Daytona Times - September 25, 2014

Motown show returns to Flagler SEE PAGE 3

EE FR

LAUREN VICTORIA BURKE: Lots of talk but little action on civil rights SEE PAGE 4

East Central Florida’s Black Voice

SATURDAY IS CHURCH AND COMMUNITY DAY FOR WILDCATS SEE PAGE 7

SEPTEMBER 25 - OCTOBER 1, 2014

YEAR 39 NO. 39

www.daytonatimes.com

Orange Avenue shutdown hurting businesses

BY ASHLEY D. THOMAS DAYTONA TIMES aysheldarcel@gmail.com

Business owners, managers and a pastor voiced their concerns over the closing of parts of Orange Avenue at last week’s Daytona Beach City Commission meeting. The overall complaint: Patrons can’t get to the businesses.

Prior to the meeting, City Commissioner Paula Reed, whose district covers the area, walked along Orange

Avenue with information businesses could utilize during this time.

While visiting with barbers, salon owners, restaurateurs and other business entities on Tuesday, she found that the same sentiments rang true for many of those affected by the street’s closure.

“There were a couple of business owners that were telling me their businesses were in dire straits because their customers could not get to them,” Reed told the

Daytona Times.

After the project’s completion, which is slated for 2016, Reed relayed that she does not “want a pretty street that has no businesses on it.”

Residents weigh in “I am really excited to see the progress and see the project started of Orange Avenue but one concern I do have is that a lot of the businesses on Orange Avenue are losing revenue due to lack of signs,” Dan-

ny Fuqua, pastor of Word And Praise Family Church on Orange Avenue said as he addressed the city commission last week.

“A lot of the businesses are receiving phone calls as to how to get there (the businesses or churches).

When you give them the directions, they still can’t find the alternate route to come in to the 955 Plaza and also over by the Church’s Chicken Plaza.

“So that is a major, major concern. A lot of busi-

nesses in that area are losing revenue and I did an assessment. I was looking at the signs on International Speedway. If you really don’t know where you are going, you will not find the alternate route to get into that area. The signs are really small and I think they need to get big electronic signs, flashing and giving the alternate routes coming in.”

Can’t find a route “I have a church over

there and visitors are calling and wanting to visit but still can’t find how to get there,” Fuqua continued.

“When you have new people in your city, they just give up. Customers call the business and can’t follow the directions and they end up passing them.”

“Church’s (Chicken) is saying they may have to close within the next two weeks because of the lack of business and inability of people to be able to Please see BUSINESS, Page 2

Photo exhibit focuses on unrest after killing of Martin

BY ASHLEY D. THOMAS DAYTONA TIMES aysheldarcel@gmail.com

DUANE C. FERNANDEZ SR./HARDNOTTS UNIVERSITY

Driving through floodwater can be dangerous and costly. The above motorist had to be towed from rising water after her engine stalled on Magnolia Avenue.

Record rainfall brings flooding to Daytona

BY ASHLEY D. THOMAS DAYTONA TIMES aysheldarcel@gmail.com

Heavy rainfall has caused isolated flooding in coastal Volusia County as forecasters expect additional storms through Friday. Record-setting rainfall since Wednesday morning included Daytona Beach, 7.95 inches; Ormond Beach, 6.37 inches; and New Smyrna Beach, 5.58 inches. The primary areas impacted are east of Nova Road.

County traffic maintenance crews are inspecting roads and will be installing barricades to close roads if warranted.

With 90 percent of the community surveyed, Port Orange’s Damage Assessment Team reported 44 homes and six non–residential structures flooded. The estimated damage amount is $1.5 million. The team was to continue the survey on Thursday in neighborhoods that were impassable due to the flooding. Figures for Daytona Beach were not available.

Overflowed banks According to Volusia County Road and Bridge Director Judy Grim, many canals are at the top of their banks or have overflowed in some areas. This includes the LPGA canal in Holly Hill, the Halifax canal in Port Orange, and the Turnbull Bay hammock. This is causing drainage backup into streets, primarily in the incorporated cities of Holly Hill, Port Orange and New Smyrna Beach.

Please see FLOOD, Page 2

The African American Museum of the Arts in DeLand will hold an opening reception for photojournalist Duane Fernandez on Saturday, Sept.

27, featuring his exhibit, “The Trayvon Martin Journey: From Sanford, FL, Daytona Beach, FL, Orlando, FL and Washington D.C.” Following the death of unarmed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin by neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman in Sanford, national and international coverage ensued over race relations in the United States.

Fernandez captured scenes of civil unrest in Central Florida and Duane the nation’s capital, Fernandez photographing everyday people, civil right leaders and law enforcement.

“When Trayvon was killed, as a father, I have two sons. My youngest is maybe a couple years older than him.

I thought that could have been my son; it touched my heart,” Fernandez explained.

Recording history Fernandez received an associaite of science degree in photography from Daytona State College and runs a nonprofit, Hardnott University, where the mission statement is “teaching kids to shoot with cameras not guns.” He also frequently photographs for the Daytona Times and Florida Courier.

“As a photographer it is easy to shoot basketball games and other entertainment, but to me, these photos show civil rights violations and that is more important. It is history, and I wanted to record it.”

“His photographs tell a story,” Mary Please see EXHIBIT, Page 2

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity to register voters at football game

BY ASHLEY D. THOMAS DAYTONA TIMES aysheldarcel@gmail.com

The local alumni and college chapters of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. will host a voter registration drive Saturday during the home football game of Bethune-Cookman University against Florida Tech.

“We are joining with other chapters and with the college chapter starting at noon,” John Huger Sr., president of the Beta Delta Lambda alumni chapter, told the Daytona Times

ALSO INSIDE

this week.

“We will set up outside of the stadium with registration stations on both sides,” he added.

“Within our fraternity, one of our national initiatives is to publicize ‘A Voteless People is a Hopeless People.’ Our national president asked us to do a voter registration drive this weekend in hopes that we can bring attention to midterm elections.”

Huger also explained that those interested in registering to vote need to bring an ID such as a driver’s license. The football game is 4 p.m. Saturday at

Daytona Beach’s Municipal Stadium. B-CU plays the Florida Institute of Technology based in Melbourne, better known as Florida Tech.

Longtime program “A Voteless People is a Hopeless People” was initiated as a national pogram of the fraternity during the 1930s when many AfricanAmericans had the right to vote but were prevented from voting because of poll taxes, threats of reprisal, and lack of education about the voting process.

Please see VOTERS, Page 2

COMMENTARY: WHY THE NFL CONTINUES TO FUMBLE THE BALL | PAGE 4 SPORTS: WAS ‘FLEET’ WALKER THE FIRST BLACK MLB PLAYER? | PAGE 7

Trevon Friar of the Delta Beta chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. participates in a backpack giveaway in August. The chapter is continuing acts of community activism on Saturday in a voter registration drive.

COURTESY OF TREVON FRIAR

R2

7 FOCUS

SEPTEMBER 25 – OCTOBER 1, 2014

EXHIBIT from Page 1

DUANE C. FERNANDEZ SR./HARDNOTTS UNIVERSITY

Shots such as the above photograph taken during a rally seeking justice for slain teen Trayvon Martin are included in Duane Fernandez’s exhibit at the African American Museum of the Arts.

Allen, executive director of the African American Museum of the Arts said.

“It is a time people need to openly see what happened.”

“The photography shows the type of neighborhood he was in. He talked to residents of the neighborhood and gathered feelings on what happened. He looked at the property, the upkeep and it really gives you a feeling for what that community is like.”

“It will be great for us at the museum,” Allen continued. “We do literary arts, dance and his photography is part of the performance arts,” she concluded. “We would like to invite everybody to come out and a closer look. This is a

great time for our museum to present this to the community. That is part of what we do.”

Looking ahead In addition to the Martin exhibit, Fernandez recently finished a photography project on the town of Eatonville. The project uncover today’s way of life in the historical city. Additionally, he will be publishing a book on civil rights events in the near future.

“When they look at my exhibit they will see what I saw when I saw it. The photography is a view through my eyes,” Fernandez concluded.

About the museum Founded in 1994 and located in historic DeLand, the seat of Volusia County Government, the museum is a unique and vital resource in this part of

FLOOD

SAFETY TIPS DURING AND AFTER A FLOOD

from Page 1

The John H. Dickerson Heritage Library at 411 S. Keech St. has been closed because of flooded roads.

Readings Wednesday afternoon showed Spruce Creek about 3.5 feet over pre-storm levels and the Tomoka River about 4 feet over pre-storm levels. The St. Johns River near Astor is at the top of the bank.

The City of Daytona Beach reports that dozens of streets are flooded and closed throughout the city including the heavily impacted Orange Avenue community.

The Orange Avenue Reconstruction Project, which began in June 2014 running along Orange Avenue from Nova Road to Beach Street, is set to deal with flooding issues that have plagued the area for decades. The 17.6 million dollar project will see the roadway’s base and surface rebuilt as well as new water, sewer and drainage systems installed.

“Not only did Orange Avenue flood but there were 30 streets throughout Daytona Beach with flooding,” City Commissioner Paula Reed told the Daytona Times. “The city is offering sand bags to those in need.”

The sandbags are available at the Public Works building 950 Bellevue Ave.

Avoid flooded areas Emergency Management officials are encouraging residents to drive safely and avoid flooded areas.

“The main reason lives are lost due to flooding is

BUSINESS from Page 1

find them. Because they have other choices, they have other places they can go. Whereas he (the owner of Church’s) is a double business owner. He owns The Liquor Store and the Church’s,” said Reed during the commission meeting.

“Then you’ve got Mr. Harris in the barbershop and then there is another shop that Pastor Fuqua was talking about. In that plaza, three barbers have left. They can’t afford to pay their chair fees, let alone their own personal expenses.”

VOTERS from Page 1

Voter education and registration has remained a dominant focus of the outreach activity for over 65 years. In the 1990s, the focus shifted to include political awareness and empowerment, delivered most frequently through town meetings and candidate forums.

Florida. It is the only museum in the area devoted primarily to African-American culture and art.

The museum houses a revolving gallery where visitors will find works of both established and emerging artists.

The museum is also the home to a permanent collection of more than 150 artifacts, including sculptures and masks from countries of Africa.

The public is invited to the museum for the opening reception on Sept. 27 from 4 p.m.-6 p.m. The exhibit runs through Oct. 2.

Museum operating hours are Wednesday Saturday 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. at 325 South Clara Ave., DeLand.

For more information, contact the museum at 386736-4004.

This compact car was no match against the foot high standing water along Orange Avenue. that many people underestimate the power of water,” said Volusia County Emergency Management Director Jim Judge. “Six inches of water will reach the bottom of most cars, causing loss of control and possible stalling. Twelve to 24 inches of water will float many vehicles.”

Additionally, Florida Department of Health spokesperson Stefany Strong added that during flooding, the greatest threat comes from moving water. “The deeper the moving water, the greater the threat. People should avoid driving in moving water, regardless of the size of the vehicle,” Strong explained.

Commissioner Pamela Woods responded to Fuqua and agreed that better visibility is needed in the area.

“I said under my commissioner comments last time that it really is hard to navigate in there,” said Woods. “I’m down there almost every day. I noticed again today exactly what he’s talking about once you come in off an alternate route. I know where I’m going but some of the businesses he’s talking about I don’t know how people would find them. I don’t know what we should do but we need to address it.”

Reed told the Times that she is urging the commission to offer a grant or loan

Student outreach “We are trying to live that initiative out,” Trevon Friar, a senior nursing student and chapter president of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity’s Delta Beta chapter said. The chapter is located at Bethune-Cookman University. “The purpose behind it is to specifically get our people to come out to vote.”

“People complain about things not happening in our community or state but aren’t coming out to

Flood insurance It’s too late to buy flood insurance for this flooding event, but now is a good time to get started.

The National Flood Association recommends home and business owners to prepare for storms and rising water with the purchase of flood insurance. Flood damages are not covered under homeowners insurance policies.

You have to buy a separate flood policy. Flood risk isn’t just based on history, it’s also based on a number of factors: rainfall, river-flow and tidal-surge data, topography, flood-control measures, and chang-

to businesses affected by the construction project.

“Of course, I would rather it be a grant than a loan.”

“If they close and do not reopen within 90 days, according to the new land development code which we are about to approve they will not be able to be grandfathered in,” for zoning purposes.

“We’ve been told that we (the city) are not responsible. We’re not obligated to help a business which is not able to sustain itself.

And I want new business to come. I want to support the businesses and help them through this time. This is proactive thinking.”

Loss without injury vote at the polls. We have to learn to become educated. We put other things in front of voting, (such as) social activities. We would like a lot of support from the community and are here to help others learn about those on the ballots and about the candidates,” he continued.

Friar said information on city, county and state candidates will be available at the drive. The organization will also be on social networks Facebook (DeltaBetaAlphas), Insta-

DUANE C. FERNANDEZ SR./HARDNOTTS UNIVERSITY

The record rainfall was just shy of 8 inches during the 24-hour period beginning Tuesday at midnight.

Heavy rain causes floodwaters to rise and pool on streets and throughout neighborhoods. In these situations, motorists are cautioned of the following: • Be aware that road surfaces may become disguised and drivers can unknowingly steer into a deep body of water such as a canal or pond.

• Electricity from streetlights and power poles may be present in standing water causing a deadly shock to anyone coming in contact with it.

• Children playing in contaminated standing water can become sick or be bitten by snakes or floating insects.

• People coming into contact with floodwaters should thoroughly wash and rinse any exposed body parts with soap and disinfected water.

• Avoid areas already flooded, especially if the water is flowing fast.

Do not attempt to cross flowing streams.

• Never drive through flooded roadways. Roadbeds may be washed out under floodwaters.

• Be especially cautious at night when it’s harder to recognize flood dangers.

es due to building and development.

Flood-hazard maps have been created to show different degrees of risk for each community, which helps determine the cost of flood insurance. The lower the

degree of risk, the lower the flood insurance premium.

Anywhere it rains, it can flood.

To learn about flood insurance, visit www. floodsmart.gov.

According to a document obtained by the Times in response to whether business owners along Orange Avenue can assert damage claims generally related to road construction, the following was noted by Deputy City Attorney Robert Jagger: “It is well established in Florida case law that consequential damages for a temporary loss of business during construction of the expansion of the highway and the noise, vibration, dust and related nuisances resulting from the construction are not compensable in condemnation...

“Further, an owner sustains no enforceable claim for damages resulting from

incidental impairment of rights to ingress and egress where the construction undertaken is performed lawfully, and without negligence or misconduct…

“Such consequential damages are suffered in common by all owners of property abutting the new construction, and are not compensable in condemnation proceedings. Every business abutting an established roadway which is being reconstructed suffers the same type of loss. To this extent Florida courts have determined that the damages suffered are damnum absque injuria (loss without injury)…”

In other words, compensation is not required.

But that does not mean it is not possible.

gram (BCUAlphas), and Twitter (DeltaBetaAlphas) promoting the event to local students.

legal resident of the county in which that person seeks to be registered; and registers pursuant to the Florida Election Code.

The following persons, who might be otherwise qualified, are not entitled to register or vote: A person who has been adjudicated mentally incapacitated with respect to voting in this or any other state and who has not had his or her right to vote restored pursuant to law; a person who has been convicted of any felony by any court of re-

cord and who has not had his or her right to vote restored pursuant to law.

A person who is not registered may not vote.

Registered voters can check their status and polling location by visiting Volusia.org/elections. Per Florida statute, residents must be registered to vote at least 29 days before an election to be eligible to vote in the general election on Nov. 4. The last day to register for the election is Oct. 6. Early voting is Oct. 25 through Nov. 1.

Registration guidelines According to the Volusia County Supervisor of Elections website, to become a registered voter in the State of Florida, a person must: Be at least 18 years of age (may preregister at 16); be a citizen of the United States; be a legal resident of the State of Florida; be a

COURTESY OF THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH IN VOLUSIA COUNTY AND VOLUSIA COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

Asking for help “I’m very happy that the streets will be changed and it will be beautiful once it’s done,” said Leticia Baptist, general manager of Church’s Chicken. “But right now, with my owner talking about closing the business, and we have about 10 employees there.

A lot of our business comes from outside of Daytona. It is really hurting us.

“If you guys can, at least get some better signs. We are keeping the doors unlocked for right now, but I don’t know how long that will last.”

3 7

SEPTEMBER 25 – OCTOBER 1, 2014 COMMUNITY DECEMBER 14 - 20, 2006

M A YNEWS OR

Two evenings of Motown coming to Flagler I’m back from my summer vacation and writing of the surefire hit, “Motown & Mo,’ ” in its 17th season on Oct. 10, 7 p.m., and Oct. 11, 5 p.m., at Flagler Auditorium.

A throwback of the record label rallies artists to engage in theatrics, setting music to lip sync. It rekindles the old school jams, mimicking the alluring Supremes, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, et. al., and grabbing the audience in the choreography of Motown groups and iconic moves.

Audiences keep growing, and new faces appear among the veteran performers for a blend of soul classics, R&B, pop, traditional jazz, and other musical genres.

A City Lites production From the former playlist, Director/Vice President James L. Sims of City Lites spelled out, “We are ecstatic to showcase our talent to our community. Relax, let your mind drift on a memory; enjoy the show.”

Sims knows how to keep all eyes on “Motown & Mo,’” a production of City Lites, Inc. From the playlist, City Lites President Dr. Irving W. Robinson announced, “We have been committed to making a difference for college-bound young people from within our community.”

Financial support of “Motown & Mo’” has been earmarked for the post-secondary, educational goals of students pursuing education in the performing arts. City Lites, Inc. is a 501 (C) 3 non-profit organization.

How to get tickets Support was established through advertising and market-

PALM COAST COMMUNITY NEWS JEROLINE D. MCCARTHY

ing, chaired by Dr. James Cauley, and carved out by Melissa Arnold in visual presentations of graphics and photographs. Both Cauley and Arnold are former cast members, characterizing the bravado of the superstars.

It was Sunday when the airwaves ruled the sound bites of my car radio announcing “Motown & Mo”’ appearing at Flagler Auditorium in a matter of days. Advertising and marketing initialized the sound bites, a database, sponsorships, playbill, mobile billboard, and a Facebook page.

Call 386-597-2701 to place an ad in the playbill.

Be sure to remember that tickets for “Motown & Mo’” must be purchased at the box office (386437-7547) or call toll free: 866352-4537). Tickets are $20 per person, or a group rate for a minimum of 10 at $17 each.

Be sure to catch “Motown & Mo’ ’’ in timeless soul and stage presence at Flagler Auditorium, 5500 East Highway 100, Palm Coast.

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

Above: Dr. James Cauley chairs advertising and marketing for “Motown & Mo,’ ’’ and Melissa Arnold carves out the visual presentations.

PHOTO BY JEROLINE D. MCCARTHY/ DAYTONA TIMES

Jacqueline “Jackie” Gonzalez, center, was the lead last year for Patti LaBelle’s “New Attitude.” The backup singers were Chenita Johnson, left, and Melinda Morais.

Celebrations Birthday wishes to Rehanna Caldwell, Gina Robinson, Sept.

29; Horace Eubanks, Sept. 30, and Rose Luckett Williams, Oct. 1.

COURTESY OF MELISSA ARNOLD

Thrasher chosen as next Florida State University president

BY ASHLEY D. THOMAS DAYTONA TIMES aysheldarcel@gmail.com

The Florida State University Board of Trustees has selected state Sen. John E. Thrasher, 70, an FSU alumnus, to serve as the university’s 15th president.

The senator whose district covers parts of Volusia County as well as St. John’s, Putnam and Flagler counties won over three other candidates in an 11-2 vote on Tuesday.

John E. “I am honored to have Thrasher been selected by the Board of Trustees to serve as Florida State University’s next president,” Thrasher

Sheriff’s office schedules five sites for Drug Take-Back Day Since its launch in 2010, a series of national prescription drug take-back events have resulted in nearly 125,000 pounds of unwanted drugs being taken out of circulation in Florida and safely discarded.

The numbers will increase this Saturday with the next take-back event, as residents get ready to clean out their medicine cabinets and get rid of unwanted, unused and expired prescription drugs.

On Saturday, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office will join with law enforcement agencies around the country in a national drug take-back event. The Sheriff’s Office will be

said in a statement. “I look forward to leading the university to even higher levels of excellence. My goal is to advance the faculty and the research, service and teaching mission of this university. I want Florida State to be the best place for students to receive an education, so they can realize their dreams.”

Still a senator Thrasher is also running for re-election to his District 6 Senate seat. He bested Derek Hankerson in the primary election.

“Fact: My opponent “violates the public trust.” He wants to represent you so bad that he’s in the running for FSU Presidency... make no sense to me either...,” Hankerson relayed on an Aug. 16 Facebook post. “So why waste your vote...?”

If he does not step down until after the November general election, Gov. Rick Scott will

manning five drop-off sites throughout the county.

Drop-off sites The events are coordinated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) as part of a national effort to provide a safe, convenient and responsible means for the public to voluntarily dispose of unwanted prescription drugs while also educating residents about the potential for abuse of these medications.

Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including the home medicine cabinet.

The Sheriff’s Office’s drop-off sites on Saturday will be located at the agency’s district headquarters in DeLand, Deltona, DeBary,

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call a special election to find a replacement to serve the remainder of his four-year term.

Still running Republican leaders in Thrasher’s district will appoint someone to replace him on the ballot, if he steps down before the election.

“While I am hopeful that the BOG will accept the trustees’ decision, that final decision will not be known until November,” Thrasher continued in the statement. “In the meantime, I intend to continue to campaign for re-election to the Senate and will continue to carry out my commitment to the people of my district.”

FSU has been without a president since Eric Barron stepped down to take the presidency at Penn State University.

Thrasher earned a bachelor’s degree in business and a law degree from FSU.

Ormond Beach and New Smyrna Beach.

The sites will open from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

And for those who miss Saturday’s event, the Sheriff’s Office offers a continuous program where residents can drop off their unwanted prescription drugs at a district office or make arrangements to have a deputy pick up their unwanted prescription medicine by calling the Sheriff’s Office’s Communications Center. Saturday’s event is free and anonymous.

The Sheriff’s Office’s drop-off sites will be at the following locations: • 1706 S. Woodland Blvd., DeLand • 1691 Providence Blvd., Deltona • 94 S. U.S. Highway 17-92, DeBary • 1435 U.S. Highway 1, Suite D-3, Ormond Beach • 101 E. Canal Street, New Smyrna Beach

Funds available for sickle cell services Volusia County’s Community Assistance Division has set aside $30,705 for qualified children and community programs that provide sickle cell disease services during fiscal year 20142015.

Applicants must be incorporated in the State of Florida, registered with the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services as a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization, and be able to demonstrate at least one year of successful service delivery.

Additional criteria regarding eligible services, agency capacity and financial stability are also applicable.

Services to be provided include, but are not limited to, education, counseling, case management, electrophoresis and supportive services.

Applications and additional information are available at volusia.org/community_assistance/applications or by contacting Brittany Scott at bscott@ volusia.org or 386-736-5955, ext.

12959. Applications must be received by 4:30 p.m. Oct. 3.

Alzheimer’s workshop set for Oct. 1 Danny Anez of the Alzheimer’s Association of Central and North Florida will present “Living with Alzheimer’s: A workshop for caregivers” from 1 to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 1, at the Daytona Beach Regional Library at City Island.

The free workshop will provide information about the early and middle stages of Alzheimer’s disease. Participants will hear from those who have been affected and learn what they need to know, what they need to plan for, and what they can do at each point along the way.

The workshop is part of the monthlong “Get Healthy @ Your Library” series sponsored by the Volusia County Public Library system.

Advance registration is required and may be made by calling the Alzheimer’s Association at 800-272-3900.

Trinity Unity Methodist of DeLand observing SundayServe SundayServe is an annual outreach event in which United Methodist churches across the Central Florida area work together to accomplish service projects in their communities. The main goals of the event are to encourage churches to work together, to find new ways to best serve our communities, and to reignite the spirit of “serving others” within every member of every congregation.

Members of Trinity United Methodist Church of DeLand have taken the concept a step further by initiating a SundayServe week instead of just one day, which this year is scheduled for Sept. 28.

All this week, members have been engaged in a variety of projects ranging from performing intentional acts of kindness, to signing and hand-delivering cards and baked goods to shut-ins, to serving a free lunch to Stetson University students who do not have enough time or money to eat.

The church will host a free hot breakfast for individuals and families on Friday, Sept. 26 from 9:3011:15 a.m. in the church’s fellowship hall.

Victim Advocate Program Of special note was the delivery of 30 stuffed bears to the Victim Advocate Program of the DeLand police and fire departments. Victim advocates respond to crises and work to meet the needs of victims and their family members. The bears will be given to young children and youth who are involved in and affected by crisis situations – bringing comfort in a time of need.

On Sunday, church members will participate in a churchwide Ice Bucket Challenge to take place after the 11 a.m. service that will raise awareness and funds for ALS. For more information, contact Anita Campbell at 386-734-9224.

R4

7 EDITORIAL

SEPTEMBER 25 – OCTOBER 1, 2014

Talk is no substitute for action Have you ever seen a photo of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. taking part of a panel discussion?

It’s likely he didn’t have time if he were asked. It’s also likely that in the 1950s and 1960s, he wasn’t asked much. The period King conquered was a time of action.

The actions Dr. King took got results and won huge victories.

Last year, we commemorated the 50th anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. This year, we are commemorating the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. And next year will mark the 50th anniversary of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. In all of the commemorating and celebrating, maybe it’s time we ask ourselves: Has activism been replaced by retracing marches and yet another panel discussion?

Panel, panel, everywhere There is no escaping the endless hot air. There is a panel at every turn. At every annual convention. At every luncheon. Even sometimes at breakfast. Even worse, many African-American events feature the same panel discussion. It is a repeat of the same problems and virtually the identical discussion the year before.

Wait, it gets worse. It’s typically the case that the discussion features no “call to action” or clear, detailed set of ideas that might lead to action. That these discussions often feature some of the best and the brightest “public intellectuals” of the era may not be something to celebrate. If the smartest among us spend more

LAUREN VICTORIA BURKE NNPA COLUMNIST

worldwide attention. If an event such as the shooting death in the middle of the street of an unarmed teenager doesn’t cause active protest, what will?

Big results

The activities of five decades time talking than acting, that ago yielded big results – Civil can’t be a good thing.

Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, among others.

Talk as a barrier But few of those big results and With the understanding that political victories are being duthe centerpiece of the American plicated today. And the problems, Civil Rights Movement was based for the African-American comaround action rather than panel munity in particular, are getting discussions, we should view end- larger. less talk as a problem and perhaps Four days after Rosa Parks reeven a barrier. No panel discus- fused to give up her seat on Desion ever ended police brutality. cember 1, 1955, Blacks boycotted No panel discussion you will ever buses in Montgomery, Ala. The see or ever hear will end income inequality or put a young person protest lasted 381 days. Every day through college. Clearly, the ex- was a day of action. The result: change of ideas is important. But The U.S. Supreme Court ordered when all discussed begins and the city of Montgomery to inteends with “the exchange” only, it grate the bus system.

The Civil Rights Act became the may be time to re-think what cremost important legislation and ates real change.

In history, when we’ve seen policy change for African-Americhange, we’ve often seen it after cans since Reconstruction. None unrest. Unrest that scared those in of this happened because of panpower. We’ve often seen change el discussions and press conferafter civil disobedience. Perhaps ences. Without applying constant African-Americans saw the big- pressure none of it would have evgest change after America’s War er happened. Without active presBetween the States. Currently, the sure on power today, we will be centerpiece of “civil rights” activ- left with nothing but talk. ity appears to be talking.

Lauren Victoria Burke is freeWhat we just witnessed in Ferguson, Mo. provides a perfect ex- lance writer and creator of the ample. Before so-called “Black blog Crewof42.com, which covleaders” arrived to tell everyone ers African American members to relax – a notion so ridiculous it of Congress. Write your own reshould have perhaps set off more sponse at www.daytonatimes. unrest – protesters were receiving com.

Black auto buyers get a raw deal With new car prices meeting or surpassing many consumers’ incomes, the vast majority of people finance their car purchases. On an annual basis, according to the Center for Responsible Lending, more than 79 percent of auto loans occur through third-party indirect lenders that partner with dealerships.

After most automobile purchases, many consumers wonder whether the deal they signed was a fair one.

Last Thursday, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) took its traveling field hearings to Indianapolis, the Hoosier heartland’s capital. At the forum, Richard Cordray, CFPB Director, announced the Bureau’s proposed expansion of its supervision of auto finance to now include larger and non-bank entities.

“Non-bank auto finance companies extend hundreds of billions of dollars in credit to American consumers, yet they have never been supervised at the federal level,” said Cordray. “We took action after we uncovered auto lending discrimination at banks we supervise.”

Address concerns For the Center for Responsible Lending (CRL), the field hearing was also a chance to underscore key research findings and again raise specific consumer concerns.

Chris Kukla, CRL’s senior counsel for government affairs told the

CHARLENE CROWELL NNPA FINANCIAL WRITER

gathering, “The recent rise in auto lending, particularly in the subprime space, has attracted significant and ongoing attention in the media. Many of these [news] articles have focused on abuses that occur. Unfortunately, most of these abuses are not new – they have existed for some time.”

CFPB, the cornerstone of the Dodd-Frank Financial Reform Act, is empowered to monitor and enforce consumer laws.

Further, just as HUD oversees the Fair Housing Act, communities of color are legally protected from discriminatory practices through the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA). ECOA makes it illegal for a creditor to discriminate in any aspect of a credit transactions including race, color, religion, national origin, gender, marital status or age.

Earlier this year, CRL research analyzed dealer interest rate markups, sometimes called “dealer reserves” or “dealer participation”, the practice of car dealers adding extra interest to the car loan a finance company approves.

For example, a bank may approve a consumer for a loan with a 5 percent interest rate; but the dealer offers the consumer a loan at 7 percent and pockets the difference. Lenders bidding to buy the auto loan contract allow the dealers to increase the interest rate for extra dealer compensation. This widespread practice raises interest rates above those charged by financial institutions. And it disproportionately harms communities of color.

Misleading practices

For consumers, these mark-ups can range as high as 5 percent in additional interest costs. Misleading sales information and unnecessary add-on products each contributed to higher financing costs, again particularly for consumers of color.

Worst of all, consumers at the heart of these financial transactions are often unaware of the reDiscrimination happens lationship or allowances between Even with these laws and other third-party lenders and dealers. designed to eliminate discriminatory practices, racial discriminaCharlene Crowell is a comtion still occurs. Research from as munications manager with the early as 2006 found that discrimi- Center for Responsible Lendnatory auto lending pricing was ing. Write your own response at www.daytonatimes.com. evident.

The real terrorists in the U.S. I would wager that you have had this experience. It has happened to me on more than one occasion.

I am going through security at an airport, standing behind a White person. They go through screening, and perhaps they are pulled over for an extra inspection. Frustrated by the situation, they either say – explicitly or implicitly – that this whole process is ridiculous because they – the passenger – do not look like a terrorist.

Actually, the situation is a bit more complicated and the truth is that they actually might look more like a terrorist than they believe. The New America Foundation, for instance, determined that 34 people have been killed by (White) right-wing violence in the U.S. since September 11, 2001 compared to 21 killed here by Muslim extremist groups.

The Southern Poverty Law Center, in a 2011 publication on rightwing violence, found that since the Oklahoma City terrorist attack

by Timothy McVeigh, et.al, there have been 32 law enforcement officers killed by right-wing terrorists. They also went on to identify 688 right-wing terror groups in the U.S., including those associated with the Ku Klux Klan, NeoNazi, White Nationalist, Racist Skinheads, Christian Identity, and Neo-Confederate movements.

BILL FLETCHER, JR. NNPA COLUMNIST

More likely than not This reality forces us to ask a critical question regarding perception and reality. If there is more likelihood for there to be right-wing, White terrorist attacks in the U.S. than attacks by Muslim extremists, why do we equate terrorism and Muslim extremism?

Why do so many of us envision an Arab, Central Asian, or North African, when the word “terrorist” is used, rather than a picture of someone who looks like Timothy McVeigh?

This quandary goes to the heart of the U.S. To use another example, why are police not rampaging through Italian American communities seeking gangsters when there is a history of the Mafia in Italian American communities, compared with the lawless aggressions carried out in AfricanAmerican and Latino communities by police in the name of fighting crime?

The so-called mainstream me-

VISUAL VIEWPOINT: WHITE HOUSE BREAK-IN

dia and education establishments draw no conclusions about the activities and attitudes of White people based either on the actions of a few, or, for that matter, the actions of many.

If White men are more likely to commit mass killings than any other demographic, why are there are no public warnings or even suggestions about the dangers of dealing with White men? There are no special measures taken when White men go through security zones, e.g., at airports. Each act is treated in isolation, a fact that ironically leads to a failure to achieve a broader grasp of actual social trends.

As uncomfortable as it may be for many White people to accept, right-wing (and White) terrorism is more of a threat in the U.S. than any other form of terrorism. Once we begin to understand that simple fact, we may be on the road to understanding and disentangling a few other realities about life in our nation.

Bill Fletcher, Jr. is the host of The Global African on TelesurEnglish. He is a racial justice, labor and global justice activist and writer. Write your own response at www.daytonatimes. com.

RANDALL ENOS, CAGLE CARTOONS

NFL keeps fumbling I am sick and tired of all the hypocrisy swirling around pro athletes and the National Football League (NFL) in particular.

With all the accusations about domestic violence and child abuse consuming the NFL, I wonder why the public wants to hold athletes to a standard that they don’t want to live by.

Home/work separation If you work in the private sector as an accountant, engineer, or a secretary, there is a bright red line separating your professional life from your private life.

Your job may prohibit you from smoking cigarettes or drinking alcohol at work; but they cannot mandate that you abstain from such activities in the confines of your home. If what you do at home impacts your job performance, that may be grounds for termination; but in general, your job cannot punish you for the things you do in your private life.

Professional sports are slightly different simply because athletes sign a contract and there is a “moral” clause that is part of the agreement. The moral clause basically says that if you bring disrespect to your team or the league because of “bad” behavior that can be grounds for terminating a player’s contract.

Alcohol, violence, drugs Let me try to add a little context to this discussion. The San Diego Union-Tribune has been tracking arrests of NFL players dating back to the year 2000.

They calculated the annual arrest rate per 1,000 NFL players by type of crime committed. The three most common charges are DUI, assault/battery and drug possession.

Compared to adult men in the general population, an NFL player is 11 percent less like to get a DUI charge, 23 percent less like to get an assault charge, and 59 percent less likely to get a drug charge. So, if there is going to be any outrage expressed, it should be directed towards the American population as a whole, not the NFL and its players.

PR nightmares The issue swirling around the

RAYNARD JACKSON NNPA COLUMNIST

NFL is about public relations, not about how their players treat women. For the NFL, bad PR means less money; so they are reacting to their corporate sponsors, not because of some concern for women’s issues.

Isn’t it ironic that feminists groups such as the National Organization of Women (NOW) are calling for Roger Goodell’s head, but they have said nothing about Nike using child labor under slave-like conditions to make shoes for the NFL; and many of these workers are women and little girls.

Isn’t it ironic that Rice and his wife both admitted to being drunk when they had their fight; but yet there is no “moral outrage” being directed towards Anheuser-Bush?

If you are going to hold team owners and the NFL responsible for the conduct of their adult players; shouldn’t you also hold the beer company that provided the alcohol to the player just as responsible?

Moving forward The NFL is going to allocate tens of millions of dollars to all kinds of women’s groups to prove they “get” it. They will do the same thing for child abuse now that the Adrian Peterson situation has become public.

Thus far, all the players making the headlines are Black in a league that is 67 percent Black, so what does Roger Goodell do?

He hires three White women to help advise him on women’s issues. When Black women called him out on this, he basically said sit down and shut up.

Seems like the NFL continues to fumble the ball.

Raynard Jackson is president & CEO of Raynard Jackson & Associates, LLC., a Washington, D.C.-based public relations/government affairs firm. Write your own response at www.daytonatimes. com.

Opinions expressed on this editorial page are those of the writers, and do not necessarily reflect the editorial stance of the newspaper or the publisher.

THE CREDO OF THE BLACK PRESS The Black Press believes that Americans can best lead the world away from racism and national antagonism when it accords to every person, regardless of race, color or creed, full human and legal rights. Hating no person, fearing no person. The Black Press strives to help every person in the firm belief...that all are hurt as long as anyone is held back.

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Subscriptions to the print version are $69 per year. Mail check to P.O. Box 48857 Tampa, Fl 33646, or log on to www.daytona.com; click on ‘Subscribe’.

Charles W. Cherry II, Esq., Publisher

SUBMISSIONS POLICY SEND ALL SUBMISSIONS TO NEWS@DAYTONATIMES.COM. Deadline for submitting news and pictures is 5 p.m. the Monday before the Thursday publication date. You may submit articles at any time. However, current events received prior to deadline will be considered before any information that is submitted, without the Publisher’s prior approval, after the deadline. Press releases, letters to the editor, and guest commentaries must be e-mailed to be considered for publication.

The Daytona Times reserves the right to edit any submission, and crop any photograph, for style and clarity. Materials will not be returned.

Dr. Glenn W. Cherry, Cassandra CherryKittles, Charles W. Cherry II, Managing Members

Dr. Glenn W. Cherry, Sales Manager Dr. Valerie Rawls-Cherry, Human Resources Cassandra Cherry Kittles, Willie R. Kittles, Circulation Jenise Morgan, Senior Editor Angela van Emmerik, Creative Director Ashley Thomas, Staff Writer Delroy Cole, Kim Gibson, Photojournalists MEMBER National Newspaper Publishers Association Society of Professional Journalists Florida Press Association Associated Press National Newspaper Association

SEPTEMBER 25DECEMBER – OCTOBER 2014 141, - 20, 2006

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BUSINESS M AYOR

PHOTO COURTESY OF GETTY IMAGES

Celebrating those who go above and beyond FAMILY FEATURES

hether it’s the busy mother who spends her weekend volunteering at a local women’s shelter or the young girl raising money for hungry children thousands of miles away with her lemonade stand — women that do good deeds are everywhere.

In fact, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, women continue to volunteer more often than men across every age group and educational level. With so many devoting their time and energy to giving back, it’s easy to find and learn from the many female mentors hard at work in your own community.

W

Recognizing remarkable women In a global initiative to celebrate the self­less work everyday women do within their communities and around the world to improve the livelihood of others, Pandora Jewelry has launched Hearts of Today. The program allows the brand to support a variety of charitable causes that are important to women. Pandora will honor eight women who are actively doing work to impact change with a monetary donation to help the organization with which they are working.

“Historically, our charitable efforts have been focused primarily on breast cancer awareness, but we know there are so many other issues that are equally as important to women,” said Andrea Alvey, member of Pandora A/S Board of Directors. “Through this program, we are now able to financially support the causes that our consumers are passionate about.”

Those semi-finalists will be chosen by a group of five remarkable women leaders whose individual resumes boast an impres­sive list of philanthropic work, from there, the public will vote and the top eight entries will receive $25,000 for their charity. For more information, and to nominate someone special you know, visit PandoraHeartsofToday.com.

Tips to get you giving While the enormous generosity of an accomplished philanthropist may seem inconceiv­able in your own life, there are countless ways to give back. Here are a few ways to offer your time and talents for the good of your community and beyond.

Start small Taking on a volunteering opportunity can be daunting — especially with so many charitable groups to choose from. While other obliga­tions may keep you from giving as much time as you’d like, remember that every hour you can give is appreciated by everyone involved.

Look locally A great place to start the search for volunteer opportunities is in your own back yard. From the animal shelter down the street to the local food pantry, helping out in your area strengthens community involvement and also helps you meet others and build contacts that could help you down the line. Check out the many online resources available that fit potential volunteers with opportunities that exist in their areas, such as volunteermatch.org, volunteer.gov and serve.gov, as well as many others.

Find meaningful jobs Be sure to take some time to think about your own personal interests and hobbies

before searching for volunteer oppor­ tunities. Do you have any social issues that you feel passionately about?

While your daytime job may not allow you to pursue such passions, a volunteer position may be the ticket.

Make it a group effort Do you have friends and family members who share the same interests and willing­ ness to help others?

If you do, gather them up for one of the many opportunities that exist for groups. This not only allows each member to experience the gift of volunteer work, it also builds camaraderie among the group.

Balance your obligations While you may wish to jump into your new endeavor right away, be sure to review your schedule carefully before overcommitting your­self.

Many organi­zations will allow you to work a limited schedule and gradually build more hours over time until you are more com­ fortable or available.

THE MANY WAYS TO VOLUNTEER The opportunities to give are endless. Here are some of the ways you can get involved through charitable organizations that support women and children.

Special donations Here are some ways you can help out with charitable donations: Hair: For children suffering from long-term hair loss due to illness, a donation of hair is turned into a prosthetic, helping to restore confidence and a sense of normalcy.

Wedding dress: A donation of your special gown can help out a number of organizations. Some donated gowns are sold again with proceeds helping those with cancer and other illnesses. Others can be donated to help military brides have the wedding of their dreams.

Business attire: Work appropriate clothing, footwear and accessories can be donated to groups who work directly with women looking to enter the workforce.

Volunteer opportunities There are many ways to put your time and talents to use helping those in need. Here are a few organizations you can contribute to: Embracing accomplishment: Help provide young, grade schoolaged girls with the opportunity to learn life lessons and encourage physical activity by training for a 5K race event.

Become a mentor: By volunteering to read, tutor or mentor, you can help children of all ages be more focused in school, which can help in the classroom and beyond.

Helping families: Some non-profit groups work to help single moms get the resources, workplace skills and training needed to provide for their children.

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This is the watch Stephen Hollingshead, Jr. was wearing when he encountered a drunk driver.

Time of death 6:55pm.

Photo by Michael Mazzeo

3.5"

Friends Don’t Let Friends Drive Drunk.

You don’t have to be perfect to be a perfect parent.

There are thousands of teens in foster care who would love to put up with you.

1 888 200 4005 • adoptuskids.org

HuNGEr rEAds tHE MorNING pApEr, too.

DO NOT PRINT INFO BELOW, FOR ID ONLY. NO ALTERING OF AD COUNCIL PSAs. revention - Newspaper - B&W - DDDDP-N-09094-F “Watch” 4 1/4 x 3 1/2 65 line screen film at Horan Imaging: (212) 689-8585 Ref#: 121926

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toGEtHEr WE’rE

Hunger is closer than you think. reach out to your local food bank for ways to do your part. Visit FeedingAmerica.org today.

SEPTEMBER 25 – OCTOBER 2014 DECEMBER 14 - 20, 1, 2006

7

M SPORTS AYOR

Was ‘Fleet’ Walker the first Black in Major League?

Great grand nephew among those embracing legacy of pioneer Ohio baseball player

BY ZACH HELFAND LOS ANGELES TIMES (MCT)

STEUBENVILLE, Ohio — Mark Palmer wanders through a cemetery in a southeastern Ohio steel town looking for a man most of the world has forgotten.

Years ago, Palmer’s grandmother told him the story of the man buried here. That’s my uncle, she said, your great-grand uncle. His name was Moses Fleetwood Walker, and he was the first Black baseball player in the major leagues.

Palmer occasionally mentioned this to his boyhood friends.

“Jackie Robinson was the first,” they replied. “Everyone knows that.”

So Palmer let it be.

Now, at Union Cemetery, Palmer meanders the grounds, racking his brain. He can’t find the gravesite.

On the gentle sloping hills, it is cool and shady and it smells of fresh-cut grass. The chirps of crickets fill the thick air.

Palmer thinks the grave is close to the road, or perhaps near the mausoleum, so he checks there first.

At least the grave is marked now. Walker died in 1924 and it wasn’t until 1990 that the Oberlin Heisman Club planted a headstone to commemorate its student from long ago. Palmer and a few others attended the ceremony.

Played for one season A few locals know bits and pieces of Walker’s story, but outside of this blue-collar region he remains largely unknown. Former Dodger Don Newcombe, a pioneer from the Robinson era, said he hadn’t heard the name.

Walker played in the major leagues for one season, 63 years before Robinson. And after that one season, there wasn’t another Black player in the majors for six decades.

With no one to carry on his legacy, Walker all but disappeared from baseball’s rich history. His one grandchild died in infancy. Palmer, who is thought to be Walker’s closest living relative, needs to consult a map just to find the general area of his grave.

“Segregation in baseball actually started when he started,” Palmer says. “That’s sort of a period of history that baseball wanted to forget.”

For decades, no one knew who the first Black major leaguer was.

Today, a consensus of the game’s historians believe a former slave named William Edward White was the first.

Taunted in 1883 White was a fill-in for one game in 1879. But until 2004, when researchers discovered more information about him, no one knew he was Black.

Breaking the color barrier is a different kind of accomplishment. Walker lasted nearly a full season — and may have played longer if not for an injury — and endured all the taunts, insults and vulgarities that groundbreaking Blacks were subjected to during those times.

He faced obstacles before he reached the majors. In 1883, Walker was playing for minor league Toledo when the Chicago White Stockings and their manager, future Hall of Famer Cap Anson, visited for an exhibition game.

Anson, using a racial slur that was quoted in the next day’s Toledo Blade, said his team would not play against a team with a Black player.

PHOTOS BY WALLY SKALIJ/LOS ANGELES TIMES/MCT

Mark Palmer, the great grandnephew of Moses Fleetwood Walker, the first official Black professional baseball player, visits his gravesite in Steubenville, Ohio, on Aug. 28.

Little remains of Walker there now, as if his memory had been swept away by the current. His old house was long ago leveled.

The theater Walker once operated is a furniture store.

The Baseball Hall of Fame has 212 pages in Walker’s player files but no record of his descendants.

The Ohio Genealogical Society could find no links to anyone living. Oberlin, where Walker went to school, had nothing on relatives in its archives. Walker was a member of the Knights of Pythias, but they had no records either.

In brother’s footsteps Walker, a catcher, had planned to take the game off to rest his hands — the players in those days did not use gloves — but his manager decided to challenge Anson by playing Walker in the outfield.

The following year, 1884, Toledo moved up to the major leagues, playing against teams such as the Baltimore Orioles, Washington Nationals and Brooklyn Atlantics as part of the American Association.

Around midseason, Walker’s younger brother, Weldy Wilberforce Walker, joined him on the team, becoming the third and final Black major leaguer before Jackie Robinson.

Moses Walker batted .263 in 42 games during his one major league season, a year that wore on him emotionally and physically. He slept on park benches when he was denied entrance to some hotels in the South. Toward the end of the season, the team received a letter threatening Walker’s life. It said a mob of 75 men was waiting for him if he played a game in Richmond, Va.

Color line drawn By then, though, Walker had been injured and dropped from the team. He remained in baseball another five years, researchers believe, bouncing around the minor leagues.

In 1887, he was playing for Newark of the International League when he encountered Anson again. The White Stockings manager had rallied more support for segregating the game, and he successfully had Walker and a black teammate removed from the lineup.

That same day, the International League’s managers agreed in a vote not to sign anymore Black players.

The color line was drawn.

Businessman, scholar Moses Fleetwood Walker was a complex man.

Born in Mount Pleasant, Ohio, in 1856, he was well educated and, by Blacks and many Whites, highly respected. He attended Oberlin College and spent a year at Michigan Law School. He was a businessman, a newspaper publisher and a scholar. He re-

A plaque of Moses Fleetwood Walker, the first official Black professional baseball player, sits among other family photos at the home of great grandnephew Mark Palmer in Steubenville, Ohio, on Aug. 27 ceived patents for artillery shells and motion-picture devices. He wrote a book on race relations.

But he suffered too. And when he suffered, he drank. And when he drank, he could turn violent.

In 1891, Walker was living in Syracuse, N.Y., where he had once played for the Syracuse Stars baseball team. On an April afternoon, The Syracuse Courier reported, he was heading to the corner of Monroe and Orange streets in Syracuse when he encountered a group of White men.

Walker said one of the men shouted a racial insult at him, which prompted a confrontation. Witnesses disagreed about who attacked whom first, but one of the men struck Walker in the back of the head with a rock.

Staggered, he pulled out a knife and stabbed the man in the groin.

The man was carried away by his companions, but the bleeding didn’t stop. Walker was arrested and put on trial for murder.

Surprising verdict Twelve White men sat on his jury. News reports said a large crowd, curious about what would happen to one of the local team’s former ballplayers, packed the courthouse to hear the verdict: Not guilty.

Elsewhere, Black men were being lynched for less. But Walker was popular in Syracuse, and when the verdict was read the courtroom erupted in cheers so loud the judge reportedly broke his gavel trying to restore order.

However, the goodwill didn’t last. Walker took a downward turn. He served time for mail fraud and ended up a billiards clerk. He was 67 when he died.

‘Divided Heart’ Toward the end of his life, Walker saw no place for Blacks in what he viewed as a hostile society.

He became an advocate for emigration to Africa, and he wrote a book on the topic.

“There is absolutely no foundation either in reason or experience for a hope that the lot of the American Negro will grow better,” he wrote.

Decades later, when author David Zang was researching Walker for the biography “Fleet Walker’s Divided Heart,” he struggled to find a copy of Walker’s book.

The Library of Congress had somehow lost it from its rarebook collection. Oberlin College had it listed in its archives but the book wasn’t on the shelves.

“I was just nosing all of those shelves,” Zang said, “and found that it had fallen back behind them.”

Not much left The drive into Steubenville winds along the Ohio River, where steel mills once dotted the banks from Wheeling, W.Va., to Pittsburgh.

When Walker was born, the river divided free soil and the slave land of what was then Virginia, now West Virginia.

In plain sight Palmer, now 62, hadn’t been hiding, of course. But like most things with Walker, he was hard to find.

John Husman, historian for the Toledo Mud Hens minor league baseball team, held the key. Five years ago, he organized a Moses Fleetwood Walker Night. He wanted a relative of Walker’s to throw out the first pitch, so he started putting together a genealogical chart. He got dead ends.

“It took me a long time,” Husman said. Eventually, he came across an old newspaper article about the grave marker. Mickey Cochrane, an Oberlin alumnus and longtime coach at nearby Bowling Green State in Ohio, was mentioned. Husman met with Cochrane (no relation to the Hall of Fame catcher of the same name), and he remembered Palmer from the ceremony.

Palmer has lived his whole life in Steubenville, an unremarkable town of about 18,000 residents located about 40 miles west of Pittsburgh. The community recently made national headlines when two high school football players were convicted of a rape that was witnessed by other students and recounted over social media.

The brick house where Palmer lives with his wife, Vanessa, sits next to an old school. Sitting in the living room as he visits with a stranger who has shown up to talk about his distant relative, he is relaxed and quick to laugh.

He’s not sure he can help much. He says he mostly knows what he’s read.

“You kind of wonder after all this time, how come nobody really knew about it or said much about it?” he says of Walker’s contributions to baseball.

B-CU to observe Church and Community Day on Saturday SPECIAL TO THE TIMES

Bethune-Cookman will celebrate its 20th Annual Church and Community Day on Saturday, Sept. 27, when the Wildcats host Florida Tech at 4 p.m. in Municipal Stadium.

Area ministers will serve as honorary game captains for the 12th-ranked Wildcats and will participate in the team’s Legacy Walk upon arrival at the stadium two hours before kickoff. Special ticket rates of $10 for adults and $5 for children on the visitor’s side are available.

The game will cap off a weeklong partnership outreach with area churches to provide spiritual support to both B-CU students and the Daytona Beach community.

Team theme

COURTESY OF JAMES A. DAVIS JR./SPECIAL TO THE TIMES

Bethune-Cookman’s football team bows in prayer during a service on Aug. 10 at Mt. Carmel Missionary Baptist Church of Daytona Beach.

B-CU Director of Athletics Lynn W. Thompson and the Rev. David Allen, the university’s executive chaplain, have asked area pastors to incorporate the event theme of “You’re On The Team” in their sermons leading up to the game.

Three scripture passages – 1st Corinthians 12:17-20, 2 Proverbs 27:17 and Ecclesiastes – that all deal with lifting one another up have been shared to emphasize

the theme.

Prior to the game, B-CU officials will host local high school and middle school students for campus tours and activities. Up to 1,000 visitors are expected.

‘Excitement and purpose’ Future plans for the event include a weeklong conference for pastors, prayer breakfast, revivals with nationally known evangelists and a post-game gospel concert.

“In the past, area churches have taken advantage of Church and Community Day to provide an outing for their men’s ministry and youth programs,” Thompson said.

“We see this having the potential to do even more, and that it is possible to lift up the name of Jesus Christ at a major event in the Daytona Beach area.”

“This event fits in with the university mission and the perfect opportunity to enjoy a weekend of excitement and purpose,” Thompson added.

For game ticket information, call 386-4812465. For more on the Church and Community program, call 386-481-2497.

This story is courtesy of B-CUAthletics.com.

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7POLITICS

SEPTEMBER 25 – OCTOBER 1, 2014 cause churches have the capacity to mobilize voters independent of individual candidates.

“While we know that voter turnout significantly decreases during midterm elections we also know that there is an opportunity to ensure that African-American voters and particularly those where we have highly-contested Senate races know what is at stake in this election,” said Fudge.

Targeting key races

COURTESY OF NNPA NEWS SERVICE

“This is not just a campaign to say, ‘go out and vote.’ We’re talking about crucial issues like raising the minimum wage, preventing gun violence, making education more affordable and protecting voting rights,’’ said Donna Brazile, vice chair of Voter Registration and Participation for the DNC.

Congressional leaders join Black churches for ‘Freedom Summer’

BY FREDDIE ALLEN NNPA NEWS SERVICE

WASHINGTON – If the Democrats lose the United States Senate and more seats in the House of Representatives in the upcoming midterm elections, Marcia Fudge, chair of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), said that the Republicans would impeach President Barack Obama.

Even though he won’t be on the ballot in November, the CBC hopes to use the Republican threat of impeachment and other personal and political attacks on Obama to fuel Black voter turnout for the 2014

midterm elections.

Fudge said that if Republicans win the Senate they would continue to challenge the president’s legitimacy by threatening him with lawsuits, questioning his birthplace and intelligence, and accusing him of violating the Constitution.

“We’re going to have two more years of that foolishness, if they take over the Senate and win more seats in the House,” said Fudge.

“They will make our lives miserable for the next two years.”

More attacks Lorenzo Morris, political science professor at How-

ard University in Washington, D.C., noted that the focus on the threat to voters’ rights through stricter ID requirements, redistricting and plans to reduce early voting in some states, motivated minority voters and saved Obama during the 2012 election.

“African-Americans, as well as, Latino and even Asian voters were mobilized by the sense that the Republican Party was trying to disenfranchise them,” said Morris.

Fudge said that Republicans would not only continue attacks on Obama but also continue efforts to make changes to enti-

tlement programs like Social Security, Medicaid and food stamps that would disproportionately hurt Blacks.

National partnership During a recent press conference at the Democratic National Committee (DNC) Headquarters, Fudge, joined by Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.), Rep. Gregory Meeks (DN.Y.), Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.) and Donna Brazile, vice chair of Voter Registration and Participation for the DNC, announced a national partnership with Black churches designed to rally Black voters and increase civic engagement.

Fudge said that by collaborating with thousands of churches across the country, the “Freedom Sunday” campaign hoped to reach 12 million people before the November elections.

Morris said that the strategy that the CBC is undertaking is important be-

During the 2010 midterm elections, Black voter turnout was 44 percent, compared to White voter turnout, which was 49 percent, according to the U.S. 2010 Current Population Survey. During the 2012 elections, Black voter turnout eclipsed White voter turnout by more than 2 percent.

The CBC also plans to target 19 key district and House races where they believe Black voters can make a difference in California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Nevada, New York, Arkansas, Colorado, New Jersey, Nebraska and Virginia.

“The African-American vote is crucial for Democratic successes all across the country,” said Brazile.

“The Democratic National Committee has launched the most aggressive voter expansion program, and not just in the 19 targeted congressional districts where the African-American vote will make the difference, in terms of winning or losing, but also in eight Senate races.”

Brazile continued: “This is not just a campaign to say, ‘go out and vote.’ We’re talking about crucial issues like raising the minimum wage, preventing gun violence, making education more affordable and protecting voting rights.”

A tough battle She said that during the last election cycle, candi-

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dates or incumbents won in 65 districts by less than 1 percent.

“By just increasing Black [voter] turnout, Latino and youth [voter] turnout, which also drops off in non-presidential years, we know that it can make a difference in this election,” said Brazile. “If it’s close, we can push somebody over the top.”

In states like Louisiana, where the Black population is more than 30 percent, Fudge said, Blacks can clearly tip the scales in close races.

“So we’re going to be spending a lot of time in Louisiana,” added Fudge.

But Morris noted that many of the state Democratic candidates who are running neck-and-neck with challengers have distanced themselves from President Obama and his sagging approval ratings.

More criticism Senator Mary Landrieu (D-La.) who faces a tough battle in Louisiana, publicly criticized Obama in the wake of the Affordable Care Act rollout last year and Senator Kay Hagan (DN.C.) said that the president had not “done enough to earn the lasting trust of our veterans and implement real and permanent reforms” in the wake of the Veteran Affairs scandal that forced resignation of then-Veteran Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki.

Morris said that a big loss in November for the Democrats would make it harder for Obama to leave any kind of lasting, progressive legacy of agenda items on the table on his way out in 2016.

He said, “This [midterm] election can be a real cliffhanger and all it will take is for African-Americans to be mobilized to make a difference.”

Freddie Allen is a senior Washington correspondent for NNPA.