Florida Courier - October 3, 2014

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VOLUME 22 NO. 40

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OCTOBER 3 – OCTOBER 9, 2014

TWO DECADES OF DYSFUNCTION If Republican/Independent/Democrat Charlie Crist loses the governor’s race, Democrats will blame Black Floridians. The truth? Florida Democrats continue to run the same losing strategy that’s lost them the governor’s mansion for the past 20 years.

A survey says that newly minted Democrat Charlie Crist isn’t connecting with Black voters.

BY THE FLORIDA COURIER STAFF

The year: 1994.

O.J. Simpson led cops on a slowspeed chase. Four men were convicted in the first World Trade Center bombing. Eighteen-year-old golfer Tiger Woods won his first Masters tournament. Entertainer Michael Jackson wed Elvis Presley’s daughter, Lisa Marie.

Susan Smith, a South Carolina housewife, drowned her two sons by strapping them into her SUV and driving into a lake. She then lied about it on national television and blamed an imaginary Black man for kidnapping her sons and killing them.

Then-President Bill Clinton was as unpopular as President Obama is

FLORIDA COURIER FILES

PART 1

FLA DEMS

THE STATE OF THE PARTY

in some quarters today. On Oct. 16, 1994, the Miami Herald reported that less than 200 people turned out in Miami to see Bill and First Lady Hillary Clinton made a campaign appearance for Hillary’s brother Hugh Rodham, who was running for Florida’s U.S. Senate seat.

FLORIDA COURIER / OUT AND ABOUT

It’s Carnival time!

Who’s to blame?

Just as Smith blamed the death of her sons on an imaginary Black man, expect Dems to blame gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist’s loss – if he loses – on the imaginary Black Floridians Democrats haven’t been able to turn out over the past 20 years – unless Barack Obama was on the ballot.

A Florida Courier analysis reveals the truth – that Florida Democrats continue to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory by running the same losing campaign strategy, involving many of the same people, for the past 20 years – and state Democrats keep expecting a different result.

See DEMOCRATS, Page A2

Is the First Family endangered?

Multiple layers of security fail

BY LESLEY CLARK MCCLATCHY WASHINGTON BUREAU / MCT

WASHINGTON – Secret Service Director Julia Pierson resigned Wednesday amid mounting congressional criticism and as new revelations of agency lapses convinced President Obama it was time for new leadership.

Joseph Clancy, a former special agent in charge of the Presidential Protective Division of the Secret Service who retired in 2011, was named as acting agency director.

“The president is grateful that he has taken on that very important responsibility,” Press Secretary Josh Earnest said, adding Clancy was “somebody who has earned the respect and admiration of the men and women who are his colleagues at the United States Secret Service.”

And Earnest said Clancy “is also somebody who has the full confidence of the president and the first lady.”

Series of lapses Pierson, the first woman to head the elite agency that provides protection to presidents, former presidents and would-be presidents, offered her resignation less than two weeks after a man armed with a knife scrambled over a White House fence and made it inside the executive mansion.

During a congressional hearing on Tuesday, an unusually bipartisan array of lawmakers harped on a wayward Secret Service culture that threatens its core mission of protecting the president and his family.

They pointed to a 2012 prostitution scandal involving agents in Colombia and other allegations of misbehavior, and they hammered Pierson over operational details, such as whether agents are permitted to use personal smartphones while on duty, implying that agents were distracted and undisciplined.

Agents have said Obama receives three times as many threats as previous presidents. Pierson’s office has evaluated more than 300 people as potential threats this year, she said.

Fumbled response

KIM GIBSON / FLORIDA COURIER

Representatives of Trinidad and Tobago, the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, the U.S., Belize, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, the Virgin Islands and other countries will participate in the Miami Broward One Carnival. Events run from Oct. 5-12.

SNAPSHOTS NATION | A3

Leaders regrouping since Holder’s announcement

ALSO INSIDE

FLORIDA | A6

WORLD | B5

Zimmermans were hoping for reality show

Help for women displaced in Columbia

This month also saw the revelation that Secret Service fumbled its response to a gunman firing upon the White House in 2011, while President Obama’s younger daughter and his mother-in-law were inside.

In that case, damage to the building from bullets was discovered by an usher, not an agent, and it took the Secret Service three to four days to report that the White House had been fired upon.

As Pierson was testifying Tuesday, reports surfaced that agency protocols failed during Obama’s recent trip to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. The Washington Examiner and The Washington Post reported that Obama apparently shared an elevator with a security contractor who was carrying a gun and had three criminal convictions for assault and battery on his record.

The White House did not learn about the Atlanta incident “until shortly before it was reported,” Earnest said.

Review panel Pierson submitted her resignation to Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, who said he will back a review “by a distinguished panel of independent experts” to look at White House security and “related issues.” He said the members would be named shortly and would submit recommendations to him by Dec. 15.

Johnson said he would also ask the panel for recommendations for potential new Secret Service directors, including recommendations for candidates “who come from outside the Secret Service.”

Johnson said he’d ask the panel to advise him whether it See SECURITY, Page A2

COMMENTARY: GLEN FORD: US HEADED FOR ‘CHINA SYNDROME’ MELTDOWN IN SYRIA | A4 COMMENTARY: CASSANDRA DIANE: RAISING AFRICAN CHILDREN AND ‘SEAT’ OF CIVILIZATION | A5

A2

FOCUS

OCTOBER 3 – OCTOBER 9, 2014

The 2014 political pimp move With President Barack Obama’s assistance, certain Democratic candidates have mastered the “Political Pimp Move!”

Now I know many readers of The Gantt Report don’t like for me to write anything bad about the Commander-in-Chief. But those that truly know me know that I try to write the truth and I don’t care if national, state or local politicians like it or not!

Word’s origin The word “pimp” first appeared in English in 1607 in a play entitled, “Your Five Gallants.” It is believed to have stemmed from the French infinitive pimper, meaning to dress up elegantly, and from the present participle pimpant, meaning alluring in seductive dress. “Pimp” used as a verb, meaning to act as a pimp, first appeared in 1636 in a book called “The Bashful Lover.” A pimp can also mean a despicable person.

Many people wrongfully describe pimps as people who take money from women. The truth is that a pimp will take money, or anything of value, from whomever he or she can.

African-Americans are the deciding factor in any close election because Blacks usually vote in blocs, and non-Black voters are pretty much divided and will vote for a variety of candidates.

LUCIUS GANTT THE GANTT REPORT

Instead of catering to their most loyal supporters, instead of patronizing businesses owned by your most loyal supporters, instead of speaking out strongly on issues of interest to your most loyal supporters and instead of giving your most loyal, voting supporters opportunities to participate in political purchasing transactions, the political party that African-Americans love the most choose to pimp Black voters!

Can I prove it?

Yes! No matter how much love Black people show their political party of choice and the candidates that run for office under that party’s banner, Black people get screwed just like a two-dollar whore on the bad side of town.

They take our endorsements, they take our volunteerism, they take our campaign contributions, they take our enthusiasm, they take our political love and what do we get for it? Absolutely nothing!

Now is the time, late in the 2014 campaign season, when politicians start showing up at Black churches. Politicians never go

near a Black church, or any other Black community institution, until election time.

And when they get to church, they bring their lies, false promises and political con game that suggests politicians from one political party are different and are better than candidates from opposing political parties.

Close cousins Malcolm X once suggested one party is composed of political wolves and the other is full of political foxes. A fox and a wolf are both canines, and either party Black people choose to support they will still end up in the doghouse!

Today, many Black voters are like dogs in a sense of the word.

A dog oftentimes rummages around garbage cans. He’ll find something that looks good and smells good, but is also not good for him. When the dog eats things that are not best for him, usually he will throw the bad food up. But soon, the dog becomes so mesmerized and infatuated with what looked good, and he will try to eat his own vomit.

Black voters are the same way.

No matter how many times they have been lied to, ignored, rejected, neglected, used, abused and taken advantage of by the by politicians and political party that they love, just like the dog, Black

SECURITY

from A1

‘Worst’ candidates Florida Democrats lose because of poor candidates and a weak statewide electoral bench.

The Florida Democratic Party’s last gubernatorial candidate, Alex Sink, was famously called “America’s worst candidate” in 2010 by then-MSNBC political commentator Chuck Todd, who now hosts NBC’s “Meet The Press.”

(Not coincidentally, Crist himself was a 2010 finalist for “worst candidate” for his 2010 U.S. Senate campaign. Crist, after calculating that Marco Rubio would beat him in the Republican primary, dropped out of the primary and ran as an independent in the general election. He split Democratic and independent votes with Democratic candidate Kendrick Meek, and Rubio won.)

Florida Democrats lose because, in the words of longtime political consultant Lucius Gantt, “they run Tezlyn 1950-style camFigaro paigns in the 21st Century.”

Florida Democrats lose because, in the words of political consultant Tezlyn Figaro, “they have no strategy” with regard to reaching Black Floridians.

The Dem’s last win In 1994, Democrats were in deep trouble nationally. Incumbent Gov. Lawton Chiles, 64, faced 41-year-old Jeb Bush, the son of former President George H.W. Bush.

Chiles was an underdog, according to polling. But he had built long-term relationships in the Black community, particularly with Black media owners and with local communities statewide through the Florida State Conference of NAACP branches.

(Florida Courier Founder

Charles W. Cherry, Sr. served as president of both the state NAACP and the Southeastern Black Publishers Association during Chiles’s first term as governor.)

Chiles was considered a moderate Democrat and needed Black voters to help him withstand a national Republican backlash against Bill Clinton and the Democrats –a backlash that led to the so-called “Republican Revolution” led by neoconservative Newt Gingrich, as well as GOP takeovers of various state governors’ mansions.

A key event in the ’94 campaign was the televised debate held just before Election Day. Chiles essentially called Jeb Bush a young, inexperienced political rookie riding on Daddy’ coattails, a newcomer who didn’t know the people of the state. Bush attacked Chiles an old, soft-on-crime liberal whose time had come and gone.

‘He-coon’ Then came the quote in the November 1, 1994 debate that did Bush in.

“My mama told me, ‘Sticks and stones will break my bones, but names will never hurt me.’ But let me tell you one other thing about the old liberal. The old ‘he-coon’ walks just before the light of day.”

Bush didn’t understand what Chiles was saying. But many native Floridians, Black and White, did. Chiles was telling Bush that a “he-coon,” the oldest and wisest member of a pack of wild raccoons, would do what needed to be done at just the right time.

During the home stretch of the campaign, Chiles successfully rallied conservative White Floridians to his side. A working coalition of local Black political consultants, Black-owned media, and Black social and labor organizations turned Black voters out for Chiles and against Bush.

Chiles wins Republicans won the state Senate for the first time in a century, setting the stage for them to get control of the state House and for gerrymandered voting districts

Yes, again!

If it is not party policy, why does every Democrat say Obama’s name when courting Black voters? Someone told Democratic candidates to spend all campaign money with non-Blacks. Someone told the candidates, to get Black votes, all you have to do is say “I support Obama.”

I did what I could to help

Stolen identities Black candidates can’t get data about White campaign contributors or White voters. But anybody Black that ever gave a dime to Obama has his name, address, email, phone number and other information given to any sheet-wearer, swastika wearer or modern-day overseer that asks Obama’s political party for Black data. To me, unauthorized use of Black personal data is like identity theft!

We’ve been voting for the lesser of two evils for far too long. In 2014, we need to vote for candidates that will vote for us, spend with us, respect us and want us.

The idea of pimp politics should be discarded and trashed like the people that suggest such ideas!

Contact Lucius at www.allworldconsultants.net. Click on this story at www.flcourier.com to write your own response.

Pierson’s resignation came as the man who scaled the fence, Omar Gonzalez, 42, a troubled Iraq war veteran from Copperas Cove, Texas, appeared in a federal court. He pleaded not guilty to charges of unlawfully entering a restricted building while carrying a dangerous weapon, carrying a dangerous weapon outside a home and unlawful possession of ammunition. He was ordered to remain held in jail.

The Secret Service initially said

that allowed the GOP to consolidate its political control in Tallahassee for the next two decades.

But Chiles won a close election against Jeb Bush, 50.75 percent to 49.23 percent. Nationally, it was considered the biggest upset of 1994.

That’s the last time a Democrat was elected governor of Florida.

through organized labor unions like the International Longshoremen’s Association, which has some predominantly Black locals.

But they were either too scared to make suggestions about where their donations should go, or they lacked influence in the Democratic Party and their suggestions were ignored.”

What happened?

Dems are behind

cessful campaign of first-term Orlando City Commissioner Regina Hill.

She generally agrees with Gantt’s analysis, especially the impact of dysfunction at the Democratic Party’s national and state levels, and believes that the Florida Democratic Party “has no strategy” when it comes to Black voters.

For more than 34 years, Lucius Gantt has owned and operated All World Consultants, a Tallahasseebased political consulting, mediabuying, and lobbying firm.

With a background in journalism and communications, Gantt is author of a longtime political column, The Gantt Report, as well as a Florida political historian and writer of multiple books. Gantt’s list of Black community political and media contacts is the deepest in the state.

Fresh off consulting for the winning political party in the Caribbean island of St. Maarten’s national elections, Gantt spoke exclusively to the Florida Courier for this story.

Gantt believe Florida Democrats continue to lose because of “dated political science and technology.

“They are trying to reach Black people like they did in the 1950s, with some church visits and leaflets on car windshields. They throw all their money at TV, a little at Black-formatted radio, and whatever is left in a couple of Black newspaper ads two weeks before the election.

“You can’t increase turnout significantly with just two weeks of work. They should have bought ads months ago, but their people don’t know how to reach Black voters. They can’t master news, radio, and social media, especially Twitter, on the Black side.”

Gantt is pessimistic about Black voter turnout for Democrats this year.

“With the people they have hired and the amount of money they are spending now, it’s too late” to boost Black turnout, he explained.

He cited a key problem as “national and state Democratic Party inefficiencies, incompetence and ineptness” that trickles down and make it difficult for local Democrats to win even in predominately Black and Democratic strongholds like Leon County (Tallahassee), the home of Florida A&M University, Florida State University, and state workers.

Intruder indicted

DEMOCRATS

In 2014, if Black people run to the polls to vote for candidates that hate Black people, that hate to spend money with Black people, hate to hire Black people and hate to speak strongly about Black issues, African-American voters that vote for devils just because they are in a political party that you prefer are not only political punks and whores. Those kinds of Black voters are traitors to their race!

What does Barack Obama have to do with all of this? The president is supposed to be the leader of the Democratic Party. In other words, if you control a political party, that party should do nothing that you don’t agree with.

Not only does the president agree with the way African-Americans are treated by the political party they love the most. Barack Obama is helping that party treat us with malcontent and disrespect! Can I prove that, too?

fied of an intruder, by an alarm or some other means. But the alarm box was muted, according to the law enforcement official, who did not know why it was silenced or who asked for it to be.

believes there should be a review of “broader issues concerning the Secret Service,” but he added that security at the White House would be the group’s “primary and immediate priority.”

OLIVIER DOULIERY/ABACA PRESS/MCT

Black traitors

Obama win two presidential elections. What did I get from Obama?

I get at least ten emails a day from Klansmen, neo-Nazis and rednecked crackers begging me for money for White candidates to spend with White political vendors.

Barack Obama decided to give every piece of Black data to every pale-faced candidate he could give it to. But he won’t give you data on how to reach GoldmanSachs, Lehman Brothers or AIG insurers, because they are White people and you are dumb Black voters.

Gonzalez was stopped just inside the unlocked entrance of what is supposedly one of the most secure buildings in the world. In fact, Gonzalez knocked back an agent trying to lock the door and the two wrestled through a hallway and into the East Room before another agent tackled Gonzalez and he was finally handcuffed, Pierson told the House oversight committee.

Gonzalez breached several layers of defense, starting with plainclothes officers patrolling outside to warn of fence jumpers. A tactical team also missed him.

Dogs trained to attack anyone running across the White House lawn without permission weren’t released, a Secret Service official said that night, because officers could see Gonzalez was unarmed. Authorities said later that they found a folding knife with a 3.5-inch blade on him.

The guard at the front door is supposed to lock it when noti-

from A1

On Tuesday, United States Secret Service director Julia Pierson testified at a hearing about lax White House security. She resigned the next day.

voters continue to cast their ballots for candidates that literally make them sick!

Lost control His analysis is that when the state and national Democratic Party apparatus became the major funding vehicles for local and statewide campaigns in Florida, candidates at all levels lost control of whom they could hire.

“In Chiles’s day, both Democrats and Republicans fought for Black votes and used local Black consultants,” Gantt said. “When campaigns were funded by individuals or groups like unions, the candidates had more control over who was working for them.

“But when the state and national Democratic Party machine largely took over funding, they said, ‘If you take our money, you take our consultants.’ That means that Black consultants, and anyone out of the ‘good old boy’ network, got shut out.”

Gantt says that even though Blacks donate to the Democratic Party, they have little influence on its hiring decisions.

“Blacks contributed, especially

Dems ‘not accountable’ Orlando-based Tezlyn Figaro is the founder and managing principal consultant of her own political and communications consulting firm, Tezlyn Figaro Communications Group. She is also fresh off a political victory as the director of communications for the suc-

Run-ins, weapons Gonzalez had prior run-ins with law enforcement, including an arrest in Virginia in July on suspicion of reckless driving. Police discovered 11 weapons, including firearms, and a map of Washington with a line drawn to the White House. Gonzalez told investigators the map was intended for sightseeing and that he did not show signs of mental illness.

Gonzalez was also stopped at the White House fence in August after acting suspiciously and carrying a small ax. Pierson said he was not arrested because he had not violated any laws. She said the investigation would determine why agents didn’t take further action.

Crist has problems In June, her firm commissioned a survey conducted by national pollster Voter Consumer Research that revealed Black voters’ negative reactions towards Crist’s political positions prior to his Democratic ‘conversion.’

“Whether it is healthcare, education funding, criminal punishment, environmental management, or trustworthiness, Charlie Crist has an uphill battle to win the hearts and minds of communities that have won…elections for Democrats in recent years,” she said then in a statement.

“We found that a vast majority of African-American, Hispanic and female voters have significant concerns about important policy positions that the former Governor Crist actually voted on when he was a Republican… it appears voters will need to be convinced by Crist that he will do as he promises.”

Not serious Months later, Figaro says she has seen nothing to indicate that the Florida Democratic Party is serious about turning out Black voters. She blames Black voters themselves for not making the Democratic Party answer questions and address issues that are important to them.

“Traditionally, African-American leaders organize ‘souls to the polls’ events. The time has come to organize specific ‘goals to the polls’ – goals that our elected officials must meet.

“If they don’t meet them, the next election cycle will be ‘no to the polls’ and we must vote them out,” Figaro asserts.

OCTOBER 3 – OCTOBER 9, 2014

NATION

A3

Caught off guard by Holder’s resignation Civil rights leaders announce need to regroup, continue fight for justice

BY HAZEL TRICE EDNEY TRICE EDNEY NEWS WIRE

When the news broke that Attorney General Eric Holder had decided to resign from his seat after six years, civil rights leaders were in the middle of a press conference Sept.

25 alongside the parents of Ferguson police shooting victim Michael Brown and the mother of Staton Island police choking victim Eric Garner.

At the beginning of that one-hour press conference, the civil rights leaders all praised Holder and expressed high expectations of his participation in the fight against the “pandemic of police misconduct,” as described by NAACP President/CEO Cornell William Brooks.

But as text messages of the resignation began circulating among reporters and civil rights leaders at the National Press Club, it became clear that they had no clue whether Holder would even be there long enough to carry out their requests.

“I would hope that if the report is true, that the attorney general intervenes and looks directly into what we have said today about the Justice Department taking the criminal investigation of the killing of Michael Brown and the killing of Eric Garner,” said the Rev. Al Sharpton upon receiving the news. “I might add that Attorney General Eric Holder, who we all know, there is no attorney gener-

al that has demonstrated a civil rights record equal to Eric Holder,” he said to applause.

‘Bittersweet’ moment Hours later, the news was confirmed as Obama stood by Holder, the nation’s first Black attorney general, to publicly announce that he would be leaving as soon as his successor is nominated by the president and confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

Calling the moment “bittersweet,’’ Obama lauded Holder for agreeing to stay until his successor is in place although he had said publicly that he was ready to leave at the beginning of Obama’s second term.

“So all told, Eric has served at the Justice Department under six presidents of both parties,” Obama said, “including a several-day stint as acting attorney general at the start of George W. Bush’s first term. And through it all, he’s shown a deep and abiding fidelity to one of our most cherished ideals as a people, and that is equal justice under the law.”

Standing by the president, Holder said, “I come to this moment with very mixed emotions: proud of what the men and women of the Department of Justice have accomplished over the last six years, and at the same time, very sad that I will not be a formal part - a formal part - of the great things that this department and this president will accomplish over the next two.”

Although his formal public service is coming to an end, he hinted that he will continue to fight for civil rights in other venues.

OLIVIER DOULIERY/ABACA PRESS/MCT

President Barack Obama shakes hands with Attorney General Eric Holder after announcing his resignation from his Administration during a press conference on Sept. 25, in the State Dining Room of the White House.

“In the months ahead, I will leave the Department of Justice, but I will never - I will never - leave the work. I will continue to serve and try to find ways to make our nation even more true to its founding ideals,” he said.

Recounting the losses Though Holder has received high praises from civil rights leaders for his commitment, they now have a litany of requests of his office that remain outstanding.

“In short, in recent weeks and months, confidence around the concept of justice for all in our nation has plunged to the lowest levels we’ve seen in a generation,” said Marc Morial,

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ment involvement, including the Brown and Garner investigations, which have already begun.

The question is whether Holder will be able to finish the work that he has started and whether his successor will be as dedicated.

‘Got to regroup’ HAZEL TRICE EDNEY/TRICE EDNEY NEWS WIRE

NAACP President Cornell Brooks, National Urban League President Marc Morial and National Action Network President Al Sharpton were in the middle of a press conference on justice issues when the news broke that Attorney General Eric Holder was resigning. president of the National Urban League giving the reason for the press conference.

Morial recounted the past two months of police killings of unarmed citizens. He described July 17 when 43-year-old unarmed Eric Garner of Staton Island, N.Y., an asthmatic father of six, was confronted by plainclothed police officer Daniel Pantaleo who ultimately put Garner into a chokehold, which killed him as he gasped for breath and repeatedly pleaded, “I can’t breathe.”

He then recounted the Aug. 5 death of 22-yearold John Crawford in Beaver Creek, Ohio, shot and killed by officers inside a Walmart store as he carried a BB gun that he had picked up from a store shelf. The officers were not indicted.

Then he described Aug. 9 when 18-year-old unarmed Michael Brown was shot six times and killed

by Ferguson, Mo., po-

lice officer Darren Wilson while Brown was running away; then turning around and kneeling with raised hands.

Demanding justice “Today, we come to demand justice, we come to demand fairness, and we come to demand a full and complete investigation by the United States Department of Justice into Michael Brown’s death and Eric Garner’s murders,” Morial said. “And very importantly, we come collectively unified as civil rights social justice and concerned men and women to stand with these families who’ve lost loved ones.”

Brooks, Sharpton, Morial, Black Women’s Roundtable Convenor Melanie Campbell; ACLU Washington Director Laura Murphy and Michael Brown’s family attorney Benjamin Crump, among the parents of Brown and Garner, stood before cameras listing plans of action which required Justice Depart-

Man charged with trying to firebomb congressman’s office

BY FREDERICK H. LOWE TRICE EDNEY NEWS WIRE

The U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri has charged Eric King, a 28-year-old Kansas City, Mo., man with throwing two Molotov cocktails into the congressional office of U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II, a member of the 42-member Congressional Black Caucus.

No one was in the office at the time and there was Rep. Emanuel no substantial fire damage.

U.S. Attorney Tammy Clever Dickinson charged King with using a dangerous instrument to oppose, impede, intimidate and interfere with a federal official engaged in the performance of his duties.

Sept. 11 incident Contact Charles at ccherry2@gmail.com

Facebook ccherry2 excellencewithoutexcuse

for info on speeches, workshops, seminars, book signings, panel discussions.

Twitter @ccherry2

With his pending departure, some say civil rights leaders must now change their strategies.

“What I feel is that a tremendous burden just shifted to us and we lost a significant ally in the sense that Eric wasn’t just performing the role of attorney general. He took a leadership role. I think that we’re going to have to have some serious internal discussions.

We’ve really got to regroup,” said Barbara Arnwine, president of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. She praised Holder’s work against voter suppression.

“We can’t do business as usual. We’ve got to find some new styles,” Arnwine said. “We’ve got to really, seriously figure out how to use our best resources.”

The next attorney general will also have a much shorter time to do the work that Holder had as the Obama presidential term ends in two years.

Harvard Law School professor Charles Ogletree agrees the next attorney general must have unique qualities.

“It will be difficult if not impossible to replace him, but it must be done,” Ogletree said.

King allegedly used a hammer to break an office window before lighting and throwing the Molotov cocktails at the building around 3 a.m. on Sept. 11. The hammer was found at the scene.

A video camera filmed King walking around the building’s parking lot before pulling two bottles and a white ignition source from his backpack. The first device bounced off the side of the building. He ig-

nited the second device before throwing it at the window, according to the U.S. Attorney. He then ran away.

Police arrested King on Sept. 16 in his apartment. Law enforcement officials found spray paint, Kingsford Charcoal Lighter Fluid and a clear plastic soda bottle, which contained an unknown liquid.

Second in three years In a hand-written letter, King charged that members of Missouri Congressional Delegation were willing partners in the U.S. government’s “capitalist war hungry agenda.”

The attempted firebombing of Cleaver’s office was first disclosed Sept. 11 by the Congressional Black Caucus.

In a statement, John Jones, Cleaver’s chief of staff, said this was the second such incident within the last three years. Jones did not explain if Molotov cocktails had been thrown at the building years earlier.

It is not known if law enforcement officials believe King was involved in the first incident.

Cleaver, former chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, represents Missouri’s 5th Congressional District.

This story is special to the Trice Edney News Wire from TheNorthStarNews. com.

EDITORIAL

A4

OCTOBER 3 – OCTOBER 9, 2014

A man of steel who ‘worked at it’ till the end Editor’s note: Here are excerpts of Florida Courier Sales Manager Dr. Glenn W. Cherry’s remarks at the Sept. 27 memorial service of Jetie B. Wilds, Jr. a Tampa-based community activist.

I met Jetie in 1996 at the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) in Washington, D.C. when I served as a political appointee in the Clinton administration. I was working on environmental justice project in which companies were accused of dumping agricultural waste in minority communities around the country. I was told there was a “Morehouse Man” who was the director of civil rights at USDA and I

When you ask Jetie how he was doing,

DR. GLENN W. CHERRY

he would respond, “Working at it.” By that, I think he was telling me that I still

GUEST COMMENTARY

had a long road ahead of service to the

should speak with him.

Upon entering his office, I immediately knew I was meeting someone special.

He was a Morehouse Man, an Omega Man (of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.) and a Floridian. We bonded instantly because of our similar background.

We called USDA “The Plantation” due to the slaveowners’ mentalities and the White oligarchy that was present there. There were few Black people in higher positions and

community – as he was still doing.

Jetie B. Wilds, Jr. some White folks wanted it like that. Jetie also came through the Forest Service, which had very few blacks.

For Jetie to have risen to the rank of the Senior Executive Service, he had to be a bad brother!

VISUAL VIEWPONT: 21 VIRGINS

CAM CARDOW, CAGLE CARTOONS

US headed for ‘China Syndrome’ meltdown in Syria Usually, Washington starts scapegoating its spies after its wars have failed to achieve their objectives – as happened in Iraq, when the natives failed to greet the American invaders with bottomless gratitude, and in Vietnam, where the awesome U.S. war machine slaughtered three million people but still could not subdue a Third World country’s quest for independence.

But President Obama has essentially inaugurated his bombing campaign in Syria with an admission of past “mistakes,” telling 60 Minutes that the CIA “underestimated” the strength of ISIS. What Obama’s admission actually shows is that the real U.S. mission in Syria – the three-year proxy war to overthrow the government of Bashar Assad – is already a failure.

Obama has thus been forced, by failure, to mount a far more conventional – although equally illegal – air war in a desperate bid

GLEN FORD BLACK AGENDA REPORT

to rescue his original mission of regime change. The president is in fact apologizing for the CIA’s loss of control over ISIS and the other jihadists that Obama and his Arab and Turkish allies sent to bring chaos to Syria.

Obama thought his intelligence services could calibrate and control the bloodbath they had spent billions to inflict on Syria; that they could regulate and direct the Islamist fighters’ death-embracing furies, like a well-engineered nuclear reactor.

Inevitably, what Obama and his allies got was a meltdown, a “China Syndrome” of holy war that has left Washington’s regime-change-by-proxy scheme in ashes.

Washington’s jihadist foot soldiers have struck out on their own mission.

Now America must kill enough of them to retain some imperial authority in the region – but not so many as to ignite a general jihad against America and its allies. Plus, under these new and infinitely more complex conditions, Obama must also find a way to bring down the Syrian government.

No matter what the United States does, the crisis will deepen, directly threatening the viability of the Arab monarchies on which the West depends to control the price and availability of oil.

Superpowers always have options. They have the immense ability to destroy things: for example, Damascus, the capital of Syria. But such a crime would be evidence of the weakness, not strength, of U.S. empire.

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

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

Tested by fire

Community issues

I was impressed by Jetie and his life story. His smooth delivery, mental toughness and strategic approach to issues were developed from his family in Tampa. He was molded

by Morehouse College under President Dr. Benjamin E. Mays, as were M.L. King, Jr. and my father, Charles W. Cherry, Sr. and tested by fire from some of the most conservative people on the planet at USDA. What resulted from that was the man we saw return to Tampa – “a man of steel,” retired from the government civil rights fight, but still “working at it” to free the minds of this community which he loved dearly.

My family and a few close friends bought WTMP-AM radio station in August 1997 and owned and operated it until 2008.

Jetie returned to Tampa around the same time we purchased the station. He contacted me to let me know he was available to help me if I needed him.

We talked about how we could educate and empower the Black community while entertaining them at the same time. He would always say, “start with the end in mind.”

We came up with some great ideas, but my best one was to give Jetie a talk show so the rest of the Tampa Bay area could benefit from his experiences and counsel. He told me he had not worked in radio, but would love to do it if I showed him how. So Program Director Larry Steele and I guided him through his first shows.

Some may say I made Jetie a star, but I say I discovered a star in Jetie. He came up with the name “The Citizen’s Report,” because we wanted the show to give the audience a chance to express their viewpoint on the issues and even direct which issues were most important to them.

We started with a 30-minute program and eventually ended up with a two-hour show. I rarely asked Jetie what topics would be on the show after he got it going, because I trusted him with our audience. I knew he was trying to move us to a heightened awareness of our power, and issue a call to action for us to change the way we respond to the issues of our time.

He would always greet me fondly and with a smile say, “How are you doing there young fella!?” When you ask Jetie how he was doing, he would respond, “Working at it.” By that, I think he was telling me that I still had a long road ahead of service to the community – as he was still doing.

We will miss our friend and comrade-in-arms for his willingness to help others, listen and take action or offer sage advice to anyone that asked. Although I didn’t get a chance to see him as much as I would have liked in recent months, we often had long conversations by phone on a wide range of topics – always mentally stimulating.

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Materials will not be returned.

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 Charles W. Cherry II, Esq., Publisher Dr. Glenn W. Cherry, Sales Manager Dr. Valerie Rawls-Cherry, Human Resources Jenise Morgan, Senior Editor Angela VanEmmerik, Creative Director Chicago Jones, Eugene Leach, Louis Muhammad, Lisa Rogers-Cherry, Circulation Ashley Thomas, Staff Writer Delroy Cole, Kim Gibson, Photojournalists MEMBER National Newspaper Publishers Association Society of Professional Journalists Florida Press Association Associated Press National Newspaper Association

Jetie was a “renaissance man” – a prototypical Morehouse Man, exemplifying the four cardi-

Write your own response at www.flcourier. com.

Why does the NAACP fight for race, sex-based baby-killing in Arizona?

It’s as if the NAACP hasn’t done enough to dishonor its legacy and completely ruin its reputation as a civil rights organization.

Grasping for political relevancy, the so-called civil rights group’s Arizona chapter, with the help of the ACLU, is suing the state of Arizona for what can only be called greater access to race and sex-based abortion.

Arizona’s Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act makes abortions based on the race of the mother or preborn child illegal. It also criminalizes anyone who knowingly performs an abortion based on race or gender issues. Lastly, it criminalizes anyone who engages in physical or verbal coercion that leads to a race or sexbased abortion.

Threat to American values W W W.FLCOURIER.COM

A real man

nal principles of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity of Manhood, Scholarship, Perseverance and Uplift. He was a man of faith who trusted God and was a humble servant on his purpose-driven journey.

Jetie lived his life with the end in mind and was “working at it all” till the end of his earthly existence and I’ll bet he is still “working at it” on a new plan with the other ancestors he has joined in the bye-and-bye.

“Invictus” is a poem by William Ernest Henley. The title is a Latin word meaning “unconquered”. One of Henley’s legs was amputated due to complications from tuberculosis. Immediately after the amputation, he received news that another operation would have to be done on his other leg. While recovering from surgery, he was moved to write these words: Out of the night that covers me, Black as the pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever gods may be For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance I have not winced nor cried aloud.

Under the bludgeonings of chance My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears Looms but the Horror of the shade, And yet the menace of the years Finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate, How charged with punishments the scroll, I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.

Jetie, you have earned your rest from this world.

Good night sweet prince, until we meet again.

The first lawsuit which claimed the new law restricted access to abortions failed. Now, the ACLU is making a second claim on behalf of the state NAACP chapter and National Asian-Pacific American Women’s Forum that Black and Asian women in Arizona must endure the humiliation of living under a government that views them as a threat to American values simply by virtue of alleged character flaws possessed by persons of their race.

In other words, Black and Asian women who might be the subject of a race or sexbased abortion shouldn’t have to be associated with the stigma of intentionally having an abortion based on race or gender. Instead,

America.

Yet the NAACP is itself is pretty much engaged in this DERRYCK very same practice. In my opinion, it clearly indicates GREEN a reprehensible hypocrisy.

PROJECT 21 The NAACP is actively supthey should be free to have porting a position, through their preborn babies killed word and deed, to increase without question and per- abortion in the Black community. Doing so effectivehaps even under duress. ly undermines the group’s Fools, the whole lot. shrinking credibility when More abortions? it advocates against racism.

As written, the person getting the abortion should NAACP needs never even be at risk of relevancy prosecution under this law.

Who should take any And this fact, plus the lack of any such use of this law group seriously when it to enact a sweeping ban on protests and demonstrates minorities seeking abor- against racism but then tions since its passage, works to stop a protection should show how precisely against blatant (and deadit is tailored. But the ACLU, ly) racism and sexism?

NAACP and NAPAWF still Since racism as a comsay minorities are being prehensive obstacle to persecuted. Not by those Black advancement has who wish to see the unborn been overcome, the NAACP killed because of race or has increasingly lacked sex, but by those who want moral and cultural relevanto prevent such unnecescy. It should therefore drop sary and hateful murders the pretense of being a civfrom being committed.

It seems the NAACP is not il rights organization. In content with the dispropor- this case, the group obvitionately high number of ously refuses to believe civil abortions in the Black com- rights extend to those in the munity. It seems it wants womb. more, and its Arizona state NAACP leaders should chapter will apparently sue admit what the group has repeatedly to make abor- become and what many tion access easier.

Americans already know Imagine if a White per- the NAACP is a political adson, or a predominately- vocacy group seeking to adWhite so-called civil rights vance progressive political organization, sued to overturn a law prohibiting race causes. and sex-based abortions to increase Black abortions.

This would rightly be called racist, and one can believe the NAACP would waste no time letting America know about such racism and how it reflects a greater racist

Derryck Green is a member of the national advisory council of the Project 21 Black leadership network. Write your own response at www.flcourier.com.

OCTOBER 3 – OCTOBER 9, 2014

EDITORIAL

Raising African children and the ‘seat’ of civilization A few days after our arrival in Accra, Ghana, Baby, Peaches and I decided to take a walk through the neighborhood. We stumbled upon a little school just a few yards from our home, hidden behind a battered wall and a wobbly gate with a “gangster lean.” I certainly had not identified this poor, dilapidated settlement as being an institute of learning, but we entered in by sheer curiosity.

There, we met the head mistress, three volunteer school teachers and more than 100 students between six months and 11 years of age sitting at makeshift desks and on crude benches.

They were learning from homemade chalkboards and passing around one tattered textbook among them. They sat under a ragged tarp-shed held up by rickety supports creating three independent schoolrooms.

Polite, courteous As we approached, the children jumped to their feet, stood at attention and greeted us in melodious unison, “Good morning, sir and madams. How are you?”

I thought, “Now, where they do that at?” Well, they do that in Ghana, we soon discovered.

Politeness, obedience and respect from children here in the Motherland are the norm, not the exception. From birth, babies are carried on the backs of mothers as they go about their daily chores and errands. That forges a most powerful and unique bond of love and affection between mother and child, and mothers claim sole responsibility for the moral nurturing of their brood.

As they grow, children will be children. Without direction, they can and will become disruptive, unmanageable and lawless.

But the “rod of correction” in the Motherland just nips that right in the bud.

I have seen time and time again moms grabbing unruly kids and tearing their tails up on the spot – much to the head-nodding approval of onlookers. They also “give ‘em the Eye” as a reminder of what COULD be in store! In our neighborhood, we can often hear

CASSANDRA DIANE BACK TO THE HOMELAND

the whimpering of errant miscreants getting their just desserts that, somehow, always cause me to feel cozy and safe.

Discipline or abuse?

While Facebooking, I stumbled across some very interesting recent news reports about NFL running back Mr. Adrian Peterson who now has to answer to the courts – and the critics – for meting out a good switching to his four-year old son for his mischief and mayhem. …Tsk, tsk, tsk…My grandmother would have surely taken a switch to ANYONE who said ANYTHING about how she whipped my behind for acting a fool!

To some folk – standing on the outside looking in – those thin, plaited bush stems COULD have looked like tree branches as they whistled through the air at high velocity and supersonic speed – surely to ME they did.

Severe repercussions But I learned there are behaviors in life that would cause severe repercussions when boundaries of decency and integrity are breached, and common respect to oneself and others is encroached. It didn’t take but a few of those good workouts for me to realize the Limits of the Land! She swore by “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.”

And she was right.

But the most interesting article of all was the one I came across attempting to prove a viable link between corporal punishment and slavery. ~Blank Stare~ They accuse that “Black parents spank because they were exposed to beatings as slaves and passed down the tradition.” It might have been passed down, but the “slaves” – the captive tribes of Zion – brought the tradition WITH

Empty piggy banks Sixty-two percent of African-American households and 69 percent of Latino households have not one penny saved for retirement, along with 37 percent of Whites. When there are savings, they have been paltry – the average household has just $12,000 saved. As a result, many predict a “retirement crisis” and increasing poverty among the elderly. Some say they will avoid poverty by continuing to work, perhaps for all of their lives. Given the incidence of illness and disability among the elderly, projections for lifetime work may be unrealistic.

Some older people, but

Social Security represents 90 percent or more of income for DR. 35 percent of Whites, 42 perJULIANNE cent of Asian Americans, 49 MALVEAUX percent of Blacks and 55 percent of Hispanics.

TRICEEDNEYWIRE.COM

increasingly fewer, will receive pensions; with the most steady being employer-funded pensions. Other forms of retirement savings, including 401-4 or IRA savings are less reliable forms of retirement income. Because African-Americans are more likely than others to work for governments, they will receive pensions that will have costof-living adjustments each year, but some states and some cities have put pensions on the chopping block when they experience fiscal crises.

Cuts, cuts, cuts When Detroit faced a manufactured economic crisis, for example, pension cuts were proposed as one of the ways to achieve economic balance.

Tellingly, more that 60 percent of these pensioners were African-American. Even more appallingly, financially troubled municipalities saw Detroit case as a forerunner of their own attempts to reduce their pension obligations.

In any case 81 percent of all public employees have an employer-sponsored pension plan, compared to 52 percent of private employees. Overall, 62 percent of Whites have pensions of any kind, compared to 54 percent of AfricanAmericans and 36 percent of Latinos. Those numbers will drop as fewer employers offer pensions, and as the number of self-employed and parttime workers increases.

This means that AfricanAmericans and Latinos will find Social Security income an essential part of retirement income. According to Paul Van de Water of the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities,

VISUAL VIEWPOINT: SECRET SERVICE SCREWUPS

them into captivity – straight out of the Heart of Africa!

Corporal punishment originated here and is still broadly practiced as a form of discipline and correction throughout the continent. Ghana was never exposed to the “Mr. Bub-Bup” version of brutal slavery that our foreparents experienced on the plantations and in the societies of America, so there could be little likely correlation between the two.

There are no lingering impressions of forced servitude; no whips and chains and beatings to mimic; no physical abuse to impersonate here near the center of the world.

Africa IS the seat of civilization, and surely is the first at civilizing in brother- and sisterhood.

Crime is not tolerated. Disthe seat of your pants! orderly conduct and disgrace are frowned upon. No weekFueled by youth end shootings or stabbings at In return for these time-prov- social gatherings; no drive-bys; en ancient traditions of disci- no school or mall massacres; pline and ethics, you have a hard- no street gangs or gun fights; no working society of young people, widespread drug epidemics; and ages 20 to 45, who are entrepre- very little killing, stealing and deneurs, leaders, builders, movers stroying that can’t be traced and and shakers here in The Garden! remedied severely in no time flat!

Youth and vitality fuel the coun- These positive character qualities try. are derived from stern directive They are innovative and cre- upbringing of children where efative and hungry for education, fective discipline and principled progress and success. They are guidance are the “rules of thumb” CEOs, corporate presidents and and the difference between right business owners; gas station at- and wrong is clear. tendants, waiters, cooks, students, police and protectors; Helping the school brick masons, cement finishers, Remember our visit to the little contractors, electricians and engineers; nurses, dentists, doctors, school in our neighborhood? At that moment, we decided to help lawyers and African chiefs.

They buy, sell and trade com- supply tools needed for the betmodities and monies. They drive ter education of these commutaxis and tro tros. They fly air- nity school students. We rushed planes and float ships and keep right on down to the school supthe country in constant motion. ply store and emptied our pockets They vend their wares daily on on books, paper, pencils, rulers, roadsides and thoroughfare in- erasers, chalk, teaching manuals, tersections, in shops and under textbooks, charts and every othtrees. They teach; they preach. er school material we could find; They play and they work hard. and in each store we visited, there They are the blood flow of Gha- in the “teacher-got to-have-it” na – young and focused and filled section were canes – small bamboo stalks all cut nicely, polished with vision.

They are Accra – meaning “ma- up and ready for disciplinary acny like ants” – and they BELIEVE tion.

My sister Peaches even vol“if you don’t work, you don’t eat.”

They care for their parents, honor unteered teaching classes for a the elderly and bind themselves while until the school mistress

African-Americans less ready to retire When the Federal Reserve Board issued its Survey of Consumer Finance (SCF), its findings were not surprising.

The report, which is issued every three years, reflected the improved economic conditions since 2010, when the Great Recession was at its peak. The unemployment rate, though unevenly distributed, has dropped, and income and wealth have increased for some groups, but dropped for those at the bottom.

Median wealth of African-Americans and Latinos (grouped together by SCF reporting) fell from $21,000 to $18,100 while White wealth grew from $139,900 to $142,000. Just under half of all African-Americans own homes, compared to nearly 70 percent of Whites, and housing value represents the largest portion of net worth for middle income families.

When some of these SCF findings are combined with what we know about pensions and retirement preparedness, the unfortunate conclusion is that AfricanAmericans are less ready to retire than Whites (but better prepared than Latinos).

A5

Data remains inconclusive The retirement data is reflective of much of what we know about income, wealth, and economic progress.

Some will suggest that this economist has, in the past year, written inconclusively about economic data. That’s because the data has been inconclusive overall, but almost entirely negative for AfricanAmericans, especially those on the bottom. Even the bestoff African-Americans, those with college degrees and sixfigure incomes, experienced wealth disparities, and have lower savings than similarly situated Whites. Unfortunately many at the bottom spend like middle-income people, with incomes so low that such spending contributes to debt.

Meanwhile, Consumer Reports says that based on current economic conditions, consumers are ready to spend. Nearly one in eight has purchased a home, nearly half plan home improvements, and one in four say they are ready to make life changes by marrying or having children. More than half plan to purchase small electronics, and many are poised to purchase larger electronics. When these spenders are African-American, the best way they can guarantee a financially stable retirement is to jog past the big box stores and head straight to the bank to set up, or add to, a retirement account.

Julianne Malveaux is an author and economist based in Washington. Write your own response at www. flcourier.com.

BOB ENGLEHART, THE HARTFORD COURANT

gave her the cane and told her to give “licks” out to students missing questions on the day’s pop quiz. I think she passed out one or two weak swats. This Icon of Education who taught high school in Orleans Parish, Louisiana for more than 40 years – breaking up fights, disarming knife-toting students and dodging bullets – came home and cried. ~Sigh~

Different strokes Growing up, I can remember creating all kinds of breakdance moves at the business end of a hedge-bush switch. Back then, they took seriously the saying “it takes a village to raise a child,” and everybody I know received spankings and paddling for misbehaving from parents, teachers and neighbors alike. I do have friends who didn’t get as MANY butt lashings as I, but I suppose some folk just gotta learn the hard way. Different strokes for different folks, I guess! (Pun intended.)

Sparing the rod and spoiling the child never crosses one’s mind here in the Motherland. In Louisiana, I guess we weren’t as far from our African roots as we thought.

Contact Cassandra at Back to the Homeland Tours on Facebook, or www.weregoingtoghana.com. Write your own response at www.flcourier.com.

The Black business challenge Many people throughout the world participated in the Ice Bucket Challenge to bring awareness to the disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis also known as ALS. In addition to promoting awareness to this disease, people were encouraged to donate money for research.

I’m sure you’re familiar with how the challenge worked – an individual would have someone dump a bucket of ice water on their head. Just looking at how this movement stretched via social media and the media as a whole, many people are now informed about ALS Because so many people got involved with the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, I want to now draw your attention to another challenge – The Black Business Challenge. It’s a challenge that all African-Americans should embrace. Without understanding the importance of this challenge on a daily basis, too many of our Black-owned businesses will suffer. Let’s face it – without the sustainability of Black-owned businesses, jobs won’t be created, communities won’t prosper, and our voices will be silenced about economic empowerment.

Sharp increase in Black businesses Here’s some important information you should know - “From 2002 to 2007, the number of Black-owned businesses increased by 60.5 percent to 1.9 million, more than triple the national rate of 18.0 percent, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Survey of Business Owners. Over the same period, receipts generated by Black-owned businesses increased 55.1 percent to $137.5 billion.”

In an article in Black Enterprise magazine dated November 28, 2013, it’s estimated that African-Americans will have $1.1 trillion dollars in buying power by 2015. African-Americans have what it takes to help build up their own businesses.

DR. SINCLAIR GREY III GUEST COLUMNIST

Commit to supporting a Black-owned business as much as possible. Through your support, you’re creating more revenue to be poured into that particular business which will therefore enhance and transform the community.

Use social media to promote local Black-owned businesses. Because social media has an enormous global reach, let’s use it as a means to empower our Black-owned businesses. Here’s a hint: whenever you receive good service, promote it via Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Incorporate Black-owned businesses in the diversity conversation. Unless we encourage other racial groups and ethnicities to value and support our own businesses, we will see and hear diversity as being anti-Black owned.

Educate our youth about the importance of creating their wealth through entrepreneurship. Think about it for a moment. We push them to learn. We push them to excel in sports. We give them the newest and latest technology.

Now, let’s push them to start their own businesses.

Join in

The Black Business Challenge is something all of us can take part in. For those who wish to complain about what Black-owned businesses aren’t doing, perhaps it’s time for them to create a business and set the example. I’m imploring you (the reader) to accept this challenge so that more jobs and opportunities will be created. Through this Black Business Challenge, we will be Promote locally and globally able to hire more people from within In order for us to use this power to el- our communities to bring down the unevate our Black-owned businesses, we employment rate. This can be done, but must take the challenge to do the fol- it will take a collective effective to make it work. lowing: Overcome the negative stereotype Dr. Sinclair Grey III is an inspirathat Black-owned businesses suffer from poor customer service. Anytime tional speaker, motivator, author, life you generalize your opinions about coach, and host of The Sinclair Grey Black-owned businesses based on your Show heard on Monday’s at 2 p.m. on experience with one particular busi- WAEC Love 860am in Atlanta (iHeart ness, you’re hindering the progress of Radio and Tune In). Contact him at other qualified businesses. Let’s shift drgrey@sinclairgrey.org or on Twitter from negative stereotyping to positively @drsinclairgrey. Write your own reenforcing our own. sponse at www.flcourier.com.

FLORIDA

TOJ A6

OCTOBER 3 – OCTOBER 9, 2014

Zimmermans were banking on a reality show Brother of Trayvon Martin’s killer talks about post-trial life during magazine interview

NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

BY RENE STUTZMAN ORLANDO SENTINEL (MCT)

In an in-depth interview in GQ, George Zimmerman’s brother discloses that his family wanted to “rebrand” the former Neighborhood Watch volunteer after his murder acquittal and make him the star of a reality TV show.

“I learned a lot from watching ‘Keeping up with the Kardashians,’” Robert Zimmerman Jr. told GQ in a story in its October editions.

George Zimmerman, 30, would not take part in the interview unless he was offered a week’s stay in a luxury hotel, something the magazine would not do, it reported.

Still, the magazine reported some fascinating details about his pre- and post-trial life and that of his spokesman brother, Robert Zimmerman Jr., and parents Robert Sr. and Gladys, who moved out of their Lake Mary home shortly after their son George killed Trayvon Martin, an unarmed Black 17-year-old in Sanford Feb. 26, 2012.

Armed, and in hiding Although a Seminole County jury acquitted George Zimmerman last year, he and his family continue to live in hiding and typically carry guns, fearful that they will be attacked, the magazine reported.

Education board approves ‘historic’ budget plan

POOL/GARY W. GREEN/ORLANDO SENTINEL/MCT

George Zimmerman’s family and friends celebrate following his not guilty verdict in Seminole circuit court in Sanford on July 13, 2013. Zimmerman was charged with second-degree murder in the fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin, an unarmed teen, in 2012.

After the shooting but before his arrest, George and his now-estranged wife, Shellie, moved from the Lake Mary home of a close friend to a trailer on an island off the coast of Maryland, according to the report.

At the same time, his parents and adult sister, Grace, moved from Orlando-area hotel to hotel, trying to stay out of sight, always paid cash and tore up their garbage and distributed it to various Dumpsters.

They carried prepacked

“go-bags” that included all their essentials — such things as cell phones, laptops and other electronic devices — should they need to flee an oncoming assault.

Code names They gave each other code names and developed a warning system, the magazine reported.

“Code blue” meant law enforcement was at the door.

“Code brown” meant draw your weapon, and “code black” meant open fire.

Gladys Zimmerman also carries a gun, the story reported. “Personally, I love my .45!” she told the magazine.

After the acquittal, the family tried to come up with a way to capitalize on George Zimmerman’s notoriety, his brother told the magazine.

Like ‘Candid Camera’ He wanted to make George the star of his own reality show, perhaps something similar to “Can-

did Camera,” where an unsuspecting person taking a self-defense class might discover at the end of the show that George Zimmerman also was in the class.

The family also toyed with the idea of making George front man for a company that sold homesecurity products.

At a Central Florida gun show on Sept. 20, George Zimmerman told the Orlando Sentinel that he was homeless, jobless and deeply in debt, due to legal bills.

scan

Backing a pledge made

by Gov. Rick Scott, the Florida Board of Education on Monday approved a proposed 201516 budget that includes record per-student funding for public schools.

The proposal is an initial step in a months-long process that will end with lawmakers passing a state budget next spring.

As he seeks re-election, Scott has called for the public-school funding formula to include $7,176 per student next year, the same number included in the Board of Education proposal Monday.

The proposal would be a $232 per-student increase over the current year. Board of Education Chairman Gary Chartrand said the proposal includes "historic" levels of funding.

"I think we all know this is an investment in our future,'' Chartrand said. "It will pay dividends for Florida."

If approved by the Legislature, the $7,176 perstudent total would top a previous high of $7,126 reached when former Republican Gov. Charlie Crist was in office.

With Crist running as a Democrat this year to try to unseat Scott, education funding has become a heavily debated issue during the campaign.

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IFE/FAITH

OCTOBER 3 – OCTOBER 9, 2014

Pumpkin pie spice not just for lattes See page B4

SHARING BLACK LIFE, STATEWIDE

heart LITTLE ROCK

SOUTH FLORIDA / TREASURE COAST AREA

Denzel’s movie doing well at box office See page B5

WWW.FLCOURIER.COM

THE

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SECTION

B

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OF

Clinton Presidential Library a treasure trove for African-American history

BY ELEANOR HENDRICKS MCDANIEL SPECIAL TO THE COURIER

1. South on Main Cafe specializes in southern cooking.

When you visit Little Rock, the capital of Arkansas, the “must-see” site is all about the state’s most famous and celebrated native, Bill Clinton.

The three buildings of the Clinton Presidential Center (clintonlibrary. gov) sit on 30 acres of a city park, and the public may tour the library, which opened in 2004.

Begin by watching a 12-minute video that gives a quick overview of President Clinton’s life and political career. Then continue on to the many exhibits where you can study him in depth.

Start with the Alcove Exhibits, whose design was inspired by the library at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland. Thirteen alcoves concentrate on the policies of Clinton’s administration, and the piers of each alcove contain archive boxes filled with White House correspondence.

2. Campaign buttons are some of the political memorabilia at the Clinton Presidential Center.

3. Tour Central High School to learn the story of the legendary nine African-American students.

4. This gallery at the Clinton Presidential Center takes its inspiration from Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF ELEANOR HENDRICKS MCDANIEL

Cabinet Room, Oval Office You’ll be able to enter the replica of the Clinton Cabinet Room, and interact with exhibits that explain the organization of the Cabinet and the White House presidential staff.

You’ll also learn about the making of critical decisions.

Upstairs, you’ll find a replica of the Oval Office, memorabilia and fabulous gifts received from foreign Heads of State.

Throughout the center are displays commemorating the accomplishments and personal remembrances of Clinton’s two terms as president. Located on the third floor is the private apartment where the Clintons stay when in Little Rock, which is not open to the public.

1. kansas such as the lynching of John Carter and the story of the millionaire Hedwood family who discovered oil on their land.

Photographs, busts and artifacts fill the galleries. A new exhibition, “Freedom Oh, Freedom,’’ will open in the Changing Gallery on Nov.14, 2014, and will run until December 2015.

Be sure to visit the third floor to view the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame that honors luminaries, such as Maya Angelou, John H. Johnson (the founder of Ebony Magazine), Dr. Debby Turner (a former Miss America) and Dr. Jocelyn Elders (the U.S. Surgeon General under President Clinton). Stop by the gift shop for collectibles, art and an extensive selection of books on African-American history.

2.

Tribute to Little Rock Nine One display not to miss is the case devoted to the Little Rock Nine. You’ll see the Medal of Honor (the nation’s highest award) that then-President Clinton had Congress bestow on them.

The Little Rock Nine put the city on the world map.

On Sept. 23, 1957, the governor of Arkansas, Orval Faubus, denied entrance to Little Rock Central High School (nationalparks. org/explore-parks/littlerock-central-high) to nine African-American students.

He was testing the authority of the federal court system that had ruled in favor of desegregation throughout the United States. (This incident was the first important challenge to the historic decision of the 1954 U.S. Supreme Court that segregation was unconstitutional and harmful to Black students.)

The Little Rock police escorted the students pass a vicious mob of White

Books, artwork

3. protestors, and into the school. When the mob outside became violent, the Black teens were swiftly and safely removed.

The next day, by orders of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, the students were escorted inside the school by armed Arkansas National Guards who had been federalized. A task force of guardsmen remained inside the building with the Black pupils for the entire school year.

Historic landmark Three of the Little Rock Nine graduated from that high school, and most of them finished college and went on to exceptional careers. They are still alive, but only one resides in Little Rock.

Little Rock Central High School has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places, and has been deemed a National Historic Landmark. Although the school is still in use, you may visit it by

4. joining a tour at the museum across the street, operated by the National Park Service.

To learn more about African-American heritage in Little Rock, head over to the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center (mosaictemplarscenter.com). The Mosaic Templars were once one of the most important African-American fraternal organizations in the U.S. It was established in 1882 in Little Rock as a ve-

hicle to provide insurance to the Black community that was unable to purchase it from White companies. It also provided other services, educational opportunities and social interaction.

‘Freedom, Oh, Freedom’ A museum is housed within the center and reveals both the proud achievements and horrific history of African-American in Little Rock and Ar-

For contemporary African-American books, the Hearne Fine Art Gallery (hearnefineart.com) has an amazing collection of books, especially those for children. Hearne also specializes in showcasing artwork by emerging and established national and local Black artists.

In its permanent collection are works by Henry O. Tanner, Edward Bannister and Clementine Hunter, all famous African-American artists.

For more mainstream art, the Arkansas Arts Center (arkarts.com) has a permanent collection of European and American artwork and crafts.

The institution highlights See LITTLE ROCK, Page B2

CALENDAR & OBITUARY

B2

OCTOBER 3 – OCTOBER 9, 2014

Longtime Tampa educator, pharmacy owner Ruth Harvey Brown dies at 82

TOMMY DAVIDSON

DeRay Davis, Gary Owens and Tommy Davidson are a few of the comedians lined up for Shaq’s All Star Comedy Jam on Oct. 3 at the James L. Knight Center in Miami and on Oct. 4 at the USF Sun Dome in Tampa.

CHANTE MOORE

ERIC DEGGANS

The Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists presents a community forum at 7 p.m. Oct. 9 titled “Let’s Talk About It: Could Ferguson Happen Here?’’ It will be held at the University of South Florida’s Patel Center for Global Solutions. Panelists will include Tampa Police Chief Jane Castor.

Moderator: NPR TV Critic Eric Deggans. More information: www.tbabj.com

FLORIDA COMMUNITY CALENDAR Tampa: The Tampa Funk Fest 2014 is Oct. 18 at Raymond James Stadium.

Performers include Maze featuring Frankie Beverly, Bobby Brown, Ralph Tresvant, Johnny Gill, Fantasia and Doug E. Fresh. More information: www.funkfest2014.com.

Lauderdale Lakes: The Lauderdale Lakes Health Center’s open house is Oct. 21 from 1 to 4 p.m. at 3716 W. Oakland Park Blvd. RSVP

by Oct. 15 at 954-759-7400.

St. Petersburg: The Steve

The Soul Food Festival will be Jacksonville’s Metropolitan Park on Sept. 13. Artists will include Stephanie Mills, Glenn Jones, Chante Moore, Kelly Price and The Whispers.

Tickets: www. ilovesoulfood. com.

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

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

Fort Lauderdale: The African-American Research Library and Cultural The big giveaway for this event is an eight-day package by a Ghana tour operator with Ebony Heritage Travel.

Order $10 tickets through Eventbrite (http://destinationghana.eventbrite.com).

St. Augustine: Tickets are on sale now for an Oct. 11

STOJ

show at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre featuring Earth, Wind & Fire. The group also will be at Hard Rock Live on Oct. 15.

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

Miami: Festival of Praise 2014 featuring Fred Hammond and Donnie McClurkin is Oct. 18 at the James L. Knight Center.

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

Hollywood: Natalie Cole is

scheduled at Hard Rock Live on Nov. 5 for an 8 p.m. show.

Fort Lauderdale: A show featuring Patti LaBelle is set for Nov. 15 at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts and Nov. 16 at the Mahaffey Theater.

Miami: The Commodores take the stage at the James L. Knight Center on Nov. 7 for an 8:30 p.m. show.

Maitland: The Holocaust Center in Maitland is hosting the exhibits, “Hateful Things,’’ from the Jim Crow Museum at Ferris State University in Michigan, and “Embracing the Dream.’’

More information: www. centralfloridacivilrights.org.

Ruth Thelma Harvey Brown, a longtime Tampa educator and an owner of one of the city’s iconic Black pharmacies, died Sept. 27 after a long illness.

Mrs. Brown was a former elementary teacher and principal as well as an owner of College Hill Pharmacy, a longtime establishment in East Tampa.

Ruth Thelma An alumna of Spelman College in Harvey Atlanta, she received a Bachelor of Arts Brown degree in English and later a master’s from Columbia University in New York.

32 years in education She began her education career teaching second grade at College Hill Elementary School in Tampa. She went on to become a principal at elementary schools in Hillsborough County. Mrs. Brown retired in 1986 after 32 years in the school system.

She was married to local pharmacist Calvin “Doc’’ Brown, and they owned College Hill Pharmacy.

Early life Born in Tampa on March 22, 1932, Mrs. Brown was the oldest daughter of the late Perry and Mabel Harvey.

According to her family, she accepted Christ and was baptized at First Baptist Church of West Tampa, where she was a member for many years. Continuing her spiritual devotion, she affiliated with New Hope Missionary Baptist Church.

She attended the public schools of Hillsborough County and was a graduate of Middleton Sr. High School’s Class of 1949, where she was member of the girls’ basketball team. She continued a family tradition and traveled to Atlanta to attend Spelman. While there, she was a member of the Morehouse College cheering squad and the Granddaughters club.

Oct. 4 services Mrs. Brown also was a member of the Gamma Theta Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and the Hillsborough County NAACP. She is survived by her daughter, Brown Campbell (Ray); and two grandchildren.

Homegoing services are scheduled for 2 p.m. on Oct. 4 at Bible-Based Fellowship Church of Temple Terrace 8718 N. 46th St., Tampa. Aikens Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF ELEANOR HENDRICKS MCDANIEL

On display at the Mosaic Templar Cultural Center is the pediment from the original building.

LITTLE ROCK from B1

the importance of drawing, but you’ll also discover paintings by Paul Cezanne, Alfred Sisley and Giovanni Battista Tiepolo.

Look for a wonderful wood cut by Albrecht Durer.

The center also includes a museum school of art for adults and children. Its Kids Theater puts on six performances a year, enjoyed by 45,000 youngsters.

Another important art makes its home in Little Rock. The Oxford American, a quarterly literary magazine that focuses on Southern culture and the work of Southern authors, is published in Little Rock.

South on Main Although its offices aren’t open to the public, you may dine at its casual restaurant, South on Main (southonmain.com), that serves the best of Southern cuisine. The venue also presents informal forums for film, literature and art of the South right in the dining room.

Howard Smith of Ormond Beach, who often visits family in Little Rock, says, “It’s one of the most up-to-date cities for African-Americans in the South. It’s also beautiful, clean and green with lots of trees. They have a wonderful highway system which makes it easy to drive there.”

Eleanor Hendricks McDaniel is a

The Medal of Honor was awarded to the Little Rock Nine. seasoned travel journalist. She lives in Philadelphia and Ormond Beach, Fla. She provided this article exclusively to the Florida Courier. Follow her on Twitter: @ellethewriter and her website: flybynighttraveler.com.

UNIVERSAL PICTURES AND LEGENDARY PICTURES PRESENT A MICHAEL DE LUCA PRODUCTION “DRACULA UNTOLD” LUKE EVANS DOMINIC COOPER SARAH GADON AND CHARLES DANCE EXECUTIVE MUSIC

BY RAMIN DJAWADI PRODUCERS ALISSA PHILLIPS JOE CARACCIOLO, JR. THOMAS TULL JON JASHNI SCREENPLAY PRODUCED

BY MATT SAZAMA & BURK SHARPLESS

BY MICHAEL DE LUCA p.g.a.

DIRECTED A UNIVERSAL PICTURE

BY GARY SHORE SOUNDTRACK ON BACK LOT MUSIC

© 2014 UNIVERSAL STUDIOS

STARTS FRIDAY, OCTOBER 10

CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS FOR THEATERS AND SHOWTIMES

STOJ

OCTOBER 3 – OCTOBER 9, 2014

B3

WORLD

Help for displaced women in Colombian city Low-profile group provides assistance for victims forced to leave homes, victims of violence

With billions of dollars in U.S. antinarcotics aid since 2000, the Colombian government has put a significant dent in drug trafficking, according to the U.N.’s Office of Drugs and Crime. Cocaine production has plunged to about half of what it was a decade ago, the U.N. group said.

But the Urabenos gang continues to terrorize Buenaventura. Top officials at the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration describe gang leader Dario Usuga as perhaps the hemisphere’s most-wanted trafficker since Mexican authorities captured Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman in February.

Last week, the Urabenos were accused of killing seven police officers and wounding seven in an ambush in the northern province of Cordoba.

BY CHRIS KRAUL LOS ANGELES TIMES (MCT)

BUENAVENTURA, Colombia — Mery Medina has taken on a role in this hyperviolent port city that the Colombian government has been unable to fill: sheltering and counseling women threatened with forced displacement.

There is no shortage of women needing help from Medina and her group, called Butterflies With New Wings. Colombia has one of the world’s largest forcibly displaced populations: people ordered by paramilitaries, rebel groups or criminal bands to leave their homes under threat of violence from fighting, land grabs or drug trafficking.

Among big cities, Buenaventura is the leading source of such internally displaced people. Last year, 5 percent of the port city’s population of 370,000 was forced to flee for their lives, according to Human Rights Watch.

Macho culture The violence is often the result of turf wars fought by rival criminal gangs and the leftist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, for control of drug trafficking in this city, a major Pacific coast staging area for cocaine shipments to North America.

Buenaventura is also among the Colombian cities most beset by sexual violence. Last year 30 women were slain here in cases linked to sex abuse or other sexual violence, and so far this year, 17 have been killed, Medina said. She believes it’s because of a macho culture in this predominantly Afro-Colombian city where abandonment often results in women being the heads of households.

“There is violence for many

Preying on families

CHRIS KRAUL/LOS ANGELES TIMES/MCT

Mery Medina, a co-director of the Butterflies with New Wings human rights group in the Colombian port city of Buenaventura, extends help to women threatened with forced displacement, on Sept. 15. She in front of the “chapel of memories” in the annex of her neighborhood church, where photos of 120 victims of violence are posted. reasons,” Medina said in an interview at a church annex that the group uses as its headquarters.

“In addition to drug traffickers, we have criminal gangs trying to amass land by force. So, we have to be careful and discreet about what we do.”

Shelter, training The Butterflies group offers threatened women short-term shelter, psychological counseling and vocational training to enable them to stay in their hometown.

The group receives funding from several foreign human rights groups and international aid organizations, including USAID. Fearing vengeful armed

groups, Medina and her co-leaders, Gloria Amparo and Maritza Asprilla, try to maintain a low profile. Yet word of their courageous work has filtered out. This month, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees named the group the recipient of the Nansen Refugee Award, the highest honor given in their line of human rights work.

In announcing the award, U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres cited Butterflies With New Wings for helping 1,000 women and their families: “Every day they try to heal the wounds of the women and children of Buenaventura, putting

their own lives at risk.”

The aid rendered by Medina’s group and others underscores the need for private social welfare agencies in a country where many areas remain lawless, despite economic growth and reductions in poverty and cocaine production.

Most-wanted trafficker One gang fighting for dominance in the port is the notorious Urabenos criminal group, which routinely wages bloody battles with competitors to control shanty neighborhoods and the latticework of inlets where shipments of drugs and other contraband enter and depart.

PROTECT OUR CHILDREN

VOTE NO ON AMENDMENT 2

Colombia recently signed a trade agreement with Peru, Chile and Mexico aimed at generating increased cargo and jobs. Infrastructure projects include a port expansion and a new four-lane highway connecting Buenaventura to the nearby Cali metropolis.

The optimistic outlook is prompting gangs to acquire property, hoping to sell it to portrelated businesses at big markups, Medina said. Criminals are forcing poor families out of their shanties, particularly those fronting Buenaventura Bay, she said.

“They are raping and killing owners who resist,” she said.

“Women tell me that (the gangs) never offer to pay them, they just order them out of their houses in 24 hours,” she said.

“But we have spread the word that we are a resource and ready to help them stay so they can continue their traditional activities, which are woodcutting, fishing and clam digging. That’s all many of them know.”

“What are they going to do in Bogota or Cali? Beg for handouts, die of hunger or be driven to do (illegal) things they shouldn’t to buy food for their children.”

• AMENDMENT 2 “Would have a negative impact on public safety for our residents … is a threat to AfricanAmerican children and their pursuit of educational excellence … I will not vote to legalize the street drug marijuana, label it medicine and make it available to anyone, at any age, for any condition.”

– T. Willard Fair, CEO, The Urban League of Greater Miami; former Chairman, Florida State Board of Education

• The Obama Administration continues to oppose the legalization of marijuana because it “affects the developing brain and substance abuse in school age children has a detrimental effect on their academic achievement” * *Source: White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, July 28, 2014

• AMENDMENT 2 imposes NO age limit and allows teens to get marijuana WITHOUT parental consent • AMENDMENT 2 is opposed by the Florida Medical Association which represents 20,000 Florida doctors

NO MORE DRUGS IN OUR COMMUNITY www.VoteNo2.org • twitter.com/SayNoAmendment2 • facebook.com/NoOnAmendment2 • instagram.com/voteno2fl

Paid political advertisement paid for by Drug Free Florida Committee, 115 East Park Avenue, Suite 1, Tallahassee, Florida 32301

F0OD

B4

OCTOBER 3 – OCTOBER 9, 2014

TOJ

spice

Pumpkin pie

Not just for seasonal lattes

BY NOELLE CARTER LOS ANGELES TIMES (MCT)

It’s

officially fall.

And for many, the seasonal change has nothing to do with the weather or a date on the calendar. Fall is here because Starbucks is once again offering its signature pumpkin spice latte.

Never mind that the iconic latte doesn’t actually contain any pumpkin. The signature flavoring is all in the spice blend. And it works. Starbucks has sold more than 200 million of the popular drinks since its introduction in 2003.

The exact blend varies. Cinnamon. Nutmeg. Ginger. Allspice. Perhaps a little clove.

Maybe a touch of mace. But while pumpkin spice may be most closely associated with pie, it’s far from a one-trick pony.

Once relegated to candles, lotions and potpourri, it’s become the seasonal darling of the food world, flavoring coffee, gum, doughnuts, chips, creamer and more. Even Oreos have entered the fray.

Admittedly, some flavor pairings are better or, perhaps, more natural than others.

Spiced pork tenderloin with roasted apples and pumpkin risotto is a perfect dinner to embrace autumn.

PHOTOS BY GLENN KOENIG/LOS ANGELES TIMES/MCT

From candied nuts to French toast Take candied nuts. Pumpkin spice has warm, earthy notes, and the blend pairs perfectly with nuts, particularly pecans.

To candy the nuts, simmer a pound or so of pecans in simple syrup until softened, then toss them in sugar flavored with pumpkin spice.

Spread them out on a baking sheet and gently toast until completely dried. The nuts make a great snack on their own, though they also lend great crunch and flavor to fall salads. Or toss them with dried fruit for a simple party or trail mix.

And take French toast.

Where most recipes are flavored simply with cinnamon, add a pumpkin spice blend, along with pumpkin puree, to the custard base. Soak thick slices of brioche or challah bread in the mix, and fry the slices up. It almost tastes like you’re eating pumpkin pie for breakfast.

Pumpkin spice on pork A quick note on canned pumpkin puree. While a great pumpkin can yield great homemade puree, I often reach for canned when fixing a dish. It is readily available and consistent in flavor, texture and moisture content, whereas actual squash varies.

Pumpkin spice works equally well with savories. In fact, add a little garlic, lime and hot chile to the standard pumpkin spice blend and you already have the start of a great Caribbean marinade.

Pork pairs particularly well with pumpkin spice. Combine the spice blend with a little garlic, maple syrup and oil, and rub the mixture over a couple of pork tenderloins.

Roast the tenderloins with apples, then serve alongside a pumpkin risotto if you want the squash, as well as its seasonings, represented in the meal.

This may sound heretical, but I’m not the biggest pumpkin spice latte fan. Instead, I love adding the spice to cocktails when the season is right.

One of my favorites is a take on Gray Kunz and Peter Kaminsky’s excellent eggnog in “The Elements of Taste.”

Egg yolks, sugar and rum are cooked to a creamy zabaglione-like custard, then folded together with pumpkin spice meringue and whipped cream for a light and fluffy take on the holiday drink. Finally, whisk in pumpkin puree for a fall drink that’s a perfect way to toast the spice blend of the season.

Spiced candied pecans incorporate the seasonal favorite pumpkin pie spice.

Adding pumpkin spice instead of using simply cinnamon can make breakfast taste almost like pumpkin pie.

SPICED CANDIED PECANS 1 hour, 15 minutes. Makes about 1 1/2 quarts candied nuts 4 cups sugar, divided 3 cups water 1 pound raw pecan halves 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger 1 1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg 3/4 teaspoon ground allspice Heat the oven to 275 degrees.

In a large saucepan, combine 3 cups sugar, water and pecans. Bring to a simmer over high heat, then reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer, and cook the pecans until softened, about 10 minutes. While the pecans are simmering, combine the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice in a small bowl, along with the remaining 1 cup sugar.

Drain the pecans (discard the pecan simple syrup or save for another use), and place in a large bowl. Sprinkle over the spiced sugar and toss to coat the pecans completely.

Spread the pecans on a parchmentlined rimmed baking sheet. Toast the pecans until the sugar is hardened and the pecans are dried through, 40 to 60 minutes, tossing every 10 minutes or so.

Cool the pecans on the baking sheet.

The pecans will keep up to 2 weeks stored in an airtight container in a cool place.

PUMPKIN-SPICED FRENCH TOAST 25 minutes. Serves 4 3 eggs 3/4 cup heavy cream 1/2 cup pumpkin puree 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 3 tablespoons sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice 8 (1-inch thick) slices bread, such as challah or brioche, somewhat stale 1/4 cup butter or bacon fat, more as needed Powdered sugar, as desired Maple syrup, preferably grade B, as desired In a medium bowl, beat the eggs.

Whisk in the cream and pumpkin puree,

then the vanilla, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and allspice. Pour the batter into a wide, shallow baking dish.

Soak the bread slices in the egg mixture on both sides, 1 to 2 minutes per side.

Heat a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat until hot. Melt butter or bacon fat in the hot pan, then add 2 slices of the bread. Reduce the heat and fry the slices gently on each side until the bread is crisp and golden brown, and the inside of the bread is cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Cover the pan while cooking so the bread toasts evenly and thoroughly.

Remove the toast and hold on a baking sheet in a warm oven until all of the slices are toasted. Repeat with the remaining slices.

Slice the toast and divide it among four plates. Dust each serving with powdered sugar, if desired, and serve with warm maple syrup.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat the egg whites until frothy. Gradually sprinkle over the cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, ginger and the remaining 2 teaspoons sugar, a little at a time, and continue to beat until stiff peaks form.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk and pumpkin puree until smooth.

Set aside.

Fold the whipped cream gently into the chilled egg yolks, then, again very gently, fold in the beaten egg whites and milk mixture, each a little at a time, until incorporated. Refrigerate until ready to serve. To serve, pour into chilled glasses or eggnog cups (or demitasse cups), with a stick of cinnamon or pinch of nutmeg. The cocktail will keep for 1 day, covered and refrigerated.

Note: Adapted from an eggnog recipe in “The Elements of Taste” by Gray Kunz and Peter Kaminsky.

PUMPKIN-SPICED EGGNOG 20 minutes. Serves 12 3/4 cup heavy cream 6 eggs, separated 1/2 cup plus 2 teaspoons sugar, divided 1 cup dark rum 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon finely ground ginger 3/4 cup milk 1/2 cup pumpkin puree Cinnamon sticks or ground nutmeg, garnish In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large chilled bowl using a hand mixer, beat the cream to stiff peaks, about 3 minutes. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and one-half cup of sugar until combined and frothy. Whisk in the rum.

Set the bowl over a large pot of simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Continue to whisk until the mixture increases in volume and thickens, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the bowl from heat and place it over a large bowl of ice water, whisking to cool the mixture. Refrigerate until needed.

SPICED PORK TENDERLOIN WITH ROASTED APPLES 1 hour, 10 minutes. Serves 4 to 8 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed 3 cloves garlic, mashed or finely minced 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice 1 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon maple syrup 2 (1-pound) pork tenderloins 4 tart apples, such as Braeburn, McIntosh or Granny Smith, peeled, cored and quartered 1/4 cup dry white wine 1 cup chicken broth 2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces Heat the oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the 3 tablespoons olive oil, garlic, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, salt and maple syrup.

Add the tenderloins to the bowl and toss them with the spice mix to coat.

Heat a large oven-proof saute pan (large enough to hold the tenderloins and apples) over medium-high heat until hot. Add enough oil to just coat the surface, then add the tenderloins and sear on all sides.

While the pork is searing, toss the apples in the large bowl with any remaining spice mix to coat. When the tenderloins are seared, remove the pan from heat and scatter the apples around the tenderloins in the pan.

Place the pan in the oven and roast until a thermometer inserted in the center of the tenderloins reaches 140 degrees, 20 to 25 minutes, or to desired doneness.

Remove the pan from the oven and remove the tenderloins and apples from the pan to a platter or cutting board to rest. Place the pan on the stove over medium-high heat. Deglaze the pan with the white wine, scraping the bottom of the pan to dislodge any browned bits.

Stir in the chicken broth and simmer until the sauce is reduced by about twothirds and slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove the pan from heat and stir in the butter bits to further thicken the sauce and add a nice sheen.

Gently toss the apples with the sauce to coat, and place the apples on a platter. Slice the tenderloins and arrange with the apples on the platter.

PUMPKIN RISOTTO 6 cups vegetable broth, more as needed 2 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice 1 large clove garlic, minced 1 1/2 cups vialone nano or arborio rice 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 1/3 cup dry white wine 1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree, divided Salt and pepper 1/3 cup chopped toasted walnuts Walnut oil Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, to taste In a medium saucepan, bring the vegetable broth to a simmer over medium heat.

Meanwhile, in a large heavybottomed pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and olive oil over medium heat.

Stir in the onion and garlic, and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is translucent and just begins to color, 8 to 10 minutes.

Stir in the rice and nutmeg and cook, stirring frequently and coating the rice with the fat, until the rice just begins to toast, about 3 minutes.

Add the wine and continue to stir, cooking until the wine is mostly absorbed.

Add a ladleful of broth and cook, stirring constantly, until the broth is almost completely absorbed. Continue adding an additional ladle of broth as each is absorbed by the rice.

After 10 minutes of cooking the rice, stir in 1 cup of the pumpkin puree with another ladle of broth. Season with onehalf teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper.

Continue cooking the rice, stirring in additional broth as needed, until the rice is slightly al dente, about another 10 minutes.

Stir in the remaining puree, the chopped walnuts and 2 tablespoons walnut oil. Season as desired, and stir in additional broth as desired for a creamy consistency. Serve each portion with a light drizzle of walnut oil and a sprinkling of freshly grated cheese.

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FINEST & ENTERTAINMENT

OCTOBER 3 – OCTOBER 9, 2014

Meet some of

FLORIDA’S

finest

Miss Florida USA 2009 Anastagia Pierre originally appeared as one of Florida’s Finest in July 2008. Anastagia represented the state in the 2009 Miss USA Pageant.

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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.

ryan

anastagia

Fitness trainer Ryan Gentles originally appeared as one of Florida’s Finest in June 2011.

FLORIDA COURIER FILES

Former ‘Scandal’ star: Show ‘wasn’t really what I wanted’ EURWEB.COM

SCOTT GARFIELD/COLUMBIA PICTURES

Denzel Washington stars in the action movie “The Equalizer.” The film was the top box-office movie last weekend.

‘The Equalizer’ takes out the competition opening weekend

BY SABA HAMEDY LOS ANGELES TIMES (MCT)

Denzel Washington brought his might to the box office yet again with his latest action film, “The Equalizer.”

The R-rated movie, based on the gritty 1985-89 CBS series starring Edward Woodward, topped all other films with an estimated first weekend gross of $35 million in the U.S. and Canada.

Produced by Sony Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures, the film cost about $55 million to make. The studios had predicted a modest $25 million to $30 million opening.

“From the first minute we saw footage of this film, we knew we had something that was special,” said Rory Bruer, distribution president for Sony Pictures. “It’s been a really great weekend.”

The Washington box-office results shouldn’t come as a surprise: Washington’s last 10 wide releases, including “Flight” (2013) and “Deja Vu” (2006), have each opened to more than $20 million.

Actor’s appeal “The Equalizer” is the latest collaboration between Washington and director Antoine Fuqua, who worked together on the hit “Training Day.” That 2001 film,

which won Washington an Oscar, topped the box office and grossed $22.5 million in its opening weekend. It went on to take in a total of $76.3 million in the U.S. and Canada and more than $100 million internationally.

The gender breakdown for “The Equalizer” was fairly balanced, with male moviegoers making up 52 percent of the audience. About 65 percent of audiences were older than 30.

“I think (Washington) is one of those rare actors that really appeals to everyone,” Bruer said.

“He and Fuqua also work beautifully off each other and bring stories to a new level.”

A-minus grade The movie received a grade of A-minus from audience polling form Cinemascore and earned generally positive reviews from critics. Bruer said he wouldn’t be surprised if the film got a sequel.

In its sophomore weekend, 20th Century Fox’s “The Maze Runner” took second place, adding $17.5 million to its domestic gross. The film, which finished

first in its opening weekend, has earned $58 million to date.

The film follows Thomas (Dylan O’Brien), who is deposited into a community of young men in a post-apocalyptic world.

After learning that they are trapped in a maze, he joins fellow “runners” to try to escape.

The film, directed by Wes Ball, cost about $34 million to make.

Focus Features’ stop-motion animated film “The Boxtrolls” exceeded studio estimates and came in third with about $17.3 million. It was the strongest debut for Laika, the production company behind Academy Award-nominated films “Coraline” and “Paranorman.”

“Denzel Washington is one of the most bankable guys in the industry but ‘The Equalizer’ is a R-rated title for adults. ... There was plenty of room for us to do very well with a broad, charming family film,” said Jim Orr, president of distribution for Focus. “I think they existed very nicely together.”

Columbus Short’s career goals apparently didn’t include being part of one of the hottest shows on TV. Chatting last week with “TMZ Live,” the former “Scandal” star revealed that it was never his intent to be an actor on the small screen as he addressed his departure from the hit series.

Columbus “I had a great Short time on ‘Scandal,’ but I’m really excited about what I’m doing now in life,” Short said.

“I’m a film actor and being on a show playing one character every week was not really what I wanted anyway, but who knew ‘Scandal’ was gonna be huge.

Learned his lesson Regarding his relationship with “Scandal” creator Shonda Rhimes, Short mentioned that they are still on speaking terms to each other and that she asked him two weeks ago to be on the show’s blooper reel.

“I think [Shonda] feels different things. Maybe I might be the bad child that she loves but just like can’t get right maybe,” said Short, who confessed to learning his lesson regarding his recent run-ins with the law.

“There’s a responsibility that we have as entertainers and artists that I didn’t uphold, because I was still acting like I was a regular Joe,” he said. “But if I’m trying to run for president, there’s certain things that I can’t do… certain places I shouldn’t be, and it’s been a really big learning lesson for me.”

TOJ B6

OCTOBER 3 – OCTOBER 9, 2014

STOJ