Mamie T. Watkins of Palm Coast celebrates 100th birthday SEE PAGE 3
EE FR
LEE A. DANIELS: Jackie Robinson and the cost of racism SEE PAGE 4
East Central Florida’s Black Voice
LOCAL MUSEUM TO SHOW ROBINSON DOCUMENTARY AGAIN SEE PAGE 5
MAY 5 - MAY 11, 2016
YEAR 41 NO. 18
www.daytonatimes.com
Historically Black American Legion to be restored A $100,155 check from the state will help with repairs to the DeLand post damaged during a hurricane in 2004. BY ANDREAS BUTLER DAYTONA TIMES
A local organization for veterans received a helping hand this week. State Rep. Dwayne Taylor and Florida Senator Dorothy Hukill presented a $100,155 legislative check to the American Legion Orange
Baker Post #187 in DeLand during a ceremony on May 2. “We can now revitalize the structure and get it up to standards. This also gives us a specific place to meet and hold events,” said Commander Charles Williams. The post is located at 415 West Voorhis Ave. Williams, the post’s leader, is a retired U.S. Marine with a bachelor’s degree in science from Bethune-Cookman. The Orange Baker post is a primarily African-American veterans’ organization with rich historical roots. Its members have served in World War II and conflicts
in Korea, Vietnam, Gulf War, Afghanistan and Iraq. The post also has had members who were part of the Tuskegee Airmen, the first Black fighter pilots in the military.
Fought for funds Taylor and Hukill successfully obtained state emergency stabilization funds for repairs to the Orange Baker Post’s building. Taylor, a Democrat from Daytona Beach, represents District 26, and Hukill, a Republican from Port Orange, holds the District 8 Senate seat. See CHECK, Page 2
DUANE C. FERNANDEZ SR./HARDNOTTSPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
State Rep. Dwayne Taylor, (second from left), Post Commander Charles Williams, DeLand Mayor Robert Apgar and State Senator Dorothy Hukilll show the oversized check at Monday’s presentation in DeLand.
What residents should know about new pot ordinance BY ANDREAS BUTLER DAYTONA TIMES
DUANE C. FERNANDEZ SR./HARDNOTTSPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
James Broxton has breakfast with Cei’Aunna Conner and Kel’aunna Broxton at Turie T. Small Elementary School on Tuesday.
Fathers, kids bond during school breakfast
Turie T. Elementary the site of All Pro Dad’s program in Daytona DAYTONA TIMES STAFF
S
ome students at Turie T. Small Elementary School in Daytona Beach started their Tuesday morning with a healthy breakfast as well as uplifting conversations with their parents.
The All Pro Dad’s Day breakfast at Turie T. Elementary was started three years ago by Brian Jackson, who was a Parent Teacher Association (PTA) volunteer and father of two sons at the school. He continues to run the program. The breakfast is based on the All Pro Dad’s Day initiative of the national All Pro Dad program. It’s a fatherhood program of Family First, a national non-profit organization launched by Mark Merrill with the help
of former NFL coach Tony Dungy. All Pro Dad is based on a football theme and features NFL players, coaches and alumni who speak out on the importance of being a good father. According to the All Pro Dad’s website, there are 1,232 chapters in 46 states. The Turie T. Elementary School chapter is one of 247 in Florida. The All Pro Dad’s Breakfast is a time when dads and kids meet to have breakfast and enjoy meaningful conversa-
tion that strengthens their relationship. At Turie T. Elementary, the breakfast is held once every quarter with a different speaker addressing the youth and their parents. State Rep Dwayne Taylor was Tuesday’s speaker and talked to parents about the importance of speaking to their children daily in a positive way. For more information on the program, visit allprodad. com.
B-CU board honors Flagler program for mentoring at-risk students The African American Mentoring Program (AAMP) of the Flagler County School District received an “Unsung Hero Award” by the BethuneCookman University Women’s Advisory Board during the board’s April 22 banquet. The award is given to service organizations that, through their tireless efforts, remain steadfast in their dedication to improving the quality of life of the citizens in Flagler and Volusia counties. AAMP was established in 2002 by the Flagler County School Board to provide guidance and educational
ALSO INSIDE
assistance to at-risk minority young men. A division serving young women began in 2008. More than 100 mentors work with approximately 180 students in grades 3 through 12 across the nine public schools in the Flagler district. AAMP also awards a number of scholarships to deserving high school seniors each year. The program has many success stories and is always in need of volunteers to mentor additional students. Other 2016 “Unsung Heroes’’ honored at the banquet held at BethuneSee AAMP, Page 2
The African American Mentoring program in Flagler County provides support to students in grades 3 through 9.
There is a new marijuana law in effect that many people may not even know about yet. The Volusia County Council unanimously approved an ordinance in March that went into effect on April 1. The law makes possession of cannabis under 20 grams and drug paraphernalia a misdemeanor crime in unincorporated areas of the county and the beaches. The measure also gives law enforcement the discretion to fine persons $100 instead of arresting them for such offenses. It doesn’t decriminalize cannabis but gives the county the discretion to exercise its authority under state law. “I think that our community as a whole has changed its position on marijuana. I think that our government should reflect it. Such cases should not clog the court system. Small amounts of marijuana aren’t worth spending so much of our public safety dollars on,” said Volusia County Councilman Joshua Wagner. Wagner, an attorney, also spearheaded the drive for the legislation.
Impact on Blacks The new ordinance also will have an effect on the Black community. “We support this ordinance. It is in line with the policy of our national office that supports the decreasing of penalties for cannibals,” said Cynthia Slater, president of the Volusia County-Daytona Beach NAACP. Although the ordinance calls for having fewer people put in jail, there are concerns that Blacks still will receive more fines and many won’t be able to pay due to the lack of employment and low-paying jobs in the area. Enforcement of the ordinance is welcomed. “If Daytona Beach and Volusia County focused on real stuff instead of bull crap, things would be better. People would follow laws and respect authorities. It is bull to arrest someone for a little bit of weed or weed paraphernalia whether in the privacy of their home or if caught with it by law enforcement when they are out in public,” said Volusia resident Terrell Thomas. “Many people, especially Black people are in the county jail serving six months to a year for this. Many Blacks in this community are afraid to speak up on many issues. Laws are made for order, rules and control. They control us with all See POT, Page 2
HISTORY: REFLECTING ON THE GREAT MIGRATION AND THE IMPACT OF THE BLACK PRESS | PAGE 5 SPORTS: THREE B-CU BASEBALL STANDOUTS MAKE MEAC’S TOP PLAYERS LIST OF THE WEEK | PAGE 7
R2 Stetson University to graduate largest class on Saturday SPECIAL TO THE DAYTONA TIMES
Stetson University’s 2016 Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, May 7 will be its 130th and is expected to set two new records. The university is graduating its largest class with 830 graduates, which comprises 674 undergraduate and 156 master degree candidates. Stetson
7 FOCUS
MAY 5 – MAY 11, 2016
also will hold its first outdoor ceremony since the 1970s at Spec Martin Memorial Stadium. The speakers at Stetson University’s commencement will be two students chosen through a nominating process by students and faculty. The speakers are Daniel Humphrey, from Reading, Ohio, and Jordan Alexandria Cockfield of Lake Worth. The ceremony is 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. It will be followed by receptions at the campus for the College of Arts and Sciences, School of Business Ad-
ministration and School of Music. On Friday, May 6, Stetson University will hold three separate ceremonies at Lee Chapel in Elizabeth Hall: Annual ROTC Commissioning Ceremony, 10 a.m. This year, six graduates will receive their commission into the U.S. Army. Undergraduate Awards and Recognition Ceremony, 3 p.m. Each year, the university recognizes the outstanding achievements of its graduates, and the highlights are the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award
for the student who best represents a nobility of character and dedication to service, and the John Hague Award for Distinguished Teaching in the Liberal Arts and Sciences given to the faculty member that represents excellence in teaching and devotion to scholarship. Graduate Hooding Ceremony, 7 p.m. This event recognizes achievement of those graduates of Master of Science, Master of Education, Education Specialist, Master of Business Administration and Master of Accounting programs.
DeLand church to host Human Trafficking Awareness program Trinity United Methodist is hosting a Human Trafficking Awareness night at 6:30 p.m. on May 19. The church is at 306 W. Wisconsin Ave., DeLand. The public is invited to learn from local law enforcement and church leaders who are working to combat this growing, social problem. Speakers will include Officer Roderick Hancock of the DeLand Police Department and Jill Woods of Orange City United Methodist Church, who will address how her church became involved. For more information, contact Melissa Fuller at fuller_b@bellsouth.net or call the church office at 386-734-9224.
Airman Col. Charles P. Bailey, who flew the infamous P-51 Mustang in World War II and the Korean War. The post’s former commander, Lt. Samuel L. Price, also was an Airman. “Price passed the torched to me. I am honored. I was once his understudy,” said Williams. Current member Benjamin Howell, an Army veteran, is the last remaining World War II veteran. “Our youth must understand and see the role that African-Americans played in building this country. Many youngsters have a low self-esteem about themselves. Our public school system and other organizations don’t show us positively. Our youth need to know our really proud history,” expressed Williams. Taylor remarked, “These organizations are a good way for veterans to share and reflect their memories. They also do a lot of outreach and community service in the community. They also are a great outlet for them and their peers who have served.’’
DUANE C. FERNANDEZ SR./HARDNOTTSPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
Veterans, area residents and elected officials attended the ceremony. The goal is to eventually make the DeLand post a museum with history about African-Americans in the military.
CHECK from Page 1
“I didn’t know much about this post. They are much deserving. We felt that they could use our help. This is so heartwarming,” Hukill said. Taylor explained, “We were approached about this a few years ago. Fortunately for us, it wasn’t a budget reducing year for us. We had funds that were available for certain projects.’’ The Orange Baker post
AAMP
from Page 1 Cookman were the African American Cultural Society of Palm Coast, Black Male Explorers Program at Bethune-Cookman, Black Nurses Association of Day-
POT
from Page 1 laws, including weed laws,” Thomas added.
Slater: Be fair Slater is hoping for fairness with the new ordinance. “The law needs to be colorblind. We do have concerns for the fine. They have put the discretion up to the officer. How will they determine who warrants a fine or arrest is critical. It needs to be fair across the board,” Slater explained. “We know that AfricanAmericans are three more likely to be stopped by law enforcement nationwide. We hope this ordinance is in line with what we believe it is,” she added. Wagner is aware of such concerns. “I think that it depends upon the person. The fine is significantly less expensive than criminal charges. You won’t go to jail for
is currently inoperable. It was damaged when a tree fell on it during a hurricane back in 2004. Locals have pitched in to repair the roof. The funds presented Monday, from the state’s budget, will help with repairs and get the post operational again.
The post was established in 1948 by a local resident because African-Americans could not join the American Legion Post #6 in the area. “Back in the day, we
couldn’t join the White American Legion. We were told to start our own, so we did,’’ Williams noted. The current building was built in 1954 and is recognized as a historic structure by the City of DeLand. Plans are for it to eventually become a museum and share the history of African-Americans and their military service. “Our posts are one of the only things that African-Americans own in the community today. We have already lost our schools and most of our businesses. Today we only own our
tona Beach, Boys & Girls Clubs of Volusia/Flagler counties, F.A.I.T.H. (Fighting Against Injustice Towards Harmony), God’s Little Angels, Four Seasons Ministry, League of Women Voters of Volusia County, Mid-Florida Housing Partnership, Sisters Alive of Daytona Beach, Sunchasers Motorcycle Club, WIT-
NEST (Women in Transition Now Establishing Support for Themselves), VITAS Healthcare, and the Volusia County-Daytona Beach NAACP. For more information about AAMP, contact Sabrina Crosby with the Flagler school district at 386437-7526, ext. 3116.
not paying it. The offense is absolutely civil and not criminal. I am working on amending it to make it clearer,” he told the Daytona Times.
driving under the influence (DUI) and driving within the influence (DWI) laws, which often carry heavy fines and long periods of driver’s license suspension.
Post history
Similar laws nationwide The ordinance also is designed to bring the county along with other parts of the country. Marijuana is being decriminalization in many states. Some states, counties and cities have similar laws in place that fine people instead of arresting them for being caught with small amounts of the drug. “It is a small amount in the right direction. We can’t tell law enforcement or people what they should do. I think that if enough cities and counties do this we will see more states follow suit,” added Wagner. The law doesn’t affect those caught driving with marijuana. Florida laws still prohibit people from using marijuana while driving. People who are caught doing this are subject to
posts, churches and some private schools,” commented Williams.
‘Proud history’ Past posts members include original Tuskegee
Important contributions The local politicians expressed pride in the local veterans’ legacy and achievements. “We wanted to make sure that we can honor these guys and let them share their stories and experiences with our community. We must celebrate their contributions to this
country. They fought in past wars and even wars in current laws,” Taylor told the Daytona Times. “They have played an important part in our history. A lot of the significance of their contributions people don’t know about. A lot of has been omitted from the history books.’’ Agreed Hukill, “It’s very important to honor these guys. They have played such an important role in our history. They still have stories to tell. We cannot allow that history to be lost.’’
Community outreach The post also has been known for its work in the community. “We help vets get re-established in life. They can come and sit down to talk with others who can relate to them. We provide them with help and direction for anything that they need,” said Williams. Hukill added, “They do so much in our community. They help people with food, clothing, education and other things.’’ Other officials who attended Monday’s ceremony included DeLand Mayor Robert Apgar, Vice Mayor Leigh Matusick, Commissioners Charles Piava and Christopher Cloudman, City Manager Michael Pleus, Assistant City Manager Michael Graybosz, Engineering/Public Service Director Keith Riger and Grants Coordinator Theresa Brooks.
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MAY 5 – MAY 11, 2016 COMMUNITY DECEMBER 14 - 20, 2006
M A YNEWS OR
Family, friends help Mamie T. Watkins celebrate 100th birthday Sandra Nurse wanted the right fit for her mother’s 100th birthday. And, in the end, the 100th birthday was layered with love, happiness, friendship and laughter. Mamie T. Watkins’ 100th birthday party on Saturday came giftwrapped with everything that everyone had hoped for. Mrs. Watkins was deserving of the wellwishes in cards, gifts, the variety of flower bouquets, and all the attention. Mrs. Watkins was born on April 28, 1916, in Hopkinsville, Kentucky. She celebrated in the dining room of her residence at the plush Windsor of Palm Coast. An exceptional staff pitched in as wait staff and augmented the buffet, which was prepared with barbecue beef, juicy cheeseburgers, mac and cheese, potato salad, fruit and vegetable platters – and champagne bubbly and the birthday cake!
Longtime Harlem resident Over 70 well-wishers celebrated with the former Harlem resident – or, to be more succinct, the former resident of 116th Street between Morningside and Manhattan Avenues. Mrs. Watkins lived in Harlem for 90 years since the age of 5 before relocating to Palm Coast to be nearer to her daughter, Sandra. Her friends attended the celebration from the old neighborhood. But, she’s the last of the mothers from the neighborhood still living. The former records supervisor at Bellevue Hospital was blessed to have two children. Her son, Barry Watkins, passed away 20 years ago. Laughter rang out around the tables. Those seated were Mrs. Watkins’ granddaughter, Robin Lynne Nurse, and Paul Bach of New York, whom Mrs. Watkins refers to as her “white’’ son!
PALM COAST COMMUNITY NEWS JEROLINE D. MCCARTHY
Music, tributes Franky Kay arrived on the scene hanging strong in musical prowess, deejaying calypso and singing “Ain’t She Sweet,” “Hello Dolly,” “Satin Doll,” “I Can’t Help Myself” and “Save the Last Dance for Me.” It was a day worth remembering because at one table sat cast members from the performance of “Motown & Mo.’ ’’ Sandra was the production assistant, handling the show’s finances, tickets and playbill. Barbara Jackson, who’s a “Motown and Mo’ ” performer, described her first encounter with Mrs. Watkins and her friend, Kitty, which was perhaps 10 or 12 years ago when the duo had first visited Palm Coast. Kitty said that Jackson looked like her friend, Odessa, whom she knew while growing up. “So, when they would come down, they would see me,” said Jackson, “and they both would call me Odessa. So, to them, I’ve always been Odessa. They were like teenagers; they were so funny. They were such characters, and I enjoyed them so much.”
Grace, poise, beauty Jackson brought an attentiongrabbing, soulful Motown interpretation of Della Reese. Jackson sang “Someday You’ll Want Me.” Nonetheless, I was overwhelmed by how young Mrs. Watkins looked and that she still had her figure – and was dancing to the rhythmic, harmonic vocals of calypso. Mrs. Watkins occasionally bent
COURTESY OF MICHELLE SOROKA
Sandra Nurse surrounds her daughter, Robin Lynne Nurse, and her mom, Mamie T. Watkins, who recently celebrated her 100th birthday. down to touch her toes, which was a delight! She is a woman of poise, grace and beauty – which in all honesty is a blessing from God. She’s not a centenarian, who’s frail, senile, and ill-tempered, but one having learned how to overcome struggle, which could lead to aging. She has the presence of mind, body and spirit. “It’s wonderful for a person to reach that age, 100 years old. I hope I can too,” said Katherine Tyler. “I hope that I live to be that young, and look that good to be 100, and still be moving and dancing,” Tyler’s daughter, Andrea Johnson, affirmed, “...and to know what’s going on, and hold a
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good conversation, is a blessing.” When the party ended, I overheard a young man – all of 5 or 6 years old – tell his parents what a great party it was. And, I too concur that it indeed was a great party and the right fit for Mrs. Watkins’ 100th birthday!
‘Get Published’ workshop this month Don’t forget that the “Get Published” workshop is on for May 19, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., at Office Divvy, 20 Airport Road, Suite B, in Palm Coast. CEO Orjanette Bryant avows that the session will help to improve your publishing experience.
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East Central Florida’s Black Voice
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7 EDITORIAL
MAY 5 – MAY 11, 2016
Jackie Robinson and the cost of racism Another baseball season has opened, and with it, Major League Baseball’s annual homage to Jack Roosevelt Robinson, more popularly known as Jackie Robinson, whose breaking baseball’s color barrier with the Brooklyn Dodgers was one of the late 1940s’ harbingers of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s. This year, the tribute to Robinson was complemented by documentarian Ken Burns’ superb exploration on the Public Broadcasting System (PBS) of Robinson’s life and the American society of the mid-20th century. As Burns shows, Robinson’s importance to all of America’s 20th century history can’t be overstated.
‘A soldier’ Branch Rickey, the Dodgers owner who considered integrating baseball his mission, “needed a soldier” in the fight for racial equality, as Rachel Robinson, Jackie’s widow, says in the documentary: someone whose inner strength and unshakable allegiance to Black Americans’ struggle would enable him to stoically withstand the venomous racism within baseball’s ranks, and among many of its fans and other Whites throughout the country. But Robinson’s cloaked anger likely intensified his naturally fierce competitive instincts on the diamond. Smart at bat
LEE A. DANIELS GEORGE CURRY MEDIA COLUMNIST
and swift and daring on the base paths, he won the National League’s Rookie of the Year Award and two years later captured the League’s Most Valuable Player honor. Two decades before the Yankees star Reggie Jackson said of himself that he was “the straw that stirs the drink,” Jack Roosevelt Robinson was that not just for the Dodgers. He was that for Black America, too. This isn’t to slight all the work civil rights activists were engaged in in the late 1940s. Rather, it’s to underscore that then, unlike the crowded professional sports world of today, baseball reigned supreme, literally worshipped as the uniquely “American” game. Its mythic designation, which took shape in the 19thcentury, undoubtedly contributed to the major league teams’ de facto agreement to bar Black players in 1897 – one year after the U.S. Supreme Court’s legalized racism in the infamous Plessy decision.
Lost career Much of the telling of the Jackie Robinson story has focused on
Different rules for Black, White students A representative from the office of Florida state attorney for the Fourth Judicial Circuit Angela Corey spoke to a group of African-American clergy from around the country this week, attempting to explain how that office works. Corey was the prosecutor who tried George Zimmerman, who was ultimately acquitted of second-degree murder in the death of unarmed teen Trayvon Martin. She was also the prosecutor who tried Michael Dunn, accused of shooting and killing Jordan Davis for playing his music too loud. In a retrial, Dunn was convicted and is now serving time in prison.
Top officials Prosecutor Mark Caliel was
SUSAN K. SMITH GEORGE CURRY MEDIA COLUMNIST
there in Corey’s place. He was flanked by the superintendent of Duval County Public Schools, Nikolai Vitti, and by Duval County Sheriff Mike Williams. The sheriff talked about how he understands the importance of law enforcement being a part of the communities that it serves; he requires his officers as well as himself, to “knock on the doors” of people in the community, to get to know them, their issues and problems, and thus be less inclined to make snap judgments
Emanuel isn’t leading on police reform Chicago is a city on edge. On a recent weekend, 20 people were shot over 13 hours. According to the Chicago Tribune, 1,051 have been shot this year alone, through April 25. One hundred seventy-eight have been killed, more than one each day. And while shootings take place across the city, they are concentrated in neighborhoods scarred by deep poverty.
Fractured relationship At the same time, relations between these most endangered communities and the Chicago Police Department have been fractured. As Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s own Police Accountability Task Force reported, “CPD’s own data gives validity to the widely held belief the police have no regard for the sanctity of life when it comes to people of color.” It concluded, “The community’s lack of trust in the CPD is justified.”
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The task force detailed more than 100 recommendations for fundamental reform. These realities cannot be ignored. Without fundamental reform, the CPD will continue to brutalize too many of the people it is pledged to defend. And without a serious initiative to deal with impoverished communities, the CPD will remain in an impossible position – that of an occupying force trying to keep the peace in communities of deepening misery. Among other measures, the task force called for basic structural reforms. First, it recommended the creation of a “dedicated inspector general for public safety,” located in the city inspector general’s office, which
that broader history of the cost of racism to Blacks generally and to him specifically. The latter truth is especially poignant when one considers that because of the Major League’s racist rule, Robinson, who was a multi-sport star in high school in the late 1930s, effectively lost a full decade of a career in the major leagues. But there’s another facet to the Jackie Robinson story that’s too little discussed, or even noticed. That is what racism – the banning of Black players from the major leagues – cost Major League Baseball itself. We can see one dramatic example of that by considering Robinson’s pre-Brooklyn Dodgers experience with another major league team: the Boston Red Sox. It’s well known that in 1945 Robinson endured a “sham tryout” with the Red Sox, whose owner was fully committed to preserving baseball’s color barrier. The Dodgers and Robinson himself reaped the benefit. In his rookie year and for five more times during his 10-year career, Robinson and the Dodgers played in the World Series. Each time they played their hated crosstown rivals, the New York Yankees, winning only once. Meanwhile, after making it to the World Series in 1946, the Red Sox began a 20-year exile from World Series play. In 1951, however, they did have the opportunity to atone for their mistake
which might result in tragedy. Vitti talked about working with Duval County children in. If a child is accused of battery, he or she will be arrested and will begin a relationship with “the system” that usually yields nothing but more trials and recidivism. There are some offenses that kids commit, however, that will result in their receiving a “civil citation” that gives the child an opportunity to be helped; he or she is not arrested, but is put into a program that helps them deal with anger management and conflict resolution, among other things.
More ‘second chances’ Vitti said Corey’s office tends to give kids who live in more affluent neighborhoods more “second chances” than others. Those kids, said Vitti, receive civil citations for doing the same things as kids in urban areas, only the kids in urban areas end up getting arrested, accused of battery. “My primary concern regard-
would “independently audit and monitor CPD and the police oversight system, including for patterns of racial bias.”
Kill IPRA It further called for abolishing the Independent Police Review Authority, which it deemed neither independent nor effective. It called instead for a “fully transparent and accountable Civilian Police Investigative Agency” whose head would be selected by a community board, not the mayor. Finally, it advocated rewriting the city’s contracts with police unions. Collective bargaining agreements, the task force concluded, “create unnecessary barriers to identifying and addressing police misconduct” and “have essentially turned the code of silence into official policy.” Emanuel has addressed none of these reforms. Nor has he provided any hint of a bold effort to address Chicago’s distress. He’s suggested he may wait for the conclusion of the Department of Justice review that may take a year or more. This appears to be a strategy of delay.
VISUAL VIEWPOINT: OPIOID ADDICTION IN AMERICA
ADAM ZYGLIS, THE BUFFALO NEWS
in not taking Robinson by drafting a “can’t miss” Black teenage phenom from Alabama. But once again they kept to their no-Blacks rule.
‘Say Hey Kid’ That teenage phenom was Willie Mays. He was drafted instead by the New York (baseball) Giants and by 1954 was playing in the World Series. The Red Sox didn’t sign a Black player until 1959 – the last Major League team to do so. They didn’t get back to the World Series until 1967. Now, imagine a post-1945 to early-1960s Boston Red Sox team with a lineup that included Jackie Robinson; Willie Mays, a dazzling outfielder and power hitter;
if he understood why the tension in the group rose as he talked about the process the state attorney’s office uses in dealing with Black kids, and he nodded, but still maintained there is no racial problem. He contended that racism does not play into the decisions of who gets arrested and who gets a civic citation.
Without a serious initiative to deal with impoverished communities, the CPD will remain in an impossible position – that of an occupying force trying to keep the peace in communities of deepening misery.
effort at the national, state and local level for a major initiative on deeply impoverished neighborhoods in Chicago and other major cities.
But Chicago’s distress will get worse, not better. Perhaps the City Council will step up to provide the leadership needed. Two ordinances have been introduced, with dozens of co-sponsors, that would create an independent police auditor with civilian oversight along the lines suggested by the task force. Emanuel’s response to the report doesn’t approach what is needed. He should be leading an
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Lee A. Daniels, a longtime journalist, is a keynote speaker and author. He worked with Rachel Robinson on her 1996 book, “Jackie Robinson: An Intimate Portrait.” Contact him at leedanielsjournalist@ gmail.com.
ing Angela Corey’s approach has to do with battery,” said Vitti. “If a child is accused of battery, he (she) is not eligible to receive a civil citation. In Duval County public schools, there were 58 students who, for the same offenses in other Florida cities, would have received a civil citation. Most of them were AfricanAmerican. If students engaged in similar offenses in other cities can receive civil citations, why can’t they receive them in Jacksonville?” Corey and her staff do not buy into the notion that there is disparity in the way kids in Jacksonville Public Schools and kids in other, more affluent areas, are treated. Prosecutor Caliel said his job to investigate each case but to also consider the plight of the victims. Caliel also talked about the need for parents to be involved – something that frequently does not happen because many times because they cannot take the time off work. After the session, I asked Caliel
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Opinions expressed on this editorial page are those of the writers, and do not necessarily reflect the editorial stance of the newspaper or the publisher.
and Ted Williams, arguably the game’s greatest pure hitter, and ponder this question: How many times during those decades would it have been the Boston Red Sox, not the New York Yankees, in the World Series? Just in baseball terms, that could be a magnificent debate. In terms of the larger American society, it’s stark evidence that racism has always had a cost that’s borne on both sides of the color line.
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He believed it And I could tell by the look on his face and in his eyes, that he thoroughly believed what he was saying. The history of racism and racial discrimination is over, he said. That mindset remains alive and well in this country, and unless and until it changes, we will continue to see the type of injustice that has inspired the Black Lives Matter movement to explode all over this country.
Rev. Susan K. Smith is an author and ordained minister who is founder of Crazy Faith Ministries. Contact her at revsuekim@sbcglobal.net.
Chronic joblessness Youth unemployment is at destructive levels. Schools are underfunded and undersupplied. Good jobs are scarce; guns and drugs are readily available. The police need reform. But even a reformed department will have trouble keeping the peace and providing security in neighborhoods deprived of hope. It is time for bold leadership, not foot-dragging and delay. The mayor has used his national profile to lure investment in Chicago’s business districts. Now he should use that energy and visibility to address Chicago’s neglected neighborhoods. That begins with real reform of the police, but it does not end there.
The Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. is president and CEO of the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition.
Central Florida Communicators Group, LLC, P.O. Box 48857 Tampa, FL 33646, publishes the Florida Courier on Fridays. Phone: 877-352-4455, toll-free. For all sales inquiries, call 877-352-4455; e-mail sales@flcourier.com. 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’.
SUBMISSIONS POLICY SEND ALL SUBMISSIONS TONEWS@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.
MAY 5 – 14 MAY 11,2006 2016 DECEMBER - 20,
5 7
M HISTORY AYOR
Great Migration a triumph of Black Press The FBI and lawsuits could not stop the effort to create the largest migration in American History. 2016 marks the 100th anniversary of the great exodus of Blacks from the South to major cities up North. BY ERICK JOHNSON NNPA NEWS SERVICE
There were over 600 Black families applying for 53 apartment units in just one day in Chicago in 1917. In two years, more than 100 storefront churches would dot the South Side. By 1930 the number would climb to 338. During that time, the Black populations of Chicago, New York, Philadelphia and other major northern and western cities would explode as thousands arrived by train almost on a daily basis. In these cities, a Black middle class was established and the largest migration of Blacks in American history swept the nation. Many Blacks in the Midwest and Northeast have parents and grandparents who migrated from the South. Because of direct train routes, Blacks in Chicago are more likely to have parents or relatives from Mississippi. Blacks in New York and Philadelphia are likely to grandparents from South Carolina. The correlation exists also for other northern states that were accessible by direct routes that served their southern states.
COURTESY OF THE CHICAGO HISTORY MUSEUM
Two Black workers fold hides at the Chicago Union’s Stockyards. Before the mass migration, 67 Blacks worked in Chicago’s Union Stockyards, where they slaughtered and process meat and cattle. After the first migration, the number hovered around 3,000.
Birth to ‘Bronzeville’ Many left the South during the Great Migration, two periods in American history where the Black population dramatically shifted north and helped transform major cities in the Midwest, Northeast and West. It’s also a period that gave birth to “Bronzeville” as a Black Metropolis, where thriving businesses, prominent writers and artists flourished during the Harlem Renaissance. The force behind this movement was the Black Press. And behind the Black Press was the FBI and city officials who aimed to keep Blacks in their place. Most Blacks who migrated from the South were poor Black men who temporarily left behind families while risking their lives for a future that was uncertain. Their wives and children would stay behind until the men would secure better paying jobs that would support their families. With little money and the long journey, many did survive the trip. Others were not allowed to board the vehicles by racist train managers. Blacks who did make the trip experienced a side of America that was once off limits to them. Cities that flourished with economic opportunities and better captured the imagination of some six million Blacks, who for the longest time, yearned for prosperity and freedom.
Blacks’ fierce advocate They came from the South, a region whose economy was still struggling from the devastation caused by the Civil War and slavery. For thousands of Black families, jobs opportunities were few. The American dream remained distant and many could not read or write because of the lack of schools in segregated neighborhoods. When several Black newspapers landed in the hands of many Black southerners, eyes widened and hopes grew. Headlines and stories that detailed the lives newly planted Black migrants triggered seismic migration and established the Black Press as a significant institution, one that would come under heavy scrutiny as it fiercely advocated the civil rights of Blacks across the country. The Black Press was around long before the Great Migration, beginning with Freedom’s Journal in 1827. However, historians argue that the Great Migration was a major chapter in history that helped define the Black Press.
Year of celebrations In Chicago, many Black men secured jobs as Pullman Porters, which historians say established the city’s Black middle class. Before the mass migration, 67 Blacks worked in Chicago’s Union Stockyards, where
COURTESY OF THE PITTSBURGH COURIER
fused to carry the paper. In Mississippi, one county banned the Defender, declaring it “German propaganda.” In Pine Bluff, Arkansas, the city sued to get an injunction to prohibit the circulation of the Defender. Eighteen Black leaders including two ministers were named defendants in the lawsuit. In addition, the FBI began spying on the Defender six months before World War I, according to the Black Press Research Collective, a group of scholars who posted the report in March 2013. The report said the government kept a “vigilant watch” over the Defender and several Black newspapers, which were feared of having ties to the Communist Party. The Atlanta Independent, a defunct newspaper that ran from 1903 to 1928, was also prohibited from being circulated.
The Pittsburgh Courier’s circulation averaged 500,000 readers weekly during the Great Migration.
‘Stop and Drop’ campaign
they slaughtered and process meat and cattle. After the first migration, the number hovered around 3,000. Most Black Pullman Porters and Stockyard workers were earning higher wages than the jobs they left in the South. On the South Side, the editor of the now defunct Chicago Bee, James Gentry, first coined the named “Bronzeville” because of the newly arrived Blacks from the South. The Chicago Crusader, which originated in the Ida B. Wells housing projects in 1940, published stories that advocated more job opportunities and housing as more Black migrants arrived. Other Black newspapers such as the Chicago Defender, Pittsburgh Courier, Philadelphia Tribune and New York Amsterdam News printed inspiring stories that sparked a migration explosion that began in 1916. Because of the Great Depression, the movement would cool before thousands more would move North between the 1950s and 1970s. One hundred years later, historians and residents are marking the milestone with celebrations and seminars this year to educate a young generation whose parents and grandparents likely migrated from the South.
Despite the challenges, the Defender still flourished. A shrewd businessman, Abbott by 1920, employed 563 newsboys to sell his paper on the street. In Southern states, Black Pullman Porters from Chicago smuggled the paper on the trains and dropped them off to a pickup person. Many did so while risking their jobs and lives. They were also carried in churches, barbershops and black businesses. In the early twentieth century, the Defender was the best selling Black newspaper in the country. Another banned Black newspaper, the Pittsburgh Courier (now the New Pittsburgh Courier), used the Black Pullman Porters to carry out its “Stop and Drop” campaign, where bundles of papers were dropped before they were sold. The Courier’s readership also skyrocketed. With papers in 14 major cities, the Courier’s weekly circulation peaked at 500,000, according to news reports.
Reverse migration
Chicago Defender’s impact White newspapers during the Great Migration did not print stories about Blacks or their progress. The newspaper that has been widely credited for sparking the Great Migration is the Chicago Defender, a newspaper that was started with just 25 cents by Robert Sengstacke Abbott in 1905. Because of racism, Abbott, a native of Savannah Georgia, was unable to establish a law practice in Chicago and Gary, Ind. After he founded the paper in the kitchen of his landlord’s apartment, Abbott wrote scathing editorials against racism and ran stories that highlighted
the success of Blacks migrants in Chicago. He urged readers to leave the South and posted job listings, train schedules, and photos of the best schools, parks and housing in the city, in comparison to the deplorable conditions in the South. Because of its coverage, the Defender gained a heavy readership. According to various news reports, the paper was read aloud during church services, in
barbershops, homes and on the streets. With stories on Black culture, weddings and lifestyles, the Defender became a must read for Blacks. The paper’s readership went from 10,000 in 1916 to 230,000 in a week. During that time, as many as four readers reportedly shared a copy of the Defender.
Black papers banned Some White newsstands re-
Today, the Black Press is faced with new challenges and opportunities. With race relations back in the nation’s spotlight, the Black Press is poised to bounce back after years of declining readership. There are also fading job opportunities in the North that are fueling what many are calling a reverse migration. Many Blacks whose parents and grandparents moved to the North are heading back south. According to the U.S. Census, between 2000 and 2010, an estimated 1,336,097 Blacks moved to Southern cities alone, according to the Brookings Institute, which based the study on recent U.S. Census data. In 2011, Atlanta overtook Chicago as the city with the second largest Black population. Chicago is number three while New York maintains the top spot.
This story is special to NNPA News Service from The Chicago Crusader.
R6 Free HIV testing scheduled at park “I Am My Brother’s/Sister’s Keeper in the Park Conference” takes place from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday at Daisy Stocking Park. The conference will be presented by the Minority AIDS Network, a collaborative effort between the Florida Department of Health in Volusia County (DOH-Volusia), City of Daytona Beach, VITAS Healthcare, Halifax Area Ministerial Association, Community AIDS Network, and Stewart Marchman Act Behavioral Healthcare. The annual event is to encourage men and women of all ages to be tested for HIV. No-cost testing will be offered on site. Prevention, education and resource information also will be available. Entertainment will include live music, a talent show, poetry, dance and drama promoting youth-oriented HIV education. Food will be provided.
Tubman to be talk of May 14 meeting The Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society of East
7 COMMUNITY NEWS Central Florida will hold its monthly meeting at 10 a.m. May 14 at the Volusia County Public Library, City Island Branch, 105 E Magnolia Ave., Daytona Beach. The presentation will be “Harriet Tubman: A Historical Reenactment.” For additional information, call 386-295-0676 or 386-253-1516.
Charter Review Commission to meet May 9 Volusia County’s Charter Review Commission will meet at 5:30 p.m. Monday, May 9, in the second-floor Dennis R. McGee Room at the Daytona Beach International Airport, 700 Catalina Drive, Daytona Beach. Members will discuss the final report and the status of the Volusia Growth Management Commission. For more information about the Charter Review Commission and to view the County Charter, visit www. volusia.org/countycharter. The meetings are open to the public. Reservations are not required. Attendees may bring their parking slips to the meeting for validation. For more information, call Dona
MAY 5 – MAY 11, 2016
DeMarsh Butler at 386-736-5955 or Tammy Bong at 386-736-5934.
Paintings by Houzell now at Golden center “Healing Through the Sacred G,” the paintings of international artist Paul Antonelleo Houzell, will be on display through Aug. 5 at the Yvonne Scarlett Golden Cultural & Educational Center, 1000 Vine St., Daytona Beach. Houzell is a Florida native reared in California. He’s inspired by the human figure striving to bring forth humanitarianism, spiritualism, education and healing. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in art history from California State University Dominguez Hills and a master’s rom UC Berkeley and the University of Salvador de Bahia, Brazil. He is a teacher and a lecturer who chooses not to create art for art’s sake, instead seeks to tell stories, communicate and touch lives through this dynamic medium. His body of work includes flora and fauna, He is concerned with expressing aspects of creativity that can bring about healing and which lift the human spirit.
The art that he creates adheres to traditional realism, despite changing trends in the art world. His work has been displayed in the United States, Africa and Brazil. For more information, call 386671-3402.
Volusia administers energy grant for elderly Volusia County’s Human Services Office is administering the Emergency Home Energy Assistance for the Elderly Program (EHEAP) for ElderSource. The program provides emergency cooling and heating energy assistance to eligible households with at least one person age 60 or older living in the household. Funds may be used to assist with past due or disconnected energy bills. Applications are being accepted in these Human Services offices: • 123 W. Indiana Ave., Room 101, DeLand (386-736-5956) • 250 N. Beach St., Room 100, Daytona Beach (386-254-4675 • 775 Harley Strickland Blvd., Orange City (386-775-5204) • 107 E. Canal St., New Smyrna Beach (386-423-3309)
BUS DRIVERS Full Time Fixed Route and Paratransit Bus Drivers. CDL with Passenger Endorsement preferred but not required. Apply in person between 9 AM - 4 PM Monday Friday at 950 Big Tree Road South Daytona. EOE - Females/ Minorities/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities. DFWP East Central Florida’s Black Voice Visit us online at daytonatimes.com
7
M ASPORTS YOR
MAY 514– -MAY 11, 2016 DECEMBER 20, 2006
B-CU baseball standouts snag MEAC honors of the week SPECIAL TO THE DAYTONA TIMES
Bethune-Cookman has swept the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Baseball weekly awards, it announced Monday, May 2, from the league’s office in Norfolk, Virginia. Michael Cruz was tabbed Co-Player of the Week; Tyler Krull was Pitcher of the Week; and Josten Heron was Rookie of the Week, respectively. For Bethune-Cookman, the MEAC awards weekly sweep is the first of its kind on the 2016 campaign as B-CU defeated nonconference opponent Stetson and swept MEAC foe North Carolina A&T – all on the road.
Three home runs Michael Cruz, a 5-foot-11,
210-pound junior from Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, batted .438 last week in four wins for the Wildcats. He went 7-for-16 on the week, with three home runs, seven runs scored, five RBIs and two walks, against Stetson and North Carolina A&T State. He went 3-for-5, with two solo home runs and four runs scored to help the Wildcats complete a three-game sweep of N.C. A&T State. Cruz spent time as a catcher and at the designated hitter spot in the Wildcats lineup under head coach Jason Beverlin.
Freshman shines Josten Heron, a 6-foot-2, 195-pound freshman from Miami, patrolled center field for the Wildcats last week. The Miami
Southridge High product batted .400 in four wins for the Maroon and Gold, going 8-for-15 at the plate overall. In helping the Wildcats to a perfect 4-0 mark, he was instrumental in the league series sweep of North Carolina A&T. Heron produced four RBIs in the series finale against the Aggies, as well as four against nonconference foe Stetson in a 6-2 win over the fellow Volusia County opponent Hatters.
Winning rookie Tyler Krull, a 5-foot-10, 180-pound freshman pitcher from West Palm Beach was key for the Wildcats in a 6-0 decision in the second game of a doubleheader at North Carolina A&T over the weekend.
COURTESY OF B-CU ATHLETICS
Michael Cruz, Tyler Krull and Josten Heron were MEAC’s top players of the week. The rookie tossed a one-hit, complete game shutout against the Aggies, improving to 2-1 on the year in three consecutive starts in the B-CU weekend ro-
tation. He fanned seven and did not allow a walk in the victory.
This story is courtesy of B-CU Athletics.
Holdsclaw discusses ‘Mind/Game’ documentary, mental illness Directed by Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Rick Goldsmith, the film chronicles her rise to basketball stardom and her battle against mental illness while offering a revealing look at stigmas associated with the condition in the sports world and African-American community. EURWEB
In the eyes of many, athletes are real-life superheroes, able to perform extraordinary feats for the personal highlight reel of fans and mention of sports commentators worldwide. As someone regarded as “the female Michael Jordan,” Chamique Holdsclaw more than fit that mold, with a string of honors (seven high school basketball championships, three consecutive NCAA Women’s Basketball Championships, six time WNBA All-Star, two time WNBA rebounding champion, WNBA scoring champion, Olympic gold medalist) to her credit. There was no doubt Holdsclaw dominated women’s basketball, but life away from the court proved challenging as mental illness and clinical depression invaded her personal and professional life. Although she detailed her situation in her 2012 autobiography, “Breaking Through: Beating the Odds Shot after Shot,” Holdsclaw is on a new path to raise awareness about the importance of mental health with her new documentary “Mind/Game: The Unquiet Journey of Chamique Holdsclaw.”
Helping others Despite her initial hesitation when approached to do the film, Holdsclaw saw a greater purpose in bringing her story to a wider audience while bringing fans up to date on what she’s been up to since her days in the WNBA. “When I was approached
about doing the film, I was just like ‘No. I don’t want to do it. I don’t know if I want people in my life like that, like right in the front row of my life and really taking that walk with me is a little scary,’” Holdsclaw confessed to EURweb about going beyond the written pages of her book to bring her story to a wider audience. “But I thought about it and I pondered and pondered. Then finally I was like ‘you know what? This is gonna help a lot of people because I get the opportunity to touch a lot of people and to talk about mental health.’ “Sometimes you just have people that have been basketball fans of mine who are running in to me and they are like, ‘what’s going on with Chamique Holdsclaw?’ This would give them the opportunity to really see what I’ve been going through, the why’s. Why did I leave the league? Why was I going through these ups and downs? I just felt that they could take my story, if it didn’t affect them directly, indirectly and help a friend or family member deal with their issues.”
Community stigma Directed by two-time Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Rick Goldsmith (“The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers”), “Mind/ Game” chronicles Holdsclaw’s rise to basketball stardom and her battle against mental illness while offering a revealing look at stigmas associated
with the condition in the sports world and AfricanAmerican community. According to the National Alliance of Mental Illness, mental illness affects one in five adults in America. The issue is especially complicated in the Black community, where preconceptions about mental health present a challenge for people to acknowledge their struggle. For Holdsclaw, her mental illness affected personal relationships within her family and others who encouraged her to “pray away” her illness. “It was just tough at first, dealing with some parts of my family and people not understanding,” she said. “But I’m like ‘hey. This is something. I pray all the time and it’s something that’s inside of me. It’s woven in my DNA. I have to take the meds.’”
‘Culture changing’ Despite the stigma, Holdsclaw mentioned that change is happening from Black churches taking steps to address mental illness with counseling centers available to their congregations. “People need to go to talk to somebody. So it’s just great to see now, even the movement in the Black church. It’s great to see so many churches with counseling centers and offering resources to their congregation,” she said. “That makes me smile because for me, it’s been a struggle. “At one point, I was like, ‘I don’t even want to go to another church because these peoples are hypocrites.’ I’m very spiritu-
“This is gonna help a lot of people because I get the opportunity to touch a lot of people and to talk about mental health,’’ Chamique Holdsclaw said. al. I can pray and things like that, but I see the culture changing and it really makes me happy.”
Raising awareness Since her time in the WNBA, Holdsclaw has been active in raising awareness of mental illness. Among Holdsclaw’s supporters are NBA all-star and fellow mental health advocate Metta World Peace as well as her friend and workout partner, bodybuilder Asia Lampley, who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. In addition to World Peace and Lampley, Holdsclaw has found an ally in former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. David Satcher. For Holdsclaw, coming to grips with seeking help for something that couldn’t be handled on her own proved “very humbling.” Especially for a star athlete. “It was tough. I always tell people it was very humbling for me to be in the place I am now. I had to really humble myself and say ‘I can’t do this by myself. There’s no way. I won’t be alive if I try to continually do this by myself,’” she shared. “I’m thinking just like anything else, you know, ‘Hard work. I want to be faster. I’m gonna go practice to try to jump higher. Do this.’ I’ve always known how to control of my body to get that result. My head is attached to my body, but it’s like I couldn’t control that. “So finally, I had to say, ‘you know what? I give up. I’m gonna talk to a psychologist and go see a psychiatrist and deal with this chemical imbalance.”
Lifestyle changes Admitting you need help is one thing, but Holdsclaw found that walking the walk is harder than it seemed. “I’m like ‘alright, now I have to take medicine? You’re telling me in order for me to live a healthy and productive lifestyle that I have to take medicine for the rest of my life?’ Holdsclaw recalled as she realized that changes in her lifestyle needed to be made. “At first and for a lot of people, especially athletes, I’m a little more
on the natural side, like ‘I don’t want to do all that. Tell me what I need to eat. “Tell me if I can take vitamins and things of that sort.’ So I had to make a whole shift mentally, and say, ‘this is something I have to do. There’s no more trying to fight this Chamique. I have to do this.’ And I gave in.” Holdsclaw’s change of heart was a winning move that has “really changed my world.” Add in the support she’s gotten from her mother and friends as well as time spent passing her skills on to the next generation of women’s basketball greats and her work with Satcher and the Jed Foundation and it’s safe to say that that the fire is there to be an inspiration for those who are also fighting mental illness. “I’ve been just blessed to be surrounded by some people that are really affecting change. I’m just taking notes,” [laughs] Holdsclaw said while referencing a familial connection to her desire to help others. “I come from a family of service. I grew up Lutheran and we were two Black families in the whole church. I used to say ‘Oh, this is so boring,’ but my grandmother was the woman of that church. “She fed the homeless. She did everything. So everybody knew my grandmother. Even in my community, when people were going through a tough time and didn’t have something, money or food, they would always come to my grandmother. Everybody knew her. She was just like the person that uplifted a lot of people in our community,” said Holdsclaw. “Everybody would always tell me, ‘you’re so much like your grandmother. And now I see because I want to take on everybody else’s problems. I want to help. I’ll give somebody my last. I’m proud that I’m a lot like her, but it’s also maintaining balance because sometimes I’m totally depleted because I’m just gibing, giving, giving. But I’ve grown up a lot. I understand when it’s time to cut off the lights and catch up on some rest.” [laughs]
‘They don’t understand’ With overcoming her personal obstacles and shining a light on the issue, Holdsclaw hopes “Mind/ Game” will make it easier for those with mental illness to reach out and lean on those who can provide needed support to get through their situation. “Just because you have any type of issue doesn’t mean your life is over. You really have to keep on keeping on. I know that sometimes it’s easier said than done, but there’s just so much in place really recognizing that people are there to support us. Whether it’s family or friends or just the community, take advantage of that support and love and resources,” she said. “A lot of times when I’m out talking to people, the number one thing that I hear is, ‘They don’t understand. They don’t understand what I’m going through.’ The thing is that hopefully when people watch this, the people on the other side of it [will] open their hearts a little more and start to understand what a person is dealing with when they have these types of illnesses. Damaging relationships, damaging the family structure and having to rebuild all that because you’re not in the right state of mind. Hopefully on that side, people start to realize that and also on the end of the person going through it is just keep moving forward and not give up. Just try to always, no matter what it is, have that level of support. Whether It’s your friend or family or your community. We need it. We cannot do this alone.” “Mind/Game: The Unquiet Journey of Chamique Holdsclaw” aired Tuesday on Logo. Check your local listings for other airings of the documentary.
R8
7COMMUNITY NEWS
MAY 5 – MAY 11, 2016
Volusia adds lifeguard tryouts, class
The documentary includes interviews with local African-American residents who witnessed the 1946 spring training or resided in Daytona Beach when Jackie Robinson broke professional baseball’s color line.
Museum to show Robinson documentary again on May 6 The Halifax Historical Society continues to remember and honor Jackie Robinson playing the first interracial game in the history of baseball, right across the street from downtown Daytona Beach with a second screening of the society’s new documentary. “Breaking Barriers: Oral Histories of Jackie Robinson’s 1946 Spring Training’’ will be shown on May 6 at the museum,
252 South Beach St. The doors open at 5:30 p.m. Call 386-255-6976 or pick up tickets at the museum, which is located between Magnolia and Orange Avenues in downtown Daytona Beach. Single tickets are $8 for museum members and $10 for non- members. For students with college or university photo IDs, the tickets are $6 each. To make a
Poetry Slam series concludes Saturday at Cinematique
Admission for the evening is $5. The first 12 poets to reserve a spot will be allowed to compete, but the general public is welcome to attend and read a poem during the open mic time that follows the Poetry Slam.
The Daytona Beach arts cinema, Cinematique of Daytona, concludes its current Poetry Slam series for the season on May 7. The event will begin at 9 p.m., a half hour earlier than previous evenings, to allow more time for the competition. The first prize is $50 and the second prize is a $25 Cinematique gift certificate.
Traveling team Volusia County Poet Laureate David B. Axelrod emcees the event with Kevin Campbell, director of MACDeLand Slams. “From the dozen winners since August, 2015, we have been able assemble a team that will represent our area,” Axelrod said.
credit card purchase, call the museum at 386-255-6976 from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. On March 17, 1946 at City Island Ball Park, downtown Daytona Beach, the Montreal Royals played against the Major League’s Brooklyn Dodgers – the first time that a professional baseball game knowingly included an African-American since 1887. The following spring, in 1947, Robinson would again break the color barrier, this time in the Major League when he played for the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field, Flatbush, Brooklyn, New York.
“We now have a grant from the Cultural Council of Volusia County that will help Kevin’s team travel to regional and national competitions. The series isn’t just paying a cash prize, it is helping launch poetry careers.” The bimonthly competitions will continue next fall with co-sponsor, Creative Happiness Institute. Cinematique of Daytona is located at 242 S. Beach St. For competition rules, visit www.cinematique.org/spoken-word/. For more information, call 386-337-4567 or email axelrod@creativehappiness.org.
Your everything.
These are the people who mean the most to you. The stories and jokes you’ve always known. And the foods that really bring you home. This is a chance to celebrate the gift of togetherness—with the people who remind you what life is all about. Your family. Your everything.
Learn how Publix can help make it a family reunion to remember. publix.com/familyreunion
Volusia County’s Beach Safety Division has expanded its efforts to hire part-time summer lifeguards by adding 12 tryouts and a third class to its schedule. Swim tryouts will be on these Saturdays: • May 7: 8 to 10 a.m. at the Port Orange YMCA, 4701 City Center Parkway, Port Orange; 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Deltona YMCA, 280 Wolf Pack Run, Deltona; and 2 to 4 p.m. at the DeLand YMCA, 761 E. International Speedway Blvd., DeLand • May 14: 8 to 10 a.m. at the Ormond Beach YMCA, 500 Sterthaus Drive, Ormond Beach; 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Cypress Aquatic Center, 981 George W. Engram Blvd., Daytona Beach; and 2 to 4 p.m. at the Port Orange YMCA • May 21: 8 to 10 a.m. at the Cypress Aquatic Center, 981 George W. Engram Blvd., Daytona Beach; 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Southeast Volusia YMCA, 148 W. Turgot Ave., Edgewater; and 2 to 4 p.m. at the Ormond Beach YMCA • May 28: 8 to 10 a.m. at the Southeast Volusia YMCA, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the DeLand YMCA, and 2 to 4 p.m. at the Port Orange YMCA
$10.25 an hour Applicants must be at least 16 on or before June 1 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 seconds. Candidates considered for hiring will undergo a background check, physical and drug screening. Those who meet the requirements must complete a 40-hour first responder/CPR course and attend a training class from June 13 to 17 at the Daytona State Aquatic Center and Volusia County Lifeguard Headquarters, both in Daytona Beach. Starting pay is $10.25 an hour with EMT certification and $9.85 an hour without certification. For more information, visit www. volusia.org/beach or call 386-2396414.