Now entering their second season on Oprah Winfrey Networks — “The Book Of John Gray” — which premiered March 13—hosted a VIP dinner at New York City’s London Hotel. The assembled journalists, bloggers and influencers chowed down on an elegant dinner with John Gray III and his wife, Aventer Gray. The intimate gathering was just the right touch to discuss what’s in store for the second season.
Described as a dramedy docu the popular show follows the life of Gray III focusing in on his uniquely humorous way of helping people. He is a minister and was an associate pastor at Houston’s famous Lakewood Church under megachurch leader Pastor Joel Osteen. Stepping into his own level of success and known for his very loud, hilarious, unconventional ways, John and his family (father of two) gave season one viewers an unprecedented and intimate access into his church and home life.
Gray feels called to the ministry and began preaching at 21. He also toured as a singer with Grammy Award-winning gospel recording artist Kirk Franklin.
In Season 1, the show followed Gray as he guided a number of people, in serious need including a woman whose home was destroyed after a flood, a father concerned about his daughter’s addiction to alcohol and a military veteran trying to work through the trauma of sexual abuse, which brings up demons from Gray’s own painful past.
The clips from season two of “The Book Of John Gray” highlighted a heart-wrenching scene where Gray’s battle with diabetes and the health-related issues that arise because of this disease are brought to the forefront.
“We both are very open to discussing our health challenges,” his wife, Aventer Gray said. “And we’re making incremental changes with our health, but the cold turkey thing of X-ing out all of our favorite things to eat doesn’t work. We’ll do good for seven days, and then after that, we’re back to celebrating something with something like soda which he had (just one) today because we are celebrating."
Here is a very brief excerpt from the intimate dinner with John Gray III and his wife, Aventer Gray.
L.A. Watts Times (LAWT): In the clip from Season two of your show “The Book Of John Gray” (now playing on Oprah Winfrey Networks), you share that you are battling diabetes and it’s very serious. My grandmother and my mother died from diabetes. It’s a tricky and horrible disease. I got so angry watching the show's clip because, to me, it appeared that you weren’t willing to change your eating habits. It also appeared to me because you're not willing to change, to save your life, that you don’t really love your wife not if you are willing to put your health at such risk. I’m sorry. I had to speak my mind.
And a hush went over the room...
John Gray III (JGIII): Having diabetes is an invitation to discipline. I can be the miracle by not eating certain things and taking care of myself. It’s called growing up.
Aventer Gray: He’s doing better but he’s, we are only human. As humans, we are not perfect. We never said that we are perfect. It’s a process and we pray over this situation, and it’s getting better.
JGIII: [Managing diabetes] It's a process and I am learning. In season two I am open about the fact that I don’t take my medicine like I should; I don’t eat the things I should or exercise. That was then. My father died in a diabetic coma. I know that diabetes is a threshold kind of thing and it can all go downhill at the same time.
LAWT: Thank you for your honest answers. You have a unique opportunity to really help others who are also suffering from diabetes, and I hope you use the show accordingly.
JGIII: Absolutely. You are right.
Later that night as a parting “nightcap” John Gray III left the assembled in the room with these heartfelt words opening with quoting a scripture from the Bible; Psalm 139:16, “All my days were written when as yet there was none of them. All my days were written in your book how precious are your thoughts toward me o God, how precious are the sum of them. I couldn’t number them if I tried,” shared Gray III. “You are not looking at a television star, you’re not looking at a media personality. You are looking at the product of a divorced home. A father and a mother whose marriage didn’t make it…four years old and my father walked out the door, never to return. And I had a mother who loved God and who raised me to know who Jesus was.
“I was five-years-old and she asked God ‘who am I raising?’ and she said that God told her that “you’re raising a leader.” One night I was watching Walter Cronkite [American broadcast journalist] on the World News and while I was watching that instead of cartoons [I heard] God said ‘you’re raising a world leader so train him and develop him as such.’ So, my single mother who was going to college at night while working full time, during the day, raised me, prayed for me and fought for me so that I wouldn’t become one of the statistics of my neighborhood. I say all that to say [that] television can be very illusionary in that it shows the best and hides the rest. What Aventer and I were determined to do is to show every page in the book. The good and the bad. To show the flaws. To show the scars because real life is where miracles happen.
For each person in this room, we all have a destiny we all have a purpose. Each of you has a calling, a gift a fingerprint that will never be seen again in the history of the planet and has never been seen before.”
“The three of us have one major goal,” Los Angeles City Council President Herb Wesson told the Sentinel in a recent interview about his relationship with fellow African American City Council members, Curren Price and Marqueece Harris-Dawson and their collective effort to help underserved constituents.
“That goal is to deliver services to the people we represent, the things they want, need and expect.”
Recently, the trio introduced a motion to study the feasibility of a Neighborhood Stabilization Program to address the displacement of poor and working families and small businesses in South Los Angeles. The motion cites a recent development boom and the disproportionate impact of the affordable housing crisis on Black residents as significant threats to the stability of South Los Angeles neighborhoods.
“South Los Angeles is one of the last affordable communities in LA, with the largest concentrations of African Americans in the city,” said Harris-Dawson.
“Prices are far outpacing incomes and we still have a painfully high unemployment rate, we need to act now.”
The politicians represent the eighth (Harris-Dawson), ninth (Price) and tenth (Wesson) council districts of Los Angeles, areas where a large number of their constituents face a lot of the same challenges. Housing insecurity, unemployment and lack of inclusion in the city’s growth and development are what the councilmen are trying mitigate, they said. But rather than compete for resources, they have decided that working together for a more common cause is a better way to help those they represent.
“Common sense will tell you, [that it’s better] if the three of us collaborate,” Wesson said.
“And so, we all get together and collaborate. We think that it’s important that the three of us strategize on how to make our community better. We are part of a group of other black elected officials who meet on a quarterly basis…”
That idea, he said, was borne of Congresswoman Karen Bass.
“So about four times a year, just about every African American elected official in the southern region of this state and we get together for dinner and share various things that are going on in the community.”
Harris-Dawson and Price agree that working together maximizes the councilmen’s power.
“One of the things that residents always point out to us is, ‘we don’t wake up in the morning with consciousness about where that lines are between each district…’ It’s all the community for them,” Harris-Dawson explained.
“It’s important and it’s their expectation that we work together. I’m happy that it’s an expectation that we’re meeting.
“Take an issue like airplane noise for example. That’s an issue that one council person by themselves… that wouldn’t make sense that they would be able to move that. The three of us together… since all of our constituents have that as an issue in one area or another, working together we can actually move something significant.”
“And so, those are the kinds of real material results that you see as a result of our collaboration.”
Going forward, the councilmembers said they will collaborate now, on making sure that the underserved get a better foothold as residents of Los Angeles, by having opportunities to take part in new economic developments like construction and the cannabis industry.
“Regardless of how you feel about cannabis, our bosses (the voters of this state) instructed us to regulate this new industry,” Wesson explained.
“One of the priorities for us is based on this failed war on drugs, basically a war on Blacks and Latinos. We felt it important that as this industry emerges, that Blacks and Latinos and women, to get into this business if they choose to.
“This is a business that is going to be booming and pretty soon, people will not make jokes about it. We recognize, if we did not get our people in from the very beginning, then it would be another industry making billions of dollars where we would not reap any benefits.”
Getting people involved in the city’s revitalization efforts is also important, they said.
“I’m real sensitive to creating jobs and economic opportunities, especially with $3 billion in investments since 2013,” said Price.
“I’m excited about the work that’s going on in Expo Park for example, the soccer stadium, the Lucas Museum… On all of these, with the help of my colleagues, we have strong hiring requirements.
“We want to make sure that folks are taking part in these jobs. We see what’s happening downtown, we want the same thing to occur in South L.A.”
“One of the most important things about our relationship is making sure these things are done in a way where Black folks can have full participation,” Harris-Dawson said.
“About 49 percent of the homeless population is African American. We’re building a lot of homeless housing. We have to pay attention to who gets into housing, who gets to build it, who gets to provide services…”
The three councilmen said they are close and when you see them together, they are representing true comraderie within the Council chambers.
“One thing I think we have for each other is mutual respect,” Harris-Dawson told the Sentinel.
“And,” said Price, “Marqueece and I are fortunate to have a president who is not afraid to share power.”
Added Wesson, “because we’re so close, when you’re looking at me [you’re also looking at the others]. We go into every council meeting with three… If you put the three of us in a room for thirty minutes, we are going to come out united.”
“I think at the end of the day, all people want to be led by smart people, courageous people and people who are not afraid to fail. I hope the three of us represent that.”
American film director and screenwriter Ryan Coogler is the man blazing trails with the world’s most culturally significant superhero film in Marvel Comic Universe history. It just so happens that the Oakland, CA native is a huge Marvel Comics fan and grew up reading and watching superhero commodities. Thanks to Coogler, the world is looking forward, lying in wait, to see the highly “melenated” Marvel cast.
Los Angeles Sentinel: You’ve amassed a great body of work in your 31 years. What do you credit your work ethic to?
Ryan Coogler: I’d say my parents. My parents both have really strong work ethics. Watching them wake up every morning and go get it, it kind of inspired me to be the same way.
LAS: You’ve definitely made it a point to tie Bay Area culture in your films. What is it about Bay Areal culture that you believe the world needs to know about?
RC: I think Bay Area culture is very diverse and it’s a place where we find a way to celebrate each other’s differences, but at the same time we have a culture that everybody feels like they have ownership over. It’s a place where you’re kind of encouraged to be yourself and we know how to come together too.
LAS: “Black Panther” touches on many substantive topics such as economic development and generational wealth. Why was it so important to highlight these aspects in “Black Panther”?
RC: These things you’re talking about, they’re kind of in the comic books that we were adapting.
The idea of Wakanda being a place that’s economically self-sufficient, that was in the books, so the film would have been incomplete if we didn’t touch on those things. We also wanted to make the film feel current, make it feel like it’s a part of this world, so it felt right to incorporate a subject matter that feels relevant.
LAS: You’ve experienced a whirlwind of success in the last several years with the release of “Fruitvale Station”, “Creed” and now “Black Panther.” Can you explain the transition from pitching your stories and being rejected early on in your film career, to being in the position you are today?
RC: It was never like people were lining up at the door to work with me. In film school, you pitch a lot of stuff that doesn’t work out, so I would say before I was actively involved in the industry, I spent a long time trying to break in. Even in film school, you get a lot of rejection letters. I got more rejection letters than I got any kind of letter in terms of applying to film festivals, grant programs and development programs.
When I got my first film, I went straight in to making my second film, and after that I went straight in to this, so it was never a situation where I was being courted to do different projects, I still haven’t experienced that yet. I’ve just been fortunate enough to put my head down and keep working on stuff that means a lot to me.
LAS: Having worked with Michael B. Jordan several times in your films, can you touch on both the business relationship and brotherhood you’ve developed with him?
RC: Mike’s a great friend. We have a professional relationship that’s worked well for us. Overtime, you get closer to someone, your family gets closer, but it’s no different from any other industry. When you work with somebody and it works, you want to keep it going. Frankly, Mike’s really talented; he’s really good at what he does. I tell filmmakers, if you have a place for Michael B. Jordan, you’ve got to put him in your movie, he’ll make the film better.
I’ve been fortunate enough to make projects with roles that work for him, roles that were challenging to him, and things that he hadn’t done yet. Quite frankly, we needed him because we were dealing with a superhero movie. Chad’s really strong, so we needed someone who could stand up to his charisma and bring a different energy, so it worked out for us on this.
LAS: What advice do you have for filmmakers looking to write, produce and direct their first feature film?
RC: Make something that is important to you. Make something that’s totally you. You gotta’ make a project as if somebody said it’s the only movie you’ll ever make, it’s the first and last movie you’d ever make. Make sure you make something that you’d be comfortable with.
LAS: How do you envision your legacy for you, your wife and family?
RC: To be honest, I don’t think about it that much. I just got married and with that, I’m starting to think more long term. You try to do what you can to provide for your family, but as far as legacy, I need to start thinking about that more I guess. Right now, I’m just taking one day at a time and trying to make the best play I can make.
LAS: “Black Panther” is expected to completely shatter box office records. What are your thoughts about the grounds the film is expected to break financially?
RC: It’s totally outside of my control. We got a great company distributing the film, they’re really smart and this is kind of their zone, so I don’t let myself think about it. I’d probably stress myself out if I did, so I just worry about what I can control, which is making the best film I can make. When it comes time for this stage right now, the press stage and get ready to engage with audiences, I try to give 100% of myself to this and be as honest and present as I can. From there, it’s all up to the universe.
To see exclusive footage from the “Black Panther” press conference, please visit www.lasentinel.net.
All photos are (AP Photo).
If insecurities, regrets and unhealthy habits are hindering your well-being, take a few tips from Pastor Touré Roberts to learn how to conquer those negative obstacles.
In his new book, “Wholeness,” Roberts offers a step-by-step guide to cultivating a rich inner life, which is key, he believes, to realizing external success and the best that God has for His children. Bishop T.D. Jakes, Roberts’ father-in-law, wrote the book’s forward.
“I wrote ‘Wholeness’ because I wanted to help people learn how to identify and ultimately overcome these invisible boundaries and barriers that keep us from our potential. Wholeness is the state of being complete and the process is like a perpetual heart, mind and soul makeover, with a better you emerging with every cycle of growth,” explained Roberts, who is the founder and pastor of The Potter’s House at One LA and lead pastor of The Potter’s House of Denver.
The book is filled with knowledge gained from Roberts’ personal experiences as a youth and young adult along with his observances and interactions as a pastor for more than 15 years. 
During these many encounters, he discovered that not only was he in need of wholeness, but also many in his congregation who appeared to have it all together were actually tormented by self-doubt, fear and other internal issues.
After conducting a self-examination, he charted a new course for his life that drew on God’s power to keep climbing towards wholeness. The steps he took, which can work for anyone facing brokenness, are outlined in the book’s three sections.
In part 1, entitled “Things We Tell Ourselves That Keep Us From Wholeness,” Roberts discusses how denial, anger and pride can delude people into thinking that they are already living their life to its fullest. However, embracing those qualities can prevent healing from taking place.
“The barrier is to assume that there’s no room for growth, to assume that there’s not invisible things keeping you from your potential,” he said.
Part 2, called “The Truth Shall Set You Free,” focuses on relationships and includes the five qualities Roberts believes that couples must possess before getting married. The qualities are chemistry beyond physical attraction, connection, wholeness, divine confirmation and a sense of purpose.
“If God brings two people together, He’s bringing them together because He has a plan for them that’s bigger than them. I think the individuals need to at least have some idea of what they’re placed on this earth for so they don’t commit themselves for life to something that they would one day discover would actually hinder their purpose,” said Roberts.
“God created each of us to be whole individuals. Relationships with the most potential are those with two whole people.”
The third part, named “The Journey Continues,” advises readers “that the pursuit of wholeness is a journey. In fact, it lasts a lifetime,” said Roberts. The book concludes with a wholeness test that helps readers to evaluate their progress.
“I think we are a work-in-progress, however I do think we can reach plateaus in certain areas where brokenness no longer has dominion and the best version of ourselves is at work. We’re going to be a work-in-progress until we see God face-to-face.”
“Wholeness” is available on Amazon.com, BarnesanNoble.com and youarewhole.com, which also include a free wholeness test and score.