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‘I HAVE A DREAM’ SPEECH See Page A5 JANUARY 15 – JANUARY 21, 2016

VOLUME 24 NO. 3

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LAST WORD

In his last State of the Union speech, President Obama cites his administration’s accomplishments, decries political partisanship – then chastises GOP presidential candidates. BY CHRISTI PARSONS AND MICHAEL A. MEMOLI TRIBUNE WASHINGTON BUREAU / TNS

WASHINGTON – President Obama launched his final year in office with a valedictory State of the Union address Tuesday night that painted a portrait of a prosperous and secure America, but warned of peril ahead if the country can’t break the political logjam in Washington. His final rendition of the annual speech focused more on aspirational themes than on ambitious new plans, and contained only a handful of requests to Congress. At just under an hour, it was among the shortest of his seven State of the Union speeches.

‘Few regrets’ In a rare admission of fault,

Obama acknowledged he is not blameless for the hardened, hyper-partisan political atmosphere of his tenure in the White House. “It’s one of the few regrets of my presidency that the rancor and suspicion between the parties has gotten worse instead of better,” he said before a joint session of Congress. But Obama peppered his speech with veiled zingers aimed at his critics – including lawmakers listening in the House chamber and the leading GOP candidates battling to succeed him – in one of his most edgy public addresses. His statements made clear he intends to add his voice to the 2016 presidential race. Citing his push to make college education more affordable, for example, he noted that a good education isn’t enough in an econo-

OLIVIER DOULIERY/ABACA PRESS/TNS

President Obama spoke to a joint session of Congress at the Capitol in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday. my undergoing profound change. “After all, it’s not much of a stretch to say that some of the only people in America who are going to work the same job, in the same place, with a health and retirement package, for 30 years, are sitting in this chamber,” he told members of Congress, some of

whom sat stonily.

Rebuts candidates Without naming Donald Trump, Obama seemed to focus much of his speech at rebutting, point by point, the harsh political arguments on the economy,

MLK BIRTHDAY COMMEMORATION 2016

The nation remembers

immigration, Islam and national security that have helped make the billionaire businessman the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination. “Anyone claiming that America’s economy is in decline is pedSee OBAMA, Page A2

Jobs and tax cuts Scott stays focused in annual speech BY BRANDON LARRABEE THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

TALLAHASSEE – In a narrowly-tailored speech focused on his two main priorities, Gov. Rick Scott used his State of the State address Tuesday to push lawmakers to adopt $1 billion in tax cuts and boost economic-development incentives. Scott, who told lawmakers during the first day of the legislative session that he wanted accomplishments of “lasting significance,” highlighted what he said were the successes of his administration in helping create 1 million new jobs since he took office in 2011. The governor’s office also announced that Scott would visit Orlando, Tampa and Sunrise on Wednesday on the first leg of his “Million Miles for a Million Jobs” bus tour. GENARO MOLINA/LOS ANGELES TIMES/TNS

Kinya Claiborne, right, and Shalonda Baldwin wave to the crowds from a Los Angeles metro transit bus replicating the bus that Rosa Parks was riding when she refused to give up her seat during the 2015 annual MLK parade last year. MLK remembrances have started around the country this week.

Tally rally set to ‘Drop the Suit’ SPECIAL TO THE FLORIDA COURIER

TALLAHASSSEE – Parents, teachers, students and activists are set to gather in Florida’s capital city on Jan. 19 – the day after next week’s national Martin Luther King, Jr. birthday commemoration – in support of Florida’s Tax Credit Scholarship program. Rally participants will gather to urge the Florida Education Association (the statewide teachers’ union), the League of Women Voters, the Florida State Conference of NAACP Branches, and other plaintiffs to “drop the lawsuit” against the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship.

Benefits poor students The Florida Legislature created the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship in 2001 to give low-income parents more educational choices for their children. The average annual income of

ALSO INSIDE

verging on Tallahassee from across the state. Martin Luther King, III will be the keynote speaker. Other rally speakers include Bishop Victor T. Curry, senior pastor of the New Birth Baptist Cathedral of Faith International in Miami; Donna AlMartin Luther len, a former scholarship parKing III ent and contestant on “The Voice”; Julio Fuentes, president and CEO of the Hispanic Council for Reform and Educational Options; Rev. R.B. Holmes, pastor of the Bethel Ministry Baptist Church in Tallahassee; and Rev. H.K. Matthews, a longtime Florida civil rights activist. Participants will gather at the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center at 10 a.m. and will march up Pensacola Street to Duval Street. Marchers will take a right on Duval and continue two blocks to the intersection of Duval and Madison Streets. The program will take place at this intersection, which is also the east side of the CapStatewide effort itol Building. The rally is expected to last unBusloads of rally participants are con- til 12:30 p.m.

scholarship families is roughly $25,000. Today, the scholarship program serves nearly 80,000 low-income students, most of whom are Black and Hispanic students. Corporations that fund the scholarships receive dollar-for-dollar tax credits from the state for their contributions. The lawsuit, filed early last year, claims that the scholarship program, violates the Florida Constitution. Opponents say that ending the scholarship would harm Florida’s minority and low-income students. They argue that access to a quality education is one of today’s biggest civil rights issues. Leon County (Tallahassee)-based Circuit Court Judge George Reynolds dismissed the lawsuit in May 2015, ruling that the plaintiffs did not have legal standing to file it. The FEA subsequently appealed the dismissal to the First District Court of Appeal in Tallahassee in August 2015. The appeals process is expected to take years before the issue is finally resolved, probably by the Florida Supreme Court.

State ‘growing’ “The state of Florida is, in one word, growing,” Scott said. “Together, we have completely turned our economy around and more families are thriving here today than five years ago…But we cannot let up.” The governor has essentially staked his legislative session on the success of two initiatives: The See SCOTT, Page A2

SNAPSHOTS FLORIDA | A2

Supreme Court dumps state’s death sentencing FLORIDA | A3

Edward Waters celebrating 150th year B-CU opens School of Religion OBITUARY | B3

Celebrities, family remember Natalie Cole at L.A. service

COMMENTARY: MARGARET KIMBERLEY: BLACK COMMUNITY MUST CONTROL COPS, POLITICIANS | A4 NATION: AMERICANS ARE HEADING SOUTH AND WEST TO FIND GOOD JOBS | A6

FOCUS

JANUARY 15 – JANUARY 21, 2016

Supreme Court dumps state’s death sentencing BY MICHAEL DOYLE MCCLATCHY WASHINGTON BUREAU / TNS

WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court on Tuesday struck down Florida’s death-penalty practice, concluding that the state’s unique system which combines a jury’s non-unanimous recommendation with a trial judge’s final decision – violates the Constitution’s Sixth Amendment. In an 8-1 decision that united liberal and conservative justices, the court bluntly overturned several past opinions that had upheld Florida’s system. “The Sixth Amendment requires a jury, not a judge, to find each fact necessary to impose a sentence of death,” Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote. “A jury’s mere recommendation is not enough.”

Rules to change The court’s 10-page ruling is a victory for death-row inmate Timothy Lee Hurst and a direct challenge to Florida state lawmakers, who will probably have to rewrite the rules in order to fully preserve capital punishment. The fate of the 37-year-old Hurst may still be fought out in lower courts, as state-level judges next decide whether the legal error in his case was harmless. It was unclear how the ruling would immediately affect the 400 inmates facing the death penalty in Florida, though a number of similar challenges might be forthcoming. “If Florida, like other states, had required a binding, unanimous jury verdict before a death sentence could be returned, it would

On Tuesday, the United States Supreme Court shut down Florida’s aberrant criminal death sentence procedure. have imposed 70 percent fewer death sentences over the last five years,” said Nan Aron, president of the liberal Alliance for Justice. Whitney Ray, director of media relations for Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, said in an email Tuesday afternoon that “we are reviewing the ruling.”

End in sight? Nationwide, Cassandra Stubbs, director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s Capital Punishment Project, predicted that the decision “represents another step on the inevitable road toward ending the death penalty” because of jurors’ decreasing willingness to impose death. Only 49 death sentences were imposed last year, down from 315 in 1996, according to the Death

Penalty Information Center.

Vicious murder The decision issued Tuesday morning capped a case that began May 2, 1998, when a murder and robbery occurred at a Popeye’s restaurant in Pensacola. Cynthia Harrison, a young assistant manager, was found bound; she’d been stabbed 60 times on her face, neck, back and arms. Nineteen years old at the time of the murder, Hurst has consistently professed his innocence. His defense attorneys also have argued he was psychologically damaged from childhood and has below-average mental capacity. Under Florida law, a death sentence requires the finding of at least one aggravating circum-

SCOTT

‘Forgets other Florida’ Democrats hammered Scott’s focus on tax cuts and business incentives. Senate Minority Leader Arthenia Joyner, D-Tampa, said Scott’s wealthy allies have “the best governor money can buy,” even as the governor ignores other problems. “He’s fond of helping his Florida,” Joyner said in response to the address. “But he’d rather forget the other one.” House Minority Leader Mark Pafford, D-West Palm Beach, suggested that political maneuvering shaped Scott’s remarks. “Maybe was this was his vie

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dling fiction” and “political hot air,” Obama said. “Well, so is all the rhetoric you hear about our enemies getting stronger and America getting weaker,” he added. America is “the most powerful nation on Earth. Period. It’s not even close.” He called on Americans to reject politics that target people because of race or religion. “This isn’t a matter of political correctness,” he said. When politicians insult Muslims, he added, “that doesn’t make us safer. That’s not telling it like it is. It’s just wrong.”

Not ‘World War III’ He also fought back against arguments that his administration has underplayed the danger from Islamic State and other terrorist groups, contending that “overthe-top claims that this is World War III just play into their hands.” “Masses of fighters on the back of pickup trucks and twisted souls plotting in apartments or garages pose an enormous danger to civilians and must be stopped,” he said. “But they do not threaten our national existence.”

Judge made findings The jury in Hurst’s case recommended a death sentence by 7-5. The trial judge, on her own, made the formal findings concerning aggravating circumstances that are necessary to justify the death penalty.

clash between the House and Senate over the proposal. House Minority Leader Mia Jones, D-Jacksonville, said 800,000 Floridians fall into a “coverage gap,” as they don’t qualify for subsidies under the Affordable Care Act. She is sponsoring a bill (HB 629) that would expand Medicaid eligibility. Neither her bill nor the Senate companion (SB 856), filed by Joyner, has had a committee hearing.

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tax cut and devoting $250 million to a new “Florida Enterprise Fund” to help lure employers to the Sunshine State. While hammering away at those two topics in his address, the governor gave short shrift to other proposals, including an increase in education spending to record levels and measures he says would curb “price-gouging” by hospitals. Scott used the words “job” or “jobs” 31 times in his speech, according to the prepared text, and “tax” or “taxes” another 19 times. By contrast, he used the word “education” twice.

stance; for instance, that the killing occurred during the course of another felony, or was particularly heinous. The jury makes a nonbinding recommendation of life or death, after weighing both aggravating and mitigating circumstances. The jury, though, does not have to spell out the factual basis for its recommendation. The judge makes the final sentencing decision, giving “great weight” to the jury’s recommendation.

Scott defended On Tuesday, Gov. Rick Scott took a victory lap, claiming that he’s created 1 million jobs in Florida since his election. for vice president under Donald Trump, I don’t know,” Pafford said. “But it was a real waste of time.”

Protesters rally About 200 protesters rallied Tuesday at the Capitol after Scott’s address, saying the governor’s call for tax cuts would help corporations but not ordinary Floridians who need health care and living wages. The rally drew House and Senate Democrats, along with advocates for immigrants, Medicaid expansion, a higher minimum wage and tax reform.

He also took on his critics on the issue of climate change, citing the international agreement signed last month in Paris to combat the causes of global warming. “Look, if anybody still wants to dispute the science around climate change, have at it,” he said. “You’ll be pretty lonely because you’ll be debating our military, most of America’s business leaders, the majority of the American people, almost the entire scientific community, and 200 nations around the world who agree it’s a problem and intend to solve it.”

Haley responds The Republicans’ appointed critic for the night, South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, was just as cutting in the GOP response after Obama finished speaking. “The president’s record has often fallen far short of his soaring words,” Haley said. Obama gave credit to new House Speaker Paul D. Ryan, RWis., and said he welcomed “a serious discussion” with him about helping low-income workers. Ryan sat behind Obama impassively, rising once or twice to applaud U.S. troops. Three months after Ryan rose to his new position, he still has not had the customary one-on-one welcome meeting at the White House.

Sen. Dwight Bullard, D-Miami, decried Scott’s opposition to giving pay raises to state workers – especially firefighters, a priority of Commissioner Adam Putnam that the governor vetoed last year. “Our state workers are languishing because the governor refuses to increase their salaries,” Bullard said. Rich Templin of the Florida AFL-CIO said Scott’s push for jobs has yielded a high percentage that don’t pay living wages. Other speakers called for lawmakers to take up expansion of Medicaid coverage again this year, following last year’s bitter

Even if relations warm with the new speaker, Obama does not expect the Republican-led Congress to embrace his call for gun safety, immigration policy reform or a higher minimum wage. That will not stop him from pushing for those goals, advisers said.

Familiar terms Obama laid out his plans for building on his legacy in words that rang familiar after his seven years in office. He said the nation must consider several questions, regardless of who wins the next election. How does the country give everyone a “fair shot” in the new economy and make technology work for people and not against them? How does government keep Americans safe, but not become the world’s policeman? And how can we make sure that “our politics reflect what’s best in us, and not what’s worst?” he asked. In response, he talked about preparing the workforce for the changing marketplace, and pushing for universal pre-kindergarten and college affordability while also safeguarding Social Security and Medicare. He pledged support for Vice President Joe Biden’s “moonshot” project to cure cancer.

Republicans, though, defended the governor’s focused agenda after a series of special legislative sessions in 2015 that featured grinding conflicts between the House and Senate. Counting the regular session, lawmakers met four times last year, and finished their main task in just one of those gatherings. Rep. Manny Diaz, R-Hialeah, said Scott’s approach would give lawmakers “flexibility” in dealing with issues confronting the state. “I think that there was probably a strategy to it because of the fact that we’re coming off a rough session and, going into this session, having some narrow goals to try to get to I think was a good move,” Diaz said. Senate Majority Leader Bill Galvano, a Bradenton Republican in line to become the Senate president after the 2018 elections, said the focus on jobs was

Rejects choices On foreign policy, Obama implicitly rejected what his staff sees as a binary choice that his Republican critics offer between isolation from the global community and sending U.S. troops to occupy foreign countries. He defended his policy of engagement with Iran, Cuba and China, and argued that it has advanced American interests around the world. He urged Americans to welcome refugees from the Syrian civil war, and he called for expanding trade, starting with the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership deal. He said he still wants to close the controversial U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, a plan complicated by the fact that federal law bans the transfer of terrorism suspects from there to U.S. soil.

Real ‘strength’ “Leadership means a wise application of military power, and rallying the world behind causes that are right,” he said. “That’s strength. That’s leadership.” “There is this doubling-down on a dark vision on the state of the American economy and the state of America’s leadership around the world that he believes

“The Sixth Amendment protects a defendant’s right to an impartial jury,” Sotomayor wrote. “This right required Florida to base Timothy Hurst’s death sentence on a jury’s verdict, not a judge’s factfinding.” Sotomayor added that “time and subsequent cases have washed away the logic” of earlier court decisions that upheld Florida’s system. These subsequent cases included a 2002 decision that, Sotomayor noted, “held that capital defendants are entitled to a jury determination of any fact on which the legislature conditions an increase in the maximum punishment.” Justice Stephen Breyer, citing his previously expressed opposition to the death penalty, sided only with the majority’s judgment. Justice Samuel Alito authored the only dissent, stressing that “more than 17 years have passed since Cynthia Harrison was brutally murdered” and the importance of “bringing this protracted litigation to a close.”

‘Hurry and wait’ Joel Hirschhorn, a criminal defense attorney with the Miamibased firm Gray Robinson, said Tuesday that the state’s death row inmates must now “hurry and wait for the Florida Supreme Court to apply the new rule of law or wait for the Florida Legislature to act.” In 27 of the 31 states that maintain the death penalty, the jury makes the final decision whether to impose the death penalty. Only Florida, Alabama, Delaware and Montana leave the final sentencing decision up to the trial judge.

nothing new for Scott, who ran for office six years ago promising an economic turnaround. “To his credit, he’s maintained the same message his entire tenure as governor and during his campaign as well,” Galvano said. “We do have many more issues that need to be addressed other than simply addressing tax cuts.” Galvano said he was surprised that Scott didn’t mention a proposed extension of a gambling agreement with the Seminole Tribe that would bring the state an additional $3 billion over seven years.

Cuts considered House Speaker Steve Crisafulli, R-Merritt Island, said Tuesday his chamber would try to meet the governor’s goal of $1 billion in tax cuts. However, the speaker also indicated that lawmakers instead might focus more on one-time tax cuts, to avoid weakening the state’s revenue picture in future years. Legislative leaders have expressed concern that providing too many tax cuts that continue year after year could create shortfalls down the road. “We obviously have a lot of commitments, whether it be education or other issues in the state that we obviously have to make sure that we take care of, but at the end of the day, a $1 billion total number is what we have in mind,” Crisafulli told reporters.

is just not true,” Ben Rhodes, the deputy national security adviser who helped shape the president’s speech, said earlier Tuesday. “The danger of that is if we make decisions based on those assumptions, they lead us to do the wrong things.” The speech was noteworthy for the absence of policy details. Aides to the president say he is returning more to the tone of his 2008 campaign speeches, the ones that won the electorate to his side in the first place.

‘Fix our politics’ As he neared the end of his speech, Obama veered away from policy altogether, rising into a sermon-like oratory on the state of American politics. He decried the practice of gerrymandering – the drawing of congressional district maps by dominant state political officials to favor their parties. Voters should pick their representatives “and not the other way around.” Beyond that, Obama said, Americans have gotten out of practice of working out their differences. Change will only happen, he said, “if we can have rational, constructive debates,” he said. “It will only happen if we fix our politics.”

JANUARY 15 – JANUARY 21, 2016

FLORIDA

‘Solar Choice’ coalition sets sights on 2018 Group falls behind on qualifying for this year’s ballot BY JIM TURNER THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

TALLAHASSEE – A coalition trying to expand who can provide solar energy in Florida formally shifted its focus Monday toward trying to pass a ballot initiative in 2018. Members of the group “Floridians for Solar Choice,” which had fallen behind in qualifying for the November 2016 ballot and remains in the midst of a contract dispute with a petition-gathering firm, announced the change during a news conference at the Florida Press Center in Tallahassee. “Our coalition, at the onset, was committed to building a broad set of solar polices that could grow the solar industry. And we remain committed to that,” said Stephen Smith, executive director of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, a key supporter of the coalition. “Our coalition is not going away.” The proposal has drawn opposition – and a rival solar-energy initiative – from a group backed by major Florida utilities.

More time for signatures When asked Monday if it would also shift its focus to 2018, that utility-backed group, known as “Consumers for Smart Solar,” said in an email that it is “committed to promoting

solar in a way that protects consumers.” “Our opponent’s failure to make the ballot does not affect our commitment to do what’s right for the people of Florida,” Consumers for Smart Solar spokeswoman Sarah Bascom said. With support from Duke Energy, Florida Power & Light, Gulf Power and Tampa Electric, Consumers for Smart Solar has raised far more money than Floridians for Solar Choice. As of Nov. 30, Consumers for Smart Solar had raised $5.9 million, while Floridians for Solar Choice had raised $1.49 million. The move by Floridians for Solar Choice gives the coalition more time to collect the needed petition signatures to qualify for the ballot. However, it would also put the issue before voters in a non-presidential election, when Democratic turnout is generally lower.

Opposing proposal The Floridians for Solar Choice initiative would allow businesses to generate and sell up to two megawatts of solar power to customers on the same or neighboring properties. The group’s supporters also announced plans Monday to file a brief in the Florida Supreme Court opposing the Consumers for Smart Solar proposal, which still needs court approval of its ballot wording. “This misleading ballot amendment is bad for consumers, bad for the environment and bad for Florida,” said Bradley Marshall, an attorney for the

environmental law firm Earthjustice, a Floridians for Solar Choice coalition member. Smith said the Consumers for Smart Solar proposal is aimed at confusing voters in an effort to keep the Floridians for Solar Choice proposal from getting approved. “It is unfortunate that Florida continues to treat solar energy differently and continues to maintain barriers to free market growth of this energy source,” said Tory Perfetti, chairman of Floridians for Solar Choice, which has received Supreme Court approval of its ballot proposal.

Deadline approaching The Consumers for Smart Solar measure, which would generally maintain the status quo in allowing Floridians with solar equipment on their property to sell energy to power companies, is close to submitting the required number of valid signatures to appear on the ballot. It had submitted 582,155 signatures as of Monday morning. Initiatives face a Feb. 1 deadline to submit 683,149 petition signatures to the state. As of Monday morning, Floridians for Solar Choice had submitted 274,582 valid signatures. In late December, Floridians for Solar Choice filed a lawsuit against petition-gathering firm PCI Consultants Inc., which is holding 212,000 signed petition signatures as it seeks payment for expenses that Floridians for Solar Choice contends are beyond what the group agreed to pay.

Your Gold Rush gave Kirsten her shining moment. E V E RY

P L AY

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F O R

Since 1997, the Florida Lottery has been creating a brighter future for Florida through the Bright Futures Scholarship Program. Through this scholarship, more than 725,000 students have earned the opportunity to attend a Florida college. The education they have received is allowing them to give back to the community and boost

E D U C A T I O N.

PHOTO COURTESY OF EDWARD WATERS COLLEGE

Edward Waters College President Nathaniel Glover shakes the hand of one of the 139 graduates on May 9, 2015.

Edward Waters celebrating 150th anniversary this year JACKSONVILLE – Edward Waters College (EWC) is commemorating its 150th anniversary this year. A kick off event for a yearlong celebration is 11 a.m. Jan. 20 on the Centennial Lawn of the Jacksonville-based college. President Nathaniel Glover, the Edward Waters faculty, staff, students and alumni will participate in a brief program honoring the rich history of Florida’s oldest historically Black college and private institution of higher learning. There will be spirited performances by Edward Water’s Triple Threat Marching Band and Concert Choir. The program will conclude with the release of 150 biodegradable purple an orange balloons and a cake-cutting celebration.

School history

Bethune-Cookman officially opens School of Religion

promote and encourage ministry. It is going to prove very beneficial for the university and the community, as a whole,” said Bracy. Plans are to offer master’s degrees in the future. The school will not only train pastors, but will also develop youth ministers, administrators and others interested in serving in ministry.

Bethune-Cookman University (B-CU) started its first class on Jan. 11 for its new School of Religion. The School of Religion offers degrees in Religion and Philosophy as well as Christian Ministry pending approval of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. The Rev. Dr. Randolph Bracy is dean of the school. According to the Daytona Beach-based university, the new School of Religion will add the pracDr. Randolph tical aspect to the previously developed theoretiBracy cal program. “This is a historical moment for B-CU, a school that was founded and operates on Christian principles. This focused program will enable us to

Formerly named Brown’s Theological Institute, EWC was founded in 1866 by the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church to educate newly emancipated slaves. The school met the needs of its community by offering courses at the elementary, high school, college and seminary levels. Construction on the first building began in 1872 on 10 acres of land in Live Oak. In 1892, the school’s name was changed to Edward Waters College in honor of the third bishop of the AME Church. The school moved to Jacksonville in 1893 where the campus was destroyed by the Great Fire of 1901. In 1904, the board of trustees purchased the present site of the school on Kings Road where it was rebuilt.

Former pastor, trustee Bracy brings more than 35 years of experience in divinity to the position. He has served as a visiting professor and lecturer at the Lutheran Theological Seminary of Philadelphia; the Palmer Theological Seminary of Philadelphia; the ColgateRochester Divinity School in New York; and as adjunct professor of Homiletics and Black Church History at the Asbury Theological Seminary in Florida. He is a former trustee at Bethune-Cookman University and has served on the Board of Advisors at the Florida A&M University Law School. He and his wife, Dr. LaVon Wright Bracy, founded the New Covenant Baptist Church of Orlando. They both retired from the New Covenant Baptist Church in 2012.

Florida’s economy, while helping to fund the next generation of Florida’s students. So remember, the more you play, the more Florida wins.

Medical marijuana petition tops 500,000 signatures THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

Facing a Feb. 1 deadline, supporters of a ballot initiative to legalize medical marijuana have topped 500,000 valid petition signatures submitted to the state. As of Monday morning, the group “People United for Medical Marijuana” had submitted 523,168 valid signatures, according to the state Division of Elections website. The group needs to

Florida House panel backs plan for multistate nurse licensing THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

flalottery.com

With little discussion, a Florida House committee Monday approved a plan that could help clear the way for nurses to practice across state lines. The House Select Committee on Affordable Healthcare Access approved the bill (HB 1061), spon-

meet a Feb. 1 deadline for submitting 683,149 signatures. The Florida Supreme Court on Dec. 17 approved the wording of the proposed constitutional amendment, which would legalize medical marijuana for a wide range of patients. People United for Medical Marijuana, which also is known as “United for Care,” has steadily moved toward meeting the signature requirement. As an example, it had submitted about 400,000 signatures as of Dec. 17. If the group meets the requirement, the proposal would be on the November ballot. A similar proposal narrowly failed to pass during the November 2014 elections.

sored by Rep. Cary Pigman, R-Avon Park. The proposal would allow Florida to enter into what is known as a "compact" with other states that would allow nurses to get multi-state licenses. Currently, 25 states are in a nursing compact, but Florida does not take part. Supporters of the measure say it could help address a nursing shortage in the stae and improve access to care. Among the groups supporting the proposal at Monday's meeting were the Florida Hospital Association and the Florida Nurses Association.

EDITORIAL

JANUARY 15 – JANUARY 21, 2016

Black community must control cops, politicians As expected, a grand jury in Cleveland, Ohio did not bring charges against the police officer who shot and killed 12-year-old Tamir Rice in 2014 . It is said that the judicial system is so biased in favor of prosecutors that they can “indict a ham sandwich.” In this case, Cuyahoga county prosecutor Timothy McGinty wanted no such thing.

Disproportionately killed According to a recent report there were 1,134 police killings in the United States in 2015. Three hundred of those persons were Black, killed by police at twice the rate of Whites. These numbers won’t change unless the police know they will answer for their crimes and politicians know they will pay if they don’t help to bring the system down. Every murder that goes unpunished brings greater urgency to the demand for Black community control of the police. There is no other option. President Obama has the power of the Justice Department at his disposal. Yet he hasn’t seen fit to use it for Michael Brown, Eric Garner, or any of the hundreds of Black people killed by police during his presidency. No Democratic or Republican presidential candidate has said anything

MARGARET KIMBERLEY BLACK AGENDA REPORT

about utilizing Department of Justice prosecutorial powers to stop this carnage.

‘Little or nothing’ Every announcement of a killer cop going free sets off a sad parade of ultimately useless activity. The tears, outrage, protests and condolences to family do no tangible good because there isn’t any commensurate demand or action behind them. Too many people who might play a role in stemming the death count have done little or nothing. McGinty holds an elective office. The official sanction of Rice’s murder should bring defeat when he runs for re-election. Cleveland’s Black mayor Frank Jackson and all other elected officials should be held to account as well. Jackson issued a mealymouthed and deliberately obtuse statement about reviewing police procedures, but said nothing about a child’s killing going unpunished. The mayor and his colleagues should also be in fear of job loss if they can’t even go through the

Who deserves a second chance? Florida U.S. Senator and presidential candidate Marco Rubio can’t get a break. He is being slammed for missing Senate floor votes; scorned for poor poll showings (and weak campaign organizations) in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina; and mocked for his tendency to flip-flop on issues. In November, Mother Jones magazine reported that conservative activist Clyde Fabretti is one of the Rubio campaign “representatives” in Orlando. Fabretti is a convicted white-collar criminal with a history of financial chicanery. A Dec. 30 article in the Washington Post revealed that Rubio helped his brother-inlaw, Orlando Cicilia, get a real estate sales license although such licenses were not routinely granted to ex-felons.

Favor for family Rubio cut corners in urging state regulators to give Cicilia a break. His recommendation for Cilicia was unlikely to be turned down because he was majority

DR. JULIANNE MALVEAUX TRICEEDNEYWIRE.COM

whip of the Florida House of Representatives at the time. But his recommendation failed to note that Cilicia was a family member who served more than a decade for trafficking cocaine. Cicilia got a break that thousands of ex-felons couldn’t get. This is especially relevant in a state like Florida where, in 2010, more than 12 percent of the adult population, and 35 percent of the African-American population has been convicted of a felony. These ex-felons cannot vote, and are frequently excluded from participation in occupations that require licensures.

Additional punishment Subuk Hasnain, writing last year for the Chicago Reporter, listed about 100 occupations

Malcolm, MLK said Black unity is a necessity In 2015, we Black folks paid a heavy price for our resolute refusal to organize a national unity movement to promote and defend our economic, cultural, political and educational interest in what is basically a White supremacist/racist society. The flagrant shooting and killing of unarmed Black folks – including children –throughout the country; the increase of overt White supremacist/racist incidents on various White colleges and university campuses; the public questioning of the intelligence of Black students by U. S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia; the general lack of any discussion about race relations in the presidential debates; lowincome Black males killing each other at an alarming rate; and the mass incarceration and racial

A. PETER BAILEY TRICEEDNEYWIRE.COM

profiling of Black folks – are just some of the consequences of our refusal to create a unity movement as advocated by Brother Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

‘A common enemy’ In a 1963 letter to nine civil rights leaders, Brother Malcolm stated, “If Capitalistic Kennedy and Communistic Khrushev can find common ground on which to form a united front despite their tremendous ideological differences, it is a disgrace for Ne-

VISUAL VIEWPOINT: SPOKESMEN FOR GOD

motions and condemn McGinty and the grand jury decision. They should all make sure that McGinty is the soon-to-be former prosecutor. There must be a line in the sand that no one is allowed to cross, no matter how seemingly sacrosanct their position or reputation.

No strategy Black Lives Matter also issued a statement that was a rehash of readily available information. As usual, they didn’t articulate a strategy or make a demand beyond what they have always done. They were true to form, spelling out obvious reasons for anger but calling for petitions and federal investigations that end up meaning nothing. The Cleveland region has Black city council people, state legislators, and Congressional Black Caucus members. They haven’t demanded justice for their constituents. Mayor Jackson and other Black politicians should have been in the front row when protesters gathered outside of McGinty’s home. Anyone unwilling to make such a small effort should also be consigned to political oblivion. There is no need of Black faces in high places if they can’t make even small efforts to protest murder. Black people who are in a posi-

PAT BAGLEY, SALT LAKE TRIBUNE

tion to use a bully pulpit against the enablers should have to explain themselves or leave their offices if they can’t muster any courage. If the mayor can’t join in saying that McGinty has to go, then he ought to go, too. Cleveland residents should make their way to his house and demand that he do something about McGinty and the whole rotten system he upholds.

Living in fear The sad fact is that Black socalled leaders live in fear. They fear loss of position and connections – but they don’t fear the people. That ought to change; so

Margaret Kimberley’s column appears weekly in BlackAgendaReport.com. Contact her at Margaret.Kimberley@ BlackAgendaReport.com.

that exclude ex-felon participation. These include movers, sign language interpreters, dieticians, architects, roofers, and barbers. This is a way to marginalize exfelons and block them from the second chance they are entitled to. Having “done the time” for crimes they have committed, laws that prevent their full occupational participation suggests that they are required to pay more than time served. Recent attention to the criminal justice system will, perhaps, motivate a review of the many ways ex-felons are burdened, especially in the job markets. The National Employment Law Project (NELP) is one of the organizations that advocate a fair chance for returning ex-felons through “ban the box” legislation that prevents employers from asking questions on employment applications about an applicant’s criminal record. According to NELP, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has endorsed removing the conviction question on job applications, and the Obama administration’s My Brother’s Keeper initiative has urged hiring practices that give applicants a fair chance at employment. Nineteen states have outlawed questions about crim-

inal records on job applications in the private sector. Not surprisingly, Florida is not one.

chances, perhaps advocates like NELP can use the Cicilia and Fabretti cases to advance their very important work. Our civil rights organizations should also continue to work to “ban the box” on job applications. With employment, ex-offenders are far more likely to be productively engaged in their communities. Without employment, their continued marginalization can have no positive consequences. Which ex-felons deserve a second chance? Marco Rubio’s willingness to provide that chance for his brother-in-law and for a convicted felon suggests that he understands the importance of second chances. Too bad he hasn’t advocated for others to get the same kind of chances that Orlando Cicilia and Clyde Fabretti got.

gro leaders not to be able to submerge our ‘minor’ differences in order to seek a common solution to a common problem posed by a common enemy.” In another 1964 statement announcing the launching of his new organization, the Organization of Afro-American Unity, Brother Malcolm noted its purpose was “to unite Afro-Americans and their organizations around a non-religious and nonsectarian constructive program for human rights.” Dr. King, in his last, must-read book entitled, “Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?” was equally clear about the absolute necessity for unity. Dr. King wrote: “The Pharaohs had a favorite and effective strategy to keep their slaves in bondage: keep them fighting among themselves. The divide-and-conquer technique has been a potent weapon in the arsenal of oppression. But when slaves unite, the Red Seas of history open and the Egypts of slavery crumble.

“This plea for unity is not a call for uniformity. There must always be healthy debate. There will be inevitable differences of opinion. The dilemma that the Negro confronts is so complex and monumental that its solution will of necessity involve a diversified approach. But Negroes can differ and still unite around common goals. “There are already structured forces in the Negro community that can serve as the basis for building a powerful united front – the Negro church, the Negro press, the Negro fraternities and sororities, and Negro professional associations. We must admit that these forces have never given their full resources to the cause of Negro liberation. “There are still too many Negro churches that are so absorbed in a future good ‘over yonder’ that they condition their members to adjust to the present evils ‘over here.’ Too many Negro newspapers have veered away from their traditional role as protest organs agitating for social change, and

Rubio should advocate If Sen. Rubio attended Senate sessions, he might advocate for the reform that is needed to ensure than other ex-felons have the same opportunity that his brother-in-law had when he urged Florida’s Division of Real Estate to give him a real estate license. (Ex-felons in Florida are considered on a “case-by-case” basis for a license and must provide character references; a reference from a powerful politician couldn’t hurt.) If Rubio believed in second chances, he might incorporate issues of criminal justice reform into his campaign rhetoric. Instead of defensively dodging questions about favoritism, he might use the Washington Post “exposé” to suggest that others deserve the same kind of break. Rubio clearly believes in second chances when he chooses to use Fabretti, a convicted felon, as a campaign representative. What about the thousands of Floridian who won’t get a similar opportunity? If Sen. Rubio won’t use the Washington Post article to illustrate his commitment to second

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.

CREDO OF THE BLACK PRESS The Black Press believes that Americans can best lead the world away from racism and national antagonism when it accords to every person, regardless of race, color or creed, full human and legal rights. Hating no person, fearing no person. The Black Press strives to help every person in the firm belief...that all are hurt as long as anyone is held back.

should the way that the people interact with them. Black Cleveland should have been prepared for the non-indictment. That preparation should have included a list of people who must be gone from public life if the cops went punished. The McGintys of the world aren’t the only people who must be ousted. Jackson and his ilk must be placed on the chopping block, too. That is the only message they understand.

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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 for preorder at www. juliannemalveaux.com. have turned to the sensational and the conservative in place of the substantive and the militant. “Too many Negro social and professional groups have degenerated into snobbishness and a preoccupation with frivolities and trivial activity. But the failures of the past must not be an excuse for the inaction of the present and the future. These groups must be mobilized and motivated. This form of group unity can do infinitely more to liberate the Negro than any action of individuals. We have been oppressed as a group and we must overcome that oppression as a group. “Through this form of group unity, we can begin a constructive program which will vigorously seek to improve our personal standards. …” If we refuse to develop the kind of unity advocated by these two warriors, 2016 will be as unproductive and deadly as 2015.

Contact A. Peter Bailey at apeterb@verizon.net, or 202716-4560.

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JANUARY 15 – JANUARY 21, 2016

REMEMBERING MLK 2016

“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.’ ”

‘I HAVE A DREAM’ Here is the entire text of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s ‘I Have A Dream’ speech delivered on Aug. 28, 1963, at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington, D.C. I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation. Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity. But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. And so we've come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.

America’s promissory note In a sense, we've come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, – yes, Black men as well as White men – would be guaranteed the "unalienable Rights" of "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note, insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check – a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds." But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. And so, we've come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.

Now is the time We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of ‘Now.’ This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children. It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. And those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. And there will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.

No bitterness But there is something that I must say to my people, who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst

NATIONAL ARCHIVES/MCT

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. gives his famous speak during the Civil Rights March on Washington, Aug. 28, 1963. for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again, we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force. The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all White people, for many of our White brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. And they have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone. And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back. There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their self-hood and robbed of their dignity by a sign stating: "For Whites Only." We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has

nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until "justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream."

Go back I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. And some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive. Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities – knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed. Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends. And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be selfevident, that all men are created equal." I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today! I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of "interposition" and "nullification” – one day right there in Alabama, little Black boys and Black girls will be able to join hands with little White boys and White girls as sisters and brothers. I have a dream today! I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; "and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together." This is our hope, and this is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day. And this will be the day – this

will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning: My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim's pride, From every mountainside, let freedom ring! And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true. And so let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania. Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado. Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California. But not only that – Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia. Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee. Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring. And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, Black men and White men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual: Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!

Source: http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/ mlkihaveadream.htm

NATION

TOJ A6

JANUARY 15 – JANUARY 21, 2016

Americans heading South and West to find jobs A search for employment and more affordable housing were behind two-thirds of the long-distance moves made between 2014 and 2015, according to a census report.

the University of Florida’s Bureau of Economic and Business Research. “You can sell a home in New York or Ohio or Michigan for substantially more than you would spend in Florida, so it’s still relatively attractive.” Take, for example, Sumter County, west of Orlando, one of Florida’s fastestgrowing counties, driven in large part by retirees. It is projected to have a median age of 78 by 2020, Doty said. A typical Sumter County home costs about $224,000 — or about half the price of a home in a New York City suburb, such as Long Island’s Nassau County.

to-Sun Belt migration is coming back after a huge lull in response to the recession and post-recession period,” said demographer William Frey, of the Brookings Institution. “Up until now, regional migration was not picking up at the same time that other economic indicators — jobs and housing — seemed to be on the upswing.” The numbers indicate Americans’ growing willingness to pick up and go after having sat still earlier in the economically tenuous decade, when the U.S. Census Bureau reported that only 1 in 5 people who wanted to move somewhere else did so.

BY TIM HENDERSON STATELINE.ORG

WASHINGTON — Americans are heading South and West again in search of jobs and more affordable housing, as the nation’s economic health continues to improve. Census population estimates show that the 16 states and the District of Columbia that comprise the South saw an increase of almost 1.4 million people between 2014 and 2015. The 13 states in the West grew by about 866,000 people. The gains represent the largest annual growth in population of the decade for both regions and signal that the multi-decade migration to the Sun Belt has resumed after being interrupted by the Great Recession of 2007-09 and the economic sluggishness and anxiety that followed.

Major factor: Housing

More U.S. House seats for Florida? The new estimates, released last month, arrive midway through the decade, halfway to the next census, in 2020, and provide some indications of where the nation is headed from the standpoint of governing from Washington. If the population shift continues, Texas could gain three new seats in the U.S. House, Florida two, and Arizona, Colorado, North Carolina and Oregon one apiece after the next census, according to an analysis by Election Data Services, a political consulting firm based in Virginia. Nine states — Alabama, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and West Virginia — could meanwhile lose a seat apiece. A search for jobs and more affordable housing were behind two-thirds of the long-distance moves made between 2014 and

Growth sluggish in Snow Belt In comparison, population growth in the Northeast and the Midwest — including what’s known as the Snow Belt — remained sluggish, growing by about 258,000 residents combined. “Clearly, the Snow Belt-

JOE BURBANK/ORLANDO SENTINEL/TNS

Florida Gov. Rick Scott delivers remarks on job growth during a visit to Bright Future Electric, an electrical contractor business with offices in Florida and Alabama, on June 11, 2015, in Ocoee. 2015, according to a separate census report. Family reasons, such as getting married or rejoining relatives, accounted for another quarter of households moving.

Biggest gain in Texas Texas, for example — which had the biggest population gain from 2014 to 2015, an increase of 490,000 people for a total 27,469,114 — is a magnet for job seekers from elsewhere. It has been at the fore in high job growth and outpaced the nation’s economic growth since the recession. Other Sun Belt states that witnessed a growth in population — such as Georgia and Nevada — also had

some of the largest increases in job growth or economic output, as did Colorado, Oregon and Utah. West Virginia, meanwhile, suffered a population loss of almost 5,000. The state, which has relied economically on a declining coal industry, has higher unemployment and lower job growth rates than the national average — giving more people more reasons to leave. Six other states also had population losses for the year: Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Mississippi, New Mexico and Vermont. And like West Virginia, many are struggling to provide economic opportunity. New Mexico, Connecticut and Maine had some of the low-

est rates of job creation in recent years.

Major increase in Florida Florida’s gain of almost 366,000 people to a population of 20,271,272 was its largest in a decade and reflects another cause behind the renewed exodus to the Sun Belt: The nation’s swollen population of baby boomers now feels more secure economically in picking up and moving to traditional retirement oases. “The state continues to attract retiring baby boomers because of our climate and the relatively low costs of living,” said Richard Doty, a demographer with

The influx and exodus of people has ramifications for local housing, tax bases and governments — even within state boundaries. In Oregon, where the economy is partly being driven by chip manufacturing for firms like Intel, young people are moving to Portland, said Josh Lehner, an economist at the state’s Department of Economic Analysis. That’s creating a housing shortage, as construction fails to keep up with demand. Many of Oregon’s newcomers are from neighboring California, which had more than 77,000 people move out. That’s more than twice the number who left between 2013 and 2014. The state showed a net increase in population in 2014-15 of more than 350,000 only as a result of births and new immigrants. Many left because of housing costs. A typical home in California costs two-thirds more than in Oregon.

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“And so we still have a long, long way to go before we reach the promised land of freedom.’’

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

Editor’s note: The question Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. posed decades ago still resonates in 2016. Here is an edited excerpt of the annual report he delivered at the 11th convention of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference on Aug. 16, 1967 in Atlanta.

In spite of a decade of significant progress, the Negro still lives in the basement of the Great Society. He is still at the bottom, despite the few who have penetrated to slightly higher levels. Even where the door has been forced partially open, mobility for the Negro is still sharply restricted. There is often no bottom at which to start, and when there is there’s almost no room at the top. In consequence, Negroes are still impoverished aliens in an affluent society. They are too poor even to rise with the society, too impoverished by the ages to be able to ascend by using their own resources.

Left behind And the Negro did not do this himself; it was done to him. For more than half of his American history, he was enslaved. Yet, he built the spanning bridges and the grand mansions, the sturdy docks and stout factories of the South. His unpaid labor made cotton “King” and established America as a significant nation in international commerce. Even after his release from chattel slavery, the nation grew over him, submerging him. It became the richest, most powerful society in the history of man, but it left the Negro far behind. And so we still have a long, long way to go before we reach the promised land of freedom. Yes, we have left the dusty soils of Egypt, and we have crossed a Red Sea that had for years been hardened by a long and piercing winter of massive resistance, but before we reach the majestic shores of the promised land, there will still be gigantic mountains of opposition ahead and prodigious hilltops of injustice. We still need some Paul Revere of conscience to alert every hamlet and every village of America that revolution is still at hand. We need some North Star to guide us into a future shrouded with impenetrable uncertainties. In order to answer the question, “Where do we go from here?,” we must first honestly recognize where we are now.

Not a whole person When the Constitution was written, a strange formula to determine taxes and representation declared that the Negro was sixty percent of a person. Today another curious formula seems to declare he is fifty percent of a person. Of the good things in life, the Negro has approximately one half those of Whites. Of the bad things of life, he has twice those of Whites. Thus, half of all Negroes live in substandard housing. And Negroes have half the income of Whites. When we turn to the negative experiences of life, the Negro has a double share: There are twice as many unemployed; the rate of infant mortality among Negroes is double that of Whites; and there are twice as many Negroes dying in Vietnam as Whites in proportion to their size in the population. In other spheres, the figures are equally alarming. In elemen-

ALGERINA PERNA/BALTIMORE SUN/TNS

Police and protestors line up against each other across from Camden Yards in Baltimore on Saturday, April 25, 2015, as protests continued in the wake of Freddie Gray’s death while in police custody. tary schools, Negroes lag one to three years behind Whites, and their segregated schools receive substantially less money per student than the White schools. One-twentieth as many Negroes as Whites attend college. Of employed Negroes, seventy-five percent hold menial jobs.

What should we do? First, we must massively assert our dignity and worth. We must no longer be ashamed of being Black. The job of arousing manhood within a people that have been taught for so many centuries that they are nobody is not easy. In Roget’s Thesaurus there are some 120 synonyms for blackness and at least sixty of them are offensive, such words as blot, soot, grim, devil, and foul. And there are some 134 synonyms for whiteness and all are favorable, expressed in such words as purity, cleanliness, chastity, and innocence. A white lie is better than a black lie. The most degenerate member of a family is the “black sheep.” Ossie Davis has suggested that maybe the English language should be reconstructed so that teachers will not be forced to teach the Negro child sixty ways to despise himself, and thereby perpetuate his false sense of inferiority, and the White child 134 ways to adore himself, and thereby perpetuate his false sense of superiority.

Free your mind As long as the mind is enslaved, the body can never be free. Psychological freedom, a firm sense of self-esteem, is the most powerful weapon against the long night of physical slavery. No Lincolnian Emancipation Proclamation, no Johnso-

nian civil rights bill can totally bring this kind of freedom. And with a spirit straining toward true self-esteem, the Negro must boldly throw off the manacles of self-abnegation and say to himself and to the world, “I am somebody. I am a person. I am a man with dignity and honor. I have a rich and noble history, however painful and exploited that history has been. Yes, I was a slave through my foreparents and now I’m not ashamed of that. I’m ashamed of the people who were so sinful to make me a slave.” Yes, yes, we must stand up and say, “I’m Black but I’m Black and beautiful.” This self-affirmation is the Black man’s need, made compelling by the White man’s crimes against him.

Economics, politics Now another basic challenge is to discover how to organize our strength in to economic and political power. The plantation and the ghetto were created by those who had power, both to confine those who had no power and to perpetuate their powerlessness. Now the problem of transforming the ghetto, therefore, is a problem of power, a confrontation between the forces of power demanding change and the forces of power dedicated to the preserving of the status quo. Power properly understood is nothing but the ability to achieve purpose. It is the strength required to bring about social, political, and economic change…Now a lot of us are preachers, and all of us have our moral convictions and concerns, and so often we have problems with power. But there is nothing wrong with power if power is used correctly.

‘Anemic’ love What is needed is a realization that power without love is reckless and abusive, and that love without power is sentimental and anemic. Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice, and justice at its best is love correcting everything that stands against love. Now what has happened is that we’ve had it wrong and mixed up in our country, and this has led Negro Americans in the past to seek their goals through love and moral suasion devoid of power, and White Americans to seek their goals through power devoid of love and conscience. It is leading a few extremists today to advocate for Negroes the same destructive and conscienceless power that they have justly abhorred in Whites. It is precisely this collision of immoral power with powerless morality which constitutes the major crisis of our times.

Employment or income Now we must develop a program that will drive the nation to a guaranteed annual income. We realize that dislocations in the market operation of our economy and the prevalence of discrimination thrust people into idleness and bind them in constant or frequent unemployment against their will. The poor are less often dismissed, I hope, from our conscience today by being branded as inferior and incompetent. Our emphasis must be twofold: We must create full employment, or we must create incomes. People must be made consumers by one method or the other. Once they are placed in this position, we need to be concerned that the potential

of the individual is not wasted. New forms of work that enhance the social good will have to be devised for those for whom traditional jobs are not available. Work of this sort could be enormously increased, and we are likely to find that the problem of housing, education, instead of preceding the elimination of poverty, will themselves be affected if poverty is first abolished. The poor, transformed into purchasers, will do a great deal on their own to alter housing decay. Negroes, who have a double disability, will have a greater effect on discrimination when they have the additional weapon of cash to use in their struggle. The dignity of the individual will flourish when the decisions concerning his life are in his own hands, when he has the assurance that his income is stable and certain, and when he knows that he has the means to seek self-improvement. Personal conflicts between husband, wife, and children will diminish when the unjust measurement of human worth on a scale of dollars is eliminated.

Stay committed to nonviolence We must reaffirm our commitment to nonviolence. One sees screaming youngsters and angry adults fighting hopelessly and aimlessly against impossible odds. And deep down within them, you perceive a desire for self-destruction, a kind of suicidal longing. Occasionally, Negroes contend that the 1965 Watts riot and the other riots in various cities represented effective civil rights action. At best, the riots have produced a little additional

‘Let us be dissatisfied until from every city hall, justice will roll down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream….’

See MLK, Page B2

REMEMBERING MLK 2016

JANUARY 15 – JANUARY 21, 2016

STOJ

A LIFE REMEMBERED Celebrating the legacy of civil rights leader, Martin Luther King Jr.

BY STACEY HOLLENBECK McClatchy-Tribune

he Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. made his mark on history during the civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s. Motivated by his faith, King fought against the oppression of his fellow African-Americans by protesting segregation. His efforts to combat the injustices were met with hostility and hatred, and eventually led to his early death. But King’s drive to achieve harmony among the races led to the desegregation of the country and set America on the path toward racial equality.

NIKKI KAHN/MCT

Coretta Scott King, pictured here in 2003.

History of the day In 1986, nearly 18 years after his assassination, Americans celebrated the first Martin Luther King Day, a holiday established to pay homage to the preacher and inspirational leader. By this time, 17 states already had established holidays to honor Martin Luther King Jr. Coretta Scott King, his widow, worked hard to make the national holiday a reality. In 2003, the theme of Martin Luther King Day became, “Remember! Celebrate! Act! A day on, not a day off.” Although some professionals and students see the third Monday in January as a day off from work or school, others see it as an opportunity to volunteer their time. By working to improve their communities and help those in need, these Americans are acting on behalf of King’s generous spirit.

Bernice King, daughter of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. addresses the audience at the official ceremony of the MLK memorial at the the National Mall in Washington in October 2011.

Remember! Celebrate! Act! To truly celebrate Martin Luther King Day and honor its “Day of Service” theme, Americans can work to improve the lives of those in need or help out in their communities. To find a specific volunteer opportunity near you, go to www.mlkday.gov and click “Search for MLK Day Project.”

MLK

from Page B1 anti-poverty money allotted by frightened government officials and a few water sprinklers to cool the children of the ghettos. It is something like improving the food in the prison while the people remain securely incarcerated behind bars. Nowhere have the riots won any concrete improvement such as have the organized protest demonstrations. And when one tries to pin down advocates of violence as to what acts would be effective, the answers are blatantly illogical. Sometimes they talk of overthrowing racist state and local governments and they talk about guerrilla warfare. They fail to see that no internal revolution has ever succeeded in overthrowing a government by violence unless the government had already lost the allegiance and effective control of its armed forces.

Violent U.S. revolution impossible Anyone in his right mind knows that this will not happen in the United States. In a violent racial situation, the power structure has the local police, the state troopers, the National Guard, and finally, the Army to call on, all of

Timeline Martin Luther King Jr. devoted his life and career to protesting injustice. The following timeline identifies the times and places in King’s short life where he significantly influenced the civil rights movement and the future of America. • Jan. 15, 1929: Martin Luther King Jr. was born to the Rev. and Mrs. Martin Luther King Sr. in Atlanta, Ga.

which are predominantly White. Furthermore, few, if any, violent revolutions have been successful unless the violent minority had the sympathy and support of the non-resisting majority. It is perfectly clear that a violent revolution on the part of American Blacks would find no sympathy and support from the White population and very little from the majority of the Negroes themselves.

Change the structure We must honestly face the fact that the movement must address itself to the question of restructuring the whole of American society. We must ask the question, “Why are there forty million poor people in America?” You are raising a question about the economic system, about a broader distribution of wealth. But one day we must come to see that an edifice which produces beggars needs restructuring. It means that questions must be raised. You begin to ask the question(s), “Who owns the oil?” Who owns the iron ore? Why is it that people have to pay water bills in a world that’s twothirds water?” When I say questioning the whole society, it means ultimately coming to see that the problem(s) of racism, of economic exploitation, and of war are all tied together. These are the tri-

• 1947: King became licensed to preach. • June 18, 1953: King married Coretta Scott in Marion, Ala. Coretta Scott King continued her husband’s legacy as a civil rights activist until her death on Jan. 30, 2006. • June 5, 1955: King received a Ph.D. in Systematic Theology from Boston University. • Feb. 21, 1956: King and other demonstrators were

arrested for participating in the Montgomery Bus Boycott. In December of that same year, the federal government ordered Montgomery buses to integrate. • Feb. 18, 1957: Martin Luther King Jr. appeared on the cover of Time magazine. • February 1959: King and his wife spent a month in India studying Mahatma Gandhi’s technique of nonviolence. King was an avid fan of

CURTIS COMPTON/ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION/TNS

Steve Grampus, who said he was a family friend of some of the victims, places his hat over his heart to pray outside of Emanuel A.M.E. Church on June 20, 2015, in Charleston, S.C. Nine people were killed on June 17 at the church. ple evils that are interrelated.

‘Born again’ One night, (someone) came to Jesus and he wanted to know what he could do to be saved. Jesus didn’t say, “Now Nicodemus, you must stop lying. You must not commit adultery. You must stop cheating if you are doing that.” Jesus realized something basic – that if a man will lie, he will steal. And if a man will steal, he will kill. So instead of just getting bogged down on one thing, Jesus looked at him and said, “Nicodemus, you must be born again.” In other words, “Your whole structure must be changed.” A nation that will keep people in slavery for 244 years will “thingify” them and make them things.

And therefore, they will exploit them and poor people generally economically. And a nation that will exploit economically will have to have foreign investments and everything else, and it will have to use its military might to protect them. All of these problems are tied together. What I’m saying today is that we must go from this convention and say, “America, you must be born again!”

‘Be dissatisfied’ Let us go out with a divine dissatisfaction until America will no longer have a high blood pressure of creeds and an anemia of deeds; until the tragic walls that separate the outer city of wealth and comfort from the inner city of poverty and despair shall

nonviolence, a strategy where demonstrators, instead of using violence, protest peacefully. • Oct. 19, 1960: King was arrested for trespassing while taking part in a sit-in demonstration at a lunch counter in Atlanta, Ga. Sit-ins were nonviolent anti-segregation protests where Black demonstrators refused to leave restaurants and public places that were designated as White-only. • Dec. 16, 1961: While protesting segregation in Albany, Ga., King was arrested. • July 27, 1962: King was again arrested in Albany, Ga., after taking part in a prayer vigil. He was charged with failure to obey a police officer, obstructing the sidewalk and disorderly conduct. • April 16, 1963: After being arrested in Birmingham, Ala., for participating in a sit-in, King wrote “Letter From Birmingham Jail.” The letter is now one of King’s most famous statements about injustice. • Aug. 28, 1963: King delivered his “I Have A Dream” speech in front of the thousands who gathered for The March on Washington. Afterward, he and other Civil Rights leaders met with President John F. Kennedy in the White House. • Dec. 10, 1964: King received the Nobel Peace Prize. • Aug. 5, 1966: King was stoned in Chicago as he led a march through crowds of angry Whites. • April 4, 1968: King was shot while on the balcony of his second-floor motel room in Memphis, Tenn. He later died from a gunshot wound to the neck. A day earlier, King gave his final speech, “I’ve Been to the Mountain Top.” • March 9, 1969: James Earl Ray plead guilty to killing King and was sentenced to 99 years in the Tennessee State Penitentiary. • Jan. 20, 1986: The first national King holiday was observed.

be crushed by the battering rams of the forces of justice; until those who live on the outskirts of hope are brought into the metropolis of daily security. Let us be dissatisfied until slums are cast into the junk heaps of history and every family will live in a decent, sanitary home; until the dark yesterdays of segregated schools will be transformed into bright tomorrows of quality integrated education; until integration is not seen as a problem but as an opportunity to participate in the beauty of diversity. Let us be dissatisfied until men and women, however Black they may be, will be judged on the basis of the content of their character, not on the basis of the color of their skin; until every state capitol will be housed by a governor who will do justly, who will love mercy, and who will walk humbly with his God. Let us be dissatisfied until from every city hall, justice will roll down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream; until that day when the lion and the lamb shall lie down together, and every man will sit under his own vine and fig tree, and none shall be afraid, and men will recognize that out of one blood, God made all men to dwell upon the face of the earth. Let us be dissatisfied until that day when nobody will shout, “White Power!” when nobody will shout, “Black Power!” but every-

body will talk about God’s power and human power.

‘Walk on’ The road ahead will not always be smooth. There will still be rocky places of frustration and meandering points of bewilderment. And there will be those moments when the buoyancy of hope will be transformed into the fatigue of despair. Our dreams will sometimes be shattered and our ethereal hopes blasted. We may again, with tear-drenched eyes, have to stand before the bier of some courageous civil rights worker whose life will be snuffed out by the dastardly acts of bloodthirsty mobs. But difficult and painful as it is, we must walk on in the days ahead with an audacious faith in the future. When our days become dreary with low-hovering clouds of despair, and when our nights become darker than a thousand midnights, let us remember that there is a creative force in this universe working to pull down the gigantic mountains of evil, a power that is able to make a way out of no way, and transform dark yesterdays into bright tomorrows. This is our hope for the future, and with this faith we will be able to sing in some not too distant tomorrow, with a cosmic past tense, “We have overcome! We have overcome! Deep in my heart, I did believe we would overcome.”

STOJ

JANUARY 15 – JANUARY 21, 2016

At right is an artist’s rendering of singer Natalie Cole outside the West Los Angeles Church of God on Monday, Jan. 11. WALLY SKALIJ/LOS ANGELES TIMES/TNS

OBITUARY

Celebrities, family remember Natalie Cole at L.A. service BY ANGEL JENNINGS TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE

LOS ANGELES — Venerated R&B singer Natalie Cole received a soulful

send-off at funeral services Monday, with fellow musicians Stevie Wonder and Smokey Robinson lauding the artist for her ability to transcend evolving musi-

Food costs are up, but energy costs are down.

cal tastes over her decadeslong career. “You don’t maintain a 40-plus-year career by accident,” said songwriter David Foster. “It’s just a short list of real singers who could prevail against the changing tide of public taste. Natalie transcended this simple genre classification whether it was R&B, sassy in her early hits, or her later work interpreting the jazz standards.” Hundreds of mourners gathered at West Angeles Church of God in Christ in South Los Angeles to bid farewell to the songstress during a three-hour service marked by touching tributes from famous friends, including Wonder, who sang an a cappella rendering of The Lord’s Prayer. Chaka Khan and Gladys Knight were in the audience, while the Rev. Jesse Jackson sat on the stage. President Barack Obama sent a letter of condolence to Cole’s son, Robert Yancy.

Longtime health issues Cole, 65, died of congestive heart failure on New Year’s Eve. The singer suffered from hepatitis C, and she experienced complications from a 2009 kidney transplant from which she never fully recovered, according to her publicist, Maureen O’Connor. She had recently canceled several tour dates because of poor health. She was best known as the iconic voice behind songs that have become R&B standards of love and devotion, such as “This Will Be,” “Our Love” and “Inseparable.” But she was equally celebrated for overcoming adversity and carving out her own identity and style apart from her legendary father, jazz singer Nat King Cole. “Natalie had one extra pressure that she was faced with every day of her life,” said singer Lionel Richie. “She was a little girl who wanted to be a superstar in a family that already had a superstar. That’s what make her prize of winning so unforgettable.”

Remembered as ‘Sweetie’

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After the service, a line of cars proceeded to Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, where Cole was buried alongside her parents and other family members. With a jazz- and gospelinfused voice, Cole sold more than 30 million albums and won nine Grammy Awards in a career that spanned four decades. Her 1991 album “Unforgettable … With Love” weaved together her voice with that of her late father, and it sold more than 6 million copies and won six Grammys, including album of the year. Cole’s twin sisters, Timolin Cole Augustus and Casey Cole Hooker, remembered their older sister — known to her family as “Sweetie” — as bossy, fearless, charitable and loyal. Hooker said that as Cole’s health declined, she contemplated her mortality, telling a friend she wanted her epitaph to read: “Natalie Cole, the daughter of a King, mother of a prince, and friend to all.” Natalie Cole was one of five children of Maria and Nat “King’’ Cole. She is survived by her son, Robbie Yancy, and two sisters.

REMEMBERING MLK 2016

JANUARY 15 – JANUARY 21, 2016

TOJ

PLENTY OF STAR POWER

From Harry Belafonte to Frank Sinatra, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had the backing of many celebrities. BY GREGORY CLAY McClatchy-Tribune News Service

uring the turbulent decade of the 1960s, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was about the gleam — in the eyes, that is. He was about the cadence in his speech intonations — a rapper of social consciousness before Kurtis Blow, before Public Enemy, before Queen Latifah, that is. He was about “The Dream” — the iconic speech at the Lincoln Memorial on that sweltering afternoon of Aug. 28, 1963, that is. He was about the rhythm of the civil rights movement — played to the spirit of Motown and the serenity of Burt Bacharach, that is. King was about star power. That means he knew how to captivate an audience in the palm of his hand on a hot, humid day when most Americans would rather just abandon the city for the beach. In other words, King was a minister by trade, an entertainer by necessity. And he garnered assistance from the best. Harry Belafonte was in his corner; so were Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Charlton Heston, Gregory Peck, Lena Horne, Leonard Bernstein, James Baldwin. And that was before it was even cool to be associated with the movement. Yes, we’re talking serious star power of the transcendent ’60s. “When an artist showed up of the caliber of a Burt Lancaster or Marlon Brando,’’ actor-singer Belafonte recalled during “King,” a documentary hosted by former NBC News anchorman Tom Brokaw for the History Channel (now available on DVD), “people paid attention, and if they were Clayborne anointing you with their Carson approval, then that carried us a long way.” Clayborne Carson is the founder and director of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Research and Education Institute at Stanford University. He also is editor of the “MLK Papers Project,” which Coretta Scott King entrusted him with before her death. Contacted at Stanford, he explained that the celebrity/entertainment factor “added money to the movement; it provided access to a wider audience.” Carson, who helped design the layout of the King Memorial on the four-acre site in Washington D.C., then poignantly noted the historical significance: “(President John F.) Kennedy and King were the first figures to tap into the Hollywood industry during the Cold War era. They both recognized the importance of it.” King became the face — and voice — of the civil rights movement in this country

as an idealistic minister at age 26 in 1955; he spearheaded the fight against the taut chains of customized segregation in the South; he implemented the principles of non-violence and civil disobedience gleaned from India’s Mohatma Gandhi for his own revolutionary U.S. movement; he, ultimately, stood tall as an erudite moral arbiter of our nation — and the greatest orator of our time. Except, before most of those majestic accolades, then-25-year-old Coretta Scott thought he was too short. Before a “star was born,” Coretta initially wasn’t impressed with a young, 5-foot-6 King, but they eventually married in 1953. Now, King has a holiday every third Monday in January and a memorial bearing his name on the National Mall, located near the President Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial, and not far from the Lincoln Memorial, which exhibits a subtle inscription identifying where King stood 22 steps up in ’63. Says former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in the “King” documentary: “This country was born with a huge birth defect — slavery. It really was not until the ’60s that America finally lived up to the principles on which it had been founded.” King spoke in reverence in 1963: “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be selfevident — that all men are created equal. ... “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. ...” It was a “Dream” sermon, but it arguably wasn’t his best speech. During the ’60s, Belafonte used his fame to start what was loosely called the “New York delegation.” It was his job to make sure the stars came out. The “delegation” was a collection of entertainers and public figures who met at Belafonte’s New York home and gathered to support King’s cause. Bernstein, the legendary conductorcomposer, was a “member”; so was worldrenowned author Baldwin. “It was my task to make sure that I had a strong celebrity core,’’ Belafonte explained in “King,” “that I had a lot of artists to bring validation to the table. King understood the great value in that.” Legendary singer Sinatra, for one, staged fund raisers for King; regal actor Peck marched with King during several demonstrations; actors Belafonte, Heston and Sidney Poitier attended the March on Washington, as did singer-actress Horne; folk-music trio Peter, Paul and Mary sang at the March, and King wrote Davis a famous letter, thanking him for his support

NATIONAL ARCHIVES

Sidney Poitier, Harry Belafonte and Charlton Heston stand at the Lincoln Memorial at the March on Washington on Aug. 28, 1963. of the civil rights movement and acknowledging the integral power of entertainment. The letter, in part, stated, “Art can move and alter people in subtle ways because, like love, it speaks through and to the heart ...” When black actress Nichelle Nichols — also known as Lieutenant Uhura on television — was considering resigning from her TV role on “Star Trek,” King, himself a “trekkie,” implored her to stay: “Don’t you realize you have the first non-stereotypical role on television. Don’t you realize that not only for our own little black children but for people who don’t look like us, for the first time they will see us as equals,” according to Jet magazine. King gave his last public speech on April 3, 1968, in Memphis, Tenn. We sensed both an eerie fatalism and a futuristic promise in what was his seminal “Mountain Top” speech. In excerpt, King said that night: “... Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. “But I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will. And He’s allowed me to go up to the Mountain. And

I’ve looked over. And I’ve seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the Promised Land! “And so I’m happy tonight. “I’m not worried about anything. “I’m not fearing any man! “Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord!!” The next night, April 4, 1968, King was struck by an assassin’s bullet in Memphis. Has King’s legacy remained relevant the past 50 years or has it been rendered dormant, like a volcano? As Bono, lead singer of the rock band U2, wondered during the “King” documentary: “Is he a historical figure or is he, in fact, a very present challenge to our way of seeing the world, because inequality and injustice are more pervasive now than they’ve ever been” As Bono suggests, legacies are open to interpretation. But one aspect of King’s persona is finite, that is to say, in his own words, “The time is always right to do the right thing ...” And “only in the darkness can you see the stars.”

36TH ANNUAL TOBA

TAMPA ORGANIZATION OF BLACK AFFAIRS MONDAY, JANUARY 18, 2016 • 6:45 AM

R e v. D r . M a rt i n L u t h e r K i n g , Jr .

L E A D E R S H I P B R E A K FA S T

Hilton Hotel Downtown Tampa (formerly the Hyatt)

THEME

“Remembering the Past, Honoring the Present, Paving the Future”

ADMISSION

$35 PER PERSON • $500 PER TABLE (10) PURCHASE ONLINE AT WWW.TOBANETWORK.ORG NO TICKETS SOLD AT DOOR

IMAGE COURTESY OF MLK MEMORIAL

W E S T TA M PA

MLK MEMORIAL The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial is on the National Mall, Washington, D.C. The memorial is located across the Tidal Basin from the Jefferson Memorial. For more details visit: www.mlkmemorial.org

Symbolism abounds

from the Lincoln Memorial, where King gave his famous The Martin Luther King “I Have a Dream” speech in Jr. Memorial is situated 1963, to the memorial honalong the Tidal Basin in oring Thomas Jefferson, auWashington, D.C., among thor of the Declaration of the famous cherry trees — Independence. a gift from Japan as a sign The memorial’s sculpof peace and unity. Each ture also plays a symbolic spring, the season of hope and rebirth, the trees bloom role, inspired by this line in King’s “Dream” speech: with delicate pink and white flowers for two weeks, “With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the often coinciding with the mountain of despair a stone anniversary of King’s assassination, April 4. During of hope.” Visitors enter the site the summer and early fall, blooms from newly planted through a split boulder ( the“mountain of despair”) crepe myrtles will offer a to find a solitary stone (the colorful display and sense “stone of hope”) from which of enduring faith. King’s image emerges. The symbolism doesn’t There also is a 450-foot stop with the trees. The melong, crescent-shaped granmorial’s address, 1964 Independence Ave., is a refer- ite inscription wall containing 14 of King’s most noence to the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The site also creates table quotes on justice, dea visual “line of leadership” mocracy, hope and love.

T I C K E T L O C AT I O N S :

Celebrity support The entertainment community’s support for King didn’t end with his death in 1968. Entertainers have come out in droves, donating their time and resources to help promote the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial. This “Dream Team” includes celebrities such as Muhammad Ali, Maya Angelou, Chris Brown, Laurence Fishburne, Harrison Ford, George Foreman, Whoopi Goldberg, Dustin Hoffman, Peter Max, Al Roker, Martin Sheen and Dionne Warwick. The group held a series of “Dream Dinners,” as well as a “Dream Concert” at Radio City Music Hall, to raise funds for the memorial. — MCT, Source: www. mlkmemorial.org

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E A S T TA M PA

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D O W N T O W N TA M PA

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N O R T H TA M PA

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TEMPLE TERRACE

Emma’s Cakes 10917 N. 56th Street • (813) 988-7400

BRANDON

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RIVERVIEW

Clinton Paris, Esquire Boardwalk of Riverview 10014 Water Works Lane • (813) 417-7924

STOJ

JANUARY 15 – JANUARY 21, 2016

FINEST & ENTERTAINMENT

Meet some of

FLORIDA’S

finest

submitted for your approval

denzel

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.

taraji

PARAMOUNT PICTURES/TNS

Denzel Washington received the Cecil B. DeMille Award on Jan. 10 at the Golden Globe Awards show. The award honors extraordinary contributions to the entertainment world. He is shown as Major Ben Marco in the 2004 film, “The Manchurian Candidate.’’

ALLEN J. SCHABEN/LOS ANGELES TIMES/TNS

Taraji P. Henson embraces her new award at the 73rd Annual Golden Globe Awards show in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Jan. 10. Henson for Best Actress in a Television Series, Drama, for her portrayal of Cookie Lyon in “Empire.’’

FLORIDA COMMUNITY CALENDAR Miami: NBA Hall of Famer Alonzo Mourning is hosting his second annual “Zo’s Winter Groove’’ benefiting the Mourning Family Foundation through Jan. 18. A Jan. 17 comedy show will include Cedric the Entertiner. Details: zoswintergroove.com. Tampa: The Tampa Bay Black Heritage Festival & Music Fest convenes at Curtis Hixon Park in downtown Tampa. Performers: Jonathan Butler (Jan. 16) and Angie Stone (Jan. 17). Festival schedule: www.tampablackheritage.org. Fort Lauderdale: A Multicultural Festival takes place Jan. 18 at Huizenga Plaza from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. following the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parade. Details: kingholidaycelebration.com. Orlando: The 25th Annual Arthur “Pappy” Kennedy Prayer Breakfast is 7:45 a.m. at First Baptist Church of Orlando-Faith Hall, 3000 S. John Young Parkway. Speaker: Dr. Vikki Kennedy Johnson. More information: hcorino@cfymca.org or call 407-896-9220. Eatonville: The 27th Annual Zora Neale Hurston Festival of the Arts and Humanities is Jan. 23-31. Performers will include the Isley Brothers and Kem. Full schedule: www. zorafestival.org Jacksonville: The UniverSoul Circus will be at the Prime Osborn Convention Center Jan. 26-31. Fort Lauderdale: “Black Lives Matter, Moral Mondays, Mainstream Politics: 2016 African American Activism in the Context of African American History” will be the subject of a talk on Jan. 24 at 12:45 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 3970 NW 21st Ave. Speaker: Dr. Mark Solomon, Professor Emeritus of History, Simmons College.

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New Smyrna Beach: The 25th Annual Black Heritage Festival is Feb. 5-7, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Pettis Park, 314 N. Duss St. Free. More information: 386-416-9699. Tampa: A leadership luncheon with legendary civil rights activist, entrepreneur and comedian Dick Gregory is Jan. 20 at 11:30 a.m. at the University Area Community Development Center in Tampa. The event is part of the Tampa Bay Black Heritage Festival. www.tampablackheritage.org.

CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS FOR THEATERS AND SHOWTIMES

Miami Gardens: The Jazz in the Gardens music festival is March 18-20. Along with Usher, Kool and the Gang and Brian Culbertson, art-

BISHOP A.J. RICHARDSON Bishop Adam Jefferson (A.J.) Richardson Jr., the 115th bishop of the A.M.E Church, will speak at the 36th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Leadership Breakfast Jan. 18 at the Hilton Hotel – Downtown Tampa. It starts at 6:45 a.m. $35. Tickets: www. tobanetwork.org. ists will include Najee, Regina Belle. Complete lineup: www.jazzinthegardens.com. Fort Lauderdale: ASCENT: Black Women’s Expressions Art Exhibition is Feb. 4-March 4 at Cotilla Gallery, Nova University, 3100 Ray Ferrero Jr. Blvd. Free. St. Petersburg: The Rev. Jamal Harrison Bryant of Baltimore will be the keynote speaker at the 30th annual MLK Leadership Awards Breakfast on Jan. 18 at The Coliseum, 535 4th Ave. N. Miami: The “Walk Together Children” walking tour of Historic Overtown is Feb. 20 from 10 a.m. to noon. RSVP at 305-633-3583 or e-mail missgail52@gmail.com. Tampa: The 10th annual Hillsborough Community College Black, Brown & College Bound’s Dr. Sylvia M. Carley Luncheon will feature former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell as the keynote speaker on Feb. 19 at the Tampa Convention Center at 12:30 p.m. Tickets are $125 each. More information: www.hccfl.edu/bbcb.aspx. Orlando: Central Florida Community Arts will present “The Crucible’’ Jan. 22 through Feb. 7 at Central Christian Church, 250 SW Ivanhoe Blvd. Tickets: Call 407-937-1800 ext. 710 or visit cfcarts.com/events.

REMEMBERING MLK 2016

JANUARY 15 – JANUARY 21, 2016

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Free admission to national parks on MLK Day National parks throughout the country will commemorate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on Monday, Jan. 18. All national parks will provide free admission for all visitors and many parks will host special events or volunteer service projects. “We invite all Americans to honor the legacy of Dr. King in a national park,” said National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis. “Attend a special event, take part in a volunteer project, or visit a site with a direct connection to this great leader. We are all encouraged to remember the values of service and commitment to community that Dr. King exemplified throughout his life. Let’s make this holiday truly a day on, not a day off.” Monday is the first of 16 days in 2016 that the parks will offer free admission to everyone.

Special sites There are several national parks directly associated with King. They are: • Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site in Georgia, which contains his birthplace, home, church, and grave. • The 45-mile long Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail in Alabama, where he led the 1965 Voting Rights March. • National Mall and Memorial Parks in Washington, D.C., which include the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial and the Lincoln Memorial, where he spoke of his dream for America. Parks across the country are offering special programs to reflect on the life and legacy of King. Many parks also will host volunteer work projects. The additional entrance feefree days for 2016 will be April 16 through 24, Aug. 25-28, Sept. 24 and Nov. 11. Visit www.nps.gov/findapark/ mlk-jr-day.htm for more events and detailed information.

OLIVIER DOULIERY/ABACA PRESS/TNS

People take pictures during a dedication ceremony at the Martin Luther King Memorial on the National Mall on Sunday, Oct. 16, 2011, in Washington, D.C. On Jan. 17, 2000, Kristin Gore, Vice President Al Gore, Coretta Scott King and Dexter King walk to the crypt of Martin Luther King, Jr. for a wreathlaying ceremony at the Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site in Atlanta.

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