The Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation has started its Parks After Dark (PAD) program at three Los Angeles County parks. PAD will offer surrounding communities and youth extended park hours and activities and will be implemented at three county parks: Ted Watkins Park and Franklin Roosevelt Park in the Florence-Firestone area; and Pamela Park in unincorporated Duarte. Extended park hours will take place Wednesdays through Saturdays until Sept. 4. Additional programming and activities for all community residents will include sports activities, cultural and educational activities, concerts, movies, employment opportunities for local youth and resource fairs. PAD will provide youth with productive activities to decrease the likelihood of participation in at-risk behavior, including gang activity and is a component of the county's Gang Initiative intended to reduce gangs and gang violence. The goal of PAD is to strengthen individuals in communities and influence them to see their communities and neighbors in a better light.
Mummies of the World, the largest traveling exhibition of mummies ever assembled, has opened at the California Science Center. It's a collection of more than 100 mummies, both intentionally preserved and accidentally made by nature. The mummies come from Egypt, Asia, Oceania, South America and Europe. The exhibition also demonstrates how mummification is often a natural process, one that occurs in the hot, dry desert sands of Peru or as a result of extreme acts of nature, as in the eternal ice of the Italian Alps.
The Museum of African American Art will showcase new photography by Camilo Cruz in the exhibit "Inside White Space: Portraits of Black and Brown Power in the Institution" through Aug. 29. The museum is on the third floor of the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza, 4005 Crenshaw Blvd., Los Angeles. Exhibit hours will be Thursday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. Admission to the museum is free.
Shriner's Hospitals for Children will present the 2010 Rhythm on the Vine concert series, May through December, at South Coast Winery in Temecula. Proceeds benefit medical care for kids, 18 years and younger, at no cost to the patient or family. On May 14, Shriner's will present Stephanie Mills, featuring Najee in concert. Mills is a Grammy- and American Music Award-winning R&B performer and Broadway star who will be complemented by Najee's NAACP Image Award-winning contemporary jazz instrumentals.
Big league baseball is back, and Metro will offer Dodger Stadium Express bus service from Union Station in downtown Los Angeles to Dodger Stadium throughout the regular 2010 baseball season under a grant from the Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee (MSRC). The grant — $300,000 — will be used to offset the cost of fares for passengers with a Dodgers ticket. Service will be provided starting 90 minutes before games begin and will end 45 minutes after games finish.
A new exhibition titled "Stranger's Luggage," consisting of six vinyl reproductions of oil and encaustic paintings, will be on display at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) until July 25. Located in Terminal 3 in the baggage claim for public view, the art by Juanita Meneses puts a spotlight on the experience of travel, and particularly on the selection of objects people feel compelled to carry while in transit. Almost like self portraits, Meneses' imagery reveals how objects can identify and aid the public as it moves through the transformative experience of travel. By removing these objects from their usual domestic context, Meneses' artworks provide an opportunity to contemplate conventional, personal objects as they travel through the public sphere. The purpose of the Airport Arts Exhibition Program at LAX and LA/Ontario International Airport (ONT) is to educate and entertain the traveling public, while emphasizing a cultural experience highlighting what makes Los Angeles memorable and interesting.
The University of Manners, where kids learn how to behave properly, takes place Wednesdays, 6 to 7:30 p.m., at 6560 S. Western Ave., Los Angeles. Admission is $20.
Afro-Caribbean dance classes with dance ethnologist Kimberly Miguel Mullen are held on Wednesdays, 7 to 8:30 p.m., at Crenshaw Yoga and Dance, 5426 S. Crenshaw Blvd., Los Angeles, and on Saturdays, 10:30 a.m. to noon, at the Electric Lodge, 1416 Electric Ave., Venice. There is live drumming, and the class is for all levels.
The Inglewood Improv features sketch improvisation shows, stand-up comedians and improv performer open-mic showcases with audience participation Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. The Improv also provides weekly acting classes for youths ages 12 through 17, as well as adults. The Improv is at 2519 Manchester Blvd., Inglewood.
Registration is under way for the 2010 season of weekend excursions to Camp Seely in the San Bernardino mountains. The trips give families and other residents an opportunity to experience two days of outdoor activities, including hiking and other exploring, spending time with nature, or just relaxing. Indoor activities will also be available. Outings will be offered in 2010 on the weekends of March 13 to 14; April 17 to 18; May 15 to 16; June 5 to 6; Sept. 11 to 12; and Oct. 16 to 17. There are fees involved that cover the cost of meals as well as a heated sleeping cabin for each group and many activities.
"Master Your Mind for Success in 2010" is the theme of the Goal Achiever's Workshops that will be held Wednesdays, 7 to 9 p.m., and Saturdays, 8:30 to 10 a.m., at the House of RA, 7823 S. Western Ave., Los Angeles.
KRST Unity Center of Spirituality will sponsor African-centered activities and programs including empowerment sessions, black gnostic studies, and more, Sundays at 10:30 a.m. The center is at 7825 S. Western Ave., Los Angeles.
Singers and wanna-be singers are invited to "Step Up to the Mic" at open Karaoke Saturdays taking place June 26, July 17 and Aug. 28, 3 to 7 p.m., in the Fellowship Hall of Grace United Methodist Church, 4112 W. Slauson Ave., Los Angeles. Refreshments are available for purchase at each event and entry donations are $3 per person or $5 for a family of four. Children under 5 years old get free admission.
On the third Wednesday of each month from 5 to 9 p.m., summer celebrations will take place in downtown Culver City. Angelenos will be able to taste food from the area's restaurants, sip wine and cocktails as the sun goes down, hear live music under the stars, shop and sample from one-of-a-kind boutiques and view art at gallery openings. The summer block parties will feature special offers and free goodies from more than 25 participating businesses throughout the downtown area, as well as outdoor entertainment and activities ranging from wine and food tastings to free pole-dancing lessons. Valet and free two-hour parking are available. Dates for the parties will be July 21, Aug. 18, Sept. 15 and Oct. 20.
On July 29, 7 p.m., more than 460 select movie theaters will screen "Elvis on Tour: 75th Anniversary Celebration," featuring award-winning 1972 footage as well as never-before-seen Elvis tour scenes, montage sequences produced by Martin Scorsese, and a specially produced, exclusive retrospective from Priscilla Presley. "Elvis on Tour," Elvis' last film before his death in 1977, follows him as he embarked on a 15-city U.S. tour in April 1972. More than 25 performances spotlight Elvis' talent, range and showmanship in captivating on-stage performances and intimate backstage rehearsals with his band. Shot with multi-cameras and presented in a split-screen format similar to "Woodstock" the movie, "Elvis on Tour" combines concert, rehearsal and backstage footage. Concert performances include "Burning Love," "Don't be Cruel," "Teddy Bear" and more. Tickets for "Elvis on Tour" are available at participating local box offices, including: • Century City 15 with IMAX, 10250 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles. • L.A. LIVE, 1000 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles. • Bridge De Lux with IMAX, 6081 Center Drive, Los Angeles. • Long Beach 26 with IMAX, 7501 Carson Blvd., Long Beach.• Burbank 16 with IMAX, 125 E. Palm Ave., Burbank. Tickets are also available online at www.FathomEvents.com.
With older Americans finding it increasingly difficult to maintain dignity and financial security, The Greenlining Institute and KPCC 89.3 FM's Crawford Family Forum will sponsor a panel discussion July 30, 9 to 11:30 a.m., examining the growing crisis of economic insecurity for seniors of color.
Because people of color often have less wealth than their white counterparts, they may enter retirement in a particularly vulnerable financial situation. A key focus of the event will be discussion of a policy and advocacy agenda aimed at ensuring that all older Americans have the opportunity for security and dignity as they age.
Information will also be presented about the challenges facing older Californians of color, and both the traditional and non-traditional opportunities for these seniors to increase their financial stability.
The forum will feature E. Percil Stanford, chief diversity officer of AARP; René A. Nourse, senior investment management specialist with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney; Laura Trejo, general manager, City of Los Angeles Department of Aging; and others.
Crawford Family Forum is at 474 S. Raymond Ave., Pasadena.
Lula Washington Dance Theatre will present a free 30th anniversary outdoor dance July 30, 8 p.m., at Grand Performances, 300-350 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles. The event will feature the world premiere of new works by Lula Washington, as well as Jordi Caballero of "So You Think You Can Dance"; Tamica Washington-Miller with Marcus L. Miller and Freedom Jazz Movement; performances of "Reign" by Guggenheim winner Rennie Harris and "Love Is..." by Christopher Huggins, a former Alvin Ailey dancer. Student dancers from the theater's school will be featured as well. Admission is free.
The Carson Relay For Life will take place July 31, 9 a.m., to Aug. 1, 9 a.m., at Carson High School, 22328 S. Main St., Carson. Attendees of all ages are invited.
Dance for Life Fitness will present a line dance workshop/party July 31, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Knox Presbyterian Church, 5840 La Tijera Blvd., Los Angeles. Proceeds support college scholarships for youth with deceased parents. Four instructors are desired to lead the dances. Lunch and free entry will be provided. Admission is $15.
Viver Brasil will present "Alaafia/Harmony" July 31, 8:30 p.m., at John Anson Ford Amphitheatre, 2580 Cahuenga Blvd. East, Hollywood. Members of the dance company have steeped themselves in Afro-Brazilian culture, working with leading practitioners from Bahia, Brazil. Six Bahian guests visiting from Brazil perform with the company this year. Peace, as expressed in the tradition of the Yoruba community, is at the center of the performance. Up-tempo passionate dance, performed in costumes crafted by devotees of Afro-Brazilian sacred practice, blends with Portuguese and African vocals and the rhythms of drums and percussion to create a totality of well-being — the harmony in life, Alaafia. Tickets are $30 before July 24 and $35 afterward. Tickets for students and children are $12.
Mablean Ephriam, best known as the judge from the TV show "Divorce Court," will sign her new book, "Life Lessons: Tools for Weekly Living," Aug. 1, 2 to 4 p.m., in the main gallery of The Museum of African American Art, located on the third floor of Macy's, Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza, 4005 Crenshaw Blvd., Los Angeles.
Mignette Y. Patrick Dorsey's new book, "Speak Truth to Power: The Story of Charles Patrick, a Civil Rights Pioneer," hits bookstores in August. A book signing is scheduled for Aug. 3, 7 p.m., at Eso Won Bookstore in Los Angeles. The story of Charles Patrick, a black World War II and Korean War veteran, begins in December 1954. An argument with a white woman over a parking space in downtown Birmingham resulted in a savage beating administered by her police officer husband and two other cops. After soul searching, Patrick publicly accused the officers of assault before a racist judge and then waited for justice — or death. When the officers are abruptly fired, Patrick is shocked. Before long, the officers are rehired, and Patrick and his supporters, black and white, protest the decision. Patrick's case not only unified the races at a time when such unity was unthinkable, but prompted unprecedented front-page news coverage and policy changes to the Birmingham police force and city commission; front-page media coverage, at a time when the white-owned press gave blacks little exposure, was an historical anomaly. Patrick eventually left Birmingham for Los Angeles in the summer of 1955. The book's epilogue is a snapshot of L.A.'s cultural history, encompassing the Watts Rebellion, the hippie era, the Black Power Movement, gangs and more.
The second annual Nike 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament will take place Aug. 6 to 8 at L.A. LIVE, Staples Center and along Chick Hearn Court in downtown Los Angeles. It is the largest organized basketball event in L.A., playing host to nearly 500 teams. Players of all ages, gender and skill levels are invited to participate. Individual brackets will be divided into appropriate divisions based on skill, age, gender and height to achieve "level" competition. Teams may consist of a maximum of four players, with a minimum of three players required. There will be live music, celebrity coaching clinics and prize giveaways. Registration for the tournament is open now until July 16. Teams can register online or by calling AEG at (213) 742-7115. Team registration is $160 for a team of four. Special Olympics and wheelchair divisions are free of charge.
Auditions for the 44th Annual Watts Summer Festival, scheduled for Aug. 13, 14 and 15 at Ted Watkins Park, will take place Saturdays, 1 to 3 p.m., through July 24, at 944 W. 53rd St., Los Angeles. Also, if you're interested in volunteering for the festival, several positions are still open.
The Los Angeles Chapter of the National Congress of Black Women Inc. will present its first West Coast Anniversary Installation and Awards Aug. 15, 2 to 5 p.m., at the Hyatt Regency Long Beach, 200 S. Pine Ave. The event will feature a luncheon, silent auction and exclusive unveiling of sculptures by Artis Lane, who is the artist responsible for the Sojourner Truth Memorial that now rests at the U.S. Capitol Visitors Center, Emancipation Hall in Washington, D.C. Florence LaRue, the lead singer of 5th Dimension, will serve as the mistress of ceremony. The guest speakers include E. Faye Williams, national chair of the NCBW, and Bill Releford of the Black Barbershop Health Outreach Programs. There will be a host of other special guests.
