By Anka Lee
Post Intern

This year, the celebration of the Ethiopian holiday known as Timket (Timkat), or Epiphany, will take place at Oakland’s Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts (formerly known as the Kaiser Convention Center). This culturally and religiously significant celebration will occur Jan. 18 and 19. It’s an opportunity to see Ethiopian culture up close, while hopefully bringing more attention to a holiday not many know about.

Timket is the celebration of Epiphany by the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church and Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church. Epiphany is the birth of Jesus Christ and, every year on January 19 (January 20 during leap years), it is celebrated in honor of the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River.

Traditionally, the ceremonies begin with putting a model of the Ark of the Covenant—called the Tabot—onto the priest’s head to represent Jesus becoming the Messiah the day of his baptism. A prayer service signifies the start of the festivities. Following a procession is the Divine Liturgy, also called the Water Ceremony, which takes place near a body of water and begins around 2 a.m. The body of water is blessed, then sprinkled on the participants—some even entering the water as a way to renew their baptismal vows symbolically.

According to American sociologist, Donald N. Levine, that is only the beginning of the celebrations. In the 1960s, the clergy would perform hymns and seniors and men would march to the music as the Tabot was paraded through the streets. Children danced to rhythmic tunes and the finely dressed women talked among themselves “on their one real day of freedom in the year.” Finally, once the Tabot had been safely put away until the next year, the people would go home and feast, bathed in the day’s revitalizing atmosphere.

It was in 2019 that Timket was considered and registered as an intangible heritage by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). This holiday brings together community, as well as represents the faith of the people.

Today, there are approximately 20,000 Ethiopians and Eritreans living in the Bay Area.

Locally, Timket will be celebrated at the Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts, located on 10 Tenth St., Oakland, CA. For more information, visit the Facebook page (based in Oakland): Debre Meheret Kidus Michael Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church.

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By Edward Henderson, California Black Media  

Authorities in California and Washington continue to assess the fallout from the five devastating wildfires in Southern California caused by a mix of dry conditions and powerful Santa Ana winds.

As of Jan.10, 10 deaths have been reported while emergency responders are still combing through the damage. The blaze has so far impacted over 45 square miles of land, over 180,000 residents were issued evacuation orders and nearly 350,000 energy customers are without power, including 200,000 in LA County alone.

With a high number of displaced people, government agencies, local businesses and other organizations are offering support and resources to evacuees and first responders.

The Governor’s Office of Emergency Services has listed a range of information with links available on its website.

Unemployment Insurance – Individuals affected by the fires can apply for unemployment benefits immediately. Because Gov. Newsom has proclaimed a State of Emergency, they do not have to wait a week to begin receiving payments.

FEMA has announced additional resources for affected Californians. People affected by the fires may be eligible for financial assistance. Additional information and guidance can be accessed at disasterassistance.gov.

The California Department of Insurance has updated its services and resources list to assist individuals navigating the insurance claims process.

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The Red Cross is offering shelters for displaced fire victims. Anyone who needs a safe place to stay can find shelters at redcross.org, the free Red Cross Emergency app or by calling 1-800-RED CROSS (800-733-2767).

Los Angeles is providing business owners services like one-on-one consultation, business and employment support, and assistance with applying for forthcoming microenterprise grants and microloans at the city’s 10 BusinessSource Centers (BSCs).

L.A. Based Author, Activist and Media Strategist Jasmyne Cannick provided this list of services families affected by the fires can use to connect to resources available to them.

Restaurants in the Los Angeles area have offered free meals for those displaced by the fire. This list hosted on the LA Times website is updated daily with locations participating in aid for those in need of something to eat.

The Abbey West Hollywood is offering free meals to evacuees and first responders

AT&T is offering wildfire areas unlimited data, talk and text through Feb. 6. An official list of zip codes can be found here.

Verizon has waived call, text and data charges for customers in hardest hit areas. Free wi-fi and charging stations have been deployed at three wildfire shelters.

The Jewish Federation of LA is directing evacuees and affected families to various resources, including legal support, mental health resources and volunteer opportunities.

Airbnb, in collaboration with 211 LA, is offering free temporary housing for residents displaced or forced to evacuate.

Uber and Lyft are helping evacuated residents with free rides to shelter locations.

U-Haul is opening its facilities across Southern California for 30 days of free self-storage to victims. The U-Box container disaster relief program is also available to assist evacuees and affected families.

Planet Fitness is providing people free access to locker rooms, showers, HydroMassage loungers, electrical outlets and Wi-Fi, regardless of membership status. The offer is valid until Jan. 15 at Planet Fitness locations across Los Angeles County that the wildfires haven’t impacted.

If you or a loved one is struggling with a mental health crisis due to the impact of the wildfires, call or text 988. You can also click here to use 988 Lifeline Chat.

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By Terri Schlichenmeyer

Author: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., c.2024, Harper Collins, Martin Luther King Jr. Library, $18.99    

Turn the volume up, please.

You need it louder because this is something you’ve been waiting to hear. You need to listen very closely; these words mean a great deal to you, and they might change your life. As in the new book, “On Love” by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the message beneath the message is the most important.

As the grandson and great-grandson of pastors and the son of the senior pastor at Ebeneezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, it may seem as though young Martin Luther King, Jr., born in 1929, already had his life set.

King entered college at age fifteen and after graduation, he was named associate pastor at his father’s church. At age twenty-five, he became the pastor at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Ala. In late 1956, he was apprehended for his part in the bus boycott there, his first of many arrests for non-violent protests and activism for Civil Rights.

But when asked if those things were what he hoped he’d be honored for in years to come, King said he wanted to be remembered as “’someone who tried to love somebody.’”

His words, essays, letters, and speeches reflect that desire.

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In a 1955 sermon in Montgomery, he used a parable to explain why White people needed love to gain compassion. In 1956, he wrote about the bombing of his home, telling his readers that no retaliation was needed, that to “confront the problem with love” was the righteous and better thing to do.

Later that year, he said, “I want you to love our enemies… Love them and let them know you love them.” And in November, 1956, he said, “If you have not love, it means nothing.”

“Love is the greatest force in all the world,” he said in 1962.

He wrote a book on the subject, Strength to Love, in 1963.

In 1967, just months before his assassination, he said that “power at its best is love.”

When we talk about Dr. King’s life and his legacy, so much focus is put on his work on behalf of Civil Rights and equality that it’s easy to lose sight of the thing which he felt was more important. In “On Love,” any omission is rectified nicely.

This book, “excerpted to highlight the material where King specifically addressed the topic of love,” is full of pleasant surprises, words with impact, and thought provokers. King’s speeches hammered home a need to love one’s enemies, woven into messages of gentle resistance and strength. He explained the different “levels” of love in a way that makes sense when related to equality and justice. The bits and pieces collected here will linger in reader’s minds, poking and prodding and reminding.

If your shelves are full of books about Dr. King, know that this is a unique one, and it’s perfect for our times, now. Don’t race through it; instead, savor what you’ll read and keep it close. “On Love” is a book you’ll want to turn to, often.

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