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SEPTEMBER 14 - SEPTEMBER 20, 2012

VOLUME 20 NO. 37

UNDER ATTACK ON 9/11 On the same day America remembered the 2011 destruction of New York’s World Trade Center, a U.S. ambassador and three others are killed and two American diplomatic buildings in the Middle East are attacked. Coincidence – or design? Egyptian protesters climb the walls of the U.S. Embassy while others chant anti-U.S. slogans during a protest in Cairo, Egypt, Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2012.

COMPILED FROM WIRE REPORTS

The U.S. dispatched an elite group of Marines along with two warships to Tripoli, Libya on Wednesday following a mob attack that killed the U.S. ambassador to Libya and three other Americans. U.S. officials are investigating whether the violence – initially blamed on an anti-Islamic video – was a terrorist attack planned to coincide with the anniversary of 9/11.

Building overrun Libya’s interior minister said Wednesday that the U.S. ambassador to Libya, Christopher Stevens, was killed when armed Islamists overran the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya’s second largest city, in a day of rage that also struck the U.S. Embassy in Cairo, where demonstrators hauled down the American

AP PHOTO/ NASSER NASSE

More fallout from Champion killing

flag, tore it to pieces and burned it. Originally, Obama administration officials believed that the incidents were sparked by outrage over the release of a movie trailer that conservative Muslims in both countries said denigrated Islam and its holiest figure, Mohammed. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton acknowledged that as the likely cause in a statement. “Some have sought to justify this vicious behavior as a response to inflammatory material posted on the Internet. The United States deplores any intentional effort to denigrate the religious beliefs of others,” she said. “But let me be clear: There is never any justification for violent acts of this kind.” But a U.S. counterterrorism official told the Associated Press (AP) that the Benghazi violence was “too coordinated or professional” to be See ATTACK, Page A2

CAMPAIGN 2012 / DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION

The race to re-election begins

FAMU fights legal responsibility; state alleges lack of controls COMPILED FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

Here’s an update of the latest key events surrounding the killing of Florida A&M University Marching “100’’ drum major Robert Champion, who was beaten to death by his band mates during a hazing ritual after the Florida Classic football game in Orlando on Nov. 19, 2011: On Monday, FAMU filed a legal motion asking a judge to permanently dismiss or defer ruling on the wrongful death lawsuit filed against the school by Champion’s parents. The school’s argument: Robert Champion is responsible for his own death from hazing. In a 23-page motion filed in an Orlando-area circuit court, FAMU’s attorneys essentially said that Champion, an adult, allowed himself to be beaten to death when he decided to “cross Bus C,” as the band’s hazing ritual was named. Attorney Rick Mitchell of the GrayRobinson law firm of Orlando wrote that Champion knew the dangers of hazing. He signed an anti-hazing pledge with the university months before he was beaten to death. He witnessed two other students submit to the hazing ritual immediately before him. And for several months previously, Champion had debated with his friend and fellow drum major Keon Hollis about whether to go through with it. “Respectfully, as a 26-year-old adult and leader in FAMU’s band, Mr. See FAMU, Page A2

SNAPSHOTS NATION | A3

Major tribute to Frederick Douglass

EVENTS | B2

Jacksonville AKAs celebrate 70th anniversary SPORTS | B5

Olympic medalist sued by parents FLORIDA | A6

Black Women’s Roundtable convenes in Florida

ALSO INSIDE

FINEST | B5

Meet Cybil

MARGOT JORDAN PHOTOS

The Obama family (Michelle, Barack, Sasha and Malia) ended the DNC in Charlotte, N.C. last week, thus officially kicking off the sprint to the November presidential election. Read pages A4 and A5 for commentaries on the Democratic and Republican National Conventions, Mitt Romney and Barack Obama.

State voter purge list is less than 300 people BY MICHAEL PELTIER THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

A controversial list of 2,600 allegedly illegal voters has been whittled to 207, Florida election officials said Wednesday after running the names through a federal immigration database. Florida Secretary of State Ken Detzner said the names, about 8 percent of the initial list, would be forwarded to local election officials as early as next week. The revised list was released the same day as an agreement was announced between the state and voting rights groups over efforts to remove non-citizens and other ineligible voters from the ranks.

‘Every vote counts’ “We want every Florida vot-

er to be confident that their vote is protected and not hurt in any way by the illegal activity of others,” Detzner said in a statement. “We know that every vote counts, especially here in Florida where only 537 votes decided the presidential election in 2000.” Wednesday’s announcement marks the latest development in a months-long battle between voting rights advocates, state and federal elections officials over Republican-led efforts to cull the ranks of voters and eliminate those not eligible to cast ballots. Voting groups, which filed suit in federal court to stop the purge, said the new agreement would help prevent the targeting of minorities, who disproportionately turned up on earlier lists of questionable voters.

More than 92 percent of the names on the state’s original list of “illegal” voters were wrongly identified, which would have prevented them from voting. RICARDO RAMIREZ BUXEDA/ ORLANDO SENTINEL/MCT

“The citizens of Florida have taken another step toward realizing the right to vote, without any undue barriers imposed by the state,” said Penda Hair, codirector of Advancement Project, a plaintiff in the case.

At Scott’s request

state election officials last year began looking at whether ineligible voters were showing up in the rolls. To find out, the state began comparing voting rolls with drivers’ license data, coming up with an initial list of 2,600 names

At Gov. Rick Scott’s urging,

COMMENTARY: CHARLES W. CHERRY II: RANDOM THOUGHTS OF A FREE BLACK MIND | A4 COMMENTARY: CLARENCE V. MCKEE: THE GOOD, BAD, UGLY OF RNC IN TAMPA | A5

See VOTERS, Page A2

FOCUS

SEPTEMBER 14 - SEPTEMBER 20, 2012

Obama’s no Jimmy Carter, and Romney’s no Ronald Reagan Though absurd, it’s hardly surprising that an obscure Internet video depicting the Prophet Muhammad in a blasphemous light would incite ignorant Islamists to violent rage. Remember how mere cartoons of Muhammad incited fiery protests throughout the Muslim world a few years ago? These mindless Islamists are as embarrassing to all of my Muslim friends as they are incomprehensible to me. What is surprising is that these religious lunatics would dare to vent their rage on U.S. embassies. Yet reports are that significantly on September 11, they stormed the U.S. embassy in Cairo, Egypt and launched rocketpropelled grenades at a U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, killing U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three others there. Unfortunately, there is very little the United States can do to prevent such irrational attacks. Indeed, the wonder is that there aren’t many more.

Romney exploits tragedy Nevertheless, given that Repub-

ANTHONY L. HALL, ESQ. FLORIDA COURIER COLUMNIST

lican presidential nominee Mitt Romney has predicated much of his campaign on painting President Obama as just another feckless Jimmy Carter, the impulse might’ve been for Obama to react with bravado in a misguided attempt to prevent Romney’s caricature from becoming a selffulfilling prophecy (in the fickle minds of American voters). And, by rushing to slam this president as an apologist/appeaser in chief even before the cause and scope of these tragedies were known, Romney showed that he will not allow diplomacy, U.S. strategic interests, or even respect for the dead diplomats to prevent him from exploiting these unfolding events for partisan political gain. (For what it’s worth, Libyan authorities are blaming the attack on die-hard Gaddafi loyalists, while

some reports are pinning it on the coordinated hand of Al-Qaeda. If Al Qaeda was involved, one would have to wonder why kill Americans in Benghazi but only tear up American flags in Cairo.) Whatever the case, Obama did not take Romney’s bait. Instead, after being fully briefed, he properly condemned the “outrageous and shocking” Benghazi attack and vowed to bring the perpetrators to justice. But he insisted that this attack would do nothing to alter American values.

‘How could this happen?’ Secretary of State Hillary Clinton echoed his sentiments and added this instructive personal note: “ Today many Americans are asking, indeed, I ask myself, how could this happen? How could this happen in a country we helped liberate, in a city we helped save from destruction? This question reflects just how complicated and, at times, how confounding the world can be. “But we must be clear-eyed even in our grief. This was an attack by a small and savage group,

not the people or government of Libya.” Indeed, Libyan authorities immediately offered the kind of politically expedient apology we have become accustomed to hearing from U.S. authorities whenever errant drone missiles kill innocent civilians in places like Afghanistan and Pakistan.

I told you so Yet the vexing irony Hillary alluded to cannot be overstressed. What’s more, in February 2011, I warned it might be thus: “With all due respect to the (Egyptian) protesters, the issue is not whether (Egyptian rule Hosni Mubarak) will go, for he will. (The man is 82 and already looks halfdead, for Christ’s sake!) Rather, the issue is who will replace him. And it appears they have not given any thought whatsoever to this very critical question. “The devil the Egyptians know might prove far preferable to the devil they don’t. Just ask the Iranians who got rid of the Mubarak-like Shah in 1979 only to end up with the Ayatollah – whose Is-

lamic revolution they’ve regretted (and have longed to overturn) ever since...”

Obama’s not Carter Meanwhile, conspicuously absent was any reference by either Obama or Hillary to the storming of the U.S. Embassy in Cairo. But as they presented their joint statement on TV, the (Republican) elephant taking up much of the screen was the fearful symmetry between Egyptians storming the walls of the U.S. Embassy in Cairo this week and Iranians storming the walls of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran in 1979. Except that Obama has demonstrated that he’s no Jimmy Carter and, to complete the symmetry, Romney has demonstrated that he’s no Ronald Reagan.

Anthony L. Hall is a Bahamian native with an international law practice in Washington, D.C. Read his columns and daily weblog at www.theipinionsjournal.com. Click on this story at www.flcourier.com to write your own response.

FAMU

istrative review was ever done.

VOTERS

from A1

Other reviews

from A1

Champion should have refused to participate in the planned hazing event and reported it to law enforcement or University administrators. Under these circumstances, Florida’s taxpayers should not be held financially liable to Mr. Champion’s estate for the ultimate result of his own imprudent, avoidable and tragic decision and death,” Mitchell wrote.

Family’s lawyer ‘shocked’ Champion family attorney Christopher Chestnut said Monday night that he was shocked at “the contents of their defense.” “We cannot ignore the irony and audacity of an institution in blaming Robert for his death,” Chestnut said. “Blaming students for hazing allows the culture of hazing to become deadly.” A dozen former members of the Marching “100’’ are charged with felony hazing in Champion’s death. All 12 have pleaded not guilty to the third-degree felony, punishable by up to five years in prison. The judge in the lawsuit likely will set a date to hear arguments on FAMU’s motion. Meantime, the university’s legal team and Champion family lawyers are in the process of selecting a mediator and a mediation date – probably sometime next month –

ATTACK from A1 spontaneous. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the incident publicly. The FBI was sending evidence teams to Libya, a law enforcement official told the AP.

Jones involved again Backers of the movie include Egyptian Christian activist Morris Sadek and Terry Jones, the Florida pastor whose burning of Qurans last year led to days of rioting in Afghanistan. They were unapologetic about the role their film may have had in triggering the violence. Islam forbids any depiction of Mohammed because he’s seen as someone whose greatness can’t be replicated. In documentaries about his life, he’s often portrayed as a ray of light. That someone would mock the prophet is considered blasphemous. President Hamid Karzai on Wednesday condemned the film, galvanizing fears that his denunciation could be read as a goahead to stage violent protests. A condemnation from Karzai was thought to have

FLORIDA COURIER FILES

Though FAMU Drum Major Robert Champion was beaten to death, the school says that Champion was responsible for his own fate. during which they may try to reach a settlement.

Payment problems On Wednesday, state investigators revealed that they found examples of financial mismanagement at FAMU, including per diem payments made to people who were not students when the band was traveling last year. A total of 79 people – including elementary school students and alumni – received the unauthorized payments, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement concluded Wednesday in its investigative report following a ninemonth investigation. The report indicates that a lack of internal controls and administrative oversight “substantially contributed to a systematinflamed passions in the spring of 2010, after Jones and his followers staged a Koran-burning. Nearly two weeks elapsed without any reaction in Afghanistan, until Karzai issued a call for Jones’ arrest and prosecution. The next day, April 1, a mob descended on the U.N. mission in the northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif, killing seven foreign U.N. workers.

Fundamentalist takeover? Even without the provocation provided by the film, the violence fit a pattern of growing fundamentalist ferment that has touched many of the countries where governments have fallen in the past 18 months. That trend has been especially pronounced in Libya, where in recent weeks conservative Islamists have leveled mosques and cemeteries associated with the moderate Sufi strain of Islam, and car bombs have become increasingly frequent in Tripoli, the capital, and Benghazi. The administration, Clinton said, will continue supporting the Libyan government as it struggles to surmount serious insecurity in the aftermath of the civil war that overthrew strongman Moammar Gadhafi.

ic lack of regard for or adherence to university policy and procedure. “Neither FAMU nor then band director Julian White could provide an explanation of how and/or why this occurred,” investigators wrote. About two weeks ago, FDLE announced it had made one arrest as part of the financial investigation, which grew out of a larger probe into Champion’s death. FAMU Director of Special Events Tammy Hamlet was charged with eight counts of misdemeanor fraud for allegedly padding her travel expense reports.

White cited Dr. Julian White, the band’s longtime director who retired several

‘Thank yous to Obama’ Stevens’ death marked the loss of one of the State Department’s best Libyan experts and threatened to mar relations between the United States and Libya’s nascent government. He was perhaps the most celebrated ambassador in the Middle East, well known and respected among Libya’s 6 million people. Throughout Twitter and Facebook, popular Libyan sites first created during the uprisings mourned his loss and said that his death was no way to defend Islam. “I’m shocked,” one Arab diplomat who knew Stevens said, asking that he not be identified by name because he was not authorized to discuss the issue. “Immediately after the collapse of the (Gadhafi) regime, there were U.S. flags everywhere and thank yous to Obama. But in one incident, things have turned worse than before.”

No easy road Middle East analysts warn of a tough slog ahead. The transition to democracy for any country is rarely without upheaval, said Allen Keiswetter, a scholar at the Middle East Institute and a former deputy assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern Affairs.

months ago, was partially blamed for the theft of $30,000 to $40,000 in band dues several years ago, according to the report. White failed to deposit the cash, checks and money orders into a university account, choosing instead to keep the money in a locked storage room. After it was discovered stolen, he did not report the theft for about three months. When he did go to the FAMU police department, he reported that only $12,000 in cash was taken, the report said. FDLE and university police investigations were unable to determine who took the money. And while campus police forwarded the incident to the school’s Division of Audit and Compliance for an investigation, no admin“It’s going to take time for the Western idea of freedom of speech and religious tolerance to take hold in these countries,” he said. Libya in particular, he noted, had no tradition of democratic governance. “Democratizing countries are among the most violent as they work through their systems,” he said. Stabilization could take years “and as much as a generation,” said P.J. Crowley, a former State Department spokesman under Obama and a former special assistant for national security affairs under President Bill Clinton. “It was clear when Moammar Gadhafi was overthrown and the U.S. and NATO assisted in that effort that Libya was likely to be a very unstable place that radical Islamist elements were going to exploit,” said Ted Galen Carpenter, a senior fellow for defense and foreign policy studies at the libertarian-leaning Cato Institute. The Obama administration isn’t the first to “barge into regions” without understanding all the players and their motivations, he added. Carpenter said he doesn’t believe it was clear that the administration “understood the probable consequences” of getting rid of Gadhafi.

The Board of Governors, which oversees Florida’s public universities, is also looking into FAMU’s internal controls – whether the administration did enough to combat hazing in the months before Champion’s beating death. A draft report of that investigation should be completed at the end of September or in early October, said an official from the Board of Governors. FAMU’s accrediting body – the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges – is looking into problems related to, among other things, campus safety and university finances.

Taking steps The university has made a number of changes in recent months to fight hazing on campus, including launching a website recently that allows students to report hazing in realtime to the campus police department. Starting in spring 2013, students will not be able to register for classes until they sign an anti-hazing pledge, FAMU announced last week.

Denise-Marie Ordway and Stephen Hudak of the Orlando Sentinel (MCT) contributed to this report.

‘Overly optimistic’ “There’s been a tendency both with the Bush administration and Obama – and Clinton in the Balkans – to be overly optimistic about the probable aftermath of getting rid of obnoxious regimes,” he said. “There’s a significant risk that the situation may become very chaotic and be worse than the status quo. You have deep divisions in that society; it’s still very much uncertain whether Libya will remain cohesive.” Anthony Cordesman, a national security analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a center-right think tank, warned in a blog posting

it sent to local officials earlier this year. Election supervisors suspended the purge after it became clear that eligible voters were incorrectly included in the non-voter list. At the center of the controversy was a request by Florida officials to access a federal Department of Homeland Security database that tracks the status of non-citizens. State election officials filed suit to use the system to more accurately determine the status of registered voters.

Agreement signed Under the agreement penned Wednesday, state officials will advise local election supervisors to return to the rolls voters who were removed earlier but can’t be confirmed as non-citizens. Voters who were incorrectly removed from the rolls will receive letters telling them they are indeed eligible to vote. Also, voters whose names turned up on earlier lists would not be required to vote by provisional ballot. “Any number of people who are registered to vote and who are not eligible is a serious problem, whether that number is two or 207,” said Howard Simon, executive director of ACLU of Florida, in a statement. “But given the less-than-competent record of state officials in voter purging over the years, Floridians would be right to be skeptical of anything coming from this current purge.” against drawing conclusions too rapidly. “We in the West need to remember that the ‘European spring’ that began with the French Revolution (or 1848 depending on your choice of historians) triggered upheavals that lasted until at least 1914, and did not end in anything approaching stability,” he wrote.

The Associated Press as well as Lindsay Wise, Laura King, Lesley Clark, William Douglas and Nancy A. Youssef of McClatchy Newspapers contributed to this report.

CORRECTION A photo that appeared on B2 of the September 7, 2012 issue of the Florida Courier identified the dancers as Bethune-Cookman’s 14 Karat Gold Dancers. They actually were members of Alabama State University’s dance team. We ask forgiveness for the error.

september 14 - september 20, 2012

US House approves putting Douglass statue in Capitol Senate expected to soon approve measure that adds abolitionist to popular visitor center that includes MLK, Sojourner Truth

Statue to be moved to center The action comes as welcome news to the district, which has long complained about its lack of a vote in Congress, with license plates featuring “Taxation without representation” and calls for renaming Pennsylvania Avenue to perhaps Free D.C. Avenue, Let D.C. Vote Way or another name.

Frederick Douglass died on Feb. 20, 1895 at age 78. The district’s 600,000 residents pay federal taxes and can vote for president, but they have a nonvoting delegate in the House and no representation in the Senate. Legislation to provide for “the admission of the state of New Columbia into the Union” has languished in Congress. Under the legislation, a bronze statue of Douglass, created by Steven Weitzman of Maryland and now in a D.C. government building, would be moved to the Capitol Visitor Center’s Emancipation Hall. The statue depicts the abolitionist, whose one-time home near the Capitol is a national historic site, standing next to a lectern delivering a speech while clutching a paper.

Received presidential vote 1888 GOP convention Lungren, who joined Eleanor Holmes Norton, the district’s nonvoting delegate in the House in sponsoring the legislation, noted Douglass was the first AfricanAmerican to receive a vote in presidential convention balloting — at the 1888 Republican convention. “I would repeat that, the Republican National Convention,” Lungren said. “In considering the remarkable achievements of Frederick Douglass and his contributions to our rich history, his presence within the U.S. Capitol will honor this institution and serve as testimony to this nation’s struggle for freedom and equality,” Lungren added.

NAACP seeks freedom for man convicted in shooting death on his property BY BILL BARROW ASSOCIATED PRESS

BY RICHARD SIMON LOS ANGELES TIMES (MCT)

WASHINGTON – The District of Columbia is about to get a bit more respect, if not statehood, with Congress poised to approve the placement of a statue of abolitionist Frederick Douglass, a onetime district resident, in the U.S. Capitol. The House on Monday voted to add Douglass’ likeness to the Capitol’s collection of statues, a popular tourist attraction that features statues of noteworthy figures from each state. The Senate is expected to give its approval soon. The move would help diversify a collection of more than 180 statues and busts scattered through the corridors of the Capitol and visitor center that now includes only two African-Americans: the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Sojourner Truth. “I’m afraid that too many young people today don’t know the story of Frederick Douglass,” Rep. Dan Lungren, R-Calif., chairman of the Committee on House Administration, told colleagues Monday, suggesting that the statute would generate new interest in the former slave’s story and his contributions.

NATION

ATLANTA – NAACP leaders on Monday again demanded the release of a Black man imprisoned after shooting a White man on the shooter’s property. The activists said John McNeil’s conviction was proof that self-defense laws, which McNeil cited in his 2006 trial, are not applied equally to all races in the United States. McNeil is serving a life sentence for the 2005 shooting death of Brian Epp, whom he had hired as a contractor on his Kennesaw home. “Something is wrong here. Morally wrong. Legally wrong,’’ said the Rev. William Barber II, an NAACP national board member and president of the group’s North Carolina chapter. “And the only thing that will make it right is to free John McNeil.’’ Civil rights organizations have criticized the case since McNeil’s arrest almost nine months after the shooting. Cobb County District Attorney Pat Head pursued a murder charge despite the conclusion of Kennesaw police detectives that McNeil committed no crime. Head won a jury verdict that the Georgia Supreme Court upheld in 2008.

AG fighting appeal A second appeal awaits action by a trial court in Baldwin County, where McNeil was first imprisoned. He has since been moved to Macon State Prison in Oglethorpe. A spokeswoman in the Georgia Attorney General’s office, which is fighting the second appeal, declined to comment, citing office policy not to talk about pending cases. Through a spokeswoman, Head said Monday, “As far as we are concerned, this case is

over and done.’’ Barber and his Georgia counterpart, Edward DuBose, said Monday that the case has gained new urgency because McNeil’s wife, Anita, has been diagnosed with cancer. The case also has reclaimed the spotlight since the killing of Trayvon Martin in Florida. McNeil never denied that he shot Epp, but told Kennesaw police that the victim was belligerent and, after wielding a knife during an altercation with McNeil’s son, charged at the elder McNeil. Investigators found a knife on Epp. An eyewitness testified that he saw Epp charge McNeil but did not see a knife. The eyewitness confirmed McNeil’s account that he fired a warning shot. NAACP President Benjamin Todd Jealous said his organization questions “stand-yourground’’ laws that do not require a person, regardless of their location, to retreat from a perceived threat if they have an opportunity. But, Jealous said, “we have no qualms about the Castle Doctrine,’’ which governs threats that occur on personal property. McNeil’s conviction in the face of that doctrine, Jealous said, means that in Georgia, “When it comes to protecting your home and your family, there is no law that can protect a Black man from a biased system of justice.’’ Jealous said he is reaching out to gun-rights organizations – he declined to name the National Rifle Association or any other group – to build public support for McNeil outside the civil rights community. “Any defender of gun rights and property rights should care about this case,’’ he said.

EDITORIAL

september 14 - september 20, 2012

Republican con quietly being accepted As clear as their schemes are to me, there are thousands of unscrupulous individuals who misrepresent their intentions to take advantage of unsuspecting and trusting people. How they take advantage of the unsuspecting is varied, but the victims are usually “taken” for large sums of money, real property or other items of value. Although the process may be different, a common ethic among those who take advantage of others is that they take as much as they can. They’re known by many names – flim-flam men, scam artists, grifters, but the one with the closest name to the reality of how they conduct themselves is con men.

Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq. TRICE EDNEY WIRE

trust that makes his/her victims the last to believe that the con man would do anything untrustworthy. That is the artistry in their work. They convince their victims to willingly separate themselves from their wealth. Few people can explain a Ponzi scheme or give details of what Bernie Madoff did, but most know that his scheme separated thousands of hard-working, honest citizens from their money to the tune of billions of dollars. Artistry at work Better known, but still misunThe confidence artist/con man derstood, are the schemes that creates a level of confidence and convince hundreds of hapless

victims that they are the recipients of lottery winnings in lotteries they never played, beneficiaries of insurance policies of people they do not know or that they have received a bequest from a long-lost, unknown relative who resides somewhere overseas. How these victims are convinced to send money to pay for something they believe they have won or been given is a mystery to me, but it happens.

sic principles of personal freedom. Having moved from position to position and taken no firm proactive stance or position on almost any subject, Romney has convinced a large number of Americans that he is the answer to their frustration with the current administration. The only thing he has made clear is his commitment to reducing the tax obligations of the wealthy. In the process, his plan No firm position will place increased financial burAn even greater mystery to me dens upon the middle class. is how Mitt Romney, Paul Ryan and the Republican Party can To believe or not convince so many Americans to to believe join them in their attempt to seize The Ryan Budget, endorsed by the White House. I am perplexed by their ability to undermine so Romney, will turn Medicaid inmany of the fundamental princi- to a block grant and Medicare inples of our government and usurp to a voucher plan. The expected many of the rights essential to ba- outcome is that insufficient funds

VISUAL VIEWPOINT: CODE EASTWOOD

Christopher Weyant, The Hill

Random thoughts of a free Black mind, v. 153 FAMU response to Champion lawsuit – The Rattlers may end up winning the lawsuit battle against Robert Champion’s parents and end up losing the public relations war by refusing to accept corporate responsibility. The Marching ‘100’ is to FAMU what football is to Penn State. Both schools are more concerned about the revenue and notoriety such extracurricular activities provide. Top management at both schools, including their respective boards of trustees, turned a blind eye to warnings they received about illegal activities, i.e., hazing and child abuse. FAMU lawyers seem to sneer at Champion’s death in their legal documents, implying that Champion was a criminal who knew that his ‘imprudent’ behavior could get him killed, but that FAMU wasn’t ‘omnipotent’ enough to see it all coming. What BS! That’s FAMU’s ‘Sergeant Shultz’ defense: “I know NOTHING!” But the problem for the Champion family is that FAMU may be right – legally. That argument may fly in front of a judge, but it damn sure won’t fly with parents like me when I start thinking about whether I’ll send my brilliant, soft-spoken, beautiful, clarinet-playing daughter to FAMU – perhaps to try out for the ‘100’ – if FAMU completely abdicates its responsibility for her safety. Seems to me somebody with a brain in Tally would have sat down with the Cham-

quick takes from #2: straight, no chaser

Charles W. Cherry II, Esq. PUBLISHER

pion family to work something out before the lawsuit was filed, especially since the total amount FAMU could pay is $300,000, which was former FAMU President James Ammons’ salary for one year... America in Libya – In 1963, Malcolm X said that President John F. Kennedy’s assassination was a case of America’s “chickens coming home to roost” after America had botched a number of attempts to assassinate Cuba’s Fidel Castro. Malcolm’s point was that America can’t play God, kill sovereign leaders at will, or develop Frankenstein monsters like Osama bin Laden (we armed him to fight the Soviet Union in Afghanistan), and not expect violent retaliation when our foreign policy interests collide with those of our enemies or former attack dogs...

Contact me at ccherry2@gmail.com; holler at me at www.facebook.com/ ccherry2; follow me on Twitter @ccherry2.

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

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

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Charles W. Cherry, Sr. (1929-2004), Founder Julia T. Cherry, Senior Managing Member, Central Florida Communicators Group, LLC Dr. Glenn W. Cherry, Cassandra CherryKittles, Charles W. Cherry II, Managing Members Dr. Glenn W. Cherry, Chief Executive Officer Charles W. Cherry II, Esq., Publisher Dr. Valerie Rawls-Cherry, Human Resources Lynnette Garcia, Marketing Consultant/Sales Linda Fructuoso, Marketing Consultant/Sales, Circulation Angela VanEmmerik, Creative Director Chicago Jones, Eugene Leach, Louis Muhammad, Lisa Rogers-Cherry, Circulation Jenise Morgan, Senior Editor Starla Vaughns Cherin, Karin Davis-Thompson, James Harper, Andreas Butler, Ashley Thomas, Staff Writers Delroy Cole, Kim Gibson, Photojournalists MEMBER National Newspaper Publishers Association Society of Professional Journalists Florida Press Association Associated Press National Newspaper Association

Dr. E. Faye Williams is national chair of the National Congress of Black Women, Inc. Click on this story at www.flcourier.com to write your own response.

GOP countered by truth-telling at Democratic Convention Inevitably, the Democratic Party fest in Charlotte, N.C., has been compared to the Republican gathering in Tampa. The speeches by Vice President Joe Biden and President Barack Obama have been contrasted with those of Republican nominees Paul Ryan and Mitt Romney. The Republican convention was marked by patriotic rhetoric, Horatio Alger tales of upward mobility and a diverse lineup of speakers presenting to the overwhelmingly White, older and affluent delegates. Democrats are not lacking for patriotic salutes, uplifting tales and diverse speakers. They addressed a crowd that is younger and more diverse than the Republican crowd. But the starkest contrast was drawn by President Obama and Vice President Biden as they offered the one thing absent from the Republican convention – truth-telling. For example, Romney opened his speech by describing our expectations when Obama was elected. Families, he said, wanted to “get ahead a little more,” small business owners wanted “the best years ever” and our nation was expecting to “start paying down the national debt.” What planet was Romney on?

simple truth.

Rev. Romney expressed conJesse L. cern for the poor, but his Jackson, budget would throw many more children into poverSr. TRICEEDNEYWIRE.COM

economy that, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, lost 779,000 jobs that month. The world teetered on the edge of financial collapse and global depression. Workers were laid off, took pay and benefit cuts, swallowed furloughs without pay. Home values plummeted, wiping out the leading source of wealth for everyone outside the very few. Contrary to Romney, we weren’t expecting a walk on the beach; we were looking for help in a brutal storm. Similarly absent from the Romney and Ryan speeches were mention of the Bushera policies that drove this economy off the cliff. These included tax cuts largely for the rich, deregulation of big banks, organized assault on unions, record trade deficits, jobs sent abroad, record budget deficits driven by not paying for the tax cuts or two disastrous wars — all of which were championed by Ryan in Congress.

Romney’s truth will hurt

Romney and Ryan Economy was in couldn’t mention these befreefall cause that would be an inOn the day Obama took dictment of their agenda. the oath of office in Janu- Obama and Biden could ary 2009, he inherited an benefit by laying out this

ty and inflict savage cuts on the limited support we offer those in need. He spoke of his concern about the costs of college, but his budget would slash support for Pell scholarships for deserving students. The Bible says you judge a tree by the fruit that it bears, not the bark that it wears. The president and vice president might remind people of that simple truth, too. Romney and Ryan spoke eloquently about the rights of Americans, but didn’t mention voting rights. Perhaps that’s because the Republican Party is driving the worst assault on voting rights since the days of Jim Crow, cynically limiting early voting and demanding costly new forms of official ID designed to make it harder for the poor, minorities and young to vote. As the president and vice president gave their convention speeches, they obviously considered doing what their Republican counterparts failed to do. And that is to tell the truth.

The Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. is president and CEO of the Rainbow/ PUSH Coalition. Click on this story at www.flcourier.com to write your own response.

There’s time for Republicans to flip flop to DNC If the election of the president of the United States was based on oratorical skills, Barack Obama would win his re-election bid by a landslide. A dynamic and memorable address by the Commander in Chief at the Democratic National Convention was prefaced by a slew of hard-hitting attacks on Republican Party politics and Republican Party candidates. It’s about time!

Democrats finally respond W W W.FLCOURIER.COM

will be allocated to each program resulting in limited or no care for the Medicaid recipient and a significant out-of-pocket cost to the average Medicare recipient. To create the best chance for success of their plans, they’ve tried to convince the public its best interest is served by laws limiting access to the vote. Laws that serve no logical purpose than to suppress votes are being sold as necessary to the preservation of voting sanctity. The con only works if it’s believed or if no one complains. Do you believe the Republican con and will you quietly accept it?

The biggest problem Democrats have had in the 2012 election year has constantly been the Democrats failure to respond to the forked tongue attacks by racists, sexists, imperialist and conservative individuals and groups. But at the convention, Democrats begin to fight back by pointing out the clear and obvious differences between helping the rich and wealthy and helping the poor and exploited. If Obama and the Democratic Party can convince their supporters to go to the polls on Election Day and vote, the coalition of middle-class voters, Black voters, women voters, Hispanic voters and disgruntled voters that hate “trickle down” politics pushed by econom-

Democrats lucked out Lucius Gantt THE GANTT REPORT

ic vampires and financial criminals, Obama will be hard to defeat. My advice to the smart Republicans is if you can’t beat Obama, join him! It is not unusual for political people to adjust their thinking, change their philosophies, switch their allegiances and reconsider their past support of exposed politicians. Some say Mitt Romney is the best political gymnast in history because he has flipped and flopped more times than gold medal winner Gabby Douglas.

Obama’s election to lose The Republican Party can’t beat Obama, but the president can lose if he can’t put together a nationwide team that can deliver his supporters and Democratic voters to the election booths. In recent history, Democratic Party field operatives have been a political disgrace.

Instead of hiring political operatives that were experienced, that were smart or operatives that were successful, Democrats chose to employ political charlatans that the Democratic Party could control. Who can deliver was not a question Democratic Party leaders would even consider when selecting people to pay millions of dollars to get the president re-elected and other Democratic candidates elected. This year the Democratic Party lucked out. God gave them Republican presidential and vice presidential candidates that couldn’t tell the political truth if their political lives depended on it. Any Republican flip floppers that read this column may want to flip over to the other party before it’s too late.

Excerpts from Gantt columns are now posted every week on The Gantt Report’s Facebook page; become a fan. Buy Gantt’s latest book, “Beast Too: Dead Man Writing” on Amazon.com and from bookstores everywhere. Contact Lucius at www. allworldconsultants.net. Click on this story at www. flcourier.com to write your own response.

SEPTEMBER 14 - SEPTEMBER 20, 2012

EDITORIAL

The good, bad, ugly of the Tampa GOP convention Another Republican National Convention, and the same old question: “Why so few Blacks?” Republicans, especially Black Republicans, can be proud of former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Saratoga Springs, Utah Mayor Mia Love, and former Alabama Democratic Congressman Artur Davis. These outstanding leaders, and others like Reps. Allen West, RFla., Tim Scott, R-S.C.) and Florida Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll, were elected either statewide or come from White majority districts. Some Blacks say that, since these Black Republicans were elected from White majority districts, they do not push for issues impacting Black people. The same can be said of Obama who has been criticized – by Black Democrats – for advocating White, gay and Hispanic causes over those for Blacks.

Catching hell One reason for the lack of Blacks in the GOP is that few want to take the condemnation and ugly attacks that are heaped upon Black Republicans by Black Democrats and their allies in the liberal media, including some Black journalists.    They will launch the same attacks on Love and Davis as they have in the past on Rice, West, Herman Cain and other Black Republicans.   In fact, within hours

VISUAL VIEWPOINT: FLORIDA’S ‘HURRICANE SEASON’

Democrats as well. That brings me to the second reason why Blacks are so scarce in the GOP: “You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him GUEST COMMENTARY drink.” There is no sign outside of the Republican Party saying, of her speech, Love’s Wikipedia “Blacks need not apply.” page was vandalized with racist My message to Blacks and sexist epithets. Don’t hold your breath wait• If you want to continue having ing for the NAACP, National Or- no political leverage, stay with the ganization of Women, or the Con- Democrats. gressional Black Caucus to con• If you want to be in a pardemn this vicious assault. In fact, ty that supports abortion on de14 CBC members sent a letter to mand, partial birth abortions and Davis accusing him of everything Planned Parenthood where Black but being a traitor for switching to babies are killed at what some the GOP.    have called “genocidal rates,” stay with the Democrats. • If you want to be in a party that No tolerance has tolerated deplorable Black I have not heard or seen Hispanic Democrats demeaning His- graduation rates; joined with panic Republicans. Or Democrats teachers’ unions in fighting acof Indian ancestry calling Repub- countability, vouchers and choice lican Govs. Bobby Jindal and Nik- for parents whose children are ki Haley “traitors” because they trapped in failing urban schools; are Republicans. Or Jewish Dem- stay with the Democrats. ocrats calling Jewish Republicans disgusting names. Or racist or GOP also responsible ethnic jokes, cartoons or vicious Blacks are not alone in being comments about Hispanic or Jew- responsible for the low participaish Republicans in the media. tion in the Republican Party. The Why? It’s because these groups party also bears some responsiare respected in the political are- bility. na. Blacks are not. My father once Black outreach, as it was practold me, “If you don’t respect ticed during the Reagan/Bush, yourself or your own people, no and Bush/Cheney eras has all one will respect you.” That’s a but disappeared. There are few, if good piece of advice for Black any, “Jack Kemps” who preach in-

CLARENCE V. MCKEE

JEFF PARKER, FLORIDA TODAY AND THE FORT MYERS NEWS-PRESS

clusiveness for Hispanics as well as for Blacks. Republicans should take a page out of former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush’s playbook of inclusion and outreach as he practiced in word and deed during his terms as governor. As Black columnist and political consultant Raynard Jackson recently wrote, “...even more alarming than the lack of Blacks as convention attendees, delegates or Mitt Romney staff members is the lack of Blacks in the pipeline to be future party operatives...I am embarrassed at the lack of diversity at this convention. Have the Republicans not noticed the demographic changes that are taking place in this country? Numerically, there are not enough old,

Obama vs. Romney is progress vs. reversal Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan would be beyond devastating for the AfricanAmerican community. They would build an administration based on the same failed policies that forced our nation into a great economic recession. They have vowed to cut education funding and to repeal the Affordable Care Act that would disproportionately affect African-Americans in Florida who are still recovering. President Obama understands that too many of us have been hurt by declining wages and unemployment over this past decade. From growing our economy, to providing more opportunities for our children to receive a better education, the Dream Act, to Obamacare, President Obama has demonstrated a commit-

U.S. REP. ALCEE L. HASTINGS GUEST COMMENTARY

ment to African-Americans and to the future of our community for generations to come.

More work to do Together, we’ve accomplished a lot, but there is much more work to be done. This is why it is crucial that we make it a priority to register to vote by October 9 and support the re-election of President Obama. Through the Minority Business Development Agency, the Obama administration helped AfricanAmerican clients secure

more than $929 million in contracts and financing in 2009 and $2.4 billion in 2010. And by signing the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010, more capital was put into the hands of minorityowned businesses. Aside from helping to grow our economy, the president also has focused largely on higher education opportunities that have helped African-American students. Forty-six percent of African-Americans in undergraduate programs receive Pell grants. Without these scholarships, college for many of us would simply be a dream. Mitt Romney would eliminate the president’s college tax credit, slashing Pell Grant scholarships for nearly 10 million students. Meanwhile, President Obama is working to pro-

Condoleezza Rice should tell the whole truth  The only speaker whose performance I watched at the Republican National Convention was that of former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. I actually laughed when she said that though her father couldn’t take her to the local movie theatre because of Birmingham’s sternly enforced Jim Crow laws, he did convince her that if she worked hard she could one day be president of the United States. The more hip among the over 90 percent White audience may have shouted, “You go, girl!”

Not funny However, it was no laughing matter when Ms. Rice spoke glowingly of how America had faced up to the challenge of White supremacy/racism and that, along with her hard work, led to her success. The statement reminded me of an astute response made by Kathleen Cleaver when asked about her attitude towards a book on the Black Panthers. The book, said Ms. Cleaver, was full of “whole truths, halftruths, half-lies and whole lies.” Ms. Rice’s position that America facing up to a challenge and her hard work are the main reasons for her success is a whole lie that she and others of her ilk have been propagating for quite some time. In 1963, in her Birming-

A. Peter Bailey TRICEEDNEYWIRE.COM

ham, Ala., hometown, several thousand Black youngsters – some of them just a couple of years old than then 9-year old Condoleezza Rice – were putting their lives on the line confronting Eugene “Bull” Connor’s fire hoses and snarling police dogs. The determined children were knocked down in the streets by water from the fire hoses. Some were bitten by the police dogs. Yet they refused to back down. The headquarters for the marches and demonstrations was 16th Street Baptist Church. On Sunday September 15, 1963, White terrorists bombed that church and killed 11-year old Denice McNair, 14-year old Cynthia Wesley, 14-year old Carole Robertson and 14-year old Addie Mae Collins. That was the 21st bomb exploded by White terrorists in 8 years in what became known as “Bombingham.”

Six killed That same day, other White terrorists shot and killed 13-year old Virgil Lamar Ware and the police shot and killed 16-year old Johnny Robinson whom they claimed refused to stop throwing stones at cars driv-

en by White people. That’s a total of six Black children killed in a single day by coldblooded defenders of White supremacy/ racism. It was over 30 years later before anyone was punished for those vicious crimes. Meanwhile, the federal government insisted it had no power to intervene in such cases. Eventually it was forced to do so, as photos of the attacks were shown around the world. The whole truth is that the courage and commitment of those children and many other Black people (and a few Whites) provided the opportunity for Ms. Rice and others like her to advance their career goals. White supporters of the terrorists and those others who sat by in silence as the terrorists exploded their bombs, didn’t just wake up one morning and say, “We have been doing wrong in allowing racism to flourish. Now we must do the right thing.” As journalist/historian Lerone Bennett Jr. said of President Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War, the country was “forced into glory” by the persistence of the opponents of racial oppression and Cold War propaganda needs.

Contact A. Peter Bailey at apeterb@verizon.net, or 202-716-4560. Click on this story at www.flcourier.com to write your own response.

vide hundreds of thousands more grants by 2020. His contributions to the African-American community don’t stop here. By signing the Affordable Care Act, 41 million Black Americans witnessed a reduction of health disparities. And now, nearly a quarter of AfricanAmericans will no longer be denied access to health insurance because of pre-existing conditions. This will change under a Romney administration that wants to take away the healthcare and benefits many of us depend on to live a healthy and sustainable life.

Cutting programs Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan have vowed to cut the programs that are crucial to the benefit and upward movement of the AfricanAmerican community. With

White, balding males to win a national election.” There’s less than 60 days left for the Romney-Ryan campaign to develop a meaningful message to get at least 5 percent more Black votes than McCain. If Reagan got 11 percent in 1980 against Carter in similar economic conditions – Obama’s race notwithstanding – they at least should fight for 9 or 10 percent.

Clarence V. McKee is president of McKee Communications, Inc., a government, political and media relations consulting firm in Florida. Click on this story at www.flcourier.com to write your own response.

just five weeks left before the voter registration deadline, we have to take advantage of every day and educate ourselves on these facts and get our community registered and to the polls on November 6. We’ve come too far to turn back now. For our community, the right to vote was not simply handed out, but won through hard-fought battles. To continue this fight, we have got to not only register everyone we know, but we have to vote! The 2008 presidential campaign brought us a historic election and record participation of AfricanAmerican voters. More than four million more African-American and Latino voters cast ballots in 2008 than they did in 2004. Such high levels of civic participation are cause for celebration as well as a clarion call to “shock the world” again and show how much we are invested in our own

progress.

Get registered If you want to vote on Nov. 6 but are not registered, log on to www.GottaVote.org. The site is part of President Obama’s voter-protection program that provides millions of people with the information they need to register to vote. We cannot stop at the election of President Obama. It is imperative that we send him back to the White House with a Democratic Congress. If we want to see anything accomplished in Washington, we need a Congress that has the president’s back. Let’s make history on Nov. 6 and keep moving this country forward!

Alcee L. Hastings represents Florida Congressional District 23. Click on this story at www.flcourier.com to write your own response.

Not believing in God isn’t a ‘White thing’ Every year, the Pew Research Center publishes a survey that consistently demonstrates that Black people are the most religious group in the United States. This is not surprising, considering that the Black liberation movement has been influenced by spirituality, particularly Christianity. The historical and contemporary religiosity of Blacks leads many to incorrectly assume spiritually/religion has been at the center of the Black movement. History tells a different story. In every stage of the Black movement you can find atheists, agnostics, skeptics or people better known as “freethinkers.” For example, while a Southern missionary in the 1830s, AME minister Daniel Payne stated enslaved Africans “scoff at religion itself…Yes, I have known them to even question [God’s] existence.”

From our experiences Today, young Black people question a God who would allow the persistent violence in their communities or huge disparities in wealth between poor Black and affluent White communities. Therefore, contrary to popular opinion, atheism is not a Eurocentric or “White thing,” but is an indigenous intellectual development that organically emerges out of the Black experience. Lastly, this challenges the common held assumption that faith in God was necessary to survive the horrors of slavery, sharecropping, and segregation. Several Black political leaders and intellectuals have been critical of the Black church; some have completely rejected faith. An example is Black atheist W.E.B. DuBois. DuBois is known as the first African to attain a PhD from Harvard University and arguably the most revered Black intellectual of the 20th century. He boldly asserted, “I do not believe in the existence and rulership of the one God of the Jews” and “Death is the end of Life.” DuBois praised the Soviet Union for removing religion from public education. In his eyes, the Black church defended the oppression and exploitation of Blacks and

BENJAMIN WOODS GUEST COMMENTARY

a lack of free thinking. Although Dubois is one of the most read Black thinkers in history, his atheist views have been overlooked. Other Black leaders who were also freethinkers include A. Philip Randolph, Langston Hughes, and Howard University’s own Zora Neale Hurston, to name a few.

Opposed civil rights To an extent, the Black church has had better propagandists than Black freethinkers. Most know of the contributions of the church to the civil rights movement, but what about the obstacles it has posed? For instance, at the 1961 National Baptist Convention, the largest Black religious group in the U.S., progressive ministers such as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. attempted to have the organization support civil rights. The idea of supporting Black human rights was so controversial, that a physical fight ensued and one minister was killed at the convention! Lord have mercy, chile! In conclusion, although everyone is entitled to their own personal belief or lack thereof, the Black movement should be secular. Whether it was the independence movements in Africa or the Black Panther Party in the U.S., spirituality was, at best, a secondary factor. As a Black skeptic examining this information, I ask, “Do we need spirituality or religion in order to build and sustain a mass movement?” I doubt it.

Benjamin Woods is a PhD candidate at Howard University, and an organizer of Students Against Mass Incarceration (S.A.M.I.) Click on this story at www.flcourier.com to write your own response.

FLORIDA

TOj A6

september 14 – september 20, 2012

PHOTOS BY KERRY COLLIER/CENTER FOR COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC JUSTICE

The Black Women’s Roundtable attracted women from Florida and Washington, D.C. The summit convened last month during the time of the Republican National Convention.

Black Women’s Roundtable summit takes on youth, voter suppression SPECIAL TO THE FLORIDA COURIER

A coalition of African-American women convened the Black Women’s Roundtable last month at St. Petersburg’s Center for Community and Economic Justice. Melanie Campbell, national president and CEO of the National Coalition for Black Civic Participation, collaborated with 30 organizational heads from across Florida in a dialogue emphasizing the continuing economic and problems facing Black youth.

Prominent among the presenters was Jessica Brown, National Coordinator of Black Youth Vote, who traveled from Washington, D.C. for the summit, as did Campbell. The Black Women’s Roundtable was held Aug. 29, during the time of the Republican National Convention. A similar one was held in Charlotte, N.C., during the Democratic National Convention.

Mission of summit Organizers say the mission of

suppression experiences observed or reported during the campaigns and at the voting booths in their communities.

‘No excuse’

The importance of the 18-25 year-olds votes in previous elections was emphasized by National Black Youth Vote Coordinator Jessica Brown while Dr. Scruggs-Leftwich made notes during the summit. the summit was to help focus the presidential contestants on substantive issues rather than on the divisive distractions, which continue to pre-empt job creation and training solutions; juvenile justice system reforms; poverty reduction and the obstructions to Black wealth creation; disproportionate impacts of the housing-market implosion and foreclosures; non-violent offenses’ sentencing reform; and voter suppression practice.

Headlining the summit was Barbara Arnwine, executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under the Law, who also traveled to St. Petersburg from Washington, to provide a tutorial for Black women leaders on voter suppression tactics, to help them educate their constituents, organizations and community members in countering the rampant Black voter disenfranchisement in Florida. The women leaders related

Chloe Coney, district director for Congresswoman Kathy Castor of Tampa and Shahra Anderson, regional director for Senator Bill Nelson in Orlando, participated in the summit and provided additional tools for strengthening Black voter participation. They also advised that effective volunteerism during the presidential campaign and election can stimulate voter participation and turnout. “Everyone has the opportunity and the obligation to enlist their church leaders and their social organization leaders in getting out the vote. There is no excuse for silence in an election where so much is at stake for the future of our priorities and of our youth,’’ said Campbell. Also co-conveners for the summit were Salandra Benton, Chair, Florida Coalition for Black Civic Participation, based in Kissimmee; Dr. Yvonne Scruggs-Leftwich, president/CEO of the Center for Community and Economic Justice, Inc., the venue for the event; Gypsy Gallardo, founder/ publisher, Power Broker Magazine; and Dr. Elsie Scott, president and CEO, Congressional Black Caucus Foundation.

Court: Stealing husband’s emails not domestic violence NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

A woman who used her husband’s email password to read all his emails and then changed the password so he couldn’t get into his account isn’t guilty of cyberstalking or domestic violence, a

state appeals court said Tuesday. A court issued a domestic violence injunction against Cheryl Young of Alachua County and the lower court judge in the case suggested her actions amounted to cyberstalking. Young not only read her hus-

band, Michael Young’s emails, but also used substantial information from those emails in a divorce proceeding. The 1st District Court of Appeal, in reversing the injunction on Tuesday, noted that cyberstalking is defined in law as communication

Most political experts say the presidential election will be decided by 10 swing, or toss-up, states. How the states stand: Solid

Toss-up Likely/leaning

Republican Likely/leaning Mich.

Nev.

Solid

N.H.

Wis. Iowa

R.I. Conn. Del. D.C.

Ohio Va. N.C.

Colo.

The Gamma Rho Omega chapter was char-

Counting electoral votes There are a total of 538 electoral votes; the number of electors for each state is proportional to its population; 270 votes are needed to win the presidency

221

142

Toss-up

Source: Real Clear Politics Graphic: Judy Treible

126

Romney/Ryan

191

115

Registration deadline nears for Nov. 6 election Oct. 9 is the deadline for Floridians who want to vote in the Nov. 6 presidential election. GottaVote.org is a website set up by the Obama-Biden campaign that provides facts on voting, reminders for key dates and

The Gamma Rho Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority celebrated its 70th anniversary on Aug. 25 with a luncheon and program at Hyatt Regency on East Coastline Drive in Jacksonville. More than 300 sorority members and guests gathered for an anniversary luncheon celebration themed “Platinum and Pearls: Celebrating 70 years of Timeless Service.” “We are blessed to have the foresight and wisdom of ten charter members and to have this opportunity to celebrate, reflect on our past and visioning for our future. Without their foresight and strong shoulders, we would not be the chapter we are today,” said Mary L. Brown, president of the chapter.

10 charter members

Fla.

Obama/Biden

acts were “improper” but didn’t constitute domestic violence by stalking, “because they were not electronic communications by her of ‘words, images, or language . . . directed at’ Mr. Young.”

Alpha Kappa Alpha sorors in Jacksonville celebrate chapter’s 70th anniversary

The battle so far Democrat

of “words, images, or language by or through the use of electronic mail or electronic communication, directed at a specific person, causing substantial emotional distress to that person and serving no legitimate purpose.” The court found that Young’s

deadlines, and alerts on the status of voting rights in Florida. Residents also should check with their county’s supervisor of elections office for voter registration information.

FAMU named one of Forbes’ top colleges SPECIAL TO THE FLORIDA COURIER

TALLAHASSEE – Florida A&M University (FAMU) has been named one of Forbes magazine’s America’s Top Colleges in the nation in the publication’s annual ranking of the top colleges. FAMU also made Forbes’ lists for “Best Research Colleges.” “This is truly an honor for Florida A&M University to be recognized as one of Forbes Magazine’s Top Colleges in the nation,” said FAMU Interim President Larry Robinson.

tered in Jacksonville on June 23, 1942 by 10 young women who were Alpha Kappa Alpha members on various college campuses. Of the original 10 founders, Louis GardnerSheffield is the oldest living member. She and the chapter’s oldest living president, Ruth C. Solomon, served as 70th anniversary honorary chairs. Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., is an international service organization founded Jan. 15, 1908 on the campus of Howard University in Washington, D.C. It is the oldest Greek-lettered organization established by African-American college-educated women with membership that exceeds 260,000 in both graduate and undergraduate chapters in the United States, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Caribbean, Canada, Japan, Germany, Korea and on the continent of Africa.

“This ranking strongly supports that FAMU is a premier institution that has a distinguished faculty and outstanding students who are challenged to excel in and out of the classroom.” Some of the other universities listed included Princeton, Harvard, Yale, Brown, Georgetown, Duke, University of Florida, Florida State University and Morehouse College. The Forbes America Top Colleges rankings are based on upon five categories: post- Larry graduate success; student Robinson satisfaction; debt; four-year graduation rate and competitive awards. The rankings are prepared exclusively for Forbes by the Center for College Affordability and Productivity, a Washington, D.C. think tank founded by Ohio University economist Richard Vedder.

HEALTH FOOD || HEALTH TRAVEL | |MONEY SCIENCE | BOOKS | MOVIES | TV | AUTOS LIFE | FAITH | EVENTS | CLASSIFIEDS | ENTERTAINMENT | SPORTS | FOOD September 14 - September 20, 2012

IFE/FAITH

A roundup of HBCU football See page B2

SHARING BLACK LIFE, STATEWIDE

Beyonce, Jay-Z plan fundraiser for Obama See page B5

SUN COAST / TAMPA BAY www.flcourier.com

SECTION

COURTESY OF JAMAL CHERRY

ABOVE: Jamal Cherry (#25, first row, third from left) is now in his third year of varsity basketball. He maintains a 3.05 (of 4) grade point average in engineering. BELOW: In June, Cherry worked as an intern with Ghana’s Volta River Authority, one of Africa’s largest suppliers of electricity.

Cornell University studentathlete Jamal Cherry’s STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) training is providing him with the opportunity to launch a worldchanging career.

team. A 2010 graduate of Tampa Preparatory School with a 3.7 grade point average on a 4.0 scale, Cherry was a standout all-state and all-academic player, where he helped to lead his team to a 27-5 record during his senior year before losing the Class 2A state championship final to Jacksonville Providence. “Hopefully, I will be picked up by an oil company for an internship this upcoming summer which will give me hands on experience in the field,” Cherry told the Florida Courier. “I’m interested in drilling reservoirs and figuring out ways to get the oil out of the ground and cut down the risks of oil spills,” he added, referencing the catastrophic 2006 BP oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. “I’d like to almost completely remove the risk.” On-the-job training toward an engineering career began in earnest this year for Cherry, whose interest in the industry began early. As a child, he enjoyed “building with Legos and solving technological problems around the house.”

Interned in Africa

EYES ON ENERGY BY ASHLEY THOMAS FLORIDA COURIER

hen Jamal Cherry graduates from Cornell University in 2014, he will be armed with a degree in civil engineering and a four-year education that will put him on a path to one of the world’s high-demand, non-traditional technical careers. After graduating from the prestigious Ivy League research institution ranked as one of the world’s top 15 universities, the Tampa native plans to pursue a career in the energy sector specializing in petroleum engineering. Cherry, a junior civil and environmental engineering major at Cornell, is one of a growing number of African-American students seeking highly challenging, non-traditional careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). According to 2010 U.S. Census numbers, AfricanAmericans comprise 12.6 percent of the U.S. population, but are only five percent of the engineering workforce.

STEM opportunities According to the Huffington Post, a University of Southern California study published in the June issue of Research in Higher Education followed more than 1,000 minority college students majoring in STEM subjects. The study, which was conducted by researchers at

the University of Southern California Rossier School of Education, followed Asian and Pacific Islander, Latino and Black students over a period of nine years in an effort to determine the profitability of STEM degrees and help bridge the gap of minorities in those fields. Among the students surveyed, those who majored in STEM subjects earned at least 25 percent more than their peers who majored in humanities or educational fields. In addition, those who pursued jobs related to their STEM majors earned at least 50 percent more than their humanities and education counterparts.

Few African-American students As a member of Cornell University’s College of Engineering, Class of 2014, he’s one of two African-American undergraduate students from Florida majoring in civil and environmental engineering at Cornell. The other student, Hercules Stancil, is from Lakeland and attended Bartow High School. According to Cornell’s Fall 2011 statistics for its senior class, there were 59 students seeking civil and environmental engineering degrees, including two AfricanAmerican males, six Asians and three Hispanics. There were a total of 491 men enrolled in all undergraduate majors in the College of Engineering and 230 women. Of those numbers, nine were African-American males and four were African-American females.

Basketball and oil

This summer, Cherry traveled to Ghana, West Africa where he worked at the country’s main generator and supplier of electricity, the Volta River Authority (VRA). As a VRA intern, he was exposed to various processes of renewable energy and worked on using biogas as a sustainable energy source that turns solid waste into energy. The VRA produces electrical power for industrial, commercial and domestic use for 60 percent of Ghana’s population and supplements the electrical needs of the neighboring countries of Togo, Benin and Burkina Faso. The VRA’s energy portfolio includes hydroelectric and thermal power generation capacity as well as ongoing projects to add solar and wind energy. “I researched certain aspects of some of the projects. One aspect I was concerned with was figuring out a solution to limit a landfill while creating energy at the same time,” Cherry explained. Cherry’s solution for minimizing the landfill included “a mechanical-biological treatment plant. This plant would contain a combination of mechanical sorting while adding a biological side of decomposing organic matter, in turn creating a biogas.”

Athlete-engineer Before Cherry’s summer internship in Ghana, he met Kweku Awotwi, president and CEO of the VRA, who traveled to America last year and attended an Amateur Athletic Union basketball tournament in Orlando. Awotwi, a native of Ghana, is a Yale Universitytrained engineer who earned a Master of Business Administration degree from Stanford University. He was impressed with Cherry’s story of how he manages his engineering studies and passion for basketball Cherry told Awotwi that walking on to a strong basketball team like Cornell in 2010 – which had just won the Ivy League basketball title – was not for the fainthearted. But he would not have done it any other way. “I knew it would be difficult (playing basketball and majoring in engineering). A lot of people told me I would have to switch out, but I’ve been able to manage my time. I have a great support system at Cornell and at home. People want to see me succeed,” said Cherry. During his time in Ghana, Cherry conducted free basketball clinics for the local youth at the VRA’s Community Center in Akuse, a small town that is the site of one of the VRA’s hydroelectric dams.

Lessons from basketball He believes that discipline, ability to take constructive feedback and teamwork from basketball has strengthened his character, work ethic and time management skills – all traits that keep him focused and will pay off after college. As for basketball, he simply loves the game and contributes however he can to the team. He hopes that Cornell wins the Ivy League title again before he graduates. Cherry also is a recipient of Cornell University’s John McMullen Scholarship, which recognizes undergraduate students with potential for exceptional success at Cornell in the field of engineering. The scholarship is named for John McMullen, former president of the Atlantic Gulf & Pacific Dredging Company. In addition, Cherry is a member of the National

Along with a rigorous engineering curriculum, Cherry is a member of the Cornell Men’s Varsity basketball

“I’m interested in drilling reservoirs and figuring out ways to get the oil out of the ground and cut down the risks of oil spills. I’d like to almost completely remove the risk.” – Jamal Cherry

See CHERRY, Page B2

SPORTS & CALENDAR

SEPTEMBER 14 - SEPTEMBER 20, 2012

Plenty of excitement during first week of football action HBCU FOOTBALL ROUNDUP

COMPILED BY ANDREAS BUTLER FLORIDA COURIER

Morehouse runs past Edward Waters David Carter ran for 208 yards with three touchdowns to lead Morehouse College past Edward Waters College 39-18. Carter became the Morehouse Maroon Tigers’ all-time leading rusher with 3,848 career-rushing yards as he past John David Washington (2002-05), who had 3,669. Edward Waters (1-2) tied the game at 7-7 on Ralph Shuler’s 14-yard touchdown run with 11:06 to play in the first quarter. Morehouse (1-1) responded with 21 straight points behind two Donnay Ragland rushing scores and another from Carter to lead 28-7 in the second quarter. Shuler finished with 123 yards for the Tigers of Edward Waters. Morehouse ran for 414 yards compared to 283 for Edward Waters. Shelton Hamilton added 118 yards rushing for the Maroon Tigers. Phillip Teamer added 72 yards rushing and Brandon Turman 106 total yards for EWC. Tony Goodman led the Tigers defensively with 14 total tackles while teammates Chris Maxwell had 11 and Bertrand Belfour had 10 with an interception.

South Carolina State falls to B-CU Bethune-Cookman came from behind to beat South Carolina State 27-14. South Carolina State (11, 0-1) led 14-0 in the first quarter after touchdown runs from Asheton Jordan and Jalen Simmons. Bethune-Cookman (2-0, 1-0) tied the game at 14-14 after Isidore Jackson’s fouryard score with 7:23 to play in the second quarter. B-CU took a 17-14 lead on Sven Hurd’s 28-yard field goal with 2:01 to play in the first half. The Wildcats never trailed again. Jackson led B-CU with 81

yards rushing and a score. Simmons led South Carolina with 73 yards rushing with a score. Jackie Wilson added 125 yards passing, Rodney Scott 42 yards rushing with a touchdown, David Blackwell contributed 60 yards receiving and Dion Hanks had two interceptions for the Wildcats. Richard Cue added 60 yards rushing and 62 yards passing for the Bulldogs.

Oklahoma blows out Florida A&M Oklahoma eventually put away Florida A&M with a 69-13 win in front of 84,852 fans in Norman, Okla. The FAMU Rattlers, who compete in the Football Championship Series, competed with the fifthranked team in the larger Football Bowl Subdivision. Damien Williams ran for 156 yards with four touchdowns to lead Oklahoma. Oklahoma (2-0) got a pair of touchdown runs from Williams in the first quarter to jump out to a 14-0 lead. Florida A&M (0-1) got on the board with a 41-yard field goal from Chase Varnadore in the second quarter to make it 14-3. Damien Fleming connected with Travis Harvey for a 75-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter to get FAMU within 28-10. The Sooners responded by scoring 28-points to put the game out of reach at 56-10. Fleming threw for 133 yards with a touchdown and an interception while Harvey had four catches for 118 yards with a score for FAMU. Landry Jones also threw for 252 yards with two touchdowns for OU.

Norfolk State rallies past Liberty Big plays in the second half helped Norfolk State come from behind to beat Liberty 24-17. Brandon Reddick ran for 153 yards with three scores

FLORIDA COMMUNITY CALENDAR

to lead the Norfolk Spartans. Liberty (0-2) held a 17-7 advantage at halftime with 235 yards of total offense. The Spartans’ defense held the Liberty Flames to 107 total yards of offense in the second half. Norfolk State (2-0) took a 19-17 lead on Keith Johnson’s 83-yard punt return touchdown with 10:03 to play in the third quarter. Liberty retook the lead at 24-19 on Kevin Fogg’s 77-yard punt return with 6:07 to play in the periods. Norfolk then took over the lead at 25-24 after Riddick’s two-yard score with 12:45 remaining. Marcel Coke’s 41-yard fumble return put the Spartans up 31-24 with 3:30 to play. Nico Flores also accounted for 138 total yards for the Spartans. Norfolk is ranked the No. 1 team in all the HBCU polls and is ranked No. 24 in the FCS polls. Brian Hudson threw for 144 yards with a touchdown, Aldreakis Allen ran for 130 yards, and Pat Kelly had 75 receiving yards for the Flames.

Jacksonville: Aaron Bing will perform at the Jacksonville Performing Arts Center Sept. 15.

registration deadline is Sept. 21. Onsite registration will be available. More information: 407-207-2071. Ocoee: The City of Ocoee’s Human Relations Diversity

CHERRY from B1 Society of Black Engineers, the Society of Petroleum Engineers and Epsilon Chapter of Sigma Phi Society.

Diversity recognized by Obama

Even with the relatively small number of Black students studying engineering, Cornell’s Diversity Programs in Engineering was honored by President Barack Obama last year. Lance Collins, dean of the College of Engineering at Cornell, said last year about the honor: “What the

Alabama A&M tops Arkansas Pine Bluff Kendarius Lacey ran for 124 yards and two touchdowns to lead Alabama A&M to a 14-10 win over Arkansas Pine Bluff. Arkansas Pine-Bluff (11, 0-1) led 7-0 in the first quarter after C.J. Branch’s one-yard score. Alabama A&M (2-0, 1-0) took the lead at 14-10 on Lacey’s 43-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. The Alabama Bulldogs took the lead for good on Lacey’s 43-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. The Golden Lions were stopped by the Bulldogs’ defense on their final four possessions, including a fourth and short failed run conversion and an interception by Alabama’s Julian Williams. Deonte Mason added 97 yards of total offense and Justin Billings ran for 68 yards for the Bulldogs. Brandon Anderson threw for 189 yards and ran for 80 while Tyler Strickland kicked a 36-yard field goal for the Golden Lions.

MADEA

Tyler Perry’s “Madea Gets a Job’’ makes a stop at the UCF Arena in Orlando on Nov. 8 and the American Airlines Arena in Miami Nov. 9-10.

The Great Gospel Showcase featuring Belinda Womack, Marvin Winans Jr. and other gospel choirs will be held Sept. 15 at the Straz Center, 1010 North Maccines Place. Proceeds benefit A Brighter Community Preschool & Family Support Program. Tickets: $22.50 for adults, $12.50 for children. More information: 813748-3712.

Orlando: Frankie Beverly & Maze will be at the House of Blues Orlando Oct. 5 for a 7:30 p.m. show.

Lance Collins

COURTESY OF FAMU ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT

Travis Harvey gets away from a University of Oklahoma defender to score a 75-yard touchdown.

MARVIN WINANS JR.

Jacksonville: Jennifer Holiday will perform at Edward Waters College during its 11th Annual Fine Arts Scholarship Benefit Concert at the Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts Oct. 14 at 8 p.m.

Orlando: Senator Gary Siplin will host a free housing workshop titled on Sept. 29 at the Pine Hills Community Center, 6408 Jennings Road. Registration is limited to 100 participants. The pre-

Clark Atlanta edges Lane

SUGAR HILL GANG

The Freestyle Legends Tour returns to the Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee for its fourth flashback into the ’80s and‘’90s Nov. 3 at 7 p.m. The old-school lineup features Lisa Lisa, Sugar Hill Gang, Sweet Sensation, Brenda K Starr, C&C Music Factory, Trinere, Charlie Rock, Debbie Dee, Clear Touch, Nayobe, Noel, Corina, Soave and Giggles. Tickets go on sale Sept. 14. Board will host its Third Annual Fiesta de Colores Sept. 15 from 11:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. at Bill Breeze Park, 125 North Lakeshore Drive in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month offering

work the Diversity Programs in Engineering is doing to build and sustain the pipeline of outstanding women and underrepresented minority students will impact our profession for decades to come. I could not be more pleased with their success.” Rick Allmendinger is associate dean for diversity, faculty development and mentoring for the College of Engineering. “Here at Cornell, we see diversity as an opportunity, not an obligation. We have to leverage an increasingly diverse pipeline of students if the university – and the country – is to remain competitive, and as engineers we firmly believe that a diverse population leads to better, more creative solutions to the problems we face.”

Energy independence Cherry, who started taking STEM classes in middle school, believes his

fun for the entire family including Latin cuisine, salsa dancing, vendors, games, bounce house, face painting, door prizes and more. More Information: www.ocoee.org or 407-905-3100.

The Florida Courier will profile other African-American students who are high achievers in science, technology, engineering and math. Please send information on a student you may know to news@flcourier.com.

Cornell experience in athletics and academics will assist him in achieving his dream of helping establish energy independence for developed nations like the United States as well as for developing countries like Ghana. “Mr. Awotwi once told me that ‘Energy is the global currency,’” Cherry explained. “That means I can work anywhere around the world. I’d never have this opportunity if I didn’t have the STEM training and education I got before coming to Cornell.”

Charles King’s one-yard touchdown run with 4:55 remaining lifted Clark Atlanta University over Lane College 20-17. The win snapped an eight-game losing streak for Clark. Clark (1-1) led 14-3 after King found David Grace for a 31-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter. Lane (1-1) took a 1714 lead when Chris Rini hooked up with Eric Knowlton for a 38-yard touchdown pass with 10:55 to play. Lane outgained Clark in total offensive yardage 352-236. King led the Panthers with 111 yards passing with a touchdown and an interception. Rini paced the Dragons throwing for 232 yards with two scores and an interception. He also was the teams leading rusher with 77 yards. Antonio Ford added 83 yards rushing with a touchdown and Willie Clark caught five passes for 57 yards for Clark. Hollis Moore also had 10 catches for 129 yards with a score while defensively Corey Jones had 16 total tackles and Paris Hopper with 11 for Lane.

Other scores Rutgers-26, Howard-0, North Carolina A&T-77, West Virginia State-0; Buffalo-56, Morgan State-34; Elon-34, North Carolina Central-14; Old Dominion-45, Hampton-0; Florida State-55, Savannah State-0; Texas Christian University-56, Grambling-0; Tennessee State-38, Jackson State-12; Alabama State-29, Mississippi Valley State-7; James Madison-42, Alcorn State-3; North Texas-34, Texas Southern-7; Lamar-31, Prairie View A&M0; Delaware-38, Delaware State-14; Bowie State-28, Benedict-14; Winston-Salem State-30, Concord-20; Miles-28, Shaw-15; West Liberty State-14, Virginia State-13; Delta State-26, Elizabeth City State-7; Bowie State-28, Benedict-14; Wingate-37, Al-

Orlando: The National Black Female Photographers Day will be held in 15 cities nationwide on Sept. 15. Photographers interested in participating in a photo walk in Downtown Orlando can meet at 630 W. Central (Pintura Project) at 10 a.m. There is no cost to attend the walk. More information: http:// blackfemalephotographers. com/events. Orlando: Comedian Sinbad will be at the Hard Rock Live Orlando Oct. 12 for an 8 p.m. show. Jacksonville: Comedian and actor Kevin Hart will be at the Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts Oct. 12 for a 7 p.m. show. Jacksonville: The Price is Right Live! presented by The Artist Series will be held Sept. 25 at the Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts. The

bany State-9; North Carolina Pembrooke-31, Fayetteville State-21; VMI24, Chowan-17; Virginia Union-34, Brevard-14; New Haven-24, St Augustine’s-21; Catawba-49, Livingstone-7; Kentucky Wesleyan-13, Kentucky State-6; Valdosta State-62, Fort Valley State-14; Tuskegee-35, Johnson C. Smith-14.

This week’s top games Hampton (1-1, 0-0) at Florida A&M (1-1, 0-0): It is the MEAC opener for both teams coming off loses. Both want to win for early positioning in the conference race. Bethune-Cookman (2-0) at Miami (1-1): The Wildcats played the Hurricanes tough for three quarters last year. Can they improve and pull off upset? Miami lost big to Kansas State last week so they should be fired up. Edward Waters (1-2) at Livingstone (0-2): The EWC Tigers will have to generate more offense and play better defensively if they want to beat the winless Division II Blue Bears on the road. Howard (1-1, 0-0) at Norfolk State (2-0, 0-0): Another key battle in the MEAC as Howard is on the rise and Norfolk is on top as the defending champion. This one could be a good one. Prairie View (0-2, 0-1) at Alabama A&M (2-0, 1-0): The Bulldogs are playing great defense. Can they keep it up? The Panthers are badly in need of a win. Alabama State (1-1, 1-0) at Grambling (0-2, 0-1): The two SWAC Division defending champions meet again. The last time they played Grambling won the SWAC championship. Both teams are again favored to win their respective divisions so this could be a classic.

interactive stage show will give contestants pulled right from the audience the chance to “come on down” to win prizes. Todd Newton will be the host. Tickets start at $32 and can be purchased by calling 904-632-3373 or visiting www.artistseriesjax.org. Jacksonville: The Jacksonville Tattoo Convention featuring live tattooing by some of the nation’s top artists as well as contests, seminars, giveaways and more will be held Sept. 14 -15 at the Wyndham Riverwalk Hotel Convention Center. Price: $15 day pass- $35 weekend pass, tickets may be purchased at the door. St. Petersburg: First Fridays are held in downtown St. Petersburg at 250 Central Ave. between Second and Third Avenues from 5:30 p.m.10:30 p.m. More information: 727-393-3597.

Osher Lifelong Learning Institute Learning opportunities by and for older adults Hands-On Computer Training • Small Classes • Individual Attention

Liberal Arts Courses • Engaging • Enlightening • Entertaining

Lecture Series Social Events Fall Open House • Tues., Sept. 18, 9:30 a.m.

Tampa Museum of Art, 120 W. Gasparilla Plaza, Tampa Call 813-974-8036 or email ollivol@gmail.com to reserve space.

Find out more at www.usfseniors.org/06 USF is an EO/EA Institution

Ad 2562

SEPTEMBER 14 - SEPTEMBER 20, 2012

TECHNOLOGY

JARRAD HENDERSON/DETROIT FREE PRESS/MCT

Jacques James, and his wife, Christa, follow along with their Bible iPad app during Bible study at Apostolic Church in Auburn Hills, Mich., on July 24. Several members of the congregation use their iPads to follow along with the pastor on Sundays and in Bible study.

Delivering God’s word via iPad Digital version of the Bible are popping up in more pews, pulpits BY CASSANDRA SPRATLING DETROIT FREE PRESS (MCT)

It’s Tuesday evening Bible class at Apostolic Church in Auburn Hills, Mich., but it feels a lot like a Sunday church service. The praise team has sung spirituals, and the pastor, the Rev. Steve Warman, is wrapping up his lesson. As he builds toward the climax of his message, he refers to “the word of God” and holds up the text to which he is referring. But that’s no Bible in his hand: It’s an iPad. During Bible study, several people read e-pads and a few look up verses on their smart phones, while others flip through the pages of a bound book. Not too long ago, the sight of someone using an electronic device during a worship service might lead an observer to assume that

person was not fully engaged. But not anymore. Reading the Bible used to mean reading a book, but increasingly, people are getting the Word on smart phones, iPads and other electronic devices.

Reign of printed Bible over? So then, what will happen to the printed Bible? The last word has not been written on that, but experts speculate that its unchallenged reign is over. “The Bible is sort of the flagship of the printed book culture,” said Timothy Beal, author of “The Rise and Fall of the Bible” (Mariner, $15.95). “The printed word is losing its place as the dominant medium for reading.” He pointed to the traditional family Bible — once commonplace in many

homes — as evidence of the decline in printed Bibles. “Most families don’t have them anymore,” he said. “The family Bible as we know it is already a thing of the past in most families. What was once a perfect product during its time has become kind of an artifact.”

Hotels going from hardcovers to Kindles Hardcover Bibles are no longer always found in hotel rooms worldwide, either. Last month, a hotel in Newcastle, England, replaced the hardcover Bibles in all 148 guest rooms with Amazon Kindles, preloaded with Bibles. It’s exploring doing the same in all 44 hotels the InterContinental Hotels Group owns worldwide. Another hotel — the Damson Dene, in England’s Lake District — replaced Bibles on nightstands with the popular novel “Fifty Shades of Grey.” The Rev. Michael Nabors, pastor of New Calvary Baptist Church in Detroit, has at least 20 hardcover Bibles in the office of his eastside church. He recently began using an iPad during Bible study, but sticks to a hardcover version in the pulpit. He doesn’t think many of his older members would appreciate him using his iPad. “What if he’s up there preaching and the battery

dies or something like that? I hope he has a real Bible next to him, so he can look up what he needs to look up,” said Isabella Howard, 62, of Detroit, a longtime member.

Impractical for some services She wouldn’t trade her hardbound Bible for any eversion. “I feel closer to God with this,” she said referring to her Bible. “I don’t have to plug up anything. All I have to do is open it up and read it.” For others, there are more liturgical reasons to shun eBibles during worship. For example, a representative of the Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit said it would be impractical for a priest to use an e-reader during mass because the Holy Book is held high, carried down the aisle and placed for display on the altar as part of the opening of the service. For some occasions, the book is perfumed with incense. (Though the book is viewed as a Bible by many Catholics, it is actually called the Book of Gospels.) “It would be really strange to process an iPad down the aisle and place it on the altar,” said Dan McAfee, director of Christian Worship for the archdiocese. “E-Bibles are great for personal study, but they

can’t be used for liturgical books,” he said. “The Bible is a sacred book — a one of a kind — not just a file among many files in an iPad.”

Bible maker: Sales good, growing Bible publishers guard sales figures closely, but America’s largest Bible publisher, Grand Rapids, Mich.-based Zondervan, said sales have been good and growing. The company produces electronic Bible versions, too. “Today, every time we release a print volume, we release a digital version,” said Chip Brown, a senior vice president and publisher. Zondervan offers about 800 different Bibles for adults and children. Additionally, it offers approximately 80 e-Bibles, according to Zondervan spokeswoman Tara Powers. During the last 12 months, sales of digital Bible products increased four times over the previous 12 months, Powers said. Brown said e-Bibles are not a threat to the printed volumes. “Just as TV came along and didn’t’ kill film or radio, I don’t see digital versions killing the bound volumes. This is just a different way people are engaging (with) the Bible.” In a sense, e-formats have made the Bible more accessible to more people, Brown said. “Today, there are two

things you don’t leave home without. One is your car keys. And now, no one leaves home without a phone or some kind of digital device. So we will quickly get to the point where everybody has their Bible with them at all times,” Brown said.

Pastor: Message comes across the same Some e-versions of the Bible offer opportunities to explore the book in ways printed versions cannot. For example, many e-versions have maps that pop up to show the area written about; some allow readers to compare translations side-by-side, and some offer audio and video renderings of Scripture. Warman, pastor at Apostolic Church for 18 years, said he began using an iPad in the pulpit about two years ago for practical reasons. His sermons and lessons are written on his iPad. He contends e-devices do not distract from the message. “My wife and I have been married 20 years. She might enjoy a card that says, ‘I love you.’ She would also enjoy a text, an e-mail or a phone call. The message is the same no matter how it is delivered. “The Bible is really God saying, ‘I love you.’ However it comes, we get the message.”

My Skills. My Benefits. My Future. Are you a 35 to 60 year-old unemployed Veteran looking for a new career? Veterans Retraining Assistance Program (VRAP) For more information visit

Provides eligible Veterans with education benefits for up to 12 months of training Now accepting applications

www.benefits.va.gov/VOW or call

888-442-4551 "Helping Veterans Attain Personal and Economic Success"

TOj B4

STOJ

SEPTEMBER 14 – SEPTEMBER 20, 2012

Sarah Palin Carol Moseley Braun

Hillary Rodham Clinton

Year of the woman? War on women? No matter how you slice it, the ladies are getting a lot of attention this election cycle — from both sides of the aisle. Whether they are office holders themselves or giving high-profile speeches to rally support for their husbands, the women have the floor.

MADAM PRESIDENT And why not? Women make up almost 51 percent of the U.S. population. But the country has never had a female president or vice president. Six women currently hold cabinet or cabinet-level offices. Remember: Until the suffrage amendment was added to the U.S. Constitution in 1920, women were denied the right to vote in national elections.

ROAD TO WHITE HOUSE Women currently in the political stream are better positioned to run for president. Consider: Governors: Four of the last five presidents were governors. There currently are six female governors. Veeps: Four of the last eight presidents were vice presidents. No woman has held that title. Congress: Five of the last nine presidents also had congressional experience. Today, 17 percent of senators and 16.8 percent of House members are women.

SOME HISTORY 1872: Victoria Woodhull, a stockbroker and publisher,

Michele Bachmann

By Carol Cain, Detroit Free Press; MCT; Illustrations by Chris Ware, Lexington Herald-Leader

By the numbers Women make up: 16.8 percent of Congress H 23.7 percent of state legislatures 23.3 percent of statewide elected offices H 50.8 percent of the U.S. population

6 women currently hold cabinet or cabinet-level offices H 3 women on the Supreme Court H 90 women serving in Congress H 17 women in the U.S. Senate (12 Democrat, 5 Republican) H 73 women representatives in the U.S. House (49 Democrat, 24 Republican) H 6 women U.S. governors (2 Democrat, 4 Republican) H 217 women mayors of cities w/ population over 30,000 H 12 women mayors of the 100 largest U.S. cities

becomes the first woman to run for president as the candidate of the Equal Rights Party. Ulysses S. Grant won. She said then: “What may appear absurd today will assume a serious aspect tomorrow. I am content to wait until my claim for recognition as a candidate shall receive the calm consideration of the press and the public.” 1920: The 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is ratified, giving women the right to vote. 1964: Margaret Chase Smith, a Republican senator from Maine, runs for the Republican presidential nomination in 1964 and loses to Arizona Sen. Barry Goldwater. 1972: Shirley Chisholm, a Democratic U.S. House member from New York, becomes the first black woman to seek the presidency. She loses the nomination to Sen. George McGovern of South Dakota. 1984: Geraldine Ferraro, a U.S. House member from New York, becomes the Democratic vice presidential running mate to Walter Mondale. She is the first woman to run on a major party’s national ticket. They lose to Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush. 2004: Carol Moseley Braun, a former Democratic U.S. senator from Illinois, ends her bid for the nomination after failing to win a primary. 2008: Hillary Rodham Clinton, then a U.S. senator from New York, ran a close, but ultimately unsuccessful race against Barack Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination. Clinton, now the secretary of state, is the wife of former President Bill Clinton, and the only first lady of the United States ever elected to public office. 2008: Sarah Palin was governor of Alaska when she was tapped as the running mate for Republican nominee

John McCain. She is the second woman vice-presidential nominee from a major U.S. party and the first Republican woman nominee for the vice-presidency. 2012: Michele Bachmann, congresswoman from Minnesota, was a candidate for the Republican nomination for president early in the 2012 race. She withdrew from the race after a disappointing showing in the Iowa caucuses.

ON FILM A study of the top-100 grossing movies of 2011 found 93 percent of all political and government leaders were played by men, according to the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film. Despite the numbers, there are several notable females playing politicians in both television and film.

MARQUEE POLITICIANS H Julia Louis-Dreyfus as vice president in HBO’s “Veep” (2012). H Sigourney Weaver as secretary of state in the USA Network’s “Political Animals” (2012). H Kate Burton as vice president in “Scandal” (2012). H Cherry Jones as president in Fox’s “24” (2008-10). H Mary McDonnell as president in “Battlestar Galactica” (2004-9). H Geena Davis as president in ABC’s “Commander in Chief” (2005-6). H Joan Van Ark as vice president in “Loyal Opposition: Terror in the White House” (1998). H Glenn Close as vice president in “Air Force One” (1997). H Joan Rivers as president in “Les Patterson Saves the World” (1987). H Maria Charles as president in “Victor/Victoria” (1982).

THE FIRST SPOUSE THE ROLE The term “first lady” was first used by Rutherford B. Hayes in reference to his wife in his 1877 inauguration speech. The first spouse promises nothing, and his or her role is not defined in the Constitution. In the early 19th century, the first spouse was expected to help with the White House’s social events.

EMERGING ROLE Though spouses have appeared with presidential candidates on the campaign trail, that role became more pronounced in 1960. Massachusetts Sen. John F. Kennedy ran for office with his wife, Jacqueline Bouvier Kenne-

dy, appearing with him at campaign events. “They were a young, attractive family, and the TV era was just starting,” noted Dianne Bystrom of the Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics at Iowa State University. “From that point on, the role of spouses on the campaign trail and in the White House just evolved.”

ROLE TODAY A spouse can help a candidate reach more voters and raise campaign dollars. “The candidate’s spouse becomes a surrogate for the candidate” when a candidate “can’t be in two places at the same

time,” Bystrom explained. Consider: Hillary Rodham Clinton: Now secretary of state, and formerly a Democratic senator from New York, she helped her husband, Bill Clinton, run for president in 1992 and 1996. She reflected on the ’92 campaign in her autobiography, “Living History”: “The 13-month presidential campaign was a revelation. ... We were unprepared for the hardball politics and relentless scrutiny that comes with a run for the presidency.” Hillary put that campaign experience to use in 2008, as she ran, unsuccessfully, for the

Michelle Obama

Democratic presidential nomination. Michelle Obama: The current first lady has been referred to as “the closer” for her ability to seal the deal with voters. Her emotional speech during this year’s Democratic National Convention drew tears and cheers. “The first lady (is) not hitting a home run, but probably a grand slam,” said CNN host Wolf Blitzer. Ann Romney: Wife of Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney also is on the campaign trail stumping for her husband this year. She made her national debut with a big speech at the Republican National Convention. “Ann Romney did a near perfect job tonight humanizing Mitt Romney, as only the key character witness can,” Republican consultant Matt Mackowiak said to Reuters. Ann Romney

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau; Center for American Women and Politics; IMDB.com; Free Press Research

SToJ

SEPTEMBER 14 - SEPTEMBER 20, 2012

FINEST & ENTERTAINMENT

Meet some of

FLORIDA'S

finest

submitted for your approval

Think you’re one of Florida’s Finest? E-mail your high-resolution 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.

More than 4,000 cruisers joined nationally syndicated radio talk show host Tom Joyner on the 13th annual Tom Joyner Foundation Fantastic Voyage 2012 aboard Royal Caribbean’s “Navigator of the Seas,” one of the world’s largest cruise ships. Featured in April 2012, the Florida Courier spotlights some of the bestlooking people on board. Will, who lives in Chicago, was on his first Tom Joyner cruise. Cybil, a Houston resident, was on her sixth Tom Joyner cruise.

will

cybil Bobby Brown lands a BET reality show EURWEB.COM

Do we really need another reality show starring Bobby Brown? Are we ready for another “unscripted” demonstration of this man’s life? Seriously? Apparently BET is willing to take that risk. A new project starring the troubled New Edition singer and ex-husband of Whitney Houston is currently in the works. Sources say the new series will revolve around Brown’s “life and businesses.” The project will be executive

produced by James DuBose, who has developed several other celebrity-based reality shows for BET. Shows include the highprofile series centered on Philadelphia Eagles star Michael Vick, who staged a comeback after being imprisoned for his involvement in a dog-fighting ring. No other specifics on the Brown project, including the title, airdates or the number of episodes, were available. Brown, recently checked himself out of rehab following a three- Bobby week stay. His Brown wife, Alicia Etheredge-Brown, has been in the news recently after being hospitalized for seizures.

WALLY SKALIJ/LOS ANGELES TIMES/MCT

From left, USA’s Bianca Kinght, Allyson Felix, Tianna Madison and Carmelita Jeter celebrate after winning the gold medal in the 4x100 relay in world record time at the Summer Olympics in London, England, on Aug. 10.

Olympic gold medalist being sued by parents FROM WIRE REPORTS

The parents of Olympic gold medalist Tianna Madison are suing her after she allegedly called her parents selfish and accused them of mismanaging her financially. Robert and Jo Ann Madison of Ohio filed a libel, slander and defamation lawsuit last week in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court in Cleveland. They said they’ve been loving, supportive and generous parents. The parents are claiming that the athlete has repeatedly made and published false and defamatory statements about them. Tianna Madison has told news outlets that her parents mismanaged her finances and knowingly allowed a boy who had molested her previously to be in her presence

at their home. Tianna Madison was on the winning 4x100-meter relay track team at the Summer Olympics in London. She won the gold with Allyson Felix, Bianca Knight and Carmelita Jeter in world record time. The lawsuit also names her husband, John Bartoletta.

Spokesman: Athlete focused on career, programs The athlete and her husband live in the Tampa Bay area. Brian Butler, spokesman for Tianna Madison and Bartoletta, said the couple was not going to comment publicly on the accusations. “This should be a time for not just Tianna, but her family to celebrate all she has gone through and her winning a gold medal,” he said. “That is what she is going to focus on at this time.” Butler said Tianna Madison is very much focused on continuing her athletic career and the programs she has started to help inspire young girls. “And, I think, she is trying to take some time to enjoy the fact that she won an Olympic gold medal,” he said. The parents’ lawsuit seeks more than $25,000 each in compensatory and punitive damages.

The Associated Press was used in compiling this report.

Jay-Z and Beyonce

Jay-Z and Beyonce will host fundraiser EURWEB.COM

Hip-hop’s first couple, JayZ and Beyonce, will host President Barack Obama at Jay’s own 40/40 Club in New York next week as a fundraiser for his reelection campaign. The president is stopping by for a dinner, where he’ll be joined by 100 friends who will have each paid $40,000 for the honor. The couple’s friendship

with Obama goes back to the president’s inauguration. JayZ and Beyonce performed at a tribute concert honoring the newly elected commander-in-chief on the night before Obama took his oath of office. Just one week ago, the president appeared in a video clip, which opened Jay-Z’s set at the Made In America festival in Philadelphia. Obama implored the crowd to vote and said he is a fan of the rapper’s music. Beyonce also has been involved with the Obama campaign. After a letter Beyonce posted on her blog went viral, the campaign tapped her to read the note – an appreciation of Michelle Obama – in a web video. The 40/40 fundraiser is scheduled for the evening of Sept. 18.

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FOOD

FROM Family Features

Whether you’re trying to control your weight or embrace a healthier lifestyle, the food choices you make have to be enjoyable. And deliciously healthy recipes are the key. “Recipes that use elements from New Nordic Cuisine are a great way to enjoy healthy eating,” said registered dietician and author Kate Geagan, MS, RD. “This cuisine is naturally rich in some of the healthiest, purest foods in the world. And, it can be easily adapted to U.S. tastes and lifestyles.” A plate filled with seafood, especially Norwegian Salmon, is a hallmark of New Nordic Cuisine. “I love how this cuisine is inspired by the sea,” Geagan said. “The ocean provides some of nature’s most perfect proteins that deliver whole body benefits.” For example, a serving of Norwegian Salmon is an excellent source of high quality protein and omega 3 fats. It also contains key nutrients, including selenium (thyroid and cell health), iodine (thyroid and hormonal health), vitamin D (bone and immune health) and vitamin B12 (red blood cell and neurological health). Norwegian Salmon is available fresh yearround, so it’s easy to incorporate into your everyday meal planning. For more deliciously healthy recipes, visit www.salmonfromnorway.com. Smoked Norwegian Salmon and Pearl Barley Salad Serves: 4 3/4 pound smoked Norwegian Salmon 1/2 cup pearl barley, soaked in cold water overnight 4 1/2 cups water, divided 1/2cup olive oil 2 tablespoons wine vinegar 3 tablespoons fresh orange juice Salt and pepper, to taste 1 cup broccoli florets 1 carrot, cut into small cubes or strips 1/2 onion, chopped 1 red bell pepper, cut into smallcubes or strips 1 cucumber, cut into large cubes 2 tablespoons chives, chopped 1 tablespoon parsley, chopped Dice salmon into 1/2 x 1/2-inch cubes (or if already sliced, cut in strips) and set aside in refrigerator. Drain water from barley. Simmer on low heat in 1 cup water with sprinkle of salt for approximately 30 minutes or until soft. Drain barley and transfer to bowl. Immediately add oil, vinegar, orange juice, salt and pepper, mix well and set aside to cool. Bring remaining 3 1/2 cups water to boil and add plenty of salt. When water boils vigorously, add broccoli and carrots and let cook for 30 seconds. Remove vegetables immediately with slotted spoon, plunge into ice water, and then take out of water to drain. When barley is cold, gently mix all ingredients together and serve with whole-grain bread or sprinkling of bread croutons on top. Vegetables and herbs can be varied according to your own preferences.

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SEPTEMBER 14 – SEPTEMBER 20, 2012

Poached Norwegian Salmon with Stewed Vegetables and Cucumber Salad Serves: 4 3/4 pound Norwegian Salmon fillet, boneless, skin removed

New Nordic Cuisine Nordic cultures have long enjoyed a reputation as some of the healthiest people in the world. New Nordic Cuisine is filled with healthy, hearty foods anyone can enjoy. Delicious elements of this cuisine include: Seafood, such as Norwegian Salmon Whole grains such as rye bread, barley and oats Cabbage and other cruciferous vegetables Berries, apples and pears Root vegetables

Norwegian Salmon in Aluminum Foil Serves: 4 4 sheets aluminum foil (12 x 18 inches, slightly larger than yellow legal pad) 2 tablespoons canola oil 2 medium carrots, cut into thin strips 1 small leek, cut into thin slices 1 onion, cut into thin slices 1 head iceberg lettuce, cut into 8 wedges 1 1/2 pounds Norwegian Salmon fillet, boneless, skin removed, cut into 8 portions 1 tablespoon water for each package 4 tablespoons crème fraîche or sour cream Salt and pepper, to taste Preheat oven to 350°F. Place aluminum foil on table with shortest side facing you. All food will be placed in middle of bottom half of foil. Top half of foil will eventually be folded over food. Brush center of bottom half with oil. Mix all vegetables and spread 1/4 of them over oil. Arrange 2 portions of salmon with vegetables. Add water. Season with salt and pepper. Repeat with remaining three sheets of foil. To seal pouches, fold top section of foil over. Fold and squeeze edges together to form well-sealed pouch. Place packages on large baking sheet and place in preheated oven. When packages enlarge, they’re ready to serve — usually after about 6 to 8 minutes. To serve, carefully place each package on plate and open at table with pair of scissors or knife. Spoon crème fraîche or sour cream onto fish and sprinkle with lemon juice. Fresh herbs can be added before or after cooking. Eat straight from package.

4 1/2 cups water 1 tablespoon salt 1 lemon Stewed Vegetables 1 1/4 cups water 4 potatoes, cut into cubes 3 carrots, cut into cubes 1 medium celeriac root, cut into cubes 2 onions, cut into cubes 1 medium size leek, cut into cubes 2 tablespoons fresh parsley or chives, chopped Salt and pepper, to taste 3/4 cup milk Cornstarch, to thicken sauce Cucumber Salad 1 pound cucumber 1 tablespoon sugar 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar 2tablespoons olive oil

Norwegian Salmon The cold, clear waters of Norway create the ideal environment for ocean-farming flavorful Norwegian Salmon. Tasteful, healthful and versatile, salmon from Norway offers a deliciously easy way to incorporate more fish into the American diet. Norwegians take great care to ocean-farm salmon in a sustainable manner that’s good for the fish, good for the earth, and good for future generations. To learn more, visit www.salmonfromnorway.com.

Cut salmon into 4 even pieces and rinse well under cold water. In large pot, bring water to boil, add salt and then salmon. Immediately remove from heat and let stand to poach for 4 to 6 minutes, depending on thickness of fillet. Be careful not to overcook — the flavors and texture of salmon is at its best when served opaque throughout. Remove from pot with slotted spoon and let water drain off on towel before arranging salmon on plate. For vegetables, sprinkle water with salt and bring to boil in a large pot. When water is boiling, add potatoes, carrots, celeriac root and onions. Lower heat and simmer until soft. Add leeks and fresh herbs and simmer for 2 more minutes. Drain vegetables carefully in colander and make sure you keep cooking water. In same pot, bring milk and cooking water to boil; season with salt and pepper. Dilute cornstarch in small amount of cold water and add to boiling liquid until you have thick sauce. Add vegetables to milk mixture to reheat before serving. For cucumber salad, peel cucumber, split lengthwise and remove seeds with small spoon. Cut at an angle in thick slices and mix with sugar, vinegar and oil. Serve salmon with stewed vegetables and cucumber salad on the side. Serving Suggestion: A few drops of lemon juice on the salmon is a must.