June 18, 2013

What Would Marvin Gaye Say Today?

marvin gaye

*The late great Motown singer –‘The Prince of Motown’ – Marvin Gaye seemed to cover it all on his “What’s Going On” album. The title track covered everything lyrically like “war is not the answer, only love can conquer hate,” “picket lines, picket signs, don’t punish me with brutality…” Then there was “Mercy, Mercy Me” [...]




Reps. Hahn, Negrete McLeod Introduce Student Loan Debt Relief Legislation

gloria negrete mccleod

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Rep. Janice Hahn (CA- 44) along with Rep. Gloria Negrete McLeod (CA-35) introduced the Get Relief from Academic Debt (GRAD) Act of 2013, which would extend the grace period of Federal Stafford Loans from six months to an entire year. “With unemployment rates still so high, many of America’s college graduates [...]




Charles A. Cofield: Successful Book Signing for Renowned Architect

Charles A. Cofield

Family, friends and well-wishers packed the room June 8th at the Juanita Millender McDonald Community Center in Carson, CA for the book signing of “An Abundance of Miracles” – The Autobiography of Charles A. Cofield as told to author Foraker ‘Smitty’ Smith. Hosted by the Martin Luther King Jr. Democratic Club, its president Geneva Phillips-Beaver [...]




Congresswoman Hahn Congratulates Compton Mayor-Elect Aja Brown

Janice Hahn & Aja Brown

*WASHINGTON, DC— Today, Congresswoman Janice Hahn (CA-44) released the following statement regarding the newly-elected Mayor of Compton (CA.), Aja Brown: “Congratulations to Aja Brown, Compton’s new Mayor-elect.Yesterday’s election was an historic moment for the City of Compton. Aja Brown will become Compton’s second woman mayor, the first woman mayor in over three decades.  Brown inspired voters [...]




Black Music Month: Was David Ruffin Really Fired from The Temptations?

David Ruffin

Despite all the reports, the books, the movie – was David Ruffin really fired from Motown’s The Temptations? Yes he was a very talented, arrogant, self-centered egotist just like his contemporaries at the time…Mick Jagger, Marvin Gaye, James Brown…you name ‘em. But is there another story that is yet to be told? Ruffin seemed to [...]




Happy Birthday to Motown Songwriter Janie Bradford

janie bradford

*Happy 74th birthday today, June 2nd, to songwriter Janie Bradford. Here’s her bio per Wikipedia: Janie Bradford is an American songwriter, most known for her tenure with Motown. With Berry Gordy, she co-wrote “Money (That’s What I Want)“, originally recorded by Barrett Strong and used by The Beatles on their second album With The Beatles.  [...]




‘Redskins’ Name: ‘Not Something to be Made Sport of ‘

redskins helmet & logo

*Before the late Washington Redskins owner George Preston Marshall died in 1969, he reportedly vowed the team name would never be changed. Thirty years later a 1999 court decision to change the Washington Redskin’s name was overturned. Now ten members of Congress have signed onto a letter requesting again the name change. The letter written [...]




Is Tyler Perry’s ‘The Haves and the Have Nots’ the New ‘Dallas?’

Cast of 'The Haves and the Have Nots'

*Is Tyler Perry’s “The Haves and the Have Nots” which premiered two episodes Tuesday night (05-28-13) on Oprah Winfrey’s OWN channel, poised to become the new “Dallas” of the 21st century? It is chock full of subject matter and plots that keep the momentum suspended from one scene to another. The role of Candace Young [...]




Congresswoman Hahn Honored by National Bible Association

Janice Hahn and Richard Glickstein

*WASHINGTON, DC – Last week, National Prayer Breakfast Co-Chair, Congresswoman Janice Hahn (CA-44) – a 1974 graduate of Abilene Christian University – was recognized by the National Bible Association with the “2013 Capitol Hill Award.” Hahn was recommended for the annual award by the Chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives, Father Patrick J. Conroy [...]




Hahn Introduces Youth Summer Jobs Bill to Put Students to Work at Our Nation’s Ports

Janice Hahn

 *Washington, DC – Today, Congresswoman Janice Hahn (CA-44) introduced the “Port Opportunity, Reinvestment and Training (PORT) Act” a youth summer jobs bill that establishes a grant program to help young people from disadvantaged communities find summer work at our nation’s ports – powerful engines of opportunity and jobs.  With the unofficial start of summer kicking [...]




Anatomy of the Willowbrook/Avalon Community Project

pre-planning commission

*Without any fanfare – no official groundbreaking ceremony – the work began in April. The fence has been draped and the noise of the heavy equipment brought in has become the new neighborhood alarm clock. I wrote the following about the ‘Avalon Project’ six months ago: [The abandoned property located within the West Rancho Domiguez-Victoria [...]




David Ruffin’s Unreleased Material

David Ruffin

*I’ve written many articles about the late great David Ruffin of The Temptations, and as I’ve said before, people hear his voice everyday on the Smokey Robinson-penned tune “My Girl,” and so many more like “Ain’t Too Proud To Beg,” but little do they know about the singer’s solo recordings besides “My Whole World Ended,” [...]




Congresswoman Hahn’s Export Roundtable

Congresswoman Hahn and Dario J. Gomez

*Export Business Roundtable: Friday, May 3rd Congresswoman Janice Hahn (CA-44) hosted an export business roundtable in Wilmington CA where some 30 small business owners – many of them family-owned – gathered to discuss challenges and share experiences in the export business. Dario J. Gomez, Associate Administrator for International Trade U.S Small Business Administration, came in [...]




Bangladesh Garment Factory Tragedy – New York 102 Years Ago

Bangladesh workers digging through rubble

There does exist the International Ladies’ Garment Workers Union (ILGWU), and there does exist the International Labor Organization (ILO) – so for big business in Europe and America to pay pennies on the dollar for products produced in Bangladesh that sell for billions of dollars without securing a safe work environment for those workers earning [...]




Congressional Forum and Prayer Breakfast in South Gate

Congressmembers

*The Senate’s “Gang of Eight” which is comprised of 50/50 bipartisan membership, released its 844-page immigration-reform bill on April 17th. Amidst much debate and controversy, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) promises to bring it to the Senate floor for a vote by June. Meanwhile, as May Day rallies – for and against the bill [...]