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L.A. FOCUS

2015

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L.A. Pastors Lead Vigils To Take Back The Streets PAGE

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Blacks Light Up Fall TV Lineup

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Straight Outta Compton: Debate Lingers On

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FILM ABOUT PRAYER COMES IN BOX OFFICE AT #2

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contents

L.A. Focus Publication

September 2015

(Left): Fred Hammond, Omarosa and Yolanda Adams were honored with an Honorary Doctorate from Next Dimension University at West Angeles Church in Los Angeles; (Middle): The 22nd Little Miss African American Scholarship Pageant hosted by Laila Ali in Beverly Hills (Right): Ben and Felicia Horowitz with Oprah Winfrey at an intimate dinner and screening of the new OWN show “Belief” hosted by the Horowitz.

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Commentary

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“Megyn Kelly's Very Smart Question to Donald Trump”

From The Editor

Inside Hollywood Salim & Mara Brock Akil Exiting BET, Ink Deal with WBtv

One On One

Lisa Collins

Ice Cube

16 18 Red Carpet Style Head To Head 8 Headlines From Africa 19 Through The Storm 10 Feature Story 20 Church News 13 Money Matters 21 First Lady Files Pastor Profile 14 Eye On Gospel 22 7

Upfront

Media Sensationalized 100 Days Killing Spree Threat; Prop 47 Event Seeks To Help Ex-Felons

Calendar/Around LA Teen Choice Awards

Straight Outta Compton: Debate Lingers On Its Message

Lived & Almost Died by the Sword: Chronicles of an Ex-Gang Member Turned Devout Christian

Making Waves: California Legislative Black Caucus Advocates for Equality and Social Change

Auditor Investigating Whether Caltrans Spends Less Money in Poorer Neighborhoods

Industry Buzz with Bro. Steve

staff Publisher/Editor-In-Chief Asst. Editor Articles Editor Staff Writers Contributors

Photographers Advertising

Lisa Collins Tatiana Rivera Emma Gannon Stephen Oduntan Larry Elder Bill Jones, Ian Foxx Kisha Smith

Retraction: In our July 2015 in our First Ladies Files there was an error saying “the late” Rev. Jerome Fisher, he is alive. In August 2015 issue, From The Pulpit, the name of the pastor is Bishop Neil C. Ellis.

Pastors Shut Down Intersections To Take Back The Streets

Coco Jenkins—New Life LA

Bishop Howard Swancy—Peace Apostolic Church

advisory board Napoleon Brandford Pastor Beverly Crawford Marc T. Little

Siebert, Brandford, Shank & Co. Bible Enrichment Fellowship International Church Law Offices of Marc T. Little

honorary advisors Bishop Charles Blake Bishop Noel Jones Paradise Baptist Church Dr. Aaron D. Iverson Southern MBC Rev. Xavier L. Thompson F. A.M.E. Church Dr. Cecil Murray Faithful Central Bible Church Bishop Kenneth C. Ulmer Mt. Moriah Baptist Church Rev. Melvin Wade Mt. Zion MBC Rev. E.V. Hill II

From The Pulpit

23 27 In Good Taste 29 Finding Your Pretty 30 Saving Grace Rev. Bobby Newman Jr.—The Citizens of Zion MBC

E&J Fish Market

With Chez

Harry Lennix

We remember Julian Bond, who was a charismatic and dedicated social activist, author, university professor, former NAACP chairman and civil rights leader. Bond died from complications of vascular disease in Florida “Good things don't come to those who wait. They come to those who agitate!”.

January 14, 1940 – August 15, 2015

On The Cover: Sebastian RidleyThomas, Holly Mitchell, Autumn Burke, Reggie Sawyer, Cheryl Brown & Isadore Hall Cover Design: Jay Anthony

West Angeles C.O.G.I.C. City of Refuge

L.A. Focus–On the Word, is published monthly.

Address all correspondence to: L.A. Focus, 333 W. Florence Ave., Suite 315C Inglewood, CA 90301 • (310) 677-6011 Fax: (310) 677-2338 Subscription rates $25.00 per year.

Copyright, January 1995 by L.A. Focus Publications. All rights reserved. Unsolicited manuscripts/photographs are not accepted, nor shall any responsibility for them be assumed.

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Star Parker

Commentary

Guest Columnist

Megyn Kelly's Very Smart Question to Donald Trump

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nfortunately, the circus that Donald Trump has created around Fox News commentator Megyn Kelly and her allegedly "unfair" question to him in the Republican debate has drowned out the central importance of that "unfair" question.

Voter frustration on the right reflects two things.

One, we want to hear tough and straight talk from candidates. But two, we want a candidate who will be elected and set change in motion.

All the tough talk in the world means nothing if the candidate doesn't get elected.

Kelly's question to Trump was about this. It wasn't about whether Trump is courteous, or a jerk, or politically correct.

She opened the debate segment with, "our first round of questions is on the subject of electability in the general election."

Ben Carson was asked about his absence of political experience. Marco Rubio about his absence of experience as an executive. Bush about dealing with the mentality that "the last thing this country needs is another Bush."

Then Kelly turned to Trump.

"You've called women you don't like 'fat pigs, dogs, and disgusting animals' ... how will you answer the charge from Hillary Clinton ... likely to be the Democratic nominee, that you are part of the war on women?"

Need I remind anyone that sitting in the White House today is the most left-wing politician to ever occupy the Oval Office?

He was elected not once, but twice. So we can't really say the first time around he fooled America voters.

Despite everything conservatives find so revolting about Barack Obama, his approval rating, now 47 percent, remains relatively strong compared to previous presidents at the same stage of their presidencies. At this time in his presidency, George W. Bush stood at 34 percent.

During this seven-year nightmare for every American that longs for a nation that is free, moral, a light unto nations, Obama has been successful in about everything he has put his hand to, taking us in the opposite direction.

We have government health care, government propped-up big banks, national debt as big as GDP, deficits as far as the eye can see, some 15 million illegals, and same-sex marriage.

Planned Parenthood continues to siphon off $500 million a year in taxpayer funds, despite the latest round of videos showing the commerce they do in the flesh of murdered fetuses.

Our only real ally in the Middle East, Israel, gets dissed and it seems likely that the U.S. will conclude a nuclear agreement with a nation — the world's number one supporter of terrorism — that hates Israel and us.

Around half of American households now get some form of government assistance. By some estimates, combined unfunded liabilities of Social Security and Medicare are as large as $100 trillion — yet polls do not show that Americans want major reform of these bankrupt entitlement monstrosities.

Projections indicate that the percentage of the American electorate in 2016 that is white will be down to 70 percent, a historic low. And of the total American electorate, 53 percent are women.

How much clearer can it be that it will be impossible to elect a conservative Republican in 2016 if that candidate does not have the skill and persona to attract some voters who don't traditionally vote Republican?

The last time a Republican presidential candidate won the women's vote was 25 years ago when George H.W. Bush squeaked by Michael Dukakis with 51 percent.

The women's vote will be a particular challenge in an election in which Democrats run the first woman candidate for president.

So Megyn Kelly's question to Trump was smart, on target and very fair. The real question is how could Trump — whose big selling point is being a smart businessman — call this "unfair"?

It certainly won't be fair to American voters if he gets nominated and is defeated and then calls the tens of millions who didn't vote for him a bunch of losers.

Star Parker is an author and president of CURE, the Center for Urban Renewal and Education. Contact her at www.urbancure.org or visit www.creators.com.

From the Editor “Will America Elect Another Black President?”

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mer governor Jeb Bush, Senator Ted Cruz, TV personality Mike Huckaby and New Jersey governor Chris Christie.

But whether or not Carson has any chance of securing a GOP nomination is firmly rooted in the answer to this question: will America elect another black president?

For the most part the answer depends on who you ask.

According to “tell-it-like-it-is Donald”, Americans won’t elect another black president for a long time because of Obama's record. “I think that he has set a very poor standard,” Trump said.

The consensus is that if America were to elect another black president, it wouldn’t be anytime soon. The whys are just as diverse. Some feel it is time for a women president. Others feel that the majority of white Americans, who were hardly ready for first, will surely not elect a second.

Another big reason is the growing Hispanic vote—projected to be 60 million strong by the next election and a major force. The tension between blacks and Hispanics coupled with their desire to have someone reflect their immigration agenda and concerns, makes their voting for a black man less likely.

None of that has seemed to deter Carson, who called for the people to “rise up and take the government back."

Formerly one of the top neurosurgeons in the nation, Carson holds 67 honorary doctorate degrees, has sat on the board of directors of Kellogg, Costco, is an Emeritus Fellow of the Yale Corporation, the governing body of Yale University and in 2008 was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Bush, the highest civilian honor in the land.

The author of eight books, including his autobiography, Gifted Hands, and the New York Times bestseller, What We All Can Do to Save America’s Future, was also the subject of a made-for-television movie in which he was portrayed by Cuba Gooding, Jr. To his success, Carson credits his mom.

"Education made all the difference in my life. My education was a success not because some employee at the U.S. Department of Education cared, but because my mother cared -- she instilled a love of reading that has nothing to do with external requirements, and everything to do with my own discovery of the opportunities being a learned reader could afford me.”

He says he’s running because there were so many people across the country pleading with him to get in the race and because of a nudge from God. All I can say, if God is for you…(well, you know the scripture).

Keep the faith.

L.A. Focus/September 2015

s the race for the 2016 presidency shifts into high gear, things are really heating up thanks to the Donald Trump media circus, Hillary Clinton’s troubles (which could well pave the way for a bid on the part of Vice President Joe Biden) and the huge strides being made by Washington outsiders like Bernie Sanders and Dr. Ben Carson. With each passing day the dramas woven on the campaign trail to the White House seem to have all the markings of a newly developed Bravo TV reality show. Politics—as we once knew it—has changed, driven by the fascination surrounding Donald Trump.

So what is this fascination?

I can only say what I believe as someone who is recently finding politics to be just as entertaining as an episode of “The Real Housewives of Atlanta,” and for me, what it boils down to is that Americans for some time have been growing tired of the political correctness that seems to stifle politicians from telling it like it is.

The American public’s embrace of Donald Trump signals to me that perhaps it will mark the end of political correctness as we once knew it. Trump is getting big marks from audiences around the country for saying things you would never hear coming out of the mouth of politicians. The trouble with Trump is that he goes way too far and while it can be entertaining, it kills his long-term viability as candidate. What I hope doesn’t die is the willingness on the part of other candidate to speak more openly and truthfully like Trump—damn the consequence. We’re already seeing a little more of that given the success of Trump in getting the attention of the American public and the media.

In his “Critical Thinking” column, Steve Tobak wrote this about political correctness, “On the surface, the idea of filtering our communication so as not to exclude or offend anyone seems fairly benign, almost Pollyannaish. Maybe that explains how it has so insidiously crept into every aspect of our culture, but its effect has been anything but benign…It’s an existential threat to the meritocracy and personal accountability at the heart of free market capitalism. It’s toxic to the performance and competitiveness of our people, our companies and our economy.”

Among those reaping the benefits of Trump’s departure from politics as usual and his emergence as a non-establishment candidate is Dr. Ben Carson, who wants voters to believe that he is the prescription for a very sick America.

"I'm probably never going to be politically correct because I'm not a politician," Carson has said. "I don't want to be a politician, because politicians do what is politically expedient — I want to do what's right."

At press, Carson was second behind Trump in a list of nominees that included for-

LISA COLLINS Publisher

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UpFront Media Sensationalized 100 Days Killing Spree Threat

STEPHEN ODUNTAN

California Celebrates Voting Rights Acts as Felons Regain Voter Eligibility

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hat was initially reported as a sick contest between two gangs to see who can kill 100 people the quickest, has turned out to be nothing more than media hype.

The media frenzy began around midJuly, a few days after 27-year-old Kenneth Lynn Peevy was gunned down in South Los Angeles, which purportedly sparked gang members to issue a sinister warning, under the hashtag #100Days100Nights on Twitter and Instagram.

While the exact origins of the rumor are unclear, law enforcement revealed that reports of multiple shootings in South L.A. following the viral warning were not gang-related.

“People were thinking that it was just out of control, Wild Wild West, that people were dying on a daily basis, and that really wasn’t the case,” said Deputy Chief Bill Scott, LAPD’s top cop in South L.A. “We did have a bad week, but really we only had one homicide – and I’m not minimizing: One death is one too many.

But…people were thinking that people were just dying on every street corner in South L.A., and that was far from the truth.”

The #100Days100Nights was posted on July 17; Scott added, but there weren’t any homicides everyday from July 17 through 25.

Despite the lack of evidence, the South L.A. area was crippled with fear over rumors of an alleged killing spree bet.

The Church vowed to take back the streets. Last month, Rev. K.W. Tulloss of the National Action Network helped

Minister Omarosa (left) and Pastor Michael J.T. Fisher (third from right) flanked by attendees of the #PUSH100 initiative held at Greater Zion Church in Compton organize a rally pledging to take over various “hotspot” areas in South L.A. and Compton plagued by violence.

“The 100Day100Nights is the straw that broke the camel’s back,” said Dr. Michael J.T. Fisher, pastor of the Greater Zion Church Family in Compton.

“Now’s the time for the Church to strategize and make a difference.”

Fisher’s Greater Zion and over four dozen other churches and organizations throughout the city of L.A, participated in the #PUSH100 initiative, distributing food and clothing for at least 100 people at key intersections in and around South L.A. “Our goal is to help the community.

We’re not here to judge anybody,” Fisher said.

Minister Curtis Days of Eym Youth

Prop 47 Event Seeks To Help Ex-Felons

and Young Adult Ministries, said it is imperative the Church underscores a “hundred ways to bring positive changes in the community.”

Days, who helps troubled youth get back on the right track, laid the blame on prominent Church activist like Rev. Jesse Jackson and others for doing little to solve the gang problem in major cities across in the U.S. He said too many black leaders like Jackson were just trying to earn “brownie points.”

If they really wanted to do something to help the youth, Days contends, they should invite gang members to a sitdown and discuss long-term solutions.

He also criticized the media for exacerbating fears, pointing out that nine people died, and 53 others were wounded 100 Days continued on page 24

STEPHEN ODUNTAN Staff Writer

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tion and more. At the LA fair, we expect thousands of local residents to come take advantage of free legal counsel on changing their records, as well as a variety of free health, reentry and community resources."

Interested persons are encouraged to bring any court documents relevant to the Prop 47-felony status.

“There has been enormous collateral damage in the African American community because of the lingering effects of people who have sustained felony convictions,” said celebrity civil rights attorney Carl. E. Douglas. “This is why these kind of events are important for minority com-

munities -particularly African Americans. Because it provides underserved communities a tremendous opportunity to learn about the advantages of Proposition 47, and the benefits afforded them.”

Proponents of Prop 47 argue prior felony convictions prevent people from pursuing an education and career. And that new job opportunity for formerly incarcerated individuals clearly translates into economic benefits for all.

Research found that having a criminal record reduces call-backs for job applicants by 50 percent.

Proposition 47 continued on page 24

California’s decision last month to restore voting rights to tens of thousands of felons serving sentences under community supervision makes the 50th Anniversary of the historic Voting Rights legislation even more special. California’s new policy comes at a time when there is growing support across the country among liberals, conservatives and moderates for extending voting rights to exfelons.

California Secretary of State Alex Padilla made the announcement after the state settled a lawsuit filed by the ACLU and a number of Civil rights groups on behalf of 60,000 felons.

“If we are serious about slowing the revolving door at our jails and prisons, and serious about reducing recidivism, we need to engage – not shun – former offenders,” Padilla said.

“Voting is a key part of that engagement; it is part of a process of becoming vested and having a stake in the community.”

All across the state there were Voting Rights celebrations honoring the efforts of civil rights activists half a century ago whose actions led to former U.S. President Lyndon Johnson signing the Voting Rights Act into law on Aug. 6, 1965.

Over a dozen speakers took to the pulpit at Holman UMC on the west side of Los Angeles and spoke of the importance of making sure everyone, particularly African Americans, have a right to step into the ballot box.

Byron Allen’s $20 Million Lawsuit Dismissed By Judge The Byron Allen, Comcast and Time Warner Cable lawsuit saga came to an abrupt end after federal district judge Terry Hatter threw the case out last month.

Earlier this year, Allen filed a $20 million lawsuit against Comcast Corporation and Time Warner Cable, accusing them of discriminatory business practices against black owned media companies. The talk show host also sued the NAACP, the National Urban League and the Reverend Al Sharpton and his National Action Network, alleging they received “payoffs” from Comcast to turn a blind eye.

According to news reports, the decision to dismiss the case came after the lack of plausible claim for relief by Entertainment Studios Networks-Allen's company and National Association of African American Owned Media (NAAOM).

The lawsuit revealed information that Comcast claimed, in securing approval for its 2011 acquisition of NBC Universal, reached memorandums of understanding with several bogus civil rights group to cover Comcast's discriminatory business practices.

Amidst the disappointing outcome, Allen remains resolute knowing that the lawsuit contributed to the FCC and DOJ denying Comcast's bid to buy Time Warner Cable.

“It is already a big win for us,” Allen said. “We are going to immediately appeal this decision to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals who I believe will deliver us a favorable decision.”

L.A. Focus/September 2015

t’s been almost a year since California enacted groundbreaking prison reform legislation—under Proposition 47, which reduced six lowlevel, nonviolent offenses from felonies to misdemeanors.

There are as many as 300,000 L.A. County residents eligible for relief under Prop 47, and there are less than 2.5 years left to get those felonies reduced.

To that, legal advisors will host a fair this month, to help a number of Angelenos take the first step in reducing a felony to a misdemeanor on their records.

Hundreds of beneficiaries of Prop 47 are expected to attend the event, which will be held at Exposition Park— Figueroa and Exposition Boulevard in Los Angeles—on Sunday, September 27, 11 a.m to 5.p.m.

The event marks the first of its kind since Prop 47 took effect on November 4.

"The Proposition 47 Record Change & Resource Fair is an unprecedented event in an unprecedented year of criminal justice reform in California, said Lenore Anderson, Executive Director of Californians for Safety and Justice.

“Proposition 47,” he added, “passed by voters in November, has opened the door for as many as 1 million Californians to remove certain nonviolent felonies from their criminal records -- felonies that can remove barriers to jobs, housing, educa-

News Brief

Staff Writer

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Straight Outta Compton: Debate Lingers On Its Message nyone familiar with crime in our nation dropped Why Every American 40% between 1994 – 2013. me or my history would consider me Should See The Film After making so much ‘ Straight Outta the least likely to use my progress could we afford to go influence to promote the backwards? My angst grew Compton’ film, Straight Outta even more as the film release Compton. N-ggas With Attitudes, more date began to run parallel with a constant, popularly known as NWA, is the rap group terrifying stream of headlines necessitatfrom Compton that introduced the world to ing the hashtag #BLACKLIVESMATTER a new genre of music. Their songs experi- to flood social media. I didn’t know the stoenced meteoric success with hit titles like ryline of the film, but worried that bringing “F-ck the police,” an anti-police song that attention to the group exposed and protested police brutality. who wrote arguably At the time, reports of misconduct by the most popular law enforcement within inner city commu- anti-police song in nities were widespread. In addition to anti- history could further police themes, NWA’s music was laden strain relations with provocative lyrics that appeared to between law enforceglamorize gang life, violence, and murder. ment and the innerTheir music skyrocketed simultaneously city. I was afraid this with an unprecedented epidemic of gang was a cost America violence and murder. It’s hard to tell if the could not afford in the music influenced the epidemic or vice- wake of the officer Toure’ Roberts versa, but what I remember is the culture involved killings of wreaking havoc in communities like the unarmed black men like Christian Taylor, one I grew up in. Eventually it would near- Mike Brown, Eric Garner, Tamir Rice and ly cost me my life. countless others.

This was during the mid 80’s to early Would Straight Outta Compton widen 90’s. Strangers and friends were being shot the gap of division in our nation and lead and killed at every turn. These senseless us to a point of no return? These thoughts murders were becoming so common that and questions played out in my mind, but the authorities came up with the phrase were short-lived when replaced by a pre“drive-by shooting”. vailing, more positive thought: this film In December of 1988, this culture of vio- could be an opportunity to tell a version of lence came to my very doorstep. At 16 history not often heard. Could it serve as years old, I laid on a cold poorly paved, con- the missing element required to create a crete sidewalk, bleeding from the mouth brighter more compassionate future for our and gasping for air. A victim of violence – nation? the perpetrator – not brutal police, but After seeing the film, I believe that men the same color as me. Obviously, I sur- answer is yes, and that the film can do that vived and by the grace of God thrived, but very thing. that wasn’t the tale of most young men I I’ve been fortunate enough to be grew up with in my neighborhood. exposed to a variety of environments and “F-uck The Police” was—without ques- cultures throughout my life. The first 9 tion—in my library of cassette tapes, but years of my life I lived in the multi-culturwhen an officer from the LAPD arrived to al climate of Oakland, California. From my side before the medics, there were two there, my mother and I moved to Watts, an ironies that did not escape me. One, the inner-city community that borders words of a cop would undoubtedly save my Compton, which at the time was predomilife. This officer passionately coached me to nantly black. Much like Ice Cube’s storynot die and to hang on to what little life I line, my mother bussed me out of Watts to had left. The other irony is that what hap- attend a suburban school in the affluent pened to me that night could have easily Hancock Park area. When the opportunity been a verse in any number of songs writ- presented itself, I began to attend private ten by NWA, with one exception: the part school in the Long Beach area. where the police saved my life.

My life’s journey has continued to lead When I learned that a movie was being me to experience a variety of socioeconommade about NWA, I was deeply concerned. ic and cultural variety, both domestically According to The New York Times, violent Roberts continued on page 9

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Headlines From Africa Botswana: The Botswana Court of Appeals dismisses an appeal against a 2014 High Court decision affirming the government's obligation to provide foreign prisoners with antiretrovirals at the government’s expense. The decision's enforcement will mean access to life-saving treatment for people who are particularly vulnerable to HIV," said Attorney Annabel Raw, a health rights lawyer at the Southern Africa Litigation Centre.

L.A. Focus/September 2015

Cameroon:Cameroon and Nigeria are putting aside their past differences as they struggle to contain the mutual threat posed by Islamic militants carrying out suicide bombings across the region. Nigeria’s Muhammadu Buhari visited Cameroon's capital last month to bolster support for a multinational army to fight the Boko Haram uprising that recently claimed at least 60 lives in Cameroon. Over the last six years, the violence has displaced nearly 2 million people and killed 20,000 in the region bordering Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon and Chad.

Gabon: Ali Ben Bongo, one of Africa’s wealthiest rulers, has declared that he will give up some of his holdings “to the people of Gabon. During a nationally televised speech, Bongo said he would give up two properties in Paris; his father’s residence in the Gabonese capital, Libreville; and the income from his portion of the inheritance in order to aid the education and development of Gabon’s youth. In a nation where a third of the population live on less than $1.25 a day, Bongo has come under fire for the vast riches acquired by his family.

Liberia: In a recent report published based on data from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), it is indicated that Liberia continues to perform poorly with the country ranked the fifth poorest country in Africa at the moment.

The report found that an estimated 85% of the population lives below $1. War and political instability were found to be key factors to Liberia poor economy. The report ranked Malawi as the poorest country in the world with a GDP of $226.

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Mali: With armed conflict in the north weakening the economy and continued fighting, the United Nations and Mali officials reported that more than 3 million people are suffering from hunger in the nation with upwards of 715,000 children at risk of acute malnutrition.

yler Perry’s brand of members were familiar, As a Woman, I hyperbolic “church much more so than Dr. Dre humor” and F. Gary Can’ t Love Madea or Eazy-E ever were.

Gray’s hit film Straight Outta Without fail, Perry’s proand Hate Straight Compton, a biopic of the West ductions featured at least Outta Compton Coast rap group N.W.A, one black woman whose selfmight seem worlds apart. But for me, they worth was wrapped up in the affections of are two sides of the same coin. I’m disap- a hardworking, honest black man. In pointed in myself that it took so long to fig- Madea’s Big Happy Family, black female ure that out. characters were literal stereotypes. From I was raised by a single mother in the one-lined “baby mama” to the “angry Oakland, Calif., in for no apparent reason” older sister, black the late 1980s and women in the film existed strictly in a sin’90s, at the height of gle dimension.

N.W.A’s famed Perhaps the most egregious example of career. To my moth- Perry’s shallow development and limiting er’s credit, she characterization of black women in film worked tirelessly to happened in 2013 with Temptation. The protect me from main character, Judith, played by Jurnee harmful messages in Smollett-Bell, was a trifecta of broken popular culture black woman: 1) She was unable to see her throughout my ado- beauty until a predatory (and handsome) Jenn M. Jackson lescence. Rap and hip- black male made sexual advances toward hop pioneers were her; 2) She mistreated her hardworking never spinning in my household. I didn’t black husband by cheating on him; and 3) know the greats like Run-DMC or Public She ended up alone and shamed for all the Enemy. Dr. Dre, Eazy-E and Ice Cube mistakes she made while under the influwere completely unfamiliar to me until ence of an abusive lover. well into junior high school.

By the time The Single Moms Club Rather, I grew up in black church cul- came out in 2014, I was fatigued from the ture, a culture supposedly antithetical to repeated mischaracterizations of black the “misogynoir” and violence of rap and women in Perry’s productions but still felt hip-hop. It was meant to be different, less a certain loyalty to the brand. While I “worldly.” stopped paying for his films, I said things Most days were dedicated to at least like, “He has done so much to create jobs in one church-related service. Bible study, the South,” and “He is changing the game choir rehearsal, youth fellowship and in black entertainment.” Failing to situate other themed events consumed my young his culturally comedic work in opposition life. Although church felt ubiquitous to me, to my developing ideological commitI rarely saw reflections of my church fami- ments, I contradicted my own stances ly in mainstream media. That was, until against misogynoir and sexism for the Tyler Perry’s iconic gray-haired grandma, sake of familiarity.

Madea, emerged during my high school In contrast, what I knew from lyrics years. encouraging child rape and the sexual When Perry’s plays on the contempo- exploitation of black women was enough to rary chitlin circuit began capitalizing on, turn my stomach and repel me from and in many ways exploiting, black church N.W.A’s brand altogether. When I learned culture, I felt deeply connected to the nar- of Dr. Dre’s history of violence against ratives. I was almost thirsty for them. black women, like Dee Barnes and Madea—played by Perry himself—was a Michel’le, it took little convincing for me to large-bosomed, spry pseudo-Christian. permanently recuse myself from ever conShe never left her revolver at home; nor suming any of his work or products. When was she ever “scurred.” Her broken recita- news about Straight Outta Compton tions of Bible verses evoked uproarious broke, I never intended to spend a dime on laughter in anyone who knew what it. I even planned not to watch the film for Scripture really said. She was the Sunday free. My disgust toward those who supschool teacher who loved you but would ported the film, especially black women, take you to the bathroom for a whoopin’. left me disillusioned, even surprised.

Madea and her various extended-family Jackson continued on page 25

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A look at current news from the continent of Africa Nigeria: A candlelit vigil held last month marked the 500-day anniversary of the kidnap of over 270 Chibok schoolgirls by Boko Haram. Over 50 girls have escaped. According to reports, about 100 were married off to their captors while others where sold into the sex trade and some killed either during escape attempts or during strikes on camps where they were being held.

Senegal: Seven men were sentenced to six months in prison for homosexuality last month, amidst outcry from some that the move could hurt the nation's anti-HIV efforts. The case—founded on a police discovery of condoms and lubricant in the house where the men were arrested—is being viewed as a blow to groups who are promoting safe sex among gay men, particularly if participation in those campaigns could make them targets.

South Africa: Opposition continues to mount from within the government over the cost of President Jacob Zuma’s plans to build new nuclear plants to address power shortages that have led to rolling blackouts and stifled growth. The bill for it is a whopping $37 billion to $100 billion with the first of up to eight reactors proposed to be operational by 2023.

Uganda: A recent U.S. State Department report found Uganda to be a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking. Ugandan children as young as seven are exploited in forced labor. Women and children from Uganda’s remote and underdeveloped Karamoja region were particularly vulnerable to domestic servitude, commercial sexual exploitation, and forced begging, while top destination countries for Ugandan trafficking victims found to be Kuwait, the UAE, and Kenya.

Zimbabwe: Under pressure to implement economic reform, President Robert Mugabe promised to repeal all laws that hamper business and has taken steps to ease “indigenization” laws that require foreign-owned businesses to sell at least 51% of their shares to locals, while welcoming western re-engagement and a strengthening of ties with the International Monetary Fund and World Bank.

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produce it? It was much easier to label them thugs than to try to understand where they were coming from.

Who is willing to search for the cry woven into the profanity? And maybe the best question yet is reserved for those who have power, resources, and influence to create change. Is it within my power to seek out solutions, and perhaps provide relief to the very situations that created their outcry?

It’s a paradigm shift and our nation needs to get on board. As it relates to the conflict between law enforcement and residents of inner-city communities, have we taken the time to understand the fear, lack of sensitivity, and aggression of some in the police department? Or have we made the judgment of racism the only plausible prognosis? Could it be that the clear desensitization regularly on display in many inner cities amongst its own residents through drugs, violence and murder has contributed to the hardness of the police who patrol those streets? These are questions we have to consider if we want to go beyond finger pointing and find real solutions to heal our nation.

It comes down to perspective. Blindness occurs when we are only committed to seeing our own.

Before seeing ‘Straight Outta Compton’ I had judgment in my heart towards Gangsta Rap. I believed it played a part in the surge of violence that cost so many

lives and nearly cost me my own. After viewing the film, I left seeing a bit of myself in several of the characters. The prevailing sentiment of NWA is that they wanted the same thing most people want – to express themselves and to get ahead. The inner-city environment creates a desperation to escape by any means necessary. The possibility of finally doing so can blind many to the reality that some of those means leave a trail of bodies on the road STRAIGHT OUTTA where they came from.

Gangster rap may have been their runway, but their exposure allowed for them to take off and evolve into doing greater and more productive things.

Fair and productive justice will always require the balance that comes from seeking to understand diverse perspectives. Will I ever again be a fan of Gangsta Rap, or “reality rap” as NWA would call it? I doubt it, but our nation would do well by understanding that often we play a role in the creation of something by ignoring the cry that created what we have come to lament.

I believe there is an opportunity to heal from an unlikely place…Straight Outta Compton.

Toure’ Roberts is the founder/pastor of One Church International, a widely sought after speaker and the author of the best-selling book, Purpose Awakening.

L.A. Focus/September 2015

Roberts continued from page 8 and internationally and have afforded me the opportunity to learn many lessons. One of the greatest is that judgment is always based upon vantage point—the broader the perspective, the fairer the judgment.

I believe that prejudice is the greatest enforcer of conflict to unity and progress, and creates a barrier in the human experience. True and lasting justice can only be achieved when all has been respectfully and intelligently considered from every vantage point. Each time we prejudge something in haste, laziness or ignorance, we add a brick to the concrete wall of separation that keeps conflict alive and growing. To the contrary, when we value others enough to take time to listen, understand and see from their vantage point, the power of empathy begins to dissolve the walls of separation.

‘Straight Outta Compton’ tells the story of the rise and fall of NWA from a vantage point most Americans would never be able to see. The plight of a group of young black men with a unique set of circumstances is humanized by the common context that brought them together—that they were NWA, n-ggas with attitudes.

I wonder if the society that “pre-judged” them ever stopped to try and understand them. Were they born with an attitude or did the circumstances of their environment

9

Focus 9.15_Focus 7-04 9/1/15 5:34 PM Page 10

STEPHEN ODUNTAN Staff Writer

A

ssemblyman Reginald Byron Jones-Sawyer, Sr., a strong advocate of equal rights, believes at some point defining progress must be focused on where you stand present day, not celebrating how much you have accomplished.

The new Chair of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC), recently sat down with LA Focus for an informative interview to discuss a wide range of topics aimed at ensuring equality for African Americans.

Typically, the black community he said, “has very little knowledge about the CLBC” much less the services the organization provides.

It’s a notable revelation considering the CLBC has for more than four decades lobbied and crafted legislation to advance quality of life for all Californians—but in particular minorities.

On each and every issue he said, including promoting family values, the CLBC continues to be the voice of the voiceless.

Case in point, Assemblymen Sebastian Ridley-Thomas recently proposed legislation and policy efforts that will strengthen fathers’ involvement in their children.

“Given the positive role that fathers can play in boosting educational and employment outcomes for their children, policy reforms are needed to incentivize responsible parenting and healthy relationships. This involvement will ensure that all Californians are able to participate fully and fairly in the state’s economic future,” Ridley-

Thomas said Moreover, initiatives focused on economic development promising to help black families are an area quite familiar with the Chair of the CLBC’s Economic Development Committee Cheryl R. Brown. The Assemblymember, who supported the Local Control Funding Formula that provided additional funding for poor communities of color, spearheaded an informational committee hearing on the State of Black Enterprise.

The hearing, convened by the CLBC and co-hosted by the Assembly Committee on Business & Professional and the Assembly Committee on jobs, Economic Development & the Economy, investigated a number of issues and potential policy solutions that will help increase economic opportunities for African Americans in California.

In addition to her work as Chair, Brown supported the Local Funding Formula, which has provided additional funding for communities of color.

“As a member of the Assembly Select Committee on the Status of Boys and Men of Color, [I’ve] worked to pass policies that improve the lives of African American males in the state,” said Brown who also authored a bill that provides additional services to keep young black males in school and out of the adult prison population.

Meanwhile Jones-Sawyer, who has championed justice and social change, said he has set a number of social policies that he plans to accomplish over the next 10 to 12 years.

“We have to think long range and begin that dialog of how we want to significantly impact people’s lives”, JonesSawyer said.

“Because I think what happened to us after achieving civil rights, affirmative action, and voting rights, is we got too comfortable.”

Using an infectious disease analogy to describe frustration with social progress and the economic plight of African Americans, Jones-Sawyer said, when you’re sick, the doctor gives you antibiotics to cure yourself. But even if you might feel better after a few pills, the doctor still insists you must take every pill in the bottle, because if you don’t, the symptoms may return, which could be worse than before.

“I think that’s what happened to us with civil rights, affirmative action, and voting rights. We thought the disease of racism had been cured, and so we got comfortable.

“We have to go back on the medication and ensure equality and people having the right to vote.”

Jones-Sawyer comes from an influential family in the civil rights movement. His uncle was one of the “Little Rock Nine” -- high school students who braved violent mobs to integrate Little Rock Central High School in 1957; considered one of the most important events in the African American Civil Rights Movement.

“I used to hear stories about the Ku Klux Klan holding cross burning ceremonies,” Jones-Sawyer recalled.

“Even though the National Guard were supposed to pro-

Members of the CBLC & Their Legislative Priorities

Reginald Byron Jones-Sawyer, Sr.

Senator Isadore Hall

Autumn Burke

Sebastian Ridley-Thomas

Cheryl R. Brown

Jim Cooper

Assembly Bill (AB) 1012 Prohibits school districts that maintain any of grades 9 to 12, inclusive, from assigning any pupil enrolled in a school to exclude alternative schools in the school district to any course period without educational content for more than one week in any semester, except under prescribed conditions.

SB 199 (Hall): Expands reading services to IHSS consumers who are blind.

-SB 232 (Hall): Helps Inglewood Unified School District and other school districts under state receivership to access additional support and assistance.

-SB 399 (Hall): Will expand and diversify economic development at the Port of LA.

AB 879 Allows service for the process for hearings regarding children who are, or who may become, dependent children, including a detention hearing, jurisdictional hearing, and dispositional hearing to be made by electronic mail if the county or city choose to permit and the person to be served has consented to service by electronic mail.

AB 1299 Requires the State Department of Health Care Services to issue policy guidance that establishes conditions for and exceptions to the presumptive transfer of responsibility for providing or arranging for mental health services to foster youth from the county of original jurisdiction to the county in which the foster child resides.

AB 1 prohibits municipalities from fining their residents for not watering their lawn when a drought emergency is declared.

AB1156, which would require the training of school personnel in the prevention of bullying to be a component in the development of school safety plans.

ABX2-6 protects the public, specifically young people against exposure to e-cigarettes by ensuring they are accurately defined as tobacco products and fall under the state’s existing smoke-free laws.

Focus 9.15_Focus 7-04 9/1/15 5:34 PM Page 11

tect the nine students, my uncle was beaten several times. All sorts of terrible things happened to him that any of us would be hard pressed to go through today.”

Growing up during the civil rights era and watching the haunting images on television depicting firemen using high-pressure water hoses and police attack dogs on both black children and adult protestors, struck a deep chord with the 58-year-old Assemblyman. He said seeing that fueled his passion in wanting to get involved in the CLBC and fight for black people victimized by societal and institutional racism.

Last year the group expanded to 12 members—its largest ever—up from nine members two years ago, and with increased membership comes greater clout.

“We can now influence legislation—particularly as it relates to African Americans in a bloc,” said Senator Isadore Hall. “This year, standing together as a bloc, we have secured resources for black communities in the areas of K12, healthcare and early childhood education.”

Fact is, an array of current social issues has ignited the CLBC leadership to move swiftly on several fronts.

Some members recently channeled their anger at a number of high profile deadly police shooting of unarmed young black men, into a growing chorus for police reforms.

Assemblymen Kevin McCarty said for far too long there has been a public outcry in our community for an increased level of oversight of officer-involved shootings.

There’s an increased need to create a better and more “independent system that is fair to the community.”

McCarthy’s sentiments were echoed by Assemblyman Holden who said, “Civil rights have received prominent attention after the deaths of too many African Americans at the hands of law enforcement. To restore accountability that yields to greater public trust, I have jointly authored an Assembly Bill to fund the cost and deployment of body cameras for use by law enforcement. The funding for this program was incorporated in to the 2015 State Budget, and I have continued to support legislation that will bring more transparency to this profession.”

Holden added, “It’s also important that we recognize that good people across this country need to say ‘enough is enough’. Fighting prejudice and racial injustice requires all of us to care. I have four college-age sons and I worry about their safety. To truly strengthen our future, one of our priorities has to be closing the disconnect between law enforcement and people of color, especially young people of color. This is a critical role for our elected officials – demanding truth, restoring justice and building bridges.”

With a series of police reform proposals in the works, Jones-Sawyer also merged with other lawmakers to enact legislation requiring CHP (California Highway Patrol) officers wear video cameras by next year. He said he’s hopeful the program would expand to other jurisdictions.

Coincidently, LAPD (Los Angeles Police Department), who have been dogged by allegations of excessive force and racial profiling, recently began deployment of body cameras for its officers.

Jones-Sawyer goes on to say, “[Former] state Sen. Rod Wright found that LAPD and other law enforcement agencies—but LAPD especially, were stopping young kids if they suspected them of being gang members. They’d write their names and addresses down and put it in a database. They were doing this without notifying the kids’ parents.

“So Wright came up with a bill stipulating that law enforcement must notify the kids’ parents before putting their name in the database.

To better improve community policing in minority areas, it is essential law enforcement officers get to know the people they serve.

“Not every young black male who wear sagging pants are gang members. Not every black male driving an expensive car through a white neighborhood is a drug dealer.”

This, explained Jones-Sawyer why it’s important the community builds a relationship with their representatives. Lawmakers he said provide a legal voice for the community. The more familiar lawmakers are with issues affecting their constituencies, the more responsive they will be in communicating genuine concerns.

Jones-Sawyer referenced Sen. Holly Mitchell, who he said co-sponsored a bill last year that eliminated sentencing disparities between crack and cocaine possession convictions. “These are important legislations that people need to know about.”

African Americans have been far more likely than whites and Hispanics to be convicted for—and receive the harsher penalties associated with—possession of crack cocaine, according to government statistics. White and Hispanic defendants are more frequently charged with possession of powder cocaine.

The measure written by Mitchell made the penalties for the sale of crack equal for powder cocaine.

Gov. Jerry Brown signed it into law under the California Fair Sentencing Act. The bill was hailed as a significant piece of penal reform that constituted part of a broader national effort to rollback some of the legal penalties introduced into the criminal justice system over the last decade by the socalled “war on drugs.”

“We must break the drug-driven cycle of arrest, lockup un-employability, and re-arrest,” said Mitchell in a statement following the landmark legislation. “The law isn’t supposed to be a pipeline that disproportionately channels the young, urban and unemployed into jail and joblessness.”

Charles Stewart, Communications Director for Mitchell said the senator brought that same level of passion with a bill she authored to repeal the Maximum Family Grant, a provision of CalWorks that denies assistance to families that conceives and births an additional child while on welfare from getting an increase in its grants.

“As a woman and a woman of color, who represents South L.A., Sen. Mitchell finds it profoundly offensive that, essentially white male legislators would attempt to control when a woman/family chooses to have a child.

“She has vowed, Stewart added, “to carry this bill every year until it passes.”

Mitchell, whose district has high CalWorks caseloads argued, “Forcing families to spread meager resources thinner just to teach them a lesson isn’t policy, it’s punishment.”

Ironically, last February, coinciding with Black History Month, the CLBC grew to its largest in 47 years, going from eight members to 12.

The current members include Isadore Hall, III— Assembly District 35; Autumn Burke—Assembly District 62; Sebastian Ridley-Thomas—Assembly District 54; Cheryl R. Brown—Assembly District 47; Jim Cooper— Assembly District 9; Mike Gipson—Assembly District 64; Christopher Holden—Assembly 41; Kevin McCarty— Assembly District 7; Holly J. Mitchel—Assembly District 30; Tony Thurmond—Assembly District 15; Shirley N. Weber—Assembly District 79.

Jones-Sawyer said the “great thing about the Caucus is we probably have an activist in every human endeavor, whether it is public safety, education, environment, housing, jobs, or boosting more opportunities for black owned businesses.”

Among other pressing issues, criminal justice and education reform appear to be two distinct priority com-

ponents for the CLBC. “Our challenge now is to boil certain issues affecting our community down into one or two specific areas of priority. Because as much as we’d like to tackle every major problem at once, it would simply be impossible.”

Earlier this year, Jones-Sawyer pushed for a bill prohibiting any school district from assigning a pupil to a course period without educational content.

“School administrators were routinely assigning students to classes dubbed ‘fake classes’, in which nothing was actually taught,” said Jones-Sawyer.

This scathing revelation came to light after reports surfaced students at Jefferson High School in South L.A. sat in the library or auditorium doing nothing.

“We found this problem occurred nearly exclusively in low income communities notes Jones-Sawyer, who also expressed optimism his bill would reach the governors desk by October. But added he was outraged that this “egregious practice of sticking kids in fake classes wasn’t against the law.

“This is a law,” he declared that would “put principals and teachers on notice. They are obligated to teach every student that steps foot on school premises.”

The fake classes at Jefferson were ultimately blamed on a new scheduling system. Meanwhile, however, the Los Angeles Unified School District was ordered last year by a Superior Court judge to fix the scheduling problem.

“If a kid misses out on one day of learning, it puts him behind other kids—especially kids from wealthy schools,” the Assemblymen remarked.

Last year, in September, California became the first state to prohibit suspension of students for “willful defiance”—a law designed to counteract heavy sentences for minor violations.

Proponents of the bill, which included Jones-Sawyer, said the application of the “willful defiance” offense was used disproportionately to discipline minorities.

Moreover, Jones-Sawyer told LA Focus “that legislation passed because of the efforts of CLBC.” He added, “willful defiance” oftentimes was used as a “catch-all term that included refusal to complete assignments” and other minor infractions.

“Some teachers are threatened by African American and Hispanic students who standup for themselves. And so they push them out of class; depriving them of the instructions they need.”

This leads to African American and Hispanic kids funneled into the “school-to-prison pipeline,” he said.

Though, Jones-Sawyer noted a black man holding the highest office in the land is an important milestone, he reiterated, “the country is still sick as a nation when it comes to racism.” Thus the CLBC must employ renewed vigor to combat the disease.

Hall’s legislative goals and priorities are evidence of this, as he introduced Resolution 39 that denounces conservative presidential candidate Donald Trump, whose inflammatory remarks about Hispanic immigrants were deemed “racially insensitive.”

“This nation was built on immigration; whether being here illegally or not,” said Hall, who along with nine colleagues called upon the State of California to divest any business relationships with Trump, and any of his affiliated business entities. The bill likewise condemned U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, also a Republican presidential candidate, for defending Trump’s remarks.

All the more reason why Jones-Sawyer argues “it is critical the CLBC, through dialog comes up with a plan to significantly move the needle, because if we don’t, it would be as if African Americans have made no advances in the last 50 years.”

The CLBC was formed in 1967 under the leadership Cover Story continued on page 25

Chris Holden

Kevin McCarty

Senator Holly J. Mitchell

Tony Thurmond

Shirley N. Weber

AB 920 provides victims equal access to information prior to parole hearings. Sponsored by Crime Victims United of California, the bill requires that an inmate’s board packet be provided to a victim’s attorney.

AB 252 establishes a grant program to help school districts meet the costs associated with creating Advanced Placement courses in the STEM fields – Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.

AB 47 establishes a framework to provide all eligible lowincome 4-year olds with access to the state preschool program contingent upon funding in the Budget Act.

SB 238 provides child welfare services social workers with the data, information and tools needed to provide appropriate oversight of mental health treatments for the children in their care.

AB 1375 adjusts the credit for time served incarcerated in lieu of paying court fines from the current $30.00 per day that was set in 1976, to the 2014 equivalent inflation rate of $125.00 per day.

AB 1328 authorizes courts to instruct a jury when a prosecutor has intentionally concealed evidence of innocence.

L.A. Focus/September 2015

Mike A. Gipson

11

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Focus 9.15_Focus 7-04 9/1/15 5:34 PM Page 13

MoneyMatters Auditor Investigating Whether Caltrans Spends Less Money in Poorer Neighborhoods

C

alifornia has always stood out among other states as a leader when it comes to transportation. The Golden State developed an early system of state routes and roadways that pre-dates the federal highway system. It also boasts of early infrastructure innovations like the Pacific Coast Highway, the Bay Bridge and the Arroyo-Seco Parkway.

On any given day, Californians travel across more than 50,000 miles of freeway lanes that the California Department of Transportation, commonly called Caltrans, is responsible for building, maintaining and restoring.

But taking a deeper-than-surface look at the state’s extensive network of roadways and the rich history upon which they are built, some observers say, upkeep of the roads that have historically been the lifeblood of the state’s economy is unequal. Roads in poorer neighborhoods are often in more disrepair than in affluent places.

Therefore, Assemblymember Mike A. Gipson (DCarson), Chair of the Joint Legislative Audit Committee, has requested an investigation of Caltrans.

“Why are Compton, Carson, Watts, Gardena, and Long Beach looking different from Bellflower, Cerritos, and from affluent areas on the Westside, Beverly Hills, and Rancho Palos Verdes,” said Assembymember Gipson.

“These are all cities still in the state of California, but if you drive down those communities and roads they are in grave conditions.”

The independent statewide audit will examine spending decisions related to the department’s maintenance program covering the most recent five years, and assess whether there exists inequities in repair priorities and the distribution of funds. To the extent possible, the audit will identify the current socioeconomic demographics of each district receiving funding.

The review comes at a time when politicians in

Caltrans Building, Downtown L.A. (Paul Getov/AFP/Getty Images)

Sacramento are floating a number of competing proposals on how to improve transportation in the state. For example, Assembly Republicans have introduced a 9-point “roadmap” they expect will provide more than $6 billion in new funding to address California’s transportation needs.

Their proposal calls for an elimination of redundancies at Caltrans, saving $500 million annually. They created the plan in response to Governor Brown’s convening of a special session of the legislature on transportation funding.

While each group’s plan has a different focus and vision for what the future of transportation should look like in the state for many Black Caucus members fixing inequalities in the current system is a more pressing concern.

Despite anecdotal evidence of disparities in the upkeep of roads, Caltrans maintains that it is playing fair.

Money Matters continued on page 25

On the Money Michael Jordan Says No To Deals Under $10 Million Slam dunk! Billionaire Michael Jordan is $8.9 million richer after a winning a battle with supermarket chain Dominick’s Finer Foods.

According to reports, Jordan’s name and jersey number were used for advertising a $2.00 coupon special for steak in a 2009 special issue of Sports Illustrated without his permission. In Dominick’s defense, it was just a kind gesture for a failing company. However, Jordan’s legal team revealed that the hall of famer would never approve the ad because the use of his name comes with a heavy price tag.

"I didn't do deals for anything less than $10 million," 52-year-old Jordan said in court.

The retired basketball player, whose endorsement income includes $480 million paid to him by Nike from 2000 to 2012—a figure neither party wanted coming out to the public—also revealed he turned down an $80 million deal to endorse headphones.

With plans to donate the monies gained from the lawsuit to charity, the basketball star said it’s not about the money, but should serve as a lesson.

"No one, whether or not they're a public figure should have to worry about their identity being used without their permission,” Jordan explained.

"This shows I will protect my name to the fullest. ... It's my name and I worked hard for it. I'm not just going to let someone take it."

AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast

Biz NewsBriefs Tyler Perry’s Buys Fort McPherson, Plans To Build Movie Studio

Tyler Perry has closed on a $30 million deal that will lead to him controlling 330 of the 448 acres at Fort McPherson in Atlanta.

Plans may include a movie studio, an amphitheater and a museum.

Estimates come from Perry's organization and assume 10 to 20 film and television productions will be shooting at the studio at once and will generate about 3,900 to 8,300 jobs.

Perry himself hasn’t said much about the project but has mentioned the studio will feature tours.

Will Packer Renews Deal With Universal Television

With seven of his films having opened number one, collectively grossing more than $900 million, Will Packer has proven to be a power to be reckoned with in Hollywood.

Riding high on the success of Straight Outta Compton, which he exec produced, Packer recently renewed his deal with Universal TV for two more years through 2017.

Among the projects he is set to release are two new series, “Truth Be Told” which premieres next month on NBC starring Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Vanessa Lachey, Tone Bell and Bresha Webb and “Uncle Buck” starring Mike Epps (midseason on ABC). Also in the works is a remake of the groundbreaking mini-series “Roots” and “Buckhead”, a drama about ambition, sex and revenge set in the extravagant, high-stakes world of Atlanta politics, entertainment, churches and strip clubs.

Study Finds Racial Disparity Exists Between What Black And White Borrowers Pay For Home

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Mortgages Racial disparity in mortgage rates is widespread between black and white borrowers, according to a newly published study which found more financially vulnerable black women suffer the most.

The study, led by Ping Cheng, Ph.D., professor of finance in Florida Atlantic University's College of Business, used data from three waves of U.S. Survey of Consumer Finance and found that black borrowers on average pay about 29 basis points more than comparable white borrowers, or .29 percent more. Their article was published in the July 2015 issue of The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics.

Cheng and his fellow researchers, Zhenghou Lin, Ph.D., and Yingchun Liu, Ph.D., of California State University, Fullerton, found that the rate disparity mainly occurs to young black borrowers with low education, as well as those borrowers whose income and credit disqualify them for prime lending rates. Additionally, among borrowers in the higher rate groups, black women seem to receive much more disparate treatment than black men.

Focus 9.15_Focus 7-04 9/1/15 5:34 PM Page 14

Eye On Gospel Industry Buzz with Bro. Steve It’s the most wonderful time of the year…yes it is and not just back to school, but good things are happening in Los Angeles.

First of all, happy birthday again to my pastor Bishop Charles E. Blake on your 75th birthday celebration. Now if you missed the event, you will be able to watch it on DVD. Go to WestA.org for more information.

Now let’s get to the music. Tasha Cobbs, my God in Heaven, if you thought the last CD was Breaking Every Chain, wait till you hear this one. Live from Capital Records in Hollywood on a cool crisp summer night, Tosha hosted her listening party session.

Tasha is just a church girl all day long. I can say from what I’ve seen and witness that night that her praise is real and her story is so transparent. It’s time out for FAKE PRAISE… Pick up a copy of her new CD “One Place Live” available now on Motown Gospel.

If you are ready for praise, you will love the song “Fill Me Up”. It will take you right there. But there’s more. Get ready to have some crazy praise churchin’. Just as Tasha described it as a “Christmas Praise”, it’s the song “Put A Praise On It”. I will warn you in advance, you can have crazy praise for an hour off this cut. It’s mad off the chain.

Speaking about churchin’, the word is out on the street that Dr. Norman Hutchins is back again with something new stirring and its more than a CD. Oh yes, it’s music, ministry and little bit more live in person. Check out his site for more information. Norman is on a roll.

Speaking about rolling on, I’ve seen a lot in the music industry over 30 years, but I’ve not seen nobody like Kebra Moore in years. She has got to be the number one gospel artist in a wheelchair. Mother, model and more— her testimony will amaze you. Her music will rock every speaker you hear it out of and her marriage to her awesome husband Marcus will touch your heart. It is the ulti-

mate example of true unconditional love. Don’t let the wheelchair fool you. One day she is on stage singing and the next day driving down the road promoting her new CD. By the way, her TV special is coming out this fall too.

Watch it with a box of tissue. She can do more on stage sitting in her wheelchair than some artist do walking, skipping and running all over the place. Look her up. Her ministry will blow your mind.

It’s Stellar time again. Oh yes, time to get ready to open the door for nominations for the 2016 Stellar Gospel Music Awards. Las Vegas was a major hit in 2015 and 2016 plans to even top

Tasha Cobbs

that.

Industry Tip of The Month If you are a new artist, the word for the month is packaging. Great graphics will grab to attention of the radio announcer and industry person faster. Go to Walmart and other record store outlets to compare what’s on their shelf. If your Dr. Norman Hutchins cover does not compare to what is already out, go back and perfect it to get it right. A great cover will get people’s attention. When making your promo cards and even our e-blast flyers, you want to add a new format to be a perfect square. This will allow your cover to be seen better on Facebook and Instagram formats. Make sure you look natural. You don’t want to have your face Photoshop savvy on the cover and when we see you in person you look like…well amen, I’ll leave that alone. You get the message. Make it right so it sells right. Remember good music will always find a home. God will provide the increase.

Don’t forget to secure your ad in the 2016 Gospel RoundUp. Also if you are a pastor or ministry, make sure you get your ad into the LA Focus new ministry section, you will be shocked at the new changes coming in the new year. Check me out on radio, TV and online at BroSteve.com or email me at BroSteveMedia@me.com.

Remember, tomorrow is the first day of the rest of your life. See ya next month!

Focus 9.15_Focus 7-04 9/1/15 5:34 PM Page 15

iNSiDe HO L LY w OOD with Tatiana Rivera Salim & Mara Brock Akil Exiting BET, Ink Deal with WBtv The prolific husband and wife duo known for TV shows “Girlfriends,” “The Game,” and “Being Mary Jane” are parting ways with BET Network in May 2016 to sign a three-year deal with Warner Bros TV to develop original programming for the studio through their Akil Productions.

The couple first joined BET in 2009 when the cable network picked up comedy series “The Game,” after it was cancelled by the CW. The show’s BET debut set ratings records with 7.7M viewers. Mara created and both are executive producers of “Being Mary Jane,” the network’s first one-hour scripted series, starring Gabrielle Union. Mara will continue as showrunner, segueing to an executive consultant when her WBTV deal starts.

Mara also created and executive produced “Girlfriends,” which ran for eight seasons on The CW. Salim directed features “Sparkle” starring Whitney Houston, and “Jumping The Broom” starring Angela Bassett.

Faith-Based Film ‘War Room’ Makes $11 Million Debut “War Room,” a Christian drama by Georgia-based filmmakers Alex and Stephen Kendrick

opened up to an outstanding $600K and made $11M by the close of the weekend despite playing in only 1,135 theaters. Interestingly, NRG thought “War Room” would only pull in $3M total. Faith-based films, however, always seem to surprise and War Room was placed No. 2 behind "Straight Outta Compton," which earned $13.2M for the third consecutive weekend.

“When we started writing the plot, it occurred to us that this movie would be more powerful or passionate as told from an African-American perspective,” Alex Kendrick told The Reporter. “I’m not sure it would have been as heart-grabbing if we hadn’t done that.”

“The African-American church is more visceral, they are more expressive and there is a powerful passion to their prayers,” Kendrick, a former pastor, continued.

Missy Elliott; Rihanna Join The Voice Hip hop superstar, Missy Elliot will be joining the voice as an advisor for Pharrell Williams’ team. The 44-year-old will be bringing her hip hop expertise, particularly focusing on her ability to dominate a stage. Rihanna will also be appearing as a mentor joining the show as a competition-wide advisor to contestants.

The Voice premieres Monday, September 21.

RAVeReViewS

Z for Zachariah In the wake of a disaster that wipes out most of civilization, two men and a young woman find themselves in an emotionally charged love triangle as the last known survivors.

Starring Margot Robbie, Chris Pine & Chiwetel Ejiofor. In theaters now.

The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution This documentary tells the rise and fall of the Black Panther Party, one of the 20th century's most alluring and controversial organizations In limited theaters Sept. 3

The Perfect Guy

Captive

After a breakup, lobbyist Leah Vaughn (Sanaa Lathan) jumps into a relationship with a charming stranger (Michael Ealy).

When her ex-boyfriend (Morris Chestnut) resurfaces in her life she has to figure out who she should fear. In theaters Sept. 11.

In this fact-based thriller, a single mother struggling with drug addiction is taken hostage in her own apartment by a man on the run from the law for breaking out of jail.

Starring Kate Mara & David Oyelowo. In theaters Sept. 18.

Blacks Light Up Fall TV Lineup Starring Viola Davis. Season 2: Thursday, Sept. 24.

• “Minority Report” (Fox) – Starring Meagan Good.

Season 1: Monday, September 28 • “Rosewood” (FOX) – Starring Morris Chestnut, Lorraine Toussaint. Season 1: Wednesday, Sept.

23.

• “The Player” (NBC) – Costarring Wesley Snipes. Season 1: Thursday, Sept. 24.

• “Scandal” (ABC) – Starring Kerry Washington. Season 5: Thursday, Sept. 24.

• “Scream Queens” (FOX) Costarring Keke Palmer, Niecy Nash. Season 1: Tuesday, Sept. 22.

• “Survivor’s Remorse” (Starz) – Starring RonReaco Lee; Teyonah Parris. Season 2: Saturdays.

• “Truth Be Told” – Costarring Tone Bell, Bresha Webb; executive produced by Will Packer. Season 1: Friday, Oct 16.

• “Quantico” (ABC) – Costarring Aunjanue Ellis. Season 1: Sunday, Sept. 27.

Keke Palmer

IceCube Born O'Shea Jackson in Compton, CA, rapper Ice Cube and his controversial nineties gangsta rap group N.W.A. influenced a generation with their storytelling lyrics of life in the ‘hood. These days, Ice Cube is a husband, father, actor, writer and producer known for “Boyz n the Hood,” “Friday,” “Barbershop,” “Are We There Yet?” “21 Jump Street,” “Ride Along” and, of course—the No. 1 movie at the box office with $60.2 million opening weekend— “Straight Outta Compton,” a biopic based on his iconic music making days with Dr. Dre and Eazy E, starring his son O'Shea Jackson Jr. Q: How do you feel about the movie being so well received?

A: It’s amazing that after all this time the group still provokes thought and controversy. It still provokes the same energy that it did back then. We did a lot to change the texture of entertainment. We opened it up to allow artists to truly be themselves.

The movie shows the why, not just the where–when, but why did we do this kind of music. People gotta understand that where we come from forged N.W.A.” Q: What do you have to say to the people who critiqued NWA in the nineties?

A: I can image them appreciating this move and still having a problem with the group. For those that came around, welcome to 2015, we’ve been looking for you since ’89.

Q: What was the view of police that you wanted to show this generation?

A: What we wanted to show is the humiliation that we faced, because that’s the real issue. We understand that cops have to be a little heavy-handed with criminals, but we don’t understand why they gotta be that way with citizens. We want the audience to feel like, ‘What if this is happening to you?’ That’s why we did these songs. It wasn’t because we don’t like police. If somebody breaks in my house, I’m calling the damn police.

Q: When did you decide you wanted to start your own production company?

A: I did the first "Friday" and "The Players Club" with an ex-manager, but I just wanted to do it on my own…to put my own team together. So I started CubeVision in '98. Our first movie was "Next Friday," then "All About the Benjamins," then "Barbershop," and so on. We just wanted to put together movies how we see them. We got the idea that you don't have to spend $100 million to make $100 million. If you got a good story, good actors, people willing to work, if you can keep the budget down, at the end of the day everybody's happy and you get a chance to do another one.

L.A. Focus/September 2015

Television is getting a little more colorful this fall with blacks and minorities playing more key roles in the upcoming season.

Below is a list of new or returning prime time shows expected to air during the 2014-15 season helmed by a black actor or starring a mostly black cast.

• “Black-ish” (ABC) – Starring Anthony Anderson, Tracee Ellis Ross. Season 2: Wednesday, Sept. 30.

• “The Blacklist” (NBC) – Costarring Harry Lennix. Season 3: Thursday, Oct. 1 • “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” (FOX) – With Terry Crews, Andre Braugher. Season 3: Sunday, Sept. 27.

• “Empire” (FOX) – Starring Taraji P. Henson & Terrence Howard. Season 2: Wednesday, Sept. 23.

• “Grey’s Anatomy” (ABC) – Costarring Chandra Wilson, James Pickens Jr. Season 12: Thursday, Sept.

24.

• “How to Get Away with Murder” (ABC) –

Q&A

15

Focus 9.15_Focus 7-04 9/1/15 5:34 PM Page 16

Calendar of events

Tamar Braxton stops s for a photo before the "A Time to Laugh" comedy show during MegaFest at the Dallas Convention Center

Ongoing

Saturday, Sept. 5

The Museum of African American Art presents Kathleen Atkins Wilson (Through Dec. 31) Presented by Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza. Art available for sale.

Thursday through Sunday Noon–5pm Museum of African American Art Macy’s 3rd Floor 4005 Crenshaw Blvd Info: (323) 294-7071 Maaala.org

In Concert: Charlie Wilson 7:30pm • $37–$117 L.A. County Fair 1101 W. McKinley Ave. Pomona Lacountyfair.com

Greater Emmanuel Temple 50th Anniversary Speaker: Bishop Charles H. Ellis 7:30pm• 3740 E. Imperial Hwy Lynwood Contact: (424) 296-0400

Sunday, Sept. 6

In Concert: Lenny Kravitz With Andre Day 7:30pm • $40–$85 Greek Theater 2700 N Vermont Ave Greektheatrela.com

Wednesday, Sept. 2 A Place Called Home Tour Monthly tours, which take place the first Wednesday to see first hand how APCH is changing lives in South Central. • 4:30pm–5:30pm A Place Called Home 2830 S Central Ave Contact: (323) 232-7653 Apch.org

Friday, Sept. 4

L.A. Focus/September 2015

Los Angeles County Fair: Patti Labelle & Chaka Khan Concert at 7:30 $37–$117 (Through Sept. 27) Closed Mondays & Tuesdays.

10am–midnight Weekdays: (ages 13+): $12 (ages 6-12) $8, 5 & under free Weekends: $19, Seniors-$15, Kids-$12 1101 W. McKinley Ave. Pomona • Lacountyfair.com

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bout her speaks a is a v u a e B at The 9th Garcelle t a p a ne l a k o o b ok Fair children’s ert Part Village Bo im Le l A nnu a

In Concert: Grace Jones 7pm $13–$147 Hollywood Bowl 2301 N Highland Ave Hollywoodbowl.com

Wednesday, Sept. 9 In Concert: Boyz II Men 9:30pm $68–$120 Saban Theater 8440 Wilshire Blvd Beverly Hills Also, Thurs. Sept. 9 House of Blues Anaheim 7:30pm $52.50–$80 Boyziimen.com

Thursday, Sept. 10 Los Angeles’ Diversity Employment Day Career Fair Business attire & resumes required. • 11am–3pm Hacienda Hotel 525 N. Sepulveda Blvd.

El Segundo Citycareerfair.com Minority Apartment Owners Association (MAOA) 28th Anniversary • 7pm 11215 South Western Ave RSVP: (323) 754-2818 intlrealtyinvestment.com

Cannon and with Moroccan Mariah Carey, Star on The th wi d n, is honore no an C e ro on M k of Fame Hollywood Wal

Friday, Sept. 11

In Concert: Kool & The Gang With The Ohio Players, Rose Royce 7:30pm • $29:50–$87 L.A. County Fair 1101 W. McKinley Ave. Pomona Lacountyfair.com

Saturday, Sept. 12 Live In Abundant Wellness & Pink

Symposium at The Reef on the Water Live entertainment, vendors, fine dining & more.

11:30am $40 donation The Reef 880 S. Harbor Scenic Dr. Long Beach

Sunday, Sept. 13 Mt. Sinai Church 73rd Anniversary With Pastor George E. Hurtt & guest speaker Pastor Romell Williams 9am • St. Mary’s Academy 701 Grace Ave. Inglewood Msmbc-la.org Unity’s Food Giveaway If you know of any families or if you are in need, please come to receive a bag of food. • 9am–10am Unity Christian Fellowship 16133 Atlantic Ave Compton Contact: (310) 6040234

eVeNT SPOTLiGHT Wednesday, September 30 Days Of The Blessing Presented by Clarence McClendon Ministries & A Miracle For You 7:30pm nightly (Through Friday, October 2) Full Harvest Internatinal Church • 18355 S. Figueroa Blvd.

Register: (310) 323- 2600

Pharrell W illiams and Lasichanh wore coord his wife Helen MTV Video inating outfits to the Music Awa rds

Jungle Book” actress Lupita Nyong'o attends The Walt Disney Studios” presentation at Disney's D23

Focus 9.15_Focus 7-04 9/1/15 5:34 PM Page 17

(Left): Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade attend the “Straight Outta Compton” movie premiere (Photo: Rickey Brown) (Right): The cast of “The Perfect Guy, Sanaa Lathan & Michael Ealy, were honored by Walgreens and The Steve and Marjorie Harvey Foundation The Hollywood Confidential (Photo: Arnold Shoots)

Unitycf.org Disaster Preparedness Fair Life saving resources and various demonstrations, activities, raffle prizes, food vendors.

10am (program) 12:30pm2:30pm (fair) • Free Crenshaw Christian Center 7901 S. Vermont Ave Info: (323) 758-3777 Target Sundays: A Musical Education In the Spirit of back to school • 1pm–5pm California African American Museum 600 State Drive • Exposition Park Free (Parking $8) Info: (213) 744-7432 Caamuseum.org

H.B. Charles Jr. (Through Wednesday, Sept. 16) 7:15pm (dinner 6pm) 3669 W. 54th St. (323) 291-1121 Msmbc-la.org

Fetty Wap, Teyana Taylor 7pm $89.50–$125 Honda Center 2695 E. Katella Anaheim Hondacenter.com

Wednesday, Sept. 16

Saturday, Sept. 19

Jazz At The Bowl with Wynton Marsalis 8pm $1–$146 Hollywood Bowl 2301 N Highland Ave Hollywoodbowl.com

3rd Annual Black Family Conference hosts Black Families Matter Free lunch, groceries, school supplies & more • 9:30am–5pm CSUDH 1000 E. Victoria St. • Carson • Register: Csudh.edu/mdaapei/events

Thursday, Sept. 17 In Concert: Bell Biv DeVoe with Tony! Toni!

Toné! & Ginuwine 7:30pm • $29.50–$87 L.A. County Fair 1101 W. McKinley Ave. Pomona Lacountyfair.com

Friday, Sept. 18

In Concert: Ms. Lauryn Hill 7pm • $45–$125 Greek Theater 2700 N Vermont Ave Greektheatrela.com

On Stage: Kevin Hart 7pm • $70-$174 The Forum 3900 W. Manchester Blvd Inglewood Fabulousforum.com

Mt. Sinai “Church Institute” MBC Guest Speaker: Pastor

In Concert: Chris Brown With Kid Ink, Omarion,

Monday, Sept. 14

Annual Golden Future 50+ Senior Expo Lifestyle workshops, samples, health screenings, makeovers, brain fitness game, senior discounts & more • Free • 10am–3pm Veterans Memorial Complex 4117 Overland Ave Culver City Goldenfutureseniorexpo.co m 10th Anniversary Celebration for Rev. James K. McKnight Luncheon & Reception Noon (Through Sunday)

Congregational Church of Christian Fellowship 2085 S. Hobart Blvd Dinner: $75 • Wilshire Country Club 301 N. Rossmore Ave Contact: Kameron Burrell (310) 804- 4412

Sunday, Sept. 20 Childrens’ Art Workshop Come and create your very own short story through photography.

2pm–4pm California African American Museum 600 State Drive • Exposition Park Free (Parking $8) RSVP: (213) 744-2024 Caamuseum.org

Wednesday, Sept. 23 Live By the Word Holy Convocation (Through Sun. Sept. 27) With Bishop Avery Austin, Pastor Marvin Sapp, Dr. Jamal Bryant & more.

Vashawn Mitchell concert 7pm $15 (concert only)$40(conference) Total Deliverance Church 45124 10th Street

West Lancaster Contact: (661) 951-9881 Totaldeliverancechurch.org

Friday, Sept. 25 Port of Los Angeles Lobster Festival (Through Sunday, Sept.

27) World-famous discount lobster meals, rides, games, the annual lobster pet parade & entertainment • 5pm–11pm; Sat.11am–11pm; Sun. 11am–7pm $10 Adult; 12 & under free Lobster Meal: $23 Ports O’ Call Village San Pedro Contact: (310) 798-7478 Lobsterfest.com

Saturday, Sept. 26 Emotionally Healthy Women’s Conference Sessions, workshops, light breakfast & lunch 8am–3pm $40 Christ Second Baptist 1471 MLK Jr. Ave Long Beach Info: (562) 599-3421 Csbclb.org

around los angeles Yaya DaCosta attends the NBCUniversal press tour 2015 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills.

yane Wade celebrate Gabrielle Union and Dw y S6 edge+ and the new Samsung Galax nch Event Lau at Galaxy Note5

In Concert: The Isley Brothers • 8pm $65–$90 Cerritos Center 12700 Center Court Dr Cerritoscenter.com

Sunday, Sept. 27 39th Annual Simon Rodia Watts Towers Jazz Festival Performances from established & emerging musicians plus tours of Watts Towers 11am–6pm • Free Watts Towers Art Center 1727 E. 107th Street Watts Contact: (213) 847-4646 Wattstowers.org

Halle Berry at HFPA Gr ants Banquet

L.A. Focus/September 2015

er Shayla and his daught Tyrese Gibson niversal U visit "Extra" at Somer Gibson d oo Studios Hollyw

The Wellness Group 14th Annual Breast

Health Awareness/Celebration of Life Breakfast Forum A morning of empowerment with Dr. Robina M. Smith & more.

8:30am–12:30am Free West Angeles Church, North Campus, Crystal Room 3045 S. Crenshaw Blvd.

Register: (213) 407-0271 or Thewellnessgroup7.org

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Focus 9.15_Focus 7-04 9/1/15 5:35 PM Page 18

Re d Carpet Style

Red Carpet Hits by Tatiana Rivera Held in Santa Monica, The Teen Choice Awards, voted by teen viewers, is aired annually on Fox to honor the year's biggest achievements in music, movies, sports, television, fashion, and more. Check out some of the carpet looks.

CAnDICE PATTOn

jOrDIn SPArkS

jASOn DEruLO

ZEnDAyA COLEMAn

kEkE PALMEr

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Gameâ&#x20AC;? actress donned a figure hugging mini dress with matching shoes and accessories

the singer looked chic in a striped Karen Millen dress

the singer rocked a suit and sneaker combo

the actress/singer posed in a two piece Ashi Studio ensemble

the actress showed off her toned legs in a Giulietta mini dress

Focus 9.15_Focus 7-04 9/1/15 5:35 PM Page 19

T h r o u g h t he Storm Lived & Almost Died by the Sword: Chronicles of an Ex-Gang Member

C

ompton’s violent reputation was perhaps best popularized by the rise of the local gangsta rap group N.W.A. during the late 1980s.

For a young Palm & Oak Gangster Crip—aspiring rapper—called “Bulldog,” however, gangsta rap was more than just songs about murder. The music reflected his rage, and desperate condition.

Minister Michael “Bulldog” Green, a reformed gang member from Lynwood, Los Angeles, grew up trapped in a world of hustling, criminality, guns, drugs, prostitution, anger, prison, and abuse, where one’s “respect” is all that mattered—and disrespect resulted in death.

The 47-year-old, who survived two gunshot wounds during a drug-related robbery, said it was God that turned his life around. Today, two years since Green surrendered his life to “Jesus Christ,” he spoke candidly and passionately about his violent, not-so-distant past as a full-fledged gang member.

“I barely knew my biological father and didn’t have a good relationship with my mother nor my stepfather, who was in and out of my life as a kid. Basically, I never really had structure or guidance from the start.”

Because of the tumultuous relationship Green had with his mother, he ended up living with his grandparents.

“My grandparents raised me, but they started having marital problems. Next thing I know, they divorced, and my life started crumbling fast.”

Green started rebelling after his grandfather moved out. He said he ran away from home at 16 and found new role models in the gangs and prostitutes that operated in the neighborhood. It is the age at which Green began his transition into gangs.

“What a lot of people don’t understand about gangs is it ain’t nothing like what you see in the movies.

There’s a process. You don’t just become a gang member.”

Adapting to the realities of both a runaway teenager and gang culture, Green said he w i t -

nessed some pretty terrible things.

“A lot of my friends were homeless because they were being abused at home, or their parents had a drug addiction.”

Adjusting into a new environment plagued by frequent and lethal turf battles, Green chronicled a past riddled with bad choices.

“I was only in my teens when I started having sex with prostitutes,” he said. “Being young and vulnerable, oftentimes the neighborhood prostitutes were our only source of protection and emotional support.

“We were troubled teens living dangerously, ready to do anything just to survive. We ended up selling drugs for the OG’s—slang for elders/high ranking gang members—because we didn’t have money to buy clothes for school.”

Sinking deeper into turmoil, Green would later “quit school for gangbanging.”

Before he became a dropout, Green attended Lynwood High School—the same school fallen hip-hop mogul Marion “Suge” Knight graduated from in 1983.

In Green’s world, rival gangs battled for control of drug distribution. It would almost get him killed.

“I got shot when somebody came to a dope spot I was running. They tried to ambush me. I raised my hands trying to defend myself, and the bullets went through my hands.”

With time, Green became bolder and ambitious in criminal related activity. By 1987, at age 19, he was transporting illegal narcotics across state lines.

“I started going out of state to Waterloo, Iowa, because the drug market in California was too competitive.”

His drug smuggling operation soon caught the attention of federal agents.

“I ended up catching a fed case in Iowa. I got convicted and was sentenced to 45 years. But thanks to an appeal, the sentence was reduced, and I ended up doing seven years.”

After he was released, Green, now 25, continued dealing drugs. Despite avoiding a long prison sentence, finding legitimate means of earning a living was the farthest alternative to mind.

“I went straight back to the hood and connected with my old homies! I didn’t have any foundation, and so I tried to find an easy way out making money illegally.”

Green said the seven years he spent in prison exposed him to what he came to see as the cynical cycle of the criminal justice system.

“They say prison is supposed to rehabilitate you, but when you’re sent to prison at such a young age, you’re taught how to become more violent. The system teaches you to be a renegade.”

Just two months after Green was released from prison, he was charged with attempted murder and

armed robbery.

“I had very little education, and I needed money. I had to do whatever in order to eat.”

At least that’s how he rationalized it. Green would later be found not guilty of the attempted murder and armed robbery charge, but from age 25 to 44, he found himself in and out of correctional facilities—never free for much longer than a few months or so.

“I did 23 years of my life in prison,” he reveals.

All that, however, began to change as Green began seriously reevaluating his life choices following significant loses in his family.

In 2012, Green’s grandmother died, and a few months later, he would lose a cousin to HIV. This period marked the starting point where he knew dramatic changes couldn’t be more critical.

At the funeral, family members mourned the death of his cousin. This, said Green was when he began to see the importance of the family he hadn’t seen since he left home at 16.

“Amid the grief and pain at my cousin’s funeral, I said to myself, ‘I don’t want my family to bury me without knowing who I am.’ It was then I realized my mistakes. I had traded family for gangs.”

And for the first time in decades, Green felt an urgency for living a straight life.

Moreover, Green, a father of 13 children by seven women, said he did not want to see any of his children follow that same path, thus strengthening the incentive for the major lifestyle change he was seeking.

“I especially did not want to see my sons become gangbangers,” Green states.

Breaking the oath of allegiance sworn to gangbanging was anything but easy, he stressed, but two years ago, Green accepted the call to give his life over to God and begin ministering.

“Ever since I gave my life to God, I’ve seen a huge difference,” Green said. “Basically, life has been good. I went back to school and recently graduated from Next Dimension University, earning an Associates Degree in Biblical Studies. I am now a Minister in training.”

The once local gangsta rapper has replaced rapping about slinging dope, and is now a Christian gospel artist, passionate about spreading the gospel.

Green now devotes most of his time preventing kids from making the same choices he made and steering clear of gangs.

Said Green, “Many youngsters do not grow up in strong, structured homes with a disciplinary figure, love, and good role models, so the gangs will come and fill that void.

“Everything I did wrong in the streets, like taking lives and property, this is my way of giving back to a community I hurt. I am determined to save somebody and bring them close to Christ.”

Focus 9.15_Focus 7-04 9/1/15 5:35 PM Page 20

ChurchNews Pastors Shut Down Intersections To Take Back The Streets

P

astors and church leaders from around the city worked in concert with the L.A. county sheriffs to temporarily shut down 40 intersections in and around Compton late last month as part of a Push 100 Campaign to take back the streets from gang activity. The rally was in direct response to the reported 100 Days 100 Nights pledge by gang members for blood in the K.W. Tulloss streets.

Hundreds of people turned out in support of the campaign led by Pastors Michael Fisher (Greater Zion Church Family) and K.W. Tulloss (Weller Street Baptist Church). They were joined by upwards of 65 pastors, including Rev. Melvin V. Wade (Mt. Moriah Baptist Church), Pastor Najuma Smith Pollard (Word of Encouragement Church), and Pastor L.A. Kessee (Bethany Baptist Church).

“This is a great thing for the community. It gives the church an opportunity to come beyond the walls and sheds a better light for the positive things to come,” Tulloss said.

"Push 100 really is an opportunity for us to take back our streets. There is more positivity and more good here on this corner, and it will counterbalance the evil that is happening in this city," said Rev. Omarosa Manigault with Weller Street Missionary Baptist Church.

“The Church now has to come alive,” said Fisher.

“Though our sermons are powerful, but what if we took all that energy inside the church and take out there. This is what Greater Zion has been doing but now we need everybody to do it. So the goal is to simultaneously in Long Beach, L.A. County, West L.A., Compton, and get all this prayer happening at the same time. We believe a lot can be accomplished from uniting as a force. This is just phase one.”

L.A. Focus/September 2015

Oprah Preps Megachurch Drama for OWN Oprah Winfrey is set to producing a new television drama called "Greenleaf," based on the lives of the family of a fictional megachurch pastor in Memphis, with predominantly African-American members. While considered pillars of the community and religious righteousness, they continue to struggle with greed, adultery, sibling rivalry and values in conflict with their faith.

The series has been described as a "multi-generational matrix of deception that involves the church's founding family and extends to its congregation, prominent members of the Memphis community and beyond. Yet, amid the mayhem and deception, the power of something greater persists, calling everyone to conscience for their sins."

Craig Wright, who produced "Dirty Sexy Money" and "Tyrant," will pen the scripts.

"When I first read the script, I instantly felt an affinity for the characters and loved Craig's creative vision for a fictional drama on an epic scale," added Winfrey. "This show is going to be a fun ride and will hopefully have viewers on the edge of their pews week after week."

MegaFest 2015—A Rousing Success Though no official figures have been released, Bishop T.D. Jakes MegaFest—held last month in Dallas—was a huge success. The faith and family festival was projected to attract upwards of 85000 from around the nation and the world and bring in an estimated $50 million to the city of Dallas. Activities ranging from concerts, speakers, financial planning, film openings and seminars to Tyler Perry’s latest stage production, “Medea On The Run”, a hair battle, a choir fest led by Pastor Hezekiah Walker and some of the nation’s most celebrated preaches including Joyce Meyers While Dallas officials are campaigning to keep the event in the city, no date or site has been set for the

20

Church News continued on page 25

Amen L.A. (Affirming Ministry Enlightening Nations) 1455 W. 94th St. Los Angeles, CA 90047 (323) 229-9351 • www.amenla.org Rev. Dr. DiAnn L. Johnson Sunday Morning Worship: 9:30am-10:30am PTP / Preach the word- Teach the word practice the word

Bethel AME Church of Los Angeles 7900 South Western Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90047 (323) 750-3240 • www.bethelamela.org Rev. Kelvin T. Calloway Early Worship: 7:45 am Morning Worship: 10:45am Mid-week “Hour of Power” (Wed): noon

Bethesda Temple Church Apostolic Faith 1101 W. Florence Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90043 (323) 299-2591 Interim Pastor Robert Lockett Sunday School: 9:40am Morning Worship: 11am Evening Worship: 6pm Bible Study (Wed): 7pm Prayer (Sat): 7am Evening Prayer (Mon.): 6:30pm

First AME Church (FAME) 2270 South Harvard Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90018 (323) 730-7750 • F: (323) 735-7829 • www.famechurch.org Pastor J. Edgar Boyd, Senior Pastor/CEO Sunday School: 10am Worship: 8am, 10am, Noon Youth Church (Fame Renaissance): Noon Wed. Prayer Service: Noon Wed. Bible Study: 7pm Radio: 10:30am on KJLH-102.3FM First AME is the oldest Black Church in the City Grace United Methodist Church 4112 West Slauson Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90043 (323) 294-6653 • F: (323) 294-8753 • graceumc1@earthlink.net Rev. Pastor Paul A. Hill • www.graceumcla.com Early Morning Worship: 7:45am Sunday School: 9:45am Morning Worship: 10:45am Wed. Bible Study: Noon & 7pm Fri. Alcoholic Anonymous: 7pm Tues. Prayer Fellowship: 6:30pm Super Seniors (Thurs/Bi-Monthly): 10:30am Follow us on Facebook Greater Ebenezer Baptist Church 5300 S. Denker Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90062 (323) 759-4996 Dr. Solomon Drake Early Worship: 8am Sunday School: 9:30am Mid-Morning Worship: 11am Radio-KALI 900AM: Sun. 11-Noon, 7-8pm KTYM 1460AM Sundays: 5:30pm Bible Study (Tues, Wed & Thurs): 7pm

Bethlehem Temple Church, INC. 958 East 52nd Street Los Angeles, CA 90011 (323) 232-8429 • F: (323) 232-8660 Pastor Elder Gentry Richardson, Jr. Sunday: Christian Education: 9am Morning Worship: 11am PYPU (youth services): 4:30pm Evening Worship: 6pm (5pm 5th Sun.) Monday Prayer Revival: 7pm Wednesday Ministerial/Teacher’s Prep. Class: Noon; Bible Class: 7:45pm

Holman United Methodist Church 3320 W. Adams Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90018 (323) 731-7285 • F: (323) 731-2609 • www.holmanumc.com Rev. Kelvin Sauls

Christ The Good Shepherd Episcopal Church 3303 W. Vernon Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90008 (323) 295-4139 • F: (323) 295-4681 Rev. Joseph Oloimooja Sunday School: 10am Early Worship: 8am Morning Worship: 10am Mon. Centering Prayer/Meditation: 6:30pm Mon. Overeaters Anonymous: 7pm Wed. Bible Study & Eucharist: 7pm Wed. Alcoholic Anonymous: 7:pm E: cgshepherd4041@sbcglobal.net

Lewis Metropolitan CME Church 4900 S. Western Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90062 (323) 292-0179 Pastor & Presiding Elder Wendell M. Oldham Jr. Sunday School: 9am Morning Worship: 10:30am Wednesday Bible Study: 7pm Wed. Youth & Young Bible Study: 7pm Ministry to Men (3rd Sat.): Noon - 1pm Ministry to Women (3rd Sat.) Older/ 11:30am 1:30pm & Younger/ 2pm - 3:30pm

Church of Jesus Christ International 3719 W. Slauson Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90043 (323) 296-1106 Pastor Michelle Beal

Liberty Baptist Church 1500 West 51st Place, Los Angeles, CA 90062 (323) 295-3866 • F: (323) 295-0366 • E: LBCwim@aol.com Rev. Terry Lovell Brown Sr.

Sunday Morning Glory Service (2nd & 4th): 8:30am-9:30am Christian Education Classes: 9:45am-10:45am Sunday Morning Worship: 11:15am Tuesday Prayer: 7pm Wednesday Bible Class: 7pm 1st Sunday Nights: 7pm Congregational Church of Christian Fellowship 2085 S. Hobart Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90018 Phone: (323) 731-8869 • F: (323) 731-0851 • www.cccf-ucc.org Pastor James K. McKnight Sun. Early Worship: 8am Prayer Meeting: 10:30am Morning Worship: 11am Wed. Afternoon Bible Study: 1pm Wed. Prayer Meeting: 6pm Wed. Evening Bible Study: 7pm View Pastor McKnight’s Sermons on YouTube Crenshaw Christian Center 7901 South Vermont, Los Angeles, CA 90044 (323) 758-3777 • F: (323)565-4231 • www.faithdome.org Rev. Frederick Price Jr. Sunday Service: 10am Bible Study (Tue): 11am & 7pm Tue. Night Kidz Unlocked: 7pm Tue. Night Bible Study (Teens): 7pm Alcohol & Drug Abuse Program (Wed): 7pm Intercessory Prayer (Wed.): 7:30pm Prayer & Praise (Thurs.): 6:30pm

Sunday School: 8:00, 9:45 & 11am Fuse Worship (Sunday): 6pm Early Worship: 8am Morning Worship: 11am Bible Study (Thurs.): Noon Sun. Radio: KJLH 102.3FM: 11am E: Holman@holmanumc.com

Sunday Church School: 9am Morning Worship: 10:30am & 12:30pm Wed. Bible Study: noon & 6:30pm Prayer Meeting: 6pm Follow us on Twitter @dacrossculture www.thecrossculture.org Macedonia Baptist Church of Los Angeles 1751 East 114th Street Los Angeles, CA 90059 (323) 569-9561 • Macedonia.baptist114@gmail.com Pastor Shane B. Scott Morning Worship: 10am Sunday Small Group: 8:45am Tues. Mid-Day Bible Study: 11am Wed. Prayer & Bible Study: 6:30pm www.macedonia-la.org Miracle Center Apostolic Church 2638 S. Western Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90018 (323) 735-5121 or 735-5122 Dr. Roy S. Petitt • Sunday School: 9:30am Sunday Worship: 8am, 11am & 6pm Tues. Prayer & Bible Class: Noon Rights of Passage: 7pm Wed. Bible Study: 8pm Thurs. Prayer/Bible Class: Noon Fri. Faith Seminar: 8pm Radio KTYM-1460AM: (M-Fri.) 8am - 8:15am

Focus 9.15_Focus 7-04 9/1/15 5:35 PM Page 21

Mt. Moriah Baptist Church of LA, Inc. 4269 S. Figueroa St. Los Angeles, CA 90037 (323) 846-1950 Rev. Melvin V. Wade, Sr. Sunday School: 8:15am Morning Worship: 9:45am Evening Worship: 6:30pm Mid-Week Worship (Wed): 7pm Bible Study (Wed.): 8pm

Mt. Sinai Missionary Baptist Church of Los Angeles 3669 W. 54th St. Los Angeles, CA 90043 • (323) 291-1121

F: (323) 291-1133 • msmbc-la.org • mt.sinai@msmbc-la.org Pastor George E. Hurtt, Pastor-Teacher Sunday Worship: 8am, 10am Noonday Worship (1st Sun): Noon Sunday School: 8am, 10am Noonday Prayer (Mon): Noon Noonday Bible Study (Tues): Noon Tuesday Night in the Truth: 7:15pm Our Goal: To win more Christians & develop better Christians to the glory of God. (Matt. 28:18-20) Mt. Tabor Missionary Baptist Church 6614 S. Western Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90047 (323) 753-3189 • F: (323) 753-1018 • www.mttabormbc.org Dr. Ticey M. Brown, D. Min. Pastor/Teacher Early Morning Worship: 8am Sunday School: 9:30am Mid Morning Worship: 11am Tues. Bible Study: 10am & 7pm Meeting/Bible Study: 6:30pm–8pm First Sun. Communion: 11am & 5pm Baptism First Sunday

One Church International 614 N. La Brea Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90036 (818) 763-4521 • www.onechurchla.org Sr. Pastor Toure’ Roberts Sunday Worship: 9am, 11am & 1pm Wednesday Midweek Service: 8pm www.Channel1Live.tv—View live streaming

Paradise Baptist Church 5100 S. Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90037 (323) 231-4366 Dr. Aaron Iverson Pastor’s Bible Class & Sunday School: 8am Morning Worship: 9:30am Tues. Prayer: 7pm Tues. Bible Study: 8pm

Park Windsor Baptist Church 1842 W. 108th St. Los Angeles, CA 90047 (323) 756-3966 • RevTerrellTaylor@sbcglobal.net Rev. Terrell Taylor Morning Worship: 8am & 11am Bible Study Wednesday: Noon & 7pm Communion: 1st Sunday at 8am & 11am

“You can end your search for a friendly church” Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church 1300 E. 50th Street Los Angeles, CA 90011 (323) 235-2103 • F: (323) 235-3177 • www.mtzionla.org Dr. Edward V. Hill, II, Pastor Sunday Intercessory Prayer: 9:15am Morning Worship: 9:30am Children’s Church: 9:30am Sunday School: 11:30am Baptism: 2nd Sun. & Lord’s Supper: 1st. Sun. Tues. Pastor’s Bible Study: 6:30pm Wed. Noon-day Prayer: Noon

People’s Independent Church of Christ 5856 West Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90043 • (323) 296-5776 Bishop Craig A. Worsham, Sr. Pastor

New Antioch Church of God in Christ 7826 So. Vermont Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90044 (323) 778-7965 Elder Jeffrey M. Lewis

Pleasant Hill Baptist Church 2009 W. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90062 (323) 293-6448 • F: (323) 293-6605 Dr. Sylvester Washington Sunday School: 8am Morning Worship: 10am Tues. Bible Study: 11am Wed. Evangelism Class: 6:30pm First Sun. Holy Communion Service: 4pm

Sunday Early Morning Worship: 8am Sunday School: 9:30 am Morning Worship: 11am Tuesday Prayer and Bible Band: 11am Wednesday Bible Study: 7:30pm Wednesday in the Word: 7:30pm

New Mt. Calvary Baptist Church 402 E. El Segundo Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90061 (310)324-0644 • F: (310) 769-1287 Rev. Sonja Dawson, Senior Pastor • Rev. Lonnie Dawson, Sr., Founder (1962 - 2010) Morning Worship: 7:30am & 10:45am Sunday School: 9:45am Wed. Prayer/Bible Study: Noon Pastor’s Bible Study: 7pm

New Pleasant Hill Missionary Baptist Church 9537 South Vermont Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90044 (323) 755-1130 or 755-1139 • F: (323)755-8961 Rev. Melvin Hill, Pastor Worship Services: 8am & 11am Sunday School: 9:30am Prayer Meeting(WED): 6:30pm Bible Study(WED): 7pm

Sundays: Morning Worship: 8am & 11am Wednesday Bible Study & Mid Week Worship: Noon & 7pm Prayer Meeting: 6:30pm

St. Matthew Tabernacle of Praise “The S.T.O.P.” 3770 Santa Rosalia Dr. Baldwin Hills, CA 90008 (323) 291-1115 • F: (323) 293-0471 Rev. C.Barry Greene, Pastor Morning Worship: 8am Church School Hour: 10:15am Tuesday Hour of Power: 7pm

www.pleasanthillbaptistchurch.org Praises of Zion Baptist Church (“Praise City” 8222 So. San Pedro Street, Los Angeles, CA 90003 (323) 750-1033 • F: (323) 750-5458 • www.pozlive.com Dr. J. Benjamin Hardwick, Sr. Pastor Early Morning Worship: 6:45am Educational Hour: 9:15am Mid-Morning Worship: 10:45am Wed. Bible Study: Noon & 7pm Sunday Broadcast: 7pm

Price Chapel AME Church 4000 W. Slauson Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90043 (323) 296-2406 • pricechapel@sbcglobal.net Rev. Benjamin Hollins Sunday Worship Service: 10am Sunday School: 8:30am Power Lunch Bible Study (Wed): 11am Praise & Worship Bible Study (Wed): 6:30pm

St. Mark Missionary Baptist Church 5017 S. Compton Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90011 (323) 231-1040 • stmarkmbcofla.org Rev. Dr. Lovely Haynes Morning Worship: 8am & 11am Mon. Night Bible Study: 7pm Mon. Tutorial Study: 6:30pm Wednesday Prayer: Noon Wed. Exposition of Sunday School Lesson: 7pm • Wed. Prayer Meeting: 7pm Thurs. Evangelism: 7pm (enrollment required)

Salem Missionary Baptist Church 729 S. Park View St. Los Angeles, CA 90057 (213) 738-1077 • jranniew@gmail.com Pastor J. Williams Sunday School: 10am Morning Worship: 11:15am Ministry For Alcohol & Chemical Addiction Wednesday: 5:30pm Bible Study Thursday: 7:30pm Office Hours: Mon 1:30pm-5:30pm; Thurs 2:30pm-7:30pm St. Paul’s Mission Fellowship Church 4816 S. Western Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90018 Cell: (760) 214-8282 • burtcj@cox.net Rev. Dr. Charles J. Burt, Senior Pastor Morning Worship: 11:30am

“Join us for worship–you will be blessed!”

St. Rest Missionary Baptist Church 709 W. Manchester Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90044 (323)752-6179 Rev. Torrey Collins, Pastor Sunday School: 9am Morning Worship: 10:45am Evening Worship: 3:30pm Tues. Bible Study: 7pm Wed. Bible Study: 11am Choir Rehearsals (Wed. & Fri.): 7pm Southern Missionary Baptist Church 4678 West Adams Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90016 (323) 731-2703 • F: (323) 737-5202 • smbcla@gmail.com Rev. Xavier L. Thompson, Sr. Pastor L.I.F.E. Groups Sundays: 8:30am Morning Worship: 10am Baptism & Communism (First Sunday): 5pm Word Wednesday: 6:45pm “One Church For All Generations”

L.A. Focus/September 2015

Sunday Worship: 11am Sunday School: 9:30am Wednesday Bible School: 6pm Men’s Ministry Meetings 2nd Tues: 6pm Youth Mentoring Program 3rd Sat: 10am-11am

For Tonja Leray Jenkins, first lady and co-pastor of New Life LA, her introduction to the Baptist church came way of a big red bus driving through her hometown in Oceanside, CA. “The bus would come through our neighborhood and pick up kids whose parents didn't go to church and take them to Sunday school,” said Jenkins affectionately known as Coco. “Looking back on it, I thank God that I got to know who He was at such a young age.”

Years later when she married her husband, Pastor P.K. Jenkins, she admits she was “a little afraid” of uprooting to Eugene, Oregon and becoming a first lady at only 28-yearsold. Her apprehension proved false.

“My experience was amazing. It still is. I love the church, I love God’s people,” said Jenkins, who lived in Oregon for 13 years and returned in 2009 to pastor New Life LA. “I love the community that we serve in. It’s definitely a multicultural and multi generational church. We’re right in the center of the city so we have different ethnicities around us and we’re praying to God we can bring them all in.”

That’s not to say moving from a close-knit community in Oregon to LA didn't have its challenges. For the mother of two, her biggest obstacle was making connections.

“Being able to connect with people in an intimate way was a hard thing for me. It took a long time to build that.”

Jenkins says she has allowed God to use her.

“To really trust God and be confident in who He made me to be. Loving people is something that we should all aspire to do as Christians.”

www.thechurchstop.org E: thechurchstop@yahoo.com pastorcbgreene@aol.com

The Church where “It pays to be nice”.

New Shady Grove Baptist Church 1509 W. Manchester Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90047 (323) 753-0198 • www.newshadygrove.com Rev. Jewett L. Walker, Jr.

first lady files

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The First Saint John Bible Church 11030 S. Willowbrook Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90059 (323) 566-5055 • F: (323) 566-0219 Pastor/Teacher: Bishop Michael A. Brass, Jr.

UpLift Christian Fellowship 4745 W. Slauson Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90056 (310) 927-3476 Pastor Anthony Thompson

Lifeline Fellowship Christian Center 2556 N. Lake Ave., Altadena, CA 91001 (626) 797-3585 • F: (626) 797-3233 • www.lifelinefcc.org Pastor Charles D. Dorsey

Sunday Worship: 10am Bible Study Wednesday: 7pm

Sunday School: 9am Early Worship (Glory Prayer): 8am Morning Worship: 10:30am Evening Worship (1st & 2nd Sun.): 5pm Wed. Bible Study: 7pm

Sunday School: 9:30am Morning Worship: 11am Bible Study Wednesday: 7pm

Tree of Life Missionary Baptist Church 9702 Holmes Ave. Los Angeles CA 90002 Cell: (323) 566-1202 • burtcj@cox.net Rev. Marcus A. Murchinson, Pastor

Weller Street Baptist Church 129 S. Gless St, Los Angeles, CA 90033 (323) 261-0949 Pastor K.W. Tulloss Sunday School: 8am Sunday Morning Worship: 9am Evening Worship: 6pm Tues. Bible Study: 5pm

Sunday School: 9:30am Sunday Service: 11am Wednesday Bible Study: 7pm

“We have not walked this way before” Joshua 3:1-6

Trinity Baptist Church 2040 West Jefferson Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90018 (323) 735-0044 • F: (323) 735-0219 Rev. Alvin Tunstill, Jr

West Angeles Church of God In Christ 3045 Crenshaw Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90016 (323) 733-8300 Bishop Charles E. Blake

Sunday Worship: 7:30 & 10:30am Sunday Church School: 9am Radio Broadcast KJLH FM: 9am Wed. Prayer & Bible Study: Noon-7pm www.trinitybaptistchurchofla.org

In Carson

Judson Baptist Church 451 E. 223rd St, Carson, CA 90745 (310) 834-2630 • F: (310) 513-0943 • www.judsonbc.net Dr. Johnny V. Baylor, Pastor/Teacher

Sunday School: 8am & 10:30am Early Worship: 8am Morning Worship: 11am Evening Worship (North Campus): 7pm Wed. Mid-Week Worship: 7pm Sun. Radio Broadcast KJLH 102.3FM: 10am www.westa.org

Sunday Worship Service: 9:30am Children’s Church (Except 5th Sun): 9:30am 2nd & 4th Sun. Speak Life Youth Ministry: 12:30pm Wed. Bible Study: Noon Streaming live at judsonbclive.net

Peace Apostolic Church 21224 Figueroa Street, Carson, CA 90745 (310) 212-5673 Suff. Bishop Howard A. Swancy Sunday School: 10am Morning Worship: 11:45am Evening Worship: 6:30pm Wed. Noon Day Bible Class: 12:30pm Wed. Bible Class: 7:30pm

Pastor Profile: Bishop Howard Swancy • Peace Apostolic Church You’re a respected, veteran pastor—to what do you owe your success?

All I do is give people the word of God. They have to act up on it. My approach is still the word of God. One thing about holiness is that you cannot legislate it. All you can do is teach it as it is written and there are going to be those who adhere to it. True Christianity as is written in the word of God is a very small community because people pick and choose what they want to believe.

You hope to help somebody, win somebody but everybody is not going to say yes.

L.A. Focus/September 2015

You are known for being pretty strict and traditional…

They think that I am homophobic but I’m not homophobic, I’m against adultery as well as I am against homosexuality. It’s all the same. They all go to the same place. People call right wrong and call wrong right. If you say immorality somebody is going to get mad, but it’s as the Bible says. People can accept it or not. It’s right there for them in the word of God. I figure I am going to have to answer to God so I don’t worry about people. I believe pastors have to be committed and to have integrity. They have to be examples. They can’t be sleeping with the peripherals and doing all these

22

Name: Bishop Howard Arthur Swancy Education: Honorary Doctrine of Theology from Aenon Bible College, Bachelor of Religious Education Degree from Aenon Bible College Family: Married to Patricia Ann; father of three daughters with his late wife, Cynthia Website: Peaceapostolic.net things that aren’t Godly and then try to lead people.

He that handles the vessels of the Lord should have clean hands. He has to live a life that’s example to the people and all it takes is one that acts a fool and it hurts everybody.

Do you feel you’re on track with your goals?

I’ve been pastoring peace for 34 years. I’ve been saved for over 43 and a half. My goal is to please God and I hope… I believe I’m on track. I don’t want to say I set the goals. It just happens.

What would you say is your biggest strength?

My biggest strength is commitment. I don’t know, maybe it’s innate. I was an athlete most of my life and I was committed to that. When I worked with CBS as one of the top sales men in the country, I was committed for sixteen and a half years until I retired and became a full time pastor. As I got saved, I was really committed. I’m committed to my wife.

In fact, most of my life I’ve been very serious. I got saved when I was 24 and I was real serious then. I had a lot of questions about life and death, plus I was raised by my grandmother. My mother died very young. She was 25 and my father was more like my brother than my father. I’ve been working ever since I was a youngster—cutting lawns, doing newspapers. In those days, people

were different. They had respect and my grandfather instilled a lot of that in me. I was 12 when he died and he’d taught me to do so many things that I became the head of the house.

What is your approach to preaching?

I preach most about salvation, eternal life and the reappearing of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Eschatology. I deal with those things a lot and the need for people to study the word. If you going to be under something you got to know what it says.

I think it’s a tragedy more people don’t study the word, since the Bible is the best book on the planet.

What are the challenges for you as a pastor?

People have so many distractions now. When I was a kid, children went to Sunday school. I don’t care if its Baptist, Methodist or whatever. Now instead, it’s volleyball, soccer or cheerleading.

Plus the demise of the home,—we have so many children with no dads in the homes. So many women who don’t even know who the father is. No matter how I try to get the women to not do what they shouldn’t do, they keep doing it. They bring these children into the world and it’s just unbearable because the world is just so immoral at this point.

How bout personally—I know losing your first wife was a major blow?

That was devastating, she was my soul mate.

We were joined at the hip and I was blessed to have such a wonderful wife who was dedicated to God and very loyal and dedicated to me.

You’ve since remarried...

I prayed and asked God to direct me. I knew it was Pat. She is just loving and a sweet person— haven’t had one argument since we’ve been married.

I let it known that I wasn’t doing any dating because if I had started doing that, it would have been trouble. There’s just way too many women in my church and I said I can’t marry but one of ya’ll.

I personally don’t believe it’s good for a minister to be single. I was only 55 then, it wouldn’t have been good for the church to have any rumors or scandals.

Pastor Profile continuedon page 25

Focus 9.15_Focus 7-04 9/1/15 5:35 PM Page 23

From The Pulpit: of The Citizens of Zion MBC -- “How To Kill A Snake” Acts 28:1-5

I

wish I could stand here and say it’s going to get better but The Bible says it’s going to get worse. Now, your life can get better, but the world is going to get worse. I know that’s paradoxical but that’s the truth. We’re going to go through some things. And I want to help you with how to deal with it. You have to know how to shake some things off.

Acts Chapter 28: “And when they were escaped, then they knew that the island was called Malta and the barbarous people showed us no kindness. Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire and there came a viper out of the heat.

When the barbarians saw the venomous beast

rev. Bobby newman jr.

hanging on his hand, they said no doubt this man is a murderer. He shook off the beast into the fire and felt no harm.”

All of us experience trials and troubles, but how do we handle them? All of us don’t respond to our troubles the same way.

Some people become bitter. Some people become better. If you have children, you’ve had some type of problem. I’ve seen others have problems with their children and they’re talking about “I’m bearing a cross.”

No, you ain’t bearing a cross, you’re reaping what you’ve sowed. You should’ve beat their butt when they were young.

There is no such thing as a trial free life. There’s no such thing as your not being tempted. You’re going to be tempted.

As vile and disgusting as temptation is, you like it.

I’ve discovered that one of the gifts of the spirit is to learn to shake things off. We all have certain buttons that can be pushed. We’re always pushing the rewind button. People just can’t seem to shake loose dramatic experiences in their life.

You still have to deal with them, but if you don't have the capacity to shake things off, you will never be able to move forward.

Folks are going to do things to you.

That’s just human nature. Just forgive them and move on. You don't have to go hang out with them.

Romans 8:28: “And we know all things work together for the good for those who

Resurrection Church L.A. 1135 East Janis St. Carson, CA 90746 Office Address: 1143 East Janis St. Carson, 90746 (310) 626-4864 • www.resurrectionchurchla.org Pastor Joseph Carlos Robinson

love God and those who are the called according to His purpose.”

We also need to recognize the reality of trials. The Bible says, in James 1 & 3, consider it all joy when you encounter various trials. There’s only one way to exit troubles—that’s to exit life. It’s just a part of life. So you better learn how to shake some things off.

But there are some problems we create for ourselves. You can create a problem with yourself by not finishing school. You know you’re not supposed to go there, you know you’re not supposed to ingest that.

Maybe your trial is emotional—some sort of darkness in your mind or something plaguing your heart. I remember I had never gone through depression until January 5, 2015. I had to learn to shake some things off. When you tell your wife to get all the guns out the house.

Maybe your trial is financial. You got a pink slip at your job or red ink in your checkbook. Maybe you were passed over for a promotion or pay raise. Or a child is causing you grief, that’s still your baby.

In the book of Acts, Paul says, when your ship gets wrecked and you find yourself on an island called Malta surrounded by barbarous people, you just better know there are some things you have to do to shake things off. You have to learn how to trust and not trip. When you see things happen to you, that’s when your faith is

Love and Unity Christian Fellowship 1840 S. Wilmington Ave, P.O. Box 5449, Compton 90220 (310) 604-5900 Fax: (310) 604-5915 Dr. Ron C Hill

Service times: 8am, 10am, 12:15pm Communion: every 5th Sunday Tuesday Bible Class: 7:30pm

In Compton

Citizens of Zion Missionary Baptist Church 12930 No. Lime Ave., Compton, CA 90221 (310) 638-0536 • F: (323) 636-2080 • www.citizensofzion.org Rev. Bobby Newman, Jr., Senior Pastor; Rev. B.T. Newman, Pastor (Pastor Emeritus) Sunday School: 9am Morning Service: 10:45am Wed. Mid-Week Bible Study: 7pm Greater Zion Church Family 2408 North Wilmington Avenue, Compton, CA 90222 (310) 639-5535 • E: GreaterZionCF@gmail.com Reverend Michael J. Fisher & Dr. W. Jerome Fisher, Pastor Emeritus Sunday Morning Worship: 9am, 11am & 5pm Wed. Bible Studies: Noon-7pm www.greaterzionchurchfamily.com

Early Morning Worship: 7:30am Sunday School: 9:45 & 10:15am Mid Morning Worship: 10:45 am 1st. Sun. Holy Communion: 7:30 & 10:45 am Sat. Broadcast KTYM 1460AM: 10-11pm Wed. Mid-Week Prayer & Bible Study: 7pm

Sunday G.I.R. Up Leadership Class: 8am Morning Worship Tuesday: 10am Teaching Empowerment Night: 7:30pm

Morning Worship: 8am & 11am Evening Worship: 6pm Bible Study (Wed): Noon & 7pm BET/Fresh Oil (Wed): 7am

The Liberty Church 14725 S. Gramercy Place, Gardena, CA 90249 (310) 715-8400 Pastor David W. Cross Early Worship: 8:30am Morning Worship: 11am Children’s Church: Both Services Word Power Wed.: 7-8pm www.thelibertychurch.com

In Hawthorne

Sunday Morning Worship: 8am & 11am Sunday Bible Enrichment Class: 9:45am Mon.-Thurs. Bible Study: 7pm Wednesday Bible Study: 12:30pm & 7pm

Victory Institutional Baptist Church 4712 West El Segundo Blvd., Hawthorne, CA 90250 (310) 263-7073 • www.vibconline.com Pastor Richard Williams, III

Unity Christian Fellowship 16133 S. Atlantic Ave., Compton, CA 90221 (310) 604-0234 • F: (310) 886-0198 Bishop Johnny R. Withers, Jr., Senior Pastor

The City of Refuge 14527 S. San Pedro Street, Gardena, CA 90248 (310) 516-1433 Bishop Noel Jones

Atherton Baptist Church 2627 W. 116th Street Hawthorne,CA 90250 (323) 757-3113 • www.athertonbc.org F: 323-757-8772 • athertonbaptist@sbcglobal.net Pastor Larry Weaver

In Gardena

Sunday Morning Worship: 9am Sunday Evening Worship: 6pm Wed. Mid-Week Worship: 7pm Bible Study Tuesday: Noon & 7pm

Bible Enrichment Fellowship International 400 E. Kelso, Inglewood, CA 90301 (310) 330-4700 • www.bamcm.org Dr. Beverly “BAM” Crawford

In Inglewood

Morning Worship: 9:30am Tues. Bible Study: 7:30pm Wed. Mid-Week Prayer: 5am, Noon & 7pm Wednesday Pathway: 7pm

Faithful Central Bible Church 321 N. Eucalyptus Ave. Inglewood, CA 90301 (310) 330-8000 • F: (310) 330-8035 Bishop Kenneth C. Ulmer, Ph.D. Senior Pastor/Teacher Services at The Tabernacle: Sunday Services: 7am & 10am Wed. Mid-Week Service: 7pm The Tabernacle is located at 321 N. Eucalyptus Ave., Inglewood

w w w. l a f o c u s n e w s p a p e r. c o m

L.A. Focus/September 2015

Holy Chapel Baptist Church 1016 East Rosecrans Ave. Compton, CA 90220 (310) 537-3149 Rev. George L. Thomas

Sunday Morning Worship: 8am & 11:30am Sunday Evening Worship: 6:30pm Bible Studies: Wed. 7:30pm & Sat. 9am Food for Your Soul Radio & Television Ministry: KTYM 1460AM: Mon - Fri. 6:30am Church Channel: Tues. 5:30pm & Fri. 2:30pm

being tested. If your confident in what God is doing, that means you can sit back.

You know you’re tripping when you’re sick from what’s been eating you and not from what you’ve been eating.

There’s something about snakes that you need to know. Snakes are coldblooded creatures. You have some coldblooded friends who are a piece of work. A snake is hot when you’re hot and cold when you are cold. When things are going your way, that's when a snake is going to show up.

When you’re down, that’s when a snake is going to talk about you. That’s why you have to be careful of who you let in your house. They might not be a friend—they might be a snake.

Snakes hibernate. The snake didn't come up to Paul until he was warming himself by the fire. The moment the Lord picks you up and cleans you up, here come the snakes. I like what Paul did, Paul said, “snake you might be poisonous but you don’t have more power than my God.” You have to learn to trust in God. Don’t lean to your own understanding. God wants to look on your life and see His reflection.

I don't want to spend any time talking about this Bruce Jenner guy or waste any time talking about ISIS, because these things run their course. Don't let it attach itself to you. Shake it off. Look at Sodom & Gomorrah: God’s going to clean it up. It’s coming.

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Strait-Way Church 102 E. Kelso St., Inglewood, CA 90301 • (310) 412-7475 Bishop Charles C. Queen Sunday School: 9am Early Hebrew Studies: 9am Morning Worship: 10am • Evening Worship: 5pm • Intercessory Prayer (Tues.): 5:45pm Bible Study (Tues.): 6:45pm Bible Study (Wed.): Noon Radio Broadcast (Daily): 10:30-10:45am KTYM 1460AM

New Mount Pleasant Missionary Baptist Church 434 S. Grevillea, Inglewood CA 90301 (310) 673-6250 Office • (310) 673-2153 Rev. Dr. Phillip A. Lewis, D. D., D. Th., Senior Pastor Sunday School: 9:30am Early Worship: 8am Morning Worship: 11am First Sunday Evening Worship: 5pm Mid-Week Bible Study Wed.: 7pm Radio: KTYM 1460 AM on Saturdays at 8pm & Mondays at 7pm

In Irvine

Christ Our Redeemer AME Church 45 Tesla, Irvine, CA 92618 (949) 955-0014 • F:(949) 955-0021 • www.corchurch.org Pastor Mark E. Whitlock, II

Crusade Christian Faith Center 801 S. La Brea Avenue, Inglewood, CA 90301 (310) 330-8535 Bishop Virgil D. Patterson Sr.

True Friendship Missionary Baptist Church 7901 South Van Ness Ave. Inglewood, CA 90305 (323) 750-7304 Rev. James A. Perkins Sunday School: 9:30am Early Worship: 8am Morning Worship: 10:45am Bible Adventure Hour (Tues): 6pm Bible Study (Tues): 7pm Bible Study (Thurs): Noon First Church of God Center of Hope 9550 Crenshaw Blvd., Inglewood, CA 90305 • (323) 757-1804 Pastor Geremy L. Dixon Morning Worship: 8am & 11am Wed. Mid-Week Service: Noon Wed. Teaching Ministry: 7pm 1st Sunday Communion 5th Sunday Baptism

Antioch Church of Long Beach 1535 Gundry Ave. Long Beach, CA 90813 (562) 591-8778 • F: (562) 599-6048 Pastor Wayne Chaney Jr.

In Long Beach

Worship Services: 8am, 9:30am, 11:30am Elements Bible Study: 8am & 10:15am Spanish Worship Service: 3pm Family Night Bible Study (Wed.): 7pm

Christ Second Baptist Church 1471 Martin Luther King, Jr., Ave. Long Beach, CA 90813 (562) 599-3421 • Fax: (562) 599-6175 • www.csbclb.org Rev. Welton Pleasant II, Senior Pastor

In Pasadena

Bethlehem Church 1550 North Fair Oaks Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91103 (626) 794-5211 • F: (626) 794-6592 Pastor Christopher A. Bourne Sunday School: 9am Sunday Worship: 10am Tuesday Bible Study: 7pm Mid-day Worship Thursday: Noon www.bethlehemcoch.org

Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church 980 Rio Grande Street, Pasadena, CA 91104 *Mailing Address: 1416 N. Mentor Ave. Pasadena, 91104 (626) 794-4875 • F: (626) 794-7815 Pastor W. Harrison Trotter Sunday School: 8:30am Sunday Worship: 10am Bible Study Wednesday: 7pm Intercessory Prayer (Fourth Wed.): 7pm Christians Uniting To Make A Difference -Eph. 4:13

Spirit of Zion Fellowship Church 10853 Victory Blvd. North Hollywood, CA 91601 (805) 517-1907 • www.mtzionla.org Pastor E.V. Hill II

Sunday School: 8:30am Sunday Worship Service: 9:40am Wed. Bible Study: 7pm Wed Youth & Young Adult Ministry: 7pm

Jacob’s Ladder Community Fellowship, inc.

1152 E. Hyde Park Blvd., Inglewood, CA 90303 (866) 330-1702 • F: (310) 674-0760 Watchman/Shepherd Dr. Robert T. Douglas Sr. Sunday School: 10am Morning Services: 11:45am Evening Service: 7pm Wed. Lock & Load Prayer: 7pm Wed. Bible Study: 7:30pm 3rd Friday Youth Night: 7:30pm KYTYM 1460AM (Sunday): 11:30am www.jacobladderschurch.com

Gospel Memorial Church of God In Christ 1480 Atlantic Ave. Long Beach, CA 90813 (562) 599-7389 • F: 562-599-5779 • gospelmemorial@aol.com Bishop Joe L. Ealy Sunday School: 9:30am Sunday Worship: 11am Evening Worship: 6:30pm Wed. Intercessory Prayer: 7pm Wed. Pastoral teaching adults: 7:30pm Wed. Youth Ministry Boot-Camp; Youth Bible Study: 7pm & Choir Rehearsal: 7:30pm

Miracle Temple Church of God Pentecostal 733 S. Grevillea Avenue, Inglewood, CA 90301 (310) 419-7335 • info@cogpinglewood.org Bishop Johnny J. Young, Ph.D., Senior Pastor Elder Jonathan J. Young, Executive Pastor Sunday School: 8:30am Morning Worship: 10:15am Thursday Praise & Bible Study: Noon & 7pm Weekly Prayer: Noon Monday-Friday Early Morning Phoneline Prayer: 5am Fridays *(209) 255-1000 Access code = 100061# "Where the Difference is worth the Drive"

Grant AME Church of Long Beach 1129 Alamitos Ave. Long Beach, CA 90813 • (562) 437-1567 grantamelb@aol.com • www.grantamelb.org Rev. Michael W. Eagle, Sr.

100 Days continued from page 7

Sunday Worship: 7:45am, 10:45am, 4:45pm Ministry Worship to Children/Youth Sunday: 9:45am - 10:45am Prayer/Academy of Biblical Studies (Wed): 10:45am - 6:45pm www.second-baptistchurch.com

Sunday Worship: 8am, 10:30am New Generation Praise Service: 10:30am Sun. Bible Univ.: 9:30am Tues. Interactive Bible Study: 7pm Wed. Pastor's Bible Study: Noon, 7pm Thurs. Bible Study: 7pm Fri. Singles Bible Study (1st Fri): 7pm

Wed. Mid-Week Service: 7pm Sunday School: 9am Sunday Worship: 10:30am

in shootings across Chicago over the Fourth of July weekend, according to reports. “There’s more of a gang problem in Chicago than in L.A., but the media,” he continued “has perpetuated this #100Days100Nights narrative for ratings.”

The media, he said, does this because “L.A. is [supposedly] the nation’s gang capital. But there are hundreds of people getting killed in California every day that have nothing to do with gang violence.”

Local law enforcement units that have front-line experience dealing with gangs asserted the 100Days100Night hashtag threats on social media were largely a form of bragging rights from low-level foot soldiers who neither had the intent nor capability to carry out an attack of that magnitude.

Scholars argue the lack of quality pro-

In Monrovia

Second Baptist Church 925 S. Shamrock Avenue • P.O. Box 479, Monrovia, CA 91017 (626) 358-2136 • F: (626) 303-2477 Bishop W.M. Larue Dillard, Phd.

Sunday Worship: 1pm Children's Church: 1pm

In Arise Christian Center 6949 La Tijera Blvd. Suite C, Westchester, CA 90045 (310)568-8445•F: (310) 568-8430 • Arisechristiancenter.com Pastor Ron Taylor

Westchester

Morning Worship: 9am & 11:15am Bible Study Wednesday: 7pm Intercessory Prayer Tuesday : 7pm Intercessory Prayer Sunday: 8am - 8:45am Intercessory Prayer Thursday: 11:30pm - 12:30pm Greater Zion Church Family 2408 North Wilmington Avenue, Compton, CA 90222 (310) 639-5535 • E: GreaterZionCF@gmail.com Reverend Michael J. Fisher & Dr. W. Jerome Fisher, Pastor Emeritus

Sun. Worship Experience: 10:45am 3rd Sun. Healing & Annointing: 10:45am Wed. Bible Study: Noon & 6pm Mothers of Murdered Youth & Children: Thurs. by appt • On/off Parole, Now What?: Thurs. by appt

grams in the inner city schools plays a key role in attracting low-income youth to embrace gang life. One study published in the Journal Pediatrics found low-income students that attended high-performing schools were less likely to engage in “risky behaviors,” such as gang membership.

Pastor Fisher echoed similar sentiments saying there aren’t enough programs to keep the youth busy, and so “every summer we see” gang violence spike.

Former gang member turned bornagain Christian Michael “Bulldog” Green said when Hollywood “released that dumb Colors movie in 1988”—a movie that critics say glorified gang violence in South Central L.A.—it solidified L.A. as the official gang capital of the United States.

Green, 47, told LA Focus “there have been several shootings in the hood, but

In Van Nuys

because some kid broadcasted 100 killings on social media, the media ran with it. The Hoovers and the 100s have been beefing for over 30 years. This ain’t nothing new.”

Meanwhile, there have been several credible sources that say Peevy aka KP, whose death started the “100 days 100 nights” movement, had left the gang life behind him.

Contrary to initial media reports and social media networks portraying KP as a well-respected member of the Rollin’ 100s, a clique loosely affiliated with other Crip gangs; the family revealed KP, for the most part, avoided gang activity.

One of KP’s family members, who wished to remain anonymous said KP was a full-time single father dedicated to showing his son a different lifestyle.

After the birth of his child, his family says he had turned his life around.

Sunday Morning Worship: 9am, 11am & 5pm Wed. Bible Studies: Noon-7pm www.greaterzionchurchfamily.com

Proposition 47 continued from page 7

The promise of Prop 47 can be met, say advocates, and even amplified, if employers—both public and private—consider a job candidate’s qualifications first, without the stigma of the criminal record.

In any event, a key requirement under Prop 47 known as the “Ban the Box” law prohibits an employer from inquiring about a person’s criminal convictions on job applications.

As of now, 13 states and more than 70 localities in the United States have removed the conviction history check-box from a job application. In California, the law went into effect last July.

Overall, the initiative has produced significant life changing results for people like Donyell Green, who was let go from his new full-time job at an oil refinery, Proposition 47 continued on page 25

Focus 9.15_Focus 7-04 9/1/15 5:35 PM Page 25

Proposition 47 continued from page 24 after a background check revealed he had a drug possession conviction in 2008.

Last year, the 33-year-old heard news about Prop 47 and asked his Public Defender for help. They succeeded in reclassifying his 2008 felony to a misdemeanor.

“What the voters did is really a blessing—not just for me, but for a lot of people.

It gives people a second chance at life.”

Advocates also point out Prop 47 helped reduce the state’s prison overcrowding. A panel of three judges ruled in 2013 that California reduce its prison population to 113,722 by February 2016, which is 137.5 percent of what state prisons are designed to hold. In March, 2,700 people had already been released from prison under Prop. 47.

As of mid-June, the number of prisoners in state-owned prisons in California is 111,368, according to the state prison system's weekly population report.

“I have made many mistakes,” said Prop 47 beneficiary Toni, an L.A. resident. “[But] I want the opportunity to do something with my life.”

Cover Story continued from page 11 o f Senate Majority Leader Mervyn Dymally with Assembly Members Willie Brown, Yvonne Burke, Bill Greene, John Miller and Leon Ralph. The founding members believed speaking with a single voice, would provide a collective political force for creating a more just and equitable society.

“Legends like Willie Brown created the roadmap for getting things accomplished in our community. I obviously am very humbled to be the Chair of the CLBC.” Jones-Sawyer was one of the leading voices among lawmakers in getting the California State Assembly to pass a $108 billion dollar

general fund state budget. Funding he said that was needed to “increase access to justice and reopen courthouses that were closed down during the recession.”

In addition to increasing funding, Jones- Sawyer played a key role in amassing $106 million for rehabilitation. These monies include $15 million for Collaborative Justice Courts, and $8 million for in-community reentry facilities focused on mental heath populations.

“I am committed to closing racial disparities,” said the new Chair. “Whether it is health, education, employment or the criminal justice.

Money Matters continued from page 18

“Caltrans is investing statewide. We are aggressively focusing the limited resources we have for fix-it-first projects equally across the state where they can be most cost-effective on preventive maintenance to our existing infrastructure,” said Caltrans spokesman Jason Probst. “Projects are selected using criteria based on public safety, preservation, service and conditions of our assets, so all areas are equally weighted. A particular city or region’s economic status plays no role in the likelihood that they’ll be selected above any other area.

Every dollar we invest in this strategy we realize $9-14 in savings.”

Probst confirmed that Caltrans will need approximately $80 billion over the next 10 years to address current and future needs of the state highway system.

“There is a projected funding shortfall of nearly $58 billion with available revenue,” he points out.

The auditor’s office anticipates the results of its investigation next year.

“There is a need that needs to be met and that is to repair the roads and infrastructure of our state,” added Assemblymember Gipson. “If you look at

individuals in my district if it was on the ballot, I believe it be supported for the simple fact that they have been the ones who have been victims of what has transpired in terms of our roads.”

Church News continued from page 20

next MegaFest, which is being slated for 2017. In the meantime, Jakes’ new hourlong talk show, “The T.D. Jakes Show”, debuted on TV stations in Atlanta, Dallas, Cleveland and Minneapolis last month.

Locally, some CME pastors received new assignments. Presiding Elder Mark Hardon was assigned to Hayes CME; while Pastor Joe Gardner—who had been at ____, was sent to Curry Temple and Lewis Metropolitan received a new pastor—Willie Boyd—to replace the retiring Elder Wendell M. Oldham Jr....In other local news, Metropolitan Baptist Church (Pastor Elton Johnson) is now holding worship services at McKinley Baptist Church. The facility is being leased by the church for an undisclosed period…Harvest Christian Center is now holding services at Parent Elementary School in Ladera Heights and unofficial reports are that a big move is on the horizon for Harvest International (Bishop Clarence McClendon).

Pastor Profile continued from page 23

What makes you most happy at this point in your life?

Aside from family, what makes me happy seeing people be obedient to the word of God and living according to His word to the best of their ability. We have levels of maturity in our church.

Old ones should be more mature and help the young ones coming in. You know you can get numbers, but numbers are for concerts. I’m looking for souls to be committed to the Lord.

L.A. Focus/September 2015

Jackson continued from page 8 A recent tweet from director Ava DuVernay after she watched Gray’s film perfectly captures how black female fans of groups like N.W.A often find themselves in a conundrum of cultural affiliation.

Having struggled with separating my longtime loyalty to Perry’s films into two distinct frames, one ideological and the other cultural, I was rattled by DuVernay’s astute perceptions.

My sensitivities to the cultural phenomenon of Perry’s plays let me excuse the mass consumption of dangerous depictions of black women and families when those plays became box-office hits. Meanwhile, my visceral hatred for the messages produced and mass-marketed by groups like

N.W.A, and my social distance from their cultural anchors, made it easy for me to rebuke Straight Outta Compton entirely.

My cultural affinity for representations of the black church in mainstream media is of no greater merit than that of individuals who look back on Los Angeles culture of the late ’80s and early ’90s with nostalgia and revelry. Although Perry clearly doesn’t have the violent roots and explicit messages of rape, misogynoir and hatred toward black women in his productions or past, his work does reinforce gender hierarchies that are harmful toward black women at large. In the end, I can’t, in good conscience, support Tyler Perry films if I don’t support films like Straight Outta Compton.

No matter how familiar these productions may be, I won’t be selling out any part of me for a laugh or a cry. Rather than accept either set of messages or depictions wholesale, I will continue to thoughtfully critique portrayals of black folks in mainstream media until both my ideological and cultural commitments are in firm alignment.

Jenn M. Jackson is a writer, editor and magic black girl from the future.

25

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“It was so easy!“ L.A. Focus Columnist Chez Hadley lost 19lbs in 21 days

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E&J Fish Market

W

ith smiles on their faces, spatula in hand and fish on the grill, business owners Deborah and Shelton Bell find pleasure in knowing that customers walk into their restaurant empty and leave full.

After several years of trying to launch a business and the desire to become the owners of a fish market, the husband and wife duo went from dream to reality in September 2013 when they opened E&J Seafood restaurant in Inglewood.

“It was my husband’s dream after being in the fish market for 15 years, prior to being a truck driver,” Deborah said. “When I saw this place, I made up my mind that day that I was going to see what we can do to help his dream along.”

Growing up in New Haven Connecticut, Deborah said cooking was an integral part of her family tradition.

But it was not until she married Shelton that she developed a love for cooking.

After fusing his mother’s style of cooking with her mother’s she created her own.

“Shelton’s mother was preparing food for seven children, so you got to really be

on your game. You got all these kids and you want to feed them good,” Deborah explained. “My mother just learned various types of gourmet cooking and threw that over on me and my sister so we got a chance to taste other styles of cooking.”

From grilled or fried catfish, tilapia, salmon, red snapper, whitey to a side of collard greens, potato salad, fries, mac and cheese, with combos starting from $4 to $10, your order is not complete without a side of love that comes freely.

“Cat fillet is one of the top sellers here. We do chicken wings and all that stuff, but most of the time when someone walks in here they order the two plus six combo – catfish & shrimp,” Deborah said. “Try it once and you’re hooked!”

E&J is not just a seafood joint – it is more than that.

“The word says ‘He will make you fishers of men’ and I believe that’s what it’s all about. I don’t believe it’s just me working at a fish market or being the manager of a fish market.”

E&J Seafood is located at 424 E Manchester Blvd, Inglewood, CA 90301.

Collard Greens (Full Pan) Ingredients: 1 Case of collard s.

3packs of smok ed turkey necks 3 ½ cup of cano la ½ cup sugar 1tbs salt Directions: Take all the stew s of collards an d cut greens to um size. mediWash greens th oroughly.

Wash turkey ne cks thoroughly then add them pot of water. to half Let the water come to a boil then add collard canola. s and Boil for approxim ately 1 hour then add sugar and sa Boil for an addi tional hour then lt. turn off the stov let the greens st e and and for 30 minut es.

Proceed to serv e.

Time: 2 hours

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Finding Your Pretty with Chez

My mom was a Las Vegas showgirl in the 70’s. She danced in Hallelujah Hollywood at the famed MGM Grand, donned the most glamorous Bob Mackie costumes draped in rhinestones and

sequins. She wore the most beautiful makeup, with every color of the rainbow brushed across her eyelids and eyelashes that would make Bambi jealous.

I’ve always been in love with her pictures of yesteryear and dream of the days when my life will be full of enchanting events where I could look just as glamorous. But until that day came I always did the next best thing… play in her make up. And when her makeup stash wasn’t enough I had to start buying my own.

I was spending any money I got - Christmas money from my grandpa or a few dollars from my grandmafor makeup and candy. Soon I had a make up collection of my own and I wasn’t even a teenager yet, so I was only allowed to wear it in the house.

I was always taught to apply make up as natural as possible. Then I got to middle school and started doing what my friends were doing, using really dark brown or black lip liner on my lips and filing it in with hair supply store lip gloss. That’s when my mom decided it was time for “The Talk.” I had to learn what worked for my skin color. “You can’t just do whatever your friends do. You are all different skin tones” she said – This coming from a woman who before letting me purchase a new dress, would wrap the garment around my face to make sure the colors complimented my skin tone. That’s how serious this conversation was. That’s when I learned that you have to apply makeup accord-

ing to your “undertones”.

Women of color often find that it is hard to find the correct shade of foundation often mixing colors hoping to find that perfect match.

Here are a few facts on undertones: • There are three categories that undertones are classified under: cool, warm and neutral.

• Cool: Base tone of your skin is pink, red or blue. The veins on the inside of your wrist look blue • Warm: Base tone of your skin is yellow or gold. The veins on the inside of your wrist look green.

• Neutral: Mix of cool and warm undertones. It's difficult to tell whether the veins on your inner wrist are blue or green. Makeup is typically true to tone on your complexion.

Tip: When matching your foundation you want to find natural light, so get in front of a window and begin matching the foundation on your jaw and blend downward into your neck. Also check the color on your forehead. If it disappears it’s the right color. If it looks chalky or ashy then you need to go darker, and if it looks dirty or muddy and doesn't look clear, then you need to go lighter.

Remember: Your undertone never changes. As you turn darker in the summer you still stay within the same undertone family – once a pink always a pinkyou just go deeper into your undertone shade.

BE BOLD

YOU GOTTA GET THIS BOBBi BROwN STiCk FOUNDATiON The Ultimate nude foundation has skin tone correction pigments for a natural look. It’s creamy yet weightless and blends seamlessly for a smooth and even look. Available in 24 skin tones, which is awesome. $44

OmBRe’ LiPS Ombre’ lips are gorgeous. It may take a little more time on your lips than usual but it is well worth it. Here

are 3 simple steps to get that perfect ombre’ pout.

1. Line lips with dark lip liner. Press lips together and Blend 2. Apply lighter lip color. Blend 3. Clean up any color outside of lip line.

So Who Does Your Hair...

Verlean Shoals became a stylist 30 years ago as a means to an end. “I was a personal recruiter and wanted to get my own employment agency, thought I could make quick money found that I really enjoyed the business and the rest is history.” It still amazes her what the hands can create and believes there is no real specialty in her industry “a fairly decent hair stylist can do a number of duties well.”

Gwen Troy has been a client of Verlean’s for about 25 years and says it’s not only the way she takes care of her hair it’s also that she’s a sweet and wonderful person that keeps her coming back. “Verlean is always on

time, never keeps me waiting and takes really good care of my hair. We have become really great friends over the years.”

Hair care tip: Use good products, keep your hair trimmed and get services on a regular basis.

Must have product: The whole line of Aveda products Wait time: No wait. I try to start a person as soon as they come in

Gwen Troy

Showcase your hairstyle, salon, retail outlet or hair/skincare product

(310) 677-6011 Ask For Kisha

and have them out within 2 – 2 ½ hours.

S a l o n : Morningside Park Beauty Salon 8462 Crenshaw Bl. Inglewood, CA 90305 (323) 759-6790 Price: $65 - $175 depending on service

Verlean Shoals

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SavingGrace

L.A. Focus/September 2015

H

30

Harry Lennix

arry J. Lennix enjoys playing men of consequence. Be it his portrayal of an Islamic American advocate on the hit show “24” and General Swanwick in the 2013 box office smash, Man of Steel to Lord Banquo in “William Shakepeare’s MacBeth, Ray Charles manager in the Oscar-nominated “Ray” or Dresser in the 1991 musical drama, “The Five Heartbeats”, the 6’4” Chicago native enjoys stretching beyond his comfort zone and moves with ease from television and film to the stage.

“Men of consequence require capacity – you have to think about what you’re going to do and how you’re going to do it, so I like that.”

His extensive list of film credits include “Barbershop 2: Back in Business,” “Love & Basketball,” “The Matrix: Reloaded”, “Stomp the Yard,” “Get On The Bus” and a recently wrapping co-starring role opposite Ben Affleck in “Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice,” —one of eight upcoming film projects slated for release in the next two years.

In the meantime, Lennix—who has had recurring and or co-starring roles numerous TV series, including “Commander in Chief,” “ER”, “Diagnosis Murder”—is enjoying success as FBI agent and Director of the Counterterrorism Division Harold Cooper on NBC’s an American crime drama “The Blacklist,” which premieres its third season on Thursday, October 1.

There is a common theme that Lennix tends to share with the characters he enjoys portraying the most as is the case with “The Blacklist”—starring James Spader—and that is he puts the work above himself.

“I tend to think of myself in those terms, the purpose is bigger than the personality.”

And for that reason, in the realm of character actors, they don’t come any better than Lennix, who ironically enough didn’t give all that much thought to being an actor early on.

“I started acting in high school. Some professionals saw me and thought I had promise. And then at Northwestern University some professionals in the industry once again thought I had promise, so I started getting work while I was still in school,” he recalls.

“I didn't really choose it until I was about 20 I guess. I found myself getting more and more work so it just seemed that that's where my talents were best utilized at the time so I decided to pursue it.”

His family, at first, wasn’t convinced he could make a living as an actor.

“They thought it was foolhardy I’m sure. They thought it was a dead end in a lot of ways, but it quickly became apparent that I could ink out an existence with acting. I got work pretty early and I was pretty successful at it,” he said.

“It wasn't the only thing I was doing. I was also a schoolteacher when I first started acting.

For many years, Lennix taught English and music in the Chicago public schools between acting jobs until 1991 when he starred in the film that launched his career—“The Five Heartbeats,” also starring Robert Townsend.

Lennix plays Dresser, the group’s original choreographer and bass singer, in “The Five Heartbeats,” also starring Robert Townsend, and says Dresser is still the character he most relates to.

“He puts the group above himself. He’s a man who tries to be decent and honest; he’s a pretty simple guy. I tend to think of myself in those terms, the purpose is bigger than the personality.”

Outside of his work as an actor, his talents extend to producing. Last year Lennix co-founded Exponent Media Group, which is dedicated to promoting significant works about the African American experience.

Since its launch, Lennix has produced various independent projects such as “Mr. Sophistication,” in which he starred as Ron Waters, a Richard Pryor-type comedian and he’s now working on “Revival,” a gospel musical used to tell a narrative of the life, mission and message of Jesus Christ in which he plays Pontius Pilate—the man who eventually authorized Jesus’ crucifixion.

“You have the highly-endowed, big budget productions and then there are many, smaller, micro-budget independent films, so the middle-class of films, so to speak, have fallen away. I actually want to take over some of that space — that middle range of films — in the independent world,” says Lennix, who grew up wanting to be the first black pope.

Lennix, whose father died when he was two, grew up on the South Side of Chicago, attended catholic schools, including a seminary in high school. He went on to Northwestern University where he studied communications and literature and performed in several university-sponsored and local plays. Lennix continued to think about joining the priesthood but Hollywood came calling.

But for the more than 100 characters he’s portrayed over the last two and a half decades on screen and on TV, Lennix says there are definitely those roles he wouldn’t touch.

“I wouldn't play a slave. I certainly don’t like playing subservient or marginalized people,” he states. “I like to play a character who is important to the story that is being told and to whom I can bring certain dimension to.”

His saving grace, he says, is grace itself, which seems to find him again and again.

“The grace of God is my saving grace. I don't know if it’s just some virtue of mine, or in my personality, that something will save me. My determination is a thing that has sustained me. All of that comes from my genetics.”

His determination is also the reason why he is so involved in community issues both in Chicago and Los Angeles where he advocates for cease fire activities, prison sentencing reform, general community building and the “Black Lives Matter” movement.

The idea of service to his fellow man was instilled early watching his mother volunteer at their local catholic church where they would also visit the sick.

“Some of the work is quite challenging, some of it is quite heartbreaking and some of it is agonizing but whether or not I enjoy it, I’ve always believed in duty over desire. It’s my obligation to do it, so I have joy in being of service in the philosophical sense of it.”

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