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JUNE 27 – JULY 3, 2014
VOLUME 22 NO. 26
HALL OF FAMER The Florida Courier’s founder and first publisher is recognized by the Florida newspaper trade organization for his service to the newspaper industry, Black Floridians, and the state of Florida. of Fame recognizes individuals who have rendered outstanding service in the field of newspaper journalism in Florida over the past 130 years. Florida Newspaper Hall of Fame nominees are eligible for selection normally no earlier than the third year following their retirement or death. No more than one nominee per year can be selected for admission to the Florida Hall of Fame.
One of a few Capt. John Van Tronk of the Daytona Beach Police Department and Cherry, Sr. try to see eye-to-eye. FLORIDA COURIER STAFF
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Charles W. Cherry, Sr. died in 2004. His wife of 52 years, Julia T. Cherry, has led the familyowned newspaper business since then. Rev. Dr. Ralph Abernathy and Cherry, Sr. marched from Daytona Beach to Cape Kennedy in 1969.
Deltas bring dollars to Tampa
lorida Courier and Daytona Times founder Charles W. Cherry, Sr., will be inducted posthumously into the Florida Press Association’s Hall of Fame during the organization’s annual convention in Miami next week. The Florida Press Association (FPA) is the state’s largest newspaper trade industry group. It was founded in 1879 as a nonprofit corporation to protect the freedoms and advance the professional standards of the press of Florida. It includes the entire daily and most of the weekly newspapers in the state in its membership. The Florida Newspaper Hall
Cherry, Sr. becomes the 45th inductee in the Florida Newspaper Hall of Fame. “We are honored that Charles W. Cherry, Sr. will be joining the Florida Newspaper Hall of Fame. The nominating committee was unanimous in its selection of Mr. Cherry and felt that his contributions to the industry, to his community and to the state of Florida made his selection an easy choice,” said Dean Ridings, FPA president and CEO. Cherry becomes only the second Black newspaper owner – after the late Eric Simpson, longtime publisher of Jacksonville’s Florida Star weekly newspaper – to be so honored. Simpson was inducted in 2003. Past inductees include Al Neuharth, former president and CEO of the Gannett Company and founder of USA Today; Alvah Chapman, former See CHERRY, Page A2
FLORIDA COURIER / OUT AND ABOUT
Funkin’ for Eatonville (FL)
Convention impact in the millions BY JENISE GRIFFIN MORGAN FLORIDA COURIER
Thousands of members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. are in Tampa this week for its 44th Southern Regional Conference. While sorority members stand out with their trademark red and white attire, it will be the green they leave behind that will have the most impact on Florida’s west coast. About 5,000 sorority members are expected to attend the four-day conference, which culminates on June 29. Visit Tampa Bay, the official destination marketing organization for Hillsborough County, estimates a $2.5 million economic impact on the area.
Impact on Washington When the sorority celebrated its 100th anniversary last year in Washington, D.C., it attracted nearly 40,000 members from around the world to the convention. The convention generated an economic impact of about $73 million into the local economy. The public service sisterhood has more than 275,000 members in the United States, England, Japan, Haiti, the Republic of Korea, Germany, Jamaica, St. Croix and the Bahamas.
‘Welcome to Tampa’ “We are pleased to welcome Delta Sigma Theta’s Southern Regional Conference to Tampa Bay in June 2014,” said Santiago Corrada, president and CEO of Visit Tampa Bay. “While the group’s 3,500 room nights and $2.5 million estimated economic impact are important Dr. Paulette to our destination, it’s the lasting bond we’ve made with the local Walker chapter, national office and Dr. Paulette Walker that is an integral part of making the 2014 Southern Regional Conference a success,” Corrado added. See DELTAS, Page A2
ALSO INSIDE
DUANE C. FERNANDEZ, SR. / HARDNOTTS PHOTOGRAPHY
Trumpeter Tom Browne, whose best-known hit is “Funkin’ for Jamaica (NY)” blew his horn at Eatonville’s annual Juneteenth Freedom Festival on June 20. Florida Courier Photographer Duane C. Fernandez, Sr. was there.
SNAPSHOTS FLORIDA | A3
Governor signs stadium funding into law
NATION | A6
Fair housing issue moves to the forefront
‘Her Rally’ protests racially disparate sentencing of women
SPORTS | B3
Life after NFL for Florida’s Tyrone Carter
COMMENTARY: CHARLES W. CHERRY II: RANDOM THOUGHTS OF A FREE BLACK MIND | A4 COMMENTARY: WILLIAM SPRIGGS: 50 YEARS AFTER CIVIL RIGHTS ACT – A LAND OF OPPORTUNITY | A5
FOCUS
A2
JUNE 27 – JULY 3, 2014
The same gangsters plunder Detroit and Iraq The ugly face of empire and disaster capitalism is visible all over the world. Detroit, Mich. was once a thriving city, but was sent into a tailspin by the deindustrialization of the United States, White flight, and institutional racism that blamed Black people – who were in fact the victims of catastrophe. Big banks like UBS, Bank of America and Barclays, which sold risky derivatives schemes to corrupt Detroit politicians, delivered the coup de grace. When the financial deal inevitably headed south, the banks were the creditors first in line for a payout. Far back in that line were the workers and people of Detroit. The emergency manager, Kevyn Orr, whose very position they had voted against establishing, rules the city. The new mayor is a figurehead, and the people have no representation, as the Republican governor and emergency manager remake the city for capital and the gentrifying settler class.
Iraq crumbles A world away in Iraq, a nation is crumbling under the weight of eleven years of violent occu-
No basic services MARGARET KIMBERLEY BLACK AGENDA REPORT
pation by the United States. The once-developing nation is now a ruin, with all of its infrastructure and systems from health care to education destroyed by Western avarice. The prime minister who was chosen with America’s blessing, Nouri al-Maliki, has now become an inconvenience and faces a bleak fate. The Bush administration and now the Obama team determined that promoting one side in sectarian political disputes would make for a smooth-running and profitable occupation. Instead, they brought war between Sunni and Shia and with the goal of knocking down more dominoes, continued to fund jihadists who always upset their plans. Now Maliki is being told to get out of office if he wants help in crushing the enemies that America made for his country.
Just as Iraq’s infrastructure has been destroyed, Detroit residents now live without basic services that ought to be regarded as the right of every human being. In the United States, a country that boasts of its high level of advancement, residents of a major city must plead to the international community for the right to access water. In a city already on the brink, the powers that be chose to pressure struggling people to pay increased fees for water. They have also used harsh and sometimes improper methods to deprive even those who have paid their bills. No one can survive at all without water to drink, and one cannot survive very well without water for cooking, cleaning and sanitation. Very powerful people in boardrooms and government offices made decisions that turned Detroit into an Iraq in America’s midst and now sneer at pleas for mercy.
Privatizing water Desperate Detroiters represented by the Blue Planet Project, the Michigan Welfare Rights Organization, Food & Water Watch
and the Detroit People’s Water Board have made their case to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Human Right to Safe Drinking Water. They issued a report that outlines the latest scheme to destroy Detroit as a city and as a home to poor and working people. The plan will ultimately privatize the water system and make Detroit another location for prime real estate and riches for the few. President Obama and his cohorts in the Democratic and Republican parties will go to any lengths to prop up the empire, but do little to help people in need. American allies in Ukraine or Iraq and other countries receive astronomical sums of money in order to help maintain Manifest Destiny. Poor people in Detroit and the rest of the country are not so lucky. They are seen only as obstacles to putting the rule of capital firmly in place. Iraq was invaded with soldiers, guns and bombs. Detroit was invaded by the corporate ‘suits’ who made a fast buck for themselves. The end result is the same for Michiganders and Iraqis alike. They end up suffering in a plundered society, while other
people make out like the bandits that they really are.
Changing the narrative The organizations that reached out to the U.N. took an important step in changing the Detroit narrative. Politicians and the corporate media dismiss the city’s troubles as the fault of incompetent Black people. All of former mayor Kwame Kilpatrick’s incompetence could not have created the ongoing occupation of Detroit by the thieves in high places. The outreach to the United Nations is important for another reason. It points out that millions of Americans live an existence far from the myth of the great country. They are struggling to survive just like millions in the so-called Third World. It is the gangsters who run the show in Baghdad and in Michigan, too.
Margaret Kimberley’s column appears weekly in BlackAgendaReport.com. Contact her at Margaret.Kimberley@ Black AgendaReport.com . Click on this story at www.flcourier.com to write your own response.
New mosquito-borne illness hits Florida FROM WIRE REPORTS
The itch of mosquito bites is usually the price we pay after an encounter with these pests. However, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), cases of a mosquito-borne illness with flu-like symptoms called chikungunya (chick-un-gun-ya) is affecting people in Florida. As of mid-June, the illness, which has not been prevalent in the United States, has affected 34 people in Florida. The CDC believes these cases of chikungunya were contracted during travel to other countries, mostly in Asia, the islands of the Caribbean and Puerto Rico.
Florida is highest Nationwide, 80 cases have been documented, but Florida has the highest incidence of the illness. Humans are the primary host of chikungunya virus during epidemic periods. With the recent outbreaks in the Caribbean and the Pacific, the number of chikungunya cases among travelers visiting or returning to the United States from affected areas will likely increase. These imported cases could result in local spread of the virus in the continental United States. Massey Services, the nation’s fifth largest pest prevention company, offers the following tips to protect you as you travel and at home: • Mosquitoes that transmit chikungunya bite mostly during the daytime; other mosquito species are most active at dawn and dusk. • When outdoors, use insect repellant with DEET as an active product on any exposed skin.
CHERRY from A1
CEO of the Knight Ridder newspaper group, which owned the Miami Herald daily newspaper; and Nelson Poynter, editor and publisher of the St. Petersburg Times and the namesake of the Poynter Center journalism institute in St. Petersburg.
Activist, entrepreneur Charles W. Cherry, Sr.’s life was multi-faceted. The centerpiece: a determination to see equal rights for all people, particularly in Daytona Beach and the state of Florida. A decorated Korean Conflict veteran, he served as a Bethune-Cookman College educator and its business manager, a Real-
• Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants to reduce the amount of skin exposed. • Make sure all windows and doors in your home, or in your home-awayfrom-home while traveling, are closed tightly and that screens are well-sealed to prevent mosquitoes from getting inside. • Empty standing water from outdoor containers. Symptoms of chikungunya usually begin 3-7 days after being bitten by an infected mosquito. They include fever and severe joint pains, often in the hands and feet, headache, muscle pain, joint swelling or rash.
Treatment; no vaccine There is no vaccine or medication to prevent chikungunya. There are 13 species of mosquitoes that are capable of transmitting diseases in humans and animals. If you suspect you have a mosquito infestation at your home or want to protect yourself from potential attacks, it’s prudent to contact a professional service for precise control methods to reduce the risk faced from contact with diseasecarrying mosquitoes. Healthcare providers are encouraged to report suspected chikungunya cases to their state or local health department to facilitate diagnosis and mitigate the risk of local transmission. Chikungunya virus testing is performed at the CDC, a few state health departments, and one commercial laboratory. Test results are normally available four to 14 days after specimen receipt. Contact your state health department for more information and to facilitate testing.
COURTESY OF TAMPA ALUMNAE CHAPTER/DELTA SIGMA THETA SORORITY
Tampa Deltas pose on Tuesday while waiting for their out-of-town sorors to fly into the Tampa International Airport.
DELTAS from A1
Home of national president Walker, a retired University of South Florida educator, was elected the 25th national president of Delta Sigma Theta during the sorority’s centennial convention last year in Washington, D.C. “I am so excited that my first Southern Regional Conference as the national president of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., will be held in my own city – Tampa, Florida,” Walker said earlier this month.
“He was an avid reader of great Black newspapers like the Chicago Defender and the Pittsburgh Courier. He knew that Black people in Daytona Beach couldn’t get those papers. So he modeled the Daytona Times after them and went into the newspaper business.” Julia T. Cherry,
Cherry, Sr.’s wife of 52 years. tor, a newspaper and radio station owner, and four full terms as a Daytona Beach city commissioner. As one of the state’s few African-American bail bondsman, he worked to get civil rights protestors – including his Morehouse College schoolmate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. – released from Florida jails in the 1960s.
Amid all these endeavors, he also served several terms as president of the Volusia County-Daytona Beach Branch of the NAACP, as president of the Florida State Conference of NAACP Branches, and as a member of the National Board of the NAACP.
A Black voice Cherry, Sr. began his
“I can’t wait to participate in all of the activities and events that have been planned. I know that the planning committee has been truly working hard to make this conference a huge success.’’
200 Southern chapters Delta Sigma Theta Sorority is a private nonprofit organization, founded in D.C. on Jan. 13, 1913, whose purpose is to provide assistance and support through established programs in local communities throughout the world. The Southern Region represents Delta chapters in Alabama, the Bahamas, newspaper career when he launched Daytona Beach’s Westside Rapper in 1969 “to have our own Black voice.” The Daytona Times succeeded the Westside Rapper in 1978. “He was an avid reader of great Black newspapers like the Chicago Defender and the Pittsburgh Courier,” said Julia T. Cherry, Cherry, Sr.’s wife of 52 years. She spoke on behalf of the Cherry family. “He knew that Black people in Daytona Beach couldn’t get those papers. So he modeled the Daytona Times after them and went into the newspaper business.” In 1989, Cherry, Sr. went on to establish the Florida Courier, which was originally circulated only in the Fort Pierce and Vero Beach areas. That same year, the Cherry family purchased WPUL-AM 1590, a Daytona Beach-area radio station.
Florida, Georgia, Mississippi and Tennessee. “The impact of the Southern Region is immense. We represent more than 200 chapters and 18,000 active members in Alabama, the Bahamas, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi and Tennessee,” said Cheryl Turner, director of the Southern Region of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. “Our sisterhood is about economic empowerment and development and we are excited to share this moment with Tampa, Fla.’’
Community outreach The sorority’s regional conference is primar-
Largest media group In 2001, the Cherry family’s media business expanded to become Tama Broadcasting, Inc., then Florida’s largest privatelyowned African-American media group, which owned or operated 11 radio stations across three states. Cherry, Sr. died in 2004; Julia Cherry took over the family businesses as board chairwoman and senior consultant. In 2006, the family, led by Julia Cherry, relaunched the Florida Courier as a statewide newspaper (audited circulation: 90,000 weekly). It now serves Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, St. Lucie, Orange, Hillsborough, Pinellas, Volusia and Duval counties. “Given all he was involved in, I was amazed that he found time to do everything he did,” said Charles W. Cherry II, who
ily meeting in the Tampa Convention Center. Public events include A Walk for Life 5K on June 28 starting at 6:30 a.m. at Cotanchobee Fort Brooke Park, 601 Old Water St., Tampa. The walk will support some ministries and community organizations in the Tampa area. This week, the sorority has held community service projects at the Alpha House, a safe haven for homeless pregnant women and mothers with young children; Computer Mentors Group, a nonprofit service organization that teaches youth about technology; and Whispering Oaks, a senior living facility. succeeded his father as publisher of the Daytona Times and the Florida Courier. “The family has done the best we can to continue his legacy of service to Florida, while blazing our own trail at the same time.”
Multiple honors The FPA induction is the third Hall of Fame honor Cherry, Sr. has received for his service in Black journalism. He was inducted into the National Association of Black Journalists’ Region 4 Hall of Fame in 2004 and the National Newspaper Publishers Association’s Gallery of Distinguished Black Publishers in 2011. Cherry Sr.’s picture will be prominently and permanently displayed in the Florida Press Center in Tallahassee.
JUNE 27 – JULY 3, 2014
FLORIDA
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Governor signs stadium funding into law Move could speed up millions of dollars to Daytona racetrack, soccer clubs in Miami and Orlando BY JIM TURNER NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA
TALLAHASSEE – A new ranking system will be set up to fund professional sports stadiums in Florida out of a designated pool of money under a bill signed into law last week by Gov. Rick Scott. The new law (HB 7095), which could speed millions of dollars to Daytona International Speedway and to expansion soccer clubs in Miami and Orlando, also adds a provision that shuts Major League Baseball out of the process until its draft requirements are revamped for players defecting from Cuba. In a release on June 20, Scott called the measure a job creator that will increase tourism and “allow franchises to expand in Florida.” The signing was expected, as Scott’s office had announced in May that the governor planned to approve the legislation.
Criticism by Crist Lawmakers crafted the legislation to reduce lobbying for stadium subsidies by setting up a business incentive program. Opponents had countered that the process will only make it easier for communities and teams to get state money. “It is a subsidy, and that is what it is,” Rep. Jose Javier Rodriguez, D-Miami, argued before the bill was approved 89-27 on May 2. “ ... Absolutely, it’s a process that allows the tax break Olympics to begin and kick off in 2015.”
The Senate backed the measure 35-3. In a sign of how he may have handled the legislation, former Gov. Charlie Crist, the front-runner to be the Democratic gubernatorial candidate, tweeted, “I’m a big sports fan, but Scott giving $ to build stadiums before restoring $$ to education just makes no sense!”
Praise from Speedway The bill requires the Department of Economic Opportunity to evaluate the economic viability of and rank funding proposals before lawmakers are asked to approve sales-tax dollars for multimillion-dollar construction projects and improvements. The signing quickly drew praise from Daytona International Speedway, which has been seeking money the past two sessions for its ongoing, $400 million “Daytona Rising” project that supporters have called an economic driver. “Governor Rick Scott understands that a fair process, based on proven economic growth numbers, is the right way for the state to partner on job creation projects,” Daytona International Speedway President Joie Chitwood III said in a release.
Millions for projects The bill allows projects that cost more than $200 million to apply for up to $3 million a year in funding for 30 years. Projects worth between $100 million and $200 million could apply for up to $2 million a year,
JEFF SINER/CHARLOTTE OBSERVER/MCT
Rapper 50 Cent stands on pit road next to NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Kyle Busch’s (18) car prior to the start of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach on Feb. 24, 2013. A new law will help the racetrack with funding of its $400 million “Daytona Rising” project. and those between $30 million and $100 million would be eligible for up to $1 million a year. Money for the stadium projects would come from an annual pool of $13 million, with $6 million set aside for the Legislative Budget Commission to potentially allocate later this year. That commission is made up of House and Senate members. The $6 million could help the speedway and Major League Soccer expansion-franchise stadium plans in Orlando and Miami, as each could receive
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE FOR BLACK STUDENTS. NO EXCUSES. The classic guide from Florida Courier publisher, lawyer and broadcaster CHARLES W. CHERRY II PRAISE FOR ‘EXCELLENCE WITHOUT EXCUSE’: “This guide for African-American college-bound students is packed with practical and insightful information for achieving academic success...The primary focus here is to equip students with the savvy and networking skills to maneuver themselves through the academic maze of higher education.” – Book review, School Library Journal • How low expectations of Black students’ achievements can get them higher grades;
up to $2 million a year for 30 years for stadium work.
Soccer, rodeo, horseracing The process was drawn up after controversial efforts last year by the Miami Dolphins to land tax money for upgrades at Sun Life Stadium. The proposal allows money to be available annually for the major sports leagues, along with Major League Soccer, the North American Soccer League, NASCAR, the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Associa-
tion, hosts of the Breeders’ Cup horse races and minorleague baseball facilities. Currently, only Major League Baseball, the National Hockey League, the National Football League and the National Basketball Association are eligible for sales-tax dollars for stadium work.
MLB requirement A part of the bill that received a lot of media attention was tacked on at the last minute to require Major League Baseball to change how Cuban players are treated if teams want to
participate in the funding pool. Major League Baseball allows foreign nationals from any nation other than Canada to negotiate as free agents with any club. However, a U.S. embargo prohibits Cuban players from negotiating as free agents while still in Cuba, and requires that those who defect to America enter the annual amateur draft. An MLB spokesman said in May that dialogue had started with the players union on the issue. But no changes to the draft rules have been announced.
Scott toughens penalties for drivers who leave accidents BY BRANDON LARRABEE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA
TALLAHASSEE – Gov. Rick Scott signed a pair of bills Tuesday aimed at improving safety on Florida roads. Scott approved measures toughening penalties for drivers who leave the scenes of serious traffic accidents (SB 102) and raising the minimum age at which children can ride in motor vehicles without restraining devices (HB 225). The hit-and-run bill, sponsored by Sen. Miguel Diaz de la Portilla, R-Miami, is named after Aaron Cohen, a 36-year-old bicyclist who was killed in a 2012 accident on the Rickenbacker Causeway in Miami-Dade County. The legislation would, among other provisions, create a four-year minimum mandatory sentence
for drivers who leave the scenes of accidents involving deaths and require that an offender’s driver’s license be revoked for three years. The new law goes into effect on July 1. “Creating the appropriate penalties for hit-andrun drivers is the right thing to do for our state,” Diaz de la Portilla said in a statement provided by Scott’s office.
New car-seat law The car-seat law, which goes into effect on Jan. 1, requires children up to 5 years old to be placed in car seats or booster seats when riding in a vehicle. Currently, only children 3 years old and younger are required to ride in the restraining devices. “With this initiative, we are working to ensure our children travel safely and remain protected on the road,” Scott said. “We will
continue to do all we can to keep every Floridian safe, so they can enjoy everything our great state has to offer with their loved ones.” Kevin Bakewell, vice president of AAA Auto Club South, issued a statement with measured praise for the bill, though his organization recommends children use at least a booster seat until they are 4-foot-9 – a height they usually reach when they are 8 to 12 years old. “While this law does not cover all children who need to be safely restrained, it is a step in the right direction,” Bakewell said. Scott’s actions Tuesday mean that HB 561, relating to attorneys for dependent children with special needs, is the only bill approved by the Legislature this spring that the governor hasn’t signed or vetoed.
• Want a great grade? Prepare to cheat! • How Black students can program their minds for success; • Setting goals – When to tell everybody, and when to keep your mouth shut; • Black English, and why Black students must be ‘bilingual.’ …AND MUCH MORE!
www.excellencewithoutexcuse.com Download immediately as an eBook or a pdf Order softcover online, from Amazon, or your local bookstore ISBN#978-1-56385-500-9 Published by International Scholastic Press, LLC Contact Charles at ccherry2@gmail.com
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Consumer confidence up in Florida The state’s consumer confidence hit a post-recession high in June, according to a University of Florida report. On a scale that ranges from two to 150, confidence among Floridians sits at 82, four points higher than in May, according to numbers released Tuesday by UF’s Survey Research Center in the Bureau of Economic and Business Research. The increase, bolstered by rising optimism from young Floridians and those in low-income households, was surprising, said Chris McCarty, director of the center. “While the Florida economy is certainly stabilizing, it is not exhibiting trends that would indicate great potential for growth, at least through this year,” McCarty said in a release. Some of the optimism, according to McCarty, may be due to a drop in gas prices and the state’s improved unemployment mark, which was aided by new leisure and hospitality jobs. “Those are the kinds that will be filled by people who live in lower income households,” McCarty said in the release.
Citizens proposes reduction for most customers Citizens Property Insurance Corp. estimates that about 70 percent of policyholders would see a reduction in base rates, with the other 30 percent having their base rates go up, under a proposal for 2015 before the insurer’s Board of Governors last week in Orlando. As part of the proposed rate changes, homeowner policies are projected to decrease on average 3.2 percent, while mobile-home rates will go down 3.9 percent on average. Citizens pointed to a number of factors for the changes, from “increasingly reasonable rates” for reinsurance to a reduction in the number of policies under Citizens that has decreased the overall exposure for the state-backed agency. A drop in rates doesn’t preclude the overall cost of a customer’s premium – the total amount that a policyholder pays for coverage – from going up.
– News Service of Florida
EDITORIAL
A4
JUNE 27 – JULY 3, 2014
We can make the future come faster in the south We have the antidote to voter suppression: massive voter registration. We proved it 50 years ago during Freedom Summer. We proved it again in Florida in 2012, when NAACP activists registered 115,000 people in a year when the legislature had effectively made traditional voter registration strategies illegal. We need to prove it again this summer. As we prepare for November’s midterm elections - and look forward to 2016 - our focus should be on the stretch of heavily Black states and counties below the Mason-Dixon Line that make up the “Black Belt.” Our new report from the Southern Elections Foun-
BEN JEALOUS TRICEEDNEYWIRE.COM
dation and the Center for American Progress shows that a massive wave of voter registration could upset the balance of power in many Black Belt states. For instance, registering 30 percent of unregistered Black voters would create enough “new Black voters” - even after accounting for turnout rates - to swing a governor’s race in Virginia or North Carolina. Meanwhile, registering 60 percent of unregistered Black, Hispanic, and Asian voters
could upset the balance of power in Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. The conventional wisdom would say that this is impossible - that candidates who represent the views of communities of color and progressive whites simply do not have a chance of winning statewide office in these southern states. This conventional wisdom is wrong for two reasons. First, it ignores the changing demographic and political trends in the Black Belt. Black re-migration and Latino and Asian immigration are reshaping the demographics of the region. Meanwhile, the extrem-
VISUAL VIEWPOINT: YOUNG REFUGEES
ism of the ruling far-right States take control wing is pushing away white We have the power in women and young voters of Georgia, where the New all races. Georgia Project is working methodically to regisWhat is the point? ter 120,000 Black, HispanSecond, it takes a pessi- ic and Asian American votmistic view of progress. Ma- ers in the state - the biggest ny people look at the Black voter registration drive in Belt and say that nothing 20 years. We have the power in has changed for years, and ask why we should invest in Mississippi, where the Misthe region. This has it exact- sissippi Freedom Summer ly backwards. If we invest, 50th Anniversary Conferthen things will change. ence is meeting in late June to reflect on the past five The light of southern polidecades of political orgatics has no dimmer switch. nizing and put a plan into It is either on or it is off, and action for the next five dewe have the power to switch cades. it on again. We have the power We have the power to through all of the Black civmake sure that does not ic organizations, which can happen again. In some collectively reach hundreds states it may ultimately be of thousands of people of too late to marshal funds for color below the Mason Dixthe 2014 election, but there on Line, and through the is no reason we cannot start growing number of unions focusing on 2016. and other progressive orga-
nizations that are sprouting in the South. During Freedom Summer and the turbulent 1960’s, civil rights activists used to ask new recruits, “Are you willing to die for Freedom?” Today we need to ask each other, “Are you willing to live for Freedom?” Doing the work to register voters in the South will take our collective time, treasure and dedication. But it is crucial, and it can make the future come faster than many people think.
Jealous is the former President and CEO of the NAACP. He is currently a Partner at Kapor Capital and a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress. Write your own response at www.flcourier.com.
Is Obama getting recognition for his accomplishments?
MIKE KEEFE, CAGLE CARTOONS
Random thoughts of a free Black mind, v. 216 Congrats, Dad! His Florida Press Association Hall of Fame induction is a BIG deal; it’s well deserved. Ironically, another Daytona Beach newspaper publisher, the late Herbert Davidson of the daily News-Journal, was inducted in 1989. Davidson tried to kill our Daytona Times Black newspaper in its crib in 1978 by telling White businesses they would be barred from advertising in the NewsJournal if they advertised in the Daytona Times. Dad made a way, and 1,864 consecutive weekly issues later, our family is still in the newspaper business… Summertime – If you have school-age kids, there’s a different rhythm at home during the summer break. I spend more time than usual coordinating household scheduling. Chayla, 14, is in volleyball; Wig, 10, is at sports camps. There’s vacation Bible school, the Barlow-Brown-Jones reunion in Fort Lauderdale this week, two Miami conventions, and July 4 activities – all in the next two weeks. Still, there’s time for me to binge-watch or catch up on TV shows and movies online that I don’t have time to see during the school year. Guilty summer viewing pleasures, in random order. Series: 24, Sherlock, Transformers Prime, Game of Thrones, Mad Men, The Venture Brothers, Archer, Star Wars: The Clone Wars,
QUICK TAKES FROM #2: STRAIGHT, NO CHASER
CHARLES W. CHERRY II, ESQ. PUBLISHER
Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Vikings. Movies: Women In Cages (starring Pam Grier), World War Z, Star Trek: Into Darkness. I pop popcorn (stove, not microwaved), drizzle it with butter infused with fresh garlic, sprinkle on salt, get a glass of white zinfandel, and life is good. I’ve been a cartoon, comic books, and science fiction fan since I was a kid. Chayla and Wig like modern-day ’toons like Adventure Time. We all look forward to the Florida Supercon in Miami Beach next week, one of the state’s largest conventions of comic books, animation, video games, etc. There’s costume play for Chayla, video games for Wig, pinball games for me, and celebs from our favorite shows (Chayla: Attack on Titan. Wig: The Regular Show. Me: Star Trek, Spartacus, Game of Thrones.) Yep, Black people actually go to such things…
Contact me at ccherry2@gmail. com.
Opinions expressed on this editorial page are those of the writers, and do not necessarily reflect the editorial stance of the newspaper or the publisher.
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At this point, everyone in the country should acknowledge that the Affordable Care Act is working. There are now 8 million sign-ups, and millions of Americans who did not have insurance can go to the doctor. This is a great accomplishment for the country, but the conservatives and Republicans say the president has done nothing for 5 years. They appear to be stuck in Benghazi, and still trying to repeal the ACA after 50 times. We know that they believe the IRS is targeting conservative political organizations for not following the letter of law, and refusing their non-profit status. Therefore, the conservatives and the Republicans believe the country has lost the principles that it was founded on, and America is losing its power in the world.
We have the power But under President Obama, the nations of the world (except our enemies and Republicans) have respect for the power of the United States. The president has also stopped two long and costly wars, and Americans troops are no longer dying and being in-
Pick a different fight All of this conservative
media talk is hot air and ROGER CALDWELL was never based on factual GUEST COLUMNIST
jured. The stock market has doubled, and the national unemployment rate has fallen to 6.3%. Nevertheless, the extreme conservatives want to succeed from the union, or they want to impeach the president. Americans with common sense understand that this thinking is backward, but many of the supporters of this position are wealthy business people and powerful political leaders. This thinking is not going away and it is deeply entrenched in a certain American lifestyle and mindset. This segment of the population has drawn a line in the sand, and they believe they are justified when they say the entire Obama administration has been a failure. It is a closed way of thinking and thousands of Americans in the society are out to sabotage the accomplishments of the president. If you listen to the conservative media, the president is weak, and Obamacare will bankrupt the country.
information or knowledge. The Republican Party is in disarray and their solutions would take away health care from millions of Americans. Just recently, Sens. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and Charles Grassley, R-Iowa issued a report attacking the administration for a terrible rollout of Healthcare.gov. The entire country is aware that the rollout for Healthcare.gov was challenging, but the problems were corrected, and the project is a success. The ACA is working and President Obama will go down in history for transforming the American healthcare system. It is time for more Americans to talk about the great projects and initiatives the president has implemented. Americans must become better informed and educated to the truth.
Roger Caldwell is the Founder and CEO of OnPoint Media. Write your own response at www.flcourier.com.
Coming together to end gun violence Gun violence is no stranger to what’s happening in the inner cities. The number of killings in Chicago, Washington, DC and other major metropolitan areas can’t help but raise eyebrows as to why this problem continues to occur, but little attention is brought to it. Permit me to say that the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School as well as what happened inside a movie theatre in Aurora, Colorado will forever be stitched in the minds of everyone. National attention was given to the shooter and the victims. Without a doubt, we must remember the lives of the innocent. However, I’m concerned that national attention isn’t given to crimes within inner city communities. Is it racism? Is it prejudice? Is it that Black and brown people don’t really matter? Dr. Gloria Brooks, a professor of Criminal Justice at the University of Maryland, College Park reiterates to her class that crime has no zip code. In other words, no matter where you live, criminal activity is always possible.
DR. SINCLAIR GREY III GUEST COLUMNIST
ment along with a host of other social ills can contribute to gun violence. Should we give people a pass for using gun violence because they have a problem? Of course not. However, we need to address some of the emotional/psychological issues people are dealing with on a daily basis. It’s only after innocent lives are lost that the mental health of the shooter is examined. Waiting to examine the mental health of the shooter when in many cases it was evident from the outset that there was a problem brings about significant harm to so many people. Having worked in the human services industry, I can attest to the stress many social workers face every day. Along with the stress, the lack of financial support for programs can make it seem impossible to help those who need help to get the help they so desperately need.
cational, social, or political status, crime affects all of us. The days of saying it’s an inner city problem or it’s a Black problem are over. So many people want to preach that we are living in a post-racial world, but fail to reach across the street to the poor and disenfranchised. When many buildings in the inner city are either boarded up or run down, the spirit within that community is crushed. Dr. Kristal Owens-Gayle of the Empowerment Center in Maryland calls this ‘the broken-glass syndrome,’ which simply means the more broken glasses and trash debris you see in a neighborhood, the greater the threat for crime. This problem cannot be overlooked. Simply moving further out to the suburbs won’t fix the problem. Cleaning up the neighborhood and establishing programs that will empower, educate, and elevate people from the inside out will help diminish gun violence.
Dr. Sinclair Grey III is an inspirational speaker, motivator, radio personality, author and committed advocate for change. Mental health Contact him at drgrey@ The time is now concern sinclairgrey.org or on The time for people to Twitter @drsinclairgrey. As we look at what’s happening in today’s world, the work collectively is now. It Write your own response lack of adequate employ- doesn’t matter one’s edu- at www.flcourier.com.
JUNE 27 – JULY 3, 2014
EDITORIAL
The devil loves a fire The devil loves a fire! The devil loves hell fire and the devil also loves fires on earth. Take student devils, for instance, almost every time a college or a university wins a championship or gains national or international notoriety in some way, some students celebrate by starting a fire. When athletic devils dislike it when a sports star exercises his options and leaves one team for another some people decide to burn the jerseys of the leaving sports star. Don’t act like you’ve never heard of witches being burned at the stake or about the towns of Tulsa and Rosewood being burned to the ground!
Fires now and then And, if you live in a neighborhood like the one I live in and you want to draw a crowd of your neighbors, you set a bon fire and your devilish neighbors will come out of the woodwork and visit your property even if they pass your house every day and refuse to speak to you. In the summer of 1968 hundreds and maybe thousands of American cities went up in flames after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Young Black men and some Black women were arrested and
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VISUAL VIEWPOINT: MISSING IRS EMAILS
A change of heart LUCIUS GANTT THE GANTT REPORT
charged with setting fires at that time. But not all men arrested for starting fires were actually guilty of setting the blazes. One Tallahassee, Florida man arrested in 1968 was charged with firebombing a North Florida store and killing an innocent man. But in addition to being fire bugs, devils are also liars! James Colbert was charged with murder for the fiery death of the son of the store owner whose building was set on fire that night after Dr. King’s murder. Even though he professed his innocence from day one, Colbert, only 17 years old at the time, and another 15 year old boy was arrested and sent to prison for arson and first degree murder. The jury that heard the case recommended mercy and Colbert was spared the death penalty but he did serve over three years in jail and was also stabbed by White racists while incarcerated. In June 1971 the Florida Supreme Court overturned Colbert’s wrongful conviction and ordered a new trial based on civil and constitutional violations.
The Tallahassee Fire Chief at the time said his agency’s investigations revealed that the blaze was not started by a firebomb allegedly thrown through a window. The fire was started from the inside of the store and subsequent reports suggest that the store owner finally admitted that he started the fire that killed his son and the suspected reason was to try to get insurance money for the store by blaming Blacks in the aftermath of Dr. King’s death. Don’t act so surprised. Even though many Black people were charged and arrested for arson nationwide in 1968, many of those fires were set by devils trying to get insurance payments. As for James Colbert, he never got a formal apology, compensation or resolution from the Governor’s office for his false and wrongful arrest that sent him to prison for three years for a crime he did not commit. Speaking about Florida Governor Tricky Ricky Scott, a few days ago Scott signed a bill (HB 227) that allowed a 78-year-old man to finally receive payment for years he wrongly served in prison after being falsely accused of murdering his seven children. You tell me why Governor Scott won’t do the same or James Colbert!
RICK MCKEE, THE AUGUSTA CHRONICLE
Hit Gantt up Colbert needs a lawyer but he doesn’t have a lot of money. To raise money to finance his legal work, Colbert wants to publish a book about his story. He also believes movie rights about his story would be very lucrative to people like Will Packer or Rob Hardy or Spike Lee or Tyler Perry or Ice Cube or Fifty Cent or Cash Money and others that produce films. If you can help Mr. Colbert in any way hit me up and I’ll give you his address, phone number
and other contact information. So, next time there is a riot or a civil disturbance in an AfricanAmerican neighborhood don’t assume that it was started by wild and angry Black people because the devil loves hell fire and fires on earth!
Buy Gantt’s latest book “Beast Too: Dead Man Writing” and contact Lucius at www.allworldconsultants.net. Write your own response at www.flcourier.com.
The Central Park Jogger case settlement How much is a person’s innocence worth? That’s the most fundamental question framing the news that, after years of bitter dispute, a settlement has been reached in the lawsuit stemming from the notorious Central Park Jogger case that a quarter-century ago inflamed racial tensions in New York City and across the country, sent five Black and Latino youth to prison for years – and since then has become one of the best-known examples of the injustice that’s corroded much of America’s criminal justice system. The five men, who, though 14 to 16 years old at the time, were tried as adults for beating and raping the young White woman, will now receive about a million dollars for each year they served in prison. Four of the men—Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, and Raymond Santana, Jr. – spent about seven years in prison. One, Kharey Wise, served about 13 years.
LEE A. DANIELS NNPA COLUMNIST
DNA proves innocence More than a decade after their trial, DNA and other evidence uncovered by the Manhattan District Attorney’s office proved that none of the five youths had beaten and raped the jogger. The evidence tied the attack to one man, Matias Reyes, who by then was in prison for murdering a woman shortly after he had attacked the jogger, then confessed to the crime. The convictions of the five were vacated in 2002, but for a decade the administration of New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg refused to settle their lawsuit that charged that police and prosecutors had deliberately suppressed the DNA and other evidence. City
officials, however, then maintained that the police and prosecutors had not committed any wrongdoing and therefore could not be held liable.
Others cleared By contrast, the administration of Mayor Bill de Blasio, who took office in January, moved quickly to settle the case, which yet remains one of the most notorious examples of the egregious mistakes and willful misconduct by police, prosecutors and judges that have sentenced men and women of all backgrounds to long terms in prison – and some to death row. Thanks to technological advances in the use of DNA evidence and action taken by some state legislatures and some police and prosecutors, too, the list of the exonerated has grown significantly in the decade since the Central Park Jogger Five were cleared. According to data from The Innocence Project, a national liti-
50 years after Civil Rights Act: A land of opportunity Fifty years ago this week, the U.S. Senate passed the version of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that would be passed by the House and signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson. The bill faced a filibuster of 14 hours and 13 minutes by the late Sen. Robert Byrd of West Virginia. Between the passage by the Senate and debate by the House, three young civil rights workers — Michael Schwerner, Andrew Goodman and James Earl Chaney — disappeared into the night on June 21, 1964, driving in the rural area near Philadelphia, Miss. Schwerner, Goodman and Chaney were later found dead, having been murdered for trying to register African-American voters in Mississippi.
Waiting on change On Monday, this week, the AFL-CIO supported a Moral Monday protest in North Carolina revisiting many of the issues America faced in 1964, and meant to be addressed by the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Many things have changed since then. Too many things have not. The Senate debated the Civil Rights Act for 60 working days, including Saturday sessions. Rarely today does Congress meet to carefully craft legislation lifting the lives of people. An important purpose of the act was to ensure economic freedoms for African-Americans, especially the right to hold a job. In the 1960s, major American newspaper want ads openly advertised for segre-
WILLIAM SPRIGGS TRICEEDNEYWIRE
While the Civil Rights Act of 1964 sought the end of race-based laws, the state of North Carolina is trapping people into poverty. gated job openings. Those cold hard lines denied access to earning a living. Today, Senate Republicans filibuster votes to raise the minimum wage, and House Republicans refuse to debate it. That cold hard line leaves more than 2.6 million Americans working full time, year round but living in poverty, and America’s poor families with workers are unable to earn enough to get out of poverty.
Example in the south North Carolina is a state where a child born into poverty has less than a 6 percent chance of moving up to the top 20 percent of the income pile. In the Wilson area, a poor child has only a 3.9 percent chance of moving up
above middle. This is not because of single parent households, individual irresponsibility or the water people in North Carolina drink. The problem is that North Carolina has policies that trap people who fall down into poverty. Lose a job? In North Carolina, the average unemployment benefit will replace only 35 percent of your pay, ranking 30th out of 53 unemployment systems in the United States and its territories, and you only have a 35 percent chance you will get any benefit at all, ranking 51st out of 53. If you are a single mother, then your combined Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Temporary Assistance to Needy Families benefit will just get you to the level of extreme poverty (50 percent of the poverty line), ranking 43rd out of 51 (the 50 states and the District of Columbia). At the August 1963 March for Jobs and Freedom, labor and civil rights leader A. Philip Randolph famously remarked: “Yes, we want all public accommodations open to all citizens, but those accommodations will mean little to those who cannot afford to use them.” So, while the Civil Rights Act of 1964 sought the end of race-based laws, the state of North Carolina is trapping people into poverty.
William Spriggs is the Assistant Secretary for Policy at the Department of Labor. Write your own response at www.flcourier. com.
gation and public policy organization, there have now been 316 post-conviction DNA exonerations in the country. That includes 18 people who were sentenced to death before DNA proved their innocence. Undoubtedly, the most stunning example of the criminal justice system’s wrongful conviction dynamic is now unfolding in Brooklyn, N.Y. Growing doubts about numerous murders convictions obtained there in the 1980s and 1990s in recent years led the New York City borough’s longtime prosecutor, Charles J. Hynes, to establish an special unit to investigate claims of innocence. The result: in recent months six men who had already spent as much as 23 years in prison after being convicted of murder, have been exonerated and set free. Now, Kenneth Thompson, Brooklyn’s newly-elected district attorney (who defeated Hynes last year in a bitterly-fought contest), is, as the New York Times put it in a recent news article, “grap-
pling with a metastasizing wrongful conviction scandal in which dozens of imprisoned men have asked for freedom, their convictions linked to mistakes and misconduct by police and prosecutors in the violent, drug-plagued 1980s and 1990s. It is a tidal wave that could dwarf other exoneration clusters.” That terrible reality brings us back to the question I posed at the beginning, and a host of others. They include: How much is one’s innocence worth? How much is the wrongfully imposed stigma of a felony conviction worth? How much is the trauma of long years spent in prison worth? How much is the pain and the stigma endured by the family of those incarcerated worth?
Lee A. Daniels is a longtime journalist based in New York City. His latest book is Last Chance: The Political Threat to Black America. Write your own response at www.flcourier.com.
Ruby Dee exits the stage but remains in our hearts “The kind of beauty I want is the hard-to-get kind that comes from within: strength, courage, dignity.” – Ruby Dee In the past several weeks, two remarkable African-American women artists took their final bows. In the midst of mourning the May 28 passing of Dr. Maya Angelou, we learned that last Wednesday, June 11, the great actress and activist Ruby Dee died at her home in New Rochelle, New York. Both Maya Angelou and Ruby Dee used their incomparable talents to reshape our notions of beauty, womanhood and race. They also inspired millions of people around the world with their extraordinary wisdom and dignity. Everything about Ruby Dee was an expression of a lifelong dedication to human rights, racial equality and social justice — from the roles she portrayed to the causes she championed, even to the man she loved and was married to for 56 years, actor Ossie Davis. Though her physical presence is no longer with us, the larger than life impact Ruby Dee had on the stage, screen and the public consciousness will live on forever.
Emmy and Grammy awards
MARC H. MORIAL TRICE EDNEY WIRE
the Right Thing” and “Jungle Fever.” Ruby Dee’s elegant and tenacious presence radiated as much off the stage and screen as it did on. She and Ossie Davis, who died in 2005, were civil rights and social justice activists who supported and worked alongside Paul Robeson, Martin Luther King and Malcolm X. This unique husband-wife team even served as master and mistress of ceremonies for the historic 1963 March on Washington. They were both long-time members and supporters of numerous civil rights organizations. In 1970, the New York Urban League honored Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis with its prestigious Frederick Douglass Award. In 1986, the National Urban League presented them both our Equal Opportunity Day Award. In 1998, the couple published a joint autobiography titled, “With Ossie & Ruby: In This Thing Together,” an epitaph that will adorn the urn that will hold both their ashes. According to the Washington Post, in 2008, Ruby Dee described the epitaph to Jet magazine: “If I leave any thought behind, it is that we were in this thing together, so let’s love each other right now. Let’s make sense of things right now. Let’s make it count somehow right now, because we are in this thing together.” That was not only the key to the remarkable marriage of Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis; it is a lesson for us all.
Known widely for her 1959 Broadway and 1961 movie roles as Ruth Younger, the wife of Walter Lee Younger, as played by Sidney Poitier, in “A Raisin in the Sun,” Ruby Dee’s acting career spanned more than six decades and earned her numerous awards, including an Emmy, a Grammy, an Obie and a Screen Actors Guild Award. In 2008, she was nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her portrayal of Mama Lucas, the mother of Denzel Washington’s character, Frank Lucas, in “American Gangster.” In 1995, PresiMarc Morial is president/CEO of dent Bill Clinton awarded her and Ossie Davis the National Medal of Arts. She the National Urban League. Write and Ossie Davis also had notable roles your own response at www.flcourier. in several Spike Lee films including “Do com.
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NATION
JUNE 27 – JULY 3, 2014
New push addresses fair housing in US Local governments could be required to devise strategies to help poor in segregated communities BY ARIEL HART ATLANTA JOURNALCONSTITUTION/MCT
ATLANTA — Forty-six years after the Fair Housing Act took aim at racial segregation and poverty in America, the federal government has declared the effort halfhearted and is setting out to fix it. Within months, the Obama administration is expected to require local governments to devise new strategies to give people in poor, racially segregated areas better access to jobs, transportation and, particularly, good schools. At stake locally are tens of millions of dollars in federal grants distributed across the region, from Atlanta to Marietta to Gwinnett County. If governments fail to satisfy the mandate, they could lose that money.
‘A major coup’ To date, few outside of Washington have even heard of the proposal. Where it is known, it tends to draw sharp reactions across the political spectrum: Liberals, who have waited decades for an administration with moxie enough to confront the issue, cheer it; conservatives blast it as an assault on local communities. “It’s really a major coup, provided that it has some teeth in it,” said Gail Williams, executive director of Metro Fair Housing Services in Atlanta, an advocacy group that helps local governments comply with such rules. “I’ll wait and see,” said Cobb County Commission Chairman Tim Lee, although he added that from what little he has heard, “I think it flies in the face of local control and home rule.” If the feds use grant money to try to force change, he said, “they can take their money and put it somewhere else.”
Signature civil rights law Officials at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development — who would only talk about the new rule anonymously — insisted that they merely want to provide better demographic data for local jurisdictions to plan with. They said they’re only formalizing a process to achieve what the law promised decades ago. The Fair Housing Act of 1968 was one of that decade’s signature civil rights laws. Its intent, confirmed in some subsequent court decisions, was not just to prevent obvious discrimination, such as refusing to sell or rent homes to racial minorities. It can be read to take broad aim at the American ghetto, on the understanding that where a group of people lives can affect much more than the quality of their residences. Where they live can determine their opportunities in life: access to good jobs, quality schools and societal expectations that lift up or hold back children throughout their lives. By that definition, things that may stand in the way of “fair
HYOSUB SHIN/ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION/MCT
Stephanie Flowers could move to another neighborhood with better schools but has opted to stay in the Pittsburgh neighborhood of Atlanta in the home her grandparents bought. She wants to fight for the neighborhood and make it better. housing” might include zoning that keeps apartments or affordable houses out of good neighborhoods. It might include a lack of public transportation from poor neighborhoods to the areas with jobs that pay well. It might include fewer and shabbier parks or weaker police protection in poor areas than affluent ones, or benign neglect of troubled public schools.
Case studies Renee Elmore and Stephanie Flowers are case studies in why HUD says local governments need to do more to help those who want to help themselves. Both are single mothers of young sons, living in the Pittsburgh neighborhood south of downtown Atlanta. In very different ways, each is going to extraordinary lengths to keep the neighborhood from holding her son back. Elmore used to live in Atlantic Station. But she said the $2,000 she made each month bartending could not cover her $1,350 rent, after-hours day care for her 7-year-old son, Kovan, and classes at a trade school where she is studying to become a radiology technician. “I needed to cut all of my bills in half,” she said, “so my future could be better than my present.” She looked hard, and finally found an ad for a house that was affordable, thanks to federal subsidies and an active neighborhood association. She pays $672 a month — a typical rent for Pittsburgh — for a three-bedroom, two-bathroom house, energy efficient to boot.
Life in a bubble The catch is Pittsburgh: piles of trash; more vacant homes and lots than occupied houses; an elementary school with abysmal
test scores. By day, men gather outside and lounge in armchairs. By night, as she drives home after work with her sleepy 7-year-old, women come and go from the house around the corner, occasionally buck naked. Virtually every child lives with a single mother and lives in poverty. Fewer than 1 person in 10 has a college degree. Elmore’s home, like most, is a fortress. “The bars make me feel better,” she said “I am so thrilled with this bubble.” But that’s partly because she has constructed a life where she and her son spend hardly any time in the bubble. From 7 a.m. to past midnight during the school year, she is driving him between his prized slot in a charter school near the Turner Field ballpark and a 24-hour day care she found in Smyrna, then driving herself between radiology courses and tending bar, with naps in between when she can. There was no way Kovan was going to Gideons Elementary, she said. She’s seen how some students behave, and which groups aren’t represented there. “Every year of his life he’s moving forward,” Elmore said. At the charter school “he’s learning Chinese.” More importantly, she said, there are white kids in his classes; if he wants a corporate job later in life, he’ll know how to talk to white people.
Decided to fight None of it would be possible without a car — something that roughly one-third of her neighbors lack. A few blocks away, on Metropolitan Parkway, Stephanie Flowers has chosen to send her 8-year-old son, Marcus, to a local public school, Dunbar, which she believes is a bit better than Gideons. During the school year, she pays about $700 a month for ex-
tra tutoring to keep his math and reading skills up to acceptable levels. She can only afford it because she lives in the house her grandmother bought and pays nothing on it. She went to technical school to learn administrative skills and now has a decent job. She could leave Pittsburgh. But, she said, “Do you run? Or do you fight? I decided I was going to stay in the race.” She’s clear on what happens to those who lack her resources and her determination, and especially to their kids: “You fall by the wayside.” That’s what HUD hopes to change, to make it possible for those who lack advantages like cars or fully paid housing to get a leg up. For people like Elmore and Flowers, the new rule is supposed to make the climb at least a bit easier.
Too risky neighborhoods One huge irony is that before 1968, a long string of federal actions fed Black poverty and segregation in neighborhoods like Pittsburgh. Beginning in the 1930s, the government promoted home ownership by insuring home loans for ordinary workers. But the Federal Housing Administration discouraged “the occupancy of properties except by the race for which they are intended.” The FHA also discouraged lending in neighborhoods with “inharmonious racial groups.” Maps it used marked in red many Black neighborhoods considered too risky for loans. Starting in the 1950s the construction of the interstate highway system gave people who could afford cars a viable commute to suburban homes, aiding white flight. Those same highways often plowed through
‘Her Rally’ protests racially disparate sentencing of women BY GLYNN A. HILL TRICE EDNEY NEWS WIRE
Gray clouds and occasional drizzle didn’t stop more than 200 people from gathering on the National Mall on June 21 to protest and demand an end to the alarming incarceration rate of women disparately African-American. “Our focus is on the women and bringing them home,” said Andrea James, executive director of Families for Justice as Healing, a Boston, Mass.-based criminal justice reform group. She was the organizer of the Free Her Rally. “It’s important to help the rest of the country understand how very wrong this slippery slope we’ve gone down is in terms of incarcerating women, particularly those who are African-American; and the impact it’s had on
our children and our communities,” she said.
Mostly non-violent offense There are currently more than 200,000 women in prison or jail in the United States. That figure represents an increase of over 800 percent in the past three decades according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS). Of those women in state prisons, more than half have been sentenced for drug or property crimes, which are non-violent offenses. In 2005, just 35 percent of women in prison were convicted of violent offenses, according to the BJS. The rate of incarceration for African-American women has declined over the last 15 years, dropping 30.7 percent between 2000 and 2009. Yet, they are still imprisoned at nearly three times
GLYNN A. HILL/TRICE EDNEY NEWS WIRE
Free Her Rally organizer Andrea James addresses the crowd at the June 21 rally at the National Mall. the rate of White women and have a higher incarceration rate than Hispanic women, according to the Sentencing Project, a research and advocacy group, pressing for reform.
Community problem In 2007, approximately 65,600
women in federal and state custody reported being the mothers of 147,400 minor children, according to a BJS report. It said that 77 percent of incarcerated mothers reported providing most of the daily care for their children before incarceration. Eleven percent of incarcerated
Black city neighborhoods, as the Downtown Connector went through Atlanta’s Sweet Auburn, producing blight. Blacks who could afford it moved to their own suburbs, but they were less likely to have the means. Elizabeth Leeks, now 80, remembers a Pittsburgh years ago that wasn’t rich but wasn’t destitute either, offering grocery stores instead of convenience stores and a slew of businesses catering to working-class families. “All that’s gone, completely gone,” she said. “People that used to live here moved out of the area.”
Secret campaign By the time the federal government tried to do an about-face, it faced fierce resistance to shaking up the patterns it had helped create. Two years ago the investigative news organization ProPublica exposed how Richard Nixon’s HUD secretary, George Romney — Mitt Romney’s father — waged a secret, doomed campaign to enforce the provisions that are the target of the new HUD rule. Northerners and Southerners alike protested, and Nixon shut the effort down. And now that HUD is trying again, even the rule’s biggest advocates can’t say how it will play out. “I’m very passionate about this stuff, but I have to be honest with you that nobody quite knows in great detail what happens if the rule is finalized,” said Michael Allen, a Washington, D.C., lawyer who won an important fair housing lawsuit in Westchester County, NY. He believes that victory was important in forcing HUD to formulate its new approach.
mothers reported that their children were being placed in foster care, compared to only two percent of fathers. For advocates, this is also an issue of human rights. “These are women who couldn’t even attend their own child’s funeral,” said Dorothy Johnson Speight, the founder and executive director of Mothers in Charge, which works toward violence prevention, education and intervention for youth, young adults, families and community organizations. The 2010 Fair Sentencing Act narrowed the disparity between penalties for crack and powder cocaine offenses. In 2013, President Obama granted clemency to 21 individuals (eight commutations and 13 pardons). Despite those successes, advocates are looking for more. They say that the passage of the Smarter Sentencing Act would help, but more must be done to heal the cultural scars that harsh or unfair sentences have done to communities.
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VIRGINIA KEY: ONCE MIAMI’S ‘COLORED ONLY’ BEACH’
PHOTOS BY WALTER MICHOT/MIAMI HERALD/MCT
In 1945, Virginia Key Beach Park opened as Miami-Dade County’s “Colored Only” beach. After decades of being closed, it reopened to the public in 2008.
‘A hidden jewel on Biscayne Bay’ Miami’s Virginia Key transforms from desolate hammock to tropical wilderness Guy Fortune, executive director of Virginia Key Beach Park Trust, plucks an invasive Australian Pine tree at the Historic Virginia Key Beach Park on June 13.
BY MONICA DISARE MIAMI HERALD/MCT
J
ust seven years ago, the 17-acre hammock in Historic Virginia Key Beach Park was as desolate as a moonscape, but now it brims with native plants and wildlife. Volunteer Gary Hunt, armed with a Home Depot fanny pack and a floppy tan hat, walks the overgrown path, pointing out hundreds of new trees and recalling the owls and warblers he has spotted in the park. “This shows you very profoundly what volunteer effort can do,” Hunt said. Volunteers like Hunt have helped transform Virginia Key into a destination for wildlife and locals alike, during many hot, mosquito-ridden weekends of planting trees and maintaining park grounds. “We’re trying to position Virginia Key as the City of Miami Central Park,” said Guy Forchion, the executive director of Virginia Key Beach Park Trust. Just last month, Tourism Cares, a Massachusetts-based volunteer group of travel professionals, brought 325 people to Virginia Key. They planted nearly 800 trees in the hammock and 11,000 sea oats at the North Point, an area on the tip of the island. The group also cleaned debris from Miami Marine Stadium, a once-popular destination on Virginia Key for concerts and power boating. Tourism Cares’ planting marked a milestone in the ongoing restoration project: the end of major replanting on the neglected property. “I call this the icing on the cake. This is the cherry on top,” Forchion said. But for volunteers like Hunt, there is no time to rest. They will continue to clear the paths, maintain trees and eradicate pesky invasive species. Despite the humidity and the bugs, volunteers from groups like Tourism Cares and TREEmendous Miami, a group dedicated to planting trees across the city, continue to frequent the muggy hammock because they feel strongly about the environmental impact the plants will have. During hurricanes and severe weather, these plants help protect the mainland from high wind, said Gloria Antia, the executive director for Citizens for a Better South Florida, another group working to restore the island. She added that the plants will make the beach itself more storm resistant. Virginia Key is also an important pit stop for migratory birds. Though condominiums on the coast of Florida have snagged much of the prime real estate for birds, Virginia Key remains an important feeding ground for birds, Hunt said. Birds that frequent the island include vireos, warblers and falcons. Though the hammock on Historic Virginia Key Beach has been the focus of restoration efforts, other areas of the island
Virginia Key is an 82-acre barrier located on Key Biscayne in Miami off the Rickenbacker Causeway. The property belongs to the City of Miami and is maintained by City of Miami Parks and Recreation Department, the responsibility is shared in part with the Virginia Key Beach Trust, which manages the historic portion of the beachfront and oversees the preservation and future development of Virginia Key Beach. Virginia Key Beach has two different sections with two different entrances. During segregation times, the South entrance – now called Historic Virginia Key Park - was Miami’s “Colored Only Beach.” It was closed for many years until a grand re-opening in 2009. Now, the park is busy with families spending the day at the beach and playing a playground and carousel.
Historic Virginia Key Beach Park Timeline 1945: Virginia Key Beach Park opened as Miami-Dade County’s “Colored Only” beach. 1979: Dade County gives the Historic Virginia Key Beach Park property to the City of Miami. 1982: The City of Miami closes the Historic Beach Park citing high maintenance costs. 1987: A Master Plan for Virginia Key was developed by the City of Miami. 1998: The City of Miami facing fiscal crisis considers private development of the public site for exclusive use. 1999: Miami City Commission established an official Virginia Key Park Civil Rights Task Force. 2000: The Miami City Commission established the Virginia Key Beach Park Trust. 2002: The Historic Virginia Key Beach Park is placed on the National Register of Historic Places. 2003: Virginia Key Beach Park Trust starts a $30 million Master Plan process. 2004: A shoreline re-nourishment project begins on Historic Virginia Key Beach Park. 2004: A countywide bond program is passed by voters and the Virginia Key Beach Park Trust is awarded $15.5 million for construction. 2008: Historic Virginia Key Beach Park reopens to the public for th first time in 26 years. SOURCE: MIAMIGOV.COM AND VIRGINIAKEYBEACHPARK.NET.
Josh Mahoney, Environmental Resources Project supervisor for Miami-Dade County, shows sea oats at the Virginia Key Beach North Point Eco System Restoration project on the dunes of Virginia Key. are also receiving a facelift. Heavy construction equipment is at work on the North Point clearing the way for new sea oats and providing sea turtles with a place to lay their eggs. Several sea turtle nests, marked by signs, have cropped up since the restoration started. On the shores of Biscayne Bay, the Miami Marine Stadium is likely cleaner now than it has been since it closed in 1992, Forchion said. Carolyn Cauceglia, who is on the board of directors of Tourism Cares, said she remembers attending concerts there years ago, when stars like the Beach Boys drew boaters to the bay as the sounds of surf and sand wafted over the water. The stadium has been closed since Hurricane Andrew, but if restoration efforts are successful, it may one day be functional again. While Forchion wants to turn Virginia Key into Miami’s Central Park, Cauceglia said she hopes the Miami Marine
Railroad vine grows in the Historic Virginia Key Beach Park.
Stadium will become the city’s Sydney Opera House. “To me it’s a hidden jewel on Biscayne Bay,” Cauceglia said.
Historical past Besides going back to its roots environmentally, the island is marking its historical past. Beginning in 1945, Historic Virginia Key Beach Park was designated as the only beach for Black residents in Miami. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002. While all of the historic buildings have been restored, Forchion said he is working to build a center that tells the history of the island. As the restoration continues to grow, both in the scope of the project and in newly planted trees that will someday shade the hammock, Forchion marveled at the transformation. “It’s a living, breathing place,” he said.
COURTESY OF HISTORIC VIRGINIA KEY BEACH PARK TRUST
In August 1945, Virginia Key Beach Park opened as MiamiDade County’s “Colored Only” beach. In 1979, Dade County gives the Historic Virginia Key Beach Park to the City of Miami.
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EVENTS
JUNE 27 – JULY 3, 2014
S
FLORIDA COMMUNITY CALENDAR
MORRIS DAY Morris Day and the Time will perform July 11 at the Mahaffey Theater.
Hollywood: Actor and comedian Chris Tucker has a show scheduled July 12 at Hard Rock Live Hollywood. Fort Lauderdale: Tickets are available now for the “American Idol’’ tour on July 19 at the Au-Rene Theater at the Broward Center. Boca Raton: John Legend’s The All of Me Tour makes a stop at the Mizner Park Amphitheater on July 27. Miami: Tamela Mann and Vashawn Mitchell are scheduled at the James L. Knight Center on Aug. 16 for a 7 p.m. show. Hollywood: The Wayan Brothers will perform a show at Hard Rock Live Hollywood on Aug. 15.
PORSHA WILLIAMS WAYAN BROTHERS
The Wayan Brothers will perform a show at Hard Rock Live Hollywood on Aug. 15.
The star of “Real Housewives of Atlanta’’ will appear at the Allstate Tom Joyner Reunion during Labor Day weekend. More information: www.blackamericaweb.com.
West Palm Beach: The Lionel Richie: All the Hits All Night Long tour featuring Cee Lo Green stops at the Cruzan Amphitheatre on July 15. Clearwater: The crooner Maxwell is coming to Florida. He will make stops in
Clearwater, Orlando and Jacksonville in August. More information: www.musze.com. Miami Beach: The Florida Supercon (www.floridasupercon. com) is South Florida’s largest comic book, anime, animation, video game, fantasy, sci-fi and pop culture convention. It happens July 3-6 at the Miami Beach Convention Center, 1901 Convention Center Drive. Celebrity guests, comic book creators, voice actors, industry guests, artists, writers, panels, Q&As, films and shorts, cosplay costumes and contests, vendors, parties, anime, workshops, video gaming and more. More info: 954-399-1330; info@ floridasupercon.com. St. Petersburg: Albert Whitted Park (480 Bayshore Drive) will be the site of the 20th annual Tampa Bay Caribbean Carnival from July 12-13. Ticket information and lineup of performers are available at www. tampacarnival.com.
Aerospace company supporting Overtown center’s STEM program MIAMI - The Overtown Youth Center hosted a special ceremony Wednesday to recognize AAR CORP. and its chairman and CEO David Storch’s $350,000 donation to support the center’s science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) program. Miami-Dade County Commissioner Audrey Edmonson and City of Miami Commissioner Keon Hardemon, Storch as well as Mourning Family Foundation and Overtown Youth Center founder Alonzo Mourning attended the event to show their support for programs that help inner-city youth. Overtown is a neighborhood in Miami. AAR is a leading provider of products and services to the global aerospace and government/defense industries. The company is connected to Miami by its two facilities in the county – Landing Gear Services and Aircraft Services – that employ more than 1,000 residents and directly generate more than $114 million annually in economic impact for the area.
STEM summer program The center’s STEM summer program, in partnership with aviation company AAR and Miami Dade County Public School Office of Academic & STEM Transformation, will provide students an opportunity to engage in hands-on projects. The center will administer an intensive, sixweek program that will expose students to the STEM curricu-
Students at the Overtown Youth Center join Alonzo Mourning and David Storch for a rocket-launching event. lum, while incorporating literacy ensuring academic reinforcement. Through this partnership, 11to-18-year-old students in the Overtown community will receive instructional guidance
by leading Miami Dade County Public School STEM staff members. The program kicked off with AAR employees helping students to launch rockets. “Our mission is to inspire and empower youth and families by
fostering hope through enrichment services. None of that happens without the support of people like AAR CEO David Storch,” said Mourning. “The three-year commitment and support of STEM programs provided by Da-
vid and his aerospace company will motivate and inspire children. Today we will teach and feed kids here at the OYC, our goal is to ensure they’re contributing members of society 10 years from now.
National Action Network to present Political Action Forum Monday in Miami Bishop Victor T. Curry, the South Florida chapter president of the National Action Network, will host the Black Broadcasters of South Florida Political Action Forum at 5:45 p.m. June 30 to provide information regarding the upcoming elections and community concerns. Gubernatorial candidates Nan Rich and Charlie Crist will dialogue with media panelists. Gov. Rick Scott declined the invitation. The keynote address will be delivered by Congressman Alcee L. Hastings. “Our community needs to hear directly from the candidates as well as receive information regarding key issues,” said Curry. The event will take place at New Birth Baptist Church Cathedral of Faith International, 2300 NW 135th St., Miami. It is free and open to the entire community. Curry is senior pastor of New Birth and serves as Southeast Regional Director of NAN. The civil rights organization was founded in 1991 by the Rev. Al Sharpton. For more information on NAN, call 786-362-5746 or visit www.nationalactionnetwork.com.
sAlmoNEllA plAttEr, ANyoNE? Kill HArmful BACtEriA: WAsH KitCHEN surfACEs, utENsils ANd HANds WitH soApy WAtEr WHilE prEpAriNg food.
ClEAN
KEEp your fAmily sAfEr from food poisoNiNg Check your steps at foodsafety.gov
T:7”
STOJ
JUNE 27 – JULY 3, 2014
B3
SPORTS
How Tyrone Carter and wife handling adversity Former Floridian discusses spouse’s paralysis and life after NFL BY CHIP SCOGGINS STAR TRIBUNE MINNEAPOLIS/ MCT
MINNEAPOLIS – The trash talk flows nonstop from Tyrone Carter’s mouth as if he’s trying to intimidate an opponent on a football field. “You’re in trouble,” he said, repeating it nine times. This is the same fiery edge Carter displayed in a Gophers uniform, an All-America safety who was named college football’s best defensive back as a senior. Former Gophers coach Glen Mason describes Carter as one of the five toughest players he had in 35 years of coaching. His competitiveness begins to percolate again, except Carter isn’t staring down a receiver. His target sits across the kitchen table, unaffected by his playful taunts. His wife, April, smiles and quietly studies her next move. She knows the drill. Their daily games of dominoes often become so intense that April’s mom interjects: “Let’s get ready to rumble!” It’s no contest on this day. The more Tyrone woofs, the worse the score becomes, until April closes with a bang to win 150-50. “She skunked me,” Tyrone says, gracious but not surprised. His wife never stops proving how tough she is, in reminders both big and small.
PHOTOS BY JEFF WHEELER/MINNEAPOLIS STAR TRIBUNE/MCT
With their young son napping and their daughter out with her grandparents, April and Tyrone Carter relaxed with a game of dominos in their home in St. Louis Park, Minn., on June 4. The former Minnesota Gophers’ standout and NFL player has moved back to the Twin Cities to be closer to his wife April’s family, and to launch his own football training camp.
Paralyzed at 25 An ATV accident in 2004 left April paralyzed from the chest down. She flew off the machine while making a slow turn and crushed the 7th thoracic (T7) vertebra in the middle of her back. She was 25 and had been married to Tyrone for less than a month. Confined to a wheelchair for the past 10 years, April refuses to accept her disability as a deterrent. She’s grateful that she has full use of her arms. She drives a specialized minivan with hand controls and goes fishing at every opportunity. She’s taken cruises to Costa Rica and Turks and Caicos and visited other countries on vacation. Best of all, she and Tyrone had two children — Tyra (7 years old) and Tyree (4) — after her accident, both delivered by Caesarean section. “I’m very faithful,” she said. “I believe things happen for a reason. I just never looked at it in a bad way.”
TC Elite Training School The family relocated from Florida to the Twin Cities a year ago so that April can be near her family. She grew up in Minneapolis and graduated from North High School. Tyrone considers Minneapolis his adoptive home after starring for the Gophers and then being drafted by the Vikings in 2000.
Tyrone Carter sits with his son, Tyree, snoozing in his lap, during an interview in their home. (Tyrone Carter was born in Fort Lauderdale and attended Blanche Ely High School in Pompano Beach.) Now retired after an 11-year NFL career, Tyrone has turned his focus to helping football players (youth to college level) develop their individual skills. He started a company — TC Elite Training School — that hosts camps that offer coaching from former NFL players, including Randy Moss. Tyrone said his family’s journey to this point hasn’t always been “peaches and cream,” but he and his wife made a conscious decision to focus on the gifts in their life, not any limitations. “I told her, ‘Hey, you’re going to continue to enjoy your life, it’s just in a chair,’ ” he said. “That’s not stopping you from having fun and still smiling and doing what you love.”
From Florida to Pittsburgh As a prep recruit from Florida, Carter never had been on an airplane and knew nothing about Minnesota when the Gophers offered him a scholarship. Actually, he knew about the Vikings and the TV show “Coach” but that was the extent of it. He nearly froze to death on his recruiting visit. “All I could think about was, ‘Man, I’m not coming to this school,’ ” he recalled. But he loved then-Gophers coach Jim Wacker and appreciated how friendly everyone acted to him. Carter packed a powerful punch in his 5-9, 195-pound body. He ended his Gophers career as the school’s all-time leader tackler and won the Jim Thorpe Award as a senior. “He’s a tone-setter for your program,” Mason said.
Carter met April during his final season in Dinkytown, and they married in 2004 when he played for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Three weeks later, April and Tyrone’s sisters went for an ATV ride near their home in Florida.
Life of gratitude Tyrone became nervous when they didn’t return home on time, and his heart sank when he received a phone call from his sister. When he arrived on the scene, he saw an ambulance and found is wife unable to move her legs. Tests revealed the extent of her injury. The first question April and Tyrone asked is if they still could have children. April had surgery and spent three months in a rehabilitation center. Steelers owner Dan Rooney personally arranged for her to receive care from top specialists,
a gesture that still causes the Carters to gush in gratitude. April tackled her physical challenges with such resolve that a psychiatrist at the hospital told her that it’s OK if she breaks down emotionally. April’s response: It could be worse. “That’s why I’m so thankful,” she said. “I’m able to drive, get around, be mobile for my kids. Not being able to do some of the stuff that I used to do is kind of hurtful. But that’s normal. Every once in a while I’ll think, ‘Yeah, I wish I could do this or that.’ ” Tyrone admits that his wife’s strength helped him cope with his sadness. “I broke down more than her,” he said. “I just couldn’t believe that this happened to her. The accident allowed me to really appreciate life more.”
Respectable career Carter enjoyed a respectable NFL career. He played in 158 games with four teams and won a Super Bowl with the Steelers. He had plans to get into coaching afterward but found a different outlet to remain connected to the game. He began training his cousin, Michael, a former Gophers cornerback, in Florida during the offseason. That led to other private workouts with high school and college players, and soon Carter found his niche. He hopes his training helps develop more college prospects in Minnesota and supplies the Gophers with a larger pool of elite recruits. “I got heart for my school, and I want to do whatever I can to help
them,” he said. Carter’s weekend camp focuses on improving technique and fundamentals and also includes film study. He said he experienced some initial resistance from one high school coach who teaches different techniques than Carter espouses. Woodbury coach Andy Hill opened his facilities to Carter for a camp after meeting Carter and hearing his commitment to teaching fundamentals. Hill said he was particularly impressed by how much time Carter and Moss spent with the campers. “The kids got seven or eight hours of work each day, and Tyrone Carter and Randy Moss were completely hands-on,” Hill said. “One kid described it as Tyrone was the defensive coordinator and Randy was the offensive coordinator, and they were fully into it.”
Routh-and-tumble childhood Carter takes particular interest in kids from tough backgrounds because he walked that path, too. He survived a rough-andtumble childhood in which both of his parents abused drugs. He often shares his story with kids. “I let them know that your situation doesn’t dictate your future,” he said. “I had some bumps along the way. I messed up. I was a bonehead. But I still kept that tunnel vision. That’s the message I try to get across to these kids.” He sees evidence of perseverance every day. She sits across from him at the kitchen table, laughing after her lopsided victory in dominoes. Tyrone couldn’t help but smile, too.
Orlando girl, 9, recruited to play basketball at Miami EURWEB.COM
At 9 years old, Jaden Newman already has a todo-list and we’re not only talking household chores. While many girls her age are wondering which new outfit their favorite doll is going to wear or what shade of pink to have daddy paint her room; little Miss Newman was at the University of Miami to take a tour of the school she may one day attend. You see, the women’s basketball coaching staff wants her to keep the Hurricanes in mind when it comes time to make her
college choice. Yep, little Miss has already been recruited to play B-ball at the university level. She has two seasons on the girls high school varsity team at Downey Christian School, a 300-student private school in Orlando, under her belt. And she is believed to be the youngest girls player ever to get recruited by a Division I program.
Letter from UM Newman showed off the official recruiting letter sent to her by the Univer-
sity of Miami. Jaden’s dad, Jamie Newman, who also serves as her coach and coach of her basketball team told Today.com, “It did surprise me a little bit. When I first got the call [from Miami assistant coach Derrick Gibbs], I thought it was for my son. I understand why, though, because she has an amazing skill set at 9 years old, and her potential is through the roof.” Jaden averaged 14.5 points and 7.5 assists per game this past season while playing against teenagers on the aforementioned var-
sity team. And the 4-foot-7 point guard gained national prominence for her performance, too. Of course there are those who fear that all of the attention Jaden is getting, and now from a university to boot, will place undue stress on the youngster. But her father, who says he and his wife grew up loving basketball, isn’t concerned with this. “She’s so level-headed,” Jamie Newman said. “She’s on the right path with colleges already looking at her.”
EURWEB.COM
Jaden Newman is a student at a private school in Orlando.
FAMILY
B4
JUNE 27 – JULY 3, 2014
STOJ
Celebrate the Fourth of July with fun crafts and activities
Join the big parade or stomp around the backyard to the beat of this recycled coffee can. Drum: Trace a 10½-inch circle on a Tyvek sheet (we used a mailing envelope) and cut it out. Lay the circle over the open end of a 27.8-ounce coffee can. Secure it about 2 inches from the rim with rubber bands. Pull the Tyvek taut and trim the excess. Use strips of clear tape to hold the Tyvek in place and remove the rubber bands. Cover the edges of the Tyvek with colored duct
tape, using a single strip around the perimeter of the can. Use more duct tape to embellish the rest of the can. Measure and cut a length of ribbon for the neck strap and knot its ends. Tape the ribbon ends (just above the knots) to the side of the drum. Mallet: Cut the neck from a 12-inch balloon. Stuff the remaining piece with half a paper towel sheet. Squeeze a bit of white glue into the balloon and insert the tapered end of a chopstick. Secure it with a strip of duct tape and let it dry.
A steady hand leads to success in this carnival-inspired challenge, in which players try to set a bottle upright using a ring on a string. Use red and blue washi or decorative tape to embellish two 18-inch wooden dowels (we cut a 3-foot dowel in half ), two cleaned and dried plastic bottles (we used 12-ounce soda bottles), and both rings of a 3-inch embroidery hoop (we bought ours at a craft store for $2.50). Use one color for each 3-piece set. Tie each hoop to its matching dowel with a 28-inch length of string. Place ½ cup rice in each of
the two ziplock bags. Add 12 drops red food coloring to one, blue to the other. Seal each bag and shake until the rice is evenly tinted. Snip off a corner of each bag and funnel the rice into its matching bottle. Screw on the caps. To play: Mark spaces on a flat playing surface with child-size hula hoops or use chalk to draw two 24-inch circles. Lay a bottle in the center of each. At “Go,” players use their rods to right their bottles. If a player’s bottle rolls out of the circle, he must retrieve it and start over. The first to stand his bottle up wins.
PHOTOS BYT LAURA DOSS COURTESY FAMILYFUN MAGAZINE
BY LYNN ZIMMERMAN, JOY HOWARD, CHRISTINA HIBBS, SARA WELLS AND KATE JONES FamilyFun magazine
Tricolored spritzers offer a refreshing way to celebrate the Fourth. Make several trays of ice cubes with beverages colored red, white and blue. (We used cranberry juice, water and Powerade Mountain Berry Blast.) To serve, place the cubes in separate buckets and let guests make their own drinks with plain seltzer.
Our downloadable template and simple technique make it easy to create a few of these fireworks-like decorations. Print our template for the center (from familyfunmag.com/printables) on card stock. Cut out the circle, then trace it twice on corrugated cardboard. Cut out both circles. Make several rings of tacky glue on one cardboard circle and attach striped paper straws, alternating red and blue, and leaving 2 inches of space in the center. Thread a 1-inch straw piece onto a long length of fishing line or string and knot the ends. Attach the straw piece with tacky glue to the center of the cardboard circle. Add rings of glue over the straws and gently press on the other cardboard circle. Let the glue dry. With a glue stick, attach the card stock center. Trim the straws to different lengths. Hang with the fishing line.
Set up a crafting station where you can turn plastic cups into custom caps, and creative sparks are sure to fly. Along with 18-ounce disposable cups, we put out sparkly pipe cleaners, pom-poms, card stock, glue dots, tacky glue and tape. If you like, you can print our templates for brims at familyfunmag.com/printables. To keep hats on heads, cut 18-inch lengths of elastic beading cord and knot the ends. Use duct tape to secure the ends, just below the knots, to the inside of the cups.
STOJ
JUNE 27 – JULY 3, 2014
FINEST & ENTERTAINMENT
Meet some of
FLORIDA’S
finest
submitted for your approval
B5
Think you’re one of Florida’s Finest? E-mail your high-resolution (200 dpi) digital photo in casual wear or bathing suit taken in front of a plain background with few distractions, to news@flcourier. com with a short biography of yourself and your contact information. (No nude/ glamour/ fashion photography, please!) In order to be considered, you must be at least 18 years of age. Acceptance of the photographs submitted is in the sole and absolute discretion of Florida Courier editors. We reserve the right to retain your photograph even if it is not published. If you are selected, you will be contacted by e-mail and further instructions will be given.
kiara
joshua Joshua Jay is a student at UCF, double majoring in Philosophy & Political Science. He officiates high school & college basketball with aspirations of working in the NBA and FIBA. Joshua can be contacted at JJWilson7@gmail.com.
Kiara Pace is a Tampa native and holds the title of 2011 Miss Teenage Tampa. She is also an aspiring supermodel, currently living in Miami, Florida where she has been in Hype Hair Magazine, and graced the runway for various local designers. Kiara can be contacted at pacekiara@aol.com.
‘Think Like a Man’ producers sued by investor ”Think Like a Man Too” may have scored well as the No. 1 movie at the box office last weekend, but the film’s producers are attracting a different kind of attention. Documents obtained by Eurweb show a lawsuit filed June 21 against Rainforest Films by Bernard Brothers president and CEO Bernard Bronner. The businessman is suing Will Packer along with Robert Hardy, II and TRF Productions, LLC for inter alia, breaches of fiduciary duty, gross mismanagement, misBernard appropriation of Bronner corporate assets, waste of corporate assets and abuse of control. Bronner, who invested more than $500,000 to start Rainforest with Packer and Hardy as well as raised more than $250,000 for the company, claims to have received “only a fraction of the initial amount that he invested in Rainforest (and the amounts solely raised from his personal business and social contacts)” despite the fact that Hardy and Packer have made “millions of dollars” from the success of the company.
Tracy Morgan ‘still has a long way to go’ Actor hurt in New Jersey crash moved to rehab BY CHRISTIE D’ZURILLA LOS ANGELES TIMES/MCT
Tracy Morgan is making progress as he recovers from injuries suffered in a June 7 crash that killed a friend and injured two others. “Tracy has been transferred to an undisclosed rehab center, where he is expected to remain for the next few weeks,” his representative Lewis Kay said in a
EURWEB.COM
Will Packer and Robert Hardy are producers of the “Think Like a Man’’ movies.
Bronner’s investment The trio’s business relationship dates back to the year 2000 independent film “Trois.” Bronner invested more than $500,000 in the film in exchange for a return on his investment and “a profit” based on “Trois’” performance at statement last week. “While he is continuing to show signs of improvement, he still has a long way to go.” The “30 Rock” and “Saturday Night Live” actor suffered injuries including a broken nose, ribs and legs in the crash on the New Jersey Turnpike. He was initially hospitalized in critical condition, but that was upgraded to fair condition last week. Comic James “Jimmy Mack” McNair died in the wreck, which happened at 1 a.m. that Saturday. Comic Ardie Fuqua and Morgan’s assistant Jeff Millea were both critically injured, though Millea, like Morgan, was upgraded to fair condition last week. They were on their way back from a Friday-night gig at a Delaware casino.
Thank you from fiancee McNair’s funeral was held June
the box office. “Trois” ultimately became the film that put Rainforest on the map as it grossed more than $1,200,000.00 in box office receipts and became the fastest African-American distributed film to surpass the $1 million mark. The movie’s success paved the 12 in Peekskill, N.Y. “All your prayers helped- moving forward- stable & fair condition, but the journey continues... #faith,” Morgan’s fiancee, Megan Wollover, tweeted on June 19. She and the comic welcomed their baby girl Maven nearly a year ago. Kay also said the couple was grateful “for the unbelievable care and attention” provided by the staff at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Jersey since the accident.
way for other successful Rainforest films such as “The Gospel,” “Stomp the Yard,’’ “This Christmas,” “Obsessed, “Takers,’’ “Think Like a Man,’’ “Ride Along” and “About Last Night.’’ Despite the success, Bronner claims there was inner turmoil at Rainforest. According to the suit, the Bronner Bros. Hair Care owner and other “Trois” investors were not fully compensated for their investment, despite the film’s success. The suit further states that Bronner was systematically shut out of Rainforest by Hardy and Packer, who Bronner claims assumed control of everyday operations and limited information he received as well as his decision-making authority. Salary increases for Hardy and Packer that were made without Bronner’s knowledge were also noted in the suit as well as unsuccessful attempts by Bronner to obtain financial information for Rainforest. As for his payment, the suit stated that Bronner didn’t receive any payments for 2002, 2004, 2007, 2008 and 2009.
‘Little to no profit’ When asked about the financial status of Rainforest, Hardy and Packer repeatedly told Bron-
ner that the company, despite its success, was making “little to no profit.” The suit mentioned that despite receiving compensation in 2011, Bronner has yet to recoup his initial capital investment in Rainforest. In addition, Bronner claims that funds from the company were obtained by Packer for personal use and that he did not authorize or approve efforts by Packer and Hardy to dissolve Rainforest in May. Bronner alleges in the suit that Hardy and Packer’s conduct was “oppressive” and “unfairly prejudicial” to him and Rainforest shareholders. In addition, the executive claims Hardy and Packer committed fraud in withholding financial information as well as “violated and breached their fiduciary duties of good faith, loyalty, oversight, and supervision.” Other allegations cited in the suit include lack of candor, gross mismanagement, waste of corporate assets, unjust enrichment, abuse of control and misappropriation of corporate assets. Bronner, who is demanding a trial by jury, is seeking judgment against Hardy and Packer for the allegations as well as an award of punitive damages, among other things.
Walmart driver involved
Tracy Morgan suffered injuries including a broken nose, ribs and legs in a crash on the New Jersey Turnpike June 7.
The National Transportation Safety Board revealed in a preliminary report that Kevin Roper, the driver of a Walmart tractortrailer rig that hit the performers’ chauffeured van and set off the six-vehicle collision, had been driving 65 mph immediately before impact in a part of the turn-
pike where traffic was slowed because of construction. Signs south of the accident site indicated upcoming lane closures and a speed limit reduced to 45 mph from 55 mph, the Associated Press reported. Walmart trucks are capped at
65 mph, the company told the AP. A criminal complaint alleges Roper had not slept in the 24 hours preceding the crash. The 35-year-old Georgia man has pleaded not guilty to one charge of death by auto and four counts of assault by auto.
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JUNE 27 – JULY 3, 2014
TOJ
Host a patriotic bash with dazzling desserts FROM FAMILY FEATURES
It’s easy to throw a 4th of July party that looks like you worked on it for weeks, even if you just started the planning process. Celebrate the holiday in style by serving classic entrees everyone loves and focusing your attention on delicious, easyto-make desserts. With the right recipes, your sweets will be as captivating as the colorful spectacle of fireworks above. • Hot Cinnamon Fireworks Cake: Crushed cinnamon drops add color and a slight hot cinnamon flavor to the inside of the cake, while simple melted candy details make the cake look like a firework bursting. • Quick Pickled Strawberry Hand Pies: Pies you can hold in your hand are perfect for a picnic, and this one has a special flavor. With the current love affair with all things pickled, we filled the pies with a pickled strawberry filling. The filling balances sweet and sour for an uncommonly delicious mini pie your party guests will love. • No-Bake Cheesecake Star Pops: Fun star-shaped pops of no-bake cheesecake will be a hit with adults and kids alike. Drizzled or dipped in melted Candy Melts candy, these festive star pops are easy to shape in star-shaped silicone treat molds. • Mixed Berry and Lemon Mini Icebox Cakes: Sweet, light and airy, these mini icebox cakes pack a refreshing burst of creamy flavor, perfect for the summer. Vanilla wafer cookies are stacked in a flavor-filled mixture of fruit and whipped cream and refrigerated until ready to serve. Your party planning confidence will skyrocket with these delicious dessert ideas from the Wilton test kitchen. For more fun and festive party ideas, visit wilton.com. HOT CINNAMON FIREWORKS CAKE Yield: 12 servings 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 cups (4 sticks) butter, softened 2 cups granulated sugar 6 eggs 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 bottle (6 ounces) Cinnamon Drops, crushed 1 box (1.5 ounces) Blue Colorburst Batter Bits 1 cup sifted confectioners’ sugar 3 to 4 tablespoons milk Red, white and Royal Blue Candy Melts candy, melted Red, white and blue colored sugars Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray Dimensions Cascade Pan with vegetable pan spray. In large bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. In second large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, scraping bottom and sides of bowl often. Add vanilla; beat until well combined. Add flour mixture and beat at low speed until just combined. Fold in Cinnamon Drops and blue Batter Bits. Pour into prepared pan; smooth out top. Bake 60 to 65 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes on cooling grid. Remove from pan and cool completely. In large bowl, whisk together confectioners’ sugar and milk. Drizzle melted candy onto cake to look like fireworks. Sprinkle sugars onto melted candy. QUICK PICKLED STRAWBERRY HAND PIES Yield: 8 hand pies 1 cup red wine vinegar 3/4 cup water 1 cup sugar, plus additional for sprinkling 1/4 teaspoon salt 10 black peppercorns 5 sprigs fresh thyme, plus 1/2 teaspoon roughly chopped fresh thyme leaves, divided 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1 pound fresh strawberries, hulled and cut into quarters (or eighths if berries very large) 3 tablespoons cornstarch 1 egg 1 package (14 ounces) refrigerated pie crusts In small saucepan, stir together vinegar, water, 1 cup sugar, salt and peppercorns. Add thyme sprigs. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until boiling; let boil 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Pour over cut strawberries, until fully submerged in liquid. Cover and let sit at room temperature 4 to 8 hours. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line cookie pan with parchment paper. Strain strawberries from pickling liquid and discard peppercorns and thyme. Toss berries with cornstarch until evenly coated. In small bowl, whisk egg with 1 tablespoon water until smooth. Unroll pie crusts and cut with 3 1/2-inch round cutter. Each crust yields 8 rounds. To assemble pies, top half of rounds with about 3 tablespoons of berry mixture each. Brush edges of rounds with egg wash. Cut out a hole or pierce remaining rounds with fork. Place on top of berries. Using a fork, press edges of crusts together tightly to seal. Transfer to prepared cookie pan. Brush tops of pies with egg wash and sprinkle with granulated sugar. Bake 18 to 22 minutes, or until pies are lightly golden and filling is bubbling. Cool slightly before serving.
NO-BAKE CHEESECAKE STAR POPS Yield: 6 servings 1 envelope (2 1/4 teaspoons) unflavored gelatin 1/4 cup granulated sugar 3/4 cup boiling water 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1/8 teaspoon salt 1 bag (12 ounces) royal blue Candy Melts candy Lollipop Sticks Prepare 6-cavity Mini Star Silicone Mold with vegetable pan spray. In small bowl, combine gelatin, sugar and water; whisk until completely dissolved. In large bowl, beat cream cheese, vanilla and salt with electric mixer until smooth. Gradually add gelatin mixture, beating well. Scrape bottom and sides of bowl. Continue beating until fully combined. Pour into prepared pan. Refrigerate 2 hours or until completely set. Carefully unmold cheesecakes onto cookie pan. Melt small amount of Candy Melts candy. Dip lollipop stick in melted candy and insert 3/4 way into cheese cake stars. Freeze 30 minutes or until firm. In large bowl, melt remaining Candy Melts according to package directions. Drizzle or pipe candy over cheesecake stars as desired. Refrigerate 10 minutes or until set. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve. Note: Some cream cheeses are firmer than others. Firm is best for this recipe. Choose a brand name, full fat cream cheese for best results.
MIXED BERRY AND LEMON MINI ICEBOX CAKES Yield: 12 mini cakes 2 cups fresh or frozen mixed berries 2/3 cup granulated sugar 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 2 cups heavy whipping cream 1 tablespoon lemon zest (about 1 lemon) 1 package (4.9 ounces) vanilla wafer cookies Blueberries, raspberries or blackberries, for garnish Line muffin pan with plastic wrap, pressing plastic into each cavity and letting plastic hang over edge of pan. In large skillet, combine mixed berries, sugar and lemon juice. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue simmering until berries soften and liquid reduces to 1 cup, about 20 to 25 minutes. Gently mash berries with wooden spoon. Transfer to medium bowl and cool completely. In large bowl, whip cream on medium-high speed until cream holds stiff peaks, about 4 to 5 minutes. Gently fold in berry mixture and zest until completely combined. Place whipped cream in decorating bag and cut off pointed end. To assemble, pipe small amount of whipped cream mixture into each muffin cavity. Lightly press a cookie into whipped cream. Continue layering whipped cream and cookies until cavities are full, finishing with whipped cream layer. You should have 3 layers of cookies. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Remove pan from refrigerator. Remove plastic wrap from top and carefully flip out onto serving platter. Remove wrap from mini cakes. Garnish with additional berries, if desired. Serve immediately.