February 21, 2019 

LAWT News Service 

 

Last Thursday, February 14, 2019, State Sen. Holly J. Mitchell announced that she is entering the race for the 2nd District seat on the Board of Supervisors.

 

“Today I am excited to share that I am officially launching my campaign to serve on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors for District 2.

 

Over the past nine years I’ve had the honor of representing the people of Los Angeles as State Senator for California’s 30th District. This experience has provided me with the opportunity to hear directly from communities on the issues impacting their lives and to achieve legislative victories that align with our shared values.

 

I am proud of the wins we have made in criminal justice reform, increasing access to quality healthcare, and to have passed two state budgets that expanded funding for vital services for infants, students and working families.

 

I have never backed down from doing what is right and necessary. I believe in the best Los Angeles County has to offer and I am willing to fight for it. This is why I am running for County Supervisor.

 

Whether you’re a third generation Angeleno like me or someone who just moved here, our communities must continue to be a place of possibility for all residents no matter their race, ethnicity, religion, gender or economic status.

 

We live in a time where the progress we have made and continue to fight for is under attack. Our communities are expecting their leaders to represent their voice and to be a moral compass for our country. I can guarantee you that as County Supervisor, I will lead with the moral integrity and effectiveness that we deserve.”

 

The 2nd District stretches from Culver City to Carson and encompasses about half of the county’s Black population. Political veterans Councilman Herb Wesson former Councilmember  Jan Perry are also competing for the seat. Mark Ridley-Thomas is the current 2nd District Supervisor.

 

To learn more about how to get involved go to www.hollyjmitchell.com.

February 21, 2019 

By James Wright 

Washington Informer 

 

Freshman Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-Ill.) told a receptive audience of the nation’s leading African-American nursing association that they should seriously consider entering the political realm.

 

“Please run for office,” Underwood said to the attendees of the 31st National Black Nurses Association Day on Capitol Hill at the Washington Court Hotel in Northwest on Feb. 7. “Our country needs you.”

 

Underwood, a registered nurse, spoke to the 90 participants of the one-day event during its morning session. The representative spoke strongly about the need for African American nurses voices to be heard in the country’s political dialogue.

 

“Capitol Hill needs to hear from you,” Underwood said. “We as nurses are impacted by Hill actions and we are not a part of the conversation. Throughout the history of the Congress, there have been less than 10 nurses to serve and we need more. We have to be at the table.”

 

 

The National Black Nurses Association (NBNA), founded in 1971, serves as the representative for 200,000 African-American nursing professionals, students and retirees from the U.S., the Caribbean and Africa with 90 chartered chapters in 35 states. Blacks make up 9.9 percent of all nurses, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

 

Working under the theme “Addressing the Epidemic of Health Inequity: The NBNA Call for Action,” the participants listened to speakers on health and public policy issues in the morning and spent part of the afternoon on Capitol Hill meeting with representatives and senators and their legislative staffs.

 

During the visits, the participants urged their lawmakers to support their areas of concern: passing the Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2018 sponsored by Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) that would correct deficiencies in data collecting and reporting, pushing for health care worker diversity and support for mental health initiatives; working to eliminate maternal mortality; educating and advocating on climate change and environmental justice; fighting the epidemic of gun violence and combating the opioid crisis.

 

While most met with staff members, some managed to get face time with their representatives on the Hill. Participants from New York talked with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D) and those from Houston had a dialogue with Rep. Al Green (D-Texas).

 

Afterward, the participants spoke of their experiences with their lawmakers.

 

Underwood, the youngest African-American woman elected to the Congress, said that she and Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Texas) are the only Black nurses on the Hill.

 

“That’s not enough,” she said.

 

Underwood encouraged the event participants to know their local public officials and seek appointment to county and state nursing boards. She also said the participants should take a “leap of faith” and intern for a member of Congress.

 

“I know that will be a sacrifice leaving where you live and coming here to Washington,” Underwood said. “However, you will learn a lot about the legislative process and be able to be an effective advocate for nursing and your community.”

 

Dr. Greg Margolis, director of health policy fellowships and leadership programs for the National Academy of Medicine in the District, spoke about the Robert W. Johnson Health Policy Fellows program and noted that Dr. Sheldon Fields, a founding president of the greater New York City chapter of the NBNA, made history as the first male registered nurse to participate in the program.

 

“Resources do not go to the just, but to the organized,” Margolis said. “Advocacy is not an event it is a campaign. If you want things to get done on your behalf, it’s not just a once-a-year event visiting the Hill. … It should be viewed as part of a long-term campaign.”

February 14, 2019 

By Stacy M. Brown 

NNPA Newswire Correspondent 

 

VP Records, the world’s largest reggae music company, has announced a year-long calendar of activities in celebration of its 40 years in the United States.

 

For two generations, the Queens, N.Y.-based company has marketed Caribbean culture and island lifestyle through music, events and merchandise, and has been at the heart of reggae, dancehall and soca.

 

The year of celebrations will feature a variety of music and cultural events, products, historical exhibits and experiences, in Jamaica, across the U.S., Toronto, Canada and London, England.

 

“VP is integral to the history of reggae and dancehall music. We take this responsibility seriously and we are using our 40th anniversary to celebrate the music’s rich heritage as we steward the genre into the future,” said company president Randy Chin.

 

“A major focus for the anniversary is highlighting the company’s commitment to the development, promotion and globalization of Jamaican music.”

 

From Dennis Brown, Barring­ton Levy, and Freddie McGregor to Sean Paul, Beenie Man, Lady Saw, and Tarrus Riley, VP Records has become home to some of the biggest acts in reggae music.

 

The label’s current roster includes Alborosie, Jah Cure, Raging Fyah, Gyptian, Beres Hammond, Queen Ifrica, Ikaya, Jah9, Fay-Ann Lyons, Christopher Martin, Maxi Priest, Busy Signal, Spice, Romain Virgo, and Spiritual.

 

The company kicked off its anniversary celebrations with a return to its homeland of Jamaica in January and will continue into the summer with a historical exhibit titled “A Reggae Music Journey,” at Donald Sangster airport in Montego Bay.

 

The exhibition will move to Kingston’s Norman Manley International Airport in June 2019 through the end of the year.  

 

Chin recently sat down for a Q&A with NNPA Newswire:

 

NNPA Newswire: How did the company get started and what or who inspired you?

 

Chin: My parents, Vincent and Patricia, started the Jamaican chapter of the company after my father accumulated records that he changed out of jukeboxes around Jamaica.

 

The owner of the jukeboxes had no use for the records, so my parents kept them, and then started selling them out of their ice cream parlor.

 

They named the business ‘Randy’s” after the sponsor of an American radio program that was heard down there at the time. Obviously, that became my nickname too.

 

They couldn’t have gotten into the Jamaican music business at a better time. They got in on the ground floor in every sense, because Jamaican music was about to become an international phenomenon, starting a few years later with Millie’s “My Boy Lollipop,” then Desmond Dekker’s “Israelites,” and of course Bob Marley and the Wailers, and the rest is history.

 

In 1962, they moved from their first location to 17 North Parade, and records were becoming the central focus of the business.

 

My father started producing music with a popular singer named Lord Creator and built a studio above the new shop, which became known as Randy's Studio 17. My brother Clive became involved in producing also, and many local independent producers such as Lee Scratch Perry rented the studio.

 

This was right as reggae was born. Everyone recorded there, including Bob Marley, Gregory Isaacs, Dennis Brown, Burning Spear, Augustus Pablo, you name them. Reggae may not have been born at our studio, but it grew up there.

 

NNPA Newswire: What were perhaps one or two of your biggest challenges getting things off the ground?

 

Chin: One of the biggest challenges was that the business environment in Jamaica in the 70’s made it hard to get records to the international market. So, my parents decided to move from Jamaica to New York in the late 70s, which is how the VP Records chapter began. VP is their initials.

 

It’s always been a challenge to get music that comes from Jamaica, from our culture in our way of speaking, patois, to translate to international ears and international tastes in a way that people can really relate.

 

I think overall, it's impressive how well received our music is outside our small island, but we still have to be mindful of the music that is made for a local Jamaican audience and the music that can make it on the bigger stage.

 

NNPA Newswire: Briefly tell us about a couple of your top artists, i.e., who they are and how did you land them for the company?

 

Chin: From the VP chapter of the story, the top artists have been dancehall stars over the last 20 to 25 years like Sean Paul, Beenie Man, Lady Saw, and Bounty Killer, but the veteran reggae singers and emcees have been the foundation of the business, including Dennis Brown, Barrington Levy, Freddie McGregor, and Yellowman.

 

Beres Hammond really stands out as well, because of the length of time he has been with the company.

 

My brother Chris has been involved with the company his whole life, initially on the technical side of mastering records but also deciding about what music to release. He and my mother built relationships with artists and producers over many decades. Relationships are a key to bringing in great artists. That extends to our whole A&R team.

 

Some people are surprised to learn that one of our top artists is Alborosie, who was born in Italy but lived in Jamaica so long that he earned the respect of the local dancehall crowd.

 

His music is popular all over the world.

 

Our current roster includes Alborosie, Jah Cure, Raging Fyah, Gyptian, Beres Hammond, Queen Ifrica, Ikaya, Jah9, Fay-Ann Lyons, Christopher Martin, Busy Signal, Spice, Romain Virgo, and Spiritual.

 

NNPA Newswire: What would you say was the company’s biggest hit and why do you believe it was such a hit?

 

Chin: In 2002, we had a distribution agreement with Atlantic Records that was a key to Sean Paul’s breakthrough. His ‘Dutty Rock’ album sold 6 million copies and was loaded with hits like “Get Busy,” “Gimme The Light,” “Like Glue,” and others.

 

We had Wayne Wonder at the same time with “No Letting Go,” which was also a big hit. With the distribution deal with Atlantic, VP Records was able to bridge the gap between working with a major mainstream label while still supporting Sean with the core foundation of the Jamaican community and its diaspora.

 

Overall his sound was fresh and distinct and never confused with any of his peers at the time. He had his own identity, which is a key to making a hit.

 

NNPA Newswire: What does the future hold for the company?

 

Chin: We’re excited about the future. We want Jamaican music, in all its forms — past, present, and future — to continue to develop in new directions and have an international following.

 

The streaming world makes that more of a reality than ever. We see it when we look at where our fans are. There is so much potential for streaming in developing markets that we just have to make sure we continue to put out quality music for the world to hear.

 

We’re also very proud of where we’ve come from.

 

It was a real boost when UNESCO recognized reggae as a cultural heritage asset last year. We want the Randy’s and VP story to always be included in the story of reggae and dancehall.

 

We bought Greensleeves Records a decade ago and have a 25,000-song catalog that covers a lot of the history of reggae, dub, dancehall, and beyond.

 

We continue to be interested in new developments and new musical forms that are related to reggae and dancehall, such as afro-beats and all the offshoots of dance and urban music around the world that trace right back to Jamaica.

 

We’re open to the future and very proud of our past.