Carl Payne to star in DeLand play SEE PAGE 3
East Central Florida’s Black Voice
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GEORGE CURRY: Whites still live in ‘state of denial’ on race SEE PAGE 4
B-CU ATHLETE A NOMINEE FOR NCAA WOMAN OF THE YEAR SEE PAGE 7
JUNE 25 - JULY 1, 2015
YEAR 40 NO. 26
www.daytonatimes.com
Local kids getting free meals during summer programs BY PENNY DICKERSON DAYTONA TIMES
PHOTOS BY DUANE C. FERNANDEZ SR./HARDNOTTSPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
The Rev. Nathan Mugala, pastor of Allen Chapel A.M.E. Church in Daytona Beach, speaks to the congregation on Sunday, June 21.
A.M.E. pastor reflects on Charleston tragedy Allen Chapel’s Mugala wants to see ongoing dialogue on race
had White people come in and just joined with us in prayer. I mean it was a powerful moment.” The latter serves as a vote of confidence for a country racially divided and torn apart by a series of homicide related incidents involving Black men and White assailants. It has been reported that Dylann Roof killed his victims after telling friends he wanted to spark “a race war.”
BY PENNY DICKERSON DAYTONA TIMES
T
he Rev. Nathan Mugala had just driven to his Daytona Beach home from Jacksonville when he turned on his television and heard the tragic news that stunned the nation. A lone, White gunman had opened fire during a Bible study at the historical Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, S.C. All nine congregants in attendance were shot to death – all were Black and ranged in ages from 26 to 87, including 41-year-old Rev. Clementa Pinkney, a fellow A.M.E. pastor and state senator. Hours earlier, Mugala, the senior pastor of Daytona Beach’s Allen Chapel A.M.E. was attending an African Methodist Episcopal Lay Conference where he listened intently to an encouraging keynote address delivered by Anthony Scott, whose brother, Walter, was the unarmed Black male shot five times in his back on April 4 by Michael Slager, a White, North Charleston policeman following a routine
Allen Chapel’s male chorus sang during last Sunday’s service. traffic stop that went awry.
Interacted with Pinkney For Mugala, the irony was surreal. “This is a tragedy for all, but the death of Rev. Pinkney is a major loss to the A.M.E. Church. Nobody within the 7th Episcopal District (which encompasses the entire state of South Carolina) will be able to fill his place,” shared Mugala. “I met him at some of our A.M.E. meetings and he was a very good brother called into the ministry at age 13 and by 18 was ordained in the A.M.E. Church. He was a very sound biblical preacher with great
leadership skills. It was a joy and a delight to interact and to share with him. He had a bright future.”
Prayer vigil After learning of the Charleston tragedy, Mugala acted with haste and planned a prayer vigil last Thursday night in his own historic church, which was founded in 1910 and has about 500 members. Mugala said 130 people – Black and White – poured into Allen Chapel in a show of unity that required fewer than six hours to plan. “The response was remarkable,” stated Mugala. “One of the things that really blew my mind on Thursday is that we
‘Righteously angry’ The African-American church has served as a community pillar of protest and peace for centuries. From Daytona to Charleston and beyond, it is a sacred stature as a place of worship with historical roots. Emanuel being the oldest black congregation south of Baltimore. Denmark Vesey is one of the founders who planned a slave revolt in 1822, and the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. also visited during the 1960 civil rights movement. “When I saw what happened on the news, I was righteously angry with the murder of nine innocent lives in Bible study in the house of God,” explained Mugala. “But then after the anger you have to get to that place where you learn how to forgive the person that Please see CHURCH, Page 2
The federal government is trying to make sure that no child goes hungry. Free, nutritious meals and snacks are being provided at 72 sites in Daytona Beach and surrounding communities due to a federally funded, state-administered program that began June 8 and will continue through Aug. 14. The programs are approved only for geographical areas where 50 percent or more of the children qualify for free and reduced-price meals during the school year and assures there will be no discrimination in meal service. The Food and Nutrition Services Division (FNS) of the United States Department of Food and Agriculture (USDA) and collaborative partner Florida Impact funds the program to help children experience a healthy transition when school dismisses into summer months where they can learn, play, and grow without missing a meal.
Full and focused According to the FNS, “Children who miss school breakfast and lunch are more likely to be sick, absent or tardy, disruptive in class, and inattentive. They also score lower on achievement tests. Good nutrition is essential for learning in school. The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) provides an opportunity to continue a child’s physical and social development while providing nutritious meals during long vacation periods from school. It helps children return to school ready to learn.” Those 18 and younger may receive free meals and snacks through the SFSP. Meals and snacks also are available to persons with disabilities, over age 18, who participate in school programs for people who are mentally or physically disabled. In 2014, 71 Volusia County sites participated in the program and 2,571 children received either one or two meals each day and sites are responsible for transportation meals to individual program locations and establish their own distribution times. “The only meals some children receive are provided by the school during the school year,” stated Patricia James, Human Services activity manager for Volusia County. “This program is significant because without it, last year over 2,000 children in Volusia County may not have had nutritious meals available to them during the summer months.” Please see MEALS, Page 2
Retired B-CU vice president Dr. Shirley Lee dies at 96 BY PENNY DICKERSON DAYTONA TIMES
Dr. Shirley B. Lee, retired executive vice president of BethuneCookman University, died June 21 at Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Center, Daytona Beach.
ALSO INSIDE
She was 96. She was a community pillar and accomplished academic who dedicated herself to Bethune-Cookman in 1945 as a faculty member and held numerous positions at the school throughout her celebrated career, in-
cluding executive director of Sponsored Programs. A rich legacy of service has been left by Lee, who was a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and Dr. Shirley served as the loLee cal chapters president from 1962 to 1968. She also was a member of The Links Inc.
An endowed scholarship was established in her name at Bethune-Cookman and those close to her covet fond memories from her neighborhood friends to coworkers.
‘Great leader’ “I remember Lee as being very driven and a persistent worker,” offered Dr. Cleo Higgins, who worked alongside Dr. Lee and retired from Bethune-Cookman in 1988 as vice -president of Ac-
ademic Affairs. “Lee was a great leader who always believed more could be done to advance the work at B-CU.” Funeral arrangements are being handled by R.J. Gaines Funeral Home. Information about funeral services for Dr. Lee were not available to the Daytona Times by the newspaper’s Wednesday night deadline.
COMMUNITY NEWS: PLAY THAT ADDRESSES CHALLENGES OF CAREGIVERS COMING TO B-CU | PAGE 3 NATION: 103-YEAR-OLD ‘BLOODY SUNDAY’ SURVIVOR RECOUNTS BEATING | PAGE 5
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JUNE 25 – JULY 1, 2015
Free summer camp still available for DeLand kids The African American Museum of the Arts of DeLand sponsors a free summer camp every year to elementary and middle age students. The camp has started but kids still are being accepted. The children at “Camp Kuumba” (Kuumba means creativity) will have an opportunity to develop their creative abilities through arts and crafts, experiment with oil paints and water colors, and work with fabric tie-dying. The students will take at least one educational field trip and will have the opportunity to meet a professional artist and learn how to draw different images.
Photography class The fifth and sixth-grade
students will participate in a photography workshop presented by Daytona Times photojournalist Duane Fernandez Sr. His theme is “Teaching Youth To Shoot With Cameras, Not Guns.’’ “This is a youth awareness program designed to give youths a positive and creative avenue of self-expression,” Fernandez said. “ The students learn to express themselves with photography while leaning to recognize and appreciate the different views and interpretations of fellow students. This is a wonderful therapeutic program for children.’’ For more information about the summer program, call Mary Allen at 386-736-4004.
Duane Fernandez, back, poses with photography students at the African American Museum of the Arts in DeLand.
MEALS from Page 1 History of program
COURTESY OF USDA
Students from a previous USDA Summer Food Service Program are shown above. This summer’s program continues through Aug. 14.
The SFSP was created as part of a larger pilot program in 1968 and became its own separate program in 1975. By fiscal year 2012, Congress had appropriated $398 million for SFSP and that summer, more than 2.28 million children participated at almost 39,000 sites nationwide. Local government, camps, schools, and private nonprofit organizations can sponsor the SFSP if their organization already provides services to the community and has capable staff and good management practices to run a food service. Sponsoring sites attend the state agency’s training, locate eligible sites, hire, train and su-
pervise staff, arrange for meals to be prepared and delivered, monitor sites and prepare claims for government reimbursement. For summer 2013, the maximum reimbursement rate per meal most state sponsors receive is: Breakfast: $1.94; lunch or supper: $3.41; snack: 80 cents. The FNS also encourages community volunteers to help each program thrive and states that the SFSP sites have organized, well-run activities that keep the interest of the children and teens coming back to the site day after day. Some of these activities include arts and crafts, tutoring, mentoring, drama, sports, computer training, music, gardening, reading programs, cooking or any other creative ideas. For more information about the program, visit www.SummerFoodFlorida.org.
CHURCH from Page 1
did the killing.” A magistrate set Roof’s bail for a weapons charge at $1 million for the nine murders. During his first court appearance, the professed White supremist appeared on a videoconference and several of the victims surviving family members were allowed to speak, and amidst controversy, many offered forgiveness. “I just wanted everybody to know, to you, I forgive you,” said the daughter of Ethel Lee Lance, one of the shooting victims, who spoke first. “You took something very precious away from me. I will never talk to her ever again. I will never be able to hold her again. But I forgive you.” Mugala skirted both debate and judgement to offer: “To be honest, forgiveness is a process as some people can easily forgive because their faith and where are in their relationship with God.”
Exposed to ‘wrong stuff’ The details that have emerged following the massacre depict a killer whose life was wrought with hatred. Roof demonstrated allegiance to White supremacy with pride. Widely circulated images of him wearing a jacket that extolled the flag of apartheid-era South Africa. He also has been seen photographed draped in the Confederate flag while seated on a car boasting a license plate bearing the same. According to news reports, Roof entered the basement of Emanuel with a specific request to meet the pastor before being asked to participate in regular scheduled Bible study. After sitting amongst members for an hour, he abruptly pulled a handgun from a fanny pack and opened fire. When his victims pleaded with him to stop, Roof is said to have told them: “You rape our women and you’re taking over our country. You have to go.” “The first thing that needs to happen from this experience is
PHOTOS BY CURTIS COMPTON/ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION/TNS
People join hands during a public prayer service in the Marion Square park for the nine killed at the nearby “Mother” Emanuel A.M.E. Church on June 15 in Charleston, S.C. that he can turn around and give his life to the Lord,” stated Mugala. “My thinking is that the young man has been exposed to some wrong stuff and some wrong people have actually misled him because he doesn’t have a clear understanding of most of the [racial] things that he was doing or most of the things that he was getting into.” While Roof likely will be sentenced to a life in prison or death, Mugala has faith that he can be free with a life committed to Jesus Christ. “I believe that the judicial system will have to determine the just punishment for what he has done,” said Mugala. “Whatever due process decides, I’m pretty sure it’s going to be fair.”
Better days ahead In the aftermath of the Charleston massacre, President Barack Obama offered one of his most “candid” and poignant
messages to date on racism in America during an interview for the podcast “WTF with Marc Maron” released on Monday. The president garnered attention by asserting the “n-word,” which some still deem offensive. “Racism, we are not cured of it. And it’s not just a matter of it not being polite to say nigger in public,” Obama said in the interview. “That’s not the measure of whether racism still exists or not. It’s not just a matter of overt discrimination. Societies don’t, overnight, completely erase everything that happened 200 to 300 years prior.” Mugala shares the president’s sentiments, but offers hope for better days ahead. The pastor, who is in his eighth year as pastor of Allen Chapel, is a native of Zambia, the former Northern Republic of Rhodesia, a region once strife with war and racial segregation in South Africa. It has since become a demo-
Church members return as the “Mother” Emanuel A.M.E. Church opens four days after the mass shooting that claimed the lives of its pastor and eight others on June 21 n Charleston, S.C. cratic and independent country now known as the Republic of Zimbawbe. “Out of this bad situation, some good things are going to come. One of those good things is the removal of the Confederate flag from the statehouse and there will be moments where we can begin to have conversa-
tions on race relations and begin to talk to one another better,” he added. “We don’t need to just be talking about it when something happens. It needs to be an ongoing dialogue, between Black churches and Whites churches, between everyone.’’
JUNE 25 – JULY 1, 2015 COMMUNITY DECEMBER 14 - 20, 2006
M A YNEWS OR
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A lesson in healthy living A Sickle Cell Awareness & Adult Screening event took place on June 20 at Turie T. Small Elementary in Daytona Beach. It was presented by Halifax Health and Bethune-Cookman University. The event included activities for kids, free screenings and live music. In addition, the Fresh Stop Mobile Market stopped by, which includes racks of fresh fruits and vegetables. The bus, envisioned by Hebni Nutrition Consultants, is a Central Florida-based mobile farmers market created to serve neighborhoods without easy access to fresh, nutritional foods.
Above: One highlight of the event was the Fresh Stop Mobile Market.
The Rev. John T. Long, pastor of Tubman-King Community Church, addresses the crowd at the event on Saturday.
Right: Fresh fruits and vegetables are available inside the Fresh Stop Mobile Market. PHOTOS BY DUANE C. FERNANDEZ SR./ HARDNOTTSPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
Hospice seeking West Volusia volunteers Halifax Health - Hospice is seeking volunteers to provide assistance at its Southeast and West Volusia Care Centers located in Edgewater and Orange City. 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 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.
Alphas to present all-white party Saturday Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity to host an all-white party starting at 7 p.m. June 27 at the Yvonne Scarlett Golden Cultural Center, 1000 Vine St., Daytona Beach.
The Alphas will present a Miami “South Beach’’ atmosphere at the event. The party attire is casual white. The Love Band will perform and there will be art exhibits and spoken word presentations. Proceeds from this event will help benefit the Police Athletic League (PAL). For tickets, contact John Huger at 386-566-8393, Shawn Collins at 386-4518478, or visit www.alphaswhiteparty.com.
Cast members are Samantha McSwain-Stith, Keya Hamilton, Julie Logan, LaTonya Simms and Kynya Daniels Milam.
‘Mama’s Girls’ to grace the B-CU stage “Mama’s Girls,’’ a play co-produced by AARP, 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 Pet-
Alzheimer’s informational session July 8 Learn about memory loss, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease during a free program from 10 to 11:30 a.m. on July 8 at the Daytona Beach Regional Library at City Island, 105 E. Magnolia Ave. Beverly Engel, a community educator for the Alzheimer’s Association of Central and North Florida, will discuss: • Symptoms and effects of Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia • How Alzheimer’s disease affects the brain • Causes and risk factors
rock 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 de-
• How to determine if it’s Alzheimer’s disease • Benefits of early detection • How to address a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease • Stages of the disease • Treatment options and hope for the future • How the Alzheimer’s Association can help Reservations are required and may be made by calling the Alzheimer’s Association at 800272-3900. The program is sponsored by the Friends of the Daytona Beach Library. The library is open from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
termine 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. T 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.
Carl Payne (wearing hat) starred in the “Martin’’ sitcom from 1992 to 1997. Shown with Payne are cast members from the popular TV show.
Actor from ‘Martin’ and ‘Cosby Show’ to star in DeLand play Actor Carl Payne, who is most noted for his roles as “Cockroach’’ on “The Cosby Show’’ and “Cole Brown’’ on “Martin,’’ will star in a comedic stage play on July 25 in DeLand. Andre Darby’s play, “My Prodigal Child,’’ will be performed at 5 p.m. at the DeLand High School Auditorium. Darby, the younger brother of Grammy Award winning artist Terence Trent D’Arby, is a Florida-based playwright. In an effort to bring more art initiatives to Volusia County’s urban community, Andre Darby has been producing Christian stage plays that have been getting rave re-
views. “My Prodigal Child” centers on a woman who abandons motherhood in the efforts of pursuing a lavish lifestyle with her drug-dealing boyfriend. However, her praying mother refuses to give up hope and believes her daughter will find her way home. Along with Payne, the play features comedian Will Speed and gospel recording artist Pastor Melvin Dawson. The DeLand High School Auditorium is located at 800 N. Hill Ave. Doors for the play open at 4 p.m. For tickets, call 386338-8863 or visit myprodigalchild.eventbrite.com.
Food Brings Hope hosts end-of-the-year celebration for two programs TeenZone participants get ready to participate in a dance competition.
SPECIAL TO THE DAYTONA TIMES
Participants of Food Brings Hope afterschool program – Kids Zone for elementary Schools and Teen Zone for the middle and high schools – attended the annual endof-the-year celebration at the Daytona International Speedway on May 13. The day started with the students congregating at Mainland High School for a celebration with Florida Gov. Rick Scott who presented awards to the Citizens of the Year. After a welcome by Dr. Cheryl Salerno, Scott and the participants heard about some of the accomplishments of
KidsZone and TeenZone students noted by Judi Winch, principal at Westside Elementary and the incoming executive director of Food Brings Hope. Students continued the celebration by going on a trolley tour at International Speedway, eating lunch at the Daytona 500 Club,
participated in a dance competition and left with a goodie bag full of summer fun items. “Our annual end-of-theyear celebration is a time to congratulate and celebrate our students,” said Forough B. Hosseini, Food Brings Hope founder and chair.
“We want to thank the Daytona International Speedway, Sodexo, our volunteers and donors, and Volusia County Schools Transportation team, Superintendent Mr. Tom Russell and all of FBH principals and sponsors for the years of support and always thinking of our students. We will continue to work very hard aiming to reach every school in Volusia County.” Among other services, Food Brings Hope offers school-based programs (termed “KidsZone” in elementary schools and “TeenZone” in the upper grades) that provide meals, tutoring and activities for at-risk students.
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JUNE 25 – JULY 1, 2015
Whites still live in ‘state of denial’ on race Former U.S. Senator Bill Bradley is fond of saying, “Slavery was America’s original sin, and racism remains its unresolved dilemma.” But the unwillingness to face up to the raw racism that led to the murder of nine African-Americans attending Bible study at a church in Charleston, S.C. proves that the problem is more than just an unresolved dilemma. Judging by public opinion polls, most Whites live year-round in the 51st state – the state of Denial.
The facts Around 9 p.m. on June 17, Dylann Roof, a 21-year-old avowed White supremacist, entered Emanuel AME Church in Charleston and murdered nine, unarmed African-Americans, ranging from 26 to 87 years old. Each victim was shot multiple times. We have the murderer’s own words that his goal was to “start a race war,” according to law enforcement officials who took Roof into custody. Rather than address obvious racism, our non-friends on Fox & Friends and other Fox network programs attempted to make the massacre about religion, gun control and anything other than the actual culprit – racism. Fox & Friends host Steve Doocy referenced “hostility toward Christians.” Bishop E.W. Jackson echoed that theme when he noted that “we don’t know why he went into a church, but he didn’t choose a bar” or “basketball court.” Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani also postulated, “maybe he hates Christian churches.”
Church targeted But we aren’t talking about any Christian church. We are talking about a historic Black church that had been carefully targeted by the shooter. Within minutes after his name was made public, Dylann Roof’s White supremacy views became widely known. A photo on his Facebook page showed him
GEORGE E. CURRY NNPA COLUMNIST
wearing patches with the flags of White minority-ruled South Africa during the apartheid-era and Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). Both flags are popular symbols associated with White supremacists in the U.S. Another photo posted on Facebook by one of Roof’s friends showed him leaning against an automobile sporting the license plate, “Confederate States of America.” Several days after the rampage, Roof’s racist manifesto was discovered. In it, he said, “Anyone who thinks that White and black people look as different as we do on the outside, but are somehow magically the same on the inside, is delusional. How could our faces, skin, hair, and body structure all be different, but our brains be exactly the same? This is the nonsense we are led to believe. “Negroes have lower Iqs, lower impulse control, and higher testosterone levels in generals. These three things alone are a recipe for violent behavior…” Toward the end, he wrote: “I chose Charleston because it is most historic city in my state, and at one time had the highest ratio of blacks to Whites in the country. We have no skinheads, no real KKK, no one doing anything but talking on the internet. Well someone has to have the bravery to take it to the real world, and I guess that has to be me.”
“Fox & Friends used a mass shooting at a South Carolina church to baselessly promote the carrying of guns as a solution to prevent such attacks – even though research indicates that civilians are more likely to harm themselves or someone else than stop a criminal when they have a gun, and there is no evidence that arming civilians stops mass shootings,” observed mediamatters.org After conducting a five-month investigation, Mother Jones magazine concluded, “In the wake of the massacres this year at a Colorado movie theater, a Sikh temple in Wisconsin, and Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut, we set out to track mass shootings in the United States over the last 30 years. “We identified and analyzed 62 of them, and one striking pattern in the data is this: In not a single case was the killing stopped by a civilian using a gun. And in other recent (but less lethal) rampages in which armed civilians attempted to intervene, those civilians not only failed to stop the shooter, but also were gravely wounded or killed.
More shootings
“Moreover, we found that the rate of mass shootings has increased in recent years – at a time when America has been flooded with millions of additional firearms and a barrage of new laws has made it easier than ever to carry them in public places, including bars, parks, and schools.” Clearly, the rampage in Charleston, S.C. was not about attacking Christianity or the need Gun issue Some conservatives tried to for more guns. It was about racmake the shootings a gun is- ism – an issue this country has alsue. After several Fox personali- ways been reluctant to address. ties suggested that ministers arm George E. Curry is editorthemselves, Steve Doocy chimed in-chief of the National Newsin, “If somebody was there, they would have had the opportunity paper Publishers Associato pull out their weapon and take tion News Service (NNPA) and [the shooter] out.” But it’s not that BlackPressUSA.com. Contact him via www.georgecurry.com. simple.
Focus on real Black women, not imposters By the time you read this, perhaps the disturbing story of Rachel Dolezal, the prevaricating White woman who passed for Black, led the Spokane NAACP, and wove a web of elaborate lies, would have receded from media headlines. Probably not. I expect additional disclosures, a book, and a reality show. While most African-Americans have concluded that Dolezal is a mentally impaired liar, too many Caucasian, obsessed with race, are likely to give this story legs. Meanwhile, there are millions of African-American women who are rendered invisible by the media.
Real Black women If Matt Lauer wants to focus on the women in the NAACP, he ought to interview Roslyn Brock, the chair of the NAACP board. If he wants to look at the women who lead organizations, he should focus on Melanie Campbell (National Coalition for Black Civic Participation) or Sherilyn Ifill (NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund). These women can add substance, not sensationalist fluff, to a conversation about women and race. Where is the 15-minute interview of Dajerria Becton, the teenager who, bikini-clad, was brutally dragged by her hair at a Texas pool party? Where is the followup on Renisha McBride, the teen who was killed by a crazed White man from behind his locked screen door? When have any of the African-American women in Congress been featured in the lengthy interviews that others in Congress routinely get? Admittedly, lengthy profiles don’t happen often, but when they do happen, African-American women certainly aren’t the focus of them. The presence of African-American women in media is much improved in some respects from just a decade ago. MSNBC anchor Melissa Harris-Perry brings a welcome approach to issues. Gayle King and Tamron Hall diversify a morning news lineup that was once far more homogeneous.
DR. JULIANNE MALVEAUX TRICEEDNEYWIRE.COM
Gwen Ifill brings a necessary gravitas to evening news. Donna Brazile is an important part of the commentariat. While those who bring the news are more diverse, the content of news is much less so, and frivolous sensationalism is often given more visibility than substance.
Ignored by allies Our natural allies, the White women who lead women’s organizations, also ignore AfricanAmerican women. To be sure, we can count on NOW’s Terry O’Neill to be an advocate for social and economic justice issues. She has been a reliable ally to the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, a regular presence on Rev. Jesse Jackson’s radio program (disclosure – I’ve been on the program with her on occasion), and a supportive force at national conventions. Still, Roland Martin was right to take her on regarding her silence around the way Dajerria Becton was brutalized. NOW should also be chastised for the many ways African-American women, and our issues, are ignored by the nation’s premier women’s organization. In the words of Sojourner Truth, “Ain’t I A Woman?”
Other issues
for an African-American woman to grace our currency? It would certainly go a long way toward recognizing instead of ignoring Black women. The United Nations has designated 2015-2024 the International Decade for People of African Descent. The theme of the decade is recognition, justice and development. The U.N. General Assembly has released a resolution that includes objectives and a program of activities for the decade. What if the media spent as much time on this as they have spent on a troubled imposter? To the extent that women of African descent around the globe experience similar histories and oppressions, such coverage could be informative and educational.
Black female viewpoint Are African-American only interesting when we are being portrayed by a confused wannabe Black woman? What about the real Black women? And what about asking African-American women what they think about this nonsense to get interesting perspectives on this sideshow? What about looking at the “passing” phenomenon from an African-American perspective (nobody knows how many African-Americans passed for Caucasian to gain access to opportunities, educational and financial, during the Jim Crow days)? If Rachel Dolezal’s chicanery is to be covered by the media, it ought at least be placed in context. Sojourner Truth said, “I have plowed, and planted, and gathered into barns, and no man could head me! And aren’t I a woman?” Dolezal has neither plowed nor planted. Her hijinks should be ignored, not glorified.
Now that the Treasury Department has agreed that a woman will be on the U.S. currency by 2020, and Treasury Secretary Jack Lew is seeking input through a Treasury department website. A self-described grassroots organization called Women on 20s delivered a petition to President Obama in May, calling for a woman to appear on the $20 bill. Of the 600,000 people who signed the petition, the most people selected Harriet Tubman to appear on the bill, with Eleanor RoosJulianne Malveaux is a Washevelt being the second choice. Wouldn’t it be great if majority ington, D.C.-based economist women’s organizations pushed and writer.
VISUAL VIEWPOINT: AMERICAN RACISM
BOB ENGLEHART, THE HARTFORD COURANT
Growing a multicultural, multiracial teaching force This is the Children’s Defense Fund Freedom Schools® program’s 20th anniversary. More than 135,000 children across the country have had an enriching CDF Freedom Schools summer or after-school experience. More than 15,000 college students and recent graduates have been trained to teach the integrated reading curriculum whose books reflect the lives of the K-12 children and youths, and give them hope. The program is a servant leadership incubator sowing seeds for two generations – the children served and the “servant leaders” who teach and serve them. The college students most often come from the communities they serve and are role models for the children. It is hard to be or dream of what you can be if you don’t see it. La’Mont Geddis was a member of the first class of servant leaders in 1995. Maya Angelou spoke to that small but eager group as they finished their training and participated in the first Freedom Schools graduation. La’Mont was already studying education at Howard University when he got involved with Freedom Schools, but says much of what he knows about how to care for and reach children and be a rainbow in their clouds comes from the Freedom Schools. “My long list of what I learned through Freedom Schools began with understanding poverty. I thought, initially, that poverty only had something to do with money or the lack of. I found out there is an emotional poverty, a love poverty, mental poverty, social poverty, and that’s what is comprised in our inner-city schools, impoverished children. These children are victims of poverty, and sometimes hurt people. So how do you help them and not exclude them? You know how? I learned it in Freedom School. You give them a voice. That’s what Freedom Schools help us to understand.” Today, La’Mont is the principal of Malcolm X Elementary School located in one of the poorest neighborhoods in Washington, D.C., and is one of the founders of the Omega Freedom School.
MARIAN WRIGHT EDELMAN NNPA COLUMNIST
Barbara Cornejo, an immigrant from Chile, left college the semester before she became a Freedom Schools servant leader because of financial problems. However, the experience of teaching so many children about the importance of education helped inspire her to find a way to finish her own and become a public school teacher serving at-risk children. Barbara eventually enrolled in a master’s program in education, administration, and policy and is now about to pursue a doctorate in curriculum and instruction. She says, “Freedom Schools taught me to believe that there was something inside of me so strong. I knew I could make a difference in myself, in my familia, in my community, my countries, my world, with hope, education, and action.” Brandi Brown, the executive director of the longest-standing Freedom School in Texas, says she learned as a young Freedom Schools teacher that the Freedom Schools mantra of believing in children so they can believe in themselves isn’t just empty words – setting high expectations for children does work. The parent education component that is a key part of all Freedom Schools also helped her in an unexpected way when she and her husband became guardians of her husband’s 7-year-old nephew. She told the more than 2,000 servant leaders this year that just as they should encourage their students to do their very best, they should remember to always do and give their own best, too. Freedom Schools are training a new generation of public school teachers who love, respect, and set high expectations for all of the children in their care.
Marian Wright Edelman is president and founder of the Children’s Defense Fund (www.childrensdefense.org).
Opinions expressed on this editorial page are those of the writers, and do not necessarily reflect the editorial stance of the newspaper or the publisher.
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JUNE 25 JULY 1, DECEMBER 14 – - 20, 2006
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M ANATION YOR
2015
“One of them shot tear gas over me, but the plastic rain cap saved my life because it had slipped down over my face and protected me from the worse fumes. One of the troopers said, ‘She’s dead.’ And they were told to drag me to the side of the road.” – Amelia Boynton Robinson No sympathy
HERB BOYD/SPECIAL TO NNPA NEWS SERVICE
Amelia Boynton Robison is flanked by Xavier and Annette Eikerenkoetter at a program in New York City.
103-year-old ‘Bloody Sunday’ survivor recounts beating dience with stories about the brutal experiences she endured when she was among those mercilessly NEW YORK – At 103, attacked in Selma, Ala. in Amelia Boynton Robinson 1965. Several members abmay be bound and physically limited by a wheel- sorbed in her recounting chair, but her spirit, inspi- of those days had seen the ration and memories are as film “Selma” and how marfresh and rewarding as they velously Lorraine Touswere during the height of saint had portrayed Robinthe Civil Rights Movement son, but to hear those mowhen her legend was born. ments retold by the womFor almost an hour re- an who had survived the cently at the United Pal- blows and to see actual film ace House of Inspiration in footage and stills projected New York City, Robinson on the screen behind her, regaled an attentive authe incidents conveyed a
BY HERB BOYD SPECIAL TO NNPA NEWS SERVICE
more powerful reality.
A terrible scene After the church’s spiritual director Xavier Eikerenkoetter, the son of the famous Rev. Ike, asked her to recall the march on Selma and “Bloody Sunday,” she began telling how she and others were beaten by the state troopers. “As I stepped aside from the troopers club, I felt a blow on my neck and my arm,” she said. “It could have injured me permanently if it had landed on my head. Another blow by
a trooper as I was gasping for breath knocked me to the ground and there I lay unconscious. “One of them shot tear gas over me, but the plastic rain cap saved my life because it had slipped down over my face and protected me from the worse fumes. One of the troopers said, ‘She’s dead.’ And they were told to drag me to the side of the road.” While she recounted the terrible scene, photos of it flashed on the screen as well as stills from the documentary “Eyes on the Prize.’’
In one of them, Robinson is seen sprawled on the ground and in the arms of a young man who had come to her rescue. “The cry went out for ambulances to come over the [Edmund Pettus] bridge and pick up the wounded and those thought to be dead, but Sheriff [Jim] Clark dared them to cross the bridge… I’m not going to call any ambulance for anybody! Let the buzzards eat ’em!” But he finally relented, she said, after he was told that there may be a bloody retaliation and that he might be the first one. “I was told later that I was taken to the church after being given first aid on the way, but when I didn’t respond I was taken to the Good Samaritan Hospital. “When I regained consciousness, I wondered where I was. But then I remembered the voice through the bullhorn, the gas being shot, and then the men with gas masks,” she related.
Refused to hate It took several years for her to fully recover from a beating that almost left her dead. Her once melodious voice was damaged by the gas, a voice that is no less commanding and urgent nowadays. Eikerenkoetter asked her about hatred, Sheriff Clark and why she attended his funeral in 2007.
“First of all, you can can’t be happy and have hate,” she answered. “…I went to Jim Clark’s funeral with two other friends and we were the only Blacks there. I wanted to prove to the people that I have no malice.” “God’s love is the answer,” she repeated several times before demanding that all the young people over 18 to register and vote, something to which she had devoted much of her remarkable life. “A voteless people is a hopeless people,” she stated.
Applause, tributes Eikerenkoetter and his associates, including a stage full of talented musicians, as they had done from the beginning of the ceremony, celebrated her with song. There were also proclamations from several political leaders, including one from Mayor Bill de Blasio citing Robinson’s tireless efforts and sacrifices for freedom and equality. The long line of people invited to the stage to share a moment, a photograph with Robinson was indicative of the love she extended. And her additional blessings are readily available in her autobiography, “Bridge Across Jordan,’’ published by the Schiller Institute, a book that Coretta Scott King believed was “an important contribution to the history of the Black freedom struggle.”
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M SPORTS AYOR
JUNE 25 –14JULY 1, 2015 DECEMBER - 20, 2006
B-CU track star a nominee for NCAA Woman of the Year
Deidra Jordan is a biology major at Bethune-Cookman University. She’s from Swainsboro, Ga.
Baseball program seeks players, coaches The Daytona Monarchs baseball program is looking for players ages 8 through 18. They are also seeking dedicated coaches. The Daytona Monarchs are in partnership with the Orlando Monarchs Baseball Youth Leadership and Development program, which is a 501©(3) non-profit organization. For more information, contact Coach Andreas Butler at 386307-0086 or email butleramj@gmail.com. More on the Monarchs is available at www.facebook.com/daytonamonarchsbaseball.
Coke Zero 400 will be a Sunday night race
SPECIAL TO THE DAYTONA TIMES
Bethune-Cookman studentathlete Deidra Jordan has been selected as a nominee for the 2015 NCAA Woman of the Year. The announcement was made on June 19 by the NCAA from its home office in Indianapolis, Ind. NCAA member colleges and universities have nominated 480 female student-athletes – the most ever in the history of the program – for the NCAA Woman of the Year award. Jordan, a senior from Swainsboro, Ga., is a biology major and member of the B-CU women’s track and field team. The Swainsboro High alum serves as a sprinter and competes in multievents for the Wildcats, recently completing her eligibility. In 2015, Jordan won the MidEastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) heptathlon at the Outdoor Track & Field Championships. She also claimed firstplace honors in the pentathlon, 200m, high jump and long jump, respectively, at the MEAC Indoor Track & Field Championships in 2015. Her time of 24.85 seconds in the 200m served as a career-
best mark. During the 2014 MEAC Indoor Championships, Jordan claimed first place in the pentathlon and high jump – the first of its kind for her at either event.
October ceremony Now in its 25th year, the Woman of the Year award honors graduating female college athletes who have exhausted their eligibility and distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate careers in academics, athletics, service and leadership. Of the nominees, 207 competed in Division I, 93 competed in Division II and 180 competed in Division III athletics. From the top 30, the selection committee determines the top three nominees from each division and announces the top nine finalists in September. The NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics then chooses from among those nine to determine the 2015 NCAA Woman of the Year. The 2015 NCAA Woman of the Year winner will be announced, and the Top 30 honorees celebrated, at the annual award ceremony Oct. 18 in Indianapolis.
Supersonics to play in national tournament The Daytona Beach SuperSonics, shown above, won the North Florida District Qualifier Tournament in Jacksonville on Jan. 6-7. The team has qualified for the 14&U AAU National Tournament, which will be held in Orlando from July 17-23. The SuperSonics team is under Baldy Athletics. The team also is accepting donations. For more information, contact Terry Johnson at 386-295-9195 or email baldyathletics@gmail.com.
Daytona International Speedway is gearing up for the 57th annual Coke Zero 400 Powered By Coca-Cola NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, which will be held on Sunday night, July 5. The Sunday night date for the Coke Zero 400 will be only for the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season with the Coke Zero 400 returning to Saturday night, July 2, 2016. About 50,000 new frontstretch seats will be available for the Fourth of July weekend event this year. Amenities being created by the Daytona Rising project include new and additional concessions and restrooms along with the Speedway’s first-ever escalators as well as several new “neighborhood” areas where attendees can socialize without missing any of the on-track action. More information: www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com.
Lifeguard Championships sponsors announced Nautica, Brown & Brown Insurance, the Daytona Beach Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, and the City of Daytona Beach are the major sponsors for the 2015 Nautica USLA National Lifeguard Championships, which will take place in Daytona Beach from Aug. 5 to 8. Other sponsors include Palmer College of Chiropractic, Rice & Rose Law Firm, Zoll, and the Paragon Ocean Walk 10 movie theaters. The four-day event, which is expected to draw nearly 2,000 competitors along with their families, will be held on the beach behind the Ocean Walk in Daytona Beach. Individual events will include a running relay, surf swim, rescue race, landline rescue, and iron man/iron woman competitions. The competition is being coordinated by the U.S. Lifesaving Association and the Volusia Surf Lifesaving Association in conjunction with the Volusia County’s Beach Safety Division. Additional sponsorships are available; call 386-239-6414, ext. 20329, for a sponsorship package. Learn more about the event at www.usla.org.
ing to happen,” Silver said in December. “Just a matter of what year.”
February event
JEFF SINER/CHARLOTTE OBSERVER/TNS
Charlotte Hornets owner Michael Jordan laughs while responding to a question during a news conference on Oct. 28, 2014, at Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, N.C.
Charlotte to host ’17 NBA All-Star Game BY RICK BONNELL CHARLOTTE OBSERVER/TNS
Charlotte has won a bid to host the 2017 NBA All-Star Weekend. A formal announcement came Tuesday from NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and Charlotte
Hornets owner Michael Jordan in attendance at a news conference. Charlotte officials and the Hornets organization formally made a bid for the event last summer. In comments during a visit to Charlotte last year, Silver said he thought it was a sure thing Char-
lotte would be awarded an AllStar Weekend after city officials agreed to various upgrades and renovations at Time Warner Cable Arena. “Personally I’m very excited about coming back here. I don’t think there’s any question it’s go-
The city agreed last fall to pay $27.5 million toward various improvements to the arena. The NBA saw those improvements as key to any All-Star bid. The All-Star Weekend is in mid-February. Specific dates for the 2017 event have not yet been set. The 2016 All-Star Game is in Toronto. Along with the All-Star Game on Sunday night, All-Star Weekend includes various skills competitions (a slam-dunk contest and a 3-point shooting contest specifically) plus a game between select first- and secondyear NBA pros and a Development League All-Star Game. There is also a fan festival, which the Charlotte Convention Center will likely host. Among the stars who figure to be here in 2017: Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, the reigning league Most Valuable Player, who grew up in Charlotte and starred for Davidson College. All-Star Weekends typically bring thousands of fans in from around the country. The league uses All-Star Weekend as its primary event to network with sponsors, which consumes many of the tickets. But Hornets season-ticket holders should have access to some events.
Other arena events The Hornets operate Time Warner Cable Arena (19,077 seating capacity) in a public-private partnership with the city. The city paid about $260 million to build the arena in 2005. Since then it has hosted the Democratic National Convention, the ACC men’s basketball tournament and annually hosts the CIAA tournament. Construction costs and these new upgrades are paid for out of the hotel-motel occupancy tax. Center city Charlotte has 4,568 hotel rooms, according to Center City Partners. An additional 1,900 hotel rooms are either being proposed or are under construction. Available hotel rooms are a key factor in any All-Star Weekend bid. Typically the event fills every hotel room in the market for four or more nights. Charlotte was previously awarded the PGA Championship golf tournament for August of 2017. Charlotte hosted the All-Star Game once before in 1991 at the since-demolished Charlotte Coliseum on Tyvola Road. Charles Barkley was the MVP of that game with 17 points and 22 rebounds. Barkley started for that Eastern Conference team alongside Jordan (26 points) and nowHornets associate head coach Patrick Ewing (18 points and 10 rebounds).
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