Garcetti Appoints Cat Packer as First Executive Director Of The L.A. Department Of Cannabis Stars electrify Staples Center for Regulation (See page A-7) Ice Cube’s BIG3 (See page B-2) SEPTEMBER 17, 2015 VOL.VOL. LXXVV, LXXXI NO. NO49 • 33 $1.00 $1.00 + CA. +CA Sales. Sales Tax Tax“For Over “For Eighty Over Eighty Years YearsThe Voice The Voice of Our of CommunityOur Community Speaking Speaking for for Itself Itself” THURSDAYTHURSDAY,, DECEMBER AUGUST 12 17, - 18, 2017 2013 Charlottesville Violence Reveals Miniscule Progress of U.S. Race Relations COURTESY PHOTO Rev. Dr. Melvin V. Wade, Sr BY CORA JACKSON-FOSSETT Wade will be honored Staff Writer for his legacy of ser- vice during a weekend Faithful, dedicated celebration. Renowned and steadfast are fre- clergy, elected officials, quently used to de- business owners and ev- scribe Rev. Dr. Melvin eryday people will gather Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas Von Wade, Sr. As one to salute his enduring al- AP PHOTO of L.A.’s leading pas- legiance to Christ and in- tors, his stellar character valuable contributions to CHIP SOMODEVILLA, GETTY IMAGES traits have followed him the community. Inset photo provided by the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail shows James Alex Fields Jr., who was charged throughout his lifelong Kicking-off events is with second-degree murder and other counts after authorities say he rammed his car into a crowd of protesters Satur- ministerial and public a musical on Saturday, day, Aug. 12, 2017, in Charlottesville, Va., where a white supremacist rally took place. service career. August 18 at 6 p.m., at Now preparing to re- Mount Moriah, 4269 {See KKK A-9} tire after 42 years as the South Figueroa Street in spiritual leader of Mount Los Angeles. On Sunday, Moriah Baptist Church, {See WADE A-8} STAFF AND WIRE REPORT “The venues might differ, but he was the VALERIE GOODLOE PHOTO same person wherever he was,” said Karen Hudson, daughter of long time at- torney, civic leader and BY NIELE ANDERSON banker Elbert T. Hudson Contributing Writer who died August 5, at his home in Los Angeles. He Los Angeles, CA – was 96. Memorial service Congressman Ted Lieu plans have not yet been es- (CD-33) joined officials tablished, according to his from the Los Angeles family. County Metropolitan Hudson was born in Transportation Authority Shreveport, LA on No- (Metro) and Skanska USA vember 16, 1920. He Civil on Aug. 11, to tour moved to Los Angeles as the recently completed Ex- a toddler with his family, position Light Rail Transit after his activist father re- Phase 2 (Expo 2) project, ceived death threats from which extended service the local White commu- from Culver City to Santa nity. Here, he attended COURTESY PHOTO Monica. public schools, including Jacque DuPont Walker (Mayor Garcetti appointee to the The project tour began 28th Street School, John Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Au- COURTESY PHOTO Adams Junior High, and thority), Congressmember Ted Lieu, Phillip A. Washing- Elbert T. Hudson ton -Metro CEO {See HUDSON A-9} {See METRO A-8} BY JENNIFER BIHM Staff writer Every October, as the number of people who line PHOTO ROBERT TORRENCE 2017 marks the 12th year of Taste of Soul in Los An- geles. Over 350,000 people fill Crenshaw Blvd., enjoying great food, music, entertainment, and family fun. PHOTO KEITH ST. CYR Taste of Soul’s Starquest competition judges on stage with child winner, Chloe Ros- ton (center, right wearing overalls) with last years competitors. Crenshaw Boulevard for the fice on Crenshaw, where the Taste of Soul grows larger, idea for TOS began to be- BY KIMBERLEE BUCK legacy of Motown. vehicle for L.A. to show- the sentiment among those come a reality. Staff Writer “Over the past few case the exceptional talent who put it together is the “Taste of Soul has years, hundreds of vocal- we have in this city and same. It’s something like, grown into the greatest South Los Angeles’ ists have auditioned for for the contestants to build “I never thought it would demonstration of all that is premiere singing competi- a coveted slot as a final- their fan base by perform- become this huge… this possible for and within our tion, StarQuest returns to ist in the StarQuest sing- ing in front of thousands phenomenal.” 2017 marks community when we col- the 12th annual Taste of ing competition,” said of people at one of the the 12th year since the staff lectively pull our time, re- Soul (TOS) Family Fes- StarQuest producer Pat www.lasentinel.net meeting at the Sentinel of- {See TASTE OF SOUL B-4} tival with a salute to the Shields. “We’ve been the {See STARQUEST B-4} A-6 A-2 LASENTINEL.NETLOS ANGELES SENTINEL NEWSNEWS THURSDAY,THURSDAY,JANUARY AUGUST 17, 9, 2017 2014 Robertson (courtesy photo) BY SHAQUILLE WOODS to become a club dancer. ness of prosecution. The Contributing Writer When she wanted to leave, victims are afraid to speak her trafficker threatened to about the abuse. kill her and her parents. The panel, some whom Ford Motor Company “I heard him rumbling are parents, explained the and former Access Holly- papers. He then read off importance of having pa- wood host Shaun Robinson my address and my parents rental guidance on their held an open discussion address,” said Thomas. teenager’s phone. panel about human sex Her journey sparked Anonymous messaging trafficking on Saturday Au- a conversation about the apps such as Kik are used gust 12 at the Nate Holden physical looks and person- to lure kids into traffick- Performing Arts Center. alities of traffickers. ing. Kids are also using Robison founded the “The traffickers are apps called “vault apps” non-profit organization suave and charming. They that hide other apps. Even S.H.A.U.N Foundation for are able to make you think videogames systems such Girls to empower young you are the greatest,” Robi- as PlayStations are a win- girls through STEM, son said. dow for traffickers to target Health, Arts, Unity, and Tracey Webb, former children. Neighborhoods. Cyber Crime and Child Kim Biddle, founder “I wanted to start a pas- Abuse prosecutor, echoed of the organization Saving sion project. This is my those statements. Innocence, advocates for time to help girls lead bet- “I’ve prosecuted them. a new justice system that ter lives,” Robinson said. They don’t look like the doesn’t prosecute victims. The diverse panel in- typical guy in a trench “My track coach abused cluded human trafficking coat.” me and thirty six other vic- survivors and law enforce- Webb presented star- tims. The prosecution in ment officials. tling statistics about sex court led to three mistrials. Shaquille Woods PHOTO Rachel Thomas, a hu- trafficking. She calls this The coach was let go.” Shaun Robinson explains why she created her non-profit S.H.A.U.N Foundation for man sex trafficking survi- the new modern-day form Biddle, who first trav- Girls. vor, spoke about her jour- of slavery. eled to other countries to ney. Thomas was only “After drug dealing, prevent trafficking, noticed twenty when a man ap- human trafficking is tied western men were the ma- her family. are prostitutes but they are tian, said the film was im- proached her about model- with illegal arms. It is the jority of the criminals. “I didn’t get sold to the actually victims that have portant to her as a parent. ing. second fastest growing ille- That realization inspired streets until I was fourteen. been lured. Maybe they “We really wanted to “He sold me on jump gal industry in the world,” her to return back to Amer- I would stand on Sunset, are not being physically do a movie that will start on how to start my model- Webb said. ica and investigate why this Figueroa, Long Beach, forced but they are being a conversation like the ing career. Thirty minutes Los Angeles, San Di- issue is prevalent. Sepulveda, and Western. psychologically forced,” one we are having today,” later a girl around my age ego, and San Francisco are “The problem here was If you didn’t make a cer- said Pera. Beauvais said. approached me and said the top three cities in the more complex because it tain amount of money, New laws are in place The event ended with how amazing of an agent country for human traf- was more hidden. It was you would be abused in to help curve prosecution. Robinson presenting the he was,” Thomas said. ficking. Seventy percent masked by our government ways you couldn’t possibly Her team helps victims Saving Innocence orga- “Six weeks later I found of victims are sold online. structural systems that are imagine,” Midkiff said. rather than jail them. nization a five thousand myself in human traffick- The average age of victims in place,” Biddle said. Joan Pera, supervising Actress Garcelle Beau- dollar check for their advo- ing.” starts at fifteen with Los Jessica Midkiff, another deputy probation officer vais spoke about her up- cacy. Thomas was unaware Angeles County starting at trafficking survivor, had a of Los Angeles County, coming film called “Lalo’s If anyone suspects hu- of the psychological ma- twelve. childhood of sexual abuse. explained why the term House”. The film sheds man trafficking, please call nipulation used by many Drug traffickers have Her trafficking started “child prostitute” holds a light to human trafficking Child Protective Services traffickers. The manipu- transitioned to human traf- when she was just eleven dangerous connation. in Haiti. or local police officials. lations eventually led her ficking due to the unlike- years old by someone in “A lot of girls think they Beauvais, who is Hai- Help Us Conserve Energy This Summer, SoCal! Did you know that natural gas is the single largest source for electricity generation in California? Because of the limited availability of natural gas locally this summer, there’s less natural gas available to produce electricity.