LA Focus January 2024 Issue

VOLUME XXVIII • ISSUE > > W W W. L A F O C U S N E W S PA P E R . C O M

•January 2024

L.A. FOCUS

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CHURCH NEWS Faith Leaders Call on LAPD Chief Michel Moore to Resign

HOLLYWOOD BUZZ Danielle Brooks Lights Up the Screen in Color Purple

SEE PAGE 10

Special Report

Ozempic Obsession: A Game-Changer for Weight Loss or Hazardous Health Trend

UPFRONT Polls Show Declining Support for Biden Among Blacks

>> SEE PAGE 18

contents

October 2022 January 2024

L.A. Focus Publications

(Left) Pastor Xavier Thompson and First Lady Rinnita welcome Congresswoman Barbara Lee to Southern Missionary Baptist Church; Middle: Beverly Hills West Links Chapter are acknowledged by Beverly Hills Mayor Julian Gold at their recent fundriaser for their community work..Pictured from left to right: Victoria Beeks, Adell Walker,La-Doris McClaney, Julian Gold and Zna Portlock Houston, Chapter President; Left: Eddie Murphy and co-star Tracee Ellis-Ross at the premiere of “Candy Cane Lane”.

4 From The Editor

Out With the Old, In With the New

Commentary

14 Hollywood Buzz

Queen Latifa recieves Kennedy Center Honor; Fraud for Taking Less Pay for Empire; Taraji P. Henson Contemplates Quitting Acting over Unfair Pay

Looking Backwards, Looking Forwards, Is there a difference?

Footnotes Jeffery Wright

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UpFront Biden Touts Significant Investment in Black America, Yet Lacks Support in Black Vote; Tenth District City Council Race Gathers Momentum; California Ushers In 2024 with a New Slate of Laws; An Increase in Hate Crimes Expected to Cast Shadow Over 2024 Election Season

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Will Trump get away with the January 6 Insurrection?

Headlines From Africa Congresswoman Barbara Lee Aims to Defy Expectations in her Historic Run for U.S. Senate

Money Matters Fighting CarScams with the CARS Rule

Biz News Briefs Byron Allen Makes Second Attempt at Acquiring BET; Black Women Own 68% of U.S. Microbusinesses?; Snoop Dogg’s Latest Venture

On the Money L.A. County Rent Reliefe Program Now Accepting Applications

Lisa Collins Gerald Bell, Quita Bride, D.T. Carson Ian Foxx J.T. Torbit

@Lafocusnews

26 Saving Grace Halle Bailey

16 Eye On Gospel 18 Special Report 20

Church News Clergy and community leaders call for LAPD chief Michel Moore to Resign or Be Terminated;

21 First Lady Files Wendy Fletcher

22 Pastor Profile Pastor Denise Portee

She’s the mayor!

Congratulations to Yasmine-Imani McMorrin who made history as the first Black woman to be elected Mayor of Culver City last month.. In 2020, McMorrin became the first black woman elected to the Culver City Council in the former “whites only sundown town”. At the top of her list of priorities is providing more cost-effective housing options.

@L.A.Focus

West Angeles C.O.G.I.C. City of Refuge Greater Zion Church Family Southern Saint Paul Church Faithful Central Bible Church Mt. Moriah Baptist Church Baptist Minister’s Conference Inglewood Minister’s Assoc.

Bishop Charles Blake Bishop Noel Jones Pastor Michael J.T. Fisher Rev. Xavier L. Thompson Bishop Kenneth C. Ulmer Pastor Emeritus Melvin Wade Pastor K.W. Tulloss Bishop Robert T. Douglas Sr.

advisory board

Napoleon Brandford Siebert, Brandford, Shank & Co. Apostle Beverly Crawford Bible Enrichment Fellowship Lem Daniels Int’l Bob Blake Morgan Stanley Bob Blake & Associates

Cover Design: UpScale Media Group

L.A. Focus/Janurary 2024

Address all correspondence to: L.A. Focus, 333 W. Florence Ave., Suite C333 Inglewood, CA 90301 • (310) 677-6011 Subscription rates $25.00 per year. www.lafocusnewspaper.com

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Greg Dulan “Dulan’s On Crenshaw”

honorary advisors

staff Photographer Advertising

25 In Good Taste

Ozempic Obsession: A Gamechanger for Weight Loss or Hazardous Health Trend

10 Cover Story

Publisher/Editor-In-Chief Staff Writers

Los Angeles Premiere of “The Color Purple”

Pastor Michael Fisher’s Newest Calling– ”The Fisher Brand”

Kirk Franklin Served with Cease-and-Desist; New Gospel Tours in 2024; Angle’s Solo Flight

HeadToHead

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15 Red Carpet Style

23 People

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Commentary

ARMSTRONG WILLIAMS Guest Columnist

“Looking Backward, Looking Forward, Is There a Difference?” ooking backward over 2023 and looking forward to 2024 recalls ancient wisdom. Ecclesiastes: "What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun." Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr employed different phraseology: "The more things change, the more they stay the same." Lord Byron in "Childe Harold's Pilgrimage" put it this way: "History, with all her volumes vast, hath but one page." The choreography and personalities change, but the human narrative remains the same.

The anticipated similarities between this past year and the new year are striking.

To start, the national debt continues to soar past a staggering $33 trillion with $1-2 trillion annual budget deficits forecast as far as the eye can see. Moreover, the multitrillion-dollar military-industrial complex continues with its 800 military bases abroad, with special forces in virtually every country in the world, fighting as a belligerent or co-belligerent without a constitutionally required congressional declaration of war in countries like Libya, Somalia, Yemen, Gaza, Ukraine, Iraq and Syria, and against alleged terrorists everywhere in the world. These pointless wars irrelevant to the national security of the United States provoke blowback and divert valuable resources necessary for invincible self-defense.

As it has every year, the right to privacy will continue to shrivel as artificial intelligence races forward at supersonic speed. The Fourth Amendment right to be left alone from government snooping is a hoax. Big Brother has arrived targeting the "not-yet-guilty" for warrantless surveillance. Congress is balking at requiring search warrants before the intelligence community can gain access to information about American citizens collected via dragnet, warrantless, indiscriminate spying. Surveillance

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drones will soon be routinely employed by the police, and facial recognition, no matter how unreliable, will become a customary feature of law enforcement.

Furthermore, extreme tribalism and polarization continue to earmark politics. It is driving measured and balanced politicians to throw in the towel. As of Dec. 7, 2023, some 38 members of the House and Senate have announced their intent to retire at the conclusion of the current Congress, including former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), who announced that he will be leaving by the end of the new year. Congress will soon be occupied only by sociopathic, ill-informed narcissists on the right and left – a formula for gridlock, continuing resolutions in lieu of appropriations, and an ever-expanding, economically debilitating federal bureaucracy.

The tribalism in Congress will be reflected in the growing tribalism in the community at large, which portends strife and upheaval. Race, gender or sexual orientation categories are multiplying like rabbits. Youths are taught not to think of themselves as Americans with the motto "E Pluribus Unum." Instead, their loyalties are thrown to monochromatic subgroups occupying separate cultural

From the Editor

universes.

Finally, the aspirants for the presidency in 2024 from both parties are uniformly dreadful. Former Republican President Donald Trump is likely to be sitting in prison on Election Day for orchestrating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol to prevent Vice President Mike Pence from counting state-certified electoral votes under the 12th Amendment and Electoral Count Act. If elected, Trump plans a dictatorship on day one of his new term.

But it doesn't get any better. His rivals for the Republican nomination like Nikki Haley or Ron DeSantis are soporific and shallow. And President Joe Biden looks and acts like a mummy manipulated by his handlers or Praetorian Guard. He has been humiliated by the Israeli government, which has sneered at his calls to diminish violence and civilian casualties in Gaza. He has surrounded himself with incompetents, like Secretary of State Antony Blinken or Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

The United States, however, survived the presidencies of James Buchanan and Franklin Pierce, and it will survive Joe Biden and the winner of the 2024 presidential election. The American people remain as solid as gold, even if their leaders are pyrite.

America is an idea inclusive of all eager to work hard, respect others, celebrate the rule of law and treasure the march of the mind over the march of the foot soldier.

Every man or woman is a king or queen, but no one wears a crown. In the eyes of the Constitution, there is only one race, one religion, one ethnicity, one gender, one sexual orientation in the United States: it is American.

Armstrong Williams is manager/sole owner of Howard Stirk Holdings I & II Broadcast Television Stations and the 2016 Multicultural Media Broadcast Owner of the year. To find out more about him, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

LISA COLLINS Publisher

“Out With the Old, In With The New ” s we step into the new year, there's plenty to reflect upon and anticipate. 2023 was beset by political upheaval, global unrest, and economic turbulence, yet we emerged resilient. As we progress, the dichotomy of our age becomes more apparent; while our advancements in technology race towards a future with designer babies and healthtracking rings, the fragility of life is underscored by events such as the October 7 massacre of Jewish settlers and the bloodbath of innocent Palestinians is ongoing in Israel’s bombardment of Gaza.

As always, the onset of the new year heralds a fresh set of resolutions, commonly centered on financial security, physical health, and treasuring our relationships. However, the reality of resolution-breaking is as prevalent as the tradition of making them even for the most motivated for whom statistic say the average resolution peters out after 3.74 months.

Yet, 2024 brims with promise, particularly regarding technological progress. Anticipated advancements range from smartwatches that can record an ECG and analyze blood oxygen levels to home security drones that follow preset paths providing live feeds as they move to increase security. Additionally, genetic research advances are poised to unveil critical insights towards curing diseases like Alzheimer's and glaucoma.

“I believe we will see great progress in using blood-based biomarkers of brain pathology in presymptomatic Alzheimer's patients warranting treatments to prevent the onset of disease”, said Rudolph Tanzi, Director of the McCance Center for Brain Health at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Improving childbirth outcomes among Black and Alaska Native/American Indian women will also be a key area of focus.

L.A. Focus/January 2024

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In terms of lifestyle trends, plant-based seafood, alternative protein sources, and nutrigenomics-based diets are predicted to make waves as at-home blood and urine testing kits empower consumers to identify dietary choices that align with their genetic profiles. Simultaneously, consumer interest in non-alcoholic beverages seems to be on the rise.

Weather-wise, experts predict the presence of El Nino until mid-May and scientists are predicting a solar eclipse event this spring.

Economically, the Office for Budget Responsibility anticipates a 4.7% drop in house prices coupled with falling new fixed-rate mortgages. Auto dealers might face downward pricing pressure due to high inventory levels. Thankfully, self-driving fully autonomous cars will continue to be in the more distant future.

The climactic event of the year is undoubtedly the November election, with the fate of democracy hanging in the balance. And not just here in the U.S. but globally as over 60 elections around the globe (the most ever in history representing half the world population) are set to put democracy to the test and in many cases, elevate geopolitical tensions.

Current polls paint a worrying picture for Biden who heads for a rematch against Trump, who is presently leading in the polls. No one has a crystal ball on how the race will turn out but if the chaos we’ve seen in the past serves as indication, anything goes. Some believe the result could come down to a few tens of thousands of voters in a handful of swing states. The consequences, however, will be global, affecting everything from climate policy to military support for Ukraine and Israel.

Some political insiders are predicting that Republicans will recapture the Senate, Democrats will recapture the House and Donald Trump will return to the

White House.

The former president has already said that 2024 will be the “final battle”.

But to a large extent, what will happen is up to American voters and that means you.

In the meantime, a friend sent me this note and I want to share it with you: Hello and welcome to flight # 2024 We are prepared to take off into the New Year.

Please make sure your attitude and blessings are secured and locked in an upright position.

All self-destructive devices should be turned off at this time.

All negativity, hurt and discouragement should be put away.

Should we lose altitude under pressure, during the flight, reach up and pull down a prayer.

Prayers will automatically be activated by faith... Once your faith is activated you can assist other passengers.

There will be no baggage allowed on this flight.

The captain (God) has cleared us for takeoff. Destination Greatness.

Keep the faith!

Pictured above: Lisa with Culver City Mayor YasmineImani McMorrin

UpFront

News Briefs

Recent Polls Indicate Decline in Support for Biden Among African-Americans

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s a pivotal election season kicks into high gear, the Biden administration faces the challenge of addressing failed promises toward the Black community, with recent polls suggesting that Biden is losing crucial support from the same demographic that voted him into office four years ago.

In a recent poll, Biden clings on to the support of a mere 63% of Black voters, a stark decline from the 87% he had back in 2020, suggesting that Black voters are abandoning the current president.

Former president Donald Trump now commands the Latino vote with 39% to Biden’s 34% and is also swaying a younger generation, usually at odds with the GOP, with a staggering lead at 37% to Biden’s 33%.

“While Biden likes to say inflation is down, I’m not feeling it. I’m part of the younger generation, and he hasn’t done enough there– I’m certainly not getting the message of what more will be done. I think everyone should consider their options for November,” Landon Conners, an Orange County resident said.

“On one hand, I’m undecided because of his age. The [Democrats] need control of the Senate just in case Biden takes a nap and never wakes up. Also, Kamala Harris doesn’t have an agenda or back-

ing. She simply has no power,” a source told L.A. Focus.

“On the other hand, I think Joe has been sensitive to the needs of the black community, relatively speaking. So the alternative to Joe Biden is not an answer for us, particularly with Donald Trump in the race.”

African Americans’ worries, however, continue to mount because of what most assume to be the Biden campaign’s underinvestment in Black America. However, the administration still touts its significant investments, including nearly $70 billion in federal contracts awarded to small, disadvantaged businesses in 2022.

“The data shows that the historic public investments that make up the BidenHarris Administration’s economic agenda in critical sectors for future growth, resiliency, and security are beginning to come to fruition,” White House officials said.

Additionally, $12 billion was allocated to community lenders to expand access to capital and resources for often sidelined entrepreneurs. The Department of Treasury estimated that those investments in community lenders would net nearly $80 billion to Black communities over the next decade.

Still, Biden’s re-election campaign is

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Reggie Jones-Sawyer.

he countdown to the March 5 primary election intensifies as the race for the 10th City Council district sees final candidates Heather Hutt, Reggie Jones-Sawyer, Grace Yoo, Eddie Anderson, and Aura Vasquez gearing up.

Incumbent Councilmember Heather Hutt, appointed after former Councilmember Mark Ridley-Thomas' conviction, is up against formidable opponents who have been vigorously fundraising.

Leading fundraiser Grace Yoo, a veteran attorney, is banking on her commitment to accountability, fair representation, and tackling issues like homelessness and public safety. Yoo– who forced Ridley-Thomas into a runoff in the 2020 election –is making a third run at the office and has a robust history of leadership within the Asian Pacific American community.

Reggie Jones-Sawyer–who announced his run “to end corruption” at L.A. City Hall– has served as assemblyman for the 57th District (which includes the communities of South Los Angeles, Exposition Park, and downtown Los Angeles) for more than a decade and is a member of the California Reparations task force.

“I think it's obvious that we need

Staff

facing a stall among Black media, recently, with C h a r l a magne Tha God calling out the current administration, saying that he felt ‘burned’ and regrets backing the BidenHarris campaign in 2020.

“I’ve learned my lesson from doing that,” Charlamagne said. “Once they got in the White House, she kind of disappeared.

The popular radio host endorsed Biden in his 2020 campaign solely because of Kamla Harris. “I’m not necessarily voting for Joe Biden– I’m voting for Sen. Kamala Harris,” he said.

Terrance Woodbury, CEO of a Democratic-aligned polling firm, whose work focuses on Black Americans who are cynical about voting, said “When I sit in focus groups with young Black voters and ask what [Democrats have] done to make their lives better, they're hard pressed to come up with an answer. That's the communication challenge that we have a year to overcome.”

Tenth District City Council Race Gathers Momentum

Heather Hutt.

ELGIN NELSON

ELGIN NELSON Staff

address homelessness, you have to address poverty. We don't want to talk about that.”

The biggest roadblock with homelessness is information, and then the other biggest roadblock, quite honestly, would be the city itself,” Anderson explains. “For things to Grace Yoo Eddie Anderson Aura Vasquez change, we need to make sure that departments are fully people who know how to get things done at the city level,” the assemblyman said. staffed. 22 departments in the city are We have enough resources out there to be understaffed right now. I won’t make able to tackle the problem, and we have sure that happens if I’m elected.”

A long-time devotee of civil rights acenough funding. We just don't seem to tivism, the Morehouse graduate, serves have as a coordinated effort.

“It doesn't work in silos,” Jones-Sawyer as Senior Pastor at McCarty Memorial adds. And that seems to be the biggest Christian Church and is a regional orimpediment to being able to get into a re- ganizer for LA Voice (PICO), a co-founder of Clergy4BlackLives, and a convener covery.”

During his tenure as assemblyman, and former Co-Chair of the New Poor Jones-Sawyer has advanced job creation People’s Campaign in California.

Environmental activist Aura Vasquez policies, pushed for affordable housing and protections for immigrants while au- is an advocate for affordable housing and thoring such notable legislation as AB transparency in government, having 2873: Affordable Housing Supplier Diver- served on the board of LADWP and the sity Act and AB 2383 — Ban the Box on WCKNC. She has a vision for an incluRental Housing Act, which prohibits a sive, sustainable district.

In 2017, Mayor Eric Garcetti aplandlord from conducting a criminal background check during the initial re- pointed her to the Board of Commissioners for the Los Angeles Department view of housing applicants.

Pastor Eddie Anderson, a seasoned of Water and Power (LADWP), unanicivil rights activist, emphasizes address- mously confirmed by the City Council. As ing poverty as the key to solving home- the youngest commissioner and first immigrant in LADWP's 117-year history, lessness.

“For the last six years, I've sat on com- Vasquez focused on enhancing accessibilmittees that address Black people experi- ity, equity, and transparency. Notably, encing homelessness,” Anderson stated. she remains the sole commissioner to “And what is clear is that you cannot host community "Office Hours" and build your way out of homelessness. To Tenth District continued to page 24

Former President Barack Obama Releases Year-End List of Music, Books, and Movies Recommendations Former President Barack Obama concluded the year by releasing his annual year-end best-of recommendations highlighting his favorite books, movies & music. His latest edition marks the ninth annual year-end list since Obama began the tradition while still in office in 2015.

The former president’s year-end, best song(s) list featured perennial superstar Beyoncé with hit song ‘America Has a Problem’ featuring Kendrick Lamar, alongside rising South-African star Tyla with her chart-topping hit, ‘Water’, and superstar rapper Megan Thee Stallion’s, popular song, ‘Cobra.’

Some of the former president’s favorite movies of 2023 include American Fiction, The Color Purple, A Thousand and One, and Oppenheimer. He also lists Leave the World Behind and Rustin, both produced under his production company, Higher Ground. I'm biased since these [last two] were produced by Higher Ground, but these are three of the best films I saw this year.”Finally, Obama’s list of book recommendations includes 15 titles– such as The Power and The Glory, Poverty:

By America, and The Wager. Other titles feature various genres, including fiction, history, and memoir.

Fentanyl Surpasses Meth as Deadliest Street Drug in LA County In a recent report released by Los Angeles County, Fentanyl has surpassed methamphetamine as the most lethal street drug. 59% of all overdose deaths related to drugs or alcohol were attributed to Fentanyl. The drug's deadly rise caused fentanyl overdoses to skyrocket by a stunning 1,652%, growing from 109 in 2016 to 1,910 in 2022.

The fatality rate is notably higher among men and individuals aged 26-39 years. The report also revealed racial disparities linked to fentanyl-related deaths. White people experience a higher total number of deaths, but Black residents exhibit the highest death per capita rate, with 49.5 deaths per 100,000 in the population.

The CDC estimates that more than 78,000 people died from overdoses involving synthetic opioids in the past 12 months, with fentanyl accounting for 92% of all opioid overdose deaths during that period.

To help curb this phenomenon, the federal government plans to allocate funds from Medicaid, the joint federalstate health insurance program for lowincome people, to help disrupt the use of opioids. For additonal information, refer to the LA County fentanyl report.

California Ushers in 2024 With a New Slate of Laws s we bid adieu to the old and usher in the new year, California is set to enact a slate of new laws, passed by the California legislature and approved by Governor Gavin Newsom spanning everything from limits on security deposits,to the implementation of genderneutral toy sections and the initiation of an "Ebony Alert" for missing young black women and children, ensuring that vital resources and attention are given to bring them home.

The Golden State's minimum wage is on the rise, alongside the reintroduction of speed cameras. Moreover, public schools will no longer be able to suspend or expel students from grades 6-12 for willful defiance. And starting January 1, employers will be required to grant their employees a minimum of 24 hours or three days paid sick leave within approximately four months of their start date, and no less than 40 hours or five days within roughly seven months of their start date.

In an effort to address the homelessness crisis, religious institutions can now convert their parking lots and other properties into affordable housing, bypassing most local permitting and environmental review rules due to the enactment of SB 4–the "Yes In God’s Backyard" bill.

That’s just a sampling of the new legislation going into effect on January 1, 2023. Here are just some of the new laws you might want to make note of.

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Crime •Police officers across California will no longer be able to ask, "Do you know why I pulled you over?" Instead, they will now have to explain why they did, except in cases where there is believed to be a threat to life or property. After a 60-day introductory period of issuing only warnings to violators, fines will start at $50 for drivers who go at least 11 mph over the speed limit – though amounts can be reduced depending on income.

•Child sex trafficking is now classified as a serious felony, potentially leading to life imprisonment for repeat offenders.

•AB 701 increases the penalties for those trafficking over a kilo of fentanyl •Defendants previously convicted of an offense punishable by life without the possibility of parole will no longer be able to be released on bail .

•AB 452 eliminates the statute of limitations for the recovery of damages, for victims of childhood sexual assault that occurs on or after January 1.

•Police are no longer allowed to stop a driver solely on the basis of a registration sticker violation on the vehicle's rear license plate before the second month following the expiration of the vehicle’s registration.

•Los Angeles is one of six California cities that have the authority to to launch speed camera pilot programs that will last five years or until Jan. 1, 2032

Workplace

one month’s rent, regardless of whether the residential property is unfurnished or furnished.

Gun Control •The age to carry concealed weapons has been raised from 18 to 21 under SB 42. Additionally, "sensitive places" like schools, parks, playgrounds, and banks became off-limits for concealed carry.

Health •Doctors who mail abortion pills to patients in other states will be protected from prosecution.

Elections •Voters with disabilities may now fill out a standard ballot outside the confines of a voting booth–a process referred to as curbside voting. In addition, it abolishes the necessity for a voter to swear an oath stating their incapability to mark their ballot, thereby facilitating ease of assistance.

•California's minimum wage increases to $16 per hour.

Fast-food workers will get an even more substantial increase to $20 an hour when AB1228 comes into effect in April. And in June, healthcare workers will see an increase of a minimum $23 per hour.

•AB2188 will outlaw penalties directed at employees for legally using cannabis during off-duty hours. Employees can however still face penalties if found to be under the influence on the job. A second law will restrict employers' ability to inquire about potential employees' previous cannabis use under most conditions.

Education

Housing

•The Right to Repair Act requires that manufacturers of devices with a price tag exceeding $50 must supply consumers and repair technicians with the requisite parts, tools, or guidelines to facilitate the repair of the device.

•Effective July 1, 2024, landlords are prohibited from demanding or receiving security for a rental agreement for residential property in an amount or value in excess to

•Effective July 1, 2024 through July 1, 2029, the “Keep Students in School” bill –prohibits the suspension or expulsion of public school students in grades 6-12 based on what’s known as “willful defiance”. Research demonstrates that at-risk students–i.e. students of color, homeless students, students with disabilities, foster youth, and LGBTQIA+ students–were more likely to be suspended for conduct deemed willfully defiant or disruptive.

Consumer

L.A. Focus/January 2024

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HeadToHead

Will Trump Get Away with the January 6th Insurrection?

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he "insurrectionist" Trump told supporters to clause of the 14th Trump's an 'In- "walk down to the Capitol" Amendment says, "No surrectionist' -- and "fight like hell" and "take person shall be a Senator But Hillary Was back our country." Not menor Representative in Congress, Exercising Free tioned is that Trump also Speech? or elector of President and Vicesaid, "I know that everyone President, or hold any office, civil or mil- here will soon be marching over to the itary, under the United States, or under capital building to peacefully and patriany State, who, having previously taken otically. Make your voices heard." an oath, as a member of Congress, or as The Colorado Court found "substanan officer of the United States, or as a tial evidence" the Trump was "laying the member of any State legislature, or as an groundwork for a claim that the election executive or judicial officer of any State, was rigged" before to support the Constitution of the United the November 2020 States, shall have engaged in insurrec- election and before tion or rebellion against the same, or the Jan. 6 riot. But given aid or comfort to the enemies does not Trump, or thereof." Enacted after the Civil War, for that matter, any and ratified by the states in 1868, Con- politician have a gress wanted to prevent officeholders First Amendment who joined the Confederacy from holding right to complain, Larry Elder office. however unjustifiFour of the seven Democrat-ap- ably, about the integrity of an election? pointed Colorado Supreme Court justices Hillary Clinton frequently called the ruled this clause prevents former Pres- 2016 election "stolen" and President ident Donald Trump from appearing on Trump "illegitimate." Never mind that that state's primary ballot. The Michigan former President Barack Obama's HomeCourt of Appeals rejected this argument, land Security Secretary Jeh Johnson tesand the Minnesota Supreme Court dis- tified that there was no evidence that the missed a similar lawsuit. But several Russians succeeded in changing a single more states have pending lawsuits based vote tally. As to the effect of the Russian on the insurrection clause. interference, Johnson said there was no Despite democrats having appointed way of knowing whether it affected public all seven Colorado Supreme justices, opinion or altered the election. But Demthree dissented. Trump vowed to appeal ocrats believe otherwise. the case to the U.S. Supreme Court A 2018 YouGov poll found that 66% where six of three justices were Repub- of Democrats believe the Russians, to lican nominees. It is practically a fore- elect Trump, changed vote tallies. A 2018 gone conclusion that the Colorado case Gallup poll found that 78% of Democrats will be overturned, and the Supreme believe the Russian interference Court's ruling could even be unanimous. "changed the outcome of the election."

Also, note that while Trump faces three But the media do not call Democrats federal conspiracy counts and one count "election deniers." of obstructing an official proceeding, the About the 2020 presidential election, special counsel DID NOT charge the a Quinnipiac University poll found that former president with "insurrection." "seventy-six percent" of Republicans beIn its 200-page majority decision, the Col- lieved there was "widespread voter orado Supreme Court said that on Jan. 6 Larry Elder continued to page 24

Headlines From Africa Angola: In light of disputes, Angola, ranked as Africa’s second largest oil producer, announced its exit from OPEC, presenting a significant setback to the oil consortium led by Saudi Arabia.

Botswana: Botswana plans to permit a 1.51% depreciation of its currency against a basket of other currencies in 2024, as it expects that local inflation will surpass price growth in the economies of its trading partners.

Cameroon: Cameroon bishops deliver firm ‘no’ on same-sex blessings.

Central African Republic: Central Africa has continues to be plagued with acute fuel shortages that have stifled regional economic growth, disrupted business, and contributed to rising food prices and social unrest.

L.A. Focus/January 2024

Chad: Chadians have voted in favor of a new constitution that critics say could help cement the power of junta leader Mahamat Idriss Deby. The new constitution will maintain a unitary state, which Chad has had since independence, while some of its opponents had called for the creation of a federal state, saying it would help spur development.

Congo: The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo has refused opposition calls for a rerun of disputed elections. Provisional results issued so far from the Dec. 20 general election show President Felix Tshisekedi with a commanding lead, but his opponents have demanded they be annulled, citing widespread issues with the roll-out and tabulation of the vote.

Ethiopia: Africa's second most populous nation declared its intention to officially default, following the economic pressures resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and a civil war that concluded in November 2022.

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Ghana: Lawmakers in Ghana’s Parliament voted last month to legalize the cultivation of cannabis for medical and industrial purposes.

Sevier proposed that, instead of ast month, Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bel- White men get- joining this brand new union of lows removed Trump’s ting away with “United States,” the Republic of name from the 2024 Republican insurrection is Franklin should secede, kick primary ballot. Bellows paused an American the Native Americans off the tradition land and become a subject of her decision until a court could hear an appeal. Even before Trump fi- Spain. But in 1788, federal tax collectors nagled his way back on the Colorado bal- seized the white settlers’ land and slaves lot, Mystal predicted that a court ruling for their unpaid debts, so the pro-seceswould not spell the ultimate end of the sionists decided to go to war instead.

The Battle of Franklin lasted about 10 Donald Trump presidential threat. While the ever-brilliant Mystal based his rea- minutes.

Following the arse-whipping, rebellion soning on his underthe leader Sevier was arrested for treason but of standing judicial was never tried. And, like many great American system, my opinion white insurrectionists, he failed up. Sewas based on one vier’s military rank was restored, he was simple fact: White refunded his enslaved people, and he was elected to the North Carolina Senate. He boys be insurrectin’. eventually reached the territory’s highest The history of Amer- office when the Republic of Franklin apMichael Harriot ican politics is filled plied for statehood and became the state with so-called “patriots” who got away of Tennessee.

And that’s how history is rewritten. Inwith “an act or instance of revolting against civil authority or an established stead of an insurrectionist, Tennesseans government.” Engaging in “open, armed, describe their founding father this way: and usually unsuccessful defiance of or “John Sevier, pioneer, soldier, statesman, resistance to an established government” and a founder of the Republic, was Tenis as American as apple pie (which is ac- nessee’s first governor and one of its most tually not American at all). Even worse, illustrious citizens.” when white men attempt to rebel against The Great Caucasian Coup On Sept. 14, 1874, 5,000 to 8,000 or overthrow the government, nothing usually happens – especially if Black armed members of a pro-white militia gathered on Canal Street in New Orleans people are their targets.

Here are a couple of historical exam- to kick off a coup d’etat.

This was not mob violence or a protest ples of politicians who managed to avoid that pesky Constitution they love so gone wrong; it was the culmination of years of planning. Angered by the oppresmuch. sive regime elected by the state’s Black War of the Broke White Boys After the American Revolution, the in- majority, the insurrectionists planned to dividual states that participated in the overthrow their government and rebreakup with Great Britain were heavily instate white supremacy. The White in debt. To pay their bills, North Carolina League had recruited disenfranchised lawmakers lopped off the western half of confederates, ousted Democrats and the state, ceding it to the Continental power-hungry white Republicans. They Congress. The citizens of the amputated held meetings and training sessions to area elected Revolutionary War hero learn techniques for slaughtering Black Harriot continued to page 24 John Sevier as its territorial president.

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A look at current news from the continent of Africa Kenya: Beginning this month, international travelers to Kenya will no longer need a visa. To replace the visa process, the government established a digital system for issuing electronic travel authorizations ahead of time.

Liberia: President George Weah has enacted an executive order aimed at protecting state resources during Liberia's economic hardship and transition. This directive suspends all local borrowings and debt accumulation, allowing only international debts with legislative implications.

Mozambique: Officials are establishing a sovereign wealth fund to handle the anticipated $91.7 billion over the next years that its 150 trillion cubic feet of natural gas reserves are expected to generate as economic prospects for one of the world's most impoverished nations are most promising.

Nigeria: A series of attacks by gunmen beginning on Christmas Eve in Nigeria’s Plateau State have left 115 -140 people dead, hundreds injured and over 221 homes destroyed. The unprovoked massacre was linked to land disputes between aboriginal dwellers and marauding terrorists. President Bola Tinubu directed that every stretch of the zone be scoured to apprehend the culprits and ordered relief resources for the surviving victims.

Senegal: Seventy-nine people filed their candidacy for the February 2024 presidential election in Senegal including jailed Senegalese opposition leader Ousmane Sonko.

Zambia: Inflationskyrocketed to its peak in nearly two years due to the steepest devaluation of the nation's currency since it was the first African country to default on its debt during the pandemic in 2020. The economic shift significantly increased the price of imported commodities such as grains and meat.

Zimbabwe: The United States expanded a visa restriction policy on Ugandan officials to include those it believes are responsible for undermining democracy and repressing marginalized groups in Uganda, while also announcing a new visa restriction policy for officials in Zimbabwe.

UpFront

D.T. CARSON Contributor

An Increase in Hate Crimes Expected to Cast Shadow Over 2024 Election Season

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ith the 2024 election fast approaching and presidential campaign season shifting into high gear, analysts are casting a wary eye towards a potential uptick in hate crimes.

Statistics show an "unmistakable pattern" of reported hate crimes spiking during presidential elections, according to a report from the FBI. “What it shows is an extremely disturbing and sadly not so surprising trend," said Leadership Conference Education Fund CEO Maya Wiley.

The Leadership Conference Education Fund’s report, "Cause for Concern 2024: The State of Hate," highlights an upward trend in hate crimes since 2014, observing that hate crimes escalate around the times of presidential elections. It is a pattern seen consistently during the previous four election periods and although not all hate crimes or incidents are the work of white supremacists, these groups have shown significant activity during the past four national elections.

The report further asserts that the current environment–with prevalent hate speech and the inability of social media platforms to efficiently combat disinformation–provides ample opportunities for the upward trend of hate crimes to persist into the 2024 election, unless preventative measures are implemented.

In fact, hate crimes have increased

at a stagd e p Change in hate crimes among largest U.S. cities 2021- 2022 gering rate recates of more another than 80%, person and the names data also reanother vealed that person, 2021 had t h o s e the highest people number of then get reported threathate crimes e n e d . on record They get since the threatFBI began ened with recording violence," these statistics in 1991. states Mary McCord, legal director at the Making matters worse is the highly Institute for Constitutional Advocacy charged candidacy of Donald Trump, and Protection. given that the former president has emThe groups expected to be most afpowered white nationalists and provided fected by this potential surge in hate them with a platform –one the report crimes are those frequently targeted due contends they had been seeking with re- to their race, religion, sexual orientation, newed intensity since the historic elec- or other identity markers. These include tion of Barack Obama in 2008. individuals from Black, Hispanic, Asian, Known for his polarizing rhetoric, and Jewish communities, members of Trump's political maneuverings could the LGBTQ+ community, and immipotentially exacerbate societal divisions, grants. These groups have historically leading to an upsurge in hostility and ag- been the primary targets of hate crimes gression. His often-controversial com- and may bear the brunt of any electionments about various racial, religious, induced increases in such incidents. and social groups have been linked to inIn L.A. County, three-quarters of creases in hate crimes during his tenure. hate crimes committed in the span of the last two years were violent, with Black "When Mr. Trump says something and Jewish residents disproportionately through social media or at his rallies that represented among the victims, accord-

ing to another report. Anti-Black hate crimes rose by 34%, while Anti-Jewish crimes spiked by 59% “Nearly every race, ethnicity, nationality and religion has been targeted for hate crime in our county,” Robin Toma, executive director of the Commission on Human Relations, said at a recent news conference.

Since October, there have been 20 religious hate crimes reported, all antiJewish hate crimes. That number is part of a 59% increase in all anti-Jewish hate crimes, a record high in more than a decade. That staggering statistic continues on the other side, with anti-Arab hate crimes seeing a 160% uptick in reported cases.

“At a time of increased anti-Semitism, these acts have understandably set communities on edge–we will fight this hatred vigorously and work every day to defeat it,” Mayor Bass remarked.

Seventy two percent of hate crimes reported this year were deemed violent, the highest in 22 years, and since 2022, 800 hate crimes have been reported in the county, bringing a total of 2,700 hate crimes, according to a report.

“Hate crimes since the start of this year through October had decreased by 9% even though people don’t report hate crimes at the rate that they should,” Sherriff Robert Luna said.

District Attorney George Gascón deHate crimes continued to page 24

D.T. CARSON Contributor

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L.A. Focus/January 2024

n a surprising turn of events, Congresswoman Barbara Lee beat out heavily funded opponents Adam Schiff and Katie Porter to win the most votes from California Democratic Party delegates at the annual convention in November ahead of the March 5 primary.

Although the race for the Senate seat previously occupied by Dianne Feinstein and presently held by Senator Laphonza Butler, lacked an outright endorsement, Lee's campaign–fourth in current state polls– gained significant momentum.

The victory underscored Lee's propensity for overcoming adversity - a trait she exemplified as a single mother raising two young boys on public aid and food stamps and in establishing a small business that would grow to employ up to 400 employees. Her election to Congress in 1998, where she has served for a quarter of a century, also attests to this tenacity as does her rise to the highest-ranking Black woman in House Leadership with her position as co-chair of the powerful Steering and Policy Committee.

“Black women have always known how to beat the odds,” says Lee, who is a former Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus and current chair of the Task Force on Poverty and Opportunity. “Everyone was trying to get as many votes as we could get and it was remarkable, because we didn't do anything except organize around the state. That's an example of the kind of grassroots movement we have. We had the delegates organizing. We have members of the Legislative Black Caucus organized, and we have a multiracial multi-generational movement going on.”

And despite raising significantly less funding than her opponents, she still remains competitively close to Porter and former L.A. Dodger Steve Garvey. This positions her within reach of securing one of the top two spots required for eligibility in the forthcoming general election in November.

The 77-year-old legislator believes that her story

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is one that resonates with most Californians.

“When you look at California, we have 40 million people.

Twenty million of them are living one paycheck away from poverty and lived experiences are important,” Lee states. “Latinos, African Americans, AAPI, Whites, progressives, young people, seniors–everyone, except for the very wealthy here in California, are having a really hard time.

“The affordability crisis is driven by largely by the cost of housing and childcare,” she continues. “When I was in college, I had to take my kids to school with me to class, because I couldn't afford childcare and here, we are in 2024 and people still can't afford childcare. My lived experiences speak to the aspirations and dreams of Californians. I know how to move forward and develop policies to make life better for everybody.”

Lee contends that her lived experiences speak to new ways of solving problems as today she is on the Appropriations Committee where she has led on issues like the child tax credit.

“When you look at the affordability crisis, I know what that experience is. My opponents haven't had that experience,” Lee explains. “When you look at reproductive freedom, I’ve talked about the abortion I had to go to Juarez, Mexico to have at 15 years old before Roe V. Wade.

“Today, I co-chair the pro-choice caucus. I have used those experiences to really help women and help try to put into federal law the right to an abortion.”

The same is true she says of business where for 11 years Lee was a union contractor with a facilities management company. Just last month, she penned a letter to Acting U.S. Secretary of Labor Julie Su to address the widespread layoffs of Black Tech employees.

“I know how to create jobs,” Lee said. “I know what making a payroll means and the challenge of being able to access credit. I know the impact layoffs have on racial, ethnic and gender diversity. Many small businesses and California need that perspective because that's how our

“

Black women have always known how to beat the odds.

Everyone was trying to get as many votes as we could get and it was remarkable, because we didn't do anything except organize around the state. That's an example of the kind of grassroots movement we have. We had the delegates organizing. We have members of the Legislative Black Caucus organized, and we have a multiracial multi-generational movement going on.

”

(Left): Barbara Lee at a campaign event; (Middle): Barbara Lee with Atherton Baptist Church Senior Pastor Larry Weaver; (Right) The Congresswoman at work on Capitol Hill

economy grows. People need to look at my background.”

Early childhood experiences in her native El Paso, Texas, contribute to her nuanced understanding of complex immigration issues.

“I was raised born and raised in a border town and grew up in an immigrant community, so I understand the immigration issues and what is taking place.” Lee asserts. “We've got to have this comprehensive pathway to citizenship. It's got to be orderly, and it's got to be secure, but we’ve also got to remember that this country was built on immigrant labor.”

Lee's distinctly bold political stance brought her national attention in 2001 with her solitary vote against the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against in 2001 following the 9-11 attacks, because of the overly broad powers to wage war the bill extended to the president. She would prove to have been ahead of her time with the warning to her colleagues of “embarking on an open-ended war with neither an exit strategy nor a focused target'.”

Lee also broke rank as one of the early advocates in Congress for a lasting ceasefire in Gaza, amidst a protracted humanitarian crisis. This stance sets her apart from Schiff, who is staunchly opposed to a ceasefire, Porter, who took a more measured approach, eventually favoring a conditional ceasefire and Garvey.

“On national security, the perspective in the Senate is not the perspective that a Barbara Lee has,” she stated. “We have three legs of our national security, defense, diplomacy and development and we don't do nearly enough on diplomacy and development.

Lee led the effort to audit the Pentagon in 2018.

“I worked with Republicans and got it written into law. Congress pours trillions of taxpayer dollars into the Pentagon, but we still have no clear idea how that money is being spent,” said Congresswoman Lee. A month ago, the Pentagon flunked its sixth audit.

“My problem,” says Lee, “is that they don't have that kind of perspective in the Senate. I believe I can make a huge dent in our national budget priorities and do legislation and appropriation strategies to bring that defense budget under control.”

She is one of ten members of Congress who were enjoined as plaintiffs in the NAACP’s lawsuit against Donald Trump, the first civil legal action seeking to hold the former president along with the Proud Boys and others accountable for their conduct connected to the January 6th insurrection.

She has also led on funding HBCUs minority serving institutions and was the first African American to chair the State and Foreign Operations Committee.

During COVID she partnered with then Congresswoman Karen Bass to make sure that funding from the American Rescue Plan was targeted to faith-based organizations and nonprofits, as well as community clinics in Black, Brown and Native American communities, including a provision that they could hire trusted messengers. And as the only Democrat on the Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee west of the

Mississippi, she has carved out issues around farmworkers food insecurity in the Central Valley.

For Lee, the allure of the Senate lies in its mathematical appeal. She believes that being one among 100 is more impactful than being one of 435. Despite the dysfunction that often characterizes the venerable chamber, she maintains that her work can wield profound influence and is not intimidated at the idea of working with Republicans.

“When the HIV AIDS crisis was disproportionately killing Black people here and in Africa, I went to George Bush, and I said, look, we've got to do something”, Lee recalls. “He listened and worked with me on my legislation that created the PEPFAR (President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief ) program and we were able to save 25 million lives.

“I also worked with Republicans on marijuana as a criminal justice issue that disproportionately impacted young Black and Brown people. I went to the Republicans started the cannabis caucus, which I co-chair and introduced the very first marijuana Justice Act to expunge the records of those who were charged and incarcerated, or put on parole behind cannabis measures; and also to provide for equity in the cannabis industry, which is a trillion-dollar industry now, and black and brown people aren't getting what they deserve."

Fighting is how Lee says she came into the world.

“My mother needed a C-section, and they wouldn't admit her into the hospital because she was black,” Lee recounts. “She finally did get in but too late for a C section and almost died in childbirth. So, I started early on fighting just to live.”

As a teenager in San Fernando High School, when Black girls couldn’t be cheerleaders, she joined forces with the NAACP and became her high school’s first Black cheerleader.

Ironically, politics wasn’t something Lee aspired to until she met Shirley Chisholm., who made history in 1968 as the first Black woman to be elected to Congress and again in 1972 as the first Black candidate and woman to run for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination.

“I was a student at Mills College, and part of our course requirement was campaign fieldwork,” Lee recalls. “At the time, I was president of the Black Student Union and a community worker with the Black Panther Party, so I invited Shirley Chisholm to come to Mills College to speak.

“I talked to her afterwards and she asked me if I was registered to vote, and I told her I had no interest in voting. That I was going to do my activism, study and take care of my kids. She said, ‘No, you've got to register and get involved because these rules weren't made for you and me. You’ve got to help us on the inside so we can shake things up.’”

Lee ended up organizing the Chisholm’s Northern California presidential primary out of her class at Mills College and went to Miami, Florida as a Shirley Chisholm delegate.

“The rest is history. We were friends up until the day she died,” Lee says fondly. “I also got the Black Panther Party involved in voter registration,” Lee adds.

“In fact, it was when I brought Huey Newton down to Diahann Carroll’s house in Los Angeles to introduce him to Shirley Chisholm and get the Black Panther Party involved in voter registration and churches that I first met Maxine Waters.”

Lee went on to work for the late Ron Dellums– whom she would later succeed– for 11 years, starting out as an intern and ending up as his chief of staff. In 1990, she was elected to the California Assembly and the State Senate in 1996. During her tenure, she wrote California’s first Violence Against Women Act to ensure protections for victims of domestic violence and authored the California Schools Hate Crimes Reduction Act to protect all students — regardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation — from hate crimes. She also worked to defeat California's three-strikes law.

In 1998, with 66% of the vote, Lee–who holds an MSW from UC Berkeley in mental health–was elected to Congress to serve California's 12th congressional district, which is based in Oakland. She would go on to be re-elected to the post 12 more times.

The twice married mother of two and grandmother is presently mounting a grassroots campaign that is winning people over the old-fashioned way–on the stump, shaking hands and sharing her legislative achievements.

“My message to voters, especially those voters who need somebody to speak to them, is look at my lived experiences. I have continuously strived to make life better for all.”

The most powerful side of her appeal is her ability to connect with people. To that end, Lee firmly believes that having the opportunity to directly interact with voters could swing the outcome of the race in her favor.

Her supporters' rallying cry, "Barbara Lee speaks for me," bears testament to the power of her message.

The biggest challenge, however, is money as her opponents have outraised her by a huge margin. Nevertheless, she persists because she believes so deeply that hers is a voice and perspective that is needed in the Senate, she is betting it all and willing to risk her secure seat in Congress.

“It was a hard decision because I have a lot of seniority in the house”, said Lee. It is a significant political gamble, and if elected Lee would only be the third Black woman to serve in the U.S. Senate since it was established in 1789.

“We need my voice in the Senate and my experience in the Senate,” Lee states. “Representation matters.

While you don't have members of the Senate talking about racial equity and justice. I intend to use my leverage to make life better for everyone.”

For now, Lee’s Super PAC is set air a TV ad introducing her to voters statewide and Politico is set to host Schiff, Porter, Garvey and Lee in a debate on January 22 at USC.

Money Matters Fighting Car Scams with the CARS Rule he risk of getting scammed when buying a car – the highest purchase many consumers make short of a house – can be as stressful as the risk of a pile-up commute.

At a December briefing hosted by Ethnic Media Services and the Federal Trade Commission, FTC officials explained how the agency’s Combating Auto Retail Scams (CARS) Rule, requiring transparency from car dealers, will protect buyers from auto scams.

Malini Mithal, associate director of the FTC Division of Financial Practices said the CARS Rule, announced by the FTC last week, combats two main scams that car buyers experience: bait-and-switch tactics, “where dealers advertise a low price to bring you to the lot, but after you spend hours there you learn that the car is way more expensive than what was advertised,” and junk fees, which are charges hidden by long, complicated auto contracts.

CARS – taking effect July 30, 2024 – will save car buyers facing these tactics an estimated $3.4 billion and 72 million hours a year, she explained. “The rule especially helps honest car dealers who will be able to compete on a level playing field; they won’t have to worry about losing business to a competitor pretending to have a lower price to lure consumers onto their lot, but then charging much more once the consumer gets there.”

The CARS Rule makes this happen four ways, Mithal continued: first, dealers can’t lie about key information like costs, financing terms, add-ons and rebates; second, dealers must tell consumers the total price of the car (e.g. the full price of a 10-year contract, not just the first few monthly payments); third, dealers can’t charge junk fees that don’t benefit the consumer (e.g. a second warranty with no coverage, or oil change add-ons incompatible with an electric car); and fourth, “Dealers can only charge for things if consumers know what the charge is for and agree to pay for it – so no more hidden costs in contracts.”

The rule also requires dealers advertising a car in a certain language, like Spanish, to clearly disclose any added costs in that same language “so buyers know

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SELEN OZTURK Ethnic Media Services

what they’re agreeing to,” said Jamie Brooks, an attorney with the FTC’s Division of Financial Practices.

The CARS Rule focuses so much on bait-andswitch tactics because of how many actions the FTC has brought against it, “where dealers advertise one price to get consumers in the door, but then charge consumers much more after they’ve invested time on the lot,” said Brooks.

Most of this deceptive advertising involves misrepresenting a car’s full price, its monthly payment, or the dealership’s affiliation with government programs, she added.

For example, in 2014 the FTC sued Casino Auto Sales of La Puente, California for advertising an $18,000 down vehicle while burying an extra $5,000 down payment in fine print specifically targeting Spanish consumers. In 2020, the agency sued dealer ad agency Traffic Jam Events of Kenner, Louisiana for mailers which supposedly directed consumers to a COVID stimulus relief program site, the address of which was really a car lot.

These tactics not only harm car buyers but dealers themselves “who have to beat the bogus prices of dishonest competitors,” Brooks explained. “When a dealership advertises low prices, people end up selecting that dealership over others under false pretenses.”

Many of these pretenses also involve “junk fees” for hidden add-ons – “like extended warranties, car or asset protection, or coatings that are supposed to protect the car” – which can easily cause unknowing buyers thousands of dollars, said Sanya Shahrasbi, an attorney with the FTC’s Division of Financial Practices.

“In the past two years alone,” she continued, “dealers have substantially increased prices for these add-ons, even though such products and services largely are not constrained by supply.” A 2022 FTC lawsuit against multistate dealer Napleton, the thirteenth-largest dealership group in the country, found that 83% or 16,848 of the dealer’s customers were charged for add-ons that they didn’t agree to; for instance, “one consumer paid for a $2,000 service contract that the dealer said was

On the Money L.A. County Rent Relief Program Now Accepting Applications he Los Angeles County Department of Consumer and Business Affairs (DCBA) is now accepting applications for the Los Angeles County Rent Relief Program. The program will distribute over $68 million in financial support to qualified landlords adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Rent Relief Program will provide up to $30,000 per rental unit to landlords for past-due rent and eligible expenses dating from April 1, 2022, to the present.

The program aims to curb tenant evictions and ensure the continued provision of housing.

“Our residents have been waiting for this moment and will benefit from the LA County Rent Relief application portal now being open. Thanks to the one-time American Rescue Plan Act funds allocated for COVID19 recovery, we can assist tenants and small landlords that were most impacted in our communities,” Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell, said. “I look forward to continuing working with the Department of Consumer Business Affairs in ensuring these funds will fulfill their intended purpose of keeping people housed.”

Any applications submitted will be systematically evaluated, with priority given to those demonstrating the most substantial financial distress, those catering to the most vulnerable tenants, and properties located in areas of highest need. Early submissions are strongly encouraged.

The deadline to submit applications is Friday, January 12, 2024, at 11:59 PM PST. To review eligibility requirements and apply for the LA County Rent Relief Program, visit lacountyrentrelief.com

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Money Matters continued to page 24

Biz NewsBriefs Byron Allen, Founder and CEO of Allen Media Group, has made another bid to acquire BET Media Group, highlighting the significance of Black media ownership. This time for $3.5 billion.

It is Allen's second attempt to buy the media properties that have contributed significantly to Black culture and entertainment and include the BET network, BET Studios, and streaming service BET+. Allen's media empire already includes several companies, with theGrio being particularly noteworthy. His renewed bid for BET is a powerful statement about the importance and societal impact of Black-owned media.

Allen's offer came to light when reports suggested that Paramount was nearing a deal to sell BET to a

L.A. Focus/January 2024

Byron Allen Makes Second Attempt at Acquiring BET

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management-led investor group for less than $2 billion, significantly lower than Allen’s earlier $2.7 billion offer.

In an email to Paramount’s board and senior executives, Allen voiced his concerns about the potential sale, underscoring his commitment to preserving BET’s value.

Black Women Own 68% of U.S. Microbusinesses?

The microbusiness sector has seen a surge in Black women entrepreneurs, with 68% of Black-owned microbusinesses in the U.S. and 60% in the U.K. being women-led, as per a survey by GoDaddy Venture Forward. Despite their significant economic impact, these firms, often employing fewer than 10 individuals, don't always appear in government statistics.

Entrepreneurs highlighted marketing and securing capital as leading challenges during business inception.

Further research indicates the uneven distribution of essential resources, such as capital, creating hurdles for Black women entrepreneurs. Nonetheless, initiatives like JPMorgan Chase's grants and Goldman Sachs's One Million Black Women Cohort are aiming to bridge this gap.

Moreover, purchasing existing businesses has emerged as a less risky, cost-effective route for Black

women to venture into entrepreneurship, with patents and copyrights serving as added benefits.

Snoop Dogg’s Latest Venture Snoop Dogg– in partnership with Hill Beverage Co. and Death Row Records–has launched Do It Fluid, a range of cannabis and hemp-infused beverages. Said Snoop, “As I take the next step forward in my smoking evolution, Hill Beverage Co.’s vision for cannabis beverages was the perfect transition. What we’ve created is an all-natural and delicious alternative that doesn’t sacrifice the high while providing fans with the perfect option for day or night.”

The new line offers THC and CBD infusions as a natural alternative to alcohol and traditional smoking, with the selection featuring four distinct flavors: Blood Orange, Blue Razz, Cherry Limeade, and Peaches N Honies. The beverages, available in either CBD-only or Delta-9 THC + CBD varieties, are aimed at consumers over 21 and are expected to be widely available by 2024.

Jake Hill, CEO of Hill Beverage, highlighted the launch as an exciting step for the cannabis industry, offering consumers a bold, flavorful high alternative.

HO L LY W OOD SPOT LIGHT “The Book of Clarence” "The Book of Clarence" presents a daring reinterpretation of the classic Hollywood Biblical epic, set in the timeless era. Amidst the hustle and struggle of those ancient streets, Clarence (LaKeith Stanfield) is determined to improve his life and that of his family's, prove his worth to the woman he loves, and prove he's not a nobody. Drawn to the rising Messiah's power and His apostles, he stakes everything to pave his way towards a divine life and ultimately discovers that the redemptive power of belief may be his only way out.

This film, however, is not your typical Bible story, nor is it faith based. Even though it is set in ancient Jerusalem during Jesus's ministry, and features biblical figures like

Jesus, His disciples, John the Baptist, and Mary Magdalene, it is not centered on religion. As one of the producers, Jay-Z, articulates that religion merely provides the backdrop to the tale, which more accurately explores the power of celebrity.

Clarence, who earns his living

through high-stake chariot race bets while simultaneously battling debt and striving to win his love's admiration, decides he wants to become one of the apostles, even if he's not completely sold on the idea that Jesus is the Messiah. Then in a misguided attempt to leverage the Messiah's rising influence for personal gain, he devises a plan to make a name for himself by pretending he has the same abilities as Jesus and starting his own religion, mimicking much of the story of Jesus through contemporary filmmaking and a hip hop soundtrack.

The film boasts an all-star cast, including David Oyelowo, Alfre Woodard, Teyana Taylor, and Benedict Cumberbatch and is set to make its theatrical debut on January 12, 2024.

OUT THIS MONTH

HOLLYWOOD BUZZ

Lift January 12 (Netflix)

The Beekeeper January 12

Queen Latifah Is First Female Rapper to Recieve Kennedy Center Honor

L.A. Focus/January 2024

Queen Latifah became the first female hip-hop artist to be honored with a Kennedy Center Honor, adding to her list of achievements including a Grammy, Emmy, and Golden Globe. “I appreciated watching all the creative people who were honored in the class of 2023.” Latifah viewed the acknowledgment as a tribute to the enduring importance of hip-hop as a musical genre in America. "I feel like this should've been something that should've happened a while ago. Hiphop is truly an American form of music," Latifah said.

The rapper turned actress who currently stars in “The Equalizer’ broke societal barriers, becoming the first female rapper to receive an Oscar nomination and have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and her impact extended beyond entertainment, with her Grammywinning track "U.N.I.T.Y." addressing relevant issues such as sexual harassment and domestic violence.

Terrence Howard Sues CAA, Cites

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Origin January 19

Fraud for Taking Less Pay for Empire Actor Terrence Howard filed a lawsuit against Creative Artists Agency LLC, alleging the talent agency fraudulently convinced him to accept a reduced payment for his role on the television show "Empire." The lawsuit, filed in the Los Angeles Superior Court, claims that despite a sense of trust, Howard later discovered that CAA prioritized “its own financial interests and those of the production companies it represented over his own.” Howard, 54, seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.

Attorney James Bryant from the Cochran Law Firm, speaking on behalf of Howard, stated, "Mr. Howard will be filing a lawsuit based upon the duties of his agents that simply failed, time and time again– this man was the lead actor in one of the most successful television shows in network history, where Fox was making over $125 million a year in ad revenue alone. This man was being underpaid repeatedly."

Taraji P. Henson Contemplates Quitting Acting over Unfair Pay Howard wasn’t the only actor crying the blues over his pay.

Taraji P. Henson openly expressed her frustration over pay on a recent installment of Gayle King’s Sirius XM show. “I’m weary of putting in so much effort, being gracious about my work, and receiving only a fraction of the compensatio,” the actress said while shedding tears when asked if she would ever

The Underdoggs January 26 (Prime) consider leaving the industry behind.

“I’m just tired of working so hard, being gracious about what I do, getting paid a fraction of the cost,” Henson said. “I’ve been getting paid, and I’ve been fighting tooth and nail every project–and it’s a slap in the face when people go, ‘Oh girl, you work all the time. You always working.’ Well, goddammit, I have to,” Henson continued. “I have to work because the math ain’t mathing. I have bills.”

Meanwhile, her latest film, the musical film adaptation of the 1985 box office hit, The Color Purple, scored big with an $18 million opening, making it the biggest Christmas Day opening in 14 years.

In other legal news, Kevin Hart recently filed a lawsuit against YouTuber Tasha K for extortion after she reportedly threatened to release a bombshell interview with his former assistant unless he paid her six-figures. The former assistant was said to have made false and defamatory statements against the actor. The interview–which the youtuber claimed would damage his reputation–concerned his business affairs and marriage….And Sean “Diddy” Combs has stepped down as chairman of Revolt – the TV network he co-founded in 2013 that bills itself as “the largest Black-owned media company for creators across the diaspora.” The move, described as ‘temporary’ according to TMZ, follows news of lawsuits against him alleging sexual abuse. Combs’ charter school, Capital Prep Harlem, established in 2016, has also decided to sever ties with the mogul.

Footnotes Jeffery Wright Age: 57 Hometown: Washington, D.C. First Break: Presumed Innocent Breakout Role: Angels in America Current Project: American Fiction In his decades-long career spanning stage, big screen, and TV, Jeffery Wright has won a Golden Globe, an Emmy, and a Tony, and now with his newest film, American Fiction, comes Oscar buzz.

The Washington D.C. native–best known for his work in The Hunger Games, Lackwanna Blues, Angels in America and the James Bond films–Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace and No time to Die – got his start appearing in off-Broadway plays. He received an AFI award for his portrayal of Martin Luther King in “Boycott”.

On his role in American Fiction: This role is probably more similar to who I am than any other role that I have ever played. It didn’t require a lot of alterations. It really just required more emerging and a kind of synthesis of the internal… the story of this man under the pressures of family and the sacrifices that he makes relative to his personal life and his professional life on behalf of his responsibilities to family.

On the films message about racial stereotyping: Black culture is not monolithic; there are a range of stories, a range of heroes, and a range of villains just like with everyone else,” he says. “What the film is trying to speak to is this question of authenticity, of what the perception is of authentic Blackness, not only from the outside but also from the inside of the Black community.”

On his relationship with his grandfather: My primary father figure was my grandfather, who was a very special man. And of course, I’m biased, but he wasn’t special because he was my grandfather. He was a provider, and his house was always a meeting place for folks who were desirous of seafood…[and] also conversation. It was a hub in the community. I watched the way that he fathered his family, but also, in some ways, he played this role as a father to the community. There was no other man in my life who had that type of influence on me in terms of my understanding of what it meant to be a father and what it meant to be a man.

On his favorite role: Angels in America is the most meaningful play and performance, really, of my career, because it was the epicenter of so much. It was early on in my career, and it spoiled me with the idea that we could actually do great things. And it was also happening at a time that really needed it. I mean, I don’t say that lightly: it had a profound relevance. So that’s a big one for me. But I also deeply enjoyed playing in Suzan-Lori Parks’ Topdog/Underdog, which recently had a revival.

Best advice he ever received: An actress said to me: ‘You’re good. You can make it, but success will not drop out of the sky like a ripe apple. You have to work.’

RedCarpet Style

Oprah Winfrey was classy Dressed in Dolce & Gabbana silk jersey gown with a open neckline

her

served up sex appeal in a purple ombre silk chiffon gown.

Purple was all the rage on the “purple” carpet at the premiere of “The Color Purple” at the Academy Museum in Los Angeles last month.

Taraji p. hensOn’s gown featured a corset with white plisse fabric going in different directions.

fanTasia styled a lengthy black dress with a white polka dots.

Danielle BrOOks

looked exquisite in her purple side slit, hooded dress

Eye On Gospel Kirk Franklin Served with Cease-and-Desist Order Following Defamatory and Misleading Statements Platinum selling gospel artist Kirk Franklin was served with a cease-and-desist letter following false and misleading comments made to Shannon Sharpe on the Club Shay Shay video podcasti including that the label he first signed with “took a 100% of my publishing.”

The statements sparked controversy and resulted in internet backlash against his former label, GospoCentric Records, and its founder, Vicki Mack Lataillade.

“Wow, label promoting gospel music but robbing the artists,” posted one gospel aficionado.

“Has the gospel label ever been dragged? Are they still walking around preying on people,“ wrote another.

In the legal document, issued December 18, 2023, attorneys for Lilly Mack Publishing and its owners Claude and Vicki Mack Lataillade, contend that Franklin misrepresented the truth and omitted the fact that he actually received several million dollars in publishing revenues from tunes he’d written on his first recordings, including his breakout hit, “Why We Sing”.

“As you are fully aware,” the document states, “whenever a song is created, two equal shares of royalties attach: (1) the songwriter’s share equal to 50% of the total publishing rights; and (2) the publisher’s share equal to 50% of the total publishing rights. Accordingly, 100% of the music publishing of any song necessarily includes both the songwriter’s share and the publisher’s share. Therefore, in order for any party to take “a hundred percent of [your] publish-

ing”, that party would have to have taken–either via contract or theft–both the songwriter’s share and the publisher’s share.”

Notably, Franklin signed a second contract with Gospo Centric Records and Lilly Mack Publishing. In that deal, he not only received an unprecedented $1 million advance but saw his overall publishing share increased to 75% (100% of the songwriter's share and 50% of the publisher's share), with Lilly Mack Publishing reducing its publishing share to 25% (50% of the publisher's share).

A statement from Lilly Mack Publishing read in part: “Kirk Franklin received his fair and equitable songwriting and publishing rights and subsequent revenues, totaling in the millions. This fruitful financial blessing has established him as one of the most prominent and influential names in gospel music.

Gospel Artists Kick Off New Tours in 2024 The best-selling and most-awarded female gospel artist of all time, CeCe Winans has touched millions with inspirational performances everywhere from concert halls and churches around the world to The White House. Her most recent album, Believe for It resonated strongly with fans leading to over 325 million downloads, multiple award wins and CeCe’s first solo tour in over 10 years. The impact Believe For It made has inspired CeCe to do it again, with new music and a new tour coming soon. The tour is set to kick off in February and wind down in May. A Los Angeles tour stop is scheduled for April 13.

Winans isn’t the only hitting the road. Chart topping gospel legends Marvin Sapp, Donnie McClurkin and Hezekiah Walker have teamed up for the “Legends Tour” which is set to get underway on February 8 in Glenarden, Maryland and will wind down on March 3 in Jackson, Tennessee. Meanshile, kicking off March 6 in Boston is the One Hallelujah Tour featuring yet

another group of gospel hitmakers–Jonathan McReynolds, Erica Campbell, Israel Houghton, Jekalyn Carr and Tasha Cobbs Leonard. Catch them in Los Angeles on April 20. The tour is set to conclude on April 21.

Angel’s Solo Flight Angel Taylor, formerly of the Grammy-nominated group, Trinitee 5:7, reached a career milestone with her first solo #1 Billboard single, “Speak” last month. Released on Awspire Music and written by Donnie McClurkin and Travis Finlay, the song has garnered lots of attention from radio DJs and fans alike. “I’ve had number one songs before with my group Trinitee 5:7, but reaching number one as a solo artist feels so surreal,” Taylor said. “I’m so grateful the audience loves this song and has embraced me as a solo artist. I’m so excited about this song and all the new music to come!”

Along with new music, Taylor also had a cameo appearance as herself in the comedic film, The Comeback, starring Taye Diggs and Apryl Jones which is now available to stream on Peacock and YouTube. In the coming months Taylor is expected to be releasing her EP at the top of the year and will follow it with a full album by the end of 2024. ‘Speak’ can currently be streamed on all digital streaming platforms.

Finally: Award-winning songwriter and producer Travis Malloy, is back with his latest release, The Manifestation. It is also a testament to Malloy's commitment to uplifting audiences, guiding them toward self-discovery, and instilling a profound understanding of the immense impact of their words and beliefs. The project features Fred Hammond, Vanessa Bell Armstrong, and John P. Kee, on "Work In Your Favor" and powerhouse Lisa Knowles-Smith on the urban inspirational ballad "Without You." Additional collaborations with Y'anna Crawley, Le'Andria Johnson, Darrel Walls, and Johnathan Dunn add a rich tapestry to the album's compelling narrative.

L.A. Focus/January 2024

17

Special Report

Ozempic Obs es ion: A Game-Changer for Weight Loss or Hazardous Health Trend?

GERALD BELL Contributor

B

eing hailed as the game-changer for helping people lose weight, Ozempic—the prescription drug used to treat type two diabetes—has gained enormous traction in recent years due to its appeal to millions of overweight Americans who can’t seem to shed unwanted pounds the traditional diet-and-exercise way. Celebrities, influencers, community leaders and many in between are buying into the Ozempic obsession hoping for trimmer waistlines without working up the sweat. Before the end of 2023, investors predicted that Novo Nordisk, the pharmaceutical manufacturer that produces Ozempic, would see earnings of over $4 billion in revenue from the sale of the drug.

Oprah Winfrey, who has been a dominant figure in national conversations about dieting, recently announced that she’s taking weight loss medication as a “maintenance tool.”

The Ozempic talk-up has become so robust that on TikTok alone, #ozempic has generated over 350 million views and counting. Novo tells investors its target market is the 764 million people with obesity across the globe and as part of its rollout launched a major campaign to convince U.S. doctors to make Wegovy one of the most widely prescribed drugs in history — and to try and persuade skeptical insurers to pay for it.

Inglewood based kidney specialist Dr. Randall Maxey, has been administering Ozempic to select patients to assist their weight loss goals. His comprehensive program includes a weekly injection of the drug while monitoring patients for side effects.

“We make sure you do all your blood work, and we follow you medically because every individual is different,” Maxey explains. “We want to make sure there are no side effects.”

According to the Food and Drug Administration, side effects associated with the use of Ozempic can range from constipation, diarrhea, vomiting, dizziness, kidney damage, fainting, gallbladder problems, stomach pains, inflammation of the pancreas, and more.

“If something is going [wrong with my patients], I want to know,” said Maxey. "If somebody’s getting bad blood results, or their amylase is going up, I may give them stuff for that…I may give them fiber if they’re constipated. I may give them something to stop the diarrhea if they have it. But if it’s major side effects, I’m going to stop [the injections].”

In addition to benefit of losing weight, another attraction to Ozempic are the studies reporting the re-

duced risk of heart attack, stroke, or death from cardiovascular issues by some 20 percent of overweight or obese people with heart disease. These results are what convinced JT Torbit, a patient of Dr. Maxey, to try Ozempic last year.

With a family history of heart disease, and the fact that his mother died of heart failure, Torbit said, “I wanted to do what I could to mitigate the possibility of anything that was going to contribute to heart failure [in me]. And weight gain is one of those things…So, I knew I needed to lose some weight and lose it quick.”

Among African American adults, 37.1 percent of men and 56.6 percent of women, are clinically obese, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reports. African American women have the highest rates of obesity or being overweight compared to other groups in the United States. Thus, about four out of five African American women are overweight or obese.

“When weighing in, I saw my BMI drop 2 points since I started Ozempic and that was in 3 weeks,” said Torbit, 36, who began his weight loss journey weighing 266 pounds and is currently down to 246 pounds. “I would love to get down to 180.”

The season of indulging in rich holiday favorites (sweet potato pie, honey baked ham, oxtails, collard greens, and homemade bread) has come and gone.

Meaning countless dieters have set out to work off whatever pounds they gained the last few weeks before the New Year. But according to US News & World Report, the failure rate for New Year’s resolutions—particularly dieting—is said to be around 80%, and most lose their resolve by mid-February.

“Even with the best intentions, New Year’s diet resolutions have an unreliable track record,” says Los Angeles based Weight Management Specialist James King, III. “Only 5% of people who lose significant weight keep it off ten years later. Most gain all the weight back within one year and over 50% of those who deliberately lose weight, weigh even more than their original pre-diet weight 3 to 5 years later.”

Torbit believes he can avoid the failure rate and has integrated a manageable exercise plan alongside his Ozempic injections. He uses his Apple Watch to daily monitor number of steps taken, calories burned, distance, and overall physical activity.

“I am closing my rings every day. Whether that is by walking or a light workout. But it’s nothing serious or drastic,” said Torbit, whose only side effect to date an initial episode of drowsiness with his first injection

of the drug.

According to a study in the New England Journal of Medicine, patients who took Wegovy (an FDA approved drug for weight loss that contains the same active ingredient as Ozempic but at a higher dose) for 68 weeks who also exercised and maintained a reduced calorie diet had an average change of body weight of 14.9% compared to a 2.4% change in patients given a placebo.

It is critical to note that Ozempic has not been FDA approved for its use in weight loss. Medical experts warn that it should not be used for short-term weight loss, because the drug is meant to be used for longterm therapy of diabetes, since diabetes is a chronic, long-lasting disease. “Short-term use of Ozempic to shed pounds for a wedding or party often leads to adverse events and ultimately the weight that is lost will be regained after discontinuing the drug,” offers Dr. Christopher McGowan a gastroenterologist specializing in obesity medicine.

All physicians have a right to prescribe drugs for off-label use if they deem it appropriate to help their patients. There is a concern that prescribing drugs this way will limit it for those that really need the drug for its intended use. In the case of Ozempic, the people that need this the most are type two diabetics who are trying to control their blood sugar levels and ulti-

Dr. Randall Maxey with patient J.T. Torbit

5 Most Common Ozempic Side Effects Nausea

15.8% (.5m)/ 20.3% (1 mg)

Vomiting

5% (.5mg)/9.2% (1 mg)

Diarrhea

8.5% (.5mg)/8.8% (1mg)

Abdominal Pain

7.3% (.5mg)/5.7% (1mg)

Constipation

5% (.5mg)/3.1% (1mg) Other not as common side effects can include: Pancreatitis Recent studies indicate a potential link between semaglutide and pancreatitis (swelling of the pancreas), a serious condition that can be life-threatening.

Gallstones Gallbladder disease, including the occurrence of gallstones, is a possible but infrequent side effect.

Changes in vision Ozempic can also cause temporary vision changes such as blurred vision, macular complications, or Diabetic retinopathy (damage to blood vessels in the eye).

This side effect goes away after three to four months.

Kidney problems Ozempic can have adverse effects for non-diabetic users, including kidney damage and failure as semaglutide is cleared out of your blood through the kidneys. In some cases, the gastrointestinal symptoms can potentially lead to acute kidney injury.

Gastroparesis (Stomach paralysis) The medication’s delay of gastric emptying (passage of food through the stomach) can cause nausea and vomiting (Gastroparesis) and in some cases, extreme gastroparesis (stomach paralysis).

Ozempic Face Certain individuals taking semaglutide may observe a reduction in fullness in their face. Patients may have more wrinkles around their temples, jawline, mouth, and under their eyes. Those who take the shot to lose 15-20 lbs will not see as many facial changes as those who lose more.

Hair Loss Hair loss can be a potential side effect, but is typically temporary. As your body adapts to the medication, the hair loss should gradually subside.

frigerator and they administer it themselves.”

Economic analysts contend that the cost will eventually be driven down as there are more than a dozen new obesity drugs in development. Once they enter the market, multiple options expect to make prices plummet, as has happened with other expensive drugs. “My prediction is that as competition increases, prices will decrease accordingly,” said Jalpa Doshi, professor of medicine and director of the economics evaluation unit at the University of Pennsylvania. “The drugs could add 50 percent to the country’s health care spending. And eventually you can see this ballooning completely out of control.”

Hoping to cash in on the popular drugs’ success are producers of a fake form of Ozempic. In recent years, Novo Nordisk has been alerting consumers that a counterfeit version, which reportedly contained insulin glargine instead of semaglutide, was purchased in a retail pharmacy in the United States. In June of 2023, reporters found Ozempic for sale on Facebook, and authorities found fake Ozempic pens containing insulin in nine countries.

According to the FDA’s Adverse Events Reporting system, there have been 38 reports of counterfeit Ozempic since 2020, with the most recent reported on October 5, 2023. Of those 38 reports, 25 were listed as serious–with adverse events like miscarriage, loss of consciousness, acute kidney injury and pancreatitis–and two resulted in death.

Novo Nordisk is advising retail pharmacies to always purchase semaglutide medications “through authorized distributors and reliable sources.” The company has created and shared a list of tips to help health care providers and patients recognize signs that a medication may be counterfeit when purchasing Ozempic or other injection products. Novo Nordisk would have consumers to know that real Ozempic pens don’t grow in size when setting the appropriate dose. They only show the intended dose once dialed up from zero, and they’re only available in 0.25 milligram or 0.5 milligram doses, 1 milligram doses or 2 milligram doses.

Torbit has found a sense of security in allowing Dr. Maxey to not only safely prescribe Ozempic and monitor its impact, but to execute a balanced plan with steps that include a full physical and medical assessment, blood work evaluation, blood pressure monitoring, weight check ins, an eating plan and methods for managing dietary intake, curbing his appetite and cravings.

“This requires self-discipline,” Torbit reasons. “Dr. Maxey is a renowned Black doctor here in the community and my trust of him made me think, this is something Black people can do too.”

From coast to coast, Ozempic has become a hot topic and an even hotter commodity. But the question that looms is if the drug is that effective why wouldn’t every obese person be prescribed Ozempic?

“You have to look at weight loss as a multidisciplinary approach to an overarching lifestyle change,” McGowan says. “Taking medications like Ozempic or Wegovy are really to enhance the impact of diet and exercise. These weight loss drugs work best when combined with regular physical activity.”

L.A. Focus/January 2024

mately prolong their life.

Actor Anthony Anderson who lives with type-2 diabetes, has condemned the use of Ozempic for vanity weight loss purposes. Anderson told People magazine he hopes his message will stop the trend.

According to CDC data, more than 37 million Americans have diabetes, and more than 88% of American adults diagnosed with diabetes use some form of medication to treat and control their disease.

The more Ozempic is used for short-term weight loss, the less available it will be for type two diabetics that may need it to control their blood sugar.

Considered safe when it comes to treating diabetes, recently some weight loss users of Ozempic are revealing alarming and unhappy outcomes.

Television personality Sharon Osbourne took to the press to vent her frustrations from constant weight fluctuations to the degree that she couldn’t regain any weight after losing more than she wanted.

“I’ve lost 42 pounds, and I can’t afford to lose any more," said Osbourne, 71, who dipped under 100 pounds from using the drug. "I'm too gaunt and I can't put any weight on. I want to — because I feel I'm too skinny.” “[Osbourne’s] story is really important to consider when laying out for people the entire landscape of what could happen while on these drugs,” said Dr. Jody Dushay, an endocrinologist at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center who treats obesity and prescribes weight loss medications. “We don’t know what a person’s response to these medications might be. You can be anywhere from a non-responder to a super-responder, and if you’re the latter, it might seem amazing from the get-go, but it can be very complicated.”

Although it’s rare to lose so much weight that it’s a struggle to gain it back, most studies show that people who are overweight can regain some or most of the weight they lost within a year after coming off medications such as Ozempic and Mounjaro (approved to treat diabetes), as well as Wegovy and Zepbound (approved for weight loss).

Recent reports show that ten percent of Ozempic users are not able to handle many of its side effects which has resulted in the hospitalization of certain people for intestinal issues or more serious conditions, which include pancreatitus, kidney problems and Gastroparesis.

Before getting to the side effects there’s being able to afford the cost of Ozempic, which is averaging $300 per dose or $1200 a month. For many in black and brown communities those rates can be out of reach for their wallet and it’s highly unlikely to be covered by their medical insurer if they have one. Depending on the retailer, Ozempic has been priced from $730 to $1400 without insurance. Medicare and Medicaid cover Ozempic for prescription against type 2 diabetes but not for obesity and weight loss.

The price tag is not the only barrier for people of color who may find themselves in desperate need of dropping pounds. “The rich people are buying it all,” says Maxey, who has devised a plan for his patients to make Ozempic more affordable. “I mean these people will buy six months’ worth and put in the re-

19

ChurchNews

Clergy and Community Leaders Call for LAPD Chief Michel Moore to Resign or be Terminated

L

ast month, clergy and community leaders gathered to call for Los Angeles Police Department Chief Michel Moore to resign his post, and if he did not, are asking the Los Angeles Police Commission to remove him immediately. This, after an L.A. Times investigation reported that the LAPD Chief ordered detectives to investigate Mayor Karen Bass and her USC scholarship, an issue that was brought up by formal mayoral candidate Rick Caruso in an attempt to discredit Bass during the 2022 mayoral election.

“If LAPD Chief Moore has directed detectives to investigate our mayor, Mayor Karen Bass, based on a personal agenda, we are asking him to resign immediately,” Pastor K.W. Tulloss said. “And if he does not resign? We're asking that the L.A. Police Commission to immediately remove him.”

Faith leaders, at the press conference, stressed that the targeting of Mayor Bass distracted from key issues facing the city of Los Angeles– including reducing crime, reducing homelessness, and building more affordable housing– and was seen as an attempt to undermine the work of Bass.

“This is a major distraction as this city has way too many problems. Homelessness and crime are going up,” Rabbi Aryeh Cohen said.

The misconduct allegations were exposed when two Internal Affairs detectives filed formal complaints with the Office of the Inspector General. One of the detectives attested that they felt the order was “done for the personal benefit of Chief Moore to assure his reappointment as Chief of Police.”

Mayor Bass’ USC scholarship was reviewed by the House Ethics Committee and found to be legitimate and

Our Chur Directory Agape Church of Los Angeles / Three Oaks Baptist Church Corporate Office 4602 Crenshaw Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90043 (O) 323-295-5571 •www.agapela.org Bishop Craig A.Worsham - Senior Pastor Worship Center: 8109 South Hoover Street Los Angeles, CA 90044 Sunday School: 10:00am Morning Worship: 11:00am Loving, Lifting & Liberating Humanity Through The Word -Brookins-Kirkland Community AME Church 3719 West Slauson Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90043 (323) 296-5610 • www.bkcamechurchla.org Rev. Mary S. Minor, DMin,Pastor Sunday Church School: 8:00 AM and 11:30 AM Sunday Morning Worship: 9:00 AM (in-person and virtual) Thursday Bible Study with Pastor Minor (via Zoom): 6:00 PM Please call the church office for virtual information.

fair, with no further investigation recommended.

Community officials stopped short of saying Moore’s targeting of Mayor Bass was part of a larger plan to discredit Black officials, but that this was not the first time they have called for Moore to step down and that the issue spoke to a larger problem in Los Angeles politics.

“We know the tradition, the history of politics here in Los Angeles. And anyone who will weaponize or put forth an agenda to hurt someone who is as progressive and is doing such a marvelous job as a mayor, we don't need them in office,” Tulloss remarked.

Moore has publicly denied the allegations. "I did not initiate, request, or authorize an investigation as alleged in any fashion," Moore said in a statement.

“The only person who does not have a boss is God,” Reverend James Thomas said. “And this is who Chief Moore thinks he is and that he can do whatever he wants with impunity.”

This is expected to be the first of many efforts as clergy and community leaders continue to push for Moore to step down.

The L.A. Department of Water & Power Hosts Brunch for Faith Leaders Over 60+ faith leaders turned out to Dulan’s on Crenshaw for a brunch hosted by the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power. The event was hosted and moderated by Cynthia McClain-Hill, CEO of the Board of Commissioners of the LADWP in an effort to make the faith community aware of the LADWP’s “Powered

Bethesda Temple Apostolic Faith 4909 Crenshaw Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90043 (323) 299-2591 • thevoice4904@att.net Pastor Kyron S. Shorter Sunday Morning Prayer: 9:00am Sunday School: 9:30am Morning Worship: 11:00am Children’s Church: 11:00am Sunday Evening Service: 6:00pm Bryant Temple AME Church 2525 W. Vernon Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90008 (323) 293-6201 • F: (323) 293-0082 Pastor Dwaine Jackson Sunday School: 8:15am Morning Worship: 9:15 am Bible Study (Tues): Noon Pastor’s Bible Study( Tues): 6:00pm

Calvary Baptist Church 4911 W. 59th Street,Los Angeles, CA,90056 (323)298-1605•F: (323) 298-4867 • calvarybaptistla.org Rev. Dr. Virgil V. Jones Sunday Prayer: 8:30am Sunday School: 9:30am Sunday Worship: 11:00am Wednesday Bible Study: 12:00pm & 7:00pm We are the Church on the Hill where the Light Shines Bright!

by Equity” initiatives including EV Fast Charging Plazas. EV Rebates, Solar Program Discounts, free energy upgrades, shut off protections, free air conditioners and discount rate programs.

The LADWP is also looking to partner with churches to build, operate and maintain a city-owned network of electric vehicle charging stations in the city’s underserved communities, which would also represent a significant revenue opportunity for churches, many of whom had already been approached about EV charging stations. Among the churches represented were Center of Hope, Crenshaw Christian Center, Faithful Central, First AME, Southern St. Paul, Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church, Ward AME, Mr. Sinai, McCarty Memorial and Holman United Methodist Church.

McClain Hill spoke of the LADWP’s commitment to ensuring that all Angelenos had access to reliable and affordable energy and that no one was left behind as Los Angeles transitioned to a clean energy future.

In National Church News: With a growing need for affordable housing, T.D. Jakes Real Estate Ventures recently announced a partnership with New Urban Development, Miami's largest Black-owned real estate developer, to build two affordable housing developments in Hallandale Beach, Fla., and Miami Gardens, Fla. The strategic partnership signifies a concerted effort to provide affordable housing for in-need areas of South Florida while also helping to revitalize and stabilize the communities. This project is the continuation of Chairman T.D. Jakes' push to create affordable, accessible housing nationwide for those who need it most.

"Florida continues to grow and the need for more living options is at an all-time high," said Marcus Dawson, managing partner of T.D. Jakes Real Estate Ventures.

"It is our mission to create the necessary alliances that help address the most glaring issues like affordable housing. New Urban Development shares our vision for community transformation for seniors and underserved populations, and their accomplishments in South Florida model what development should look like in our communities."

The new 10-year partnership with New Urban Development is expected to bring in $1 billion dollars in revenue. Construction is set to officially start within the first fiscal quarter of this year.

Crenshaw Christian Center 7901 South Vermont, Los Angeles, CA 90044 (323) 758-3777 • www.faithdome.org Dr. Frederick K. Price Please Join Us! Sunday Service: 10:30am Wednesday Bible Study: 11:00am & 7:30pm Thursday Intercessory Prayer: 7:30pm faithdome.org @elfministries

Congregational Church of Christian Fellowship 2085 S. Hobart Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90018 Phone: (323) 731-8869 • F: (323) 731-0851 www.christianfellowshipla.org Pastor James K. McKnight Sunday LiveStream: 10:00am (facebook.com/christianfellowshipla) Sunday Conference Call: 10:00am (310-372-7549 / code: 342408) Tue/Thurs Morning Word & Prayer: 7:00am Wed. Bible Study w/ Elder Stephen Brown (701-802-5001 / code: 825252# God’s Faithful Disciple of Jesus Christ / Prayer Clinic & Deliverance Ministry P.O. Box 561368, Los Angeles, CA 90056 (323) 293-7566 • www.gfdjc.org •gfdjc@att.net Dr.Ruby I. Cottle, Ph.D., Pastor/Teacher Services every Friday: 7:00pm We meeet at: St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church 3901 W. Adams Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90018 Watch us on KXLA Thur’s @ 9:30am on Chanel 44, HBN TV Mon’s @ 7am & Wed’s @ 7:30am on Chanel 35.2 WNAH Nashville Tennessee Sunday @ 8:30 AM

Grant AME Church 10435 S. Central Avenue • Los Angeles, CA 90002 (323) 564-1151 • F: (323) 564-5027 Rev. Dr. Timothy o. Coston, Jr. Sunday School: 8:00am Worship: 9:30am Wednesday Bible Study: 11:30am & 6:00pm

Mt. Sinai Missionary Baptist Church 3669 W. 54th St. Los Angeles, CA 90043 Phone (323) 291-1121•Fax: (323) 291-1133 office@sinai.church • www.sinai.church George E. Hurtt, Pastor-Teacher Sunday Worship: 8am & 10am Tuesday Night(as scheduled):7:15pm All services stream live on our website, Facebook page, and YouTube channel.

Call for any pandemic-related questions.

Our Goal: To glorify God by winning more Christians and developing better Christians. (Matt. 28:18-20)

Grace Temple Baptist Churchh 7017 South Bramercy Place, Los Angeles, CA 90047 (323) 971-8192 • gracetemplebaptist7017@gmail.com Rev. Rodney Howard Sunday Worship Service: 9:00am Sunday Life Group: 11:30am Wed. Night Intercessory Prayer: 6:30pm Wed. Night Bible Study: 7:00pm

Greater Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church 5300 S. Denker Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90062 (323) 759-4996 • www.gembcla.org Rev. DeNon A. Porter Sunday School: 8:30am Sunday Morning Worship: 10am Facebook/YouTube Livestream: @gembcla Radio-KALI 900AM: Sundays 7-8pm Bible Study: Tuesday 7pm

Greater St. Augustine Missionary Baptist Church 8704 S Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, CA 90003 (323) 758-1153 Rev. E. Wayne Gaddis, Senior Pastor Sunday Worship Service: 10am Bible Study: Tuesday nights online: 7pm Senior Saints: Wednesday 11am

Holman United Methodist Church 3320 W. Adams Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90018 (323) 703-5868 • www.holmanumc.com Email: holman@holmanumc.com Rev. Dr. Ken Walden, Senior Pastor Sunday Worship: 8:00am & 11:00am Sunday Radio: KJLH 102.3FM at 11am Sunday School: 9:30am (Children/Youth) & 9:45am (Adults) Bible Study: Every Thursday @ Noon We Gather,Grow,Go and Live the Gospel of Jesus Christ House of Refuge Church of God in Christ 1446 W. 36th Place, Los Angeles, CA 90018 (323)515-9022•Email:info@horcogic.org•www.horcogic.live Pastor: Dr. Pierre Codio First Lady Shavon Codio Sunday Services:11:00am Sunday School: 9:00am Thursday Online Bible Study:7:00pm (via Facebook & YouTube) Friday Morning Online Prayer:10am Prayer call-in # : (516) 259-9968 Tuesdays Substance Abuse Counseling:6pm McCarty Memorial Christian Church 4103 W. Adams Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90018 (323) 731-4131 • www.mccartychurch.org Senior Pastor Edward Anderson Sunday Worship: 10:45am Bible Study: Tues @12:30pm/Wed @6pm Zoom Call: (605) 472-5454 Access:188857 Online Stream Live: Sundays@10:45am to www.mccartychurch.org Give: Text 77977 Instagram@mccartyconnect Mount Moriah Baptist Church of Los Angeles, Inc. 4269 South Figueroa St. Los Angeles, CA 90037 (323) 846-1950 •Fax: (323) 846-1964 Rev. Johnteris Tate-Pastor Sunday Church School(In-Person): 8:30am Sun. Baptist Training Union:7:30am Worship Service(In-Person): 10:00am Tues. Refuel/Bible Study/Prayer: 12Noon (Conference Call: (330) 207-7446) Weekly Mission Assembly/Bible Study:7:00 (Conference Call: (339) 207-7446

FIRST LADY SPOTLIGHT

Wendy Fletcher

F

McCarty Memorial Christian Church

or Wendy Fletcher, the journey to becoming a first lady didn't start with marrying a pastor, but with the influence of her parents. Her mother, the late Wanda Davis-Turner, was a renowned pastor and evangelist and beloved first lady, and her father, Bishop Wayne Davis, established the First Apostolic Church in Inglewood. This legacy made the role of a first lady a natural fit for Fletcher, who is married to Pastor Stephen Fletcher of New Life Ministry Church International.

While Fletcher acknowledges the role can be demanding, she believes it is her calling.

And for Fletcher, it’s hardly about sitting pretty in the front row with a big hat.

“I get in the trenches. I help with feeding in our community and our church, I'm over the women's department and I'm now the overseer of the church,” says the happily married mother of two. “And we have a new life ministry, Church International fellowship. I work with other churches out in the Philippines. We have churches in Africa, India, some here in the States.”

In all that she does Fletcher seeks to redefine the perception some people have of first ladies as distant.

Despite her strong personality– often leading to assumptions she's a pastor, Fletcher embraces her role as a support.

“I know I'm a strong woman, but I believe it’s important to be a lady and I think we're missing that in the kingdom of God a lot. I think we need to show young women how to be soft, gentle, stern, strong–all those things.”

Her goal is to challenge the distant image of first ladies and demonstrate their genuine care for God's people and above all, she is driven by results.

“If you don't have clothes, I want to get you the clothes,” Fletcher says. “If you don't have toiletries or food in the house, I want to be the one who's behind the scenes supplying those needs. I just want people to know that there's some first ladies out there that really appreciate God's people.”

Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church 1300 E. 50th Street Los Angeles, CA 90011 (323) 235-2103 Rev. Joshua Daniels, Pastor Morning Worship: 10am (In Service and Online Live Stream Worship) Sunday School: 8:45am Wed. Bible Study: 7:00pm www.mtzionla.org ONE LA Potter’s House Church 614 N. La Brea Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90036 (818) 763-4521 • hello@one.online Pastor Touré and Sarah Roberts The ONE Experience Online: Sundays: 7A |9A |11A |1P |6P Thursdays: 5P |8P (PST) @toureroberts @sarahjakesroberts @one.online ONE.ONLINE

New Antioch Church of God in Christ 7826 So. Vermont Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90044 (323) 778-7965 • www.newantiochcogic.org Superintendent Jeffrey M. Lewis Sunday Early Worship: 8:00am Sunday Morning Worship: 11:00am Sunday School: 9:30am Tuesday Bible Study: 11:00am Wednesday In The Word: 7:00pm All services streamed on: Facebook and YouTube @New Antioch Church of God In Christ Park Windsor Baptist Church 1842 W. 108th St. Los Angeles, CA 90047 (323) 756-3966 • RevTerrellTaylor@sbcglobal.net Rev. Terrell Taylor Morning Worship: 8:00am & 11:00am Wednesday Virtual Bible Study : Noon & 7:00p Communion: 1st Sunday at 8:00am & 11:00am

St. Mark Missionary Baptist Church 5017 S. Compton Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90011 (323) 231-1040 • stmarkmbcofla.org Reverend Dr. Lovely Haynes, Pastor Sun. Worship: 8:30am Sun. Classes follow morning service Tues Eve Family Prayer Line: 6:30pm Wed. Noon: Hour of Power Prayer line Wed. Bible Study: 6:00pm (Zoom & Facebook) Exposition of Sunday School Lesson:10am

Trinity Baptist Church 2040 W. Jefferson Blvd., L.A., CA 90018 • (323) 735-0044 F: (323) 735-0219• trinitybaptistchurchofla.org Rev. Alvin Tunstill, Jr Sunday Worship Services: 10:30am YouTube: tv.trinitybaptist.cloud Sunday Radio Broadcast KJLH-FM: 9am Wed. Night Virtual Bible Study: 7pm (Meeting ID: 480-271-5449.

Or call 1-699-900-6833; give zoom ID Sign-in at 6:55pmrchofla.org

Union Missionary Baptist Church 1812 E 110th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90059 (323)457-9921•Fax: (323)457-9256• Pastor: Adell McDaniel First Lady Nancy McDaniel Sunday Services:11am Sunday School: 5:30pm Call-in #: (530)881-1000 Code: 811-160 Wed. Online Bible Study:7:30pm Call-in: (716) 427-1082 Code: 584-349

Weller Street Baptist Church 129 S. Gless St, Los Angeles, CA 90033 (323) 261-0949 • F: (323)264-6601 • www.wellerstreetlive.com Pastor K.W. Tulloss Sunday School: 8:00am Sunday Morning Worship: 9:00am Tues. Bible Study: 6:45pm www.wellerstreetlive.com

West Angeles Church Of God In Christ 3600 Crenshaw Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90008 (323) 733-8300 • Office Hrs: M-F 8:30am-5:30pm • westa.org Senior Pastor Charles E. Blake II Sunday School: 10:00am Sunday Radio Broadcast KJLH 102.3FM: 10:00am

In Compton Citizens of Zion Missionary Baptist Church 12930 S. Lime Ave, Compton, CA 90221 (310) 638-0536 • email: citizensofzionmbc@gmail.com Rev. Bobby L. Newman, Jr. Pastor Sunday School: 9:30am Morning Worship: 10:45am (In-person & Virtual YouTube) Wednesday Bible Study: 12pm (In-person or dial in at:(774)267-8085) Wednesday Evening Bible Study: 7:00pm (via Zoom (Call church office for information)

21

PastorProfile: Denise Portee Church: Southside Christian Palace How Long in position: Eight years Hometown: Chicago Family: Widowed, one adult daughter You took over the leadership of Southside Christian Palace with the death of your late husband, W.R. Portee in 2015, how challenging was that for you?

I thank God for the challenge. If I didn't have the challenge, I wouldn't know who God is and I wouldn't know who I am. I would say my greatest challenge though, was moving forward without Bishop because he's always been the voice and I loved that. I never had a problem with being a First Lady so the greatest challenge for me was just going forward. But I know who I am and who called me, so I stayed focused on the situation God has placed me in and where God wants me to go.

How long did it take for you to overcome the grief and move into the role of pastor?

It took some time. Bishop and I were extremely close.

He used to call me his American Express card and say he couldn’t leave home without me. So, I had my grief.

I can't even put a time of how long or how short because I just kept going. I felt an obligation to keep moving because I knew the church was dependent upon me. I couldn't stay home and just cry because God has helped me and blessed me tremendously. I can't even put a time on when I stop grieving.

Were the congregants accepting of you taking on the role of senior pastor?

Yes, but I still had to fight for what my husband had established, and I was not going to let anyone come in and take it away. God deals with me in dreams, and he showed me certain things and confirmed it through people. I just put it all out there and God just gave me the strength.

Did attendance suffer with the shift in leadership?

No, the Holy Spirit led. I took up a string. I don't even know how long the string was and I called everybody to come to church on a Tuesday night. I had everybody come into the center section so that they could hold on to the string. I said do not let it go. They didn't know what I was getting ready to do. I then announced that bishop had gone on to be with the Lord. They held on to the string though some wanted to run, and some wanted to let go, but they held on. I can say today that most of the people that started out with me are still here and it's nothing but the grace of God. There was not a split. One of the things that also made me step up is because they would have left if I wasn't the pastor.

Was the role of pastor something you embraced?

I did not embrace it although it kind of came naturally because I talked with the people all the time. The people knew me. If they couldn't get to Bishop they would come to me and ask, ‘first lady, Would you pray for me?’ I had learned so much from Bishop. I did feel that I was not qualified, but before my husband passed, the Holy Spirit spoke to me and said prepare for ministry. Then God showed me the book of Joshua and I can say I have a little bit of Joshua with me. I got some fight in me.

Do you think now this is where you were always intended to be?

Yeah, I think so. Because before I married the bishop, I was sitting on my job, and I had an open vision of in the book of Joshua. The page just slipped and opened to Joshua. I had a dream that I was standing on a ledge like in a theater building and I was standing up on a high ledge, and I was standing over the people. I was over people, but I never knew what it meant. So, I know for sure thing that I am where God has called me to be. Yes, I'm still shaking in my

boots a little bit. And as long as I do a little shaky, I won't get puffed up and think that I'm all of that. I always need God. What did you think of women pastors growing up?

My mother’s pastor was a woman, and she was awesome. She was a praying woman who could get a prayer through and knew the word of God, so I never had a problem with women pastors. I hear different ministers saying certain things but that's fine. I know that God called me, and I know that God positioned me. I know that God is giving me his word to give to the people and I know that the people of God are telling the truth, when they testify to how the word of God is changing their lives.

Growing up, what did you aspire to be?

I went to school for acting. As a matter of fact, I came to LA, I wasn’t seeking to be a pastor or first lady. I came because I wanted to be in the Hollywood scene.

But someone asked me to come to church while I was yet in school and that changed everything.

You were privileged to have worked with Mamie Till, what was that experience like?

We attended the same church in Chicago, and I’d seen her on PBS and said, ‘Wow, who is this lady, and then I went to church on one Sunday and there she was. I just gave a little request to the Lord. And I said God, I sure would like to work with her. I ended up traveling and working with her. She's a powerful, powerful woman of God. When parents had problems with their children, they would bring them to her, and she would straighten them out. Traveling with her was so amazing. I got so much strength from her. She would say, when life gets hard, you get harder.

What response in the community would determine that you've been successful in what you’ve set out to do?

When people come back and testify. When they call you. When I see the people succeeding and staying focused on God. Whatever God is leading us to do, that's what we're doing. And if we stick with God and do what God says there will be success out there. I can't even imagine measuring success for myself. It’s about the testimonies people are giving–how God is changing their lives, because we are a deliverance ministry, and we preach the message. Before COVID we had at least four witnessing teams. We try to get out to the community to invite the community in so that they too, can overcome. That there is a future for them. This is what we're doing in some of the projects and programs in the church. Many people don't realize that there's yet a future, but we want to continue to build people for the kingdom.

Greater Zion Church Family 2408 North Wilmington Avenue, Compton, CA 90222 (310) 639-5535 • (Tues - Thurs 10am -4pm) Dr. Michael J. Fisher, Senior Pastor Sunday Worship: 9:00am Online Wednesday Bible Study: 7:00pm FB: GreaterZionChurchFamily IG: GZCFamily www.gzcfamily.com

Holy Chapel Missionary Baptist Church 1016 E. Rosecrans Avenue, Compton, CA 90220 (310) 537-3149 • www.holychapelbc.com Rev. Dr. George L. Thomas Morning Worship: 8:00am Sunday School: 10:30am Wed. Mid-Week Bible Study: 7:00pm Sun. New Members’ Class: 10:45am Communion/1st Sunday: 8:00am Broadcast KALI 900AM - Sun:2-3:00pm Love and Unity Christian Fellowship 1840 S. Wilmington Ave, Compton 90220 Mailing Address: P.O. Box 5449, Compton, CA 90224 Bishop Ronald C. Hill Sr., Founder/Pastor Sunday Worship:10am/6:30pm Wed. Bible Studies: 7:30pm Prayer w /Bishop Hill: Fri: 9am Food For Your Soul TV Ministry Impact TV Network: Mon-Fri PST 6:30am The Word Network Fridays @ 12:30pm

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

In Gardena

Morning Worship: 8:00am & 11:00am Evening Worship: 6:00pm Bible Study (Wed): Noon & 7:00pm BET/Fresh Oil (Wed): 7:00am

The Liberty Church 4725 S. Gramercy Place, Gardena, CA 90249 (310) 715-8400 Pastor David W. Cross Morning Worship/Livestream:10:00 am Hispanic Ministry Worship/Livestream:12Noon Word Power Wednesday/Livestream: 7:00pm The CROSSWORD with Pastor Cross: YouTube

Atherton Baptist Church In Hawthorne 2627 W. 116th Street Hawthorne,CA 90250 (323) 757-3113 • www.athertonbc.org F: 323-757-8772 • athertonbaptist@sbcglobal.net Pastor Larry Weaver Sunday Morning Worship: 8:00 & 11:00 am Sunday Bible Enrichment Class: 9:45am Mon.-Thurs. Bible Study: 7:00pm Wednesday Bible Study: 12:30pm & 7:00pm

Bible Enrichment Fellowship International In Inglewood 400 E. Kelso, Inglewood, CA 90301 (310) 330-4700 • www.bamcm.org Dr. Beverly “BAM” Crawford Morning Worship: 9:30am Tues. Bible Study: 7:30pm Wed. Mid-Week Prayer: 5am, Noon & 7:00pm Wednesday Pathway: 7:00pm Thurs Bible Study: 10:00am Sat Marriage & Family Prayer: 7:30am

Blessed Family Covenant Church 325 North Hillcrest Blvd, Inglewood, CA, 90301 (310)-674-0303 • F: (310)-674-0303 Pastor Wendy Howlett Sunday Morning Worship & Word: 9:30am Wednesday Prayer & Bible Study: 7:00pm View Sunday Worship: www.youtube.com (Under Blessed Family Covenant Church) www.blessedfamilycovenant.org

People Pastor Michael Fisher’s Newest Calling—“The Fisher Brand”

R

enowned as a transformative figure in Compton’s faith community, Dr. Michael Fisher, Senior Pastor at the Greater Zion Church Family, symbolizes the new generation of spiritual leaders. As a catalyst for change, he presides over the Pastors of Compton and holds the distinguished honor of being inducted into the Martin Luther King Jr. School of Theology International Board of Preachers.

However, during the pandemic, Fisher, like many other faith leaders, had to pivot in the face of a rapidly evolving digital world. This shift ignited a novel business venture, culminating in a higher calling that seamlessly integrates with his unwavering commitment to service.

“After the pandemic, I saw that everyone was struggling with pivoting from being a viable competitive force in the online market to now struggling to become attractive to this technologically savvy culture. And that's when I started the Fisher Brand,” Dr. Fisher says.

The Fisher Brand, a branding consulting company, aims to transform the way businesses promote themselves. His company helps organizations, small businesses, nonprofits, and churches expand their reach in the social media sphere.

Dr. Fisher also explains that branding is imperative when starting a new business venture.

“It's the first thing they do. It's one of the first people they hire, and it's one of the largest pieces of their budget,” he states. “People are knowledgeable to the fact that there is a science to this even in the Word of God. Jesus was very specific in the miracles that He did, when he did it, and who he did it around. He knew he would build a name and a reputation. And that eventually, started the groundwork for his ministry. This is what we’re doing with the Fisher Brand.

Established in 2022, the Fisher brand follows the motto "bringing clarity to chaos" in reference to creating synergy and mass appeal for companies to navigate multiple social media platforms.

“Our job is to come in, take your vision, your idea, and then begin to remove the weeds,” Fisher explains. “We eliminate the confusion on how to become competitive in the algorithm. We bring in the experts that belong to our team, and then we'll get you set up, so that makes

Center of Hope LA 9550 Crenshaw Blvd., Inglewood, CA 90305 #centerofhope•#cohla•Info@GO2HOPE.com Give: Text COHLA to (833) 246-7144 Pastor Geremy L. Dixon Service Times: 8:00am & 10:00am Watch Via: Facebook|YouTube|Live Stream Closer To People...Closer To God! www.GO2Hope.com

Faithful Central Bible Church 333 W. Florence Ave. Inglewood, CA 90301 (310) 330-8000 • F: (310) 330-8035 Pastor J. P. Foster In-Person Services: 7:00 am & 9:30am Online Services: 7:00a, & 9:30am Wednesdays, The Download: 7:00pm Facebook + Youtube+ Website The Tabernacle is located at 321 N. Eucalyptus Ave., Inglewood www.faithfulcentral.com

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

Antioch Church of Long Beach 350 Pine Ave. ,Long Beach, CA 90802 (562) 591-8778 •www.antiochlb.com Senior Pastor Wayne Chaney, Jr.

In Long Beach

Online Services Stream live: Sun 10:00am at antiochlb.com Give: text antiochib to 77977 Social Media: facebook.com/antiochlb instagram.com/antiochlb youtube.com/antiochlongbeach 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 Sunday School: 8:30am Sunday Worship Service: 9:40am Wed. Bible Study: 7:00pm Wed Youth & Young Adult Ministry: 7pm

rebranding, and then when my [pastor] friends who live in the city, find out that I'm in town, they normally ask me to come preach so it’s hand in hand.”

In November, The Fisher Brand marked its first official year with a black tie gala at “The Modern” in Long Beach that served to debut of their Flame Awards ceremony.

“What a night of excellence, elegance and honor,” said Fisher. “We were proud to recognize so many icons that are igniting a flame within our communities and culture.”

Very much like those they chose to honor, the Fisher Brand is more passion than business.

“This is my baby so I’m very hands on,” Fisher adds.

“I really want to help people to be able to know what to call themselves or to tweak their mission statement or vision statement to be appealing to the market that they are trying to reach. It is my passion.”

Grant AME Church 1129 Alamitos Ave, Long Beach, CA 90813 (562) 437-2567 • Fax: (562) 599-6175 • www.csbclb.org Rev. Dr. Michael W. Eagle,Sr.,Ed.D, Community Activist Sunday School: 9:00am Worship Service Sundays: 10:45am (On Facebook Live, YouTube) Free Conf Call: 857 232 0156 877511 Zoom:438 996 2703 Where all receive attention, affection & love Walking In The Spirit Ministries In Norwalk Double Tree (Sonoma Grill) 12623 Norwalk Blvd, Norwalk CA 90650 (213) 248-6343 P.O Box 1597 Norwalk CA,90651 Tim & Leshia Brooks Morning Worship: 11:00am Services Held Every 2nd & 4th Sunday and Free Breakfast Is Served Bible Study: 8:30am (Every 5th Friday)

Your Church Listing Belongs Here For more information

Call 310.677.6011

L.A. Focus/January 2024

Jacob’s Ladder Community Fellowship, inc.

1152 E. Hyde Park Blvd., Inglewood, CA 90302 (866) 330-1702 • F: (310) 674-0760 Watchman/Shepherd Dr. Robert T. Douglas Sr. Sunday Fresh Start & Prayer 9:00am Sunday School: 10:00am

you competitive.”

The Fisher Brand has a wide range of clients, including CEOs, organizers, fellow pastors, and entrepreneurs. Its staff of 25 includes experts in photography, videography, web design, graphic design, communication, development, fashion, style, and event planning.

Last year, the Fisher Brand orchestrated several events, one of which was a much-acclaimed 'health fair'.

This event was concentrated on offering free check-ups and spreading awareness about various health concerns such as sexual health, prostate and breast cancer, and hypertension, amongst others, drawing close to a thousand attendees. Additionally, the newly formed business venture organized a day dedicated to colleges, during which representatives from several universities, including Cal State Long Beach, Cal State Fullerton, and Compton Community College, engaged with students and discussed the prospects of further education.

“We’ve been able to see our young people for the first time all get accepted into a four-year university, which is very exciting to witness,” Fisher said. “We had over 35 young people graduate this year from these institutions.”

Though the venture may be new, branding is something Fisher says he’s been doing for a decade with churches, groups and pastors in an effort to help them to pivot and stay relevant to the next generation.

“Less than 25% of the pastors are savvy when it comes to how to brand their church or branding themselves and branding is very important in getting the message out there as well as getting the community to trust you,” Fisher points out. “A lot of pastors don't even know the definition of branding and they need assistance, but don't know who to ask. Most importantly, they don't know how to ask.”

For the Compton native, the Fisher Brand is another area of ministry.

“It's been hand in hand,” Fisher says. “It's actually been amazing. I may go to a church to preach, but it's like people are getting a two for one as most pastors– especially those that have nonprofits or community development corporations–will ask me to come a day early to speak to their nonprofit sector about branding.

The flip side of it is there are people that bring me in, to do retreats with their team and their staff to talk about

23

Elder continued from page 8 fraud." Republicans, although slightly less likely to call 2020 stolen than Democrats about 2016, are, of course, "election deniers."

Finally, the anti-Trump media accuses Trump of peddling "the Big Lie" about 2020 voter fraud, irregularities, or illegality. After all, there is supposedly no evidence to justify the assertions. John Eastman, a former Trump lawyer who argued that state legislatures and Vice President Mike Pence possess the legal authority to reject certification, now faces disbarment. The California Bar Association asked this once respected and courtly former dean and law professor at Chapman University School of Law for evidence about 2020 election-altering widespread fraud.

Eastman turned in over 80,000 pages of documents. In an hourlong speech available for viewing on Rumble, Eastman spoke in detail about just some of what he considered substantial election irregularities. It's called "Taking a Stand Against a Weaponized Justice System." I urge the most ardent believer in the "Trump promoted baseless conspiracy theories" narrative to watch the speech. Be prepared for discomfort.

Larry Elder is a bestselling author and nationally syndicated radio talk-show host. To find out more about Larry Elder, or become an "Elderado," visit: www.LarryElder.com.

Harriot continued from page 8 civilians. They even placed newspaper notices warning business owners to close their shops in preparation for the coup d’etat.

Of course, there are some who wouldn’t call this an insurrection, a rebellion or an act of white supremacy. Well, the United Daughters of the Confederacy would disagree. Every year, this group of white women laid a wreath at the monument to the “Battle of Liberty Place” until they eventually funded a plaque that read: “he insurrectionists eventually regained control of the Louisiana government and set about eliminating the threat of Black voting power. “We met here to establish the supremacy of the white race,” remarked Judiciary Committee Chairman Thomas Semmes during his closing remarks of Louisiana’s 1898 Constitutional Convention. “Our mission was, in the first place, to establish the supremacy of the white race in this State.”

Nothing ever happened to McEnery, Penn or the thousands of white men who “engaged in insurrection or rebellion

against” their government.

Michael Harriot is a columnist at theGrio.com where he covers the intersection of race, politics, and culture. This column first appeared on theGrio.com Tenth District continued from page 6

maintain an open-door policy.

As always, the most formidable challenge comes with beating the incumbent and while Hutt hasn’t been in the seat for long, she has racked up a great deal of support among community leaders, women’s groups and business owners with a long list of endorsements that include former L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Supervisor Janice Hahn, State Senator Steve Bradford and fellow L.A. City Councilmembers Curren Price, Marqueece Harris-Dawson, Paul Krekorian, Traci Park, Nithya Raman, John Lee and Katy Yuroslavsky.

Hutt is the first Black woman to be appointed as a voting member of the district. She is also the first Black woman to serve as the U.S. Senate State Director of California, and the Council District Chief of Staff.

Her primary focus is on investing in housing the unhoused, building parks, and the community at large. Hutt has advocated for women who face implicit bias within the healthcare system, DACA recipients, and fought against former President Trump’s immigration policies.

Hutt is at the center of a few notable initiatives that were created under her leadership. She spearheaded the Office of Unarmed Response, which is a progressive, umbrella office that houses six existing alternative response programs that all align with the councilwoman’s campaign that is focused on investing in the community.

In August, Hutt introduced a motion to ban cashless retail businesses in Los Angeles.

“Cashless businesses create an economy in our city that is not inclusive and accessible for all people,” said Hutt.

“There are many unbanked groups, including BIPOC and low-income communities, that rely on cash to pay for goods and services.”

Despite the accomplishments, the race will hardly be a cake walk for Hutt, who came in third in fundraising. So, fasten your seat belts and prepare for the deluge of campaign mailers set to hit your mailbox. Ballots are scheduled to be released in early February and those who vote will get to decide which two candidates advance to the general election in November.

Hates crimes continued from page 9 nounced any notion that his office would turn a blind eye towards the uptick of hate crimes, “L.A. County will never tolerate hate crimes, and those who commit these crimes will be aggressively prosecuted if caught. I want to repeat that– will be aggressively prosecuted if caught. My office has and will continue to follow any reported hate crimes.”

Some fear that any potential spike in hate crimes could have significant implications for election turnout as fear of violence or hostility can deter individuals from voting especially among those targeted communities.

"We do see a difference when leaders speak out, we do see a difference when we support communities coming together and getting to know each other," Wiley said. "We can do that in advance of the election cycle so that we can try to change this devastating, historic trend," she added.

To that end, experts advocate that public officials speak out against hate and that Congress mandate hate crime data collection and reporting. Additionally, that social media platforms must invest in de-platforming hate for the upcoming local, state, and national elections, and finally that the federal government must confront and address white supremacist violence without further criminalizing communities of color, religious minorities, and other marginalized communities.

Note: This article is part of an ongoingseries from the “Stop The Hate Campaign”-- a joint venture of the California State Library and the California Com-

mission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs (CCAPIAA) and administered by the California Department of Social Services in response to the significant in- crease of hate-related activity that has been recorded over the last few years.

If you or someone you know is the victim of a hate crime, please report it to (833) 8NO-HATE. Money Matters continued from page 12 free.”

This Napleton action found not only that buyers were being charged for addons they didn’t agree to, but also that these buyers were disproportionately Black and Latino, added Mithal. A 2023 action against Wisconsin-based dealer group Rhinelander Auto Center found analogous targeting of local Native American consumers.

Much of the vulnerability of these racial and ethnic groups owes to language access obstructed by lengthy contracts hiding fees; many Napleton buyers, for example, found themselves with paperwork requiring more than 12 signatures across over 60 pages.

Regardless, Mithal continued, the CARS Rule “prohibits conduct which is already illegal, and if a dealer’s lying to you about the price of a car, they’re already violating the FTC, you’re within your rights to report them.”

How, then, will the CARS Rule help stop scams that are already illegal?

Because it underscores the money, said Mithal, “and people stand up when they are on the hook for a lot of money …

It’s easier to get money back to you when scamming dealers see that they’re exposed through this rule, and honest dealers see the law is on their side.”

InGoodTaste

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Spotlight Greg Dulan

s, the true rgers. As alway bu m ha e th food. decades, or over three ar remains the s been a st ng family traha ri du ily m en fa ’s Dulan Dulan in od fo oking traces ul so of soul food co n cornerstone of tio di cy a humble log creating a lega roots back to s it Los Angeles, with ppo e ahoma City rants like th cabin in Okl through restau late ee gl In Th in s. n nt Kitche ropper pare ec ar sh nular Soul Food , ve w ha s father, ’s on Crens triarch, Greg' pa si wood, Dulan t bu un A nt restaura ing, and tured into the y, Dulan’s Cater e ph al so sc ilo up ph mple Porch, an ness with a si Kizzy’s Back ined national t to eat.” ga go ’s at dy th bo ry ry te e soul ea -year “Eve 15 s it e served as th pl ng ci ri This prin n recognition du ow 's an . ul ey D Greg ina Del R foundation for ld, tenure in Mar rrent stewcu e culinary wor e th th , to an in ul y D ne ur Greg jo sre in st r parents' fir cy and an owne starting at his at ard of the lega th up d g an in st ar burger ns, is ge taurant - a ham ng all three locatio pening of -o e perfect traini re th d be an to gr ed ov pr for the th nshaw next mon Dulan’s on Cre o ground. versity alumevent after tw us to en A Howard Uni om m a rfu re e in business, Th tions. ith a degree w s nu years of renova ith an’s on Crennt, outfitted w g opened Dul re G bished restaura tht ou ke offering a mou ace, a ta shaw in 1992, ch an event sp o su ti g pa in ed ud cl expand menu in kitchen, and an ort is watering sh d, as lv s B ie lt w ia ha rens e spec overlooking C a- down-hom chops, nday brunch fe hered pork Su ot a t sm bu , de bs to ri set . ke ils ta ta ed ox , and an extend black-eyed peas turing jazz and es ud cl in that menu out

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L.A. Focus/January 2024

25

SavingGrace Halle Bailey

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L.A. Focus/January 2024

he has five Grammy nominations to her credit, 7.6 million followers, a Mattel doll fashioned in her image, was honored by Glamour Magazine with the “Woman of the Year Gen Z Game Changer” award and made quite the splash as Ariel in Disney’s iconic “The Little Mermaid”. Little wonder that the 23-year-old dynamic singer and talented actress once hailed–along with her sister, Chloe– as a Beyonce prodigy, has emerged as one of Hollywood’s newest “it girls”.

If that wasn’t enough, Halle Bailey is presently wowing audiences in the plum role of “young Nettie” in Oprah Winfrey’s much heralded remake of “The Color Purple”, which reined in $18.15 million on Christmas Day. "She's somebody whose presence you can feel in her absence," Winfrey told Vanity Fair. "The memory of her, the feeling of her, the strength of her comes through…”

For her part, Bailey understood the gravity of paying homage to a timeless classic, stating: “The first one is so iconic you almost don’t want to touch something as precious as that.” But any signs of pressure Bailey may have felt diminished as the musical rendition of the film proved to be a perfect match, and she found the cast especially thrilling.

“I’m so very grateful to have had this experience.

My second major motion picture complete in the last year and a half. I’m working with legends who I’m such fans of, like Fantasia and Taraji P. Henson,” she stated.

“It was beautifully, blackity Black–the set was like going to a cookout–it felt like a family reunion.

The movie is a labor of love. To walk on set and feel like I’m protected–I was pulling on my relationship with my sister who has been my guide my whole life.

She is a symbol of preserving, joy, love, and positivity.”

Bailey also relished being on set back home in Georgia and being able to speak in her native southern accent, all of which helped to foster a comfort level that allowed Bailey to find herself while navigating her growing fame.

“This movie is about finding yourself and not letting certain trials and tribulations define you. I mean, Celie went through so much abuse and heartbreak,” noted Bailey of the role that is cementing her bona fide “star”” status.

The emerging starlet reflected on the profound influence her faith has had on her burgeoning career, crediting it as a guiding force in her swift ascent to stardom and attributing her success in securing the role of young Nettie – the younger sibling of Celie, portrayed by celebrated R&B artist and Broadway

26

actor Fantasia Barrino– to divine intervention. Indeed, Bailey's audition tape featured her soulful rendition of a gospel tune that would later inspire her character portrayal.

"My Christian upbringing has been integral to my life's journey. I was raised with gospel music as my soundtrack and prayer as my refuge - it has been a true blessing," Bailey has expressed. Her faith became particularly prominent during her time portraying young Nettie in the recent adaptation of The Color Purple.

"I felt a stronger connection with God during the creation of this film. Singing a Gospel song for the project filled me with such excitement, I took it as divine guidance steering me towards this path."

She credits her trust in God to also helping in during the audition for the massive box office hit, The Little Mermaid. “God, please just help me,” she remembers praying before entering the audition room.

“I remember I closed my eyes, and I just belted out my heart. Then I opened my eyes, and everybody’s crying.”

"Words can’t describe how immensely honored I feel to play the mermaid of my dreams, Ariel in Disney’s The Little Mermaid. There's so much more to being a young woman than this fairy tale character (referring to The Little Mermaid), I think other people have a hard time separating who Halle is and who a princess is–and that's natural when you're a fan of an artist. But it's beautiful to be a layered individual and not fit into one certain image," said the actress, who spent five seasons on “Grownish”.

Halle isn’t naive or a stranger to people placing her in a box, especially after having to deal with racist trolls using social media to complain about her casting as the latest Disney princess. Her casting announcement in 2019 and the film’s first trailer last year sent viewers into a frenzy online.

“As a Black person, you just expect it, and it’s not really a shock anymore,” Bailey said in an interview.

“When [Chlöe and I] first signed to Parkwood, [Beyoncé] was always like: ’ I never read my comments.

Don’t ever read the comments.’ Honestly, when the teaser came out, I was at the D23 Expo, and I was so happy. I didn’t see any of the negativity.”

Bailey proceeded to articulate the "beautiful" and "overwhelming" responses she received, witnessing the reactions of young Black girls to her portrayal as their new Disney princess–"It's been such a beautiful moment for me to be able to see the reactions of the babies–it makes me just emotionally overwhelmed honestly, and I cry as soon as I watch them," Bailey shared of the experience.

The young superstar understands the impact the representation from her latest role, and past projects

has on the Black community and the young generation watching her.

"It heals that girl inside of me to watch them feel like they have representation and someone to look to, Bailey said. “It’s so important.”

Her faith and family background has been key to her personal development as both she and her sister grew up singing in church. At the ages of 11 and 13, they began their career with the launch of a YouTube channel, their first sign of virality coming after covering a Beyoncé track, "Pretty Hurts." Operating under the name Chloe x Halle, they gained traction by uploading covers of pop songs to their channel and got the attention of Beyonce herself.

In May 2015, both sisters entered negotiations with Beyoncé's founded entertainment company, Parkwood Entertainment, with contracts outlined that they would "receive at least $60,000 and advances that could total almost $1 million if they make at least six albums." She eventually signed them in 2016 for a five-year contract, earning them the recognition as "[her] first true musical successors.

She freely thanks God for the journey that has followed.

“Because of God, my loves ones and mentors, I am able to face the world everyday with my head held high. I’m so grateful for all the beautiful souls that continue to lift me up and guide me as I continue this blessing of a journey which is my life.”