Florida Courier - June 10, 2016

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CELEBRATING OUR 10TH YEAR STATEWIDE!

Reflections on life and legacy of Muhammad Ali Page A5, A6, B1 www.flcourier.com

JUNE 10 – JUNE 16, 2016

VOLUME 24 NO. 24

NOT THE FIRST Hillary Clinton is set to make history, but female leaders are nothing new in other parts of the world – including Africa. for two terms in the U.S. Senate. Her victory came eight years to the day after she ended her 2008 White Hillary Clinton is set to make his- House bid. tory as the first woman to be a presidential nominee for a major U.S. Big step for women political party and potentially beAddressing a flag-waving crowd coming the country’s first female filled with women of all ages and commander-in-chief. The former secretary of state, ethnicities, Clinton painted her ALLEN J. SCHABEN/LOS ANGELES TIMES/TNS GLOBALCITIZEN.ORG GOVERNMENT OF MALAWI making her second try for the White triumph as a major stride in the House, laid claim to the nomina- march for women’s rights, which If Hillary Clinton eventually becomes America’s 45th president, she will join Ellen Johnsontion at an exuberant rally in Brook- began more than a century and a Sirleaf, president of Liberia, and Joyce Banda, former president of Malawi, as one of the few lyn, N.Y., the state she represented See LEADERS, Page A2 female heads of state worldwide.

BY ANN M. SIMMONS LOS ANGELES TIMES / TNS

Pressure mounts at FAMU TALLAHASSEE – As the Florida A&M University Board of Trustees prepares for a crucial meeting, a powerful Tallahassee pastor and former trustee said Wednesday the panel should not renew the contract of FAMU’s embattled president, Elmira Mangum. “There is so much confusion, division and discord in this administration,” the Rev. R.B. Holmes, pastor of Bethel Missionary Baptist Church, told The News Service of Florida. “There is great tension among the faculty and staff and inElmira fighting among the Mangum president’s leadership team. This kind of chaos and confusion is not good for the future of FAMU.”

Same problems? Holmes praised the university’s reconstituted 13-member Board of Trustees – which has eight new members following a failed attempt to oust Mangum last fall – but said its problems with the president were the same. “Not only was there poor communication with the past Board of Trustees, you have the same thing with the new Board of Trustees,” Holmes said. “I don’t believe you can fix it at this point.” The president, who has been on the job slightly more than two �� years, barely fended off an attempt to fire her in October. Some trustees subsequently resigned, while others were replaced by Gov. Rick Scott and the state university system’s Board of Governors as terms expired. The new Board of Trustees will meet this week, starting with a series of committee meetings Thursday – after the Florida Courier’s press time late Wednesday night – that will include a special committee evaluating Mangum’s job performance. On Friday, the full board will meet. No vote is scheduled on Mangum’s contract at the Friday meeting. But the board has until the end of June to declare whether it will renew her contract, under the contract’s terms.

No extension Last month, Mangum rejected a request by interim board Chairman Kelvin Lawson to extend by 45 days the June 30 deadline for See FAMU, Page A2

ALSO INSIDE

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BY MARGIE MENZEL THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

Disney ban and remembering African ancestors ��

President may force board to act

FLORIDA COURIER / 10TH STATEWIDE ANNIVERSARY

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Nine years ago, the Florida Courier questioned how Orlando’s Walt Disney World ejected four Black male high school students from Disney-owned property, then banned them from returning for life. The newspaper also reported on the annual remembrance of African ancestors at formerly racially segregated Virginia Key Beach in Miami-Dade County.

SNAPSHOTS FLORIDA | A3

Justices clear way for Scott to appoint judges

BY JIM TURNER THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

TALLAHASSEE – Law-abiding Floridians should be allowed to openly carry firearms in public, a gun-rights groups argued Wednesday to the Florida Supreme Court on behalf of a man arrested four years ago while strolling with a visibly holstered weapon in Fort Pierce. Florida Carry attorney Eric Friday said the state’s nearly 30-year-old concealed-weapons law violates the U.S. Constitution’s Second Amendment, which he said requires people to be allowed to openly carry guns. Lawmakers this year considered a proposal to allow people with concealed-weapons licenses to openly carry firearms, but the bill did not pass.

Citizens ‘deprived’

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Justices weigh challenge to open-carry ban

POLITICS | B3

Young voters have little faith in government

NATION | B4

What’s going to happen to Obama’s stuff

“Quite frankly, the Legislature at this point has deprived citizens of the substantive right to bear arms,” Friday said as some justices appeared skeptical of his argument. Justices Barbara Pariente and Peggy Quince questioned how the current state law allowing citizens to receive concealed-weapons licenses to carry firearms suppresses gun ownership. “This isn’t a ban,” Pariente said. “It’s just a ban on the method of carrying that the Legislature has determined protects public safety more than people walking around like they’re in the wild west. “ Florida Carry is representing Dale Norman, who was arrested in February 2012 for openly carrying a gun in a holster. Norman, then 24, had recently received a concealed-weapons license – something that 1.57 million people now possess, according to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

Fine, court costs Norman challenged the constitutionality of the law, but was unsuccessful in lower courts. A trial judge imposed a $300 fine and court costs on Norman. Norman appealed to the Fourth District Court of Appeal in West Palm Beach, which in February 2015 agreed with the trial court that the state law “does not improperly infringe on Florida’s constitutional guarantee, nor does it infringe on the ‘the central component’ of the Second Amendment – the right of self-defense.” Friday, the Florida Carry attorney, tried to make a comparison that regulating firearms is akin to imposing rules against journalism, which would violate the First Amendment. “This court would never stand for the idea of a training class, a fee and a 90- or maybe even a 180-day wait in order for a person to get a license to get a camera to be a photojournalist,” Friday said. Chief Justice Jorge Labarga was quick to dismiss the comparison. “I don’t think journalists’ cameras kill people,” Labarga said.

COMMENTARY: BILL FLETCHER, JR.: THE MANY DELUSIONS OF DONALD TRUMP | A4 COMMENTARY: GLENN ELLIS: ALI’S TOUGHEST FIGHT WAS AGAINST PARKINSON’S DISEASE | A5

FOCUS

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JUNE 10 – JUNE 16, 2016

The Black man’s ‘Wizard’ Ever since Satan was cast out of Heaven, the devil has been a trickster! When your heart and soul is telling you to go left, the devil will convince you to go right. When your mind tells you to help the less fortunate, Beelzebub will tell you to help yourself. When you feel this is the day and the time to stand up and speak out about equal rights and justice, Lucifer will whisper in your ear, “You better sit down, bow down and shut up!”

Followed the leaders From the very first day some Africans were kidnapped from their homeland and shipped far away to America and other lands around the world to serve as slaves, many of the people that look like you made a decision to follow the devilish leaders! Instead of sharing like you once shared, caring like you once cared, praying like you once prayed, singing like you once sang, believing in the God you once believed in; instead of believing in yourselves – many of your ancestors decided the best

LUCIUS GANTT THE GANTT REPORT

thing to do was follow the devil and believe in the devil! This is 2016. This very day, Black people believe anybody and everybody more than they believe each other! The devil is truly the Black man’s (and woman’s) Wizard!

Under control In the movie “The Wizard of Oz,” everybody in the land of Oz were pretty much controlled by the Wizard. They were told who was good and who was wicked. They were told what was right and what was wrong. They were told what was worthy and what was worthless! Once they entered the Wizard’s castle, Dorothy, Tin Man, Lion, Scarecrow and thousands of Munchkins heard the noise, saw the smoke and became scared to death of the almighty Wizard –

until a tiny dog pulled back a curtain and exposed the tricky devil masquerading as a real wizard! The world’s modern-day wizards are pulling bigger tricks on you than the Wizard of Oz could ever pull! The big trick today is about money. Sit down! The Black man’s wizard has you believing if you calm down, don’t protest, don’t question authority and don’t be a troublemaker, one day soon you’ll make a lot of money like Oprah Winfrey or Michael Jordan or LeBron James or Beyoncé! Guess what? Those people have been carefully selected to accumulate a few assets, a media “empire,” a basketball team, a shoe deal or a record deal primarily because they can be controlled. They can be told what to buy, where to live, who to hire, what to say, how to act and how to live. Oprah is on the front page of the June 13, 2016 issue of the National Examiner tabloid newspaper that has a story about her $3 billion “secret life” with gold showers and toilets, White chefs, White jet pilots, treehouses and

$42,000 cupcakes. Yes, you can have a billion dollars as long as you let the devil finance it so you can spend it with other devils! Sister Oprah is on one level; the wealthy “ruling class” are in a whole different monetary world! It took Oprah 30, 40 or 50 years to get that kind of money and she still better show up for work every day to pay the notes on all that stupid stuff. But the smart people know that to the super-rich, a billion dollars is a drop in the bucket. And Black men and women who are wise can really get far more than that!

No clue Some people can take one billion dollars and in 10 days turn it into $10 billion. But the people you love and aspire to be don’t have a clue about that! They don’t have a clue because they are limited, controlled and tricked by the Wizard. They don’t even know that what they have can be taken at any moment. They don’t believe they can be replaced by another Oprah, or a president can be replaced by another president, or a king can be replaced by another king – if they get too uppity with the Wizards! What most Blacks see is an il-

FAMU

‘In combat mode’ Carter said he thought Mangum, “with her prior board, was

LEADERS from A1

half ago at the Seneca Falls Convention in upstate New York. “Tonight’s victory is not about one person,” said Clinton, who took the stage after a filmed tribute to leaders of the suffrage movement and other political pioneers. “It belongs to generations of women and men who struggled and sacrificed and made this moment possible.” Victories in New Jersey, New Mexico and South Dakota gave Clinton the delegates she needed to win the nomination on the first ballot at next month’s Democratic National Convention and dispelled the notion she might limp to her party’s coronation.

Women lead elsewhere The glass ceiling to a nation’s top office was long ago shattered in several countries around the world, including some with nascent democracies. “The fact that these countries have democracies that are less established may make it easier for someone outside of the conventional political norms to get elected,” said Dan Schnur, director of the Jesse M. Unruh Institute of Politics at the University of Southern California.

‘Old-boy networks’ The United States “has had two centuries to develop old-boy networks, the results of which are walls that are less easy to scale.

No recognized But the world’s really rich people are invisible. They are in the checkout line behind you at Walmart, but you can’t recognize them. They drive a Toyota when you borrow money to buy a Mercedes-Benz. They fly commercial, when you go into heavy debt to say you have a plane. Yes, the devilish Wizards are tricky. They will make you think a little bit of money is a lot of money. Stop listening to Drake and Nicky Minaj. Go on YouTube and listen to the Last Poets “E Pluribus Unum,” which says, “Paper money is like a bee without honey with no stinger to back it up, and those who stole the people’s gold are definitely corrupt!” The Black man’s Wizard has you bamboozled!

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

ceeds expectations in all categories, including board and governance relations. “Shared governance is a key to the success of any university,” she wrote. “During the past year, an increased focus was placed on ensuring that the board was provided with information to enable it to fulfill its decision-making obligations. Each week, I issue ‘Notes’ to the board that highlight major initiatives that are underway or proposed. Along with the weekly ‘Notes,’ I made calls to individual members on a weekly or biweekly basis to help build a relationship with the board.”

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making a decision on the contract renewal. She said she did so on the advice of her lawyer. “I referred all contract discussions to my attorney,” Mangum said last week. Trustee Matthew Carter, a member of the special committee on presidential evaluation, said he was unclear whether the committee would vote on Mangum’s evaluation at its Thursday meeting or whether it would have to vote on an evaluation before the full board could vote on the contract. But he said Mangum’s refusal to extend the contract talks had narrowed his options. “The fact that the acting chair reached out and asked for the extension, knowing that you’ve got new board members who want to get more involved – but on the advice of her counsel, Dr. Mangum says no – that tells me I need to do what I need to do,” Carter said. “If waiting is not the thing to do, then let’s not wait.”

lusion. When they see someone with gold toilets, they think they are seeing someone with all of the money in the world.

Holmes ‘saddened’

FLORIDA COURIER FILES

The Rev. R.B. Holmes, a Tallahassee-based pastor and Black media owner pictured in this file photo, says it’s time for current FAMU President Dr. Elmira Mangum to go. used to being in combat – so much that when the new board came on board, she basically assumed we were all of the same mindset, and was still in her combat mode.” But that’s not the case, Carter said, adding that Mangum should

New democracies have had less time to build such walls.” India has had the longest stretches with a woman in power, according to the Pew Research Center. Former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and later President Pratibha Patil served a combined 21 of the last 51 years. In Europe, the Nordic countries stand out in terms of electing women to their nation’s top political office, according to Pew data, barring Sweden, where a woman has never headed the government. There are currently 18 female world leaders, including 12 heads of government and 11 elected heads of state, according to the United Nations (some leaders are both, and figurehead monarchs are not included). Here’s a look at some of the past and present female leaders: • Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, president of Liberia, 2006 to present: The diminutive and bespectacled Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf came to power as Africa’s first elected female head of state in 2006. An ambitious economist, her tenure in office has focused on tackling corruption, rebuilding the country’s infrastructure following years of civil strife and reducing the staggering unemployment rate. A former finance minister who studied in the United States, her success at securing international assistance and foreign investment led to Liberia’s debt being erased by the end of 2010. In 2011, she was one of three recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize for efforts

get to know the trustees individually and develop a spirit of cooperation with them. The special committee had planned to vote on Mangum’s evaluation Thursday. But at a May 11 meeting, members said they were troubled by the lack of

to promote and support the rights of women. • Joyce Banda, president of Malawi, 2012 to 2014: Banda had previously served as Malawi’s vice president, minister of foreign affairs, minister for gender, children’s affairs, and community services, and as a member of Malawi’s Parliament. Within the first week of her presidency, she launched a diplomatic offensive to repair Malawi’s frayed international relationships. She announced her intention to overturn Malawi’s ban on homosexuality and to sell the government-owned jet and a fleet of 60 luxury cars amassed by the previous president. In 2014, – just before she lost her re-election campaign – Banda was named the most powerful woman in Africa. She is the founder of the Joyce Banda Foundation International, which works to empower women and improve access to education in Malawi. This month, she joined the Center for Global Development and the Woodrow Wilson Center as a distinguished visiting fellow. Her research will focus on women’s political leadership, girls’ education, and maternal and reproductive health. • Indira Gandhi, prime minister of India, 19661984: She was India’s third prime minister and so far the first and only woman elected to the post. The daughter of India’s first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, she served for three consecutive terms between 1966 and 1977, and another term from 1980 until she was assassinated by her bodyguards in 1984. She is credited with im-

measurable goals and objectives Mangum had offered for the 20162017 fiscal year. Mangum has submitted a new set of goals with metrics, as the committee requested. She also submitted a self-assessment in which she said she meets or ex-

plementing progressive agricultural programs that helped improve the lives of the country’s poor and for signing the Shimla peace agreement with Pakistan, which provided for the resolution of disputes between the two nations through peaceful means. But she was seen by some as authoritarian, and her administration was tainted by widespread corruption, according to historians. • Golda Meir, prime minister of Israel, 196974: A founder of the state of Israel and the nation’s fourth prime minister, Golda Meir was considered by her countrymen to be the original “Iron Lady.” Praised for her dedication to her country, Meir tried to push for peace in the Middle East through words over weapons, though her efforts were curtailed by the outbreak of the Arab-Israeli war on Oct. 6, 1973, also known as the Yom Kippur War. Being a woman in the nation’s top job was of little consequence to Meir, according to the encyclopedia of the Jewish Women’s Archive. “Just as some Jews choose not to be Jewishidentified because they think they have the option to behave as if peoplehood doesn’t matter, Golda Meir chose not to be womanidentified and behaved as if gender doesn’t matter,” the encyclopedia says. Meir remained a revered political figure until her death on Dec. 8, 1978. • Margaret Thatcher, prime minister of Britain, 1979-90: Margaret Thatcher was the first and – so far – only female prime minister of Britain and regarded by

But Holmes said one reason Mangum’s administration is at a crossroads is “her inability to communicate efficiently and positively” with the trustees. “I was one of the strongest supporters of the Mangum administration” when the president was hired, Holmes said. “I am saddened that it has come to this point, where former presidents, leaders of the Faculty Senate, (students) and a growing number of alumni and community leaders strongly believe that we can do better.”

many as the country’s most important peacetime leader of the 20th century. Also nicknamed the “Iron Lady,” she reshaped the political and economic landscape of Britain through conservative free-market policies that came to be known as Thatcherism. The Oxford University-educated daughter of a shopkeeper and leader of Britain’s Conservative Party, she was loved and loathed. Her supporters praised her tough, nononsense style. Her critics slammed her as being uncompromising and a polarizing force. In 1982, Thatcher led Britain to war – and ultimate victory – with Argentina over the Falkland Islands, causing her popularity to soar. She stood up to the Irish Republican Army, whose attempt on her life in 1984 failed to intimidate her. Thatcher died at age 87 on April 9, 2013, from complications of a stroke. • Angela Merkel, chancellor of Germany, 2005 to present: A trained physicist, Angela Merkel became Germany’s first female chancellor in 2005, emerging as one of the key leaders of the European Union. Her popularity propelled her to a second term in 2009. “Merkel’s style of government has been characterized by pragmatism, although critics have decried her approach as the absence of a clear stance and ideology,” according to the Encyclopedia Britannica. Merkel was awarded the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011 and was named Time Magazine’s Person of the Year in 2015, citing her leadership on is-

sues such as the Syrian migrant crisis. • Dilma Rousseff, president of Brazil, 2011 until her suspension, May 2016: Rousseff, Brazil’s first female president, came to power in 2011 promising to create jobs, eradicate poverty, bolster the economy and bring about political reform. Her popularity soared and she was reelected in 2014. But Rousseff’s government became deeply unpopular and beset by accusations of corruption and scandals, including claims of billions of dollars stolen from the state’s oil coffers and a range of political shenanigans. Rousseff has not been personally accused of any corruption or criminal offense, but the Brazilian Congress impeached her in May and she faces trial on charges that she shifted funds to cover holes in the national budget. • Park Geun-hye, president of South Korea, 2013 to present: She is South Korea’s first female leader. The daughter of former President Park Chung-hee, who governed South Korea for almost 20 years, she defeated a liberal human rights lawyer to win the country’s top job in 2013. During her election campaign she promised to be “president for the people,” and pledged to revitalize the country’s economy and reduce household debt while ensuring national security in face of an often aggressive North Korea. Never wed, Park has often said that she is “married” to her nation, according to information published on biography.com.

JUNE 10 – JUNE 16, 2016

FLORIDA

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Florida justices clear way for Scott to appoint circuit judges BY JIM SAUNDERS THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

TALLAHASSEE – Though a majority of the justices ex-

pressed reservations, the Florida Supreme Court on June 3 upheld the power of Gov. Rick Scott to appoint replacements for three circuit judges who plan to leave the bench in December.

The Supreme Court unanimously rejected arguments that voters should choose replacements for 10th Judicial Circuit Judge Olin Shinholser, 12th Judicial Circuit Judge Scott

Brownell and 7th Judicial Circuit Judge Joseph Will during this year’s elections. Each of the judges submitted his resignation in April but made it effective in December, legally creating a

vacancy that Scott can fill.

Lewis responds But while upholding Scott’s authority, justices Barbara Pariente, Peggy

Quince, James E.C. Perry and R. Fred Lewis signed on to concurring opinions that said the outgoing circuit judges had used the process to ensure that replacements would be appointed and not elected. “While I may even agree that the merit selection and retention of judges is far superior to the election of judges, the citizens of Florida clearly disagree,” Lewis wrote. “Thus, it is truly a sad day for Floridians when their trial court judges may manipulate the electoral process and prioritize their personal preferences over those espoused in the very Constitution they swore to defend. In any event, such is the state of our law and this is a court of law, not one of personal preferences.”

Palm Beach case Though justices backed Scott’s power on appointing the circuit judges, it ruled against him in another case involving whether a Palm Beach county judge should be elected or appointed. The circumstances in that case were different from the circuit-judge issue, and the Supreme Court unanimously agreed that the county judgeship should be on this year’s ballot. Justices ordered a special candidate-qualifying period this week. In the Palm Beach case, County Judge Laura Johnson submitted a letter of resignation in April as she prepared to qualify last month to run for a circuitjudge seat. The resignation was effective on the date of Johnson taking office as a circuit judge or on the date that her successor as a county judge would take office. Secretary of State Ken Detzner said the Florida Constitution required the county judge seat to be filled by gubernatorial appointment, rather than by election. But Palm Beach County attorney Gregg Lerman, a potential candidate to replace Johnson on the county bench, challenged Detzner’s stance at the Supreme Court.

Broader impact

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The decisions in the circuit-judge cases, however, will have a broader impact because the circuits include voters in 10 counties. The 10th Circuit includes Highlands, Polk and Hardee counties; the 12th Circuit includes Manatee, Sarasota and DeSoto counties; and the 7th Circuit includes Volusia, Flagler, Putnam and St. Johns counties. Shinholser, Brownell and Will made their resignations effective in late December, shortly before their terms would otherwise end in January 2017. The letters of resignation were submitted before the early May qualifying period for this year’s judicial elections. In court documents, Detzner’s attorneys pointed to a similar 2014 case in which the 1st District Court of Appeal upheld the authority of Scott to appoint a replacement for retiring Judge Donald Moran in Northeast Florida’s 4th Judicial Circuit. The Supreme Court declined to take up that challenge. “(The) ‘ultimate question’ here … is whether petitioner has a clear legal right to qualify for election to the seat at issue,’’ Detzner’s attorneys wrote in response to a challenge filed by Lakeland attorney Steve Pincket in the 10th Circuit. “And the answer is simple: No, because Article V (of the Florida Constitution) requires filling the vacancy by appointment, obviating an election for which the secretary could qualify candidates. The motivation of a judge in submitting his or her resignation is beside the point.”

EDITORIAL

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JUNE 10 – JUNE 16, 2016

No sense asking White politicians about ‘Black Agenda’ Oppressors are never under any obligation to give justice and equality to those who are oppressed. The master has no moral justification to the slave because a slave is chattel. Sadly, shamefully, and sinfully, we are living in these so-called ‘United States of America’ whereby people – especially AfricanAmericans –are still raising the question to politicians and political parties, “What about the Black Agenda?”

Why ask? Why do we keep raising this question every election cycle to people who don’t really care about the Black Agenda? To be blunt about it, it’s stupid, insane, and irrational. In asking the question of political candidates about their solutions to decrease Black unemployment, Black poverty, and anything revolving around Black issues gives a direct as well as indirect signal to them as well as to masses of people that we cannot handle our own business. They are under no obligation to help us as long as they see a needy attitude. Every four years, it’s sickening

DR. SINCLAIR GREY III GUEST COLUMNIST

and disturbing to see Democratic candidates pandering Black people for a vote. They come to our churches, eat our food, take pictures, and suck up so that many people are brainwashed into believing a lie. During these interactions, there’s little deep discussion about issues that impact masses of people. There’s little deep discussion about their absence in neighborhoods and communities they fail to visit until it’s voting time.

No progress Whenever African-Americans (definitely not all) become so comfortable in asking politicians and the government for a handout, progress and prosperity will never be made. Why? Because self-determination and self-expectation will be sidelined. The success of any race and

Michigan political prisoner fears for his life Rev. Edward Pinkney, the imprisoned community activist from the mostly Black town of Benton Harbor, Mich., believes his life is in danger. Pinkney is serving a sentence of 2 ½ to ten years following his conviction by an all-White jury on the flimsiest of charges of tampering with an election recall petition. He told Kenneth Rhoades, a supporter on the outside, that he’s not afraid of the inmates, but fears the government is out to do him harm – and that they might get away with it because, in his words, “they cover everything up” at Marquette Branch Prison, located on the thinly populated and very, very White Upper Pen-

GLEN FORD BLACK AGENDA REPORT

insula of Michigan, almost 500 miles from Benton Harbor.

Prison retaliation Pinkney, who is 67 years old, has witnessed numerous assaults on inmates by prison guards, and has spent long stretches in isolation. For six months, he was deprived of phone and visitation privileges because the authorities believed he was behind a mass inmate food protest

culture has to begin within. If there isn’t the desire to want better, do better, and expect better, a problem will always exist. The challenge for AfricanAmericans during this election year and future election years is to stop asking White people to address the Black Agenda. In a real sense, when we, as a people, learn to own, operate, and support our own entities, we will create opportunities for people to succeed. And when we learn to take care of our surroundings, we don’t have to worry about foolishness coming in. While this is only a small step towards empowerment, the goal should be to do for self. It makes no sense to always keep asking the oppressors to help the oppressed. It’s important to note here that I’m not categorizing all nonBlack people as oppressors. I’m not saying all African-Americans are oppressed. But without a doubt, there are systems and institutions that are racist in nature.

Collective effort The best way to eliminate this – another bogus charge, since inmates at prisons on the Upper Peninsula have been protesting the food since before Pinkney arrived. This is the second time that Pinkney has been railroaded to prison for trying to bring change to deeply impoverished Benton Harbor through the vote. Back in 2007, after two trials, an all-White jury from the surrounding county convicted him of tampering with a ballot petition. He was sentenced to house arrest, but was then thrown in prison for a year when he quoted Bible verses to the judge – something of a first in American legal history. Ultimately, the conviction was overturned on appeal.

Crushing voting activism Rev. Pinkney’s lawyers believe his current conviction on similar bogus charges will ultimately

The many delusions of Donald Trump What do you say about someone who apparently sees things that do not exist? I have been asking myself that question while I have watched Donald Trump’s presidential campaign unfold. Let’s review three items.

Item one Trump has argued for a wall between the United States and Mexico to prevent Mexican migrants, who he contends are the major source of crime in the U.S., from entering this country. Interesting. In reality, the migration flow in recent years has reversed between the U.S. and Mexico, i.e., people are returning to Mexico. And if Mexicans are the major source of crime, what does Trump have to say about Russian immigrants and the Russian mafia? What about previous generations of criminal organizations that have been associated with immigrant communities, such as the Cosa Nostra (Sicilian and Italian), as well as Irish and Jewish mobs? Why not expel all of them? Well, the Donald is silent on this. Besides racist, what does one call such a mischaracterization of reality?

Item two Trump asserted – and repeated – that on 11 September 2001, masses of Muslims in the U.S. were applauding the terrorist attacks. No evidence – and I repeat NO EVIDENCE – has ever been found to back up his claim. Yet, Trump and many of his supporters continue to argue that they saw it. How is that possible?

VISUAL VIEWPOINT: TRUMP ATTACKS ‘MEXICAN’ JUDGE

PATRICK CHAPPATTE, THE INTERNATIONAL NEW YORK TIMES

mindset is to fight it through political involvement, social interaction, and financial empowerment. Unless there’s a collective effort to want better, nothing will be done. So what’s the agenda for Black America? Clean up our communities and neighborhoods. Create and support Black-owned businesses. Establish programs that will eliminate Black-onBlack crime. Stop blaming White people and other non-Blacks for some of the ills that’s plaguing

us as African-Americans. Get involved politically and not become party loyalists. Develop a liberating mindsets The Black Agenda isn’t about asking others to do for us when in fact we can and should do for ourselves.

also be reversed – but that could take years, and anything can happen to a political activist in the American prison gulag. Mary Neal, who calls Rev. Pinkney her “online minister,” believes the people of Flint, Mich., would have responded to the poisoning of their water sooner if Pinkney hadn’t been incarcerated at the time. Pinkney has had more experience than most other activists in dealing with state-appointed emergency financial managers like the one that switched the water supply in Flint. Benton Harbor was put under state dictatorship in 2010. Gov. Rick Snyder then quickly expanded the emergency financial manager regime to all of the state’s heavily Black cities, effectively disenfranchising more than half of Michigan’s Black citizens.

Pressed on

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

But Rev. Pinkney and his Black Autonomy Network Community Organization, or BANCO, pressed on, refusing to accept the loss of their local voting rights – either to the state of Michigan, or at the hands of the giant Whirlpool Corporation – which has ruled Benton Harbor like a plantation for generations. Finally, in April 2014, they sent a SWAT team to arrest Rev. Pinkney at his home. Now he sits in cell in the American equivalent of Siberia – a 67-year-old soldier in the African liberation struggle.

Glen Ford is executive editor of BlackAgendaReport.com. Email him at Glen.Ford@BlackAgendaReport.com.

When Malcolm X met Cassius Clay When Malcolm X met Cassius Clay, Islamophobia was still a small part of the White supremacist system openly ruling the USA in the 1960s. Cassius was his “slave name,” as Muhammad Ali so often proclaimed, but until Malcolm X found him, he was just another “colored boy fighter” from Louisville.

BILL FLETCHER, JR.

Master teacher

NNPA COLUMNIST

Item three Trump seized onto the so-called birther allegations against President Obama, suggesting that he is not a true citizen of the U.S. and, therefore has been ineligible to be president of the U.S. Again, in addition to racism, what do you call someone who, despite all legitimate evidence, continues to assert something which is so obviously false? This all reminded me of the “Flat Earth Society.” I have no idea whether they still exist, but during the 1960s this group – which believed that the Earth was flat – sent a congratulatory note to an orbiting U.S. space vehicle saying to them that while the Earth might look round, it was actually an optical illusion. Hmm… So, the next time that you hear someone say that they support Trump because he calls it as it is, ask them about Mexican immigration to the U.S., Muslims celebrating 9-11, and his false citizenship allegations against President Obama and watch their response. If they tell you that it doesn’t matter, all that I can only suggest one thing…run.

Bill Fletcher, Jr. is a racial justice, labor and global justice activist and writer.

It was Malcolm X, hanging out with the brash and brilliant Cassius during the evenings after a day’s training was over, that enlightened Cassius Clay and brought about his rebirth as Muhammad Ali. Yet Malcolm X seems to have disappeared from anything to do with Muhammad Ali, at least from what has been running on Western media. Revolutionary Black nationalism is not something Pax Americana and its lackeys in the West are about to promote in any way. When the newly-christened Muhammad Ali strode onto the stage as a Black Muslim representing the pinnacle of “manhood” in professional sports at the time – boxing heavyweight champion of the world – White folk in general were bound to get a little crazy. Militantly Black and Muslim – and this was half a century ago! The sort of racist Islamophobia that erupted like a burst boil was such that even in my childhood days in the 1960s, I was aware of Muhammad Ali and Malcolm X and some really scary “nigger trouble” in the eyes of most White folk.

Talking for days Two brilliant personalities – Malcolm X, the fiery agitator; and Cassius Clay, the fastest heavyweight in history – spent days at a time together in training camp in the

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run-up to the Sonny Liston fight. If only they had a mobile phone to record it all back then! After knocking Liston out and being declared “The Heavyweight Champion of the World,” a very young Cassius Clay held a press conference to announce his conversion to Islam (the Nation of Islam’s version) with Malcolm X standing in the background. Talk about a shot heard round the world!

‘Cool it’ The White backlash was so scary that the Honorable Elijah Muhammad of the Nation of Islam forced Brother Malcolm to stay away from the newly-born Muhammad Ali to let things cool off. White folk were just getting to crazy and Malcolm X was pouring fuel on the fire, denouncing the apartheid system in the USA in language that still stops you in your tracks today. So if you ever wonder where some of the brilliance that sprang forth from Muhammad Ali’s mouth came from, go back and watch what Malcolm X was saying. You will agree that after Malcolm X met Cassius Clay, the world would never be the same.

Thomas C. Mountain is an independent journalist, living and reporting from Eritrea since 2006. Central Florida Communicators Group, LLC, P.O. Box 48857 Tampa, FL 33646, publishes the Florida Courier on Fridays. Phone: 877-352-4455, toll-free. For all sales inquiries, call 877-352-4455; e-mail sales@flcourier.com. Subscriptions to the print version are $69 per year. Mail check to P.O. Box 48857 Tampa, FL 33646, or log on to www.flcourier.com; click on ‘Subscribe’.

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JUNE 10 – JUNE 16, 2016

Celebrated boxer and conscientious objector was role model to all Muhammad Ali was “The Greatest of All Time” – even if he said so himself. But what made him undeniably so had to do with what he did (and said) outside, as much as inside, the boxing ring. Of course, his opponents – from Sonny Liston to Joe Frazier and George Foreman – would readily attest that he really did “float like a butterfly and sting like a bee.” And, with all due respect to the likes of Joe Louis, Floyd Patterson, and Sugar Ray Leonard, Ali was easily the most charismatic and entertaining boxer in the history of their sport. No doubt the way his “Louisville lip” hyped up fights and psyched out fighters contributed to his success. And legendary sportscaster Howard Cosell deserves honorable mention for playing straight man and comic foil for much of the truly poetic trash-talking that made Ali famous.

Here’s the truth The inconvenient truth is that Ali copied much of his “I am the greatest,” self-promoting shtick from the flamboyant professional wrestler Gorgeous George (search him online). Ali also played the intra-race card, most notably by mocking his “Thrilla-in-Manila” opponent, Joe Frazier, an “Uncle Tom,” a “gorilla,” and the “White man’s champion.” (I suspect Ali’s taunts gave the preternaturally Black and proud Frazier a terminal racial complex, much like that which the humiliating Senate hearings for Clarence Thomas’s appointment to the Supreme Court gave him.) Yet nothing is more telling about Ali “inside the ring” than the fact that he does not even rank among boxers with the “greatest unbeaten record of all time.” That distinction belongs to boxers like Joe Calzaghe (460, 32 KOs), Rocky Marciano (490, 43 KOs), and Floyd Mayweather (49-0, 26 KOs). Surely any of these boxers has a more legitimate claim to the title as the greatest fighter of all time than Ali (56-5, 37 KOs).

His real greatness This brings me to Ali “outside the ring,” which accounts for so much of his greatness. He claimed in his 1975 autobiography that he threw the gold medal he won at the 1960 Summer Olympics into the Ohio River – after a “Whites-only” restaurant refused to serve him and a friend. But this reportedly apocryphal story was just his poignant way of protesting the shame and injustice of championing America abroad only to be treated like a second-class citizen at home … in Jim Crow America. He described his conversion

ANTHONY L. HALL, ESQ. FLORIDA COURIER COLUMNIST

Frankly, it’s easy to see why no athlete has sacrificed more for the national advancement of Black people than Muhammad Ali. And with respect to having the courage of one’s convictions, no athlete has stood as a better role model for us all. to Islam in 1965 as one of the most important milestones in his life. This led to the very public show he made of denouncing his “slave name,” Cassius Clay, and demanding to be called by his Muslim name, Muhammad Ali.

A betrayal But almost as many Blacks as Whites regarded this as a betrayal. Bear in mind that Ali pledged his allegiance to the Nation of Islam, which was then, and remains to this day, an unabashedly Black separatist … cult. The only equivalent I can think of today, with respect to those feelings of betrayal, is Stephen Curry denouncing Hillary Clinton and the Democratic Party and proclaiming his support for Donald Trump and the Republican Party. In any event, nothing sealed Ali’s legacy as the greatest in this context quite like his refusal to be inducted into the armed services. Here is the now famous way he justified his conscientious objection to going to war in Vietnam: “Why should they ask me to put on a uniform and go 10,000 miles from home and drop bombs and bullets on brown people in Vietnam while so-called Negro people in Louisville are treated like dogs and denied simple human rights? Man, I ain’t got no quarrel with them Viet Cong. No Viet Cong ever called me nigger.” He was arrested in 1967 and convicted as a draft dodger. He faced five years in prison and

Ali’s toughest fight was against Parkinson’s disease Although you aware Muhammad Ali had been living with Parkinson’s disease since 1984, chances are there’s a lot you still don’t know about it. Let’s correct that now. Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a chronic and  progressive movement disorder, meaning that symptoms continue and worsen over time. Muhammad Ali was just one of the more than 1 million people in the U.S. who are living with the disease.

No cure The cause of Parkinson’s is unknown, and there is presently no cure. For certain people, there are treatment options such as medication and surgery to manage its symptoms. While Parkinson’s itself isn’t considered fatal, people can die from complications of the disease. Complications of the disease were the cause of Ali’s death, not Parkinson’s itself. He died of septic shock after spending five days at an Arizona hospital for what started out as respiratory problems and gradually worsened. We only know that Ali was

GLENN ELLIS  GEORGE CURRY MEDIA

hospitalized for a “respiratory infection.” Sepsis is the body’s reaction to fight infection that becomes essentially failed effort. The body’s trying so hard to fight infection and basically just gives out. Septic shock is what happens as a complication of an infection where toxins can initiate a fullblown inflammatory response from the immune system. The CDC reports that more than 1 million cases of sepsis are recorded in the United States each year, and between 28 and 50 percent of people who suffer from sepsis die.

Slow degeneration Parkinson’s involves the malfunction and death of vital nerve cells called “neurons” in the brain. It is a very slowly progressive neurodegenerative condition affecting multiple circuits in the brain.

EDITORIAL

A5

VISUAL VIEWPOINT: MUHAMMAD ALI, 1942-2016

a $10,000, but was released on bond pending appeal. Unfortunately, the New York Athletic Commission summarily banned him from boxing and revoked his heavyweight title.

Castigated by Robinson Jackie Robinson was probably the only Black athlete more famous than Ali at the time; not least because Robinson retired, then traveled and marched with Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. during the height of the Civil Rights Movement. That’s why it was so significant when Robinson condemned Ali as follows: “I think that he’s hurting, I think, the morale of a lot of young Negro soldiers over in Vietnam. And the tragedy to me is that Cassius has made millions of dollars off of the American public, and now he’s not willing to show his appreciation to a country that is giving him, in my view, a fantastic opportunity, hurts a great number of people.” To fully appreciate his condemnation, it might be helpful to know that Robinson was drafted to serve during World War II. Heavyweight boxing champion Joe Louis enlisted to serve during that war.

Great risk Ironically, it was Ali’s defiant refusal to be drafted for Vietnam that made him so heroic. Here is how civil rights firebrand Stokely Carmichael hailed Ali — courtesy of Dave Zirin’s 2009 book, “A People’s History of Sports in The United States: 250 Years of Politics, Protests, People, and Play”: “Lots of people refused to go… But no one risked as much from their decision not to go to war in Vietnam as much as Muhammad Ali. And his real greatness can be seen in the fact that, despite all that was done to him, he became even greater and more humane.” As opposition to the war grew, the athletic commission seized the opportunity to reinstate Ali’s boxing license in 1970. But by then, he had lost more than three years of boxing in his prime – from age 25 to 29. In a unanimous but anticlimactic decision, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned his conviction in 1971.

Won’t take risks

DAVID FITZSIMMONS, THE ARIZONA STAR

Muhammad Ali.” This, after all, is the same Tiger who was so zealous about protecting his brand, he conscientiously objected to being called Black – preferring what he deemed the more marketable classification, “Cablanasian.” Then there’s the truly selfish precedent no less an athlete than Michael Jordan set. He was so zealous about protecting his brand, he conscientiously objected to endorsing a Black candidate for the U.S. Senate – from his home state of North Carolina no less. Jordan infamously justified his conscientious objection by saying, “Republicans buy shoes, too.”

No better role model Frankly, it’s easy to see why no athlete has sacrificed more for the national advancement of Black people than Muhammad Ali. And with respect to having the courage of one’s convictions, no athlete has stood as a better role model for us all. Meanwhile, other celebrities are competing with athletes to pay homage to Ali by posting typically superficial musings on social media, which are intended more to draw attention to them than to honor him. Exhibit A is Donald Trump. This, of course, is the same Islamophobic Trump who, just months ago, was tweeting that he can’t think of a single Muslim worthy of presidential praise as an American hero – Muhammad Ali and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar be damned (or banned?) Later in life, Ali received numerous accolades for his humanitarian, interfaith, and charitable works. For example, both Sports Illustrated magazine and the BBC named him Sportsman of the Century in 1999; President George W. Bush awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005; and his hometown of Louisville opened the Muhammad Ali Center also in 2005, which chronicles his life and promotes tolerance and respect among all people.

I can’t imagine any other athlete risking so much to stand on any principle. In fact, political activism for most athletes these days is limited to posting feckless tweets like #BringBackOurGirls, or wearing t-shirts with fashionable slogans like “Hands Up Don’t Shoot” and “I Can’t Breathe.” Nothing is more cynical in this Ironic, cruel fate respect than headlines about But it seemed a fate as ironic Tiger Woods “leading the golf as it was cruel when he was diworld in celebrating the life of agnosed in 1984 with Parkinson’s The Mayo Clinic describes Parkinson’s as “a progressive disorder of the nervous system that affects movement. It develops gradually, sometimes starting with a barely noticeable tremor in one hand. But while a tremor may be the most well-known sign of Parkinson’s disease, the disorder also commonly causes stiffness or slowing of movement.” During the early stages, the person’s face begins to show little, or no, expression, and the arms no longer swing when the person walks. As the disease progresses, tremors and shaking becomes more and more pronounced, and what speech remains is slurred or becomes very soft, almost mumbling. Parkinson’s patients also experience non-motor symptoms, which studies have shown may be even more disabling. These symptoms may include depression, anxiety, and sexual dysfunction.

Caused by boxing? The general consensus from the scientific and the medical community (and many of his fans and detractors) is that Ali’s condition was the result of the continued pounding to his head during his career as a boxer. They believe that repeated hits to the head might contribute to Parkinson’s. Comparing the brain to a squishy ball, when it’s hit extremely hard, the ball bounces against the skull. About three to 12 days later, massive inflam-

mation follows and the brain is flooded with proteins that are associated with Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s. Parkinson’s results from a loss of brain cells that produce the chemical dopamine. After inflammation, these dopamine neurons are much more fragile, and more likely to become injured by other things, such as regular aging.

May be genetic But the scientific evidence points to a genetic predisposition. According to several neurological experts familiar with Ali’s symptoms and the course of his disease, they conclude that they were also consistent with a genetic form of Parkinson’s. His late trainer, Angelo Dundee, and his daughter Rasheda indicate that Ali may have boxed with symptoms of Parkinson’s. In some patients, events such as head trauma or medications can “unmask” disease that’s still in its earliest stage. So, in Ali’s case, boxing may have contributed to his illness, but genetics was likely a bigger factor. Like any other disease or medical condition, should we become affected, we must always remember that life can, and must, go on. Parkinson’s disease is a progressive disorder, and although it is not considered to be a fatal disease, symptoms do worsen over time and make life difficult.

disease. There are credible but conflicting reports that repeated boxing blows to his head caused it. Whatever the case, Parkinson’s soon reduced this man who once floated like a butterfly and stung like a bee, to one so stricken with tremors he could hardly…pee. Perhaps even worse, though, it put a zip on his Louisville lip. Ali’s condition first shocked most of us during the opening ceremony of the 1996 Centennial Olympics in Atlanta. When he suddenly appeared as the final torchbearer, it was heartwarming and heartbreaking in equal measure to see him battling his unruly tremors just to light the flame. In that moment, I made a causal link between boxing and his pitiable condition. My love for the “sweet science” of boxing has never been the same. But it speaks volumes about his character that the withering ravages of Parkinson’s did not cause him to shun public appearances. Most notably, he continued fundraising for his many charities and foundations, including the Special Olympics and the Parkinson’s Society.

Stiff photo ops Sadly, this included being propped up for photo ops with all kinds of people. This, even though the resulting image often looked like a screenshot from “Weekend at Ali’s.” But they do it because a selfie – even with “The Greatest” on his deathbed – is by definition more about them than him. Ali died late last week at a hospital in Arizona. He is survived by nine children from four wives. Which compels one to hope they do not defile his legacy by fighting over his fortune, the way the heirs of MLK and James Brown defiled their respective legacies by doing so. Farewell, Champ.

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

Treatment available There are many medications available to treat the symptoms of Parkinson’s, although none yet that actually reverse the effects of the disease. It is common for people with Parkinson’s to take a variety of these medications in order to manage the symptoms of the disease. Life expectancy for people with Parkinson’s who receive proper treatment is often about the same as for the general population. The average life expectancy of a Black man in America is 75.5 years. Muhammad Ali died six months’ shy of his 75th birthday. Early detection is the key to reducing complications that can shorten your life from Parkinson’s or any other condition. That’s another good reason for regular checkups with your doctor. Remember, I’m not a doctor. I just sound like one. Glenn Ellis is a regular media contributor on health equity and medical ethics. For more information, visit www.glennellis.com. The information included in this column is for educational purposes only. It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Consult your healthcare provider to determine the appropriateness of the information for their own situation or if they have any questions regarding a medical condition or treatment plan.

TOJ A6

NATION

JUNE 10 – JUNE 16, 2016

How Ali helped Lexington heal wounds 1994 visit helped ease racial tensions after Black teen killed by officer

45-minute visit to the center, but Ali’s wife, Lonnie, told Grundy, “You need to plan for longer. It’s going to take longer to get him out of there.”

BY BRIAN SIMMS LEXINGTON HERALD-LEADER TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE

Ali, then 53, did not speak much during his 2 1/2-hour morning visit with about 300 at the Dunbar Community Center – his Parkinson’s disease made it difficult for him to talk. But he cuddled and kissed babies, embraced his fans and signed scraps of paper, boxing gloves and a Muhammad Ali pinball machine. By the time he left, he had a smear of pink lipstick on his left cheek and dozens of small boys clutching at his coattails. “They were drawn to his incredible personality,” Grundy said. “When he walked in it was like magic.” Next was a visit to Rupp Arena to see the basketball Wildcats take on Florida. But Ali had other plans first.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – October 1994 was one of Lexington’s darkest chapters. An 18-year-old unarmed Black man named Tony Sullivan was killed by a White Lexington police officer. The officer, Sgt. Phil Vogel, said his gun fired by accident. He was not indicted or criminally charged, and Sullivan’s death sparked public protest and raised tensions across Lexington. That’s when Chester Grundy had a thought. “I was trying to come up with an idea to bring some calm to the situation,” said the founder of the Martin Luther King Cultural Center at the University of Kentucky.

The humanitarian Grundy had just seen the play “Ali” at the National Black Arts Festival in Atlanta and thought its message could help heal Lexington’s wounds. So with the help of former Gov. John Y. Brown, Jr., one of Ali’s fans, they brought the ex-heavyweight champion boxer and his play to Lexington. “We were inviting Ali the humanitarian, not the sports celebrity,” Grundy said. On Feb. 18, 1995, Ali visited Lexington’s Dunbar Community Center. It was supposed to be just a

‘Like magic’

Chose the crowd During the ride to Rupp, Ali said, “I think I’ll stop some traffic now.” So he stood up in the limousine at the intersection of Upper and Main streets. “The intersection was at a standstill,” said Grundy of the people hoping to get a peek of the Louisville native. As they arrived at Rupp, Grundy said Ali was presented with two ways to enter the basketball arena – a secure tunnel that led directly to the floor, or the crowded lobby of the Hyatt Regency Hotel adjacent to Rupp Arena. Ali chose the crowd.

“He entertained, and he told jokes. He was in the moment,” Grundy said. “The energy of that room was what he wanted.”

A few jabs A playful Ali met the UK players in the locker room before the game. “He said, ‘I’ll take you all on,’ ” guard Jeff Sheppard said at the time. But Ali also threw some punches. “I jabbed at Anthony Epps,” Rodrick Rhodes said of the meeting. “He told Epps he reminded him of Joe Frazier.” During the game the three-time heavyweight boxing champion sat on the team bench with sunglasses on.

Game to remember UK coach Rick Pitino said after the game that the players were too young to remember Ali in his fighting prime. “For me, personally, it was a thrill of a lifetime,” the coach said of Ali’s presence on the bench. With 1:23 left and the Cats ahead by two, 77-75, Sheppard was fouled but had to leave the game because of blood on his nose. Chris Harrison entered the game and made both free throws. As Harrison shot and team physician David Caborn worked on a cut on Sheppard’s nose, Sheppard turned to Ali and said something. Ali and Sheppard then smiled. “I told him I got punched in the nose,” Sheppard said. CHARLES BERTRAM/LEXINGTON HERALD-LEADER/TNS Ali spent that night in Lexington and attended Muhammad Ali attends an announcement marking a new philanthropic initiative church the next day before between Alltech, of World Equestrian Games fame, and the Muhammad Ali Center leaving. Global Education and Charitable Fund in Lexington, Ky., on May 19, 2009.

Flood of memories for Norton Jr. after Ali’s death couldn’t speak but reached out to Ken Jr. and family through his wife, Lonnie.

‘Tune-up for Ali’ Ali, a 5-to-1 favorite in the first bout, entered the ring wearing a robe furnished by Elvis Presley, angling for a rematch with Joe Frazier for the heavyweight belt. Ken Norton Sr. was 291, but had fought nobody of note and had suffered an eighth-round knockout loss to Jose Luis Garcia. “He was kind of a tuneup for Ali in between fights, and it was considered one of the biggest mismatches,” Norton said. “It was early in his career, and he was really fortunate Ali agreed to fight him. And at that point, my father was in the best shape of his life.” Ken Sr. was a single father at the time, working at a Ford plant during the

UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL/DPA/ZUMA PRESS/TNS

Muhammad Ali hits Ken Norton Sr. in the head during a match in Inglewood, Calif., in 1973. BY JERRY MCDONALD EAST BAY TIMES/TNS

ALAMEDA, Calif. — When Muhammad Ali passed away on June 3, the memories came to Ken Norton Jr. in a rush. The Raiders defensive coordinator flashed back to being a 6-year-old kid, sitting in a room at the La Jolla Village Inn with his grandmother. His father, Ken Norton Sr., was fighting Ali at the nearby San Diego Sports Arena on March 31, 1973. “I remember it like it was yesterday,” Norton said Tuesday in an interview with the Bay Area News Group. “My father didn’t allow me to go to the fights, so we had to sit around and wait for the news to get back to the hotel. We finally got the news that he had won, that he had broken (Ali’s) jaw … it was one of

“He and my father became real good friends, competitors that came to respect one another.’’ Ken Norton Jr. the most exciting times of my life.

Kind, approachable Norton fought Ali three times, each fight as close as the next. Norton won the first one. Some observers

believe he won all three. “He and my father became real good friends, competitors that came to respect one another,” Norton said. “We were very thankful for the start that he gave us.” Ken Jr. met Ali on a handful of occasions, finding him to be “very kind, very approachable and playful. He used to do magic tricks, showing us how he could levitate off the ground. Always smiling, asking how we were doing. Even now my sister is best friends with one of his daughters. Our families were intertwined like that.” When Ken Sr. was in a serious auto accident in 1986 and wasn’t expected to survive, Ali spent two days visiting with him at the hospital. By the time Ken Sr. died after a series of strokes in 2013, Ali, stricken with Parkinson’s Syndrome,

day, training at night. He would occasionally leave Ken Jr. with neighbors to make sure his son would get a good meal. “There were so many things we didn’t have,” Ken Jr. said. “We were in a onebedroom apartment. I was always begging him for a bike. We were never able to get one. I was begging him, ‘Dad, can we have a home?’ ”

Watched fights together After the fight, Ken Jr. got his bike, Ken Sr. bought a home in Carson, and the nobody became a contender. Norton, who briefly held the WBC heavyweight belt in 1978, retired in 1981 with a record of 42-7-1. Ken Jr. understands his father not wanting to see him fight, but as he became older and an athlete,

they watched tapes of the Ali bouts together. “I kind of talked them through with him. I just wanted to see what my father had,” Norton said. “He was athletic, he was long, he was quick, he had intensity, he was smart. I see a lot of carry-over between boxing and football, so I understand what he went through.” Norton takes pride in the fact that his father fought 39 rounds with Ali that were nearly dead even. Ali won the second fight by split-decision and the third by an extremely close and controversial unanimous decision. “(My father) arguably won all three of them,” Norton said. “As great as Ali was, my father was the one guy who was able to stand toe to toe with him. It’s something I’m very proud of.”

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Reflecting on

AN ICON A life dedicated to greatness The dichotomous civil rights record of Muhammad Ali

is beautiful” during the civil rights movement when few dared to publicly espouse those feelings. Comedian and social activist Dick Gregory once said of him: “Ali BY GREGORY CLAY was black and proud of it at a time when many black uhammad Ali, forAmericans were running merly known as Casfrom their color.” sius Clay before his Nevertheless, in an evoluIslamic conversion in 1964, in tionary sense, Thomas Haussome ways, is akin to his last er’s book, “Muhammad Ali: name — clay. That is to say, like His Life and Times,” offered, clay, he could represent many in 1991, a detailed metamorvariables/images to observers, phosis of Ali, who later in life supporters and detractors, and, said: “... Here in this country, as a result, could be molded to we’ve been making progress fit several paradigms. Ali, who on how people get along. has a star on Hollywood’s acBut there’s still hatred, and claimed “Walk of Fame,” once said he was the “onliest boxer to hating someone because of his color is wrong. It’s wrong be asked questions like a senaboth ways; it don’t matter tor.” Many have molded/sculptwhich color does the hating. ed him into the image of their All people, all colors, got to own comfort zone, their own political views. A fascinating di- work to get along.” Others viewed him as a chotomy, indeed. public figure grounded in soFamed talk show host Phil cial principle because of Ali’s Donahue said of Ali on PBS on April 17, 2012, “I think he’s THE refusal to enlist in the Army and his staunch war opposiathlete of the 20th century, and tion. Remember, Ali famousI also think he should have won ly said then, “I ain’t got no the Nobel Peace Prize.” quarrel with them Viet Cong However, if someone want... they never called me niged to view the loud and charger.” That stance cost Ali his ismatic Ali as a deeply flawed heavyweight title, his boxing black separatist, well ... there license, nearly four years in is evidence of that, too. In 1971 during an appearance on a BBC the prime of his career at age 25, boxing purses and potelecast featuring talk-show tential commercial endorsehost Sir Michael Parkinson, Ali ments. said comparaMany obtively: “We are servers altogether dif(Ali) is the epitome excoriferent. Blueated Ali birds fly with of the old cliché: If for that bluebirds, redstance, birds want to you don’t stand for calling be with redunbirds, pigeons something, you will fall him patriotic; want to be others symwith pigeons, for anything.” pathized, buzzards want hailing him to be with buz— Doug Williams a visionary zards. They Super Bowl XXII-winning as he spoke are all birds, quarterback to college but they have audiences different culthroughout the country durtures ... ing his exile. “I think Americans “I don’t see no black and respect those who lose money white couples in England and based on principle,” suggested America walking around proud former New York Times sports holding their children, and gocolumnist Robert Lipsyte, who ing out.” But in the same interview, Ali started writing about Ali in says: “I want to be with my own. 1964. When the New York State SuI love my people. I don’t hate preme Court, in 1970, ruled that nobody.” Ali was unjustly denied a boxNotice the last four words, ing license and later the U.S. hence the dichotomy/contraSupreme Court, in 1971, overdiction of the irrepressible Ali. To understand this line of think- turned his conviction for his refusal to be inducted into miliing, you have to connect with tary service, the tide was turnthe context of the 1960s. Racial ing against the Vietnam War. segregation and inequality of Many Americans, especially civil rights, if not by law then by college students, viewed U.S. incustom, was en vogue. volvement in Southeast Asia as Ali, along with iconic singer futile and, thusly, exalted Ali to James Brown, preached “black hero status.

M

CHUCK KENNEDY/TNS

President George W. Bush presents Muhammad Ali the Presidential Medal of Freedom during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House in 2005.

MARK CORNELISON/LEXINGTON HERALD-LEADER

Muhammad Ali gives a hug to Michell Butler who presented a gift from New Zealand’s Maori people at the dedication of the Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville, Ky., in November 2005. One of Ali’s stoutest admirers was a youth in Louisiana named Doug Williams. “Man, I love Muhammad Ali,” Williams once said. “There are two people I really wanted to meet growing up. One was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (formerly known as Lew Alcindor). The other was Muhammad Ali. One of the biggest regrets of my lifetime is that I haven’t been able to shake his hand. When I see him on television, I get chill bumps.” Williams, of course, grew up to be an NFL quarterback with the Washington Redskins; he’s the first black quarterback to start — and win — a Super Bowl. Despite loyal supporters, like Williams, in Ali’s admiration corner, the former boxer’s detractors also voiced their opinion — in brusque fashion. Former Sports Illustrated boxing writer Mark Kram Sr., author of Ali book “Ghosts of Manila,’’ wrote in 2001: “Seldom has a public figure of such superficial depth been more wrongly perceived — by the right and the left. ... Current hagiographers have tied themselves in knots trying to elevate Ali into a heroic, defiant catalyst of the anti-war movement, a beacon of black independence. It’s a legacy that evolves from the intellectually loose sixties, from those who were in school then and now write romance history.” On the other hand, the Pulitzer Prize-winning David Remnick cast Ali, in the book “King of the World,” as a “new kind of black man,” referring to Ali’s outspokenness and defiance in challenging the system. Said actor/comedian Robert Wuhl, who has appeared in several sports movies: “At one time he was the most famous man on the planet. The only thing is people should remember the entire picture. His treatment of (rival boxer) Joe Frazier

JOHN PEODINCUK/NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Muhammad Ali is photographed with Nation of Islam leader Malcolm X in New York in this undated photo. was awful; but he seems to get a pass on that. He became such a beloved figure later in life. Ali is special. He’s one of the most important figures in the second half of the century — whether political, sports, pop culture, entertainment. He was transcendent.” Case in point: A BBC News poll voted Muhammad Ali the greatest sports person of the second millennium in 1999. No. 2 was Brazilian soccer star Pele; NBA great Michael Jordan was No. 4. Many people today revered Ali for his humanitarian work as “a Muslim of the world.” In 1990, he helped return safely

15 hostages held in Iraq to the United States; in 1998, he was appointed a United Nations Messenger of Peace; in 2005, President George W. Bush bestowed him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom; in 2007, Ali, sadly stricken with Parkinson’s disease like Michael J. Fox, filmed a public-service commercial about his condition with the actor. In the end, Williams, the historic quarterback, once summarized, “I have a whole lot of admiration for Ali. He is the epitome of the old cliché: If you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything. His picture should be by that cliché.”

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CALENDAR

JUNE 10 – JUNE 16, 2016

STOJ

BOYZ II MEN

Tickets are already on sale for a Dec. 2 show featuring the iconic group at the Pompano Beach Amphitheater.

SEAL

The singer performs Aug. 18 at Hard Rock Live Hollywood. PHOTO BY VAUGHN WILSON

From left are Jeff Weddington, Morgan Culler, PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem and Amber Jones.

FAMU students get behind-thescenes experience on PGA Tour SPECIAL TO THE FLORIDA COURIER

PONTE VEDRA BEACH – Just a few weeks ago, three Florida A&M University students were afforded the unique opportunity of a lifetime. They were special invitees to cover one of the media days and practice rounds at The Players at TPC at Sawgrass. Widely regarded as the “fifth major” on the PGA Tour, The Players annually has one of the best fields in golf. This year was no different as top golfers Rory McIllroy, Jordan Spieth, Jason Day and Ricky Fowler were in the field. The FAMU students were rewarded with the opportunity by PGA Tour Media Relations on a special invite afforded to FAMU Athletics. All three students were interns in FAMU Athletics for the 201516 school year and were rewarded for their professionalism and drive during the year. FAMU Sports Information Director Vaughn Wilson escorted the students to the tournament. Wilson covered the PGA Tour for nine years as the sports editor of the Capital Outlook Newspaper and his work was published in Black newspapers in Florida and across the nation via the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA).

‘Valuable experiences’ The students were Morgan Culler (senior business/journalism student), Amber Jones (senior journalism student), and Jeff Weddington (graphic design graduate, spring 2016). FAMU Athletic Director Milton Overton was supportive of the intern initiative. “When we formed our internship partnership with our journalism and

Annual Miami beachfront remembrance honors ancestors A South Florida grassroots tradition of more than two decades continues June 19 with the Sunrise Ancestral Remembrance of the Middle Passage Ceremony. It will be held from 5:30 to 8 a.m. at Historic Virginia Key Beach Park, 4020 Virginia Beach Drive, Miami, off Rickenbacker Causeway. Admission to the event is free and open to the public.

business schools, we committed to Dean Ann Kimbrough and Dean Shawnta Friday-Stroud that we would expose these students to the highest level of professionalism and give them valuable experiences to prepare them for their careers,” Overton said. “We are proud of the fact that our students got an opportunity to experience professional sports media at its highest level.”

‘Stepped into the future’ The day began with a tour of what is considered one of the most technologically advanced media facilities in the world. “When we walked into the media center at TPC at Sawgrass, it was like we stepped into the future,” Culler said. “I would never have imagined that media would have the luxury of a dedicated press room, fully multimedia-capable press auditorium, gourmet cafeteria and virtually anything they could imagine to facilitate them providing coverage of The Players.” After the tour of the media center, the interns were escorted to the “First Timers” press conference. That press conference was for players who were playing in the tournament for the first time. The interns researched the players in advance and had selected Tallahassee resident Hudson Swafford as one of their interview targets. Swafford noticed the Rattler icon on the polo shirts of the interns and flashed a smile as he recognized that the students were hometown media. Swafford was the first of several interviews the interns had the opportunity to do with current PGA golfers.

CLIFTON DAVIS

The Central Florida Pharmacy Council’s Black Men’s Health Summit on June 18 will feature actor Clifton Davis as its keynote speaker. The free expo is from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Register at www.blackmenshealthsummit.com.

FLORIDA COMMUNITY CALENDAR Fort Lauderdale: A screening of Point and Drive,” a new documentary that highlights HBCUs’ music programs, debuts at 7:15 p.m. June 10 at the African-American Research Library and Cultural Center, 2650 Sistrunk Blvd. The film is produced by Florida A&M University grad Brandi Mitchell. Miami Gardens: Mayor Oliver Gilbert is sponsoring a hands-on CPR training at 9 a.m. and 10:30 p.m. on June 11 at Antioch Missionary Baptist Church, 21311 NW 34th Ave. Training continues June 18 at the Betty T. Ferguson Recreational Complex, 3000 NW 199th St. Times: 10:30 a.m., 11:45 a.m., 1 p.m. and 2:15 p.m. St. Petersburg: B.o.B. is scheduled June 24 at State Theatre.

Hollywood: Comedian Hannibal Buress performs July 22 at Hard Rock Live. Miami: Joe and Avant will perform July 1 at the James L. Knight Center. Tampa: A concert featuring John P. Kee and Kierra Sheard is June 20 at the Tampa Convention Center. Pont Vedra Beach: The Robert Cray Band performs July 8 at the Ponte Vedra Concert Hall. Jacksonville: Catch a concert with Jeezy and friends July 9 at the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena. Miami: The Golden and Golden Gates Foundation, named after Rosalyn Maurice Golden and Yvonne ScarlettGolden, will present a Rise and Shine Summer Series for youth starting June 14 at Beulah Missionary Baptist Church, 3695 Frow Ave. Details: http://goldenandgolden-

gat.wix.com/smr16. Tampa: Girls Raised in The South (G.R.I.T.S.) is hosting a fundraiser, “Recognizing Ordinary Women Doing Extraordinary Things,’’ on June 18 at 6 p.m. Honorees are Gloria Andrews, Sarah Kilker and Margarita Gonzalez. It will include a Tampa’s Business Men on Parade fashion show. Tickets: 813-731-1720. Tampa: Anthony Hamilton and Fantasia will perform June 16 at the USF Sun Dome. St. Petersburg: Swiyyah Woodard, author of “Don’t Call Me Crazy,’’ will speak at a free mental health awareness forum at 3 p.m. on June 25 at the James Weldon Johnson Community Library, 1059 18th Ave. S. She will discuss her experience living with paranoid schizophrenia. More information: 727-7760291.

This story is courtesy of the FAMU Sports Information staff.

The ceremony honors the memory of all those who endured the Middle Passage, the forced migration of millions of African captives across the Atlantic aboard slave ships for nearly four centuries. Participants are encouraged (but not required) to take drums and musical instruments, fruits, flowers, grains, and other appropriate offerings to be carried out to sea at the conclusion of the ceremony, as well refreshments to share afterward. The event is organized by Productive Hands, Drums-N-Unity, the Dos Amigos/Fair Rosamond Slave Ship Replica Project, the Florida Black Historical Research Project, Inc., and the Kuumba Artists Collective, in cooperation with the Virginia Key Beach Park Trust. For further information, call 786-2601246 or 305-904-7620.

LEGENDARY PICTURES AND UNIVERSAL PICTURES PRESENT A LEGENDARY PICTURES/BLIZZARD ENTERTAINMENT/ATLAS ENTERTAINMENT PRODUCTION “WARCRAFT” TRAVIS FI M MEL PAULA PATTONCO-BEN FOSTER DOMINIC COOPER TOBY KEBBELL BEN SCHNETZER ROB KAZINSKY AND DANIEL WU EXECUTIVE MUSIC BY RAMIN DJAWADI PRODUCERS CHRIS METZEN NICK CARPENTER ROB PARDO PRODUCERS JILLIAN SHARE BRENT O’CONNOR MIKE MORHAIMBASED E PAULON BLIZZARD SAMS PRODUCEDBY CHARLES ROVEN p.g.a. THOMAS TULL p.g.a. JON JASHNI p.g.a. DIRECTED ALEX GARTNER p.g.a. STUART FENEGAN p.g.a. WRITTEN ENTERTAINMENT’S “WARCRAFT” BY CHARLES LEAVITT AND DUNCAN JONES BY DUNCAN JONES VISUAL EFFECTS AND ANIMATION BY INDUSTRIAL LIGHT & MAGIC A UNIVERSAL RELEASE SOUNDTRACK ON BACK LOT MUSIC

CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS FOR THEATERS AND SHOWTIMES

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POLITICS

JUNE 10 – JUNE 16, 2016

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Young voters have little faith in government Since they became adults and began dealing with taxes, mortgages, health insurance and jobs, most voters under 40 have witnessed only what most regard as an inert, bickering Congress and White House. BY DAVID LIGHTMAN TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE

BRADENTON — Morgan Bettes started her downtown music-promotion company 11 months ago armed with business savvy and a lot of hope. She’s not relying on government policy, nor the outcome of the November election, to give her much help. “I probably should be thinking about that, but I don’t,” said Bettes, who’s 27. Just like so many others in her generation. Unlike their parents, younger people don’t regard Washington — or their presidential votes in the fall — as an important force behind their economic well-being. “I don’t think the presidential race has anything to do with economics anymore,” said Tifini Hill, 36, a financial systems administrator from Brandon, near Tampa. Rebecca Arends, 26, is an attorney from Tampa with tens of thousands of dollars in outstanding student debt. She’s paying 6.8 percent in interest, the rate

GRANT JEFFERIES/BRADENTON HERALD/TNS

Morgan Bettes, a Bradenton music promoter, has a small business and doesn’t anticipate much help from the government. She’s interested in the election, but doesn’t see how it’ll benefit her very much. on loans to a graduate or professional student, well above the prime rate. She’s a fan of President Barack Obama’s, but she lamented that he hadn’t done much to help her with the loans. “I’ve kind of given up on the government helping me out,” Arends said.

Hope in Obama This disdain for all things political is a logical aftershock from the politics that dominated the younger generation’s most impressionable years. Since they became adults and began dealing with taxes, mortgages, health insurance and jobs, most voters un-

der 40 have witnessed only what most regard as an inert, bickering Congress and White House. For the past 15 years, they’ve seen the federal debt balloon to onceunfathomable numbers, watched the nation stumble through wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and endured a bitterly polarized political system. Add to that the grave disappointment younger voters felt after 2008, when they turned out in big numbers for Obama. “There was so much optimism when Obama was elected,” said John Della Volpe, the director of polling at Harvard University’s

If time & money were not an issue... Where would you travel?

Institute of Politics, which regularly surveys 18- to 29-year-olds.

What American dream? But the good feeling was tempered by the times. The nation was enduring the worst economic recession since the 1930s. The government tried to ease the pain, but to people just starting to struggle to compete in the adult world, it wasn’t enough. The pessimism lingers. Today’s college students “feel government is not there to help,” said Sylvia Panetta, co-chairman of California’s Panetta Institute, which surveys those students. Nearly 3 of 4 in the institute’s spring study said it would be tougher for their generation to achieve the American dream than it had been for their parents. These attitudes are shaping a major change in how voters choose presidential candidates. Absent an active war, people historically vote their wallets. In 1992, Bill Clinton’s answer to a recession was a line-by-line description of how he’d improve the economy. Ronald Reagan won in 1980 with his prescriptions for easing double-digit inflation and unemployment. Each candidate came with records of governing and some expectation that Washington also could be governed. Today’s younger voters don’t see the political system as providing any special potions for improving their lot in what they view as a persistently sluggish economy.

‘Do it yourself’ Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent senator who’s running for the Democratic presidential nomination, is promising to fight for free tuition for public college and university students, and presumptive party nominee Hillary Clinton has a plan to overhaul the lending system. But younger voters aren’t counting on government smoothing their path. Too expensive, they say, and too unrealistic. The college-related issue that should be addressed, said Victoria Pearce, 22, a Florida State University law student, is that “we’ve made it so easy for everyone to go to college. Most of us now have to go on to more school.” That undoubtedly means more expenses and more debt, rather than waiting for the government to come to the rescue. “Mainly you have to do it for yourself,” said John Garneau, 26, a machinist from Bradenton who’s studying at Manatee Technical College.

Economic drivers Outside college campuses, young people in the business world have much the same do-it-yourself attitude. Matt Gilbert, 38, started Custom Computer & Network Solutions in Bradenton six years ago. While he relies on military and medical-based clients, he’s not looking to this year’s election results to make much difference. “Every candidate is going to say they’re the

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Edge for Dems Given the disconnect with economic policy, young Americans tend to judge candidates on some social issues and on personality. Democrats have an edge because they’re seen as more tolerant of gay rights, abortion and other social issues. And Clinton starts with an advantage, though she generates little enthusiasm. “For some reason, I just don’t like her,” said Garneau, who voted for Obama twice. But he’s not a Donald Trump fan. “I don’t think the country should be run like a business,” he said. Indeed, younger voters also feel little ardor for Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee. The bigger question involves whether they will vote at all. “I can’t tell you I have an answer, but I’ll tell you what we’re doing now isn’t working,” said Patricia Mitchell, 32, a paralegal from Bradenton, who said she “likes and dislikes different things” about Trump. Turnout among voters under 30 plunged in 2012. In 2008, voter turnout for people 18 to 29 was 51 percent, well below any other age group’s percentage but up from 49 percent in 2004 and 40 percent in 2000. In 2012, the turnout dropped to 45 percent; the national figure was 62 percent. Gilbert voted for Obama in 2008 and Republican Mitt Romney four years ago. This time, he said, “I’m picking leftovers.”

Young voters and presidential races Percentage of 18- to 29-year-olds who reported voting 60%

1992 Clinton vs. GHW Bush, Perot 52%

2008 Obama vs. 2004 McCain Bush vs. 51.1% Kerry 49%

50%

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world’s best,” he figured. What affects these young people more, said Ben Bakker, 40, a commercial real estate agent in Bradenton, are local economic drivers. “They’re the ones deciding our property tax rates and other things that directly affect us every day,” he said, important factors in his business. With the economy low on the list of governmentrelated concerns, there’s no easy way to gauge how young people will vote. The Harvard spring survey found that a scant 15 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds saw the nation going in the right direction, below other generations’ already dismal numbers. Half of the younger people agreed that “politics today is no longer able to meet the challenges our country is facing,” while just 16 percent disagreed. Only 23 percent trusted the federal government and 18 percent trusted Congress.

40%

2000 1996 Bush vs. Clinton vs. Gore Dole 40.3% 39.6%

2012 Obama vs. Romney 45%

30% Source: The Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement Graphic: Michael Hogue, Dallas Morning News/TNS

B4

NATION

JUNE 10 – JUNE 16, 2016

STOJ

PHOTOS BY ZBIGNIEW BZDAZ/CHICAGO TRIBUNE/TNS)

Michael Strautmanis, vice president of civic engagement for the Obama Foundation, poses for a portrait at their new headquarters on the South Side on March 18 in Chicago.

Temporary home for Obama’s library archives Empty furniture store in Chicago will be site of artifacts, paperwork

dential Center possesses the 9 mm Glock pistol Saddam Hussein had when he was captured in 2003. Richard Nixon’s library holdings include the one-line letter he sent Secretary of State Henry Kissinger in 1974: “I hereby resign the Office of the President of the United States.” And in Lyndon Johnson’s library is one of the fountain pens he used to enact the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

BY KATHERINE SKIBA CHICAGO TRIBUNE TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE

WASHINGTON — Before the doors of President Barack Obama’s library open on Chicago’s South Side, truckloads of White House archives will be shipped to a former furniture store in the northwest suburbs. A massive volume of paperwork, electronic data and artifacts will find a temporary home at the old Plunkett Home Furnishings store in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. As many as 120 employees will be brought in by the National Archives and Records Administration to sort through the material, which ultimately will be part of the Obama Presidential Center. The National Archives employees will organize, digitize and preserve the contents of what is sometimes called the “president’s attic,” said John Laster, who directs the Presidential Materials Division at the agency and has toured the Hoffman Estates site.

Spotlight speculation

Liz Siciliano, left, chief of staff of the Obama Foundation, and other staff members unpack at the new headquarters on the South Side on March 18 in Chicago.

October strt? The space was leased in February by the General Services Administration. Village officials are expected to consider a special use permit for the project, which has the backing of Mayor Bill McLeod, in July. Work at the location could start as soon as October. “Hoffman Estates, Illinois having the Obama archives for a few years, how do you calculate the benefit of that?” McLeod said. “It’s another mention, it’s another something about Hoffman Estates people read in the newspapers and this is good, having the archives for a few years, that’s really good.” Technically, the National Archives doesn’t take legal custody of Obama’s documents until 12:01 p.m. Jan. 20, 2017, after the next commander in chief takes the oath. But with an OK from the White House, the agency can begin shipping and organizing some materials well before that date, Laster said.

‘Courtesy storage’ The materials that will wind up in the library are not just from the Oval Office, but from almost every part of the Executive Office of the President. According to Laster, the agency already is provid-

Such holdings trigger speculation about what Obama will put on display from his eight years in office. Will Obama spotlight the Iran nuclear deal? His Nobel Prize? The Supreme Court’s decision to make same-sex marriage lawful? Will he downplay his squabbles with Congress? Or his failed pitch to bring the 2016 Olympics to Chicago? Time will tell. What is known is that Obama’s White House holdings are likely to surpass those amassed by the two previous administrations, in part because of heavy use of social media, Laster said. Previous presidential collections have also been stored in temporary quarters before making a landing at their final destination. Bush 43’s archives, which includes an estimated 200 million emails, 70 million pages of documents, 4 million photos and 43,000 artifacts, were shipped by truck and military-chartered air to a warehouse in Lewisville, Texas, before making the move to the library. The archives of his father, President George H.W. Bush, found a temporary home in a strip mall space previously occupied by a bowling alley and a Chinese restaurant, Laster said. Bill Clinton’s archives landed for a time in a former Oldsmobile dealership near his future library in Little Rock, Arknss.

Digitized, filed The Obama Foundation staffers are shown in their new headquarters in Chicago. ing “courtesy storage” for some of Obama’s presidential papers in a location he declined to disclose, though archivists can’t yet dig into the boxes of documents. The no-peeking rule does not apply to artifacts such as gifts from foreign leaders or haute couture gowns worn by Michelle Obama that are expected to be part of the collection. Archivists are bracing for 200 terabytes of electronic records covering Obama’s eight years in office. That’s a lot — 10 terabytes was enough to hold the printed collection of the Library of Congress, according to a 2000 study

by the University of California, Berkeley. The old Plunkett’s store, which was shuttered in 2009 after the housing market crashed, was leased by the government for six years for $11.3 million. The nearly 74,000 square feet of space will not be open to the public, so people will have to wait until Obama’s Presidential Center opens to lay eyes on the lode of documents and artifacts.

Open in 2021 The center is scheduled to open in 2021, though Freedom of Information Act requests for

records won’t be accepted until the following year, five years after Obama’s term is up. Some records will be off-limits for seven more years under the law that governs presidential records. With 13 presidential libraries in its portfolio — facilities that cost taxpayers nearly $69 million in the year ending last Sept. 30 — the National Archives is custodian of iconic artifacts past presidents have left to history and the libraries and museums built in their honor. The collections are an eclectic mix of papers and objects. The George W. Bush Presi-

It took eight flights aboard C-5 cargo planes to carry the shrinkwrapped, palletized boxes from the Clinton White House, Laster said. Clinton’s materials include about 80 million pages of documents, 1.8 million photos and more than 100,000 artifacts (including about 25,000 books,) Laster said. When work commences in Hoffman Estates, 40 tractortrailer trucks are set to drop off Obama White House materials over the first five months, village records show. Ultimately records will be digitized and paper documents placed in acid-free file folders and boxes by current National Archives employees and new hires, Laster said.

STOJ

JUNE 10 – JUNE 16, 2016

FINEST & ENTERTAINMENT

Meet some of

FLORIDA’S

finest

submitted for your approval

George Foreman has been sharing fond stories over the past week of his long friendship with Muhammad Ali. Foreman even laughs when he discusses the 1974 “Rumble in the Jungle” that ended with Ali’s eighth-round knockout. “It was like I was mugged in the jungle. I went there with two title belts, I came home with none,” Foreman said through laughter during a CBS interview. Foreman has enjoyed great success out of the ring over the years as an ordained minister, author and entrepreneur.

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.

Deshauna Barber, 26, has been crowned Miss USA. An Army officer from the District of Columbia, she is the first military member to win the Miss USA pageant. She wants to use her new platform to support veterans’ causes and tackle the issue of suicide and post-traumatic stress disorder among members of the military.

PHOTO COURTESY DAVID MCCLISTER/SHORE FIRE MEDIA

“This is Where I Live’’ is a new album by 76-year-old singer William Bell. He gained popularity in 1961 with his first hit, “You Don’t Miss Your Water (Till Your Well Runs Dry).”

Soul of William Bell still rings BY GREG KOT CHICAGO TRIBUNE TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE

Stax represented the apex of Southern soul and musical integration during the civil rights era, and William Bell was there from the beginning. Born in Memphis in 1939, he was one of the first artists signed to his hometown label in 1961, when it began its decade-long run of hits. Bell would prove to be one of Stax’s most valuable artists, as a singer, performer, producer and songwriter.

Now at 76, Bell has re-emerged with his gospel-trained voice still in excellent form on “This is Where I Live” (Concord). Produced by John Leventhal — who has worked with Rosanne Cash, Shawn Colvin, Rodney Crowell and Michelle Branch — the album is the most personal work Bell has ever created. Leventhal and Bell “wanted to have good songs, lyrical content and melodic structure — that’s what I’m about,” the singer says. “John and I decided we’re not going to re-create Stax but take some of those elements and

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go fresh into another era from the perspective of having lived some.”

Influenced by Cooke The album’s sparse arrangements and simmering grooves, accented with horns and backing vocals, put a spotlight on Bell’s voice and storytelling skills, a signature of his since his first hit in 1961, “You Don’t Miss Your Water (Till Your Well Runs Dry).” “John and I wrote (the song) ‘This is Where I Live,’ which is a bit autobiographical for me,” Bell says.

COURTESY OF THE MISS UNIVERSE ORGANIZATION

“I’m a staunch private person. I don’t open up readily. But John said, ‘You should trace your career back.’” “This is Where I Live” sketches the outlines of a life that was shaped by gospel music in Memphis when Bell was just a kid. “I started in church at 7 singing with the choir, and my stepfather took me to see Sam Cooke (with the Soul Stirrers) when I was about 9 or 10,” he says. “That solidified it for me as wanting to be a singer. My mom wanted me to become the first doctor in the family, but singing was a gift. I was writing poems and singing my whole life.”

“Albert didn’t like many people, but he liked me and Booker,” Bell says. “We were in the studio after a session, and Albert was looking for a song. I had this one idea, a bass line and the first verse and the chorus, that I had in mind for Rufus (Thomas). But I sang it for Albert, and he just said, ‘Wow!’ I went over to Booker’s house that night, and we put the structure to it. The next day, I had to stand behind the mic and whisper the lines to Albert as he sang during the recording, because Albert didn’t read and he was just learning the song.”

Early start

The song was a hit for King and then covered by numerous artists, including Cream. One of its most well-known lines — “If it wasn’t for bad luck, I wouldn’t have no luck at all” — had appeared in other blues songs, and Bell says such adages were commonplace in the South. “I was always surrounded by grown-ups as kid, and they would have these sayings: ‘You don’t miss your water till your well runs dry,’ and ‘If it wasn’t for bad luck …,’ things like that,” he says. “These things your grandparents would say would become a line in a song or the topic of the song.” He brings the song back on his new album in stripped-down form, even pulling out the iconic bass line. The focus becomes Bell’s gritty yet melodic voice and his precise way with words, its rueful tone in keeping with the album’s reflective mood.

At 14, he began working on weekends with Phineas Newborn’s big band, stocked with jazz musicians, and soaked up knowledge. He studied music theory and traded notes with his high school classmates Booker T. Jones and Al Jackson Jr., who would later form half of Booker T and the MG’s at the fledgling Stax. Bell’s work in the vocal group the Del-Rios, who backed up Carla Thomas on her hit “Gee Whiz,” brought him to the attention of Stax, where he was signed by co-founders Jim Stewart and Estelle Axton. He was encouraged to write songs as well as sing them, and came up with “You Don’t Miss Your Water” while stuck in a hotel room on the road and missing home. For an African-American kid with musical dreams growing up in the segregated South, Stax was a lifeline. “Thank God for Jim and Estelle,” Bell says. “They let little ghetto kids come in, and if you could sing or play an instrument, they let you hone your craft, record and earn money doing it. It kept us out of trouble and off the streets. We were like family. Didn’t matter what race, creed, color or gender you were. All that mattered was your talent or musicianship.”

Songwriter, producer Bell cut his own records at Stax but played an equally valuable role as a behind-the-scenes songwriter and producer. He and Jones wrote what would prove to be a blues standard, “Born Under a Bad Sign,” for Albert King in 1967.

Hit song

Master storyteller Bell remains a master of telling a vivid tale in three verses, and along the way dispensing some wisdom about life’s hard knocks. “The Three of Me,” co-written by Bell, Leventhal and Marc Cohn, is the type of song that only a singer who has experienced decades of ups and downs could’ve delivered with such poignant honesty. “The person listening to a song should be able to say, ‘I can relate to that — that sounded like it was about me,’ or they get something about life out of it,” Bell says. “And I write a lot about life. It goes back to my earliest work with Stax. When John and Marc brought the idea to me, I related right away. We’re more than one person as we go through life. I know it, I lived it, and now it’s a song.”

FOOD

B6

JUNE 10 – JUNE 16, 2016

TOJ

ON A ROLL

When your wheels are spinning too fast to stop, a roll-up is the perfect snack to recharge. These low-carb options are ready in minutes and easy to enjoy on the go. SMOKED SALMON, CUCUMBER AND CREAM CHEESE ROLL-UP Prep time: 5 minutes Servings: 1 2 tablespoons cream cheese 3 ounces smoked Chinook salmon 1/2 cucumber Spread cream cheese onto smoked salmon, place cucumber at one edge and roll up with salmon and cream cheese.

FROM FAMILY FEATURES

Whether hitting the road for a vacation, enjoying the great outdoors and warm weather or simply spending time with family and friends, your summer schedule is likely anything but slow. An on-the-go summer lifestyle requires energy, and portable meals and in-season ingredients are keys to a healthy eating strategy that can power you through the season. You can start by identifying foods that will keep you satisfied and energetic – and foods that are low in carbohydrates are a perfect fit. If you are looking for recipes and tips, Atkins is a good place to turn to as it offers a balanced diet, with reduced levels of refined carbohydrates and added sugars, and is rich in protein, fiber, fruits, vegetables and good fats. These recipes show how deliciously simple it can be to enjoy low-carb eating with fresh fruits and vegetables, such as blackberries, cucumber and avocado, in flavorful salads and refreshing beverages perfect for a break in a busy summer day. Find more recipes and tips to help you achieve a healthier lifestyle at Atkins.com. CRAB AND AVOCADO SALAD Prep time: 20 minutes Servings: 4 3 tablespoons mayonnaise 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 1 teaspoon cumin 1/2 teaspoon paprika 16 ounces canned crab 2 medium (7 1/2-8 inches) stalks celery, diced salt freshly ground black pepper 1 avocado, skinned, seeded and cubed 3 cups chopped watercress In large bowl, mix mayonnaise, lime juice, cumin and paprika.

Add crab meat and diced celery. Mix well; add salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste. Gently stir in avocado cubes. Divide watercress on four plates; top with salad. ALMOND-PINEAPPLE SMOOTHIE Prep time: 5 minutes Servings: 1 1/2 cup (8 ounces) plain yogurt 2 1/2 ounces fresh pineapple 20 whole blanched and slivered almonds 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk In blender, combine yogurt, pineapple, almonds and almond milk and puree until smooth and creamy. Note: Other low-carb fruits or nuts can be substituted for pineapple and/ or almonds.

VEGETARIAN TURKEY, SWISS AND ASPARAGUS ROLL-UP Prep time: 5 minutes Servings: 1 6 slices meatless veggie turkey 3 slices Swiss cheese 3 medium (5 1/4-7 inches) spears asparagus Lay down 2 slices of turkey then one slice of cheese. Place an asparagus spear at one end and roll up. Pin with toothpick if desired. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF GETTY IMAGES

BLACKBERRY SPINACH SALAD WITH GOAT CHEESE MEDALLIONS Prep time: 20 minutes Cook time: 10 minutes Servings: 6 1 large egg 1 ounce soft goat cheese 1/4 cup halved pecans 1/4 medium sliced (1/8-inch thick) red onions 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon 1 tablespoon xylitol 12 ounces blackberries, divided 1 1/3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar salt

black pepper 9 cups baby spinach 30 cherry tomatoes Heat oven to 350 F. In small, shallow bowl, whisk egg. Cut goat cheese into 12 1/2-inch rounds or roll into 12 equal balls and flatten. Dip each round into egg mixture and then roll in pecans, pressing them into cheese, if necessary. Place rounds onto sheet pan and bake 10 minutes, or saute in pan over medium-high heat, about 5 minutes per side. Remove from oven or pan and allow to cool slightly. In saute pan over medium heat, cook onion in oil with ground cinnamon

and granular sugar substitute, about 3 minutes. Add 6 ounces of blackberries and smash each with a fork. Cook 3-4 minutes then add balsamic vinegar and season with salt and black pepper. Cook another 2 minutes, remove from heat and allow to cool. Dressing can be used warm or cooled further. Add lemon juice or water if thinner consistency is desired. Combine spinach, tomatoes and remaining blackberries. Toss with half of the dressing then place goat cheese medallions on top. Serve with remain ing dressing on the side. Recipes courtesy of Atkins.com.

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