By: Amen Oyiboke, Staff Writer  

 

Bobbie Jean Anderson, a 25-year South Los Angeles resident, continues to build

 

community awareness of economical issues that affect District 8 residents.

 

As a political and community activist, Anderson has seen her fair share of ups and downs in the

South LA region and now wants to impact change by running for City Council.

 

“Over a span of 17 years I’ve been involved with city work as a volunteer, so I’m

 

uniquely aware of what goes on in the city and in city council,” Anderson said.

 

She graduated from Fremont High School and after completing a course of study at

 

Downey Court Reporting School she was certified by the National Shorthand

 

Reporters Association as a certified shorthand reporter.

 

 

 

She retired after 40 years of service with the County of Los Angeles-25 years in the Public Defender’s Office having

lead pilot programs including the establishment of an on-the-job training and internship program that developed high school students

for long-term careers with the Public Defender’s Office. She is looking to take District 8 into new heights by following through

with plans that serve the district through economic, environmental and social needs.  

 

“I’m running because I’ve lived in the district for over 25 years and have been active

 

in the district. I’ve worked with various community entities within the district and

 

the city at large.

 

 From city commissions to the newly police permit review panel in ’93, which I was appointed by [Tom] Bradley,

as a result of activism I was involved in after the civil unrest of ‘92,” Anderson said.

 

As a long-time community advocate, Anderson has experienced the ins and outs of

 

community development. In 1989, when Caltrans was set to start a freeway

 

expansion that would cause local residents to relocate, Anderson began a door-to-

 

door campaign.

 

“They were at the point where they were going to actually do the work to widen the

 

freeway. So, I got elected officials to help us, like Congresswoman Maxine Waters,

 

and 150 of the soon to be affected homeowners,” she said.

 

After two years of organizing attempts of change for the homeowners, then

 

Governor George Deukmejian issued a moratorium that forced Caltrans to meet

 

with the homeowners and give each affected resident relocation costs and market

 

value for their homes.

 

Throughout the years Anderson worked alongside Congresswoman Waters and

 

Councilmember Bernard Parks on redistricting for the city. She was appointed by

 

Parks to the Redistricting Commission in 2012 to what she says was an attempt to

 

preserve assets for the eighth district.

 

“I think what really wetted my appetite to be on the other side of city works was

 

being a part of the redistricting commission for the city. That was so polarizing and

 

so disappointing as to how it played out for redistricting. We lost a lot of our

 

economic engine in the eighth district to the tenth district. I went to all 15 city

 

council meetings and got to see the contrast of how city money was spent in other

 

districts compared to South Los Angeles and you find out we’re on the lowest totem

 

pole of everything,” Anderson said.

 

She hopes to tackle issues in the community dealing with safer and cleaner

 

neighborhoods, grassroots community involvement, after school programs for the

 

youth and law enforcement accountability in the area. However, one of Anderson’s

 

biggest goals is job creation for the area. District 8 in the county of Los Angeles is

 

the most diverse and populated district of African American residents in the city.

 

Yet, it employs the fewest number of people according the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce.

 

“The eighth district has a big issue with unemployment. We had anchor stores and

 

everything that we needed, but once the riots happen everything was gone. I think

 

that trying to do something to attracted businesses back will really help with

 

economic growth. We have to attract them back to the district with some type of incentives.” Anderson said.

“Businesses are looking for new places to go now and I think we have a great area for them to grow and build their businesses.”

 

Anderson is a long-time labor activist with SEIU 660 Local 721. She is also a five-

 

term member of County Central Committee and served as the treasurer of the

 

African American Caucus of the California Democratic Party. She has supported and

 

worked with Democratic Presidential nominations of President Bill Clinton, Vice

 

President Al Gore, Senator John Kerry and President Barack Obama.

 

Her key endorsements include: Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Councilmember

 

Bernard Parks, Councilmember Gil Cedillo, Chair ofLA County’s Democratic Party

 

Eric Bauman, Councilmember Jan Perry, Los Angeles County Democratic Party, SEIU 721, New Frontier Democratic Party,

Stonewall Democratic Party and LAAAWPAC.

 

Primary nominating elections are set for Tuesday, March 3. Both Anderson and

 

candidate Marqueece Dawson will be in the running for District 8 representation.

By Kenneth D. Miller 

Assistant Managing Editor 

 

Local African American Rod White was wearing a Seahawks T-shirt with dark blue backdrop and the piercing lime green eyes of the bird mascot and oversized 12 with the word Seattle on the back. 

 

Los Angeles doesn’t have a football team and the National Football League doesn’t have a single Black owner in a league dominated by Black players, but what is becoming clear is defending champion Seattle Seahawks with its band of brothers is being embraced by Blacks throughout America. 

 

 

The America’s team moniker for years has been worn by the Dallas Cowboys and when the ‘Boy’s played the Greenbay Packers for the right to meet Seattle in the conference championship game, hundreds of Blacks flocked to the trendy night club Savoy in Inglewood to watch the game.

 

 

However, there is very little of the Cowboys or the hated New England Patriots or any other NFL team for that matter that is reflective of the culture, challenges and promise of Black America like the Seattle Seahawks. 

 

 

So, when the Patriots and Seahawks take the field for the Super Bowl on Sunday Feb. 1 you can anticipate that many Black will be decorated like Rod White and cheering for the team with Marshawn Lynch, Russell Wilson, Kam Chancellor, Doug Baldwin, Earl Thomas and Richard Sherman. 

 

 

Lynch, aka ‘Beast Mode’, is the most successful running back in the league during the past four seasons, accumulating at least 1,200 yards rushing and scoring 58 touchdowns. 

 

Raised by his mother Delisa, Lynch grew up in humble beginnings in Oakland, became a star at Cal Berkley and was the first round draft pick by the Buffalo Bills in 2007. 

 

Lynch is the NFL whipping boy for not speaking to the media and during the NFC title game he drew a fine for grabbing his crouch after scoring the go-ahead touchdown. 

 

 

His personality has been embraced by urban Blacks who view him as one of them and for his love of Skittles which has made him a culture icon. 

 

 

Wilson is the direct opposite of Lynch. His father was a lawyer and he was a star the moment he began playing football at Collegiate School, a preparatory school in Richmond, Virginia where as a junior in 2005, he threw for 3,287 yards and 40 touchdowns. He also rushed for 634 yards and 15 touchdowns. 

 

 

He continued his football prowess at North Carolina State and Wisconsin, but NFL scouts doubted he could be successful because of his height 6’0, but Seahawks coach Pete Carroll ignored such reports and drafted him in the third round. 

 

 

Wilson became only the second Black quarterback to win a Super Bowl in 2014 and he embraced being the only other African American than Doug Williams of the Washington Redskins to win the trophy. 

 

 

He is the most under paid signal caller in the league and has a perfect winning record against Super Bowl quarterbacks. 

 

A model citizen both on and off the field, Wilson represents all that Black under achievers can become when given the opportunity. 

 

 

Safety Chancellor aspired to become Russell Wilson after starring as a quarterback in high school. 

 

The Norfolk, Virginia  native starred in basketball and football in high school and went on to be a standout at Virginia Tech, but had to wait until the 5^th round in 2010 to hear his name called in the NFL draft by the Seahawks. 

 

 

He has made more than the most of his opportunity, the hard hitting safety is among the most feared players in the NFL and is in live for an enormous pay raise after the Super Bowl. 

 

 

 Baldwin is yet another Seahawks player who was over looked. He wasn’t even drafted four years ago and has become the primary target of  Wilson is the Seahawks ground and pound offense. 

 

He caught 66 passes for 825 yards and scored three touchdowns this season the smart Stanford graduate adds to the appeal of Black America’s Team. 

 

Thomas was chosen by the Seattle Seahawks with the fourteenth overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft. At age 20, he was one of the youngest players eligible for the draft. 

 

 

Last, but far  from least is  the most popular of them all, corner back Richard Sherman, born and raised in Compton went to Dominguez High School in Compton and then attended and graduated from Stanford with honors. 

 

Sherman is the Muhummad Ali of the NFL and he told the press on Tuesday that Ali is his favorite athlete. 

 

 

Like Ali, he is brash and outspoken, but frequently backs of his talk with his athletic achievements.

 

While at Dominguez he maintained a 4.2 grade point average and he graduated from Stanford with a 3.9 grade point average. 

 

 

While he had ample opportunities to attend other traditional football powers he chose Stanford to send a message. 

 

 

"I'm trying my best to get them (Black youth) where I'm going, to the college level, I'm helping them study for the SAT. A lot of people come in blind in what they need to know, not knowing one day they could be a top college prospect." 

 

 

When Sherman was drafted in 2011 he said he can still name all of the cornerbacks drafted ahead of him. 

 

Yet another unheralded 5^th round draft pick is a Seahawks star in the Super Bowl. 

 

 

“Being picked in the 5th round provided the fuel that has driven me to become the best player I am today. At the time, experts did not rate me high on their list (or many of my Super Bowl winning teammates). I heard the phrases “a contributing backup corner”, “lacks elite instinct and awareness”, “questionable speed” thrown about. But hard work and determination has led to me being the ultimate cornerback in the game and my stats prove it,” he states on his website richardsherman25.com. 

 

 

“I have personally won individual accolades and together with my team, we have won a Super Bowl.  This is only the beginning of something truly great with this Seattle Seahawks team. As for me, I am just scratching the surface of what I can do as the best cornerback in the NFL. The numbers don’t lie – since I have entered the league, I have shutdown the elite quarterbacks and wide receivers. Don’t TEST the BEST! 

 

 

Sherman says; “Off the field, I am a man of integrity and community. My passion is my foundation, Blanket Coverage, which gives back to the children in the community to provide all the necessary tools to get an education. Not a day goes by where I don’t think of where I come from and where I could be right now if not for the support given to me.” 

 

Rarely does star athletes remember where they came from while still a star. Like LeBron James, Richard Sherman is not among those who have forgot. 

 

In four short seasons, Sherman already has 24 interceptions, setting him on a Hall of Fame pace, but when it comes to Black America he’s already a Hall of Famer.

 

Leaders gathered in front of the Sentinel offices urging community members to stand up for justice.

By  Amen Oyiboke

Staff Writer 

 

Executive Publisher of the Los Angeles Sentinel Newspaper Danny Bakewell, Sr., local community activists, clergy and politicians gathered at the Sentinel offices January 14to announce a antiviolence march that will take place on the 50^th anniversary of Malcolm X’s death. “This is not just a demonstration, but it’s a sense of outrage we have for a complete disregard about life. We are creating a movement demanding accountability for the acts of the police. That is why we are marching on a very historic day,” said Danny Bakewell, Sr. 

 

February 21 the march will start from the Southwest Police Station and end with a rally in Leimert Park. The demonstration is in response to the recent killings of LA local Ezell Ford, Ferguson’s Mike Brown, Ohio’s John Crawford, NYPD’s Eric Garner, Cleveland’s Tamir Rice and countless others across the country. “Part of this will talk about the life of Ezell Ford. His mother weeps everyday and when she weeps we all weep with her,” Bakewell, Sr. said. 

 

The new movement of justice in the country is shaping society’s look about race relations and the youth’s constant battle with injustice due to stereotypes and personal biases. 

 

Danny Bakewell, Sr. and Rev. Xavier Thompson of Southern Missionary Baptist Church Los Angeles initially gathered local activists and professionals to organize and create a movement of societal opposition dealing with police brutality. 

 

“I am excited to partner with a community icon Danny Bakewell, Sr. for the advancement of unity in our city and in context of the African American experience. We find ourselves in a season that things are happening all around us. We must speak truth with power, courage and build with our convictions without compromising our characters,” said Thompson. “We look forward to the call going out to working professionals, local organizations, public figures and faith based communities from all religious backgrounds. We are uniting together in an unprecedented fashion unlike anything this city has witnessed before. We are pushing for justice, equality and respect of black lives.” 

 

Organizers are calling for demands in response to the police shooting deaths asking for special prosecutors, a civilian review board, a strengthening in community policing, demilitarizing the functions of police and changing the practices of police personal and professional practices. 

 

Now more than ever, the voices of African and African Americans are imperative to the narrative of police relations, economic injustices and community development. 

 

“We are morally outraged at the level of police violence directed towards our community. Also the general systemic violence and injustices that still shake our lives today as Black people that refraining us from the sense of community and opportunity that America has given us as citizens. We come together to reaffirm the unity as a community as a united spirit in the dignity of Black people, especially our right to live,” said Chimbuku Tembo from the African American Cultural Center. 

 

The Black Leaders Coalition is calling for all African American fraternities, sororities, community organizations, entertainers, social and political groups, Black Lives Matter and student organizations to join them in the march. 

 

The Black Leaders Coalition consists of these local and national leaders: Danny J. Bakewell, Sr.-Los Angeles Sentinel; Rev. Xavier Thompson-Southern Church/Baptist Ministers Conference; Bobbie Jean Anderson-Black Women’s Forum; Presiding Bishop Charles E. Blake-West Angeles Church of God In Christ; Pastor Charles E. Blake II-West Angeles Church of God In Christ; Pastor Edgar Boyd-First African Methodist Episcopal Church (FAME); Charisse Bremond-Weaver Brotherhood Crusade; Rev. Rosalynn Brookins Walker -Temple AME; LaPhonza Butler-SEIU ULTCW; Dr. Shalamon Duke-The Guild Group; Senator Isadore Hall, III-Senate of the State of California; Marqueece Harris-Dawson Community Coalition; LaMont G. Jackson-Los Angeles Community College District; Assembleymember Reginald Jones-Sawyer California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC); Dr. Maulana Karenga-African American Cultural Center; Marc Little Faithful-Central Bible Church; George McKenna-Los Angeles Unified School Board (District 1);Tracy Mitchell-Mothers In Action; Nolan Rollins-Los Angeles Urban League; Khalid Shah-Stop the Violence; Pastor William D. Smart-Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC); Daniel Tabor-Southwest College Foundation; Rev. K. W. Tulloss-National Action Network-Los Angeles (NAN LA); Bishop Kenneth C. Ulmer-Faithful Central Bible Church; Rev. Melvin Wade Mount Moriah Baptist Church and Yvonne Wheeler-AFGF.