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SEPTEMBER 11 – SEPTEMBER 17, 2015

VOLUME 23 NO. 37

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TRUMP WITHOUT THE BIG MOUTH Republicans are taking a hard look at GOP presidential candidate Ben Carson, who trails only Donald Trump in early polls. Could Carson be America’s second Black president? world to separate Siamese twins ly have Carson in second place to and would often say a silent Trump when it comes to support prayer prior to performing each from Republicans. In Iowa, which will kick off the SIMI VALLEY, CALIF. – For con- operation. early nominating contests in the servative voters looking for out2016 race, Carson is polling well sider presidential candidates Political rookie with an important GOP voting without the bombast of DonBut he’s never run for office beald Trump, an alternative has fore. He’s never even worked on a bloc: evangelical Christian voters. And he has financial backing emerged in recent weeks: Dr. Ben political campaign. from leaders of Fortune 500 comCarson, the pioneering neurosurYet it is precisely those quali- panies. geon whose faith is central to his ties – his Christian faith, his out“He fits the bill perfectly, he restory. sider status and his medical back- ally does,” said Steffen Schmidt, Carson spent nearly three de- ground – that intrigue Republi- a longtime professor of politicades as director of pediatric neu- cans yearning for something new cal science at Iowa State UniverLLOYD FOX/BALTIMORE SUN/MCT rosurgery at Baltimore’s famed from a crowded cast of presiden- sity. “He’s not in your face calling In this file photo, Dr. Ben Carson posed in his office at Johns Johns Hopkins Hospital, where tial candidates. Several polls in See CARSON, Page A2 Hopkins in Baltimore in 2013. he was the first surgeon in the early-voting states and national-

BY KURTIS LEE LOS ANGELES TIMES/TNS

2015 U.S. OPEN

Two of the greatest

Crime lab crisis ‘Thousands’ of state rape kits untested BY JIM TURNER THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

TALLAHASSEE – Attorney General Pam Bondi put added pressure Wednesday on lawmakers to increase funding for crime labs as she detailed a massive backlog of untested rape kits across the state. “Those need to be tested because, hidden in those estimated thousands of untested rape kits, we have the potential to solve cold cases and lock up sexual predators and make Florida the safest place to live and raise a family,” Bondi said during a news conference at The Crisis Center of Tampa Bay.

Salary increases

MARGOT JORDAN PHOTOGRAPHY

On Tuesday, Serena Williams and big sis Venus walk off the court after Serena won their quarterfinal match, 6-2, 1-6, 6-3, moving closer to winning another Grand Slam tournament. If Serena wins the U.S. Open, she will become one of only four women to win four major pro tennis tournaments in the same year.

Half of Americans have diabetes or pre-diabetes BY DEBORAH NETBURN LOS ANGELES TIMES / TNS

About half of all Americans have either diabetes or pre-diabetes, according to a new report. And experts in the field say that’s good news. That’s because the study finds that after two decades of linear growth, the prevalence of diabetes in the United States has finally started to plateau.

Steady level In a paper published Tuesday in JAMA, the authors write that their findings are consistent with other studies that show the percentage of people with diagnosed diabetes remained steady from 2008 to 2012. “Although obesity and Type 2 diabetes remain major clini-

ALSO INSIDE

cal and public health problems in the United States, the current data provide a glimmer of hope,” wrote William Herman and Amy Rothberg of the University of Michigan in an article accompanying the paper. Herman and Rothberg, who were not involved in the research, said the study suggests the implementation of food, nutrition and physical activity policies and regulations by federal, state and local governments as well as other efforts to curb obesity and diabetes have finally started to pay off. “Progress has been made, but expanded and sustained efforts will be required,” they wrote. The study is based on data collected by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The researchers report that from 2011 to 2012 between 12 percent

and 14 percent of Americans had diabetes, depending on what criteria were used to diagnose them. This percentage has remained stable since 2008. The research team also found that the proportion of people who had diabetes without knowing it decreased from 40.3 percent in 1998-1994 to 31 percent in 20112012.

Ethnic differences This decrease, however, was not seen across all racial and ethnic groups. The proportion of MexicanAmericans who were undiagnosed was higher than their White and Black counterparts, and this percentage had not decreased over time. The authors suggest this result may be due to a lower percentage of Mexican-

Americans with health insurance, leading to lower access to health care. The authors also found that Asian people were more likely than any other racial group to have undiagnosed diabetes.

Bondi’s news conference came as the Florida Department of Law Enforcement is expected to request an additional $35 million in funding during the 2016 legislative session, including $7.76 million to raise Pam the base salaries of Bondi people working in crime labs. Rep. Janet Adkins, a Fernandina Beach Republican who attended Bondi’s news conference, said she is working on legislation that would establish standards related to when local agencies submit the test kits to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. “When a victim of sexual assault has the very intrusive process of having DNA collected, they have a reasonable expectation that that DNA be tested,” Adkins said. See KITS, Page A2

SNAPSHOTS ENTERTAINMENT | B1

‘Black-ish’ kids among the celebs at Joyner reunion

Pre-diabetes growth The prevalence of people with pre-diabetes has grown over time. Previous studies show that between 1990 and 2002, 29 percent of people had pre-diabetes. Between 2007 and 2010, that number grew to 36 percent. In 2011 and 2012, the authors report the number grew slightly to 37 percent to 38 percent. Altogether, that means that in 2011-2012, 49 percent to 52 percent of the entire U.S. population is estimated to have diabetes or pre-diabetes.

COMMENTARY: GLEN FORD: TRUMP HELPS DEMS RULE BLACKS BY FEAR | A4 COMMENTARY: JULIANNE MALVEAUX: RACISM AND ‘ANGRY BLACK GUNMEN’ | A5

NATION | A3 & A6

Obama orders sick pay for certain workers

$6.4 million for family of Freddie Gray

FOCUS

SEPTEMBER 11 – SEPTEMBER 17, 2015

Are you living the good life? Most African-Americans would love to live “the good life”! They want the good marriage, the good relationship, the good baby Mama, the good baby daddy, the good children, the good house, the good car, the good business, the good job, the good health, the good education, the good church, the good school, the good retirement, the good vacation, the good hairstyle, the good clothes, the good mind, the good body and so on. Well, God helps those that want the good life that help themselves get the good life!

Go get it! You have to get the good life. You can’t just sit around, lie around or sleep around and have the good life just fall into your lap someday. The good life comes easy for some folk. Some get lucky; some

LUCIUS GANTT THE GANTT REPORT

inherit the good life. But most people have to work hard to get the life and lifestyle they want. Before you work, you have to recognize what the good life is to you. The good life to one person may be the worst life for someone else.

Good life changes In reality, as you change, what you consider is a good life for you also changes. The good life for a child, a teen, an adult, or a senior citizen may be drastically different. The good life for a single person is not nearly the same as the

good life for a happily married person. The good life for a person with wealth is far different in many respects from the good life of a homeless person or a jobless person. The good life for a successful business owner is not the same as the good life for a worker on a job that faces evaluations every year, bad coworkers every workday, or impossible, insensitive or wicked job supervisors. Worse than not having the good life is having it and having the good life turn into the bad life!

Gotta keep it So, once you are blessed with the good people, the good lifestyle, the good relations or the good income, how do you keep it? You keep the good life working just as hard to keep it as you did to get it.

If you have a good man or good woman, you have to work hard to keep them. The same is true when it comes to keeping a job, finishing school, keeping that dream house, keeping that good car, and keeping that fine body and that good health. To keep the good life, you have to be steadfast! That means you have to be steady, not shady, not shaky, not slimy and not stupid. You can’t change moment-bymoment or minute-by-minute. You have to stay on the grind, so to speak. To keep a good life, you have to be immovable! You have to be firm in your good position. You can’t let your girlfriends or homeboys get you off of your good spot. You can’t listen to people that tell you to get rid of your soulmate, when those same people have never had a good lasting or loving relationship in their lives. Adults with sound minds can’t let their parents, siblings, children or anyone else tell them what is “good” for them. Good –

like beauty – is in the eye of the beholder.

Believe yourself Perhaps the most important way to come up to or stay in the good life is to believe in your description and definition of the good life. Have faith in yourself. If you don’t trust yourself how can you expect others to trust in you? My life is good. It can be better when I get more money, because with more money I can do more things, go more places, help more people and help myself more. Whether your life is good or bad, if you can read this column, you should be thankful you are among the living. You have another day and another opportunity to get life right!

Buy Gantt’s latest book, “Beast Too: Dead Man Writing” on Amazon.com and from bookstores everywhere. Contact Lucius at www.allworldconsultants.net.

KITS from A1

Bondi, a former Hillsborough County prosecutor, said there is a priority in testing, with homicide cases first and sexual assault cases second. Leon County Sheriff’s Capt. Steven Harrelson said DNA evidence is important, as many criminals don’t remain in a single location. “Having their DNA in the system allows us to go ahead and take these crimes that we don’t have any evidence but DNA … once the DNA gets put into the system, we’re able to solve it at that point,” Harrelson said.

Testing delays In August, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s DNA/Biology labs completed testing requests in an average of 107 days. But as more local agencies submit untested kits, the turnaround time is expected to grow, agency spokeswoman Gretl Plessinger said in an email. The proposed pay increases – a $10,000 increase to the annual starting pay of crime-lab analysts and a $12,000 boost to the base pay for senior crimelab analysts – are intended to make the agency more competitive with local law enforcement throughout Florida and the Southeast United States to help keep turnover rates down, agency Commissioner Rick Swearingen told Gov. Rick Scott and the Cabinet on Aug. 5. Over the past six years, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement has seen 127 crimelab analysts leave. The agency currently is funded for 193 crimelab analysts and 69 senior analyst positions. The base pay for an analyst is $40,948 a year. A senior analyst starts at $43,507.

CARSON from A1

people stupid. He’s talking about his life and how it’s driven by his faith – that’s resonating with voters.”

Different from Trump Carson doubled down on that difference Wednesday when asked by reporters ahead of a rally in Anaheim, Calif. about what separates him from Trump. His faith, Carson answered. “I realize where my successes come from and I don’t in any way deny my faith in God,” he said. It was something of a change for Carson, who has sidestepped going negative and attacking his challengers and, for the most part, is in lockstep with the GOP field when it comes to Republican ideology.

Republican talking points In his stump speeches – where Carson can sound like a college lecturer, rather than a rabblerousing candidate – he notes his support for downsizing the federal government, replacing the Affordable Care Act and securing the southern border as his first act of immigration reform. “We have a problem with illegal immigration in this country and we’ve got all kinds of theories that people want to put forward. … We have a porous bor-

SONYA N. HERBERT/DALLAS MORNING NEWS/MCT

DNA analysis similar to testing done in this file photo could help put rapists in jail. It could also exonerate convicted rapists who were unjustly incarcerated.

More requests The increased demand at the crime labs is also in part boosted by an increase in requests from local agencies to investigate cases in which local police officers fire their weapons. In the recently completed 2014-2015 budget year, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement opened 63 officer-involved shooting cases at other agencies, up from 48 a year earlier. The department started 29 such investigations in the 2010-2011-budget year, 52 in 2011-2012 and 67 the following year.

Needs analysis The Florida Legislature this year didn’t back the agency’s request for $1.87 million to fill 14 full-time positions to assist in investigations stemming from police being involved in shootings. Lawmakers, however, set aside

der and we need to seal the border,” Carson said at the rally at the Anaheim Convention Center.

Squishy on issues In his remarks before several hundred supporters, Carson said there should be concerns not just about immigrants illegally entering the U.S. through the southern border but also that the porous border is an opportunity for terrorists to sneak in to the U.S. But at times he appears to wobble when it comes to addressing issues. While speaking to a civic group inside a luxury downtown San Francisco hotel Tuesday, Carson was pressed for specifics on how to reduce the federal deficit and eliminate Obamacare. He only offered vague responses about reining in the government’s underutilized office spaces and creating medical savings accounts that could be an alternative to the health care law. Carson, the only Black candidate in the 2016 race, also once called Obamacare the “worst thing that has happened in this nation since slavery,” a comparison that drew criticism from more moderate Republicans and Democrats. And he’s alluded to homosexuality as a choice, saying that “a lot of people who go into prison go into prison straight – and when they come out, they’re gay.” He later apologized.

Non-White outreach? Yet for Republicans, who have struggled to dislodge themselves

$300,000 for an ongoing study to determine the needs of the crime labs, including the impact of the untested rape kits. In addition to asking for money for the state crime labs, Bondi said the state might also look at using private labs to test the kits. “We want to get the sufficient funding to have everything produced, because we feel we can increase arrests and convictions probably in the thousands, not only in Florida, but throughout the country.” Bondi said. “We can’t create standards without having the ability to carry those out.” Though Bondi focused on rape convictions, DNA analysis has also freed hundreds of people who were wrongly convicted.

Cleared by rape kit In 2013, serving a lengthy prison sentence for a rape he didn’t commit, Robert E. Nelson of Kansas City, Miss. asked a judge

as a party dominated by older White men, Carson’s candidacy also provides new opportunities to widen support to minorities. A postmortem of the 2012 election by national Republicans stressed the need to appeal more to non-White voters, chiefly Blacks and Latinos, after a cycle in which Barack Obama far outpaced Mitt Romney in support from minority ethnic groups.

In Obama’s face Carson’s entrance into national politics came a year later at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, where he gained plaudits from conservatives – especially tea partiers – for castigating Obama’s health care law while the president sat nearby. The broadside launched him onto the paid speaking circuit, and Carson, who retired from Johns Hopkins in 2013, has delivered more than 140 paid speeches over the last two years, talking about his faith and helping others while amassing nearly $4 million off of the talks, according to his personal financial disclosure form. It is the combination of his faith and his story that his campaign plans to capitalize on, Barry Bennett, Carson’s campaign manager, said in an interview. In television and radio ads in Iowa and New Hampshire this fall, the campaign will tell of Carson growing up poor in Detroit and working toward a better life through education. And last weekend marked the 28th anni-

for DNA testing to prove his innocence. Twice since 2009, he was turned down. In late 2011, Jackson County, Miss. prosecutors working through cold cases sought testing for a very different reason: to find Nelson’s accomplice. A few months later, as prosecutors were nearly finished with their testing, a judge approved Nelson’s newest request.

Evidence preserved Semen and hair evidence, carefully preserved since the December 1983 home invasion rape and robbery of a 24-year-old Kansas City woman, linked two other men – not Nelson – to the crime. In 2013, prosecutors and Midwest Innocence Project officials asked a judge to order Nelson’s release. He had served 30 years in prison, most of it for two unrelated convictions that still stand. He had started serving a 70-year

versary of when Carson separated German twins joined at the head. His campaign noted the milestone on Facebook in a post that gained more than 90,000 likes. “His appeal is he’s a doctor, he’s caring, he’s smart. He has a background not in politics,” Bennett said.

Polling well A recent Monmouth University poll of likely Iowa Republican caucus-goers showed Carson outpacing Trump 29 percent to 23 percent when it came to support from evangelicals. In a Des Moines Register/Bloomberg Politics poll, Christian conservatives favored Carson 23 percent to 16 percent over Trump. “Can he hold onto that support will be the big question,” said Schmidt, noting that earlier in the summer Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, the son of a Baptist preacher with deep Midwestern roots, was the favorite to court the Christian conservative vote in Iowa. Polls now show Walker failing to make significant inroads with evangelicals. By staying clear of the political battles between Trump and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Bennett said his candidate would be well positioned into the fall. “From Day One, he’s said he’s not going to run against anyone,” Bennett said. “He’s going to run to save the country. He’s not interested in playing those political, cheap games.”

sentence on the rape conviction in 2006. Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker and Laura O’Sullivan, legal director of the Midwest Innocence Project, waited to jointly announce Nelson’s release after the arrest of one of the new suspects. The other suspect was already in prison for a 1992 home invasion rape. “If we had not found this mistake that occurred,” Baker said, “it’s likely he (Nelson) would have served out the rest of his sentence, and the real perpetrators would not have been identified.” In June 2013, Nelson wore a wide grin and a new set of civilian clothes as he emerged from prison into the arms of joyous family members.

News Service of Florida Assignment Manager Tom Urban contributed to this report.

Rich backers Among the most ardent supporters of Carson, a Seventhday Adventist, are some of the wealthiest chief executives of Fortune 500 businesses. There’s Barbara and David Green, the evangelical billionaire owners of Hobby Lobby. And J. Frank Harrison III, CEO of Coca-Cola, who has founded missions overseas. A majority of Carson’s financial backing has come from California, where in the last fundraising quarter he raised more than $400,000.

‘Life experience’ Curtis Estes, a Los Angeles resident and certified financial planner at Northwestern Mutual, gave a max contribution to Carson’s campaign last quarter and organized a Bel-Air, Calif. fundraiser Wednesday night for him. “This country needs fresh thinking. It needs fresh ideas and that’s what Ben Carson can supply,” Estes said, noting that in next week’s Simi Valley, Calif., debate he wants to see Carson show that he’s qualified to lead on foreign policy and other issues. Lori Martino, a nurse from Chino Hills who was at the Anaheim rally, said Carson’s National Prayer Breakfast remarks caught her eye. “I paid attention to him and followed him since,” said Martino as she waited for Carson to take the stage. “He’s experienced in a different way. … He has life experience.”

SEPTEMBER 11 – SEPTEMBER 17, 2015

NATION

$6.4 million going to family of Freddie Gray Baltimore will pay to settle civil claims, avoids public lawsuit BY YVONNE WENGER AND MARK PUENTE BALTIMORE SUN/TNS

Baltimore plans to pay Freddie Gray’s family $6.4 million as a settlement for civil claims in his arrest and death — an extraordinary payment in a lawsuit against city police. The settlement — which was approved at Wednesday’s meeting of the city’s spending panel — will be paid out over two years, according to the mayor’s office. The five-member board is controlled by Mayor Freddie Stephanie RawlGray ings-Blake. The payment is larger than the total of more than 120 other lawsuits brought against the police department for alleged brutality and misconduct since 2011. Gray, 25, died in April after sustaining a severe spinal cord injury in police custody. In the hours after his funeral, the city erupted into rioting, arson and looting. The National Guard was called in to help restore order, and a citywide curfew was put in place.

Cases moves forward Six officers who were part of Gray’s arrest and transport in a police van have been charged with crimes ranging from murder to assault; all have pleaded not guilty. A pretrial motions hearing was scheduled for Thursday for a judge to decide whether to move the cases out of Baltimore; defense attorneys say the officers cannot get a fair trial here because of the intense publicity surrounding the case. Billy Murphy, the lawyer representing Gray’s family, declined to comment early this week. A spokeswoman for Baltimore

AMY DAVIS/BALTIMORE SUN/TNS

Freddie Gray’s twin sister Fredericka Gray, foreground, is comforted by family members at the funeral for her brother on Monday, April 27, in Baltimore. State’s Attorney Marilyn J. Mosby also had no comment. The city is accepting all civil liability in Gray’s arrest and death, but does not acknowledge any wrongdoing by the police, according to a statement from RawlingsBlake’s administration. “The proposed settlement agreement going before the Board of Estimates should not be interpreted as a judgment on the guilt or innocence of the officers facing trial,” the mayor said in a statement. “This settlement is being proposed solely because it is in the best interest of the city, and avoids costly and protracted litigation that would only make it more difficult for our city to heal and potentially cost taxpayers many millions more in damages.” The mayor’s office declined to

answer questions about the settlement, including why it was brought to the spending panel before any lawsuit was filed.

No-discuss clause Under the proposed settlement, the city would pay $2.8 million during the current fiscal year and $3.6 million in next year, the city said. By entering into a settlement, the city would avoid a public lawsuit that could have played out in court. In such city settlements, a clause has stated that both sides cannot talk publicly about the case. City Council President Bernard C. “Jack” Young, a member of the Board of Estimates, will support T:8.3” the payout, his spokesman Lester

Davis said. “The council president felt strongly that the matter of the settlement needed to be addressed, because you have a situation where a lengthy legal proceeding in terms of the civil case would not necessarily be in the best interest of the city,” Davis said. Because the civil case was likely to land in federal court — where it would not be subject to a state cap on payouts — Young believed the settlement was prudent, Davis said. “It was in the best interest of taxpayers of the city to work with the family to settle case,” Davis said.

Impact on trials David A. Harris, a University of Pittsburgh School of Law profes-

sor and an expert on police misconduct issues, said the settlement would not impact the six officers’ criminal trials. It’s easier for plaintiffs to prove civil liability than it is for a prosecutor to prove criminal guilt, he noted. But he cautioned the settlement could hinder the officers’ ability to get a fair trial in Baltimore. “If potential jurors don’t understand the distinction, and they just think the city is admitting the police officers are at fault, a judge would tell them otherwise in jury instructions,” Harris said. “But a lot of folks might still carry the thought of the civil settlement with them as potential jurors. So I would expect the civil settlement to come up in defense motions for change of venue.”

Black jobless rate inches back up

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Jeff Johnson Trailblazer Marvin Sapp Living Legend

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Marc Morial Humanitarian

T:10”

The August unemployment rate was 5.1 percent for a seven-year low, but the jobless rate for AfricanAmericans went in the opposite direction, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported last week. The unemployment rate for Blacks was 9.5 percent in August, up from 9.1 percent in July, BLS reported. The jobless rate for Black men 20 years old and older in August was 9.2 percent, compared to 8.8 percent the month before. The unemployment rate in August for Black women 20 years old and older was 8.1 percent, compared to 8.0 percent in July. The jobless rate among Blacks remains much higher compared with other major worker groups. The August unemployment rate for Whites was 4.4 percent and for Asians it was 3.5 percent. Hispanics’ August unemployment rate was 6.6 percent, BLS reported.

Tori Turner Community Choice Youth Award Winner

Aaron Johnson Community Choice Youth Award Winner

The biggest rewards happen off stage. For McDonald’s® 365Black® Award recipients, being selfless is the reward. Please join us as we applaud their tireless dedication to being deeply rooted in the community and inspiring others to keep giving back the lovin’ to the places they call home. To find out more, visit 365Black.com.

Not fast enough The nation’s businesses added 173,000 jobs in August as job gains occurred in health care, social assistance and financial activities. Manufacturing and mining shed jobs. Elise Gould, senior economist at the Economic Policy Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank, said the economy is still not adding jobs fast enough and the recovery is not creating strong enough wage growth. Gould added, “While it’s best not to read too much into one month’s data, this brings average monthly growth down to 212,000 so far in 2015. The year 2014 saw faster jobs growth: an average of 260,000 on a monthly basis. We aren’t seeing an accelerating recovery. In fact, at this slower rate of growth, a full jobs recovery is still two years away.”

EDITORIAL

SEPTEMBER 11 – SEPTEMBER 17, 2015

Racism and ‘angry Black gunmen’ Alison Parker, a rookie news reporter at WDJB-TV in Roanoke, Va., had turned 24 just days before she was murdered on August 26 with her work partner, cameraman Adam Ward. By now, most have seen still photographs or footage of them being murdered on camera as Parker was interviewing Vicki Gardner, who led the local chamber of commerce. She was shot in the back, and has survived. These on-air murders are about as grisly as they come, and there can be no explanation – except insanity – to account for them. What was wrong with Bryce Williams, whose real name was Vester Flanagan? Why did he stalk and then kill two of his former colleagues? He’d sued his former employer for racial discrimination and had his claim rebuffed. Still, he maintained a sense of outrage because he felt he was treated unfairly.

‘Racial rage’ defense You probably have never heard of Lonnie Gilchrist, a Wharton MBA, who was dismissed, he said, because of racism. He walked into the Merrill Lynch office in Boston and shot his boss, George Cook, saying, “No billionaire is going to ruin my life.” He worked on commission, and according to many, was treated more like an office boy than a professional. Charles Ogletree, now a Har-

JULIANNE MALVEAUX NNPA COLUMNIST

vard Law professor, defended him in 1988-89, along with two other attorneys. Gilchrist pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, and his lawyers used “racial rage” as one of the reasons that Gilchrist killed Cook. The jury took five days and nearly 30 hours, and deadlocked before reaching a conclusion. The case might have been a slam-dunk, but the jury obviously found at least some merit in the racial rage defense.

Clearly insane Nobody deserves to be massacred at any stage of his or her life. The folks at Mother Emanuel AME Church had their lives cut short. The little children at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newton, Conn., had full lives ahead of them. Anyone who picks up a gun and decides to fire at a group of people publicly has clearly taken leave of their senses. Yet, there is a difference in the way crazed people are discussed in the media. Vester Flanagan was immediately described as angry and crazed, a judgment the media did

Refugees are fleeing American aggression The ongoing migrant crisis in Europe is a direct result of American and NATO interventions and aggressions in the Middle East. Had those partners in crime not exacted regime change in Libya, that country would not be a magnet for human trafficking and an embarkation point for desperate people. The plan to produce the same result in Syria has failed thus far, but there is still chaos and suffering on a mass scale. These refugees exist because of imperialism, which has laid waste to nation after nation.

Pressure governments Millions of people around the world are asking how they can help the refugees now streaming into Europe. Personal generosity may seem commendable, but in this case it ought to be discouraged. The individuals who want to help should instead spend time demanding that their governments cease intervening in the af-

MARGARET KIMBERLEY BLACK AGENDA REPORT

fairs of other nations. They should also demand that the truth of imperialist guilt be exposed. Americans were largely unaware of the growing crisis until images of dead children appeared in the media. In particular the photograph of two year-old Aylan Kurdi, who drowned on a beach off the coast of Turkey, will go down in history as an image that brought this crisis to international attention. The Kurdi family was trying to flee a region of Syria overrun by ISIS when the mother and two children drowned. An estimated 2,500 others have also died in attempts to reach Europe.

No mystery The corporate media cov-

Trump helps Dems rule Blacks by fear Donald Trump has added new levels of sleaze and maniacal White Know-Nothingism to the U.S. electoral farce – which makes him a very useful man. Republicans can blame Trump for pulling the bar of their party’s racial discourse down to sewer levels. But Trump is even more useful to liberals and Democrats of all kinds. He is the guy who makes the other evils appear lesser. Democrats have surely found their “trump” card in The Donald, whose singular rhetorical nonflourishes make Democrats look MLK-like in comparison.

Pointless politics Electoral politics in the United

GLEN FORD BLACK AGENDA REPORT

States is comparison-shopping at its most pointless, with Wall Street vetting the choices offered by both parties. One of them must be The White Man’s Party. When the Republican Party emerged in the decade before the Civil War, the Democrats made sure to label it the “Black” party, even though Abraham Lincoln and many of his colleagues would have preferred that free

not rush to when Dylann Roof, the shooter at Mother Emmanuel in Charleston and Adam Lanza, the shooter at Sandy Hook, embarked on insane massacre activity. Can race be a factor? What happens when mental illness collides with racial rage? The man who shot Parker and Ward either experienced or perceived racial slights. Station manager Jeff Marks said Flanagan was “a man with a lot of anger.” If even a fraction of the slights Flanagan said he’d experienced were true, he had a right to be angry. Watermelon jokes? Monkey slurs? In the 21st century?

‘Hostile,’ ‘angry’ Some of us can turn the slur around or ignore it. White folks might find this funny, and some African-Americans might find themselves profoundly offended. Those who already feel beleaguered might feel so offended that they’d respond angrily enough to be labeled “hostile” by a human resource manager. Lonnie Gilchrist was also labeled an “angry” man. One of his bosses said he got so angry at criticism that he reacted with such an outburst that “we were very frightened.” How much stereotyping goes into labeling some Black men as frightening? Do they have to be taller? Larger? Or, simply Blacker? Descriptions of Flanagan as an er the journeys of the would-be migrants and act as though the cause of the catastrophe is somehow mysterious. They never state what is true and obvious – that the Western nations created this misery. They and their allies among the Persian Gulf monarchies are entirely to blame. The United States and other NATO governments have not been shy in exposing their support for so-called rebels in Syria and continue to utter the loathsome phrase, “Assad must go.” In the topsy-turvy immoral universe of the United States, it is acceptable to destroy Syria without one word of condemnation coming from the nation’s editorial pages. Instead, politicians and the press repeat their lies. When they speak of war at all, they lay blame at the feet of the Syrian government – which has a right to defend its territory and sovereignty.

VISUAL VIEWPOINT: EUROPE’S REFUGEE CRISIS

MARIAN KEMENSKY, SLOVAKIA

angry Black man need to be contextualized. Some describe him as an arrogant man with a chip on his shoulder. Some of those terms are subjective. How many African-Americans have been described as “angry” when they simply attempt to hold their own in a mostly White space? One coworker said Flanagan was angry because he responded crisply when she described him as “too quiet.” I guess if he laughed aloud, he may have been considered “too boisterous.”

Must ask ‘why’ Even as we mourn Alison Parker and Adam Ward, we have to ask why their murderer snapped. We have to ask why there are so many “angry Black men.” They don’t all scream, they don’t all shout, they don’t all The reactions of horror are understandable, but they must be met with simple but powerful actions. First, it must be stated unequivocally that these are “regime change” refugees. They would be living peacefully in their native lands if NATO and their henchmen hadn’t destroyed their countries. Secondly, call out the liars. The politicians, so-called journalists and “humanitarian” organizations have political agendas that never blame the true culprits.

Call out racism

The sight of the dead child seemed to galvanize what other horror stories could not. More than 200 people drowned near the Libyan city of Zuwarah at the same time that the Kurdis attempted their escape. Some 70 bodies of refugees were discovered suffocated in a truck in Austria.

Racism must be exposed as well. Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban openly said, “Please don’t come,” and added for good measure that he didn’t want too many Muslims to enter his country. Orban said out loud what other European leaders say behind closed doors. He has merely expressed in public what others say in private: non-White people need not apply. While officials in Washington, London and Paris dissemble because their hands are dirty, the corporate media ratchet up the call to “do something.” If they did their jobs, they would tell readers and viewers why families with

Blacks be deported. The Democrats retained their status as the White Man’s Party in the South through the Franklin Roosevelt New Deal years until 1948, when South Carolina’s Strom Thurmond briefly bolted the party to protest Northern members pushing a civil rights plank in the platform. Dixiecrats rebelled again in 1964, opting for Goldwater Republicanism. Richard Nixon sealed the deal in the 1968 election with his “Southern strategy,” effectively transferring the White Man’s Party brand to the Republicans.

The subtext of the Black electoral conversation, since the founding of the Republic, has always been about protection: which party is more willing to protect Black people from the worst excesses of the most aggressive White supremacists? Fear of Republicans holds Black people captive to the Democratic Party, not high ideals or a shared worldview or a Democratic track record of service to the group that makes up about a quarter of its members. It all boils down to fear of the “crackers” that gather under the Republican brand.

Looking for protection

A few benefit

There is no Black people’s party. There have been some brief efforts at independent Black electoral politics, but they have all become imprisoned in the bifurcated muck of the Democratic Party vs. The White Man’s (Republican) Party – with Wall Street reigning over both.

A small Black elite actually derives some benefits from ties to the Democratic Party: patronage jobs, contracts, discretionary grants, entrée to corporate boardrooms, etc. They are afraid of losing their precarious privileges, and terrified of the instability that might result if the masses of

Many dead

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

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shoot; most let their corrosive anger swallow them from inside. Many of those outwardly functioning Black men die a decade earlier than their White counterparts because of the anger they’ve internalized. “What happens to a dream deferred?” wrote Langston Hughes. “Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun? Does it fester like a sore, and then run? Maybe it just sags like a heavy load. Or, does it explode?” Lonnie Gilchrist exploded. Flanagan exploded. We can call them deranged, disturbed, or simply angry. We do ourselves a disservice if we fail to examine race as one source of their explosion.

Julianne Malveaux is an author and economist based in Washington, D.C. Contact her at www.juliannemalveaux.com. small children risk their lives in unseaworthy boats. Instead, they all call for more war. They repeat official propaganda and make up some of their own. The unrelenting effort at regime change in Syria is the cause of this crisis and more destruction will only increase the awful toll on human beings.

Make demands Sending money to aid organizations is an easy out. Democratic nations are supposed to respond to popular demand. The people of Europe and the United States should therefore start demanding that their nations cease the entire imperial project, and not just in Syria. Aylan Kurdi is not the only child killed by intervention and invasion. Children are dead in Somalia and Gaza and Libya and Iraq and Afghanistan and Pakistan and in Syria, too. Sadly, there will be more unless those who claim to be horrified actively oppose their own leaders who are all accessories to many crimes.

Margaret Kimberley’s column appears weekly in BlackAgendaReport.com. Contact her at Margaret.Kimberley@BlackAgendaReport.com. poor Black people, especially the youth, lost their fear. The Black elite cling to the Democratic Party like a lifeboat. But that ship is not, and cannot possibly be, bound for freedom. Black Democrats know this, but they have signed on with Captain Clinton, or whomever the Party assigns, in dread of Donald Trump and the Republican pirates. The same thing will happen, with different captains, the next election cycle. Maintenance of the Democratic Party amounts to preservation of the racially bifurcated Wall Street duopoly in perpetuity – and to perpetual fear. We must build a mass Black movement that is not just independent of the two corporate parties, but opposed to them.

Contact Glen Ford at Glen. Ford@Black AgendaReport. com.

Central Florida Communicators Group, LLC, P.O. Box 48857 Tampa, FL 33646, publishes the Florida Courier on Fridays. Phone: 877-352-4455, toll-free. For all sales inquiries, call 877-352-4455; e-mail sales@flcourier.com. Subscriptions to the print version are $69 per year. Mail check to P.O. Box 48857 Tampa, FL 33646, or log on to www.flcourier.com; click on ‘Subscribe’.

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SEPTEMBER 11 – SEPTEMBER 17, 2015

EDITORIAL

I SAW THE TWIN TOWERS FALL Editor’s note: This is one story of an occasional Florida Courier series entitled ‘Survivor’s Stories, First Person.’ We highlight the lives of Floridians who have survived life-changing events, as described in their own words. Ed Hashey, formerly the Florida Courier’s creative director, survived the September 11 attacks, and for five years he was silent about what he saw. He spoke about 9/11 for the first time exclusively to the Florida Courier in 2006.

’ve had some tough experiences. But nothing prepared me for what would be one of the worst days in my life. Still, I’m humble enough to know I can’t complain. I am alive, and lucky – and I feel somewhat guilty about that fact. For the first five years after witnessing that horrible event up close and personal, I did not complain. I remained silent out of respect for those who suffered and died, along with the anguished families they left behind. I thank God for every day given to me, no matter how bad it gets sometimes. I know inside that it will never be worse than what unfolded in front of me on September 11, 2001.

ED HASHEY SPECIAL TO THE FLORIDA COURIER

er Manhattan from New Jersey. I looked at my watch; it was 8:40 a.m., and my stop at Cortland Street was next. Leaving the train, I walked up to the street exit, and right as I saw daylight, I heard a huge explosion and then many pieces of falling debris, some the size of car hoods, started falling around me and the large crowd of people with me at the station. The noise hurt my ears and I Calm before the storm could feel the heat from the fireThis story actually begins in ball above. I fell down twice as the 1999. I am a graphic designer and large crowd began to scramble for illustrator, and I was immersed in safety. What happened? a freelance project to redesign the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) news- Witness to hellish paper. This took me around the destruction world, starting with the WSJ EuThe mass of people in the train rope publication in Brussels, Belgium in 1999, then to the Asian station responded by franticalWSJ in Hong Kong in 2000, then ly reversing course and heading finishing up at the WSJ’s New York back into the train station, but office in 2001. Their headquarters there were too many people tryare – were – located in the upper ing to exit. Many of us squeezed floors of 1 World Financial Cen- against the side of the World ter, directly across the street from Trade Center complex, trying not what were the World Trade Cen- to be hit by the falling debris. After about a minute, the debris ter towers. It was my sixth visit to Lower stopped falling. I looked up and Manhattan. I decided to ask my saw smoke and flames; the diswife Jeanne if she wanted to join tinctive smell of kerosene linme this time, as my birthday is gered in the air. There were sevSeptember 13. We wanted to cel- eral parked limousines and cars ebrate it together, especially since damaged from the debris. we didn’t see much of each other Broken shards of glass were evdue to my busy schedule. erywhere, and some pedestrians We flew in on the afternoon of were injured. A few paramedics September 9 into Newark, N.J., arrived and began administering and stayed at a hotel in Times first aid. Police began setting up Square. The following Monday barricades, while firemen startwas a normal opening workday. I ed driving up and pulling out fire took the Number 1 and Number 9 hoses. subway lines from Times Square I decided to cross over Liberto the WTC station at Cortland ty Street. I looked up and saw the Street. first tower engulfed in flames that The weather was perfect out- quickly turned into thick black side. It was the typical WSJ work- smoke. Eyewitnesses said a plane day; eight hours of work and a had crashed into the building. typical lunch at one of the hun- From our perspective, we were dreds of local restaurants. thinking it was a small plane, but I After finishing my workday, it remember one man saying it was was back up to Times Square to a jet. This made sense, as the exspend the evening with Jeanne. plosion was huge. I knew this was We dined at a simple pizza joint. the north tower, the one with the She told me she walked up and big antenna on top. down Fifth Avenue all day, and I decided to cross back over the her feet were killing her. street closer to Tower Two. Police After asking her what she was arrived and instructed us to clear doing for the next day, she said the area. the hotel concierge gave her a bunch of coupons, including one People die for free admission to the observaAll of this time, my eyes were tion deck of the World Trade Center. I replied, “Great. You can go fixated on the damage above. To up to the towers in the morning my horror, I started seeing peoand do lunch with us after that. I ple jump to their deaths. I have can show you where I work.” We always wondered three things decided to get to bed fairly ear- with respect to dying: first, what ly, and leave around 7:30 a.m. on it would be like to die in a plane September 11 for 1 World Trade crash; second, what it would be like to die falling as we all have Center. dreamed about; third, if we die before we hit the ground. But I A normal day We woke up to a beautiful Tues- never wanted to bear witness to day morning, got breakfast, gath- any of it. As each person fell, I startered our belongings and headed ed praying. Two men next to me out for the day. We got about halfway to the subway station; Jeanne argued whether the first object coming down was a body; after had a confession. “I don’t think I can make it to- about three seconds, the arguday,” she said. “My legs are kill- ment was over. We were not sure ing me from all that walking yes- where to go or what to do. People in the crowd screamed and terday.” So I escorted her back to the gasped in horror as each person hotel and she prepared a hot bath fell to their death. Police and fireand turned on the ‘Today Show.’ men alike were scrambling for She felt bad for bowing out at the cover. Chaos ruled. Bodies were landing on awlast minute. I told her not to worry, and that we could try again to- nings, on the cement pavements, morrow. I then headed back to on the shrubbery. Each time a body hit, it made a sound similar the subway. I was reading a book about the to that of a sack of flour hitting the Red Sox/Yankees rivalry and lis- ground. There is no time to look tening to my iPod. It takes about away in a situation like this. There 20 minutes to get down to Low- were mists of blood in the air each

JIM WATSON/US NAVY NEWS/MCT

TODD PLITT/KRT

“Two men next to me argued whether the first object coming down was a body; after about three seconds, the argument was over.” time a body landed. Almost every person was alive before they made impact, some kicking and screaming, others calm and choosing to land on their backs. Others were smoldering and unconscious. Most poignant was a brave couple that jumped together and obviously wanted to somehow be in control of their own fates. I remember the clothes they wore, and to this day I cannot get the image of this one man in a plaid, outdated suit, orange or brown in color. He was bald, maybe 50 years old or so. It is true what they say about shock. Everything in your brain starts playing in slow motion. This whole time I felt helpless, as if I was in a trance waiting for some logical end to the whole thing.

up against a round shrubbery pot, and I saw that her polyester suit was melted to the back of her body. Pieces of melted clothing and burnt flesh were falling off her. The fireman collapsed in exhaustion. Then, about two dozen of his colleagues went running into the building in heavy gear. I had a real bad feeling that they were all in grave danger. I realized I needed to get back to Jeanne to assure her I was safe. So I start running north up Broadway. I kept trying the phones but nothing worked; all circuits were busy. I tried getting on the subway, but electrical power had failed and the subway system was on lockdown. So I ran to my Times Square hotel room, which took about 30 minutes.

Second tower hit

Reality hits

Then I heard a loud noise of an aircraft. A rapidly moving shadow was visible in the sky. I looked up and remember seeing another large airline jet smash into the second tower. This explosion seemed much closer. You could hear the jet engines throttle up just before impact, and it slammed into the building so fast, it was just a blur. I fell to the ground again, feeling the heat of the huge fireball that grew from the explosion directly above me. The markings on the aircraft were distinctly that of United Airlines. Then it became clear to me that this was no accident. This was terrorism. A wave of panic soon hit me. Were there more jets coming in? Will the towers collapse and kill us all? Are there bombs on the ground? How big is this attack?

Survival instinct I felt a rush of adrenaline as I ran into an entryway of a bank across the street. Flying debris destroyed the windows all around us. Cops and firemen were among the large crowd of people running for their lives. I ducked behind some tables and waited for debris to stop falling, and I heard the distinctive sounds of metal and broken glass ricocheting everywhere. The police regrouped and used bullhorns to give evacuation orders to either go up Broadway or go over the Brooklyn Bridge. I starting walking briskly up Liberty Street, and as I passed the entrance area to Tower Two, I saw a fireman coming out with a very large Black woman on his shoulders. She was moaning. He stood her

way train to New Jersey. The train stopped abruptly just before the Newark stop, and we had to evacuate due to a bomb threat. We finally got picked up after a round of cellphone tag and arrived at our friend’s home, only to learn that four families on the block had family members missing. This humbled me quickly. The next day we drove back home to Sarasota, ironically the same place President George Bush was when he was notified of the attacks.

How 9/11 affected me

Leaving the city

I first thought this event would make me an angry, bitter person filled with hatred. But actually the opposite has occurred. I have a higher level of compassion for people, but with a resolve not to put up with nonsense or ever let my guard down. We live in a dangerous world, but we must live free. I have come to terms with the reality that this will never leave my mind. Almost every day, something triggers a memory; the sound of a jet, anyone crying, movie trailers, etc. But I am more acutely aware of how precious everyone’s lives are, and will never take life for granted. Even in the midst of the evil that happened that day, I saw all much good. There were storeowners handing out flip-flops to women who abandoned high heels in panic. There were firemen and policemen who after several disruptions, kept regrouping and kept on trying. Many made the ultimate sacrifice. I remember an Asian paramedic cradling an elderly man who was bleeding from his head, comforting him. And most of all, I remember how compassionate people were in general, helping each other out despite the panic. I have always felt that people’s true colors come out in times of crisis. I am a witness. The people of New York City shined that day, and continue to do so. They are all my heroes, and my heart goes out to anyone who was a victim of that day.

It took us two days to get out of Manhattan. Luckily, Jeanne’s college roommate lived in Montvale, N.J. Our journey home started with a long walk to Madison Square Garden with our luggage, then taking the PATH sub-

Ed Hashey, a Sarasota resident, now teaches fifth grade at Wilkinson Elementary School in Sarasota. He is Sarasota County’s Teacher of the Year for 2015-16.

When I arrived back at the room, Jeanne was in tears. I gave her a big hug, and she felt me trembling. Then we watched on the television in disbelief as the first tower collapsed. Two thoughts came to my mind: What happened to those firemen? Did they get all the people evacuated in time? I lay down on the bed and so many emotions flowed over me. I learned that Washington, D.C. was under attack. My brother worked as a Navy corpsman in the White House clinic. Was he OK? Eventually, I did make contact with everyone, including colleagues at the Wall Street Journal. And we were all lucky. I was sad, angry, nervous, and happy to be alive, but humbled and completely overwhelmed by others’ deaths that day. I can’t stop seeing the visions of bodies falling. I still pray for their families. And then there is fate. What would have happened if my wife decided to visit the World Trade Center’s observation tower that morning? For this, I have to believe there are guardian angels. They certainly had too much to cope with that day. New York City was a ghost town that afternoon. No whir of traffic, only the constant wail of sirens heading south to the horror downtown.

NATION

TOJ A6

SEPTEMBER 11 – SEPTEMBER 17, 2015

Obama orders paid sick days for federal contractors’ workers BY LISA MASCARO TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama used Labor Day to announce a new step toward increased benefits for workers — ordering companies that do business with the government to provide paid sick leave for their employees. The move, which Obama announced with labor leaders in Boston, adds to a series of executive actions Obama has taken and comes as Congress resists legislation to change labor conditions and pay to cover all private-sector workers. “Right now, about 40 percent of private-sector workers — 44 million people in America — don’t have access to paid sick leave,” Obama said in announcing the order. “Unfortunately, only Congress has the power to give this security to all Americans,” he added, “but where I can act, I will.”

Higher productivity cited Obama also sharply criticized Republicans in Congress and the GOP presidential candidates for what he said was a distorted view of how the economy works. “In their world, the only way to help the country grow and help people get ahead is to cut taxes for millionaires and billionaires and loosen up rules on big banks and polluters, and then you just wait, and then you look up at the sky and prosperity will come raining down on us,” he said. “That’s not how the economy works.” Obama’s executive actions directed at the labor market, which many Republicans see as excessive use of presidential authority, have been designed to boost worker pay and benefits. White House economists say that will lead to higher productivity in an era of stagnant wages, while nudging private companies and Congress to join in updating work conditions.

2017 start This latest order will require companies that have federal con-

OLIVIER DOULIERY/ABACA PRESS/TNS

President Barack Obama delivers remarks on the importance of Congress passing legislation to increase the federal minimum wage to $10.10, during an event at the White House on April 30, 2014. tracts to let workers accrue up to seven days of paid sick leave each year. The action will provide coverage for as many as 300,000 workers whose jobs do not currently provide paid sick leave and many others with limited paid time-off benefits. It will begin in 2017. The U.S. is the only industrialized nation without a federal family-leave law that guarantees workers can receive pay while taking time to care for themselves and loved ones. Some states have paid-leave laws. Current federal law mandates that companies provide leave, but does not require that it be paid.

Wages increased Over the last year, Obama

has used his executive authority to raise the minimum wage to $10.10 for workers in companies that contract with the federal government, expand overtime pay protections for all private-sector workers, and guarantee federal employees up to six weeks of paid leave with the arrival of a new child. Labor Secretary Tom Perez, previewing the order for reporters on Sept. 6, said it’s time to shelve notions about America’s working families that were set in the “Leave it to Beaver” era and modernize the workplace to keep the United States competitive with other global powers. “Other countries have done it, and they see the benefit,” said Perez, who has toured the country

collecting stories of workers who suffered hardships, including a bus driver who brought her sick child with her on the bus rather than risk losing pay with time spent at home. The administration would not provide an estimate of how much the new benefit will cost companies. But officials cited studies showing costs can be outweighed by the benefits of employee retention and worker satisfaction. Business groups tend to contest such estimates.

Expect GOP backlash Obama used his speech to call on Congress to pass legislation that would require all companies with 15 employees or more to offer up to seven days a year of paid

sick leave. Congress is unlikely to budge. Both the House and Senate are controlled by Republican majorities that resist such workplace interventions in favor of a hands-off approach that allows wages and benefits to be set by the marketplace. Republicans are critical of Obama’s use of executive actions and have not looked favorably on his efforts to work around the legislative branch on workplace matters and other issues. Instead, Republicans have passed bills, with support from some Democrats, to do away with regulations that businesses say hamper growth. Those have mostly been panned by the White House.

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Review of new book by Ta-Nehisi Coates See page B3

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The Allstate Tom Joyner Family Reunion offered a free expo including panel discussions on relationships and various seminars. Celebrity guests and concerts made for a fun time.

Joyner reunion showcases

FAMOUS TV FAMILIES Casts of iconic ‘Good Times’ and current ‘Black-ish’ among celebs at annual Labor Day weekend event in Orlando BY PENNY DICKERSON FLORIDA COURIER

PENNY DICKERSON/FLORIDA COURIER

“Good Times” television stars Ralph Carter (Michael) and Nathan Brown (Bookman) greeted fans and signed autographs.

lack families from across the country upped the ante on the traditional Labor Day weekend barbecues by opting to attend the 2015 Allstate Tom Joyner Family Reunion at the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center in Orlando. Dubbed both a “fam fest” and “fan fest,” the reunion attracts a cross-section of generations who convened by the thousands for four days, Sept. 3-7, to enjoy a free expo, seminars, celebrity appearances and soulful performances. Nostalgia reigned as families got up close and personal to meet their favorite stars from shows that spanned decades like the casts of “Good Times,’’ “Living Single,’’ and the youth cast from the ABC primetime hit “Black-ish.’’

Black-family focused The reunion is the brainchild of Joyner who hosts the nation’s No. 1 syndicated urban morning radio show in markets all over the country with an audience of more than eight million listeners. His media partner BlackAmericaWeb.com hosts more than 1.5 million monthly visitors. “When we first created this event, we wanted families to experience a truly spectacular vacation that was unique, all-inclusive, affordable and more than anything entertaining,” said Joyner who shared with the Florida Courier without any filters that the reunion is Black-family focused. “We’re not ashamed of saying Black. After all, my website is BlackAmericaWeb.com and our mission as a show and organization is to reach AfricanAmericans and super-serve AfricanAmericans, so we unashamedly say Black. We also love the “Black Lives Matters” movement,” Joyner added.

Image-conscious host Joyner has long promoted the power of the march, movement, and media as viable influences to positively frame the Black family image, which is the reunion’s central theme. “Back in the day, when Dr. (Martin Luther) King and others wanted to march, we’d stop playing Aretha (Franklin) and the Temptations and hand the microphone to civil rights leaders. They’d tell us where and why we were marching,” said Joyner. “There was no CNN, no social media, no cable outlets. We couldn’t even get on the 6 and 10 o’clock news. But there was Black radio and our listeners were the entire community and we continue to reach them. Now, it’s a national platform.” he added. Joyner further believes television tells you everything you need to know about the world, including poverty and wealth as depicted on the sitcoms

“Blackish’’ stars Yara Shahidi (Zoe) and Marcus Scribner (Andre, Jr.) talk about their popular TV show and Black family image. PENNY DICKERSON/ FLORIDA COURIER

PENNY DICKERSON/FLORIDA COURIER

Bern Nadette Stanis (Thelma) turned her life’s role from actress to published author. “Good Times” and “Black-ish.” Core cast members from each show were on hand at the reunion.

‘Black-ish lives matters’ Who better to set the tone for how America uplifts the Black family than the teens from the hit show ‘Blackish’? They are articulate, infectiously cute and kept it “100” when sharing their insights with the Florida Courier. “I think our show has a huge impact on America because the Johnson family is relatable to every race, and we’re breaking a lot of barriers on television,” said Marcus Scribner, who plays Andre Johnson, Jr. “We’re portraying African-Americans as something to be proud of and that’s good. We’re also bringing important topics to light that people don’t often see on television and we’re adding comedy.” A fourth-generation Los Angeles native and honor student, Scribner aspires to attend Stanford or UCLA. His sentiments are shared by Yara Shahidi, who plays his younger sister Zoe. Shahidi is a 4.83 student who recently toured Harvard and is a James Baldwin enthusiast who’s wise beyond her years. “It’s important to be on a socially relevant comedy because it’s nice to have a positive Black image, someone you can look up to or aspire to be versus seeing Blacks play the drug dealer all the time,” said Shahidi. “Television plays such an important role in our lives, but we only see negative images. As teenagers, we are pressured by what we see on TV and that’s who we think we need to be, but we don’t have to be anything except us.

DUANE C. FERNANDEZ SR./HARDNOTTSPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

Ruby, Narea and Chanelle James of New York included the Joyner reunion in their Florida vacation. You figure out who you are by being true to yourself,” she added.

A new tradition According to Joyner, the reunion has, “created a new Black Family tradition that has come to represent entertainment, exclusivity and fun.” The latter was personified with a Friday night AARP Grown Folks concert that featured Teddy Riley and Regina Belle while Boost Mobile hosted a Soulful Saturday featuring the consummate R&B crowd unifier Frankie Beverly and Maze. Walmart welcomed the dynamic Yolanda Adams to the stage, but it was Kirk Franklin’s free gospel explosion on Sunday afternoon that See REUNION, Page B2

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Entrepreneurs like “Uncle Funky’s Daughters” demonstrated their natural hair care products.

CALENDAR

FLORIDA COMMUNITY CALENDAR Daytona Beach: Bethune-Cookman University faces Lane University on Sept. 19. The game is at 4 p.m. Details: www. bcuathletics.com. Fort Lauderdale: Paulette Brown, the first Black woman president of the American Bar Association, will speak on Sept. 19 at the Fifth Annual Women of Color Empowerment Conference. It will be held at the Bahia Mar Resort & Spa, 801 Seabreeze Blvd. More info: www. SouthFloridaWomenofColor.com.

SEPTEMBER 11 – SEPTEMBER 17, 2015

Fred Hammond, Israel Houghton, Donny McClurkin and Hezekiah Walker will make a stop at the Veterans Memorial Arena on Oct. 11. Other stops are in Fort Myers, Lakeland, Jacksonville and Pompano Beach. More details: www.festivalofpraisetour.com.

is Oct. 28-29 at the at the Bonaventure Resort & Spa in Weston. More information: www.onatoday.com.

Sarasota: The West Coast Black Theatre Troupe will present “The Color Purple’’ Oct. 14-Nov. 21. More information http://westcoastblacktheatre.org.

Miami: Catch actor and comedian Martin Lawrence on Sept. 11 at the AmericanAirlines Arena’s Waterfront Theatre and Sept. 12 at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts in Tampa.

Tallahassee: Florida A&M’s first home game is at 6 p.m. Sept. 26. The team plays Tennessee State. Details: www. famuathletics.com.

Miami: Shaquille O’Neal will host Barry University’s 75th Anniversary Birthday Bash on Oct. 7 at 7 p.m. Soho Studios, 2136 N.W. First Ave. Wyclef Jean will perform. Tickets: Call 305-8991156. Sponsorships: partnerships@barry.edu.

Clearwater: Legendary concert jazz pianist Lillette Jenkins-Wisner, known as “Queen of the Keys,’’ gives what’s being called a farewell performance Sept. 11-13 at Ruth Eckerd Hall. The concert will feature Jade Simmons.

Jacksonville: The Festival of Praise Tour featuring Kim Burrell,

Orlando: The Opal Network Alliance’s South Florida Women’s Summit

STOJ

AL JARREAU

A concert with Al Jarreau and Jeffrey Osborne is Sept. 19 at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts.

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

ANTHONY HAMILTON

The singer will perform during the first 95.7 Beats By The Bay music festival on Oct. 24 at Vinoy Park in St. Petersburg. The lineup includes Tyrese, Blackstreet, 112, Whodini and Rob Base. BET.COM

Miami: Janet Jackson’s Unbreakable World Tour stops at AmericanAirlinesArena on Sept. 20, Orlando’s Amway Center on Sept. 23 and Tampa’s Amalie Arena on Sept. 24. Tampa: Candy Lowe hosts Tea & Conversation every Saturday from 2 to 4 p.m. at 3911 N. 34th St., Suite B. More information: 813-394-6363.

MARY J. BLIGE

Catch Mary J. Blige at Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena on Nov. 6, the CFE Arena in Orlando on Nov. 7 or the University of South Florida Sun Dome on Nov. 8. BET.COM

Jacksonville: Multiinstrumentalist Booker T. Jones will be at the Ritz Theater and Museum on Oct. 3 for an 8 p.m. show. tends to take center stage. This year’s three, 2015 selected champions are Yvette and Kofi Moyo (Chicago), Kerri Pruitt (Birmingham, Ala.) and Rhonda Wilson (Gainesville). They were each honored and awarded an all-expense paid trip to attend Joyner’s weekend reunion.

Florida’s champion Wilson is a lifelong champion who founded the Star Center Theater in Gainesville 15 years ago as a way to provide a safe activity for local youth and exposure to arts education.

Although many of the children who attend the theater are from underserved areas of the community, Wilson personally provides scholarships and transportation to ensure that every student is able to participate. A native of Detroit, Wilson’s formative years were spent in Miami where she graduated from Miami Northwest High School in 1989 followed by the University of Florida. For a decade, she nurtured elementary students as a drama and theater teacher and transitioned this year to Alachua County’s Kanapa-

ha Middle School. “I’ve never been to the reunion so this has been a great experience, and I’ve met a lot of wonderful people. Regardless of winning the award, seeing so many families and friends together in one place is empowering and inspiring,” Wilson shared with the Florida Courier. “I’m one of three winners, but thousands of people in local communities are doing great things every day. I’ve had a blast and I’m grateful to Allstate and Tom Joyner for the recognition,” Wilson added.

PHOTOS BY DUANE C. FERNANDEZ/HARDNOTTSPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

There were plenty of vendors representing hair products at the reunion expo.

REUNION from Page 1

best personified what happens when families gather at a Joyner reunion – Black people of all ages are assured a fun time.

Expo with less expense Ruby James saved close to $2,000 to ensure that her 8-year-old granddaughters Chanelle and Narea James were exposed to the ultimate summer vacation. The 66-year-old retired grandmother saved her Social Security income and retirement earnings, and the three flew from Harlem on Aug. 8 and anchored their one-month vacation with the Joyner reunion before school began in New York on Sept. 9. “They have so many fun and free things the kids enjoy like games, face painting, and arts and crafts,” said James, who also treated the girls to Lego Land and Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. “These are my grandkids and I want them to experience what it’s like for Black people to gather and be positive.” Samara King was equally interested in her children gaining cultural exposure. An Orlando resident, King’s crew artistically transformed themselves into pirates in the kid’s zone. Jesiah (5) and Daniel King (7) were able to take part in endless fun that cost their mother less than $100, including gas, parking and meals. “We always come to the reunion just for the event itself,” said King. “There’s a lot of people interaction

Natalie McGriff from Jacksonville is the creator of “The Adventures of Moxie Girl,’’ a comic book about a Black girl whose curly hair has magical powers. and the kids got to meet a NASA astronaut and an NBA player. I love the cultural exposure.”

Free to roam through zones The 200,000-square-foot Gaylord Palms exhibition hall was converted into a user-friendly maze of zones that offered every imaginable free resource for families, including an HBCU college row manned by admissions officers, health care advisors assisting with Obamacare registration and free flu shots by Walgreens. The arts and culture zone hosted Ancestry.com for onsite heritage searches and authors as young as 9 years old signed published books. Entrepreneurs peddling afrocentric garments and Greek paraphernalia, displayed items apparel and

T-shirts for purchase that ran the gamut, but family member’s palette could also be quenched with a ton of free giveaways filled to the rim in Allstate bags. The Health and Beauty zone was ripe with familiarity, but new kids on the block like “Uncle Funky’s Daughter” natural hair products and “Kimykat Kolors” nail polish maintained a huddle of interest as did a broad offering of “cause marketing” for everything from faith to self-defense to cancer awareness.

Allstate, all-stars and champions Since 2003, Joyner has collaborated with likeminded corporate advocates like title sponsor Allstate insurance company whose national “Champions for Good” campaign highlights stories of “good’’ in a world where bad news

UNIVERSAL PICTURES PRESENTS A BLINDING EDGE PICTURES/BLUMHOUSE PRODUCTION AN M. NIGHT SHYAMALAN FILM “THE VISIT” OLIVIA DEJONGE ED OXENBOULD DEANNA DUNAGAN EXECUTIVE CROBBIE AND KATHRYN HAHN PRODUCERS STEVEN SCHNEIDER ASHWIN RAJAN PETER M WRITTEN AND PRODUCED BY M. NIGHT SHYAMALAN JASON BLUM MARC BIENSTOCK DIRECTED BY M. NIGHT SHYAMALAN A UNIVERSAL RELEASE © 2015 UNIVERSAL STUDIOS

CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS FOR THEATERS AND SHOWTIMES

STOJ

SEPTEMBER 11 – SEPTEMBER 17, 2015

BOOKS

New book shares raw lessons of being Black in America DR. GLENN ALTSCHULER SPECIAL TO THE FLORIDA COURIER

Throughout his life, TaNehisi Coates has asked this question: “How do I live free in this Black body?” The context for addressing the question, he emphasizes, is an America in which “death could so easily rise up from the nothing of a boyish afternoon;” in which White boys live in homes with immaculate bathrooms, compile complete collections of baseball cards, and worry only about dating popular girls

BOOK REVIEW Review of “Between the World and Me’’ by Ta-Nehisi Coates. Published by Spiegel & Grau. 152 pages, $24. and avoiding poison oaks, while Black boys, Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown and Tamir Rice, are killed because they are Black. In “Between the World and Me,’ Coates, the author of the memoir, “Beautiful Struggle’’ and “The Case for Reparations,” a cover story in Atlantic Magazine, shares his struggle “to find

a port in the American storm” with Samori Touré, his 14-year-old son. Coates maintains Ta-Nehisi that he has Coates had a happy life, enhanced by Black power, a power “more gorgeous than any voting rights bill,” that enabled him (and others) to take the myth of race and the one-drop rule, flip it, make a home and make a people.

‘Make no mistakes’ The dominant emotion in “Between the World and Me,’’ however, is anger. In the United States, he declares, Blacks “control nothing, least of all the fate of their bodies, which could be commandeered by the police; which could be erased by the guns, which were so profligate; which could be raped, beaten, and jailed.” To avoid such a fate or increase their chances of doing so, Blacks must “Walk in single file. Work quietly. Pack an extra Number 2 pencil. Make no mistakes.”

The defining feature “of being drafted into the Black race,” Coates writes, is the robbery of time: “It is the raft of second chances for them, and 23 hour days for us.” Criticism of crimes committed by cops, moreover, allows Whites “to pretend there is real distance between their own attitudes and those of the ones appointed to protect them.” The prison state, “the random detention of black people, the torture of suspects,” Coates insists, “are the product of democratic will.”

Hot design ideas to keep your bill cool.

Life at Ground Zero Well before 9/11, he adds, Manhattan was Ground Zero for Blacks. Coates sees no difference between the police officer who shot his friend, Prince Jones, and the cops and firemen who died in the Twin Towers: “They were not human to me.” Coates acknowledges his son’s life differs from his. Coates doesn’t know “what it means to grow up with a black president, social networks, omnipresent media, and black women everywhere in their natural hair.” That said, Coates appears to believe that for Blacks, except for the abolition of slavery, fundamental change has not occurred. Blacks still live “as the essential below” in their country; they carry the extra burden of being told that the American Dream is just, noble and real, and anyone who does not succeed deserves to fail. “That was true in 1776,” he writes. It is true today.”

Lesson on wisdom Certain that the American state, its values and traditions necessitate the destruction of bodies every year, “a wild and disproportionate” number of which will be black,” Coates counsels struggle, not because it assures victory – it does not – but because it assures “an honorable and sane life.” Coates’ job, he tells his son, is to match his intelligence with his wisdom. And to make sure he understands that his “relatively privileged security” cannot protect him from assaults launched in the name of the Dream, which, “without its own justifications, would collapse upon itself.” You have to wonder whether and how these messages will resonate with readers of “Between the World and Me. ‘’ And with Samori Touré.

David Bromstad Design Expert & FPL Customer

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

Author diagnosed with schizophrenia to discuss journey at St. Pete event BY FLORIDA COURIER STAFF

Save energy and stay cool in style when you enter to win a $5,000 Smart Home Energy Makeover. Take the Online Home Energy Survey by October 31, 2015, and you’ll be automatically entered to win energy-smart upgrades for your home. Go to FPL.com/EasyToSave for hot design ideas from design expert and FPL customer, David Bromstad, and for your chance to win!

Swiyyah Woodard will give a talk in St. Petersburg on Sept. 26 about how individuals can achieve their dreams despite living with a mental illness. Woodard, diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, is a motivational speaker based in St. Petersburg. Swiyyah Her first Woodard book was a novel, “ Don’t Call Me Crazy,’’ which is based on her life experiences. Woodard’s journey with schizophrenia was chronicled in a Florida Courier story published on Dec. 5, 2013. During her talks, she also tells how she was molested by a brother at age 5 and physically abused by her stepfather. The brother later committed suicide. Her first book is on reading lists for psychology students attending St. Petersburg College. Her new book is titled “Don’t Call Me Crazy! Again!’’ The Sept. 26 book event, which includes a book signing, is at 1 to 3 p.m. at Readers Choice Books and Gifts, 4341 34th St. S. St. Petersburg. For more information, visit www.swiyyah.com.

FOOD

SEPTEMBER 11 – SEPTEMBER 17, 2015

Banana Split On-A-Stick

FROM FAMILY FEATURES

hen you’re snacking, it can be tempting to skip the fuss and grab a bite on-the-go. Keeping healthy and convenient snacks at the ready helps you stay disciplined without sacrificing taste and enjoyment. These three-step healthy snack ideas show how easy it can be to serve up a variety of tasty treats in just a few minutes while adding more fruit to your diet. Make the most of your snacking experience with this advice: • Stock the pantry with versatile options that let you prepare a range of snacks, from sweet to savory combinations. Choose options such as DOLE Jarred Fruit, which offers delicious, ready-to-eat fruit in five varieties that are fat-free, cholesterol-free and packed in 100 percent juice for maximum healthy snacking versatility. • Look for quick solutions that help trim prep time and skip the cutting, peeling and mess. • Avoid worrying about waste or spoilage with convenient, re-sealable lids that let you use what you need for a single serving and save the rest for later. Find more quick and easy snack ideas at dole.com/jarredfruit. BANANA SPLIT ON-A-STICK Serves: 1 1/2 cup DOLE Jarred Pineapple Chunks, drained 1 slice pound cake, cut into 6 cubes 1/4 small banana, cut into 4 slices 2 teaspoons bottled chocolate sauce 2 tablespoons light whipped topping 1 maraschino cherry On two wooden skewers, alternate threading four pineapple chunks, three cubes of pound cake and two banana slices. Drizzle each skewer with one teaspoon chocolate sauce. Serve skewers with whipped topping and a maraschino cherry. LEMON-BLUEBERRY PARFAIT-TINI Serves: 1 1 cup reduced-fat or fat-free cottage cheese 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel 1/2 cup DOLE Jarred Mixed Fruit, drained and diced 1/2 cup fresh blueberries 2 teaspoons sliced almonds In small bowl, combine cottage cheese with lemon peel. In another small bowl, combine mixed fruit with blueberries. In martini glass, alternately layer lemon cottage cheese with blueberry and mixed fruit combination. Top with sliced almonds. ASIAN CHICKEN LETTUCE WRAPS Serves: 1 1/2 cup refrigerated cooked chicken breast strips 2 large Bibb or Boston lettuce leaves 1/2 cup DOLE Jarred Mandarin Oranges, drained 2 teaspoons slivered almonds 1 tablespoon light Asian salad dressing Equally divide chicken between two lettuce leaves to make two wraps. Place 1/4 cup mandarin oranges and 1 teaspoon almonds into each wrap. Serve lettuce wraps with salad dressing for dipping. PINEAPPLE AND SHRIMP SKEWERS WITH THAI PEANUT SAUCE Serves: 1 1/2 cup DOLE Jarred Pineapple Chunks, drained 6 medium cooked shrimp 1 small lime, halved 1 teaspoon chopped fresh cilantro 2 tablespoons bottled Thai peanut sauce On two wooden skewers, alternate threading four pineapple chunks and three shrimp. Squeeze lime over prepared skewers and sprinkle with cilantro. Serve with bottled Thai peanut sauce for dipping.

Flu shot. Add it to your shopping list.

Great news: You can get a ﬂu shot next time you’re at Publix! It’s true. Talk to your Publix pharmacist any time the Pharmacy is open—they’ll determine which vaccine option is best for you and administer it right there for a $0 co-pay for members of Medicare Part B and most insurance plans. Lemon-Blueberry Parfait-tini

Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps PEACHES AND CREAM WAFFLE BITES Serves: 1 1 whole-wheat frozen waffle 2 tablespoons reduced-fat whipped cream cheese 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 cup DOLE Jarred Sliced Peaches, drained and diced 2 teaspoons chopped walnuts, toasted Toast frozen whole-wheat waffle and cut into quarters. In small bowl, combine cream cheese and cinnamon. Spread over waffle bites. Top each bite with peaches and sprinkle with walnuts. ORANGE-CHIPOTLE AVOCADO TOAST Serves: 1 1 slice whole-wheat bread 1/2 avocado, diced or smashed Salt and ground black pepper, to taste 1/3 cup DOLE Jarred Mandarin Oranges, drained 1/2 teaspoon chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, finely chopped 1 lime wedge Lightly toast bread and top with avocado. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. In medium bowl, toss oranges with chopped chipotle peppers. Spoon oranges over avocado toast and finish with a squeeze of lime. Note: For a spicier flavor, include pepper seeds. For more mild heat, remove seeds. A sprinkle of ground chili pepper can also be used to easily add spice in place of chipotle peppers.

More information at: publix.com/ﬂu

STOJ

SEPTEMBER 11 – SEPTEMBER 17, 2015

FINEST & ENTERTAINMENT

Meet some of

FLORIDA’S

finest

submitted for your approval

ashley

Ashley Blake has studied international relations and dance in Miami. She plans to use her modeling talents as a way to build up and bring awareness to third world countries. Contact Ashley at facebook.com/ashleyblakethemodel, twitter.com/ ashleyblake_ or ashleyblake.co. CREDIT: JWRPhotography

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.

randy

Randy Corinthian is a saxophonist, producer and educator who holds degrees in music from Florida A&M University and Florida State University. He has shared the stage with Ron Isley and Smokie Norful and his music has been featured on MTV, VH1 and BET. Contact Randy at rcmusicmusicgroup.com or 754-422-1278.

FASHION

SEPTEMBER 11 – SEPTEMBER 17, 2015

Trend this fall is to ‘go your own way’ like the long skirt or a ruffle neck or sleeve, to avoid looking like a character from a period piece.

BY MELISSA MAGASAYSAY CHICAGO TRIBUNE/TNS

For fall, fashion is breaking out of its typical trend cycle and embracing individuality. It’s a refreshing concept that seems to celebrate a smattering of styles rather than just one set of rigid standards. It’s the opportunity to “go your own way” and try mixing it up, sticking to tried-and-true classics or maybe a bit of both. Anything goes this season, and you can wear and interpret the trends as you want and still be in style. Here are several standout themes from the runway to provide inspiration when building your fall wardrobe.

The pantsuit Slim or flowing, tailored and double-breasted, the season’s new suit is part dandy, part traditional and the perfect uniform for fall. Who did it best: Prada, Dior and Chloe. How to wear it: With a nod to the ’60s, meaning bold hues, pointed lapels and cropped pants. Keep the blazer buttoned up, so the waist remains cinched in and sleek. Feminine footwear like a pointed-toe flat or ankle boot tempers the masculine silhouette.

The goth look

Patterned hosiery A play on traditional fishnets and graphic patterned tights puts a new twist on heavy fall pieces. Who did it best: Rodarte, Proenza Schouler and Tommy Hilfiger How to wear it: Style them as seen at the Proenza Schouler show, meaning let the tights be the sole statement item. Pair them with understated, neutral items like a gray or black skirt and black oxfords or closed-toe heels or ankle boots.

A little mod A-line miniskirts, skintight turtleneck tops, pointed toe Chelsea boots and graphic acid bright prints are reminiscent of the edgy 1960s look, but with a modern-day spin. Who did it best: Louis Vuitton, Jonathan Saunders and Fendi How to wear it: A little mod goes a long way, so temper an A-line skirt or dress with more con-

TNS

In style this fall: Tory Burch’s kilim patterned dress as well as this graphic dress is from Jonathan Saunders’ collection. temporary pieces. If wearing acid bright shades, pair them with solid black or camel, and keep makeup minimal and neutral rather than cat eyes and matte lipstick to ensure you don’t teeter into costume territory.

Bold prints From acid bright color blocking to leopard, plaid

and strong stripe prints, graphic, eye-catching graphics are everywhere this season. Who did it best: Dior and Miu Miu How to wear it: As eclectic and unexpected as possible (if you dare). On the runway, prints were all mixed together. Try blending animal prints with stripes, or plaid with some-

thing textured.

Romantic Victorian

Luxe knits

Check out ruffle-neck and bow-neck blouses; long, full skirts; and rich fabrics with a purely romantic edge. Who did it best: Alexander McQueen and Alberta Ferretti How to wear it: For this trend, light flourishes work best. Choose one detail,

Sumptuous sweaters done in drapey and cozy silhouettes are perfectly practical for fall weather. Who did it best: Victoria Beckham and The Row How to wear it: With leather pants or sleek trousers to add some structure to the loose shape.

Prepare to take a walk on the dark side with all-black ensembles, dark and heavy fabrics and even long black gloves that feel traditionally goth but far from gloomy. Who did it best: Givenchy, Alexander Wang and Marc Jacobs How to wear it: Wear the style without the solemn vibe by making sure fabrics aren’t head-to-toe heavy. All black is totally acceptable but not when done in an overwhelming way.

Global tapestry Boho is back (or maybe it never went away). The gypset look is in full swing for fall with patchwork patterns, embroidered details and globally inspired outerwear. Who did it best: Burberry Prorsum and Tory Burch How to wear it: This season, the boho look isn’t subtle. Fringe, tassels, texture and maxi lengths are all major trends.