March 09, 2023
City News Service
Opening statements were expected March 8 in the federal criminal trial of suspended Los Angeles City Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas, who while a member of the Board of Supervisors allegedly steered county contracts to USC's social work school in exchange for benefits for his son.
Ridley-Thomas, 68, was suspended from the Los Angeles City Council following the October 2021 federal indictment. He is charged with one count each of conspiracy and bribery, two counts of honest services mail fraud and 15 counts of honest services wire fraud. He has vehemently denied any wrongdoing.
A jury was seated in downtown Los Angeles on Tuesday to hear the case against Ridley-Thomas.
Prosecutors contend that in exchange for Ridley-Thomas' efforts on behalf of the then-dean of the social work school, Marilyn Flynn, the politician's son Sebastian was given admission to USC, a full-tuition scholarship, and a paid professorship.
Flynn admitted helping to disguise and funnel $100,000 from Ridley-Thomas' campaign account through the school to another nonprofit, United Ways of California, for the benefit of the Policy, Research & Practice Initiative, a new nonprofit initiative founded by Sebastian, according to her plea agreement.
By funneling the payment through USC, Ridley-Thomas and co-defendant Flynn attempted to disguise the true source of the payment to make it appear as though USC, not the then-supervisor, was the generous benefactor supporting his son and PRPI, prosecutors say.
The U.S. Attorney's Office alleges that Ridley-Thomas delivered on his end of the bargain. As a supervisor in 2018, he voted on three county proposals that Flynn had sought to shore up her school's shoddy financial situation, including a vote approving a much more lucrative amended Telehealth agreement with the USC School of Social Work, prosecutors contend. He also allegedly sought to influence key county decision-makers associated with the approvals and made sure Flynn knew of his efforts.
Flynn, 84, of Los Feliz, pleaded guilty in September to one count of bribery, admitting that she agreed to route money from Ridley-Thomas to Sebastian's nonprofit. She is scheduled to be sentenced June 26.
Prosecutors say the amended Telehealth contract was expected to generate about $9 million a year for the social work school.
As a result of the deal, Sebastian became a professor of social work and public policy at USC -- despite lacking a graduate degree. He was later terminated over questions about his original appointment and concerns by the university over the $100,000 donation. He also obtained a full-tuition scholarship and graduate school admission, papers filed in Los Angeles federal court show.
Flynn was dean of the School of Social Work at USC for 21 years until her departure in 2018. She had originally been facing the same slate of federal charges as Ridley-Thomas.
Responding to news of Flynn's plea agreement, USC issued a statement last year saying that after the university learned during the summer of 2018 about unethical conduct by the former dean, “we quickly disclosed the matter to the U.S. Attorney's Office. Marilyn Flynn has not been employed by the university since September 2018. USC is not a party to the criminal case but respects the judicial process.''
Ridley-Thomas is a giant figure in local politics, previously serving on the Los Angeles City Council from 1991-2002, then serving in the state Assembly and state Senate before he was elected to the powerful county Board of Supervisors in 2008, serving until 2020, when he returned to the City Council.
He has a doctorate in social ethics from USC and spent 10 years as executive director of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference of Greater Los Angeles, beginning in 1981.
March 02, 2023
By Dr. Valerie Wardlaw
Contributing Writer
Oscar winner Ruth E. Carter does not need an introduction. Carter made history as the first Black to win the Oscar for Best Costume Design for her stunning creations in the Marvel blockbuster “Black Panther.” She’s nominated again for the beautiful sequel, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.”
This Oscar nomination is the fourth for Carter in the Best Costume Design category. She is a previous Oscar nominee for the Spike Lee directed “Malcolm X,” 1993; Steven Spielberg’s slave-ship drama “Amistad,” 1997; Ryan Coogler’s directed “Black Panther,” 2019; and “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” 2022. With over 60 films and television shows to her credit as a lead costume designer and numerous industry recognitions, Carter said of her first Oscar win; this was a “longtime coming.”
“I’ve been designing heroes and sheroes throughout my career,” Carter said.
And that is a fact. The list of Carter’s triumphant and celebrated works is tremendous. It reads as a who’s who list of Black cinema: “School Daze,” “Roots,” “Selma,” “Coming to America,” “Marshall,” “Rosewood,” “The Butler,” “Sparkle,” “Shaft,” “Love & Basketball,” “What’s Love Got to Do With It,” “Mo’ Better Blues,” “Do the Right Thing,” “Da Sweet Blood of Jesus,” “How Stella Got Her Groove Back,” “Black Panther,” and the list goes on and on.
Carter has established herself as a master storyteller through her designs and is incredibly proud of her work in “Wakanda Forever.” “This one is bittersweet because we did lose our friend [the late Actor Chadwick Boseman].
We honored his legacy, and we know there would be no ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ without him,” Carter said. “I have cherished his memory with this costume display.”
Carter considers “Wakanda Forever” bigger than the first Black Panther, “so many touched this film, and we were bringing in a new culture, and that was scary.” Coogler, the director of both Panther movies, and Carter were intentional in their beautiful display of African culture on film. “I’m always thinking in the direction of how I can shock the system in seeing this collaboration of composition, color, and culture,” she said.
A self-described contributor and listener, Carter says she knew of her added value to both Panther films as she embraced her abilities to lead a costume department in the 1990s. “I embraced my abilities as a costume designer when Spike Lee would go to executive meetings and introduce me as his costume designer. I knew then that I added value to films I touched,” said Carter. “As an artist, I want to be in balance with the story, and seeking balance comes from my background in theater.”
A graduate of an HBCU, Hampton University, a shared alma mater with this writer, Carter initially embarked on a career path as a theater actor.
At Hampton, she auditioned for an acting role that didn’t go well, and the director offered her work as the costume designer for the play. “I didn’t know what a costume designer did, but I looked it up,” she recalled.
Carter apprenticed at the Santa Fe Opera before relocating to Los Angeles, continuing her work in the theater. In 1988, director Spike Lee recruited Carter to design costumes for “School Daze” and they have worked together on 14 films. Carter thanked Lee first during her Oscar speech, expressing her gratitude and hopes that she had made him proud. From the audience, Lee enthusiastically responded that he was indeed proud - a full circle moment, a destiny fulfilled.
In an industry where Carter admits change happens rapidly - “one day you’re hot, and the next day you’re not” - she is focused on keeping her designs fresh and new.
Carter remains inspired by history and the great artistic works of those who have come before her. “I fell in love with Black history and the African Diaspora, and I couldn’t get enough of Lorraine Hansberry and James Baldwin,” she said.
Carter lives by the example of women leading the way. Reflecting on her journey with colleagues and friends like Angela Bassett, Carter says they represented a part of the industry who were taking the front seat at the start of their careers. “I didn’t want to go into a project where I was sewing and mending. There’s nothing wrong with that, but I did not want to do that,” Carter said.
“I started in independent films and had to find my opportunities.” Carter says she was happy working on films like “I’m Gonna Git You Sucka,” “B*A*P*S,” “The Five Heart Beats” and “Mo’ Better Blues” and then she received an Oscar nomination for the sensational “Malcolm X.”
Today, the vibrant and uber-talented Ruth E. Carter from Springfield, Massachusetts impacts and influences how others see Black Americans on the big screen.
“I feel good about the decisions I have made for myself,” she declared.
Watch the 95th Academy Awards on Sunday, March 12, on ABC.
March 02, 2023
By Cora Jackson-Fossett
Managing Editor
Hundreds of people came out on February 26, for the Inaugural Address and Community Resource Fair for newly elected Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove.
The event was held at The Beehive, a popular complex in South L.A. filled with Black-owned businesses such as a craft brewery, an art gallery, a technology collaborative and a health-conscious restaurant.
Kamlager-Dove, who staged her event in the venue’s scenic courtyard, used the occasion to hold a swearing-in ceremony, deliver her inaugural address, and share information about opportunities available to her constituents. The resource fair featured representatives of nonprofits, businesses and agencies that outlined potential amenities for community members and a local band provided captivating music.
Several elected officials attended the ceremony including State Senator Steven Bradford, State Senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas, and L.A. County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell. L.A. Mayor Karen Bass administered the oath of office to Kamlager-Dove as the congresswoman’s husband held the Holy Bible.
Kamlager-Dove, who was elected to the office previously held by Bass, served in the California Senate and the State Assembly prior to winning the race to represent the 37th congressional district. Throughout her career, she has been an unwavering advocate for social and economic justice for minority communities.
In her new position, Kamlager-Dove is the U.S. Congresswoman for Culver City, Inglewood, and the Los Angeles neighborhoods encompassing Baldwin Hills, Beverlywood, Century City, Crenshaw, Exposition Park, Hyde Park, Jefferson Park, Ladera Heights, Leimert Park, Mid-City, Pico-Robertson, University Park, Vermont Knolls, Vermont Square, View Park-Windsor Hills, and West Adams.
8 PHOTOS:
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Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove speaks during the ceremony. (Jevone Moore/L.A. Sentinel)
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L.A. Mayor Karen Bass administers the oath of office to Kamlager-Dove as the congresswoman’s husband holds the Holy Bible.(Jevone Moore/L.A. Sentinel)
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Supervisor Holly Mitchell addresses the huge crowd.(Jevone Moore/L.A. Sentinel)
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Mayor Karen Bass voices shares her goals for the future.(Jevone Moore/L.A. Sentinel)
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Kamlager-Dove greets Planned Parenthood representatives.(Jevone Moore/L.A. Sentinel)
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Senator Steven Bradford welcomes the audience to the event.(Jevone Moore/L.A. Sentinel)
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A local band provided a wide selection of music.(Jevone Moore/L.A. Sentinel)
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Guests enjoyed the resource fair.(Jevone Moore/L.A. Sentinel)
March 02, 2023
By Aldon Thomas Stiles
California Black Media
Earlier this month, the California Housing Financing Agency (CalHFA) and the Sacramento branch of NeighborWorks held a press conference at the State Capitol to announce the expansion of California's mortgage relief program.
“Over the past year, the California Mortgage Relief program has been helping Californians that are most vulnerable to overcome the financial challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Tiena Johnson Hall, Executive Director of the California Housing Finance Agency.
One of the major new changes to eligibility, CalHFA officials say, applies to those who own residences with up to four units. Those homeowners can now apply for assistance. Relief through the program has also extended to those with partial-claim second mortgages or loan deferrals from the beginning of 2020.
Additionally, for homeowners who have missed at least two mortgage payments or one property payment before March 1st of this year, the delinquency date for payments has been reset.
Previous beneficiaries of the program are now eligible for additional funds that could add up to $80,000 in total aid. Officials say the program is meant for those who have had trouble keeping up with housing payments due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Funding for the California Mortgage relief program comes from the Federal Government’s American Rescue Plan Act’s Homeowners Assistance Fund implemented in 2021, which allocated $1 billion for eligible homeowners across the country.
According to Hall, the program has distributed federal grants and funds to over 10,000 California homeowners.
Not only is applying to the program free, she says, homeowners do not have to worry about paying back the relief funds.
The program is provided to homeowners through the CalHFA Homeowner Relief Corporation.
During the press conference held in the first week of Black History Month, Hall made a point to mention that those who tend to struggle with homeownership in California and the nation at large are Black.
"Black communities have been shut out of homeownership by a variety of factors including discriminatory housing practices which equates to less generational wealth," said Hall.
Homeownership is an incredibly important tool in building generational wealth, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Volma Volcy, Founder and Executive Director of the Ring of Democracy, said it is important to secure the prosperity of neighborhoods where residents are at risk for foreclosure.
"When a family is displaced, a whole community is destroyed," said Volcy.
Volcy also said that the California Mortgage Relief Program has been successful so far in providing aid for those in fear of losing their homes due to pandemic-related financial hardships.
Visit the California Mortgage Relief website to assess your eligibility and apply for the program.