I am very saddened by the death of our young, wealth legacy builder, 33-year-old Nipsey Hussle. The question is, was his death untimely or timely? I don’t have the answer, but I know it awakened the young, the old, the gangbangers, the churched and the unchurched as to the dismal plight of Black America; his demise illuminated the real problems facing Black America—the lack of business/home ownership. He was the only one I know of who followed Dr. Claud Anderson’s PowerNomics Principles, … [Read more...]
Inglewood “wind of change”: Good or bad for community?
Inglewood, known to many as the mecca of local sports, hip hop culture, gang activity and long-standing inequality is receiving a wind of change. It could be considered a bigger storm for some by virtue of gentrification. The term gentrification means, “The process of repairing and rebuilding homes and businesses in a deteriorating area such as an urban neighborhood, accompanied by an influx of middle-class or affluent people and that often results in the displacement of earlier, usually poorer … [Read more...]
A Belated, Much-Deserved Tribute to Nipsey Hussle
I had never heard of Nipsey Hussle, so when there was an announcement on television that he had been killed, it did not make much of an impression on me. As I recall, what I heard was “Rapper Nipsey Hussle was shot and killed in Los Angeles.” Regrettably, for all of us, this kind of news is all too common. At this point, I am compelled to state that I do not understand, or like rap music. I consider that one of my flaws, since many others seem to enjoy it immensely. Putting musical tastes … [Read more...]
State Agency Faces Elimination After First Black Woman Takes Charge
In January, members of the California Board of Equalization (BOE) selected Malia M. Cohen, former President of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, to chair the 140-year-old state agency. Cohen became the first Black woman elected to the board last May and the first to lead the agency responsible for representing taxpayer interests and “equalizing” county-by-county tax assessments across the state. Now, less than eight months into her 4-year term and under two months as chair, Cohen has … [Read more...]
After 51 Years, Fair Housing Still an Unfinished Journey
Fifty-one years ago, this month, the Fair Housing Act (the Act) was enacted to ensure that housing discrimination was illegal. Yet, just days before the annual observance of Fair Housing Month began, headline news articles reminded the nation that housing discrimination still exists. For example, on March 19, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) fined Citibank $25 million for violations related to mortgage lending. At issue was Citibank’s “relationship pricing” program that … [Read more...]
