Baton Rouge Weekly Press Week of May 23, 2013

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BATON

THURSDAY, MAY 23, 2013

Ronnie Edwards To Co-Sponsor Neighborhood Clean Up Day With Local Leaders

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OKLAHOMA TORNADO Rescuers Search Town Ruins as Recovery Starts

Louisiana National Guardsmen Train Haitian Officials

Louisiana  National  Guard  military  engagement  team  logistics  trainer  Sgt.  1st  Class  Aaron  Moore  (right)  of  Alexandria,  La.,  instructs  officials  from  the  Haitian  Directorate  of  Civil  Protection  logistics  division  on  proper  emer-­ gency  supplies  storage  management  at  the  national  emergency  operations  center  in  Port-­au-­Prince,  Haiti,  April  30,  2013.  The  LANG’s  MET  is  on  a  four-­week  mission  to  train  the  officials  on  effective  emergency  response  management  and  emergency  supplies  storage  and  distribution.  (National  Guard  photo  by  Spc.  Tarell  J.  Bilbo,  Louisiana  National  Guard  Public  Affairs  Office/RELEASED).

Ronnie  Edwards BATON ROUGE—Volunteers will meet at the site of True Holiness Ministries located at 6265 Gurney Street, near the vicinity of Plank Road and Airline Highway, in District 5 on Saturday, May 25th. The Neighborhood clean up will kick off at 8am and last until 12 noon. Food and drinks will be served. Sponsors include: Project Ride, Allied Waste, Office of Councilwoman Ronnie Edwards, LA Business Community Alliance, Healing Hearts Grief Support Group, Desperados, Inc., Phoxy Ladies Social Club, and Piggly Wiggly. Please contact Tyra L. Banks, Legislative Assistant to Councilwoman Ronnie Edwards at 225-389-4831 or e-mail tbanks@ brgov.com for more information.

Baton Rouge Breakaway School District Bill Passes Final Committee, Heads to House BATON ROUGE—A proposal to break away a portion of the East Baton Rouge Parish School System continued its push forward Wednesday, passing the Louisiana House Appropriations Committee. The legislation now heads to its final step in the state legislature, the floor of the Louisiana House of Representatives, where it failed last year. Senate Bill 199 passed the committee by a vote of 14 to 7. It is one of two bills being debated that would form the breakaway district, but S.B. 199 was the only one discussed in the committee Wednesday. The other, Senate Bill 73, still has to pass through a Civil Law and Procedure committee before reaching the House floor.

Danielle  Stephan  holds  boyfriend  Thomas  Layton  as  they  pause  between  salvaging  through  the  remains  of  a  family  member’s  home  one  day  after  a  tornado  devastated  the  town  Moore,  Oklahoma,  in  the  outskirts  of  Oklahoma  City  May  21,  2013.  Rescuers  went  building  to  building  in  search  of  victims  and  thousands  of  survivors  were  homeless  on  Tuesday  after  a  massive  tornado  tore  through  the  Oklahoma  City  suburb  of  Moore,  wiping  out  whole  blocks  of  homes  and  killing  at  least  24  people.  MOORE, Oklahoma - Rescue workers with sniffer dogs picked through the ruins of an Oklahoma town on Wednesday to ensure no survivors remained buried after a deadly tornado left thousands homeless and trying to salvage what was left of their belongings.

“Yesterday I was numb. Today I cried a lot. Now I’m on the victory side of it,� said Beth Vrooman, who hid in a shelter in her garage during Monday’s storm in Moore, Oklahoma. When the winds died down, she realized a car was blocking her exit.

“It took some muscle, but I got out,� Vrooman said, as she sifted through piles of clothing, broken knickknacks and nailstudded boards that had once been her home. The tornado on Monday See OKLAHOMA, on page 2

BY SPC. TARELL J. BILBO PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – After two weeks of classroom sessions and a practical exercise, a military engagement team from the Louisiana National Guard awarded approximately 34 Haitian government officials with completion certificates at the Directorate for Civil Protection national emergency operations center in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, May 13. The LANG’s MET is on

a four-week mission to train the DPC officials on effective emergency response management and emergency supplies storage and distribution. “We appreciate all the things that they do in their country to prepare for disasters,� said Maj. Michelle R. Story, of Diamondhead, Miss., commander of the MET. “We’ve learned from them as we provided them instruction.� The training consists of See TRAIN, on page 2

ExxonMobil Invests $1.5 Million Through Louisiana Adds Jobs In United Way Campaign Support April, Civilian Labor Force Near Seven-Year High

Children  who  receive  services  from  The  Arc  Baton  Rouge  hold  signs  to  represent  the  donation  amount  that  Exxon-­ Mobil  made  to  Capital  Area  United  Way  in  its  2012  campaign  contribution.  Along  with  the  children  are  representa-­ tives  from  several  CAUW  partner  agencies,  including  AMIKids  Baton  Rouge;  Boys  &  Girls  Club  of  Greater  Baton  Rouge;  Boy  Scouts  of  America,  Istrouma  Area  Council;  Catholic  Charities;  Girl  Scouts  Louisiana  East;  Greater  Baton  Rouge  Food  Bank;  Hope  Ministries;  Salvation  Army;  The  Y;  and  YWCA  Greater  Baton  Rouge. BATON ROUGE, LA (May 13, 2013) - ExxonMobil has a long history of supporting the Baton Rouge area throughout its 100 years in the community.

THE RED STICK MOBILE FARMERS MARKET

As a long-time partner and supporter of Capital Area United Way (CAUW), the company and its employees have a strong commitment to giving, advocating and

volunteering. In 2011 and again in 2012, ExxonMobil exceeded fundraising goals to help Capital See SUPPORT, on page 3

BATON ROUGE — Louisiana added 21,100 private sector jobs over the year while the state’s civilian labor force remained near its highest level since 2005, according to April data released today by the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. Seasonally adjusted nonfarm employment was 1,943,700 in April, an increase of 16,000 jobs over the year. Louisiana’s private sector added 21,100 jobs over the year, more than offsetting the loss of 5,100 local, state and federal government jobs over the year. The state’s private employers have added jobs over the year for 32 consecutive months. Among sectors with the largest gains were construction with 10,200 jobs, and trade, transportation, and utilities with 5,700 jobs. Nonfarm employment is estimated from a BLS survey of employers. A separate BLS

survey of households is used to estimate the civilian labor force. The household survey shows Louisiana’s seasonally adjusted civilian labor force—the total number working or looking for work—were 2,091,501 in April, an increase of 6,006 over the year. The April total is just 18,500 shy of the highest level since Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The share of the labor force that was employed in April was 1,956,570, an increase of 12,932 over the year. The number of unemployed was 134,931, a decrease of 6,926 over the year. “The numbers show we’re adding jobs and that we have people willing to do the work,� LWC Executive Director Curt Eysink said. The labor force changes from March to April bucked the

SPORTS NEWS

RELIGION NEWS

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LOCAL & STATE NEWS

BUSINESS NEWS

See JOBS, on page 3

Pastor Lee T. Wesley was honored by members of his church, and the community for twenty-five years of service, at a program held at Mount Pilgrim Baptist Church....See Page 6

INDEX

CHIEF STUDENT MARSHAL Wednesday, May 15th marked the grand opening of the Red Stick Mobile Farmers Market at Star Hill Church. The Mobile Farmers Market operates on Wednesdays from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m. at the Scotlandville Branch Library... See Page 7

Messan D. Folivi is the chief student marshal for Southern University’s spring 2013 graduating class and led 714 graduates into the F.G. Clark Activity Center, Friday, May 17...See Page 3

SUCCESSFUL COOKIE PROGRAM

Girl Scouts proved themselves once again to be savvy entrepreneurs in this year’s Cookie Program, selling over 1 million boxes of Girl Scout cookies in the local council’s 23-parish jurisdiction..See Page 5

LOUISIANA YOUTH GOLF CLINIC

Louisiana Youth Sports Network has partnered with the First Tee of East Baton Rouge Parish to provide a series of FREE introductory golf clinics to community youth...See Page 8

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

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Peers Select SUBR Bray To Be Student Member Of SU Board BATON ROUGE, La. Southern University Student Government Association President Simone Bray will be the next student member on the Southern University Board of Supervisors. Bray was selected to the position by SGA presidents from the other campuses – New Orleans, Shreveport and the Law Center - in the SU System. Bray, elected SGA president on the Baton Rouge campus in April, will take her seat on the board at its June meeting. The last SUBR student leader on the board was two-term SGA President Demetrius Sumner, now a student at the Tulane Law School in New Orleans. “I’m very excited about everything that has taken place over these past couple of months. It’s a very overwhelming and joyous feeling. I’m truly thankful,� said Bray, a 20-year-old, junior mass communications major. “I’m willing to learn everything there is to learn while taken on the position of SGA President and serving on the Southern University System Board of Supervisors,� she said. “Both positions

OKLAHOMA

Southern  University  Student  Government  Association  President  Simone  Bray require hard work and dedication and I’m ready to take on both jobs.â€? Bray is a native of Baton Rouge and a graduate of McKinley Senior High School. Please

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afternoon flattened entire blocks of the town, including schools, a hospital and other buildings. At least 24 people were killed and 240 others injured, but authorities were increasingly confident that everyone caught in the disaster had been accounted for, despite initial fears that the twister had claimed the lives of more than 90 people. Jerry Lojka, spokesman for Oklahoma Emergency Management, said search-and-rescue dog teams would search for anybody trapped under the rubble, but that attention would also be focused on a huge cleanup job. “They will continue the searches of areas to be sure nothing is overlooked,� he said. “There’s going to be more of a transition to recovery.� More than 1,000 people had already registered for assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, which sent hundreds of workers to Oklahoma to help with the recovery.

MARGE'S

After a long day of searching through shattered homes that was slowed by rainy weather on Tuesday, Oklahoma County Commissioner Brian Maughan said it seemed no one was missing. “As far as I know, of the list of people that we have had that they are all accounted for in one way or another,� he said. TEN CHILDREN AMONG DEAD The state medical examiner on Wednesday released details on the people who died in the storm, and reported 10 children, including a four-month-old baby, were among the victims, more than the nine previously reported. The other children ranged in age from 4 years to 9 years old. The storm’s oldest victim, of those whose ages were released, was 63. Most of the victims died of blunt force injuries that were probably caused by flying debris and five of the children died from suffocation. Most of the children were at

Divine Favor II

contact either Edward Pratt or Erin Fulbright with Southern University Media Relations at the following numbers (225) 771-4545 or (225) 771-3907 for more information. Plaza Towers Elementary School, which took a direct hit by the deadliest tornado to strike the United States in two years. Emergency workers pulled more than 100 survivors from the debris after the tornado ripped through the Oklahoma City region with winds exceeding 200 miles per hour, leaving a trail of destruction 17 miles long and 1.3 miles wide. The National Weather Service said the tornado was ranked a rare EF5, the most powerful on the Enhanced Fujita Scale. STORM SAFE SHELTERS The last time a giant twister tore through the area, on May 3, 1999, it killed more than 40 people and destroyed thousands of homes. That tornado also topped the scale. Oklahoma Emergency Management’s Lojka said 2,400 homes were damaged or obliterated and an estimated 10,000 people affected. The death toll was lower than might have been expected given the extent of the devastation in Moore, home to 55,000 people. Some ascribed the relatively few deaths to many people having small “storm safe� shelters, basically a concrete hole in the garage floor with a sliding roof that locks. Billy McElrath, 50, of Oklahoma City, said his wife hid in a storm safe in their garage when the tornado hit. She emerged unhurt even though the storm destroyed the 1968 Corvette convertible she had bought him as a birthday present, and crushed a motorcycle. “Everything else is just trashed,� he said as he loaded a pickup with salvaged goods. Kraig Boozier, 47, took to his own small shelter in the Westmoor subdivision of Oklahoma City and watched in shock as a fan in the wall was ripped out.

CHIT CHAT

7 + 2 8 * + 7 erine Drexel University )25 7+,6 :((. and will be known far “Time is out when and wide for great black children think alumni. reading books would 7+( 6+227make them like ,1* 2) 3(56216 whites.� Michelle ,1 1(: 25/($16 Obama at Bowie Unileft many to ask, “Is versity that shooter(s) stone &21*5$78crazy?� It happened Marge /$7,216 72 7+( on Mothers Day and Lawrence &/$66 2) some wanted to know, /$ $6835(0( “Did the shooter(s) &2857 -867,&( Bernette have a mother(s)?� With a street Joshua Johnson was the com- full of parade goers and children mencement speaker for the enjoying their day out in the beauSouthern University Class of tiful weather, could it have been 2013. While some grads forget a self-hatred or a hatred for their their speaker in years to come, own mothers? No one is speakwe are willing to bet that the ing too audibly about the incident class of 2013 will not. Not only except the police, but many are did the grads (at least some of wondering just what could be a them) made history as the only serious issue that would cause or first grads with first degrees this incident. With eyes bulgof bachelors, masters and doc- ing, someone said to me that the torates in their families, Justice shooter(s) is stone crazy. Wow!! Johnson made history in her own +$9( <28 +($5' right, too. She is the first black 2) :$5' (17(57$,1person to become JUSTICE of 0(176" It is a group from New the state’s highest court. We canOrleans and Ward 8 that wants to not but admire her courageous showcase their talents on an inbattle to show the powers that be spirational CD based upon what by judicial action that she was they learned from their mothers. the one with the most tenure but How wonderful!! she maintained her composure 7236 6&+2/$56+,36 and fought to achieve it!! You are getting fewer and fewer for our go, girl!! average students who are making 027+(56 '$< is over 2.5. In a recent state audit, the but I was reminded that I did not results show that 44 percent of t he give my annual shout out to the Louisiana students who received dedicated mothers that I know from the state’s TOPS program or have known. They include women of Delta Sigma Theta, over a seven-year period had their Alpha Kappa Alpha, Sigma awards canceled for low-grade Gamma Rho, Zeta Phi Beta, and averages and other reasons. Get Sis. Payne (first lady of Weekly the facts about maintaining the Press), Sisters (in their struggle scholarship students. / ( $ 3 $ 1 ' L / ( $ 3 with breast cancer), wives of the 6&25(6 are in the schools brothers of Alpha Phi Alpha, Phi parents. Your child will bring Beta Sig-ma, Kappa Alpha Psi, the Qs, my own sisters and sisters-in- home their scores any day now law who are mothers; former and for eighth graders (who MUST present teachers and coworkers; attend summer school if they did and Mrs. Elizabeth Perry (1922 NOT pass) and 4th, 6th and 7th -2002) my own mother. Thanks graders. Some schools are choosfor all you do, and we know that ing to mail them with their final is much, including touching and report card if the students are in teaching moments and important 4th, 6th, 7th, so do not get alarmed if they do not bring them home lessons. $/801, 2) ;$9,(5 in these grades only. The eighth 81,9(56,7< 2) 1(: 25- graders get their scores at school /($16 have much to smile at which time they are given sumabout now that their collective mer school applications. +$33< %,57+'$< to strength has helped them to keep their school open. With thousands Mrs. Francine Saunders, Orlando of distinguished doctor, lawyers, Brown, and little Boyd Griffin. teachers and other professionals With Love to all as we enjoy the who are graduates and in positions weather, Love, of distinction all over the world, Xavier will become Mother KathMarge

TRAIN

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various Federal Emergency Management Agency and U.S. Department of Homeland Security response management courses. The similarities of natural disasters that affect both Louisiana and Haiti provided a kinship for the two organizations to start a working relationship. “Louisiana gets hit by hurricanes more than almost any state in the country,� said Master Sgt. David Bonin Jr., of Metairie, La., operations noncommissioned officer in charge with the MET. “I don’t think anyone could provide the level of knowledge and ex-

pertise that we have in hurricane response.� The LANG officially partnered with the country of Haiti in 2011 under the National Guard Bureau’s State Partnership Program. The National Guard’s 65-nation, 20-year-old SPP provides unique partnership capacity-building capabilities to combatant commanders and U.S. ambassadors through partnerships between U.S. states, territories and the District of Columbia and foreign countries.

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Cokie Roberts Speaks at LSU’s 280th Commencement Exercises BATON ROUGE – Cokie Roberts, a political commentator for ABC News and senior news analyst for National Public Radio, delivered the commencement address and 3,735 students received degrees at LSU’s 280th commencement exercises on Thursday, May 16, and Friday, May 17. Roberts, who is originally from New Orleans, congratulated the class of 2013 and spoke to them about her ties to Louisiana and the fondness she has for LSU. “It is a great institution,� she said. “You are so privileged to be graduating from this place.� Roberts told the graduates about her family history in politics in the state, including her parents Hale and Lindy Boggs, and her ancestry that dates back to the first governor of Louisiana, William C.C. Claiborne. After providing some historical context to how tough the political environment was in the mid-19th century United States leading up to the Civil War, Roberts acknowledge that times are tough today as well and urged the graduated to get involved in service. “Right now, we are living through a bad time,� she said. “It’s a time when we need the services of talented people like you who are graduating from this fine institution, and we need you to lead the way.� Roberts said people can’t

JOBS

expect things to get better if good people don’t participate. This includes by voting and running for public office. She told the graduates that “nothing binds us together as a nation except our government.â€? “People who came to this country from the beginning have understood that America is an idea ‌ and that great idea is codified in the Constitution,â€? she said. “Congress means ‘bring us together,’ and as a country we need you bright graduates to remind the Congress that that is their job, to bring us together,â€? she added. Roberts outlined the many ways graduates can participate in service in addition to the newly commissioned ROTC cadets “who could be called upon to surrender the ultimate service.â€? She said those in art and design will “enrich our lives,â€? those in music and dramatic arts will “enliven our lives,â€? those in the sciences and engineering will “enhance our lives,â€? those humanities and social sciences will “examine our lives,â€? those in human sciences and education will “edify our lives,â€? those in mass communication will “inform our lives,â€? those in agriculture and the coast & environment will “improve our lives,â€? those in business will “enable our lives,â€? and those in veterinary medicine will “do all of those things for the other creatures who share this planet.â€?

SU’s Messan Folivi Named Chief Student Marshal For Spring Graduation BATON ROUGE - Messan D. Folivi is the chief student marshal for Southern University’s spring 2013 graduating class and led 714 graduates into the F.G. Clark Activity Center, Friday, May 17. The native of Togo, West Africa earned the chief marshal designation because his cumulative 3.93 grade point average is the highest among his fellow spring graduates. Folivi, who majored in biology and minored in chemistry, plans to attend Meharry Medical School, in Nashville, Tenn., in the fall of 2013. “I feel it is a big accomplishment for me, coming from another country and learning a new language,� Folivi said about earning the top grad spot. “It is an honor not just for the College of Sciences but for Southern University as a whole.� The 22-year-old moved to the United States to live with his uncle when he was 17 years old and to continue his studies in pursuit of a career in medicine. He graduated Cum Laude in 2009 from Robert E. Lee High School in Baton Rouge and joined the

Messan  D.  Folivi Jaguar Nation that fall. “I chose Southern after attending Jaguar Preview in the summer because the environment felt like home. The instructors were one-on-one with you and knew your name,â€? said Folivi. Into his second semester

Folivi joined the Louis StokesLouisiana Alliance for Minority Participation, the Timbuktu Academy and Beta Kappa Chi National Honor Society. Scholarships earned through those organizations helped pay for his tuition along the way. While at Southern, Folivi worked for a year as a medical scribe for the Professional Emergency Physicians Association at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center. As a scribe he assisted the patients and reported their status to the physicians. He works presently as an Electrocardiogram Technician at Southern Medical Corporation which serves Our Lady of the Lake Hospital and Baton Rouge General Hospital at Mid-City and Bluebonnet. One of Folivi’s goals is to serve the global community through the practice of medicine. This past year he helped establish the USA organization committee team for the E-Learning and ESantÊ Conference in Senegal in November of 2012. That group set up a global professional network of E-Learning and E-Health in 37 countries. The two concepts introduced electronics and com-

munication technology in education and the health sector. He also worked on international projects such as the Project ICT4 Africa 2011 under College of Business Professor and Executive Director of the Information and Communication Technology Department, Dr. Victor Mbarika and ELES network under Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry Dr. Moustapha Diack. Folivi was also a key undergraduate student in the organization of conferences pertaining to Open Education Resources and telemedicine between Frenchspeaking and English-speaking countries in Africa. Folivi is passionate about returning to West Africa after graduating from Meharry with a Masters of Health Sciences combined with a duel doctoral degree, with a possible specialization in cardiology. The top graduate is grateful to Southern for bringing him closer to his dream. Please contact either Erin Fulbright or Edward Pratt with the Southern University Media Relations at (225) 771-4545 or (225) 771-3907 for additional information.

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over-the-year trend of increasing employment and decreasing unemployment. As a result, the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose 0.3 percent in April to 6.5 percent. The April rate was down 0.3 percent from April 2012. The National unemployment rate in

SUPPORT

April was 7.5 percent, down from 7.6 percent and the Southern rate was 7.1 percent. Louisiana was tied for the fourth lowest unemployment rate in the region. The method the BLS uses to estimate the results of its monthly surveys allows for unwarranted

variability from one month to the next, particularly for areas that are smaller than the state, such as metropolitan statistical areas, and for industry sectors or sub sectors. Media Relations (225) 3423035 for additional information.

within our Capital Area. To illustrate the impact, ExxonMobil’s contribution alone could provide the following in the 70805 zip code: ‡ FKDUDFWHU EXLOGLQJ WR RYHU 3500 at-risk youth; ‡ KRXVLQJ DQG DVVLVWDQFH IRU over 5,100 individuals and families in crisis; ‡ HPSOR\PHQW VHUYLFHV DQG support for over 1,000 individuals; and ‡ ILQDQFLDO DVVLVWDQFH IRU RYHU 1,500 individuals with life-altering healthcare needs. ExxonMobil also announced today sponsorship funding for CAUW’s 2013 annual Day of Action within the North Baton Rouge area. The event, which is also slated to take place nationwide through the United Way Worldwide network on Friday, June 21, will host numerous local volunteers from various partner agencies who wish to do good work within our communities. ExxonMobil will also sponsor CAUW’s 2013 Women’s Leadership Council efforts to engage women who give and support CAUW’s Early Childhood Educa-

tion initiative. “ExxonMobil invests in the communities where we operate, which means that much of our employees’ volunteer efforts and our company’s donations are focused on the North Baton Rouge area,� said ExxonMobil Chemical Plant Site Manager Paul Stratford. “Capital Area United Way’s robust allocation process and strategic programs ensure that the resources we provide are allocated in the most effective way possible to strengthen this community and improve the lives of our neighbors.� Mobilizing our community through collaborative efforts to advance the common good Capital Area United Way works to advance the common good and create opportunities for a better life for all. This is done through our focus on education, income, and health. With your support, over 120 programs that have measurable results in these three focus areas are currently being funded. These programs touch the lives of thousands in our 10-parish Capital Area and are making a positive impact on a daily basis. To give, advocate, or volunteer, please visit CAUW.org.

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Area United Way achieve its mission of mobilizing our community through collaborative efforts to advance the common good. Combined with the financial support of $350,000 from ExxonMobil and its employees and retirees from ExxonMobil Baton Rouge sites, the campaign raised approximately $1.5 million for the local community. ExxonMobil’s donations totaled about 15 percent of the 2012 CAUW campaign. “Capital Area United Way is proud that ExxonMobil and its employees continue to be our largest corporate contributor. ExxonMobil has again raised the bar by exceeding its corporate giving goal,� said Richard Williams, Interim CEO & President. “Everyone in our 10-parish service area benefits from the generosity of ExxonMobil’s annual United Way campaign. We greatly appreciate the efforts of ExxonMobil to give back to the communities we serve to advance the common good.� ExxonMobil’s support enables Capital Area United Way to fund programs that are focused on education, income and health

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COMMENTARY 7KXUVGD\ 0D\ ‡ The  Weekly  Press ‡ 3DJH

The State of Equality and Justice in America: The Presumption of Guilt BY CONGRESSMAN JOHN LEWIS AND BRYAN STEVENSON After serving 42 years in an Arizona prison for a crime he didn’t commit, a 58-year-old man was finally released this April. When Louis Taylor was just 16, he ventured out of his comfort zone to try a happy hour advertised by an upscale Tucson hotel, a typical foray for an adventurous teenage boy. Unfortunately, that night a fire broke out that ultimately claimed 29 lives. In that moment, Taylor stopped being typical and became extraordinary. He did not run from the danger as most people would. Instead he took responsibility. He was spotted during the crisis busily helping people escape the flames, escorting guests to safety and assisting people on stretchers. Ordinarily, he would have been hailed a teenage hero for demonstrating a civic duty only expected of grown men. Yet eyewitness accounts of his beyondthe-call-of-duty service were not credited as outstanding demonstrations of good character. To police and even some bystanders his very presence made him automatically suspects. More than the possibility that he could have saved someone’s life, people were consumed by their sense that he “did not belong in a fancy Tucson hotel�. The forensic evidence suggested faulty electrical wiring or some building defect, as the likely cause, not arson, but scientific facts could not derail a hardwired determination that because Taylor was black, he had to be at fault. His youth, his innocence, and even his dramatic work to save and comfort the victims were imperceptible and irrelevant. Outraged citizens wanted the death penalty. A profiler was brought in who swore under oath that the likely perpetrator was “a black teenager.� Taylor was convicted by an all-white jury and sentenced to multiple life sentences, ensuring he would die in prison.

Fortunately, the Arizona Justice Project recently took up the case. New research from the National Academy of Science proved there was no evidence of arson in the fire. Wrongly convicted, Taylor was finally released-42 years later. It would be hard to call Mr. Taylor lucky, but the truth is thousands just like him, including innocent children, are being victimized by a presumption of guilt that never sees black and brown youth as blameless, as engaged in proverbial “good, clean, fun�, as harmless. Instead it attributes to them every violence and vice, even if those suspicions contradict the facts. For nearly 50 years, starting in the 1920s, America maintained a prison population of close to 200,000 people. Today we have the highest incarceration rate in the world with 2.3 million people in jails or prison. One out of three black boys born in 2001 is likely to serve time in jail or prison during his lifetime. Half of our incarcerated are imprisoned for non-violent drug crimes. While African American and Latino teens are less likely to abuse drugs and alcohol than whites, they are 3-4 times more likely to be arrested, convicted or sent to jail or prison for non-violent drug offenses. The violent crime rate in America is the same as it was in 1968, yet our prison system has grown by over 500 percent. The presumption of guilt follows too many poor and minority children to school, a place where children should be nurtured and supported, not criminalized and incarcerated. Yet the pipeline from school to jail is so insidious, many parents now fear schools as much as they fear the criminal justice system. In 2012, the Justice Department sued school officials in Meridian, Mississippi for systematically incarcerating black and disabled children for days at a time for See GUILT, on page 5

The Struggle Continues 59 Years After Brown V. Board Of Education BY DAMON HEWITT, DIREC-­ TOR OF THE EDUCATION PRACTICE GROUP AT THE NAACP LEGAL DEFENSE AND EDUCATIONAL FUND On May 17, 1954, the United State Supreme Court decided a case that changed the course of American history. In Brown v. Board of Education, which was litigated by the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, a unanimous Court declared segregated education systems unconstitutional, marking the beginning of the end of America’s racial caste system. As we mark the fifty-ninth anniversary of that landmark decision, it is appropriate to reflect on the progress of civil rights efforts since Brown was decided. But some are now questioning whether American institutions should still use race-conscious tools to promote diversity and inclusion in education and beyond. That issue is being played out in Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin, the latest challenge to higher education affirmative action programs. But what we have learned since Brown suggests that we should be asking an entirely different question: In light of significant progress through mighty struggles, and with American society becoming increasingly diverse, can we afford at this point to allow our institutions to go in the opposite direction? The closing doors of opportunity in states that have banned affirmative action programs have made the stakes clear. After Proposition 209 in California banned race-conscious admissions, the se-

lective institutions with the University of California system became more segregated. And Texas’ own history provides another reminder. During the most recent years when UT-Austin did not consider race in admissions and instead used only race-neutral efforts, the percentage of African-American students never comprised more than 4.5% of enrollment, despite making up 12-13% of high school graduates in Texas and over 10% of the state’s workforce. The stakes are high not just for those who seek admission to college; all Americans stand to lose. For example, colleges and universities realize that declining enrollment of African-American students limits their ability to realize the educational benefits of diversity and is not conducive to training the leaders of tomorrow who must be able to navigate diverse workplaces and environments. The issues in play in the Fisher case could also impact K-12 education, where waning political will has led in part to a significant re-segregation of America’s public schools. These trends exacerbate ongoing problems such as gaps in fiscal and human resources, access to college-preparatory curriculum and student achievement, as well as racial disparities in school discipline—what we have come to refer to as the School to Prison Pipeline. Ironically, these are the very types of problems that the litigation effort behind Brown was designed to address. And many of these issues are evident in the nearly one hundred K-12 school desegSee EDUCATION, on page 7

Obama’s Troubles Aren’t Comparable to ‘Watergate’ By George E. Curry NNPA Columnist The Obama administration deserves to be richly criticized for surreptitiously obtaining the telephone records of reporters for the Associated Press, especially for bypassing court proceedings that would have allowed executives of the news organizations an opportunity to at least argue against releasing the documents. It was also wrong to single out conservative organizations for special IRS scrutiny. In case you haven’t noticed, the names of practically all Black professional organizations begin with the word “National.� That’s because most organizations bearing the name “American� – such as the American Bar Association and the American Dental Association – are professional groups that once barred Blacks from membership. That’s why we had to start our “National� organizations. If it’s okay to target conservative groups today, there is nothing to prevent a future president or IRS commissioner from targeting organizations with the word “National� in their name. Still, the actions of some Obama administration officials should not be compared to Watergate, as was the case on last Sunday’s talk shows. To refresh your recollection, as many of the Watergate witnesses would say, Watergate is a reference to a series of scandals that began with the June 17, 1972 break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate

office complex in Washington, D.C. and ended with President Richard M. Nixon resigning on August 9, 1974 rather than face certain impeachment. The five men arrested in connection with the Watergate burglary were linked to Nixon’s Committee for the Re-Election of the President. It was later revealed that Nixon had recorded many conversations in the Oval Office that showed that he had knowledge about what his Press Secretary Ron Ziegler labeled “a third-rate burglary� and had attempted to cover-up his involvement. Nixon’s fought to keep the tapes private, but the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that he had to turn them over to government investigators. Nixon resigned in disgrace and 43 people, including his top White House aides, were sent to prison. Nixon’s successor, Gerald R. Ford, pardoned Nixon, the only U.S. president to resign from office. Unlike Nixon, President Obama said – and there’s been no evidence presented to contradict him – that he didn’t know about the IRS impropriety until after it had been disclosed in a report by the Treasury Department’s inspector general. Obama said, “I have now had the opportunity to review the Treasury Department watchdog’s report on its investigation of IRS personnel who improperly targeted conservative groups applying for tax-exempt status. And the report’s findings are intolerable and inexcusable. The federal government

must conduct itself in a way that’s worthy of the public’s trust, and that’s especially true for the IRS.â€? Instead of noting the distinction between Nixon’s role in Watergate and Obama’s non-role in the latest scandals, CBS’ Face The Nation host Bob Schieffer told Obama adviser Dan Pfeiffe on Sunday, “You know, I don’t want to compare this in any way to Watergate. I do not think this is Watergate by any stretch‌but I have to tell you that is exactly the approach that the Nixon administration took. They said, ‘These are all second-rate things, we don’t have time for this, we have to devote our time to the people’s business.’ You’re taking exactly the same line that they did.â€? Schieffer, who covered Watergate for CBS, should know better. And so should Peggy Noonan, a former White House speechwriter for Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush. On NBC’s Meet The Press, Peggy Noonan defended her May 17 Wall Street Journal column in which she claimed that we “are in the midst of the worst Washington scandal since Watergate.â€? When host David Gregory pressed her, Noonan said, “This IRS thing is something I’ve never seen in my lifetime.â€? But the Boston Globe noted last Friday, “As startling as the reports have been in recent days – from the IRS targeting of conservative groups to the Justice Department seizing phone records of the Associated Press – one Nixonian element so far is missing: There

has been no evidence that Obama himself ordered or knew about the actions.� John Dean, White House counsel during the Nixon administration, told the newspaper, “I find the comparison – that whoever is making the analysis is challenged in their understanding of history.� He said, “There are no comparisons. They’re not comparable with any of the burgeoning scandals.� The Globe observed, “And Dean is in a position to know. Nearly 41 years ago, Dean was with Nixon in the Oval Office on a Friday afternoon when the president wondered aloud about utilizing the powers of the IRS to target his political opponents.� Carl Bernstein, one of the Washington Post reporters who broke the Watergate story, told Politico: “In the Nixon White House, we heard the president of the United States on tape saying ‘Use the IRS to get back on our enemies.’ We know a lot about President Obama, and I think the idea that he would want the IRS used for retribution – we have no evidence of any such thing.� George E. Curry, former editor-in-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.

Protecting Black Americans’ Right to Compete BY LEE A. DANIELS NNPA Columnist It’s no coincidence that in the next few weeks the U.S. Supreme Court will rule on a challenge to affirmative action in higher education and also a challenge to the most important provision of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Historically speaking, such challenges are what’s to be expected when Black Americans prove they are more than fit for American citizenship. For nearly half a century substantial numbers of Black students at and Black graduates of elite White colleges – such as Barack and Michelle Obama – have proven they match their White counterparts in intelligence, ambition, and determination to contribute to the nation. But, still, the anti-affirmative action propaganda is saturated with thinly-disguised assertions of Black inferiority. And for nearly half a century, Blacks of voting age have shown an expert understanding of how to play the political game and a profound faith in it. They have not indulged in loony conspiracy theories about the presidents whose policies they oppose, nor supported politicians who spout

extremist fantasies about the federal government. Instead, they’ve become a bedrock of the Democratic Party coalition and are increasingly ratcheting up the rate at which they turn out to vote. But this commitment to the American political tradition has provoked conservatives to increasingly tawdry neoJim Crow schemes in the political arena and continual challenges in the courts in order to limit blacks’ access to the ballot box. The part of the Act under challenge is its Section 5, which requires certain jurisdictions to get permission from the Justice Department or a special federal court before changing voting procedures. Congress re-authorized this “pre-clearance� provision along with the entire act in 2006 after extensive testimony showed many of the jurisdictions were still using such tactics as denying petitions for early voting, or reducing the hours for early voting, or moving polling stations to locations likely to reduce the Black turnout. The challenges to both affirmative action and the Voting Rights Act contend they discriminate against Whites. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia

bluntly previewed his opinion during the Court’s oral arguments over the latter when he characterized the part of the Act under challenge as “the perpetuation of a racial entitlement� that victimizes Whites. What both Supreme Court challenges – and Justice Scalia’s remark – in their negative way affirm is the fundamental importance of both the policy of affirmative action and the pre-clearance provision of the Voting Rights Act. They protect Black Americans’ right to compete. Depriving Black Americans of that right was the major purpose of the Supreme Court’s 1896 decision in Plessy v Ferguson. That ruling stamped the court’s imprimatur on the burgeoning laws and customs stripping Blacks – 90 percent of whom then lived in the South – in ways large and small of their status as American citizens. It directly concerned segregation on public transportation in New Orleans. However, its most powerful impact was to validate depriving Blacks of their access to education and the right to vote. But there are two things about the Plessy decision even more important than realizing what it did. One is understanding that

the ruling came when American society was in turmoil from the wrenching demands of industrial capitalism and a floodtide of immigration from southern and Eastern Europe of White peoples whom most native-born White Americans considered a lower species of human being. The second is understanding that Plessy’s reasoning was built on pretense – the pretense of the doctrine of “separate but equal.� Its main points were: That separation of the races was the “natural order� of human relations. That Blacks and Whites could prosper under it because Whites, who had used violence to prevent Blacks from voting and seize control of the Southern state governments, would provide Blacks an equitable share of the governmental resources they gave to Whites. And that it was only the rogue Southern Blacks and Black and White “outside agitators� who were unhappy with segregation. Of course, this was nonsensical thinking. But Plessy took hold among Northern as well as Southern Whites because it was rooted in a vicious anti-Black bigotry – and a fear See COMPETE, on page 7

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

GUILT

from page 4

minor dress code infractions like wearing the wrong color socks or talking back to the teacher. According to the American Civil Liberties Union, children have been expelled for giving Midol to classmates, bringing household goods to school for Goodwill donations and scissors to class for an art project. Recently, one black Florida during a science experiment. Children as young as five years old are being led out of classrooms in handcuffs for acting out or throwing temper tantrums. They have been arrested for throwing an eraser at a teacher, breaking a pencil, and having rap lyrics in a locker. Black children constitute 18 percent of the nation’s public school population but 40% of the children who are suspended or expelled. In Arizona, Alabama, Georgia and a growing number of states, legally sanctioned racial profiling has been resurrected leading Latinos particularly, and other U.S citizens of color, to fear harassment, suspicion and detention. In New York City between 2002 to 2011, 90 percent of the city’s notorious ‘stop and frisk’ victims have been Black and Latino residents. In 88 percent of those stops, people of color were found to be innocent of any wrongdoing. In the year when this nation will celebrate the Supreme Court’s historic ruling to create a right to counsel for indigent people accused of crimes, protections for the poor and innocent are almost non-existent. In a courtroom, where justice should be blind, the presumption of guilt is especially dangerous. Today

too many innocent prisoners like Taylor are trapped by systemic pressure to plead guilty in a system where 96 percent of all convictions are rendered by plea bargains. The Innocent Defendant’s Dilemma, a recent study, describes how the blameless, particularly those who are poor, find it an onerous, nearly impossible burden to prove their innocence. With few resources for defense, they find themselves trapped by a system that presumes their guilt. Since the odds seem hopelessly stacked against them, many innocent individuals reluctantly plead guilty to avoid the longest prison terms or even death. Innocent victims lose years in prison, face rejection because of criminal records, and many never reach their potential. We have come a great distance in the last 50 years, but we still have not fully escaped the miseducation and distortions created by America’s policies of racial injustice. These problems demand remedies, and we must admit this nation may require some form of therapy before we can freely reconcile ourselves to a better future informed by the truth surrounding present human rights abuses and those of the past. Despite progress, in the last 50 years we have retreated from an honest conversation about racial and economic justice, and have opted instead for mass criminalization and incarceration leaving many poor and minority people marginalized and condemned. As Taylor’s story reminds us, out of sight is hardly out of mind. It is an abysmal violation of human dignity.

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7KXUVGD\ 0D\ ‡ The  Weekly  Press ‡ 3DJH 5

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RELIGION Reverend Lee T. Wesley Honored for Twenty-five Years of Service Being Bold for the Gospel’s Sake BY JAMES TERRY III

BATON ROUGE, LA - Pastor Lee T. Wesley was honored by members of his church, and the community for twenty-five years of service, at a program held at Mount Pilgrim Baptist Church. Reverend Wesley is the founding pastor of Community

Bible Baptist Church. Under his leadership the church has grown spiritually and numerically. The church ministers to all ages, from the nursery to the senior adults. Rev. Wesley received a honor from the Mayor-President, presented by the Mayor’s wife. Naming May 17, 2013, Rev. Lee T. Wesley Day in Baton Rouge.

BY DONALD LEE Today, saints, I want to share with you the message of “Being Bold for the Gospel’s Sake.� It is with great pleasure that I decrease and allow the Spirit of the true and living God to increase in me. And because of this, the Word can have

its perfect works in you, the believer, because it’s coming to you undiluted, unadulterated, uncut. Throughout the Word of God, among an immeasurable number of constants is God’s encouragement, His mandate, to us to be bold and very courageous in kingdom matters. When we witness to the loss, we are to be bold with ours. When we encourage and exalt one another, in Christ, we are to do it boldly. When we walk in our authority, our Christ-given authority, we are to do it unapologetically, and with great courage, remembering the Lord our God, who gives us the power to

succeed in every area. That having been said, let’s examine scriptures that tell us how we are to function in this earth, which entail us walking with a boldness, a swagger, a supernatural confidence in the office that we hold, as ambassadors of the kingdom of Heaven established here in the earth. I’d like to walk you through a variety of scriptures that share with us the importance of the believer being bold in the things of God. And I’d like to start with scripture reading from the book of Acts, the fourth chapter and the first through

31st verses. The purpose of using multiple scriptures to support the call for boldness is to share with each of you that the things of God, when worked, can’t be done through an intimidated, timid spirit. What God has called us to do takes great courage, and being an effective witness here in the earth takes a selfassurance, the kind that comes from being endorsed by the Almighty God, that that which the Lord has called you to do, what He has commanded you to do, which is to share See BOLD, on page 7

Holy Trinity Baptist Fellowship Association Presents Leadership Conference 2013 Building Church Leadership for the Next Generation BATON ROUGE, LA – From May 29th through June 1st, 2013 the Holy Trinity Baptist Fellowship Association presents “Building Church Leadership for the Next Generation Conference� at the New Scott Olly Baptist Church located at 2627 Willow Glen River Road in Alexandria, Louisiana 71302. The New Scott

Olly Baptist Church is lead by Bishop Leon Figgins of the Western District. On May 29th there will be a musical that Wednesday Night Musical that will start at 6:00 p.m. Classes for the conference will start at 8:30 a.m. to noon on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Also, on Thursday and Fri-

day the conference will be holding worship at 12 noon and at 6:00 p.m. And on Saturday worship service at 12 noon only. There is a $20.00 registration fee for the conference. For more information regarding the service and class times, please contact Bishop C. L. Shepherd, Sr. at (225) 928-6887

Local Business Host “Stop the Violence and Live� Rally Baton Rouge, LA - On Sunday, May 26, 2013, the Baton Rouge Funeral Directors & Morticians Association will host a Hearse Motorcade and “Stop the Violence and Live� rally to bring community and stakeholders’ attention to the violence that has resulted in an increased number in teen and young adult deaths in Baton Rouge. The motorcade will begin at 2 p.m. in North Baton Rouge at Mount Pilgrim Baptist Church, located at 9700 Scenic Highway, and end in South Baton Rouge at Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church located at 185 Eddie Robinson, Sr. Drive. The “Stop the Violence

and Live� rally will begin upon the motorcade’s arrival at Shiloh around 3:15 p.m. Free jambalaya and refreshments, a summer job fair, HIV screenings, and a voter registration drive will be included in rally activities. WIA Youth Services for the Baton Rouge area, will feature opportunities for teens and young adults, who have dropped out of school and who are deficient in work skills and occupational skills. “We are partnering with the Baton Rouge Funeral Directors & Morticians Association, 100 Black Men, and Metro Health to take a stand against the violent acts that are prematurely ending

the lives of our young people. The rally will provide opportunities to connect young people with employment, civic engagement, health awareness, and voter participation activities to promote a more meaningful way of life,� according to Veronica Freeman of Working Interfaith Network, a PICO Louisiana organization. Similar hearse motorcades and rallies are being held throughout Louisiana in communities such as Shreveport, Donaldsonville and in New Orleans. Please contact Veronica Freeman with the Working Interfaith Network at (225) 444-3169 for more information.

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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

NEW HOPE BAPTIST CHURCH *UHHQZHOO 6SULQJV 5RDG ‡ %DWRQ 5RXJH /RXLVLDQD 7HOHSKRQH ‡ )DFVLPLOOH Toll Free: 888-­700-­6174 Websites: www.newhopebr.com

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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.

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HEALTH

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His Word, His love throughout the uttermost parts of the earth, you are well able and more than willing to do. Glory be to God. We see in Acts 4:1-31 the priests, the captain of the temple and the Sadducees were angry with the apostles (Peter and John) for preaching in the name of Jesus. So, they threatened them. But we see the boldness of these Spirit-filled, Spirit-led men of God. They’re not afraid to boldly stand up to the powers that be. In fact, these men of God, in scripture, are so bold and confident in Christ (not afraid to declare His Word in the midst of threats) that the very ones threatening them has to acknowledge that there’s nothing they can do to these men. For the Lord is with them.

COMPETE

So, saints, be inspired to be bold in the Lord. Scriptures to stand on: Second Timothy 1: 7, For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. Proverbs 28:1, The wicked run away when no one is chasing them, but the godly are as bold as lions. Joshua 1: 1-9, Now after the death of Moses the servant of the Lord it came to pass, that the Lord spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ minister, saying, Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all

Red Stick Mobile Farmers Market Kicks Off in North Baton Rouge, Offering Affordable, Fresh Food

See BOLD, on page 8

from page 4

of competition from Blacks, who had in the decades since the Civil War shown how capable they were of contending for the resources of the society. To return to the present, a combination of bigotry and pretense and fear of competition is what animates the challenges to both affirmative action and the Voting Rights Act. Both challenges are rooted in the 19th- and 20th-centuries racist pathology that, as far as Blacks and Whites are concerned, the “rights� of American citizenship and the

EDUCATION

resources of American society are a zero-sum game: any exercise by Blacks of their rights as Americans is a threat to the rights – and the privileges which have masqueraded as rights – whites have always enjoyed. Will the U.S. Supreme Court affirm once again how backward a notion that is? Lee A. Daniels is a columnist for the National Newspaper Publishers Association. His most recent book is Last Chance: The Political Threat to Black America.

from page 4

regation cases that the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund continues to litigate. The persistence of these issues nearly sixty years later reminds us of the work left to be done. And it points to the need for America to do more –not less— to promote equity, inclusion and opportunity. This is especially true in higher education and the continued need for affirmative action programs. With the changing

landscape of higher education institutions, and the perverse impact of the “new economy� on college access and affordability for all, especially children of color, the nation finds itself at a critical juncture when it can ill afford to lose a vital tool to opening pathways to opportunity. Doing so now would not only mean a change in policy – it would mean turning our back on the unfulfilled promise of Brown.

Vendors  for  the  Mobile  Farmers  Market  set  up  every  Wednesday  morning  in  front  of  the  Scotlandville  Branch  Library  at  7373  Scenic  Highway  across  the  street  from  True  Value  Hardware  Store  from  9:00  a.m.  until  11:00  a.m.   Then  the  Mobile  Farmers  Market  reopen  at  the  Star  Hill  Church  located  at  1400  North  Foster  Drive  across  the  street  from  LSU  Mid  City  Medical  Clinic.

BATON ROUGE, LA Wednesday, May 15th marked the grand opening of the Red Stick Mobile Farmers Market at Star Hill Church. The Mobile Farmers Market operates on Wednesdays from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m. at the Scotlandville Branch Library, 7373 Scenic Highway, and from 1 p.m. until 3 p.m. at Star Hill Church, 1400 North Foster Drive. The Red Stick Mobile Farmers Market is a special project of Big River Economic and Agricultural Development Alliance (BREADA), and a part of the Fresh Beginnings grant project coordinated by MayorPresident Melvin “Kip� Holden’s Healthy City Initiative, funded largely in part by Blue

Cross and Blue Shield Foundation of Louisiana’s Challenge for a Healthier Louisiana Grant Program. The Mobile Farmers Market provides a consistent source of fresh, affordable, locally grown produce in areas that lack easy access to grocery stores and other healthy food outlets. BREADA accepts cash, credit, SNAP/EBT, WIC, and Senior Coupons. In the coming months, the Mobile Farmers Market plans to expand from four to six more neighborhoods in zip codes 70802, 70805 and 70807, offering a variety of seasonal produce from the same farmers See RED STICK, on page 8

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SPORTS

Five Jaguars Named To Baseball All-SWAC Team Bayou Classic Interns Moving on in Exciting New Careers

Interns say their Bayou Classic experience aided in their transition to new careers

 In  the  photo  is  Jose  De  Leon  Junior  pitcher  at  Southern  University  named  to  the  ALL-­SWAC  first  team  pitcher.                                 Photo  by  John  Oubre

Courtesy Southern U. Athletic Media Relations BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Five members of the Southern Jaguars baseball team earned spots on the conference’s 2013 All-SWAC team Tuesday. Junior starting pitcher Jose De Leon earned his second consecutive All-SWAC first team selection after posting a 4-3 record with a 2.40 ERA and 63 strikeouts. Outfielder Tyler Kirksey, who batted .341 and was a perfect 11-for-11 on stolen base attempts, picked up his first All-SWAC first team selection. Kirksey was also named the league’s player of the week after batting .500 during a four-game stretch earlier this month. Joining De Leon and Kirksey on the All-SWAC team as second team selection are starting pitcher Jesse Holiday, relief pitcher Josh Powell and senior designated hitter Kevin Williams. Holiday, who earned SWAC pitcher of the week honors after a 13-strikeout effort against Jackson State, posted a team best 6-3 record with a 3.10 ERA and 64 strikeouts. This is Holiday’s second consecutive second team selection. Powell, who finished as the league’s first team relief pitcher in 2012, returns to the All-SWAC team after posting a 3-0 record in 23 appearances with five saves. Williams led the Jaguars as the team top hitter bolstering a team best .348 batting average. The Antioch, Calif. native added

eight doubles and 14 RBIs and lead the team in hits (40) and total bases (54). Arkansas-Pine Bluff junior shortstop Isias Alcantar headlines this year’s post-season honors as the Southwestern Athletic Conference Player of the Year. Alabama State sophomore pitcher, T.J. Renda, was tabbed Pitcher of the Year while Grambling State senior outfield specialist, Darren Farmer, received Hitter of the Year. To close out the SWAC baseball superlatives, Alabama State outfielder, Dillon Cooper, earned Freshman of the Year with Jackson State junior outfielder, Charles Tillery, capturing Newcomer of the Year. UAPB head coach, Carlos James, was named the league’s Coach of the Year. League head coaches and sports information directors vote the awards, along with first and second-team All-SWAC honors, on. In all, eastern division champions Jackson State had the most selections with six. JSU’s count also includes a league best on the first team with three. Western division champions, Southern, followed with five selections with two named to the first team. Alabama State had four selections while Grambling State, Texas Southern, and Alabama A&M finished the voting with two apiece. Prairie View A&M, Mississippi Valley State, and Arkansas-Pine Bluff rounded out the count with each posting a player on the first team.

Alcantar played in 51 games leading UAPB with a .346 batting average while finishing fourth in the SWAC. He ranked first in the SWAC in hits (68), total bases (96), at bats (198), and batting average facing two outs (.459). He also led the Golden Lions in slugging percentage (.485) and RBI (38). Renda finished out the season with the best record on the mound in the league going 8-1. He suffered his only loss to last year’s NCAA national champions, Arizona. He was named SWAC Pitcher of the Week on two occasions and posted the best earned run average (2.28 ERA) in 12 appearances. Renda also led the league in strikeouts (83), sitting down 26 batters looking. After finishing last season as the Newcomer of the Year, Farmer adds the hitting title to his collegiate career. He sits atop of SWAC leaders in batting average with at .361. He also led the SWAC in sacrifice flies (9) while finishing third in RBI (36). Farmer was also named SWAC Player of the Week during the season. In his first season on the collegiate level, Cooper played started more than 50 games. He recorded an on-base percentage of .363 while batting .298. He finished third on the team in home runs (3), runs scored (31), hits (54) and doubles (9). Tillery closed out his first season in the SWAC with a .353 batting average, which ranked third in the conference. He also led the league in on base percent-

age (.479). Along with his batting average, Tillery led JSU in runs scored (47), hits (61), walks (33), stolen bases (24), at bats (185) and home runs (4). Coach James was tagged Coach of the Year after leading UAPB to 21-30 record including a 13-11 mark in conference play. The Golden Lions finished home play at the Torri Hunter Baseball Complex with a 12-9 record. The Golden Lions pitching staff combined for an earned run average of 4.20, which ranks first in the conference. Three were named to a conference leading SWAC Pitchers of the Week this year. UAPB also led the SWAC in assists (575) and combined batting average with two outs (.237). To spotlight the season, UAPB defeated TCU, 6-4, before closing out the year with a two-game sweep over Prairie View A&M. With the wins, the Golden Lions jumped to second place in the final western division standings. The Golden Lions were selected to finish fifth in the preseason poll after ending its 2012 campaign 8-38 (6-18 SWAC). Joining Alcantar, Renda, and Farmer on the first team include: Prairie View A&M’s Dominiq Harris (1B), SWAC leader in stolen bases, Mississippi Valley State’s Edmund Cheatham (2B), Alabama A&M freshman Austin Husley (SS), Texas Southern’s Ellis Stephney (OF), Southern’s Tyler Kirksey (OF) and Jose DeLeon (P), along with Jackson State trio of Andre Rodriguez (RP), Jose Cruz (C), and Malcolm Tate (DH).

The First Tee Louisiana Youth Golf Clinic BATON ROUGE, LA - Louisiana Youth Sports Network has partnered with the First Tee of East Baton Rouge Parish to provide a series of FREE introductory golf clinics to community youth. These clinics are an official part of Louisiana Youth Sports Network’s golf program called Louisiana Youth Golf. The Louisiana Youth Golf program is designed to provide a positive experience and a formal introduction to a non-traditional sport. Through golf, Louisiana Youth Golf plans to further the Louisiana Youth Sports Network’s mission to nurture well-rounded student-athletes. With the support of the First Tee of East Baton Rouge Parish, a solid foundation of the fundamentals of golf can be established in this clinic series. “This partnership shall further our ongoing efforts to provide positive outlets for our communities’ youth.� said Louisiana Youth Sports Network Director LEROY HOLLINS II. “Through our new golf program, we are not only educating our youth on an unfamiliar sport, but by introducing this great game, we may be providing them a brighter future. There are many potential college opportunities available to minorities through

NEW ORLEANS – Three interns with the Annual Bayou Classic, Guy-Bertrand Tamo, Rob Garland & Courtney Mackey, have secured positions after they helped the Bayou Classic team with growth management and event operations of the Bayou Classic. Tamo joined FHS Legacy Corporation, Garland joined the New Orleans Zephyrs & Courtney Mackey joined New Orleans Convention Companies, Inc. (NOCCI), the management firm of The 40th Annual Bayou Classic. NOCCI worked directly with both FHS Legacy Corporation and the New Orleans Zephyrs in the placement of the two young men into the positions. Guy-Bertrand Tamo is now working at FHS Legacy Corporation as a software developer with a focus on quality assurance. Tamo graduated from Southern University at New Orleans with a degree in Management Information Systems. “Interning with The Bayou Classic helped me to understand how much the scenarios in the corporate world do not always flow as specified in the models taught in college,� said Tamo. “It thought me how to think and act in a real time setting, manage stress from working under pressure and yet, produce results. Great opportunities will not always find you; you might have to seek for them. There is no better way as an internship for a college student with little or no corporate experience to network and make himself/herself known.� Rob Garland has secured a position as a promotions intern with the New Orleans Zephyrs. Garland graduated from Grambling State University with a degree in sports administration. “Working with the Bayou Classic has helped me get a better understanding on how a business operates,� said Garland. “It is pivotal for everyone within an organization t o be productive on a daily basis and be on same page with each other. If employees fail to administrate properly, it can cause a business to become dysfunctional.� When asked about the importance of interning, Garland said, “I believe that receiving an internship in your field is more important today than it has ever been. It is very important for students to get experience during their undergraduate tenure if they expect to receive a full-time position after graduation. The sports and communication fields are extremely competitive, and without an internship, most

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non-traditional sports. Our community has missed a lot of those opportunities because they did not see them. Through this new program, we plan to open their eyes.� Clinics are Mandatory for 2013 Louisiana Youth Baseball 12U Teams and OPEN to the PUBLIC, Coaches: As mentioned, these are the

golf introductory clinics that your teams are required to attend. The baseball schedule has been created to accommodate these scheduled dates and times. Players are required to complete The First Tee registration form and submit at the start of their clinic. Remember coaches; you were informed about this wonderful program in our initial baseball meetings this Spring.

Do not let the players miss out on this opportunity by not showing up. Your session counts as a game on your records, you do not show, you have a lost on your record...ÂŹÂŹ Contact Us - Golf@LouisianaYouthSportsNetwork.com or Visit Us Here - Golf.LouisianaYouthSportsNetwork.com for more information regarding these events.

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who participate in the Red Stick Farmers Market downtown. Wednesday’s grand opening featured a cooking demonstration by Chef Celeste Gill with delicious food sampling, complimentary recipe and nutrition cards, and tips for purchasing and storing fresh produce. The John Gray Jazz Trio kicked off the event after remarks from Star Hill Pastor Raymond Jetson, Commissioner of Agriculture

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companies will not consider hiring you.� Courtney Mackey moved from her intern role into the position of Marketing Coordinator for NOCCI. She will continue her successful work on behalf of Bayou Classic, as well as other events that the firm manages and implements throughout the region. Mackey graduated from Gambling State University with a degree in Sports Management. “Interning with the Bayou Classic gave me a first-hand glimpse of what it’s like to plan a sporting event and understand the complex process. Since interning and now working with NOCCI on the Bayou Classic, I have gained experience in a variety of areas such as operations, logistics, marketing, communications, and the foundations of project management,� said Mackey. “I have got the chance to observe the NOCCI leadership team and understand the importance of networking and building long-lasting relationships. I am honored to continue working on an event that I know and love, that is tied so closely to my alma mater.� “These three young men & women were assets to our team last year, and I am proud to see them extending their talents to other organizations in this field,� said Dottie Belletto, President of New Orleans Convention Companies, Inc., the management firm of The 40th Annual Bayou Classic. “Internships are the key to gaining real-world experience that aid students and graduates in developing into professionals. I look forward to seeing the work all three will do in these new positions, and I wish them the best of luck.� The Bayou Classic (www. mybayouclassic.com) features one of America’s greatest college sports rivalries, bringing the fans and alumni of Southern University and Grambling State University to New Orleans for a celebration of football, family and the traditions and pageantry surrounding Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Proceeds from the annual series of Bayou Classic events provide support to the campuses’ athletic programs and fund scholarships through the SU System Foundation and the GSU Foundation. Please contact Jeffrey D. Ory, ABC, APR, at Stratega Marketing & Communication at (504) 458-5866 or by jeffrey@jeffreyory.com for more information.

Mike Strain, Mayor-President Kip Holden, BREADA’s Executive Director Copper Alvarez, Chairwoman of the Mayor’s Healthy City Initiative’s Board of Directors Coletta Barrett, and Together Baton Rouge Food Access Team Co-Chair Edgar Cage. For more information on the Red Stick Mobile Farmers Market, please contact Copper Alvarez at breada@earthlink. net or (225) 267-5060.

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this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast. There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them. Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all

the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper withersoever thou goest. This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. Pastor Donald Lee of Kingdom Living Christian Center (Dallas) may be reached at pastordonjlee@ yahoo.com or (225) 773-2248. For prayer, call (218) 862-4590 (code 279498#) from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays through Fridays.

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