Welcome to the Coon Round Report. May the peace and blessings of the life-giving creative spirit be upon you and upon your family. My name is Melvin Ishmael Johnson and I'm in the studio with my co-host Earlene Anthony. This week we will be talking about creative voices from the community with Lorraine Boylan, Lee Shaw, and my co-host Earlene Anthony. But first in our voices from the community section of the program, I would like to play a short interview I did with a community member who is an artist up in Hollywood, Jake McKenzie. Okay, this is Melvin Ishmael Johnson, host of the Coon Round Report. And who am I speaking with? Jake McKenzie. I'm speaking with Jake McKenzie. He's an artist right here on the corner of Selma and Vine. He's a great artist. I hope he comes down to the Arts Walk, which is the second Thursday every month downtown Los Angeles. Tell us a little about the type of art you do. Well, I do all kinds of art. I do a lot of art. I do a lot of art. I do a lot of art. I do a lot of art. You know, I like abstract. I like city landscape. I like lots of color, lots of imagination, and pretty much just anything that, you know, comes from the inspiration in the community. Now, how long you've been doing your artwork? How did you get off into painting and sketching? Well, I actually haven't been doing art very long, less than a year. I've always been interested in it, but, you know, being in Hollywood in such a beautiful place that it is and such a, you know, an artsy place, you know, I decided it was no time like the present, you know, and it's very inspirational surroundings. You know, the people around Hollywood are very interested in art, you know, so they really, you know, help the vibe, you know, so that's pretty much what got me into like really actually doing art, you know, as opposed to just being interested in wanting to do it. Yeah. And how long have you been out here in Hollywood and where you're originally from? Well, I've pretty much lived all over the United States. I'm from Michigan. I lived in Texas, Oklahoma, Arizona, California, Hawaii. Pretty much just everywhere. Yeah, I've been in Hollywood for probably, I can't remember exactly when I got here, but it's about three or four years. Now, how about if people want to purchase your work, do you have an email or do they come to the corner of Hollywood Boulevard? I mean, to the corner of Vine and Selma, how do they get in contact with you if they want to purchase some of your work? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, The best way for them to come down and see me and view my art is just come down here to Selma and Vine. Sometimes I paint on Sunset and Vine, but, you know, probably the best way is just come down here and see me. Okay. Tell them your name again. Jake McKenzie. Okay, Jake. Thank you, Jake McKenzie. And come on down here and buy some of Jake's art on the corner of Selma and Vine. This is Melvin Ishmael Johnson with the Coon Run Report. Okay, that's excellent. Now, that is a voice from the community artist Jake McKenzie. And you can find him on the corner of Selma and Vine up in Hollywood doing his artwork. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay., Creative Voices from the Community. Now, I am delighted to have with us in the studio Lorraine Moreland, Lee Shaw, and my co-host, Earlene Anthony. Welcome to the Qumran Report. Good to be here. Now, on tonight's show, we're going to discuss Creative Voices from the Community. Joining us in our roundtable discussion about Creative Voices from the Community would be Lorraine Moreland. Now, Lorraine, tell us a little about yourself. Well, my name is Lorraine Moreland. I was married to Chris Moreland that passed away October 6, 2011. I miss him dearly. I was born in Los Angeles, California, raised around USC, the Museum of Art and different things. And I went to Foshay Junior High School. I graduated from Manure Art in 1972. My most thing I did was enjoy going to school and skating. I went to Washington Skating Ring and Hollywood Skatering back in the days. That was the thing. I became a low rider and had a pink sky lot and had lots of fun with the guys and different things like that and just had a good time. I always dreamed about one day being married and having children. And so that did. become a part of my life. Now, how did you become an artist? I became an artist. I always liked singing. I liked to sing when my mother used to take me to church and they would be getting down with that gospel. And it was always amusing to me to hear the singers and yelling and singing and praising the Lord. And I always found it comfortable in my own skin to sing gospel songs. And I tried to anyway, but that's what inspired me. But the most thing about inspiring me is when I wanted to learn the song, 23, and I would ask my mother, you know, Mom, I just can't get this song. And remember in my mind, you know, she told me to write it on cube cards and study three times a day. I just basically wanted to say it, but then I start singing it. And it was very spiritual. Mm-hmm. So mostly that inspired me to do more singing and people liked it and it touched their hearts. What kind of music do you do? Mainly gospel music? I love gospel, but I also like to sing country because they tell a story, the words. So when I'm in a situation, I just start writing about the situation that I'm in. Mm-hmm. And, you know, like folk songs and stuff like that. And it's very nice because it kind of eases your soul, you know, when you can come up with some words and try to figure out, well, what did I do in this situation? So you start singing, you know, and it feels good. So it kind of like wings you off of that depression or something that you're in. And you can find yourself in that situation a lot. Mm-hmm. Especially now. Yeah. Now, tell us a little about your involvement with the sign language program. How did that come about? Well, you know, my husband went deaf. He was in a motorcycle accident when he was 24 years old, coma, three months. And he ended up in a wheelchair, very young. And he had a very strong mother that, you know, was stood by him and everything like that. So he has strength. So as he went along, his body began to decrease. But he worked. He worked for the CRA. And he was a photographer. And he did many things. He was in Teen Challenge. They taught him so much. They helped him. He was rehabilitated in that. But what happened when we got married, many years later, he became deaf. He couldn't hear very much. And it was very important that I was able to understand and communicate with my husband because of his illness. And so we went to a class to learn how to do sign language. Mm-hmm. And I thought it was wonderful because I'm able to communicate with my husband. If he went to the hospital and he tells me he's in so much pain or he needs me to go get the doctor, then he didn't have to struggle. I understood what he wanted, so I was able to accommodate him in his needs. Mm-hmm. So when my husband died last year, I also noticed when I was on the bus when deaf people was trying to get attention for help, I couldn't say anything, but I could try to get attention for help. Mm-hmm. I could try to help them because I understood what they were saying. Mm-hmm. So I had a dream that maybe I could get on that TV, on transfer TV. It's called Transit TV. Mm-hmm. So I put up a puzzle together, and this young lady said to me, she said, well, we're having a special today. We're showing some slides or something. And I said, really? So she said, the CEO is inside. It was a special. Mm-hmm. And she said, well, I'm going to be in the office. Mm-hmm. And she said, well, I'm going to be in the office. Mm-hmm. And she said, well, I'm going to be in the office. Mm-hmm. And she said, well, I'm going to be in the office. And I said, really? So she said, the CEO is inside. It was in Alvarez Street. And I went in there and talked with him, and he gave me his card. I told him I couldn't stay because I was on my way to a baseball game for the first time. Okay. Mm-hmm. And so then I called him, and then they set up an appointment for me to go down there. Mm-hmm. And we did five segments, which showed you pick up the phone. You pick up the phone, call in for help. You call in, you pick up the phone, and then you make a sign on your arm that's, it's called the hospital. And then if you make a C cuff on your chest, that means policeman. And if you put your thumb and your other thumb inside your finger, in your stomach, like, and you make this expression like you're sick, you know, that means sick. And so, and then you put your hand up. Mm-hmm. Thumb going up, and that means help. And a lot of people, when people are deaf, they look at them like if they're going to have a seizure or something. But actually, they're having their hands in the sign of help, help me. And a lot of people don't understand that. I don't understand. Now, the most remarkable thing that I've seen with the use of sign language, we went to this play called Jitney, you know, one of August Wilson's plays. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. felt is that we help them in case of emergency. They want to be acknowledged just like we want to be acknowledged if we're in need. So when they feel that they can be understood and people can communicate with them, it makes our world a lot better. Okay. Now yesterday, Sunday, November the 25th at the downtown LA Exchange, Drama Stage Kul Ram held a forum to call attention to the homeless problem. And I would like to play a portion of the speaker, Kay Usumi. It's about five minutes and 15 seconds long. I have, I have, I usually write what I'm going to say. Because it helps me to organize my thoughts. Otherwise, my thoughts would be all scattered. And so to continue after what Jamal just said, I am first an activist for the News and Letter Committee, an artist-humanist group who study and uphold the capitalist system and engage in the!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What I know about homelessness is from two sources. First, being active with LA Can, a grassroots organization that was founded to stop criminalizing the homeless and poor in the downtown Skid Row area. Gentrification of downtown has resulted in trying to push the homeless and long time poor residents away on behalf of developers by Central City Association, CCA, and their security guards, and by LAPD. Because there's more problems. There's not much profit in corporate upper and middle class housing. There's not much profit in housing for the poor. Commercial and entertainment development at the sports arena, sports center, and sports team. It's big business. And criminalizing the homeless and poor is a big business. And criminalizing the homeless and poor is a big business. And criminalizing the homeless and poor is a big business. And criminalizing the homeless has been a tactic that LA Can has opposed in protest against CCA and other groups. In the courts, they fight for the human rights of poor and homeless, for their health, housing, etc. And the second thing, occasionally I walk a line through Skid Row and see so many mostly black, or some brown, some white, and one or two Asians sometimes on the sidewalk with their shopping carts full of 15 day olds, including blankets, sleeping bags, tents, etc. They live with poor sanitation facilities without clean public toilets available throughout the 24 hours. Trash cans. There are not enough trash cans. So what do they do? In this throwaway society, they throw things on the ground. And then the system uses that against the homeless people. Trash can water and daily street cleaning. Unemployment and homelessness is part of the capitalist system. All the problems of society, including climate, which has to make way for a new society for the poor and the poor. There's a list table over there if anybody's interested. There's flyers for class, the run-ins and car marks if you want. I have it. I will give it to you. Just ask me for it. I just want to say that I'm a big fan of the I just want to say that I'm a big fan of the I just want to say that I'm a big fan of the New Art, they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they And what's coming over there is a movie on the Central Park Five. Remember in New York a few years back, five black members were accused of raping a person, and they were all young black youth. Well, they found out they didn't do it. But they had years of PR against black youth. You know, before they finally came out with the truth. That will be a movie at the New York theater. So, that's the truth. Amen. Amen. OK, Kay Utsumi at the homeless farm yesterday at the downtown LA Exchange. Now, let me open up the round table here. What are your thoughts on the homeless problem? Let's start over here with Lee. Well, it's a sad situation. They got to get together. That's all there is to it. You know, somebody told me once that if you can't afford to buy something, I'm not a corporation, I don't have no millions, that you just as well go start trying to make it yourself. And that's what they need to do. They need to understand, they need to really understand, somebody need to bring it to them, you know. And I think that's what they need to do. You got to vote. And you got to make, you got to put somebody in this position, in the positions, whether it be city council, mayor, whatever, that's going to look out for all the people and not the corporation, not, you know, these big people that give money away just to get more money to things to vote. Get these people to move their way and forget about everybody else. You know, 80,000 homeless, 100,000 homeless. You know, that's what they need to do. That's what they need to do. That makes a big old difference. Especially when you're talking about city council. See, 80,000 people could make a big difference, even in the mayor race. You know what I'm saying? Because as you said, and the play nail here, the nails, the hammers, the saws, and those who use them, you know, make up the foundation. If any of those things are not present, the foundation is not set straight. So we're talking about all the people, not some of the people. And they, you know, they're not going to be able to do it. They need to, the homeless people downtown on Skid Row, if they can't be able, register to vote and ask for what you want. And if the person is not able to deliver, as Ms. Erlene said, it'll be your last supper. You know? Erlene. I think a lot of the homeless is people helping people. I think a lot of the homeless is people helping people. I think a lot of the homeless is people helping people. I know I keep saying back in the day, and that was when I was growing up, I didn't see a lot of homeless people in our neighborhood. And a lot of people from the South know about relatives coming to stay with relatives and just taking care of your immediate family. And I really think if, you know, people that are laying on the street and the homeless, you know, they're related to somebody. You know, there's somebody, mother, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, or something. You know, they have some kind of family. If the family would reach out to these that are homeless, you know, a lot of them are addicted and, you know, got mental problems and whatever, and it may be difficult, but you know, they're still related to somebody, and your family members should reach out and help them. Because you know, even when people are sick or mentally ill, they're still related to somebody. And if they're mentally ill, the family would still reach out and take care of them. They wouldn't put them in a rest home or send them off somewhere to die. They would still, the family would help them in some kind of way. I just believe if the families would reach out to the ones that are homeless, it wouldn't be such a mass of homeless people. Well, let me ask you this question before we move to Lorraine, because I hear all the time people tell me. They say, look at the people down here that are homeless. Look how mean-spirited these people is. You know, so many of them you see on the streets is so mean-spirited. I mean, that they done burned all of their bridges and stuff like that, and the family don't want to have anything to do with them. They at the end of the rope with them. What do you think about that? What are your thoughts on that? Well, I still think, you know, even back in the day when you were growing up, you didn't see a lot of homeless people like you do today. We didn't know what a homeless person was. You know, everybody had some place to stay. Everybody has some food. Everybody had some clothes. You didn't see people on the street. Yeah, but one of the major differences, you know, I grew up in the south in Greenville, Mississippi, and there, no homeless at all, you know, zero, but we had something else that was in play also. We had this strong extended family, three or four generations of family in the same community. You don't see that out here among the African-American. You see it out here among the Hispanic community, and even the Hispanic community, the longer that they stay over here, the seem like the more deterioration of the family structure that we see happening with that. But let me move on. Lorraine, your comments. Okay. About the homeless problem. The homeless problem, from my experience, is I became homeless 18 years ago. And, well, let's say a little longer than that. And what happened is that I was going through a situation that I became on alcohol and drugs because of my husband, my first husband had brought it home. And I became to his partner, and what happened, before that I was a PTA meeting mother. I was a mother. I was a mother. I was a housewife doing work at Centinella Hospital. That's all I knew. I knew goodness from my parents and my praying for me to be a good child and stuff like that. So that was my goal. And then when the drugs and alcohol came into my house, I just became a mess trying to stick up with Ham, thinking he's going to be there to save me. But when I hit that stuff and got in my system, it threw me against the wall. And there was no one else there for me. And I was too ashamed to go to my mother. I mean, she didn't teach me to be those things. So I had to struggle on my own to figure out what to do with this. So I got rid of my husband, and then they took my kids away from me. And then here's a mother that struggled with her children, trying to deal with her situation. And no one, oh, you're the bad mother now, but the father, he's all good. And so I ended up homeless after losing my children. I felt like a whip. I felt like nothing. Without my children, I wasn't nothing. And so I became homeless. I became on the streets. I lived in a doorway for eight years. I see a lot of things downtown Los Angeles, and I saw a lot of things downtown Los Angeles. And I saw good people and I saw bad people. But you think I wanted to be in that doorway? No, I didn't want to be in that doorway. But like my mind was gone. No. I didn't think about what's getting loaded. And you sure can't sleep on the streets without being drunk or loaded. I had to balance it out. And I sure didn't want to stay in one of them high rise hotels or anything like that and get thrown out the window or anything like that because everybody was so strong on the drugs. It was terrifying. It was so terrifying. But you know what came to me? People would come to me and said, I used to be just like you. They looked at all neat and clean and they would give me some change. It was so many caring people out there. people out there. It was overwhelming. And I wanted what they had, but I didn't know how I was going to get it. I wasn't going to go to my mother's house and steal anything for her for, for dope or anything. My mother didn't teach me that. My mother was a good mother, but I knew she was praying for me. I, she, what could she do? She couldn't help me. And, um, so one day I was in my doorway and I would go to the shelter to, um, take a shower called Good Shepherd Center for homeless women. As soon as I walked in that door, that nun said today, Lorraine, that was October 6th, 1994. She said, Lorraine, I don't care what I do today. You are not going to sleep on them streets anymore. So they tried to find the alcohol center for me. And, um, the girl said, uh, it was an intern named Susan. She said, uh, the lady said you can come tomorrow. So I was going to go out the door and get my last drink for a dollar 38 because around the corner, it was that much. And I went to touch the doorknob, didn't get my hand on it. And Susan ran and said, the lady said, you can come today. And I went to that program toe up, toe up. I mean, I was toe up. Didn't know if I was going to make it or not. But once I saw that bed, oh my, it just, I was overwhelmed. And I, I graduated from that program. Mm-hmm. And my mother, my mother got sick and my mother, I actually, when I was in the program, I got, my mother got sick and she was in the hospital and let me go visit her. And I said, mom, you want me to leave the program to come take care of you? She said, no child, you stay in that program. And mama got better. And I graduated and I went to USC and became a social worker, volunteer social, social worker. And the people I live among the streets, they said, Hmm, I was giving them money. And I said, well, I'm going to give you money. And I said, well, I'm going to give you money. And they said, wow, if you can do it, I can do it. So the thing about it, people need role model. People need people they can look up, look up to that they even lived in the doorway with or something. We are out. They were, we was out there together and there was good and there was bad, but everybody wants the opportunity to get off that ground. And we need people that's going to care for us. Um, sister Mary, she cared enough to take that extra mile for me and I've been clean ever since. So people are running out there. Not all bad is trying to seek help. There's women out there that wants to get back to their families. There is not a woman. I don't think out there are even a man that don't want to make a life for themselves and get back to where they belong in a good, in a good zone. Let me, let me ask you this. What is the, uh, um, what is the, uh, um, hardest part of being homeless for a woman? Well, it's very difficult because even, even in your doorway, you have to beat the streak because they don't know if you're a man or a woman and they want to know what you are. Sometimes they touch your body to find out, you know, and that's the scariest. That's why you see most women out there toe up, uh, covered up and everything else because they're trying to sleep and they're trying to get somewhere comfortable. And here's somebody is going to come around and. I think they can take advantage of them. And I think that is so cold. It's already bad enough being in the cold. Cause I remember I had to pee on myself just to get that heat just for a second, the fall asleep, you know? And so it's not easy out there, but once you get too deep in there, nobody lends a hand to you. You either make it or you die. Okay. Arlene, what you think the, uh, uh, what's the hardest part of being homeless and a woman? Um, like Lorraine was saying, a lot of the, um, women are homeless that are out on the street and, uh, you can see them. They wear layers and layers of clothes. And, uh, like you say, you don't really know whether they're a man or a woman, but for the woman is, uh, for her protection. When I was homeless, I was not like out on the street. I was at a shelter, um, the union rescue mission. That was the only one that houses women and children. And it was still difficult for me because I was used to working, taking care of myself, making money and everything. I didn't know anything about the homeless problem. But when I came to Skid Row, it was like, you know, right there in my face. And just the mere fact of taking a shower once a day was a luxury living on Skid Row and having clean clothes. And, um, I remember standing in line waiting to get some food. So it's really, um, a lot of different things that go on in Skid Row, just being a woman. And the fact of just staying clean and maintaining your, uh, sense of dignity as being a woman. That's, um, that's a difficulty on Skid Row. Okay, we're going to come back to the, uh, discussion. But now let's take a break for our community calendar. And then we'll come back and discuss more of the homeless problem and creative voices. From the community. This is the community calendar for the month of November. The Robie Theater Company, in association with the Latino Theater Company, presents Ana La Costa. This play is written by Philip Yarden and directed by Ben Guillory. The performances are from November the 10th through December 9th. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 8 p.m. And Sunday, 3 p.m. The location is the Los Angeles Theater Center, 514 South Spring Street, Los Angeles, California. For ticket information, 866-811-4111. And every Tuesday from 530 to 730 p.m., Drama Stage Cool Run is continuing with the Veterans Community Theater Workshop. And this is open. To veterans as well as non-veterans. And the location is the Vortex 2341 East Olympic Boulevard, near the corner of Olympic and Santa Fe. The MTA bus number 60 and 66 stops near the corner. If you want to participate or for more information, contact 213-908-6587. And we're asking you to save the date. Tuesday, December the 4th. From 530 to 730 p.m. Drama Stage Cool Run Veterans Community Theater Workshop will be presenting the Anti-Violence Situation Coping Group. Where we say enough is enough, no more violence. This will be the genesis chapter of the Anti-Violence Situation Coping Group. And this will be instructed by Melvin Ishmael Johnson. The workshop will also invite, from time to time, different guest speakers to come. And participate. The first situation drama notation will be the Trayvon Martin-George Zimmerman case. And the workshop is located at the Vortex 2341 East Olympic Boulevard, Los Angeles, California. Once again, all are welcome to attend these groups. And to learn more about the Anti-Violence Situation Coping Group, or to participate, please contact 213-908-6587. If you have a community event that you would like announced on our show, send the information to DramaStage1 at Yahoo.com. Attention, Earlene Anthony. And the call-in number for this show is 800-893-9562. Now, back to our host. Okay, thank you, Earlene Anthony. We're back with our in-studio guest, Lorraine Morris. Thank you, Arlen. Lee Shaw and my co-host, Earlene Anthony. Now, I would like to play another one of the speakers from yesterday's Homeless Awareness Forum, Georgiana Williams, held yesterday at the Downtown L.A. Exchange. It's about five minutes and 55 seconds. Hello, my name is Georgiana Williams. She said I got five minutes. She's my age and my size, and they can find me. Get up. I was told to talk about the homeless in South L.A. and how I got involved with the Jews and the others. Okay, I grew up in the South on a plantation, and I moved to Los Angeles. I always had two jobs because I didn't like the drunk husband, so I took my kids and left. So, I always cooked a lot of food because I had to depend on them. I had to depend on my neighbors and friends to watch my children when I was working. And one day, I saw some people in the trash can and they found some food. And they were eating. And I said, no, no, no, don't do that. You're not eating no trash. We got food. So, all the kids, including her, know that there was food at my house. And any time they saw somebody in the trash can, they were supposed to stop and then pick some food and give it to them. That's how I got involved with the homeless. But one day, I said, well, I'm not going to eat. I'm going to eat. I'm going to eat. And I said, that hungry hurt my youngest son. It was my last two dogs, and I'm always going to remember. We was coming down Vermont Avenue. He saw this man in the trash can not fast enough. And he had a big. So, I had to turn around. And give that thing my last two dogs. Because my son reminded me, mama, you said when you're hungry, it hurts. And it does. We didn't really go home on that plantation. But a lot of times, all we had to eat was brown gravy and biscuits. It was raining. It was raining. And I said, I'm going to eat. I'm going to eat. I'm going to eat. I'm going to eat. I'm going to eat. I'm going to eat. I'm going to eat. And he said, you know, we had to go home on that plantation. But a lot of times, all we had to eat was brown gravy and biscuits. If it was raining, the plantation owner would give you a little money every month to get food. But if it wasn't raining, he said, then we weren't going to make any money. Because there wasn't going to be no cotton. So, we suffered. So, when I came out here, I bought all that biscuits. And I didn't want people in the children to go through what I went through. So, I was always giving. And so, I got my own. And I was always giving. And how I got in contact with Luce and Neville, we all remember the rebellion of April 29th at Florence and Naumann. They arrested one of my biological sons and a son that I had taken in because his mother was an addict. And they arrested my neighbor's son. And the other young man was homeless. He stayed at the service station. But what made me angry, they all said that we were dope scoundrels, dope techos, all the way up there, and hated rich white people. And now, we're all here. And now, we're all here. And now, we're all here. And now, we're all here. And now, we're all here. And now, we're all here. And now, we're all here. And now, we're all here. And they arrested, they arrested, they arrested, they arrested, they arrested, they arrested, they arrested, they arrested, they arrested, they arrested, they arrested, they arrested, they arrested, they arrested, they arrested, they arrested, they arrested, they arrested, they arrested, they arrested, they arrested, they arrested, they arrested, they arrested, they arrested, they arrested, they arrested, they arrested, they arrested, they arrested, they arrested, they arrested, they arrested, they arrested, they arrested, they arrested, they arrested, they arrested, they arrested, they arrested, they arrested, they arrested, they arrested, they arrested, they arrested, they arrested, they arrested, they arrested, they arrested, they arrested, they arrested, they arrested, they arrested, they arrested, they arrested, they arrested, they arrested, they arrested, they arrested, they arrested, they arrested, and hated rich white people. Hell, if you gonna hate rich white, not hate Nicole. And I told him, I said, if I was a dog dealer, I wouldn't be out here working two jobs. I'd have me an island and I was off. That's what I'm saying. And then I felt like the young men were overcharged. Four young men had four counts that had been found guilty. They would have never seen the day light. I'm married from up down south. And we know about any kid, right? That's right. And all kinds of stuff. Black men didn't have no say. If the white man was your wife, he'd come to the house and tell you, boy, take a walk with the kid. There was nothing you could do. Not a thing you could do. And my grandma told me about how they used to put tar and feathers on the black men and how they used to hang them by the fingers and the toes. And nobody did. Nobody did nothing about that. So when they started messing with our boys, all that came up in me. And I said, oh no, it ain't taking. Uh-huh, uh-huh. And I began to speak up and say, this ain't right. Show me how many men you got in prison for what they did to the black people. And I started going on radio shows and TV shows and every grassroot dude in Los Angeles was coming to get me. So I was at Gatwick, and Judy Pinkflower, Judy, come step in up there. Can I come to the L.A. Post? I mean, I said, sure you can. I said, yeah, I'll come. That little Japanese, can I be a part of the L.A. Post? I said, sure you can. I was with all of them gay people hanging out. Can we be part of the L.A. Post? I said, sure you can. You know what I mean, Judy? I said, that's all right. No, you know, you say I'm gay. I said, what was it? I had never heard that. No, Judy was the one who said she was too. And I told her, Jesus loves too. There you go. All right. So, and then after organizing the L.A. Post, we organized Mother Rock, Teresa, and Terry and I. And I get on the radio, and I would say, it used to be one big now. Now we got Mother Rock. We got a whole big now. So come on, let's fight for justice. Let's change this. A lot of reporters came. I came out to the house. They said the police, them said we were filthy. We was nasty. So I would tell them, start at the front door. Go on through the back door. And they come on back around. And you tell me if this house is nasty. And we would have big cook-ups. People came with buses to eat when in our office. Now see, let me talk about my first son, Martin. And another young man that was arrested. They were arrested on April 29. And Leon Jenkins was the attorney. They was acquitted of all charges. So we celebrate. And someone told me it was somebody's birthday, Res. Denny, the flat-mouth. So I told them, come on over. Res. Denny, Rodney King. I said, have a good time. I'm going to teach you all how to do greens with your family. We had a big, beautiful party. I had a great time. She said, five minutes, and I'm going to go talk. Okay, George, Anna Williams said yesterday's forum on the homeless. Let's open back up our roundtable here. I'd like to, what can we do to create more jobs and after-school programs for our young people? Let's start off with Lee. Well, you know, it's kind of hard to say. Because my views might not be, you know. I think that in order to get these things started up again, the church needs to be involved. You know, they're the only entity back now that's not involved in nothing. You know what I'm saying? That I know of. And they got to get involved. I remember in the 60s, churches was always involved in the movements and everything else. They were the center point, right, to the community. And now they're on the back burner. And they need to get back to work. That's where it came from. That's where this thing started from. Because they have the room. They have the information to be able to move and shift things around. Right? They're able to bring and have after-school programs in the church, around the church, especially with education. Because in 1979, I had a little idea. If I could get enough, a few of these actors together, right, that I would have, I would have them to come into the church and just talk to people, just talk to the youth, talk to the youth. You know? And then get some teachers to volunteer. I'm not talking about somebody at the university that got the time to come. They spend an hour or two at a church with some high school students, some junior high school students. You know? And tutor them. You know? Help them stay up, keep them up above that right there. You know what I'm saying? Because right now, education is about ready to just fall off the cliff. You know what I'm saying? Because some people just not going to, you know, they don't have the way to just teach. They get frustrated. You know what I'm saying? Okay. Yeah. All right. Lorraine. I think he's right. But I think we're going through so many, so many things right now. We do need to find a solution to the problem. And we do need to come together like back in the days when the grandmothers was involved. And the whole family was involved. The community was involved. We have parks now. We have so much space. You know, if they can build lofts and build up these historic buildings downtown for people to live in and pay so high price rent inside and even have dogs in there. We need to take more care of the human beings. And our children is our future. So if we can get some of the elders and the women. But it's so easy to say because they're putting everybody in a rut these days where people can't even make a step towards someone else. So we have to come together and make a, what would you call it, a hitch for everyone. A pot for everyone. If people's lives are in danger. If people's lives are in need. We come together and help one another. And then when we come together and help, it doesn't matter what race you are. We need to put a foot down and start helping out our communities a lot better. Okay. I just wanted to say this right here. And it's not against men, people say. But I think that the question as to how can we do a certain thing with the youth now. I think that question is better suited to ask the female what should we do. Because I notice that most males, they'll say, oh, well, what the heck. But the female, because she gives birth to the child, she has more compassion for the child. She's more connected to the child. Right? And she's able to. Women just, when they get an idea, they latch on to it and they don't let go. Something's going to happen. They don't let go. But men, I mean, just say, the males will let go. They'll say, oh, well, what the heck. Later on. You know, things pass. But the female is the one I think that the question should really fall to. Okay. Earlene. I like his honesty. Earlene. I know we, I remember we set up an after school program at OLA. We were just going to the library and we saw this flyer saying, advertising after school programs. And we just went over there. You and I. Melvin and I went over there and talked to one of the staff people. And it was like, the staff was just waiting for us to come in and present this idea to them. And we went in there and we set up an after school weekly free program, a drama class. They didn't have a drama class set up there. And we went in and we just went in and set it up. It didn't cost us any money. Because, you know. Because they supplied the kids. And so we just went in and we already had a little play that we could do with the kids. And we just went in there and set it up. And I think if more people would just get an interest in going maybe to a community center or school or whatever. And presenting an after school program. I think this would go far and wide. Okay. All right. Now at this time we're going to have a live performance by Lorraine Moreland. First we're going to have a reading in title, A Lady with a Song. So put your hands together for Lorraine Moreland. Thank you. The reason why I sing this song is because it's so special to me. Back in 2001 I was reading my Bible, Psalm 21. And I was reading it. Every word sounds like me when I was homeless. I wanted to remember it so bad, the verse. But for some reason it wouldn't stay in my mind. So I explained to my mother how couldn't I remember it. Why, Mom? I just wanted to know how to remember this pastor. So my mother said, child, you have to study it three times a day. So believing in my mother, that's what I began to do. So I put them on cube cards. So that basically everywhere I went I studied it as my mother had said. One afternoon I went over to my mother's house because she was getting ready to go to the hospital the next day. So I wanted to spend some time with her that evening. We were sitting in her kitchen and on the wall she had two plaques. One, the footprints and one, the Lord is my shepherd. I asked my mother, which one do you want me to sing for you? I could sing without any, with words, any time, any day. I just wondered why she wanted me to sing for her. I said, I don't know. She wanted me to sing footprints when she knew I was working on the Lord is my shepherd. I wanted that, what was going on in her mind. I sung the footprints for her anyway since that's what she wanted. Mama went to the hospital the next day. She was only supposed to stay there two weeks. She had an open heart surgery. The surgery went well, but things went wrong. Mama's lungs gave out on her. And she died 30 days later. And then six months after Mama died, my son Mark got shot. And on the wall there where he got shot was a mirror with the words, the Lord is my shepherd. I was very deeply moved by all of this occurring in my life at the time. So having to learn and the reason why I learned the Lord is my shepherd keeps me in touch with my mother and my son. It seems like it was a process I was supposed to endure for this reason. It seems like the more I sing it, the more it calms my soul. So I pray that when you hear it, that whatever journey you're on, it will calm your soul too. God bless you and may the peace of the Lord be with you. Don't take one day of your life for granted. Okay, let's move into the, what's the song you're going to sing for us? The Lord is my shepherd. Okay. The Lord is my shepherd. The Lord is my shepherd. And I shall not want. He made me lie down in green pasture. I am. And he leaded me beside the still water. And he restored my soul. He lead me in the path of the righteousness. For his name's sake. And yet though I walk through. The valleys of the shadows of death. I won't fear no evil. For he is right beside me. His rod and his staff, they comfort me. And you prepare a table before me. In the presence of God. In the presence of my inner me. And you unknot my head withal. And my cup runs over. Surely. Goodness and mercy shall follow me. All the days of my life. And I. I will dwell in the house. Of the Lord. Forever. Yes the Lord is my shepherd. Okay Lorraine Moreland. Okay we're down to our closing comments. Now let's take about a minute and do our closing comments. Let's start off with Lee and go around. As citizens of Los Angeles. We need to make things right. For the homeless. We can't afford to leave nobody on the streets. To be hurt. Taken advantage of. Put in jail. Exploited. None of that. None of that. If you in Los Angeles County. And you can make. You can help make the changes. Okay Lorraine. From my heart to your heart. We're asking people to close the gap. And come together. And help people you don't even know. It will be a blessing to you. We must change things around. For peace. And harmony. And love with dignity. So many people. So many people are yelling out. Screaming out. And no one hears them. You hear them. And you help them. And let's make our world. A better place. And downtown. We need your help. We need your help. We need you to open up your eyes. And stop being blind. Because this is the time for victory. For all of us. God bless. And thank you. Lorraine. Just want to give a shout out to the people that are out there listening. We're sitting here in the studio talking about these issues. And most of us know the problems. And we're trying to come up with some solutions. So if you're out there. Let us know that you're listening. Give us a call. I'm sure you have some answers to some of the issues we're discussing. Give us a call. And give us some of your solutions. Okay. And what I want to say, I want to say something about the whole concept of respect, what respect is about. And I want to mention to get respect, you got to give respect. And the community got to keep that in mind that it's a circle of process. If you want respect, you got to give respect. Now, I would like to extend a special thanks to my co-host, Earlene Anthony, to Lee Shaw, and my in-studio guest, Lorraine Moreland. Please check out past shows of the Coon Round Report on iTunes, Facebook, skidrow.la, and dramastage-coonround.org. Also, let me mention that you are invited to come out to the very first. Genesis chapter of the Anti-Violence Situation Coping Group that's at the Vortex, December the 4th, Tuesday, December the 4th at 530. We would love to have you involved. Thank you for tuning in to the Coon Round Report. And from your host, Melvin Ishmael Johnson, may the peace and blessings of the life-giving creator spirit be upon you and upon your family. Thank you. Thank you very much.