Florida Courier - August 14, 2015

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Ferguson: From a city to a symbol See Page B1

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AUGUST 14 – AUGUST 20, 2015

VOLUME 23 NO. 33

ONE YEAR LATER

Here’s a summary of events surrounding the protests in Ferguson, Mo. memorializing Michael Brown’s death.

COMPILED FROM WIRE REPORTS

Protesters, police gather On Sunday, Aug. 9 − the one-year anniversary of Michael Brown, Jr.’s death − more than 1,000 protesters marched peacefully to commemorate the tragedy.

The anniversary demonstrations had been peaceful until Sunday night, when 40 to 50 gunshots rang out during a confrontation between two groups, police said. Protesters ducked for cover and a young man opened fire at an unmarked police car, police said.

Officers returned fire and critically wounded Tyrone Harris Jr., 18, who re-

mains hospitalized. Charged with 10 felonies, Harris is being held in lieu of $250,000 cash-only bond.

Earlier in the day, police arrested 57 protesters in nearby St. Louis who were demanding the dissolution of the Ferguson Police Department.

On Facebook, Michael Brown, Sr. posted a thank-you message: “My family and I are truly humbled by the level of support that we received over this weekend. Our marches were all done very peacefully.

So please be careful, mindful and protect yourselves from those who would like to see this be unsuccessful.”

County Executive Steve Stenger signed See FERGUSON, Page A2

ROBERT COHEN/ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH/MCT

Michael Brown, Sr. wipes the top of the vault containing the casket of his son Michael Brown at the end of the burial service on Aug. 25, 2014.

FLORIDA COURIER / OUT AND ABOUT

Taking the plunge in Cali

Who will take the hit?

Politicians argue about revamped congressional districts

BY BRANDON LARRABEE THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

COURTESY OF KIM GIBSON

Florida Courier photojournalist Kim Gibson jumped off Sunset Cliffs during a trip to San Diego as the summer vacation season winds down. School reopens next week in some Florida districts on Monday after the summer break.

Obama repeats call to restore Voting Rights Act

BY CHRISTI PARSONS TRIBUNE WASHINGTON BUREAU / TNS

mantle the protections of the his- roes” like Eaton, according to a toric 1965 law that cleared obsta- copy of his letter released by the cles blocking African-Americans White House.

President Obama called again from the ballot box.

“I am where I am today onWednesday for restoration of all ly because men and women like provisions of the Voting Rights ‘Unsung hero’ Rosanell Eaton refused to accept Act in a letter to the editor of the anything less than a full measure The story introduced 94-year- of equality,” he said. “Rosanell is New York Times magazine in response to a recent story on the old Rosanell Eaton, the plaintiff now 94 years old. She has not givin a North Carolina case seeking en up. She’s still marching. She’s law.

Signed “President Barack repeal of voting restrictions that still fighting to make real the Obama, Washington,” the letter the state imposed in 2013. The promise of America.” comments on an Aug. 2 maga- president wrote that he was inThe magazine got an unusual zine story about efforts to dis- spired by “unsung American he- volume of letters, according to a

SNAPSHOTS FLORIDA | A3

Senate bill protects pastors who won’t marry gays

ALSO INSIDE

Medical marijuana group raises money to get on ballot

note from the editor that accompanies Obama’s letter, which was published online Wednesday.

Obama has called before for the restoration of a piece of the act that was struck down by the Supreme Court. The provision had required states with a history of suppressing the minority vote to get clearance of any new voting laws from the federal government.

Obama also spoke out last week on the 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act being signed into law.

NATION | A6

CALENDAR | B4

Zimmerman attorney’s surprising new client

SWV among the celebrities in state this month

TALLAHASSEE −The first draft of a new set of Florida congressional districts came under fire on several fronts Tuesday with two members of Congress blasting the plan and some state lawmakers suggesting they would draw their own maps.

The criticisms came on the second day of special session called to redraw the districts after the state Supreme Court struck down the current map as unconstitutional. And while staff members say they took care to stick closely to the court’s decision when drawing a “base map” for the Legislature to consider, some lawmakers were already considering changes after a lengthy hearing Tuesday.

Among the complaints: An attempt to change the orientation of the district represented by Democratic Congresswoman Corrine Brown could disenfranchise Afr ican-Amer ican voters while splitting Leon County. Brown’s district currently runs from Jacksonville in the north to Orlando in the south; Corrine the Supreme Court Brown ordered lawmakers to make the district run east to west.

Also, some lawmakers were upset that the plan appears to undo a Tampa Bay-area district that could prove welcoming to minority candidates and would divide Hillsborough County among four districts.

Meanwhile, Republican Congressman Daniel Webster said the changes to his Central Florida district would violate the state’s antigerrymandering “Fair Districts” amendments − under which the current map was struck down − because they would hobble his re-election chances.

‘Base’ change?

Senate Reapportionment Chairman Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, said he was considering changes to the base map (SB 2B) after a joint meeting of his committee and its House counterpart, both controlled by Republicans.

COMMENTARY: CHARLES W. CHERRY II: RANDOM THOUGHTS OF A FREE BLACK MIND | A4 COMMENTARY: BILL FLETCHER: REPUBLICANS ITCHING FOR WAR WITH IRAN | A4

See DISTRICTS, Page A2

A2

FOCUS

AUGUST 14 – AUGUST 20, 2015

Ferguson started a new civil rights movement Editor’s note: This editorial was originally published in the St. Louis American, the Black-owned weekly newspaper in St. Louis, Mo. that has regularly covers events in nearby Ferguson, Mo. What has changed in the year since Michael Brown Jr. was killed by a Ferguson police officer? All of us who were in the thick of things in Ferguson last year have been asked this question by now.

With the anniversary of his death, countless people will voice their answer in media and on social media.

Obvious change For us, the most significant change is obvious. Since the death of Michael Brown Jr. – and, in large part, as a result of his death – a new, diverse, incipient civil rights movement, led by young African-Americans, has emerged in this country.

This movement is dedicated to fighting the violently disparate impact of law enforcement on Black people. Or, to put it more plainly, in the words of the young protestors, “Stop killing us.”

THE ST. LOUIS AMERICAN GUEST EDITORIAL

The movement has raised this issue with protests in many cities, starting with Ferguson, and forced the passage of many changes in municipal, state and federal law and policy across the country.

Greater urgency While the ultimate impact of these specific changes is yet to be seen, there is no disputing the new, greater sense of urgency being given to these life-or-death issues that have affected Black people for centuries and previously remained of concern only to us.

Now, to some extent, it’s everyone’s problem.

The movement started in Ferguson with a diverse, but largely young and Black, activist base.

While a few of the movement’s many emerging local leaders were previously known, at least to readers of this paper, most were not. In fact, the Ferguson movement was startling precisely because it engaged two generations of millennial youth whose commitment

to social justice previously had seemed minimal.

Youth radicalized Darren Wilson’s killing of Michael Brown Jr. and the provocative police response to protests radicalized many young Black millennials in the St. Louis region, young people many of us had dismissed as unserious and lost to the streets or clubs. The explosive awakening of these young people inspired a national movement, with a strong tone of positive racial consciousness and pride in being Black.

We are hearing renewed talk of Black beauty, even magic, and the reclaiming of Black spaces – from generations that some had foolishly branded “post-Black.”

We did not see it coming, and we don’t think anyone can predict with certainty where it is going.

One year later, the Ferguson movement can claim one major local victory in beginning the reform of St. Louis County’s unconstitutional municipal courts. This started with the awareness, first stressed by Arch City Defenders but later documented in detail

DISTRICTS from A1

“I want to digest what was put forward today,” Galvano said.

“I think some significant issues were raised, and obviously, there continues to be some angst about how we got into this map from a procedural standpoint with the court, and then the fact that many feel our hands are tied with regard to the east-west configuration.”

Brown announced Tuesday that she would file a lawsuit in federal court aimed at keeping her district as is. She had initially attempted a complicated legal maneuver to use another lawsuit to defend her district, but the plaintiffs in that case quickly asked for it to be dismissed.

Brown argues that the proposed district, which President Barack Obama carried by more than 28 points in 2012, would not vote for a White Democrat, much less an African-American one. Supporters of the east-west orientation say it would preserve the ability of Black voters to elect a candidate of their choice, as required under the federal Voting Rights Act.

Fight over Leon

The Florida Legislature’s second special session of the year is focusing on redrawing voting districts.

FERGUSON from A1

an executive order Monday handing over policing duties in Ferguson to St. Louis County police.

“It is because of their ability to maintain order that I find it prudent to continue the state of emergency for at least the next 24 hours,” Stenger said.

‘Do your job’ Another day of marches began downtown Monday in St. Louis.

About 150 demonstrators gathered at Christ Church Cathedral to plan a march and discuss methods of civil disobedience.

Then the protesters marched to the Thomas F. Eagleton U.S. Courthouse. After arriving about noon at the courthouse, the protesters were backed by a chanting chorus of “DOJ, do your job,” referring to the U.S. Department of Justice, while they read from a petition that asked the federal government to disband the Ferguson Police Department.

Shortly before 1 p.m., more than 50 protesters climbed over the barricades that had been set up outside of the courthouse and sat down, locked arms and began singing and chanting.

When that move did not produce any arrests after about 20 minutes, the seated group rose

and rushed toward the front door of the courthouse, and sat down again. Shortly after that, about 30 members of the St. Louis Police Department arrived on the scene and arrests began.

The new district has also run into opposition from state lawmakers based in Leon County, which would be split between two districts under the new plan.

Currently, Leon County is entirely within a single congressional district.

Jon Ausman, a longtime member of the Democratic National Committee, presented a plan to lawmakers for an east-west district that would keep the county together, giving it 42 percent of the vote in a congressional elec-

United States Attorney Richard Callahan said in a statement that 57 people were arrested. He estimated the total number of protesters as being between 100 and 200 protesters and characterized the protest as peaceful. He said those arrested would be released after being given summonses.

Those arrested included national activist Cornel West.

Other protesters near the Old Courthouse used balloons to lift a banner saying “Racism still lives here” over downtown, with the Arch in the background.

group protecting the Constitution and reporters for the website Infowars.com.

Infowars.com said Tuesday that members of Oath Keepers were protecting businesses and were with their reporters Tuesday, but were not hired for protection.

“The Oath Keepers went to Ferguson on their own without consulting with Infowars,” said an article on the website, run by conspiracy-oriented Texas radio host Alex Jones.

One of the armed men, who identified himself only as John, told a Times reporter that he lives in southwest Missouri and “we’re here to show that carrying arms is a right, and we have that right.”

St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar told NBC News that the Oath Keepers’ presence was “both unnecessary and inflammatory.”

Armed ‘Oathkeepers’

White and armed

As protests in Ferguson continued on Monday night, at least three men openly carrying assault rifles approached the south end of West Florissant Avenue − and began to attract a crowd themselves.

The men wore “Oath Keepers” hats and desert camouflage, declined to identify themselves and it was unclear whether police officers had questioned their armed presence.

One man, who declined to give his name, told a Los Angeles Times reporter he was part of a

The display of firearms was unsettling to many among some 200 demonstrators who had converged on West Florrisant Avenue beginning Monday night.

The Oath Keepers’ St. Louis chapter says on Facebook that it is composed of “current and formerly serving military, police and citizens who pledge to fulfill the oath to defend the Constitution.”

A small cadre of Black Lives Matter protesters approached the men and demanded to know whether they were at the protest

West arrested

by the Department of Justice, that Ferguson used its police force to raise revenue through its court by aggressive – indeed, competitive – ticketing.

With the passage and signing of Senate Bill 5, in the future it should be much more difficult for a county municipality – like Ferguson, though there are many worse offenders – to turn its police officers into armed, predatory tax collectors.

implicit bias and racism.

St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar now may fight alongside protestors for municipal court reform, but we expect it will be much more difficult to get police leadership to seriously address issues of race and racism in police work and to successfully get our police officers the training in implicit bias they so desperately need.

Systemic problem

Facing the problems

But the problems throughout the criminal justice system raised by the Ferguson movement are deeper and more intractable than predatory municipal policy. Not every unarmed African-American killed by police lived in a town that practices predatory policing to raise revenue.

We are seeing a violently disparate impact of law enforcement on African-Africans in small towns, suburbs and large cities; on foot, on bike and in vehicles; on the streets, in parks and in stores; in every region of the country. Clearly, there are ingrained, systemic concerns with law enforcement’s

tion. Ausman, who drew the map with the help of a Democratic consultant, said politics did not motivate the plan.

“My prime interest is Leon County being intact, the city of Tallahassee being intact. ... You want to draw any other district?

Fine with me. Just keep Leon County intact,” Ausman said.

One of the Legislature’s lawyers, George Meros, said testimony in the trial suggested that voting in Leon County was so polarized that including the entire county in one district could hamper the chances of an African-American candidate. But supporters of uniting Leon say the county has elected African-Americans before, even from districts where Black voters are the minority.

“It is probably, in my opinion, the least polarized county in the state of Florida,” said Leon County Supervisor of Elections Ion Sancho.

Sen. Bill Montford, D-Tallahassee, said he would work to try to find an amendment that wouldn’t split up Leon.

“I’m less optimistic today than I was yesterday,” he said, pointing to testimony in front of the committee that the district must run from east to west. “If that’s the ground rule, then what we have to do is continue to try to find a district east and west that will keep Leon County whole, and that’s going to be the challenge.”

Incumbent a target?

Meanwhile, Webster − who had so far maintained a low profile in the redistricting fight − appeared at the meeting to urge lawmakers to reject the new plan. Webster said the plan targets him, a violation of the part of the Fair Districts amendments barring anything that favor or disfavors an incumbent. Obama carried the proposed version of Webster’s district by 22 points in 2012.

to incite a riot. They noted that a line of more than 40 helmeted police officers stood across West Florissant Avenue watching 100 or more protesters, while the men openly carrying weapons were left undisturbed.

“The police leave you alone, you’re White, what about if I … carried a gun out there?” asked one Black protester.

According to Missouri law, anyone lawfully permitted to carry a firearm may “briefly and openly display the firearm to the ordinary sight of another person, unless the firearm is intentionally displayed in an angry or threatening manner, not in necessary self defense.”

More arrests Shortly after 10 p.m., protesters began to scatter as police began to make arrests. There were about 50 reporters, 75 cops and 150 protesters at the scene. Police made at least nine arrests for resisting or interfering with arrest, they said.

Also on Monday, reporters Wesley Lowery of The Washington Post and Ryan Reilly of the Huffington Post learned they had been charged with trespassing and interfering with a police officer in a separate incident while reporting on the unrest that followed the police shooting of Brown.

Numbers down About 70 people took to the

Almost every problem we faced a year ago, we still face today. But now we are compelled to face our problems together, as part of a national movement that did not exist a year ago and could not have been imagined at that time.

As the Ferguson protestor and rapper Haiku said, “Ferguson taught us we could do anything as long as we did it together.” That lesson alone is amazingly empowering and gives us hope for a more safe and equitable future for our people.

Because Black lives matter.

“The new configuration for District 10 makes the seat uncompetitive for anyone in my party, including me. ... This new plan not only disfavors an incumbent, but it appears to be an attempt to eliminate an incumbent,” he said.

Webster said he didn’t know whether he would run for reelection to the seat or take another tack if the base map is approved.

Sen. Tom Lee, R-Brandon, said he would join with Senate Democratic Leader Arthenia Joyner of Tampa to try to find a way to preserve a minority-access district in Hillsborough County. A current district meant to prove welcoming to minority candidates by providing a coalition of African-American and Hispanic voters is expected to lose some of its minority population after the Supreme Court ruled that lawmakers should try to avoid drawing lines that cross Tampa Bay. “At the same time, I would like to work on consolidating the rest of Hillsborough County so that it doesn’t continue to be a donor county to all of the other smaller counties who don’t have the population to create their own congressional district, but want to come into Hillsborough County and pick it apart,” Lee said.

Already split Hillsborough is already split among four districts under the existing plan. The proposed map would continue to divide residents among four districts, though one district would be wholly contained within the county − something that is not currently true.

The House and Senate committees plan to meet separately on Thursday – after the Florida Courier’s press time. Lawmakers hope to complete the special session by Aug. 21.

streets Tuesday night — fewer than the several hundred on Sunday and Monday.

At one point, about 20 protesters blocked West Florissant Avenue and forced a city bus to turn around. About 50 officers in helmets chased them from the street.

St. Louis County police said in a statement that some protesters threw rocks at officers but soon stopped, and no other violence was reported.

St. Louis County police Wednesday reported making no arrests during street protests in Ferguson the night before.

A St. Louis County police spokesman said officers negotiated with several protesters to clear West Florissant Avenue about 9:30 p.m. Shortly after 10 p.m., officers reported rocks being thrown at them but police took no action.

No injuries Police said there were no injuries during Tuesday night and Wednesday morning protests and no calls for shots fired, shootings, looting or property damage.

St. Louis County Executive Stenger said the state of emergency he had declared would continue and a decision will be made about extending the measure further into the week.

Information from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (TNS) was used in this report.

AUGUST 14 – AUGUST 20, 2015

FLORIDA

‘Smart Solar’ group rakes in $463,000 for 2016 ballot initiative THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

CARLINE JEAN/SUN SENTINEL/TNS

Same-sex couples listen during a mass wedding ceremony on Jan. 6 at the South County Courthouse in Delray Beach.

Senator’s bill protects pastors who refuse to marry gays THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

A day after the proposal emerged in the House, Sen. Aaron Bean, R-Fernandina Beach, filed a bill Tuesday aimed at protecting churches and clergy members if they refuse to perform marriages that violate their beliefs.

The Bean bill (SB 110) and the identical House bill (HB 43), filed

by Rep. Scott Plakon, R-Longwood, stem from a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in June that said same-sex couples have a fundamental right to marry. The bills will be considered during the 2016 legislative session, which

starts in January.

Under the proposal, clergy members, churches and religious organizations would not be required to perform marriages or provide related services “if such an action would cause the church, organization, or individual to violate a sincerely held religious belief of the entity or individual.”

Called an insult The proposal would provide a shield from criminal or civil liability and also would provide protections for religious organizations’ tax exemptions, government con-

tracts, grants and licenses.

“We just think that it’s a good idea to put this in law now, so that no pastor or religious professional would ever have to be forced to violate their sincerely held religious beliefs,” Plakon said.

But Carlos Guillermo Smith of the advocacy group Equality Florida, which was a key supporter of legalizing same-sex marriage in the state, criticized the legislation.

He said ministers already can refuse to marry couples.

“This bill is a real insult to LGBT families,’’ Smith said. “What it does is it implies that pastors need protection from LGBT Floridians.”

With backing from four major electric utilities, a newly formed group known as “Consumers for Smart Solar” raised $463,000 in July for a solar-energy ballot initiative, according to a finance report filed Monday.

The group last month announced it would seek to put a solar-energy initiative on the November 2016 ballot. The proposal is competing with a rival solar-energy initiative by a group called “Floridians for Solar Choice.”

The finance report indicates Consumers for Smart Solar collected $463,045 and spent $194,177 between July 23 and July 31. While it received large checks from several other groups, its contributions included $30,000 from Florida Power & Light, $30,000 from Duke Energy, $30,000 from Gulf Power and $25,000 from Tampa Electric Co. Its expenditures included $102,000 to Nevada-based National Voter Outreach for petition gathering, according to the report.

Medical marijuana group raises $770,000 to get on ballot THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

A group seeking to ask voters in 2016 to legalize medical marijuana raised more than $770,000 in July, buoyed by contributions from its leader, Orlando attorney John Morgan, according to a newly filed finance report.

"People United for Medical Marijuana" raised $770,534 during the month and spent $756,419, as it tries to collect enough petition signatures to get on the November 2016 ballot.

The Morgan Firm PA contributed about $704,000 of the July total, with Coral Gables retiree Barbara Stiefel chipping in another $40,000, the report shows.

A3 Sept. 1 hearing Meanwhile Monday, Floridians for Solar Choice reported that it raised $81,788 in July, bringing its overall total of $436,741. Also, it had received $314,234 in in-kind contributions as of July 31.

During July, the committee received $50,000 from a political committee linked to the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy and $25,000 from a Georgia-based group known as Conservatives for Energy Freedom, the filing said.

Floridians for Solar Choice also spent $115,021 in July, bringing its overall expenditure total to $333,726. Floridians for Solar Choice is further along than its new rival in the process of getting on the ballot.

The Florida Supreme Court has scheduled a Sept. 1 hearing to review Floridians for Solar Choice’s proposed ballot language. If the Supreme Court signs off, Floridians for Solar Choice would need to collect 683,149 valid signatures to reach the ballot.

As of Monday afternoon, it had submitted 105,167 signatures. Consumers for Smart Solar had not submitted any signatures to the state as of Monday.

683,149 signatures needed After raising relatively little money early in the year, the group has collected about $1.06 million during the past two months as it has ramped up petition-gathering. It paid about $687,000 in July to Californiabased PCI Consultants, which does petition-gathering.

Morgan and his group tried in 2014 to pass a similar initiative to legalize medical marijuana but fell just short of the required 60 percent voter approval.

In all, backers will need to submit 683,149 valid petition signatures to get on the 2016 ballot. They had submitted 14,758 as of Monday, with the signatures gradually increasing in recent days, according to the state Division of Elections website.

EDITORIAL

A4

AUGUST 14 – AUGUST 20, 2015

Republicans itching for war with Iran With each scare tactic employed by those who oppose the nuclear deal with Iran, I not only become more and more furious, but equally worried. As I have raised in prior columns, what is so dangerous about this moment is that the alternative to this pact − which is only slightly beneath the surface − is war against Iran.

A recent development, however, needs to be introduced into this discussion to encourage us all to think “outside of the box.”

As described in a recent article in the British publication The Guardian, the Iranians are now going beyond arguing in favor of this new agreement. They are suggesting the need for the big powers to cut back on their own nuclear weapons and the declaration of the Middle East as a nuclear-free zone.

Only one The proposal to declare the Middle East to be a nuclear-free zone deserves exploring. There is only one nuclear power in the Middle East and that is Israel, a non-signatory to the Nuclear

BILL FLETCHER, JR. NNPA COLUMNIST

(It’s) time to ratify the agreement and get on to the business of eliminating nuclear weapons.

VISUAL VIEWPOINT: GOP PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES

ment, particularly when you hear scary messages about the Iranians. Iran has not invaded another country in about 1,000 years.

It occupies no one else’s land. It has no nuclear weapons. And it is a signatory to the Nuclear NonProliferation Treaty.

Add this. Assuming that the treaty is fully adopted, any attempt by the Iranians to develop nuclear weapons would take years. To this I think that it is important to also add that were the Iranians to ever develop and deploy one single nuclear weapon, it is highly likely that they would be attacked before such weapons could become fully operational.

Tables turned

Non-Proliferation Treaty and a country that secretly stockpiled nuclear weapons. The Iranians are posing a question that no one in the political elite of the USA seems to be willing to ask: Why is it that only one country can possess nuclear weapons in the Middle East?

Think about this for a mo-

The Iranians have turned the tables on this discussion, however. They are saying that the agreement that was signed by the multinational negotiating team (including the U.S.) did not actually go far enough. To ensure that there is no nuclear arms race in the Middle East, there needs to be the elimination of nuclear weapons from the region.

Black parents should opt kids out of high-stakes tests The movement by parents to opt their children out of high-stakes testing is growing by leaps and bounds, but remains largely White and suburban, despite the fact that Black folks are the primary targets of the destructive testing regime.

Almost two decades ago, the corporate world began pouring millions of dollars into a massive campaign to split the two pillars of the Democratic Party: teachers unions and Black voters. It began as a mainly Republican strategy to divert public funding to private school vouchers – an idea that was never very popular among Black parents.

Capitalist’s dream But corporate Democrats discovered that public education could be privatized even more effectively – and much more profitably – through chartering the schools.

Charter schools are a capitalist’s dream, in which the public provides all the money, private companies get rich contracting services, teachers are deprofessionalized and deunionized, and Black parents lose all democratic rights concerning their children’s education.

In one of the great ironies of recent U.S. history, the Democratic Party took the lead in what had begun as a Republican project to vilify teachers and privatize schools in Black

GLEN FORD BLACK AGENDA REPORT

neighborhoods.

High-stakes testing became a weapon guaranteed to fail the students, fail the teachers, fail the neighborhood schools, and fail entire school districts in largely Black cities. Everybody loses except the hedge funds and other billionaire investors in the charter school marketplace.

Obama facilitates These are the people whose interests President Obama has served for the past six and a half years. Obama became the biggest public school privatizer of all time, wielding executive power to force the states to establish more charter schools or lose federal education funds.

Studies show that charter schools are not better than public schools, but they are great sources of wealth for big investors, while the public – mostly the Black inner city public – takes all the risk.

But because Obama is Black, and Democrats are the party pushing hardest for charters, the established civil rights organizations are urging Black people to opt in to

the high-stakes testing madness. Twelve of these misleadership groups signed a letter in support of highstakes testing, including the national offices of the NAACP and the Urban League.

A battle At root, this is a battle for democracy in public education. The White parents that make up the bulk of the antitesting movement are accustomed to democracy in their school districts, through active and empowered local school boards. They know their rights, and they exercise them.

However, the whole charter school scam is based on destroying any semblance of democracy in inner city schools, many of which are already under the control of the states or strong-mayor forms of government.

The testing regime is crafted to make local control of schools an impossibility – forever – and to reduce the teaching staffs of inner city schools to temporary drones, not educators.

Black people desperately need to opt out of this nightmare.

Contact BAR executive editor Glen Ford at Glen.

Ford@Bl a ck A gen d aRe port.com.

Random thoughts of a free Black mind, v. 264 Happy belated to me! I turned 59 on Aug. 6. Unlike everybody else in my immediate household, I’ve never celebrated my birthday as if it was a national holiday. It’s typically a low-key affair, including dinner with the kids (usually at the place they want to eat), some phone calls and texts, and on to the next day.

When my daughter Chip was stillborn the week of my birthday in 2003, the observance became more mixed, and now includes a visit to the cemetery. But one thing that’s remained constant over the years is the sense of grati-

QUICK TAKES FROM #2: STRAIGHT, NO CHASER

CHARLES W. CHERRY II, ESQ. PUBLISHER

tude for being alive another year, despite the various challenges – and there have been a few, but none worth mentioning here and now.

RJ MATSON, ROLL CALL

It is striking that the so-called mainstream U.S. media has largely ignored the Iranian proposal. To my knowledge, no Republican candidate for the presidency has made mention of this or its implications. Instead, we are treated to completely ahistorical hysterics comparing the nuclear deal to Neville Chamberlain’s agreement with the Nazis in Munich in 1938.

Such analogies miss the point.

Despite the fact that the Iranian regime is highly repressive

It’s very revealing that the subject of race was only mentioned near the end of the initial, two-hour long Fox News “debate” last week. And when it was mentioned, it was mainly as an attack on race relations during President Obama’s administration.

Furthermore, the question on race was directed to Dr. Ben Carson, one of only two persons of color on the stage (the other being Sen. Marco Rubio).

Carson, by the way, was all but ignored throughout the process.

Equally revealing was the total lack of commentary about the real reasons that Latino immigrants are allowed to enter this country. They are a major source of cheap labor, especially for the agricultural and construction industries. Their labor is not only cheap, but they are also under threat of deportation if they complain too publicly about salaries and working conditions.

There is no way to convince me that the U.S. government could not block the entry of so-called “illegal immigrants” if it really wanted to. The “illegal immigrants” are for practical purposes allowed to cross the borders.

Then there’s the very revealing circumstance in which the moderators and the “debaters” spoke as though Iran is trying to introduce nuclear weapons into that region of the world.

I’ll bet that every single one of them is well aware that Israel introduced nuclear weapons into the region years ago. Yet, no one dared to state this well-known fact. Whatever else Iran can be accused of, it will not be the first nuclear power in the Middle East.

Finally, the “debaters” were all in step with what they consider the need for the U.S. to build up its military for the possibility of having enough boots

This year, I did things a little bit differently. I celebrated with old college friends on Florida’s Southwest coast and with old and new friends in the Caribbean. During the quiet times, I gave thanks for an understanding and supportive family that puts up with my idiosyncrasies, especially my tendency toward isolation, solitude, and going occasionally “off the grid.”

I was grateful for a father who, 11 years after his death, still nudges me in the ribs with occasional advice; for a still-living mother who always makes me laugh; and for still having the opportunity, to date, to put my feet on the floor in the morning “clothed in my right mind” to meet the challenges of the day.

I know that statistically, I have more of my life in the rearview mirror than I have in the front

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

Dr. Valerie Rawls-Cherry, Human Resources

Charles W. Cherry, Sr. (1928-2004), Founder Julia T. Cherry, Senior Managing Member, Central Florida Communicators Group, LLC Dr. Glenn W. Cherry, Cassandra CherryKittles, Charles W. Cherry II, Managing Members

A. PETER BAILEY TRICE EDNEY NEWSWIRE

Because such issues were not ‘debated,’ I found the two hours to be predictable and basically boring. on the ground to send into the Middle East or anywhere else they believe is a threat to “the national security of the U.S.” Yet again, neither the moderators nor the “debaters” were willing to say that the quickest way to get the necessary boots on the ground is to reinstate the draft. I personally will believe they are sincere about this country’s National Security being at stake when they begin a draft that requires their sons and daughters to possibly face combat duty as defenders of “freedom.” Right now they basically use the children of low income and working class families as cannon fodder.

Because such issues were not “debated,” I found the two hours to be predictable and basically boring.

A. Peter Bailey, whose latest book is “Witnessing Brother Malcolm X, the Master Teacher,” can be reached at apeterb@verizon.net.

windshield, if you get my drift.

But I’m very happy that, at least at the time of this writing, God ain’t through with me yet…

GOP presidential candidates – Maybe I’ve spent too much time in the summer sun, but I’m liking Donald Trump.

Why? Because he completely does not give a damn. I’m loving the “dirt” he’s throwing into the two-party system. Because he is a completely self-financed billionaire, he’s got the staying power to do and say whatever the hell he wants.

And he’s proving what some of us have said for years: that the GOP and the Democratic Party are two sides of the same money-grubbing, corporately funded coin who are running the “okeydoke” on the average American voter.

Dr. Glenn W. Cherry, Sales Manager

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Bill Fletcher, Jr. is the host of The Global African on TelesurEnglish. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and at www.billfletcherjr.com.

Notes on the first Republican Party ‘debate’

Charles W. Cherry II, Esq., Publisher

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

against its internal critics, there is no Iranian threat to invade anyone, let alone to create anything comparable to the Thousand Year Reich.

My conclusion? Time to ratify the agreement and get on to the business of eliminating nuclear weapons.

Jenise Morgan, Senior Editor Angela van Emmerik, Creative Director Chicago Jones, Eugene Leach, Louis Muhammad, Lisa Rogers-Cherry, Circulation Penny Dickerson, Staff Writer Duane Fernandez Sr., Kim Gibson, Photojournalists

MEMBER

Florida Press Association

National Newspaper Publishers Association

Society of Professional Journalists

National Newspaper Association

Associated Press

Cases in point on the “Trump Effect.” Even the ultraconservative Koch Brothers, who have publicly committed to putting more than $800 million of their own cash to elect a Republican president, are trying to dump Trump from the primaries. Why? Because they can’t control him.

On the Dem side, Hillary Clinton stuttered like she had Tourette’s syndrome when she was asked to respond to Trump’s accusation that she (Hillary) went to Trump’s third wedding because “she had to,” due to his large political and charitable donations to the Clintons.

Run, Donald, Run! Whoop, whoop!

Hit me up at ccherry2@gmail. com, or on Facebook at ccherry2.

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AUGUST 14 – AUGUST 20, 2015

EDITORIAL

Debt can help or hurt wealth-building Money and credit are two items that affect nearly everyone. We earn, spend and sometimes save money. But it seems nearly inevitable that the need for credit arises, and efforts to retire it become debt that can hang around longer than a bad penny.

For most Americans, debt is a complicated reality. Whether a consumer is retired, nearing the end of a career or beginning one, the likelihood of holding debt of some kind is fairly high. A new research report by Pew Trust finds that 80 percent of the nation has some form of debt, and further that nearly 7 in 10 view debt as a necessity they would prefer not to have.

Helps or hurts By comparing and contrasting how families of different generations, races and ethnicities hold debt, the new report suggests that as conditions vary, debt can help or hurt a consumer’s ability to build wealth.

A mortgage loan, for example, is often a debt that becomes a building block to accumulating family wealth. As consumers pay down mortgage principal, home equity generally grows correspondingly. In these circumstances over the life of the loan, homeowners gain choices to keep the home and eventually retire its mortgage or move into a highervalue home with proceeds from its sale reducing the need to fi-

CHARLENE CROWELL NNPA COLUMNIST

nance the purchase.

Race matters Not every homeowner, however, enjoys that same rosy financial prospect. Homeowners of color – largely Black and Hispanic – experienced higher rates of foreclosures and/or depreciated values because nearby foreclosures, mortgage debt can restrict their financial choices. “[H]ome equity for Black homeowners has not increased at the same rate as it has for White homeowners, largely because home values in minority neighborhoods have been slow to recover since the housing crisis, and so have generated lower returns on mortgage debt,” states the report.

Similarly, while incurring student loans is often viewed as an essential investment in a career and a middle-class lifestyle, racial disparities persist.

“Despite the higher-than-average rate of student loan debt among young Black Americans, it is not clear that this debt is fully building their human capital,” the report explains. “Black Gen Xers and Millennials who owe student

On Oct. 10, it’s ‘Justice or Else’ in D.C. When The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan issues a sacred clarion call for a national and international mobilization for justice, freedom and equality, millions of people across America and throughout the world respond with responsive enthusiasm and energy. Such was the case in response to the minister’s call for the Million Man March (MMM) in Washington, D.C., 20 years ago.

I believe that history will be made once again this year on October 10 in Washington, D.C. Min. Farrakhan boldly has issued a new call: “Justice Or Else” mobilization on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Million Man March on the National Mall. The minister asserted, “On 10.10.15, let’s show the world our unity. Our demand for justice will be a united

BENJAMIN F. CHAVIS, JR. NNPA COLUMNIST

demand. It will be an unequivocal demand for equal justice.”

No fear Without hesitation or fear, I made a decision to join Min. Farrakhan in 1965 to help him organize and mobilize the historic Million Man March as its national director. As an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ, I knew then as I know today that God continues to bless Min. Farrakhan uniquely with the vision

The bad news The U.S. still leads the world in water-polluting, earthquake-causing fracking, in taxpayer subsidies to the fracking industry, and in the export of fracking technologies.

When the Deepwater Horizon disaster − the largest known gas and oil spill in history − occurred, the Obama administration actively colluded with oil companies to lie to the public concealing the volume and extent of the leak.

President Obama had the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard ban civilian overflights of the spill area, and local police agencies barred civilian access to affected shorelines − apparently to prevent independent experts from assessing the damage and the speed at which the poisonous discharge was settling on the sea floor.

Protected Big Oil The Obama Justice Department even protected British Petroleum by declaring that damage awards could only be assessed against BP’s holdings in the U.S. Gulf rather than against its global assets on six continents and oceans

BRUCE A. DIXON BLACK AGENDA REPORT

across the planet.

And although the president’s party controlled both houses of Congress, President Obama and his party sponsored no legislation or administrative rule to rein in the plundering and polluting activities of Big Oil.

More bad news Despite past disasters and future dangers, the Obama administration continues to issue new permits for drilling up and down the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, and is even permitting deepwater offshore fracking.

The administration has issued permits for drilling in the Arctic Ocean, accessible for the first time in human history due to the melting of polar icecaps.

The administration has continued the bipartisan American tradition of subverting and destroying international accords on climate change, giving the final coup de grace to the Kyoto Accords, condemning hundreds of millions in Asia, Africa and Oceana to suffer the ravages of climate change.

The Obama administration’s equivocation on the Keystone pipeline seems calculated to get

VISUAL VIEWPOINT: PEACE IN AFGHANISTAN

debt in their own names are more likely than their White peers to be paying for a degree they did not complete (38 percent versus 26 percent).”

Even more startling, when Pew asked student loan borrowers whether they would do things differently if they had that chance, a majority of both Blacks (51 percent) and Hispanics (52 percent) responded they would find a different way to pay for school in order to owe less money. By contrast, only 32 percent of White respondents gave the same answer.

Details matter Before anyone concludes that buying a home or getting a college education is a poor financial decision – think again. According to Sarah Wolff, a senior researcher with the Center for Responsible Lending (CRL), the Pew report portrays the complexities – not the inevitability of debt.

“The implications of debt for opportunities depend not just on the raw dollar amount of debt but also on the quality and appropriateness of the product,” noted Wolff. “Not all student loans are the same. This is true for all kinds of loans – including mortgages and credit cards,” Wolff said.

“The terms and conditions under which loans are made are very important.”

CRL’s recent report on the cumulative impacts of predatory lending likens consumer credit to and mission to redeem and empower Black Americans, Latino Americans, Native Americans and all others who struggle for a better quality of life in America and throughout the world.

At four times the size of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, the MMM is believed to have been the largest march ever on the nation’s capital. I believe that God hears and answers the prayers of people and communities that cry out for justice. Today, we must organize and mobilize again with renewed vigor and determination.

Almost every day, we hear and learn of another dastardly fatal act of racially motivated police brutality and misconduct that leaves our families and communities in great sorrow, grief and anger. As president and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), I get the daily reports and news feeds about the growing systematic injustices in the United States from our 206 African-American-owned newspapers based in every region of the nation.

Pretty words, ugly actions on climate change Recently, President Obama announced his plan slashing U.S. carbon emissions by 2030, mostly by federal rules which will effectively prohibit new coal-fired electric plants. This is unambiguously good news.

A5

his party through the 2016 election, after which it will almost certainly be approved, whoever is elected.

Real leadership Actual leadership on climate change would set a near-term goal of 80 percent to 90 percent of U.S. energy needs met by renewables like wind and solar, an end to fracking on land and sea, and banning of offshore drilling, especially in the Arctic. Leadership would be applauding the citizen activists who are delaying the departure of Shell’s mammoth Arctic drilling rig from the port of Seattle.

Leadership would have the U.S. look more like Germany, which derives most of its energy from wind and solar power and other renewables.

Climate leadership would mean popularizing the case for leaving the coal in the hole, the gas beneath the grass, and the oil in the soil while we fund and find other ways to power our agriculture, our cities and our lives.

But none of that is part of the Obama legacy on climate change, which is pretty words but ugly actions.

Bruce A. Dixon is managing editor of Black Agenda Report (www.

Black AgendaReport. com).

PARESH NATH, THE KHALEEJ TIMES, UAE

a hammer – which can be used to build a house or destroy it. Pew’s research provides evidence that debt is actually both good and bad.

CRL findings help to explain why debt affects borrowers in different ways. Across many financial products, low-income borrowers and borrowers of color are disproportionately affected by abusive loan terms and practices. Loans with problematic terms are repeatedly concentrated in neighborhoods of color.

inate and rid the marketplace of products that are designed to trap borrowers in debt while enriching lenders.

On a personal level, perhaps we can do ourselves a financial favor by taking time to review the fine print of loan and credit agreements; and insisting on clear answers to our credit questions before another debt is incurred. Every consumer considering a financial obligation has a right to know.

Charlene Crowell is a communications manager with the Understanding these factors Center for Responsible Lending. that affect our daily lives should Contact her at Charlene.crowalso spur continued work to elim- ell@responsiblelending.org.

Fine print

No more!

All together

We are the trusted voice of Black America, and I am telling you that the suffering cup of patience in Black America has run over. The madness of constant videotaped modern-day lynching of Black people in the U.S. has become intolerable. We are simply not going to take it anymore!

It is providential and a welcome sight to witness the steady growth and development of Justice Or Else MMM 20th Anniversary Local Organizing Committees (LOCs) in every major city. A broad cross-section of local community activists are joining with Nation of Islam organizers and officials to build a strong national network of LOCs. These organizing committees are actively reserving and chartering buses in preparation for the journey to Washington, D.C. If you would like to help establish a LOC in your local community and for updated accurate information, go to www.JusticeOrElse.com.

Min. Farrakhan stated, “The Black and The Red, together. The Black, the Red and the Brown, together. The Black, the Red, the Brown – yes, and White – who know that Black Lives Matter.” Our togetherness and our unity and our determination to demand justice for all will be a tremendous turning point in the growing national movement against injustice and wrongdoing.

Too many of our sisters and brothers are dying at the hands of those who perpetrate injustice against our communities. We will not remain still and immobilized.

Now is the time to stand up again.

We wholeheartedly support Min. Farrakhan’s call and demand: Justice Or Else!

Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. is the president and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA). Contact him at dr.bchavis@nnpa.org.

Why aren’t killings of Black women in the news?

The killing of Black men has occupied a lot of airtime, especially since the deaths of Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Walter Scott, Tamir Rice, Kendrick Johnson, Samuel DuBose, Trayvon Martin and Jordan Davis − and the list goes on.

Their cases deserved a lot of attention.

However, little notice has been given to the dramatic increase in the killing of Black women. In some of the cases, it might be said that police or guns killed them. But I submit that all have died from a system that does not value Black women’s lives.

Died in jail At least five Black women have died in jail in the past few weeks. That’s serious, because Black women as a rule do not kill themselves. Too many have died needlessly in a very short time.

Some died from civilian attackers. Some died at the hands of police. Add to that those who have lost sons, nephews, spouses, etc., and you’ve got a heavier burden on Black women than any other women in this country have.

I don’t have to think hard about unwarranted recent deaths of Black women. If you are a Black woman, you can rattle off the names with no problem.

Just in the past month, we’ve lost at least five Black women held behind bars.

Known, unknown Sandra Bland may be the best known one. She was found dead in a Texas, jail cell July 13, after being pulled over for an alleged minor traffic violation. Once in jail, she was left unattended for longer than jail policy allows. Once she was mysteriously dead, her captors began making up all kind of wild stories when there was no one around to give her side of the story of how she died and why.

Kendra Chapman was found dead in her Alabama holding cell July 14, hours after being arrested for allegedly stealing a cell phone. Joyce Cornell was found dead in a South Carolina detention center July

DR. E. FAYE WILLIAMS, ESQ. TRICE EDNEY WIRE

22, one day after being arrested due to an outstanding bench warrant.

Ralkina Jones was found dead in an Ohio jail cell July 26, after being arrested for charges related to a domestic dispute with her ex-husband. Raynetta Turner was found dead in a New York jail cell July 27 after being arrested.

There are more who were killed by police officers outside of jail. Aiyana Jones, a young seven-year-old, was killed by a Detroit police officer as she slept on her father’s couch. Rekia Boyd was killed in Chicago by a police officer.

Yvette Smith was unarmed when she was killed by a police officer in Texas. Tarika Wilson was killed by an Ohio police officer. Her one-year-old son was also injured.

Tyisha Miller was killed by a police officer in Los Angeles. Kathryn Johnson was killed by a police officer in Atlanta. Gabriella Nevarez was killed by a Sacramento police officer. Eleanor Bumpurs was killed by a police officer in the Bronx.

More about Cecil Most of these names we’ve never heard on the evening news. We heard more about the shooting of Cecil the lion.

Without judging the guilt or innocence of these women, they had a right to live and defend themselves. Not one of them should have died, and their deaths should not silence them. We have an obligation to speak and to seek justice for them.

Dr. E. Faye Williams is national president/CEO of the National Congress of Black Women. Contact her at www.nationalcongressbw.org.

NATION

TOJ A6

AUGUST 14 – AUGUST 20, 2015

O’Mara’s latest case draws praise, criticism Zimmerman attorney representing family of Ohio Black man killed by officer

BY MATT PEARCE LOS ANGELES TIMES/TNS

Defense attorney Mark O’Mara, best known as the man who kept George Zimmerman out of prison, once again walked in front of television cameras to talk about a racially charged shooting and to stand up for the rights of a client.

An Ohio grand jury had just indicted a White University of Cincinnati police officer on a murder charge for shooting an unarmed Black driver. Tension had been high. The officer claimed self-defense. Many in the Black community called for a conviction.

But the Florida-based attorney and CNN legal analyst wasn’t in Cincinnati on JuSam ly 29 to defend the DuBose officer, Ray Tensing.

O’Mara was there to represent the family of the driver, Samuel DuBose.

‘Poisoned’ because of case Many African-Americans, seeing O’Mara praise the prosecution and denounce DuBose’s July 19 shooting, had to do a doubletake as one of the most prominent figures in the nation’s continuing racial drama reappeared in what was, to them, a surprising role.

“I carry this weird baggage with me, because I represented the guy who killed Trayvon, so I’m ‘poisoned’ or ‘sullied’ by that,” O’Mara said in an interview. But when it comes to seeking justice, he said, “strange enough, those who are

Defense counsel Mark O’Mara shows a photo of George Zimmerman to the jury during closing arguments in the George Zimmerman trial in Seminole circuit court in Sanford on July 12, 2013.

The next day, Zimmerman was acquitted of second-degree murder in the 2012 shooting death of Trayvon Martin.

listening in the Black community understand that I make sense.”

In 2013, O’Mara argued that Sanford neighborhood watch volunteer Zimmerman acted in selfdefense when he fatally shot unarmed Black 17-year-old Trayvon Martin during a struggle. For weeks, O’Mara’s reddish complexion and low-key demeanor were featured daily on TV sets around the nation.

The jury’s not-guilty verdict sparked protests and presaged the nation’s current climate of racial unrest and dissatisfaction with the justice system.

Recent criticism O’Mara’s appearance in Cincinnati last month — to play a different part in a similar script — revealed that the work he did on his most famous case remains lodged deep in the minds of many African-Americans.

“Mark O’Mara being the family attorney for #SamDubose family is ... idk (I don’t know),” comedian Felonious Munk wrote on Twitter, earning more than 100 retweets. “just doesn’t sit quite right with me after he represented Zimmerman.”

“Mark O’Mara, the guy who defended George Zimmerman, is #SamDubose’s family attorney? someone explain for me,” another Twitter user said.

A third added, defiantly, “Mark O’Mara, you still have Trayvon Martin’s blood on your hands. We won’t forget that. Ever. You better wage war for #SamDubose’s justice.”

Many Black clients Many attorneys change hats, switching from prosecution to defense and representing both White and Black defendants.

Johnnie L. Cochran Jr., the famed defense attorney known for winning an acquittal for O.J. Simpson and other high-profile Black defendants, also raised

JOE BURBANK/ORLANDO SENTINEL/ TNS

eyebrows when he represented a White truck driver, Reginald Denny, attacked by Black assailants during the 1992 L.A. riots.

O’Mara began his career as a prosecutor in Seminole County in the early 1980s before switching to defense. He’s represented a melange of defendants in Florida, many of them Black, and has called for criminal justice reforms, including the end of mandatory minimum sentences. He knows firsthand, he said, that the justice system weighs more heavily on Black Americans.

“I see it in my daily practice when guys come in to me and tell me about their police experiences. This has been my pedigree long before Zimmerman,” he said.

Seeking damages, answers O’Mara recently defended Sean Grant, who was shot and wounded by an officer in DeLand after,

police alleged, he stole a sandwich and tried to run over police with his car in October 2013.

Grant was found not guilty, and now O’Mara is suing the police on his behalf.

“White cop, Black kid,” O’Mara said.

In the Cincinnati case, he said, DuBose’s family plans to file a lawsuit to seek damages, answers and accountability for DuBose’s death, though the family will first have to go to probate court to sort out DuBose’s estate.

Until that happens, O’Mara is acting as a guardian of DuBose’s character outside the courtroom, as he had done for Zimmerman against a tide of public anger.

“My concern is that they (officials) tend to denigrate or attack the victim; it’s already happened a bit,” O’Mara said.

Celebrity status O’Mara came to the DuBose

case because he was contacted by DuBose’s sister, who he said liked his appearances as a commentator on CNN. She’s apparently not alone. A friend of O’Mara’s, Orlando attorney Joe Flood, says that whenever he and O’Mara go out in public, O’Mara is approached for pictures.

“Who do you think would be the people who would least like him or be drawn to him?” Flood asked. “The African-American community. The deference and respect is unbelievable. Everywhere we go, there are constantly African-American people coming up to him, wanting to get their picture next to him, saying he’s the best lawyer they’ve ever seen.

“I wouldn’t believe it, but I experience it all the time,” Flood said. “I’m frequently the guy holding the cell phone, taking the picture.”

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N.W.A. members discuss their history, biopic See page B5

SOUTH FLORIDA / TREASURE COAST AREA

AUGUST 14 – AUGUST 20, 2015

SHARING BLACK LIFE, STATEWIDE

‘Celebrity Apprentice’ star Omarosa defends Trump See page B5

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From a CITY to a SYMBOL

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SECTION

B

S

How Michael Brown’s death a year ago shook up Ferguson and the nation

BY KEVIN MCDERMOTT ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH/TNS

F

ERGUSON, Mo. — Before last summer, Ferguson was just one more patch in the crowded quilt of towns that make up St. Louis County — a mixed-race, working-class community of about 21,000 people on six square miles of unremarkable urban landscape northwest of St. Louis.

Today, to America and to the world, the word “Ferguson” means far more than that. The fury that ripped through the small city in the summer and fall of 2014 inaugurated a national debate about police tactics against AfricanAmericans that continues a year later. Ferguson now dwells on an exclusive list of locales — Little Rock, Selma, Watts — that have lent their names to key chapters in the sprawling tale of race in America.

The story of how Ferguson went from a city to a symbol began with a midday confrontation between two people on a street. Exactly what happened between Michael Brown Jr. and Darren Wilson one year ago Aug. 9 may be forever controversial. What resulted — an unarmed Black man lying dead at the feet of a White police officer — provided a blueprint for outrage in other policerelated deaths of unarmed Black males in New York, Cleveland, Michael Baltimore and South Brown Jr. Carolina.

Two waves of riots The Ferguson riots came in two waves: in August 2014, immediately after the fatal shooting of Brown, an 18-year-old African-American Ferguson resident, by Wilson, a 28-yearold White Ferguson police officer; and again in late November, after a grand jury declined to criminally charge Wilson in Brown’s death.

All told, it resulted in a dozen nights of violence, dozens of injuries, hundreds of arrests and millions of dollars in property damage. Perhaps miraculously, there were no additional deaths.

By the time it was over, it had added a twist to America’s intractable discussion about race, with a new focus on police militarization. It revealed how cities use traffic fines and court policies as mallets against their most vulnerable citizens. It underlined the idea that a police force should reflect the cultural makeup of its community, and drove home the reality of how often it doesn’t.

It validated the principle that, as syndicated columnist Eugene Robinson put it, “policing is something that should be done with a community, not to it.”

‘Not going away’ Politically, it was a minefield. It drew America’s first Black president into what has so often proven a risky topic for him — racial strife — and figured prominently in his 2014 State of the Union address.

It probably ended whatever national political ambitions Missouri’s current governor might once have had. It

JIM VONDRUSKA/XINHUA/SIPA USA/TNS

A father with his son in his arms reacts during a manifestation in Ferguson, Mo., on Aug. 10. A state of emergency was declared for Ferguson and the rest of St. Louis County Monday following a gun battle between police and protesters Sunday night on the anniversary of Michael Brown’s death. has already made an appearance in the 2016 presidential campaign, and almost certainly will again.

“This is not going away” as a political issue, says Ken Warren, a political scientist at St. Louis University who is conducting a study of municipal court issues raised by events in Ferguson. “The gut reaction of politicians has always been to defend the police … but now people are taking pictures of White cops roughing up Blacks. It’s going to continue to be in candidates’ faces, and they will have to address it.”

‘National wake-up call’ As with most epic conflicts, Ferguson engendered some myth making.

Most notably, it fostered a devastating new civil rights slogan — “Hands up, don’t shoot!” — that a U.S. Department of Justice report would later determine was based on a fiction.

But the shooting alerted a sobered nation to some broader truths about police-minority relations in an era that not so long ago was being smugly declared “post-racial.”

“It really pulled the covers back on how people of color have been treated for years” by police, says Miranda Jones, vice president of the Better Family Life Neighborhood Resource Center, a nonprofit community service organization based in Ferguson. “It was a national wake-up call.”

Tragedy on Canfield Aug. 9, 2014, a Saturday, was overcast and mild in Ferguson, with temperatures hovering in the mid-70s as noon approached. Brown and Dorian Johnson, 22, were walking down the middle of the 2900 block of Canfield

DAVID CARDSON/ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH/TNS

Missouri National Guard soldiers patrol the parking lot of the Ferguson Market & Liquor store on West Florissant Avenue in Ferguson a little after 10 p.m. on Dec. 1, 2014. At least 40 National Guard Humvees were keeping watch along a two-mile section of West Florissant Avenue from Ferguson Avenue to the north.

Drive, a curving residential street that snakes through the Canfield Green apartment complex.

Wilson, who had been on the Ferguson police force for five years, pulled up in his SUV squad car and told the pair to move off the street. They ignored the order. It was then, Wilson would later say, that he realized they might be suspects in the theft of a package of cigars that had been reported from a nearby liquor store minutes earlier.

At 12:02 p.m., Wilson radioed in: “Put me on Canfield with two,” meaning two suspects. “And send me another car.”

By the time the backup arrived, less than two minutes later, Brown lay dead in the middle of Canfield, with six bullets in his body from Wilson’s gun.

There was dispute from the beginning about what happened. Some witnesses claimed Wilson killed Brown as he was attempting to surrender, literally with his hands up. But the Department of Justice report would ultimately conclude that Brown attacked the officer, tried to take his weapon and was charging at him when Wilson shot him in self-defense.

“While credible witnesses gave varying accounts of exactly what Brown was doing with his hands as he moved toward Wilson … they all establish that Brown was moving toward Wilson when Wilson shot him,” the report said.

Body left in street

ROBERT COHEN/ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH/TNS

Lesley McSpadden is comforted during the funeral services for her son Michael Brown on Aug. 25, 2014, at Friendly Temple Missionary Baptist Church in St. Louis.

What isn’t in dispute is that Brown’s body lay in the street, face down under a white sheet that wasn’t big enough to completely cover him, for four hours after the shooting.

Police would blame the delay in part on shots fired and the potential danger that the angry, growing crowd posed to officers at the scene. But to many of the Black area residents who gathered at

the site, it was one more indication of the long-festering animosity between them and the mostly White police force that patrolled their community — a rift that would soon be on display for the world.

“They shot a Black man, and they left his body in the street to let you all know this could be you,” Ferguson resident Alexis Torregrossa, 21, said at the time.

Lots of criticism Just as news footage of Southern civil rights abuses in the 1950s and Vietnam War scenes in the 1960s helped mobilize public opinion on those topics, so the images coming out of Ferguson in 2014 molded the debate over police tactics in Black communities: police in riot gear leveling military-grade weapons at civilians; clouds of teargas wafting through crowds of protesters; armored assault vehicles rolling down the streets of a small American city.

The scenes would prompt Congressional review of the practice of supplying U.S. military equipment to local police forces. “(M)ilitarizing police tactics are not consistent with the peaceful exercise of First Amendment rights,” U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., said in one Senate hearing. Sen. Rand Paul, RKy., called the situation “crazy out-ofcontrol.”

Police tactics, too, were criticized as out of control. Police initially enforced a “keep moving” policy against protesters to prevent them from standing in one place, ultimately prompting an injunction from a federal judge prohibiting the tactic on First Amendment grounds. Police snipers “lowered their rifle sights to monitor the crowd,” according to a draft Department of Justice report that called the tactic “inappropriate as a crowd control measure.”

See SYMBOL, Page B2

CALENDAR

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FLORIDA COMMUNITY CALENDAR Orlando: Catch Sasheer Zamata, a “Saturday Night Live’’ comedienne, on Aug. 26 at CFE Arena for an 8 p.m. show.

Tampa: J. Cole’s Forest Hills Drive Tour stops at the MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre 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.

Orlando: The rapper T-Pain is scheduled to take the stage at the CFE Arena in Orlando on Aug. 27.

Tampa: The Tampa Bay Black Heritage Festival and the Entrepreneur Collaborative Center will present “Business Planning; Sales & Marketing and Technology” seminar on Aug. 29 from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 2101 E. Palm Ave. Register at www.tampablackheritage.org.

Miami: Cyclists will gather Aug. 16 at Goulds Park in Miami at 6 a.m. to begin a fundraising journey to Washington Redskins FedEx Field in Landover, Md. The project was inspired by slain NFL star Sean Taylor. The event will raise awareness and funds for families. More information: https://fundly.com/restored-order.

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.

SYMBOL from Page 1

Politics and race It wasn’t just the police whose performance was criticized during the crisis.

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon, a Democrat, was accused of ignoring the growing threat in Ferguson in its first days — and then of implementing a flailing, uneven use of National Guard troops that ultimately angered both sides.

“Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon has VP aspirations. His handling of #Ferguson ends that conclusively,” tweeted Daily Kos’ Markos Moulitsas, in one typical assessment. Nixon defended his shifting strategy as necessary to a shifting situation, saying in late August: “We didn’t know that folks were going to start throwing Molotov cocktails.”

Underlying the newish debate over police militarization was the age-old one over race.

The Rev. Al Sharpton spoke at Brown’s funeral Aug. 25, telling mourners, “All of us are required to respond to this.”

In a late November NFL game, five Black Rams players gave a “Hands up, don’t shoot!” pose as they came onto the field. The St. Louis Police Officers Association responded with a statement slamming players for ignoring “mountains of evidence released from the St. Louis County Grand Jury” and engaging in “a display that police officers around the nation found tasteless, offensive and inflammatory.”

In December, The New Yorker magazine featured one of the more sobering covers in its 90-year history: an image of the Gateway Arch, one half white, the other black, with a gap at the top between the two halves.

Signs of recovery There are still some boarded-up windows along West Florissant Avenue and elsewhere, and some vacant lots where buildings stood before August 2014.

But for the most part, the only visible remnants of what happened here are the occasional yard signs — “We Must Stop Killing Each Other,” and “Our City Matters” — and places such as the “I (heart) Ferguson” storefront on South Florissant Road, where volunteers sell T-shirts and coffee mugs to help area business-

AUGUST 14 – AUGUST 20, 2015

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.

STOJ

JODEDI, DRU HILL & SWV

Funkfest 2015 takes place Aug. 22 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. Artists include Jodeci, Dru Hill, Trick Daddy, SWV and 2 Live Crew. More information: www. funkfesttour.com.

Orlando: The Opal Network Alliance’s South Florida Women’s Summit is Oct. 28-29 at the at the Bonaventure Resort & Spa in Weston.

More information: www.onatoday.com.

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

Orlando: STAR 94.5 presents Tamia at the House of Blues Orlando on Aug. 29 for a 7:30 p.m. show.

JODEDI

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.

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.

DRU HILL

Jacksonville: The “Living the Best Life’’ Women’s Conference hosted by Dr. Cynthia Griffin of Wayman Ministries takes place through Aug. 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.

SWV

Jacksonville: Multi-instrumentalist Booker T. Jones will be at the Ritz Theater and Museum on Oct. 3 for an 8 p.m. show.

es damaged by the conflicts.

“It’s always been a diverse area,” says volunteer Cecelia Webber, who is White and not happy with the media portrayal of her town as a hotbed of racial strife. “We raised our children here because we wanted them to live in the real world and not in some enclave where all they see are people like themselves.

The majority of the people who live here feel that way.”

‘Just free-casing’ But across town, on Canfield Drive, within sight of where Brown died a year ago, racial tension, particularly involving the police, is still a reality. Lewis Washington stood outside his Canfield Green apartment and shook his head when asked whether things had changed.

“No, sir,” said Washington, who is 27 and Black.

He pointed out to the street. “The day before yesterday they pulled up on two guys right here and said they fit the description for a burglary.” Rather than arrest them, “they just kept searching them, searching them, searching them — had them standing out there for 30 minutes. So they were basically just free-casing,” a term for when police manufacture a case against someone. “I see it all the time.”

Still, some things clearly have changed, in Ferguson and around America.

Ferguson officials now require officers to wear body cameras, an idea that is catching on around the country. In July, the city hired its first Black police NOTICE OF TERMINATION OF PARENTAL RIGHTS ACTION, To: Thomas Campbell, Respondent, From: Confidential Clerk of Family Court -Bethany Christian Services, Petitioner has brought a civil action (#15-18700) against you to terminate your parental rights of a child: Minor Male (DOB: 3/7/15). A hearing has been scheduled at the Family Court, 500 N.King St, Wilmington, DE on 9/9/2015 at 3 pm. If you do not appear at the hearing the Court may terminate your parental rights without your appearance. If you wish to be represented by an attorney in this matter but cannot afford one, you may be entitled to have the court appoint an attorney to represent you for free. For more information please contact Confidential Clerk, Family Court 302-255-0244.

chief, on an interim basis.

A new Missouri law limits local court revenue, the result of a DOJ report that slammed Ferguson’s court fee collection practices as essentially a shake-down of Ferguson’s poorest citizens.

Obama banned in May the federal government’s transfer of certain military equipment to local police departments.

unarmed forklift operator Walter Scott was fatally shot in South Carolina by a White police officer as he ran away during a traffic stop. Scott’s family later implored Sharpton to stay away from the funeral, saying: “We don’t want another Ferguson type of circus here.”

On April 19, Freddie

Gray, 25, who was unarmed, died of a spinal injury while in custody of Baltimore police, triggering rioting and arrests. Baltimore Deputy Police Commissioner Jerry Rodriguez vowed that police wouldn’t overreact, saying: “This is not Ferguson.”

“Michael Brown … may not have been without

blame in the altercation with a White police officer that led to his death,” wrote political commentator David Horsey in The Los Angeles Times in April. “Brown, though, no longer needs to be the prime example of an innocent victim killed by a cop. More compelling and appalling examples keep showing up.”

More deaths by cops But even as those and other changes inspired

by Ferguson have unfolded, police-related deaths of Black males around the country continued — and, to many, now looked like part of a theme: On Nov. 22, Tamir Rice, 12, was fatally shot by a White Cleveland police officer who mistook a toy gun Tamir was holding for a real one. Resulting protests would be joined by about 40 Ferguson residents who traveled to Cleveland.

“They know our pain. We know their pain,” said an organizer.

On Dec. 3, a grand jury in New York declined to indict a White police officer in the choke-hold death in July 2014 of Eric Garner, prompting thousands of protesters to surround New York’s City Hall. “It’s about the no-indictment of Eric Garner’s killer,” one protester told a television reporter. “It’s about the no-indictment of Darren Wilson.”

On April 4 of this year,

VICE PRESIDENT OF LOYALTY OPERATIONS to develop, appoint, hire & directly oversee team for loyalty marketing programs; Provide leadership, motivation & direction for efforts of key staff; Serve as liaison between business & IT; Manage high priority projects using waterfall methodology; Oversee mngmt. of outsourced call center operations & tier II support; Oversee operation/ project managers for new loyalty solutions, changes & defects; Manage loyalty program implementation using knowledge of loyalty platforms, integration & file processing with suppliers/ vendors, partners & card processors; Define & document client & supplier/vendor service level agreements; Manage fulfillment operations; Develop proposed loyalty operations budget & manage approved budget. Req: Master’s degree in Business Admin or closely related field w/ 3 yrs of exp in job offered or as Director. Send resume: Kobie Marketing, Inc., 100 2nd Ave South, Ste 1000, St. Petersburg, FL 33701; Attn: Job MM.

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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

© 2015 UNIVERSAL STUDIOS

CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS FOR THEATERS AND SHOWTIMES

STOJ

AUGUST 14 – AUGUST 20, 2015

BACK TO SCHOOL

When I was heading off to college, must-have tech gadgets included a really cool Sony Walkman and a small refrigerator. Times are much different now so here are some choices to round out your shopping list.

— By Gregg Ellman, Twitter.com/greggellman

Grovemade’s laptop stand is an ergonomically angled desk to keep your laptop, tablet or whatever you choose to work with in a comfortable angle.

A precision cut stainless steel stop is builtinto the bottom of the surface, which prevents devices from sliding off the stand and into your lap. The size of your laptop or tablet will determine how many other accessories you can add to the surface.

It looks great with a wood veneer finish and it also helps keep the heat that laptops produce off your lap. Available in maple and walnut hardwoods.

With the Spyder PowerShadow Battery Case for the iPhone 6, you’ll add a whole lot of power without compromising the thin profile of the popular smartphone.

Inside the 12 mm thick case is a 2750 mAh battery, which can give you up to 120 percent more power to easily last a busy day.

The case is built with an impact-resistant polycarbonate casing, rubberized coating and a flexible docking design, which allows you to charge the system on a dock (sold sepa-rately), without having to remove the phone from the case or just charge the case with the included USB cable.

These’s an on/off button on the case to access the extra power only when needed. The phones LCD display and ports are accessible while in the case and when syncing. Available in black, champagne, titanium and white $99 | www.SpyderStyle.com

The Ventev USB charginghub 400 should be the first item on any back-to-school list.

It has everything you need for charging multiple devices, all at the same time.

With four easily accessible USB ports, it’s built with technology to charge a power hungry tablet along with three other devices (smartphone, digital camera, Bluetooth headphones, etc) at the same time.

A five-foot AC cable is attached, which gives you the length to keep it plugged in with easy access to the ports. $119 | www.Grovemade.com

$39.99 | www.Ventev.com

Satechi’s BT wireless smart keyboard is a full-sized keyboard and works with both Mac and PC computers.

The keyboard also works with iOS and Android smartphones and tablets, with specific models having keys designed for functions on those devices. The white model is designed specifically for Mac/iOS and the black version for the PC/Android.

Using the portable wireless Bluetooth keyboard (16.14-by-0.95-by-6.06-inches) leaves USB ports open for charging other devices or accessories. $54.99 | www.Satechi.net

Urbanears Plattan ADV wireless headphones are available in a variety of colors.

A unique feature lets you snap-off the washable headband for cleaning. There’s an inline mic for talking on the phone and a swipe interface on the ear cup to choose your tunes and answer calls. The internal battery will give you about 14 hours of playtime.

Oh, and they sound great with 40 mm neodymium speaker drivers playing in each ear. $99 | www.UrbanEars.com

Sing along with your favorite tunes while in the shower with the iShower2 from iDevices. Obviously it’s water resistant and connects to your non-water resistant device via Bluetooth, which can be kept dry up to 200-feet away.

There’s also a built-in speakerphone, which lets you make use of every minute of the day and talk on the phone while getting clean. A front facing LED clock keeps you punctual for class and the controls for your music choices and volume are there as well.

You have your choice of multiple mounting options for your bathroom and it’s powered by 3 AA batteries. $99.99 | www.iDevicesinc.com

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SAFETY

B4

AUGUST 14 – AUGUST 20, 2015

STOJ

PHOTO COURTESY OF GETTY IMAGES

FROM FAMILY FEATURES

s many as 40 percent of American families do not have a family emergency plan in place, according to Save the Children®, a non-profit organization dedicated to giving children a healthy start and protection from harm. But emergencies can happen to anyone at any time, making emergency preparedness and safety education important issues for families to address, especially families with small children.

“There are many myths and assumptions that keep families from adequately preparing for emergencies, and the conse­ quences can be devastating,” said Dr. Gloria Julius, vice president of education and professional development for Primrose Schools®, an early education and care provider with more than 300 schools across the country.

A

“A disaster is no time to realize that you’re not sure how to keep your family safe. That’s why we’ve partnered with Save the Children to educate families and children inside and outside our classrooms on the importance of emergency prepar­ edness, while engaging them in steps they can take to keep their children safe in times of crisis.”

When disaster strikes, children are particularly vulnerable. Responding in a calm, organized manner not only helps your children know how to act, it conveys a powerful message that they are safe, advises the American Academy of Pediatrics. Children will mirror your response and actions in times of crisis.

Make safety a priority for your family by learning about common misconceptions about emergency preparation and taking steps to ensure your family is ready to respond if a disaster strikes.

EMERGENCY PREP: MYTHS VS. REALITY 1. IT WON’T HAPPEN HERE

According to data from Save the Children, 90 percent of children in the United States live in areas at risk for natural disaster, and 54 percent of U.S. families have been affected by some type of natural or other disaster.

For too many parents, the day they start thinking about emergency preparedness is the day they are faced with an actual disaster. Start now and take time to prepare for emergencies by completing simple steps like filling out emergency contact forms that can be tucked in your child’s backpack at school, helping your children memorize emergency contact numbers and stocking your home with emergency supplies.

2. IT’S SCARY

Discussing emergencies can be daunting, but talking about it is an important part of helping parents prepare and protect their kids from disasters.

“Many parents worry about the right way to approach those conversations without sparking undue fear in children,” said Sarah Thompson, associate director of community preparedness with Save the Children. “By providing children ageappropriate education, you’re providing them with lifelong safety skills and a sense of mastery that will help them effectively respond to and cope with emergen­cies. In our partnership with Primrose Schools, we are helping more parents feel comfortable starting these important conversations to help children feel safe and families get prepared.”

Thompson and Julius recommend an educational approach to these conversations as a strategy to relieve fear and stress on both sides. Discussions can also incorporate fun elements, such as coloring the back of an emergency contact form that includes personal information or helping count items for an emergency kit. As you talk about emergencies, you can also discuss what makes your child feel safe and explain how community helpers, like firefighters and policemen, help in times of crisis.

“By teaching children basic disaster preparedness, you are demonstrating your love and care for them,” Thompson said.

“Children can understand and appreciate that.”

3. MY KIDS ARE SAFE WITH ME

In reality, U.S. Census data reveals 59 million students are enrolled in nursery school through 12th grade — each spending a significant share of each day away from their parents. Add time spent away from home for activities and with friends, and suddenly the amount of time your children are by your side can start to feel small.

You can help ease fear on both sides by teach­ing your children what to expect if a dis­aster strikes when you aren’t together. Deter-mine a meeting place should you be separated, and check with your child’s school or child care provider to ensure they have a plan for emer­gencies. In your discussion, also verify where you can meet your child if his school or child care center is evacuated. Some schools and care providers also include emergency pre­paredness tips in their curriculum. Check with your child’s school to see if they are already teaching some of these life lessons to your children — perhaps your kids could teach you a thing or two about disaster response.

4. WE’RE ALREADY PREPARED

You may feel like you’ve taken steps to protect your family, but keeping your family prepared for emergencies is an ongoing process, and it’s hard to plan for every detail, especially the unexpected. According to a 2012 FEMA survey, only 43 percent of respondents have actually created a household emergency plan, and just over half (52 percent) have emergency supplies in their homes.

Reviewing emergency preparedness materials, such as those offered through Primrose Schools’ 360 Parenting blog, can help you identify gaps or things you may have inadvertently overlooked. In addition, being prepared requires more than having a plan and making a disaster supply kit.

It involves regular practice and maintenance, like practicing emergency drills with your children and keeping emergency contact information updated.

EMERGENCY CHECKLIST: ARE YOU PREPARED? If the unthinkable happens, your children will look to you to know how to react and respond. Use the checklist below to help your family prepare and keep children safe in a disaster.

Make a family plan and determine: • The facilities that will be used as shelters in your community in case of emergency • A designated meet-up location if your family is separated • An emergency contact outside of your area who would not be affected by a local disaster Teach your children: • Basic personal information to identify themselves if separated from you • How to dial 911 • Your family’s meet-up locations • How to reach your family’s out-of-town contact Have a communications strategy: • Program all family cell phones with “ICE” (In Case of Emergency) contacts • Include all family phone numbers plus out-oftown contacts • Remind family members that text messages often get through in an emer­gency, even when a phone call can’t Find more resources, such as tips and activities you can reference and practice as a family, at PrimroseSchools.com and www.savethechildren.org/ GetReady.

CREATE AN EMERGENCY KIT Save the Children suggests preparing a backpack or portable bag for each family member with essential hygiene items and contact information in case you need to leave home.

It’s important when packing this kit to also incorporate items specific to children, including: • Each child’s contact and medical information • Recent photos of each child • Comfort food and snacks • Activity items like books, puzzles and games • Comfort items like a stuffed animal or blanket

STOJ

AUGUST 14 – AUGUST 20, 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.

Teressa Cree was raised in Weston, Fla. The former track athlete and current dancer/fitness model graduated from Florida International University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mass Communications.

She loves dancing and has performed with several popular music artists. She also has appeared in commercials, music videos, and television.

Contact her at teressacee@ gmail.com.

william William Derrick III is a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity from West Virginia University. The Ohio native is a filmmaker currently living in Los Angeles. Alongside his brother Christopher, William has won several awards for directing short films that can be seen at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmjGCf3WH_8.

teressa

The cast of “Straight Outta Compton’’ discuss the movie, which hits theaters nationwide on Friday, Aug. 14. The film revolves around the hip-hop group N.W.A. The film’s title comes from the title of N.W.A’s 1988 album “Straight Outta Compton.’’

‘Straight Outta Compton’ movie a dream come true for N.W.A. members

BY NY MAGEE EURWEB.COM

The stars of “Straight Outta Compton” which opens in theaters on Friday, Aug. 14, recently held a press conference in Los Angeles and EUR was there to cover it.

Corey Hawkins, Jason Mitchell, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Executive Producer

Ice Cube, Director F. Gary Gray, and N.W.A member DJ Yella answered an array of questions about the making of the film, with Ice Cube saying: “The movie shows the why, not just the where-when, but why did we do this kind of music.

People gotta understand that where we come from forged N.W.A.” “It happens to be a per-

fect time for the movie. 26 years later, the music still sounds fresh, it’s not outdated,” DJ Yella said. “It’s keeping up with time times right now.”

Dream project During the press conference, Cube said the film has been a dream project of his since he started producing

B5

movies in 1995.

F. Gary praised the actors and their dedication while preparing for their roles.

“We went through DJ school. I had these guys record the entire “Straight Outta Compton” album.

Dub-C worked with them on how to perform on stage, and how to walk, talk and absorb the L.A. culture and West Coast hip-hop cul-

ture, and they did it in such a short amount of time. It’s a great feat what these guys did and delivered such a natural performance.”

“Gary use to say to us on set, just keep it in mind the power of what we were doing. We’re making history about a group that made history, said Corey Hawkins, who plays Dr. Dre. He also revealed what Dre said to him after their first meeting. Dre said, “Don’t worry about mimicking me. We could’ve easily found someone who looks just like me and sounds just like me. I’m just interested in you capturing the essence of what we all represented individually.”

On portraying Eazy-E Jason Mitchell stuns with his breakout performance as the late Eazy-E. “I feel like I hit the lottery,” Jason said. He was moved to tears during the press conference when F. Gary commended him for his delivery of raw emotions while specifically filming the scene where Eazy-E learns he’s HIV positive.

“Part of the reason why we picked Jason was because of his background. He had heart and street credibility, and I knew when he performed that scene, he tapped into his experience on the street,” F. Gary said.

Reflecting on legacy Ice Cube touched on N.W.A.’s legacy, saying: “It’s amazing that after all this time the group still provokes thought, controversy. It still provokes the same energy that it did back then.

We did a lot to change the texture of entertainment.

We opened it up to allow artists to truly be themselves.”

Cube’s son, O’Shea Jr, – who plays him in the film, explained how he researched his father’s younger years in order to prepare for the role: “I would look at old interviews to see how they were joking around or get some of his lingo, just to put myself back in that era.”

Cube was asked how he believes relations with police have evolved since his days of being harassed

by LAPD as a young teen growing up on the streets.

“What we wanted to show is the humiliation that we faced because that’s the real issue,” Cube said.

“We understand that cops have to be a little heavy-handed with criminals but we don’t understand why they gotta be that way with citizens. We want the audience to feel like, ‘What if this is happening to you?’ That’s why we did these songs. It wasn’t because we don’t like police.

If somebody break in my house, I’m calling the damn police.’’

Omarosa defends Trump, slams Fox News anchor EURWEB.COM

Donald Trump’s beef with Fox News’ Megyn Kelly got a little more interesting as the business mogul has an ally in his former “Celebrity Apprentice” competitor Omarosa Manigault, Weighing in on Kelly’s exchange with Trump during last week’s GOP debate, Omarosa defended the presidential hopeful on CNN’s “Reliable Sources” on Sunday, Aug. 9. Dur-

ing the debate, Kelly questioned Trump on past comments he’s made on women who opposed him.

Trump, who currently sits atop the polls among his fellow Republican contenders, has come under fire for comments made to Kelly that have come across to many as sexist toward women.

“You could see there was blood coming out of her eyes. Blood coming out of her wherever,” Trump

said on Aug. 7. when asked about Kelly after the debate.

‘Lowest form of journalism’ Omarosa appeared on CNN alongside fellow reality TV veteran Katrina Campins as she slammed Kelly with labeling her question to Trump as “equivalent to going through somebody’s trash and cherry-picking,” as well as “the lowest form of journalism.”

Regarding Trump’s re-

cord on women’s issues, Omarosa stood by the business mogul while commenting that Kelly made things “really, really personal” with clearly having a bone to pick with him.

Campins later chimed in, telling host Brian Stelter that it was unfair to attack Trump for what he’s said about other women. In her eyes, the attacks have no merit because Trump made his comments back when “he was an entertainer.”

Omarosa Manigault, a popular recurring “Celebrity Apprentice’’ competitor, is shown with Donald Trump.

B6

FOOD

AUGUST 14 – AUGUST 20, 2015

TOJ

Perfect picnic picks FROM FAMILY FEATURES

Perk up your next picnic with these deliciously different sandwiches and salads that are super easy to prepare, plus they can be made ahead.

Condiments make the difference between a good sandwich and a great sandwich. Grab a jar of Aunt Nellie’s Sliced Pickled Beets.

Their sweet-tangy homemade flavor makes them a perfect base for quick relish to embellish all kinds of sandwiches.

For a Greek-inspired relish, chop and toss the beets with marinated artichoke hearts and olives. Add to a basic turkey sandwich for a gourmet twist. Wrap up brunch favorites smoked salmon and

BEAN, TORTELLINI & PESTO SALAD Servings: 6 Preparation Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 10 minutes 2 cans (15 ounces each) READ 3 or 4 Bean Salad 1/4 cup prepared basil pesto 1/2 teaspoon salt (optional) 1 package (9 ounces) refrigerated tortellini, any variety Drain bean salad; reserve 1/2 cup liquid. Combine reserved liquid, pesto and salt, if desired; set aside.

Cook tortellini according to package directions; drain, rinse in cold water and drain again.

Add pesto dressing; toss to coat. Add stir-ins if desired. Toss with bean salad.

Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Note: Recipe can be doubled.

Optional Stir-Ins: grape tomatoes or halved cherry tomatoes, chopped bell pepper and thinly sliced green onion

SMOKED SALMON & BEET WRAPS Servings: 4 Preparation Time: 30 minutes 1 jar (16 ounces) Aunt Nellie’s Sliced Pickled Beets 2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion 1–2 tablespoons capers 1–2 teaspoons lemon zest 1/2 cup spreadable chive cream cheese 2 large soft flour tortillas (10–12-inch diameter) 8 slices smoked salmon 1/2 cup baby spinach leaves Drain beets; chop. Discard beet liquid. In medium bowl, combine beets, onion, capers and lemon zest.

Spread 1/4 cup cream cheese evenly over each tortilla, leaving 1-inch border. Place 4 salmon slices over cream cheese; press lightly. Top each with spinach.

Sprinkle beet mixture evenly over spinach.

Roll up. Wrap each roll tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate up to 4 hours.

To serve, remove plastic wrap; cut each tortilla into 2 pieces.

Note: Can be made with other meats.

cream cheese in a flour tortilla with a chopped pickled beet-red onion-caper relish. Delicious any time!

Pantry staples, such as READ 3 or 4 Bean Salad and German Potato Salad, are handy head starts to fabulous salads. A can of bean salad, cooked tortellini, veggies and basil pesto make a picnic-perfect salad in minutes. German potato salad paired with grainy mustard and sliced steak becomes a rustic entree salad to serve atop convenient packaged greens.

Patio party or potluck in the park, these new picnic picks will bring compliments. For additional recipes and serving suggestions, visit www.auntnellies.com or www.READSalads.com.

STEAK & GERMAN POTATO SALAD Servings: 4 Preparation Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 15 minutes 1 can (15 ounces) READ German Potato Salad 2 tablespoons coarse ground Dijon-style mustard 1/2 pound boneless top sirloin steak, cut 1 inch thick 1 bag (10 ounces) heartsof romaine lettuce Stir together potato salad and mustard in medium bowl; set aside.

Heat medium nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot.

Place steak in skillet and cook about 15 minutes until medium rare doneness (145°F); turn occasionally.

Cool steak. Carve diagonally across grain into 1/4inch-thick slices; reserve.

Just before serving, gently toss steak with potato salad.

Serve over greens.

Note: Recipe can be doubled.

PICNIC-WICHES WITH GREEK ARTICHOKE-BEET RELISH Servings: 6 Preparation Time: 20 minutes 1 jar (16 ounces) Aunt Nellie’s Sliced Pickled Beets 1 jar (about 6 ounces) marinated artichoke hearts 1/2 cup pitted kalamata or ripe olives, sliced 3 tablespoons sliced green onions Freshly ground black pepper to taste 6 romaine lettuce leaves 1 pound thinly sliced deli turkey 6 ciabatta or sandwich rolls, sliced horizontally in half 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted Drain beets and artichoke hearts, reserving 1/4 cup liquid from each.

Coarsely chop beets and artichoke hearts.

Combine beets, artichokes, olives and green onions in medium bowl; set aside.

Whisk together reserved beet and artichoke liquids in small bowl. Pour over beet mixture; toss gently to coat. Season with black pepper, if desired.

Layer lettuce and turkey on bottom halves of rolls. Top with relish, feta cheese and pine nuts. Top with remaining halves of rolls. Wrap tightly; chill up to 4 hours until ready to serve. Serve with remaining relish.