Florida Courier - September 23, 2016

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CELEBRATING OUR 10TH YEAR STATEWIDE!

President Obama to Blacks: ‘Our progress is on the ballot’ See Page B1 www.flcourier.com

SEPTEMBER 23 – SEPTEMBER 29, 2016

VOLUME 24 NO. 39

BLACK, BIG, ‘BAD’ – DEAD Anger mounts in Oklahoma and North Carolina after cops shoot two Black men dead in separate incidents.

Terence Crutcher’s name is now added to the lengthening list of Black men killed by cops as video cameras recorded the event.

– drew national attention.

Here’s a factual summary of the killings of two Black men by police as of the Florida Courier’s Wednesday night press time:

COMPILED FROM WIRE AND STAFF REPORTS

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Violence flared Tuesday and Wednesday nights in North Carolina’s largest city after a Black man was shot Tulsa, Okla. dead under disputed cir- Terence Lamont A fatal police shooting by cumstance by a Black cop, Crutcher Scott a White female officer has just a few days after a sepreopened fresh wounds in arate videotaped killing of male driver in Oklahoma – See DEAD, Page A2 a clearly unarmed Black seemingly with car trouble

Zika toll continues to grow

Brought virus here Two of the 10 new cases reported Wednesday involved pregnant women who are believed to have become infected elsewhere and brought the virus into the state.

Such travel-related Zika cases made up nine of the 10 newly reported infections. The Department of Health does not release the counties of cases involving pregnant women.

Two of the new travel-related cases were in Broward County, two were in Miami-Dade County, two were in Orange County, and one was in Brevard County. In all, Florida has had 678 travel-related infections since Zika started emerging in the state this year.

One local case The state Wednesday also added one locally transmitted case, which is linked to an investigation of mosquitoes infecting people in Miami Beach.

Wednesday’s report brought to 867 the overall number of Zika cases in Florida, a number that includes travel-related cases, locally transmitted cases, infections involving pregnant women and infections involving out-ofstate residents.

Black spending and a questionable death

COMPILED FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

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Culinary historian explores how slaves would have cooked

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Page B1

SEPTEMBER 27 - OCTOBER 3, 2013

VOLUME 21 NO. 39

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$1,000,000,000,000 Black America now spends more than $1 trillion a year on goods and services.

Black media owners have to fight for their piece of the advertising pie.

Cloves Campbell, chairman of the television (with special emphasis on NNPA and publisher of the Arizona cable); and 15 percent higher on moInformant newspaper, released the bile phone advertising.

WASHINGTON – Although annu- findings.

‘Compelling read’ al Black spending is projected to rise Small percentage from its current $1 trillion to $1.3 tril“The consumer insights this year “Advertising expenditures geared are some of the most varied yet,” said lion by 2017, advertisers allot only 3 percent of their $2.2 billion yearly specifically toward Black audiences Pearson-McNeil. “From store brand reflected only three percent of adverbudget to media aimed at Black auloyalty, to top watched television netdiences, a new Nielsen report has tising dollars spent,” the report stated. works, which mobile apps are most “Advertisers spent $75 billion on tele- popular, a deep dive into how Blacks found.

The study, “Resilient, Receptive vision, radio, internet, and magazine spend their digital time, and how and Relevant: The African-American ads in 2012, with only $2.24 billion companies can reach 10 million Black Consumer 2013 Report,” was released of that spent with media focused on consumers by developing a Southern at a news conference last week at the Black audiences.” regional strategy – this year’s report is The report said if consumption pat- really a compelling read for both adCongressional Black Caucus Legislative Weekend by Nielsen and the Na- terns dictated a company’s advertis- vertisers and marketers.” tional Newspaper Publishers Associa- ing budget, then spending with the CHARLES BERTRAM/LEXINGTON HERALD-LEADER/MCT A 2011 study by Burrell CommuBlack media should be 44 percent tion (NNPA). nications showed that 81 percent of Brittany Fulz of Lexington, Ky. is loaded down as she Cheryl Pearson-McNeil, senior higher on education and career webBlacks believe that products adver- shops at Toys “R” Us/Babies “R” Us on Black Friday sites; 38 percent higher on streamvice-president, public affairs and govSee SPENDING, Page A2 2012. ernment relations for Nielsen, and ing websites; 37 percent higher on

BY GEORGE E. CURRY NNPA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

‘CUPCAKE SATURDAY’ / COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Black colleges take beatdowns

In the dark Deacon’s death is still a mystery

BY THE FLORIDA COURIER STAFF

A host of Ohio State University Buckeye defenders tackled Florida A&M running back Omari Albert in Columbus, Ohio, on Sept. 21. That weekend, the Buckeyes blanked the Rattlers, 76-0; Florida State rolled over BethuneCookman, 54-6; the University of Miami beat Savannah State, 77-7.

See related commentary on page 2.

FORT LAUDERDALE – It’s been a week of agony for the family of the late Clayton Bailey.

Members of his large family are heading to South Florida from Jamaica and from around America as they prepare to say a last goodbye this weekend at the small South Florida church that he loved and supported.

His six-year-old daughter Trinity, who started first grade this year, keeps trying to text messages to her father. He doesn’t respond. When told that her father had “gone to heaven,” she asks, “Why did he leave me here?”

Range of emotions His wife Patdrica, his sister Donna, his immediate and extended family, and many in his small church congregation are sleepwalking in a daze of confusion, shock and grief. In some, grief may be slowly becoming anger.

And as of right now, no one can provide any answers as to how and why an experienced, hardworking pipelayer who was adamant about work safety, and “kept his head on a swivel,” was killed in broad daylight on a sunny South Florida day.

Bailey was allegedly crushed by construction materials as he worked on an infrastructure project in a south MiamiDade County neighborhood. His family heard about his death “through the grapevine” more than eight hours later.

Investigations pending

SNAPSHOTS

ADAM CAIRNS/COLUMBUS DISPATCH/MCT

FLORIDA | A3

Clayton Bailey was 38 when he was killed last week. Bailey was employed

by Ric-Man Construction Florida, Inc., See BAILEY, Page A2

SNAPSHOTS FLORIDA | A3

Brise, Graham reappointed to Public Service Commission

Universities seek more money for counseling

Census dilemma: Racial categories

NATION | A6

African-Americans Another call to be accepted in for end to gun violence in streets Alabama sororities FOOD | B4

ALSO INSIDE

BOOKS | B2

HEALTH | B4

Review of ‘The Boys of Dunbar’

When you should get a flu shot

Scott bows to Tea Party on FCAT replacement planned to replace the math, reading and writing sections of the FCAT – currently given to nearly 2 million students – TALLAHASSEE – Florida re- with new multistate exams. treated Monday from a new multistate testing system that Tests new standards was to replace the state’s comThe PARCC exams are deprehensive assessment test, signed to test student mastery known as FCAT, a move that of Common Core standards, could appease conservatives which are benchmarks for what opposed to Common Core ac- they should learn in language ademic standards on which the arts and math classes. Florinew tests were to be based. da is among the 45 states that In an executive order, Gov. have adopted the new stanRick Scott directed state edu- dards, and its public schools cators to end Florida’s role as are now phasing them in. the “fiscal agent,” or money In issuing his executive ormanager, for the Partnership FLORIDA COURIER FILES der and sending related letfor Assessment of Readiness ters to state and federal educa- Former Gov. Jeb Bush, at left, and current Gov. Rick Scott for College and Careers. tion leaders, Scott waded into don’t see eye-to-eye on Florida’s new academic standards Florida has been a leader See TEST, Page A2 for public schools. in the PARCC group and had

BY LESLIE POSTAL AND KATHLEEN HAUGHNEY ORLANDO SENTINEL / MCT

Cool cooking with red-hot FINEST | B5 tomatoes Meet Davon

NATION | A6

ALSO INSIDE

African American museum finally opens

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TALLAHASSEE – Florida has added 10 new cases of the Zika virus, and the overall number of infections involving pregnant women has reached 90, according to information released Wednesday by the state Department of Health.

Mosquito-borne Zika is particularly dangerous to pregnant women because it can cause severe birth defects.

A century in the making

FLORIDA COURIER / 10TH STATEWIDE ANNIVERSARY

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COMPILED FROM WIRE AND STAFF REPORTS

COURTESY OF YOUTUBE / TULSA POLICE DEPARTMENT

CoMMenTaRY: CHaRles W. CHeRRY ii: RandoM THouGHTs oF a FRee BlaCK Mind | a4 CoMMenTaRY: lT. Col. TiMoTHY WasHinGTon: MiliTaRY led WaY To endinG seGReGaTion | a5

Three years ago, the Florida Courier reported that the $1 trillion spending power of Black America did not result in advertising dollars for Black-owned media, and published a story about the questionable death of a construction worker, Clayton Bailey, resulting from a construction accident.

WASHINGTON – The National Museum of African American History and Culture may have started out at a distinct disadvantage. But it has already begun to overcome its humble roots.

The first of the Smithsonian Institution’s 19 museums to begin without a dedicated collection, its 3,000-plus artifacts were mostly donated from private individuals and organizations.

Yet already, more than 100,000 people have registered as museum members, a Smithsonian record.

Artistic exterior Designed to resemble an African wooden column, the museum’s exterior is covered with 3,600 bronze-colored aluminum panels that resemble 19th-century ironwork created by New Orleans slaves.

The $540 million, 400,000-squarefoot facility comes more than 100 years after Black Civil War Union Army veterans first called for a memorial to honor the contributions of Black soldiers and other African-Americans in 1915.

President Calvin Coolidge signed legislation in 1929 authorizing a “National Memorial Commission” to construct a building to serve as a tribute to African-American contributions.

But racial opposition in Congress blocked the appropriation of seed money. The stock market crash of 1929, the Great Depression and World War II also kept the project from moving forward.

Bush pushes project It wasn’t until December 16, 2003, when President George W. Bush signed legislation creating the National Museum of African American History and Culture, that the effort finally began to take shape.

Some view the museum as a small down payment on reparations and recognition owed to African-Americans after centuries of state-sanctioned bondage, inhumanity, violence and disenfranchisement in the United States.

The attitude is understandable, considering the horror of the Middle Passage, the false promise of Reconstruction, the shame of Jim Crow and the nation’s violent resistance to the civil rights movement.

Long overdue But others see the museum as a long-overdue acknowledgment of America’s great failings on race and a salute to the resilience, faith and pride that helped African-Americans overcome it and thrive.

Just as pressure that bursts pipes can also produce diamonds, the museum, which will be dedicated Saturday by President Obama, explores the nation’s faulty racial plumbing and the priceless cultural gems that somehow came spewing out.

COMMENTARY: LUCIUS GANTT: PRESIDENT OBAMA SPEAKS LIKE MALCOLM X-LITE | A2 COMMENTARY: SOUTH AFRICAN SCHOOLGIRLS PROVIDE REVOLUTIONARY LEADERSHIP | A4

See MUSEUM, Page A2

FOCUS

A2

SEPTEMBER 23 – SEPTEMBER 29, 2016

Barack Obama speaks like Malcolm X-lite President Barack Obama made quite a splash at a 2016 Congressional Black Caucus dinner.

News reports say Obama gave his most fiery presidential speech ever as he tried to fire up some political puppets before the upcoming fall elections.

I say “puppets,” because even if the president didn’t say a mumbling word, Black elected officials would probably vote for every Democrat anyway. The people that represent African-American communities in the United States have been classically conditioned that way, sort of like Pavlov’s dogs!

Stimulus and response Classical conditioning (also known as Pavlovian or respondent conditioning) refers to a learning procedure in which a biologically potent stimulus (e.g.,

LUCIUS GANTT THE GANTT REPORT

food or campaign contributions) is paired with a previously neutral stimulus (e.g., a bell or political puppet strings).

It also refers to the learning process that results from this pairing, through which the neutral stimulus comes to elicit a response (e.g. political salivation) that is usually similar to the one elicited by the potent stimulus.

These basic facts, which require many qualifications, were first studied in detail by Ivan Pavlov through experiments with dogs.

Anyway, in his speech, Presi-

dent Barack Obama sounded like Malcolm X. However, don’t get it twisted.

The president wouldn’t go to sleep and dream about saying things like Minister Malcolm said – not with the predominately White Capitol press corps in the room writing, taping or videoing his every word.

The tone of the president could be compared to the Malcolm X’s tone when Malcolm was trying to make an important point.

‘My legacy’ The president was pretty much blasting Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and praising the Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. That was expected.

But one comment the president said caught my attention.

He suggested that votes by African-Americans to support Hillary was a vote needed to continue his legacy.

Well, The Gantt Report only wants to continue the “good” parts of his legacy. Let me give you an example of what I’m talk-

ing about.

I don’t want to continue his legacy of letting Goldman Sachs, AIG, Lehman Brothers, Wells Fargo and other beast bankers wheel, deal and steal as much money, customers, and bank depositors as they want to and not going to jail like the poor parents that shoplift food to feed their children do.

Not this legacy I don’t want to continue the legacy of spending trillions of tax dollars to fight ISIS in the Middle East, and little or nothing to fight Boko Haram and other terrorists in Africa that kidnap and rape Black children.

I don’t want to continue the legacy of letting federal prosecutors and investigative agencies rubber-stamp whatever decisions that states attorney make in regard to the murders, beatings, false arrests and false charges of innocent Black men, women and children.

I could go on and on, but I try to keep my columns somewhat short.

MUSEUM from A1

They include people like Muhammad Ali, Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, Dr. Daniel Hale Williams and Ida B. Wells.

They also include jazz, blues and hip-hop – creative selfexpressions of pain and pride that drew from African oral and rhythmic traditions. Yet they are all uniquely American art forms.

‘More AfricanAmerican’

ALAN KARCHMER / SMITHSONIAN

The new National Museum of African American History has a prime location on the National Mall across from the Washington Monument.

DEAD from A1

this city with a fraught history among Blacks, White residents and police officers.

A graphic police video shows Terence Crutcher, 40, being fatally shot by a police officer Friday night as he walks with his hands up toward his SUV, stalled out in the middle of the road. The incident quickly became the latest flashpoint in a string of controversial police shootings of Black Americans.

An attorney for Officer Betty Shelby, who shot Crutcher after responding to a dispatch call about an abandoned car, said Crutcher failed to heed police commands and that she and another officer, Tyler Turnbough, felt threatened and fired nearly simultaneously. Turnbough used a stun gun.

The city’s police chief, who released helicopter and dash-cam video of the shooting, called the images “disturbing” and vowed to “achieve justice.”

DOJ investigates Protesters quickly demanded that Shelby be fired, and the Crutcher family called for criminal charges against the officer, who has been put on routine administrative leave.

The Department of Justice has opened a civil rights investigation and local authorities are independently investigating the shooting.

The last night of life for Crutcher, a father of four who was on his way home from a class at Tulsa Community College, began with a pair of 911 calls reporting an abandoned car with its engine running and doors open in the middle of the road.

“The music, dance, distinctive foods, art and artists that people outside the United States associate with ‘American culture’ were and are originally African-American,” said an email from V.P. Franklin, professor emeritus of history at the University of California, Riverside and editor of The Journal of African American History.

“White Americans are much more African-American than most will admit.”

Serving as a portal to the past and window to the future, the museum has the capacity to “touch lives and transform

“I got out and was like, ‘Do you need help?’ reported one caller, who said Crutcher “took off running” after asking her to “come here, come here,” and saying the car was going to “blow up.”

“I think he’s smoking something,” the same caller said.

Police videos show Crutcher walking toward his SUV with his hands up.

Four officers, three male and one female, approach Crutcher as he walks to the driver’s side and seems to lower his hands and put them on the car.

Police and the Crutcher family, which through attorneys has cautiously praised police for quickly releasing videos and audio of the shooting, have differed on key parts of Crutcher’s last moments: whether he disobeyed police or not, and whether he was reaching into his car.

In initial reports, police said Crutcher was not following officers’ commands. But speaking to media Monday, Tulsa police spokeswoman Jeanne MacKenzie said she wasn’t sure what Crutcher did that made police shoot.

‘Bad dude’

Slow to help

The dash-cam video is blocked by officers, and Crutcher is partially blocked by his own car in the helicopter video, making it difficult to see his movements. A man in the helicopter video says, “That looks like a bad dude, too.

Probably on something,” before suggesting it was “time for a Taser.”

Within seconds, Crutcher drops to the ground.

“Shots fired!” a woman yells on police radio as officers slowly back away while holding their guns up. Officers wait more than two minutes before approaching Crutcher again.

He was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.

Police say the videos did not capture Shelby arriving on the scene because she did not turn her dash cam on.

Asked why Crutcher wasn’t given immediate medical aid, MacKenzie said she was unsure. “I don’t know that we have protocol on how to render aid to people,” she said.

Family attorneys said Tuesday that police found PCP in Crutcher’s car, but dismissed that discovery as playing a role in his death.

A toxicology report is pending. Attorneys also contend that Crutcher’s driver’s side window was up and left smeared with blood after he was shot, suggesting that police had no reason to fear him reaching into the car for a weapon.

Suspects, not citizens “When unarmed people of color break down on the side of the road, we’re not treated as citizens needing help. We’re treated as, I guess, criminals – suspects that they fear,” said Benjamin Crump, one of the attorneys representing the Crutcher family.

Cops seldom punished Police tactics in Tulsa, the second-largest city in Oklahoma, have come under increased scrutiny.

The shooting comes four months after Tulsa County volunteer deputy Robert Bates was sentenced to four years in prison on a manslaughter charge after shooting and killing Eric Harris, an unarmed Black man, during an undercover operation in 2015. The White reserve deputy said he mistakenly reached for his gun instead of his Taser.

the way people see the world and interact with each other,” Smithsonian Secretary David Skorton said.

That theory will be put to the test almost immediately.

Advancing the conversation “Opening now at a time when social and political discourse remind us that racism is not, unfortunately, a thing of the past, this museum can, and I believe will, help advance the public conversation,” Skorton said.

The museum will have on display more than 3,000 artifacts ranging from pieces of a slave ship to Carl Lewis’ Olympic medals, employ a staff of 200 and boast a fundraising program that has topped $315 million in private funds.

The museum’s 12 inaugural exhibitions are grouped around three main themes: history, community and culture and include an exhibit about the museum’s evolution called “A Century in the Making.”

The facility also houses an education and technology center on the second floor, the Sweet Home Café, a museum store, the Oprah Winfrey Theater, a welcome center and ori-

That kind of conviction is rare. According to a Tulsa World database, there have been 162 fatal police shootings – including 24 involving Tulsa police – since 2007. Only two, including the shooting by Bates, led to criminal convictions. Of deadly police shootings in Tulsa, 29 percent of victims were Black.

The city’s Black population stands at 11 percent.

The scars of a 1921 “Black Wall Street” race riot in which White individuals attacked the Black community, destroying businesses and leaving many homeless, are also still felt in Tulsa, where schools still teach history lessons on the incident. The death toll was estimated to be between 50 and 300, according to the Oklahoma Historical Society.

In Charlotte City leaders appealed for calm Wednesday and promised a thorough investigation of Tuesday’s fatal police shooting of a Black man that triggered a night of violent protests.

Authorities said they were reviewing video from body cams and dash cams The dead man was Keith Lamont Scott, 43; the officer who shot him, Brentley Vinson, is also Black.

Sixteen Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officers suffered minor injuries during the chaotic night.

‘Same hurt’ Charlotte pastor Ray McKinnon said he went to the scene near the apartment complex when he heard about the incident.

He found himself in the middle of an intersection where tear gas was sprayed.

“I was literally in the road praying,” he said.

“What I saw on the faces of the protesters and police officers was similar – there was the same hurt.”

Yes, I’ll be the first to agree that President Barack Obama has been the very best president of the United States in my lifetime or, perhaps, in history. But in one significant way, Obama has treated us just like every other commander in chief.

Put him first Blacks always put Obama first. But Obama put us last with speeches for us, pardons for us and money for us!

Oh, I’m sorry Obama and every other political candidate of every political party never sought to spend political money with the Black people whose votes they need so much!

The “money” comment was a cruel inside joke!

Buy Gantt’s latest book, “Beast Too: Dead Man Writing,” on Amazon.com and from bookstores everywhere.

“Like” The Gantt Report page on Facebook. Contact Lucius at www.allworldconsultants. net.

entation theater, and a contemplative court. About 60 percent of the building is below ground.

‘Now at last’ “This joyous day was born out of a century of fitful and frustrated efforts to commemorate African American history in the nation’s capital,” said Lonnie Bunch, founding director of the museum.

“Now at last the National Museum of African American History and Culture is open for every American and the world to better understand the African American journey and how it shaped America. Today’s historic dedication honors the dreams of many generations and thousands of people who have worked so hard and sacrificed so much to make this dream a reality.

“If we’ve done our job right, I trust the museum will be place for all Americans to ponder, reflect, learn, rejoice, collaborate and, ultimately, draw sustenance and inspiration from the lessons of history to make America better.”

Tony Pugh of the McClatchy Washington Bureau / TNS contributed to this report.

He said people “feel like they’re not being heard.”

McKinnon said that people are frustrated, and wanted police to release video footage.

Black boycott?

An activist group, True Healing Under God (THUG), held a press conference Wednesday questioning the police department’s version of events and promising to hire a lawyer.

The group also called for African-Americans in the community to begin an economic boycott of the city’s White-owned businesses, specifically citing the largest malls in and around Charlotte. A representative from the Nation of Islam also urged an economic boycott of the city.

The chain of events began around 4 p.m. Tuesday, when police began searching in for someone who had an outstanding warrant at an apartment complex, Charlotte-Mecklenburg PD Chief Kerr Putney said.

Some civil activists and neighbors questioned the police account of the shooting Wednesday, saying Scott was disabled from an accident and was waiting for his son’s school bus. Activists demanded answers from police and called on protesters to be peaceful.

Chaotic scene Putney said officers began to encounter protesters at around 7 p.m. Tuesday. It took about an hour for the crowd to transform into “more aggressive agitators who began breaking the law,” Putney said.

Shortly before 11 p.m., police donned gas masks.

Soon, clouds of tear gas bloomed in front of their lines. Protesters damaged at least two CMPD vehicles.

More officers were deployed to the scene throughout the night. At about 1:45 a.m., some people blocked nearby Interstate 85, broke into a tractor-trailer and set items on fire, Putney said.

Gun or book?

More violence Wednesday

Officers saw Scott in his car. They say he got out, went back in and came out again, this time holding a handgun, Putney said. Officers say they yelled at Scott to drop the weapon and within seconds Scott was shot because he posed an imminent threat of danger.

A woman who said she is Scott’s daughter said on a live-streamed video that Scott was unarmed, sitting in his car reading a book and waiting for a school bus to drop off his son. Her video, viewed more than half a million times, elevated the incident to a national stage within hours.

Putney said no book was found at the scene. He said he did not know whether the gun found near Scott was loaded.

Adam Bell, Mark Price and Katherine Peralta of the Charlotte Observer and Kristi Eaton and Jaweed Kaleem of the Los Angeles Times / TNS contributed to this report.

On Wednesday night, protests intensified in the city’s downtown center, with police firing tear gas, stun grenades, and rubber bullets. Even after one person was killed, according to police, in a “civilian-on civilian” shooting, protesters refused to disperse.

Fox News Channel reported that the Ritz Carlton Hotel’s management locked the hotel down and was barricading the hotel’s doors with heavy furniture to prevent violent protesters from entering.

FLORIDA

SEPTEMBER 23 – SEPTEMBER 29, 2016

A3

State universities seek more funds for counseling Shortage of mental health staffing on campuses has led to long waits for services

BY LLOYD DUNKELBERGER THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

TALLAHASSEE – With a 48 percent increase in the number of students seeking counseling, Florida universities are asking for an additional $14.5 million in the coming budget year to hire more mental health professionals, including psychologists, counselors, psychiatric nurses and prevention specialists.

At least eight out of the 12 universities don’t meet staffing standards recommended by experts because they have more than 1,500 students for each mental health professional on the campus. The inadequate staffing has led to waiting lists, fewer counseling sessions and the need to rely on off-campus services, which are not covered by student health fees.

There is also an increase in more severe cases, with campus counseling centers reporting 4,200 visits in the 2013-14 academic year that were classified as emergency or crisis visits, involving issues like severe depression, acute anxiety and suicidal thoughts.

300 Baker Acted The counseling centers also reported 300 stu-

dents had to be involuntarily hospitalized under the state’s Baker Act during that academic year.

“The (state university system) counseling centers provide services that are critical to student retention and success and the need to address the mental and behavioral health of SUS university students has never been more critical,” according to a report from Christy England, associate vice chancellor for academic research and policy.

The state Board of Governors, which oversees the universities met this week in Sarasota, to review the report and consider the mental health funding as part its 2017-18 budget request to the Florida Legislature.

The data shows that since the fall of 2008, the number of students seeking counseling services rose 48 percent, to 20,495 clients, in the 2013-14 academic year. There were also 163,000 counseling sessions, a 67 percent increase.

Center visits rise The directors of counseling services at Florida State University and the University of Florida, two of the state’s largest and oldest institutions, confirmed the staffing challenges.

“Every year our utilization rates go up,” said Carlos Gomez, a licensed psychologist and director of FSU’s counseling center.

Between the 2014 and 2015 academic years, Gomez said his center saw an increase of 19 percent

KATHLEEN MCGRORY/MIAMI HERALD/TNS

Students comfort each other the morning of Nov. 20, 2014 after the previous night’s shooting at Florida State University’s Strozier Library in Tallahassee.

Between the 2014 and 2015 academic years, counseling center at FSU has seen an increase of 19 percent in student visits. in student visits, rising to about 3,800, or about 9 percent of the campus’ 41,000 students.

Gomez estimated that FSU has roughly one mental health professional for every 1,900 students, well above the 1,000 to 1,500 students per counselor ratio set by the International Association of Counseling T:8”

Services.

When he arrived on campus two years ago, Gomez said students faced a fiveweek waiting period for services. He said his center changed its clinical model, allowing immediate evaluations. But he said the staffing problems make it difficult to provide extended counseling services.

“What we can’t do is see every student who walks in our door for psychotherapy,” Gomez said. “We are referring in record numbers out into the community.”

Not enough counseling The FSU counseling center has created a “treat-

One heart. One dream. One spirit. p One team.

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ment coordinator” position to help students, who get free health care on campus, find and pay for off-campus services.

“Sometimes they (the off-campus providers) give us a break, sometimes they don’t,” Gomez said.

“But that’s certainly a challenge.”

As for students who can be accommodated on campus, Gomez said the staffing shortages means students are receiving counseling sessions every two or three weeks, rather than the once-every-week standard.

Ernesto Escoto, the licensed psychologist who directs the University of Florida’s counseling center, said his school has one mental health professional for every 1,546 students.

It means that by roughly mid-October each new academic year, the counseling center is putting students on waiting lists for services, he said.

“The demand for mental health services has increased at counseling centers, not only in Florida, but across the United States,” Escoto said.

Triage system Escoto said the UF counseling center uses a “triage” system to identify students in the greatest need of services, but like FSU and other universities is also having to refer more students to off-campus services.

In Gainesville, Escoto said students can use an off-campus counseling service provided by Alachua County that only requires a modest co-payment.

“But that is not the case for all the counties in the state,” he said.

The counseling directors cited several trends that may be adding to the increased demand for mental health services.

Escoto said effective psychiatric drugs have allowed more students with mental health challenges to attend state universities than did so in the past.

“Now with the care, more and more students are able to enroll and succeed. But at the same time, it’s like moving to the major leagues from the minor leagues,” Escoto said.

Some of those students find their coping skills “become taxed” by the more intense atmosphere and “they relapse and struggle,” Escoto said.

‘Lack of resiliency’

T:10”

Both Escoto and Gomez cited a “lack of resiliency” among students, as compared to previous generations, when it comes to coping with normal setbacks like a low grade, a relationship breakup or roommate problems.

“A number of the students we see lack the resiliency skills necessary to bounce back from setbacks,” Escoto said, saying the situation can be heightened in a competitive university atmosphere. “They have not failed much in life and now they get a ‘B’ or a ‘C’ in class and all hell breaks loose.”

Under the budget proposal, the $14.5 million would fund 137 positions spread across all 12 state universities. It would allow the schools to hire more psychologists, mental health counselors, psychiatric nurse practitioners, case managers, prevention specialists and office staff.

FSU would receive $1.9 million for 19 counseling positions, with UF receiving $2.2 million for 23 positions.

Gomez and Escoto said the funding would have a dramatic impact on their staffing challenges.

“My hope is then that we won’t have a wait list anymore,” Escoto said. “We will be able to provide care immediately to students and help them be successful in their studies and complete their education in a timely manner.”

From Left: Toni Braxton, Lonnie Bunch, Lauren Seroyer, Larry Tripplett, Donovan Smith, Charles Tillman, Wendy Raquel Robinson ©2016 McDonald’s

EDITORIAL

A4

SEPTEMBER 23 – SEPTEMBER 29, 2016

South African schoolgirls provide revolutionary leadership Pretoria Girls High School was shaken to its core two weeks ago when Black girls attending this apartheid-era elite school challenged fundamental tenets of White supremacy. This challenge to White supremacy occurred in Pretoria, the official seat of the apartheid regime, a city known for its brutality and savage treatment of Africans. (The city has since been renamed “Tshwane” in the post-apartheid era.)

Refusing to bow down to longheld notions of European beauty standards and African inferiority, the girls, approximately 13 years old, asserted that their humanity was not negotiable. With afros and dignity intact, Black girls from the Pretoria High School raised their brave little fists under the South African sky and shook the world.

These Black school girls are protesting racist practices, according to school guidelines, which force Black girls to straighten their African hair as well as impose penalties for Black girls socializing together in groups.

Continuing struggle Exactly 40 years ago, about an hour from the Pretoria Girls School, a young 13-year-old boy named Hector Zolile Peterson was shot dead by the Apartheid regime.

“Soweto 1976” has become part of protest language among young Black South Africans.

Hector was shot in Soweto during protest against using Afrikaans, the language of their oppressors, as the official language of instruction.

The young man carrying Hector Peterson in his arms, Mbuyisa Makhubu, went missing in the days following Hector’s murder. The apartheid government hunted him down after the photograph became the symbol of the vicious and deadly apartheid regime. Mbuyisa and hundreds of Black children vanished into

thin air in 1976. His family is still searching for him.

The valiant protest of these girls, over 40 years after Hector’s death, reveals the continuity of the struggle for liberation and confirms that the Soweto uprising was not in vain.

Inequities still exist The death of Nelson Mandela exposed the underbelly of neo-liberal economic policies that tolerated Black leadership but exploded racial and class inequalities. This negotiated “peace” blessed by European powers in London, Amsterdam and Washington maintained White economic global power in South Africa at the expense of the Black majority.

A new generation of activists now draws on the likes of Steven Bantu Biko, Chris Hani, the 1976 Soweto uprising young activists, and Robert Sobukwe in order to ignite the unfinished business of South Africa’s total liberation. The #RhodesMustFall movement, which began March 9, 2015 at the University of Cape Town, arguably sparked this contagious flame that has in the last few weeks found new expression among young schoolgirls.

Confronting White domination At the heart of the RMF movement is the decolonization conversation. It addresses decolonization of spaces, minds, languages, education and land. It speaks of total freedom from all kinds of manifestations of White domination faced by Black South Africans daily as a result of the legacy of the global system of White supremacy and apartheid. This movement gave rise to the #FeesMustFall movement, which demanded free tuition in South African universities for both students and Black maintenance workers who are usually condemned to intergenerational

COURTESY OF TWITTER

Zulaikha Patel stands defiantly in front of a White South African policeman during a nonviolent protest at her school.

DR. MARSHA ADEBAYO AND SIKI DLANGA BLACK AGENDA REPORT

poverty.

The 13-year-old Pretoria High School student leader Zulaikha Patel is often referred to as “little Angela Davis” by South Africans. She was iconically photographed with a defiant gaze before a White policeman, considered the oppressor of Black identity and freedom.

In the photograph, her young arms are crossed just above her head which is crowned by an unmistakable afro. What inspired the world was seeing Zulaikha wearing her school uniform, standing before a large White male whose build is what is instinctively identified in South Africa as the figure of an Afrikaaner man.

Not intimidated Dogs and security were brought to the school to stop the girls from protesting. Officials and security tried to intimidate the girls by saying they would arrest them. The girls responded with the fierce chant: “Arrest us!”

Among other protesting schools since PGHS is #SansSouci. This school made headlines protesting against racist practices that included being punished and fined if the girls spoke their African mother-tongue, Xhosa.

Sans Souci, a former White school located in the leafy Cape Town suburb of Newlands, forced the girls to speak English even when they were outside of the school premises.

Girls showed evidence on their merit books where they were de-merited for speaking Xhosa.

Black school children symbolically tore the books as a form of protest, symbolizing the burning of apartheid-era pass books which were issued in order to control the movement of Black South Africans.

One of the protesting parents of the Sans Souci girls, interviewed for this article, said: “The principal of the school has a really old colonial mindset.” The girls are demanding the resignation of the White school principal, Charmaine Murray, tweeting and shouting #MurrayMustFall.

They call for a Black school principal to replace her.

Making demands This would be the first time that Black students asserted such power at such a school. Black students at Sans Souci have a detailed list of demands that include such issues as addressing White supremacy and the inclusion of their native tongues as

Republican Party rejects Black voters Are Black voters so loyal to Democrats that their issues are ignored? Donald Trump suggests as much, arguing that Blacks had “nothing to lose” by voting for him. Now a column by Farai Chideya at FiveThirtyEight cites academics who make a similar argument.

In recent elections, about 90 percent of the Black vote has gone to Democrats. Chideya cites Professor Paul Frymer of Princeton, who argues that politicians focus their appeals on swing voters, particularly “moderate, disaffected Whites in the middle – whether you call them soccer moms or NASCAR dads.”

Chideya also cites two recent studies on how well Black interests are represented in government. A 2015 report from the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies concluded that “Black voices are less equal than others when it comes to policy.” And a 2015 law review article by Professor Nicholas Stephanopoulos of the University of Chicago Law School “found that Black support for Congressional legislation actually decreased its chances of passage.”

Fools nor partisans Are Blacks voting against their own interests? Are they a “captured group” who would be better off if they weren’t so proDemocrat?

African-American voters are

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

neither fools nor inherently Democratic partisans. When Lincoln Republicans were leading the fight for the freedom amendments after the Civil War – the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments – African-Americans voted overwhelmingly with Republicans.

Blacks began voting Democratic when FDR launched the New Deal and stood with poor and working people in the Great Depression.

When Democratic Dixiecrats fought to sustain legal segregation, many African-Americans in the South voted Republican. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s father was a Republican.

But then, after Lyndon Johnson pushed through the Voting Rights Act and the Great Society, Republicans – beginning with Richard Nixon’s Southern strategy and continuing with Ronald Reagan and beyond – used racial dog-whistle politics to consolidate their party in the White South. The party of Lincoln became the party of Jefferson Davis.

We are rejected Now African-Americans vote overwhelmingly for Democrats

not because we reject the Republican Party, but because the Republican Party rejects us. If we vote our interests, we have little choice but to vote against a party that has systematically tried to undermine and constrict the right to vote, that votes against affordable housing, against expanding Social Security and against poverty programs.

Republicans have led the fight against a living wage. They oppose efforts to curb gun violence in our cities by blocking background checks and repealing the ban on assault weapons. They vocally undermine enforcement of equal employment laws and anti-discrimination measures.

Their Supreme Court nominees gutted the Voting Rights Act, and their legislators have blocked efforts to restore it. They have consistently voted against any plan to rebuild our cities, reinvest in infrastructure and put people to work. They oppose efforts to ease the student loan debt that burdens too many African-Americans.

Against our interests Blacks vote against Republicans in overwhelming numbers because Republicans are overwhelmingly campaigning against our core interests. Republicans can appeal to Black voters but only if they reach out and change their policy positions. As former New Orleans Mayor Mark Mori-

DAVE GRANLUND, POLITICALCARTOONS.COM

al told Chideya, “A chicken can’t root for Colonel Sanders.”

Arguably, the real “captured group” of voters are the poor and working-class White voters who vote Republican. That vote is surely against their economic interests. Republicans have won their votes by appeals to race, to religion and to conservative social issues, but they never deliver.

Liberal social movements for equality – the civil rights movement, the women’s movement and the gay rights movement – continue to make progress. And working and poor White people continue to lose ground economically.

Now polls suggest that they favor Donald Trump for president,

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

Siki Dlanga is a South African is an author of a poetry anthology “Word of Worth.” She is also a columnist and a creative activist based in Cape Town.

VISUAL VIEWPOINT: MODERN TERRORISM

Charles W. Cherry II, Esq., Publisher

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

part of the school curriculum.

The Sans Souci principal went into hiding during the protest after years of terrorizing Black children.

The current student movements have their antecedents in the youth movements of 40 years ago. These students are fighting for their lives, their dignity and their humanity. The ability to learn and speak one’s language is a fundamental principle that must be affirmed in the fight against White supremacy. Language contains a people’s memory, their stories and their heritage. It is how South Africans remember purpose, nation, family, love and community.

The Pretoria Girls School protest is built upon the wings of the anti-colonial struggle in South Africa and should provide inspiration to Black girls colonized in the US, Europe and around the world.

Dr. Marsha Adebayo is the author of the Pulitzer Prize-nominated “No FEAR: A Whistleblowers Triumph over Corruption and Retaliation at the EPA.” She worked at the Environmental Protection Agency for 18 years and blew the whistle on a US multinational corporation that endangered South African vanadium mine workers.

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

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someone who opposes lifting the minimum wage, opposes empowering workers to organize, opposes expanding Social Security, wants to repeal health care reform and vows to cut taxes on the rich and corporations.

GOP must decide African-Americans aren’t a captured bloc of voters. We are people who are voting our interests – and looking for allies. Republicans have to decide if they want to continue to push off against us or begin to reach out to us.

The Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. is president and CEO of the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition.

Central Florida Communicators Group, LLC, P.O. Box 48857 Tampa, FL 33646, publishes the Florida Courier on Fridays. Phone: 877-352-4455, toll-free. For all sales inquiries, call 877-352-4455; e-mail sales@flcourier.com.

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SEPTEMBER 23 – SEPTEMBER 29, 2016

NATION

A5

Racial categories a census dilemma U.S. Census Bureau officials say the increasing diversity has prompted the agency’s most significant review yet of the way it asks Americans about their race and ethnicity.

BY JILL COWAN DALLAS MORNING NEWS TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE

DALLAS – When Gloria Fortner was a little girl, a classmate of Black and White parentage claimed to be a “better mix” than her. It was a jarring experience – one that has stayed lodged in her mind over the years.

But now, Gloria, the daughter of a Black pastor and a Mexican immigrant who heads a nonprofit, said she’s forgiven if not forgotten.

“It’s OK,” the lanky violinist said on a recent afternoon. “We follow each other on Instagram now, so it’s fine.”

Gloria is 13.

And she doesn’t see herself as “mixed up” or “half” anything.

Rather, the eighth-grader views herself as equally of two cultures — both of which she values deeply.

TING SHEN/DALLAS MORNING NEWS/TNS “I consider myself as AfricanAmerican and also Mexican and Gloria Fortner, 13, says she values all of the influences of her parentage. Her father, Bruce Fortner, is a Black pastor, and her also a little Native American?” she mother, Florencia Velasco Fortner, is a Mexican immigrant who heads a nonprofit. said, looking toward her mother for a nod. “Nothing more, nothof my ancestors are White, from American experiences,” a Cen- the 1860 survey, but only in Cali- tween their 2000 and 2010 census ing less.” northwest Europe,” she said. sus Bureau official said in a state- fornia. forms, according to an analysis of “Hindu” was listed as a racial 168 million census forms that Li“People like me founded the sys- ment.

More common tem, and we don’t imagine that Recommendations from that category in 1920, 1930 and 1940, ebler worked on with the Census The Lancaster teen is one of a there could be a complication be- research will shape the wording before it was removed. It was the Bureau. growing number of Americans cause it’s outside the realm of ex- on the 2020 survey, which offi- only time a religion has appeared who are navigating a shifting ra- perience.” cials hope will lead more people as an option in the race and eth- No high hopes cial middle ground as the counBut that complexity can be a to an accurate description of their nicity question.

Jenifer Bratter, a sociologist at try’s White population ages and good thing. ethnicity — not just “some other Rice University, said watching interracial coupling becomes “It’s better to have a more com- race.”

‘Some other race’ how Latinos identify themselves more common. plicated view because the world The Census Bureau first al- in Texas as they become the maSince 1980, for instance, the is complicated,” Liebler said, “and The wording lowed people to pick more than jority can serve as a microcosm percentage of marriages between what we’re trying to do is underRachel Marks, a senior analyst one race to describe themselves for the rest of the country’s demospouses of different races has al- stand the world.” for the agency’s ethnicity and an- in 2000. graphic trends. most quadrupled.

Race, according to sociologists All those changes highlight the “Understanding mixed idenThose changing demographics and demographers, isn’t so much cestry branch, put it another way: fuzziness of race as a concept.

Li“Does this (wording) help people tity will only enhance our under— which are even more marked a scientifically fixed trait as it is a ebler’s research shows that it may find themselves better?” standing of that group — how the in rapidly diversifying Texas — set of experiences: a complicated, be more accurate to track racial In particular, Marks said, peoexpansion of (the Hispanic origin demand a more nuanced under- evolving puzzle that fits together ple of Middle Eastern or North Af- identity as fluid and shifting. group) is blurring as opposed to standing of race and ethnicity. the way you see yourself and the rican descent haven’t been well“Demographers already have competing with the non-HispanDiscussions have taken on a way others see you, all set against represented in government data. crazy complicated (statistical) ic white population,” she said. heightened sense of urgency as the backdrop of your place within Currently, she said, the feder- models: You have everyone’s life Still — speaking days afdisproportionate police violence a fraught history. al government considers them story, of being single, dating or ter a peaceful Black Lives Matagainst Black people has brought White. The agency has also re- cohabitating, getting married and ter march in Dallas was transracial tensions to the foreground Census review searched whether it makes sense getting divorced, and then you formed into a killing ground by a — tensions long simmering unU.S. Census Bureau officials say to have two separate questions take those life stories and look for Black military veteran who targetderneath broader debates about the country’s increasing diversity about ethnicity and Hispanic or- patterns,” she said. “Is it a prob- ed White police officers — Bratter poverty and stubborn housing has prompted the agency’s most igin. lem to have a fluctuating identi- said she doesn’t have high hopes segregation.

In 1790, the first census ty?” significant review yet of the way for some kind of utopian colorThe Pew Research Center re- blind, post-racial society. it asks Americans about their race grouped people into three racial ‘Complicated view’ categories: free White males and ported that as many as 6.2 percent and ethnicity.

“If (that) is any indication, no,” The idea of race as a single box “The Census Bureau is contin- females, all other free persons of census respondents picked she said. “The relevance of these you check on a form is disappear- ually researching methods to im- and slaves. “some other race” in the 2010 categories occurs against the ing, said Carolyn Liebler, who has prove our data on race and ethSince then, changes to the race census, which means millions of backdrop of the relevance of race done extensive work with cen- nicity so that we can provide our and ethnicity question have coin- people are essentially unaccount- in daily life, and as long as it consus data as a sociology professor country with important infor- cided with various waves of im- ed for in America’s ethnic tableau. tinues to be … experienced as a at the University of Minnesota’s mation that reflects our growing migration.

And more than 10 million divide, with different access to reMinnesota population center.

“Chinese” made its first ap- Americans changed which race sources, these categories are alracial and ethnic diversity and “I’m a White person, and all the complexity of our myriad of pearance as a racial category on or ethnicity boxes they picked be- ways going to have meaning.”

CHRONIC

KIDNEY DISEASE

QUIZ

ANEMIA SYMPTOMS ARE EASILY MISSED

CAN LEAD TO

ANEMIA LEAVING YOU FEELING TIRED AND WEAK

COULD YOU HAVE ANEMIA DUE TO CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE?

Symptoms of anemia are very common to many other conditions and can therefore be easily missed. Common anemia symptoms include: Feeling tired often Shortness of breath Dizziness

YES

There are some things that you should know if you’ve been diagnosed with chronic kidney disease. In certain people, chronic kidney disease can lead to a serious condition called anemia. Anemia occurs when your body doesn’t have enough red blood cells. Red blood cells carry oxygen to the rest of your body, giving you energy to do your daily activities.

If anemia due to chronic kidney disease is left untreated, you are at risk for serious health consequences, including a higher risk of heart complications or needing a blood transfusion. If you are unsure if you have anemia, or it’s been a while since you’ve checked, a doctor can diagnose it through a simple blood test.

NO

Do you have chronic kidney disease?

Do you have any of the following symptoms:

Feel tired often Shortness of breath Dizziness Racing heartbeat

If you have chronic kidney disease and checked off at least one of the above symptoms, you may have a condition called anemia.

Racing heartbeat

ANEMIA DUE TO CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE CAN BE TREATED

Anemia due to chronic kidney disease is primarily treated with an injection of a medication that helps your body produce red blood cells. Because your body needs iron to make red blood cells, your doctor may also give you iron, either in pill form or as an IV.

A RESEARCH STUDY MAY BE AN OPTION

The PROTECT Study is a new research study evaluating an investigational oral medication for people with anemia due to chronic kidney disease. The study compares the effectiveness of the investigational oral medication to an approved anemia medication given by injection.

During the study, qualified participants will either receive the investigational oral study medication or the approved injection.

Treating your anemia may give you more energy and reduce your risk of serious health consequences.

LEARN MORE TODAY

Visit:

YourKidneyIQ.com

Call:

844-763-6363

TOJ A6

NATION

SEPTEMBER 23 – SEPTEMBER 29, 2016

More than 1 million ballots already requested for November election THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

More than 1 million ballots have been requested for the November general election, according to the state Division of Elections.

Also, not every county supervisor of elections has filed a report on the num-

ber of ballots requested.

Counties have until Sept. 24 to send out voteby-mail ballots to overseas service members and civilians, with the ballots going out to people in Florida starting the week of Oct. 4.

As of Monday afternoon, 433,008 vote-bymail ballots had been re-

quested by Republicans in Florida, 400,422 by Democrats, 169,192 by unaffiliated voters and 28,033 by people registered with third parties. In Pinellas County, 257,711 ballots had been requested, with Republicans holding a slight edge over Democrats.

In neighboring Hillsbor-

ough County, Democrats held a slight advantage among the 169,187 ballots requested. And in Broward County, Democrats had nearly doubled Republicans as 179,399 ballots had been requested.

Supervisors from counties including Duval and Miami-Dade hadn’t submitted reports as of Monday afternoon.

Committee meetings set for lawmakers House and Senate leaders Monday announced committees will meet in December, January and February as lawmakers prepare for the 2017

session, which will start March 7.

The House will hold committee meetings the week of Dec. 5 to Dec. 9, followed by the Senate holding meetings the week of Dec. 12 to Dec. 16. In January, both chambers will hold committee meetings the weeks of Jan. 9 to Jan. 13 and Jan. 23 to Jan. 27. Both also will hold meetings the weeks of Feb. 6 to Feb. 10, Feb. 13 to Feb. 17 and Feb. 20 to Feb. 24.

Lawmakers also are expected to be in Tallahassee on Nov. 22 for an organization session after the elections.

PEZZ PHOTO

The photo of Joseph and Patrick is provided by the Children’s Board Heart Gallery of Tampa Bay.

Adoptions: A home for Joseph and Patrick Editor’s note: This is a monthly series spotlighting Florida children who are waiting to be adopted.

One Church One Child of Florida is a faith-based, 501(c)(3) organization, operating statewide in partnership with the Department of Children and Families and local community-based lead agencies and their providers to help raise awareness and recruit adoptive and foster families for children in local communities and churches to partner in supporting local children in foster care through Church WatchCare Ministries.

More than 50 percent of the children who need a permanent family are minorities. This series features children in Florida who are waiting in foster care for a forever, loving family to call their own. September’s children are highlighted in this article.

Joseph Joseph, 12, is a thoughtful, big-hearted kid who – if he could choose to change one thing about the world – would end people stereotyping one another. He is funny and easygoing and loves to read. If he isn’t reading or sleeping, he’s playing basketball. His ultimate goal is to play professionally.

Although he’s not too sure about plane travel, Joseph wants to have some adventures in life. He thinks it would be awesome to find the Lost World of Atlantis. He looks up to his big brother Patrick because he’s kind and caring, and he’s looking forward to being part of a forever family that he can talk to when he has a question or problem.

Patrick Patrick, 16, is a very earnest, respectful young man with a heart of gold. He’s very intelligent and loves to read, especially sciencefiction novels like “Marco’s Millions.’’ He doesn’t share his little brother’s aversion to flying, and would love to have that experience, especially if the plane takes him to Paris.

He’s into all kinds of music and likes to play video games. He can often seem serious and reserved, but he’s got a very silly side too.

When he grows up, he’d like to be a photographer or a therapist, and if he could be famous for anything, it would be for authoring a popular book series.

These guys crave the warmth and support of a forever family. They would thrive in a two-parent home as the only children or with other brothers. They have so much potential and so much love to give.

For more information about becoming an adoptive or foster parent, mentor, partner or volunteer, contact the following: Suncoast Region, LaKay Fayson; Northeast Region, Dr. Mari Hope; Southeast Region, Cora Perry; Northwest, Central and Southern, Paulette Glover at 1-888-283-0886 or info@ ococfl.org. The website for One Church One Child of Florida is www.ococfl.org.

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SOUTH FLORIDA / TREASURE COAST AREA

SEPT. 23 – SEPT. 29, 2016

SHARING BLACK LIFE, STATEWIDE

Emmy winners include funnymen Key and Peele See page B5

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B

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President Barack Obama speaks at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s Phoenix Awards Dinner on Sept. 17 in Washington, D.C.

‘OUR PROGRESS IS ON THE BALLOT’ Obama reiterates why Blacks should vote for Clinton during speech at Congressional Black Caucus dinner.

Editor’s note: This address was given by President Obama at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s 46th Annual Legislative Conference Phoenix Awards Dinner on Sept. 17 in Washington, D.C.

I

want to thank the CBC Foundation, Chairman Butterfield, members of the Congressional Black Caucus, and the whole CBC family. It’s always good to be with “the conscience of Congress.”

I also want to congratulate tonight’s honorees, beginning with Charlie Rangel, a founding member of the CBC, an outstanding public servant who, as we just talked about, we’ll be riding off into the sunset together. Representative Marcia Fudge. Robert Smith. The Mother Emanuel Family.

And your Trailblazer Award recipient, my friend, a champion for change – Secretary Hillary Clinton.

PHOTOS BY OLIVIER DOULIERY/ABACA PRESS/TNS

A child listens to President Obama as he speaks at the Phoenix Awards Dinner.

‘Birtherism’ resolved There’s an extra spring in my step tonight. I don’t know about you guys, but I am so relieved that the whole birther thing is over. I mean, ISIL, North Korea, poverty, climate change – none of those things weighed on my mind like the validity of my birth certificate. And to think that with just 124 days to go, under the wire, we got that resolved.

I mean, that’s a boost for me in the home stretch. In other breaking news, the world is round, not flat. Lord.

This is, of course, my last CBC dinner as president. Next time I show up, I have to buy a ticket. Now, don’t get me wrong, though. We’ve still got so much work to do, and we are sprinting all the way through the tape. But the days are winding down.

Ready to go I’ve noticed that whenever Michelle or I travel around the country, folks come up and they say, oh, we’re so sad to see you go. And I really appreciate that. Michelle says, “That’s right.” She

gave a speech yesterday – a bunch of young people were chanting “four more years,” and she said, “Nope.” Nope. No. She’s ready.

But we do want to take this opportunity just to say thank you for your support over the years – to say thank you for your friendship, to say thank you for your prayers. As I just look across this auditorium, there are so many people here who lifted us up, who steadied us when things got tough.

When we began this journey coming on 10 years now, we said this was not about us. It wasn’t about me. It wasn’t about Michelle. It wasn’t just to be a Black president, or the president of Black America.

We understood the power of the symbol. We know what it means for a generation of children, of all races, to see folks like us in the White House.

Serious responsibility And as Michelle says, we’ve tried to be role models, not just for our own

girls, but for all children, because we know they watch everything we do as adults. They look to us as an example.

So we’ve taken that responsibility seriously.

And I’ve been so blessed to have a wife and a partner on this journey who makes it look so easy. And is so strong and so honest and so beautiful and so smart. But we’re all – we’re just thankful because you guys have lifted us up every step of the way.

Now, we know, however, that what matters most for our community is not just the symbol, not just having an African-American president. It’s having a president who’s going to do his or her darndest to make the right decisions, and fight the right fights. And think about the fights that we’ve waged together these past eight years.

List of accomplishments Together, we fought our way back from the worst recession in 80 years – turned an economy that was in free

fall, helped our businesses create more than 15 million new jobs. We declared that health care is not a privilege for a few, but a right for everybody – secured coverage for another 20 million Americans, including another three million African-Americans. Our high school graduation rate is at an all-time high, including for African-American students. More African-Americans are graduating from college than ever before.

Together, we’ve begun to work on reforming our criminal justice system – reducing the federal prison population, ending the use of solitary confinement for juveniles, banning the box for federal employers, reinvigorating the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, pushing to make sure police and communities are working together to make sure that our streets are safe and that our law is applied equally.

We’re giving opportunities for kids so that they don’t get in the criminal justice system in the first place. And I want to thank all of you who’ve helped us reach nearly 250 My Brother’s Keeper communities across the country.

And just this week, we learned that last year, across every race and age group in America, incomes rose and poverty fell. Folks’ typical household incomes rose by about $2,800 – which is the fastest growth rate on record. Lifted 3.5 million people out of poverty, including one million children – the largest one-year drop in almost 50 years.

By so many measures, our country is stronger and more prosperous than it was eight years ago. And none of it’s been quick, none of it’s been easy.

None of it has come without a fight.

And so much of our work remains unfinished.

Work to do But then we knew that we would not solve all of our challenges in one year, or one term, or even one presidency, not even in one lifetime – because we See OBAMA, Page B2

B2

BOOKS

SEPTEMBER 23 – SEPTEMBER 29, 2016

STOJ

Book recounts dream season of Baltimore basketball team nut Since Planters”) declares, he realized that the high school stars he had looked up to had been ruined by drugs and that a life of crime had prevented his dad from being there for his family. That “orange ball” gave Bogues role models, friends, and the will “to overcome all the obstacles, distractions and negative influences.”

BY DR. GLENN ALTSCHULER SPECIAL TO THE FLORIDA COURIER

1981-1982 was a dream season for the basketball team of Baltimore, Maryland’s Paul Laurence Dunbar Community High School.

Coached by Bob Wade, the undefeated Dunbar Poets were acclaimed one of the greatest high school hoop squads of all time. Four players – Tyron “Muggsy” Bogues, Reggie “Truck” Lewis, David Wingate, and Reggie Williams – would go on to stellar careers in the National Basketball Association.

In “The Boys of Dunbar,’’ Alejandro Danois, a freelance sports and entertainment writer, tells the story of Coach Wade, his team of talented Black teenagers from the housing projects, their dazzling steals, fast breaks, assists, jump shots

OBAMA from Page 1

understand better than anybody that this is the story of America, that the project of America is never finished. It is constantly a work in progress.

And what has always made us unique is our capacity to change – our conviction that change doesn’t come from some ruler, but it comes from the bottom up, from us; from the actions we take, whether it’s women seeking the right to vote, or a young John Lewis leading a mighty march in Selma. We do our part to slowly, steadily, make our union a little bit more perfect. We know that.

And that’s what we’ve done these past eight years.

And now that’s what we have to keep on doing.

You may have heard Hillary’s opponent in this election say that there’s never been a worse time to be a Black person. I mean, he missed that whole civics lesson about slavery and Jim Crow and – but we’ve got a museum for him to visit. So he can tune in. We will educate him.

He says we got nothing left to lose, so we might as well support somebody who has fought against civil rights, and fought against equality, and who has shown no regard for working people for most of his life.

‘We’re not stupid’ Well, we do have challenges, but we’re not stupid. We know the progress we’ve made, despite the forces of opposition, despite the forces of discrimination, despite the politics of backlash. And we intend to keep fighting against those forces.

When governors refuse to expand Medicaid, that

Coach, taskmaster

REVIEW Review of “The Boys of Dunbar: A Story of Love, Hope, and Basketball’’ by Alejandro Danois. Simon & Schuster.

260 pages. $26. and dunks on the basketball court, and the power of discipline, loyalty and love.

At Dunbar, Bogues (at 5’3’’, “The Greatest Pea-

hits the folks most in need, we’ll fight. When folks block an increase to the minimum wage or refuse to expand paid family leave or won’t guarantee equal pay for equal work, that hurts the pocketbooks of every family, and African-American families – we will fight.

When we’re not investing in the schools that our kids deserve; when one group of Americans is treated differently under the law; when there are those who somehow think it’s wrong to make sure that folks have access to affordable housing, or unwilling to do what it takes to make sure our veterans get the benefits that they’ve earned, or aren’t helping to sign folks up for health insurance – we will not stop our march for justice.

Just getting started We will not stop pushing for the security and prosperity of all people. That doesn’t stop with my presidency. We›re just getting started.

And when people – when across this country, in 2016, there are those who are still trying to deny people the right to vote, we’ve got to push back twice as hard.

Right now, in multiple states, Republicans are actively and openly trying to prevent people from voting.

Adding new barriers to registration. Cutting early voting. Closing polling places in predominantly minority communities. Refusing to send out absentee ballots.

Kicking people off the rolls, often incorrectly.

This should be a national scandal. We were supposed to have already won that fight. We’re the only advanced democracy in the world that is actively discouraging people from voting. It’s a shame.

Then they try to justify it by telling folks that voter fraud is rampant. Between

The hero of the book is Bob Wade. A product of Baltimore’s deteriorating inner city, Wade was raised by his mom (whose husband abandoned the family when Bob was 4 years old).

Despite an exhausting 12-hour workday, first as a domestic and later in a textile factory, Mattie Wade went to PTA meetings, insisted that her son attend Bible study, Sunday school and accompany her to church services, and en-

2000 and 2012, there were 10 cases of voter impersonation nationwide. Ten. People don’t get up and say, “I’m going to impersonate somebody and go vote.” They don’t do that.

‘A blind eye’ Meanwhile, some of the same folks who are trying to keep you from voting turn a blind eye when hundreds of thousands of people are killed by guns. Imposing voter ID restrictions so that a gun license can get you on the ballot, but a student ID can’t – apparently more afraid of a ballot than a bullet – no, our work is not done.

But if we are going to advance the cause of justice and equality and of prosperity and freedom, then we also have to acknowledge that even if we eliminated every restriction on voting, we would still have one of the lowest voting rates among free peoples. That’s not good. That is on us.

And I am reminded of all those folks who had to count bubbles in a bar of soap, beaten trying to register voters in Mississippi, risked everything so that they could pull that lever.

So if I hear anybody saying their vote does not matter, that it doesn’t matter who we elect – read up on your history. It matters. We’ve got to get people to vote.

Progress at stake In fact, if you want to give Michelle and me a good sendoff – and that was a beautiful video – but don’t just watch us walk off into the sunset, now. Get people registered to vote. If you care about our legacy, realize everything we stand for is at stake. All the progress we’ve made is at stake in this election.

My name may not be on the ballot, but our progress is on the ballot. Tolerance is on the ballot. Democracy

til their homework was finished and reviewed by a teacher. Wade kept tabs on his (mostly fatherless) boys outside of school as well.

He found weekends jobs for several players, often driving them to work and letting them spend the night at his home. And he told them, again and again, “The words ‘I can’t’ should be taken out of your vocabulary. You can do whatever you set your mind to do.”

forced a curfew. An athlete “but not a dumb jock,” with a formidable work ethic, Wade excelled at Dunbar’s rigorous college prep program, played football at Morgan State, Baltimore’s historically Black college, married Caroline Edwards, his college sweetheart (“She wasn’t pregnant and there wasn’t any shotgun. We were in love”), and spent several seasons as “a ball-hawking defensive back” in the National Football League.

After suffering a severe hand injury, Wade retired from the NFL, worked as a middle school teacher in Baltimore’s public schools, and was hired as Dunbar’s basketball coach in 1976.

At Dunbar, Wade was a mentor as well as a fierce taskmaster. His players ran sprints while wearing backpacks filled with sand and bricks. They could not go to the gym to practice un-

Timely story “The Boys of Dunbar’’ tells a feel good story that’s timely as well as true (since Baltimore is reeling from revelations about the death of Freddie Gray, while in police custody).

The hoopsters did, after all, use that orange ball to dribble and drive themselves out of the ghetto.

That said, it’s important to remember that Bogues, Lewis, Williams and Wing-

is on the ballot. Justice is on the ballot. Good schools are on the ballot. Ending mass incarceration – that’s on the ballot right now!

And there is one candidate who will advance those things. And there’s another candidate whose defining principle, the central theme of his candidacy is opposition to all that we’ve done.

There’s no such thing as a vote that doesn’t matter.

It all matters. And after we have achieved historic turnout in 2008 and 2012, especially in the African-American community, I will consider it a personal insult, an insult to my legacy, if this community lets down its guard and fails to activate itself in this election.

‘Go vote’ You want to give me a good sendoff? Go vote. And I’m going to be working as hard as I can these next seven weeks to make sure folks do.

Hope is on the ballot.

And fear is on the ballot, too.

A few days ago, Michelle and my mother-inlaw and the girls and I, we snuck over and got an early look at the new Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. We looked at the shackles that had been used to bring folks over. We saw the shacks that slaves had been trying to make a way out of no way.

And then, with each suc-

cessive level, we saw the unimaginable courage and the struggles, and the sacrifices, and the humor, and the innovation, and the hope that led to such extraordinary progress, even in our own lifetimes.

And it made us proud.

Not because we had arrived, but because what a road we had to travel. What a miracle that despite such hardship, we’ve been able to do so much.

You all understand And I know everybody in this room understands that how progress is not inevitable. Its sustainment depends on us. It’s not just a matter of having a Black president or first lady. It’s a matter of engaging all of our citizens in the work of our democracy.

It was that slave who said, you know what, despite the risk of a lash, I’m going to learn how to read. It’s Harriet Tubman saying, despite the risk to my life, I’m going to free my people. It’s Fannie Lou Hamer saying, despite the ostracism, the blowback, I’m going to sit down here in this convention hall and I’m going to tell people what it’s like to live the life I’ve lived.

I’m going to testify to why change needs to come. It’s a young John Lewis saying, I’m going to march despite those horses I see in front of me.

All those ordinary people, all those folks whose names aren’t in the histo-

ate had lots of help, from directors of recreation centers, teachers, Coach Wade, and, most crucially, their moms.

And, however laudable banishing “I can’t” from your vocabulary might be, it’s worth emphasizing as well that since very few teenagers actually do parlay their talent on the basketball court, the football field or the baseball diamond into a college scholarship, let alone a lucrative professional career, the vast majority of them would be far better served if they spent their time developing other interests and skills appropriate for “the real world.”

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

ry book, they never got a video providing a tribute to them – that’s why we’re here. That’s how progress is sustained. And then it’s a matter of electing people to office who understand that story, who feel it in their hearts, in their guts, and understand that government can’t solve all our problems but it can be a force for good.

To experience this incredible new monument, this museum, is to be reminded we’re just a small part of a long chain, generation after generation, striving against the odds. What an inspiration they are.

And what an inspiration all of you are – especially the young people who are here.

Fired up That’s why I am still fired up. That’s why I’m still ready to go. And if you are, too, if you’re ready to continue this journey that we started, then join me. Register folks to vote. Get them to the polls. Keep marching. Keep fighting. Keep organizing.

If we rise to this moment, if we understand this isn’t the endpoint, this is the beginning, we’re just getting going, we’re just getting moving – then I have never been more optimistic that our best days are still ahead.

Thank you for this incredible journey, CBC. God bless you. God bless this country that we love.

Stop foreclosure.

Save your home.

Get free counseling today.

BENEFITS OF THE FCP The FCP offers many benefits, including providing at-risk homeowners with financial management tools and education to help them better manage their money and understand their finances; assisting at-risk homeowners with credit counseling to help improve their financial stability; and housing counseling services to assist homeowners as they work with their lender to help avoid foreclosure of their homes.

For more information visit www.FloridaHousing.org

STOJ

SEPTEMBER 23 – SEPTEMBER 29, 2016

FOOD

B3

A twist on farm-raised foods

A winning combination

FAMILY FEATURES

Put a fresh twist on farm-totable goodness by pairing two vine-ripened garden treasures: heirloom tomatoes and crisp, refreshing white wine. Northern California’s Sonoma County is known for some of the nation’s finest vineyards. It’s also a culinary destination with a wide range of farms and artisan food purveyors. Inspired by the annual Kendall-Jackson Heirloom Tomato Festival, which celebrates its 20th anniver­sary this year, this salad recipe is a twist on classic favorite, delighting the palate by pairing farm-fresh tomatoes with the perfect wine. Find more pairing tips and recipes featuring seasonal ingredients at kj.com.

Putting fresh, clean meals on the table is easy with fruits, vegetables and other farm-raised foods. For a full day of pleasing food, start with healthy strawberries to make Strawberry and Goat Cheese Pizza for lunch. Just before dinnertime, go for Heirloom Tomato and Mozzarella Salad and combine it with a crisp, white wine.

Finally, round it out with a main course using honey and its natural sweetening qualities to put Linguini with Honey-Sauced Prawns on the table.

With the help of these tasty recipes, you’re set for a full day of farm-fresh foods. Find additional farm-to-table options at culinary.net.

Please Your Palate with Pasta Make pasta the centerpiece of your meal with this recipe for Linguini with Honey-Sauced Prawns, which combines sweet honey with classic linguini pasta for a flavorful bite at the dinner table. Outside of honey’s ability as a natural sweetener, it can also give you a boost of energy as a rich source of carbohydrates – and this recipe is no exception, with 61 grams of carbs in each serving. Find more of the benefits honey provides, plus recipes, at honey.com.

HEIRLOOM TOMATO AND MOZZARELLA SALAD Servings: 4 2 1/2 pounds heirloom tomatoes, mixed varieties 1/4 cup good quality extra-virgin olive oil kosher salt, to taste freshly ground black pepper, to taste 1/4 cup micro basil (or 1 dozen basil leaves, sliced and torn), divided 2 large balls fresh mozzarella, cut into wedges flaked sea salt Slice tomatoes into 3/4- to 1-inch thick wedges. In large bowl, add tomatoes, olive oil, kosher salt, pepper and half the basil. Toss and allow to marinate 2 minutes. Arrange tomatoes and mozzarella on serving plate, alternating each. Pour marinating liquid over tomatoes and mozzarella.

Garnish with remaining basil and sprinkle with sea salt and pepper.

Serve with Kendall-Jackson Grand Reserve Chardonnay. Chardonnay’s flavors of orchard fruit complement the sweetness of late summer tomatoes.

LINGUINI WITH HONEY-SAUCED PRAWNS Recipe courtesy of the National Honey Board Servings: 4 1 pound prawns, peeled and deveined 1/2 cup julienne carrots 1/2 cup julienne celery 1/2 cup green onions, sliced diagonally 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 tablespoons olive oil 1/2 cup water 1/4 cup honey 4 teaspoons cornstarch 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 1/4 teaspoon crushed dried rosemary leaves 1 pound cooked linguini pasta, kept warm In large skillet, stir-fry prawns, carrots, celery, green onions and garlic in oil over medium-high heat about 3 minutes, or until prawns start to turn pink.

In small bowl, combine remaining ingredients except pasta; mix well. Add to prawn mixture; stir-fry about 1 minute, or until sauce thickens.

Serve over pasta.

Pizza with a sweet twist This non-traditional take on pizza will have your taste buds exploding with savory goat cheese and strawberries marinated in a white balsamic vinaigrette.

California strawberries, which – despite their sweet taste – boast just 7 grams of sugar and provide 140 percent of the daily recommended amount of vitamin C per cup, are hand-picked to ensure only the highest quality berries are harvested. Research has also shown this farm-to-table super­fruit to be an effective way to help prevent and manage Alzheimer’s disease and diabetes. For more information and strawberry recipes, visit californiastrawberries.com.

STRAWBERRY AND GOAT CHEESE PIZZA Recipe courtesy of the California Strawberry Commission Servings: 8 (1/2 pizza each)

1/2 ounce active dry yeast 1 tablespoon sugar 3-4 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons kosher salt 1 tablespoon olive oil 3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1/4 cup aged balsamic vinegar 1/2 cup (4 ounces) softened goat cheese 4 cups fresh California strawberries, hulled and quartered 1/4 cup (2 ounces) crumbled goat cheese coarsely ground black pepper baby arugula frisee Heat oven to 400 F. To make pizza dough: In mixer bowl, sprinkle yeast and sugar over 1 cup warm water; let stand until foamy. Add 3 cups flour, salt and olive oil; mix with dough hook until stretchy and no longer sticky, adding more flour

if necessary. Divide dough into four equal portions. Refrigerate, covered, until needed.

To make white balsamic vinai­grette: In small nonreactive sauce­pan, simmer white balsamic vinegar until reduced to 1 1/2 tablespoons. Whisk in extra-virgin olive oil.

To make aged balsamic reduction: In small nonreactive saucepan, simmer aged balsamic vinegar until reduced to about 4 teaspoons.

On lightly floured surface, roll each piece of pizza dough into 8-inch circle. Place on baking sheet; bake 10 minutes, or until firm and slightly brown. Spread softened goat cheese on pizzas, leaving 1/2-inch border.

Toss strawberries with white balsamic vinaigrette; arrange strawberries evenly on goat cheese. Bake 10 minutes more.

Remove from oven; scatter crumbled goat cheese on top.

Drizzle with aged balsamic reduction; sprinkle with black pepper. Garnish pizzas with leaves of arugula and frisee.

B4

HEALTH

SEPTEMBER 23 – SEPTEMBER 29, 2016

Late bedtimes for tots can lead to teen weight problems

BY ALLIE SHAH STAR TRIBUNE/TNS

Benjamin Franklin may have been on to something when he prescribed “early to bed” for better health.

This could be especially true in the ongoing fight against childhood obesity.

A recent study found that preschoolers who went to bed after 8 p.m. had a significantly higher risk of becoming obese teenagers than those with earlier bedtimes.

Led by researchers at Ohio State University, the study, published in the Journal of Pediatrics, followed 977 children from ages 4.5 to 15 years, asking their parents what time they typically were put to bed on the weekdays. Bedtimes ranged from 6:45 p.m. to 1:30 a.m., with the most common times being 8 p.m., 8:30 p.m., and 9 p.m.

Linked to hormones RICHARD B. LEVINE/LEVINE ROBERTS/NEWSCOM/ZUMA PRESS/TNS

The scientists also examined the children’s height, weight and body mass index as teenagers.

TOJ

“Pre-school-aged children with early weekday bedtimes were half as likely as those with late bedtimes to become obese as adolescents,” the researchers wrote.

In fact, only 10 percent of the children who were put to bed by 8 p.m. were obese later, the study said. But 23 percent of the late-nighters (those who went to bed after 9 p.m.) became obese teenagers.

While it’s unclear exactly how children’s bedtimes affect body weight, other studies have found that a lack of sleep is linked to hormones that regulate appetite and metabolism. Staying up late also increases opportunities to snack after dinner.

Parental challenge As work and school schedules get busier, it’s a bigger challenge to establish early bedtimes, the study noted.

“For young children, parents create the routines that allow children to obtain sufficient sleep to meet their physiologic needs. However, in establishing young children’s bedtimes, like other household routines, parents must often make compromises as they face competing time demands,” the authors wrote.

“For example, some parents’ work schedules do not allow them to arrive home early enough in the evening to spend time with their child and also maintain an early bedtime. This may push children’s bedtimes later.

“At the same time, early bedtimes are required for adequate night sleep if children must wake to accommodate their parents’ work or siblings’ school start times.”

The rise of retail medical clinics inside drugstores over the past decade — and state laws allowing pharmacists to give vaccinations — has stretched the flushot season.

Is it wiser to wait for a flu shot?

Some medical experts are wary of marketing that promotes early vaccinations.

BY JULIE APPLEBY KAISER HEALTH NEWS TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE

The pharmacy chain pitches started in August: Come in and get your flu shot.

Convenience is touted.

So are incentives: CVS offers a 20-percent-off shopping pass for everyone who gets a shot, while Walgreens donates toward international vaccination efforts.

The start of flu season is still weeks — if not months — away. Yet marketing of the vaccine has become an almost year-round effort, beginning when the shots become available in August and hyped as long as the supply lasts, often into April or May.

Stretching it out Not that long ago, most flu-shot campaigns started as the leaves began to turn in October. But the rise of retail medical clinics inside drugstores over the past decade — and state laws allowing pharmacists to give vaccinations — has stretched the flu-shot season.

The stores have figured out how “to deliver medical services in an on-demand way” which appeals to customers, particularly millennials, said Tom Charland, founder and CEO of Merchant Medicine, which tracks the walk-in clinic industry. “It’s a way to get people into the store to buy other things.”

But some experts say the marketing may be overtaking medical wisdom since it’s unclear how long the immunity imparted by the vaccine lasts, particularly in older people.

‘A marketing scheme’ Federal health officials say it’s better to get the shot whenever you can.

An early flu shot is better than no flu shot at all. But the science is mixed when it comes to how long a flu shot promoted and given during the waning days of summer will provide optimal protection, especially because flu season generally peaks in mid-winter or beyond.

Experts are divided on how patients should re-

spond to such offers.

“If you’re over 65, don’t get the flu vaccine in September. Or August. It’s a marketing scheme,” said Laura Haynes, an immunologist at the University of Connecticut Center on Aging.

That’s because a combination of factors makes it more difficult for the immune systems of people older than age 65 to respond to the vaccination in the first place. And its protective effects may wear off faster for this age group than it does for young people.

October or November?

When is the best time to vaccinate? It’s a question even doctors have.

“Should I wait until October or November to vaccinate my elderly or medically frail patients?” That’s one of the queries on the website of the board that advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on immunizations.

The answer is that it is safe to make the shots available to all age groups when the vaccine becomes available, although it does include a caution.

The board says antibodies created by the vaccine decline in the months following vaccination “primarily affecting persons age 65 and older,” citing a study done during the 2011-2012 flu season. Still, while “delaying vaccination might permit greater immunity later in the season,” the CDC notes that “deferral could result in missed opportunities to vaccinate.”

Effectiveness varies How long will the immunity last?

“The data are very mixed,” said. John J. Treanor, a vaccine expert at the University of Rochester medical school. Some studies suggest vaccines lose some protectiveness during the course of a single flu season. Flu activity generally starts in the fall, but peaks in January or February and can run into the spring.

“So some might worry that if [they] got vaccinated very early and flu didn’t show up until very late, it might not work as well,” he said.

But other studies “show you still have protection from the shot you got last year if it’s a year when the strains didn’t change, Treanor said.

In any given flu season, vaccine effectiveness varies. One factor is how well the vaccines match the virus that is actually prevalent. Other factors influencing effectiveness include the age and general health of the recipient.

In the overall population, the CDC says studies show vaccines can reduce the risk of flu by about 50 percent to 60 percent when the vaccines are well matched.

A serious disease Health officials say it’s especially important to vaccinate children because they often spread the disease, are better able to develop antibodies from the vaccines and, if they don’t get sick, they won’t expose grandma and grandpa.

While most people who get the flu recover, it is a serious disease responsible for many deaths each year, particularly among older adults and young children.

Influenza’s intensity varies annually, with the CDC saying deaths associated with the flu have ranged from about 3,300 a year to 49,000 during the past 31 seasons.

To develop vaccines, manufacturers and scientists study what’s circulating in the Southern Hemisphere during its winter, which is our summer.

Then — based on that evidence — forecast what flu strains might circulate here to make vaccines that are generally delivered in late July.

The ideal time For the upcoming season, the vaccines will include three or four strains, including two A strains, an H1N1 and an H3N2, as well as one or two B strains, according to the CDC. It recommends that everyone older than 6 months get vaccinated, unless they have health conditions that would prevent it.

The vaccines can’t give a person the flu because the virus is killed before it’s included in the shot. This year, the nasal vaccine is not recommended for use, as studies showed it was not effective during several of the past flu seasons.

But when to go?

“The ideal time is between Halloween and Thanksgiving,” said Haynes at UConn. “If you can’t wait and the only chance is to get it in September, then go ahead and get it. It’s best to get it early rather than not at all.”

Kaiser Health News (KHN) is a national health policy news service. It is an editorially independent program of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation

FOTOLIA/TNS

A recent survey showed that some people didn’t like what their fitness trackers revealed about their health and activity levels.

Why people give up on their Fitbits

BY ALLIE SHAH STAR TRIBUNE/TNS

Once embraced with enthusiasm and worn with pride, fitness trackers are now winding up in the bottom of a drawer months later.

Researchers at the University of Washington wanted to know why so many people abandon their tracking devices.

They found more than 100 former selftrackers and asked them why they quit and how they felt about it.

Relief, guilt and indifference were among the emotions people expressed about breaking up with their fitness trackers.

Annoying, useless In a paper to be presented at the Association for Computing Machinery conference, the scientists surveyed 141 former Fitbit users, according to a University of Washington news release.

Half of them said they felt guilty about no longer tracking, and almost all of

them said they’d like to resume tracking for fitness. A handful said they’d gathered enough information from their Fitbits to build healthy habits and didn’t need to track any longer.

A small number — 21 people — said they quit because they found tracking annoying, useless, or because they didn’t understand how to use the data to change their habits. Still, 45 others had mixed feelings about no longer health tracking.

Bragging over nagging The researchers also noted that some people didn’t like what their devices revealed about their health and activity levels.

Interestingly, most preferred data presented on their trackers in a way that made them look better than their peers, University of Washington officials said.

For example, “you walked more than 70 percent of people,” instead of a negative comparison such as “30 percent of people walked more than you.”

In other words, when it comes to fitness trackers, people find bragging better than nagging.

The Star Tribune is based in Minneapolis.

STOJ

SEPTEMBER 23 – SEPTEMBER 29, 2016

FINEST & ENTERTAINMENT

Meet some of

FLORIDA’S

finest

submitted for your approval

Regina King shows off her Emmy for outstanding supporting actress in a limited series or movie. She won in the same category last year. The Emmy is for her portrayal of Aliyah Shadeed, a Muslim woman, in “American Crime.’’.

KIRK MCKOY/LOS ANGELES TIMES/TNS

B5

Think you’re one of Florida’s Finest?

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

Sterling K. Brown reacts after winning an Emmy on Sept. 18 for his performance as Christopher Darden in “The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story.’’ Brown won as outstanding supporting actor in a limited series or movie for the FX series.

ALLEN J. SCHABEN/LOS ANGELES TIMES/TNS

Emmys celebrates its diversity with gusto

BY LORRAINE ALI LOS ANGELES TIMES TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE

Though the 68th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sept. 18 celebrated television’s best moments, the ceremony gave near equal time to celebrating its own newfound diversity – and joking about the Oscars’ lack of it.

“This year’s nominees are the most diverse ever,” host Jimmy Kimmel said in his opening monologue of a field that included 18 nominees of color for acting awards and several women in directing categories.

“And here in Hollywood, the only thing that we value more than diversity is congratulating ourselves on how much we value diversity. I’ll tell you, the Emmys are so diverse this year, the Oscars are now telling people we’re one of their closest friends.”

Diverse acting awards The night’s big winners reflected television’s move toward a more realistic and representative mix of shows, and away from the industry’s very male, very White traditions.

Top winners included “Mr. Robot’s” Rami Malek for lead actor in a drama, “The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story’s” Courtney B. Vance for lead actor in a limited series or movie and “The Night Manager’s” Susanne Bier for directing a limited series, movie or dramatic special.

Where the Oscars almost felt uncomfortable joking about race — there were no acting nominees of color, thus the #OscarsSoWhite movement

KID IN COSTUME

The Miami Broward Jr. Carnival is Oct. 1 at Central Broward Regional Park in Lauderhill.

It will feature more than 350 young masqueraders showcasing their culture and pride through a display of color, style and creativity. The event is noon to 9 p.m. Details: miamibrowardcarnival.com. PHOTO COURTESY OF LARRY AND TAKISHA FIDLER ALLEN J. SCHABEN/LOS ANGELES TIMES/TNS

Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele won for Outstanding Variety Sketch Show at the Primetime Emmy Awards at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.

— during its telecast this year, the Emmys reveled in it — and also patted itself on the back.

“We need to appreciate how far we’ve come,” said Kimmel. “In fact, if you are a person of color in our audience tonight — especially if you’re a nominee — please find a White person right now.

“Go ahead, it shouldn’t be hard. I see a bunch of them right here. Just take a moment to reach out and say thanks for your bravery. There ya go, make a rainbow connection.” In the audience, Aziz Ansari (Netflix’s “Master of None”) hugged Ty Burrell (ABC’s “Modern Family”).

A Trump joke Television as a whole has been quicker than film to react to the discussion about race and gender. Shows such as ABC’s “black-ish” (nominat-

ed three times, but won nothing) tackled issues of race, class and police shootings, while HBO’s satirical “Veep” (comedy series winner) lampooned American politics with a female president at the helm.

Ansari riffed off the charged anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim campaign rhetoric while presenting an award mid-evening: “I want everyone to know that after careful consideration, I’ve decided I’m going with Trump, which is why I’m also recommending we get rid of all Muslim and Hispanic nominees from the ceremony immediately. Wow, this would be so much easier if we were at the Oscars.”

He continued: “America Ferrara, nice try changing your name to America, you’re not fooling anybody. You’re out!”

LAURYN HILL

The MLH Caravan: A Diaspora Calling!

Concert starring Lauryn Hill stops at The Mahaffey Theater on Dec. 6 and Dec. 8 at House of Blues Orlando.

FLORIDA COMMUNITY CALENDAR Jacksonville: Edward Waters College will play Point University of West Point, Georgia at 7 p.m. Sept. 24 at Stanton College Preparatory High School.

Tallahassee: The Florida A&M University football team will take on South Carolina State at 6 p.m. Sept. 24 at Bragg Memorial Stadium.

Riverview: The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Hillsborough is planning a 3K Walk/Run on Saturday, Oct. 8 at 9 a.m. at YMCA Camp Christina, 9840 Balm Riverview Road. More information: www.namihillsborough.org.

CEELO GREEN

The singer will perform Oct. 8 during a celebration of the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County’s 10th anniversary. Tickets: www.arshtcenter.org.

St. Petersburg: 95.7’s Beats by the Bay Music Festival is Oct. 22 at Vinoy Park. Performers include Maze featuring Frankie Beverly, Joe, Monica and August Alsina.

Orlando: Chaka Khan will perform Oct. 24 and 25 during the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival. Complete festival schedule: www. epcotfoodfestival.com Jacksonville: The Times Union Center for the Performing Arts in Jacksonville will be the site of an Oct. 28 show featuring Anthony Hamilton, Lalah Hathaway and Eric Benet.

Orlando: Sept. 30 is Family Open Gym Night at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, 4851 S. Apopka-Vineland Road. The event starts at 6 p.m. with a free pizza dinner.

Register under events at www.st.lukes.org.

Jacksonville: Tickets are on sale for the “Puttin’ on the Ritz’’ show on Oct. 7 at the Ritz Theatre.

Daytona Beach: Tickets are on sale for an Oct. 22 show with Jeffrey Osborne and Gerald Albright and Oct. 23 at The Mahaffey in St. Petersburg.

St. Petersburg: Catch Tracy Morgan on Nov. 11 at The Mahaffey Theater and Nov. 13 at Hard Rock Live Orlando.

Miami: The King and Queen of Hearts Tour featuring Maxwell and Mary J. Blige stops at the AmericanAirlinesArena in Miami on Nov. 29.

SAFETY

B6

SEPTEMBER 23 – SEPTEMBER 29, 2016

TOJ

FROM FAMILY FEATURES

For millions of school-age children, each day begins and ends with a bus ride. While parents entrust their children’s safety to the capable hands of bus drivers, these tips from the National Association for Pupil Transporta­tion provide some measures parents can take and lessons they can teach to increase safety going to and from the bus, and even during the ride.

Before the bus arrives • Ensure backpacks are packed securely so papers and other items don’t scatter as the bus approaches.

• Create a morning routine that puts kids at the bus stop five minutes before the scheduled pickup time. This helps avoid a last-minute rush, when safety lessons are easily forgotten, and ensures kids are safely in place for boarding.

• Encourage children to wear bright, contrasting colors so they can be seen easier by drivers.

• Instruct children to walk on the sidewalk. If there is no sidewalk, advise them to stay out of the street, walk single-file, face traffic and stay as close to the edge of the road as possible.

• If kids must cross a street, driveway or alley, remind them to stop and look both ways before crossing.

• Verify that the bus stop location offers good visibility for the bus driver; if changes are needed, talk with nearby homeowners or school district officials to implement changes. Never let kids wait in a house or car, where the driver may miss seeing them approach the bus.

• Remind children that the bus stop is not a playground. Balls or other toys could roll into the street and horseplay can result in someone falling into the path of oncoming traffic.

On the bus ride • Instruct children to allow the bus to come to a complete stop before approaching it.

• When boarding the bus, items can get bumped and dropped. Caution children that before picking anything up, they should talk to the driver and follow instructions to safely retrieve their possessions.

• Teach safe riding habits: stay seated with head, hands and feet inside at all times; use a seatbelt (if available); keep bags and books out of the aisle and remain seated until the bus stops moving.

• Remind kids that just like when riding in your car, loud noises are off limits so they don’t distract the driver.

Another safety solution Beyond teaching safety precautions around the bus, there is another option to ensure kids are transported to school and arrive home safely each day. Many school districts are moving away from noisy, pollution-inducing and expensive diesel buses in favor of buses powered by an alternate fuel, like propane, which offers numerous benefits for school districts and their students.

Safety Jenna Bush Hager, a teacher, author, journalist and parent of two, has partnered with the Propane Education & Research Council to educate parents and school districts about the benefits of pro­pane school buses.

Jenna Bush Hager School buses powered by propane offer numerous safety advantages, including being quieter than diesel buses when operating, making it easier for drivers to hear both inside and outside the bus. This can have a direct impact on student behavior, and many districts have reported fewer disciplinary issues as a result. An interactive audio quiz detailing the difference can be found at

QuieterSchoolBuses.com.

“As a former teacher, I know that parents often overlook how the ride to and from school can impact a child’s performance in the classroom,” Hager said. “A child’s attitude or behavior before they arrive at school can set the tone for the whole day.”

In addition, these buses meet rigorous U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and each is equipped with an automatic shut-off feature that prevents fuel flow to the engine when not running.

Another safety consideration is the health impact of older diesel buses. The shorter height of younger students can put them face-to-face with a black cloud of diesel smoke every school day. With propane buses, however, students aren’t exposed to the harmful particulate matter in diesel exhaust, which is known to aggravate asthma and has been identified by the World Health Organization as a carcinogen.

Savings Not only is propane consistently less expensive than diesel, the buses themselves don’t require the same expensive repairs and replacement parts that today’s modern diesel buses demand. Saving money on transportation costs puts schools in a better position to meet students’ needs in the classroom and other areas, such as fine arts and athletic programs.

Leaving the bus • Remind children to look before stepping off the bus. If they must cross the street, teach them to do so in front of the bus by taking five big steps away from the front of the bus, looking up and waiting for the driver to signal that it is safe to start into the street.

• For parents who meet their kids at the bus, remember that in their excitement kids may dart across the street. Eliminate the risk by waiting on the side of the street where kids exit the bus.

• Make the bus ride part of your daily SPEAK UP “how was school?” discussion. EncourIs your school district age kids to talk about the things they see and hear on the bus, so you can exploring a switch from discuss appropriate behaviors and, diesel buses to cleaner if necessary, report any concerns to alternatives? Join the school administrators. discussion (or start • Bullying is more prevalent than evone) by downloading er and buses are no exception. Ask your resources including fact child to tell you about any bully­ing they sheets, videos and more at observe, whether against another child BetterOurBuses.com. or them­selves, and talk about how to shut down bully behavior.

The Propane Education & Research Council estimates that more than 500,000 students will ride a bus powered by the clean alternative fuel, propane, this school year.