Mental illness is one of the leading causes of suicide in our immigrant communities in the USA and yet we fail to recognize the symptoms and to seek help for those who suffer. At the time of this interview I know of at least one African immigrant who has taken his life and many others in other immigrant communities who suffer as well.
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The news of 21 Savage’s detainment by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Feb. 3 elicited a range of reactions.
Most expressed outrage and heartbreak, some made jokes, and others responded with misguided apathy. Citing the thousands of voiceless immigrants who are detained by the U.S. government every single day, the latter portion suggested that paying special attention to 21 Savage’s case took away from those without flourishing rap careers and wealth, whose stories go untold.
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Los Angeles- That’s a wrap! This is true as it relates to the first weekend of the Pan African Film and Arts Festival. The festival is currently underway at the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza and the adjacent Cinemark RAVE Theatres.
A large diverse audience has been in attendance since the festival commenced on Thursday, February 7th. Everyone agrees that the 27th Annual Pan African Film and Arts Festival is off to a rousing start. The festival got underway with an awesome documentary film about iconic singer Aretha Franklin entitled “Amazing Grace.”
My enjoyment of the festival began with a short film entitled “Colors of Sankofa.” A successful CEO is forced to revisit scars from her past while interviewing candidates for a new second-in-command position. Bullying and identity issues were brought up in the film.
The Pan African Film & Arts Festival celebrated its 27th Annual Opening Night with a screening of Aretha Franklin’s cherished Amazing Grace concert documentary at the Directors Guild of America. The festival, which presents an impressive slate of over 170 new Black films from the US and around the world and exhibits more than 100 fine artists and unique craftspeople, will run from Thursday, February 7 through Monday, February 18 at the Cinemark Rave 15 Theatres (3650 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd) and the adjacent Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza in Los Angeles, California.
DetailsUSCIS Statement on the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation
On Feb. 6, 2019, the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the DHS Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL) join other U.S. government agencies and the international community in calling for an end to the practice of female genital mutilation or cutting (FGM/C).
Los Angeles-Yes, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls. It’s that time of year again. It’s time for the most highly anticipated and largest Black History Month celebration in Los Angeles, if not, the largest in California.
Please pull up a seat and get ready for the 27th Annual Pan African Film and Arts Festival, scheduled from February 7-18, 2019. The festival will be at the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza and the adjacent Cinemark RAVE Theatres.
International model, actress, media personality and filmmaker Hana Noka will unveil the story of Queen Teuta of Illyria with the launch of the historical fictional novel “Besa Po,” inspired by the true story of love, loss, betrayal, victory and defeat. Queen Teuta was not only a famous Warrior Queen that lived almost two hundred years before Cleopatra, but her love for King Agron was one of the most legendary love stories in history. She was one of the first women to rise to power in the male dominated kingdom and society.
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There are many paths immigrants take to live in the United States.
Four stories presented at St. Mary’s Catholic Church during an event sponsored by the church’s social justice committee this month highlighted the various ways people come to the U.S. to live. The four speakers were all people that someone at the church had a connection with, said church member Kathryn Lien.
Malika Benachour is a French-Algerian who first came to the U.S. as a student. Catalina Morales Behena crossed the Mexican border with her parents. Babatope Adedayo won the diversity lottery in Nigeria. Mainhia Moua’s parents came to the U.S. as refugees from Laos after the Vietnam War.
DetailsAs we celebrate the monumental life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who gave his life to dissolve social inequities for the “other”, the partial government shutdown over immigration security has lasted for over thirty (30) days, which is the longest in United States history (9 of the 15 federal agencies closed). Over 800,000 federal workers and contractors are not receiving a paycheck, which is impacting over 172,000 in the entire state of Maryland and costing $4.8 billion dollars in economic impact throughout the nation.
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The primary asset of any society is its people. That’s true in the lofty spiritual sense and in the crass financial one: Other people produce both the economic goods and the tax revenue that sustain the nation.
Like any other asset, this one needs to be replenished by continual reinvestment. A society that stops replacing itself is like a trust-fund kid dipping into the capital. The accounts empty at an accelerating pace, and a bill eventually comes due that cannot be paid.
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