Daytona Times - July 21, 2016

Top award for Halifax Health employee SEE PAGE 2

East Central Florida’s Black Voice

EE FR

HARRY C. ALFORD: There’s no responsible leadership to guide us out of crises around the world SEE PAGE 4

BAND PAYS TRIBUTE TO PRINCE AT DAYTONA BANDSHELL SEE PAGE 2

JULY 21 - JULY 27, 2016

YEAR 41 NO. 29

www.daytonatimes.com

Did Black Lives Matter set car on fire?

Organizers of area events doubt anyone locally was involved.

BY ANDREAS BUTLER DAYTONA TIMES

COURTESY OF DAYTONA BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT

An unmanned car parked near the Islamic Center of Daytona Beach is shown in flames.

Although a note implicating Black Lives Matter was found next to a firebombed Daytona Beach police car early Sunday morning, area organizers of marches and protests don’t believe anyone locally connected with the movement was involved.

The car, which was parked near the Islamic Center of Daytona Beach, made national news.

Firefighters responded to calls and arrived to see a police squad car fully engulfed in flames.

“Someone did firebomb the car at about 2 a.m. and left a note next to the car,” confirmed Daytona Beach Police Chief Mike Chitwood.

Black Lives Matter note According to a police report, the note read: Black Lives Matter, A. Starling P. Castile and F… The Police!!!

Alton Sterling, 37, was shot to death by police shot to death police in Baton Rouge, La. On July 5. The next day, Philando Castille, 32, was shot dead by

a White Minnesota policeman during a traffic stop for a busted taillight. The deaths have led to Black Lives Matter protests nationwide.

“We are not attaching it to anything other than the person responsible is a just a knucklehead. There is no way to tell who left it there. This is just what we have,” Chitwood said.

As of the Daytona Times presstime on Wednesday, there had been no reported arrests in the incident.

The state fire marshal will investigate the incident, which appears to be an act of arson.

See CAR, Page 2

DUANE C. FERNANDEZ SR./HARDNOTTSPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

Local law enforcement officers address residents during an anti-violence event on July 17 at Hope Fellowship Church.

Addressing the violence in a peaceful way Community events are focusing on seeking solutions, understanding

BY ANDREAS BUTLER DAYTONA TIMES

Recent shootings across the nation have intensified local efforts to address violence.

On July 17, a small group of residents attended an event at the Dickerson Community Center and James Huger Park, located in the 300 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.

The event showed support for the

Black Lives Matter movement as well as denounced violence, injustice and police brutality both nationally and locally.

“I have love for my people. I don’t hate anybody, but I have love for my people first,” responded Sean Hamilton, who is a Daytona Beach resident and father of four sons. Both of his parents – now deceased – were police officers.

Promoting unity Hamilton organized the event with the help of Facebook and was motivated by a Black Lives Matter event that he

attended in Washington D.C. the previous week.

“I was moved by the unity and the love. We are behind in Daytona. I am worried about Black-on-Black crime and police brutality. Fortunately, here in Daytona we haven’t had an incident of a cop killing an innocent Black person, but if they do we should hold them ac-

Residents invited to have coffee with a cop

BY DAYTONA TIMES STAFF

Area residents and officers of the Daytona Beach Police Department (DBPD) will get a chance to sip coffee and chat during an informal event next week at a local Starbucks.

Coffee with a Cop will take place at 5 p.m. July 29 at the Starbucks at 110 S. Ocean Ave., Day-

ALSO INSIDE

tona Beach. The event is billed as an opportunity for residents and officers “to come together in an informal neutral space to discuss community issues, build relationships and drink coffee.’’

Breaking down barriers In a statement, DBPD notes that the majority of contact law enforcement has with the public

happen during emergencies or emotional situations. “Those situations are not always the most effective times for relationship building with the community, and some community members may feel that officers are unapproachable on the streets. Coffee with a Cop breaks down barriers and allows for a relaxed one-on-one interaction,’’ the department adds.

countable. We also shouldn’t have cops being killed,” Hamilton commented.

Those who participated were glad to show their support.

“We must start somewhere. We must support our community. We need to stick up for each other. We need to protect our citizens and ourselves. We are a

DBPD Chief Mike Chitwood stated, “We hope that community members will feel comfortable to ask questions, bring concerns or simply get to know our officers. These interactions are the foundation of community partnerships.”

National initiative Coffee with a Cop is a national initiative supported by the United States Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. Similar events

TRAVEL: HEADING ON VACATION? BE AWARE OF POTENTIAL PERILS | PAGE 5 NATION: CELEBRITY RESPONSE TO POLICE KILLINGS IS NOTHING NEW | PAGE 7

See EVENTS, Page 2

are being held across the county as local police departments strive to make lasting connections with the communities they serve.

The program aims to advance the practice of community policing through improving relationships between police officers and its community members one cup of coffee at a time.

For more information, contact Lt. Major Garvin at 386-671-5308 or via email at garvinm@dbpd. us.

7 FOCUS

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JULY 21 – JULY 27, 2016

NAACP, Deltas and Omegas hosting candidates forum The Volusia County-Daytona Beach NAACP and a fraternity and sorority are presenting an opportunity for area residents to learn about local candidates running for office.

The NAACP, in partnership with the the Daytona Beach Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority and the Omicron Omicron Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, will host a free “Meet the Candidates”

Night on Thursday, Aug. 4, at Allen Chapel AM.E. Church.

Allen Chapel is located at 580 George W. Engram Blvd., Daytona Beach. The forum will begin at 6 p.m.

Sample ballots too Local candidates running for political office are being invited to participate in an open forum to discuss their platform as well as issues of importance to the community.

Purple reigned at the bandshell

community. We are all friends and all have relatives in this community. We must stop this unnecessary violence. We must make sure that Black Lives Matter and that they matter to us as a people,” stated Angela Brown.

Brown also helped spread the word through Facebook.

The July 17 event included a gathering in the park where people spoke about current events.

It concluded with a march to a convenience store called the Friend’s Mart at 518 S. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., where a shooting had taken place the night before.

Shooting at store

DUANE C. FERNANDEZ SR./HARDNOTTSPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

Halifax Health honors longtime employee

Janet Jackson, Laboratory Services • 2016 Nurse of Excellence: Nicole Smith, RN, Oncology • 2016 Nurse of Excellence Rookie of the Year: Amber McLaughlin, RN, Orthopedics Halifax Health

SPECIAL TO THE DAYTONA TIMES

Halifax Health recently recognized top employees at its 2016 Team Member Recognition Banquet. During the event, Simmie Perry, a supply chain distribution services technician, was named Halifax Health Team Member of the Year for 2016.

A Daytona Beach resident, Perry has been a Halifax Health employee since 1990. As a supply chain distribution services technician, he is reSimmie sponsible for the timely distribution Perry of medical supplies and equipment throughout the organization.

Other honorees Along with the honor of being voted Team Member of the Year by his co-workers, Perry was awarded with check presentations from Halifax HealthAuxiliary, Halifax Health-Office of the Medical Staff and Halifax Health-Associates.

Other Halifax Health employees recognized were: • 2016 TOWER Award Winner: Chris Ewart, Respiratory Therapy • 2016 Inpatient Quality Caregiver of the Year: Maggie Gavilanes, RN, Oncology • 2016 Allied Health Caregiver of the Year: Joe Green, Information Technology • 2016 Outpatient Quality Caregiver of the Year:

Midtown Motown concert series continues on Saturday The Blues Brothers Soul Band Tribute and Simply The Best Tina Turner Tribute are up next for the Midtown Motown Concert series.

The concert is July 23 at Cypress Park at the Midtown Center in Daytona Beach from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

The Cypress Park at Midtown Center is located at 981 George West Engram Blvd., Daytona Beach.

Parking is available at the Cypress Park. No coolers are allowed.

The concert series is sponsored by Pepsi, City of Daytona Beach, Metro PCS, 99.5 the LOV, HOT 94.1, and the Southern Stone Event Group.

Alpha Phi Alpha to host Black Diamond Soiree The Beta Delta Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity will host a Black Diamond Soiree on July 30 in the Crystal Ballroom of the Sunset Harbor, 861 Ballough Road, Daytona Beach.

The event is in support of the March of Dimes, Boy Scouts of America and Project Alpha.

For ticket information, visit BDLAlphas.com.

CAR

Dialogue at church Also on July 17, an anti-violence and police dialogue event took place at Hope Fellowship Church, 869 Derbyshire Road.

“A small group of officers and myself took questions from citizens in regards to racial profiling, what you should do during a traffic stop, rogue officers, body cameras, transparency, leadership, All Lives Matter and Black Lives Matter. The sanctity of human life should be the top priority,” said Daytona Beach Police Chief Mike Chitwood.

Chitwood, who is running for Volusia County Sheriff, admits that there are rogue police offi-

The Rev. Derrick Harrison renounced the act.

“Those who commit these acts are out of the character and will of God,” Harris told the Daytona Times.

Harris is the president of the Daytona Beach Black Clergy Alliance and pastor of Master’s Domain Church of God In Christ.

The alliance was scheduled to have a prayer to show support for the police on Thursday, July 21 at 7 p.m. at Master’s Domain, 511 Freemont Ave.

Center targeted

Those who have orga-

According to police reports, Miami resident Bobby Willis, 32, was shot and killed. The suspect is Ricky Kelly, 31, of Daytona Beach.

Reports indicate that Willis was shot after the men got into an argument inside the store, which continued outside. They allegedly fired at each other and Kelly fled the scene.

Willis died on the scene, while Kelly went to a local hospital where staffers there called authorities, according to the report.

Kelly is being charged with pre-mediated first-degree murder and first-degree possession of a weapon and ammunition by a convicted felon.

Prayer for police

from Page 1

Organizers: Not us

EVENTS from Page 1

Purple Masquerade, a Prince tribute band, wowed thousands who gathered at the Daytona Beach Bandshell on July 15 to hear the late artist’s greatest hits.

The band is made up of James Kincherlow, JC Teasley, Todd Austin, Aaron Oatmeal, Chanteau Teasley and Mike Johnson. The event was part of the free summer concerts at the bandshell. Band members and plenty of the spectators wore purple in honor of the iconic musician.

The squad car had been placed near the Islamic Center, located on 347 S. Keech St., after a threat was made against the center in early June in the wake of the Orlando Pulse nightclub shooting.

“We are working with the police department. We have shared video with them. We are cooperating with them and doing anything we can to help them,” said Hassam Ali, president of the center.

The police have stepped up patrols in the area and have assigned extra officers during services at the Islamic Center.

“When Ramadan started, the Islamic Center was in a threat level situation.

They wanted us to beef up our present. We put the car there. It worked well.

Some people liked the car, so I left it,” Chitwood explained.

The Islamic Center and other local faith based organization are denouncing this act.

“We hope that this incident isn’t any kind of backlash that some of the communities in this country are experiencing. We hope that no one is using this as a way to express negativity towards the police or any group of people,” Ali remarked.

According to the NAACP, the forum will give voters the opportunity to meet the candidates and learn about where they stand on issues pertinent to the growth and well-being of their community.

Sample ballots as well as a summary and explanation of all amendments will be available for the general public.

If you plan to attend, email an RSVP to local NAACP President Cynthia Slater at cynthiayslater@msn.com.

For more information, contact the Daytona Beach NAACP office at 386-255-3736.

COURTESY OF DAYTONA BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT

This note was found near the burned police car. nized recent marches and protests in the Daytona area don’t believe that the Black Lives Matter movement or anyone associated with it left the note.

“We don’t promote violence at any level. This was evident at recent marches and protests. It is just suspect that a car and everything in it was burnt except a note claiming the Black Lives Matter movement,’’ said Carlos Harris, a Deltona High School teacher and Daytona resident who organized a march on July 9 with about 200 participants.

“However, we do understand that there are examples of bad apples in a group, but we can’t attribute any such incident as the dominating example

representing the movement.’’

Sean Hamilton agreed, “I don’t think it has anything to do with what is going on in the nation. I doubt that any Black group was involved, including Black Lives Mater. Essentially, we have no Black Lives Matter group in Daytona. We are not a group or organization. We are mainly a group of concerned citizens and parents getting out here and making our concerns known. There are just people out there who want to have people unsettled and against each other.”

Hamilton is the offspring of two former police officers and father of four sons who organized a rally and march on July 17.

cers in this country and it’s hard to get rid of them.

“There are union rules and contracts. Police officers have a bill of rights which must be respected during an investigation.

Also when rogue officers are disciplined, local police unions often fight it,” he explained.

“This costs cities money so they often try finding a happy medium. When these officers are fired, they often sue the city.

Then you go before an arbitrator who doesn’t live in the city and may only know the case in front of him. Overwhelmingly nationwide, these arbitrators often put bad cops back on the streets,” Chitwood continued.

‘We’re not perfect’ The Daytona Beach Police Department is taking measures to ensure fair practices.

Chitwood told the Daytona Times, “We try to put a high premium on the fact that we are part of the community. We try to be cognizant on everything that is going on. We have several trainings. We try to give the bad guy every opportunity to go to jail safely.

“We’re the first police department in Florida to give all officers body cameras. We’re not perfect. It only takes one mistake to trigger a community. Ninetynine percent of officers are good cops, but there is that 1 percent of idiots who shouldn’t be cops.

If they screw up here, they will be fired. Just know that the system could always put them back to work,’’ he added.

Remembering Rayshad Other community events are scheduled for the near future.

An anti-violence block party will be held on Saturday, July 30, on Verdell Street.

The event will be in remembrance of Rayshad Mitchell, whose birthday was July 21.

Mitchell was found dead on the same street near the family‘s home from a gunshot wound back in 2012.

The family is throwing the event and the Daytona Beach police will be on hand.

Mitchell’s murder remains unsolved and there is a $25,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in the case.

“The Black Clergy Alliance supports the Daytona Beach Police Department and law enforcement as a whole. We pray for them to have wisdom and protection as the deal with situations while they protect us.

We pray that God protects them,” Harris said.

The police department has no plans to add even more security near the Islamic Center.

“I don’t like ghost cars out there. We are not going to do that. We will remain diligent, aware and responsive in the area,” said

Chitwood.

The Islamic Center doesn’t have any other safety concerns.

“We are reviewing some things that we could do security wise. We have full trust and confidence in the police department. We believe that they are doing what they can and must do to make the area safe for everybody in the community,” Ali added.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Daytona Beach Police Department at 386-671-5100.

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JULY 21 – JULY 27, 2016 COMMUNITY DECEMBER 14 - 20, 2006

M A YNEWS OR

Rob’s Jazz Express entertains café crowd with ‘something new’ Patrons took an exciting journey, ready to enjoy themselves, staying tuned to Rob’s Jazz Express, which made its Gospel/Jazz Cafe debut earlier last month.

The audience was relaxed, listening to the musical sequence and delighted with mocktails of virgin daiquiris, pina coladas and margaritas. It was the trio’s first performance at the cabaret – sensationalizing Robert “Rob” Whiting on guitar, Michael Scott, bass guitar; and Robert Banks on drums.

The ensemble played conjointly and soloed, making an impact with “Soul-Leo,” which Rob Whiting had observed pianist Doug Carn and guitarist Russell Malone perform for the North East Florida Jazz Association in January at the Daytona Museum of Arts & Sciences. The composition, written by pianist Mulgrew Miller, was part of the trio’s medley, which showcases year-round at various venues.

“We just feel so blessed that you still come out to see us,” said band leader Rob Whiting, “and, that’s why we try to come up with something new so you will not be hearing the same old stuff.”

Music from the greats The ensemble is at the top of its game, paying tribute to phenomenal jazz organist Tony Monaco with “Katrina’s Prayer;” pianist Thelonius Monk’s “‘Round Midnight,” saxophonist Lou Donaldson’s “Caracas,” and jazz standard “Lil Darlin,” written by Count Basie’s trumpeter Neal Hefti.

Rob’s Jazz Express is cohesively a talent of skill, relentlessly in sync, and in tune.

“I’ve been blessed to have known Rob Whiting for about eight years, and at the beginning of that eight years, he was ...doing it (playing the guitar) as a hobby,” said Sybil Dodson Lucas.

But barely containing her excitement, Lucas said, “I recently saw him perform at First Church at the Gospel/Jazz Café, and I was blown away. Folks really need to come and enjoy the Gospel/Jazz Café. It’s a wonderful night out. It’s a whole lot of fun,” she noted.

‘100 Ways’ and more Rob set the stage again, dedicating “100 Ways” to his wife, Harriett, who is his bride of 34 years. He aligned the lyrics nailing down: Compliment what she does Send her roses just because If it’s violins she loves Let them play Dedicate her favorite song And hold her closer all night long Love her today

Deltona Parks & Rec to celebrate seniors Deltona Parks & Recreation will celebrate seniors at its sixth annual senior breakfast from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. July 23 at the Deltona Community Center, 980 Lakeshore Drive. The entire family is invited to join the seniors for breakfast.

Breakfast will be served for $3 and will include eggs, pancakes, sausage, juice and coffee.

Sponsors are Lowes, Publix, Sender Retreat/Stay For A Day, Walmart and Halifax Health.

Tickets can be purchased at the Deltona Community Center.

To purchase tickets or for additional information or to find out about accommodations for those with special needs, call Deltona Parks & Recreation at 386878-8906.

•••

Health department extends immunization hours With the start of the new school year on the horizon, the Florida Department

PALM COAST COMMUNITY NEWS JEROLINE D. MCCARTHY JEROLINE D. MCCARTHY/DAYTONA TIMES

Find one hundred ways.

The embracing lyrics, written by James Ingram, are part of “The Dude,” the most Grammy-nominated album released by icon Quincy Jones.

The audience listened as Rob’s Jazz Express performed “Smart Set,” written by Detroit drummer Roy Brooks; phenomenal saxophonist Harold Vick’s “Don’t Look Back” and “Trimmed in Blue,” and keyboardist George Duke with “It’s On.” If you missed out and were unable to catch Rob’s Jazz Express, tap into the next segment of this article. It will give you a first-hand scoop of the happenings of the trio.

Trio returns to café on July 22 Palm Coast’s only Gospel/Jazz Café, providing live entertainment every successive Friday, will top the charts with Rob’s Jazz Express performing July 22, 7 p.m.

The trio will settle in with a medley by the great jazz legends of our time. The brilliant Rob’s Jazz Express will be revving up and rockin’ the signature songs.

They teamed up eight years ago, regularly performing in North Central Florida and Savannah. Guitarist Rob Whiting was born in the District of Columbia. He’s opened for Miriam Makeba in the fair city.

He’s seen along the circuit performing with Doug Carn.

He has given performances with Eddie Henderson, Steve Williams, and Teddy Adams. In between takes, Rob was asked

by Wes Montgomery to sit in with the master guitarist’s ensemble.

Drummer Robert Banks was born in Pittsburgh. He has worked with local R&B sets and the college circuit in the tri-state Pennsylvania area.

He has performed with vocalist Phyllis Hyman and trombonist Al Dowe, as well as Pittsburgh notables George Benson, Bobby O’Brown and Adolphus Bell.

St. Augustine native Michael Scott, the bass guitarist for the trio, took on the role of playing with “Chameleon,” an R&B revue of Florida A&M students during the 1970s. They recorded a release titled

of Health (DOH) in Volusia County will extend its immunization hours beginning Monday, July 25 through Tuesday, Aug.16.

Extended hours for back-to-school immunizations will be offered at four DOH-Volusia locations: Daytona Beach: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, 1845 Holsonback Drive.

DeLand: 8 a.m. to noon, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, 931 N. Spring Garden Ave. Deltona: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, 3151 Howland Blvd.

New Smyrna Beach: 1 to 4:30 p.m., Monday and Thursday, 717 W. Canal St. New and transferring students, kindergarten students, and those entering seventh grade must provide proof of immunizations to the school before children can receive a schedule or enter school on the first day of classes.

Parents are encouraged to bring shot records with them when requesting immunizations.

Classes resume in Volusia County Schools on Monday, Aug. 15.

For more information and immunization locations and hours, visit www. volusiahealth.com.

Left to right: Michael Scott, Robert “Rob” Whiting and Robert Banks perform at the Gospel/Jazz Café.

“Funky” for Black Sun Records.

He has performed with national recording artist Doug Carn and his exquisite, upscale orchestral strings, “Con Brio.” He also plays gigs with musicians of varied genres.

Rob’s Jazz Express will lay down a smooth set of infectious tunes at the Gospel/Jazz Café. The donation is $15.

To purchase tickets, call First Church at 386-446-5759, where the Rev. Gillard S. Glover serves as pastor. The Gospel/Jazz Café is located inside of First Church at 91 Old Kings Road North, Palm Coast.

Incidentally, a fried fish dinner catered

by Chef Tracy Calhoun will precede the Gospel/Jazz Café, and will be served at 5 p.m. The cost of the fish fry is $8, and is available for eating in, taking out, or ordering ahead at 386-446-5759. However, if time does not permit, gospel/jazz tickets and the fish dinner can be purchased on site.

Pastor reports on AME conference Pastor Gillard S. Glover returned to the pulpit at First Church Sunday, offering commentary from the 50th Quadrennial Session of the General Conference of the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, transpired July 6-13 in Philadelphia. Pastor Glover serves on the Legislative Revisions Committee of the conference.

“We did what we came to do. We elected a bishop from Florida,” stated Pastor Glover. “Bishop Michael Mitchell was the second elected and consecrated bishop at this conference. Actually, he’s going to be in Orlando Sunday preaching. But, he is now assigned to Oklahoma and Arkansas, and so he will be bishop over Oklahoma and Arkansas. We are excited about that,” noted the pastor. Bishop Mitchell is the former pastor of St. Stephen A.M.E. Church in Jacksonville.

Bishop Richard Allen founded the African Methodist Episcopal Church in

1787 when presiders at St. George’s Church in Philadelphia decided to segregate the bishop and other Black worshipers. The African Methodist Episcopal Church was born in protest against dehumanization Pastor Gillard and continues to champion issues of social justice.

S. Glover “We were visited by Democratic presumptive candidate Hillary Clinton. She addressed us, and that was quite a day,” said Pastor Glover. “I never saw so many people trying to get into a place at one time. The event started at 6 p.m. They started filling it up at 2 p.m. and people did not get in for the alternate address.” The General Conference took place at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, and it’s noteworthy to say that the African Methodist Episcopal Church does not endorse political candidates.

Pastor Glover received a message for the church – the general church – and all AMEs, which said, “Let’s get organized and vote!”

••• I am wishing my readers a great summer and looking forward to returning in the fall from my vacation. Enjoy the summer!

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

Celebrations Birthday wishes to Phyllis Henderson, July 21; my “homegirl’’ Ida White in Cambria Heights, NY, July 23; Robert Alleyne, July 24; Dorothy Nixon, July 25; Diana McKie Robinson, July 26; Little McKenzie Robinson, June Bethel and Rosa McKie, July 27.

Happy Anniversary to Louie, my husband, on our anniversary, July 22; and George and Rev. Annette Weaver, July 25.

Volusia County is the first to bring the Baby & Me Tobacco Free Program to Florida.

Partnership helps pregnant women quit smoking SPECIAL TO THE DAYTONA TIMES

Nearly three months after its launch, the first Baby & Me Tobacco Free Program in Florida has a full roster.

To build additional com-

munity support for the program, the Tobacco Free Florida – Volusia County Partnership is hosting a public meeting beginning at 4 p.m., Monday, July 25, at the Florida Department of Health in Volusia County, 1845 Holsonback Road, Daytona Beach.

The partnership is working to extend the program to help more mothers.

At the meeting, community partners will be encouraged to sponsor one or two clients. Discussion and other tobacco prevention issues also will be discussed.

In 15 states The Baby & Me Tobacco Free Program was created to reduce the burden of tobacco use on pregnant and post-partum women.

Expectant mothers who smoke are more likely to have premature and low birth weight babies. Quitting smoking reduces these dangers and the damaging effects of secondhand smoke on their children.

The Baby & Me Tobacco Free Program is being used in 15 states. Volusia Coun-

ty is the first to bring it to Florida.

About the partnership The Tobacco Free Florida – Volusia County Partnership is a countywide, locally organized group committed to saving lives and improving the overall health and wellbeing of residents and visitors by reducing and/or eliminating the use of tobacco products.

The partnership is organized to advocate on the local, state and national level for prevention of the initiation of tobacco use among youth; protection from secondhand smoke; and promotion of tobacco cessation.

The public is encouraged to attend partnership presentations and meetings.

The meetings also are available via conference call (audio only) at 1-888670-3525, passcode 917 914 7160.

For more information, contact Kristen Mialki at 386-274-0601 or Kristen. mialki@flhealth.gov.

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7 EDITORIAL

JULY 21 – JULY 27, 2016

Chaos continues at a faster rate When President Obama hosted a press conference introducing his pick for Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, Susan Rice could not stop smirking. Her body language was like, “This is a joke! Hillary Clinton is secretary of State?” The next four years created a horror story that present Secretary of State John Kerry cannot figure out how to end.

We were surprised when Russia invaded and took Crimea away from Ukraine. We don’t know how to persuade Russia to return the stolen land. Russia is now looking at Latvia and Estonia.

We are impotent in our approach to President Vladimir Putin, and he knows it all too well. He is going to strike again.

Hillary was supposed to do a “reset” with Russia. It was a joke.

Why the shock?

We were all shocked when there was a coup attempt on Turkey. Our president routinely skips the daily intelligence review sessions every morning.

He doesn’t have a clue about what is going on in the world.

Proof of this is when Lt. General Michael Flynn admitted that when he was director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, Presi-

HARRY C. ALFORD NNPA COLUMNIST

dent Obama never met with him or asked any questions about what was going on.

Turkey has the largest army in Europe and last week, it teetered on the edge of a political abyss.

Former Muslim imam and (now accused terrorist) Fethullah Gulen is being blamed for the organizing of the coup attempt. He lives in Pennsylvania. Why are we allowing him to live here?

Failed coup When you take on the king, you had better kill him. The coup attempt was a failure. Now the carnage will begin. More than 6,000 people have been arrested.

The most wanted person is Gulen, hiding inside our borders. President Erdogan, who is supposed to be our ally and NATO partner, is about to order mass executions.

Looks like a new dictatorship is being formed in the Middle East and we may lose another ally.

There is no “peace in the val-

The bitter fruit of a broken Reconstruction After Baton Rouge, Louisiana and Falcon Heights, Minn., there was Dallas. After rogue cops unceremoniously killed two Black men, there were five police officers killed by a deranged sniper who reportedly said he wanted to kill White police officers.

Too many commentators attempted to characterize the sniper, Micah Xavier Johnson as a “revenge” killer connected to the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement. Too many, like the unrepentant racist and former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, used the sniper’s actions to excoriate BLM.

Not racist The phrase “Black lives matter” is not racist because it simply reflects our nation’s history.

From our founding until today, there have been too many opportunities to legalize the facts that Black lives do not matter.

The fact that our Constitution reduces enslaved African-Americans into a fraction of a person

DR. JULIANNE MALVEAUX TRICEEDNEYWIRE.COM

suggests that Black lives did not matter, at our nation’s founding, as much as White lives did.

The differences in the terms and conditions of indentured servitude for Whites and enslavement for Afrodescendents further cemented the notion that Black lives did not matter as much as White lives did.

The persistence of enslavement, and the contradictions that came from the practice of “breeding” (i.e., treating Black people as animals to increase “stock”) heightened contradictions, because people were selling their children and siblings. What did they think of themselves if they felt they had to couple with people they found “subhuman”?

Dallas debunks every gun anti-safety myth One of the more unsettling revelations about the tragedy in Dallas is that the mentally unbalanced gunman was rejected, after a background check, for membership in an extremist group. But he was legally able to purchase a high-capacity assault rifle.

According to media reports, Micah Johnson was labeled “unfit for recruitment” among a network of extremist groups, including some designated as “hate groups” by the Southern Poverty Law Center. Yet within months of that rejection, Johnson was able to meet in a parking lot with a gun seller he contacted online, and take possession of a military weapon designed to slaughter human beings as quickly and efficiently as possible.

In what kind of a world do we live when hate groups that actu-

MARC H. MORIAL TRICE EDNEY WIRE

ally encourage violence against law enforcement officers are more circumspect than our current firearm safety laws?

Didn’t matter The man who sold Johnson the AK-47 said, “It’s my belief he would have passed a background check,” during their 15-minute meeting – as though dangerous mental instability is written across someone’s face.

But it wouldn’t have mattered, not in Texas. Federal law requires only licensed gun dealers to con-

VISUAL VIEWPOINT: TERROR ATTACK IN NICE

ley” in Afghanistan. ISIS has arrived there. The Taliban is again a threat to the established government. Osama Bin Laden’s son has taken over the Al Qaida contingent. These three groups will probably merge and we may lose Afghanistan to the terrorists we vowed to defeat.

We may be pouring gasoline onto the fire by continuing to release career terrorists from Guantanamo Bay prison. Their recidivism rate is at 35 percent.

One of the missing terrorists is believed to have entered Brazil just in time for the World Olympics.

North Korea is not getting any milder in its rhetoric. Syria is slowly deteriorating without any influence from us to turn it around and stop refugees from pouring out into Europe. How many of these refugees are ISIS agents? We don’t have a clue.

Marching on Iran marches its way to nuclear readiness while China is taking over international waters through their manmade islands in the South China Sea. Domestically, groups like Black Lives Matter is funded by billionaires wishing for chaos.

They are wild, unpredictable and have chanted death for our

Didn’t happen then Has Giuliani ever read a history book? Does he understand that if revenge were ever a motive in Black/White interactions it would have been all over but the shouting between 1865 and 1876?

Formerly enslaved people were hopeful about emancipation, but caught between hope and despair when Black Codes were imposed, when people were lynched for simply asserting the right to walk on the sidewalk, when soldiers were lynched, in uniform, because they did not defer to fellow citizens.

Even though Constitutional amendments were passed to abolish enslavement, rigid Southern attitudes imposed a quasi-enslavement that persisted until the civil rights movement, and White supremacist attitudes that that persist until today.

When our Constitution was written, John Adams lamented that the issue of enslavement was a conundrum that his generation was imposing on subsequent generations.

When the 13th Amendment was passed, there was no playbook to detail how our nation would transcend enslavement.

duct background checks. Millions of guns are sold each year online or at gun shows through private sellers. Felons, domestic abusers, the violently mentally ill are able to acquire firearms – and the law does nothing to stop them.

More than 90 percent of Americans support universal background checks. Legally-required background checks have blocked more than two million gun sales to dangerous people since the system was instituted.

Maybe Micah Johnson’s background would have slipped past the system. Seung-Hui Cho, who killed 32 people and wounded 17 on the Virginia Tech campus in 2007, was banned from buying guns because a court found him severely mentally ill. But he passed a background check because his records never made it into the system.

And if the current system wouldn’t have deemed Johnson’s bizarre behavior a red flag for a gun purchase, it certainly should have. The background check da-

PARESH NATH, THE KHALEEJ TIMES, UAE

policemen (Minneapolis rally).

Yet our president invites them to the White House on occasions.

Hillary Clinton has held audience with this group.

When have we ever started killing our own police officers?

It has gotten out of hand and I see no end in sight. There’s no responsible leadership to guide us out of this mess.

Above the law Ms. Clinton has showed all of us that she is above the law. How many felonies were committed in the email scandal? Our attorney general holding what they thought was a secret meeting on her private jet with Bill Clinton

We have never taken the time or energy to condemn racist attitudes, assuming they would simply go away.

They have not. And millions of African-Americans have righteous resentment about the many micro-aggressions (not to mention murders) that our community experiences.

No historical knowledge The micro-aggressions of White skin privilege are minor compared to the macro- aggressions of a rogue police officer. Have any of these people ever read a history book? Do they even understand that if revenge were a motive, it might have been extracted in 1866, not today?

The process for ending enslavement was imperfect. Too many Southerners cleaved to the notion that people of African descent were inferior, and then they passed laws to enforce unequal status.

Jim Crow laws and Black Codes, prohibitions against property ownership and voting, unequal access to education.

The constant nightriders – the granddaddies of contemporary

tabase must be complete, and the types of incidents that warrant prohibition must be thoroughly examined.

“Good guys” failed Prior to the attack in Dallas, each mass-shooting incident in the United States has prompted a bizarre chorus calling for even more guns in our society. “The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun,” as the saying goes.

Setting aside the impossibility of distinguishing a “good guy” from a “bad guy,” there were plenty of people with guns at the scene of the Dallas massacre.

The police were armed. About 30 of the marchers at the demonstration where the attack took place were armed. Not one of them managed to stop Micah Johnson with a gun.

More deaths Every modern study concludes that more guns equal more crime. Right-to-carry laws

Charles W. Cherry II, Esq., Publisher

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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– who could face an indictment over the Clinton Global Initiative/State Department scandal.

They have no shame. Scandal is Hillary Clinton’s middle name.

The naïve American voter doesn’t seem to care. The idea of someone with a known character flaw running for president is perhaps the scariest possibility facing our great nation. The last seven years have taken us to the edge of a cliff. Can someone save us?

Harry C. Alford is the cofounder and president/CEO of the National Black Chamber of Commerce. Contact him via www.nationalbcc.org.

rogue police forces – all existed to enforce subjugation and fear.

Through halting action and corrupt compromise, the Reconstruction of the United States never happened. We are sowing the bitter fruit of a broken Reconstruction today, with too many racial attitudes ossified. BLM is the manifestation of the conversation that should have taken place after the passage of the 13th Amendment.

Made progress To be sure, we have come a long way since 1865 and 1876.

But the fact that White people will wrap themselves up in a Confederate flag suggests we have not come quite as far as we must.

People are talking about an “honest conversation” about race now, but the conversation should have taken place more than a century ago. I despair that conversation is grossly insufficient if it is not coupled with action.

Julianne Malveaux is a Washington, D.C.-based economist and writer.

are associated with significantly higher rates of aggravated assault, robbery, rape and murder.

American children are 16 times more likely than children in other high-income countries to be killed in gun accidents, with as many as 100 children dying each year.

Our firearm safety system is tragically, fatally broken. Lobbyists for the firearms industry hold our lawmakers in an almost literal death grip, blocking commonsense reform at every turn.

Call your U.S. senator and representative and demand action on gun violence. Learn the truth about gun violence in America and educate your friends and family. And work for a nation that puts the safety of its citizens ahead of profits for the gun industry.

Marc Morial is president and CEO of the National Urban League.

Central Florida Communicators Group, LLC, P.O. Box 48857 Tampa, FL 33646, publishes the Florida Courier on Fridays. Phone: 877-352-4455, toll-free. For all sales inquiries, call 877-352-4455; e-mail sales@flcourier.com.

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5 7

M ATRAVEL YOR

JULY 21 14 – JULY 27, 2016 DECEMBER - 20, 2006

“We’re in the travel business. It’s our bread and butter,” he said. “We’re not sending people on vacation to be disappointed.

We want to help all we can, but it’s really up to the individual to be vigilant when they travel and use common sense.”

Edwards recommends that international travelers visit the website travel.state.gov several times a day for political and news updates from the U.S. government.

Check the weather

RED HUBER/ORLANDO SENTINEL/TNS

An Orange County Sheriff’s Marine Unit searches for 2-year-old Lane Graves of Nebraska on June 15 after he was grabbed the previous night by an alligator at Grand Floridian Resort at Disney World near Lake Buena Vista. His body was found about 15 yards from the shore.

Danger never takes a holiday Travelers need to be aware of potential perils

BY JOHN HAYES PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE

In 2015, off East Coast beaches from Virginia to Florida, unwitting tourists were attacked as they floated on surfboards at dusk, the prime feeding time for sharks.

In the same year, in separate incidents at Yellowstone National Park, two tourists who disregarded verbal and printed warnings were seriously gored by bison when they walked

up to the animals and turned around to pose for selfies.

This year’s summer tourism season started on a somber note when travelers either disregarded or were unaware of natural dangers in the areas they visited.

Last month at Yellowstone, a tourist from Oregon died when he ignored signs, walked off a boardwalk and fell through fragile crust into a scalding hot spring. And the world shared a universal gasp June 14 when a 2-year-old Nebraska boy — wading in inches of water at the Walt Disney World Grand Floridian resort in Lake Buena

Vista — was snatched by an alligator and killed.

Consider natural disasters Savvy travelers research destinations before a trip, making themselves generally aware of high crime areas to avoid, currency exchange rates to remember, regional corruption issues to be familiar with, and other tourism hazards. But many long-planned trips are disrupted or turn tragic when tourists fail to take into consideration natural dangers that the locals have learned to avoid.

“There are so many potential dangers. If you said ‘What if?’ about all of them,

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!

www.excellencewithoutexcuse.com Download immediately as an eBook or a pdf Order softcover online, from Amazon, or your local bookstore ISBN#978-1-56385-500-9 Published by International Scholastic Press, LLC Contact Charles at ccherry2@gmail.com

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book signings, panel discussions.

Stay informed AAA travel packages include directions, maps, lists of cultural activities and regional contacts, but Edwards said the traveler advocate organization does not provide literature outlining inherent natural dangers.

Alligators and bears Busang said he cautions Florida travelers to stay away from the water’s edge and tells tourists heading to Vancouver, British Columbia, to obey the signs that say, “Don’t feed the bears.”

“We try to do the right thing,” he said. “Last year we told people who wanted to go to Caribbean islands that Zika was there, and some didn’t book the trip.

How to make money on your next road trip

BY JOSH NOEL CHICAGO TRIBUNE/TNS

Marc Gorlin was sitting in his truck in Montgomery, Alabama, needing to get bathroom tile from Birmingham to the Florida Panhandle, when he was struck with a realization: Dozens, if not hundreds, of people would just so happen to be making that trip in the coming days or weeks.

And with that, the serial entrepreneur had an idea for his next business.

Roadie aims to connect people taking road trips with people who need things moved along those same routes.

“There’s someone leaving everywhere and going everywhere all the time,” said Gorlin, who founded the company last year. “We have a greater transportation heat map than FedEx, UPS and U.S. Postal Service combined.”

Waffle House perks Roadie, which is both web- and appbased (www.roadie.com), works like this:

Why flight attendants conduct seatbelt instructions

BY GEORGE HOBICA AIRFAREWATCHDOG.COM

If you fly on a commercial airliner and listen to the safety demo (most people don’t listen, of course), you may wonder why the video or crew instructs you how to use the seatbelt.

The instructions have been the butt of many a comedian’s joke (“In case you haven’t been in a car since 1965,” as Jerry Seinfeld quips in one of his stand-up routines.

But that’s precisely the problem. You have been in a car lately; in fact, you probably unbuckled a car seatbelt an hour before boarding your plane, and may have done so dozens of times in the days before your flight.

In a panic

for info on speeches, workshops, seminars,

you’d never have time to go on vacation,” said Tracy Edwards, a managing director of travel sales for AAA Travel Agency. “Are you going to a place that has flooding? A ski resort with avalanche areas? Hiking where there are bears?

If you go to a swimming pool, there are drowning opportunities.”

Another vital link for travelers, weather.com, provides valuable information to be considered before driving across a desert in summer or over mountains in winter or embarking on a spur-of-the-moment boat trip.

Paul Busang, owner of Pittsburgh-based Gulliver’s Travels, said the hotel, resort, park or other destination should bear primary responsibility for warning guests about natural dangers through signs, literature and verbal advice.

“They’re there. They have a knowledge of the goings-on and can help keep their guests out of trouble,” he said, “but it’s a shared responsibility.

Everyone involved in the trip should be involved in maintaining the tourist’s safety. Especially the tourist himself.”

Twitter @ccherry2

But car seatbelts work differently from the “lift the buckle” way that airplane seatbelts release.

And believe it or not, in a panicked emergency, passengers who might not be thinking clearly because they’re disoriented or

But I felt it was our responsibility to let them know.”

Pennsylvania’s awardwinning state park system offers free access to 221 diverse habitats.

Despite the remote location of some parks, Class IV rapids, sheer cliff faces, black bears, copperheads and timber rattlesnakes, the most reported danger at the parks is “people not being cognizant of their footwear,” said Terry Brady, spokesman for the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, which runs the state park system.

“I see the weekly reports,” he said. “The most common injury is falls … attributed to having on the wrong footwear. Park rangers had to go out to tell people hiking on a rugged trail in the winter that it’s not wise to do it in flipflops. People need to be a little more in tune with their environment.”

Adhere to signs And, he said, perhaps they need to be more willing to adapt to the environment and customs of their travel destinations.

“There are inherent dangers everywhere. Our parks go out of their way to tell people what they’re getting into through signs, handouts, talking with visitors,” Brady said.

“But they still feed the animals, conditioning them not be afraid of people. They reach out to boulders from kayaks and get bitten by snakes. They have picnics in poison ivy.

I’d recommend that everyone read a little about the areas they’re traveling.”

Most travelogues are heavy on the points of interest but offer few cautions. Lonely Planet, the world’s largest travel guide publisher, includes notes on dangerous wildlife and other natural hazards.

Someone with something to be delivered posts the details (what it is, where it’s starting and where it’s headed).

Would-be haulers search the offers for those that fit their travel plans. After being approved by the person who posted the so-called “gig,” the two parties hammer out the pickup and drop-off details.

Local gigs typically pay between $8 and $50, and up to about $600 for a long trip with an oversized item or pet. There are two bonus perks: a free Waffle House waffle for downloading the app and registering as a Roadie driver; and one free Waffle House beverage after picking up merchandise to be transported.

23,000 drivers Roadie has about 23,000 drivers in all 50 states, Gorlin said, though he declined to say how many deliveries have been made through the service.

Drivers aren’t subject to the most rigorous background checks; Gorlin said his company confirms that they have a valid driver’s license and insurance, as well as bank account information to make a deposit. But the only mishap so far has been one broken picture frame, he added.

“When I look you in the eye,” Gorlin said, “you’ll take care of my stuff better than a faceless corporation would.”

mentally incapacitated – barely awake before a 6 a.m. takeoff, jetlagged after a long flight, or under the influence of Ambien or alcohol – have been known to reach to the right or left near their thighs, as you would in an automobile, trying to push a seatbelt release button rather reaching for their laps and lifting a flap.

In other words, previously established “muscle memory” works against you in a crisis.

Every second counts How do I know this? Not only have flight attendants told me it happens, but I, someone who travels thousands of miles a year, have done the exact same thing at the end of a 12-hour flight with little sleep as I attempt to release the seatbelt.

Because every second counts when evacuating a plane, any confusion could cost lives.

In fact, pilots are known to practice muscle memory in the cockpit, touching levers and fingering buttons before takeoff so that in an emergency they will remember where the controls are located and be able to act quicker.

Something to think about the next time your nose is buried in a newspaper during the safety demo.

George Hobica is founder of the lowairfare listing website Airfarewatchdog. com.

R6

7 CLASSIFIEDS

JULY 21 – JULY 27, 2016

If time & money were not an issue...

Where would you travel?

This is personal.

Colorectal cancer is the 2nd leading cancer killer in the U.S., but screening helps prevent this disease.

Terrence Howard, actor/musician

Photo: Andrew Macpherson

She was the cornerstone of our family. But my mother died of colon cancer when she was only 56. Let my heartbreak be your wake-up call.

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If you’re 50 or older, please get screened. Screening saves lives.

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99% of Americans have seen combat on TV. 1% of Americans have seen combat in Iraq or Afghanistan.

We know where you’re coming from.

We’ve got your back. Join the online community at IAVA.org

7

M ANATION YOR

JULY 21 –14JULY DECEMBER - 20, 27, 20062016

Hip-hop’s role Hip-hop artists have long addressed police brutality and killings.

“In the ’80s and ’90s, you had artists who were political or conscious,” says Bakari Kitwana, formerly an editor with The Source and author of “Hip-Hop Activism in the Obama Era.’’ Although many cite N.W.A.’s aggressively titled 1988 hit “F*** Tha Police” as the prime example of this activism, the West Coast group also stood alongside more politically grounded hip-hop artists such as Public Enemy (“Fight the Power,” 1989). “[Young people] are finding out about some of these cases because of social media,” says Kitwana. “Hip-hop was that communicator before social media.”

Hip-hop artists, even some unexpected ones, still get political about police misconduct. In her verse on rapper French Montana’s “New York Minute” (2010), Nicki Minaj cites the 2006 killing of Sean Bell, whom NYPD officers shot on his wedding day.

Other artists, like relative newcomer Vic Mensa, opt to be more overtly political. His “16 Shots” focuses on a Chicago cop’s fatal shooting of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald.

Recent backlash

U.S. INFORMATION AGENCY, PRES AND PUBLICATION SERVICE

Sidney Poitier, Harry Belafonte, and Charleton Heston at the 1963 March on Washington.

Celebrity response to police killings is nothing new

BY RONDA RACHA PENRICE URBAN NEWS SERVICE

Young people in Dr. Martin Lutner King Jr.’s native Atlanta responded to the recent police killings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile with consecutive nights of marches. Celebrities spotted in the protests included rapper T.I. and actress Zendaya Coleman.

Other stars have spoken up about these and similar incidents, mainly through social media. The New York Knicks’ Carmelo Anthony issued a one-page challenge in the July 9 New York Daily News for his “fellow athletes to step up and take charge.”

He took an even higher-profile stance on July 13.

“The urgency for change is definitely at an all-time high,” Anthony said, as he, Chris Paul, Dwyane Wade and LeBron James opened the ESPYs, the Oscars of sports.

Robeson’s activism These pleas for social justice are not unique to today’s celebrities.

Former collegiate athlete, singer and actor Paul Robeson became politically active in the 1930s. He paid a heavy price for such activism in the 1940s and 1950s, as he largely lost his livelihood.

Robeson’s difficulties didn’t deter other performers.

In “Stars for Freedom: Hollywood, Black Celebrities, and the Civil Rights Movement,’’ author Emilie E. Raymond focuses on six celebrities — Harry Belafonte, Sidney Poitier, Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee, Sammy Davis, Jr. and Dick Gregory — who struggled for social change. Gregory was an early and leading critic of police brutality.

“He was the one that was in the South,” says the Virginia Com-

ABC/IMAGE GROUP LA/URBAN NEWS SERVICE

Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, Dwyane Wade and LeBron James speak out against police abuse at the 2016 ESPY Awards aired on ABC on July 13. monwealth University professor.

“He was arrested in Greenwood, Mississippi; Pine Bluff, Arkansas and in Birmingham and, in those places, he talked about the horrible conditions of the jails and how he was beaten by the police.”

Poetic justice Gil Scott-Heron blasted the police killings of popular Black Panther leader Fred Hampton in Chicago and the more obscure Michael Harris on “No Knock”

from his 1972 “Free Will’’ album.

Langston Hughes’ 1949 poem, “Third Degree,” about a policeman coercing a confession, begins “Hit Me! Jab Me!/Make me say I did it.”

Audre Lorde’s “Power” — a 1978 poem about the police killing of a 10-year-old boy and the cop’s subsequent acquittal — minces few words. “Today the 37 year old white man/with 13 years of police forcing/was set free,” it reads.

Mainstream artists perceived as anti-police have faced genuine backlash.

Following Beyoncé’s Super Bowl performance paying homage to the Black Panthers, a previously unknown group, Proud of the Blues, called a protest in New York that reportedly no one attended. Also, the Coalition for Police and Sheriffs (C.O.P.S.) staged a small demonstration when Beyoncé’s tour stopped in her native Houston.

Opposition on social media, however, has been more pronounced.

Jesse Williams’ passionate, anti-racism BET Awards speech, which also touched on police killings, sparked a petition to boot him from the cast of “Grey’s Anatomy.’’

Potential backlash has not silenced some stars.

Compton rapper The Game used social media to report a secret meeting he organized with 100 Black celebrities.

Comedian Rickey Smiley hosted a more traditional town hall on July 12 — dubbed #StrategyForChange — at the House of Hope Church near Atlanta.

Hundreds attended a passionate discussion that included rappers/singers 2 Chainz, Jeezy, David Banner, Lyfe Jennings and Tyrese, Dr. King’s daughter Bernice King, and his comrade Rev. C.T. Vivian.

Personal experience Speaking out is deeply personal for Smiley.

As a young man, the Birmingham native marched to protest White police officer George Sand’s killing of Benita Carter.

Sand fatally shot Carter, a friend of Smiley’s mother, in her back as she sat in her car. Carter is one reason why Smiley sees risking his fame as an obligation.

“I can’t sit here and live off of folks, live off of my people, who listen to “The Rickey Smiley Morning Show’’ and watch “Rickey Smiley For Real’’ and come out and see me perform every weekend and not stand for them when they need something.”

‘Ghostbusters’ star barraged with racist and abusive tweets

BY AMY KAUFMAN LOS ANGELES TIMES/TNS

HOPPER STONE/TNS

The new Ghostbusters are Patty Tolan (Leslie Jones), Abby Yates (Melissa McCarthy), Erin Gilbert (Kristen Wiig) and Jillian Holtzmann (Kate McKinnon). Jones also is a regular on “Saturday Night Live.’’

In the months leading up to the release of the “Ghostbusters” reboot, the film’s female stars have been the targets of criticism from online trolls who feel immense loyalty to the 1984 original.

Now that the movie has hit theaters – debuting with over $46 million in box-office receipts last weekend – the hatred hasn’t stopped. In fact, it has perhaps only gotten worse.

On Monday, actress and “Saturday Night Live” member Leslie Jones – who stars in the new “Ghostbusters” alongside Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon and Kristen Wiig – began retweeting disturbing personal attacks being sent her way on Twitter.

The majority of the comments had to do with her race, referring to her as an “ape” and a “savage.”

Hollywood support Almost immediately upon seeing the vile messages, Jones’ fans began reaching out to Twitter, imploring the social media site to update its harassment policy.

(Jack Dorsey, Twitter’s chief executive, did send a public message to Jones on Monday night urging her to get in touch with him.)

Meanwhile, Paul Feig, director of the film, started rallying “Ghostbusters” fans behind the 48-year old actress, tweeting: Leslie Jones is one of the greatest people I know. Any personal attacks against her are attacks against us all. #LoveForLeslieJ @Lesdoggg Following Feig’s lead, a handful of celebrities — Brie Larson, Elizabeth Banks, Anna Kendrick — started sending positive words Jones’ way with the hashtag #LoveForLeslieJ.

It’s ‘killing us’ Despite the outpouring of Hol-

lywood love, however, on Monday evening Jones was still wading through a barrage of racist and misogynist tweets. She then sent out a string of somber messages, ending with a note that seemed to imply she will no longer maintain a Twitter account.

Just last week, in an interview with The Times, Jones discussed how difficult it is to maintain a healthy sense of self when faced with criticism in the digital age. She said she tries to block out judgment, paying mind only to an inner monologue that reminds her of her worth.

“I know who I am,” she said.

“And I don’t care if you think I’m sexy.

“The Internet has made it so we don’t have to sit together anymore,” she continued. “It’s so self-absorbed. No one has to talk to each other anymore, and people don’t realize that that is killing us.”

R8

7EDUCATION

JULY 21 – JULY 27, 2016

100 Black men, GM steer youth toward STEM careers

BY BRELAUN DOUGLAS SPECIAL TO THE NNPA

In an effort to boost minority participation in science and technology, 100 Black Men of America recently hosted a panel discussion with representatives from General Motors to encourage young minorities to think outside the box when it comes to their career paths.

Last month, 100 Black Men of America, an organization dedicated to educating and empowering African-American youth, held its annual conference in Atlanta that focused on topics like civic engagement and managing money.

The event included a panel discussion titled “Bringing STEM Education to Life,” a workshop geared toward getting youth interested in science, technology, engineering and math fields, commonly known as “STEM.”

Cars and careers Panel members included Sherwin Prior, managing director for General Motors Ventures; Tobin Williams, executive director of human resources and corporate staff for General Motors; and Aaron Richardson, senior manager for IT development for General Motors who discussed how STEM was involved in something young boys often love: Cars. “[Technology] is absolutely essential. Over 33 years, the company that I work for [has become] a very different company,” said Williams. “Thirty-three years ago, it was primarily a manufacturing company. Three years ago, it was primarily a finance company and today it’s pretty much a software company. We are continuously looking for individuals who have the capability in software. There is a blending in terms of the software skill capability between engineering and computer science.”

Prior agreed, stating that STEM is all about “thinkers and problem solvers” and that the panelists were some of the people who

TODD BURFORD/CADILLAC

A young participant shares his artwork during a workshop titled “Bringing STEM Education to Life,” at the 100 Black Men Convention in Atlanta last month. drive the technology behind cars.

Challenges and opportunities The panelists also talked about the challenges that the young people may face in an industry or career path where most people don’t look like them.

In 2012-2013, Black males accounted for just 8.7 percent of the people who earned degrees in STEM fields, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

“Opportunities are rarely convenient,” said Richardson. “They’re often disguised in something that seems like, ‘oh, I got to do this,’ or ‘I can’t do this, I can’t do that.’ It’s always disguised in challenge. So I challenge you to think about that as you think about how you want to continue your learning in the STEM area to think about the

sacrifices that you have to make that will ultimately lead to significant benefits in the long term.”

Prior also told the youth not to be discouraged by the lack of diversity in STEM fields.

“It’s about changing the narrative,” he said. “Don’t believe that African-Americans aren’t doing phenomenal fantastic things.

They just aren’t talked about in the media like they should be.”

Their own designs After the discussion, participants lined up to ask the panelists questions about how the technology in the cars worked and about the science and engineering that goes into building the cars.

Questions included things such as what is the future of jobs for workers when more and more

jobs are becoming automated, how safe the vehicle is, and what the future of the technologic capabilities of the car looked like.

Participants were then invited to draw their own cars and decide what type of technology, old or new, the cars would include.

The young men designed everything from cars that could hover and drive themselves to cars that could be unlocked with a fingerprint rather than a key.

Beneficial discussion The crowd was populated with young, Black boys, mainly middle and high school students from across the nation, including 13-year-old Noel Towson, who finds the 100 Black Men beneficial to him.

Towson, along with five other young men from the South Bend,

Ind., chapter, came to the conference with his chaperone Eldridge Lewis Chism Jr., who is also a 100 Black Men member.

Chism has been involved with the organization for years and found the conference and panel beneficial because it gave the young men “new thoughts and new ideals and hopefully provided them an opportunity.”

“My mom took me to the ‘100 Black Men’ the first time,” said Towson. “I liked what they taught us, the life lessons and how to better prepare ourselves for the future, so I just stuck with it.”

Brelaun Douglas is a 2016 NNPA “Discover The Unexpected” journalism fellow at the Atlanta Voice. The DTU journalism fellowship program is sponsored by Chevrolet.

It’s more than just a birthday.

It’s a day to mark all the days before it, and all the days to come.

That’s what makes it happy.

Start planning the perfect birthday celebration at publix.com/birthdays.