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OCTOBER 31 – NOVEMBER 6, 2014

VOLUME 22 NO. 44

‘NO THANKS, MR. PRESIDENT’ President Obama’s low popularity causes him to avoid states like Florida on the midterm campaign trail; support from Latinos and youth is waning. Are Democrats in trouble? COMPILED FROM WIRE REPORTS

MILWAUKEE, WIS. – If there is a place in America where President Obama can guarantee a warm welcome, it should be this city’s North Division High School, a polling place for a largely Black precinct. In the last two presidential elections, Obama’s two GOP opponents scraped together just eight votes here – between them. Yet Obama campaigned in the packed school gymnasium Tuesday not to celebrate the power of OLIVIER DOULIERY/ABACA PRESS/MCT his electoral legacy, but to fight a On Wednesday, President Obama spoke about the heroic work weakness. of health care workers caring for Ebola patients. His campaign The groups the Democratic activity has been very limited. Party counts on for votes – Blacks,

young people, women and Latinos – regularly stay home in greater numbers in midterm elections. When Obama’s name is not on the ballot, turnout here nosedives, as it does in many predominantly Black neighborhoods in the U.S., and Democrats suffer. Obama was dispatched to try to ease that pain and to campaign for Mary Burke, the Democrat trying to oust GOP Gov. Scott Walker. He painted a stark picture of the stakes, playing off Black voters’ loyalty. “Grab your friends, grab your co-workers, grab, you know, the lazy cousin sitting at home who never votes in midterm elections;

he’s watching reruns of old Packer games,” Obama said. “Take all of them to cast a ballot and cast a ballot for Mary Burke.” It’s a message he’s been quietly pushing for weeks on Black-formatted radio and in community newspapers and digital ads. The White House and Democratic National Committee plan to keep up the focus in the final week with robocalls, mailers and Web ads targeting base voters.

New video On Tuesday, the DNC released a video showing clips of young See OBAMA, Page A2

ELECTION 2014

Young souls to the polls

DUANE C. FERNANDEZ, SR./HARDNOTTS PHOTOGRAPHY

Bethune-Cookman University students walked from the school to City Island Library in Daytona Beach to cast early votes on Wednesday. Early voting is underway all around Florida.

Wiped out in Georgia State may not count ‘missing’ voters

cials] will fail to carry out their mandatory duties” even though thousands of would-be voters have yet to show up on the state’s official list of eligible electors. Brasher, a Republican appointee, acknowledged in a hearing last week that the law places more specific burdens on citizens. But he told the parties that his job was to decide whether authorities had violated the law.

COMPILED FROM WIRE REPORTS

Thousands left out

ATLANTA – On Tuesday, a Georgia county judge denied a petition from civil rights advocates to force Georgia’s secretary of state to process more than 56,000 voter registration applications considered ‘missing’ from Georgia’s public database. Judge Christopher Brasher of the Fulton County Superior Court called the lawsuit “premature,” and said it was based on “merely set-out suspicions and fears that the [state offi-

The NAACP and voter advocacy groups accused elections officials of not processing applications quickly enough, a situation they say could lead to citizens not having their votes counted on Nov. 4, when Georgia voters will try to settle competitive races for U.S. Senate and governor. Dr. Francys Johnson, Georgia NAACP president, called the ruling “outrageous.” “All in all – a Republican-appoint-

SNAPSHOTS POLITICS | A3

Will disappointment with Obama sway voters?

ALSO INSIDE

FLORIDA | A6

Where state parties spent campaign dollars this year

ed judge has backed the Republican Secretary of State to deny the right to vote to a largely African-American and Latino population,” Johnson wrote in a press release. “The inadequate remedy of a provisional ballot should disturb every Georgian who values the right to vote,” said Stacey Abrams, a Democratic state lawmaker and leader of the New Georgia Project, one of the plaintiffs. Secretary of State Brian Kemp, a Republican, and authorities in several counties say they are still processing the applications. And they’ve argued that any citizen can cast a provisional ballot, a contention the plaintiffs mock as insufficient. Kemp, Georgia’s top elections official who is running for re-election, celebrated the ruling, repeating his assertion that the suit is “frivolous.”

OBITUARY | B2

Zambian president Michael Sata dead at 77

See GEORGIA, Page A2

Former FAMU Head Football Coach Earl Holmes COURTESY OF FAMU

FAMU suddenly fires head football coach See a related No Chaser column on Page A4. COMPILED FROM STAFF REPORTS

Florida A&M University Athletic Director Kellen Winslow, Sr. unexpectedly fired Head Football Earl Holmes, igniting calls for Winslow’s termination just as Homecoming events were kicking off at Florida’s largest historically Black college or university.

“This change was necessary at this time to provide new leadership and direction for our students and to ensure that we can have a new coach in place in time to build a staff and begin recruiting” Winslow, Sr. said in a press statement.

Fuller in Corey Fuller has been selected as interim head coach. Fuller has served

COMMENTARY: LUCIUS GANTT: BLACK FOLKS KEEP DREAMING ‘THE POLITICAL DREAM’ | A2 COMMENTARY: CHARLES W. CHERRY II: RANDOM THOUGHTS OF A FREE BLACK MIND | A4

See FAMU, Page A2

FOCUS

OCTOBER 31 – NOVEMBER 6, 2014

Black folks keep dreaming ‘The Political Dream’ Every election year, AfricanAmericans find themselves in political dreamland! We dream about blue-eyed politicians who will be our political saviors and lead us to the political Promised Land! We dream about when Democrats and Republicans will show that they will love us the way that too many Black people love them. We dream about how our votes cast at American ballot boxes will get us more and better jobs, and more government contract opportunities along with equal employment, affirmative action and government supplier diversity.

Dream for our kids We dream about voting for politicians who will assure us that when our children leave home to go to the corner market, they won’t come home in a body bag, and when they walk across the street, they won’t be gunned

GEORGIA from A1

Political fight With the races for Georgia governor and a U.S. Senate seat too close to call, the missing voters could sway the political control of the state as well as political control of the U.S. Senate. Those outcomes will help determine whether Georgia is a contested state in the 2016 presidential election. Abrams’ group is officially non-partisan, but the case centered on young voters and nonWhites seen as more likely to support Democrats. And aside from those national stakes, the lawsuit continues the bitterness between Kemp and Abrams. Earlier in the campaign, Kemp publicly launched an investigation of the New Georgia Project, alleging that some of its application forms were fraudulent. At the time Abrams’ group sued, the state had established that 50 forms — less than one-tenth of 1

OBAMA from A1

people knocking on doors interspersed with snippets of a speech Obama gave to a mostly Black audience, exhorting them as well to get friends, relatives and neighbors to cast votes. “Go out and get your friends to vote. Go out and get your coworkers to vote! Remember, the power is in your hands,” Obama says. Obama’s reliance on these lower-profile tactics is a sign of his sunken popularity among most other voters. Democratic candidates fighting for Senate seats in North Carolina, Georgia and elsewhere could use help juicing up their base, but have decided they can’t risk the backlash from independents and swing voters if the president were to widely campaign on their behalf.

Avoiding Florida That has confined Obama to the deepest Democratic pockets of deep Democratic cities. His trip to Wisconsin was the first in a final blitz of rallies in Democratic strongholds. He’s due this week to campaign primarily for governors – a group less vulnerable to Republican attempts to tie them to Obama than Senate candidates are – in Portland, Maine; Philadelphia; and Detroit. Obama is avoiding Florida’s gubernatorial race, where Democrats have evidently decided that the president is too politically toxic to bring to Florida to energize Black voters, even though African-American turnout is critical if Democrat Charlie Crist is to win a close election next week. Democratic surrogates Bill Clinton and Michelle Obama have come to Florida instead.

Latino support wanes Only a small minority of Latino voters report that they are “angry” over Obama’s decision this year to delay executive action on immigration reform, but disappointment over his deportation policies is widespread,

LUCIUS GANTT THE GANTT REPORT

down by a trigger-happy policeman who prowls around Black neighborhoods looking for some unarmed Black person to shoot. We dream about pulling into a service station with our CD player playing and not being shot multiple times by a closet Klansman that claims “Black music” made him fear for his life! We dream about politicians who will not take contributions from Black Americans and give our money to political skinheads and neo-Nazis masquerading as high- paid political experts who wouldn’t know a winning political strategy if they saw one. We dream about good politicians who would never show

up at our schools and churches skinning and grinning with Black preachers who are not even registered to vote, and Black college seniors that have never voted in their lives. We dream about politicians who will see the political value in advertising in Black media outlets at the same time billions of dollars are being spent with the imperialist press companies. We dream about the day when Black ad agencies can place ads in White media just like modern-day political overseers throw some last-minute crumbs at Black-owned media companies.

Dream for both parties We dream about the election time when state Democratic Black caucuses and Republican Black councils get true respect and appropriate financial support from White political decision makers. We dream about the day when

politicians realize that Black people can do professional political consulting, professional political polling, professional political printing, professional political catering, professional direct mailing and professional robocalling design and implementation. And we dream about and pray for the day when Black Americans will be considered as the election deciders that they really are, instead of being looked at as political liabilities and Election Day criminals who commit imaginary voting booth fraud that necessitates voting restrictions for non-White voters.

frain from using political lies, false promises and fake symbolic gestures to convince Black people that a political wolf is better than a political fox! The Gantt Report says, “Wake up, Black people!” Your political fantasy will soon be over. Stop loving political Satan and begin to love God, love yourselves, love your neighbors and realize that the Black community political heaven is within the Black community! Your political dreams have always turned into political nightmares!

Dream about Black issues

Buy Gantt’s book “Beast Too: Dead Man Writing” online or order at any major bookstore. Contact Lucius at www.allworldconsultants.net. Click on this story at www.flcourier.com to write your own response.

Finally, we dream about voting for a politician who will talk about Black political issues, who will discuss legislation that interests Black citizens. We dream about a politician who will re-

percent of the 86,000 collected — were forged or otherwise fraudulent. Abrams said the disputes highlight broader problems with the entire registration system. She expressed disappointment that Brasher leaned on elections laws that set specific registration deadlines for voters, but doesn’t establish deadlines for the state and county officials who run the elections.

Protest, appeals On Monday, dozens of Georgians stormed Kemp’s office to demand he meet with them and explain what happened to the tens of thousands of missing registrations. Eight activists were arrested. Lawyers for the plaintiffs said Tuesday they were considering appeals, possibly an immediate request to the Georgia Supreme Court. They still seek an order compelling election officials to confirm every applicant’s registration or explain any denials in writing, giving a citizen the opportunity to fix any application errors.

and Democrats have suffered a decline in support from another crucial voting bloc, according to a new poll from the Pew Research Center. Separately, a survey of Americans younger than 30 also shows a decline in support for Democrats. The poll by the Harvard Institute of Politics showed Obama’s approval rating among members of the millennial generation had dropped to 43 percent, with 53 percent disapproving. That group’s level of support for Obama was down from 47 percent this spring, though still slightly greater than a year ago. The poll of younger Americans also showed a sharpening division along racial lines, with Whites disapproving of Obama by 31 percent to 65 percent, African-Americans still overwhelmingly approving of the president (78 percent approve, 17 percent disapprove) and Latinos almost evenly divided.

Coalition stressed Taken together, the two surveys show stresses on the coalition of voters who elected Obama. They come as the country approaches a midterm election in which the president’s party is likely to suffer significant losses in part because of an expected mediocre turnout by key parts of that coalition. The Pew survey showed that Latino support for Democrats has receded on a couple of key measures, including party identification and a question about which party better represents their interests. But the decline was modest, noticeable mostly by contrast with very high levels of support achieved in 2012, when Obama won re-election. Just over six in 10 Latinos said they either consider themselves Democrats or lean in that direction, down from 70 percent in 2012 but still at a historically high level. One in four Latinos said they identify with or lean toward the Republicans, up slightly over the past few years and back to the level of support during the George W. Bush presidency. Asked which party “has more concern for Latinos,” half named the Democrats and 10

JOHN SPINK/ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION/MCT

In this file photo, Poll Manager Melvin Davis Jr. unlocked voting machines in 2012 in Atlanta.

percent said Republicans, with just over one-third saying they saw no difference.

Still optimistic One factor buoying Democrats is that Latinos remain more positive about the nation’s direction than are Americans overall. Just over four in 10 Latino voters said they are satisfied with the way things in the country are going, compared with fewer than three in 10 voters overall. Among foreign-born Latinos, more than half said they were satisfied with the country’s direction. But deportations remain a significant point of tension. More than six in 10 Latino adults said they disapproved of the administration’s record on deportations, with only one-quarter approving. The numbers are slightly less negative, with 55 percent disapproving and 33 percent approving, among Latino registered voters. Although administration officials insist that they have tried to focus deportations on those unauthorized immigrants who have criminal records, one in four Latinos said they personally knew someone who had been deported or detained for immigration reasons in the last 12 months. That share rose to almost one in three among Latinos with at least one immigrant parent.

President criticized After the House failed to act on immigration reform legislation, Obama said he would take executive action to protect significant numbers of unauthorized immigrants from deportations. In early September, he decided to put off that action until after next week’s midterm elections. Immigration activists have heckled Obama and other Democratic officials at recent public events and have vowed to keep up pressure on the administration.

Kathleen Hennessey and David Lauter of the Tribune Washington Bureau (TNS) both contributed to this report.

FAMU from A1

as an assistant coach at FAMU since 2013. A Tallahassee native, Fuller was a standout player at Rickards High School for three seasons, then played collegiate football at Florida State University and was a member of FSU’s 1993 national championship football team. Fuller was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the second round Corey of the 1995 Fuller NFL draft and played professionally for 10 years for the Vikings, Cleveland Browns, and Baltimore Ravens. After leaving the NFL, Sen. Al Fuller served Lawson as an assistant coach at Rickards, then left to become head coach at East Gadsden High. He came to work as an assistant coach at FAMU in 2013.

Rattler great Fuller replaces lifelong Rattler Earl Holmes, whose threeyear coaching tenure ended with a 6-16 record. Holmes assisted for four years under Joe Taylor, taking over in 2012 for the final two games when Taylor retired. He finished the shortened season 1-1, his inaugural head coaching season 3-9, and was 2-6 to date this season. Holmes, whose official FAMU bio lists as “one of Florida A&M’s greatest defensive players of all time,” is a Tallahassee native. Known as “The Hitman” during his FAMU days, Holmes played for the Rattlers from 1992 to 1995, finishing as the school’s all-time leader in tackles. He is also a member of the FAMU Sports and Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Halls of Fame. Holmes was drafted in the

fourth round of the 1996 NFL drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played linebacker in the NFL for 10 seasons before retiring. Commenting on Holmes’ termination, Winslow said, “I am appreciative of Earl’s work during the past two seasons to help better the lives of the young men on our football team. He has been wholly committed to their academic progress, as well as helping them become contributing members of society. “I am pleased that Corey has agreed to take the helm as head coach. He will provide the team with the leadership and stability needed as we move the program in a new direction,” Winslow said.

Alums upset According to the Tallahassee Democrat newspaper, former state Sen. Al Lawson, called Winslow’s move “disrespectful” during a meeting of the 220 Quarterback Club on Wednesday, and said removing Holmes during the week of Homecoming was “wrong.” “There’s no one – not even in high school – that would interrupt Homecoming,” he reportedly said. “A competent athletic director would have called someone in ... he wouldn’t have sent a letter.” Lawson is calling for Winslow to be fired. FAMU’s Board of Trustees chairman Solomon Badger also weighed in. “I don’t think anybody expected there to be any kind of disruption during Homecoming,” he told the Democrat. “I hope the students and alumni and fans still have a Homecoming experience. Changing the coach the day before Homecoming. I guess I can understand, but I can also understand some disgruntlement by players and students.” All eight assistant football coaches, including Fuller, have received notices that their contracts may not be renewed after the season. A search committee has been formed to find a new permanent head coach.

Information from the Tallahassee Democrat was used in this report.

OCTOBER 31 – NOVEMBER 6, 2014

POLITICS

Will Obama disappointment sway votes? Blacks disapproval of president considered problem for Democrats BY DAVID LIGHTMAN MCCLATCHY WASHINGTON BUREAU

MIAMI — Black voters’ disappointment with President Barack Obama, who they so eagerly embraced for so many years, could be costly on Election Day to Democrats, who badly need a big African-American turnout to win Senate and gubernatorial races in key states. Instead, many AfricanAmericans see an unemployment rate well above the national average, continuing problems with crime in many neighborhoods, and a president more interested in trying to help other voting blocs that didn’t give him such unwavering support. He talks about same-sex marriage in a nod to the gay and lesbian community. He discusses immigration and its benefits, an issue particularly important to the Latino community. He fights for equal pay, a vital issue to the women Democrats so avidly court. The Black community, which gave Obama support like no other group, too often doesn’t see the investment paying off. “People in this community just don’t think anything is going to change,” said Akua Scott, a Miamibased labor organizer.

Had hoped for more Instead of obvious improvements in the economy, jobs can be tough to get and despair remains a constant. “A lot of people don’t understand how government works. They think the president is a savior,” she said. Obama remains hugely popular among Blacks; last month’s McClatchy-Marist poll found 86 percent approved of the job he’s doing. But the disapproval number was 12 percent, double its level just after the 2012 election. In Miami’s Overtown neighborhood, a historic Black community, people don’t necessarily blame the president for making it hard to get a job or stay

financially afloat, but they had hoped for more. “We had this idea that once we got the first Black president, all our problems would be solved,” said Aaron McKinney, a Miami community organizer. He walked around the Jackson Soul Food restaurant in Overtown one day recently urging people to vote. “People are happy to see a Black man as president, but people in this environment see no way out,” said Dorrell Brown, a Miami longshoreman. “This is what they’ve believed for a long time, and it’s not changing.”

Called ‘counterfeit’ He and others echoed the views of some leading Black scholars and commentators who have criticized Obama for not doing enough for the Black community. “He posed as a progressive and turned out to be counterfeit,” Cornel West, a professor of philosophy and Christian practice at Union Theological Seminary in New York City, told Salon.com in August. Democrats badly need Black voters to turn out in November. Its most endangered Senate incumbents last ran in 2008, the year Obama first won the presidency. When Blacks stay home, Democrats in states with large African-American constituencies often lose. In Florida, former Gov. Charlie Crist, running as a Democrat, needs those voters. Florida’s Black voters gave Obama 95 percent of the 2012 presidential vote and made up 13 percent of the electorate.

Tough road for some Two years earlier, in the state’s 2010 gubernatorial election, their share was 11 percent. The drop in turnout hurt. Though Blacks gave Democrat Alex Sink 93 percent of their vote, Republican Rick Scott, who’s now running against Crist, won by 1 percentage point. Black turnout could matter in governors races in Arkansas, Maryland, Mich-

PHOTOS BY PETER W. CROSS/MCT

Henry Crespo, president of the Democratic Black Caucus of Florida, left, speaks with Avery Griffin about voter turnout in the upcoming elections at the counter in Jackson’s Soul Food restaurant in Overtown. “The only reference point people have with a Black national leader is Martin Luther King,” Crespo said on Oct. 9. igan, Georgia and South Carolina, and it also could be crucial in swinging a handful of Senate races this year. In Louisiana, Sen. Mary Landrieu, a Democrat, has a tough road to re-election. She last won six years ago, when the Black vote was 29 percent of the total and gave her a 96 percent to 2 percent majority, according to exit polls. That more than offset her 2-to-1 losing ratio among Whites. In North Carolina, another Democrat, Sen. Kay Hagan, is also battling for another term. In 2008, Blacks were 19 percent of the vote and Hagan rolled up a 96-1 win while losing the White vote by 18 percentage points. She won that race with 53 percent. Strong Black turnout could also be crucial to Democrats in Georgia, Kentucky and Arkansas.

Variety of tactics Turnout historically plunges in midterm elections, which lack the glam-

WHAT’S AT STAKE IN THIS ELECTION?

1. RAISING THE MINIMUM WAGE 2. AFFORDABLE HEALTHCARE 3. EQUAL PAY FOR EQUAL WORK 4. COLLEGE AFFORDABILITY

Community organizers Akua Scott, left, and Aaron McKinney, center, speak with customers about voter turnout at Jackson’s Soul Food restaurant in Overtown. “We had this idea once we got the first Black president all our problems will be solved,” McKinney said. or of the presidential race. Candidates are not as well known, and unless there’s a compelling issue that affects a lot of people personally, such as a reeling economy, many see little personal stake in voting. Democrats have a dilemma. Obama is increasingly unpopular in key states, and promoting him too heavily, let alone bringing him in to campaign, would be a political liability. But not sending him there means the party can’t use an important weapon to motivate its most loyal constituency. So the Democrats are trying a variety of tactics to stir the vote. Obama’s organizational infrastructure is still regarded as strong, and the Congressional Black Caucus is active in Freedom Sunday, a campaign that began a month ago and centers on African-American church organizations.

Opportunity for GOP Black leaders are also

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stoking fears that a Republican Senate takeover will make life miserable. Rep. Marcia Fudge, D-Ohio, the Congressional Black Caucus chairwoman, warned that Obama’s impeachment would be high on the agenda if Republicans run Congress. Some conservatives have floated the idea, but it is considered highly unlikely to go anywhere. Democrats also remind Black voters that many Republicans back laws that require voters to show photo IDs at the polls. Many in the Black community regard such laws as an effort to suppress their votes, because studies have shown a disproportionate number of minority voters lack government-issued photo IDs. Republicans say they, too, are unusually active. Lingering economic problems in the Black community “create a window of opportunity for us to go into these communities and share our message,” said Orlando Watson, a Republican Party spokesman. Unemployment among

Casino magnate gives another $1 million to ‘Drug Free Florida Committee’ Las Vegas casino magnate Sheldon Adelson contributed another $1 million in mid-October to a political committee fighting a proposed constitutional amendment that would legalize medical marijuana, newly filed finance reports show. Adelson had contributed $5 million of the overall total of $5,842,897 raised by the “Drug Free Florida Committee” as of Sunday. The committee also spent $1,254,013 in mid-October and reported

Blacks was 11 percent last month, well above the 5.9 percent national average.

Three-step process Republicans for two years have had a three-step process for luring Black voters. Party workers in 13 key states first engage the voters, then try to build trust, and finally push them to vote. So far they say they’ve reached out to about 200,000 Black voters. Getting African-Americans to vote for anyone this year is clearly going to be difficult. Louisiana’s Black share of the vote plunged from 29 percent in 2008 to 24 percent in 2010, and in Kentucky, it dropped from 11 percent to 6 percent. Democrats figure they just have to break through with the kind of pointed message Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., chairman of the Black caucus’ political action committee, offers. “We have to convince people this is like voting in a presidential election,” he said.

an overall spending total of $5,582,772. Almost all of the latest spending, $1.2 million, went to the New Jersey-based firm Jamestown Associates, LLC, for “media placement,’’ the reports show. Meanwhile, a political committee supporting the medical-marijuana proposal, which will appear on the Nov. 4 ballot as Amendment 2, raised $388,341 from Oct. 11 through Saturday, the reports show. Also, the committee, known as “People United for Medical Marijuana,” received about $200,000 in in-kind contributions of television and radio advertising from The Morgan Firm, PA. That law firm is headed by John Morgan, who has spearheaded the medicalmarijuana legalization effort. The committee also spent $622,643 from Oct. 11 through Saturday, bringing its overall spending total to $6,584,779.

EDITORIAL

OCTOBER 31 – NOVEMBER 6, 2014

Closer to the finish line With opportunity gaps widening for poor children and children of color, new guidance from the Office for Civil Rights in the U.S. Department of Education offers new hope and protection from discrimination. For the first time in 13 years, the department now makes clear that states, school districts, and schools must make education resources equally available to all students without regard to race, color, or national origin. It prohibits schools and school districts from discriminating in their allocation of courses, academic programs and extracurricular activities, teachers and leaders, other school personnel, school facilities, and technology and instructional materials, and offers steps to level the playing field. This is some of the unfinished business of the Civ-

MARIAN WRIGHT EDELMAN NNPA COLUMNIST

il Rights Movement and a giant step forward for poor children, often children of color, currently taught at higher rates by inexperienced, unqualified, or out of field teachers and provided far fewer resources than their wealthier peers. Our responsibility now is to ensure that children left behind truly benefit from these protections.

Forward guidance The new guidance has real potential to address many of the lingering disparities after Brown v Board of Education. Sixty years

Continuing concern Years of advocacy that preceded Brown sought federal oversight of unfair distribution of resources by schools, districts, and states. But fairness must be a continuing concern as separate and unequal continues to pervade the education of children in our nation. The last time similar guidance was issued by the Department of Education was January 19, 2001 as one of the last acts of the Clinton administration. Catherine Lhamon, Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights in the U.S. Department of Education, said in her “Dear Colleague letter” to states, school districts, and schools: “Students of color must not be consigned to dilapidated, overcrowded school buildings that lack essential educational facilities, such as science laboratories, auditoriums, and athletic fields, and that may not be able to support the increasing infrastructure demands of rapid-

after that historic court decision, the Department of Education has made it clear that poor children and children of color are still routinely denied access to their fair share of strong teachers, decent schools, and current textbooks. These actions are not only immoral, but illegal under the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The guidance states that wherever a state or district has seen fit to provide any education resource, such as a chemistry course, high-speed Internet access, or a school counselor, it must be provided equally. This has been in the works for a very long time and was inspired by the Equity and Excellence Commission, convened in 2010 to examine and propose remedies to disparities in educational opportunities and student achievement.

VISUAL VIEWPOINT: CROSSROADS GPS

Random thoughts of a free Black mind, v. 231 FAMU Homecoming drama – What is it about HBCUs that cause them to terminate employees – whether they are custodians, coaches, instructors or presidents – as if they are holding public executions? The firing of FAMU Head Football Coach Earl Holmes is no exception. Employees come and go; the organization continues. I get that. But HOW someone is terminated matters, and the way HBCUs dump people publicly and without dignity – even after decades of service – plays right into the constant complaint that HBCUs are mismanaged and unstable. Holmes’ firing is a distraction from the real issue in Tally this weekend: RATTLERS DON’T SUPPORT THEIR ATHLETIC PROGRAM. I’ve told you this for years. There’s no unconditional support of FAMU football, the marquee sport that powers the finances of FAMU athletics. Most FAMU fans are lukewarm and fair-weather. That conclusion is borne out by statistics. Florida Classic attendance in the wake of the Marching “100’s” suspension after the hazing death of Robert Champion, and the sorry HOME attendance this year – even with the downsized ‘100’ back at halftime – tells us everything we need to know. More Bethune-Cookman University Wildcats in the Florida Classic stands

QUICK TAKES FROM #2: STRAIGHT, NO CHASER

CHARLES W. CHERRY II, ESQ. PUBLISHER

than FAMUans, when there are thousands more FAMU alums? Rattlers won’t show up for their single biggest moneymaker during the whole athletic year? And some alums are talking about boycotting Homecoming and encouraging the team not to play to protest Holmes’ firing? I’m shaking my head. So Rattlers, don’t tell me how much you ‘love’ your alma mater; your actions betray you. You won’t support your football team, with or without the ‘100.’ If the football team isn’t winning, you want nothing to do with them. And without the football team generating income for other ‘minor’ sports, other students suffer. FAMU’s motto is “Excellence With Caring.” Really? We – your fellow HBCU grads and well-wishers, prospective students and parents, current and future employees and athletes – as well as a hostile Florida Legislature – are all watching.

Contact me at ccherry2@gmail.com.

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

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

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Still exist While this language may sound like a familiar argument from the desegregation cases in the 1960s when “educational technology” meant film strips and slide rules, this new guidance recognizes that disparities still exist today and demonstrates a heightened commitment by the Administration to eliminate discrimination “root and branch” and protect students’ access to education. The Civil Rights Act protects students both from intentional discrimination and from discrimination that rises from the disparate impact of policies and procedures on student groups by race.

Marian Wright Edelman is president of the Children’s Defense Fund. Write your own response at www.flcourier.com.

Fed chair addresses income inequality “The extent of and continuing increase in inequality in the United States greatly concern me… I think it is appropriate to ask whether this trend is compatible with values rooted in our nation’s history, among them the high value Americans have traditionally placed on equality of opportunity.” — Janet Yellen, Chair of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System

MIKE KEEFE, CAGLE CARTOONS

ly expanding educational technologies while providing better facilities for other students.”

MARC H. MORIAL TRICE EDNEY WIRE

cumstances of individuals and families. These building blocks closely align with the National Urban League’s long-standing economic empowerment agenda: resources available to children, higher edWith all the political, na- ucation that families can tional security and dis- afford, business ownership ease news recently flooding and inherited wealth. the airways, you may have missed recently one of the Disparate growth most important American Highlights from Yellen’s speeches from one of the comments include: world’s most powerful ecoThe average income of nomic leaders. In a speech the top 5 percent of houseat the Federal Reserve Bank holds grew by 38 percent of Boston on Friday, Janet from 1989 to 2013, while Yellen, who in February be- the average real income came the first woman Fed- of the other 95 percent of eral Reserve Chair, bravely households grew less than waded into the national de- 10 percent. bate on income inequality. The average real worth Her remarks echoed many of families in the top 5 perof the opportunity themes cent has nearly doubled, that have been champion net – from $3.6 million oned by the National Ur- in 1989 to $6.8 million in ban League throughout our 2013, while the average net 104-year history. worth of the lower half of Drawing from the Feder- distribution, representing al Reserve’s triennial Sur- 62 million households, was vey of Consumer Finances $11,000 in 2013. (SCF), Yellen documents While Americans in all that “The past several de- economic groups were adcades have seen the most versely affected by the sustained rise in inequali- housing crisis, homeownty since the 19th century…” ers in the bottom half of She also outlines what she households by wealth recalls four “building blocks” ported 61 percent less of opportunity to help im- home equity in 2013 than prove the economic cir- in 2007. The next 45 per-

cent reported a 29 percent loss of housing wealth, and the top 5 lost 20 percent.

Generational wealth Research tells us that inequality tends to persist from one generation to the next. One study found that 4 in 10 children raised in families in the lowest-income fifth of households remain in that quintile as adults. Again, while Yellen points out that “to the extent that opportunity itself is enhanced by access to economic resources, inequality of outcomes can exacerbate inequality of opportunity, thereby perpetuating a trend of increasing inequality,” she does not attempt to directly link how much the opportunity factors influence income and wealth inequality. But we do. What makes Janet Yellen’s comments about income inequality so remarkable is the fact that rarely, if ever, has a Fed chair spoken so honestly and openly about such a hot-button issue. We applaud her for speaking out, and this is an issue that should greatly concern us all.

Marc H. Morial, former mayor of New Orleans, is president and CEO of the National Urban League. Write your own response at www.flcourier.com.

Blacks, not Hispanics, key to election victory Although Latinos are growing at a faster rate than any other ethnic group in the United States, they will have less of an impact on whether Democrats retain control of the Senate than African-Americans, according to a study of Census data by the Pew Research Center. The report, titled, “Latino Voters and the 2014 Midterm Elections,” stated: “A record 25.2 million Latinos are eligible to vote in the 2014 midterm elections, making up, for the first time, 11% of all eligible voters nationwide. But despite a growing national presence, in many states with close Senate and gubernatorial races this year, Latinos make up a smaller share of eligible voters.”

A non-factor Meanwhile, Democrats say it is unlikely they can retain control of the Senate without the Black vote in key states, including North Carolina, Louisiana and Arkansas. Latinos will basically be a non-factor – at least, for now. “California and Texas contain nearly half (46.4%) of all Latino eligible voters, but neither has been a battleground state in recent presidential elections. As a

GEORGE E. CURRY NNPA COLUMNIST

result, nearly half of Latino voters do not get the level of attention from campaigns that Latino voters who live in battleground states receive. And this year, neither state has a close Senate race.” The report further noted, “…in the eight states with close Senate races, just 4.7% of eligible voters on average are Latinos. Among those states, Latinos make up less than 5% of eligible voters in six. Only in Colorado does the 14.2% Latino share among eligible voters exceed the 10.7% national average. Kansas is the only other state where the Latino share among eligible voters exceeds 5%. As a result, the impact of Latino voters in determining which party controls the U.S. Senate may not be as large as might be expected given their growing electoral and demographic presence nationwide.” According to the report, “In other 2014 Senate races – none of which are competitive – Latinos make up more than 10% of

eligible voters in just three: New Mexico, where Latinos make up 40.1% of eligible voters; Texas, where 27.4% of eligible voters are Latino; and New Jersey, where Latinos make up 12.8% of eligible voters.” In the case of this year’s 14 competitive House races, the share of eligible voters who are Hispanic is, on average, 13.6 percent – slightly exceeding Hispanics’ 10.7 percent share nationwide, the report said. Republicans currently hold 233 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and appear unlikely to lose control of the House. Among this year’s 14 tossup races, most incumbents are Democrats. Even with African-Americans strategically placed in important districts, the Democratic Party may have botched this election by doing limited work with grassroots groups and largely ignoring the Black Press until the final two weeks of the campaign.

George E. Curry, former editor-in-chief of Emerge magazine, is editor-in-chief of the National Newspaper Publishers Association News Service (NNPA.) Write your own response at www.flcourier.com

OCTOBER 31 – NOVEMBER 6, 2014

A gathering under the tree WOOH! It’s great to be back on the old QWERTY after taking an involuntary hiatus last week. I just become so excited about seeing my articles published in the Florida Courier online on Thursdays; you KNOW I pass it around to the folk back home on Fridays; and we talk on the phones and email about it all day Saturdays. On Sundays, I have to rest from all that celebrating this golden opportunity to share with millions of readers our meanderings and memories in the Motherland. Then Mondays roll around and I have forgotten to re-up my submission. (I will make a resolute effort to meet the deadlines in the future.)

EDITORIAL VISUAL VIEWPOINT: CHRIS CHRISTIE EBOLA AND THE WALKING DEAD

Under a tree CASSANDRA DIANE BACK TO THE HOMELAND

One Sunday afternoon, we stopped by the W.E.B. DuBois Centre – a museum and memorial to the late, great American author, civil rights activist and PanAfricanist W. E. B. DuBois. Ez and Ms. Rodessa prepared to take the tour. Baby and I hung around in the parking lot snapping pictures when a lady drove up and parked next to our tour van. She leaped out all excited, and happily inquired if we were there for the “meeting.” I was on vacation and, after years of being an administrative assistant and spending countless hours in meetings, another one was not on my list of “things to do in Africa.” However, Baby got further information and we ended up following her to a corner of the Centre to an outdoor area set with a table and chairs for the gathering under a neem tree. We found ourselves in the smack-dab middle of that month’s regular meeting of the AfricanAmerican Association of Ghana (AAAG) – an association of Africans born and raised in America who have repatriated to Ghana – serving as the “bridge home” for all Diaspora. The AAAG was formalized in 1991, although the arrival of African-Americans in Ghana can be traced back to the 1950s. The gathering of the Diaspora is traced to Ms. Maya Angelou and the foreign wives of African diplomats in the 1960s. At the AAAG meeting, there were “homies” from EVERYwhere across the globe. Some were visitors like us, but the majority of the audience was brothers and sisters from the four corners of the world that had followed their hearts home.

There’s the Rice Festival celebrated by the people of Akpafu in the Volta Region; the Papa Festival celebrated by the people of Kumawu, in the Ashanti Region; the Kli-Adzim Festival, celebrated by the people of Agbozume in the Eastern Region; and my favorite, the Ekyen Kofie Festival (Yam Festival) celebrated by the people of Sekondi in the Western Region. (I’m SO glad to be writing these names instead of pronouncWe celebrate everything ing them). Yep, the Louisiana apple didn’t fall far from the African Y’all know how we Louisiana tree, for sure! people love to celebrate! We boast more than 400 festivals and official parties annually in “The Right place, time It was at one of our “drop of the Boot” – affectionately dubbed because of its shape – and we can hat” parties which Baby, Peachfind something to celebrate at the es and I had become infamous for throwing, that we met Flordrop of a hat! We’ve got the Peach Festival ida Courier Publisher Charles in Ruston; the Corn Festival in W. Cherry II. We became great Bunkie; the Blueberry Festival in friends and have been in constant Mansfield; the Pecan Festival in touch throughout the years. It’s all about being in the right Colfax; the Strawberry Festival in Ponchatoula and the Tomato Fes- place at the right time, and it is betival in Chalmette; the Holiday cause of the Motherland that we Festival of Lights in Natchitoches; have had great opportunities and the Catfish Festival in Washing- many doors have opened for us ton; blues, jazz and music festivals that could not have been probable EVERYWHERE and the grand- elsewhere. For instance, on my third trip to daddy of ALLL Festivals, Mardi Gras! We LOVE spicy foods and the Homeland, we finally met othgreat fun – and we brought it all er African-Americans. We were aware there were many other rewith us to Ghana! But Ghana ain’t slack either, patriates residing here, but we had having over 100 festivals and never connected with them as a durbars (annual celebrations) group during our previous travels. Baby and I brought Ez – Baby’s throughout the country each year. There’s the Edina Buronya Festi- oldest son – and our great friend val – the native version of Christ- Ms. Rodessa with us on our 2009 mas – that is exclusively celebrat- excursion. We had seen many of Joined immediately ed by the people of Elmina (Edi- the sights before, but we took our Naturally, we joined the organa) in the Central Region on the newbies on the museum-and- nization and communicated with first Thursday of the New Year. them over our remaining years in special-attractions tour.

DARYL CAGLE

the U.S. Baby absolutely loved the group, its purpose and potential. I did not comprehend the significance of this initial visit, but Baby did. So it was only natural – to Baby – that he drags Sister Peaches and me to an AAAG meeting three days after our permanent arrival to the Motherland. The crowd was a tad thinner than I remembered and the organization was sorely recovering from the loss of Sister Elimisha, their valuable and devoted secretary, who had joined our Ancestors just a few months before. We sat quietly through the formalities and I started to warm up to the group, enjoying the absence of the language and accent barriers – if only for an hour. The president then explained the need to fill the administrative vacancy left by Sister Elimisha. I had no earthly intentions of delegating myself to work. However, Baby had another thought in mind: volunteering ME for secretary. We whispered back and forth during the meeting with pros and cons of becoming the official record-keeper for this association.

‘Temporary’ replacement

might be seen more as threatening and unattractive than the same behavior exhibited by white men. Bigotry is no longer acceptable, Bank and Barclays challenged Vet- but unconscious bias still governs tery’s figures as inaccurate, but re- significant behavior. That is why fused to provide their own figures affirmative actions are vital if old on their incoming hires. barriers are to be broken down. Silicon Valley, another powerhouse American industry, has Target Wall Street been exposed for its lack of diverOne question is whether the sity, but it turns out Wall Street is government will begin to invesworse. And Silicon Valley firms tigate these patterns, enforcing have taken real steps to correct equal opportunity laws, engaging their reality; Wall Street seems still the SEC regulatory powers and to be largely in denial. more. Wall Street should be parWe know all the “reasons” be- ticularly targeted for tough reguhind this lack of diversity. African- lation. Their excesses blew up the Americans and Hispanics are less economy. They got bailed out, likely to have a family history in while homeowners were left to banking, or inherit a ton of mon- fend for themselves. As Mitt Romey. They are less likely to have the ney showed us, they take advanfamily contacts, the shared expe- tage of a range of tax breaks and riences and associations. When dodges, leaving billionaires paythey or women are aggressive, that ing lower tax rates than their sec-

retaries. They shouldn’t pocket all these subsidies and benefits without at the very least opening their doors to women and minorities. Diversity isn’t just a moral and legal imperative. It is good business, too. America is soon to become majority minority. Those institutions that reflect the diversity of their customers are more likely to thrive than those who isolate themselves. And Wall Street, like Silicon Valley, is a global industry. America’s strength is its diversity. If Wall Street keeps the doors shut to a majority of Americans and a majority of the world, it may find itself shut out of more and more opportunities.

Wall Street lacks diversity Wall Street may lead America in financial rewards, but it is a laggard when it comes to diversity. The lack of diversity among its CEOs and managing partners is notorious. Now a survey by Vettery, a recruiting firm, reports that the Street fails the test among its first year hires as well. It isn’t only skewed at the top; it is failing to build the pipeline that might change that in the future. Vittery reports that first-year bankers are more than 3/4 men — unchanged from 2013 — and nearly 2/3 White. Twenty-nine percent are Asian, while African-Amerians and Hispanics make up a paltry 6 percent. Sallie Krawcheck, former executive of Citibank and Bank of America who now runs the wom-

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

en’s network Ellevate, concludes that banks went into the financial crisis “White, male and middle -aged” and came out “Whiter, male-er and middle age-er.”

Blacks by the numbers The bank with the highest percentage of Blacks and Hispanics was JPMorgan Chase with 13 percent; Morgan Stanley was close with 12 percent. The worst was DeutscheBank. Both Deutsche-

Face the truth and honor it Anyone unwilling to face the fact that RACE is the 2000 lbs. gorilla in the room of America’s psyche is either a fool or plays one. There, I said it, and all of us who wish to see this country live up to its full potential must deal honestly with that fact. RACE is central to our national dysfunction. We must do this before we lose the opportunity to finally come together for our collective good. The November 4th election is a focal point for our willingness to confront our common dilemma. It would be dishonest for me to recommend a starting point for this confrontation at a place other than the respect and treatment afforded President Obama. It would be a travesty to attempt closure to our national nightmare without making a sincere effort to compare and contrast the fact and the vision of the President and his legislative supporters with the goals and objectives of the “disloyal opposition.”

Successes overlooked Any president - yes, White president – who’d realized the same successes and achievements as President Obama would be lauded as one of the best presidents in the nation’s history. If for no other reason than his leadership through the threat of the worst economic crisis the nation has faced since “The Great Depression,” he should receive such acclaim. BUT, there is more! Other than the unreasonable, reactionary right minority that clings to the mantra of “Tea Party,” what rational person would con-

DR. E. FAYE WILLIAMS, ESQ. TRICE EDNEY WIRE

demn a fellow-citizen to illness and disease solely by virtue of his or her bank balance? President Obama’s Affordable Care Act has eliminated that fate for millions of Americans who are too impoverished to afford medical care or who have pre-existing conditions. Even young adults who’re in the earliest stages of employment can receive medical insurance coverage with their parents’ plan until they can get on their feet.

Military and economics President Obama has refused to sit idly by and watch our nation’s military mindlessly shuffled into one international conflict after another. He has withdrawn our forces from harm’s way over the protests of politicians whose ulterior motive appears to be the enrichment of their corporate cronies. The Wall Street wealthy should be ashamed of allowing their less literate brethren in the general population to criticize President Obama’s management of the economy. These folks have seen record growth in the stock market and have realized record profits. To their discredit, they’ve not reinvested these profits into growth opportunities for the economy. In the spirit of full disclosure, I‘m sure Black voters will support the President and those leg-

islators who support his agenda. I’m willing to step out on faith that Black people and other voters of color will again vote in record numbers as they did in 2008 and 2012. I know the majority of people of color and whites who mobilized for CHANGE will not willingly surrender the fight to the forces of repression and regression. The challenge in this election is to get white voters who, for no other reason than the color of his skin, reject the advantages the President’s policies now afford them.

Make a decision White women, who’re 51% of the population must honestly reflect and assess the future that Republican policies will bring to them. Much like they were when Africans were chattel, the Republican agenda would bring women and their reproductive autonomy under the benevolent dictates of their spouses or other males. The recent denouncement of the minimum wage by Gov. Chris Christie should serve as a warning for all who struggle from paycheck to paycheck. In the above circumstances, the reluctant must decide if they’ll choose to let their hatred of one man or of a group of people to push them over the brink of survival into personal oblivion.

Dr. Williams is President/ CEO of the National Congress of Black Women, Inc. Write your own response at www.flcourier.com.

It is STILL kind of unclear how my hand ended up in the air – I really think Baby pushed it up – but cheers went up that they had finally filled the position. When I snapped out of it, I made it perfectly clear that my assistance was only temporary until they find a replacement. That was four years ago and, to ME, they don’t seem to be looking very hard for a replacement. Nevertheless, this has been one of the most rewarding and exciting events of my entire life…AND, I get to meet great and wonderful folk like Mr. Cherry II! If you’re ever in Accra on a third Sunday, you’re invited to drop by the meeting of the African-American Association of Ghana starting at 2:00 p.m. We’ll be SO pleased to have you JOIN US!

Contact Cassandra at Back to the Homeland Tours on Facebook, or www.weregoingtoghana.com. On Facebook, search “Sankofa Ghana” to find the AAAG page. Write your own response at www.flcourier.com.

Jesse Jackson Sr. is the president of the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition. Write your own response at www.flcourier.com.

Ebola: A long and ugly tradition of treating Africans as savages Of the nearly 10,000 people who have been infected by the Ebola virus, fewer than 20 have been outside of the African continent. But you wouldn’t know it from much of the alarm that’s being raised in some European news outlets and by the outrage of some American politicians who can’t understand why President Obama hasn’t banned flights from the affected West African countries. The Obama’s administration’s announcement last Tuesday requiring anyone flying in from Ebola affected countries to come through one of five designated screening airports has not quieted critics who accuse him of not doing more to “protect Americans.” It’s easy to understand the paranoia about this horrific disease. Despite claims from medical experts, we still know little about the origins of the virus or what triggers outbreaks. And medical experts are still struggling to understand how else the disease is spread besides contact with bodily fluids of infected individuals.

Fear or racism? But the larger question is, how much of the paranoia in North America and Europe is a result of fear and how much is driven by thinly veiled xenophobia and racism?

LEKAN OGUNTOYINBO NNPA COLUMNIST

In August, Newsweek put a chimpanzee on its cover to illustrate an article, derided by academics, activists and other critics as poorly reported and deeply flawed, about the possible origins of the Ebola virus and about how the consumption of bush meat could be serve as a back door or entry point for the virus into the United States. In the past, some scientists have theorized that people contracted the disease by eating the flesh of monkeys or chimpanzees. More recently, however, scientists have focused their attention on fruit bats, considered a delicacy in some parts of West Africa – which made the magazine’s choice of a primate for its cover all the more curious. Maybe the world hasn’t changed that much.

Lekan Oguntoyinbo, a columnist for the Los Angeles Wave, is a national-award winning writer. Write your own response at www.flcourier.com.

FLORIDA

TOJ A6

OCTOBER 31 – NOVEMBER 6, 2014

Where the state parties’ money has gone Here are the tight races Florida’s Dems and GOP are funding

Rep. Jose Javier Rodriguez, D-Miami, center, confers with Rep. Katie A. Edwards, D-Plantation, and Rep. Darryl Rouson, D-St. Petersburg, on the House of Representatives floor on April 17, 2013. Rodriguez has received the most from the Florida Democratic Party this year to keep his seat.

BY JIM TURNER THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

TALLAHASSEE – To get a glimpse of the tightest legislative races in Florida, look where the state parties are spending money. The Republican Party of Florida, seeking to maintain or improve its near supermajorities in both chambers of the Legislature, sent assistance ranging from $23,000 to $107,000 – mostly through in-kind-donations – to 30 different House candidates as of mid-October. Eleven of the 30 candidates are in South Florida. Another 13 live near the Interstate 4 corridor in Central Florida. The party has also poured more than $400,000 into a heavily fought Senate race for the seat held by Sen. Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg.

What Dems spent Meanwhile, as of Oct. 17, the Florida Democratic Party had surpassed the $20,000 mark in contributions to 13 House candidates. The state party has also topped the $65,000 figure for Brandes’ opponent, Judithanne McLauchlan, and to support the reelection bid of Sen. Maria Sachs, D-Delray Beach. Most of the party in-kind contributions cover staffing for the individual campaigns, along with providing opposition research,

polling and even the costs for office rent. The assistance often frees up candidates to use the cash contributions they receive to spread their messages through mail pieces, electronic ads and public appearances.

$24,000 for Gregg Of the 13 House Democratic candidates getting $20,000 or more in support, all but one faces a GOP opponent on the list of top-dollar recipients from the Republican Party. But even in that race, the District 36 contest for the Pasco County seat held by Rep. Amanda Murphy, D-

New Port Richey, a political committee known as the “House Republican Campaign Committee,” has put $24,000 behind GOP challenger Chris Gregg. The campaign committee is run by Rep. Steve Crisafulli, a Merritt Island Republican who is expected to become House speaker next month. Here are some examples of how the state parties have helped candidates in heavily contested races:

Senate District 22 Through Oct. 17, Brandes had received $477,572 worth of support from the state GOP for the

race in Pinellas and Hillsborough counties. Of that $127,767 had come this month for staff, consulting, telephone calls and polling. The Florida Democratic Party had countered with $67,229 worth of aid to McLauchlan, though only $2,520 had come this month.

Senate District 34 The Florida Democratic Party had spent $130,726 as of Oct. 17 to assist Sachs, who is trying to hold off a challenge from former Sen. Ellyn Bogdanoff, R-Fort Lauderdale, in Broward and Palm Beach counties.

The Republican Party hadn’t put up money to help Bogdanoff, who lost a hard-fought race to Sachs in 2012. Bogdanoff, however, has raised far more cash than Sachs.

House District 29 The Democratic Party had provided Rep. Mike Clelland, D-Lake Mary, with $15,000 in cash along with $80,768 for staffing, voter outreach, research and polling. Democrats are trying to retain the Seminole County seat that Clelland grabbed two years ago from incumbent Republican Chris Dorworth, who

had been pegged as a future House speaker. Clelland’s challenger this year is former Rep. Scott Plakon, a Longwood Republican who had received $54,259 from the Republican Party for staffing, polling and fundraising.

House District 68 The two parties had pumped a combined $173,592 into the race for the Pinellas County seat as of mid-October. Incumbent Rep. Dwight Dudley, D-St. Petersburg, had received $85,205 from the state party, including $11,500 in cash, with the rest for staffing and polling. Meanwhile, Bill Young, the son of the late Republican Congressman C.W. Bill Young, had received $88,387 in assistance from the Republican Party for staffing, polling, voter-contact efforts and fundraising.

House District 112 No other Democrat had received as much as freshman Rep. Jose Javier Rodriguez, who is trying to retain his Miami-Dade County seat against Republican Daniel Diaz Leyva of Coral Gables. Rodriguez had received $100,057 from the state party, of which $8,524 was in cash and the rest in-kind staffing, payroll, research and polling, Leyva, whose overall $366,000 in cash contributions is about $60,000 more than the amount Rodriguez had collected, received $39,069 from the Republican Party.

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Liberian faith healer’s bout with Ebola See page B3

OCTOBER 31 – NOVEMBER 6, 2014

SHARING BLACK LIFE, STATEWIDE

Franklin album all about divas See page B5

SOUTH FLORIDA / TREASURE COAST AREA WWW.FLCOURIER.COM Esther Craig, 55, participates in an exercise class on Sept. 29 at the Dowd YMCA as part of the Levine Cancer Institute Cancer Wellness Program. Craig had a lump in her breast for several months before she finally sought treatment, due to lack of insurance. By the time she was diagnosed, her cancer had advanced to Stage IV. She has already been through treatment. ROBERT LAHSER/ CHARLOTTE OBSERVER/MCT

SECTION

sisters

BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH

NEED TO GET SCREENED, TREATED Dr. LaTonia Taliaferro-Smith, a researcher at Winship Cancer Institute at Emory University, is pictured on Oct. 15, 2012. Eight women in her husband’s family had been diagnosed with breast cancer. She specializes on triple negative breast cancer, a particularly aggressive form of breast cancer that disproportionately affects Black women.

Researchers grapple with Black women’s high death rate from the disease

VINO WONG/ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION/ MCT

BY KAREN GARLOCH CHARLOTTE OBERSER (MCT)

Jeanette Meachem speaks out about breast cancer today because her younger sister, Joye Jordan, did not. When Jordan, a single mom in her late 20s, found a lump in her breast, she went to a doctor who told her she was too young to have breast cancer and probably just had “lumpy breasts.” She didn’t see a doctor again until she was 31. By then she had health insurance, but the lump had grown larger. A biopsy detected cancer that had spread beyond her breast, advanced to Stage IV. Jordan died about a year later, just after she turned 33 in August 2010. “We have to speak up for ourselves and be our own advocates,” said Meachem, 45. “Being silent can kill you.” Meachem’s story illustrates the disparity in breast cancer deaths between African-American and White women. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention put the problem in stark terms in a 2012 report called “Vital Signs.” Although African-American women have a lower incidence of breast cancer overall, they are 40 percent more likely to die from breast cancer than White women. Despite advances in screening and treatment over 30 years, many African-American women don’t get diagnosed until their cancers are late-stage and harder to treat. Even though African-American women get screening mammograms at the same rate as White women, Black wom-

en are less likely to get prompt follow-up care after abnormal mammograms, and fewer get the treatment they need after they’re diagnosed.

‘Bewildering’ system In North Carolina, Mecklenburg County Health Director Dr. Marcus Plescia, who previously worked at the CDC and co-authored the report, called it an indictment of our “bewildering” health care system. People “don’t really understand what the options are, and they have a very hard time figuring out how to access what they need,” he said. “We don’t have highly organized follow-up systems that we ought to have.” Many factors – from socioeconomic conditions to heredity – are blamed for the disparities in treatment and outcomes. Because there are likely multiple causes, there continues to be uncertainty in the medical community over which factors are more significant.

‘Triple negative’ type Some research is focused on genetics, since studies show Black women who get breast cancer are often diagnosed with a more aggressive type, known as “triple negative.” Others place more emphasis on social, environmental and historical factors that affect many African-Americans, such as lack of insurance, lower income, poor health and distrust of the health care system.

Until research clears up the mystery, Dr. Otis Brawley, chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society, pushes for more attention to “socioeconomic things that start adding up and become reasons for the disparity.” “The one thing we do know is that we have a bunch of people who call themselves Black who get less than optimal care,” Brawley said. “That’s a logistical issue we can fix.”

At higher risk Among those studying the biology of breast tumors is Dr. Lisa Carey, chief of the division of hematology and oncology at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill’s medical school. In a 2013 study, Carey and her co-authors said “survival differences persist between Blacks and Whites (even when) diagnosed at similar stages of illness.” That suggests factors beyond late-stage diagnosis contribute to worse breast cancer survival rates in Black women. Carey was one of the first researchers to point out, in a separate 2006 study, that Black women are at “substantially higher risk” of developing the aggressive “triple-negative” breast cancer than White women. In triple-negative breast tumors, the three receptors known to fuel most cancer growth – estrogen, progesterone and HER2/neu – are not present. That makes the cancer harder to treat because commonly used drugs

such as tamoxifen and Herceptin are ineffective. Once diagnosed with triplenegative breast cancer, Blacks and Whites have about the same outcomes. “It’s a bad disease for everybody,” Carey said. The question is why Black women have a higher incidence of that cancer type.

North Carolina study Despite the recent attention to triple-negative breast cancer, it is relatively rare. Carey is now directing her attention to the more common type of breast cancer. These tumors have receptors for estrogen and progesterone but not for HER-2/neu. This type of cancer can be treated with hormonal therapy, usually for five years after initial treatment. For White women, the prognosis is good. But it’s not as good for Black women, Carey said. “We don’t know why,” she said. That’s one of the questions she’ll be trying to answer as principal investigator of the Carolina Breast Cancer Study. “We’ll know in a year or two.” That study has enrolled 3,000 North Carolina women, both Black and White, who developed breast cancer between 2008 and October 2013.

Biological differences In the 2013 study, Carey and her colleagues concluded that differences in breast cancer outcomes can also be due to patient behavior and socioeconomic

factors, such as poverty, lack of transportation, lower education levels and lack of insurance. Although Carey believes biological differences are part of the reason for disparities, she agrees with the cancer society’s Brawley that they could be only a minor part. “It may have everything to do with Black women not (having access) to good health care in general,” she said. Brawley is outspoken in his view that breast cancer differences should not be blamed on race and genetics.

Risk factors To make his point, he first describes a study from Scotland, which found that poor women are more likely to have triplenegative breast cancer than other women. Part of the reason, he said, may be that poor women have higher calorie diets in childhood, weigh more, start menstruating earlier and have different birthing patterns than middle-class women. “All of these factors … are risk factors for breast cancer,” he said. “Maybe we should look a little beyond race.” Take obesity. Brawley said 50 percent of U.S. adult Black women are obese, compared with 30 percent of white women. Obesity is a risk factor for breast cancer, especially in women over 50. It can also complicate treatment because chemotherapy doses have to be adjusted, and doctors may be reluctant to increase them adequately.

Screening, treatment Brawley also points to a study based in Atlanta, where teaching hospitals provide a substantial portion of breast cancer care. It found that 7.5 percent of Blacks and 2 percent of Whites got no treatment in the first year after being diagnosed with “localized potentially curable breast cancers.” His point is that all women don’t get equal care, but Black women are especially vulnerable. Finally, Brawley cites a portion of the CDC report to support his claim that “race is likely not the reason” for breast cancer disparities: In Delaware, Nebraska and Rhode Island, Black and White women have equal breast cancer death rates. “The bottom line,” he said, “is we need to assure that all women have access to high quality screening and high quality treatment.”

CALENDAR & OBITUARY

OCTOBER 31 – NOVEMBER 6, 2014

STOJ

2 CHAINZ

Tickets are on sale for the Florida Classic game on Nov. 22 at the Florida Citrus Bowl featuring the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats and the Florida A&M Rattlers. A concert featuring 2 Chainz is scheduled. More info: www.floridaclassic.org.

A Gullah Geechee celebration Above: The North Florida Twirling Academy performed under the guidance of Cynthia Robinson.

The annual celebration of Gullah Geechee arts, culture and cuisine took place on Oct. 25 at the Ritz Theatre and Museum in Jacksonville. In conjunction with the Jacksonville Gullah Geechee Nation Community Development Corp, the festival included performances, food, craft vendors and storytellers. More information about the festival and culture, visit jacksonvillegullahgeecheenationcdc.webs.com.

Akia Uwanda performs at the Ritz Theatre and Museum. PHOTOS DUANE C. FERNANDEZ SR./ HARDNOTTS PHOTOGRAPHY

Tampa’s Black journalists to honor Wilds at banquet The Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists (TBABJ) will honor Jetie B. Wilds Jr. during its Ninth Annual Griot Drums Award & Scholarship Banquet on Thursday, Nov. 13, at Tampa Marriott Westshore, 1001 N. Westshore Blvd. Wilds, a longtime Tampa community leader and advocacy journalist, passed away on Sept. 21 at age 74. His popular weekly pubJetie B. lic affairs program, “CitiWilds Jr. zen’s Report’’ on AM 1150 WTMP, enlightened listeners on substantive issues impacting their neighborhoods and the nation. Wilds’ wife, Ozepher, and family will accept TBABJ’s first Legacy Award on his behalf.

Leonard Pitts Jr.

Pitts to speak

Leonard Pitts Jr., Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist for the Miami Herald, will be the keynote speaker at the banquet.

Zambian president Michael Sata dies BY ROBYN DIXON LOS ANGELES TIMES (MCT)

JOHANNESBURG — After reportedly concealing a long illness, Zambian president Michael Sata, 77, died Tuesday in a London hospital, the country’s second leader to die in office in a foreign hospital. Six years ago, former president Levy Mwanawasa died in office in a Paris hospital, after suffering several strokes. Sata’s death in the King Edward VII Hospital late Michael Tuesday was confirmed by Sata Zambia’s cabinet secretary, Roland Msiska. “It is with a heavy heart that I announce the passing on of our beloved president,” he said Wednesday, after media reports that said Sata was dead. Zambia’s cabinet met Wednesday morning to apparently discuss issues surrounding the succession.

President since 2011 Sata had been largely out of view since May. He has recently missed several important public engagements: a scheduled address to the United Nations last month and Zambia’s 50 year anniversary of independence last week. But his deputy, Guy Scott, insisted last month the president was in perfect health, after the speech cancellation. Sata won power in the copper-producing nation in 2011 when his Patriotic Front defeated the governing Movement for Multiparty Democracy that had been in power for two decades. In one of the continent’s relatively rare peaceful and uncontested elections of an opposition presidential candidate, Sa-

Pitts, who won the 2004 Pulitzer Prize for commentary, also is the author of a variety of works, including “Freeman,’’ “Before I Forget’’ and “Becoming Dad: Black Men and the Journey to Fatherhood.’’ The event will begin at 6 p.m. with a reception featuring the work of local photographers. The dinner and program begins at 7 p.m. Rod Carter, morning anchor at WFLA News Channel 8, will be the emcee.

Awards, scholarships During the event, TBABJ will present awards to area journalists for quality coverage of people of color and college scholarships to aspiring minority journalists. Tickets can be purchased using TBABJ’s secure PayPal feature on its website at www.tbabj.com. They are $30 for members, $35 for non-members and $10 for full-time students. Event sponsors include: Helios Education Foundation, Nielsen, Tampa Bay Times, TECO Energy, United Way Suncoast, Vistra Communications and WEDU. For more information, contact Jenise G. Morgan, president of TBABJ, at Jmorgannews@yahoo.com or 813-419-2490. ta was swept into office after campaigning heavily against Chinese abuses in the country’s copper mines.

Taboo topic As speculation mounted in recent months over the president’s failing health the subject became a taboo topic for the government. Staff last week explained his absence from the independence celebrations by saying he was undergoing a “medical checkup.” The statement announcing the health check up did not even indicate which country he had flown to. He was last seen in public last month at the opening of Zambia’s parliament, where he struggled to finish his prepared speech and abandoned it halfway through. He reportedly joked, “I am not dead.” Sata appointed the defense minister, Edgar Lungu, acting president before his departure and Lungu filled his shoes during the independence day celebrations. In recent weeks, a group of non-government organizations called on Sata to take leave because “something is not right.” They called on the government to come clean about Sata’s health.

Complaints about absence In August a group of lawyers, the Coalition for the Defense of Democratic Rights warned that if Sata was incapable of opening parliament this “will signify the end of the Sata presidency.” The group said Zambians were “entitled to a president who is capable of fulfilling the duties of office according to law.” The lawyers argued that if Sata appointed an acting president other than his vice president, Guy Scott, the government would be obliged to call a presidential byelection within 90 days. In the past, Scottish-born Scott has often stood in for Sata when he has been absent from his duties. He appears ineligible to succeed Sata because of a constitutional clause that a president’s parents must be Zambian.

RON ISLEY

The Ultimate Holiday Experience is scheduled Dec. 27 at Bank United Center in Coral Gables featuring Angie Stone, El DeBarge, and Ron Isley and the Isley Brothers.

FLORIDA COMMUNITY CALENDAR Tampa: The Tampa-Hillsborough Action Plan will host its inaugural Founders’ Gala on Nov. 11 at T. Pepin’s Hospitality Centre. Proceeds will benefit a collaboration exchange project in East Tampa, known as 5508. More details: www. pickettpr.com Fort Lauderdale: Kem, Joe and L’Renee are scheduled to perform Nov. 14 at the Au-Rene Theater at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts. Jacksonville: The legendary Clarence Carter takes the stage on Nov. 14 at the Ritz Museum & Theatre for an 8 p.m. show.

LEELA JAMES

The singer performs Nov. 9 at the Ritz Theatre and Museum in Jacksonville. The show begins at 7:30 p.m.

Miami: A Dec. 20 show at the James L. Knight Center titled One Night Stand will feature Ginuwine, Lyfe Jennings, Jon B and Case. Jacksonville: The Love Live Laugh Tour with Nephew Tommy, Tamar Braxton and Rickey Smiley is Nov. 8 at the Veterans Memorial Arena. 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 in St. Petersburg. Orlando: An R&B Love Fest on Nov. 15 at CFE Arena will include Keith Sweat, Jagged Edge, Dru Hill and Sisqo. Jacksonville: Raheem DeVaughn will be in concert Nov. 15 at the Ritz Theatre and Museum.

Miami: The Commodores take the stage at the James L. Knight Center on Nov. 7 for an 8:30 p.m. show. New Smyrna: The Ying Yang Twins will perform on Oct. 31 at Beachside Tavern. The show starts at 9 p.m. Hollywood: Natalie Cole will be the Nov. 5 performer at Hard Rock Live Hollywood. Tampa: Tickets are on sale for a Dec. 14 show featuring Usher at the Amalie Arena, formerly known as the Tampa Bay Times Forum. 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.

OCTOBER 31 – NOVEMBER 6, 2014

A Liberian faith healer’s story of story of prayer and perseverance BY ROBYN DIXON LOS ANGELES TIMES (MCT)

MONROVIA, Liberia — It could be headaches, infertility, sorrow or bad luck. In New Kru Town, where the afflictions of the poor are plenty, there was always work for a prayer warrior like Dorothy Sawer. People with nightmares would come to the faith healer, convinced that they were under attack as they slept. Once, a girl named Gladys took to running around the neighborhood naked and had to be saved. Some people were sick, and needed healing. Others had just lost their way in life. Sawer would hold their hands, hard, to make the prayer powerful. “Sometimes I pray loud,” she says. “Sometimes I pray louder.”

About ‘God’s business’ Sawer, an abandoned wife with six children — the child of an abandoned wife with five children — lives in a one-room tin house with holes in

the walls in this crowded neighborhood of the Liberian capital. It’s a place where lines of colorful laundry flap like extravagant birds, stray dogs nose around for scraps and people dress up in lace for church on Sundays. Sawer is a prayer warrior for a church called Conqueror’s Tabernacle. Save for the miracles that she trades in, life could be disheartening for a woman with nothing but a dogeared Bible and even less money than she used to have. She sees it as a biblical test. If so, it’s been a long one, and it hasn’t been easy. “My neighbors get vexed. They get angry,” the 48-year-old says with a defiant, gap-toothed smile. “People laugh at me and mock me. They say, ‘Every day, it’s God, God, God business.’ These neighbors say that’s all they hear.”

As important as doctors But a prayer warrior fears nothing — not ridicule, not spiritual darkness, not the witches waiting to steal the

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RELIGION

Dorothy Sawer is a Liberian prayer warrior, pictured here in September, and her most treasured possess is her dog-eared Bible. The faith healer was called to help victims of Ebola and it wasn’t long before she got sick too. ROBYN DIXON/ LOS ANGELES TIMES/MCT

souls of children or weak old folk. Then Ebola came to New Kru Town, and it attacked Conqueror’s Tabernacle. Here in Monrovia, where charismatic Pentecostal pastors jostle for worshippers, church and prayer course through life like blood, and prayer warriors are as important as doctors. For churchgoers here, an ailment that’s stubborn is often seen as the business of a prayer warrior, who claims to heal through the “laying of hands.” But Ebola can be contracted just by touching someone very ill. It lurks in bodily fluids such as sweat and is believed to survive on surfaces for hours and in clothing for days. The virus has claimed many pastors, prayer warriors and traditional healers. “Only God knows where we are heading to now,” Sawer says.

Touched by an ‘angel’ On a rain-streaked afternoon, she sits in a red-andwhite floral dress on a stool outside her house holding her old Bible. A cheap metal pendant inscribed “Love” is stuck in the damp sand nearby. Tim, 25, her oldest son, is there; he is the rock in her life since her husband deserted her eight years ago. Her other five children, ages 11 and up, sit giggling, or wander around. When Sawer was about 10, she says, she saw a flash of light — she points to the spot, just over there — and a White man with long hair appeared out of nowhere, his back turned. Then he disappeared in another flash. “I believe that was the angel of God that I saw,” she says, eyes wary, half expecting ridicule. From then on, she had “spiritual

fits” and had to drop out of school. She had premonitions. She’d warn people not to take a particular road on a particular day. “People didn’t listen. There would be consequences.” (She says her former husband was attacked by thieves after ignoring one of her warnings.) But other people saw her as a miracle worker. No longer just a struggling single mother, she was somebody. “They said, ‘She’s got the discernment.’ ” Four years ago she became a prayer warrior at Conqueror’s Tabernacle, the creation of her neighbor Pastor Varney Garpou.

The ‘Last Days’ Ebola first skipped across the border into Liberia in March, then died down after a few cases. Everyone relaxed. But by July it had swept back in, killing staff members at New Kru Town’s Redemption Hospital before tearing through the neighborhood. As lethal as war, it spread across Monrovia, killing nearly 2,500 people by Oct. 17. The cases in West Africa will surpass 10,000 within weeks. Many people struggle to reconcile their religious faith with the plague. Some churchgoers say it’s a sign of the “Last Days.” Some say it’s a punishment, or something Satan brought. Sawer was sure it was a spiritual disease, not just a physical sickness. Although she had heard the government warnings not to touch people with Ebola, “I wasn’t afraid because I believed God was with me.”

Sickness and death It was unthinkable that the illness people call “this Ebola thing” could be

stronger than a prayer warrior. Even so, Pastor Garpou was wary. He told his wife, Willet, a nurse, to slow down on her treatment of neighbors. By August, people were coming knocking three or four times a day looking for medicine. “Pastor said, ‘Be careful with this Ebola thing.’ He warned her, ‘Be careful.’ She said, ‘You people think everything now is this Ebola thing,’ ” Sawer says. That month, the virus came to a rundown tenant house next door to the Garpous. First to go was a mother of three, who died in a wheelbarrow on the way to treatment. Her children were sent to an Ebola care unit. Four people in the house died, including a tailor and his child. The tailor’s wife was next to sicken. Willet Garpou couldn’t just sit in her house and let the woman die, so she treated her with injections for a week. Two weeks later, Willet got sick too. Sawer didn’t hesitate when Willet, her “church mother,” called her to say she’d had a revelation in a dream that people wanted to kill her and the pastor. Sawer clutched her hands and prayed with Willet, morning and night. She helped her dress, and she touched her feet. But Willet died at home, and within days, Sawer was called again, this time to pray for and heal the pastor.

Sought treatment Despite her strongest prayers, he died at home, crying that he didn’t want to go and leave his vision of Conqueror’s Tabernacle. “I believe maybe it’s God’s will,” says Sawer, puzzling over why so many died and wondering why all that healing prayer

didn’t save a good man like Pastor Garpou. “Maybe some people never had the faith that they could make it and some people lose hope.” A short time after, Sawer felt a searing heat in her belly. She fasted and prayed for three days, but it didn’t help. Eventually, she left her children in the care of her son and went to an Ebola treatment unit. Soon her test confirmed a result that would terrify most people. It was Ebola. Sawer says she felt no fear or doubt. She was determined that with plenty of prayer, she was going to survive. The first thing she asked for at the treatment center wasn’t water or medicine. She wanted a Bible. She lay in her bed, temperature soaring, sweating and trembling, feeling as if her belly and her back were on fire. “It was the worst sickness I ever had,” she remembers. “One night I felt a hand patting me on my shoulder.”

Prayers for son A nurse checking she was still alive? “I don’t know who touched me. I think it was the spirit of God.” The next morning, she left her bed. She recovered, as swiftly as she had gotten ill. A few days later, she was back outside one of the Ebola treatment units. She squinted against the sun. Nearby stood a young man looking anxious, drenched in sweat. It was her treasured oldest son, Tim. He had Ebola. He went for treatment, and for weeks, she heard nothing, She prayed and prayed for her son’s survival. And her prayer was powerful. Tim survived, and came home.

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BOOKS

OCTOBER 31 – NOVEMBER 6, 2014

STOJ

‘Seven Killings’ an epic about 1970s Jamaica Marlon James’ new novel hailed as ‘scary, lyrically beautiful’

power, promising a Sweden-style socialist paradise. On the other side was American-born Edward Seaga, often referred to as CIAga. More than a thousand people died in political violence that brought Seaga to power in 1980. Manley returned to power from 1989 to 1992.

BY ROHAN PRESTON STAR TRIBUNE (MCT)

MINNEAPOLIS – It’s around 3 p.m. on Oct. 1, the biggest day in Marlon James’ career — if not his life. His third novel, “A Brief History of Seven Killings,” hit bookstores with more buzz than a swarm of bees. James is on his phone with prominent Jamaican blogger Annie Paul, who has just published her interview with him online. The blog post, in which James discusses his novel about the 1976 attempted assassination of Bob Marley in Kingston, has upset editors at the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, each of which has a story on James coming out soon. “Can you please take it down?” James asks Paul, no sign of panic or upset in his voice. She wonders why anyone would care about her little blog in Jamaica. “It’s just for a little bit,’?” he says. “It’s an embargo thing.” Reluctantly, Paul agrees. “Alright, cool,” he says, signing off. “The Times, I’ve worked with them — they always have to be first.”

Impressive reviews The media storm is all about “Seven Killings,” a nearly 700-page novel published by Riverhead, a Penguin imprint. The press is sending James on a multiweek national tour to support a work that blunt New York Times critic Michiko Kakutani called “epic in every sense of that word: sweeping, mythic, over-the-top, colossal and dizzyingly complex.” Novelist Russell Banks has been similarly effusive, saying that “Seven Killings” is “scary and lyrically beautiful — you’ll want to read whole pages aloud to strangers.” The book is “an indispensable and essential history of Jamaica’s

Son of judge, detective

RENEE JONES SCHNEIDER/MINNEAPOLIS STAR TRIBUNE/MCT

Marlon James walks to a class he teaches on the Macalester College campus in St. Paul, Minn. troubled years,” said Publishers Weekly.

Spies, politicians, dreamers Make no mistake: “Seven” is no easy airport read. The novel, which James has been thinking about for decades and which he completed over the past four years, radiates from the Dec. 3, 1976, assassination attempt on Marley, the reggae superstar. Two days after dodging most of the bullets, an injured Marley headlined a peace concert in Kingston, the Jamaican capital, standing between the leaders of the two political parties like, he would later say, Jesus between the two thieves. James uses the assassination attempt as a touchstone to create an imaginative, Joycean mosaic of social history that pulls in a dizzying cast of characters. “Seven Killings” takes place in

1970s Jamaica, where the CIA, intent on Jamaica’s not becoming a socialist country, armed rival political gangs that would morph into the posses that ruled parts of New York and Miami in the 1980s and 1990s. There are spies, gang bosses, politicians, musicians, lovers and dreamers. James’ first novel, “John Crow’s Devil,” was published by small, independent Akashic Press. He moved to Riverhead for “The Book of Night Women,” a novel set in the 19th century and told in a woman’s voice. That one has been optioned for a film, but it didn’t approach the rapturous reviews that make “Seven Killings” a breakout book for the 43-year-old author.

In Patwa and queen’s English His phone buzzes constantly, and there also are dings coming from his computer indicating so-

St. Louis professor’s new book explores concept of race mated the influence of eugenicists on public policy in the United States and the sympathy of American industrialists for the racist goals of the Nazis.

BY DR. GLENN ALTSCHULER SPECIAL TO THE FLORIDA COURIER

In 1924, the Richmond Times-Dispatch published an editorial in support of the Racial Integrity Act. The editors warned that intermarriage between the races “will sound the death knell of the white man. Once a drop of inferior blood gets in his veins, he descends lower and lower in the mongrel scale.” Passed by the legislature and signed into law by the governor of Virginia, the Racial Integrity Act made it a felony, punishable by imprisonment of one to five years, to falsely register one’s race. Praised by the American Journal of Public Health as “the most important eugenical effort that has been made in the past 4,000 years,” the legislation stayed on the books for more than 40 years.

Pattern of prejudice The bill, according to Robert Sussman, a professor of physical anthropology at Washington University in St. Louis, was part of a 500 year-old pattern of racial prejudice, supported by a pseudo-scientific theory that asserted that human characteristics are biologically determined, vary by racial classification (with some races superior to others), and cannot be substantially altered by environmental factors. In “The Myth of Race,’’ Sussman tells the important, albeit familiar, story of the 16th century origins of racist ideology, the rise of the eugenics movement, and its logical culm ination in Nazi genocide.

Not ‘completely shed’ He reminds us as well that racism was discredited in the first half of the 20th century by cultural anthropologist Franz Boas, who demonstrated that men-

‘New bigot brigade’

REVIEW

Review of “The Myth of Race: The Troubling Persistence of an Unscientific Idea’’ by Robert Wald Sussman. Harvard University Press. 374 pages, $35 tal aptitude was not determined by heredity, that there was more variation within races than between them, and that environment accounted for many of the differences between the races; by research in genetics; and by revulsion against the racist atrocities committed by the Nazis. Sussman claims as well that although we “have made major strides against the age old myths,” we have not “completely shed” the views of “racist eugenics and the biological basis and fixity of certain complex human behavioral traits.”

Some factual errors Sussman is not an historian and, unfortunately, “The Myth of Race’’ contains mistakes and questionable judgments. Oliver Wendell Holmes was not the chief justice of the Supreme Court in 1927. News of the treatment of eastern Europeans in concentration camps did not “fill the world’s media” between 1936 and 1939. Sussman’s description of socio-biologist Edward O. Wilson is a straw man. And he may well have overesti-

In the last third of his book, Sussman provides a chilling account of the activities of a new generation of American racists in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Funded by the Pioneer Fund, the American Renaissance Foundation and other shadowy organizations with patriotic names designed to deceive, “the new bigot brigade,” he reveals, has supported and disseminated research that purports to prove inherent and immutable differences between the races, has weighed in on debates over education and immigration, and seems “to have made some major inroads into the right wing of the Republican party.”

Difficult to eradicate

cial-media updates from friends and followers. He switches to Facebook, and exclaims as he sees who has posted on his page: “Victor Chang!” he says. “He was my first writing teacher at UWI,” the University of the West Indies. As he reads, he pauses to address a question of language that comes up about this work. The book is told in voices from a wide strata of Jamaican society, from slang and Patwa to the queen’s English. Patwa, he says, is not some dialect of English or, worse, “broken English,” but its own language. “It has its own rules, grammar, everything that a language needs to function,” James says. “True, it’s not written down, but not every language is written.” “Seven Killings” is James’ imaginative attempt to make sense of his formative years. He was born in 1970, two years before Michael Manley swept to

James grew up in Portmore, a suburb of Kingston, Minn. His mother was a police detective, and his father, who died in 2012, a judge. His family is the Jamaica diaspora in microcosm. James’ siblings live in Canada, the United Kingdom and Jamaica. “We were the Cosbys, or saw ourselves as such,” he said. “My childhood was pretty boring.” He was into comics and music, said Sara James, a graphic designer and Marlon’s younger sister. “Whenever I think back on my childhood, the soundtrack for all my memories is not reggae, but Prince and Madonna and Men at Work,” she said. “That’s Marlon’s influence. That’s all he was into.” When he was young, James read everything he could — novels, poetry, comics. He would get magazines at his favorite bookstore in Kingston. “It would be January and we’re just getting the October Rolling Stone, but I didn’t mind,” he said.

Reggae influence That craving for things foreign opened his world. It also helped form his rangy aesthetic. “He’s a singular talent who’s been dedicated to reading and to writing for a long time,” said Jamaican-American novelist Colin Channer, founding artistic director of the Calabash Literary Festival, through which James and many other writers honed their crafts and got their breaks. “He’s of a generation of writers who inherited the boldness and the freedom of earlier writers. … But his freedom also comes from reggae. He has a central place in the global modern.”

ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE FOR BLACK STUDENTS. NO EXCUSES. The classic guide from Florida Courier publisher, lawyer and broadcaster CHARLES W. CHERRY II PRAISE FOR ‘EXCELLENCE WITHOUT EXCUSE’: “This guide for African-American college-bound students is packed with practical and insightful information for achieving academic success...The primary focus here is to equip students with the savvy and networking skills to maneuver themselves through the academic maze of higher education.” – Book review, School Library Journal • How low expectations of Black students’ achievements can get them higher grades; • Want a great grade? Prepare to cheat!

Sussman believes that these new, sinister, racist “interlocking associations appear to be alive and well in today’s political arena.” Clearly, he is determined to sound the alarm, even at the risk of being branded an alarmist. In any event, he has made a good start in this book with an authoritative demonstration that “race is not a biological reality among humans; there are no human biological races.” And he had made a compelling case that, unlike race, racism is a reality in the United States and elsewhere, a reality that is difficult to eradicate.

• How Black students can program their minds for success;

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

for info on speeches,

• Setting goals – When to tell everybody, and when to keep your mouth shut; • Black English, and why Black students must be ‘bilingual.’ …AND MUCH MORE!

www.excellencewithoutexcuse.com Download immediately as an eBook or a pdf Order softcover online, from Amazon, or your local bookstore ISBN#978-1-56385-500-9 Published by International Scholastic Press, LLC Contact Charles at ccherry2@gmail.com workshops, seminars, book signings, panel discussions.

Facebook ccherry2 excellencewithoutexcuse Twitter @ccherry2

STOJ

OCTOBER 31 – NOVEMBER 6, 2014

FINEST & ENTERTAINMENT

Meet some of

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Shanty Monae describes herself as a very outgoing person, wants to travel the world and backpack through different countries. She loves being spontaneous and enjoys helping others. Shanty can be contacted at shantellhicks25@ gmail.com.

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Andre’ Alston is a health and fitness professional with a passion for healing and wellness in South Florida as a licensed massage therapist, certified personal trainer and boot camp facilitator. He also models and enjoys open mic lounges. Andre’ can be contacted at MrAlston25@gmail.com. PHOTO COURTESY OF ANDRE’ ALSTON

PHOTO BY TIFFANY KATZ

Aretha Franklin performs Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep’ on the “Late Show with David Letterman’’ on Sept. 29.

‘Queen of Soul’ takes other singers to school on new ‘Great Diva Classics’ album BY RANDY LEWIS LOS ANGELES TIMES (MCT)

Released this month, “Aretha Franklin Sings the Great Diva Classics” is the first album under a new contract signed recently with RCA Records at the behest of music mogul Clive Davis.

As you listen to Aretha Franklin’s new album, it’s hard not to sense an unspoken message to the world: “Step aside, ladies — here’s how it’s done.” Released this month, “Aretha Franklin Sings the Great Diva Classics” is the first album under a new contract signed recently with RCA Records at the behest of music mogul Clive Davis. “When an artist is as established as she is, every so often I’m motivated by the strong desire not only of the thrill of discovery — and I’ve had my share of those — but to extend the careers of the greats,” Davis said at his hotel in Beverly Hills. Following her first wave of success in the 1960s and ’70s, Davis guided Frank-

lin’s second major career rejuvenation when he signed her to his Arista Records label in the early 1980s. That period reignited her career with a new round of hits, including “Freeway of Love,” which made her newly relevant to the MTV generation.

From Etta to Adele Now the 18-time Grammy Award-winning Queen of Soul is drawing on R&B, jazz, pop and gospel music in putting her stamp on songs by her fellow female vocalists. Among her “Diva Classic” choices are Etta James’ “At Last,” Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive” and a couple of more recent-vintage songs, Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep” and Alicia Keys’ “No One.” “I feel wonderful — I’m just loving it,” Franklin said, speaking by phone before a recent concert in Miami. “It’s a very, very exciting feeling around it. People seem to be responding to it beautifully.”

All Franklin For Davis, the “Diva Classics” album is a dream

come true, and it has the hallmarks of the new life he helped breathe into Carlos Santana’s career with the “Supernatural” album in 1999. The big difference? The voice on “Classics” is all Franklin, with none of the big-name duet partners that helped fuel Santana’s return to the spotlight. “How long can the career of a great talent last? So I came up with this concept [for Franklin’s album], and I’ve been talking to her about it for a few years,” Davis said. “To hear this woman come back, and you hear one classic performance after another ... it’s historic.” Within just the first few bars of Franklin’s rendition of “At Last,” she demonstrates a completely different sensibility than James’ signature version. Franklin lies behind the beat the way Frank Sinatra often did, with the syncopated phrasing of a great trumpet or saxophone player.

Millions of views A thumping disco beat kicks in on “I Will Survive,” and then — this was Franklin’s idea — it segues into Destiny’s Child’s “I’m a Survivor.” She also concocted the merger of “Rolling in the Deep” with “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” which she performed on her recent visit to “Late Night With David Letterman.” Since that appearance, Franklin’s version of Adele’s breakthrough hit has earned a combined 4 million views on YouTube, Vevo and CBS. That’s a strong omen for an album being released in the peak of the record industry’s all-important fourth quarter leading into the holiday-buying season. Keys suggested giving “No One” a reggae lilt, and OutKast’s Andre Benjamin came in with a radical idea for “Nothing Compares 2 U”: a neo-bebop jazz arrangement. “I had been working with it — sitting with it, singing it slow,” Franklin said. “Then Andre came in decided he

wanted to do a 180-degree turn and take it up-tempo. “So I went back to my jazz roots. I had sung in the major jazz halls with all the great jazz musicians: John Coltrane, Horace Silver, Freddie Hubbard and Blue Mitchell. I sang for months at a time down at the Village Gate when I was a very young singer, maybe 17.”

New biography In delivering Streisand’s “People,” she evokes arialike echoes of her knockout performance of “Nessun Dorma” from Puccini’s “Turandot” in 1998 when she stepped in at the last minute for an indisposed Luciano Pavarotti at a Grammy Awards performance. “Aretha is very prepared when she comes in,” Davis said. “She only does two or three takes when she comes into the studio. She’s in glorious voice.” As for Franklin, who also is the subject of the new biography “Respect: The Life of Aretha Franklin” by acclaimed music biographer David Ritz being published this week, she’s actively working to pass along some of what she’s learned over the decades as she mentors one of her grandchildren, R&B singer Victorie Franklin.

Some sage advice “She wants to become a singer, so I’m giving her some of the same advice my dad gave me,” she said. “He coached me early on, and he took me to New York for my audition with [fabled talent scout and record executive] John Hammond at Columbia Records. I’m just telling her some of the same things, about phrasing and different things like that.” And the most important words of guidance from the woman ranked No. 1 in Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the “100 Greatest Singers of All Time”? “I want her to be her own singer,” Franklin said. “I don’t want her to sing like me, or to try to sing like me. I want her to be herself.”

F0OD

OCTOBER 31 – NOVEMBER 6, 2014

TOJ

Classic Spaghetti and Parmesan Meatballs FROM FAMILY FEATURES

You don’t have to be a master chef to create great meals that your family will love. Simple yet flavorful and warming dishes are the perfect solution for busy cooks with hungry families to feed. Using high-quality ingredients helps guarantee you’re serving meals you can be proud of, even when you’re short on time. For delicious dinners, look for ingredients such as Hunt’s® tomatoes and KRAFT® Parmesan cheese. Hunt’s diced, stewed and whole tomatoes are peeled using only steam and their sauce is 100 percent natural with no preservatives. Ranging from a Latin-inspired Chorizo Bolognese to easy Italian lasagna in a skillet, these recipes combine carefully chosen ingredients, so you can serve meals rich with flavor and quality. Look for more great recipe ideas at Hunts.com.

Easy Chicken Parmesan

Chorizo Bolognese CHORIZO BOLOGNESE Prep time: 25 minutes Total time: 25 minutes Servings: 6 (1 cup each) 8 ounces dry fettuccine pasta, uncooked 1/2 pound ground chuck beef (80 percent lean) 6 ounces fresh pork chorizo (Mexicanstyle) 1/4 teaspoon adobo seasoning blend 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/2 cup chopped yellow onion 1/4 cup sliced stuffed green olives 1 can (15 ounces) Hunt’s® Tomato Sauce

KRAFT® Grated Parmesan Cheese (optional) Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt. Meanwhile, heat large skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef, chorizo, adobo seasoning and pepper to skillet; cook 3 minutes or until meat begins to brown, stirring once. Add onion and olives; cook 2–3 minutes more or until meat is crumbled and no longer pink. Drain. Stir in tomato sauce; reduce heat and simmer 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve sauce over pasta. Sprinkle with KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese, if desired.

EASY CHICKEN PARMESAN Prep time: 10 minutes Total time: 45 minutes Servings: 6 (1 breast with sauce and spaghetti each) 1 can (15 ounces) Hunt’s Tomato Sauce 1 can (14.5 ounces) Hunt’s Diced Tomatoes with Basil, Garlic and Oregano, undrained 6 tablespoons KRAFT® Grated Parmesan Cheese, divided 6 small boneless skinless chicken breasts (6 breasts = 1 1/2 pounds) 3/4 pound spaghetti, uncooked

1 1/2 cups KRAFT Shredded Mozzarella Cheese Heat oven to 375°F. Pour tomato sauce and undrained tomatoes into 13-inch-by-9-inch baking dish. Stir in 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) Parmesan. Add chicken; turn to coat evenly both sides of each breast with sauce. Cover. Bake 30 minutes or until chicken is done (165°F). Meanwhile, cook spaghetti as directed on package, omitting salt. Top chicken with remaining cheeses; bake, uncovered, 5 minutes or until mozzarella is melted. Drain spaghetti. Serve topped with chicken and sauce.

Classic Skillet Lasagna

CLASSIC SPAGHETTI AND PARMESAN MEATBALLS Prep time: 40 minutes Total time: 55 minutes Servings: 6 (1 1/3 cups pasta with sauce and 2 meatballs each) 1 pound ground round beef (85 percent lean) 3/4 cup KRAFT® Grated Parmesan Cheese, divided 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley 1 egg, slightly beaten 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic, divided 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon olive oil 3/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion 1 can (14.5 ounces) Hunt’s® Diced Tomatoes, undrained 2 cups Hunt’s Tomato Sauce 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil 1 tablespoon granulated sugar 12 ounces dry spaghetti, uncooked Preheat oven to 375°F. Combine beef, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, parsley, egg, 1 teaspoon garlic and salt in medium bowl. Divide mixture into 12 portions; shape into meatballs and place on aluminum foil-lined shallow baking pan. Bake 15 minutes or until done (160°F). Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook 4 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add remaining 2 teaspoons garlic, cook 1 minute more or until fragrant. Stir in undrained tomatoes, tomato sauce, remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, basil and sugar. Bring to a boil. Add meatballs to sauce; gently stir to coat. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes or until sauce has thickened slightly, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, cook spaghetti according to package directions. Drain spaghetti; top with sauce and meatballs. Top with extra KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese, if desired.

CLASSIC SKILLET LASAGNA Prep time: 30 minutes Total time: 30 minutes Servings: 6 (about 1 1/3 cups each) 8 ounces dry bowtie (farfalle) pasta, uncooked 1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese 1/3 cup KRAFT® Grated Parmesan Cheese 2 tablespoons water 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 12 ounces Italian pork sausage 1/3 cup chopped yellow onion 2 cans (14.5 ounces each) or 1 can (28 ounces) Hunt’s® Diced Tomatoes with Basil, Garlic and Oregano, undrained 1 can (6 ounces) Hunt’s Tomato Paste 1 1/2 cups shredded part-

skim mozzarella cheese, divided Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt. Meanwhile, combine ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, water and pepper in small bowl; set aside. Heat large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage and onion; cook 3–5 minutes or until sau sage is crumbled and onion is tender, stirring occasionally. Drain. Add tomatoes (undrained), tomato paste, 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese and cooked pasta to skillet; stir to combine. Dollop spoonfuls of ricotta mixture on top of pasta mixture. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese. Reduce heat to low; cover and cook 2–3 minutes or until ricotta mixture is hot and mozzarella cheese melts.