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The Black Movie Soundtrack II at the Hollywood Bowl – Spectacular!

Dr. Valerie Wardlaw, Contributing WriterSeptember 8, 2016

On Wednesday, August 31, 2016, at the famed Hollywood Bowl – Kenneth ‘Babyface’ Edmonds, Charlie Wilson, Marcus Miller, Gladys Knight, Common, Philip Bailey, Lalah Hathaway, Verdine White and Ralph Johnson to name a few shared the stage for an evening that host Craig Robinson called “a hug for your soul.” And that it was. The Black Movie Soundtrack II, a live event created and produced by filmmaker Reginald Hudlin, Grammy-winning bassist Marcus Miller, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association in association with the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) paired live performances with clips from some of

Sports

No. 1 Alabama Rolls Over No. 20 USC, 52-6

Dr. Valerie Wardlaw, Contributing WriterSeptember 7, 2016

Arlington, Texas – On Saturday, September 3, 2016, the USC Trojans were handed their worse defeat in 50 years by the No. 1 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide in front of 81,359 at AT&T Stadium, home to the Dallas Cowboys. The Trojans who entered the contest ranked 20th in the nation were held to 194 yards in the worst rout since a 51-0 defeat by Notre Dame in 1966. USC quarterback Max Browne was 14 of 29 for 101 yards with one interception. “You’re well aware you’re playing the No. 1 team in the country, but at the same time,

Local News

Concerned Black Men Los Angeles: Mentoring at its Best

By Dr. Valerie Wardlaw, Contributing WriterJuly 12, 2016

On Friday, August 19, 2016, the Concerned Black Men of Los Angeles (CBMLA) will host its 2nd Annual Awards Banquet honoring men and women who serve as mentors for at-risk youth in the Los Angeles community. The Honorable Rupert Byrdsong, Los Angeles Superior Court, will be the keynote speaker. For the past 13 years, CBMLA has provided academic support, career enrichment, and mentorship for Black male youth throughout the greater Los Angeles area. Mark Anderson, former Postmaster for Los Angeles and current President of CBMLA said, “the number of kids in our community who are fatherless sons is astounding. About

National News

Happy Birthday Minister Al-Hajji Malik El-Shabazz (Malcolm X)

Dr. Valerie Wardlaw, Contributing WriterMay 19, 2016

He would have celebrated 91 years of life today (May 19). What can be said about a man who captivated a nation? Malcolm X or Al-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz as he was known in the years prior to his death, is considered by many one of the most important voices of conscious thought. Ask any millennial what they love about Malcolm X and you are certain to hear one of his infamous quotes roll quickly off their tongues; “By any means necessary,” or his mantra to everyone, to “make it plain.” Much has been written about Malcolm X and his

Local Sports

The LA Rams Report: Introducing Rookie Tight End Temarrick Hemingway

Dr. Valerie Wardlaw, Sports WriterMay 10, 2016

Oxnard, CA – Two thousand four hundred and fifty-eight miles – the distance Temarrick Hemingway traveled from Orangeburg, SC to reach the Rams rookie training camp in Oxnard, CA. Hemingway, a 6-5, 245 pound tight end, the 177th overall pick in the 2016 NFL draft from South Carolina State University (SCSU) stepped onto the Rams practice field filled with wide-eyed excitement and pride at being a member of the newly minted Los Angeles Rams. Hemingway says he is “ready and willing to work hard for his opportunity of a lifetime.” When asked about his thoughts as he took the

Entertainment Music

Jazz Entertainer Eloise Laws to Perform at Vibrato Grill Jazz

Dr. Valerie Wardlaw, Contributing WriterMay 10, 2016

One of the many perks of living in the Los Angeles area is the amazing array of great music available on any given weekend. And this weekend is no exception. The sensational Eloise Laws is in concert at the Vibrato Grill Jazz, Sunday, May 15, 2016. Laws will perform her new single, “Can’t Let Myself,” during two evening shows at 7P.M. and 9P.M. Laws is no stranger to the performance stage. A Tony nominee, singer, and entertainer, Eloise is music royalty as she is a member of the sensational Laws family…Hubert, Ronnie, and Debra. Of her new single, “Can’t

Football News News (Sports)Sports

Denver Broncos Win Super Bowl 50!

Dr. Valerie Wardlaw, Sports WriterFebruary 9, 2016

Santa Clara, Calif. – It was unseasonably warm in Levi Stadium on Sunday, February 8, 2016…a great day for football. At exactly 3:30pm, PT, the Denver Broncos and the Carolina Panthers took the field in front of 71,088 cheering fans to begin what many sports pundits had predicted…a win by the Carolina Panthers. In fact, ESPN’s Football Power Index had given the Broncos a 44 percent chance of winning. It was not to be for the Panthers, a team that had gone 17-1 in regular season play. The Denver Broncos defeated the Carolina Panthers, 24-10 in Super Bowl 50. It

Football News (Sports)Sports

Oakland Raiders Charles Woodson Receives Art Rooney’s Sportsmanship Award

Dr. Valerie Wardlaw, Sports WriterFebruary 7, 2016

San Francisco – Retired Oakland Raiders safety Charles Woodson received the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award on Saturday, February 6 at the fifth annual NFL Honors Awards ceremony, Bill Graham Civic Auditorium Woodson, a nine-time Pro Bowler, and the only person in NFL history to record at least 50 interceptions and 20 sacks in a career, expressed his joy in receiving this honor. “This is a great honor. It’s always a great honor anytime you get voted for anything where your peers vote for it. I’m very honored to have received the award,” Woodson said. “I think what it speaks

Football News (Sports)Sports

San Francisco 49ers Anquan Boldin Named Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year

Dr. Valerie Wardlaw, Contributing WriterFebruary 7, 2016

San Francisco – 49ers free agent wide receiver Anquan Boldin was named the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year on Saturday, February 6, 2016 at the NFL Honors awards ceremony. Boudin was one of three finalists that included New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning and New Orleans tight end Benjamin Watson. “This award means a lot. It’s definitely an honor for me to be honored in this way. I think it’s an award that all of the guys in the NFL relate to, but I think I speak for myself when I speak for the guys that were nominated with

Local National News

National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, February 7, 2016

Dr. Valerie Wardlaw, Contributing WriterFebruary 6, 2016

Sunday, February 7, 2016 is National HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. The theme of thisYear’s campaign is ‘I am My Brother’s and Sister’s Keeper: Fight HIV/AIDS’. The emphasis of the 2016 campaign is on the role that everyone can play in HIV prevention and television personality and Co-Founder of 6in10.org, Karamo Brown wants that message heard loud and clear! Brown co-founded 6in10.org with Donta Morrison to eradicate the HIV statistic that says that 6 in 10 African American gay or bi-sexual men will contract HIV by the time they are 40 according to the Centers for Disease Control. Among African Americans,

Football News (Sports)Sports

Denver Broncos Win Trip to Super Bowl 50

Dr. Valerie Wardlaw, Sports WriterJanuary 25, 2016

The Denver Broncos are 2016 AFC Champions. Photo: Charlie Riedel/AP Denver –On Sunday, January 24, the American Football Conference championship game took center stage. It was the much talked about 17th matchup between two giants in the football world and perhaps their final meeting – quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. It was Manning, the oft-maligned quarterback who many had not only counted out but also wanted to push out that prevailed. The Denver Broncos beat the New England Patriots, 20-18 and will make their eighth Super Bowl appearance. Manning has been a part of four Super Bowls under four

Football News (Sports)Sports

Stanford Routs Iowa in 102nd Rose Bowl Game, 45 – 16

Dr. Valerie Wardlaw, Sports WriterJanuary 5, 2016

Pasadena, Calif. – The sixth-ranked Stanford Cardinal handily defeated the fifth-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes, 45 – 16 in front of an announced crowd of 94, 268 at the 102nd Rose Bowl, the Granddaddy of all bowl games on Friday, January 1, 2016. Stanford finished the season 12-2 overall while Iowa fell to 12-2. As much as football is a team sport, this game showcased the brilliant play of running back Christian McCaffrey, the son of former NFL wide receiver Ed McCaffrey. McCaffrey, the one man wrecking ball became the first player to have more than 100 yards rushing and 100 yards

Football News News (Sports)Sports

USC Hires Clay Helton as Permanent Head Coach of Football Team

Dr. Valerie Wardlaw, Sports WriterNovember 30, 2015

The University of Southern California announced today that it has hired Clay Helton as permanent head coach of the football team. Helton, 43, has served as the team’s interim coach twice, recently replacing Steve Sarkisian who was fired earlier this season. Helton guided the Trojans to a 5-2 record and a first place finish in the Pac-12 South Division. USC will play in its first Pac-12 Championship game after defeating cross-time rival UCLA at the LA Coliseum on Saturday, November 28, 40-21. USC athletic director Pat Haden said in a statement: “After weeks of searching the collegiate and pro

Football News (Sports)Sports

USC Wins Pac-12 South, Beating UCLA, 40–21

Dr. Valerie Wardlaw, Contributing WriterNovember 30, 2015

Despite a season filled with turmoil and confusion, the USC Trojans have accomplished what many thought impossible; they defeated the nationally ranked UCLA Bruins, 40-21, on rivalry Saturday and Senior Day at the Coliseum. It was the 85th meeting between the cross-town rivals and it ended a four-year drought for the Trojans. The Trojans rushed for 235 yards, with 103 of those yards coming in the fourth quarter and they committed zero turnovers. It was a game that that is now being touted as a return to ‘Trojan football’. The Trojans struck first, with an Alex Wood field goal, taking

Entertainment Local News News (Entertainment)

The YWCA Greater Los Angeles Host 14th Annual Rhapsody Gala Honors: BET’s Debra L. Lee, LA County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, and Toyota’s Tracey Underwood

Dr. Valerie Wardlaw, Contributing WriterNovember 24, 2015

On November 13, 2015, the YWCA Greater Los Angeles (YWCA-GLA) hosted their 14th annual Rhapsody Gala at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills. The Rhapsody Gala, the organization’s main fundraising event, provides assistance to the area’s most at-risk population; emancipated foster youth, and other underserved individuals in the YWCA GLA’s program areas: Workforce/Youth Development, Sexual Assault Crisis Services, Child Development, and Senior Services. This year, the YWCA-GLA celebrated the extraordinary achievements of Debra L. Lee, Chairman and CEO of BET Networks recipient of the Media Visionary Award, Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas as Man of the Year, and