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Big Moves in the L.A. Faith Community

Calling his daughter to the podium for the final day of the Woman Thou Art Loosed Conference, Bishop T.D. Jakes said “Pastor Sarah Jakes Roberts, when you stand and walk to this stage, you are walking into your destiny… This is your moment.”

With that Jakes announced that after 30 years of ministering “Woman Thou Art Loosed” and 46 years of preaching the gospel, the time had come “that I must decrease, that you might increase.”

In what the 65-year old pastor characterized as a transitional moment, he said, “Women Thou Art Loosed comes to an end today, but that does not mean that there is not something next.”

“I had the voice for our generation. You are the voice for this time and this generation,” he said to his daughter who serves alongside her husband as the copastor of One Church L.A. “This is a divine assignment that “Women Thou Art Loosed” must evolve.” Somewhat of a play on words, “Women Evolve” is the name of a movement and an -

Bishop T.D. nual conference founded by his daughter to empower womenJakes Passes to evolve into the best versions the Torch to his of themselves by breaking up

Daughter, with their fears and revSarah Jakes- olutionizing their lives. It is

Roberts also the title of her 2021 book. Jakes was in tears as he anointed his daughter’s head with oil and a crowd of more than 20,000 looked on. “I am so proud of you”, he said, while declaring that the torch he was passing was neither inheritance nor family legacy. “You are bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh. My DNA runs through your body, but none of that is the reason you are standing on this stage… This is a calling. I respect God too much to throw somebody up here just because they were kin to me… If I did not know that the hand of the Lord was on you, I would never do this.” Calling her husband Touré Roberts to the stage and embracing him as his son, Jakes said, “I can’t anoint her without anointing him”. In a show of support, Jakes added that he would host Jakes-Roberts first international meeting at the Potter’s House in Dallas, Texas, September 20-23, 2023. “All of our facilities, our support, our help, our team, our influence is at your disposal. This is a beginning. I want every woman in this room to go to Woman Evolve…” With that, he handed her the mike and walked offstage with his wife, First Lady Serita Jakes. “Well”, said Jakes-Roberts after pulling herself together, “I guess it’s just the beginning of a breakthrough then. I guess all things really do work together for the good of those who are called according to his purpose.” A fter 53 years of heading one of the largest congregations in Los AnBishop Charles Blake Steps Down, Charles strength to serve our families, our community, and the world at large.” Prior to being appointed co-geles, Bishop and Lady Blake of West Angeles Church of God in Christ are stepping down as spiritual leaders and will pass the mantle to their son, current co-pastor Elder Charles Blake II, and his wife, Lady DeAndra.

Announcing the leadership change on September 18, the Bishop said, “It has been our deepest honor and greatest joy to serve as Senior Pastor and First Lady of West Angeles Church for 53 years. After a long fulfilling journey filled with God’s love, we have made the decision to retire from active pastoral ministry.”

The elder Blake stressed that while he and Lady Mae were “stepping down from their positions of leadership,” they were not stepping away from the church, added that they would remain active members of the church and COGIC denomination.

“I am honored and humbled to have my father’s blessing and counsel as I step into the role of Senior Pastor at West Angeles Church of God in Christ. I and my wife, Lady DeAndra, standing on the strong foundation that was laid by Bishop and Lady Mae, look forward to serving this congregation and our community,” Blake II said. My prayer is that the members of West Angeles will continue to work as partners of the Gospel–a community of people, determined to use our God-given gifts, resources, individual efforts and our united Blake II to Be pastor last year, Blake II Installed as served 13 years as the Director Senior Pastor of Community Relations and Assistant Pastor. “Some have said I have some very big shoes to fill, but I’m not supposed to fill my father’s shoes,” said the Harvard Leadership Institute graduate. “God gave Bishop Blake the shoes that he needed to walk in his time on his terrain, but now we are on different ground in a different age. God has given me the shoes that I need to walk the path through the terrain for this time. The work is great, but I believe the God will continue to guide and strengthen me, as I seek to serve Him and His people”. The official installment ceremony is set for Sunday, October 23 culminating three days of activity dubbed as the “Honor and Celebration Weeke n d ” . Continued to page 24

Headlines From Africa

A look at current news from the continent of Africa

Burundi: President Evariste Ndayishimiye replaced his prime minister and a top aide in a high-level political purge after being warned of a "coup" plot against him. Security minister Gervais Ndirakobuca was subsequently sworn in as the new premier.

Cameroon: Cameroon has become one of a few African nations that have issued a number of IDs to help half a million refugees— who now call the nation home— access basic services

Congo: The leaders of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda have reached a compromise to reduce tensions between their two countries. They also agreed to act jointly in the fight against terrorism and to ensure the withdrawal of M23 rebels operating in eastern DR Congo

Eritrea: Eritrea is mobilizing armed forces due to the re-eruption of the conflict in northern Ethiopia, raising fears that the fighting may intensify in a war that has already displaced millions and triggered a humanitarian disaster across northern Ethiopia.

Ethiopia: The U.S. has again urged the Ethiopian government and Tigray leaders to negotiate a peace deal, while insisting that Eritrea needs to step away from fueling conflict in the northern Ethiopian region.

L.A. Focus/ October 2022 Gambia: In its efforts to attract “quality” visitors, Gambia is working to change its reputation as a sex tourism destination and instead focus on the Gambia’s wildlife and cultural attractions. The country has over 300 species of tropical birds and two Unesco World Heritage sites – to boost its ‘quality’ tourism.

Ghana: Over 100 delegates from Ghana gathered in Kansas City to formally apologize for the nation’s role in the transatlantic slave tradeas part of a two-day event aiming to bridge a long-lasting exchange of trade, tourism and culture between Kansas City and Ghana. mothers and their children.

Malawi: Malawi's police service has welcomed two officers with albinism into its ranks, the first people with the rare genetic pigment disorder in Malawi's state security organization. Rights groups say the hirings should help efforts to crack down on attacks against albinos and restore confidence in police after some officers were connected to such attacks.

Mozambique: Leaders of Mozambique and Tanzania have signed defense and security deals aimed at fighting terrorism and crime along their shared border.

Nigeria: Floods along Nigeria’s borders with Niger, Chad, and Cameroon have killed hundreds of people and left tens of thousands homeless, according to local authorities. The most affected areas in Nigeria are agricultural districts that supply the majority of food in the region, particularly rice field creating a a looming health and nutrition crisis.

Senegal: Senegal breaks new ground as West Africa's largest-ever proportion of women legislators (44 percent) take their seats in a newly elected national assembly, stirring hopes of change in a country where patriarchal laws and attitudes are entrenched.

Somalia: In a new report, the UN warns that hundreds of thousands in Somalia are already facing starvation with staggering levels of malnutrition expected among children under five.

South Africa: The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment want to leverage South Africa’s oceans and coastline to develop a maritime economy that could create 1 million jobs and boost the economy.

D.T. CARSON

Contributor

It’s down to the wire in the midterm elections slated for Tuesday, November 8, with ballots set to be mailed out to California residents on October 11. In Washington D.C., the biggest battle is over who will get control of the House of Representatives and the Senate. At press, the Democrats were slightly ahead of the GOP due to the GOP’s hardline stance on abortion, but with rising inflation, Republicans are seeing a rebound in their favorability numbers.

That’s hardly an issue in California where as of May 12, 2021, Democrats held a supermajority in the 80-seat California State Assembly and the Democrats have pretty much ruled since the mid-90’s. And with Governor Gavin Newsom leading his GOP challenger, Brian Dahle (who I’m sure many of you have never even heard of) by more than 2 to 1, most of the attention is on local races and Black women have figured prominently in key Southern California races.

Of course, the most watched at the moment, is the highly contentious race for mayor of Los Angeles, pitting Congresswoman Karen Bass against billionaire real estate mogul, Rick Caruso.

The latest polls show Bass with an 11-point lead against Caruso, who outspent her ten-to-one to finish seven percentage points behind the veteran legislator.

The poll, conducted by the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies for the Los Angeles Times from Aug. 9 to 15 of 1,746 registered voters in Los Angeles, found that 43% of voters favored Bass compared to 31% of voters for Caruso, consistent with a poll released by a Pro-Bass group that put her 11 points ahead in the race to lead the nation’s second largest city.

As the stakes have raised and the election draws near, the campaign is turning ugly as both unleash a bevy of negative ads. Bass addresses a misleading TV attack ad linking her to the Church of Scientology in a story on page 5.

In a Politico story titled, “Rick Caruso’s blockbuster bid to be mayor of LA flops with voters”, the writers note “Caruso’s predicament is a reminder of a bitter truth about politics: Money can get you only so far. It reflects the fact that in a deeply Democratic city, many are apparently unwilling to support a former Republican-turned-Democrat who, despite his insistence that he supports the right to abortion, has donated to antiabortion candidates in the past.”

Said seasoned political consultant John Shallman, “You can buy businesses, you can buy yachts, you can buy millions in airtime and glossy brochures, but you can’t buy voters.”

Bass, on the other hand, has stacked up an impressive list of endorsements from such political heavyhitters as President Joe Biden, Vice-President Kamala Harris, Hillary Clinton, U.S. Senators Cory Booker, Alex Padilla and Elizabeth Warren, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Majority WHIP James Clyburn, former L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, County Supervisors Holly Mitchell, Sheila Kuehl and Hilda Solis, L.A. City Council President Nury Martinez, the Democratic Party and the Los Angeles Times which wrote, “For this race and this moment, no other candidate can match Bass’ experience, track record, sophisticated grasp of the problems plaguing Los Angeles and her vision of how to move forward.”

But Bass’ team is hardly counting Caruso out. Instead, they say they want to concentrate on the issues that are pressing to Angelenos and the solutions they believe can solve them.

“They hope that voters don’t count him out either, stressing that they not assume because she’s leading in the polls, that she’s got the election in the bag. Instead, they are emphasizing that they vote and that they do it early.”

In what is another key Southland race, State Senator Sydney Kamlager faces off against Jan Perry in a bid for the Congressional seat (District 37) Karen Bass is vacating. With the support of Bass and high power endorsements from the likes of Governor Gavin Newsom, the L.A. Times, County Supervisors Holly Mitchell and Sheila Kuehl, the California Democratic Party, former mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and the L.A. County Federation of Labor, Kamlager has consistently topped the field crushing Jan Perry with 41.7 percent of the vote to Perry’s 18.5 percent in her primary win in June.

Kamlager currently serves as State Senator representing district 30, which includes Mid-City Los Angeles, Crenshaw, Baldwin Hills, Ladera Heights, Windsor Hills, Culver City, and parts of West Los Angeles. Previously she was a member of the California State Assembly, representing district 54.

Just last month Governor Newsom having signed eight of her bills into law, including SB679 which sup-

ports and finances housing development; SB1085 which prohibit a child from being found to be within the jurisdiction of the juvenile court due to indigence or other conditions of financial difficulty; and SB 1139, requiring the CA Department of Corrections to make emergency in-person contact visits and video calls available whenever an incarcerated person is hospitalized due to a serious or critical medical condition.

Her opponent, Jan Perry served three terms on the Los Angeles City Council from 2001 to 2013. Following her time on the city council she served as general manager of the Economic & Workforce Development Department from 2013 to 2019.

Perry, who currently serves as the executive director for two non-profits that address future infrastructure, economic development, and environmental challenges and support agencies that serve Los Angeles’ unhoused population, has said that she would be “a fierce advocate for working families, ensure they receive a fair return on their hard-earned tax dollars, and to swiftly and humanely get unhoused people off of the street and into housing with services.”

Lola Smallwood-Cuevas and Cheryl Turner are both Democrats running to represent the newly redistricted District 28 in the California State Senate. The district covers much of West Los Angeles, north as far as Miracle Mile, south as far as Gramercy Park, west to Mar Vista, and east to Downtown Los Angeles.

Smallwood-Cuevas is the founder of the UCLA Center for the Advancement of Racial Equity at Work– which focuses on exploring the role of unions, empowering African American workers in Los Angeles, and strengthening the position of the black working class. She has not previously held any elected positions, but she has extremely strong ties to labor which insiders say will give her the edge over Turner in November. She led the field of candidates in the June primary with 44.8% of the vote.

Turner, who secured 30.3% of the vote in the June primary also has not held any publicly elected positions. With a background as a civil rights and consumer trial attorney, she was selected by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti to serve on the Los Angeles Convention and Exhibition Center Authority as a Commissioner where she eventually rose to the rank of Vice-President. She currently serves as president of the 21-member board of directors of the Apartment Owner’s Association of Los Angeles County. Statewide, Malia Cohen is hoping to make history in her bid for California State Controller as the first Black woman to hold the post.

Her credentials are more than impressive. She is the first African American woman to serve on the board of the California State Board of Equalization, representing 10 million people. Prior to that served as President of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors representing the city’s 10th district and she presently serves as President of the San Francisco Police Commission.

In fact, Malia Cohen, 43, has spent her career working to create a more equitable community for all with an eye toward communities of color, women, and working families and now she has her sights set on a higher office: California State Controller.

“I am running to make California’s money work for all Californians. I am running to protect the fiscal viability of our state and I am running to uplift equity and opportunity in the California economy,” Cohen has said.

That she is the only candidate to have earned current State Controller Betty Yee’s endorsement is a huge advantage. Cohen is one of two women – and the only African American – serving on the BOE, the state agency responsible for representing taxpayer interests and making county-by-county tax assessments and adjustments across the state.

Her opponent, Lanhee Chen, is running for elected office for the first time. Previously he was appointed by President Obama and confirmed in 2012 to serve on the Social Security Advisory Board.

He bested Cohen by 14 points in the June primary, but that was out of a field of six. Given that Chen is a Republican in what is a very blue state, Cohen is expected to overtake him in November.

Key Ballot Measures

Proposition 1: Putting abortion safeguards in the California constitution

After the news leaked in early May that the U.S. Supreme Court was planning to rule that the federal constitution doesn’t guarantee the right to an abortion — and on June 24 — California’s top Democrats proposed adding the protection to the state constitution. The proposed constitutional amendment was introduced in the Legislature in early June and was passed with the overwhelming support of both chambers by the end of the month. If approved by the voters, it would bar the state from denying or interfering with a person’s right to choose an abortion and contraceptives.

Fiscal impact: None Prop. 26: “Legalize Sports Betting on American Lands Initiative”

Supported by some of the state’s tribal governments, this proposition would only legalize sports betting in-person at tribal casinos and designated horse tracks. The measure, which would also allow tribes to offer roulette and other dice games, would potentially raise tens of millions of dollars for the state budget, most of which would be spent at the discretion of the governor and Legislature.

Fiscal impact to voters:

Prop. 27: “Legalize Online Sports Betting”

Would allow Californians to bet on sports and other competitions online, but only through certified gaming tribes and large, well-established online betting companies. The measure, funded by industry giants FanDuel and DraftKings, would potentially direct hundreds of millions of dollars in fee revenue to housing and services for homeless Californians.

Fiscal impact to voters:

Proposition 28: Set aside school funding for arts and music

Sponsored by former Los Angeles Unified School District superintendent Austin Beutner, this measure would require the state to set aside a share of its revenue — likely between $800 million to $1 billion per year — for arts and education classes. The new money would be disproportionately reserved for schools with many low-income students to hire new arts staff.

Fiscal impact to voters:

Proposition 29: Kidney Dialysis Rule Reforms

This measure slaps dialysis clinics with a host of new restrictions, including a requirement that a doctor, nurse practitioner or a physician assistant be on site during all treatment hours. Centers would also be required to get state approval before shuttering or reducing services and to publicly list any doctors who have at least a 5% ownership stake in a clinic. Sound familiar? That’s because the Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West, the union supporting this measure, has tried and failed to persuade voters to support new dialysis center regulations twice before, in 2018 and 2020, over vehement and very costly industry opposition.

Fiscal impact to voters: Proposition 30: Millionaires paying for electric cars:

This measure would impose a new 1.75% tax on any individual’s income of more than $2 million per year to raise between $3 billion to $4.5 billion each year to fund a collection of greenhouse gas reducing initiatives. Most of the money would go toward new incentives for Californians to buy zero-emission vehicles and to build new electric charging or hydrogen fueling stations. (Lyft, which is required to move toward ZEVs, is a major funder). A quarter of the new money would go toward wildfire fighting and prevention efforts.

Fiscal impact to voters:

Proposition 31: Reconsidering a flavored tobacco ban:

In 2020, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill banning the sale of all flavored tobacco products, whether smoked, chewed or vaped. The tobacco industry gathered enough signatures to ask voters to overturn the law with this referendum. (A reminder: Voting “yes” is to keep the law and allow the sale of flavored tobacco; voting “no” is to get rid of it.)

Fiscal impact to voters:

Inglewood Measure HC

This controversial measure would set a new $25/hr minimum wage standard for certain workers at private hospitals, hospital-based facilities and dialysis clinics, but completely excludes workers who do the exact same job at public hospitals, clinics, and health care facilities, including all University of California and county hospitals and clinics.The wage increase would only apply to private healthcare providers.

Fiscal impact to voters:

Also in Inglewood:

Residents will get to decide whether or not Mayor James Butts gets the opportunity to continue the work he’s already begun in transforming the City of Inglewood. in what would mark his fourth term in office. He is running for re-election against four challengers, Miya Walker, Chika Ogoke, Angelique Johnson and Raina Carrillo. He is not the only city official whose office is up for grabs. Four candidates have signed up to run against District 1 Councilman George Dotson. They are Kevin Taylor, Gloria Gray, Alena Cindy Giardina and Yolanda Davidson. Also up for re-election is District 2 Councilman Alex Padilla, who is running against just one challenger, Robert Brown.