Another Win At Home for the Warriors
December 31, 2008
OAKLAND, Calif– The Warriors are on a two game winning streak at home. The were dominant the entire game and beat the Toronto Raptors 117-111. The loss of Jermaine O’Neal with flu like symptoms in the 2nd quarter may have a lot to do with their defeat. Either way the Golden State Warriors are looking to get out of their losing slump as we approach a new year and another three game road trip.
Yes, there were many missed shots and turnovers but what teams doesn’t have a few mistakes in a win? Good defense on the both ends of the court allowed the Warriors an opportunity to get comfortable with their outside shooting and moving the ball well.
Stephen Jackson scored 30 points, Kelenna Azubuike added 18 points and Belinelli added 23 which included his five 3-pointers in tonight’s game. He is one win away from breaking his career-high of five threes which he has now done three tines in his career. [Read more]
Art exhibition showcases Ben Hazard’s acrylic sculptures
December 30, 2008
Artist Ben Hazard with his charcoal portrait of Warren Wilson. Photo by Adam Turner
By Donald Greene
Alameda County Arts Commissioner
Sweet Dreams, an exhibition of acrylic sculpture by Oakland artist Ben Hazard, will be shown at the Craft and Culture Arts Gallery in the Elihu M. Harris California State Office Building in Oakland, from January 9, 2009 to February 27, 2009 with a companion exhibition of powerful charcoal drawings at the Joyce Gordon Gallery in downtown Oakland.
These two separate exhibits herald Hazard’s return to full-time work as a producing artist inspired by his unique “candy-like” acrylic sculpture pioneered in the 1970’s and more recently his powerful charcoal drawings. [Read more]
Dev Patel Delivers as Lovesick Game Show Contestant
December 30, 2008
Slumdog Millionaire
Film Review by Kam Williams
Jamal Malik (Dev Patel) was just one correct answer away from winning the grand prize of 20 million rupees on India’s version of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” when the police decided to question him about his extraordinary string of luck. After all, no one ever lasted this long on the television game show before, and the producers doubted that this dirt-poor, uneducated orphan from the teeming slums of Mumbai could have achieved his unlikely feat without cheating.
Therefore, the night before his return for his final appearance on the program, they arrange for the authorities to drag the innocent 18 year-old down to the station for a little Abu Ghraib-level interrogation away from the public eye. But despite being tortured by a couple of sadistic cops (Irfan Khan and Saurabh Shukla), Jamal matter-of-factly explains exactly how he came to acquire the answers to such seemingly obscure trivia questions. And soon, what gradually becomes apparent is that everything is on the up-and-up.
For, all the unfortunate lad has to share is his sorrowful autobiography, an endless tale of woe which he reveals via a kaleidoscope of colorful flashbacks. Surprisingly, it turns out that he’s actually been less concerned with taking home the 20 million rupees than with using his TV publicity as a means of finding his long-lost love, Latika (Freida Pinto), a fellow street urchin and fan of the popular quiz show. [Read more]
Education Matters
December 30, 2008
By Tovi Scruggs, M.Ed.
Welcome to the first article of “Education Matters.” For the last two years, I have thought about writing a column to give a voice to African-American youth and other youth of color.
In my opinion, our community is not having enough dialogue about education and our children. We save the dialogue for certain forums, times of year when we are looking for schools, or when our child is in trouble at school. Our conversation about education needs to be consistent and on-going, just like the school experiences of our children.
We are sending our children off to schools for 6 - 8 hours a day, and not really talking about our children’s educational experiences and processes in powerful, reflective, and cultivating ways.
We’re not talking enough about how to educate our children. As I read statistics, attend meetings, or hear from parents and students about horrific experiences with education, I think to myself that either we do not know enough or we do not care enough. [Read more]
2009 Goals for Richmond Clergy
December 30, 2008
By Dion Evans
BaptistPost
While people are making New Year’s resolutions and starting new diets that will last about two weeks - I thought it would be great to know what our local clergy are seeking to accomplish during the 2009 year. Many local clergy were in attendance at Scott’s Restaurant during a Clergy Membership Drive for the Baptist Minister’s Union of Oakland and Vicinity. Here are some of the local pastor’s responses to a question regarding their 2009 church goals. [Read more]
Berkeley Clergy Share 2009 Goals
December 29, 2008
By Dion Evans
BaptistPost
While people are making New Year’s resolutions and starting new diets that will last about two weeks - I thought it would be great to know what our local clergy are seeking to accomplish during the 2009 year. Many local clergy were in attendance at Scott’s Restaurant during a Clergy Membership Drive for the Baptist Minister’s Union of Oakland and Vicinity. Here are some of the local pastor’s responses to a question regarding their 2009 church goals.
Rev. Dr. Marvis V. Peoples - LIBERTY HILL BAPTIST CHURCH, Berkeley
“Our goal is to make disciples for Christ. For 2009, we will be taking a good look at our children and youth ministry to ensure effectiveness. Also, we will seek to spread Christ’s mission in our neighborhood in order to enhance all generations within our church.” [Read more]
The Warriors Win at Home Against the Champs
December 29, 2008
By Malaika Bobino
OAKLAND, Calif. — The best gift given to the Golden State Warriors came the day after Christmas. Beating the defending champions 99-89 was a bitter sweet victory. Stephen Jackson returned to the line up after missing four games due to a sprained hand was simply spectacular in leading this team to a win after losing seven of their last eight games.
After trailing most of the game by 10 points something happened at the end of the third quarter. The solid defense known by the Celtics did not prevail and the Warriors took advantage in controlling the paint. “I was worried at halftime when I saw we were shooting 56 [percent] and they were shooting 39 and it was a 12-point game,” Rivers said. “I was completely concerned about it. … Once they start making shots, it’s tough to turn them off, and we couldn’t make anything.”
Kelenna Azubuike’s 3-pointer with 7:47 to play cut the Celtics’ lead to 76-74 before Ray Allen hit a floater on the other end. Jackson then scored eight straight points for Golden State. He followed Allen’s bucket with a 3 at 7:03, hit the go-ahead basket with 6:02 to play to make it 79-78, then made another 3 at 5:33. After Eddie House’s 3 pulled Boston to 93-87 with 1:17 left, the Celtics had two misses and Jackson knocked down a pair of free throws with 36.2 seconds to go. [Read more]
Oakland Clergy Share 2009 Goals
December 29, 2008
By Dion Evans
BaptistPost
While people are making New Year’s resolutions and starting new diets that will last about two weeks – I thought it would be great to know what our local clergy are seeking to accomplish during the 2009 year. Many local clergy were in attendance at Scott’s Restaurant during a Clergy Membership Drive for the Baptist Minister’s Union of Oakland and Vicinity. Here are some of the local pastor’s responses to a question regarding their 2009 church goals.
Pastor HL Garnett – NEW HOPE BAPTIST CHURCH, Oakland
“Our goals are found within our 2009 Emphasis Theme – ‘Taking the Next Step Up in Sharing Jesus.’ Our goal is to involve every one of our youth, young adult, adult, and seniors to live their lives, everyday, reflecting the light of Jesus to all they encounter.”
Bishop James E. Watkins – JACK LONDON SQUARE CHAPEL, Oakland
“Our goal for 2009 is to accomplish something completely foreign to most churches – perfect a communications training program for at-risk youth. Our church will seek to use the power of communication (Television, Radio, Film, etc.) to give the youth in the community a second chance to live a first class life.”
Pastor Timothy Hawkins – BIBLE FELLOWSHIP MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH, Oakland
“Our theme for 2009 is A NEW LIFE and A NEW PURPOSE. Our goal is to target whole families for the LORD. We have been raising young preachers to assist in our strong teaching focus and family focus.”
Rev. Dr. Lawrence VanHook – COMMUNITY CHURCH FOR CHRIST, Oakland
“One of our natural goals will be to acquire some permanence for our location. Our spiritual goals for 2009 will be to continue in our trainings – FORGIVENESS AS A WAY OF LIFE. Learning biblical forgiveness has challenged our membership and community to forge excellent relationships for the sake of Christ. We will also lay the groundwork for initiating a prison ministry and establishing residential housing.”
Pastor Billie Dempsey – HIGHER GROUND BIBLE FELLOWSHIP, Oakland
“Our goal for 2009 is to run an effective and efficient administration along with getting our membership to take ownership of their commission and call to evangelism and discipleship.”
Pastor Vince Collins – NEW CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP, Oakland
“Our goal for 2009 is simple – we want to put families back together. We want to create a bridge for families to be reconstructed for corporate worship and empowering the community. We can do this via the unity we find in Christ.”
Pastor G.R. Pace – FIRST TRUTH MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH, Oakland
“Our goal is to equip our saints to be more evangelistic and to enable them to go and share God’s Word with sinners in order to direct the community back to Christ.” .
Rev. Dr. K.D. Barnes – ABYSSINIAN BAPTIST CHURCH, Oakland“Our goal is to reach everyone we can for the LORD Jesus Christ. Our vision is to help these young men who are in Juvenile Hall. We want to be more involved in the penal system to help these young brothers out. As a church, we want to better prepare our children in ministry so they can make better choices.”
Rev. Dr. Lester Cannon – CORNERSTONE BAPTIST CHURCH, Oakland
Pastor Sylvester Rutledge Jr. – NORTH OAKLAND BAPTIST CHURCH, Oakland“Our goal is to be more involved with Christian Education and Family Relationships. We will, again, concentrate on our involvement with our community and seek reaching some of the people we have broken relationships with. Also, to help families come back together.”
Chicago is America’s most segragated city
December 29, 2008
According to this article in the Chicago Tribune
Chicago, America’s most segregated big city
Racial lines were drawn over the city’s history and remain entrenched by people’s choice, economics
By Azam Ahmed and Darnell Little
Tribune reporters
Tribune photos by Chris Walker
The paths taken by Colin Lampark and Rosalyn Bates help illustrate why Chicago is the most racially segregated big city in America.
Both are young professionals with handsome earning potential. Both moved to the city a few years ago-Lampark, 28, to Lincoln Park; Bates, 31, to Bronzeville. And both chose neighborhoods reflecting their race, a practice common in Chicago.
Their personal stories, and many others, explain why blacks in Chicago are the most isolated racial group in the nation’s 20 largest cities, according to a Tribune analysis of 2008 population estimates. To truly integrate Chicago, 84 percent of the black or white population would need to change neighborhoods, the data show.
The calculations paint a starkly different picture from the ones broadcast across the nation during Barack Obama’s Election Night rally last month, when his hometown looked like one unified, harmonious city.
The fact is, racial patterns that took root in the 1800s are not easy to reverse. Racial steering, discriminatory business practices and prejudice spawned segregation in Chicago, and now personal preferences and economics fuel it.
“Once institutions exist, they tend to persist, and it requires some act of force to get them to change,” said Douglas Massey of Princeton University, an expert on segregation.
For Lampark, who is white, the move last year to Lincoln Park from Minneapolis came because he had friends there. It wasn’t a racially motivated decision, he said. Lampark, an engineer, just doesn’t know anyone on the South Side.
Bates, who is black, settled in Bronzeville for similar reasons.
“It put us closer to friends,” she said.
She, however, may pay more dearly for her decision. Segregated African-American neighborhoods have less access to health care, quality education and employment opportunities than white areas, the research shows. Black homeowners can expect to receive 18 percent less value for their homes, according to one study-a tax the researcher attributed primarily to segregation.
James Hamilton, 50, a deckhand from Woodlawn, can live with that. In his experience, which includes 30 years on the South Side, he doesn’t think that whites would welcome him to their neighborhood.
“It ain’t never been us,” he said. “It’s always been [whites]-just don’t want to be around us.”
To read the rest of the story go to the Chicago Tribune website.
Benediction of a Legend: A Successor is Chosen
December 29, 2008
By Dion Evans
BaptistPost
(Editors note: Last week The Post published the 1st part of this story, detailing the retirement of Allen Temple Pastor J. Alfred Smith)
Allen Temple, one of the world’s greatest and most recognizable churches, has made a major decision.
They have selected a new Senior Pastor to lead their church into the dawning of a new era and had to go no further than the living room of their retiring Senior Leader - Dr. J. Alfred Smith Sr.
On Sunday, December 14th - after concluding 10 separate Q&A meetings over a one week period with Dr. J. Alfred Smith Jr., Allen Temple was ready to cast their votes for a new Senior Pastor.
Over 1000 members participated in the voting process and Dr. J Alfred Smith Jr. was overwhelmingly declared the new pastor by an approval of 83%. “I am deeply honored. 83% demonstrated some confidence in my ability to lead. I will work not only to become worthy of that confidence but I will work doubly hard to try to win the confidence of the 17% who don’t feel that way at this point. We want to bring the whole church together,” stated Senior Pastor Elect, Dr. J Alfred Smith Jr. [Read more]
