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APRIL 7 – APRIL 13, 2017

VOLUME 25 NO. 14

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PRESORTED STANDARD MAIL

‘YOU’ ARE NOW FOR SALE

While many Americans are distracted by President Trump’s tweets and baseless accusations, he and the GOP are trying to gut environmental protection, consumers’ rights, digital privacy and police oversight.

COMPILED FROM WIRE REPORTS

WASHINGTON – Here’s a short list of important happenings in the nation’s capital this week:

Web privacy President Trump rescinded a rule requiring Internet service providers to seek subscribers’ permission before using their web browsing history for marketing, handing broadband providers a victory and giving Democrats a campaign issue.

Trump signed a resolution, which passed Congress with only Republican votes, to repeal the privacy rule adopted last year by Democrats at the Federal Communications Commission.

Killing the FCC’s rule means “there will be no privacy rules

governing broadband providers,” FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn and Terrell McSweeny, a commissioner at the Federal Trade Commission, in the Los Angeles Times.

Under the FCC rules, broadband providers would have needed consent “before collecting information about what you search for on the Internet, post on social media and what videos you watch online,” said Clyburn and McSweeny, both Democrats. Without the rule, “your broadband provider could collect this information and sell it to advertisers, or any third party, without your knowledge.”

They said polls suggest 91 percent of Americans feel they already have given up too much of their personal data.

Consumer protection The chairman of a powerful House committee welcomed the nation’s top consumer financial watchdog to a hearing Wednesday by expressing surprise he showed up –and hoped he never does so again.

The more than three hours of questioning that followed marked a new level of hostility in the sharply partisan battle over the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).

The bureau has angered Republicans and many financial sector players by creating a public database of consumer complaints that identifies companies, enacting regulations placing new restrictions on mortgages and other

OLIVIER DOULIERY/ABACA PRESS/TNS

President Donald Trump looks on during a meeting with PresiSee TRUMP, Page A2 dent Abdel Fattah Al Sisi of Egypt in the White House on April 3.

DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.

Never to be forgotten

Governor now a prosecutor Scott takes murder cases away from Ayala

BY DARA KAM AND RYAN RAY THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

TALLAHASSEE – Heightening the controversy over a Central Florida state attorney who refuses to seek the death penalty for an accused cop-killer or other defendants accused of capital crimes, Gov. Rick Scott on Monday reassigned 21 first-degree murder cases to a special prosecutor who will handle the high-profile case of Markeith Loyd.

In a statement announcing the reassignment of the cases, Scott said he removed Orange-Osceola State Attorney Aramis Ayala “in the interest of justice” following her decision not to consider capital punishment in any case.

Ayala, who ousted her predecessor in a Democratic primary in August, announced last month she would not seek the death penalty for Loyd or other defendants during her time in office. Her decision refocused a spotlight on Florida’s already-embattled death penalty, on hold for more than a year as a result of state and federal court rulings.

‘Not interested’

AP / FLORIDA COURIER FILES

In 1964, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. pointed to a bullet hole in a St. Augustine hotel he stayed in while protesting racial segregation there. King was targeted for death from the time he began his civil rights career in Montgomery, Ala., in 1955. He was murdered in Memphis, Tenn., on April 4, 1968 – 49 years ago this week.

“State Attorney Ayala’s complete refusal to consider capital punishment for the entirety of her term sends an unacceptable message that she is not interested in considering every available option in the fight for justice,” Scott said.

Speaking to the Florida Legislative Black Caucus in Tallahassee, Ayala said Monday night she has “a duty and a responsibility to seek See SCOTT, Page A2

SNAPSHOTS NATION | A6

White supremacist just wanted to kill Black men FLORIDA | A3

CULTURE | B3

Ethics panel to review Bondi-Trump complaint

Michelle Obama goes natural and Twitter loves it

5 questions for Black lobbyist

ALSO INSIDE

Teen impresses Stanford with BLM essay

Bernice King takes ‘Kardashian’ Pepsi ad down

BY THE FLORIDA COURIER STAFF

After being attacked by “Black Twitter” – and a damning Twitter response by Bernice King, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s daughter – Pepsi pulled a new TV ad featuring “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” star Kendall Jenner less than 24 hours after it was posted to YouTube.

The ad featured Jenner, a model, leaving a photography shoot, snatching off her blond wig, and joining a protest march. She gives a

can of Pepsi to a young male police officer who is facing off against the protesters. He smiles, and the protestors start to cheer.

Twitter, especially Black Twitter users, went crazy with both serious and humorous responses.

From @colorofchange: “The new @Pepsi ad stealing the imagery of @IeshiaEvans in Baton Rouge and exploiting the activism of Black women.”

From @JalessaLashay: “The #Pepsi ad is such an accurate deSee AD, Page A2

COMMENTARY: CLARENCE V. MCKEE: SANCTUARY MAYORS SAME AS DEFIANT SOUTHERN GOVERNORS | A4 COMMENTARY: JL CARTER SR.: IN DEFENSE OF THOSE MESSED UP HBCU BOARDS | A5

FOCUS

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APRIL 7 – APRIL 13, 2017

The Black political ‘clap back’ There are two major political parties in the United States.

There are Republicans, and there are Democrats.

Twenty years ago, most, if not all, of America’s statewide and local elected officials were Democrats. There were so few Republicans in office in many communities that Grand Old Party (GOP) members could have held their caucus meetings in a phone booth!

Running it all Today, it seems like Republican elected officials run everything.

A Republican is in the White House. Republicans are leaders in Congress in both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

The same is true in a whole lot of states, cities and counties!

The Gantt Report wrote years ago that one reason for the change in political party dominance was the Republican Party’s dominance in political science, political technology and political

SCOTT from A1

justice and do what’s right.”

“I need people to continue to get the word out there. This is a legally sound position that I’ve taken,” Ayala, who served as an assistant prosecutor and law professor, told the Black caucus.

After Ayala, Florida’s first Black elected state attorney, announced she would not seek death for Loyd – accused in the murder of his pregnant ex-girlfriend, Sade Dixon, and the execution-style killing of Orlando Police Lt. Debra Clayton – Scott reassigned the case to outspoken death-penalty proponent Brad King, the Ocala-based state attorney for the 5th Judicial Circuit.

Calls for resignation Ayala’s decision resulted in calls for her ouster by several Republican elected officials, who accused the prosecutor of failing to do her job, and sparked an outcry from a variety of state and national groups, including the NAACP, condemning Scott for his actions.

The dispute over the Loyd case – and Ayala’s refusal to seek the death penalty in other capital cases – has galvanized opposition to the death penalty in Florida. Ayala’s rationale for avoiding the death penalty was based in part on research showing its implementation is biased against non-Whites, and that the dragged-out process is traumatic to victims.

Case moves forward Ayala had asked a circuit

LUCIUS GANTT THE GANTT REPORT

communications.

People read about the demise of the party that African-Americans love. But they dismissed or denied it, because the prediction of that demise came from a darkskinned political writer.

Well, political dominance is not the end. Winning elected offices is not the final political goal or purpose.

Destroy the government Some Republicans in powerful positions have called for the “destruction of the state.” They want to reverse everything political.

They want to change everything governmental. They want to destroy every political thing that people have ever wanted from government, such as

Blaming ‘Black’ Many Republicans, especially many Republicans in Washington, D.C., will blame anything and everything that they can portray as bad, as negative or as undesirable, on the N-word!

This is wrong and enough is enough!

When you have a president, a political pretender that acts like he cares, that poses as your leader and is a habitual liar, you will have enormous political problems.

If your insurance rates are too high, blame the Black president.

If your intelligence agencies say people in the White House are

Nothing said The recalcitrant and reactionary political and community so-called leaders that you love are reluctant to say a mumbling word. The political party won’t step up their opposition to the many bad things that are said and done by people in power because they can’t. They don’t know how to respond.

They also, perhaps, don’t want to offend the big-money political contributors that are sought by both Democrats and Republicans.

If the politicians that you voted for are afraid to comment about how the president of the United States constantly does wrongful things and puts the blame on the former president, Barack Obama, then I will do it.

The Gantt Report is not afraid to “clap back,” so to speak!

The idea, the practice and the habit of blaming crime, war, health care problems, educational problems, housing problems on Black people must be exposed, discredited, fought against and resisted!

Stop being scared to stand up.

Stop being scared to speak out!

No fear Stop being scared of biased, bigoted government leaders that surround themselves with closet Klansmen, White supremacists, crooks, cronies and political yes men and yes women!

It is time for the Black political clap back! Barack Obama is no personal friend of mine, but it is wrong to blame him for everything wrong in America and in the world!

Buy Gantt’s latest book, “Beast Too: Dead Man Writing,” on Amazon.com and from bookstores everywhere. “Like” The Gantt Report page on Facebook. Contact Lucius at www. allworldconsultants.net.

judge to put the Loyd case on hold while she challenged Scott’s decision to remove her from the case, but Orange County Circuit Judge Frederick Lauten allowed the case to move forward and said the Florida Supreme Court should rule on the issue. Ayala has appealed.

On Monday, Scott signed an executive order reassigning 21 other cases from Ayala’s 9th Judicial Circuit to King. More than half of the cases involve Death Row inmates who have been – or could be – ordered new hearings stemming from a January 2016 U.S. Supreme Court decision in a case known as Hurst v. Florida.

Faulty death penalty The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Florida’s death penalty system was unconstitutional because it gave too much power to judges, instead of juries. Last fall, the Florida Supreme Court struck down a revised state law aimed at addressing the federal Hurst decision because it did not require unanimous jury recommendations for death to be imposed.

The Florida Supreme Court has repeatedly ordered new sentencing hearings for defendants who did not have unanimous jury recommendations. More than half of Florida’s nearly 400 Death Row inmates are expected to be eligible for new sentencing hearings because of the state court’s decision in cases related to Hurst.

More than two-thirds of the cases reassigned to King involve Death Row inmates whose sentences were recommended by juries in which at least one

TRUMP

mortgages, credit cards and other consumer financial products, has recovered nearly $12 billion for 29 million consumers.

products, as well as taking high-profile enforcement actions that led to billions of dollars in refunds and penalties.

“I believe the president is clearly justified in dismissing you and I call upon the president … to do just that, and to do it immediately,” Rep. Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas, told Richard Cordray, the agency’s director.

The hearing came as Cordray and the bureau are in the midst of a highstakes legal battle over the constitutional right of the president to deal with heads of independent agencies.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer said in February that the bureau was “an unaccountable and unconstitutional new agency that does not adequately protect consumers.” But Trump has yet to try to fire him.

Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., accused Republicans of “misguided attacks.” She noted that the bureau, which oversees

The environment

from A1

health care, military security, civil rights, voting rights and so on.

If Republicans in office are “ultraconservative,” how do they try to influence American citizens to see things their way and support the terrible policies the ultraconservatives want to implement?

They put a face on the opposition. A Black face!

political puppets of a foreign enemy and congressional and law enforcement agencies begin investigations, you divert and distract the investigations by calling for investigations of the former national security chief, another N-word. If an international military crisis pops up, again, blame the N-word.

As Trump introduces a series of budget cuts and regulatory rollbacks that would cripple the Environmental Protection Agency, he faces one unpredictable obstacle: resistance from fellow Republicans.

A small but vocal number of GOP lawmakers have rallied in support of popular programs in their districts, including clean water programs in the Great Lakes and the Chesapeake Bay, that are among the biggest losers in the budget Trump proposed to Congress last month.

At the EPA, roughly 3,200 positions would be eliminated — about a fifth of the agency’s work force — along with 50 programs.

Among the most vocal opponents of the cuts is Republican Rep. Carlos Curbelo, the co-founder of the Climate Solutions Caucus, whose South Florida district is threatened by rising sea waters and includes the Everglades.

“I’m very confident an

JOE BURBANK/ORLANDO SENTINEL/TNS

In this file photo, Gov. Rick Scott addresses the media as elected officials and law enforcement leaders listen on Jan. 9, the day after two law enforcement officers were killed in Orlando. member did not recommend capital punishment.

Lawmakers addressed the issue last month, passing a law that required unanimous jury recommendations for death sentences. That move came just days before Ayala announced she would not seek death in any cases under her watch.

Death penalty ineffective Ayala said last month when announcing her decision that, while she has the discretion to seek the death penalty in capital cases, “doing so is not in the best interest of this community or the best interest of justice.”

Ayala cited numerous problems with the death penalty as the basis for her

overwhelming majority of the Republicans are going to get on the record against these types of proposed cuts,” he told Environment and Energy Publishing last month.

Police misconduct Civil rights groups and experts on police reform expressed alarm Tuesday at Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ order for a review of more than a dozen federal agreements with troubled police forces that address problems of racial profiling, discrimination and use of excessive force.

Sessions said last month that he had read a summary of the Justice Department report on Chicago and that he worried that police officers were pulling back on the streets because they fear getting in trouble if they make a mistake.

“We need to help police departments get better, not diminish their effectiveness, and I’m afraid we have done some of that,” Sessions told a gathering of state attorneys general. “So we’re going to pull back” on federal investigations of police departments.

The broad review reflects the Trump adminis-

decision, which she said she reached after “extensive and painstaking thought and consideration.”

But, in Monday’s statement, Scott argued that he was reassigning the cases to King on behalf of the victims’ families, who “deserve a state attorney who will take the time to review every individual fact and circumstance before making such an impactful decision.”

“I cannot imagine the pain their families endure each day, and we will do all we can to aggressively fight for justice,” the governor said.

Legal community reacts Critics, including more than 100 law professors and former prosecutors

tration’s emphasis on bolstering law and order over investigating allegations of police misconduct, and it could lead to changing or scaling back consent agreements or negotiations underway in several cities, including Miami, Baltimore and Chicago.

The Justice Department has 14 such agreements with local police departments, including a highprofile accord reached with the city of Ferguson, Mo. It was hammered out after days of street protests followed the shooting death of an unarmed Black teenager in 2014.

Proposed consent decrees could be scrapped or overhauled in those cities, officials said, despite Justice Department investigations that uncovered systemic problems in their police departments.

Jim Puzzanghera of the Los Angeles Times; Stephanie Akin, CQ-Roll Call; Todd Shields of Bloomberg News; Del Quentin Wilber and Kevin Rector of the Tribune Washington Bureau (TNS) all contributed to this report.

and judges, accused Scott of overstepping his authority by removing Ayala from the Loyd case, and others.

“The governor’s actions might reasonably cause constitutionally elected officers to believe that they are at risk when making a decision that is within their purview but is politically unpopular,” said 10th Judicial Circuit Assistant Public Defender Pete Mills, who also serves as chairman of the Florida Public Defenders Association death penalty steering committee.

“The current state attorney has been elected to make these judgments, and these judgments include a fresh look at the evidence, a determination in terms of what the issues have been and then, finally, the status of the law. And the law is different now than

AD

from A1 piction of what happens when white people gather to talk about ‘diversity’” From @hasanthehun: “New pepsi ad idea: April is sexual assault awareness month Women should just hand a pepsi if they’re being harassed by Trump or Bill Oreilly” From @indigofoxe: “omg, what? A Pepsi ad piggybacking social issues for profit? A multinational corporation is making a buck on suffering? UNBELIEVABLE!!”

From @ira: An iconic picture of Malcolm X peeping out a window while holding a rifle, with the caption, “When the cops come and you only have Coca-Cola in the fridge” From @phil_lewis: A picture of two White police officers twisting Dr. King’s arm as they arrest him with the caption, “Just wait one second, officers. I have a Pepsi.”

But it was Bernice King’s tweet on Wednesday – exactly 49 years after her father was murdered –

when these charges were made,” said Talbot “Sandy” D’Alemberte, a former president of the American Bar Association and former president of Florida State University who signed the letter objected to Scott’s ouster of Ayala.

“The reason that prosecutors fought so hard to keep the number of jurors less than unanimous was that it was easier for them to get convictions that way.”

Local decision D’Alemberte said it is up to local officials to decide whether to pursue the death penalty, especially given evolving views on the issue.

“At some point, a state attorney has to take into consideration the changing attitudes,” he said.

that likely forced Pepsi to pull the ad.

“If only Daddy would have known about the power of #Pepsi,” she wrote as a caption under a picture of Dr. King, in sunglasses, being pushed back by a White Mississippi state trooper during the “March Against Fear” from Memphis, Tenn., to Jackson, Miss., in 1966.

‘Global message’ “Pepsi was trying to project a global message of unity, peace and understanding. Clearly we missed the mark, and we apologize. We did not intend to make light of any serious issue. We are removing the content and halting any further rollout. We also apologize for putting Kendall Jenner in this position,” Pepsi said in a statement.

There was no corporate apology to Bernice King, protestors, or anyone else.

Black Twitter also noticed that.

“By the way, Pepsi is EXTRA trash for that apology.

They apologize to KENDALL. Oh. B/c she’s the victim here. EXTRAAAAA TRASH,” tweeted @AwesomelyLuvvie.

APRIL 7 – APRIL 13, 2017

FLORIDA

A3

5 questions for lobbyist Yolanda Cash Jackson

BY RYAN RAY THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

TALLAHASSEE – Lobbyist Yolanda Cash Jackson has been involved in the legislative process across three decades. She has represented a wide range of clients, from non-profits and charities to businesses deep in intra-industry turf wars.

One of the Capitol’s relatively few African-American women lobbyists, Jackson currently represents clients as diverse as Bethune-Cookman University, Gulf Power, AT&T and more than a dozen municipalities. She also is a “double Gator” University of Florida and UF Law graduate.

The News Service of Florida has five questions for Yolanda Cash Jackson: Q: What inspired you to get involved in state government?

JACKSON: Just knowing that you could effectuate change, whether good or bad, through a process that allows you to use all

Yolanda Cash Jackson of your skills and know-how was appealing to me.

Ultimately, lot of factors went into it. It gave me an alternative to practicing law, which I had done but did not really enjoy. I also had friends who were elected to office in Miami-Dade County, and it was exciting to be able to assist them and help further their goals of making real changes.

Lastly, I didn’t know anyone who looked like me who had done it before.

Q: You’ve studied and been

involved with redistricting issues since the 1990s. What’s your take on how Florida has progressed in this area?

JACKSON: I think so much of redistricting, at the end of the day, relies on the candidates. If you have good candidates, they win. If you have bad candidates, they lose hopefully. I’ve seen the process work on both sides but I think at the end of the day after the lines are drawn, it’s up to the candidates and the voters.

Nonetheless, there still are some concerns that I see. As the state becomes more and more diverse, the elected bodies should reflect that. I’ve had a chance to research the role of women in politics, and we still have a disproportionately low number of them in office despite more than 50 percent of eligible voters being women. Yet in Tallahassee instead of bills to expand access to voting you have, arguably, efforts to restrict it and a refusal to restore the rights of felons besides the redistricting questions.

I think these issues all combine to create an elected body in the statehouse that does not reflect the population. They’re all intertwined, it’s all interrelated.

Q: What do you make of the public antagonism between the House and Senate this year?

JACKSON: I think it’s still early, that would be my only comment [laughter]. I mean let’s face it, every year they find a way to allow everyone to go home. The question is when. The governor, House, and Senate are each doing what they think is best in their own minds for the state of Florida. Before we face any constitutional deadlines or that sort of thing, I believe they will come to an agreement. It happens every time.

Q: I’d be remiss if I didn’t ask the classic parlor game question: Do you expect a special session this year?

JACKSON: History shows that in odd-numbered years when there’s no election coming up, we are here for as long as we need

to be. That would be my answer – we’ll be here for as long as we need to be.

Q: Have you seen progress in terms of access and representation in the legislative process for average citizens since you started participating?

JACKSON: I think that the level of access has been good in Florida generally. When I compare it to working in other states where you can’t even get in the door oftentimes – and maybe this is due to Sunshine Laws --- here, any citizen can come up and get a meeting with their legislator. You don’t have to be anything special.

Certainly lobbyists have access, but that’s all they have. For most elected officials, constituents usually trump lobbyists. I think as time goes on, new members will see that more and more.

Lobbyists can lead them to think they control things, but they really don’t. That has not changed.

Members listen to their constituents because they know that’s ultimately where their power lies. age students who might otherwise take a reasonable number of hours where they can succeed to bite off a little more than they can chew,” he said.

Rather than reaping financial benefits, students who struggle with a class overload could end up being penalized by having to repeat classes or pay extra charges by ending up with “excess hours,” Robinson said.

“Those are some of things you have to safeguard against,” Robinson said.

Note of caution

Shown above are past Florida A&M University (FAMU) graduates at a commencement ceremony. Larry Robinson, interim president of FAMU said there are benefits to a block tuition plan but warned that it could hurt overly ambitious students.

State university leaders prepare for ‘block’ tuition The basic premise is to provide a financial incentive for students to take more classes and earn undergraduate degrees in four years.

BY LLOYD DUNKELBERGER THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

TALLAHASSEE – Florida university presidents said they are ready to deal with a developing legislative mandate to have block tuition on their campuses by the fall of 2018, but warned the new system won’t come without challenges.

In interviews at the Florida Board of Governors meeting last week, a half-dozen of the university leaders expressed reservations about the cost, the impact on part-time students, and the unique characteristics of

their schools as they switch from charging students on a per-credit-hour basis for classes to charging a flat, per-semester fee.

The basic idea behind block tuition is to provide a financial incentive for students to take more classes and earn undergraduate degrees in four years.

For instance, they could pay a flat fee representing 12 credit hours but take 15 or more credit hours in classes each semester, more quickly reaching the 120 credit hours needed for most baccalaureate degrees.

FIU – with 55,000 students, the second-largest school in the system – classifies 41 percent of its student body as part time. And Rosenberg estimated 85 percent of his students are working part time or full time.

He said those students may not be able to take advantage of a block tuition plan, which would drive down costs for students who load up on credit hours.

“In essence, they will not be able to benefit from the block tuition because they have to work,” Rosenberg said.

FIU dilemma

Financial consequences

Tying to apply the block-tuition system it to a 12-university system with more than 400,000 students involves many nuances and complications, the university presidents said.

“I support block tuition as long as it doesn’t hurt part-time students and as long as it doesn’t hurt working students,” said Mark Rosenberg, president of Florida International University.

And, like the other presidents, Rosenberg is worried about the financial consequences of a tuition plan that allows students to take more classes than they pay for.

An analysis of a plan where students paid a flat fee representing 12 credit hours per semester but enrolled in 15 or more credit hours would represent a $40 million cost for Florida State University. It would mean the loss of $20

million in tuition and fees and result in a $20 million cost to expand classes and add faculty to accommodate the heavier student class loads.

“The issue is how much more will it cost in terms of the additional overhead we will have to take on? We will definitely have to schedule a lot more classes,” Rosenberg said. “Overall, I like the idea. But let us try to fit what works for our demographic. One size will not fit all.”

Senate President Joe Negron, a Stuart Republican who is the leading advocate for the Senate higher-education initiative (SB 2), said each school can develop its own block tuition plan and thus far he is “very encouraged” by the reports he is hearing.

“Different approaches are percolating through the process and so by the time it gets back to the Legislature (next year) we’ll have a good plan,” Negron said. “And ultimately, the plan could look different at the different universities.”

FAMU responds Larry Robinson, interim president of Florida A&M University (FAMU), said there are benefits to a block tuition plan, but warned that it could hurt overly ambitious students.

“You don’t want to encour-

Ethics panel to review BondiTrump donation complaint

BY GRAY ROHRER ORLANDO SENTINEL/TNS

PEDRO PORTAL/MIAMI HERALD/TNS

Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi speaks in support of Donald Trump during a campaign rally at Bayfront Park Amphitheater on Nov. 02, 2016 in Miami.

TALLAHASSEE – The Florida Commission on Ethics will hold a hearing later this month to review an ethics complaint against Attorney General Pam Bondi over her solicitation of a $25,000 campaign donation from President Donald Trump in 2013.

Bondi’s office later decided not to investigate Trump University, a real estate investment seminar that many attendees say defrauded them.

The hearing on April 21 in Tallahassee will review a preliminary investigation conducted by the panel and determine whether there is probable cause

to move forward with the complaint.

The original complaint against Bondi was filed by Whitfield Larrabee, a Boston lawyer. Three other complaints have been filed against Bondi, according to a letter sent to Larrabee about the hearing.

2013 request In 2013 Bondi asked Trump for a donation to her political committee, And Justice For All. Bondi has said there was no quid pro quo between her and Trump to halt any investigation.

A Bondi spokeswoman said in September 2013, the same month the donation was reported to her political committee, her office

John Hitt, president of the University of Central Florida – the system’s largest school, with 64,000 students – also struck a note of caution on issues such as parttime students and the financial impact caused by a loss of tuition.

“I don’t think block tuition has historically benefited urban universities particularly well, but I’m confident whatever the Legislature adopts, we’ll make it work,” he said.

Hitt also said if the block tuition plan dramatically increases the number of students seeking additional classes, it could stretch the classroom space on his campus.

“You don’t have that much empty space. We would have some capacity problems,” Hitt said.

New College plan New College of Florida is the one state university that essentially has already adopted a block-tuition plan.

Donal O’Shea, president of New College, said all of the 860 students on the Sarasota campus are full-time students and are charged for 16 credit hours per semester, with many taking heavier class loads.

He said he expects a smooth adjustment to the block tuition mandate if the New College plan can conform to a provision in the House’s higher-education bill (HB 3) that would prohibit schools from charging students for more than 15 credit hours a semester.

Randy Avent, president of Florida Polytechnic University who previously served as a vice chancellor for research at North Carolina State University, said he is very familiar with block tuition plans, but is waiting to see more details on the Florida proposals.

“I came from a state that had block tuition,” Avent said. “The devil is in the details.”

was looking into Trump University complaints, but opted not to investigate or join a similar case in New York. After the 2016 presidential election, Trump agreed to a $25 million settlement in the New York case.

Case transferred Larrabee also filed a complaint with Hillsborough County State Attorney Mark Ober, who asked Gov. Rick Scott to transfer the case because Bondi had worked in his office.

Scott moved it to Stephen Russell, state attorney for the 20th Judicial Circuit in southwest Florida. His office confirmed last week it is still investigating.

Under state law, the commission only has the power to levy fines against public officials if it finds an ethics violation. Its hearings are not criminal proceedings.

EDITORIAL

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APRIL 7 – APRIL 13, 2017

Sanctuary mayors same as defiant Southern governors Elected Democratic officials in “sanctuary cities” openly defying federal immigration laws remind me of those Democratic segregationist governors in the South who challenged and disobeyed federal civil rights laws.

Sixty years ago, nine Black students who became known as the “Little Rock Nine” were initially prevented from entering a racially segregated school in Arkansas by its Democratic segregationist governor, Orval Faubus.

Federalized state troops The Republican president, Dwight D. Eisenhower, ordered 1,000 troops of the 101st Airborne Division to Little Rock and federalized the entire 10,000-member Arkansas National Guard – which Faubus had ordered to prevent Black students from enrolling at all-White Central High School.

In a telegram dated Sept. 5, 1957 to Faubus, Eisenhower, noting that Faubus was defying orders of a federal district court and the U.S. Supreme Court mandating school integration, said, “When I became president, I took an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. The only assurance I can give you is that the federal Constitution will be upheld by me by every legal means at my command.”

Six years later, another Southern governor, Democrat George Wallace of Alabama, boasted he would personally stand in front of the door of any Alabama schoolhouse that was ordered by the federal courts to admit Black students.

When a U.S. district court ordered Wallace to allow the students to register, he refused. He

No different CLARENCE V. MCKEE, ESQ. GUEST COMMENTARY

then stood in front of the University of Alabama campus auditorium, flanked by Alabama state troopers, to block the entry and registration of the two Black students in defiance of federal judicial orders and the law.

Students admitted In response, Democratic President John F. Kennedy signed a proclamation ordering Wallace to comply, and authorized the calling up of the Alabama National Guard. When Deputy Attorney General Nicholas Katzenbach returned with the students and asked him to step aside, Wallace backed down and the students registered.

(In subsequent years in Washington, D.C., I had the pleasure of working with one of the Alabama students – Vivian Malone Jones – and came to know one of the “Little Rock Nine,” Ernie Green, who was assistant secretary of labor under President Jimmy Carter.)

Wallace in 1963 sounded very much like today’s sanctuary city mayors.

He said, in part, “I stand here today, as governor of this sovereign state, and refuse to willingly submit to illegal usurpation of power by the central government (and) denounce and forbid this illegal and unwarranted action by the central government.’’

Forget about fake apologies from White racists How many times will White racists continue to make despicable and deplorable comments towards African-Americans?

Here’s the answer – for as long as they can get away with it.

Every time White politicians/ commentators slip up and make lewd remarks about AfricanAmericans, they are quick to apologize, if they are pressured. And so quick is the African-American community to forgive. To that I say, “Screw the apology and screw accepting the apology.”

Quit being nice For so long, we African-Americans have turned the other cheek

DR. SINCLAIR GREY III GUEST COMMENTARY

and played nice. NO MORE. It’s time to make those who subscribe directly and indirectly to White supremacy pay. How so?

First, by registering to vote, actually voting, and becoming involved in the political process. If we want change, we must initiate change. NO MORE waiting on others to do for us when can and should be doing for ourselves.

Substitute the words “mayor” for “governor,” “city” for “state,” and “Trump administration” for “central government,” and we have the current so-called argument for defying immigration laws by liberal Democratic mayors in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and other communities.

What a contrast!

While Eisenhower and Kennedy were enforcing federal laws to protect the rights of Black students to get an equal education as guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution; today’s liberal Democratic mayors are violating federal laws to protect illegal immigrants who have committed crimes – serious and often heinous crimes – including gang members.

Why should cities and counties be allowed to have a double standard in law enforcement – one which protects illegal alien felons, and another which enforces criminal laws against legal immigrants and U.S. citizens – Black, White and Hispanic – who commit the same crimes?

It’s also ironic that in many of our cities such as Chicago, mayors can’t even protect their own American citizens, especially children, from being slaughtered by criminal gangs – many of which have illegal immigrant members who have committed heinous crimes such as MS-13.

Gang sanctuary The MS (Mara Salvatrucha)-13 gang is considered by many to be one of the most violent, organized and dangerous gangs in the US, with counterSecond, economically boycott businesses that support/sponsor individuals who continuously degrade and demean the African-American community.

Case in point – when people such as Fox commentator Bill O’Reilly take jabs at successful Black women like Congresswoman Maxine Waters, he and Fox must pay a price. Why? Because if they don’t feel the pain, they will continue the propaganda.

Under no circumstances would they every make raunchy comments about Jews or those within the LGBTQ community. Oppressors refuse to attack people and/ or groups who have money and power. Those who own businesses, control their politics, and own the media have control.

No olive branches

Random thoughts of a free Black mind, v. 295 MLK’s murder – Seven years ago, I wrote this about Dr. King’s assassination, and its lifelong impact on me: Strange what you remember and what you don’t. Other than family births, deaths, etc., the 1963 JFK (I was in second grade) and the 1968 MLK (seventh grade) murders are two of a handful of events seared in my brain. Glenn and I were shooting hoops at Googie Hayes’ Daytona home; his mom told us. Black Daytonans were in a grieving, confused daze, wondering whether a race war would explode in America.

I thought Daddy would be shot dead any minute; thank God She (or He) had other plans…

King Don – Trump built a family business by hiring great people to successfully manage him and his vision. (Compare them incompetents now in the White House.) His subordinates allowed him to be him-

VISUAL VIEWPOINT: ‘STAND YOUR GROUND’ LAWS

QUICK TAKES FROM #2: STRAIGHT, NO CHASER

CHARLES W. CHERRY II, ESQ. PUBLISHER

self: an egomaniacal blowhard, a stereotypically “ugly American” you run into while traveling internationally who always believes he’s large and in charge worldwide, and that speaking louder will help non-Englishspeaking people understand English. That works for a family business. On the international stage, the Chinese, Israelis and Arabs know Trump’s type and will eat his lunch...

I’m at ccherry2@gmail.com.

As African-Americans, we CAN-

DAVE GRANLUND, POLITICALCARTOONS.COM

parts in El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, and several other South American countries. It is blamed for violent crimes in many parts of the country.

Recently, CNN reported that more than a dozen members of the MS-13 gang were indicted in seven brutal killings on Long Island spanning three years, including the brutal deaths of several high school students last year.

Sanctuary cities provide a perfect haven for illegal MS-13 gang members! The sanctuary city movement represents a sad decline in basic values and sense of decency when political correctness demands protection for those who have raped, robbed, and murdered American citizens.

Proponents of sanctuary cities apparently won’t be satisfied until we have a George Wallacetype confrontation when some publicity-seeking mayor, surrounded by local police, attempts to prevent the federal authorities of Immigration, Customs and Enforcement (ICE) from entering NOT allow anyone to use us, abuse us, or mistreat us. NO MORE reaching out the olive branch begging for an apology. I’m not promoting violence. What I am promoting is speaking in a language that racist and oppressors understand – CONTROL. When we control, we call the shots.

When White racist politicians and/or commentators offer an apology, they are not serious or sincere. They got caught and pressured. And they will continue to act up and act out as long as they are permitted. If there is no pain (financially to the individual and to the network), nothing has been accomplished.

I’m challenging us as AfricanAmericans to do the following: • Stop being quick to forgive those who don’t care about us (individually and collectively).

• Start and support our own

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

Will it change?

Many believe that none of this will change until, unfortunately, a loved one of a pro-sanctuary city, county, state or federal official becomes a victim of one of the criminal illegal aliens their policies attempt to protect.

In the tradition of Eisenhower and Kennedy as noted above, affirming the primacy of federal law, let’s hope that the Trump administration follows through on its promise to hold sanctuary cities – and their leaders – accountable.

Clarence V. McKee is a government, political and media relations consultant and president of McKee Communications, Inc., as well as a Newsmax.com contributor. This article originally appeared on Newsmax.com. businesses whereby we can control our own destiny.

• Become more politically involved. Let’s not keep talking about the problem; let’s be a part of the solution • Become financial literate and understand how money works.

Otherwise, we will be left out and left behind.

No more fake apologies from White racist politicians and commentators. The next time – and there will be a next time – someone decides to utter something venomous towards AfricanAmericans, let’s make them pay.

Dr. Sinclair Grey III is a speaker, business trainer, writer, and success coach. Contact him at drgrey@sinclairgrey. org.

April is Fair Housing Month Forty-nine years ago this month, on April 11, 1968, President Lyndon Johnson signed the federal Fair Housing Act, which prohibited discrimination concerning the sale, rental, and financing of housing based on race, religion, national origin, sex, handicap and family status. This important law also made it unlawful for a housing provider to make, print or publish any statement or advertisement providing for a preference based on these classes.

Every April, people across the United States are encouraged to learn more about their rights and responsibilities under the Act as a part of National Fair Housing Month. This year’s theme – “Fair Housing Equals Opportunity” – reminds us that all citizens are entitled to the same fair housing rights when seeking to rent, own, buy or insure a home and they are free to take action if they suspect discrimination.

MICHELLE WILSON GUEST COMMENTARY

Active cases investigated The Florida Commission on Human Relations (FCHR) is your state agency charged with investigating cases of housing discrimination. Last year alone, the FCHR investigated more than 200 cases where housing discrimination was alleged.

Even with the passage of the federal Act and the Florida Fair Housing Act in 1983, discrimination in housing persists. The top five bases of discrimination are (in order of most to least): disability, race, national origin, familial status and sex.

As executive director of the Commission, I often inform people that they have the power

Charles W. Cherry II, Esq., Publisher

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

a municipal facility.

Dr. Glenn W. Cherry, Sales Manager

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Jenise Morgan, Senior Editor Angela van Emmerik, Creative Director Chicago Jones, Eugene Leach, Louis Muhammad, Lisa Rogers-Cherry, Circulation Penny Dickerson, Staff Writer Duane Fernandez Sr., Kim Gibson, Photojournalists

MEMBER

Florida Press Association

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Associated Press

to fight housing discrimination.

If they feel they have been discriminated against, they should either contact the FCHR, a local fair housing center or the U.S. Housing and Urban Development as the first step in this process. Remember, “Fair Housing Equals Opportunity.”

A giant step While unlawful discrimination continues to keep many individuals and families from obtaining the housing of their choice, the passage nearly half a century ago of the Fair Housing Act took a giant step forward in addressing this issue.

If you feel you are a victim of housing discrimination, I urge you to contact the FCHR at (850) 488-7082, or visit our website at http://fchr.state.fl.us/ and allow us the opportunity to assist you.

Michelle Wilson is executive director of the Florida Commission on Human Relations.

Central Florida Communicators Group, LLC, P.O. Box 48857 Tampa, FL 33646, publishes the Florida Courier on Fridays. Phone: 877-352-4455, toll-free. For all sales inquiries, call 877-352-4455; e-mail sales@flcourier.com.

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The Florida Courier reserves the right to edit any submission, and crop any photograph, for style and clarity. Materials will not be returned.

APRIL 7 – APRIL 13, 2017

In defense of messed-up HBCU boards Dozens of Historically Black College and University (HBCU) presidents over the last few years have been fired, but only a handful of them of earned the defense of University of Pennsylvania professor Dr. Marybeth Gasman in the pages of national news.

Outgoing Morehouse College President John Silvanus Wilson became the latest to earn the Ivy League endorsement in a Washington Post article: “Unfortunately, students (and the faculty that serve them) are being left out of conversations and their needs are being ignored by the board of trustees at Morehouse College.

“Morehouse is a storied institution with a strong history and reputation, but the reputation is being damaged by in-fighting among various college constituent groups and factions among the alumni.

“For the sake of students, all groups must put students first rather than their own agendas.”

FAMU criticized She did something similar for former Florida A&M University President Elmira Mangum last September, accusing its board of sexism and interference: “Rather than beating down such new, energetic, highly talented presidents committed to leading HBCUs, boards and disgruntled alumni should donate more funds, promote their institutions, spend some time reading about higher education and the specific roles of the president and the board, and focus on the needs of students over their own egos. FAMU has all the makings of a leading university, but it will not reach its potential until it embraces and empowers its leaders.”

In 2012, Gasman defended Morgan State University President David Wilson, who was then on the verge of being fired by the board, but reversed its decision and has kept Dr. Wilson on an ‘indefinite appointment’ agreement in the years following.

“The shunning of Wilson by the board leads me to ask: Why? With all his accomplishments and strong leadership, why would it want to let him go? I can think of no reason. What I do know is that over and over again, boards of trustees and boards of regents across the country have been making shortsighted decisions about presidential hires and contract renewals. All too often, they let petty politics get in the way of much needed leadership and the needs of students and university constituents.”

Startling trends reveal themselves about the nature of these dismissals and the endorsement of Dr. Gasman, who despite her self-heralded decades of research experience and visits to 101 of 105 campuses, and even her experience as an HBCU board member, still doesn’t seem to grasp the persistence of

JL CARTER SR. GUEST COMMENTARY

We may not have all the answers, but we can’t afford to entertain or to accredit the opinions of those too far from our campuses and too privileged to understand our struggle to shape our own leadership identities. Regardless of one professor’s opinion or one president’s efforts, the board’s motivation and information will always be proven right. her White privilege in assessing HBCU issues, or basic concepts of the politics, governance, and the nature of board leadership in higher education.

Just Black boards

Advocates of Black community control of police need to do some serious examination of the swirl of issues surrounding the fight over “sanctuary cities.”

Attorney General Jeff Sessions upped the ante, threatening to withhold not only future federal funding to cities that refuse to vigorously enforce federal immigration laws, but to claw back Justice Department grants previously awarded to resistant municipalities.

Although there is no question that police-oppressed communities have a huge stake in resisting the Trump administration’s anti-immigrant juggernaut, the demand for Black community control of police must not be compromised in the shuffle and scuffle between Democrats and Republicans.

Critical intervention At the heart of the issue is the federal role in law enforcement.

Traditional “civil rights” forces have long sought to curb police abuse through appeals for federal intervention, including demands for cut-offs in Washington’s aid to local departments.

Everybody knows the dance:

GLEN FORD BLACK AGENDA REPORT

community outrage over police terror is channeled into the U.S. Justice Department, which promises investigations and the possibility of federal suits, sometimes culminating in “consent decrees” that imposed limited reforms on the offending department.

When the reforms fail to stop the cops from behaving like an occupying army in the Black community – as in Cleveland, which has been subjected to two consent decrees in the 21st century – repeat the process.

The profoundly conservative civil rights establishment has only one response to systemic White supremacy at the local level: call in the feds, a time-consuming process that dissipates dissent and diverts attention from the goal of community empowerment.

A5

VISUAL VIEWPOINT: DONALD TRUMP’S POPULARITY

some presidents. This makes her the most unreliable resource for any campus trying to make sense of why the culture at large is suffering from these issues on a variety of campuses.

Why the difference?

What separates some failures from others? What makes some mistakes or some leadership issues worthy of silence and others worthy of a UPenn push?

Personal relationships could be one possibility. The other? That when White folks fire Black folks, it’s for good reason.

But when we do it, it is because we are not familiar with how boards should operate.

If we’re talking trends in HBCU administration, and Gasman is free to discuss how frequently Black boards get it wrong in hiring and firing presidents, then she should be among the first to examine the same trend among system boards doing the same dirt.

But she doesn’t. When you add that to her habit of telling all Black colleges not to take money from organizations and people whom she deems as unfit to help Black people, you begin to see why most in the HBCU community dismiss her voice, research and platform outright.

No insight How does a White professor in Philadelphia have more insight on presidential performance metrics than trustees legally charged with the gauging the same? How can she make qualitative and quantitative judgments about how well a president is doing, with data drawn from the president under fire and the select number of faculty who support him?

There’s no data set to which she or any other respectable researcher would attach their names with that amount of unknown information. And the reason she, nor students, nor most alumni have any idea about why presidents are fired or aren’t renewed, is because it is against basic labor laws to disclose someone’s performance evaluation to the public.

Say what you will about the board politics of Morehouse, FAMU and Morgan State. Each of them are among the top 15 brands among all HBCUs. Just because there is some level of presidential success doesn’t mean that these presidents did not make mistakes, weren’t arrogant in their dealings with the board, didn’t make bad hires, didn’t lie or misrepresent their skill sets or achievements as campus CEOs.

All three of her charges of board incompetence have come against institutions with predominantly Black, autonomous boards. Several HBCU presidents have all been dismissed by state system boards largely made up of middle-aged White guys – all without a word from Dr. Gasman.

Alcorn State’s M. Christopher Brown II, Fort Valley State’s Ivelaw Griffith, Norfolk State’s Tony Atwater, South Carolina State’s W. Franklin Evans (whom she described as the “turnaround artist” for the embattled state flagship HBCU) Grambling State’s Willie Larkin, Elizabeth City State’s Stacey Franklin Jones, Jackson State’s Carolyn Meyers – all gone without a word from the would-be HBCU kingmaker.

Did they deserve to be fired? Lots of challenges In some cases yes; in some casHBCU boards have a world of es no. But Dr. Gasman’s silence problems. Morehouse’s chairin these cases signals that she man should have never released is prone to selective support for a letter essentially firing a pres-

‘Sanctuary cities’ and Black community control police

EDITORIAL

Won’t do basics Local police departments have successfully evaded even their baseline responsibility to report the number of civilians they kill every year to the FBI, whose estimate of the national carnage is thought to be off by half.

Black Richmond, Virginia, congressman Bobby Scott got a bill passed in 2000 that would have required the collection of data on fatal encounters with police, with vague provisions for withholding funds for failure to do so. But the law quietly died in 2006.

In December of 2014, in the wake of the Ferguson rebellion, Scott’s bill was reauthorized by Congress, and was joined on the U.S. Senate side by a Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Barbara Boxer (D-CA) bill that would provide grants for “tip lines and hotlines” to allow the public to report to the feds on police killings. However, Booker and Boxer did not push for defunding of uncooperative departments.

Dems won’t defund Defunding cops is a non-starter among most Democrats and virtually all Republicans – a political fact that further neuters the traditional, call-in-the-feds response to police terror. However, starving the criminal injustice system on the local level is a different story.

Last year, the Movement for Black Lives launched a nationwide campaign to dramatize the huge imbalance in the amounts

BOB ENGLEHART, CAGLECARTOONS.COM

ident, only to retract it days later. FAMU should have never actively worked to malign a female president and turn a political issue into a case study on gender inequality. Morgan State should have never reversed its vote on a president it intended by a sizable majority to sever ties with.

But ultimately, an HBCU board will have its way. And when it does, it could be messier, more divisive and more public than anyone could imagine.

John Wilson of Morehouse has done an expert job of using Dr. Gasman and the Washington Post and The Root to plant stories about his successful tenure, and so did David Wilson at Morgan State. It’s what they should do to keep their jobs and to preserve their legacies.

But don’t think for a second that other news outlets aren’t privy to damaging documents and statistics that neither of these presidents would want to be publicly revealed. The Morehouse board wanted Dr. Wilson out years ago. The FAMU board wanted Dr. Mangum out two years before she stepped down.

Morgan State may be the outlier in that the politics are so heavy that the board can be fed up with Dr. Wilson, but allow him to stay so its members can continue to receive benefits for family members, access to executive privileges and titles, and avoidance “looking like every other messedup HBCU in the country.”

Boards are capable

prone to making mistakes which stakeholders cannot easily see.

That is tied to a school’s capacity to make money, or its bad habit of spending too much.

If every board were that conniving and that driven to destroy an institution where millions of dollars annually circulate and thousands of lives are changed forever, then every one of these campuses would have burned to the ground years ago within the flames of incompetence and greed.

We don’t know There’s always more than one side of a story and in higher education, and when it comes to why and how the presidency fails, law demands that we don’t know the details. Elements of greed, intrigue, and politics live in every decision and must bear the scrutiny and costs of an unceremonious presidential transition – historically Black, predominantly White or otherwise.

But what HBCUs cannot afford under any circumstance is to allow outsiders to promote the false narrative that they know better than our people armed with data, experience, and flaws.

Even with flaws, the board will always know more about what a president has done, is doing and will do than we will ever know.

No president who’s done enough to be fired is going to come out and say, “Yeah, I completely screwed this school for the next five years.” And a smart board will refrain from doing the same, regardless of how many students, faculty, and staff protest their lack of information and insight.

We may not have all the answers, but we can’t afford to entertain or to accredit the opinions of those too far from our campuses and too privileged to understand our struggle to shape our own leadership identities.

Regardless of one professor’s opinion or one president’s efforts, the board’s motivation and information will always be proven right.

What Dr. Gasman and an alarming number of Black folks want us to believe is that our boards are incapable of executing basic principles of business, and are so driven by politics and self-interest that they are willing to cut a good president for no reason in order to achieve their personal objectives. What is missing from that narrative is the examination of how we define “good” and how we define “personal objectives.”

Secondly, board members can only be so stupid and so conniving, because being overly so would ruin the school and end their capacity to exploit it for personal benefit.

Some board members are poJarrett L. Carter, Sr. is publitically motivated, self-serving extortionists. Some presidents lisher of HBCU Digest (www. are the exact same way. All are hbcudigest.com). spent on local Black community housing, health and education needs, and maintenance of the police state. In this context, defunding the police is a matter of community priorities and empowerment, rather than an appeal for the national government to set things right.

The democratic solution to police oppression lies in the exercise of self-determination through Black community control of the police. When local community representatives control the budgetary, hiring and firing process, appeals to a “higher” authority are neither necessary nor desirable.

Donald Trump’s war against immigrants is a fascist-inspired offensive that is inseparable from his plans to forcefully pacify Black America. Back in January, Trump vowed to “send in the feds” to tame Chicago. He recently met with the head of the Chicago Fraternal Order of Police, who was eager both to enforce oppressive immigration laws and to “reduce the gun violence in the city of Chicago” through application of more massive police violence.

No difference

up the machinery for Trump’s crackdown after racking up a record as the champion deporter in U.S. history.

Solidarity with immigrant communities is crucial to the struggle for Black liberation in the United States. However, that does not mean making common cause with the Democratic Party, which attempts to portray itself as a friend of immigrants, and whitewashes the fact that Trump’s offensive against the undocumented is essentially Obama’s policy with a meaner orange face.

No sanctuary It certainly does not call for an alliance with the likes of mayors Rahm Emanuel, of Chicago, and Bill diBlasio, of New York, whose police wage relentless war against Black neighborhoods.

These cities provide no “sanctuary” from police predation for people of color, immigrant or native born, and it is a damnable lie to pretend otherwise. Sanctuary is only possible when the cops are directly answerable to the people through Black community control of the police.

Hopefully, these first months of Donald Trump has taught folks what they should have learned under Obama: that calling in the feds is no substitute for building people’s power. It’s often just the opposite.

Former president Obama’s position is no different than Trump’s; his rhetoric is simply softer. Obama’s Justice Department announced last July that it would withhold federal grants to local jurisdictions that refuse to Glen Ford is executive editor provide immigration data to federal agencies. Thus, Obama set of BlackAgendaReport.com.

TOJ A6

NATION

APRIL 7 – APRIL 13, 2017

He wanted to kill Black man ‘with blondes’ White supremacist confesses to stabbing, had goal of killing ‘young thug’ or successful older man with White woman

BY FREDERICK H. LOWE TRICE EDNEY NEWS WIRE

An admitted White supremacist, who stabbed to death a Black man with a sword in order to discourage White women from dating Black men, has been arrested and charged with murder and a hate crime.

James Jackson, 28, of Baltimore is charged with murdering 66-year-old Timothy Caughman on March 20 in New York City, said Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., District Attorney for Manhattan.

Jackson is charged with firstdegree murder as an act of terrorism, second-degree murder as a hate crime, second-degree murder as a crime of terrorism and three counts of criminal possession of a weapon, Vance said.

Killing, confession Caughman was collecting plastic bottles for recycling when Jackson repeatedly plunged an 18-inch blade into his back and chest, according to reports.

Bleeding profusely, Caughman stumbled into the Midtown South Precinct station where paramedics rushed him to Bellevue Hospital. He died in the hospital.

More than 24 hours later, Jackson walked into the Times Square police station where he confessed to killing Caughman.

Jackson had ridden a bus from Baltimore to New York City and he prowled the streets for three days, hunting for Black men to kill.

“James Jackson wanted to kill Black men, planned to kill Black men, and then did kill a Black man,” Vance said. “He chose Midtown as his crime scene because Manhattan is the media capital of the world, and a place where people of different races live together and love one another.”

‘A practice run’ In an interview with the tabloid New York Daily News, Jackson said he wished he would

BET.COM

James Jackson, center, was charged with first-degree murder as an act of terrorism, second-degree murder as a hate crime, seconddegree murder as a crime of terrorism and three counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the death of Timothy Caughman. have killed ‘a young thug’ or a ‘successful older Black man with blondes…people you see in Midtown.’

Jackson told the Daily News reporters that Caughman’s murder was a ‘practice run.’

He planned to kill other Black men to discourage White women from forming romantic relationships with Black men, asserting that interracial relationships were taboo when it is between a Black man and a White woman.

Jackson, an Army veteran, is now locked up in Rikers Island, a prison with a large population of Back-male inmates and a substantial number of Black-male staff members.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, who is married to a Black woman, called Jackson’s alleged crimes “domestic racist terrorism.”

This story is special to the Trice Edney News Wire from NorthStarNewsToday.com.

According to his Twitter account, Timothy Caughman was a college grad and native of Jamaica, Queens.

Voters: Trump has weakened country’s role in the world Rasmussen of Denmark. He will meet with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el Sissi Monday and Jordanian King Abdullah II Wednesday. A visit with Chinese President Xi Jinping was scheduled later this week at his Florida resort, Mar-a-Lago.

Trump is expected to take his first trip abroad as president in May when he attends the Group of Seven and NATO summits in Belgium and Italy. He is also expected to visit Canada and Britain this year.

Declining numbers

OLIVIER DOULIERY/ABACA PRESS/TNS

President Donald Trump speaks as United Kingdom Prime Minister Theresa May listens during a joint press conference at the White House on Jan. 27.

BY ANITA KUMAR TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE

WASHINGTON – He hasn’t even been in office three months but half of the nation’s voters already say President Donald Trump has weakened the United States’ role in the world, according to a new McClatchy-Marist poll.

Since he was inaugurated in January, Trump has been criticized for a series of what some call foreign policy missteps: authorizing a raid in Yemen in which a Navy SEAL died, criticiz-

ing a deal that calls for the U.S. to accept 1,250 refugees from Australia, and insulting German Chancellor Angela Merkel by refusing to shake her hand when they met at the White House.

And in January, Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto canceled a meeting with Trump after the U.S. president insisted that Mexico pay for a wall along the U.S. southern border.

Fifty-five percent of voters polled said Trump has weakened the U.S.’s role in the world, up from 52 percent in February. That includes 83 percent of

Democrats but also includes 59 percent of independents, 17 percent of Republicans and 12 percent of those who called themselves Trump supporters. Thirtysix percent said he has made the U.S. stronger. Nine percent were unsure.

Summits in May Trump has invited several world leaders to the White House, including Prime Ministers Theresa May of Britain, Justin Trudeau of Canada, Shinzo Abe of Japan, Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel and Lars Lokke

“Even in the past month, his numbers for the image of the United States on the world stage and in his meeting with foreign leaders have declined, including among his GOP base,” said Lee Miringoff, director of the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion in New York, which conducted the survey.

“There is a fine line between showing strength and being confrontational in international matters and President Trump is still trying to find that line.”

Trump and his aides have long been criticized for his friendly relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Recently, FBI Director James Comey confirmed that his agency is investigating possible collusion between Trump campaign advisers and Russia.

Ties with Russia Trump has said he would consider lifting the sanctions imposed against Russia for its annexation of Crimea, and suggested that he is open to recognizing Crimea as Russian territory.

The White House already has loosened financial sanctions against Russia’s security agency that the Obama administration imposed as punishment for Russia’s meddling in November’s presidential election and for Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea.

By 48-39 percent, voters said

Trump’s relationship with Putin is mostly a bad thing for the United States. That includes 80 percent of Democrats, 47 percent of independents, 11 percent of Republicans and 8 percent of those who called themselves Trump supporters. That’s essentially uncharged from February, when the tally was 47-39 percent.

Less secure Cheryl Lewis, an independent voter from Coral Springs, who did not vote for either Trump nor Hillary Clinton last year, said Trump has good ideas but is surrounding himself with bad people.

“The way he speaks out is bad,” Lewis said. “I still feel he has a lot of contribute if he can learn. He’s not a politician.”

Thirty-three percent of voters polled said the country is less safe from terrorist attacks since Trump became president. Nineteen percent said the county is safer, safe, while 46 percent said it’s about the same. Two percent said they were unsure.

Those who feel less safe include 56 percent of Democrats, 30 percent of independents, 5 percent of Republicans and 4 percent of those who called themselves Trump supporters.

Ban opposed More than half of voters polled said they oppose Trump’s temporary halt on immigration from six Muslim-majority countries: Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.

A federal judge in Hawaii last month temporarily blocked Trump’s travel ban hours before it was to go into effect. It was the second time a Trump order seeking to temporarily limit U.S. entry from Muslim-majority countries has been blocked by a federal judge.

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BY ELEANOR HENDRICKS MCDANIEL SPECIAL TO THE FLORIDA COURIER

alling all gardeners and flower fans! Get thee to the Epcot Flower & Garden Festival before it ends on May 29. The annual event returns for the 24th time and is better than ever.

Thousands of blossoms and plants are at the peak of beauty, and are flourishing under the care of Disney’s expert gardeners. An example is the stunning floral designs of 80,000 bedding plants surrounding the lakes in Future World as 220 mini-gardens float by.

Eric Darden, festival horticulture manager, says, “It’s a beautiful event and we want to reach as many guests as possible. It’s more of a lifestyle festival.”

What he means is the festival includes food, education and entertainment too.

ical landscape at Disneyworld.

Don’t forget to bring a notebook to mark down their methods for your home use.

One of the most popular exhibits is Butterflies on the Go. As you enter the tent, you may be greeted by a fluttering Monarch butterfly. And if you’re still, one may land on you. On display are pupa and plants that attract these lovely insects. This exhibit is a family favorite.

The 24th Epcot Flower & Garden Festival offers is a spring attraction for all ages.

Food and music Outdoor kitchens like Urban Farm Eats, Northern Bloom and The Berry Basket offer sweet and savory tastings and tips to help experienced and “newbie” gardeners grow their own produce.

Their ingredients are locally sourced.

Complementary tastings of food and beverages are available while supplies last.

Eat to the beat when you book a Garden Rocks Concert Series. Choose from breakfast, lunch, or dinner at an Epcot restaurant followed by one of the Garden Rocks concerts. Dining reservations must be made at least two and one-half hours before show time. Call 407-939-3378 with a credit card guarantee.

Topiaries From its conception, Walt Disney World has showcased extraordinary and imaginative topiaries of beloved Disney characters throughout the parks.

For this event, 70 topiaries are on display. You’ll find the traditional favorites, like Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Lady and the Tramp, Winnie the Pooh and even Simba and Timon.

But debuting outside of France Pavilion this year are Belle and the Beast of the “Beauty and the Beast’’ films. Over at Norway Pavilion, Anna and Elsa topiaries introduce the new “Frozen Ever After’’ attraction. Another creature appearing for the first time is Figment the dragon in the form of a six-foot topiary, roosting on a globe of yellow Joseph’s Coat.

Lots for tots, older kids 2

Tours and exhibits Other pavilions in World Showcase also join the festival fun.

In the England pavilion, the Royal Tea Garden Tour leads visitors down a garden path with a docent who informs them about different kinds of tea. She talks about the growing of black, herbal, medicinal and chai teas; the history of tea; how to brew a proper cup of tea and more. The 45-minute tour ends inside an English cottage with a “cuppa” tea and a fresh scone.

Japan Pavilion shares its ancient art of forming bonsai, the making of miniature trees. Inside the Festival Center, look for the booth where you’ll find tiny trees created by the Central Florida Bonsai Club of Orlando. Also in the Festival Center are gardening programs, horticultural demonstrations and exhibits.

Disney’s horticultural experts conduct Our Gardens of the World tours for serious gardeners and flora lovers.

They reveal their secrets used to cultivate the flower beds, shrubs and other plantings in order to maintain the mag-

1

3 Thousands

Bambi is a

4 This

1 of blooms

2 longtime

3 topiary is

surround a lake at Future World at Epcot.

favorite Disney character and a topiary at the festival.

Winnie the Pooh. There are 70 topiaries on display.

The Hen-

4 dricks

sisters take a break for a photo-op.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF ELEANOR HENDRICKS MCDANIEL

In the Music Garden Melodies Playground, youngsters can hit big and colorful xylophones, chimes and drums.

The more adventurous can frolic or climb a high net to music. Overlooking the hilarity is the “Fab Five,’’ a musical quintet made up of Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy and Pluto topiaries.

More open-air play can be found at the new Florida Fresh Garden. Kids can climb and explore a garden planned just for them. Also new is a learning experience in Nature Works Everywhere.

Children learn how to improve soil, plant gardens that will benefit their schools and construct wildlife habitats.

Valerie Hendricks of Philadelphia, related, “The Philadelphia Flower Show is spectacular, but I love this festival because so much of it is outdoors.”

The festival is included in the admission fee to Epcot. For more information, visit www.epcotinspring.com or call 407-934-7639.

Eleanor Hendricks McDaniel is a seasoned travel journalist who enjoys writing about girlfriend getaways, history, culture, food, wine, and some of the people she meets along the way. Her travels have taken her throughout the United States, Europe and other countries. Formerly of Philadelphia, she now resides in Ormond Beach. Follow her on Twitter: @ellethewriter, Instagram: @eleanor1004, Facebook: Eleanor. hendricks.mcdaniel and her website: flybynighttraveler.com.

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CALENDAR

APRIL 7 – APRIL 13, 2017

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FLORIDA COMMUNITY CALENDAR Orlando: Flo Rida and guest DJ Nasty are scheduled April 21 at the CFE Arena.

Clearwater: Tickets are on sale for a John Legend show May 13 at Coachman Park.

DOUG E. FRESH

The Tampa Spring Jam is April 21 at the USF Sun Dome featuring Guy, Teddy Riley, Dru Hill, Silk and Doug E. Fresh.

STEPHEN MARLEY

Kaya Fest: The Marley Brothers & More is April 22 at the Bayfront Park Amphitheater. The show, which will feature Stephen and his brothers, Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean and Big Sean, starts at 1 p.m.

MARSHA AMBROSIUS

The M.E. Tour featuring Marsha Ambrosius and Eric Benet stops at the Fillmore Miami Beach on April 21.

Tampa: Big Sean’s I Decided Tour stops at The Ritz Ybor on April 19 for an 8 p.m. show.

Performers include Madeintyo and DJ Mo Beatz.

Coconut Creek: Dionne Warwick is scheduled April 8 at the Seminole Casino Coconut Creek for an 8 p.m. show.

St. Augustine: Catch Buddy Guy on April 9 at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre.

Miami: Chris Brown’s Party Tour stops at the AmericanAirlines Arena on April 12, Tampa’s Amalie Arena on April 16 and Jacksonville’s Veterans Memorial Arena on April 18.

Fort Lauderdale: Tower of Power performs April 20 at

the Parker Playhouse. The show is at 8 p.m.

Orlando: Leela James and Daley will perform April 9 at the House of Blues Orlando.

The show starts at 7 p.m.

Overtown: Walk A Mile with A Child is 8:30 a.m.

April 22 at Gibson Park, 401 NW 12th St. The program raises awareness about the importance of physical activity and highlights Overtown. Register at www.jwbms.org/about-us/ walk-a-mile/.

Tampa: Catch Chris Rock on April 14 at the Straz in Tampa and the Dr. Phillips Center on April 16 in Orlando.

Jacksonville: The Legends of Southern Hip Hop concert is April 7 at the Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts featuring Scarface, Trick Daddy, Bun B, Mystikal, Pastor Troy and Juvenile.

Miami: A Jazz Roots concert is scheduled April 7 at the Arsht Center. The show is at 8 p.m.

Jacksonville: Tickets are on sale for a June 28 show featuring Diana Ross at Daily’s Place.

Narrative provides riveting detail of Jonestown murder-suicide

BY DR. GLENN C. ALTSCHULER SPECIAL TO THE FLORIDA COURIER

In September 1975, at the Peoples Temple on Geary Street in San Francisco, Jim Jones told members of the Planning Commission of his church that it was all right, this one time, to drink some wine.

When they had emptied their cups, Father Jones informed them that he had laced the wine with poison – and there was no antidote. Forty-five minutes passed, with everyone sitting around, sobbing, staring into space or talking about dying. Jones then announced that there was no poison; he had tested their loyalty and learned they had it in them to face death unflinchingly.

No one criticized him.

Three years later, in the jungles of Guyana, in South America, 909 members of Jones’ predominantly African-American Peoples Temple would die, most of them from ingesting cyanide-laced drinks, mixed in a vat of Flavor-Aid.

A complicated man In “The Road to Jonestown,’’ investigative reporter Jeff Guinn, the author of books on Charles Manson, Bonnie and Clyde, and the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, draws on FBI files and interviews with survivors and members of Jones’ family, to tell the story, in riveting detail, of the largest murder-suicide in American history.

BOOK REVIEW Review of The Road to Jonestown: Jim Jones and Peoples Temple. By Jeff Guinn. Simon & Schuster.

544 pp. $28.

Guinn portrays Jim Jones as a complicated man. He was, to be sure, a ruthless demagogue, a drug addict, obsessed with sex, and almost certainly deranged.

Guinn demonstrates, however, that Jones was also a gifted and dynamic leader who was genuinely committed to racial and economic equality.

Unlike most demagogues, Jones did not appeal to the worst instincts of his followers. He helped integrate Indianapolis, where the Peoples Temple (an apostrophe, Jones insisted, symbolized ownership) was born.

Hailed as leader In California, “Father Jones” worked closely with

ADOPTIONS

A home for Maurice One Church One Child of Florida is reaching out to families and individuals in communities across the state in efforts to help find permanent homes for children.

Daily, over 700 children are in need of a family to call their own; many of them are minorities.

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month and churches are asked to partner with One Church One Child in sharing information with congregations and extending Watch-Care Ministries to children.

Children featured in this monthly spotlight are waiting for a permanent home and/or mentor.

Maurice is an awesome

PHOTO BY DANIEL WALLACE SPECIAL TO THE FLORIDA COURIER

Maurice, 16, is one of the many children in Florida waiting for a permanent home. young man who endeavors to put others before himself. He has a natural ability – and desire – to lead, and he’s often found helping the younger kids at home to perfect their football spi-

George Moscone, the mayor of San Francisco, who appointed him to the city’s Housing Authority, and Willie Brown, a leader of the State Assembly, who lauded him as “a combination of Martin Luther King, Angela Davis, Albert Einstein and Chairman Mao.” Most important, Guinn emphasizes, Peoples Temple programs fed the hungry, fought drug addiction and provided scholarships that enabled hundreds of young men and women to go to college.

Unfortunately, Guinn is less successful in capturing the lived experience of the people of Jonestown.

We committed an act of revolutionary suicide protesting the conditions of an inhumane world.”

Final assessment The assessment of Carolyn Layton, who loved Jones and was deeply committed to the Peoples Temple, however, seems much more accurate.

In “A Final Stand If De-

cided On,” a neatly typed document written as U.S. authorities were closing in on Jonestown, Layton wonders how future generations will interpret a mass suicide. “I don’t have much illusion about that,” she wrote. “I just hate to see it all go for naught.”

Almost 40 years later, it has. Jonestown is remembered, if at all, as an act of madness, whose most en-

during (and inaccurate) legacy may well be the catchphrase, “Don’t drink the Kool-Aid,” a jokey reminder to resist falling for crazy leaders.

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.

‘We got tired’ Virtually all of the leaders of the Temple, he points out, were White, and, apparently, there are no reliable sources to illuminate the beliefs and behavior of hundreds of AfricanAmericans, many of them former ghetto dwellers, who followed Jones from Indianapolis to Mendocino County to San Francisco to Guyana, where in four years they built an impressive farm settlement.

In a tape recovered by authorities in Guyana after the murder-suicide, some congregants in the poison line can be heard thanking Jones for all he had done for them.

“Bring the vat with the green ‘C’ in,” Jones responds, and in a rambling monologue he declares: “Take our life from us. We laid it down. We got tired…

ral or three-point shot. He is respectful and kind, and has a very positive outlook on life.

He enjoys science and reading, and his favorite book is “The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven’’ by Sherman Alexie. Although he isn’t totally sure what he’d like to be when he grows up, he thinks he’d make a good football player or coach.

Maurice is an easy-going, funny kid who likes to explore new things. He’d be an amazing addition to an active family that’ll give him the consistent love and support he deserves.

For more information about becoming an adoptive or foster parent, mentor, partner or volunteer, call 888-283-0886 or send an email to info@ococfl. org. The website for One Church One Child of Florida is www.ococfl.org.

UNIVERSAL PICTURES PRESENTS AN ORIGINAL FILM/ONE RACE FILMS PRODUCTION AN F. GARY GRAY FILM VIN DIESEL DWAYNE JOHNSON JASON STATHAM “THE FATE OF THE FURIOUS” MICHELLE RODRIGUEZ TYRESE GIBSON MUSIC CHRIS ‘LUDACRIS’ BRIDGES WITH KURT RUSSELL AND CHARLIZE THERON

BY BRIAN TYLER EXECUTIVE BASED ON PRODUCERS AMANDA LEWIS SAMANTHA VINCENT CHRIS MORGAN CHARACTERS CREATED BY GARY SCOTT THOMPSON DIRECTED PRODUCED WRITTEN

BY NEAL H. MORITZ p.g.a. VIN DIESEL MICHAEL FOTTRELL

BY F. GARY GRAY

BY CHRIS MORGAN A UNIVERSAL PICTURE © 2016 UNIVERSAL STUDIOS IMAX® IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF IMAX CORPORATION.

CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS FOR STARTS FRIDAY, APRIL 14 THEATERS AND SHOWTIMES

STOJ

APRIL 7 – APRIL 13, 2017

CULTURE

Muslim teen writes #BlackLivesMatter 100 times on Stanford application and gets accepted

BY MONIQUE JUDGE THEROOT.COM

Is your activism performative or substantive? One New Jersey teen knew exactly how to show his answer to that question when filling out his application to Stanford University. Asked “What matters to you, and why?,” the teen could think of only one thing: #BlackLivesMatter.

Ziad Ahmed wrote the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter 100 times, and that one act of activism paid off. According to a Mic profile of Ahmed, he received his letter of acceptance from Stanford on March 31.

Ahmed, who is a senior at

B3 Commitment to justice

Princeton (N.J.) Day School, said in an email to Mic: “I was actually stunned when I opened the update and saw that I was admitted. I didn’t think I would get admitted to Stanford at all, but it’s quite refreshing to see that they view my unapologetic activism as an asset rather than a liability.”

‘Unapologetic progressivism’ The teen tweeted on Saturday and showed both his statement and his acceptance letter to Stanford, saying, “I submitted this in my @Stanford application, & yesterday, I was admitted…#BlackLivesMatter.”

Earlier this week, the tweet

COURTESY OF ZIAD AHMED

Ziad Ahmed of New Jersey received an acceptance letter from Stanford last week. The New Jersey teen was invited to the White House Itfar dinner where he met President Barack Obama. had over 2,600 likes and had been retweeted more than 800 times, including Campaign Zero co-founders Brittany Packnett and Samuel Sinyangwe, as well as Palestinian-American-Muslim

activist Linda Sarsour.

Ahmed told Mic that his “unapologetic progressivism” is a central part of his identity, and he wanted that represented in his application.

He said that his Islamic faith and his commitment to justice are intertwined, and he would not be a good Muslim if he turned a blind eye to the injustices the Black community faces on a daily basis.

“To me, to be Muslim is to be a BLM ally, and I honestly can’t imagine it being any other way for me,” Ahmed said. “Furthermore, it’s critical to realize that one-fourth to one-third of the Muslim community in America are Black … and to separate justice for Muslims from justices for the Black community is to erase the realities of the plurality of our community.”

The 18-year-old has been invited to the White House Iftar dinner, led Martin O’Malley’s youth presidential campaign, and interned and worked for Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign.

He also has founded two youth organizations and delivered a TEDxTalk about the dangers and impact of stereotypes from his perspective as a Muslim teen.

In addition to Stanford, Ahmed was admitted to Princeton and Yale.

Omarosa reportedly postpones wedding over death threats BLACKAMERICAWEB.COM

Omarosa Manigualt has decided to push back her wedding day amid concerns over her personal safety since joining the Trump administration.

The former “Apprentice’’ contestant was originally set to tie the knot with Pastor John Allen Newman on March 25 at his church in Jacksonville, The Sanctuary at Calvary.

However, The Daily Mail reports that they both have received so many death threats that they have had to postpone their big day.

“She is really concerned about her safety,” a source close to Manigualt told The Daily Mail. “There have been calls, emails and social media messages from people threatening to do harm to her and she feared that she wouldn’t be protected adequately at his church in Jacksonville. So she pushed the date back and made the change.”

D.C. wedding

COURTESY OF BRANDI BRENNER VIA FACEBOOK

Sophia Benner is shown with the doll she chose at Target.

Toddler schools Target clerk on doll choice

BY YESHA CALLAHAN THEROOT.COM

Two-year-old Sophia was promised by her parents, Brandi and Nick Benner, that if she successfully pooped on her potty for a month, she would be rewarded with a gift. That challenge was obviously no match for Sophia, because off she went to Target to pick out her gift.

Sophia spotted a doll she wanted. But the cashier at Target obviously thought that she deserved a doll that looked more like her.

“She, of course, picked a new doll,” Brandi Benner wrote on In-

Study: Open relationships as happy as couples

BY MATT HELMS DETROIT FREE PRESS/TNS

A new study finds that people in open or polyamorous relationships report being just as satisfied as those in monogamous pairings, according to the University of Michigan.

The study found that while monogamy is widely considered the way to build trusting, committed

stagram. “While we were checking out, the cashier asked Sophia if she was going to a birthday party. We both gave her a blank stare. She then pointed to the doll and asked Sophia if she picked her out for a friend. Sophia continued to stare blankly and I let the cashier know that she was a prize for Sophia being fully potty trained. The woman gave me a puzzled look and turned to Sophia and asked, ‘Are you sure this is the doll you want, honey?’ Sophia said, ‘Yes, please!’”

Proud moment “But she doesn’t look like you.

We have lots of other dolls that heterosexual relationships, people in open relationships — generally where partners are allowed to have sex but not love with others — and polyamorous relationships with more than one romantic pairing can be just as satisfied, and with lower levels of jealousy, than monogamous couplings.

“Overall, the outcomes for monogamous and consensual nonmonogamous participants were the same — indicating no net benefit of one relationship style over another,” the study’s lead author, U-M associate professor of psychology and women’s studies Terri Conley, said in a news release.

More trust, satisfaction Conley and fellow researches analyzed relationships with

look more like you,” the cashier said.

“Yes, she does. She’s a doctor like I’m a doctor. And I’m a pretty girl and she’s a pretty girl,” Sophia said. “See her pretty hair?

And see her stethoscope?”

“Oh, that’s nice,” the cashier said.

Benner said that the experience made her proud of her daughter.

“This experience just confirmed my belief that we aren’t born with the idea that color matters,” she wrote. “Skin comes in different colors just like hair and eyes and every shade is beautiful.” among more than 2,100 people to determine factors such as satisfaction, commitment, passionate love, and jealousy. They found no differences between monogamous couples and those in consensual non-monogamous relationships in terms of satisfaction and passionate love, but lower jealousy and more trust in open relationships than in monogamous couplings.

What’s more, the study found that people in polyamorous relationships reported more satisfaction, trust, commitment and passionate love in their primary partnership than with a secondary partner, despite assumptions that people in non-monogamous relationships may not care about each other enough to be happy in primary relationships, according to the university.

Supposedly, Trump’s political aide is so shaken that she invited some high-profile guests to her nuptials just to ensure an extra layer of security.

“Since she moved the wedding to D.C.,” the insider dished, “she’s invited President Trump and other senior level

White House executives in an effort to make sure the Secret Service and extra security will be there.”

Now, as a result of adding 45 to the invite list, guests will be subject to background checks before celebrating her nuptials.

The bride has also been turning over the more alarming threats to White House security.

But the couple aren’t just facing death threats; his congregation has also been pretty open about its opposition to their relationship.

Some critics Given his political leanings, some of his church members don’t think marrying Manigualt is a good look.

“Pastor Newman is a staunch Democrat. He was even a spiritual adviser on the committee of ministers working on Hillary Clinton’s election campaign,” a tipster from The Sanctuary at Mt. Calvary explained to The Daily Mail.

“His church membership doesn’t like the idea of their pastor marrying this Trump advocate who bashed President Barack Obama and believe Pastor Newman is using poor judgment by becoming her husband.”

There’s no word on when the wedding has been rescheduled for at this time.

Former FLOTUS goes natural COURTESY OF EURWEB.COM

The Internet is pretty much giving Michelle Obama a standing ovation after a photo popped up online showing the former FLOTUS rocking her natural hair. Twitter user @ meagnacarta shared the pic of Michelle Obama (above) with her hair in a puffy pony, accented by a gray polka dot headband. It’s not confirmed exactly

Michelle Obama where the former first lady was when the photo was taken although President Obama is reportedly writing his memoir in the French Polynesian islands.

MARKO MILOVANOVIC/DREAMSTIME/TNS

A study has found that while monogamy is widely considered the way to build trusting, committed heterosexual relationships, people in open relationships and polyamorous relationships with more than one romantic pairing can be just as satisfied, and with lower levels of jealousy.

B4

PERSONAL FINANCE

APRIL 7 – APRIL 13, 2017

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bachelor’s flattened after the recession, according to a 2016 National Bureau of Economic Research paper by Robert Valletta, an economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco.

Among the factors at play are advances in technology and automation, which are not only taking away U.S. manufacturing jobs, but also having an impact on white collar workers, Valletta found.

Legal clerks and researchers are increasingly finding their jobs supplanted by computers, for example.

Grad school

DREAMSTIME

Wages for college graduates across many majors have fallen since the 2007-2009 recession.

College graduates see slim-tonothing wage gain since recession

BY AUSTIN WEINSTEIN BLOOMBERG NEWS/TNS

WASHINGTON — The bachelor’s degree — long a ticket to middle-class comfort — is losing its luster in the U.S. job market.

Wages for college graduates across many majors have fallen since the 2007-2009 recession, according to an unpublished

analysis by the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce in Washington using Census bureau figures.

Young job-seekers appear to be the biggest losers. What you study matters for your salary, the data show.

Depends on major Chemical and computer engi-

neering majors have held down some of the best earnings of at least $60,000 a year for entry level positions since the recession, while business and science graduates’ paychecks have fallen.

A biology major at the start of their career earned $31,000 on an annual average in 2015, down $4,000 from five years earlier.

“It has been like this for the

past five, six years now,” said Ban Cheah, a research professor at Georgetown who compiled the data. “It’s a little depressing.”

The outlook for experienced graduates, aged 35 to 54, is brighter, with wages generally stable since the crisis.

The factors The economic premium of a

Guidelines for building a successful budget FAMILY FEATURES

Whether you’re trying to pay off bills, save for a dream vacation or create a nest egg for retirement, having a sound budget is often the first step toward bringing your financial goals to fruition.

While budgeting is often associated with finding places to curb your spending, creating and sticking to a budget can be a fairly painless process with the right plan in place.

These guidelines can help you build, manage and maintain a realistic budget that will set you on the path toward reaching your financial aspirations.

Set goals When setting your budget, you should also set goals you want to achieve by a certain deadline, even if that’s simply having your income and expenses balance out each month.

Goals can be short-term, like

Once you know exactly how much money you bring in each month, track your spending – every purchase, no matter how small – for at least one month to clearly see where your money goes and what expenses are required and which ones are optional.

It’s also important to remember that a student’s major is just one determinant of their future earnings potential.

The training experience from internships, debt levels and soft skills also help shape salary and job prospects, said Jeff Selingo, who writes about higher education and is a professor of practice at Arizona State University.

“Just getting a degree doesn’t matter anymore,” said Selingo.

“What matters more are the undergraduate experiences that you have.”

Stick to it

Calculate earnings

Track expenses

Training helps

lyze monthly where you fell short or where you could improve in the coming months. There are also computer programs and smartphone apps available to help make budgeting easier.

saving for a weekend getaway within a month; medium-term, such as saving for a down payment on a house in a year or two; or long-term, like paying off your mortgage in 15 years.

Your monthly budget should be based on your take-home pay, so make sure to know exactly how much income you bring in after taxes and other expenses that are automatically deducted from your check, such as health insurance and your retirement plan contribution.

Some majors are bucking the wage-stagnation trend. An experienced petroleum engineering major earned $179,000 a year on average in 2015, up $46,000 from five years prior, according to the Georgetown analysis.

Beyond those with special technical skills, philosophy and public policy majors have also seen their earnings rise.

So how can recent graduates boost career earnings potential?

A graduate’s level degree is increasingly offering the bigger salary bump, according to Cheah.

The wage gap between graduate degree-holders and undergrads has been growing, he said.

PHOTO COURTESY OF GETTY IMAGES

Always remind yourself of your goal and know that small sacrifices will pay dividends in the future.

Categorize spending After a month of tracking your spending, you’ve probably learned something about your habits, but you also have enough data to begin categorizing your expenses based on what is required each month and what is extra.

Required expenses can include rent, insurance, student loan payments, utilities, gasoline and food. While some of these bills may change month to month, you can use bank statements to find

an average. Extra expenses are ones you can live without, such as cable, internet, dining out, movies and more.

Write it down Start with pen and paper if you have to, but writing out your monthly budget and being able to track spending month to month is often key to sticking to your plan.

Include columns for income, each required expense, every extra expense and savings, and ana-

Once you’ve set your budget, be wary of temptation that could drive you off track.

Always remind yourself of your goal and know that small sacrifices will pay dividends in the future. Make decisions before you make a purchase by asking yourself if you’ll use it often or if you can do without. If you’re afraid you might be tempted, use cash or leave your credit card at home.

Make necessary adjustments There may come a point when your budget no longer meets your financial needs or expectations. Rather than scrap the budget altogether, revisit it and adjust accordingly to meet your needs. Know that along the way, new expenses may arise or problems may occur that require a shift in how you reach your goals.

Find more tips for reaching your financial goals at eLivingToday.com.

Venmo now used for more than paying friends

BY JAMES RUFUS KOREN LOS ANGELES TIMES/TNS

Mobile payment apps are easy ways for people to send money to each other — digital replacements for the cash used to pay back a friend for beers or the $50 birthday check to your granddaughter.

But some peer-to-peer, or p2p, payment systems are looking beyond payments between friends and family, hoping to replace other types of transactions too.

That includes payments to online merchants, disbursements from insurance companies and perhaps even paychecks.

Last year, Venmo expanded beyond its peer-to-peer roots and started allowing users to make purchases through the apps of a handful of online merchants.

Social media element For the payments app, which is owned by PayPal, the move into retail payments is a potential money maker. Individual users don’t pay to send or receive most payments, but businesses that accept Venmo pay a fee for each transaction.

For that fee, businesses get access to one of Venmo’s unique features: its social network.

When Venmo users trans-

fer money to friends, they write messages — often in emoji form — indicating what the payment is for. Pizza, beer, rent.

Those messages, if users opt in, can be seen by other Venmo users.

The same is true of Venmo’s new Pay with Venmo feature. If a user buys dinner through the food delivery service Munchery, that’s noted in the Venmo feed.

Pitch to merchants In its pitch to businesses, Venmo makes that case that by accepting Venmo as a payment option, merchants can “stand out by offering a new social currency to a mobile-first audience” and “generate exposure for your brand when users share their purchases on the Venmo feed.”

So far, Venmo has targeted what spokesman Josh Criscoe called “more social merchants” — ones whose goods or services are likely to be shared and paid for by a group. That includes Munchery, sports ticket seller Gametime and post-bar hamburger staple White Castle.

As Venmo moves into merchant payments, banks are moving in the opposite direction, pitching their peer-to-peer payment systems as a way for big businesses to send money to

their customers or even employees.

Zelle coming Bank of America has been offering the service to its corporate clients since 2014. Dean Henry, managing director of global payments at Bank of America, said he thinks more companies will be interested as Zelle, a peer-topeer payment network owned by Bank of America and other big financial institutions, rolls out this summer.

Zelle is essentially an expansion of an older bank payment network and will allow any U.S. bank account holder to send or receive near-instant payments from other account holder using only a phone number or email address.

As Zelle rolls out and more bank customers register for the system, it should make it easier for companies to disburse money to their customers.

“As more and more people register, that makes the process go more quickly,” said Lynn Cirrincione, director of treasury and planning at insurance company Allstate, which has offered digital payments to policyholders through Bank of America’s system since 2015.

DREAMSTIME/TNS

Apps and online tools could someday overtake cash and checks as the primary way individuals pay each other.

Saving time, money For Allstate and other companies that send payments to customers, digital payment systems can save time and money.

The other options are paper checks, which are expensive to process and invite fraud, and older types of electronic payments,

which require customers to provide their bank account and routing number — information they may not be able to find and that Allstate would rather not collect.

“From a compliance standpoint, it’s fantastic,” Cirrincione said. “Now we don’t have to have any of their banking information.”

STOJ

APRIL 7 – APRIL 13, 2017

Meet some of

FLORIDA’S

finest

FINEST & ENTERTAINMENT

B5

Think you’re one of Florida’s Finest?

E-mail your high-resolution (200 dpi) digital photo in casual wear or bathing suit taken in front of a plain background with few distractions, to news@flcourier. com with a short biography of yourself and your contact information. (No nude/ glamour/ fashion photography, please!) In order to be considered, you must be at least 18 years of age. Acceptance of the photographs submitted is in the sole and absolute discretion of Florida Courier editors. We reserve the right to retain your photograph even if it is not published. If you are selected, you will be contacted by e-mail and further instructions will be given.

Thousands of Caribbean culture lovers converge on South Florida every year on the Columbus Day weekend to attend the annual Miami Broward Carnival, a series of concerts, pageants, parades, and competitions. On Carnival Day, “mas” (masquerade) bands of thousands of revelers dance and march behind 18-wheel tractortrailer trucks with booming sound systems from morning until nightfall while competing for honors. Here are some of the “Finest” we’ve seen over the years.

Go to www.miamibrowardcarnival.com for information on this year’s Carnival.

CHARLES W. CHERRY II / FLORIDA COURIER

Tamela Mann speaks during the awards show held at the Las Vegas Orleans Arena.

Greene, Mann rack up Stellar Awards Artists pick up six honors each during gospel awards show

well for her now iconic recording «One Way. During an emotional acceptance speech, Mann encouraged the audience to have faith despite trying times. “Don’’t worry about the White House, God provides” she said tearfully. “And to all these artists, I love you guys.

I’m praying for all of us to make it. We can with the Lord’s help.

We can make it.”

SPECIAL TO THE FLORIDA COURIER

Some of the biggest names in gospel received high honors at the 32nd Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards at the Las Vegas Orleans Arena on March 25.

However, the night belonged to one of the genre’s fastest-rising stars, Travis Greene, and gospel music superstar, Tamela Mann.

Greene took home six Stellar Awards for his work on charttopping album “The Hill.” Honors include the much sought after categories: State Farm Song of the Year (“Made a Way”), CD of the Year (“The Hill’’) and Male Vocalist of the Year.

He also was awarded the Praise and Worship CD of the Year, Contemporary CD of the Year, Contemporary Male Vocalist of the Year and the project was recognized for Recorded Music Packaging (Annie Stoll).

When accepting the award for Male Vocalist of the Year, Greene gave honor to artists who have in-

April 9 airing Travis Greene received the Male Vocalist of the Year Award and five more trophies at the Stellar Awards. spired him to perform. “Bishop Hez, Donnie, Fred, Marvin, Kirk, Israel, John P. Kee – I do what I do because I’ve watched you my entire life. I adore you, I love you; I’m standing on your shoulders.”

Mann: God provides Stellar and Grammy Awardwinning gospel singer, actress and television personality Tamela Mann has continued her meteoric year, claiming six awards as

Grammy Award-winning singer and producer Myron Butler & Levi earned three awards for their collaboration “On Purpose.”

Best New Artist honors went to breakout artist Bri (Briana Babineaux), who also went home with a statue for Contemporary Female Vocalist.

Hosted by Erica Campbell and Anthony Brown, the show premieres on TV One on Palm Sunday, April 9 at 6 p.m. with encore presentations at 8 p.m. and 11 p.m.

2017 winners Artist of the Year Tamela Mann, One Way, Tilly Mann Song of the Year

Made A Way, Travis Greene, RCA Inspiration Male Vocalist of the Year Travis Greene, The Hill, RCA Inspiration Albertina Walker Female Vocalist of the Year Tamela Mann, One Way, Tilly Mann Group/duo of the Year Myron Butler & Levi, On Purpose, Motown Gospel New Artist of the Year Bri (Briana Babineaux), Keys To My Heart, Marquis Boone/ Tyscot Records CD of the Year The Hill, Travis Greene, RCA Inspiration Choir of the Year Hezekiah Walker, Azusa The Next Generation 2: Better, Azusa, Inc./eOne Music Producer of the Year Myron Butler, Tamela Mann, Kirk Franklin, Timberland, Eric Dawkins, King Logan, Shaun Martin & David Mann, One Way (Tamela Mann), Tilly Mann Contemporary Group/duo of the Year Myron Butler & Levi, On Purpose, Motown Gospel Contemporary Male Vocalist of the Year Travis Greene, The Hill, RCA

Inspiration Traditional Male Vocalist of the Year Donnie Mcclurkin, The Journey (Live), RCA Inspiration Contemporary Female Vocalist of the Year Bri (Briana Babineaux), Keys to My Heart, Marquis Boone/ tyscot Records Traditional Female Vocalist of the Year Tamela Mann, One Way, Tilly Mann Contemporary CD of the Year The Hill, Travis Greene, RCA Inspiration Traditional CD of the Year One Way, Tamela Mann, Tilly Mann Urban/Inspirational Single or Performance of the Year God Provides – One Way, Tamela Mann, Tilly Mann Music Video of the Year Wanna Be Happy – Losing My Religion (Kirk Franklin), Rock Jacobs, Fo Yo Soul/RCA Records Traditional Choir of the Year Chicago Mass Choir, We Give You Praise, New Haven Records Contemporary Choir of the Year Hezekiah Walker, Azusa The Next Generation 2: Better, Azusa, Inc./eone Music Special Event CD of the Year Wow Gospel 2016, Various Artists, RCA Inspiration Rap Hip Hop Gospel CD of the Year I Am Justice, Canton Jones, Cajo International Youth Project of the Year – Joshua’s Troop, It’s My Time, New Haven Records Quartet of the Year Keith “Wonderboy” Johnson, Timeless Music Movement, Volume 1, Wonderspirit Productions Records Recorded Music Packaging of the Year Annie Stoll, The Hill (Travis Greene), RCA Inspiration Praise and Worship CD of the Year The Hill, Travis Greene, RCA Inspiration James Cleveland Lifetime Achievement Award Spencer Taylor, The Highway Qc’S Ambassador Dr. Bobby Jones Legend Award Rev. Clay Evans Thomas A. Dorsey Most Notable Achievement Award Harvey Watkins, Jr., The Canton Spirituals

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FOOD

APRIL 7 – APRIL 13, 2017

S

frittatas A LOTTA

They’re fancier than scrambled eggs but not quite as elegant as an omelet.

BY DANIEL NEMAN ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE

Frittatas live in that gray area between two of America’s favorite brunch foods, or rather the yellow area. A baked egg dish with various ingredients inside, they are hearty, not STRATA FRITTATA Yield: 4 servings 8 eggs, lightly beaten 6 ounces sharp or extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 3 ounces (1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons) whole milk Salt and black pepper 2 pieces white toast, cut into small cubes 1 tablespoon butter Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, cheese, mustard, milk, and enough salt and pepper for 8 eggs, until just mixed. Stir in cubes of white toast. Set aside for 3 minutes.

In an ovenproof skillet, melt butter, swirling around on all sides.

Add egg mixture and place in oven.

Bake until eggs are just set, 15 to 25 minutes.

FRITTATA LORRAINE Yield: 4 servings 8 eggs, lightly beaten 6 slices cooked bacon, crumbled 4 ounces shredded Gruyere cheese, or Jarlsberg or Swiss 3 ounces (1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons) whole milk Salt and black pepper 1 tablespoon butter Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, bacon, cheese, milk and

delicate; filling, not frilly.

That is why you can eat them at any time, for any meal and at any temperature — hot, warm, room temperature or chilled.

Best of all, they are the ultimate blank slate.

You can make them with anything you like.

You are limited only by your imagination.

Even with my limited imagination, I managed to come up with five examples. They range from spicy to savory to sweet, with meat, with seafood and vegetarian. Mostly, I drew my inspiration from other dishes, figuring that whatever works without eggs has a good chance of also working with them.

enough salt and pepper for 8 eggs, until just mixed.

Melt butter in an ovenproof skillet. Swirl around all sides. Add the egg mixture and place the skillet in the oven. Bake until eggs are just set, 15 to 25 minutes.

SUZETTE FRITTATA Yield: 4 servings 8 eggs, lightly beaten 1 tablespoon orange zest, minced 1/3 cup fresh-squeezed orange juice 1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, divided 1/4 cup Grand Marnier Salt 1/2 cup whole milk 2 tablespoons butter Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, add eggs, zest, orange juice, 1/4 cup of the sugar, Grand Marnier and salt to taste (remember, you are seasoning 8 eggs). Whisk until just mixed. Add milk and whisk again until just mixed.

Melt butter in a large, oven-proof skillet, swirling it around all the sides. Add egg mixture and place skillet in oven. Cook until eggs are just fully set, 15 to 20 minutes.

Remove from oven and turn oven to broil. Sprinkle the remaining 1 teaspoon sugar evenly over the top and broil on the top rack for

3 minutes, until the top is golden brown.

NO-BAGEL FRITTATA Yield: 4 servings 1 1/2 tablespoons butter, divided 1/2 onion, chopped 4 ounces smoked salmon, chopped 8 eggs, lightly beaten 3 ounces (1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons) whole milk 4 ounces cream cheese, softened 1 1/2 teaspoons capers, optional Salt and black pepper Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In an ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat, melt 1/2 tablespoon of the butter. Add onions and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, about 10 minutes. Stir in smoked salmon and cook a minute or 2 until it changes color. Set aside.

Pour the eggs and milk into a large bowl. Add cream cheese in marble-sized chunks, along with optional capers and enough salt and pepper for 8 eggs (if the salmon is salty, do not add more salt). Whisk until just mixed.

Add remaining 1 tablespoon butter to skillet and stir to coat the sides. It’s fine if some of the onions and salmon stick to the sides. Add egg mixture and place in oven.

Bake until eggs are just set, 15 to 20 minutes.

HOT MESS FRITTATA Yield: 4 servings 1 1/2 tablespoons butter, divided 1/2 potato, cut into 1/2 to 3/4-inch cubes Salt 1/2 onion, chopped 1 carrot, sliced thin 1/4 cup chopped green pepper 1 cup diced tomato 1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder, divided 5 medium mushrooms, quartered 1/2 zucchini, chopped

8 eggs, lightly beaten 3 ounces (1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons) whole milk Freshly ground black pepper Sriracha, optional Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In an ovenproof skillet, melt 1/2 tablespoon of the butter over medium-high heat. Add the potatoes and salt to taste (potatoes need a lot of salt), cover and cook, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, onions,

carrots, green pepper, tomato and 1 teaspoon of the curry powder. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, an additional 5 minutes.

Uncover, add mushrooms and zucchini, and sauté until all the vegetables are cooked through, about 5 minutes more.

Meanwhile, add eggs, milk, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon curry powder and enough salt and pepper for 8 eggs into a large bowl. Whisk together until just mixed.

Pour into the skillet and place in oven. Bake until just set, about 20 minutes. Serve with sriracha, if desired.

PUBLIX THANKS YOU FOR SUPPORTING SPECIAL OLYMPICS. $5.7 MILLION DONATED BY OUR CUSTOMERS AND ASSOCIATES IN 2017

$40.5 MILLION DONATED BY OUR CUSTOMERS AND ASSOCIATES SINCE 1993

Thank you to our customers, whose generous donations have helped athletes with intellectual disabilities enjoy fitness, friendship, and the opportunity to share their skills with others.

Congratulations to our associates who compete in Special Olympics events, as well as those who volunteer with this incredible organization.