Cynthia E. Griffin- | Our Weekly - African American News | Black News | Black Entertainment | Black America

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Cynthia E. Griffin-

OW Managing Editor

Two area schools heading to state academic decathlon

Mar 1 2012

Hamilton High, Los Angeles High on the way to Sacramento

Despite the economic troubles that have stripped academic decathlon coaches in the Los Angeles Unified School District of the small stipend they received for working with their school’s teams, a record 13 squads from the district are heading to the state championships March 16-18 in Sacramento.

Hamilton High School, which finished in eighth place overall with 40,760.9 points, claimed one of the top 10 regular spots, and Los Angeles High School was named one of the wild card teams.

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Tweaking, adjustments made to redistricting maps

Feb 23 2012

Vote set for Feb. 29 on new City Council lines

With one week left before the L.A. City

Redistricting Commission must approve and send a

final set of maps with the new City Council districts

on to the governing body of the municipality, the

proposals were still a work-in-progress Wednesday,

when commissioners met.

That is true for two of the council districts most

affiliated with the African American community.

In Council District 9, the new maps released this

weekend were a bittersweet victory for some in the

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With the farewells done, what’s next?

Feb 23 2012

Whitney Houston’s family moves on

With a four-hour funeral—that featured personalities
such as Tyler Perry, Kevin Costner and BeBe
Winans sharing their sometimes funny and often
poignant memories of Whitney Houston, and entertainers
like Stevie Wonder and Alicia Keys giving
touching musical tributes —and a private burial now
over, the Houston family is facing a barrage of
“what-nexts.”
One of those is to sort out some of the very public
disrespect that has been thrown at the deceased

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Maintain communities of interest, commission told

Feb 16 2012

Many residents resist proposed changes in district maps

A parade of residents from different parts of the city tried their best Saturday during a hearing at West Angeles Church of God in Christ to convince members of the L.A. City Redistricting Commission to redraw the council district boundary lines to suit their community needs.

Most talked about the need to keep communities of interest together, and those from Watts pointed out how the proposed draft map would deprive them of even the minimal potential resources they had to improve their community.

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Whitney: singer with a big heart

Feb 16 2012

Aside from the glamor and fame, her focus was on helping others

I believe the children are our future, teach them well and let them lead the way

—Whitney Houston (Greatest Love of All)

As the world mourns the untimely death of international pop icon Whitney Houston, broadcast media continues to rehash the 48-year-old’s rise to fame, public battle with drug addiction and tumultuous marriage to entertainer Bobby Brown.

But these portrayals are just one side of the Newark, N.J., native.

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Disposition of Section 8 settlements now with the judge

Feb 9 2012

Lancaster is lone holdout

PALMDALE—An agreement reached in a discrimination lawsuit between city officials and representatives of Antelope Valley residents who are part of the Section 8 Choice Voucher program is now in the hands of the federal judge overseeing the suit.

The agreement was reached last week, a week after the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a similar agreement.

The judge will now have an opportunity to vet the settlements, and when approved, they will go into effect immediately.

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Across Black America

Here’s a look at African American people and issues making headlines throughout the country.

Alabama
Freeman A. Hrabowski, president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, will address the annual African American Business Council luncheon on June 28. Hrabowski, who is chairman of President Barack Obama’s Advisory Commission on Education Excellence for African Americans, has a national reputation for his work studying the performance of minority students in math and science. Hrabowski, named one of the 10 best college presidents in the country by Time magazine, was a child leader in the Civil Rights Movement in Birmingham in the 1960s.

Arkansas
The Liberty Counsel filed a motion and a brief in United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas seeking to intervene on behalf of a Concepts of Life crisis pregnancy center to defend against a suit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union and the Center for Reproductive Rights. The groups seek to impose a permanent injunction before the Human Heartbeat Protection Act goes into effect July 18. Liberty Counsel also filed a brief opposing the ACLU’s request for an injunction. The “Heartbeat” bill states that when a woman seeks an abortion at or after the 12th week, doctors must test for a fetal heartbeat before an abortion is performed and inform the pregnant mother that the child in her womb has a heartbeat. If a heartbeat is detected, a woman cannot have an abortion, except in cases of rape, incest, and if a mother’s life is in danger. “As we promised when the legislation was introduced, Liberty Counsel will defend this law without reservation for the people of Arkansas, born and pre-born,” said Matt Staver, founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel. “No right is more foundational than the right to life. Without life, all other rights are irrelevant,” concluded Staver.

This Week in LA

Walk-a-Thon

June 1, 2013