EE FR
40 YEARS
CELEBRATING
DR. E. FAYE WILLIAMS: IT’S HARD TO KEEP UP WITH 45 AND HIS COHORTS PAGE 4
A HOT START FOR SHARKS TEAM SEE PAGE 7
OF CONTINUOUS WEEKLY PUBLISHING
East Central Florida’s Black Voice DECEMBER 20 - DECEMBER 26, 2018
YEAR 43 NO. 51
www.daytonatimes.com
NO JOKING MATTER Flagler NAACP seeking stiffer charges for teens who threatened to kill teacher in racially charged messages. BY ANDREAS BUTLER AND JEROLINE D. MCCARTHY DAYTONA TIMES
In online messages from a school-based computer, two 16-year-old White students discussed killing a Black teacher. But they say they were just kidding around when sending those messages last week. Their comments were directed at Kimberley Lee, 48, a teacher at Flagler Palm Coast High School. The Flagler County NAACP took those online threats seriously. So seriously that they are asking that the two teens be charged
as adults with a hate crime. The NAACP also has accused Flagler Sheriff Rick Staly of trying to bury the incident, which he denied in a statement released by his office on Monday. School resource officers first found no cause for arrest of the students the day of the Dec. 10 threats. However, Lee pressed charges and authorities filed charges a day later. The 16-year-old boy and girl were originally charged with misdemeanor assault. The charges were enhanced as a hate crime under state law.
Death threat On Tuesday, the NAACP branch held a press conference on the steps of the Kim C. Hammond Justice Center in Bunnell demanding that the state attorney charge the students as adults and declare the threats a hate crime.
Remembering T.K. Wetherell: Daytona native, former House speaker, FSU president BY JIM SAUNDERS NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA
TALLAHASSEE – T.K. Wetherell, a former state House speaker who went on to become president of his alma mater, Florida State University, died Sunday after a long battle with cancer, the university announced. He was 72. Wetherell, a Daytona Beach native, served in the House from 1980 to 1992, the final two years as speaker. Wetherell, who played football at Florida State and earned his bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees from the school, served as FSU president from 2003 to 2010.
Impact at FSU Known as a wily figure around the Capitol, Wetherell led the university through a period of growth – but also had to grapple with issues such as budget cuts and the heavily debated retirement of legendary football coach Bobby Bowden. “As a veteran lawmaker, tireless supporter of higher education and then as president, T.K. used his energy and intellect to not only lead FSU through a severe budget crisis but to make sure it flourished in so many ways,” university President John Thrasher, also a
Reports indicated the teens made threats such as “WE WILL GET AWAY WITH KILLING HER.’’ They also reportedly stated: “I’m going to get a medal for killing a nigger”; “My nigger teacher making me sic”; “niggers don’t have rights” and more.
Felony charges sought On Monday, the NAACP branch sent a letter to the Seventh Judicial Circuit Court on Monday urging State Attorney R. J. Larizza to charge the teens with aggravated assault with intent to com-mit a felony, a thirddegree felony and a pair of enhancements that could become a first-degree felony by Dec. 21. “We’ve been informed that the state attorney has received our letter and will do an impartial investigation,” said Eric Josey, chairman of the Flagler NAACP’s See NAACP, Page 2
JEROLINE D. MCCARTHY/DAYTONA TIMES
Travis Lee is shown with his wife, Kimberley Lee, who was the alleged victim of a hate crime assault by two teenage students.
DAYTONA TIMES / 40TH ANNIVERSARY
Bucs win state, Carter feeds families
See WETHERELL, Page 2
CRAIG LITTEN/TALLAHASSEE DEMOCRAT/TNS
T.K. Wetherell answers questions in front of the Florida State University Board of Trustees during his interview on Dec. 18, 2002. He served as FSU president from 2003 to 2010.
Volusia seeks shield from Amendment 10 BY JIM SAUNDERS NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA
TALLAHASSEE – After losing an earlier challenge, Volusia County has filed a lawsuit seeking to be shielded from a newly approved constitutional amendment that deals with sheriffs and other types of county officials across the state. The Nov. 6 ballot measure, known as Amendment 10, requires the election of county sheriffs, tax collectors, property
ALSO INSIDE
appraisers, elections supervisors and clerks of court. Also, it prevents counties from taking steps such as abolishing those “constitutional” offices or transferring the duties.
Local charter cited But in a lawsuit filed Monday in Leon County circuit court, Volusia County is seeking a ruling that the ballot measure does not apply to it because of a decades-old local charter that revamped the structure of Volusia’s government. Volusia contends in the lawsuit, which names as defendants Gov. Rick Scott and Secretary of State Ken Detzner, that the ballot measure should not apply retroactively.
Fifteen years ago in 2003, the Daytona Times reported on the Mainland High School Buccaneer football team winning the Class 5A state championship, the first in Volusia County history. The newspaper also featured a story about NBA star Vince Carter providing free Christmas dinner for local families.
See VOLUSIA, Page 2
COMMUNITY NEWS: VOTRAN ANNOUNCES BUS SCHEDULE FOR CHRISTMAS, NEW YEAR’S DAY | PAGE 3 NATION: PRADA PULLS NEW ‘BLACKFACE’ PRODUCTS AFTER BLACK TWITTER BACKLASH | PAGE 5
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DECEMBER 20 – DECEMBER 26, 2018
Votran announces holiday service
New Smyrna Beach employees collected 11,346 pounds total, which equals 45 pounds per full-time employee.
Volusia employees collect enough food for 54,000 meals
leadership of Interim County Manager George Recktenwald and took place from Nov. 11-25 throughout Volusia County as a friendly competition among public employees. New Smyrna Beach “won” the competition this year, with the most pounds of food collected per full-time employee – 11,346 pounds total, which equals 45 pounds per full-time employee.
SPECIAL TO THE DAYTONA TIMES
Public employees in Volusia County collected more than 64,000 pounds of food during the eighth annual countywide “Feed the Need” public employee food drive. That brings the total of the eight-year program to more than 782,000 pounds. Participating organizations included Volusia County Government; Volusia County School Way Café; Florida Health Department in Volusia County; and the cities of Daytona Beach, DeBary, DeLand, Deltona, Edgewater, Holly Hill, New Smyrna Beach, Orange City, Ormond Beach, Pierson, Ponce Inlet, Port Orange and South Daytona.
Friendly competition The food drive is coordinated by the county and was the brainchild of former County Manager Jim Dinneen. It continued under the
Food for Fines A separate element of the food drive included Food for Fines in which library patrons with late fees received a $1 reduction of overdue fines up to $25 for each boxed or canned nonperishable food item they brought to the library. Food for Fines gathered 6,344 pounds of food. According to Robert Thomas, branch manager of Second Harvest Food Bank of Volusia/ Flagler, the 64,000 pounds of food will provide 54,000 meals and feed more than 2,600 families for a week. The food donation totals were announced during a presentation Dec. 18 to the Volusia County Council in DeLand. The food and funds were distributed to local food pantries, soup kitchens, senior centers, churches and other nonprofit organizations that are working to fight hunger.
Votran will operate on a limited service during Christmas and New Year’s days. Riders are encouraged to plan their travel in advance to avoid possible travel conflicts. West Volusia routes 22, 24 and 60 will not operate. Connecting SunRail Routes 31, 32 and 33 will not operate, as there will be no SunRail service. Route 20 will operate every two hours. The bus leaves Walmart on the odd hour between 7:19 a.m. and 5:19 p.m. The northbound trips leave the Orange City Marketplace on the even hour between 8:25 a.m. and 4:25 p.m. Routes 21 and 23 will operate on a Saturday schedule. Route 21 will operate every two hours. The westbound trips leave Walmart in Osteen on the odd hours between 7:19 a.m. and 5:19 p.m. The eastbound trips leave the Orange City Marketplace on the even hours between 8:25 a.m. and 6:25 p.m. Eastside routes 1, 3, 4, 10, 15 and 17 will operate on a Sunday schedule. Buses will operate out of the Intermodal Transfer Facility at the Ocean Center, not the Transfer Plaza. Routes 40 and 41 will operate every two hours. The first Route 40 southbound trip will depart Dunlawton Avenue and U.S. 1 at 6:30 a.m. Northbound trips will depart Julia and Sams Transfer Point every two hours beginning at 7:46 a.m. through 5:46 p.m. Since there will be no buses on Swallowtail Drive for Route 40 to transfer passengers, the Route 40 will meet the Route 4 and
NAACP Legal Redress committee.
‘A credible threat’
Discipline difference The NAACP leader cites how Black children have been treated in similar situations in the Flagler County school system.
Veterans Services expands services in Volusia Volusia County has expanded services at its Veterans Services office at 1845 Holsonback Drive, Daytona Beach. The office now has three fulltime veterans counselors and is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Appointments can be made by calling 386-254-4646. The counselors assist all former and current members of the U.S. Armed Forces and their dependents in preparing claims for compensation, hospitalization, vocational training, and other benefits and privileges. Veterans Services also has offices at 123 W. Indiana Ave., Room 100, DeLand; 717 W. Canal St., New Smyrna Beach; and 775 Harley Strickland Blvd., Orange City. For more information, visit www. volusia.org/veterans or call 386740-5102.
tions on all cases until completion, without setting time constraints on the process.’’ The press release added: “The Sheriff and the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office have no intent to do anything other than to conduct a full and appropriate investigation, where race plays no role,” Investigative Services Chief Steve Brandt said. “It is unfortunate that a community organization chose to intervene during an active investigation and start throwing unsupported and false allegations. To make sure everyone’s rights are not being violated and to ensure that all aspects of the case are accounted for, we cannot and will not be rushed to conclude this investigation. This investigation will be based on evidence, not opinion and rhetoric.”
from Page 1
Flagler NAACP President Linda Sharpe Matthews said the comments are a serious matter, especially in light of previous school tragedies. “With what has happened in South Florida, the Midwest and around the country, it seems to be happening with more frequency. You must consider this credible. You can’t wait for something to happen before you react,” Matthews told the Daytona Times. Standing up for Lee is standing up for the community, she related. At the press conference, Lee said she has felt unsafe and fearful since the threats and has not returned to school. She has been at the high school for six years and an educator for 20. “It’s not just that, but we are supporting the community. We have to support our teachers. With the climate of the times and all the school shootings, this was a credible threat. Had it been a White teacher with White students and they came to us saying this was an injustice, we would have looked into this too,” Matthews explained.
17 at Dunlawton Avenue and Orange Avenue to transfer passengers going north on US1 and A1A. Route 41 southbound trips will depart Julia and Sams every two hours from 6:46 a.m. through 4:46 p.m. Votran will now serve 10th St. and turn around at the entrance to Daytona State College. The 2:46 p.m. trip departing Julia Street and Sam’s Avenue Transfer Point will be the only trip serving Oak Hill. The Route 44 will not operate. All other routes and New Smyrna Beach Flex Service will not operate. Votran riders are encouraged to visit votran.org for real-time bus information.
More work to do JEROLINE D. MCCARTHY/DAYTONA TIMES
Lining up prior to the press conference are Dr. Phyllis Pearson, Pastor Sims Jones, Linda Sharpe Matthews, Eric Josey, Travis Lee, Kimberly Lee and John Tipton. “The school has a zero tolerance policy and when it is enforced most of the children affected by it are non-White children and children of color. We have documented and proven with the help of the Southern Poverty Law Center that Black children are disciplined disparately than their White peers in these matters,” Matthews added. “This incident was against a public official and whether the kids were White or Black, it should have been treated as a hate crime.’’
WETHERELL from Page 1
former House speaker, said in a statement Sunday. “He was a remarkable person and a great friend.”
Jobs at B-CU, DSC Wetherell, who served as president of Tallahassee Community College from 1995 to 2001 and earlier held positions at Daytona State College and Bethune-Cookman University, was a professor in FSU’s College of Education and director of the Center for Higher Education Research, Teaching & Innovation after stepping down as president. “I cannot tell you how much we have enjoyed this, both me and my family,” Wetherell told FSU trustees in 2009 as he announced he would be leaving the presidency. “It has truly been a dream come true for me and I wouldn’t trade any minute (of) it for anything. It’s been great.”
Trustee’s reflections Wetherell, who served as speaker when Democrats controlled the House, was married to Virginia Wetherell, a former secretary of the state Department of Environmental Protection. Jim Smith, who was chairman of the FSU trustees when T.K. Wetherell was president, said he and his wife, Carole, were close friends with the Wetherells.
If they were Black
Sheriff responds
She added that the teens reportedly were joking but questions the treatment if they had been Black students. “If the shoe was on the other foot and these kids were Black kids, just given the history of the Flagler County school system and the Flagler Sheriff’s Department, the Black kids would have been arrested on felony charges and not released to their parents,” Matthews noted.
The sheriff said race played no role in the incident. In the statement released Monday, his office stated: “Initially the students, both juveniles, were each charged with Assault with an enhancement for a Hate Crime under Florida law. “Despite the allegations in the letter, Sheriff Rick Staly and the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office never sought ‘to bury the case.’ The Sheriff’s Office conducts thorough, color-blind investiga-
“A highlight for me was to serve as chairman of the Board of Trustees during part of his presidency of FSU, where he did many wonderful things for Florida State and the Tallahassee community,” said Smith, a former Florida attorney general and secretary of state. “His passing leaves a big hole in our lives.”
Many achievements The university’s announcement of Wetherell’s death listed numerous achievements while he was president, including increasing the academic quality of students, increasing the number of doctoral degrees awarded, increasing research dollars and overseeing what the school described as a “boom” in campus building. “T.K. was an amazing man who was able to accomplish so much because of his boundless energy and his ability to focus and continue working through any challenge,” former Provost Larry Abele said in a statement Sunday. “He was always optimistic that whatever project he was working on would be successful.” Wetherell was succeeded as president by Eric Barron, who is now the president at Penn State University. When Wetherell told trustees in 2009 that he was retiring, he said he had been wrestling with the decision for some time. “I want to do some teaching. I want some time to relax and travel ... just be a real person,” he said. A funeral service will be held at 1 p.m. Friday, Dec. 21 at Florida State University’s Ruby Diamond Concert Hall.
VOLUSIA from Page 1
The voter-approved Volusia charter abolished the constitutional offices of tax collector, sheriff, property appraiser and supervisor of elections and transferred the duties to county departments, according to the lawsuit. The sheriff, property appraiser and supervisor of elections are elected in non-partisan races, while the tax collector is appointed. Also, all departments face requirements such as operating under a uniform budget system.
63 percent approval The lawsuit argues that Amendment 10 “should be construed to have only prospective effect; that revision 10 does not restore constitutional offices which Volusia voters abolished; and that the Volusia charter remains in full force and effect just as it had been prior” to the November constitutional amendment. The amendment, placed on the ballot by the state Constitution Revision Commission, received approval from nearly 63.2 percent of voters statewide, comfortably above the 60 percent threshold needed for passage.
Matthews told the Times that incidents such as these show that more work is needed to protect civil rights and ensure social justice and equality. “We haven’t improved much. With today’s political landscape, people have no shame in saying and doing what they always wanted to say and do. I was a child watching TV in the 1950s. I saw children sprayed with fire hoses,” she recalled. “Even though that’s not happening today, the potential for that still exists when you let things get out of hand and when people can openly express hate and bias, which we see at the top levels of our government,” she added.
Supreme Court ruling Volusia County, Broward County and Miami-Dade County went to court this summer to try to block Amendment 10 from going on the ballot. They argued that the ballot title and summary would be misleading to voters, but the Florida Supreme Court in September rejected the arguments. Broward and Miami-Dade also have local charters. During the Supreme Court case, Amendment 10 received legal backing in briefs from groups such as the Florida Sheriffs Association, the Florida Association of Court Clerks and the Florida Tax Collectors Association, while drawing opposition from the Florida Association of Counties. The Supreme Court ruling foreshadowed the possibility that another legal challenge could be filed about whether Amendment 10 should apply retroactively, noting that Volusia County had argued that the measure was “misleading because it fails to disclose whether Amendment 10 will apply retroactively, thereby negating changes previously made to charters, or prospectively, only preventing charters from making the prohibited changes in the future.” But the Supreme Court declined to rule on the retroactivity issue, saying it should “be resolved in a post-election action.”
M A YNEWS OR
DECEMBER 20 – DECEMBER 26, 2018 COMMUNITY DECEMBER 14 - 20, 2006
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Cultural Society blesses 111 children with gifts at 25th annual event Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus jumped on their sleigh to distribute toys and other children’s gifts at the African American Cultural Society’s (AACS) recent 25th Annual Holiday Gift-Giving event. It was the society’s treasured tradition, initiated by member Walter Morris, a retired Army second lieutenant now deceased, and our nation’s first African American to serve as a United States paratrooper. The memories produced 111 children this year receiving gifts contributed from the African American Cultural Society’s members. “Thank you for another chance to share and bring joy to these beautiful, precious children,” Dorothy Nixon prayed. “May we not forget the reason for the season, and thank God for giving us His Son, Jesus.” Joseph Matthews, AACS President, affirmed, “Christmas is Christ’s birthday, and it’s all about love, sharing and giving. And, with that,” he added, “I want to say, ‘Merry Christmas, enjoy this evening, and we hope to have a lot of smiling faces as the youngsters receive their gifts.’” “Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus will pose (for the cameras) and give out the gifts,” said Sharon Waring, the Holiday Gift-Giving chair.
Gifts and music Daniel and Ursula Isaac, portraying Ole St. Nick and his wife, gave gifts to the families, especially those from the Redlands Christian Migrant Association, Flagler Head Start, Flagler Christmas Network, Mt. Calvary Baptist Church, the Family Life Center, and the community of Espanola. The presentation went beyond, drawing inspiration from Aminah Taite-Headspeth singing, “Mary Did You Know?” and listening as Edwina Mezo Brown read, “Twas the Night Before Christmas.” Engaged in gift-giving also were committee members: Annette Agard, June Bethel, Dora Campbell, Jackie Dempsey, Sondra Henderson, Hermione McLemore, Dorothy Nixon, Seconia Reid, Gloria Singleton, Jean Tanner, and volunteers: Brenda Andrews, Ann Bernard, Vanessa Foxe, Stephanie Robinson, Blanche Valentine, and Janice Williams.
PALM COAST COMMUNITY NEWS JEROLINE D. MCCARTHY
Edmund G. Pinto Jr., chairman of the board, served as the photographer.
Celebrate Kwanzaa with AACS on Dec. 29 The African American Cultural Society (AACS) will assume its role of presenting the annual Kwanzaa celebration. The AACS has been out front and center directing the community to the seven principles of Kwanzaa (the Nguzo Saba): Umoja (Unity), Kugichagulia (SelfDetermination), Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility), Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics), Nia (Purpose), Kuumba (Creativity), and Imani (Faith). Family entertainment and the marketplace of vendors will also offer something for everyone. The fun will include Blanche London on piano, the Pan-Afrakan Drummers, vocalist Cheryl Few, “Just 4 You” Dancers, steel drummer Tony Cezair, and deejay Jimmy Barnes. If you desire to participate as a sponsor or vendor, call 904-993-9613. That’s Dec. 29, 2 to 5 p.m., at the AACS, 4422 U. S. 1 North, Palm Coast. The Kwanzaa celebration is free and open to the public through a partial grant funded by the City of Palm Coast.
PHOTOS BY JEROLINE D. MCCARTHY/DAYTONA TIMES
Santa and Mrs. Claus are shown at the African American Cultural Society.
Children listen as Edwina Mezo Brown reads “Twas the Night Before Christmas.”
Ceremony held for entrepreneurs association The Flagler County Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Dec. 5 for the African-American Entrepreneurs Association. It was well-attended by local, elected officials, including Catherine Robinson, mayor of Bunnell, and Alvin Jackson, the new city manager. Flagler County commissioners Donald O’Brien and Greg Hanson, as well as Fla-
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE FOR BLACK STUDENTS. NO EXCUSES. The classic guide from Florida Courier publisher, lawyer and broadcaster CHARLES W. CHERRY II PRAISE FOR ‘EXCELLENCE WITHOUT EXCUSE’: “This guide for African-American college-bound students is packed with practical and insightful information for achieving academic success...The primary focus here is to equip students with the savvy and networking skills to maneuver themselves through the academic maze of higher education.” – Book review, School Library Journal
COURTESY OF THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN ENTREPRENEURS ASSOCIATION
President and CEO Leslie Giscombe cuts the ribbon, celebrating the new home of the African American Entrepreneurs Association. gler County sheriff Rick Staly, also were in attendance. If you desire information about the African-American Entrepreneurs Association, call 386-234-2014 or visit them at 4883 Palm Coast Parkway, N.W., Unit 1, Palm Coast.
Discussion to focus on Holy Land trip Group leader Loyce Nottage Allen will reflect on a 10-day pilgrimage to the Holy Land, embarked upon by members of the Mt. Calvary Baptist Church, along with their pastor, the Rev. Edwin Coffie. The group started out Nov. 26. The discussion, including photographs
City hosting tree recycling, paper shredding event
• Want a great grade? Prepare to cheat!
Palm Coast’s annual Christmas tree recycling event will be held on Saturday, Jan. 5. Recycle your Christmas tree and receive a free three-gallon evergreen tree in exchange (while supplies last) at the city’s 12th annual recycling event. It will be held from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Palm Coast Fuel Depot, 22 Utility Drive. DVD and CD players, keyboards, old wires, cell phones and Christmas tree lights will also be accepted for recycling. No TVs, microwaves or computer monitors will be accepted.
• How Black students can program their minds for success;
Paper-shredding items
• How low expectations of Black students’ achievements can get them higher grades;
• Setting goals – When to tell everybody, and when to keep your mouth shut; • Black English, and why Black students must be ‘bilingual.’
There will also be a free paper-shredding service offered. Items that can be accepted include: staples, paper clips, spiral notebooks, expired credit cards, check books, folders with small prongs with
and testimonials, will be presented Dec. 29, 2 to 4 p.m., at the church, 75 Pine Lakes Parkway South, Palm Coast. All are invited. For further details, call Allen at 609-4123049. ••• As always, remember our prayers for the sick, afflicted, the prodigal son, or daughter, and the bereaved.
Celebrations Birthday wishes to Bert Hinds, Angela Williams, Dec. 21; John Williams, Dec. 24; Mark Green, Dec. 25; and Blanche London, Dec. 26. Happy anniversary to Clifton and the Rev. Cheryl Daniels, Dec. 20.
small amounts of metal/plastic. Unacceptable items include: batteries, three-ring binders, binder clips, hard drives, X-rays and large amounts of metal/plastic. Shredded materials will be recycled, with the ink and color removed to produce new paper towels, tissues, etc.
Remove ornaments All trees donated for recycling will be ground and used as mulch for the parks and trails across Palm Coast. Residents should remove all decorations, lights, tinsel and ornaments from trees prior to donation. “It helps the environment and saves the city and our residents money by us not having to purchase as much mulch for projects,” said Palm Coast Urban Forester Carol Mini. “There are residents who come out year after year for their free tree to plant in their yard.” For more information, contact Carol Mini at cjmini@palmcoastgov.com.
…AND MUCH MORE!
www.excellencewithoutexcuse.com Download immediately as an eBook or a pdf Order softcover online, from Amazon, or your local bookstore ISBN#978-1-56385-500-9 Published by International Scholastic Press, LLC Contact Charles at ccherry2@gmail.com
Facebook ccherry2 excellencewithoutexcuse
for info on speeches, workshops, seminars, book signings, panel discussions.
Twitter @ccherry2
Palm Coast accepting applications for summer internships The City of Palm Coast is now accepting applications from college students for summer 2019 internships in innovation and economic growth, parks and recreation, finance, public works, fire, information technology, GIS, administration, communications and marketing, stormwater engineering and utility engineering. These paid, competitive internships are full time and are open to all current college students and students who have graduated within six months of applying. These internships may qualify for college credit with the student’s respective college. The deadline to apply is 5 p.m. Feb. 10,
2019, and 15 positions will be filled. The internship program allows college students who grew up in Palm Coast and the surrounding community to get professional experience while at home during summer break. The internships are not limited to Palm Coast residents, but the city encourages graduates of Matanzas High School and Flagler Palm Coast High School to apply. “Our community has a strong focus on innovation and technology, and our internship program gives local college students a chance to obtain hands-on experience in their career fields while also helping us explore new ways to develop as a smart city,” said Palm Coast Mayor Milissa Holland. “ A list of available positions and link to the online application is at www.palmcoastgov.com/internships.
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DECEMBER 20 – DECEMBER 26, 2018
To be young, gifted, and dead McKenzie Adams wanted to be a scientist. The gregarious 9-yearold Alabama girl was just that, a brown-skinned baby girl with braids or, in one picture, just a side ponytail. She wanted to be a scientist, and her family described her as “bubbly.” But bubbles burst, sometimes in the worst way. McKenzie hung herself in her grandmother’s home in the face of racist bullying and taunting, which included the vile directive to kill herself. Her fellow students didn’t like the fact that she was friends with a White boy, and we don’t know enough to know whether the deathly hazing came from Black or White students. All we know is that a child is dead, a baby Black girl is dead. Her suicide has shaken me to my very soul.
Targets of hatred Cleo Manago and I talked about this on December 12 on Roland Martin’s “Unfiltered” program. What I observed are the many ways that African-American women are the targets of racist hatred. The man who occupies the People’s House on 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue feels free to diminish and demean Black women, and his vendetta against American Urban Radio journalist April Ryan is obscene. But he is not the only one. Our culture rejects Black women, rarely affirming our womanhood and attractiveness unless it is in a way that glorifies our bodies, not our person. Why is this important? Because beauty is currency in our capitalist society, and a woman without currency is at the bottom of the societal totem pole. What, you might ask, does that have to do with public policy? The demonization and denigration of Black women seep into the ways we are dealt with in the public space, and even in the workplace.
JULIANNE MALVEAUX TRICE EDNEY NEWS WIRE
Black children are experiencing the same stresses that Black adults are. But they are children, and they should be protected. So many of us say that we celebrate our children, their amazing resilience, their artistry, their music, and their song. We must protect them as well as celebrate them. Couldn’t tolerate abuse Little McKenzie could not take being called ugly, Black, and more. She was not immunized from the ways we live in a racially hostile space. She could have been a scientist. Instead, she is dead. She is not the only young Black child who has died by her own hand. Earlier this year, US News and World Report writer Joseph P. Williams reported that suicide rates among Black children were rising. He highlighted children,
What’s next? What’s next? One of the first things I heard about this week was a group of high schoolers in New Hampshire feeling okay with joining the nastiness of the person living in the White House. I guess their music was inspired by No. 45’s crude behavior and his entertaining a ‘gangsta’ rapper in the White House by the name of Kanye West who sings a crude song called “I Love It.” (Look online for the song and you’ll understand why our “Respect Us” campaign is critical.) It’s directed at Black women, so I guess those students thought it was okay for them to sing, “Let’s kill all the Blacks” in a racist rendition of Jingle Bells. No. 45 sets such a low standard! I thought we’d heard just about everything there was about No. 45 and his criminal cohorts. Last
DR. E. FAYE WILLIAMS, ESQ. TRICE EDNEY NEWS WIRE
week alone, we saw Michael Cohen get three years of jail time for his activities with No. 45 who would like to have us believe he hardly knew Mr. Cohen. He has been claiming Cohen did very little work for him. Now he would have us believe Cohen did lots of stuff for him or on his behalf, which he apparently allowed and directed Cohen to handle. He says he was thinking that as a lawyer, Cohen knew what he was doing. He followed that up saying even if he did those things
Congratulations to CBC Chair Karen Bass Next month, the most ethnically and culturally diverse Congress in United States history will be seated. Among the historic “firsts,” the Congressional Black Caucus will exceed 50 members for the first time in its 47-year history and Rep. Karen Bass has been elected its chair. Rep. Bass, of California’s 32nd District, has a history of blazing trails for Black women.
Crisis leadership She was the first to lead a state legislative body when she was sworn in as speaker of the California State Assembly in 2008. She led the state through the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, fast-tracking economic stimulus legislation
MARC H. MORIAL TRICE EDNEY NEWS WIRE
to jumpstart billions of dollars’ worth of infrastructure projects. Her successful bipartisan efforts to negotiate a state budget during the economic crisis earned the 2010 John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award. As a member of the House Judiciary Committee and its Task Force on Over-Criminalization, Rep. Bass is well-positioned to effect advance one of the CBC’s
VISUAL VIEWPOINT: VLADIMIR PUTIN AND DONALD TRUMP
both male and female, promising young people who ended their own lives. According to Williams, “More elementary-aged African-American children have been taking their own lives, and Black boys and girls between the ages of 5 and 12 are doing so at roughly twice the rate of White kids the same age.” Researchers say they don’t know why young Black children are killing themselves, but if we speculate we can factor in mental illness, family dysfunction, unstable socioeconomic conditions and, in my opinion, hostility to African-American people that many Black children cannot help but internalize.
How do they cope? How might young Black people process the killing of Tamir Rice? The murder of Sandra Bland? In Baltimore, the vicious killing of Freddie Gray? Some young people might look at these incidents, and the barrage of episodes directed at Black people, and wonder if there is a safe space for them. Part of the challenge with Black children and suicide is that Black people are not accustomed to sharing their feelings. Indeed, mental health issues are often dismissed among African-Americans. Folk are told to “pray” about depressed feelings, forgetting that prayer without works is dead. Adults and children are advised to shrug it off when there is no shrugging to do. The feelings of dystopia, nihilism, and depression that many African-Americans experience because of the hostility they experience by merely living in their skin shows up in suicides, but also in homicides and in other acting-out. And while young Black men may indulge in sense-
for which Cohen has now been sentenced to three years in jail, that was not a violation. First, he told us he knew nothing about the payments to Stormy Daniels, and we’d have to ask Cohen about that. Guess he’s figured out he can have it both ways! We just learned that the Cohen raid spurs a new criminal probe on No. 45’s inauguration spending. All that money has raised questions about how big those parties were!
No longer proud Until now, No. 45 must have been awfully proud that he’d raised about twice as much as President Barack Obama’s committee raised. Now, he’s probably asking himself why he raised so much because there is a mighty big question that’s probably giving him grief. The question: From whom did all of that money come and what
signature issues, criminal justice reform. Earlier this year, the Committee passed the Formerly Incarcerated Reenter Society Transformed Safely Transitioning Every Person (FIRST STEP) Act with an overwhelming bipartisan majority. Rep. Bass has been a leading advocate for a legislative package based largely on the National Urban League’s Main Street Marshall Plan, the Jobs and Justice Act. As she explained in a statement announcing the introduction of the omnibus bill, during the 2016 presidential campaign, an infamous question was asked of African-Americans: “What do you have to lose?”
List of solutions Rep. Bass and the CBC executive leadership team answered that question in the form a 130-page policy document titled, “We Have A Lot to Lose: Solu-
MARIAN KAMENSKY, AUSTRIA
less violence, young Black women too often turn their pain inward, not outward. Gender stereotypes are not always appropriate. Both Black girls and boys are killing themselves. Both Black girls and boys are working out some of their pain through violence. According to some data, Black girls are now involved in violent incidents with each other almost as often as Black boys. (Blame the “Housewives!” Just kidding). Both Black girls and Black boys are being marginalized and demonized by a racist, patriarchal, predatory capitalist system.
National problem Suicide is currently a national phenomenon, one of the top 10 causes of death in the United States. There are 123 suicides per day in this country, with 70 percent of suicides being White men. African-Americans are far less likely suicides than Whites are, but the numbers among AfricanAmericans are growing, and the numbers among African-Ameri-
did he promise to do in exchange for all of that money? The answer just might lie in that raid on Michael Cohen’s home and office. There was a lot of smoke in that raid. Now we may soon see a lot of fire! The past week has been a nightmare for No. 45 because Cohen has promised to give even more information that may not sound too good to No. 45. It’s hard to keep up with all of the criminal and alleged criminal activity of No. 45 and his cohorts.
Russian spy It didn’t help that Maria Butina, the Russian woman Vladimir Putin claims not to know, has agreed to talk AND cooperate in the investigation. She admits to trying to infiltrate the NRA. From what we now know, her cooperation may be about the direct involvement of the NRA in No. 45’s campaign in an effort to help No. 45
tions to Advance Black Families in the 21st Century.” That document, along with the Main Street Marshall Plan, served as the basis for the Jobs and Justice Act. Prior to serving in elected office, Rep. Bass worked as a physician’s assistant and served as a clinical instructor at the University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine. In response to the gang violence epidemic sweeping Los Angeles in 1990, Rep. Bass founded Community Coalition, a communitybased social justice organization addressing the root causes of injustice. The other officers elected to
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Julianne Malveaux is a Washington, D.C.-based economist and writer. Her latest book, “Are We Better Off? Race, Obama and Public Policy,” is available at www.juliannemalveaux.com.
win the 2016 election. She admits to engaging in a conspiracy against our nation by trying to influence our politics. She admitted working closely with a U.S. citizen, a member of the Republican Party. There goes that lie about Republicans loving America more than any of the rest of us! Add to that the group of high schoolers appearing to give the Nazi salute at their high school prom a short time ago and the group in Charlottesville, Va., that No. 45 thought consisted of “good people!” I think we are going to find out what’s next soon!
Dr. E. Faye Williams is national chair of the National Congress of Black Women, Inc. Contact her via www.nationalcongressbw.org.
We congratulate Rep. Bass and the rest of the leadership team and look forward to working with the CBC in the coming two years to address issues of opportunity, equality, and justice.
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Opinions expressed on this editorial page are those of the writers, and do not necessarily reflect the editorial stance of the newspaper or the publisher.
can children are growing alarmingly. While I am riveted by the suicide of McKenzie Adams and outraged about the societal treatment of Black women and girls, data suggest that Black boys are more likely to experience suicide than Black girls are. We are letting Black children down, abandoning them to bullies and brazen racism. Why? Black children are experiencing the same stresses that Black adults are. But they are children, and they should be protected. So many of us say that we celebrate our children, their amazing resilience, their artistry, their music, and their song. We must protect them as well as celebrate them. The alarming rise in young Black suicides suggests that too many will be young, gifted and dead.
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lead the CBC for the 116th Congress are Rep. Joyce Beatty (Ohio 3rd), 1st Vice Chair; Rep. Brenda Lawrence (Michigan 14th), 2nd Vice Chair; Rep. Hank Johnson (Georgia 4th), Secretary; Rep. A. Donald McEachin (Virginia 4th), Whip; and Congressman-elect Steven Horsford (Nevada 4th), Parliamentarian. We congratulate Rep. Bass and the rest of the leadership team and look forward to working with the CBC in the coming two years to address issues of opportunity, equality, and justice.
Marc Morial is president and CEO of the National Urban League.
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worldwide as calls for a boycott slowly built during discussions on Twitter. Prada’s first statement in reaction to the criticism on Twitter didn’t help. “Prada Group abhors racist imagery. The Pradamalia are fantasy charms composed of elements of the Prada oeuvre. They are imaginary creatures not intended to have any reference to the real world and certainly not blackface, the company declared on Dec. 14. “#Prada Group never had the intention of offending anyone and we abhor all forms of racism and racist imagery. In this interest we will withdraw the characters in question from display and circulation.’’ “I am a 53-year old white man in the south. You can Prada oeuvre all you want. I know blackface when I see it and this it,” wrote an observer of the controversy on Twitter, based in Memphis, Tennessee. That sentiment to Prada’s first reaction to the criticism was common.
Another statement
A viral social media backlash led Prada to stop promotion of its Sambo-style “fantasy charms.’’
Prada slammed for its new ‘blackface’ products Company pulls items worldwide after backlash from Black Twitter, civil rights groups BY LAUREN VICTORIA BURKE NNPA NEWSWIRE
Images of Prada keychain accessories, primarily of black and brown figures with large red lips, retailed for $550.
Prada S.p.A., a world renown Italian fashion house based in Milan, Italy, and founded in 1913 by Mario Prada, felt the hot wrath of social media on Dec. 14. Chinyere Ezie, a civil rights attorney employed at the Center for Constitutional Rights in New York, posted images of a new set of keychains on her Facebook and Twitter accounts on Dec. 13. “Thanks to #blackface @Prada, now you can take #sambo home
with you for the holidays #StopRacism #StopBlackface #StopPrada,” she wrote on her Twitter account. Four thousand retweets and over 6,000 “likes” later, Prada was in hot water and confronting a full-scale public relations disaster.
Blackface resemblances Prada’s keychain items were reminiscent of blackface imagery used to degrade African Americans during the Jim Crow-era. The images Ezie posted were from a window display in lower Manhattan. Images of Prada keychain accessories, primarily of black and brown figures with large red lips, retailed for $550. That the keychains bore an unmistakeable resemblance to many stereotypical images of African Americans, particularly in the South, wasn’t missed by many after Ezie posted.
Items pulled worldwide The viral social media backlash that followed prompted the company to pull all of the items
Study: Airlines doing little to curb discrimination on flights BY ALEX TEMBLADOR TRAVELPULSE/TNS
Just a few months ago, a passenger on a Ryanair flight went viral when video surfaced of his racist remarks against another passenger. The viral story was fueled even more by people’s surprise that the flight attendants didn’t remove the passenger. Unfortunately, incidents like this are not uncommon. A new report by the International Air Transport Association shows that airlines are not doing much when it comes to racism and sexual harassment on flights. The International Air Transport Association reported that there were 350 reported cases of racial, homophobic, ageist and sexual abuse on flights, and yet only one in 20 offenders were removed from planes.
Mostly warnings Police or security personnel were involved in only 178 of the incidents and 141 of the incidents
David Mesher was captured on camera unleashing racial comments toward Delsie Gayle on a Ryanair flight in October. Mesher did not want Gayle, a Black woman, to sit by him. David Lawrence captured the rant and posted it to to social media, where it was viewed millions of times.
On Dec. 16, Prada tried again. “We are committed to creating products that celebrate the diverse fashion and beauty of cultures around the world. We’ve removed all Pradamalia products that were offensive from the market and are taking immediate steps to learn from this,’’ a new release stated. “The resemblance of the products to blackface was by no means intentional, but we recognize that this does not excuse the damage we have caused… we have learned from this and will do better.’’
NAACP, others respond On Dec. 15, the Lawyers Committee on Civil Rights wrote on social media saying, “We’re extremely disappointed to see @ Prada use racist imagery that harkens to the era of Jim Crow. Normalizing racism is dangerous. Full stop.” “While @Prada did the right thing removing this product line, their initial choice to display such items is reprehensible. Blackface has served as a degrading depiction of African Americans. As a global fashion brand, it showed a serious lapse in judgment,” wrote NAACP President Derrick Johnson on Dec. 16. The incident has set off a discussion regarding diversity at the company. Prada sold over $3 billion in merchandise in 2017. Lauren Victoria Burke is an independent journalist and writer for NNPA as well as a political analyst and strategist as principal of Win Digital Media LLC. She can be contacted at LBurke007@ gmail.com and on Twitter at @ LVBurke.
Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, vice president of Ghana, meets with NAACP President Derrick Johnson in Accra, Ghana.
resulted in a simple warning. The real kicker? Only 17 of the 350 passengers who engaged in discriminatory or abusive behavior were taken off the aircraft. “There should be zero tolerance to this,” said Tim Colehan, assistant director of external affairs at IATA. “However, it requires people to be willing to report the incident to the crew and sometimes for there to be witnesses. And if a country doesn’t have the jurisdiction to intervene, the accused will just be released.”
GBC GHANA ONLINE
No protocol law The International Civil Aviation Organization tried to battle these inflight offenses with their Montreal Protocol of 2014, which sought to encourage action against these offenses and close up some jurisdiction loopholes, but only 15 of the 22 countries have ratified the law. Three of the biggest aviation markets – the U.S., China and the U.K. –have not adopted the ruling.
Yearlong Ghana event to commemorate 400th year of African arrival in US NNPA NEWS WIRE
NAACP President Derrick Johnson traveled to Ghana this month to meet with Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia in support of the upcoming “Year of Return, Ghana 2019’’ project, a yearlong journey to celebrate the reconnecting of Africans throughout the Diaspora to their African heritage. In addition to meeting with officials and leaders, Johnson also met with officials from the Ministries of Tourism, Tourism Authority and the Diaspora Affairs Office to discuss ways to reconnect greater numbers of African Americans to their roots in Ghana.
“Next year symbolizes a moment in time where people of African descent regardless of where they exist within our Diaspora can reconnect and map out a future which establishes Africa and her descendants in their rightful place on the world stage,” Johnson said.
Festival and summit The yearlong event will commemorate the 400th year of the first arrival of enslaved Africans in Port Comfort in Hampton, Virginia. Launched in August 2018 by Ghanaian President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, “Year of Return Ghana 2019’’ will feature
a number of activities, including a “Bra Fie Concert” to be hosted by Damian Marley, son of Bob Marley; a Back to Africa Festival to celebrate Black History Month, and a Homecoming and Investment Summit. The event hopes to promote business, spiritual and cultural reconnection between the African Diaspora and the Motherland, which many considered damaged beyond repair due to the “Maafa’’ – a Kiswahili term denoting great disaster or horrific occurrence and used to describe the Atlantic slave trade where millions of Africans were enslaved and transported across the ocean or died during the Middle Passage.
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DECEMBER DECEMBER 20 – DECEMBER 2018 14 - 20,26, 2006
Atlantic Head Coach David Howard Sr. has the Sharks off to an impressive 8-1 start.
Kevin Beans has played a key role in Atlantic’s success this season.
Dewarren Bolden is a force and key component to the Atlantic Sharks.
De’Andre Harvey returned to Atlantic after a year at DME and has helped the Sharks become one of the area’s best teams this season.
Anterrion Harrison is another key factor for Atlantic’s hot start.
Kendal Beans also has stepped up to help the Sharks this season.
Talented Sharks are off to a hot start Atlantic High team’s chemistry cited as a factor for winning results.
gether since they were freshmen on a 28-3 squad. These guys have played together for a long time. They’ve been on winning teams. It’s really a brotherhood,” said David Howard, head coach.
BY ANDREAS BUTLER DAYTONA TIMES
Defeated top teams
The Atlantic High boys’ basketball team is off to a hot start. The Sharks (8-2, 4-2) are a talented, deep, and veteran-laden squad. The team opened the season on an eight-game win streak before dropping their past two games to district 7A-5 foes Mainland (94-88) in triple overtime on Dec. 14 and Deltona (51-50) on Dec. 18. Still, the Sharks have been a formidable opponent for everyone so far this season. “What’s working for us is our team chemistry. This is a seniorladen group that has played to-
Atlantic won the prestigious Winter Park Rotary Tournament earlier this month where they took down some top programs in Orlando Edgewater, Orlando Boone and Sanford Seminole. “That tournament was a big start for us. We beat some of the top programs like Seminole, who is a Final Four threat and Edgewater, who is predicted to win the Class 8A title. It was a coaching milestone win for me as well to win a tournament of that caliber and have on record,” Howard noted.
Key players The Sharks are led by a num-
ber of seniors – power forward Kevin Beans, center DeWarren Bolden and guard De’Andre Harvey, who returns after playing at DME Sports Academy last season. “Kevin is one of our top players. He is explosive and one of our best defenders. DeWarren has really improved his game and can really get up at the rim. De’Andre came back this year and has become our go-to guy for us,” Howard reflected. There’s also junior guard Kendall Bean, senior power forward Anterrion Harrison, junior guard Kenneth Weatherspoon, and senior guards Tyler Kotts and Da’von Robinson. “Kendall can shoot the ball; he is exciting. Anterrion can get to the rim and is a force inside. Da’von returned from Mainland; he plays defense. Weatherspoon is another player who can score. Tyler brings energy on defense too. We are well-rounded. We’ll
count on these guys in tough games,” stated Howard.
‘All like brothers’ The players are also enjoying the ride. Bolden mentioned, “I’ve played with most of these guys since I first started playing basketball. It’s a blessing. We are all like brothers and like a family. We have that close bond.” Howard has coached some talented teams at Atlantic as well as during his tenure at Spruce Creek, but he knows this squad is a special group. He said, “It’s just the camaraderie. These guys are together. Once again, most of these guys have played together since they were freshmen. They have each other’s backs. “They play for each other. Their friendship is incredible. You don’t really see that at the high school level. We’re fortunate. We are playing a lot of kids.”
Eyes on state title Atlantic is an exciting team to watch. Howard noted, “You’ll see some great basketball with guys playing hard and playing together. We play with energy, enthusiasm and effort. It’s a lot of fun.” The ultimate goal is to win a state title, which is no easy task but the Sharks believe they are up for the challenge. “We just have to continue to work and grow. We must continue to bond on and off the court, stay together, encourage each other and lift each other up,” said Bolden. Howard echoed, “We just have to continue to work, come together and grow. We play a tough schedule, which should have us battled tested. If we can compete with our schedule, we should be ready come district tournament time and playoffs.”
PHOTOS BY DUANE C. FERNANDEZ SR.HARDNOTTSPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
The Benedictine Ravens and the Morningside Mustangs are shown together at the Daytona International Speedway on Dec. 13.
Victory for Morningside The NAIA Football National Championship convened at Daytona Stadium on Dec. 15 with Morningside College of Iowa winning the game 35-28 over Benedictine College of Kansas. It was top-ranked Morningside’s first National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) title win. The team also went undefeated this season. Morningside quarterback Trent Solsma was named the NAIA player of the year.
Retired NFL players Ernie Mills, T.T. Toliver and Bruce McNorton address the Mustangs football team during an NAIA luncheon and press conference on Dec. 13 at the Daytona International Speedway.
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