F.R.E.S.H. Book Festival returns next month SEE PAGE 3
East Central Florida’s Black Voice
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DR. JULIANNE MALVEAUX: Dealing with a criminal justice system that suffocates us SEE PAGE 4
B-CU BASEBALL COACH ANNOUNCES ADDITION OF 11 PLAYERS SEE PAGE 7
DECEMBER 11 - DECEMBER 17, 2014
YEAR 39 NO. 50
More time needed for land development code BY ASHLEY D. THOMAS DAYTONA TIMES aysheldarcel@gmail.com
Daytona Beach commissioners say they will need more time before they take a final vote on the city’s land development code. At the last meeting of the city commission on Dec. 3, they approved a number of changes and additions to the code previously. However, the decision on the lengthy document won’t be known until the Jan. 21 meeting.
The project began three years ago. “The purpose of the rewrite is so that it will be easier to get property zoned for the right purpose for the right reason,” Commissioner Patrick Henry explained in a previous interview with the Daytona Times. “It will get rid of some of the zoning codes that are outdated and irrelevant.” The code affects anyone who owns property in Daytona Beach.
The almost 800-page document had been amended numerous times since the last rewrite 21 years ago. However, city staff says the code is very outdated. What the community wanted in terms of regulation two decades ago isn’t the same as today, which is the purpose of updating the code now.
More user-friendly While the amendments have addressed specific issues, they have not addressed comprehen-
www.daytonatimes.com sive changes such as incorporating the city’s Vision Plan, the updated Comprehensive Plan and the plans for the city’s redevelopment areas. The city hired a team led by North Carolina-based Clarion Associates, a national land-use and zoning consulting firm, to evaluate the code and suggest modifications. The process of rewriting the code began with the goal of not only updating the code but also making the document more user-friendly. The updated document is more straightforward, efficient and intuitive.
Review it online As for reviewing the document, Paul McKitrick, deputy city manager and director of Development & Administrative Services, advises Daytona Beach
Time to light up Midtown
residents to search the document for the parts relevant to their situation. “My suggestion is that they go online. The code is almost 800 pages. My recommendation is to only look at the portion that you are interested in. Certainly don’t try to read that whole thing,” McKitrick stated. “But if you are a homeowner and you are interested in those provisions of the code that pertain to residential homes you can easily read just those sections.” McKitrick also urged residents to reach out to the board. “A lot of these homes were built in the 1920s and 1930s,” Commissioner Pam Woods commented at the meeting. “We have really hindered redevelopment with our rules.” For more information, visit www.codb.us.
Cartoonist draws fans through serious Black depictions, messages BY ASHLEY D. THOMAS DAYTONA TIMES aysheldarcel@gmail.com
PHOTO BY DUANE C. FERNANDEZ SR./HARDNOTTS PHOTOGRAPHY
BY ASHLEY D. THOMAS DAYTONA TIMES aysheldarcel@gmail.com
The City of Holly Hill’s 55th annual Christmas parade (pictured above) was held on Dec. 6. The celebrations continue in Daytona Beach on Saturday, Dec. 13 with the annual Light Up Midtown parade and health fair. The parade begins at 10 a.m. and will consist of area high school, middle school and elementary school bands, a steel band and the Daytona Destiny Drum Line. Churches, community organizations with floats, walking units, cars, etc. also will participate. Parade staging will be be-
hind the Daytona Mall as the route continues down Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Boulevard, cross Nova Road and end at Weaver Street. The health fair will begin at 10 a.m. and end at 2.
Big focus on health “We are always delighted to provide important health information to our community. Event goers will have the opportunity to visit a number of health care booths during the Light Up Midtown celebration. We encourage people to have a fun and safe event and learn about ways to stay healthy as well,’’ said Stefany Strong, public information officer for the
Florida Department of Health in Volusia County. Daytona Beach Redevelopment Project Manager Charles Bryant said more than 30 health providers are expected. Vendors participating in the Light Up Midtown Health Fair include BethuneCookman University Center for Health Equity, Florida Guardian Ad Litem, Florida Department of Health in Volusia County, Tobacco Prevention/Students Working Against Tobacco, WIC, Midtown HEAT, Riverside Eye Clinic. A wealth of information will be shared such as drowning prevention, immunizations, STD prevention and insurance.
Cartoonist Ron Bryant has been featured in newspapers and magazines the world over, reaching fans from Daytona to Atlanta, Nigeria to Germany discussing issues mainstream media refuse to acknowledge. Most recently, Bryant created quite the buzz after an illustration he drew depicting hip-hop superstar Nikki Minaj was shared thousands of times on social media reaching viral status. The image shows a Black elementary aged girl drawing a picture of the Grammy Award-winning Black actress Lupita Nyong’o. Nyong’o is plastered on a poster behind her while the strippeddown poster of Nicki Minaj lies in the trashcan. The image was editorialized nationally on leading Black information websites, including Naturally Moi, Hello Beautiful, Lipstick Alley, Oh No They Didn’t and Black America Web. “I cover topics that no one else wants to cover,” the 20 year-veteran of cartoon and illustration explained. Bryant’s Facebook page now has more than 107,000 followers and has reached over a million people through those followers. Please see CARTOONIST, Page 2
Campaign money flowing in for special legislative elections BY JIM SAUNDERS THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA
TALLAHASSEE – When St. Augustine Republican John Thrasher left the Senate last month to become president of Florida State University, his departure created a domino effect that will lead to three special legislative elections in early 2015. But it hasn’t taken long for campaign donors in Northeast Florida and Tallahassee to start pouring money into the races, newly filed finance reports show. Perhaps the best example is Palm Coast Republican Paul Renner, who moved to Flagler County after barely losing a Republican primary in August for a Jacksonville House seat. Renner is now running in another House district as he seeks to replace Rep.
ALSO INSIDE
Travis Hutson, an Elkton Republican who is bidding for Thrasher’s Senate seat.
Renner’s donors From Nov. 10 to Nov. 30, Renner collected $76,500 in contributions for the special election in House District 24, which includes Flagler and parts of St. Johns and Volusia counties. The new reports show Paul Renner received Renner money from some of the most-prominent donors from Jacksonville to Daytona Beach, including businessman Tom Petway, developer John Rood, lobbyist Marty Fiorentino and companies headed by
developer Mori Hosseini. Renner’s haul dwarfed the amounts raised by three other candidates in the District 24 race – Republicans Sheamus McNeeley and Ron Sanchez and Democrat Adam Morley. None of them raised more than $180 in November. A report for Republican Danielle Anderson had not been posted on the state Division of Elections website as of mid-afternoon Wednesday.
District 17 opening Thrasher’s exit from the Legislature directly led to a special election in Senate District 6, which includes St. Johns, Flagler, Putnam and part of Volusia counties. But like Hutson leaving the House District 24 seat, Rep. Ronald “Doc” Renuart, R-Ponte Vedra Beach, also is running to re-
place Thrasher. That has created an opening in St. Johns County’s House District 17. Special primaries in all three districts will be held Jan. 27, with special general elections April 7. Candidates faced a Wednesday deadline for filing finance reports showing contributions and spending through Nov. 30.
Following the money The GOP primary in Senate District 6 likely will draw the most money and attention, as Hutson and Renuart battle in a heavily Republican area. Renuart raised $51,100 in November, giving him an overall contribution total of $53,850. He also had loaned his campaign $50,000. Hutson raised $26,350 during the month, giving him an overall total of $156,200 – a to-
tal that included money Hutson started collecting in July for what was then his House campaign account. As of Nov. 30, Hutson also had loaned $150,000 to his campaign. With Renuart a physician and Hutson in the real-estate industry, both have drawn significant financial backing from people in their lines of work. As of Nov. 30, Hutson had collected $56,160 from people or businesses identified in finance reports as being in “real estate,” while Renuart had raised $18,800 from people with an occupation listed as “physician.”
Other contenders Democratic Senate candidate David Cox reported raising $150
COMMENTARY: DR. BENJAMIN CHAVIS: MARCHING STILL MAKES A DIFFERENCE | PAGE 4 HEALTH: PILL TO FIGHT HIV SPARKS CONTROVERSY AMONG GAYS | PAGE 5
Please see MONEY, Page 2
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7 FOCUS
DECEMBER 11 – DECEMBER 17, 2014
At D.C. funeral, Marion Barry hailed as hero TRICE EDNEY NEWS WIRE
Marion Barry, the Washington, D.C. mayor who soared above all odds to become one of Black America’s most storied and most popular politicians, has been eulogized as a hero. “He was a hero - more than a champion. When champions win, they ride the people’s shoulders. When heroes win, the people ride their shoulders,” said the Rev. Jesse Jackson who preached the eulogy before thousands at the Washington Convention Center on Dec. 6. “They lift the quality of the whole game. More than a champ, he was a hero.” Throngs of people – Washingtonians and visitors from around the nation – observed three days of ceremonies leading up to last Saturday’s funeral, which lasted more than five hours. At one point, people lined up for blocks, standing in the rain to watch his procession go by.
‘Freedom fighter’ “Marion Barry was a freedom fighter and a long-distance runner. He never stopped running. He never stopped serving… He never took his focus off the poor and those with their backs against the wall. That’s why the people loved him and the people kept blessing him,” said Jackson. “The Jesus standard, the standard of the fair referee is ‘for when I was hungry, did you feed me, the least of these? When I was naked did you clothe the naked? When in prison, did you visit me? On this basis, he separated the sheep from the goats, the wheat from the chaff, the real players, the champions from the heroes…That’s why the people stood in the rain and watched him go by.”
Condolences from Obama Barry collapsed outside his home and died shortly after midnight Sunday, Nov. 23, at the United Medical Center. He had been released from Howard University Hospital the day before. No cause of death was given, but Barry had long suffered complications from several chronic illnesses. He was 78. He was revered in his public service. Those sending words of condolences included President Barack Obama, who said Barry “earned the love and respect of countless Washingtonians” despite what was “a storied, at times tumultuous life and career.” Former President Bill Clinton sent a letter saying, “through great triumph and personal tragedy, Marion always kept looking toward the future. Washington, D.C. has lost a dedicated public servant.” Congressman John Lewis and the Rev. Joseph Lowery also published a letter in the 36-page souvenir program; both praising his commitment to national civil rights as well as to the people of D.C.
Farrakhan, Morial speak Among the dozens of speakers on the program were Minister Louis Farrakhan, D.C. Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson (DMiss.); National Urban League President Marc Morial; the Rev. Dr. Barbara Williams Skinner, and the Rev. Dr. Jamal-Harrison Bryant. The service was hosted by Rev. Willie F. Wilson, senior pastor, Union Temple Baptist Church, in D.C.
Fruits and vegetables available at fair Daytona Beach residents are invited to take part in a fresh fruit and vegetable distribution on Dec. 13 at the “Light Up Midtown” Health Fair. The Midtown Redevelopment Area has been designated as a “food desert” by the Florida Department of Health in Volusia County and fits the criteria for receiving these services from Farm Share. Farm Share is a large-scale food bank and charitable packinghouse working to end hunger which believes no family deserves to go hungry, and no food should end up in a landfill. The organization specializes in getting donated fresh fruits and
ROY LEWIS/TRICE EDNEY NEWS WIRE
The Rev. Jesse Jackson preaches the eulogy of Marion Barry.
vegetables from Florida’s farmers and putting it into the hands those in need of nutritious food. Residents are asked to take part in the free distribution for the services to continue. The organization will be at Daisy Stocking Park from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Health insurance signup A health insurance event will be held at Halifax Health Medical Center (France Tower) on Dec. 14 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. You must be enrolled by Dec. 15 in order to have coverage by Jan. 1. In-person enrollment counselors will be available. More information: 855-484-8848.
MONEY from Page 1
in November, while a report for Republican Dennis McDonald had not been posted online Wednesday afternoon. Like the Senate race, the House District 17 contest comes in a Republican stronghold,
with the district stretching from the St. Augustine area north to the Duval County line. St. Johns County Commissioner Cyndi Stevenson, one of three Republicans running in District 17, raised $49,076 in November and also loaned $25,000 to her campaign. Meanwhile, Michael Davis, president of the family-owned A.D. Davis Construction Corp.,
CARTOONIST
that supported my work,” Bryant added. “Unfortunately, we (Black cartoonists) do not get a lot of support from the Black media. We just don’t.” Of the 300 or so Black newspapers, Bryant said he maxed out at maybe 60 papers. “Many of them couldn’t afford to pay me. Paper media saw a decline. I kind of went on hiatus for a while,” he continued. But the desire to illustrate did not leave Bryant. Having worked primarily in print, he is moving to the next hierarchy in his career. Animation. “My GG followers suggested I try animation,” he continued.
from Page 1
Tackling societal issues In the early 2000s, Bryant developed a character known as “Little ‘O,’ a young child with aspirations imitating that of a young President Barack Obama, which resulted in a hefty following from left-of-center groups. “It was during President Obama’s second term where I came up with an older woman and her character just took off,” Bryant recollected in an interview with the Daytona Times. The strip named after its star character features the no-nonsense, grey haired, spectacle wearing, heavyset GG. GG tackles societal issues important to the African-American community and has a substantial influence on the importance of supporting the Black family. “One of the biggest distractions we face as a people is the desire to be entertained. If something doesn’t make us laugh, we become quick to dismiss it as too serious. My GG series has been compared to a soap opera,” Bryant told his Facebook fans. “It is far from that. The stories depict the struggles and events we face today as a people.” “Might I add that we hardly see Black men and women loving on one another in the media. My characters represent honor, grace, integrity, love and beauty. Maybe we should focus on the things that can help esteem us instead of just getting another laugh,” he added.
raised $17,775 in November, bringing his overall total to $47,900. Davis also had loaned $22,000 to the campaign. The third Republican in the District 17 race, attorney Jack Capra, collected $7,750 in November, giving him an overall total of $14,850. Capra also had loaned $5,000 to his campaign.
Time-consuming task
ASHLEY THOMAS/DAYTONA TIMES
Ron Bryant works on a GG story board at his home office in Palm Coast. He was highlighted at an Emerging Artist event held at the Yvonne-Scarlett Golden Center in October.
Not just entertainment “The topic about GG is so important because of the social aspects that she discusses,” wife Orjanette Bryant explained. “Human trafficking, bullying, rape, abuse. Different things that we don’t talk about but need to talk about. He finds a way to sneak it in. “To put this stuff together, they speak volumes,” she continued. “He’s not just an artist, it’s more than that. There was a guy in Germany that interviewed him and I
just thought, wow Ron, the people you have inspired, it is just amazing. He has done work with the American Heart Association. He has also has worked with an autism fund. He’s done book publications.” “It takes a woman to come out and tell all these things,” he laughed.
Promoting ‘us’ Bryant’s work has been featured in the Daytona Times, Orlando Times, The Atlanta Voice,
Emerge magazine and Upscale magazine among others. He was highlighted at an Emerging Artist event held at the Yvonne-Scarlett Golden Cultural Center in October. “I started off as cutting edge cartoons promoting Black-owned businesses, group economics, the importance of voting, the importance of loving and supporting one another as a people,” Bryant explained. “There were maybe a handful of African-American newspapers
The animation requires frames, character building, and hand drawing. His first storyboard included the infamous GG, who teaches a hard lesson to a misbehaving youth whacking him with a stick for too much backtalk. “Animation is expensive. It is time-consuming. Just ask the misses,” he said with a laugh. “It was intense, I went at it, and that is where we are now.” Bryant has no intention of stopping anytime in the near future. If anything, his brand is constantly expanding and evolving. His online fan base gives input on illustrations but is also a Facebook meeting place for Black information. He shares relevant material on his site, including breaking news on racial and civil injustices. Follow Ron Bryant on Facebook at facebook.com/toonkook or check out GG at www.ggsplace.biz.
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DECEMBER 11 – DECEMBER 17, 2014 COMMUNITY DECEMBER 14 - 20, 2006
M A YNEWS OR
Writers, readers coming together again at F.R.E.SH. Book Festival There’s reason to traipse off to Daytona Beach for the Fourth Annual F.R.E.S.H. Book Festival that welcomes readers and writers alike for a literary gathering. Donna M. Gray Banks draws support from her neighbors in Palm Coast and friends and associates, whom she’s encountered as a community activist and founder/director of the F.R.E.S.H. Book Festival. Every email that she offloads reflects: “When the lights go out and the cell phone towers go down, all that is left is a flashlight and a good book.” Banks punctuates her abilities as a writer and the author of “Ila’s Diamonds” and “Ila’s Diamonds II.” The festival host further maintains a blueprint of developing community services as the community resource coordinator for the City of New Smryna Beach.
Publisher among presenters It’s a win-win situation Jan. 3 when authors gather to share their work, taking into account “special guest Eve Wright Taylor, Esq.; featured authors: Charles W. Cherry II, Esq.; Janis F. Kearney; Kentrell Martin; and Sheryl Gormley; and 20 other authors,” affirms Banks. Eve Wright Taylor sits on the board of directors for USA Track & Field, and is vice president and associate general counsel for the Miami Heat and American Airlines. She is the author of “Life at the Speed of Passion.” Moreover, Charles W. Cherry II is my publisher at the Daytona Times, publisher of the Florida
PALM COAST COMMUNITY NEWS JEROLINE D. MCCARTHY
Loyce Nottage Allen
Eve Wright Taylor
Courier and the author of “The Black Student’s Guide to Academic Excellence.” National names and local legends, and books you will come to treasure, are brought together by Banks. She has plenty of knowledge and skills, and is always willing to share. Doors will open 9:45 a.m. at the Midtown Cultural and Educational Center, 925 George Engram Blvd., Daytona Beach. The entry fee is $3. Books will be available for purchase and book signing.
Jan. 2 ‘Meet and Greet’ Guests will break bread while sipping drinks at the festival’s “Meet and Greet,” Jan. 2, 7 to 10 p.m. The occasion will showcase jazz by Saxman, poetry hosted by Milton McCulloch, and will feature Devery Broox II. It’s an open mic for poets to participate in,”
Visit us online at daytonatimes.com
East Central Florida’s Black Voice
PHOTO COURTESY OF DONNA GRAY-BANKS
Donna Gray-Banks, standing far left, is shown with other authors who participated in last year’s F.R.E.S.H. Book Festival. said Banks. “Fine dining will be provided by Edward Tucker Caterers Unlimited - and the artistry of Laurence “Blinky” Walden will unveil a masterpiece made in memory of Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune. Each author will again be selling and signing books,” Banks reiterates. The “Meet and Greet” will cost $25. As a bonus, on Jan. 4 at 2 p.m., “Janis Kearney and Kentrell Martin, featured authors for the F.R.E.S.H. Book Festival, will be presenting writers’ workshops and holding book signings at the Daytona Beach Regional Library on City Island,” said Banks. The program is free and open to the public. It is sponsored by The Friends of the Daytona Beach Library. Refreshments will be provided. If you are an author, why not exhibit your books at the F.R.E.S.H. Book Festival? To procure tickets and/or obtain details for joining the festival as an author, call 386-627-4353, or email Freshbookfestivals@ gmail.com. The F.R.E.S.H. Book Festival sponsors are: The City of Daytona Beach, Vitas Innovative Hospice Care, Pepsi and Homewood
Suites. The other festival sponsors are: Best Western; Carolyn Hawkins of Realty Exchange; Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.; LasDiamonds II; Commissioner Paula Reed, Daytona Beach Zone 6; and Volusia County Florida.
Florida Friends for Obama to host peaceful protest Join the Florida Friends for Obama and other demonstrators nationwide for “A Call for Peaceful Protest - Black Lives Matter Rally” to peacefully protest the use of excessive force causing death and the lack of accountability within the nation’s police forces. Loyce Nottage Allen is founder of the Florida Friends for Obama, having actively been engaged in securing President Obama’s election and re-election. That’s Dec. 13, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., on the corner of Belle Terre and Palm Coast Parkways near CVS Pharmacy and the library. The Florida Friends for Obama recognizes that the majority of police officers handle their difficult jobs well, by serving and protecting the citizenry. However, the Florida Friends for Obama
says there are officers who choose to use excessive fear and force to shoot and kill unarmed Black men. The peaceful protest will call attention to this national tragedy. History shows that activism is crucial in times of oppression. Please join the Florida Friends for Obama Dec. 13 as a sign of solidarity. We are our brother’s keeper. Come and take a stand for equality. There’s a caveat in the event of inclement weather, the protest will be canceled and rescheduled. The organization suggests that the protesters wear closedtoe shoes, sunscreen and hats. To communicate inquiries, call Sheila at 386-445-8548 or Loyce Nottage Allen at 609-412-3049. ••• As always, remember our prayers for the sick, afflicted and bereaved.
Celebrations Birthday wishes to: Ja’quan Wilson, Dec. 12; Dr. Rayna K. Henderson, Trevor Brown, Dec. 15; Christine H. Robinson and Linda Sharpe Haywood, Dec. 16.
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7 EDITORIAL
DECEMBER 11 – DECEMBER 17, 2014
A criminal justice system that suffocates us “I can’t breathe,” gasped Eric Garner, again and again and again. “I can’t breathe,” he said as several police officers were on top of him, choking him, pushing his head onto the concrete sidewalk. The man was not resisting arrest; he simply had the temerity to ask a police officer not to touch him. And because he was allegedly selling loose cigarettes, the life was choked out of him. No one tried to help him or stop the vicious assault (ruled a homicide by the coroner). Emergency medical respondents offered no assistance. Eric Garner’s last words, “I can’t breathe, I can’t breathe, I can’t breathe” ought to motivate all Americans, not just African-Americans, but Americans of conscience to breathe life and energy into a movement for justice.
A simple thing Breathing ought to be a simple thing. Air in, air out. It’s not so simple when one’s neck is being choked. Not so simple when one’s spirit is being choked. The image of Eric Garner’s neck in a chokehold, the image of at least four White police officers on top of him, is galling. All the more galling is the invisible choking of spirit that comes when people cannot breathe, cannot speak, and cannot respond to injustice. In historical contexts, how many were as free to speak as Ida B. Wells was when she fought
DR. JULIANNE MALVEAUX TRICEEDNEYWIRE.COM
against lynching. Even in her freedom, Wells was threatened and run out of Tennessee, but many feared to speak about lynching fearing the fact that they might be lynched themselves. Can’t breathe. Think of the many African-Americans who have served in our armed forces, treated unfairly, serving nonetheless, often silently. How can any of us breathe in an atmosphere of compounded injustice? How can we breathe in an atmosphere of hypocrisy, when justice has never been blind? We live in a nation where a 12-yearold boy, Tamir Rice, is shot because he has a toy pellet gun, not pointed at police. Hard to breathe when video makes it absolutely clear that it was not necessary for Daniel Panaleo to place Eric Garner in a chokehold. Hard to breathe when a grand jury comes to an incomprehensible decision, one that defies common sense.
Plain ignorance Difficult to breathe when an elected official, Congressman Peter King (R-NY), chooses to blame Eric Garner’s death on his health. “If he had not had asthma, and a heart condition, and
was so obese, almost definitely he would not have died from this,” King told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer. King fails to note that use of the chokehold was banned by New York Police Department rules in 1993. Instead, there is no shame, no condolence in his insensitivity and ignorance. Can’t breathe. Whether he is svelte or obese, carrying a briefcase or a bag of skittles, wearing a Hermes suit or a hoodie, behaving respectfully or rudely, a Black man’s safety cannot be guaranteed, especially when a White police officer is involved. Can’t breathe. A metaphor for the African-American condition, juggling the space between hopes and despair, between progress and regress. Who would have thought police violence against African-American men would so visibly escalate at a time when our nation’s leader is an AfricanAmerican man. Can President Obama breathe, or is he in a figurative chokehold when he parses words about the murders of Eric Garner, Michael Brown, and little Tamir Rice? Eric Garner did not have to die. He did not have to stop breathing. Did his last breath bring life to a movement, or did he gasp that last breath in vain?
Julianne Malveaux is an author and economist based in Washington, D.C. Writer your own response at www.daytonatimes.com.
Yes, marching still makes a difference “Hands Up, Don’t Shoot” “No Justice, No Peace,” “I Can’t Breathe” “Black Lives Matter” Those are the chants and handwritten signs that continue to characterize marches, die-ins, sitins and other non-violent actions in more than 50 cities across the nation in response to grand jury decisions in Missouri and New York not to indict White police officers for killing unarmed AfricanAmericans. As always, there are detractors who argue that civil rights marches, while helpful in the past, are passe in an era of a Black family occupying the White House. They are wrong. And if they had studied history, they would know it. Every inch of progress toward racial justice and equality in America has only come as a consequence of organized public protest and struggle. Each march had goals that went beyond marching for the sake of marching.
DR. BENJAMIN F. CHAVIS, JR. NNPA COLUMNIST
support of Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Akai Gurley, Tamir Rice, and Rumain Brisbon. From Boston to Los Angeles, Miami to Phoenix, from Chicago to New York City, from Washington, D.C. to Atlanta, and from St. Louis to Pittsburgh people are demanding equal justice. People are protesting excessive use of deadly force and police brutality. And the movement is growing. On Saturday, December 13, there will be another “March on Washington, D.C.” This time, it will be called the “National March against Police Brutality” and will demand equal justice and federal intervention to halt the senseless killing of unarmed Blacks and other people of color. It will be consponsored by a coalition of civMaking new leaders The Civil Rights Act of 1964, Vot- il rights organizations and union ing Rights Act of 1965, and Fair and trade associations. Housing Act of 1968, as well as all the subsequent racial justice laws Organizations unite The coalition includes the Nawere only established after a protracted period of civil rights dem- tional Action Network, National onstrations and protest. It is note- Association for the Advancement worthy that today a growing num- of Colored People (NAACP), Naber of young people are not only tional Urban League, Southern marching, but assuming leader- Christian Leadership Conference ship roles in the mass marches in (SCLC), National Newspaper Pub-
lishers Association (NNPA), the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, the Institute for Policy Studies, the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation, and the Hip-Hop Caucus. The goal of the march will be to seek additional protection from Congress and the Department of Justice (DOJ). We want the DOJ to deploy federal special prosecutors to take over cases of Black Americans being killed by police officers. We should work with members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) to craft the appropriate legislation and remedies that should be adopted into law. The issues of racial profiling, police use of deadly force, prosecutorial misconduct, inadequate police training, video cameras on police officers, and grand jury injustice all are matters that require systemic change. Yes marching does make a difference in particular if it leads to both a change in how laws are established and enforced with transparency and equal justice Attaining equal justice today requires more marches and demonstrations. But, as always, they represent a great start.
Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. is the President and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA). Write your own response at www.daytonatimes.com.
Celebrate Janay for staying with Ray Rice Feminists claim that women should take more control of their lives, arguing that women are capable of making decisions about their lives and what is in their best interest without guidance from a man. But White feminists and “strong Black women” are curiously absent when it comes to defending Janay Rice’s very personal and difficult decision to fight for her marriage. You know Janay – or you think you do. She is the wife of Ray Rice, the former Baltimore Raven’s football running back. He was fired from the Ravens after the infamous video of him knocking out his wife in an Atlantic City elevator. The video, which is repeatedly aired on cable TV, shows Rice dragging her limp, unconscious body out of the elevator. At the time, she was his fiancée. They got married a couple of weeks later. Since the airing of the embarrassing video, people – men and women – have called Janay everything but a child of God. She has be pilloried for purportedly “not knowing she was abused” and setting a “bad example” for other victims of domestic violence. What was her offense?
RAYNARD JACKSON NNPA COLUMNIST
the decision – a decision about her life – to work through the terror and shame of being knocked unconscious by her now husband in order to save and keep their marriage intact. Yep, what a “horrible” person she is. The nerve of her taking her marriage vows literally and seriously: “to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part.” It would have been so easy for Janay to walk away from it all. But she didn’t. She decided that after investing so much in her relationship with Ray Rice and for the sake of the couple’s young daughter, Rayven, she would stay and work through their issues. In an interview on the “Today Show,” Janay said, “Everybody makes mistakes…After this whole situation, you would think that we lived in a country full of people Going back who never made a mistake.” The same qualities it takes to be Her grave offense was making
a great football player are the same qualities it takes to be successful in the game of life. Janay is committed to her husband, she is focused on her marriage, and she is playing through pain. These are essential qualities both in football and in marriage. Wow, what a woman. Janay, can you introduce me to your sister? Historically, Black women have been fiercely loyal to their men and have been the backbone of the Black family. Their loyalty was celebrated. So why is Janay not being celebrated by Black women? Where are the wives of the members of the Congressional Black Caucus? Why is Janay not receiving an image award from the NAACP? Why has the preeminent Black women’s group, the National Council of Negro Women, suddenly come down with a case of laryngitis? All troubled couples need and deserve support. That’s what we should extend to Janay rather than scorn.
Raynard Jackson is president & CEO of Raynard Jackson & Associates, LLC., a Washington, D.C.-based public relations/ government affairs firm. Write your own response at www.daytonatimes.com.
VISUAL VIEWPOINT: BREATHE FREE
JOHN COLE, THE SCRANTON-TIMES TRIBUNE
A license to kill Black men From nearly the moment he was attacked by a New York City police officer July 18, the world has, via that chilling video, watched Eric Garner die. Are we now about to see the “traditions” that led to his death and – thus far – have enabled his killer to escape justice die, too? Moments after the news broke Dec. 3 that a New York City grand jury had voted not to indict the White police officer whom video showed had jumped Eric Garner from behind, ridden him to the sidewalk pavement and lain on his back while Garner, breathing heavily, frantically uttered “I can’t breathe!” nearly a dozen times, Garner’s stepfather spoke these bitter words: “It’s just a license to kill a Black man!”
Not indicted, not convicted Yes. That’s what such decisions in the past meant – the reaffirmation of the longstanding ‘tradition’ that police officers, especially White ones, who kill unarmed Black men, or women or children in questionable circumstances do not get indicted. Or, if indicted, they do not get convicted. That’s because the ‘traditional’ stance American police departments, North as well as South, have taken toward Black Americans has always been to control them, not protect them. The issue that Eric Garner’s death – and all the police killings of Black Americans in questionable circumstances – has now made unavoidable is how to eliminate these two “traditions” from the practice of policing. Even some conservatives denounced the grand jury decision as a gross miscarriage of justice. Other conservatives, of course, stuck to the old tattered script that Blacks must always be blamed for their oppression. Among them was Charles Barkley, who’s become embarrassingly eager to use his basketball fame to become conservatives’ latest “Magic Negro.” But the shock and anger that the decision immediately provoked may yet lead to undermining the tradition that lets cops who kill unjustifiably escape responsibility for their actions. One reason for this hope is the recent tragic and infuriating series of police killing, wound-
LEE A. DANIELS NNPA COLUMNIST
ing or accosting unarmed Black Americans in questionable circumstances. Those tragedies were shockingly underscored by two police killings that bracketed the decision of the Ferguson, Mo. grand jury not to indict the police officer who killed Michael Brown.
Two more killings The first was the killing of Akai Gurley, a 28-year-old New Yorker, who, leaving a friend’s apartment in a New York City housing project, happened to step into its unlit stairway at the moment a rookie New York City cop was ascending it – with, police officials have said, his gun drawn for no apparent reason. As soon as Gurley opened the door to the stairway, the cop fired, killing him. The second incident was a Cleveland police officer’s shooting to death 12-year-old Tamir Rice, who was playing in his neighborhood’s playground while waving a realistic-looking toy gun. The cop, whom official police records show shot the boy two seconds after arriving at the park, was later found to have compiled a record of serious emotional instability at his previous police-force job that should have disqualified him for police work anywhere. There’s been significant recent evidence that Whites and Latinos, too, don’t completely escape being physically brutalized by individual cops, either, while their superiors look the other way. But now the greater visibility of incidents of unjustifiable police violence against Blacks and of reports which find it’s driven by an institutional culture as well as individuals’ pathologies should make one thing obvious: it’s time for the “two traditions” to end.
Lee A. Daniels is a longtime journalist based in New York City. His latest book is Last Chance: The Political Threat to Black America. Write your own response at www.daytonatimes.com.
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5 7
HEALTH MA YOR
DECEMBER 11 – DECEMBER 2014 DECEMBER 14 - 20,17, 2006
Pill to fight HIV stirs controversy among gays BY ERYN BROWN AND ADOLFO FLORES LOS ANGELES TIMES (TNS)
It would have seemed the stuff of fantasy in the dark days of the 1980s, when an AIDS diagnosis was tantamount to a death sentence: a pill, taken daily, that could protect against HIV infection. But today, such a drug exists. The blue tablet, marketed as Truvada, has been available to people at risk of being exposed to HIV since 2012. The pill can be highly effective — reducing infection risk by as much as 92 percent, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It could have a dramatic effect in Los Angeles County, where about 47,000 people are known to live with HIV. Contracting the virus is no longer a death sentence because of a cocktail of drugs that suppress it, but the county still reports more than 1,000 new HIV infections each year. “We want to bring HIV to its knees, and this will help,” said Mario Perez, who directs the county’s prevention program.
Called ‘party drug’ But the concept of using the pill — known in medical circles as pre-exposure prophylaxis — has stirred a surprising debate in the gay community, with some longtime activists calling Truvada a “party drug” that people will never take consistently enough to stave off infections. If not taken daily, the CDC warns, protection levels are lower. Most notable among the skeptics is AIDS Healthcare Foundation President Michael Weinstein, whose organization recently launched a new advertising campaign urging the CDC to rethink its support for a communitywide prevention method that does not emphasize condom use first and foremost. Those with a more sanguine view of the pill wonder why critics such as Weinstein’s foundation would dismiss any tool with the potential to decrease HIV in-
ASTRID RIECKEN/TNS
Truvada, a newly FDA-approved drug to help prevent HIV infection, is among the AIDS drugs that fill the shelves at the pharmacy at the Whitman-Walker Clinic on July 19, 2012, a Washington, D.C.-based community health center focusing on HIV/AIDS care and lesbian, gay bisexual and transgender care. fection rates, which are creeping up among young gay and bisexual men of color. “There is a moral imperative to make this available for folks who think it’s the right approach,” Perez said. “We’re big fans in giving people options to achieve their goals, with no judgment.”
Key part of strategies Public health officials throughout the U.S. have already made the approach a key part of their official HIV prevention strategies. Last spring, the CDC added its stamp of approval when it released official guidelines on pre-exposure prophylaxis. In July, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo put the method at the center of an effort to drastically cut the numbers of new HIV infections in his state by 2020. Truvada combines two drugs
that have been part of the antiretroviral cocktail taken by HIVpositive patients for years. The medicines, tenofovir and emtricitabine, work together to block an enzyme called reverse transcriptase that allows HIV cells to multiply. In addition to suppressing HIV that is already in the body, the drugs can also prevent the virus from gaining a foothold initially.
Use with condoms At $13,000 a year, Truvada is expensive, but it is covered by most insurance plans. In early November, Gilead Sciences, the company that manufactures the drug, reviewed retail pharmacy records from a little more than half of U.S. pharmacies that dispensed Truvada between Jan. 1, 2012, and March 31, 2014, and found that 3,253 peo-
ple in the U.S. started the prevention regimen during that period. Advocates of pre-exposure prophylaxis blame the slow increase at least in part on moralizing by people such as Weinstein. The crux of critics’ concern is that offering gay men another way to block AIDS infection will undermine a long-standing push in the community to promote condom use, which is known to also prevent the transmission of HIV and STDs. CDC guidelines for administering pre-exposure prophylaxis stipulate that Truvada should be used with condoms, not instead of them. But some, most notably Weinstein, say that men won’t bother with condoms if they believe they are protected by a pill. “You have to be really paranoid about your health to wear a belt and suspenders,” he said. “If the culture shifts to unprotected sex
because of the campaign to promote Truvada, then (HIV) rates will go up.”
Risk reduction rate Weinstein and others have noted that overall risk reductions in clinical trials for pre-exposure prophylaxis were lower than the CDC-cited 92 percent. The socalled iPrEx study, for instance, reported that people who took Truvada experienced only a 44 percent reduction in HIV infection risk. The overall risk reduction rate was low because many participants in the study did not take their medication as directed, scientists say. Weinstein argues that others will also fail to use the drug correctly, leading to a rise in new HIV cases and other sexually transmitted infections.
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DECEMBER 11 – DECEMBER 17, 2014
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DECEMBER 11 – DECEMBER 17, 2014 DECEMBER 14 - 20, 2006
7
M SPORTS AYOR
B-CU adds 11 players to baseball team SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
Bethune-Cookman fourthyear Head Baseball Coach Jason Beverlin announced the signing of his 2014-15 early class to National Letters of Intent on Tuesday, welcoming a class of 11 to Daytona Beach for the 2015-16 school year. “The last couple of years, we’ve had a lot of graduating position Jason players, so we defBeverlin initely had some needs to fill in the infield, which we took care of last year and supplemented this year,” Beverlin said. “Catching and outfield were really important going into the early signing period, as well as adding some depth in the infield.” “Coach [Barrett] Shaft and Coach [Jason] Bell did a great job of getting out there and working extremely hard to find guys who are a good fit for our program,” Beverlin added.
10 from Florida A departure from the past two signing classes, this group of signees is very position player heavy and is comprised almost entirely of high school athletes. In addition, 10 of the next group of Wildcats will come to B-CU from schools within Florida, with three playing in the outfield, three playing in the infield, a pair behind the plate, and three pitchers. “You try and do that with high school guys as much as possible,” Beverlin noted. “We were able to go out and sign some guys early.”
Junior college signee A strong pitching staff has consistently been a point of emphasis for Beverlin, whose 2014 fall roster featured 19 pitchers. The Wildcats will add three more to the ranks in this signing class, beginning with B-CU’s lone junior college signee, Miguel Castellanos, an incoming junior from Eastern Florida State College. A 6-3, 190-pound right-handed pitcher originally from Zulia, Venezuela, Castellanos brings a lot of upside to the mound for the Wildcats, as a recently converted outfielder with an 88-90 mph fastball and a good slider. At Eastern Florida’s Scout Day, his fastball was clocked as high as 94 mph. He graduated from Boca Raton’s Grandview Prep and played summer ball with Elev8 Academy out of Delray Beach, earning Perfect Game Second Team All-Region honors.
DUANE C. FERNANDEZ SR./HARDNOTTS PHOTOGRAPHY
Bethune-Cookman’s Josh Johnson gets a hit in a game last year as his team watches on from the dugout.
Ocoee standout He is followed by Dylan Ivory, a 5-10, 180-pound right-handed pitcher from Ocoee High School. Ivory has a good breaking ball and a fastball up to 90 mph, and competes for FTB Mizuno during the summer. Ivory was named to the All-Tournament team at the 2013 Florida League High School Invitational. Rounding out the group of pitchers is fellow FTB Mizuno player D’Quan Matthews, a 6-0, 160-pound right-hander from Orlando’s Timber Creek High School. Matthews has a loose, quick arm with room to fill and hits up to 90 mph with his fastball. Matthews logged a 1.12 ERA with a 5-1 record and 46 strikeouts versus 11 walks. He also proved to be a strong hitter as a junior, batting .366 with 20 RBI and a .398 on-base percentage. “Any time your recruiting class is smaller, you have the opportunity to be more selective and get more time seeing the players you’re recruiting,” Beverlin noted. “On the pitching end this year, we’ve had that luxury in adding to our pitching staff.”
Shortstop additions Building on last year’s class of infielders, the Wildcats signed three more players in the early period, beginning with Trenton Nash, a 6-0, 180-pound shortstop
from Columbia High School (Decatur, Ga.). As a junior, Nash batted .459 with 14 extra-base hits, tallying 39 RBI and 39 runs scored. Once on base, he proved dangerous, collecting a perfect 13-for-13 stolen bases. Nash pulled doubleduty, taking the mound in 32 innings with a 2.41 ERA and 56 strikeouts. He was named First Team All-DeKalb County and plays summer ball for the GBSA Blue Rays.
More infielders Joining Nash in the middle infield is Nate Sterijevski, a 5-11, 170-pound shortstop and second baseman from Lake Minneola High School in Clermont. A proven defender, Sterijevski fielded held a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage through 75 chances as a junior and has been named to the Perfect Game Underclass World Championship All -Tournament Team and competes for Orlando Baseball Academy in the summer and fall. Rounding out the infielders at the corner is Daniel RodriguezVelez, a 6-3 220-pound first baseman from Pembroke Pines Charter High School in Pembroke Pines. In 73 at-bats as a junior, Rodriguez-Velez hit .342 with nine home runs and 32 RBI, proving to be one of Broward County’s top run producers. Rodriguez-Velez earned numerous post-season
accolades, including Broward County 6A-8A Player of the Year, First Team All-Broward honors from the Sun-Sentinel and Miami Herald, along with First Team Broward District 6A-14 and District Hitter of the Year honors. Rodriguez-Velez competes for Elite Squad Slugger during the summer.
Pair of catchers Behind the plate, the Wildcats add a pair of catchers in this year’s class, beginning with Chase Debonis out of George Steinbrenner High School in Odessa. The 6-1, 180-pound catcher held a .370 average as a junior, walking 13 times with just six strikeouts. Defensively, Debonis posted a .988 fielding percentage. Debonis earned All-Hillsborough County honorable mention from the Tampa Tribune. Edwin Muniz comes to B-CU from Melbourne Senior High School in Palm Bay. At 5-9, 175 pounds, Muniz hit .380 with two home runs, and over 20 RBI and runs scored. He also runs a 6.8 in the 60-yard dash and has 1.9 second pop time.
New outfielders With the Wildcats graduating all three projected outfield starters in 2015, outfield was an important recruiting focus for BCU this year and the Wildcats se-
Wildcats football team finishes second in sports media poll
A connection
RALEIGH, N.C. – The Bethune-Cookman football team finished in second place in the final BoxToRow Media Poll, announced Monday afternoon from the BoxToRow home office in Raleigh, N.C. For the Wildcats, the second place finish marks the third consecutive year the team has finished in the top three of the final HBCU national poll. Bethune-Cookman ended the year with a record of 9-3 overall, 6-2 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC). That league mark allowed the team to secure a share of the MEAC title. For B-CU, the MEAC title is the third of its kind in as many years, and the fourth overall in head coach Brian Jenkins’ five years at the helm.
First for Alcorn
This story is courtesy of BCUAthletics.com.
This story is courtesy of BCUAthletics.com.
curiosity and such a respect that I want to learn. I want to learn. I’m so curious to learn — still to this day.”
SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
Alcorn State was named BoxToRow HBCU National Champions – the first of its kind for the Braves, under the direction of third-year head coach Jay Hopson. Alcorn State won its first SWAC championship since 1994 by defeating Southern 38-24 on Saturday. The Braves received the majority of the first-place votes with five other teams also receiving at least one first-place vote. The final poll was reflective of the parity of the 2014 football season. For the Wildcats, last year’s BoxToRow HBCU National Champion, the school received one first-place vote, finishing in second place, six points ahead of Southern who finished in third place. North Carolina A&T also received a first place vote finishing No. 4. CIAA champion Virginia State received three first place votes and rounded out the top five. It was the Trojans highest finish ever in the BoxToRow poll. Morgan State, South Carolina State and North Carolina Central – all three were MEAC co-champions with Bethune-Cookman and North Carolina A&T – finished No. 6, No. 7 and No. 8, respectively. The BoxToRow Media Poll is voted on by media members around the country who cover HBCU football.
cured three players to help out in the 2015-16 season, beginning with Josten Heron, a 6-2, 195-pounder from Miami Southridge High School in Cutler Bay. As a junior, Heron hit .373 with five extra-base hits and six stolen bases, and is an athlete with good size who is projected to only get better. Also in the outfield, Ryan Owens comes to B-CU at 6-3 and 175 pounds, batting .310 with 13 doubles as a junior at North Marion High School in Ocala. A lefthanded hitter, Owens had an excellent summer competing for Gatorball out of Gainesville. Wrapping up the early signing class, David Jacob Silverstein provides B-CU another left-handed outfielder. At 6-2, 165-pounds, Silverstein hit .324 and collected 21 stolen bases as a junior for Seminole High School. A proven defender, Silverstein came on strong this summer for Southwest Florida (SWFL) Baseball, earning 2014 PG 17u Florida State Championship All-Tournament and Most Valuable Player honors. The Wildcats have completed fall practices and will open competition in the 2015 season with a three-game series at 2014 Southern Conference Champion Georgia Southern, Feb. 13-15, in Statesboro, Ga.
Kobe Bryant said Michael Jordan is like a big brother to him.
Bryant opens up about comparison with Jordan EURWEB.COM
Kobe Bryant will always be compared to Michael Jordan. They are two of the greatest basketball players and NBA scorers ever. Nevertheless, Bryant doesn’t care about surpassing Jordan on the NBA scoring list, which he is just
62 points away from taking the title as of Dec. 9. He opened up about starting his career during a period when the NBA had superstar players like Jordan in an interview with Bleacher Report. “It was great for me. I was looking forward to that moment, him being the pinnacle of who I was looking forward to playing against most,” he said. “At the time I came into the league, all the golden greats were still there — Clyde Drexler, [Hakeem] Olajuwon, [Charles] Barkley, [Gary] Payton, Anfernee Hardaway, John Stockton.” He added, “These guys were still doing their thing. It was a huge honor for me to match up with all of these guys, see them up close. […] I’m not scared of anybody. It’s more
He continued with, “just a constant learner. I’m not afraid to ask questions about things that I don’t know. I’m not afraid to admit what I don’t know. I’ll ask questions and try to learn as much as I can.” Bryant said Jordan is like a big brother to him. He was more direct and upfront with Jordan and maybe that’s why they hit it off more than what Jordan did with other players of Bryant’s caliber. “We hit it off very well. He was really like a big brother, and whether it’s because we see things in a similar way in terms of our competitive spirit or fire or whatever the case may be, there’s an understanding that we have — a connection that we have.” He added, “I don’t know if he opened up with me more than he did with other players, I’m not sure. I don’t know if other players had the balls even to ask. But we have a really, really good relationship.’’
Kudos to Olajuwon, others But there’s one thing Bryant doesn’t like is how people believe he learned everything he knows from Jordan. “The thing that I always bristled at was the notion that I learned everything that I know from Michael. That’s just not true,” he said. “Hakeem Olajuwon deserves a lot of credit; Jerry West deserves a lot of credit. Oscar Robertson deserves a lot of credit.” He added, “I really was a student of the game and watched everybody. […] I’ve always welcomed the comparison to Michael if it’s in competitive spirit or in terms of records that I may set. I’ve always been cool with that. To be in that kind of company is…is…is…crazy, for lack of a better term. Rare air.”
R8
7TECHNOLOGY
DECEMBER 11 – DECEMBER 17, 2014
AL DIAZ/MIAMI HERALD/TNS
Protestors shut down I-195 and streets in Miami on Dec. 5 in response to the Eric Garner chokehold decision in New York. Much of the information about protests around the country have been spread via the Internet.
Technology and the Civil Rights Movement Rainbow PUSH Coalition explores the digital divide BY JAZELLE HUNT NNPA NEWS SERVICE
WASHINGTON – If Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. were alive and dreaming today, his ‘I Have a Dream’ speech might be broadened to include technology equality along with racial parity, according to some civil rights activists. “Dr. King could not have predicted what was next. But we now see what was next and that is technology. Just as we had been left out of the economic avenues in Dr. King’s day, we’ve been left out of the economic avenues to-
day, except now that’s technology,” says Rev. Grainger Browning, pastor of Ebenezer AME Church in Fort Washington, Md. Browning recently spoke on a panel at a symposium titled “The Future of Civil Rights: Moving Towards First Rev. Grainger Class Economic, Browning Jr. Political and Digital Citizenship.”
Push for diversity The symposium was sponsored by the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, which has spent the past year urging Silicon Valley giants such as Microsoft, Apple and Yahoo to disclose workforce diver-
sity data and make a commitment to increasing diversity at all levels. Among those corporations, Rainbow PUSH Coalition found that Black people accounted for 3 percent or less of their tech and non-tech workforces. Technology is playing a central role in what may be a resurgence of the Civil Rights Movement in the protests over grand jury decisions not to indict White police officers in the death of unarmed African-Americans in Ferguson, Mo. and Staten Island, N.Y.
STEM training According to research from the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, less than 4 percent of those employed in science and engineering fields are
Black, compared to White Americans who account for 71 percent. As advances in technology give rise to new fields and accelerate existing ones, the lack of representation within STEM professions is resulting in a shortage of qualified Americans to fill these new roles. People of color are already the majority among the youngest generation of Americans — and without adequate STEM education, the generation may not be prepared. This lack of training already disqualifies many Americans from one of the most entrepreneurial, lucrative, and fastgrowing sectors. “The challenge is that we are primarily consumers and not creators,” said Navarrow Wright, president and CEO of the Close the Divide Project, which seeks to increased STEM opportunity awareness among women and people of color. Wright also served as a panelist during the Rainbow PUSH symposium. “There’s no light bulb that this is a business opportunity. When you consume, you don’t recognize you have power.”
Lots of smartphone use Additionally, business and society are now globalized thanks to the Internet, but people of color are less likely than their White counterparts to have access to high-speed Internet in their homes. The Pew Research Center found that 64 percent of Black adults have broadband at home, compared to 74 percent of White adults. Further, Blacks and Latinos are more likely to access the Internet only through smartphones – 74 percent of Black people who own a smartphone use it as their primary access to the Internet as opposed to a computer or laptop at home. Poor Internet access can create a range of barriers, from difficulty with online forms and job applications, to lowered academic performance, to increased costs for financial and administrative transactions via mail or in-person visits.
Overrepresented on Twitter Paradoxically, the Internet has
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also given voice to the least heard members of society. “It’s true that there is a digital divide. However…cell phone is our main access to the Internet,” says entrepreneur and scholar Avis Jones-DeWeever, who also served as a panelist. “We tend to be overrepresented on a lot of these [mobile] platforms, on Twitter especially, but others as well. I think it’s amplifying those activists who were already there, already in the trenches, already doing this work…but it’s also I think motivated others to become involved and become changes agents themselves in a way they hadn’t really thought of.”
Social media alerts Social media sites such as Twitter, Vine and Facebook have enabled marginalized groups to bypass gatekeepers and communicate, organize and draw attention to their issues. For most of the demonstrations around the nation in response to police killings — the roadway shutdowns, die-ins and marches — the word was spread via the Internet. Additionally, online petitions and fundraisers lend financial support and political weight to the cause.
Youth-led movement As an uprising continues to boil over police brutality, racial discrimination and condoned police shootings, technology may become the bridge between the Civil Rights Movement and today’s youth-led agitation. “From Civil Rights elders there’s a lot to be learned as relates to strategizing, as well as coming up with a specific plan for policy action and seeing it through. But I also think young people bring an energy and a new methodology or reaching masses in a very short time,” said Jones-DeWeever. “The power and potential of [technology] is extraordinary, and we need to continue to use it as a weapon in our arsenal. But we also need to remember the other side of the coin regarding strategy. It needs to be a bothand approach.”