Faces of Foreclosure: Senior Loses Her Independence

New America Media, Ngoc Nguyen

ANTIOCH, Calif. — In 2005, Ethel Gist bought her “dream home” in a gated retirement community in Brentwood, Calif. Now three generations of Gist’s family members are living under one roof in a rented house in Antioch.

The loss of their homes has thrown their lives into upheaval.

The 68-year-old African American woman lost her Brentwood home in a short sale two years ago. During the same time, daughter Rosalyn’s house was foreclosed on. Gist now lives with her daughter and grandsons, who are 21 and 17 years old, in a four-bedroom house. The retiree says the move meant her teenage grandson, who she described as a “homebody,” had to transfer to a new high school — a transition he’s still getting used to.

Cal State Committed To Boost Black Graduation

California State University of Northridge 2006 Black Graduation ceremony. (Saharra White-Kalyesubula)

Chris Levister, New America Media/Black Voice News
As church goers at Ecclesia Christian Fellowship lifted their voices in song Sunday, others came to the San Bernardino church on Date Street to spread the gospel about the benefits of not just getting into college but graduating.

Karen Bass Statement on President Barack Obama’s State of the Union Address

Washington, DC – Congresswoman Karen Bass released the following statement in response to the President Obama’s State of the Union address last night.

This was Ms. Bass’ first State of the Union as a member of congress, though she attended the past two addresses as Speaker of the California Assembly and sat in the House gallery.

“President Obama’s blueprint for winning the future is made possible because we aggressively stabilized the present and prevented a recession from turning into a depression,” said Congresswoman Karen Bass. “To win the future we must not repeat past mistakes that puts Wall Street first and Main Street last. Working families and the underserved are shouldering the burden of this economic pain and recovery must run through the streets of our communities.”

“As we implement the President’s plan to out-innovate, out-educate, and out-build the rest of the world, we must do so with a spirit of bipartisanship and duty of responsibility. That work begins tonight.”

Karen Bass represents the 33rd congressional district, which includes Los Angeles, Hollywood, and Culver City and was the 67th Speaker of the California Assembly.

Third Annual Health Fair

Common Freestyle at African American Music Festival @ CSUN

Common at CSUN for the 11th Annual African American Music Festival

Anti-war Rally in Hollywood

Last Saturday (March 20, 2010) a anti-war protest was held in Hollywood. Here are some of the pictures we took at the event. We will also post a couple of videos of the event to our Youtube channel within the next couple of days. Sorry for the delay.

African American Music Festival Podcast

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African American Music Festival at CSUN March 22-27, 2010

Estate of Michael Jackson and Sony Music Renew 30-Year Relationship With Landmark Recording Deal

NEW YORK, March 16 /PRNewswire/ — Special Administrators for the Estate of Michael Jackson, John Branca and John McClain, and Sony Music will continue the label’s 30-year relationship with Michael Jackson and his music with a landmark recording deal, it was announced today.

With this new agreement, Sony Music’s Columbia Epic Label Group and Legacy Recordings will continue their term of rights to his catalog and also create new projects for Michael Jackson featuring the never-before-released Jackson recordings. The first project featuring unreleased music is expected for release in November 2010.

Rob Stringer, Chairman of the Columbia Epic Label Group comments, “Michael has always been a treasured member of the Sony Music family. We’re dedicated to protecting this icon’s legacy and we’re thrilled that we can continue to bring his music to the world for the foreseeable future.”

John Branca comments, “During his life, Michael’s contracts set the standard for the industry, reflecting his unique vision and talents that inspired and excited people in every corner of the world. By all objective criteria, this agreement with Sony Music demonstrates the lasting power of Michael’s music by exceeding all previous industry benchmarks. Each new generation produces countless new fans who appreciate Michael’s artistry, requiring a partner that has Sony’s wherewithal, business acumen and foresight to properly and respectfully showcase his genius well into the future.”