Daytona Times - February 21, 2013

Flagler youth give preview of ACT-SO performances See page 3

East Central Florida’s Black Voice

E

Daytona

PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE PAID Permit #189 Daytona Beach, FL

E FR

GEORGE E. CURRY: Lil Wayne insults memory of Emmett Till Page 4

In hip-hop, violence taking on lesser role See page 5 www.daytonatimes.com www.daytonatimes.com

FEBRUARY 21 - FEBRUARY 27, 2013

YEAR 38 NO. 8

‘Is this good for schools?’

Disappointing decision

Meetings to focus on Orange Avenue, Midtown Master Plan

During its Feb. 12 meeting, the Volusia County School Board voted 3-2 to approve subcontracting with a private ven-

BY JAMES HARPER DAYTONA TIMES harperjames59@yahoo.com

PEOPLE SPEAK

NAACP president poses question after Volusia County School Board votes to outsource custodial jobs

BY JAMES HARPER DAYTONA TIMES harperjames59@yahoo.com

The local NAACP president is worried that a decision by the Volusia County School Board

last week to outsource all custodial jobs will impact AfricanAmericans and other minorities in greater numbers.

“I believe that Cynthia outsourcing in Slater and of itself could have a negative impact on employees regardless of race,” said Cynthia Slater in an interview with the Daytona Times this week.

Slater, president of the Volusia

BLACK

HISTORY in Daytona Beach

County-Daytona Beach branch of the NAACP, said the argument is probably being made that outsourcing is a cost-saving mechanism.

Good for whom?

“The questions that come to my mind is: Is this good for the citizens of Volusia County and is this good for schools? When jobs are outsourced, employers are looking for quality service at a cheaper price but quality of service is generally a major issue when jobs are outsourced, as is management control and ac-

countability.”

“One has to wonder if the school board will actually save dollars by going this route, and if so, at whose expense? I would recommend that the school board take a good look at the ramifications of privatizing these jobs,” added Slater.

Please see JOBS, Page 2

Historian Derek Hankerson traces roots from Daytona to West Africa

BY JAMES HARPER DAYTONA TIMES harperjames59@yahoo.com

Derek Hankerson was not born in Daytona Beach and doesn’t live here, but his ancestors have roots in the beachside city.

Hankerson considers himself a historian.

He recently talked with the Daytona Times about his connection to Daytona Beach and shared some interesting Black history facts.

Hankerson proudly boasts that a relative, Joseph Editor’s B r o o k s note: During Hankerson, Black was the first History Black electMonth, the ed to the Daytona Daytona Times shares City Counthe stories of cil in 1898. some area He said his residents relative also who have is one one of made great the foundstrides ers and the locally and first pastor nationally. of Mount Bethel Baptist Institutional Church, located on the corner of South Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.

Mount Bethel holds the distinction of being the oldest church for African-Americans in Daytona Beach, founded by a group of Christians in 1885 under the leadership of Hankerson.

Derek Hankerson, who is proud to call himself a Republican, says his ancestor a was a Republican while on the Daytona commission and was one of the officials who voted to change the city’s name from Daytona to Daytona Beach.

Two meetings will be taking place at the John H. Dickerson Center in Daytona Beach next week in which the public is urged to attend if they want to have a say in the overhaul of Orange Avenue and the implementation of the Midtown Master Plan.

The first meeting, on Feb 26, is at the invitation of the city of Daytona Beach and will deal with the Orange Avenue Improvement Program. The meeting will be in the Dickerson Center gym and will start at 6 p.m.

The city is seeking public comments and suggestions on design and safety features, including roadway resurfacing, traffic lanes and intersections, sidewalks, Americans with Disabilities Act compliance, lighting, underground utilities, traffic signalization and flood mitigation.

November start date

COURTESY OF DEREK HANKERSON

Derek Hankerson, left, is shown with Dr. Henry Louis Gates at Fort Mose in St. Augustine. Gates recently interviewed Hankerson for a PBS show on Black history.

Interviewed for PBS show Hankerson, a resident of St. Augustine for the past 10 years, is a Chicago native, who grew up in the Washington, D.C., area. He worked for a time for President George H.W. Bush.

He recently was recently in-

terviewed by Dr. Henry Louis Gates at the historic Fort Mose Black settlement in St. Augustine.

Gates, the prominent author and professor at Harvard University, talked with Hankerson about his knowledge pertaining to his Freedom Road organization and the Gullah Geechee

Construction on Orange Avenue should begin by November and be completed by the end of the year in 2015, said Daytona Beach City spokesperson Susan Cerbone.

The Daytona Times reported in January that elected officials awarded a $700,000 contract to local firm McKim & Creed.

Funding sources are being finalized for the $19.5 million reconstruction project of Orange Avenue from Nova Road to the Halifax River.

Cerbone said funding has been identified, including a $13,143,000 loan from the state and $1,660,000 from Volusia County.

The Florida Department of Transportation has committed a $3,047,000 grant and a signalization grant for $1,650,000.

In addition, $1 million in Midtown redevelopment funds from the city’s CRA (community redevelopment area) coffers is being held in reserve in case the project costs more than the $19.5 million.

Opposition from Ivey

Cultural Heritage Corridor for an African-American history PBS series scheduled to air in March.

Hankerson is the founder of Freedom Road, which offers a variety of personalized individual or groups tours, retracing the steps his ancestors took to

Midtown Area Redevelopment Board Chairman Hemis Ivey is upset that the city is even considering using only their funds for Orange Avenue and no funds from other redevelopment boards.

“I don’t agree with the city manager withholding $1 million dollars of our CRA funds.

The project should be paid for from city funds. If you take out a

Please see HANKERSON, Page 2

Please see MEETINGS, Page 2

B-CU alum named the city manager of Winter Haven SPECIAL TO THE DAYTONA TIMES

Deric Feacher

Deric C. Feacher, a 2000 graduate of Bethune-Cookman and former employee of the university, has been named city manager of Winter Haven.

The 36-year-old Winter Haven native became the first minority to assume the position.

Winter Haven commissioners unanimously appointed Feacher on Sept. 10, 2012, when Dale Smith announced his

retirement as city manager. Feacher began the city manager job on Feb. 1.

In Central Florida, Winter Haven is known as the Chain of Lakes City and is home to 35,000 residents, with an annual budget of $90 million.

Worked at Cookman, Keiser Assistant City Manager since February 2012, Feacher began work for the City of Winter Haven in 2001 as a rec-

reation supervisor. Since that time he has filled a number of roles within the city, including serving as its first public information officer. He later was named assistant to the city manager and support services director.

Shortly after being hired by the city in 2001, Feacher entered a one-year management training program where he spent time in each of Winter Haven’s nine departments to gain an understanding of how the city organiza-

tion operates.

Prior to his full-time employment with Winter Haven, Feacher was a campaign manager for the Florida Democratic Party, community relations coordinator for Keiser University in Daytona Beach, and an administrative assistant to the chaplain at Bethune-Cookman.

“Truly I am honored for the opportunity I’ve been afforded to serve Please see MANAGER, Page 2

7FOCUS

R2

FEBRUARY 21 – FEBRUARY 27, 2013

MEETINGS from Page 1

COURTESY OF CITY OF WINTER HAVEN

Winter Haven City Manager Deric Feacher, right, is shown with Mayor James H. “J.P.” Powell.

manager from Page 1 my hometown,” the Winter Haven News Chief reported after Feacher was sworn in as city manager. “Not a

HANKERSON from Page 1 freedom prior to the Civil War. The tour includes both the Underground Railroad south to Spanish, Florida and the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor, which runs from North Carolina to Florida.

Gullah history lesson The Gullah are the descendants of slaves who live in parts of South Carolina and Georgia, which includes both the coastal plain and the Sea Islands. The Gullah people and their languages are also called “Geechee.’’

Hankerson said Charleston was one of the most important ports in North America for the Transatlantic slave trade. A great majority of the remaining flowed through Savannah, which also was active in the slave trade. The largest group of enslaved Africans brought into the port cities of Charleston and Savannah came from West Africa.

Hankerson said Santa Ilana Island, S.C. was the original capital of Spanish, Florida, which extended north up to Canada and West to Mississippi.

Hankerson also likes talking about Fort Mose, which is just two miles north of St. Augustine. It is recognized as the first community of freed Blacks in the United States and the home of

town that I moved to, not a town that I adopted, but a city where my family still lives here and my friends still live here ... I am here to serve this community to the best of my ability.”

Feacher graduated in 2000 from Bethune-Cookman with a Bachelor of Arts in political science and a mi-

nor in public administration. He is a 1995 graduate of Winter Haven High School.

He also is a life member of Bethune-Cookman’s National Alumni Association and Omega Psi Phi Fraternity. He and his wife, Keshia, are the parents of one son, Jay.

a Black militia that helped protect St. Augustine from invaders.

Both Spanish and English had slave systems. “The difference was that Spanish allowed for slaves to acquire their own freedom,” Hankerson noted.

The ‘New World’ According to his research, in 1738 West Africans made their way to what is now St. Augustine and began to settle at Fort Mose in the hundreds.

“Blacks helped the Spanish at Fort Mose defend Florida against the English,” Hankerson noted.

“Our family was free people of color as a result of fighting in numerous battles and earning their freedom.

Being offsprings of plantation owners you wrote your own tickets,” Hankerson added.

Hankerson said he is surprised when people he talk to don’t know that “not all slaves were Black and not all Blacks were slaves.”

He explained that before the Pilgrims and other Europeans set foot in the “New World’’ there were West African Blacks who were already here.

“Regardless of what history books say, there were free people of color on Paris Island, South Carolina.

Hankerson said many West Africans came with the Spanish before the British took over America.

One fact many people don’t know, he said, is that White Europeans originally felt inferior to the Spanish because of the land that they had discovered called the New World and the gold they had.

“He who had the gold ruled,” he mused.

His road to freedom Freedom Road provides full civic lessons, lectures and presentations.

Hankerson said the organization has existed for 10 years.

Hankerson said he always has had a love for history and remembers questioning “so-called history” to his father when he was 10 years old.

“I saw huge discrepancies,” he remarked.

“How could it be that our history texts books start at 1773? We are changing the face of Florida focusing on nontraditional factual stories highlighting the contributions of all Americans specifically Africans and African-Americans who helped to make America great going back for 500 years,” he said.

Hankerson said the history books neglect the fact that before there was an America there was the New World.

“We (Blacks) played a huge role in that 500 years of Spanish, native American history before founding of United States of America. Our contributions have been glossed over,” he added.

For more information, visit www. freedomroadtrail.org or call Hankerson at 904-377-3465.

loan for a project, borrow enough money. Don’t utilize CRA funds when you are dealing with utilities from a county road with city utilities,” Ivey said.

In addition to being at the Orange Avenue meeting, Ivey said he will be at the meeting on Feb. 28 being organized by the NAACP to give the public an opportunity to ask about the Midtown Master Plan his board completed earlier this year and the city commissioners approved.

“As chairman I am willing to address all concerns of the NAACP and I want to work with President Slater in the future.

We need not only the NAACP, but all citizens to get involved with making the master plan a reality,” said Ivey.

Midtown plans Slater said in an interview with the Daytona Times this week that “the community needs to be more involved in the entire process of the development of Midtown, not just one aspect of it.”

The Volusia CountyDaytona Beach NAACP will host the community meeting on Thursday, Feb. 28 at 6 p.m. at the John H. Dickerson Community Center, 308 S. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.

Invited guests include Mayor Derrick Henry as well as members of the Midtown Area Redevelopment Board.

“It is our hope that the Midtown Area Redevelopment Board will discuss specifics of its Master Plan, which deals with improvement of infrastructure and existing conditions such as vacant properties, occupied buildings, residential properties, historic landmarks, improvement of drainage systems to decrease flooding, pedestrian and public safety, as well as improved streetlights,” Slater said.

Park, fountains, garden The master plan includes a town center square in Daytona Beach located at the intersection of International Speed-

JOBS

explained Spar.

from Page 1

Spar said his organization is asking people to contact school board members and ask them to reconsider this decision.

“They (school board) didn’t allow for thoughtful debate. These custodians make on average $23,0000 a year. These are people who live paycheck to paycheck who don’t own their own homes. Our district pulled the rug out from under them,” added Spar.

School District spokesman Nancy Wait said the last day of employment with the district for employees within these job classifications will be June 30.

dor for the performance of all custodial and grounds maintenance functions of the district effective July 1.

Volusia County Democratic Party Chairman Vonzelle Johnson also weighed in on the decision by the school board saying his organization is standing “with Volusia County working-class families.”

“It is very disappointing that some school board members allowed staff to push them to make management decisions on the backs of employees. This essentially tells about 485 employees, we can do better without you, you are not valuable enough to remain a part of Team Volusia, and by the way if for some reason we cannot find a good firm, we may just keep you around,” said Johnson.

Wright votes no Volusia County School Superintendent Margaret Smith says that if the bids submitted from the request for proposals for a firm to handle the outsourcing of all custodial and grounds maintenance jobs do not result in a substantial savings she will recommend to the school board to not subcontract.

Ida Duncan Wright, the newest member of the school board and the only Black among the five elected officials, voted against the measure.

Jobless after June

Ida Duncan Wright is sworn in last month as a school board member by Judge Hugh Grimes. Wright voted against outsourcing the custodial positions.

“I voted no because I did not have sufficient information to make a good decision. We are unable to bring alternatives to the table until you know what is on the table,” Wright told the Daytona Times this week.

The vote by the school board resulted in the elimination of five job classifications: custodian shift leader (facilities/maintenance and operations); head custodian (facilities/maintenance and operations); custodian; ancillary custodian (facilities/maintenance and operations); and utility crew - grounds maintenance (maintenance and operations).

Parent’s concern Volusia Teacher’s Organization President Andrew Spar, speaking on behalf of

his group that represents teachers and as a parent with a child attending Volusia County schools, told the Daytona Times on Tuesday that he has great concerns handing over the control of custodial jobs to a for-profit private corporation.

Spar said companies put profit first and he is worried about the screening process a new firm will use to hire workers.

“How are we going to ensure safety and security of people on our campus,” asked Spar.

From a parent’s perspective, Spar said the students are more likely to know the custodians who are currently working for the district.

“Our children interact with them directly -- greeted by them every day. They are part of school com-

munity. When you lower wages it means turnover is going to be higher.

My daughter may not see same custodian every day.

They know who those custodians are. They are there they care about that child,”

More budget woes Superintendent Smith said the recommendation to outsource was made in order to help protect students, classrooms and schools from further major

GOSPEL HALLELUJAH WORLD WIDE RADIO MINISTRIES Hosted by: Bro. Harold Ford and Prophetess Deborah Ford LISTEN TO WPUL 1590 Saturdays 10 am -noon Sundays 5am- 7am & 1pm-3pm Listen online at: www.wpul1590.com website: www.gospelhallelujah.com

Come let the Holy Ghost Get Ya!

way Boulevard and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. It will include shaded seating and gathering areas with fountains, public art and Black Heritage Trail destinations.

The plan calls for a new public park west of the existing Dickerson Community Center on existing Daytona Beach Housing Authority property.

Lincoln Street would be overhauled to include a landscaped greenway, storm water/drainage infrastructure and a landscaped bicycle/pedestrian path that will form part of the Black Heritage Trail. In addition, the Howard Thurman Gardens would be located across the street from the historic Howard Thurman House on Whitehall Street.

Members of the Midtown Redevelopment Area Board are hoping this is what the predominantly Black area of Daytona Beach known as Midtown will transform into over the next 50 years.

Foundation in place The plan has created a foundation to revitalize the area, Daytona Beach Midtown Redevelopment Project Manager Charles Bryant said.

“We didn’t have anything in place before. We couldn’t get anything done. We always heard we didn’t have a plan.

Now we have a blueprint where we want to go,” Bryant said.

Midtown is located in the geographic center of Daytona Beach bordered by U.S. 1 and Nova Road east to west and Shady Place to George Engram Boulevard south to north.

The plan identifies many challenges, including a deficit of business and homeownership and a decreased tax base in relation to other CRAs. Florida A&M University students and staff designed the master plan with input from the Midtown board, residents and businesses.

budget cuts.

“Reductions already made each year, beginning in 2007, to student instructional programs, services and activities have hurt our students in learning and in achievement,” said Smith in a statement released to the Times.

Wait said the district does not have a number regarding the savings because it has just begun the process to request bids for the services.

The district currently spends $18.8 million for custodial and grounds services (salaries, benefits, uniforms, supplies, etc.).

“The decision to subcontract is a unilateral and non-negotiable managerial right of the district. The superintendent will make provision in the procurement process for the hiring of employees within these classifications and for a pension benefit by the vendor,” added Wait.

FEBRUARY 21 – FEBRUARY 27, 2013

COMMUNITY M ANEWS YOR

3 7

DECEMBER 14 - 20, 2006

Flagler youth give preview of ACT-SO performances Taking on talent, students showcased a preview of what they will perform for the 35th Annual ACTSO Awards Ceremony.

They represented five categories - Science, Humanities, Performing Arts, Visual Arts, and Business - which will be presented nationally in Orlando July 5 for ACT-SO (Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics).

ACT-SO is the NAACP’s principal youth initiative, lauded for $100,000 in cash, fully loaded laptops, and an all-expense paid trip to Houston.

They met up for the ACTSO Kickoff Fund-Raising Luncheon, showcasing the recent preview, sponsored by the Flagler County NAACP. The community turned out at Palm Coast Community Center to clap hands and cheer Xavier Ryan, the 2012 ACT-SO bronze medalist, Shekinah Maybin for drama, Melissa Boyles for poetry, Jordan Baptist on keyboard, Alexis Williams for vocal, Daniel Mills for website design, and Crystal Buchanan for oratory.

Walking away in the past with ACT-SO awards have

been celebrities Kanye West, Jada Pinkett-Smith, and John Singleton.

Emcee Ashley Quire kept tabs so the show would run smoothly.

The students and other students have challenged interests and are relying on mentors, coaches and other volunteers to help them through the ACT-SO enrichment program to enhance academic and artistic excellence.

Student profiles and photos aligned the dining tables, parading a youth culture that is praiseworthy, rather than showing a lineup of mugshots.

Branch President Linda Sharpe Haywood canvassed for money to help fund the free ACT-SO enrichment program.

Stephanie Ecklin is chairman of the ACT-SO Executive Committee, along with Richlin Ryan, Co-Chair; and members Muriel Luci McGhee, Rose Griffin, Bryant Logan, Cheryl Massaro, Sonia Jiminez, Phyllis Pearson, Travis Lee, Katrina Townsend, and Sh’mal Ellenberg.

If you wish to make your way and contribute, call the branch at 386-446-7822.

BRIEFS

Certified nutritionist Ivy Stirling will focus on the nutrients women need in their everyday diet.

• Massage therapy: 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. Felicia Cruz of “Felicia’s Massage on the Go” and Deanna Cline of the Deltona Advanced Wellness Center will provide free chair massages.

• Stand up and impress: 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. Aida Plontke will lead a workshop focusing on business etiquette and how to present yourself professionally. Plontke founded Poise and Posture and organizes Central Florida Business Women.

• Balancing your budget: 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. Financial adviser Katy Tibedon will offer advice on managing your investments and everyday finances.

• The housing market: Watson Realty real estate agent Barbara Girtman will offer one-on-one consultations throughout the day.

Registration is required and may be made by calling 386-789-7207, ext.

253.

Environmental center to host Women’s Day celebration Women can learn about yoga, nutrition, business etiquette and more during a Women’s Day celebration scheduled from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 9 at the Lyonia Environmental Center.

Free events include: • Guided hikes: 9 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Environmental specialists will lead leisurely tours through the scrub habitat of Lyonia Preserve.

• Gentle yoga workshop: 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saundra Emerson from the Bamboo Arts Center in DeLeon Springs will demonstrate gentle yoga for women who have not exercised before or have taken a break from regular exercise. Bring a yoga mat, strap and block.

Space is limited to 20 participants.

• Nutritional needs of women: 11 a.m. to noon.

Above are Flagler County students participating in the NAACP’s ACT-SO youth program.

Palm Coast

Community news

By Jeroline D. Mccarthy | Daytona Times Alpha Kappa Alpha to host Fashionetta Chi Delta Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority writes inviting your daughter to participate in “The First Annual Fashionetta.”

They elaborate that it is

Daytona State to conduct open auditions for ‘Summer and Smoke’ The Mike Curb College of Music, Entertainment and Art at Daytona State College will conduct open auditions for “Summer and Smoke,’’ a provocative love story about a spinster, Alma, who is infatuated with her handsome neighbor, Dr. John Buchanan.

The auditions for the play - one of Tennessee Williams’ most poignant, will be at 1 p.m. Feb. 23 and at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 25. Callbacks (if necessary) will be held Feb. 27 from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Auditions will be held in the Gillespy Theater in the News-Journal Center 221 N. Beach St., Daytona Beach.

Participants should prepare a one-minute monologue and may also be asked to do cold readings from the script. Rehearsals will be held in the evening two to four times a week from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

HIRED Jasmine Green

Monitor Support Technician, Shands Hospital

JOB resOUrCes at EmployFlorida.com helped Jasmine choose a career path and find a job she loves.

a wonderful experience for young girls in the third through eighth grades. The culminating event will be a fall pageant where the girls will receive awards, showcase talent, and be presented to the community in debutante attire.

and on Saturdays. Bring pencil/pen, list of conflicts, class schedule, headshots and resumes.

Production dates for the play are: May 1-2, 7:30 p.m.; May 4, 2:30 and 7:30 p.m.; May 5, 2:30 p.m. - all held in the Gillespy Theater.

For more information, call 386-226-4607.

Free movies at Deltona Amphitheater The Deltona Regional Library will present three films over three Saturdays in the open-air setting of the Deltona Amphitheater, 2150 Eustace Ave., starting at 7 p.m. on Feb. 23, March 2 and 9.

Moviegoers may bring snacks, beverages, folding chairs and seat cushions.

The concession stand will be open during the movies. The films are new DVD releases and intended for teen and adult audiences.

Because of the agreement that allows the library to show the movies for free, the titles can’t be published, but library staff can release them over the phone. Call the library at 386-789-7207 or visit www. volusia.org.

Mt. Bethel to host Gospel Explosion In celebration of Mt. Bethel Baptist Institutional Church’s 54th Tribes’ Day, the tribes of Dan and Reuben and Mt. Bethel are hosting a Gospel Explosion March 2 at 2 p.m., 700 S.

The pageant will generate funds to benefit scholarships for youth and other philanthropic endeavors.

It is an Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority signature program.

If your daughter would like to be the next “Little Miss Fashionetta” or “Miss Fashionetta,” please join Chi Delta Omega Chapter come Feb. 24, 3 to 6 p.m., at the Grand Club at Cypress Knoll Golf Course, 53 Easthampton Boulevard, Palm Coast. A $150 registration fee will be due at the meeting.

With regard to questions,

log on to Fashionetta@ AKAChiDeltaOmega.org.

••• As always, remember our prayers for the sick, afflicted and bereaved.

Martin Luther King Blvd.

The church is soliciting participation from churches in the Central Florida area. Each church is asked to send a choir prepared to sing two of their favorite gospel songs.

Morning Star Baptist Church Pastor Evans Smith will be the Master of Ceremonies.

To register and obtain a registration form, contact Bernard Thomas at 386-299-8573 or Andrew Moore at 386-316-5231 or email andee80@bellsouth. net.

immediate assistance and wages.”

Sponsored by Experience Works and the State of Florida, Department of Elder Affairs, SCSEP is available at no cost to people who meet eligibility criteria.

The program provides paid community service assignments at local public and non-profit organizations, training, referral to needed services and job search assistance. With updated skills, participants use their community service training as a springboard to permanent jobs with local employers.

For more information call toll-free 888-859-1051 or visit www.experienceworks.org.

SCSEP accepting applications The Experience Works Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) is accepting applications.

Program applicants must be age 55 or older, unemployed, live in Volusia County, and have incomes of $13,964 per year or less for a family of one ($18,913 for family of two).

“In this difficult economy, many older Floridians are finding it necessary to find work,” says Jo Rinehart, Experience Works interim Florida state director.

“Unfortunately, finding a job can be especially difficult for older workers who have not looked for employment for some time or for those who been unsuccessful in their job hunt.

Our program is a steppingstone for people desperate for work. We can provide

Community Calendar To list your community event FREE, e-mail us at news@daytonatimes. com. No phone calls or faxes, please. Events are listed on a space-available basis, and in the sole discretion of the Daytona Times staff. Effective immediately, paid events will no longer be listed in the Daytona Times Community Calendar. You can advertise local events for as little as $35 per week. Call 813-319-0961 or email sales@daytonatimes for more information.

You too can discover REAL RESULTS with Employ Florida.

Compiled by the Daytona Times

1-866-FLA-2345 EmployFlorida.com

Employ Florida is an equal opportunity program. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities. The Employ Florida telephone number may be reached by persons using TTY/TTD equipment via the Florida Relay Service at 711. Disponible en Espanol.

Children and Families subcommittee to meet The Needs Assessment Subcommittee of the Children and Families Advisory Board will meet at 1:30 p.m. Feb. 26 at the Volusia County Health Department, Room 516A, 1875 Holsonback Drive. Members are scheduled to discuss the process for an upcoming community needs assessment. More information: Peggy Johnson, 386-736-5955, ext.

15694, or visit www.volusia. org/cfab.

B-CU chorale to perform The Bethune-Cookman University Concert Chorale will perform a medley of songs at 2 p.m. March 2 at the Daytona Beach Regional Library at City Island. The free program is sponsored by the Friends of the Library. Reservations are not required. More information:

Happy Birthday to You! Birthday wishes to: Maude Jones, Feb. 25; Renata McCarthy, Feb. 26; Douglas Brown, Jasmyne Hendrix, Feb. 27. Happy anniversary to Mr. and Mrs. Roy A. Benjamin, Feb. 25.

County expands online services Volusia County has expanded its online permit, development and contractor information services.

Registered contractors can apply online for licenses, demolition permits and certain types of residential permits at www.ConnectLivePermits.org as well as schedule inspections, make payments, and check the status of applications online.

Connect Live Permits, launched in September 2012, also allows residents to submit complaints about potential code violations and research permits, developments, complaints and contractor licenses from their computers 24/7.

386-257-6036, ext. 16264.

Heart health talk on Feb. 21 Dr. Humayun Jamidar, a cardiologist, will be speaking about heart health Feb. 21 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Carlton Shores Health & Rehab Center, 1350 S. Nova Road. Light refreshments will be provided. More information: 386-425-1212.

Long-term care session set Attorneys Michael Pyle and Trisha Dellinger will present a program and answer questions regarding financial planning for long-term care from 2 to 4 p.m. Feb. 27 at the Daytona Beach Regional Library at City Island. Reservations are not required. More information: 386-257-6036, ext. 16264.

7 EDITORIAL

R4

FEBRUARY 21 – FEBRUARY 27, 2013

Lil Wayne insults memory of Emmett Till The murder of 14-year-old Emmett Till in 1955 was a watershed moment, marking the beginning of the modern Civil Rights Movement. While visiting relatives near Money, Miss., the Chicago native was murdered for allegedly whistling at a White woman.

The brutal act was intended to send an unmistakable message to Black boys everywhere: If you even whistle at a White woman in the Deep South, you could pay for it with your life.

Like everyone else, I was appalled to learn that rapper Lil Wayne had made a vulgar reference to Till’s death. On a re-mix of an upcoming CD by Future called “Karate Chop,” Lil Wayne essentially spewed Emmett the line: “Beat that Till [female sex organ] up like Emmett Till.”

Rather than spend another nanosecond on Lil Wayne, we should use this Black History Month moment to educate young people who may not have ever heard of Emmett Till.

While serving as editor of Emerge magazine, I had the pleasure of interviewing Mrs. Mamie Till Mobley, Emmett’s mother. For the 40th anniversary of his death in 1995, I wrote a story on Emmett Till.

This is how it began: Mamie Till Bradley was about to experience a mother’s worst nightmare. She had to identify the corpse of her only child, 14-yearold Emmett Till, who had been abducted, beaten, shot in the head and tossed into the Tallahatchie River near Greenwood, Miss., for allegedly whistling at a White woman. . . . Mamie Till wanted to look di-

George E. Curry NNPA COLUMNIST

rectly into her son’s face, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. Not yet. So she started with the lower extremities and worked her way up.

“Those are his feet,” she concluded. The ankles? Yes, those were her son’s skinny ankles. Next, she surveyed the knees. Most people have sharp, pointed kneecaps.

But the mother and son had flat ones. “Those are the Till knees,” she told herself.

Her eyes continued up her son’s body and stopped on his genitals.

Later, she would be happy that her inspection included that section of her son’s body because some people later would say, incorrectly, that Emmett had been castrated.

Now, she would know otherwise.

Teeth, eye missing Mrs. Mamie Till Bradley Mobley — who will be called Mrs. Till hereafter to make it easier to follow the cast of characters in this drama — examined Emmett’s hands and arms, which provided more confirmation of what she did not want confirmed.

Finally, she took a deep breath and looked at her son’s decomposed face. This, too, she did piece by piece, separating his face into imaginary compartments, starting with his chin and moving to the top of his head.

“Bo,” as he was known, had flashed a perfect set of teeth during his short life. Now, in death, only one or two were visible. “Oh, my God,” his mother thought.

“Where are the rest of them?”

The bridge of his nose, though all chopped up, was recogniz-

able. She looked for his right eye — it was missing. There was only an empty socket. She looked at the left one and it was detached, dangling from the socket.

“That’s his hazel eye,” Mrs. Till said. “Where is the other one?”

She searched for one ear and it, too, was missing. Peering through the ear hole, she could see daylight on the other side. The remaining ear protruded from her son’s head, just like hers— another family trait. “That’s Emmett’s ear,” she said, softly. His hair? Yes. After inspecting the outstretched body inch by inch, Mrs. Till came to the sad but inescapable conclusion that the remains of what remained before her were those of Emmett Louis Till.

Mrs. Till had one thought over and over: What kind of person could do this to another human being, especially a 14–year–old boy?

Her second thought was that this was a sight so ghastly, so inhumane that people would have to see it for themselves to believe it.

“Gene, I want you to go home and get some of Bo’s pictures,” she said. “We’ll spread the pictures around.”

The undertaker politely asked, “Do you want me to fix him up?”

Mrs. Till did not hesitate: “No, you can’t fix that. Let the world see what I saw.”

Obviously, Lil Wayne never saw that story. If he had, he would have realized this isn’t something to be taken lightly.

George E. Curry, former editor-in-chief of Emerge magazine, is editor-in-chief of the National Newspaper Publishers Association News Service (NNPA.) Click on this story at www. daytonatimes.com to write your own response.

It’s time for us to deliver for Postal Service I have written about this previously but I am getting more and more concerned that the Postal Service will go the way of the dodo bird. Like virtually every other part of the legitimate role of government, the Postal Service is and has been under attack by conservatives.

The perpetrators of the assault are the same crew that has been trying to privatize everything that is standing. Organizations such as the right-wing Cato Institute and their allies in Congress wish to see the U.S. Postal Service weakened to the point that it ceases to exist.

Then they would have the mail handled through privately owned operations.

BILL FLETCHER, JR. NNPA COLUMNIST

to believe that private companies can handle the mail more efficiently than the USPS. With the USPS we are guaranteed that everything of a certain weight gets delivered to specific sites in the U.S.A. for a given price.

In other words, a letter weighing one ounce does not cost more if it is mailed from Baltimore to Spokane or from Baltimore to New York. With privatization we can be guaranteed that the cost of mail would vary according to where Under attack There are many reasons that we the mail is being sent. should be concerned about this attack. First, postal delivery is ac- Important employer tually a Constitutional right. It is A second reason for concern there in the Constitution. Now, has to do with the workforce. The our conservative friends will Postal Service has been an importhrow their hands in the air and tant employer of African-Amerexclaim that they are not chal- icans and, especially since the lenging the Constitution. Rather, unionization of the Postal Service they will argue, mail delivery can, in the early 1970s, it has provided allegedly, be handled more effi- employment at good wages with good benefits. ciently by private outfits.

There is one more piece to this There is no particular reason

whole affair. The conservatives are yelling about the Postal Service not making money. Yet, let’s keep in mind, as the Economic Policy Institute has reminded us, that making money was and is not the main purpose of the Postal Service. Their purpose is to ensure the efficient and speed delivery of the mail to all residents of the United States.

It is now time for the public to respond to this attack. I don’t know about you but I have simply had enough of the attacks on the U.S. Postal Service.

To me, there remains a certain level of magic in knowing that you can put that letter or package in the mail and, presto, it appears somewhere else in such a relatively short amount of time. I do not want to have to bargain with someone or some company over how quickly and efficiently my mail will be delivered.

Bill Fletcher, Jr. is a Senior Scholar with the Institute for Policy Studies, the immediate past president of TransAfrica Forum. Follow him at www.billfletcherjr.com. Click on this story at www.daytonatimes.com to write your own response.

Activists applaud HUD’s new anti-bias rule A recent action by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has now formalized a national standard for determining violations of the Fair Housing Act. The new rule which takes into account “disparate impact” embraces a long-held civil rights view that housing discrimination and lending occur not only by intent; but also by effect.

Enacted in 1968 following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. the Fair Housing Act bans discrimination in the sale, rental and financing of housing based on race, religion, national origin or sex. The act was later amended to include family status and the physically-challenged.

Regulation reaffirmed Despite the Fair Housing Act, some real estate agents, landlords, lenders and even local governments continued practices that had an unjustified effect of

Charlene Crowell NNPA FINANCIAL WRITER

discriminating against many wellqualified home seekers. The new regulation reaffirms what the law intended more than 40 years ago.

In response to HUD’s rule announcement, civil rights and fair housing advocates hailed the move.

Disparate impact Shanna Smith, president and CEO of the National Fair Housing Alliance, said: “We need look no further than the nation’s foreclosure crisis to see how many homeowners in communities of color as well as families with children, people with disabilities and many others have been devastated by the dis-

parate impact of discriminatory housing and lending policies.

People of color, including many in the middle class, have lost a century of household wealth because of these practices. While some of these practices are unintentional, many others are built on the explicitly discriminatory practices of the past.”

According to Mike Calhoun, president of the Center for Responsible Lending (CRL), “Fair housing is fundamental to every family’s pursuit of the American Dream. By issuing this disparate impact rule, HUD reaffirmed the nation’s commitment to fairness for all.”

Charlene Crowell is a communications manager with the Center for Responsible Lending.

She can be reached at Charlene. crowell@responsiblelending. org. Click on this story at www. daytonatimes.com to write your own response.

VISUAL VIEWPOINT: OBAMA GUN PHOTO

JEFF PARKER, FLORIDA TODAY AND THE FORT MYERS NEWS-PRESS

Whitney Young: Powerbroker of Civil Rights Movement He was one of the great civil rights leaders of his time – so influential that he graced the cover of an issue of Time magazine.

He was on easy social terms with some of America’s leading corporate titans and a president of the United States.

He was the last person to speak at the landmark 1963 March on Washington before Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He was responsible for the employment of tens of thousands of Black Americans during the 1960s – and, it can be said, for the employment of millions in the decades afterward.

More than any other individual, he opened the upper reaches of corporate America to Black men and women.

LEE A. DANIELS NNPA COLUMNIST

son (who is included in the documentary) 15 years ago.

Young’s social and economic plan for Black Americans, which he called a “domestic Marshall Plan,” underscores that he and the rest of the civil rights leadership fully understood the importance of putting AfricanAmericans on a solid economic foundation for their, and the nation’s, benefit.

Listen to Young’s explanation of the need for it, and then recall President Obama’s discussion of Great society some of America’s social needs His ideas for improving the lot of Black Americans – expanding in his State of the Union speech. their educational and employment opportunity, and fortifying One of them their physical and social wellUntil Whitney Young, White being – influenced President Americans had never seen a Lyndon B. Johnson’s crafting of Black person like him: a Black his Great Society legislation. person who was a civil rights He helped steer Black Amer- leader but who moved with ease ica through the social and po- among them and spoke their litical cauldron of the late 1960s business-oriented, bottom-lineand negotiated, in effect, a peace results lingo as if he were one of treaty with the Nixon administration for Black America that them.

That’s because Whitney produced more federal funding for programs intended to bol- Young was one of them — just as ster Black Americans than ever he was a Black and a civil rights leader. Both as a matter of his before.

And, his tragic death cut short civil rights work, and as a matter of his personal operating style, a life much too soon.

His name was Whitney M. Young expanded the vision, the Young, Jr. He was the power- model, of how a Black Ameribroker of the Civil Rights Move- can could navigate one’s way inment. to the mainstream of American society.

Transformed the U.S. One businessman interviewed “The Powerbroker: Whitney in the documentary said that Young’s Fight for Civil Rights,” Young forged a “road map” for a documentary on Young’s life Blacks into corporate America – and work being shown on Pub- where immense economic and lic Broadcasting Service sta- political power resides – where tions, captures the importance there had been none before. of a man who was at the cenHe’s absolutely correct. But ter of the enormous effort in I would broaden the point a bit the 1960s to transform the Unitto say that Whitney Young, the ed States from a de facto apartheid state to a true democracy, powerbroker, did so as part of but who, since his death in 1971 expanding the road map he was while swimming at an ocean helping Black Americans build beach in Nigeria, seemed to rap- for their entire future as Ameriidly disappear from the public cans. consciousness.

Lee A. Daniels is a longtime The documentary, produced

by Young’s niece, Bonnie Bo- journalist and author. Click swell, is the first substantial on this story at www.daytonatreatment of him since a biog- times.com to write your own raphy by scholar Dennis Dicker- response.

W W W.DAY TONATIMES.COM Central Florida Communications Group, LLC, P.O. Box 48857 Tampa, Fl 33646, publishes the Florida Daytona Times on Thursdays. Phone: 877-352-4455, toll-free. For all sales inquiries, call 877-352-4455; e-mail sales@ flcourier.com.

Charles W. Cherry, Sr. (1928-2004), Founder Julia T. Cherry, Senior Managing Member, Central Florida Communicators Group, LLC

Subscriptions to the print version are $59 per year. Mail check to P.O. Box 48857 Tampa, Fl 33646, or log on to www.daytona.com; click on ‘Subscribe’.

Dr. Glenn W. Cherry, Chief Executive Officer

SUBMISSIONS POLICY SEND ALL SUBMISSIONS TO NEWS@DAYTONATIMES.COM. Deadline for submitting news and pictures is 5 p.m. the Monday before the Thursday publication date. You may submit articles at any time. However, current events received prior to deadline will be considered before any information that is submitted, without the Publisher’s prior approval, after the deadline. Press releases, letters to the editor, and guest commentaries must be e-mailed to be considered for publication.

The Daytona Times reserves the right to edit any submission, and crop any photograph, for style and clarity. Materials will not be returned.

Dr. Glenn W. Cherry, Cassandra CherryKittles, Charles W. Cherry II, Managing Members

Charles W. Cherry II, Esq., Publisher Dr. Valerie Rawls-Cherry, Human Resources Jenise Morgan, Senior Editor Lynnette Garcia, Deborah Ford, Marketing Consultants/Sales Linda Fructuoso, Marketing Consultant/Sales, Circulation Angela van Emmerik, Creative Director Larry Steele, Circulation James Harper, Andreas Butler, Ashley Thomas, Staff Writers Delroy Cole, Kim Gibson, Photojournalists MEMBER National Newspaper Publishers Association Society of Professional Journalists Florida Press Association Associated Press National Newspaper Association

MAYOR ENTERTAINMENT

5 7

FEBRUARY 21 – FEBRUARY 27, 2013DECEMBER 14 - 20, 2006

In hip-hop, violence taking on lesser role

in “My Last,” “I knew that I’d be here, so if you ask me how I feel / I’m-a just tell you it’s everything that I expected.”

Observer, not participant

At a moment in which the depiction of violence in other forms of media appears increasingly graphic, much of the conflict in hip-hop has moved inward, its players fighting battles of ideas and emotions.

BY MIKAEL WOOD LOS ANGELES TIMES (MCT)

Among the most important rap albums released over the last year or so, one contains a song about Nas’ complicated relationship with his teenage daughter. Another has a track in which Killer Mike outlines President Reagan’s contribution to the prison-industrial complex. A third disc finds Drake pondering the impossibility of real-life romantic connection in the age of the nipslip Twitpic.

The title of Drake’s record, which last week won the Grammy Award for rap album? “Take Care.”

To say that hip-hop has evolved over the last 25 years — since the days when rappers such as IceT and Ice Cube were terrorizing the likes of Tipper Gore, who famously lobbied for the adoption of the Parental Advisory sticker — seems an almost-laughable understatement, equal to saying that the Internet has had some effect on the way we consume music.

Once perceived as a site of uncut nihilism, hip-hop has made room, in a way that outsiders can’t ignore, for practicality and ambivalence and staunchly middle-aged concerns.

Achievement too.

And it’s become more peaceful, at least on the surface. At a moment in which the depiction of violence in other forms of media appears increasingly graphic, much of the conflict in hip-hop has moved inward, its players fighting battles of ideas and emotions.

How did this happen?

In a sense the music forced itself to change.

The back-to-back slayings of 2Pac and the Notorious B.I.G. (in 1996 and 1997, respectively) served terrible notice that gangsta rap — with its ever-intensifying cycle of threats and reprisals — had gotten all too real, a verbal arms race turned dangerously corporeal.

No longer were rappers working in the shadowy inbetween-world of showbiz persona, portraying characters on record but retreating to safety outside the studio.

Avatars of a gang-related West Coast-East Coast feud, Tupac Shakur and Christopher “Biggie Smalls” Wallace died the deaths of their alter egos — a dramatic indication that in music, as distinct from movies and television, the separation sometimes disappears between art and artist. Try to imagine Oliver Stone, who last year took up the horrific Mexican drug war in his film “Savages,” in anything approaching the same kind of jeopardy.

Street experience not needed But the diminishing role of violence in hip-hop also reflects the genre’s shifting circumstance. One of rap’s central victories is that it can move freely now through subject matter; it doesn’t have to adhere to an enforced set of topics — at least not any more than country or R&B or rock ‘n’ roll has to. And that’s opened the music to artists without the kind of street experience that once

Drake’s “Take Care’’ won the Grammy Award for best album at this month’s Grammy Awards. cludes “Hip Hop America,” as well as the Chris Rock gangsta-rap spoof “CB4.”

Those narratives have been weakened in part through overuse, George said. But he added that violent thrills are emigrating to other forms, such as video games. “If you’re 17 years old, you don’t want to listen to a guy shooting somebody,” he said. “You want to be the guy.”

Fame and fashion

KIRK MCKOY/LOS ANGELES TIMES/MCT

A dapper Rick Ross arrives for the 55th Annual Grammy Awards at Staples Center in Los Angeles on Feb. 10. The Florida-based rapper, a purveyor of good-life extravagance, has been drawn into gang matters of late. seemed required of them.

Drake, for instance, spent his adolescent years as the star of a Canadian teen TV show, while Kanye West (who’s done as much as anyone in recent years to destabilize old hip-hop verities) grew up in suburban Chicago the son of a prominent English professor.

Do these performers

know violence firsthand?

Possibly. But it doesn’t seem to define their outlook, nor is it the thrill we seek vicariously in their records.

“The traditional gangsta-rap narratives don’t hold the grandiose power they used to,” said Nelson George, an author and filmmaker whose work in-

In response, hip-hop’s allure, more often than not, has turned aspirational, as on ASAP Rocky’s 2013 major-label debut, “Long Live ASAP.” Here this young Harlem MC describes a tantalizing lifestyle populated by beautiful women and filled with high-end luxury goods; one track, “Fashion Killa,” basically amounts to a laundry list of fashion labels: “She got a lot of Prada, that Dolce & Gabbana / I can’t forget Escada and that Balenciaga.” Eventempered and sleekly realized, the music on “Long Live ASAP” feels uninterested in (or perhaps unimpressed by) the rough concerns of the corner.

The same goes for “Finally Famous” by Big Sean, a West protege with little use for struggle. “I’m just doing better than what everyone projected,” he boasts

If ASAP Rocky and Big Sean float above gang culture, as though its crude distractions had become passe, other rappers seem stationed outside it. On last year’s “good kid, m.A.A.d city” — named the best hip-hop album of 2012 by many critics — Kendrick Lamar details plenty of violence in his native Compton, where gangsta rap was more or less invented by N.W.A. in the late ‘80s.

But Lamar presents himself as an observer, not a participant, a stance the Roots also took for their 2011 album, “Undun,” which recounts the short life of a small-time hood in painstaking reverse-chronological order.

“I turned 20 and realized that life wasn’t getting anyone anywhere,” Lamar told The Times in October.

“You hear stories from the ‘80s about people selling dope and becoming millionaires, but in reality it’d just be guys walking around with $70 in their pockets. I knew I wanted something else.”

Rick Ross exception There are, of course, exceptions to this disarmament. The teenage Chicago rapper Chief Keef — the most visible member of that city’s so-called drill scene — spent a portion of 2012 under house arrest as a result of gun charges; he later made headlines when he appeared to joke about the murder of a rival MC on Twitter.

And Rick Ross, that rotund purveyor of good-life extravagance, has been drawn into gang matters of late: Last month, he was caught up in a driveby shooting in Florida, the apparent target of a group reportedly unhappy with Ross’ lyrical references to a gang leader.

Yet that development seemed to surprise even Ross, who’s happily (and successfully) made himself into a caricature in the years since a website revealed his background as a former corrections officer.

The violence on Ross’ records plays like Grand Guignol; it vibrates on an entirely different wavelength than N.W.A.’s did. The intrusion of actual gunplay into the rapper’s actual life felt weirdly old-fashioned.

Meagan Good discusses ‘Deception,’ career and marriage and motivational speaker.

Here, she talks about her new show, “Deception,” which airs Monday nights on NBC at 10 p.m.

BY KAM WILLIAMS SPECIAL TO THE NNPA

Meagan Good stars in NBC’s midseason drama “Deception” as Joanna Padget Locasto, a San Francisco narcotics detective with childhood ties to a notoriously secretive and powerful New York family, the Bowers.

When her childhood best friend, Vivian Bowers, is found dead under mysterious circumstances, Joanna is enlisted by the FBI to help to find the killer, agreeing to go undercover into the opulent lifestyle she thought she’d left behind.

Meagan has become one of Hollywood’s most sought-after young actresses, recently completing a season-long arc on Showtime’s acclaimed series “Californication,” as well as a role in “Think Like a Man,” the feature film based on the best-selling book by Steve Harvey.

In 2011, she starred alongside Angela Bassett and Paula Patton in “Jumping the Broom.”

Early accolades for ‘Eve’s Bayou’ The versatile actress has mastered a variety of film genres, ranging from horror, with “The Unborn,” opposite Odette Annable and Gary Oldman, to comedy, with “The Love Guru,” co-

Q&A with Good

Meagan Good stars as a narcotics detective in NBC’s new drama “Deception.’’ starring Mike Myers, Jessica Alba and Justin Timberlake.

She rose to fame as a result of her work in “Stomp the Yard,” but was recognized earlier for her acclaimed performance opposite Samuel L. Jackson in the eerie family drama “Eve’s Bayou,” for which she received an NAACP Image Award nomination.

Additional feature film credits include the critically-acclaimed cult film “Brick,” opposite Joseph Gordon-Levitt, “You Got Served,” “D.E.B.S,” “Waist Deep” with Tyrese Gibson, Queen Latifah’s “The Cookout,” “Biker Boyz,”

“Deliver Us from Eva,” “Friday” with Ice Cube, “Roll Bounce” and the horror film “Saw V.”

Started at age 4 in commercials Besides acting, Meagan has produced independent films such as “Miles from Home,” which she starred in opposite actor/director Ty Hodges. The picture screened at the Pan African Film & Arts Festival, the Washington D.C. Independent Film Festival and the Atlanta Film Festival, where it swept all of the awards—Best Feature, Best Director, Best

Actor and Actress (Good).

More recently, she produced and starred in “Video Girl,” the “Gia”-esque film that depicts the sordid and misunderstood life of a music video superstar.

Born in Panorama City, Calif., Megan began appearing in commercials at the age of 4 and to date has made more than 60. She made her prime-time television debut on the WB series “Raising Dad,” and her first major television role was as a regular on the hit show “Cousin Skeeter.”

Meagan recently married DeVon Franklin, an executive for Columbia Pictures who is also a preacher

Kam Williams: Congratulations, newlywed! How was the honeymoon?

Meagan Good: It was fantastic, especially considering we were celibate until marriage.

KW: What interested you in Deception?

MG: The script was incredible and there were so many elements that appealed to me creatively and physically, and the cast seemed like an amazing group of people.

KW: Tell me a little about the show?

MG: My character… worked for the Bowers family and she grew up in the house and was best friends with Vivian. They had a strange falling out when they were 17 and I moved to San Francisco and went on to become a narcotics officer with the SFPD, while Vivian went on to become a “celebutante.” The show opens with Vivian’s murder and the FBI brings me in undercover to find out who did it.

KW: Will solving this murder take up the whole first season?

MG: Yes, but the show is so crazy and there are many other things that un-

fold while the murder is being solved.

KW: How would you describe your character, Joanna Locasto?

MG: Tough, ballsy, and vulnerable, with a strong moral compass.

KW: How did you prepare for this role? Did you consult your father since he was a police officer in the LAPD? MG: Yes, I did, and also his wife who is currently in the FBI. KW: Is there any question no one ever asks you that you wish someone would?

MG: I wish someone would ask if I was “saved” before I met my husband. A lot of people assume I had a spiritual awakening when I met him and it bothers me that people think that happened overnight.

KW: What advice do you have for anyone who wants to follow in your footsteps?

MG: Keep God as your main focus. Make sure your desire to do what you’re aspiring to do is deeper than just fame and being a celebrity. Be willing to work hard, and don’t believe that when a door closes it’s anything personal.

This story is special to the NNPA from the AfroAmerican.

7 SPORTS & CLASSIFIEDS

R6

FEBRUARY 21 – FEBRUARY 27, 2013

Men’s basketball: Scotland’s big night lifts B-CU past Howard ANDREAS BUTLER DAYTONA TIMES butleramj@yahoo.com

Bethune-Cookman University opened its final home stand of the season with a 64-50 win over Howard University at Moore Gymnasium on Monday.

“These are our last three home games of the season and we have five games left. We have to make a push now. We are looking to gain momentum. A lot of teams win their conference tournament by gaining momentum heading into it,” commented B-CU Coach Gravelle Craig.

The Wildcats knocked down nine three pointers and held the advantage in points in the paint (20-12) against the bigger Bisons.

“Howard plays 80 percent zone defense and knocking down the three’s got them away from it,” said Craig.

B-CU ROUNDUP and six assists. Scotland had 13 points at halftime.

Scotland was inserted in the starting line because point guard Ricky Johnson being out with injury.

“I was just playing aggressive. I had to pick it up with one of our point guards out tonight,” responded Scotland.

“Paul did a good job. He is experienced, he is a senior and he got going early. Ricky could have played but I held him out,” said Craig.

Howard hurt itself at the free throw line by converting only 16-of-27 attempts.

The team was seven-for-16 in the first half.

A four-point play by Malik Jackson and a basket from Scotland on consecutive possessions gave the Wildcats a 28-15 lead in the first half.

Aggressive play

Building momentum

B-CU had four players score in double figures led

by Paul Scotland who had 16 points, seven rebounds

B-CU (10-16, 5-6) held a 33-21 advantage at halftime. The Wildcats again led by 13 at 36-23 lead ear-

ly in the second half.

Howard (6-21, 3-10) closed the gap at 36-31 after a three by Tre Lee with 15:18 to play.

B-CU pushed its lead to 55-40 after a three from Jackson with 4:33 remaining.

Javoris Bryant added 12 points with seven rebounds and three blocks for the Wildcats.

“I’m just trying to provide senior leadership. We are trying to build some momentum heading into the conference tournament,” answered Bryant.

Mike Phillips had 13 points with nine rebounds and Alphonso Leary nine points with 10 rebounds and a block for the Bison.

Jackson added 12 points and Adrien Coleman had 12 points with six boards and five assists for B-CU.

Ladies lose to Howard Bison In the women’s game, Bethune-Cookman was no match for Howard in a 6127 loss.

The Lady Wildcats scored their lowest point

total at home in school history and their 34-point defeat margin was the largest in school history at home.

Although, Howard played well defensively, the Wildcats simply just didn’t make shots.

The Bison led 31-6 at halftime after holding the Wildcats to one-for-16 shooting. B-CU also turned the ball over 16 times in the first half.

“We definitely didn’t shoot the ball well tonight, but we also didn’t play with a lot of energy,” responded B-CU Coach Vanessa Blair.

Saadia Doyle became Howard’s all-time leading scorer in the game. She finished with a game high 22 points with seven rebounds.

Too many turnovers B-CU did shoot better in the second half but Howard still dominated.

The Wildcats went 8 for 28 from the field in the half but still finished 9-for-44.

They also committed 25 turnovers.

“We had too many turnovers too. I thought we

kicked that, but it showed its ugly head again,” said Blair.

Howard led by as many as 38 points in the contest.

Jasmine Evans had eight points and Shakeyia Colyer 11 rebounds for B-CU. Kara Smith added 15 points for the Howard Bisons.

“We just have to come out and play with energy regardless if we are making shots or not. We also have to take care of the basketball,” added Blair.

Both programs hosts South Carolina State on Feb. 23 and Savannah State on Feb. 26.

Track and field: Team fares well at championships The Wildcats men finished third and the women fifth at the MEAC Indoor Track and Field Championships in Landover, Md. The 76 points for the men were the programs best ever and the 56 points by the women was the best since 2007-08.

On the women’s side, Sasha Smallwood (11-5.25 ft) won the high jump repeating as champion from a year ago.

Kadian Dunkley won the mile with a career best mark (5:02.66) and finished second in both the 3,000 km (10:32.45) and 5,000 km (17:58.34) run.

Keron Stoute (4,659

points) paced the men by winning the Heptathlon and earned Co-Outstanding Field Performer of the meet.

La’Quan Howard (493.00 ft) was second in the triple jump, Akeem Barthol (14 ft) third in the pole vault and Ricky Brown (4:20.91) third in the mile.

Baseball: B-CU takes one from Arizona On the diamond, Bethune-Cookman held off No. 16 Arizona State for a 7-6 win in the series finale on Feb. 16.

Anthony Stokes went 2-for-3, Eros Modena had a hit with two RBIs and Chris Biocic had a hit and scored two runs for the Wildcats (1-2).

Scott Garner got the win on the mound and Jordan Dailey the save for the BCU. The Sun Devils (2-1) won the first two games of the series 5-4 win in 11 innings and a 15-7.

B-CU played its home opener on Feb. 19 against North Florida and hosted Florida International on Feb. 20. They travel to Macon, Georgia to face Mercer from Feb. 22-24 before returning home to play Stetson (Feb. 26) and UCF (Feb. 27).

Florida Health Care Plans www.fhcp.com EOE/AA A Drug Free – Smoke Free Work Place

Advertise For all local sales for The Daytona Times & WPUL AM 1590 News Progressive Talk, Sports & Inspiration call Deborah E. Ford at 386-492-2908 Ext. 12

My Skills. My Benefits. My Future.

Are you a 35-60 year-old unemployed Veteran looking for a new career?

Veterans Retraining Assistance Program (VRAP) For more information visit

Provides eligible Veterans with education benefits for up to 12 months of training

www.benefits.va.gov/VOW "Helping Veterans Attain Personal and Economic Success"

Accepting applications beginning May 15th

FEBRUARY 21 DECEMBER – FEBRUARY 14 -27, 20,2013 2006

MSPORTS AYOR

Atlantic and Lopez make Final Four

BY ANDREAS BUTLER DAYTONA TIMES butleramj@yahoo.com

A stifling defense lifted Atlantic past Ocala Trinity Catholic 48-23 to win the 2-4A Regional final.

“I knew we could pressure them and they haven’t seen press like ours other than when they played Jacksonville Ribault. We wanted to take out there shooters and we did,” said George Butts, Atlantic’s coach.

The win propelled the Sharks to the Class 4A state Final Four for the second time in the past three seasons.

“It’s awesome to get back. We waited for two years. We felt we were robbed last year. This time when we get there we must play better defensively to give ourselves a chance,” said Butts.

17 for Woodard Dee Gillard and Shantanzia Howard led Atlantic’s defensive effort. They combined to hold Ocala Trinity’s star player Shambria Washington scoreless.

“We knew that we had to shut her down because she is a great player and we wanted to go to Lakeland,” responded Gillard.

Destiny Woodard had the hot hand for the Sharks with a game-high 17 points, knocking down five three pointers. She knocked down four for 12 points in the first quarter.

“I’ve been sick with the

7

Atlantic’s Destiny Woodard (No. 4) helped lead the Sharks to the Final Four with 17 points, including five three pointers.

VOLUSIA COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS REVIEW

DUANE FERNANDEZ/ HARDNOTTS PHOTOGRAPHY

flu this week. I was able to get to my spots to shoot and pass the ball to open teammates,” Woodard said.

Ronni Williams also had 15 points, 18 rebounds and nine blocks for Atlantic.

“It’s great to get back to the Final Four. We had a great overall defensive effort tonight. We have been in this position before now we have to go and do what it takes to get the job done,” stated Williams.

Showdown in Lakeland Atlantic led 18-6 after a three by Woodard with 1:04 to play in the opening quarter.

The Sharks found themselves up 30-13 at halftime after holding the Celtics to 4-for-21 shooting.

Amber Ferguson scored 12 points and Shannon Tanelli had nine for the Celtics (26-3).

Atlantic played Coral Springs Charter in the Class 4A semifinals on Feb. 19, after the Daytona Times’ deadline. The winner played for the 4A State title on Feb. 21. The Final Four takes place at the Lakeland Civic Center in Lakeland.

Williams named McDonalds All-American Williams was named a

Boys playoff recap New Smyrna beat Oviedo 65-61 to open the Class 7A playoffs. Desmond Mitchell had 17 points to lead the Barracudas.

Monolito Hamilton scored 29 points and Jason Brunel added 15 points with 10 rebounds to help DeLand defeat Jacksonville Mandarin in the first round of the Class 8A playoffs.

Kyle Epping and Larry Cavers each added nine points for DeLand.

Malik Maitland had 25 points and A.J. Ford 24 to lead Father Lopez to a comfortable 85-54 win over Gainesville PK Yonge to open the Class 3A playoffs.

Cameron Breehl added 16 points and Sam San Souci 12 for the Green Wave.

A fourth-quarter collapse caused Calvary Christian Academy to lose 56-49 to Leesburg First Academy in the Class 2A playoffs. The Lions led by nine points heading into the fourth quarter. Zach Camporese had 18 points for Calvary.

Deltona fell to Palm Bay Heritage 92-69 in the Class 6A first round.

Regional semifinal games took place Feb. 19.

New Smyrna hosted Orlando Evans, Father Lopez hosted Gainesville St. Francis and DeLand hosted Oviedo Hagarty.

Prep Sports Seven Basketball rankings

McDonald’s All-American on Feb. 14, becoming the first girl basketball player in either Volusia or Flagler county to earn the honor.

She will play in the McDonalds All-American game at the United Center in Chicago on April 3.

Girls playoffs recap Ashley Folsom had 29 points, 17 rebounds and five blocks to lead Father Lopez past Jacksonville

University Christian 69-56 for the Region 1-3A title.

Teammates Simone Brown (17 points, 8 rebounds), April Panaggio (14 points) and Shannon Crenshaw (10 points, nine assists) also chipped in.

The Green Wave advanced to the Class 3A State Final Four. They played Clearwater Calvary Christian in the semifinal on Feb. 20. The winner advanced to the 3A title game

on Feb. 21.

Lopez defeated defending Class 3A champ Gainesville P.K. Younger 62-60 in the second round behind Crenshaw’s 19 points and Folsom’s 18.

Lake Mary beat Deland 39-31 in the regional semifinals. DeLand was without starting guard Erin Graham. Emily Bernard had nine points for the Bulldogs.

Girls: 1. *Father Lopez (25-5), 2. *Atlantic (22-6), 3. *DeLand (26-4), 4. Flagler Palm Coast (18-7), 5. *Trinity (20-8), 6. *Seabreeze (13-13), tie 7.*New Smyrna (8-17), Warner (8-9).

Boys: 1. *Father Lopez (26-2), 2. *DeLand (22-7), 3. *New Smyrna (22-4), 4. *Calvary (18-9), 5. *Deltona (12-15), 6. Mainland (15-11), 7. Halifax (12-11).

1.Spruce Creek (3-1), 2.

Trinity (1-2), 3. New Smyrna (1-0), 4. Seabreeze (11), 5. DeLand (0-1), 6. University (3-0), 7.Mainland (3-0).

I t ’ s t h e r a c e o f a l I f e t I m e . EvEry timE.

Fe b rua ry 2 4

1 9 7 9

1 9 9 8

2 0 0 4

2 0 0 7

2 0 1 1

On February 24th, the DaytOna 500 will prOve Once again why this is the race OF a liFetime. every time.

Like in 1998, when a 20-year quest ended with one of racing history’s most timeless moments – Dale Earnhardt celebrating in Gatorade Victory Lane. And when Dale Earnhardt Jr. carried on that family legacy in 2004. Or in 2011, when a 20-year-old underdog shocked the world.

Witness the next chapter of The Great American Race, with the 55th running of the DAYTONA 500. Great seats can still be yours and kids 12 and under are half-off all Backstretch seats while supplies last.

1-800-PItshoP

w w w. D aY t o N a 5 0 0 . c o m

# D aY t o N a 5 0 0

7HEALTH

R8

FEBRUARY 21 – FEBRUARY 27, 2013

Blacks with thyroid cancer fare worse than Whites

Bill would expand genetic info protection

Signs and symptoms

BY FELICIA VANCE SPECIAL TO THE NNPA

Blacks have fewer incidences of thyroid cancer but have a more advanced form of the disease once they receive a diagnosis — and are more likely to die from it.

The mortality rate is probably due to an access to care issues.

It has been found that Blacks had a 1 percent higher mortality rate, though thyroid cancer is twice as common among Whites.

In a recent study, Blacks were more likely to have tumors larger than four centimeters, which implies that the tumors sat there and grew a lot longer.

The study also found they were more likely to present with anaplastic thyroid cancer, which is a fatal and advanced form of the disease, as opposed to papillary and medullary cancer, which are most common and easily treated.

Thyroid cancer may be diagnosed after a person goes to a doctor because of symptoms, or it might be found during a routine physical exam or other tests. If there is a reason to suspect you might have thyroid cancer, your doctor will use one or more tests to find out. Signs and symptoms might suggest you have thyroid cancer, but you will need tests to confirm the diagnosis.

Prompt attention to signs and symptoms is the best way to diagnose most thyroid cancers early. Thyroid cancer can cause any of the following signs or symptoms: • A lump in the neck, sometimes growing quickly • Swelling in the neck • Pain in the front of the neck, sometimes going up to the ears • Hoarseness or other voice changes that do not go away • Trouble swallowing • Trouble breathing • A constant cough that is not

NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

COURTESY OF NNPA

Thyroid cancer may be diagnosed after a person goes to a doctor because of symptoms, or it might be found during a routine physical exam or other tests. due to a cold If you have any of these signs or symptoms, talk to your doctor right away. Many of these symptoms can also be caused by non-cancerous conditions or even other cancers of the neck area. Thyroid nodules are common and are usually benign.

If you have any signs or symptoms that suggest you might have thyroid cancer, your health care professional will want to know your com-

plete medical history. You will be asked questions about your possible risk factors, symptoms, and any other health problems or concerns.

If someone in your family has had thyroid cancer (especially medullary thyroid cancer) or tumors called pheochromocytomas, it is important to tell your doctor, as you might be at high risk for this disease.

This story is special to the NNPA from Tri-County Sentry.

AARP: Workforce obstacles put major strain on older Blacks SPECIAL TO THE DAYTONA TIMES

WASHINGTON – Nearly four years after the official end of the Great Recession, African-American older workers continue to confront a difficult job picture across the country.

Federal unemployment statistics for January show Black workers between 45 and 74 had an unemployment rate of 9.9 percent, compared with 6.1 percent for Whites of the same age.

For African-American workers of all ages, the jobless rate for January was 13.8 percent, compared with an overall rate of 7.9 percent.

New AARP research shows that a large number of older Af-

rican-Americans are anxious about continuing weaknesses in the economy and small businesses in which they are involved.

“For many years, older African-Americans have faced an extremely difficult job market,” said AARP Vice President for Multicultural Engagement Edna Kane-Williams. “Others have confronted major problems as well, but the situation has been and continues to be - especially acute for diverse communities.”

Many caregivers An AARP fact sheet, released this month, summarizes preliminary data from a “Multicultural Work and Career Study” that will

be released later this year. The overall survey included those ages 45-74 who were employed or actively looking for work.

The strain among older African-Americans is apparent in the fact that a large number - 39 percent - said that it was either “very likely” or “somewhat likely” that they will either lose their job or have to give up working for themselves in the next year.

Reflecting anxiety on a separate question was the response from 25 percent of all AfricanAmericans who said they might need to take a leave from their job to “care for an adult family member in the next five years.”

Nineteen percent said that they had already taken a leave to care

for an older relative in the last five years.

Programs and resources AARP has a variety of programs and resources to support older workers. Most recently, AARP has begun offering a new way for experienced workers to advance themselves through Work Reimagined, a social network-based jobs program that connects employers seeking experienced workers with qualified professionals searching for new or more satisfying careers.

The site (www.workreimagined. org) leverages the platform of the social media site, LinkedIn.

Legislation filed Monday in both the House and Senate would expand a law that prohibits insurers from cancelling insurance coverage, changing rates, or otherwise discriminating against people based on certain genetic information.

Health insurers are already barred by law from using genetic test results for “any insurance purpose” in the absence of first receiving a diagnosis of a genetic condition.

Bills filed in the Senate (SB 982) by Sen. Audrey Gibson, D-Jacksonville, and in the House (HB 857) by Rep. Richard Stark, D-Weston, on Monday would add other types of policies, including life insurance, to the law.

Sex-selective, race-selective abortions targeted

by House bill NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

Legislation filed Monday in the House would ban “sex-selective” and “race-selective” abortions.

The bill (HB 845), filed by Rep. Charles Van Zant, R-Keystone Heights, includes a whereas clause that contends that “experts have demonstrated that the sex-selection industry is on the rise and predict that it will continue to be a growing trend in the United States.”

The measure’s purpose, according to the bill, is “to protect unborn children from prenatal discrimination in the form of being subjected to an abortion based on the child’s sex or race by prohibiting sex-selection or race-selection abortions.”

The measure doesn’t have a Senate companion bill.

GOOD AND READY. Always fresh and never frozen, Publix Fresh Fish Select Cuts are conveniently cut into individual portions, totally trimmed, and priced by the piece. They make enjoying a seafood meal at home deliciously easy.

Try A l l S i x Va ri e ti e s: SALMON • MAHI-MAHI • SWORDFISH • TUNA H A L I B U T • B O U R B O N - M A R I N AT E D S A L M O N