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JANUARY 27 – FEBRUARY 2, 2017
VOLUME 25 NO. 4
NOW WHAT? Florida Courier publisher Charles W. Cherry II provides a partial list of next steps for Black America.
BY CHARLES W. CHERRY II, ESQ. THE FLORIDA COURIER
Now that “King Don” – that’s what I’ll call him for the next four years – is POTUS No. 45, eight years of sleepy Black advocacy while wearing “bedroom slippers,” as Barack Obama famously said, are now over. Black America is back to where it has been for almost 400 years: fighting and advocating for its issues, by any and every means necessary. Here are some things we must do, starting today (in random order): • Donald J. Trump, who many Black Americans considered to be a racist, misogynist egomaniOLIVIER DOULIERY/ABACA PRESS/TNS ac with narcissistic personality disorder, is the The oath of office to President Donald Trump on Jan. 20 in Washington, D.C.
‘Standing your ground’ may get easier BY JIM TURNER THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA
PART 1 president of these United States. We’ve all gotta deal with it. He’s just the latest man “with issues” who’s held the presidency. And it doesn’t mean he can’t be an effective president. WikiLeaks, Russian hacking, FBI political fumbles or Hillary Clinton’s popular vote count don’t matter any more as far as the daily lives of Black Americans are concerned. Hillary Clinton and the Democrats, who arguably had the most to gain from stopping King Don from taking office, never even bothered to fight the election results in the court system, in the court of public
CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY
Civil rights ‘royalty’ recognized
TALLAHASSEE – A controversial measure that would shift the burden of proof in “stand your ground” self-defense cases cleared its first stop Tuesday on an expected fast track through the Florida Senate. Florida’s much- debated “stand your ground” law says people can use deadly force and do not have a duty to retreat if they think it is necessary to prevent death or great bodily harm. The Republican-dominated Judiciary Committee voted 5-4 – along party lines – to back the proposal (SB 128) by Sen. Rob Bradley, RFleming Island. The measure would shift the burden of proof from defendants to prosecutors during pretrial evidentiary hearings in “stand your ground” cases. The committee also backed an amendment by Bradley that would make the contents of the pre-trial hearings inadmissible at trial if selfdefense claims aren’t granted. Opponents contended at Tuesday’s committee meeting that the “stand your ground” law has disproportionate effects, as it is used more successfully as a defense when White shooters kill African-Americans. But Bradley called the bill “color-blind.”
See LAW, Page A2
FLORIDA | A3 NATION | A6
After march, 500 women trained to seek office Judge resigns amid threat of impeachment RELIGION | B3
ALSO INSIDE
Trump targets Obamacare, immigration
borders.’
Getting control
SNAPSHOTS
COURTESY OF USPS
Viola Davis makes Oscar history
Off to a quick start WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump took a symbolic step aimed at his predecessor’s signature achievement on his first day in the Oval Office, directing federal agencies to take steps to “ease the burden of Obamacare.” On Wednesday, Trump toughened immigration enforcement, signing orders to start construction of a border wall, expand authority to deport thousands, increase the number of detention cells and punish cities and states that refuse to cooperate. His actions represent a major shift in the nation’s approach to immigration and an early indication that Trump plans to boldly reshape government as he promised on the campaign trail. He has shown few signs of letting up on his vow to dra- Beginning matically limit the flow of people from today, the other nations. United The president is also considering a States of flurry of additional orders that would America temporarily ban all new refugees gets back and narrow the openings for peocontrol ple traveling from Muslim-dominatof its ed countries.
The proposal stems from a Florida
ENTERTAINMENT | A6
See STEPS, Page A2
COMPILED FROM WIRE REPORTS
Changes court ruling
When Dems and Republicans share pews
opinion, or in the Electoral College. Therefore, whiny Democrats should shut up, sit down, and focus on preventing their beloved party from becoming a historical 21st-century footnote. • We must get back in the fight. Two weeks ago, I wrote this: “Over four centuries, Black people NEVER quit advocating for our own interests. Malcolm X said we should have “no permanent friends; no permanent enemies; just permanent interests.’ “Disgracefully, the First Black Prez was given a pass by ALL the major civil rights organizations and the increasingly irrelevant Congressional Black Caucus in exchange for Oval Office meetings and White House
On Feb. 1, the U.S. Postal Service will kick off 2017’s Black History Month with the issuance of the Dorothy Height Forever stamp to honor the civil rights legend. Height led the National Council of Negro Women for four decades, and was a former national president of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. The Height stamp will be the 40th stamp in the Postal Service’s Black Heritage series.
“A nation with- President out borders is not Trump a nation,” Trump said to employees at the Department of Homeland Security. “Beginning today, the United States of America gets back control of its borders.” The most immediate impact of Trump’s actions might be a vast increase in the number of people subject to detention and deportation. Trump’s orders call for an expansion of detention facilities holding asylum seekers and others awaiting immigration hearings. It would end so-called catch-andrelease practices that allow those migrants to remain at large if there is overcrowding or if they are mothers with children, unaccompanied minors or face a credible fear of persecution from their home countries. Trump’s orders would also put a See TRUMP, Page A2
COMMENTARY: PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: OUR COUNTRY WILL THRIVE AND PROSPER AGAIN | A5 NATION: WHITE WOMEN’S SUPPORT OF NEW LEADER STILL A THORNY ISSUE FOR BLACKS | A6
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JANUARY 27 – FEBRUARY 2, 2017
Beware of Pharaoh Trump’s ‘fake news’ Lying politicians are a lot like crackheads! One cannot stop tweeting misinformation and the other cannot stop sucking on “Damien’s D”! If you stop to think about it, one lie or one puff on a crack pipe is too many, and a thousand lies or a thousand puffs are not enough! I wonder if United States citizens will go the next four years trying to decide who is right, who is wrong, who is honest and who will lie through his teeth to get people to believe he is perfect without a fault?
No such thing “Fake news” is the term of the day. The president would disagree with me but, in my mind, there is no such thing as “fake news!” “News” is described in the dictionary as “new information about recent happenings.” When you discuss, or tweet, things that never happened, you are not talking about news. When you create scenarios,
LUCIUS GANTT THE GANTT REPORT
suggest imaginary situations or make ridiculous statements, you are not reporting the news. When the president of the United States makes a statement, has a comment, posts or tweets on social media or demands that his press secretary tells the working press corps something, the press reports what was said, discussed, posted or tweeted.
Disagreement means ‘fake’ It appears as though any reports that question or disagrees with what the current president says, or believes, is “fake news!” It doesn’t matter if you have intelligence reports. It doesn’t matter if you have corroborat-
ing witnesses or evidence. And it doesn’t matter if you have videos or photographs to back up what you report on. If it is different than what the president says, it is “fake news.” Let’s assume that fake news is really real. If that was so, the president would be the fake news champion!
Can I prove it? In my mind, yes! The president denied, disparaged and disrespected Barack Obama for years by falsely suggesting that he was unfit and unqualified to become president of the United States because he was not born in America. He also said the former president was a Muslim and a founder of ISIS. All those comments were “fake news,” or outright lies! Many of his comments about all his political opponents and their families amounted to fake news or misrepresentations. And what the president tweeted about Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) – that Lewis represented a crimeinfested congressional district full of drug users and unemployed people – was a bigoted, biased and a racist depiction of a civil rights icon and the people he represents in Congress!
Atlanta is my hometown I know Atlanta neighborhoods and communities. I lived in housing projects. I walked the streets of “Buttermilk Bottom,” “Little Vietnam,” “Bucket of Blood” Kirkwood, Bankhead and some of the other areas that rappers rap about. But John Lewis’s political district is not one of those areas. Millionaires live in John Lewis’ district. If you don’t know, the part of Atlanta that John Lewis represents is super-affluent, well-to-do, and may be one of the wealthiest political districts in the state of Georgia. Don’t act like you’ve never heard of places in Atlanta like “Buckhead,” “Midtown” and “Atlantic Station.” You’ve seen those communities on the crazy “Housewife” shows. That’s where many of the professional athletes live. That’s where Puffy Combs, Ludacris, Gladys Knight and others eat, drink and hang out sometimes when they are in the ATL! My business will soon be setting its Atlanta offices in John Lewis’ political district.
Voted for him When the president tweet-
ed negative comments about the voting of the people who marched on Washington the day after his inauguration, he was talking about his own supporters. It was a women’s march, and more than 50 percent of women that voted for president voted for him – and subsequently marched and protested against him. Perhaps the fake news president is like the biblical wicked Pharaoh. We all know what happened to Pharaoh. Pharaoh kept lying and lying to and about the people that believed in the truth, until Pharaoh got punished by the God that destroyed his kingdom and drowned all his followers and supporters in the Red Sea! One lie always leads to another. Politicians that live by using fake news will die a political death by real true news!
Buy Gantt’s latest book, “Beast Too: Dead Man Writing,” on Amazon.com and from bookstores everywhere. “Like” The Gantt Report page on Facebook. Contact Lucius at www.allworldconsultants. net.
TRUMP
LAW
greater emphasis on deporting not only those convicted of crimes, but also people in the country illegally who were charged with crimes not yet adjudicated, those who receive an improper welfare benefit and even those who have not been charged but are believed to have committed “acts that constitute a chargeable criminal offense.”
Supreme Court ruling in 2015 that said defendants have the burden of proof to show they should be shielded from prosecution under the “stand your ground” law. In “stand your ground” cases, pre-trial evidentiary hearings are held to determine whether defendants should be immune from prosecution. Bradley’s proposal, which has the support of the National Rifle Association and the Florida Public Defender Association, was approved by the Senate in a 24-12 vote last year. The current measure has only one more stop ahead, the Rules Committee, before reaching the Senate floor. Typically, bills are scheduled for three committee appearance before going on the floor.
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Michael A. Memoli, Brian Bennett and Noah Bierman of the Tribune Washington Bureau (TNS) contributed to this report.
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CHIP SOMODEVILLA/POOL/SIPA USA/TNS
President Donald Trump displays one of the executive orders he signed on Wednesday related to domestic security and the process of building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.
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parties featuring the Cupid Shuffle and the Wobble. Black activism went on an extended leave, ending when Trayvon Martin’s and Mike Brown’s deaths energized youthful nontraditional advocacy groups.” Historically, this is an “allhands-on-deck” moment. And I believe that in the midst of the political chaos in the wake of King Don’s election, there are outstanding opportunities for Black America if we are savvy enough to take advantage of them. There is something everyone can do to protect both their own individual and our collective interests. Let’s find out what it is and get to work. And we should be ruthless and unapologetic when we make demands. Speaking of demands… • The concept of a “Black Agenda” should be general knowledge inside Black America. Since the founding of America, our demands haven’t changed. We want to be treated like every other American citizen and have the same constitutional rights and privileges. We don’t want to have obstacles and barriers placed in our way because of our skin color. We want America to recognize and acknowledge its long history of racial discrimination, and adjust accordingly. The details and specifics have evolved throughout American history, but the general concept remains the same. Want details on the current “Black Agenda” with a partial list of demands? Start with www.iamoneofthemillion.com’s “Platform Planks,” and do online research from there. • Be willing to do something different. Marching, online petitions and complaints, mass rallies, sit-ins, lawsuits, or social media advocacy alone are insufficient to make the systemic changes Black America needs to reach his fullest potential. • Build coalitions inside and outside the Black community based on commonalities that allow us to temporarily minimize our differences. Black strippers have got to get together with Black “church girls.” (Occasionally, those two groups might overlap.) Black Lives Matter must get together with Black cops and Black prosecutors. Black homosexual advocates must get together with Black churches. (More possible overlap there.)
Black nonprofits must get together with Black entrepreneurs. Black mainstream journalists must get with nonprofessional Black bloggers with followers. Black prochoice advocates must get with Black pro-life advocates. The focus must be on issues causing disproportionate pain in Black America. We should all be able to agree on goals such as better education, ending mass incarceration, restoring voting rights of ex-felons, ending double-digit Black unemployment, and making our communities safer. We must also work with coalitions on a project basis with other communities with similar interests. As an example, Latino voting activists should be a natural fit with Black activists to push a federal constitutional amendment making voting a constitutional right for every U.S. citizen since the 1965 Voting Rights Act is now endangered. • Focus on what Trump does, not what he says. Ignore the tweets. Now that he is president, King Don will use his Twitter account to control the mainstream Corporate Media’s daily news cycles and headlines, and force them to focus their reporting resources away from what is really going on: the executive orders, the proposed legislation, the political appointments, the administrative actions. Expect King Don to defend lies, deflect from the issues and distract your attention EVERY DAY on Twitter, which is critical to that strategy. Don’t take the Twitter bait. • Unfollow @POTUS and @realdonaldtrump on Twitter. King Don counts anyone who follows him as a supporter. When he became president, he took over Obama’s Twitter account, @POTUS, which had 14 about million followers. (Trump himself has 22.1 million Twitter followers as of Wednesday night, when I wrote this article.) Unless you want to be counted as a Trump supporter, you should unfollow his Twitter and his presidential account. • Bookmark dependable news sources and fact-checking outlets. King Don’s administration will exist in a universe of its own, where straight-up lies and misinformation can become “alternative facts” at their leisure. Consequently, the Black press and independent fact checkers are more necessary now been ever. You can’t depend on your Facebook or Google News feeds to provide you with factually accurate information.
• Stay emotionally healthy. Don’t follow political events in real time. After all, what can you do about them? The Internet has an endless supply of facts and fiction mixed together. Unless you have time to sift through it all, pick a time of day in which you will check your trustworthy news sources for information. There’s nothing wrong with going “old school” and waiting to get your information at the end of the day. • Hold Trump accountable for what he says he will do, including his campaign promises. King Don is starting off fast. Over just two days, he signed executive orders and memoranda killing the Trans-Pacific Partnership, handicapping “Obamacare,” and moving forward on building a Mexican wall – all campaign promises. The Florida Courier was one of only a few media outlets that paid attention to Trump’s “New Deal for Black America,” in which he promised safe communities, equal justice, tax holidays for inner-city investment and new tax incentives, a priority on helping African-American businesses, and infrastructure (including water systems) in America’s inner cities, among other commitments. We must collectively hold his feet to the fire since he’s our president too. • Register as a non-party affiliated (NPA) voter. That is the easiest and most powerful way to make both the Democratic and Republican parties take us seriously. Once both parties see the NPA movement accelerate among Black voters, both parties will begin to “court” Black voters rather than marginalize us from the Republican side, or take us for granted from the Democratic side. • Put feet in every political camp. Democrat, Republican, Green or other parties. Quit calling Black non-Democrats “Uncle Toms” and “Aunt Jemimas.” That makes it more difficult for them to bring Black issues to the table. As I’ve written before, a political party is not religion. You won’t go to heaven (or hell) because of your political affiliation. Let’s dial it down a notch and quit personally attacking Black people who think differently from the Democratic Party’s Black “norm.” Here’s the other side of that. If you take a meeting with King Don, or if you’re fighting for leadership or influence in any party where you know you’re not generally welcomed, bring some demands from the “Black Agenda” to the table, or have a seat and let some-
body with some spine give it a try. Don’t let yourself get “played” and pimped via a Steve Harveystyle photo op, which brands you as “their African-American.” If you can’t get some results back immediately, keep your mouth shut about the meeting (“It was a frank and open exchange of views”) rather than gushing about how impressed you are about somebody you thoroughly trashed before the election, or looking like you just urinated in your pants. • Make the CBC recalibrate itself by running strong, pro-Black advocates in their “safe’’ districts. The Congressional Black Caucus has lost its way. They should change their historical motto to, “‘One permanent friend (Democrats); one permanent enemy (Republicans); just permanent interests (Democrats).” The CBC is more concerned about members’ reelections and its annual weekend rather than advocating unceasingly for the issues of Black America. Contrary to Barack Obama’s fairy-dust thinking, there is a Black America and a White America and a Hispanic and Latino America and other Americas that all make up these United States of America. Black people need political advocates who will unapologetically stand for them, no matter who controls the federal government. • Whatever happens with King Don, Black Americans have been through worse. Over the past 500 years, we’ve survived the worldwide White supremacy Black inferiority brainwashing experiment, African enslavement, transshipment as imprisoned human cargo through the Middle Passage, attempts to destroy our family units, forced breeding, destruction of our native languages and religions, physical and psychological torture, legal and religious hypocrisy, Jim Crow and de facto segregation, and too many other atrocities to count. Still we stand – bloody and stressed – but unbowed. We will survive four years of King Don; eight if necessary.
Next week: Where them dollars at? Why leveraging our individual and collective economic power is the key to our futures.
Increased violence? Debra Harrison Rumberger of the League of Women Voters said the “stand your ground” law already gives an advantage to people who use deadly force in cases of a perceived threat and that Florida will become more dangerous in shifting the burden of proof. Bradley’s bill also comes as the House and Senate consider legislation that would allow people with concealedweapons licenses to openly carry handguns and carry guns at places such as college campuses. “Combined with the proposed open-carry and campus-carry bills, the risks of standing your ground will almost certainly increase violence,” Harrison Rumberger said. Lucia McBath, representing Everytown for Gun Safety and Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, said Bradley’s proposed change would add stress for families of people killed.
‘Anguish and pain’ “Having lived through this grueling experience first-hand, with two trials for my son’s murder, I can attest to the anguish and the pain that this process elicits,” said McBath, whose 17-yearold son Jordan Davis was killed in a dispute over loud music at a Jacksonville gas station in 2012. “We should not make it harder for family members to achieve the justice that they deserve by making gun crimes harder to prosecute.”
JANUARY 27 – FEBRUARY 2, 2017
FLORIDA
A3 sages seeking comment Monday.
‘Victory for justice’
The Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission opened an inquiry after it became aware of a “continuing pattern of misconduct’’ relating to Judge Mark Hulsey III.
Jacksonville judge resigns amid impeachment threat Hulsey accused of saying that Blacks should ‘get back on a ship and go back to Africa.’ BY DARA KAM THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA
TALLAHASSEE – A Jacksonville circuit judge accused of making racist and sexist remarks abruptly resigned Monday, a day before a House committee was slated to explore impeachment proceedings. Judge Mark Hulsey III – who less than a month ago denied
State ends 2016 with 4.9 percent jobless rate Florida ended 2016 with an unemployment rate that was unchanged in December and 0.2 percentage points lower than at the start of the year. The monthly jobless mark of 4.9 percent for December, the same as November, represented 491,000 Floridians who qualified as unemployed from a workforce of 9.95 million, the state Department of Economic Opportunity said on Jan. 20. “As we see a falling unemployment rate over the past 12 months and an increase in residents in our state and an increase in job participation, what it shows is more people are able to
making any inappropriate comments – submitted his resignation letter Monday morning to Gov. Rick Scott, saying he was stepping down immediately. Hulsey, who narrowly won reelection last year in the midst of a high-profile probe by a panel that oversees judges, was accused of saying that Blacks should “get back on a ship and go back to Africa” and referring to women staff attorneys as being “like cheerleaders who talk during the national anthem.”
Misconduct pattern The 4th Judicial Circuit judge also was accused of referring to a female staff lawyer as a “bitch” and a “c---,” after she complained
find jobs and find their new opportunities,” department Executive Director Cissy Proctor said.
237,000 jobs The unemployment rate at the end of 2015 was 5.1 percent, with an estimated 493,000 Floridians out of work. The labor force has grown by 223,000 people since the start of the year, with top increases in the fields of education and health services, hospitality, and professional and business services. Gov. Rick Scott, attending the presidential inauguration in Washington on Jan. 20, issued a release that said Florida businesses created 237,300 new privatesector jobs in 2016. The national unemployment rate in December stood at 4.7 percent, down from 4.9 percent when the year began. The state’s estimated jobless total grew by 9,000 people from November to December, with private-sector
to the chief judge that Hulsey was overusing staff attorneys. The Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission in July filed what is known as a “notice of formal charges” against Hulsey in the Supreme Court, which has ultimate authority to discipline judges. The notice said the commission opened an inquiry after it became aware of a “continuing pattern of misconduct.” In an amended notice of formal charges filed in December, the panel accused Hulsey of “engaging in bullying, intimidation, ridicule, rude and discourteous behavior, persistent unfair and demeaning criticism,” being “overly demanding,” and of “making inappropriate comments on race and sex.”
The committee was expected to approve subpoenas requiring Hulsey and other witnesses to testify and was expected to make a recommendation of impeachment, which would have required action from the full House, Corcoran said. Even before taking over as speaker in November, Corcoran, a lawyer, has been on a crusade to rein in the judiciary. The speaker is endorsing legislation this year that would impose term limits on judges. But Corcoran said Monday his concerns about the judiciary are separate from Hulsey’s potential impeachment. “All officeholders – whether you’re a legislator, whether you’re a judge, whether you’re a governor – need to be held to proper standards and fair and just standards of excellence,” Corcoran said. “And when they refuse to engage in that behavior … then accountability needs to be exacted.”
Rate by counties Monroe County, which started 2016 with the state’s lowest unemployment rate at 3.3 percent, maintained the best mark at 3.0 percent last month. Hamilton County followed, with a 3.4 percent unemployment rate. St. Johns County, which started the year at 3.8 percent, was third-lowest in December with a 3.6 percent mark. Rural Hendry County throughout the year retained the highest jobless rate. The inland county southwest of Lake Okeechobee, started the year at 8.4 percent and ended 2016 at 8.0 percent. Hendry was followed by Citrus County, which started the year at 7.2 percent and stood at 6.7 percent in December. Sumter County, meanwhile, went from 7.3 percent to 6.6 percent.
change lives. Denisha failed third grade twice before receiving a scholarship.
Now, she is pursuing
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Scholarships for lower-income schoolchildren and those with certain special needs. StepUpForStudents.org 877.735.7837 at
Hulsey, 66, was also accused of interfering with the panel’s investigation by allegedly telling his judicial assistant to “tell the truth” and to also say that she did not believe the judge would make any derogatory remarks about women or Blacks. In a response filed on Dec. 29, Hulsey’s lawyer Michael Tanner denied that the judge made inappropriate comments “as he is not a racist or a sexist and does not conduct himself as such.” Hulsey also denied saying that “Blacks should get back on a ship” to Africa, comments he allegedly made in 2011, according to the court filings. “Judge Hulsey cannot recall the specific verbiage of any conversation he may have had in 2011. However, Judge Hulsey can say with absolute confidence and conviction that he is not a racist, he rejects and does not hold the ideas expressed” in the alleged comments, Tanner wrote. Tanner did not respond to mes-
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jobs dropping by 2,700.
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Comments denied
Hulsey’s resignation came a day before the House Public Integrity and Ethics Committee was slated to take up its own investigation into the judge, according to House Speaker Richard Corcoran, R-Land O’ Lakes. The committee was scheduled to consider “a report on preliminary findings,” according to the House website. Hulsey’s name does not appear anywhere on the meeting notice. But, in a telephone interview, Corcoran confirmed that the committee was “going down the path of impeachment.” Corcoran called Hulsey’s behavior “very egregious” and said it was “disconcerting at best” that the judicial qualifications commission’s process was taking so long; the first notice of formal charges against Hulsey were filed in July, and a trial wasn’t scheduled to take place until June. “It didn’t take us that long to figure out that the behavior he engaged in was repulsive and yes, it’s a victory for justice,” Corcoran said.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF MIAMI DOLPHINS
The Miami Dolphins’ Jordan Lucas (21) interacts with a youngster at the event.
Thousands participate in autism awareness event Miami Dolphins Hall of Fame Quarterback Dan Marino hosted the seventh annual Dan Marino Foundation WalkAbout Autism & Expo on Jan. 21 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. The annual event started in 2010 by The Dan Marino Foundation provides a powerful and inspiring platform for South Floridians to come together as a community in an effort to promote awareness, raise funds for innovative initiatives and advocate for the needs of people living with autism. Each year the event gathers close to 20,000 participants who walk together with an ultimate pursuit of inspiring the world to embrace autism acceptance.
The annual event attracted a large crowd to Hard Rock Stadium.
The Marino family are shown at the WalkAbout Autism & Expo.
EDITORIAL
A4
JANUARY 27 – FEBRUARY 2, 2017
The truth about the women’s march against Trump Donald J. Trump is clearly the most thin-skinned, self-centered and self-aggrandizing man ever elected president of the United States. This explains why he became so unnerved and unhinged last week after watching women gather in cities around the world to greet the first day of his presidency with jeers, not cheers. According to the Washington Post, “More than 1 million people gathered in Washington and in cities around the country and the world…to mount a roaring rejoinder to the inauguration of President Trump. What started as a Facebook post by a Hawaii retiree became an unprecedented international rebuke of a new president that packed cities large and small – from London to Los Angeles, Paris to Park City, Utah, Miami to Melbourne, Australia.”
Many issues Myriad causes animated these marchers, which turned their gatherings into Tower of Babellike spectacles. But there’s no denying what NPR reported as their galvanizing aims: opposition to Trump’s agenda and support for women’s rights. Nothing betrayed how much they affected him quite like the way Trump behaved during a visit to CIA headquarters the same day. He went there ostensibly to make amends for spending much of his transition impugning the intelligence and integrity of its agents. Instead Trump spent much of his speech – which he gave in front of a memorial wall that honors the 117 CIA officers who have fallen in the line of duty – focusing on the size of the crowd size at his inauguration, his appearance on magazine covers and saying he “has a running war with the media.”
Shameful speech Citing CNN: “Former CIA Director Brennan is deeply saddened and angered at Donald Trump’s despicable display of self-aggrandizement in front of CIA’s Memorial Wall of Agency heroes,’ [Brennan’s spokesman] Nick Shapiro said in a statement. ‘Brennan says that Trump should be ashamed of himself.” With all due respect to Director Brennan, expecting Trump to be ashamed of himself is like expecting a ghost to be afraid of itself. Apropos of which, his “despicable display” is just the umpteenth reason why we should be afraid that this insecure buffoon is now the most powerful man in the world. He makes North Korea’s nuke-crazy boy dictator, Kim Jong-un, look like a seasoned statesman. I mean, if Trump would use the solemn space of the CIA’s Memorial Wall to try to convince us that the size of his “crowd” was bigger
ANTHONY L. HALL, ESQ. FLORIDA COURIER COLUMNIST
It does not require a leap for me to have faith that the organizers of this Women’s March will do a better job of turning their moment into a movement. I found it particularly encouraging that, instead of focusing on raising money to fund their organizing efforts, they issued marching orders. than Obama’s, imagine what portends.
A dangerous man After all, it’s bad enough that this new president is a pathological liar. But it’s certifiably dangerous that he and his spin doctors seem intent on continually challenging us to believe the lie we hear from them, instead of the truth we see with our own eyes. And it’s self-evident that it does not matter to Trump if that lie is about a matter as petty as his crowd size or as grave as his collusion with foreign enemies – like Putin’s Russia. To be fair, his congenital insecurities are probably such that he cannot help telling big lies about the size of everything from his small crowds to his small… hands. Size literally matters to him. On the other hand, his cunning is probably such that he thought throwing a tantrum about the media’s coverage of his inauguration on Friday would draw coverage from the women’s protests on Saturday. And he was right, which speaks volumes about the media’s Pavlovian reaction to everything Trump says (or tweets).
A terrible speech He probably also thought it better to have the media run-
A circle of billionaires controls the planet’s wealth The world is being strangled, smothered and starved to death by billionaires – 1,826 of them, by Forbes magazine’s count. The ever-deepening concentration of wealth that is both the logic and the inevitable result of capitalism has reached such depraved proportions that eight of the richest people on the planet now own as much wealth as the bottom half of the entire human race.
A crime The very existence of such concentrated private wealth is a crime against humanity, and incompatible with any notion of civilization. Indeed, how can a society call itself civilized, when half the value of all of humanity’s labor – which is what those
GLEN FORD BLACK AGENDA REPORT
fortunes actually represent – is at the disposal of eight men? Clearly, the world needs a revolution, to throw off the dead weight of these billionaires. Last year, the Oxfam organization calculated that it took 62 of the world’s richest people to equal the wealth held by the bottom half of humanity. This year, it only takes eight. According to Oxfam’s latest study, the way capitalism is going, in 25 years we could be talking about a few trillionaires con-
ning down this rabbit hole than analyzing his dystopian inaugural speech, which paid homage the American isolationism that led to World War I, discarding the American exceptionalism that has prevented another such conflagration for over 65 years. His speech made a mockery of his universal acclaim as leader of the free world – an acclaim every US president has honored for more than 100 years. Frankly, I see no reason to dignify it with any further comment. Incidentally, CIA personnel gave him a polite reception – complete with perfunctory applause and canned laughter on cue. Never mind reports that Trump boosters – who were bused in for the occasion – egged them on. But I suspect Brennan expressed how most agents really feel about his visit.
Seen this before That said, I was overcome with a foreboding sense of déjà vu as I stood among the mammary hordes on the Mall on Saturday, listening to speaker after speaker declaim on issues as varied as unequal pay, reproductive rights, and that infamous wall. My foreboding stemmed from the fact that I stood among “a million Black men” on that same Mall in 1995, listening to speaker after speaker fulminate against everything from predatory lending to police brutality and White supremacy. As was the case with this march, organizers of the Million Man March talked about harnessing the surge of activism on display into a movement to redress their concerns. Yet they had so little to show in this regard that I vented my disappointment and decried their shortcomings: first, 10 years later in “Millions More Movement (and That’s Millions More Dollars, Not People … Fool!),” October 17, 2005; and again 20 years later in “Farrakhan’s ‘Justice or Else’ Ponzi Scheme,” October 13, 2015. In fact, it speaks volumes that Black men are still fulminating against all the injustices that inspired their original march. Granted, they’re marching these days under the newfangled banner, Black Lives Matter!
A better job Nonetheless, it does not require a leap for me to have faith that the organizers of this Women’s March will do a better job of turning their moment into a movement. I found it particularly encouraging that, instead of focusing on raising money to fund their organizing efforts, they issued marching orders. Most notably, they urged women to get involved in politics – from voting in elections at every level (even if only for local dogtrolling the wealth of Planet Earth. However, I doubt that we will ever see an Age of Trillionaires – if only because global society would shatter and explode from the sheer magnitude of the accumulated theft of human labor and natural resources. The billionaires must be made extinct, one way or the other, so that the multitudes can restructure the world into a survivable place. The 500 richest people on the planet cannot be allowed, 20 years from now, to pass on $2.1 trillion in inheritance to their privileged children – the equivalent of the entire yearly economy of India and its 1.3 billion people.
Last of the super-rich The United States has by far the highest concentration of billionaires – 536, followed by China, with 251. Russia is way down in sixth place, with only 77 billionaires, behind Britain, Germany and India. But, of course, billion-
VISUAL VIEWPOINT: WOMEN POWER
STEVE SACK / CAGLE CARTOONS
catcher) to bombarding congressional representatives with issueoriented phone calls to running for office at every level (even if only for local dogcatcher).
Written about it I’ve been in the vanguard of those urging women to do just that in such commentaries as “Cracking the Glass Ceiling: First Woman to Become President in South America,” December 12, 2005, and “Men Should Be Barred from Politics,” September 25, 2013. In “Women Make Better Politicians than Men,” October 14, 2010, I wrote the following: “We have enough data, as well as anecdotal evidence, from the way women have influenced the corporate world to make some credible extrapolations. The correlation between more women holding positions of power and the implementation of familyfriendly policies is undeniable in this respect. Therefore, it’s entirely reasonable to assert that if more women held positions of power in politics they would use their power more towards building up human resources than military armaments – just to cite one obvious example. “Indeed, it’s arguable that there’s a direct correlation between the fact that Finland’s president, prime minister, president of the Supreme Court as well as eight of its eleven government ministers are all women, and the fact that Newsweek rated this county the best place to live in 2010 – in terms of health, economic dynamism, education, political environment, and quality of life.”
Lost opportunity This explains why, for me, Hillary losing to Trump was more about opportunities lost than fears realized. (Of Trump’s top 21 cabinet picks, 17 are White men. Obama had 8; Bush, 11.) Yet hope springs eternal. And given our celebrity-obsessed culture, here’s to Hollywood stars
The very existence of such concentrated private wealth is a crime against humanity, and incompatible with any notion of civilization. aires live anywhere they want to – which really means they live nowhere at all. Home is where their money is, and every billionaire is a fully globalized citizen, with no loyalties except to his class. The existence of billionaires should be seen as a measure of the sickness of the capitalist system, now in its last stages. Of the eight richest billionaires in the United States, six made their for-
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like Ashley Judd, Scarlett Johansson, and America Ferrera – who happened to be three of the more inspiring speakers – emulating the likes of Ronald Reagan, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Donald Trump someday soon. I won’t hesitate to vent disappointment and decry their shortcomings if, 10 years from now, the organizers of this Women’s March have little to show for the unprecedented activism.
Voted for Trump Finally, I’ll comment on the meme about this activism being a day late and a vote short. Trump himself tweeted, “Watched protests yesterday but was under the impression that we just had an election! Why didn’t these people vote?” The problem is that, like so many viral memes, this one has no basis in fact. It’s entirely possible, if not probable, that the eligible women who marched on Saturday DID vote in November. How do you think Hillary ended up with 65,844,954 votes – almost three million more than Trump? That›s a fun fact that gets under his thin skin like no other. The challenge now is for these women who marched to help their March-For-Life sisters who voted for Trump to come to their senses. But it hardly helps in this regard to tell them that their stance on one issue – abortion – precludes them from marching in solidarity with women on all other issues, as organizers reportedly did in this case. It behooves all anti-Trump activists to bear in mind that 53 percent of White women voted for him.
Anthony L. Hall is a Bahamian native with an international law practice in Washington, D.C. Read his columns and daily weblog at www.theipinionsjournal.com. tunes from the telecommunications industry, whose political influence now rivals that of Wall Street. Not only are the Silicon Valley fat cats obscenely wealthy, but they control the information systems that the rest of us depend on to understand what’s going on in our world. That makes people like Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg very dangerous. The good news is, young people around the world understand the nature of the threat to human freedom posed by these information system tycoons, who got rich through monopoly and market manipulation, just like the other capitalists. They too, must face expropriation, so that the saga of human equality can begin.
Glen Ford is executive editor of BlackAgendaReport.com. Email him at Glen.Ford@BlackAgendaReport.com
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JANUARY 27 – FEBRUARY 2, 2017
EDITORIAL
A5
‘It’s going to be America first’ Editor's note: President Donald J. Trump delivered this inauguration speech on Jan. 20: Chief Justice Roberts, President Carter, President Clinton, President Bush, President Obama, fellow Americans, and people of the world: Thank you. We, the citizens of America, are now joined in a great national effort to rebuild our country and to restore its promise for all of our people. Together, we will determine the course of America and the world for years to come. We will face challenges. We will confront hardships. But we will get the job done. Every four years, we gather on these steps to carry out the orderly and peaceful transfer of power, and we are grateful to President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama for their gracious aid throughout this transition. They have been magnificent.
prejudice. The Bible tells us, “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity.” We must speak our minds openly, debate our disagreements honestly, but always pursue solidarity. When America is united, America is totally unstoppable. There should be no fear – we are protected, and we will always be protected. We will be protected by the great men and women of our military and law enforcement and, most importantly, we are protected by God. Finally, we must think big and dream even bigger.
No empty talk
Transferring power back Today’s ceremony, however, has very special meaning. Because today we are not merely transferring power from one administration to another, or from one party to another – but we are transferring power from Washington, D.C. and giving it back to you, the American people. For too long, a small group in our nation’s capital has reaped the rewards of government, while the people have borne the cost. Washington flourished – but the people did not share in its wealth. Politicians prospered – but the jobs left, and the factories closed. The establishment protected itself, but not the citizens of our country. Their victories have not been your victories; their triumphs have not been your triumphs; and while they celebrated in our nation’s capital, there was little to celebrate for struggling families all across our land.
‘It belongs to you’ That all changes – starting right here, and right now, because this moment is your moment. It belongs to you. It belongs to everyone gathered here today and everyone watching all across America. This is your day. This is your celebration. And this, the United States of America, is your country. What truly matters is not which party controls our government, but whether our government is controlled by the people. January 20, 2017 will be remembered as the day the people became the rulers of this nation again. The forgotten men and women of our country will be forgotten no longer. Everyone is listening to you now. You came by the tens of millions to become part of a historic movement the likes of which the world has never seen before. At the center of this movement is a crucial conviction: that a nation exists to serve its citizens.
OLIVIER DOULIERY/ABACA PRESS/TNS
Americans want great schools infrastructure has fallen into disfor their children, safe neighbor- repair and decay. hoods for their families, and good jobs for themselves. These are the Left behind just and reasonable demands of a We’ve made other countries righteous public. rich while the wealth, strength, and confidence of our country Different reality has disappeared over the horizon. But for too many of our citizens, One by one, the factories shuta different reality exists: Moth- tered and left our shores, with not ers and children trapped in pov- even a thought about the millions erty in our inner cities; rusted- upon millions of American workout factories scattered like tomb- ers left behind. The wealth of our stones across the landscape of middle class has been ripped our nation; an education system from their homes and then redisflush with cash, but which leaves tributed across the entire world. But that is the past. And now we our young and beautiful students deprived of knowledge; and the are looking only to the future. We crime and gangs and drugs that assembled here today are issuing have stolen too many lives and a new decree to be heard in every robbed our country of so much city, in every foreign capital, and in every hall of power. unrealized potential. From this day forward, a new This American carnage stops vision will govern our land. From right here and stops right now. We are one nation – and their this moment on, it’s going to be pain is our pain. Their dreams America First. Every decision on trade, on are our dreams; and their success will be our success. We share one taxes, on immigration, on forheart, one home, and one glori- eign affairs, will be made to benous destiny. The oath of office I efit American workers and Ameritake today is an oath of allegiance can families. We must protect our borders from the ravages of othto all Americans. For many decades, we’ve en- er countries making our prodriched foreign industry at the ex- ucts, stealing our companies, and pense of American industry; sub- destroying our jobs. Protection sidized the armies of other coun- will lead to great prosperity and tries while allowing for the very strength. I will fight for you with every sad depletion of our military. We’ve defended other nation’s breath in my body –and I will nevborders while refusing to defend er, ever let you down. America our own; and spent trillions of will start winning again; winning dollars overseas while America’s like never before.
Just what was the women’s march about? First, they called it the “Women’s March on Washington,” but that was a very big understatement or misnomer. There were millions of women marching in D.C., Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, Sydney, Australia, Denver, London, and various other cities throughout the free world. It was very orchestrated and successfully caught the attention of everyone. The day before was the inauguration ceremonies of our 45th president, Donald J. Trump.
Sabotage attempt There was an attempt to break up the marching ceremony by a pack of about 1,000 goons. More than 200 of them were arrested for “felony rioting,” which carries a sentence of 10 years. They didn’t achieve their goal, and I certainly appreciated the way the D.C. Police Department handled the situation. The D.C. venue was the largest of the marches and rivaled the size of the inauguration. Regardless of which venue, all the marches by the Million Women March (correct description) were impressive and well-coordinated. Many of the marchers, which were about 90 percent female and perhaps 10 percent Black, carried descriptive and sometimes vulgar signs which they dropped in front of the new Trump Tower Hotel after the march. The overall theme was rotating – abortion, abusive
HARRY C. ALFORD GUEST COLUMNIST
behavior by males, racism, misogyny, civil rights, rape, and immigration, to name a few. Most of the speakers were celebrities. Most were passionate, and some were vulgar. The most extreme was Madonna, who suggested “blowing up the White House,” which will probably get her an interview with the Secret Service. I think the best and most convincing was Alicia Keys.
Who funded it? The D.C. marches came into the city via 1,800 buses. That got me to wondering. Just who is paying for all of this? There must be millions of dollars involved. I assume that the bank roller must be that culprit named George Soros, who has supported unrest and rebellion in the past. I was right! This guy funded 50 various groups to participate in this massive and multi-venue event. One of them was our traditional NAACP. The cost is at least $90 million dollars per Fox News. This must be his biggest campaign since MoveOn.org.
Some are saying that this is the birth of “the Tea Party of the left.” I disagree with that. The Tea Party was orderly and pushed very conservative issues in an orderly manner. These guys border on extremism. Filmmaker Michael Moore stated that they were going to chase out “old-school and weak Democrats and create a new, bolder party.” Now THAT is threatening.
Bring things back We will bring back our jobs. We will bring back our borders. We will bring back our wealth. And we will bring back our dreams. We will build new roads, and highways, and bridges, and airports, and tunnels, and railways all across our wonderful nation. We will get our people off of welfare and back to work – rebuilding our country with American hands and American labor. We will follow two simple rules: Buy American and hire American. We will seek friendship and goodwill with the nations of the world – but we do so with the understanding that it is the right of all nations to put their own interests first. We do not seek to impose our way of life on anyone, but rather to let it shine as an example for everyone to follow. We will reinforce old alliances and form new ones – and unite the civilized world against radical Islamic terrorism, which we will eradicate completely from the face of the Earth.
Loyal to ourselves At the bedrock of our politics will be a total allegiance to the United States of America, and through our loyalty to our country, we will rediscover our loyalty to each other. When you open your heart to patriotism, there is no room for
In America, we understand that a nation is only living as long as it is striving. We will no longer accept politicians who are all talk and no action – constantly complaining but never doing anything about it. The time for empty talk is over. Now arrives the hour of action. Do not let anyone tell you it cannot be done. No challenge can match the heart and fight and spirit of America. We will not fail. Our country will thrive and prosper again. We stand at the birth of a new millennium, ready to unlock the mysteries of space, to free the Earth from the miseries of disease, and to harness the energies, industries and technologies of tomorrow. A new national pride will stir our souls, lift our sights, and heal our divisions. It is time to remember that old wisdom our soldiers will never forget: that whether we are Black or Brown or White, we all bleed the same red blood of patriots, we all enjoy the same glorious freedoms, and we all salute the same great American flag.
All the same And whether a child is born in the urban sprawl of Detroit or the windswept plains of Nebraska, they look up at the same night sky, they fill their heart with the same dreams, and they are infused with the breath of life by the same almighty Creator. So to all Americans, in every city near and far, small and large, from mountain to mountain, and from ocean to ocean, hear these words: You will never be ignored again. Your voice, your hopes, and your dreams will define our American destiny. And your courage and goodness and love will forever guide us along the way. Together, we will make America strong again. We will make America wealthy again. We will make America proud again. We will make America safe again. And yes, together, we will make America great again. Thank you. God bless you. And God bless America.
VISUAL VIEWPOINT: THE TRUMP INAUGURATION
Global disruptor Soros will be the biggest threat. This guy is a cold-hearted disrupter who loves to mettle in political arenas the size of nations. He carries the nickname, “the man who broke the Bank of England.” He got that by short-selling $10 billion worth of pounds sterling and causing a panic. In the end, he pocketed a profit of more than $1 billion. This is how he makes his money – currency speculation. He has replicated that in Southeast Asia. Malaysia is still cringing for a similar act done there by Mr. Soros. In 2005, he was convicted in France of insider trading and was fined over a million dollars. He paid it and kept on going. He wants to present an image of civil rights, women’s rights, Black Lives Matter and so on. The essential point is he wants unrest and division in America and anywhere else. He has the Hollywood celebrities duped into thinking he is quite a Democratic supporter. It is far worst and creepier.
cause trouble for both Democrats and Republicans. I pray that we do not have to go through riots, burnings, and deaths. What we need are leaders who can unite and set examples of peaceful progress and a healthier society. I worry about assassinations and war. If that happens, Soros would probably figure out how to stir it up and make some money – like Ferguson, Baltimore, etc. The next big march in D.C. is from the conservative bent. It will be the pro-life march. It is expected to be another huge event. Big trouble? I wonder if the NAACP will attend This is starting to remind me this? After all, a very huge portion of the 1960s. This new, bold- of abortions come from the Black er Democratic Party is going to communities.
TOM JANSSEN, THE NETHERLANDS
Other options Couldn’t we adopt these unwanted children instead of taking away their lives? It is heartless! I protect a women’s right to choose but there are many alternatives. There must be a million families who would love to adopt an unwanted child. Maybe our government could fund a network of adoption services. They do it for abortion.
Harry C. Alford is the co-founder and president/CEO of the National Black Chamber of Commerce. Contact him via www.nationalbcc.org. Click on this commentary at www.flcourier.com to write your own response.
TOJ A6
NATION
JANUARY 27 – FEBRUARY 2, 2017 about that,” she said, laughing. “We have lawmakers back home in Kansas and Kansas City who are vulnerable, and for good reason. Now I feel like I have the tools to do something.”
At any stage Unlike many of the women at the training, Blanca Rosales admitted that she had not always wanted to seek office. The election changed that. “I had thought, ‘I’m only 22. I’m not qualified for anything.’ But today reminded me that that’s what women often do,” said Rosales, who lives in Arlington, Va., but wants to go back home to San Antonio and become involved in local government. “We always wait to feel more ready, more qualified. But men, they don’t think twice.” Michelle McLeod, 50, of Germantown, Md., said she spent much of her life working as an organizer, but now wants more. “I mean Nancy Pelosi was 47 when she first ran for Congress, you can decide at any stage to run,” she said.
Pushing forward
said Trump’s election had energized them to pursue leadership positions. “This election taught me that you really don’t have to have a long resume to run and to win,” said Whitney Logan of Kansas City. “It’d be nice to have voices in Congress and in state legislatures and on school boards and on city councils that represent their constituents, and aren’t insecure because their resume isn’t six law degrees from Georgetown.”
McLeod said she became an activist after she was discharged from the Navy because of her sexual orientation before the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. She wants to return to San Diego, where she served, and run for office. EMILY’s List President Stephanie Schriock said the next four years, under a Trump administration and a Republican-controlled Congress, must balance “holding the line” on women’s issues like abortion and continuing to push for equal pay and paid family leave. “We recognize that we have an administration and a Congress that absolutely intends to roll back everything that we have succeeded in getting in the last decades,” she said. “We want to push forward on these progressive policies in states where we can, in cities where we can.”
A dream deferred
Not alone
CAROLYN COLE/LOS ANGELES TIMES/TNS
Thousands gather for the Women’s March on Jan. 21 in Washington, D.C. Similar protests were held around the world..
Empowered and trained to seek elected office After the Jan. 21 march, hundreds of women learn how to run for office. BY VERA BERGENGRUEN TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE
WASHINGTON – The day after the Women’s March brought half a million people to Washington, 500 women from across the country spent Sunday learning how to run for office. The candidate training held by EMILY’s List, the largest Democratic women’s group in the country, focused on overcoming the “intimidation factor” when navigating political campaign-
ing, especially for women of color. It was the group’s largest training event. “We still have ceilings to break, even inside our Democratic Party,” said Muthoni Wambu Kraal, senior director of state engagement and development at EMILY’s List.
cause of the color of our skin or anything like that, (but) because of the experience that we bring in from our different perspectives,” she said. “Don’t think that because you’re not connected to the wealthiest people in the world that you can’t run for office.”
‘Barriers are high’
Energized to run
Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., told the women about breaking through as the first Indian-American woman in the House of Representatives. “As a woman of color in particular, barriers are high. They’re very high,” she said, encouraging women to pursue their point of view in elected office. “It’s important, not only be-
The Women’s March drew millions of protesters in cities across the country and the world, rallying against President Donald Trump’s agenda and for a range of progressive causes. After the training — during which they chanted “Fired up! Ready to run!” one of former President Barack Obama’s campaign slogans — many women
With a 2-year-old at home and a part-time job as a psychotherapist, she says she realizes it will be difficult. But the networking from the march and Sunday’s training gave her the push to pursue what she dreamed of doing when she was younger. Logan said after she recently ran into her third-grade teacher, who reminded her that as a 9-year-old, she wanted to run for president someday. “I had completely forgotten
The Women’s March was effective in bringing together women who otherwise might not ever engage with political organizing, Schriock said. “The most important thing we saw yesterday, the big takeaway, was the numbers of women in rural America, in the middle of America, who came together and realized, ‘I’m not alone,’ ’’ she said. “That’s so empowering, and those are going to be our future candidates.”
White women’s support of Trump still a thorny issue BY HANNAH ALLAM TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE
WASHINGTON — In a small clearing amid the busloads of protesters in Washington Saturday, a group of activists held up large portraits of Black women and called out names: Tanisha Anderson, Korryn Gaines, Sandra Bland. The activists were from #SayHerName, a national campaign to draw attention to how police brutality and racial violence affect Black women. The women named had been killed by police. A middle-age White marcher watched the scene in puzzlement for a few minutes before turning to her friend to ask: “Say her name? What does that even mean?”
The disconnnect The question illustrates the disconnect that made many women of color think twice before joining the Women’s March on Washington and the solidarity protests that unfolded around the world the day after President Donald Trump took office. Too often, minority women organizers say, race-specific issues are left out of the national feminist conversation, even though women of color voted overwhelmingly against Trump and represent one of the fastestgrowing voter segments. Minority activists said they couldn’t understand how any woman could buy into Trump’s fearmongering rather than stand united against a president who was caught on video boasting of sexual assault and has a record of disparaging women and entire racial groups.
Felt betrayed It felt like a betrayal, they said, that 53 percent of White women voters chose Trump, compared with 94 percent of Black women and 68 percent of Latinas who voted for Hillary Clinton. If they did their bit to “fight the patriarchy,” the reasoning goes, why should women of color have to ask for a place at the forefront of big national events like the women’s march? “We need a multi-issue women’s movement but, in this moment, are our White sisters going to choose to be White or choose to be women?” said Jodeen Olguin-Tayler, a New Mexico-born Chicana activist, summing up the big question that activists of color have as they consider how to confront the Trump administration.
Name change The election results pushed uncomfortable questions of race into feminist spaces, making for fraught conversations in the planning of the march. The first concept of “a million-woman march” was criticized as an example of White feminists coopting the language and tactics of Black activists, who staged big marches in 1995 and 1997. The name was changed and prominent activists representing different minority communities were added to the organizing committee. The march’s agenda was made to include issues important to minority participants –– for example, calling specifically for “accountability and justice in cases of police brutality and ending racial profiling and targeting of communities of color.” Olguin-Tayler, who works for the New York-based public pol-
FRANCINE ORR/LOS ANGELES TIMES/TNS
Women of color at the march: From left are Asha Isse, 19, Bilqis Kulungu, 19, and Safiya Hussein, 20, all of Los Angeles. They were participating in the women’s march there. icy nonprofit Demos, got involved with the planning when one of the march organizers enlisted her, only half-joking about the need for “a White-woman whisperer.”
More work ahead As a light-skinned woman who can pass for White, OlguinTayler said, she helped to convey the concerns of activists of color to White feminist figures who “were having some difficulty with giving up space.” “I don’t think it’s a big happy bow, but I think we’re doing the work and we’re in the place we need to be in,” Olguin-Tayler said. “I’m really hopeful.” The changes — and the con-
versations that unfolded about them among White women and women of color on long bus rides to Washington — were viewed by many marchers as a good lesson in the power of honest dialogue. “This is just a beginning coalition,” said Deborah Jackson, an African-American marcher from Chester, Pa. “What I see from the Caucasian women that I discuss with is a desire to understand — a desire for understanding on our part, for understanding on their part.”
The struggle continues The problem is as old as American feminist organizing; today’s activists of color cite the
cautionary tale of White suffragists jettisoning Black women from the movement to ease their own pursuit of the vote. Minority activists are quick to remind that it’s not just ethically sound, but also politically expedient to be inclusive, given that women of color represent 74 percent of the growth in eligible voters since 2000, according to the Center for American Progress, a liberal research group. Black activist and social commentator Jamilah Lemieux, who did not participate in the march, wrote in a column that Trump’s election was already depressing enough without have to “feign solidarity with women who by and large didn’t have my back prior to November.”
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JANUARY 27 – FEBRUARY 2, 2017
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BREAKING DOWN OBAMACARE
A Q&A on the impact of Trump’s order to weaken the Affordable Care Act Above: President Donald Trump, with White House chief of staff Reince Pribus, from left, counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway, White House Communications Director Hope Hicks, Senior Advisor Jared Kushner and Senior Counselor Stephen Bannon, signs one of five executive orders related to the oil pipeline industry in the oval office of the White House on Jan. 24. On inauguration day, he signed an executive order relating to the Affordable Care Act.
BY JOSH MAGNESS TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Jan. 20 aimed at defanging the Affordable Care Act, giving heads of federal departments more power to delay or grant exemptions from regulations associated with the law. Its immediate effect remains unclear. Here are some of the most important questions: Q: What does the executive order say? A: The first executive order from Trump reaffirms his administration’s dedication to repealing the Affordable Care Act, encouraging heads of federal agencies to “minimize unwarranted economic and regulatory burdens of the act.” It tries to do this by giving the Department of Health and Human Services and other agencies leeway in how to enforce the health care law. It also asks heads of various federal departments to give flexibility to the states in their own health care programs “to the maximum extent permitted by law.” Q: What does the executive order do? A: Nothing now, said Cynthia Cox, associate director for the program for the study of health reform and private insurance at the Kaiser Family Foundation. “Any change would have to come from a new guidance that HHS and IRS would issue,” Cox said in an interview. “It just signals that the administration will be working with the (Department of Health and Human Services) and other agencies.” The order can’t overturn provisions of the law enacted by Congress. But it can give heads of departments that deal with regulations found in it some discretionary leeway when dealing with some of the its regulations. One example is the individ-
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Left: Former President Barack Obama congratulates President Donald Trump during the 58th Presidential Inauguration on Jan. 20 in Washington, D.C.
OLIVIER DOULIERY/ ABACA PRESS/TNS
ual mandate, which requires Americans who can afford coverage to purchase health insurance or pay a fee. But those who feel they cannot afford either the health insurance or the penalty for lacking it because of a “hardship” can ask for an exemption. The Trump administration could loosen the requirements to receive a “hardship” exemption, potentially increasing premiums and prompting some to leave the insurance market, Cox said. Q: How quickly could the executive order affect the law? A: Not very. As it was passed by Congress,
much of the law can be overturned only if the Republicancontrolled Congress passes more legislation. “Once (Trump’s) Cabinet is in place and once they are able to carry out this order, we will see more specifics come out,” Cox said. Many changes through the executive branch would require a public-comment period before they could take effect. Cox said that process can take a few months. Health insurance companies have already included government regulations in their contracts for the year, so there may
not be major changes in premiums this year, Cox said, but the executive order and changes in regulations could affect premiums in 2018. Insurance companies “will set those premiums in April or May,” Cox said. “The administration wants to make these changes before midyear so insurers will know the rules of the game next year.” Q: I still have until Jan. 31 to sign up for health insurance under the law. What happens if I do? A: Those who are already insured under the law, or plan to sign up before the Jan. 31 dead-
line, shouldn’t expect any major changes in their coverage from the executive order this year. But premiums could rise next year, Cox said. Q: The executive order enables departments to slow the implementation of a “fiscal burden” on the states or a “regulatory burden” on business. What defines “burden?” A: Cox said it is very challenging to determine the exact meaning of what a “burden” is until the Trump administration begins to propose policies. See ACA, Page B2
“What President Trump is doing is, he wants to get rid of that Obamacare penalty almost immediately, because that is something that is really strangling a lot of Americans, to have to pay a penalty for not buying government-run health insurance.” Kellyanne Conway, counselor to President Donald Trump
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CALENDAR & BOOKS
JANUARY 27 – FEBRUARY 2, 2017
FLORIDA COMMUNITY CALENDAR
ARSENIO HALL The Festival of Laughs is Feb. 3 at CFE Arena in Orlando. Performers are Arsenio Hall, Bruce Bruce, Mike Epps, Tony Rock and Felipe Esperaza.
Miami: The African Heritage Cultural Arts Center, 6161 NW 22nd Ave., is presenting “Venus,’’ a play about Saartjie Baartman through Feb. 5. St. Petersburg: Smokey Robinson performs Feb. 9 at The Mahaffey Theater. Miami Gardens: A Black Heritage Festival is Feb. 4 at the Betty T. Ferguson Recreational Complex. It will include, music, events for kids, food trucks and vendors. More information: 305-474-3011.
JILL SCOTT
Tickets are on sale for Jazz in the Gardens. It’s March 18 and 19 at Hard Rock Stadium. Performers will include Jill Scott, Robin Thicke, LL Cool J and Common. Full lineup: jazzinthegardens. com.
KATT WILLIAMS
The comedian takes the stage at the USF Sun Dome on Feb. 4 for an 8 p.m. show.
Eatonville: The Zora Neale Hurston Festival continues through Jan. 29. Concerts will include The Whispers and Jonathan Butler. Schedule: zorafestival.org. Sarasota: Comedian and actor Dave Chappelle has a show scheduled on Feb. 11 at the Van Wezel. Fort Lauderdale: Judah Worship Word Ministries International will present a “Spiritual Renewal and Refreshing Revival Feb. 12-15. International Evangelist Mark Dunfee will be the speaker: Call 954-791-2999 for details.
Book looks back at ‘Eyes on the Prize’ series demic “talking heads” on air, and use only the music of the 1960s; and disputes over copyright with the estate of Martin Luther King.
BY DR. GLENN C. ALTSCHULER SPECIAL TO THE FLORIDA COURIER
In 1979, Henry Hampton, the founder of Blackside Inc., a documentary film company committed to presenting the “Black side” of American history, submitted a proposal to PBS for a multi-part television series “Eyes on the Prize: America’s Civil Rights Years.’’ The series, which had its nationwide primetime debut in 1987 (and the sequel, “Eyes II: America at the Racial Crossroads’’), would become our nation’s main source of information about the civil rights movement in the second half of the 20th century. The publication of “True South’’ marks the 30th anniversary of the premier of “Eyes on the Prize.’’ In the book, Jon Else, the series producer and cinematographer for “Eyes on the Prize’’ (and a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, School of Journalism), deftly weaves together three stories.
Behind the scenes Else recounts his own experiences as a civil rights organizer for the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) in Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia in the 1960s. He furnishes a biography of the dazzling, dedicated and difficult Henry
ACA
from Page 1 Still, a television interview with a Trump adviser hints at the main target of such language: the act’s individual mandate. Kellyanne Conway, a Trump counselor, suggested that the president “may” stop enforcing the mandate altogether. “What President Trump is doing is, he wants to get rid of that Obamacare penalty almost immediately, because that is something that is really strangling a lot of Americans, to have to pay a penalty for not buying government-run health insurance,” Conway said. The penalty in 2016 and 2017 is calculated in two ways: either by a percentage of income — 2.5 percent of household income with a maximum of the yearly premium for a bronze plan in the health care marketplace — or per person — $695 per adult and $347.50 per child under 18, with a maximum of $2,085. An individual pays whichever is higher.
Refutes perceptions
BOOK REVIEW Review of True South: Henry Hampton and Eyes on the Prize, the Landmark Television Series that Reframed the Civil Rights Movement. By Jon Else. Viking. 416 pp. $30. Hampton, a phenomenally creative, productive “let’s just do it” but not a balanced budget or rational cash flow guy. And Else provides a refreshingly candid and insightful behind-the-scenes account of the making of “Eyes on the Prize,’’ including fascinating details about fund-raising; successful and less successful interviews of people who “were there”; critiques following screenings; fact-checking; debates about whether to employ all-Black crews, re-enact scenes, put aca-
Q: Besides the individual mandate, what are some other aspects of the Affordable Care Act that could be affected by the executive order? A: Essential health benefits: Cox said one of the quicker changes to the law could be the definition of what is an “essential health benefit,” or the minimum requirement for coverage under an insurance plan. Under the law, services like hospitalization and prescription drugs were considered “essential health benefits” for insurance plans in the marketplace. This could be one of the first changes to the law because essential health benefits were a regulation enacted under President Barack Obama, allowing the Trump administration to repeal or weaken the policy through the executive branch. Premiums: Weakening requirements for “essential health benefits” could also decrease the premiums of healthy people, but lead to increased treatment costs for sick people, Cox said. “It makes it so the costs
A fundamental goal of the producers of “Eyes on the Prize,’’ Else emphasizes, was to refute pervasive perceptions of Blacks in the South as hapless victims, liberated (by Whites) from above and from outside of the South. Hampton never stopped exhorting his colleagues “to honor the foot soldiers, honor the little people, the fan ladies, ‘Miss Mary’s.’ and the ordinary word parishioners,” who found the energy and courage to come forward, even when doing so might well mean “you could find yourself dead, overnight, bang; your family cut up, burned.” And so, “Eyes on the Prize’’ revealed that Moses Wright, a sharecropper, stood up in a Mississippi courtroom and pointed to the men who had killed his nephew, Emmett Till.
emotional power and narrative exposition,” viewers watched and listened as young women defiantly sang “This Little Light of Mine” as they were loaded on to a paddy wagon. The civil rights struggle, Else reminds us, is “of course, unfinished and ongoing.” By almost every metric (income, health, wealth, housing, rates of incarceration), Else indicates, “America remains nearly as divided by race as it was on the day I was born.”
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Miami: Tickets are on sale for a Valentine’s Music Festival on Feb. 10 at the James. L. Knight Center in Miami and Feb. 12 at the CFE Arena, Orlando: Performers: Avant, Bobby Brown, El Debarge and Keith Sweat. Pembroke Pines: Kool and the Gang will perform March 10 at the Pembroke Pines City Center. Jacksonville: See the Xtreme Motorcycles and other acts in the UniverSoul Circus through Feb. 2 at the Prime Osborn Convention Center Arena. St. Augustine: Tickets are on sale for a March 9 concert featuring Earth, Wind & Fire at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre. Fort Lauderdale: Catch Gladys Knight on Jan. 27 at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts. Miami Gardens: Obamacare Awareness workshops and enrollment will be held every Wednesday from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Betty T. Ferguson Center, 3000 NW 199th St. Licensed agents will be on site. Tampa: Tickets are on sale for Charlie Wilson’s “In It to Win it Tour’ with Fantasia and Solero on March 23.
Positive changes In his conclusion, however, Else takes a page out of the late Henry Hampton’s playbook – and chooses to read into the record the positive changes in our nation since the end of legal segregation. A Blackside diaspora of writers, producers, directors and cinematographers continue to fight the good fight, he notes, producing superb documentaries about race in America “with a glorious anarchy of style.” Hundreds of Blacks now hold political posi-
tions and “no one can take away from us” that Barack Obama was elected and re-elected president of the United States by wide margins. You can feel Else’s ambivalence. And his apprehensions about the future. Because it isn’t easy these days to keep our eyes on the prize.
Dr. Glenn C. Altschuler is the Thomas and Dorothy Litwin Professor of American Studies at Cornell University. He wrote this review for the Florida Courier.
‘Unfinished and ongoing’ In the episode on the Montgomery, Alabama bus boycott, the producers delayed Martin Luther King’s on-screen arrival for 30 minutes as they gave air time to local organizers. And “in an unbeatable combination of
are incurred by sick people or those who need health care.” Weakening the individual mandate portion of the Affordable Care Act would also likely push the cost of premiums up and lead many to abandon the health care marketplace altogether, Cox said. Medicaid: The executive order urges agencies to do all they can to “provide greater flexibility to states and cooperate with them in implementing health care programs.” Cox said the goal of changing the rules for Medicaid is to nudge states that have not expanded their Medicaid programs to do so. Thirty-two states and the District of Columbia have opted into the Medicaid expansion. Nineteen have chosen not to. Conway said on Jan. 22 that the pending replacement of the health care law would make Medicaid a “block grant program.” That means the states will receive money from the federal government to build their own statewide Medicaid programs as they see fit.
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JANUARY 27 – FEBRUARY 2, 2017
RELIGION
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NATE GUIDRY/PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE/TNS
James Johnson gives thanks during a Sunday worship service at the Allegheny Center Alliance Church in Pittsburgh, Pa.
When Democrats and Republicans share the pews Pastors reflect on unifying congregations after divisive election BY PETER SMITH PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE
PITTSBURGH – The Sunday after the presidential election, Pastor Rock Dillaman kept his ears tuned the conversations among members at the church he leads. He knew both from his own observations and general trends that in a racially diverse congregation, there would be plenty of both Donald Trump supporters and Hillary Clinton backers, and he could only wonder at the fallout after the bitterest campaign in recent memory. “What I found that first Sunday was people loving one another, laughing with one another,” said Dillaman, pastor of Allegheny Center Alliance Church, a North Side congregation with large numbers of both White and Black worshipers.
on their racial, theological, geographic and economic makeup. But in houses of worship have flocks made up of a fairly even mix of donkeys and elephants. Preachers there find themselves “struggling to say something that’s both unifying and prophetic,” wrote Craig Barnes, president of Princeton Theological Seminary, in a recent edition of the journal Christian Century. “It’s easy to gloss over the divisive issues of a congregation with a declaration about spiritual unity, and it’s easy to make a congregation afraid of the ‘them’ who are to blame for our problems,” he wrote. “But it’s very difficult to preach to a divided ‘us.’” Yet at times pastors can’t keep silent, he said, calling on them to oppose such things as Trump’s harsh rhetoric toward immigrants, Muslims and others.
What polls showed
Exit polls found that large majorities of White Protestants and Catholics supported Trump, many of them citing hopes for a Supreme Court that would restrict abortion and protect religious liberty. Many racial and religious miA divided ‘us’ norities supported Clinton, citing Many religious congregations such things as her support for immay be almost entirely red or migrant and civil rights. blue in their politics, depending While the 2016 election was es-
MLK’s niece thanks Trump for restoring ‘Mexico City Policy’ BLACKCHRISTIANNEWS.COM
On Monday, President Donald Trump reinstated Ronald Reagan’s “Mexico City Policy’’ also known by critics as the “Global Gag Rule,’’ which bans the U.S. from giving federal money to international groups that perform abortions or provide information on the option. While some women’s rights advocates are blastDr. Alveda ing the president over the King move, pro-life activist Dr. Alveda King says “Thank you President Trump.”
Sides with Trump To the niece of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the president’s support of the policy demonstrates that the new CommanderIn-Chief cares “enough about the lives of women, mothers and children” to sign the executive order first put in place in 1984. “The die is cast and the path is clear
pecially fierce, previous presidential campaigns were also deeply divisive, and Pastor Dillaman said he used to breathe a sigh of relief when Election Day came and went. This time, however, the acrimony is continuing right through Inauguration Day, particularly on social media, where he said he’s seen where some people “in the course of three paragraphs violated seven of the Ten Commandments.” “The teams have left the field and the fans up in the stands are still fighting,” he said. Any church that wasn’t prepared to deal with its division before Nov. 8, he said, was unequipped to do so afterward.
Temporary occurrences At Allegheny Alliance, he said: “We’ve learned too much from one another about one another and spent too much time together to let something as temporary and hollow as American politics divide us. We know elections have profound implications, but they are temporary in the grand scheme of things.” Bishop Cynthia Moore-Koikoi, leader of the Western Pennsylvania Conference of the United Methodist Church, noted that her denomination has an exBishop tensive set of offiCynthia cial social princiMoore-Koikoi ples, and she encourages pastors to preach on those themes rather than on candidates or parties. Those principles, for example, include a call for humane policies on immigration and health care. But pastors can’t just make
for America to learn that abortion is not health care. Abortion kills babies and all too often harms the wombs, health, psyche and souls of mothers,” says King, director of Civil Rights for the Unborn. “By reinstating the ‘Mexico City Policy,’ which saves the lives of thousands of babies and women, President Trump is raising the bar for genuine concern for the lives and health of mothers and our children.”
Angers NARAL Trump signed it one day after the 44th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s 1973 Roe vs. Wade decision that legalized abortion in the United States, the date on which presidents traditionally take action on the policy. It also prohibits taxpayer funding for groups that lobby to legalize abortion or promote it as a family planning method. The move was predictably polarizing. The abortion rights group NARAL condemned the decision as “repressing women.” “With this action, Donald Trump has turned his anti-women rhetoric into policy, and made it more difficult for women and families all over the world to access vital reproductive care,” said NARAL president Ilyse Hogue. “He really is living up to the lowest of expectations.” The “Mexico City Policy was rescinded by the Obama administration in 2009.
the correct points; they also their efforts to move “to a more have to care about their people, comprehensive, reasoned and she said. respectful way of talking to one another.”
What to emphasize
If folks aren’t able to hear us, it doesn’t matter if we’re speaking prophetically,” she said. “Oftentimes people will let you push them harder if they know you have been there for them in those moments of crisis, of death in the family. They’ll take up the challenge more.” The Rev. Eric Park, senior pastor of First United Methodist Church of Butler, said that while he assumes most congregants voted Republican, they had diverse views and many wished for options that weren’t on the ballot. He said it’s important to emphasize the “core conviction that God’s vision of justice and mercy is grounded in something more beautiful and grander than a particular party’s rhetoric.”
Issues of note He said he does speak to particular issues — that “if women are objectified or mistreated, … the church has an obligation of speaking to the truth that Jesus has given men and women a different way of relating to one another.” Or that immigrants can’t be discussed without losing “sight of the fact that we’re speaking of people in whom the face of Jesus can be observed and not simply statistics.” And that any discussion of health-care policy must recognize that “God has a vision of the health and wholeness of the people.” He’s heard many Clinton and Trump supporters say they’ve felt demonized by each other, but he’s been encouraged by
‘Middle axioms’ The Rev. Jim Gilchrist, pastor of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Upper St. Clair, said that even though there are obvious reasons to avoid preaching on partisan politics — it divides congregants and would violate the conditions for religious organizations’ tax-exempt status — it’s impossible to avoid matters of “public well-being and justice.” “We live in the polis, we live in the community,” he said. “Christianity absolutely is concerned not only with individuals’ spirituality but life together.” He preaches “middle axioms” — between things like “love thy neighbor, which is true but not very specific,” and tactical instructions, such as “vote this way on Bill 2436.” A middle axiom, he said, would say that “if you would want to have access to health care, we should make sure others have access to health care,” or “if you would not like to be discriminated against, we have a Christian responsibility to remove discrimination.” He cited an old preacher’s expression that one must stay “hitched to the wagon you’re pulling” — staying connected with the congregants one is trying to influence. “If you run out ahead out of righteous conviction but leave the wagon behind, then you haven’t really moved the wagon,” he said. “On the other hand, if you don’t pull the wagon, it also doesn’t move.”
OWN’s church drama returns in March BY TONYA PENDLETON BLACKAMERICAWEB.COM
OWN Network’s megachurch drama “Greenleaf’’ is returning for its second season. In the first season, megachurch pastor Bishop James Greenleaf (Keith David) welcomed his estranged daughter Grace “Gigi’ Greenleaf (Merle Dandridge) back into the family fold after the death of her sister. The second season is scheduled to debut on March 15 at 10 p.m. In the series’ second season, the Greenleaf family tree will split at the root as Jacob (Lamman Rucker) ventures off to begin his new career with longtime rival church Triumph Ministries, breaking faith with his father, Bishop James Greenleaf, while his mother, Lady Mae Greenleaf (Lynn Whitfield), struggles with Jacob’s decision to abandon the family.
The “Greenleaf’’ cast includes Merle Dandridge, Oprah Winfrey, Lynn Whitfield and Keith David. Meanwhile, after exposing her Uncle Mac’s (Greg Alan Williams) crimes, but failing to bring him to justice, Grace finds herself intrigued with someone new, Darius Nash (guest star Rick Fox), a local journalist who’s been closely following the
ongoing threats plaguing the Greenleaf empire. Oprah Winfrey also returns in her guest starring role as Mavis McCready, the sister of Lady Mae Greenleaf and a close confidante to Grace.
CULTURE
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Nuturing selflessness in a selfie culture How to develop character in young children
FROM FAMILY FEATURES
In a typical day, it’s possible for children to spend more time engaging with technology than interacting with their peers face-toface. As a result, the “selfie culture” is on the minds of today’s parents, who worry about how they can make sure their children grow into kind and selfless adults. However, a national survey revealed that parents don’t fully realize the power they have when it comes to developing good character in their children. The online survey, commissioned by national high-quality preschool provider Primrose Schools®, profiled hundreds of U.S. parents whose children attend, will attend or have previously attended an early education program between the ages of 3-5. In today’s social mediafocused world, 92 percent of parents agree that nurturing positive character traits in children is more important than it used to be. Yet nearly 50 percent of parents are unaware of just how early they can and should start helping their children develop these traits.
When characterbuilding should begin The foundational skills for good character start emerging in the first year of life. Children as young as 6 months old can demonstrate outward signs of budding empathy skills. Character and emotional intelligence continue to develop throughout the early years and are significantly influenced by young children’s interactions with their parents and caregivers. Yet almost 50 percent of parents believe preschool is too early for children to start learning social-emotional skills, and could be missing critical opportunities to support their child’s development.
Why nurturing good character early is important Intentionally nurturing social-emotional skills starting at birth is an important and often overlooked opportunity as these skills have been shown to be key predictors of future health, academic and life success. Early brain and child development research now shows more
clearly that the first five years of life are critical for building the foundation for traits such as honesty, generosity, compassion and kindness, which will impact children for a lifetime. “We now know that IQ no longer represents an accurate predictor of school readiness, much less future life success,” said Dr. Laura Jana, a pediatrician and nationally acclaimed parenting and children’s book author. “It’s not just about learning the ‘3 Rs’ of reading, ’riting and ’rithmetic anymore. It’s the addition of a fourth ‘R’ that represents relationships and the importance of reading other people, which sets children up for success in today’s world.”
Finding child care that nurtures good character In addition to parents, child care providers play a key role in helping children develop a strong foundation. However, more than half of parents surveyed feel their child did not or will not acquire honesty, generosity and compassion (54, 54 and 62 percent, respectively) during their early education experience. Parents seeking early education and care for their children should look for providers that emphasize character development. In these nurturing environments, children have opportunities to learn and practice social-emotional skills every day through games, pup-
pet play, books, music, art projects and more. At Primrose Schools, their Balanced Learning® approach also includes hands-on experiences to help children apply concepts like generosity in real-life situations. For example, each year thousands of children at more than 325 Primrose schools across the country take part in the annual Caring and Giving Food Drive. The preschoolers earn money to purchase canned goods through chores at home. They practice perspective taking, learning about the importance of giving through stories, songs, art projects and more. They even take field trips to grocery stores to shop for food items, which are then donated to local charities. At the end of the experience, the children feel a sense of accomplishment and have practiced skills like empathy, generosity and compassion. “We believe who children become is as important as what they know,” said Gloria Julius, Ed.D., vice president of education and professional development for Primrose Schools. “That’s why nurturing children’s social-emotional development and building character has been an integral part of our approach for more than 30 years.” For additional information, tips and resources on how to nurture good character in children, visit PrimroseSchools.com/character-resources.
DEVELOPING CHARACTER AT HOME Take an active approach to helping children develop a solid foundation in good character with these tips: • Help children recognize their feelings. Help little ones recognize and understand their feelings by giving them vocabulary words to express themselves. • Lead by example. Children learn a lot by watching the interactions of adults. Model social-emotional skills by listening to others, apologizing when you hurt someone’s feelings, being respectful of others, etc. • Help children identify other perspectives. Point out differences in other
people’s thoughts and feelings. When reading with children, ask what they think the characters are feeling or narrate the emotions and exaggerate facial expressions for young children. • Talk about your own decisions in terms of right and wrong. As children’s abilities and understanding grows, discuss your values and take advantage of everyday situations to describe and demonstrate good citizenship and desirable behavior. • Let kindness and respect rule the day. Set household guidelines grounded in showing kindness and respect, and help children learn to follow them. When they break the rules, calmly explain how or why their behavior was unkind and how they could have better handled the situation.
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Meet some of
FLORIDA’S
finest
FINEST & ENTERTAINMENT
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Think you’re one of Florida’s Finest? E-mail your high-resolution (200 dpi) digital photo in casual wear or bathing suit taken in front of a plain background with few distractions, to news@flcourier. com with a short biography of yourself and your contact information. (No nude/ glamour/ fashion photography, please!) In order to be considered, you must be at least 18 years of age. Acceptance of the photographs submitted is in the sole and absolute discretion of Florida Courier editors. We reserve the right to retain your photograph even if it is not published. If you are selected, you will be contacted by e-mail and further instructions will be given.
BET/VIACOM
The cast of the “New Edition’’ movie on BET received good reviews this week. The popular boy band of the 1980s consisted of Ronnie DeVoe, Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins, Ralph Tresvant, Bobby Brown and Johnny Gill. Stars of the movie are Bryshere Y. Gray, Elijah Kelley, Keith Powers, Algee Smith, Luke James and Woody McClain. Ruth Negga, the daughter of an Irish mother and Ethiopian father, was nominated for an Oscar for her portrayal of Mildred Loving in the movie “Loving.’’ It’s based on the true story of the Lovings, a married interracial couple in 1950s and 1960s Virginia. Their relationship led to the Supreme Court decision Loving v. Virginia.
ESPN commentator removed after ‘gorilla’ remark about tennis star
Viola Davis and Denzel Washington, stars of “Fences,’’ both were nominated for Oscars. Davis made history as the first Black woman to be nominated for three Oscars. It also was the first time Blacks were nominated in every acting category.
EURWEB.COM
No #OscarsSoWhite this year 6 Blacks receive nominations for Academy Awards EURWEB.COM
Academy Award nominations were announced Tuesday morning with Best Drama Golden Globe winner “Moonlight” facing “Fences” and “Hidden Figures” for Best Picture. All three films also have actors receiving nominations: “Moonlight’s” Mahershala Ali and Naomie Harris for supporting actor and actress; Denzel Washington for best actor and his “Fences” co-star Viola Davis for supporting actress, and “Hidden Figures” star Octavia Spencer, nabbing her second Oscar nomination for best supporting actress. She won the category in 2012 for “The Help.”
Four for ‘Fences’ “La La Land” leads with 14 nominations, tying the record previously set by “All About Eve” in 1950 and Titanic in 1997. “Moonlight” and “Arrival” tied for the second biggest haul at eight apiece. “Fences,” from director and star Denzel Washington,
In the best documentary (feature) category, “I Am Not Your Negro,’’ a look into the mind of James Baldwin, (above center), was nominated. earned four nominations, including Best Picture. Ruth Negga takes her place among the Best Actress nominees for her role in “Loving,” about real-life interracial couple Richard and Mildred Loving’s court battle to remain married during the late 1950s in Virginia.
‘Negro’ nominated In the documentary category, “O.J.: Made in America,” Ava DuVernay’s “13th” and the James Baldwin doc “I Am Not Your Negro” were nominated.
Other top nominees include “Hacksaw Ridge,” “Lion” and “Manchester by the Sea” (with six apiece) and “ Hell or High Water” (with four apiece). Past Oscar winners and nominees Jennifer Hudson, Brie Larson, Emmanuel Lubezki, Jason Reitman and Ken Watanabe joined Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs in presenting the 24 categories for the 89th Academy Awards in a video.
More diversity After last year’s #OscarsSoW-
hite embarrassment of the academy’s acting branch putting forth all White nominees in the last two cycles, Isaacs spearheaded the effort to diversify the Academy, bringing in more female and minority members. The 2017 Academy Awards will be hosted by Jimmy Kimmel and take place at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood. ABC will broadcast the show live on Sunday, Feb. 26. At 8:30 p.m. For a full list of the nominees, visit Oscars.org.
An ESPN tennis commentator learned the hard way that you don’t use the word “gorilla” or even “guerilla” when you’re trying to be cute in describing tennis superstar Venus Williams. According to ESPN, it has pulled Doug Adler from its broadcast booth. It happened last week. Here’s network’s reason for the decision: “During an Australian Open stream on ESPN3, Doug Adler should have been more careful in his word selection. He apologized, and we have removed him from his remaining assignments.” During play-by-play commentary on Williams’ match against Stefanie Voegele, Adler said Williams was aggressive, moving in and charging with a “gorilla effect.” ESPN reports that in his apology, Adler said he was referring to Williams’ tactics and strategy on the court and “simply and inadvertently chose the wrong word to describe her play.”
Venus Williams
FOOD
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Sweet shortcuts
Easy ideas for award-winning desserts No matter the season or the reason, no party is complete without dessert. The trick to making the most out of your celebrations is finding ways to trim your kitchen time so you can enjoy the festivities, without sacrificing quality or flavor in your favorite sweet treats. Many dessert recipes require multiple time-consuming steps, but using canned fruit can help cut down on prep work and provide you and your guests with a refreshing, delicious treat. Fresh fruits are popular ingredients for desserts, but it can be difficult to know whether you’re choosing a ripe, sweet fruit. For example, pineapples have several potential indicators of ripeness, such as a sweet smell coming from the bottom of the fruit, the rind yielding slightly to
pressure or a yellow, golden color rising toward the crown. An alternative such as Dole Canned Pineapple lets you know you’re getting pineapple that is at its sweetest, because the canning process locks in flavor when the fruit is perfectly ripe. In addition to baked recipes, canned fruit is also well-suited for other desserts, such as fruit salads, baked muffins and breads, or even as a dessert topping. Whether you’re creating a blue ribbon recipe for a local competition – such as one of the most famous award-winning desserts, Pineapple Upside Down Cake – or delivering a delicious dessert to the family table, Dole Canned Fruit is the perfect ingredient. Find more tips for your next gathering from the expert chefs at Dole Packaged Foods’ test kitchen at dolesunshine.com.
OLD-FASHIONED UPSIDE DOWN CAKE Prep time: 20 minutes Total time: 35 minutes Servings: 8 2/3 cup margarine, divided 2/3 cup packed brown sugar, divided 1 can (20 ounces) Dole Pineapple Slices 10 maraschino cherries 3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided 2 eggs, separated 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel 1 teaspoon lemon juice 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup sour cream Heat oven to 350 F. In 10-inch cast-iron skillet, melt 1/3 cup margarine. Remove from heat. Add brown sugar and stir until blended. Drain pineapple slices; reserve 2 tablespoons syrup. Arrange pineapple slices in sugar mixture. Place cherry in center of each slice. Beat remaining 1/3 cup margarine with 1/2 cup granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolks, lemon peel, lemon juice and vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder and salt. Blend into creamed mixture alternately with sour cream and reserved pineapple syrup.
FROM FAMILY FEATURES
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Beat egg whites to soft peaks. Gradually beat in remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar to make stiff meringue. Fold into batter. Pour over pineapple in skillet. Bake 35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes then invert onto serving plate. Serve warm or cold. FABULOUS CARROT CAKE Prep time: 15 minutes Total time: 40 minutes Servings: 16 1 1/2 cups butter, softened, divided 1 cup packed brown sugar 1 cup granulated sugar 4 eggs 1 can (20 ounces) Dole Crushed Pineapple, drained 4 cups shredded carrots 1 cup Dole Seedless Raisins 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 3 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Heat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour two (9-inch) round pans. In large bowl, beat 1 cup butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs. Fold in crushed pineapple, carrots, raisins and vanilla. In medium bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger and salt. Gradually add to pineapple mixture and fold until well-blended. Pour into prepared pans. Bake 35-40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool in pans 15 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely on wire racks. Beat cream cheese with remaining 1/2 cup butter until smooth. Beat in powdered sugar, lemon peel and lemon juice until smooth. Frost completely cooled cake. Garnish with additional crushed pineapple and grated carrots, if desired. Note: Cake can be baked in 13-by-9inch pan. Bake 50-60 minutes at 350 F. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. CHOCOLATE MANDARIN ORANGE CAKE Prep time: 10 minutes Total time: 45 minutes Servings: 12 2 cans (15 ounces) Dole Mandarin Oranges, divided 1 box (2 layer) devil’s food cake mix 3 eggs 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1 orange, peel grated (optional) 1 package (4-serving size) vanilla flavor instant pudding
2 cups frozen whipped topping, thawed 1 cup heavy whipping cream 1 cup semisweet chocolate Heat oven to 350 F. Spray two (9-inch) cake pans with cooking spray. Drain mandarin oranges, keeping fruit and syrup reserved separately. In large bowl, combine cake mix, juice from one can of mandarin oranges, eggs, oil and orange peel; beat 2 minutes. Pour cake mix into prepared pans. Layer mandarin oranges from one can over each cake and gently submerge them into cake batter. Bake 25-30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove from pan onto wire rack; cool completely. Pour 1/2 cup reserved juice from second can of oranges in bowl with pudding mix; whisk 2 minutes, or until pudding mix is completely dissolved. Remove 12 orange slices from second can and dry with paper towel; set aside. Fold in whipped topping and remaining mandarin oranges. Spread mandarin frosting on top of first layer of cake and out to edges. Place second layer on top of first layer. In small saucepan, heat cream until just beginning to steam, but do not boil. Remove from stove and stir in chocolate. Stir until well-blended. Pour chocolate mixture over cake and garnish with reserved mandarin oranges. Refrigerate half hour before serving.