has been in the SHU for more than 10 years, she said.

Prison officials refuted reports of deteriorating health conditions. “No one has died. No one’s in critical condition, no renal failure, no transfer to a CTC (critical unit inside the prison).

For the most part, everyone seems to be fine,” said Nancy Kincaid, a spokesperson for the CDCR’s California Prison Healthcare Services. Kincaid continued that no inmates are refusing fluids or medications and that nurses conduct visual checks, sometimes two to four times a day, depending on the institution, to ensure people are not in conditions that require treatment.

“They have the right to refuse food. They have the right to refuse treatment. They have the right to starve themselves to death if they choose to ...

Physicians are bound by their ethics, which means they have to do what the patient requires of them and if the patient refused treatment, they won’t treat them ... They will not force- feed anybody,” Kincaid added.

Demand negotiations When asked if CDCR officials were negotiating or planned to begin talks with the inmates about their concerns, Terry Thornton, CDCR deputy press secretary, told The Final Call that it received the demands quite some time ago and evaluated each of them thoroughly. There were just some things it could do nothing about, like an extra day of visiting, a combined TV/radio unit or additional cable TV, for instance, she said.

But activists argue that the inmates’ demands are not trivial as prison officials have made them out to be, and they’ve launched an online petition to raise awareness and support. The

Family members, activists and other supporters rally in support of inmates. petition had garnered 6,000 signatures at Final Call press time.

“If a person is guilty of some crime, they’re paying for that through their incarceration—but to enhance that by subjecting them to inhumane conditions, it may make some people feel good that they’re being punished but that extracurricular stuff that goes on is beyond what their original sentence was,” Sadiki cautioned. He said that CDCR claims that inmates in the SHU are the worst of the worst, non-rehabilitative, amounts to misinformation and propaganda. Prison officials say the cells are used to house inmates who commit crimes that endanger the safety of others or the security of institutions, such as prison gang members accused of murder or attempted murder of another inmate.

Sadiki said that, like himself, many inmates are put in the SHU because of their political views, not a propensity to any violence. He served approximately five years in the SHU at

Soledad State Prison in the 1970s.

“I’ve lived with these men and the misinformation that the CDCR is putting out is not factual ... These are brothers that would stand up to abuse and not accept (it) and, as a result, our time was extended to an indeterminate sentence in the SHU program,” Sadiki countered.

He said Pelican Bay is a new monster that is designed to break men’s spirits. “Many of the men in the SHU have been there for over 30 years. To say there’s no redemptive factors about them is untrue. A lot of them have supported me since I’ve been home. I’ve been deeply entrenched. I’ve adopted and raised three young children who are now adults, and I’m raising my biological children. What I represent is much of what they represent, but because they made the decision not to allow themselves to be abused, they’ve come up with a new game plan that if they can’t break them physically, they’ll break

See HUNGER STRIKE, page 11

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Thursday, July 28, 2011

NAACP Chairman: “The Future is calling.

With courage, the NAACP will answer.”

Roslyn M. Brock outlines how to “affirm America’s promise” in her second-ever convention keynote address.

Brock is the youngest person and fourth woman to hold the position of NAACP Chairman. Her speech was preceded by an address from California Gov. Jerry Brown. For a copy of the speech, please open the attached document. ???

Brock ended her speech with a call to courage: “It will take courage to do what is right, and I believe at this hour, this generation who sits in the board room when our parents sat in the mailroom; this generation, who sleeps in hotel suites when our parents merely swept the streets; this generation, who drives Bentleys,

Porsches, Mercedes and Jags, when their parents had nothing but filthy rag—courage will not skip this generation! If you remember nothing else, remember this: The future is calling—and with courage, the NAACP will answer!”

Founded in 1909, the NAACP is the nation's oldest and largest civil rights organization. Its members throughout the United States and the world are the premier advocates for civil rights in their communities, conducting voter mobilization and monitoring equal opportunity in the public and private sectors.

AP Photo/Mary Altaffer

The face of the future: Roslyn M. Brock, youngest board chairman in the history of the NAACP. She continues a youth movement for the nation’s oldest civil rights organization. struggle against segregation, have been at the forefront of the NAACP’s mission since its inception.

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(LOS ANGELES, CA) – With her keynote address at the first public mass meeting of the 102nd Annual NAACP Convention, NAACP Chairman Roslyn M. Brock set the tone for the coming year and implored the audience to go forward with courage in the fight for justice and equality. In just her second keynote address since her 2010 election, Brock laid out three areas of focus for the NAACP: the economy, health care and education.

“Three critical systems that should add quality and stability to the lives of all Americans are in trouble: our economic system, our health insurance system, and our education system,” stated Brock. “We are all concerned about many issues, but without fortifying these fundamental systems of community well-being, the others may not matter.”

On the economy, Brock deplored the disproportionately high black unemployment rate and called for a more equitable economic system to close the wealth gap. She praised the work of the NAACP Financial Freedom Center in empowering citizens with financial tools and education.

Brock called on NAACP members to rally behind a strong universal health care system, and support Medicaid and Medicare as politicians try to defund them. She highlighted the Health Department’s work in sounding the alarm on childhood obesity and the HIV/AIDS crisis.

Finally, Brock reaffirmed the

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Urban League Crenshaw2China Program Urban League chief: Wealth gap a ‘wake-up call’ students return from “a mission of hope” minorities has wiped out gains made over the last 30 years and could foreshadow even more inequality if BOSTON (AP) — The widen- something isn’t done to address it, ing wealth gap between Whites and National Urban League President and CEO Marc Morial told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

Speaking the day before the National Urban League began its annual convention, Morial said new census data analyzed by the Pew Research Center shows that Blacks and Latinos have especially been hit hard by the economic meltdown. He said the report is a “wake-up call” that those communities need more investments for long-term job creation.

“A paramount issue for this nation for the 21st century is to ensure the narrowing and closing of the racial wealth gap,” said Morial, a former mayor of New Orleans. “It has deep social implications. It has deep political implications.”

According to an analysis of AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta new census data, wealth gaps President Marc Morial and the National between Whites and minorities Urban League will continue to tackle have grown to their widest levwhat they view as the primary sources of els in a quarter-century, leaving inequality—jobs and job creation—at whites on average with 20 times their annual convention in Boston.

See WEALTH GAP, page 10

BY RUSSELL CONTRERAS ASSOCIATED PRESS

Crenshaw High students met with execs of color working abroad and presented African American culture to fellow Chinese students.

BY TASIA SMITH WATTS TIMES INTERN The 35 Crenshaw High students on the Los Angeles Urban League-organized Crenshaw2China educational trip returned recently from the adventure of a lifetime.

The 10-day trip, sponsored by Starbucks, Mattel and UPS, among others, was developed to cultivate students’ leadership abilities and broaden their horizons to economic opportunities outside of Los Angeles.

The students traveled to

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Beijing and Shanghai, engaging in cultural and educational activities as well as visiting some of the sponsors’ operations in China to gain exposure to international business.

They also met with Chinese students from Beijing’s Renmin See CRENSHAW2CHINA, page 10

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Let ’s keep moving.

First5California.com/parents The more active they are now, the less chance they’ll develop serious health problems, like obesity, heart disease and Type 2 diabetes.

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Thursday, July 28, 2011

F E AT U R E

L.A. Watts Times WEEKENDER

Obama’s Willingness to Compromise The White House and Capitol Hill Meets with GOP Denials at a historic budget standstill

by Yussuf J. Simmonds | Co-Managing Editor

As the debt ceiling debate rages on in the nation’s capital, there appears to be no apparent end in sight. Will August 2nd (budget D-Day) come and go without resolution? The President, the Speaker of the House and the leaders in the House and Senate are all issuing brief statements about the process, but there’s no light at the end of the budget tunnel.

While President Barack Obama is pursuing a lastditch plan to raise the U.S. debt ceiling in a meaningful way so that the present economic predicament does not recur—to prevent a default that many believe could plunge global financial markets into chaos—Speaker John Boehner seems trapped between the proverbial rock and a hard place. Some say between the tea party and reality.) And while the President is focused on a comprehensive, longterm deficit reduction deal, talks about the debt are at a standstill with just a few days before the federal government will be in default, unable to pay its bills.

There have been many instances in the past where presidents have called for raising the debt ceiling, and those instances had barely shown up on the media or the public radar. (The past four presidents former presidents—Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush—have

all gotten the green light—without a fight—to raise the nation’s debt .)

However, throughout his term in oƥce, President Obama has had to undergo an array of double standards: from questions about his place of birth to queries about his school transcript; from the nature of his religion to his residential real estate transaction to disrespectful disruptions during his state-ofthe-union address. And the distractions keep coming.

Now, it is the debt ceiling. Historically, the party that is not in the White House has always treated the presidency with the respect it deserves, but this president has been shadowed by scurrilous accusations, shenanigans and innuendoes from day one. It is as though the GOP and others are not interested in allowing him to be the president—an oƥce for which he campaigned and won decisively. As one of the Southern GOP Senators stated publicly, “We want this to be a one-term presidency.”

In modern times, President Obama has shown a remarkable amount of statesmanship in reaching out to the GOP in order to facilitate compromise.

For the most part, most of his eơorts have fallen on deaf GOP ears. In an open letter to House Speaker John Boehner, Blair Taylor, president of the Los An-

geles Urban League, stated in part, “In times of crisis, great leaders lead. And in our nation under our current system of government, great leaders must also compromise. Nowhere is this more true than in times of crisis. Don’t allow the village to be burned to the ground so that you can later assert some false principle to the ashes of our financial system. No one will reward you then for burning the village to save it.”

Last Monday in a final eơort, the President took to the nation’s airwaves seeking the people’s help in reaching a workable resolution to the crisis. In part, he said, “ … For the last decade, we’ve spent more money than we take in. In the year 2000, the government had a budget surplus. But instead of using it to pay oơ our debt, the money was spent on trillions of dollars in new tax cuts, while two wars and an expensive prescription drug program were simply added to our nation’s credit card.

“As a result, the deficit was on track to top $1 trillion the year I took oƥce. To make matters worse, the recession meant that

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Thursday, July 28, 2011

House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio waits to speak during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, July 12, 2011, as the budget talks continued.

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President Barack Obama talks about the ongoing budget negotiations, Thursday, July, 7, 2011, in the briefing room at the White House in Washington.

President Barack Obama sits next to House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio, left, in the Cabinet Room of the White House, Saturday, July 23, 2011, in Washington, as they meet to discuss the debt.

there was less money coming in, and it required us to spend even more—on tax cuts for middle-class families to spur the economy; on unemployment insurance; on aid to states so we could prevent more teachers and firefighters and police oƥcers from being laid oơ. These emergency steps also added to the deficit … ” In his response to the President’s speech, Speaker Boehner made it clear that he had had enough of “business as usual,” that he could not hand President Obama the “blank check” that he had been requesting for so long. Speaker Boehner also added: “The president wouldn’t take yes for an answer.”

Those generalities are what prompted others to chime in with their responses to the entire fiasco in Washington, D.C. that is masquerading as a debate.

Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II, chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, stated, “It is clear that the unemployment numbers throughout the country require eơective legislation and tangible action to address the

crisis. To address the unemployment crisis and the need for job creation solutions in underserved communities, the CBC has called upon the private and public sectors to immediately remedy the crisis by going into communities with legitimate, immediate employment opportunities for the underserved.”

U.S. Rep. Karen Bass (CA-33) released the following statement: “President Obama is fighting to protect middle-class families, preserve Social Security and Medicare, and is tackling these problems now and not down the road. At every turn, he has led and confronted the challenges before the nation, while his Republican negotiating partners have walked away from talks or put forth ideas that harm the middle class and reward corporate elites.

An agreement must be reached now and President Obama continues to show the nation that he has the toughness and willingness to lead us forward responsibly. The President is right: All Americans must call on their elected representatives and demand an end to this hostage taking by the Republican leadership. We need a path forward and President Obama is showing us the way.”

After a meeting with the President, Marc H. Morial, president and CEO of the National Urban League, had this to say: “This past week, NAACP

President Ben Jealous and I forcefully entered the debt ceiling debate during a meeting with President Obama in the Oval Oƥce. During our meeting, we made it clear that as a final deal is hammered out to raise the debt ceiling and prevent the nation from defaulting on August 2, no steps should be taken that will shred the social safety net—the last line of economic defense for millions of working class and middle class Americans. With African American unemployment at 16.2 percent and the jobless rate for Hispanics also in double digits at 11.6 percent, it would be unconscionable to cut Social Security, Medicaid or Medicare benefits, education, job training or housing services now, especially while businesses and wealthy Americans are protected from any tax increase.”

At the end of his urgent plea to all of America, President Obama said, “History is scattered with the stories of those who held fast to rigid ideologies and refused to listen to those who disagreed. But those are not the Americans we remember. We remember the Americans who put country above self and set personal grievances aside for the greater good. We remember the Americans who held this country together during its most diƥcult hours, who put aside pride and party to form a more perfect union.”

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Thursday, July 28, 2011

Black farmers still face political hurdles to discrimination settlement SPECIAL TO THE NNPA FROM THE AFRO-AMERICAN NEWSPAPERS Despite a discrimination settlement and congressional and presidential approval for payment to cover past injustices, Black farmers in the United States are still struggling to get money and respect from government officials.

The latest attack is coming from Republican presidential candidate Rep. Michele Bachmann (RMinn.) and her tea party cohorts, who last week blasted the settlement recently saying that it reeks of fraud and that the money should go to flood victims on the Missouri River instead.

“When money is diverted to inefficient projects like the Pigford Project, where there’s proof positive of fraud, we can’t afford $2 billion in potentially fraudulent claims when that money can be used to benefit the people along the

Mississippi River and the Missouri River,” Bachmann said July 18 in report by MSNBC. Iowa Rep. Steve King (R) agreed with Bachmann, saying, “That’s $2.3 billion, a large percentage of that paid out in fraudulent claims. Now we have them opening up a similar one for women farmers and Hispanic farmers. That’s another $1.3 billion. I’d like to apply that money to people that are under water right now.”

It’s not the first accusation of fraud in this case. At a February forum in Washington, D.C., a blogger criticized National Black Farmers Association President John Boyd for his advocacy.

“Not one damn dime has been paid out,” Boyd told the blogger, as reported by the AFRO. “And all of the sudden you’ve labeled 80 percent of these people fraudulent? Let them go through the process.”

It is the latest slap in the face to

the farmers, who’ve been struggling to get money owed to them from the original Pigford v. Glickman case, in which the U.S. Department of Agriculture was found to have discriminated against Black farmers from 1983 to 1997.

Many were late in filing applications for funds and that led to more court action, resulting in a court mandate stating that claimants who’ve not had their cases heard can seek relief or damages of up to $250,000.

Both chambers of Congress passed legislation to pay the farmers, and President Obama signed the order in late 2010.

That final hurdle is a ruling by federal Judge Paul Friedman, who signed an order granting preliminary approval of the settlement agreement on May 13. He is set to issue a ruling Sept. 1 on whether the settlement should go forward.

John W. Boyd Jr., center, founder of the National Black Farmers Association, says black farmers have been systematically denied loans and treated unfairly by the Department of Agriculture for years.

being invited on the trip, choir member Precious McLaughlin said, “It all happened very fast.” The choir members were given a condensed version of the pre-trip classes, and later sang in conjunction with the African American history presentations.

In phone calls made after the trip, Miller said she had more fun than she expected. One prominent memory for her was the Crenshaw

students sharing their African American history presentations with the Chinese students, with whom she said they formed close bonds.

Taylor said his standout memory came when he tried to run up the Great Wall. “I got pretty far actually, but it’s pretty steep,” he said. He was also surprised at how readily they got along with the Chinese students—he was inspired to host what

he called a “different type of cultural exchange”: a party where students from both countries shared music and dance.

At least in the case of seniors Taylor and Miller, the LAUL’s goal to broaden the ambitions of the Crenshaw High students was a resounding success: Both said they were now seriously considering doing business in China after graduating from college.

ket of racism,” and Blacks remember Boston as a city where its baseball team, the Boston Red Sox, was the last to integrate.

But today, Boston is a city where the majority of residents are people of color. Most students in its school district are Latino. And city officials recently announced that City Hall Plaza will be the site of a planned Bill Russell statue.

Massachusetts also has a black governor, Deval Patrick, who is entering his second term.

“Boston is definitely a different city than it was the last time the Urban League was here,” Morial said. “That’s a major reason why we are back.”

Morial said Patrick personally called him around four years ago to invite the National Urban League to hold a future convention in Boston.

Organizers say the convention already has 3,000 registrants.

But while some are praising Boston for evolving and bringing out the welcoming mat for the Urban League, others see it as an opportunity to highlight some of the city’s persistent disparities.

For example, the Massachusetts Association of Minority Law Enforcement (MAMLEO) has

appealed to the Urban League to address the lack of high-ranking Latinos and Blacks in the command staff of the Boston Police Department while the city continues to experience violence in largely minority neighborhoods. The law enforcement group has reached an impasse with Boston Mayor Tom Menino and Police Commissioner Edward Davis on ways to diversify the department’s command staff.

“Police departments should reflect the ethnic makeup of the communities that they serve,” said Morial, who has known Menino for years.

However, he said one of the goals of the convention is to strengthen the Eastern Massachusetts affiliate of the Urban League so it could address local concerns like those posed by MAMLEO. Morial said that despite the myriad issues the Urban League can address, the group remains focused on jobs and job creation since those are the sources of most inequality. “We hope that we can be seen that we have research, we have proposals and that we are an organization that goes beyond rhetoric,” he said.

AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite

CRENSHAW2CHINA Continued from page 6

University High School, giving presentations on different aspects of African American history that the Crenshaw students said were very well received.

Prior to leaving on the trip, the students engaged in about 15 weeks of classes on Chinese culture, language and African American history. Bernard and Shirley Kinsey of The Kinsey Collection taught lessons on African American history and gave the students special access to their extensive collection of historic artifacts, which has been featured in places such as the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.

At the various sponsor facilities, the LAUL intentionally set up meetings with executives and grad students of color in order to “expose kids to success that looks just like them” in China, said Jeff Wallace, a lead organizer of the trip. “We want the students to know … that opportunity doesn’t just reside in L.A. County. ... It resides not only in the nation but abroad as well.” He added that of the 35 students going, 22 had never traveled outside the county and 19 had never been on a plane.

The LAUL has sent two prior trips to China, but this is the first trip to send students. President and CEO Blair Taylor that said over the course of planning this project, the trip “kind of morphed into a mission of hope” for the students, their families and the Crenshaw community.

Noting that African Americans are one of the only ethnic groups in America that lacks ties to the global economy, he said that a major goal of the trip was to spark interest in the sort of 21st century relationships that make competitive entrepreneurs. “If we can get our kids think-

ing higher, if expectations from parents and the community can be raised, there’s nothing that these young people can’t do,” he said in an interview before the trip left.

The students have an extensive curriculum planned post-trip, including a six-week program developed to ensure that the entire Crenshaw High student body will get to hear about their journey.

Aside from allowing their unique experience to be shared among their peers, this fits in with a broader goal of the program: personal improvement.

As Pamela Bakewell, Chief Neighborhood Officer of the LAUL, said, “We’re teaching [the kids] how to teach. …They’re getting more than just a trip. They’re getting a lot of professional development, personal development … things that really go way beyond just ‘we’re going to China for a tour.’”

Before and After THE SENTINEL had the opportunity to interview some of the Crenshaw High students as they excitedly awaited their flight’s departure on July 14.

Jahnae Miller said she was most excited to see the things she’d read about in class firsthand. “It’s a different experience than just reading about them,” she stated.

Isaiah Taylor said that his family was “blown away” by the opportunity the trip presented, despite his previous travels for basketball. “It’s not every day we get to do this kind of stuff,” he continued. He was a little worried about the food, but said he was willing to try it.

Crenshaw High Choir students were given the opportunity to join the trip’s initially selected group after an appearance on MSNBC’s Morning Joe show inspired a donor to sponsor them for the trip. About

WEALTH GAP Continued from page 6

the net worth of Blacks and 18 times that of Latinos.

In addition, the wealth of Latino households declined by 66 percent from 2005 to 2009 largely because of the housing bust, the study showed. Black household wealth fell 53 percent.

The study comes as the National Urban League readies to begin its four-day convention, which this year will focus on jobs.

Among the scheduled speakers are Microsoft founder Bill Gates and Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. The Urban League also is set to release its own study on the erosion of the black middle class.

The civil rights group comes to Boston after last holding its national convention in the city 35 years ago. During the group’s last visit, Boston was erupting with busing riots and racial violence over courtordered school desegregation.

Boston’s City Hall plaza was the site where Black businessman Ted Landsmark was photographed during what appeared to be a beating by a White teen holding an American flag.

Even Boston Celtic great Bill Russell called the city a “flea mar-

www.lawattstimes.com 11

Thursday, July 28, 2011

HUNGER STRIKE Continued from page 4

them emotionally and mentally.”

When Sadiki went in (around 1977), a typical day was waking up at 5:00 a.m. to exercise. Then he would spend approximately three hours confined to his cell studying because back then they were allowed some books.

Not today, according to Ms. Becnel. She likened the Pelican Bay SHU to a mausoleum or graveyard with all concrete and hardly any windows.

She said the cells are soundproof, causing sensory deprivation because they cannot communicate or hear. Inmates are allowed out of the SHU for oneand-a-half hours a day to walk around by themselves and when they receive mail, it’s displayed on a monitor for reading.

They aren’t allowed telephone calls and, according to what inmates have told her during previous visits, “When they eat tonight’s meal, they’re also eating yesterday’s meal. The plates are brought to them with remnants of the previous day’s meal still on the plate, so it’s wet with old food and new foods piled on top of the old food,” Becnel said.

She said they have genuine human rights violations according to the international definition of “torture.”

Growing support Canalas fasted for five days to show support for her son and the other inmates. She also helped to organize a host of events in Los Angeles between July 9-17, including an encampment at the KRST Unity Center and a rally in front of men’s central jail.

“He said it’s not something that they want to do but at this point people have been trying to get the message out for years and they feel it’s important that they do their part, whatever it takes.

It’s not one culture, one individual, one group, but in solidarity and unity and they wanted it to be peaceful above all,” Canalas told The Final Call.

Also on July 9, in San Francisco, approximately 150 family members, activists and other supporters held a rally at the U.N. Plaza.

Dorsey Nunn of the All Of Us Or None Prison Advocacy Organization and executive director of Legal Services for Prisoners with Children helped to organize the rally. “This event is real significant in reframing what they are doing to human beings.

Though the hunger strike itself will not make the California Department of Corrections bend, it’s our voices that will,” Nunn said, adding: “For those of you who have seen the movie ‘Roots,’ Pelican Bay is where they send people to teach them how to stop calling themselves ‘Kunta Kinte’ and begin referring to themselves as ‘Toby.’ It’s where they try to break the spirit of men.”

“I know personally what’s happening in those prisons, and I’ve protested myself many times in solidarity with other inmates while I was in there. I would advise people to stay vigilant in their efforts to see justice done for all those who are suffering in there,” stated Caramad Conley, recently released after serving 18 years for a wrongful conviction.

Chris Brown: Coming to a theater near you in a romantic comedy NEW YORK (AP) — It would have seemed improbable two years ago, but Chris Brown will star in a romantic comedy, due out next April.

The singer and actor will star alongside Steve Harvey, Gabrielle Union, Oscar-nominee Taraji P. Henson and Michael Ealy in “Think Like A Man,” an adaptation of Harvey’s best-selling advice book for women, “Act Like A Lady, Think Like A Man.” Details on the casting were confirmed Thursday by a representative for Screen Gems, which is producing the movie.

AP Photo/Charles Sykes

Look at him now: Chris Brown is slated to star in a movie two years after assault charges.

Brown’s involvement in the movie is another sign of his remarkable comeback since his 2009 attack on girlfriend Rihanna, for which he pleaded guilty to assault. His album “F.A.M.E” has gone gold, and last week a record crowd of 18,000 fans

showed up to see him perform on the “Today” show.

Brown has acted in other movies, including “Takers” and “Stomp the Yard.”

Filming has begun in Los Angeles.

12

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Thursday, July 28, 2011

Jazz great Herbie Hancock named UN culture ambassador AP Photo/Jacques Brinon

Eve Lynne Robinson, honored by CBS 5 KPIX TV, says: “It’s pretty unbelievable to win an award for doing work in my community.”

Author of books for African American girls garners Jefferson Award (OAKLAND, CA) — Eve Lynne Robinson, an Oakland-based artist, former celebrity photographer and author of the Ella B. Jenkins children’s book series, was recently honored by CBS 5 KPIX TV with the Jefferson Award for her years of community and public service.

“I was pretty speechless, quite surprised, and still am,” said Robinson upon learning she would receive the award. Robinson was given the award locally through CBS 5 for founding the nonprofit Sankofa Holistic Healing Institute (SHHI).

Robinson, who was diagnosed with agoraphobia 15 years ago, launched the organization in 1996. She wrote a companion healing journal entitled “Baby Steps to Overcoming Negative Thoughts, Panic, Anxiety and Depression” in 1999 to help thousands of women and children who, like her, battle anxiety and depression. Her vision, she says, is to develop an institution to promote healing in the midst of some of the poorest and most troubled neighborhoods in Oakland.

“It’s pretty unbelievable to win an award for doing work in my community,” said Robinson. “It’s an honor.

I started Sankofa because I wanted to help people. I know what they are going through. Everyone doesn’t have access to the resources they need to get better. Sankofa is about healing.”

Since 1996, the community activist, who hosts Halloween parties and even had Oakland Mayor Jean Quan attend one of her Easter egg hunts, has expanded the organization to include food, clothing and bicycle distribution to low-income neighbors in her East Oakland neighborhood.

The Halloween parties, Easter egg hunts and a summer lunch program are supported by donations from Just Desserts, See’s Candies, Starbucks Coffee, District 5 Councilman Ignacio De La Fuente, The City of Oakland and Trips For Kids (a bike

donation program).

The Sankofa Institute receives donations from Feed The Need, a group located in San Francisco that receives donations from Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Peet’s Coffee & Tea. The food donations are distributed to families in the Mission District on Friday mornings. Clothing donations are received from the Oakland Fire Department, Wal-Mart, the Oakland Raiders, the Warriors, Cliff Bar and several Bay Area families.

Recently Robinson started writing a children’s book series, featuring a 7-year-old African American girl named Ella B. Jenkins. The book series, which targets African American girls, includes Ella B. Jenkins Meets President Barack Obama (which was the second choice for recommended books for children for Black History Month by AOL Shopping. (The first choice was “Of Thee I Sing,” written

by President Barack Obama himself).

The second in the five-book series is Ella B. Jenkins Meets First Lady Michelle Obama, scheduled for publication later this summer.

Robinson says she wrote the series as a way to empower young African American girls, with Ella B. Jenkins’ key message being “feel good about yourself.”

Anderson created the Ella B. Jenkins (www.ellabjenkins.com) series three years ago with the hope that teachers would buy the books for their classrooms and use the tome as a teaching tool. “Ella’s mission is to get children to have fun reading and to become engaged in issues that affect them and their friends,” said Robinson.

Originally from Los Angeles, in 2009, Anderson, who boasts a multilayered background, established the Ella B. Jenkins Project in Nairobi, Kenya. More than 100 women living in the Kenyan bush are hand-beading

See ROBINSON, page 15

Herbie Hancock will now play a new role: UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador. The new role gives the 71-years-young pianist “a (new) lease on life.”

BY ELAINE GANLEY ASSOCIATED PRESS PARIS (AP) — Jazz great Herbie Hancock wants his music to build bridges between cultures, a mission that fits perfectly with his new role as a U.N. cultural ambassador promoting peace through culture and education.

The 71-year-old—imbued with boundless energy, curiosity and coolcat poise—is a natural for the job. His

“The Imagine Project” album is a multicultural potpourri featuring collaborations with musicians from 11 countries and in seven languages. He founded The International Committee of Artists for Peace too.

“It feels like an answer to some of my biggest dreams,” the pianist and composer told The Associated Press about his Friday appointment as a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador.

UNESCO “really cares about working

toward the globalized peaceful world that people actually want to live in.”

There have been dozens of celebrities across the world promoting the goals of the Paris-based U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, but Hancock said he doesn’t mind being a link in a long chain at one of the U.N.’s lower profile institutions.

In fact, much is expected of him.

See HANCOCK, page 15

UNIVERSALPICTURES PRESENTS INASSOCIATIONWITH RELATIVITY MEDIA AN ORIGINALFILM/BIGKIDPICTURES PRODUCTION A DAVID DOBKIN FILM RYANREYNOLDS JASONBATEMAN “THECHANGE-UP” LESLIEMANN OLIVIA WILDE AND ALANARKIN MUSICBY JOHN DEBNEY EXECUTIVE PRODUCED PRODUCERS JOE CARACCIOLO, JR. ORI MARMUR JEFF KLEEMAN JONATHON KOMACK MARTIN

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Thursday, July 28, 2011

SPORTS BEAT

BY BRAD PYE JR. WATTS CONTRIBUTING WRITER

How close are Los Angelenos to enjoying football, some 16 years after the Rams and Raiders left the nation’s second-largest market?

City releases tentative agreement on LA stadium

BY JACOB ADELMAN ASSOCIATED PRESS LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles moved a step closer to coaxing a pro football team back to the region Monday with the release of a draft agreement between city negotiators and the company planning a downtown NFL stadium.

Officials said the nonbinding memorandum of understanding (MOU), which still requires a City Council vote, contains taxpayer protec-

tions that go further than those initially sought by stadium planner Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG).

The agreement calls for the city to issue $275 million in tax-exempt bonds for the relocation of a convention center hall to accommodate the roughly 72,000-seat venue. The bond amount was down from the $350 million bond issue that AEG had initially sought.

Los Angeles administrative officer Miguel Santana said the negotiating team’s main concern was that money to

See STADIUM, page 15

Notes, quotes and things picked up on the run from coast-to-coast and all the stops in between and beyond.

It’s over.

A new 10-year contract between the NFL owners and the NFL Players Association for peace and whole lot of those pretty little green ones for both sides is done.

It’s a done deal. Hallelujah!

Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

It took 136 days for the NFL and players to get their act together.

Will it take that long or longer for the NBA owners and NBA players to get their financial acts together?

The NBA players had been waiting for the antitrust ruling in the NFL case. The judge ruled in favor of the NFL. Now it’s time for the NBA owners and players to switchreels and get a deal done in time in order for training camps to open on time.

If Tiger Woods returns to action this year, it will be to the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in a week in Akron, Ohio, or in the season’s final major—the PGA Championship at the Atlanta Athletic Club.

Question: Will Tiger finally hire a caddie of color?

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It’s no secret that MLB Black players are as scarce as hen’s teeth. In fact, Black players in MLB dropped to 8.5 percent on opening day, according to the University of Central Florida’s Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports.

The New York Yankees’ Curtis Granderson made headlines the other day when he asked MLB ‘where are Black players and fans?’ Fact: Eighty percent of the players playing in the NBA are Black. And 60 percent of the players in the NFL are men of color, according to Central Florida’s Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports.

With his Hall of Fame induction, the Toronto Blue Jays retired Roberto AP Photo/Cliff Owen Alomar’s No. 12 num- At last! NFLPA Executive Director ber—a first in team history. DeMaurice Smith announces the end of the 4Alomar paced the Cito 1/2 month lockout by the NFL owners.

Gaston-managed Blue Jays to back-to-back World Series career on the on the line to fight to C h a m p i o n s h i p s — 1 9 9 2 - 1 9 9 3 . eradicate baseball’s reserve clause, Alomar declared: “This is an honor which opened the money floodgates. that I was not expecting.”

And the beat continues.

And the beat continues.

For once the L.A. Clippers are Grambling State University and Jackson State are pre-season making the L.A. Lakers look bad in favorites to win the West and East the field of public relations. The divisions of the Southwestern Lakers have virtually let all the peoAthletic Conference. The SWAC ple in their basketball operations go, voted to make Jackson State and according to Ronnie Lester, a Southern University ineligible to member of this group and the compete for the conference title, Lakers longtime assistant general because of their low academic manager. Lester told the L.A. Times: “I don’t want anybody to progress rate (APR) scores.

Serena Williams is in the U.S. lose their jobs. But I want to know Open on the basis of her special why only operations people are losinjury-protected No. 1 ranking. At ing their jobs? That’s what I want to the moment, Serena is ranked No. know. Lester also told the L.A. 172nd in the world. The U.S. Open Times “Great organizations don’t treat their personnel like they’ve starts Aug. 29 in New York.

Will the Milwaukee Brewers’ done.”

Check this: As this is being Prince Fielder have a World Series MVP to go along with his 2011 All- typed, the L.A. Clippers are retainStar MVP honor? From his per- ing all of their coaches under Vinny formance on the field of play and Del Negro. And there aren’t any his locker room leadership, Prince reports Clipper owner Donald T. Fielder should lead his second place Sterling plans to layoff or fire any NL Central Division Brewers to the of his employees. In this case, the top of baseball’s mountain. Prince’s Lakers are letting their public relamonster numbers should be the key: tions slip show.

And the beat continues.

22 homeruns, 73 RBIs, a 536 slugWill disgraced Olympic Games ging percentage and a .415 on-base percentage. Prince has averaged 40 medal-winning sprinter, Marion homers and 111 RBIs the last four Jones, hook up with another seasons. It’s projected at his current WNBA team, after being cut by pace Prince will smack 36 homers Coach Nolan Richardson’s Tulsa Shock? Jones was averaging less and collect 121 runs.

Will sportswriters and sports- than one point a game. She was an casters stop ignoring Curt Flood? All-Star in basketball at North Flood is the man who made it possi- Carolina.

USA sprinter Walter Dix ran ble for all these megamillionaires in major sports? If it weren’t for Curt 20.02 seconds in a meet in Lucerne, Flood, the two-time World Series Switzerland, July12, for the third champion with the St. Louis best time of the year. Olympic Cardinals, going to courts repeated- Games champion Usain Bolt’s ly to wipe out baseball’s reserve 19.86 seconds at Oslo is the best in clause, there wouldn’t be a Marvin the world this year. Jamaica’s Miller to carry on the fight for Nickel Ashmmeade’s 19.95 seconds financial fairness in sports today. is the other fastest.

And the beat ends.

Sure, Marvin Miller deserves all the Brad Pye, Jr. can be reached accolades he is receiving, but so does Curt Floyd. Flood put his at Switchreel@aol.com

14

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Thursday, July 28, 2011

Open Letter to House Speaker John Boehner

BY BLAIR TAYLOR PRESIDENT, LOS ANGELES URBAN LEAGUE Dear Mr. Boehner: I listened intently to your speech and the speech of the President tonight. I must say, I am saddened and even stunned by the approaches you are pursuing as one of the leaders of this great nation.

I carefully watched the President as he talked of compromise and meeting in the middle.

Then I watched you as you spoke of your principles and the need to battle the President. I could not have been more disappointed with your remarks and the risks that you appear to be recklessly willing to subject this nation to.

Allow me to speak frankly to you as a citizen and taxpayer: With less than one week left until our nation's credit rating is most likely downgraded, all partisan politics are dead. It is time to simply do what is needed for this nation to continue.

I have made several trips to China recently. In our nation's best moments—that is, if we were working in unison with a passionate devotion to collaboration—I genuinely believe that we will still be hard-pressed to catch China in this century. Instead, we are handing over the leadership of the global economy by our own volition, because we are unable to compromise.

It is simply unimaginable that

Blair Taylor our nation has deteriorated into one in which the premise of compromise?something that has been required to keep our government going for more than two centuries¬?simply cannot occur anymore in Washington, DC. Our system of government is intrinsically predicated on compromise. Yet here we are, on the eve of another financial

Armageddon, paralyzed and unable to engage in such compromise.

Leaders like you appear to be more concerned with adhering to false principles than doing the work of running the nation in times of crisis. The Republican Party is confusing principle and policy: “No new taxes” is a policy position, not a principle. Smaller government vs. big government is, likewise, policy, not principle. Cuts equal to the increase to the debt ceiling is also policy, not principle. And all of these policies must be reconsidered if the circumstances and good of the nation require it to be so.

Hypothetically, if a person were elected as an anti-war congressman (i.e., he or she was elected on a platform of “peace at all costs”), that leader should still be willing to support going to war if our nation’s soil is ruthlessly attacked by a foreign enemy. He or she should do so regardless of what kind of “pledge” he or she may have signed regarding peaceful policies before the crisis hit. In times of crisis, even the most heartfelt policies, and even the ones that may have gotten you elected, may well need to be set aside in the interests of doing what is best for the nation.

In the end, this crisis is all about leadership. In any position in any industry, great leaders will always have something they will risk their jobs for. The problem in our Congress

See TAYLOR, page 15

Republicans have a memory deficit

BY GEORGE E. CURRY NNPA COLUMNIST How did we get into this budget mess?

Republican lawmakers want you to believe it was because of the two years President Barack Obama has been in office? But it was Republicans—the professed party of fiscal responsibility— who have presided over the largest splash of red ink.

According to Investment Watch blog: • The deficit was raised 18 times under Ronald Reagan – three times in 1981, twice in 1982, twice in 1983, three times in 1984, twice in 1985, twice in 1986 and four times in 1987—or once every five months • Under Clinton, the debt was raised only four times— twice in 1993 and once each in 1996 and 1997, or an average of once every 24 months • George W. Bush presided over seven increases in the deficit—once each in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006 and twice in 2008—or once every 13 months • Under Obama, the deficit was raised twice—in 2009 and 2010, or once every 15 months The New York Times observed in an editorial: “In 2001, President George W. Bush inherited a surplus, with projections by the Congressional Budget Office for ever-increasing surpluses, assuming continuation of the good economy and President Bill Clinton’s policies. But every year starting in 2002, the budget fell into deficit.

In January 2009, just before President Obama took office, the budget office projected a $1.2 trillion deficit for 2009 and deficits in subsequent years, based on continuing Mr. Bush’s policies and the effects of recession. Mr. Obama’s policies in 2009 and 2010, including the stimulus package, added to the deficits in those years but are largely temporary.”

The editorial noted that Republican policies, two wars and economic downturns are responsible for our economic quagmire.

“Under Mr. Bush, tax cuts and war spending were the biggest policy drivers of the swing from projected surpluses to deficits from 2002 to 2009. Budget estimates that didn’t foresee the recessions in 2001 and in 2008 and 2009 also contributed to deficits. Mr. Obama’s policies, taken out to 2017, add to deficits, but not by nearly as much,” the Times article stated. “ … The Bush tax cuts have had a huge damaging effect. If all of them expired as scheduled at the end of 2012, future deficits would be cut by about half, to sustainable levels.”

Republicans are featuring deficit reduction as their central political campaign yet refuse to let the Bush tax cuts expire. And though Democrats don’t agree, they can’t muster the backbone to stand up to the GOP. Republican leaders have adopted the mantra: We have a spending problem, not an income problem.

According to FactCheck.org, we have both.

“Federal spending is expected to equal 24.1 percent of the nation’s gross

George E. Curry domestic product in the current fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30,” the Web site notes. “The figure was 25 percent in fiscal year 2009, highest since 1945.

“On the other hand, federal revenues are expected to drop to 14.8 percent of GDP this year, lower than the 14.9 percent attained in both 2009 and 2010. There has been only one year since World War II when revenues have been as low as any of these years: 1950, when the figure was 14.4 percent.”

In fiscal 2000, the year before the first of two Bush tax cuts took effect, receipts from federal income tax on individuals represented 10.2 percent of GDP. Last year, that figure had dropped to 6.2 percent of GDP. Corporate taxes have also been steadily lowered, now making up only 8.9 percent of the federal budget.

David Stockman told talkingpointsmemo.com: “I think the biggest problem is revenues. It is simply unrealistic to say that raising revenue isn't part of the solution. It’s a measure of how far off the deep end Republicans have gone with this religious catechism about taxes.”

Rather than dealing with a combination of tax increases and spending cuts, GOP leaders are proposing drastic spending cuts in what is called domestic discretionary or nonsecurity discretionary spending. The Economic Policy Institute (EPI) says that portion of the budget “provides vital services to people in need, protects Americans from corporate abuses and environmental degradation, and keeps the government itself operating.”

EPI states, “Despite its important functions, the domestic discretionary budget represents only 15 percent of the total budget, and accounts for only 14 percent of the inflation-adjusted increase in federal outlays over the last decade.”

A chart created by EPI shows that the non-security discretionary share of the federal budget averaged 3.3 percent from 1962 to 2008. Under Reagan, it averaged 3.4 percent, 3 percent under Clinton, and 3.5 percent in fiscal 2011.

The proposed Obama budget proposed a drop to 2.2 percent. A GOP plan would slice domestic spending to 1.5 percent.

See CURRY, page 15

www.lawattstimes.com 15

Thursday, July 28, 2011 Trustee Sale # CA0958766-2 Loan# 153459152 Order # 55010530 NOTICE OF TRUSTEE'S SALE YOU ARE IN DEFAULT UNDER A DEED OF TRUST DATED 11/16/2006. UNLESS YOU TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY, IT MAY BE SOLD AT A PUBLIC SALE. IF YOU NEED AN EXPLANATION OF THE NATURE OF THE PROCEEDINGS AGAINST YOU, YOU SHOULD CONTACT A LAWYER. On 08/09/2011 at 1 :00PM, MTC FINANCIAL INC., dba TRUSTEE CORPS as the duly appointed Substituted Trustee under and pursuant to Deed of Trust Recorded on 11/29/2006 as Document No. 20062635977 of official records in the Office of the Recorder of Los Angeles County, CALIFORNIA, executed by, WILLIE LEE STEELE, AND MARCIA E STEELE, HUSBAND AND WIFE AS JOINT TENANTS, as Trustor, COUNTRYWIDE HOME LOANS, INC., as Beneficiary, WILL SELL AT PUBLIC AUCTION TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER FOR CASH (payable at time of sale in lawful money of the United States, by cash a cashier's check drawn by a state or national bank, a check drawn by a state or federal credit union, or a check drawn by a state or federal savings and loan association, savings association, or savings bank specified in section 5102 of the Financial Code and authorized to do business in this state). AT: At the front entrance of the Pomona Superior Courts Building, 350 West Mission Blvd, Pomona CA The property heretofore described is being sold "as is". All right, title and interest conveyed to and now held by it under said Deed of Trust in the property situated in said County and State describing the land therein: APN # 6134-006-005 AS MORE FULLY DESCRIBED ON SAID DEED OF TRUST. The street address and other common designation, if any, of the real property described above is purported to be: 13125 STANFORD AVE, LOS ANGELES, CA 90059-3341, The undersigned Trustee disclaims any liability for any incorrectness of the street address and other common designation, if any, shown herein. Said sale will be made, but without covenant or warranty, expressed or implied, regarding title, possession, or encumbrances, to pay the remaining principal sum of the Note(s) secured by said Deed of Trust, with interest thereon, as provided in said Note(s), advances, if any, under the terms of the Deed of Trust, estimated fees, charges and expenses of the Trustee and of the trusts created by said Deed of Trust. The total amount of the unpaid balance of the obligation secured by the property to be sold and reasonable estimated costs, expenses and advances at the time of the initial publication of the Notice of Trustee's Sale is: $390,578.72 (estimated amount). Accrued interest and additional advances, if any, will increase this figure prior to sale. If the Trustee is unable to convey title for any reason, the successful bidder's sole and exclusive remedy shall be the return of monies paid to the Trustee and the successful bidder shall have no further recourse.

The Beneficiary under said Deed of Trust heretofore executed and delivered to the undersigned a written Declaration of Default and Demand for Sale, and a written Notice of Default and Election to Sell.

The undersigned caused said Notice of Default and Election to Sell to be recorded in the County where the real property is located and more than three months have elapsed since such recordation. Compliance with California Civil Code Section 2924f: The Beneficiary or Beneficiary's agent has indicated that the requirements of California Civil Code Section 2924f have been met. Compliance with California Civil Code Section 2923.52: 1. Pursuant to California Civil Code 2923.54 the undersigned, on behalf of the beneficiary, loan servicer or authorized agent, declares as follows: X Servicer does hereby state that Servicer has obtained from the commissioner a final or temporary order of exemption pursuant to Section 2923.53 that is current and valid on the date of the notice of sale is filed. 2. Timeframe for giving notice of sale specified in subdivision (a) Section 2923.52 Does X Does not apply pursuant to section 2923.52 or 2923.55 Dated: 07/07/2011 MTC FINANCIAL INC., DBA TRUSTEE CORPS, as Successor Trustee By: PAUL GUTIERREZ, TRUSTEE SALES OFFICER TRUSTEE CORPS 17100 Gillette Ave, Irvine, CA 92614 FOR SALE INFORMATION CONTACT: (714)786-5351, (949) 252-8300 FOR REINSTATEMENT / PAY OFF REQUESTS CONTACT: (949) 252-8300 RPRequests@trusteecorps.com Ad #13867 2011-07-14 2011-07-21 2011-07-28

Trustee Sale No. CA09000270-10-1 APN 5116-020-023 Title Order No. 100073634-CA-GTI NOTICE OF TRUSTEE'S SALE YOU ARE IN DEFAULT UNDER A DEED OF TRUST DATED January 15, 2009. UNLESS YOU TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY, IT MAY BE SOLD AT A PUBLIC SALE. IF YOU NEED AN EXPLANATION OF THE NATURE OF THE PROCEEDINGS AGAINST YOU, YOU SHOULD CONTACT A LAWYER. On August 15, 2011, at 01:00 PM, at the front entrance of the Pomona Superior Courts Building,350 West Mission Blvd, Pomona CA, MTC FINANCIAL INC. dba TRUSTEE CORPS, as the duly appointed Trustee, under and pursuant to the power of sale contained in that certain Deed of Trust Recorded on January 27, 2009, as Instrument No. 20090106200, of official records in the Office of the Recorder of Los Angeles County, California, executed by OLGA M. RODRIGUEZ, AN UNMARRIED WOMAN, as Trustor(s), in favor of HSBC MORTGAGE CORPORATION (USA) as Beneficiary, WILL SELL AT PUBLIC AUCTION TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER, in lawful money of the United States, all payable at the time of sale, that certain property situated in said County, California describing the land therein as: AS MORE FULLY DESCRIBED IN SAID DEED OF TRUST The property heretofore described is being sold "as is". The street address and other common designation, if any, of the real property described above is purported to be: 4311 HONDURAS STREET, LOS ANGELES, CA 90011 The undersigned Trustee disclaims any liability for any incorrectness of the street address and other common designation, if any, shown herein. Said sale will be made without covenant or warranty, express or implied, regarding title, possession, or encumbrances, to pay the remaining principal sum of the Note(s) secured by said Deed of Trust, with interest thereon, as provided in said Note(s), advances if any, under the terms of the Deed of Trust, estimated fees, charges and expenses of the Trustee and of the trusts created by said Deed of Trust. The total amount of the unpaid balance of the obligations secured by the property to be sold and reasonable estimated costs, expenses and advances at the time of the initial publication of this Notice of Trustee`s Sale is estimated to be $397,731.83 (Estimated), provided, however, prepayment premiums, accrued interest and advances will increase this figure prior to sale.

Beneficiary`s bid at said sale may include all or part of said amount. In addition to cash, the Trustee will accept a cashier`s check drawn on a state or national bank, a check drawn by a state or federal credit union or a check drawn by a state or federal savings and loan association, savings association or savings bank specified in Section 5102 of the California Financial Code and authorized to do business in California, or other such funds as may be acceptable to the trustee. In the event tender other than cash is accepted, the Trustee may withhold the issuance of the Trustee`s Deed Upon Sale until funds become available to the payee or endorsee as a matter of right. The property offered for sale excludes all funds held on account by the property receiver, if applicable. If the Trustee is unable to convey title for any reason, the successful bidder`s sole and exclusive remedy shall be the return of monies paid to the Trustee and the successful bidder shall have no further recourse. DATE: July 14, 2011 TRUSTEE CORPS TS No. CA09000270-10-1 17100 Gillette Ave Irvine, CA 92614 949-252-8300 Rowena Paz, Authorized Signatory SALE INFORMATION CAN BE OBTAINED ON LINE AT www.NoticeSolutions.com AUTOMATED SALES INFORMATION PLEASE CALL 714-786-5351 TRUSTEE CORPS IS A DEBT COLLECTOR. ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED WILL BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE. Ad #14089 2011-07-21 2011-07-28 2011-08-04

To place a classified ad call (323) 299-3800

TAYLOR

Continued from page 14 today may well be that it is filled with elected officials who do not have anything they will risk their jobs over (or perhaps even worse, do not know what is worth doing so). Not even the prospect of the financial demise of the nation they serve is sufficient to pull them out of their foxholes.

Unfortunately, it appears that our leaders are infused largely with the myopic goal of keeping their jobs, or expanding their influence.

In times of crisis, great leaders lead. And in our nation under our current system of government, great leaders must also compromise. Nowhere is this more true than in times of crisis. Don’t allow the village to be

burned to the ground so that you can later assert some false principle to the ashes of our financial system. No one will reward you then for burning the village to save it.

I urge you to break from party ranks right now and do what is right for America. This is your moment, Mr. Boehner. And a solution to this crisis will most certainly require a spirit of compromise—something our nation needs now more than ever before.

Sincerely, Mr. Blair H. Taylor Blair Hamilton Taylor is the president and CEO of the Los Angeles Urban League.

CURRY

Continued from page 14 Clearly, domestic spending isn’t out of control, as Republicans argue.

And the aging of Americans will only add to the problem.

“Frankly, if you want to blame our looming deficits on policy changes, you would look not to spending but, rather, taxes—specifically, to President

Black Facts July 31, 1960 Elijah Muhammad, leader of the Nation of Islam, calls for creation of a Black state in America at a New York meeting.

Source: blackfacts.com

Bush’s huge tax cuts of 2001 and 2003 that Congress recently extended until 2012 and will likely extend either wholly or in large measure again after that,” Lawrence Haas wrote in Fiscal Times. “Simply letting the Bush tax cuts expire would reduce annual deficits to about 3 percent of GDP (which is considered economically sustainable) over the next decade, though they would start rising again later on due to soaring health care costs.”

George E. Curry, former editor-inchief of Emerge magazine and the NNPA News Service, is a keynote speaker, moderator and media coach. He can be reached through his Web site, www.georgecurry.com. You can also follow him atwww.twitter.com/currygeorge.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAMES FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No. 2011058295 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: Scholastic Tennis Academy, 1753 Preuss Rd., LA, CA 90035, County of L.A. P.O. Box 35735, L.A, Calif. 90035.

Registered owner(s): Larry Smith, 1753 Preuss Rd., LA, CA 90035.

This business is conducted by an individual.

The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on N/A. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false is guilty of a crime.)

S/ Larry Smith, Owner This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on July 6, 2011.

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

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

Original 7/14, 7/21, 7/28, 8/4/11 CNS-2135590# WATTS TIMES

ROBINSON

Continued from page 12 an image of the mischievous 7-year-old Ella B. Jenkins on handmade leather bags, necklaces, bracelets and key chains. The proceeds from this project assist the women in gaining self-sufficiency and purchasing clean water, clothing and medication while learning the English alphabet.

After receiving the Ella B. Jenkins Meets President Barack Obama book, Congresswoman Barbara Lee (DCalif.) sent Robinson a letter, calling the story exceptionally fascinating and the character an excellent role model.

Robinson’s story was featured on CBS 5 Eyewitness News and KCBS All News 740 AM and FM 106.9.

Eve Lynne Robinson is available for interviews.

GOVERNMENT LOS ANGELES COUNTY METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY (METRO) INVITATION FOR BIDS Metro will receive bids for 11-0045, Gasoline – Unleaded per specifications on file at the Office of Procurement & Material Mgmt, One Gateway Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90012 (9th Floor).

All Bids must be submitted on forms furnished by Metro, and must be filed at the reception desk of the Office of Materiel on or before 2:00 p.m. September 1, 2011at which time bids will be opened and publicly read. Bids received later than the above date and time will be rejected and returned to the bidder unopened. Each bid must be sealed and marked Bid No.11-0044.

You may obtain bid specifications, or further information, by faxing Juelene Close at (213) 922-1006.

7/28/11 CNS-2144383# WATTS TIMES

HANCOCK

Continued from page 12

Qualified “A”, licensed Contractors are invited to submit sealed bids by 2:05 PM, August 25, 2011 to the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority for Project Number E11-06, Runway 15 RSA Improvements project. The Work in general consists of, but is not limited to, removal and installation and painting of a jet blast deflector fence on a concrete foundation, paving the runway safety area and vehicular service road with asphalt concrete pavement, sub-grade and base compaction, modifying an existing catch-basin, and application of P-620 pavement markings at the Bob Hope Airport. Plans and specifications can be obtained directly from the Bob Hope Airport Web site at www.bobhopeairport.com under Business Opportunities. All bidders shall register with the Airport Engineering Department either via web site or in person. Bids submitted by firms who have not registered with Airport Engineering will be considered non-responsive. Call Bobbi Greenspahn at (818) 565-1305 for more information. A pre-bid conference will be conducted on August 11, 2011, at 10:00 A.M. at the Bob Hope Airport Engineering Office, 2800 Clybourn, Burbank, California, 91505.

Located at the corner of Sherman Way and Clybourn.

“This is not a free lunch,” UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova laughingly advised him at a lunch before his formal appointment.

There’s a lot for him to do, she said, but “he believes it. He’s doing this already.”

As a goodwill ambassador, he expects to do more than be a musical envoy. He wants to promote literacy through the discipline of his art, Hancock said.

Projects are already on his plate: He is working to create an International Jazz Day, something that could see fruition by next year; to establish jazz as an “intangible cultural heritage” of UNESCO; and to get UNESCO World Heritage site recognition of New Orleans, his hometown of Chicago, and Dockery Farms in the Mississippi Delta—a plantation community that gave birth to the blues.

He also wants to make his world stage a world classroom, hoping to travel to places like India, Cambodia and countries in Africa, the Middle East and Eastern Europe. His goal of seeking peace fits his Buddhist beliefs and his relationship with his audience, he said.

“Before I go on stage, my prayer is for the band to be as one, to have a unified spirit and ... for the purity that’s in the depth of the heart to touch the depths of the people in the audience.”

He will not forsake his music. In his more than half-century career as a musician, he has revitalized old favorites with edgy electronic sounds, giving new life to signature pieces like “Watermelon Man.” He performed at La Scala this year and plans classical orchestral concerts focused around George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue.”

“I’m just excited about each day and the possibility of what I might be able to do,” he said. The new role “gives me a (new) lease on life. It’s making me feel younger. I’ve just started. I’ve just started.”

ties—such as Staples Center and the LA Live entertainment complex—and puts the facilities on the line if the company doesn’t pay.

“If they don’t pay the tax, the city can step in and foreclose on LA Live,” the city’s chief legislative analyst Gerry Miller said.

AEG’s $1.2-billion stadium plan is one of two competing proposals to bring professional football back to Los Angeles some 16 years after the Rams and Raiders left the nation’s secondlargest market.

Warehouse magnate Ed Roski’s Majestic Realty Co. has permits in place to build a separate 75,000-seat stadium about 15 miles east of Los Angeles, in the city of Industry.

Neither proposed site has secured a team.

Councilwoman Jan Perry, in whose district the downtown project would be built, said she was eager to begin looking over the MOU with a special stadium committee that she chairs and before the full City Council, which is set to vote on the deal in coming weeks.

“This is just one piece of a much larger puzzle,” she said.

If the framework is endorsed, the

city will later vote on separate definitive stadium-related agreements, such as its development and financing deals and its clearance under state environmental regulations.

AEG president and CEO Tim Leiweke, who has been pushing city officials to take action on the MOU so he can ramp up efforts to recruit a team, said he was confident the plan would be endorsed by council members and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

“There remains much work to be done ... but approval of this MOU will represent a critical milestone in our efforts to break ground on this project within the next year,” he said.

Villaraigosa, meanwhile, released a statement encouraging city residents to participate in the hearings scheduled for the weeks leading up to a vote on the proposed framework.

“Done right, this could be an enormous boost to our local economy, creating jobs, and millions in new revenue,” he said.

But he added that there should be no rush to judgment on the deal. “I encourage the public, the council and stakeholders to engage in a thorough and public debate to ensure we come to a sound agreement for Los Angeles,” he said.

STADIUM

Continued from page 13 repay those bonds would come from a reliable source and that city savings would not be put at risk.

“What you have before you is a proposal that does exactly that,” he told reporters at a news conference.

Under the deal, nearly three-quarters of the annual cost to pay back the bonds would come primarily from property lease payments from AEG to the city and from the city’s share of property taxes, which negotiators said can be counted on not to fluctuate year to year.

The rest of the roughly $16.1 million in annual payments over 34 years would come from new tax revenue from stadium activity, although the agreement requires AEG to extend a series of financial guarantees over the course of the project as a safeguard against shortfalls and other risks.

AEG had originally sought to pay back bonds with sales taxes and other new stadium-related revenue that will now flow into public coffers, earning a projected $410 million for the city’s general fund over 30 years.

A further protection breaks $80 million of the $275 million in debt into a special type of bond that is financed with a tax on AEG’s nearby proper-

16

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Thursday, July 28, 2011