South Central Los Angeles

Juliana D. Norwood  |   OW Staff Writer
Nov 3 2011

Veteran photographer for Black papers

Photojournalist Guy Crowder died Sunday of pneumonia, days after suffering a stroke. He was 72.

Crowder got his start photographing South Central Los Angeles in the early 1960s, shooting high school football games, church events and ribbon-cutting ceremonies.

Despite his skill and ease at moving inside of the inner circles of the movers and shakers of the Black community, no mainstream publications were willing to hire the budding photographer due to heavy discrimination at the time.

Brittney M. Walker  |   OW Staff Writer
Jul 14 2011

Single father makes history

LANCASTER, Calif.—Gerald Brown made history when he became the first University of Antelope Valley graduate to obtain a master’s degree at the school. The graduate of the criminal justice program walked across the stage on June 24 to unexpected praise and adoration of his peers, undergraduates and their families.

C. Alexander Haywood   |   OW Staff Writer
Mar 24 2011

Urges teens to sell detailing, not drugs

The inner-city is often characterized by its harsh truths. These include but aren’t limited to, its claim to poverty-stricken neighborhoods, spurts of violence and civil unrest, academic underachievement woes; and an unemployment rate that’s elevated far beyond “high enough.”

Adding insult to injury, city and state officials across the country seem to have accomplished little to set the wheels of change in proper motion for inner-city residents.

C. Alexander Haywood   |   OW Staff Writer
Mar 3 2011

Challenger’s Boys and Girls Club

Inner-city youth aren’t to be confused with your average crop of zesty youngsters. 
Sure, some have the admirable, albeit normal, aspiration to graduate from college, and many others have an equally common affinity for music, fashion and/or the latest sure-fire phenomenon, reality TV.

Kianna Shann  |   OW Contributor
Nov 18 2010

Hip Hop battles still popular

In the heart of Downtown LA, an elite group of Hip Hop enthusiast pack out a quaint skate shop. All were there for the same reason, to experience real underground Hip Hop at its best, a rap cipher better known as a rap battle. MCs from all over Los Angeles, stopped by to participate in the freestyle battle put on by SK8 Café and sponsored by United Virtiuoso and KS consulting.

Across Black America

Here’s a look at African American people and issues making headlines throughout the country.
California
Yvette Hollingsworth was recently named chief compliance officer for Wells Fargo & Co. Hollingsworth, who most recently served as managing director and global head of operations compliance and financial crimes compliance & risk management for Barclays Corporate & Investment Bank, will begin her new role on June 1, 2012. Hollingsworth will be based in San Francisco, and will report to Caryl Athanasiu, executive vice president and chief operational risk officer in the corporate risk group. As chief compliance officer, Hollingsworth will be responsible for ensuring that all areas of the company meet compliance management responsibilities and abide by all applicable laws and regulations. Her team will continue to provide independent oversight of business-based compliance management activities.
District of Columbia
U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) issued the following statement after the Senate voted to confirm Los Angeles attorney Paul Watford to serve on the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals: “It is great news that the Senate has confirmed Paul Watford, an exceptionally talented attorney, to serve on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. He has a breadth of experience as a former prosecutor and a top appellate litigator and will make an excellent addition to the federal bench. However, I am very disappointed that more of my Republican colleagues did not join us in backing this highly qualified nominee.” When Watford is sworn in, he will be only the second African American serving on the Ninth Circuit.