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APRIL 21 – APRIL 27, 2017

VOLUME 25 NO. 16

FAILING GRADES SPECIAL TO THE FLORIDA COURIER

FORT LAUDERDALE – The Florida State Conference of NAACP Branches’ latest Diversity Matters Report Card clearly shows that Florida has work to do when it comes to Blackowned businesses and media outlets. The report, released Wednesday to media outlets statewide, examined the records of some of Florida’s leading public and private organizations over the last several months. According to NAACP State President Adora Obi Nweze and State Economic Development Chair Torey Alston, the organization spent months examining the records of public and private organizations. It included well-known companies like Hertz, ADT and Spirit Airlines, as well as selected cities, county governments, and school districts.

‘Last priority’

Maybe many of Florida’s cities, counties and publicly-traded companies don’t believe in hiring a diverse workforce or doing business with Blackowned businesses and media outlets. Or maybe they just don’t want to talk about it. ority,” Alston said in a statement. “While there are some bright spots, there is still much work to be done ensuring diversity and inclusion is reflected in all aspects of government and the private sector.”

“This year’s report card continues Grades and categories The report uses population data to show cities, counties, school districts and private companies have di- from the 2010 US Census data as its versity and inclusion as the last pri- baseline.

NAACP

FLORIDA STATE CONFERENCE 2017 DIVERSITY MATTERS REPORT CARD

Seventy-five percent of Florida’s population is “White alone,” as the Census describes it. Twenty-five percent of the state population is non-White, and all fall into other demographic groups: Black/African-American; American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, 2 or more races and some other race alone. Twenty-five percent non-White participation was the main benchmark. Here’s the grading scale: • A (Excellent; exceeds diversity and inclusion standards) with 25 percent or above non-White participation; • B (Above average; meets diversity and inclusion standards) with 20 percent to 24 percent participation; • C (Average performance on diversity and inclusion standards) with 15 to 19 percent participation; • D (Below average performance on diversity and inclusion standards) with 14 to 18 percent participation; • F (Failing-does not meet diversity and inclusion standards with 13

Private Corporations ADT Capital City Bank Group Hertz Global Holdings NextEra Energy Spirit Airlines Stein Mart World Fuel Services School Districts Desoto County School District Duval County School District Gadsden County School District Glades County School District Hardee County School District Hendry County School District Jackson County School District Miami‐Dade County School District Monroe County School District Santa Rosa County School District Walton County School District City Government City of Crestview City of Daytona Beach City of Fort Walton Beach City of Hialeah City of Hollywood City of Sanford City of Key West City of Lakeland City of Live Oak City of Melbourne City of Palatka City of West Palm Beach County Government Bay County Board of Commissioners Charlotte County Board of Commissioners Escambia County Board of Commissioners Highlands County Board of Commissioners Manatee County Board of Commissioners Miami‐Dade County Board of Commissioners Nassau County Board of Commissioners Osceola County Board of Commissioners Sarasota County Board of Commissioners St. Lucie County Board of Commissioners

One year ago this week Gov. Rick Scott Aramis Ayala

Notables pick sides in Scott vs. Ayala

Sharpton’s network to host convention this month

ALSO INSIDE

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FLORIDA STATE CONFERENCE OF NAACP BRANCHES

State House apologizes for abuse, racism

TALLAHASSEE – On Tuesday, the Florida House of Representatives recognized and apologized for the state government’s collaboration and involvement in two notorious incidents in Florida’s recent history.

Torture at boys school With 17 former students of the Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys watching in the public galleries, the state House formally apologized for abuse suffered by hundreds of boys at the now-closed reform school. “We stand here in solidarity, saying we’re sorry,” said Rep. Tracie Davis, D-Jacksonville, a sponsor of the resolution (HR 1335) co-sponsored by 116 members of the House. The resolution acknowledged that treatment of boys sent to Dozier and a related facility in Okeechobee was cruel, unjust and “a violation of human decency.” More than 500 former students have alleged brutal beatings, mental abuse and sexual abuse at the Dozier school, which was closed in 2011 after 111 years of operation in Marianna.

‘Genuine thing’

RICHARD HARTOG/LOS ANGELES TIMES/TNS

In this file photo, Prince performs “Purple Rain” as the opening act during the 46th Annual Grammy Awards show on Feb. 8, 2004 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Prince died on April 21, 2016. He was 57.

See SIDES, Page A2

NATION | A3

Total Grade

FROM WIRE AND STAFF REPORTS

TALLAHASSEE – On one side, there’s the Florida Cabinet, the Florida Prosecuting Attorneys Association and the Republican-dominated Florida House of Representatives. On the other side, there’s the Florida State Conference of NAACP Branches, the Florida Legislative Black Caucus, Color of Change, the Dream Defenders, Service Employees International Union, and more than 100 other legal experts. The issue: Whether Gov. Rick Scott can legally remove Central Florida State Attorney Aramis Ayala Florida’s first Black elected state attorney from nearly two-dozen death penalty cases. Ayala, the state attorney in Orange and Osceola counties, sued Scott because the governor stripped her office of 23 death penalty cases after she announced she would not seek capital punishment in any cases – including the high-profile case of accused cop-killer Markeith Loyd. She is challenging Scott’s legal authority to remove her from the cases, arguing that prosecutors have broad discretion over charging decisions. But Scott’s supporters say Ayala’s refusal to seek capital punishment exceeds her authority. Scott reassigned the cases to Ocala-based State Attorney Brad King, an outspoken supporter of the death penalty.

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School and law enforcement atrocities cited

FROM WIRE AND STAFF REPORTS

State and national groups contend that Scott’s treatment of Ayala is a reflection of Flori-

Employment Diversity

The state NAACP’s latest Diversity Report hit the streets See GRADES, Page A2 on Wednesday.

PRINCE ROGERS NELSON, 1958-2016

Discriminatory action?

Small, Veteran & Minority Business Spending

FLORIDA | A6

HEALTH | B3

SPORTS | B4

A family court with a holistic approach

CDC urges lookout for Zika-related epilepsy

Robinson’s legacy includes Dodgers manager

“That was a genuine thing that was heartfelt by all of the White House boys,” said Charles Fudge, a 69-year-old Homosassa resident who wiped away tears during the House debate and vote. “It means an awful lot for them to acknowledge the abuse that went on.” Fudge, who was sent to Dozier with three of his brothers in the early 1960s, is part of the “White House Boys” group, which is named after a facility at the school where boys were beaten and abused. It was testimony and information-gathering by the White House boys that led to a state investigation of Dozier, the exhumation by University of South Florida researchers of 55 graves at the facility and the appointment See HOUSE, Page A2

COMMENTARY: PAUL DELANEY: TRUMP’S AVOIDANCE OF BLACK PRESS REVEALS TENSE RELATIONS | A4 COMMENTARY: BRUCE A. DIXON: BLACK LIVES MATTER REVIVES ‘BLACK CAPITALISM’ MYTHS | A5

FOCUS

APRIL 21 – APRIL 27, 2017

What kind of foolish hater are you? Unfortunately, many children at one time or another say they hate one or both of their parents. This behavior is unacceptable. But it’s understandable for toddlers, adolescents and even immature teenagers. Maybe Mama told you not to eat cookies and candy and preferred that you ate fruits and vegetables. Perhaps Daddy told you to be in the house by the time the streetlights came on while the other kids were running the street late into the night. Both parents could have told you that you were too young to wear makeup, or to turn off the cartoons and get ready for Sunday school. And as a youth, you told them – or thought about telling them – you hated one or both parents. When you become grown, you reach your 18th birthday and are old enough to vote, join the military, start families and have babies. You can call yourself an adult.

LUCIUS GANTT THE GANTT REPORT

Not a great thing You should know that hatred is not the greatest thing to have. We all should have love in our hearts! Everyone should let go and get rid of any hatred you have. If Native Americans can forgive land thieves, colonizers from foreign shores and genocidal cowboys, you should be able to stop the hatred and forgive, too. If parents can forgive the killer and killers of their children, then you should be able to forgive also.

Eliminate your hatred If African-Americans can live side-by-side and not hate the off-

spring of bigots, racists and White supremacists that enslaved their ancestors, stole their music, culture, religion, freedom and happiness, you ought to be able to do away with your continued hatred, if that is what you have. You see, most people hate people that they disagree with. Or they hate people they feel have made a terrible mistake. But people who disagree about one thing can be in total agreement with you about something else. And people that made a mistake can apologize to you, atone in some way, and prove to you that whatever the mistake was, it will never be repeated!

Why do people hate? So why do some people hate forever and pass their hatred on to any and everybody else that are too weak to make their own decisions about love and hate? One reason is haters learn how to hate and who to hate at home. If Mama, Daddy, sister and/ or brother hate someone, they may suggest to people who can’t make their own decisions about love to hate what they hate. Another reason people hate is pride. Once you tell every-

HOUSE from A1

of a state task force that completed its work last year.

Monuments, reburials In a related move Tuesday, the House unanimously passed a bill (HB 7115) that would authorize the creation of monuments in Tallahassee and in Jackson County, which includes Marianna, to commemorate the Dozier and Okeechobee victims. In addition to the two memorials, the bill would require the reburial of victims of a 1914 dormitory fire at Dozier in the Boot Hill cemetery at the former Jackson County school. It also would require the burial of unidentified Dozier victims in Tallahassee. The legislation, which still needs Senate approval, would direct the state Department of Environmental Protection to use ground-penetrating radar to explore the 1,400-acre Dozier site for additional unmarked graves. The Dozier property may eventually be turned over to Jackson County, where officials see the property as a key to the community’s future economic development, or it could be sold as surplus land by the state. But the House legislation says even if the land is eventually transferred, deed restrictions will protect the Boot Hill cemetery and the White House.

GRADES from A1

percent and below): • *F – Did not bother to report. Three categories were measured: Small, veteran and minority business spending; employment diversity; and small, veteran and minority advertising and marketing.

Didn’t or wouldn’t answer None of the seven publically traded companies – Hertz, ADT, Spirit Airlines, Capital City Bank Group, NextEra Energy, SteinMart, or World Fuel Service – submitted information to the state NAACP. Neither did the cities of Crestview, Hialeah, Hollywood, Sanford, Key West, and Palatka.

Notable performances The report does praise a handful of organizations. “The City of Fort Walton Beach, Manatee County, Duval County District Schools, Hendry County District Schools and Miami-Dade County District Schools, with an overall grade of ‘B,’ are standouts in this year’s 2017 survey,” it states. “Osceola County should also be commended for an overall grade of ‘C.’” Miami-Dade County’s expenditures were also highlighted. “In the category of expenditures with small, veteran and minority businesses, (MiamiDade County) reported spending more than $748 million ($18 million to African-American firms, $6 million to Asian-American firms, $177 million to Hispanic-American firms, $33 million to women-owned firms, and $200,000 to Native-American firms) which is the high-

STATE ARCHIVES OF FLORIDA/FLORIDA MEMORY

In 1951, Lake County Sheriff Willis McCall, a notorious racist, shot Samuel Shepherd and Walter Lee Irvin while transporting them from Raiford to Lake County. McCall said they attacked him. Shepherd was killed; Irvin survived, and accused McCall of forcing them from the vehicle and shooting them. A Senate resolution (SR 1440) apologizing for the abuse and beatings at Dozier and Okeechobee is pending in the Rules Committee.

‘Groveland Four’ Charles Greenlee was one of

four Black men accused of raping a White woman near Groveland in 1949, one of two men to survive manhunts and discredited trials that followed, and the only one to live long after his time in prison had ended. The House voted to formally apologize for the prosecution

est reported spend of any public agency and private corporation responding to our survey since inception,” the report notes. “Although the letter grade in this category was not favorable based on the metrics, there appears to be a very strong commitment to diversity and inclusion.”

Advertising ‘a failure’ The report concludes that “advertising and marketing dollars with veteran, minority, and women-owned businesses continues to be a failure. “Although government entities receive tax dollars from Florida residents, many public agencies still do not track spending by race and ethnicity nor is this data available in a transparent process for public inspection. According to responses in our survey, most public agencies either do not have a dedicated advertising and media budget or spend very little on diverse groups which do not reflect the diversity of the State of Florida.” The report identifies several bright spots in advertising category: Duval County schools, Hendry County schools, MiamiDade County schools, Manatee County and the city of Fort Walton Beach, which all earned “A” grades in that category. Osceola County is commended for its efforts.

No tracking Sarasota County’s Board of County Commissioners was identified as having “the highest dedicated minority advertising and media budget, although they don’t track expenditures by race and ethnicity, which led to an unfavorable grade,” the report states. Most of the organizations – including Hardee County schools, the cities of Daytona Beach, Lakeland, Live Oak, Melbourne, and West Palm Beach; and the

Adora Obi Nweze

Torey Alston

counties of Bay, Escambia, Miami-Dade, Nassau, and St. Lucie – all got ‘F’ grades for placing little or no advertising with veteran, minority, or women-owned media outlets.

Failure all around Of all the public-sector organizations – cities, counties, and school districts – that responded, Escambia County (Pensacola) fared the worst. It earned Fs in all three categories for a total grade of F. “Diversity and inclusion continues to be a challenge in Florida and the NAACP will continue to sound the alarm for equality and fairness for all Floridians,” said Nweze.

Areas for improvement Identifying what it called “a substantial opportunity,” the report suggests improved tracking of procurement spending, establishing voluntary diverse goals, “and developing partnerships with diverse suppliers to help grow local businesses which can better support local economies and increase local jobs.” “According to responses in our survey, many public agencies do not have dedicated supplier diversity, equal opportunity or diversity senior leadership to oversee diversity and inclusion programs. This function has been folded into other

body that you hate someone, you can’t, in your mind, turn around the next day – or even the next year– and say now, “I love you.” What you do is try and explain the hatred. You look everywhere you can to justify the hatred. Instead of looking for positive changes in a person, haters look for “I told you he was no good” moments. You’ll say, “Daddy cheated on Mama,” even though you don’t know every detail about your parents’ relationship. You don’t know if it was an open relationship; you don’t know if Mama did her own share of creeping and side-sleeping. You’ll say, “I hate the president” even though all presidents are the same in one or many ways and just have different styles in how they govern. Even though you were broke, for instance, under one presidential term, you were just as broke while another person was president.

It goes nowhere At the end of the day, hatred will get you nowhere. The best thing a religious person that practices any religious faith can do is love God and love

and persecution of the “Groveland Four” – Greenlee, Walter Irvin, Samuel Shepherd and Ernest Thomas. Their story, long neglected, is now a step away from being formally recognized by the Legislature. The Senate is expected to adopt the apology soon. The legislation would also ask Gov. Rick Scott and the Cabinet to quickly consider posthumous pardons for the men. “Justice was delayed, but it was never denied,” said Greenlee’s son Thomas, who was born 15 years after the alleged rape. “It was bound to come.” The incident began in 1949, when a 17-year-old woman and her husband claimed that the four men raped her near Groveland in Lake County (near the Orlando area). Three of the men were tortured until two confessed to the crime.

Killing and convictions Thomas, who initially escaped, was killed in Madison County after a manhunt. The other three men were convicted, with Greenlee receiving a life sentence and Irvin and Shepherd condemned to death. An appeal of Irvin and Shepherd’s convictions, spearheaded by future U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, prompted the high court to overturn the verdict in 1951. Irvin and Shepherd were shot several months later, purportedly in self-defense,

departments, showing a lack of commitment from elected officials, appointed officials and senior management. “We recommend all public agencies and private corporations create an office reporting directly to the senior executive, to manage these programs and initiatives.”

More advice The report also listed recommendations on the state level, as follows: • The state should conduct a statewide disparity study or small business participation study of all state spending, particularly in the executive branch, including all state agencies. • The state should require all governmental entities to establish race-neutral programs (small business enterprise programs), race-conscious programs (minority business enterprise programs) “or a hybrid approach to enhance economic opportunities for small, women, veteran and minority businesses.” • The state should require reciprocity by local governments to accept state minority, women and service-disabled veteran certification and other local certifying agencies. Here are recommendations to local governments and school districts: • During the vendor registration process, require tracking by race and ethnicity to increase transparency, accountability and ensure accurate reporting of expenditures. • Establish race-neutral, raceconscious, or hybrid business development programs as suggested to the state. • Accept the state’s minority, women and service-disabled veteran certification to decrease barriers for local Florida businesses.

his or her neighbors. If you disagree with someone or don’t like the choices made by someone, you can still be pleasant to them – even if you are pleasant from a distance.

They don’t care Usually, the person you hate doesn’t give a damn about how you feel. They just go on with their lives! Hatred for a family member, a former friend, a coworker or business associate does not hurt the hated. Hatred hurts the person doing the hating the most. Jesus forgave the people that spit on him, beat him and nailed him to the cross on purpose. And you want to hate someone for a selfish reason? Look at yourself. What kind of foolish hater are you?

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by Sheriff Willis McCall and a deputy. Shepherd was killed. After Irvin was convicted and sentenced to death again, Gov. LeRoy Collins commuted his sentence. Irvin was paroled in 1968 and died two years later. Greenlee, who was paroled in 1962, died in 2012.

‘Can’t be fixed’ Even those who sponsored the apology acknowledged that it could only go so far. “The memories can’t be erased, the pain they’ve endured can’t be fixed, but today we have an opportunity to provide closure to these families in the form of an apology,” said Rep. Bobby DuBose, a Fort Lauderdale Democrat who sponsored the House proposal (HCR 631). Gilbert King – whose book about the case, “Devil in the Grove,” won the Pulitzer Prize – said the apology “marks a willingness to recognize and confront a grave injustice.” “Sadly, for the families of the Groveland boys, this bill cannot alter the tragic course of history,” King said. “But it does show how we as Americans can respond to our past, to acknowledge a shameful part of our history and to confront it rather than sweeping it under the rug and moving on without conversation.”

Lloyd Dunkelberger and Brandon Larrabee of the News Service of Florida contributed to this report.

SIDES from A1

da’s ugly history of discrimination against Blacks in elections as well as in the criminal justice system. “This has become an all-out attack from the Florida GOP on Black voters, Black communities and Black leadership,” Color of Change Executive Director Rashad Robinson, whose group backed Ayala’s campaign last year, told reporters during a conference call Thursday prior to the filing of a friend-of-the-court brief.

‘The way it is’ Bernie McCabe, the state attorney in Pasco and Pinellas counties, said prosecutors are obligated to uphold Florida law, even if they are not forced to by the Constitution. “I think if you’re going to be the state attorney and you’re sworn to uphold the laws of the state of Florida, you’ve got to do all of them,” McCabe said in a telephone interview Tuesday. “If you accept this job, you have to accept that the governor can remove you from a case if he thinks that’s in the best interest of justice. That’s just the way it is.” Proponents of both sides are filing “friend-of-the-court” briefs with the Florida Supreme Court, which will hear Ayala’s state case. Ayala has also filed a federal lawsuit in Orlando which also names King as a defendant and accuses Scott of diluting the rights of voters in Orange and Osceola counties, where Ayala was elected, by giving King power to prosecute cases outside of the district in which he was elected.

Dara Kam of the News Service of Florida contributed to this report.

APRIL 21 – APRIL 27, 2017

NATION

NAN to host first major gathering of Blacks since Trump era TRICE EDNEY NEWS WIRE

The National Action Network (NAN), led by the Rev. Al Sharpton, will convene its annual national convention from April 26-29, describing

it as “the first major gathering of African-Americans in the Donald Trump era in his hometown of New York.” The convention will be held at Sheraton Times Square, 811 7th Ave., New

York. It is free and open to the public. Registration is required and isolated events are ticketed.

Speech by Holder On the first day of the

convention (Wednesday, April 26), Sharpton and NAN leadership will kick off the events with a ribbon cutting ceremony with elected officials and community activists.

Former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder will give the convention’s opening address, focusing on gerrymandering and voting rights. Tom Perez, chairman of the Democratic Na-

tional Committee and former U.S. Secretary of Labor, will give the first plenary speech. Other opening day highlights include a panel on the 2016 election and organizing with pollster Cornell Becher, NOW President Terry O’Neill, host of MSNBC’s “AM Joy’’ with Joy-Ann Reid, and others. Civil Rights Attorney Benjamin Crump will moderate a panel discussion about accountability in policing with Sybrina Fulton, mother of Trayvon Martin; Gwen Carr, mother of Eric Garner; Judy Scott, mother of Walter Scott; Valerie Bell, mother of Sean Bell; and Kadiatou Diallo, mother of Amadou Diallo.

Honor for Belafonte

Chanda Young Brown Construction Project Manager

Opening day will close out with the annual Keepers of the Dream Awards, hosted by actor Samuel L. Jackson and will honor Harry Belafonte, the Rev. Dr. William Barber II, pastor who organized Moral Mondays, Terry O’Neill, president of the National Organization of Women (NOW), and other national leaders. On the second day, April 27, National Action Network will convene high profile community leaders, activists, elected officials and media for discussions, including a panel on the legacy of President Obama moderated by CNN contributor Angela Rye with former Obama officials.

Black intellectuals discussion

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A discussion about the future of Black intellectuals will follow with panel members: Georgetown University professor and author Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, Dr. Jelani Cobb from Columbia University, Dr. Mary Frances Berry from University of Pennsylvania, and other scholars. The women’s empowerment and networking lunch will honor April Reign, creator of the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite, and recording artist MC Lyte. The luncheon will be hosted by Mara Schiavocampo, ABC News correspondent. Day 2 also will feature a discussion about transparency in the media, including Suzanna Andrews, contributing editor of Vanity Fair Magazine; Arthur Browne, editor-in-chief for the New York Daily News; Roland Martin, managing editor at NewsOne Now; Bill Ritter, co-anchor of Eyewitness News on WABC; Cheryl Willis, reporter with NY1 TV; Charles Ellison, contributing editor at The Root; and Larry Young, Radio Host of WOLB 1010 AM in Baltimore, among others.

Discussion on crime The third day of the convention will include a panel discussion on dealing with gun crime in the community, moderated by Minister Kirsten John Foy, Northeast regional director of the National Action Network. The panel features Darcel Clark, Bronx New York district attorney; Spike Lee, film director, producer, writer, and actor; and Cyrus Vance, District Attorney of New York County.

‘Measuring the Movement’

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On the closing day of NAN’s annual national convention there will be a special televised forum titled “Measuring the Movement” hosted by Sharpton, featuring leaders from the legacy civil rights organizations and national elected officials. The day will feature various discussions for young people including activism in a social media era and a closing fashion show. For more on the convention, visit http://nationalactionnetwork.net/convention-2017/#schedule.

EDITORIAL

APRIL 21 – APRIL 27, 2017

Trump joins Democrats in the ‘War Party’ In 2016, Donald Trump turned the political world upside down, and not just because his victory prevailed against conventional wisdom. Trump claimed to want a new direction in foreign policy. Gone would be the trade deals that sent American workers on a race to an endless bottom. He said that he wanted a new relationship with Russia, and felt that the two countries might become partners in a war against terrorism that resulted from the United States’ reliance on jihadists to effect regime change. While Hillary Clinton was an openly provocative war hawk, Trump gave an impression of wanting change.

Same old story But his attack on a Syrian airfield shows adherence to the worst of United States foreign policy tradition. In less than one week, the Trump administration went from saying that “Assad’s fate will be decided by the Syrian people,” and “Our priority is no longer to sit and focus on getting Assad out,” to parroting Obama’s mantra that “Assad must go.” Vladimir Putin had already dispensed with calling the United States “our American partners.” He suspended Russia’s participation in an air safety agreement between the two countries. The likelihood of unintended consequence is now higher. Trump was accused of being under Russian influence throughout the campaign and after his inauguration. Democrats used the charge to divert attention from their electoral failures, weaken the new president and force him to join the War Party.

MARGARET KIMBERLEY BLACK AGENDA REPORT

They were determined to maintain foreign policy continuity and crush any nation that insisted on exercising sovereignty in the face of American attempts at full hegemony. They were also determined to crush Trump if he didn’t go along with their plans for a New American Century.

Vicious attacks The attack on the new president was unprecedented. After less than three months in office, he was threatened with a severely damaged administration or impeachment. The Democrats’ vitriol had nothing to do with judicial appointments, deregulation of environmental protections or civil rights retreats to the days of Jim Crow segregation. None of the issues which concern their base of supporters are the cause of their opposition. The fight was all about his willingness to carry on the drive for imperialism and the attempt to bring about regime change in Syria and in Russia, too. Years of demonizing Russia and president Vladimir Putin have had the desired impact. Democrats began by invoking the language of right-wing discourse and endlessly repeated assertions of intelligence agencies. They are now praising him for bringing the world to the brink. Only one Democratic member of Congress, Tulsi Gabbard,

Trump’s avoidance of Black Press reveals tense relations At the very beginning of the new administration, and probably in a moment of hubris, Omarosa Manigault, an aide to President Donald Trump, promised that the first newspaper interview with the new president would go to a member of the Black press. Nobody took her seriously. In fact, such a meeting has yet to occur, prompting me to think that, given the disastrous encounters with other Black groups – such as Black college presidents – perhaps it is best that such a meeting never happens.

Ignored or mistreated As someone who began his career working for a Black-owned newspaper, I’m well-aware that those of us who have toiled in the Black media are used to being ignored or mistreated by public officials. I never expected President Trump to meet with the Black press. Like the community that spawned them, Black journalists have always felt the sting of second-class citizenship. The recent to-do between White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer and April Ryan – the White House correspondent and Washington bureau chief for American Urban Radio Net-

PAUL DELANEY GUEST COMMENTARY

works, a consortium of Black-oriented radio stations – is an example. Spicer chided her as he evaded her question about a White man killing a Black man in New York. “Stop shaking your head again,” Spicer hectored Ryan. There is nothing new about such patronizing, bordering on racist, behavior. From the beginning – slavery, the Civil War, Reconstruction, Jim Crow segregation, lynchings, and discrimination of all types – reporters and editors from the Black press took on the racism and the racists of the world, shining a bright spotlight on such evils as most of their counterparts in the White media took pains to ignore.

‘Bigoted’ media In some cases, especially in the South, White reporters and editors encouraged the racist views of the day. At a conference of journalists a few years ago,

Random thoughts of a free Black mind, v. 295 QUICK TAKES FROM #2: STRAIGHT, NO CHASER

CHARLES W. CHERRY II, ESQ. PUBLISHER

Bill O’Reilly is no longer a ‘Factor’ – It was about the money, not the sexual harassment charges. Fox did cost-benefit analysis and dumped O’Reilly when advertisers dumped his show, a contagion that could spread to the network. Which brings me to… Florida legislative apologies

VISUAL VIEWPOINT: NORTH KOREA’S KIM JONG UN

has dared to question the veracity of claims that the Syrian government used chemical weapons. The rest either heartily commend Trump, or waffle by asking whether he should have asked for permission that they would surely have given.

Weak movement The anti-war movement is weak, nearly killed off by the marketing that made Barack Obama look like a peace candidate. The U.S. Navy heads to Korea to threaten North Korea, which correctly points out that America’s aggressions force them to seek nuclear capability as a means of self-defense. Syria is a living hell for millions of people because Obama and his secretary of state Hillary Clinton wanted another notch on their regime change guns. Refugees flee from Libya and Syria because of their state-sponsored terrorism. Trump is now making good on what his predecessors thought they could get away with easily when they began their plot in 2011. In attacking Syria, Trump upped the ante, bringing the world closer to war than even Obama did – and Democrats are praising him for it. The New York Times and the Washington Post both repeat lies about Assad and Putin – and laud the man they disregarded just two weeks ago. Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders both support his actions in Syria. Sanders says, “We must get rid of Assad.” He proves himself to be a phony progressive, supporting the empire while claiming there is some difference between himself and his once and future rival. keynote speaker Hodding Carter III observed that in the South during the 1960s, “the average Southern newspaper was ... bigoted.” He should know. His family owned the Delta DemocratTimes, a rare liberal newspaper in Greenville, Miss. Although Black media was the stepchild of American journalism, it focused attention on many newsworthy acts that downtown dailies ignored. Black reporters working for Black publishers and broadcasters tackled some of the worst cases of violence – and at times led the charge. I remember the pride of fellow staffers at the Atlanta Daily World after a campaign by the paper saved a Black man from Georgia’s electric chair. And who can forget the chilling coffin photos of the mutilated body of Chicago teenager Emmett Till – who was lynched in Mississippi – published in Jet magazine? During the current newsroom downturn that has seen dwindling numbers of readers, listeners, and revenue, the Black press has taken a heavier hit than its White counterparts.

How bad is it? One Black publisher agonized over whether to accept advertising from the Trump campaign. She ended up rejecting overtures – and ad money – from the campaign. “I could not in good conscience take the money,” she exand ‘beg-pardons’– Don’t let that Florida sunshine and the smell of orange blossoms fool you. The Sunshine State’s record of racial atrocities rivals Alabama’s and Mississippi’s. It’s just that our weather is better and we have lots of beaches, so ‘outsiders’ figure that “racial stuff” can’t happen in an area so naturally gorgeous. Go figure… But I digress. Black legislators are fabulous at pricking the conscience of Republicans when it comes to barbaric events like the “Groveland Four,” the Rosewood massacre, etc., all of which hap-

NATE BEELER, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Open contradictions

The struggle continues

Trump is still bringing out all the contradictions in America at this stage of disintegration and crisis. He is certainly no match for the neocons, who had no intention of moving backwards from their Obama glory days. Republicans like Lindsay Graham and John McCain talk of “boots on the ground” and corporate media talking head Brian Williams says that deadly bombs are “beautiful.” And what of the ‘resistance’? The pink pussy hat wearers and their ilk? They too approve of an American hegemon willing to kill at the first sign of a propaganda lie. They aren’t resisting anything at all. Angela Merkel and Justin Trudeau have backed Trump, too. If we didn’t know before, we now know who the imperialists are in this country and around the world.

The peace movement has an uphill climb. The demonization of Russia and Syria and the skillful manipulation of public opinion will make the work difficult. But someone must be willing to resist Trump and the Democrats, too. Hillary Clinton was a threat to world peace, but her electoral defeat did not mean the end of neocon dreams perpetrated by Democrats, Republicans and the corporate media. The struggle is always the same. Presidents may be Democrats or Republicans. They may say they want to change foreign policy. But bloodshed persists. The fights against it must be equally relentless.

plained during a private dinner that I attended last year with a group of Black journalists. President Trump and most African-Americans are off to a terrible start – not surprising given the heavy Black vote against him and the atrocious gaffes he and his appointees continue to make regarding non-White folks. Given his actions and appointees thus far, Black people have reason for deep distrust. The few occasions of personal contact between President Trump and African-Americans have been awkward and/ or disastrous, enough to assume he will keep such intercourse to a minimum. During a White House meeting last month, Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) said he informed Trump that “his language describing African-American communities has been ‘hurtful’ and ‘insulting.’” Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Cal.) was one of first leaders to publicly call for Trump’s impeachment. What’s more, Waters was among a handful of members of Congress who refused to attend his inauguration and refused to join fellow Black congressional leaders in attending the White House meeting.

Why meet? Black media have kept up a constant drumbeat against the Trump administration; we can expect that to continue, and possibly intensify. One issue sure to pened with either the intentional cooperation or the “malignant neglect” of governors, judges, cops, and other state and local officials. But to me, the “O’Reilly Factor” should be at work here. It should be ABOUT THE MONEY. Where’s the money for the surviving families of the Groveland Four? We all know the wrongful death statute of limitations has run and they can’t sue. But if the state can ‘apologize,’ why can’t it attempt to restore? These families were STRIPPED psychologically and financially

Charles W. Cherry II, Esq., Publisher

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Margaret Kimberley’s column appears weekly in BlackAgendaReport.com. Contact her at Margaret.Kimberley@BlackAgendaReport.com. bubble up repeatedly – meetings with President Trump. As a former colleague at The New York Times, E.R. Shipp, wrote in The Baltimore Sun: “So with nuts, neophytes and revisionists running the Trump asylum, one might wonder why 70 or so presidents, chancellors and advocates for historically Black colleges and universities – HBCUs – accepted a ‘getting-toknow-you’ White House invitation.” I suspect the same sentiment will apply to members of the Black media, if they’re ever invited to meet with the president.

Paul Delaney, a veteran print journalist, spent 23 years with The New York Times as an editor, reporter, and foreign correspondent. He began his career at two Black-owned newspapers, the Baltimore Afro-American and the Atlanta Daily World, before moving on to a succession of other newspapers, including the Dayton Daily News in Ohio and the now-closed Washington Star. He was a founding member of the National Association of Black Journalists and served as the chairman of the journalism department at the University of Alabama from 1992 to 1996. This commentary came from the Center for American Progress via the Trice Edney News Wire. by the state of Florida, which has bloody corporate hands. They fought Florida’s ‘criminal justice’ system for decades to restore the reputations of their relatives. And they are STILL fighting. The state should PAY for what it did, apologies be damned. Did the Florida Legislative Black Caucus make the case for “reparations” for these families? If y’all did, what happened? If not, why not?

I’m at ccherry2@gmail.com.

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APRIL 21 – APRIL 27, 2017

Black Lives Matter revives toxic ‘Black capitalism’ myths There’s a box of odious and discredited myths that hold that African-Americans have less wealth and higher rates of poverty, joblessness and other negative social indicators because we ain’t thrifty, because we don’t save and invest like some other folks, because we don’t spend our cash with Black businesses, and we just do not properly manage our collective wealth. These propositions are fake economics, killed and disproven many times. Now these disreputable myths have been embraced by portions of the #BlackLivesMatter movement.

Debit card solution During Black History Month, the #BlackLivesMatter folks rolled out, in partnership with OneUnited Bank, their officially branded #BlackLivesMatter debit card, which features the striking portrait of “Amir,” an African boy flanked by the iconic images of 1968 Olympians Tommie John and John Carlos, fists in the air. The accompanying mini-blizzard of press releases, stories and statements, some accompanied by the hashtag #BlackMoneyMatters, double down on the pernicious nonsense that Black banks and the marshaling of Black spending power are solutions to the economic distress of Black families and communities. Morgan State University’s Dr. Jared Ball, a prolific scholar whose current work can be found at www.imixwhatilike.org, has done more to document and explain the bogus economics of “Black spending power” than anybody alive. Ball wrote a long and thoughtful Facebook post: “‘Buying Power’ is a marketing phrase that refers only to the ‘power’ of consumers to purchase what are strictly available goods and as their own report admits, has nothing to do with income or wealth which are the genuine markers of economic condition. “‘Power’ here has nothing to do with actual economic strength. Nearly all reports/stories related to these numbers refer back to flawed, misleading and misin-

BRUCE A. DIXON BLACK AGENDA REPORT

terpreted research from the Selig Center for Economic Growth at the Terry College of Business housed in the Bank of America Financial Center in Athens, Ga.

‘Like unicorns’ “The claim that African America has roughly $1 trillion in ‘buying power’ is an entirely phony myth, like unicorns, democracy or freedom. As explained in detail below, the number is fraudulent, itself derived from equally fraudulent surveys, absurdly interpreted sociological data and – at best – misinterpreted data regarding spending which mostly just ignores the far more sound data regarding wealth and income. “The myth of ‘buying power’ works to deny the reality of structural, intentional and necessary economic inequality required to maintain society as it is, one that benefits an increasingly decreasing number of people. To do this, the myth functions to falsely blame the poor for being poor. Poverty, the myth encourages, is the result of the poor having little to no ‘financial literacy,’ or as resulting from their bad spending habits, when in reality poverty is an intended result of an economic and social system.”

Marketing myth

Ball’s treatise, titled “the Myth of Black Buying Power,” is worth reading. He reveals that “Black buying power” phrase originated as the sales slogan of Black marketers a generation ago who wanted to convince clients they had a lock on the Black market. In the real world, Black America spends Just look around 44 percent of its income on rent What would real-world collecalone. When you add utilities, tive Black economic effort look transportation, food, clothing, stu- like? dent and consumer debt, there’s None of the pro-capitalist advonext to nothing left to invest. cates of Black collective econom-

Soros plows cash into controversial candidates Liberal leftist billionaire George Soros thought he had won a big victory when his candidate for state attorney in the Orlandobased 9th Judicial Circuit, Aramis Ayala, won. A Soros political action committee reportedly spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to get her elected. Florida was just one of the states which Soros had targeted as part of his national effort to reshape the American justice system in his own progressive socialistic image. This effort included supporting the anti-cop, “burn ’em like bacon” Black Lives Movement, as well as various violent groups and demonstrators protesting Donald J. Trump.

Fight in Florida Just as Soros was probably patting himself on his back for his Florida victory, Ayala became mired in a major controversy. Ayala, the first Black elected state

CLARENCE V. MCKEE, ESQ. GUEST COMMENTARY

attorney in the state, said she would not seek the death penalty for an accused cop killer, or in any other capital case. Her actions infuriated Florida Gov. Rick Scott, who reassigned 22 first-degree murder cases to another prosecutor who supports the death penalty in a neighboring jurisdiction – including the case of the cop-killer Markeith Loyd. Scott’s action angered many groups who came to her defense, including more than 100 former judges, law professors, two former state Supreme Court justices, a former American Bar Association president (who also served

A misguided celebration of the MOAB Last week, the US military dropped the largest bomb in combat since it dropped a nuclear bomb on Nagasaki during World War II. This explosion had the American media in post-coital delirium. According to CNN, “The GBU43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb, or MOAB, was dropped… on a network of fortified underground tunnels that ISIS had been using to stage attacks on government forces. The strike in Nangarhar province near the Pakistan border killed 36 ISIS fighters, Afghan officials said. The US military previously estimated ISIS had 600 to 800 active fighters in the area but was unclear whether it had

Patronizing Black banks and other businesses simply will not create the mythical Black-owned entities that will somehow hire millions of now-jobless Black workers to manufacture the cars, computers, cell phones, and other services and goods made by somebody else which AfricanAmericans now consume. Nobody has ever boycotted and shopped their way to freedom. Lazy demagogues touting this nonsense never explain just how this “buying power” might somehow be intelligently re-directed from utilities, transportation, rent, and whatnot into the coffers of some entity that will “re-invest” in Black communities – because they simply cannot. Black capitalism won’t cure Black unemployment, either. Karl Marx wrote 170 years ago that capitalist economies always require a large reserve of unemployed workers to depress the wages of those currently employed. That has not changed. So Black unemployment is not a bug in capitalism – it is a core feature. There’s nothing in the fantastical Black capitalist universe to prevent the gentrification of Black and Brown communities either, because under this economic system, the only value a stable poor or working-class neighborhood possesses is the value which might be realized by flipping it; expelling the current residents; and moving in hotels, stadiums and richer (usually Whiter) inhabitants. This explains why the Black political class has never been able to offer any alternative model of urban economic development to its low- and moderate-income constituents. Advocates of Black capitalism want us to live in a fantasy world which defines collective effort as shopping Black and using the #BlackLivesMatter debit card at OneUnited Bank.

ANTHONY L. HALL, ESQ. FLORIDA COURIER COLUMNIST

hoped to strike more.” That’s right, folks. It killed only 36 out of 800 terrorists. Yet everyone’s hailing the explosion as the mother lode. Here’s some perspective: The last nuclear bomb killed approximately 50,000 in Nagasaki. The first killed approximately 80,000 in Hiroshima. One ISIS terrorist using a gun killed 49 and in-

as president of Florida State University), the Florida Legislature’s Black Caucus; and the Florida State Conference of NAACP Branches. Ayala and her defenders challenged the governor’s authority to remove her from the cases. A judge upheld Scott’s action. Ayala’s attorney says, “Scott’s dangerous overreach threatens the independence and integrity of Florida’s judicial system.” Ayala is now suing Scott in both federal and state courts.

Not alone The governor is not the only official angry over Ayala’s position. Florida state legislators have approved plans to trim her office’s budget by $1.3 million. GOP members of the Florida State House want Scott to oust her – for not doing her job. Ayala, and the fact that she is the first elected Black prosecutor, seems to be getting all of the attention and sympathy from various groups. It’s too bad these groups and individuals were not as vocal in condemning the slaughter of three human beings – and the collateral death of another – at the hands of an alleged despicable killer, just as they are in condemning the governor. jured 53 in Orlando last June; another using a truck killed 84 and injured 202 in Nice last July. This MOAB killed 36. (ISIS terrorists say it killed nobody.) On any given day, any terrorist could buy a gun for $160 and replicate Orlando anywhere, or commandeer a truck for free and replicate Nice anywhere. This MOAB cost $16 million, and the logistical operations required to drop it cost millions more. Replicating this dubious feat would fatten the already overstuffed coffers of military contractors, but it would do nothing to make America safe again. These points should throw cold water on the smug satisfaction American politicians and pundits clearly derived from this MOAB explosion. Nothing demonstrated this smugness quite like FOX News playing Toby Keith’s “Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue” over looping footage of the bomb’s impact.

EDITORIAL

VISUAL VIEWPOINT: SUMMER STORMS KNOCK OUT ELECTRICITY

DAVE GRANLUND, POLITICALCARTOONS.COM

ic effort have noticed the Black agricultural cooperatives of the Federation For Southern Cooperatives, which has been around for 50 years, the more recent groundbreaking work of Cooperation Jackson in Jackson, Miss.; or discuss the whys and wherefores of worker-owned cooperative businesses. An even greater omission is their failure to EVER mention labor unions – just about the only real-world engines for collective economic empowerment ever invented. The NYC transit workers strike of 2005, when 30,000 mostly Black and Brown workers brought metro New York to a halt defending their health care, pensions and the wages of future workers, is a priceless example of collective action for economic uplift in the real world. That single strike probably bolstered the fortunes of more Black families than all the careers of Oprah and all the other Black billionaires in the US. Organizers know well that Black women are the most likely to join unions too, followed in order by Black men, then Latino women and Latino men, Asian women and Asian men, then White women and finally White men. You’d think the responsible heads of #BlackLivesMatter, who claim they are second to nobody when it comes to enabling and boosting the work of women organizers and organized women, would be all over this, training women to be union organizers across the country, and agitating for the repeal and creative viola-

tion of laws which make it difficult and almost impossible to organize unions and strike in large swaths of the US. But they’re not. The portion of #BlackLivesMatter leadership which promotes these fake economic nostrums instead of real-world collective actions like cooperatives and unions can only roll this way because they are unaccountable to anyone but themselves and their funders.

Four are dead

the death penalty in the case, Charleston County Solicitor Scarlett Wilson said, “This was the ultimate crime and justice from our state calls for the ultimate punishment.” Apparently, Ayala doesn’t think these four lives, or any lives taken by a killer, are worth the “ultimate punishment.” Some believe this prosecutor probably would not have been elected if she had revealed to Central Florida voters during her campaign that she opposes the death penalty. In Florida, Soros and his son have already given Tallahassee mayor and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum financial support. Gillum has said that his city welcomes Syrian refugees. No wonder Soros wants him in the governor’s mansion. The question is how many other Soros “Trojan horse” candidates will he recruit in 2018 in Florida – and elsewhere?

And whom have they apparently forgotten? Sadie Dixon, Markeith Loyd’s ex-girlfriend and her unborn baby, whom he is accused of killing; Orange County police office Master Sgt. Debra Clayton, whom he allegedly shot and killed execution-style when she tried to arrest him; and, Orange County Deputy First Class Norman Lewis, who was killed when his motorcycle was hit during the manhunt for Loyd. Four dead human beings – all Black – whose lives, it could be argued, Ayala felt were not worth as much as the life of the alleged Black killer whose life she would spare. Does anyone really think Ayala would have taken the same position and gotten the same support if the alleged killer had been White and was responsible for the deaths of four Black people? I would wager not. What hypocrisy! What would the reaction have been in the South Carolina case of the nine Blacks killed at a Black church prayer meeting, by a White perpetrator, if prosecutors had said they would not seek the death penalty?

Who funds BLM? A web page that seems to have been taken down from the Borealis Philanthropy web site explained that Borealis, in cooperation with the Ford Foundation and others, aims to raise $100 million to train the next generation of #BlackLivesMatter leaders. The rank-and-file activists flying the #BlackLivesMatter banner possess no structural way to bend BLM’s national leaders to their will, or even to express that will. The BLM contraption isn’t made for that. But it works just fine for reviving the old and discredited myths of Black capitalism, tales which blame the Black poor for poverty and tell us we can and should be saving and shopping our way to freedom.

Bruce Dixon is managing editor of BlackAgendaReport.com. Contact him at bruce.dixon@ blackagendareport.com.

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 ar‘Ultimate punishment’ ticle originally appeared on In announcing she would seek Newsmax.com.

US is desperate But they should also demonstrate that, far from “sending a message of invincibility,” this MOAB explosion exposed just how desperate and feckless America has become in its war on terror. Indeed, given the barren effect 60 cruise missiles had on Syria, it’s arguable that never before in the history of warfare has a military so potent shot so many impotent blanks. Consider the juxtaposition between the way dropping a bomb on Nagasaki ended that six-year war, and the way dropping one on Afghanistan is only intended to send a message (an unwitting SOS perhaps) in this never-ending war.

Wake up! America must come to its senses about its entanglements in sectarian conflicts in the Middle East. I have pleaded for this awakening in many commentaries, including

“Afghanistan: How Many More US Soldiers Must Die for a Mistake…?” in 2012; “Bombing ISIS Smacks of Masturbatory Violence,” in 2015; and “Obama Continues VietnamStyle Mission Creep in Iraq (Afghanistan and Syria),” in 2016. If one could glean any sensible utterance from Donald Trump’s campaign rhetoric, it would be his constant refrain about the utter stupidity of such entanglements. Unfortunately, President Trump picked up right where President Obama left off. And despite his campaign rhetoric lamenting their utter stupidity, President Obama picked up right where President Bush left off so infamously.

Anthony L. Hall is a Bahamian native with an international law practice in Washington, D.C. Read his columns and daily weblog at www.theipinionsjournal.com.

TOJ A6

FLORIDA

APRIL 21 – APRIL 27, 2017

House backs governor in state attorney lawsuit Scott’s removal of Aramis Ayala has drawn heavy criticism from AfricanAmerican lawmakers and sparked outrage from groups like Color of Change. BY DARA KAM THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

TALLAHASSEE – Intensifying an already emotionally and racially charged debate, the Republican-dominated state House intends to file a friend-of-the-court brief backing Gov. Rick Scott’s ouster of a Central Florida state attorney from nearly two dozen death-penalty cases. “The House can provide the (Supreme) Court useful insight regarding petitioner’s position about the role of a state attorney as an arbiter of public policy adopted by the Legislature,” House General Counsel Adam Tanenbaum and Assistant General Counsel J. Michael Maida wrote in an April 13 petition. The Florida Supreme Court on Monday granted the House’s request to take part in the case, in a role known as “amicus curiae,” in support of Scott, but cautioned lawmakers “to file brief only in support of” the governor.

Outrage from Blacks Aramis Ayala sued Scott because the governor stripped the prosecutor of 23 death penalty cases after she announced she would not seek capital punishment in any cases – including the high-profile case of accused copkiller Markeith Loyd. Ayala, who unseated former State Attorney Jeff Ashton last year in the circuit made up of Orange and Osceola counties, said she based her decision on research that shows the death penalty is not a deterrent to crime, is racially discriminatory, is costly, leaves the families of victims in limbo for too long and is imposed on innocent people too often. Scott’s removal of Ayala has drawn heavy criticism from African-American lawmakers and

RED HUGER/ORLANDO SENTINEL/TNS

Orange/Osceola State Attorney Aramis Ayala, left, chats on March 20 with State Attorney Brad King, District 5, who replaced Ayala in death penalty cases. sparked outrage from national groups, such as the Advancement Project and Color of Change, which filed their own friend-ofthe-court brief supporting Ayala – the state’s first Black elected state attorney – last week.

More coming Sen. Perry Thurston, chairman of the Florida Legislative Black Caucus, said that he and others intend to file their own friendof-the-court brief before Friday’s deadline for submissions. Thurston, a lawyer, condemned the House for seeking to take part in the case. “I think it is overreach on their behalf, just like it’s overreach on the governor’s,” Thurston, D-Fort Lauderdale, said. In contrast, Ayala’s decision not to seek death sentences has elicited outrage from GOP House

members from her region – as well as Speaker Richard Corcoran, R-Land O’ Lakes – who have urged Scott to bounce Ayala from office altogether. The House intends to “address the exclusive role assigned by the Constitution to the Legislature in the setting of public policy for the state and the ill effects that flow from the refusal of a state officer or agent to enforce a duly enacted legislative policy based on his or her disagreement with the rectitude or efficacy of that policy,” the House lawyers wrote.

punishment exceeds her authority, House Judiciary Chairman Chris Sprowls, a former prosecutor, told The News Service of Florida in a telephone interview Monday morning. “There is a stark difference between talking about prosecutorial discretion and what’s she’s doing. Saying she will never consider a lawful statute that’s on the books is not discretion. It is ignoring the law,” Sprowls, R-Palm Harbor, said. “State officers don’t get to decide what laws they like and what laws they don’t like.”

‘Ignoring the law’

Arguing their side

Ayala and her lawyers – along with more than 100 other legal experts – argue that state attorneys have broad discretion in choosing whether to seek death in capital cases. But her refusal to seek capital

Ayala’s lawyers have argued that, while she does not intend to pursue the death penalty for any of the cases currently being prosecuted by her circuit, she has not ruled out the possibility of seeking capital punishment in the future.

But lawmakers like Sprowls are not mollified by her position, which he contends sets up an equal-protection issue for defendants in capital cases statewide. “The important part there is this isn’t an issue that is only important to the residents of Orange and Osceola counties. This is an issue that is important to 20 million Floridians,” Sprowls said. “Allowing a state officer to set state policy undermines the will of the Legislature. And that’s why we’re filing an amicus brief in the case.” But Sen. Gary Farmer, D-Fort Lauderdale, said that it should be up to the voters to decide whether Ayala has fulfilled the duties of her office or not. “That’s how our separation of powers works. The executive branch doesn’t get to exert authority over it,” Farmer, a trial lawyer, said. court team finds a suitable caregiver. The Chimber girls, who were reunified with their mother in late January and early February of this year, will still receive aftercare support and attend weekly parent-child psychotherapy for six months.

‘Here to help’

SHANA MEDEL/ORLANDO SENTINEL/TNS

Kimberly Chimber, center, plays a “Frozen’’ themed game with her daughters, 4-year-old Sophia, left, and 18-month-old Shaylee, in their new Orlando home.

A family court with a holistic approach Initiative has helped stop families from re-entering child welfare system BY SHANA MEDEL ORLANDO SENTINEL/TNS

ORLANDO – Kimberly Chimber only had one thought on her mind: getting her girls back. It was November 2015, and her 18-month-old daughter Shaylee had just been taken away by the Department of Children and Family Services because of her drug use. A year before, 4-yearold Sophia had been removed from the home. Rather than continue her case in the dependency court system, which deals with incidents of

child mistreatment, Chimber enrolled in an Orange County initiative dubbed B.A.B.Y. Court.

A team effort Also known as Building A Better You, the program aims to provide a stable upbringing for children who have been abused, neglected or abandoned by their parents. A court team works to reunify the kids with their parents or place them with a permanent guardian. The program provides families with weekly psychotherapy sessions, increased visitation for

parents and children and parenting classes. “The added bonus was I got to see my kids more,” said Chimber, 33, who will finish the program in August but already has her girls back after completing parenting classes and demonstrating a stable home and steady job. “It can be overwhelming since they’re so many people involved, but it’s all for the best.”

Critical stages The long-term goal, as put by Circuit Judge Alicia Latimore, is to prevent children from repeating cycles of abuse. “If we’re able to address the trauma early on, then we’ve minimized future issues,” Latimore said. “Children are going to grow up to have healthier families and be healthier parents.” Findings conclude that the most critical stage to a child’s mental health development is the first five years of life. If left untreated, abuse can lead to life-

long problems, including anxiety, emotional and behavioral problems, substance abuse and depression, according to research conducted by the program’s court teams. Latimore is a familiar face to the families involved in the program — especially the children. Sophia and Shaylee, who attend the court check-in proceedings every month, have come to know her as “the lady with the lollipops.”

Launched in 2015 The Early Childhood Court of Florida launched B.A.B.Y. Court in April 2015, prompting courthouses across the Sunshine State to follow suit. Since Latimore helped implement the Orange County program in October 2015, nine children ages 5 and under have been placed in a permanent home and nine cases are underway, said Ashley Foster, the program’s community coordinator. Services continue once the

Latimore said traditional dependency family court takes a toll on those involved, causing them to lose sight of their mission. “It doesn’t work for the family,” said Latimore, who is one of 18 judges administering the alternative program in Florida. “When we stop counting how many times the parent messed up or made a mistake, we can count how many times we have an opportunity to help them be successful. We’re here to help them, not to go against them.” Children participating in courtsponsored family counseling initiatives in other states achieve permanency three times faster than those in dependency court proceedings and exit the foster care system earlier, which generates short-term savings of $7,300 per child, according to a 2011 study.

Stable environment Latimore said B.A.B.Y. Court has helped stop families from reentering the child welfare system, which isn’t the case for families in traditional dependency court. Without funding from the Community-Based Care of Central Florida, a nonprofit organization that oversees child-welfare services, foster care and adoption, the program may not have been possible, Latimore said. However, since the average cost per child is $10,000, Orange County can only manage 10 cases at a time. Chimber will finish the whole battery of classes in August, and now has a stable job working at IHOP four to five days a week. She’s raising Sophia and Shaylee in a two-bedroom home in Orlando. “It strengthened our relationship,” Chimber said. “I’ve always had a good bond with my kids, and I never lost it.”

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IFE/FAITH

APRIL 21 – APRIL 27, 2017

How Carew got his new heart See page B4

SHARING BLACK LIFE, STATEWIDE

SOUTH FLORIDA / TREASURE COAST AREA

Family theme in ‘Furious’ films See page B5

WWW.FLCOURIER.COM

This photo of Jackie Robinson was taken by Bob Sandberg of Look magazine.

SECTION

REMEMBERING

JACKIE ROBINSON’S

DEBUT Statue unveiled during 70th anniversary of player breaking the color barrier

BY BILL SHAKIKIN AND MIKE DIGIOVANNA LOS ANGELES TIMES/TNS

LOS ANGELES – After all the lovely words had been spoken, the blue curtain raised, and the majestic statue of Jackie Robinson unveiled, his daughter reflected on a day she called powerful and inspirational. “It was wonderful,” Sharon Robinson said, “to share that with Mom.” Rachel Robinson is 94. She celebrated Saturday, April 15, by sharing stories with Vin Scully, 89, and greeting three of her husband’s former teammates: Don Newcombe, 90, Tom Lasorda, 89, and Sandy Koufax, 81. (On April 15, 1947, Robinson debuted as the first African-American player in Major League Baseball, a league that had been segregated for more than 50 years, when he took the field for the Brooklyn Dodgers.)

Rachel’s resilience Brooklyn’s Boys of Summer are deep into their autumn. Rachel Robinson has not been in the best of health this year, and her children said they were pleased — but not surprised — that she rallied to take a place

of honor during the statue dedication in the afternoon and receive a standing ovation from the Dodger Stadium crowd in the evening. “We’ve now come from Pasadena to Brooklyn and back with the Dodgers,” said Robinson’s son, David. “To see that cycle in one’s life, and to see that work honored and respected, and to see the elders there who were with her during those days, I think it touches great memories for her and has great significance and importance.”

Magic’s role model Jackie Robinson grew up in Pasadena, and he met his wife at UCLA in 1941. He retired before the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles, but Dodgers co-owner Magic Johnson said team Chairman Mark Walter promised Rachel five years ago that the new owners would install a Jackie Robinson statue. “I’m more happy because of his statue than the two I’ve got,” Johnson said. Johnson said Robinson and Muhammad Ali had paved the way for his success in sports and business. Baseball’s drive for diversity remains a work in progress, but Johnson smiled broadly as Dodgers manager Dave Roberts presented Rachel Robinson with a framed picture of the sculpture.

‘Smiling in heaven’ The sculptor, Branly Cadet, is African-American. Roberts is the first African-American manager in Dodgers history. “You know that Jackie is just smiling in heaven right now,” Johnson said. Roberts makes it a point to check in with each of his players every day, helping them navigate emotional hurdles where he can. “Can you imagine what Jackie went through compared to the players of today? You know, sometimes we complain about the internet service,” Roberts said. “No, we can’t imagine what he went through. “You talk to Sandy and hear some of the stories that are talked about, it just wasn’t even close. It doesn’t do it justice, you know, the strength of the man. Until you know Rachel and people who were around Jackie, you can’t gather the magnitude of what he went through.”

I’m not concerned with your liking or disliking me... All I ask is that you respect me as a human being. – Jackie Robinson

Robinson first made minor league history in Daytona Beach FROM STAFF REPORTS

On March 17, 1946, Jackie Robinson played in a spring training baseball game in Day-

KEITH BIRMINGHAM/PASADENA START-NEWS/ZUMA PRESS/TNS

Jackie Robinson’s widow Rachel Robinson, with her son, David Robinson, watch as the Los Angeles Dodgers unveil a Jackie Robinson statue at Dodger Stadium on April 15, on the 70th anniversary of Robinson breaking Major League Baseball’s color barrier in 1947. tona Beach as a member of the Montreal Royals, the Dodger organization’s AAA Minor League team. On that day, the Royals played against the Major League’s Brooklyn Dodgers – the first time that a professional baseball game knowingly included an African-American since 1887. The following spring Robinson would break the Major League’s color barrier when he joined the Dodgers. The City Island Ball Park, established in the 1920s, was re-

named the Jackie Robinson Ballpark in 1989. Last year, the Halifax Historical Society premiered a documentary titled, “Oral Histories of Jackie Robinson’s 1946 Spring Training.” The 25-minute documentary consists of videotaped interviews with local African-American residents who witnessed the 1946 spring training or resided in Daytona Beach when Robinson broke professional baseball’s color line.

Residents remember In the documentary, interviewees provide first-hand accounts of Robinson playing at Kelly Field, located in Daytona Beach’s African-American community and the Royals’ spring training site, as well as the historic March 17, 1946 game at City Island Ball Park. The documentary also explores post World War II race relations in Daytona Beach. It features interviews with Daytona Beach residents James

Museum in works Rachel Robinson and the Boys of Summer will not be around See ROBINSON, Page B2

Daniels, Mrs. Larry Hyde, Jerry Murphy, Luther Laws, Carlton Scarlett, LeRoy Edwards, and Henry Fudge. Funds for the film came from the Florida Humanities Council. Halifax Historical Society and retired professor Leonard Lempel and award-winning photographer and cinematographer Eric Breitenbach coproduced the documentary. For more information, contact the Halifax Historical Museum at www.halifaxhistorical. org.

For more information about Jackie Robinson, visit http://jackierobinson.com.

CALENDAR

APRIL 21 – APRIL 27, 2017

STOJ

FLORIDA COMMUNITY CALENDAR

IAMART MIAMI

The Urban Collective, producers of the Art Africa Miami Arts Fair will host the inaugural IAMART Miami in Historic Overtown May 18-20. The arts program is free and open to students K-12th grade. For More information: 786-897-8854 or email info@ harrispublicrelations.com.

Miami: Catch the dance performance “Citizen’’ April 21 and 22 at 8:30 p.m. at the Miami Dade County Auditorium, 2901 West Flagler Street.

TAMPA BAY CARIBBEAN CARNIVAL

The April 22 carnival at the Florida State Fairgrounds starts at 1 p.m. The 12th annual event will include a street parade and masquerade bands. Performers will include Rayzor, Lyrikal and J’Nelle, Complete lineup: Carnivaltampa.com.

CARMEN BRADFORD

The Florida Orchestra will present “Singin and Swingin: A Century of Ella’’ at 8 p.m. April 22 at the Mahaffey Theater in St. Petersburg. The show will celebrate Ella Fitzgerald and will feature jazz vocalist Carmen Bradford and conductor Jeff Tyzik.

Pompano Beach: Residents are invited to a community cleanup of Northwest Pompano on April 22 with Commissioner Beverly Perkins and the Just Us League. Meet at 9 a.m. at Mitchell/Moore Park, 901 NW 10th St. Wear closed-in shoes. Miami: Spice it Up! Miami, featuring the food, dance, music and culture of Latin America and the Caribbean, begins April 29 at the Caribbean Market Place in Little Haiti, 5925 NE Second Ave. More details: www. spiceitupmiami.com Tampa: The Tampa

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

Spring Jam is April 21 at the USF Sun Dome featuring Guy, Teddy Riley, Dru Hill, Silk and Doug E. Fresh. Miami: On Call Mechanics is hosting a free car care clinic for women on April 29 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Little Haiti Cultural Complex, 212 NE 59th Terrace. Information: 786-529-7188 or ocmechanics@gmail.com. Jacksonville: Miles Jay Live: The Heart & Soul Concert is April 22 at the Ritz Theatre. Miami: 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 Miami’s Overtown. Register at www.jwbms. org/about-us/walk-amile/. Orlando: Flo Rida and guest DJ Nasty are scheduled April 21 at the CFE Arena.

Miami Beach: The M.E. Tour featuring Marsha Ambrosius and Eric Benet stops at the Fillmore Miami Beach on April 21. Clearwater: Saxophonist Kenny G and ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro will be in concert at 8 p.m. April 21 at Coachman Park. Miami: “Together WE Dance’’ takes place at 4 p.m. April 22 at the Joseph Caleb Auditorium, 5400 NW 22nd Ave #301. Performance tickets: $20. Contact: ahope@miamidade.com or call 305-638-6771. Miami: Kaya Fest: The Marley Brothers & More is April 22 at the Bayfront Park Amphitheater. The 1 p.m. festival also will feature Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean and Big Sean.

Pioneer player’s legacy includes Dodgers manager BY RICH HAMMOND ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER/TNS

LOS ANGELES – Jackie Robinson wanted baseball to hire its first AfricanAmerican manager. He said so directly at the 1972 World Series, in his final public appearance nine days before his death. Robinson broke baseball’s color barrier with the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947 and paved the path for many of those who honored him Saturday at Dodger Stadium, at the unveiling of a Robinson statue. Few people can trace a more direct path to Robinson’s legacy than Dodgers manager Dave Roberts.

‘Lot of parallels’ Roberts followed Robinson onto the UCLA baseball field, which by that point had been named Jackie Robinson Stadium. Roberts followed Robinson

into a Dodger uniform, first as a player and then, last year, as the first manager of color in franchise history. “There are a lot of parallels,” Roberts said before the April 15 game against Arizona, “but far from any type of comparison. But to do some of the things he did, for me to think about it in that scope, it’s kind of crazy.”

Statue unveiled Robinson became the first person honored with a statue outside 55-year-old Dodger Stadium. On the 70th anniversary of Robinson’s first game, the Dodgers unveiled the statue during an invitation-only ceremony that included Robinson’s widow, 94-year-old Rachel, two of their children, Dodger ownership and team legends such as Sandy Koufax, Tommy Lasorda, Don Newcombe and Vin Scully. The 77-inch-tall bronze

statue, constructed by Oakland sculptor Branly Cadet, displays Robinson sliding into home plate and includes three of his bestknown quotes engraved into the base.

Paying tribute Roberts, born four days after the Dodgers retired Robinson’s number in 1972, presented Robinson family members with framed pictures of the statue. They shared the stage with (unrelated) Frank Robinson, who in 1975 became baseball’s first African-American manager. Roberts said he felt awed to wear Robinson’s No. 42 last Saturday — as players and coaches did leaguewide.

GARY CORONADO/LOS ANGELES TIMES/TNS

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is shown at spring training in Phoenix on Feb. 23, 2017.

FLORIDA COURIER

FLORIDA’S ONLY BLACK STATEWIDE NEWSPAPER More than 182,000 readers weekly WWW.FLCOURIER.COM Ranked by Google as Florida’s #1 Black newspaper website

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Players wear No. 42 in honor of Jackie Robinson Day as the Atlanta Braves play host to the San Diego Padres at SunTrust Park in Atlanta on April 15. The Braves won, 4-2.

ROBINSON from Page 1

forever to share those stories, but they will be told and retold at the Jackie Robinson Museum in New York, with groundbreaking ceremonies set this year. “She’s really led the charge on the legacy building,” Sharon Robinson said. “Her last command performance is the museum.” The Dodger Stadium statue, which includes such iconic Jackie Robinson quotes as “A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives,” also will enable future generations to learn

about Robinson when firsthand accounts are no longer available.

A lasting legacy That legacy also will be continued by the Jackie Robinson Foundation, which has provided financial and mentorship support to 1,500 students over the last four decades. Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier has funded three of those scholarships. “They are embracing the embodiment of Jackie Robinson and the courage that it takes to change society,” David Robinson said. “When all of us are looking down, we will have thousands of students that bear the Jackie Robinson name.”

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STOJ

APRIL 21 – APRIL 27, 2017

SPORTS

Former major league batting champion Rod Carew stands near a replica of a statue from his days as a Minnesota Twin, at home in Coto de Caza, Calif., on April 10. Carew is still recovering from a heart and kidney transplant from last December.

Former NFL player’s heart saves life of baseball legend It’s believed this is the first time a heart has gone from one pro athlete to another. BY MIKE DIGIOVANNA LOS ANGELES TIMES/TNS

LOS ANGELES – Mary Reuland leaned over the hospital bed and nestled her head on the chest of Konrad Reuland, the oldest of her three football-playing boys, a 6-foot-6, 270-pound NFL tight end who had been in a coma for almost two weeks. It was the morning of Dec. 12, in the intensive care unit of the UCLA Medical Center, just hours before doctors declared her 29-year-old son brain-dead from an aneurysm that ruptured behind his left eye on Nov. 30. “Something in me, I don’t know why, but maybe it’s a mother’s instinct. … I just laid my right ear on his chest and listened to his heart beating all day, from morning until we had to leave,” Mary said. “I memorized it. And I said, ‘I hope I get to hear this again one day.’ ”

The stethoscope Less than three months later, Mary stood arm-in-arm with her husband, Ralf, and youngest son, 24-year-old Austin, in the backyard of their San Juan Capistrano home, eagerly awaiting the first meeting with the man who received Konrad’s heart and a kidney in a 13-hour operation on Dec. 16. From a walkway on the side of the house on that sunny Thursday afternoon emerged Rod Carew, the 71-year-old Hall-of Fame baseball player, holding the hand of his wife, Rhonda, as he ambled toward the Reulands. The 18-time All-Star, 1977 American League most valuable player and seven-time batting champion was joined by two of his children, Cheyenne, 29, and Devon, 27. Carew, who survived a massive heart attack in 2015, hugged the Reulands. After some small talk, they moved inside, where Rod, sitting on the family room sectional, handed Mary a stethoscope belonging to Ralf Reuland, a doctor.

Konrad’s heart Mary placed the device on Carew’s chest and listened for about 15 seconds. Her eyes reddened as her head sank into Carew’s shoulder.

In a 2004 file image, Konrad Reuland is shown at Mission Viejo High School, where he became the top tight end prospect in California after switching from basketball.

“It was comforting in a way to hear that again, knowing that part of Konrad is still here,” Mary said. “I didn’t know until this happened that every heartbeat, like a fingerprint, is unique. It was definitely Konrad’s heart in there.” Next was Ralf, who listened to the heart for about 20 seconds before pulling Carew’s face toward his in a warm embrace. “It was strange to have his heart back in this home, beating in somebody else’s chest,” Ralf said. “You just can’t explain the feeling.”

GLENN KOENIG/ LOS ANGELES TIMES/TNS

gan rejection. But when Mary Reuland did a Google search of Carew a few days after the funeral and saw Rod received a heart from a 29-yearold in Los Angeles, “I almost fell over,” she said. “I started hearing from so many people, ‘Is it Rod Carew?’ Then, I couldn’t let it go. It was like something that festers. I needed to know.”

A second chance Austin leaned into Carew and seemed surprised by the strength and volume of the sound in the stethoscope. “Wow,” he said. “Hearing that roaring heartbeat of his … I don’t know, it was surreal.” No word better describes the last four months for the Carews and Reulands, one family mourning the loss of a son and brother, the other buoyed by a second chance at life, the two now inextricably linked by Konrad’s heart and a shared desire to promote organ donation, heart and vascular health. As the mystery surrounding the identities of donor and recipient cleared in January, one coincidence after another led the families to believe they were destined to meet. Carew wore No. 29 throughout his 19-year career with the Minnesota Twins and Angels, and his heart attack inspired an American Heart Association “Heart of 29” campaign to increase awareness about heart disease. All Carew knew of his donor at the time of the transplant was that he was a 29-year-old man.

A first Konrad and his brother, Warren, now 28, and Cheyenne and Devon Carew were middle-school classmates at St. John’s Episcopal School in Rancho Santa Margarita. About 15 years ago, a teenage Konrad met Rod Carew at a middle-school basketball game — Warren and Devon were teammates — and spent the rest of the day bragging to his family that he met the Hall of Famer. According to an official with OneLegacy, the Los Angeles-area chapter of the nationwide organ donor procurement network, this is the first time they’ve heard of anonymously matched organs between families that knew each other. It’s believed to be the first

The match

MARK BOSTER/LOS ANGELES TIMES/TNS

Rod Carew and his wife, Rhonda, talk on April 10 about his recovery and his life after a heart and kidney transplant in December. time a heart has gone from one pro athlete to another. Carew knows the Reulands’ pain. His youngest daughter from his first marriage, Michelle, died in 1996 after a nine-month battle against leukemia. She was 18. The shy and somewhat reclusive Carew, then the Angels hitting coach, became the face of a campaign to boost the National Marrow Donor Program registry. He has hosted an annual golf tournament to benefit pediatric cancer research in Michelle’s honor for 21 years.

The heart attack Rod Carew hit his tee shot on the first hole at Corona’s Cresta Verde Golf Course down the middle of the fairway when his chest began to burn and his hands grew clammy. He drove his cart to the clubhouse, crumpled to the floor and asked a woman to call paramedics. Carew’s heart stopped beating. Twice. When Carew awoke in the emergency room of Riverside Community Hospital, he was told he suffered a heart attack known as “the widow maker,” because few patients survive the ride to the hospital. It began a 15-month ordeal in which Carew spent 160 days in eight hospitals and had two major surgeries before the transplant.

The aneurysm On Nov. 26, the Saturday after

Thanksgiving, Konrad was lifting weights in the gym at his Irvine apartment complex. “He felt a click in his head,” said Ralf Reuland, 56. “After a couple minutes on the treadmill, he had the worst headache he’s ever had, right behind his left eye. He called, and I told him to get to the emergency room.” By the time Ralf and Mary got to Mission Hospital, the aneurysm was diagnosed. Konrad was transported to UCLA Medical Center the next day. On Nov. 30, the aneurysm burst, prompting a 17-hour brain surgery. Konrad never regained consciousness.

2016 organ donor With the television tuned to a Dec. 12 “Monday Night Football” game between the Ravens and New England, Konrad was declared brain-dead. He remained on a ventilator so his organs could be harvested. Konrad had made the decision, with input from Mary, to become an organ donor only in April 2016, when he renewed his driver’s license. “I told the doctors that whoever gets his heart better deserve it because it’s a good one,” Mary said. “And it’s a big one.” It is recommended that donor families wait at least a year before contacting a recipient to allow the donor family time to process their grief and the recipient time to move past the greatest risk of or-

Rhonda Carew also did a Google search of Konrad when she got to the hospital. When she learned Konrad died on Dec. 12, she thought there was “no way” Rod could have gotten Konrad’s heart on Dec. 16, “because the heart is the organ with the smallest window to get transplanted.” She did not know at the time that Konrad’s organs were kept alive for four days. Further investigation revealed that Carew, whose blood type is B-positive, received organs from an O-negative donor. Konrad was O-negative. A Hepatitis B immunity in both donor and recipient solidified the match. “I thought, ‘Uh-oh, they may be right,’ ” Rhonda Carew, 58, said. “But the final confirmation had to come from OneLegacy.”

Confirmation Mary Reuland made the call to the organ donation company in mid-January. “I said, ‘Listen, this train has left the station, it’s really hard for me, but we need to know, was it Rod Carew who got my son’s heart and kidney?’ ” Mary said. “She was like, ‘We’ve never heard of anyone calling with the name (of a recipient).’ She paused for the longest time and said, ‘Yes, it is.’ ” The American Heart Association arranged the March 2 meeting of the families, which will be featured on “CBS Sunday Morning.” The Reulands hope it was the first of many gatherings. “I told them when they came here, and I strongly believe this, that they are now a part of our family,” Mary Reuland said. “My son’s heart is beating in your chest. You are a part of our family, and you will be invited to family functions whether you want to come or not.”

HEALTH

APRIL 21 – APRIL 27, 2017

STOJ

What men should know about new prostate cancer screening guidelines MAYO CLINIC NEWS NETWORK/TNS

KATIE FALKENBERG//LOS ANGELES TIMES/TNS

Dr. Megumi Itoh, left, with the CDC measures the head of then 5-month-old Adrielly Rufino in March 2016. The baby was being held by her mother, Maria Girdielly, as part of a CDC and Brazil’s Ministry of Health study investigating the association between women having the Zika virus when they are pregnant and the effects they were seeing of microcephaly in babies.

CDC urges lookout for Zika-related epilepsy BY DANIEL CHANG MIAMI HERALD/TNS

Federal health officials writing in a medical journal on Monday urged doctors to be on the lookout for Zika-related seizures and epilepsy among infants born to mothers infected with the virus while pregnant. Citing recent studies that found seizures and epilepsy reported in some infants exposed to Zika while in the womb, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned that cases of epilepsy caused by the virus may be misdiagnosed or underreported. Health officials have known that Zika increases a pregnant woman’s chances of having a fe-

tus or baby with a brain abnormality, such as microcephaly, and other neurological disorders associated with the virus, which attacks neural tissue.

How it’s transmitted Zika’s effects on a developing brain are similar to those of other central nervous system infections associated with epilepsy, according to the CDC, whose article cited two research reports conducted in Brazil in 2016 that suggest a link. By increasing awareness and surveillance of seizures and epilepsy where active Zika transmission is occurring, the article states, health officials may better identify associated cases and

improve their understanding of the virus’ impacts. Zika is primarily transmitted by the bite of infected Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes, though the CDC has also reported cases of the virus spreading through blood transfusions, from pregnant mothers to their newborn children, and through sexual contact. There is no treatment or cure for Zika, whose symptoms include fever, joint pain, red eyes and a rash, though only about one in five people with the virus experience symptoms. However, scientists have been working to develop a vaccine and have launched clinical trials in some areas with confirmed spread of the virus, including Miami.

Florida cases In 2016, Florida health officials confirmed 1,440 Zika infections, including 292 pregnant women. But Zika has been nearly dormant in Miami-Dade this year, with two locally acquired cases confirmed and no zones of active transmission identified. In total, state health officials have reported 37 Zika infections statewide, including 20 pregnant women, for 2017. In addition, state officials have vowed a more robust response to Zika. Florida Gov. Rick Scott’s budget proposal calls for new funding for the health department to hire more scientists and conduct more research to combat the spread of Zika, and Surgeon General Celeste Philip said in March that the state’s bureau of public labs has “increased capacity greatly” for testing.

Study: Cigarettes go better with booze than weed BY TRACY SEIPEL MERCURY NEWS/TNS

For millennials, cigarettes go better with booze than they do with weed. That’s the conclusion of a new University of California, San Francisco study showing tobacco accompanied by alcohol gives cigarette smokers a greater perceived reward than when they smoke cigarettes while using marijuana. The article, published Tuesday online in the journal Addiction Research & Theory, is the first to document the trend, according to its authors. “What we’ve learned may have important implications for understanding differences in co-use of cigarettes with alcohol versus marijuana,” co-first author Noah R. Gubner said in statement.

‘Lightens my head’ The study said research has shown that among young adults, cigarette smoking is strongly connected with alcohol and mar-

ijuana use — and smoking is particularly common among heavy drinkers or binge drinkers. Other studies have also shown that the combined pharmacological effects of cigarettes and alcohol can lead to a heightened sense of reward for users. Rose Hernandez knows that reward. The 26-year-old San Jose, Calif., resident, who was smoking a Camel cigarette outside the downtown eatery where she works on Monday, said she enjoys both smoking cigarettes when she’s drinking beer, and smoking cigarettes after she’s finished inhaling marijuana. But Hernandez said she prefers the combination of drinking and smoking because the mixture of the two “lightens my head.”

Facebook recruits The UCSF study used self-reported data by 500 U.S. adults, ages 18 to 25, who currently smoke, and have recently used alcohol or marijuana, or both. The study recruited partici-

How to fend off skin damage and illness while traveling BY LISA IANNUCCI TRAVELPULSE/TNS

Flying can take its toll on your body. From the dry air on the plane to the jet lag and the dehydration, you might not feel your best when you arrive at your destination. Studies have shown that flying can also increase your risk of contracting influenza, bronchitis, tuberculosis and more. There is an increased risk of bacterial or viral transmission in a confined, crowded environment such as an airplane and the longer your flight, the more at risk you are for inhaling germ-contaminated air.

Cabin air, pressure “Cabin air has only 5 to 20 per-

A new University of California, San Francisco study showed tobacco accompanied by alcohol gives cigarette smokers a greater perceived reward than when they smoke cigarettes while using marijuana. KIRK MCKOY/LOS ANGELES TIMES/TNS

pants between October 2014 and August 2015 through a paid advertising campaign on Facebook. The researchers examined the extent of cigarette smoking under the influence of alcohol or marijuana, along with the differences in perceived pleasure. They found that individuals smoked more than 40 percent of their cigarettes under the influence of alcohol or marijuana. “Since the main route of administration for marijuana is smoking, some aspects of mar-

cent humidity (compare to the inside of your home which averages around 30 percent to 65 percent) and that low humidity makes respiratory conditions worse,” said Dr. Michael Zimring, director at the Wilderness and Travel Medicine Center at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore. “The resulting dehydration can be a contributing factor to the development of a deep vein thrombus. In addition, cabin air pressure is usually pressurized to 8,000 feet, which causes problems for some people, especially those with chronic lung disease.”

healthy while you travel: Don’t dry out: To counteract nasal dryness on the plane, dab a little gel such as petroleum jelly (Vaseline) around your mouth and use a healing ointment on your chapped lips and dry skin patches. Petroleum jelly can also serve as a protectant on the faces of babies. Drink up: And no, we don’t mean at the airport bar. Flying can dehydrate you, which is why your skin feels dry, so drinking water will help to hydrate your skin. “Stay well hydrated to help prevent leg clots (deep vein thrombus), which could lead to pulmonary embolisms, known as lung clots,” said Zimring. Bring eye drops as well as a nasal spray to help ease the dryness.

Travel tips

Chew gum

Here are some tips to help you fend off skin damage, bloating and illness to help you to stay

Changes in cabin pressure can cause painful popping in the ears, especially for children.

ijuana use (such as the smoke, lighting of a joint, the throat feeling when inhaling smoke) may serve as cues that increase urges to smoke cigarettes,” the report said. In the study, both alcohol and marijuana users reported increased pleasure from smoking cigarettes when drinking alcohol — and this pleasure was not heightened by binge drinking. By contrast, there was on average no change in perceived pleasure from smoking cigarettes when using marijuana.

Chew gum and also have your child chew gum to restore the balance of pressure during takeoff and landing. Bottle-feeding babies can also be helpful. “Ground yourself when you’re not feeling well, whether it’s a cold, sinus infection or flu and wait to fly until you feel better,” said Zimring. “If you must travel, ask for over-the-counter meds for your symptoms.”

Clean surroundings “Wipe down seat trays with alcohol bases wipes before a meal,” said Zimring. “Use alcoholbased liquid soap to keep hands clean after walking back to your seat and holding or touching the back of people seats to keep balance.”

Watch for symptoms Using your long flight to get off your feet and catch up on your sleep might seem like a good idea, but this kind of activ-

Men ages 55 to 69 should talk with their health care provider about prostate-specific antigen (PSA)-based screening for prostate cancer. That’s according to new recommendations from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Clinicians inform men ages 55 to 69 years about the potential benefits and harms of prostatespecific antigen (PSA)–based screening for prostate cancer. Many men will experience potential harms of screening, including false-positive results that require additional workup, overdiagnosis and overtreatment, and treatment complications, such as incontinence and impotence.

Not over 70 The task force recommends against PSA-based screening for prostate cancer in these men age 70 years and older. “The recommendations don’t change for men over 70. If men over 70 are asymptomatic with no family history, they don’t’ need to have PSA tests every year,” says Mayo Clinic urologist Dr. Matthew Tollefson. “Those men have very low risk of dying from prostate cancer. But for men who are from 55 to 69, there can be a benefit seen with screening. This is where the task force is now giving nuance to the discussion and saying there isn’t a blanket statement for everyone.”

The blood test The PSA blood test is the most common method to screen for prostate cancer. Tollefson says there are benefits of PSA prostate cancer screening, but it’s not risk-free. “Screening men from ages 55 to 69 is the benefit of catching a cancer earlier, when it’s easier to treat and potentially cure,” he says. “If men are screened, then, potentially, that tumor can be identified when it’s at a curable state. Then, they can undergo curative treatment and reduce their risk of dying of prostate cancer. “The risk of being screened, in a lot of ways, comes with the risk of being treated. If a man is screened, and the test shows he is at risk of prostate cancer, frequently, the next step is to get a prostate biopsy.

Talk to doctor There is a small, but real risk of infection to arise after a biopsy. Then, with treatment — both with radiation as well as surgery — the risk of incontinence and erectile dysfunction can be a real issue for some men.” Prostate cancer is the third leading cause of cancer death in American men. The American Cancer Society says about one in seven men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in his lifetime. Tollefson says it’s important for men to have a conversation with their health care provider to determine the best option that weighs risks and as well as personal preferences.

ity can disrupt your sleep schedule and ultimately lead to a serious health problem, deep vein thrombosis. It’s a medical condition that travelers should not ignore. DVT is an inflammation and development of a blood clot in a deep vein, usually in one of the lower extremities. Symptoms include pain, warmth and swelling in the calf or affected area. Just because you don’t experience a DVT on the flight doesn’t mean you aren’t at risk. Signs of DVT can appear up to several weeks after traveling and without any symptoms. If you develop calf pain and swelling anytime during your flight, and especially if it is accompanied by shortness of breath and chest pain, seek immediate help. If ignored, the clot can travel to the lungs where it becomes an embolism that cuts off blood vessels.

STOJ

APRIL 21 – APRIL 27, 2017

Meet some of

FLORIDA’S

finest

FINEST & ENTERTAINMENT

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

Family theme helps fuel ‘Fate & Furious’ films broken the record for the highest grossing opening ever by an African-American director. “Fate of the Furious” exploded into North American theaters and 63 international markets over Easter weekend. That global reach and representation of multiculturalism, she said, also helps keep focus through tough shoots and personality clashes, like the reported feud between Diesel and Johnson on “Fate of the Furious.” “We’re allowing the 99 percent to be part of Hollywood and I think that puts a fire under us to make it good,” said Rodriguez, “and ultimately I think that will reign over any little rift that the family might have.”

BY JEN YAMATO LOS ANGELES TIMES/TNS

“The Fate of the Furious,” the eighth installment in Universal’s “Fast & Furious” series, sped to more than $100 million domestically and $532.5 million internationally — notching the biggest global opening of all time — thanks to its muscular star power, fast cars, furious action and the kind of over-the-top spectacle usually reserved for summer blockbuster season. But the record-breaking franchise, built on physics-defying stunts and fervent fan loyalty across the globe, is also fueled by the one not-so-secret idea more potent than a well-timed blast of nitrous oxide: family. The recurring motif gets a workout in “Fate of the Furious,” the first sequel without the late Paul Walker, whose character was last seen driving off into the sunset — some might say toward heaven — in 2015’s emotional “Furious 7.” “As the films have grown and the world’s gotten smaller and we’ve gotten more global in scope, the (characters’) definition of family has widened a lot,” said series screenwriter and producer Chris Morgan, who scripted the last six “Fast & Furious” films.

How it evolved In the first film, 2001’s “The Fast and the Furious,” the word “family” was sparsely spoken in a story focused on the brooding bromance between gearhead criminal Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and undercover cop Brian O’Conner (Walker). As the sequels charged on, new members joined the cast (Tyrese Gibson and Chris “Ludacris” Bridges in “2 Fast 2 Furious,” Sung Kang in “Tokyo Drift,” Gal Gadot in “Fast & Furious,” Dwayne Johnson and Elsa Pataky in “Fast Five,” Nathalie Emmanuel in “Furious 7”) and original members came back (Michelle Rodriguez in “Fast & Furious 6”). “Fate of the Furious,” directed by “Straight Outta Compton’s” F. Gary Gray, leans further into the “family” theme by making it a plot point and adding Helen Mirren as Magdalene Shaw, mother of the brothers (played by Jason

‘A lot of listening’ “Fate of the Furious,’’ featuring a diverse cast,’’ exploded into North American theaters and 63 international markets over Easter weekend. Statham and Luke Evans) who’ve been battling Dom’s crew since the final moments of “Fast 6.”

Remembering Walker It was Diesel who made Dom’s love for his familia an iconic signature by dropping memorable one-liners, like the insta-classic, “I don’t have friends… I got family.” “I used to fight like crazy for my own ego,” the producer, star and father of three told The Times. “For my own sense of greatness. I was trying to fight for myself. And now I have kids, so I fight for a legacy that they will be proud of.” Offscreen, Diesel says he and Walker grew so close that Walker was the only person who knew about the birth of his first child during the filming of 2009’s “Fast & Furious.” “He said, ‘There are a lot of tough guys that’ll tell you don’t go into the delivery room,’ ’’ Diesel recalled of his friend and costar, who gets an on-screen tribute in “Fate of the Furious.” “It will be the best day of your life — go in there, and cut her umbilical cord. And I did. And I am so grateful that I did.”

In his honor Walker’s absence was felt

throughout the “Fate of the Furious” shoot, said “Game of Thrones” star Nathalie Emmanuel, who joined the franchise in “Furious 7” as genius hacker Ramsey with the knowledge that she might be invited back for a multi-film arc. “It was really hard without him. He was thought about constantly.” “It was difficult,” echoed Bridges. “We say the last one was for Paul, and this one is from Paul. We did this in his honor, to continue the legacy of what he started.” “Fate of the Furious” sets a record for mentions of family as Charlize Theron’s new villain, a cyber hacker named Cipher, lures Dom to the dark side by preying on his weakness. “Believe me, we get it — we say it a lot,” admitted Morgan. “But every time a character says it, it’s not because we’re trying to hammer in that family theme. It’s because that character in that moment believes it. And that’s why I think it resonates with people.”

Global heroes In these soapy, machismo-fueled fantasies in which cars fly (over train tracks in L.A., onto yachts in Miami, between skyscrapers in Abu Dhabi, and even

parachute out of the sky from a C-130 plane soaring high above the Caucasus Mountains), some lucky characters ride, die and return to ride again. Rodriguez sees another reason the loyal “Fast & Furious” fandom has grown exponentially as the franchise’s episodic story arc has taken its heroes global, from racing the streets of Los Angeles a quarter mile at a time to saving the world from nuclear annihilation on the icy plains of Russia: diversity. “There’s a void in the market,” said Rodriguez, pointing to Hollywood’s market-dominating presence worldwide. “When you have that kind of penetration but everybody who’s leading your movie on the big screen is White, a lot of people don’t feel included. Don’t you think they’re going to buy more tickets to those movies where they do feel included?”

Diverse cast, directors The series is not only known for its multiethnic cast, but for the diversity of its directors, starting with John Singleton taking charge in “2 Fast 2 Furious.” Justin Lin steered four chapters in the series through “Fast & Furious 6,” James Wan took on “Furious 7” and with “Fate” Gray has

Gibson says he became a de facto therapist to his cast mates and director Gray, on set and off. “There were moments when the politics and the egos were flying off the handle, and we were literally in each other’s trailer, just making sure we were laughing and just enjoying the process.” “My Benihana grill in the backyard is literally the kumbaya of life,” he added. “But the beautiful thing about ‘The Fast and the Furious’ is that if any one of us were to ever try to do ‘The Fast and the Furious’ by ourselves, it would bomb before it even got off the ground.” Gray, hot off of Universal’s “Straight Outta Compton,” was a logical choice to helm “Fate of the Furious” with its ambitiously wrought set pieces filmed in Cuba, Iceland, New York, Cleveland and Atlanta, plus its sprawling ensemble of actors, many of whom he’d directed before. “What I learned in joining the ‘Fast’ family was the art of collaborating differently,” said Gray, who also praised Universal head Donna Langley for supporting a push to put inclusive heroes onscreen. “It’s the next level when your star is also producing and you have actors who have lived with these characters for 15-plus years. I come to the party and I end up doing a whole lot of listening.”

FOOD

APRIL 21 – APRIL 27, 2017

Learn why foilpacket cooking is hot, hot, hot FROM FAMILY FEATURES

As the saying goes, big things come in small packages and that may explain the burgeoning popularity of foil-packet recipes. Minimal preparation and cleanup are easy trade-offs for the immense flavors you can create in these tiny containers, whether you prepare them in the oven, on the grill or over an open flame. The secret to successful foil cooking is locking in the layers of flavor from each ingredient. It’s surprisingly simple to create delicious, healthy dishes when cooking with foil. An ingredient like seasoned rice vinegar offers a wholesome alternative to many condiments and flavorings while giving your packet a big flavor boost. With no artificial preservatives, flavors or ingredients and no highfructose corn syrup, Nakano® Rice Vinegars are the perfect solution for building better-for-you foilpacket meals. With organic varieties and easy-to-read labels featuring real, recognizable ingredients, you can feel great about layering delicious flavor into your next foilpacket meal with rice vinegar. Find more inspired ideas for healthy meals at Mizkan.com/ Recipes. GOCHUJANG-GLAZED CHICKEN Servings: 4 Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 45 minutes 4 tablespoons Nakano Seasoned Rice Vinegar – Roasted Garlic 2 teaspoons gochujang (chile bean paste) 6 tablespoons maple syrup 4 teaspoons soy sauce 2 tablespoons, plus 2 teaspoons, olive oil 4 teaspoons Dijon mustard 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 8 chicken thighs

7 STEPS TO THE PERFECT FOIL POUCH 1. A 12-inch square piece of foil is a good starting point, but you may need to adjust depending on the recipe. Remember you’ll need plenty of extra room around the ingredients for the heat to build up and cook the contents to perfection. 2. Use heavy-duty foil to avoid tears or poor seals that can spill ingredients and precious seasonings and juices. 3. Spread foil on a flat surface and add a light nonstick spray, if needed. 4. Place ingredients and seasonings in the

4 cups fresh cauliflower, riced (use grater or food processer so cauliflower resembles rice) 1 1/2 cups fresh scallions, sliced 2 cups fresh sugar snap peas 3 sprigs fresh cilantro, for garnish Heat oven or grill to 375 F. In large bowl, mix together vinegar, gochujang, maple syrup, soy sauce, olive oil, mustard, salt and pepper to form marinade. Dip chicken in marinade and toss lightly until coated. Lightly oil foil pouch and layer base of pouch with cauliflower. Add scallions and sugar snap peas then place chicken on top. Carefully pour remaining marinade over pouch contents (ensuring that liquid stays inside foil). Seal foil packet and bake or grill 30 minutes. Open foil to create 2-inch long vent then bake or grill another 15 minutes, or until completely cooked. Garnish with cilantro before serving.

BARTLETT PEAR AND OAT CRISP Servings: 4 Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 30 minutes 4 cups fresh pears, medium diced 4 tablespoons Nakano Seasoned Rice Vinegar – Mango 3/4 cup quick oats 2/3 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup, plus 2 teaspoons, allpurpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon cinnamon 6 tablespoons butter, diced into 1/4inch squares Heat oven to 375 F. Toss pears in rice vinegar and set into lightly greased foil pouch. Combine remaining ingredients in bowl and use two forks to combine

ingredients until mixture becomes crumbly. Pour mixture evenly over pears, seal pouch and bake 20 minutes. Open top of foil and bake another 10 minutes, or until crisp and golden. MEDITERRANEAN VEGETABLES Servings: 4 Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 25 minutes 3 tablespoons Nakano Organic Rice Vinegar – Seasoned 1/4 cup olive oil 1 teaspoon salt, plus extra, to taste 1/2 teaspoon pepper, plus extra, to taste 1 tablespoon, plus 1 1/2 teaspoons, fresh parsley, chopped 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh garlic, minced 1 cup fresh zucchini, sliced into 1 3/4-inch long, 1/4-inch thick planks

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center of the foil. 5. Bring long sides of the foil together over the food. Pinch together and make 1/2-inch folds straight across at least twice for a strong seal. Remember to leave plenty of open space between the foil and food. 6. Make 1/2-inch folds on each short end, folding toward food but leaving at least 1 1/2-2 inches between the seam and food. 7. Handle pouch with care to avoid piercing or tearing, and always use tongs to remove pouches from heat.

1 cup fresh green pepper strips 1 cup fresh red pepper strips 8 fresh stalks asparagus, slicing off 1/4 inch from bottom of stalk 1 fresh portobello mushroom, sliced into 1/2-inch squares 1 cup fresh eggplant, diced into 1/2inch squares Heat oven or grill to 375 F. In large bowl, mix together rice vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper, parsley and garlic to create marinade. Clean vegetables then place them in marinade in small batches. Toss to coat then place in foil pouch. Pour remaining marinade over vegetables and seal pouch. Bake in oven or over indirect heat on grill 25 minutes. Add salt and pepper, to taste, after removing pouch from heat.