Florida Courier, February 22, 2019

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FEBRUARY 22 – FEBRUARY 28, 2019

VOLUME 27 NO. 8 S

AN ECONOMIC EARTHQUAKE Violent protests against government corruption, inflation, and currency problems send Haiti’s tourism industry tumbling.

BY JACQUELINE CHARLES MIAMI HERALD / TNS

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti ‒ The alleged corruption surrounding nearly $2 billion that was supposed to be invested in programs for the poor, and the government’s mismanagement of the economy, have been at the heart of violent demonstrations that have shut down schools, businesses, public transport and other activities across Haiti since Feb. 7.

Haiti’s prime minister, Jean Henry

On Feb. 19, the lobby of the Karibe Hotel in Petionville, Haiti, is void of travelers and tourists after experiencing a heavy drop in occupancy rates due to travel advisories issued by the U.S. government.

Ceant, reiterated an appeal for dialogue with the country’s political opposition and promised an investigation into the alleged misspending of $2 billion from a Venezuelan PetroCaribe discount oil program that was supposed to be invested in social programs.

The latest protests have been triggered by frustrations over the country’s doubledigit inflation, skyrocketing prices, and a domestic currency in a freefall against the U.S. dollar. Haitians are also upset by years of government ineptness and mismanagement that has triggered an audit of the PetroCaribe program.

The violence has led many foreign diplomats, visitors and even Haitians with means to flee the country. Haiti’s tourism sector is up in arms over recent trav-

CARL JUSTE/ MIAMI HERALD/ TNS

See HAITI, Page A2

MOREHOUSE COLLEGE / 152ND ANNIVERSARY

Speaking though the music

Dr. Oswald Bronson dies Led three HBCUS, including Bethune-Cookman

BY ANDREAS BUTLER FLORIDA COURIER

PORT ORANGE ‒ Dr. Oswald P. Bronson, Sr., former president of BethuneCookman College (now University), died at age 91 at home on Feb 17.

Bronson led the institution for 29 years from 1975 until 2004 when he was named president emeritus. He was Bethune-Cookman’s fourth president.

A memorial service Dr. Oswald P. will be held on March 1 Bronson, Sr. at 6:30 p.m. in the Heyn Memorial Chapel on the campus of Bethune-Cookman University. Homegoing services will be in B-CU’s Mary McLeod Bethune Performing Arts Center on March 2 at 11 a.m.

B-CC grad

As part of Morehouse College’s annual Founders’ Week activities, the world-renowned Morehouse College Glee Club and members of the Atlanta Symphoria performed ‘Seven Last Words of the Unarmed,’ featuring the last words of seven unarmed Black men (Kenneth Chamberlain, Trayvon Martin, Amadou Diallo, Michael Brown, Oscar Grant, John Crawford, and Eric Garner) who were violently killed.

Bronson graduated from BethuneCookman in 1950 and earned a Bachelor of Divinity degree from Gammon Theological Seminary. He received a Ph.D. degree from Northwestern University in 1965. He became B-CC’s president in 1975 after serving as president of Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta. After his tenure at BCU ended, he served as the president of Jacksonville’s Edward Waters College from 2004-2007 while EWC searched for a permanent leader.

An ordained United Methodist minister, Dr. Bronson pastored a number of churches over 16 years.

Impressive legacy According to B-CU’s website, under Bronson’s leadership, major fields of study increased from 12 to 37. In addiSee BRONSON, Page A2

Supreme Court says ‘excessive fines’ are illegal

BY DAVID G. SAVAGE LOS ANGELES TIMES / TNS

WASHINGTON ‒ In a unanimous ruling, the Supreme Court said Wednesday that the 8th Amendment’s ban of “excessive fines” applies to states and local agencies, not just the federal government.

The decision will limit the power of the police and state law enforcement agents to seize cars, boats and other property.

The ruling is a victory for Tyson Timbs, an Indiana man whose

ALSO INSIDE

$42,000 Land Rover was seized by police after he was convicted of two drug sales that amounted to about $300.

Applies to all states Indiana authorities and the state Supreme Court argued that the 8th Amendment’s ban on excessive fines did not apply to states because the Supreme Court had not explicitly ruled on that question.

Prior to the mid-20th century, most parts of the Bill of Rights were seen as limiting only the federal government. But in a series of

rulings, the high court extended those rights to apply broadly to all parts of the government, including states and localities. None of those decisions dealt specifically with “excessive fines.”

In Timbs vs. Indiana, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said the shield against “excessive fines” is a fundamental right and not limited in its scope.

“The protection against excessive fines guards against abuses of government’s punitive or criminal law-enforcement authority. This

SNAPSHOTS FLORIDA | A3

BLACK HISTORY | A8, A9

New Broward sheriff still cleaning house

Books for kids, teens

ENTERTAINMENT | A7

Hamilton’s national anthem goes viral

See FINES, Page A2

Kingsley story still draws visitors to estate

COMMENTARY: MARGARET KIMBERLEY: WITH KAMALA HARRIS, THE FIX IS IN | A4 COMMENTARY: CLARENCE V. MCKEE: CIVIL LIBERTARIANS AND DEMOCRATS SILENT ABOUT STONE RAID | A5

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FOCUS

FEBRUARY 22 – FEBRUARY 28, 2019

We are matchmakers throughout the Black Diaspora During the mid-1990s, we began sponsoring exploratory or fact-finding trips to nations in the Caribbean and West Africa. Then we expanded to East Africa and South America, i.e. Brazil.

After getting comfortable and understanding the export/import challenges, we dared to start doing formal trade missions. During Thanksgiving week in the year 2000, we took 84 Black-owned businesses to Rio de Janeiro for an aggressive matchmaking event.

In the end, we documented over $30 million in sales from the activities that began during that week.

The equivalent to the Rio de Janeiro Chamber of Commerce gave us a certificate for promoting the most successful trade mission to ever visit the city.

Took the risk The above experience was typical of our ambition. We didn’t really know if we were doing things correctly. However, we had the courage to explore and succeed

HARRY & KAY ALFORD GUEST COLUMNISTS

whatever it took, we did it.

We miss those days and have decided to return to our previous bravado. Win or lose, we will proceed with a vengeance. As they say, “Shoot for the moon; you may miss and fall among the stars.”

We have completed many successful matchmakers. It’s a “can’t lose” proposition. You go to explore and make business allies.

The new relationships are a beginning. They develop like new crops sprouting up in the spring time. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Explore, educate and grow. Those are the options!

Going to Cali We go to Cali, Columbia next

month for a much-anticipated matchmaking and fact-finding event to last almost a week in time. The Cali region of Columbia is along the Pacific coast. One of the towns we will visit is named San Buena Ventura. Coincidentally, Harry’s birthplace is Ventura, California (formerly named San Buena Ventura when settled

by Spanish explorers).

One of the biggest thrills is the fact that we Afro-Americans in the United States have so much in common with the Afro-Americans of South and Central Americas. Our roots are Western Africa. Our passages to the so-called New World are similar via the utmost horrific human bondage, rape, and atrocities history has recorded.

Some of our DNA may be directly related, for all that we know.

But the separation by centuries cannot keep us apart here in the 21st Century. That’s what AfroAmericans have in common regardless of current geographies.

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What does not kill us, makes us stronger. This is testament to our upcoming trade successes. We must be the envy of the rest of the world. We do not die; we multiply. Native Americans and Europeans must look at us and marvel.

No one runs faster; no one jumps higher; no one is stronger – all that and beautiful, too. We have SOUL! And STYLE!

Meeting our ‘cousins’ You could say that we are strangers from other parts of the world, meeting for the first time.

However, it can also be considered a family reunion of longlost cousins separated at youth and now joined together through common struggles and compulsory toils. We are trailblazers and we must never forget that as we interact during our journeys.

Our nations are depending on us to represent and make economic progress that will be mutual to both sides of the business table.

Afro-Americans in the United States account for over 47 million people. How many in Central and South America? That gets tricky. The governments of most nations in Latin America will only count those with 100-percent African blood as “Black.” The rest

BRONSON

HAITI

FLORIDA COURIER FILES

Dr. Oswald Bronson is credited with leading Bethune-Cookman University during a period of strong growth.

Athletics expanded Under Bronson, the Wildcat athletic programs moved up from Division II to Division I competition. The program also grew to 17 sports. He re-started women’s basketball and added women’s volleyball, softball, golf, track and bowling, and men’s and women’s golf, among other sports.

B-CU Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Lynn Thomp-

el warnings from the U.S., Canada and France that have led to at least one booking company ‒ Expedia ‒ blacklisting the country’s two international airports and hotels as illegal.

Illegal airport?

Staff laid off

People seeking to book flights and hotel rooms on Expedia and subsidiaries Travelocity, Orbitz, Hotwire and CheapTickets are being blocked from doing so following the protests. International carriers like American, Spirit and JetBlue kept flying. But Expedia didn’t seem to care.

“This airport is not a legal airport to book,” read the Expedia. com flight booking page for Portau-Prince, Haiti and Cap-Haitien airports through the Presidents’ Day weekend. On Tuesday, the site switched the language to, “We could not find any airports that match your search.”

The switch came after Haitians took to social media demanding to know how can an airport be “illegal,” and after the country’s tourism association met on Tuesday over the language.

The block, said an Expedia spokesperson, is linked to the State Department Level Four travel warning. But hoteliers and others in Haiti’s tourism sector say this is the last thing the country needs.

A ‘dagger’ “We already have a dagger in our belly and Expedia just took that dagger and turned it,” said Jean Lionel Pressoir, a restauranteur who runs Tour Haiti, a travel and logistic service that receives visitors. “It’s going to take us so many years to recover from this.”

Pressoir said in recent days he’s received cancellations all the way to August. Meanwhile, his muse-

The opportunities to connect with your blood relatives are numerous in numbers. Don’t sit idly by. For information on the upcoming Columbia trade mission go here: https://bit.ly/2V0JLnc

Harry C. Alford is the cofounder and president/CEO of the National Black Chamber of Commerce (NBCC). Kay DeBow is the NBCC co-founder. Contact them via www.nationalbcc.org. Click on this commentary at www.flcourier.com to write your own response.

‘Walks and talks’

um restaurant, located inside the Musée du Panthéon National in downtown Port-au-Prince, went from receiving 70 to 80 guests a day to just two takeout orders on Monday, its first full day of operations since protests began rocking the country.

“You cannot pay your cook at that level…You cannot imagine how much this is hurting,” he said.

from A1

Get on board!

Andrew Tarver, a 1982 graduate who lives in Orlando, called Dr. Bronson “a father figure” and remained friends with the Bronsons after graduation.

“One of the major pillars I stood on in my development has now transitioned to his just reward. He influenced me the most in every aspect of my life,” Tarver told the Florida Courier.

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tion, seven continuing education centers for students began operating throughout the state.

While maintaining accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACS-COC), Florida State Board of Education and the University Senate of the United Methodist Church Board of Higher Education, the college added new accreditations in the Nursing and the Teacher Education programs during Dr. Bronson’s tenure.

Student enrollment increased from 1,520 students in 1975 to 2,794 in 2003. He also presided over strong growth of the institution’s physical plant, budget and endowment.

According to B-CU, 15 new buildings were constructed under his administration, most notably the 2,500 seat Mary McLeod Bethune Performing Arts Center. The institution’s annual budget grew from $6.2 million in 1975 to $51.4 million in 2003, and the endowment surged from $1.2 million to $26.5 million in the same time period.

are “mixed.” That is deceitful, as “one drop will do you” by the general standard and social status.

The reality is that over 150 million people from Mexico to Argentina have significant Black African blood flowing through their veins. They are our relatives’ people! The more we visit and interact with our “cousins,” the better it will be for our daily lives and prospects for our future. To date, we have had historical trips to Costa Rica, Brazil, Columbia, Surinam, all over the Caribbean and with future trips lining up for the rest of the Western Hemisphere.

At the Karibe hotel, where tourists and foreign diplomats just a few weeks ago crowded the expansive grounds to attend the Port-au-Prince International Jazz Festival, the scene is bleak. Only four of the hotel’s 174 rooms were occupied earlier in the week. The hotel has since laid off half of its staff because of cancellations, said owner Richard Buteau.

“Putting Haiti next to Afghanistan, Syria, countries that are in war, I think it’s unfair,” Buteau said of the travel warnings. “It’s like putting an embargo on Haiti.”

Buteau said in his 33 years working in Haiti’s tourism sector, business is the worst it’s ever been. Even workers outside of tourism are affected.

“It’s the agricultural products that were coming to the hotel that cannot come anymore,” he said. “It’s all the employees that have all of their families depending on their revenues at the end of the month and now we’re going to have to let some of them go.

“This is killing the economy.

This is killing the people, it’s really unfair,” added Buteau. “It’s really not justified and it has to be revised ASAP because Haiti hasn’t done any wrong to anybody to deserve that.”

Worked hard to recover Since the devastating 2010 earthquake, Haitians have worked hard to put the country back on the tourism map. Several luxury hotels have opened, in-

son commented, “He modernized athletics at Bethune-Cookman along with former Athletic Director Tank Johnson. Under their vision, we grew and modernized. Dr. Bronson, just as Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune and Dr. Richard V. Moore, thought that athletics and the (marching) band were the front door to the school because of the exposure that it brought with them representing

the institution.”

cluding the country’s first Marriott, and El Rancho, which is part of the Spanish hotel chain NH Hotels.

But now, as the crisis subsides and normal operations resume in offices and on public transportation, hotel lobbies are virtually empty.

Ceant focused on the need for Haitians to come together to discuss the country’s problems.

“It’s been 10 days since children have been unable to go to school, hospitals can’t provide health care, big businesses and small businesses can’t function,” he said. “It’s been 10 days since the government has lost a lot of money. At the same time, the population has suffered a lot. Because of the roadblocks, it cannot find potable water, it can’t eat, it can’t find gas, it can’t get electricity. All of this can take us to deep humanitarian crisis.

“While we are asking for tourists to enter the country, we can’t continue to send negative signals so someone doesn’t want to return to visit us,” he said.

Ceant said Haiti’s problems didn’t start overnight and are rooted in three areas: corruption, inequality and decades of bad governance. He said he and his ministers have been working to address the problems. But the only way out of the crisis, he said, is dialogue.

He listed recent measures that including a 30-percent cut in the prime minister’s budget and curtailing travel, fuel and other perks

Some bookings available Some travel companies are still booking Haiti trips. CheapOAir is still offering bookings in Haiti. American Airlines continues to operate its three daily flights to Port-au-Prince and one daily flight to Cap-Haïtien from Miami, an airline spokesperson confirmed. .

Airbnb, the short-term rental site, continues to take bookings and is also offering fee-free cancellations or changes through its extenuating circumstances policy. But the travel warnings and website blackouts will be hard to overcome, said Pressoir, who had to let go seven employees on Monday.

“Last year, things were looking so good that we at Tour Haiti purchased seven new buses,” he said. “Now I don’t know what to do, that is the true reality.

Decameron is closed. Moulin Sur Mer is closed. Hotels in Petionville are not getting people.

“It’s easy to lose but recuperating, rebuilding is so difficult, especially in tourism. I don’t know what to say. It’s like one of the worst hurricanes ever has fallen on us,” he said.

Political tensions Prime Minister Ceant was named by Haiti President Jovenel Moise to lead the government five months ago. The president noted his dissatisfaction with his prime minister during his own address to the country, saying that since Ceant became prime minister, the situation has worsened.

‘Wisdom’ missed His daughter, Josephine “Bunny” Bronson, told the Florida Courier: “His wisdom will be missed; he leaves that behind.

He was a man that provided wisdom on the spot. His love, kindness, care for people, ability to strategize, his simplicity will all be missed.”

FINES from A1

safeguard, we hold, is ‘fundamental to our scheme of ordered liberty,’ with ‘dee(p) root(s) in (our) history and tradition’,” she wrote.

The decision is not a final victory for Timbs. His case now goes back to Indiana where he can argue that the seizure of his Land Rover was “grossly disproportionate” to his crime and is therefore unconstitutional.

Over time, Tarver said he would stop by Dr. Bronson’s office and he would have him wait and walk or ride with him to his appointments so they could have a chat.

“Those walks and talks were when I learned the most,” Tarver noted. “Doc made me believe I could do anything and at high levels. Nothing second class about ‘Mary’s children.’ He had a gift of bringing out talent and confidence in his students,” Tarver related.

Bronson is survived by his wife, Helen Williams Bronson; three children: Josephine “Bunny” Bronson, Flora Stitt and Oswald “Chip” Bronson, Jr.; his sister, Dr. Audrey F. Bronson; five grandsons, three great-grandchildren, and a host of relatives and friends.

Herbert Thompson Funeral Home, Daytona Beach, is in charge of arrangements.

for ministers.

Opposition responds “We would like to remind the friends of Haiti that what’s happening here is in part the result of their work,” a group of political parties demanding Moise’s resignation and the protests said in a statement. “It’s the failure of a strategy that lies in making decisions on behalf of Haiti behind the Haitian people’s back every time that there is a feud inside the country; the strategy of giving orders to leaders that were installed through shady elections.

It’s that formula that has brought this system to life that excludes the masses.”

Georges Sassine, president of the Association of Haitian Industries, a grouping of Haiti’s manufacturing companies, said something needs to be done.

“If we let the streets decide, we are going to all be carried away like a tsunami wave,” he said.

Taylor Dolven of the Miami Herald contributed to this report.

Disproportionate penalty His case highlighted what many see as abuse of the seizure power by local and state authorities. Under current laws, officers and agents may seize vehicles by asserting that they were used to carry out crimes.

Defense lawyers have argued such government forfeiture actions should be blocked if they are disproportionate to the alleged offense.

In the case of Timbs, the high court noted that the maximum fine allowed for his conviction was $10,000.

FEBRUARY 22 – FEBRUARY 28, 2019

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FLORIDA

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New Broward sheriff still cleaning house Captain who posted anti-gay comment among officers who were fired, resigned, or were reassigned.

BY CHARLES RABIN MIAMI HERALD/TNS

Since Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel was suspended last month by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for his agency’s response to the Marjory Stoneman Douglas mass shooting, most of his command staff has either been forced out, resigned or been demoted.

Yet this much is clear: Newly appointed Sheriff Gregory Tony is not done with his housecleaning.

The latest to leave is Capt. Ira Goldberg, a tough-talking former Broward corrections officer who was criticized for an anti-gay Facebook post he made last year.

It was directed at the leader of the Broward County Log Cabin Republicans, an organization that works within the Republican Party in support of LGBT rights.

Violated policy In May, Goldberg suspected that Log Cabin Republican Gilberto Montalvo hired protestors to face off against Israel at a political event. In a Facebook comment directed at Montalvo, Goldberg Ira wrote: “I hope Goldberg you offered them money instead of sexual favors. Those men deserve better.”

Criticized at the time, Goldberg said he had no intention of taking down the post and invited Montalvo to complain to the news media, which he did.

A sheriff’s office internal affairs investigation criticized Goldberg, finding that he had violated the department’s social media policy. He was docked a day’s pay, according police records.

Other departures Asked about his departure,

MATIAS J. OCNER/MIAMI HERALD/TNS

Gregory Tony, the newly appointed Broward sheriff, attends a news conference at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale on Feb. 13. sheriff’s office public information officer Veda ColemanWright forwarded a form showing that Goldberg left on his own accord earlier this month.

Also removed from their posts, according to a memo obtained by the Miami Herald, are seven members of a civilian community outreach group created by Israel, each of whom had takehome vehicles.

Some are expected to get other positions with the county; others may be let go.

Went political The outreach group was formed to be the eyes and ears of the sheriff’s office at events like homeowner gatherings or townhall meetings. But, according Jeff Bell, president of the Broward

Sheriff’s Office Deputy Association, it shifted into the political realm, often showing up at fundraising events to promote Israel.

“It’s a political arm of the sheriff’s office at the expense of the taxpayers,” Bell said.

The political fallout at the sheriff’s office since Nikolas Cruz killed 17 students and staff members and wounded 17 others on Feb. 14, 2018, has been extensive.

Israel suspended On Jan. 11, DeSantis suspended Israel, calling the sheriff negligent and incompetent and claiming that he “egregiously” failed in training his deputies to respond to the attack on Stoneman Douglas.

Deputies took cover behind their cars rather than enter the

freshman building to confront the shooter, which has become the standard response to a school shooting.

Israel said he was devastated at what happened in Parkland and that he is fully responsible for the actions of his officers. But he wasn’t willing to take the blame for the students and teachers who were killed or injured.

“Like any good sheriff, I’m responsible for anything that goes on in BSO, good or bad,” Israel said. “But no one, not you, not me, is responsible for the deaths of these 17 people and 17 others shot, but this evil, evil person.”

Plans to run again After DeSantis stepped in, more dominoes fell immediately, with five command staffers

resigning the day Israel was removed.

Israel has been raising money to fight for his job before the state Senate, which has the power to reinstate him but is unlikely to do so.

He said that if the Senate or the courts don’t restore him to office, he has every intention of running for the sheriff again next year.

He said the governor’s decision to suspend him was nothing more than keeping a campaign promise.

“I don’t know what the Senate or state or the federal court will do. I can’t see into the future,” Israel said. “But I’ve done absolutely nothing to warrant a suspension. And whether I get reinstated or not, I will run again.”

Police: Student arrested over disruption, not Pledge of Allegiance refusal was transported to the Polk County Juvenile Assessment Center.

The school took unspecified disciplinary action against the student “in accordance with the district’s Code of Conduct,” according to the Polk County Public Schools statement.

Alvarez, hired by Kelly Services, was asked to leave following the incident after providing a written statement, according to the statement.

BY CARL LISCIAANDRELLO TAMPA BAY TIMES/TNS

TAMPA – A sixth-grade student in Lakeland was arrested earlier this month after he was accused of causing a disturbance in a classroom.

The incident occurred at Lawton Chiles Middle Academy on Feb. 4 after the boy refused to participate in the Pledge of Allegiance, according to the Lakeland Police Department and Polk County Public Schools.

His refusal wasn’t the reason for the arrest, though, because students are not required to stand for the pledge under the Polk County Public Schools code of conduct for students, police spokesman Gary B. Gross said Monday.

How it escalated Polk County Public Schools released a statement Monday saying substitute Ana Alvarez was not aware of the policy and “engaged in an exchange of words with the student” before calling for school administrators to come to the classroom.

When the student became agitated, according to police, the

Substitute dismissed

An eighth-grader was arrested at Lawton Chiles Middle Academy in Lakeland on Feb. 4. school’s resource officer and dean of students came to the classroom and attempted to calm him down after he created a disturbance.

The dean asked the student to leave the classroom more than 20

Taddeo seeks corporal punishment ban NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

A Senate Democrat on Monday filed a proposal that would ban corporal punishment in Florida’s public schools.

Sen. Annette Taddeo, D-Miami, filed the proposal (SB 1120) for consideration during the legislative session that starts March 5.

State law currently allows corporal punishment, though it places restrictions on the practice.

For example, it says corporal punishment may only be administered under district school-board policies and within guidelines from school principals.

Taddeo’s proposed ban would define corporal punishment as “the use of physical force or physical contact to discipline a student or to enforce Annette school rules.”

Taddeo The proposal includes an exception for circumstances in which school staff members would be defending themselves or protecting students.

times, police said, and he also refused a request by the school resource officer. The student finally complied, police said, but created another disturbance and made threats as he was being escorted to the office.

Student’s charges

Magazine to honor Black women at March 1 event

male and African American to serve as president and CEO of the Florida Sports Foundation for Enterprise Florida.

ONYX’s Woman of the Year is Dr. Melissa Freeman. At age 92, she has run her private practice for 40 years and treats people who are addicted to opioid drugs like heroin and oxycodoDr. Melissa ne at a New York Freeman City clinic.

Florida-based Women on the Move honorees include Chloe Coney, found-

ONYX Magazine will present its fourth annual Women on the Move luncheon on March 1 at 11:30 a.m. at the Alfond Inn, 300 E. New England Ave., Winter Park.

At the event, the magazine will honor some of Florida’s most influential women of color in business, education, government and media.

The keynote speaker will be Angela Suggs. She is the first fe-

The school resource officer arrested the student, who faces charges of disrupting a school function and resisting an officer without violence, police said. He

Alvarez no longer will serve as a substitute in Polk County, according to the statement, and the district will work with Kelly Services “to further refine how our substitutes are trained,” the statement read.

“We do not condone the substitute’s behavior,” the statement read. “We respect our students’ right to freedom of expression and we are committed to protecting that critical right while ensuring peaceful classrooms so all students can learn.”

Police refused to release the arrest report in the case because the child’s age, spokesman Gross said.

er of CDC of Tampa; Congresswoman Val Demings; Dr. Elizabeth Dooley, provost of the University of Central Florida; Dr. Ann Ashley Gilbert of the Altamonte Women’s Center; Attorney Carolyn House Stewart, former international president of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority; Clemmie Perry, president of Women of Color Golf; Florida Rep. Geraldine Thompson; Dr. Paulette Walker, former national president of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority; and Dr. Riva Tims, founder and pastor of Majestic Life Ministries.

For a full list of honorees and more information, visit www. onyxwotm.com.

EDITORIAL

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FEBRUARY 22 – FEBRUARY 28, 2019

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With Kamala Harris, the fix is in It is painfully obvious that Kamala Harris is unprepared for the scrutiny that comes with waging a presidential campaign. But it is equally obvious that her lack of gravitas may not matter at all.

“The fix is in,” as the old saying goes. She is the choice of the Democratic Party leadership, the Black misleaders, and their partners in corporate media. They will give her cover whenever she needs help. Gaffes and comical pandering at the expense of Black voters may not hurt her chances at all.

Kamala Harris has no natural constituency. She is a relative newcomer on the national political scene and is known only for somewhat close questioning of Trump appointees during Senate hearings. Her record as a prosecutor and California attorney general ought to make her persona non grata with the Black voters who she sought to lock up as often as possible. But she is being foisted upon voters because the party and their rich backers have made her their choice.

The Obama formula The Democrats are hoping that having another biracial Black person on the ticket can make up for their lack of substance and hers.

All Harris knows how to do is pander, and she doesn’t even do that very well.

On The Breakfast Club radio show, she was asked if she opposed marijuana legalization.

“That’s not true…Half my family

Hillary pandered, too MARGARET KIMBERLEY BLACK AGENDA REPORT

Harris could be Obama 2.0 - and we know how well that turned out. Happiness over representation would be nothing but a tremendous defeat. is from Jamaica. Are you kidding me?” She was lying. As a prosecutor, she opposed a 2010 proposition that would have legalized recreational use. She opposed it as late as 2015.

The promotion of a stereotype didn’t go over very well, including with her own father. Donald Harris said that his ancestors “…must be turning in their grave right now to see their family’s name, reputation and proud Jamaican identity being connected, in any way, jokingly or not with the fraudulent stereotype of a pot-smoking joy seeker and in the pursuit of identity politics.”

Hollywood hijacks the #MeToo Movement The powerful #MeToo movement was established to address real injustices suffered by women ‒ and in some cases, although significantly less common, by men.

This movement has undeniably affected societal norms and readjusted the fabric of American life.

But such an important movement can be felled by its own excesses. In the wake of the #MeToo movement, people are immediately rushing to judgment and to punishment of any accused individual ‒ in many cases, without due process.

Naturally, this moblike mentality to blindly punish an accused individual has the potential for far-reaching negative consequences ‒ namely, collateral damage to the falsely accused by those who misuse the movement for their own ambitious aims.

Depp accused Take, for example, the domestic abuse allegations against Johnny Depp, which should serve as a cautionary tale. Depp is a beloved actor who has won a 14 People’s

ARMSTRONG WILLIAMS NNPA COLUMNIST

Choice awards. He is, by all accounts, a serial monogamist. His first wife and three decades’ worth of long-term girlfriends uniformly characterize him as a sensitive and caring partner.

And then he met and married Amber Heard, who has made the following allegations: According to Heard and two of her friends, on May 21, 2016, Depp wound up his arm and threw Heard’s iPhone at her face from point-blank range “with great force.” Apparently, Depp then continued to batter Heard’s face. Heard said Depp then “destroyed” the penthouse by wielding a magnum-size wine bottle, leaving the remnants of smashed “fruit,” “glass,” “baskets,” “bottles” and “flowers” littering the floors.

My observations about Presidents’ Day One could be forgiven the impression that Presidents’ Day is just another jingoistic inducement for Americans to go shopping for cars and mattresses.

Nothing reinforces this impression quite like car commercials featuring schoolchildren singing the names of dead presidents as a nursery rhyme.

Except that anti-Trump protests ‒ featuring the clarion call “Not My President’s Day” ‒ will probably gave customary sales promotions a run for their money this year.

In any event, the U.S. government inaugurated this holiday in 1799 as a day of remembrance

VISUAL VIEWPOINT: BERNIE SANDERS RUNS AGAIN

ANTHONY L. HALL, ESQ. FLORIDA COURIER COLUMNIST

to honor the nation’s first president and Revolutionary War hero, George Washington.

Abraham Lincoln is the only other president ever accorded this honor, beginning in 1866. No doubt sympathy and regret over his assassination at Ford’s Theater on April 14, 1865, inspired it.

Hillary Clinton famously sought to ingratiate herself with Black voters by claiming, also on The Breakfast Club radio show, that she carried hot sauce in her purse at all times. Harris can now be seen putting hot sauce on her collard greens too, but the absurd mimicry isn’t hurting her any. The endorsements are already coming her way.

Harris would be a bad joke were it not for the fact that the right people are behind her. Not only did she needlessly include every person of Jamaican ancestry in her bad joke, but she claimed to have gotten high while listening to artists like Tupac and Snoop Dogg ‒ who weren’t even recording when she was a young student. But the misleaders and their patrons have made their choice and they won’t allow her own foolish words to take her out of the running.

Conversely, Bernie Sanders, the true frontrunner, is scrutinized over minor issues and must fend off bald-faced lies. He can expect a repeat of the treatment he received from the Democratic Party leadership and corporate media in 2016. While the hollow woman Harris can do no wrong, Sanders will get bad press ‒ no matter what he does.

In a bind As always, Black people are caught in the racist bind which makes one of the major parties the de facto White party, and the other

As to the injury, Heard’s friend said: “Just the whole side of her face was like swolled up (sic) and red and puffy ... and progressively getting worse.”

Yet, other eyewitnesses tell a different story. Two domestic abuse-trained police who arrived on the scene soon after the alleged incident ‒ and who later gave sworn witness depositions ‒ as well as surveillance camera videotapes of Heard’s face and a growing group of witnesses who interacted closely with a makeupfree Heard over the five ensuing days all agree that the injury she presented to the world wasn’t legitimate.

Six perfect-face days after Heard claimed Depp beat her and “destroyed” his own penthouse apartment (which police found in perfect condition) she magically presented her battered face to trailing paparazzi and a judge who granted her an automatic temporary restraining order against Depp.

Didn’t defend himself Depp seemingly has one bit of culpability in all this. At the time of the abuse claims, which immediately preceded the #MeToo movement’s genesis, he stayed quiet. Whether because of shyBut Americans duly hailed him as the man who “preserved the Union through its darkest hour” – the Civil War. Since then, however, Americans have considered no other president sufficiently worthy; notwithstanding that they have sculpted the face of two of them (namely, Thomas Jefferson and Theodore Roosevelt) into Mount Rushmore, alongside those of Washington and Lincoln.

Indeed, it’s a testament to the extraordinary character and accomplishments of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. that he’s the only other American to have a federal holiday – the third Monday in January – declared in his name.

Three-day weekend According to History.com, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act in 1971. It called for Presidents’ Day and

JEFF KOTERBA / OMAHA WORLD HERALD, NE

the Black party. The understandable desire to keep the White party Republicans out of office twists authentically progressive political leanings.

If Harris prevails in early primaries and caucuses and looks like a winner, she will become a Black voter favorite ‒ just as Barack Obama did in 2008 after his Iowa caucus victory. Legitimate questions about her record in public office will disappear and she will have a good chance of winning the party’s nomination.

Her silly lies are already being defended. The Breakfast Club hosts ran to her aid when the proof of her stupid fib became apparent.

Host Charlemagne the God gave a sad preview of the foolishness still to come: “I want everybody to know they’re doing the work of Fox News. The Black Twitter peo-

ple you see that are going in on Kamala because of this, y’all are doing the work of Fox News.”

ness or misreading the times, he failed to defend himself.

How has Hollywood punished Heard? They made her the leading lady of the billion-dollar Warner Bros. “Aquaman” franchise, the global ambassador of L’Oréal, an ambassador for women’s rights at the American Civil Liberties Union and a human rights activist at the U.N. Hollywood’s media outlets plaster Heard on their magazine covers, trumpet her as a “survivor” and term Johnny Depp a “monster.” Meanwhile, she has penned a vague op-ed about her ordeal for the Washington Post and hurled domestic abuse PSAs at the public.

Hollywood has crowned Heard the face of the #MeToo movement, ignoring the remarkable details of Heard’s prior arrest for domestic violence against her female partner. The #MeToo movement itself is tragically harmed by these leaders, and Hollywood looks on approvingly Hollywood has attempted to finish the job on Depp. Warner Bros. sought to throw Depp out of “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald,” in which he played the title character. Only J.K. Rowling’s quick defense of Depp saved him, and perhaps only temporarily. Disney recently threw him out

of “Pirates of the Caribbean.”

Hollywood is where the #MeToo movement started for a reason. It’s a place where the powerful can make or break “the talent.” “You’ll never work in this town again” is the threat. Abuse has often been the result.

a number of other holidays (like Memorial Day and Veterans Day) to be celebrated on the nearest Monday, irrespective of actual dates, to give federal workers a three-day weekend in each case.

Presidents’ Day never falls on the actual birthday of any American president. Washington and Lincoln still remain the two most recognized leaders, but Presidents’ Day is now popularly seen as a day to recognize the lives and achievements of all of America’s chief executives.

Truth, Mark Twain, Jackie Robinson, Neil Armstrong, Elvis Presley, et al.

Thus, I refer you to my commentary on the MLK memorial, “Mall at Last, Mall at Last, Thank God Almighty a Black Is on the Mall at Last,” November 14, 2006.

There, I delineate why Frederick Douglass’s heroic biography and leadership in the fight to end slavery make him even more worthy than MLK of being honored with a holiday.

In that vein, I nominate Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, Lyndon B. Johnson and Ronald W. Reagan to grace Mount Rushmore II. Who gets your nominations?

Many to recognize It is notable in this context that the MLK holiday still stands alone. However, it can only be a matter of time before passage of a National Heroes Holiday Act to recognize the lives and achievements of other great Americans, like Ben Franklin, Sojourner

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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Worse than ever After the Democratic Party debacle that put Donald Trump in office, Black voters are worse off than ever. Their enemies get the stamp of approval and what looks like a political victory will in fact be another disaster.

Harris could be Obama 2.0 ‒ and we know how well that turned out.

Happiness over representation would be nothing but a tremendous defeat.

Margaret Kimberley is a cofounder of BlackAgendaReport.com, and writes a weekly column there. Contact her at Margaret.Kimberley@BlackAgendaReport.com.

The real ‘victims’ When Hollywood serves as judge, jury and executioner of something as serious as abuse allegations, our society and our justice system are ultimately the victims. Real perpetrators can smugly hide their actual abuses behind the smokescreen of a public flogging and the sacrifice of a famous innocent. #MeToo stands for society’s rejection of the sexual abuse, in its many forms, of men, women and children. #BelieveWomen, a favored hashtag of Heard and others, ignores the fact that justice, not gender, is the arbiter of guilt. #MeToo is an important new movement for justice, far too important to be hijacked by the same Hollywood whose crimes and misdemeanors helped create it in the first place.

Contact Armstrong Williams via www.rightsidewire.com.

Anthony L. Hall is a native of The Bahamas with an international law practice in Washington, D.C. Read his columns and daily weblog at www.theipinionsjournal.com.

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FEBRUARY 22 – FEBRUARY 28, 2019

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EDITORIAL

Civil libertarians, Democrats silent about Roger Stone raid I don’t know how long the Nicolas Maduro administration will last in Venezuela, but he ought to send an urgent message to Special Counsel Robert Mueller for tips on how to use pre-dawn raids to crush political enemies and intimidate the public.

Watching press footage of Mueller’s FBI pre-dawn raid on Roger Stone’s home, I reflected on the words of German Lutheran pastor Martin Niemöller. He was an outspoken public foe of Adolf Hitler; wrote about the cowardice of German intellectuals following the Nazis’ rise to power and subsequent purging of their enemies; and spent the last seven years of Nazi rule in concentration camps.

His famous poem is displayed in the United States Holocaust Museum: First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out ‒ Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out ‒ Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out ‒ Because I was not a Jew. In the current political environment, Niemöller’s poem could be amended by adding after the words “I was not a Jew,” “Then they came for associates and supporters of President Trump, And I was not a Trump supporter, so I did not speak out.”

So-called liberal progressive civil liberties advocates ‒ and much of the hate-Trump media ‒ despise Trump so much that they are willing to accept government

CLARENCE V. MCKEE, ESQ. GUEST COMMENTARY

conduct that, in any other situation, violates every tenant of our basic rights and freedoms. Their silence is deafening, indicating their acceptance and condoning of such conduct.

If Mueller and the powers that be can trample constitutional rights of society’s prominent political White elite, just imagine what they could do to the powerless in Black, Hispanic, and middle-class White and blue-collar communities.

Some speak out Former New Jersey Governor and GOP presidential candidate Chris Christie called the raid “overkill… the purpose of the raid tactics was to intimidate.”

Fox News Channel legal analysist Judge Andrew Napolitano called the raids “jackboots in the morning… an American nightmare.”

Former Republican presidential candidate Governor Mike Huckabee called the raid “shameful, disturbing and frightening” adding that it was “dangerous,” “reckless,” and “scares the daylights out of people” ‒ a “police state action” that “every American ought to be appalled by.”

Fox News Channel host of “Jus-

White privilege and Black Power Ilhan Omar (D-MN) is a member of Congress. So how dare Elliot Abrams, No. 45’s nominee as Venezuelan envoy, presume to interrupt the congresswoman as she made a statement and interrogated him?

He was relatively docile when White people questioned him, but was angry and ignorant in his response to the congresswoman.

His behavior was disgraceful.

He said he “would not respond to a personal attack,” although he was the one who pled guilty to withholding information from Congress and was later pardoned for his perfidy.

Commendation, condemnation I commend Congresswoman Omar on her focused and poised interrogation. I condemn Mr. Abrams for his rude defiance to the congresswoman.

Their exchange is illuminating because it encapsulates the change in tone and tenor in Congress. Old White men can hold onto their privilege, but younger women ‒ some women of color ‒

Remaining silent It should be huge news, then, that the top Democrat in Congress, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, is actively working to discredit and sideline the most popular domestic political proposal of the century. But apparently not.

The Intercept’s February 5

Why do this?

Someone should ask acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, and FBI Director Christopher Wray why they approved such tactics to be used on this high-profile, nonviolent target. Or did Mueller go rogue?

Fellow Newsmax Insider Alan Dershowitz stands virtually alone as a defender of basic civil liberties in this “hate Trump” era.

He told Newsmax TV: “This was a show arrest, and as civil libertarians, we ought to be very

to lose her seat on the House Foreign Relations Committee.

She prevailed, with dignity, in her questioning of the corrupt Elliot Abrams. She is to be applauded.

How dare that man!

JULIANNE MALVEAUX TRICE EDNEY NEWS WIRE

aren’t having it. They are doing what they need to do to provide for the people who elected them.

Congresswoman Omar’s interrogation of Abrams has a backstory. Last week, she tweeted that the blind congressional support of Israel is “all about the Benjamins.” Jewish people were disturbed that her remarks were anti-Semitic (I don’t necessarily think so), and she apologized in the face of pressure.

But now the deranged ‘leader’ in the White House has called for her resignation (despite his own hateful, racist, anti-Semitic and other statements) and Vice President Mike Pence said there should be “consequences” for her comments (although no one has ever experienced consequences for genital grabbing).

There have been calls for Omar

Corporate media ignore Pelosi’s ‘Medicare’ sabotage Thanks to Bernie Sanders’ presidential bid in 2016, his signature “Medicare for All” proposal is the litmus issue for Democrats in the unfolding 2020 campaign. With supermajority support among Democratic and independent voters and backed by more than half of Republicans, the single payer scheme was endorsed by a majority of Democratic candidates in November’s House races.

Most of the declared Democratic presidential candidates claim to back Medicare for All, including even New Jersey Senator Cory Booker, who has accepted more money from Big Pharma than any other member of his party. So compelling is the issue, a Politico-Harvard poll shows that fully 84 percent of Democrats want the party to make Medicare for All “an extremely important priority.”

tice,” Judge Jeanine Pirro, ran CNN footage of the raid on her show and described it as use of “Gestapo tactics.” In her “Opening Statement” she put it into vivid context: “…well before dawn, 29 armed FBI agents and a SWAT team donning body armor and fatigues, and tactical vests arrive at Stone’s home. Seventeen vehicles including armor… trucks, lights flashing, a bullhorn… yelling, ‘FBI ‒ open the door.’”

She said that what the “Mueller team did was not only laughable, it was embarrassing to everyone in law enforcement.” She pointed out, which the mainstream media, to the best of my knowledge, has not, that Stone’s wife is “deaf” and that “a directive to her by someone with a gun drawn when she cannot hear the directive is a catastrophe waiting to happen.” In other words, Mueller’s raiders could have shot and killed Stone’s wife by mistake.

GLEN FORD BLACK AGENDA REPORT

blockbuster, “Top Nancy Pelosi Aide Privately Tells Insurance Executives Not to Worry About Democrats Pushing ‘Medicare for All,’” was picked up by only one “mainstream” corporate media outlet: Newsweek. In burying this bombshell, the plutocrat-owned press is protecting Pelosi from the extreme embarrassment of being caught conspiring with insurance companies to subvert Democratic voters’ highest priority issue, with the obvious aim of derailing Bernie Sanders’ now-announced second run for the presidency.

The Intercept got its hands on the slide presentation that Pelosi advisor Wendell Primus presented to Blue Cross Blue Shield executives on December 4. Primus assured the executives that Democratic leadership has “strong reservations” about Medicare for All and “would be allies to the insur-

How dare Abrams disrespect a member of Congress ‒ something he would not have done if a White man were questioning him! How dare he interrupt her; how dare he talk over her.

But thank you, Elliot Abrams, for projecting the many experiences that Black women and other women of color have had in corporate boardrooms and in other places where our voices are not valued.

Abrams, you are a pardoned liar. You ought not to be walking out among free folks, but No. 45 has pulled you out of the disgraceful slush pile to help our country interfere in yet another free nation, Venezuela. You needed to sit at that table and behave humbly, but humble is not in your vocabulary when your White privilege collides with the Black power of a congresswoman who has the right to interrogate you.

You didn’t like it not one bit.

Here’s a message you need to send back to your circle of aging troglodytes: get ready for it!

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VISUAL VIEWPOINT: THE TRUMP/GOP TAX CUT

STEVE SACK / STAR TRIBUNE

concerned about that.”

Apparently, other than Dershowitz, the so-called civil liberties community ‒ including the American Civil Liberties (ACLU) and congressional Democrats ‒ have no problem with such tactics. They obviously believe that ‒ individual civil rights and liberties, and the U.S. Constitution aside ‒ the use of any means necessary by prosecutors to get the president, his family, and associates is worth it.

Dershowitz agrees. In a Newsmax blog entitled “For the ACLU, Getting Trump Trumps Civil Liberties” he wrote: “…since the election of President Donald Trump, it has sunk to a new low, becoming a cheerleader for the violation of the civil liberties of those… on the other side of the political spectrum.… for the ACLU getting Trump, trumps civil liberties.”

Read and reflect

There are 110 women in Congress. There are congressional committees co-chaired by women in both parties. These are women who won’t put up with your over-talking shenanigans.

They are “out of time” regarding you.

And while Democratic and Republican women aren’t always on the same page, the fact that of the 110 women in Congress, only 13 are Republican speaks to the failures in your party. With 435 members in the House of Representatives, equity means that at least 217 are women. On the Democratic side, this increasingly means women of color, who are staring down your White privilege and eviscerating it.

cism of Israel is not anti-Semitic.

The Israeli occupation of the West Bank is simply wrong and violates every notion of human rights. The backlash against Angela Davis, Marc Lamont Hill, Tamika Mallory, and Alice Walker is also wrong. While we must address anti-Semitism, we must also address the ways that Israel has been oppressive to Palestinians and the ways that Israel advocates have, especially, attempted to shut down Black voices that embrace the human rights of ALL people, including Palestinians.

We must also address the ways that a White male criminal was allowed to behave badly and arrogantly when an elected member of Congress made a statement and asked reasonable questions.

Congresswoman Ilhan Omar is to be commended for her work. Elliott Abrams is to be condemned for his rude and futile clinging to his sick White privilege!

‘I learned’ No. 45 has the temerity to call for Rep. Ilhan Omar’s resignation, oblivious of his own moral depravity. She had the right response in a tweet: “You have trafficked in hate your whole life against Jews, Muslims, Indigenous, immigrants, Black people and more. I learned from people impacted by my words. When will you?” The fact is that No. 45 doesn’t learn. If he did, he would stop tweeting.

As Omar has noted, “Anti-Semitism is real.” At the same time, it is important to note that criti-

ance industry in the fight against fairness and price transparency for American patients.” single-payer health care.”

In light of the Primus presentation, it is clear that Pelosi had The roadmap The slide presentation outlined her “Grand Bargain” with Trump Pelosi’s three-prong attack on and the GOP in mind when she single payer: 1. Cost: “Monies are spoke of “a responsibility to seek common ground where we can,” needed for other priorities.”

2. Opposition: “Stakeholders shortly after the polls closed in are against; Creates winners and November. “Openness and translosers.” 3. “Implementation chal- parency, accountability [and] bipartisanship [are] a very imporlenges.”

Primus’s mission was to en- tant part of how we will go forlist the insurance industry as al- ward,” she said. lies in Pelosi’s planned countercampaign to reduce drug prices, Undermine in secret Pelosi’s game plan to deal with which is also good for Big Insurance bottom lines. But that re- single payer supporters in her quires assuring the insurance fat own party is exactly the opposite: cats that Medicare for All will, subversion and backdoor deals in Hillary Clinton’s words, “never, to undermine Medicare for All, in secret. The corporate media is ever come to pass.”

Pelosi’s strategy is to orches- part of the conspiracy of silence trate a defense of what’s left of on Pelosi’s undercover Medicare Obamacare, while softening up for All machinations, just as they the drug industry over prices in collude in ignoring Bernie Sanda possible alliance with Donald ers’ steady stream of speeches Trump, who signaled his willing- on this issue and a slew of wildly ness to partner with Democrats popular proposals that would end on the issue in his State of the private exploitation of a whole range of services to the people.

Union address: Although single payer health“It is unacceptable that Americans pay vastly more than people care would directly benefit most in other countries for the exact businesses that employ workers, same drugs, often made in the ex- by eliminating profit-driven inact same place. This is wrong, this surance payments and driving is unfair, and together we will stop down drug and hospital costs, it. We will stop it fast. I am asking passage of Medicare for All would the Congress to pass legislation open Pandora’s box, shattering that finally takes on the problem the corporate consensus on endof global freeloading and delivers less austerity and the sanctity of

It might be a good idea for the ACLU, other so-called civil libertarians, socialistic Democrats and others, including the media ‒ who all suffer from “Trump Derangement Syndrome” ‒ to read pastor Martin Niemöller’s poem.

One day there might be a group in power that would send FBI agents to their homes because of political associations and alleged illegal acts. There might be no one left to object.

Clarence V. McKee is a government, political and media relations consultant and president of McKee Communications, Inc., as well as a Newsmax.com contributor. This article originally appeared on Newsmax.com.

Julianne Malveaux is a Washington, D.C.-based economist and writer. Her latest book, “Are We Better Off? Race, Obama and Public Policy,” is available at www.juliannemalveaux.com.

“the market.”

Nobody but the Lords of Capital believes in “the market,” which is nothing but the state-protected right to profiteer from essential human needs. To preserve the fiction that “there is no alternative” to capitalist markets (as Margaret Thatcher said), the corporate media erases the people’s public options through its control of the political narrative.

Silencing Americans That’s what Russiagate is really about – not fantasy plotters in Moscow, but silencing actual dissent to the corporate narrative at home.

Unfortunately, Bernie Sanders and his brand of Democrat “socialists” can’t grasp the connection.

They embrace the half of the corporate narrative that justifies endless war with Russia, China, Syria, and now Venezuela – while rejecting its twin: endless austerity. And then they wonder why the corporate narrative is just as hostile to single payer, free college tuition and a Green New Deal as it is to Putin, Assad and Maduro.

Which leaves them at the mercy of their conniving corporate overseer, Nancy Pelosi.

Glen Ford is executive editor of BlackAgendaReport.com. Email him at Glen.Ford@BlackAgendaReport.com.

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NATION

FEBRUARY 22 – FEBRUARY 28, 2019

TERRENCE ANTONIO JAMES/CHICAGO TRIBUNE/TNS

Former U.S. President Barack Obama speaks to attendees at the second Obama Foundation summit at the Marriott Marquis hotel in Chicago on Nov. 19, 2018.

Candidates compete to claim Obama legacy Dems looking to former president for advice, support

BY JANET HOOK LOS ANGELES TIMES/TNS

WASHINGTON – Sen. Kamala Harris has been called the “female Barack Obama.”

Former Rep. Beto O’Rourke has been referred to as “Barack Obama, but White.”

Sen. Cory Booker sings from the Obama hymnal of hope and optimism.

Joe Biden, as Obama’s vice president, is closer to the former president than anyone running for the White House in 2020.

In the rapidly growing Democratic candidate field, an underthe-radar competition is brewing over who is the clearest heir to former President Barack Obama’s

political legacy.

Many of the Democrats running or thinking about it have made pilgrimaged to Obama’s office to seek his counsel. Some have found ways to casually drop that fact into televised interviews.

“I can’t think of a better person to get advice from,” Sen. Amy Klobuchar said in an MSNBC interview after she announced her candidacy. “And he seems, by the way, in a very good mood.”

Obama is unlikely to make a public endorsement. But the competition to ignite an Obamalike spark and to reassemble the coalition of young voters, women and people of color that carried him twice into the White House testifies to his lasting impact on his party.

rare. Republicans, after George W. Bush’s presidency, did not flock to him for advice or run as his legatee. With Bill Clinton’s presidency clouded by scandal, Vice President Al Gore kept his distance in his 2000 White House campaign.

Ronald Reagan, in contrast, was an enduring political icon for the Republican Party, having galvanized a coalition of defense hawks, fiscal conservatives and the religious right that endured for decades.

A generation of Republicans after him competed in primaries to see who could out-Reagan their rivals.

Obama’s stature is not quite that imposing, if only because there is not such broad agreement about whether replicating the Obama coalition alone is the best path for the party.

Rare legacy

‘Positive and optimistic’

Obama’s impact

That sort of legacy is relatively

While he built a majority heavy

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on women and minorities in urban, coastal regions, some Democrats say the party would be better off if it also worked harder to expand support among rural, White communities and in the Midwest.

There is also a debate about whether Obama’s trademark message of hope and unity is what Democratic primary voters want to hear in the campaign against President Donald Trump’s politics of polarization.

Candidates such as Sen. Elizabeth Warren are building their campaign with fighting words about the clash between the haves and have-nots. But Valerie Jarrett, a close Obama friend and former White House adviser, said she believes that voters are still hungry for an upbeat leader like Obama.

“Part of the reason he’s enjoying such popularity is he stood for something good and positive and optimistic,” Jarrett said in an interview. “There are several candidates who have that level of optimism and believe we should appeal to our better angels.”

Redistricting work One of his political priorities is the work of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, a group that is fighting the redrawing of congressional districts in Republicans’ favor.

Late last year, Obama consolidated his political efforts by folding his nonprofit group Organizing for Action into the redistricting committee.

Not all 2020 presidential candidates are campaigning as heirs of Obama Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Vermont independent who is expected to announce his 2020 candidacy in the coming week, has called for policies far to the left of Obama’s in expanding access to health care and regulating Wall Street.

But many potential Democratic candidates want his advice on running for president, and Obama has been generous with his time.

O’Rourke’s appeal O’Rourke sought a meeting with Obama after the 2018 midterm election. He told Oprah Winfrey in an interview that the former president did not urge him

one way or the other whether to run but warned him about the strain it could put on his family.

“He said, ‘Look, just to be really clear, this is one of the most intense … brutal things you can go through,’ ” O’Rourke said. “‘Know that going into it.’”

O’Rourke has been widely likened to Obama because of his youthful appeal, fundraising prowess and authentic-seeming style of campaigning in his unsuccessful 2018 campaign to unseat Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas.

Harris connection Running for president during her first term in the Senate, as did Obama, and being a biracial lawyer nearly guaranteed HarrisObama comparisons.

In 2009, when Harris was running for California attorney general, Gwen Ifill identified her as part of a rising generation of Black leaders in her book, “The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama.”

“She’s brilliant; she’s smart.

They call her the female Barack Obama,” Ifill said in an interview on “Late Night with David Letterman.”

Harris first met Obama when he ran for U.S. Senate from Illinois in 2004. She was an early supporter of his presidential candidacy when Hillary Clinton was the establishment favorite.

Booker and Obama Booker, who is also Black and, like Obama, has a background as a community organizer, has a campaign message that is often likened to Obama’s because of his focus on love and unity.

In his first news conference as a candidate, he made a joke that appealed to voters’ affection for the former president and wife Michelle: “I want everyone to know: I miss Obama. And I miss her husband too,” he said.

Booker said he got advice from Obama in the Oval Office the day he was sworn in as a senator. “I’m really grateful for the kind of leadership he provided this country,” Booker said.

FEBRUARY 22 – FEBRUARY 28, 2019

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EVENTS & FINEST

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Time’s Up CEO and president resigns

BY RANDALL ROBERTS LOS ANGELES TIMES/TNS

The Time’s Up organization has accepted the resignation of its president, Lisa Borders, it announced in a statement issued via social media on Monday.

A joint statement with Borders, who joined the organization in October, cited “family concerns” as the reason for her departure.

“As Time’s Up continues to grow, I am proud of the work I have done to shepherd its continued dev e l o p m e n t ,” Borders wrote.

“Unfortunately, it is with deep regret that I must resign from Time’s Up Lisa to address famiBorders ly concerns that require my singular focus. I appreciate the opportunity to support this mission and I hope my efforts will continue to resonate.”

BLACK VIOLIN & BETTY WRIGHT Miami Gardens’ Jazz in the Gardens March 9-10 lineup includes Lionel Ritchie, Black Violin, Bobby Brown, Tye Tribbett, Betty Wright and the O’Jays.

Complete festival details: Jazzinthegardens.com

‘The right decision’ The organization’s statement followed: “With gratitude for her work, Time’s Up accepts and supports Lisa Borders’ decision to resign as president and CEO,” the organization stated. “We know that it is the right decision for Lisa as well as the organization.”

Rebecca Goldman, who currently serves as the Time’s Up chief operating officer, will serve as interim chief executive while an executive search is conducted. The announcement concluded, “We remain steadfast in our mission to create safe, fair, and dignified work for women of all kinds.”

Time’s Up was founded in 2017 to fight discrimination and sexual harassment in the workplace following sexual abuse accusations against Harvey Weinstein and others in the entertainment industry.

TRAVIS GREENE

Catch him at The Plaza Live in Orlando on March 8.

FLORIDA COMMUNITY CALENDAR Orlando: Lionel Richie performs on March 9 at the Amway Center.

Viera: The Space Coast Seafood Festival is March 7 at the Space Coast Daily Park.

Aventura: DIVAS by D.A.W.N.: A Tribute to Diana, Aretha, Whitney & Natalie Cole is March 9 at the

Aventura Arts & Cultural Center.

Lakeland: Keith Sweat takes the stage at the Florida Strawberry Festival on March 9.

Jacksonville: Miles Jaye takes the stage at the Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts on March 9.

Boca Raton: The Rippingtons will perform March 31 at the Funky Biscuit. Showtimes: 5:30 and 8:30 p.m.

finest

FLORIDA’S 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.

Miami: The Jazz Roots series takes place March 8 at the Adrienne Arsht Performing Arts Center.

Orlando: The Marcus King Band & North Mississippi Allstars will perform March 24 at the House of Blues Orlando.

Jacksonville: Catch Buddy Guy at the Florida Theatre Jacksonville on March 23 for an 8 p.m. show.

Fort Lauderdale: Judah Word Ministries International will present

a Pastors and Leaders Conference hosted by Apostle W.L. Mitchell on March 13-16. It will include services, workshops and a boot camp.

Details: 945-791-2999 Tampa: Maze featuring Frankie Beverly performs Feb. 22 at the Yuengling Center.

Punta Gorda: The Ultimate Motown Experience will be at the Charlotte Harbor Event and Conference Center on Feb. 19 at 7 p.m.

Hamilton goes viral with his rendition of national anthem

FROM WIRE REPORTS

Anthony Hamilton wowed basketball fans on Sunday, Feb. 17 for his rendition of the national anthem (“Star Spangled Banner”) at the NBA All-Star game in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The Charlotte native’s smooth and soulful version is being compared to Marvin Gaye’s rendition. The late singer performed the national anthem for the NBA All-Star Game back in 1983.

As far as the All-Star game itself, Team LeBron did it again and is now undefeated in All-Star competition. They picked up their second straight win with a 178-164 victory over Team Giannis at the 68th NBA All-Star Game at the Spectrum Center on Sunday.

Traded leads in fourth 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

Team Giannis took early control with a 53-37 first quarter, featuring a combined 28 points on 12-for-13 shooting from Bucks teammates Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton. Team Giannis led by as many as 20 points, but Team LeBron made it a game with an 18-4 run, fueled by Damian Lillard and Bradley Beal, in the third quarter.

The teams traded leads early in the fourth and it was a threepoint game with 4 1/2 minutes to go, but Team LeBron put it away with a 10-2 run featuring five straight points – a step-back 3-pointer over Joel Embiid and an alley-oop dunk from former teammate Kyrie Irving – from LeBron James.

Kia All-Star MVP Kevin Durant led Team LeBron with 31 points on 10-for-15 shooting, scoring 11 (on a perfect 4-for-4 shooting) in the fourth quarter. Nine other members of Team LeBron scored in double figures.

Information from EURWEB.com was used in compiling this report.

JEFF SINER/CHARLOTTE OBSERVER/TNS

Charlotte, North Carolina native Anthony Hamilton sings the national anthem prior to the NBA All-Star Game at Spectrum Center on Feb. 17.

BLACK HISTORY MONTH

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“We March”

FEBRUARY 22 – FEBRUARY 28, 2019

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Reading Black History

Written and illustrated

by Shane W. Evans, Roaring Brook Press, $16.99, ages 3 and up Author and illustrator Shane W. Evans doesn’t use a lot of words — a little over 60 — in his book “We March.”

He doesn’t have to. His textured, full-color drawings do the work of telling the story of a young African-American family preparing for the August 1963 March on Washington.

Exploring the historical event through the family’s eyes illustrates how much the civil rights struggle was about regular people uniting to peacefully demand change. Dr. King plays an important supporting role in the story. However, it’s the family — standing together, comforting each other — who is the star.

— Eric Goodwin

“Chocolate Me!”

By Taye Diggs, illustrated

by Shane W. Evans, from Macmillan books, $16.99, ages 4 and up “Chocolate Me” opens with an unhappy little boy, being taunted by neighborhood boys for his differences in appearance — everything from his curly hair to his wide nose to his seemingly extra-white teeth against his dark skin. But his mother tells him why those things all make him special. By changing his attitude, which gives him a confidence boost, the boy returns to the other boys and teaches them about acceptance and appreciation of peoples’ differences. The book is also wonderfully illustrated with full-page spreads depicting the boy’s story, sometimes with just a few words per page, which help enrich the story for those too young to read on their own.

— Kim Ossi

“When Grandmama Sings”

By Margaree King Mitchell, illustrated by James E. Ransome, from HarperCollins books, $16.99, ages 5-9 Eight-year-old Belle narrates “When Grand-mama Sings” and tells the story of the summer she and Grandmama, who has an amazing singing voice

Books for kids and teens to read during Black History Month

In February, we celebrate the history of Black people in America — a history that we can sometimes find ourselves shying away from because of the shame of slavery and persecution. Luckily there are talented authors and illustrators to educate our children about the true-life tortures and triumphs of Black people who were brought to this country in chains but have risen to a point where, today, one of their own has represented all Americans as the president of the United States. Here are some children’s and young adult books that are perfect for Black History Month reading lists.

— McClatchy-Tribune but can’t read, went on a tour with a band. It’s the first time Belle has traveled outside of Pecan Flats, Miss., and she helps her grandmother read while they travel throughout the South. The story talks about the segregation they experience in their travels.

But the overarching message of the story, besides giving young readers a brief history lesson, is the power of music to bring people together. Grandmama also proves to be an excellent role model for Belle – and the reader – about not giving up on your dreams and achieving happiness, no matter your age or how unreachable they may seem when you start your journey.

— Kim Ossi

“My Uncle Martin’s Words for America”

By Angela Farris Watkins, PhD., illustrated by Eric Velasquez, Abram Books for Young Readers, $19.95, ages 5 and up Describing the importance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the civil rights movement to a young child is a challenge. The average 6-yearold doesn’t comprehend “Jim Crow” or “prejudice” right away. Parents may stumble to find analogies that frame the terms in the proper context. But where parents falter, “My Uncle Martin’s Words for America” succeeds, explaining Dr. King’s life and work in a way kids can readily grasp.

Written by his niece, Angela Farris Watkins, the book describes how Dr. King’s philosophy of love and nonviolence chipped away at U.S. segregation laws.

The key pillars underlying Dr. King’s beliefs — justice, freedom, brotherhood

and equality — are highlighted in the text. Watkins then picks events from the civil rights movement that demonstrates how these pillars were made manifest.

— Eric Goodwin

“Freedom’s a-Callin Me”

By Ntozake Shange, paintings by Rod Brown, HarperCollins, $16.99, ages 8-12 “Freedom’s a-Callin Me” tells the tale of a slave, following him from working in the cotton fields and getting beaten by his master to his harrowing escape to Michigan. The story is told through a series of poems and is written in Southern dialect, both of which may be obstacles for younger readers trying to digest the story. But the tale is accompanied by full-page paintings that de-

pict the narrator’s experiences on his journey, and may help struggling readers comprehend the text better. That said, the story introduces readers to a new story form and simultaneously teaches them about the history of slaves in our country, and the brave souls — both Black and White — who brought danger on themselves to help men and women escape to freedom.

— Kim Ossi

“The Mighty Miss Malone”

By Christopher Paul Curtis, Random House Children’s Books, $15.99, ages 9-12 The author of “Bud, Not Buddy,” finally brings us a full-length story about Deza Malone, who fans will certainly remember from “Bud.” The story follows 12-year-old Deza and her family’s struggles during the Great Depression in Gary, Ind. Deza is an incredibly smart and capable young lady, but her parents have difficulties just putting food on the table when work becomes difficult to find. After a serious mishap that leaves Deza’s gregarious and loving father depressed, the Malones become home-

less, riding the rails and living in a Hooverville outside Flint, Mich., fighting not to be crushed against the heel of poverty. “The Mighty Miss Malone” shows how this family supports each other and presents a united front against the everyday injustices and huge setbacks that so many families faced in the 1930s.

— Merrie Leininger

“The Silence of our Friends: The Civil Rights Struggle Was Never Black and White”

By Mark Long, Jim Demonakos, illustrated by Nate Powell, First Second books, 208 pages, $16.99, ages 12 and up This graphic novel tells a story set in 1968 in Houston. Mark Long’s father, Jack Long, is a TV station race reporter, an eye witness to the violence and anger coming from Whites and Blacks. Jack is attempting to cover the events occurring in town and do justice to the people that he’s covering.

Larry Thompson, an advocate for poor African Americans, saves him from an angry mob at an event. The two become friends and their lives intertwine. But when Long witnesses a shooting at a violent protest that leaves a police officer dead, what will he do?

The story is a bit longer than it needs to be — it is based on events in Long’s real-life childhood — but it is quietly powerful.

— Merrie Leininger

“Black Boy White School”

By Brian F. Walker, from HarperCollins, $17.99, ages 14 and up In “Black Boy White School,” readers follow the presentday story of Ant, from eighth grade through his freshman year of high school.

Ant grew up in a violent neighborhood in East Cleveland, Ohio. With his mother’s urging, Ant applies and is accepted to Belton, a boarding school in Maine.

The world at the boarding school there is so different from his home. Most of the children attending the school are rich and White. There are few other students of color.

Despite the story taking place in present-day, with Obama as president and when equality is all but expected, all is not well for many of the people both on campus and in the nearby town. And Ant finds he’s struggling with identity.

The book forces readers to open their eyes to both subtle and blatant racism, still experienced today by many.

— Kim Ossi

DING H REA

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BLACK HISTORY MONTH

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From slave to plantation owner The story of Anna Kingsley continues to attract visitors to old Florida estate.

BY ELEANOR HENDRICKS MCDANIEL SPECIAL TO THE FLORIDA COURIER

Sultry air. Sandy soil. Tabby structures.

Your first impressions of Kingsley Plantation of Fort George Island, Florida.

A narrow road, cleared through a jungle of moss-hung oaks and tall palm trees, leads to a parking lot located only a few yards from the remains of slave quarters. Twenty-three tabby cabins form a welcoming semicircle. A tabby is a concrete-like building made up of oyster shells, lime, sand and water.

From there, you walk Anna until you see a barn conKingsley structed of poured tabby and tabby brick. Still growing in the garden is Sea Island cotton, which was once the dominant crop of the island.

When you reach the kitchen house, enter and prepare to hear the fascinating and unique story of Zephaniah Anna Kingsley, born Anta Kingsley Majigeen Ndiaye.

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Abducted and sold She was a teenager when abducted in 1806 from Senegal, West Africa, and sold to Zephaniah Kingsley, a ship captain and plantation owner. The middle-aged Kingsley married the 13-year-old Wolof maiden, and their union would last until his death, 37 years later.

Holding liberal views of a woman’s role and because he had to travel extensively, Kingsley freed his wife and drafted her to manage their plantation. He was a reasonable and clever man – many of his contemporaries called him “soft” and “easy.”

Unusual view His views of slavery were unusual for the times. He believed that rather than restricting the liberties of free Blacks, it would be prudent to enlist their allegiances by giving them the same rights as Whites. Together, they could easily control the much larger number of slaves whose labor was essential to maintain the plantation system.

On his own property, Kingsley preferred the “task” order of planting. Each enslaved person was assigned a daily task. After completing the job, the slave was free to work in his own garden, fish or hunt to provide food for his own table.

The rest of the South required slaves to labor from dawn to dusk for their owners.

A place of her own Anna Kingsley, with her independent spirit, wanted a place of her own.

She and her children moved across the St. John’s River to a homestead that was granted by the Spanish government.

She also took slaves along with them. Although formerly enslaved herself, she came from a society in Africa where bondage was commonplace and accepted.

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1. The remains of slave cabins can be seen at the Kingsley Plantation.

2. Tours are available except on major holidays.

GEORGE SKENE/ORLANDO SENTINEL/TNS

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

She worked hard and created an estate much admired by her neighbors. Though physically separated, the Kingsleys continued their relationship as husband and wife.

Foreign invaders In 1813, with the threat of an imminent invasion by American patriots who wanted to seize Florida from the Spanish, Anna, her children and her 12 slaves evacuated her home. They emptied the house of its furnishings and stowed them in the woods.

From their hiding place, Anna crept back to the plantation and torched her home and those of the slaves. She refused to allow the rebels to use those structures as a fortified blockhouse. For her loyalty and bravery, the Spanish king awarded her a 350-acre land grant.

From Florida to Haiti Florida, under Spain, had more liberal laws regarding slavery than the rest of the southern states, but they were jeopardized when the United States purchased Florida in 1821.

A year earlier, Kingsley had established a colony with other Floridian migrants, including many of his emancipated slaves. He sent Anna and their sons to his Haitian estate for their safety. Their two daughters had already married wealthy

3. This image shows slaves on the plantation.

businessmen of Scottish decent and remained in Florida. Direct descendants of Anna and Zephaniah Kingsley still live in the Dominican Republic.

The later years After her husband’s death in 1843, Anna eventually returned to Florida, and, in 1847, purchased Chesterfield, a 22-acre farm north of Jacksonville. The wily businesswoman’s holdings grew as she managed her financial affairs, and fought for the right to retain the wealth and property her late husband had left her.

At age 67, because of failing health, she sold Chesterfield and moved to the estate of her daughter, Martha. She died in 1870, and is buried in the family cemetery of her daughter, Mary Sammis.

The historic site The restored plantation is now owned by the National Park Service, and cared for by the Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve. A park ranger will relay even more of Anna’s intriguing history in the building, known as the “Ma’am Anna House.”

While living on this plantation, Anna had retained a separate residence that also served as the cookhouse, and is connected to her husband’s house (also called Zephaniah’s House) by a brick walkway.

4. The plantation is owned by the National Park Service.

View the exhibit in the Ma’am Anna house. Then tour the Zephaniah house, and visit its museum where you can see portraits of the Kingsley family. Unfortunately, no likeness of Anna remains. The other structures on the site are open to visitors too.

If you go The Zephaniah house, or main house, faces the lazy George River. Feel the presence of Anna Kingsley as you stroll the grounds. You will marvel at the strength and courage of this amazing African woman who conquered a strange land after arriving in the most humble and dehumanizing situation.

The Kingsley Plantation is located on Fort George Island, 25 miles northeast of Jacksonville, and is open daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. Admission is free.

For more information, visit nps.gov/ timu/learn/historyculture/kp_visiting. htm.

Eleanor Hendricks McDaniel is a seasoned travel journalist. Formerly of Philadelphia, she now resides in Ormond Beach. Follow her on Twitter: @ellethewriter, Instagram: @eleanor1004, Facebook: Eleanor.hendricks. mcdaniel, and her website: flybynighttraveler.com.

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FEBRUARY 22 – FEBRUARY 28, 2019

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A fresh take on trendy toast FROM FAMILY FEATURES

HUMMUS TOAST WITH SUN-DRIED TOMATOES AND PARMESAN Servings: 1 1 slice whole-grain bread 1/4 cup fresh arugula 2-3 sun-dried tomatoes 2 tablespoons Sabra Classic Hummus Olive oil 2 tablespoons pine nuts Fresh Parmesan curls Salt and pepper, to taste Toast bread; set aside. Wash and pat dry arugula; set aside.

Remove sun-dried tomatoes from jar and lightly pat with paper towel to remove excess oil.

Spread toast with hummus.

Lightly toss arugula with drizzle of olive oil; layer on top of hummus. Top with sun-dried tomatoes. Sprinkle with pine nuts and add Parmesan curls. Add salt and pepper, to taste.

HUMMUS TOAST WITH SOFT-BOILED EGG AND SPINACH Servings: 1 1 slice artisan country white bread 1/4 cup fresh spinach, wilted Water 1 soft-boiled egg Ice 1 garlic clove, chopped 1 teaspoon olive oil 2 tablespoons Sabra Classic Hummus Red pepper flakes, for garnish Salt and pepper to taste

Toast bread; set aside.

Wash spinach; set aside.

Fill small saucepan with enough water to barely cover egg; bring to boil, cover and reduce heat. Cook egg 6 minutes, remove from heat and plunge into ice bath to stop cooking.

Peel egg; set aside.

In medium skillet, sauté chopped garlic in olive oil approximately 3 minutes; add spinach and stir 2 minutes, or until spinach begins to wilt. Remove from heat.

Spread toast with hummus. Add wilted garlic-spinach. Cut egg in half and place on top of spinach. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.

While many food trends come and go, some desired food traits seemingly never go out of style. For example, dishes that provide nutritional benefits will pretty much always be popular, along with types of foods that can be customized to match personalized preferences and tastes.

Toast is a versatile option for nearly anyone seeking a bite for breakfast, especially those eaters looking for both nutrition and flavor. Because you can add a variety of toppings to your toast, it can be a simple way to add a healthy element to your morning routine.

These recipes, for example, include Sabra Hummus as a base spread, which adds protein and fiber perfect for breakfast, brunch or a midmorning snack. Hummus Toast with Sundried Tomatoes and Parmesan brings with it the extra nutritional value of veggies, while Hummus Toast with Soft-Boiled Egg and Spinach packs ample protein for an ideal way to start the day.

Plus, because these quick-to-make recipes involve short amounts of time spent on preparation, you’re able to enjoy a nutritious treat even on the busiest of days.

Find more ways to take trendy toast to the next level at Sabra. com.