Florida Courier - March 29, 2013

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MARCH 29 - APRIL 4, 2013

VOLUME 21 NO. 13

JUDGMENT DAYS Leave it alone?

On Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court decided to hear a case that may further limit or end affirmative action in colleges and universities, then argued about gay marriage in two days of hearings. Here’s what happened – and what it means.

COMPILED FROM WIRE REPORTS

WASHINGTON – On Tuesday – the same day it agreed to weigh in on college affirmative action for a second time in a year – the U.S. Supreme Court struggled with the gay

marriage issue for the first time in history.

During more than an hour of arguments in their jammed courtroom, the justices were clearly divided over California’s Proposition 8 voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage, although reluc-

tant to take the larger step of casting a broader ruling that would apply to gay marriage rights across the country. The only certainty is that the Supreme Court will leave the fate of California’s gay marriage ban dangling until June, when it must rule.

But the justices’ barrage of questions hinted at options that could open the door to same-sex nuptials in California by simply leaving intact lower court rulings declaring the law unconstitutional.

“Always hard to predict based on arguments, but I think it is more likely that they will dismiss (on procedural) grounds than decide the merits (of the gay marriage issue),” said Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of MOLLY RILEY/MCT the University of California, Irvine’s law school.

Demonstrators gather Tuesday outside the U.S. Supreme As hundreds of gay mar- Court building in Washington, D.C., as arguments are heard See COURT, Page A2

on California’s Proposition 8 concerning gay marriage.

FLORIDA COURIER / OUT AND ABOUT

Sony Open tennis tourney in the home stretch

Falling on the GOP sword Former state chairman sentenced to 18 months in prison, probabtion COMPILED FROM WIRE REPORTS

An Orlando judge Wednesday sentenced Jim Greer, former high-flying chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, to 18 months in prison, followed by one year of probation.

Greer, 50, pleaded guilty last month to money laundering and theft of $125,000 in connection with a scheme in which he created a company and then steered party business to it. The affair was a major embarrassment to Republicans, who forced Greer out after the matter became public.

Crist’s main man

KIM GIBSON / FLORIDA COURIER

No. 8-ranked Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France, shown here during his victory over Jarkko Nieminen, was knocked out in his next match at the Sony Open in Miami-Dade. The world’s top-ranked women’s pro, Serena Williams of Palm Beach Gardens, is expected to make it to the finals.

Will new law create high school free agents?

BY JIM TURNER THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

The association that dictates rules for Florida’s middle and high school athletes is fighting what it says is a power grab by legislators that will lessen the oversight of mid-season transfers and allow some schools to become recruiting giants.

The Florida High School Athletic Association is objecting to measures (House Bill 1279, Senate Bill) 1164) by Rep. Larry Metz, R-Yalaha, and Sen. Kelli Stargel, RLakeland, that could restrict their investigations into student-athlete transfers, limit the amount of fines and fees member schools pay, and revamp the makeup of the association’s board.

High school to pros?

FHSAA Executive Director Roger Dearing, during a media teleconference on Tuesday, claimed the legislation would essentially allow middle and high school student-athletes to become “free agents.”

“This legislation opens the door for nefarious people who might want to circumvent rules in order to do what they may think is getting students scholarships to

ALSO INSIDE

board, with the Commissioner of Education getting to name three.

While the board would be expanded from 16 to 25, the majority of appointments would come from Tallahassee. Currently, FHSAA member schools select 13 board members, with the three others coming from the Department of Education.

The proposals also call for replacing Dearing by having the commissioner of education name the FHSAA executive director rather than the association’s board.

Dearing said his job being on the line was less a concern than keeping the playing field level for students and schools as they college, or even open the door to profes- compete across the state if each school district is given powers to self-regulate sional athletics,” Dearing said.

The measure by Metz also further ex- transfers. pands the state law that allows students to play for the school of choice if the public Due process concerns or charter school they attend does not ofStargel, in a release from Access for Stufer the sport. dent Athletes Coalition sent out prior to the teleconference, denied her proposal will allow illegal recruiting or create stuMore oversight Stargel’s companion proposal adds dent-athlete “free agency.”

“This proposal would not prevent the more legislative oversight to the FHFHSAA from fulfilling their primary role,” SAA board by having the House and Senate each make four appointments to the See LAW, Page A2

Greer argued all along that he was being punished for supporting former Gov. Charlie Crist. Greer had been relatively obscure, the vice mayor of Oviedo, before being chosen to head up the party in 2007. It was widely believed he was rewarded by helping Crist get elected governor. Crist denied in a deposition that he knew Greer had created a company, Victory Strategies, to secretly contract with the party for fundraising help.

Prosecutors said essentially that Greer, as party chairman, and former RPOF Executive Director Delmar Johnson, signed the contract with Victory Strategies without other party officials knowing they were paying themselves for “outsourced” work they were already being paid for in their positions at the party.

Greer resigned in early 2010 just before the thefts were discovered and was arrested June 2 of that year and hauled to the Seminole County Jail. Until his plea, he had loudly and angrily claimed he was a victim of a political hatchet job by supporters of now-Sen. Marco Rubio and the right wing of the state party.

His trial had promised to be a long and See GREER, Page A2

SNAPSHOTS

METRO | BI

Was the decision to go ‘gunless’ in the ‘Gunshine State’ fatal?

FLORIDA | a6

Black press, mainstream coverage: Still big differences in news priorities

FINEST | B5

Meet Cartiss

COMMENTARY: LUCIUS GANTT: GOD HATES FAKE CHRISTIANS | A4 COMMENTARY: Rev. Jesse L. Jackson: Good students being forced to drop out of HBCUs | A5

FOCUS

A2

MARCH 29 – APRIL 4, 2013

Black ‘leadership’ and chump change politics Every time I write something about a Black elected official, haters are quick to say, “Stop writing about OUR LEADERS!” Well, in most instances, I obviously don’t feel I am writing about “leaders”!

I encourage all Black elected officials to work with all Blacks in the political process – Black legislative staffers, Black lobbyists, Black political consultants, Black political pollsters, Black caterers, and so forth.

I say that because when an African-American gets elected to the Congress, state legislature or to the city or county commission, they usually don’t know how to find the restrooms in the halls of governing, let alone how to be a good public servant.

Taking orders So what do they do? For the most part, they do what the political devil tells them to do!

When a campaign contributor tells them to sponsor a bill, they sponsor that bill. When a campaign contributor requests a meeting, the meeting is quickly held. And when a Black elected official is offered “rice and peas” (a little bit of money), sometimes they take just the rice!

OK, you don’t like for me to

Lucius Gantt THE GANTT REPORT

write like this. So you tell me.

Why are so many Black elected officials getting caught up in scandals, where political devils make tons of money and all Black elected officials get are the crumbs off of the political table?

When I ask some of these ladies and gentlemen what in the hell is going on, they say, “Well, the White elected officials are getting paid by political interests.

I should get paid, too.”

A better way If only the people you voted for would talk to experienced Black lobbyists, they could learn a better way to accomplish their payoff goals.

Let me explain. Yes, politicians of all races get campaign contributions, get wined and dined, get slaps on the back and get a lot of false compliments.

The elected officials that get in trouble usually are the ones that don’t have a clue about what they are trying to do. They just trust

the political devil too much and trust their own kind too little.

I don’t want to name any names. Much has been said about a lieutenant governor’s resignation, but more than one Black elected official is facing jail terms for trying to get paid while being a public servant.

There are congressmen, legislators, mayors and other Black elected officials getting caught in embarrassing legal situations after getting involved with political devils while trying to generate some chump change.

Here’s some help Let The Gantt Report help the brothers and sisters.

First, when you rise up in the political process, you should bring your friends along with you. Very few Black elected officials employ their friends on their staffs. Even fewer hire their friends to provide campaign services. Some Black elected officials only hire whom they are told to hire.

Secondly, if the political devil wants to pay you off when you become elected, just ask them to pay a qualified friend of yours that will be appreciative of such a gesture and who will look out for you after your public service has

GREER

LAW

from A1

from A1

very public airing of GOP dirty laundry with a witness list that included Crist, former Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum, former Florida House Speaker Dean Cannon and former Florida Senate President Mike Haridopolos.

Stargel stated. “However, it would help combat their predisposition to consider students as guilty until proven innocent, and would establish true due process and rights for student athletes, which the current system of conducting investigations clearly lacks.”

The coalition, which contends the FHSAA displays overreaching and arbitrary authority when conducting investigations on student eligibility, is an initiative launched by the Naples-based conservative-policy think tank Floridians for Government Accountability, Inc.

GOP secrets are buried His plea ended that.

During his 10-minute plea hearing, Greer said almost nothing. Chase, his attorney, later insisted that his client had decided “to fall on his sword rather than burn down the house.”

It was a humbling end for a man who, until four years ago, wielded enormous political power in Florida and was part of then-Gov. Charlie Crist’s inner circle.

But the sentence was significantly lower than what the state had asked for.

Circuit Judge Marc Lubet said he was giving Greer the 18-month prison term, instead of the term of more than 40 months sought by prosecutors, because Greer had paid $65,000 in restitution, and because Greer was facing the charges while Johnson, his business partner in the fundraising compa-

FLORIDA COURIER FILES

Former Republican Party of Florida Chairman Jim Greer is now a convicted felon. ny and co-conspirator in the scheme. was getting off with no prison time after coming forward about the plan and working with law enforcement against Greer.

Johnson wasn’t prosecuted, and wore a wire to help prosecutors make the case against Greer.

“Society itself deserves justice,” Lubet said, however, “justice has to be tempered with some sort of mercy, if that mercy is deserved.”

Greer will be on probation after he is released from prison. He was handed over to law enforcement immediately after the sentencing.

Rene Stutzman of the Orlando Sentinel (MCT) and David Royse of the News Service of Florida contributed to this report.

COURT from A1 riage supporters and opponents waved placards and chanted for their causes on the Supreme Court steps outside, the justices expressed concern over whether the time is right for them to take on a state’s right to ban gay marriage. Justice Anthony Kennedy, a key swing vote, wondered whether the court perhaps should not have taken on the controversy in the first place.

How far?

With both liberal and conservative justices particularly worried about a broader ruling that might apply to all states, 37 of which now ban gay marriage, the court pressed lawyers on both sides about how far they should go.

“Is there any way to decide this case in a principled manner that is limited to California?” Justice Sonia Sotomayor asked Theodore Olson, who argued the case for same-sex couples.

But on Tuesday, the justices’ questioning cast doubt on Proposition 8’s future, with some justices clearly concerned it may trample on the rights of gay and lesbian couples.

ended.

Thirdly, just wait. If White elected officials can all land big lobbying jobs after they retire from office, why can’t you? If you are truly smart, you can help political interests get their way and they can help you – after you retire.

We know them The experienced Black lobbyists and political professionals know the other lobbyists and political professionals to some extent. We can easily tell newly elected and appointed Black elected officials who the good guys are and who the political devils are.

The sad part of all of this is that oftentimes, the Black elected officials are merely taking the fall for the wicked politicos. When investigations start and wires start to be worn, the political snitch jumps into action. If the FBI, Justice Department or someone else gets investigated, the devil being investigated might say, “I didn’t do anything, but I’ll give you the Black person.”

And that is one way how some Black elected officials that are as poor as a church mice get accused of being in bed with political criminals that attempt to

forge, defraud and steal millions!

Love yourselves Black elected officials, learn how to love and work with other Blacks in politics. Start holding hands with each other and let the devil’s hand go!

Black elected officials seem to be being overly investigated not because they are public servants.

They are being investigated because they are Black and holding a public office that a non-Black should have or could have!

If you work with political crooks and thieves that commit crimes, you might have to do the time!

Excerpts from Gantt columns are now posted every week on The Gantt Report’s Facebook page; become a fan. Buy Gantt’s latest book, “Beast Too: Dead Man Writing” on Amazon.com and from bookstores everywhere. Contact Lucius at www.allworldconsultants.net.

“Like” The Gantt Report page on Facebook. Click on this story at www.flcourier.com to write your own response.

The Florida Legislature is considering bills that may make it harder for the Florida High School Athletic Association to stop high school athletes from transferring among schools.

Follows recent law The high school student-athlete proposal follows a law enacted a year ago that pushed back on the FHSAA for clamping down on mid-school year transfers and students following coaches to new schools.

The law, sponsored by Stargel – then a member of the House – allows students-athletes to change schools at any time without having to sit out a year as was the prior rule after the first 20 days of a school year. Meanwhile it is up to the school districts to self-police themselves for recruiting violations by coaches, parents and alumni.

The FHSAA initially fought the law, noting that none of its member high schools had requested the change.

Months before the bill was introduced, the FHSAA imposed more than $62,500 in fines against the Lakeland High Dreadnaughts after seven of its athletes, including five from the school’s perennial football powerhouse, were found ineligible to play for infractions ranging from falsifying addresses, failing to make

What about children?

Kennedy, while acknowledging gay marriage is a new concept in a tradition that stretches back thousands of years, said there is an “immediate legal injury” to same-sex couples in California who are raising children but unable to marry legally.

Other justices, including Chief Justice John Roberts, were skeptical of a court decision finding same-sex marriage bans unconstitutional. “Same-sex couples (in California) have every other right, it’s just about the label (of marriage),” he told Olson. “All you’re interested in is the label, and you insist on changing the definition of the label.”

Justice Samuel Alito, considered a likely conservative vote against gay marriage, pressed U.S. Solicitor General Donald Verrilli about pushing for samesex marriage rights in the states on behalf of the Obama administration.

“You want us to step in and render a decision based on an assessment of (gay marriage) which is newer than cellphones or the Internet,” he said.

More arguments On Wednesday, the court struggled again with its role in deciding the gay marriage issue, but did appear to lean toward striking down at least part of a

FLORIDA COURIER FILES

a full and complete move before enrolling, and receiving impermissible benefits that included free rent.

Fees cap would hurt The FHSAA doesn’t directly receive state funding, but in addition to relying upon corporate donations for funding, it draws public dollars through membership fees from public schools.

1996 law barring federal benefits to same-sex couples.

During nearly two hours of arguments, many of the justices, particularly liberals Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Elena Kagan, expressed deep concerns about the Defense of Marriage Act discriminating against same-sex couples married in states that legalize gay marriage.

Kennedy questioned whether the federal government has the right to define marriage in a way that conflicts with states that traditionally regulate marriage.

“The question is whether the federal government ... has the authority to regulate marriage,” Kennedy said at one point in the arguments.

But many of the justices indicated they may not decide the issue at all, expressing concern that House Republicans do not have the legal authority to defend the law in court in place of the executive branch. The Obama administration considers the law unconstitutional, joining the New York woman who challenged it in court.

If the justices decide they basically have no case to consider, they could leave unresolved for now the legal challenge to the federal law, and perhaps choose another case winding through the legal system, buying time as gay marriage continues to percolate as a political issue.

FHSAA Chief Financial Officer Linda Roberston said the expected reduction in revenue by capping fines and fees could hinder the non-profit association’s ability to promote and run championship events at professional fields, along with training and certification for coaches and officials.

“The quality of our events will certainly suffer,” Robertson said.

Split on affirmative action The justices are also closely split on whether school officials may ever use race as a factor for deciding who is admitted.

A decade ago, the high court by a 5-4 vote upheld a limited use of race as means to achieve classroom diversity in a case from the University of Michigan Law School.

But that victory for affirmative action advocates was soon overturned by Michigan’s, who adopted Proposal 2 in 2006 forbidding university officials from “discriminating” against or “granting preferential treatment” to students based on their race, ethnicity or gender. It was patterned after a similar ballot measure in California in 1996 that also prohibited race-based admissions policies at the state’s colleges and universities.

Partisan split Defenders of affirmative action in Michigan took their fight to the federal courts and won a surprising 8-7 decision last year from the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that struck down the state ballot measure as unconstitutional.

The judges in the majority, all Democrats, said the ban on affirmative action wrongly took away a civil rights provision that had benefited minorities. The dis-

senters, all Republicans, said forbidding discrimination based on race does not violate the “equal protection” clause in the Constitution.

Two cases Few doubted that the justices would hear Michigan’s defense of its ban on race-based affirmative action. The only surprise was that the justices announced Monday they would hear the appeal before they ruled on a pending affirmative action case involving the University of Texas.

In the Texas case, lawyers for a rejected White student urged the court to rule that giving preferences to applicants based on their race violates the Constitution and the guarantee of equal protection of the laws. A decision in that case, Fisher vs. University of Texas, is expected this spring.

The court said it would hear the Michigan case, Schuette vs. Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action, in the fall. Justice Elena Kagan is not taking part in the case, apparently because she worked on it as solicitor general.

Howard Mintz of the San Jose Mercury News and David G. Savage of the Tribune Washington Bureau (MCT) contributed to this report.

MARCH 29 – APRIL 4, 2013

FLORIDA

A3

Scott demands report on ‘Jesus’ stomping at FAU NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

School apologizes

Gov. Rick Scott wants a detailed report from state university system Chancellor Frank Brogan regarding an incident in which Florida Atlantic University student Ryan Rotela claimed he was suspended from class for refusing to stomp on a piece of paper bearing the word “Jesus.”

“Whether the student was reprimanded or whether an apology was given is in many ways (inconsequential) to the larger issue of a professor’s poor judgment,” Scott stated in a letter to Brogan.

“The professor’s lesson was offensive, and even intolerant, to Christians and those of all faiths who deserve to be respected as Americans entitled to religious freedom.”

The school, while denying any student had been disciplined, has issued an apology and instructed its intercultural communications class to no longer conduct the exercise.

The class, taught by Deandre Poole, vice chairman of the Palm Beach County Democratic Party, was reportedly following an exercise in the instructors manual that had students write the name “Jesus” in large letters on a piece of paper, put the paper on the floor, face up, and after a brief period, tell them to step on the paper.

“Most will hesitate,” the manual says, according to news reports. “Ask why they can’t step on the paper. Discuss the importance of symbols in culture.”

Rollins College to use Black History funds to help working student The Hamilton Holt School at Rollins College will honor the Black History Committee of Orange County’s scholarship to Rollins College by establishing the “Dean’s Scholarship for Leadership in the African-American Community.”

This scholarship will make a difference in the African-American community for a student pursuing a degree as a working adult.

This year, Rollins College received a $4,000

JOE BURBANK/ORLANDO SENTINEL/MCT

check from the Black History committee to award as a scholarship to an economically disadvantaged student at Rollins College with a 3.0 or better grade point average.

“I am delighted to announce that the Hamilton Holt School at Rollins College will honor the $4,000 scholarship to Rollins from the BHCOC and establish a new scholarship for a disadvantaged adult student entering the Holt School as a freshman in the fall 2013,” said Dr. David Richard, dean of the Hamilton Holt School.

The Black History Committee has donated more than $200,000 in scholarships to economically disadvantaged students who wish to continue their education beyond high school.

Shown on Dec. 27, 2010, then Florida governor-elect Rick Scott and Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll, center/ background, talk with students Arianna Davis and Mike Laelante, from the Frontline Outreach program in Orland at Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista. Carroll, Scott and his wife, Ann, and daughter Jordan Kandah, background, right, toured Epcot as a part of his statewide, inaugural tour.

Governor starting to campaign for re-election New YouTube ad focuses on state’s economic comeback

BY DAVID ROYSE THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

TALLAHASSEE – If there was any question, Gov. Rick Scott is in re-election

Will the Supreme Court strike down part of the Voting Rights Act? The U. S. Supreme Court seems poised to declare Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act unconstitutional.

The challenge, filed by Shelby Dr. Howard Simon County, Alabama, Executive Director was invited by American Civil signals sent by the Liberties Union Supreme Court in of Florida earlier cases. It will be surprising if the decision departs from the Court’s ideological and partisan 5-4 divide.

Section 5 requires that nine states and parts of seven others – all with a history of discrimination against racial and ethnic minorities – get approval from the Department of Justice or the federal court in Washington before making changes to voting laws or procedures.

This “preclearance” is designed to ensure that changes do not have a retrogressive impact on the voting rights of minorities.

Five Florida counties (Hendry, Hardy, Monroe, Collier and Hillsborough) are covered by the Voting Rights Act. Essentially, opponents claim that the Voting Rights Act has accomplished its mission and is no longer needed. They argue that Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act is now just a federal intrusion on states’ rights.

But let’s not forget history.

In the spring of 1965, following the Bloody Sunday attack on civil rights workers at the Edmund Pettis Bridge, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. sent telegrams to allies across the country to come to Alabama to work for passage of the Voting Rights Act. As a leader of my college student government, I received that telegram and, with two friends, got on the bus, and ultimately made the 54 mile march from Selma to Montgomery.

There was reason to be scared. Two years earlier, three college students, two from my university in New York, were murdered for helping to register Black people to vote. And in Selma, leading up to the march, a Unitarian minister was beaten on the streets and died a few days later.

The Selma-to-Montgomery march

for the passage of the Voting Rights Act ended with the murder of Viola Liuzzo, a Detroit mother of five who was shot from a car containing four members of the KKK. Ten years later, when it was revealed that one of the four was the FBI’s chief paid informant in the Klan, I worked to bring, fund and sustain a lawsuit to hold the FBI responsible for the murder of Viola Liuzzo. (I was then the executive director of the ACLU of Michigan.)

The tactics of voter suppression have changed since the enactment of the Voting Rights Act. It is less common that people of color face violence or are murdered when they try to exercise their fundamental rights as a citizen.

Instead, bureaucrats purge voter rolls and legislators restrict voter registration activities. (In Florida, a majority of black and Hispanic voters register through volunteer voter registration programs.)

Legislators also cut back on early voting that in effect shuts down programs like “Souls to the Polls” marches from black churches on Sundays. (In 2008 in Florida, a majority of black voters voted during early voting days.)

The tactics of voter suppression have changed, but voter suppression has not ended.

Look at the performance of Florida officials. For the 2012 election, they tried to make it harder to register to vote, harder to vote, and harder to ensure that your vote will be counted. And then they lied about it by claiming that these restrictions were necessary to address voter fraud, or as the governor claimed, to prevent “potential fraud.”

Is Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act still needed? Our Legislature and governor are walking advertisements for why America needs the Voting Rights Act and why it would be a disaster for the U. S. Supreme Court to end federal oversight.

But even if the Court strikes down Section 5, the fight will not end. The search for other tools to defend the right to vote will intensify.

campaign mode.

Scott released his first campaign ad this week, though he put it up only on YouTube, and on Tuesday while talking with reporters laid out what is expected to be the main mantra of his campaign - that he has been at the helm as the economy has come back.

“We’re going to show that there’s a stunning contrast (between) the economy I inherited and the economy today,” Scott said after landing at the airport in Tallahassee after a morning event.

Could face Crist It is no coincidence that the economy he inherited that he will make the contrast with was the economy during the term of former Gov. Charlie Crist, who is now considering running to unseat Scott.

The governor has for weeks been talking about

the current economy mostly as it relates to the economy during the Crist administration and did so again on Tuesday.

“In the four years before I became governor, the state had lost 832,000 jobs, unemployment tripled from 3.5 to 11.1 percent, state debt had increased by over $5 billion, and, you know the housing market collapsed,” Scott told reporters.

Taken on causes Scott has also taken on a number of popular causes, from an across-the-board teacher raise, to opposition to college tuition increases to firm opposition to tax increases, or anything that looks like one.

The new ad focuses on the economic comeback in Florida, showing video of Scott visiting companies that have been hiring.

It has a number of workers and company officials

touting Florida’s improving business climate.

Scott has benefitted from a dwindling unemployment rate – which is now below the national rate for the first time since before he took office.

Some poll improvement Still, Scott appears to have a job to do. Two recent polls have shown Crist ahead of Scott in a hypothetical governor’s race, and while some polls have shown improvement for the governor, he is still hampered by low approval ratings.

The governor’s campaign fundraising arm has also swung into full gear, evidently, with a big uptick in fundraising in the first two weeks of March.

The committee, “Let’s Get to Work,” brought in more than $800,000 during that period.

Loss for atheists: Appeals court uploads prayer at city meetings

BY JIM SAUNDERS NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

TALLAHASSEE – A federal appeals court Tuesday upheld the constitutionality of prayers before meetings of the Lakeland City Commission, rejecting atheists’ arguments that the practice promotes Christianity.

Lakeland is one of numerous local governments across the state that opens meetings with prayers, often led by clergy. Atheists of Florida, Inc., filed a lawsuit in 2010 challenging Lakeland, but a threejudge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sided with the city.

The court said Lakeland has acted legally after putting in place a 2010 policy that included a process for selecting speakers from a wide range of congregations.

That policy also, for example, said invocations would not be listed as part of the public business of meetings and that employees, commission members and members of the public would not be required to participate.

“The selection procedures of the invocational speakers invited to deliver an invocation at (the) Lakeland City Commission’s meetings pursuant to policies and practices do not support the AOF’s

Atheists of Florida, Inc., put up billboards in Lakeland. contention that Lakeland attempted to exploit the prayer opportunity to proselytize or advance or disparage any one faith or belief,’’ the court ruled. “Nor do these policies and practices have the effect of affiliating the Lakeland City Commission with any discrete one faith or belief.”

Also, the judges declared moot arguments about Christian prayers before the 2010 policy.

Prayers tracked Atheists of Florida argued that the city’s actions violated the state and federal constitutions, including what is known as the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution. In a brief filed last year, it tracked prayers given at commission meetings since 2002.

“Prior to the filing of this lawsuit, all but one of the city of Lakeland’s prayers

included explicitly Christian references,’’ the May 2012 brief said. “Since the filing of this lawsuit, that proportion has only changed modestly. The sectarian references have been exclusively, or almost exclusively, Christian.”

In a response filed in June 2012, the city disputed that, historically, only Christian clergy had given invocations. It also argued there was no evidence that the city had “usurped the prayer opportunity to proselytize or to advance or disparage any religion or sect.”

“There is no record ... the city has ever provided a speaker with an invocation, edited a speaker’s invocation or prevented a speaker from giving a particular invocation,’’ the brief said.

“Simply put, the city exercises no control whatsoever over the words that flow from the speaker’s mouth.”

EDITORIAL

A4

MARCH 29 – APRIL 4, 2013

Catholics need to view women differently I’ve lived through the election of several popes. I can honestly say that, although I am not a Catholic, I’ve always been fascinated by the anticipation, pomp, circumstance and ceremony related to the change of leadership of the Catholic Church.

The election of the current pope was even more intriguing because it wasn’t preceded by the death of a pope. I’m eager to see the potential impact on church doctrine with the co-existence of a sitting pope and a pope emeritus.

Not since the resignation of Pope Gregory XII in 1415 has the Catholic Church had to deal with the resignation of a pope. The papacy or line of succession was much dif-

(1414-1418), which resulted in the resignation of Pope Gregory and Antipope Benedict XIII, the rival pope.

Although dramatic, church doctrine was little changed TRICE EDNEY WIRE after these resignations and the election of the new pope, ferent then with politics and Martin V. nationalism impacting The Church more significantly Church’s future than theology.

Like many, the practicalPope Gregory’s resigna- ity of Pope Benedict’s restion was a part of a plan to ignation gave me signifiresolve the Papal Schism. cant cause to ponder The This Schism was a split with- Church’s future. Although in the Catholic Church from the uncertainty associated 1378 to 1417. Two men si- with his resignation was inmultaneously claimed to calculable, it was refreshing be the true Pope. Driven to see a leader of the statby politics rather than any ure of Pope Benedict XVI theological discord. acknowledge that age and The Schism was ended by health considerations prethe Council of Constance cluded his ability to success-

Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq.

VISUAL VIEWPOINT: SEQ-EASTER BUNNY

fully perform the duties of his office.

I was hopeful that “The Resignation” would signal the dawn of a new era in the history of The Church - a new era that, consistent with our contemporary reality, would allow for greater and more significant participation of women in the affairs of The Church.

For years, the stereotypical Catholic woman was characterized by the nun or the devout female parishioner. Normally, we would see the nun placed in the role of the self-sacrificing nurse in a Catholic hospital or as the stern disciplinarian with a ruler managing a classroom of youthful miscreants.

Status quo staying My first year of school was spent with one of those nuns! The devout female parishioner is often portrayed on television and in movies as a guilt-ridden be-

liever who is caught in the throes of a theological challenge and is seeking absolution in the confessional.

Pope Benedict’s resignation brought hope that we’d see these stereotypes dissolve into obsolescence. It appears as though the election of Pope Francis is confirmation of the perpetuation of a theological status quo.

Lest my readers see my last sentence as a lead-in to criticism of the new pope, I’m not critical of him as a man, cleric or theologian.

His track record appears on first glance to demonstrate a human being of immense humanity and humility. He’s shown a desire and a practice to abandon the trappings of status while emphasizing the commonality between us all.

However, his public pronouncements seemingly indicate his personal leaning toward maintaining tra-

ditionalist limits on women’s participation in the hierarchy of the church and a traditional approach to the questions of abortion and birth control.

If Pope Francis holds to the traditional theology that has existed for centuries, we all lose a meaningful opportunity to redefine the role of Catholic women in The Church and society at-large.

It is my sincere belief that a revision of the value that The Church places in women will initiate a redefinition of the acceptable treatment of women as members of the human family.

Dr. E. Faye Williams is chair of the National Congress of Black Women, www.nationalcongressbw.org. Click on this story at www.flcourier.com to write your own response.

Poor may be left out if people don’t speak up

RICK MCKEE, THE AUGUSTA CHRONICLE

Educate yourselves about Bible, color of Christ RIGHT ON! You hit the proverbial nail on the head regarding Hollywood’s – or Hollyweird’s – revisionism, inaccuracies, or just plain lies about the Bible and the people in it. (“No Chaser” column, March 22, 2013, Page A4).

Places in Africa are mentioned at least six times in the Bible, such as Egypt, where Moses was raised, not born. According to legend, his mother placed him in a basket in the Nile River, which flows from south to north. That means he was born further south in Africa.

Ethiopia is the birthplace of Abraham.

Other ‘White’ lies about the Bible include White Zionist or so-called Jews calling Black leaders such as the Most Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan an antiSemite, because he tells the truth about White people – especially Jews.

Semitic people or “Semites” are people who originated in northeast Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and southwestern Asia – Black and Brown people. Hence, no Black person can be called or labeled anti-Semitic, because Black people

LETTER TO THE EDITOR are descendants of Semitic people.

According to the White Hollywood movie “The Ten Commandments,” the Egyptians were White. How does White Hollywood explain that Egypt is a hot desert country in Africa with temperatures of 100 degrees or more, and White people did not become Brown?

(Remember White people don’t possess melanin, so they get red, not brown or black).

The hieroglyphics (early paintings of the original Egyptians) within the Pyramids show Brown-skinned to Black-skinned people, not White people. The original Egyptians had painted themselves as Black.

In the Bible, Jesus is described as having oliveskin complexion (Black, not green), his hair was that of lamb’s wool (nappy), and his feet were the color of burnt brass. If you burn brass, it becomes dark brown. Fade to BLACK. White Christianity is a slave-making religion that

White people have used since they enslaved our African ancestors throughout the world to rationalize and justify their evil racist acts. Most Negroes (“needto-grow”) need to remember, recognize, and re-educate themselves, and revolt against racist White Christianity, White racism and oppression, and especially Negro apathy, antipathy, and hate and mistrust of one another.

You mentioned a Mel Gibson movie about Jesus Christ. I remember a Mel Gibson movie, and at the end a quote that stated, “A great civilization cannot be conquered from without until it completely destroys itself from within.”

That’s why White people successfully conquered the Native Americans and took this country and renamed it Amerikkka (pun intended), stole our African ancestors, and enslaved them practically all over the Western hemisphere for nearly 400 years. All Black people of the African Diaspora need to unite.

– Kirk C. Odems, Orlando

Opinions expressed on this editorial page are those of the writers, and do not necessarily reflect the editorial stance of the newspaper or the publisher.

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I never considered the late Rodney King anything of a philosopher, but as one observes Washington shenanigans, especially around fiscal matters, it seems that Brother King had a point.

Can we all just, maybe, get along.

In the wee hours of Saturday morning, the Senate finally passed a budget by the narrowest of margins, 5049. Four Democratic Senators jumped ship to side with Republicans, probably because they are facing tough election fights in Republican leaning states.

Senate thoughtful Still it was great to see some vision from this senate, which called for a $1 trillion in tax increases and $875 billion in program cuts.

Unlike proposals presented by the likes of Paul Ryan, who would eviscerate social programs, the Senate offers a budget that cuts social and other programs more carefully and thoughtfully.

Since this is the first budget the Senate has passed in four years, one might think that they should be congratulated. But the passage of a Senate budget is only the first step. Now the Senate and the House of Representatives have to find some common ground.

Former Vice Presidential candidate Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) chairs the House Budget Committee, and he chairs it like he thinks he is still running for office.

Poor People’s Campaign

DR. As this is the 50th AnJULIANNE niversary of the March on MALVEAUX Washington, many marches TRICEEDNEYWIRE.COM

He claims that he can save $4 trillion more than Democrats by turning Medicare into a voucher program and slashing Medicaid, SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly Food Stamps), and other safety net programs.

How will the Senate and House resolve their differences when Republicans basically refuse to bargain, and Democrats will give away the store if given an opportunity.

Can’t go along We can’t get along if we go along with nonsense like a voucher program for senior health. As it is, some hospitals are closing or consolidating, largely because of the number of poor and elderly people who use those facilities.

While Ryan is talking slash and burn, Obamacare, albeit imperfect, expands health care possibilities for everyone. We can’t get along with cuts in SNAP that leave more people hungry.

We can’t get along with proposals to cut educational funding , when education opens doors for generations to come.

are being planned to commemorate that critical date.

But it might also be meaningful if Dr. King’s Poor People’s Campaign were also re-enacted.

Dr. King’s vision of bringing thousands to occupy government offices to highlight the needs of the poor was never fully realized, and the current gap between the House and Senate suggests that the poor will be more harshly treated now than they were two generations ago.

When one contrasts the House Budget with the one that comes from the Senate, one realizes that there are two starkly different visions of our country.

People chose the humanitarian Obama vision of the world instead of the elitist austerity that Romney exemplified. The people have spoken, but the politicians can’t hear.

The people are talking, the politicians are posturing, and millions are wondering how they will survive if a Ryan budget passes.

Why can’t we all get along?

Julianne Malveaux is a D.C.-based economist and writer. Click on this story at www.flcourier.com to write your own response.

God hates fake Christians I studied theology in college and I have visited as many different places of worship that I could. I have worked as a media professional with many of America’s most prominent religious leaders, including former National Baptist Convention President Rev. Henry Lyons, Nation of Islam Minister Louis Farrakhan, Yahweh Leader Yahweh Ben Yahweh, AME Bishop A.J. Richardson, Primitive Baptist Convention President Elder Earnest Ferrell and many others.

But I’ve got to tell you. If I hear another blasphemous word from the fake Christians in our community, I think I’ll scream!

People, especially women, are always talking about how they “know what God wants.” God wants them to have a good man, for instance.

And when people pray, they always expect God to do things for them. They say things like, Lord, please don’t let me kill this woman.

Or, Lord, please help me get these 10 kilos of cocaine from Miami to Atlanta without being caught by the police.

lievers and non-believers should not be together.

Lucius Gantt THE GANTT REPORT

things from God, we should do the things that God expects us to do for Him. The God I know wants us all to love Him and love our neighbors. God wants us to be real, be honest and do the right things. You can even follow the 10 Commandments if you desire to.

People like me who study religion laugh at people who only go to church on Easter and Christmas, never open a Bible or Holy Book and pretend that they are biblical scholars.

Since I’m single, ladies always tell me to have a good relationship, we have to have the same equal yoke.

They say, Lucius, if you attend African religious ceremonies and I go to Kingdom Hall, our relationship can’t work.

What the Apostle Paul was referring to in his writings in Corinthians had nothing to do with preferences for places to worship, Follow relationships, marriages or Commandments anything of the sort.

Instead of expecting He was talking about be-

Christian hypocrites It’s easy to say that God woke you up this morning, but it’s hard for you to say that God made you lie down with that person the first time you met them.

It’s easy to give God credit for waking you, but it’s hard to give God credit for that liquor you drank and that weed you smoked that caused you to oversleep and miss that job interview.

Quit sinning Everyone has to have a personal relationship with God. You can’t go to Heaven based on what Mama did or what Baby Daddy did not do. You praise God when you quit tripping and quit tricking! If you quit lying, hating and fronting and be the very best person you can be, God will smile on you!

Buy Gantt’s book “Beast Too: Dead Man Writing” on Amazon.com, like The Gantt Report page on Facebook and contact Lucius at www.allworldconsultants.net. Click on this story at www.flcourier. com to write your own response.

EDITORIAL

MARCH 29 – APRIL 4, 2013

Dr. Ben Carson: Great surgeon, terrible icon for political collective “Nobody is starving on the streets (of America). We have always taken care of them. We have DR. WILMER J. churches which actually are much LEON III better mechanisms for taking care of the poor because they are right TRICEEDNEYWIRE.COM there with them. This is one of the reasons we give tax breaks to churches.” safety net in America.

– Dr. Ben Carson, The argument is that these inCPAC speech 2013 dividuals have overachieved in spite of the odds; therefore, the In modern culture, an icon is a inability of the poor in America symbol – i.e. a name, face, picture, to rise into the middle class or beor even a person readily recog- yond is due to personal failure, nized as having some well-known lack of drive, initiative, and designificance or embodying cer- pendence upon the system. Cartain qualities. son, Rice, and Thomas made it; That face or person begins why can’t you? to represent something else of Another problem with their “regreater significance through lit- alities” is their failure to recognize eral or figurative meaning. With and/or admit how they benefitted his speech at the 2013 National from “the system” at some point Prayer Breakfast and his recent in their struggle. For example, CPAC speech, Carson has be- Wardell Connerly grew his busicome the new Black conservative ness in part with assistance from darling. He’s a great pediatric sur- the 8(a) Program. Justice Thomgeon but a terrible icon for the po- as was a beneficiary of affirmative litical collective. action.

Dr. Ben Carson has an incredI don’t know if Carson’s mothibly compelling and motivation- er ever received any public assisal story. Born into poverty in De- tance during his childhood but troit in 1951 and raised by a single if she did not I am certain some mother with a third-grade educa- of his neighbors did. Is he ready tion, Carson became the first sur- to cast them all as lazy and totalgeon to separate conjoined twins ly dependent upon the governand the youngest to head a surgi- ment? cal department. His focus, work ethic, and commitment to excel- Overcoming odds lence should be emulated by as We love to hear stories about many as possible. people overcoming great odds

Safety net needed One problem with Dr. Carson and others like him – i.e. Justice Thomas, Michael Steele, Wardell Connerly and Condoleezza Rice is how they have lent their voices and their personal narratives to conservatives in ways that allow them to undermine the social

to achieve success. What is ignored when reciting the stories of the Carsons, Thomases and Rices of the world is depth of the chasm that lied between Africans in America and later the AfricanAmerican community and White America.

There have always been personal successes in the midst of

A5

VISUAL VIEWPOINT: NRA CONGRESS DANCE

the collective or group struggle.

During the 18th century while hundreds of thousands and later millions of Africans in America where bound by the shackles of slavery, individuals such as Olaudah Equiano aka “Equiano, the African” and James Forten found success on American shores.

Did the success of Equiano, Forten and others negate the suffering and systemic oppression of those enslaved? Obviously not.

Disturbing data Today, in spite of all of the disturbing data documenting the disparity between the African-American community and Whites, such as eighteen percent unemployment, African-Americans being 53 percent of those incarcerated and only 13 percent of the population, the wealth disparity, high school dropout rates, college graduation rates, home foreclosure rates, etc. the likes of a Wardell Connerly, Shelby Steele, or Clarence Thomas stand before conservatives and argue that we no longer need Affirmative Action, Head Start, and other social programs.

Individual success should never become the standard of measure of success for the collective.

It is only through group success that the African-American community will truly become politically and economically empowered.

Dangerous statements Dr. Ben Carson made some very inaccurate and dangerous statements during his CPAC speech that cannot go unchallenged. He stated as referenced above, “Nobody is starving on the streets (of America).” According to Bread for the World, “14.5 percent of U.S. households struggle to put

STEVE SACK, THE MINNEAPOLIS STAR TRIBUNE

enough food on the table.

More than 48 million Americans — including 16.2 million children — live in these households…Among African-Americans and Latinos, nearly one in three children is at risk of hunger.”

Has he forgotten that in 1951 he may have been one of those hungry children?

He also stated, “Many people don’t know this but socialism started as a reaction to America because people in Europe, they looked at us and said, “”wait a minute look at those Americans… people like Henry Ford, Kellogg, Vanderbilt…they’ve got so much money…”” it needs to be redistributed.”

Socialism defined Actually, the term socialism is attributed to Pierre Leroux and Robert Owen around 1827. Henry Ford was not born until 1863. Socialist models and ideas espousing common or public ownership have existed since antiquity.

Karl Marx, considered by many to be the founder of modern socialism first published Das Kap-

ital in 1847. Henry Ford was 4 years old. Socialism was actually a reaction to the Industrial Revolution which started in Britain around 1760.

Dr. Ben Carson has a very motivational story but his political analysis and message lack real understanding of the issues necessary to be taken seriously.

It is dangerous to use the success of an individual(s) as the basis of a sociological or economic indictment of an entire class of individuals. A reporter once asked Dr. Carson why he never talked about race to which he responded, “…because I’m a neurosurgeon”.

Well, Dr. Carson, I’ll make a deal with you, I’ll stay out of the operating room if you leave the political analysis and dialogue to trained professionals.

Go to www.wilmerleon.com or email: wjl3us@yahoo.com.

Click on this story at www.flcourier.com to write your own response.

Good students being forced to drop out of HBCUs Morehouse College, one of the most distinguished historically Black colleges — with graduates like Dr. Martin Luther King, former Atlanta Mayor Maynard Jackson, film director Spike Lee and others — literally shut down for spring break this week.

As its 2,000 students took their break, every member of the faculty and staff was furloughed without pay as the college struggles to balance its books.

The crisis at Morehouse, which will hit other historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) even harder, results from the combination of foul economic times and continued cuts in support for students and colleges at the federal and state level.

African-Americans have dramatically less wealth than White families. To pay for advanced ed-

Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. TRICEEDNEYWIRE.COM

ucation, students piece together grants, work, family contributions and loans.

Morehouse lost 200 students, part of 10,000 students in HBCUs affected, when the Department of Education suddenly tightened eligibility requirements for Parent Plus Loans that lend to eligible parents to help pay for their children’s college costs.

College costs rising The average Plus loan at Morehouse was $22,000 in 2010-11. Add

to that the fact that college costs are rising, while the level of Pell grants is not, and colleges and faculties will be hit by the across-theboard “sequester” cuts at the federal level.

Morehouse is like the canary in the mine — an early warning signal. Student loan debt now exceeds $1 trillion dollars, greater than credit card debt. A quarter of African-Americans graduate with debt over $30,000, along with 16 percent of White students. Student debt can’t be erased in bankruptcy, or because of loss of a job.

About half of college graduates are unemployed or underemployed. In worse shape are the 30 percent of college students with loans who fail to graduate, often because they can’t afford to continue

Black women urged to ‘Lean In’ too “So please ask yourself: What would I do if I weren’t afraid?

And then go do it.”

– Sheryl Sandberg In a stroke of marketing genius befitting the chief operating officer of the social media phenomenon Facebook, Sheryl Sandberg chose Women’s History Month to launch her new book, ‘Lean In,’’ and begin a national dialogue about “Women, Work and the Will to Lead.”

Ruth Standish Baldwin was a co-founder of the National Urban League more than a century ago and the inclusion and empowerment of women has been one of our most important priorities.

Today, Former Labor Secretary Alexis Herman serves as Senior Vice Chair on our Board, and almost half of our 95 local Affiliate CEOs are women. For that reason, we applaud Ms. Sandberg for her new book and are proud to join in the conversation.

Historic barriers We all know that historic barriers of gender discrimination, as well as the responsibilities of bearing and caring for children have made it more difficult for women to balance work and family. But Sandberg contends that women too often “hold ourselves back in ways big and small, by lacking self-confidence, by not raising our hands,

MARC H. MORIAL TRICE EDNEY WIRE

and by pulling back when we should be leaning in.”

Consider how Harriet Tubman leaned into the face of death to lead a thousand slaves to freedom on the Underground Railroad. Or how Sojourner Truth stood up and boldly asked “Ain’t I a woman” at the 1851 Ohio Women’s Rights Convention.

Consider how Fannie Lou Hamer who was “sick and tired of being sick and tired,” fought for African-American voting rights as an organizer of the 1964 Mississippi Freedom Summer and Vice Chair of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party. Or how a quiet seamstress named Rosa Parks, leaned in, sat down on a bus and lit the fuse of the civil rights movement.

for successful careers, clearly a lack of drive or ambition is not the problem.

“Lean In’’ urges women to “Sit at the Table,” “Seek and Speak Your Truth,” “Don’t Leave Before You Leave,” and “Make Your Partner a Real Partner.”

Obstacles listed

These recommendations present a road map of success that has obviously worked for Sheryl Sandberg. But, it is largely the lack of support, the pressures of single parenthood, and systemic racial and gender discrimination that continue to keep women of color from getting a foot in the corporate door.

The empowerment of all women depends on closing the wage gap, protecting women’s reproductive rights, providing greater workplace flexibility, having more women in non-traditional professions like science and engineering, and supporting common sense measures like the Violence Against Women Act which was reauthorized and signed into law by President Lack of women at top Obama last week.

Decrying the lack of women If men and women lean in toat the top of corporate America, gether, we can foster gender eqSandberg does admit that, “The uity and a better America. gap is even worse for women of Marc H. Morial, former color, who hold just 4 percent of top corporate jobs, 3 percent mayor of New Orleans, is presof board seats and 5 percent of ident and CEO of the Nationcongressional seats.” But, with al Urban League. Click on this rising numbers of Black women story at www.flcourier.com to in college, preparing themselves write your own response.

Burdened with debt Burdened with debt, graduates find it hard to pay for a car, a place to live and health care. They find it virtually impossible to save anything for the future.

President Obama understands that educating the next generation is vital to this country’s future.

In his first address to Congress, he pledged that “by 2020, America will once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world.” He then signed into law the largest increase in student aid since the GI Bill at the end of World War II. We will pay far more in the future for failing to educate this rising generation than we will save in cutting support for them. We need a National Commission on College Affordability to review the rising

costs of and the declining support for colleges and advanced training programs.

It should recommend how the rise in college costs can be slowed and how to ensure that students are not priced out of the education they need nor condemned to debt servitude to get it.

That good students are forced to drop out of a distinguished school like Morehouse because they can’t afford it is a warning sign. The furlough of Morehouse employees is a wake-up call. We need action before good schools fail and more good students are locked out.

Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. is president and CEO of the Rainbow/ PUSH Coalition. Click on this story at www.flcourier.com to write your own response.

Black Democrats, Black Republicans fight each other for crumbs On several occasions I have listened carefully as a couple of Black Republican colleagues cite the grievous shortcomings and sins of the Democratic Party. More often than not I found myself in agreement with much of their analysis.

After their critique is finished I ask the Black Republicans what should be the response of Black people to their analysis. Their answer is “Switch to the Republican Party.”

That suggestion is an immediate signal that they cannot be taken seriously. From approximately 1867 to 1936, Black folks, as a way of thanking President Lincoln for ending legal enslavement of our ancestors, voted overwhelmingly for the Republican Party.

Since 1936, Black folks have voted mostly for Democrats, especially in presidential campaigns. Again there were concrete reasons for this voting pattern- - government programs launched by President Franklin Roosevelt and the passage of civil rights legislation eliminating legal White supremacy/racism, especially by presidents Harry Truman and Lyndon Johnson.

A. Peter Bailey TRICEEDNEYWIRE.COM

Empowerment guidelines

willing to work with either on any issue of mutual benefit.

Clear and doable guidelines for doing this are made by Martin Luther King, Jr. in his book, “Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?, Brother Malcolm X in his autobiography and in the goals and objectives of the Organization of Afro-American Unity and Chancellor Williams in chapter 15 of his book, “The Destruction of African Civilization: Great Issues of the Race 2500 BC-2000 AD.’’ Instead of following these guidelines Black Democrats and Black Republicans continue to fight viciously with each other over which group of White folks to cling to and accept crumbs from – White Democrats or White Republicans, White liberals/progressives or White conservatives/reactionaries. It’s a pathetic and visionless sight to behold.

What serious observers of the current national scene should strive for is an independent Black economic, political and cultural movement not tied to the Democratic or Republican parties, yet

Peter Bailey is currently editor of Vital Issues: The Journal of African American Speeches. Click on this story at www.flcourier. com to write your own response.

TOj A6

NATION

Black press, mainstream coverage: Still big differences in news priorities

BY DENIQUA CAMPBELL TRICE EDNEY NEWS WIRE

Wendell Allen’s life came to an abrupt end on March 7 last year as he died shirtless, standing on a staircase, at his home in New Orleans.

Unarmed, the 20-yearold basketball star was shot in the back by New Orleans Police Department officer Josh Colclough. For six weeks the Allen family believed their child was shot in his chest until the embalmer revealed that Allen was actually shot in his back.

Yet, newspaper readers in New Orleans noticed two starkly different news priorities on the stands and in the streets.

Louisiana Weekly, a Black-owned paper, had the Wendell Allen shooting on the front cover. Right beside it, was the Times-Picayune, a White daily newspaper that had no mention of the Allen shooting. Instead, the cover featured a Black male being charged with multiple counts of murder.

In interviews over the past year, seasoned journalists say the differences in coverage between White and Black-owned media – whether print or broadcast – continue to be clear.

Distinctly different coverage News outlets like CNN, MSNBC, BBC and Fox News, all cover certain types of stories from a certain perspective.

“Black press is the voice of the Black community,” said Ingrid Sturgis, journalism professor of new media and multimedia expert at Howard University.

“Our story doesn’t always get heard in mainstream media.”

Award-winning Black press reporter Hazel Trice Edney agrees. “Both of these stories are important,” said Edney, editor/ publisher of the Trice Edney News Wire. “It is typical across America that when Black newspapers come

out they have distinctly different stories than White newspapers.”

On August 13, 1977 an article headlined A little about A lot — the need for the black press, was featured in the Baltimore Afro-American that detailed former dean of the School of Communications, Dr. Lionel C. Barrow’s four reasons for the Black press.

Context and perspective According to Barrow, the Black press functioned as a watchdog, answered attacks published in the White press, presented a viewpoint different even from that of liberal Whites and, the Black press also served as the carrier and preserver of Black culture.

Marrow did not deny that there were still improvements that needed to be made, improvements on production, in investigating and in reporting, writing and editing. But considering other issues Black media has faced, its survival is incredible.

“The strength of the Black press would be that it always relied on context and providing perspective,” said George Curry, awardwinning journalist who is editor-in-chief of the National Newspaper Publishers Association News Service.

Curry reflected on when he interviewed the family of Trayvon Martin, the Florida teen shot dead by Neighborhood Watch captain George Zimmerman on Feb. 28, 2012, a highly publicized court case now set for court June 10.

“No one was doing a story on how the news broke to Martin’s father,” Curry said.

While reporters of White publications were sticking to the basics and investigating the case, Curry went for an intimate and personal story.

“Urgency is not such a big problem,” Curry said.

“It’s worth the wait because we don’t come out with the same frequency as other newspapers.”

MARCH 29 – APRIL 4, 2013

Online outreach vital

MARGOT JORDAN/NNPA

National Newspaper Publishers Association Editor-in-Chief George Curry, left, and Florida Courier Publisher Charles W. Cherry II are shown at a Black Press Week event this month in Washington, D.C.

“Black press is the voice of the Black community.

Our story doesn’t always get heard in mainstream media.”

Ingrid Sturgis Journalism professor of new media and multimedia expert at Howard University

Covering Allen’s death

Hurdle: Attracting youth Today the Black press faces issues within its own agencies. Perhaps the biggest is technological advancement. According to the State of the News Media in 2007, an annual report by the Pew Research Center on American journalism, “the black press has been slow to technology, and its audience appears to be aging.”

Pew’s State of the Media 2013 reports a new Black press hurdle – how to attract the attention of new, younger readers.

“One of the broader challenges for African-American news media in general, and most notably the newspaper sector, is striking a balance between appealing to a younger generation with a contemporary product and fulfilling a mission to honor a history that includes the defining civil rights struggle of a half-century ago,” the report states.

“History has got to be a definitive weave in what we do,”’ said John J. “Jake’’ Oliver Jr., the publisher and chief executive of the Afro-American newspapers in Baltimore and Washington, D.C., was quoted in the Pew Study. “We’ve got to redefine our personality from just a straight delivery of community news to helping people really educate themselves.”

Working on technology The Black press has an extensive history dating back

According to the Pew Research Center’s Internet and American Life Project, 83 percent of U.S. adults own a cell phone. Of these adults, 35 percent of them own a smart phone and one quarter of them use their phone as their main source of Internet access.

This is a trend that is especially found among 18 to 29-year-old adults who identify themselves as Black.

Pew Internet research shows that “when someone has a mobile device connected to the Internet, they are more likely to share, to forward, to create and to consume online information, from text to photos to videos.”

Curry said, “You’re not going to reach the younger audience through print…

You have to reach them through a mobile platform.”

The Black press, aiming to play a vital role in the lives of African-Americans, has been serving the community to bring perspective and context for over 100 years. Black press continues to do its part in telling the story and keeping its readers loyal. “You have to give them something they can’t get anywhere else,” Curry said.

TRICE EDNEY NEWS SERVICE

Unarmed Wendell Allen was shot in the back in March 2012, killed by a New Orleans police officer. to March 16, 1827. That is when the first Black newspaper, Freedom’s Journal, was founded in New York City by John B. Russwurm, a journalist, and Samuel Cornish, a minister. It’s first editorial stated, “We wish to plead our own cause.

For too long have others spoken for us.”

Because of its longevity, now 186 years old, some find it hard to fathom why the Black press isn’t the biggest and most advanced among all media in the U.S. But, there are many reasons its numeric growth has been stunted.

“Technological advancement is an issue and it remains an issue,” Edney said.

“But we’re working on that.

There are many Black newspapers that are online and there are many that are not.”

Faithful readers According to Sturgis, it has a lot to do with resources. “A lack of resources, reporters, funding to do in depth pieces, and training in new media hampers the

ability to cover what needs to be covered as well as the ability to grow,” Sturgis said.

Financial struggles due to racial discrimination in advertising have also been a complaint by NNPA, a federation of more than 200 Black-owned newspapers, founded in 1940. The organization has launched many strategic campaigns calling on fair share in advertising from major corporations.

But the Black press isn’t losing its older audience.

Curry admits that the older audience is a lot more appreciative of news and Edney agrees that there are faithful readers of Black newspapers that have strong contingencies within the community. The biggest concern Edney has with the Black press is getting online and becoming more technology savvy.

“Because of the urgency of our issues, we must use every opportunity available to get our message out,” Edney said.

Two months into Wendell Allen’s death, the Allen family remained outraged at the slowness of the investigation.

“They feel that because their son is African-American, the police department is taking its time investigating the incident,” said the Rev. Raymond Brown, president and founder of National Action Now during a press conference at the Allen home.

According to Louisiana Weekly, the shooting took place inside the Allen’s home during an execution of a search warrant for marijuana. Since the shooting, Allen has not been linked to the marijuana allegedly sold in or near the home.

Eventually, Colclough was indicted by a state grand jury on one account of manslaughter regarding Allen’s death.

A year after the shooting Colclough awaits trial and no date has yet been set. Meanwhile, the family, early this month, filed a federal wrongful death lawsuit against the City of New Orleans, accusing the New Orleans Police department of several civil rights violations.

Though the Times-Picayune has done extensive reporting on the case, the Louisiana Weekly – in keeping with the Black Press mission – has not only lead the way, but agitated for justice, Edney says.

“The White press [still] criminalizes and stereotypes us,” Edney said. “We need to bring a sense of fairness and balance to the media consciousness.”

Supreme Court to hear Michigan affirmative action case

BY DAVID G. SAVAGE TRIBUNE WASHINGTON BUREAU/MCT

The Supreme Court already is considering an affirmative action case, Fisher v. University of Texas, involving then undergraduate Abigail Fisher (above).

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court will hear Michigan’s appeal of a surprising ruling that struck down its voters’ ban on giving “preferential treatment” to students based on their race, weighing the emotionally tense issue of affirmative action for the second time in a year.

The Michigan measure is nearly identical to the California proposition that in 1996 abolished race-based affirmative action policies for admission to the state’s colleges and universities.

But defenders of affirmative action went to federal court in Michigan and won

a ruling from the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals that held the state measure unconstitutional on the grounds it took away a civil rights provision that benefited minorities.

Texas case pending The Supreme Court justices are highly skeptical of any use of race-based policies, and few doubted the justices would hear Michigan’s defense of its ban on race-based affirmative action. The only surprise was that the justices announced Monday they would hear the appeal before they ruled on a pending affirmative action case involving the University of Texas.

In the Texas case, lawyers for a rejected White student

urged the court to rule that giving preferences to applicants based on their race violates the Constitution’s promise of “equal protection of the laws.” A decision in that case, Fisher vs. University of Texas, is expected this spring.

Michigan’s voters appeared to adopt the kind of race-neutral admission policies that many of the justices favor. It told the state universities to admit students without regard to their race or ethnicity.

Kagan won’t hear case State Atty. Gen. Bill Schuette said it made no sense to say a provision that forbids discrimination of any sort based on race violates the “equal protec-

tion” provision of the Constitution.

But the defenders of the race-based policies could point to Supreme Court rulings from the late 1960s that faulted state and local governments for repealing civil rights provisions in actions that appeared to target minorities. By an 8-7 vote, the 6th Circuit Court said the Michigan ballot measure was unconstitutional under those precedents.

The high court said it will hear the Michigan case in the fall. It is Schuette vs.

Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action. Justice Elena Kagan is not taking part in the case, apparently because she worked on it as solicitor general.

HEALTH FOOD || HEALTH TRAVEL | |MONEY SCIENCE | BOOKS | MOVIES | TV | AUTOS LIFE | FAITH | EVENTS | CLASSIFIEDS | ENTERTAINMENT | SPORTS | FOOD COURIER

IFE/FAITH

Fort Myers team is this year’s NCAA darling See page B4

SUN COAST / TAMPA BAY

March 29 - April 4, 2013

SHARING BLACK LIFE, STATEWIDE

Lauren London joins ‘The Game’ See page B5

www.flcourier.com

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF PENNY DICKERSON/FLORIDA COURIER

William “Bill” Burns holds a monthly raffle to win an AR-15 rifle. Proceeds benefit his nonprofit organization “Dream Hunts For Heroes.”

Was the decision to go ‘gunless’ in the ‘Gunshine State’ fatal?

Editor’s Note: This is the sixth in a series of stories framing the life of James Roland Jackson, III, known as “Jimmy” to his family.

BY PENNY DICKERSON SPECIAL TO THE FLORIDA COURIER

As reported in this series, 26-year-old Jimmy Jackson was shot on June 2, 2012, at the Silver Fox nightclub while working part time as road manager for rap artist Young Cash, a protégé of popular Florida-based rapper Flo Rida.

The former Florida A&M University business student died 10 days later at Shands Hospital, leaving his supportive family shocked and grieving.

His five-year-old daughter Denia no longer has a daddy to tuck her in at night. He won’t cheer at her college graduation, or walk her down the aisle on her wedding day.

Four bullets Jacksonville Detective Bobbie Bowers, the lead homicide investigator, is calling Jackson’s tragic shooting a random robbery.

Two Black males wearing dark clothing approached Jackson in a pitch-dark parking lot at close to 4 a.m. He complied with their request for money, but assailants still pumped four bullets into his 6’1” athletic frame as he walked away.

Older brother Anthony Rozier said that Jackson refused to carry a concealed weapon, as is possible under Florida’s liberal ‘concealed carry’ law.

“I don’t need a gun, cause I ain’t gon’ shoot nobody,” Jackson told Rozier.

Millions with guns There’s no proof that Jackson would still be alive if he had been carrying a gun. But a record number of citizens do plan to shoot whenever necessary. One of every 17 Floridians –

Ammunition can be purchased for cash at local gun shows.

Firearm responsibility requires a permit application.

THE LIFE & DEATH OF

JIMMY JACKSON

more than a million people just in Florida alone – has a license to carry a concealed firearm.

While homicide rates are down, Florida is home to the largest number of gun-carrying permits in the country, giving the peninsula an unsavory moniker: “the Gunshine State.”

Jacksonville has its own Gun Crime Unit, and for good reason. As reported by the United States Department of Justice base on 2011 statistics, the Middle District of Florida, the federal court district were Jacksonville is located, ranks third in the nation for the number of federal prosecutions of firearmsrelated cases.

In conjunction with Project Safe Neighborhood, a community-based initiative, the Gun Crime Unit meets once a week to discuss the prosecution of gun crimes and includes detectives with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, special agents from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), as well as prosecutors from the State Attorney’s Office.

pistol,” Wyatt boasted.

Guns and target shooting has always been a part of Wyatt’s family life. He was given his first gun at age 15 and is an avid hunter of game.

Easy to get Many Floridians evidently believe peril is imminent, and they are buying guns. And all you need is money to buy a gun in Florida.

According to a Feb. 27 cover story in Folio Weekly, “No permits, license or identification card is required to buy or possess firearms and ammunition here, unlike in some other states.” (You do need a license to conceal a gun and carry it.)

Racial disparity

Fierce debate The availability of guns is America’s most contentious new debate. From seasoned politicians to neighborhood barbershops hosting Saturday morning court, everyone is weighing in on access to firearms, who has a right to own, and the rampant gun violence sweeping the nation.

A movie theater massacre and last year’s Sandy Hook elementary killing spree has created a nation in fear and rendered public places unsafe.

First gun at 15 Gun shows are held almost every weekend in

A revolver like these on sale at a Jacksonville gun show could be similar to the firearm Jimmy’s shooter used. a Florida city and a large populous of enthusiasts support the culture. Luke Wyatt purchased close to $280 worth of ammunition at a recent Jacksonville gun show.

“I come here to buy ammo because I can’t get it from the store,” said Wyatt. “ The government is mak-

ing it even harder.”

The Florida State Community College student works part time at Longhorn Steakhouse and uses his earnings to support his hobby.

“I own three guns, a 30.06 long-range rifle, a tactical AR-22, and have access to my parents’ 9mm

The use of guns is racially disparate. According to a March 22 feature in the Washington Post, “Gun deaths are shaped by race in America. Whites are far more likely to shoot themselves, and African-Americans are far more likely to be shot by someone else.”

What’s consistent is that thousands of people are killed – or are killing themselves – with guns.

The Florida-based Trayvon Martin case has intensified the racial debate.

Martin was shot and killed last February in Sanford

by George Zimmerman, an off-duty neighborhood watchman. The shooter alleged Martin’s behavior was suspicious – he was walking slowly in the rain and wearing a hoodie.

The equally tragic killing of Jordan Davis followed the Martin killing.

The 14-year-old was shot to death while sitting in a Dodge Durango with friends at a Gate gas station in Jacksonville.

See JIMMY, Page B2

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CALENDAR

B2

FLORIDA COMMUNITY CALENDAR

St. Petersburg: Celebrate Easter with jump houses, free Easter baskets for children, raffles and door prizes March 31 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Neveah’s Easter Extravaganza, 4300 6th St. South. Adults, $5.

More information: 727-641-9580.

Tampa: Bible-Based Fellowship Church will host a Good Friday service titled “Conversations around the Cross” March 29 at 7 p .m. 4811 Ehrlich Road. More information: 813264-4050.

Jacksonville: Three egg hunts will be held to benefit the American Red Cross Volunteer Life-Saving Corp on March 30 at Adventure Landing, 1944 Beach Blvd. Registration is at 8 a.m., egg hunts 9 a.m., 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. Each hunt is followed by a charity raffle. Cost: $3 per child.

More information: 904-246-4386.

Tampa: The 100 Black Men of Tampa Bay will host a workshop on retirement basics as part of an economic empowerment workshop series on April 13 from 10 a.m. noon at Strayer University, 4902 Eisenhower Blvd.

STEPHANIE MILLS

Stephanie Mills will be at the James L Knight Center May 12 for a 7 p.m. show.

MO’NIQUE

Actress and comedian Mo’Nique is coming to Florida. She’s scheduled at the Orlando Improv April 5-6, Tampa Improv April 19-20, the Fort Lauderdale Improv May 3-4.

Sorority’s Centennial Torch Tour makes a stop in Tampa on May 18. The day, hosted by the Tampa Alumnae Chapter, will include an event for students at the Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. A Crimson Yacht Soiree on the Yacht StarShip starts at 6:30 p.m. More information: Call 850-284-3386 or visit www.dstta.com.

Hollywood: Fantasia is scheduled at the 7th Annual Gulf Coast Rhythm & Ribfest at the Manatee County Fairgrounds on April 14.

Jacksonville: Jazz and Blues group Fourplay will be at the Florida Theatre Jacksonville along with Harvey Mason, Chuck Loeb and Nathan East April 21 for an 8 p.m. show.

Tampa: 1990s rap stars Salt N Pepa are among the artists slated to perform at Funk Fest 2013 at Tampa’s Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park May 3 and 4. Concerts also are scheduled in Jacksonville and Orlando. Complete lineup: http://funkfestconcerts. com.

Tampa: The Delta Sigma Theta

Orlando: Eric Deggans, TV and me-

BOOK REVIEW

New book looks at war through soldiers’ eyes

BY DR. GLENN ALTSCHULER SPECIAL TO THE FLORIDA COURIER

“Making War at Fort Hood: Life And Uncertainty In A Military Community’’ is by Kenneth T. MacLeish. The book is published

by Princeton University Press; 265 pages, $29.95.

“My job is to heal as I transition back to duty or continue serving the Nation as a veteran in my community,” a U.S. Army Medical Department publication declares. “This is not a status, but a mission. I will succeed in this mission because I Am A Warrior And I Am Army Strong.”

Most of the servicemen and women at Fort Hood, Texas, one of the largest military installations in the world, are in transition. They have returned from one or more tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan or are about to be sent there.

Dark, depressing account In “Making War At Fort Hood,’’ Kenneth MacLeish, as assistant professor of Medicine, Health and Society, draws on interviews with them and members of their

TOJ

The Pi Iota Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity invites the public to several events during its 7th District Meeting in Tampa. On April 4, there will be a golf tournament starting at 11:30 a.m. at Roger’s Park Golf Course, 7911 N. 30th St. A picnic at Curtis Hixon Park is from 3 p.m.-7 p.m. A Founders Banquet will be held April 6 at 7:30 at Hotel Tampa-Downtown. A worship service will be held at Hotel Tampa-Downtown April 7 at 8 a.m. More information and additional events: www.piiota.org.

Orlando: Funny man Mike Epps will be at the Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre on May 24 and the Jacksonville Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts April 12.

Orlando: Good Friday Communion service and a viewing of “The Passion of the Christ’’ will be held at Kingdom Life Events Center, 5232 S. Orange Ave. March 29 at 7 p.m.

Easter service will be held at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. March 31. There will be an Easter Egg Hunt and all families will get the opportunity to take a free professional family photo. More information: KingdomLifeOrlando. com.

MARCH 29 – APRIL 4, 2013

dia critic with the Tampa Bay Times who wrote the book “Race-Baiter: How the Media Wields Dangerous Words to Divide a Nation,’’ will be one of the authors featured at the University of Central Florida Book Festival/Orlando 2013. The festival is April 13 from 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. at the UCF Arena. More information: bookfestival.ucf.edu.

Jacksonville: The 17th Annual Southeast US Boat Show, formally known as the Jacksonville spring boat show, will take place April 12, 13 and 14 at the Metropolitan Park & Marina to include live seminars, live music and hundreds of new boats.

Tampa: Hillsborough Community College’s Dale Mabry Campus will host an annual job fair April 16 from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., 4001 W. Tampa Bay Blvd. in the student services building.

Jacksonville: Jillian Michaels’ recognition, and the tight control and suppression of emotions.”

Even love, according to MacLeish, yokes soldiers “to a precarious state.”

Although “perhaps it can pull you through to the other side,” to love is to “suffer, to be exposed, and to be harmed for someone.”

Racism overlooked

families in an ethnographic exploration of the impact of deployment on their everyday lives.

The term “vulnerability,” he suggests, best captures their condition. Spreading outward from the soldier to the individuals and institutions connected to him (or her), vulnerability “is a sort of productive contamination that is less a strain on or disruption of attachment than it is the stuff of attachment itself.”

MacLeish’s account is dark and depressing. The author understands the risks of reading everything “as meaning-laden traces of war.”

Emotions suppressed He acknowledges that there is “abundant good feeling at Fort Hood” and that many readjustments to home and family life “are seamless, or close to it.”

These stories, however, do not make their way into “Making War at Fort Hood.’’

Instead, MacLeish documents, often poignantly, the difficulties soldiers have in making sense of their experiences and in moving on. The Army, he indicates, inculcates and cultivates “suspicion toward claims of non-visible injury,” which it tends to equate with “deception and moral failing.”

Designed to be “exercises in solidarity and affection,” he writes, “manifests” (departure and return events, usually held in gymnasia on the post) often underscore “pain, loss, grief, mis-

Surprisingly, MacLeish devotes relatively little attention to some of the conflicts of life in the armed services. He claims that racial differences “are inevitably entangled in the unequal distribution of harm, exposure, responsibility, and authority – in the Army as in so many other settings.”

Except for a single paragraph in which he describes a fight between a racist and another soldier, however, he does not elaborate.

Nor does MacLeish investigate why the soldiers at Fort Hood joined the Army –and what they think they may have gained from the experience. It seems clear that he is appalled by the costs exacted by war in general – and by the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in particular.

Bigger questions When MacLeish’s plumber declares that contractors in these countries have sold their souls and that America is corrupt, he tells us that he was “too nervous, too wary of splitting hairs” to point out “what seemed like a bigger and messier complicity.

Weren’t we all here because of war, one way or the other? Was there even any question of turning down blood money or not ending up with some of it in your own pocket?”

“Being subject to war’s facts of life makes them normal,” MacLeish concludes, “but it doesn’t make them easier.” Fair enough.

But you have to wonder how much of the vulnerability he describes is endemic to 21st-century wars. And about what we can do to address the disturbing consequences he has described.

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.

“Maximize Your Life” tour comes to the Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts April 17. Jillian shares her keys to health, success and happiness.

Jacksonville: The stage play and musical “Dreamgirls” will be at the Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts May 21 at 7:30 p.m.

Tallahassee: The Women of Color 2013 Legislative Days will be held April 3-5 at multiple locations at the state Capitol. Committee meetings, a Women of Color luncheon and banquet, the State of Black Florida workshops, updates from elected officials and the Florida Black Caucus Gala Celebration are among featured events. More information: www. woclc.com or call 407-953-5599.

Winter Park: As a tribute to the 125th anniversary of the City of Winter Park and incorporation of the City of Eatonville, Crealdé’s Han-

JIMMY from B1 Michael David Dunn, a White male, pulled up next to the teens and asked them to turn their loud music down. Following a verbal dispute, Dunn claimed he saw a shotgun in their car and sprayed seven shots into the parked SUV. Davis died on the scene; police reported the teens had no gun.

These murders have sparked a national outcry against gun violence; race is a subtext because White men killed both Martin and Dunn.

Jimmy Jackson’s death was different. The shooters were Black. As mass shootings prompt vigils and flags flown at half-mast, mainstream media attention to “Black-on-Black” crime is practically nonexistent.

‘Not a race problem’ David Frum, contributing editor at Newsweek offered the following in a CNN report titled, “U.S. gun problem is not a race problem.’’

“The typical murder has one victim, not many. The typical murder is committed with a handgun, not a rifle. And in the typical murder, both the perpetrator and the victim are young black men. Blacks are six times as likely as Whites to be the victim of a homicide. Blacks are seven times as likely to commit a homicide.”

‘In the wrong hands’ Isaiah Rumlin, president of the Jacksonville NAACP branch, says his organization is very concerned about gun violence.

“It’s a socioeconomic issue that affects our city, state, and nation,” said Rumlin. “We have got to produce better-educated people, produce more jobs, and develop better programs for repeat offenders who are released and return to our communities.”

He additionally calls on parents to do a better job and take responsibility for their children’s actions before tragedy strikes.

nibal Square Heritage Center will feature an original exhibition through April 13 among the three AfricanAmerican communities – Eatonville, Maitland and Winter Park. Venue: 642 W. New England Ave. Free. More information: 407-539-2680 or www. hannibalsquareheritagecenter.org.

St. Petersburg: Youths ages 7 to 11 can enjoy a night of football, kickball, ping-pong, foosball, video games and dance parties during “Freestyle Fridays” at the Fossil Park & Willis S. Johns Center, 6635 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. St. N. First visit free; $6 each following visit. More information: 727-893-7756.

St. Petersburg: First Fridays are held in downtown St. Petersburg at 250 Central Ave. between Second and Third Avenues from 5:30 p.m.-10:30 p.m. More information: 727-393-3597.

Tampa: A free professional grant writing workshop will be held March 29 from 2 p.m. – 3 p.m. at the Children’s Board of Hillsborough County, 1002 E. Palm Ave. The workshop is designed for staff, administrators, board members of non-profits, faith-based organizations, government agencies and other tax-exempt status organizations. RSVP to Michael Randolph, 813-857-7657 or wefindgrants@aol.com. No one will be admitted without an invitation.

Jacksonville: Rap artist Bubba Sparxx will be at Brewster’s Roc Bar in March 30 for a 7 p.m. show.

Fort Lauderdale: The Florida Minority Community Reinvestment along with a coalition of Florida minority non-profits and neighborhood associations are hosting the 2013 Let’s Do Business Florida & Summit June 28-June 29 at the Westin Beach Resort & Spa. No cost to womenminority-veteran businesses and nonprofits. More information: www. letsdobusinessflorida.com.

Jacksonville: The Public Theater’s Tony-winning production of “Hair,’’ about a group of young Americans searching for peace and love will be held April 10 at 7:30 p.m. at the Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts. More information: www. artistseriesjax.org.

“Blacks are six times as likely as Whites to be the victim of a homicide.”

David Frum,

contributing editor at Newsweek “Too many guns are in the wrong hands,” declared Rumlin.

The Rev. R.L. Gundy, pastor of Mt. Sinai Missionary Baptist Church in Jacksonville, also weighed in on the subject.

He is the state president of the Southern Christian Leadership conference.

Gundy stated that with “a present mean legislative body and more than 225 federally licensed gun dealers in a state, it creates an environment where people become predators on each other – both Black and White.’’

The community activist doesn’t offer it as an excuse but insists that the current gun culture has been created by society and cites the previous methodology of President Bill Clinton’s as a positive example. The Clinton administration tracked every gun used in a crime and, statistically, as it was then, Florida tops the list.

“When all of your Black fathers are in jail and there are no jobs, the problem transcends mere socioeconomic and it’s deeper than parents serving as a solution,” Gundy added. “The highest population of Blacks in Florida is in Duval County and 72 percent of all babies born in a Black family are without a father. It becomes a mental health and psychological (issue) too.”

Crimes and justice A public service announcement uses six quick words to spell out the consequences of committing a gun crime: “Use a gun and you’re done.” Pull a gun –10 years in prison. Fire a gun – 20 years. Shoot someone – 25 years to life in prison.

That’s the penalty facing the individual(s) responsible for Jackson’s murder.

TOJ

MARCH 29 – APRIL 4, 2013

PERSONAL FINANCE

B3 Impact on youth workers Teen unemployment is 22.1 percent, nearly three times the unemployment rate, while the Black teen unemployment rate is 40.3 percent.

“Those numbers won’t get any better if you raise the minimum wage,” he said.

The minimum-wage workforce does tend to be young: Half are younger than 25. And two-thirds of minimum-wage jobs are less than 35 hours a week, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

But that still means that half of minimum-wage jobs are held by adults older than 25, and a third of those earning minimum wage are working at those jobs full time.

The leisure and hospitality industry — typically restaurants and hotels — has the highest proportion of workers with hourly wages at or below the minimum wage.

Small profit margin

MIKE HUTMACHER/WICHITA EAGLE/MCT

Steven King, who has earned minimum wage for four years, works in the Salvation Army food pantry on Feb. 20.

Would minimum-wage hike help workers?

Increase proposed by Obama draws supporters, critics

BY DAN VOORHIS WICHITA EAGLE/MCT

Steven King knows the difference between necessities and luxuries.

King has lived on minimum wage for four years.

Minimum wage is $7.25 per hour. At half time, that’s $7,540 per year.

At full time, it comes to $15,080 per year, minus

payroll taxes. Last year, King said, he earned $8,400 working in a program at the Salvation Army.

King lives an almost ascetic life. He rents a tiny apartment over a garage, pays his utilities, and walks or takes a bus. He has little money for much beyond that. The government stretches his wages by giving him $200 a month for food and a phone with four hours per month.

He’s not complaining.

It beats the two years he spent sleeping in the bushes near a Wichita, Kan., hotel.

“It’s literally paycheck to paycheck,” he said. “I pay bills with one paycheck and rent with the other. It’s just really, really tight.”

Majority support idea In his State of the Union address, President Barack Obama proposed raising the minimum wage to $9 per hour in stages by 2015 — and then indexing it to inflation.

The arguments for and against that idea will sound similar to the last time Congress raised the minimum

wage, when the increases were phased in between 2007 and 2009.

The White House maintains that modestly increasing the wage helps workers, boosts the economy by getting more money into the hands of those who will spend it immediately, and helps employers by cutting down on worker turnover. Several polls show that the majority of people support the idea.

What opponents say The National Federation of Independent Business, which represents 350,000

small businesses, forcefully rebuts the Obama argument. It maintains that raising the wage will kill jobs by increasing costs for small-business owners without really helping the workers.

They argue that minimum-wage jobs tend to be second or third jobs in a family, are often for teenagers and are part time, meaning the increase, so painful to the business owner, doesn’t do much to increase family income.

Economists come down on both sides of the argument, acknowledges Malcolm Harris, an economist and professor of finance at Friends University in Wichita who tends to dislike the minimum wage.

“The national impact is fairly clear,” he said. “It drives up youth unemployment, particularly minority unemployment.”

Adam Mills, CEO of the Kansas Restaurant and Hospitality Association, said that restaurants as a whole already have a small profit margin, less than 4 percent.

“If the minimum wage goes up, then something else has to give,” he said.

“It’s a combination of higher prices and fewer people working. We are not a high-profit industry. … A restaurant owner has to rub two nickels together and figure out how to get 11 cents out of it.”

And, he noted, wait staff who depend on tip income often earn far more than $7.25 an hour. He estimated it at closer to $11 to $15.

Melad Stephen, who owns several upscale restaurants, said that raising the minimum wage could have a big impact on his business. He starts his inexperienced employees at minimum wage and raises it as they grow more experienced.

He estimated that his entire staff, other than the wait staff, earns an average of between $9 and $10 an hour. Setting $9 as the minimum would push his whole wage scale up.

“What’s going to happen is that if the labor is high, we’ll have to cut somebody’s hours,” he said.

“When things slow a bit, we’ll send people home and have somebody do more.”

Drop-box scheme targets apartment-rent payments

BY SUSAN JACOBSON ORLANOD SENTINEL/MCT

KISSIMMEE – Anna Laurao Auletta was shocked when she received a notice saying she would be evicted in three days if she didn’t pay her March rent.

Auletta knew she had slipped a money order through the slot in the rent drop box at her apartmentcomplex office about 9 p.m. March 5, the last day to pay without incurring a late charge.

The next day, however, a manager said he did not believe her. By the time police arrived to sort out what had happened, Auletta was crying.

“I’m not a liar,” the 54-year-old mother of three and grandmother of nine told the Orlando Sentinel in Spanish earlier this month. “I’m not a thief.”

Auletta was right, police say.

She is among dozens of victims of a new twist in low-tech crime: drop-box thieves.

How scheme works Apartment complexes and tenants in Orlando, Kissimmee, Lakeland, Osceola and south Orange counties reported being victimized this month.

Law-enforcement officers said they don’t think all of the thefts are related.

The scheme works like this: Thieves smear glue or another sticky substance

TIPS FOR RESIDENTS Avoid using a rent drop box.

Pay in person and get a receipt.

Pay online if your complex allows it.

Use a gel pen to make out your money order. The ink can’t be washed away like ballpoint ink.

Sources: Kissimmee and Lakeland police

on a coat hanger or similar object. Then they reach through the slot into the drop box, which can be a couple of feet deep, and fish out rent checks and money orders.

They use acetone to wash the ink away, write in a new name and cash the money orders. Checks are less likely to be tampered with because they are harder to alter and easier to trace.

Surveillance video can be a deterrent, but it isn’t an answer.

Moderate-income victims Video from The Arbors at Sendera condominiums in Kissimmee, for example, shows two men walk to the office. One peers through

the window, then reaches into the drop-box slot, pulls out envelopes and hands them to his accomplice.

The video isn’t clear enough to see what he used as a tool.

Many of the victims live in moderate-income apartment complexes where residents are required to pay by money order or do so because they have no checking account.

“These poor folks are working hard to pay their rent, and they certainly don’t deserve to be ripped off like that,” said Lori Trainer, a vice president at Concord Management, which had thefts at four of its complexes.

A hassle to fix That’s certainly true of Madeline Velez, a 38-yearold motel housekeeper and single mother of three who earns $8 an hour, and her neighbor Jonathan Soto, who works at an auto shop.

“I change a lot of tires to pay my bills,” the 29-yearold Soto said.

Even for those who have done nothing wrong, straightening out the situation is a hassle.

Tenants at Polo Run Apartments in Kissimmee, for instance, were asked to provide a receipt for their money orders, a stop payment or claim report and a police report.

A note advised them

SUSAN JACOBSON/ORLANDO SENTINEL/MCT

The Gables at Lakeside in Kissimmee is not accepting rent payments through its drop box because of recent thefts. to submit the documents within 24 hours or the complex’s attorneys would begin eviction proceedings.

A Polo Run leasing agent, Akira Gutierrez, said tenants would not be required to make a second rent payment for the month and would not be charged late fees.

No arrests made Trainer of Concord Management said her company

lost $34,000 to the thefts at properties in Orange County and Kissimmee, but it has insurance.

Law officers could not provide a total loss for all 11 complexes hit in south Florida. They include Reef Club and Regatta Bay in Kissimmee; Berkshire Club and Falcon Trace in Orange County; and Waterstone Apartments in Orlando, which had only one reported theft.

Kissimmee police have identified a Hialeah man and woman whose names were payees on some of the money orders, but no arrests have been made.

For at least the time being, most affected apartments are not accepting drop-box payments. Residents can pay in person or, at some complexes, online.

“Right now, we’re just on hold,” Gutierrez said.

SPORTS

TOj B4

STOJ

MARCH 29 – APRIL 4, 2013 onds of national television for being picked to play in the NCAA tournament.

On Friday night, the Eagles will play a bigger brother, the University of Florida, in Arlington, Texas.

The Eagles have two NCAA tournament wins on their resume.

The Gators have two national titles notched on their belt.

After capturing the imagination of America, FGCU staggered under the sweet onslaught of attention. An ESPN crew gave hourly updates outside the basketball arena. National radio shows wanted any player or coach they could get.

‘Too much for us’ Sports information director Patrick Pierson sat at his desk after 45 minutes of sleep Sunday night and tried to wade through the hundreds of unanswered texts and emails.

“We aren’t capable of handling this,” Pierson said. “I’m not too proud to say it — this is too much for us.”

And he laughed, because he knew this is how sports feels on its best days.

Florida Gulf Coast is an upstart by any definition. It started classes on restored wetlands in 1997, meaning its basketball players are older than the school and most people nationally had never heard of it before this weekend.

After its first tournament win against traditional powerhouse Georgetown, school officials corrected CBS for labeling it “Florida G.C.” After Sunday’s win against San Diego State, TBS put up a graphic of “Florida Golf Coast.”

Building a program

STEVEN M. FALK/PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS/MCT

Florida Gulf Coast guard Sherwood Brown (25) celebrates after hitting a three-pointer against Georgetown in the second half of a second-round game in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on March 22. FGCU upset Georgetown, 78-68.

Unknown Fort Myers team defines spirit of March Madness Florida Gulf Coast has become the darling of 2013 NCAA tournament

BY DAVE HYDE SUN SENTINEL/MCT

FORT MYERS – The school bookstore ran out of shirts Monday. The athletic website crashed twice. The basketball coach received more than 1,000 texts. The star guard saw three alias Twitter accounts start in his name.

“And one already has more followers than me,” Sherwood

Brown said.

Before last Friday night, no one knew about Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU), which opened in Fort Myers in 1997. After two surprise victories, the Eagles became the first No. 15 seed to qualify for the regional semifinals in the men’s NCAA college basketball tournament.

This is an unlikely feat, considering it is just in its second season as a tournament-eligible Division I program. It has gone from a relatively unknown program to becoming the darling of the 2013 NCAA tournament.

But the epicenter of a college basketball earthquake is located here on a usually quiet cam-

Coach Andy Enfield, who was hired two seasons ago said when he began recruiting his first season most people thought it was a community college.

“I’d get the whole line of questions — Who? What? Where?” Enfield said. “One thing about this, I hope more people will have heard of us.”

Enfield, 43, knew it was a builder’s job and figured he was right for the job.

He set the NCAA career record with a 92.5 free-throw percentage at Johns Hopkins, was an NBA assistant in Milwaukee and Boston and co-founded a technology company in health care before returning to basketball as a Florida State assistant.

It’s also a question in the Enfield household of who got more TV time this past weekend —

him or his wife, a former model, Amanda Marcum, who was on fashion magazine covers like Elle and Maxim.

“One thing my wife has impressed on me — this story isn’t about me,” Enfield said. “It’s about the players and the university and she’s right about that. This is their story.”

Lots of new fans The players have similar stories that the upcoming game against Florida underscores. Brown, for instance, grew up in Orlando and was a Florida fan all his life. Eddie Murray, the only Fort Myers native on the team, also was a Gator fan.

“It’s funny how it’s all worked out in playing them,” Murray, a fifth-year senior, said. “When I first started here, we’d play after the women’s game, and people would be filing out of the gym as our game started.

“Now, everywhere we go, it’s crazy.”

Brown went to have lunch at his normal spot in the student center on Monday and ended up taking pictures with fans for 90 minutes.

Some of those he took pictures with were donning new school shirts from the neighboring bookstore, which was undergoing its own issues.

Slammed in good way As 156 people stood in line to buy the dwindling supply of apparel, the school’s bookstore manager told others a new shipment was coming Tuesday.

“What time?” asked Ron Kaposos, who retired five years ago to Fort Myers from Hudson, Ohio.

When told the time was uncertain, Kaposos shrugged and said, “My grandsons called and said they want shirts for the game this week.”

All this is evidence of the surprise sports can carry. Laviolette already heard from admission directors at other schools that spiked nationally through sports who say it will translate into a 20-percent increase in applications next year.

“You can’t buy the kind of marketing and advertising we got from the past few days,” Laviolette said.

“We’re all slammed right now in a good way by the reaction to it.”

Laviolette plans to call his counterpart and friend at Florida.

“I want to make a little bet on the game,” he said.

He smiled and, like a lot of people on campus these days, then said, “I never thought I’d get to say something like that.”

Georgetown forward Otto Porter Jr. (22) keeps the ball from Florida Gulf Coast forward Eddie Murray (23) during first-half action in a second-round game in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.

pus Monday to where the director of admissions points at his office computer.

“Look here,” R. Marc Laviolette says, tapping the screen. “We usually get 20 emails a day with some kind of inquiry. Today we’ve got 200. And our Web traffic is up 400 percent.”

March Madness hits the admissions office?

“And it’s just after noon,” he says.

Florida Gators next This is what two wins at the right time can do for the most unknown of schools. Just over a week ago, Florida Gulf Coast officials celebrated getting eight sec-

STEVEN M. FALK/ PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS/MCT

Tiger Woods returns to sport’s pinnacle with eighth Arnold Palmer win

BY BRIAN SCHMITZ ORLANDO SENTINEL/MCT

ORLANDO – No matter what day it is, it’s always Sunday to Tiger Woods when he’s sniffing a title.

Woods won the Arnold Palmer Invitational on a Monday after storms delayed the final round — but not Tiger’s climb back to the golfing mountaintop.

“I think he plays every shot like he plays them on Sunday,” said Justin Rose, the runner-up.

Tiger fired a two-under 70 for a 275 total to defend his title, beating Rose by two shots and four third-place finishers by five strokes.

With his eighth victory at Bay Hill, Woods reclaimed the world No. 1 ranking for the first time since 2010, won for the third time this season and rediscovered his awe-inspiring dominance two weeks before

the Masters.

Pick any day of the week, any climate, any course now.

“His intensity is the same on Thursday often as it is on Sunday, and that makes Sunday a lot less different for him,” Rose continued.

“He plays in that kind of atmosphere far more regularly than a lot of guys do.

It’s an adjustment for most of us. It’s a known for him.”

Competition from Fowler Sounds as if Rose and the rest of the field feel like their predecessors did when Tiger, now 37, ruled the game in his youth.

Brash Rickie Fowler, 24, was Woods’ playing partner for the final round. He thought he had a chance to upset Woods, who had built a three-shot lead after play was halted Sunday afternoon.

Woods wasn’t seriously challenged until Fowler pulled within two after he birdied 14.

Then on the 511-yard, par 5 16th hole, Fowler imploded to end any suspense. He hit two balls in the water to finish with a triple-bogey while Tiger birdied out of a bunker, the six-shot swing leaving Woods free and clear.

Greatest closer Woods has built an emotional blockade with all his experience. When Fowler hit a birdie putt on No. 12 to apply some pressure, Tiger simply matched it, showing how his putter has helped his resurgence from injuries and a personal crisis. And to think, he was just trying to get the putt close and not make a telling mistake.

“It ended up being a nice putt to make, but I certainly wasn’t trying to make it,” Woods said. “I was just try-

GARY W. GREEN/ORLANDO SENTINEL/MCT

Tiger Woods is presented with a jacket after winning his eighth Arnold Palmer Invitational in Orlando on Monday. ing to make sure I didn’t run it past the hole.”

Woods reminded Fowler that he was — er, is — the game’s greatest closer, pushing his record to 42-2 when he carries the outright lead into the final round.

Woods held his putter over his head to acknowledge the fans after his win, greeting Palmer off the 18th

green. His eighth win at Bay Hill tied a record set by Sam Snead for most victories at a single tournament.

Among the legends Palmer said he sees Tiger’s eight wins here remaining in the record books for a while.

“I don’t really see any-

body touching it for a long time,” Palmer said. “I had the opportunity to win a tournament five times, and I knew how difficult that was.”

Said Woods, “There are certain events that are more special when you have Arnold Palmer on the 18th green or you have Jack (Nicklaus) at the Memorial. … It’s special to be able to walk off the 18th green and see these guys there.

“They’re living legends of the game.”

Woods is a living legend, too. But he hasn’t won a major in five years, still four wins away from tying Nicklaus’ all-time record of 18.

Maybe Tiger is back to chasing history in earnest — and everyone else is back to chasing him.

“I’m getting there,” he said.

And it doesn’t really matter if it’s a marquee Sunday — or a makeup Monday.

STOJ

MARCH 29 – APRIL 4, 2013

FINEST & ENTERTAINMENT

Meet some of

FLORIDA'S

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submitted for your approval

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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.

cartiss

David Claxton sits poolside as this week’s male Florida’s Finest.

South Florida-based model Cartiss Brown, a Miami native, has an undergraduate degree in biology. Her goal is to be a physician’s assistant, as well as a model, actress and dancer. You can see more of her at www.cartissbrown.com; contact her at booking@cartissbrown.com.

PHOTOGRAPHER: MARQUEST EDWARDS

Fallon likely will keep ‘The Roots’

BY DAN DELUCA PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER/MCT

PHILADELPHIA — If Jimmy Fallon takes over as host of “The Tonight Show” from Jay Leno in 2014 in the marquee late-night spot for Comcast-owned NBC, as has been widely speculated, does that mean The Roots will be the new “Tonight Show” band?

Probably. They may not change their name, but it’s highly unlikely that Fallon would make the move from Studio 6B in 30 Rockefeller Center, where “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” is currently produced to the new state-ofthe-art 30 Rock studio being built for him without bringing the Philadelphia band billed as The Legendary Roots Crew with him.

Why’s that? Because NBC is interested in moving Fallon, 38, into an earlier time slot than his current 12:35 start time to attract younger viewers, and keep ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel from gaining a stranglehold on a not-yet-graying demographic, now that the

45 year old Kimmel is in direct time slot competition with Leno, 62 and David Letterman , 65.

And how does Fallon score so well with younger viewers? Partly his show is Internet savvy, sure, and kind of because he looks like he could still get carded if he ordered a beer at the 30 Rock commissary.

Shrewd career move for house band But also because “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon,” since it came on the air in 2009, has established the most aggressive and astute musical booking policy, pulling the rug out from Conan O’Brien, whose late-night show used to attract all the hippest acts.

Now, that distinction goes to Fallon, who also attracts plenty of big names, from Prince to Paul McCartney to Bruce Springsteen to Justin Timberlake, who performed on the show five nights running last week. And the reason Fallon’s show has so much

The Roots cred basically boils down to The Roots, who made a shrewd career move taking the “Late Night” job and have pretty much become America’s backing band ever since.

So, in all likelihood, The Roots and their drummer bandlead-

er Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson look to be in line to become the house band at the most iconic late-night show on TV, with Questo stepping into the role filled by flashy-dressing trumpeter Doc Severinson from 1967 to Carson’s retirement in 1992.

‘The Game’ goes on without Melanie and Derwin

BY GREG BRAXTON LOS ANGELES TIMES/MCT

Since being rescued from the scrap heap two years ago after it was canceled by the CW, “The Game” has proved to be a winner for BET. The football-themed series scored record ratings in its 2011 cable debut, remains the channel’s top-rated series, and with “Real Husbands of Hollywood” anchors BET’s scripted comedy slate.

But as it kicked off its sixth season Tuesday, the show is reeling from the loss of its two MVPs: Tia Mowry-Hardrict and Pooch Hall.

Though she is punching up the series with new cast members, creator and executive producer Mara Brock Akil admitted that dealing with the absence of “the heart” of “The Game” has been a formidable challenge, forcing the show into its third reboot in six years.

“Changing networks and then changing casts is initially always daunting,” Akil said by phone from Atlanta, where the show

is filmed. “Losing Pooch and Tia is really rough — you love them, they’re a part of the family, and you want it to last forever.

But sometimes there are circumstances beyond your control, and you have to play with the cards you are dealt. Losing them was definitely not ideal, but the show has to go on.”

Hall moves to Showtime With its predominantly African-American cast, “The Game,” which first launched in 2006 on the CW, featured MowryHardrict as Melanie Barnett, an aspiring doctor who put her plans for medical school on hold to support her boyfriend, Derwin Davis (Hall), a star receiver for the fictional San Diego Sabers. The couple, who later married, were the central focus of the ensemble cast.

But the show hit a roadblock late last season when Hall accepted a role on Showtime’s upcoming drama “Ray Donovan.” Subsequently, Mowry-Hardrict told reporters that Hall’s exit left her charac-

ter’s status uncertain and that she’d decided to leave “The Game” rather than have Melanie become less important.

“What has happened speaks authentically to the world of sports,” Akil said.

“We fall in love with play- Jay ers, and it hurts when they Ellis leave. It’s like Peyton Manning leaving the Colts to wear a Broncos uniform. It hurts, but it’s what real life is like. First you get nervous, then it becomes exciting and new. There’s new life to the show.”

Mowry-Hardrict, who continues to appear with Lauren her twin sister, Tamera London Mowry-Housley (“Sister, Sister”), on their Style Network reality series, “Tia & Tamera,” declined to comment for this story.

On Twitter on March 21, music critic and movie director Nelson George congratulated Questlove on becoming “the new Doc Severinsen.” The Roots-connected music site amended that designation: “The Funk Doc Severinsen!”

Ellis, London join cast New to the cast is Jay Ellis, who plays Bryce “The Blueprint” Westbrook, a cocky No. 1 draft pick whose recruitment by the Sabers leads to Derwin being traded to a Washington team, and Lauren London, who plays Keira Whitaker, a former child star trying to revive her career. Westbrook and Whitaker will most likely become romantically involved down the line, producers say, while more emphasis will be focused on other cast members.

Costar Wendy Raquel Robinson, who has been on the show since its debut, called the revamp “a true resurrection.

It feels completely different, crisper and edgier and sexier. I know we will get new fans. The true constant is ‘The Game.’”

Making it easier for Akil to move past the Melanie and Derwin era is the chance to bring closure to their story line. Melanie will finally pursue her medical career while Derwin tries to make it with his new team.

“They’re together, and we were able to put a period on their story,” she said.

TOj B6

FOOD

toj

MARCH 29 – APRIL 4, 2013

Spiced Grilled Ham with Citrus Glaze Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 1 1/2 to 2 hours Yield: 12 to 14 (4-ounce) servings 6 to 7-pound fully-cooked bone-in ham, trimmed 1 tablespoon ground coriander 1 tablespoon ground paprika 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 1/4 cup lemon marmalade (or other citrus marmalade) 2 tablespoons orange juice 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar Preheat gas or charcoal grill to medium-hot (375°F to 425°F). Prepare grill for indirect cooking: For gas grill, turn off center burner; for charcoal grill, bank coals on either side; place a drip pan under grate between heat sources.

Score a diamond pattern into ham, about 1/8 inch deep into any fat. In small bowl, combine coriander, paprika, cumin, cinnamon and cloves. Rub spice mixture over all sides of ham. Place ham, flat side down, in center of grill over drip pan. Cover and cook, adding briquettes as necessary to maintain heat, until internal temperature of ham reaches 140°F, 1 1/2 to 2 hours or 15 to 18 minutes per pound.

Meanwhile, in small bowl, combine marmalade, orange juice and sugar.

Brush marmalade mixture over ham.

Cover and grill 5 minutes, until glaze is lightly caramelized. Remove ham from grill, transfer to cutting board, and let rest 15 to 30 minutes.

(Oven-roasting instructions can be found at www.porkbeinspired.com.)

Grilling Tips from the National Pork Board

• Grill over indirect heat. This allows the ham to heat evenly, without burning.

• Score the ham. Scoring (diagonal cuts about 1 inch apart on the surface of the ham) not only looks more appeal­ing, but it allows both the natural juices and the glaze to penetrate and flavor the meat.

• Use an instant-read thermometer. Heat precooked (or cured) ham until the internal temperature reaches 140°F. Cook fresh uncooked ham until the internal temperature reaches 145°F, followed by a 3-minute rest. When inserted into the thickest part of the meat (without touching any bone), the temperature should register within a few seconds.

From family Features

Looking to put a delicious twist on your Easter meal?

Try cooking ham on the grill.

It’s easy to fire up your feast with this Spiced Grilled Ham with Citrus Glaze recipe. A flavor powerhouse, ham can be prepared in multiple ways, complementing a variety of dishes and flavors that fit into any Easter celebration and beyond. Surround it with savory sides like Roasted Potatoes with Bacon and Goat Cheese or Ham and Peas with Mint and Tarragon for a truly mouthwater­ing meal. And, don’t turn that grill off just yet, because no fired-up Easter feast would be complete without a sweet and smoky dessert that’s also fresh off the grill — Caramel Frozen Yogurt Pie with Grilled Peaches.

You can find more Easter recipes, helpful tips and nutrition information at www.porkbeinspired.com.

Roasted Potatoes with Bacon and Goat Cheese Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 40 minutes Yield: 6 servings 1/2pound bacon, sliced 12 small red potatoes, halved Olive oil 1/2 cup sour cream 1/4 cup goat cheese, plain 4 tablespoons green onions, sliced 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated 3 tablespoons dill, snipped, plus dill for garnish 1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper Heat oven to 450°F. In large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat, turning to brown evenly, until crisp. Blot bacon on paper towels, mince and set aside.

Brush cut surfaces of potatoes lightly with olive oil. Place potato halves cut side up on a shallow rimmed baking pan; bake until potatoes are tender and faces of potatoes are lightly browned, about 20 to 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in small bowl mash together sour cream and goat cheese, stir in minced bacon, onion, Parmesan, dill, salt and pepper.

Top each potato with a spoonful, about 2 teaspoons, of sour cream mixture. Serve warm.

Make-Ahead Tip: Roast potatoes before guests arrive; keep warm in the oven. Top with cheese mixture before serving.

Ham and Peas with Mint and Tarragon Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes Yield: 4 to 6 servings 4 ounces cooked ham, cut into 1/4-inch dice 3 cups peas, fresh or frozen 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick) cut into 4 to 6 pieces 1/4 cup fresh mint, coarsely chopped, plus sprigs for garnish 2 tablespoons fresh tarragon, coarsely chopped, plus sprigs for garnish Salt and pepper to taste Bring medium saucepan of well-salted water to a boil over high heat. Add peas and cook until tender, 3 to 8 minutes depending on size of peas.

Drain peas, reserving 2 tablespoons cooking water. Return peas and cooking water to saucepan. Add ham, butter, mint, and tarragon, stirring until butter melts. Season with salt and pepper.

Transfer to bowl, garnish with mint and tarragon sprigs, and serve.

Caramel Frozen Yogurt Pie with Grilled Peaches Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes Yield: 8 to 10 servings 2 pints premium vanilla frozen yogurt 19-inch prepared graham cracker pie crust, or 8 individual graham cracker pie crusts 1 1/4 cups caramel sauce, storebought 2 tablespoons butter, melted 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar 6 ripe medium sized peaches, halved and pitted Transfer 1 pint of frozen yogurt from freezer to refrigerator to soften for 30 to 40 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake pie crust until lightly browned and crisp, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.

To assemble pie, spread softened yogurt evenly over pie crust. Place in freezer and chill about 1 hour. When firm, spread about 3/4 cup caramel evenly over frozen yogurt.

Return pie to the freezer, and transfer second pint of frozen yogurt to refrig­ erator. Allow pint to soften for 30 to 40 minutes.

Spread second pint of yogurt evenly over caramel, making decorative swirls, if possible. Freeze until firm. Remove from freezer 10 minutes before serving.

To grill peaches, prepare medium fire in a charcoal grill or preheat gas grill on medium. Melt butter and stir in brown sugar until dissolved. Toss peaches with butter mixture until well coated.

Grill peaches directly over medium fire, cut-side up, until grill marks are visible, about 5 minutes. Turn peaches over and grill until grill marks show and peaches are tender, about 4 minutes longer. Set aside to cool. When cool, cut peaches into thick wedges.

When ready to serve, cut pie into wedges and serve with peaches on the side. Drizzle a little of remaining caramel sauce over top.