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DECEMBER 8 – DECEMBER 14, 2017
VOLUME 25 NO. 49
NO-SHOWS AT THE POLLS The Democratic Party can’t dethrone Donald Trump and the GOP without Black college-age voters who walked away from the party. What’s the plan to get them back? Certainly, the lower turnout reflected the absence of President Barack Obama from the Democratic ticket in 2016, a lack of enthusiasm for the new standard-bearer, Hillary Clinton, and a weakening of the longtime allegiance between the party and African-American youth. But the worst may be yet to come.
BY TONY PUGH MCCLATCHY WASHINGTON BUREAU / TNS
WASHINGTON – Once prized fighters in the battle for voting rights, students at America’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) dropped their guard in the 2016 elections. Voter turnout among the estimated 300,000 students at HBCUs fell nearly 11 percent from 2012 to 2016, according to a national survey by the Institute for Democracy & Higher Education at Tufts University. The decline, while consistent with a fall off among Black voters of all ages in 2016, was a sharp departure.
Serious drop If historic trends hold, Democrats could see Black voter turnout drop 30 percent in 2018, resulting in 5.2 million fewer African-American voters, according to a report by the nonpartisan Voter Participation Center
FLORIDA COURIER FILES
Bethune-Cookman University students marched to the polls to vote during the 2010 statewide elections. A recent survey says the rate of Black college student voting has dropped. and Democratic pollster Celinda Lake. Turnout among millennials, ages 18 to 34, could fall 35 percent next year, for a loss of 25.4 million voters, the report found. Declines of this magnitude
among overlapping groups who largely support Democrats could dash the party’s hopes of re-taking Congress in next year’s midterm elections when turnout typically falters and Republicans usually vote in higher numbers.
‘Wake-up call’ “It’s a big warning” for Democrats, said Lake. “It’s a big wakeup call. I think people have no idea the volume we’re talking See POLLS, Page A2
Bitter ends SIGN OF THE SEASON
A ‘Princess’ goes home
Misty Copeland, the first Black woman promoted to principal dancer in the 75year history of the American Ballet Theatre, will return to her Southern California home this holiday season to dance the role of Clara/Princess in a production of “The Nutcracker.” Copeland has appeared as a guest judge on “So You Think You Can Dance,” toured with musical artist Prince, and is the face of Estee Lauder’s Modern Muse fragrance.
Brown sentenced, Conyers driven out COMPILED FROM WIRE REPORTS
The long political careers of two former members of the Congressional Black Caucus – one a founder of the organization – probably ended during a two-day period this week. Here in Florida on Monday, a federal judge sentenced former U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown to five years in prison for her role in a scam that involved using charitable contributions for personal expenses and events. On Tuesday in Detroit, U.S. Rep. John Conyers Jr., D-Mich., retired from the seat he had held for more than five decades. Conyers faced a growing number of sexual harassment claims and a rising chorus of voices demanding he resign.
Brown’s ‘criminal enterprise’ Brown’s prison sentence, imposed by U.S. District Judge Timothy Corrigan, came after she was convicted in May on 18 felony counts. Corrigan also sentenced to prison Brown’s longtime chief of staff, Ronnie Simmons, to four Corrine years in prison and a Brown woman who started the purported charity, Carla Wiley, to 21 months. In a 25-page sentencing order, Corrigan said the One Door for Education charity, which was originally established to help children, was “operated as a criminal enterprise” by Brown, Simmons and Wiley. He detailed how the charity raised hundreds of thousands of dollars, which forensic accountants said was siphoned off in cash withdraw-
ROSALIE O’CONNOR
See BITTER, Page A2
SNAPSHOTS FLORIDA | A3
SPORTS | B1
Hurricane evacuation suggestions
Edward Waters coach resigns
NATION | A6
FOOD | B4
Citizenship applications increase
Recipes for Christmas cookie party
ALSO INSIDE
Slavery memorial gets boost in state Senate BY LLOYD DUNKELBERGER THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA
TALLAHASSEE – A bill that would lead to the creation of a slavery memorial at the Florida Capitol began moving Tuesday in the state Senate. The Senate Governmental Oversight and Accountability Committee unanimously approved the bill (SB 286), sponsored by Sen. Dar-
ryl Rouson, a St. Petersburg Democrat who said the memorial would recognize “the fundamental injustice, cruelty, brutality and inhumanity of slavery” in Florida and rest of the nation. He said the memorial would “honor the nameless and forgotten men and women and children who have gone unrecognized for their undeniable and weighty contributions to this
state and country.”
Previously ignored The vote was significant because the House voted 118-0 during the 2017 legislative session to authorize a slavery memorial, but the proposal never received a hearing in the Senate. The bill approved by the committee Tuesday is filed for the 2018 session, which
Sen. Darryl Rouson
Dennis Baxley
starts Jan. 9. Senate Governmental Oversight and Accountability Chairman Dennis See MEMORIAL, Page A2
COMMENTARY: CHARLENE CROWELL: PAYDAY LENDERS CONTINUE ATTACK ON CONSUMERS | A4 GUEST COMMENTARY: BRANDON TERRELL: WHAT NO ONE TOLD ME ABOUT BEING ‘FIRST’ TO COLLEGE | A5
A2
FOCUS
DECEMBER 8 – DECEMBER 14, 2017
The Klan clothes are in the closet, but… It is not unusual in these days and times to see more and more of your neighbors, coworkers, classmates, church members and others embracing White nationalism, White supremacy and Nazism. Too many people in America feel if it is alright for the president to be a racist, a liar or sexual predator, it is something that they should be too.
Not just Obama For the longest time, I thought America’s trailer park dwellers would have been ecstatic just to get Barack Obama out of office. But no. Most Americans appear to want to turn the clock back as far as they can! They want United States citizens divided, disillusioned and
LUCIUS GANTT THE GANTT REPORT
disenchanted! They want bias and bigotry celebrated. They want women subjugated, scorned and sexually mistreated. They don’t want America great again. They want America White again! Governmental policies on all levels are not written and passed that benefit the masses. Legislation, rules, orders and proposals are designed to make the wealthy richer and to make the poor broke and bankrupt!
Race and religion So what has enhanced this wicked effort? How can they turn people of goodwill and good intentions totally against each other? Well, they burn crosses and they trash religions! Today, there isn’t a damn thing righteous about so-called Christian evangelicals! What kind of Christians think mass murderers that shoot concertgoers; kill people in church congregations; run over and kill innocent pedestrians with large trucks; or seek to have sex with little girls are “fine people” that need to be supported or elected? If you think that kind of thinking is disgusting, what kind of Christian minister of the Gospel thinks that child molesters should be compared to the family members of Jesus Christ? The Bible says Mary, mother of Jesus, was a virgin and had an immaculate conception. To suggest that Joseph, who married a younger woman, was just like to-
day’s criminal child molesters is blasphemous! Any so-called Christian that makes devilish comparisons like that should experience hell on earth!
Easy to recognize Yes, back in the day, it wasn’t hard to recognize racists and White supremacists. During the day, they posed as friendly farmers, ranchers and shopkeepers. But when the sun went down, they automatically transformed into mob members, arsonists, lynchers and murderers of righteous people of all races and creeds. They put on their sheets, pointed hats and masks and terrified everybody that didn’t look and act like they did. They tried to kill all Native Americans. Those they couldn’t kill, they ran out of town on a “trail of tears.” They destroyed prosperous Black cities, towns and communities with bullets and bombs. What couldn’t be blown up or burned up, they shot up!
No justice for women To today’s White supremacists, those days were the good ole days! Black women and poor White women back then could be raped at any time day or night and nothing at all would be done. Don’t be misled, tricked, fooled or clowned. Just because the racists you see can walk the streets of Charlottesville, Va., and the highways and byways in your city without their customary and historical attire, don’t think the people that hate you don’t wear linen any more. They now wear invisible sheets! The Klan clothes are in the closet but the Klansmen and Klan women have come out!
Buy Gantt’s latest book, “Beast Too: Dead Man Writing,” on Amazon.com and from bookstores everywhere. “Like” The Gantt Report page on Facebook. Contact Lucius at www.allworldconsultants.net. Click on this commentary at www.flcourier.com to write your own response.
MEMORIAL from A1 Baxley, R-Ocala, opposed the previous slavery-memorial legislation, raising questions about its intent and design. But Baxley said working with Rouson has helped resolve his concerns. “For the record, I would say he and I have been on the same page,” Baxley said. “I never opposed the monument. We should all recognize those who came before us and paid a great price for what we have received.”
‘People’ over institution
CHUCK KENNEDY /TNS
In this March 2007 file photo, then-House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, D-Mich., holds a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.
BITTER from A1 als and used for such things as sky box seats at an NFL game and a luxury box at a Beyoncé concert. The Florida Times-Union reported that Brown, who served 24 years in Congress until losing a re-election bid last year, will report to prison no earlier than Jan. 8. She will appeal the sentence.
‘Not sufficient’ In a sentencing memo filed last month, Brown’s attorney requested that she receive probation and community service, rather than a prison sentence.
POLLS from A1 about.” When coupled with a 2016 rise in third-party “protest votes” by millennials of color, trends suggest that – without some course correction – Democrats could see widespread indifference among young Black voters, whose concerns about economic and criminal justice received scant attention from the party on the 2016 campaign trail. “I don’t think there’s any fear of young Democrats leaving and joining the Republican Party. But what you do have to worry about is apathy when you’re taken for granted. Nobody wants to be taken for granted,” said Bakari Sellers, a resident fellow at the University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics. To strengthen the support and participation of Black millennials in the 2018 and 2020 elections, Democrats are under pressure to adjust their messaging, outreach, candidate recruitment and policies to better reflect the interests of young Black voters, not White independents.
More money Steve Phillips, founder of Democracy in Color, a progressive
But Corrigan said that a sentence of probation “for a member of Congress convicted of 18 counts involving mail, wire, and tax fraud would not be sufficient. “…(H)aving overcome all hurdles and risen to high office, Ms. Brown unfortunately succumbed to greed and an entitlement mentality,” he said.
Announced on radio Interviewed by phone on a local talk show on Tuesday morning, Conyers, 88, announced his immediate retirement, even as he continued to fight the allegations against him raised by at least six former female employees. In a statement by Conyers read on the floor of the U.S. House by Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, he said, “I vehe-
organization focused on race and politics, is arguing the party needs to start spending more on outreach and mobilization specifically of Black voters, Democrats’ most loyal supporters, and put less emphasis on television ads aimed at White swing voters. And while opposition to President Donald Trump may bring more young Blacks to the polls next year, Democrats can’t assume that will carry the day, said Rashad Robinson, spokesman for Color of Change PAC, which works to get more young Black people to vote in local district attorney races.
What’s their vision? “Democrats have to offer a vision for the future and make a convincing case that they’re not only going to fight for that, but that they’re going to win realworld victories for people and make their lives better,” Robinson said. “That’s why people turn out for elections. That’s why people vote.” Amanda Brown Lierman, the Democratic National Committee’s political and organizing director, was unavailable for comment and the DNC wouldn’t make available someone to speak in her absence. In addition, a DNC spokesman cited strategic concerns for not discussing what tactics the party will employ to ad-
mently deny any and all allegations of harassment or dishonor, but I recognize that in this present environment, due process will not be afforded to me.” But some members of the CBC like Ohio Rep. Marcia Fudge saw a double standard that led people to ask Conyers to resign while White politicians like Texas Rep. Blake Farenthold, Sen. Al Franken and President Donald Trump have not faced similar calls. “The same double standard exists that our president uses for Black people,” she said. “We are guilty until proven innocent. Without giving him due process, without even hearing what happened.”
Hush money Conyers, a CBC co-founder, made his decision to quit nearly
two weeks to the day after an article on BuzzFeed.com detailed a secret settlement of more than $27,000 with a former staffer who accused him of making sexual advances toward her and paying her out of funds from his taxpayer-supported office. The House Ethics Committee – with authority to recommend any action from censure or expulsion to doing nothing – also launched an investigation against Conyers. That committee probe is likely now at an end with Conyers’ departure, however, as the panel only has jurisdiction over sitting members of Congress.
Jim Saunders of the News Service of Florida; Eric Garcia of CQ-Roll Call; and Kathleen Gray and Todd Spangler of the Detroit Free Press (TNS) all contributed to this report.
dress these issues going forward. In a statement, however, the DNC touted its ground game in Virginia’s gubernatorial race as evidence that it’s listening to the concerns – and that current efforts to reach minority voters are robust and effective.
Funding mobilization In July, the DNC poured $1.5 million into the Virginia race. None of the money was used for television ads; all of it went toward mobilizing voters. Democrats more than doubled their grassroots organizing staff in Virginia from roughly 40 to about 90, locating most on or near college campuses and minority communities, the DNC said. The party also targeted Black communities for mass mailings and hired a specialist to coordinate outreach to Black female voters – 90 percent of whom voted for the eventual winner, Democratic Gov.-elect Ralph Northam. The DNC also credited efforts to mobilize Black voters with victories for Democrats Justin Fairfax, Virginia’s first Black lieutenant governor, Sheila Oliver, New Jersey’s first Black female lieutenant governor, and Vi Lyles, the first Black mayor of Charlotte, N.C.
Policy, messaging But reaching young Black vot-
ers nationally will require more than voter mobilization. It’s sustained attention to policy issues and better messaging that these voters expect, said Adrianne Shropshire, executive director of BlackPAC, a grass-roots political organization that helps mobilize Black voters. “For younger voters, I think, there is a real need for the party to have a conversation with folks about Democratic Party values, about Democratic Party priorities … so that people are clear what they are,” Shropshire said. Voter ID laws, and other laws that restrict voter access, hurt turnout among Black college students in 2016, Shropshire said, while unfair treatment by police and the court system fueled their anger and activism.
Hillary criticized Clinton had a progressive criminal justice platform in 2016, but it didn’t resonate with Black millennials who were offended by her use of the term “superpredator” in 1996 to describe criminals without remorse who prey on certain communities. Many felt the comments were directed at Black men. “We can talk about why they ended up that way,” Clinton said at the time, “but first we have to bring them to heel.” Clinton apologized for the
Baxley said he wanted to make sure the memorial focused “on the people who endured slavery rather than the institution itself.” In supporting Rouson’s bill, Baxley, who is the descendant of a Confederate soldier and who has defended the Confederate flag and memorials, said he voted for the legislation “with an expectation of permanency” for all historical memorials and monuments. “And I hope that we can keep growing mutual respect for all of us honoring the permanency of those who came before us,” Baxley said. A similar bill (HB 67), sponsored by Rep. Kionne McGhee, D-Miami, has cleared three House committees and is ready for a floor vote after the 2018 session starts.
Design, funding Under the bill, the Department of Management Services would be the lead agency in designing the memorial and designating a place for it. The agency would work in conjunction with the Florida Historical Commission and the Division of Historical Resources, which is part of the Florida Department of State. The Department of Management Services, which oversees state facilities, would be required to deliver a report on the slavery memorial to Gov. Rick Scott and legislative leaders by Nov. 1, with the 2019 Legislature reviewing the proposal and providing funding for the project.
comments in 2016, but the damage couldn’t be undone. Especially after a Black Lives Matter protester confronted her at a campaign stop in South Carolina and hoisted a banner that read “bring them to heel.”
Focus on prosecutors While Democrats couldn’t harness this anger into electoral action, Color of Change PAC is using digital ads, texting networks, Black radio advertising and other tools to get young Black voters concerned about criminal justice more involved in roughly 20 district attorney races around the country. More than members of Congress or even the president, DAs determine local policies on sentencing, indictments, filing of charges and investigative tactics that directly impact young Blacks, said Robinson, the Color of Change spokesman. The group will work on behalf of candidates with progressive platforms, but won’t push one party over the other, Robinson said. “Because our goal is not about a political party. Our goal is about real-world results that make Black people’s lives better and to have decision makers that are accountable to the community. So, on Day One, when they get in office we can work to hold them accountable.”
DECEMBER 8 – DECEMBER 14, 2017
FLORIDA
A3
Hurricane proposals include bolstering evacuations BY JIM TURNER THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA
TALLAHASSEE – Extending a toll road as another evacuation route through
North Florida and using a cruise ship to carry people from the lower Keys are among 141 post-storm proposals pitched to a House hurricane committee.
One would require utility lines to be placed underground. Another would ask each county to determine how much fuel is needed to run generators for three
days. A separate proposal seeks to let the state buy property in high-risk areas rather than allow people to rebuild. The House Select Com-
mittee on Hurricane Response and Preparedness on Monday outlined member proposals intended to help people impacted by Hurricane Irma and to im-
Chanda Young Brown Construction Project Manager
prove planning for the next storm.
Lacks price tags Chairwoman Jeanette Nunez extended a deadline to Dec. 15 for members to file additional input on each proposal, with the committee now expected to complete its report for House Speaker Richard Corcoran on Jan. 8, a day before the 2018 legislative session begins. Most of the projects do not have price tags, and Nunez acknowledged after the meeting that many proposals are “aspirational goals.” “I think the process (is) where people were just throwing issues out there, kind of throwing Jell-O on the wall to see what sticks, but obviously as chair I take each recommendation seriously,” the Miami Republican said. “There are some things that are going to have a huge fiscal impact, so to whatever extent we can identify and separate things even further than what they are today, not only by category, but also what policy recommendations, by fiscal recommendation, but also we want to make sure we are taking into account the current bills that exist.”
Little debate The committee offered little comment and debate Monday after quickly noting the wide-ranging proposals. Among the proposals, Rep. Holly Raschein, RKey Largo, suggested the state identify areas where rebuilding after disasters might be high-risk and consider options for not rebuilding, including the possible purchase of the properties. The land would be used to create additional open space and natural buffers. Housing would then need to be rebuilt outside of these high-risk zones, Raschein said. Hurricane Irma, which hit the state in September, caused at least 72 deaths, with as many as 14 tied to a Broward County nursing home that lost its air conditioning in the storm.
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Mandatory generators Gov. Rick Scott’s administration has mandated that all nursing homes and assisted living facilities have generators and 96 hours of backup fuel. The state has estimated the requirements could cost nursing homes and assisted living facilities more than $465 million. Rep. Dane Eagle, R-Cape Coral, suggested creating a “gold standard for evacuation” that would allow nursing homes to be exempt from the emergency power rule.
Evacuation changes
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Among the “gold standard” benchmarks, Eagle proposed contracts regarding evacuation transportation – at no additional cost to residents and staff – and for at least five days of housing for residents. Committee members have also proposed several changes involving evacuations, as Scott’s evacuation orders resulted in more than 6.4 million people leaving their homes because of Irma. The evacuation led to traffic jams on interstates and gas-station pumps running dry. House Majority Leader Ray Rodrigues, R-Estero, wants the state to consider extending the Suncoast Parkway toll road, which goes north out of Hillsborough County, as another north-south option to the Georgia state line. Rep. Larry Lee, D-Port St. Lucie, recommended expanding the number of lanes at interstate interchanges. He also would like the state to consider contracting with a passenger cruise line to dedicate a “huge” ship that would be available to evacuate 5,000 to 6,000 people from Key West.
EDITORIAL
A4
DECEMBER 8 – DECEMBER 14, 2017
Payday lenders continue attack on consumer protections “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again” is a well-known adage. In recent weeks, it seems that phrase could also be an apt description of the unrelenting efforts of predatory payday lenders to sell their wares. Across the country, 15 states as well as the District of Columbia – with varying geographies, economies and demographics – have enacted strong rate cap limits. In each locale, these actions were taken to curb the harmful consequences of payday lenders’ 300 percent or higher interest rate loans.
Dodging state laws When voters or legislatures approve rate caps, these lenders seek loopholes to evade state requirements. Changing products from payday to car title-loans is one way. Others pose as “loan brokers” or “mortgage lenders” to avoid regulation of payday lending. Even at the federal level and on the heels of a still-new rule by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), payday lenders and their supporters are now pressing for legislation to continue and expand triple-digit lending on small-dollar loans. The same deception that hides the real cost of predatory, consumer loans is reflected in the title of pending legislation in both the House of Representatives and in the Senate. The Protecting Consumers’ Access to Credit Act of 2017 (H.R. 3299 and S. 1624) would allow payday lenders, high-cost online lenders, and other predatory lenders to partner with banks to make loans that surpass existing state interest rate limits. This legislative scheme would legalize pay-
CHARLENE CROWELL NNPA COLUMNIST
day lenders to charge triple-digit interest rates, despite state laws banning them.
‘Renting’ banks Some term this financial switch as innovation for “fintech,” a recently coined term that smacks of the 21st Century’s tech focus, but in everyday terms, these actions are a renewed effort for an old scheme known as “rent-a-bank.” If the bill is enacted, states that have annually saved an estimated $2.2 billion each year by banning triple-digit interest would have to face the return of past debt trap lending. In 34 states where a $2,000, 2-year installment loan with interest higher than 36 percent is illegal today, the bill would enable predatory lenders to charged unlimited rates on these longer-term loans. One more item to note: these measures are advancing with bipartisan support. Virginia’s Senator Mark Warner, the lead sponsor of that chamber’s version has Senators Gary Peters (Michigan), Pat Toomey (Pennsylvania) and Steve Daines (Montana) as his co-sponsors. On the House side, Rep. Patrick McHenry from North Carolina has the help of two Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) members: New York’s Congressman Greg Meeks and Wisconsin’s Congresswoman Gwen Moore.
The FCC is delivering the Internet to corporate control Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chair Ajit Pai’s plan to repeal net neutrality provisions and reclassify broadband providers from “common carriers” to “information services” is an unprecedented giveaway to big broadband providers and a danger to the Internet. The move would mean the FCC would have almost no oversight authority over broadband providers like Comcast, Verizon, and AT&T. (Editor’s note – “Net neutrality” is the concept that Internet service providers [ISPs] must treat all Internet data the same rather than blocking, slowing down, or charging more for different websites or content.) For years, those broadband providers have used lawsuits and agency filings to fight FCC oversight and overturn its authority to prevent net neutrality abuses. But never in those companies’ most feverish dreams did they expect an FCC chair would propose to demolish all net neutrality protections and allow ISPs to extract tolls from every business
RYAN SINGEL GUEST COMMENTARY
in the country.
Shocked and surprised Even industry analysts who expected the reclassification of broadband providers from Title II common carriers to Title I information services were stunned. Following Pai’s announcement, independent cable analyst Craig Moffett sent out an email to investors entitled “Shock and Awe and Net Neutrality,” writing, “We’ve known since the election that the FCC would reverse Title II. But we never expected this. Yesterday’s FCC Draft Order on Net Neutrality went much further than we ever could’ve imagined in not only reversing Title II, but in dismantling virtually all of the important tenets of net neutrality itself.”
Random thoughts of a free Black mind, v. 308 QUICK TAKES FROM #2: STRAIGHT, NO CHASER
CHARLES W. CHERRY II, ESQ. PUBLISHER
Black politicians, beware – I’ve written before about how Black politicians generally can’t do what their White counterparts can regarding taking advantage of political office and contacts. Unless you save some campaign funds to get (and stay) lawyered up and avoid legal
VISUAL VIEWPOINT: THE FCC AND NET NEUTRALITY
Right now, both New York and Pennsylvania have rate caps that prevent triple-digit rate lending. It is therefore curious why bill cosponsors would strip their own state law protections.
Three-figure rates In other home states of these legislators, payday loan interest rates are some of the highest in the country. For example, in Wisconsin, the average payday interest rate is 574 percent; in Michigan, the average interest is 369 percent. This bill would expand this type of predatory lending in their states, rather than reining it in. On Nov. 15, the House bill passed out of its assigned committee with a split among CBC members serving on the House Financial Services. While Representatives Maxine Waters (California), Al Green (Texas), and Keith Ellison (Minnesota) opposed the bill, Lacy Clay and Emanuel Cleaver (both of Missouri), joined Meeks and Moore in its support. It is noteworthy that in Missouri, the average payday loan interest rate is 443 percent. For civil rights advocates, the committee vote was disturbing. “The potential costs and damage to consumers is significant, especially for borrowers of color, as research shows that payday lenders disproportionately target communities of color and trap consumers in unsustainable cycles of borrowing and reborrowing high-cost loans,” said Vanita Gupta, the president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. “Under these arrangements, banks effectively ‘rent’ their federal charter powers to non-banks If Congress allows Pai’s plan to pass, all that will be left of FCC oversight of broadband providers is a weak disclosure requirement. If Verizon, for example, wants to block content, charge sites to be viewable on its network, or create paid fast lanes, the company will simply have to tell its subscribers in their contract’s fine print.
No control (Broadband providers won’t have to disclose, and the FCC won’t have control over the sneakier ways they’ve found to mess with the Internet.) Enforcement will be left to the Federal Trade Commission, an agency that’s never enforced open Internet rules and has no ability to formulate its own. The FTC won’t even be able to protect consumers against most net neutrality violations after the fact, and nor will it be able to protect consumers against greedy broadband providers.
‘Can’t be free’
JOHN COLE, THE SCRANTON TIMES-TRIBUNE
lenders, in exchange for a fee associated with each loan.”
Can’t compete Hilary O. Shelton, the director of the NAACP’s Washington bureau and the senior vice president for policy and advocacy, said that the swarm of payday lenders in our communities is blocking access to responsible credit and lending options. Companies that are offering those options, can’t compete with the deep pockets and market penetration of the payday lenders, Shelton added. “Responsible banking policy would be acting to end these high-cost loans, not make them more common,” said Shelton. The concerns of civil rights leaders are also shared by a nationwide coalition of 152 national and state organizations who together advised all of Congress of their collective opposition. Coalition members include church conferences and affiliates, consumer groups, housing, labor, or Vonage or anybody to expect to use these pipes free is nuts.” Verizon echoed that sentiment in 2013 when it sued to challenge the 2010 open Internet rules. It told a federal court that as an “information service” it had the right to charge online services like Yelp access fees simply to work on its network and should be able block those sites from Verizon subscribers if Yelp didn’t pay. (Verizon won that case, leading to the 2015 order and the reclassification of broadband providers as “common carriers” like telephone companies.) The 2015 order, replacing the one Verizon had overturned, recognized this as a threat and prohibited ISPs from charging sites and services simply to reach their users. Pai, a former Verizon lawyer, thinks this would be innovative. Now his plan would usher in a radical upending of how the Internet has worked in the U.S. since its inception.
Everyone pays more
And violations will come if Pai’s plan passes. AT&T’s Ed Whitacre summarized broadband providers’ true motivations best back in 2005: “Why should they be allowed to use my pipes?” he said. “The Internet can’t be free in that sense, because we and the cable companies have made an investment and for a Google or Yahoo
Every website could have to pay more to simply be online. Prices for online services would likely rise as companies start to pay broadband providers to be in fast lanes. Broadband providers would find even sneakier ways to enact tolls on the Internet, free of any agency able to set rules to stop them. Startups and their potential
“sloppiness” and ignorance, forget about setting up consultancies, foundations, political action committees and all the other stuff your White (male) colleagues easily establish. Watch what you say. Keep your hands off men and women, your draws and panties on, and your head on a swivel, or you’d be doing a “perp walk” to federal prison or a “walk of shame” back home to your district. There IS a double standard. Deal with it, or stay home on the porch… “What’s our good news?” –
That’s a West African colloquialism for “What’s in this for me?” Democrats, want to know why Black youth walked away after Bro. Prez? Because for his eight years, there was no “good news” for them regarding jobs, school loans, HBCU support, first-time homeownership, etc. Obama and the Dems were the best hope for “hope and change,” but you never delivered... Fleas, meet dog – Unless you are already filthy stinking rich (like many of King Don’s Cabinet officials who can afford to get
Charles W. Cherry II, Esq., Publisher
Opinions expressed on this editorial page are those of the writers, and do not necessarily reflect the editorial stance of the newspaper or the publisher.
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Associated Press
legal advocates and others. Approximately 20 state attorneys general are also on record opposing the bill’s provision. “This bill represents the efforts of high-cost lenders to circumvent the most effective protection against predatory loans – state interest rate caps,” said Scott Estrada, the director of federal advocacy with the Center for Responsible Lending. “Rather than making it easier for predatory lenders to exploit financially distressed individuals, Congress should be establishing a federal rate cap of 36 percent that protects all Americans, just as it did in 2006 for members of the military at the urging of the Department of Defense.”
Charlene Crowell is the deputy communications director at the Center for Responsible Lending. Contact her at Charlene.crowell@responsiblelending.org. Click on this commentary at www.flcourier.com to write your own response. investors would no longer have certainty that they could compete against incumbents, as they would need lots of money simply to pay each broadband provider for access or to escape the slow lane. Today, small and medium-size businesses rely on a myriad online business services for internal communications, sales, and accounting, to name just a few. Slack, Dropbox, Gusto, QuickBooks, and thousands more would have to pay access charges and fast-lane fees, costs they would likely have to pass to their customers. Non-mainstream media news sources across the political spectrum would no longer be able to afford to compete in the marketplace of ideas. Even churches that now reach their members online with streaming sermons, video libraries, and online video chats, would no longer be protected from blocking or access fees. Americans understand this and are rightly freaking out.
Ryan Singel is media and strategy fellow at the Center for Internet and Society at Stanford Law School and the CEO/cofounder of Contextly. Click on this commentary at www.flcourier.com to write your own response. lawyered up if necessary), why would anyone want to serve as a political appointee in this administration? And the closer you get to the White House, the closer to the criminal “contagion” you also come. When it comes to Trump, “lay down with a dog and you get fleas” is too mild. It’s more like “lay down with Trump and you get euthanized…”
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DECEMBER 8 – DECEMBER 14, 2017
The contradictions of White supremacy American media have a collective crush on avowed racists. The New York Times is only the most recent perpetrator with their now -profile of an Ohio Nazi. The kid-glove approach was too obvious, and readers rose up in uproar. The backpedaling and apologizing shouldn’t let them off the hook, nor allow their colleagues at other outlets to escape scrutiny.
MARGARET KIMBERLEY BLACK AGENDA REPORT
What is the importance of the Congressional Black Caucus?
Formed in 1960s The Congressional Black Caucus was formed because of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Congress started to be populated by newly-elected Black congresspersons. The original body consisted of 13 founding members. Today, there are 45 members, but Black elected congresspersons don’t automatically belong to the body. Some Republicans do not wish to join, or don’t feel welcomed. Basically, it is a Democratic orga-
HARRY C. ALFORD GUEST COLUMNIST
VISUAL VIEWPOINT: SEXUAL HARASSMENT
Yet there should be no confusion among Black people. The Ohio Nazi article was problematic because he was given the floor and allowed to say that Hitler was “chill.” But the existence of people like him is not surprising to us. We know that the country was and is deeply racist and that we live in an environment that literally endangers our lives. We are never safe, regardless of who occupies the White House. We also know that White people who would never consider themselves racists are in fact just that, and that we must be on guard against them. Perhaps there should be investigative reporting about their ability to compartmentalize and the pretense that allows them to feel superior, despite their own foibles. The overt White supremacists most certainly pose great dangers. They should be closeted. They should live in fear of being revealed. But they should not be treated as outliers, either. Black people are, as ever, placed in a quandary. Our condition was not a good one before last year’s presidential election. We lag behind in every positive measure and are at the top of every bad one. Our precarious position didn’t occur overnight when Trump and his White nationalists won the day.
they fight against job discrimination and for living wages? Will they campaign for Black community control of the police? The questions are rhetorical, of course. They won’t do any of these things. And unless Black people fight for self-determination, we will continue accepting political crumbs. That is what we did before Trump’s election. We had good reason to be outraged about any number of issues, but felt compelled to feel relieved if Democrats prevailed instead of Republicans, and if White nationalists stayed in the closet.
contradictions until we rid ourselves of dependence on the duopoly which keeps us trapped in a state of terror – or in phony comfort. The truth is that we must depend upon ourselves to change our condition. Self-determination is the key to changing our lot in this country. That task is huge, but it isn’t made any easier because White Americans differ only in how they present themselves publicly. It doesn’t matter if liberals or White nationalists feel ascendant. Our struggle continues, regardless.
Confront liberals
Depend upon self
If elitist liberals claim to be outraged by racism, let us put them on the spot. Will they fight against mass incarceration? Will they stop displacing people of color from their communities? Will
Open White supremacy cannot be the determining factor of how we pursue political action. The same is true of faux outrage from White liberals. It cannot be trusted, either. We will live with these
Margaret Kimberley’s column appears weekly in BlackAgendaReport.com. Contact her at Margaret.Kimberley@BlackAgendaReport.com. Click on this commentary at www.flcourier.com to write your own response.
Back in the 1980s, there was an up-and-coming group known as the Black Manufacturers Association. Congressman Parren J. Mitchell, one of the founding members of the CBC, thought it would be great to formally introduce them to members of the CBC and start a positive, proactive relationship. To Parren’s surprise, the group were met with Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm shouting, “I don’t give a damn about businesses. All I am concerned with is jobs!” Then Congresswoman Cardiss Collins chimed in and said, “Besides that, you all are a bunch of Republicans!” The meeting went downhill from there. Their ignorance did not do much to help form an alliance based on Black empowerment regardless of political party. That has been much of the winding and sometimes circular story of the Congressional Black Caucus in terms of Black economic empowerment, quality of life, health, and education.
Innovative and progressive teaching techniques that come from charter schools are fought by the Democratic Party, and thus are not supported by the Congressional Black Caucus. Isn’t that ironic? When Black construction workers in the South moved to Northern states and started applying their superior craftsmanship to available construction projects, they became discriminated against by unions with organized White-only union halls and the Davis-Bacon Act. Unions and the Democratic Party became strong allies to the detriment of these Black construction workers. Only two percent of Black construction companies today are union. Yet, the Congressional Black Caucus publicly supports these unions, not the Black contractors who are blocked from joining them. Ironic indeed!
nization siding with the Democratic Party platform regardless of how that impacts the Black community – positively or negatively. For example, when the Clinton administration decided to crack down hard on crime, it implemented programs that would result in longer sentences for Blacks. The Congressional Black Caucus, at the time, supported this. The racial disparities in sentencing Poor schools and convictions that went on for Teacher unions over the dethe last couple of decades were cades have brought down our loapproved by the CBC. cal Black schools to the abyss. Reading levels, math skills, techHow could that be? nology and quality education in It is simple. The Congressional predominantly Black communiBlack Caucus is basically an arm ties are worse than paltry because of the liberal and progressive side of poor management and union of the Democratic Party. Allow me protectionism. Union tenure proto show you some examples of just tectionism has supported this state of poor education. how ironic things can become.
What no one told me about being ‘first’ to college I was reared and schooled in Detroit, where poverty and oppression eloquently danced while violence and crime serenaded the communities. The crime and oppression in my neighborhood drove me to submit a college application that changed my life’s trajectory. I wasn’t going to college to become an adult; I faced mature challenges and struggles long before filling out my college applications. For me, higher education represented an escape from adult struggles. But I couldn’t escape the financial challenges. For first-generation college students like me, the responsibilities designed for mature adults were often delegated to us adolescents. Now that I’m in graduate
A5
Don’t be confused
necessarily be given a get out of jail free card. They may get the vapors because a New York Times reporter didn’t give sufficient pushback to a man who owns Nazi memorabilia. But they Unnecessary boost aren’t so supportive of Black peoThe alt-right got a significant ple that they will cease gentrifying boost from a puff piece profile of in Harlem or Brooklyn or Washtheir leader Richard Spencer in ington, D.C. the supposedly progressive Mother Jones. Mother Jones referred to Silence about White the “prom-king good looks” of the privilege “dapper White nationalist.” The pattern is repeated often They thrive through a variety enough that a few questions must of arrangements which benebe posed. fit them because they are White. Why do Northern liberal elites They are well-aware of and hapfind racists so fascinating? Mil- pily make use of all the advantaglions of people choose to be rac- es that come with Whiteness, yet ist and align themselves with like- don’t cross the line into open and minded groups. The election of overt racism. Doing so would ofDonald Trump gave them legiti- fend their highbrow sensibilities. macy. That is all there is to say. But beneath the outrage about But the New York Times and Trump’s election lies an affinity other media insist on conduct- which could not be kept hidden ing fact-finding missions to refor very long. veal what self-proclaimed White The Ohio Nazi, Tony Hovater, supremacists eat for dinner and is portrayed as being somehow where they do their shopping. The sad fact is that very few mysterious because he does all White Americans stray far from of the right and “normal” things. this country’s racist origins. The The Times reporter reveals that same New York Times readers he has a job and is newly married who were rightly offended by the and says “Please” and “Thank Nazi apologia were also support- you.” The unwritten subtext is ive of their Black neighbors being that Whiteness itself is normastopped and frisked by the New tive. There will always be an effort to defend the overt racists as long York Police Department. The people who are still aghast as that pernicious idea goes unexat the Trump victory should not amined.
“The Congressional Black Caucus is a racial political organization made up of the AfricanAmerican members of the United States Congress. Although they claim race and party affiliation are not official requirements for membership, no White person has been allowed to join and most of them are Democrats. Its chair is Representative Cedric Richmond of Louisiana,” according to Wikipedia. The description above seems rather bland and vague. But that probably makes it accurate.
EDITORIAL
cial realities of being a student who couldn’t rely on family for support. FASFA, Pell Grants and loans were foreign concepts. The conversations I had growing up rarely involved college. We talked about who was buying dinner that night or who needed to get a job to help pay bills. Survival was the goal.
Major challenges BRANDON TERRELL GUEST COMMENTARY
By the time I applied to college, I had already tangled with life and boxed with oppression, discrimination, stereotypical beliefs, and negative ideologies –all while juggling school – plus a job or two. Life had prepared me for college. But the challenges never stopped coming. Even as I struggled to pay tuition and buy meals when the food courts closed for the weekends, I often got calls from relatives who needed help buying groceries. Relief started with me. I had no safety net – I WAS the safety net.
school, I have some distance and perspective on what “first-gens” really need to thrive at a four-year college. And despite some model programs at universities, I fear the current political climate and threatened budget cuts will only make it harder for first-gens to obtain a four-year degree. I know from experience my journey as a first-gen and non- Balancing act traditional undergraduate college Completing college required a student is devastatingly common. survival balancing act: maintainNo one in high school or col- ing my GPA, bridging gaps back at lege spoke to me about the finan- home, and navigating collegiate
RICK MCKEE, THE AUGUSTA CHRONICLE
Unfair taxes Currently, our taxation system is not fair to small businesses. Most of Black businesses are small. However, during this discussion about tax reform, there are members of the Congressional Black Caucus who are fighting this reform that would benefit fledging Black small business owners who are the main catalyst for Black job growth. So ironic! High incarceration rates, poor education, poverty, poor health management and so on – just what is the Congressional Black Caucus bureaucracies, while carefully responding to “macroaggressions” and prejudice in majority-White spaces. Spectators would classify the underlying factor of our motivation as “grit” or “determination,” but for many first-gens, our motivation is simply survival. We have no choice. Missing an assignment; being too tired to attend a biology lecture after working more than 30 hours a week; failing a 300-level course; or even missing a tuition payment, created a slippery slope back to the environment that suffocated dreams. But we are a population colleges cannot afford to lose, as we represented 36 percent of students seeking a four-year degree nationwide in 2012. Politicians, educators, social workers, counselors, and administrators must address the intersecting social and cultural challenges that precede our applications, accompany us to college, and follow us even after securing a degree.
about? Is it an arm of the progressive side of the Democratic Party? If so, it would be of no benefit to Black American citizens. What if it changed its charter (if there is a charter)? What if it would devote itself to independence from either political party, and concentrated on the issues of health, law, economics, and education for Black communities? It seems like that would be a productive and beneficial position to take. However, as noble as that is, no political party could truly exist under those tenets. Politics is ebb and flow full of compromise and betrayal. It is about power without regret. Could the name “Congressional Black Caucus” be a misnomer or oxymoron? Perhaps there could be two beneficial Black congressional organizations – one representing the Republican side and another representing the Democratic side. To say that there is one body representing the philosophy of both sides just doesn’t seem doable. Does it?
Harry C. Alford is the cofounder and president/CEO of the National Black Chamber of Commerce. Contact him via www.nationalbcc.org. Click on this commentary at www.flcourier.com to write your own response. cial aid is not enough to secure a better quality of life for students coming from low-income backgrounds. The gap is widening with only 14 percent of the most economically disadvantaged students earning a bachelor’s degree, according to a 2015 federal study. We need a different support system to thrive in college – mentors, help with living expenses, travel costs, tutors, flexible schedules, and emotional support from other students who feel isolated, but are coping with similar struggles. We need to stop talking about college attainment in simplistic ways. It takes so much more than “grit.”
Brandon Terrell is currently attending graduate school at Eastern Michigan University, after graduating from there in 2015 with a bachelor’s in psychology. He also works at the University of Michigan as a program assistant for the community health department. Click on this commentary at www.flNot enough courier.com to write your own Access to college and finan- response.
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DECEMBER 8 – DECEMBER 14, 2017
Trump effect? Citizenship applications soar jobs, according to a 2012 economic study by the D.C.-based Migration Policy Institute. Nevertheless, Sarah Pierce, a lawyer and associate policy analyst at the Migration Policy Institute, believes that “the charged political climate” is contributing heavily to increases in citizenship filings and to an increase in citizenship workshops by nonprofits across the country. “When you are a green card holder, you are still vulnerable to deportation,” Pierce said. “Considering statements made by our politicians and the increased interior enforcement, people are very motivated to rid themselves of that risk and secure citizenship.”
Major backlog
LOUIS DELUCA/DALLAS MORNING NEWS/TNS
New U.S. citizens are sworn in during a naturalization ceremony at the Amon Carter Museum of American Art in Fort Worth, Texas on Nov 20.
Unusual surge in filings has created huge backlog BY DIANNE SOLIS DALLAS MORNING NEWS/TNS
FORT WORTH, Texas – Carlos Chavez walked with great purpose, despite his cane. The 85-year-old Mexico-born immigrant and physician finally became a U.S. citizen at a recent music-filled ceremony at the iconic Amon Carter Museum of American Art. The retired doctor is one of many immigrants pushing the number of citizenship applications to new highs — especially in Texas, which leads the nation by percentage increase. Some call it the Trump effect. The harsh rhetoric of President Donald Trump against immigrants, including legal immigrants, is causing an unusual surge in filings that has created a huge backlog of about 709,000 people in the pipeline for U.S. citizenship.
American Airlines responds to NAACP travel advisory BY HUGO MARTIN LOS ANGELES TIMES/TNS
In response to complaints by the NAACP that African-Americans may be treated with disrespect on American Airlines, the carrier said it would announce plans to implement new bias training and a diversity study, among other changes. American Airlines CEO Doug Parker issued a letter to his employees last week after meeting with NAACP representatives and other activists over their allegations that the carrier’s employees mistreat African-Americans. The meeting was prompted by a travel advisory the NAACP issued in October, saying AfricanAmericans who fly on American Airlines could be subject to “disrespectful, discriminatory or unsafe conditions.”
‘Positive step’ The civil rights group cited four
The NAACP cited four incidents in which Black passengers were removed from a flight or forced to give up a firstclass seat. MAX FAULKNER/ FORT WORTH STARTELEGRAM/TNS
Preventing ‘problems’ Chavez said he filed his naturalization application “to prevent any problems” after the presidential election, even though he was here legally long before Trump moved into the White House. His wife, Isabel Clement, also a naturalized U.S. citizen, was more direct and defensive. Candidate Trump infamously labeled Mexican immigrants drug traffickers and rapists. “We aren’t assassins or rateros” — rats — said Clement, an engineer. “We have contributed to this country.” Lawful permanent residents, or so-called green-carders, can still be deported if they commit an increasing number of offenses. But becoming a U.S. citizen provides security and the right to vote. Studies show that naturalized citizens vote with greater vigor than native-born citizens.
1 million applicants Marco Antonio Avila draped a
Catholic rosary around his neck to commemorate the Fort Worth ceremony at the museum. The 35-year-old Mexican immigrant from Fort Worth said he took the step of moving from legal permanent resident to U.S. citizenship because he’d have more rights and could vote. Then, there is Trump. “All the stuff he is trying to do!” Avila said. “The U.S. was founded by immigrants. So I don’t know why they want to send us back.” The Chicago-based National Partnership for New Americans estimates there will be more than 1 million applicants for citizenship this fiscal year. That’s unusual because the large number comes after a presidential election year, said Joshua Hoyt, the partnership’s executive director.
Increase in 2007 Usually, increases in applications come before an election, as in 2007, when Barack Obama was first a presidential candidate. To-
tal application fees nearly doubled then, Hoyt said. Application numbers after the 2008 presidential election dropped below 600,000, government statistics show. “So these numbers are extraordinary,” Hoyt said. Texas leads because of its pool of potential citizens, Hoyt said. But also because people “are afraid and angry and want to participate in our democracy,” he added. In Texas, there was a 61 percent jump in applications from fiscal year 2015 to fiscal year 2017, according to the partnership’s study.
Economic factor In addition to gaining the right to vote and the easing of deportation fears, money should be another motivation for naturalization, say citizenship proponents. Naturalized citizens earn more than noncitizens, are less likely to be unemployed, and are better represented in highly skilled
Hoyt said he is especially worried about the backlog of nearly 709,000 applications for citizenship being handled by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the Homeland Security Department agency that handles such matters. Those applicants have already qualified for legal permanent residency and have waited the generally required five years to apply for naturalization. They also must be able to read, write and speak basic English, with some exceptions for those of advanced age. They study U.S. history and take a civics test, as well. The application fees are now $725.
Average wait time For the nation, the average wait is nearly nine months, said Arwen FitzGerald, a spokeswoman for the federal citizenship agency. FitzGerald said there is no “quick fix” to address the surge in applications. From fiscal year 2015 through fiscal year 2016, as the presidential election neared and candidates staked out their positions on immigration and other issues, there was a 24 percent increase in naturalizations. Citizenship and Immigration Services is setting aside money for additional employee overtime and has started recruiting to fill vacancies across the federal agency, FitzGerald said. But Hoyt of the National Partnership for New Americans isn’t sure it is enough. His group’s latest study calls the backlog effectively “a second wall,” a reference to the border wall Trump advocates near the Mexican border. “The U.S. government owes it to the person to process the application in a speedy manner,” Hoyt said.
incidents in which African-American passengers were removed from a flight or forced to give up a first-class seat. Among the people who met with Parker was Tamika Mallory, an activist who has said she was kicked off an American Airlines plane in Miami simply because she complained that she was assigned to a middle seat even though she used an airline kiosk to switch to an aisle seat. Ajmel Quereshi, senior counsel to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, called the meeting “a positive step for American Airlines” but said his organization will continue to monitor the progress at the airline.
Donald Trump supporter and Westmont College student Jake Lopez grabs a Trump campaign poster in his dorm room to take out on campus on March 29, 2016 in Montecito, Calif. As president, Trump has just a 22 percent approval rating among millennials surveyed.
Analysis planned
BRIAN VAN DER BRUG/
Parker said the Fort Worth, Texas-based airline will conduct a diversity analysis that will look at the hiring, promotion and training practices at the company. Every employee at the airline, including executives, will also undergo “implicit bias training,” he said in the letter. The airline also plans to change how it addresses claims of discrimination and to “sharpen our focus” on the problems and environment of its employees, he said.
LOS ANGELES TIMES/ TNS
President not winning over millennials BY GRIFFIN CONNOLLY CQ-ROLL CALL/TNS
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump is not off to a good start in his political career, according to millennials in a new poll. The president has just a 22 percent approval rating among the young adults surveyed in a NBC News/GenForward study. Sixty-three percent disapprove of the job he is doing while 15 percent neither approve nor disapprove. The survey was conducted from Oct. 26 through Nov. 10 among a nationally representative sample of 1,876 adults aged 18 to 34, recruited and administered by NORC at the Universi-
ty of Chicago, according to NBC. The poll’s margin of error is 3.92 percentage points.
candidate or write in their own. But just 22 percent of millennials surveyed in the NBC News/GenForward study said they voted for Trump. Thirtyfive percent said they voted for Hillary Clinton, 12 percent voted for someone else, and 31 percent said they didn’t vote at all.
Worse than expected
Concerned, scared
Trump is not meeting the expectations of millennials of color, the poll found. A majority of White millennials, 52 percent, said the president is performing about how they expected, but 57 percent of African-Americans, 61 percent of Latinos and 52 percent of Asian-Americans said Trump is doing worse than they expected. A handful of think pieces in the run-up to the 2016 elections attributed the fate of the presidency to millennials, who were much more likely than older voters to vote for a third-party
Majorities of millennials across all racial subgroups said they were either “concerned” or “scared” about the Trump presidency, including 86 percent of African-Americans and 84 percent of Latinos. Thirty-four percent of White millennials characterized their feelings about the Trump presidency as “excited” or “optimistic.” Majorities in every racial subgroup also said Trump’s presidential legacy would that of a “not very good” or “poor president.”
HEALTH | FOOD | TRAVEL | SCIENCE | BOOKS | MOVIES | TV | AUTOS COURIER
IFE/FAITH Judge denies bail again for Meek Mill See page B3
DEC. 8 – DEC. 14, 2017
SHARING BLACK LIFE, STATEWIDE
Reid apologizes for comments about Crist See page B3
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FSU HIRES FIRST BLACK FOOTBALL COACH Willie Taggart, a native of Palmetto and USF’s former head coach, will lead Seminoles
OCTAVIO JONES/TAMPA BAY TIMES/ TNS
Then-USF Coach Willie Taggart leaves the field at the end of the game against Louisville at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa on Oct. 26, 2013. Louisville won, 34-3. previous two seasons, before consecutive 7-5 seasons in 2011 and 2012. Taggart led WKU to the program’s first bowl game in his final season before taking the USF job. Taggart, who won a state 5A championship at Bradenton Manatee High in 1992 and was runner up in 1993, also has extensive ties to the state of Florida that could help in recruiting.
BY SAFID DEEN ORLANDO SENTINEL/TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE
Florida State University’s first coaching search in more than four decades lasted just five days. FSU has reached an agreement with Oregon coach Willie Taggart on Tuesday to become the Seminoles’ new head football coach. Taggart, a native of Palmetto, Florida and former University of South Florida head coach who has worked under Jack and Jim Harbaugh, became one of the hottest available coaches in the country after his final season with the USF Bulls in 2016.
Recruiting efforts
Follows Fisher Taggart becomes the first AfricanAmerican coach at Florida State — a feat he also accomplished at Western Kentucky, USF and Oregon. Fisher left for Texas A&M after weeks of negotiating the richest valued contract in college football history. Now, Taggart will be tasked with replacing Jimbo Fisher, who won a national title in 2013 and was introduced as Texas A&M’s new coach Monday after agreeing to a 10-year deal worth $75 million guaranteed.
Fisher’s exit Florida State officials met with Taggart after he took a recruiting trip in Arizona on Monday. He informed Oregon players of his intention to take the FSU job on Tuesday afternoon, according to a source. Taggart’s hiring marks the end of one of most historical, yet contentious, sequences in Florida State history after Fisher raised tensions while negotiating for his new position. Fisher’s lack of comment on returning to FSU amid Texas A&M coaching rumors while openly criticizing FSU’s commitment to providing improvements to its football program damaged goodwill
Taggart is shown after he became Oregon University’s coach in 2016. between Fisher and FSU officials at the end of his tenure.
Taggart’s record The Seminoles hope for a fresh start under Taggart, who will be FSU’s third coach since 1976, joining legendary coach Bobby Bowden (1976-2009) and Fisher (2010-2017), and the 10th coach in program history. Taggart led Oregon to a 7-5 record this season, an improvement from its 4-8 record a season ago, despite losing starting quarterback Justin Herbert to a collarbone injury for much of the season. He has a 47-50 overall record in his eight seasons as a head coach, but rebuilt Western Kentucky and USF to winning programs after his brief tenures at both schools.
USF stats At USF, Taggart’s record gradually climbed from 2-10, 4-8, 8-5 to 10-2 from 2013-16, where the Bulls ranked 19th in
the final Associated Press poll in his final season. FSU beat USF 55-35 in 2016, with the Bulls’ 11th-ranked offense scoring the fourth-most against the Seminoles defense, which ranked 22nd nationally, trailing the only teams to beat FSU that season in Louisville, Clemson and North Carolina. Taggart’s coaching career began immediately after graduating from WKU in 1997. He served as an assistant head coach, offensive coordinator and position coach under Jack Harbaugh for seven seasons, highlighted by a Division IAA national title in 2002
Extensive state ties Current Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh hired Taggart as an assistant at Stanford, where he coached running backs for from 2007-09, guiding Heisman Trophy finalist Toby Gerhart. Taggart won two games in his first season as Western Kentucky’s head coach, matching the same winning total in the
Wyatt resigns as head coach of Edward Waters College
Alvin Wyatt
Alvin Wyatt has resigned his position as head football coach at Edward Waters College, the Jacksonville school announced on Dec. 2. Wyatt joined Edward Waters in 2012 as defensive coordinator after a storied and Hall of Fame 13 year-career at Bethune-Cookman University as its head coach. He
was then selected as the 13th head football coach in Edward Water’s football history on Dec. 10, 2013. Wyatt also played in the NFL for the Buffalo Bills, Houston Oilers and Oakland Raiders. “Coach Wyatt has been a legendary figure in the world of coaching and molding young men,’’ said
Florida State hopes Taggart can revive the 2018 recruiting class, which dropped to 32nd this week after losing seven pledges. Under Fisher, the Seminoles had eight consecutive Top 10 recruiting classes. “I think that’s very important that they are able to recruit in the state of Florida. That’s what we’ve always been able to do,” said FSU Athletics Director Stan Wilcox about potential coaching candidates after FSU’s bowl-clinching win over Louisiana-Monroe last Saturday. “If they have a proven track record of being a great recruiter, and a great recruiter in the state of Florida and South Florida, that’s going to be a very good criteria we’re looking for.”
Dec. 27 finale Florida State began the season as a No. 3 preseason team before falling to 2-5, and regrouping to become bowl eligible in the season finale against Louisiana Monroe last week. The Seminoles will finish the season against Southern Miss on Dec. 27 at the Independence Bowl in Shreveport, La. While Taggart would have to move swiftly to secure FSU’s recruiting class, he would take over a roster built to compete immediately in the Atlantic Coast Conference after the Seminoles coaching staff secured Top 10 recruiting classes in all eight seasons of Fisher’s tenure. Florida State hopes Taggart can help the Seminoles quickly contend for its first ACC championship and College Football Playoff berth since 2014.
Stanley Cromartie, director of Intercollegiate Athletics at Edward Waters. “We thank him for his hard work and dedication to our football program at EWC and we wish him nothing but the best in his future endeavors.”
9-29 EWC record Cromartie had planned to meet with the assistant coaches, then launch a national search for the next head football coach. “I firmly believe that we have the
tools necessary to be successful in football here at EWC.” He added, “I will do everything in my power to ensure that we select the right person to help lead our program to championships on the field and greater successes off of it.” Wyatt compiling a record of 9-29 while at Edward Waters. The college’s 2017 record was 1-10 and the team lost all nine of it’s conference games. It was the team’s first season in the Sun Conference.
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FLORIDA COMMUNITY CALENDAR Riverview: Sisters With A Purpose will hold a “Great Gatsby’’ Charity Ball 8 p.m. to midnight Dec. 9 at Harmony Events, 8823 Van Fleet Road. Proceeds will go to Miracles Outreach and others. Tickets available through EventBrite. Pinellas Park: United One Insurance is hosting a free Toys for Tots roadside party from 1 to 4 p.m. Dec. 16 at 7001 66th St. N. Guests are asked to take an unwrapped gift for Toys for Tots. Delray Beach: A celebration of Dr. Carter G. Woodson’s 142nd birthday is Dec. 16 from noon to 2 p.m. at the Spady Cultural Heritage Museum. It will include a panel discussion and activities for kids. Details: spadymuseum.com Miramar: The Miami Funk Fest is 5 p.m. Dec. 30 at the Miramar Regional Park Amphitheater. Performers: Keith Sweat, Anthony Hamilton, 112, Uncle Luke and Trina. Tampa: The 10th Year Black Business Bus Tours Reunion is Dec. 16 at 9 a.m. leaving from the Bounce Boy, 5008 E. 10TH Ave. Details: 813-3946363 Sunrise: Janet Jackson’s State of the World Tour stoops at the BB&T Center on Dec. 11 and Jacksonville’s Veterans Memorial Arena on Dec. 12. Miami Beach: Catch Ceelo Green on Dec. 15 at the Faena Theater.
DECEMBER 8 – DECEMBER 14, 2017
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Kissimmee: Reggaeton Old School is scheduled Dec. 16 at the Silver Spurs Arena at Osceola Heritage Park.
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Keyshia Cole & Friends will be at Jacksonville’s Veterans Memorial Arena on Dec. 29. With K-CI & JoJo, Ja Rule, 112, Doug E. Fresh, Carl Thomas and the 69 Boyz.
Daytona Beach: A Motown Christmas Spectacular is Dec. 16 at The Peabody featuring the Motortown All-Stars and the Marvelettes. Orlando: Songs for the Soul: An Intimate Evening with Brent Smith and Zach Myers is Dec. 12 at House of Blues Orlando. Hollywood: Kevin Hart: The Irresponsible Tour stops a Hard Rock Live on Dec. 21 and the CFE Arena on Dec. 31. Jacksonville: The Jacksonville Children’s Chorus will present “The Cool Side of Yuletide on Dec. 16 at 2 p.m. at 5 p.m. at Hendricks Avenue Baptist Church. Details: Jaxchildrenschorus.org. Clearwater: The Silver Anniversary Celebration of Winter Wonderland continues through Dec. 22 in downtown Clearwater. Free entrance, but a charge for some activities and food. Proceeds help kids in Pinellas County. Details: ccvfl.org. Miami Gardens: Free one-one business consulting sessions are available through December for Miami Gardens residents. Call M.D. Stewart & Associates for an appointment at 305-890-4984. Miami Gardens: Tickets are on sale now for Jazz in the Gardens – March Saturday March 17 & Sunday March 18, 2018. Performers include Anita Baker, Smokey Robinson and Chaka Khan. Details: Jazzinthegardens.com
VILLAGE PEOPLE
The iconic disco group is scheduled Dec. 31 at the Seminole Casino in Coconut Creek.
SALT N PEPA The Rock the Block New Year’s Eve Party is at the Boca Raton Resort & Club. Performers: Salt N Pepa, Wang Chuck and A Flock of Seagulls.
Law students share their experiences at Tampa Bay high school
PHOTOS BY SANDRA BENTIL/SPECIAL TO THE FLORIDA COURIER
Whoopi Goldberg narrated the Epcot Candlelight Processional Dec. 1-3.
Western Michigan University Cooley Law School students Noreka Thomas, Eugene Perry and Ronisha Harris spoke to students at Spoto High School in Riverview on Nov. 16 for the Great American Teach In, a day where members of the community are invited to share how their educational experiences relate to their current life during American Education Week. Each law student took a different approach when sharing their experiences. Thomas discussed the obstacles she has had to face in order to get to law school and succeed. She spoke about how to
conduct oneself in a business setting, emphasizing the importance of integrity, maturity and growth.
Personal experiences Harris spoke about how she overcame the absence of a father. She expressed the importance of maintaining self confidence, even in the midst of adversity. She also spoke about the various career paths one can take upon earning a J.D. It is Harris’ goal to be a FBI agent. With the goal of demonstrating how one can be taken seriously while still being a part of the “culture,” Perry related to the students by wearing jeans and T-shirt during his presentation. He also encouraged student athletes who plan to pursue professional sports to also consider alternate career plans. “We were received so well, and have been asked to help lead a mentoring program on campus. To say that the experience was humbling is an understatement,” Thomas said.
Goldberg, Pounder, Wilson among narrators at Epcot event African-American actresses CCH Pounder and Chandra Wilson are two of the special guests who will appear later this month at the Epcot International Festival of the Holidays, scheduled through Dec. 30. “The View’’ talk-show host and popular actress Whoopi Goldberg kicked off the festival on Dec. 1 as a narrator for the popular Candlelight Processional. The festive Candlelight Processional presents the traditional story of Christmas annually with a celebrity narrator, a 50-piece orchestra and a mass choir. The show takes place at the America Gardens Theatre each evening at 5 p.m., 6:45 p.m. and 8:15 p.m. through Dec. 30.
Other narrators Pounder, an Emmy-nominated actress, who has appeared in hits like “ER,” “The Shield’’ and James Cameron’s “Avatar,’’ will be the narrator Dec. 22 to 24. Wilson, best known as Dr. Bailey on “Grey’s Anatomy,” will appear Dec. 28 to 30. Other celebrity narrators include Laurie Hernandez, Matt Bomer, Ana Gasteyer, Pat Sajak, Jodi Benson, Kurt Russell, Warwick Davis, Trace Adkins, Jaci Velasquez and Neil Patrick Harris. The Epcot Festival of the Holidays include live musical performances, seasonal food and holiday traditions of 11 World Showcase nations.
WMU-Cooley Law School student Eugene Perry presents to students at Spoto High School for the Great American Teach In event.
Performers at the Candlelight Processional included an orchestra and mass choir.
JOYFUL! performances Once again, the performers of JOYFUL! celebrate the Christmas season with sounds that blend inspiring gospel with jazz, R&B and other contemporary music evolved from the cultural experiences and creativity of African Americans. Catch daily performances of this holiday show at 1:25 p.m., 2:25 p.m., 3:25 p.m. and 4:25 p.m., on the Future World Fountain Stage.
Kwanzaa celebrations From Dec. 26 to 30, as part of
the official week of Kwanzaa, the performers of JOYFUL! will present a special festive musical tribute on the Future World Fountain Stage. The performances will feature cultural traditions in celebration of the holiday. Disney Springs is also home to a Kwanzaa celebration where the UHURU singers will perform colorful sets full of dancing and singing Dec. 26 and 27. Performance times will be 6 p.m., 7 p.m., 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. on the Marketplace Stage. For more information, visit disneyworld.com/holiday.
WMU-Cooley Law School student Noreka Thomas shares stories from her educational and life experiences with students at Spoto High School.
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DECEMBER 8 – DECEMBER 14, 2017
FINEST & ENTERTAINMENT
Meet some of
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Think you’re one of Florida’s Finest? E-mail your high-resolution (200 dpi) digital photo in casual wear or bathing suit taken in front of a plain background with few distractions, to news@flcourier. com with a short biography of yourself and your contact information. (No nude/ glamour/ fashion photography, please!) In order to be considered, you must be at least 18 years of age. Acceptance of the photographs submitted is in the sole and absolute discretion of Florida Courier editors. We reserve the right to retain your photograph even if it is not published. If you are selected, you will be contacted by e-mail and further instructions will be given.
FLORIDA’S
finest
Thousands of Caribbean culture lovers converge on South Florida every year before and during the Columbus Day weekend to attend the annual Miami Broward Carnival, a series of concerts, pageants, parades, and competitions. On Carnival Day, “mas” (masquerade) bands of thousands of revelers dance and march behind 18-wheel tractor-trailer trucks with booming sound systems from morning until nightfall while competing for honors. Here are some of the “Finest” we’ve seen over the years. Click on www.flcourier to see hundreds of pictures from previous Carnivals. Go to www. miamibrowardcarnival. com for more information on Carnival events in South Florida. CHARLES W. CHERRY II / FLORIDA COURIER
Reid apologizes for comments about Crist’s sexuality BY NICOLE HYATT EURWEB.COM
MSNBC host Joy Reid has issued an apology for past comments she made in her former blog, The Reid Report, which have been criticized as homophobic. According to Mediaite, the statements, which were posted between 2007 and 2009 — The Reid Report has been shut down for several years — contemplates the sexuality of then-Florida governor Charlie Crist, who Reid referred to as “Miss Charlie” several times throughout. The posts accuse him of being
a closeted gay man, and cites the conspiracy theory that Crist married his then-wife Carole Rome in order to further his chances of becoming John McCain’s running mate. Crist, a conservative politician at the time, was well-known for holding policy views against same-sex marriage though he has since switched stances and political parties.
Blasted on Twitter Twitter user @Jamie_Maz was the first to call attention the posts after accessing them via an internet service.
Rapper Meek Mill denied bail again BY MENSAH M. DEAN AND JOSEPH A GAMBARDELLO PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER/TNS
PHILADELPHIA – Common Pleas Court Judge Genece Brinkley has denied Meek Mill’s motion for bail while he appeals her decision last month to send him back to prison for parole violations. Brinkley issued her decision in a 119-page court filing on Dec. 1. That was three days after the Superior Court denied Mill’s emergency motion for bail but directed Brinkley to rule on the Mill’s Nov. 16 bail petition and explain her reasons “without further delay.”
Called flight risk In her seven-page opinion with 112 pages of attachments, Brinkley ruled that Mill was a danger to the community and himself. Citing several situations where she said Mill had provided police and parole officials with false addresses, Brinkley also ruled he was a flight risk “due to his providing false residence information to authorities.” “We are very disappointed with Judge Brinkley’s decision to deny Mr. Williams bail, which continues her long pattern of unfair treatment of him,” said Joe Tacopina, one of Mill’s attorneys. “As stated on multiple occasions, he has never missed a previous court date in this case and poses absolutely no
“This note is my apology to all who are disappointed by the content of blogs I wrote a decade ago, for which my choice of words and tone have legitimately Joy been criticized,” Reid Reid said in a statement provided to Variety. “As a writer, I pride myself on a facility with language — an economy of words or at least some wisdom in the selection. However, that clearly has not always been the case.” Reid continued that the posts
were intended to call out Crist for his policy views, writing that his position on same-sex marriage “shared headlines with widely rumored reports that he was hiding his sexual orientation. “Those reports were the subject of lots of scrutiny: by LGBTQ bloggers, writers and journalists, conservative blogs, a controversial documentary film called ‘Outrage,’ and even by the comedic writers at South Park.”
Apology to Crist “My goal, in my own hamhanded way, was to call out his hypocrisy,” Reid continued.
She also directly addressed Crist: “I deeply apologize to Congressman Crist, who was the target of my thoughtlessness. My critique of anti-LGBT positions he once held but has since abandoned was legitimate in my view. My means of critiquing were not.” She ended the statement by adding that she has learned how to craft better critiques in the time since. “I have also learned, through brilliant friends and allies in the LGBT activist community, how to better frame my critiques of those who challenge people’s right to love who they want, marry them, and walk in the world as fully free people.”
threat to the community, which makes him an ideal candidate for bail — a conclusion (prosecutors) did not oppose.”
Protests, petitions He said Mill’s legal team would immediately appeal the decision. Since the 30-year-old Philadelphia rapper, born Robert Williams, was sentenced to prison for violating the terms of his probation in a 2008 drug and gun case, his management company, Roc Nation, has been marshaling his fans and supporters on his behalf. There have been protests outside the city’s Criminal Justice Center, buses and billboards calling for the hip-hop star’s release, and internet petitions with hundreds of thousands of signatures.
Sharpton weighs in Some criminal justice reformers have used Mill as an example of the unfair and disparate treatment meted out to young Black men caught up in the court system. The the Rev. Al Sharpton also visited Mill last week at the state prison in Chester and promised to use his reputation as a civil rights activists and television personality to help Mill and other prisoners.
Positive for Percocet Brinkley imprisoned Mill after he tested positive for using the prescription narcotic Percocet and was arrested in a St. Louis airport altercation and in a traffic violation involving a motorbike in Manhattan. In both arrests, authorities agreed to reduce the charges after Mill entered pretrial diversion programs. Philadelphia prosecutors and Mill’s probation officer did not recommend that he be sentenced to a prison term for the violations.
YONG KIM/PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS/TNS
Meek Mill is shown at a Philadelphia 76ers basketball game last year at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
FOOD
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DECEMBER 8 – DECEMBER 14, 2017
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FROM FAMILY FEATURES
The next best thing to baking cookies for many home chefs is baking cookies with friends. Dust off your favorite recipes, create a festive playlist and fill your home with the tantalizing aroma of baked goodies for the ultimate Christmas cookie party. Turn things up a notch and swap classic sugar cookies for these festive Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies, Peppermint Truffle Cookies and Almond Gingerbread Cookies. Along with those tasty treats, don’t let your guests go thirsty. Add peppermint extract to a slow cooker hot chocolate so guests can sip and be merry throughout the party. Find more holiday recipes at McCormick. com. PEPPERMINT TRUFFLE COOKIES 8 ounces bittersweet baking chocolate 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter 1 cup sugar, divided 1 egg 1/2 teaspoon McCormick Pure Peppermint Extract 2 cups flour 36 milk chocolate kiss-shaped candies, unwrapped Heat oven to 350 F. In large, microwavable bowl, heat chocolate and butter on high 1-2 minutes, or until butter is melted. Let stand 10 minutes to cool slightly. Add 1/2 cup sugar, egg and peppermint extract. Beat with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Gradually beat in flour on low speed until well mixed. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Press chocolate candy into center of each ball, forming dough around candy to enclose it. Roll in remaining sugar to coat. Place 1 inch apart on greased baking sheets. Bake 9-11 minutes, or until cookies are set. Cool on baking sheets 5 minutes. Remove to wire racks; cool completely.
Throw a Christmas cookie party ALMOND GINGERBREAD COOKIES 3 cups flour 2 teaspoons McCormick Ginger, Ground 1 teaspoon McCormick Cinnamon, Ground 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon McCormick Nutmeg, Ground 1/4 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar 1/2 cup molasses 1 egg 1 teaspoon McCormick Pure Vanilla Extract 1 1/3 cups sliced almonds In large bowl, mix flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg and salt. In separate large bowl, beat butter and brown sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add molasses, egg and vanilla extract; beat well. Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed until well mixed. Press dough into thick, flat disk. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 4 hours, or as long as overnight. Heat oven to 350 F. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in sliced almonds, pressing almonds into dough. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 8-10 minutes, or until edges of cookies just begin to brown. Remove to wire racks; cool completely. Store cookies in airtight container up to 5 days. RED VELVET CRINKLE COOKIES 1 2/3 cups flour 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar 2 eggs 1 1/2 teaspoons McCormick Red Food Color 1 teaspoon McCormick Pure Vanilla Extract 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
SLOW COOKER PEPPERMINT HOT CHOCOLATE 1/2 gallon (8 cups) whole milk 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk 1 package (12 ounces) dark chocolate chips 1/2 teaspoon McCormick Pure Peppermint Extract
Place whole milk, condensed milk, chocolate chips and peppermint extract in slow cooker. Cover. Cook 60-70 minutes on high, or until chocolate is melted and mixture is heated through, stirring every 15 minutes. Reduce heat to warm or low to serve.
nonstick cooking spray In medium bowl, mix flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt; set aside. In large bowl, beat butter and granulated sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, food color and vanilla extract; mix well. Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed until well mixed. Refrigerate 4 hours. Heat oven to 350 F. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in confectioners’ sugar to completely coat. Place 2 inches apart on baking sheets sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Bake 10-12 minutes, or until cookies are puffed. Cool on baking sheets 2 minutes. Remove to wire racks; cool completely.
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DECEMBER 8 – DECEMBER 14, 2017
FOOD
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FROM FAMILY FEATURES
Delighting guests in unexpected ways is the hallmark of exceptional entertaining. With a little creative flair, you can elevate your menu to impress guests with every course. A savory appetizer is set off beautifully by fresh, sweet grapes in this Grape and Goat Cheese Crostini. Festive, bright and refreshing, grapes are a versatile ingredient that take dishes to the next level, making them ideal for special occasions. Not only are grapes a smart choice to keep on hand for healthy snacking and everyday eating, the vibrant colors and flavors bring extra life to a basic protein. For a unique twist on a main dish, try dressing up chicken with an elegant addition like fresh grapes, as in these Seared Chicken Breasts with Grapes and Artichokes. The secret to a winning dessert is presentation, and the vibrant colors of red, green or black grapes lend just the right look to these tasty Mini Pavlovas with Lemon Cream and Grapes. What’s more, the juicy sweetness offsets the tartness of the lemon for an explosion of flavor perfection. Plan your next special occasion with the host of recipes at GrapesfromCalifornia.com. GRAPE AND GOAT CHEESE CROSTINI Serves: 8 2 cups quartered green, black or red California grapes (or a mixture) 2 teaspoons lemon juice 2 teaspoons honey 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 16 baguette slices, thinly cut on diagonal 8 ounces fresh goat cheese In medium bowl, combine grapes, lemon juice, honey, thyme, salt, pepper and olive oil. Spread each baguette with goat cheese and top with grape mixture. Nutritional information per serving: 200 calories; 9 g protein; 23 g carbohydrates; 8 g fat (36 percent calories from fat); 4.5 g saturated fat (20 percent calories from saturated fat); 15 mg cholesterol; 340 mg sodium; 1 g fiber.
Excellent entertaining Elegant ideas for a meal worth celebrating MINI PAVLOVAS WITH LEMON CREAM AND GRAPES Serves: 6 4 large egg whites pinch of salt 1 cup sugar 2 teaspoons cornstarch 1 teaspoon vanilla 2/3 cup heavy whipping cream 1/3 cup lemon curd 1 1/2 cups halved California grapes chopped smoked or tamari almonds (optional) Heat oven to 350 F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. With electric mixer on medium speed, in large bowl, beat egg whites and salt until firm peaks form. On low speed, add sugar 1 tablespoon at a
SEARED CHICKEN BREASTS WITH GRAPES AND ARTICHOKES Serves: 4 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (8 ounces each), butterflied lengthwise into 4 cutlets salt, to taste pepper, to taste 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 leek, white part only, halved and thinly sliced 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano 1 1/2 cups quartered artichoke hearts, frozen, canned or jarred 1/2 cup dry white wine 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken stock 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest 2 teaspoons butter 3/4 cup green California grapes 3/4 cup red California grapes
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper, to taste. In saute pan over medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add chicken breasts and sear 3-4 minutes per side. Remove chicken and set aside. Add remaining olive oil to pan, along with garlic, leek and pinch of salt; cook on medium heat 2-3 minutes to soften leek. Stir in oregano, artichokes, wine, chicken stock, lemon juice, lemon zest and butter. Simmer 2-3 minutes then add chicken back to pan, basting each breast with sauce. Add grapes and simmer 3-5 minutes, or until grapes are just soft and chicken is cooked through. Stir in fresh parsley and serve. Nutritional information per serving: 320 calories; 26 g protein; 23 g carbohydrates; 12 g fat (34 percent calories from fat); 3 g saturated fat (8 percent calories from saturated fat); 70 mg cholesterol; 390 mg sodium; 5 g fiber.
time until meringue forms stiff peaks. Whisk in cornstarch and vanilla. Divide meringue into six 4-inch circles on baking sheet. With large spoon, make indentations in middle of each. Place baking sheet in oven and lower temperature to 300 F. Bake 30 minutes then turn off oven and leave baking sheet inside another 30 minutes. To serve, whip cream to soft peaks and stir in lemon curd. Dollop onto meringues and top with grapes. Garnish with almonds, if desired. Nutritional information per serving: 350 calories; 4 g protein; 58 g carbohydrates; 12 g fat (31 percent calories from fat); 8 g saturated fat (20 percent calories from saturated fat); 55 mg cholesterol; 90 mg sodium.
A FRESH APPROACH TO DECOR Not only do fresh grapes’ lively flavors make for exceptional dishes, their vibrant colors can also enhance your table in other ways. Lend natural beauty to your decor while providing your loved ones with a healthy snack option with these creative ideas: • Arrange grapes in bowls, on platters or draped from a cake plate for attractive and edible centerpieces. • Dress snacking grapes up for the occasion by dipping clusters in liquid gelatin. Roll them in sugar, spices and finely chopped nuts to make a “frosted” finger food with a hint of crunch. • Colorful grapes lend a pretty pop when used as a garnish to decorate serving plates.
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HOLIDAYS
DECEMBER 8 – DECEMBER 14, 2017
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GETTY IMAGES
One Warm Coat is dedicated to providing a free, warm coat to any person in need.
5 ways to help those in need this month Consider donating food, clothing and time this Christmas
ed. Some pantries also can use non-edible items, such as soap and other toiletries, and simply donating money is always an option, as well.
FROM FAMILY FEATURES
Volunteer at a soup kitchen
Giving is the true spirit of the holiday season. However, in addition to giftgiving in the traditional sense, there are other meaningful ways to make a difference in your community and give back to those in need – including the 3.5 million people who experience homelessness each year, according to the United States Census Bureau – during one of the most critical times of the year. By giving money, time or material items, or partaking in other small acts of kindness, you can spread holiday cheer and help instill a sense of giving in others. To get started, here are some ideas you can put into action this holiday season.
Donate to a food pantry Churches and food pantries are always in need of donations, and the holiday season is a great time to help provide a meal for someone who may not otherwise be able to eat. Canned goods and other nonperishable items like cereal, oatmeal, rice, peanut butter, canned tuna and spices are often need-
Soup kitchens and homeless shelters are often more crowded during this time of year. While soup kitchens and other aid facilities often see an influx of volunteers during the holidays, most are still grateful for the extra hands to help serve a meal or assist with other tasks around the facilities.
Host a coat drive Providing clothing, specifically coats, for the less fortunate during the colder months is another way to assist those in your community. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, a warm winter coat is considered a “budget extra” for nearly 15 percent of Americans living in poverty. National non-profit organization, One Warm Coat, is dedicated to providing a free, warm coat to any person in need. The organization has facilitated more than 27,000 coat drives nationwide and has a goal of collecting 1 million coats this winter in celebration of its 25th season of giving. Through its six-step process,
FAMILY FEATURES
There are many ways to help children this holiday season. the non-profit provides all the tools necessary to hold a coat drive and to distribute the coats in local communities where they were collected. Learn more about how you can get involved at onewarmcoat.org/youcanhelp.
Attend a benefit event Concerts, theatrical perfor-
mances, walks and other exhibits are often held during the holiday season with the proceeds going to benefit a local charity or service organization. Many community service clubs also offer benefit dinners or bake sales that can provide a positive impact for those in need in your area.
Adopt a family There are many organizations that can help you sponsor a family in your area to help provide gifts and other necessities for over the holiday season. Most can provide you with a list of items each family member needs and wants to make shopping easier.
How to manage high blood pressure during holidays scribed by your doctor to decrease chances of heart attack and stroke. The American Heart Association’s Check Change Control Tracker is one way to monitor your health, as it allows you to set up text message reminders, text in blood pressure readings, connect with volunteers or providers, and receive messages from volunteers or providers.
FROM FAMILY FEATURES
Managing blood pressure can be difficult, especially during the holidays and winter months. A change in routine, family visits, traveling, illness, holiday menus and financial concerns can all conspire to derail your best efforts at keeping chronic conditions, like high blood pressure, under control. If you are one of the millions of American adults with high blood pressure, it is vital to keep your blood pressure stable. Drastic changes can put you at risk for heart attack or stroke. Here are three ways to control your blood pressure throughout the holiday season from the American Heart Association.
Maintain healthy eating habits
Be wary of decongestants Decongestants are in many over-the-counter cold and flu medications but they have some harmful side effects. They can raise blood pressure and decrease the effectiveness of some prescribed blood pressure medications. It’s best to use them for the shortest duration possible and avoid in severe or uncontrolled hypertension. Consider alternative therapies, such as nasal saline, intranasal corticosteroids or antihistamines, as appropriate.
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According to the American Heart Association, the winter months tend to bring an increase in both heart attacks and strokes.
Keep track of medication The winter months tend to bring an increase in both heart attacks and strokes. According to research from the Journal of the American Heart Association, a 4.2 percent increase in heart-re-
lated deaths occurs away from a hospital from Dec. 25-Jan. 7. “Factors like cold weather, sudden increase in activity like shoveling snow, stress and dietary indiscretion can contribute to a chain of events leading to more stress on the heart during the winter months, potential-
ly triggering a heart attack or other cardiac event,” said Dr. Jorge Plutzky, director of Preventive Cardiology at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and a volunteer with the American Heart Association. It is vital to keep track of your medication and take it as pre-
The holidays can be a bad influence on healthy eating habits. However, it is important to stay active during these times and continue eating healthy. While you are enjoying holiday feasts with family, be aware of sodium, often found in seasonal foods like bread, cheeses and prepared meats, which can increase blood pressure. Don’t feel like you can’t indulge a little, but make sure to incorporate healthy meals. Staying active while traveling can be a challenge, as well. Try bringing simple exercise equipment like a jump rope or resistance band with you. Consider walking to sights or restaurants nearby, or finding a local park or indoor walking path. For more information and tools about blood pressure management, visit heart.org/hbp.