B-CU athlete garners top MEAC honor SEE PAGE 7
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DR. BENJAMIN CHAVIS JR.: Nobody knows the trouble we’ve seen SEE PAGE 4
FLAGLER NAACP’S FERGUSON RALLY INCLUDES MUCH PRAYER SEE PAGE 3
East Central Florida’s Black Voice DECEMBER 4 - DECEMBER 10, 2014
YEAR 39 NO. 49
www.daytonatimes.com
Where do we go from here?
Daytona Beach forum explores the future of Black men in US BY ASHLEY D. THOMAS DAYTONA TIMES aysheldarcel@gmail.com
Black lives matter. That’s the message conveyed at a forum recently held at Hope Fellowship Church titled “The Future of Black Men in America.” The Nov. 26 forum was held following the Nov. 25 announcement that an indictment against former Ferguson Police Offi-
cer Darren Wilson would not be handed down by a grand jury. Wilson is the officer responsible in the shooting death of unarmed Black teenager Michael Brown. “Our systems are broken,” Bishop Derek Triplett, pastor of Hope Fellowship Church and coordinator of the forum, told those attending in person and watching the forum online.
‘I can’t breathe’ On Wednesday, another grand jury chose not to hand down an indictment in the death of another Black male – exactly one week after the forum. This time, it was
Bishop Derek Triplett, pastor of Hope Fellowship Church, speaks at a forum about Ferguson and the future of young Black men.
the death of Eric Garner, who was placed in an illegal chokehold by former officer Daniel Pantaleo. Garner’s last words were, “I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe.” Two EMTs and two paramedics looked on as he took his last breath. Video of the incident shows there was no attempt at resuscitation. About the Garner case, Triplett said Wednesday, “We have to be strategic. We are not going to react to the verdict. We are going to respond to the injustice. We are going to do some things a little more sustainable in the coming weeks.”
DUANE C. FERNANDEZ, SR./ HARDNOTTS PHOTOGRAPHY
Please see FORUM, Page 2
Midtown prepares for annual holiday event
PRAYER VIGIL AT GREATER FRIENDSHIP
BY ASHLEY D. THOMAS DAYTONA TIMES aysheldarcel@gmail.com
DUANE C. FERNANDEZ, SR./HARDNOTTS PHOTOGRAPHY
Area residents are led in prayer by Dr. L. Ronald Durham during a vigil after a grand jury in Ferguson, Mo., decided not to indict former Police Office Darren Wilson in the shooting death of Michael Brown.
Local prayers for Ferguson
About 60 people joined together at a prayer vigil held the evening of Nov. 25 in the wake of the announcement surrounding the events in Ferguson, Mo. The vigil was held at Greater Friendship Baptist Church where the Rev. L. Donald Dur-
ham, said a prayer for the family of Michael Brown “as well as for that community, our own community, and for our nation.” Vigils and protests were held throughout Florida and the nation. There were similar events held in Europe and Africa.
It’s that time of year again. Time to “Light up Midtown.” The planning stages of the third annual Light up Midtown event are well underway for this Christmas season boasting special holiday themed activities in the Midtown Redevelopment Area of the City of Daytona Beach. “We are excited about the two events that are being planned,” Redevelopment Project Manager Charles Bryant told the Daytona Times this week. “This year we are planning a ‘Light Up Midtown Parade’ and a ‘Light Up Midtown Health Fair,’” he shared. “Both events will be on Saturday, Dec. 13. We will begin the parade at 10 a.m. The staging area for the parade will be behind the Daytona Mall. The parade route will continue down Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Boulevard, cross Nova Road and end at Weaver Street”.
Schools to participate The parade will consist of area high school, middle school and elementary school bands, as well as a steel band and the Daytona Destiny Drum Line. Churches, community organizations with floats, walking units and cars also will participate. The health fair also will begin at 10 a.m. ending at 2 p.m. The Please see MIDTOWN, Page 2
Justices ponder stand your ground law in traffic confrontation BY JIM SAUNDERS THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA
TALLAHASSEE – The case started during the holidays in 2011 as an Indiana family drove on a highway in Osceola County. But nearly three years later, that drive – the kind taken by countless visitors to the Orlando area – led Tuesday to the Florida Supreme Court grappling with questions about the state’s controversial “stand your ground” self-defense law. Jared Bretherick, a passenger in the vehicle, was charged with aggravated assault with a firearm after brandishing a gun while in a confrontation with a motorist who had cut the family off in traffic. Bretherick unsuccessfully argued in lower courts that the
ALSO INSIDE
charge should have been dismissed because of the “stand your ground” law, which in part provides immunity to people who use justifiable force in selfdefense.
Skepticism from judges Bretherick’s attorney, Eric Friday, asked the Supreme Court on Tuesday to revamp a key part of the way courts have carried out the law. Currently, defendants have the burden of proof of showing they should be covered by the “stand your ground” legal protections. Friday contended that, instead, prosecutors should bear the burden of proof on such questions. The argument, however, appeared to draw skepticism from some justices, who said the Legislature did not detail in the law
who should have the burden of proof. They also said lawmakers during the past few years could have addressed the issue but remained silent. “We’d be looking at it and trying to guess what the Legislature actually wanted,’’ Justice Barbara Pariente said.
Burden of proof Bretherick has drawn support in the case from the National Rifle Association and another gunrights group, Florida Carry, Inc. In a brief filed in June, the NRA asked the Supreme Court to “properly carry out the Legislature’s intent to provide the strongest possible protection for crime victims, by finding that the state should bear the burden of disproving a defendant’s entitlement to self-defense immunity at
a pretrial hearing.” But Assistant Attorney General Kristen Davenport told justices that the burden of proof has not been a problem in other “stand your ground” cases. She said Bretherick can also argue during trial that he acted in self-defense. The refusal by a circuit judge to dismiss the case based on “stand your ground” came during a pretrial hearing. “Mr. Bretherick is free to raise his arguments in front of a jury,’’ Davenport said. The Supreme Court typically takes months before it rules on such issues.
The accident Bretherick’s case started Dec. 29, 2011, as he was a backseat passenger in a vehicle driven by his father on the three-lane Irlo
Bronson Memorial Highway in Osceola County. In a brief filed with the Supreme Court, Bretherick’s attorney wrote that the vehicle was almost run off the road by a truck, causing Bretherick’s father to honk at the truck. The driver of the truck, identified in court documents as Derek Dunning, then abruptly stopped in front of the Bretherick vehicle in the middle lane. Dunning, who was unarmed, got out of his truck and approached the vehicle. Bretherick’s father held up a holstered gun, which led Dunning to return to his truck. The Brethericks argued that Dunning put his truck in reverse, causing Jared Bretherick to get out and take his father’s gun for protection. Bretherick pointed the gun at Dunning, and police Please see JUSTICES, Page 2
COMMENTARY: LAUREN VICTORIA BURKE: SAME OLD PROBLEM, SAME OLD RESPONSE | PAGE 4 COMMENTARY: BILL FLETCHER JR.: THE TWO MINDS OF PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA | PAGE 4
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DECEMBER 4 – DECEMBER 10, 2014
Neighbors get into holiday spirit A Christmas party was held Monday for the Westside Neighborhood Watch program. Held at Living Faith World Ministries in Daytona Beach, it was hosted by Commissioner Patrick Henry and attended by residents in his Zone 5 district as well as other guests.
A “Dance of the Century,” will be held Dec. 13 from 8 p.m. to midnight at the Dickerson Center, 308 Dr. Martin Luther King Blvd. The dance will feature the Love Band of Orlando with oldies but goodies from the 1960s through 1970s at this adults-only affair. There will be comedy, refreshments, door prizes and souvenirs. Dressy attire and tickets required. More information: 386-295-4468 or 386-262-0341.
Christmas at Cookman The Bethune-Cookman University Chorale will present Christmas at Cookman Dec. 5 at 7 p.m. featuring special guests such as the Ormond Beach Middle School Panther Singers and The Atlantic High School Sounds of the Atlantic. This free event will be held at the B-CU Mary McLeod Bethune Performing Arts Center. Students, faculty, staff and the community are welcomed to attend this event.
Black teachers to be honored Dec. 12 The Bethune-Cookman University’s Women’s Advisory Board is sponsoring a banquet recognizing all of the Black teachers who taught in segregated schools in Volusia County on Dec. 12 at 6 p.m. in the Presidents’ Banquet Room in the Michael and Libby Johnson Civic Engagement Center, 740 West International Speedway Blvd. “Honoring Our Unsung Heroes: The Black Teachers - Our Guiding Lights through Segrega-
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About the Ferguson decision, he said at the forum: “Whatever they did, they knew they could get away with it. Whatever you feel about the veracity of innocence or guilt... they knew they could get away with it.” “We know what they are going to do,” Triplett said of the leadership in Ferguson and how they felt about Blacks in the city following the announcement. “Let’s do it (give the announcement) at night, let them tear up their whole community, have no police presence and then we’re going to let the world focus on that they tore up the community not the egregiousness of what happened.”
Struggling to survive “Part of what poverty has done to our people is that we no longer seek to be an informed body or an informed people. We are too busy trying to survive that we have no time to be intelligent,” Triplett stated. “That’s killing us. He added, “If something went down on Derbyshire (Road) tomorrow, we don’t have a way to reach a thousand Black people in a 12-hour period and say ‘something egregious just went down and we’re headed over here to do what we need to do and we need everyone’s support.’ “I’m hoping that one of the things that comes out of this is a system of advocacy and a system of engagement.”
NAACP’s role During the forum, the issue of
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site of the health fair is the Daisy Stocking Park, 550 Third Ave. “We anticipate more than 30 health providers,” Bryant shared.
Seeking community support
DUANE C. FERNANDEZ SR./ HARDNOTTS PHOTOGRAPHY
Dance of the Century
MIDTOWN
tion” will feature renowned performing artist and fine arts consultant Harry Burney. Reservations must be made by Dec. 9 by contacting Betsey Hardeman at 386-767-6487. Tickets will not be sold at the door.
AACS giving away toys, gifts to needy The African American Cultural Society will hold its Holiday Gift Giving Celebration at 6 pm on Friday, Dec. 5 at the AACS Center, 4422 N. US Highway 1. This annual tradition distributes gifts to selected less fortunate families of Flagler County. Unwrapped toys and gifts for children 3 to 7 years old may be left with the center’s administrative assistant by calling 386- 4477030. Indicate the appropriate sex and age of the child for the gift, as well as the donor’s name. Donations may be made online at aacspc.eventbrite.com or mailed to AACS, P.O. Box 350607, Palm Coast, FL 32135-0607.
Kwanzaa celebration The AACS will host a Kwanzaa celebration on Dec. 27 from 1 to 4 p.m. at the center. The annual free festivity of vendors, food and entertainment is partly supported by a cultural arts grant from the City of Palm Coast. This year’s celebration will focus on Kujichagulia (self-determination), the second of the seven Kwanzaa principles. The event is open to the public. The society, which is celebrating its 23rd year, will host a New
civil rights was a hot topic. The NAACP was part of that discussion. “The NAACP fights battles, but how many young urban mothers know to go to the NAACP?” Triplett asked. “We have young people who can’t tell you what NAACP means, let alone know to go to them to fight battles.” Triplett said that there needed to be “a coming together” and “connecting some dots” to start covering our own community. “There are people who feel like they have no one to fight for them,” he added. Cynthia Slater, president of the Volusia County Branch of the NAACP agreed with Triplett. She explained that there is an information gap between the organization and some members of the community in an interview with the Daytona Times. “It is a lack of knowledge, not only for young people, but you have older and more seasoned as well,” Slater began. “The NAACP is the oldest civil rights organization in this country. We’ve been fighting since 1909.”
Not everything publicized “There is no reason for our people to not know the battles that we fought for,” she explained. “105 years. We’ve been marching and demonstrating and fighting for 105 years. There is a miseducation of our people about the NAACP and what we are there for.” The NAACP deals with issues of police brutality, discrimination and unfair treatment among others, in regard to civil rights. “People have to come, they won’t know what we can help them with if they don’t
Year’s Eve party on Dec. 31. Contact the center for more details.
Travel journal workshop scheduled Dec. 10 Dixie Blake will explain how to write an interesting travel journal during a free workshop from 1 to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 10, at the Daytona Beach Regional Library at City Island, 105 E. Magnolia Ave. Blake will also share highlights of her travel as president of the Sister Cities Association of Volusia County. The program is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Daytona Beach Library and the Sister Cities Association of Volusia County. For more information, contact Adult Program Librarian Catherine Relda at 386-257-6036, ext. 16235.
Free legal advice clinics taking place this month Community Legal Services of Mid-Florida, the primary provider of free legal aid in Central Florida, is hosting free legal advice clinics through mid-December called Walk-In Wednesday. The clinics will take place at the Volusia County office, 128 Orange Ave., Daytona Beach, on Dec. 10 and Dec. 17. Hours are from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. These free clinics are open to all income-eligible residents in Central Florida. Individuals who have civil legal issues including but not lim-
come,” she continued. “We do what we have to do and move on,” she added. “We don’t put everything in the paper that we do. Some people may say that the NAACP is non-functional. That’s because everything we do doesn’t have to be publicized. We just do what we have to do.” “We better wake up or they are going to wake us up,” Slater concluded. The next NAACP meeting is Dec. 18 at the John H. Dickerson Center.
‘We have to care’ At the Nov. 26 forum, Triplett opened the floor to members of a panel and audience asking what they want to see happen in the Daytona Beach area in regards to the Black community. Pastor Monzell Ford, a community activist and former gang member, said that above all people have to care. “We have to care. There was a time we couldn’t even assemble like this,” Ford avowed. “We have to protest, we have to vote, we need people who can speak on our behalf. Yes, there is some stuff we can in fact do. It all goes back to do we care enough? Enough to do what we have to do and stick with it.” LeRosa Dickerson, the eldest in the room and mother of Hope Fellowship, spoke of years past. “I think of my fathers, brothers, ministers,” she said. “I still believe that the men should stand up. If we had more men to be men, that would help a lot of our boys. I see men walking with their sons and the man’s pants down the son’s pants down.” “They would form groups,” she continued. “They would go from this group to that group. We don’t
ited to consumer, public benefits or housing and foreclosure will be able to meet one-on-one with experienced attorneys. Participants are encouraged to pre-register by calling 800-9842919 x. 2117 or 866-428-0105 ext 2906 or arrive with ample time to complete an intake the day of the clinic. The application process will begin at 1 p.m. and attorneys will start seeing clients at 3 p.m. For more information, send email to probono@clsmf.org.
Deltona hosting food drive The City of Deltona is hosting a food drive, “One Can – Make a Difference!” with the goal of restocking the shelves of food pantries operating in the city. Deltona is collecting donations of nonperishable food items and gift cards. Until Dec. 15, collection boxes are located at all Deltona fire stations; City of Deltona Public Works, 201 Howland Blvd.; Deltona Water, 255 Enterprise Road; Deltona Community Center, 980 Lakeshore Drive, Harris M. Saxon Community Center, 2329 California St.; West Crile Gymnasium, 1537 Norbert Terrace; and Deltona City Hall, 2345 Providence Blvd.
House Next Door to host yard sale The House Next Door has scheduled a yard sale on Dec. 5 and 6 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 121 W. Pennsylvania Ave., DeLand. Holiday items will be available. Proceeds will benefit the Sexual Abuse Treatment Program.
have those connections here. If more men were involved in a lot, the town would be better. The city would be better.” “The old people had sense enough to pull things together,” she added. “My father had a third-grade education, my uncle had a ninth-grade education, but they got the job done.” Another attendee just wanted to see officers in the community to be more engaged in the community. “I don’t want to necessarily see six officers standing behind the church but stop by,” the attendee pushed. “We should start calling for them to be a part of the community.’’ Another attendee asked for a change in the law, specifically geared toward the controversial “Stand Your Ground” law that gained national attention following the shooting death of unarmed Black teen Trayvon Martin in 2012 by neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman. He was acquitted in the death of Martin. Other suggestions: • Host more forums with more young people involved. • Host more events in the community centers. • Ask others what they want. • Teach self-respect. • Have more pastors get together instead of each group holding separate events. • Have more male role models in schools. • Attend city meetings. • Learn who is in charge of what so we know where to focus our attention. • Find key people to go to.
Control the narrative All roads led back to media, or
The health fair will feature medical service agencies and providers from all over Volusia County. The Volusia County Health Department is partnering with the City of Daytona Beach to host this event. Merchants on Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Boulevard, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and International Speedway Boulevard are encouraged to remain open for activities taking place on Dec .13. “The purpose of this year’s events are no different from those of last year,” Bryant said. “Bringing the community together and providing a positive atmosphere in the Midtown Area for the holiday season. We believe that we accomplished this task last year.” “We realize there are other activities taking place in other communities on this date. However, these two events are being provided in our community and for our residents,” Bryant added. “For the health fair and the parade to be successful this year, we need your participation and support as we attempt to ‘Light Up Midtown.’ ”
JUSTICES from Page 1
later arrived to defuse the situation, according to court documents. The Indiana man then was charged with aggravated assault with a firearm.
Serious questions In the brief, Bretherick’s attorney contended that his client acted justifiably in self defense. “Even though Jared feared for his life and that of his family, he maintained his composure,’’ the brief said. “Jared’s response to Dunning’s continuous and escalating threats was measured and appropriate while he waited for law enforcement to help him and his family.” But Tuesday, Supreme Court Justice Charles Canady questioned why the Bretherick vehicle could not have moved to a different lane and driven away from the confrontation. “I’m having real trouble understanding how somebody is trapped and is unlawfully detained or subject to an unlawful confinement in circumstances like that,’’ Canady said.
so it seems. “We have to control the narrative. Where do you get your news about Black America?” Triplett asked the audience. Answers included, BlackAmericaWeb.com, “Tom Joyner Morning Show’’ and Roland Martin. “Nobody goes to Root.com? Grio.com? Salon?” he asked. “We don’t even know where to go to get information about us. That’s a problem, we’re uneducated. We aren’t informed on where to go to get our own stuff. We have to be sources of information. I know now I have to put that stuff out in by own church. That’s what it means to control the narrative. We have to be the people controlling the narrative about us.” “Whatever we been doing ain’t working” Triplett added. “That’s the one message that is difficult to convey especially in this city. A lot of people do a lot of good work and a lot of good effort, but the effort isn’t necessarily doing the work that needs to be done. It becomes difficult for people to say we have do to do something different.”
‘We’re disposable’ “It should bother you that in the bigger scheme of things, you don’t matter,” Triplett concluded. “When you finish buying stuff on Black Friday and all of that, there is a system that you don’t matter in and the only thing that they let you do is stuff that doesn’t matter to them. I just don’t do well, with not mattering. Not only do we not matter, we’re disposable. They can kill us and know they are going to get away with it.”
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DECEMBER 4 – DECEMBER 10, 2014 COMMUNITY DECEMBER 14 - 20, 2006
M A YNEWS OR
Flagler NAACP’s protest filled with prayers for Ferguson There’s a disconnect to the grand jury’s decision not to indict police officer Darren Wilson in the fatal shooting in Ferguson, Mo, of unarmed 18-year-old Michael Brown. Specific issues broached a peaceful protest by the Flagler County NAACP in the August killing of the Black teen. Protests erupted across the country, much like this recent resistance poised by the NAACP at the First Church of Palm Coast, regardless of good or inclement weather. Moreover, it rained heavily. Yet, an appreciable number of kids showed up for the protest, retained indoors by NAACP branch president Linda Sharpe Haywood. Capturing everything, the kids took photographs with tablets. There were recognizable adults such as Commander Mark Harmon of the Flagler County Sheriff’s Department, Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Larry Jones and retired Col. G. Henry Williams, director on the board of the African American Cultural Society. “The NAACP is calling on this community to act collectively and calmly until we secure justice for the family of Michael Brown,” said Haywood. Prayers framed the quest for justice from Pastor Sims Jones, NAACP Religious Affairs chairman, who prayed comfort for the Brown family, and to still the unrest of the nation. “We ask you, Lord, that you help all of those who have come calling for calm, those who are trying to organize, those who are trying to do things for the betterment of your people - betterment of this country, betterment of the relationship between law enforcement and the people,” pleaded Pastor Jones.
Call for justice The branch president confirmed that a trio from Zion Baptist Church was an indicator of what our young people are capable of doing. And indeed, they
PALM COAST COMMUNITY NEWS JEROLINE D. MCCARTHY
sang beautifully a capella in harmony, “O Lord, How Excellent Is Thy Name.” The Rev. Charlene Cothran is their pastor. “We will continue to fight to outlaw racial profiling, whether it comes from the hands of law enforcement, professionals or armed citizens,” reiterated Haywood. She comes from three generations of law enforcement officers. Haywood revealed that she is not anti-police, and her husband gave his life in the line of duty. She too has enjoyed part of her career in law enforcement. “Too often,” she continued, “the indefensible fear of Black and brown bodies and the abusive power by those officers in blue who have produced fatal results. We will not stand out until accountability and justice in cases of misconduct are served for Michael Brown and too many other countless men and women, who lost their lives to suffer discrimination.” “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,” President Stefany Ecklin resounded by quoting Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Ecklin is the president of the Flagler County NAACP Youth Council. “No one seems to realize that it is no longer the Black kids who are making the problem,” said Ecklin. “It’s the weak government and the weak system we have... It’s those who don’t realize that we need to fight with and for each other, and not against each other. It’s the ones who don’t understand what it means to make a true change in the world for the better...” deliberated Ecklin.
JEROLINE D. MCCARTHY/DAYTONA TIMES
Linda Sharpe Haywood, Flagler County NAACP president, is shown with Stefany Ecklin, president of the Flagler County NAACP Youth Council.
Who failed? The Rev. Charlene Cothran pointed out evidence showing that our children are not disciplined. “We have to accept some of the responsibility because our children need our discipline,” she said. The rights of parents to discipline their children in this country have resulted in children who fear nothing. They don’t fear their parents. They have no respect for authority in the schools...And so, as parents, and grandparents, and neighbors and pastors, we’ve all got to pitch in to teach with what a mother and father cannot do alone.” Mulling over that a young man not having a weapon but was killed by someone who had a weapon, and yet is not held accountable, Pastor Jones said, “Not only did parents fail, but our judicial system failed. Our police officers failed. Our elected officials failed because when it came time to remove this biased prosecutor, our own elected officials didn’t do their job. We need to get on our job. We need to come together and vote these people out who don’t take care of us. We need to vote these people out who are not making things fair for everybody,” said the pastor
‘No more’ In a complicated world, and
in the quest for justice, the Rev. Gillard S. Glover, pastor of First Church, established a threshold of actions that should no longer be tolerated. From an African proverb giving new life to the dead by calling out their names, Pastor Glover called out those that endured in the battle of law enforcement against minorities. Some of the names that were called were: Kimani Gray, Kendrick McCabe, Timothy Russell, Irving Jefferson, Amadou Diallo, Patrick Dorismond, Ousmane Zongo, Sean Bell, Trayvon Martin, Jordan Davis, Orlando Barlow, Aaron Campbell, 17-year-old Victor Steien, Stephen Eugene Washington, Alonzo Ashley, Wendell Allen, 17-year-old James Brissette, Ronald Madison and Michael Brown. Quoting Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane as recorded in Luke 22:49-51, Rev. Glover describes “No More of This,” the actions that we should no longer tolerate. “No more agendaless organizations. Brothers being battered while driving Black. No more lying and calling it legal. No more misdirected mayhem. No more not voting and then complaining. No more outsourcing our opportunities, No more pretending to care yet not having time. No more questioning the process and never participating in it. No more raising young peo-
Weekly ad in hand. Coupons in pocket. BOGO-vision on. It’s time to save. publix.com/save
ple without a sense of self. No more selling our birthright for a ‘mess of porridge.’ No more telling their story, but not telling ours. No more undermining our legitimate leadership. No more vying for valueless positions. No more wishing for change, but not working for change. No more,” the pastor said. “Father, in Jesus’ name,” the pastor prayed, “we thank you for your power and your presence. “We thank you that you are a God who has a sense and desire for social justice. We thank you for this leadership here gathered together. We thank you for the fact that the arc of justice will correct itself, and we thank you, Father, that you are a God who intervenes when it is Your time. Bless now the leadership of the NAACP. Bless every household represented here. Bless the Brown gamily. Bless those who love you, is our prayer,” which ended the benediction by the pastor. ••• As always, remember our prayers for the sick, afflicted and bereaved.
Celebrations Birthday wishes to: Teirra May, Ernestine Logan, Bill Day, David Freckleton, Dec. 5; Larry Wettlin, Dec. 6; Alexis Luckett, Dec. 9; and Erica Malloy, Sunny Delaney, Dec. 10.
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7 EDITORIAL
DECEMBER 4 – DECEMBER 10, 2014
Justified rage in Ferguson At this moment I don’t need my president to tell me to respect the decision of a tainted grand jury. And the call for calm from civil rights leaders, politicians and suspect clergy fall upon deaf ears. This isn’t about calm or order. It’s about justice. I am not trying to be analytical, political, proper or courteous about this madness. By the way, if our civic leadership was as concerned with the killing of Black people as they are with the destruction of property, we wouldn’t be at this moment. Businesses can be rebuilt, insurance can cover property damage. Michael Brown ain’t coming back.
‘Angry and indignant’ For every Tamir Rice, Emmett Till, Rodney King, Phillip Pannell, Cheyanne Bond, Trayvon Martin, Hadiya Pendleton, Malik Williams, Michael Brown, Genesis Rincon, John Crawford, Oscar Grant, Sean Bell and Eric Garner – I choose to be angry and indignant. I reserve the right to simmer with rage, and to use all my God given strength and talent to combat the sins of this nation. I refuse to submit, to be docile; to accept the slaughter of innocent children as a cost of being a Black American. It is a cost that I refuse to afford and a penalty that I refuse to accept. My rights were already paid down by the enslaved labor of my ancestors and the blood of the strange fruit that you hung on southern trees. I now demand payment in full for
WALTER FIELDS NNPA COLUMNIST
the terror imposed on my people and the dignity you trampled to gain advantage. I will not be silent nor will I waver in the face of ignorance and hate. There is no bending of the back here, no casting eyes away and no lowering of the head. The back you thought you broke is straight, and buttressed by a spine of steel. That sound you hear is not feet shuffling, but steps ordered and determined. My friends call me Walter, but you can call me Mr. Fields. And if you try ‘boy,’ ‘nigger’’ or ‘you people,’ or any other pejorative label know that I didn’t make it to 55 by accident.
The silence is over “I will not be silent nor will I waver in the face of ignorance and hate. There is no bending of the back here, no casting eyes away and no lowering of the head. The back you thought you broke is straight, and buttressed by a spine of steel. That sound you hear is not feet shuffling, but steps ordered and determined.” America needs to know that it crossed the line in Ferguson. Really, it obliterated the line of decency and humanity with the farce of a judicial process that occurred. The line was crossed a long time ago and Black people
have been incredibly patient. No other group of oppressed people on this planet would have been this tolerant for this long as its children were murdered in cold blood. In some corners of the world children are hurling rocks at tanks and teenagers are standing in the path of tanks, and mothers are bearing arms. In America we have simply seethed, cried, prayed and hoped. And our oppressors have gone about their business, dining at the table of ill-gotten gains. It’s time we put justice on the menu and force feed it down the mouths of those who will never acknowledge our humanity. We get it America. We get it loud and clear. The ball is now in our court. We have votes. We have money. We have our youth. We have our voices. We have our feet. We have our bodies. Let’s just be clear about one thing. We have tried it the way you prescribed in the Constitution and you betrayed the very words etched on parchment. It’s now time for payment in full on that promissory note Dr. King spoke of on August 28, 1963 with Lincoln in the background. It’s time for Black Americans to be about the business of bill collecting.
Walter Fields is Executive Editor of NorthStarNews.com and a Black father. Write your own response at www.daytonatimes.com.
Nobody knows the trouble we’ve seen Nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen Nobody knows my sorrow Nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen Glory hallelujah! Those are the opening lyrics to “Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen,” a spiritual with roots as a slave song. It was originally called, “Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Had.” The enormously gifted Marian Anderson popularized “Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen” in 1925. Different versions were subsequently rendered by Lena Horne, Paul Robeson, Louis Armstrong, and Sam Cooke. In the wake of the latest miscarriage of justice in the Michael Brown case in Ferguson, Mo., the song once again has a relevance to the continuing reality of racial injustice for Black Americans. Nobody knows the pain of Michael Brown’s parents. Nobody knows the utter disgust of the Black American community across the nation after the grand jury in Ferguson failed to indict Darren Wilson. The writing and singing of spirituals are an important aspect of the tradition and long struggle for freedom and justice in America. We are a spirit-filled people. Our poetry, songs and cultural responses to the conditions and contradictions that we face have always helped us to not accept in-
DR. BENJAMIN F. CHAVIS, JR. NNPA COLUMNIST
justice, and to persevere even in the face of violence.
Still marching Marching for equal justice is also therapeutic. The NAACP, our oldest civil rights organization, is about to conclude a 7-day march from Ferguson to Jefferson City, the state capital, to protest the Michael Brown injustice and to proposed corrective remedies. We hope that the march and the other protest activities that are being planned will involve the growing number of young activists and leaders who are emerging in St Louis County and on the national scene. We need to propose solutions to local, state and federal bodies to take corrective action. Beyond singing and marching, we need to get more civil rights laws enacted to stop police brutality and racial profiling.
Wounds reopened Fifty years ago, in response to the racially-motivated police violence to suppress the voting rights of Black Americans in Selma, Ala. and throughout the Deep South, the Civil Rights Movement was
successful in getting the 1965 Voting Rights Act passed by Congress and signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson. There are numerous issues that arise out of the killing of Michael Brown. Unjustified propensity by police officers to use deadly force against Black Americans and other persons of color, the improper and inadequate training of police officers, racism in the flawed criminal justice system, prosecutorial misconduct, and the systemic racial oppression are all issues that need be addressed more effectively. We support the efforts of President Barack Obama and some of his key domestic policy advisers, such as Roy L. Austin, Jr., who are proposing the development and enactment of the “Michael Brown Law.” If enacted, the new law would require all state, county, and local police to wear a body video camera. Of course this is just one solution, but it is a much needed and achievable step in the right direction to hold police officers accountable for their actions, especially when deadly force is used.
Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. is President and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association. Write your own response at www.daytonatimes. com.
VISUAL VIEWPOINT: HANDS UP
JOHN COLE, THE SCRANTON TIMES-TRIBUNE
Same old problem, same old response In 1983, it was Michael Stewart, 25. He was a graffiti artist who was beaten to death in police custody in New York. No one paid a price for his death. On the day of Stewart’s arrest, the Committee Against Racially Motivated Police Violence was holding a news conference. There were vigils. That was 31 years ago. For anyone who wonders why young people in Ferguson don’t want to have anything to do with old leadership, think on that.
March to nowhere Brace for the usual cast of “misleadership” characters to “funnel Black peoples energies into official channels that go nowhere,” to quote activist Glenn Ford. African-Americans have been dealing with police brutality for decades. Until new leadership and forceful solutions arrives the community will continue to deal with it. And there has been plenty to deal with: In, 1999, Amadou Diallo, 23, was shot 19 times. The officers were acquitted. In 2004, Tim Stansbury, 19, was shot by a cop for no reason on a roof. A grand jury ruled it “an accident.” No one was prosecuted. Ten years later, the same thing happened. Akai Gurley, 28, was shot dead in Brooklyn in a stairwell by a cop in another “unfortunate tragedy.” Eric Garner was strangled to death on a sidewalk by Daniel Pantaleo, a cop with two previous lawsuits against him, one of which the city paid damages. It’s likely Pantaleo will pay no price for Garner’s death. Earlier this month Tamir Rice, 12, was shot less than three seconds after the police arrived. In August, John Crawford, 22, was shot dead in a Wal-Mart in Ohio looking at a toy gun. In St. Louis, while everyone was discussing the case of Michael Brown being shot dead by Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson, cops shot Kajieme Powell, 25, to death 16 seconds after their arrival. Vonderrick Myers, 18, was shot 17 times by an off duty cop a month after Brown was shot. Again, no one indicted.
LAUREN VICTORIA BURKE NNPA COLUMNIST
Body cams shed light St. Louis Police Chief Sam Dotson lied to reporters about Powell’s actions, saying Powell was holding a knife over his head with “an overhand grip” within “three or four feet” of officers. Then – whoops – a video surfaced showing Powell doing no such thing. “Young Black males in recent years were at a far greater risk of being shot dead by police than their White counterparts – 21 times greater,” according to a ProPublica study in October. Many of the 600,000 police officers in America do a great job. But it cannot be ignored that the above cases occur at a time when death in the line of duty for cops is at its lowest point in 40 years. In 2013, the fewest number of cops were murdered in the line of duty: 27. That was a 44 percent decrease from the 49 officers killed in 2012. So what is it? Why now? Why are cops drawing their guns in dark stairwells with no verified threat? Why couldn’t Darren Wilson arrest a flip-flop clad jaywalking alleged cigar thief without shooting him to death? Is it poor training? Is it low IQ cops joined with low hiring standards? Is it watching too many movies? Whatever it is, the problem has long needed political attention. Body cameras on all police officers, a Justice Department update of their racial profiling language for federal police, a federal investigation into local fines and St. Louis municipal government and an end to Pentagon program 1033 would be a start.
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.
The two minds of Obama President Obama was right on the money in announcing his executive order on immigration. Contrary to the assertion of Republican demagogues, this is not a blanket amnesty, but does release more than 4 million noncriminals from the ever-present threat of deportation. As Obama noted, if Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) had brought the Senate’s immigration bill to the floor of the House of Representatives, executive action would not be necessary. It is significant that President Obama told Speaker Boehner that he would hold off signing an executive order if the speaker promised to bring the legislation to the floor, but Boehner refused to make such a promise. That settles the matter as far as any thinking person should be concerned. Clearly, this was another example of the Republicans doing all that they can to embarrass and undermine the president for no other reason than that the president exists.
Got it right President Obama also got it right in continuing negotiations with the government of Iran over the nuclear issue. The multi-national discussion underway is a reasonable and necessary mea-
Got it wrong BILL FLETCHER, JR. NNPA COLUMNIST
sure to pull various countries back from the brink of war. Iran insists that as a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, it has the right to develop peaceful usages of nuclear power. Irrespective of whether you happen to like the idea of nuclear power, they have that right. Israel, which is not a signatory and has more than 100 hundred nuclear warheads (though will not acknowledge it), has been pressing for military action against Iran as a means of stopping them from getting close to developing nuclear power. Such a step would be the equivalent of throwing gasoline on an already intense fire in the region. It would be callous and irresponsible. President Obama, despite the prodding on the part of many Republicans and Democrats, has continued negotiations and this should be supported. To a great extent this is about trust building between nations.
Before you get too excited, here is where Obama got it wrong, and I mean really wrong. In addition to an unfocused military campaign against ISIL/ISIS and a refusal to insist that the Iraqi Shiitedominated regime clean up its act and embrace the Sunni minority, it was revealed that Obama is permitting continued U.S. military action in Afghanistan, despite a pledge to the contrary. There is no end in sight to the war in Afghanistan. It should be more than clear that the regime in Kabul is quite corrupt and not serving as a force to unify the country. Therefore, the question is what is to be gained by continued U.S. involvement? Why one more year? Should it not be obvious that a dramatically different approach needs to be undertaken in order to bring about a resolution to the conflict? When it comes to the Middle East and Central Asia, President Obama seems to be of two minds.
Bill Fletcher, Jr. is the host of The Global African on TelesurEnglish. Write your own response at www.daytonatimes. com.
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HEALTH MA YOR
DECEMBERDECEMBER 4 – DECEMBER 2014 14 - 20,10, 2006
Many more to reach in HIV battle Blacks still trail Whites and Latinos in getting treated BY FREDDIE ALLEN NNPA NEWS SERVICE
WASHINGTON – Blacks who have been diagnosed with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) continue to lag behind Whites and Latinos when it comes to getting linked to care, increasing the chances that they could spread the disease to others. Just 76 percent of Blacks who have been diagnosed are linked to care for HIV, the lowest rate of all racial and ethnic groups. Eightyfive percent of Whites who are living with HIV are receiving treatment. “Engaging and retaining people in HIV care has to be a top priority in our HIV response, said Jonathan Mermin, the director the National Center for HIV, Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention at the CDC.
1.2 million with HIV There are more than 1.2 million people living with HIV and 70 percent (839,336) of them have not achieved viral suppression, according to a recent report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). That’s why the CDC has stepped up efforts to get more people who are living with HIV the health care they need. Tom Frieden, the director of the CDC, said that because most people achieve viral suppression with the proper medication, it’s important that people start treatment as soon as they’re diagnosed. Viral suppression is suppressing or reducing the function and replication of a virus. “HIV care and treatment not only work to improve health and prolong lives, but also to prevent new infections,” said Frieden. “Yet, we’re not reaching nearly enough people.” Frieden continued, “Treatment is particularly important, because people with HIV who achieve viral suppression aren’t just healthier, they are also less
KEVIN RECTOR/BALTIMORE SUN/MCT
Kurt Ragin, 25, also known as Fhallen Revlon of the House of Revlon, shows off his skills in October after a panel discussion on Baltimore’s ballroom dancing scene in Mount Vernon, Md. Ragin, an HIV outreach worker for the University of Maryland’s Star Track program, is one of several people pushing HIV awareness among Black gay and transgender youth in the city’s growing dance performance world. likely to infect others.”
The hardest hit Blacks account for almost half of all new infections in the United States each year (44 percent) and more than one third of all people living with HIV (41 percent), according to the CDC. “Among Blacks, men account for 70 percent of new HIV infections and women account for 30 percent,” stated the CDC. Eugene McCray, the director of the CDC’s Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, said that within the Black community the disease really doesn’t show any favoritism. “It affects men, women, gay and straight, young and old,” said McCray, adding that gay and bisexual men
are the most affected, followed by heterosexual women. “But young Black, gay and bisexual men are by far the hardest hit.” The CDC reported that young Black men who have sex with men (MSM) account for more new HIV infections than any other subgroup of MSM. African-American women accounted for 64 percent of AIDS diagnoses among all women in 2010, compared with 17 percent of Latino women 15 percent of White women. Although Black teens represent only 17 percent of the American teenager population, they account for 70 percent of new AIDS diagnoses among all teens.
No diagnosis McCray said that one of
the greatest challenges to getting young Blacks into treatment is the lack of a diagnosis. “Many don’t know that they’re infected,” said McCray. A lack of a strong social support system, lack of health insurance, lack of adequate youth friendly services, especially for Black youth, can all lead to poor access to care, McCray said. In an effort, to increase linkage and retention to care and access to prevention services and to decrease HIV/AIDS related deaths among people of color, the CDC launched the Care and Prevention in the United States (CAPUS) Demonstration Project. CAPUS provides $44.2 million through eight state health departments in
Georgia, Illinois Louisiana Mississippi, Missouri North Carolina Tennessee and Virginia. McCray said that by targeting these states the CDC also hoped to have a particularly positive impact on the Black community, because with the exception of Missouri, each state has a higher population of Black residence than the national average.
Controlling the virus In order to qualify for grants, jurisdictions had to have an AIDS diagnosis rate of more than 6 per 100,000 in 2010. In the fiscal year 2012, more than $14 million was awarded through CAPUS, the first year of the threeyear project.
CAPUS program was designed to increase the number of people with HIV receiving ongoing medical treatment while reducing social, clinical and economic barriers to preventing HIV. “The key to controlling the HIV epidemic is controlling the virus and that’s true for all communities,” said McCray. “Just 30 percent of people living with HIV have achieved viral suppression in all communities, Black and White. We need to improve our health outcomes along the entire continuum.” McCray added: “AfricanAmericans still bear the brunt of the HIV crisis in the U.S. When people get tested, if they learn that are HIV positive, it’s important that they get linked to care and retained in care.”
Study: Most children’s broken bones are treated improperly tic bandage to hold them in place. Most of the time, Abzug said, the application is good enough for a patient who will see an orthopedist within a few days. The orthopedist can evaluate the patient and put on a cast. But if that visit is delayed, he said, serious problems can develop. They include wounds that require skin grafts or even surgery to reset a bone.
Bandages, splints wrong
CASSIDY JOHNSON/BALTIMORE SUN/TNS
Jessica Ryan plays with her two 1-year-old sons Hayden, right, and Hudson, left, in her home in Abingdon, Md., on Nov. 19. Hudson broke his leg and the splint ended up giving him a sore, a common but avoidable occurrence according to his doctor. BY MEREDITH COHN BALTIMORE SUN (TNS)
Hundreds of thousands of times each year in the United States, children go to emergency rooms with bone fractures. But new research from University of Maryland School of Medicine shows that the injuries are almost never splinted properly. Ninety-three percent of the splints that are used
to immobilize fractured limbs temporarily are not put on correctly, according to the study of pediatric patients in the Baltimore area. And that can lead to swelling, skin injuries and other problems — some of them long-term. “I did the study because I see a lot of splints on wrong, but I didn’t think it would be that high,” said Dr. Joshua M. Abzug, the director of pediatric ortho-
pedics at the University of Maryland Medical Center and the lead author of the study. “This is really a baseline study that shows, ‘Hey, there is a problem and we recognize that it exists. The next step is education.”
275 youth studied Abzug, who is also an assistant professor in Maryland’s School of Medicine, studied 275 children and
teenagers who came to a Maryland pediatric orthopedist from a community hospital emergency department or urgent care center in the region. He presented his findings in Washington in October at a conference of the American Academy of Pediatrics. The splints that are used to stabilize broken bones usually include a strip of rigid material, a wrapping of soft padding and an elas-
In 77 percent of the cases Abzug studied, elastic bandages were incorrectly put directly on skin. In 59 percent, joints were not immobilized correctly. In 52 percent, splints were the wrong length. About 40 percent of the kids had skin and softtissue complications. Those percentages are particularly troubling, he said, given the numbers who are splinted. Nearly half of all boys and a quarter of girls suffer fracturesz before age 16, Abzug said. Almost 1 million kids under 15 fracture limbs each year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found in its 2010 National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, and millions more get splints for sprains or strains. Abzug suspects that adults also are not splinted properly. The researchers could not identify who was applying splints incorrectly most often — doctors, nurses, physician assistants or medical assistants — because parents couldn’t reli-
ably tell them. They planned to demonstrate up-to-date techniques to staff in area hospitals and urgent care centers and perhaps provide some posters and pocketsize cards for reminders. Abzug said they would redo the study to see whether splinting improved.
Prolonged recovery The year-old son of Jessica Ryan, an Abingdon, Md., mother of four, was injured in October in an accident in the home. X-rays showed a fractured tibia. His leg was splinted at the emergency room; Ryan declined to say where. At one point, he crawled out of the splint. At another, she removed it so he could sleep. When Hudson saw Abzug for a cast, the pediatrician told Ryan he wasn’t surprised to see a sore on Hudson’s heel. Ryan doesn’t know if she or the hospital applied the splint incorrectly. More than a month later, the cast is now off and the sore is a scab. Hudson and his twin brother, Hayden, are learning to walk. But Ryan still thinks about the family’s experience. “I wonder how many emergency rooms even know this is happening,” she said. “You don’t see them again. They didn’t warn us to look out for blistering or rubbing so maybe they didn’t know that was a possibility.” “I feel terrible that we may have prolonged [Hudson’s] recovery.”
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photo Jill Greenberg ©USDA Forest Service
DECEMBERDECEMBER 4 – DECEMBER 10, 2014 14 - 20, 2006
7
M SPORTS AYOR
Lady Wildcat posts career high; gets MEAC basketball honor The Bethune-Cookman Lady Wildcats earned their second weekly conference honors of the 2014-15 season after a sound victory over the weekend as officials from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) named Kayla Crawford as MEAC Player of the Week.
A redshirt senior and B-CU’s captain (6-0, Miami), Crawford earned her first career doubledouble in last Saturday’s win over Lynn University at Richard V. Moore Gymnasium, putting up career highs of 17 points and 15 rebounds, in addition to four steals. Crawford
shot 5-for-9 from the field and 7-for-9 from the freethrow line to aid the Lady Wildcats to their first victory. This is Bethune-Cookman’s second weekly MEAC accolades of the year and the first of Crawford’s career.
Kayla Crawford from Miami is a top MEAC player this week.
Richmond knocks off Morgan State in FCS playoff game conversion extended the Spider’s advantage to 15-0.
FROM WIRE REPORTS
RICHMOND, Va. – As the Morgan State Bears took their very first steps into the FCS playoffs, they found out this afternoon that the lessons learned in this part of the season can be painful and costly. One of those lessons was that when you don’t take care of the football, your time in the playoffs will be short. The Bears learned that lesson the hard way in their 46-24 loss to the 16thranked Richmond Spiders at Robins Stadium. Richmond advances to the second round and will face No. 7 seed Coastal Carolina. “We got into a 22-0 hole and then we tried to scratch our way back,” Coach Lee Hull said. “I did think our team — as they have done all year long — fought and kept fighting for 60 minutes. But when you dig yourself in a hole that early, it’s hard to overcome.”
Got interesting
COURTESY OF MSU SPORTS INFORMATION
Morgan State lost to the University of Richmond last weekend.
Interception, TD Morgan State quarterback Moses Skillon had a rough day for the Bears as he completed 23 of his 45 passes for 285 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. Skillon also fumbled, but rushed for 36
yards and a touchdown as well. Richmond struck first and often in this game. Spiders quarterback Michael Strauss threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to Reggie Diggs with 12:03 remaining to give the Spiders an early
7-0 lead. Then not too long after, Skillon’s first pass of the day was intercepted by Justin Grant. The turnover led to a 1-yard TD run by Seth Fisher with 7:06 left. Strauss’ pass to Brian Brown for the two-point
Richmond (9-4) added another score on another 1-yard TD run from Fisher with 51 second left in the first quarter. Peter Yoder’s extra point gave the Spiders a commanding 22-0 lead. Morgan State (7-6) finally responded in the second quarter. It started on a Chris Moller 29-yard field goal with 12:41 left to make it 22-3 Richmond. Then Skillon struck on the next Bears possession with a 3-yard TD run with 9:10 left. Moller’s extra point cut the deficit to 22-10, giving the Bears some life and a chance to really make things interesting. However, Richmond struck back. After converting a big fourth down play, Strauss threw his second TD pass to Diggs. This time, it was from 11 yards out. Yoder’s extra point extended the Spider lead to 29-10 with 20 seconds
left in the first half. That turned out to be the halftime score.
Too late for Bears Richmond jumped on the Bears in the third quarter defensively as Evan Kelly sacked Skillon, forced and recovered a fumble at the MSU 22. One play later, Strauss threw his third touchdown pass of the day. This time, the pass went to Fisher, who caught it from 22 yards out with 13:22 left. Yoder’s extra point extended the Spider lead to 3610. That was Fisher’s third touchdown of the day. Strauss had quite a day, completing 22 of 32 passes for 272 yards, four touchdowns and an interception. Morgan State got something going later on in the third quarter. That was when Skillon threw a 46-yard touchdown pass to Andrew King with 5:40 left in the third quarter. Moller’s extra point cut the deficit to 36-17.
6 Wildcats named top MEAC players for 2014 Six Bethune-Cookman football players have made All-MEAC teams. The teams were voted on by the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference’s head football coaches and sports information directors. Seniors LeBranden Richardson and Ralph Williams, both from Miami, picked up All-MEAC First Team Defense honors. Richardson had 41 total tackles (22 unassisted). He is earning his third postseason conference award after finishing the year tied for third in the league with eight quarterback sacks. Williams picked up his first All-MEAC postseason honor after playing just two years for the Wildcats. He transferred from Ole Miss prior to the 2013 season. He led the Wildcats with 101 tackles in 2014, including 14 tackles behind the line – mixed with two quarterback sacks. Making his way onto the second team defense was senior linebacker Tavarus Dantzler of Homestead, who is picking up his first end-of-year allconference accolade as a Wildcat, finishing the campaign with a team second-best 80 tackles. Senior center Andrew Edouard was named to the All-MEAC Third Team for offense. He helped pave the way for an offensive unit that racked up 361.4 yards per game in total offense this year. Rounding out the third team for defense were linemen Rony Barrow and Erik Williams. Barrow, a senior from Brooklyn, N.Y., finished the year with 40 tackles and seven tackles for loss. Williams, a graduate student from Fort Lauderdale, amassed 33 tackles. For a complete list of this year’s All-MEAC Team, visit MEACSports.com.
The University of Notre Dame’s rugby team will face Kutztown University at 11 a.m. Saturday at Indian Trails Sports Complex, 5455 Belle Terre Parkway, Palm Coast.
Women’s rugby teams playing in Palm Coast The teams have been announced for the USA Rugby Women’s Collegiate Fall Championship hosted by the American Collegiate Rugby Association. The national championship tournament will be played Dec. 6 and 7 at Indian Trails Sports Complex, 5455 Belle Terre Parkway, Palm Coast. The teams are: • Penn State University, Pennsylvania • Quinnipiac University,
Connecticut • Indiana University, Indiana • Norwich University, Vermont • Notre Dame College, Ohio • Kutztown University, Pennsylvania • Winona State University, Minnesota • Bowdoin College, Maine “This is Palm Coast’s first collegiate tournament and
our first national championship, and we are very excited to welcome ACRA here,” said Luanne Santangelo, Director of Parks & Recreation for the City of Palm Coast. “We’re hosting the best women’s rugby players in the United States, and we encourage everyone in our community to come out and see their favorite teams and support these outstanding players.”
Free for little kids The national championship tournament will be played in two divisions. Tickets will be sold at the gate, with daily prices of $10 adults; $5 students; $5 seniors (62 and older); and free for children 6 and under. The Girls Weightlifting team at Matanzas High School will be selling the tickets and also will have a full concession stand
throughout the tournament as a team fundraiser. The game schedule is as follows: • Saturday, Dec. 6 – 9 a.m.: Notre Dame vs. Kutztown; 11 a.m.: Winona vs. Bowdoin; 1 p.m.: Penn State vs. Quinnipiac; and 3 p.m.: Norwich vs. Indiana. • Sunday, Dec. 7 – 10 a.m.: consolation matches for Division One and Two; Noon: Division Two Fall Championship Game; and 2 p.m. Division One Fall Championship Game. Updates can be found at www.acra-rugby.com.
Olympics in 2016 Rugby will be added to the Olympic Games in 2016, for the first time in many decades, and it’s growing in popularity on college campuses and among spectators. “We’d like to encourage the public to come out and watch the games,” said Jeff Ward, Executive Director of ACRA. “It’s really great rugby. It’s the only sport for women that not only allows contact, but encourages it. It’s very athletic and fun to watch. Sports fans will truly love it.” The American Collegiate Rugby Association includes more than 150 colleges, representing the largest group of rugby teams in the country. For more information, contact Cindi Lane, Palm Coast communications and marketing manager, at 386-986-3708.
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