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Floridians turn to boot camps for careers in coding See Page B1

VOLUME 26 NO. 30

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JULY 27 – AUGUST 2, 2018

‘SANCTIONING A MURDER’ Family members of Markeis McGlockton – shot dead over a handicapped parking space – want public pressure put on prosecutors to fill criminal charges against the ‘stand your ground’ killer. COMPILED FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

JIM DAMASKE/TAMPA BAY TIMES/TNS

Michael McGlockton stands in front of a photo of his son, Markeis McGlockton, during a news conference in Clearwater held by Attorney Michele Rayner and the McGlockton family on Tuesday.

CLEARWATER – During a news conference Tuesday, family members of Markeis McGlockton implored the local state attorney to file charges in the death of their son. McGlockton, a 28-yearold Black man, was shot dead by 47-year-old Michael Drejka, a White man, last week during confrontation started by Drejka over a handicapped-accessible

parking space in what Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri deemed a justified use of force under Florida’s “stand-your-ground” selfdefense law.

Killer not arrested Gualtieri, in announcing during a news conference that his agency would not arrest Drejka, said that the incident falls under Florida’s self-defense law known as “stand your ground.” The law protects from arrest

ZETA PHI BETA SORORITY, INC.

‘Sisters loved, principles lived, paths blazed’

those in fear of their lives who use force to defend themselves. The shooting “is within the bookends of stand your ground and within the bookends of force being justified,” the sheriff said, later adding, “I’m not saying I agree with it, but I don’t make that call.” The agency will forward the case to the State Attorney’s Office to make a final See MURDER, Page A2

Get your BP numbers down Hypertension tied to dementia BY MELISSA HEALY LOS ANGELES TIMES / TNS

For patients with high blood pressure who hope to ward off dementia, doctors have the same advice for those looking to protect their hearts and kidneys: Go lower. In a comprehensive new study, researchers found that driving down patients’ systolic blood pressure readings to a new lower target level reduced their risk of developing mild cognitive impairment, or MCI, by close to 20 percent. MCI is a decline in memory and thinking skills that is slight but noticeable, and it affects between 15 percent and 20 percent of people over 65. For as many as half of those diagnosed with MCI, a diagnosis of dementia will come later.

Lower is better

COURTESY OF KRYSTAL RICE

On July 22, past Zeta Phi Beta international presidents passed the leadership gavel to newly-installed International President Valerie Hollingsworth-Baker during the sorority’s 2018 Grand Boulé in New Orleans. HollingsworthBaker will lead the organization into its centennial year in 2020.

The new research found that compared to subjects whose blood pressure control regimen was more relaxed, subjects whose blood pressure was more strictly controlled were 15 percent less likely to be diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment and subsequent dementia. The new findings, presented Wednesday at the Alzheimer’s Association’s International Conference in Chicago, come a year after the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology adopted a new target for those with hypertension. Physicians groups had long considered blood pressure readings of 140/90 mmHG to be an acceptable See NUMBERS, Page A2

School enrollment to see slowdown in 2019-2020 BY LLOYD DUNKELBERGER THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

TALLAHASSEE – Enrollment in Florida’s public schools is projected to grow by fewer than 17,000 students in the 2019-2020 academic year under a forecast approved Tuesday by state analysts. The projected increase for 2019-2020 is not as robust as in prior years, in part, because of the expansion of voucher-like scholarship programs that could send more students to private schools. The new forecast shows 2.86 million students attending Florida’s pre-kindergarten-throughhigh-school system, up from the

ALSO INSIDE

estimated 2.84 million students who will attend public schools during the 2018-2019 academic year. That reflects a projected increase of 16,943 students, or a 0.6 percent increase in total enrollment. State analysts meet periodically to project enrollment for future years. Lawmakers use those projections in making budget decisions.

More in private schools A factor in the slowdown of enrollment growth is new laws that will expand the use of publicly funded scholarships that al-

low students to attend private schools. Among them is the newly approved Hope scholarship program, which will allow students who are victims of bullying or other violence to transfer to private schools. When fully enacted in the 20192020 academic year, analysts project the Hope scholarships could result in a reduction of more than 6,400 students who would otherwise attend public schools.

Greater tax credit use The new laws will also allow businesses for the first time to volSee SCHOOL, Page A2

SNAPSHOTS NATION | A3

Congresswoman seeking key Dem position

FLORIDA | A6

State sees jump in job creation

SAFETY | B4

How to improve indoor airflow and quality

GUEST COMMENTARY: BOBBY E. MILLS: PRESIDENT IS TURNING OUT TO BE THE ‘JUDAS GOAT’ | A4 COMMENTARY: MARGARET KIMBERLEY: RUSSIAGATE AND BLACK MISLEADERSHIP | A5

FOCUS

JULY 27 – AUGUST 2, 2018

They can say ‘Boo,’ too Every time a Black woman is body-slammed on a concrete pavement; every time a Black child is gunned down in a park or on a playground; and every time a Black man, a Hispanic or an immigrant from a Muslim country is murdered for holding a cell phone, killed for wearing a hoodie in a rainstorm or choked to death for selling loose cigarettes, the reason for the deadly actions are based on so-called fear! You can turn on your television set any day of the week and see pale-skinned people arguing with policemen, threatening law enforcers, talking back to cops, disrespecting officers, throwing punches at policemen and resisting arrest. But seldom, if ever, are certain citizens shot down in cold blood! Don’t act like you’ve never

LUCIUS GANTT THE GANTT REPORT

seen “Cops,” “Cheaters,” or other reality shows.

In fear but not stupid People are afraid of terrorists, but they don’t pull out guns and shoot everyone with a long beard and a head wrap. Some people are scared of gangbangers. But they don’t seek to beat down everyone that has gold teeth, a doo-rag and a Blood red or Crip blue outfit. No one wants to face serial killers or rapists. But looking like

Charles Manson or Ted Bundy is no good reason to get tazed, maced or pepper-sprayed! I believe poor, exploited, oppressed, neglected, denied, abused and victimized residents of disadvantaged urban and rural neighborhoods and communities should be more afraid than anybody in America!

Poor people of all races, creeds, religious beliefs and national origins should be afraid to face false criminal charges, legal allegations and exaggerated sentences just because they can’t afford to retain and hire a high-priced lawyer or law firm. You’ve heard the phrase “innocent until proven broke!”

Real fear

A problem

Poor people should be afraid of trying to live on fixed incomes when costs of basic necessities are going through the roof. People with no real access to capital should be afraid of being turned down for a mortgage loan, a business loan or a car loan by a bank or financial institution that will redline an impoverished neighborhood and green-light million-dollar signature loans requested by pale customers who recently filed and declared bankruptcies.

If taxes paid by poor people go towards paying the salaries of the people that have a badge and a license to shoot anybody that looks and acts different from they do, that is a problem. If every unarmed man or woman on a highway, a roadway, a dirt road or a city street should be looked at as “scary” to a person with a night stick, an automatic handgun, a shotgun and a lot of backup, that’s a problem too. If everybody that lives in a barrio, a ghetto, a housing project,

NUMBERS

May have a badge If you are poor, Black, Hispanic, Muslim or immigrant, the sandman, the candy man and the boogie man may have a badge! Law enforcers are equally scary. They can say “Boo,” too!

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.

disease. After a year in the trial, those assigned to have their blood pressure treated to the stricter target had achieved an average systolic blood pressure reading of 121.4 mmHG. Those assigned to the “standard treatment group” had an average systolic blood pressure reading of 136.2 mmHG. Dr. Lon Schneider, an Alzheimer’s specialist at USC’s Keck School of Medicine, hailed the findings. But he suggested that the average age of the trial’s subjects – 68 – may obscure an important point: that strict blood pressure control will likely prevent dementia most effectively if it starts early and is followed through midlife.

from A1 target for those with hypertension, but in 2017, they urged physicians to get their patients with high blood pressure to 130/80 mmHG.

120 key target The new research suggests that there are powerful benefits to getting the first number in that reading – systolic blood pressure – to an even lower target: 120 mmHG. Systolic blood pressure is the amount of pressure in a person’s arteries during the contraction of the heart muscle. Because it is the highest pressure to which the blood vessels are subjected, systolic blood pressure is thought to have the most detrimental impact on the delicate capillaries that nourish the brain as well as the kidneys, heart and liver. In large populations, lowering that reading to 120 already has been found to reduce rates of cardiovascular disease and kidney failure. The new findings emerge from a clinical trial called SPRINT (short for Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial), which began in 2010 and ran for less than five years. After trial subjects had been followed for an average of just over three years, the trial was shut down because the trial’s findings showed so strongly

a trap house, a whorehouse or a gambling house causes law enforcers that live in gated communities in the suburbs to fear for their lives, Black people should be more afraid than anybody in America. Why? Because in the words of the late Tupac Shakur, “We not only fear the same kinds of people you fear, we live right next door to them.”

Damage takes years

SANDY HUFFAKER/KRT/MCT

Dr. Richard Butcher checks the blood pressure of patient Robert Farrell at the Care View Medical Group in San Diego, California. the benefits of the lower systolic blood pressure goal in protecting people’s hearts. In August 2015, a board of safety monitors said it no longer could justify maintaining some of the trial’s subjects at the systolic target level of 140 mmHG.

Good for heart, brain “What SPRINT has shown is

MURDER from A1 decision, Gualtieri said.

Family responds McGlockton’s mother, father and girlfriend, alongside three local attorneys, spoke of McGlockton as a loving father of three who enjoyed singing and was always there for his children. “We’re asking the office of Bernie McCabe to file charges against Mr. Drejka,” said Clearwater attorney Michele Rayner, “because if not, they’re sanctioning a murder, plain and simple.” Rayner said she also wanted to correct the record on a widely-reported detail that Drejka shot McGlockton in the chest, which is attributed to a Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office news release.

Autopsy report pending According to McGlockton’s girlfriend, Britany Jacobs, who said she put pressure on the wound after the shooting, he was shot in the left side of his abdomen. “Why was he shot on his side when he was getting ready to turn around?” Rayner said. The Medical Examiner’s Office has not released an autopsy to the family, she added.

What happened? McGlockton and Jacobs stopped at the Circle A food store at 1201 Sunset Point Road on the way home from picking Jacobs up from her job as a certified nursing assistant to grab chips and drinks. Jacobs parked in the handicap spot, she said, because the parking lot was busy. The couple’s 4-month-old and 3-year-old were in the car. Their 5-year-old, named after McGlockton, went into the store with his father. Drejka confronted Jacobs about why she parked there without a permit. “He’s getting out like he’s a police officer or something, and he’s approaching me,” she said. “I minded my own business … I didn’t do anything wrong.”

Video shows tragedy The two got in an argument, heated enough to draw attention from witnesses in the parking lot, who went inside to alert the store owner. A surveillance video released by the Sher-

that what is good for your heart is also good for your brain,” said the SPRINT Mind study’s lead author, Dr. Jeff Williamson of Wake Forest Medical School, who presented the findings on Wednesday in Chicago. Williamson called it “very encouraging” that even a brief period of more intensive blood pressure control would show such

iff’s Office shows McGlockton leaving the store, walking up to Drejka and shoving him to the ground. Drejka pulled out a handgun and shot McGlockton. After the shooting, when his father walked in and collapsed, the five-year-old boy witnessed his mother applying pressure to the wound with a T-shirt, Jacobs said. The father of three was pronounced dead soon after. While the video didn’t have sound, Jacobs said the men did not exchange words from the time Drejka hit the ground to the time he shot. McGlockton only spoke to Drejka before he shoved him, telling him to get away from his girl.

powerful protective effects for the brain as well. Had the trial run longer, he said, there’s reason to believe that even more cases of mild cognitive impairment and dementia might be prevented. The SPRINT Mind trial’s 8,626 subjects ranged in age from 50 to 100. None had diabetes, but all were considered to be at increased risk for cardiovascular

SCHOOL from A1

Michele Rayner

Bernie McCabe

Ben Crump

At one point at the press conference, the conversation turned to an encounter Drejka had last month with another convenience store regular that McGlockton’s father, Michael McGlockton, said he believes shows Drejka was looking for a fight. A man named Rick Kelly told The Tampa Bay Times last week that Drejka confronted him for parking in the same spot. The argument escalated, and Drejka threatened to shoot him before the store owner diffused the situation.

another Black person like we’ve seen with the murder of Trayvon Martin. Now, together, we must put the spotlight on Pinellas and Pasco Counties State’s Attorney Bernie McCabe to do his job and file homicide charges against Michael Drejka – this will be a crucial first step in delegitimizing the law,” D’Angelo wrote. “The killing of Markeis McGlockton is another brutal reminder that Florida’s “Stand your ground” law is harmful and deadly to Black people. We live with the painful stain of February 26, 2012, when then 17-yearold Trayvon Martin was gunned down by an overzealous, racist neighborhood watchdog George Zimmerman in Sanford…. Zimmerman wasn’t arrested until two weeks after he killed Trayvon. “Day after day Trayvon’s family beared (sic) the strength to sit in the courtroom with Trayvon’s killer only to face the horror of Zimmerman’s acquittal because he was able to use Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law as a defense for killing a young boy who was just walking home – posing absolutely no threat to Zimmerman. “Collectively, Markeis’ family, our communities here in Florida and all across the country are mourning, and furious about the murder of Markeis McGlockton…. Now we must keep up the pressure on the state attorney and continue to ring the alarm on every elected official until the “Stand Your Ground law is no longer in existence.”

‘Brutal reminder’

Crump gets onboard

On Monday, Angel D’Angelo of the Restorative Justice Coalition, affiliated with the online organization Color of Change, sent an email blast titled, “He was shot in front of his kids.” The organization is requesting signatures on an online petition urging prosecutor McCabe to file homicide charges against Drejka. “Florida’s horrible “Stand your ground law” which passed in 2005, which makes it legal to kill someone if they feel their life is threatened has reared its ugly head against

Just before the Florida Courier’s Wednesday evening press time, Jacobs retained national civil rights and personal injury attorney Ben Crump. Crump was scheduled to hold a press conference Thursday morning at the Pinellas Criminal Justice Center to demand that Florida’s “stand your ground” law be amended in the aftermath of McGlockton’s violent death.

‘Protecting us’ “It’s a wrongful death. It’s messed up. Markeis is a good man. … He was just protecting us, you know?” Jacobs, 25, said Friday. “And it hurts so bad.” She broke down in tears. “This man came to me. This man was armed. He could have killed my whole family. I don’t know this man … and Markeis did not know this man at all … All he was trying to do was protect what was his, and that was his family, that was his kids.” McGlockton was her high school sweetheart, she said. The pair had been together since 2009, when she met him at a friend’s house while attending Dunedin High.

Previous confrontation

That’s so because hypertension causes harm to blood vessels cumulatively over many years. Research suggests that decades before declines in memory and thinking skills are noticeable, high blood pressure may begin to damage the brain’s complex network of tiny blood vessels and set the stage for further damage, Schneider said. Blood pressure control is important at all ages, he said. But in midlife, stricter control may prevent the onset of blood vessel damage. If it doesn’t begin until a person is already in later age, it may be too late to stop that slide toward end-organ damage and, in the case of the brain, dementia, he said.

Kathryn Varn of the Tampa Bay Times / TNS contributed to this report.

untarily shift sales taxes they normally would pay on commercial leases to help fund two other voucher-like scholarship programs. The change is expected to initially increase the number of low-income students using Florida Tax Credit scholarships, which historically have been funded by tax credits related to corporate income taxes, insurance premium taxes and several other state taxes. In the longer term, the new salestax credits on commercial leases will be used to increase the number of students using Gardiner scholarships, which provide education options and services to disabled students.

More dual enrollment Another forecast trend shows an increased use of dual-enrollment programs, which allow high-school students to take classes at nearby colleges and universities or to take college-level classes at their schools. A projected 29,818 students are expected to take dual enrollment classes in 2019-2020, a 36 percent increase from the 21,890 students who took those classes in 2016-2017. The forecast shows continued growth in the program, reaching just under 43,000 students by the 2023-2024 academic year. Analysts attributed the increase in dual enrollment to demographic trends in the K-12 system, with larger classes in middle schools eventually moving into the high schools. For instance, this year’s 206,000 12th-graders will graduate in the spring, with an eighth-grade class of more than 218,000 students moving into high schools next fall, the forecast showed. The K-12 enrollment forecast was approved as part of conference process including the Legislature’s Office of Economic and Demographic Research as well as representatives from the House, Senate, the governor’s office and the Department of Education.

JULY 27 – AUGUST 2, 2018

NATION

US CONGRESS/PLANET PIX/ZUMA WIRE/TNS

Congresswoman Rep. Barbara Lee of California joins Democrats to speak about President Donald Trump’s first 100 days in office during a news conference on Capitol Hill on April 28, 2017 in Washington, D.C.

Congresswoman vying for chair of Democratic Caucus Rep. Barbara Lee would become first Black woman in position if she wins BY SARAH D. WIRE LOS ANGELES TIMES/TNS

WASHINGTON – Rep. Barbara Lee will seek to lead the Democratic Caucus next year, making her the second Californian to enter the race. “Whether it’s working across the aisle to enact HIV/AIDS laws, or bringing the Sanders and Clinton campaigns together behind a cohesive and progressive Democratic platform, my career has

been dedicated to finding common ground and delivering results,” Lee said in a letter to colleagues Monday. “Over the years, I have fought to lift families out of poverty and empower everyday people. As your caucus chair, I will ensure that we hear every view, respect every member and welcome every voice.’’

First Black woman If Democrats pick the Oakland lawmaker as Democratic Caucus chairwoman in the election this fall, she would be the first Black woman to serve in House leadership. Lee said in the letter that she wants to focus on making sure

every member gets input in leadership and is well equipped to communicate directly with constituents. Rep. Linda Sanchez of California, the current caucus vice chairwoman, announced a bid for the post last week, and other representatives could still enter the race. In 2016, Sanchez won the post over Lee by just two votes. The fourth-ranking position in the Democratic leadership is a common springboard to eventually becoming speaker or minority leader.

Progressive hero New York Rep. Joseph Crowley’s surprise loss in a primary

last month unexpectedly opened the position. Crowley, who was once seen as an eventual replacement for Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, lost to Alexandria OcasioCortez, a 28-year-old Latina activist running her first campaign. Lee is seen as a progressive hero to many young Democrats. First elected in 1998, the former chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus was the only representative to vote against the authorization for the use of military force in the days after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. She said the authorization, which gave President George W. Bush authority to use the military to fight terrorism, was too openended.

‘It’s time’ Nearly 20 years later, it is still being used to send American troops into battle around the world without congressional approval. Ocasio-Cortez said after her race that she’d back Lee, a sentiment echoed by other young, progressive House members. “She’s just a voice of courage and principle,” said Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif. “It’s time that we have an African-American woman in leadership.”

Stressing unity When she was first contemplating running, Lee said she could bring Democrats together while respecting their differing views. “I’ve always worked with all parts of our caucus to bring people together and unify them. Even as a progressive … I never challenge people on their views and I never hit below the belt,” Lee said. “I would hope that’s a strength, bringing people together.”

Supreme Court pick predicted end to affirmative action try’s long and brutal struggle to overcome racism and discrimination against African-Americans,” he wrote.

BY GREG STOHR BLOOMBERG NEWS/TNS

WASHINGTON – U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh predicted two decades ago that the court would soon embrace a color-blind view of the Constitution, an approach that could outlaw affirmative action programs in government and education. The comment was included in thousands of pages of speeches, testimony and court filings the federal appeals court judge provided to lawmakers as they prepare to consider his nomination. Kavanaugh’s 1999 comment, made in an interview with the Christian Science Monitor, came before a Supreme Court argument over an unusual Hawaiian voting rule.

Quick selection Kavanaugh also revealed that he received a phone call from White House Counsel Don McGahn only hours after Justice Anthony Kennedy announced plans to retire June 27. Kavanaugh said he met with President Donald Trump five days later and was offered the nomination during another meeting with Trump July 8. The president made his selection public the next evening.

Records battle

Admissions factor Kavanaugh filed a brief urging the court to strike down the rule, which barred non-natives from voting for the trustees of a fund that benefited descendants of the islands’ early inhabitants. “This case is one more step along the way in what I see as an inevitable conclusion within the next 10 to 20 years when the court says we are all one race in the eyes of government,” Kavanaugh said in the interview. The Supreme Court later struck down the system 7-2. More recent rulings have reaffirmed the rights of universities to use affirmative action as an admissions factor to foster student-body diversity.

His top 10 The issue could return to the Supreme Court soon, possibly

OLIVIER DOULIERY/ABACA PRESS/TNS

Judge Brett Kavanaugh meets with Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) on July 11 on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. with a lawsuit claiming that Harvard University’s admissions policies discriminate against AsianAmericans. In a questionnaire submitted to the Senate committee that will consider his nomination, Kavanaugh said another racial discrimination case was among his 10 most important appeals court rulings because of “what it says

about anti-discrimination law and American history.” The 2013 case involved a Black man who was fired from the U.S. government-sponsored mortgage provider Fannie Mae after accusing a company vice president of referring to him using a racial slur. A three-judge Court of Appeals panel reinstated the lawsuit.

Bias suit opinion In a separate opinion, Kavanaugh wrote that a single use of that word by a supervisor was enough to permit a discrimination lawsuit claiming a hostile work environment. “No other word in the English language so powerfully or instantly calls to mind our coun-

Completion of the questionnaire is a key step in Kavanaugh’s confirmation process, but a bigger battle remains over records from his long career. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles E. Grassley, RIowa, and Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, the top Democrat on the committee, still haven’t agreed on terms for a document release request spanning Kavanaugh’s years on the Kenneth Starr investigation into Bill and Hillary Clinton, and at President George W. Bush’s White House. Senate Democrats are delaying meetings with the nominee until that matter is resolved. Republican leaders in recent days began accusing Democrats of seeking too-extensive a volume of documents, to drag out a confirmation that the Republicans want completed well before the November midterm elections. Laura Litvan contributed to this report.

EDITORIAL

JULY 27 – AUGUST 2, 2018

The 45th president is the ‘Judas goat’ A “Judas goat” is an individual who leads “sheep” (other individuals) to their demise, the slaughterhouse. Historically, Judas Iscariot is known as the betrayer (“son of perdition”) of Jesus Christ with a kiss and 30 pieces of silver. This is what gives this goat his name. The aftermath of the TrumpPutin summit has revealed President Trump’s obvious weakness to be used as Vladimir Putin’s puppet and a Judas goat against America as well as the free world. For the love of power, money and sex, Trump betrayed his presidential oath which he swore on the Bible to defend and protect America from both external and internal enemies.

Shame on them Christian right-wing evangelicals, the Republican National Committee, and Trump loyalists betrayed America at the ballot box and they did it all in the name of re-institutionalizing and fomenting White privilege. Shame! All of this spiritual socioeconomic confusion in American society has been created behind 36 percent of the population following the leadership mentality of a spiritually confused soul, Donald J. Trump. Vladimir Putin has proven through evil actions on the world’s stage that he is America’s enemy as well as an enemy of the Western Alliance, and above all the free world. “Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.” (Luke 12: 15). President Trump is absolutely correct that “Putin is not my enemy.” But Putin is definitely America’s enemy and very soon, Special Counsel Robert Muel-

BOBBY E. MILLS, PH.D. GUEST COLUMNIST

ler will tell the American people whether or not Donald J. Trump is America’s enemy! Hence, given the private closed-door two-hour meeting in Helsinki between Putin and President Trump, there is a dead skunk on the line.

Lies just to lie Moreover, we have incontrovertible evidence that President Trump is his own worst enemy because of his perpetual, consistent, unadulterated lying. He lies just for the sake of lying because of his morally flawed character. Presidential lying, in and of, itself is disgraceful and dishonorable to the men and women who shed blood or given their lives in the defense of freedom and democratic governance. President Trump has proven himself to be a lover of money, power and privilege, because he dishonored the faith of the country, not the flag. Since occupying the presidential office, it has been calculated that Trump has made approximately $1 billion. Is this the real reason why he wanted to become president? Just maybe this is why upon taking residence in the White House, he called it “a dump.” This statement makes it obvious to reasonable minds that POTUS No. 45 does not understand the spiritual meaning of the White House as the symbol of freedom and justice for all humanity, regardless of national origin. This is precisely why the Bible emphatically declares that,

VISUAL VIEWPOINT: RUSSIA AND THE NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION

“For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” (1 Timothy 6:10).

Some facts Listed below are Donald J. Trump fact-check realities: • Four bankruptcies due to financial overreach. • “No President in history has imposed larger personal lifestyle costs on the taxpayers than Donald J. Trump” (David Frum, senior editor at The Atlantic, in a tweet on Aug 21, 2017). • Numerous lawsuits for defaults on contractual commitments made. The classic example: Trump University settled out of court for $25 million. • The Trump family foundation shell-game that is utilizing charitable donations for personal wealth enrichment. For example, Trump commissioning a $20,000 portrait of himself for self-glorification and paying for it with donated charitable foundation funds. • The Billy Bush “Access Hollywood” video recording that reveals the lack of spiritual or moral respect that President Trump has for women. There are many more spiritual-moral flaws that could be recounted, but the point is profoundly established: President Trump is by far the most flawed man to ever occupy the White House. Hence, to understand this is to spiritually know: “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.” (Proverbs 23: 7). Moreover, when politicians, the RNC, and Republican Party loyalists place the self-centered-

DAVE GRANLUND, POLITICALCARTOONS.COM

interests of their political party above the spiritual governing ideals of the country that nation is in deep spiritual trouble. “For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partially, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.” (James 3: 16-18).

Trump is a strife-maker His followers have been become co-conspirators in spiritual and moral confusion. “God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.” (1 Corinthians 14: 33). There are many spiritually naïve Christian right-wing evangelicals and other Trump supporters who believe that when Trump is no longer president, things will return to some semblance of sanity! Not so, my fellow Americans. Once the “genie” is out of the bottle, it is extremely difficult to get him back in that is reestablish moral order and democratic civility.

The Republican Party has forgotten what the role of government is all about. Hence, this is why they are allowing a spiritually dysfunctional president to cultivate a spirit of division and fear in American society as well as among America’s trusted allies. Christian right-wing evangelicals, “Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables…For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.” (Habakkuk 2: 2-3). God is a just god. “Be not deceived: God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of his flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting life.” (Galatians 6: 6-7).

Bobby Mills has a Ph.D. in sociology from Syracuse University and a professional degree in theology from Colgate Rochester Divinity School.

Who is the brother in the boat with George Washington? We’ve all seen the painting. Gen. George Washington strikes a heroic pose, standing in a boat being rowed through an icy river on his way to win the Battle of Trenton during the Revolutionary War. But take a close look at Emanuel Leutze’s iconic painting of Washington crossing the Delaware and you might wonder who is the Black man in the boat? He is third from the left, just to the left of Washington’s right knee, and seemingly straining at an oar.

Slave or free man? For years, people have speculated that this “Brother in the Boat” may have been Washington’s slave, Billy Lee, or that he was Prince Whipple, the wellknown slave of Gen. William Whipple of the New Hampshire militia. The typical assumption is that the Black man in the boat had to be someone’s slave, the property of some noted White person. But American history is like a jigsaw puzzle – there are many seemingly unrelated and disjointed pieces lying about and it is hard to make sense of them unless you look below the surface. The mystery of the “Brother in the Boat” can be solved if we pull some of the seemingly disassociated pieces of this historical puzzle together. “Washington’s Crossing,” a 2009 book by David Hackett Fischer, helps with this.

Doing the research Working backwards from Christmas evening 1776 when Washington made his famous river crossing, we learn that the military unit in charge of manning the boats was the 14th Con-

OSCAR H. BLAYTON, ESQ. GUEST COLUMNIST

tinental Regiment. It’s often identified as Glover’s Regiment or the Marblehead Regiment, because most of its men hailed from the Atlantic coastal area around Marblehead, Massachusetts. The majority of the men in this regiment, including their commander, John Glover, were also sailors. Because of this, the “Marbleheaders,” as they were called, were competent boatmen. What we are rarely taught when we learn about the “Father of Our Country” crossing the Delaware is that the Marblehead Regiment was a racially integrated regiment with many AfricanAmericans. The New England Historical Society reports in an online article, “The Red, Black and White Men of Glover’s Regiment Take Washington Across the Delaware,” that “a Pennsylvania general was shocked by the ‘number of negroes’ in Glover’s Regiment who were “treated as equals.”

Racist military Black and White seamen from Marblehead worked closely together when they went to sea. This ability to work together persisted as they enlisted in the Continental Army. However, this comradeship did not extend to the rest of Washington’s army. In 1775, the Marbleheaders were embroiled in a bitter brawl with newly arrived White soldiers from Virginia, some of whom

Washington Crossing the Delaware by Emanuel Leutze, MMA-NYC, 1851 were slaveholders. It is said that Washington himself had to intervene to stop the fighting. But do not think that the slaveholding Washington was a champion of racial equality. A U.S. Army website reports that at the start of the Revolutionary War, “Washington had been a vocal opponent of recruiting Black men…” and “shortly after his appointment as commander in chief, Washington signed an order forbidding the [further] recruitment of all Blacks.” However, despite Washington’s order, Black soldiers, like the Marbleheaders, continued to serve. And on more than one occasion, this turned out to be very fortunate for Washington.

Saved Washington’s life Not only did Glover’s Regiment ferry him and his army across the Delaware to attack the enemy on the day after Christmas in 1776,

but they saved Washington’s army from annihilation on Long Island, New York, four months earlier. On Aug. 27, the American forces had been defeated in the Battle of Long Island by the numerically superior British. In this, the first major battle of the war, Washington had allowed his forces to be trapped by the British at Brooklyn Heights. With their backs to New York’s East River, his defeated army was facing extinction. On the night of Aug. 29-30, the Marbleheaders silently and safely ferried Washington and 9,500 Continental soldiers, along with “all their baggage, nearly all their artillery, stores, horses and provisions,” across the East River, landing them safely on Manhattan Island. There is no heroic painting of a defeated George Washington fleeing from Brooklyn Heights. But had it not been for the Marbleheaders, Washington likely

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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would have been captured by the British and hanged.

‘Likely model’ In Fischer’s book, he states that while Prince Whipple and Billy Lee have been suggested as accompanying Washington across the Delaware, “a more likely model for the figure, given his dress and demeanor, would have been one of several seamen in Glover’s 14th Massachusetts Regiment.” Fischer’s book has been hailed for its comprehensive research, but it is a shame that it takes such a great research effort to unearth the truth about who we are and what we have done, instead of learning about it in elementary school.

Oscar H. Blayton is a former Marine Corps combat pilot and human rights activist who practices law in Virginia.

Central Florida Communicators Group, LLC, P.O. Box 48857 Tampa, FL 33646, publishes the Florida Courier on Fridays. Phone: 877-352-4455, toll-free. For all sales inquiries, call 877-352-4455; e-mail sales@flcourier.com. Subscriptions to the print version are $69 per year. Mail check to P.O. Box 48857 Tampa, FL 33646, or log on to www.flcourier.com; click on ‘Subscribe’.

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JULY 27 – AUGUST 2, 2018

Russiagate and Black misleadership Black people should be first in line when it comes to casting doubt on the work of intelligence agencies and federal prosecutors. Members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) ought to uphold the proud tradition of defying corrupt law enforcement. Instead they prove themselves to be happy tools of the neoliberal war party, a bipartisan construct that includes the Democrats. They join with the rest of the Democratic Party in flogging the Russiagate story and hope that their constituents won’t ask them about anything else.

No different Robert Mueller is no different from his prosecutor colleagues across the country. They lie, overcharge and force innocent people to plead guilty. They squeeze defendants with threats of draconian sentences and get them to turn on other people or even to tell lies themselves. Mueller’s indictments of Russian officials is akin to the shady doings that he and the rest of his profession always engage in. After more than one year of investigation, Mueller succeeded only in proving that Paul Manafort is a crook and that Donald Trump, Jr. is stupid. The charges against Manafort and Trump attorney Michael Cohen have nothing to do with the Russian collusion story at all. The indictments make a political rather than a criminal case and are a weak effort to prove that the year-long charade was worth carrying out.

the added benefit of delegitimizing the Trump and Putin summit meeting in Helsinki, Finland. Mueller names 12 Russian naMARGARET tionals as military intelligence ofKIMBERLEY ficers and also says that they conducted the hacking and leaking. BLACK AGENDA REPORT He provides no evidence, so the claims must be taken on blind The allegations made in the in- faith – something that is never dictment are a rehash of claims recommended where the feds are that the Russian government concerned. hacked Democratic National Committee emails and used Shameful ‘groveling’ Wikileaks to release them and And this is where the CBC grovdiscredit Hillary Clinton. The indictment relies on the word of the eling is so shameful. If there were DNC’s CrowdStrike firm who self- any doubts before, it is now clear diagnosed a Russian hack without that they have thrown in their lot with our enemies. corroboration from anyone else. Hillary Clinton was the second Democrat to have a presidential Won’t appear election stolen by Republicans Russia does not extradite its citin less than 20 years. In 2000, Reizens, so the indicted individuals publicans took eligible voters off will never appear in an Amerithe rolls to deny Al Gore a victory can courtroom. Of course, the last in the pivotal state of Florida. thing Mueller wants is to provide In 2016, various forms of votevidence in court. er suppression and electronic The real purpose of the invesvote theft denied Hillary Clinton tigation has succeeded. The goal enough votes in enough states to is to make excuses for the Democratic Party elite, explain away give Trump an electoral college their failures that led to Donald victory. She also denied herself Trump’s election, protect the real by depriving the get-out-the-vote electoral colluders in U.S. intelli- campaign of much needed funds gence agencies, and prevent any from her $1 billion war chest. normalization of relations between the United States and Russia. The timing of the indictments killed many birds with one stone. They were a last-ditch effort to embarrass Vladimir Putin as the soccer World Cup wound down in Moscow. The indictments had

The real threats The CBC have said little about the real threats to what is left of democracy in this country. It is Republicans who routinely steal votes, not foreign governments. It was Hillary Clinton, the DNC, and CBC members themselves

Where’s the Green Party as Trump readies concentration camps? Less than a month ago, the president instructed the Pentagon to draw up plans to house 120,000 immigrants in what it described as “austere tent cities” – in plain language deliberately cruel concentration camps, apparently on military bases. The projected expansion of the U.S. gulag is equivalent to throwing up a brand-new California state prison system (129,000 inmates) almost overnight. Nothing like this has been publicly contemplated in any of our lifetimes. This is a new and uniquely dangerous moment in U.S. political history.

Where is the Green Party? When the news became public, every vaguely leftish nonprofit and political outfit with two laptops, a cell phone, a pulse and a mailing list was appealing for funds, many calling virtual and in-person public meetings and actions at airports, detention centers, and other locations. But not the Green Party. Determined to be and to remain irrel-

a media committee but no real press operation. The Green Party has a ballot access committee, and although the party is banned from the ballot in more than a dozen states, its cannot be bothered to devise any credible plan, any achievable campaign to put itself on the ballot in those states. I know this because I was part of the crew which researched and drew up the bare bones of such a plan in 2015, a full year and more BRUCE A. before the election for the Jill DIXON Stein campaign. But by December of that year the party’s presiBLACK AGENDA REPORT dential campaign was moonwalking away from any attempt to a evant, the Green Party has barely wage coordinated ballot access acknowledged this pivotal junc- drive in those key states, which ture. contain about one-eighth of the Although the Green Party has a nation’s Black voters. substantial national mailing list, it has not bothered to explain itself No activity or educate the public on this poIn the weeks before and aflitical moment, to give or ask for ter the inauguration of Donany clear stand on the part of state ald Trump, when hundreds of parties and activists. thousands of people were in the

Won’t be relevant If an opposition party won’t seize the chance to grow in influence and numbers at times when millions of people are looking for effective ways to stand up, it’s hard to see that party growing into any kind of relevant force in the nation’s political life. The Green Party has an outreach committee but no outreach operation. The Green party has

A challenge to build HBCU entrepreneurship A few months ago, a panelist on the HBCUDigest.com “Digest After Dark” podcast asked where she could purchase authentic HBCU apparel from a company that in return, supports our HBCUs. The first entity that came to mind was Last Bison Standing. LBS is a licensed vendor and one that was originally created to provide financial assistance and funding for community service initiatives for Howard University students. Alumni want to represent their own HBCU. LBS is unique and exclusive to Howard. Those who are not Bison or connected to the “herd” may have some qualms about purchasing and wearing LBS apparel. (Shout out to these young Bison for making this possible and for bridging “old” and “new” Howard.)

Driving the culture This example of Black entrepreneurship in the HBCU context creates a larger discussion about the role of the HBCU community in commerce, culture and racial

TIFFANY E. BROCKINGTON GUEST COLUMNIST

identity. The performance and expression of what it means to be Black and to be Black in America on an HBCU campus is unrivaled. Our culture, our dollars, and our spending habits drive the American culture. People see what Black folk are willing to purchase – however they can – and will find a way to meet the demand. It makes perfect sense that someone would like to capitalize off of our collective creative energy. But given what that energy represents in society, apparel companies specifically have the added responsibility of doing business the right way when it comes to our schools and their images. And that means actually being licensed to sell these images, and contributing to their at-

streets, the Green Party made no attempt to call its own meetings or events. Party leaders utterly ignored the chances to raise 1 to 2 million party-building dollars, along with opportunities for priceless visibility and outreach, by putting its 2016 and 2017 presidential and vice-presidential candidates on the road for a month-long “victory tour.” As a national organization, the

EDITORIAL

VISUAL VIEWPOINT: TRUMP, THE GOP AND RUSSIA

RJ MATSON, PORTLAND, ME

when an email arrived from the NAACP. They were pleased to announce that Bill Clinton would speak at their annual convention now taking place in San Antonio, Texas. This is the same Bill Clinton who ended the right to public assistance and who put thousands more Black people behind bars. Yet he is welcomed with open arms by the CBC and their ilk. It will be interesting to see if Slick Willie will vilify Vladimir Putin too. That may be a bit difficult after earning a cool $500,000 to give a speech in Moscow. But he may do it after all. He is shameless Don’t trust them and so are his friends among the The Democrats still hope to Black misleaders. win without giving the people what they want and need. Only Margaret Kimberley is a cothe specter of Vladimir Putin is founder of BlackAgendaReenough to get otherwise intelli- port.com, and writes a weekly gent people to trust a party which column there. Contact her at stabs them in the back at every Margaret.Kimberley@BlackAgopportunity. endaReport.com. Click on this This columnist was in the pro- commentary at www.flcourier. cess of writing this commentary com to write your own response. who chose not to address the needs of their constituents and hoped that she could somehow win by a slim margin. CBC members are among the culprits who brought the Trump presidential administration into being. No one in the rogues’ gallery has been called to account. The so-called ‘Resistance’ is a fraud, a means of stoking fear about Republican bogeyman, instead of giving people the right to health care and jobs and housing and gaining electoral victory in the process.

Green Party is really good as an idea, but a hot mess as far as implementing that idea. As I outlined a few weeks ago in a column entitled, the Green Party lacks any coherent organizing methodology, has no political clarity, has no structures to promote internal democratic discussion. Many of its activists and leaders seem to imagine they can selforganize with methods similar to those of Republicans and Democrats, and that only electoral campaigns – which they often have little idea how to conduct – will build a party.

Tokenism, not diversity And in the name of diversity and inclusion, the Green Party has empowered token caucuses which pretend to represent African-Americans and others, but which are centers of opportunism. In its defense, the party was organized by liberals two decades ago who correctly assessed the WHAT – the need for something outside the two government parties but didn’t have much a grip on HOW to make any of it happen. That part is for those of us on the scene today to figure out, and the mistakes of two decades are ours to recognize, to learn from, and to undo. Or not. I still think we can undo a lot of them. This weekend the Greens hold

their annual meeting in Salt Lake City. Like many others, I won’t be there because no votes are taken or decisions are made at the meeting. The most you can do at Green annual meetings is meet some people in person you otherwise only encounter online, and be one of hundreds of faces in an applauding crowd. That didn’t seem worth the whole weekend or the trip.

Still possible The Greens elect several members of their national leadership body, their steering committee, this weekend. I believe it’s still possible to turn the thing around, and I’m one of the 150 people who get to vote in that election. I’ll be voting for Greens who make no bones about being avowed socialists, and who understand the nature and the urgency of the tasks before them. If the Green Party can be saved and transformed into a useful vehicle in the struggle, a lot rides on the vote this weekend. The choices are pretty stark. But at least they ARE choices.

Bruce Dixon is managing editor of BlackAgendaReport.com. Contact him at bruce.dixon@ blackagendareport.com. Click on this commentary at www.flcourier.com to write your own response.

tractiveness in communities with with incorporated alumni alli- to donate directly to your HBCU corporate giving to students and ances in Atlanta and Washington, of choice. If you’re “big-money campuses. D.C. band gang,” show us that you did both. Minimum standard To start the challenge, we Money reinvested Securing proper licensure to A portion of proceeds from Tra- have Tradition Ever Since, Ratreproduce and sell merchandise dition sales goes to those 501(c) ed HBCU, and Last Bison Standthat has HBCU logos or insigni- 3 charitable organizations for ing. Purchase something from eias is the very bare minimum for scholarship support. Tradition al- ther of these companies with the a business. And to be very clear, it so offers alumni fundraising op- assurance that these are Blackis for the protection of the compa- portunities by providing custom- owned, HBCU-educated and -afny much more than it is for the fi- ized products for licensed HB- filiated companies giving back to our schools. Many others are just nancial benefit of the HBCU. CUs. DVE does not. So who’s who of authentic If we cannot bear to spend $45 a Google search away. HBCU apparel? Following LBS, on a cardigan or $90 on those In an HBCUDigest.com editotwo entities follow a similar pro- GOAT basketball shorts, should rial, Orze Killgo talked about legfile: Tradition Ever Since & De- we consider donating directly to acy and tradition, about wealthy troit Versus Everybody. the HBCU of our choice in small- alumni giving, and what that legTradition Ever Since is licensed er amounts? After all, we know acy and tradition should look like by 40 schools, with more than what Tradition Ever Since, Last on our campuses. half of those schools being HB- Bison Standing, and Rated HBCUs. Detroit Versus Everybody is CU are doing. They are growing Show your ‘receipt’ a well-known lifestyle brand as Black-owned businesses and Donating to get your name on and originator of the successfully helping HBCUs to grow as instituthe side of a building or a scholtrademarked “versus everybody” tions through giving back. arship named in your honor is the concept. So here in lies the challenge. We It makes sense that an “HBCUs don’t want tweets about your dis- highest kind of “receipt” you can versus Everybody” or “Insert HB- may over various price points for secure for HBCU philanthropy, but it is still a receipt nonetheless. CU versus Everybody” collection articles of clothing designed for Get your receipt and show it off should start and end with that HBCU graduates, with proceeds to the world. brand. DVE is licensed by four going in part to generating more HBCUs to sell merchandise. Tiffany E. Brockington is a While both brands are Black- graduates. We want to see the reproud 2017 graduate of Howowned and have some connec- ceipts. The challenge is simple. ard University. This article was tion to the HBCU community originally posted at HBCUDi(DVE employs HBCU alumni and Buy or give The proper response is to ei- gest.com. Click on this comthe Murray family is HBCU-educated), the difference is that Tra- ther purchase something from a mentary at www.flcourier.com dition Ever Since is in partnership properly-licensed company, or to write your own response.

FLORIDA

TOJ A6

JULY 27 – AUGUST 2, 2018

State sees jump in job creation, survey shows BY LLOYD DUNKELBERGER NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

TALLAHASSEE – Florida moved from worst to first in a new federal survey of job creation released Wednesday. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that Florida had a net gain of 214,372 private-sector jobs in the last three months of 2017. It was the largest net gain of jobs by any state, according to the federal data. It also stood in contrast to the federal agency’s last quarterly report on “business employment dynamics,” which showed Florida leading the nation in net private-sector job losses in the third quarter of 2017, with a decline of about 134,000 jobs.

Storm recovery Economists and state officials attributed Florida’ job losses during the third quarter to the impact of Hurricane Irma, which struck the state in September. They predicted Florida’s job growth would likely rebound, which was verified in the new report. The survey measures net job creation over a three-month period by comparing businesses that expand or open against businesses that contract or close. The new report underscored the nature of Florida’s post-hurricane recovery, with the 214,372 net jobs created being the state’s largest quarterly total based on the federal agency’s data dating to 1992.

DAVID SANTIAGO/EL NUEVO HERALD/TNS

Miami Beach workers begin the process removing the sand from Ocean Drive in the Hurricane Irma aftermath on Sept. 12, 2017.

Nationwide gain The state’s 601,026 new jobs in the fourth quarter of 2017 was also a high, according to the federal labor statistics. The quarterly job creation was offset by the loss of 386,654 jobs during that period, the data showed. Florida’s job growth at the end of last year was in line with the nation. The Bureau of Labor Statistics

reported a net gain of nearly 1 million private-sector jobs across the country in the fourth quarter of 2017. That compared to an earlier report that showed for the first time since 2010 more jobs were lost in the third quarter of 2017 than were created, with a net loss of some 140,000 jobs.

Cali comparison The new report showed 49 states gaining private-sector jobs in the last quarter of 2017. The third-quarter report showed Florida and 26 other states losing jobs. Florida, the nation’s third-largest state, also compared well with its big-state rivals in the new survey.

Parkland shooting surveillance video must be released, court rules BY RAFAEL OLMEDA SUN SENTINEL/TNS

FORT LAUDERDALE – Hours of surveillance footage captured outside Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School during February’s mass shooting must be released to the public, an appeals court ruled Wednesday. The Broward School Board had sought to block the release of the footage, arguing that it will expose the blind spots in the surveillance systems in place at the Parkland high school and other campuses throughout the county. The state attorney’s office also objected to the release, calling the records a part of an active criminal investigation.

Media requests Media outlets, including the South Florida Sun Sentinel, argued that the video should be released as a public record that may shed light on the law enforcement response to the shooting as it unfolded. Shooter Nikolas Cruz, a former student at the school, faces the death penalty if convicted of 17 counts of first-degree murder. During his rampage, he also wounded 17 other victims. “It’s a sad commentary on our times that there must be a full and open public discussion about the type of security system that is appropriate for a large public high school and the appropriate law enforcement response to an active shooter on a high school campus,” 4th District Court of Appeal Judge Robert Gross wrote in the opinion. “Parents have such a high stake in the ultimate decisions that they must have access to camera video footage here at issue,” he added, “and not blindly rely on school board experts to make decisions for them.”

Only California, with the creation of more than 1 million private-sector jobs, outpaced Florida. But the nation’s largest state lagged Florida in net job gains for the quarter, with 134,282, according to the federal data.

Loss in Alaska Texas created over 641,000

jobs in the fourth quarter of 2017, with a net gain of 103,721 jobs. New York had a net gain of more than 26,000 jobs, based on a total of 483,363 new jobs. Alaska was the only state with a net job loss in the fourth quarter of 2017, losing slightly more than 2,000 private-sector jobs, according to the federal data.

ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE FOR BLACK STUDENTS. NO EXCUSES. PRAISE FOR ‘EXCELLENCE WITHOUT EXCUSE’:

MIKE STOCKER/SUN SENTINEL/TNS

Students are evacuated by police out of Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland after a shooting on Feb. 14.

Some released The footage under review specifically does not include anything depicting victims or the shooting itself. Broward Circuit Judge Jeffrey R. Levenson had already released some video in March. It showed thenSchool Resource Officer Scot Peterson, a deputy, standing and waiting outside the school building during the shooting. Peterson was heavily criticized for his response and resigned days after the shooting. He has been named as a defendant in one federal lawsuit and at least one state lawsuit filed by victims of the tragedy.

Friday deadline After the initial video release, a detailed timeline of events issued by the sheriff’s office led the media organizations to believe additional footage showing the response of other law enforcement officers should have been released. Levenson ultimately agreed, finding that the value to the public outweighed the concerns of the school board and prosecutors. The sheriff’s office, which did not object to the release as long as it was court-or-

dered, has until Friday to comply with the appeals court order. The state attorney’s office declined to comment on the ruling. The attorney for the Broward School Board did not reply to a request for comment. Two other judges are considering how much information to release to the public in the Parkland school shooting case.

“This guide for African-American college-bound students is packed with practical and insightful information for achieving academic success...The primary focus here is to equip students with the savvy and networking skills to maneuver themselves through the academic maze of higher education.” – Book review, School Library Journal

All or part? Broward Circuit Judge Patti Englander Henning is weighing whether the public should get to see all or part of a school district report that relies heavily on Cruz’s educational record. The report was commissioned by the school board to determine whether officials could or should have known enough to intervene before the shooting. And in the criminal case, Broward Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer has been asked by the defense to block the public release of the statement Cruz gave to investigators following his arrest on Feb. 14. Both judges said they will give lawyers a chance to appeal their rulings once they have decided.

www.excellencewithoutexcuse.com

IFE/FAITH

Black models: Swim line turned them away See page B5

JUNE 27 – AUGUST 2, 2018

SHARING BLACK LIFE, STATEWIDE

Girl shares her popsicle recipes See page B6

SOUTH FLORIDA / TREASURE COAST AREA

WWW.FLCOURIER.COM

SECTION

PHOTOS BY DAVID SANTIAGO/MIAMI HERALD/TNS

Wyntalent UX designer and Teaching Assistant Calvin Simms works with one of the students, Cristian Ospina, at the Wyncode Academy on July 18 in Miami.

CODE SUCCESS

More Floridians turning to coding boot camps for more fulfilling, better-paying jobs.

Calvin Simms is making $8,000 more than he did at his old job.

BY ROB WILE MIAMI HERALD/TNS

MIAMI – Calvin Simms always wanted to be a designer. Growing up mostly in Fort Lauderdale with two working parents, Simms says he stayed in Florida partly because of finances. Cities with top industrial design schools were just too expensive. After taking classes at Miami-Dade and Palm Beach community colleges, he landed a job at a Fortune 500 company in its travel department. But industrial design remained his first love. When a friend told him that Miami coding school Wyncode was launching a digital user experience (UX) design program, he jumped. The program’s policy of deferring payment on its $11,500 tuition until the student starts a job made the change possible.

Wyncode Academy is one of the schools in South Florida that offers coding bootcamps.

Unfilled jobs Today, Simms, 28, works for Wyntalent, Wyncode’s in-house consulting agency. He declined to disclose his current salary but says it’s about $8,000 more than what his old job paid him. As Miami’s unemployment rate hits its lowest level since 2008, high-skilled positions — especially in tech — are going unfilled. According to LinkedIn’s monthly jobs report for Miami, the city has a surplus of lawyers, TV producers and event managers, and not enough software developers or programmers. Indeed.com lists more than 450 web developer positions open in South Florida and about 50 openings for UX designers. Salaries start north of $50,000 — no small thing in a region where the median annual wage is about $35,000.

Money matters Yet many firms hiring in Miami remain unwilling to put in the time and effort to train new hires, according to Antonio Ma-

ñueco, managing partner at tech consultancy blubeta and the co-founder of the Wynwood Tech Slack channel. “Miami (firms) want to hire a super-experienced person and want to pay cheap,” Mañueco said. “There’s conflict between what Miami (companies) want at the price they want. They want plug-and-play and cheap.” At the same time, many locals like Simms are looking to make a job switch to boost their earnings or find a more stable career.

Miami camps Miami’s coding schools are helping address these issues, facilitating South Florida’s shift into a 21st-century economy. As they help fill the region’s employee gap, they produce students with advanced skills while forging relationships with major employers. In addition to Wyncode, Miami now has at least nine other coding boot camps — more than any other city in Florida —

including Ironhack Miami, LaunchCode Miami, Code Fever Miami, 4Geeks Academy (which also operates Miami-Dade College’s program), i2Labs Academy, TechLaunch, University of Miami Bootcamp, Digital Citizen, and Sun Training Center. “I think they’re teaching modern tools, which not all universities are,” said Albert Santalo, a longtime Miami tech entrepreneur and current CEO of development platform 8base. “Lots of times universities are teaching theoretical stuff, stuff that’s a little outdated. These schools are teaching stuff that’s more current, and they’re doing it in a more entrepreneurial setting, which big companies like.”

Nationwide declines Because local companies often seek out experienced developers, boot camp grads sometimes struggle to find work. But more firms are recognizing the value of hiring raw but promising students who can

flourish with a bit of additional on-the-job training. The local success comes as coding programs have declines nationally amid increasing competition. Two coding boot camps with locations around the country announced last year they were shutting down, including The Iron Yard, which had opened a Tampa campus.

Performance report Nationwide, coding boot camps expected to graduate 22,949 students and grow by 52 percent last year, according to Course Report, a website that tracks coding schools’ performance. The two programs that closed told the New York Times they ultimately could not find sustainable business models. “While we continue to see incredible growth in the industry, natural consolidation” is occurring, Course report said in its See CODE, Page B2

EVENTS

JULY 27 – AUGUST 2, 2018

FLORIDA COMMUNITY CALENDAR

STOJ

RICKEY SMILEY The Allstate Tom Joyner Family Reunion is Aug. 30-Sept. 3 in Kissimmee. Performers include Maze featuring Frankie Beverly, Erica Campbell, Bell Biv Devoe and Rickey Smiley. Details on BlackAmericaWeb. com

Tampa: The Tampa Bay Black Heritage Festival along with TD Bank will present a free workshop for business owners on technology at 10 a.m. July 28 at the Entrepreneur Collaborative Center in Ybor City. Register at www.TampaBlackHeritage.org/seminars or call 813-813-250-3131. Miami: Catch J. Cole and Young Thug in concert on Aug. 8 at AmericanAirlinesArena and Aug. 11 at Tampa’s Amalie Arena. Miami: Janet Jackson performs Aug. 5 at the AmericanAirlinesArena and Aug. 7 at Tampa’s MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre. Orlando: Actor and comedian Chris Redd takes the CFE Arena stage on Aug. 22 for an 8 p.m. show.

RICKEYSMILEYMORNINGSHOW.COM

JUNE HALL The Fifth Annual APTacious Experience, organized by Dr. June Hall, a counselor and educator, is Aug. 4, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., at Holiday Inn Express & Suites. Registration: www.aptacious.com

Hollywood: Catch Britney Spears on July 27 at Hard Rock Live. The show is at 8 p.m. Orlando: Free school immunizations continues through July 29 at the Orange County Public School’s Academic Center for Excellence 701 W. Livingston St. Details: Call 407-858-1444 or visit http://orange. floridahealth.gov. West Palm Beach: Kevin Hart’s Irresponsible Tour stops at the Coral Sky Amphitheatre on Aug. 3 and Tampa’s Amalie Arena on Aug. 4. Orlando: Beyonce and Jay-Z’s tour stops at the Camping World Stadium on Aug. 29 and Aug. 31 at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium. Jacksonville: Wiz Khalifa and Rae Sremmurd will perform Aug. 15 at Daily’s Place.

THE DRAMATICS The Stylistics, The Dramatics featuring Willie Ford along with Harold Melvin’s Blue Notes perform Aug. 3 at the Seminole Casino in Coconut Creek.

Miami: Tickets are on sale for Nicki Minaj’s concert featuring Future on Oct. 19 at AmericanAirlinesArena and Oct. 20 at Orlando’s Amway Center.

“However, the hiring support portion of their program is severely lacking. The hiring partners they promote seem to be more of ‘companies who have hired people from the program in the past’ … .. but that was (web) development, and this is UX.” Mikkola said Wyncode meets with graduates as much as twice a week as they search for jobs, and underscored that the school does not ask for payment until a grad finds work. DAVID SANTIAGO/MIAMI HERALD/TNS

Calvin Simms poses in front of Wyncode Academy on July 18 in Miami.

CODE from B1 most-recent state of the market report.

Active in Tampa But LaunchCode’s new Tampa campus remains active. Matt Mawhinney, director of candidate engagement at LaunchCode in South Florida, said it is incumbent upon schools to make sure their curricula stay on the cutting edge — and they are not merely producing generic developers. “The market for junior developers has become a bit saturated,” he said. But, “the different coding programs we have here can evolve. You don’t have to teach the same thing ad infinitum. It’s the responsibility of programs to pivot to what employers are asking for.” Wyncode is the largest program founded in Miami, and remains focused exclusively on the local market. Created four years ago by wifeand-husband team Johanna and Juha Mikkola, it has cultivated numerous local hiring partners. One is CareCloud, the Miami-based health tech firm that has become a standout Miami startup story. CareCloud has hired 20 Wyncoders from its web development program and one from the UX program. “We can now bring folks in from Wyncode, nurture them, then promote into senior positions,” said Mike Cuesta, CareCloud’s vice president for marketing.

The ideal student Getting accepted into a local program is no sure thing. Wyncode received approximately 300 applications for the first seven slots of its new UX program, Juha Mikkola said. Nonprofit LaunchCode’s Miami campus received 403 applications for its most recent cohort, accepting 150.

Mawhinney says about 50 percent of LaunchCode grads don’t have a college degree, and about one-quarter were unemployed before they began the program. Daniel Brito, head of outcomes at Ironhack Miami, which costs between $11,000 and $12,000, described his school’s ideal student. “Usually it’s folks already selflearning in web development or UX design, (someone who) has some passion, already self-studying on their own, who want to take it to next level,” he said. “It’s not like ‘I just woke up and wanna come.’ That to us is red flag.”

STEM experience Laurence Vandeyar, senior vice president, technology, at Miami-based electronic health records company Kipu Health, said his company has hired numerous graduates from both Ironhack and Wyncode, but emphasized that he prefers taking candidates with prior science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) experience. “There are companies that can help foster the growth of junior developers if they have the bandwidth,” he said, but some startups might be more reluctant to take on someone with less experience if they’re trying to grow fast. Still, Miami’s boot camps “are making a dent on the current tech landscape,” he said.

Hiring issue Even as local companies say finding talent remains a struggle, finding a job can be just as difficult — even for candidates with skills honed at one of these schools. As of mid-July, just two of the six students from Wyncode’s inaugural UX class had been hired, more than 80 days after graduation. One still-unemployed Wyncode UX program grad said the school had not done enough to help UX grads find jobs. “The classroom portion of their program is good, they have good content,” said the former student, who asked not to be named.

Job market In the case of UX, he said, it is still taking time for some South Florida companies to commit resources to create friendly, seamless websites and digital products. By contrast, Mikkola said Wyncode’s web developer cohort is usually about 50 percent hired by

the 80-day benchmark. In 2016, the most recent year for which Wyncode has data, 70 percent of students had accepted work within 120 days, while 9 percent were still looking. Of those who were working, 52 percent had full-time jobs; another 33 percent had internships, contract or temp work, or parttime roles.

‘Ate and slept code’ At LaunchCode, many grads end up with apprenticeships, working in a $15-an-hour trial period. If an employer decides they’re a good fit, students are often offered full-time positions at a higher salary. The schools have helped a wide demographic of South Floridians re-fashion careers. Many now make boosting women in tech a

FLORIDA COURIER

priority: Ironhack offers a 10 percent discount for all female applicants, and Wyncode has a rolling scholarship that helps place female candidates. Nor is age a limiting factor. Robert Gelbman, 52, a formerprogrammer-turned-Uber-driver, learned that the ride-share service had partnered with Ironhack to sponsor new students. He applied, got accepted, and was hired as a junior developer at Kipu Health before he’d even graduated. He declined to give his new salary but said it was a “substantial” increase from what he’d previously been earning. “I was willing to put in the work needed,” Gelbman said. “I made sure I did everything there — the whole time I was there, I ate and slept code.”

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JULY 27 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; AUGUST 2, 2018

SAFETY

How to improve indoor airflow and quality FAMILY FEATURES

More efficient, tightly built homes than those constructed in previous generations are generally well-regarded, for the most part with good reason. However, when you consider people spend 90 percent of their time indoors on average, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), such airtight environments raise some concerns. All that efficiency cuts down on airflow, effectively trapping allergens and toxins inside. According to estimates from the EPA, the air inside the average home may be as much as five times more polluted than the air outdoors, even in a bustling city. “We know instinctively that spending so many hours in stuffy places isn’t good for us,” said Peter Foldbjerg, head of daylight energy and indoor climate at Velux. “According to research, living in damp and moldy homes increases our risk of asthma by 40 percent and leaves us vulnerable to developing other ailments.” Limited fresh air and light during the day can negatively impact mood, sleep and performance. Air pollution can also pose a health risk through irritation to the eyes, nose and throat; headaches, dizziness and fatigue; and respiratory conditions, heart disease and cancer. To help alleviate some of these concerns, consider these tips.

CREATING CLEANER INDOOR AIR Creating more airflow is an important step to improving your indoor environment, but considerations like air quality should not be overlooked. More air is a good thing, but more clean air is better yet. Everyday home life activities such as cooking, showering, lighting candles, sleeping and doing laundry can all contribute to polluted indoor air, which over time can lead to the development of illnesses. These tips from the indoor climate experts at Velux can help make the air inside your home healthier: 1. Keep bathroom doors closed and turn on the extractor fan or open a window or skylight when showering. 2. Turn the hood fan on when cooking and open your windows, if weather permits. 3. Avoid burning candles excessively; look for alternatives such as sprigs of lavender to add a natural fresh scent. 4. Dry clothes outside when possible, which reduces carbon emissions from the dryer and minimizes potential pollutants traveling through the dryer vent. 5. Clean regularly with non-chemical based cleaning products, and pay attention to ingredients in cleaning products that may create hazardous fumes.

JULY 27 – AUGUST 2, 2018

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Bring the outside in Even a small step like adding some potted plants, which are known to purify air, can improve your indoor environment. In addition, think of how you could create a better view to the outside through smart use of windows and doors that bring in fresh air and daylight.

Rely on natural air flow Open your windows 3-4 times a day, at least 10 minutes at a time, to allow fresh air in. To complement natural light and fresh air from vertical windows, consider adding skylights to rooms you use most often. Skylights that can be opened, such as those offered by Velux, contribute to greater indoor comfort and ventilation by removing excess heat, moisture, odors and other indoor pollutants. They can also help reduce the need for air-conditioning due to the chimney effect, which occurs when skylights and vertical windows are both opened, allowing warm, stale air to rise and escape through the roof, replaced by fresh air drawn in through traditional windows.

Eliminate potential obstacles Avoid blocking fresh air with drapes, blinds and other hindrances, like heavy furniture placed too close to windows. Also consider other aspects of your home that could be thwarting your efforts to improve air circulation and quality, such as dust, dirt and mold. Regular and thorough cleaning can help keep those irritants at bay and make your quest for cleaner air easier. Find more tips for creating a healthier home at veluxusa.com/indoorgeneration.

INCREASING NATURAL LIGHT Sunlight is a natural antidepressant, and there is ample scientific evidence that associates daylight with better health and quality of life, such as improved mood, less fatigue and reduced eye strain. If your home needs some brightening up, consider these home features with natural light in mind:

Paint Choosing a lighter-colored paint and avoiding statement wallpaper or large blocks of color can naturally make a space feel brighter and reflect any natural light entering the room. Think soft shades of off-white or subdued, neutral hues.

Flooring Wooden, ceramic or stone floors with a polished finish typically reflect light to help brighten spaces. If you prefer carpet, consider light, neutral colors to help make the space feel brighter.

Skylights Adding skylights is a relatively low-cost, high-impact home improvement that can enhance home decor and deliver energy-saving benefits, as well. Fresh air skylights, like those from Velux, can help reduce dependence on artificial lighting and mechanical ventilation, which helps save money on electric bills. Convenience features like remote control operation make it easy to manage air flow and natural lighting with the touch of a button.

Mirrors Adding furniture and accessories with reflective surfaces can help diffuse light and add stylish touches throughout the home. Metallic, glass and mirrored accessories, or even mirrors themselves, can spread light throughout your home. Lighting Go easy on artificial lighting, and instead work to optimize natural light sources. Consider supplementing areas where natural light doesn’t reach such as corners and corridors with small lamps, and install dimmer switches that can easily be adjusted depending on the amount of natural light flowing into your home.

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JULY 27 – AUGUST 2, 2018

FINEST & ENTERTAINMENT

B5 signers who make the final decisions on the model selections for their brands,” Stojanovic said. “While the incident that has been reported is unfortunate, we encourage the dialogue about representation of models of all types to happen. It is our goal to further push to break down existing barriers wherever we can.”

‘Cutthroat industry’ Citrone and other models say the issue with KYA doesn’t speak for the overall spirit of Miami Swim Week, which ran from July 12-17. Model Quiyona Salmon wrote in an email that she was booked all weekend, and even had to turn a designer away because she had already committed to another show. “This is a cutthroat industry and it’s either you have the look that the designer wants or not. Simple,” Salmon wrote in an email. “You’re going to get a bunch or ‘no’s’ before you get that one ‘yes’ and you just have to move on.”

Paris protest JOIA TALBOTT/INSTAGRAM

Model Joia Talbott said “maybe 10 to 15 Black models were dismissed’’ by a swimsuit line company during Miami Swim Week.

Black models say they were turned away at casting call BY HOWARD COHEN AND CHABELI HERRERA MIAMI HERALD/TNS

Several African-American models who were at a casting call for Miami Swim Week said a California-based swimsuit line turned them away. The reason? Their race, they said on a video posted to Facebook. But the line, Huntington Beach-based KYA Swim, said it was “disturbed” by the allegations that the show was discriminating against African-American models. The designer went on to open and close its Miami Swim Week show with a model of color. In a video posted to Facebook by a user named Macaroni Tony, model Joia Talbott claimed “maybe 10 to 15 Black models

were dismissed. “They said casting was closed just so we can move faster and so we get out of line — and they open the line back up.”

Openly rejected “I’m at a loss for words. I’m still trying to process what happened. All of us had to get out of the line — they told us they didn’t want any more Black models,” said model Kacey Leggett, who was a contestant on the 15th cycle of “America’s Next Top Model,” in the video. “And afros are a no-no so I didn’t stand a chance right?” Talbott said, adding, “We’re ready to go back to L.A. where we’re appreciated — and booked.” “Somebody tell Miami there’s no such thing as too much brown

FLORIDA’S

finest

skin,” Leggett said.

Video goes viral The video has since gone viral, sparking more than 1 million views as of last week, and reigniting a conversation on the role discrimination plays in the fashion industry. Model Kate Citrone said in a story on Fashion Week Online that it’s still unclear why KYA Swim turned away a group of African-American models. Still, she corroborated Johnson-Talbott’s account. “Not only was the casting cut short upon the dismissal of dark skin models, but upon leaving, I noticed the designer still accepting models of a fairer skin type at the door, bringing them upstairs, comp cards in hand,” she wrote.

Company responds KYA released a statement saying it was investigating what went wrong at the casting call. “Everyone at KYA Swim is deeply disturbed by the allegations brought by Joia Talbott and other models about the casting event at Miami Swim Week,” the company said in a statement. “KYA Swim is proud of its record of diversity and we are the midst of looking into the events of last Thursday (July 12) to review the actions of the production company in charge of the casting call.”

‘Dialogue’ encouraged The call was run by Miami Beach-based production company Funkshion, which punted the blame back on KYA. In an emailed statement, Funkshion’s chief creative officer Natalija Stojanovic said the company’s mission has always been to “reflect the diverse culture we live in today.” “As much as we push for diversity and inclusion in our shows, ultimately, it is the individual de-

Models have previously protested the lack of African-American representation at other fashion-industry shows. Last year, a group of models staged a “Black Models Matter” protest in front of the Balenciaga show at Paris Fashion Week to protest the designer’s alleged preference for White models.

Some progress But the industry’s diversity is improving. The Fashion Spot’s seasonal Diversity Report found that fall 2018 New York Fashion Week was the most diverse ever, with 37.3 percent of the models on the runway were women of color, while 62.7 percent of models were White. “I truly believe that the system is revolutionizing and AfricanAmerican models and ‘dark skin models’ are given more opportunities than before in the fashion world, and I’d like to see it continue,” Citrone said. Overall, this year’s Miami Swim Week has been praised for its diversity. Several shows featured plus-size models, and the Sports Illustrated show featured a nursing mother and a model with a prosthetic leg.

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.

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

FOOD

JULY 27 – AUGUST 2, 2018

7-year-old shares kid-friendly

popsicle recipes BY ERIN BOOKE

DALLAS MORNING NEWS/TNS

Ellington Young, 7, of Cedar Hill, Texas, loves to help out in the kitchen, making ice pops, pizza and even homemade apple dumplings. For summer, ice pops are her go-to treat. Here she shows us how to make a few recipes and gives other kids tips on how to get started in the kitchen. LEMON-LIME SODA AND GUMMY BEAR ICE POP Fill ice pop container with lemon-lime soda and add about 10 gummy bears or other gummy candy. Freeze overnight. ROOT BEER FLOAT ICE POP Fill ice pop container halfway with root beer and wait for the foam to go down. Add a small scoop of vanilla ice cream. Add a little bit more root beer at a time, each time waiting for the foam to go down before adding more. Freeze overnight. STRAWBERRY LEMONADE ICE POP Fill ice pop container with lemonade. Add your desired amount of chopped fresh strawberries. Freeze overnight. BLUEBERRY YOGURT ICE POP Fill ice pop container with vanilla yogurt (not Greek yogurt because you don’t want it to be too thick). Add a couple of teaspoons of fresh blueberries, plus some honey and fresh lemon juice if desired. Freeze overnight. (This was the adults’ favorite pop.)

Ellington Young, 7, makes a strawberry and lemonade popsicle in a studio in Dallas on June 7. She poses for a portrait with a vanilla ice cream and root beer popsicle. PHOTOS BY VERNON BRYANT/ DALLAS MORNING NEWS

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Alaskan Salmon in season now!

image courtesy of Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute