Daytona Times - April 16, 2015

Missionaries bless B-CU students SEE PAGE 3

EE FR

DR. JULIANNE MALVEAUX: Should African-Americans endorse Whites over Blacks? SEE PAGE 4

GET INTO THE SWING OF SUMMER SAFETY SEE PAGE 7

East Central Florida’s Black Voice APRIL 16 - APRIL 22, 2015

YEAR 40 NO. 16

www.daytonatimes.com

Police and residents coming together Community forum on Saturday will address improving communication between locals and law enforcement

BY ASHLEY D. THOMAS DAYTONA TIMES aysheldarcel@gmail.com

A forum to promote a more clear line of communication between Daytona Beach residents and law enforcement will be held Saturday.

The event, organized by Johnnie Ponder and sponsored by the City of Daytona Beach, will include breakfast, lunch and the

opportunity for citizens to bring questions they have on police efforts and policies to the table.

“It’s for everybody,” Ponder said. “It’s not Black, it’s not White, it’s not beachside or west side. I wanted it to be inclusive of all of our communities,” Ponder, a community activist and vice chair of the Save Our Neighborhoods group told the Daytona Times.

“We have a responsibili-

ty for our actions. It’s a winwin for everybody, they will get a better understanding for us and we will get a better understanding of them,” Ponder said.

Local leaders to attend The public is invited to join criminologists, community leaders and representatives from the Daytona Beach Police Department on Saturday,

April 18, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Daytona State College, 1200 W. International Speedway Blvd., in Building 530, room 118. There is no charge to attend and a continental breakfast and lunch are included.

Ponder says many of the Neighborhood Watch groups throughout the city also are slated to attend.

“The NAACP is involved, the mayor (Derrick Henry) is going to be there, the

chief (Daytona Beach Police Department Chief Michael Chitwood), the clergy,” she said. “This is not a city commission thing.

This is a community agenda with all of us talking on how we want to deal with what’s happening in our community and our country.”

Violence throughout country

ticularly involving police officers and Black males has led media headlines for months.

The shooting death of Trayvon Martin in 2012 sparked the re-emergence of a national outcry of Blacks killed by those in authority, typically White male police officers. Martin’s killer, George Zimmerman was not a White officer however a seeminPlease see FORUM, Page 2

Recent violence par-

Want to buy a home?

This fair’s for you

BY ASHLEY D. THOMAS DAYTONA TIMES aysheldarcel@gmail.com

PHOTOS COURTESY BRIANA THOMPSON/FOOD BRINGS HOPE

Barbara Benjamin stands with TeenZone students from Campbell Middle School after they paint her home.

Spring cleaning project by teens Campbell Middle students paint local residence as community service activity

Daytonans in the market to purchase or refinance a home in the next 24 months will find a wealth of knowledge through programs coordinated by the City of Daytona Beach, churches and local businesses through April.

Emory Counts, the city’s Economic/Community Development and Fair Housing coordinator says a number of events are planned for residents in April – designated as National Fair Housing Month – who are,looking to purchase a home, refinance, seek credit counseling or discuss insurance concerns.

“Laws regarding discrimination and the Fair Housing Act will be discussed on April 17 at 1 p.m. at City Hall, Room 149 B,” Counts shared. Charles President, a HUD equal opportunity specialist from Jacksonville will lead the discussion.

An annual affair Counts says Allen Community Development, Inc. will host the 2015 Housing Fair & Financial Wellness Clinic April 25 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at Allen Chapel AME Church, 580 George W. Engram Blvd.

Counselors, representatives from the U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) mortgage lenders, realtors, insurance agents, home inspectors, and title companies. The public is invited to this free event where vendors will be on hand to answer questions.

“Homeowners are invited to learn about principal reduction programs,” he stated. “Homebuyers are invited to learn about lending.”

BY ASHLEY D. THOMAS DAYTONA TIMES aysheldarcel@gmail.com

TeenZone students from Campbell Middle School gave up a recent Saturday to paint and landscape the outside of a home located near their school.

“In the spirit of Mrs. (Forough) Hosseini, the kids did a great job demonstrating the importance of giving back,” said Dan Lucas, Campbell Middle teacher and Food Brings Hope sponsor.

Students painted and planted flowers along the residence located on Keech Street in Daytona Beach while homeowner Barbara Benjamin looked on from her driveway at the team of students working together to better the community in which they live.

‘I want my own’

Fun, rewarding

These students paint the home of Barbara Benjamin while others planted flowers.

“It was inspiring to see the young kids enjoying giving back,” said Jana MacIsaac, a Food Brings Hope volunteer and Bethune-Cookman University student. “They had a lot of fun working together on the home.”

Briana Thompson, program coordinator for Food Brings Hope, says Robinson was randomly selected by Lucas. His criteria was that the homeowner be a senior citizen liv-

ing in a working-class neighborhood with a home in need of exterior improvement.

Thompson said the organization has not set plans for another home but the possibility remains.

An Easter Day celebration took place at the home to celebrate the holiday weekend and the completion of the landscaping project on April 4.

Helping needy families “Food Brings Hope instills in its students that giving back to the community through service is one of the most rewarding acts of a contributing citizen,” expressed Forough B. Hosseini, founder and chair of the organization. “I am very proud of our Campbell TeenZone students for being kind and civic-minded and helping one of their neighbors.”

Food Brings Hope, founded in 2007, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to providing collaborative solutions for families with children who experience hunger due to homelessness, poverty, or unfamiliarity with community resources.

According to the organization, it provides meals and other needs to more than 500 students in Volusia County.

Saniyah Smith, a 30-year-old mother of three, says she will attend the fair because she is tired of renting.

“Year after year I am paying to live somewhere that will never be mine,” she told the Daytona Times. “I’ve been renting for over a decade and when I do the math it breaks my heart. At 7 or 800 dollars a month, I have easily spent 100 grand ($100,000 dollars) since I moved out on my own at 18.

“I have three children who have been moved three times in the last six years to different apartments and to be honest I want our next move to be our last move. When they go off to college, I want them to have a real Please see FAIR, Page 2

ALSO INSIDE

COMMUNITY NEWS: WOUNDED VETERANS TO BE HONORED IN DELAND | PAGE 3 COMMENTARY: DR. BENJAMIN F. CHAVIS, JR: ATTACKING ECONOMIC RACISM | PAGE 4

7 FOCUS

R2

APRIL 16 – APRIL 22, 2015

Journalists connect with PR, business professionals during event at Speedway Representatives from area media outlets participated in Media Day 2015 at the Daytona International Speedway on April 14. The event was presented by the Florida Public Relations Association - Volusia/Flagler Chapter. Flagler and Volusia County governments, several cities as well as area businesses took the opportunity to share their information with local public relations professionals and business representatives. During the networking events, over 40 registrants rotated in small groups, which included participants from the Daytona Times.

Following the event, participants were updated on the $400 million dollar Daytona Rising product via a presentation by Daytona International Speedway President Joie Chitwood.

DUANE C. FERNANDEZ SR./HARDNOTTS PHOTOGRAPHY

Above: Journalism, public relations and mass communications students participated in the experience. Left: A photo of the entire group was taken before participants took a hot lap around the speedway.

FORUM from Page 1

ly surge of Black men killed at the hand of law enforcement saw a spike in the months following.

Eric Garner, Amadou Diallo, Sean Bell, Michael Brown, Tamir Rice and most recently Walter Scott, the Black male shot in the back as he ran from North Charlotte officer Michael Slager all leave questions for those who may encounter law enforcement.

“You don’t want to have the conversation after Michael Brown, after Trayvon Martin. The time is to have it before so it does not happen,” Dr. Randy Nelson added. “Having the conversation now is key.”

No sudden moves Ponder says the NAACP will be bringing cards to pass out to citizens on what to do if you are pulled over by law enforcement.

“Put your hands on the steering wheel. Don’t make any sudden movements.

You have to understand that they are just as afraid of you when they walk up to your car. They are human beings that have families to go home to, “ she Dr. Randy added.

Nelson Nelson echoed Ponder’s sentiments. “When you are in law enforcement, you may not make it back home. I have a 6 year-old and a 14 year-old that I expect to make it home to every day. A police officer is one of the only jobs where it isn’t a given that you will make it home.”

Nelson, a nationally recognized criminal justice professor, will be the featured speaker and facilitator of the forum. He recently led a training session titled Community Engagement and Diversity Training with sworn personnel at the Daytona Beach Police Department.

Dr. Michael Humphreys, an associate professor of ethics at Bethune-Cookman University, also will address participants. Other speakers include the mayor, Chitwood and the Rev. Victor Gooden.

Nelson says the forum will serve as a means to bridge the gap between law enforcement and community.

“At the end of the day, we all want the same thing – a safe, crime-free community,” he added.

FAIR

from Page 1 home to come back to on holidays and summer breaks. I want a yard, with a fence, and a garden and a pool and a garage.”

“I want grass to cut, I want shrubs to plant,” she continued.

“I want a huge bathroom, a huge kitchen. But most of all I want my own.”

Smith says that part of the reason that she has not begun the process of purchasing a home is

ASHLEY D. THOMAS/DAYTONA TIMES.

Lt. Major Garvin listens to concerns from Daytona Beach residents at Steve’s Famous Diner during “Coffee with a cop” on Wednesday.

Safety first “I want safety,” Ponder continued. “We all do. I want to feel safe in my neighborhood. There are some places in the country where people don’t feel safe coming out of their house. Daytona Beach is a city with 62,000 residents and we have some of the same problems as New York City. We are not perfect and we know that, but we are striving hard to make it work and we have to work together, Black and White, we all work closely together because we need each other.”

Ponder noted Chitwood’s use of body cameras, a first in the state of Florida and an example used across the nation, as one of a line of positives that the force has taken to bridge the gap between the community and law enforcement.

“Stop thinking of cops as negative. We must open our heads and minds.”

“Now some of them are asses,” Ponder laughed. “But the vast majority of the officers in Daytona Beach are good folks. We need to be proud to have them.”

Officers sound off Lt. Garvin, a Black DBPD officer

because the task seems too hard to maneuver.

“I just feel overwhelmed,” she shared. “I’ve looked at first-time homebuyer programs but then I wonder if my credit is good enough, do I make enough money? What happens if the economy tanks again? I don’t want to put myself in a position where I am unable to take care of my responsibilities and with the recent housing bubble burst over the past couple of years, I’m afraid that a lender might use me.”

of 22 years, was among a dozen police officers at Steve’s Famous Diner on Atlantic Avenue on April 15 for “Coffee with a Cop.” Garvin and his comrades answered concerns of area residents in a low pressure environment.

Garvin says there are some components within the force that were ended due to budget concerns that were a real benefit to the community.

“There was a time when we had a drug elimination unit, a community relations unit. We used to have a community policing unit, a liaison unit, all these different units we used to have that were active in the community. We used to have substations in every single public housing unit in Daytona Beach,” Garvin explained. “They have been eliminated.”

More visibility Garvin suggested that having more officers visible in the neighborhood are a benefit to the police department and the community. He suggests that people feel more comfortable talking with officers when they see them on a daily basis, and not only to arrest someone.

“If detective Ray (Homicide

Credit counseling Those type of concerns will be answered at the housing fair, realtor Ann Yordan shared with the Times.

“Everything we could think of that someone could have questions about, we will have someone on hand to explain,” she explained. “We welcome all to come out and get as much information as possible.”

Yordan is the past president of the Daytona Beach Association of Realtors and has served on the Affordable Housing Advisory

“We are on the same team,” Nelson added. “A lot going around makes it seem like it’s us versus them. It’s not.”

“It also takes leadership of a law enforcement chief,” Nelson con-

tinued, saying that he doesn’t always see things the way Chief Chitwood does, but that being willing to have a conversation speaks highly of his leadership skills.

“Others (police chiefs) will say ‘What’s the problem? We’re doing everything right.’ He is willing to have the conversation. It’s harder to dislike folk that you have conversations with. If the only time they see you is when you’re making an arrest that’s a problem.”

“I think anytime you can have a venue, I don’t like talking just to be talking, but anytime you have a venue where community is allowed to participate, you are going to better your community,” Nelson added. “The community can ask for accountability.”

Ponder concluded, “Come in your T-shirt and your jeans and talk. This is solutions-based forum. We are opening the dialogue between the community and law enforcement for the betterment of us all.”

RSVP to Johnnie Ponder if you plan to attend the forum by calling 386-252-1866 or send an email to jponder56@yahoo.com.

Board with the city for 22 years.

“Down payment assistance will be available and everyone is invited to receive free credit reports and credit counseling,” she added. “It is all absolutely free.”

“We’ve been having this (fair) for a number of years,” Yarbor added, stating partnerships with Fifth Third Bank, the Mid-Florida Housing Partnership, Daytona Beach Area Association of Realtors and others who will be on hand.

“We have close to 30 tables,” she continued.

“I’m reminded of a quote,” she

closed. “I always tell people that owning a home is one of your biggest investments, ‘providing peace of mind for your piece of the American dream.’”

Yordon, along with Central Florida Legal Services, will be recognized as fair housing advocates, on April 17 at City Hall at 4 p.m.

The City of Daytona Beach will be sponsoring up to 15 persons to go to the regional fair housing summit at the Orlando Marriot, 8701 World Center Drive Orlando.

Contact Emory Counts at 386671-8246 for more information.

Detective Ricky Ray, who was also at the diner) had his boots on the ground, you as a mother, you as a father, whether you had issues in the neighborhood, someone was selling drugs, guess who your go-to person was? Ray! “He could put a process together and target whatever issue that you were having in that core area. He being there would help eradicate, help us stay ahead, that’s really what it’s all about, putting together a game plan.

Cutting it off at the root.”

City spokesperson Susan Cerbones says the next “Coffee with a Cop” will be Friday, April 17, 8 a.m. at McDonald’s, 1376 W. International Speedway Blvd. It’s the first time the event has been held on the west side of the city.

Residents can meet informally with Daytona Beach police officers to discuss community issues, build relationships and drink coffee.

Not just talk

3 7

APRIL 16 – APRIL 22, 2015 COMMUNITY DECEMBER 14 - 20, 2006

M A YNEWS OR

Missionaries bless B-CU students with shoeboxes filled with canned goods, toiletries Coming up next is a shoebox project for the Women’s Missionary Society (WMS) of the First Church of Palm Coast, the Rev. Gillard S. Glover, pastor.

Women’s Missionary Society President Mattie DeVore, Nellie Davis and Davis’ son, Anthony Chapman, met recently with Dr. Deanna Wathington to deliver shoeboxes full of toiletries and non-perishables. The boxes will benefit students in need along the journey of receiving a college education.

Dr. Wathington is Executive Dean and Professor at the Petrock College of Health Sciences at Bethune-Cookman University.

Dr. Wathington showed gratitude for blessing the students with the donation.

Dr. Edison O. Jackson is the university’s president, another person of faith, who’s much aware of the opportunities and challenges facing the students.

Dr. Jackson is on the move bringing the university from “great” to “greater.”

The overwhelming response sums up the generosity of the First Church members regarding the missionaries’ appeal to help the students. The missionaries’ initiative to fill shoeboxes with items for sustenance and grooming was the method of giving aim to help others.

Money and tuna Monetary contributions were welcomed, as well as non-perishables – canned tuna, soup, pork and beans, and plastic containers of mac and cheese and chili – and toiletries such as toothpaste, toothbrushes, Vaseline, deodorant, soap, shampoo, etc.

“We, as the Petrock College of Health Sciences, are blessed to have partners in the community, who have the best interest of our students at heart,” said Dr. Wathington. “I am sure that the students will appreciate the Women’s Missionary Society of First Church for addressing not only the academic needs but the personal needs. The college appreciates the Women’s Missionary Society and the church for supporting our students, and we hope to have a continued relationship.”

The shoeboxes will be delivered to students from different backgrounds, and in some cases, homeless students, as well as others without support either.

The issue of homeless college students is not ethnic, but moreover, one occurring in other colleges and universities as well.

Fifty shoeboxes were inventoried and delivered to the university. No two boxes were alike. The

PALM COAST COMMUNITY NEWS JEROLINE D. MCCARTHY

student selection will be made by the professors at B-CU.

‘Happy to help’ Davis can identify with the students.

“I’m excited and was more than happy to help,” said Davis. “I remember being hungry during my freshman year in college. That’s the reason why I wanted to help.”

The boxes were delivered from Davis’ home, where the items were sorted and gift-wrapped.

Other missionaries taking part in the project include Betty White, Mary Lee, Carolyn Able, Virginia Camper, Virene Garrett, Tracy Calhoun, Emma Wilson, Mary Hinds, Wanda White, Shirley Day and Pat Town. White’s goddaughter, Emonie Griner, also helped to sort the array of items to box and gift-wrap.

Moreover, the associate Women’s Missionary Society members include Frederick Canty, Henry Davis, Horace Eubanks, Leslie Town, Ronald Smith, William Day and William Jones.

Evangelist to share Word at April 18 luncheon Memorable moments will be made at the Women’s Missionary Society Luncheon of April 18, 11 a.m., at the Palm Coast Community Center, 305 Palm Coast Parkway, N.E. It holds in store guest speaker Evangelist Faye Dadzie, founder/president of Victorious Life Ministries, reaching out to women, who are broken and discouraged by the frustrations of life.

Victorious Life Ministries offers hope, help and healing through the Lord Jesus Christ. Dadzie is former Minister of Outreach and Marketing at First Church.

Other memorable moments will focus on the dedicated work of the Women’s Missionary Society. The members care for the sick and shut-in, bereaved, the needy as well as operate a monthly food bank, clothing distribution, and other charitable services.

See the missionaries “on the move” and learn about their tasks first-hand. The ticket cost to the luncheon is $20. To purchase tickets, call First Church, the pastoral ministry of the Rev. Gillard S. Glover, at 386-446-5759.

Black Clergy Alliance conference takes place April 17-18 The Daytona Beach Black Clergy Alliance will present its annual ministerial two-day conference April 17 and 18 in association with Bethune-Cookman University.

The conference, at B-CU’s chapel, will include a youth session on April 17 at 7 p.m. by Pastor Derrick L. McRae of The Experience Christian Center in Orlando.

A Women Senior Pastors’ panel discussion is April 18 at 9:30 a.m. to noon at B-CU’s Center for Civic Engagement. Dr. Bewana Bostic of Cocoa Beach will be the featured speaker.

A general session at the Center for Civ-

COURTESY OF ANTHONY CHAPMAN

Some of the large shoeboxes delivered to Bethune-Cookman University are the backdrop of this photo featuring Dr. Deanna Wathington, Anthony Chapman, Mattie DeVore and Nellie Davis.

Gospel Explosion concert on the way Evangelist Mary King invites you to “The Glory of Gospel Explosion,” showcasing April 25, 6 p.m., at the Palm Coast Community Center, 305 Palm Coast Parkway, NE. You will stand on your feet due to the inspiring gospel vocalists Larnell Starkey and the Spiritual Seven of Wirtz, Va.; Susan Fay Henderson, Elder Robert Jackson of Jacksonville, the Caravans, and many more talent.

Advance tickets are $15 per person, or $18 at the door. Call Evangelist King at 386-445-9717 to purchase tickets, or email whisper2u38@gmail.com.

Flagler girls chosen for AAUW tech camp Congratulations to the three Flagler County girls selected to attend the American Association of University Women’s Tech Trek Camp. The fun runs June 27 to July 3 at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg.

The girls will encounter women role models in the field of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

The American Association of University Women (AAUW) Florida Tech Trek Camp is a weeklong STEM camp for incoming eighth grade girls.

Girls will live on campus in residence halls, attend core class-

ic Engagement is 1 to 3 p.m. April 18 with Dr. C.E. Glover from Mt. Bethel Baptist Church in Fort Lauderdale as the speaker.

For more information, call 386-5855484.

Church to host domestic abuse workshop The Men’s Fellowship of Allen Chapel AME Church will sponsor a workshop on domestic abuse on April 18 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. The church is located at 580 George W. Engram Blvd.

The workshop includes a free breakfast and is open to the community.

For more information, contact the church office at 386-255-1195.

Brea Dwyer

es, hands-on workshops, field trips and a professional women’s night.

Potential campers must be in the seventh grade, nominated by their teachers, and having completed the application process and the interview before selection is made by an AAUW state committee.

Only 44 girls statewide were selected. The selected girls from Flagler County were Aleah Selman and Madison Mead from Buddy Taylor Middle School and Brea Dwyer from Indian Trails Middle School.

North U.S.1, Palm Coast.

The topics of discussion will entail veterans affairs presented by retired National Guard Brig.

Gen./Veterans’ Affairs Chair Holsey Moorman, and economic development, presented by Economic Development Chair Orlando Johnson.

For further details, contact the NAACP at 386-446-7822.

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

NAACP meeting to help veterans

Celebrations

The community is invited to the Flagler County NAACP meeting to take place April 28, 6 p.m., at the African American Cultural Society, 4422

SPECIAL TO THE DAYTONA TIMES

Injured veterans will be honored for their contributions April 23-25 at the Ninth Annual Defending Freedom Warrior Weekend in DeLand. It will be presented by Complete Parachute Solutions.

The three-day, family-friendly event will include barbecues, skydiving viewing, a downtown De-

Spring 2015 Open House DSC CREATIVE 3/15

Chance to win $$$ for college!

Madison Mead

Birthday wishes to twins Nekosha and Porsha Jones, April 16; Rudy Stubbs, April 18; my husband, Louie, April 21; and Marsha Rode, April 22.

Wounded veterans to be honored during Defending Freedom Warrior Weekend

Jumpstart Your Future!

$500 scholarship drawings and door prizes

Aleah Selman

Advanced Technology College Tuesday, April 28, 5-7 p.m.

1770 Technology Blvd.

Daytona Beach DaytonaState.edu/OH (386) 506-4471 STAY CLOSER, GO FURTHER

Land block party and golf tournament. In a weekend highlight, several injured veterans, or “warriors,” will make a tandem skydive at Skydive DeLand on Friday, April 24.

The public is invited to participate in the event through event attendance, sponsorships and ticket purchases, and by participating in the April 25 golf tournament.

ister at www.cpswarriorweekend.org. (Each foursome is joined by a warrior or active duty military soldier to make it a “fivesome.”) Pelican Bay Golf Course is at 350 Pelican Bay Drive, Daytona Beach.

The event will be followed by dinner and awards.

Weekend schedule

The event raises funds and awareness for local and regional wounded veterans organizations. Beneficiary organizations use the funds to raise awareness of the needs of severely injured service men and women, help severely injured service members assist each other, and provide direct programs and services to meet the needs of severely injured service members.

“All proceeds from Warrior Weekend benefit veterans of the Armed Forces who have been severely injured in conflicts while defending our nation’s freedom,” said Quin Booth, event chairman.

For more information, contact defendingfreedomwarriorweekend@gmail. com or call 386-736-2454.

• 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. Friday, April 24: Skydive viewing and tandem skydiving for warriors - aka “Skydive Boogie” - at Skydive DeLand. Includes noon barbecue. These events are free and open to the public.

• 5:30 - 10 p.m. April 24: Block Party in downtown DeLand. Tickets to this event are $20 per person at the door. Each ticket includes food, music, souvenir keepsake and adult beverages. Tickets also can be purchase in advance by contacting qbooth@gmail. com.)

• 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. April 25: Golf tournament at Pelican Bay Golf and Country Club (north course). The tournament is $400 per foursome or $125 per player, and open to registered individuals or teams. Reg-

Raising funds, awareness

R4

7 EDITORIAL

APRIL 16 – APRIL 22, 2015

Phillip Pannell was gunned down too When I first viewed the video of Walter Scott being gunned down

by North Charleston, S.C. Police Officer Michael T. Slager, my mind raced up north to Teaneck, N.J. The horrific scene of Scott being shot in the back multiple times, eight shots fired to be exact, was eerily similar to the killing of 15-year-old Phillip Pannell by White Teaneck Police Officer Gary Spath in 1990.

Scott and Pannell posed no threat to the policemen and in the case of young Phillip, he was gunned down with his arms raised in a surrender position.

It hardly seems possible that Phillip Pannell was killed 25 years ago today but the killing of Black men by police has been so epidemic that a death two decades ago can be casually forgotten.

Yet, what happened to Phillip is so symbolic of the experiences of Black youth that his death cannot be in vain.

No threat In Phillip’s case, the initial autopsy was botched by the Bergen County coroner and a grand jury refused to indict Officer Spath.

However, when a second autopsy was conducted, it clearly showed that Phillip was shot in the back and had his arms held up in surrender. Phillip posed absolutely no threat; he was cornered in a backyard with a high fence and had given himself up.

During the first autopsy, the coroner had failed to properly test the jacket Phillip was wearing when

WALTER FIELDS NNPA COLUMNIST

he was shot. When it was examined and matched against Phillip’s arms, all the bullet holes aligned.

New Jersey Attorney General Bob Del Tufo, with the support of thenGov. Jim Florio and the county prosecutor, Jay Fahy, ordered a second grand jury and Spath was indicted. Still, months later, an allWhite Bergen County jury acquitted the officer. There would be no justice for the Pannells.

Understandable anger For Black youth, there was a palatable and understandable anger. I had to escort the best friend of Phillip to the dead youth’s funeral because Teaneck police had arrested him on a trumped up charge related to the incident the night of the prayer vigil. It took the county prosecutor to arrange for the young man to be turned over to the neighboring Englewood police, and then to me, so he could pay his final respects to his friend.

A grief stricken young man who spoke during the funeral service asked simply, “Who is protecting us from the police?” Those moments in that church remain some of my most heartbreaking.

Making matters worse was the local police union organiz-

ing a massive march and rally at the county courthouse for Officer Spath that attracted thousands of police officers from across the country. We also had to confront the local press, the Bergen Record, because it ran a mug shot of Phillip from a prior juvenile offense.

I called the owner of the paper, Mack Borg, and to his credit he ordered his editors into a conference room with me and other community leaders I selected to address the inappropriateness of using the mug shot. The paper never used the photo again in its coverage of the incident after that meeting.

Real justice My hope is that the family of Walter Scott receives real justice in the form of a conviction of Officer Slager for murder and an appropriate sentence. No family should feel the pain the Pannells felt 25 years ago, and continue to carry today. My conscience will not allow me to forget the young boy I first met as he laid in an open casket. It is an image that I cannot forget and a hurt that no amount of time can heal. Phillip Pannell is not forgotten and his death serves as a reminder that we can’t take a day off in the struggle for justice and dignity.

Walter Fields is executive editor of NorthStar News. Click on this article at www.daytonatimes.com to write your own response.

Attacking economic racism Despite ill-intended efforts to do it for us, Black Americans have a responsibility to define our own reality. It is a fundamental human right recognized and respected by the United Nations. Therefore, it is incumbent upon us to define, without apology, the deadly and debilitating manifestation of racial discrimination and injustice as “economic racism.”

Why are so many Black Americans still mired down in intergenerational poverty, lack of health care, inadequate education, raging unemployment, disproportionate imprisonment, the highest rate of housing foreclosures and housing discrimination, the lowest rate of bank lending and overcall exclusion from access to sustainable wealth generation in every region of the nation?

DR. BENJAMIN F. CHAVIS, JR. NNPA COLUMNIST

consigned to poverty and economic inequality?

The answer is amazingly simple: It is the reality of economic racism, defined as the intentional racial discrimination against Black Americans and other people of color to prevent economic equality, justice, parity, advancement, and empowerment; it is the systematic racial exclusion of Black Americans and other people of color from economic policy-making at local, state and national levels in both corporate and governmental entities; and, it is economHow and why? ic institutionalization of racial opHow is it mathematically possi- pression, stereotyping, and profilble for Black Americans to spend ing coupled with the ignorance of more than $1.2 trillion annual- racial prejudice and hatred. ly in the United States, and yet the overwhelming majority of the Politics and economics companies that make huge profYes, this is an admittedly comits from the annual spending of plex definition of economic racBlack Americans do nothing more ism. The matrix of complexity conthan invest far less than 1 percent cerning economic racism, howevof their profits back into Black- er, does not make it impossible to owned businesses and grassroots challenge and to overcome. No organizations throughout the one is born a racist. We can and country? will eventually liberate ourselves Why does the American econ- from all forms of racial oppression omy remain racially segregated in and economic racism.

We have not concentrated on 2015? Why are Black Americans

economic racism as much as we should have because of the overemphasis on politics. But we eventually had to recognize that even our political system is controlled by economics and politicians tend to be more responsive to those who support their campaigns economically.

The economic liberation of Black America will require establishing more internal unity and more external coalition-building and partnering with those who stand for freedom, justice and equality with their money, words and deeds. Organizing and mobilizing an effective movement to challenge and overcome economic racism is long overdue The perpetrators of racial injustice and discrimination are always reluctant to confess or acknowledge the reality of these centuries-old phenomena. In the United States, in particular, there is a historic and contemporary denial of how race plays a determinative role in all aspects of society.

As former U.S. Senator Bill Bradley (D-NJ) was fond of saying, “Slavery was America’s original sin, and racism remains its unresolved dilemma.”

Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. is the president and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA). Click on this article at www.daytonatimes. com to write your own response.

Creating conscious Black millionaires Black folks have the ability to create our own conscious millionaires. We have certainly done it for others for a long time now.

Conscious Black millionaires, by definition, would most assuredly use some of their money to assist the Black collective; conscious Black millionaires would not hesitate to use their resources to help empower our people; conscious Black millionaires would not be afraid to espouse the principles of economic empowerment and then use their money to support it.

Have to pay for it This is not a pipedream, folks.

It can, should and must be done.

To make real progress, we must move beyond rallies, speeches, protests, philosophy, pontification, intellectual rhetoric without commensurate action, and mere symbolism without real substance.

Every rational person knows that at some point, everything we do to challenge injustice and to obtain the economic and political reciprocity we seek and deserve, will require money. Look at the amount of money spent on travel and accommodations to attend all the marches and demonstrations of the recent past. It would have been better spent on legal

was done.

JAMES CLINGMAN NNPA COLUMNIST

battles in the courts and placing initiatives on local ballots across the nation.

Who should fund the initiatives we take on to deal with inequities and unfairness against Blacks?

Who should benefit from the dollars we spend to accomplish our goals? As Ken Bridges would say, “That be us, y’all.”

The revolution will not be televised, but it must be financed, and we should benefit economically from our expenditures and activities associated with our fight for freedom. Currently, our dollars are benefiting everyone else as we run for freedom, as we protest, as we demonstrate, and as we conduct our conventions and other meetings around the country. I recall how proud I was when I attended the Bring Back Black meeting, in 2007 at the Blackowned and operated Dudley convention complex in Kernersville, N.C.; a Black caterer prepared our food, and everything else that could be done with Black vendors

Creation is possible It was the same at our MATAH conferences from1998-2002.

Every convention cannot do that, but if we create conscious Black millionaires, some of them would do what the Founder of Compro Tax, Jackie Mayfield, did in Beaumont, Texas. He and Brother Yusef Muhammad built their own convention center. Many are unaware that they helped Maggie and John Anderson in their efforts to get the Empowerment Experiment off the ground.

No fanfare, just quietly and humbly paying it forward, the way conscious Black people do. Is Compro Tax preparing your return this year, or is your money going to one of those companies that do nothing for Black folks in return?

Imagine the progress we would make by creating millionaires like Jackie and Yusef.

Jim Clingman is founder of the Greater Cincinnati African American Chamber of Commerce. He can be reached through his website, blackonomics.com. Click on this article at www.daytonatimes.com to write your own response.

VISUAL VIEWPOINT: COPS IN AMERICA

MARIAN KEMENSKY, SLOVAKIA

Should African-Americans endorse Whites over Blacks?

Two prominent Black Maryland officials – Montgomery County Executive Issiah Leggett and Prince George’s County Executive Rushern L. Baker III – have endorsed Congressman Chris Van Hollen, a White, over Black Congresswoman Donna F. Edwards in the race to replace retiring Maryland Senator Barbara Mikulski.

So far, Edwards is the only African-American in the race and faces the prospect of joining California Attorney General Kamala Harris, an announced candidate for the California Senate seat that will be vacated by Senator Barbara Boxer. Another African-American, Rep. Elijah E. Cummings of Baltimore, is considering running for the seat that will become vacant in 2017 when Mikulski retires.

National implications This may seem like a local story, but it has national implications. Both Edwards and Van Hollen are likely to seek contributions from all over the country. Furthermore, the possibility of having an African-American woman in the Senate is an opportunity for African-American women’s issues to be raised on the Senate floor. Finally, Edwards’ presence on committees dealing with work, health care, and banking will bring a muchneeded perspective to a Senate that is 96 percent White.

With an African-American female Senator, would Loretta Lynch’s confirmation for U.S. Attorney General still be languishing? Or, would Edwards remind fellow senators that their treatment of African-American women has hardly been fair? Senator Edwards might also raise issues that impact all women, but African-American women especially, given the fact that we have lower incomes, and a higher rate of single motherhood. An African-American woman senator would likely raise objections and stop senatorial trash talk about African-American women it its tracks.

Familiarity not race Why, then, have the highestranking elective officers at the county level in Maryland, both African-American men, chosen the Caucasian Van Hollen

DR. JULIANNE MALVEAUX TRICEEDNEYWIRE.COM

over Edwards? And if they don’t like Edwards for the post, why couldn’t they wait until Cummings decides whether to run?

Baker, who served with Van Hollen in the Maryland General Assembly during the 1990s, says he knows Van Hollen and has worked well with him. He says he has made this endorsement “in the interest of the country.”

It has nothing to do with race, he says, but everything to do with familiarity.

In his endorsement, Leggett said, “As we look ahead to build a strong Maryland, we need a proven leader like Congressman Chris Van Hollen, whose reputation for leadership, deep intellect and courage is unrivaled.

His swift rise through the ranks in the U.S. House of Representatives attests to the respect and esteem he commands from his colleagues, and from other leaders around this country.”

Neither Baker nor Leggett has explained what makes Van Hollen a better candidate than Edwards. I won’t speculate about whether their choice has something more to do with gender than politics, but I do think their actions raises national questions about race and endorsements.

When all else is equal, I choose to vote for the AfricanAmerican candidate instead of the Caucasian one. The truth is both Edwards and Van Hollen are likely to vote much the way that the liberal Barbara Mikulski did. However, I expect that Edwards will be far more aggressive in advocating for the African-American community than Van Hollen.

Julianne Malveaux is an economist, writer, and president emerita of Bennett College. She can be reached at juliannemalveaux.com. Click on this article at www.daytonatimes.com to write your own response.

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.

THE CREDO OF THE BLACK PRESS The Black Press believes that Americans can best lead the world away from racism and national antagonism when it accords to every person, regardless of race, color or creed, full human and legal rights. Hating no person, fearing no person. The Black Press strives to help every person in the firm belief...that all are hurt as long as anyone is held back.

W W W.DAY TONATIMES.COM Central Florida Communicators 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 $69 per year. Mail check to P.O. Box 48857 Tampa, Fl 33646, or log on to www.daytona.com; click on ‘Subscribe’.

Charles W. Cherry II, Esq., Publisher

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

Dr. Glenn W. Cherry, Sales Manager Dr. Valerie Rawls-Cherry, Human Resources Cassandra Cherry Kittles, Willie R. Kittles, Circulation Jenise Morgan, Senior Editor Angela van Emmerik, Creative Director Ashley Thomas, Staff Writer Delroy Cole, Kim Gibson, Photojournalists MEMBER National Newspaper Publishers Association Society of Professional Journalists Florida Press Association Associated Press National Newspaper Association

– APRIL 22, R 2015 M16 A YO

APRIL DECEMBER 14 - 20, 2006

5 7

7 CLASSIFIEDS

R6

APRIL 16 – APRIL 22, 2015

IWantToBeRecycled.org

7 7/8” East Central Florida’s Black Voice

I’M PAUL GEORGE WHEN

I

WAS

SIX NBA All-Star Paul George

M Y M O M H A D A S T RO K E Learn the signs of a stroke F.A.S.T.

Face drooping Arm weakness Speech difficulty Time to call 911 strokeassociation.org

7

SAFETY MA YOR

APRIL 16 – 14 APRIL 2015 DECEMBER - 20,22, 2006

FROM FAMILY FEATURES

Summer is a time of playground fun, swim­ ming, boating, biking, camping and other out­ door activities. Unfortu­ nately, these activities can lead to a higher risk of in­ juries.

In fact, according to the Safe Kids U.S. Summer Ranking Report, summer is known as “trauma sea­ son” among U.S. public health and medical profes­ sionals because uninten­ tional deaths and serious injuries increase dramati­ cally among children dur­ ing these months.

“Sustaining a serious injury can be a life-alter­ ing event for a child,” said Dale Stauss, chairman of the Board of Directors for Shriners Hospitals for Children®. “We see patients every day with injuries caused by accidents, and we are committed to raising awareness about how to stay safe this sum­ mer.”

As experts in the treat­ ment of pediatric ortho­ paedic conditions, spinal cord injuries and burns, Shriners Hospitals for Children provides critical, surgical and rehabilitative care to children, regardless of the families’ ability to pay. “We prefer these ac­ cidents never happen, but when they do, our physi­ cians and medical staff work together to get these patients back to being kids — laughing, playing and dreaming about the fu­ ture,” commented Stauss.

The good news is that many of these injuries may be preventable. Here are some tips from Shriners Hospitals for Children to help your family enjoy a fun, injury-free summer.

Go outside and play The physical and mental health benefits of outdoor play are great for children.

It provides opportunities for exercise, creative ex­ pression, stress reduction and access to a free and natural source of vitamin D — sunlight. Before send­ ing kids out to play, make sure they always wear shoes to protect feet from cuts, scrapes and splinters, and wear sunscreen to protect from sunburns and harmful ultra-violet rays.

Playground 101

Fun on the water

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention re­ ports that every year emergency departments treat more than 200,000 chil­ dren ages 14 and younger for playground-related injuries. Before your kids head to the playground, keep these precautions in mind: • Choose parks and playgrounds that are ap­ propriate for their age and offer shock-absorbing sur­ faces.

• Teach children that pushing and shoving on the playground can result in accidents and injuries.

• Remind kids to go down the slide one at a time and to wait until the slide is completely clear before taking their turn.

Teach them to always sit facing forward with their legs straight in front of them and to never slide down headfirst.

• Remind children to swing sitting down. En­ courage them to wait until the swing stops before get­ ting off and to be careful when walking in front of moving swings.

Boating, tubing and other water sports can be great fun but can also be dangerous. Accord­ing to the U.S. Coast Guard, near­ ly 71 per­cent of all boating fatalities are caused from drowning, 85 percent of which are a result of not wearing a life jacket. Here is what you can do to enjoy the water safely: • Always have children wear a Coast Guard-ap­ proved, properly fitted life jacket while on a boat, around an open body of water or when participat­ ing in water sports.

• Educate yourself. Ac­ cording to the U.S. Coast Guard, 86 percent of boat­ ing accident deaths in­ volve boaters who have not completed a safety course.

• Always check water conditions and forecasts before going out on the water.

Make a safe splash While playing pool­ side may be a blast, Safe Kids Worldwide reports that drowning is the lead­ ing cause of injury-related death for children ages 1 to 4 and it is the third lead­ ing cause of injury-related death among children 19 and under. Additional­ ly, University of Michigan Health Systems estimates that each year about 6,000 young people under age 14 are hospitalized because of a diving injury, with one in five sustaining a spinal cord injury. Prevent ac­ cidents and injuries with these tips to ensure your family’s safety around wa­ ter: • Teach children to nev­ er swim alone or go near water without an adult present.

• Give children your un­ divided attention when they are swimming or are near any body of water.

• Always jump in feet first to check the depth be­ fore diving into any body of water.

• Never dive in the shal­ low end of the pool or into above-ground pools.

Mowing matters Thousands of children are injured in lawn mower accidents each year, some severely. Lawn mower in­ juries account for a large percentage of accidental amputations according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

The Academy cautions that the speed of a typi­ cal lawn mower blade can send dirt and bacteria deep into a wound, cre­ ating a high risk for se­ vere infection. To avoid accidents involving lawn mowers, keep these tips in mind: • Teach children to nev­ er play on or around a lawn mower, even when it is not in use. They should never be permitted to walk beside, in front of or be­ hind a moving mower.

• Children under 6 years of age should be kept in­ side the home while mow­ ing.

• Children should be at least 12 years of age be­ fore operating a push lawn mower and at least 16 years of age before operat­ ing a riding lawn mower.

Fire safety simplified In 2012, more than 136,000 children across the United States, includ­ ing more than 67,000 chil­

PHOTOS COURTESY OF GETTY IMAGES

dren 4 and under, were in­ jured due to a fire or burn and treated in emergency rooms, according to Safe Kids Worldwide. Use these tips to keep children safe around fires, fireworks, grills and other heat sourc­ es: • Teach kids to never play with matches, gaso­ line, lighter fluid or light­ ers. Make a habit of plac­ ing these items up and away from young children.

• Do not leave children unattended near grills, campfires, fire pits or bon­ fires. Always have a buck­ et of water or fire extin­ guisher nearby whenever there is a burning fire.

• Take your child to a doctor or hospital immedi­ ately if he or she is injured in a fire or by fireworks.

Shriners Hospitals for Children encourages families to take these pre­ cautions to enjoy a safe, injury-free summer. If an injury occurs, the physi­ cians and staff of Shriners Hospitals can help. To find out more about the treat­ ments available visit Shri­ nersHospitalsforChildren. org.

Adapting after an accident Thirteen-year-old Syd­ ney Kendall knows the im­ portance of water safety.

After losing her right fore­ arm during a boating ac­ cident six years ago, Syd­ ney was brought to Shri­ ners Hospitals for Children where she received a pros­ thesis and occupational therapy to help her learn how to adapt.

As Sydney’s confidence grew, so did her ambi­ tion to get back in the wa­ ter. She became a Shriners Hospitals for Children Patient Ambassador and chal­lenged herself to men­ tor other patients through ability awareness presen­ tations. She also joined a competitive swim team and participated in a triathlon.

Sydney’s newest chal­ lenge is to help increase awareness about summer safety. She invites parents and children to visit Shri­ nersHospitalsforChildren. org/SafeSummer to find tips for preventing injuries this season.

R8

7APRIL 16 – APRIL 22, 2015