Florida Courier 06-07-2013

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Before the trial: A pictorial glance at tributes for Trayvon

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JUNE 7 - JUNE 13, 2013

VOLUME 21 NO. 23

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WILL JUSTICE PREVAIL? After more than a year of protests, investigations and legal wrangling, George Zimmerman gets his day in court after killing Trayvon Martin. Here’s an update as the trial begins on Monday in Sanford.

George Zimmerman, shown here at a previous court hearing, does not have to testify at his upcoming trial.

In a series of pretrial hearings, Circuit Judge Debra S. Nelson laid the groundwork for what jurors will hear during the second-degree murder trial, expected to be one of the most watched this year. In general, she banned defense attorneys from introducing reputation-damaging evidence about Martin – but she left lots of wiggle room.

If defense attorneys can convince her during the course of the trial that it’s relevant, she may allow them to put on evidence showing that at the time of his death, Martin had marijuana in his system; that he had discipline problems at school; and that he had a history of fighting.

Still possible COMPILED FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

At the start of George Zimmerman’s murder trial, expect Trayvon Martin to be portrayed as an innocent teenager, an unarmed 17-year-old who was killed on Feb. 26, 2012 in Sanford while walking home in the rain.

By the time it concludes, however, Zimmerman’s defense attorneys hope that jurors will have a more menacing view of him. That’s critical to justifying Zimmerman’s claim that he shot Martin dead in self-defense.

Defense attorney Mark O’Mara suggested that the information about Martin’s past can still “become relevant” for jurors if prosecutors present evidence beyond the five-minute encounter between Martin and Zimmerman.

“The Martin family, through their handlers, presented a picture of who Trayvon was, and who George was, that is totally inaccurate,” O’Mara said.

O’Mara predicted he would be able to show

POOL PHOTO

BY JOE BURBANK/ ORLANDO SENTINEL/ MCT

See JUSTICE, Page A2

Trayvon’s texts tell familiar story A Black boy influenced by street culture COMPILED FROM WIRE AND STAFF REPORTS

pretrial hearing last week.

Martin’s slang-filled, abbreviated, and often misspelled messages – as well as pictures of a semi-automatic pistol, marijuana plants and Martin flipping up his middle fingers – are all part of Zimmerman’s defense plan to put the Miami Gardens 17-yearold posthumously on trial.

“So you just turning into a lil hoodlum,” one friend, whose name has been withheld, texted Martin.

Martin replied with a denial: “No not at all.” At one point, Martin joked that the friend was “soft.”

“Boy don’t get one planted in ya chest,” the friend joked back.

The message was a reference to being shot. Ironically, Martin was shot dead three months later.

When the George Zimmerman trial begins, jurors, at least initially, won’t hear Trayvon Martin described as a pot-smoking would-be thug who brawled, sought out guns and got suspended from school.

Zimmerman’s defense lawyers won’t be allowed to paint that portrait in opening statements as part of a defense strategy to shred the character of the Miami Gardens teenager who was shot to death last year in Sanford.

But in the months and days before his shooting death, Mar- Counters Zimmerman’s tin was getting in fights, getting statements high on marijuana, getting susAlthough Zimmerman might pended from school and talking not take the stand, his statewith friends about getting a gun, ments given to police and his according to cell-phone text messages defense lawyers in a See TRAYVON, Page A2

Zimmerman turned down for job as cop

BY RENE STUTZMAN ORLANDO SENTINEL / MCT

FINEST | B5

Prosecutors have filed paperwork revealing that murder defendant George Zimmerman applied to become a police officer in a county near Washington, D.C., but was turned down.

His application and rejection letter are among the latest pieces of evidence the state has notified defense attorneys they may use at Zimmerman’s trial, which begins Monday.

The new list of evidence, filed this week, says Zimmerman applied to become an officer in Prince William County, Md., but that appears to be an error.

There is no Prince William County in Maryland, however, there is one in Virginia, and it’s the site of Zimmerman’s hometown: Manassas.

Meet Taneish

Date uncertain

KARI RENE HALL/LOS ANGELES TIMES/MCT

DAVID ‘DEACON’ JONES, 1938-2013

Eatonville native, ‘The Deacon of Defense,’ dies In a 1994 file image, football legend David “Deacon” Jones, considered one of the National Football League’s greatest defensive players ever, dons a commemorative Los Angeles Rams jersey. Jones died June 3 at age 74.

SNAPSHOTS FLORIDA | A3

Super high rates for Blacks charged with pot possession

ALSO INSIDE

NATION | A6

NAACP applauds Virginia’s expansion of voting rights

The paperwork does not spell out when Zimmerman applied

for the job, but it is not the first indication that he had an interest in police work. He was a student at Seminole State College, about to complete a two-year degree in criminal justice, at the time of the shooting.

He also took part in a citizens’ academy, a program sponsored by the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office that allows people to become more familiar with police work. On his 2008 application to join that program, he wrote, “I hold law enforcement officers in the highest regard as I hope to one day become one.”

The new evidence list includes information that Zimmerman trained at a Longwood gym that specializes in boxing and kickboxing. A webpage for the business, Kokopelli’s Gym, describes it as “the most complete fight gym in the world.”

Now unemployed Zimmerman is now free on $1 See ZIMMERMAN, Page A2

COMMENTARY: CHARLES W. CHERRY II: RANDOM THOUGHTS OF A FREE BLACK MIND | A4 COMMENTARY: BEN JEALOUS: ORGANIZED PEOPLE CAN BEAT ORGANIZED MONEY EVERY TIME | A5

FOCUS

A2

JUNE 7 – JUNE 13, 2013

Deacon Jones, the greatest athlete in Central Florida history Hopefully, as my buddy Chris tweeted Tuesday, St. Peter is not a quarterback.

If so, the pearly gates were destroyed – crunched and shattered into tiny pieces – Monday night when David “Deacon” Jones crashed through them and arrived in football heaven. And St. Peter – God bless him – is probably still running for his afterlife.

A moment of silence Deacon Jones, the greatest athlete in Orlando sports history, has gone to That Big Collapsing Pocket in the Sky. “There’s no question Deacon is the greatest athlete we’ve ever had,” said Bill Buchalter, the Orlando Sentinel’s legendary former high school editor and Greater Orlando’s resident sports historian.

“We’ve had some good NFL, NBA and Major League Baseball players, but Deacon was an icon among icons. He stood the test of time. He was the LeBron of the football field.”

Big, fast, mean He was bigger, faster, stronger than everyone else. And meaner.

Meaner than a drunken rattlesnake.

For all you youngsters out there, ask your father or grandfather about Deacon Jones and

MIKE BIANCHI GUEST COMMENTARY

what he used to do to quarterbacks.

He used to hate them like you and I hate the IRS. He used to hate them like kids hate creamed spinach. Actually, he hated them so much, he tried to turn them into creamed spinach.

He once clocked Atlanta quarterback Bob Berry so violently with a helmet-to-helmet hit that Berry’s helmet popped off and skidded across the scorched earth.

Said Jones after the game: “If the helmet doesn’t go, his head does.”

Suspended or fined Can you imagine the outcry, fines and suspensions Jones would endure today if he played with the same rage and ferocity as he did back in the 1960s?

There were those who believe he hated quarterbacks so much because they symbolized the racial injustice and White supremacy he endured as a Black kid growing up in the segregated South. He attended Eaton-

ville’s Hungerford High School in the days before integration when Black men literally had to take a back seat to White men.

His scholarship was revoked at South Carolina State University after he took part in a civil rights march. He personally experienced angry White men in hoods and that transformed him into an angry Black man in a helmet.

No Black quarterbacks Back in Deacon’s heyday in the 1960s, the quarterback position in the NFL was lily-White and there would be no Black starter at the position for more than a decade after he entered the league.

Jones took his wrath out on the fair-skinned quarterbacks of the league.

“Can you imagine, all of a sudden having the opportunity to legally beat the crap out of somebody who has mistreated you all these years?” his wife, Elizabeth, once told the Orlando Sentinel.

Just ask the great White quarterbacks of his day and they will tell you.

“Running an offense against Deacon Jones was like playing against the shark in ‘Jaws,’” Johnny Unitas once said.

“I owe everything to Deacon Jones,” Fran Tarkenton said after his Hall-of-Fame career was over. “If it wouldn’t have been for

him and his lightning sack rush, I wouldn’t be known as the greatest scrambling quarterback in history.”

Invented the ‘sack’ They called Deacon Jones the “Secretary of Defense,” but he was so much more than just a secretary. In fact, he was the commander and chief of the L.A. Rams’ famed “Fearsome Foursome” and the founding father of the quarterback sack. He not only invented the term “sacking the quarterback”; he invented the relentless mindset behind the term.

Rushing the quarterback for Jones was sort of like hunting rabbits. When you’re done, you just put your bloody victims in a game bag and go home.

“You took the quarterback and you put him in a sack; that’s how Deacon described it,” Orlando resident and NFL Hall-of-Famer Jack Youngblood explained Tuesday.

Youngblood became an understudy of Jones after he was drafted by the Rams out of the University of Florida in 1971. Bruce Smith holds the NFL record for career sacks with 200, but Youngblood says his mentor “would have had 250” if the statistic had been kept back in Jones’ playing days.

TRAYVON

‘Lost a round’ One of Martin’s cell

JUSTICE from A1 relevance of text messages found on Martin’s cell phone which indicate, among other things, that the Miami Gardens teenager was involved in competitive fighting. Jurors will not hear about Martin’s prior marijuana use nor will they see a photo of him wearing a set of gold teeth.

The attorney for Martin’s family, Benjamin Crump, praised the judge’s decisions.

“Trayvon Martin did not have a gun. Trayvon Martin did not get out (of ) the car to chase anybody. Trayvon Martin did not shoot and kill anybody,” Crump said.

“Trayvon Martin is not on trial.”

Other issues One of the most important issues before the judge was what to do with a state audio expert, Alan Reich, who’s expected to testify that he heard Martin say, “I’m begging you,” in the background of a 911 call made by a neighbor just before Zimmerman shot Martin.

She will deal with that by holding a hearing June 6 to determine whether Reich used scientifically accepted techniques.

She’ll also take up another issue then: Did prosecutor Bernie de la Rionda lie when he told her he had turned over every scrap of evidence

That may be a slight exaggeration, but not much of one. Sacks weren’t kept as an official NFL statistic until 1982, but if they had been recorded during Deacon’s day, there’s little question he would be among the NFL’s alltime leaders.

Jones not only made the quarterback pay; he made the people protecting the quarterback pay.

He became famous for his devastating head-slap on offensive linemen – a maneuver that was later banned by the NFL because Jones utilized it so effectively to get to the quarterback.

“I wouldn’t want to be a lawyer, I wouldn’t want to be a doctor, I wouldn’t want to be the president of the United States,” Jones once said. “I was destined – just like Ray Charles was born to sing the blues. Deacon was born to rush quarterbacks.”

Somewhere up in the gridiron great unknown, St. Peter is meeting with The Coach. Word is he wants to switch positions. The Deacon has arrived.

Heaven just became more hellish on quarterbacks.

Mike Bianchi is a columnist for the Orlando Sentinel. Click on this story at www.flcourier.com to write your own response.

yuu waint gonn bee satisified till yuh suspended again, huh?”

from A1 911 calls on the night of the shooting are major pieces of evidence. Zimmerman’s defense lawyers hope to counter with Martin’s text messages and his troubled record at school.

The text messages, some of which are redacted – partially edited – don’t make clear whom Martin was talking to at different times.

Sometimes it appears he’s joking with a friend, other times with a girlfriend and, in at least one instance, with his father.

Some of the earliest text messages begin in early November 2011, in which Martin indicates he was suspended from school for being in a fistfight. Later in the month, on the 21st, he exchanged messages with at least one friend about an after-school fight.

Didn’t exist

Mom unhappy

FLORIDA COURIER FILES

Trayvon’s parents, Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin, tried to fight the negative influences in their son’s life. phone pictures shows two teens about to square off against one another as a third stands in the middle like a referee. Martin said he fought a rival who related to Martin’s cell phone to Zimmerman’s attorneys?

Wesley White, a lawyer and former co-worker of de la Rionda, testified that three photos plus some deleted text messages from Martin’s cell phone were found and given to de la Rionda. One photo was of a hand holding a gun and one was of drugs, White said. O’Mara said those had not been handed over.

Expert testimony on Martin’s marijuana use on the day of the shooting – an autopsy revealed he had the active ingredient for the drug in his system – could also be subject of legal wrangling during trial.

The judge did decline a defense request to allow jurors to visit the gated community where Martin was shot and killed, saying it would confuse jurors and be impossible to re-create the exact lighting and rainy conditions.

“I think it’s a logistical nightmare,” Nelson told the lawyers.

Jury selection Six jurors will decide whether Zimmerman is guilty of second-degree murder, but what their lives will be like once they’ve been named to the panel remains a mystery.

Judge Nelson accused defense attorneys of leaking word – and getting it wrong – that the jurors would be sequestered, forced to be separated from their families and spend nights

“snitched on me.”

Martin: “I lost da 1st round :) but won da 2nd nd 3rd.”

Friend: “Ohhh So It Wass 3 Rounds? Damn well at

together in a hotel for as long as the trial lasts in an attempt to isolate them from outside influences.

The judge and attorneys will begin picking a panel of six jurors and four alternates, according to Seminole County Clerk of Courts Maryanne Morse. Normally at a second-degree murder trial, attorneys pick just two alternates, but in this case the judge is apparently building in extra protection by adding more alternates.

Alternates are sometimes called to step in if a juror is unable to finish the job – for example, if he or she gets sick or is kicked off the panel for violating one of the judge’s rules, such as discussing the case with someone or surfing the Internet for news about the case.

Daily selections On June 10, there will be 100 to 200 prospective jurors, and each day thereafter about 100 new ones. They’ll be asked to fill out a questionnaire, then will be questioned individually by the judge and attorneys, all outside earshot of other potential jurors.

They’ll be asked about their jobs; family; experience with police and the court system; and what they’ve heard about the case. Jury selection can be completed during the first week.

O’Mara predicted the entire trial would last four to six weeks.

least yu wonn lol but yuu needa stop fighting.”

Martin: “Nay im not done with fool….. he gone hav 2 see me again.”

Friend: “Nooo… Stop,

Is Sanford ready?

For months, courthouse personnel and others have been getting ready for the biggest trial in Seminole County history. Mostly, they’ve tried to figure out how to prepare for the crush of people expected to descend on the 215,000-square-foot building once the trial begins.

They’ve hashed out who gets a seat in the courtroom, despite its limited space, and who does not. They’ve put together detailed – and secret – plans on how to ensure the safety of Zimmerman, Martin’s family, witnesses, the judge and jurors.

They’ve implemented a set of rules to manage protesters and spectators – they’ll be confined to a specific part of the courthouse’s lawn – and enlisted a group of local Black pastors to watch the proceedings and try to keep everyone calm.

They’ve also agonized over anticipated traffic jams on U.S. Highway 17-92, the road that fronts the courthouse, as well as what to do with all the cars sure to fill the courthouse parking lot.

And they’ve strategized over how to make sure there’s enough electricity, Wi-Fi and radio-frequency capacity for the multitudes.

Limited seating The courtroom seats have been carefully parceled out. Thirty-one will go to journalists. Six are being set aside for Martin’s family and six

Martin told another friend at the time that his mother wanted him to move in with his dad after he was suspended.

“Da police caught me outta skool,” Martin wrote.

Months later, Martin appeared to get in trouble again, but suggested on Jan. 6, 2012, that he was an innocent bystander: “‘I was watcn a fight nd a teacher say I hit em.” The following month he complained he got in trouble for something “I didn’t do.”

In between these messages, he appears to flirt with a girl and talk extensively about smoking marijuana, or “kush.” One friend called him a “WEEDHEAD.” Martin’s troubles appeared to get worse and, on Feb. 13, he explained to a friend that he was serving “10 dayz” of suspension.

Five days later, he repeatedly appears to inquire

for Zimmerman’s.

Twenty-four will go to members of the public through a daily lottery.

Four have been set aside for Black local ministers, part of a much larger group of Sanford-area religious leaders who’ve been working with the U.S. Department of Justice since Martin’s shooting to minimize racial tensions.

The Seminole County Sheriff’s Office put in place a very aggressive security plan that extends to the grounds, where protesters and spectators will be confined to two long strips of lawn directly in front of the building. They’ll be allowed to wave signs – but not if they have a wooden or metal handle. Also prohibited: coolers, backpacks and chairs.

They also may be searched by deputies, who may go so far as to search cell phones and electronic devices, according to an administrative order signed last month by Chief Judge Alan Dickey.

Media onslaught More than 200 journalists will be covering the trial, said Michelle Kennedy, a spokeswoman for Judge Nelson. The most visible sign will be the village of TV satellite trucks and temporary studios on the courthouse grounds.

Rene Stutzman and Jeff Weiner of the Orlando Sentinel and David Ovalle the Miami Herald contributed to this report.

about a gun with a friend: “U got heat??”

Hours later he’s asked by text: “You want a 22 revolver?” The friend who sent the message said it was bought by “my mommy.”

Dad steps in On Feb. 21, Martin appeared to be heading to Sanford to live with his father. But he hadn’t lost interest in guns.

“U wanna share a .380?” he asked one friend. Hours after that, it’s believe that his father sent him text messages about staying in Sanford.

“Show much respect to (redacted) and adjust to my Lady & (redacted).

Show them that you a good kid and you want positive things around you,” his father, Tracy Martin, wrote Trayvon.

A minute later, he followed up: “Be a big brother and not a DONKEY……

LOVE DAD.”

Marc Caputo of the Miami Herald (MCT) contributed to this report.

JOSHUA C. CRUEY/ORLANDO SENTINEL/MCT

Law enforcement officers escort George Zimmerman into the Seminole County Jail after his bond was revoked in June 2012.

ZIMMERMAN from A1 million bail, living with his wife and a different bodyguard at a secret location in Seminole County, his whereabouts tracked by a GPS device. It’s not a happy life, according to his chief defense attorney, Mark O’Mara.

Zimmerman is jobless, isolated and mostly stays indoors. His weight has ballooned.

A lawsuit filed by his former bodyguard in December 2012 shows the lengths to which Zimmerman was willing to go to receive protection.

According to the suit, a $3,100-perday security plan called for Zimmerman, his wife Shellie, other family members and at times, defense attorney O’Mara to be protected by a seven-member team of bodyguards. The guards would rotate in and out on either 8- or 12-hour shifts and live in a room next to the Zimmermans at a tourist-area hotel equipped with a kitchenette, records show.

The agency billed Zimmerman and O’Mara for around-the-clock protection from June 29 to July 18, 2012, the lawsuit’s invoices show. Zimmerman is now being protected under a plan that costs $700 a week, O’Mara said.

JUNE 7 – JUNE 13, 2013

FLORIDA

A3

Judge denies injunction sought by senior arcades Legislature rushed to pass law after raids, arrests across state

BY JIM SAUNDERS THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

TALLAHASSEE – A federal judge Tuesday rejected a request by two Broward County senior arcades to block key parts of a new law that stemmed from a statewide crackdown on Internet cafes.

U.S. District Judge James Cohn issued a 19-page order that denied a preliminary injunction sought by Boardwalk Brothers, Inc., and Play It Again FLA, LLC, which contended that the law was unconstitutional. In part, the arcades contended the law was vague and arbitrary and denied First Amendment rights of seniors who gather at the amusement arcades.

Cohn rejected those arguments and said the state had legitimate reasons for passing the law, which came after raids at Internet cafes that critics long contended were illegal gambling operations. While the law was aimed at Internet cafes, its restrictions also affected games offered at senior arcades – causing many to close. “(The) state has a significant interest in proscribing the behavior regulated in the statute,’’ Cohn wrote.

“Plaintiffs have failed to articulate any interest they have which overrides the state’s substantial interest in regulating gambling.”

‘Irreparable injury’ The arcades filed the lawsuit in Broward County circuit court in April, about a week after Gov. Rick Scott signed the changes (HB

GARY W. GREEN/ORLANDO SENTINEL/MC

Thirty-three Allied Veterans of the World defendants wait for their turn to stand before Seminole County Judge James Dekleva for their first appearance at the Seminole County Jail for their involvement in the illicit Internet Cafes in Sanford on March 14. The case prompted the resignation of the state’s lieutenant governor, Jennifer Carroll.

155) into law. The case was later moved to federal court, with the arcades taking issue with parts of the law that, for example, sought to bar “casino-style games in which the outcome is determined by factors unpredictable by the player or games in which the player may not control the outcome of the game through skill.”

“How can a police officer know what a casino-style game is when the Legislature has not, and cannot define it?’’ the arcades argued in a motion seeking

the preliminary injunction.

“How can a police officer know what games or machines involve ‘outcomes determined by factors unpredictable by the player.’ How can a police officer determine whether a player ‘may (or may not) control the outcome of the game through skill.’ ‘’ Attorneys for the arcades also pointed to requirements in the law that said arcade machines would have to be operated by inserting coins and that severely limited the types of prizes that could be won.

But Cohn disputed that the law was unconstitutionally vague or that it would cause “irreparable injury” to the arcades. He also flatly rejected that it would violate First Amendment rights of association for seniors.

Law followed arrests “Plaintiffs have failed to articulate how the statute prevents their patrons from associating with one another, given that the statute does not prevent senior citizens from congregat-

ing elsewhere if plaintiffs’ businesses are closed,’’ Cohn wrote. “Moreover, there is no evidence before the court that enforcement of the statute would force plaintiffs out of business and prevent patrons from associating at their establishments. Instead, the statute merely limits the types of games that might be offered. And even if the statute did force plaintiffs out of business, no citizen enjoys a constitutional right to play amusement games.”

The Legislature rushed

this spring to pass a law to shut down the Internet café industry, after law-enforcement raids across the state and the arrests of 57 people. Authorities alleged that the cafes – dubbed “storefront casinos” by critics – illegally operated computer games that were akin to slot machines.

The crackdown also led to the resignation of Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll, who had done consulting work for an organization that was at the center of the investigation.

The report, prepared by the ACLU, is based on the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program and the United States Census Bureau’s annual county population estimates.

Report: Florida a top state in marijuana possession arrests Higher rate in Miami-Dade

Blacks in state arrested at more than four times the rate of Whites SPECIAL TO THE COURIER

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WRITTEN AND A UNIVERSAL RELEASE DIRECTED BY JAMES D E MONACO

Florida Courier

TM

WASHINGTON – According to a report released Monday evening that details marijuana possession arrest rates in the United States from 2001 to 2010, Florida is among the nation’s leaders in marijuana possession arrests, and marijuana possession laws are disproportionately enforced against Blacks.

Florida had the third most total arrests for marijuana possession in 2010 (57,951) and the country’s 11th highest arrest rate for marijuana possession (308 per 100,000) in 2010. Miami-Dade County had the ninth most arrests for possession of any county in the country, and Broward and Orange Counties had the 16th and 23rd most arrests, respectively.

“Marijuana prohibition is taking a toll on the entire country, but Florida is among the states paying the biggest price,” said Mason Tvert, director of communications for the Marijuana Policy Project. “Law enforcement resources would be better spent addressing serious crimes instead of arresting adults for using a substance objectively less harmful than alcohol.”

Researchers also found that Blacks in Florida were arrested for marijuana possession at more than four times the rate of Whites, and they accounted for more than 46 percent of marijuana possession arrests.

In Miami-Dade County, they were arrested at a nearly five-and-a-half times greater rate. Nationwide, Whites and Blacks use marijuana at comparable rates, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

The report does not provide Latino arrest rates because federal arrest statistics do not distinguish between White and Latino arrests.

“Marijuana prohibition laws are not only irrational, but also unfair,” Tvert said.

“Discrimination against communities of color played a role in their creation, and it continues to play a role in their enforcement.”

The report, prepared by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), is based on the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program and the United States Census Bureau’s annual county population estimates.

The full report is available at http:// www.aclu.org/criminal-law-reform/warmarijuana-black-and-white-report.

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EDITORIAL

A4

JUNE 7 – JUNE 13, 2013

Stealing in the name of the Lord I have visited a variety of places to worship. I’ve been to mosques, synagogues, temples and halls but on most occasions I go to a church to worship The Lord.

No place of worship that I’ve visited collects more offerings than Christian churches. I’ve donated to “tithes and offerings,” “missionary offerings,” “benevolent offerings,” “building fund” offerings and many other kinds of offerings.

Most churches take up at least two collections at every church meeting.

No matter how many church collections take place, when a member of the congregation is victimized by a fire, a flood, a tor-

Lucius Gantt THE GANTT REPORT

nado, a hurricane, an earthquake or a catastrophic injury or illness, most churches say they don’t have money to help the church member.

Well, somehow money is available to give the preacher a big raise, money is available to renovate the church office, the music director and the church band are never fired for lack of funds and most churches have vans and buses that are seldom used lined up in the

church parking lots.

No disrespect but the preacher and the so-called “first lady” never look like the masses in the congregation.

The members of the church have two or three Sunday-go-to-meeting outfits but the pastor and his wife can go six months and never wear the same outfits. The members walk to church but the preacher drives a Cadillac or Mercedes Benz. The members live in the ghettos or the projects but the preacher lives in the church parsonage or in a gated community.

I’m glad religious leaders can have success and make money at the church but

VISUAL VIEWPOINT: HOLDER SPY

why can’t the church improve the lives of the members in the same way, to the same degree?

Why can’t churches, especially big churches, set up banks and credit unions for the church members? Why can’t churches set up church schools for the church children? Why can’t churches set up affordable housing complexes for church members that need places to live?

Why can’t churches do more to feed the hungry?

I wonder if the church trustees, boards of directors, deacons and mothers ever inquire about how much and where the missionary money that was collected is spent?

Members need help The biggest churches in the community where I live that take up the most money in church collections seem like the ones that do the least for individual congregation members.

When a church going

member that has put money in the missionary and benevolent collection plate for nearly every year of his or her life needs help and goes to the church for assistance, some churches give them a list of community agencies.

The church tells the congregation member to call The Red Cross, call the Community Action Agency or call the Urban League.

When Yahweh Ben Yahweh was operating in South Florida he was demonized, criticized, hated and proclaimed a false prophet and fake religious leader but his followers had jobs, they had church supported businesses, they had nice and affordable housing, they had schools and universities, and they had land.

If Yahweh could help his people why can’t other churches and religious groups help their flock too?

Feed the sheep The

shepherd

feeds his sheep, protects his sheep and cares for the little baby lambs.

It is for this reason that the sheep can always recognize the voice of the shepherd.

If you’re wondering why fewer and fewer people are attending church services maybe some shepherds are misappropriating the sheep’s money.

Instead of doing all it can to help the congregation and the community at large, perhaps some shepherds are stealing in the name of The Lord!

If you have a good church with a good church leader, please support your church and please love God and love your neighbors.

Buy Gantt’s latest book “Beast Too: Dead Man Writing” online or any major bookstore. Contact him at www.allworldconsultants.net. Click on this story at www.flcourier.com to always write your own response.

The life of many single mothers

CHRISTOPHER WEYENT/THE HILL

Random thoughts of a free Black mind, v. 178 Trayvon – I wrote this in April 2012: With the mysterious picture of a bleeding George Zimmerman, expect the narrative to change. Trayvon will be characterized an as aggressive thug who jumped Zimmerman while he was returning to his vehicle, then beat him damn near to death.

The National Rifle Association and our fearful, gun-crazed fellow citizens will then say that Trayvon’s death is just what Stand Your Ground was designed to accomplish, and that self-defense laws should be relaxed even more...

RIP, David “Deacon” Jones – Any kid playing football on the defensive line in the 1970s wanted be like Deacon, swinging bell-ringing head slaps and forearm shivers underneath an opponent’s chinstrap. We didn’t know that the energy Deacon played with was a reaction to the racism he experienced, starting right here in sunny Florida. He’s a true role model – a proud Black man who learned to physically (and legally) express his anger in a way that made him one of the world’s best at what he did. There’s a lesson in that...

First lady heckled – Mrs. Obama was at a Democratic lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgendered fundraiser at a married lesbian couple’s private home in D.C. for a fundraiser this week. A lesbian activist interrupted the first lady during her speech –

quick takes from #2: straight, no chaser

Charles W. Cherry II, Esq. PUBLISHER

which was actually about kids. Michelle left the podium, got in the woman’s grill, and essentially told the crowd that only one of them would be speaking. The heckler was hustled outside as the crowd applauded.

The winners? The heckler and her LBGT activist organization. They get free publicity and 15 minutes of fame.

The losers? (1) Bro. Prez. Despite supporting gay marriage and ending “don’t ask-don’t tell” in the military, LBGT activists still believe he hasn’t done enough for them. They are sending him a message by heckling his wife. (And he looks like a wuss dealing with fools, compared to Michelle.)

(2) Black America, for being unconditionally supportive and too polite – unlike the LBGT and Latino communities – to make Bro. Prez address our issues.

Contact me at ccherry2@gmail.com.

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

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I know I am one of many who can say, “I was raised by a single mother.” A recent study by Legal Momentum reminded us that being a single mother can be, and often is, a challenge.

It’s easy for one who comes from a two parent home to ask why so many AfricanAmericans, especially highly paid athletes, pay tribute to their mothers when the cameras turn to them. It’s almost 100 percent certain when one of us receives an honor, you’ll hear, “I thank God and I thank my mother.’’

Those aren’t just empty words. They come from deep down in the person’s soul expressing them. So many of our high achievers have come from homes where there was no one to depend upon but a single mother, grandmother or other single female.

A Pew Research Center report tells us that 4 out of 10 mothers are the sole source of income for their families – a figure that has nearly tripled since 1960. That doesn’t tell the whole story. When they don’t earn enough to take care of their families, there’s often no second person to whom to turn.

Despite the hardships for most single mothers, the number of single mothers has increased significantly in the last 4050 years, but we’re in a new culture. The Civil Rights Movement combined with the Women’s Liberation Movement, freed women to strike out on their own.

Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq. TRICE EDNEY WIRE

gone on to become huge successes – and that makes any mother happy.

When their children acknowledge them right there after God, that’s truly special.

Buying the mother a house is the ultimate way a successful child has to say thank you to Mom. Buying her a car, providing her with travel opportunities and other things Mom never had – all of that says, “I understand what you went through to help me get to where I am today.’’

Increase minimum wage

Even today, the national median income for single mothers is just $23,000 – with only 4 percent of the wealth of single fathers. I am single without children and I can’t imagine how I’d feed, clothe, house and educate just one child on that amount!

Again, according to the recent report from Legal Momentum, single parents account for 40 percent of low-wage workers – and most of these are women.

I applaud single mothers who manage on so little and I understand why children who become successful come back to their communities to make life a little better for No stigma single moms who sacrifice so much for There’s no longer a stigma to raising chil- them. Congress must heed President Badren without a father in the home. rack Obama’s call for increasing the miniStill, being a single mother is not a pic- mum wage. nic. For most, the struggle is endless. Single Dr. E. Faye Williams is National Chair mothers will work two or three jobs if necessary to help their children do things they of the National Congress of Black Womwere never able to do for themselves. Some en, Inc., Click on this story at www.flhave been blessed to raise children who’ve courier.com to write your own response.

Blacks suffering in spite of recovery Although the overall unemployment rate still exceeds 7 percent, and the official Black unemployment rate is greater than 13 percent, there are some who insist that there is a robust economic recovery in progress. Indeed, we were declared “post recession” in 2011 based on the definition of recovery as GDP growth for three quarters in a row.

The perception of whether the recovery is stumbling or soaring depends on your own financial status. White and Asian households headed by those age 40-61 and have a two or four year degree recovered all but 2 percent of their wealth by 2012.

Similarly situated African-American and Hispanic households had just 58.7 percent of the wealth they had at the beginning of the recession. Wealth recovery depends on race, pre-recession portfolio (which speaks to the racial wealth gap), home value, stocks (the wealthier are more likely to hold stocks than others), savings (lower for AfricanAmericans), and debt (higher for AfricanAmericans).

Wealth accumulation

DR. JULIANNE MALVEAUX TRICEEDNEYWIRE.COM

programs to those most in need.

Targeting Blacks President Obama can’t create “Black” employment programs, but targeting employment possibilities to inner city resident is an implicit target to Black America. Targeting to recent college grads that are unemployed and have significant debt would also implicitly favor African-Americans (since virtually all African-American students graduate with some debt, but nearly 50 percent of Whites graduate without debt).

Wealth gaps were significant even before the recession, with African-Americans less likely to own homes, hold stock, or have significant savings. Not only were AfricanAmericans more likely to have debt, but also African-American debt was more likely to come from high-interest credit card debt, while others had lower-interest bank debt.

Can the gap between African-American wealth and that of others ever be closed? It’s unlikely given that unequal wealth is a function of history. In other words, income is a snapshot of what is happening today, but wealth is the history of you and your family.

The next time you hear about economic recovery ask “whose recovery has this been?” Some have escaped from the Great Recession unscathed. Others, especially some African-Americans, Latinos, the young, and those who remain unemployed, have yet to experience economic recovery.

Wealth accumulation is important. Even moderate amounts of wealth increase the likelihood that young people in these households are more likely to go to college, more likely to experience upward economic mobility, and more likely, in the next generation, to attain homeownership.

Our nation lost more than $16 trillion in wealth during the downturn. Much of it has been recovered, but too many families, especially African-American families, have yet to recover. Homeownership among African-Americans, especially younger AfricanAmericans have declined.

Unemployment also has something to do with the wealth gap, because those who are unemployed frequently draw down on their home value, increase credit card debt, or use other means to simply survive. AfricanJulianne Malveaux is a D.C.-based Americans are twice as likely to be unemployed as Whites are, and there are no exist- economist and author. Click on this story ing public policies to both increase employ- at www.flcourier.com to write your own ment generally, and to target employment response.

EDITORIAL

JUNE 7 – JUNE 13, 2013

We are dangerously close to regressing This article – the 16th of a 20-part series - is written in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. For more information, visit www.lawyerscommittee.org This year marks the 50th anniversary of the great “March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.’’ It was there, at one of the largest rallies for human rights, that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous ‘I Have a Dream’ speech.

On Aug. 28, 1963, Dr. King and all those gathered in Washington, D.C., addressed the notion of greater equality and justice in America in a way which could no longer be ignored. Thanks to Dr. King’s unyielding work, and the work of countless others before and after him, laws like the Voting Rights Act of 1965 were eventually passed, and victories were achieved in the struggle for civil rights.

In the time since, we’ve watched people of color break down barriers across the board - including into the highest office of the land.

Progress over the last five decades is undeniable. But now 50 years after the “March on Washington.’’

We are dangerously close to regressing on some of the most fun-

THE REV. AL SHARPTON NNPA COLUMNIST

A5

VISUAL VIEWPOINT: OBAMA COMPROMISING WITH GOP

struggle and in subsequent years.

Ironically, half a century after Dr. King’s speech, voter equality is under attack all over again.

Affirmative action in jeopardy

In addition to the Voting damental advancements in our Rights Act, one of the greatest adsociety. vancements toward equality we achieved in this nation was the Without Section 5 ability of those who were tradiThe Supreme Court of the Unit- tionally excluded from higher ed States is set to rule on sev- learning to attend our great coleral key items this year that are leges and universities. Well, in at the core of justice and equal- 2013, affirmative action hangs in ity in America. Shelby v. Holder the balance. Two cases, Fisher v. challenges Section 5 of the Vot- University of Texas and a Michiing Rights Act itself. A key aspect gan law banning affirmative acof the Act, Section 5 requires ju- tion in public college admissions, risdictions that have a history of have reached the Supreme Court. discriminatory voting practices The outcome of these two casto obtain advanced approval from es will have serious ramifications the federal government before for the admission practices of they can alter election laws. schools throughout the country.

Without Section 5, the basic At a time when our educationfoundation of the Voting Rights al system is severely leaving miAct would be destroyed. The nority and poor students behind, floodgates of biased and disen- some are attempting to eliminate franchising practices like harsh laws designed to create a more new voter ID laws would open even playing field. Our society is and the protection of our par- growing ever diverse, and our inticipation in the voting process stitutions of higher learning need would be eliminated. to reflect that diversity.

Voting rights for all AmeriAffirmative action doesn’t can citizens was a basic princi- mean preferential treatment; it ple of Dr. King and all those who means equalizing an imbalanced sacrificed during the civil rights scale. The future of so many stu-

MONTE WOLVERTON, CAGLE CARTOONS

dents remains in limbo as the high court weighs in this year on these crucial cases.

This year marks another milestone in this nation’s history: the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation. In the last 150 years, we’ve witnessed momentous progress that was achieved only because of the selfless acts of many. Folks have marched, rallied, organized, boycotted, withstood beatings, bombings, water hoses, dogs and some even died for the cause of justice.

ity in America remains to be determined because of these renewed attempts to repeal such laws. We can either continue on a path toward greater freedom for all, or regress back to the wrong side of history.

The generation of Dr. King, and the generation immediately behind him continued fighting until they got voting rights and affirmative action on the books. We must not become the generation that couldn’t sustain and maintain it.

In limbo

The Rev. Al Sharpton is president/CEO of the National Action Network and host of “PoliticsNation’’ on MSNBC. Click on this story at www.flcourier.com to write your own response.

In a post-civil rights era, laws such as the Voting Rights Act and affirmative action appeared etched in stone permanently. But now the state of justice and equal-

Organized people can beat organized money every time Fifty years after the NAACP field secretary was assassinated for his work to expand the vote, a new report reaffirms that his sacrifice was not in vain. For the first time in history, African-Americans voted at a higher rate (66.2 percent) than non-Hispanic Whites (64.1 percent). According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Black turnout increased by 1.7 million compared with four years earlier, and the Latino and Asian communities saw enormous increases as well.

This is exciting news. It puts to rest any notion that communities of color would fail to replicate their record turnout in 2008, which was hailed as the most racially and ethnically diverse electorate in history.

Momentum building While we should enjoy this achievement, now is not the time to rest. As we realized after the disappointing showing in the 2010

BEN JEALOUS TRICEEDNEYWIRE.COM

midterms, Black voter turnout is far from guaranteed. Instead, we should recognize that we succeed when we are invested with the spirit that Dr. King called “the fierce urgency of now.”

As we look forward to 2014 and beyond, we need to consider what worked and how we can build on our momentum.

The most important takeaway is that this was no accident. Some may argue that the surge in turnout was purely a fluke, fueled by excitement for a Black candidate and pushback against voter suppression. Surely, both factors helped motivate people of color. But the

In the end, the NAACP was the historic numbers came from a much more organic and replicable most successful organization in reason: voter registration and get the country for door-to-door voter registration, and third most sucout the vote efforts. cessful overall, trailing the Voter Participation Network and Rock Get out vote The 2010 midterm elections the Vote.

We set the bar high, and we must were a wakeup call. Over the next continue to exceed it - even when two years, the NAACP developed the largest voter registration cam- the presidency is not on the line. paign in our history. We deployed 2,300 volunteers across fifty states; Rekindle campaign In 2013, thousands of state and trained 1,000 database experts in 600 communities; and comple- local elections will decide everymented our boots on the ground thing from county health comwith social media and a robust missioners to local boards of elections. Next year, a total of 36 govmail campaign.

By the night of November 6, our ernorships, 468 seats in Congress, volunteers had registered 374,553 and thousands of state legislators voters and mobilized 1.2 million are up for election.

The winners of these contests people to turn out at the polls. In Florida alone, the NAACP and our will make critical decisions about partners registered over 100,000 public education, criminal justice voters - nearly twice as large as reform, voting laws and labor laws. the margin of victory in that state’s They can either move our country forward or bring it backward. presidential race.

Child poverty is real scandal Washington is descending into another silly season. Let’s end this diversion of dust and smoke as partisans hype mock “scandals” for political profit.

The real scandals — like that of children in poverty — are simply being ignored.

In this rich nation, nearly 8 million children under the age of 18 are being raised in what are called “areas of concentrated poverty.”

These are the ghettos, barrios and impoverished rural areas where more than 30 percent of families live below the poverty line (a little over $22,000 for a family of four in 2010, when these figures date from). The number of children living in these communities is rising: It’s up 25 percent since 2000, according to the Data Snapshot of Kids Count, the nonpartisan organization whose report is the source of this data.

Ghettoized Not surprisingly, African-American, Native-American and Latino children are 6 to 9 times more likely than White children to live in these areas. Children whose parents were born outside of the U.S. — the offspring of immigrants — are also more likely to be ghettoized.

Two-thirds of these children are in large cities. Surprisingly, the highest rate is in the South and Southwest: Mississippi, New Mexico, Louisiana, Texas and Arizona. With the nation moving toward becoming a majority minority nation, these children are our future. We will rise or fall depending on how successful we are in tapping their potential and in providing them with opportunity.

Right now, we’re failing the test. Our ghettos and barrios — and other communities of concentrated poverty — are dangerous to children. They’re more likely to go to impoverished and underperforming schools, more likely to be unable to find good pre-school and child care, and more likely to lack quality health care. Their housing situation is less stable and their neighborhoods often lack adequate outdoor spaces. They must survive on dangerous streets.

Children growing up in areas of concentrated poverty do worse in school and are more likely to drop out — even if they

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

come from moderate- or high-income families. Those raised in middle- or higher income families are 52 percent more likely to fall down the income ladder if they grow up in these neighborhoods.

Policy impoverished The scandal is that our public policy to deal with these children is as impoverished as their neighborhoods. You can’t address their challenges by shutting down a public school and opening up a charter.

High-stakes testing can measure how they fall behind, but it provides no remedy.

We need a comprehensive strategy to address concentrated communities of poverty. We need to rebuild these neighborhoods with affordable housing, sensible public transport, clinics and hospitals, groceries with good food while investing in the kids — through infant nutrition, universal pre-K, smaller classes in early grades, good teachers, smart schools, afterschool programs and affordable college.

In an age where globalization has ravaged communities, Kids Count argues that we need to develop “anchor institutions” — local hospitals, universities, government agencies — that hire locally, train locally and buy locally. These neighborhoods have to be figured into citywide and regional plans, not locked out of them.

Our diverse democracy won’t survive if children discover that their success depends more on the luck of what family they are born into rather than the luck of the work that they do. We can afford to remove the shackles that burden these children.

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

In the months and years ahead, the NAACP will rekindle our campaign to make sure voters are registered, engaged and active in upcoming elections. We will continue to train our army of volunteers in methods old and new. You can be a catalyst for change by contacting your local NAACP unit and volunteering as a civic engagement activist.

As Medgar Evers said, “Our only hope is to control the vote.” In 2012, we did just that, and we proved that organized people can beat organized money every time. If we continue to act with the “fierce urgency of now,’’ we will continue to make history. If we become complacent, we risk letting our nation’s ugly history repeat itself.

Ben Jealous is president/CEO of the NAACP. Click on this story at www.flcourier.com to write your own response.

White conservatives and the Black Press Slightly more than a year ago I wrote a column urging Black folks to begin paying much closer attention to the ever-increasing conservative influence in this country. I especially wanted the Black Press to begin profiling major conservative individuals, groups and organizations to make their readers, listeners and viewers more aware of those forces that are the foundation of a movement that has little, if any respect for us.

I was motivated to make this appeal after re-reading a statement by the late William F. Buckley, Jr., the founder of National Review magazine and considered by many to be the godfather of modern American conservatism. In a December 30, 1991 issue of his publication, Buckley wrote the following:

Sober hearing “Now ethnic sensitivities vary. It doesn’t matter what John Cheever or John O’Hara or John Updike or anybody else writes about them-you cannot really succeed, in America, in riling the WASPs. Their sense of security is as solid as Plymouth Rock, and incidentally as insensate. Blacks, yes, are sensitive, but Black lobbies are not powerful enough to punish nonpolitical transgressors against such taboos. (A Black book-buyers boycott against a novelist would not impoverish.)

If the spoken or written offense is egregious enough, as in the case of the joke told in

A. Peter Bailey TRICEEDNEYWIRE.COM

1975 to John Dean by Agriculture Secretary Earl Butz, a cabinet officer gets fired. If a district attorney is named to a federal judgeship and it is revealed that he once made a genial reference to the Ku Klux Klan, he can be defeated on the floor of the Senate. And no one running for office in a state in which the Black population is significant would consider, post 1965, violating the taboos.

On the other hand, there is discussion of such questions as to relative Black intelligence, sexual promiscuity and upward mobility that still gets a sober hearing in sober surroundings. About the American Indian one can say most things with impunity; about gays, progressively less as, emerging from the closet, they consolidate and give strength to their retaliatory powers.”

At least one has to give Buckley, whose haughtiness was legendary, some credit for acting on his belief that we were in no position to retaliate against his insults. The question now is how many conservative politicians, journalists, educators, radio and television talk show hosts, judges, corporate executives, cultural leaders etc. share the beliefs about Black folks expressed by the Godfather of modern

American conservation.

This is where the Black Press comes in. It has the absolute responsibility to advance knowledge about conservatives such as Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, who basically has two votes on practically every issue dealt with by the Supreme Court – his and that of Justice Clarence Thomas.

Knowledge is key It has to alert us about the key players in the Tea Party; it has to provide concrete information on those who head think tanks like the Heritage Foundation and the American Enterprise Institute; it has to increase our knowledge about the Koch Brothers, the chief financial force for numerous conservative causes and propagandists such as Sean Hannity, Bill O’Reilly and Rush Limbaugh who howl about our “playing the race card” whenever we bring up the subject of prevailing White supremacy or racism in this country.

These people are in the position to negatively affect our individual and group lives. The first step towards dealing with them is knowing as much about them as possible.

Peter Bailey, a former associate editor of Ebony, is currently editor of Vital Issues: The Journal of African American Speeches.

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

NATION

TOj A6

JUNE 7 – JUNE 13, 2013

NAACP applauds Virginia’s expansion of voting rights Governor announces state will automatically restore civil rights of nonviolent felons after time served TRICE EDNEY NEWS WIRE

“This is a great step for Virginia and we look forward to working with the Commonwealth …on expanding the vote, stated Benjamin Jealous, national president and CEO of the NAACP. “Anyone who has made a mistake, done their time and paid their debt to society should be able to join their neighbors at the voting booth.”

The head of the nation’s oldest and largest civil rights organization issued the statement in response to Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell’s historic and unprecedented plan to streamline the voter rights restoration process for people with nonviolent felony convictions.

In a May 29 news conference at Cedar Street Baptist Church of God in Richmond’s mostly Black Church Hill community, the governor said nonviolent felons who finish serving their sentences

GOP rejected amendment

and maintain, after that, a clean record will regain their right to vote and other civil rights on an individual basis without having to apply.

Process streamlined The governor also is eliminating a two-year waiting period for former felons convicted of nonviolent crimes to have their civil rights restored. Previously, they also had to apply. Cases will now be automatically considered without an application.

“It really is a personal thing,” Gov. McDonnell said. “I believe in an America of second chances.”

The governor was joined on stage at the news conference by civil rights advocates and legislators from both parties, including members of the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus, who have pressed for years to reform the state’s strict process for restoring ex-felons’ rights.

In Virginia, only the governor can restore these rights. McDonnell already has streamlined the process and has restored the rights of more than 4,800 former felons — more than any previous administration. But the Sentencing Project says about 350,000 Virginians who have completed their sentences remained disenfranchised in 2010.

SANDRA SELLARES/RICHMOND FREE PRESS

Benjamin Jealous, national NAACP president and CEO, flashes a sign of support for Gov. Bob McDonnell’s historic step to make it easier for ex-felons to regain voting rights, which the NAACP has long championed.

November vote possible Thousands of those residents could become registered voters in time for the November election as a result of Gov. McDonnell’s new policy. Violent felons will still have to wait five years and apply to regain their rights to vote, hold public office, serve on a jury or become a notary public.

The announcement came a day after Republican Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli released a report by an advisory committee he appointed in March to study restoration of rights.

The panel concluded that the process could be improved by designating an executive branch agency to do all the legwork, working with religious and community groups to solicit and

Four ‘bright stars’ to posthumously receive congressional medals Young Birmingham bombing victims to be honored with one of nation’s highest honors

‘Beacons of light’ Surrounded by their family during the signing ceremony in the Oval Office May 24, President Obama said, “That tragic loss, that heartbreak helped to trigger triumph and a more justice and equal and fair America. This is a great privilege for me.”

Upon the unanimous passage of the bill on April 24, U.S. Rep. Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (D-Ga.), an original sponsor, described the girls as “bright stars in the constellation shining down now

Welcome news The governor said the new process will eliminate subjectivity.

“Your civil rights in this country should not be dependent on the whims of one person,” he said.

The change was welcome news for Darrell Gooden of Richmond, who was convicted of marijuana and cocaine possession in 2002. He said he applied to regain his rights in 2008, when Democrat Tim Kaine was governor, but was turned down because of a speeding ticket. He hasn’t reapplied, and now he won’t have to.

“I want my children to see that the American dream is not just a dream,” the 40-year-old father of three said.

Attempts to amend the constitution to allow the blanket automatic restoration of nonviolent felons’ rights have failed repeatedly, most recently in the 2013 General Assembly.

School board member could lose job over derogatory emails about first lady FROM WIRE REPORTS

TRICE EDNEY NEWS WIRE

The four little girls who were killed by a bomb planted by the Ku Klux Klan at Alabama’s 16th Street Baptist Church nearly 50 years ago have been officially proclaimed as American heroes.

President Barack Obama has signed into law, H.R. 360, “which provides for the presentation of a congressional gold medal to commemorate the lives of the four young African-American victims of the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church” in Birmingham, Ala. on Sept. 15, 1963. It is one of the nation’s highest civilian awards.

Addie Mae Collins, 14; Denise McNair, 11; Carole Robertson, 14; and Cynthia Wesley, 14 died inside their Sunday school classrooms when the dynamite, exploded by a timer. As victims of violence during the historic civil rights movement, they are among the youngest to ever receive the Congressional Gold Medal.

They join other recipients such as Rosa Parks, Coretta Scott King, Jackie Robinson, the Tuskegee Airmen, Sen. Robert Kennedy, Gen. Colin Powell and South Africa President Nelson Mandela.

process applications for the governor’s consideration.

The attorney general said he liked the idea of outside help but preferred to keep the program in the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s office. The Cuccinelli task force said the Virginia Constitution does not allow the governor to issue an executive order restoring all felons’ rights, and Gov. McDonnell’s new policy stops short of that by continuing to handle each case individually.

“I wanted to use the maximum authority I had,” McDonnell told reporters. “An executive order is probably beyond the scope of my authority.”

Posthumous recipients of the Congressional Gold Medal are, clockwise, Addie Mae Collins, 14; Cynthia Wesley, 14; Carole Robertson, 14 and Denise McNair, 11. as beacons of light for freedom and justice” and “four young martyrs in the fight for freedom.”

Twenty-two other people were injured in the blast that day. The historic church was a meeting place for civil rights activists, including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in their work for voter registration of African-Americans. The bombing happened just two weeks after the August 28, 1963 March on Washington; therefore is viewed as a catalyst for the escalation of the Civil Rights Movement.

Giving their eulogy, Dr. King said, “These children – unoffending; innocent and beautiful- were the victims of one of the most vicious, heinous crimes ever perpetrated against humanity; yet they died nobly. They are martyred heroines of a holy crusade for freedom and human dignity.”

A school board in Virginia is calling for the resignation of one of its members, after he emailed what some called racist and inappropriate messages to his colleagues.

Isle of Wight board member Herb Degroft sent two emails from his county email account. One had a picture showing barebreasted, African female warriors with the caption “Michelle Obama’s high school reunion.”

Another e-mail claimed the first lady was paid $50 to model in National Geographic.

Isle of Wight County is a county located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia.

Some board members say they have been receiving similar e-mails from Degroft since January 2012.

Degroft has admitted he made a mistake, stating that the e-mails were meant to be political, not racist.

Isle of Wight Supervisor Byron Bailey also sent derogatory emails. The local NAACP and other community members are asking for both men to resign.

Degroft’s current term as school board member ends in November. Bailey’s term doesn’t end until 2015.

Colorado residents receive invites in mail to join KKK FROM WIRE REPORTS

Several Colorado Springs-area residents received an alarming piece of mail on Sunday – invitations to join the Ku Klux Klan.

A newspaper there reported that fliers in plastic zipper bags targeting minority racial groups were found taped to numerous mail boxes in El Paso County’s Security-Widefield neighborhood. A phone number was

The amendment, historically championed by Democrats, was backed by the Republican governor and attorney general this year but was rejected by the heavily GOP House of Delegates. The ACLU of Virginia praised Gov. McDonnell for further expediting the rights restoration process.

“The governor will be giving voice to thousands of Virginians who have been denied participation in elections due to an antiquated and regressive voting law in the commonwealth,” ACLU of Virginia board president Jayne Barnard said in a news release.

Virginia New Majority, an advocacy group, said it would follow up McDonnell’s policy change — which is effective July 15 — with a voter registration drive.

“We’re going to celebrate today, but we have to get right back to work tomorrow,” said Jon Liss, the group’s executive director.

“We’re making plans to ensure that people with nonviolent felony convictions will be registered in time for the November elections.”

‘Important step’ Attorney General Cuccinelli, the Republican candidate for governor, lauded McDonnell “for pushing his own reforms even further.”

“We needed to simplify the process for those who want to regain their civil rights so they can return to full participation in society,” he said.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe called the change “an important step forward on an issue of justice for Virginians who have paid their debt to society.”

McDonnell said he expects the next governor to keep his new policy.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

This story is special to the Trice Edney News Wire from the Richmond Free Press.

included which when dialed connected to a recorded message advocating for White supremacist views.

According to 7News, one resident said she was concerned what else might be in the bags and contacted the FBI asking that the bags be tested for ricin.

The U.S. Postal Inspector is investigating the mail saying it is a violation of federal law.

The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office will assist in the investigation.

‘Booming’ membership In 2012, without releasing any official numbers, the KKK said their membership was “booming” in Colorado, with 12 active White supremacist groups active in the state at the time, according to a report by the Durango Herald.

Herald staff writer Chase Olivarius-McAllister reported that Cole Thornton, Imperial Grand Wizard of Colorado’s United Northern and Southern Knights Ku Klux Klan group, claims that membership has grown steadily in the past few years.

“I’m really pleased with the kind of people we’re getting in – college-educated, professionals, teachers – even a couple congressmen. People would be amazed to know who I’ve talked with at midnight in isolated areas – it’s almost comical,” Thornton said to the Durango Herald.

1,007 hate groups Also in 2012, the number of anti-government “patriot” groups, including paramilitary hate organizations, reached an all-time high, fanned by President Barack Obama’s reelection and talk of gun control following the Newtown, Conn., elementary school massacre, according to a recent report issued by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Patriot groups have been classified by the law center as hate organizations because their anti-government sentiment is almost always paired with racism, ranging from fear of everyday crime to a looming race war, said Mark Potok, the law center’s chief hate group and hate crime investigator.

The law center found 1,360 patriot groups in 2012 – an 813 percent rise since 2008, the year before Obama took office. Of those groups, 321 constitute militias. The law center also found a near-record 1,007 hate groups with animus directed at minorities, gay men, lesbians, and transgender individuals in 2012. That’s a slight decline from the 1,018 groups counted in 2011.

Blackvoices.com was used in compiling this report.

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

IFE/FAITH

Tyrese among stars coming to Florida See page B2

SUN COAST / TAMPA BAY

June 7 - June 13, 2013

SHARING BLACK LIFE, STATEWIDE

How to give your home more curb appeal See page B3

www.flcourier.com

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SECTION

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T

THE TRAYVON MARTIN TRAGEDY

From tributes to the trial Many of the protesters at rallies wore hoodies, the garment Trayvon Martin was wearing when shot.

Here’s a snapshot of images taken at rallies and events last year by Courier staff A protester holds up a poster reflecting George Zimmerman following Trayvon Martin.

Friends of Trayvon Martin attended a Sanford rally protesting his shooting death.

PHOTOS BY FLORIDA COURIER STAFF

FROM STAFF REPORTS

T

he shooting death of unarmed Trayvon Martin sparked a nationwide call to action. Attention turned to a Florida city that already had a history of racial tension. Civil rights leaders, pastors, college students and lawmakers and countless others came together in parks, church sanctuaries, community centers and other venues in their search for justice.

When hundreds of protesters filled downtown Sanford’s Fort Mellon Park in March 2012, the Florida Courier was in the midst, capturing the lamentations of protesters. On the night of Feb. 26, 2012, 17-year-old Martin was walking to the Sanford home of his father’s girlfriend after a visit to a nearby convenience store.

He was carrying a cell phone, an iced tea, and some candy.

George Zimmerman, then 28, had a gun. The member of the Sanford gated community’s “neighborhood watch,’’ he ended up confronting the teen and shot him. Zimmerman is claiming self-defense.

The media attention heightens again as Zimmerman’s trial begins on Monday in a Seminole County courtroom.

As the spotlight intensifies again on Zimmerman, the Florida Courier takes this week to reflect on the number of tributes, programs and rallies relating to Trayvon’s death. Here is just a snapshot of some of the events attended by staffers and freelancers.

Above: The parents of Trayvon Martin, Tracy Martin and Sybrina Fulton, along with their attorney Benjamin Crump are shown at a Daytona Beach MLK banquet in January.

Left: National speakers at a March 2012 rally in Sanford included the Rev. Al Sharpton, left.

Daytona Beach Pastor John Long listens after introducing Congresswoman Corinne Brown during a March 2012 rally in Sanford.

A group of Florida A&M University students attend a 2012 rally.

Protesters participate in a rally in Tampa.

OBITUARY & CALENDAR

B2

JUNE 7 – JUNE 13, 2013

T

NFL legend ‘Deacon’ Jones dies at 74 ASSOCIATED PRESS

David “Deacon’’ Jones, the original sackmaster, died at his home in Southern California on Monday night. The Hall of Fame defensive end credited with terming the word sack for how he knocked down quarterDavid backs. He was 74.

‘Deacon’ The Washington Jones Redskins issued a statement saying Jones had died of natural causes.

“Deacon Jones was one of the greatest players in NFL history. Off the field, he was a true gi-

FLORIDA COMMUNITY CALENDAR Orlando: The Orlando Jaycees is hosting the Central Florida Women’s Empowerment Summit: “Developing Leaders for the Future” June 8 from 8 a.m. to noon at the Orange County Convention Center. To register, visit www.swojaycees.org.

Winter Park: The Winter Park Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity will host a Kappa Kabaret on June 28 at the Rachel D. Murrah Civic Center. Tickets: $25 in advance.

More info: Kappakasino.com or call 312-316-8970.

Tampa: Stu Robinson’s Seventh Annual Father Daughter Dance will take place June 16 from 4 to 8 p.m. at the T. Pepin’s Hospitality Centre, 4121 N. 50th St. Proceeds from ticket sales and sponsorships go toward the I Care About Me Program.

More information: http://lifetimeoflove.eventbrite.com.

Coconut Grove: The Miami/Bahamas Goombay Festival, the largest Black heritage festival in the U.S., celebrates the first Black settlers

ant,” said Redskins general manager Bruce Allen, whose father, George, coached Jones with the Los Angeles Rams. “His passion and spirit will continue to inspire those who knew him. He was a cherished member of the Allen family and I will always consider him my big brother.”

Because sacks didn’t become an official statistic until 1982, Jones’ total is uncertain. His impact as a premier pass rusher and team leader is not.

Jones was born Dec. 9, 1938, in Eatonville.

In eight Pro Bowls Jones was the leader of the Rams’ Fearsome Foursome unit from 1961-71 and then played for

San Diego for two seasons before finishing his career with the Redskins in 1974. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1980 and made the league’s 75th anniversary all-time squad.

“Deacon Jones has been the most inspirational person in my football career,” said former teammate and fellow Hall of Famer Jack Youngblood.

Jones made the Pro Bowl every year from 1964-70 and played in eight overall. He combined with fellow Hall of Famer Merlin Olsen, Rosey Grier and Lamar Lundy on a defensive line that at times was unblockable.

Olsen died in March 2010 at age 69 and Lundy died in February 2007 at 71. Grier, who is 80, is

the only surviving member of the Fearsome Foursome.

Draft pick in 1961 George Allen, who coached the Fearsome Foursome, called Jones the “greatest defensive end of modern football.” The Allen family had Jones present George Allen for his Hall of Fame induction in 2002.

The Rams’ stats show Jones with 159 1/2 sacks for them and 173 1/2 for his career — all unofficial, of course. Jones also was one of the most durable players, missing just five games in his 14 pro seasons.

A 14th-round draft pick in 1961 out of Mississippi Valley State, which later produced Jerry Rice,

Jones was the first defensive lineman with 100 solo tackles, reaching that mark in 1967.

Small TV roles Jones also had several small acting roles both during and after his playing career. He was a guest star on a handful of television shows — including episodes of “Bewitched,” ‘’The Brady Bunch” and “The Odd Couple” — and appeared in the 1978 Warren Beatty film “Heaven Can Wait.”

Most recently, Jones was the CEO of his own foundation, which he began in 1997. He also made several trips to visit troops on active duty in the Middle East.

St. Augustine: Rap artist Kendrick Lamar will be at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre June 19 for a 6:30 p.m. show.

MELANIE COMARCHO R&B artists Dru Hill, K-Ci & Jojo, Silk and standup comic Melanie Comarcho are scheduled at the Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre on June 22.

Tampa: State Rep. Janet Cruz will host a West Tampa Job Fair July 30 from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. at Higgins Hall, 5255 N. Himes Ave. Admission for job seekers is free and an eightfoot table is free to employers. More information and to register as an employer: 813-673-4673.

‘AMERICAN IDOL’ Live 2013 TOUR

2013 “American Idol’’ winner Candace Glover (top center) and finalists on the Fox show will be on tour at the Amway Center in Orlando on Aug. 1 and AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami on Aug. 2. in South Florida, the Bahamians.

The festival is June 8 at 10 a.m.

The street festival stretches from Grand Ave/Douglas Road (S.W. 37 Avenue) through Margaret Street, with smaller events held at other locations in Coconut Grove.

Jacksonville: Cedric The Entertainer will be at the Florida Theatre Jacksonville, July 19 and the Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre, Orlando, July 20.

TYRESE

R&B trio TGT (Tyrese, Ginuwine and Tank) will be at the Times Union Center Performing Arts Moran Theater in Jacksonville July 3 and the James L. Knight Center in Miami on July 4.

Oakland: The town’s annual Triple “A” Festival will be held June 7-8.

The festival is organized in collaboration with Orange and Seminole counties. The honoree is Mary Ann Carroll. The festival will be held at Speer Park, 331 N. Tubb St. More

information: http://hapcotriplea. eventbrite.com.

Winter Park: Adult hip-hop classes are held on Wednesdays at 7 p.m.

244 Pennsylvania Ave. More information: 407-644-3430.

St. Petersburg: Kool & the Gang will be at The Mahaffey June 21 for an 8 p.m. show.

Jacksonville: Mary J. Blige is scheduled at the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena June 30 for an 8 p.m. show.

St. Petersburg: LL Cool J, Ice Cube, De La Soul and Public Enemy will be at The Mahaffey in St. Petersburg during their Kings of the Mic Tour on June 6 and the St. Augustine Amphitheatre June 7.

STOJ

JUNE 7 – JUNE 13, 2013

HOME & GARDEN

Best house on the block Secrets to great curb appeal FROM Family Features

It takes seconds to form a first impres­sion. Ask yourself this — what kind of first impression is your home mak­ing? Is your yard helping or hurting you in getting top dollar this home buying season?

The majority of homeowners (71 per­cent) agreed that curb appeal is important in choosing their home, according to the new TruGreen Home Features Report conducted by the National Association of REALTORS®.

Most of the homeowners surveyed reported purchasing a home with a healthy, green lawn (71 percent) and well-maintained landscaping (72 percent).

Healthy lawns can drive up home values. In TruGreen’s new Lawn Life­styles National Survey of America conducted from January 3 to January 9, 2013, using the field services of ORC International (Opinion Research Corporation), 79 percent of home­owners reported, “having a healthy, green lawn contributes to the overall value of a home.”

In fact, 53 percent of those surveyed said, “the quality of the home­owner’s lawn can tell you a lot about the quality of the home overall.”

“If your home is on the market, you should know that curb appeal, or that initial feeling homeowners get when looking at the outside of a home, is important when choos­ing the right home to buy,” said Jason Cameron, a licensed contractor and televi­sion host.

Cameron and TruGreen have teamed up to provide helpful tips for achieving a beauti­ful, lush lawn and enhanced curb appeal.

Weed control

Watering basics

Water, fertilizer and weed control are the three keys to an ideal lawn.

According to Ben Hamza, Ph.D., TruGreen expert and director of techni­cal operations, if you mow correctly, feed your lawn and water the right way, then weed management will be much easier.

“Grass competes with weeds for space and nutrients,” Hamza said.

“Strengthening the health of turf will help your lawn win the war against weeds, such as dandelions.”

Knowing how to effectively water your lawn is critical to the overall health of your turf. Water your lawn only when it needs it, usually about one inch a week. The first three to four inches of soil below the grass should be dry before you water. Use a trowel or a screwdriver to open the soil and feel it with your finger. Another way to test when your lawn needs water is to step on the grass.

If you can easily flatten the grass with your foot, you should water it. If the grass regains its form quickly after you step on it, wait before watering.

Watering in the cool of early morning is best as watering later in the day may leave sitting water and cause problems with root rot or fungal diseases. Never water on a windy day. Also, be aware of local water restrictions, usually posted online.

Fertilizer facts Grasses should be fertilized when they’re actively growing. So, it’s important to consult a lawn expert to determine what type of grass you have and when growth occurs. Together, home­ owners and lawn experts can create a plan to keep grass grow­ing at its best all season long.

Beautiful, lush and natural-looking lawns are an important part of our image of what a home should be. Cameron encourages homeowners to invest in a lawn they love and make sure their home’s first impression is positive.

B3

Attracting Attention Outside Take as much time as necessary (and as little money as possible) to maximize your home’s exterior appeal: Dress up the front door with a new welcome mat or potted plants.

Clean up the front and back yards by removing any toys, decorations, debris or broken tree limbs.

Sharpen the mower blade for a cleaner cut and better looking lawn to help get top dollar when selling your home.

Closely inspect the hardware around your house. Things like doorbells, house numbers, guttering and mail­boxes should be in good repair and have a fresh coat of paint.

Add or update landscape lighting and consider easy-to-install solar options. In addition to providing safety and security, lighting can add attractive accents to walking paths and plantings.

Punch up your landscape with color.

Remove any dead or withered plants and fill in bare spots with large, blooming annuals.

Make sure the driveway and side­walks are free of cracks or crumbling concrete.

Nothing makes an older house look new again like a fresh coat of paint. Repair any rotting wood, caulk windows, spruce up wood trim and then update the color of your home.

TECHNOLOGY

B4

JUNE 7 – JUNE 13, 2013

STOj

Kingston’s wireless pocket-sized Wi-Drive

Pocket-sized Wi-Fi memory

Cool gifts for your favorite tech head

Garmin nüvi 3597

Find your own way

The tech world has a seemingly endless supply of gift ideas for dads and grads at this season’s celebrations. The only problem you’ll have is trying to decide what to get. Here are a few of the devices that may appeal best to the tech-savvy.

By Gregg Ellman/McClatchy-Tribune Information Services

A minimalist wallet case

Lyrix Duo speaker

One small speaker, to go The pocket-sized Lyrix Duo is a 2-in-1 Bluetooth speaker, which comes with a removable receiver.

Once the receiver is connected to any Bluetooth enabled device, the speaker can be placed up to 33 feet away for crystal clear sound. Volume can be controlled on your device or on the receiver.

The speaker has a suction cup to secure it to any flat surface.

A built-in battery charges up with a USB connection and will last for about 4 hours of sound.

• $49 available in red or blue • www.digitaltreasures.com

If you go iPhone or iPad case shopping, your head will spin when you see the choices.

The Ainos wallet flip case is as elegant as a company representative described, with its perfect design and glossy leather finish.

Just slide your device in; you’ll keep full access to the screen, ports and controls. The flip is built with a built-in magnetic system to keep the device closed or, when needed, easily opens.

The back of the case has two slots on the iPhone 4/4S model and three slots on the iPhone 5 model, which easily hold credit cards, a driver’s license or even cash.

• $33 to $65, depending on the color and model, and available in black, brown, red, tan and white • www.mapicases.com

Canon PIXMA MX922 Office All-In-One

A do-it-all printer

A keyboard for the iPad The KeyFolio Expert is a multi-functional iPad case with a standard keyboard built into the case.

Just slide your iPad in the built-in bracket and pair the keyboard with Bluetooth. The keyboard has an internal battery (microUSB charged, cable included) good for an incredible 80 hours of use or 60 days of standby time.

Typing on the keyboard’s plastic keys is comfortable and makes a great replacement for the virtual keyboard on the tablet. It also has shift keys on both sides and two programmable keys for iOS devices.

• $52 • www.kensington.com

Garmin’s nüvi 3597 personal navigation device has a 5-inch high resolution display (800 x 480 pixels) that is an amazing half-inch deep.

The company has incorporated the “pinch and zoom” technology we have come to use in many of today’s smartphones, to give you a quick magnified view of specific information.

It comes with detailed maps of North America and HD Digital Traffic along with free lifetime updates for both.

Every feature you would want from a handheld GPS is built in, including Bluetooth and easy to understand driving directions; it works with Garmin’s Smartphone Link free mobile app for iPhone or Android.

This app allows the 3597 to share information with your phone, such as where you parked and whether you are using your phone’s existing data plan.

• $349 • www.garmin.com

Ainos Wallet case

Overnight bag packs it all in Kensington’s Contour overnight backpack is well made and designed specifically with the overnight air traveler in mind. It features numerous pockets to keep your gadgets and clothes separate, and also includes a built-in liquids pouch.

You can fit up to a 15.6-inch laptop in its checkpoint-friendly padded pouch.

When you get to security, all you do is unzip the compartments and lay it flat for the X-ray machine, without having to remove the laptop.

In the front is a pocket organization system with multiple compartments to keep smaller items organized and padded, adjustable straps let you get the right fit so you can avoid neck and shoulder strain.

• $75 • www. kensington. com

Portable devices are great but many limit the amount of storage for digital files.

Kingston’s wireless pocketsized Wi-Drive extends the capacity of your portable devices up to 128GB. The drive lets you store digital files including documents, videos and photos on the handheld device, which can be shared with up to three users simultaneously.

The Wi-Drive creates a Wi-Fi network between the devices and, once connected, you’re streaming from your own device just as if the content was installed on it.

To load data onto the drive, plug it into a computer via USB, and it acts like an external drive.

A rechargeable battery is good for up to four hours of use before a USB charge is needed.

• 128GB $149.99*, 64GB $89.99, $32GB $82.94 • www.kingston.com/us

Canon’s PIXMA MX922 Office All-InOne (AIO) printer does it all, including my personal favorite feature — an AirPrint wireless printing from an iPhone or iPad. It’s built with a seemingly endless number of features including prints (WiFi, up to 8.5-by-11-inch borderless and PictBridge), copies, faxes and dual-sided scanning.

Scanning and copying can be done directly to a flash drive connected to the front USB port or connected to a computer (Mac or Windows).

A 3-inch LCD is easy to read and navigate for setup and general use. It has a five-ink system with two blacks, cyan, magenta and yellow.

One of the black inks is a high-yield pigment black. This allows more documents to be printed without having to change the pigment black ink nearly as often.

Other features include direct CD or DVD printing, a 250-sheet paper tray along with a separate tray for 4-by-6 or 5-by-7-inch paper.

• $129.99 • www.usa.canon.com

Kensington KeyFolio for the iPod Kensington Contour Overnight Backpack

Mophie Juice Pack Helium

Extra juice on tap If power is your need, Mophie has a solution starting with the Mophie Juice Pack Helium iPhone case.

The ultra-thin case ($79.95) has a 1500mAH built-in battery that can give your phone a few charges.

Talk time can increase up to six hours, and you get up to 30 hours of audio playback or seven hours of video watching.

An LED power indicator on the back shows when the battery needs a charge (USB), and will simultaneously charge your phone when they are connected.

Mophie’s Juice Pack Powerstation PRO ($99.95) has a 6,000mAH internal battery, which is capable of charging just about any portable USB device, including power-hungry devices needing a 2.1 amp charge.

It’s built tough, with an impact- and splash-resistant design tailored to meet international standards for dust and water resistance.

The Juice Pack Powerstation Duo ($99.95) also has a 6,000mAH battery and a pair of USB ports to charge two devices simultaneously, including 2.1 amp devices.

The Duo doesn’t have the ruggedness of the PRO model and instead has a black soft-touch exterior.

• www.mophie.com

Contact Gregg Ellman at greggellman@mac.com.

Follow him on Twitter: @ greggellman. *All prices listed in the article are what you can generally find the product for sale at online from a reputable retailer and are not the list price as provided from the manufacturer.

STOJ

JUNE 7 – JUNE 13, 2013

FINEST & ENTERTAINMENT

Meet some of

FLORIDA'S

jucco

finest

submitted for your approval

B5

Think you’re one of Florida’s Finest?

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

taneish

ETHNICITYMODELS.COM

Taneish Simpson, an Ethnicity model, previously appeared as one of Florida’s Finest in March 2008.

FLORIDA COURIER FILES

Jacques “Jucco” Dalce Jr. previously appeared as one of Florida’s Finest in February 2008.

Sly Stone’s financial downfall outlined in court ruling EURWEB.COM

Sly Stone has been mired in legal issues lately. In a lawsuit regarding “tens of millions” of dollars in allegedly misappropriated royalties against several individuals and entities, including an ex-manager, a lawyer and Sony, Warner and Broadcast Music Inc (BMI), he detailed the full extent of his financial woes and poor career choices.

The sequence of events leading up to this point originated in the mid-1970s, shortly after the apex of his career. The flashy musician began to run into some personal problems that required Ken Roberts, Stone’s friend and onetime manager, to advance him some money to pay off some debts. In return, Stone assigned Roberts his BMI-administered performance-right royalties.

In 1980, the IRS began to garnish Stone’s income. For the next

15 years, much of the money that was derived from Stone’s hit songs was routed to government tax collectors. By the late 1980s, according to the court documents, Stone’s addiction to cocaine and sedatives had resulted in him becoming a fugitive, and without any record deal, he was also destitute.

Over the next 20 years, he went through numerous channels to stay afloat financially. The process included receiving substantial loans, evading bill collectors, as well as weaving his way through the court system to avoid potential legal action from disgruntled associates. Currently, he is in the hole for millions, and according to sources, the appeals court isn’t giving him much relief.

No standing to sue In a ruling on May 30, the Cal-

ifornia Appeals Court addressed the liability of three big music companies – Sony, BMI and Warner – that allegedly allowed royalties to be diverted without doing the Sly necessary due Stone diligence.

In short, Stone may have made bad deals, but for the purposes of holding these companies accountable, the appeals court affirms that he has no standing to sue. He can’t allege breach of contract against BMI because he assigned his royalty payments to Roberts.

He can’t make various claims against Sony because the record label “properly relied on” those 1989 agreements presented when figuring out where to direct royalties. Similarly, he can’t sue War-

ner. Quoting the trial judge, the appeals court notes “the royalty companies were simply doing what they were instructed to do for years upon years.”

That said, Roberts enjoys a better outcome from last week’s ruling. Initially, before the IRS put a lien on Stone’s BMI payments, the money was going to a company Stone’s ex-manager had set up called “Majoken.”

No saving grace for Stone Years later, after the money stopped flowing to the IRS, Goldstein allegedly set up a new entity that was also called “Majoken Inc.” BMI didn’t know about the existence of two companies with the same name until 2009, by which time it had paid out approximately $600,000 in royalties from Stone’s music to Goldstein’s company.

In the ruling, the appeals court

overturns the trial judge’s ruling that Roberts lacked standing to sue BMI. It also waives away BMI’s contention that his claim of breach of contract is barred by statute of limitations, although the appeals judge says he can only possibly collect for four years prior to the launch of the lawsuit for allegedly bad actions.

Yes, BMI paid out to Majoken, but the appeals court says “that is neither the beginning nor the end of the story” as “BMI had a contractual duty to insist on written instructions from Roberts” when in 1996, it changed where the money was going.

Still, that’s hardly a saving grace for Stone, who not only loses the appeal but is now responsible for some of Sony, Warner and BMI’s legal costs.

A report from the Hollywood Reporter was used in this article.

Mel B plans to be tough, fair judge on ‘America’s Got Talent’

BY DAVID MARTINDALE FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM/MCT

FORT WORTH, Texas — Will Mel B, one of the new judges on “America’s Got Talent,” be mean when she critiques aspiring performers or will she be a big softy?

The former Spice Girl says she’s simply going to be honest and fair.

But Howie Mandel, her fellow judge, paints a different picture of her. He describes her as tough and blunt, someone who can cut to the bone with one withering remark.

“We’ve had some comedians this year,” Mandel says, “and if they don’t rise to the occasion, Mel B pulls no punches in telling them, ‘I’m going to tell you why I don’t like you. You’re not funny.’

“But that’s what you want from a judge. I don’t know if we’ve had that element before: brutal honesty with a lot of experience.”

Show in eighth season Mel B will be in action alongside Mandel, Howard Stern (another returning judge) and Heidi Klum (the other newbie judge) when “America’s Got Talent.” The show returned Tuesday for its eighth season on NBC. “You know what? I don’t know how people are going to take me. Hopefully, they’ll just think that I’m honest. I’ve got a lot of experience under my belt. I’ve had my own show in Vegas. I’ve been performing for 20 years. I’ve done Broadway. I’ve done big stadiums with the Spice Girls. I have been in that world of entertainment for a long time,” she said.

“So I’m just a very honest judge. I wouldn’t say I’m mean. I like to have a lot of fun, because I think life’s too short. And at the end of the day, this is their moment to shine, their 90 seconds to shine.

So unless they’re wasting everybody’s time, I’m going to be nice.”

The show airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on NBC.

Former Spice Girl, Mel B., left, and fashion model Heidi Klum are the two new judges on NBC’s popular show, “America’s Got Talent.’’

COURTESY OF NBC/ MCT

FOOD

TOj B6

TOJ

JUNE 7 – JUNE 13, 2013

Throw the

BEST PARTY on the block From family Features

N

othing brings people together quite like a neighborhood picnic or family celebration. So, gather up neighbors, friends and family for a celebration of great food and fun.

Keep the food simple. Ask everyone to bring a favorite side dish so you only need to grill up the hamburgers and hot dogs. Of course, you’ll also want to whip up a few special treats. What could be better than a popcorn bar? Popcorn is both good and good for you. It’s a whole grain food that is not only low in calories but also makes a great addition to many recipes. Because, sometimes, a sweet indul­gence is just what you need.

Set out large bowls of popcorn along with shakers of garlic salt, cumin, lemon pepper, dry taco seasoning mix and Parmesan cheese for extra flavor. Add dried fruit, nuts, pretzel sticks, grated cheese and chocolate chips for a make-your-own trail mix option.

Complete the popcorn bar with a few sweet surprises like delicious desserts made with freshly popped corn.

For more creative recipes, visit www.popcorn.org.

Double Chocolate Popcorn Balls

Grab and Go Pizza Popcorn Double Chocolate Popcorn Balls Yield: 18 balls 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup corn syrup 1/4 cup butter or margarine 2 tablespoons cocoa powder 8 cups freshly popped popcorn 1 cup milk chocolate candies Combine sugar, corn syrup, butter and cocoa in medium saucepan; bring to a boil.

Add popcorn, stirring until evenly coated.

Remove from heat. Stir in milk chocolate candies. Cool slightly. Shape into 2-inch balls.

Grab and Go Pizza Popcorn Yield: 6 quarts 6 quarts popped popcorn Olive oil cooking spray 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese 2 teaspoons garlic salt 2 teaspoons paprika 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning Place popcorn in a large, sealable plastic container (or in a 2.5-gallon plastic sealable bag). Spray popcorn lightly with cooking spray. Sprinkle cheese, garlic salt, paprika and Italian seasoning over popcorn and Perfect Picnic Popcorn Squares shake to distribute evenly. To serve, scoop popcorn into reusable plastic cups.

Perfect Picnic Popcorn Squares Yield: 12 squares 1 cup light corn syrup 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup brown sugar 1 cup reduced fat peanut butter 8 cups air-popped popcorn 3/4 cup raisins Cooking spray Combine corn syrup, sugar, brown sugar and peanut butter in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over low heat, stirring constantly; boil 2 to 3 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat. Combine popcorn and raisins in large bowl; pour hot mixture over popcorn and toss carefully with wooden spoons to mix until well-coated.

Spray 9 x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray; press popcorn mixture into pan and cool completely. Cut into squares Sweet and Spicy Popcorn Seasoning Mix and serve.

Coconut Monkey Mix Sweet and Spicy Popcorn Seasoning Mix Yield: about 4 tablespoons seasoning mix 2 tablespoons sugar 2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon ancho chili powder 1 teaspoon cumin 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander 1/8 teaspoon cayenne 4 quarts popped popcorn Cooking spray (helps seasoning adhere to popcorn) Stir spices together in a small bowl.

Place popcorn in a serving bowl and spray lightly with cooking spray. Sprinkle about 2 teaspoons (or to taste) of the mix over popcorn and toss to distribute evenly. Store leftover seasoning mix in an airtight con­tainer for future use.

Coconut Monkey Mix Yield: 7 cups 1 cup flaked coconut (unsweetened or sweetened) 6 cups popped popcorn 1 tablespoon butter or margarine, melted 1 teaspoon sugar 1/8 teaspoon salt Dash of nutmeg 1 cup dried banana chips Preheat oven to 325°F. Spread coconut in a 9 x 13-inch baking pan, breaking up any clumps as needed. Bake 10 minutes or until edges of coconut begin to brown.

Spread popcorn over coconut and sprinkle with melted butter; toss. Sprinkle popcorn mixture with sugar, salt and nut­meg; toss.

Bake 5 minutes longer and toss with banana chips. Serve immediately or cool and store in an airtight container.