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Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints positioned to provide ‘something real’

NNPA NEWSWIRE — “Poor people are just trying to survive. A church leader cannot openly abuse power and money while people are getting around on buses and bicycles,” Singleton said. “We offer assistance to our members in need. And after a while, they begin to see that it’s not the church that is assisting. It is God who gives the help. … If we do things God’s way, He will supply everything we need.”

Published

7 years ago

May 31, 2019

Oakland Post

By Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell, Special to the New Tri-State Defender

Two months in, Bishop Ivon Faulkner is certain that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints will flourish in the Mid-South, especially in Memphis.

“I received a revelation from God that our church is the fulfillment of Dr. Martin Luther King’s dream,” said Faulkner, now one of two African Americans heading the church’s congregations in Memphis.

“I was called to the decision at our Hickory Hill church (at 4520 Winchester Rd.). Full-time missionaries go door-to-door in twos. Church members are taught to witness anywhere they find themselves – at the grocery store, gas station, waiting in line – just wherever God opens a door. We are now the fastest growing church in the world.”

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, originally called the Mormon Church, has seven churches planted here in Memphis. It was formed in 1830 by Joseph Smith, who claims to have experienced a visitation of Jesus Christ and God, the Father, as a boy of only 12. Today’s Latter-Day Saints church has more than 16 million members.

The denomination asserts a steady rise in membership numbers throughout the Mid-South, particularly among African Americans. Much of the growth is attributed to outreach to address the needs of the poor, according to Bishop Faulkner.

“I believe that people are looking for something real,” he said.

“Lay ministers or pastors, and service workers, which are the church members, are all volunteers. We are 100 percent, non-paid by the church. So, we are not motivated by money. We are motivated to offer more services in the kingdom of God. There is nothing wrong with wealth. But is should be utilized to better people’s lives, not for leaders to flaunt what they have before those who don’t have.”

Bishop James Singleton, who leads a Frayser church (at 2450 St. Elmo), also believes that misuse of wealth by church leaders in other denominations has spawned rapid growth in Latter-Day Saints membership among African Americans.

“Poor people are just trying to survive. A church leader cannot openly abuse power and money while people are getting around on buses and bicycles,” Singleton said. “We offer assistance to our members in need. And after a while, they begin to see that it’s not the church that is assisting. It is God who gives the help. … If we do things God’s way, He will supply everything we need.”

Bishop Richard Floyd, public affairs representative in the Mid-South region, attributes the accelerated growth in the African-American community to the church’s approach to ministry.

“We have programs to assist in job preparation and placement, creating pathways to college, offering support for addiction, and other forms of assistance to address needs. There are 22,000 members in West Tennessee, Arkansas, and a little sliver of Mississippi. When new members fill out the membership form, there is one question that we don’t ask. And that is ethnicity.

“But depending on what area you are talking about, we are seeing varying degrees of growth among African Americans. When you’re talking about Frayser, 85 percent of new members are African American. If you’re looking at Germantown, it may be 10 or 15 percent.”

People of color are changing the face of the Latter-Day Saints both here and abroad.
“The continent of Africa is the fastest-growing in the world right now,” said Floyd. “We have 2,100 congregations there, and we try to keep membership to about 300. …There are no megachurches in the Latter-Day Saints church.”

Singleton was born in Brownsville, Tenn., and raised in St. Louis. He moved to Memphis in 1999. Faulkner is from Memphis.

It has only been within the last 40 years that an African American could be assigned to lead a congregation. The Proclamation of 1978 abolished discrimination in the church’s higher ranks.

“I read about the prophets, and the Heavenly Father gave me an understanding through the Holy Spirit,” said Faulkner. “My revelations came from God, Himself, who let me know that this was the true church that He ordains and supports. …I never believed in the racial discrimination of black men to the priesthood. God is no respecter of persons. So I knew that was wrong.”

Among the local members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is well-known Memphis attorney Dan Norwood, who notes its evolution from its discriminatory past.

“I grew up in Memphis where all white kids were racist because we were raised to believe that blacks were dirty and dumb,” said Norwood. “I found out that was not true when I participated in a summer program at Southwestern College, which is now Rhodes. I met Carl Johnson from Hamilton High School who was over this program. Black kids participated as well. And I will always be grateful to Carl Johnson who gently helped me see that we were wrong. …

“But the church restricted African Americans from holding leadership positions. God knew that this would be a huge problem for me. So this practice was eliminated in 1978.”

Faulkner was led to the church from his Baptist upbringing through a searching of the scriptures for himself in his early 20s.

“I had a relationship with God for myself,” he said. “I prayed for direct revelation from God, and He showed me that this was the true church. People come from all over. They have been a part of many faiths.

“We just try to tell others what we know of God and give our testimony,” Faulkner said. “When people have a certain feeling or impression about our church, I just tell them if they have a relationship with God, ask Him to show them that this is His church.”

Singleton grappled with a contradiction in his Baptist upbringing that was not resolved for him until he joined the Latter-Day Saints.

“My grandmother died when I was around 14, and I remembered her tender love. I began a quest, searching for the true gospel. It was hard to understand how a good and loving God could send people to hell if they were not baptized. I met the woman I would marry, and she was studying with missionaries. I joined her and learned about the baptism for the dead. Then, I knew I had found the true gospel.”

Latter-Day Saints trace their genealogies, and when a related ancestor is discovered, they perform a “baptism for the dead” so that the deceased can get into heaven.
For Faulkner, who has four sons and a daughter, the Latter-Day Saints Church is a family affair.

“Three of my sons have served in full-time missions for two years – in Paris, France, California and Utah. They each sacrificed two years of their life. My children are pioneers in the church. They each have their own testimony of what God has done in their lives.”

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2026 Lucid Air Grand Touring Review — Is This $136K EV Sedan Worth It?

AUTONETWORK ON BLACKPRESSUSA — Finished in Stellar White Metallic with the Tahoe Grand Touring interior, this Lucid makes a strong first impression. The shape is sleek and low, but it still feels elegant instead of trying too hard. Features like soft-close doors, powered illuminated door handles, 20-inch Aero Lite wheels, and the Glass Canopy Roof help the car feel expensive before you even start it.

Published

2 weeks ago

May 3, 2026

Oakland Post

The 2026 Lucid Air Grand Touring is the kind of luxury EV that makes people stop and ask a simple question: Is this really better than a Tesla Model S, Mercedes EQS, or BMW i7? At $136,150, it has to do more than look futuristic. It has to feel special every time you get in it.

Finished in Stellar White Metallic with the Tahoe Grand Touring interior, this Lucid makes a strong first impression. The shape is sleek and low, yet it still feels elegant rather than trying too hard. Features like soft-close doors, powered illuminated door handles, 20-inch Aero Lite wheels, and the Glass Canopy Roof help the car feel expensive before you even start it.

Inside is where the Air Grand Touring really makes its case. The 34-inch Glass Cockpit Display and retractable Pilot Panel screen give the cabin a clean, modern look that still feels different from other EVs. The Tahoe Extended Leather and Lucid Black Alcantara headliner lifts the sense of occasion, and the front seats are a highlight. They are 20-way power-adjustable, heated, ventilated, and include massage. That matters because luxury buyers at this price expect comfort first.

Rear passengers are not ignored either. You get 5-zone heated rear seating, a rear center console display, and power rear and rear side window sunshades. Add in the Surreal Sound Pro system with 21 speakers, and the Air feels like a true long-distance luxury sedan.

Lucid also gives this car serious EV hardware. The dual-motor all-wheel-drive system, 900V+ charging architecture, and Wunderbox onboard charger are big talking points. Buyers in this segment care about range, charging speed, and everyday ease, not just raw performance. That is where the Lucid continues to stand out.

On the technology side, the Air Grand Touring includes DreamDrive Premium, with 3D Surround View Monitoring, Blind Spot Warning, Automatic Park In and Out, Automatic Emergency Braking, and a Driver Monitoring System with distracted and drowsy driver alerts. This one also has DreamDrive Pro, which adds future-capable ADAS hardware.

There are still some real-world annoyances. Based on your notes, the windshield wiper control is hard to find and use, and that matters more than people think in a high-tech car. When controls become less intuitive, even a beautiful interior can feel frustrating.

Still, the 2026 Lucid Air Grand Touring succeeds where it matters most. It feels luxurious, advanced, comfortable, and thoughtfully engineered. For buyers who want an EV sedan that feels truly premium and less common than the usual choices, this Lucid makes a very strong case.

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Snoop Dogg Celebrates 10 Til’ Midnight at the Compound

LOS ANGELES SENTINEL — The album is paired with a film that stars Snoop Dogg, Hitta J3, G Perico, and Ray Vaughn, and one of the strongest elements of the whole project is that the production stayed rooted right here in Los Angeles.

Published

2 weeks ago

May 3, 2026

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Snoop Dogg celebrated the premiere of 10 Til’ Midnight at his Inglewood recording studio & multipurpose facility, The Compound, but the night felt like much more than an album release. It felt like Los Angeles. It felt like legacy. And it felt like another major move from one of the city’s greatest cultural architects as he continues to prove that he is not just dropping music — he is building moments, shaping narratives, and pushing the culture forward in real time.

What made the event so powerful was the clarity behind the vision. During a panel conversation with DJ Hed, Snoop opened up about the heart behind 10 Til’ Midnight, explaining that the project was created to help bridge older and younger generations while also speaking to the long-standing divisions between Bloods and Crips in a unique way through film. That alone gave the project a different kind of weight. This was not just about songs. This was about using creativity as a tool for connection. This was about taking a story rooted in Los Angeles and telling it in a way that could bring people together.

Snoop Congratulated By Rapper & Fellow 10 Til Midnight Cast Member G Perico (CreativeLB/KreativeKapturez)

The album is paired with a film that stars Snoop Dogg, Hitta J3, G Perico, and Ray Vaughn, and one of the strongest elements of the whole project is that the production stayed rooted right here in Los Angeles. The film was shot in the city, including at WePlay Studios in Inglewood, which gave the entire project an even deeper hometown feel. It was not just a West Coast story in content — it was a Los Angeles-made production from the ground up.

That matters because, in a city like this, authenticity still carries weight. Snoop understands how to make sure that what he creates does not just represent Los Angeles on the surface, but actually comes from it.

What also makes 10 Til’ Midnight significant is that it represents another major step in Snoop’s evolution as both an artist and executive. Public reporting around the project identifies it as his 22nd studio album, but the bigger story is what it represents in this season of his life. This is one of several consecutive moves he has made in his 50s that show he is still building, still expanding, and still finding new ways to reinvent what the next chapter looks like.

Snoop Dogg at the Premiere of 10 Til Midnight (CreativeLB/KreativeKapturez)

Now, as the head of Death Row Records and the newly aligned leader of Death Row Pictures, he is taking the brand into a new dimension. That is what made this moment feel bigger than music. Snoop is not just protecting the legacy of Death Row — he is stretching it. He is expanding it beyond records and into film, visual storytelling, and larger creative worlds that can continue carrying the label’s impact forward. Public reporting has noted that this project arrives as part of that broader cinematic push.

That is a major Los Angeles move because the city has always been built on the intersection of music, film, neighborhood identity, and cultural storytelling. With 10 Til’ Midnight, Snoop is leaning all the way into that intersection.

The room at The Compound reflected that. It felt like a private premiere, but it also felt like a statement — a reminder that Snoop Dogg’s staying power has never been based only on nostalgia. It comes from his ability to remain connected, remain visionary, and remain in tune with how to move the culture without losing the essence of who he is.

That is why this premiere mattered. It was not just about celebrating another album. It was about witnessing a Los Angeles legend continue to evolve, continue to unify, and continue to use art to tell stories that hit deeper than entertainment alone.

In that sense, 10 Til’ Midnight became more than a project launch. It became another example of how Snoop Dogg is still taking Los Angeles to the next level — using music, film, and legacy together to build something bigger than a moment.

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OP-ED: Small Businesses Need Minnesota to Act on Pass-Through Tax Policy

MINNESOTA SPOKESMAN RECORDER — A Twin Cities immigrant entrepreneur who built several businesses including grocery stores in underserved neighborhoods is calling on Minnesota lawmakers to extend the Pass-Through Entity tax option before it expires, warning that its loss would hit small businesses already recovering from Operation Metro Surge with higher federal tax bills.

Published

2 weeks ago

May 3, 2026

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A Twin Cities Small Business Owner Is Urging Minnesota to Extend a Tax Policy That Could Save Thousands of Businesses

By Daniel Hernandez | Minnesota Spokesman Recorder

I came to the United States as a teenager with a clear goal: to build something meaningful through hard work. I put in long days in construction, restaurants, and landscaping; doing whatever it took to learn, save, and eventually start my own business.

Over time, I built and ran several successful ventures, including an event photography company, a magazine, a tax and accounting firm, and now grocery stores serving neighborhoods across the Twin Cities where other retailers chose not to invest. I’ve created jobs, supported families, and committed to communities that deserve stability and opportunity.

That’s why I’m speaking out now.

Small business owners in Minneapolis and the communities we serve are recovering from serious disruptions, including the impacts of Operation Metro Surge. That event hit immigrant communities especially hard. In my own case, I lost nearly half of my 60 employees and saw revenue drop by about 85%. While I worked to provide competitive wages, health benefits, and paid time off, the real hardship fell on the people who lost their jobs and income.

Even as we rebuild, small businesses are facing another challenge. The Minnesota Legislature is considering letting an important tax policy expire: the Pass-Through Entity tax option.

Here’s what that means in plain terms.

Many small businesses, including mine, are pass-through businesses. That means the business itself doesn’t pay income tax. Instead, the owners report the income on their personal tax returns. But under current federal rules, there’s a limit on how much state tax we can deduct. That often leads to higher federal tax bills.

The Pass-Through Entity option fixes that. It allows the business to pay the state tax directly, which means the business can fully deduct those taxes on its federal return and lower the total amount of income taxed federally. The result is straightforward: small business owners pay less in federal taxes, without reducing what the state collects.

This policy is not new or controversial. Thirty-six states already offer it. It doesn’t cost Minnesota anything, it’s revenue neutral. And it benefits more than 66,000 businesses across the state.

In a state where the cost of doing business is already high, it’s hard to understand why we wouldn’t offer the same basic tax treatment as states like California and Illinois.

Small businesses have carried a heavy load in recent years, through a pandemic, rising costs and public safety disruptions. We’ve adapted, reinvested and stayed committed to our communities. What we need now are practical policies that support that work, not make it harder.

If the Minnesota House does not act soon, many businesses will face significantly higher federal tax bills. That’s money that could otherwise be used to hire workers, raise wages or reinvest in local neighborhoods.

I urge Gov. Tim Walz and members of the House Tax Committee to pass House File 3127 and extend the Pass-Through Entity election.

Small businesses are the backbone of our communities. We’ve proven our resilience. Now we need our state leaders to show the same commitment to us.

Daniel Hernandez is the owner of Colonial Market located at 2100 E. Lake St.

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