All wpress02 27 14

BLACK HISTORY MONTH

FEBRUARY: CELEBRATING THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF GREAT AFRICAN-AMERICANS BATON

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2014

ROUGE,

LOUISIANA

VOL. 39 • NO. 28 • FREE

A PEOPLE’S PUBLICATION

Bobby Jindal Comes out Swinging This town can get pretty wound up when a politician misbehaves.

Given some of the reactions to Bobby Jindal’s off-script remarks Monday, you’d think he’d been caught with a mirror on his shoe in the ladies’ restroom.

No, it was much worse than that.

Hide the children. He defied protocol!

In town for the National Governors Association winter meeting, Jindal joined other state chief executives in front of the White House after a meeting with the president. Taking the microphone, Jindal said among other things that “the Obama economy is now the minimum-wage economy” and the president is “waving the white flag of surrender.”

It’s a wonder no one fainted.

According to those who follow closely every little thing, governors are in town to share blankies and not hurt feelings. They’re supposed to be bipartisan-ish and leave the spleen-venting to Congress.

Bobby didn’t get the memo.

His comments prompted a faux-angry rejoinder from Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy (D), who called Jindal’s remarks

Southern University Board Member Resigns After Votes to Restore Llorens as Chancellor Failed A member of the Southern University Board of Supervisors resigned Wednesday, following two failed attempts to renew a contract for Baton Clavin Braxton Sr. Rouge campus Chancellor James Llorens, Board Chairwoman Bridget Dinvaut confirmed late Wednesday. Calvin Braxton Sr. submitted his resignation Wednesday afternoon to Dinvaut, as she then forwarded it to the Secretary of State’s Office.

Braxton was one the few outspoken board members in favor of Llorens, even suggesting the chancellor get a new three-year deal.

See BOARD, on page 2

“the most partisan statement that we’ve had all weekend” — and Jindal’s white flag comment “the most insane statement I’ve ever heard.” (Really? Even wackier than you-can-keep-your-insurance-ifyou-like-it?)

A smiling Jindal took the microphone again, adding that if his earlier comments were the most partisan thing Malloy had heard, “I want to make sure that he hears a more partisan statement.”

And so it went.

It should be mentioned that there were plenty of smiles all around and no one seemed to be reaching for his Valium. But Jindal seemed to be having a really good time — comfortable in his bravura, not to mention being in such close proximity to the White House, his hoped-for future home.

Of course he’s running for president in 2016. He hasn’t said so, but he clearly is. His actions speak far louder than his words.

Given this obvious fact, Jindal can’t start too soon demonstrating his older, wiser, more experienced persona. He has to be aggressive to convince the Republican base See JINDAL, on page 2

The nation’s governors broke into a partisan feud after meeting with the president on how to grow the economy.

Louisiana Bans Some From Receiving Food Stamps After System Failure Officials in Louisiana have begun disqualifying some food stamp recipients after they overspent during a food stamp card1systemic failure of the food stamp payment system.

At least six people were disqualified from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) after they “attempted to intentionally and grossly misuse taxpayer dollars by using their EBT (electronic benefit transfer) cards to make purchases that exceeded the available balance during a multi-state system failure,” according to local affiliate WAFB. “Our investigations and disqualification process have been thorough and methodical to ensure that the abusers are properly disqualified,” said DCFS Secretary Suzy Sonnier. “This is a unique type of fraud compared to the cases we usually encounter.”

Affiliate WDSU reports that as many as 31 people will be denied food stamp benefits for defrauding the system during the

LAURYN WILLIAMS MAKES HISTORY

system outage.

The DCFS Fraud and Recovery Unit received details of approximately 12,000 insufficient funds transactions during the systemic outage.

“Responses to the disqualification letters have ranged from admitting to committing the fraudulent transactions, to declaring no knowledge of the transactions, and

to stating that the retailer told the clients it was ‘OK’ to perform the transaction because ‘the government was shut down,’” said Sonnier. “Regardless of circumstances, knowingly attempting to spend more than the balance on your card or allowing others to do so is grounds for disqualification.”

See STAMPS, on page 3

Law Enforcement To Increase Patrols For Mardi Gras Holiday Ranks High In Death And Injury Crashes

BATON ROUGE – Many Louisiana law enforcement agencies will be increasing patrols during the long Mardi Gras holiday in a coordinated effort to remove impaired drivers from the state’s roads.

“Every year, Mardi Gras ranks as one of our state’s deadliest holidays in terms of highway crashes,” said Lt. Col. John LeBlanc, executive director of the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission. “During Mardi Gras 2012 our state experienced 537 crashes that involved injuries or

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LOCAL & STATE

BUSINESS

HEALTH

fatalities, the highest in that category for any of the eight holidays for which we compile data.”

Ten people were killed and 953 were injured in crashes during the 2012 Mardi Gras holiday. The Memorial Day and Thanksgiving holidays experienced slightly more deaths in 2012, but they did not match the total number of fatality and injury crashes that occurred during Mardi Gras.

The Louisiana Highway Commission has provided grants to dozens of law enforcement See LAW, on page 3

RELIGION The wilderness/desert often represents a place of testing and/or transitioning. Although it may not be the ideal place, sometimes, it’s a necessary place.See Page 6

INDEX

ONE MAN MAKES ABobbyDIFFERENCE Burns fought to assure that Wichita State’s historic season continued on Tuesday night, as the Shockers improved to 30-0 with a comprehensive 69-49 victory over Bradley at Carver Arena...See Page 8

EBR public libraries across the city were up to par and had adequate staffing for everyone and in every neighborhood. ..See Page 3

HOME SALES ON THE RISE IN BR

Walmart furthers its commitment to provide greater access to opportunities across 20 U.S. communities with the announcement of $1.75 million in grants from the Walmart Foundation.See Page 5

NEW RADIATION ONCOLOGY CENTER Baton Rouge General Medical Center and Lane Regional Medical Center announced today the opening of the $4.5 million state-ofthe-art Radiation Oncology Center in Zachary, Louisiana. ..See Page 7

Local & State............................2 Commentary.............................4 Business....................................5 Religion....................................6 Health.......................................7 Sports.......................................8

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Weekly Press • Thursday, February 27, 2014

STATE & LOCAL

What Should Baton Rouge Recreation Look Like in 10 Years? Tell BREC Using Online Tool

Baton Rougeans who care about public recreation but can’t squeeze public meetings into their work-week schedules have an online option to help BREC plan for the future.

BREC is currently in the public input stage of developing its next 10-year strategic plan. An online tool called Mindmixer allows residents to share ideas or begin conversations on the Internet about their vision for Baton Rouge parks, facilities and recreation.

BREC spokeswoman Cheryl Michelet said as of this week, 585 people have visited the website and 92 ideas have been submitted.

“Our strategic plan is only successful if we get input from the community, because this is their park system,” Michelet said.

BREC develops a 10-year strategic plan every decade, and the next one has been dubbed “Imagine Your Parks 2.”

Some ideas shared recently on the portal include converting the City Park golf course into a “Central Park,” making Baton Rouge more ultimate Frisbee-friendly, adding a long-distance running trail from the LSU lakes to the Mississippi River and installing a tennis backboard at Flannery Park.

The open forum allows residents to ask questions and drive conversation. “At the very beginning there was a lot of talk (on the portal) about trails and connectivity… Now (users) are talking about the zoo or neighborhood parks,”

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marge's

It’s African American History Month! Can you identify any 10 of this list?

Notable African Americans from Louisiana Avery Alexander Louis Armstrong Israel Augustine Danny Barker “Papa” Celestine Joseph S. Clark Walter L. Cohen A.L. Davis Henriette Delille Thomas Dent Rivers Frederick Roy Glapion

Chit Chat

Oretha Castle Haley Murray Henderson Mahalia Jackson Morris Jeff, Sr. Valena C. Jones Thomy Lafon L.B. Landry Alfred Lawless Rene Metoyer Ernest Morial Marge Homer Plessy Mack Spears Lawrence Dorothy Mae Taylor A.P. Tureaud Madame C.J. Walker Fannie C. Williams Gertrude Geddes Willis Have a blessed weekend. Stay dry. Love Marge

ExxonMobil Makes Science Fun For North Baton Rouge Girls

Baton Rouge residents weighed in on Baton Rouge’s next strategic parks and recreation plan at a public input session hosted by BREC Thursday, Jan. 16, 2014, at Independence Park Theatre. Residents can provide input from home with an online tool called Mindmixer.

Michelet said.

All community members need to do to participate is create a log-in using an e-mail address and password or sign up using Facebook.

There is only 15 more days

and nine public meetings left to provide input, so Michelet urges the public to take ownership of the parks system by adding their two cents soon.

BREC Superintendent Caro-

lyn McKnight has been pleased with the interaction and response so far, Michelet said, and has considered keeping Mindmixer even active after the Imagine Your Parks 2 planning stage, as a regular feature.

LA Lawmakers Discuss Hot Topics With Voters Ahead Of Legislative Session

Tenth annual “Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day” pairs women engineers and middleschool girls from partner schools More than 80 local girls learning about engineering and enjoying a day of activities and insight into the wonders of science, technology, engineering and math.

ExxonMobil women engineers with middle school girls and their teachers: • Baker Middle School • Capital Middle School • Istrouma High School • McKinley Middle Magnet School • Scotlandville High School for Engineering Professions • Scotlandville Middle Magnet School • Southern Lab School The girls participated in a hands-on activity to build a Rube Goldberg machine using simple machines and everyday items as materials. A Rube Goldberg machine is a deliberately overengineered machine that performs a very simple task in a very complex fashion, usually including

Jindal

BATON ROUGE, LA — As the 2014 legislative session draws closer, local lawmakers are making sure everyone knows about the big issues.

Two Baton Rouge legislators held a meeting Tuesday night to talk about the biggest topics and answer questions from the public.

“When we go into the session, we look [for] and value the opinion of our constituency,” explained State Rep. Regina Barrow (D-Baton Rouge).

Rep. Barrow and State Sen. Sharon Weston Broome (D-Baton Rouge) had a small but engaged audience. They both talked about the bills they’ plan to prefile before the session. Sen. Broome said she planned to file a bill that would provide protection in housing for victims of domestic abuse.

“Sometimes,” she mentioned, “when there’s been an incident of domestic violence, the landlord might not be too excited to have that person in the house, right?”

Rep. Barrow said one of the bills that she is excited for would force drivers to pay for damage they cause to state property after an accident.

“And that actually frees up

“Team Working For Success Through Quality Performance”

“Teaming with Shreveport for progress” W.T. Winfield, Manager Civil Engineers Needed 318-222-0639 Shreveport Office 1-866-324-WTAA Toll Free

some additional dollars to deal with highways, infrastructure, some of the issues that we have in our community as it relates to highways,” she stated.

The deadline for legislators to prefile bills is Friday. They have another month in which they may submit five other bills, but both women said they plan to prefile every bill they want debated.

The audience had ideas of its own for future bills, including raising the cost of a driver’s license and making teenagers apply more often.

“When kids are getting in cars, it’s like they don’t understand it’s a moving weapon,” one man claimed.

“And we’re paying for it, all of us.”

The lawmakers had an insurance team at the meeting to help people sign up under the Affordable Care Act. Only one woman tried, and the notorious Healthcare.gov website would not work. But an official from the state Department of Insurance said people needs to keep trying to go online and get coverage.

“We believe that, what? If we have health insurance, that means we’re going to have a healthy state, which means that that’s also going to affect what?” asked Bernadette

Williams, who works in the Office of Consumer Advocacy. “Our insurance premiums.”

The deadline is March 31 for people to sign up for health care and not face monthly penalties, although several deadlines related to health insurance have been delayed since it was rolled out last fall.

Sen. Broome will have another public meeting at 6:00 p.m. Thursday at the Louisiana Technology Park, 7117 Florida Blvd.

Rep. Barrow will have a meeting at the same time on Thursday at Brusly Town Hall, 601 S. Vaughan Street.

Board

from page 1

The board of supervisors voted on Llorens contract twice this month - once on Feb. 7 and again on Feb. 24 - ending with the same outcome of non-renewal for the chancellor.

Braxton, President of Natchitoches Ford and Lincoln, was appointed to the board by Gov. Bobby Jindal in 2011.

His term was set to expire Dec. 31, 2016.

a chain reaction. This activity showcase the creative side of science and engineering by getting the girls to think “outside the box” to develop their machines.

They heard from several industry professionals and observe ExxonMobil volunteers performing chemistry demonstrations at the BREC Greenwood Park – The Waterfront located at 13350 Hwy. 19 in Baker, LA, Although women comprise about half of the U.S. workforce, they hold only 14 percent of engineering jobs, according to the Economics and Statistics Administration. The need to engage girls in math and science studies, and eventually careers, is critical. According to a report by the Congressional Joint Economic Committee, women comprise 14 percent of the engineering workforce, and represent just 27 percent of mathematics and computer-science professionals.

Please contact Lana Venable the Public and Government Affairs Advisor for ExxonMobil at lana.s.venable@exxonmobil. com or by calling her at 225-4369429/225.977.7081 for additional information.

from page 1

that he’s a stand-up guy willing to jump in the ring with Apollo Creed. Okay, so maybe with Dannel Malloy.

This isn’t such an easy sell for the slightly built Rhodes scholar who became the nation’s youngest governor. And though Jindal is a Catholic convert — and he speaks with the natural lilt of his birth state of Louisiana — he is not visually “one of us” in the way some Republicans have demonstrated they’re most comfortable. To the birther sensibility, if President Obama was born in Kenya, then Jindal could be from Punjab. In fact, he was conceived there but born in Baton Rouge.

Birtherism is not unique to the fever swamps of Republican fringe-dwellers, it is useful to remember. When Jindal ran for governor in 2007, opponents frequently noted that his first name is Piyush. Democrats mentioned “Piyush Bobby Jindal” as often as Republicans brought up “Barack Hussein Obama” the following year. Of course, Vice President George H.W. Bush couldn’t resist referring to his Republican presidential rival Pete du Pont as “Pierre.” And so it goes.

Whatever you call him, anyone who has met Jindal quickly realizes that he considers himself a good ol’ boy, born and bred.

Bubba Bobby. An admitted policy nerd who probably would rather revamp health-care reform —

overnight with no coffee — than attend a gator-wrestling match, he’s apparently ready to start flexing his muscles.

Though new to the broader public, this is a familiar Jindal to Louisianans during the Katrina era. While then-Gov. Kathleen Blanco (D) was clearly overwhelmed by events, Jindal became the Incredible Hulk. Then a congressman in Washington, you might say he was bustin’ his britches to save the day, or at least as many fellow citizens as possible. He flew to Louisiana, presumably by his own powers, rolled up his sleeves and procured caravans of trucks for relief efforts.

More recently, alas, Jindal is better known as the young man who delivered the GOP’s State of the Union response in 2009.

A naturally fast talker, Jindal obviously had been coached to slow down. This did not work well. Rather than coming across as deliberative and thoughtful, Jindal seemed to be having an out-of-body experience enhanced by special brownies.

No one is more aware of this than Jindal. Hence, what we saw Monday and likely will see again and again. Whether he could land the Republican nomination seems iffy at best, but it won’t be for lack of intelligence. Smarts is something else.

VISIT US ONLINE @ www.theweeklypress.com

Thursday, February 27, 2014 • The Weekly Press • Page 3

BLACK HISTORY MOMENT

One Man Can Make a Difference…Today His Name is “Bobby Burns”

By Mydra L. Kelly Are you an individual who enjoys one of the many beautiful public libraries that we possess throughout the parish of East Baton Rouge on a regular basis? Well did you know that the beauty and comfort that you are experiencing could largely be attributed to the fight of one man? His name is Elwin Bobby Burns.

Bobby Burns fought to assure that EBR public libraries across the city were up to par and had adequate staffing for everyone and in every neighborhood. Once upon a time particularly in the African American Community; many of the public libraries here in our fair city were not places that invited you to partake in learning, reading or any of the other activities that a library should encourage or elicit.

Elwin Bobby Burns, once a Library Tech with the East Baton Rouge Parish decided that this was unacceptable, and thus set out to assure that change would occur. No one person ever does battle alone, and Harriet Martin was a foot soldier in battle long side Mr. Burns in their fight to obtain adequate libraries. She also worked relentlessly to help see this mission through. On the journey towards accomplishing this mission, Mr. Burns himself had some setbacks, some set ups, and many roadblocks. However, none of these things stopped him. He did not stop until justice prevailed and the evidence remains.

What is the evidence you ask? Why I am more than happy to tell you. The evidence is the new Scotlandville, Baker, Central, Eden Park, Zachary, Pride, and Carver libraries.

Bobby Burns is a front liner and a warrior for justice and equal rights for African Americans. He believes that the only way to get it done is to just do it. Long before Nike; he adopted this motto and do it he did. Doing it sometimes caused him much heartache and pain. Other times it got him labeled as crazy or a troublemaker. Can anyone out there relate to this? If you are anybody that has ever fought for anything worth having and faced opposition; perhaps you too understand this and are a fellow co-laborer in civil and equal rights.

When I interviewed Mr. Burns and listened to

Computer Classes at Mirror Outreach Ministry

In the Marvelous month of March 2014 computer training program offer classes that target individuals with little to no computer exposure. We provide basic computer training classes to assist each individual in obtaining and developing the understanding and skills to meet the needs of today’s employers.

Please inform all of your clients, your friends and family.

Pre-registration is required. For additional information contact our office: 225.300.4528. All classes start at 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm.

• Monday - March 3 - Intro to Computers • Wednesday - March 5 - Microsoft Word • Wednesday - March 12 PowerPoint • Tuesday - March 18 - Excel (Part 1) • Wednesday - March 19 Excel (Part 2) Learn to build and maintain a website “Web Design for Beginners” Monday- March 24 - Web Design Please contact Patricia A. Harrel the Founder/Executive Director of Mirror of Grace Outreach at (225) 300-4528, website www. mirrorofgrace.org or by e-mail at info@mirrorofgrace.org for additional information.

Stamps

from page 1

According to DCFS, the purchases ranged from a couple hundred dollars to a few thousand.

A violation of SNAP guidelines within the first 12 months is reason enough for disqualification, according to federal guidelines.

Law

Mr Elwin Bobby Burns and wife Thelma Harrison Burns

“his” story, it sounded familiar to me. Even though he could clearly be my father, he was also a kindred spirit; A brother in the fight for equality. Thrust there, not because he went looking for it, but because as life would have it for him and many others; it became his assignment. I am reminded of a few lyrics in a gospel song that is dear to my heart…The words go something like this: “If you don’t mind being called foolish, and you don’t mind being called simple, maybe I’ll have the chance to be seen in your life; if you don’t mind being a servant, living and working in the shadows; maybe I’ll have a chance to be seen in your life…”

This is what I thought of when I met Mr. Burns

and his lovely wife Thelma. Our interview began in the lobby of the Scotlandville library where he gave me a mini-tour and told me about everything there from the rooms to the art that hung on the walls. We then ended up in the building that once housed what used to be the Scotlandville Library.

It was now a business, but the manager was gracious enough to allow him to tour me and tell me the story of what it used to be. From there I read documents that chronicled the long fight that Mr. Burns endured before assuring that this community and others thereafter would have adequate libraries.

During our interview I also discovered that Mr. Burns is an excellent pianist. Before we concluded our interview, I ended up in his living room around his piano where he surprised me with his great musical ability as his wife and I sang in harmony an old gospel hymn that spoke to all of our hearts.

I saw in Mr. Burns a man who loved God, who loved his wife and family, and who also loved his community and humanity. So much so that even when it cost him ridicule and slander, he never stopped fighting for what he believed to be right. He did this so that those who came behind him could reap the benefits. Many times during our time together Mr. Burns paused with tears almost in his eyes as he gave honor and glory to the God that he served for keeping him and equipping him for the journey and the fight.

Mr. Burns, an articulate, intelligent, learned man who is strong and transparent, shared his struggles, his stories and his triumphs with me, but in every exchange he remained humble realizing that he was only a vessel and that any accomplishments that he had help to acquire were only by the grace of God. So often we as Black people and others have the pleasure of enjoying many things that we had no part in obtaining, or acquiring on our own. We are simply the recipients of gifts. Gifts that we may or may not deserve, yet and still they are ours sometimes even by default. We did not have to struggle for them, we lost no blood, we shed not one drop of sweat nor did we cry a single tear. Still we sit in places where we once could have never gone. We work on jobs that we once could have only dreamed

LSU Black Male Leadership Initiative Fellows and Advisors Present at National Leadership Conference

BATON ROUGE – For a third straight year, a group of LSU Black Male Leadership Initiative, or BMLI, Fellows attended the 26th Annual Southwestern Black Student Leadership Conference, or SBSLC, hosted by Texas A&M University from Jan. 16-19.

As part of the conference, LSU BMLI Fellows presented, “Delinquent or Law Abiding Citizen? Perceptions of the Black Male College Student,” a workshop focused on how young black males can challenge and overcome black male stereotypes that are socially constructed and maintained in social and professional interactions.

“Presenting at SBSLC was an honor and a privilege,” said BMLI Fellow Ricky Richard.

“After hearing testimonials of the successes and struggles of our audience, I realized that our experiences are linked by our black masculinity.”

BMLI Fellows that presented include Richard, a junior kinesiology major from Lake Charles; Christopher Baron-Hyppolite, a junior civil engineering major from Bushkill, Pa.; Jordan Biagas a junior mechanical engineering major from Prairieville; Mark Cooper a junior kinesiology major from Shreveport; Justin Garibaldi, a junior studio art major from Slidell; and Travoll Payne, a junior biochemistry major from Jacksonville, Ark. BMLI Fellows also participated in workshops focusing on leadership, self-reflection,

leadership development, and professional development and attended keynote addresses by astrophysicist and TED Fellow Hakeem Oluseyi, award-winning journalist Angela B. Murray, and crisis management specialist Judy Smith, the subject of the ABC television show “Scandal.”

“Back on campus I now have a different mindset,” said Biagas. “I want to reach out to more students in a positive way because the more people that are impacted, the more who will want to help change the community.”

Other BMLI Fellows that attended the conference include Kristian Black, a junior biology major from Shreveport; Trevon Goins-Williams, a junior environmental engineering major from Baton Rouge; Lekan Kassim, a junior chemical engineering major from Houston, Texas; Tyriq Kellam, a sophomore sports administration major from Philadelphia, Pa.; Nolan Knight, a sophomore accounting major from Mandeville; and Zackari Murphy, a sophomore biochemistry major from Shreveport.

“I learned that as BMLI Fellows, we need to take bold action in the LSU community,” said Kellam. “Leaders take bold action.”

Vincent Harris, BMLI graduate coordinator a second year Ph.D. student in educational leadership and research in higher education, and Jude Legiste, BMLI graduate intern and second year Master of Education student in

higher education, also presented at the conference. Their presentation, “Confessions of a Black Student: How Reflecting Helps Black College Students Address Vulnerability,” addressed how self-reflection can increase the communication and bonds between Black student peer groups.

“Sharing our practices and knowledge while hearing from the experiences of other advisors was therapeutic,” said Legiste. “It was a great opportunity to share our successes and possibilities in working with Black male college students.”

Other BMLI advisors accompanying the students included BMLI Director Chaunda Allen and BMLI Fellows mentor and second year doctoral student Kourtney Gray. The trip was sponsored through the support of the LSU Student Government; Organization Relief Fund; the Office of Multicultural Affairs; the African American Cultural Center; LSU Career Service; and the Office of Equity, Diversity & Community Outreach.

The BMLI Fellows Program is a retention and leadership development program established by the LSU Office of Equity, Diversity & Community Outreach and the Office of Multicultural Affairs. Applications for the BMLI Fellows program will be available on Feb. 24. To complete an online application for the 2014 Fellows Program cohort, visit www.lsu.edu/bmli.

INJURED IN A CAR WRECK?

from page 1

agencies across the state, which is used to fund extra overtime hours dedicated to increased enforcement.

State Police troopers; police officers and sheriffs’ deputies will be especially alert to impaired drivers on the roadways. Mardi Gras falls on March 4 this year but celebrations begin days in advance.

“Mardi Gras puts tens of thousands of additional vehicles on our roads,” LeBlanc said. “Unfortunately, too many drivers of these vehicles choose to get behind the wheel after they’ve been drinking.

Our goal is to make our roads safe for all motorists by removing impaired drivers from the streets and highways.”Contact Elaine Rougeau at 225-925-6846 for additional information.

ILLUSTRATION SHOWING AN ACCIDENT

If this happens to you call Attorney McManus

Call the McManus law office and get all you deserve

Charles C. McManus A T T O R N E Y

A T

L A W

8520 Scotland Ave, Suite C • Baton Rouge, La. 225-774-5771

charlesmcmanus@ mcmanuslawoffice.brcoxmail.com www.charlesmcmanus.com

of, we live in neighborhoods where decades ago we could not have even walked lest alone lived in houses there. We benefit from so much and have so limited understanding of why or how any of it came to be.

Rarely do we really understand that freedom is seldom free. It may not have cost you, but it cost someone. Our ancestors, our great, great grand-parents, our grand-parents, our mothers and fathers; the Rosa Parks’ and Martin Luther Kings’, but also the Bobby Burns’, the Joe Delpits, W. T. Winfields, the Gus Youngs, the Pearl Georges, the Willis Reeds, the T.J. Jemison’s, The Horaito Thompsons, the Johnny Jones, the Odell S. Williams, the Sadie Robert – Josephs, the Ivory J. Paynes, and so many more.

The whoever it is or was that opened a door for you and made an opportunity where there may not have been one had they not stood up and took some hits on the front line so that you did not have to, yet you still reap the benefits.

As we reflect on our heritage and our history; may we also take the time not forget to remember where all of our blessings have come from. May we recognize that if it had not been for the Lord on our side, and many black people before us, whose shoulders we stand on today; none of us would be where we are or be on our way to where we are going. Because of all of these people and so many more we can now embrace the Barack Obamas, the Ophrah Winfreys, and the Melvin Kip Holdens. So keep telling the stories to your children and your grandchildren so they will know their story, our story.

It really is a good time to say it loud! “I’m Black and I’m proud! Black men in the White House and in the Mayor’s office; in the Boardroom and in the classroom and still on the front line so that generations to come can rewrite our national mantra to change it from “We Shall Overcome” to “We are Overcoming.” this day!

Deep in my heart black people, I do believe that we shall overcome. So the days after February 28, 2014 don’t stop learning, sharing, growing and being informed. Remember to tell “your” stories because every day is Black history as long as we are here.

SU’s Abdollahi To Receive Major Environmental Award BATON ROUGE- Southern University’s Dr. Kamran Abdollahi’s work in the area of promoting a better environment and pollution prevention has led to his selection as a 2014 Environmental Leadership Program Award winner.

Abdollahi, the program leader and Graduate Director for Urban Forestry, said the award “is the culmination of tremendous work by our students and faculty. This is a Southern University award.”

The Environmental Leadership Programs (ELP) awards event was held Feb. 26, in the Pensacola Room at the Department of Environmental Quality Conference Center.

The ELP, which presents the award, promotes a cleaner and better environment for Louisiana through voluntary pollution prevention, waste reduction and/or other environmental stewardship efforts.

The ELP said the educational and research projects directed by Abdollahi in the Urban Forestry program have increased the awareness of pollution reduction through urban greening, conversion of wood waste to bioenergy and biomass and urban forest ecosystem improvement.

Abdollahi’s efforts and his team of urban forestry faculty, staff and students have led to environmental improvement awareness in urban and rural ecosystems,

Dr. Kamran Abdollahi according to the ELP. It also cited Abdollahi for his collaboration with the U.S. Forest Service, federal, state and local entities to enhance education, research and outreach.

Urban Forestry students are being trained to be the future environmental experts inline with the historic mission and tradition of the urban forestry program at Southern University and A&M, Abdollahi said.

The Urban Forestry program is offering BS, MS and PhD in urban forestry. The program is the only recognized specialized degree program in urban forestry in Louisiana.

Please contact either Edward Pratt or Erin Fulbright with Southern University Media Relations at one of these numbers (225) 7714545 or (225) 771-3907 for additional information.

COMMENTARY Thursday, February 27, 2014 • The Weekly Press • Page 4

What the Dunn Verdict Says About Us

By Marc H. Morial NNPA Columnist “Jordan had no guns. He had no drugs. There was no alcohol.

They were coming from the mall.

They were being kids.”

—Lucia McBath, mother of Jordan Davis Another mother’s anguish.

Another unarmed Black teenager in Florida shot dead for no good reason. Another indefensible instance of Stand Your Ground rearing its ugly head. Eight months after the stunning acquittal of George Zimmerman for the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, justice again has been compromised in the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Jordan Davis.

On November 23, 2012, Michael Dunn, a 47-year-old White man, fired 10 rounds into a SUV after arguing over loud rap music coming from the vehicle with Jordan and three other unarmed African American teenagers.

Three of the bullets struck and killed Jordan Davis. Like George Zimmerman, Michael Dunn claimed self-defense and used Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law to bolster his justification of the killing, as his lawyer stated in his closing argument, “His honor will further tell you that if Michael Dunn was in a public place where he had a legal right to be, he had no duty to retreat and had the right to stand his ground and meet force with force, including deadly force.”

Dunn claims Jordan Davis brandished a gun so Dunn shot first. But there is one big problem with his story. Jordan Davis had no gun and neither did anyone else in the SUV. Two weeks ago, a jury found Dunn guilty of three counts of attempted murder, one for each of Jordan’s three friends, and shooting into a vehicle. But they deadlocked on the fifth count – first-degree murder in the killing of Jordan. Dunn could get at least 60 years and may spend the rest of his life in prison for the four lesser counts.

But the failure to convict him of murdering Jordan Davis raises critical questions about the deval-

uing of the lives of young Black males in America and confirms the need for a repeal of Florida’s repugnant Stand Your Ground law that sanctions the use of deadly force by anyone who merely thinks – or claims – they are in danger from a perceived assailant.

Regardless of whether Dunn or Zimmerman chose to fully exercise Stand Your Ground provisions in their defense, this law was very clearly at the center of both cases.

It is even clearer that the “shoot first” laws across the country are contributing to needless bloodshed and are ripe for unequal application based on race.

A recent Urban Institute analysis found that in Stand Your Ground states, “When the shooter is white and the victim is black, the justifiable homicide rate is 34 percent.

When the situation is reversed and the shooter is black and the victim is white, shootings are ruled to be justifiable in only slightly more than 3 percent of cases.”

Last September, the National Urban League, in collaboration with the bipartisan Mayors Against Illegal Guns coalition and VoteVets, issued a report showing that in the 22 states with “Stand Your Ground” laws, the justifiable homicide rate has risen by an average of 53 percent in the five years following their passage. In Florida, justifiable homicides have increased by 200 percent since the law took effect in 2005.

These statistics and their underlying racial disparities, tell us that expansive self-defense laws such as Stand Your Ground are doing more harm than good, and when coupled with implicit racial bias and unfounded preconceptions, young Black males are especially at risk. Dunn’s own bigoted words in letters from jail clearly show his disregard for their lives, as he wrote: “The jail is full of blacks and they all act like thugs. This may sound a bit radical but if more people would arm themselves and kill these (expletive) idiots when they’re threatening you, eventually they may take the hint and change their behavior.” and “The fear is that See VERDICT, on page 5

Betrayed by the Criminal Injustice System

By Lee A. Daniels NNPA Columnist it?

It all seems so familiar, doesn’t

A Black man, or woman, or child is murdered by a White person – and America’s criminal justice system compounds the tragedy.

How deep is that particular well of American racial injustice now? How many names of innocents are on that list of sorrow? How many more times will we have to look at the faces of the survivors and see that the pain of the loss of a loved one taken by criminal violence has been etched more deeply by the betrayal of a system that – supposedly – exists to protect them?

In fact, until the civil rights victories of the mid-1960s, being betrayed by the nation’s White majority was the only thing Blacks could count on getting from the nation they helped build and support.

Today’s “stand your ground” laws more than 20 states have enacted continue the cloaked-purpose dynamic of the post-1960s get-toughon-crime and crack-cocaine-versus-powder-cocaine laws—and the 19th century vagrancy laws southern legislatures passed after destroying Reconstruction. They look “race-neutral” on the books but their origins and applications were and are shadowed by racial fear, anxiety, and hatred of Black people. Their goal is not justice but injustice.

But there can be no peace if there is no justice. Isn’t that one of the central lessons of the history of African Americans in America?

Of course, it’s an exaggeration to

say the incomplete verdict proves there’s no justice today for Black Americans in America.

For one thing, as other cases in Florida, Arkansas and elsewhere have shown, the trigger-happy response to being angered – not physically threatened – by the words and actions of others sometimes reflects not racism but rather the pathological need of millions of Americans to consider guns a security blanket and problem-solver.

For another, hope remains that the murderer of Jordan Davis, now convicted of attempting to murder three of his companions who were in the SUV with him that night, will face justice for that crime as well. Prosecutor Angela Corey has been emphatic in stating she will retry Michael Dunn for first-degree murder.Certainly, his actions after the shooting and his whining letters from jail show a deep hatred of young Black people, especially males, and the profound callousness required to twist hatred into murderous action.

In that sense, no matter the injustice legislated into Florida law that protects the “shoot-first” response of even ordinary citizens to even oral disputes, Michael Dunn has himself rendered the ultimate verdict on his crime. We know what he is and we know what he did.

However, the sense of tragedy and justified anger at the trial’s incomplete verdict underscores another truth of Black Americans’ history. That is that all through the centuries they’ve always had to forge a response to a terrible See SYSTEM, on page 7

The Value of HBCUs – Part II

By James Clingman NNPA Columnist With specific emphasis on Howard University, let’s consider a few solutions to the challenges HBCUs face. There are some who say HBCUs are irrelevant and no longer necessary because we are living in a “post-racial” society, mainly because a Black man was elected president of the U.S. You’ve heard it: He who defines you also controls you; he can set the height of the bar and raise it anytime he wants. The relevancy and necessity of HBCUs, often promoted by those who have no stake in their existence, is a question that constituents of HBCUs should answer. Do we value HBCUs? Have they served us well? Have they played an important role in American history? Should we allow them to fade away because a few critics say they should? Will we define ourselves, or let someone else to do it?

One look at the list of Howard University graduates made me think about the tremendous void in our society that would exist without their contributions and achievements. There are similar

alumni lists for other HBCU’s of Blacks who have contributed to this nation in virtually every category of service, business, media, research, entertainment, politics, education, science, engineering, medical, and legal, just to name a few. Irrelevant? Anachronism?

Outlived their usefulness? Not by a long shot.

Roger Madison, Izania.com, says, “We simply don’t have a history of reaching back to lift up our own and build our own institutions of thought leadership. Our brightest have anchored themselves in mainstream institutions and have felt very little obligation to help raise the level of quality at our HBCUs.” As I recall, Harold Cruse’s, The Crisis of the Negro Intellectual drew a similar conclusion and, more recently, W.D. Wright’s, The Crisis of the Black Intellectual, continues that premise.

Since the critics invariably compare the top HBCUs to Harvard, here’s something to think about: Hedge Fund Manager, Ken Griffin, recently gave $150 million to Harvard, a school that already has a $32 billion endowment. I doubt we will see one or two Black super-wealthy individuals do that, but I know that through

our collective action, we can meet a similar goal, that is, if we value our schools.

Yes, our HBCUs need money, just as every school does, but they also need other resources, many of which those of us who care can offer. We can volunteer to teach a class as a guest lecturer, do an online presentation to a class, hold more of our meetings and conferences on HBCU campuses, and pay for their space rather than some other venue.

Current HBCU students could mount continuous PR and marketing campaigns that tell the fantastic stories of their HBCU. Some do that already, but we need more. With all of the social media available to students and their never-ending use of it, personal testimonies of how their HBCU helped them could replace many of the 140 character “tweets” they post daily. No school is perfect; all have positives and negatives.

But we must tell our own stories about the value of HBCU’s and refuse to accept any contention that they are no longer necessary.

We must also work to keep our schools on solid financial ground, the responsibility of which starts with the president and his cabinet.

Good stewardship of HBCU funds is essential. Just like any business, Howard and all HBCUs must diversify income streams, invest in new information technology, and continue to provide high quality education in the face of rising costs.

One day we may get a Ken Griffin to step up for an HBCU, but until then and even afterward, we must exercise our collective responsibility to support our own schools. There are probably a million members of Black fraternities and sororities. A fund could be established in which each one would deposit a minimum of $10 per month to be given to their respective HBCU each year. Howard University is the alma mater of thousands, many of whom are doing very well financially and probably would donate much more on a monthly basis. Masons, Shriners, religious groups, business and professional associations could do likewise. The keys to helping ourselves are commitment, sacrifice, consistency, and sustainability.

We often talk about the “State of HBCUs,” but this is about the “Fate of HBCUs.” Will we determine that fate or leave it up to See HBCUS, on page 7

“Run, Jesse, Run” – 30 Years Later

By George E. Curry NNPA Columnist The recent Wall Street Project conference in New York City was old home week for many of us who were involved with Jesse Jackson’s first presidential campaign in 1984. There was Frank Watkins, the former candidate’s longtime press secretary and the driving force behind Jackson’s decision to run. Also present were Emma Chappell, the campaign’s national treasurer; Rev. Herb Daughtry, senior pastor of The House of the Lord Church in Brooklyn and an early supporter; economist Julianne Malveaux, who worked in Jackson’s presidential campaigns and four key parts of the 1984 rainbow – Jim Zogby, Butch Wing, Steve Cobble and Robert Borosage. Former Louisiana Congressman Cleo Fields shared memories as did former New York City Mayor David Dinkins.

I was asked to moderate a discussion about the impact of the 1984 campaign on the nation and, yes, an African American now sitting in the White House.

I covered Jackson’s first presidential run while working for the Chicago Tribune. I knew most of the major players, but it wasn’t until we sat down as a group with Jesse Jackson that we had collectively reflected on the historic events of three decades ago.

Cleo Fields recounted what the campaign meant to him in

deeply personal terms.

“When I was in the fifth grade, I was going through a lot of depression,” Fields said. “The first day of school you had to state your name and what you wanted to be in the future. At the time, I wanted to be a police officer, but everyone before me had said doctor, lawyer or engineer. My mom had 10 children, my daddy had died and I had hand-me-downs.

“I stood up – I wanted to say something bigger than everyone else – so I said, ‘My name is Cleo Fields and I want to be (and the only thing I could think of was president) president of the United States of America.’ Everybody laughed, including the teacher. I didn’t want to go back to school because they thought it was a big joke and I was depressed about it.”

Two years later, Fields was present in the audience when Jackson asked students to repeat his trademark “I am Somebody” exhortation.

“It was at that moment that I started believing I can be anything I wanted to be,” Fields said.

“I became a state senator at the age of 23. And that was because of Jesse Jackson. And a congressman at the age of 28. I became the Democratic nominee for governor at the age of 33. And that’s only because of the inspiration from Rev. Jesse Jackson and I just want to say thank you.”

While working as a student organizer for Jackson, Fields was

invited to join Jackson’s national staff.

Jackson’s presidential runs also represented a breakthrough for James J. Zogby, an ArabAmerican.

“For me and my community, what was historic about this was it brought together two parts of my life,” he said. “I had always been involved in civil rights and anti-war work. But when you became an Arab, when you put on the Arab hat, then allies you had in those movements wouldn’t talk to you anymore.”

Zogby told of politicians, including former Philadelphia Mayor Wilson Goode, returning campaign contributions donated

by Arab-American groups.

“He [Jackson[ said, ‘Our time has come.’ It was my community’s time, too. We felt welcome and included for the first time in an American political campaign.”

David Dinkins, New York City’s first Black mayor, said he would not have been elected without the ’84 presidential campaign of Jesse Jackson. He said, “I know what Jesse did for me.”

Frank Watkins, the former press secretary, had urged Jackson to run for president against Jimmy Carter in 1979, but Jackson declined. But this time around, Jackson was willing to listen.

“I wrote a memo outlining the reasons for Rev. Jackson to run: increase voter registration, to increase political awareness of

people and to galvanize the Black community to get more involved in politics,” Watkins remembered of his 1982 document. “I didn’t necessarily think that we would win, but I tried to put together a strategy where we could win.”

Jackson said a number of Black leaders were urged to run before he made his decision to enter the contest, including former Atlanta mayors Maynard Jackson and Andrew Young.

When they declined, Jackson stepped forward.

“It really was not running for office, I was running as an organization,” Jackson stated. “…

We kept trying to pull the party back to the moral center, which we called the Third Rail. What became clear was that civil rights, social justice, gender equality, workers’ rights were not on the agenda. Somebody had to get to the stage to get the cameras to hear us. We had no platform on which to stand to make our case.

In the end, that was driving the situation.”

George E. Curry, former editorin-chief of Emerge magazine, is editor-in-chief of the National Newspaper Publishers Association News Service (NNPA.) He is a keynote speaker, moderator, and media coach. Curry can be reached through his Web site, www.georgecurry.com. You can also follow him at www.twitter. com/currygeorge and George E. Curry Fan Page on Facebook.

The views expressed in the editiorial columns are not necessarily the veiws of The Weekly Press or its staff. Address all opinions and comments to: Letters to the Editior, P.O. Box 74485 Baton Rouge, La. 70874 or E-mail them to: theweeklypress@yahoo.com

Thursday, February 20, 2014 • The Weekly Press • Page 5

BUSINESS

Baton Rouge General Keeping an Eye on Incorporation Effort

Walmart Provides Access to Opportunities, Helps African Americans Pursue Higher Education, Job Training, Placement grant of $500,000 to UNCF will help 16 historically black colleges and universities achieve long-term financial stability so they can continue providing African American students with access to higher education. In addition, a $1 million grant to NUL and a $250,000 grant to NAACP will fund programs to BATON ROUGE — Executives at Baton Rouge General Medical Center are closely monitoring the effort to incorporate the city of St. George in the southern portion of East Baton Rouge Parish. That’s in large part because the hospital’s Bluebonnet Boulevard campus in the unincorporated part of the parish abuts the city line at Anselmo Lane and—if annexed into the city of Baton Rouge—would make it easier for Baton Rouge to also annex the Mall of Louisiana.

But unlike LSU—which has been asked to consider annexing into Baton Rouge a large tract of university-owned property across from L’Auberge Casino—the hospital has not been formally approached by anyone about requesting annexation, says Baton Rouge General CEO Mark Slyter.

“I’ve been to a couple of BRAC meetings, where the St. George issue was discussed on a purely informational basis, so I brought it back to our board,” Slyter says. “But no one has pressured us to do anything or take

Verdict

a position one way or the other.

We’re still investigating it.”

As Daily Report first reported Tuesday, LSU has been asked to consider filing a petition requesting annexation of the 22,600-acre Ben Hur farm, which borders on the property of L’Auberge Casino, one of the biggest sources of sales tax revenue in the unincorporated part of the parish, along with the Mall of Louisiana and Perkins Rowe. Annexing the Ben Hur farm would make it easier for Baton Rouge to then annex the casino, as properties must be contiguous to the city limits in order for them to be annexed by a simple vote of the Metro Council.

City officials have denied they are targeting any particular properties for annexation near the mall or the casino. They say they are talking about annexation with many businesses that are located outside the city limits and have expressed concern about the uncertainty of being in a newly See EFFORT, on page 7

from page 4

we may get a predominantly black jury and therefore, unlikely to get a favorable verdict. Sad, but that’s where this country is still at. The good news is that the surrounding counties are predominantly white and republican and supporters of gun rights!” This view and those like it are why we must commit today to action against the devaluing of our young Black lives.

Even as the Michael Dunn trial was getting underway, we learned that Trayvon Martin’s killer, George Zimmerman, had planned to capitalize on the death of a young Black male by participating in a “celebrity” boxing

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Weekly Press • Thursday, February 27, 2014

RELIGION

THE CHURCH LADY REPORT By the Church Lady Hey babies how ya’ll doing? I blessed and highly favored I shoal am. Yes sir. Glory! Now let me tell ya’ll something my sweethearts I am so glad that God doesn’t give me what I deserve. Now I remember a time in my life when I was younger that I use to try and argue with God about stuff that I wanted and felt that I should have gotten, but he didn’t give it to me. I soon found out that my arms were too short to box with God and instead of fussing about what I didn’t get that I thought that I deserved; what I really should have been doing was saying thank you Jesus! That he kept some of the stuff that I did deserve away.

My darlings when you finally realize that God really does know what is best and if we learn to trust him and obey we truly will find that there is no other way to be happy than letting Jesus have his way.

Sometimes God says yes, sometimes He says no! But sometimes He simply says wait. Wait until I say so; wait until I know that you are ready, wait until it’s my time and not yours, wait because I have something better, wait because I can see farther up the road than you can, and sometimes just wait because I said so and I am God. That’s right Chile God is God and if he says so that should be enough. He is Abba, daddy and just like when Big Mama or Papa has spoken when God says it that settles it. But no, not some of ya’ll with your big head self. You just like these lil flippant cherans. You always got to know why this? Why that? Because He said so that’s why! Sometimes you got to shut your mouth, bow your head and just be still. Most of the time while we are trying to figure it out God has already worked it out anyway.

The elders use to sing a song…”Let Jesus fix it for you,

Devil, You Can’t Steal My Joy; You Can’t Take From Me What You Didn’t Give Me

Your Wilderness Is A Road Of Traveling Grace

By Camille Dunbar

He knows just what to do, whenever you pray let him have his way, and he will fix it for you.”

No matter what it is babies he can handle it, just step back and watch God move. I’m a living witness ya’ll I have been in some situations, but God delivered me out of them all. I keep on trying to tell ya’ll to just stop listening to ole slew foot. Don’t let the devil trick you into thinking that God can’t do what he’s already done. If he has not done it yet, wait. Wait I say on the Lord and be of good courage! Don’t you people read the Psalms? My, my, my.

Oooouuwee, ya’ll got me tired with all this preaching and I’m getting hungry to so I guess I’m going to go and find me something to eat. Before I go though I want to let you know that New Birth Full Gospel Ministries is having their 14th year anniversary this weekend. It’s going to be Sunday March 2nd at the Greater True Love Baptist Church 2143 Curtis St in Baton Rouge at 3:00pm. Pastor Marvin Moore from Zachary up at the Little Rock Baptist Church is going to bring the message. So if you have the time ya’ll go on over there and celebrate with Bishop Payne and New Birth Ministries.

Oh and I almost forgot to tell ya’ll that Bro. Jonnie B. Lewis See CHURCH LADY, on page 7

Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.—Isaiah 43:18-19

By Donald Lee I believe there’s a big misperception generally that the devil is out to rob people of their “things” (as in material things).

These material possessions include their homes, their jobs, and their hobbies — things that they hold dearly to their hearts.

And when they lose these things, they also lose their “joy,” their peace, their sense of accomplishment. As a result, they become filled with depression, malice, hatred, hardened hearts, and they begin to wallow in selfpity and envy toward others.

Some people resort to entertaining thoughts of suicide.

Some have committed suicide, literally, while others have done so emotionally or metaphorically.

This is because they haven’t learned or understood that it is not the “things” that people have that the devil is after. Oh, sure, they are means to an end. Don’t get me wrong.

But the devil knows that if he can deceive or dupe people out of their joy — if he can rob you

out of your joy — he can render you harmless to his kingdom (of darkness), he can protect his interests, which include keeping people in defeat, his attempt to throw a jab at God. Romans 12:12 (NIV) says, Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. James 1:2-4 adds, Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.

Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

In other words, the Lord is reminding us that when the devil attacks us; the Lord has already installed in us a mechanism to continue functioning at an optimal level. That mechanism is the joy of the Lord, which the Holy Spirit in every believer possesses.

The Spirit of the true and living God reminds us that trials and setbacks are nothing more than mere tests to promote us to the next dimension in God’s blessings for our lives. In them, we grow — we mature.

Philippians 4:4 tells us, Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! If that’s not reassuring, I don’t know what is.

Put another way, whenever the devil hits you with his best shot, know that the joy God gave you — when utilized — smacks the devil right back — hard!!!

And rather than you getting frustrated and forfeiting the control God gave you, the devil gets frustrated. If anybody is to get frustrated and become a nervous wreck, let it be the devil, not you.

So, when the devil attacks you, remember to remind him that he’s barking up the wrong tree. Don’t let him steal your joy.

Donald Lee is founderpastor of Kingdom Living Christian Center in Dallas. Join him from 9 p.m. – 10 p.m. (CST) Mondays through Fridays for prayer at (218) 862-4590 (code 279498#) and for the Sowing of the Word from 10 a.m. – 11 a.m.

Sundays. He may be reached at (225) 773-2248 or pastordonjlee@yahoo.com.

The wilderness/desert often represents a place of testing and/ or transitioning. Although it may not be the ideal place, sometimes, it’s a necessary place. Jesus was led by the Spirit to be tempted of the devil, but He was not alone.

Sometimes the enemy will try you when he thinks you’re just a little off balance or there is just the smallest crack he can get through. Remember after Jesus had fasted forty days and forty nights, He was hungry. Well, this was a crack the devil thought he could get through. Yes, he had the audacity to tell Jesus, “If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.” Let me tell you this, when you know who you are and whose you are, there is no “if thou be”. No, we are fully aware of our identity.

We are children of the one true King. So, what did Jesus do? I’m glad you asked. Jesus overcame with the Word of God. Just like God was right there with Jesus to strengthen Him, to help Him, and to uphold Him with His righteous right hand, so He is with us. So, when the enemy comes speaking in your ear, “you can’t do this”…Tell

CHURCH DIRECTORY

See GRACE, on page 8

Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. - Hebrews 10:25 Let the community know whats happing at your place of worship. Email your church event or religious organization news to The Weekly Press @ theweeklypress@yahoo.com or call 225-775-2002

Email your church event or religious organization news to The Weekly Press @ thewpress@yahoo.com or call 225-775-2002

Pastor Rev. Dr. Roosevelt Florida, Jr. Co-Pastor Rose J. Florida

VISION CHRISTIAN CENTER, INTERNATIONAL Seeking New Members for the Hope Christian Center 5013 Windfall Court Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70812 Reverend Henry Martin, Pastor Service Hour: 12:00 noon Wednesday

Telephone: 225-355-8194

1047 Rosenwald Road Baton Rouge, LA 70807 Telephone: (225) 774-8125 • E-Mail - visionchristianc@bellsouth.net Sunday Worship.........................................................................10:00 a.m.

Holy Communion2nd Sunday.................................................... 10:00 a.m.

Intercessory Prayer Wednesday................................................. 6:00 p.m.

Mid-Week ServiceWednesday.................................................... 7:00 p.m.

Divine Light Church of Evangelist

JOSEPHINE JONES

on every Saturday at 2:30pm.

NEW HOPE BAPTIST CHURCH

ALL ARE WELCOMED. No Dress Code-Come as you are-Casual Wear Come enjoy the Sweet atmosphere of love with us. Please bring you children for the children are the future to tomorrow’s World. You will experience blessings of Healing, Deliverance, Freedom of Bandages, and so much more of what the Lord has for you, your family and your love ones!!!

Hope Christian Center is located at 5013 Windfalls Courts, Baton Rouge 70812 For more information, please contact either of these numbers (225) 355-8194 or 225-673-1633.

5856 Greenwell Springs Road • Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70806 Telephone: (225) 926-0246 • Facsimille: (225) 925-8022 Toll Free: 888-700-6174 Websites: www.newhopebr.com Rev. Leo Cyrus Sr., Pastor

Order Of Services Sunday Worship...................................................... 11:00 A.M. Holy Communion.................................. 3rd Sunday 6:00 P.M. Sunday School..........................................................9:00 A.M. Bible Study................................................Thrusday 7:00 P.M.

HBCUs

from page 4

others? By working together in support of our colleges and universities, we can mitigate outof-reach tuitions, provide more educational opportunities for our young people, and maintain the high quality and tradition of our valuable and valued HBCUs. A statement made by Howard’s interim president, Wayne Frederick, speaks volumes: “Howard wrapped me in an audacity by believing in me and creating an

System

environment that made me comfortable.” There’s that word again, “Audacity.”

Jim Clingman, founder of the Greater Cincinnati African American Chamber of Commerce, is the nation’s most prolific writer on economic empowerment for Black people. He is an adjunct professor at the University of Cincinnati and can be reached through his Web site, blackonomics.com.

from page 4

question: What becomes a tragedy most?

The answer to that question has been exemplified in our present by the conduct of the survivors of Oscar Grant and Jonathan Ferrell and Trayvon Martin, and, now, Jordan Davis: To demand that justice be done. That has always been the responsibility of Black Americans (and their allies among other Americans) – to redeem the humanity of those whose murders were ordered by the state or condoned by the state or ignored by the state. For all the spectacular progress made since the 1960s, it’s no less urgent that Blacks today continue to bear witness to that responsibility.

Why? Because it is part of Black Americans’ legacy of struggle. Because Blacks owe it to the innocent to rescue them from the well of lost souls. And because of what another truth of Black history makes clear: The spasm of furious racist violence against the Civil Rights Movement in the South in the early to mid-

Church Lady from over there on 47th St. passed on Sunday bless his heart.

Now they are going to have his home going on Saturday, that’s right March 1st at 10:00 a.m. at the True Love Baptist Church on North St. Now don’t ya’ll

1960s was actually a harbinger of the movement’s successful completion of that stage of the Black freedom struggle.

So, today, the violence – of language and of murderous action – against Black Americans exemplified by the Michael Dunns of the nation in fact signals that the retrograde force of White supremacy is still losing ground.

That isn’t a “happy” thought when measured against the tragedy that ended the life of a youth who had his whole life ahead of him. The only consolation available to those who seek to fully right that terrible wrong is to remember the most powerful answer to the question of what becomes a tragedy most and stand their ground on the fundamental lesson of Black History – enunciated first by the 19th-century White abolitionist Theodore Parker, and given fresh energy by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”

from page 6 get confused now. It’s two different places on two different days okay.

Alright babies I’m about to go, but I’ll see ya’ll next week.

Until then be blessed. Stay saved and I’ll see you in church.

every child and pregnant mother now by enacting and adequately funding the provisions of the All healthy Children Act. Specious claims that we could not find the money—$70 billion over five years—to cover all children is belied by that amount spent in eleven months for tax cuts for the top one percent of richest Americans and in seven months for the iraq War. We do not have a money problem in America: We have a priorities and political will deficit. it is time for all adults to protect the health of our children.

sage to each presidential candidate.

We must demand that our leaders commit to children as a condition of our vote.

Marian Wright Edelman is President of the Children’s Defense Fund and its Action Council whose Leave No Child Behind® mission is to ensure every child a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start and a Moral Start in life and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and communities.

million--do not know they have it. all potential risk factors for diabetes.

For many, diagnosis may come People scoring 10 points or more are seven to 10 years after the onset of at a high risk for type 2 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. early diagnosis is are encouraged to talk with a health Thursday, February • The Weekly Press • Page 7 critical for successful treatment and27, 2014 care professional. can delay or prevent some of the An estimated 54 million Americomplications such as heart diseases, cans have pre-diabetes. those with blindness, kidney disease, stroke and pre-diabetes have blood glucose levamputation. els higher than normal but not high that’s one reason the ADA holds enough to be diagnosed with type the American Diabetes Alert® Day, 2 diabetes. a one-day wake-up call to inform the early intervention via lifestyle American public about the serious- changes such as weight loss and

HEALTH

New Radiation Oncology Center Opens in Zachary Lane’s@Campus Visit UsonOnline talkRouge Radio from page 4 programs and services to provide Baton General high quality, compassionate cancer care for the good patients and Medical Center and all funny or remotely appropri- we forgetino’reilly’s families Zachary andless-thansurrounding Lane Regional ate about the use ofMedical a lynching informed comments regarding a communities,” said Mark F. Slyter, reference about Michelle obama,’’ dinner he shared last year with President and CEO, Baton Rouge Center Partner to Bring Sharpton he said. ‘’it’s - i’m speechless.’’

Sylvia’s in harlem?

General at Medical Center.

As President pointed out o’reilly expressed surpriseisover High QualityBush Cancer Radiation oncology the use so eloquently during the Black how similarSylvia’s was to other of high-energy radiation to conCare Home historyCloser Month to event, the noose restaurants York restautrol, shrinkinorNew kill cancerous cells, represents ‘’more than a tool of ZACHARY, --- Baton murder but a tool ofLA. intimidation’’ Rouge General Medical Center and to generations of African-AmeriLane Center ancans.Regional Nooses notMedical only robbed some nounced today the opening of the of their lives but many of their $4.5 million state-of-the-art Radiapeace of mind. tion‘’As Oncology Zachary, a civil Center society,inwe must Louisiana. together the understandBringing that noose displays strength of a nationally recognized and lynching jokes are deeply comprehensive cancer program and offensive. they are wrong.

And cancer treatment experts, physithey have no place in America cians andhe caregivers, Baton Rouge today,’’ said.

General and Lane Regional have Neither o’reilly nor ingraham partnered to expand radiation has been reprimanded by their serrevices and technology to thethough region. spective employers even Conveniently located ondidLane’s the Fox News personality offer campus at 6180 Main Street, the a half-hearted apology.

Center is officially and acAt least ingrahamopen didn’t drop cepting patients. the l-word but her suggestion that “We are pleasedpresidential to bring the Sharpton, a former life-saving services of radiation candidate and respected memberonof cology therapy to thecommunity region and the African-American offer those battling cancer in our and beyond, is a petty thief reeks area access to a and nationally of race-baiting negativerecogstenized cancer program right here reotyping of African-Americans inand Zachary,” commented Randy black men in particular.

Olson, CEO of the Lane But it’s hardly firstRegional time eiMedical Center. into questionable ther has ventured “With our territory. shared commitment and offensive how can to serve the needs of our communities, Baton Rouge General is proud to partner with Lane to expand our

rants. and is often used as a curative or ‘’there wasn’t one person in controlling treatment, usually in Sylvia’s who was screaming, combination with surgery and/or ‘M-Fer, i want more iced tea,’’’ chemotherapy. The American Canhe said. cer Society estimates about 24,300 As the Washington Post’s robnew cancer diagnoses in Louisiana inson sadly observed on MSNBC year, and‘’All according to the inthis February, you can go CDC, by about 50 percent of all cancer is his words and his actions. Andpatients receive some type of radiation he keeps saying these things that therapy during course of their sound pretty darnthe racist to me.’’ treatment.

While each cancer treathas talk radio learned anything ment plan is unique, patients who from imus’ decline and fall? of undergo radiation generally course not, becausetherapy it didn’t take receive imus tooradiation terriblytreatment long to five get days a a week for approximately two to new gig. seven our weeks. nation’s media outlets should“A notcancer providediagnosis a platformcan for be overwhelming and we are pleased racialhostility and hateful speech to expand services offer patients now or in the future. to What kind of convenient access to expert canmessageare we sending to our chilcer care closer and to home and their dren, our nation our world? families, can help ease in such anwhich historic election year,the challenges of treatment and recovwe cannot stand aside and allow ery,” notedtoDr. Russell, individuals useWilliam the airwaves Medical of Radiation asMD, an outlet forDirector insensitive and Oncology, Baton RougeifGeneral misguidedcommentary. you Medical Center. hear something that offends you, speak For up. more information, visit ROCZachary.com or call (225) 570-1212.

For more information,

cally pointed out from that changes E ffort page 5 which occur in a human being is

concerned with the conditions at Jetson. it is happening there.

What i do know is that most of point, short these youth canofbecreating changed,access from to the revenue-generating contrition in a prepatorybusinesses school nearby.

Buttoatrehabilitation least one elected for Angola forofsayslife thethat uncertainty aficial positive may leadoftowhat a St.ofGeorge couldglory. bringThat is reason life meritorious is the Way I See It!

SyStem from page 4

redirected to pull from the core incorporated city. of his own humanity to reaffirm nonprofit entities, both self As worth and purpose. he will LSU Batonacquire Rouge General then and by nature the will are to exempt from paying parish taxes, do for himself and others. so itSpace is notisimmediately what not availableclear to cover Baton Rouge standpeople to gain concerns of would so many from annexing the properties at this

www.theweeklypress.com

visit BRGeneral.org, find us on Offering a full range of inFacebook at Facebook.com/Ba- patient and outpatient diagnostic tonRougeGeneral and follow us services, Lane also supports Orthoon Twitter at @BRGeneral. paedics, Labor & Delivery, VascuLane Medical Center lar & General Surgery, In-Patient Land LineRegional (225) 356-0703 has evolved a community Cell Phonefrom (225) 235-6955 hos- Rehabilitation, Sleep Medicine, pital to a state-of-the-art, regional Home Health, Diabetes, GSRASAC Emergency E-mail: Goodshepherdbapt@bellsouth. healthcare system by continually Services and After-Hours programs. net Hours: Mon-Thurs 8am – 8 pm expanding and adding new capaWith more than 850 dedicated bilities and technologies, as well team members, Lane Regional is the Good Shepherd Substance Abuse Center as launching new programs and largest employer within the city of Intensive Outpatient / Inpatient Therapy services such as Interventional Zachary.

The hospital continues to For Drugs, Alcohol, Anger Management Cardiology, Endoscopy & Infusion, Behavioral Health, Wound grow and invest in the community 2873&Mission DriveAdvancedRev.byDonald Britton, MA, LAC recruiting new physicians and Care Hyperbarics, Baton Rouge, LA 70805 Clinical Director Resonance Imaging Technology, providing access to the very best (225) 315-0740 Harrisservices, Hayes, technologies Overseer healthcare and a new, comprehensive Radia-Bishop tion Oncology Center. and programs available.

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OPEN ENROLLMENT IS NOW. During this period of choice, choose AmeriHealth Caritas Louisiana, formerly LaCare.

We have a new name and logo, but there’s no change to our commitment to you and the community.

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Louisiana CARE IS THE HEART OF OUR WORK. Choose AmeriHealth Caritas Louisiana today.

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Page 8 • The

Weekly Press • Thursday, February 27, 2014

BLACK HISTORY MOMENT

Wilma Rudolph

Ran and World Went Wild

SPORTS

Wichita State vs. Bradley: Score, Grades and Analysis

Wilma Rudolph U.S. Olympic Gold Medalist 1940-1994 A native of Montgomery County, Wilma Rudolph is one of the most celebrated female athletes of all time.

Her story is an inspirational one. She was born prematurely, weighing only 4.5 pounds -- and the doctor doubted she would survive. She developed pneumonia and polio as a child, rendering her disabled for most of her childhood. For several years, her mother, brother or sister had to message her legs four times a day, and then she had to wear a metal brace for several years.

Wilma didn’t start school (at all black Cobb High School) until she was eight. Her father was a porter and her mother was a maid. Like other poor people of that era, Wilma Rudolph’s home had an outhouse.

When she was in the eighth grade, Wilma Rudolph’s sister made the track team at Burt High School, but Wilma didn’t.

Her father told the track coach that the Rudolph sisters were a “package deal” -- either both girls made the team, or neither girls made the team. Wilma thus made the team, and began to develop her track skills, although basketball was her favorite sport. Her coaches soon gave her the nickname “Skeeter” because she “buzzed around them” so much during basketball games,

Perfection is still intact.

Wichita State’s historic season continued on Tuesday night, as the Shockers improved to 30-0 with a comprehensive 69-49 victory over Bradley at Carver Arena.

Greg Marshall’s squad became the 11th school in college basketball history to win its first 30 games of the season. The 199091 UNLV squad was the last to accomplish the feat, while no one else has ever done it during the regular season as the Shockers now have.

But their business isn’t finished.

“It means a lot, it really does,” point guard Fred VanVleet said, via STATS LLC (h/t CBS Sports).

“It’s something we didn’t do last year. It’s special, and we appreci-

ate it. But, at the same time, we have more goals ahead of us.”

En route to cementing itself in the record books, Wichita State turned in a complete performance to quiet the home crowd.

ESPN’s Jimmy Dykes put it simply: The Shockers were efficient on offense, shooting 48.9 percent from the field and 47.6 percent from beyond the arc against the Missouri Valley Conference’s fourth-best defensive team, per Ken Pomeroy’s efficiency rankings.

Ron Baker led the way with 15 points as four players scored in double figures for the Shockers, who finished with 15 assists on 23 baskets.

On the other side of the ball, hard-nosed, physical, suffocating

defense has been Wichita State’s calling card during this monumental streak, and that was no different on Tuesday.

Tekele Cotton held Bradley leading scorer Walt Lemon Jr. to 18 points on 20 shots, Cleanthony Early and Chadrack Lufile controlled the interior and Bradley shot just 27.1 percent from the field. The Braves turned the ball over just six times and created several second chances with 16 offensive rebounds, but breaking down WSU in the half court simply wasn’t an option.

Bradley fought hard and stayed close for much of the first half, but as has been the case 29 other times this season, Wichita State proved to be too clinical, too deep, too balanced and too good.

2014 NFL Free Agents: Jimmy Graham Best of the Available Tight Ends Wilma Rudolph wins the 100 m at the 1960 Summer Olympics

hoping to get put into the game.

A few years later, Wilma participated in a track meet at Tuskegee Institute, where she lost every single race. But one person who watched her run that day -- Track Coach Ed Temple of Tennessee State University -- saw her, thought she had potential, and recruited her to his summer “track camps” at TSU. Only a year later, at the age of 16, Wilma Rudolph won a bronze medal at the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne, Australia.

Wilma Rudolph was now a hero in her home town of Clarksville. But she was still poor, and she still had things to overcome.

When she went to her high school prom, she had to borrow a prom dress. Then, at the age of 17, and still single, Wilma Rudolph got pregnant. She had the baby and didn’t participate in sports her senior year of high school. For a while it looked like she might never participate in track again. But the next year she went to TSU, while her sister (who was married and living in St. Louis) took care of Wilma’s baby girl.

Now a member of the TSU track team, Rudolph devoted herself to running and made the 1960 Olympic Team (along with three of her TSU teammates). In September 1960, in Rome, Italy, she won the 100 meter race, the 200 meter race, and was a member of the team that won the 400 meter women’s relay.

She thus became the first woman in history to win three gold medals in track and field at a single Olympics.

Now one of the most famous athletes in the world, Wilma Rudolph was greeted at home by a parade that is believed to have been Clarksville’s first biracial event.

However, this was before the existence of big-money endorsements for Olympic stars. In spite of her international fame, Rudolph was still not a wealthy person. After the excitement of the Olympics passed, she got married and began devoting most of her time to her family. She chose not to run in the 1964 Olympics, by which time she was teaching at her former elementary school.

Later in her career she worked for federal youth programs, as a coach, and as a public relations person.

Wilma Rudolph died of brain cancer in 1994.

Wilma Rudolph at the finish line during 50-yard dash at track meet in Madison Square Garden, 1961

The New Orleans Saints have one priority this offseason, and that’s to keep Jimmy Graham on the roster.

The superstar tight end is set to become an unrestricted free agent. He’s in line for a huge payday, and the Saints are likely going to be the team to give it to him if they are able. With at least 85 catches in each of the last three seasons, Graham has been the best tight end in football by a wide margin. He has also been Drew Brees’ primary receiving weapon in a highly productive offense and easily one of New Orleans’ most valuable players.

Graham is by far the best tight end on the market this off- Jimmy Graham season, but he’s not the only one that could receive a solid contract in free agency. Teams are always whether it be someone to feature looking for help at the position, alongside their wide receivers or

a second tight end for a two-tight end set.

LSU Fall 4-1 To UL-Lafayette In Rain-Shortened Game

BATON ROUGE, LA - No. 1-ranked LSU dropped a 4-1 decision to No. 10 LouisianaLafayette Tuesday night in a game that was stopped in the top of the sixth inning due to inclement weather at Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field.

Cody Glenn (1-1) was charged the loss for LSU after allowing five hits; three runs and one walk in four innings. Greg Milhorn (2-0) collected the win for ULL. Milhorn pitched five innings, only allowing four hits and one run.

Glenn got through the first and second innings only allowing two hits. In the top of the third, he walked Greg Davis to open the frame. After striking out Caleb Adams, Seth Harrison hit a triple to center field to collect the first run. Blake Trahan then hit a sacrifice fly to right field to push the Ragin’ Cajun lead to 2-0.

LSU threatened in the bottom of the third after freshman Kramer Robertson reached first on a hit by a pitch. Robertson then advanced to second on a

wild pitch. With two outs, Laird singled to the shortstop, but Robertson was thrown out at home to end the inning.

ULL added another run in the top of the fourth. Michael Strentz led off the inning with a single up the middle. Strentz reached third after a sac bunt and a fly out to center field. Jace Conrad then singled Strentz in on an RBI single to third base.

Centerfielder Andrew Stevenson sparked the Tigers with a leadoff triple in the bottom of the fifth. The next batter, Tyler Moore flied out to left field to score Stevenson on a sacrifice fly. The Tigers trailed 3-1.

After replacing Glenn in the top of the fifth, Alden Cartwright retired ULL in order. In the top of the sixth, Cartwright gave up a leadoff single to Ryan Wilson.

Wilson would advance to second on a groundout and then to third on a stolen base. After facing four batters and allowing one hit, junior Zac Person replaced Cartwrigth.

Tyler Garboard entered the game to pinch hit and reached

on a fielding error by Robertson, allowing Wilson to score.

“It’s a strange feeling to lose a game when you don’t get to play the full nine innings, but those are the rules of baseball,” said LSU coach Paul Mainieri. “I never expected us to go 56-0 this season, and there’s no shame in losing a rain-shortened game to a Top 10 team. You have to credit ULL with playing very well, and things just never seemed to go our way the whole night. We saw some issues that we need to address, so we’ll go back to practice on Thursday and start preparing for the weekend.”

Tuesday’s loss ended LSU’s 34-game win streak in regularseason mid-week games and its 32-game win streak against Louisiana schools. The Tigers’ last loss in both categories came to Northwestern State on April 15, 2011, in Alex Box Stadium.

LSU returns to The Box Friday to face Yale at 7 p.m. Friday.

The game can be heard on the LSU Sports Radio Network, and live video, audio and stats will be available at LSUsports.net.

Is The NBA Toying With The Idea Of A 4-Point Shot?

New York Knicks fans will be the first ones to tell you about the famous Larry Johnson “four-point play” game-winner from the ‘99 Eastern Conference Finals.

But what if there were a way to score four points without having to go to the foul line?

According to an ESPN report, NBA executives flirted with the idea of expanding the current hardwood dimensions and introducing the first-ever 4-point shot.

“Making the court bigger -- it’s an interesting idea and we’ve actually looked at it,” NBA vice president of basketball operations Kiki Vandeweghe told ESPN. “We keep a list of ideas on what we should do and how we can make the game better, of course. But arenas are obviously built in a certain way, and that would take a lot of adjusting to actually make the court bigger. But does it mean we shouldn’t look at it? No, of course not. We’re looking at all sorts of things.”

NBA president of basketball operations Rod Thorn added that the 4-point shot is “something that’s come up,” but not as a formal proposal.

Does a 4-pointer sound ridiculous to you?

Well, apparently NBA spokesman Tim Frank quickly shot down that idea and declared it as a story that doesn’t exist. You’re either exhaling a sigh of relief or kicking the floor saying, “Shucks.”

What if the NBA did decide to go ahead with the 4-pointer one day, though? Where should the actual line be? It’s not like players can’t hit 25-30 footers when they feel like it. If ratings ever go south, would there be room for, say, a 10-point shot? Remember the whacked-out scorign featured in MTV’s “Rock N’ Jock” contests?

If the 4-pointer were to come into play, they might as well add in another ball or two during the game, make the last 30 seconds of quarters include money ball shots and, hell, why not elevate the rim a few inches and eliminate out-ofbounds territory?

Let’s hope the league never has to result to such madness. Many fans would agree that there isn’t an actual need for the addition of a shot like that right now. Possibly some better dunks, but the 3-pointer seems to suffice as far as long-range excitement. Maybe years down the road if excitement over the game tamps downs, a novelty shot like that could make sense, but it’s just highly unlikely.

So for those fans, which got excited, just be happy this idea was ever even spoken about among the NBA execs.

Grace

from page 6

him, “devil, it is written, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”. When the devil attempt to sway you about your healing, Tell him, “devil it is written, by His stripes I am healed.” Nothing is impossible with God. He will set the course and direct your path and who is a better traveling partner than God? Nobody. When you are traveling with Him, there is no need to worry about directions because He is your GPS and He will guide you with His eye.

No matter the details of your wilderness God will gracefully pave the way for you and shower His blessings upon your situation whereas what the devil meant for bad, God will turn it around for your good. Be encouraged because you are the blessed one.

Keep on Praying…..Keep on Pressing…..Keep on Praising.

Effort

from page 7

enough for some landowners to desire annexation.

“No one knows what will happen to areas under the control of the city of St. George,” says Councilman John Delgado. “Would they abolish gambling? Raise taxes?

On LSU, would they be able to provide police and fire protection to that area? We don’t know anything. That’s incentive enough to ask for annexation, in my opinion.”