Daytona Times - September 20, 2012

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Dyson to speak at NAACP luncheon

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Daytona

PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE PAID Permit #189 Daytona Beach, FL

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EDITORIAL: Winds of change must blow through Daytona Beach Page 4

A ROUNDUP OF LOCAL SPORTS

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YEAR 37 NO. 38

East Central Florida’s Black Voice

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SEPTEMBER 20 - SEPTEMBER 26, 2012

www.daytonatimes.com

Black preachers organizing march to polls

PEOPLE SPEAK

Church members will unite, walk to library on Oct. 28 to vote early BY JAMES HARPER DAYTONA TIMES harperjames59@yahoo.com

Members of a Daytona Beach Black clergy group are planning a large march to the polls the first Sunday of early voting for the general election. Dr. L. Ronald Durham, pastor of Greater Friendship MisDr. L. Ronald sionary Baptist Durham Church, confirmed this week that on Oct. 28

he will be spearheading a massive effort along with the Rev. Victor Gooden of New Life and the Black Clergy Alliance to bring congregations together after church is over. They then will march and meet at City Island Library where early voting will be taking place in Daytona Beach. “We have everything to lose if we don’t vote in this election. The way has been paved by our forefathers in the struggle for equality, and it would be a shame if their legacy to us is tarnished by staying home in November,” Durham said. Early voting starts Saturday, Oct. 27 and goes through Satur-

day, Nov. 3. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 6. There will be five early voting sites throughout Volusia County. All sites will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. “I truly believe that if President Obama is not re-elected in November that African-Americans in particular will see the erosion of many, if not all of the gains that were made during our struggle for equal rights,” Durham said in an exclusive interview with the Daytona Times.

Empowerment workshop scheduled this month Durham also talked about a

voter empowerment workshop scheduled at his church on Sept. 26 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Recent changes to laws regarding voter identification may affect a large portion of the residents in Florida, Durham said. He said every church and civil rights organization that purports fairness and supports the equal rights of America’s citizens should be involved in helping to reach as many people as possible, and get them to the workshop to register, and make sure that their ID information is correct so that they face no obstacles on Election Day. Supervisor of elections Ann McFall will participate in the workshop.

‘Akeelah and the Bee’ star stumps for Obama during visit to B-CU BY JAMES HARPER DAYTONA TIMES harperjames59@yahoo.com

There were squeals and applause as Keke Palmer entered the room on Sept. 15 to talk to hundreds of Bethune-Cookman University students. During a visit to the university, Palmer, 19, spoke on behalf of President’s Obama’s campaign, urging students to register to vote and support her candidate. “We are the future. Young adults identify with me,” Palmer said about why she’s working to help re-elect the president.

“We could not be happier to have the county’s chief elections official, Ms. McFall, being so gracious to consent to be on hand to assist voters with questions about registering to vote, voting by mail, and at the polls,” Durham remarked. The purpose of this event, according to Durham, is to educate voters on what things will be required of them on Election Day “so that everyone comes to the polls with all the items necessary for their vote to be cast and counted.”

Oct. 6 is last day to register At this workshop, voters will Please see MARCH, Page 2

NAACP: Citizen giving out wrong voter registration information BY JAMES HARPER DAYTONA TIMES harperjames59@yahoo.com

From ‘Barbershop 2’ to ‘True Jackson, VP’ Palmer is perhaps best known for her role in “Akeelah and the Bee,” the story of Akeelah Anderson, an 11-yearPHOTOS BY JAMES HARPER/DAYTONA TIMES old girl who participates in the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Actress Keke Palmer, 19, tells students at B-CU: “We can make a difference in this She made her acting debut election.’’ in the 2004 film “Barbershop 2: Back in Business’’ and appeared “I get to decide who gets my in “Madea’s Family Reunion,” very first vote,” Palmer told the “Cleaner,” “The Longshots” crowd, many in the audience and” Shrink.” In 2012, Palm- who could relate to her since er starred in four films “Joyful most of them were freshmen Noise,” “Winx Club: The Secret of the Lost Kingdom,” “Ice Age: and her age. Continental Drift” and “Virgin Promoting Obamacare Mary.” Besides films, Palmer al- and other policies so has had numerous televiPalmer talked about her sission roles, including the Nick- ter who is four years older and elodeon sitcom “True Jackson, still in school. VP.” Palmer earned $20,000 “Because of Obamacare, she per episode of “True Jackson can stay on my parents’ insurVP,” which made her the fourth ance,” Palmer remarked. Hundreds of students listen to Keke Palmer talk about highest-paid child star on television. Please see PALMER, Page 2 President Obama as well as her acting career.

Voter registration drive volunteers throughout Volusia County are being told to be on the lookout for a member of a conservative group who is videotaping volunteers and threatening to sue those who are volunteering. The Volusia County NAACP president has been notified that voter registration drive volunteers are being intimidated. “The videotaping put us on alert because any volunteer, no matter how wonderful, could get rattled by this guy and say something they’d rather not have on tape. I think the takeaway is to ensure that voter registration drive volunteers are protective of that third-party voter registration organization number and know to politely and calmly respond to any such confrontation,” said Lee Rowland, Counsel for the Democracy Program, Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law.

Next James O’Keefe? Local NAACP President Cynthia Slater was contacted by Dale Ho of the National NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund after he received an email from Rowland. Slater, who also is connected with the state and national NAACP, was urged to contact other branches throughout the state about what are being called threatening tac Please see NAACP, Page 6

B-CU to induct 12 into inaugural Athletic Hall of Fame Sept. 22 ceremony takes place same day as dedication of athletic center

BY ANDREAS BUTLER DAYTONATIMES butleramj@yahoo.com

Bethune-Cookman University will open the Larry R Handfield Athletic Training Center on Sept. 22, the same day 12 Wildcats will be inducted into the school’s inaugural Athletic Hall of Fame. A dedication ceremony of the center is scheduled Sept. 22 at noon. That event is free and open to the public.

“It’s been a long time coming and we are glad and excited. We will also conduct tours of the facility following the dedication,” said Lynn Thompson, B-CU’s Director of Athletics.

Hall of Famers The 2012 Hall of Fame class includes athletes Corey Fuller (basketball), Amber Jackson (softball), Jeff Parker (football), Willie Jackson (football), Erma Jones (women’s bas-

ketball) and Wallace Raspberry (football); coaches Laura Watten (softball) and Charles Wesley Moore (football); humanitarians Samuel Barry, Dr. Everett Abney; and special lifetime achievement Jeff honors for Dr. James Parker E. Huger and Walt Frazier. “We have a lot of people that de-

serve recognition. I want to commend our committee for the job that they’ve done. They recognized people who have made lifetime achievements and contributions as well as those who were humanitarians and supporters of the school for a long time. They recognized coaches and six student athletes from six different decades. They chose one from each decade dating back to the 1950s,” said Lynn Thompson, Director of Athletics Please see FAME, Page 2


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