Lindsey Directs LADWP’s Water Hill Harper talks The Black Wall Distribution System Street (See page A-2) (See page A-9) VOL. LXXXVII NO. 23, $1.00 +CA. Sales Tax “For Over Eighty Years, the Voice of Our Community Speaking for Itself.” THURSDAY, JUNE 10, 2021 VOL. LXXVV, NO. 49 • $1.00 + CA. Sales Tax “For Over Eighty Years The Voice of Our Community Speaking for Itself THURSDAY, DECEMBER 12 - 18, 2013 munity center branch; he reflected on this intensi- el.” Dimon shared his ex- made worse by the COV- described the cultural evo- fied process between the citement of being a part of ID-19 pandemic.” The $30 lution of Chase and how community and financial this innovation and watch- billion commitment will the institution looks to be- circulation, stating, “A ing it unfold. support projects geared to- come a pillar of growth in community branch was an The JPMorgan Chase wards affordable housing, the Crenshaw community. idea—we had this $30 bil- Path Forward initiative minority-owned business- The public center’s lion racial equity commit- has a mission to address es, financial health, and goal unites the act of bank- ment which is huge— but “structural barriers in the workforce diversity. ing and the genuine needs at the end of the day, it all U.S. that have created pro- of the community. Dimon takes place on a local lev- found racial inequalities- {See CHASE A-11} JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon E. MESIYAH MCGINNIS / LA SENTINEL BY BETTI HALSELL center in the Bakewell build- Contributing Writer ing, on corner of Crenshaw Blvd. and Vernon Blvd., has Chase Bank looks to chal- created a new model of bank- lenge financial barriers in ing in the Crenshaw District underserved communities by responding directly to with the modernization of the needs of the surrounding the financial firm itself. May community. 6, 2021, marked that histori- On Wednesday, June 2, cal moment of change in Los JPMorgan Chase Chief Ex- Angeles; a reimagined finan- ecutive Officer Jamie Di- cially integrated community mon, visited the new com- The Chase Bank Crenshaw Community Center on the corner of Crenshaw Blvd. and Vernon Blvd. COURTESY CHASE BANK It is time to make our communities healthy too BY DR. ELAINE BATCHLOR Fortunately, we have Special to the Sentinel leaders who seem ready to act. The Biden Admin- On June 15, the State istration is considering of California will officially generation-changing in- reopen. It’s a time when vestments in our commu- we can all exhale and give nities – changes we should thanks for what we hope support. will mark the end of a ter- One promising govern- rible pandemic. mental proposal is invest- It’s also an opportunity ment in “infrastructure.” to ensure that what hap- You might think of this pened to South LA during as roads and bridges. But Covid never happens again. what if we think about Now is not the time to infrastructure more ex- think small. We need to pansively as those social seize this moment to ad- goods that communities vocate for investments in need to survive and thrive? community health that will The administration is ensure that South LA – and starting to do just that, communities like it – are expanding the notion of protected from future di- Attorney Rickey Ivie (File photo) sasters. Dr. Elaine Batchlor COURTESY PHOTO {See BATCHLOR A-10} SEE FULL STORY A-10 CEO says the memory of his grandfather is the fuel that inspires him to make Lendistry the largest African American lead community lending institution in the country. BY DANNY J. BAKEWELL, Jr. If you read Everett Sands BY LAUREN VICTORIA BURKE Executive Editor bio or check out his LinkedIn, NNPA Newswire you’d see all the standard pres- Contributor tige that you’d expect from a bank CEO. Ivy League educa- On the eve of Memo- tion and corporate experience rial Day weekend, William at both a Black- owned bank ‘Buddy’ Carter, a White and then, what most would House Butler who has call up and onward to a pris- worked during the admin- tine career in banking at Wells istrations of ten Presidents, Fargo. But Everett Sands and retired. Lendistry are much more than Buddy Carter worked just your typical bank or lend- at The White House and at William “Buddy” Carter worked at The White House ing institution, and Sands is nearby Blair House for over and at nearby Blair House for over 47 years. (PHOTO: MICHELLE much more than your typical 47 years. OBAMA FACEBOOK PROFILE PAGE) bank CEO. Everett Sands COURTESY PHOTO “Barack and I are so Sands says Lendistry, is lending professionals, grateful to have had his count on, without fail, and as extraordinary service to the perfect formula combin- and the investment capi- warmth, charm, and dig- time went on, he became an First Families and our ing the speed and convenience tal of social impactors nity by our side for eight extension of our own fam- country,” wrote Michelle of technology, the knowledge and national banks. Sands of those years. He was al- ily. Congratulations, Buddy, Obama on Instagram on www.lasentinel.net and guidance of responsible {See SANDS A-12} ways someone we could on nearly a half-century of {See CARTER A-10} A-2 LASENTINEL.NET NEWS THURSDAY, JUNE 10, 2021 Hill Harper talks The Black Wall Street Harper discusses new advancement in financial literacy and freedom designed for the Black and Brown community. BY SAYBIN ROBERSON Tour. The tour was an wealth transfer,” he tells of systemic barricades over and cryptocurrency space want to create and expand Contributing Writer information and empower- the biggest lesson learned the years have made this is very smart, intelligent spaces for crypto exchange ment-first initiative intend- from his perspective during goal seemingly out of ways, we actually can cure over the next few years. As innovations such as reach. “You start to realize the wealth gap, we can do The first step he says is, cryptocurrency and readily how many structural things it,” he encourages, “But we “To get intentional about available stock buying and are in place that sucks have to be first movers.” our $1.2 trillion of spend- trading grow in access and money out of the Black He continued to speak on ing power that we have in ease, young people are now community, before people the first movers' advantage the Black community and flocking to their phones to even get a chance to actual- in both business and invest- recirculating our dollars.” gain a sense of power and ly begin to save and ing, stating that is the rea- With years of experi- freedom within their finan- invest.” son why it is imperative to ence and knowledge, Harp- cial budget. However, Having been a longtime move quickly and intelli- er detailed TBWS is just many taking a hands-on advocate of financial litera- gently to avoid harmful another method to educate approach to financial free- cy within the Black and scams and negative reac- but also, retain money not dom find themselves in a Brown community since tions. only for yourself but the world of wonder as they his book “The Wealth His latest endeavor fol- community in today’s digi- navigate the field without a Cure: Putting Money in Its lows the pillars of The tal climate. TBWS has clear understanding of tools set to educate anyone where their money is head- with knowledge of a com- ed. Hill Harper, author, puter or cellular phone and actor, and former US Presi- a database of ways to gain a dential appointee is here to sense of financial freedom bridge the gap and make as we continue to uplift and investing easy for every- circulate the Black dollar. one. “Slow and steady wins In April 2021, Harper the race,” Harper stated. announced the launch of “You don't need to be an The Black Wall Street expert, you just need a lit- (TBWS) as the first step in tle bit of time to set up the closing the racial wealth app,” with everything gap within the United functioning on its own States. With its launch, once the app is set up. TBWS became the first “Two or three years from Black-owned digital wallet now you run into Hill and cryptocurrency COURTESY PHOTO Harper, and you grab me exchange platform in the Entrepreneur, an award-winning actor, best-selling and you want to kiss me on country to build the world’s author, and humanitarian, Hill Harper the lips, because you're largest investment and like, ‘I can't believe it took financial literacy curricu- ed to honor the victims of the tour. “The problem is, me five minutes to set this lum full of tools for Black the massacre by reclaiming so many people have so COURTESY PHOTO up and now five years from and Brown communities. and transforming this many structural systemic Pioneering tech entrepreneur, cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, now I'm sitting on tens of Led by Harper and namesake into a momen- impediments to cross gen- NFT expert and community activist, Najah Roberts thousands of dollars that business partner and friend tous strive for racial and erational wealth transfer, otherwise never even Najah Roberts, a world- economic equality. and they just don't have Place” was published in Black Wall Street, those noticed I was saving.” leading cryptocurrency Harper tells that the enough information. That's 2011, Harper found it to be being institutional owner- “That's the power!” He exchange expert, TBWS tour went extremely well as why this tour has been so his duty to continue his ship, institutional trust, and stated, “You're still living embarked on a 30 city tour it stood for a moment to helpful, because it's just work in hopes for a better movement of capital within your life as it is but some- that began in Los Angeles’ truly connect and reach the giving people financial lit- future.