Florida Courier - August 22, 2014

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A look at historic clashes between Blacks and police See Page B1

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VOLUME 22 NO. 34

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AUGUST 22 – AUGUST 28, 2014

THE PROCESS BEGINS

A grand jury in Missouri will determine – eventually – whether the police officer who shot and killed an unarmed Black teenager will ever stand trial.

COMPILED FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

FERGUSON, Mo. – U.S. Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. visited Ferguson on Wednesday, meeting with students, community leaders and federal investigators as the St. Louis County prosecutor opened grand jury hearings in the fatal police shooting of unarmed 18-year-old Michael Brown.

Holder’s arrival coincided with one of the most peaceful days since the Aug. 9 shooting touched off racial unrest and rioting in the Missouri town, with heavily armed police firing tear gas into crowds of LAURIE SKRIVAN/ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH/MCT demonstrators.

“I knew Mike (Brown) and now he’s gone,” said Donez Thomas, 17, who protestSt. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Robert McCulloch, who began presented in Ferguson, Mo.

2014 LITTLE LEAGUE WORLD SERIES

We’ll remember her name

ing evidence Wednesday afternoon, said he expected it would take until mid-October to present all evidence in the case. The grand jury will decide whether to indict Darren Wilson, the White Ferguson police officer who shot Brown, who was Black.

After the proceedings had begun, the prosecutor’s spokesman, Ed Magee, said that Wilson “will be afforded the opportunity to testify.”

Similar to Trayvon?

Francis Oliver, manager of the African American Museum located in the Goldsboro district of Sanford, gave her response on Tuesday to Brown’s death in Ferguson and the unrest that’s happening there.

See FERGUSON, Page A2

How many have cops killed?

Government has ‘almost nothing’

BY MICHAEL DOYLE MCCLATCHY WASHINGTON BUREAU / MCT

WASHINGTON – The killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., has exposed what the Justice Department doesn’t know about police use of force.

Federal officials don’t know how many police shootings take place annually. They don’t know how many citizens complaints get filed each year. And, despite a 1994 congressional order, they don’t tally annually the incidents of “excessive force” by police.

Many reasons account for the lack of comprehensive data, including the complexity of the reporting task. The absence of facts, though, can hinder efforts to diagnose and solve.

“That’s a clear, clear problem,” Matthew Hickman, associate professor of criminal justice at Seattle University, said in an interview Wednesday.

“When it comes to use of force, we have almost nothing.”

Asked the people Deadspin, an online sports news site, underscored the data shortcomings Wednesday by initiating what it bills as a crowd-sourced database of police shootings. Within the first five hours, data concerning 135 shooting incidents from the last several years had been entered.

But even when begun enthusiastically, datacollection ventures can fizzle over time. The International Association of Chiefs of Police, for inSee COPS, Page A2

Thurston battles GOP ‘war on voting’ SPECIAL TO THE FLORIDA COURIER

COURTESY OF SPORTS ILLUSTRATED

Mo’ne Davis, age 13, has become the first Little Leaguer on the national cover of Sports Illustrated magazine. She plays for Philadelphia’s Taney Dragons, and has lead her team to two victories in the tournament, where she throws 70 miles-per-hour fastballs. The Dragons lost Wednesday night 8-1 but were still in the tourney.

SNAPSHOTS FLORIDA | A6

Plaintiffs want judge to draw new congressional map

ALSO INSIDE

NATION & WORLD | B4

FOOD | B6

More debate over $10 million to France to fight terrorism

Well-stocked pantry key to mealtime success

State House Democratic Leader Perry Thurston has made protecting voting rights a centerpiece of his campaign for attorney general. He says he would take a dramatically different approach than Rick Scott and Pam Bondi.

“Since they were elected, the Republican leadership in Tallahassee has engaged in a war on voting,” said Thurston. “From restoration of rights to the 2012 election debacle to redistricting, there is a concerted effort to drown out the voices and will of the people.”

Thurston pointed to the disenfranchisement of ex-offenders as Perry an area he would make changes. Thurston According to the Sentencing Project, one out of every five African-Americans in Florida does not have the right the vote. Before 2010, Thurston held multiple seminars helping ex-offenders get their rights restored.

He emphasized the recent efforts by Republicans to circumvent the Fair Districts Amendment to the Constitution. In 2010, voters passed a constitutional amendment that required the state legislature to draw legislative districts without regard to partisan makeup.

COMMENTARY: CHARLES W. CHERRY II: RANDOM THOUGHTS OF A FREE BLACK MIND | A4 COMMENTARY: REV. JESSE JACKSON: THERE’S A FERGUSON NEAR YOU | A5

See THURSTON, Page A2

FOCUS

A2

AUGUST 22 – AUGUST 28, 2014

Are there thinkers in Ferguson?

I have no idea why but many Gantt Report readers have asked me what I think about events taking place in Ferguson, Ms. Well, I think if you’re a Black teenager, a Black woman or a Black man wherever you are, no matter what city you’re in you are in “Ferguson!”

Real solutions I’ve said many times over the years that you need serious solutions to serious Black community problems. The cookie-cutter approach to addressing issues of concern to African-Americans has never worked well and that approach never will.

If all your so-called leaders can tell you to do is pray and march, Black community members will continue to be falsely accused, wrongfully charged, beaten and sometimes shot down and killed in broad daylight!

I also said that just because your remarks are politically correct, watered-down, simmereddown versions of messages accepted and approved by the devilish powers that be, it does not mean that the words of preachers, lawyers and community charlatans are the only voic-

FERGUSON

LUCIUS GANTT THE GANTT REPORT

es that should be heard whenever bad things happen in Black neighborhoods.

The truth is always the best defense! Give the people the facts.

People must change If you want to know what the future holds for the residents of Ferguson, start by looking at Ferguson’s past. Ferguson won’t change until the people of Ferguson change!

Now my preacher friends and lawyer friends are sincere and doing the best that they can do.

But all of us need to do the best we can do to protect our children, help our brothers and sisters and to save our communities.

One kind of person is seldom if ever invited to chime in on Black community situations. That person is a Black thinker!

Yes, you need rallies, town hall meetings and things like that. But

you also need long-term plans of action.

This love of civil rights “rap stars” that fly into a city, pray a prayer, make a speech, pass a collection plate, file a lawsuit and fly out of town with all of the money must be curtailed or stopped all together. Now is not the time in Ferguson or in any other city for outdated tactics and reactionary leadership!

What can be done?

I’m not there and I have not done a specific study on the situation in Missouri, but let’s put a few things out there that may spur some changes.

If Ferguson is truly a city of 67 percent Black residents, why aren’t the thousands of people marching around or hanging around at night organized around putting together an immediate recall of every elected official in Ferguson?

Why a recall? Because when city and county politicians vote to use tax dollars to train law enforcement officers to protect and serve and those police officers go out and beat and murder unarmed teenagers, the local elected officials are liable for bad

things that happen as a result of their political negligence and mismanagement.

Praying folk, marchers and rock throwers all should be registered to vote against all elected officials in Ferguson that have been quiet as church mice when the world knows it is time to stand up and speak out about Missouri atrocities.

Once you get rid of current elected officials via a recall, you have to make sure outgoing politicians are replaced by strong men and women who will work hard and vote right for Ferguson’s overwhelmingly Black resident majority.

Dollar bills, y’all Real thinkers in Ferguson and elsewhere would know that in a capitalist society, capital is the primary motivating factor.

Things will change quickly in Ferguson if the money changes.

Why can’t the praying folk and marchers in Missouri be asked to boycott every business that sponsors or supports programs by an outlaw, criminal police department? A list could be generated that shows every vendor selling the FPD guns, bullets, handcuffs, uniforms, communications equipment, cars, tanks and other equipment.

CIVIL RIGHTS RECOMMENDATIONS

from A1

Oliver has been featured in a number of articles relating to Blacks and Sanford since George Zimmerman killed Trayvon Martin in February 2012. She’s been quoted in articles written by Francis the Florida CouOliver rier staff. Oliver also is the mother of Natalie Jackson, an attorney for Trayvon Martin’s family.

“Michael Brown’s killing is different than the Trayvon Martin killing because Michael was killed by a police officer who has been on the police force for six years, and Trayvon Martin was killed by a wannabe security guard who was self-appointed.

The only similarities in the two cases are that two African-American unarmed men were gunned down...,” Oliver stated.

She went on to say that the people of Ferguson just want justice, starting with the firing of the Ferguson police chief and the arrest of the officer involved in the killing of Brown.

“The Ferguson Police Department would rather take the route of discrediting the victim by releasing videotapes and making statements of drug use and mental illness, all while preparing for riots by bringing in the state police, the National Guard and tanks with police dressed in full body gear,” she added.

“The chief of police in Ferguson, Mo., isn’t concerned about the people living in the town or the complaints of mistreatment by his police force.’’

Oliver also expressed her concerns about race relations in America. “It seems to be more of a class war; there are people that

The recommendations are listed in a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder signed by leaders of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law; National Urban League; Rainbow/ PUSH Coalition; A. Phillip Randolph Institute; Advancement Project; American Civil Liberties Union; Hip Hop Caucus; Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights; National Action Network; NAACP; NAACP-Legal Defense Fund; National Coalition on Black Civic Participation; and National Bar Association.

• An independent and comprehensive federal investigation of Michael Brown’s death; • Review and reporting of all police killings against unarmed people of color; • Review and reporting of excessive use of force generally against youth and people of color and development of national use of force standards; • Review and reporting of racially disproportionate policing, examining rates of stops, frisks, searches, and arrests by race; review of police departments’ data collection practices and capabilities; • Review and reporting of police departments’ racial profiling and racially bias practices, policies and trainings; • Update and release of the Department of Justice’s June 2003 Guidance Regarding the Use of Race by Federal Law Enforcement Agencies with reforms making it enforceable and applicable to state and local law enforcement who work in partnership with the federal government or receive federal funding; • Require racial bias training and guidance against the use of force for state and local law enforcement that receive federal grants; • Require use of body-worn cameras and dash cameras in police vehicles;

have and there are people that don’t have,” she stated.

Met with residents Back in Ferguson, Holder toured the St. Louis suburb as he met with students and community leaders, sat down for lunch with residents at a diner and briefed reporters on developments in the federal investiga-

ROBERT COHEN/ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH/MCT

Ferguson Police Chief Tom Jackson is surrounded by his officers as he leaves an Aug. 15 news conference in Ferguson, Mo.

COPS from A1

stance, at one point maintained a police shooting database. It has not been updated since 2001, the association said Wednesday.

“We need data to make decisions,” Alex R. Piquero, professor of criminology at the Uni-

versity of Texas at Dallas, said in an interview Wednesday. “Data should be the underpinning for everything we do.”

Law ignored Lawmakers recognized the need for reliable information in 1994, when they passed the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act. As part of the 354-page package, Congress ordered that “the attorney gen-

• Deny local law enforcement from using federal military weapons and/or prevent the misuse of those weapons in communities of color; • Community training to educate residents of their rights when dealing with law enforcement; • The elimination of local policing that encourages overly aggressive police encounters for minor offenses; • Greater and more effective community oversight over local law enforcement; • The establishment of a law enforcement commission to review policing tactics.

SOURCE: TRICE EDNEY NEWS WIRE

tion into the shooting. He told a crowd of reporters that the Justice Department will investigate whether Brown’s civil rights were violated.

Holder said that, as a Black man, he understood how the shooting had inflamed racial tensions. He told a group of young people about discriminatory actions he encountered years ago with New Jersey state troopers

and Georgetown police officers.

Holder was greeted warmly by most in the crowd, pausing to hug several students before he was confronted by a longtime Ferguson resident.

eral shall, through appropriate means, acquire data about the use of excessive force by law enforcement officers.”

The 1994 law further directed the Justice Department to “publish an annual summary of the data acquired” concerning excessive force. The provision was inserted by senators, records show. At the time, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee was Democratic Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware, now the vice president of the United States.

The excessive force report requirement was one of a number of report obligations imposed on the Justice Department under the 1994 law. It left some key questions unanswered, including the definition of excessive force, even as it forced shorthanded researchers to manage with limited resources.

“The incidence of wrongful use of force by police is unknown.

Research is critically needed,” the Bureau of Justice Statistics acknowledged in 1999, adding that “current indicators of excessive force, such as civilian complaints and civil lawsuits, are all critically flawed.”

ports required by Congress in the 1994 law were never produced.

“It was 20 years ago, can you believe it?” exclaimed Hickman of Seattle University, who formerly worked for the Bureau of Justice Statistics. “Two decades, and this is where we are.”

Even a fully funded, highly motivated research effort would face challenges. Piquero of the University of Texas at Dallas noted that “there’s a lot of variability” in what might be counted as excessive force, which would then have to be assessed in upward of 18,000 law enforcement agencies nationwide.

Instead, researchers have sporadically tried in various ways to take a stab at police use of force.

Surveys, which necessarily are incomplete, have been one tool.

Every three years, for instance, a “police-public contact survey” questions upward of 60,000 individuals. The surveys typically find about 1.5 percent of those who had encountered police reported that force had been used or threatened against them.

No reports Nonetheless, the annual re-

‘Photo op’ “Are you going to meet with any citizens affected by the violence?” asked John Phillips, a

The last survey was done in 2011 – but it only included respondents who could speak English.

If that doesn’t work, boycott companies that do business with the city. Take the short trip to St. Louis to buy your groceries, your medicine, your insurance, your clothing, your cars, your cell phones and our other wants and needs.

When businesses begin to lose customers and money, I believe businesses will see how important Black customers and Black people are in Ferguson and perhaps they will look at you differently and treat you differently.

Need a plan Black people in Ferguson must have a solid plan for progress.

The civil disturbance, the riots, the mayhem and the violence will not stop until the people feel there is something better, more progressive for them to do.

Social media started revolutions in the Middle East and hopefully thinkers can post some real solutions for Ferguson on Facebook and Twitter. Handkerchief-head instructions and bootlicking messages from poverty pimps have never worked and never will work.

Contact Lucius at www.allworldconsultants.net.

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

61-year-old biotech student who has lived in Ferguson since 1983.

“I think we are,” Holder replied before departing. Phillips told Holder he was “getting tired of smelling tear gas outside” his house.

Phillips, an Army veteran and San Diego native, dismissed the attorney general’s visit as “a photo op” and said he was “pretty incensed.”

“Nobody wants to address the real issues,” Phillips said. “It’s bigger than Michael Brown. It’s about economic development and integrating the two Fergusons, Black Ferguson and White Ferguson.”

But McCulloch has stressed that the grand jury proceedings will take time, as investigators corral witnesses and finalize their presentation of evidence.

“Not everything is ready to be presented to the grand jury yet,” McCulloch said on “The McGraw Show” on KTRS-AM radio in St. Louis. When asked when his office would finish presenting, he replied, “Our target date is hopefully by the middle of October,” after which the grand jury “can meet as long as they want.”

In anticipation of the grand jury hearing, a crowd of media and about 50 demonstrators converged Wednesday morning outside the Buzz Westfall Justice Center in the nearby St. Louis suburb of Clayton.

A group of African-American attorneys has called on McCulloch to remove himself from the case, accusing him of bias. He has declined to do so.

Gov. Jay Nixon said he would not call on McCulloch to step aside from the case.

Duane Fernandez Sr. of the Florida Courier, Tina Susman and Molly Hennessy-Fiske of the Los Angeles Times (MCT) contributed to this report.

THURSTON from A1

In a scathing opinion, Tallahassee Circuit Court Judge Terry Lewis ruled that the map violated the Amendment and ordered the legislature into special session to fix it.

On the state House floor during special session, Thurston argued for a clear and transparent process while Republicans pushed through a bill written behind closed doors.

“Taken alone, the actions of Republicans over the last four years are concerning,” said Thurston. “Taken together, it is a clear effort to rig the rules of the game to their benefit. It is nothing less than an attack on the democratic system and the rights of citizens. The only way to fix it is to get out and vote. We have to show them that they can’t drown out the voice of the people.”

Thurston is running in the Aug. 26 Democratic primary; early voting has begun. If elected in November, Thurston would be the first African-American attorney general in Florida history.

AUGUST 22 – AUGUST 28, 2014

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EDITORIAL

A4

AUGUST 22 – AUGUST 28, 2014

Blacks have become obsolete A series of recent reports cite the drastic lack of economic progress for Black people in general and Black men in particular. Freddie Allen, NNPA Washington Correspondent, wrote “Black men are no better off than they were more than 40 years ago, due to mass incarceration and job losses suffered during the Great Recession, according to a new report by researchers at the University of Chicago.”

Sidney Dinan, writer for the Washington Times, in an article titled, “All of the net jobs gained in the U.S. since 2000 have gone to immigrants,” stated, “Nearly 6 million more people are working in the U.S. now than in 2000, but the number of native-born Americans holding jobs has declined slightly, from 114.8 million to 114.7 million, according to census figures…

Instead, all of that job growth – a

JAMES CLINGMAN NNPA COLUMNIST

total of 5.7 million – has gone to immigrants.”

Are Blacks obsolete?

The articles cited above should cause one to rethink the notion of Black obsolescence, as Frederick Douglass and others down through the years have posited.

Have we become obsolete? Based on the structural inequities that plague us, is it planned? Was it built into the economic system?

If so, how can we overcome it? My suggestion is coalescence.

Other groups in this country, although unencumbered by the ex-

ploitation that Black people suffered, have enough sense to work together in support of one another to gain a reasonable level of economic empowerment. In other words, they believe in and practice coalescence. In light of what we have endured in this land of plenty, the wealth of which was produced by the free work of our hands, one would reasonably think that Black people, having the most to lose, would be working more on coalescence in order to stave off obsolescence.

The HNIC Coalition-building rather than the HNIC model is the best way for Black people to make significant progress in this country, especially when it comes to economic empowerment. From the agricultural economy to the industrial and mass production economy, Black

VISUAL VIEWPOINT: FERGUSON DON’T SHOOT

DAVID FITZSIMMONS, THE ARIZONA STAR

Random thoughts of a free Black mind, v. 223 Ferguson – Some friends complain that killings by cops provoke marches and anger, while Black America excuses ‘Blackon-Black’ murder.

The Black community does NOT willingly accept the murders in our midst. If we accepted it, no one would bother to march. Black folks march because it’s an easy and safe way to manifest their anger and frustration and they don’t know what else to do.

The real deal: Young brothers killing brothers is a HUGE multigenerational problem caused by bad schools, babies having babies, weak religious and cultural institutions in the ’hood, massive Black incarceration, hyper-masculine prison culture, 50 percent unemployment rates among Black men, easy access to guns, “no snitching,” Black flight to the suburbs, and untreated stress and mental illness – among other factors.

A key unspoken factor: the impact of more than 400 continuous years of domestic terrorism – degradation, dehumanization, and murder – especially of Black men. Young brothers look at each other and they hate what they see – themselves.

That’s what 400 years of White supremacist brainwashing over multiple generations will do to a mind. And the drug/gun culture lyrics in rap and hip-hop get them juiced up to kill each other, while record companies profit.

EVERYBODY IN BLACK AMERICA

QUICK TAKES FROM #2: STRAIGHT, NO CHASER

CHARLES W. CHERRY II, ESQ. PUBLISHER

IS SCARED. NOBODY will take the risk of death, imprisonment, financial ruin, snubbing, or humiliation to move Black America forward. NOBODY is willing to take up arms, go to war against street gangs and bad cops, and risk death or prosecution of themselves or their loved ones to stop the murder in the streets.

The folks in charge of America want it that way. They and their affiliated criminal element make money off the chaos.

Check your history. There’s a relative handful of Black Americans, especially Black men, who have stood against America and lived to tell the story – Frederick Douglass and Min. Louis Farrakhan being two of the few who lived to old age. MLK and Malcolm are in their graves.

The message to Black America: “Keep your head down, shut up, and accept the life we allow you to live here. Otherwise we will destroy you.”

Prosecuting a White killer cop – with little chance of conviction – is an easy way out.

Contact me at ccherry2@gmail.com.

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

THE 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.

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folks, in some cases, had it going on.

“In 1970, Sidney Willhelm’s book, Who Needs the Negro? argued that with the rise of automation within a capitalist economic system, African-American workers were transformed from being exploited to becoming “useless” from the viewpoint of those who controlled the economy and the automated productive processes emerging within it.

Because of the racism of U.S. business interests, the workforce that automation would require could and would be largely White.

Yes, business would continue to hire a number of Blacks, but as much as the cloaked face of racism within companies would allow, Black workers would become productively “unneeded.” If Black people disappeared tomorrow, Willhelm maintained, for capital

they “would hardly be missed.”

I believe it was Marcus Garvey who said, “All the shoes have been shined and all the cotton has been picked.” He went on to suggest that Black people were no longer needed by White folks, therefore, if we did not change our ways when it came to business development we would indeed become obsolete. Frederick Douglass, Booker T. Washington, and Garvey spoke of a time when we would have to consider this question if we did not awaken from our deep sleep and refuse to be dependent upon the largess of others for our sustenance.

We have two choices: Coalescence or obsolescence. Which one will we choose?

Jim Clingman, founder of the Greater Cincinnati AfricanAmerican Chamber of Commerce, is the nation’s most prolific writer on economic empowerment for Black people. Write your own response at www.flcourier.com.

Poverty: A domestic issue that can’t be overlooked No rational person wants to see anyone go hungry.

Let’s face it – everyday poverty affects many people in one way, shape, or form.

We cannot ignore it because poverty isn’t just a community problem or a state problem, it’s a global problem.

Anytime men and women, boys and girls have to face economic hardship, housing misfortune, food deficiency, and medical depravation, we have a crisis.

For too long, people have looked over poverty with a policy here and a policy there, but failed to do anything of substance.

In a report released by the U.S. Census Bureau, it was declared in 2010 that “15.1% of the general population lived in poverty.” A breakdown is as follows: “9.9% of all White persons, 12.1% of all Asian persons, 26.6% of all Hispanic persons (of any race), 28.4% of all Black persons. About half of those living in poverty are non-Hispanic White (19.6 million in 2010), but poverty rates are much higher for Blacks and Hispanics. Non-Hispanic White children comprised 57% of all poor rural children.” These statistics are troublesome for a country that has resources but wishes to place many of those resources in other countries to help build up their infrastructure while the people at home suffer.

A human problem DR. SINCLAIR GREY III GUEST COLUMNIST

Alleviate poverty Whenever cities/communities are struck with high unemployment, business divestment, and government inefficacy, the likelihood that a family will avoid poverty is very slim. If you look at cities and individuals hit hard with poverty, you’ll find private property abandonment which not only depletes a neighborhood, but also adds a criminal element to the fact.

Professor Mark Flowers, the author of Three-Handed Economist suggests a few ways in which we can alleviate domestic poverty by doing the following: • Treating underdeveloped areas as disaster areas by bringing in community organizers • Incentivizing businesses to invest and making it business friendly • Using government revenues for public works projects which will give jobs and income to those most in need to be spent in the local community thereby creating a need for new business development which in turn creates new jobs.

Poverty is a problem that all of us must deal with on a regular basis. Even though statistics may show it affects certain ethnic groups more than others, the fact of the matter is that poverty is a human problem whereby humans need to address and solve the problem.

I’m challenging our country to make dealing with poverty within the U.S. a top priority. This is by no means discrediting the problems/ issues happening in other parts of the world, however, when we overlook the concerns of the people in our own backyard, how can we justify spending money in other countries in humanitarian aid and effort, when the very people who are hurting and suffering in the U.S. can’t afford to live. It’s time that we, as a country, stop being politically correct with other countries and learn to be more empathetic and compassionate with the cares and needs of our own citizens.

Dr. Sinclair Grey III is an inspirational speaker, motivator, radio personality, author, life coach, and committed advocate for change. Contact him at drgrey@sinclairgrey. org or on Twitter @drsinclairgrey. Write your own response at www.flcourier.com.

The numerous ways that Black folks sustain White supremacy We hate to admit it, but the harsh reality is that many, if not most, Black people in this country—low income, middle income, upper income—in numerous ways, support the toxic ideology of White supremacy.

The list includes: • Those who have built lucrative careers in the academic, political and journalistic arenas by delighting Whites by consistently attacking other Black folks; • Those who believe in White standards of beauty and attractiveness, such as keen facial features; • Those who loudly and consistently use the ‘N’ word in their conversations, songs and ‘live’ performances; • Those who only have images of a White Jesus in their churches and homes; • Those who still say that Columbus discovered America and that Thomas Jefferson believed that all men are created equal; • Those who relish being the only Black person in an otherwise all-White club, organization, school or neighborhood; • Those whose antics in movies, television programs, music videos and in the streets in urban areas carry on the tradition of Stepin’ Fetchit, Mantan Moorland and Scatman Crothers; • Those who only have White art in their homes and apartments;

A. PETER BAILEY TRICEEDNEYWIRE.COM

• Those who believe that a degree from the Harvards, Yales and Princetons of the world automatically make them superior to other Black folks; • Those who believe that a Black person romantically involved with or married to a White person has enhanced his or her social status;

The list continues • Those who are dyed or bewigged blondes; • Those who use the word “Black” as an epithet; Those who believe that an all-Black school is inherently inferior; • Those who believe that striving for academic excellence is “trying to be White”; • Those who use the description “classical” only for European-created music; • Those who wreak havoc in Black neighborhood with criminal activities; • Those who believe that people of European descent always were, are now and will be the dominant force in world affairs; • Those who smile with gratitude when a White person tells them, “You are dif-

ferent from other Blacks”; • Those who say that a Black person has “good hair”; • Those who believe that the enslavement of our African ancestors has turned out to be good because it allows African-Americans access to its ill-gotten economic goodies garnered

by White supremacist from the enslavement of African people and the near total destruction of the indigenous people of what is now the continent of North American.

The Blacks who help to sustain the psychological toxic known as White supremacy are the kind of people about whom Carter G. Woodson was speaking when he wrote in his book, The Miseducation of the Negro, “…Starting out after the Civil War, opponents of freedom and social justice decided to work out a program which would enslave the Negros’ mind, inasmuch as the freedom of the body had to be conceded…”

It’s painful to admit that the “program” of those “opponents of freedom and social justice” eyed by Dr. Woodson has had a great deal of success in enslaving the minds of too many Black folks in this country.

A. Peter Bailey is a journalist, author, and speaker. Write your own response at www.flcourier. com.

AUGUST 22 – AUGUST 28, 2014

There’s a Ferguson near you Look around you. The absence of noise isn’t the presence of justice. Michael Brown, an unarmed 18-year-old African-American male in suburban Ferguson, Missouri, who had just graduated from high school and planned to start college, has joined a long line of Blacks, especially Black males, who have recently been gunned down, wrestled down and killed by White men and/or White police officers who claim “reasonable fear” or “self-defense” as their defense. However, Chicago has experienced a rash of young Blacks in gangs killing each other over “territory” or in “retaliation,” so it’s not just Whites killing young Black males.

A St. Louis Post-Dispatch photo shows Brown’s stepfather, Louis Head, holding a sign reading: “Ferguson police just executed my unarmed son!!!” Police report that Brown shoved the officer into his car, tried to take his gun and a shot was fired. Obviously, there are conflicting reports so it’s premature to come to conclusions, but a full federal investigation into what happened is essential. I understand the community’s anger, and protests are legitimate and in order, but Michael Brown’s family said things should not be made worse with looting and vandalism. That will only cloud the real issues, will not bring Michael Brown back and will not facilitate justice.

REV. JESSE L. JACKSON, SR. TRICEEDNEYWIRE.COM

Middle-class community How could this happen in suburban Ferguson, Missouri? Many African-Americans who grew up in St. Louis, got a good education, secured good jobs at McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) or elsewhere, and are better off economically, moved into various suburban communities in North St. Louis County — Normandy, Florissant, Bellefontaine Neighbors, Jennings, Berkeley (home of Cedric the Entertainer), Dellwood and elsewhere.

Ferguson is a suburban community of about 21,000 that has changed from a majority White to a 70 percent African-American community. Congressman Lacy Clay represents it. I know some of the families there, including two White families.

This is a hardworking, church going and middle-to-working class community with families struggling economically to keep their heads above water.

There is also a smaller but growing poor community in Ferguson. It reflects what’s happening in America generally. When journalists and politicians speak of a

JINEEA BUTLER NNPA COLUMNIST

Our own fault One has to wonder what the common denominator behind this real life re-enactment of the civil rights era. In a lot of ways I say that’s what we get for not listening to and heeding the warnings of our elders. Now, our generation is faced with having to fight for our right to co-exist peacefully in this society. Our predecessors have been begging us to pick up the torch and carry out the mission. We got cocky and ran off without applying the principles and values that many have died for us to have. Now, we have

Investment and trade with Africa The president acknowledged the personal aspect of the meeting by referencing his father, Barack Obama, Sr., who was born in Kenya, as well as the painful legacy of the African slave trade. But the primary focus of the meeting was on strengthening economic ties between the United States and Africa in ways that spur African development and create tens of thousands of American jobs.

President Obama used the summit to announce a shift

MARC H. MORIAL NNPA COLUMNIST

in America’s relationship with what he called “the new Africa.” Where once United States involvement centered on providing humanitarian aid to Africa, it will now concentrate on expanding trade and investments that benefit both America and the African continent. While challenges of health, security and governance remain, the fact is that Africa has six of the 10 fastest-growing economies in the world. Its population is expected to double by 2050, when two-thirds will be young people under the age of 35.

Deputy National Security Advisor, Ben Rhodes explained, “Insofar as we can promote trade and investment, that is going to create new markets for our goods… and ultimately create jobs in both the United States and Africa. So this is about seizing the opportunity of African growth and development in our mutual interests.”

Health programs a key factor In his post-summit press conference, the president announced that the threeday gathering had generated some $37 billion for Africa’s progress on top of substantial efforts that have been made in the past. This includes $33 billion by U.S. companies in new trade and investment, a U.S. government investment of $110 million per year for three

VISUAL VIEWPOINT: LITTLE LEAGUE PHENOM MO’NE DAVIS

Democrats won’t fight Since President Lyndon Johnson, there has been no significant urban, suburban, small town or rural policy to rebuild America.

Thus we should not be surprised that urban and rural communities, and all points in between, have significantly deteriorated during the past 46 years of neglect.

Republicans are the party of “no” and Democrats are the party of “don’t know” because it hasn’t fought for bold ideas, policies or plans to turn us in a new direction. Policies of community development are being replaced with policies of community containment. The absence of a domestic Marshall Plan is being replaced with martial law.

Here’s America today: high unemployment and low graduation rates result in guns and drugs in and jobs out; hospitals and public schools closing; gym, art, music and trade skills taken out of our public schools; inadequate investments being made in our infrastructure with roads crumbling, bridges falling down and

become first-hand witnesses and victims to the hate and injustices we could only read about.

The Hip Hop Dilemma is the common distasteful physical, emotional and/or mental trauma people experience when coming in contact with the Hip Hop culture. I am beginning to think that this diagnosis should be classified as a disease. People are being adversely affected by individuals who resemble stereotypes in the Hip Hop community. Emotions and experiences have been festering within their minds and hearts and there is no outlet for people to voice their concerns and distaste.

Every time someone criticizes the Black community, the opinion is met with the race card. So people have learned to repress and internalize their thoughts and feelings which is causing this sickness.

African leaders summit: The ties that bind “I stand before you as the president of the United States and a proud American. I also stand before you as the son of a man from Africa. The blood of Africa runs through our family. And so for us, the bonds between our countries, our continents, are deeply personal.” – President Barack Obama At a time when much of the world seems to be tearing apart in places like Iraq, Israel, Gaza, Syria and Ukraine, President Obama hosted leaders from nearly 50 African nations for a three-day U.S.-Africa Summit, described by the administration as reflecting “the common ambition that the people and government of the United States share with the people and governments of Africa to leave our nations better for future generations by making concrete gains in peace and security, good governance and economic development.” Themed, “Investment in the Next Generation,” the summit was the largest gathering of African heads of state in our nation’s history.

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dwindling middle class that’s under economic assault and a poor community that’s getting bigger, they’re talking about Ferguson.

Independent of the racial demographics and dynamics of Ferguson, Missouri, there’s a “Ferguson” near you.

Revisiting police brutality Remember when our elders used to chastise us for using the N-word. They used to say “People died for you not to be called a N—–.” And we could never really identify with what they were saying because it felt like we had it so good. Our argument was this is a different time, I’m not saying Ni–ER, I’m saying Ni–A. It’s funny how history repeats itself.

We have seen the resurgence of bell bottoms, daisy dukes, and skinny jeans in old forms but with a different twist. Now, we are experiencing a blast from the past no one wants to revisit; excessive force and abuse of power from the hands of the police yet again. We are seeing pictures surfacing on the Internet of police vs community standoffs that you can’t determine whether its 1964 or 2014.

EDITORIAL

to five years to help build the peace-keeping capacity of more than a half-dozen African nations to deal with militant extremists like Boko Haram in Nigeria and al-Shabaab in Somalia, a tripling of the United States’ Power Africa Initiative goal, which now aims to bring electricity to 60 million African homes and businesses, and an increase in efforts by both the Obama administration and American non-governmental organizations to combat HIV/AIDs and improve maternal and child health.

The president made it clear that “Africa’s prosperity ultimately depends on its greatest resource – its people.” None of the investments and trade agreements will matter unless African countries do more to promote good governance, the rule of law, open and accountable institutions, strong civil societies and the protection of human rights for all citizens.”

Africa, America and President Obama are inextricably bound by the ties of blood and history. We applaud the president’s commitment to bind our futures with stronger partnerships in economic development and in meeting the health and security challenges that affect America, Africa and the world.

Marc H. Morial, former mayor of New Orleans, is president and CEO of the National Urban League.

Write your own response at www.flcourier.com.

TAYLOR JONES, POLITICALCARTOONS.COM

an outdated public transportation system; a failure to address climate change; denial of capital investment for entrepreneurs; abandoned homes and vacant lots; a lack of youth recreational opportunities; frivolous entertainment, texting and Twitter replacing serious news reporting, reading, writing and arithmetic; a cutback in funding and a denial of equal opportunity in public jobs such as for teachers, policemen and firemen; all of which leads to hopelessness, despair and cynicism.

Many are observing Ferguson and witnessing the anger, demonstrations, looting and vandal-

ism and calling for quiet. But quiet isn’t enough. The absence of noise isn’t the presence of justice — and we must demand justice in Ferguson and the other “Fergusons” around America.

Too many Americans have adjusted to injustice and inequality.

But injustice and inequality anywhere is a threat to justice and equality everywhere.

Convince the public

choices and we need to be respected as such. Just as we refer to people over 65 as senior citizens, we are Hip Hop Citizens.

Too often the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave has let us down. We didn’t ask to be here in this country, but we have adapted. The African-Americans who live in this country are descendants of the survivors who escaped and endured the countless torments of what I call classless people.

Now, that it is our turn to step up lets change the ending to our story. It shows we hear each other and that through all our internal problems we, can come together and stand for one another.

I AM A CITIZEN is a campaign that the Hip Hop Union launched in 2009. Recognizing that Dr. King’s last campaign, I AM A MAN, was incomplete because of his untimely death, Jesse L. Jackson Sr. carried on the message with I AM SOMEBODY. We are now identified as men and women of this country, but we are not recognized as citizens. To take it one step further, as members of the body of the Hip Hop Community, we have been labeled as classless and destructive individuals.

I AM A CITIZEN has a two-part message. To inform the Citizens of the Hip Hop Community that we are in fact Citizens of the United States and with that comes a responsibility we must uphold.

And to notify everyone else, including the police, elected officials and the president that we are in fact Citizens of the United States regardless of our lifestyle

Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. is the founder and president of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition.

Write your own response at www.flcourier.com.

Jineea Butler, founder of the Social Services of Hip Hop and the Hip Hop Union is a Hip Hop Analyst who investigates the trends and behaviors of the community. Write your own response at www.flcourier.com.

Tired of political pitches, but not the fight So, the midterm elections are fast approaching and, with every passing day, you are probably receiving an email and/or letter suggesting that the world will end if the Republicans take the Senate on November 4. If, like me, you are sick and tired of receiving such communications, you might be tending towards turning off and ignoring everything in connection with the elections.

Don’t!

I am not going to tell you how bad things will get if the Republicans capture the Senate. My guess is that you already know that. You may be denying it. You may say that things cannot get much worse. They actually can.

What does this mean? Simply put, there is nothing inevitable about Republican victories, despite gerrymandering of election districts and voter suppression campaigns. Everything, and I mean everything will depend on turnout. Increasing the progressive electorate and ensuring that they get to the polls on November 4 will make a remarkable difference.

Going to be a close one

Be inspired

Let me reassure you. I am not going to try to scare you into voting. I actually do not think that such an approach works. It becomes the equivalent of yelling that the sky is falling.

The bottom line is that there is a rabid right-wing, represented by today’s Republican Party that wants to reverse the victories of the 20th century. You know that already. You know that they have been playing the race card since Nixon’s “Southern Strategy” in 1968, and have gone into overdrive since the election of Obama in 2008.

So, I am going to take a different approach. We should ignore the polls for right now. One thing that is clear in midterm elections is that turnout is generally down, which means that the advantage tends to go towards whoever is angrier. That is most frequently the party that is out of power.

The second thing that is clear is that the margin of victory for any one will be close. In that sense, every vote really does count. The third thing that must be factored in, and relates to the polls, is that with the greater use of cell phones as exclusive phones for individuals, it has become more and more difficult for pollsters to get completely accurate reads of the public.

BILL FLETCHER, JR. NNPA COLUMNIST

In order for this to work, it is not enough to scare people as to the ramifications of Republican victories, e.g., impeachment; cuts; war with Iran. If people get scared enough they may just go into their cocoons and hope that everything comes out in the wash. No, we actually have to be inspired. Therefore, in addition to making sure that the Caligula wing of the political elite does not win total control, we have to be actively supporting candidates who are standing on the side of the regular person.

We need to be standing with those who support voting rights; who support tolerance for religion and orientation; who are for racial and gender equality; and those against the USA engaging in one war after another.

The great labor leader Mother Jones coined the phrase: “Don’t Mourn, Organize.” I will borrow from her and suggest: “Don’t panic; vote!”

This is not a time to let anyone turn us around.

Bill Fletcher, Jr. is a racial justice, labor and global justice activist and writer. Follow him on Facebook and at www.billfletcherjr. com. Write your own response at www.flcourier.com.

FLORIDA

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AUGUST 22 – AUGUST 28, 2014 ued to give partisan goals precedence over compliance with the Florida Constitution,” the attorneys wrote in the brief. “Further delay can no longer be tolerated at the expense of Florida’s voters.”

Black-heavy district

STEPHEN M. DOWELL/ORLANDO SENTINEL/MCT

Rain doesn’t stop voters as they pull into the parking lot to vote in statewide primaries at Tavares City Hall in Tavares in 2010. Tavares is part of District 5.

Private meetings

Plaintiffs in redistricting case: Judge should draw new map

BY BRANDON LARRABEE THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

TALLAHASSEE – A Leon County judge should draw a new congressional map instead of using one the Legislature crafted in

a special session earlier this month, a group of voters and voting-rights organizations said in a filing Monday.

Lawyers for the individual voters and the organizations, who sued to get a 2012 redistricting plan struck down, argue that

lawmakers haven’t done enough to respond to Circuit Judge Terry Lewis’ decision that the initial boundaries violated the Florida Constitution’s ban on political gerrymandering.

Lewis was expected to hold a hearing Wednesday

Bondi convenes human trafficking council THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

Attorney General Pam Bondi on Monday convened the first meeting of the Statewide Council on Human Trafficking, vowing to improve collaboration among state and local partners to better fight human trafficking.

The 15-member council includes lawmakers, state agency heads, prosecutors, law enforcement officers and experts in health, education and social services.

“It has got to be an all-hands-on-deck approach,” Bondi said. “Everybody has to work together.”

Tough laws, high rate The group heard from U.S. Attorney Pam Marsh, Catherine Godwin of the National Human Trafficking Resource Center and Terry Coonan of Florida State University’s Center for the Advancement of Human Rights, who is also a member of the panel.

“Florida can be proud to have one of the toughest laws in the country, and it’s only gotten tougher in recent years,” Marsh said.

Florida also has one of the highest rates of human trafficking in the nation, usually ranked third, but Coonan said that could be

due to increased awareness of the problem.

He said that traffickers tend to hold girls who are victims in trailers and move them every week or so, in a mobile circuit.

“They were delivered almost as if they were pizzas,” he said. “Many of them were delivered only a mile or two from the state capital.”

Ed Narain

on whether he should approve the new map and, if so, whether he should delay elections in districts affected by the changes.

“Legislative defendants have now had two opportunities to prepare a constitutional redistricting plan, but they have contin-

But the plaintiffs say that lawmakers during the special session made only cosmetic changes to the map, cutting off specific tentacles that Lewis found objectionable but continuing to try to boost GOP prospects in Central Florida through redistricting.

The brief filed Monday specifically blasted legislative leaders’ decisions to have the chairmen of the House and Senate redistricting committees write the maps in private meetings without any Democrats present. Lawyers for

No major overhaul In a brief filed on Aug. 15, though, attorneys for the Legislature defended the decision not to radically overhaul the district.

“No member – Democrat or Republican – introduced a plan (in the special session) that did not in some fashion unite minority communities in Jacksonville and Orlando,” the Legislature’s attorneys wrote. “With strong support from both sides of the aisle, a Jacksonville-to-Orlando district does not reflect a partisan gerrymander.”

The plaintiffs’ Monday filing also said they are trying to come up with a new schedule that would allow elections to be held in 2014 in those districts affected by the ruling.

The Legislature and state elections officials have said voting should proceed as usual under the existing map, with the new districts taking effect after the elections.

VOTE FOR

PERRY THURSTON

FLORIDA ATTORNEY GENERAL

How smugglers operate A common practice is for traffickers to tell victims they must repay the smuggling or immigration debts that brought them to the U.S., while other victims are simply stolen off the streets. Bondi noted that Martin County Sheriff William Snyder, a former lawmaker who now sits on the human trafficking panel, had been the first Florida legislator to address the issue.

Snyder called a sweeping trafficking bill that lawmakers passed earlier this year a model statute, but said the penalty for using the services of a trafficked female should be harsher; currently, he said, it’s only a second-degree misdemeanor.

Snyder also recommended looking at the legislative language that governs massage parlors – where, he said, “some of our worst trafficking occurs.”

Competitive race for Tampa representative’s seat In a competitive race for an open House seat in Tampa, Democrat Ed Narain received a surge of money this month from major businesses and industry groups, according to newly filed finance reports.

Political committees linked to the Florida Chamber of Commerce contributed $3,500 to Narain’s campaign, while committees tied to the Florida Retail Federation, Florida Realtors and Associated of Industries of Florida combined to chip in another $3,000.

Lewis ruled the original map unconstitutional last month after voting-rights organizations and some individual voters argued the plan didn’t follow the anti-gerrymandering Fair Districts amendments approved in 2010.

In his decision, Lewis said lawmakers put too many African-American voters in Congressional District 5, currently represented by Democratic Congresswoman Corrine Brown, in an apparent effort to channel those Democratic-leaning voters away from surrounding districts. District 5 stretches from Jacksonville to Orlando.

The judge also found fault with an appendage of White voters added to Congressional District 10, now represented by Republican Congressman Dan Webster; Lewis said the voters were placed in Webster’s Orlando-area district to try to help the incumbent hold onto his seat.

the plaintiffs said that was similar to the process that created the map Lewis rejected.

“Despite their proclamations about openness and transparency and the revelations of backroom dealings at trial, legislative defendants returned to the shadows when they prepared the revised plan,” the lawyers wrote.

“The revised plan emerged fully formed from a series of meetings held behind closed doors and then sailed through the special session without modifications while any opposing voices were ridiculed, distorted, or simply ignored.”

Specifically, critics of the maps are calling for Congressional District 5 to be redrawn so that it runs east-to-west instead of having a north-south configuration.

Sean Shaw

Also, Narain received thousands of dollars from Disney-related firms and from the HCA health-care chain. In all, Narain collected $18,935 from Aug. 2 to Aug. 8, giving him an over-

all total of $128,221. He also reported spending a total of $93,603.

Narain is one of four Democrats seeking to replace term-limited Rep. Betty Reed, D-Tampa. But much of the attention – and money – has focused on Narain and Sean Shaw, a former state insurance consumer advocate.

Shaw had raised a total of $202,947 as of Aug. 8, while spending $186,252. Shaw, who raised $5,400 from Aug. 2 to Aug. 8, has received heavy funding from attorneys and law firms.

Florida public schools graduate (Broward County) Morehouse College graduate (1982, honors graduate in Finance) University of Miami College of Law graduate (1987) Former Broward County (Fort Lauderdale) Assistant Public Defender Criminal defense lawyer Florida House of Representatives member, 2006-2014 AS THE FLORIDA HOUSE’S DEMOCRATIC LEADER, PERRY THURSTON FOUGHT FOR: Repealing ‘stand your ground’ laws Easy restoration of civil rights for ex-felons Protecting education Affordable Health Care Empowering Black-owned businesses Effective government oversight

KEEP PERRY THURSTON FIGHTING FOR YOU! PERRY THURSTON FOR FLORIDA ATTORNEY GENERAL ‘THE PEOPLE’S LAWYER’ EARLY VOTING STARTS AUGUST 16 ELECTION DAY IS AUGUST 26 Political Advertisement paid for and approved by Perry E. Thurston, Jr., Democrat for Attorney General.

3 charter schools shut down over failing grades The Florida Board of Education on Monday rejected pleas from three charter schools in Columbia, Broward and Miami-Dade counties that face closure because of failing grades.

Florida law requires closure of charter schools that get “F” grades in two consecutive years under the state’s evaluation system.

Charter schools can seek waivers of that requirement, but the state Board of Education turned down such requests from Shining Star Academy of the Arts in Columbia County, Broward Charter School of Science and Technology and Flori-

da International Elementary Academy in Miami-Dade.

The decisions, reached during a conference call meeting Monday, came after officials from each of the schools urged the board to allow them to stay open.

The schools are expected to go through a 90-day closure process, according to the state Department of Education.

– News Service of Florida

Visit us online at www. flcourier. com

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IFE/FAITH

Miami’s Curry hosting services for association See page B2

AUGUST 22 – AUGUST 28, 2014

SHARING BLACK LIFE, STATEWIDE

SHARING BLACK LIFE, STATEWIDE

Back-to-school promotions get more aggressive See page B3

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Cornelius Pettus throws a bucket of water on the business next door to him during the riots in Los Angeles on April 30, 1992.

HYUNGWON KANG/ LOS ANGELES TIMES/ MCT

A literary look at riots in

UNITED STATES LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

Destruction is shown from the 1921 Tulsa Race Riot.

Los Angeles residents say two cops needlessly roughed up Marquette Frye on Aug. 11, 1965, during a traffic stop. It was followed by six days of race riots, where more than 34 people died, 1,000 were wounded and 3,000 arrested.

Books give insight on other historic protests in US

BY HECTOR TOBAR LOS ANGELES TIMES (MCT)

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early a half century before Michael Brown and Officer Darren Wilson crossed paths on a street in Ferguson, Missouri, a 21-year-old man named Marquette Frye was pulled over by the California Highway Patrol, just outside of Watts.

Both incidents unfolded on an August day, with a crowd of bystanders nearby. And both involved a police patrol car stopped in a predominantly African-American community.

In 1965, Frye and his mother were arrested (and roughed up by officers) and an impromptu protest began. Soon South Los Angeles and Watts were being consumed by days of looting and arson in what came to be known as the Watts Riots.

The parallels between the recent events in Ferguson and

previous incidents and social movements in American history are many. Throughout the 20th century, interactions between police and African-Americans and other groups have led to public protest and violence.

This article lists just a small sampling of the vast literature on the subject.

Tulsa Race Riot “Riot and Remembrance: America’s Worst Race Riot and Its Legacy” by James Hirsch is one of several recent books detailing the long-forgotten history of the 1921 Tulsa Race Riot, in which armed White residents torched Black neighborhoods in the Oklahoma metropolis.

The event began with the arrest of a Black man following an encounter with a White woman in a downtown Tulsa elevator; to forestall his lynching by a White mob, a group of armed Black men (including many World War I veterans) arrived at the courthouse where he was being held. The sight of armed African-Americans (in a state with Jim Crow laws) led to what amounted to a White mas-

TULSA, WATTS and L.A. sacre against Tulsa’s Black community.

The Tulsa tragedy is also recounted in Tim Madigan’s “The Burning: Massacre, Destruction, and the Tulsa Race Riot of 1921.”

Online, readers can peruse the report issued by an Oklahoma state commission in 2001.

angry at being marginalized (and of being the targets of police abuse) that even Mosely’s conservative, law-abiding father said he wanted to take a rifle and a Molotov cocktail and join the rioters (though he did not).

“I wanna go out there and fight,” his father told him.

Zoot Suit riots

Rodney King beating

Two decades after Tulsa, race riots swept through Los Angeles — the so-called Zoot Suit riots of 1943 in which groups of mostly White servicemen beat up Latino youths. The California writer Carey McWilliams witnessed the violence, which also targeted Black youths, and wrote about it in his groundbreaking 1949 work, “North from Mexico.”

In a much more recent book, the historian Edward J. Escobar sees the Zoot Suit riots in the context of the many violent encounters with Whites and police that helped forge the Mexican American community in Southern California in the first half of the 20th century.

His book “Race, Police, and the Making of a Political Identity: Mexican Americans and the Los Angeles Police Department, 1900-1945” is published by the University of California Press.

Almost four decades after Watts, Los Angeles erupted again, after the videotaped beating of Rodney King by LAPD officers in a San Fernando Valley traffic stop. The rioting began just hours after the officers were acquitted in a televised trial. But even before the verdicts came in, an official report into the LAPD led

by Warren Christopher found widespread abuse in the department.

Most troubling was the release of internal police text messages (sent from terminals in police cars) in which officers bragged of beatings suspects.

“Capture him, beat him and treat him like dirt…,” one officer wrote.

The frustrations of AfricanAmericans in 1990s Los Angeles were also stoked by a second incident: the shooting of an unarmed 15-year-old girl in a South Los Angeles liquor store. The case is detailed in a 2013 book, by the UCLA historian Brenda Stevenson, “The Contested Murder of Latasha Harlins: Justice, Gender and the Origins of the L.A. Riots.”

Of the riot itself, and the enormous psychic toll it took on Los Angeles, there are few books more moving than “Twilight: Los Angeles 1992,” which is based on Anna Deavere Smith’s one-woman play of the same name.

The Watts Riots “Fire This Time: The Watts Uprising and the 1960s” by Gerald Horne is a detailed account of the events leading to the looting and arson that swept through South Los Angeles in 1965. In fiction, Walter Mosley’s 2004 novel, “Little Scarlett,” is set in the community during the Watts riots. In an interview with NPR, Mosley recalled living in Los Angeles in the 1960s.

African-Americans were so

EVENTS

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AUGUST 22 – AUGUST 28, 2014

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Shown above is the first Dillard High School graduating class.

Fort Lauderdale church to honor Dillard High grads

FUTURE

The Unity Fest featuring Future and Tamar Braxton is set for Aug. 31 beginning at 7:30 p.m. at Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena.

HOWARD HEWITT

Tickets are on sale for an Oct. 3 concert featuring Keith Sweat, El Debarge and Howard Hewitt at the Times Union Center for the Performing Arts.

SPECIAL TO THE COURIER

All graduates of the high school – from 1938-2014 – are invited to Mt. Hermon AME Church of Fort Lauderdale is hosting a homecoming to honor all graduates of Dillard High School.

The theme is “Feet 2 UR Faith: Taking Action, Trusting God’’ based on Hebrews 11:1.

Annie T. Reed, who was the housekeeper for Frank Stranahan, Annie T. the founder of the City Reed of Fort Lauderdale, convinced her employer to donate land to build a school for “colored” children.

The school came to be named Dillard High School. The first senior class graduated at Mt. Hermon AME Church in 1938.

5.687 in.

Reed was one of the founding mem-

SWAC/MEAC CHALLENGE

FLORIDA COMMUNITY CALENDAR Tampa: Plant City cowboy Gus Trent will host his annual rodeo at the Florida State Fairgrounds in the Charlie Lykes Arena on Aug. 30 at 4 p.m. Tickets can be purchased by calling 412-5926916 for $10 in advance and $15 at the door.

Tampa: The Tampa Urban Music Fest with Anthony Hamilton, Jazmine Sullivan and Lyfe Jennings is at the University of South Florida Sun Dome on Aug. 23.

Tour with Anthony Hamilton and Chrisette Michelle makes a stop at the James L. Knight Center on Sept. 20. Michelle also is scheduled at the Ritz Theatre in Jacksonville on Sept. 19.

Daytona Beach: The Bethune-Cookman University Volusia County Alumni Mass Choir will give a concert at 7 p.m. Aug. 23 at the Mary McLeod Bethune Performing Arts Center.

Ponte Verde Beach: Reggae artist Beres Hammond will perform Aug. 29 at the Ponte Vedra Concert Hall.

Coral Gables: Israel Houghton and New Breed along with Miel San Marcos are scheduled at the Almavision Miami radio anniversary on Sept. 12 at BankUnited Center.

St. Augustine: Tickets are on sale now for an Oct. 11 show at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre featuring Earth, Wind & Fire. Shows also are scheduled Aug. 15 at Hard Rock Hollywood and Aug. 19 at Hard Rock Orlando.

Miami: The Back to Love

West Palm Beach: Drake vs.

B-CU president to speak The activities will include a VIP reception at Old Dillard Museum, 1009 NW Fourth St, Fort Lauderdale, on Thursday, Sept. 18 from 6 to 8 p.m., a Saturday breakfast honoring Dillard alumni from 19381952 at Mt. Hermon Family Life Center, and a Sunday morning Celebration Service at the church, 401 NW Seventh Terrace, Fort Lauderdale.

The morning service is at 10:30 a.m. Dinner will be served following the morning worship service.

The keynote speaker will be Dr. Edison Jack- Dr. Edison son, president of Bet- Jackson’s hune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach.

Alumni chapters of Bethune-Cookman are invited to attend.

For more information, call Elaine Stevens, homecoming chairperson, at 954579-6951.

2.562 in.

The 10th annual MEAC/SWAC Challenge Presented by Disney will be played at Bright House Networks Stadium on the campus of the University of Central Florida. The Aug. 31 game will feature North Carolina A&T Aggies and the Alabama A&M Bulldogs. More info: http://espnevents.com/ meac-swac.

bers of Mt. Hermon AME Church, the second-oldest Black church in Fort Lauderdale formed in 1906.

Lil Wayne is scheduled Sept.

3 at the Cruzan Amphitheatre.

On Sept. 4, the show will be at the MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa.

Your official source for federal, state and local government info.

COMMUTING MADE EASY.

Tampa: Candy Lowe hosts Tea & Conversation every Saturday from 2 to 4 p.m. at 3911 N. 34th St., Suite B. More information: 813-3946363.

7FZM0018

St. Petersburg: Macy Gray is scheduled Oct. 10 at Janus Live.

Kissimmee: The Allstate Tom Joyner Reunion takes place Aug. 28-Sept. 1 at the Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center. More information: www.blackamericaweb.com.

St. Petersburg: The Steve Harvey “Act Like A Success’’ Tour will stop at The Mahaffey on Oct. 18.

Progressive Kingdom Baptist Association to host meeting Aug. 25-28 in Miami SPECIAL TO THE COURIER

retain this focus, no matter what challenges and victories face us.”

Following a life-changing empowering launch and year of edifying events and activities, the Progressive Kingdom Baptist Association, Inc., an association of pastors throughout South Florida will convene the second annual meeting in Miami.

The association is under the leadership of Bish- Bishop op Victor T. Curry, Social Victor Curry Justice chair of the Florida General Baptist Association and founding pastor of New Birth Baptist Church Cathedral of Faith International and pastor of Greater St. Ruth Missionary Baptist Church.

“Total Life Commitment to Jesus Christ is our theme and must come first, said Curry. “It is more critical than ever that we

Free sessions During the meeting, lectures will be held nightly beginning at 7 p.m. and worship services will begin at 8 Monday through Wednesday.

On Monday, Aug. 25, the association will host “The Dr. Mack King and Mrs. Patricia T. Carter Night,” a special tribute.

A leadership luncheon and roundtable discussion will be held at 11:30 a.m. on Aug. 27. The meeting will culminate with a keynote address on Thursday, Aug. 28 at 7 p.m. by Curry.

The conference is free, open to the community, and will be held at New Birth Baptist Church Cathedral of Faith International, 2300 NW 135th St., Miami.

For more information, call 305-685-3700 or send an email to info@progressivekingdomba.com.

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AUGUST 22 – AUGUST 28, 2014

B3

PERSONAL FINANCE

Scrutinizing those back-to-school promotions Cash-strapped parents met with barrage of promotions for clothes, supplies

is to filter it through for the Kohl’s customer.”

Not just clothes Kohl’s also is selling school supplies this year — a first for the company. The range of supplies being offered, in a partnership with Office Depot, is limited, but it gives Kohl’s another weapon in the battle to get customers through the door.

Retailers want to position their stores as the consumer’s first stop because that’s where most backto-school purchases are made, said Jeff Green, a retail-real estate consultant based in Phoenix.

While back-to-school is the second-biggest shopping period of the year, its importance is dwarfed by the leader, Christmas.

Shoppers shelled out some $600 billion in 2013 on Christmas and the other winter holidays — eight times the amount expected to be spent this year on back-to-school items.

BY RICK ROMELL AND KYLIE GUMBERT MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL (MCT)

WEST MILWAUKEE, Wis. — The giant pencil cutouts screaming “One Big Sale Here” throughout the Target store are a dead giveaway: This is the country’s second-biggest shopping season.

And for the great majority of Americans, the annual back-to-school extravaganza is unfolding across an increasingly price-sensitive landscape.

Cash-strapped, middleclass parents are being economically challenged by ever-growing lists that have expanded beyond protractors and No. 2 pencils to include graphing calculators, flash drives and Handi Wipes.

Retailers, meanwhile, have launched a wave of promotions as they vie more and more on price alone — potentially pinching their bottom lines and signaling a hypercompetitive environment for the critical holiday season just three months away.

“It seems very aggressively promotional,” said Brian Yarbrough, senior analyst for investment firm Edward Jones, who pointed to pricing at big-box giants Walmart and Target.

Shopping for sales Among Target’s promotions: $5 gift cards for customers who spend $25 or more on school supplies.

That’s one reason Maria Garcia, 38, and her two daughters recently trekked to the Target store.

“For us, quality matters, but price matters too,” Garcia said.

She shops around for the best sales, paying close attention to the Sunday advertisements so she can compare prices. Because of that, she knows to buy her high school daughter’s graphing calculator at the big-box store, but to take

Lower store sales

ALYSSA POINTER/MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL/MCT

Sixth grader Jayla Taylor, 11, happily grabs a decorated folder while she shops for school supplies at Target in West Milwaukee, Wis., on Aug. 8 her binder-shopping to Dollar General.

The sort of price sensitivity Garcia is showing meshes with the observations of every analyst interviewed.

“Retailers are heavily competing on price this year,” said Matt Ong of San Francisco’s NerdWallet Inc. “And that’s not surprising (because) really what we’re looking at in retail right now is too many stores.

“There are too many bigbox retailers. There are too many department stores.

Some of these stores will fail in the next few years and because of that they’re really throwing everything they have out there.”

And many of those stores — the ones that ca-

ter to middle-class shoppers — are fighting over a shrinking pie.

Average family: $669 The recession bit hard into the wallets of average Americans. In real, inflation-adjusted dollars, median household income in the U.S. fell by $4,800 from 2007 through 2012, data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Bureau of Labor Statistics show.

“You say, how is backto-school going to be?” asked New York-based retail consultant Howard Davidowitz. “Back-to-school is going to be price-sensitive for 80 percent of the people. They’re going to watch every nickel, and they should. … So if you’re

a retailer — of course they know all this, and they recognize that price has never been more important.”

All the same, the average family with kids in kindergarten through 12th grade will spend $669 on backto-school shopping, up 5 percent from last year, a National Retail Federation survey estimates.

Following the trends Clothes represent the largest single category of spending, which is why chains like Kohl’s Corp. scour the streets and runways for fashion trends that can be tweaked a bit to resonate with the stores’ customers.

This year’s focus includes offerings for girls that mix laces and florals with flannel plaids and

leather in a style dubbed “School of Rock.”

“It’s got kind of a rock ‘n’ roll vibe to it, but for girls it’s very feminine,” said Sofia Wacksman, Kohl’s vice president of trend.

Wacksman works out of the company’s design office in New York. It’s fertile ground for fashion-spotting, and Wacksman is always on duty, “just seeing people and how they’re putting their clothes together.”

“We collect as much fashion information as we can,” she said. “…We watch runways, even the highend stuff. We’re shopping.

We shop all over the world.

We go to Europe several times a year. We go to Asia, Tokyo. We’re kind of out there looking at as much as we can. And what our job is

If disaster strikes, are you ready?

Tips for dealing with everything from floods to break-ins

BY CLAUDIA BUCK SACRAMENTO BEE (MCT)

Disaster can strike anytime, anywhere.

It’s not just wildfires that threatens our safety and financial well-being. It could be a flood, earthquake, landslide, or even a home or office break-in.

Regardless, the old adage applies: Be prepared.

Here are some ways:

Make a video One important precaution is a room-by-room inventory of the contents of your home. In case of fire, flooding — or even a breakin — you want a clear record of your home’s contents, including the garage and backyard, in order to make an insurance claim.

CPA Perry Ghilarducci learned that the hard way.

About 20 years ago, he and his wife returned home from a weekend vacation to find their home had been burglarized. Thieves had carted away computers, electronics, a TV — and drove off with all of it in the family car.

“It’s amazing how much stuff you accumulate but don’t realize,” said Ghilarducci, who said he and his wife “struggled to remember everything we had in

the house.” Trying to make a complete inventory for an insurance claim, they did their best from memory.

To avoid that time-consuming headache, there’s an easier solution: make a home inventory video.

“On a spare day, say when it’s 105 outside, take your digital camera and walk through your home.

Do a room-by-room narrative,” said George Yee, a homeowners’ insurance agent.

Store a copy Open cupboards and closets, pull out drawers.

Zoom in for close-ups of valuables. Put your hand or a ruler up to give scale to smaller items, he said. If you have a valuable collection — coins, guns, jewelry, collectibles, etc. — spread them out on a solid, dark surface, such as a dining room table to photograph.

Wherever possible, state the value or provide photos of documents that back up the purchase price, said Yee. When you’re done, make a duplicate copy of your camera’s digital chip and store in a safe place, such as safe deposit box, that’s away from your home. Do the same room-by-room inventory with the contents of your office.

If you don’t have a digital camera, you can also create a home inventory video using your smartphone, Yee said. Be sure to store it

ROBIN TRIMARCHI/BRADENTON HERALD/MCT

Residents wait for water, ice and donated food items at a Port Charlotte shopping center on Aug.15, 2004. Hurricane Charley caused heavy damage in the area on Aug. 13, 2004. digitally somewhere safe, such as a “cloud-based” storage device.

“The key is to just do it … and be able to keep it someplace where you can retrieve it later,” if necessary, said Yee, a 28-year veteran of the insurance business.

Don’t call home “The desire to call loved ones after an emergency or disaster is natural,” said the Safe America Foundation, a nonprofit that launched a “Text First. Talk Second.” campaign after the Sept.

11, 2001, terrorists attacks in New York City and other locations.

In emergency situations, too many frantic cell phone calls often overwhelm wireless phone service and can prevent essential 911 calls from going through, the foundation warns.

“Just a single one-min-

ute phone call takes up the same bandwidth as 800 short text messages,” it says on its website, SafeAmericaPrepared.org.

Instead, if you need to contact family or friends, send a text message. It can be as simple as, “R You OK?” or “IM OK.” The idea is to quickly get in touch, without needlessly jamming essential phone lines.

Have a family plan When disaster strikes, it’s easy for families to become separated — by work, school or other circumstances — and face the panic of being unable to communicate with one another. Emergency officials recommend that you sit down together and create a family emergencyresponse plan. Designate a location where you will meet in case you’re displaced from home, such

as a familiar destination, a family cabin or another home of friends or relatives. Name an out-of-town or out-of-state contact who can relay messages. Make sure your kids know how to contact you or a designated relative.

On the Ready.gov website, there are simple wallet-sized cards that you can fill out for each child or family member, listing emergency contacts for neighbors, an out-of-town contact and the family’s designated meeting place in case of an emergency.

You can fill them out, clip and save for each family member’s wallet, purse or backpack.

Prepare a kit In emergency-preparedness jargon, that’s an Emergency Financial First Aid Kit (EFFAK).

Regardless of the size of

Back-to-school, though, signals the shape of holiday sales to come, and that may add to retailers’ worries. They already have plenty. Beyond the stillsluggish economy, the increasing use of the Internet as both a shopping venue and a shopping tool has put pressure on prices.

Even mighty Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has seen lower same-store sales — a key retailing metric — for five straight quarters, Davidowitz noted. Kohl’s was down four of the last five periods. Target, which also has had to grapple with the expense and public relations black eye from its massive data breach in December, posted lower same-store figures in three of its last five quarters.

With this year’s heavy discounting on school supplies and such, retailers have “already set the stage for the holiday to be very price-sensitive,” Green said.

Yarbrough agreed.

“I would expect holiday this year to be extremely promotional,” he said. your income or bank accounts, the EFFAK is essentially one place where you assemble a copy of all your pertinent financial documents. The idea was born in the aftermath of 9/11, when federal emergencyresponse officials and a nonprofit, Operation Hope Inc., realized that Americans needed a tool to ensure “financial stability in the wake or an emergency or evacuation.”

“Emergencies often come when we least expect it, yet many of us do not think to prepare our financial interests in advance,” said the Federal Emergency Management Agency on its website, www.FEMA.gov.

The website has an official EFFAK list of essential financial documents that should be included: home mortgage or property records, bank accounts, power of attorney forms, divorce/marriage/ birth certificates, passport, insurance policies, credit card accounts.

If your house burns down, these documents can be useful in speeding up the process for applying for loans and sorting out financial assistance.

It’s recommended that the documents be kept in a waterproof, grab-and-go box or binder. Ideally, it’s portable enough to stash in a backpack or tuck under your arm on the way out the door.

Of course, an emergency or natural disaster isn’t limited by time, date or season. It could happen to anyone, anywhere, at any time. Taking a few steps now can minimize the financial and emotional upheaval none of us wants to face in an emergency.

B4

NATION AND WORLD

AUGUST 22 – AUGUST 28, 2014

STOJ

ture, which administers the program. The highest usage rate at that time was 17 percent in the District of Columbia.

Down to $46 million Generally, food stamps are available to people making up to 130 percent of the poverty level, currently $2,552 a month for a family of four, and provide up to $189 a month per person. The benefit money is issued on a debit-style card, unlike the original stamps and coupons that were used when the program first began.

Nationwide, food stamp usage has started to drop slightly from the 2012 historic high of about 48 million people. It is currently down to about 46 million, in part because some states have reinstated work requirements. But total enrollment remains nearly triple the 17 million food stamp users in 2000. In 2009 nearly 39 million people were on food stamps, and the number rose to 44 million in 2010.

Yet in every state, unemployment is down from 2009 levels, ranging from South Carolina’s dramatic drop to New Mexico’s mild improvement from 6.9 percent to 6.3 percent.

College grads impacted DAVID M. WARREN/PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER/MCT

LeBaron Harvey, 32, is a chef at The Cathedral Kitchen, a nonprofit that feeds the poor, in Camden, N.J., He is photographed on Jan. 9, talking about how he survived as a child with the food stamp program. These days, those who are underemployed are depending on food stamps to survive.

Food stamp use shows more ‘underemployment’ pain Unemployment rate has declined but many Americans with jobs depending on aid to make ends meet

BY TIM HENDERSON STATELINE.ORG

WASHINGTON — Luxuries were affordable for Linda Fish before she lost her job in retail management in 2009.

“I won’t lie. The dinners out, the perfect martinis, the salon visits with a master stylist, and the rooms at nice hotels when I was too lazy or tired to do the long commute home — these things I could afford and they made me very, very happy,” the Chicago resident wrote on her blog soon after she became unemployed.

But in the years after she lost her job, Fish “learned to stop worrying and love minimum wage.” She gained a new appre-

ciation for beans, pasta and oatmeal when she took a $9 per hour job as a bookstore clerk. It was a shock, Fish said, to go downscale “in a culture where we have been systematically weaned from living with family, cooking our own food, sewing our own clothes, walking,” she told Stateline.

Fish had a job, but she was what economists call “underemployed.” The plight of people like her might explain a puzzling discrepancy between the declining unemployment rate and the rising rate of food stamp usage.

Many excluded The overall U.S. unemployment rate has steadily declined since the recession officially ended in June 2009. But many Americans still are finding it hard to get by, even if they do have jobs.

A key indicator of economic hardship — enrollment in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as food stamps — is higher in every state than it was

five years ago, even though unemployment has dropped in every state during the same period.

Economists say the official unemployment rate underestimates economic pain, since it doesn’t include people who have stopped looking for work or who are barely getting by with parttime or low-paying jobs.

The official U.S. unemployment rate is 6.3 percent. But an alternative federal measure that includes people who want to work but are too discouraged to keep looking, and those working part time though they would prefer to work full time, is 12.6 percent.

Fish never had to resort to food stamps, but enrollment in the program is another way to capture the “underemployment” of people like her, according to the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC), which advocates to reduce hunger in the U.S. “SNAP is an important lifeline for many people struggling with unemployment and underemploy-

ment,” the center said in explaining its emphasis on the expanded unemployment numbers.

Rates around nation South Carolina, for example, has an official unemployment rate of 5.3 percent, down from 11.4 percent in the depths of the recession. No other state has had a steeper decline. But the state has an underemployment rate of 11.9 percent.

States with the highest underemployment rates are California, Nevada and Arizona, where the expanded rate is 16 percent. The lowest rates are in North Dakota (5.5 percent), Nebraska (7.3 percent) and Wyoming (7.9 percent) There are now five states, along with the District of Columbia, where at least one in five people are on food stamps — Mississippi, Oregon, New Mexico, Tennessee and West Virginia.

In 2009, there were none in that category, according to a Stateline analysis of data from the U.S. Department of Agricul-

Obama’s $10 million to France to fight terrorism in Africa sparks more debate

BY SAEED SHABAZZ NNPA NEWS SERVICE

Incensed by the news that President Barack Obama gave $10 million to France to fight terrorism in three of its former African colonies, Minister Menelik Harris of the Atlanta-based World African Diaspora Union, sent out an email message demanding that Obama keep his “terror money.”

Menelik suggested that the president of the U.S. should instead “give us our trillions of dollars in reparations to rebuild Africa as one union government to protect our enslaved, devastated and scattered people.”

On Aug. 11, the website The Hill announced that Obama directed the $10 million in foreign aid to France to assist in “counter[ter] rorism operations on the African continent to target terror groups.”

The article stated that money went to support a French counterterrorism operation codenamed “Barkhan,” which would prevent the establishment of a “jihadist” foothold between Libya and the Atlantic Ocean.

The Hill quoted a deputy national security adviser, Ben Rhodes, as saying the U.S. was “very focused on the threat of terrorism in Africa.”

‘The real terrorists’ Obama issued a short statement concerning the money from his vacation spot on Mar-

tha’s Vineyard, located off the Massachusetts coast. “I hereby determine that an unforeseen emergency exists that requires immediate military assistance to France in its efforts to save Mali, Niger and Chad from terrorists and violent extremists,” said Obama.

“This shows that U.S. and French imperialism is alive in Africa, and that they are the real terrorists,” Sara Flounders, cofounder of the International Action Network, told the Amsterdam News.

Observers say that in Mali, France has intervened to prop up the Bamako government to put down the aspirations for independence in Azawad, where the Tuareg have called for their own state.

In the corridors of the United Nations, there are suggestions that France continues to show that colonialism is not dead and that France’s colonialism is purely economic. One example cited at the U.N. is that France wants to charge other U.N. member states an “airfield service” fee in northern Mali.

More actions questioned The French have refused to respond to questions from the U.N. press corps concerning the purchase of a $40 million jet by Mali President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, which was criticized by the International Monetary Fund.

Much of the discrepancy between improving employment news and continued economic suffering, as measured by food stamp use, is due to people who may be employed but making far less than they were before the recession. While Fish, the former retail manager, lost her job in middle age, underemployment is particularly rampant among young college graduates.

A New York Fed study this year found that underemployment for college graduates has been steadily climbing since 2001 and the quality of their temporary jobs has steadily dropped.

Since food stamps are federally funded but administered by states, participation also can reflect how successful a state has been at signing up those who are eligible, including jobless workers.

“If you look at areas that were especially impacted by the recession, you’ll see some have really aggressively pushed to boost participation,” said Jennifer Adach, a spokeswoman for FRAC. The USDA measures food stamp participation compared to the number who are potentially needy, using unemployment, poverty and near-poverty as factors, to show which states could benefit from more outreach. According to its most recent report in 2012, Delaware, the District of Columbia and Vermont signed up the highest percentage of potential beneficiaries, while Wyoming, California and Utah reached the lowest proportion of the needy.

icy Studies, argues that the U.S.French relationship is purely economic. “Both nations are interested in the resources in the region,” she said.

Understand that 70 percent of energy in France is nuclear, Woods stated. Analysts say that oil-rich Mali and Niger also have huge uranium deposits.

Looking for allies

Minister Menelik Harris has said President Obama should instead “give us our trillions of dollars in reparations to rebuild Africa as one union government to protect our enslaved, devastated and scattered people.”

An IMF spokesman, Gerry Rice, explained to the press at the U.N. on May 22 that his organization was “concerned” about the “quality” of recent decisions by the Keita regime, including the purchase of the airplane.

Emira Woods, the global client principal for social impact pro-

grams at ThoughtWorks, a technology firm committed to social and economic justice, explained to the Amsterdam News that the U.S. and France have “prioritized military efforts in Africa.”

Woods, who also serves as an associate fellow at the Washington, D.C.-based Institute of Pol-

The French nuclear company AREVA has reportedly signed a new lease with the regimes in Niger and Mali. Meanwhile, hundreds of protesters in Niger have been demanding transparency concerning the new lease agreement, which they say does not benefit the people.

Some analysts say that AREVA may have agreed to give up a number of tax breaks and a 12 percent increase in royalties to the government.

Chad’s role in all of this has been to supply troops for the French-led intervention in Mali.

The regime, led by President Idriss Deby, has proven to be an indispensable ally to Western powers looking for allies in the Sahel, according to the Foreign Military Studies Office website OE Watch.

Woods, addressing the recent U.S.-Africa Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C., stated that the “vast resources in Africa cannot be extracted to benefit the 1 percent.”

On Aug. 9, the Washington Post editorialized, “Sadly, the summit dealt little with human rights improvements that would sustain Africa’s growth.”

“I don’t see any of this as a hopeful sign for Africa,” Woods told the Amsterdam News.

STOJ

AUGUST 22 – AUGUST 28, 2014

FINEST & ENTERTAINMENT

Meet some of

FLORIDA’S

finest

submitted for your approval

B5

Think you’re one of Florida’s Finest?

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

andre

monique

South Florida-based model Monique is this week’s female Florida’s Finest.

Andre is a Miami Beach resident and a retired computer specialist tech.

He models swimsuits from time to time and loves nature, gadgets and tech.

Contact him at nut4692000@yahoo.com.

— or listeners, who had long written off “Jenny From the Block.”

Lea Michele, “Louder” First-week sales: 62,171 Why it bombed: By the time this Broadway-favorite-turned-TV-star issued her long-anticipated debut, “Glee” had already lost most of its sheen. And while she handled the tragic death of her boyfriend and costar Cory Monteith with grace on “If You Say So” (written by Sia Furler), the rest of the album — although beautifully sung — lacked personality.

50 Cent, “Animal Ambition” First-week sales: 47,000

WALLY SKALIJ/LOS ANGELES TIMES/MCT

Robin Thicke and Paula Patton arrive for the 56th Annual Grammy Awards at Staples Center in Los Angeles on Jan. 26. The album “Paula’’ is filled with ballads and love songs dedicated to Patton. The two split up earlier this year.

Thicke’s ‘Paula’ leads Top 10 album flops of the year

BY GERRICK D. KENNEDY LOS ANGELES TIMES (MCT)

There have been plenty of smash albums this year. Pharrell cashed in on last summer’s “Happy” with his breakout sophomore effort this year. Coldplay not only notched another behemoth debut but provided a soundtrack to “conscious uncoupling” in the process. Eric Church and Brantley Gilbert both made it rain on the charts, and Michael Jackson even found a hit album from beyond the grave.

But 2014 has also seen a number of epic failures. Here are 10 of our favorite flops from the year.

Robin Thicke, “Paula” First-week sales: 24,000 Why it bombed: An album dedicated to your estranged wife sounds like a promising idea. Except when the record turns out to be a creepy, hastily crafted mea culpa like this one. From begging for his actress wife to take him back during every performance to teaming with 1-800-Flowers for branded bouquets, Thicke’s followup to the massive “Blurred Lines” went down in flames.

Mariah Carey, “Me. I Am Mariah ...

The Elusive Chanteuse” First-week sales: 58,000

Why it bombed: Mariah has delivered indelible pop hits for more than 20 years, but the rollout for her latest album was nothing short of disastrous. She spent two years teasing the project with mediocre singles (“Triumphant [Get ‘Em],” “You’re Mine [Eternal]”) and countless delays. That mouthful of an album title didn’t help either.

Candice Glover, “Music Speaks” First-week sales: 19,000 Why it bombed: One of “American Idol’s” finest winners in recent years never had a chance. Her 2013 run on the series was overshadowed by sagging ratings, bitter judge rivalries and a pending reboot. And her album — a sturdy R&B offering — was issued when the series was deep into its new season. She suffered the lowest first-week sales of any previous winner, including the ones we can’t remember.

Jennifer Lopez, “A.K.A.” First-week sales: 33,000 Why it bombed: Lopez, like Carey, found out just how tough it is for veteran pop divas these days. Her latest album — packed with the pop, hip-hop and dance tunes you’d expect of her — showcased a more vocally confident singer. It still wasn’t enough to win over the critics

Why it bombed: Fifty’s business ventures have proved more compelling than anything he’s recorded as of late. Aside from his core fan base, who even knew he had an album out?

Tessanne Chin, “Count on My Love” First-week sales: 7,000 Why it bombed: Winning “The Voice” means what exactly? The show has yet to yield an actual star. But for some reason a new season of “The Voice” continues to air twice a year, and viewers can’t invest in the previous winner before they are asked to vote for a new one.

Ashanti, “Braveheart” First-week sales: 28,000 Why it bombed: The album’s first single came out in 2011. Was the wait worth it? Absolutely not. “Braveheart” is an expired set of forgettable club stompers and tired ballads that lacked the sass and inspiration of her earlier work.

Celebrities getting ‘iced’ for ALS FROM STAFF REPORTS

Plenty of Black celebrities are taking the #ALSIceBucketChallenge, an effort started last month by the ALS Association, a non-profit organization dedicated toward raising money for Lou Gehrig’s disease research, patient services and awareness.

How it works: Those who are dared have two choices: Either get doused in ice water and nominate three other people to join the challenge or if the person isn’t ready to get wet, donate to the ALS charity of their choice.

Celebs who have been soaked for the cause include Oprah Winfrey, Gayle King, Kevin Hart, Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant, Boris Kodjoe, Justin Timberlake, Kerry Washington, Gabrielle Union, Steve Harvey, The Roots and Tyler Perry.

$31.5 million raised According to the association’s website on Wednesday, it has received $31.5 million in donations compared to $1.9 million during the same time period last year (July 29 to Aug. 20). These donations have come from existing donors and 637,527 new donors to the association.

The association’s mission includes providing care services to assist people with ALS and their families through a network of chapters working in communities across the nation and a global research program focused on the discovery of treatments and eventually a cure for the disease.

For more information about the challenge, visit www.alsa.org.

Mary J. Blige, “Think Like A Man Too” First-week sales: 8,688 Why it bombed: An original album that served as a soundtrack? Great. Except Blige’s music barely had a presence in the actual film, so it served no purpose. Besides, the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul should never play second fiddle to a predictable romantic comedy.

Austin Mahone, “The Secret EP” First-week sales: 46,000 Why it bombed: Despite the teen “phenom” being promoted as the second coming of Justin Bieber, none of his music won us over. The kid has a rabid fan base and yet he’s still not a star? Weird.

But we love that song from that ever-present sparkling water commercial anyway.

Oprah Winfrey gets doused by Gayle King on Aug. 15.

F0OD

B6

AUGUST 22 – AUGUST 28, 2014

TOJ

HEARTY CHICKPEA VEGETABLE SOUP Servings: 6 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped 1 large garlic clove, minced 2 teaspoons ground cumin 2 (14.75-ounce) cans low sodium vegetable or chicken broth 1 cup water 4 cups cubed butternut squash, about 1 medium squash 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 (15.5-ounce) can Goya garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed 1 (14.5-ounce) can Del Monte sliced carrots, drained 3 cups escarole or kale, coarsely chopped In 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat, in hot oil, cook onion and garlic until just softened, stirring frequently. Stir in cumin; cook 1 minute.

Add canned broth, water, butternut squash and salt. Over high heat, heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 20 minutes until squash is tender.

Add garbanzo beans, carrots and escarole. Continue to simmer about 5 minutes until vegetables are tender.

Hearty Chickpea Vegetable Soup

NEOPOLITAN TUNA FETTUCCINE Servings: 2 8 ounces fettuccine pasta 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 small onion, diced 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 (14.5-ounce) can Red Gold diced tomatoes 2 teaspoons capers 1 (5-ounce) can tuna, packed in oil, drained 1 (2.2-ounce) can sliced ripe olives, drained Salt and ground black pepper to taste Cook fettuccine as label directs.

Reserve 1 cup cooking liquid; drain.

Meanwhile, in 10-inch skillet over medium heat, in hot oil, cook onion and garlic, about 5 minutes until just softened. Add diced tomatoes and capers; simmer 5 minutes. Add tuna, olives, salt and pepper to taste.

Toss fettuccine with tuna mixture to mix well. Serve immediately. If necessary, add reserved cooking liquid.

The key to mealtime success FROM FAMILY FEATURES

When it comes to mealtime, a well-stocked pantry can be the difference between culinary success and a dinner dud. Too often we contemplate what to make for dinner, only to realize that we don’t have the right ingredients on hand or the food in the fridge has spoiled. But with a pantry full of canned foods, a delicious and easy, homemade meal is just minutes away.

It’s no secret that canned foods are convenient, but did you know that cans are also one of the best ways to get food from the farm to your family’s table? Canned fruits and vegetables are picked and packed when they’re at their peak of ripeness and nutrition, sealing in their freshness and flavor, so you can feel confident about serving them anytime.

Less waste, more meals And if you find that you’re

often throwing away fresh food, you’re not alone. Accord­ ing to a recent study, most Americans throw away spoiled fresh fruits and vegetables two times a week on average, wasting a staggering 15 to 20 percent of fresh produce each year. By keeping your pantry stocked with essential canned ingredients, you know the food you purchase won’t go to waste, saving you money and helping reduce your impact on the environment.

With your favorite canned food staples, you’ll be on your way to creating delicious and nutritious meals like Hearty Chickpea Vegetable Soup, Neopolitan Tuna Fettuccine and Falafel Burgers. Thanks to your well-stocked pantry — or “Cantry” — mealtime success is achievable anytime.

For more recipes, nutritional information and to learn how you can get cooking with canned foods, visit www.CansGetYouCooking.com.

FALAFEL BURGERS Servings: 4 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided 1 small red onion, finely chopped 1 large garlic clove, minced 1 (16-ounce) can Bush’s garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup dry bread crumbs 1 (7.75-ounce) can Allens spinach, well drained 4 hamburger buns Sliced tomato Sliced red onion Tzatziki sauce In 12-inch skillet over medium heat, in 1 table­spoon hot olive oil, cook red onion and garlic about 5 min­­utes until tender-crisp. Remove vegetables to bowl of food processor.

To food processor, add one-fourth of garbanzo beans, lemon juice and salt; pulse with spinach mixture until smooth paste. Add remaining garbanzo beans, bread crumbs and spinach; pulse until coarsely chopped.

Shape mixture into four 4-inch patties. If desired, refrigerate until ready to cook. In 12-inch skillet over medium heat, in remain­ing tablespoon hot olive oil, cook falafel patties until golden and crisp, turn­ing once.

Serve on buns and top with tomato, onion and Tzatziki sauce, as desired.

Falafel Burgers

Neopolitan Tuna Fettuccine

Orange Pork Stir Fry

Morning Glory Carrot Muffins

ORANGE PORK STIR FRY Servings: 4 1 pound pork tenderloin 1 tablespoon cornstarch 1/4 teaspoon salt and ground black pepper 1 tablespoon peanut oil 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger 3 cups baby spinach leaves 1 (15-ounce) can Del Monte mandarin oranges in light syrup, drained 1 (15-ounce) can KAME stir-fry vegetables, drained 3 tablespoons sweet Asian chili sauce 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce 2 teaspoons sesame oil 2 scallions, thinly sliced Cut pork tenderloin into 1/2-inch-thick rounds, then into 1/2-inch-wide strips.

Place pork tenderloin strips in medium bowl; add cornstarch, salt and pepper; toss to mix well.

In 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat, heat peanut oil; add ginger.

Cook 30 seconds; add pork strips. Stir-fry until pork is lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add spinach; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly until just wilted. Add mandarin oranges, stir-fry vegetables, chili sauce, soy sauce; cook over medium heat until mixture is coated and thickens slightly.

Stir in sesame oil and sprinkle with scallions.

Serve with rice.

MORNING GLORY CARROT MUFFINS Servings: 12 Muffins: 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 (14.5-ounce) can Le Sueur carrots, drained 1 (8-ounce) can Del Monte crushed pineapple in 100 percent juice, drained 3/4 cup vegetable oil 2 large eggs, lightly beaten 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 cup shredded sweetened dried coconut 3/4 cup pecans, chopped Frosting: 1 (4-ounce) package reduced fat cream cheese, softened 3 tablespoons butter, softened 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar To prepare muffins, preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 12-cup muffin tin.

In large bowl, combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. In large bowl, mash carrots until smooth; add crushed pineapple, oil, eggs and vanilla until well blended.

Add to dry ingredients until just mixed; fold in coconut and pecans.

Spoon mixture into prepared muffin tins, almost to top. Bake 30 minutes or until tester inserted in center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes. Remove muffins from pans. Cool completely.

To prepare frosting, in mixing bowl, combine cream cheese and butter until well blended. Add confectioners’ sugar; beat until smooth.

Top carrot muffins with frosting.