Tommie Smith reflects on Black Power salute at Olympics SEE PAGE 7
EE FR
MARC MORIAL: President rallies help for young males of color See page 4
Banquet to shine spotlight on youth in Flagler NAACP SEE PAGE 3
East Central Florida’s Black Voice MARCH 13 - MARCH 19, 2014
YEAR 39 NO. 11
www.daytonatimes.com
Speedway chief pledges jobs for minorities One Daytona project gets $40 million from city, county BY ASHLEY D. THOMAS DAYTONA TIMES aysheldarcel@gmail.com
Developers requesting $20 million in taxpayer-funded infrastructure for One Daytona received the green light at last week’s Daytona Beach city commission meeting. The group al-
so received $20 million from the county. The resolution approving the funding is for the project proposed by Jacoby Development and International Speedway Corporation for the One Daytona Mixed-Use Project across from the Daytona International Speedway racetrack. The development is supposed to offer a premier entertainment, dining and retail destination for tourists and locals alike. “A lot of people don’t under-
stand the scale,” explained Brian Leary, managing director of Jacoby Development, Inc. “We will start this summer and you will see buildings coming in early next year.’’
Water show, theater The venture will be heavy on entertainment, Leary explained, naming parts of it an outdoor living room, featuring a water show with fountains choreographed to music and a 12-screen movie theater on site.
“To get off I-95 and see the World Center of Racing, living here we take it for granted. What they are doing to it now, we won’t take it for granted anymore. The gateway to our community is being completely redefined,” Zone 1 Commissioner Carl W. Lentz IV said before the Daytona Beach City Commission voted 7-0 yes to the funding.
Thousands of jobs “Tonight we have an opportunity that will complement the
Bikers rev up for more riding, racing, partying
Daytona Rising and extend tourist stays and year-round entertainment. Thousands of jobs, millions of dollars in new labor income and new taxes going to city and county,” Lisa France Kennedy, CEO of International Speedway Corporation, said to Daytona Beach commissioners at their March 5 meeting. “The time is now. Daytona Rising will open in 2016. We feel that One Daytona should open at the same time. It needs to happen all Please see JOBS, Page 2
$20 million awarded to former employee of Daytona hospital in Medicare lawsuit BY ASHLEY D. THOMAS DAYTONA TIMES aysheldarcel@gmail.com
The Daytona Beach-based Halifax Hospital Medical Center and Halifax Staffing Inc., agreed to pay $85 million in a settlement that involved allegations they submitted Medicare claims that violated federal law, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Tuesday. The settlement stems from a whistleblower complaint filed by a former employee of Halifax Hospital, Elin BaklidKunz, pursuant to the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act, which permit private persons to bring a lawsuit on behalf of the government and to share in the proceeds of the suit. Elin The act also permits the Baklid-Kunz government to intervene and take over the lawsuit, as it did in this case as to some of Baklid-Kunz’s allegations. Baklid-Kunz will receive $20.8 million of the settlement.
Decade of fraud alleged
Bikers are already enjoying the scenes on Dr. Mary McLeod Boulevard as the festivities are underway. BY ASHLEY D. THOMAS DAYTONA TIMES aysheldarcel@gmail.com
H
undreds of thousands of bikers and the million dollars they will spend are being welcomed to the Daytona Beach area during this year’s annual Bike Week, which continues through March 16. Motorcycle enthusiasts will find plenty to keep busy with as the festival spans Flagler and Volusia counties. Bikers will take part in free motorcycle demos, bike shows, bike races, fashion shows, bikini contests and plenty of good eating. The philanthropic rider can also contribute to charity through bike rides such as the 2014 Bike Week Ruff Ride & Poker Run sponsored by the Humane Society. Though the events are plentiful, many have no formal advertising. The Daytona Regional Chamber of Commerce, which sponsors the event, has taken on the duty of compiling as much information as possible on the chamber website to keep bikers informed.
Get your popcorn The heart of activities catering specifically to Black bikers in Daytona occur on Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Boulevard, known as MMB and formerly Second Avenue. Oils, perfumes and sprays are a crowd favorite and Daniel Robertson of Scents By Alameen brought dozens of them. His fragrances range from sweet and flowery to sensual, manPlease see BIKE WEEK, Page 2
Above: The Electric Slide, The Wobble and Cupid Shuffle will all be played during the dance offs by center stage. Left: These bikers are part of the motocross races held at Daytona International Speedway PHOTOS BY DUANE S. FERNANDEZ/HARDNOTTS PHOTOGRAPHY
Allegations from the 47-year-old Baklid-Kunz say the medical center violated what is known as the “Stark Law.” This law prohibits physician referrals of designated health services (DHS) for Medicare and Medicaid patients if the physician (or an immediate family member) has a financial relationship with that entity. She alleges that she witnessed more than a decade of billing fraud, unnecessary hospital admissions, inappropriate spinal surgeries and illegal kickbacks to doctors. The Justice Department allegations involved contracts with six oncologists and payments to three neurosurgeons, according to a news release issued by the department. “Patients deserve to know that recommendations are based on sound medical practice, not illegal financial relationships between providers,” said Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Daniel R. Levinson in a prepared statement. “Halifax now also is required to hire a legal reviewer to monitor provider arrangements and an additional compliance expert to assist the board in fulfilling its oversight obligations. Both of these independent reviewers will submit regular reports to my agency.”
Quick payment, no admission According to a statement from Halifax Hospital, the payment of $85 million will be made within 10 days of the settlement. The hospital also has agreed to operate under a five-year Corporate Integrity Agreement. The agreement includes oversight of all physician contracts and assurance that compliance programs meet all of the government’s laws, rules and regulations. The settlement does not include any admission of fraud, and the judge has determined that there were no violations of the federal anti-kickback statute by the hospital, medical oncologists or neurosurgeons. “We believe we have a fiduciary responsibility to avoid the risks associated Please see LAWSUIT, Page 2
ALSO INSIDE
COMMENTARY: MARIAN WRIGHT EDELMAN: STRUGGLING TO CHANGE WHAT YOU’RE GIVEN | PAGE 4 EDUCATION: COLLEGE COSTS RISING MORE RAPIDLY FOR POORER STUDENTS | PAGE 5
7 FOCUS
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MARCH 13 – MARCH 19, 2014
BIKE WEEK from Page 1
ly and musky. Other vendors are supplying cocoa butter, shea butter and other hair and body oils. Paintings, pocketbooks, earrings, sunglasses and phone chargers, bootleg DVD and CDs also can be found on the Avenue. Biker gear, patches and pins also are for sale. Hungry? Choices range from vegetarian dishes, tropical slushees, Caribbean options, turkey legs, wings, shrimp and barbecue. Gilbert Bells is on his 28th visit to Daytona’s Bike Week and is visiting from New Jersey. “Pretty much everything is the same as it’s always been, but I still enjoy myself,” he commented.
Greater officer presence? Iron Mike with the Kentucky Gun Slingers and a biker who goes by the name Truck Driver with the Stake Holders were on the Avenue Tuesday evening and spoke with the Daytona Times. The pair has been coming to the event for over a decade. “I don’t really want to say what I want to say ‘on the record’, but I will,” Truck Driver said. “I just think for a prime example, on the Black side of town they got the F.B.I. wagon (the Daytona Beach Police Department Mobile Response Unit) over there with all the blue lights flashing over here.’’ He added that you don’t see that on the “other side of town, over there with the White folks. You don’t see it at the Boothill Saloon, you don’t see that over at Froggy’s.” Iron Mike wasn’t in complete agreement with the statement, saying that there was a larger officer presence on the beach side where the majority of bikers convene. “But the main thing over here is that you get to get away from it. That’s why we come on this side.” “But you don’t see it as big,” Driver interrupted. “The first time the law is called over here, they are going to shut it down; that’s why we police ourselves.”
Clockwise from top: Barbecue is on the menu for hungry patrons. Shea butter, cocoa butter and exotic oils are just a few of the items vendors have for sale. PHOTOS BY DUANE S. FERNANDEZ/HARDNOTTS PHOTOGRAPHY
This vendor primes his tables for business for the upcoming weekend crowds. Be careful! Trailers are not wanted at the parking lots of some Daytona plazas. PHOTOS BY ASHLEY THOMAS/ DAYTONA TIMES
The Daytona Beach Police Department did not respond to a request for comment on police measures taking place. “We just want everyone to come out and have a good time, be safe and enjoy themselves,” said Demarco Sledge, another motorcycle enthusiast.
Weekend events A fashion show by Evelyn’s Creations 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. March 14 at the staging area on MMB. A Southern Soul Blues Fest will be held March 15 from 2 p.m.- 9 p.m. at Daisy Stocking Park, 550 Third Ave., featuring a swimsuit contest, bike show and dance off. A Buffalo Soldier Tribute will be held March 15 at 6 p.m. at the Second Avenue Plaza, 560 Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Blvd. It’s tribute to fallen bikers in the past year. The Safari Lounge will host events March 13-16 including, Ms. Remy presents Welcome to My City: Bike Week Concert Thursday night, under the tent outside the Safari Lounge; Grown Folks Friday for bikers 30 and up. Saturday is the Soulful night both indoor and outside. Sunday is a family and fun day with a jump house for the kids. Free food, games and entertainment start at 3 p.m. The Safari Lounge is located at 223 South Martin Luther King Blvd. More information: 386295-6629. The 73rd Daytona 200 by Honda: kicks off the 2014 Geico Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing season with a 200-mile battle at the Daytona International Speedway. The third appearance of the Budweiser Clydesdale Parade is scheduled for 3 p.m. (weather permitting) on March 15. The route starts at A1A and Oakridge Blvd, proceeds south to Main Street, west on Peninsula and finishes back at Oakridge. The Clydesdales will be at their stables at Destination Daytona. Find more Bike Week information at www.daytonachamber.com.
LAWSUIT from Page 1
with trial and the potential of a lengthy appeals process,” Tangela Boyd, spokesperson for Halifax Hospital Medical Center, said in the prepared statement. “We will continue our mission of providing exceptional patient care and providing health and wellness services to our community as the only safety net hospital in the area.”
Trial averted In a Nov. 13, 2013 ruling, the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida ruled that Halifax’s contracts with its medical oncologists violated the Stark Law. The case was set for trial on March 3, 2014, on the government’s remaining claims against Halifax when the parties reached this settlement. “This settlement illustrates our firm commitment to pursue health care fraud,” said U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida A. Lee Bentley III. “Medical service providers should be motivated, first and foremost, by what is best for their patients, not their pocketbooks. Where necessary, we will continue to investigate and pursue these violations in our district.” “It is vital our community understands that all the patient services involved in this case were medically necessary and billed at the appropriate rate,” Boyd explained. “This case was narrowly focused on the contracts used to pay mission-critical cancer specialists and neurosurgeons to provide life-saving care to patients.” Amid the allegations and settlement, Boyd asserts that Halifax Hospital continues to provide highly specialized care to those in the community, services she says that are “often not available elsewhere and enhance the health and well-being of all.”
COURTESY PHOTO
A rendering of the Daytona One development includes residential space, entertainment, dining and a movie theater.
JOBS
The project officially broke ground in early July 2013 and is expected to be completed in time for the 2016 Rolex 24 At Daytona and Daytona 500.
at the same time.” One Daytona is a multi-use construction project across from the Speedway while Daytona Rising is a project at the Speedway. The Speedway describes Daytona Rising as a “$400 million reimagining of an American icon.’’ At the conclusion of the redevelopment, Daytona International Speedway will have approximately 101,000 permanent, wider and more comfortable seats, twice as many restrooms and three times as many concession stands. In addition, the Speedway will feature over 60 luxury suites with trackside views and a completely revamped hospitality experience for corporate guests, according to the Speedway’s website.
‘No upfront risk’
from Page 1
Daytona Beach Mayor Derrick Henry explicitly wanted the public to understand that the $20 million of taxpayer money for the Speedway’s One Daytona project would not be taken immediately out of the budget. “We are not taking $20 million dollars today and handing it to the Speedway. That is not what is taking place. We don’t want residents to feel as though they are here as parasites, but as investors. No one has proven their investment in this community like the Speedway Corporation. They announced Daytona Rising and they went to work.” The city stands to gain about $19 million with the 30-year agreement. There will be $2 mil-
lion in impact fees paid up front and later returned as a grant. “There is no upfront risk,” Commissioner Kelly White explained. “Once the $18 million is paid, it’s over.”
out and inspire and bring in more minority and women to benefit from this. You have proven over the years that you can meet far greater challenges,’’ he said.
Minorities, women, jobs
Willing to go the distance
Daytona Rising is set to bring 4,000 construction jobs, more than 4,000 permanent jobs and $171 million in direct revenue to the county and the city over the next 30 years. Some citizens asked if an effort to include Blacks in the hiring process would be made. Commissioner Paula Reed added that minority and women incentives also were her concern. The mayor implored the Speedway to take into serious account that 40 percent of the community is Black and more than 50 percent are women. “The great challenge I leave you all with is to go beyond reaching out. Go in and try to dig
“I told Paula that we would like to work on that; her comment was spot on,” Kennedy shared with the Daytona Times after the meeting. “We haven’t nailed down the actual partnerships, but we are committed to working a fully fledged out program and partnership with Dr. (Edison) Jackson and the college (BethuneCookman University) and Dr. (Carol) Eden at Daytona State College,” Leary of Jacoby Development added. “Lesa will also be working with one of our tenants that is coming in to talk about women’s leadership. We are working on a lot of really exciting things.”
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MARCH 13 – MARCH 19, 2014 COMMUNITY DECEMBER 14 - 20, 2006
Flagler NAACP to showcase youth at ACT-SO banquet The Flagler NAACP ACT-SO Awards Banquet, taking place March 16, 3 p.m., at the African American Cultural Society, 4422 North U.S. 1, will showcase firstplace winners of the Olympics of the Mind Competition who will advance to the National Competition come July in Las Vegas. Since it exemplified great talent, Branch President Linda Sharpe Haywood wrote: “I just left the ACT-SO competition. Alexis Williams ‘blew us away’ with her rendition, ‘And I Am Telling You’ from ‘Dreamgirls’! All participants did a great job, but I had to give a special shoutout to Alexis.” ACT-SO, the acronym for AfroAcademic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics, is an NAACP student-enrichment initiative spotlighting talent in music, poetry, dance, design, art, culinary arts, and science and technology. Resumes will be enhanced, and the first-place winners furnished an all-expense-paid Las Vegas trip, plus a chance to compete with other winners around the country for scholarships, cash, fully loaded laptops, and other prizes. Notable ACT-SO alumni are music artist Kanye West, actor Jada Pinkett Smith and filmmaker John Singleton. For further details, contact the NAACP at 386-446-7822.
PALM COAST COMMUNITY NEWS JEROLINE D. MCCARTHY
NAACP meeting to focus on ‘Financial Freedom’ Join the Flagler County NAACP for the March 25, 6 p.m., membership meeting at the African American Cultural Society, 4422 North U.S. 1, Palm Coast. Everyone is invited for the business aspect, which will culminate in an economic-development workshop facilitated by financial advisors Orlando Johnson and John Skripko. Florida State Conference Economic Development Chair Torey Alston launched “The Financial Freedom Campaign” to showcase economic development through workshops in the community. For further details, contact the NAACP at 386-446-7822.
AACHO festival kicks off March 22 There’s a lot to see in entertainment for a day at the Afro-American Caribbean Heritage Organization’s (AACHO) Black Heritage Festival.
JEROLINE D. MCCARTHY/DAYTONA TIMES
Alexis Williams (third from left) met with other participants at the ACT-S0 2013 fundraising luncheon. Scheduled to kick off March 22, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., is a lineup of influential persons – a guest speaker, guest artists, church singers, dancers, martial arts demonstrators, and street vendors. The festival is set up for deejay Ronald Robinson. The opening ceremony begins at 11 a.m. at Palm Coast Community Center, 305 Palm Coast Park-
way, N.E., at Clubhouse Drive. Admission and parking are free. For vendor and journal details, call AACHO President Vivian Richardson at 386-446-6935, or Vice President Wes Powell at 386-445-8345. ••• As always, remember our prayers for the sick, afflicted and bereaved.
Celebrations Birthday wishes to Lorraine Trapp, Loretta Pete, March 13; Stanley Henderson, Ruthie Sunders, March 14; Ron Ambrose, March 16; young Devin Price, Maxine Hicks, Patrice Henderson, March 17; Myles Baker, March 18.
BRIEFS
Palm Coast, NCCAA to offer free Youth Sports Clinic Free basketball, baseball, soccer, volleyball and golf clinics are scheduled for Saturday, March 22 at James F. Holland Memorial Park, 18 Florida Park Drive, and the Palm Harbor Golf Club, 20 Palm Harbor Drive. From 9:30 a.m. to noon, children ages 5 to 16 will have the opportunity to learn and practice sport-specific skills from studentathletes and coaches from National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) member schools. Lunch will be provided by ChickFil-A. Pre-registration is required to participate in this free clinic. Sign up at www.palmcoastgov.com (search for “activities”). Call Palm Coast Parks and Recreation at 386986-2323 for more information.
ECHO Advisory Committee to meet March 18 The Volusia County Environmental, Cultural, Historical and Outdoor (ECHO) Advisory Committee will meet at 3 p.m. Tuesday, March 18, at DeBary Hall Historic Site, 198 Sunrise Blvd., DeBary. Members will discuss proposed changes to the ECHO grant application. Public participation will be welcomed at the end of the meeting. For more information, contact ECHO Program Manager Nancy Maddox at nmaddox@volusia. org or 386-736-5953. To learn more about the Volusia ECHO program, visit www.volusia.org/echo.
AKAs seeking girls for Bud Deb program The Gamma Mu Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. is looking for girls between the ages of 5 and 8 years old to participate in its Bud Debutante program. The girls will take part in several workshops, fundraising activities, and one girl will be crowned “Little Miss Bud Deb.” For more information or applications, contact Khalelah Jones at 386-852-8533 or Valerie W. Lowery at 386-253-1753.
Harvest Time International needs volunteers Harvest Time International’s Volunteer Services Department has many volunteer positions available. Volunteer opportunities consist of sorting or stocking of relief products such as household goods, and food for distribution in the Community Hope Center. The center in Port Orange provides immediate assistance upon qualification. Families in need are able to receive same-day assistance after qualifying through the client services office. For more information, email Maria Delgado at maria@harvesttime. org.
Men who cook Above is a snapshot from the 2013 inaugural Male Cook-off presented by the Gamma Mu Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and the United Negro College Fund. The 2014 Male Cook-off is March 23 at the Daytona Beach Resort and Conference Center, 2700 N. Atlantic Ave., Daytona Beach. The event will take place from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. More information: Call 386-299-8331 or email pjames21578@bellsouth.net.
Mosquito Control workers gear up for busy season Central Florida’s rainy winter brought a welcome respite from the long-term drought, but it also stirred up the mosquitos. According to Jim McNelly, Volusia County’s mosquito control director, standing water in salt marshes, puddles and ditches are providing lively breeding grounds for the pesky insects. Employees already are treating mosquito larvae in salt marshes, rainwater,
Summer lifeguard tryouts continue It’s not too late to apply for a summer job as a part-time lifeguard with Volusia County’s Beach Safety Division. Swim tryouts will be on these dates: • Saturday, March 15: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 to 4 p.m. at the Ormond Beach YMCA • Saturday, March 22: 8 to 10 a.m. at the DeLand YMCA; 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Deltona YMCA, 280 Wolf Pack Run; and 2 to 4 p.m. at the Ormond Beach YMCA • Wednesday, March 26: 5 to 7 p.m. at Daytona State College, 1200 W. International Speedway Blvd. Applicants must be at least 17 and be able to swim 500 meters in under 10 minutes, swim 50 yards in under 30 seconds, and run a half-mile in under 3 minutes, 15 sec-
catch basins and abandoned tire piles throughout Volusia County’s Mosquito Control District, which is primarily east of I-95. They haven’t received any complaints about bites yet, but they expect to start hearing them in coming weeks as temperatures rise and people start wearing short sleeves. Preparation tips Residents who have stagnant water in their yards or in outdoor containers are adding to the mosquito population, McNelly noted. Mosquitoes lay their eggs in or near water that can collect in bird baths, toys, clogged gutters, tires, pet bowls, potted plants and other containers. McNelly offers these tips to prepare for mosquito season: •Tip outdoor containers and toss items that collect water.
onds. Candidates considered for hiring will undergo a background check, physical and drug screening. Starting pay is $9.77 an hour with EMT certification and $9.37 an hour without certification. Those who meet the requirements must attend training classes and complete a 40-hour first responder/CPR course. For more information, visit www.volusia. org/beach or call Beach Safety Ocean Rescue at 386-239-6414.
Knit and Crochet Club meets March 26 The new Knit and Crochet Club will meet at 2 p.m. Wednesday, March 26, at the Daytona Beach Regional Library at City Island, 105 E. Magnolia Ave.
•Clean out eaves and gutters as part of spring cleaning. •Drain water from boats and tarps. •Change the water in birdbaths and pet dishes at least once a week. •Drain the water from bromeliads and other plants that hold water. •Repair tears and gaps in screens. •Vaccinate horses against Eastern equine encephalitis and West Nile virus. •Give monthly heartworm treatments to dogs. County residents who live within the mosquito control district can request service online at www.volusia.org/mosquito or by calling 386-424-2920 in New Smyrna Beach or 386-239-6516 in Daytona Beach. Residents of Deltona, DeBary, Orange City, Lake Helen, DeLand and Pierson should call their cities.
Experienced crafters will share their knowledge with beginners as the group knits and crochets for fun and charity. Members create personal items for friends and family; lap blankets and shawls for people in nursing facilities, group homes and hospice care; baby hats, blankets and booties for hospital newborns; and sweaters and hats for children’s services organizations. The club is sponsored by the Friends of the Daytona Beach Library. The library is open from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday. For more information, call Adult Program Coordinator Deborah Shafer at 386-2576036, ext. 16264.
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MARCH 13 – MARCH 19, 2014
Struggling to change what you’re given Seventeen-year-old Theresa Tran is one of this year’s winners of the Children’s Defense Fund-Ohio’s Beat the Odds® scholarships after overcoming tough odds including physical disability, the death of a beloved sibling, and a father who suddenly abandoned the family and left her mother to raise four children alone. Theresa says she had to be a survivor right from the start: “The odds were against me from the moment I was born. The chances of my survival were very slim since I was born three months premature and weighed only 1 lb and 10 oz. The doctors just looked at my mom and said, ‘She won’t make it until tomorrow.’ My dad refused to come see me and instead argued with my mom, saying that there wasn’t a point to my living because I was already messed up. My mom didn’t give up on me, though, and I began to fight for my life, unaware that this was the first of many times where I’d be a fighter.” Soon after birth Theresa was diagnosed with spastic diplegia, a form of cerebral palsy. Her closest brother Daniel, only eight months older because Theresa had been born so prematurely, and their older brother David helped protect Theresa from other children’s teasing and stares.
Left behind Five days before her fourth birthday, Theresa underwent corrective surgery to allow her to walk more easily – a date that should have been a happy milestone. But
School a refuge MARIAN WRIGHT EDELMAN NNPA COLUMNIST
as family and friends were picking up balloons and flowers later that day to celebrate they were in a car accident, and 5-year-old Daniel was killed. Theresa says, “After Daniel passed away, I wasn’t the same because he was my best friend, confidant, and protector. During elementary school, I was mourning, but that didn’t stop kids from viciously teasing me and humiliating me constantly because of my limp and an unusual gait. I didn’t want to go to school because I was defenseless, so going to school was a daily nightmare. Yet, because of the constant torment, I became emotionally strong. I figured if I were strong, if my tormentors couldn’t see me cry, then I’d be okay.” By middle school Theresa had finally started to believe the worst of the hard times were behind her when her world fell apart again. Her father left one day without mentioning where he was headed and never returned. After filing a missing person report, her frantic mother eventually learned he had paid a coworker to drive him to the airport and boarded a flight to his native Vietnam, leaving his family behind with no warning and no way to contact him.
As her mother continued working several jobs to keep the family afloat Theresa quickly took on much of the responsibility for caring for herself and her two younger siblings and she began to look at school in a new way – as a refuge. “School is the place I can get away from all the stress and troubles going on around me. I have no control over many things in my life, but my academics are up to me.” Theresa is now a high school senior and president of her class with a grade point average above 4.0. She hopes to major in biochemistry premed and become an orthopedic surgeon – “I’ve always felt the compelling obligation to help others and that I must give back to all the doctors who’ve helped me.” She also says, “I hope [my story] can help others going through adversity and show those people that they’re not alone . . . Despite these challenges, I’ve gotten back up and faced each day with an optimistic attitude. My past does not define me or my future, but all of these hardships have molded me into the person I am today.”
Marian Wright Edelman is president of the Children’s Defense Fund whose Leave No Child Behind® mission is to ensure every child a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start and a Moral Start in life and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and communities. Write your own response at www.daytonatimes.com.
Obamas send wrong messages Two weeks ago, President Obama launched an initiative called My Brother’s Keeper. As a part of this initiative, he signed a presidential memorandum establishing the My Brother’s Keeper Task Force, chaired by Assistant to the President and Cabinet Secretary Broderick Johnson. The task force will help determine what public and private efforts are working and how to expand upon them, how the federal government’s own policies and programs can better support these efforts, and how to better involve state and local officials, the private sector, and the philanthropic community in these efforts. I fail to understand the logic of setting up a task force. You would think groups like the NAACP, the National Urban League, the National Council of La Raza would already have “shovel ready” projects that the administration could access immediately.
Incorporate values and morals It is impossible to adequately deal with our youth without incorporating the issue of values and morals. It means telling our kids that there is right and wrong; not saying to them: “Who are we to judge?” The president said, “…I explained to them (the kids on stage with him) when I was their age, I was a lot like them. I didn’t have a
RAYNARD JACKSON NNPA COLUMNIST
dad in the house. And I was angry about it, even though I didn’t necessarily realize at the time. I made bad choices. I got high without always thinking about the harm that it could do. I didn’t always take school as seriously as I should have. I made excuses. Sometimes I sold myself short.” Was this not the same president that said a week before in the White House that he supported legalizing marijuana? But, then he tells kids, “I made bad choices. I got high without always thinking about the harm that it could do.” If it was a bad choice and it could cause harm, then why would you want to legalize marijuana?
‘Obamayonce’ As with the president, I am extremely confused and concerned with Ms. Obama’s fascination with people who promote values that are antithetical to creating a healthy environment for young girls to flourish in. Beyoncé is the personification of this. Two years ago, Ms. Obama was asked by People magazine who she would choose to be other than herself. She replied with, “Gosh,
if I had some gift, I’d be Beyoncé.” She and Beyoncé are purported to be very close personal friends, but is Beyoncé the person you really want your daughter to immolate? Allow me to share a few lyrics from Beyoncé’s most recent CD, Drunk in Love: “I’ve been drinking; I get filthy when that liquor get into me; I’ve been thinking; Why can’t I keep my fingers off it, baby?” On her song Bow Down: “I know when you were little girls; You dreamt of being in my world; Don’t forget it; Respect that, Bow down b—-es; Don’t get it twisted this is my sh-t, bow down b—-es.” There’s more. On the song Partition: Oh he so horny, he want to f—k; He bucked all my buttons, he ripped my blouse; He Monica Lewinski all on my gown.” And the First Lady wants to be like that? The president and his wife are sending out conflicting messages. Kids need to be told and shown how to behave. You can’t support legalizing marijuana and then tell kids not to use it. You can’t tell little girls to carry yourself like a young lady and then tell them you want to be Beyoncé.
Raynard Jackson is president & CEO of Raynard Jackson & Associates, LLC., a Washington, D.C.-based public relations/ government affairs firm. Write your own response at www.daytonatimes.com.
President Obama rallies help for young males of color There are some Americans who, in the aggregate, are consistently doing worse in our society — groups that have had the odds stacked against them in unique ways that require unique solutions…And by almost every measure, the group that is facing some of the most severe challenges in the 21st century in this country are boys and young men of color.” - President Barack Obama I was on hand for one of the most inspiring and important presidential announcements in recent history. In the aftermath of the killings of Trayvon Martin and Jordan Davis, and in response to data showing how badly the odds are stacked against millions of boys and young men of color in the United States, President Obama kicked off “My Brother’s Keeper,” an unprecedented public-private initiative aimed at improving life outcomes and addressing opportunity gaps for the nation’s most vulnerable population. The president made the announcement before an audience of young males of color and a coalition of government, business,
VISUAL VIEWPOINT: WOMEN’S DAY
MARC H. MORIAL TRICE EDNEY WIRE
civic and philanthropic leaders. I was proud to be there to represent the National Urban League. In unusually personal terms, President Obama spoke about his own struggles with drugs and alienation as a young boy growing up without a father. He called on all Americans to do more to improve the prospects for young males of color who are less likely to graduate from high school and more likely to be unemployed or end up in jail than any other group in America.
A commitment made Framing the initiative as both a moral and economic imperative, President Obama has done what Congress has failed to do over the past five years – convene a diverse and bipartisan coalition of Americans committed to targeted help for communities and populations most in need.
At the heart of the “My Brother’s Keeper” initiative is a commitment from a group of businesses and large and small foundations who have pledged at least $200 million over the next five years, on top of the $150 million they have already invested to test and expand proven strategies for improving the life prospects of young males of color. The president has also formed an interagency federal task force to direct this effort. As the National Urban League Movement has asserted for years, we know what works: early childhood education, stronger pathways to college and the world of work, alternatives to zero-tolerance discipline policies, shutting down the school-to-prison pipeline, more guidance from fathers and mentors, and the courage and determination of young males of color themselves to reject negative stereotypes.
Marc H. Morial, former mayor of New Orleans, is president and CEO of the National Urban League. Write your own response at www.daytonatimes. com.
LUOJIE, CHINA DAILY, CHINA
Respect begins with us I’ve been at a lost for words lately watching all the New World Order-like advancements unravel before our eyes. From Stand your Ground to Stop and Frisk, war is being waged on those who refuse to follow the ‘logical’ standards of our society. And there have been a long list of murders, both old and new: Jordan Davis, Trayvon Martin, Oscar Grant and Ramarley Graham. Why have people lost what little respect they had for our community? Why have they turned their backs and begun to raise deadly guns again? Another sign of the times is that the NFL has to ban the Nword so people, including men of color, won’t continue to wreak havoc on those around them. Municipalities are stepping up to place some limits on unacceptable words and behavior. Mound Mall in central Indiana, for example, has placed a ban on wearing raised hoodies while shopping. This is to insure mall security can see your face. Many municipalities are banning sagging jeans because no one wants to see our men’s underwear, dirty or clean. But why should others do what we should be doing for ourselves?
Where is the respect? While the NFL is moving to outlaw the N-word, we have an out of control epidemic in our community of young people calling each other the N-word and fighting for the ability to use the derogatory language. Even some esteemed Black sports writers have defended use of the derogatory term in columns and in panel discussion, including a recent one hosted by ESPN. For the second consecutive year, Young Money Cash Money Billionaires produced content during Black History Month that desecrated the images of our celebrated ancestors. All of the urban reality shows highlight stereotypical images of us fighting, usually for no justifiable reason, and Black women who end up being scandalous homewreckers. Do you think these images do not play out in how people perceive our culture? People are anticipating tension and confrontations when interacting with us. They are turning their noses up at the
JINEEA BUTLER NNPA COLUMNIST
thought of what we might do. Turning down our business because of the probability of what might happen. How are they anticipating our moves when they never met us before? In fact, they have met us – on television, overhearing our conversations on the train, the music we produce, the disrespect we allow, the violence in our communities, the number of high school drop-outs, the outrageous AIDS rates, the nasty attitudes.
It’s our own fault Don’t get me wrong: I am not saying people should be able to arm themselves and get away with murder. However, I am saying we play a role, often a negative role, in how others look at us. When do we arm ourselves with the tools and the skill sets that will prepare our families to survive and prosper generations in this society? Why don’t our topics of discussion extend beyond the latest episode of Scandal? To borrow from Jay-Z, What are we talking about? More importantly, what are we doing? Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, Sandra Bullock and even relatives of Mitt Romney have all adopted Black children. They are doing that while millions of Blacks, even those who can’t bear children, show no interest in providing loving homes to Black children stuck in orphanages or bouncing from one group home to another. Meanwhile, we support all of the [you fill in the city] “Housewives” on TV, we buy CDs that insult Black women and we basically send a message to the world that we’re fine with how we are perceived and portrayed. But if we are going to demand respect from others, we must first command respect among ourselves. That’s what we should be talking about.
Jineea Butler, founder of the Social Services of Hip Hop and the Hip Hop Union is a Hip Hop Analyst. Write your own response at www.daytonatimes. com.
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.
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MAYOR
MARCH 13 –DECEMBER MARCH 19,142014 - 20, 2006 EDUCATION
College costs rising more rapidly for poorer students Analysis shows students with higher incomes getting huge discounts
Pell eligibility varies based on such things as whether students are dependent on their parents and go to school full time or part time and the cost of their tuition. Three-quarters of Pell recipients come from families that make $30,000 or less per year. That means public and private colleges and universities are spending more of their financial aid budgets trying to lure higher-income students, whose families earn much more than $30,000 a year, than on meeting the financial needs of low-income ones, according to a 2011 report from the U.S. Department of Education.
BY JON MARCUS AND HOLLY K. HACKER THE HECHINGER REPORT/MCT
WASHINGTON — America’s colleges and universities are quietly shifting the burden of their big tuition increases onto low-income students, while many higher-income families are seeing their college costs rise more slowly, or even fall, an analysis of federal data shows. It’s a trend financial aid experts and some university administrators worry will further widen the gap between the nation’s rich and poor as college degrees — especially fouryear ones — drift beyond the economic reach of growing numbers of students. “We’re just exacerbating the income inequalities and educational achievement gaps,” said Deborah Santiago, co-founder and vice president of Excelencia in Education, a nonprofit group that advocates for Latino and other students. The shift also runs contrary to an Obama administration push to make a college education more affordable for low-income students. At a White House summit in January, college leaders and others promised to find ways to make degrees more accessible for the less affluent.
The net price In fact, lower-income and working-class students at private colleges and universities have seen the amount they pay, after grants and scholarships, increase faster than the amount their middle- and upper-income classmates pay, according to an analysis of data that institutions are required to report to the U.S. Department of Education. The net price — the total annual cost of tuition, fees, room, board, books and other expenses, minus federal, state and institutional scholarships and grants — rose for all students by an average of $1,100 at public and $1,500 at private universities between the 200809 and 2011-12 academic years, the most recent period for which the figures are available. At private universities, students in the lowest income group saw the biggest dollar increase over that period: about $1,700, after adjusting for inflation, according to the analysis by The Dallas Morning News, The Hechinger Report and the Education Writers Association. Higher-income students paid more overall, but their costs rose more slowly — an inflation-adjusted average of about $850 for middle-income families and $1,200 for those in the top income group.
Better high schools
Tony Hall of Wyncote, Pa., received a tuition break last year from Strayer University, a for-profit institution that offers a primarily business curriculum and caters to working adults. For every three courses he completes, he will get one tuition-free. Strayer’s approach is one way colleges are trying to mitigate the rising cost of tuition as pressure mounts from students facing a crushing debt load.
Who gets tax-based student aid Though only 20 percent of U.S. households earn more than $100,000 a year, that group got more than half the deductions for tuition, fees and exemptions for dependent students. The percentage of education incentives for 2013, by income group: Pell grant
American Opportunity Tax Credit
WASHINGTON — The sticker price at Pennsylvania State University runs about $30,000 a year for instate students. At Swarthmore College, it’s nearly twice that. Yet Swarthmore ends up being cheaper for most students. That’s because this private liberal arts college near Philadelphia offers many families a hefty discount, bringing down the average cost to even less than taxpayer-subsidized Penn State’s. This kind of information used to be hard or impossible to find because colleges
Tuition and fees deduction
Student loan interest deduction
Student exemption
60% 50 40 30
Disputing the formula
20 10
Bottom fifth
Lower middle
Middle
Upper middle
Top fifth
Income less than $11,926
$11,926$27,561
$27,562$51,807
$51,808$91,656
More than $91,656
Households by income group (using adjusted gross income) Source: The Hechinger Report, Tax Policy Center
Billions in discounts At private research universities, including many of the nation’s most elite, the net price rose by an average of $2,700 for the poorest families — those with incomes under $30,000 a year — compared with $1,400 for their higher-income classmates. Those averages are also adjusted for inflation, and the sample is limited to students who received any federal aid. Experts and advocates concede that, as tuition spirals ever higher, even more affluent families need help paying for it, making the situation far more complex. Wealthier students still pay more for college educations, on average. But to help colleges maintain enrollment numbers, keep revenue rolling in and raise standings in annual rankings, these students are getting billions of dollars in discounts and institutional financial aid that many critics say should go instead to their lower-income classmates. “Schools are talking out of both sides of their mouths,” said Stephen
How some families pay less for college than others BY JON MARCUS AND HOLLY K. HACKER THE HECHINGER REPORT/MCT
Lifetime Learning Credit
around $18,500. And families that earn more than $110,000 paid the most, about $37,500. Over the four years the data were collected, however, the net price for Notre Dame’s poorest freshmen more than doubled, from about $7,300 in 2008-09 to $15,100 in 2011-12, while it declined slightly for students in higher-income groups.
don’t always want people knowing what they really pay — or that some families may be paying a lot less than others. But now the U.S. Department of Education collects this information, and Hechinger is making it available in even more detail through our Tuition Tracker database, at http://www.tuitiontracker.org/.
Publicizing the prices As part of a sweeping yet little-noticed higher education law from 2008, colleges and universities must report their out-of-pocket cost to students — the so-called “net price.” They also must disclose how
Burd, a senior policy analyst at the New America Foundation, a nonprofit think tank. “They say that they support access, but in general they’re giving more and more of their aid to higher-income students.” Burd calls the practice “affirmative action for the rich.”
Working the system Financial aid officials say higher-income families have learned to work this system, pitting institutions against one another to negotiate for even more discounts, while also capturing a lopsided share of outside scholarships. This phenomenon is occurring even as colleges and universities contend they’re less and less able to help low-income families financially. Higher-income families also disproportionately benefit from tuition tax breaks and an outdated formula for the taxpayer-supported federal work-study program. “If this really is an era of tight resources, then we need to make every dollar count,” said Julie Strawn, a former senior fellow at the Center for Postsecondary and Economic Success. Inmuch they charge families in different income brackets. The sticker price includes tuition and fees, room and board, books and other expenses. The net price is what students actually pay — either out of their own pockets, their parents’ or by taking out loans — after subtracting grants or scholarships. The idea behind publicizing the net price is to give families better information as they shop for colleges and, as the late Sen. Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts explained when the federal legislation was passed, to “promote an environment where colleges think carefully before they raise their prices.”
Making it affordable Some schools have since moved to limit cost in-
© 2014 MCT
stead, Strawn says, “We’re pitting groups of students against each other, most of them from families that make less than $30,000 a year, on the premise that there just isn’t enough money to invest in low-income people going to college.”
Disclosures a must Just as airline passengers pay varying prices for the same trip, college students often pay different prices for the same degree. Until a few years ago, that information was hard or impossible to find. Now, colleges and universities must annually disclose their so-called “net price,” which is what families are left to cover through savings, loans, work study and private scholarships from civic groups and other sources. The most recent data for the University of Notre Dame, for instance, show that the poorest students, defined as coming from families with annual incomes below $30,000, paid an average net price of just over $15,000 per year. Students with family incomes between $48,000 and $75,000 paid more, creases, but it’s unclear how much the publication of net price data has driven that restraint. The Education Department won’t say how many people use the two principal websites through which it provides this information, College Navigator and College Scorecard. Whatever those numbers are, they are so low that they aren’t even tracked by services that rate Internet traffic. What the data show is that, at Swarthmore, for example, students from families earning between $48,000 and $75,000 received enough grant and scholarship money to bring their average net price below $12,000 per year. At the seemingly more affordable Penn State, in-state students from the same income bracket paid a net price nearly twice that.
Some colleges and universities dispute the government’s formula for determining net price, which takes into account only students who receive socalled Title IV financial aid, and only the earnings of custodial parents. Many say they use a different calculation that, among other things, is based on total assets and the incomes of both parents, even if they’re divorced. There are shortcomings with these figures — most notably that they take into account only full-time, first-year students who receive federal financial aid. At Notre Dame, as an example, that means just under half of all freshmen are included. Still, the data offer the most comprehensive and transparent look at what students of varying financial means really pay. And because the government’s net-price figures have been calculated consistently over the years, they’re the best available measure of how financing patterns are changing.
Luring high-income students Colleges and universities last year gave about $8.3 billion in so-called merit aid to students whose family incomes were too high for them to qualify for government-issued Pell Grants, the College Board reports. These net price figures aren’t perfect. They’re reported only for full-time, first-time college students — freshmen, typically. Part-timers, transfers and returning students aren’t included. Plus, these net prices sorted by family income only take into account students who applied for and received federal financial aid. Because most federal aid is need-based, the data tend to capture more lowand middle-income students, as opposed to highincome ones.
Scared off by prices Still, it’s low-income students who can benefit the most from understanding the difference between sticker price and net price. Many high-achieving low income students don’t even try to get into the Dartmouths and Dukes of
The colleges do this because dividing even a little money among several higher-income students means each of their families will pay the rest — filling more seats at a time when enrollments are declining, and keeping much-needed revenue coming in — while giving that same amount to a single low-income student would result in a loss to the bottom line. Better-off students tend to come from better-funded high schools and also typically bring the kinds of entrance-test scores and grade-point averages that make colleges look better in those annual rankings than do students from poorer districts. The result is that, since 1995, the proportion of students receiving merit aid has overtaken the proportion that gets needbased aid, nearly doubling from 24 percent to 44 percent at private institutions, and more than doubling at taxpayer-supported public universities, from 8 percent to 18 percent, according to that 2011 U.S. Department of Education report.
Merit strategies Some universities concede that they use merit aid to improve their academic standings. “As an institution with a rising academic reputation and building selectivity, we do use merit strategies to employ scholarship dollars,” said Melissa Connolly, spokeswoman for Hofstra University in New York, where students whose families earn $30,000 a year or less face an average net price of about $26,800, while their wealthier classmates have seen their costs drop by about $1,100 to roughly $31,600. “There are good arguments for institutions to make limited and judicious use of merit aid,” the University of Southern California’s Center for Enrollment Research, Policy and Practice and the Education Conservancy jointly warned as early as 2011. But “the practice has grown to the point of significantly reducing the funds to qualified students from lower-income households who could benefit from a college education.” the world as their wealthier peers do, a study last year by researchers at Stanford and Harvard found. Among the reasons: They get scared off by the high sticker prices and don’t bother to apply, unaware they’d likely qualify for a lot of financial aid. Mark Kantrowitz, a national expert and author on financial aid, advises students to apply to the schools that appeal to them, no matter the published price. “If a school wants to recruit you,” he said, “they’re going to leverage the financial aid to get you to go.”
This story was produced by the Hechinger Report, a nonprofit education-news outlet affiliated with Teachers College, Columbia University, in collaboration with the Dallas Morning News.
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This is personal. She was the cornerstone of our family. But my mother died of colon cancer when she was only 56. Let my heartbreak be your wake-up call. Photo: Andrew Macpherson
Colorectal cancer is the 2nd leading cancer killer in the U.S., but screening helps prevent this disease. Terrence Howard, actor/musician
If you’re 50 or older, please get screened. Screening saves lives. 1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636) • www.cdc.gov/screenforlife
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M ASPORTS YOR
MARCH 13 – MARCH 2014 DECEMBER 14 - 20,19, 2006
just the way I was brought up.” He was delivered from the cotton fields by his speed, and with the gift came a broader responsibility, Smith believed. He eventually earned an athletic scholarship to San Jose State University, at the time the nation’s most prestigious track and field program. It was there he met sociology professor Harry Edwards, who urged elite Black athletes to be heard on issues of race and injustice.
Profound statement
JIM GENSHEIMER/SAN JOSE MERCURTY NEWS/MCT
Tommie Smith, 1968 Olympic gold medal sprinter, holds the famous photo of the Black Power salute at the 1968 Olympics during the statue unveiling ceremony at San Jose State University in San Jose, Calif. on Oct. 17, 2005. The university unveiled at statue honoring the protest by San Jose State sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos.
The salute that rocked the world Olympian Tommie Smith reflects on controversial Black Power gesture BY TIM MADIGAN FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM/ MCT
For Tommie Smith in 1968, the joy of Olympic victory was replaced in seconds by the reality of what he knew needed to come next. He had just overcome a pulled muscle to set a world record in the 200-meter dash, winning the gold medal in Mexico City just ahead of U.S. teammate John Carlos, who finished third. The medal stand and history beckoned for both. “About three strides after I hit the tape, you can see the genuine smile on my face, but you’ll see that smile immediately diminished,” Smith, now 69, said last week. “All of a sudden, ‘Oh, oh, it’s time.’ There was another chapter. If I won the race, the next chapter was, ‘How am I going to do this? This has to be done so that people will understand.’” He referred to one of the most iconic and controversial moments in the history of the Olympic games, to the tightly choreographed protest carried out that October evening by Smith and Carlos. At the first note of the Star-
Spangled Banner, the two African-Americans simultaneously raised black-gloved fists and bowed their heads in what was described as a Black Power salute. They had carried their shoes to the medal stand and stood with pants legs rolled to reveal black socks.
Years of hardship The moment put a stunning exclamation mark on one of the American century’s most tumultuous years, earning Smith and Carlos the disdain of much of White America, scores of death threats, and long periods of personal hardship. Nearly five decades later, much has changed. The two are now widely revered as prophets and civil rights icons, celebrated in a series of recent books and documentaries. “I think we see the change about how they are perceived for the same reason we see Muhammad Ali and Martin Luther King Jr. as heroes,” said Dave Zirin, co-author of the 2011 biography, “The John Carlos Story: A Sports Moment that Changed the World.” “There was a lot of injustice and oppression at the time. These are the things these guys stood up against. These are the positions they were pilloried for. There is a recognition now that
they were on the right side of history.” Smith realizes that many today don’t understand the power of their Olympic gesture or the times that made it necessary. “Young people are seeing this photo (of the medal stand protest) and they want to know what it is,” Smith said. “Two guys standing on the victory stand with hand in the air and heads bowed. What does this mean?’ We used the stand for people who had no stand.”
The early years Carlos was born in Harlem, a brash young man who organized his first protest as a teenager when his school lunchroom served chicken to minority students without first removing all the feathers. He was a devotee of the Black leader Malcolm X. Smith was a less likely militant. The seventh of 12 children, he was the son of a sharecropper born in the northeast East Texas town of Clarksville. Smith was a quiet, religious boy who worked alongside his parents and siblings picking cotton. The family moved from Texas to California when he was 6, riding in a bus full of field laborers. “Tommie Smith wanted to win the gold medal, come home, get a job, have kids, go to church and die,” Smith said last week. “That’s
Smith, the nation’s top sprinter, joined Edwards as one of the founding members of the Olympic Project for Human Rights. “We must no longer allow this country to use a few so-called Negroes to point out to the world how much progress she has made in solving her racial problems when the oppression of AfricanAmericans is greater than ever,” the OPHR, which consisted of Black athletes, said in its founding statement. “So we ask, why should we run in Mexico only to crawl home?” The OPHR athletes threatened to boycott the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, another incendiary ingredient in the cauldron that was 1968 in America. Martin Luther King Jr., and Robert Kennedy were assassinated that year, students across the nation continued to march against the Vietnam War and violent clashes between protesters and police marred the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. But the Mexico City boycott movement fizzled, a bitter disappointment to many in the Olympic Project. “This was done in Denver en route to Mexico City, the last meeting of the athletes,” Smith said last week. “It was decided that each athlete would represent themselves according to how they felt the country represented them.” Before leaving the United States, Smith told his wife to buy a pair of black gloves and bring them to Mexico. “She wondered why,” he said. “Nobody knew anything. She gave them to me when she arrived in Mexico City. I put them in my bag. No big thing.”
The protest Smith and Carlos were prohibitive Olympic favorites in the 200 meters. Before their event began, they spoke in general terms about using the medal stand to make a statement. Smith almost never got the chance. In his semifinal race, he pulled a groin muscle just after crossing the finish line. The finals would come a short time later that same day. Thoughts of a medal stand protest became secondary. “My psychology immediately changed to running the race with that pulled muscle,” Smith said. “How could I get up to speed without that muscle. I was deeply worried about winning.” Somehow, in the final stretch of the race, Smith exploded past Carlos to set a world record. A White Australian sprinter, Peter Norman, nipped Carlos at the tape to finish second. The medal ceremony took place about an hour later. The three medalists were brought to a room beneath the Olympic stadium. In those few minutes, the details of the protest came together, including what was known as the Black Power salute, Smith said. “The black socks we had worn in all the races already,” Smith said. “Nobody had ever worn black socks before. The socks I had on were my Sunday socks. I had worn those to church.”
A joint move Smith handed Carlos the left glove, keeping the right for himself.
“I just said, ‘Here.’” Carlos took the symbolism further, wearing beads around his neck to protest lynching. In a violation of Olympic protocol he unzipped his jacket top, in what he later said was a nod to the working class and people in Harlem. They carried their shoes with them to the medal stand. Norman also asked to participate, and found a patch of the OPHR to wear on the medal stand. “We walked into the stadium, crossed the track and walked behind the platform,” Smith remembered. “Peter Norman was in front, I was in the middle, John was behind. We had discussed that as soon as the American flag went up, we had to make a joint move. I said, ‘My head will be bowed and my hand will go to God and I will pray during the national anthem because this country needs a lot of prayer.”
Nasty reaction On the first note Smith’s right hand shot up, followed immediately by the left hand of Carlos. They bowed their heads. An eerie silence fell over the stadium. Then boos began to descend. The two raised their fists one last time while walking from the stadium. A few days later, at the order of the International Olympic Committee, Smith and Carlos were kicked out of Mexico. In the preface of the John Carlos Story, Zirin summarized the reaction back home. The Los Angeles Times described the protest as a “Nazi-like salute.” Time magazine displayed the Olympic logo on its cover with the words “Angrier, Nastier, Uglier,’” a play upon an Olympic motto. The Chicago Tribune said the protest was “an embarrassment visited on our country.” A young sportswriter named Brent Musburger called it a “juvenile gesture by a couple of young athletes who should have known better.” Both Smith and Carlos were largely ostracized in the years after. They had brief careers in the National Football League, but otherwise had difficulty finding work. The marriages of both collapsed. “How can you say it? I had nothing but God,” Smith said last week.
Courage award Both men eventually earned advanced college degrees. Smith taught college for three decades. Carlos worked as a high school guidance counselor in California. “As recently as three years ago, no one wanted to talk to me. No one wanted to say my name,” Carlos wrote in his autobiography in 2011. “It was almost like we were on a desert island. That’s where Tommie Smith and John Carlos were. But we survived.” In an emotional ceremony in 2005, a statue of Smith and Carlos was unveiled on the San Jose State campus. Three years later, on the 40th anniversary of Mexico City, the two received the Arthur Ashe Courage award, presented during the ESPY award program of ESPN. “He certainly feels vindicated,” Zirin said of Carlos. “I think it helped a lot when the won the Arthur Ashe award. The statue at San Jose State meant everything, especially since the money had been raised by the students, not be the administration. “Just the cracking of the bitterness is what I’ve seen,” he said. Smith said last week he has no regrets. “Once I stepped on the victory stand, the next minute and a half set the pattern for my future life,” he said. “Am I happy I did it? Of course I am. Two positive thoughts are worth more than a thousand negatives. And I’ve had a lot of positive thoughts.
Lawmaker apologizes for NBA tweet critics called racist BY JENNIFER BROOKS STAR TRIBUNE/MCT
MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota state Rep. Pat Garofalo apologized, then apologized some more for a weekend tweet that suggested that NBA teams are crime waves waiting to happen. “Let’s be honest, 70% of teams in NBA could fold tomorrow + nobody would notice a difference w/ possible exception of increase in streetcrime,” he tweeted Sunday evening. The 140-character post sparked a swift, harsh national backlash. By morning, the Farmington Republican’s tweet was national news, usually accompanied by the prefix “racist,” and Garofalo was watching his own name scroll across the ESPN news crawl on the televisions at
the gym. Garofalo issued a written apology Monday morning. “In the last 24 hours, I’ve had the opportunity to re-learn one of life’s lessons: whenever any of us are offering opinions, it is best to refer to people as individuals as opposed to groups,” he said in the statement. “Last night, I publicly commented on the NBA and I sincerely apologize to those who I unfairly categorized.”
Inaccurate comments Later, he faced banks of cameras at the Capitol and apologized again. “I don’t have a racist bone in my body,” he said. “I pride myself on the fact that I’ve tutored (in) inner-city Minneapolis and
in addition I’ve been a strong advocate for the charter schools in our communities. But there’s no excuses. I apologize.” The controversy made headlines around the country and Garofalo came in for blistering accusations of racism, insensitivity and factual inaccuracy (crime rates among professional athletes are lower than the population at large.) Garofalo also noted that his belief that the NBA does not screen its athletes for marijuana use was patently wrong. “I was under the mistaken impression that the National Basketball Association did not test for marijuana. In fact, that is false,” he said. “That is a drug policy violation and something that’s clearly stated in their collective bargaining agreement.”
Death threat Garofalo says he’s gotten at least one death threat, but he’s also gotten “some very thoughtful emails from some people who talked about what it means for their children, who are sometimes subject to additional scorn because of the color of their skin, that people sometimes stereotype them. That was clearly not my intent.” This isn’t the first time a state lawmaker has set off a Twitter firestorm, but Garofalo said he wanted to “promise everybody I’ll do my best to not make that mistake again.” “It’s not fair to take all NBA players and put them all in one bucket, just like it’s not fair to put all elected officials or all managers into one bucket,” he said.
GLEN STUBBE/MINNEAPOLIS STAR TRIBUNE/MCT
Minnesota State Rep. Pat Garofalo apologized, then apologized some more for a weekend tweet that suggested that NBA teams are crime waves waiting to happen. “I don’t have a racist bone in my body,” Garofalo said on Monday.
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7 PERSONAL FINANCE
MARCH 13 – MARCH 19, 2014
Prepaid cards taking the place of bank accounts BY MARNI USHEROFF ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER/MCT
Chris Espinoza was having a hard time making purchases or paying bills online because he didn’t have a bank account. “Nobody wanted to give me an account,” said Espinoza, now 31. The La Habra, Calif., resident explained that being financially reckless during his youth “messed me up.” “Doing everything with cash was hard,” he said. During a visit to Walmart about a year ago, Espinoza found his banking workaround in the Bluebird prepaid card. Offered by the mega-retailer and American Express — it allows users to function as though they have a bank account, providing services through its mobile app such as direct deposit, online bill pay and check deposits. Espinoza was not alone in his banking woes. According to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., more than a quarter of U.S. households either do not have traditional bank accounts or they do but use alternative financial services anyway. CINDY YAMANAKA/ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER/MCT
Works like debit cards Many people are turning to general-purpose reloadable prepaid cards, which function like debit cards, minus the checking account. The cards can be used to withdraw cash at ATMs and for purchases online and at retail cash registers. Sold at retailers, banks and online outlets, the cards are branded with a payment network logo, such as American Express or Visa, and can be used wherever that brand is accepted. In some cases, these cards offer lower and fewer fees than basic checking accounts, according to a recent report by the Pew Charitable Trusts. But consumers can incur incremental fees for buying certain cards, loading them with money or even not using them. Prepaid cards have enjoyed some of the biggest growth in servicing the so-called financial-
Chris Espinoza, 31, of La Habra, Calif., used to be without a bank account. He got the American Express Bluebird prepaid card to make “cheaper” online purchases for sound equipment, pictured at his home, silk screening materials for his business and more. ly underserved in recent years.
More innovation Products aimed at that market generated $89 billion in fees and interest domestically in 2012, according to the Center for Financial Services Innovation. It found that general-purpose reloadable prepaid cards captured $1.6 billion in revenue that year, a 28.5 percent increase over 2011. Additionally, consumers loaded more than $64 billion onto these cards in 2012, according to the Mercator Advisory Group. All that money has the U.S. Postal Service eyeing the prepaid card market. The cash-strapped agency released a report in January proposing its branches pro-
vide non-bank financial services including reloadable prepaid cards to its customers. How did the underserved marketplace become so big? “There are a number of forces at work,” said Christina Tetreault, staff attorney at Consumers Union, the policy and action division of Consumer Reports. She cited fallout from the financial crisis that tarnished some consumers’ credit to the point they no longer qualified for credit cards and bank accounts. “Another piece is the innovation going on, and a lot of the products are more versatile than a traditional bank account,” Tetreault said. “The underserved market is huge, and unfortunately poor
people have had to spend a lot of money for banking-like services,” she added. “But now with increased competition, the cost to consumers is coming down.”
Emerging trend Some of the Bluebird card’s features exhibit the hallmarks of this innovation in the prepaid card market. The card allows users to designate funds for savings by funneling them into a linked “SetAside Account” — a kind of buffer against unintentional spending. Tetreault said there is some evidence people are using such linked tools for budgeting. Another feature is Bluebird checks — a stack of paper checks
that cardholders can order for a fee — roughly 50 cents per check. Users must preauthorize each check online or with the card’s mobile app to avoid an overdraft. Tetreault compared the 50-cent check with a money order, which at the post office costs $1.20, the lowest price available. Added to that is the time saved by skipping a trip to the post office. Bluebird also has online bill pay, which allows users to pay individuals and merchants with checks and electronic payments sent through their account or the app. Mobile-phone providers also are offering prepaid cards with payment management apps. Sprint’s Boost Mobile debuted its Mobile Wallet last spring, and TMobile unveiled Mobile Money last month. This is an emerging trend, according to Adam Rust, research director for consumer advocacy group Reinvestment Partners. “Companies like T-Mobile that have an existing customer base and a limited financial relationship with them basically collect one payment a month,” Rust said. “But they can use this prepaid card as a cross subsidy to enhance their main business.” With FDIC insurance, prepaid cards are eligible to receive federal benefits like Social Security payments. Consumers also benefit because their money is safe if the company goes out of business. “There are so many different kinds of fees for a consumer it becomes really hard to know how much you’re likely to spend, especially if you get a pay-as-yougo card,” Rust said. Chris Espinoza likes that his Bluebird card doesn’t have many fees and continues to use it even though he now has a checking and savings account. “I still use it for online purchases, eBay, online bills, stuff like one-time purchases.” Indeed, almost half of households without bank accounts that have used a prepaid card say they’re likely to open an account in the future.
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