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VOLUME 24 NO. 37
‘Masters of Funk’ a highlight of Tom Joyner Family Reunion See Page B1 www.flcourier.com
SEPTEMBER 9 – SEPTEMBER 15, 2016
IS SHE IN TROUBLE? A Black pollster’s report (complete with typographical errors) leaked to the New York Times indicates that Black America’s youngest voters, including those in Florida, aren’t feeling Hillary Clinton. Go to www.flcourier.com to read cannot be taken for granted. The “millennial generation” the entire report. is loosely described as people born between 1980 and 2000 BY THE FLORIDA COURIER STAFF who would now be between 18 As the Democratic Party con- and 36 years old. More than 25 tinues to run its usual campaign percent of Black Americans are playbook of using fear and hop- between the ages of 18 and 34. ing that anxiety and dread of a Forty-four percent are older Donald Trump presidency will than 35, according to 2013 U.S. turn out Black voters, a new poll Census data. of young Black “millennial” votA focus group study, includers is reminding Democrats ing conversations with a group once again that the Black vote of young Black Barack Obama
See CLINTON, Page A2
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Confirmation uncertain Whether the Senate will confirm him remains unclear. One reason is time. The chamber will only be in for a few weeks this month before taking off all of October to campaign, then the remainder of the year will be reserved for a likely contentious sprint toward a yearend spending bill. Another reason could be congressional Republicans’ reluctance to put a career corporate lawyer on a federal bench, and to allow Obama to boast about another “first” for a U.S. president.
VOLUME 16 NO. 37S
DEVASTATION, RELIEF, FATIGUE AND STRESS ROMAIN BLANQUART/DETROIT FREE PRESS/MCT
Vice presidential candidate Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska and presidential candidate Sen. John Mc Cain shared the stage at a Michigan rally on Sept. 5.
OBAMA WATCH: History – with a twist Will Sarah Palin, the GOP’s first female vice presidential nominee drive a wedge between Barack Obama and Florida’s Black female Christians? Obama supporters say no way. COMPILED FROM STAFF REPORTS
See related editorials on Page A5.
For 26 consecutive days in August and September, tropical storms or hurricanes made U.S. landfalls. But as Texas and Louisiana prepared, and Florida complained about evacuations, portions of Haiti, Cuba, and the Turks and Caicos Islands were devastated.
Florida’s Finest | B4
Meet Benecia Toyloy
FLORIDA | A3
The tourism and cruise ship industry on Grand Turk of the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) is likely to be shut down for weeks as the island rebuilds from Hurricane Ike’s destruction. More than 80 percent of the homes have been completely destroyed – not a single power pole is still standing. Residents will be without electricity and phone services for months. Most of the island’s 6,000 residents will be living in shelters indefinitely. Grand Turk is the capital of the TCI chain and many government workers live there. The cruise ship industry is the largest private sector employer.
Dr. X (not her real name) would be considered, under normal circumstances, a strong Barack Obama supporter. She fits the Obama “profile.’’ She’s Black, well-educated with an earned degree from a major Florida university, and professionally successful. She has grown children, money in the bank, and is Black and proud. But she’s also a fundamentalist Christian. With the selection of Sarah Palin, her misgivings about Obama’s stance on To the rescue “wedge’’ social issues have come front Florida Courier columnist and center. She’s now supporting John Anthony L. Hall is a TCI citizen McCain in order to give Palin a chance who is not waiting on internato fight for Dr. X’s issues: outlawing abortional aid to help his stricken tion and gay marriage. countrymen. “Unfortunately, the TCI has no indigenous relief Life or death issues agency with the facility to take Dr. X doesn’t want to be identified so online donations,” he wrote she can avoid “Obama drama’’ with her Tuesday on his blogsite, www. patients, many of whom are Black and theipinionsjournal.com. “I have arranged with Mrs. some of whom are gay. But to her, it’s an Lillian Misick, the director of issue of America’s life or death. the TCI Business Development Please see PALIN, Page A2 Center, to get donations directly
AP PHOTO/BRENNAN LINSLEY
Ike was a Category 4 hurricane as it roared across Grand Turk of the low-lying Turks and Caicos island chain Sept. 7. to the victims. Mrs. Misick lives on Grand Turk and is easily the most trustworthy and popular person on the island. She has already turned her generatorpowered bakery into a veritable soup kitchen and distribution center for emergency supplies.” Hall said Misick will use her credit card to immediately purchase food and other supplies to disburse among the 6,000 hurricane victims. Once power is restored, Hall will wire his own personal donation and private donations received on his web site through Paypal into Misick’s local bank account. He will publish the names of donors and amounts donated on his site, www.theipinionsjournal.com. Go to his site to donate.
Cuba raked by storms Ike’s Cuba legacy would be an unrelenting two-day assault that killed four people and left the storm-ravaged island reeling from the widespread destruction of homes, downed power lines, swollen rivers, mudslides and five-story high storm surges. Since taking aim on Cuba’s eastern end Sunday, Ike forced
SEPTEMBER 11, 2001 / SEVEN YEARS LATER
Remembering the victims
the evacuation of nearly 1 million people across the island. The mighty storm also has instilled a sense of dread among the country’s more than 11 million inhabitants, a populace long accustomed to adversity. “This has been a curse on Cuba,” said Vanessa Rincon, 46, as she waited in a long line at a Havana grocery store, holding a handcart full of storm supplies. “We were spared for so long, but now we’re coming face-to-face with hell. Our luck has run out.” The images on state-run television Monday night painted a broad path of ruin from the second major hurricane to make landfall on the island: toppled power and telephone towers, towns flooded by up to 10 inches of rain, damage to historic buildings, and the destruction of the fragile homes of ordinary Cubans. The official Cuban news agency reported damage to several historic buildings, including the 200-year-old fortress of La Punta near Cuba’s eastern tip. Giant waves damaged Baracoa’s 18th century seawall, and destroyed at least 200 homes and flooded streets.
Born of NOI ‘royalty’
President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush place a wreath in a reflecting pool where the south tower of New York City’s World Trade Center once stood during a 2006 visit to ground zero. See a related story on Page A2.
NATION | A6
Wallace D. Mohammed was born Oct. 30, 1933, in Detroit, the seventh of eight children of Elijah and Clara Muhammad. The elder Muhammad was a disciple of W.D. Fard, a door-to-door salesman who founded a small religious organization that eventually became known
as the Nation of Islam. Wallace Mohammed was minister of NOI mosques in Chicago and Philadelphia in the 1950s. When he turned 28 in 1961, Mohammed was imprisoned for refusing, on the basis of Nation of Islam teachings, induction into the U.S. military, much as boxer Muhammad Ali would years later. While serving his prison sentence, Mohammed reevaluated his father’s teachings and would occasionally rebel against them. He would be expelled and reinstated in the NOI off and on for years for doctrinal disagreements with his father. He was reinstated the last time only six months before Elijah Muhammad’s death.
Major changes In 1974, Mohammed succeeded his father as NOI leader, began preaching a more inclusive religious message, scaled back the NOI’s commercial empire, and renamed
How our national anthem came to be
In 1931, Congress passed a bill to make “The Star-Spangled Banner” the official national anthem of the United States. But the decision was far from simple. Among the points of contention was the music’s foreign origin. The lyrics were written by American attorney Francis Scott Key during the War of 1812, but the music was borrowed from the 18th century British song “To Anacreon in Heaven.” The tune had ties to drinking societies, and the United States was in the midst of Prohibition. There were also other viable competitors, including “Hail, Columbia,” a patriotic song that served as an informal national anthem for much of the 19th century, and “America the Beautiful,” whose popularity soared during the early 20th century. “It was an exhaustive process,” said Mark Hildebrand, the director of the 2012 documentary “Anthem – the Story Behind the Star-Spangled Banner.” But the debate ended when President Herbert Hoover signed the bill into law, and “The Star-Spangled Banner” has remained the national anthem ever since.
National discussion Mayor’s resignation may not be the end of Detroit drama
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Called ‘the most important Muslim you’ve never heard of’ Imam W. Deen Mohammed, a son of the Nation of Islam (NOI) leader Elijah Muhammad and a man who forged his own way as America’s most wellknown traditionally Muslim leader, died Tuesday in Chicago. He was 74. Mohammed may have not been as well known as the NOI’s Minister Louis Farrakhan is among traditional Black Christian circles, but he was certainly known worldwide, and was considered to be part of the religious mainstream.
CHARLES ECKERT/NEWSDAY/MCT
Please see STORMS, Page A2
Jacksonville murder among civil rights cases at a standstill
W. Deen Mohammed dies at 74 COMPILED FROM WIRE AND STAFF REPORTS
FLORIDA | A3
New job for Tampa lawyer Legislators’ plan to combat Zika virus
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TCI’s Grand Turk destroyed
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SEPTEMBER 12 - SEPTEMBER 18, 2008
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Busy cooks can whip up quick, healthy meals
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WASHINGTON – President Obama’s nomination of a Washington, D.C.-based securities and fraud attorney to the federal bench would make him the country’s first MuslimAmerican judge on a U.S. court. The president late Tuesday tapped Abid Riaz Qureshi of Maryland to join the U.S. District Court for the DisAbid Riaz trict of Columbia. Qureshi Qureshi is a lawyer for Latham & Watkins LLP, where he has spent his entire career since graduating from Harvard Law School in 1997. “I am pleased to nominate Mr. Qureshi to serve on the United States District Court bench,” the president said. “I am confident he will serve the American people with integrity and a steadfast commitment to justice.”
Obama to speak at Black Caucus dinner in D.C.
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Combatting child trafficking, slavery through education
BY JOHN T. BENNETT CQ-ROLL CALL TNS
NATION | A6
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Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton responds to cheering supporters as she was welcomed by Florida Sen. Bill Nelson in Kissimmee while on a campaign swing through the state in August.
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Obama nominates first MuslimAmerican federal judge
“surge voters” in Jacksonville, show little enthusiasm for Hillary Clinton. “Surge voters” are described as people who voted for Obama in 2012, but for no one else on the ballot. They are credited with boosting Black voter turnout to a historical high, and are thought to be critically important if Clinton is to beat Trump in a race that is getting increasingly tighter even in “swing states” like Florida that have voted for both Republican and Democratic presidents over various campaign cycles. The latest CNN “horse race” poll of likely voters nationwide shows Trump and Clinton start the race essentially even, with
STEPHEN J. CARRERA/AP
W. Deen Mohammed, center, stands with Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, right, at the annual Saviour’s Day in 2000. the organization the World Community of AlIslam in the West. (He believed business ventures distracted the movement from its religious focus.) He eventually changed the spelling of his family
Please see MOHAMMED, Page A2
IN THIS ISSUE COURIER INDEX Editorial/Opinion . A4, A5 Calendar/Obituaries . . B2 Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . B3 Florida’s Finest . . . . . B4 Cooking . . . . . . . . . . . B6
EDITORIAL | JOSEPH GREEN: WHY DO BLACK PEOPLE LOVE OBAMA? | A5 SPORTS | SERENA WILLIAMS IS BACK AT THE TOP OF HER GAME | B5
Eight years ago, multiple hurricanes made landfall in the U.S. every day for almost a month. The Florida Courier also remembered the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
To this colorful history, football player Colin Kaepernick adds another refrain of discontent. The San Francisco 49ers quarterback has thrust the song – and its complicated backstory – into the national conversation after his recent refusals to stand when the anthem is played during NFL games. The athlete has cited police brutality against Black people and other forms of racial injustice for his refusal to stand for the anthem. His sentiments have elicited sympathy from some prominent cultural and political figures, including singer John Legend, who took to Twitter last week to call the anthem “weak.” President Obama defended Kaepernick, telling reporters Monday that the football star “cares about some real legitimate issues that have to be talked about.” But many others have criticized the athlete, including the Santa Clara, Calif., police union, which has threatened to boycott 49ers games. Kaepernick has been booed and heckled at recent games by fans who see his behavior as disrespectful and inappropriate.
Federal law The tradition of standing for the national anthem is rooted in federal law, according to historians. The U.S. Flag Code, passed in 1942, states that all civilians present during the playing of the anthem while the U.S. flag is disSee ANTHEM, Page A2
COMMENTARY: GLEN FORD: WHY BLACK SELF-DETERMINATION MATTERS | A4 COMMENTARY: JARRETT L. CARTER: THE BEST WAY TO DEFEAT A CROOKED HBCU BOARD | A5
FOCUS
A2
SEPTEMBER 9 – SEPTEMBER 15, 2016
Whichever way the wind blows On the eve of the landing of Hermine on Florida’s Big Bend coastline, I watched the storm tracking images and I listened to the meteorologist’s predictions. I wasn’t worried, because I had seen those things over a period of many years. It was raining that evening, as I expected, and I had seen how beaches and coastal towns were wrecked by wind, waves and storm surges before. I saw trees on my property begin to swing and sway. And when the power went out at about 10 p.m., I did what Jesus did. I went to sleep.
Took a nap On one evening back in biblical times, Jesus was hanging out with his boys on a shoreline and he told them, “Let’s go to the other side.” They boarded a boat and
LUCIUS GANTT THE GANTT REPORT
Jesus went to sleep. Well, after the boat sailed into deeper waters, the clouds got darker, the waves began to rise, the winds increased and began to howl and the boat started to rock and roll, so to speak. The disciples started to act like scared you-know-whats. They panicked and feared for their lives. They ran to Jesus and woke Him up. Jesus calmed the storm and had a few words for his trusted ‘believers.’ He said something like, “You are with Jesus. Have you no faith (that we would be safe)?”
Rode it out Jesus and his boys rode out the storm and Lucius rode out Hurricane Hermine! If you don’t know, I don’t live in the projects any more. I don’t live in a beautiful home or townhome. I live in a small ragged house, but I live on a five-acre estate that borders a major thoroughfare in Florida’s “Capitol City.” When the hurricane force winds blew by my house and blew down 60-foot oak trees and snapped variety of other trees in half, the aftermath left me with no electricity, no water, no food, no phone and no Internet service. I didn’t even have a toilet I could use – literally, no pot to piss in! But if you want to know how your family, friends, neighbors and business associates feel about you, God will send you a sign! I did have a working cell phone and a few friends and family called. After I told callers I was alive and unharmed but lacked the things mentioned above, most of the people who called
didn’t say, “What can I do to help you or assist you.” They said, “I’ll pray for you!”
More than prayers Well, prayers are good and I’ll never turn down a good prayer. But I damn sure didn’t want to hear that! Why? Because a God-loving person that loves his neighbors or a righteous man or a virtuous woman can “pray” for themselves! Jesus prayed for people, but he also helped people! People also asked me a stupid question. They asked, “Do you need anything? Well, if you’ve been victimized by a hurricane, a flood, a tornado, a fire, a cyclone, a tsunami, a mudslide or any other severe and natural disaster, I don’t care if you’re Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, Oprah Winfrey, Michael Jordan or the poorest person living in the homeless shelter, under the freeway overpass or on Skid Row – you need things. The rich can pay for things, but the poor and middle-class people cannot!
tory” and that the current controversy “highlights the need and imperative of our national symbols to live up to who we have become and for us to live up to what the symbol deserves.”
Racist verse
K.C. ALFRED/SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE/TNS
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) greets teammates after taking a knee during the national anthem before a game on Sept. 1 in San Diego. Kaepernick’s current imbroglio is just another in a long line of complicated chapters in the song’s history.
ANTHEM from A1
played “should stand at attention facing the flag with the right hand over the heart.” If the anthem is played without the flag displayed, those present “should face toward the music
CLINTON from A1
Trump ahead 45 percent to 43 percent; Libertarian Gary Johnson at 7 percent, and the Green Party’s Jill Stein at 2 percent. In Florida, the latest Real Clear Politics poll has Clinton up by 2.1 percent.
Drawing attention Presented by former Democratic National Committee and Obama campaign pollster Cornell Belcher’s company called Brilliant Corners, the report was commissioned by and presented last month to representatives of unions and political action committees who are backing Democratic presidential nominee Clinton. Belcher’s report was leaked to the New York Times “by another party strategist who wanted to draw attention to Mrs. Clinton’s difficulties in hopes that the campaign would move more aggressively to address the matter,” according to a front-page article appearing in the newspaper on Sept. 5. Florida is important because all of its 29 electoral votes go to whoever wins the presidential general election. That’s more than 10 percent of the 270 electoral votes necessary to elect the next president.
No Obama-style turnout? Belcher’s research indicates that as of July, Clinton is underperforming in Florida among young Black female Democratic voters by 12 percent when com-
and act in the same manner they would if the flag were displayed there.” But the Flag Code is difficult to enforce, experts say, and has thus become more of a guideline than a hard-and-fast law. “You can’t create a law that dictates respect and love of country,” said Mark Clague, associate professor of musicology at the University of Michigan, where
his areas of research include the national anthem. “If you did, patriotism would just be obedience and wouldn’t be love of country. What does have authority is the weight of tradition – civilian practice imitating military tradition.” He said the challenge facing “The Star-Spangled Banner” is that it has “taken on the role of representing a 200-year-old his-
pared to Obama’s 2012 voter totals, and by 16 percent among young Black male Democratic voters. The report also indicates that young Black voters start out in “different places” during the 2016 presidential election cycle, and generally in one of three categories: • Pessimists who are jaded by the political system and who do not think voting matters. Such voters refer to voter disenfranchisement and voting irregularities, particularly to the 2000 Florida presidential recount that elected George W. Bush. Some were Bernie Sanders supporters or sympathizers who believe that “the deck was stacked against him” in the primary against Hillary Clinton. • Cynics who believe that both Trump and Clinton are bad for the Black community, but that neither is worse than the other. These voters are reluctant to vote for “the better of two evils,” and are prepared to not vote at all. • Pragmatists who are willing to vote for Clinton just to stop Trump. They are not excited about voting, and lack of enthusiasm “could suppress their turnout,” according to the report.
the 2004 John Kerry electorate again.” According to Roper Center Public Opinion research, Kerry got 88 percent of the Black vote, but still lost the presidential election to George W. Bush, partly because of relatively low Black voter turnout nationwide, and particularly in swing states like Florida, Ohio and Virginia.
Second lackluster poll According to the New York Times, this is the second poll of Black voters Belcher’s company has conducted that show Clinton lagging well behind Obama’s 2012 Black voting benchmark in crucial states like Florida and Ohio. “There is no Democratic majority without these voters,” Belcher is quoted as saying. “The danger is that if you don’t get these voters out, you’ve got
Possible solutions Belcher’s report lays out methods Democrats should consider using to turn Black millennials in Clinton’s direction. • Educate pessimists on “the power of voting.” According to the report, “Educating voters on the power of their vote in an aspirational way will help them overcome the barriers of pessimism. They must be convinced that their vote has real world impacts.” Belcher argues that pessimists must be reminded that they helped elect Obama in 2008 and 2012 – “You Did That!” – despite doubts that there would ever be a Black president in America. • “Make Trump’s racism real” to cynics. “Exposing voters to the (severe) consequences of a Trump presidency would have on the Black community creates clear contrast between Trump and Hillary and enforces the urgency to vote,” the report states. “Consequences of Trump Presidency: perpetuate police/White violence against Blacks, neglect poor people, repeal Obamacare. Tying Trump to violence against Black bodies (this language is important) is also very compelling.” • For pragmatists, “make Hillary Clinton the vehicle for (a) community centric agenda.” According to the report, “there
Some believe “The Star-Spangled Banner” contains racist language, most notably in its third stanza, which is seldom sung today. (Most performances stop after the first stanza.) The third section states: “No refuge could save the hireling and slave / From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave …” The line is believed to refer to Black slaves who were promised freedom if they fought on the side of the British during the War of 1812. The song “casts aspersions on Black people. It does a disservice to Black people today,” said Gerald Horne, chair of history and African-American studies at the University of Houston. He said performing the anthem today is the equivalent of saying that “things should never change and remain frozen in aspic. … It’s a war-mongering song that’s totally inappropriate for 2016 and people need to get over it.”
Talk of replacement Some people, such as Legend, are advocating replacing “The Star-Spangled Banner” with a more inclusive anthem. (The singer said he prefers “America the Beautiful.”) But any effort likely faces an uphill battle. “It’s too ingrained and I don’t believe it will be replaced. It means a lot to a lot of people,”
are a celestial of issues that move Black voters toward higher turnout, positioning (Clinton) as the means by which they achieve their issue objectives is the final stage to increase voter participation. Criminal justice is a compelling issue, (Clinton) has strong policy prescriptions but they are not well communicated. Other issues include economic justice and family social values issues.”
How to communicate The focus groups also reviewed some of the Clinton campaign’s print and video ads, and gauged the reaction. The top-rated, most effective ads for Black millennials were those that included materials about Black Lives Matter, police brutality, militarized policing, and racial justice. The ones that were less effective included ads critical of Trump.
I’m fine Anyway, I want to thank all of the Gantt Report readers and supporters who wondered about my wellbeing. I am fine, and I remain a soldier in God’s Army ready to fight devils and beasts! I want to thank God for protecting his “Journalistic BattleAxe” and allowing his “Media Messenger” to live and write the truth another day! In regard to Mother Nature or to human nature, you don’t have to be in a hurricane to tell which way the wind is blowing! God’s soldiers are like Holy Kites. We don’t flow with the wind. We rise up and fly against the devilish winds!
Buy Gantt’s latest book, “Beast Too: Dead Man Writing,” on Amazon.com and from bookstores everywhere. “Like” The Gantt Report page on Facebook. Contact Lucius at www.allworldconsultants. net.
said Marc Leepson, author of the book “What So Proudly We Hailed,” which explores the life of Key. “In a lot of ways, it’s not fair to judge someone through 20th century standards,” he said. “On the other hand, slavery was evil and Francis Scott Key was a slave owner. By many accounts, he treated them humanely. Nevertheless, he bought and sold human beings.”
Various versions There is no official version of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Prominent composers, including John Williams, have created their own arrangements of the piece while pop stars as varied as Jimi Hendrix, Meat Loaf, R. Kelly and Lady Gaga have put their own artistic stamp on the song. Protests of the anthem have also come in a variety of forms. The most famous example came at the 1968 Olympic Games when U.S. athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos gave a Black Power salute on the medal podium. “What’s amazing is how we imbue so much emotion in a piece of cloth or a song. It touches nerves and people get worked up,” said Marc Ferris, author of the book “Star-Spangled Banner: The Unlikely Story of America’s National Anthem.” The debate raised by Kaepernick is good, Ferris said. “I think we should confront issues. But I also protect those who criticize him. That’s what patriotism is about – individual expression.”
Combs said it’s time for Clinton to change course. “Hillary Clinton, you know, I hope she starts to talk directly to the Black community. It really makes me feel, you know, almost hurt that our issues are not addressed and we’re such a big part of the voting bloc,” Combs told the Rev. Al Sharpton on his Saturday MSNBC show. “The heat has to be turned up so much that as a community, we’ve got to hold our vote. Don’t pacify yourself; really revolutionize the game. Make them come for our vote. It’s a whole different strategy, but I think we need to hold our vote because I don’t believe any of them.”
Obama a disappointment
‘Hold our vote’
Combs also said Obama didn’t live up to expectations. “My number one thing, to be honest, is Black people. I feel like we put President Obama in the White House. When I look back, I just wanted more done for my people because that’s the name of the game,” he said. “This is politics. You put somebody in office, you get in return the things that you care about for your communities. I think we got a little bit shortchanged. That’s not knocking the president… He’s done an excellent job…but I think it’s time to turn up the heat because the Black vote is going to decide who is the next president of the United States.”
Not long after the Belcher report was made public, New Yorkbased entrepreneur and occasional rapper Sean “Diddy”
Information from the New York Times and CNN was used to prepare this report.
‘Next steps’ Belcher concludes the report by giving Democrats specific directions to “explore and quantify the most powerful narrative around the issues of criminal justice and fighting racism; explore language that reinforce the individual and collective power of voting; explore language that describe explicit consequences for the Black community if Donald Trump becomes president.” It ends with a question: “Who are the best messengers to carry these messages to target audiences?”
SEPTEMBER 9 – SEPTEMBER 15, 2016
FLORIDA
A3
New dean, assistant dean at Tampa law school SPECIAL TO THE FLORIDA COURIER
Karen Fultz
Ronald Sutton has been tapped to lead WMU-Cooley Law School’s Tampa Bay campus following the recent retirement of Associate Dean Jeffrey Martlew.
Sutton, who becomes that campus’ second associate dean since the law school opened in Riverview has been serving as associate professor and assistant dean. Karen Fultz, an associate professor, has been
named the campus’ assistant dean. Before joining WMUCooley in 2012, Sutton was president of Sutton Sports Management Company, where he was involved with worldwide representation of professional ath-
letes, coaches and broadcasters. Before that, he was an attorney-shareholder with Fraser, Trebilcock, Davis & Dunlap, of Lansing, Michigan, where his practice areas included commercial litigation, insurance law,
family law, and sports law.
Active in community Fultz was a partner with the law firm Cozen O’Connor in Atlanta, Georgia before joining WMUCooley in 2013. She was selected as a member of the Who’s Who of Black Atlanta and was named one of the nation’s best 40 Advocates Under 40 by the National Bar Association. Fultz is an expert in the areas of commercial and business litigation, subrogation and recovery litigation (products liability), family law, and business development. In addition to teaching substantive and practical skills in torts and equity and remedies courses, she is active in Tampa’s legal community, including with the George Edgecomb Bar Association. She also serves on various committees hosted by some of the community’s other bar associations. “Ron Sutton and Karen Fultz each have extensive experience in the practice of law and are extraordinary educators,” said WMU-Cooley President and Dean Don LeDuc. “I am confident in their abilities to lead WMU-Cooley Law School’s Tampa Bay campus.”
Modified mosquitos sought to combat Zika virus THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA
With the number of locally transmitted Zika cases continuing to climb, 61 members of the Florida House have signed a letter urging federal officials to allow the use of genetically engineered mosquitoes to help combat the virus. Incoming House Speaker Richard Corcoran, RLand O' Lakes, and incoming Minority Leader Janet Cruz, D-Tampa, announced last week they would urge the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the federal Food & Drug Administration to approve use of the genetically engineered mosquitoes developed by the company Oxitec. Mosquito-borne Zika, which emerged last year in South America and has spread to Florida, can cause severe birth defects.
‘New source of hope’ The letter, delivered Tuesday to the federal agencies, was backed by a bipartisan majority of the 120-member state House. "We ask you to stand by the people of Florida in our time of need and use your legal authority to grant us access to a new source of hope in the fight against the spread of this terrible virus," the letter said. Information on Oxitec's website said the company's mosquitoes are genetically engineered so that their offspring die before adulthood. The company's male mosquitoes, which do not bite or transmit diseases, are released to breed with wild female mosquitoes, and the offspring die, reducing the mosquito population, the website said. The Florida Department of Health reported Tuesday that the state has had 56 cases of locally transmitted Zika. The state also has 577 travel-related cases and 80 infections involving pregnant women. Travel-related cases involve people being infected elsewhere and bringing the virus into the state.
EDITORIAL
A4
SEPTEMBER 9 – SEPTEMBER 15, 2016
Why self-determination matters for Blacks Back in February, Bill Clinton hosted Turkish-born billionaire Hamdi Ulukaya, the Chobani Yogurt mogul, at a gathering of the Clinton Global Initiative in New York City. Clinton gushingly endorsed Ulukaya’s importation of thousands of immigrants to staff his factories: “Detroit has 10,000 empty, structurally sound houses – 10,000! – and a lot of jobs to be had repairing those houses. But Detroit just came out of bankruptcy and the mayor is trying to do an innovative sort of urban homesteading program there. I think it just gives you an example of what could be done. Any of us who have ever had any personal experience with either Syrian Americans or Syrian refugees thinks it’s a pretty good deal.”
Ship them in The former president was echoing a scheme proposed by Michigan Republican Governor Rick Synder back in 2014, to bring in 50,000 immigrants on EB-2 visas to “revitalize” Detroit. Snyder backed off the plan a year later, but Bill Clinton remains enthusiastic about “Afro-Dilution” of the cities through immigrant importation. In a matter of months, Slick Willie will likely be in a position to put his scheme into practice. “My husband...I’m going to put in charge of revitalizing the economy because you know, he knows how to do it,” said Hillary Clinton in a campaign swing through Kentucky in May. “And especially in places like coal country and inner cities and other parts of the country that have been really left out.” It is immaterial that the YouTube of Slick Willie’s performance at the Clinton Global Initiative was circulated on the Internet by the racists at Breitbart News, who hate people of color worldwide. Breitbart has done Black folks a back-handed service by reminding us that Republicans and Democrats view the very presence of Black people as the root of urban decline. Both the “conservative” Gov. Synder and the supposedly “liberal” Clinton are determined to disperse Black urban populations and prevent them from ever again becoming concentrated on valuable and strategic real estate. Black people’s right to self-determination, and the practical
GLEN FORD BLACK AGENDA REPORT
Black people’s right to self-determination, and the practical capacity to exercise those rights through development of their own communities, is anathema at both poles of the corporate duopoly. capacity to exercise those rights through development of their own communities, is anathema at both poles of the corporate duopoly.
No difference From the perspective of Black self-determination, Bill Clinton and Rick Synder are the same people. That also goes for Barack Obama, whose administration was a full partner in the corporate deal that bankrupted Detroit and left it naked to the color-coded depredations of Big Capital. Black people in Detroit have been systematically driven out of the city through denial of basic necessities of life such as water, while the mostly Black city of Flint’s water supply was poisoned with lead and an array of other contaminants. Fully half of Michigan’s Black population was disenfranchised through imposition of emergency manager dictatorships in every heavily Black city in the state – a regime quite similar to those that have for many years denied Black people in jurisdictions across the country any real voice in the operations of their public schools. The national Black incarceration regime, now more than two generations old, has stripped
The Black vote? Volunteer slavery Why have the economic plight, political ineptness and the power of influence not changed at all since the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 have been implemented? These “nigger bills,” as President Lyndon B. Johnson would refer to them when talking with the Dixiecrat senators, granted a lot of new freedoms to Black America. It looked like the White power structure was about to change dramatically. We gained access to the American dream but the access has not been taken advantage of. But “Pharaoh” still has not let us go, and that’s our fault. We have not let Pharaoh go.
Blacks in high places Many of our major cities have Black mayors. The Congressional Black Caucus should be a pivotal force in our Congress. We have enough influential supervisors in all levels of our law enforcement infrastructure that police corruption and brutality should be a thing of the past. Baltimore is a fine example. The city is 80 percent Black with a Black mayor who is the No. 3 officer in the Democratic National
HARRY C. ALFORD NNPA COLUMNIST
Right now, the winning party has no obligation to Black voters it is taken for granted. If each party actually respected the Black vote, we would have better leadership and good public policy. Committee. The police supervisor was just let go and the official federal report claims that police operations have been fac-
VISUAL VIEWPOINT: MONEY IN POLITICS
Black people of every human right associated with civilization: the right to walk, talk, drive or breathe while Black – the right to life, itself.
Focus too narrow When Malcolm X spoke of selfdetermination, he correctly anticipated that the narrow electoral privileges already available to Blacks in the North, and which were being heroically pursued in the South, could ultimately be curtailed and were insufficient to protect Blacks’ human rights and allow their full development as a people. Malcolm urged Blacks to fight for the principles enshrined in the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights and refined in the 1960 UN General Assembly resolution that so eloquently states: “All peoples have the right to self-determination; by virtue of that right they freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development.” The emerging new Black movement is reawakening to self-determination as an organizing principle. The Movement for Black Lives (M4BL) platform, unveiled at the beginning of August, employs a self-determinationist approach to a number of issues facing Black America. The Malcolm X Grassroots Movement made a valiant effort to put self-determination into practice in Jackson, Miss., and has continued the project after the untimely death of Mayor Chokwe Lumumba. Projects animated by the pursuit of Black self-determination abound in localities around the nation.
Complete list The Black Is Back Coalition for Social Justice, Peace and Reparations has taken the next logical step, assembling a comprehensive document that applies the principle of self-determination to 19 arenas of struggle, from Black Women and Families; to Black Community Control of Police and an End to Mass Black Incarceration; to Reparations and Full Employment; to U.S. Out of Africa, Asian and Latin America; to Climate Change. This National Black Political Agenda for Self-Determination, approved by the Coalition’s member organizations at a natually oppressive to that 80-percent Black community. There is something wrong and certain Black elected officials either did it or let it happen.
‘Don’t blame me’ Philadelphia’s demographics are quite similar. However, the predominantly Black city council and former Black mayor have gone out of their way to let White construction workers from the suburbs go to the front of the line for jobs to the detriment of inner-city construction workers via Project Labor Agreements. The new White mayor has the perfect excuse: “Don’t blame me. The Black mayor before me set that system up and all of the other officials agreed with him. I am just continuing the tradition which was set in place by the previous mayor who is Black.” Yes, Black Philadelphia, you have clung to Pharaoh. Chicago. Detroit. Los Angeles. Cleveland. On and on; it doesn’t make a difference. The “party punks” blame it all on one of our two predominant political parties – Republicans. The Black Democratic vote is taken for granted and White opportunists just love it. This system is guaranteed to keep Blacks ignorant (they can’t determine who the enemy is). A key ingredient is our educational system. Charter schools, school choice, and private schools are
OSAMA HAJJAJ, JORDAN
tional conference in Philadelphia, in August, will be submitted to state conventions over the next two months, culminating in a national convention on November 6 following the Coalition’s annual rally and march on the White House in Washington. The Coalition’s newly created agenda is unique in that it insists that the principle of self-determination must be central to all arenas of Black struggle. For example, regarding Black Community Control of the Police (Point No. 1), the document demands “the immediate withdrawal of all domestic military occupation forces from Black communities. This democratic demand assumes the ability of Black people to mobilize for our own security and to redefine the role of the police so that it no longer functions as an agency imposed on us from the outside.” Thus, self-determination is understood as a responsibility, as well as a right. The document demands a Halt to Gentrification (Point No. 10) “through the empowerment, stabilization and restoration of traditional Black neighborhoods. Black people have the right to develop, plan and preserve our own communities. “No project shall be considered ‘development’ that does not serve the interests of the impacted population, nor should any people-displacing or otherwise disruptive project be allowed to proceed without the permission of that population. Peoples that have been displaced from their communities by public or private development schemes have the Right to Return to our commu-
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.
Julia T. Cherry, Senior Managing Member, Central Florida Communicators Group, LLC Dr. Glenn W. Cherry, Cassandra CherryKittles, Charles W. Cherry II, Managing Members
Glen Ford is executive editor of BlackAgendaReport.com. Email him at Glen.Ford@BlackAgendaReport.com.
Critical factor
The multitude of deaths is growing because of hopelessness (again) and drug trafficking. We should see who is profiting the most from this. It is not the fault of guns – they are just tools of criminal activity and corruption. And I won’t have my family sit at home with no protection. Come into my home with violence on your mind, and I will meet you with the final solution. Black America is at a disadvantage. All of the “chips” are on one side of the table. To vote 90 percent for a particular party is just plain stupid. We should have leverage on both sides. Right now, the winning party has no obligation to Black voters it is taken for granted. If each party actually respected the Black vote, we would have better leadership and good public policy. Before voting, do your homework. Don’t join the party punks.
Poor education is a key ingredient to unemployment and under-employment. It breeds hopelessness, which leads to crime, violence and despair. So why does the majority of Black elected officials fight against these answers? The Obama administration has been merciless in fighting against these recent trends in education. They have been lethal against for-profit colleges; they are putting some of them out of business. (One female Black congressperson has been the most outspoken against for-profit colleges, though her granddaughter is a graduate of one.) One for-profit school, Laureate International Universities, came up with the solution for survival. They made former President William Clinton “chairman emeritus,” a ceremonial position which will eventually pay him $18 million in income. In return, Mr. Clinton’s wife, former Secretary of the State Hillary Clinton, gave the for-profit university system a grant (our tax money) of $52 million. That’s quite an exchange. Gangsters Al Capone and John Gotti would be proud of that hus-
Dr. Valerie Rawls-Cherry, Human Resources
Charles W. Cherry, Sr. (1928-2004), Founder
None of which can be achieved without resources. Point No. 7 calls for the nationalization of the banks and an “End Forever to the Rule of Capital, “which has been central to the enslavement, extermination, colonization and denial of self-determination to peoples, worldwide. “The process must begin with creation of a National Development Bank as the primary engine of commerce and development, and a Black-directed public bank to finance developmental paths chosen by Black communities.” None of the above three points or the 16 others in the document is a “pie in the sky” position. They are principled, self-determinist goals that should guide actions in the present day. The struggle of Black people in “the belly of the beast” is, indeed, complex, but the path becomes clearer when one’s eyes are on the prize: self-determination.
tle. The moral of the story? Pay first, and then you get to play.
Dr. Glenn W. Cherry, Sales Manager
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excellent vehicles to empower our children and break the mold that produces academic ineffective students.
Charles W. Cherry II, Esq., Publisher
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nities, from New Orleans to Harlem.” This position delegitimizes the demands of Capital, and gives primacy to Black people’s right to pursue, as the UN resolution states, “their economic, social and cultural development.”
Jenise Morgan, Senior Editor Angela van Emmerik, Creative Director Chicago Jones, Eugene Leach, Louis Muhammad, Lisa Rogers-Cherry, Circulation Penny Dickerson, Staff Writer Duane Fernandez Sr., Kim Gibson, Photojournalists
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Harry C. Alford is the cofounder and president/CEO of the National Black Chamber of Commerce. Contact him via www.nationalbcc.org.
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SEPTEMBER 9 – SEPTEMBER 15, 2016
The best way to defeat a crooked HBCU board The best way? Give up and give the members of a crooked Historically Black College or University (HBCU) board of directors exactly what they want. The most valuable lesson any college president can learn is that the board of trustees, even when dead wrong, is always right. This is hard for new presidents to accept, especially when they figure out that the “checklist” that graduate school never taught them about – the one mentors tried to warn them about – exists.
The checklist
JARRETT L. CARTER, SR. GUEST COMMENTARY
Release the idea that we can change the culture, if we complain or protest enough against it. Because
A commonality
power to change it.
no matter how many boardrooms we crowd, no matter how much we say we aren’t going to give money until things change, and how clear it is that HBCU culture is dying because of board politics, we have no
How boards become crooked Appointment or election to a university board is seen as a status upgrade, a reward for excellence in the private sector which in theory, should lead to economic and social clout for an institution. For most public colleges, board members are appointed by a governor. For private schools, members are elected by the body of membership. For many, the notion of being chosen by the highest elected official in a state, or by a body of rich, influential people, is the beginning of the tainting process. The insulation of selectivity breeds the board to become an elite social club providing access to institutional contracts, free meals and event tickets, chances to be seen in the local newspaper, social promotion for a business or political aspirations, or hook-ups for friends and family members. And that will never change, because just as trustees learn how to test the limits of membership privilege, those who appoint or protect them are usually making the calls to cash in on their voting
The signs of political influence on a board can be subtle – until they aren’t. Students and alumni can’t see that when a board votes for new construction, or to increase student admission standards, or to approve a budget for new administrative positions, that some members are using those votes to flip service contracts for associates, help a governor set an anti-HBCU agenda, or to help an undeserving president earn a few more years on campus to help with shadow governance on campus. But the crookedness is there in plain sight. Unaffordable building loans turn into accreditation warnings and probation for financial insolvency. Misguided enrollment management turns into schools losing thousands of students and millions in revenue over years, or glaring lapses in campus improvement. Willie Larkin is hired and forced to resign at Grambling State University president as its third president in as many years, following a tenure which didn’t last a year. Less than 24 hours after his resignation, Grambling alumnus Rick Gallot is floated as Larkin’s potential replacement, and hired weeks later by the University of Louisiana board as the school’s permanent selection.
JOHN COLE, THE SCRANTON TIMES-TRIBUNE
a university with board dysfunction; efforts from MSU President David Wilson to subvert a federal lawsuit between Morgan and other Black colleges against the state of Maryland for maintaining an illegal ‘separate but equal’ system of higher education; and his improper and excessive use of the university’s foundation funds. And then there was this at South Carolina State: former board member James Clark, whom had served at SCSU for a year, was named president without a formal search. Wilson will stay, Mangum will leave, and both Clark and Gallot have the support of all key stakeholders throughout their respective states. This is the inevitable cycle of HBCU board leadership, which doesn’t have the money to cover its corruption, or enough Coming and going Florida A&M is moving to concern to value discretion in its place president Elmira Mangum dealings. on administrative leave, willing to pay her more than $380,000 a The path to progress These are just the most extreme year for the next two years with a 12-month paid sabbatical in- examples, and the sad reality for cluded. The board is also willing tomorrow is that there will be no to pay her moving expenses and changes with these boards. They will continue to think and act some of her legal costs. She’ll be leaving partially be- like elected officials, free of the cause of some missteps in hiring burden of campaigning or makand political navigation in the first ing promises they would actually year of her presidency, and mostly have to keep to ensure future apbecause she is disliked but has sur- pointment. They are scripted, insulated vived attempts to fire her, thanks to her achievements in fundrais- and clear about to whom they ing and state-required institution- must answer, and they are entirely clear that it is not students, alumal performance metrics. Days after a human body was ni, or taxpayers. It is those whom discovered decomposing in an can benefit most from their influacademic building, Morgan ence, those to whom they may be State University was ordered by married, related by blood, or cona Baltimore City circuit court to nected by political leverage, real pay a former student more than or perceived. The only way to beat them? $900,000 in damages stemming from a 2012 shooting, the sec- Give up. Concede that board leadership ond during the fall semester that year and one of several on-cam- means there will be no fair bidding pus incidents of gun violence, for certain contracts. Understand stabbings, or other attacks taking that key appointments in certain place on and around campus over faculty and staff positions will continue to be filled on credentials of the last six years. The violence, which continued relationship, not skill or fit. in February with the fatal stabbing of a student at an off-campus No power apartment near the school and an Release the idea that we can alleged suicide in the same facil- change the culture, if we comity in July, serves as a backdrop to plain or protest enough against
America’s national anthem is a celebration of slavery Before a recent preseason NFL game, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick refused to stand for the playing of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” When he explained why, he only spoke about the present: “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color. … There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.” Twitter then went predictably nuts, with at least one 49ers fan burning Kaepernick’s jersey.
White House ablaze
Almost no one seems to be aware that even if the U.S. were a perfect country today, it would be bizarre to expect African-American players to stand for “The StarSpangled Banner.” Why? Because it literally celebrates the murder of AfricanAmericans. Few people know this because we only ever sing the first verse. But read the end of the third verse and you’ll see why “The StarSpangled Banner” is not just a musical atrocity, it’s an intellectual and moral one, too: No refuge could save the hire-
VISUAL VIEWPOINT: THE NFL AND COLIN KAEPERNICK
The signs of crookedness
“The Star-Spangled Banner,” Americans hazily remember, was written by Francis Scott Key about the Battle of Fort McHenry in Baltimore during the War of 1812. But we don’t ever talk about how the War of 1812 was a war of aggression that began with an attempt by the U.S. to grab Canada from the British Empire.
Blacks shouldn’t stand
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power and operational influence.
How many jobs are being requested of presidents for family and friends? How many legislative moles are sitting among them? How many contracts are board members trying to secure for family and friends? How many feelings have been hurt because one or some of these requests weren’t honored? How many votes for termination are in the room? Not every trustee is corrupt. When you think about it, there have only been a handful of HBCU boards embroiled in controversy over the last five years, mostly for lingering issues with politics and personnel. They include (but are not limited to) Alabama State University, Florida A&M University, Grambling State University, Morgan State University, and South Carolina State University. These extreme cases earned national attention and were tied together with a common thread: increased college choices for students; new eligibility standards to get federal student loans; and cuts from federal and state funding that forced campuses to fall into further disrepair with limited personnel, technology and services to meet student needs. Those vulnerabilities increased the media scrutiny of university spending and management, introducing names like Joseph Silver, John Knight, Robert Bentley, Thomas Elzey, Nikki Haley, Rufus Montgomery, Rick Scott, David Wilson, Martin O’Malley, Dan Reneau and Bobby Jindal, to a nation of HBCU advocates and observers. These are the key figures on the tragic tale of how boards became washed over by political interests, leaving behind them a trail of imperfections punctuated by blatant displays of self-interest, contempt for presidential perspective, and increased loyalty to legislative and corporate overseers. But is a culture of executive corruption and incompetence that shocking? Considering how boards are constructed, should nepotism and ego really surprise us?
EDITORIAL
However, the strength of the U.S. military was wildly overestiJON mated. By the time of the Battle of SCHWARZ Fort McHenry in 1814, the British had counterattacked and overrun GUEST COMMENTARY Washington, D.C., setting fire to the White House. Almost no one seems And one of the key tactics behind the British military’s sucto be aware that even if cess was its active recruitment of American slaves. As a detailed article in Harper’s magazine the U.S. were a perfect 2014 explains, the orders given to the Royal Navy’s Admiral Sir George country today, it would Cockburn read: “Let the landings you make be more for the protection of the debe bizarre to expect sertion of the Black Population than with a view to any other adAfrican-American vantage. … The great point to be attained is the cordial Support of players to stand for the Black population. With them properly armed & backed with 20,000 British Troops, Mr. (James) “The Star-Spangled Madison (the U.S. president) will be hurled from his throne.” Banner.” Whole Black families found their way to the ships of the Britling and slave ish, who accepted everyone and From the terror of flight or the pledged no one would be given gloom of the grave, back to their “owners.” Adult men And the star-spangled banner were trained to create a regiment in triumph doth wave called the Colonial Marines, who O’er the land of the free and the participated in many of the most important battles, including the home of the brave.
August 1814 raid on Washington.
No refuge for slaves Then on the night of September 13, 1814, the British bombarded Fort McHenry. Key, seeing the fort’s flag the next morning, was inspired to write the lyrics for “The Star-Spangled Banner.” So when Key penned, “No refuge could save the hireling and slave / From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave,” he was taking great satisfaction in the death of slaves who’d freed themselves. His perspective may have been affected by the fact he owned several slaves himself. With that in mind, think again about the next two lines: And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave / O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave. The reality is that there were human beings fighting for freedom with incredible bravery during the War of 1812. However, “The Star-Spangled Banner” glorifies America’s “triumph” over them — and then turns that reality completely upside down, transforming their killers into the courageous freedom fighters. After the U.S. and the British signed a peace treaty at the end of 1814, the U.S. government demanded the return of American “property,” which by that point numbered about 6,000 people. The British refused. Most of the 6,000 eventually settled in Canada, with some going to Trinidad – where their descendants are still known as “Merikins.”
it. Because no matter how many boardrooms we crowd, no matter how much we say we aren’t going to give money until things change, and how clear it is that HBCU culture is dying because of board politics, we have no power to change it. We do not vote them in, we do not sit in the closed sessions where the lion’s share of their destructive work is done, and we never catch them in the act until the damage is done. And more than that, we believe silence to be a fair exchange for the notion of us, Black people, bringing down other Black people in the name of institutions we love. So the work of saving HBCUs must begin by working around the innate corruption and egotism of boards. We must ask our presidents and chancellors to be “all-in” with building relationships with board members, first by asking them what most benefits them, and then constructing institutional vision around those favors and personal agendas. Boards can’t be defeated on debates about policy; they make and enforce the same, often to protect their own interests. The traditional way of asking presidents to lead and boards to support doesn’t work. It cannot stand under the weight of politics, pride and posturing.
It’s a reality To beat corrupt boards, the unfortunate and only solution is to buy into corruption as an institutional reality, much like the rising costs of college or the funding disparities between black and white institutions. That’s part of the benefit of being on a board. Even when dead wrong, members will always be right – until they aren’t. And when they aren’t, it is usually too late to do anything about it.
Jarrett L. Carter, Sr. is publisher of HBCU Digest (www. hbcudigest.com). Click on this commentary at www.flcourier.com to write your own response. the backlash against Kaepernick need more inspiration, they can get it from Francis Scott Key’s later life. By 1833, Key was a district attorney for Washington, D.C. As described in a book called “Snowstorm in August” by former Washington Post reporter Jefferson Morley, the police were notorious thieves, frequently stealing free blacks’ possessions with impunity. One night, one of the constables tried to attack a woman who escaped and ran away – until she fell off a bridge across the Potomac River and drowned. “There is neither mercy nor justice for colored people in this district,” an abolitionist paper wrote. “No fuss or stir was made about it. She was got out of the river, and was buried, and there the matter ended.” Key was furious and indicted the newspaper for intending “to injure, oppress, aggrieve & vilify the good name, fame, credit & reputation of the Magistrates & constables of Washington County.”
Jon Schwarz has contributed to many publications, including The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Wall Street Journal, Mother Jones and Slate, as well as NPR and “Saturday Night Live.” This article previously appeared in The Intercept. Click on this Some more facts commentary at www.flcourier. Furthermore, if those leading com to write your own response.
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NATION
SEPTEMBER 9 – SEPTEMBER 15, 2016 “Creating change that tackles social injustice, strengthens leadership effectiveness and uplifts populations is of monumental importance to the CBCF. As we celebrate CBCF’s 40th anniversary and reflect on our journey thus far, we realize now is the time to reassert the changes needed to contribute to a sustainable future.”
Special events
OLIVIER DOULIERY/ABACA PRESS/TNS
President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama arrive on stage for the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Annual Phoenix Awards dinner in September 2014 in D.C. The president will speak at this year’s Phoenix Awards Dinner on Sept. 17.
Black Caucus Foundation to host annual conference Obama among speakers at 46th Annual Legislative Conference in D.C. TRICE EDNEY NEWS WIRE
About 10,000 policymakers, activists, business executives and others are expected to gather Sept. 14-18 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C., for the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s 46th Annual Legislative Conference (ALC).
The yearly conclave is one of the premier platforms for examining critical issues facing the Black community and setting an agenda for its empowerment. “The ALC is one of the nation’s most influential conferences of African-American entrepreneurs, business leaders, legislators, and community activists,” R. Donahue Peebles, chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation board of directors, said in a statement. “This year more than ever, it is imperative that beyond measuring the status of racial democracy and economics we take ac-
tionable steps towards equalizing those disparities. We intend for this conference to accelerate solutions to the most threatening problems facing African-Americans.”
‘Defining the Moment’ Reflecting this year’s theme, “Defining the Moment – Building the Movement,” the conference will look to the past – highlighting key moments in American history that define the Congressional Black Caucus and the Foundation – as it seeks to define a clear path to an economically, politically, and socially brighter future for the Black community in the U.S. “During ALC, we will learn from our history and leverage those lessons towards a movement that builds mutual understanding and can help us safeguard our contributions to the social and economic development of our communities,” said U.S. Rep. William Lacy Clay (D) of Missouri, a co-chair of the convention.
Obama to speak The five-day event will feature more than 70 public policy forums, with a particular emphasis on concerns around voter suppression, police brutality, and economic opportunity. Additionally, the ALC will feature a variety of events including an on-site employment fair and authors’ pavilion, the National Town Hall, Celebration of Leadership in the Fine Arts awards ceremony, Gospel Extravaganza, Black Party, the annual Prayer Breakfast, a jazz concert, exhibit showcase, and the culminating event, the Phoenix Awards Dinner, where President Barack Obama is expected to give his last address before he exits the White House. “ALC offers an interactive and engaging learning environment using a flexible platform of constructive exchanges about social justice and economic empowerment,’’ said A. Shuanise Washington, president and CEO of the foundation.
Sept. 14: The Celebration of Leadership in the Fine Arts, 8-10:30 p.m.: The event recognizes inspirational Black luminaries in the fine arts and raises scholarship funds for students who have demonstrated exceptional talent in the arts. The 2016 honorees include musical legend Dionne Warwick, actress and Broadway star Cicely Tyson, and actor Richard Roundtree. Sept. 15: National Town Hall, 9-11 a.m.: Moderated by CBC Chairman Rep. G.K. Butterfield, D-N.C. Gospel Extravaganza, 8-10:30 p.m.: Featuring several choirs, including: The Georgia Mass Choir, of Atlanta; Word Tabernacle Choir, Rocky Mount, N.C.; The Coahoma Community College Gospel Choir of Clarksdale, Miss.; and the E. L. Clyburn Memorial Choir of Sumter, S.C. Jazz Concert: 8-11 p.m.: Featuring saxophonist Yosvany Terry. Sept. 17: Prayer Breakfast, 7-10 a.m. Phoenix Awards Dinner, 6-9:30 p.m.: Hosted by Trevor Noah, host of “The Daily Show’’ on Comedy Central and actress Sanaa Lathan, the event will honor Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, U.S. Reps. Charles B. Rangel and Marcia L. Fudge, business magnate and philanthropist Robert F. Smith, and Emanuel A.M.E. Church. President Obama will offer his seventh and final keynote address. Sept. 18: Donald M. Payne Memorial Fellowship Cruise, 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. For more information and full schedule of events, visit www. eventscribe.com/2016/ALC. This story is special to the Trice Edney News Wire from the Afro American Newspaper.
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ONE DAY SALE PRICES IN EFFECT 9/9-9/10/2016. OPEN A MACY’S ACCOUNT FOR EXTRA 20% SAVINGS THE FIRST 2 DAYS, UP TO $100, WITH MORE REWARDS TO COME. Macy’s credit card is available subject to credit approval; new account savings valid the day your account is opened and the next day; excludes services, selected licensed departments, gift cards, restaurants, gourmet food & wine. The new account savings are limited to a total of $100; application must qualify for immediate approval to receive extra savings; employees not eligible.
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IFE/FAITH
How to keep eating on track while at home See page B3
SOUTH FLORIDA / TREASURE COAST AREA
SEPT. 9 – SEPT. 15, 2016
SHARING BLACK LIFE, STATEWIDE
A glance at HBCU football See page B5
WWW.FLCOURIER.COM
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SECTION
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S
Storm didn’t stop
Party with a Purpose
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Allstate Tom Joyner Family Reunion draws thousands from around the country for concerts, seminars and activities for all ages FLORIDA COURIER STAFF
For those who braved
the stormy weather last weekend to attend the Allstate Tom Joyner Family Reunion at the Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center in Kissimmee, there were plenty of activities to keep them happy and entertained. Thousands traveled from around the country to attend the annual event, dubbed the “Family Party with a Purpose.’’ From Sept. 1-5, the host of the nationally syndicated “Tom Joyner Morning Show’’ and Allstate Insurance Company, presented a family weekend that included concerts, educational seminars, parties, theme park visits, and activities for the kids. Celebs in action Highlights were concerts by Jill Scott, El DeBarge, Chrisette Michele, The Masters of Funk showcasing Brick, The Bar-Kays, Switch, Steve Arrington, along with ConFunkShun with Michael Cooper. Erica Campbell and Hezekiah Walker were among the gospel performers who took the Gaylord guests “to church’’ on Sunday. Other celebrities participated in seminars hosted by the reunion. Actors participated in a Longevity in Hollywood panel. It included Tisha Campbell, Wendy Raquel Robinson, Hawthorne James and Tommy Ford. A free expo in the exhibition hall offered everything from jewelry and apparel to information about experts about health, education and Black history. There were areas that focused on health and beauty, college, kids and teens, retail, arts and culture. There also was an authors’ pavilion. The autograph zone allowed for fans to get autographs from the celebrities onsite. Joyner created his annual “Family Party with A Purpose in 2003. Funds from the reunion help the Tom Joyner Foundation, which has raised more than $60 million to help keep students in historically Black colleges and universities.
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4 1. Wendy Raquel Robinson talks about longevity in Hollywood.
KIM GIBSON/ FLORIDA COURIER
2. ConFunkShun performs during the “Masters of Funk’’ concert. KIM GIBSON/ FLORIDA COURIER
5 3. Young Tito from Connecticut makes an Olympic move during a pool party. KIM GIBSON/ FLORIDA COURIER
4. Comedian Huggy Lowdown of the “Tom Joyner Morning Show’’ entertains.
DUANE C. FERNANDEZ SR./ HARDNOTTS PHOTOGRAPHY.COM
5. Celebrities participate in the Longevity in Hollywood session.
DUANE C. FERNANDEZ SR./ HARDNOTTS PHOTOGRAPHY.COM
See page B2 for more pictures from the Allstate Tom Joyner Family Reunion
ENTERTAINMENT
B2
SEPTEMBER 9 – SEPTEMBER 15, 2016
STOJ
Allstate Tom Joyner Family Reunion
Party with a Purpose
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5 1
1. Jill Scott entertains the reunion crowd on Friday night.
DUANE C. FERNANDEZ SR./HARDNOTTSPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
2. Tom Joyner moderates an HBCU Bowl.
DUANE C. FERNANDEZ SR./HARDNOTTSPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
3. Jimmy Brown with Brick was a crowdpleaser.
DUANE C. FERNANDEZ SR./HARDNOTTSPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
4. Tisha Campbell was one of the celebs onsite. KIM GIBSON/FLORIDA COURIER
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5. There were plenty of activities for reunion attendees.
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KIM GIBSON/FLORIDA COURIER
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SEPTEMBER 9 – SEPTEMBER 15, 2016
FOOD
B3
FROM FAMILY FEATURES
Even if you’ve mastered the art of a smart workday lunch and can pick the most nutritious items on a restaurant menu like a pro, eating healthy at home is an unexpected downfall many people face. When you find the chance to take a break from the busy pace of life and spend some time at home, it can be easy to slip into an all-indulgence mindset. Just remember that doesn’t have to mean going all-out on junk food. Enjoy the comforts of home and keep your eating on track with these helpful tips.
When you’re spending time with family It’s easy to catch a carefree spirit while you’re running the bases in an impromptu game of backyard baseball or being tempted by yet another imaginary dessert from the kiddie kitchen. When playtime winds down for dinner, there’s no reason for the fun to stop. Have kids get hands-on to help assemble a healthy meal everyone can enjoy. Skip the cutting, peeling and mess by using Dole Jarred Fruit to prepare salads, desserts and even main dishes that satisfy the whole family’s sweet tooth.
When you’re tackling chores From seasonal landscaping to the myriad projects you’ve been putting off, the list of chores around the house may seem never-ending. Remember to stay hydrated, especially if you’re working outdoors, and be sure you make time to eat, even if it’s just a quick bite to keep you fueled. Air-popped crackers and hummus is a smart alternative to chips and dip, or get your pick-me-up from a handful of nuts and a serving of sweet, juicy fruit.
When you want to be a couch potato When a new TV season begins this fall, keep your guilty pleasure in check with quick, healthy dishes to enjoy as you binge watch your favorite shows. Keep your kitchen stocked with ingredients such as high quality, ready-to-eat Dole Jarred Fruit so you can create quick and easy snacks with a serving of fruit in between episodes or during a commercial break. For more recipes you can enjoy at home, visit dolesunshine.com.
SWEET TREATS
Tickle your taste buds with these tricks that transform a kitchen staple like jarred fruit into a tasty treat: • Brighten up bland yogurt or frozen waffles with a serving of jarred fruit, such as sliced peaches or mandarin oranges. • Dip jarred pineapple chunks in melted chocolate and pop them in the freezer until hardened. • Top a serving of jarred tropical fruit with coconut flakes for an island escape.
PINEAPPLE PARFAIT Total time: 10 minutes Servings: 1 1 jar (23.5 ounces) Dole Pineapple Chunks 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt 2 vanilla wafers, crushed Measure 1/2 cup drained fruit. Spoon pineapple chunks into dessert glass. Spoon yogurt over pineapple. Sprinkle crushed wafers on top. TROPICAL RUM RAISIN DESSERT Total time: 30 minutes Servings: 4 1 jar (23.5 ounces) Dole Tropical Fruit, drained, juice reserved 1/2 cup Dole Seedless Raisins 1/4 cup spiced or coconut rum 2 cups vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt, divided 4 teaspoons toasted shredded coconut, divided Place fruit in medium bowl and set aside. In small bowl, combine raisins, rum and 1/4 cup reserved juice. Allow raisins to soak at least 20 minutes until plump. Drain off liquid. Combine fruit and rum raisins; spoon into serving bowls. Top each bowl with 1/2 cup scoop of ice cream and top each with 1 teaspoon toasted coconut. Tip: 1/2 teaspoon rum extract and 1/2 cup reserved juice may be used instead of rum. ASIAN CHICKEN LETTUCE WRAPS Total time: 15 minutes Servings: 1 1/2 cup refrigerated cooked chicken breast strips
2 Bibb or Boston lettuce leaves 1/2 cup Dole Mandarin Oranges, drained 2 teaspoons slivered almonds 1 tablespoon light Asian salad dressing Divide chicken equally inside two lettuce leaves, making two wraps. Add 1/4 cup of Dole Mandarin Oranges and 1 teaspoon slivered almonds into each wrap. Serve lettuce wraps with light Asian salad dressing for dipping. ORANGE CHIPOTLE AVOCADO TOAST Total time: 10 minutes Servings: 1 1 slice whole wheat bread 1/2 avocado, diced or smashed salt pepper 1/3 cup Dole Mandarin Oranges, drained 1/2 teaspoon chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, finely chopped 1/4 lime Lightly toast whole-wheat bread and top with diced avocado. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. In medium bowl, toss oranges with chipotle peppers. Spoon oranges over avocado toast and finish with a squeeze of lime. Tip: For spicier toast, include pepper seeds. For more mild heat, remove seeds. A sprinkle of chili pepper can also be used to add spice.
B4
SPORTS
COLLEGE football Greg Logan’s college football preseason
SEPTEMBER 9 – SEPTEMBER 15, 2016
TOP 20
43.5 points and returns top RB Samaje Perine (1,349
STOJ
BY GREG LOGAN • NEWSDAY
18. OREGON Coach: Mark Helfrich, 4th year (33-8) Last year: 9-4, 7-2 Pac-12, lost to TCU, 47-41, 3 OT, Alamo Bowl Outlook: Second straight FCS transfer QB Dakota Prukop takes charged of high-powered offense with RB Royce Freeman (1,836 yards, 17 TDs), great receivers.
19. BAYLOR Coach: Jim Grobe, 1st year (0-0) Last year: 10-3, 6-3 Big 12, def. North Carolina, 49-38, Russell Athletic Bowl Outlook: Art Briles was fired for lack of program control. QB Seth Russell (2,104 yards, 29 TDs), RB Shock Linwood (1,329 yards, 10 TDs) led 48.1 ppg attack.
20. MIAMI
1. CLEMSON Coach: Dabo Swinney, 9th year (75-27) Last year: 14-1, 8-0 ACC, def. Oklahoma, 37-17, Orange Bowl semifinal (SF), lost to Alabama, 45-40, CFP championship Outlook: QB Deshaun Watson leads best offense in country with RB Wayne Gallman (1,527 yards, 13 TDs), WRs Artavis Scott (93 catches, 901 yards, 6 TDs) and Hunter Renfrow, TE Jordan Leggett (40, 525, 8 TDs) plus return of injured Mike Williams (57, 1,030 in 2014). Fairly soft schedule has bye before Oct. 29 at Florida State.
2. ALABAMA Coach: Nick Saban, 10th year (105-18) Last year: 14-1, 7-1 SEC, def. Michigan State, 38-0, Cotton Bowl SF, def. Clemson, 45-40, CFP championship Outlook: Junior QB Cooper Bateman is projected starter, but true freshman Jalen Hurts and redshirt frosh Blake Barnett are in picture. Soph RBs Bo Scarborough and Damien Harris replace Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry. New defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt inherits most talented defense in country.
3. MICHIGAN Coach: Jim Harbaugh, 2nd year (10-3) Last year: 10-3, 6-2 Big Ten, def. Florida, 41-7, Citrus Bowl Outlook: Houston transfer John O’Korn has experience edge in QB battle with Wilton Speight. Veteran WRs Jehu Chesson and Amara Darboh and All-America TE candidate Jake Butt return. Soph LB Jabrill Peppers leads defense that allowed 16.4 ppg last season. Snag is road games at Michigan State, Iowa and Ohio State.
4. TCU
yards, 16 TDs). DE Charles Walker (6 sacks), LB Jordan Evans, CB Jordan Thomas (5 int.) lead top Big 12 defense. Tough nonconference games at Houston and vs. Ohio State.
9. LSU Coach: Les Miles, 12th year (112-32) Last year: 9-3, 5-3 SEC, def. Texas Tech, 56-27 in Texas Bowl Outlook: Preseason ankle injury to Heisman candidate RB Leonard Fournette (1,953 yards, 22 TDs) scared fans, but he’ll be ready for opener vs. Wisconsin at Green Bay’s Lambeau Field. Tigers return 17 starters, including nine on defense under new coordinator Dave Aranda from Wisconsin. Bye precedes Alabama home game.
10. STANFORD Coach: David Shaw, 6th year (54-14) Last year: 12-2, 8-1 Pac-12, def. Iowa, 4516, Rose Bowl Outlook: Shaw breaking in soph. QB Keller Chryst, whose main job is to get the ball to Heisman runner-up RB Christian McCaffrey, who set all-time NCAA all-purpose yards records last year with 3,864 yards (2,019 rushing, 645 receiving, 1,200 return). Cardinal faces tough road games at UCLA, Washington, Notre Dame and Oregon.
11. HOUSTON Coach: Tom Herman, 2nd year (13-1) Last year: 13-1, 7-1 AAC, def. Florida State, 38-24, Peach Bowl Outlook: Cougars averaged 40.4 points behind QB Greg Ward (1,108, 21 TDs rushing, 2,828, 17 TDs passing), could upset Oklahoma in opener, might jump to Big 12 soon.
12. NOTRE DAME
Coach: Brian Kelly, 7th year (55-23) Coach: Gary Patterson, 16th year (143Last year: 10-3, independent, lost to 47) Ohio State, 44-28, Fiesta Bowl Last year: 11-2, 7-2 Big 12, def. Oregon, Outlook: Kelly will use both QBs DeShone Kizer 47-41, 3 OT, Alamo Bowl. and Malik Zaire in opener at Texas. Irish get Michigan Outlook: Texas A&M transfer Kenny Hill takes over State, Stanford, Miami, Virginia Tech at home. at QB and junior RB Kyle Hicks steps up, but offense is 13. IOWA loaded with seven of top nine receivers returning, including KaVontae Turpin (45 catches, 649, 8 TDs). DeCoach: Kirk Ferentz, 18th year (127-87) fense has eight returning starters led by DE Josh CarLast year: 12-2, 8-0 Big Ten, lost to Stan raway (9 sacks) and LB Travin Howard. Frogs get OU ford, 45-16, Rose Bowl at home. Outlook: QB C.J. Beathard led 12-0 run last season before ending with two postseason losses. Hawkeyes 5. FLORIDA STATE get Wisconsin, Michigan, Nebraska at home. Coach: Jimbo Fisher, 7th year (68-14) 14. LOUISVILLE Last year: 10-3, 6-2 ACC, lost to Houston, 38-24, Peach Bowl Coach: Bobby Petrino, 7th year (58-18) Outlook: Redshirt freshman QB Deondre Last year: 8-5, 5-3 AAC, def. Texas A&M, Francois can rely on offense with 10 returning starters, 27-21, Music City Bowl including RB Dalvin Cook (1,691 yards, 19 TDs), who Outlook: QB Lamar Jackson (960 rushing, 11 TDs, is a Heisman candidate. Defense features DE DeMar1,840 passing, 12 TDs) leads offense returning nine cus Walker (10.5 sacks) and SS Derwin James (91 tack- starters. LB Devonte Fields (10.5 sacks, 22 tackles for les, 4.5 sacks). ’Noles get bye before Clemson at home. loss) heads vet defense. 6. OHIO STATE Coach: Urban Meyer, 5th year (50-4) Last year: 12-1, 7-1 Big Ten, def. Notre Dame, 44-28, Fiesta Bowl Outlook: Buckeyes are 31-1 in conference under Meyer, but Michigan State loss knocked them out of CFP last year. Only 3 starters return on offense and defense, but QB J.T. Barrett gets full control after alternating last year. Schedule includes road games at OU, Wisconsin, Penn State and MSU, but Michigan is a home game. 7. WASHINGTON Coach: Chris Peterson, 3rd year, 15-12 Last year: 7-6, 4-5 Pac-12, def. Southern Miss, 44-31, Heart of Dallas Bowl Outlook: Huskies have 15 returning starters and are hot preseason pick to make leap forward under Peterson, who was 107-24 at Boise State and can build a program. RB Myles Gaskin (1,302 yards, 14 TDs) and QB Jake Browning (2,955 yards, 16 TDs, 10 int.) lead potent offense, and defense is best in Pac-12.
8. OKLAHOMA Coach: Bob Stoops, 18th year (179-46) Last year: 11-2, 8-1 Big 12, lost to Clemson, 37-17, Orange Bowl SF Outlook: QB Baker Mayfield (3,700 yards, 36 TDs, 7 int.) leads dynamic offense that averaged
15. TENNESSEE Coach: Butch Jones, 4th year (21-17 Last year: 9-4, 5-3 SEC, def. Northwestern, 45-6, Outback Bowl Outlook: QB Joshua Dobbs (2,962 yards. total offense, 26 TDs), RB Jalen Hurd (1,288 yards, 12 TDs) lead offense. Tough October at Georgia, at Texas A&M, vs. Alabama.
16. BOISE STATE Coach: Bryan Harsin, 3rd year (21-6) Last year: 9-4, 5-3 Mountain West, def. Northern Illinois, 55-7, Poinsettia Bowl Outlook: Broncos averaged 39.1 points with QB Brett Rypien (3,353 yards, 20 TDs, 8 int.), and RB Jeremy McNichols (1,337 yards, 20 TDs). Finish at Air Force is key.
17. TEXAS A&M Coach: Kevin Sumlin, 5th year (36-16) Last year: 8-5, 4-4 SEC, lost to Louisville 27-21, Music City Bowl Outlook: Sumlin on hot seat after two 8-5 seasons, but Oklahoma transfers QB Trevor Knight and RB Keith Ford join WR Christian Kirk (80 catches, 1,009 yards, 7 TDs).
Coach: Mark Richt, 1st year (0-0) Last year: 8-5, 5-3 ACC, lost to Washington State, 20-14, Sun Bowl Outlook: Richt leaves Georgia (145-51) for alma mater, has 15 returning starters, including QB Brad Kaaya (3,238 yards, 16 TDs) and RB Joseph Yearby (1,002 yards, 6 TDs).
Greg Logan picks his preseason top 10 Heisman Trophy candidates for 2016 1. Deshaun Watson QB, Clemson: First player in Division I to pass for 4,000 yazrds (4,104 yds., 35 TD, 13 int.) and rush for 1,000 (1,105 yds., 12 TD). 2. Christian McCaffrey - RB, Stanford: Set all-purpose yardage record (2,019 rushing, 645 receiving, 1,200 kick returns), had 461 in Pac-12 title game and record 368 in Rose Bowl. 3. Leonard Fournette, RB, LSU: Rushed for 1,953 yards and 22 TDs as freshman, added 253 receiving yards. Workhorse suffered potentially damaging ankle injury during preseason. Must prove durability. 4. Nick Chubb, RB, Georgia: Rushed for 747 yards, 7 TDs and 8.1 average before suffering season-ending injury in sixth game. Had 1,547 rushing yards as freshman. 5. Greg Ward, QB, Houston: Passed for 2,828 yards and 17 TDS, rushed for 1,108 yards and 21 TDs in 13-1 season, including Peach Bowl win over Florida St. 6. Chad Kelly, QB, Ole Miss: Top SEC QB passed for 4,042 yards and 31 TDs, rushed for 500 yards and 10 TDs, helped give Alabama its only loss. 7. Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma: Fourth in Heisman voting last season when he passed for 3,700 yards and 36 TDs and rushed for 405 yards and 7 TDs. 8. J.T. Barrett, QB, Ohio State: Split time at QB with Cardale Jones last season but regained starting role second half of season, passing for 11 TDs and rushing for 11 TDs. 9. Dalvin Cook, RB, Florida St.: Rushed for 1,691 yards, 19 TDs, 7.4 average carry and had eight 100-yard games, including two over 200 yards. 10. Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA: Had outstanding freshman debut as starter with 3,668 yards passing and 23 TDs, throwing school-record 245 passes without interception at one point.
STOJ
FINEST & ENTERTAINMENT
SEPTEMBER 9 – SEPTEMBER 15, 2016
Meet some of
FLORIDA’S
finest
submitted for your approval
Chrisette Michele was one of the artists who wowed the crowds last weekend during the Allstate Tom Joyner Family Reunion. The annual event was held at the Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center in Kissimmee. FINEST PHOTOS BY KIM GIBSON/FLORIDA COURIER
HBCUs teams away this weekend Florida HBCU football teams all have games out of state this weekend. Bethune-Cookman University will play North Texas on Sept. 10 in Denton, Texas. The game is at 7 p.m. The Wildcats’ next home game will be at 4 p.m. Sept. 17 against Tennessee State Univer-
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.
Bass guitarist James Alexander, an original member of The Bar-Kays, performed Sept. 3 with his band during the “Masters of Funk’’ concert at the Allstate Tom Joyner Family Reunion. Alexander was the only Bar-Kays member not aboard a 1967 flight that claimed the lives of four of the six band members and singer Otis Redding.
sity. The game will be played at Municipal Stadium in Daytona Beach. Florida A&M University faces Coastal Carolina in Conway, S.C.., on Sept. 10. That game also is at 7 p.m. FAMU is away again on Sept. 17 as the Rattlers take on Tuskegee University in Mobile, Ala. FAMU’s first home game is 6 p.m. Sept. 24 at Bragg Memorial Stadium in Tallahassee against South Carolina State. Edward Waters College will play Livingstone College in Salisbury, N.C. The game is at 1 p.m. The crosstown Jacksonville Classic with the Edward Waters Tigers and Jacksonville University is set for Sept. 17.
BAD BOY FAMILY REUNION TOUR
The Bad Boy Family Reunion Tour makes a stop at the AmericanAirlines Arena on Sept. 10 and Tampa’s Amalie Arena on Sept. 11. Performers will include Puff Daddy (Sean Combs), Faith Evans, Lil Kim and French Montana.
CHARLES J. OGLETREE
KIM GIBSON/FLORIDA COURIER
Above, Bethune-Cookman and Alcorn State tangle in the MEAC/SWAC Challenge on Sept. 4 in Daytona Beach. The game was canceled in the second quarter because of bad weather. There will be no makeup game.
The Voting Rights Teach-In 2016 is 1 to 4 p.m. Sept. 10 at Florida Memorial University’s Lou Rawls Center for the Performing Arts. The guest speaker is Harvard Law Professor Charles J. Ogletree.
FLORIDA COMMUNITY CALENDAR Tampa: The Tampa Bay Chapter of the National Black MBA Association will host career and leadership development, networking and recruitment opportunities on Sept. 16 at the Hilton Tampa Airport Westshore Hotel from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Details: www.tampabayconference. com.
COURTESY OF FAMU
Florida A&M got crushed by the University of Miami last weekend before a crowd of 60,703 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. Florida A&M faces Coastal Carolina in Conway, S.C.
Fort Lauderdale: The Keb’ Mo’ Band performs Sept. 22 at Parker Playhouse. The show is at 8 p.m. Jacksonville: Catch actor
and comedian Martin Lawrence on Oct. 21 at the Times Union Center for Performing Arts. St. Augustine: The 451st anniversary of the founding of the city is Sept. 10, hosted by volunteers of Florida Living History Inc. and Mission Nombre de Dios. Details: www.floridalivinghistory.org www.missionandshrine.org. Jacksonville: Anthony Hamilton, Lailah Hathaway and Eric Benet will perform Oct. 28 at the Times Union Center for Performing Arts. Miami Beach: Leon Bridges will perform Sept. 13 at the Fillmore Miami Beach at the Jackie Gleason Theater and
Sept. 14 at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater. Orlando: Catch Ludacris on Oct. 13 at the CFE Arena. The show is at 8 p.m. Jacksonville: Tickets are on sale for the “Puttin’ on the Ritz’’ show on Oct. 7 at the Ritz Theatre. Tampa: Kanye West’s The Saint Pablo Tour stops at Amalie Arena on Sept. 14 and Miami’s AmericanAirlines Arena on Sept. 16. Daytona Beach: Tickets are on sale for an Oct. 22 show with Jeffrey Osborne and Gerald Albright and Oct. 23 at The Mahaffey in St. Petersburg.
JOBS
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SEPTEMBER 9 – SEPTEMBER 15, 2016
TOJ
Wanted: More electricians, roofers, plumbers New survey shows shortage of skilled construction workers BY KEVIN G. HALL TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE
WASHINGTON – Construction companies no longer fret over finding work. They increasingly worry about finding enough skilled workers. “The industry’s workforce challenge is primarily a craftworker shortage,” said Stephen Sandherr, the CEO of the Associated General Contractors of America, adding that skilled hourly workers represent “the bulk of construction workers.” The worker shortage, highlighted in the group’s new survey of members, showed that demand will grow for roofers, plumbers, electricians, carpenters and concrete masons — the very positions in shortest supply. The U.S. Labor Department projects that demand nationwide for all those categories, except for carpenters, will grow considerably faster over the next decade than the pace of overall job growth.
‘Train people’ Presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are promising infrastructure spending to boost employment, but where are those prospective workers who will build new bridges and highways? “You can throw money at it, but you’ve got to figure out a way to train people to build these projects,” said Ron Brown, executive vice president of State Utility Contractors in Monroe, N.C., which installs water and sewer pipelines. “You can put in all the money in the world, but if there aren’t enough people out there to build it, it can’t get built.” Labor Department data shows that demand for masonry workers is expected to grow by 15 percent from 2014 to 2024. That’s more than twice the rate of projected overall 7 percent job
JULIA RENDLEMAN/PITSSBURGH POST-GAZETTE/TNS
Ryan Kelley builds a “z wall” in 2014 at the Trade Institute of Pittsburgh in Wilkinsburg, Pa. The ex-felon was enrolled in a masonry training program. growth in the same period, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
line as poor or fair, while only 14 percent said the craft-worker pipeline was good or excellent.”
Growing demand
Not enough millennials
Similarly, demand for electricians is projected to grow 14 percent over that 10-year period. Demand for roofers is expected to grow by 13 percent and for plumbers by 12 percent. Only demand for carpenters nearly matches the overall growth, projected to rise by 6 percent. The government data lines up neatly with what construction firms are reporting in the membership survey released last week by the contractors’ group. “These worker shortages are occurring at a time when many construction firms have a low opinion of the pipeline for recruiting and preparing new craft workers,” the survey noted in a summary. “Three-quarters of construction firms that responded to this survey rated that pipe-
Take North Carolina. The group’s survey said 79 percent of participating members in the state expected to expand and hire more hourly workers in the next 12 months, but 84 percent reported difficulty in finding skilled hourly craftsmen right now. “The availability of people, they’re just not out there,” Brown told McClatchy. “We have a lot of baby boomers” but “There just aren’t enough younger people coming in.” Next door in Georgia, there’s a 5-to-1 ratio of older skilled workers leaving versus young ones joining the construction force, said Mike Dunham, CEO of the contractors’ group in Georgia. “They’re leaving our marketplace and we’re only putting one person back in the marketplace,”
he lamented on a conference call discussing the survey.
Pay increases In the survey of 1,500 members, the association said companies were dealing with the shortage by increasing hours, pay and benefits. Almost half of the companies surveyed — 48 percent — reported that they had increased base pay for craft workers because of shortages. Some 47 percent said they were increasing overtime hours. One potential solution to the worker shortage is allowing in more skilled migrants or finding a way to legalize those who are already here. “The association has long championed immigration reform,” said Brian Turmail, spokesman for the contractors’ group, which favors a temporary loosening of restrictions to address the worker shortage.
“We see, as a short-term measure, making it easier for persons with construction skills to legally come into the country.”
No digging ditches Contractors say the current approach puts the onus on them to determine whether someone is in the country legally; they want the government to take responsibility. One longer-term solution is more vocational training in high schools and community colleges, something manufacturers and contractors have been pushing for a decade. The nature of manual labor has changed. Perceptions haven’t. “The equipment we run is computerized. When you’re moving dirt, the machines are computerized. We use lasers,” said Brown. “They think, ‘I’ll be digging a ditch with a shovel the rest of my life.’ And it’s nowhere near that.”
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