Lifestyle

Chillin’ in Inglewood at the 2019 Earth Day Music Festival

LOS ANGELES SENTINEL — The festivities were already on and crack a lackin when I arrived on the scene. Several thousand people, 4,000 to be exact, from near and far heeded the invite to join the City of Inglewood for one of their signature events.

Published

7 years ago

May 23, 2019

Oakland Post

By Ricky Richardson

The City of Inglewood partnered with Clippers Arena Inglewood, Consolidated Disposal Service (A Republic Service Company), West Basin Municipal Water District and 102.3 FM, RadioFree KJLH for the annual Earth Day Music Festival, Saturday, April 20, 2019, on the South Lawn of City Hall.

The festivities were already on and crack a lackin when I arrived on the scene. Several thousand people, 4,000 to be exact, from near and far heeded the invite to join the City of Inglewood for one of their signature events.

The City of Inglewood presented this event as part of their commitment to quality living and visionary leadership, to protect and respect the environment. A huge round of applause and shout out are for Angela Williams and Joi Aldridge of the Environmental Services Division of the Public Works Department, for organizing and producing the Earth Day Music Festival. This was a tremendous undertaking with immediate and noticeable rewards-4,000 happy faces and smiles. Various resources booths provided information to raise awareness about our responsibility to Mother Earth.

The host of this fun-filled, engaging family event was none other than, Guy Black, Radio Personality, 102.3 FM, RadioFree KJLH. DJ Jeff Onee manned the soundboards to provide an eclectic mix of music to enhance the vibes of the Earth Day Music Festival.

Singer/Songwriter Phillip Lauth made a returned engagement to entertain the crowd. Mr. Lauth is the artist who holds the record for the most appearances/performances at the Earth Day Music Festival. That says a lot about his popularity.

Actor/comedian Flex Anderson introduced his wife, Shanice as the next performer to take to the stage. Her opening tune was “Can You Dance,” featuring a multi-cultural talented group of dancers. She continued her set with “The Way You Love Me.” The next portion of her set honored her musical influencers, first with “Square Business,” by Teena Marie, “Heart Break Hotel,” by Michael Jackson followed by “Lovin’ You,” by Minnie Riperton. I can assure you that Shanice hit all the high notes and the right notes. Shanice continued her set with “Saving Forever for You,” “Don’t Settle for Less,” “This Love is Real,” “I’ll be Your Fantasy,” “I Love Your Smile,” and closed her set with “I Won’t.”

Club Nouveau consisting of vocalist Jay King, Valerie Watson English and Samuelle Prater laid down a heavy dose of R&B, Soul and high-octane dance tunes. They cast a spell that had the crowd “Under a Nouveau Groove” throughout their set. The opened their set with “Let It Go,” followed by “That Ain’t Love,” from their latest CD/EP Consciousness. Club Nouveau continued their set with “Tonight, Get a Hold of Me,” “Heavy on my Mind,” “Situation #9,” “Why You Treat Me So Bad,” “ I Want to Change the World,” and concluded their set with an up-tempo version of “Lean on Me.”

Susie Hansen Latin Band literally heated up the festivities with a set of spicy, Latin rhythms to the delight of the salseros in the crowd. The sun finally came out during their set. Up until their set, everyone was bundled up on this unusually cold day in the Southbay.

Two soulful crooners performed backed to back sets. Kenny Lattimore and Eric Benet turned up the wow factor to the delight of their adoring fans. Stevie Wonder made a surprise appearance to introduce Eric Benet. What an honor.

The rest is history in the making, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls. The Conductor of Funk introduced the last and final act of the evening. Con Funk Shun turned up the throttle and went full steam ahead with a set of classic hits from their extended catalog. Their set was “Ffun,” and people had no choice but to “Shake and Dance with Me” throughout their highly entertaining set.

This evening will go down in the record books as the largest and most successful Earth Day Music Festival in Inglewood. The producers of this year’s festival raised the bar for future celebrations. Don’t be surprise if next year’s stellar line-up continues to broaden and enhance the Earth Day Music Festival, one of several signature events in the City of Inglewood. Stay Tuned!!!

This article originally appeared in the Los Angeles Sentinel.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Up Next

Actor Bill Duke and Filmmaker William Michael Barbee Attend Didi Hirsch’s 23rd Annual Erasing the Stigma Awards

Don't Miss

Signal Fire to perform at Reggae Nights Concert Series summer debut June 7 at James Island County Park

Oakland Post

Click to comment

Activism

Big God Ministry Gives Away Toys in Marin City

Pastor Hall also gave a message of encouragement to the crowd, thanking Jesus for the “best year of their lives.” He asked each of the children what they wanted to be when they grow up.

Published

16 hours ago

December 29, 2025

Oakland Post

From top left: Pastor David Hall asking the children what they want to be when they grow up. Worship team Jake Monaghan, Ruby Friedman, and Keri Carpenter. Children lining up to receive their presents. Photos by Godfrey Lee.

By Godfrey Lee

Big God Ministries, pastored by David Hall, gave toys to the children in Marin City on Monday, Dec. 15, on the lawn near the corner of Drake Avenue and Donahue Street.

Pastor Hall also gave a message of encouragement to the crowd, thanking Jesus for the “best year of their lives.” He asked each of the children what they wanted to be when they grew up.

Around 75 parents and children were there to receive the presents, which consisted mainly of Gideon Bibles, Cat in the Hat pillows, Barbie dolls, Tonka trucks, and Lego building sets.

A half dozen volunteers from the Big God Ministry, including Donnie Roary, helped to set up the tables for the toy giveaway. The worship music was sung by Ruby Friedman, Keri Carpenter, and Jake Monaghan, who also played the accordion.

Big God Ministries meets on Sundays at 10 a.m. at the Mill Valley Community Center, 180 Camino Alto, Mill Valley, CA Their phone number is (415) 797-2567.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Advice

BOOK REVIEW: Let Me Be Real With You

At first look, this book might seem like just any other self-help offering. It’s inspirational for casual reader and business reader, both, just like most books in this genre. Dig a little deeper, though, and you’ll spot what makes “Let Me Be Real With You” stand out.

Published

19 hours ago

December 29, 2025

Oakland Post

Book cover of Let Me Be Real With You and author Arshay Cooper. Courtesy of HarperOne.

By Terri Schlichenmeyer

Author: Arshay Cooper, Copyright: c.2025, Publisher: HarperOne, SRP: $26.00, Page Count: 40 Pages

The hole you’re in is a deep one.

You can see the clouds above, and they look like a storm; you sense the wind, and it’s cold. It’s dark down there, and lonesome, too. You feel like you were born there — but how do you get out of the deep hole you’re in? You read the new book “Let Me Be Real With You” by Arshay Cooper. You find a hand-up and bring someone with you.

In the months after his first book was published, Cooper received a lot of requests to speak to youth about his life growing up on the West Side of Chicago, his struggles, and his many accomplishments. He was poor, bullied, and belittled, but he knew that if he could escape those things, he would succeed. He focused on doing what was best, and right. He looked for mentors and strove to understand when opportunities presented themselves.

Still, his early life left him with trauma. Here, he shows how it’s overcome-able.

We must always have hope, Cooper says, but hope is “merely the catalyst for action. The hope we receive must transform into the hope we give.”

Learn to tell your own story, as honestly as you know it. Be open to suggestions, and don’t dismiss them without great thought. Know that masculinity doesn’t equal stoicism; we are hard-wired to need other people, and sharing “pain and relatability can dissipate shame and foster empathy in powerful ways.”

Remember that trauma is intergenerational, and it can be passed down from parent to child. Let your mentors see your potential. Get therapy, if you need it; there’s no shame in it, and it will help, if you learn to trust it. Enjoy the outdoors when you can. Learn self-control. Give back to your community. Respect your financial wellness. Embrace your intelligence. Pick your friends and relationships wisely. “Do it afraid.”

And finally, remember that “You were born to soar to great heights and rule the sky.”

You just needed someone to tell you that.

With a willingness to discuss the struggles he tackled in the past, Cooper writes with a solidly honest voice that’s exceptionally believable, and not one bit dramatic. You won’t find unnecessarily embellished stories or tall tales here, either; Cooper instead uses his real experiences to help readers understand that there are few things that are truly insurmountable. He then explains how one’s past can shape one’s future, and how today’s actions can change the future of the world.

“Let Me Be Real With You” is full of motivation, and instruction that’s do-able for adults and teens. If you need that, or if you’ve vowed to do better this coming year, it might help make you whole.