Florida Courier - November 08, 2013

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NOVEMBER 8 - NOVEMBER 14, 2013

VOLUME 21 NO. 45

#STATEWIDE

‘Repeal Stand Your Ground’

Florida House Democratic Leader Perry Thurston starts his campaign to become ‘the people’s lawyer’ – Florida’s attorney general – as Charlie Crist and Alex Sink also start their respective 2014 political races.

COMPILED FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

The top Democrat in the Florida House of Representatives, House Minority Leader Perry Thurston, announced he is running for attorney general – a decision he had been pondering since December 2012, as reported by the Florida Courier.

He officially filed state-required paperwork last week, according to the state Division of Elections website. The filing allows Thurston, who cannot run again for the House next year because of term limits, to raise money for the campaign.

His decision also kicks off a Democratic primary in the race to unseat incumbent Republican Pam Bondi, who does not face a Republican primary opponent.

Thurston’s primary opponent will be George Sheldon. Shelton, 66, has served at the U.S. Depart-

Lawmakers to reexamine the controversial law FLORIDA COURIER FILES

Charlie Crist

Alex Sink

ment of Health and Human Services, was once secretary of the state Department of Children and Families, and also worked as a deputy attorney general under former AG Bob Butterworth.

At the forefront In 2006, Thurston was elected state representative for House District 93 in Broward County.

He’s been unafraid to take on unpopular issues since his first year in the Florida Legislature.

At a 2009 criminal justice summit, State Rep. Perry Thurston accused Republican leaders in the Florida House of Representatives of playing games with regard to serious prison reform.

A criminal defense attorney in South Florida, Thurston has been a longtime advocate of automatic restoration of the civil rights of exfelons who have served their time and otherwise completed their criminal sentences.

“It’s an important issue in my community and it causes disenfranchisement of a good part of my community. It affects jobs, earning a living to be a contributing part of their family and voting,” Thurston told the Florida Courier.

“It has taken the heart out of our community. It destroys communities and systematically bars men from doing what they need to do.

“Instead of disenfranchisement in states like Florida, there should be one United States with one policy. Sometimes it is a matter of someone who did something when they were 18 or 19 who served their time and are productive members of the communiSee 2014, Page A2

DELTA SIGMA THETA / A CENTENNIAL CHAPTER

Delta takes root in Collier County

BY MARGIE MENZEL THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

Check flcourier.com for an updated story.

As the Florida Legislature returned to Tallahassee this week, the debate over the state’s controversial “stand your ground” self-defense law is returning as well, with a five-hour hearing scheduled for Thursday (after the Florida Courier’s Wednesday night press time), with both sides already at work getting their messages out.

The House Criminal Justice Subcommittee is scheduled to take up a bill by Rep. Alan Williams, D-Tallahassee, that would repeal “stand your ground,” and activists who protested the law with a sit-in at the Capitol this summer are expected to turn out in force. “(It) will be the first time in our country that any legislature has taken up a bill to repeal ‘stand your ground,’” Williams said during a conference call with supporters Sunday.

Florida’s law, which became a model for similar statutes in other states, allows people to use deadly force when they feel their lives are in danger and provides immunity from prosecution or civil lawsuits.

The law, an expansion of the traditional “Castle Doctrine,” which gives people the right to defend themselves with deadly force in their own homes, also removed the duty to retreat in any place outside the home where the individual has a right to be.

Limited support

Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., which celebrated its centennial this year, also made further history in Collier County (Naples area) with the establishment of an alumnae chapter there, the first Black Greek-letter fraternity or sorority ever established in the county. The 25 charter members of the Collier County Alumnae Chapter are shown at a formal ceremony on Oct. 26 at Naples’ Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church.

Williams’ repeal bill appears to have no chance as lawmakers hold committee meetings to prepare for the 2014 legislative session.

The “stand your ground” law is heavily supported in both chambers of the Republican-led Legislature, and House Criminal Justice Chairman Matt Gaetz, R-Fort Walton Beach, has famously said that “not one comma” in the See LAW, Page A2

Florida poverty level among highest in US er government benefits into account. It also counts necessary expenses such as An alternative way of childcare and out-of-pocket measuring poverty shows medical costs. that nearly 2.8 million more people are struggling across Includes housing the country than officially In addition, it considers calculated, the U.S. Census the different costs of housBureau reports – and Cali- ing from state to state. That fornia has by far the biggest makes a big difference in share of people in poverty California, where the broadfollowed by D.C., Nevada, er measure counts more than 8.9 million people livand Florida.

The alternative yardstick, ing in poverty between 2010 known as the supplemen- and 2012 – far higher than tal poverty measure, is dif- the 6.2 million tallied the NANCY STONE/CHICAGO TRIBUNE/MCT ferent from the official pov- official way.

Jacqueline Kennedy-Harris (on left), a former drug addict and prostitute, erty rate in a few key ways: See POVERTY, Page A2 now ministers to poor people from a storefront church in Chicago.

It takes tax credits and oth-

SNAPSHOTS FLORIDA | A3

Supervisors key to voter purge

BY EMILY ALPERT REYES LOS ANGELES TIMES / MCT

ALSO INSIDE

State trying to fix jobless site NATION | a6

Jackson reports to prison ‘camp’ HEALTH | B3

Comparing apples, oranges when it comes to nutrition

COMMENTARY: LUCIUS GANTT: BLACK FLORIDIANS SHOULD BE CAREFUL WITH CRIST | A2 COMMENTARY: CHARLES W. CHERRY II: RANDOM THOUGHTS OF A FREE BLACK MIND | A4

FINEST | B5

Meet Keyonna

FOCUS

A2

NOVEMBER 8 – NOVEMBER 14, 2013

Black Floridians should be careful with Charlie Crist The 2014 Florida governor’s race is certainly a political contest that Black voters should be concerned about.

Current Governor Rick Scott has not been a good friend of Black voters, Black workers, Black businesses, Black schools, Black communities or Black citizens.

To some African-American residents of the Sunshine State, “Anybody would be better than Rick Scott!”

Who is Crist?

Well, former Governor Charlie Crist has announced plans to enter the 2014 governor’s race. Crist has been an independent, a Republican and now he is running as a Democrat in his attempt to defeat Gov. Scott, who will be seeking reelection.

Hmmm. Is Crist a Demo-

Lucius Gantt THE GANTT REPORT

cratic wolf or a Republican fox? You know a fox and a wolf are both canines and, according to Malcolm X’s speech “The Ballot or the Bullet,” either political canine we choose will still cause us to end up in the doghouse, the jailhouse and the poorhouse!

Now, I’m not trying to throw shade or salt on the Crist campaign. I’ll be happy to meet with him and talk with him about any subject, personal or political. I truly wish him well in his political aspirations.

What The Gantt Report does is tell the truth.

People lie and say I can’t

be controlled. That is true and not true. Just believe for some reason clients of Lucius Gantt don’t get written about too often.

Be careful Anyway, be careful with Charlie Crist. I didn’t say don’t vote for him. I said be careful with Charlie Crist.

In order for any Democratic candidate to win a political race against a Republican, the Democrat must get an extraordinary number of Black voters.

Most Blacks do vote for Democratic candidates, and it doesn’t matter how angelic or how evil and wicked they are.

You only have to ask the Democrats that lost in the last election to know that getting 90 percent of votes cast by 30 percent of the eligible Black voters is not enough.

The Tea Party will turn out. The fundamentalist Christians will turn out.

The gun lovers will turn out. Wall Street workers will turn out.

And some Blacks will turn out to support local Black candidates and the customary Black that will run for a statewide office.

Destroyed opportunities What I remember about Charlie Crist is how he led the destruction of Black business opportunities in Florida State government.

The “One Florida” plan that former Governor Jeb Bush set up to utilize minority businesses and worked so well was not championed by Crist, it was not endorsed by Crist, it was not adequately funded by Crist. It was Crist’s policy to ignore Black busi-

ness efforts and to subsequently cause Black businesses doing state work to lose huge sums of money.

Election time again It is the time that every politician loves Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; every politician loves Florida A&M University and BethuneCookman University; every politician attends a Black church; and almost every politician will invite Black people to an event to eat fried chicken or fried mullet fish.

I know you can’t wait to jump on some politician’s bandwagon. But can’t you just ask candidates a question before you proclaim him a White Barack Obama?

Ask them, “What is your plan to increase business for Black-owned companies, increase job oppor-

LAW

Excerpts from Gantt columns are now posted every week on The Gantt Report’s Facebook page; become a fan. Buy Gantt’s latest book, “Beast Too: Dead Man Writing” on Amazon.com and from bookstores everywhere.

Contact Lucius at www. allworldconsultants.net.

“Like” The Gantt Report page on Facebook. Click on this story at www.flcourier.com to write your own response. also say there should be stricter guidelines for granting immunity under “stand your ground.”

from A1

Davis family involved

law should be changed.

“If you look at the five years preceding the ‘stand your ground’ law, each year the murder rate went up in our state,” Gaetz said. “Since the ‘stand your ground’ law passed, the murder rate has gone down. I’m sure there are many reasons that’s the case, but I’ve got to believe that having robust self-defense laws that puts the law on the side of the law-abiding citizen, and it puts criminals on notice.”

Call legislators Members of the Dream Defenders, a group that staged the sit-in after George Zimmerman was acquitted in the 2012 shooting death of teen Trayvon Martin, are asking supporters to call the offices of Gaetz and Rep. Ray Pilon, a Sarasota Republican who is vice-chairman of the Criminal Justice Subcommittee, “to let them know how we feel about the ‘stand your ground’ law.”

Martin was walking through a gated community, on his way home from buying a drink and candy, when he was pursued by Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer. Zimmerman, who claimed that

tunities for Black workers and to increase benefits for Black seniors and Black youth?”

The Gantt Report says political candidates that look good from afar are usually far from being good!

RED HUBER/ORLANDO SENTINEL/MCT

The ‘Dream Defenders’ – a Florida-based network of students and youth – blocked the entrance to Sanford Police Department in April 2012 to protest the department’s handling of the Trayvon Martin homicide investigation.

Martin attacked him first, was acquitted in the shooting death, sparking the 31day sit-in outside Gov. Rick Scott’s office.

Zimmerman claimed he shot Martin in self-defense, but did not formally use “stand your ground” to avoid being prosecuted.

The law, however, spawned changes to jury instructions that at least one Zimmerman juror said resulted in the not-guilty verdict.

During the sit-in, the

2014 from A1 ty, but continue to be dragged down by this.”

Proven winner Thurston said he’s got a proven track record raising money and winning elections.

He made history when he was chosen to lead Democrats in the Florida House of Representatives as “minority leader,” the leader of the party that has fewer members in the House. (For this legislative term, Democrats are in the “minority” because there are more Republicans in the state House.)

Thurston could add his name to another Florida historical list if he runs, wins, and becomes attorney general. He would become the first Black person elected to a statewide Florida Cabinet office since 1868.

(The late Doug Jamerson, a St. Petersburg native, was a former Florida House representative who ran for state education commission in 1994 and lost. Gov. Lawton Chiles later appointed him secretary of the Florida Department of Labor in 1995.)

Crist launches comeback In contrast to Thurston’s lowkey announcement, former Republican, independent and now Democrat Charlie Crist addressed supporters at a waterfront park in his St. Petersburg hometown.

Crist verbally attacked current Florida Governor Rick Scott, pausing at times to keep from being drowned out by a plane circling overhead towing a banner with a link to a web site mocking Crist.

Crist accused Scott of being a tea party politician who is rewarding cronies with lucrative contracts and is out of touch with

Dream Defenders asked Scott, Senate President Don Gaetz and House Speaker Will Weatherford to call a special legislative session to review “stand your ground.”

All refused. The group then forced a poll of lawmakers that ended up well short of the votes needed to support a special session, losing by a 96-45 margin.

Weatherford, however, announced that the House would hold a hearing, with Thursday’s marathon meet-

middle-class Floridians. A political committee backing Scott unleashed a $500,000 television ad buy attacking Crist for being an opportunist who abandoned the state to further his own political career.

Flip-flopping “The far-right wing seems to think it important to make much of my party affiliation. That is precisely what is wrong with politics today,” Crist, accompanied by his wife Carole and a crew of Democrats at Albert Whitted Park in St. Petersburg, told the crowd.

The television ad, paid for by the “Let’s Get to Work” political committee backing Scott, featured images of high-profile Democrats, including former Vice President Al Gore, bashing Crist, whom some Democrats blame for Republican U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio’s victory in 2010.

Crist ran as an independent to avoid a primary in what became a three-way race against Rubio and former Democratic Congressman Kendrick Meek.

Scott hasn’t officially filed his re-election paperwork yet, but his political committee has collected more than $13.5 million already this year and Scott pledged to spend more than $25 million “defining” Crist.

On Monday, Crist asked supporters for help in combating the $100 million price tag Scott’s campaign has reportedly put on keeping the governor’s office in GOP hands.

Scott is “trying to bully me by waving around his $100 million checkbook,” Crist said. “Now I trust you. And you can trust me.

And I know you’re smart enough not to believe those ads…If we are tireless in our desire to make Florida a better place again, then Rick Scott can spend a billion dollars on dishonest ads and it won’t matter. You know why? Because we will have an army of angels every day on our side to sup-

ing the result.

Key provisions The Dream Defenders are calling for removal of the “no duty to retreat” provision of the law. “(We) believe if there is an opportunity for retreat, there should be a duty to retreat as well, because the ‘no duty to retreat’ (provision) promotes violence and reckless behavior,” said Woodjerry Louis, a student at the University of Florida.

port us through this,” Crist said.

Crist ‘abandoned’ state Republicans responded to Crist’s event with a conference call featuring Crist’s one-time campaign “maestro” and former chief of staff George LeMieux.

Crist appointed LeMieux to the U.S. Senate to take the place of retiring U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez in 2009.

LeMieux and other Republicans blasted Crist, who at one time called himself a “Ronald Reagan Republican,” for abandoning the state when it was in a crisis during the great recession and unemployment skyrocketed from 3.5 percent to 11 percent.

But Crist frequently says, “the Republican Party left me” by moving too far to the right and cites Florida GOP icon Gov. Jeb Bush’s claim that it would be difficult for Reagan to get elected today.

Sink for Congress Alex Sink, the state’s former chief financial officer who nearly captured the governor’s mansion for Democrats three years ago, announced she would seek a Pinellas County congressional seat in a special election She became the frontrunner on Wednesday. That’s when Democrat Jessica Ehrlich, a St. Petersburg attorney who planned to run for the seat left vacant last month after the death of longtime Republican Congressman C.W. Bill Young at age 82, suspended her campaign and essentially dropped out of the race.

‘Fed up’ with DC Sink said she decided to run for Congress because, like others around the country, she is fed up with Washington. The former banker said she was “frustrated and upset” at the recent government shutdown and partisan gridlock in Congress.

But National Rifle Association lobbyist Marion Hammer said her group would never agree to remove that language from the law.

“One of the primary purposes of passing the Castle Doctrine-’stand your ground’ law in 2005 was to remove the duty to retreat, because forcing a law-abiding citizen to defer to a criminal and give preference to a criminal over a victim is just wrong,” Hammer said.

The Dream Defenders

The date of the special election has not been set, though the Tampa Bay Times reported that Pinellas County elections officials prefer a January primary and a March general election.

Sink’s role as CFO, her history as a banker and her recent launch of the Florida Next Foundation, a non-profit aimed at helping entrepreneurs, give her an intimate knowledge of the needs of small business owners and middleclass Floridians, she said.

Dems happy Democrats were quick to celebrate the recruiting coup, with both the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in Washington, D.C., and the Florida Democratic Party signaling their support for the run.

Republicans unloaded on her.

In an interview with The News Service of Florida, Republican Party of Florida Chairman Lenny Curry brought up everything from Sink’s time as a bank executive to receiving notes during a debate with Scott three years ago.

“I will remind you that she actually cheated on a debate in the governor’s race in 2010,” Curry said. “When she was allied with Charlie Crist, they racked up about $5-plus billion in debt, and she was a bank president when predatory lending practices were going on.”

Both parties are expected to devote an enormous amount of resources to win the seat, one of the few truly competitive districts in the country.

Starla Vaughns Cherin of the Florida Courier and Dara Kam and Brandon Larrabee of the News Service of Florida all contributed to this report.

Participating in Sunday’s phone meeting with Williams and the Dream Defenders was Ron Davis, father of 17-year-old, Jordan Davis, who was fatally shot last year in Jacksonville.

In a case that has drawn widespread attention, the shooting took place at a gas station, where 45-year-old Michael Dunn told a carload of four young men to turn down their loud music and, after an argument, opened fire. Dunn has pleaded not guilty, saying he feared for his life and saw a weapon in the other car, but police have said Jordan Davis and his friends were unarmed.

“I see kids on the street that look like my son, and I just cry,” Ron Davis said Sunday. “I see kids in the park playing basketball and I cry. I wait for my kid to come home and put the key in the door at night, and when he doesn’t, I cry.”

Dunn faces trial on murder and attempted murder charges. Last week, Davis’ mother, Lucia McBath, told a U.S. Senate hearing on “stand your ground” that she feared the law would be used to exonerate her son’s killer.

POVERTY from A1 The alternative measure found that 16 percent of Americans, nearly 50 million, are living in poverty, versus the 15.1 percent, or roughly 47 million officially counted.

The official poverty line is the same “whether you live in New York City or Kansas,” said Marybeth Mattingly, director of research on vulnerable families at the Carsey Institute at the University of New Hampshire. “This looks at what housing actually costs where you live.”

Using the alternative measure, California had the highest poverty in the country between 2010 and 2012 – 23.8 percent – followed by the District of Columbia (22.7 percent), Nevada (19.8 percent) and Florida (19.5 percent) The official measure ranked Louisiana, Mississippi and New Mexico at the top during that period.

The alternative measure also shows steeper poverty among immigrants and the elderly than officially measured. The poverty rate among Asian-Americans, officially measured at 11.8 percent, jumps to 16.7 percent using the alternative measure.

Not increasing By either measure, poverty has stagnated. Earlier this year, the Census Bureau reported that the official poverty rate was virtually the same in 2011 and 2012. The alternative also shows little change in those years, a reflection of continued hardship in the wake of the recession.

“Unemployment is still huge.

We’ve cut housing. We’ve cut Head Start. We’ve cut nutrition programs,” said Ron Haskins, codirector of the Brookings Center on Children and Families.

“Now it’s food stamps…That’ll show up in these numbers next year.”

NOVEMBER 8 – NOVEMBER 14, 2013

A3

FLORIDA

State gets SAVE to help with voter purge Supervisor of elections key to implementing election process

BY BRANDON LARRABEE THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

TALLAHASSEE – As the state readies to launch a new effort to scrub suspected non-citizens from the voter rolls, one key question remains: How many county supervisors of elections will join the effort after they essentially torpedoed a similar purge last year?

Speaking to the Senate Ethics and Elections Committee on Monday, Secretary of State Ken Detzner said the process this time would be helped along because it uses the Department of Homeland Security’s Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements, or SAVE, database.

SAVE is comprised of data from several federal agencies including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the U.S. Coast Guard, and state officials say it will be more reliable than last year’s attempt based largely on data from driver’s licenses.

“SAVE has really been a game-changer when it comes to list maintenance,” Detzner said.

TAIMY ALVAREZ/SUN SENTINEL/MCT

U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-Miramar) speaks to the press in 2011 while sitting next to Bill Internicola, then a 91-year-old Army veteran of World War II who earned the Bronze Star and the Legion of Honor for his service. Internicola was one of the voters targeted by the state as a potential non-citizen, and was ordered to prove his citizenship or lose the right to vote.

The state, though, is in a delicate position. While it can identify individuals it thinks should be removed from the rolls and call those names to the attention of local supervisors, state officials are not empowered to purge voters. Only county supervisors – many of whom helped scuttle last year’s effort – can remove voters.

“As the secretary of state, I have the duty to provide documented, credible and reliable information to our county supervisors of elec-

Case-by-case process The secretary also assured lawmakers that the state Division of Elections will proceed deliberately as it seeks to weed out those who are registered to vote but are not eligible to do so.

“This will be a case-bycase management process,” he said. “We will not start until we are ready.”

Some skepticism Detzner and Maria Matthews, director of the Division of Elections, dodged questions about whether any supervisors had already agreed to participate.

Instead, they stressed that none of the supervisors has so far refused to take part in the effort.

“We would envision that

all 67 would elect to be a part of the SAVE verification agreement. ... But at this juncture, I don’t know why, personally, any county would not wish to participate as part of that,” Matthews said.

But skepticism remains among Democrats, who blasted last year’s purge as an effort to boost Republican election prospects and have been almost as hostile to this year’s project. Sen. Jeff Clemens, DLake Worth, pressed Detzner and Matthews for

the number of supervisors who have said they would participate.

Fairness questioned After the meeting, Clemens said he believes none of the supervisors have done so. And he said whether supervisors participate will likely rely on how fair the state purge appears to be.

“If it seems to be politically motivated, if say all of the people that are being purged happen to be Democrats or minorities, I think that there’s going to be a

big problem,” he said.

Clemens also said that he wondered how much the new program would accomplish, given that specific information is needed to query the SAVE database.

“I think in the end, they’re going to be spending a heck of a lot of time to remove very few people from the voter rolls,” he said. “I think our resources could be better spent trying to register people to vote, as opposed to trying to get a few people off the voting rolls.”

Not connecting: State trying to game-changinG fix new unemployment website Peter Travers

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BY JIM TURNER THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

TALLAHASSEE – The state’s new, but troubled $68 million unemployment website, intended to provide a more modern, user-friendly method of access for people who receive benefits, may still have system “glitches” for another month or two.

The Department of Economic Opportunity’s “Connect” website continues to provide headaches for some users after going live Oct. 15 and replacing a 30-year-old system that individuals used to claim their weekly benefits, monitor accounts and request information.

Months to fix Department Director Jesse Panuccio told members of the Senate Commerce and Tourism Committee on Monday that it could take three months from Oct. 15 for the system put together by Minneapolisbased Deloitte Consulting to fully outperform the prior system.

“We have tried to assure every claimant who has been delayed for technical reasons will not lose benefits,” Panuccio added.

Committee Chairwoman Nancy Detert, R-Venice, said she is willing to give programmers a little more time to get the system performing as expected. Still, she wanted the agency to reduce roadblocks for jobless people as they try to receive checks and get help finding jobs.

“It’s just not good enough to say we’ll pay you back later,” Detert said. “These are folks that are living hand to mouth, they’re waiting for that check. They’re not reassured they’ll get paid later when they have to eat today on very little money.”

TM

“A

tions, so that they may undertake their statutory responsibility to update their voter rolls,” Detzner said.

Connect has been in the works since 2009.

The department provides up to $275 weekly to more than 200,000 jobless Floridians.

When the problems were first encountered, on the day the system was activated, Panuccio called the problems “minor glitches” that were somewhat anticipated. But for some the frustration grew after they couldn’t get into the call center online or by telephone.

Deloitte Vice Chair U.S. Public Sector Leader Jessica Blume put the full optimization time at between 60 to 90 days, as she said is about average for new sites.

She said part of the problem has been that the new system, in part covered with federal tax dollars, has forced individuals to reset their pin numbers, yet people were

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Minor glitches?

No connect: Thousands of Floridians have been unable to register for unemployment benefits throught the state’s new CONNECT website. not given full instructions on how to reset those numbers. Those who failed to properly reset their numbers would be locked out of the system and have to call the DEO for assistance.

Too many problems Blume added that the system is now at the point where the average person updating claims without questions shouldn’t be experiencing any difficulty.

Some senators, who have been receiving complaints from constituents, remain displeased about problems with such an expensive system.

Sen. Alan Hays, R-Umatilla, said that while he understands the need to replace the older, underperforming system, he wants to see value in the website.

“Just because it’s federal money doesn’t mean we throw it up in the wind and catch what we can,” Hays said. “I want to see that we’re getting our dollars worth.”

Investigation sought The glitches were somewhat anticipated, with the agency asking people to be patient when the new site came online, with advisories that there would likely be longer than usual wait times and some busy signals. But with complaints continuing to roll in, concerns about the system have grown.

The system problems have caused U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., to ask for an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor.

Rep. Irv Slosberg, D-Boca Raton, has asked the Florida House to investigate the system.

The House Transportation and Economic Development Appropriations Subcommittee is expected to receive a presentation on the website Tuesday.

EDITORIAL

A4

NOVEMBER 8 – NOVEMBER 14, 2013

Money problems not just at Grambling The strike of football players at legendary Grambling State University received attention across the world. GSU President Frank Pogue praised the players for providing the “creative tension” needed to bring attention to the plight of Grambling and historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in general.

The players were protesting poor practice facilities and dilapidated locker rooms, as well as the firing of their coach, Doug Williams, early in the season, but their protest exposed the broader reality facing Grambling and HBCUs: they face a brutal and increasing financial crisis. At Grambling, President Pogue reports, aid from the state of Louisiana has been cut by nearly 60 percent over the last six years.

The school has gone, as its Office of Finance and Administra-

ition from financial aid, part-time work and parental loans. And to add to the misery, the Department Rev. Jesse L. of Education decided to tighten elJackson, Sr. igibility requirements for parental PLUS loans, denying applicants TRICEEDNEYWIRE.COM with even minor credit blemishes, such as overdue parking tickets or tion reports, from a state “fund- cellphone bills — exactly the kind ed” institution to a state “assist- of difficulties that low-income ed” institution — and the assis- families often run into. tance isn’t nearly enough. Trying to operate on a budget lower than Historic reversal it was six years ago, Grambling has The inevitable result is that cut full-time employees by more Grambling and other HBCUs are than one-fourth over five years. losing students — an estimated The state cutbacks have forced in- 28,000 were denied Parental PLUS creases in tuition and fees of about loans over the past year — as more 60 percent over the last five years. and more qualified students simLike most HBCUs, Grambling’s ply can’t afford to pay their way. students come largely from lower- This is a historic reversal. Historiincome families, and are often the cally black colleges and universifirst in their families to go to col- ties have provided real opportulege. nity to underserved communities, They cobble together their tu- particularly African-Americans.

VISUAL VIEWPOINT: GUN ROULETTE

Steve Sack, Minneapolis Star Tribune

Random thoughts of a free Black mind, v. 193 ‘Wildcat Radio’ – The top story in our sister publication, the Daytona Times, this week is that a local Daytona Beach broadcaster donated a commercial AM radio station to Bethune-Cookman University at no charge to the school. Congrats! The more Black-owned media outlets, the better. Our affiliated media company has owned a radio station in the Daytona area for more than 20 years. We’ll help B-CU however they allow us to do so, at their request…

Black Floridians and the 2014 gubernatorial race – In 2010, Rick Scott had a Black female running mate, Jennifer Carroll. Alex Sink, a White woman, was his lackluster opponent. Scott-Carroll carved off just enough Black votes to win one of the closest gubernatorial contests in Florida’s recent history. Sink spent her last campaign week apologizing for missteps with Black voters rather than getting out the Black vote. Meanwhile, Carroll showed up to every Black banquet, meeting, or rally she could. Black voters, especially Black women, will determine who the next Florida governor will be – again…

NFL Miami Dolphins ‘bullying’ – How can 300-pound Jonathan Martin be bullied by his 285-pound teammate/co-worker, Richie Incognito? It was actually “work-

quick takes from #2: straight, no chaser

Charles W. Cherry II, Esq. PUBLISHER

place harassment.” NFL fields and locker rooms are workplaces, no different from anyplace else in America, and should be treated as such. The Dolphins failed in their legal and practical responsibility to provide a workplace that maximizes the productivity and safety of their employees. Had Martin violently retaliated against a co-worker anywhere but the NFL, Martin, not Incognito, would have been fired. America, quit romanticizing pro sports and entertainment. Treat them like the cold-blooded businesses they are…

Contact me at ccherry2@gmail.com; holler at me at www.facebook.com/ ccherry2 and ‘like’ the Florida Courier and Daytona Times pages. Follow the Florida Courier (@flcourier), the Daytona Times (@daytonatimes) and me (@ ccherry2) on Twitter.

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

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Charles W. Cherry, Sr. (1928-2004), Founder Julia T. Cherry, Senior Managing Member, Central Florida Communicators Group, LLC Dr. Glenn W. Cherry, Cassandra CherryKittles, Charles W. Cherry II, Managing Members Dr. Glenn W. Cherry, Chief Executive Officer Charles W. Cherry II, Esq., Publisher Dr. Valerie Rawls-Cherry, Human Resources Jenise Morgan, Senior Editor Linda Fructuoso, Marketing Consultant/Sales, Circulation Angela VanEmmerik, Creative Director Chicago Jones, Eugene Leach, Louis Muhammad, Lisa Rogers-Cherry, Circulation James Harper, Andreas Butler, Ashley Thomas, Staff Writers Delroy Cole, Kim Gibson, Photojournalists MEMBER National Newspaper Publishers Association Society of Professional Journalists Florida Press Association Associated Press National Newspaper Association

Locked out Now, states are constricting access to college even as they expand entrance to private prisons and jails. They are moving from education and reconstruction to incarceration and separation. Instead of opening paths from poverty, they are locking more young people out by locking them up.

This takes place despite the remarkable success of HBCUs. As Lezli Baskerville, president and CEO of the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education, reported in 2008, HCBUs confer 24 percent of all Ph.Ds awarded to African-Americans.

They represent 4 percent of all colleges and universities in number, but enroll 16 percent of African-Americans in a four-year colleges, graduate 30 percent of all African-Americans receiving bachelor’s degrees, 40 percent of

those granted degrees in science and math, 50 percent of those graduating in engineering and 50 percent of those granted teaching degrees.

More and more students are priced out of the very education they need. We all have a stake in educating the next generation. But with Washington fixated on cutting spending back to levels not seen since the 1950s, and states facing continued budget squeezes, we are asking the young to bear the burden that should be widely shared. Perhaps the strike by the football team of a legendary program will begin to wake us up.

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

Scalia the greatest enemy to civil rights Our Constitution outlines the founders’ vision for the structure of our government.

At the time it was written, our Constitution guaranteed liberties for individuals that Dr. E. Faye were not to be abridged.

Williams, Esq. It provided for a legislative branch reTRICE EDNEY WIRE sponsible for passing laws to benefit all.

The executive branch was structured to execute laws passed by the legislative branch reactionary of his colleagues would tag him in a fair and equitable manner. The judicial with that label.

Others would say Samuel Alito’s reserved branch is to interpret the constitutionality of laws and assure their equitable application. acerbic manner would give him the title. Others would give the nod to Clarence Thomas. After all, the height of arrogant inQuestionable actions Throughout history, there’ve been ques- difference is to deny others the opportunity tionable actions by each branch that dem- to receive the same benefits that led to one’s onstrate deviation from the letter of the own success. law. When personal freedom was touted as foundational principle and the country Enemy of civil rights endorsed the institution of slavery to the Although each of these Justices merits recent recognition of full rights of citizen- consideration as the greatest enemy of civship for LGBT communities, our nation il rights, I would award it to Justice Antonin has been in a transformative evolution of Scalia. Scalia’s public utterances are as oflaws and culture. fensive as his official decisions and give clear Once, the judicial branch was the indication to his bias and racial animus. branch of government Black people relied Recently, Scalia demonstrated the depth on for protection of our rights. Mostly, this of his contempt for Blacks when he debranch, specifically the Supreme Court, scribed the protections of the Voting Rights has been a responsible partner in securing and directing the application of laws in a Act as “the perpetuation of racial entitlemanner that would guarantee full rights of ment.”

As a child of Italian immigrants, it would citizenship to us. We’ve depended on the selection and judgment of Constitutional seem Scalia would have greater empathy for scholars who had a realistic perspective on the challenges of citizenship faced by “out” real-life application of laws and their im- groups and that he’d acknowledge the difference between a right and an entitlement. pact on real people.

Recently, Scalia stated that the 14th Amendment doesn’t protect “only the Shift in perspective Our latest crops of Supreme Court Jus- Blacks.” Students of history will counter his tices (The Roberts’ Court) have issued rul- position with the correct argument that the ings that seem to indicate a shift in perspec- Amendment was ratified to do just that. It tive. The Citizens United ruling indicates a affirmed citizenship and established voting regressive shift in philosophy to the prin- rights for former slaves. ciples of the Taney Court which issued the Dr. E. Faye Williams is Chair of the Nadreaded Dred Scott decision.

There’s debate as to which among the cur- tional Congress of Black Women. She can rent crop of Justices is the greatest enemy of be reached at www.nationalcongressbw. civil rights. Some would say the smooth in- org. Click on this story at www.flcourier. difference of the Chief Justice to the more com to write your own response.

Fellowshipping with positive Black folks It is always an immense pleasure to fellowship with positive Black Folks, a time when the “I just happen to be Black” types are totally absent. I recently had that experience at two events — attending the Ron Walters Legacy Conference at Howard University and lecturing on Harlem at the John Henrik Clarke House in the country’s most famous neighborhood.

The conference honoring brilliant political scientists, Ron Walters, featured friends, colleagues, former students and readers of his information-filled column such as myself who provided personal insights on the truly remarkable contributions Ron made to the advancement of our cultural, political and economic interests in this country.

As a self-described scholar-activist, he didn’t just write about major events that occurred during his life, he actively participated in them on every level. The Ronald W. Walters Leadership & Public Policy Center at Howard University was established to both honor Ron and “to serve as a focal point for research publications and leadership development activities”.

The second source of

A. Peter Bailey TRICEEDNEYWIRE.COM

much intellectual and spiritual uplift was having an opportunity to speak to friends, colleagues and supporters of the great historian, Dr. John Henrik Clarke at the Clarke House in Harlem. One could actually feel Dr. Clarke’s presence in the brownstone.

The event was sponsored by the Board for the Education of People of African Ancestry whose chair is James McIntosh MD. Its co-chair is Betty Dopson.

My remarks focused on what we as Blacks are losing as the racial composition of Harlem rapidly changes.

A neighborhood that has been a major creative center for Black culture is just a few years away from being something very different.

Money driven developers The community was originally developed to be New York City’s first suburb at a time when Times Square was considered uptown Manhattan. That’s why it

has those wide streets and sidewalks, why it has more brownstones than any other section of Manhattan, and why 125th Street has always been a major transportation hub for the City. This makes it an inviting target for money-driven developers, including Columbia University which used to say it was in Morningside Heights to avoid any connection with the name Harlem. Now it boasts of being in West Harlem.

Preserving legacies The positive Black folks in the Clarke House that afternoon, though somewhat pessimistic about Harlem’s future, are determined that its role in Black history will not be totally whitewashed.

I was fortunate to have had the opportunity to listen to, talk to and learn from Drs. Walters and Clarke. I thank those positive Black folks who are preserving their enormous and valuable legacies.

Peter Bailey’s memoir, Witnessing Brother Malcolm X, The Master Teacher, can be obtained by calling 202-716-4560. Click on this story at www.flcourier.com to write your own response.

NOVEMBER 8 – NOVEMBER 14, 2013

Detroit will be Democracy’s decisive battle “If we don’t do something real soon, I think you’ll have to agree that we’re going to be forced eiGLEN ther to use the ballot or the bullet.

FORD It’s one or the other in 1964. It isn’t that time is running out – time has BLACK AGENDA REPORT run out!”

– Malcolm X, “The Ballot or the Bullet,” Cleveland, Ohio, Black corporate lawyer overseeing April 3, 1964. the dismantling of every mechanism of local democracy.

A half-century after the man Kevyn Orr’s ascension as plenionce known as Detroit Red spoke potentiary of Wall Street is also the those words, the last grains of sand ultimate logic of the most vulgar are trickling from the hour glass of current of African-American polwhat has passed for democracy in itics, which seeks only Black repAmerica. resentation at the highest levels of The principle of one-person, power, no matter whose interests one vote – or any meaningful franchise, at all – is no longer operative are served. Wall Street long ago for the majority of Black people in scoped this Black weakness, and the state of Michigan, whose large- has exploited it at every political ly African-American cities are run level.

Detroit’s dissolution also sounds by emergency managers accountthe death knell for a generation’s able to no one but Rick Snyder, the venture capitalist in the governor’s dreams of authentic “Black Power” through purely electoral means in mansion.

The same bell is tolling for every collaboration with corporate “reurban center in the land, as hege- naissance” schemes.

The Black masses have never monic finance capital creates the been envisioned as part of any “retemplate for direct corporate rule through the systematic destruction newal” of the cities under corporate auspices. Rather, investment of Detroiters’ citizenship rights.

The 82 percent Black metropolis is contingent on Black disempowhas been reduced to a Bantustan erment and removal – the corpoin both the economic and political rate axiom from which the Emersenses of the term. Surrounded by gency Manager regime logically some of the richest counties in the flows.

Barack Obama, as loyal (and nation, the impoverished city exemplifies a national racial wealth lawyerly) a servant of the banks gap that is more profound than as Orr, accepts the validity of the that which existed in South Africa premise, which is why he raises no principled objection to Detroit’s at the height of apartheid. disenfranchisement, either in its particulars or as a model for urban Dismantling democracy The Emergency Manager law, America. passed by the Republican state legislature after rejection by voters in a referendum, makes the Bantustan analogy complete, with a

EDITORIAL

A5

VISUAL VIEWPOINT: WAR ON THE POOR

written almost entirely by the financial capitalist class. By virtue of the Emergency Manager law, Detroit is represented in court by its nemesis, Kevyn Orr – which is like imposing Newt Gingrich as chief counsel for the NAACP Orr’s office is referred to as “the city” in both legal terms and by idiot corporate media.

Kevin Orr, ensconced in a $5,000 per month luxury penthouse condominium paid for by one of Governor Snyder’s private slush funds with contributions from secret corporate donors, is building the template for urban democratic dissolution from scratch.

He is a crude and unimaginative man, doing Wall Street’s bidding with little finesse in the bright light of day. His arrogance is buttressed by the certainty that he is backed by the real rulers of the American State, Wall Street, and that the outcome in Judge Steven Rhodes’ federal bankruptcy court will create precedent to render all of America’s cities servile and neutered.

Randall Enos, Cagle Cartoons

able pieces and to garnishee its remaining revenue streams for bankers.

His opening fiscal reorganization plan would pay off Bank of America and UBS, who have already made millions on a 2005 derivatives scheme with the city, establishing Britain’s Barclay’s Bank as the super-priority creditor with dibs on Lying duo $4 million a month in Detroit casiOrr and the governor, who no revenues if the city defaults. was subpoenaed by unions, both claimed they didn’t start out wanting to bankrupt the city – but why Corporate plan To ensure that the city can never would Snyder hire bankruptcy lawyer Orr unless that were the escape the clutches of capital, the intention? The lying duo claimed contract would allow Barclay’s to they never conspired to push De- immediately declare Detroit in detroit into the venue, and that it fault if Emergency Financial Manwas the unions that refused to ne- ager rule is ended for any reason gotiate in good faith. Apparent- – that is, the corporate plan calls ly, “good faith” means negotiating for the permanent cessation of democracy in Detroit. away rights guaranteed by law.

That’s the plan for the whole Orr admitted that he never even raised the subject of getting the country. Wall Street recognizes state to help Detroit out of its fis- that it cannot effectively consume Drama unfolds cal difficulties. And, why would the public sphere as long as the The drama unfolds in bankrupt- he? His mission is not to save the public retains the electoral demcy court, a venue whose rules were city, but to break it into auction- ocratic mechanisms to stop it. In

other words, concentrated capital can no longer coexist with even the thin gruel of American democracy.

Decisive battleground The Black polity is the weakest link in the U.S. democratic armor.

White folks won’t protect it, and Black folks have the least resources to defend it.

The generals of Wall Street have purposely chosen Detroit as the decisive battleground, where the power of massed capital will be hyper-charged by an endemic, unreconstructed racism that can reliably be expected to deny that democracy is really at stake, at all. It’s just, you know – “the Blacks.”

And even some Black folks will agree.

Glen Ford is executive editor of the Black Agenda Report. He can be contacted at Glen.Ford@ BlackAgendaReport.com. Click on this story at www.flcourier. com to write your own response.

God does not give up on any child “I’ll take anyone,” Davion said.

“Old or young, dad or mom, Black, White, purple. I don’t care. And I would be really appreciative. The best I could be…”

It was a front-page story in the Tampa Bay Times last month that broke hearts around the world.

Fifteen-year-old Davion Navar Henry Only has spent his entire life in Florida’s foster care system.

His mother was incarcerated when he was born, and when he did an Internet search for her name in June, he learned she’d died just a few weeks earlier.

He’s been moved from placement to placement throughout his childhood without ever finding somewhere he really belonged.

As a teenager now living in a group home, Davion was starting to feel like he was running out of time – at risk of becoming one of the more than 23,000 youths each year who simply “age out” of the foster care system at age 18 or older and are left on their own without ever finding a caring, permanent family connection.

Davion decided to take his future into his own hands and asked

Marian Wright Edelman NNPA COLUMNIST

his caseworker if she could help him speak at a church. She made arrangements at St. Mark Missionary Baptist Church in St. Petersburg. There, as the article reported, the shy teenager who’s worked hard to get A’s so far this year in everything but geometry and would love to play football if he had someone to drive him to practice, stood at the pulpit and asked the congregation if “someone, anyone” could adopt him.

Davion’s story quickly went viral and was shared on social media networks and websites around the country. He appeared on national television and received media coverage as far away as Australia and Japan and there is wonderful news to report.

Davion’s child welfare agency, Eckerd, has received more than 10,000 inquiries about adopting

Although foster care is supposed to be temporary, the average length of stay in foster care is nearly two years. Almost onethird of children waiting for adoption have been in care three or more years and one in seven has been in care five years or lonA simple plea Davion’s simple plea has raised ger. For some children like Daviawareness of adoption every- on, foster care can last an entire where, but it’s vital to remember childhood. that there are thousands more Light shed Davions out there.”

Davion told the reporter who One of the remarkable blessfirst shared his story in a follow ings of Davion’s sharing his story up interview: “I know what it’s is that it shed light on the thoulike to have nobody, with no light sands of children who wait years at the end of the tunnel, no one and years before finding a perwho wants you. I just keep saying, manent family, especially on the ‘There’s only one me. But all my thousands of teenagers who desfriends, all the other guys at the perately want but are at risk of group home, all these other kids never finding a family: 16 and 17 need families too.’ I just hope they year olds are just 3.3 percent of fidon’t give up. And that someone nalized adoptions. gives them a chance.”

Children who leave foster care I am so grateful Davion did not without permanent families are give up on himself and is serving at increased risk of not graduatas a voice for many other youths ing from high school and ending like himself. There were nearly up unemployed, homeless or in 400,000 children in foster care in the juvenile and criminal justice 2012, and 101,719 of them were systems — with a jail cell in place waiting to be adopted. of a home.

him and says: “We are confident that Davion’s new forever family is within the responses we’ve received and case managers have already begun to follow up individually with each family.

Call on churches The church that welcomed Davion to tell his story served an important mission. Across the country other faith communities are helping children in foster care find permanent families and help support families to keep children from going into care.

November is National Adoption Month. If just one-third of the nearly 345,000 faith congregations in America encouraged one member to adopt one child from foster care, all the 101,719 children in foster care awaiting adoption could have a loving permanent family. Davion’s pleading words struck a chord as he reminded adults everywhere that God does not give up on any child — and neither should we.

Marian Wright Edelman is president of the Children’s Defense Fund. For more information, go to www.childrensdefense.org. Click on this story at www.flcourier.com to write your own response.

The masks we wear: Trick, treat, and tragedy In 1896, Lyrics of Lowly Life, a collection of Paul Laurence Dunbar’s poetry was published. Although his poem was specifically focused on African-American people, in this twenty-first century, it is apropos to many.

He recognizes the pain many feel about their inability to be “themselves” and if we fast-forward to today, he addresses the masks they wear because they want to hide from themselves.

The poem reads: “We wear the mask that grins and lies; That hides our cheeks and shades our eyes; This debt we pay to human guile; With torn and bleeding hearts we smile; And mouth with myriad subtleties.

Why should the world be overwise; In counting all our tears and sighs? Nay, let them only see us, while; We wear the mask. We smile, but, O great Christ, our cries; To thee from tortured souls arise. We sing, but oh the clay is vile; Beneath our feet, and long the mile; But let the world dream otherwise. We wear the mask!”

Whenever I read this poem I am struck by its poignancy. It recognizes the Black folks who tapdanced when they’d rather do

DR. JULIANNE MALVEAUX TRICEEDNEYWIRE.COM

It is tragic that at Halloween, a day conceived for children to have fun, has become an occasion for masks that attack, and for those who make excuses for them. ballet, who hid their true feelings to get ahead, who are perceived as happy while “the clay is vile”. It doesn’t take a historian to evaluate the masks that people of African descent have been forced to wear in these United States.

In the early twentieth century you could be lynched for looking a White person in the eye. No matter what your status, you were expected to clear the sidewalk when a White person walked by. You weren’t supposed to scowl or protest, just to wear the mask.

Edgy label Many of us who earned advanced degrees from our nations best institutions are stunned when we are described as “articulate."

Some of us choose to wear the mask and silently absorb the nonsense. Others are plain spoken enough to pay the price of stunted career advancement, or a reputation for being “edgy”.

People wear masks daily, sometimes to reveal who they are, and sometimes to hide their true identity. What does this imply, then, about the White people who think that a blackface mask is appropriate. Too many people, including the obscure and minimally talented actress Julianne Hough decided to don blackface for a Halloween party, excusing herself by claiming she was simply going as a character in the show Orange is the New Black.

Ignorantly sorry

T-shirt (posing as George Zimmerman) seems to be shooting his black-faced, hoodie-clad White friend who is supposed to be Trayvon Martin. Why is this appropriate or amusing?

The arrogance of White people suggests that they can make a joke, and suggests that all people of color are their jokes. The massacre of a young Black man, for them, is not tragedy but an occasion for mockery.

“We wear the mask that grins and lies, that hides our cheeks and shades our eyes.’’ For some, masks are concealing, for others revealing. Those who choose to mute their reaction to a racist world are adapting.

Those who think that blackface is appropriate are attacking.

It is tragic that at Halloween, a day conceived for children to have fun, has become an occasion for masks that attack, and for those who make excuses for them.

When criticized she said she was “sorry”, but she should have said she was ignorantly sorry, because her historical knowledge is most deficient. Did she go to anybody’s school?

Like Hough, those who think that blackface is funny, ignore the demeaning history of blackface caricatures. If these people are wearing a mask, it is a mask that allowed them to hide their racism until they had an excuse to let it show. Then their response is that “it is all in good fun, we meant no harm”, or “ I never meant to offend”.

That’s the mask of arrogance.

The mask of “I’m White, I’m going to do whatever I choose to do,’’ a mask that allows them to ignore common decency.

In 2011, Ohio University started a campaign that suggested that student be mindful of the Halloween costumes they chose. The “we’re a culture not a costume” has spread to several universities, Julianne Malveaux is a Washbut apparently it has not spread ington, D.C.-based economist widely enough. and writer. She is President Emerita of Bennett College for Appropriate or amusing? Women in Greensboro, N.C. Two White men in Florida de- Click on this story at www.flcouclared “anything for a laugh” when rier.com to write your own reone, with a “Stand Your Ground” sponse.

TOj A6

NATION

NOVEMBER 8 – NOVEMBER 14, 2013

Former congressman reports to prison ‘camp’

Marshals reprimanded for spending hundreds of thousands on swag

Jesse Jackson Jr. and wife spent campaign funds on things like fur capes, Rolex watch

FROM WIRE REPORTS

Former Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., who started his 30-month sentence on Oct. 29, has a projected release date of Dec. 31, 2015, according to the federal Bureau of Prisons website.

That date makes the assumption Jackson will have almost two months shaved from his sentence for good behavior.

Jackson is serving his time in a minimum security prison “camp” at the Butner prison complex in North Carolina. The facility does not have cells and inmates live in what a Butner spokesman said is “a dormitory style setting.”

The spokesman also said, “Camp inmates are afforded job opportunities throughout the complex with work details to include: outside garage, outside warehouse, unicor (the name for the Federal Prison Industries program), orderly positions (inside the camp and the other facilities within the complex), grounds maintenance, electrical, laundry, tutor positions within education and food service.

“The standard clothing issue to an inmate is khaki shirt and pants, underwear and socks.”

Wife to do time too Jackson and his wife, Sandi, a former Chicago alderman, pleaded guilty in February to looting their campaign funds of $750,000 over seven years. Sandi Jackson, convicted of not paying income taxes on the money she stole, will serve a year sentence after her husband returns from Butner.

Jackson, a former Democratic congressman and the son of civil rights leader the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr., pleaded guilty in Febru-

BY RICHARD SIMON LOS ANGELES TIMES (MCT)

WASHINGTON — The Justice Department inspector general on Tuesday assailed the U.S. Marshals Service for spending at least $793,118 on promotional items, calling the expenditures “excessive.”

An inspector general report looked at spending between 2005 and 2010, finding that $11,338 had been paid for neckties and silk scarves bearing the USMS seal; $13,605 on USMS-themed Christmas ornaments; $16,084 on USMSthemed blankets and throws; and $36,596 on USMS lapel pins.

The report comes as Congress has cracked down on federal spending for government conferences after an $823,000 Las Vegas-area gathering for General Services Administration employees that included a mind reader, and Veterans Affairs conferences in Florida that included a taxpayer-funded $50,000 parody video featuring a Gen. George S. Patton look-alike.

A spokeswoman for the Marshals Service said the agency has tightened its rules and spent less than $600 on promotional and ceremonial items in fiscal 2011 and less than $221 in fiscal 2012.

The inspector general said new policies have been put in place. The promotional items were given out to build morale and as awards and retirement gifts.

BRIAN CASSELLA/CHICAGO TRIBUNE/MCT

Jesse Jackson Jr. and his wife, Sandi, arrive at the federal courthouse in Washington, D.C., for a sentencing hearing on Aug. 14. ary to misusing about $750,000 in campaign funds to purchase such luxuries as fur capes, celebrity memorabilia, mounted elk heads and a Rolex watch.

Sandi Jackson was sentenced to one year for filing false tax returns that failed to report the campaign money as income. The couple has two children. The judge ordered Mrs. Jackson to report to prison 30 days after her husband is released to reduce the impact on the children.

Treated for bipolar disorder Former Rep. Jackson served in Congress from 1995 until he resigned after re-election in November 2012, citing health reasons.

He disappeared from public view in the summer of 2012 and speculation swirled for weeks about his condition.

At first, Jackson said he was being treated for exhaustion, and his doctor said in July 2012 he was being treated for a “mood disorder.”

Jackson was eventually treated for at least six weeks at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., for bipolar disorder. Jackson was also sentenced to three years supervised release following his prison sentence and ordered to perform 500 hours of community service.

Mrs. Jackson was given 12 months supervised release and 200 hours of community service.

This story was compiled by reports from EURWEB.com and the Trice Edney News Wire.

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Midnight munchies could harm more than waistline See page B3

SHARING BLACK LIFE, STATEWIDE

November 8 - November 14, 2013

SHARING BLACK LIFE, STATEWIDE

Bullying in school becoming epidemic See page B4

www.flcourier.com

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SECTION

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CHARLES W. CHERRY II / FLORIDA COURIER

Rev. Patrick Bell plays a saxophone solo at the homegoing ceremony.

SHEILA H. ST. ETIENNE, 1956-2013 Editor’s note: Here are excerpts of Florida Courier Publisher Charles W. Cherry II’s remarks at the homegoing service of Jacksonville native Sheila Hightower St. Etienne in New Orleans on Oct. 26, 2013.

For seven years, the Florida Courier followed the family’s 2005 evacuation from Hurricane Katrina to Jacksonville and their efforts to rebuild their lives in New Orleans. St. Etienne’s survivors include her son Jordan, 17, and daughter Dionne, 15.

‘THE ART OF LIVING DELICIOUSLY’

W

hen Sheila’s family patriarch Johnnie Davis died in 2010, I attended his homegoing service in Jacksonville. After I got back home to Fort Lauderdale and she came back home here, she called me a few days later.

She said, “Your godson Jordan must have seen you talking and laughing with me in Jacksonville and he told me ‘Mom, I think there’s some history there!’ We both cracked up and took about 30 minutes to go over that 30-year history together. And Jordan and Dionne, that’s what I want to do today is to give you a brief overview of my history with your mother.

First contact I met her in Gainesville, Florida, in 1980 when she was Sheila Hightower at a law school graduation party for your uncle, Brian “Jordy” Davis. He was a year ahead of me there and, as a tutor, was one of a group of Black students who help me to graduate and eventually become a lawyer.

Your mama was cute and fine; slim, stacked, and beautiful. Always was; always will be. And she knew it. I asked Brian who she was; “Aw man, that’s my little sister Sheila,” he told me.

I kept my eyes on her all evening even though her future husband, Lavon West, was there. At some point, I thought I caught her eye, she gave me a quick smile, and started heading my way. I decided to make my move.

Now Jordan, I don’t have any opening lines with women, because I can’t deliver them well. I’ve learned to keep it simple and say, “Hi, my name is Charles W. Cherry II. It’s great to meet you,” and let things go and hopefully grow organically from there.

Passed me by So as Sheila smilingly walked in my direction, I made ready for first contact – checked my breath, smoothed my eyebrows and hair, made sure my palms weren’t sweaty, no visible boogers in my nose, since she was shorter than me and would be looking up at me.

Finally, the moment came. The closer she got, the finer she looked.

“Hi. I’m Charles W. Cherry II. I hear you are Brian’s sister. Nice to meet you.” I stuck out my hand.

I was shocked and embarrassed when she walked past me, still smiling. As she sashayed by, I turned around to see where she was going.

Sheila Hightower was heading toward

It was good As I was weeping and wailing, moaning and groaning about my fate, full of gloom and doom, I watched her as she took her first spoonful of that fabulous seafood jambalaya. Time seemed to stop as I watched her reaction to that initial bite.

She closed her eyes, smiled, shook her head back and forth and said, “UMH umh umh!” It was so good I put my fork down to just watch her eat. And just like from the scene from the movie “When Harry Met Sally,” I told our waitress, “I’m having what she’s having.”

Sheila was a “foodie.” She loved to eat.

She could put it away. I told her that her metabolism must be like a blast furnace because for years she ate whatever she wanted to and never gained a pound.

But she wasn’t a pretentious foodie, one of those picky eaters who would only eat food that was exactingly prepared and gloriously presented. If she ate a hot dog, and it was delicious, you could see it on her face. She tried new dishes without hesitation, and with the hopeful optimism that the food would be good.

And she was forgiving. The fact that she ate a bad meal for lunch didn’t stop her from enjoying a good dinner, because she was able to put that bad lunch out of her mind.

Lived like she ate Jordan, Dionne and Sheila St. Etienne in a family portrait.

Never judged me

Jacksonville-area Circuit Judge Brian J. Davis, St. Etienne’s brother, gives acknowledgments on behalf of the family. the food. Unfortunately, I had stationed myself between her and something to eat.

She deliberately stacked her plate with food, ate a chicken wing, and wiped the sauce from her hand before grabbing my hand – I had sheepishly dropped my arm back to my side and hoped nobody in the room had seen this epic fail – and she said, “Hi. I’m Sheila. Nice to meet you, too.”

That’s how an unbroken 33-year friendship began.

Our friendship lasted so long because she never judged me and always forgave me for anything I did or said wrong. Our friendship also lasted so long because for the 33 years I knew her, I never made the mistake of getting between Sheila Lee Hightower West St. Etienne and a table full of food again.

Fast-forward some 24 years. When my father Charles, Sr. died in 2004, I felt my life was going to hell. Sheila met me at a seafood restaurant in St. Augustine, down the road from Jacksonville, for lunch and to cheer me up.

Now I was very emotional during this time. Fourteen months before my father died, my wife and I had a stillborn daughter. We quickly tried again. Five months before Daddy died, my son Charles III was born and spent his first four months of life in a neonatal intensive care unit. Our family businesses were going through major turmoil in the wake of Daddy’s death. Things were tough, and I would cry at the drop of a hat.

At this little waterfront gem of a restaurant, I was sitting with my head down, literally crying in my soup.

Meanwhile, Sheila ordered a steaming bowl of seafood jambalaya with a ton of shrimp, mussels, scallops, roasted garlic and tomato, chicken, sausage. It was gloriously flavorful and perfectly seasoned.

As I reflected on three decades of friendship, what I know about Sheila is that she lived like she ate – knowingly, with deliberation, appreciation, hope, joy, laughter and optimism. And that attitude of openness, suspending judgment, savoring, appreciating, immersing yourself in the experience and most of all forgiveness, the ability to put a bad experience behind her and to keep on living – carried over into her interactions with everyone she knew.

And so all of us here were items of cuisine in the broad and inclusive sociological and cultural palate of Sheila St. Etienne. She was born to call New Orleans, the culinary capital of America, her home.

A few more things She could talk. And she WOULD talk.

Continuously. Fast. With excruciating detail. And she was self-priming, meaning she’d start on her own and get up to maximum speed with no input from me.

I used to practice law full-time, and time in a law office is money. When she’d call, I’d tell my secretary “hold all other calls.” I’d put Sheila on mute, start and finish filing papers, do some legal research, head out the office, get my car washed, and come back. She’d still be talking.

At the end, she’d say “Chuck, good talking to you, I love you.” I’d say, “I love you too,” and she’d be gone.

She and I had some sore spots. One was my generalizations, especially about people. I often said, “Black people do Please see SHEILA, Page B2

CALENDAR

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NOVEMBER 8 – NOVEMBER 14, 2013

TOJ

Read All About Black Life, Statewide!

FLORIDA CLASSIC

GLADYS KNIGHT

The BethuneCookman University Wildcats and the Florida A&M University meet for the 68th time and the 34th time as part of the Florida Blue Florida Classic. Details about the Florida Classic weekend, visit www.floridaclassic. org.

KIM GIBSON/ FLORIDA COURIER

The legendary singer will be at Hard Rock Live Hollywood on Nov. 22.

Visit us online at flcourier.com

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF COLUMBUS IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION FILE NO: 13 CVS 001031 DON W. VIETS, JR., as Administrator CTA of the Estate of MARIO DERAN LEWIS, JR., . . . Plaintiff

KENNY G

vs.

Popular saxophonist Kenny G is scheduled at the Coral Springs Center for the Arts on Nov. 11 and The Peabody Auditorium in Daytona Beach on Nov. 12.

FLORIDA COMMUNITY CALENDAR Tampa: Kanye West’s The Yeezus Tour with Kendrick Lamar makes a stop at the Tampa Bay Times forum on Nov. 30.

St. Petersburg: “The Chocolate Nutcracker’’ is now “The Nutcracker Twist.’’ The performance is Dec. 31 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. at The Mahaffey Theater.

Orlando: Catch Janelle Monae at Hard Rock Live Orlando on Nov. 22 for an 8 p.m. show.

JAMIE DEVON TODD and CORNELIUS LEWIS, . . . Defendant NOTICE OF SERVICE OF PROCESS BY PUBLICATION TO:

Tampa: The Tampa Museum of Art presents Military Appreciation Day on Nov. 11 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Free admission. Cornelia Corbett Center, 120 W. Gasparilla Plaza, tampamuseum.org.

Tampa: Actor and comedian Mike Epps will be at the Straz Center on Nov. 10. The show starts at 7 p.m.

Jacksonville: “Works of Yard and the Art of Lawn’’ is on display through Dec. 27 at the Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum by artist Diantha York-Ripley. A free artists reception is Nov. 8 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. The museum is at 101 W. First St. St. Petersburg: Jamaican

reggae group Black Uhuru is scheduled to perform on Nov. 9 at the State Theatre.

Orlando: The monthly meeting of the Central Florida Chapter of the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society is Nov. 9, 10 a.m., at the downtown Orlando Public Library, 101 E. Central Blvd., Orlando. Topic: Blended Families: Native Americans in African-American Families.

More information: 407-5272109 or 386-253-1516.

Jacksonville: SaltyLight Productions will present the Jacksonville Community Unity Festival, a family reunion-style atmosphere, on Nov. 16 at Brewster’s

MegaPlex from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m. Sponsors, volunteers and vendors are needed. For more information, visit www. theCOREtour.org or call 904610-5426.

St. Petersburg: Cedric the Entertainer will be at The Mahaffey on Nov. 8 for an 8 p.m. show.

Jacksonville: The Kinfolks’ Seventh Annual Soul Food Festival in Jacksonville on Nov. 30 at Metropolitan Park.

Visit ilovesoulfood.com or call 888-695-0888.

St. Petersburg: Tickets are on sale now for Rick Ross at The Mahaffey Theater on Nov. 22.

CORNELIUS LEWIS

Take notice that a pleading seeking relief against you has been filed in the above entitled action.

The nature of the relief being sought is compensatory damages, punitive damages, costs, trial by jury, and interest.

You are required to make defense to such pleadings no later than the 12th day of December, 2013, said date being 40 days from the first publication of this notice, exclusive of such date of first publication; and upon your failure to do so the party seeking service against you will apply to the Court for the relief sought.

This the 22nd day of October, 2013.

JOHN ALAN HIGH, PLLC By:

John Alan High Attorney for the Plaintiff 102 Courthouse Square Whiteville NC 28472 (910) 640-2111

Charles W. Cherry II and Sheila St. Etienne.

SHEILA from B1 this. Women do that. Republicans to this, and so on.” She hated that and said. “You can’t categorize and generalize about people. You treat and accept them as individuals.”

Second was Barack Obama. I told her, “A brother can’t criticize ‘Bro. Prez’ in front of a Black woman anywhere on this planet.”

She would get upset at my criticism of the president and at my generalization about Black women.

Main sore spot But the sorest spot was working with her on her 2009 book, “Surviving The Storms – Divorce, Katrina and Cancer –Through Faith, Family and Friends.”

The book came out of stories she had written for the Florida Courier about the St. Etienne family’s Katrina experience.

She sent the book to me for final editing. I took a red pen to it, especially with regard to the hundreds of names in it. I told her it read more like a phone book than as a personal narrative. She blew up, and said not one name would be removed because she wanted to thank all the people who were in her life at that time for saving her life.

I’ve been a professional writer all of my adult life, but I knew when to put my red pen down. And I’m glad I did. It’s a love letter

St. Etienne’s book tells her story. to all of the people in her life and a memoir the two of you can pass on to your children and grandchildren.

Jordan and Dionne, a whole lot of people here loved your mother. And I thank the Country Day, St. Augustine High School, Ochner Medical communities for the love you unselfishly gave to her these last few years. If we could ‘crowdfund’ some seconds, minutes, hours, days, years and give some time from our own lifespans to extend her life so that she could raise you, many of us would do so. That’s how much she meant to many of us.

Her voice remains I will tell you two a secret.

For all of us who knew her well, there are brain cells that are reserved for her voice. That voice that you two have heard from infancy will remain with you until you see her again.

It will be louder or softer sometimes. As you get older, you may not be able to hear it with the accuracy that you may be able to hear her now. But that voice will never leave you.

Anyone in this room who has lost somebody close to them, particularly a figure of authority, will tell you that is true.

And her example of how to live life successfully is as close to you as the pages of her book, which is the best example of why she was the toughest person I have ever known.

Why tough? Because toughness is continuing to live for someone you love when the living is painful and the giving up or the dying seems easier.

The Omega Psi Phi Fraternity teaches her sons that “Friendship is essential to the soul.” And it grieves me that my friendship with her, at least on this plane of existence, is now gone, never to be replaced.

Life, no matter how long it is, is too short. And it’s fragile. But it’s good. And eventually, Jordan and Dionne, things will get better. The tears will eventually stop.

Brothers and sisters, as I go to my seat, let us resolve to master what my good and great friend Sheila St. Etienne mastered: the art of living deliciously.

UNIVERSAL PICTURES PRESENTS A BLACKMALED/SEAN DANIEL COMPANY PRODUCTION A MALCOLM D. LEE FILM “THE BEST MAN HOLIDAY” MORRIS CHESTNUT TAYE DIGGS REGINA HALLPRODUCED TERRENCE HOWARD SANAA LATHAN NIABASEDLONG HAROLD PERRINEAU ON CHARACTERS MUSIC EXECUTIVE CREATED BY MALCOLM D. LEE

BY STANLEY CLARKE PRODUCER PRESTON HOLMES

BY SEAN DANIEL p.g.a. MALCOLM D. LEE p.g.a.

WRITTEN AND A UNIVERSAL PICTURE DIRECTED BY MALCOLM D. LEE SOUNDTRACK ON RCA RECORDS

© 2013 UNIVERSAL STUDIOS

You can read an excerpt of Sheila St. Etienne’s book, “Surviving the Storms,” at www.flcourier.com

STARTS FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15 CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS FOR THEATERS AND SHOWTIMES

Stoj

NOVEMBER 8 – NOVEMBER 14, 2013

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HEALTH

Those midnight munchies could harm more than waistline Researchers explain why it’s best not to eat late at night

BY MARY MEEHAN LEXINGTON HERALD-LEADER (MCT)

That late-night pizza can affect not only your waistline but your overall health, according to a researcher at the University of Kentucky.

A series of powerful biological cues influence how and when your body works at peak efficiency, said Vincent Cassone, a University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences professor and chair of the biology department.

He has published more than 100 papers in leading academic journals on the internal timekeeping functions of the body.

Most people are aware that there are universal biological cues that help set a body’s clock to do certain things at certain times — such as sleep when it is dark — during the 24 hours in a day. These circadian rhythms have long been thought to be controlled through a collection of neurons in the hypothalamus known as the suprachiasmatic nucleus.

‘A biological clock’ Cassone said his research has shown that “the molecular mechanisms for clocks are distributed

all over the body.”

“The gastrointestinal system itself is a biological clock,” he said.

So why does that matter? The body is biologically wired, for example, to restore and repair certain systems while resting, and rest is dictated by that 24-hour cycle. Cassone’s research shows that environmental cues, such as eating late, can potentially disrupt that repair cycle and affect overall health.

Research has shown that people whose biological clocks are out of sync with their lifestyles — people who work night shifts, for example — have higher rates of some illnesses.

People who eat at unusual times have more digestive illnesses than those who eat primarily during daytime hours, when the motility of the gastrointestinal system is at its peak — in other words, when your gut is working the most efficiently.

CHICAGO TRIBUNE/MCT

Shown above is a McDonald’s in Illinois that’s open after 1 a.m. Despite the hour, customers were trying to satisfy their late-night cravings.

Gut reaction Even if someone is used to being up all night, the body isn’t prepared to digest full meals at a time when biological cues indicate it should be at rest. There is a series of internal biological functions that must occur for the gastrointestinal system to prepare to digest a full meal, Cassone said.

If there could be a complete understanding of how those gut clocks work, he said, there is better hope for prevention and treat-

ment of gastrointestinal diseases including colitis, Crohn’s disease, colon cancer and irritable bowel syndrome.

His current research, financed by a $1 million grant from the National Institutes of Health, is

looking at the relationship between gastrointestinal clocks and aging.

Follow Grandma’s advice Understanding the compli-

cated biological cues is becoming increasingly important, he said, as American lifestyles shift to make all-night bingeing possible. (24-hour McDonald’s anyone? Need a Dorito Taco after a multi-day “World of Warcraft” marathon?)

Cassone said researchers know that the body craves higher-fat food later in the day. Even the biologist is occasionally prone to giving in to that late-night pizza craving. But researchers still don’t know exactly why, he said.

Until then, he said, it’s probably best to follow the advice that might have come from your grandma. Eat your big meal in the morning to make things a little easier on your system, and refrain from heavy eating later in the day.

Comparing apples and oranges when it comes to nutrition Experts have some advice on which fruit’s best if you have to pick just one

ORANGE

BY ALEXIA ELEJALDE-RUIZ CHICAGO TRIBUNE/MCT

Let’s get this disclaimer out of the way first: Americans don’t eat nearly as much fruit as they should to maintain a healthy diet, so nutrition experts advise eating fruit, any whole fruit, as often as possible, at least two cups of it a day, striving for variety so that you get an array of important nutrients.

And now to the question at hand: When faced with the triumvirate of fresh fruit most commonly found in bowls at cafeterias and elsewhere — apples, oranges and bananas — which should you choose? Which fruit is nutritionally superior when you must choose just one?

The orange advantage It turns out comparing apples and oranges isn’t totally bananas. And the orange, by at least one measure, has an edge.

“If you consider the concentration of a wide array of nutrients relative to calories, the orange is the most nutritious, followed by the apple, followed by bananas,” said Dr. David Katz, director of the Yale University Prevention Research Center and author or “Disease Proof: The Remarkable Truth About What Makes Us Well.”

Oranges win based on the NuVal Nutritional Scoring System, a measure developed by Katz and colleagues that considers more

Medicaid long-term care changes continue The state Agency for Health Care Administration on Nov. 1 continued gradually moving forward with Medicaid changes that call for enrolling seniors who need long-term care in HMOs and other types of managed-care plans.

The changes took effect for about 11,935 people in Broward County and a 14-county swath of North Florida. AHCA began the

than 30 nutrients and nutrition factors, giving points for the good (protein, calcium, vitamins) and subtracting points for the bad (sugar, sodium, cholesterol). The quality of the macronutrients, such as glycemic load, is also a factor.

Variety is key NuVal rates foods from 1 to 100, with 100 being the most nutritious. Oranges have a perfect score of 100, earning more credit than apples (96) and bananas (91) due to high concentrations of vitamin C, fiber, calcium, folate, bioflavonoids and carotenoids. But any one of those fruits is highly nutritiously desirable.

changes Aug. 1 in a four-county area of Central Florida and added 12 more counties Sept. 1.

State lawmakers in 2011 approved a plan that eventually will lead to almost all Medicaid beneficiaries statewide enrolling in managed-care plans. AHCA has started with people who need long-term care before later moving to the broader Medicaid population.

Along with Broward, the other counties where the changes took effect last Friday are Bay, Calhoun, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty, Madison, Taylor, Wakulla and Washington.

To compare, skinless chicken breast has a NuVal score of 39 and Cheetos come in at 4.

Of course, some people dislike peeling oranges, and apples and bananas can be superior in particular circumstances, such as when you’re really hungry or have high blood pressure, said Andrea Giancoli, a Los Angelesbased registered dietitian and spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. It’s worth emphasizing, again, that variety is key.

Katz and Giancoli described some of the virtues of the Big Three fruits to help guide your pick. Basic nutrition facts are from the USDA.

Calories: 60 Fat: 0 Carbohydrates: 15 grams Dietary fiber: 3 g Sugar: 12 g Sodium: 0 mg Protein: 1 g One orange contains 120 percent of the recommended daily intake of Vitamin C. A good source of calcium, folates, thiamin, flavanones (antioxidants that help neutralize free radicals) and naringin (an anti-inflammatory that may help protect the immune system), Giancoli said.

Biggest nutritional bang for the caloric buck, Katz said. Because they are lowest in calories, it isn’t the best choice when you are really hungry, Katz said.

APPLE Calories: 100 Fat: 0 Carbohydrates: 25 g Dietary fiber: 4 g Sugar: 19 g Sodium: 0 mg Protein: 0 g A good source of soluble fiber, which is helpful in controlling blood pressure, lipids, cholesterol and blood sugar, Katz said.

Because it involves a lot of chewing, it can make you feel more satiated, Katz said.

Good for an upset stomach, Giancoli said.

Loaded with phytochemicals, including antioxidant flavenoids like quercetin, which is good for heart health and could have anticancer properties, and proanthocyanidins, which may protect urinary tract and heart health, Giancoli said.

BANANA Calories: 105 Fat: 0.4 g Carbohydrates: 27 g Dietary fiber: 3 g Sugar: 14 g Sodium: 1 mg Protein: 1 g Contains 422 mg of potassium, which people often don’t get enough of (the recommended daily intake of potassium is 4,700 mg). Potassium helps blunt the effect of salt on blood pressure and may help reduce the risk of kidney stones and muscle loss, Giancoli said.

Good source of vitamin B6, magnesium, iron, vitamin C and dietary fiber, Giancoli said.

Helps you refuel before and after exercise because it provides the nutrients that tend to be taxed, Katz said. Supports muscle function. The highestcalorie choice of the three, but it will make you feel fuller longer, Giancoli said.

Gubernatorial candidate backs medical marijuana amendment NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

Top GOP opposition

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Nan Rich, a former Senate minority leader, announced last week that she supports a proposed ballot initiative that would legalize medical-marijuana in Florida.

“There is simply no reason patients should suffer when an effective, safe, and organic remedy is readily available,” Rich said in an email. Former Gov. Charlie Crist, who also has begun a gubernatorial run as a Democrat, also has exNan pressed support for the proposed Rich constitutional amendment.

When asked about the proposal last week, he said, “A real doctor prescribing it for a proper purpose to stop suffering, why not?”

While Rich and Crist back the amendment, some of the state’s top Republicans are trying to keep the issue off the November 2014 ballot.

Senate President Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, and House Speaker Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, made a filing with the Florida Supreme Court last week that supported Attorney General Pam Bondi’s attempt to block the constitutional amendment.

The Republicans contend that the ballot language would deceive voters about the reach of the amendment.

The ballot proposal has been spearheaded by Orlando trial lawyer and Democratic donor John Morgan, whose firm employs Crist. The Supreme Court will hear arguments about the ballot language Dec. 5.

TOj B4

CULTURE

STOJ

NOVEMBER 8 – NOVEMBER 14, 2013

HOW TO DEAL WITH BULLYING

CURTIS COMPTON/ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION/MCT

Mahmood Thompson pauses as he described how he was bullied in high school during an interview at VOX Teen Communications in Atlanta on April 17, 2012. Thompson said he left high school early to get away from the bullying after suffering a beat down by former friends in the hall and collapsing on the floor in front of his locker. He got his GED and went on to Atlanta Technical College.

Bullying in school is becoming an epidemic Too many students silently deal with physical altercations, verbal and cyber taunts

BY GRACIE BONDS STAPLES ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION (MCT)

ATLANTA — Israel Price had endured name calling and schoolyard taunts for years, but said what happened weeks into this school year surprised even him.

First, two Riverdale Middle School classmates slashed his bicycle tires. Then two others cornered him in the school restroom and pushed him so hard into the brick wall he suffered a concussion that left him unable to walk or talk.

After weeks of rehabilitation, the 13-year-old probably won’t be able to return to school at least for another month, his mother says.

But even if he could, he’s afraid to.

As daunting and difficult as his ordeal has been, he and his mother Charleia Price know it could be worse.

Suicide in Florida Israel could have been Rebecca Ann Sedwick, a Florida girl who jumped to her death from an abandoned cement factory silo after enduring a year of near-consistent face-to-face and online bullying. Two of Sedwick’s female classmates, ages 12 and 14, were arrested last month on felony charges for bullying in connection with her death.

“When you send your kids to school, you expect them to come home the way they left,” Charleia Price said. “When I learned he had a concussion, I thought he might get a headache or feel dizzy, not a month of dealing with this. It’s been completely life altering.”

Charles Whites, spokesman for the Clayton, Ga., County School District, would not respond to specific questions about the incident involving Israel Price, saying the “district does not comment on disciplinary matters, but takes bullying very seriously.”

Although cyber-bullying has received a lot of attention of late, it is one of the least common forms of bullying, said Clemson University professor Susan P. Limber.

Many not reported Six percent of boys and 4 percent of girls experience cyber-bullying compared to 16 percent of girls and 17 percent of boys who experience verbal bullying, according to a recent survey of 20,000 students in grades 3-12.

At what grades is bullying most common?

• The percentage of students who were bullied decreased steadily from third through 12th grade • The percentage of students who bullied others peaked in 8th10th grades; different age trends were found for boys and girls who bullied

Not taken seriously

Becoming more frequent Debra Tucker, executive director of the nonprofit Parent to Parent of Georgia, said stories like Sedwick’s, the Florida girl, are becoming more frequent.

“What’s particularly disturbing is the reaction of the parents of the alleged bullies,” Tucker said.

“Understandably, they are denying their child’s involvement in the case, but in reality, they likely have no idea how their child interacts with their fellow schoolmates, especially via social media where many parents are prevented from seeing their child’s postings.”

Sahara Byrne, a professor of

BULLYING BY THE NUMBERS

How common is it?

• 16 percent of students report being bullied two to three times a month or more at school • 7 percent of students bullied others at school • One-fifth of all students were involved in bullying at school, either as a student who was bullied, one who bullied others, or both.

What’s worse, Limber said, is that 39 percent of bullied students indicate they have been bullied one year or longer. Many have told no one. “In fact, more than one quarter of bullied middle school students and one-third of bullied high school students have not told anyone of their experiences,” Limber said.

Price said Israel never complained to her, but did report being bullied to his teacher three times.

Nothing was done.

Price said Israel has been a magnet for bullies since third grade. At just 85 pounds, he’s smaller than most kids his age. He likes to forge his own path. He prefers to dress in a shirt and tie rather than big Tshirts like most kids.

She said many of his Riverdale classmates rejected him, calling him “a punk” who wouldn’t fight.

On Sept. 19, the bullies assaulted him. The blow to the head left the aspiring singer unable to walk, and after a month in rehab he still doesn’t have feeling on his right side. He’s walking better, but his balance is still off. His cognitive abilities aren’t yet 100 percent.

Price said bullying is an epidemic, but “Teachers don’t take it seriously. Parents don’t take it seriously. None of us do until something tragic happens.”

But we should, said Limber, and here’s why: “Research confirms that bullying can have negative effects on kids’ emotional and physical well-being, as well as their academic achievement,” she said.

“Kids who are bullied are more likely than those who aren’t to be depressed, feel anxious, feel lonely, experience health problems such as headaches, backaches, stomach aches, sleeping problems, and poor appetite, and want to avoid going to school, and have lower academic achievement.”

There is also evidence that some of these problems — particularly depression and anxiety — may persist into adulthood, Limber said.

If the bullying is physical, rescue your child from the threat and keep detailed notes of the event and alert the authorities immediately.

If the bullying is verbal and your child has an emotional reaction such as showing anger or tears, the bullying will continue. Teach them to not show emotion and the bullying will stop.

If the bullying is online, teach your child to respond using the Golden Rule. Treat everyone like friends, even your enemies. A brief and kind response will make the bully look and feel foolish and the bullying will stop.

If the bullying involves social exclusion, help the child understand that not everyone wants to be his or her friend. When children can enjoy a few loyal friends, without seeking approval from everyone else, they will be much happier.

If the bullying is from an adult, help your child confront the adult with an attitude of respect and a desire for reconciliation. Blaming or attacking the adult will only escalate hostilities.

Source: Brooks Gibbs, bullying expert and national spokesman for “Be The Difference.

Speak Up Against Bullying!” program

PHOTO FROM POLK COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE/MCT

Rebecca Ann Sedwick, 12, was found dead at a cement plant near her home in Lakeland after reportedly being cyberbullied. communication at Cornell University and an expert in online communication, says research indicates most parents would be surprised by what their kids are doing on the Internet.

“Youth believe that social media is their turf and they are somewhat correct,” Byrne said. “Parents sometimes have no idea what their kids are doing online until it’s too late.

Lifelong scars Tucker said if the Florida teens are found guilty of bullying, she would support punitive measures as well as counseling to help them understand the impact of their actions.

“Kids need to know that bullying leaves lifelong scars and can lead to permanent injury if not death,” she said. The old adage, ‘sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me’ is so wrong on so many levels.

Words hurt. In fact, they fester like wounds and sometimes, kids like the young lady from Florida can’t take the pain anymore.”

Shannon Stroppel, an Atlanta social worker and mother of two

sons, ages 7 and 9, doesn’t take bullying lightly.

Both her sons have been cursed and threatened on the school bus or playground. Her advice to her sons, although controversial, is simple: “The best way to stop a bully, tell them once to leave you alone but if they get physical, give it back to them.”

Stroppel said she is happy with the proactive stance administrators at Springdale Park Elementary, where her sons attend, take.

They encourage students and teachers to talk about it, she said, and anti-bullying signs are posted throughout the school.

The good news, Limber said, is the percentages of kids who report being bullied three times a month or more decreases steadily from third to 12th grade.

For example, although 22 percent of third- and fourth-graders report being bullied, by eighthgrade the percentage has decreased to 14 percent and by 12th grade to 9 percent. And, evidence indicates that school-based bullying-prevention efforts can significantly reduce bullying among students.

By whom are students bullied?

• Boys were most frequently bullied by other boys • Girls were bullied by both girls and boys How long does bullying last?

• 51 percent of bullied students reported that they had been bullied for 6 months or more • 39 percent of bullied students reported that they have been bullied for one year or longer Whom do students tell about being bullied?

• Bullied students were more likely to tell parents than teachers, siblings, or friends • 30 percent of bullied high school girls and 41 percent of bullied high school boys had not told anyone about being bullied How many students are afraid of being bullied?

• 14 percent of students were “often” afraid of being bullied Source: Bullying in U.S. Schools: 2012 Status Report, Clemson University and Hazelden Foundation

STOJ

NOVEMBER 8 – NOVEMBER 14, 2013

FINEST & ENTERTAINMENT

Meet some of

FLORIDA'S

finest

D. Andre of St. Augustine and Jacksonville loves fitness and bodybuilding.

He says he’s a Godinspired athlete who is highly motivated to succeed. The current club promoter and bouncer enjoys spending time with family, friends, and, most of all, passionately pursuing bodybuilding competitions.

He wants to someday become a champion in the sport. Contact Andre at trueimagephil@aol.com.

T I Photography by Phil

submitted for your approval

Think you’re one of Florida’s Finest?

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

d. andre

Jacksonville native Keyonna Brown, 21, describes herself as a people person, very caring and loyal. “I would say that I’m an adventurous person, enjoy things like traveling, rock climbing, camping, swimming, paint gun fighting and many more. I have a lot of energy and I’m not the type to sit around doing nothing. This world is huge and I want to do as much as possible before I leave here. The camera is my best friend,’’ she said. Keyonna can be reached by email at reach09@yahoo.com.

keyonna

FLO R I DA C LASS I C WE E KE N D FLORIDACLASSIC.ORG

Study of recent popular movies finds minorities under-represented

BY REBECCA KEEGAN LOS ANGELES TIMES/MCT

LOS ANGELES — With this year’s highprofile movies “The Butler,” “42” and “12 Years a Slave” prominently featuring Black actors, it may seem as though the multiplex is enjoying new levels of diversity. But popular films still under-represent minority characters and directors, and reflect certain biases in their portrayals, according to a study just released by University of Southern California’s (USC) Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.

Researchers evaluated 500 top-grossing movies released at the U.S. box office between 2007 and 2012 and 20,000 speaking characters, finding patterns in the way different races, ethnicities and genders are depicted.

Hispanic women, the study found, are the demographic most likely to be shown nude or in sexy attire; Black men are the group least likely to be portrayed in a committed relationship.

‘A visibility issue’ In 2012, the researchers found, 76.3 percent of all speaking characters in these movies were White; according to U.S. Census figures, 63 percent of the country is White, and according to the Motion Picture Association of America, 56 percent of movie ticket buyers are White.

“At the core, this is a visibility issue,” said Katherine Pieper, research scientist at Annenberg’s Media, Diversity & Social Change Initiative. “Who we see in film sends a powerful message about who is important and whose stories are valuable, both to international audiences and to younger viewers in our own country.... Are films communicating to audiences that only certain stories are worth telling?”

Just 33 Black directors

N OV23 Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium

B5

2PM Featuring the

McDonald’s Halftime Show

Hispanics are particularly under-represented considering how likely they are to go to movies — though Hispanics buy an estimated 26 percent of movie tickets, they have only 4.2 percent of speaking roles.

According the USC researchers, 10.8 percent of the speaking characters were Black, 5 percent were Asian and 3.6 percent were from other ethnicities.

The explanation for these numbers may lie behind the camera, researchers said.

Among 565 directors of top-grossing films, 33 (5.8 percent) were Black and only two were Black women — Gina Prince-Bythwood (“The Secret Life of Bees”) and Sanaa Hamri (“The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2,” “Just Wright”).

“I’m not at all surprised,” said Ava Du-

“42: The True Story of an American Legend,’’ a film about Jackie Robinson starred Chadwick Boseman. It was directed by Brian Helgeland, who also wrote the screenplay.

Vernay, who became the first AfricanAmerican woman to win the Sundance Film Festival’s best director prize last year for her film “Middle of Nowhere.” “I pretty much know us all personally.”

But the study, which focused on the highest-grossing films, inevitably skewed away from the independent film world, where many directors like DuVernay work, she said. “Don’t let those stats lead you to believe that there are not Black women filmmakers,” DuVernay said. “We’re finding ways to tell our stories outside the studio paradigm.”

The casting connection Researchers found a strong relationship between the race of a film’s director and the race of the cast — when a nonBlack director helms a picture, 9.9 percent of speaking characters are Black. Under a Black director, 52.6 percent of speaking characters are Black.

Researchers did not speculate as to the cause of that relationship, whether it was the result of studios and financiers recruiting Black directors for scripts featuring Black characters or of Black filmmakers telling stories that echo their own experiences. DuVernay said it was more likely the latter.

“In general, we see the world through our own eyes,” DuVernay said. “When we see the majority of films being made by White men, you get a certain perspective. I see an array. When I’m casting, it would be unconceiveable not to have people who look like the ones on my street, the ones in my family.”

The report is the latest in a series of studies the group at Annenberg is conducting on race, gender and ethnicity on screen. In the new year, according to Pieper, they expect to release more research focusing on independent film.

TOj B6

FOOD

NOVEMBER 8 – NOVEMBER 14, 2013

BEST BETS FOR HEALTHY

FAMILY MEALS IN A HURRY

FROM FAMILY FEATURES

M

aking the decision to eat better doesn’t mean you have to stock your fridge exclusively with carrot sticks and lettuce leaves.

There are plenty of healthy and delicious meal options that will have your taste buds cheering.

Fill up your fridge How many times have you raided the fridge, only to eat the first thing you could find? Arrange your fridge so everything at eye level is packed with nutritional benefits. The top shelf is prime space for fresh fruits, berries, vegetable sticks, string cheese and hard boiled eggs.

Keeping lean proteins on hand is another way to take proactive steps towards creating healthy meals.

Lean proteins, like the protein found in soy, can help families feel fuller longer and can also help lower the chances of childhood obesity.

Pick the perfect protein During dinnertime, entrées featuring beef, pork or chicken are often the star of the plate. However, meat proteins can supply your recipes with unwanted saturated fats and cholesterol. Instead of asking your family to forego their favorite meat dishes, try swapping out meat proteins with meat alternatives, using soy protein. Soy is a high-quality vegetable protein that is easy to incorporate into your family’s diet. It can support muscle strength and is an especially good choice for managing healthy weight for the entire family.

MATCH® premium meat alternatives provide the taste, texture and nutrition meat lovers want, without the saturated fats and cholesterol. Look for great flavor matches like ground pork, Italian sausage, ground chicken, crab and ground beef at www. matchmeats.com.

Find recipes for family favorites Quick, easy and delicious have to be a part of every family’s meal on busy weekdays. Breakfast Burritos are sure to be a family favorite. Simply fill tortillas with MATCH® Italian Sausage, eggs, cheese, salsa and fresh herbs for a hot, tasty start to your morning.

Another sure crowd pleaser is Beef Tacos. Just swap out traditional ground beef for MATCH® Ground Beef and spoon your favorite taco ingredients into soft or hard shells. Homemade Beef Sloppy Joes are equally as easy to make. This recipe is a tasty way to get your whole family fed and out the door in time for evening activities.

Once you’ve picked the perfect recipes and filled your fridge with lean proteins, like soy protein, eating well will become a healthy habit the whole family will love.

toJ

Beef Tacos Makes: 6 to 8 tacos 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil 2 cups yellow onion, diced 2 tablespoons fresh garlic, chopped 1 pound MATCH® Ground Beef 4 tablespoons taco seasoning 1 tablespoon ground cumin 2 cups canned black beans, drained and rinsed 1 jalapeno, diced with seeds 6 to 8 hard or soft taco shells Shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, sour cream, guacamole, cheese, taco sauce or your other favorite toppings Add olive oil to saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until clear but not brown. Add garlic.

Sauté for one minute. Add MATCH® ground beef and break apart with fork.

Sauté for 1 to 2 minutes. Add taco seasoning and cumin. Increase heat to medium/high and continue browning MATCH® ground beef until outside is crispy. Add black beans and reduce heat to medium. Add jalapeno. Serve with your favorite taco shells and your favorite toppings.

Beef Sloppy Joes Makes: 6 3 tablespoons canola oil 1 pound MATCH® Ground Beef 1 medium onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 cup zucchini, chopped 1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced 3/4 cups green pepper, chopped 1 (16-ounce) can tomato sauce 1 teaspoon basil, dried 1 teaspoon thyme, dried Salt and pepper, to taste 8 buns Heat oil in large skillet. Sauté MATCH® ground beef, onion and garlic over mediumhigh heat until browned. Add zucchini, mushrooms and green pepper.

Cover and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes until vegetables are tender. Stir in tomato sauce, basil, thyme, salt and pepper. Simmer uncovered until most of the liquid has evaporated.

Serve on toasted buns. Can freeze for future use.

Italian Sausage Breakfast Burrito Makes: 6 burritos 2 tablespoons canola oil 1 pound MATCH® Italian Sausage 4 eggs 1/2 cup green onion, chopped Salt and pepper, to taste 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded 6 to 10 flour tortillas 3/4 cup salsa Sour cream (optional) In non-stick skillet, heat canola oil. Sauté MATCH® Italian sausage and break up as you cook. Cook until golden. Add whipped eggs, green onion, salt and pepper. Cook eggs through. Sprinkle with cilantro and cheddar cheese. Fill tortillas with egg mixture, spoon salsa over filling and wrap.

Serve with side of sour cream.