Candidates forum in Flagler takes place Oct. 23 SEE PAGE 3
EE FR
Report shows Blacks, Latinos commit fewer crimes than perceived SEE PAGE 8
CITY TO HOST FREE BASKETBALL CLINIC NEXT WEEK SEE PAGE 3
East Central Florida’s Black Voice OCTOBER 16 - OCTOBER 22, 2014
YEAR 39 NO. 42
www.daytonatimes.com
Bethune-Cookman raises $2.5 million at gala BY KEISHA PICKETT SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
Bethune-Cookman University raised nearly $2.5 million at Tuesday night’s Mary McLeod Bethune Legacy Awards Gala, which included a surprise donation of $1 million raised by BCU’s student body. Nearly 500 guests were present at the gala, held at the Daytona International Speedway 500 Club.
The $1 million came about from a referendum approved by the student body to add a $30 endowment fee to their student fees. There are about 4,000 students at the university. I’m happy that our students aren’t waiting until they graduate to donate. They have made a choice to invest in their education,” said B-CU President Dr. Edison Jackson. There were six honorees at the event, recognized for their contributions to the com-
munity and the university. Betty Jane France and Lesa Kennedy France received the Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Leadership Award. Betty Jane France is the widow of NASCAR founder Bill France and is chairperson of the NASCAR Foundation. Lesa Kennedy France, Bill France’s daughter, is CEO of International Speedway Corporation.
Longtime supporters John and Lee Bryan received
the Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Philanthropy award. Lee Bryan, an alumna of Bethune-Cookman University, also served as a member of the Board of Trustees. The Bryans are longtime supporters of university programs and sponsor several scholarships. Gloria A. Carr received the Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Beacon of Light award. Carr, an alumna of B-CU, is a partner with the law firm Dean, Ringers, Morgan and
Lawton. She focuses her practice on employment law, governmental entity defense, insurance disputes and civil rights law, among other areas.
Founder’s grandson honored In addition, the Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Living Legend award went to Albert Bethune Jr., the grandson of Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune.
Holley vying to be Flagler’s first Black commissioner BY JEROLINE D. MCCARTHY DAYTONA TIMES
PHOTO COURTESY OF EULISSA BOYD
Alexander C.Wynn, III, a local funeral director and vice president of the National Funeral Directors and Morticians Association, has joined with others in his profession to take a stand against violence in the Black community.
Funeral director speaks out about violence Hearses in B-CU parade part of national campaign against crime BY ASHLEY D. THOMAS DAYTONA TIMES aysheldarcel@gmail.com
Gainous Funeral Home had no ordinary float in the annual BethuneCookman University Homecoming Parade on Saturday. There were no banners, no shiny decorations, no bells, no whistles. The black and white hearse made its way down Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Boulevard with signs on either side stating: “Stop the Violence Now: Funeral Directors Against Violence.” Alexander C. Wynn, III, owner of
the funeral home and national vice president of the National Funeral Directors and Morticians Association, took a stand against violence that he says leads to the death of young Blacks all too often. “This is something that we’ve been doing throughout the states,” Wynn said. States across the nation are holding annual “Parade of Hearses” to seek an end to violence.
Nationwide campaign Recently in North Carolina, 33 hearses lined the streets of Durham N.C. representing the 33 murders that occurred in the region. “We’re trying to bring it to Florida too,” Wynn shared with the Daytona Times. “Normally what we do, we
have all the different funeral homes bring out their funeral coaches. In Atlanta, we had 28 funeral homes participate. We did the same thing in Virginia and New Orleans. We’ve been working on it, because you see at the end result, we are the ones that deal with them (the deceased).” “A lot of them are young people. Young African-Americans. So many of our young people are involved,” Wynn continued. “I decided to use my sign (from previous events) at the Homecoming parade.”
Mom, others march Jennifer Cord, a mother suffering the loss of a child, also participated in the parade. As previously reportPlease see VIOLENCE, Page 2
Howard Holley is seeking to make history in Flagler County. He’s a longtime Republican turned Independent running for Flagler County Commissioner, District 2. He faces Frank Meeker in the November election. If he wins, he will be the first Black and first Independent elected to the commission. Holley is CEO of the Holley Group, a marketing firm, and is cofounder and chairman of Touch Point Alliance, a communications company. He also hosts a radio show, “Against All Odds: How Successful People Overcome Adversity.” The show airs Saturdays at 10 on 106.3 FM and 1550 AM. He is a former senior executive of Xerox Corporation. During his 33 years with Xerox, he ran organizations and operations in San Diego, Calif.; the Northeast United States and around the world. He ran global Howard operations in devel- Holley oping markets (China, Brazil, Russia and India). He also lived in Shanghai as a senior vice president for Xerox China’s Enterprise Solutions Group. His last assignment was as a line of business leader for Xerox Global Services.
Jobs and more jobs At a recent “Meet and Greet” at the home of John and Sybil Lucas, Holley discussed ways the would benefit Flagler County as its District 2 commissioner. “Jobs, jobs, jobs. Flagler County needs No. 1, more jobs,” Holley said. “Number 2, better-paying jobs, and No. 3, jobs that offer real-career opportunities.” He related that the county’s unemployment rate is the second highest in the state at 9.5 percent, behind South Please see HOLLEY, Page 2
City says goodbye to longtime employee Mickel Brown BY ASHLEY D. THOMAS DAYTONA TIMES aysheldarcel@gmail.com
DUANE C. FERNANDEZ SR./HARDNOTTS PHOTOGRAPHY
Over 200 people said farewell to Mickel Brown during a candlelight visual at the Dickerson Center.
ALSO INSIDE
Mickel A. Brown, a special projects manager for the City of Daytona Beach, died Oct. 9 at age 52. “The city has lost a great employee,” Percy Williamson, Leisure Services director for the City of Daytona Beach told the Daytona Times. Brown worked within the Leisure Services department for 30 years. “He was the hardest working most generous man I’ve ever met. Anyone who ever spent more than five minutes with him knew that.”
family as a whole because he was the life of the party at every party,” she added.
‘Father of Tailgating’
Sister’s fond memories A candlelight vigil for Brown was held Oct. 10. His sister, Ericka Dunlap, a spokesperson for the family and a former Miss America, said that more than 200 people attended the vigil. Dunlap recalled sweet memories with her brother. “He is 20 years my senior. He would pick me up from elementary school, and we would go for ice cream,” she told the Times. “That was probably my favorite memory and when he supported me for Miss America. There were many fond memories from the
She also recalls good times he had traveling on his RV. “When he first purchased it, he took it everywhere! Drove it to Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee, and even Detroit for a family reunion,” she related. Bethune Wildcats know him as “the Father of Tailgating” as he was the first person to have an RV at Municipal Stadium (in Daytona Beach) with all the fanfare, food,
Mickel A. Brown
Please see BROWN, Page 2
COMMENTARY: GEORGE E. CURRY: REPUBLICANS STILL EARN ‘F’ ON CIVIL RIGHTS | PAGE 4 COMMENTARY: JAMES CLINGMAN: HOW BANKS ARE ROBBING YOU OF HARD-EARNED CASH | PAGE 4
7 FOCUS
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OCTOBER 16 – OCTOBER 22, 2014
Action off the field B-CU fans gathered for Homecoming enjoy hanging out at Municipal Stadium before the football game for tailgating fun. There was plenty of music, barbecue, trash talking, and catching up with old friends.
National outcry
ASHLEY D. THOMAS/DAYTONA TIMES
Wearing a combination of red and white symbolizing blood and peace, marchers plea for an end to senseless violence in Central Florida.
VIOLENCE from Page 1
ed in the Times, Cord’s son, 23-year old Rayshard L. Mitchell, was shot and killed in December 2012. His case remains unsolved.
Cord pleaded for an end to violence as she and 25 marchers chanted “Save our streets. Save our streets.” Additionally, Anthony Abrams, owner of Doghouse Bail Bonds, also took a stand against violence during the parade. As his
BROWN from Page 1
drinks, music and candy apples.’’ She continued, “He had a signature bow-legged walk, Steve Harvey afro and bright smile that truly lit up a room. He was one of a kind and impacted everyone he met. He surely made his presence known at each one of his favorite restaurants around Daytona and Orlando, as he would often joke with waitresses and ultimately leave a big enough tip to truly make them laugh and smile. He was a super guy. We are missing him sorely.’’
Orlando native Born Nov. 11, 1961, Brown moved to Daytona Beach to enroll in Bethune-Cookman University (then College) after graduating from Jones High School in Orlando in 1980. He played football in high school as well as participated in student government. He also belonged to the NAACP. While at Bethune-Cookman, he took an internship with the city in the recreation department and received an offer for full-time employment in 1983. He was set to retire from the city in November.
Funeral services Visitation will be at the Bethune-Cookman University Performing Arts Center on Oct. 17 at 5 p.m. with a repast afterward at the Dickerson Center, 308 S. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Funeral services will be held Saturday, Oct. 18, at 11 a.m. at The Hope Church, 2120 Monte Carlo Trail, Orlando. Burial will follow at Washington Park Cemetery in Orlando.
bright yellow van moved along the route, Caleb, a 10-year-old he mentors, walked behind the van. Caleb pushed an industrial size garbage can while outfitted in a janitorialstyled jumpsuit and head hung low. He was showing kids his age and adults
HOLLEY from Page 1
Florida’s Hendry County. The national average is now 5.9 percent.
Unacceptable numbers Holley says Flagler’s high rate is unacceptable and stated that someone should be elected to the County Board of Commissioners who knows how to grow businesses, has corporate experience and can communicate with corporate executives. “New businesses must be attracted to our community. Existing businesses must be grown and entrepreneurship encouraged at every opportunity,” he said. “I have relevant business experience and global corporate experience that I want to bring to this county and to this community,” he asserted. Holley suggests that the county cannot suffice on the backs of residents, seeing that no one wants the property taxes increased.
alike that there was more to life than what his character had become. Several times during the parade, Caleb would break out of the sad state to perform a Michael Jackson skit. “Stemming from working in law enforcement, guys would see me in uni-
“But if we continue to rely on residential property to fund our county over the next 10 to 20 years, taxes will increase. I have a better idea,” he continued. “Let’s focus on diversifying the property tax base. Let’s focus, truly focus, on increasing commercial, industrial, and agricultural property investments in this county. It will grow jobs; it will grow the economy, and will protect our financial future. Just what we need.”
No match in Flagler Holley further indicated that the recent economic downturn has highlighted a significant problem throughout Florida, which affects students the most – jobs don’t match with skills “No. 1, our students are graduating with skills that cannot be matched to jobs,” he explained. No. 2, our businesses have jobs that are going unfilled, and No. 3, our loved ones who want to move here are not able to because they can’t find the jobs that they need.” “We need a solution: A communitywide effort
form and I wasn’t able to really speak to them because they just see that person in that uniform,” Abrams said in an interview. “Now seeing them after they are arrested, once they are out, I’m able to talk to them and hopefully I won’t see them again.”
executed by the Board of County Commissioners, to solve this problem. Leadership that matches jobs with skills is just what we need,” he added. “We share a sense of pride and appreciation for this unique place.”
The early years Holley and his wife, Dr. Barbara Holley, former school principal, moved to Palm Coast seven years ago from Norfolk, Va. He grew up in public housing with his two siblings in Norfolk, and his dad worked at a post office. An uncle appointed him manager at a young age at the local YMCA. Holley was living in New York City when he was drafted into the Army. He returned there, following an honorable discharge in 1968, to work. He joined the Xerox Corporation in 1976 as a sales representative. He was part of the “new push to break the glass ceiling,” to help minorities and women be promoted to high-level executive positions. “I was one of the
The “stop the violence” theme is gaining momentum nationally as young people, mostly Black males, are seen time and time again as the subject of violent crime in the streets and on the news. Tyrone Muhammad, a licensed funeral director in New Jersey, went viral on YouTube as he talked about violence in the African-American community. “Real is when your mother is before me, real is when your family can’t pay for your funeral, real is when I have to patch up those bullet wounds on you,” he said seated in front of an open casket. “I’m sick of it man. Ain’t no outcry, ain’t nobody fed up, ain’t nobody caring about you. Yo homies don’t give a damn about you. Yeah they are homies on the street but when it’s time to come to pay that bill, ain’t nobody in here with yo Mama. Yo mother in here by herself putting her little pennies, her nickels and her dimes, her hard-earned dollars to put you at rest over some foolishness. Think it over man.” “End of the day, when they put you in that ground... after they eat that chicken, drink that Hennessey and smoke that weed, then it’s on to the next,” he added.
leaders who was a part of that push inside Xerox for African-Americans and women,” Holley said.
Family, community work When Holley is not campaigning, he and his wife spend time with their four adult children and 10 grandkids. Holley’s quiet time includes reading, watching movies and listening to the icons of jazz. He is active with the Flagler County Chamber of Commerce, the chamber’s Board of Directors, Economic Alliance Council, and its Business Issues Committee. He’s also a member of the Board of Directors, Executive Committee and the Investment Committee for the Daytona State College Foundation. He has served on numerous committees, including the Palm Coast Arts Foundation and the Florida Hospital Flagler Foundation. Furthermore, he is a member of the men’s ministry and men’s choir at Mt. Calvary Baptist Church of Palm Coast.
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OCTOBER 16 – OCTOBER 22, 2014 COMMUNITY DECEMBER 14 - 20, 2006
M A YNEWS OR
Flagler NAACP to host Candidates Forum on Oct. 23 Vikki Taylor, left, and Barbara Goss are both serving on the Flagler NAACP Executive Committee. Taylor is a member at large while serving in public relations for the African-American Mentoring Program for Girls (AAMP). Goss is the NAACP first vice president and chair of the Political Action Committee. PHOTO BY JEROLINE D. MCCARTHY/ DAYTONA TIMES
Daytona to host free basketball clinic next week The City of Daytona Beach will offer a free basketball clinic on Monday, Oct. 20 through Thursday, Oct. 23. The clinic is open to elementary, middle and high school students whose skills range from recreational to competitive. Coaches from the NBA, Bethune-Cookman University, University of Central Florida, Stetson University, Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach Athletics, along with Mainland, Seabreeze, Spruce Creek and Atlantic High Schools, have volunteered their time and talents to the event. Onsite registration will begin 40 minutes prior to the clinic start time. All players must have a parent or guardian sign the city’s registration form and waiver prior to participating. While participating in the clinic, parents will have the opportunity to register for the city’s Leisure Services youth basketball league.
About the league Registration for the league is currently open and ends Nov. 15. The season runs through February 23 with practices being held at three locations: Midtown Cultural and Educational Center, 925 George W. Engram Blvd; Yvonne Scarlett-Golden Cultural and Educational Center, 1000 Vine St; and the Holly Hill YMCA, 1046 Daytona Ave. Holly Hill. All games will be held on Saturdays and schedules will be distributed by the head coaches. The City of Daytona also will provide a special fee for schools and non-profit organizations that would like to enter an entire team. For more information, contact Jacquelyn Pannell at 386-671-3634 or via email pannellj@codb.us.
Votran announces route changes for Biketoberfest In response to anticipated traffic during the upcoming Biketoberfest event, some Votran routes have been changed. Schedule delays will run from Thursday, Oct. 16,
The Flagler County Branch (FCB) NAACP will sponsor a Candidates Forum on Oct. 23, 6 p.m. until 9 p.m., at the Palm Coast Community Center, 305 Palm Coast Parkway, Palm Coast. The non-partisan forum is free and open to the public. It will present candidates for the Flagler Board of County Commissioners, Palm Coast City Council, and the Flagler School Board. For questions, contact Barbara Goss at 386-446-4644, or contact the FCB at the SunTrust Building, 1 Florida Park Drive, Suite 305, Palm Coast. The office is open Mondays through Fridays, 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Call 386-446-7822or email Secretary@FCBNAACP.org for more information
All-Male Cook-off to help girls program I marveled at a flyer of an AllMale Cook-off & Charity Event,
PALM COAST COMMUNITY NEWS JEROLINE D. MCCARTHY
which was emailed by Vikki Taylor of public relations of the African-American Mentoring Program for Girls (AAMP). The support program for Flagler school kids assists to improve students’ scholastic achievements and social development. “Men that Cook...With a Purpose” will facilitate the program activities for the 2014-2015 school year. The cook-off will take place Oct. 19, 2-5 p.m. at the Hammock Community Center, 69 Malacompra Road, Palm Coast. The public is invited with advance $20 tickets per person. The cost
at the door is $25. Tickets can be purchased at Aimee’s Hallmark Shop, Palm Harbor Shopping Center, Palm Coast. There will be sensational food, live entertainment, raffles, and a book signing by Celebrity Chef/ Author Chad Thilborger, who’ll whip up his “Jack Bread Pudding.” Celebrity Judge Denise Royal, CEO, of Royal Treatment Media, will select the “Top Chef” winner. School Superintendant Jacob Oliva has agreed to become a chef. Other male chefs also are invited to participate. To participate, call 248-4706753 or 386-246-9997. ••• As always, remember our prayers for the sick, afflicted and bereaved.
Celebrations Birthday wishes to the Rev. Brian Bernard, Clifton Daniels and Thomasina Brown, Oct. 17.
through Sunday, Oct. 19. “Heavy event traffic is anticipated and Votran riders should expect some delays, interruptions and possible route deviations,” said Votran General Manager Steven Sherrer. “Detours be activated as dictated by traffic conditions, and we estimate that will begin around 11:30 a.m. each day. We regret the inconvenience these changes may cause to our passengers.”
Principal Judy Winch stands with students Naseer, Jamaal and Salmeed at a literacy dinner held Oct. 9 at Westside Elementary.
Daytime routes • Buses will be unable to use the Intermodal Transfer Facility (ITF). Passengers must use stops on State Road A1A. Passengers must wait for Routes 1, 18 and 19 at the bus stops on A1A, and Route 8 passengers will be boarded on Halifax Avenue. • Route 1 Outbound: Right on Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Boulevard, right on Palmetto Avenue, left on International Speedway Boulevard, right on Beach Street. Reverse on inbound trip. Inbound: From Beach Street left on International Speedway Boulevard, right on Palmetto Avenue to the Transfer Plaza. • Route 8: Outbound: Right on Palmetto Avenue, left on International Speedway Boulevard, left on Halifax Avenue. Services will remain on Halifax Avenue and will not go into the ITF. Reverse on inbound trip. • Route 11 Outbound: Left on Palmetto Avenue, left on Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Boulevard, right on U.S. 1, right on Fairview Avenue, left on Beach Street. Reverse on inbound trip. The route will not be able to serve the Daytona Beach Flea Market. From International Speedway Boulevard, right on Fentress Avenue, left on Bayless Street, right on Williamson Boulevard to inbound routing. • Route 17A/B will use the International Speedway Bridge. Outbound: Right on Palmetto Avenue, left on International Speedway Boulevard, right on State Road A1A. The route will not be able to serve Main Street. Reverse on inbound trip. • Route 18 will not serve Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University or Daytona Beach International Airport. Outbound: Will stay on International Speedway Boulevard, right into east entrance of Volusia Mall.
ASHLEY D. THOMAS/DAYTONA TIMES
Westside Elementary encourages literacy with after-school dinners BY ASHLEY D. THOMAS DAYTONA TIMES aysheldarcel@gmail.com
A sombrero dance, lots of tacos and, of course, a plethora of books were just part of a successful literacy night’s dinner held at Westside Elementary school on Oct. 9. The doors had to be closed before the end of the event because of the overwhelming response packing the cafeteria to capacity. Principal Judy Winch explained that the program was to encourage literacy and education beyond the classroom and to bring parents in as well. The students from Pre-K to third grade gave performances, sang and read during the night. “At Westside we are looking for partnerships and individuals as well as community organizations to join in with us in our quest to increase the reading literacy of our students. We also want to include the parents so that they can have ideas on how to help their children at home,” Winch told the Daytona Times. “We came up with Celebrate Literacy Nights,” she continued. “We are going to use this as a multicultural event. The first stop is Mexico, the next is Italy. We will have a different country every other month to celebrate the culture as well as to celebrate literacy.”
Inbound: From State Road A1A right on University Boulevard, left on Halifax Avenue, right on Seabreeze Boulevard to Mason Avenue, left on U.S. 1, left on Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Boulevard to the Transfer Plaza. • Route 19 will not serve Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University or Daytona Beach International Airport. Inbound: From Midway Avenue left on International Speedway Boulevard.
Night service Night service will start
and end at the Transfer Plaza. • Buses will be unable to use the Intermodal Transfer Facility (ITF). Passengers must use stops on State Road A1A. Route 15 passengers must use the stops on Halifax Avenue. • Route 1 Outbound: Left on Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Boulevard, right on U.S. 1, right on Mason Avenue to Oakridge Boulevard, left on State Road A1A. Inbound: From State Road A1A right on Seabreeze Boulevard to Mason Avenue, left on U.S. 1, left on Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune
Agency support The school was able to provide the evening event because of the support of local organizations. “The Daytona Beach Rotary Club has always been a strong supporter of Westside,” Winch continued. “The Easter Seal Society wrote a grant in order for us to get money to provide books for the children, food for the children, entertainment and just have a wonderful evening. After that the Volusia Literacy Council got involved. It truly is an effort of the entire community to get together to promote literacy and educational success for the children at Westside.” “It not only helps with schoolwork but with life in general,” Maryam Itani, a Westside mom told the Times. Bill Hinebaugh, executive director of the Volusia Literacy Council, says that although the key group that the organization targets are adults, the council is all about literacy. “We are here with the Daytona Beach Rotary Club to sponsor literacy nights to encourage children to read books, to understand the importance of reading, the value of school and the importance of literature in their life. We will have five of these events. Each one will be in reference to a country. Tonight is Mexico. That is why people are wearing Mexican dresses and sombreros and we are serving all Mexican food.” The next literacy night is scheduled for Nov. 20. Westside Elementary recently received the regional parent and community involvement award from Commissioner of Education Pam Stewart. The award was presented at the PTA State Conference at Innisbrook Resort in Palm Harbor in July.
Boulevard to the Transfer Plaza. • Route 3 Outbound: Right on Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Boulevard, left on Beach Street, left on Fairview Avenue, right U.S. 1. Reverse on the inbound trip. • Route 4 Outbound: Right on Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Boulevard, left on Beach Street, left on Fairview Avenue, left on U.S.1. Reverse routing on the inbound trip. • Route 10 Outbound: Right on Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Boulevard, left on Beach Street, left on Fairview Avenue. Reverse routing on the inbound trip. • Route 15 Outbound: Right on Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Boulevard, right on Beach Street, to regular routing. Reverse routing on the inbound trip. • Route 17 Outbound: Right on Palmetto Street, left on International Speedway Boulevard right on State Road A1A. Reverse routing on the inbound trip.
Sunday service There could also be service interruptions on Sunday, Oct. 19. Route 10 will stay on International Speedway Boulevard and will not serve the Daytona Beach Flea Market. Service will operate out of the ITF, but some routes may have to detour. Votran riders are en-
couraged to plan weekend trips in advance. Riders may learn more by visiting www.votran.org. The website also provides up-todate alerts, real-time bus tracking and download information for the myStop mobile app for real-time bus information anywhere.
Mt. Bethel boards to celebrate anniversary The Deacon and Deaconess Boards of Mt. Bethel Baptist Institutional Church will celebrate their anniversary on Oct. 19 at 4 p.m. The church is at 700 S. Dr. Martin L. King Jr. The Rev. Patrick Harding and the congregation of New Mt, Zion Missionary Baptist Church will be the guests. The public is invited.
Center recognizes emerging artists The City of Daytona Beach is presenting an artist reception for the Emerging Artists exhibition on Oct. 24 at the Yvonne Scarlett-Golden Cultural and Educational Center (YSG) from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. 1000 Vine St. Live entertainment and refreshments will be served. The exhibition will run through Nov. 7.
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7 EDITORIAL
OCTOBER 16 – OCTOBER 22, 2014
Republicans still earn ‘F’ on civil rights The Leadership Conference of Civil Rights (LCCR), a coalition of more than 200 human rights groups, has issued a new congressional report card that reaches the same conclusion that similar analyses by the NAACP has reached in recent years: When it comes to issues important to the civil rights community, every Republican in the House and Senate gets an ‘F.’ The LCCR graded each federal lawmaker on a points system and no Republican supported key civil rights measures more than 45 percent of the time. Even grading on a generous academic curve that translates to a clear F.
The test The bills members of Congress were graded on included a Fair Housing Amendment, workforce reinvestment, financial reform, gender equality, child tax credit extension. House Speaker John Boehner (R., Ohio) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky) and the lone Black senator, Tim Scott (R-S.C.) each earned a zero. Presumptive GOP presidential candidates Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) scored zero and 5 percent, respectively. In a warmup to his presidential run, Rand Paul has been criticizing his own party for not making overtures to Black voters. In an interview with CNN last week, he said, “I think in the Republican Party, the biggest mistake we’ve made in the last several decades is we haven’t gone into the AfricanAmerican community, into the NAACP and say you know what, we are concerned about what’s go-
GEORGE E. CURRY NNPA COLUMNIST
ing on in your cities and we have plans. They may be different than the Democrats, but we do have plans and we do want to help.”
The Black vote Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus has also said the GOP plans to actively compete for the Black vote. Speaking to the National Association of Black Journalists’ national convention in Boston last summer, he said: “We have become a national party that has decided it is okay to show up every four years, about five months before an election,” he said. “We’ve become a national party that’s really just a UHaul trailer of cash for a presidential nominee.” He said that had changed under his watch, noting that he had launched a “full-time engagement program” to attract African Americans, Latino and Asian voters. Priebus said he was also bringing more people of color into the party. He proclaimed, “”We’re in this for the long haul. We’ve got to get this right.” But getting it right involves more than invoking new language while continuing the same old patterns. And that’s exactly what Republicans are doing with the votes in Congress and their constant attacks on President Obama.
Their best performers on civil rights voted wrong more than half of the time, according to the LCCR report card. Rep. Christopher Gibson (R-N.Y.) was the top rated Republican at 45 percent, followed by Senator Susan Collins of Maine with 43 percent. By contrast, the entire congressional delegations of Obama’s native Hawaii, Vermont, Massachusetts (excluding John Kerry, who resigned), and Rhode Island each earned 100. Nine of Maryland’s 10-member delegation earned 100. Though GOP leaders are using, in the words of George W. Bush, kinder, gentler language, they remain downright hostile to civil rights. It hasn’t always been this way. In the 1960s, for example, civil rights was a bipartisan issue. In fact, if you look at the proportion of each major party voting for the Civil Rights Act of 1964, a larger percentage of Republicans voted for the landmark measure than Democrats. Today, however, Blacks like Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas stand against everything Bill Coleman and Art Fletcher stood for. Republicans can run for the White House in 2016, but they can’t run away from the Republican record on civil rights.
George E. Curry, former editor-in-chief of Emerge magazine, is editor-in-chief of the National Newspaper Publishers Association News Service (NNPA.) Write your own response at www.daytonatimes.com.
Banks are now robbing people Remember the old movies where the outlaws robbed banks for a living, or the gangsters did “bank jobs” as they moved from town to town? Noted bank robber, Willie “The Actor” Sutton is said to have responded to the question, “Why do you rob banks?” by replying, “Because that’s where the money is.” Indeed, banks are where the money was and still is. There was a time in history when men and women made careers and established reputations by robbing banks for various reasons. Now the tables have turned; in many cases, banks are now robbing the people, no doubt under the same rationale that Willie Sutton used: “That’s where the money is.”
Fee after fee In many cases, your friendly local bank of the past has now become a monstrosity bent on squeezing every dime out of you. Recent reports cite ATM fees as high as $4.35 and overdraft fees average $32.74. Banks earned $32 billion in overdraft fees in 2013. There are transaction fees, analysis fees, usage fees, over-usage fees, excess deposit fees, teller fees, and a host of others that make your monthly statement look like
JAMES CLINGMAN NNPA COLUMNIST
your local phone bill. Banks pay you less than 1 percent on your savings accounts while they earn far more on the money in your account. They charge 20 percent interest on your credit card balances and frequently will not approve your small business loan request.
Greedy and arrogant Maybe banks are paying us back for being robbed in broad daylight by bold, brash, unremorseful fortune-seekers, by morphing into those same kinds of characters. They are so greedy and so arrogant with their greed and actually flaunt it for all to see. Remember when ATM’s came on the scene, how they were marketed as “conveniences for our valued customers.” Of course we were all willing to pay an extra 50 cents per transaction. But at $4.35 per out of network transaction, as for me, they can keep their ATM “convenience.” By the way, my hometown, Cincinnati, Ohio, has the na-
tion’s “lowest” ATM fees, around $3. Here’s the deal. A few years ago, banks that committed crimes were deemed “too big to fail” and were given billions in taxpayer dollars for their efforts in the subprime housing market, which had the greatest negative impact on Black people. They soon became known as “too big to jail” as our Justice Department refused to prosecute any of the perpetrators for the biggest heist in history – a heist that makes Willie Sutton look like he was robbing piggy banks. Banks will rob you of your money, but you can prevent it by doing a few simple things. Be proactive with your money; leverage your money by maximizing your return. Avoid instant gratification purchasing. You can prevent bank robbery by being more responsible with the money you have. Economic empowerment begins at home, not in the ATM line.
Jim Clingman, founder of the Greater Cincinnati African American Chamber of Commerce, is one of the nation’s most prolific writer on economic empowerment for Black people. Write your own response at www.daytonatimes.com.
What about our girls? During the most critical period of Jessica’s childhood, adults who could have intervened to protect her from abuse let her down over and over. As a child, she was sexually abused in her home and ended up living with her grandmother for a time. At age 11 she became a victim to child sex trafficking when she fell into the clutches of a local pimp. She was never treated as a victim or a sexual assault survivor, even by the police. At school she was stalked and sexually harassed by a school administrator known to pay for sex. Jessica was sold for sex by her pimp for the next several years until she finally found a way out through The Mary Magdalene Project, a local social service agency. She often called herself a “prostitute,” but through her healing and advocacy work Jessica now knows how important language is and understands she was sexually exploited.
Meet Tanisha When Tanisha was in junior high she got into a fight at school. Instead of the argument being mediated or the discipline handled by the school, she was funneled into Los Angeles County’s juvenile justice system and given probation for getting into the fight. While on probation Tanisha,
MARIAN WRIGHT EDELMAN NNPA COLUMNIST
who had to rely on public transportation, was occasionally late for school, which led to truancy tickets that were considered a probation violation. As a result Tanisha was arrested and detained at a juvenile detention center. When she arrived, she was scared and depressed, but rather than providing her help from mental health professionals, she says detention officers placed her in “the box,” or solitary confinement, for days. Cold, hungry, and extremely frightened; it took her a very long time to heal. Today, Tanisha is a 20-year-old student and advocate for other young people in the juvenile justice system through the Youth Justice Coalition. Jessica is a 29-yearold Los Angeles County probation consultant with the Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking Unit. Though national focus is often on the racially biased ways boys of color are treated, girls of color face many of the same risks from the cradle through adulthood that im-
pact their life chances for success. Like boys, girls of color who enter the juvenile justice, child welfare, education, and other systems often arrive traumatized and experience more trauma from the way they are treated inside systems. The level of gender-based violence girls experience and the way supposed “child-serving” systems treat girls of color compounds the harms they face. Systems often fail to see them as trauma survivors – treating them instead as complicit in their victimhood, threatening, or unable to be rehabilitated. According to the U.S. Department of Education, Black girls like Tanisha represent less than 17 percent of all female students but make up 31 percent of girls referred to law enforcement by schools and about 43 percent of girls who experience school-related arrests. We need to wake up and realize all children, especially those of color – girls and boys – need adults to stop criminalizing them and recognize the special risks facing our girls.
Marian Wright Edelman is president of the Children’s Defense Fund. Write your own response at www.daytonatimes. com.
VISUAL VIEWPOINT: TOUGH NEIGHBORHOOD
BILL SCHORR, CAGLE CARTOONS
President Obama’s mixed record Obstruction by congressional Republicans has been a major obstacle for President Obama for four of his six years in office. But the fact is, specific groups who supported him have won policy victories even in the face of that obstruction. Meanwhile, as 94 percent of African American voters supported President Obama in two elections. Those who supported him less have in turn won more. The president’s next policy gift will be an executive order Hispanic activists have been demanding. And it’s not their first victory. In 2012, Obama issued a directive that halted deportations for illegal immigrants who entered the U.S. as children if they simply applied for a deferral. Eight months after Obama’s order, 465,000 people did just that. Let’s take a look at what Obama has done to improve the lives of African Americans over six years and what he hasn’t. Let’s start with the good news.
Good news Health care. President Obama used the full power of his office to enact the Affordable Care Act that disproportionately helps Blacks. Federal Judges. So far, 18 percent of President Obama’s judicial nominees have been African American. Justice Reform. Twenty years after the disastrous Clinton crime bill made over incarceration and turned American into the world’s number one jailer, Obama became the first president to at least begin to turn federal policy into a new direction. Attorney General Eric Holder. Holder has been the only member of the Obama administration who’s unafraid to speak on race. Holder strengthened DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, protected voting rights, investigated Ferguson, Mo. and focused on sentencing reform. My Brother’s Keeper. That there should be direct government money for My Brother’s Keeper doesn’t negate the fact that President Obama’s focus on Black and Hispanic boys is unprecedented policy for any White House.
LAUREN VICTORIA BURKE NNPA COLUMNIST
Bad news Black unemployment. The lowest Black unemployment rate under President Bush was 7.7 percent in August 2007 and the worst: 10.7 percent in June 2014. The best Black unemployment under Obama was 10.7 in June 2014 (matching Bush’s worst) and the worst was 16.5 percent in 2011. Poverty. There are now 46 million living in poverty in the U.S. – the largest number in 50 years. The percentage of Blacks in poverty is 28 percent. The percentage of Blacks under age 18 in poverty has grown under Obama and now 40 percent. Failing to end the Bush Tax Cuts. President Obama broke his often repeated campaign promise to end the Bush’s tax breaks for rich. Parent PLUS loans. HBCUs collectively lost more than $160 million after Obama’s Education Department changed the loan criteria for PLUS loans in 2011. The result: 28,000 students at HBCUs had their educations interrupted. Detroit. Then-Senator Obama favored bailing out banks for $800 billion in 2007. In July, President Obama asked Congress for $3.7 billion for the Mexican border surge. But $100 million to keep the water on in a once booming Black city? No. In June, the United Nations cited the water cutoffs as “a violation of human rights.”
Lauren Victoria Burke is freelance writer and creator of the blog Crewof42.com, which covers African American members of Congress. 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.
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M SPORTS AYOR
OCTOBERDECEMBER 16 – OCTOBER 2014 14 - 20,22, 2006
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Wildcats didn’t disappoint: Team wins big in Homecoming game against Howard The Bethune-Cookman Wildcats whipped the Howard University Bison 49-12 in front of 10,247 fans at Municipal Stadium in Daytona Beach on Saturday. After a week of barbecues, dances, parties, pep rallies and alumni events, the Wildcats culminated their Homecoming with a big win over Howard. Bethune-Cookman (51, 2-0 MEAC) entered the game ranked No. 17 in the nation in the FCS Coaches poll – No. 18 in The Sports Network poll, respectively, and sitting atop two of the three HBCU polls. Not to mention the Wildcats have three MEAC titles and three FCS playoff appearances during the past four years.
102 yards for Jordan B-CU had 440 yards of total offense, but racked up 268 yards on the ground. Redshirt senior running back Anthony Jordan ran for a season-best 102 yards with two touchdowns on 11 carries. Jordan surpassed the 1,000-yard rushing mark for his career on the day. He was also the team’s leading receiver with four catches for 48 yards. Quarterbacks Quentin Williams and Larry Brihm, along with running backs Cary White and Jamaruz Thompkins, also ran for touchdowns. B-CU ran for a total of six touchdowns in the game. The Wildcats face a winless Savannah State squad next week in Savannah, Ga.
An article by B-CU Athletics was used in compiling this report.
PHOTOS FROM DUANE C. FERNANDEZ SR./HARDNOTTS PHOTOGRAPHY
Senior running back Cary White (26) carries the ball during a play against Howard.
The university received a check in the amount of $81,000 toward future student scholarships.
Dariusz Bladek, a junior and offensive lineman, is joined by his teammates and the Cubcats before kickoff on Saturday. Left: Daytona Beach Commissioner Paula Reed stands with State Rep. Dwayne Taylor, B-CU President Dr. Edison Jackson, gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist, and Dr. Nelson Adams, BCU’s first vice chairman of the Board of Trustees, during pregame activities. Center: A Wildcat carries a photograph of Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune as the football team enters Municipal Stadium on Saturday. Bottom: Supporters and alumni gather before the game.
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CLASSIFIEDS
OCTOBER 16 – OCTOBER 22, 2014
OCTOBERDECEMBER 16 – OCTOBER 22, 2014 14 - 20, 2006
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M SPORTS AYOR
help for players who have victimized others. “What kind of help [is the NFL] providing for these people? We know a lot of people have grown up in violent settings,” says Scott. “We don’t feel society should write off [such players] and tell them they can’t play football anymore, but if you’re using them to make millions of dollars, you have the obligation to enrich them and help them grow and invest in them.” The BWR also received confirmation that there would be a meeting with the commissioner within 45 days. The group still plans to continue its campaign. On Twitter, its #NFLGetItRight hashtag generated close to 1,000 Tweets in a few hours, and the online petition, hosted at Change.org, stands at more than 5,600 signatures.
Personal experiences shared CHRIS SEWARD/RALEIGH NEWS & OBSERVER/MCT
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell talks to players at Wake Forest High School in Wake Forest, N.C., on Sept. 10. He observed practice, talked to the players and took questions from the media. He was there to promote the NFL’s Heads Up player safety program. He also took questions about the Ray Rice incident.
Black women challenge NFL on domestic violence BY JAZELLE HUNT NNPA NEWS SERVICE
WASHINGTON – As the National Football League continues to grapple with its policies on domestic violence and sexual assault, Black women have stepped forward to ensure the NFL gets it right this time. Since footage surfaced of former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice knocking his wife unconscious, the Black Women’s Roundtable (BWR), a civic engagement consortium, has closely watched the NFL’s domestic violence policy scandal unfold. On Sept. 15, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced the appointment of a small council to advise the league. The appointees were Lisa Friel, former head of the Sex Crimes Prosecution Unit in the New York County District Attorney’s Office; Jane Randel co-founder of national advocacy group, No More; and Rita Smith, former executive director of the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. All three appointees are
Beth Richie
Pamela Means
White in a league that is 66 percent Black. “We saw that all the people accused and arrested were Black men, yet the victims we always see put on TV are White women. We don’t want to see the league take the approach that their only obligation is to turn players over to the criminal justice system,” says Elsie Scott, director of the Ronald W. Walters Leadership and Public Policy Center at Howard University, and BWR member. Scott has also developed domestic violence trainings for both the NYPD and the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE).
Avis JonesDeWeever
Wrote Goodell Following the advisory panel announcement, the BWR penned an open letter to Goodell to point out the glaring omission and to request a meeting with him to strategize on domestic and child abuse and “other diversity issues” within the league. The group also launched a campaign to “elevate Black women’s voices” in this discussion via an online petition calling for the immediate inclusion in the advisory group; a social media campaign around the hashtag, #NFLGetItRight; and a letter-writing campaign. “When we first went [to
the meeting], we had to establish that we’re not coming to bash the NFL. There are so many women in our group who love football,” Scott says, citing BWR member Barbara Williams Skinner for example, a former chaplain for the Washington Redskins. “But we want the NFL to know, this is not going to be a ‘get past this’ thing. It has to be a long term approach for changing the league, owners, and players.”
Black now on panel Since then, the league has added Beth Richie to the panel. Richie, who is Black, serves as director of the Institute of Research on Race and Public Policy and professor of criminal justice, and gender and women’s studies at the University of Illinois at Chicago. In addition to hiring Richie, the league has pledged to strengthen ties with domestic violence organizations and provide more resources to owners and team leadership. “We’re really happy to have her there, and she’s a great representative and has a long history of work-
ing for women of color, but we also would like to see practitioners who work directly with Black women victims of assault,” Scott says, highlighting that Richie is primarily a researcher. (The Roundtable has created a list of recommended expert practitioners for the NFL to consider; this list will only be released directly to Goodell. The league responded to BWR’s request by offering a meeting with vice president of social responsibility, Anna Isaacson, and executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent. The organization accepted the meeting on the condition that it would be a lead-in to the originally requested meeting with Commissioner Goodell. “We were very impressed with Vincent,” says Scott, one of the BWR members chosen to attend the meeting. “He’s a Black man, former player, and he felt that Black women should be engaged with this process, as well as Black men. We felt he was very serious and was going to go back with some of the recommendations we put forth.”
BWR recommendations Some of those recommendations included improving diversity within the league’s ranks, trainings for owners and league professionals, and reformative
At a press conference for the campaign launch (which took place prior to the meeting), several BWR members and affiliates took turns articulating the organization’s concerns. Some chose to share their personal experiences coupled with data. Scholar and former director of the National Council for Negro Women, Avis Jones-DeWeever, shared that as a Black woman survivor, there are racial considerations the panel should be able to address. National Bar Association President Pamela Means called for diversity in life experience as well as race, and shared that as a teenager, she lost an older sister to domestic violence. And corporate diversity expert René Redwood took a broad view approach, expressing that the systemic problems should be the real focus of the NFL’s effort. “We want to make sure that Commissioner Goodell, the NFL, and the nation realize that this is not a matter of just the criminal justice system. This is a public health issue. This is an issue where we need to address the individuals, both the men and the women, and the children, in a way of compassion and caring,” she said. “Commissioner Goodell, the owners, and leadership of the NFL teams have an obligation and responsibility to look at their own culture, to look at their own attitudes, and how they perpetuate the violence.”
Richard Sherman and family defy Black athlete stereotypes EURWEB.COM
There are some good stories that have come out of the NFL this year. There’s Devon Still and his team, the Cincinnati Bengals, supporting his cancer-stricken daughter and cancer research and there’s Super Bowl champion Richard Sherman. Wrong Richard man, you’re Sherman thinking? He’s a thug and a loudmouth?! Try a hard working, educated black man instead. There’s a side of Seattle Seahawks’ Richard Sherman not many people know about. The vocal (and in some eyes, controversial) NFL champion got a lot of attention for his animated response to a sideline question last year, but there’s more to him that that one moment. His father, Kevin Sherman knows that better than most. His son isn’t just an athlete. He’s a Stanford graduate that had a 4.2 GPA at Dominguez High in Compton, not just a trash talker. However, Sherman el-
der does haul trash. He still gets up before the sun comes up to provide for his family by working for the LA sanitation department, a job he’s held for 26 years.
Hard-working parents “People say, ‘Let your son take care of you,’” Kevin Sherman, 50, told the Los Angeles Times. “Yeah, but I’ve got a few years left until I retire. Why would I mess up my own retirement? Why should my son have to foot everything? I have a medical plan that will cover me. Why should my son have to pay my medical bills? It doesn’t make sense to me.” Not only does Richard’s hard-working dad refuse his son’s support, but his mother, Beverly Sherman, works with disabled innercity children. “She’s always been the one holding down the household. ...I’ve gone up there many times to see her and spend time with the kids. It’s remarkable, man. That’s probably as humbling as it gets. I think it was incredibly significant,” Richard told the L.A. Times about the example his parents set. “It forced my brother and me to un-
derstand priorities and family. You’ve got to do everything in your power to make sure your family is taken care of.”
Sacrificed for family Kevin Sherman was an athlete growing up and, in a way, his son is living his dream. After hanging with the wrong crowd and being shot twice, Kevin spent time working at fast-food restaurants and a flower shop before joining the sanitation department. “After that I said, ‘To hell with hanging out with people,’” he said. “I went out and got a job, and I’ve worked ever since. It’s not as tough as it used to be,” he says of his profession. “We used to handload. We’d literally pick up the cans and dump them. Now, it’s gotten a little easier. It’s more of a prideful job now; you stay clean most of the day. The old days were sweaty. You’d bust your back just to get through… It was the price I had to pay to feed my family.” If that wasn’t tough enough, Kevin lost his right eye at as a teenager in a gokart explosion.
Dad an inspiration Richard says seeing his
ROBERT GAUTHIER/LOS ANGELES TIMES/MCT
Kevin and Beverly Sherman, parents of Seattle Seahawks star Richard Sherman, are seen at their Compton, Calif., home on Jan. 27. father persevere so he and his brother could flourish was an inspiration. “Just living with one eye is tough in its own right. But then all the adversity that came with it, it’s remarkable how far he’s come and how hard he’s worked. When I was young, I tried to drive with one eye closed just to see how hard it was. I can’t imagine go-
ing through that,” Richard said. That his father was there to see him play as part of last year’s Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks helped Richard to feel that his father’s sacrifices paid off. “I’m so glad my dad was there to see that,” Richard said. “You always want to make your dad proud,
and I’m very happy he got a chance to see that game. He also had a dream to play in the NFL and do all these things, but it didn’t end up working out because of all these circumstances. He’s been able to live vicariously through his son. That makes me pretty happy too.’’
R8
7CRIME
OCTOBER 16 – OCTOBER 22, 2014 nitive than those from minority communities even though Whites are less likely to be victims of crime. In 2013, a majority of Whites supported the death penalty for someone convicted of murder, while half of Latinos and a majority of Blacks opposed capital punishment. White Americans are also more supportive of trying juveniles as adults and they also favor controversial three-strike laws. By contrast, Blacks and Latinos have proven to be substantially more likely to support public investment in education and job skills as a measure to help prevent crime.
Seeing Black
HYOSUB SHIN/ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION/MCT
Clarence, left, and Yvonne Harrison share a laugh, as they look at their wedding photographs together at their home in Marietta, Ga., on March 5. Clarence Harrison spent nearly 18 years in prison before he was finally exonerated by DNA evidence. Since he’s been free, Harrison has devoted his life to supporting the organization that helped clear his name, social-justice nonprofit the Georgia Innocence Project.
Blacks, Latinos commit fewer crimes than perceived BY STACY M. BROWN NNPA NEWS SERVICE
Racial perceptions of crime are a key cause of the severity of punishment in the United States, officials from the Sentencing Project in Northwest have concluded. “Whether acting on their own implicit biases or bowing to political exigency, policymakers have fused crime and race in
their policy initiatives and statements. They have crafted harsh sentencing laws that impact all Americans and disproportionately incarcerate people of color,” said Nazgol Ghandnoosh, a research analyst at the Sentencing Project and one of the authors of the new report, “Race and Punishment: Racial Perceptions of Crime and Support for Punitive Policies.” Ghandnoosh synthesiz-
es two decades of research, which reveals that White Americans’ strong associations of crime with Blacks, and Latinos are related to their support for punitive policies that severely punish minorities while sparing Whites.
Overestimating the numbers Additionally, officials at the Sentencing Project said
the report reveals that the consequences of the false perceptions of minorities by Whites are felt far beyond policing. Included in the eyeopening report released in September, Whites consistently overestimate the proportion of crime committed by minorities and they routinely associate Blacks and Latinos with criminal actions. For example, White re-
spondents in a 2010 survey overestimated the actual share of burglaries, illegal drug sales, and juvenile crime committed by Blacks by as much as 30 percent. Also, Whites who habitually associate crime with Blacks and Latinos are more likely to support punitive policies – like capital punishment and mandatory minimum sentencing – than Whites who don’t always associate crime with minorities, the report said.
On the death penalty Officials said those patterns further help to explain why the majority of the members of White communities are more pu-
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The report concluded that racial perceptions of crime not only influence public opinion about criminal justice policies, they also directly influence the work of criminal justice practitioners and policymakers who operate with their own set of unintentional biases. In her new book, “Suspicion Nation,” attorney and television commentator Lisa Bloom said Whites have committed a great deal of crimes, both minor and major, but their race has never been tainted because of it. On the other hand, when blacks violate the law, all African-Americans fall under scrutiny, she said. “The standard assumption that criminals are Black and Blacks are criminals is so prevalent that in one study, 60 percent of viewers who viewed a crime story with no picture of the perpetrator falsely recalled seeing one, and of those, 70 percent believed he was African-American,” Bloom said. “When we think about crime, we see Black, even when it’s not present at all.”
This story is special to the NNPA from The Washington Informer.