More Blacks becoming hockey fans SEE PAGE 7
East Central Florida’s Black Voice
EE FR
JULIANNE MALVEAUX: Some good news, bad news in latest employment numbers SEE PAGE 4
DAYTONA BEACH CELEBRATES JUNETEENTH WITH BANQUET AND FESTIVAL SEE PAGE 8
JUNE 18 - JUNE 24, 2015
YEAR 40 NO. 25
www.daytonatimes.com
B-CU to host Educational Justice Conference Three-day collaboration in Orlando will include governmental agencies, community organizations school districts and families BY PENNY DICKERSON DAYTONA TIMES
Bethune-Cookman University is serving as a millennium model to advance awareness of critical issues affecting minority student education. The university will host its First Annual Educational Justice Conference July 12-14 at Buena Vista Palace Hotel & Spa in Orlando.
The three-day conference is themed “Connecting with the Diverse and Underrepresented Youth of Today” and seeks to galvanize K-12 educational leaders and teachers through inspiring discourse and presentations that empower leadership skills. Invited speakers will emphasize under-resourced schools, teacher preparedness, mislabeling
of students, insensitivity and family/community support. Registrants will receive extensive learning opportunities toward best practices in standardsbased education and innovation models.
Free for some teachers Bethune-Cookman University is partnering with The Ford Fund and Volusia County Schools.
The Ford Fund and Volusia County Schools are supporting approximately 15 teachers. The university believes this is such an important discussion that B-CU is sponsoring 50 Title I teachers/ administrators statewide. “As a way to operationalize our commitment to work with Florida school districts, this conference will showcase best practices in district classrooms, cutting edge discussions with local, state and nationally known speakers,” said Dr. Willis Walter, vice president of Community Affairs/K-16
Initiatives Dean, College of Education for Bethune-Cookman University (B-CU). “All conference participants will receive a written compilation of information shared at the conference. This document will also be available to school districts. Due to the university’s dedication to quality instruction for all, qualifying teachers receive free registration and room accommodations,’’ he added. Please see B-CU, Page 2
Free HIV testing in Daytona June 26 BY PENNY DICKERSON DAYTONA TIMES
PHOTOS BY DUANE C. FERNANDEZ SR./HARNOTTSPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
Frankie Beverly, wearing his signature white baseball cap, captivated the audience on Sunday night during Maze’s concert at the Peabody Auditorium. Maze continues to be one of the nation’s most popular R&B and concert acts even though most of the group’s hit songs were recorded in the 1970s and 1980s.
The hits just kept on coming
The Florida Department of Health in Volusia County will recognize the 20th annual observance of National HIV Testing Day by offering free HIV testing on June 26 — one day earlier than the annual kick off. Themed “Take the Test, Take the Control,” the campaign encourages people of all ages to learn their HIV status by taking the test and taking control of their lives. In 2014, there were about 1,485 people in Volusia County living with HIV/AIDS, so early diagnosis is critical so those affected can fully benefit from available lifesaving treatments. National HIV Testing Day is June 27 and promotes timely screening and education as crucial elements that can help stop the spread of HIV. Knowing your status—as well as the status of your partner—is one of the most important steps in preventing HIV. Daytona Beach testing will take place at the Volusia County Health Department, 1854 Holsonback Drive, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Painless process Daytona Beach residents who have refrained from being tested due to an associative fear can be assured the Volusia County Health Department’s screening process is virtually pain free. “We have three types of tests including saliva, blood draw and a Clearview rapid test. We will offer the rapid test first,” stated Patrick Forand, HIV AIDS Program Coordinator for the local health department. “The saliva [test] is just a scraping of the cheek with a small plastic collection loop, the blood draw is with a needle and the rapid test is performed like a blood glucose test with a small prick of a finger for a drop of blood.” Any resident 13 years or older is eligible to receive the rapid test
Legendary group Maze entertains crowd at Peabody
The legendary band Maze featuring Frankie Beverly showed why they’re still one of the hottest groups around on Sunday during a high-energy performance before a packed house at the Peabody Auditorium in Daytona Beach. Donned in their traditional white outfits, the group gave the audience a walk down memory lane with classic hits like “Happy Feelin’s,’’ “Golden Time of Day,” Joy and Pain’’ and “Before I Let Go.’’ Comedian Tight Mike opened up for Maze.
Please see TESTING, Page 2
Juneteenth celebration continues in DeLand at JAMFest BY PENNY DICKERSON DAYTONA TIMES
The commemoration of Juneteenth continues this Saturday in DeLand with JAMFest – June Arts and Multicultural Festival. Hosted onsite by the African American Museum of Arts, the free event seeks to unify diverse cultures in the West Volusia county for a celebration of African-American history legacy from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
ALSO INSIDE
JAMFest will showcase live entertainment including sultry jazz by R&B artist Peter Love and local band Those Guys. Faith Henderson and The Gospel Praise will sing soulful gospel. The event will include spoken word poetry and a historical theatrical re-enactment. Arts and crafts will be on display along with food vendors and an array of children activities.
Juneteenth history Fact and folklore have historically merged to archive the truth surrounding Juneteenth. President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, but it took two and a half years for word to reach slaves in the Midwest informing them they had been freed. It has been reported that Union soldiers in Galveston, Texas de-
livered the word, and a competing legend is that a lone pony express messenger was murdered or that plantation owners withheld the news in order to retain slave labor and reap a final cotton harvest. The single historical truth is that slaves in America’s Midwest learned on June 19 that the war was over, the Emancipation Proclamation had been signed, and they were free. An unrivaled cel-
ebration took place and since, Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States.
Museum turns 20 As previously reported by the Daytona Times, the African American Museum of the Arts is celebrating 20 years since the vision of a place where Black artists could display their artwork yearround became a reality. It was founded in 1994 by Irene Please see JAMFEST, Page 2
COMMUNITY NEWS: 10 ‘PHENOMENAL WOMEN’ HONORED AT PALM COAST LUNCHEON | PAGE 3 COMMENTARY: GEORGE CURRY: HOW FOX NEWS, ASSOCIATED PRESS ABUSED BLACK YOUTH | PAGE 4
7 FOCUS
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JUNE 18 – JUNE 24, 2015
Mainland’s Class of 1975 celebrates 40th year
PHOTOS BY DUANE C. FERNANDEZ SR./HARDNOTTSPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
Then 2 Now, a local band, entertains the crowd. The band was founded in 1996 by Larry E. Hicks Sr. of Deltona.
Mainland High School Class of 1975 celebrated its 40th anniversary with a reunion June 1214 at the Daytona Beach Resort and Conference Center on Atlantic Avenue. The band Then 2 Now performed during a banquet held June 13 for the class. The reunion kicked off on Friday, June 12, with a Meet and Greet. A banquet was held on June 13 and the weekend culminated with a church service on June 14.
JAMFEST from Page 1
D. Johnson and her husband, Maxwell, in an effort to shape the thinking of young African-Americans in a positive and self-affirming manner. After numerous community meetings with friends and leaders from West Volusia, a board of di-
Above: Members of Mainland High School’s Class of 1975 are shown at a dinner held June 13. Left: Sharon Dave, Mary Barry, Glenda Davis and Cheryl Hopkins are native Floridians and have been friends for over 45 years.
rectors was established on Sept. 22, 1994, to create the African American Museum of the Arts.
Popular meeting place Two months later in November, the museum signed an agreement with the DeLand Housing Authority for a 1,200-square-foot facility and was incorporated on Jan. 10, 1995. On May 3, 1995, the museum received its 501(c)(3) not-for-profit tax-exempt status and opened its doors to the public on Oct. 8, 1995.
Since its founding, the museum has provided exhibitions, held classes for youngsters and seniors and is frequently the meeting place for community organizations. “We are still here,” Mary Allen, executive director of AAMA, told the Times. “And we are going to continue to provide enrichment programs to our community.” The AAMA is located at 325 S. Clara Ave., in the heart of the African-American community in DeLand.
from Page 1
Greater access While free testing is an excellent resource to curve statistical gaps, the CDC stresses, “If you have HIV, getting medical care and taking medicines regularly helps you live a longer, healthier life and also lowers the chances of passing HIV on to others.” Volusia County organizations like F.A.I.T.H. (Fighting Against Injustice Towards Harmony) have served as successful community agents of change. The faith-based, grassroots organization led efforts to convince Halifax Hospital to open new facilities where the uninsured or underinsured can gain greater access to primary health care. Free testing on National HIV Testing Day is a community endeavor that weighs the economic challenges of the public against the invaluable benefits of being tested. To encourage responsible behaviors and education in Daytona Beach, the Volusia County Health Department offers free condoms and informational brochures year-around.
Florida ranks high According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Florida con-
from Page 1 Better armed Upon leaving the conference, participants will be better armed to understand, serve and advocate for an underserved and underrepresented population of students. Included are minorities, English language learners, students with exceptionalities, economically disadvantaged students and those who struggle with at-home challenges. “Reaching underrepresented students is critical to both improving overall academic performance as a district and assisting students to find a career path after graduation or postsecondary education,” offered Kelly L. Amy, coordinator of Volusia County Schools Career and Technical Education Department. “This conference will focus on more concrete ways to reach students, all students, and that’s very exciting.”
Still unequal
TESTING without parental consent; however, minors 12 and younger will be tested by blood draw and must be accompanied by a legal, adult guardian. To maintain confidentiality, all results are given face-to-face with a timeliness consistent with health department standards. “If the test is a blood draw or cheek swab we will have the results back in a week or two. If the test is a rapid, we will have a preliminary result and will need to confirm the results with a blood draw,” offered Forhand. “If a person comes back as reactive to the rapid test, we will provide counseling and refer the person to the linkage coordinator and a case manager.”
B-CU
Disparity in education remains an age-old problem as minority students continue to perform in school at a slower pace than their majority counterparts and lag behind in both test score and graduation rates. The reasoning stems from a plethora of broad factors. According to a January report in U.S. News and World Report, more than 60 years after Brown vs. Board of Education, school systems in the United States are still separate but unequal. By 2022, the number of Hispanic students in public elementary and secondary schools is expected to grow 33 percent from the 2011 numbers. The number of multi-racial students is expected to grow 44 percent. Black students are more likely to be held back despite mounting research that holding back children doesn’t benefit them socially or academically and makes them more likely to drop out later on.” “It’s time to take action,” declared Walter. “If we don’t begin to truly examine the core of the problems in our educational system, we will lose these children. We as a nation can’t continue to take these risks and lose these precious resources. We have to find ways to reach all students and place them on the track to fulfill their potential.”
Community collaboration
AMY PETERSON/FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM/TNS
Kim, left, reacts with relief after Roberta McShane shows her the HIV-negative test results. McShane was conducting free HIV tests a few years ago in Arlington, Texas. tinues to rank third in the nation in the cumulative number of AIDS cases (126,581 in 2012) and second in the nation in the cumulative number of HIV cases (49,058 in 2012). The state of Florida’s statistical rank represents both a statewide health crisis and a daunting fraction with respect to national averages that report more than 1.2 million people in the United States who are living with HIV infection. Almost one in seven (14 percent) are unaware of their infection. The Florida Department of Health further estimates that approximately 130,000 individuals are living with HIV disease in Florida. While there is currently no cure, HIV/AIDS is 100 preventable preventable. Getting tested is the first step to finding out if you have HIV.
Communities take charge Florida communities are ethnically diverse and from the peninsula’s most southern Miami-Dade county to the East Central Shores of Daytona Beach, individuals from
the Caribbean Islands, Europe, and Africa are faced with pervasive poverty, poor schools, and inadequate social services, housing and job opportunities. The aforementioned combine directly affects health including risk for sexually transmitted disease. The African-American community has remained severely at risk since 2005 when the Florida Department of Health reported that 15 Floridians become infected with HIV every day. The progressive organization “We Make The Change” are among community leaders taking charge to ensure those Florida populations most threatened by the epidemic have the appropriate resources and education to prevent transmission of the disease. Funded by the Florida Department of Health, the statewide initiative advances the philosophy, “Together, we can become a powerful threat against the AIDS epidemic by turning our knowledge of HIV into action - and this action starts with each of us.”
The First Annual Educational Justice Conference is a monumental collaboration between B-CU and local/regional stakeholders within the school districts, governmental agencies, community organizations and families. The Florida Department of Education will be well represented by Hershel Lyons, newly appointed Florida K-12 Public School Chancellor for the State Department of Education along with area administrators and superintendents from the following counties: Duval, Miami-Dade Flagler, Seminole and Gadsden. Tom Russell, superintendent of Volusia County Schools, also will participate. “With persistent social inequities and increasingly diverse classrooms, we must work together in our communities to close the growing educational opportunity gap,” shared Dr. Rajni Shankar-Brown, associate professor and director of Graduate Education Programs and the Jessie Ball DuPont Chair of Social Justice Education at Stetson University. “The First Annual Educational Justice Conference hosted by B-CU holds tremendous promise. We need more spaces in our community for critical dialogue about pressing social justice issues in our schools,” Shankar-Brown noted. Education administrators and researchers will be joined by judicial/law enforcement officials and political stakeholders, including Daytona Beach Mayor Derrick Henry and Commissioner Paula Reed. Retired Volusia Judge Hubert Grimes also will participate.
Ford Foundation out front B-CU has been a longtime partner of the Volusia Career Connection Cadre. Walter serves as the current chair of the Cadre and made both a conscience and forward-thinking decision to include the Ford Fund: Next Generation Learning as a leading stakeholder in the annual conference. Ford Next Generation Learning (Ford NGL) mobilizes educators, employers and community leaders to prepare a new generation of young people who will graduate from high school ready for college, career, and life – prepared to compete successfully in the 21st-century economy. Ford NGL conference presenters will include Ronda Alexander from Detroit and Rick Delano from Southhampton, N.Y. Alexander will be discussing the positive student outcomes of using Problem Based Case Learning (PBCL) in career academies; Delano will be sharing information regarding millennials as high school and college students and as current and future employees. “Volusia County Schools through the Career Connection Cadre was one of Ford Next Generation Learning’s first designated communities in the United States,” stated Thomas N. Besaw, a Ford consultant. “Volusia has nationally known career academies and has provided assistance to other communities around the country in the development and implementation of academies in high schools.”
Stronger workforce One conference stakeholder who sees the long-term dividends that Volusia County will reap from the conference is Jerry Mayes, economic development manager of Deltona. “As the economic development official for Volusia County’s largest city, with a workforce exceeding 40,000, development of the workforce is always a critical issue,” stated Mayes. “Today’s businesses look not only for the workforce numbers but also closely examine at the skills, the education and the training of the workforce. This entails the high school graduations of and the secondary education from institutions of higher learning.” The U.S. News and World Report states that more than one-third of Whites held a bachelor’s degree or higher in 2013 and 19 percent of Blacks did, according to the Census Bureau. But even if the educational landscape was equal, there would likely still be problems. A recent study found the unemployment rate for Black college graduates was much higher than the rate for White graduates. Studies on labor market discrimination have shown that even when Black and White candidates have the same qualifications, the Black candidate is less likely to be called back for an interview. Mayes adds, “We either invest in educational justice or we produce an unskilled workforce that is low in wages and high in unemployment, which negatively affects all our communities. We must accept the importance that an education can offer. Bethune-Cookman University has embraced this ideal through educational justice and the conference that promotes this ideal.” B-CU expects to draw hundreds of teachers and educators from around the state to the conference. “We are extremely excited about the Educational Justice Conference,” shared Dr. Louis Dunbar, assistant professor for the College of Education of B-CU. “Our president – Dr. Edison O. Jackson – is clear regarding our commitment to exercise effective efforts as we partner with the public school system.” Interested parties can find more details and information at www.cookman.edu/ejconf.
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JUNE 18 – JUNE 24, 2015 COMMUNITY DECEMBER 14 - 20, 2006
M A YNEWS OR
Luncheon celebrates accomplishments of 10 ‘Phenomenal Women’ A Phenomenal Woman “Pathways to Success Awards Luncheon” served as a centerpiece for 10 talented women, driven by purpose, principles, power and passion. It launched the first of such awards and seized the moment for “The Women of a New Tribe” traveling photo exhibit. It brought accolades as well as approval to 75 11x14 blackand-white images of BlackAmerican women for display at the African American Cultural Society. Jerry Taliaferro of Charlotte, N.C., created the fine arts photography, a study of physical and spiritual beauty attributed to BlackAmerican women. Some of the popular images are available for purchase. Moreover, the African American Cultural Society paid tribute to women in Central Florida, who were nominated by public opinion and were leading exemplary lives. The luncheon was also meant to serve as a diversity endeavor to highlight women in business. “We have 10 women that we selected as phenomenal women,” said committee member Barbara Solomon. “They are models for all of us to follow.... Within your own circle, within your own sphere, you should become powerful... To do that, you get the job done! “We need businesses in our community,” continued Solomon, “Our young men don’t have jobs...We always go to someone else for a job. It’s time for us to stand up; network, start businesses, spread ideas, support others, who are interested in starting busi-
PHOTO BY DUANE C. FERNANDEZ SR./HARNOTTSPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
The Phenomenal Women Commemorative: Marva Jones, Jeroline McCarthy, Dr. Myra Middleton Valentine, Jerusha Logan, Donna Gray Banks, Dr. Evelyn Bethune, Taron Monroe, Noemi Garcia, Gwendolyn Duncan and Erma Brooks. nesses, so that our community will grow.”
From educators to entrepreneurs The power players awarded in their respective fields were: Jerusha Logan, former educator/ school principal; Dr. Myra Middleton Valentine, retired district administrator/Flagler County schools, adjunct professor/Flagler College; Marva Jones, former educator/school principal; Erma Brooks, retired/New York City Legal Aid Society; Taron Monroe, private school developer/ founder; Gwendolyn Duncan, educator; Dr. Evelyn Bethune, lecturer/motivational speaker/radio coanchor; Noemi Garcia, assistant vice-president/Fifth Third Bank/team leader/ financial literacy; yours
truly, Jeroline McCarthy, Daytona Times columnist/ Flagler NAACP Executive Committee; and Donna Gray Banks, book festival founder/organizer/activist/radio co-anchor. “One of the lines in ‘For Colored Girls...’ is: ‘I found God in myself, and I loved her fiercely; I loved her fiercely’ - and I think that the phenomenal women we have here today are doing God’s work, and we thank them,” said mistress of ceremony Melinda Morais. “Aren’t you happy to be here, and that we are celebrating the phenomenal women of Central Florida? This idea came from our president, Stephanie Ecklin,” affirmed Morais. The Phenomenal Woman “Pathways to Success Awards Luncheon,” spon-
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE FOR BLACK STUDENTS. NO EXCUSES. The classic guide from Florida Courier publisher, lawyer and broadcaster CHARLES W. CHERRY II PRAISE FOR ‘EXCELLENCE WITHOUT EXCUSE’: “This guide for African-American college-bound students is packed with practical and insightful information for achieving academic success...The primary focus here is to equip students with the savvy and networking skills to maneuver themselves through the academic maze of higher education.” – Book review, School Library Journal • How low expectations of Black students’ achievements can get them higher grades; • Want a great grade? Prepare to cheat! • How Black students can program their minds for success; • Setting goals – When to tell everybody, and when to keep your mouth shut; • Black English, and why Black students must be ‘bilingual.’ …AND MUCH MORE!
PALM COAST COMMUNITY NEWS JEROLINE D. MCCARTHY
Linda Sharpe Haywood
Orjanette Bryant
sored by Walmart and the Fifth Third Bank, included a cost-free lunch as well as no-admission charge for the crowd of attendees. The honorees received recognition at the podium, on the big screen, and in the commemorative journal. They received certificates, along with $50 gift cards, and other treasures lining up the gift bags. The luncheon spoke truth to power through keynote speaker Martha Cooper-Hudson, a life coach, motivational speaker, TV show host and entrepreneur, whose firm hosts life-coaching seminars, networking events, weekend renewal getaways, and empowerment workshops throughout the U.S. “It’s time to stand up, suit up, and walk in your purpose,” said CooperHudson. “But, in order for you to walk in your purpose, you must understand what He says about you. Not your family members. Not your loved ones. Not your friends, but when you understand who you are and whose you are, you will know that you can stand up, you can suit up, and you can walk in your purpose. “God has deposited in you certain gifts, but Satan’s No. 1 job on this planet is not only to stop those gifts from manifesting, but to abort, derail, and delay you from discovering your true purpose,” Cooper-Hudson said, “and the only way you will ever discover your purpose is if you spend time with Him, and you abort what your family members told you to do, and you listen to what it is He has given you to do.”
www.excellencewithoutexcuse.com
Program participants
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The program went full circle with the invocation led by First Lady Carol Coffie, Mt. Calvary Baptist Church of Palm Coast; Stephanie Ecklin, commentator/president/the African American Cultural Society; Sybil Dodson Lucas, committee member/ introducing the awardees; Troy Morgan, manager/ Walmart Stores, delivering the welcome, Denisha Antoine presenting a musical performance; LaToya Taite-Headspet, introducing the keynote speaker; and
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Sybil Dodson Lucas Yumalik Carey, reciting a poem. In addition, Joe Roy offered his help to women entrepreneurs and small business owners through the Palm Coast Business Assistance Center. Anthony Peral, financial wellness expert, Fifth Third Bank, gave a presentation on boosting your credit score. Notwithstanding, the photo exhibit will end with the presentation of “Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Comes to Life,” a dinner theater sharing the journey of this phenomenal woman. It will take place July 18, 5 p.m., at the African American Cultural Society, 4422 North U.S. 1, Palm Coast. Ersula Knox-Odom will be cast in the presentation. The guest speaker is Dr. Evelyn Bethune, granddaughter of Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune, founder of Bethune-Cookman University. The ticket price is $20. The African American Cultural Society can be reached at 386-447-7030.
Flagler NAACP meets June 23 Branch President Linda Sharpe Haywood has invited the community to the Flagler County NAACP meeting of June 23, 6 p.m., at the African American Cultural Society, 4422 North U.S. 1, Palm Coast. Haywood said that the topics for discussion will be: (1) The NAACP Game Changers, which creates awareness that AfricanAmericans are still fighting for their rights; (2) Drug Court, “a supervised, comprehensive treatment program for individuals charged with non-violent, drug-related felony offenses;” and (3) Flagler County Sheriff James Manfre will be taking questions from the audience. For further details, contact the NAACP at 386-4467822.
Author, columnist speaking at health fair A health fair to address the disparities in our community will be hosted by the Flagler County NAACP in partnership with the African American Cultural Society and Natural Nu-
bian, Inc. The goal is to inspire good health and to give the members of the community better qualities of life through education, optional screening, health insurance options, and other resources. Health chairman/organizer Orjanette Bryant said that the guest speaker will be Dr. Gwendolyn Goldsby Grant, author of the bestseller, “The Best Kind of Loving.” The book inspires a deeper healing within the male-and-female relationship. Dr. Grant has earned a Bachelor of Science degree, a master’s degree in Guidance and Counseling and another master’s in Behavioral Science; a doctorate in theology, and a second doctorate in education. She was an advice columnist for Essence magazine for over a decade. Her column reached more than 7.5 million readers, and her knowledge as a sexologist and psychologist has awarded her several appearances on “The Montel Williams Show,’’ Good Morning America, “The Sally Jessy Raphael Show,’’ “The Ricki Lake Show’’, “Oprah,’’ “PBS NewsHour,’’ Black Entertainment TV (BET), “The Maury Povich Show,’’ National Public Radio, CBS News, CNN, and other shows. Dr. Grant was the inspiration for “The Sally Jessy Raphael Show.’’ She won an Emmy for her participation in a featured story between two feuding sisters, while bridging the gap between the two. She will discuss “Life after Menopause” during the health fair on June 20, which will be held 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. at the African American Cultural Society, 4422 North U.S. 1, Palm Coast. The health fair is sponsored by Arrow Rehabilitation and Vitas Innovative Hospice Care. For the education forum, demonstrations will be presented by Pak’s Karate. Representatives will be available for The Flagler County Free Clinic, health insurance, dental and hearing screening, education on well-being, etc. Door prizes and other giveaways will be available. Bryant said that “this is a health fair that you do not want to miss.” For further information, contact the NAACP at orjanettebryant@gmail.com, 386-446-7822; or the African American Cultural Society at AfricanAmeric955@Bellsouth.net, 386447-7030.
Mystery/comedy set for June 27 Stewardess Board President Nellie Chapman Davis is kicking off the mystery/comedy, “Theft of the 2,000 year-old Bible,” which will wrap around a dinner theater. The play, presented at the First Church of Palm Coast on June 27, 2 p.m., was written by Sybil Dodson Lucas. The ticket price of $20 includes an entree of fish or chicken. In addition, no tickets will be sold at the door, and ticketholders are asked to be on time for the mystery. First Church, under the leadership of the Rev. Gillard S. Glover, is located at 91 Old Kings Road North, Palm Coast. The church can be reached at 386-4465759. ••• As always, remember our prayers for the sick, afflicted and bereaved.
Celebrations Birthday wishes to Elaine Koonce, June 19; Randenese Litkett, June 21; James Sharpe, June 22; and Monica Baker, June 24. Happy anniversary to Donald and Shirley Jones, June 24.
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7 EDITORIAL
JUNE 18 – JUNE 24, 2015
Fox News, AP abused Black youth Fox News blowhards will never admit that in covering the raciallycharged swimming pool incident in McKinney, Texas, they blew it. But that’s exactly what they did. And rather than acknowledge that they went overboard in defending the misconduct of the police officer involved – conduct that the chief police later described as “out of control” – some of the network’s personalities are attacking those who pointed out that they messed up. Fortunately, there was videotape of the unfortunate June 5 incident at a swimming pool in Craig Ranch, a predominantly White subdivision in McKinney, Texas, about 30 miles north of Dallas. The video, which has received more than 11 million views on YouTube, shows a police officer identified as Cpl. Eric Casebolt attempting to throw Dajerria Becton, a slim, 15-year-old, bikini-clad African-American, to the sidewalk. The video, shot by a White teenager, shows Casebolt throwing Becton to the ground as she starts to walk away, yelling to her, “On your face.” He is seen grabbing her by the hair and placing his knee in her back while she was pinned to the ground under the weight of his body.
said, “The girl was no saint either. He had told her to leave, and she continued to linger. And when the cop tells you to leave, you get out.” Kelly added, “I’m not defending his actions, let me make that clear.” After mediamatters.org, the watchdog group, reported her remarks, Kelly took to the air to charge, “Some of the left-wing press continue to use this incident to dishonestly push their own agenda.” However, she neglected to note that even some conservatives had criticized her. For example, Reason.com stated, “Some conservatives, unfortunately, are falling over themselves to defend the police – the one kind of public employee who can do no wrong in the eyes of all-too many people on the right. Media Matters compiled a disheartening list of Fox News personalities raising baseless hypotheticals that could (maybe) justify Casebolt’s rash actions.” Meanwhile, Casebolt resigned and apologized for his actions.
Pulled his gun
Not alone
At one point, Casebolt drew his revolver and pointed it at two Black males until two of his fellow officers intervened and restrained him. More than a half-dozen Fox commentators defended Casebolt, despite the video. One guest, Bo Dietl, was allowed to speculate about what one of the teens might have told the officer. Fox Business host Lou Dobbs asked, “what in the world” are police supposed to do when people “refuse to obey” their orders? Fox News Host Megyn Kelly
Fox News wasn’t the only offender. A Daily Kos headline summed it up best: “Associated Press publishes hit job on Tamir Rice.” It noted, “You are all familiar with this story. A young boy is playing in the park, a police car pulls up and in less than two seconds, 12-year old Tamir Rice is on the ground, bleeding from what would prove to be a fatal gunshot wound. For more than six months, the investigation(s) into this videotaped killing has languished. Now, coincidentally, two days af-
GEORGE E. CURRY NNPA COLUMNIST
ter a judge found probable cause that the police officer who shot Rice should face murder charges, and the Associated Press was presented with the opportunity to run a hit job on ... Tamir Rice. And, boy, oh boy, did they run with it.” Below are some excerpts from the AP story, written by Mark Gillispie, with Daily Kos commentary: AP headline: “Boy with pellet gun warned by friend before police shooting” Comment: That’s right! Tamir was warned! No word if Tamir was warned that he would be shot without warning for the crime of being in a public park, because the only quotes in this article come from the prosecutor, an unnamed FBI agent and the shooter’s lawyer. AP: Investigators were told that Tamir used the airsoft gun, which shoots non-lethal plastic projectiles, to shoot at car tires that day. Comment: Not only non-lethal, but non-able-to-shoot-outa-freaking-tire. Not to mention, that’s not why the police confronted Tamir. AP: The video appears to show Tamir reaching for the pellet gun, which is tucked in his waistband, after he was shot. Comment: It does? The only thing I see is Tamir reaching for his stomach when he’s shot. I became a journalist because I subscribe to a quote that has been attributed, with some variation, to both journalist Finley Peter Dunne and social activist “Mother” Mary Jones: “The job of a newspaper is to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.” In this instance, Fox News and the Associated Press got it backwards.
Access threatened Since then, American voters’ access to the ballot box has once again been threatened: by the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2013 striking down the key provision of the 1965 Voting Rights, and the resulting blizzard of enacted and proposed acts in Republican-dominated state legislatures intended to suppress voting by those groups whose majorities vote for Democratic candidates. The oily Republican justifications for these bills are that they’re to prevent voter fraud. But Republicans have never produced any evidence that voter fraud actually exists. Indeed, during a federal court trial last year over Texas’ new restrictive voter-identification law, state officials testified that from 2002 to 2011, when a total of 20 million votes were cast in the state, just two cases of voter impersonation fraud were prosecuted to conviction. A scholar whose specialty is examining voter fraud in modern-
LEE A. DANIELS NNPA COLUMNIST
day American elections testified that for the years 2000 to 2010, she found fewer than 10 instances of voter fraud at polling places in the entire country. The federal court in Texas struck down the law, but that decision was reversed by the conservativedominated U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit, an action that the U.S. Supreme Court’s conservative majority backed.
It’s us Those facts exposing the GOP chimera of voter fraud recall the response Jesse Jackson always had during the 1970s to Whites’ resistance to the use of busing as a tool of school integration. He said, “It’s not the bus. It’s us.” That answers the rhetorical question Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton posed during her June 4 speech about voting rights at Texas Southern University. Referring to the Republicans, she asked, “What part of democracy are they afraid of?” As Clinton well knows, part of the answer lies in considering the voting statistics of the recent past, such as those cited above, on the one hand, and, on the other, America’s demographic makeup. For example, census data show that in Texas from 2000 to 2010, Hispanic- Americans comprised 65 percent of its four million new legal residents, Blacks accounted for 13.7 percent, and other people of color another 11 percent. True, many of the new Texans are still children, or are adults not registered to vote, and Texas’ population growth significantly outstrips most other states. But given the GOP’s “just-us” hostility to inclusiveness and its continuing ex-
MILT PRIGGEE, WWW.MILTPRIGGEE.COM
Good, bad news in latest job numbers The unemployment rate rose just a bit in May, an indicator that Wall Street and Main Street are celebrating because that means more people are looking for work and that more people are optimistic. However, two major media polls show widespread dissatisfaction with the status quo, with majority support for an increased minimum wage, for paid parental leave and paid sick leave. Further, more than 60 percent said there was room for advancement in our economy.
Thinking about inequality
tremist positions on numerous issues, its only hope of again gaining the presidency depends on decreasing the potential votes the Democrats can count on.
An analysis of the New York Times/CBS poll concludes, “inequality looms large” in the minds of most Democrats and independents, and nearly half of all Republicans. These are the folks who are reading the headlines that say things are getting better, and living a life that say things are too slow and too stagnant for them. The disconnect partly reflects the difference between productivity increases and GDP increases. In other words, people are working harder, and national productivity is growing faster, than wages are. Last month, the average hourly worker earned about 8 cents more than they did the month before – a 2.3 percent increase this year. But what about stuck wages for the past several years? Those who are reading about good news are asking, “What about me?”
Laws challenged
Mixed message
George E. Curry is editor-inchief of the National Newspaper Publishers Association News Service (NNPA) and BlackPressUSA.com. Contact him via www.georgecurry.com.
What part of democracy is the GOP afraid of? It’s not too soon to ask a critical question of citizens of voting age who tend to vote for Democratic candidates: Do you think you’ll be allowed to vote in 2016? The Republican Party has been working hard to ensure that for many voters who fit that profile, the answer will be “no.” A half-century ago, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 guaranteed Black Americans’ right to vote. Blacks’ subsequent dedication to voting led directly to Barack Obama’s 2008 and 2012 electoral victories. In the latter, Obama won 93 percent of Blacks’ votes, 73 percent of Asian-Americans’ votes, 71 percent of Hispanic-Americans’ votes, and the majority of votes from women as a group and voters age 18 to 29. That support, along with gaining 39 percent of votes cast by Whites, gave him a 4.7 million popular-vote and 332-to-206 Electoral College margin of victory.
VISUAL VIEWPOINT: WHITE NAACP LEADER CLAIMS ‘BLACKNESS’
That’s why the Clinton campaign and the Democrats’ separate political operation are challenging restrictive voter laws in such Republican-dominated battleground states as Ohio, Wisconsin and Virginia. And that’s why Clinton proposed several specific ways to both register new voters and ensure that all registered voters will be able to vote next year. Those include universal automatic voter registration in order to register every American citizen at 18; legislation approving at least 20 days of early voting, including evenings and weekends, in order to make voting more convenient for all; and repeal of punitive state laws that bar ex-offenders no longer on probation or parole from voting. This new battle for expanding the number of Americans who are registered to vote and ensuring that they can vote isn’t a small matter. It’s estimated that as many as one-third of all eligible voters – more than 50 million Americans – aren’t registered to vote. Predictably, GOP presidential candidates and partisans slammed the speech as “divisive” – as if registering new voters and trying to convince them to vote for your party isn’t the essence of democraticwith-a-small-d politics. But then, it’s long been apparent that democratic-with-a-smalld politics is something today’s Republican Party has very little interest in.
Lee A. Daniels’ new collection of columns, Race Forward: Facing America’s Racial Divide in 2014, is available at www.amazon.com.
Opinions expressed on this editorial page are those of the writers, and do not necessarily reflect the editorial stance of the newspaper or the publisher.
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.
The latest unemployment report sends a similar mixed message. While the unemployment rate ticked up from 5.4 percent to 5.5 percent, the good news is that 280,000 new jobs were created in May 2015. Not so good news: Many of these jobs aren’t “good jobs.” Nearly half of the jobs in “business services” are part-time or consulting jobs. Jobs that offer no health insurance, no sick days, no paid vacation. These are folks who, even when highly compensated, are on their own. Perhaps the increase in leisure and hospitality employment reflects optimism about the economy, because it suggests employers think more people will be traveling and enjoying hospitality services this summer. Still, most of the jobs in this industry are part-time, with the average worker getting 22 hours a week
DR. JULIANNE MALVEAUX NNPA COLUMNIST
– too few to qualify for benefits. In hospitality, including food and drinking places, young people are working for low wages, often depending on tips, always earning less than they might if the labor market would absorb them at their skill level. Meanwhile, many of us who enjoy the services of the coffee barista, waitress, or theme park guide don’t ever wonder how well they are paid.
Makes sense Still, the unemployment rate is lower than it was a year ago. There are always footnotes. The 5.5 percent unemployment rate is 10.8 percent when indices of labor utilization are considered. The African-American unemployment rate, at 10.2 percent, is nearly 20 percent when underutilization measures are considered. The 20 percent rate is lower than a year ago, but it is still too high. While nearly 70 percent of White men are working, just 62 percent of Black men have jobs. And while the same percentage of White women and Black women hold jobs, it is clear that African-American women are responsible for much more of the family income than Caucasian women are.
Not feeling it No wonder people who hear about “good news” don’t feel it. No wonder they are responding to polls with a concern that does not reflect the so-called good news. No wonder too many are concerned about poor working conditions, about feeling that they have no opportunity to improve their situation, about being frightened by the income inequality that will determine the futures of their children. Are we excited about the news that the economy is recovering? Of course. Some of us would be much more excited if the recovery trickled down.
Julianne Malveaux is a Washington, D.C.-based author and economist. She can be reached at www.juliannemalveaux.com.
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5 7
M AHEALTH YOR
JUNE 18 –14JUNE 24, 2015 DECEMBER - 20, 2006
Hospitals profiting from exorbitant markups Florida is home to 20 of the 50 high markup hospitals identified in a new report. The rest are spread across 12 other states – mostly in the South and in urban areas. BY JAZELLE HUNT NNPA NEWS SERVICE
WASHINGTON – Hundreds of American hospitals are turning a profit by charging patients exorbitant rates for necessary procedures. And for 50 hospitals in particular, the markups are as high as 12 times the amount it costs them to deliver those services. This is the revelation from a paper published last week in the Health Affairs medical journal titled “Extreme Markup: The Fifty US Hospitals With The Highest Charge-To-Cost Ratios.” “These 50 are outliers, they’re very skewed. But that does not mean all the other hospitals are hidden,” says Ge Bai, assistant professor of accounting at Washington and Lee University, and coauthor of the paper. “It’s very difficult to tell [though]. You’d have to ask the question, when you walk in, at the front desk…about the ownership of the hospital.”
Chargemasters The researchers looked at 2012 hospital price lists for nearly 5,000 facilities across the country, and compared them to the Medicare-allowable costs, defined as the most reasonable fees a hospital can expect to spend in effectively delivering any given service to Medicare patients, as calculated by the government. They are not intended to guide hospital charges to patients, and every hospital creates its own price list. These lists are called chargemasters and are often difficult for patients to access and decipher unless a hospital takes the rare initiative to be transparent. According to the study, most hospitals charge patients between 1.5 and 4 times the Medicare allowable cost. A smaller, but sizable number of facilities
charge between 4 and 9 times the cost. The 50 outliers – 49 of which were for-profit facilities – were charging patients between 9.2 and 12.6 times the cost they incurred in delivering services.
Florida on list The top five hospitals with the steepest markups, all charging at least 12 times the Medicare cost were North Okaloosa Medical Center and Bayfront Health Brooksville in Florida; Carepoint Health-Bayonne Hospital in New Jersey; Paul B. Hall Regional Medical Center in Kentucky; and Chestnut Hill Hospital in Pennsylvania. Florida is home to 20 of the 50 high markup hospitals identified in the study. The rest are spread across 12 other states – mostly in the South (76 percent), and mostly in urban areas (84 percent). The other states were Alabama (which had five of these facilities), Arizona (one), Arkansas (one), California (three), Kentucky (one), New Jersey (one), Oklahoma (one), Pennsylvania (seven), South Carolina (one), Tennessee (three), Texas (five), and Virginia (one). Two publicly traded corporate hospital systems – Community Health Systems and Hospital Corporation of America – own 38 of these facilities. Chargemasters vary widely, in general and within this top-50 group. For example, at Orange Park Medical Center in Florida (number eight on the list), if an uninsured person is admitted for one to two days for chest pain, he or she could be charged somewhere between $12,000 and $23,000. About 15 miles away at Memorial Hospital of Jacksonville, the same patient would be charged between $9,000 and $17,000, and
COURTESY OF NNPA NEWS SERVICE
According to a newly released study, most hospitals charge patients between 1.5 and four times the Medicare allowable cost. that’s with an extra day of care. Both hospitals are owned by the same company, which voluntarily provides its price estimates.
Who’s vulnerable Uninsured people feel the full force of these charges. While the Affordable Care Act has helped millions get coverage, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 13.7 percent of Black people are still uninsured as of 2014 and will likely remain so. Many are low-income or below the poverty line, living in states that did not expand Medicare coverage. Half of the states housing the top-50 high markup hospitals did not expand Medicare. Insured people who are “outof-network” at these facilities are
also vulnerable. Insurance companies do not set their terms based on the hospital’s prices – if a policy covers 70 percent of all emergency visits, then the patient is responsible for the 30 percent, whether the hospital charged $100 or $1,000. When a person gets a bill from a hospital that isn’t partnered with his or her insurance company, the company often pays little to nothing of that bill.
‘Sick and anxious’ People who are both insured and in-network end up paying higher premiums when a hospital with high markups is part of their network. As insurance companies have to cover members who end up in these for-profit facilities, they spread the steep
charges among all their members. “We don’t have price regulations in other industries so people can do comparative shopping. But in the health care market it’s very different. In many cases, we as consumers do not have the time…to compare prices,” Bai says, adding that during treatment, physicians don’t know or are not at liberty to discuss the hospital’s pricing systems. “We as consumers have no options before the service is provided. We just wait there hopelessly…we’re sick and anxious.” About 30 percent of the hospitals sampled in the study were considered for-profit. Bai says that about half of all hospitals in the country are for-profit.
R6
7 COMMUNITY NEWS
BRIEFS
and under. Nightly services are free. For more information, visit urwelcomehere.org.
COGIC youth meeting in Free amplified Daytona this week phone technology The Church of God in available to Christ (COGIC), Florida Central Second Ecclesiasti- residents with cal Jurisdiction, is holding its Auxiliaries in Ministry hearing loss (AIM) conference in Daytona Beach, June 16-19. “This is primarily a youth conference,” said Pastor Karl Anderson. “It will benefit youth in multiple ways including teaching them life skills that will enhance their spirit and bless their lives.” Held at the Plaza Resort and Spa, the conference is hosted by Daytona District churches: Faith Temple COGIC, Superintendent. Loverso Walker, senior pastor; and Empowerment COGIC, Pastor Rod King is the senior pastor. In addition to the educational component, youth will be involved in a talent competition to spur interest in the arts. “All of these activities,” said Anderson, “will help keep them off the streets while offering them lifelong tools to advance the quality of life and better their communities.” “Many attendees plan their vacations around the conference,” said Tom Caradonio, executive director of the Daytona Beach area Covention and Vistors Bureau. “Extra time allows for the delegates and their families to enjoy the area attractions like “Fun Day at Daytona Lagoon on Friday, June 19.” The public is welcome to attend. Registration for daily workshops is $25 for adults and $15 for youth 17
TALLAHASSEE – For residents of Volusia who are among the three million Floridians with hearing loss, help has arrived. The Florida Telecommunications Relay, Inc. (FTRI), the non-profit distributor of amplified telephones for people with hearing loss and speech challenges, is offering an innovative new amplified telephone at no cost to local residents with hearing loss. Amplified phones serve as lifelines for people with hearing loss, keeping them connected and engaged to loved ones. FTRI is making the XLC3.4, developed by Clarity, available to residents for free. It is an easyto-use cordless phone with talking Caller ID that boosts incoming sounds up to 50 decibels. The XLC3.4 is designed to meet varying degrees of hearing loss — from moderate to severe. To obtain the phone, permanent Florida residents who are certified as having a hearing loss must complete an application found at www.ftri. org or call 800-222-3448. FTRI has more than 30 regional distribution centers throughout the state, including centers that serve Volusia County. Residents can locate the closest center by visiting http://www. ftr i.org/index .cfm/go/
JUNE 18 – JUNE 24, 2015
public.home/page/7. “Hearing loss is a serious issue that too often goes overlooked — our state has among the largest populations of people with hearing loss in the U.S, and these are the people we are here to help,” said James Forstall, FTRI’s executive director. “The XLC3.4 dramatically improves phone conversations — one of the first and most common challenges for those with hearing loss. It is an easy-to-use, life-changing phone that we are proud to offer to Volusia residents.” For more information, visit www.ftri.org.
Book fest for kids set for June 25 The City of Daytona Beach and The F.R.E.S.H. Book Festival will present a Mini Book Festival for Children on Thursday, June 25 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Midtown Cultural and Educational Center, 925 George Engram Blvd., Daytona Beach. The event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served. Author tables are still available for $10. Reserve a table by sending an email to Freshbookfestivals@gmail.com. Call 386-627-4353 for more information.
‘Mama’s Girls’ coming to Daytona The play “Mama’s Girls’’ will be presented at 4:30 p.m. Sunday, June 28 at the Performing Arts Center at Bethune-Cookman University, 698 International Speedway Blvd., Daytona Beach. Gdavis Productions and
the Petrock College of Health Sciences’ Department of Aging Studies in association with the Mike CURB Institute are bringing the award-winning stage play to B-CU. “Mama’s Girls” addresses the many challenges faced by family members who care for their aging parents and loved ones. The production tells the story of five sisters living in five different cities who are forced to come together to take care of their aging mother. “Mama’s Girls” is supported by AARP’s Prepare to Care program, an initiative that helps caregivers to determine what they’ll need in their new roles, how to assemble an action plan for providing care for the recipient and themselves, and how to access care giving support services in the community. Tickets are $10 per person and can be purchased online at Ticketmaster or at the box office. The production was written and directed by award-winning playwright Garrett Davis, CEO and Founder of Gdavis Productions. The play, which is co-produced by AARP, has been presented over 100 times in 20 states and in more than 40 cities. “This project is very special to me. AARP understands the importance of care giving and the needs of those who provide the care,” says Davis. “Informing audiences through the performing arts during this tour has had a very positive impact on people, especially in the minority community. I am very pleased and honored to present one of my productions at B-CU and look forward to bringing others to the cam-
pus and surrounding community.” Dr. Vanessa Jones Briscoe, Department Chair for Aging Studies at B-CU, states that the university will be working closely with AARP to model these programs for the caregiver support group(s) that will be held on campus. Briscoe acknowledges that issues of care giving have grown exponentially with the increased numbers of caregivers. There are more than 44 million men and women in the United States who provide free care to a family member, friend or neighbor. Education programs that provide solutions to address care giving and caregiver burdens are of national public health concern. “We hope that hosting events like this one will help people to understand that care giving issues critically impact our communities and the caregivers really do need our support,” said Dr. Vanessa Jones Briscoe.
Contestants wanted for pie competition A Sweet Potato Pie and More 2015 competition will be held on July 25 hosted by the Daytona Beach Section of the National Council of Negro Women Inc. (NCNW). NCNW is looking for cooks who like to bake for a commemorative Sweet Potato Pie contest in recognition of the birthday of our founder, Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune. During the early years of thenBethune-Cookman College, Dr. Bethune baked pies to help keep the insti-
Who would have thought? Garrett Morgan did in 1923. The Traffic Signal, developed by Garrett Morgan,
is just one of the many life-changing innovations that came from the mind of an African American. We must do all we can to support minority education today, so we don’t miss out on the next big idea tomorrow. To find out more about African American innovators and to support the United Negro College Fund, visit us at uncf.org or call 1-800-332-UNCF. A mind is a terrible thing to waste.
©2007 UNCF
tution’s doors open. The event will take place in the Center for Civic Engagement at BethuneCookman University. Pre-registration is required. Applications are available by calling 386-2531753.
Hospice volunteers needed in Volusia Halifax Health - Hospice is seeking caring, supportive and dedicated volunteers to provide assistance at its Southeast and West Volusia Care Centers located in Edgewater and Orange City. At Halifax Health – Hospice Care Centers, volunteer support roles can be tailored to one’s interest. Volunteers can choose to help prepare meals; socialize with patients and families; or serve as a receptionist answering phones and greeting visitors. Those who can sew and quilt are needed as well, along with those who can assist with clerical duties, including data entry. Licensed massage therapists, cosmetologists, pet therapists, artists and veterans who would like to donate their time and services are welcome. Halifax Health – Hospice also seeks volunteers who can visit patient and nursing homes or assisted living facilities to socialize and provide respite for caregivers. To volunteer in the West Volusia area, contact Diane Adams at 386.322.4701 ext. 6400 or diane.adams@ halifax.org.
7
M SPORTS AYOR
JUNE 18 – 14 JUNE 2015 DECEMBER - 20,24, 2006
More African-Americans becoming hockey fans Blacks have highest growth rate among hockey enthusiasts
jority were White. Mike Jennings, 36, said he couldn’t help but notice the fan demographic as he sipped on a beer before heading to his seat. “When I come in here and I look around, I’m not looking for it, but you don’t notice many (other Black fans),” he said. “I wouldn’t say I’m a religious Blackhawks fan. I live in Chicago so I support the Blackhawks more than any other NHL team.”
BY SHANNON RYAN CHICAGO TRIBUNE/TNS
Wearing a Blackhawks sweater, some playoff scruff and a grin, Ken Brown strolled down an avenue of popular bars in Chicago during Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, hopping to the next pub between periods before watching the Hawks dramatically finish off the Lightning. Brown acknowledged he is a rarity, yet part of a quickly growing demographic among Hawks followers. “I have two other Black friends into hockey and the rest are like, ‘Hockey? What?’” said Brown, 40, an African-American who is a diehard Hawks fan. “There are not that many into the sport. But there’s been more recognition since the Blackhawks have been winning and with a couple (African-American) guys on our team.” Hockey long has been considered a White man’s sport because of the limited access to ice rinks in cities, the cost of play, the lack of Black professional players and — perhaps the most daunting roadblock of all — stereotypes.
Changing demographic
JOHN J. KIM/CHICAGO TRIBUNE/TNS
Sean Howard, left, and Tonya Herring watch Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Chicago Blackhawks and Tampa Bay Lightning at the United Center in Chicago on June 10. The Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup Monday night after defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Color of Hockey
Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Johnny Oduya (27) celebrates with the Stanley Cup Monday after defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final at United Center in Chicago.
Historically, hockey has been a non-diverse sport, said William Douglas, who operates the blog Color of Hockey, which highlights minority hockey players. He played on youth hockey teams in the 1970s in Philadelphia, where he was subject to racial taunts. “There’s a perception in the African-American community that we shouldn’t like hockey or sports like NASCAR,” Douglas said. “There aren’t that many rinks in urban areas and the cost of equipment is outrageous. “Not seeing players of color on the ice on a regular basis or not knowing there are players of color that reinforces the stereotype. Then it became a self-fulfilling prophecy of sorts.” But statistics and black hockey fans in Chicago say that’s changing.
Growing numbers African-American fans have the highest growth rate among NHL fans at 1.4 times the overall rate, according to Scarborough, a national media research company. In Chicago, the number of African-Americans who identify themselves as very or somewhat interested in the Hawks increased from 12.6 percent in 2011 to 21.9 percent in 2014. The number of Black fans who watched a Hawks game on TV or listened on the radio grew from 28.1 percent in 2011 to 37.9 percent last year. They made up 9.7 percent of Hawks fans in 2014, up from 7.1 percent in 2011, which is the only increase among racial groups charted by Scarborough.
BRIAN CASSELLA/CHICAGO TRIBUNE/TNS
Getting into it
TV exposure helped
The numbers are far less than the 49.9 percent of AfricanAmericans who identify as NBA fans or even the 40.9 percent of White fans who identify as hockey fans, but it doesn’t diminish the significance of the growth. “It’s to the point where on my Facebook feed during the game there were (Black friends) I didn’t even know watched hockey talking about the Blackhawks,” said Tommy Barbee, 30, a Black Hawks fan who lives in the South Loop. “A lot of my Black friends will talk about basketball and football. “This is the first time I’ve really seen them get into (hockey).” Of course, it’s hard to walk down a street in almost any Chicago neighborhood these days without spotting at least one Hawks sweater.
Among Black sports fans in Chicago, the Scarborough numbers reveal their interest level in every other Chicago team has dipped over the last four years. The total base growth in the Chicago area among those who identify as NHL fans grew from 28.4 percent in 2011 to 36.4 percent in 2014. The team’s home-game exposure on television, which infamously was not available before chairman Rocky Wirtz assumed control of the family owned team, has helped. And three Stanley Cup Final appearances in six years doesn’t hurt. “Everyone loves a winner,” said Aven Deese, an African-American Hawks fan.
B-CU golfer ties for fifth at amateur tourney in Scotland SPECIAL TO THE DAYTONA TIMES
ANGUS, Scotland – BethuneCookman men’s golfer Leon Fricker fired an opening-round 69 on Monday, placing himself tied for fifth at the 120th Amateur Championship in Angus, Scotland. This year’s event runs June 15-20, at Carnoustie and Panmure. Fricker, a native of Ivybridge, England – a small town in the South Hams in Devon (four hours southwest of London), opened his tournament with a 3-under-par scorecard. The rising senior for the Wildcats playing the event as a member of the Yelverton Club, his home club in Ivybridge. Tied alongside Fricker in fifth place are Harrison Endycott (Australia), Ashton Turner (England), Jimmy Mullen (England), Miller Capps (United States), Giulio Castagnara (Italy), Jaime Lopez Rivarola (Argentina), Max Mehles (Germany) and Harry Hall (England). After the opening round of the Amateur Championship, Alfie Plant (England) leads the tournament field with a 7-under-par
The increasing rates show a potential for the Hawks to continue to make gains. The team works in cross promotions with the White Sox and Bulls, who have a higher percentage of Black fans. “The Blackhawks organization is continuously working on finding different ways to create a deep and personal connection with as many people as possible across the Chicagoland area and the state of Illinois,” Hawks President John McDonough said through a team spokesman. “Our approach is broad and all-inclusive. We try to grow our brand across all ages and demographics.” Programs such as Hockey on Your Block, which is run through the Hawks, USA Hockey and the NHL, reach out to inner-city youth to expose minority children to hockey. The NHL’s Hockey is For Everyone campaign is a similar youth-development program. An ice rink is scheduled to be completed this summer as part of the Morgan Park Sports Complex as well. “Now is the time to strike,” said U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley, D-Ill., an avid Hawks fan who promotes hockey outreach programs in Chicago. “It’s good for the game. “More importantly, it’s really good for fairness.”
White fan base According to the Scarborough data from 2014, African-American fans made up 11.9 percent of fans at Hawks games, a slight increase from 2011. At Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final on June 10, a 2-1 Hawks victory against the Lightning, 22,354 fans streamed into the United Center. The overwhelming ma-
Leon Fricker is playing in the championship this week as a member of the Yelverton Club, his home club in Ivybridge, Scotland.
63. He is followed by Grant Forrest (Scotland) and Ryan Chisnall (New Zealand). Jack Hume (Ireland) leads Fricker by a single stroke in fourth place, turning in a 4-under-par 68.
On to US Open The Amateur Champion will earn a place in the 144th Open at St Andrews and the 2016 US Open at Oakmont Country Club in Pennsylvania. Traditionally, an invitation is also extended to the winner to play in the Masters Tournament at Augusta. During the 2014-15 campaign for Bethune-Cookman, Fricker led the Wildcats to a runner-up finish at the 2015 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Championships in Savannah, Ga. As the lone returning letter winner from the 2014 MEAC title campaign, Fricker led the men’s golf squad in stroke average with a 74.72 (+3 relative to par). He tallied five top 10 appearances, as well as two times finishing in the top five. In his three-year career with the Wildcats, he has a 74.78 stroke average (+3 relative to par) across 107 rounds. The first two days of The Am-
All-inclusive approach
COURTESY OF B-CU ATHLETICS
ateur Championship comprise stroke play qualifying over both courses before the field is cut to 64 and ties and the match play format finds the champion over the final four days’ play at Carnoustie.
Top course Carnoustie is one of the world’s most famous links courses and has hosted The Open on seven occasions, most recently in 2007. It will host the Amateur Championship for the fifth time in 2015, while Panmure has strong ties
to the Amateur as one of the 24 clubs that funded the trophy commissioned in 1886. Several Open Champions and Ryder Cup players have played in the Amateur including Jack Nicklaus, José Maria Olazábal, Colin Montgomerie, Sir Nick Faldo, Darren Clarke, Padraig Harrington, Henrik Stenson, Louis Oosthuizen, Ernie Els, Rory McIlroy and Sergio Garcia, who won in 1998.
This story is courtesy of B-CU Athletics.
Other Black fans at the United Center were more avid. Like most Hawks fans, Sean Howard said he was drawn to the “national anthem, the excitement after a goal and the (great) atmosphere.” But he also noticed the sport’s changing demographic. “I think the outreach was poor,” said Howard, 47. “Now you see Blackhawks stuff seeping into the South (Side). The league has been diversified, so that helps as well.” Deese remembers growing up as the only Black person on his baseball teams and facing stereotypes. While his interest in the Hawks has peaked over the years, he wonders if he will allow his 5-year-old son to play hockey someday. “I don’t want him to be the conversation piece on a team, but on the other hand, I don’t want to avoid exposing him to a sport he may like,” Deese said.
Favorite top team Deese said the sport has grown from an afterthought among his friends to a main discussion point. But he works at a predominantly Black elementary school on the West Side not far from the United Center and Johnny’s IceHouse West, where the Hawks practice, and said most of the students at his school never mention the team. “It will take a lot,” he said of convincing them to become Hawks fans. “Winning won’t solve everything.” Yet, a segment of Black Hawks fans have grown to adopt them as their top Chicago team. Afua Owusu, 31, and about five of her friends meet at the United Center or a sports bar to watch Hawks games. They call their outings “Black Girls Love Hockey Night.” “When my girlfriends and I go, we stand out,” she said. “People are looking for our White boyfriends. But we’re never (approached) in a negative way. “People are hugging you that you don’t even know. You find yourself becoming friends with the people around you.” Even when — or if — the Hawks’ success dries up, many Black fans say they’ll remain loyal followers of the team. It no longer seems like a sport separated by racial lines to some. “I’ll always be a Blackhawks fan,” Brown said before heading off to watch the rest of the Hawks’ victory.
Monarchs looking for baseball players and coaches The Daytona Monarchs baseball program is looking for players ages 8 through 18. They are also seeking motivated and dedicated coaches. Come learn the fundamentals, skills and techniques of the game while having fun. The Daytona Monarchs are in partnership with the Orlando Monarchs Baseball Youth Leadership and Development program, which is a 501©(3) nonprofit organization. For more information, contact Coach Andreas Butler at 386-307-0086 or email butleramj@gmail.com. More on the Monarchs is available at www.facebook. com/daytonamonarchsbaseball.
7COMMUNITY NEWS
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JUNE 18 – JUNE 24, 2015
Above: African dancers perform at the June 11 banquet. Top photos: Farm Share helpers provide bags of food to festival attendees on June 13. There were plenty of vendors and causes to support.
JUNETEENTH FESTIVITIES
DAYTONA CELEBRATES AT SPEEDWAY, CYPRESS PARK Daytona Beach again observed Juneteenth with plenty of festivities. On June 11, the annual banquet took place at Daytona International Speedway with a recognition of Hometown Heroes. On June 13, a day of celebration took place at Cypress Park in Daytona Beach. Capturing the events was Daytona Times photographer Duane C. Fernandez, Sr., who also served on this year’s Juneteenth Festival committee. PHOTOS BY DUANE C. FERNANDEZ, SR. HARDNOTTSPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
Left to right are Ed Gentte, coordinator of the pound cake contest at the festival; firstplace winner, Merrio Kirk, third place, Cecelia Johnson; Judge Noemi Garcia; second place, Antoinette Noelian. Seated are Judge Chris Dunn and David Bonner.
A red, white and blue theme set the tone for a festive evening at the annual banquet. Above right, Leroy Robinson receives a community service award.
Daytona State College was one of the vendors.