On Thursday, September 12, 2019 the Los Angeles Sentinel Family was shocked when we got word that former Los Angeles Sentinel Managing Editor, Yussuf J. Simmonds, passed away after several years of battling health challenges.
Simmonds who has worked with Los Angeles Sentinel Executive Publisher, Danny J. Bakewell, Sr. dating back to the days when Danny Sr. was the president of The Brotherhood Crusade, was a highly respected journalist, an artist and devoted member of the Nation of Islam.
“When I heard the news, I was deeply saddened by the news of Yussuf’s passing. He was a dear friend and confidant, who worked with me on so many projects over the years. Yussuf was a man I could always count on to help serve our people and our community, whether working on a protest event, the Brotherhood Crusade Dinners or at the Sentinel, Yussuf was a man committed to getting the job done,” said Danny J. Bakewell, Sr. chairman of Bakewell Media and board chairman of The Brotherhood Crusade.
Simmonds was born and grew up in Trinidad and moved to Los Angeles, where he began following the teachings of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad and working at the Nation of Islam – Temple #27. Not only was he a loyal member of the Brotherhood Crusade team, but he was an entrepreneur creating and working in a multitude of various businesses including real estate, finance and in the grocery business.
Simmonds will be a man always remembered for being a good friend of the community. He was very close with former Lt. Governor Mervyn Dymally, who was also from Trinidad. As managing editor of the Sentinel, Simmonds became known as a serious journalist, who interviewed several of Los Angeles top political and community leaders as well as in depth stories on the challenges of those living here locally.
“Yussuf helped prepare me for taking on the responsibility of being the managing editor of the Sentinel, he taught me so much about the task of getting a newspaper ready for print and about how to frame a story so that it speaks directly to the African American community, and for this, I will always be grateful,” state Brandon Brooks, L.A. Sentinel Managing Editor.
As of Sentinel press time, no other information regarding services are available.
