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AUGUST 7 – AUGUST 13, 2015

VOLUME 23 NO. 32

Politicians confused

CHURCHES WITH GUNS

#BlackLivesMatter confronts GOP, Dems BY EVAN HALPER AND KURTIS LEE TRIBUNE WASHINGTON BUREAU / TNS

FORT LAUDERDALE − Democrats have never been more confident that their chances of hanging on to the White House hinge on Black voters, who helped tip key states toward President Barack Obama − but they have never been less confident, it seems, about how to talk to them. The Black Lives Matter campaign is seeing to it that the rules they relied on for courting the vote no longer apply. The potent social media-driven movement, sparked in the aftermath of Florida teen Trayvon Martin’s 2012 shooting death and reignited in the racial unrest in response to the deaths of other unarmed African-Americans at the hands of police over the last year, has 2016 contenders scrambling to adjust their strategies. The protesters involved are proving masterful at refocusing the spotlight. Candidates who might otherwise have been complacent, given their high marks on legislative report cards from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and endorsements from an older generation of Black leaders, have had to more directly confront uncomfortable questions of racial inequality and the mistreatment of Blacks by the criminal justice system.

‘Not legal’ CURTIS COMPTON/ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION/TNS

On Sunday, June 21, members returned to the “Mother” Emanuel A.M.E. Church opening for Sunday service four days after the mass shooting in Charleston, S.C. that claimed the lives of its pastor and eight others.

The Charleston church massacre brought the issue of security in Black churches to the forefront. Here’s what some churches are doing to meet the challenge of securing their holy spaces. BY KARSCEAL TURNER SPECIAL TO THE FLORIDA COURIER

On the evening of June 17, 21-year old White supremacist Dylann Roof casually walked into Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in downtown Charleston, S.C., clearly intent on shooting Black people. He killed nine, including the pastor. In wake of the Charleston massacre, has anything changed as far as Black church security is concerned? Bishop Victor T. Curry, senior pastor of New Birth Baptist Church located in Opa-Locka (Miami-Dade County), told the Bishop Victor Miami Herald that the shooting “should have shaken this naT. Curry tion to its core.” New Birth sits on a 13.8-acre campus with a sanctuary that seats thousands every Sunday. “We do what we have always done, we turn to God in prayer and we keep praying, and we keep praying and we keep praying and we keep doing what we can do.”

Security in place

self and his flock. He’s had a security force in place for years in the various churches he’s pastored, including plainclothes security seated with the congregation. New Birth is not the only church that had “hardened” security measures in place, even before Charleston. Dr. Charles A. Harper, III is pastor of Paradise Missionary Baptist Church in Atlanta. Harper said his congregation of approximately 500 members has had security plans and measures in place for years. Those measures have been upgraded since the mass shooting. “Our security plan entails Dr. Charles A. members of our congregation Harper, III and staff who are prior military and law enforcement. They are well-trained and take care of our security,” he explained.

‘NEGROES WITH GUNS’ PART 5 Editor’s note: The title of this series is taken from the 1962 book titled, “Negroes with Guns” by Robert F. Williams, a North Carolina native and Marine Corps veteran who advocated armed self-defense by African-Americans.

Preaching while packing Harper − an avid Second Amendment supporter who has possessed a concealed weapons permit for 15 years − revealed that he once

Curry surely prays. But he also protects him-

“We want to ensure that these candidates will actually deal with the issues that Black people face,” said Patrisse Cullors, a movement cofounder from Los Angeles. “The reality is that it’s still not legal to be Black in this country.” The group’s demands weighed heavily on discussions Friday at a major conference of the National Urban League in Fort Lauderdale, where candidates of both parties sparred over the best approach for improving the lives of AfricanAmericans. Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton dived deep into the challenges of being Black in America and the structural racism embedded in the country’s culture and economy. Jeb Bush, a Florida Republican, tried to relate his conservative growth agenda to minority empowerment. Both heavyweights had found themselves pushed off balance by Black Lives Matter before the conference. The movement inserted itself into the race through a few welltimed and highly publicized confrontations with candidates − several of which exposed politicians’ tone-deafness on racial issues. Often it was through a simple impromptu action, during which activists would demand that canSee CAMPAIGN, Page A2

See GUNS, Page A2

SNAPSHOTS FLORIDA | A3

Cop shooting cases spur new FDLE hires BY JIM TURNER THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

TALLAHASSEE − The Florida Department of Law Enforcement wants more investigators to handle an increase in shooting incidents involving officers at other police agencies across the state. Next week, the department will present Gov. Rick Scott and the Cabinet an outline of its budget proposals, which include requests for a boost in salaries for forensic lab technicians and for additional staff to help investigate officer-involved shootings and use-offorce cases. “Over the past five years, requests for these

ALSO INSIDE

investigations have increased over 100 percent,” FDLE Legislative Affairs Director Ron Draa told aides for the Cabinet and Scott on Wednesday. “Last year alone, we saw a 40-percent increase, which accounts for about 25,000 investigative hours or equates to about 14 (full-time employees).”

More cases The department is often brought in to investigate cases in which local police officers fire their weapons. In the recently completed 2014-2015 budget year, the FDLE opened 63 officer-involved shooting cases at other agencies, up from 48 a year earlier. The de-

partment started 29 such investigations in the 2010-2011 budget year, 52 in 2011-2012 and 67 the following year. Lawmakers this year approved funding for 17 full-time agents to handle use-of-force investigations within the Department of Corrections. However, the Legislature didn’t back the FDLE’s request for $1.87 million to fill 14 full-time positions to assist in investigations stemming from police being involved in shootings. The department is still developing its proposals for the 2016 legislative session and has yet to specify overall dollar amounts, Draa said. However, the state law enforcement agency has dollar figures tied to an effort to keep crime-lab analysts from seeking See FDLE, Page A2

Back-toschool sales-tax holiday underway EVENTS | B2

J. Cole among celebs in state this month

BOOKS | B2

Rivlin’s ‘Katrina’ examines racism after storm

COMMENTARY: MARGARET KIMBERLEY: PRESIDENT OBAMA’S HYPOCRISY IN AFRICA | A4 COMMENTARY: MARSHA COLEMAN-ADEBAYO:GOVERNMENT TARGETS BLACK LIVES ACTIVISTS | A5

CALENDAR

FLORIDA COMMUNITY CALENDAR Miami: A Family Fun Day: Jamaica at the World’s Fair 10 is Aug. 8 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at HistoryMiami Museum, 101 West Flagler St. Free admission. Lakeland: Florida A&M National Alumni Association in Polk County will host “A FAMUly Affair’’ on Aug. 8 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event is at Hunt Fountain Park, 2020 Duff Road. More information: 863-815-9208 or 863-944-6998. Orlando: The rapper T-Pain is scheduled to take the stage at the CFE Arena in Orlando on Aug. 27. Miami Gardens: The Orange Bowl Health & Wellness Fair presented by Sunshine Health will take place at Betty T. Ferguson Recreational Complex on Aug. 8 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The free event is at 3000 NW St. St. Petersburg: R&B singer Keith Sweat takes the stage Sept. 5 at the Mahaffey Theater, 400 1st Street S. Miami: Chris Brown’s “One Hell of a Nite Tour’’ stops at the AmericanAirlines Arena on Sept. 3 and the MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre in Tampa on Sept. 4. St. Petersburg: Catch Jill Scott on Aug. 8 at Hard Rock Live Hollywood or Aug. 9 at the Mahaffey Theater in St. Petersburg. Clearwater: Legendary concert jazz pianist Lillette Jenkins-Wisner, known as “Queen of the Keys,’’ gives what’s being called a farewell performance Sept. 10-13 at Ruth Eckerd Hall. The concert will feature Jade Simmons. Orlando: The Opal Network Alliance’s South Florida Women’s Summit is Oct. 28-29 at the at the Bonaventure Resort & Spa in Weston.

AUGUST 7 – AUGUST 13, 2015

STOJ

More information: www.onatoday.com.

BOOKER T. JONES

St. Petersburg: Tickets are on sale for a Nov. 13 show featuring the legendary Chaka Khan at the Mahaffey Theater.

The multi-instrumentalist known for classic Stax hits like “Green Onions,” “Hang ‘Em High,” “Time Is Tight,” and “Melting Pot” will be at Jacksonville’s Ritz Theater and Museum on Oct. 3 for an 8 p.m. show.

Orlando: STAR 94.5 presents Tamia at the House of Blues Orlando on Aug. 29 for a 7:30 p.m. show. Miami: Catch actor and comedian Martin Lawrence on Sept. 11 at the AmericanAirlines Arena’s Waterfront Theatre and Sept. 12 at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts in Tampa. Orlando: Reggae artists Beres Hammond and Tarrus Riley perform Aug. 22 at Hard Rock Live Orlando.

J. COLE

Miami: Janet Jackson’s Unbreakable World Tour stops at AmericanAirlinesArena on Sept. 20, Orlando’s Amway Center on Sept. 23 and Tampa’s Amalie Arena on Sept. 24.

The singer’s Forest Hills Drive Tour stops at the MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre in Tampa on Aug. 16 and the Perfect Vodka Amphitheatre at the S. Florida Fairgrounds in West Palm Beach on Aug. 18.

Riverview: Dr. Reba Haley will host a women’s conference on Aug. 15 at Covenant Family Church in Riverview. Haley recently released a book for singles and couples titled “I Only Have Eyes for You.’’ More information: Rebahaley@outlook.com. Jacksonville: The “Living the Best Life’’ Women’s Conference hosted by Dr. Cynthia Griffin of Wayman Ministries takes place Aug. 12-16. More details: www.wayman.org. Tampa: Candy Lowe hosts Tea & Conversation every Saturday from 2 to 4 p.m. at 3911 N. 34th St., Suite B. More information: 813394-6363. Jacksonville: The “Living the Best Life’’ Women’s Conference hosted by Dr. Cynthia Griffin of Wayman Ministries takes place Aug. 12-16. More details: www.wayman.org.

SASHEER ZAMATA

Catch the comedienne and “Saturday Night Live’’ featured player on Aug. 26 at CFE Arena in Orlando for an 8 p.m. show.

New Katrina book gives honest look at devastation, disparities BY DR. GLENN ALTSCHULER SPECIAL TO THE FLORIDA COURIER

Appearing on “The Oprah Winfrey Show’’ a week after New Orleans was devastated by Hurricane Katrina, Mayor Ray Nagin gave his host a tour of the Superdome. Assaulted by a stench so strong he could “smell funk,” Nagin asked, “How could the richest country in the world let American suffer the way they did?” A few hours later, John Donvan of “Nightline’’ asked the mayor if race was the reason rescue efforts were so inadequate. “I don’t think this type of response would have happened if this was Orange County, California,” Nagin replied.

Racism, corruption and partisanship Ten years after the hurricane made landfall – on Aug. 29, 2005 – New Orleans has not fully recovered. In “Katrina,’’ Gary Rivlin, an investigative reporting fellow at The Nation Institute and the author of “Broke, USA: From Pawnshops to Poverty, Inc.,’’ documents the incompetence, corruption, political partisanship and racism that, along with nature, laid waste to the infrastructure, social fabric and psyche of an iconic American city. To make the big picture up close and personal, Rivlin describes the experiences of Black and White ordinary citizens, community activists, businessmen, bankers, teachers

BOOK REVIEW Review of “Katrina: After the Flood” by Gary Rivlin. Simon & Schuster. 450 pp. $27. and politicians. Sweeping and searching, Katrina is a Category Five exposé of disastrous disaster relief.

Officers, resources disappeared Rivlin provides chilling details about the extent of the damage to New Orleans. One hundred of the city’s 128 public school buildings were flooded. Local courts were closed. About one-third of the police force went AWOL during Katrina, and many of the cops who remained lived on Carnival Cruise Line ships docked on the Mississippi. The city’s principal sources of revenue, sales taxes and property taxes, declined precipitously or disappeared. Most important, of course, FEMA did not race to the rescue. When FEMA finally supplied 145,000 trailers to house displaced persons, for example, they contained floors and cabinets treated with formaldehyde, at levels five times greater than those deemed safe by the Centers for Disease Control. Little wonder, then, that a year after Katrina hit, New Orleans had less than 40 percent of its pre-hurricane population.

Ward far from higher and better’ In November 2006, Na-

gin announced that every part of New Orleans had working sewers, drinkable water, telephones and power. He was, at best, stretching the truth, Rivlin reports. Especially for the Lower Ninth Ward, home to 25,000 people, virtually all of them Black (and poor). Although it dominated the news in the early days, serving as a proxy for poverty in the city, the Lower Ninth was hardly the centerpiece of the “higher and better” New Orleans described by President Bush, Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco and Mayors Nagin and Mitch Landrieu. During a “blight rally,” one resident declared, “I thought this place would have been better a looooooong time ago.”

Rivlin, however, portrays the post-Katrina story, more accurately, it seems to me, as a tale of two cities. Violent crime occurs at twice the national rate in New Orleans. The poverty

rate is stuck at 29 percent. Fifty-two percent of working-age Black men are unemployed. Inequality is greater than in any American city except Atlanta. New Orleans looks good, Ted Quandt, a Black man, told

Rivlin. “But for whom?”

Dr. Glenn C. Altschuler is the Thomas and Dorothy Litwin Professor of American Studies at Cornell University. He wrote this review for the Florida Courier.

A tale of two cities Recently, New Orleans has been acclaimed as a great comeback story. The city was attracting 4,000 new residents a year, many of them young professionals. Atlantic magazine declared it a “start-up city;” Forbes listed it second in its “Best Cities for Jobs” feature in 2011; and the next year, Travel & Leisure ranked New Orleans the “top city” in the United States. A giant biomedical center promised better jobs – and an industry to supplement tourism. Some claimed that the proliferation of charter schools boded well for the city’s future.

UNIVERSAL PICTURES AND LEGENDARY PICTURES PRESENT IN ASSOCIATION WITH NEW LINE CINEMA/CUBEVISION/CRUCIAL FILMS A BROKEN CHAIR FLICKZ PRODUCTION AN F. GARY GRAY FILM “STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON”CO-EXECUTIVE O’SHEA JACKSON, JR. COREY HAWKINS JASON MITCHELL AND PAUL GIAMATTI EXECUTIVE SCORE BY JOSEPH TRAPANESE PRODUCERS S. LEIGH SAVIDGEALAN WENKUS PRODUCERS WILL PACKER ADAM MERIMS DAVID ENGELBILL STRAUSTHOMAS TULLJON JASHNISTORYPRODUCEDBY ICE CUBE p.g.a. TOMICA WOODS-WRIGHTMATT ALVAREZ p.g.a. F. GARY GRAY p.g.a. SCOTT BERNSTEIN p.g.a. DR. DRE BY S. LEIGH SAVIDGE DIRECTED & ALAN WENKUS AND ANDREA BERLOFF SCREENPLAY BY JONATHAN HERMAN AND ANDREA BERLOFF BY F. GARY GRAY A UNIVERSAL PICTURE SOUNDTRACK ON UNIVERSAL MUSIC ENTERPRISES

NADER KHOURI/CONTRA COSTA TIMES/TNS

Then-New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin takes a tour of the FEMA “transitional housing” trailer park in Baker, La., on Oct. 13, 2005. Most of the evacuees at the park were from New Orleans. The park, which was nearly full, had 573 trailers, which was meant to help evacuees get back on their feet within 18 months.

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

AUGUST 7 – AUGUST 13, 2015

FLORIDA

State’s back-to-school tax holiday underway Retailers trying to sell legislators on adding more discount days throughout year BY JIM TURNER THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

TALLAHASSEE – A longer than usual back-toschool tax holiday gets underway on Aug. 7 and a lobbying arm for retailers is already making plans to sell lawmakers on keeping the extended discount period next year. The Florida Retail Federation also is eyeing a number of other proposed salestax breaks that failed to win legislative support this year – breaks that would apply to the purchase of hurricane supplies, energy-saving appliances and for guns and fishing gear to use while camping. “We’re eager to explore more options for salestax holidays,” Florida Retail Federation spokesman James Miller said.

Multiple weekends Retailers see the tax holidays as moneymakers. The back-to-school holiday starts at 12:01 a.m. Friday, Aug. 7, and runs through 11:59 p.m. Aug. 16. “We’re excited this year’s Legislature and Gov. Scott came around and saw the importance of having it 10 days,” Miller said. “I think it’s going to be important for families. Depending upon when a family may get a paycheck, this first of the month or 15th, or both, by having it from the 7th to the 16th it gives families multiple weekends.” Since the first sales-tax holiday was offered in 1998,

PETER ANDREW BOSCH/MIAMI HERALD/TNS

South Florida residents lined up for an hour to pay for back-to-school uniforms at AA Uniforms in Miami on Aug. 13, 2011, during the tax-free holiday. the discount period has only stretched to 10 days once before, in 2007.

Open to all State economists project that this year’s backto-school holiday period, which had been offered at three days each year since 2011, will reduce state and local revenue by $67.8 million. Retailers anticipate the discount period will bring in shoppers who may be tempted to pick up additional items while in the stores. And while the tax-break period is based on the premise of helping families with students returning to classes, the sales are open to all shoppers with discounts ranging from simple school supplies to clothing under $100. Also, the break

applies to the sales tax on the first $750 of the price of laptop computers and certain other electronics for personal use.

textbooks. The package is projected by state economists to cut revenue by $372.4 million in the fiscal year that began July 1.

Cell phone included

Touted by Scott

House Finance & Tax Chairman Matt Gaetz, who helped author a tax-cut package that included the holiday, said he’s already getting feedback from people that the 10-day tax break period gives families more time to plan for the discounts. Lawmakers put together the wide-ranging tax cut package (HB 33A) in June during a special session on the budget. The package also includes cuts to the communications-services tax on cell-phone and cable-TV bills and eliminates for one year sales taxes on college

The House initially proposed a $673 million package that included a smallbusiness tax holiday two days after Thanksgiving and a one-day sales-tax holiday on July 4 for outdoor equipment including guns, spear-guns and bows, ammunition, camping tents and fishing gear. But that package died as lawmakers ended the regular session without a budget. Gov. Rick Scott touted the back-to-school tax break Monday while handing out school supplies in West Palm Beach during the Office Depot Foundation’s “National Backpack Program.”

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Scott is expected to call for more than $500 million in tax cuts for the 2016 legislative session. In 2014 Scott campaigned on a promise of $1 billion in tax cuts over a two-year period.

More discounts? Gaetz, R-Fort Walton Beach, said the 2016 tax-cut package would depend on state revenue projections, which lawmakers will get before the session begins in January. “We’ll have to look at the revenue forecasts and our cost models to determine what our appetite is as a legislature for tax cuts,” Gaetz said. He expects the back-toschool tax holiday to be on the table, along with his own proposal to establish an Independence Day discount on camping equipment.

But when calculating the cuts, Gaetz said priority is expected to be given to prior Scott proposals to make a manufacturing tax cut permanent and to reduce a commercial real-estate rent tax. “Those will probably be near the top of the list for me,” Gaetz added. Gaetz’s counterpart, Senate Finance and Tax Chairwoman Dorothy Hukill, who has pushed in the past to reduce the commercial rent tax, on Monday reintroduced another of Scott’s past tax-cut priorities. Hukill, R-Port Orange, filed a bill (SB 76) that would increase the corporate income-tax exemption from $50,000 to $75,000. Increasing the exemption would reduce – or even potentially eliminate – tax bills for businesses. Hukill also proposed the change during the 2015 legislative session, but it did not pass.

Voting-rights groups pushing for new districts to be drawn in public BY BRANDON LARRABEE THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

TALLAHASSEE – Two voting-rights organizations that led the legal battle against congressional districts later found to be unconstitutional called Monday for a new map to be drawn in public – a demand swiftly rejected by legislative leaders. The League of Women Voters of Florida and Common Cause Florida released a letter to Senate President Andy Gardiner and House Speaker Steve Crisafulli, taking issue with the top lawmakers' announcement that legislative staff and lawyers would be secluded as they draw a map intended to comply with a Florida Supreme Court decision rejecting current districts. That map will serve as a "base" for lawmakers as they consider amendments and give ultimate approval to a congressional redistricting plan during a special legislative session that starts next Monday.

‘Base map’ concern In a 5-2 decision last month, the Supreme Court struck down eight of the state's 27 congressional districts for violating one of the two anti-gerrymandering "Fair Districts" amendments adopted by voters in 2010. But the League of Women Voters and Common Cause said keeping map-drawing sessions private "undermines the Legislature's assurances of an open and transparent remedial process" and could violate the Supreme Court's call for the redistricting process to take place in public. The court majority found fault with key lawmakers making some decisions about redistricting plans outside of the public eye.

"We believe that the 'base map' should be discussed and drawn in public, as that map will play a central role in the legislative process of drawing the congressional redistricting plan," wrote League President Pamela Goodman and Peter Butzin, chairman of Common Cause Florida. "We hope and expect that the Legislature will provide a mechanism for the public to view the drawing of the 'base map' and any associated discussions."

Streaming online proposed Goodman and Butzin wrote that the Legislature could, for example, stream any map-drawing sessions live over the Internet. In the court opinion issued last month, Justice Barbara Pariente wrote that members of the court's majority "encourage the Legislature to conduct all meetings in which it makes decisions on the new map in public and to record any non-public meetings for preservation." A spokesman for Crisafulli, R-Merritt Island, brushed off a question about the letter Monday. "As with similar politically motivated letters that have been received regarding the redistricting process, the speaker has no comment," Crisafulli spokesman Michael Williams wrote in an email.

Explaining the process Katie Betta, a spokeswoman for Gardiner, R-Orlando, said the process that the Legislature has laid out already complies with the court's decision because legislative staff members will have to explain their draft of the map to lawmakers during a public meeting. "The vote on that map – whether to accept it, reject

it or amend it – would be the first decision the Legislature makes," Betta said. "This vote will take place in an open meeting after public input and debate. Likewise, if the map is adopted by the Legislature, any subsequent amendment would be presented and adopted in a similar fashion. In that manner, every decision will be made in public." Indeed, legislative leaders have painted their decision to wall off the redistricting staff as an effort to keep lawmakers, political consultants and members of Congress from meddling in the new districts. Those involved with drawing the districts have been told to avoid conversations about the map with anyone who might have an interest and to report any suggestions that the Legislature is violating the Fair Districts amendment to Gardiner or Crisafulli.

Four meetings Responding to another concern raised by Goodman and Butzin, Betta said lawmakers would hear public input during meetings scheduled to begin next week. She said the Senate has included extra meetings of the committee charged with redistricting in case they're needed. The Senate Reapportionment Committee has scheduled four meetings – one in conjunction with the House Redistricting Committee – during the special session that starts Monday and runs through Aug. 21. The Senate is also scheduled to hold floor sessions Monday and Aug. 19 through Aug. 21. Last month, the House announced that it expected two House Redistricting Committee meetings, including the joint one with the Senate committee, and for the chamber to be in session Aug. 17 and 18.

EDITORIAL

AUGUST 7 – AUGUST 13, 2015

Barack Obama’s hypocrisy in Africa On January 20, 2017, Barack Obama will leave the presidency. Black people capable of critical thought will have many reasons to breathe sighs of relief. They will no longer have to submit to condescending lectures directed exclusively at them. From the moment he ran for president, Obama has harangued Black people on a wide variety of issues. It doesn’t matter if his audience is made up of church congregants, graduating students, or Kenyan dignitaries. Every Black person unlucky enough to be in his vicinity risks being treated like a deadbeat dad, career criminal or Cousin Pookie, Obama’s own imaginary Willie Horton. During his trip to East Africa the president chastened Kenyans about gay rights, domestic violence, genital cutting, forced marriage and equal rights for women. He went on and on with no mention of how well his country lives up to any accepted standards of human rights.

Look at America American presidents have no business chastising others. The country with the world’s largest prison state, military and history of aggressions is on shaky ground when giving anyone else advice. In the neighboring country of Somalia, the United States regular-

MARGARET KIMBERLEY BLACK AGENDA REPORT

ly sends drones intended to kill alShabaab fighters; but they deliver collateral damage to other people, too. The blowback has killed many Kenyans, who are targeted by alShabaab because of their country’s role as an American puppet. Because hypocritical Americans have made gay rights the new measurement of societal wellbeing all over the world, the president took the opportunity to castigate Kenyans about that, too. Of course, homosexuality is illegal in Saudi Arabia, America’s partner in crime. Yet there is no record of public shaming for any Saudi prince or king on that or any other issue. Their sensibilities are deemed too delicate for tongue lashing. (It must be pointed out that Saudis take “lashing” quite literally.)

Others exempted Those countries that are considered important are never called to account about American concerns du jour. They can even be praised no matter how awful

VISUAL VIEWPOINT: INCARCERATION IN AMERICA

their behavior. The president regularly genuflects to Israel, a country which violates every norm of international law, including the Geneva Convention’s prohibitions against collective punishment. In Gaza, civilians of every age and gender are massacred and Israel maintains the right to continue the bloodshed − always with American financial and military support. Obama even compared the establishment of Israel’s apartheid state to Black Americans’ fight for liberation. That statement was a lie, a grotesque distortion of history. The slander is akin to a blood libel, but Africans cannot expect the recitation of bizarre statements on their behalf when Obama comes to town. The recipients of American hypocritical condemnation are many. While Obama was browbeating Africans, Syrian president Bashir al-Assad was telling the world about his nation’s suffering at the hands of the United States. More than 200,000 of his citizens are dead, and up to 9 million are refugees because the United States claims the right to decide who should control that country. For four years, the United States and allies like Saudi Arabia have waged a terror campaign against Syria. The Islamic State, ISIS, is also part of the terror mix, but it wouldn’t even exist without the

40 reasons Blacks and the poor are incarcerated Editor’s note: This is Part 6. Other reasons will be listed in upcoming weeks. 30. Inside prisons, the poorest people are taken advantage of. Most items such as telephone calls to families are priced exorbitantly high − some as high as $12.95 for a 15-minute call − further separating families. 31. The DOJ reports another 3.9 million people are on probation. Probation is when a court puts a person under supervision instead of sending them to prison. Probation is also becoming a big business for private companies that get governments to contract with them to collect outstanding debts and supervise people on probation. Human Rights Watch reported in 2014 that over a thousand courts assign hundreds of thousands of people to be under the supervision of private companies. These companies require those on probation to pay the company for the supervision. They collect fines, fees and costs, or else send the person on probation to jail. For example, one man in Georgia who was fined $200 for stealing a can of beer from a convenience store was ultimate-

BILL QUIGLEY GUEST COMMENTATOR

ly jailed after the private probation company ran up over $1,000 in fees. 32. The DOJ reports an additional 850,000 people are on parole. Parole is when a person who has been in prison is released to serve the rest of their sentence under supervision. 33. The DOJ reported in 2012 that as many as 100 million people have a criminal record, and over 94 million of those records are online. 34. Everyone can find out people have a record. Because it is so easy to access to arrest and court records, people who have been arrested and convicted face very serious problems getting a job, renting an apartment, public assistance, and education. Eighty-seven percent of employers conduct background checks. Employment losses for people with criminal records have been estimated at as much as

STEVE SACK, THE MINNEAPOLIS STAR TRIBUNE

ing for home. There would be no need for AfriCom because imperialism would be off the table. Saudi princes would have to look elsewhere to destabilize other nations. Israel would have to free Palestine, and Iran could enrich all the uranium it wanted. There would be no income inequality based on race, and brutal police would be prosecuted. Yes Mr. President, the past shouldn’t define the future. You would do well to take those words seriously.

United States. Now ISIS is used as a subterfuge in the effort to finish off Assad and what is left of his country.

Apply to U.S. In Obama’s finger-wagging about the treatment of Kenyan women, he made a point that he would do well to remember about himself and the United States. “Every country has traditions that are unique. Just because something is a part of your past doesn’t make it right. It doesn’t mean that it defines your future.” If those words were applied to his country, all the jails would be emptied, the banks would be nationalized, and the United States military would start closing up foreign military bases and head-

Margaret Kimberley’s Freedom Rider column appears weekly in Black Agenda Report. Contact her at Margaret.Kimberley@BlackAgendaReport. com.

Good relationships are not subject to control

$65 billion every year. 34. Race is a multiplier of disadvantage in unemployment for people who get out of prison. A study by Professor Devah Pager demonstrated that employers who were unlikely to even check on the criminal history of White male applicants, seriously discriminated against all Black applicants and even more so against Black applicants with criminal records. 35. Families are hurt by this. The Sentencing Project reports 180,000 women are subject to lifetime bans from Temporary Assistance to Needy Families because of felony drug convictions. 36. Convicted people cannot get jobs after they get out. More than 60 percent of formerly incarcerated people are unemployed one year after being released. Is it a surprise that within three years of release from prison, about two-thirds of the state prisoners were rearrested?

Bill Quigley teaches law at Loyola University New Orleans. Contact him at quigley77@gmail. com.

Sometimes I consider myself a relatively smart guy. At least I’m smart enough to know that no one is perfect, and no relationship between two people is ever going to be totally perfect. In order to have and enjoy a good marriage, committed relationship or a friendship, occasionally both parties oftentimes have to take the bitter with the sweet − as long as there is far more sweet than sour!

Not good Control by one person is never good in any relationship. If you have been injured or victimized by a bad “someone” that didn’t love you, didn’t want you, didn’t respect you, didn’t let you be you, didn’t care about your emotional, spiritual, physical or other needs and didn’t value your opinions, I’m sure that sucked at one time or another. When you are blessed to get out of or escape from that kind of relationship, be thankful. The stress that can come from insensitivity, no consideration, loss of love, loss of money, wasted time, bro-

LUCIUS GANTT THE GANTT REPORT

ken vows, broken promises and various forms of relationship abandonment could send you to an early grave! We all have to protect ourselves in all ways and at all times. But a bad relationship situation is bad if bad things are done to you, or if you do bad things to others. If a bad partner or mate disagrees with you, you cannot flip the script and suggest that a good partner, a good mate or a potentially good spouse that disagrees with you is also a bad person.

Love and disagreement If your parents or your children disagree with you, they can still love you and you can love them. The same is true about the person that holds your heart, that helps you, that supports you, that inspires you, that motivates

you, and that wants you to succeed in love and in life. The idea that every relationship difference has to be resolved or settled in a “my way or the highway” manner is ridiculous, and should be discredited and/or changed! Stop looking for reasons to get mad, get upset, get frustrated, get disappointed or get annoyed with your soulmates. If you look for a reason to end a relationship, you can find one every day! The person that is best for you is not necessarily your clone or someone that pretends to be just like you are, thinks like you think, defines like you define, views like you view, or acts like you act. Merely start with the man or woman that you can live with and you can love. Then work together to make the relationship better!

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

NetRoots confrontation wasn’t about #BlackLivesMatter The first thing to know about the #BlackLivesMatter confrontation with Democratic presidential candidates Martin O’Malley and Bernie Sanders is that it happened at the annual NetRootsNation gathering this year in Phoenix. NetRoots bills itself as “the largest gathering of the progressive movement” in this country. It’s actually the largest gathering of paid and wannabe-paid Democratic Party activists, Democratic candidates and Democratic campaign managers, of consultants

BRUCE A. DIXON BLACK AGENDA REPORT

and vendors to Democratic campaigns, and folks of all kinds who are part of the far-flung partisan and ostensibly “non-partisan” machinery that gears up to elect Democrats. If you’re a Black Democrat-

ic Party activist like I was for 25 years, you go to NetRoots to connect with other Democratic Party activists, and hopefully, with the people who will be handing out grassroots money, among other things, to get out the Big Black Vote in November − without which Democrats have no hope of winning. High-ranking Democrats who hand out money are always on the lookout for new activist blood with catchy new hooks, for activists who’ll say the things they will not say in the effort to turn out the

Black masses for that Big Black Vote. A Black activist at NetRoots really NEEDS to stand out, to get noticed by the people who can give you fellowships, grants, jobs, funding of all kinds, and a career. Since Hillary is the inevitable Democratic nominee, demanding they “say her name” and come up with solutions that address White supremacy, structural racism and the runaway police state is a foolproof strategy to get noticed. Since Hillary did not attend NetRoots, they got to do it without antagonizing the Clinton camp. Hill-

Charles W. Cherry II, Esq., Publisher

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ary wisely covered her own ass by releasing a tweet that unequivocally said “Black lives DO matter.” The NetRootsNation confrontation wasn’t the stirring of Black women activists “taking their rightful place at the front of the progressive movement,” as one breathless tweet called it. It was about flying the #BlackLivesMatter flag to jockey for positions inside the machinery that is the Democratic Party and its affiliates.

Bruce A. Dixon is managing editor at Black Agenda Report.

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AUGUST 7 – AUGUST 13, 2015

EDITORIAL

A dead lion and a dead Black man Events take place every day which prove that America is a country in a serious and dangerous state of delusion. In the United States, trivialities are treated with great importance and vital issues are ignored or diminished if they threaten the rule of White supremacy. Recently, a dentist from Minnesota traveled to Zimbabwe in search of a wild animal trophy. Dr. Walter Palmer killed a lion after luring him out of a wildlife sanctuary. Unfortunately for the hunter, the lion was a tourist attraction and had been anthropomorphized with the name of “Cecil.” Lions don’t have names, but many White people have a unique ability to humanize every other living thing − except a Black person. On July 19, 2015, Samuel DuBose was killed when a private security officer at the University of Cincinnati shot him in the head. As the Malcolm X Grass Roots Movement told the world in 2012, murders like this take place roughly every 28 hours. Not only do law enforcement officers have the right to kill Black people at will, but so do private security. In some cases, a civilian vigilante like George Zimmerman is given tacit state permission to kill when in the service of the 21st century slave patrol.

Common killings DuBose’s car was missing a license plate, which led to a police

MARGARET KIMBERLEY BLACK AGENDA REPORT

stop, which led to a physical confrontation, which led to him being shot. As in the case of Sandra Bland, a traffic citation turned deadly because the target was a Black person. These killings are common and now show other familiar and very disturbing patterns. The killer has been charged with murder but is out on bond, having raised $100,000 in less than 24 hours. DuBose’s family traveled down the all-too- common but sickening road of first forgiving the killer. They added to their shame by hiring Mark O’Mara to represent them. O’Mara is the attorney who successfully defended George Zimmerman in the murder of Trayvon Martin. It was all painful to watch. Another police “snuff” video showing a Black person’s murder, followed by a grieving family, who − due to their own personal delusion and lack of political sensibility − are unable to speak truthfully. If the usual script plays out, the security officer will be acquitted and the Obama Justice Department will refuse to exercise its prosecutorial power.

Cops get sympathy The anger and the grief caused

Government targets BlackLivesMatter activists According to a recent investigation by The Intercept, the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI have launched state-sponsored surveillance against BlackLivesMatter activists as a component of the fight against terrorism. According to this report, “The department frequently collects information, including location data, on Black Lives Matter activities from public social media accounts, including on Facebook, Twitter, and Vine, even for events expected to be peaceful.” The report verifies that the surveillance community utilized social media as an important tool, specifically in Ferguson, Baltimore, Washington, D.C. and New York. In fact, according to the materials obtained by The Intercept, evidence indicates “that other counterterror intelligence organizations like the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force and state police intelligence groups have been involved in monitoring and apprehending

DR. MARSHA COLEMANADEBAYO BLACK AGENDA REPORT

Black Lives Matter activists.”

Seen this before The 21st century surveillance system, however, is substantially more dangerous than that of the 20th century Counter Intelligence Program (COINTELPRO) which operated from 1956 to 1971). The government manufactured criminal attacks against civil rights and peace activists, such as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the Black Panther Party, NAACP, etc. The president and the head of the National Security Agency (NSA) deny government spying on citizens. However, an April 2015 memo regarding a demonstration in the Chinatown section of Wash-

by the killings of people like Samuel DuBose are still felt most keenly within the Black community. Within the White community, killer police get sympathy and even raise large sums of money. Darren Wilson is now a much wealthier man for having killed Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo. last year. While Black people cry out in anguish over human murder, White people reserve their outrage for the deaths of animals. DuBose’s murder elicited a shrug of the shoulder in many quarters. Meanwhile, Cecil’s killing inspired international outrage fueled with the help of social media. The killer dentist had to close his practice, hire a crisis management firm, and get out of town for a while. Eventually even his public relations person distanced himself. Ray Tensing, Samuel DuBose’s killer, has no such problem. He is walking around free because of moral and financial support. There aren’t any celebrities weeping for DuBose and no one outside of his family and his community is terribly concerned about him. The disparate reactions to animal and human death should not be surprising. Even predatory animals can be imbued with human characteristics by those who find that fascinating. Real human beings who are Black are given no such positive benefit of the doubt. In fact, any assumptions made about them are negative. Any asington, D.C. is noted in the Intercept report: “The ‘Watch Desk’ of the DHS’s National Capital Region, FEMA branch compiled this real-time information, despite the fact that an FBI joint intelligence bulletin shared among several DHS officials the day before noted that there was ‘no information suggesting violent behavior is planned for Washington, DC’ and that previous anti-police brutality protests in the wake of Ferguson ‘have been peaceful in nature.’ The bulletin also said that for unspecified reasons ‘we remain concerned that unaffiliated individuals could potentially use this event to commit acts of violence in the Chinatown area.’”

I was there These national security windfalls catch everyday citizens exercising their First Amendment rights. I attended the Chinatown demonstration, along with other BlackLivesMatter activists. In the myopic world of the FBI, COINTELPRO’s goal was to “expose, disrupt, misdirect, or otherwise neutralize” groups that the FBI officials believed were “subversive” by instructing FBI field operatives to create a negative public image for the targeted groups; breaking down internal

Obama should do more to halt female genital mutilation Many years ago, as a single man in my early 30s, I dated a young, attractive West African woman. I liked her from the moment I laid my eyes on her. Janet (not her real name) was soft-spoken, well-mannered, educated, hard-working, and very easy on the eyes. But any illusions of a future with her disappeared shortly after we started going out. As an infant, Janet had had been circumcised. And as an adult, she paid dearly. Sex seldom gave her pleasure. Most of the time it was a grueling, torturous experience that sometimes left her wailing or sore for weeks. I thought about Janet recently when female circumcision, more commonly and more appropriately known as female genital mutilation, made headlines again.

Change traditions

VISUAL VIEWPOINT: CECIL THE LION IS KILLED

MARIAN KEMENSKY, SLOVAKIA

sumptions of worthiness are re- ple around the world. He didn’t served for the people who kill shoot a man in the head, invade them. another country, torture anyone or give public money to crooked Challenge the system banksters. Any of these acts ought Challenging Tensing’s right to to make him a target of contempt, kill DuBose means challenging but doing so would require more the system upon which this na- thought than the average Amerition was built. Not only are mil- can can muster. Dr. Palmer should have found lions of people more concerned about a wild animal than a hu- a reason − any reason − to kill a man, but some of those grieving Black person. Had he done that, for the lion are actually quite hap- he would now have no worries at py when Black people are hunted all. down. Questioning whether the Margaret Kimberley’s Freekilling was justified would result in a level of cognitive dissonance dom Rider column appears which would be too difficult to weekly at BlackAgendaReport. com. Contact her at Margaret. contemplate. Dr. Palmer is now considered Kimberley(at)BlackAgendaReto be a villain by millions of peo- port.com. oughly compromised by government and corporate surveillance,) that allowed civil rights leaders to develop strong personal relationships with levels of accountability rooted in social institutions. Informal networks were strengthened among civil rights activists in order to circumvent the intentions of an openly hostile and racist government. Government surveillance of the BlackLivesMatter movement poses new technological and social terrain challenges. New strategies and tactics are required to exchange information among groups and new modalities are required to circumvent infiltration and, ultimately, government sting operations. The BlackLivesMatter movement is being taken seriously by those invested in thought control and African political suppression through fear. The government, through its surveillance program, seeks to instill fear into the Black ‘Ancient’ methods better? resistance movement as it couraWithout high-speed comput- geously raises the mantle of liberers, satellite imagery, social media ation. and other technological advancDr. Marsha Coleman-Adees, the FBI and other spy agencies were inefficient and slow. Perhaps bayo is the author of “No FEAR: one of the benefits of “old school” A Whistleblowers Triumph over organizing was the lack of social Corruption and Retaliation at media (a tool that has been thor- the EPA.” organization of the groups; creating dissension between groups; and restricting access to public resources, to the ability to organize protests, and to the ability of individuals to participate in group activities. An article entitled, “How Much Is the US Government Spying on Americans?” states this: The government is spying on you through your phone … and may even remotely turn on your camera and microphone when your phone is off. As one example, the NSA has inserted its code into Android’s operating system … bugging threequarters of the world’s smartphones. Google – or the NSA – can remotely turn on your phone’s camera and recorder at any time ….And Microsoft has long worked hand-in-hand with the NSA and FBI so that encryption doesn’t block the government’s ability to spy on users of Skype, Outlook, Hotmail and other Microsoft services.”

step in the struggle for

trated in 29 countries in Africa and the Middle East. It has also been known to take place in some Western countries with large communities of immigrants from these nations. According to the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), about 20 million Nigerian females between the ages of 15-49 have been subjected to genital mutilation. The Nigerian government, which banned the practice, has struck a big blow for women’s rights in the developing world. And by calling attention to the practice, albeit briefly, President Obama has helped shine a light on a practice that treats females as second-class citizens and damages them for life.

women’s liberation, but

Major impact

LEKAN OGUNTOYINBO NNPA COLUMNIST

Attacking female genital mutilation is a big first

that’s all it is – a step. blade. Sometimes the girls are cut as infants and in some cases they are butchered as adolescents. The practice is often mischaracterized as an Islamic practice. In fact, it predates Islam and is practiced by Christians, Muslims and animists. Female genital mutilation can lead to complications such as severe bleeding and problems urinating. Medical studies also show that it could ultimately lead to cysts, infections, infertility, complications in childbirth and a heightened risk of newborn deaths.

This new Nigerian law could have a ripple effect on the rest of the continent. Nigeria is Africa’s political, economic and cultural giant. Despite its many failings as a nation, Nigeria has always been a major force in leading change on the continent and throughout the region. Obama’s decision to bring up the subject during an important speech on the continent has the potential amplify that powerful signal. But the president needs to do more than mention the subject in one sentence. Attacking female genital mutilation is a big first step in the struggle for women’s liberation, but that’s all it is – a step.

In an address last week to the African Union, an organization of the continent’s leaders of the continent’s 54 countries, President Obama said, “We can’t let old traditions stand in the way. When African girls are subjected to the mutilation of their bodies, or forced into marriage at the ages of 9 or 10 or 11 − that sets us back. That’s not a good tradition. It needs to end.” The warped idea behind female genital mutilation is that it suppresses sexual desire and keeps women chaste. According to the United Nations, it typi- Millions harmed The World Health Organization says cally involves the partial or total removLekan Oguntoyinbo is an indeal of external female genitalia. It is of- approximately 125 million women and ten carried out by a traditional village girls have been subjected to female gen- pendent journalist. Contact him at “surgeon” with the use of a crude razor ital mutilation. The practice is concen- oguntoyinbo@gmail.com.

ELIZABETH ANN THOMPSON GUEST COMMENTARY

#BlackLivesDoNotMatter − not yet anyway #BlackLivesMatter is a great hashtag, but in fact those lives do not matter yet. There was more outrage over the senseless killing of the lion Cecil in Zimbabwe than law enforcement’s latest senseless killing of an African-American. 43-year-old Sam DuBose was stopped on July 19 by Ray Tensing, a University of Cincinnati cop, for failing to have a front license plate on the vehicle he was driving. Tensing was wearing a body camera that captured his encounter with DuBose. The police officer shot DuBose point-blank in the head and killed him. Tensing, who was charged with murder and released on $1 million bail, stated that DuBose dragged him with his car, and so he had to fire at him. The body camera does not corroborate Tensing’s story. The prosecutor in the case, Joe Deters, said the shooting was “senseless” and “asinine.” So far this year, the police have killed more than 680 people in the United States, according to a database maintained by The Guardian newspaper. The publication also found that African-Americans killed during encounters with the police were twice as likely to be unarmed as Whites. So #BlackLivesDoNotMatter − yet. Ask the families of Freddie Gray, Mike Brown, Trayvon Martin, Tamir Rice, Sandra Bland and, now, Sam DuBose.

Elizabeth Ann Thompson is a freelance writer in Oakland, Calif. She wrote this for Progressive Media Project.

TOJ A6

NATION

AUGUST 7 – AUGUST 13, 2015 She asked him to apply for food stamps to help out, but the food stamp office told Waller he’d be denied. Waller said the restrictions put him on the brink of a breakdown, and he considered whether he might be better off returning to prison, which was a world that made sense to him. Then he had Jordyn, and he decided he was done with crime and prison. “I’d been a gang member, I’d been shot in the head, and I’d gone to prison. There wasn’t anything else out of that lifestyle to get,” he said.

Another roadblock

BRIAN TURNER/STATELINE/TNS

Johnny Waller Jr. cooks lunch with his 8-year-old daughter, Alexandria, in his apartment in Kansas City, Mo. Because of his felony drug conviction, Waller was barred from receiving food stamps when he was out of work caring for his son Jordyn, who had cancer.

States reconsidering restrictions on food stamps and welfare benefits for drug felons BY REBECCA BEITSCH STATELINE.ORG

WASHINGTON — Johnny Waller Jr.’s 1998 felony drug conviction has haunted him since the day he left a Nebraska prison in 2001. Waller, now 38, applied for 175 jobs without getting one. He had trouble getting a federal loan for college because of his drug conviction, so he started his own janitorial business, in Kansas City, Mo. And when his toddler son, Jordyn, was diagnosed with stomach cancer and needed fulltime care, Waller’s record disqualified him from receiving food stamps. “I really needed assistance there,” Waller said of the time in 2007 he had to give up his job to care for Jordyn. But he couldn’t get it, he said, because of a conviction “when I was 18 years old that didn’t have anything to do with my son.”

Change in 18 states Hundreds of thousands of Americans are serving time for drug offenses — nearly a half-million according to the latest numbers available, from 2013. For many like Waller, leaving prison with a felony conviction on their record adds to the hurdles they face re-entering society. A 1996 federal law blocks felons with drug convictions from receiving welfare or food stamps unless states choose to waive the restrictions. The bans, which don’t apply to convictions for any other crimes, were put in place as part of a sweeping reform of the nation’s welfare system, and at the height of the war on drugs. Now many states are rethinking how to help felons become productive citizens and reduce the likelihood they will return to prison. Since 1996, 18 states have lifted restrictions on food stamps, known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and 26 allow people with certain types of drug felonies to get those benefits — leaving six states where a felony drug record disqualifies a person from receiving them. (In Florida, there is a partial ban on receiving food stamps and welfare benefits.)

More financial obstacles States have been more

restrictive when it comes to extending welfare benefits through Temporary Assistance to Needy Families: 14 have lifted the restriction, 24 have some restrictions and 12 have full restrictions barring felons with a drug conviction from receiving cash assistance. Marc Mauer, executive director of The Sentencing Project, which advocates reforming the laws, said banning people from getting food stamps runs contrary to policies designed to ease inmates’ re-entry to society and to curb recidivism. “This increases the odds they will commit new crimes by virtue of the fact that you’re creating a significant financial obstacle,” Mauer said. This year, Texas and Alabama became the latest states to lift blanket bans on receiving food stamps. “If we want people to stay out of trouble we’ve got to give them a hand up, not a foot down,” said state Rep. Senfronia Thompson, a Democrat who pushed for the repeal in Texas. She said providing help is much less expensive for the state than paying for repeated incarcerations.

Strict on violations While Texas’ food stamp program is now open to anyone convicted of using or selling drugs, those who violate their probation or parole are ineligible for benefits for two years. If they are convicted of another felony, drug-related or otherwise, they are barred for life. Alabama scrapped its ban for food stamps and cash assistance. Carol Gundlach, a policy analyst for Alabama Arise, which lobbied in favor of the change, said it is especially important for formerly incarcerated mothers, who often struggle to feed their families when they return home. But even as many states have scaled back their bans, others have considered re-establishing them. A Pennsylvania bill would deny welfare benefits to anyone who served more than 10 years for a drug offense. State Rep. Mike Regan, the Republican sponsor of the bill, said it would target major drug dealers and save finite state resources for those who are more deserving of help. Regan, a retired U.S. Marshal, said

that during his time in law enforcement he saw many dealers who were receiving food stamps. He sees his measure as a deterrent and a way to curb abuse of the system.

No Pell Grants While states can make changes to welfare and food stamp policy, it’s up to the federal government to remove the stumbling blocks that released drug felons face in receiving education and housing assistance. In 2006, the federal government opened college grants and loans to those convicted of a drug felony, reversing a 1998 policy. However, those convicted of a drug crime while receiving aid will lose it until they complete treatment or prove sobriety. All current inmates also are ineligible for federal Pell Grants (which are for lower-income people and do not have to be repaid) to help pay for college courses while they are in prison. However, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan recently said the Obama administration wants to change that, and will propose a pilot program that would allow prisoners to access nearly $6,000 a year.

Public housing ban The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development places a lifetime public housing ban on those who have been convicted of making methamphetamine in subsidized housing. It also imposes a three-year ban from public housing on those evicted from public housing for drug-related activity. The department has encouraged local housing authorities to consider how long it has been since the conviction and whether applicants have gone through drug treatment programs when weighing public housing applications from felons. But local housing authorities have wide discretion in whether to accept someone with a record, particularly when there has been a pattern of drug use. Felons also face discrimination in seeking housing on the open market, though some states are moving to ease that, too. In Texas, for instance, the legislature this year passed a law that gives landlords liability protection from negligence suits for knowingly renting to

convicts who commit crimes in their apartments. Texas Rep. Thompson said the law gives landlords peace of mind while helping ease discrimination on anyone who has returned from prison, whether they were recently released or they are looking for housing years later.

No job, no help Waller has hit several roadblocks at one time or another since leaving prison. And changes in the laws often came too late to help him. Initially unable to finance school or get a job, Waller moved in with his mother in Kansas City, though his presence was tough on her financially.

So over the next few years, he started his own janitorial service and eventually hired seven people. He made good money, drove a nice car and felt like he had gotten his life together. But in 2007, he learned Jordyn, then 2 1/2, had stomach cancer, which required multiple rounds of chemotherapy and then round-the-clock care. Jordyn was initially treated in Kansas City, but Waller thought Jordyn’s chances would be better at St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. So the single father closed his business, packed his car and headed to Memphis. But with no income, Waller soon ran through his savings. His bills piled up and his car was repossessed. He needed help with food, as doctors required him to make fresh food for Jordyn every meal to avoid bacteria. But his past kept him ineligible for food stamps both in Tennessee and Missouri, where Waller and his son eventually returned.

A trial run Missouri changed its law last year to allow people like Waller to qualify for food stamps as long as they

complete a treatment program or prove their sobriety with a urine test, which they have to pay for. Missouri’s change of heart didn’t come soon enough for Jordyn, however. He died in 2008 while waiting for a bone marrow transplant, just days before his fourth birthday. Since burying his son, Waller has continued to raise his other two children — daughter Alexandria, 8, and son Kendall, 7 — on his own. It hasn’t been easy, but he’s slowly made progress. After returning to Kansas City from Memphis, he moved in with his mother because his criminal record kept him from renting an apartment, though he tried several times. After Waller had lived six years with his mother, her building’s landlord gave Waller a trial run, giving him a short lease on another unit. This year, he was finally able to sign a yearlong lease.

‘Against the glass’ Once federal education finance laws changed, Waller enrolled at Rockhurst University in Kansas City and earned a bachelor’s degree in business management. In 2011 he was pardoned for his drug crime by former Republican Gov. Dave Heineman of Nebraska, which helped him get a job with a medical equipment company that doesn’t review pardoned crimes as part of its background check. But Waller said he’s gotten used to watching others go through life without the same barriers, and he has learned to accept there are some things he’ll never be able to do. “I want to change apartments to a nicer place in a better school district,” he said. “I live on the fringe of just being able to live a normal life. I’m right up against the glass.”

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THE NAACP NAACP President Cornell William Brooks speaks in Alabama on Aug. 1, the first day of the march.

MARCHES ON

Marchers brave the August heat, fueling themselves along the way.

Civil rights leader Cornell Brooks and other foot soldiers on a march from Selma to Washington aim to influence Congress and the White House. TRICE EDNEY NEWS WIRE

NAACP President Cornell William Brooks is leading an 860-mile “America’s Journey for Justice’’ march from Selma, Ala. to Washington, D.C. He has described it as “building a movement” that he hopes will influence Congress and the presidency. “This is not a one-time episodic kind of thing. We’re building a movement so that once we leave Washington, you have people continuing to press. You will have people going back to their home states having met with their legislators in Washington. So they go back to their home states and they continue to press the case,” Brooks said in an interview with the Trice Edney News Wire. “This is not a ceremonial march, this is not a nostalgic march; it is not a commemorative march. It’s a march for reform and a march to catalyze and build a movement.”

Season of anniversaries The march, which started Aug. 1 and goes to Sept. 16, comes during a season of major civil rights anniversaries. There is the one-year anniversary of the police killing of unarmed teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., Aug. 9; the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Voting Rights Act, Aug. 6, and the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday, which was March 7, “all coming together in this year,” Brooks stated. Since the death of Brown and the protests that followed in Ferguson, Mo., and across the country, Brooks says a fiery momentum pertaining to a list of key issues has been established that must not be lost.

“America’s Journey for Justice’’ foot soldiers are enroute to Capitol Hill.

In that regard, the underlying theme of the march is “Our Lives, Our Jobs, and Our Schools Matter.” Therefore, the marchers are asking for specific legislation on the following issues as listed on NAACP.org: National standards for use of force for all law enforcement agents and the passage of the End Racial Profiling Act. Federal action to ensure every student has access to safe, highquality education, regardless of location and household income. Federal prioritization of job creation and training, and passage of the Raise the Wage Act and the Paycheck Fairness Act. That Congress restore, strengthen and advance the 1965 Voting Rights Act by passing the Voting Rights Advancement Act.

Teach-ins along the way Braving the August heat and traffic along the march route, advocates will conduct teach-ins, online and in-person training on key issues, Brooks said. In Alabama, marchers will focus on economic inequality; in Georgia, the focus will be education reform; South Carolina, criminal justice reform; North Carolina, voting rights; Virginia, where a youth rally will be held and then finishing in Washington, D.C. with advocacy on Capitol Hill. A statement on NAACP.org describes: “Each morning, AJFJ (America’s Journey for Justice) march participants will have breakfast at the meeting locations and then board buses, which will take them to the starting point of the march for that day. Boxed lunches will be provided for the marchers along the route. At the end of each day’s march,

People of all ages are engaged in the rallies and educational sessions. participants will board the buses and return to the meeting locations. Dinner will be provided at the meeting locations at 7:30 p.m. and will be followed by the teach-in for that evening…That’s 46 days of old-school marching. That’s 860 miles for freedom and dignity. That’s 1.7 MILLION steps towards justice.”

On to Capitol Hill Brooks says the intent is not only to influence Congressional legislation, but the current and future White House as dozens of candidates line up with hopes to

succeed President Obama. “So we come to Washington, streaming by the thousands across the 14th Street Bridge on the 15th of September, we meet that evening for a massive rally and service where we inspire the folks, who have been not only inspired but educated,” Brooks envisions. And then the next day on the 16th, we have an advocacy day where we take thousands of people through the halls of Congress asking for specific reform, marching under the theme that says Our Lives, Our Votes, Our Jobs and Our Schools Matter.”

“This is not a ceremonial march, this is not a nostalgic march; it is not a commemorative march. It’s a march for reform and a march to catalyze and build a movement.” – Cornell William Brooks NAACP President

FOCUS

FDLE

AUGUST 7 – AUGUST 13, 2015

lab analysts and a $12,000 boost to the base pay for senior crimelab analysts in an effort to make their salaries competitive with counterparts in local agencies and in neighboring states. “I think our goal is to put them at the average,” Draa said. “The challenge with some of the locals is that some of the locals only have two or three analysts and they can pay top dollar. We

from A1

better opportunities.

Substantial increase Draa said the department is proposing a $10,000 increase to the annual starting pay of crime-

can’t pay our hundreds of analysts top dollar.” Draa said with vacancies among biology technicians around 24 percent, the goal is to “kill the huge influx of people that are leaving.” The department has 193 crime-lab analysts, a position that has a $40,948 annual starting salary. The base pay for a senior crime lab analyst is

$43,507. The department has 69 senior analysts.

Known issue The issue of pay in the crime lab has been around a while. Before former FDLE Commissioner Gerald Bailey was forced from office in December, state Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater expressed concerned

with the “turnaround” time of investigations going through the FDLE’s crime lab and noted that employees in the lab are paid less than their counterparts at other agencies. Bailey told Scott and the Cabinet on Dec. 9 that the department’s lab is seen as a “training ground” and faces “tremendous turnover problems.”

CAMPAIGN from A1

didates repeat the words “Black lives matter.” Many candidates flubbed it. Their frequent response that “all lives matter” was perceived by many Blacks as a refusal to acknowledge the particular risks faced by those with Black skin. Republicans generally pushed back, accusing the activists of stoking racial division.

Focus on growth Bush emphasized to the Urban League convention that his economic plan would prove beneficial to urban communities. “Four percent growth is more enterprise in urban areas, more people moving in, a higher tax base and more revenues − in other words, a better chance to save our cities,” Bush said. “We can do this as a country. We can grow at a pace that lifts up everybody, and there is no excuse for not trying.” Democrats, in contrast, are aggressively positioning themselves as empathetic to the outrage into which Black Lives Matter has tapped. They are re-educating themselves on how to talk to Black voters. They are sending surrogates to meet with activists, shifting their rhetoric and − in some cases − issuing apologies. They fear more stumbles could erode the bloc of Black voters that was key to Obama’s victories in Florida, Virginia, Ohio and Pennsylvania. “This is not just about statistics, as damning as they can be,” Clinton said at the Urban League event. “This is about Americans doing some soul-searching and holding ourselves to account.” Cullors says the group wants candidates to address poverty, racial profiling by police, incarceration and homelessness. “What we are seeing is a group of voters that are getting their political legs up under them and beginning to define what politics are going to be like for them postObama,” said Cornell Belcher, who was an Obama campaign pollster. “You will have a hard time getting to the White House as a Democrat without speaking to them and including them in your coalition.”

Jeb Bush, seen in the file photo, spoke at the National Urban League conference in Fort Lauderdale last week. The activists at the forefront are sidestepping the usual brokers whom Democrats − especially White Democrats − go through to reach Black voters.

No demands “There is a sense that the traditional civil rights organizations have been far too cozy with whoever and not making clear enough demands,” said Fredrick Cornelius Harris, director of the Center on African-American Politics and Society at Columbia University. “They see these people as having failed them.” It’s a point of concern with some of the older groups, like the Urban League, which embrace the attention Black Lives Matter has managed to direct toward racial disparity and injustice but express frustration that their own work is overlooked. “We have been talking police accountability since before these incidents occurred,” Urban League President Marc Morial said of the events that spawned the Black Lives Matter movement.

GUNS from A1

carried a firearm to church, but has stopped due to the security measures the church implemented. “I once carried until the security team was put in place,” he said. Other measures Paradise has instituted include closed-circuit television (CCTV), border fencing, and a heightened sense of awareness among churchgoers. “We have CCTV and have ability to see everywhere,” Harper acknowledged. “The CCTV operation was implemented to protect the church from copper and air conditioning thieves who steal from homes and businesses in the area. Someone is always watching. “In addition, we have metal fences with razor wire. This was all in effect before the incident in Charleston. That event really raised the awareness of the congregation. “Atlanta mandates that we as a church enact security measures because of car break-ins. We’ve reviewed and made adjustments since then,” he added.

‘Heightened sense’ Harper said the congregation at Paradise feels safe and secure. “They have sensed a heightened sense of security since the Charleston

Dr. Reba Haley

Dr. Terry Turner

incident. They have observed our security staff in key points in the building that weren’t as evident before. In business meetings, we speak on security and awareness. This is obvious to the people in the congregation. The way that we have people posted at entrances and exits is such that no one can just slip in,” he said. “I’m a Second Amendment person who believes in the right to bear arms. The ultimate responsibility lies with us as a church staff. We watch and pray, but we will respond accordingly. “Charleston was unfortunate, but it’s heightened awareness. We’re glad to protect our people. I feel a lot better myself about the measures we’ve taken,” he added.

Bearing the armor Another pastor confidently uses “armor bearers” for church security. She also possesses a concealed weapons permit for her Smith & Wesson .38 caliber revolver. Her name is Dr. Reba Haley of Covenant Family Church, located in Riverview, a Tampa suburb. Hal-

The new generation, though, is decidedly more confrontational. “Until we hear from candidates, beyond just saying, ‘Black lives matter’ − until we hear them really address how we are continuously cut out of the American democracy, we’re going to continue to shut debates down,” Cullors vowed. “We’re going to continue to call elected officials out. I mean, we’ve tried to set up meetings with elected officials, we’ve tried to send them emails − it does not work.” Now some candidates are going to them. Clinton’s director for Black outreach was on hand when the activists gathered at their inaugural Movement for Black Lives Convening two weekends ago in Cleveland. The campaign said the aide was there to listen. The progressive grass-roots behemoth Democracy for America announced that it was upending its advocacy model amid demands from the Black activists that the overwhelmingly White group diversify and more aggressively confront racial injustice.

ey is an ordained minister and a licensed psychologist. Haley also stressed that in wake of the Charleston massacre, churches must restructure how they operate. “Every church has an open door policy that is welcoming. In Matthew 26:41, Jesus instructed his disciples, ‘Watch and pray, so that you will not fall into temptation,’ Haley said. “In the 21st century, the church must put precautions in place to protect congregants from evil people and demonic attacks.”

Three elements “The spiritual, the clinical, and the natural must all be looked at as a clergy person and psychologist,” she said. “Having a watch person on the door to quickly access people’s behavior, including some who may have mental health conditions, would prove very effective. “I have a pistol as a personal preference as a clergy person. However, when I look at these things, it is more from a mental health perspective. If you go into the spiritual part it is demonic…One can’t just look at and address this from just the standpoint of possessing a gun. The religious standpoint is that the enemy is involved,” Haley said. “As a clinician, I approach it from a mental health perspective. People who are misdiagnosed, not diagnosed, or not on their medication must all be

No talking points The African-American activists, though, remain unimpressed. They say the candidates fall back on tired talking points without delivering a concrete agenda. “Sometimes this country wants to keep its head in the sand and say, ‘We don’t have race issues,’” said Pastor Karen Anderson of Ward Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Florissant, Mo., not far from where rioting took place in Ferguson after Michael Brown’s fatal shooting by a police officer last year. Anderson recently sat in on a round table Clinton held on racial justice. The movement is emerging as a force in electoral politics, despite the spontaneous nature of many of its actions and its loose structure. Black activists have more strongly emphasized elections in the aftermath of events in Ferguson, where they led a push to vote out local officials, and organizers with experience mobilizing voters are building coalitions around Black Lives Matter. The candidates are finding

considered. In the natural sense, I approach it from the standpoint that we need guns to protect clergy members.”

‘Welcoming but watching’ Haley said her church has instituted a watchman’s program. “In the church, we try to implement a ministry of outreach. We must be more watchful and develop strategies to deal with demonic attacks, but also any underlying mental health issues of people who commit these atrocities. We must develop programs such as watchman ministries designed to equip leaders to be spiritually alert and very aware of the movement of people. “We are not only welcoming, but also watching and observing certain behaviors. Had there been someone at the back two doors, when he (Dylann Roof ) got up to shoot, someone could have shot him and possibly prevented the carnage. But everyone was up front and paying attention to the pastor − except his wife, who was in the office. Those back doors were unsecured,” she said.

‘Armor bearer’ defined Haley noted that her ministry employs use of “armor bearers” and detailed steps churches could take. “Many churches have armor bearers, a person who

themselves constantly tested, even in states where there is little African-American presence. Kareem Jordan, a criminal justice professor in Lowell, Mass., drove to Clinton’s town hall July 28 in Nashua, N.H., where he was one of the few Blacks in an audience of 250. He questioned the candidate on mass incarceration. Clinton, who decried racism in sentencing and emphasized the need to build trust between police and local communities, provided an answer Jordan found mostly adequate, though “a little vague.” Jordan plans to vote for Clinton. But he says turning out the Black vote the way Obama did is going to be “tough for her.” It’s hard, he said, for Whites to talk about racial justice issues in a way that Blacks find genuine. “There are gaffes.”

Halper reported from Fort Lauderdale and Lee from Los Angeles. Los Angeles Times staff writer David Lauter contributed to this report from Nashua.

carries the “armor’’ – such as a Bible – of a pastor or spiritual leader,” Haley said. “Armor bearers should be part of the security team to help protect the front and rear of the sanctuary. Armor bearers often travel with pastors and most of the times are closest to the leaders at church and en route,” Haley said. “Our armor bearers generally watch what goes on in the church, and I have my personal protection.” Haley also noted that armed security can provide protection of congregations inside and outside of the sanctuary. “Whether it’s an off-duty officer or a licensed armor bearer, there should be someone at church who is licensed to carry a concealed weapon,” she believes. She has been licensed since 2013 for personal protection. “Many of my clients have mental health issues,” she added.

‘Armor of God’ sufficient Dr. Terry Turner, pastor of Mesquite Friendship Baptist Church in Mesquite, Texas said the church that he shepherd recently upgraded its security ministry, which encompasses 15 to 20 unarmed officers charged with assisting churchgoers with parking and securing the parking lot during services. To compliment the security ministry, Mesquite

has 10-15 members who are currently law enforcement officers, in addition to armed plainclothes officers. “All officers come prepared to ensure worshippers feel safe and secure for worship services on Sundays and Wednesday evening,” Turner said. Additionally, the MFBC campus is armed with CCTV, which monitors every entrance and exit. There are at least 17 monitors throughout the worship center. During services, the sanctuary is split into sections, with members of the security ministry in each section using walkietalkies to stay in contact.

No armor bearers Turner said the church has a well-detailed security plan in place, with explicit directions for all members of the security ministry and for the pastor himself. “I’ve made it clear that I’m not leaving in a crisis,” he said. Texas is an “open carry” state, which means weapons may be worn and displayed in plain sight. Turner would not disclose whether he possessed a weapon, but noted that he does not employ the use of armor bearers. “I simply don’t believe in it. It’s Old Testament stuff,” he chided. “It’s part of the calling for ministers to risk their lives so that others can be saved. I will do my part to make certain every member is cared for,” he concluded.

STOJ

AUGUST 7 – AUGUST 13, 2015

FOOD

A super snack with FROM FAMILY FEATURES

Make your next friendly gathering a popping success with desserts and snacks made from a wholesome simple grain. Not only does popcorn bring out the kid in everyone, it’s a naturally healthy treat you can feel good about serving your guests. And, because it’s naturally low in fat and calories, non-GMO and gluten free, you can rest assured that party-goers will keep popping back by for one more guilt-free bite. What’s more, freshly popped corn makes it easy to tickle all your guests’ taste bud cravings. Salty, spicy, sweet — the options are nearly endless. Serve it up with flavors already mixed in, or let guests mix and match their own favorite toppings to create unique tastes of popcorn perfection. These recipes make it easy to prepare crowd-pleasers for all ages ahead of time so you can focus on the fun. Find more festive popcorn recipes to help plan your next party at www.popcorn.org. SEA SALT CARAMEL POPCORN Yield: 3 quarts 2 quarts popped popcorn 1 1/2 cups pecan halves 1/2 cup almonds 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar 1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine 1/2 cup light corn syrup 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt Line large, rimmed 17-by-12-inch baking pan with foil and spray lightly with cooking spray; set aside. Spray large glass or metal bowl with cooking spray and place popcorn and nuts inside. In medium saucepan, combine granulated sugar, butter and corn syrup. Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Clip on candy thermometer and boil, stirring occasionally, until temperature reaches 290°F (about 15 minutes). Remove candy thermometer and stir in vanilla. Pour mixture over popcorn and stir to coat well. Spread popcorn mixture in even layer on prepared baking pan. Sprinkle with sea salt and allow to cool completely before breaking into pieces to serve. Store in an airtight container.

FROM SEED TO SNACK Popcorn, like all six types of corn, is a cereal grain. It resembles corn on the cob in appearance and cultivation, but only popcorn kernels have the ability to pop. Most of the world’s popcorn is grown in the central United States. Popcorn is usually harvested with a combine, which strips the ear from the stalk and shells the kernels from the cob. The kernels are then loaded into a truck and transported to a storage bin for drying. Then, after cleaning and sorting, kernels are packaged for distribution, allowing Americans to consume more than 16 billion quarts of popped popcorn each year.

MARMALADE POPCORN BALLS Yield: 15 balls 1 1/2 cups sugar 1 1/4 cups water 1 cup orange marmalade 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup light corn syrup 1 teaspoon vinegar 5 quarts popped popcorn In saucepan combine sugar, water, marmalade, salt, light corn syrup and vinegar. Bring to boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Cook to hard-ball stage (250°F). Pour slowly over popped popcorn and mix thoroughly. Butter hands and shape into 2 1/2-inch balls. NUTTY ’N’ NATURAL POPCORN Yield: 3 quarts 2 tablespoons sunflower seed kernels, finely ground 2 tablespoons almonds, finely ground 2 tablespoons walnuts or hazelnuts, finely ground 4-6 tablespoons melted margarine or butter 2 1/2 quarts popped popcorn 2 tablespoons wheat germ 1 6-ounce package (1 2/3 cups) chopped dried fruits and raisins Pour melted margarine over popcorn. Sprinkle with ground nuts and wheat germ; toss to mix. Stir in dried fruits.

A DIY DESSERT THAT POPS A popcorn bar is a fun and easy way to have guests take an active role in the party. Provide a wide range of toppings and watch them get creative dreaming up delicious flavor combinations. You can even host a taste test and award prizes to the tastiest concoctions. Simply set out a large bowl of popcorn and surround it with smaller bowls with various popcorn fixings. Let each person fill a paper bag or other container with popcorn and top or mix with their desired flavorings. Topping ideas: nDried fruit (raisins, cranberries, apricots) nDried herbs and spices (oregano, cinnamon, nutmeg) nNuts (pine nuts, peanuts, slivered almonds, pumpkin seeds) nSmall candies (chocolate pieces, peanut butter chips, marshmallows)

HEALTH

AUGUST 7 – AUGUST 13, 2015

STOJ

in every two-cup serving, with only a single gram of fiber. “People are concerned about the sugar, but compared to processed products it tastes sweet but isn’t loaded with sugar,” Perkins-Veazie said. “It’s counterintuitive, but there is an enzyme present to regulate the glucose.” Despite the sugars (equally divided among sucrose, glucose and fructose), two cups of watermelon have only 80 calories with no fat, sodium or cholesterol. “Using the same watermelon extract used in my previous human studies, watermelon supplementation did not increase body weight and improved blood lipids in rats,” Dr. Figueroa-Galvez said.

Came from Africa

BOB DONALDSON/PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE/TNS

Watermelon is more than a tasty summer dessert; it can also help heal a variety of ailments and is good for hydration.

Sweet and nutritious: The many health benefits of watermelon Studies have shown how fruit helps with hypertension and host of other ailments BY DAVID TEMPLETON PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE/ TNS

Watermelon may be the best picnic dessert nature ever created with its sweet juice cleverly bound inside that spongy red (sometimes yellow) matrix, and fully protected by psychedelic green rind. But much like the thespian whose good looks overshadow brilliant acting skills, the watermelon’s sweet, colorful qualities long have undercut its attributes as a wholly nu-

tritious fruit whose tasty powers hydrate as well as heal. And no matter how you slice it, this green cannonball of nutrition is attracting scientific attention as an elixir that reduces muscle pain after workouts and a whole lot more. Studies also have shown beneficial effects on arterial plaque in cardiovascular disease, prostate and other cancers, erectile dysfunction, menopause, acid reflux and potentially Alzheimer’s disease, among others. A recent study, for example, found that “watermelon extract supplementation reduces blood pressure and arterial stiffness,” in older adults in cold weather, so it “can prevent the progression of hypertension and the hypertensive response to cold exposure,” said the author Ar-

turo Figueroa-Galvez, associate professor at Florida State University’s department of nutrition, food and exercise sciences.

Hypertension help Another of his studies found that the supplement also reduced ankle blood pressure in obese adults with hypertension. Studies by others found that watermelon compounds reduced inflammation in prostate, gastrointestinal and other cancers, while a study published recently showed that lycopene, which provides the red pigmentation in watermelon and tomatoes, potentially reduced the inflammatory cascade of Alzheimer’s disease. In April yet another study found lycopene reduced reflux disease in an-

imals, in part, by inhibiting acid pathways in the stomach. “Watermelon is a pretty well-documented source of vitamin C, vitamin A and potassium,” said Penelope Perkins-Veazie, a professor of horticulture in the Plants for Human Health Institute at North Carolina State University. She said she’s been studying watermelon nutrients for 15 years.

Citrulline and lycopene Most noteworthy are watermelon’s two “secondary metabolites,” citrulline and lycopene, which have been the focus of recent research. Citrulline, a nonessential amino acid, is abundant in watermelon, yellow watermelons having four times that of red watermelon.

As it turns out, citrulline is involved in producing nitric oxide, a potent molecule that relaxes blood vessels and lowers blood pressure, “with benefits to the brain, heart and in a cycle of amino acids necessary to properly flush the kidneys,” said Perkin’s Veazie, who has a Ph.D. in horticulture. Lycopene is actually more abundant and more easily available in watermelon than tomatoes, where it’s bound up in cellular walls, even if tomatoes draw more research attention due to their importance in the American diet. Perkins-Veazie said lycopene shows clear benefits in reducing plaque buildup in arteries and preventing prostate cancer.

Sugar concerns Botanically, watermelon is a fruit in the same cucurbit family as pumpkins, squash and cucumbers, which often are mistaken as vegetables. The longstanding bias against watermelon stems from its 21 grams of carbohydrates, mostly sugars,

Watermelon originated in southern Africa and became nature’s canteen. Rather than transport water long distances, travelers took watermelons, which are 92 percent water and don’t begin rotting for three weeks. Watermelon’s key season is July 1 through Labor Day, with a tag team of suppliers from Florida in April, followed by Texas and Georgia, before California supplies the nation with watermelons through October. During winter months, Mexico and Guatemala are the source. Stephanie Barlow, spokeswoman for the National Watermelon Promotion Board, said the fruit offers consumers health, value and versatility all year-round, all parts being edible, including the rind and seeds. “We’re really focusing on health,” she said. “All pre-packaged foods have a smattering of health claims so our health message has to be the strongest one.” There are 1,200 varieties of watermelon grown in 96 countries, she said, noting that square ones are being grown in square containers in Japan so they fit into smaller refrigerators. There are even a few orange watermelons. The 100 seeds in a watermelon are heavier than the flesh, she said, and act like marbles, damaging the flesh and causing them to rot more quickly. That helps explain why in the market today, she said, “It’s a landslide majority of seedless watermelons.”

Drop the excuses: How to overcome top barriers to exercise MAYO CLINIC NEWS NETWORK TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE

Sticking to a regular exercise schedule isn’t easy. After all, there are plenty of potential hindrances — time, boredom, injuries, self-confidence. But these issues don’t need to stand in your way. Darcy Reber, nurse practitioner at Mayo Clinic Health System in Cannon Falls, shares practical strategies for overcoming common barriers to fitness.

No time Setting aside time to exercise can be a challenge. Use a little creativity to get the most out of your time. Squeeze in exercise throughout the day. If you don’t have time for a full workout, don’t sweat it. Shorter spurts of exercise, such as 10 minutes of walking spaced throughout the day, offer benefits too. Additionally, you can try office exercises. Get up earlier. If your days are packed and the evening hours are just as hectic, get up 30 minutes earlier twice a week to exercise. Once you’ve adjusted to early-morning workouts, add another day or two to the routine. Drive less, walk more. Park in the back row of the parking lot or a few blocks away and walk to your destination. Revamp your rituals. Your weekly Saturday matinee with the kids or best

friend could be reborn as your weekly Saturday bike ride, rock-climbing lesson or trip to the pool.

It’s boring It’s natural to grow weary of a repetitive workout day after day, especially when you’re doing it alone. But exercise doesn’t have to be boring. Choose activities you enjoy. You’ll be more likely to stay interested. Remember, anything that gets you moving counts. Vary the routine. Rotate among several activities — such as walking, swimming and cycling — to keep you on your toes while conditioning different muscle groups. Join forces. Exercise with friends, relatives, neighbors or coworkers. You’ll enjoy the camaraderie and the encouragement of the group. Explore new options. Learn new skills while getting a workout. Check out exercise classes or sports leagues at a recreation center or health club.

Self-conscious Don’t get down on yourself! Remind yourself what a great favor you’re doing for your health, or focus on how much stronger you feel after a workout. Avoid the crowd. If you’re uncomfortable exercising around others, go solo at first. Try an exercise video or an activity-oriented video game. Or consider investing in a stationary

PHIL SKINNER/ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION/TNS

An exercise group works out together in 2013 at Beulah Baptist Church Family Life Center in Decatur, Ga. bicycle, treadmill, stairclimbing machine or other piece of home exercise equipment. Focus on the future. Praise yourself for making a commitment to your health. And remember that as you become fitter and more comfortable exercising, your self-confidence is likely to improve as well.

Too tired No energy to exercise? Without exercise, you’ll have no energy. It’s a vicious cycle. But breaking

the cycle with physical activity is one of the best gifts you can give yourself. Try a morning dose of exercise. Remember the suggestion to get up 30 minutes earlier to exercise? Hop on the treadmill or stationary bicycle while you listen to the radio or watch the morning news. Or step outside for a brisk walk. Make lunchtime count. Keep a pair of walking shoes at your desk, and take a brisk walk during your lunch break. Be prepared. Make sure

you have comfortable shoes and loose-fitting clothes for exercising. Take them with you to the mall or when you travel.

Too lazy If the mere thought of a morning jog makes you tired, try these thoughts on for size: Set realistic expectations. If your mental bar is too high, you might give up without even trying. Start with a walk around the block. Don’t give up if you feel worn out. Take another walk around the

block tomorrow. Keep it up, and eventually you’ll no longer feel worn out. Work with your nature, not against it. Plan physical activity for times of the day when you tend to feel more energetic — or at least not quite so lazy. Schedule exercise as you would schedule an important appointment. Block off times for physical activity, and make sure your friends and family are aware of your commitment. Ask for their encouragement and support.

STOJ

AUGUST 7 – AUGUST 13, 2015

FINEST & ENTERTAINMENT

Meet some of

FLORIDA’S

finest

submitted for your approval

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.

lloyd

Abby B. is a South Florida resident, professional fashion model, and aspiring actress. She has been cast in a supporting role in several episodes of USA Network’s “Burn Notice.” She has been in commercials and has appeared in Nikki Minaj’s “Beez in the Trap” video. She also was the featured lead “girl’’ in a DJ Khalad video featuring T.I., Lil Wayne, and Future. Photo credit: www. mikemontoya.com / info@1stmillionmgt. com.

abby

Lloyd Dickenson of Miami was born in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. He enjoys acting, singing, playing pool and weight training. He has appeared in commercials and the independent films “A Mistaken Look’’ and “Baghdad.’’ When he’s not modeling and pursuing his next acting job, Lloyd loves having a good time with friends. Photo courtesy of 1st Million Management LLC / info@1stmillionmgt.com.

Museum caught between Cosby scandal and hosting family’s art collection BY COLIN DIERSING LOS ANGELES TIMES/TNS

WASHINGTON — A year ago, Tracey Jones, a Baltimore teacher leading a field trip to the National Museum of African Art, might have lingered at the large quilt showing images of Bill Cosby, holding him up to her mostly African-American students as a role model. Growing up, she says, she “wanted the Cosby family.” Now she’s horrified. “I just thought that everybody was on board with what he’d done wrong and wanted to remove anything that supported Bill Cosby,” Jones said. As other institutions and companies have cut ties to the oncebeloved entertainer — returning donations, renaming professorships, even canceling reruns — the National Museum of African Art is sticking by “Conversations: African and African American Artworks in Dialogue,” which showcases works from the Cosby family’s private collection interspersed with the museum’s own works. The museum, part of the Smithsonian Institution, must weigh the cost of appearing to support the disgraced figure against the value of displaying one of the world’s largest private collections of African-American art. The museum has put a sign outside the exhibition that states, “National Museum of African Art in no way condones Mr. Cosby’s behavior. We continue to present ‘Conversations: African and African American Artworks in Dialogue’ because it is fundamentally about the artworks and the artists who created them, not Mr. Cosby.”

‘Between rock and a hard place’ Museum Director Johnetta Cole declined to comment. Linda

Bill Cosby

Camille Cosby

St. Thomas, chief spokeswoman for the Smithsonian, responded to questions by email. “Once an exhibition is in place, we do not make changes unless it is a factual correction. To take away or alter certain objects or labels could potentially change the exhibition and lead to charges of censorship.” UCLA art history professor Steven Nelson said the museum “finds itself between a rock and a hard place. If the museum leaves the collection up, despite its disclaimer, it will be seen as standing behind Cosby. If it takes down the exhibition it, then it will open itself up to charges of censorship and caving to public pressure and political correctness.” The Smithsonian’s statement satisfied other visitors present on the day that Jones saw the exhibition. Still, a casual observer would be hard-pressed to miss the presence of Bill and Camille Cosby. The quilt bearing images of the couple, a quote from Bill Cosby painted on a wall in large block letters, and a sign celebrating their roles as champions of the African-American experience are featured prominently. The museum said discussions about the exhibition began in 2012, before many of the recent allegations were revealed. The Cosbys rank among the wealthiest Black families in the country and began amassing a collection before many private collectors became interested in African-American art.

The Thankful Poor is an oil on canvas from the Collection of Camille O. and William H. Cosby Jr. by artist Henry Ossawa Tanner (1859-1937.)

Collection from 19th and 20th centuries The collection today is one of the most widely admired private collections of African-American art, art historians say, and its contents should not be overshadowed by Cosby’s personal scandals. “The Cosbys were collecting African-American art and began building a collection at a time when few others were interested,” said Michael Rosenfeld, the owner of a gallery that deals largely in African- American art but has not done business with the Cosbys. “It’s devastating because the Cosbys’ collection and what they represented were really an inspiration.” “What is very significant about it is the depth of the collection. It has pretty much all the marquee names in late 19th and 20th century African-American art,” said Princeton professor Chika OkekeAgulu. “I would rank the Cosby collection right up among the very top, if not the best, really.” “The contributions of Black artists to the narrative of American art have been marginalized for far too long, and they need to be told,” Erica James, a professor of art and African-American stud-

ies at Yale, wrote in an email. “Key parts of that story reside in this collection.”

Cosby family donation to exhibition: $716,000 Faith Ringgold, the artist who made the quilt that shows images of the Cosby family, said “the artists have nothing to do with what Cosby was doing.” Removing or changing the exhibition could have an effect on the institution’s long-standing relationship with the couple. Camille Cosby serves on the museum’s board, and Cole, the museum’s director, was president of Spelman College when the couple donated $20 million to that school. The exhibition has raised questions about the complicated relationship between museums and patrons, especially given that exhibiting a private collection can dramatically increase the value of the works. The Cosby family has given $716,000 toward the cost of the exhibition. “An exhibition focused on this collection raises questions about conflicts of interest, especially given that displaying the collection could significantly raise its economic value,” said Rosenfield. Drawing a museum exhibition

from a single private collection is a controversial practice, forbidden by some institutions, partly because the collector’s individual taste is intrinsic to the show.

On display until Jan. 24 Halley Harrisburg, director of Rosenfield’s gallery in New York, said: “When an institution chooses to feature a private collection they have obviously cultivated that relationship over years and years... and it would be an unspoken or, in some cases spoken ... hope that the collection would eventually come to that institution.” The professional standard is that a museum would show such a collection after the gift or the pledge of a gift. St. James, the Smithsonian spokeswoman, said, “The museum does not hope to take this art into its permanent collection. The museum is devoted to AFRICAN art.” She said the exhibition combining Cosby’s collection with the museum’s was “a departure from their normal exhibitions and programs” and “a nod” to the museum’s 50th anniversary. For now, the exhibit is scheduled to stay on display until Jan. 24.

SHOPPING

AUGUST 7 – AUGUST 13, 2015

How to get the best back-to-school deals Fake fashion show

Coupons, loss-leaders can help parents save on supplies, clothing

As with school supplies, know what’s missing before you shop. Have your student put on a fashion show to figure out what fits, what doesn’t and what they need for school. When it comes to wants versus needs, talk about the difference and what you’re willing to spend. That will cut down on drama and overspending at the store. If younger children balk at hand-me-downs, rename the process. “First-grade clothes” sounds less like clothes that were handed down and more like the child was promoted.

BY GREGORY KARP CHICAGO TRIBUNE/TNS

Back-to-school is the secondbiggest shopping event of the year for retailers, but paying full retail prices in the typical “mall haul” is for suckers, say expert shoppers and cheapskates. Americans will spend $68 billion during this year’s back-toschool season, including back-tocollege, according to the National Retail Federation. That’s an average of $630 per family for schoolage kids and $899 for families with college-bound students. “They say back-to-school costs are about $600; I think that’s bogus,” said Steve Economides, who with wife Annette heads “America’s cheapest family,” operates moneysmartfamily.com and has written books including “The MoneySmart Family System.” “If you’re a smart shopper, you can do it for $60 to $75,” he said. Read on for the best tactics for back-to-school shoppers’ two main categories: school supplies and clothing.

School supplies Whatever you do, don’t buy school supplies online if the goal is to save money. Pens, notebooks, folders and related supplies fall in one of the few product categories that is cheaper to buy in person. Customer service firm StellaService reported that the average cost of a typical list of school supplies in a store was 41 percent less than buying them online, according to Consumer Reports. And they’re not cheap. Consumers will spend a C-note, an average of $97.74, on school supplies, according to the retail federation. A survey commissioned by office supply store Staples found that price was the top consideration for 86 percent of parents when buying school supplies. Fortunately, back-to-school is one season when retail prices are

Pillage pre-owned piles ANTONIO PEREZ/CHICAGO TRIBUNE/TNS

Back-to-school shopping should start with a plan. Don’t buy until you know what you need. low just when consumers need them to be.

Ruthlessly target loss-leaders

Inventory analysis

Loss-leaders are items retailers sell below cost to entice customers into the store, hoping they’ll buy higher profit items too. Super-shoppers know how to play that game. Scour weekly circulars of office supply and chain drugstores for the best deals. You’re likely to find folders, highlighters and crayons for a quarter and penny deals on rulers and index cards. If the ad limits how many you buy, that’s a tipoff that it’s a great sale. “The office supply stores are going to have the kick-butt lossleaders,” Annette Economides said. Josh Elledge, chief executive “angel” of coupon and savings site SavingsAngel.com, said to hit those chain stores hard each week in August. “Don’t wait until the week before school,” he said. “If you cherry-pick the best deals weekly and apply some highvalue coupons, you’ll be well stocked up for school and your home office for the next year.” Jill Cataldo, a shopping expert who runs supercouponing.com and teaches couponing classes locally, said she’s always pre-

School shopping shouldn’t begin at the mall; it should start with a plan. You don’t know what to shop for until you know what you need. With supplies, that starts with the teacher’s list of required paraphernalia, often posted online and sometimes listed in major retail stores. “I know it sounds boring, but inventory what you’ve already got,” Annette Economides said. “It’s time to clean out the kids’ backpacks and desks at home.” If you have multiple kids, assemble the school supplies and reallocate them to avoid overbuying and duplication. Students don’t necessarily need new backpacks, binders and lunchboxes every year. What can be repurposed from previous years or older siblings? Parents who work in offices might reuse folders and binders that would otherwise be tossed by covering corporate logos. Avoid listing fad items, like “Minions” backpacks that might not be cool a few months from now.

pared for back-to-school season. “I keep my children’s lists with me when I go shopping, and I just purchase these low-priced items each week and try to cross off as much of their shopping lists as I can,” she said. “This saves a lot of money, especially when some of the school lists are requiring larger quantities of supplies.”

Be social Facebook pages of major retailers often promote sales. Sign up for retailer emails, perhaps to a secondary (and free) Gmail or Yahoo account so ads don’t clog your primary inbox. Some retailers reward customers who like, follow, post, tag, pin, tweet and retweet, offering social media followers exclusive coupon codes and special savings, said Andrea Woroch of Kinoli, which manages money-saving websites. “Ultimately, it pays to be social,” she said. Standing in a store wondering if the listed price is a good one? Check your smartphone. Apps like ShopSavvy and Amazon Price Check use the phone’s camera to check the bar code to compile competing prices.

“When it comes to clothing kids, I always recommend buying gently used wherever possible,” Elledge said. Buying secondhand is especially good for kids at the ends of the spectrum, from youngsters who quickly outgrow clothes to older kids who crave pricey brand names and can get more for their money used. Shop at local thrift or consignment shops or online at websites like thredUp.com, Woroch suggests. Garage sales and rummage sales are great for infant and toddler clothes, but more hassle than they’re worth to try to outfit school-age kids, Steve Economides said. Elledge said his favorite website for kids’ clothes is Schoola.com. “Not only are the prices and selection great, they donate 40 percent of your purchase to schools,” he said.

Slow your roll You don’t need a child’s full school-year wardrobe on the first day of classes when weather in most regions is too warm for back-to-school fall fashions anyway. By the time your child needs fall clothes, they’ll be on clearance. Waiting also spreads out clothing spending, creating less of a sudden impact on your wallet.