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Morehouse College preparing to celebrate 150th anniversary See Page B1
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO COURIER SENIOR MANAGER JULIA T. CHERRY!
NOVEMBER 13 – NOVEMBER 19, 2015
VOLUME 23 NO. 46
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MAKING IT RAIN
Out magazine, which describes itself as “the world’s leading gay fashion and lifestyle brand,” named President Obama as the “Ally of the Year” of the gay community – now one of the Democratic Party’s strongest voter bases.
With a year left before the 2016 presidential election, don’t expect President Obama to tackle ‘big’ issues while he focuses on raising millions of dollars for Democrats and brags about his accomplishments.
Roll Call. The list could also include Obama’s ongoing fight against the IslamWASHINGTON – The White ic State and efforts to boost House and parts of the the still-recovering U.S. Democratic campaign ma- economy. chine envision President Obama playing the role of Won’t ‘do deals’ chief messenger and fund“The budget deal has takraiser in the 2016 elections, en most of the big issues and even as a campaigner off the table,” said George in states and districts where Washington University pohis presence is requested. A year out from Election litical science professor SarDay, Obama is eyeing a leg- ah Binder. “In a presidenislative agenda that could tial election year, it doesn’t help Democratic candi- seem to make sense to do dates hone their message deals. So we’re not going to to voters and that jumps see anything on big issues off from the success of a re- like taxes or immigration.” For a president whose cently inked budget and campaign presence was a debt-limit deal. Among those issues are turnoff to vulnerable Demchanges to criminal justice ocrats in 2014, a White official argues and sentencing policies, a House push to cement a sweeping Obama still has a role as trade package and contin- the party’s spokesman-inued efforts on climate poli- chief. cy, a senior Obama adminWhile many Democrats istration official told CQ kept their distance as the
BY JOHN T. BENNETT CQ-ROLL CALL / TNS
party got drubbed in the midterm elections, this senior administration official said to expect Obama to “defer to candidates” when making travel plans next year to stump for the party’s presidential nominee and those running for Congress.
Making Dems’ case “I expect the president to make a very active case on our record in office,” said the official, who was granted anonymity to speak about Obama’s 2016 plans. “The president is uniquely suited to make this case.” The message he will deliver is still being refined, but the official expects Obama to sound a hopeful tone and “contrast that to years of Republicans’ recalcitrance in Congress.” The Democratic Congressional Campaign Com-
COURTESY OF OUT MAGAZINE
See OBAMA, Page A2
ANALYSIS VETERANS DAY 2015
‘Thank you for your service’
When two paths cross Reporter reviews Michael Dunn trial documentary BY NINA METZ CHICAGO TRIBUNE / TNS
Watching “3½ Minutes, Ten Bullets” is something of a Rorschach test, sussing out your feelings on “stand your ground” laws, racial bias and the fear that even a minor disagreement with a stranger might end with a gun barrel pointed in your direction. The documentary – which premieres Nov. 23 on HBO – follows the trial of Michael Dunn, a Florida man who shot into Michael a carful of teenagDunn ers in 2012 after a disagreement over loud rap music coming from their vehicle, killing 17-year-old Jordan Davis in the process. (The film actually covers two trials; the first ended in a mistrial on the most serious charge Dunn was facing.)
A threat? KIM GIBSON / FLORIDA COURIER
U.S. Navy veteran Terrance Williams, left, enjoys a laugh with Miami Dolphins alumnus Mark Duper as free repair work continues on the Williams family home in Miami-Dade’s Richmond Heights neighborhood. Former Dolphin Lousaka Polite, Special Teams Driven by Chevy volunteers, and Bank of America community volunteers also participated.
Dunn maintained all along that the teens threatened him and aimed a shotgun in his direction (though no weapon was ever found by police). According to Dunn, he genuinely believed his See DUNN, Page A2
SNAPSHOTS FLORIDA | A3
EVENTS | B2
Rail service will connect Miami, Orlando
Florida Classic weekend almost here NATION | B4
Former First Lady Rhea Chiles dies
ALSO INSIDE
Police: Encrypted evidence is crippling criminal investigations
Artis appointed to Homeland Security council SPECIAL TO THE FLORIDA COURIER
WASHINGTON – Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson recently announced the appointment of Florida Memorial University President Dr. Roslyn Clark Artis to the Homeland Security Academic Advisory Council (HSAAC). Artis is one of six new members of the council that consists of university presidents and academic leaders who provide advice and recommendations to Johnson on matters related to homeland securi-
ty and the academic community. “I am honored to have been chosen by Secretary Johnson to serve on the Homeland Security Academic Advisory Council,” said Artis. “The Dr. Roslyn council affords me the Clark Artis opportunity to contribute to the conversation around our nation’s security and the important role higher educa-
tion institutions play in preparing students to fill jobs that keep our nation safe now and into the future.” The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) formed HSAAC in March 2012. The council supports DHS’s mission by tapping into the expertise of the nation’s colleges and universities to address homeland security needs and incorporate scientific findings into DHS’ operations; by strengthening the ability of colleges and universities to prevent, pro-
COMMENTARY: CHARLES W. CHERRY II: RANDOM THOUGHTS OF A FREE BLACK MIND | A4 COMMENTARY: JAMES CLINGMAN: CAN I GET AN ‘AMEN’ FOR THE CEG? | A5
See ARTIS, Page A2
FOCUS
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NOVEMBER 13 – NOVEMBER 19, 2015
God isn’t through with me yet Life can change quickly. All of a sudden the simplest things started becoming complicated. My logic and rationale were rattled. Headaches and bewilderment started zigzagging my mind. It wasn’t long before my wife, Kay, decided to take me to my primary care doctor. Within five minutes, he tested my knees with a hammer for deep tendon reflexes. My left knee did not react. He ordered me to go to the nearest hospital (Johns Hopkins). He called ahead to the hospital and got me priority in the emergency room. It became apparent to the emergency room doctor that I was showing signs of pressure on the brain. A CT scan showed blood shifting my brain.
In ‘gifted hands’ The medics turned me over to Dr. Thai. We would later find out that Dr. Thai is a highly competent brain surgeon. In fact, he was the senior resident for the
HARRY C. ALFORD NNPA COLUMNIST
honorable Dr. Ben Carson. This calmed my concerns. He told me that we would go into surgery the next morning. Many of my concerns were removed as it became obvious that I was in “gifted hands.” We settled into the Intensive Care Unit and began preparing for my surgery. Dr. Thai said that he would be in the next morning before dawn. The staff of the hospital was congenial and obviously welltrained. Realizing that my life was now on the line, I tried my best to fight off fear as it tried to break through my mental door. I could see fear in Kay’s eyes and knew that I had to become a “rock.” We told no one at the time, but even-
tually our twin sons would recognize the signals.
Thinking about death Midnight would come soon. The thought of such sensitive surgery made me contemplate my demise. The nurses told us that Dr. Thai prefers to do surgery around 7 a.m. and he would first appear at 5 a.m. As we sat in the ICU, time became evermore precious. I decided to console myself by silently repeating The Lord’s Prayer over and over. Fortunately, my faith remained strong. The staff of the hospital was very well-organized and professional. They were truly a team as the night ticked by in anticipation of the surgery. There must have been a team of 30 people – 40 percent of whom were Black – with the sole mission of my operation. It was so impressive and assuring to Kay and me. At 4 a.m., we became aware of the surgical staff mingling together in a waiting room. They were huddling in preparation of the big operation of the day. At 5 a.m., there was plenty of small talk. Then it was announced that Dr. Thai was in the building and would be coming in for the big moment.
DUNN life was in danger. The teenagers tell a different story, of a man who pulled up next to them in a gas station parking lot and whom they regarded as a nuisance until he pulled out a handgun and started shooting. That Dunn is White and the teenagers Black is the undercurrent running through this tragedy.
From the courtroom
‘Very revealing’ “I was focused on the witness
OBAMA from A1
mittee, which needs to pick up 30 House seats for the party to regain the majority, described Obama’s likely role as stumping for cash. “In the past week alone, President Obama has fundraised for House Democrats in both Virginia and New York City,” DCCC national press secretary Meredith Kelly said in an email. “We know that this critical fundraising and strategic support from the president, his administration and surrogates will continue through the next year.”
Not excited On Capitol Hill, some Democrats didn’t seem excited to discuss the president’s likely role once campaign season heats up. That included the man charged with leading the fight to win back five seats to take back control of the Senate. “I’m just focused on our candidates, and making sure they’re out touching people and raising money,” Sen. Jon Tester of Montana, chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, told CQ Roll Call. “I’ve not really thought about the role that anybody else plays but our
The best sleep Propofol is the best sleep one can experience. Then presto, I woke up with the capable staff standing around my bedside accompanied by my devoted wife, Kay Kay. It wasn’t long before Dr. Thai came and talked to me in a very simple manner. Kay would tell me later that Dr. Thai spoke with her and our sons and that I had done well. That was a relief for her. Three days later, as predicted, I left the hospital. Medicine has come a long way. My physical faculties were slow but surprisingly intact. I thank our Lord in so many ways and couldn’t wait to arrive home and be surrounded by my wife and sons. Reflecting on that experience and my life were cause for a philosophical review. It occurred to me that so many people were de-
witnesses come off as emotionless, indifferent and detached (thugs, in Dunn’s estimation), whereas Dunn is still so clearly traumatized by the whole thing. If you see Dunn’s actions as murder (which a Florida jury ultimately did), those teenagers on the stand seem downright stoic in the face of tragedy while Dunn sheds his crocodile tears – swallowing his sobs over the misplaced belief that he, not Jordan Davis, is the true victim in this case. Dunn is so weepy that he can’t even get through the first few minutes of questioning from his own attorney without choking up when asked simply to offer up the name of his dog. Personally I fall into the latter camp, but the beauty of the film is that it leaves room for both interpretations. That’s dancing on a razor’s edge, an outcome few documentaries actually achieve.
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According to filmmaker Marc Singer, who corresponded with me by email: “We sought permission to film in the courtroom from the judge a few months before the trial. I was allowed to stand at the back and film, and we also took a feed from two closed-captioned TV cameras in the courtroom. We then mixed those three feeds to provide footage for the media, so they could report daily.” Singer retained the footage from all three cameras, which he then used for the film itself. Singer’s presence makes a difference. This isn’t just a static feed we’re looking at. You can sense a filmmaker’s instincts at work: Occasionally his camera will stray to the bailiffs posted around the room, and their micro-expressions are telling. These are details that do not usually surface in courtroom footage, but they are precisely what gives the movie its texture and complexity and humanity.
Around 7a.m., I was taken to the operating table and heard those impressionable words: “Let’s apply the propofol.” That is when they put you to sleep. This is the anesthesia that was involved in Michael Jackson’s quest for sleep. I knew that whatever was about to happen I would find out about it later – if I survived.
Speaking via phone
FILE PHOTO
Jordan Davis’ father, Ron, teaches Jordan how to wear a tie in this undated photo. Michael Dunn shot 17-year-old Jordan to death in Jacksonville during a dispute about loud music. stand, the judge and the cutaways,” Singer said. “Even though it felt restrictive to be filming for two weeks in a room with no natural light, I began to seek out the slightest moments of drama via the body language of the people in the room. I think, all in all, they are very revealing and the court scenes feel very cinematic.”
candidates.” Notably, Tester passed when given a chance to endorse strategic use of Obama to rouse the Democratic base, especially in the places where the president is the strongest, such as urban areas. “I think it’s up to each Democratic candidate,” said Sen. Robert Menendez of New Jersey, a former DSCC chairman. “I’m sure there are many places where the president would be very helpful.”
Approval ratings matter Heading into the 2014 midterms, Obama’s approval ratings were low and that made vulnerable Democrats from conservative-leaning states –such as Sens. Mark Pryor of Arkansas and Mary L. Landrieu of Louisiana, who both lost their seats –skittish about campaigning with him. Special-interest groups spent millions tying these Democrats to Obama’s policies, particularly the national health care law. William A. Galston, a former Clinton administration official now at the Brookings Institution, said decisions on how and where Obama is used ultimately will be based on his approval ratings months down the road. Obama’s average job-approval rating is currently 44.5 per-
Here’s where the inkblot test comes in: When the surviving teens and Jordan’s girlfriend take the stand, they shed no tears, betray no emotion. When Dunn takes the stand, he can barely keep it together. So, how do you interpret that? If you’re inclined to side with Dunn, maybe the prosecution’s
cent, according to RealClearPolitics.
Targeting Dems’ base Obama remains popular among many Democrats and is among a handful of national party figures who experts say is capable of firing up the base and motivating voters to get to the polls. That could make a difference in states such as Colorado, Florida and Nevada that will help decide the presidency as well as the Senate majority. “Where the issue is increasing Democratic turnout, especially minority voters in swing states, the president certainly can make a difference,” Galston said, pointing to North Carolina as an example of a state in which Obama could spend ample time because, electorally, “it’s on a knife’s edge.”
‘Ally of the Year’ Demonstrating his appeal to a key Democratic base, Obama is the first sitting president to sit for a portrait by a lesbian/gay/ bisexual/transgendered magazine, according to the editors of Out magazine. Out describes itself as “the world’s leading gay fashion and lifestyle brand,” and is featuring the nation’s 44th chief executive as Ally of the Year. The cover of the 2015
Dunn’s fiancee’s testimony (she is also a puddle of tears on the stand) ultimately compels the jury – I won’t spoil it here. Both she and Dunn declined to be interviewed for the film, but Singer was able to access Dunn’s phone calls from prison, which reveal, as Singer put it, “the extent to which Dunn perceives himself as a victim and that his life and the lives of his family have been irreversibly damaged.” Here’s one exception: “This will be behind us before we know it,” Dunn tells his fiancee. And then: “I can’t shake the notion that I’m like the rape girl they’re blaming because I was wearing skimpy clothes. I’m the victim that’s being blamed. I was at-
Out100 issue features a black-and-white close-up of the president looking straight into the camera with a Mona Lisa almostsmile. Ryan Pfluger photographed him. Out editors said their selection of Obama for the cover represents “a statement on how much his administration has done to advance a singularly volatile issue that tarnished the reputations of both President Clinton and President Bush.”
‘A nationwide right’ In an interview with Out reporter Aaron Hicklin, Obama reflected on the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans, saying that the Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges had not come as a surprise to him, considering the “remarkable attitude shift – in hearts and minds – across America.” Hicklin wrote, “When he was sworn in on January 20, 2009, there were two states where same-sex marriage was legal. Today it is a right nationwide. Many share credit for what has transpired, but there’s no question that without the active engagement of the 44th president of the United States, who has made securing the rights of LGBT Americans a fundamental part of his legacy, we’d still
pending on my duties as a leader in various facets of Black life – education, leadership, economic development, policy, calling a wicked man wicked and marching our multitudes to a better way of living. There was a great need for me to recover quickly. Even though it has only been a few days, there would be thousands waiting for me to continue my work. I cannot let them down. So begins my road to therapy.
Ready to work As I write this document only three days after brain surgery, I am tussling with Kay about my demanding impatience to begin working. Hopefully it won’t be long before I am back to 100 percent, or at least have an assistant to assist me in my duties. GOD IS GREAT! And to deserve such a great God, I must commit myself to the leadership and betterment of our people. I am not gone, America. It was only a bump in the road. And the best is yet to come. I love you all.
Harry C. Alford is the cofounder and president/CEO of the National Black Chamber of Commerce. Contact him via www.nationalbcc.org.
tacked, and I refuse to be a victim.” Singer said he thinks the phone calls are “more revealing than any face-to-face interview we might have had.”
‘Competing narratives’ It’s worth noting that the movie is not a balanced piece of journalism (nor should it be; it’s never fair to hold documentaries to that standard), but there really is something about the way Singer allows you see how a jury might buy into Dunn’s defense. “Conceptually I was considering that what happens in a trial is really the telling of two stories, one by the prosecution and one by the defense,” Singer said. “And whilst we are reminded by the seal in the courtroom that ‘In God We Trust,’ sitting there filming the trial, it felt more like, ‘He who tells the best story wins.’ Essentially the trial is a war of competing narratives about one moment in time where people’s paths crossed and lives were irreversibly changed.” Singer said he “wanted to make a film that was very tight, that was just about this one trial, that didn’t tell the audience what to think but rather allow them to feel as a jury would – i.e., to be able to reach their own conclusion as to the guilt or innocence of the killer.” A jury in Florida found him guilty of first-degree murder, and he received a mandatory sentence of life without parole. After the verdict is read, the judge lays into Dunn: “There’s nothing wrong with retreating or de-escalating a situation.” Amen to that.
ARTIS
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tect against, mitigate, respond to and recover from threats; and by enhancing DHS’ cybersecurity recruitment efforts and support “resilient” campus systems and networks. HSAAC also supports academic programs that help the workforce; advances opportunities for international students to
be working to fulfill that dream.”
Taking action • When Obama entered office in 2009, he reiterated his belief that the institution of marriage was reserved for partnerships of one man and one woman, but the following year, he signed a bill dropping the legal ban on openly gay people serving in the military. • In 2011, Obama announced that his administration no longer would defend in court a law signed by President Bill Clinton that defined marriage as between one man and one woman.
study in America while maintaining the integrity of the immigration process; and focuses on career opportunities within DHS. Artis was appointed as the 13th president of Florida Memorial University in February 2014 and is the first woman president in the university’s history. Located in the city of Miami Gardens, FMU is South Florida’s only Historically Black College or University, and one of four in the state.
• In his 2013 inaugural address, Obama made history by becoming the first president to endorse gay rights in such a high-profile speech. “Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law,” the president declared. • In September, Obama nominated Eric Fanning to be secretary of the Army – who, if confirmed by the Senate, would be the first openly gay head of a military branch.
Emily Greenhouse of Bloomberg News / TNS contributed to this report.
NOVEMBER 13 – NOVEMBER 19, 2015
FLORIDA
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Miami-Orlando rail service to be called Brightline NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA
Brightline will be the brand name of the $3 billion passenger rail service
expected to connect Miami and Orlando by the end of 2017. The project’s name, to be affixed amid flowing colors along the outside
of engines and rail cars, was announced Monday in downtown Miami by All Aboard Florida, which is an offshoot of Florida East
Coast Industries. “With the introduction of Brightline, we set out to reinvent what traveling by train can mean in Amer-
ica, making it a forwardleaning solution that is a smarter alternative to more cars on crowded roads,” All Aboard Florida President
Here’s to keeping bills low.
Michael Reininger said in a release.
Move criticized But the announcement drew criticism from Citizens Against Rail Expansion, a group that has fought the project and contends, in part, the train system would pose a risk to public safety. “Today, All Aboard Florida announced a name change in a transparent attempt to distance the enterprise from a growing backlash of citizens who oppose or have serious concerns about the project,’’ the opposition group said in a prepared statement. “This PR move is intended to communicate the impression that All Aboard Florida is a done deal, when in fact, the project is far from finalized.” Brightline trains are scheduled to run 16 daily round-trips between Miami and Orlando, with initial stops in Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach. Plans call for the 235-mile route to use the existing Florida East Coast railway corridor between Miami and Cocoa, with new track put in along State Road 528 to reach Orlando.
Former Florida first lady dies NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA
Former Florida First Lady Rhea Chiles, who died Nov. 8 at age 84, was remembered by her family for embracing “life fully, right up until the end,” and for her role in the legendary political career of her late husband, former Gov. and U.S. Sen. Lawton Chiles. “Mom and Dad were equal partners in the wonderful legacy they leave behind,’’ the Chiles family said in a statement. From the first campaign in 1958 for the state Legislature where they knocked on doors to win an election, to the Walking Lawton campaign for U.S. Senate and all the way to the Governor’s Mansion.” Rhea Chiles was surrounded by family as she died at her home in Anna Maria Island, where she was being attended by hospice, according to the statement. “While she has faced health challenges over the last several years, up until the past three to four months she continued to do the things she loved best – enjoying family and friends, painting and encouraging others,’’ the family said. Lawton Chiles, a Democrat, was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1970 and served three terms. He was elected governor in 1990 and died in 1998, shortly before his second term was slated to end.
Bill seeks fewer lottery scratch-offs
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Florida Lottery scratchoff ticket players would have fewer options under a measure filed Monday by state Rep. Frank Artiles, RMiami. Artiles’ proposal (HB 607) would require the lottery, which now offers nearly 60 different scratchoff games, to scale back that number to 20, with the most expensive single card selling for $5. The state’s scratch-off games, which range in price from $1 to $25, collectively produce the largest amount of revenue for the lottery. During the past fiscal year, which ended June 30, scratch-off tickets generated $3.7 billion in sales, up from $3.4 billion a year earlier. Overall, the lottery reached $5.58 billion in sales during the year.
EDITORIAL
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NOVEMBER 13 – NOVEMBER 19, 2015
Benghazi smokescreen hides U.S. war crimes in Libya The recent Benghazi smokescreen produced by the U.S. Congress may have tried to hide the war crimes committed by the USA and its Western vassals in Libya, but reality on the ground has blown all the smoke away and brought to light who the West really empowered: the Islamic State. Throughout the Benghazi hearings, no mention was made of the tens of thousands of Libyans that were massacred by more than 10,000 bombing raids flown by Western pilots, part of a “nofly zone” enacted even though there was not a single aerial raid by Muammar Gaddafi prior to the imposition of such. There was no mention that there was no need for a no-fly zone because Gaddafi never bombed anyone in Libya during the entire rebellion.
Built on lies The fraudulent no-fly zone was part of a trio of fabricated charges used to incite international support for a particularly criminal war that destroyed a country whose people enjoyed a life that was the envy of their neighbors. During the golden age of Libyan peace and prosperity under
Historic racism THOMAS C. MOUNTAIN GUEST COMMENTARY
Gaddafi and his “peoples’ movement,” Libya was generally an island of religious moderation surrounded by neighbors fighting powerful extremist movements that were the forefathers of today’s Islamic State. Today’s Islamic State leader in what used to be Libya is one Bel Haj, infamous for his role in recruiting suicide bombers to slaughter untold thousands of Iraqi Shiites during his reign over Al Qaida in Iraq after the U.S. invasion. During the Libyan rebellion, he was recast as an antiGaddafi patriot fighting a despotic regime in Libya. Tens of thousands of U.S.made bombs later and after the death of Gaddafi, the man who released him from prison, Bel Haj is now caliph of a large chunk of North Africa. Where do you think Boko Haram in Nigeria is getting its weapons?
Excuse me, which Black lives matter? Michael Brown was a Black 18-year-old who a White police officer, Darren Wilson, shot in Ferguson last year, when he resisted arrest after allegedly perpetrating a strong-arm robbery. This killing triggered outrage that is still reverberating. Tyshawn Lee was a Black 9-year-old who a Black gang member, unnamed, shot in Chicago last month, when he was just playing near his grandmother’s home. This killing triggered silence that is still deafening. Where’s the outrage?! From local media reports: “Police investigating the fatal shooting of 9-year-old Tyshawn Lee in a Southside alley believe that the boy was targeted as part of an on-
ANTHONY L. HALL, ESQ. FLORIDA COURIER COLUMNIST
going gang feud involving his relatives. Police said they believe the child’s father has information about the possible retaliation, but is not being forthcoming… Tyshawn was shot several times in the upper body, including in the head and back.”
Fear vs. trust God help the city where residents fear gang members more
Four ways to break the school-to-prison pipeline The United Negro College Fund penned the words, “A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste.” Just reading or hearing the phrase should cause everyone to learn as much as possible. Because the phrase resonates with that of education, it’s important to understand that the education of our children is the responsibility of all persons. Whatever your opinion is of school systems, administrators, and educators, all of us should participate in the education of our children and each other.
DR. SINCLAIR GREY III GUEST COLUMNIST
Be proactive It’s sad when people spend so much time watching reality shows that they neglect empowering their minds. In a real sense, when foolishness is allowed to be manifested within households, nobody wins, especially our children.
Random thoughts of a free Black mind, v. 269 QUICK TAKES FROM #2: STRAIGHT, NO CHASER
CHARLES W. CHERRY II, ESQ. PUBLISHER
VISUAL VIEWPOINT: OBAMA AND NETANYAHU
Deacon Wardell Jackson Lee, 1940-2015 – The family buried “Fred” last week more than two years after a debilitating stroke left his sharp and active mind trapped in a body which could barely move and couldn’t speak. (Sometimes, death is a relief.) In my emotional remarks at Fred’s wake, I told my truth and took
The other two lies used to whip up international opinion against Gaddafi were so intertwined in an historic racism rooted deep in the Arab psyche that all it took were broadcasts alleging that Black African mercenaries were raping Arab women to send hundreds of thousands of Libyan families fleeing their homes. An Amnesty International senior investigator was in Benghazi a week after the rebellion broke out in 2011 and reported that there had been no rapes, no African mercenaries and only 110 total dead, including both sides, before the no-fly zone was launched under fraudulent pretexts. Not one case of rape has ever been proven, never mind Hillary Clinton’s Viagra-fueled mass rape charges. No Black mercenaries, no rapes, and no aerial bombardments. The war against Libya was based entirely on lies. No wonder Pax Americana had to try so hard to divert attention from anything resembling scrutiny of what they created: the lawlessness and terrorism in what was once the state of Libya.
DARYL CAGLE, CAGLECARTOONS.COM
Terrorist haven With a homeland under the Islamic State and its caliph, Bel Haj, fanatics from the entire region have a haven to rest, recuperate, and rearm before returning to the front lines to commit more murder against ‘apostates’ and ‘infidels,’ wherever they may be. Boko Haram has certainly benefited from Libyan arms and Bel Haj’s support. All the smoke used to dress the Benghazi melodrama and pun-
than they trust police officers. But given the scourge of Blackon-Black crime, the irony is that Blacks predominate in areas of far too many cities where this is the case. Which brings me to the unwitting spectre of the “Ferguson effect.” Chuck Rosenberg, head of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, said last week that he agrees with FBI Director James Comey that police officers are reluctant to aggressively enforce laws in the post-Ferguson era of capturing police activity on smartphones and YouTube… Unfortunately, Black activists and pundits have spent more time splitting hairs about the Ferguson effect than condemning the increasing lawlessness that led to Tyshawn’s death. For example, on a recent edition of “The Daily Show,” new host Trevor Noah quipped that, “Police now live in fear of someone whipping out their phone
and brutally filming them.” No doubt, because it went viral, he considers this joke his crowning achievement to date. But nothing demonstrated the deadly impact of the Ferguson effect quite like police officers being reluctant to intervene as (Black) rioters looted, pillaged, and burned their own areas of Baltimore earlier this year. The New York Times affirmed this effect in a June 15, 2015, report headlined, “West Baltimore’s Police Presence Drops, and Murder Soars” (the Baltimore effect?).
I often hear people say, “Our children are the future,” and that is true in many ways. If we’re saying that, are we doing the best we can to make it happen? We cannot solely depend on the school system; we have to be proactive instead of reactive. Sadly, many parents (not all) are so obsessed with materialism that they fail to challenge their children. It’s sad when many parents (not all) are absent in their children’s education. From the time of birth, parents have the responsibility to ensure that their children receive the best education possible. It’s not about dressing them up and calling them cute. It isn’t about waiting for them to turn 18 years old so they can leave home. It’s about making sure the child is prepared mentally, emotionally, intellectually, culturally, socially, and spiritually to handle life’s challenges.
Caring about the future of our children isn’t up to the few. It’s up to the whole collective body to make a difference. Here are some suggestions that can be helpful. • Actively participate in school. Whatever can be done, each parent should make it their mission to ensure that their child as well as their peers are in an environment that’s safe, secure, and concerned about their overall progress • Attend parent/teacher conferences. Unless there is a dialogue between teacher and parent, one will not be able to understand a child’s strengths and weaknesses • Make sure the members of the school board are informed and aware of any discrepancies your child may have with school personnel. Nothing can be done unless it’s brought to the attention of others.
personal responsibility for not helping to improve Fred’s final years (“life got in the way” was my excuse), and I urged all of us “to do better” by unifying and dividing caregiver duties in the future. Some family members thought I was throwing shade. As country folk say, “A hit dog will holler.” No hard feelings, but no apologies from me, either… Veterans Day 2015 – Need another example of how institutional racism robs America of its best and brightest and kills dreams? My “text group” of seven middleaged, college and grad school-
educated Black men sent Veterans Day congratulations to one of our number who’s a retired U.S. Marine. As we texted responses, we found out that three of us (including me) wanted to enlist in the military after college, but our parents who were either veterans or veterans’ spouses all talked us out of it. Why? Because of the virulent racism they experienced after World War II or during the Korean Conflict. Two of us would have been Marines, and one a Navy Seebee (in construction). Remember, this was a time when children (especially Black chil-
Always reluctant Meanwhile, Noah and others willfully ignore the obvious and understandable truth that police officers (White and Black) have always been reluctant to police high-crime areas, like the Southside of Chicago. Only this explains the despairing resonance of Spike Lee’s forthcoming movie, “Chiraq,” about violence so wan-
Charles W. Cherry II, Esq., Publisher
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ditry has blown away for now, and no one in the USA is any wiser about what really happened in the destruction of a once proud nation, Libya. For this we can thank the Benghazi smokescreen and those behind the fog machines: the ever-faithful media in the West.
Thomas C. Mountain is an independent journalist living in and reporting from Eritrea since 2006. ton and unchecked in Black areas of Chicago, residents might as well be living in Iraq. The more troubling irony, though, is that police officers fear vigilant(e) public scrutiny that could end their careers (a la Darren Wilson) more than gangland violence that could end their lives. Such is the seemingly inexorable and irreconcilable breakdown in trust between those who wear blue and those who are Black in America today. Rich, cloistered Blacks like Noah and Lee can crack jokes and make movies about this increasingly violent malaise, respectively. But poor, exposed Blacks like Tyshawn and honors student Hadiya Pendleton (remember her?) will suffer most because of it.
Anthony L. Hall is a Bahamian native with an international law practice in Washington, D.C. Read his columns and daily weblog at www.theipinionsjournal.com. • Formulate committees within schools and/or the community that holds everyone accountable for providing information that’s helpful to parents and students. When information is not shared, everyone loses. Education is too important to neglect. When everyone comes together to close the educational gaps among races and ethnic groups, the school-to-prison pipeline closes. In order to bankrupt the correctional system, let’s begin with making sure everyone receives the best education possible. This is something all of us can participate in.
Dr. Sinclair Grey III is a speaker, writer, author, life coach and radio/television talk show host. Contact him at www.sinclairgrey.org, drgrey@sinclairgrey. org or on Twitter @drsinclairgrey. dren) really listened to their parents. America lost three excellent service members and we lost the chance to fulfill our respective dreams, to our lifelong regret. Interestingly enough, our ex-Marine friend enlisted, THEN told his mother – or he would have been talked out of it, too… The gay ‘Ally of the Year’ – Could any credible Black organization name Bro. Prez as Black America’s “Ally of the Year” with a proverbial straight face? Hail naw…
Contact me at ccherry2@ gmail.com.
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NOVEMBER 13 – NOVEMBER 19, 2015
If youth movement demands nothing, it gets nothing The most significant achievement to date of the incipient movement that emerged last summer in Ferguson, Mo., has been to put the collaborationist Black political classes on the defensive. The first casualty was Al Sharpton, the Obama administration’s infinitely corrupt pit bill, who was effectively de-horned by his failure to contain Black rage against the criminal justice system. When the Black “street” rejected Sharpton and other accomodationists, the ruling order moved to absorb and co-opt elements within the movement itself.
Dems kill movements This remarkably successful counter-offensive has brought the #BlackLivesMatter (#BLM) network and its less-polished offshoot, Campaign Zero (CZ), safely into the Democratic Party matrix – a mausoleum for movements. In a remarkably short space of time, the #BLM-CZ networks went from agitation to accommodation, as quasi-official components of the Democratic wing of the ruling duopoly and chatfriends with the likely next president of the United States. For those seeking to work their “inside” game, the emergent movement has been a veritable stairway – no, an express elevator – to power-broker heaven!
Who’s with whom? The “Black Lives Matter” brand and slogan was almost universally adopted by the emergent movement. This has resulted in general confusion as to who is working with whom. Thus, although #BLM and CZ are locked in mutual embrace with the Democratic Party, activists not under their direction
GLEN FORD BLACK AGENDA REPORT
continue to shout “Black Lives Matter” while sometimes disrupting Democratic Party events. A dozen student activists from the Atlanta University Center (#AUCShutItDown) last week put their fists up, shouted “Black Lives Matter” and sang songs at a Democratic Party rally for Hillary Clinton, interrupting the candidate’s litany of lies and thoroughly embarrassing Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, former mayor Shirley Franklin and Rep. John Lewis, representing the city’s Black Misleadership Class. Clinton seemed surprised and confused. Hadn’t she neutralized that “Black Lives Matter” crowd? Clinton whined that she’d been meeting with #BLM and planned more talks with them. Members of the crowd shouted, “Hillary, Hillary” and “Let her speak.” Loyal Black Democrats formed a shield in front of the war criminal.
‘Have my back’ Congressman Lewis put his arms on a protester’s shoulders, urging them to desist, and the group left shortly afterwards. “I am glad the congressman and the mayor have my back,” said Clinton. Of course they have her back. The Democratic Party is the greatest impediment to independent, self-determinationist politics in Black America. Its near-hegemonic presence has prevented the emergence of a Black oppositional movement for two generations – which is why it was possi-
MARIAN WRIGHT EDELMAN NNPA COLUMNIST
suggestions she gives adults to help children cope with crisis: • Connect. Many children feel isolated, scared and confused. Counter that by giving them comfort and understanding. • Answer children’s questions directly and honestly whenever possible. Authentic response in tragedy is so important to children and youths. Listen carefully and answer. They may want to know just one answer, one detail. Then ask if there are other questions and make it clear that you will answer, to the best of your ability, whatever they are asking. • Provide a message of warmth and security. Children need to know that home is safe, so show them you love them and will protect them. There are no stronger barriers against the harmful effects of violent and chaotic be-
JAMES CLINGMAN NNPA COLUMNIST
their presentations. The banks did not interview the churches; the churches interviewed the banks. Important to note are the reciprocal relationships that evolved from the initiative of the churches and their refusal to continue doing business as usual. Both sides won. The banks understood the value of being in a “covenant relationship” with this newly-formed dynamic group, and the churches understood the leverage they had by working collectively and cooperatively, across theological persuasions, toward business solutions for their members. The CBG became the CEG as a result of its growth from 21 Interviewed banks churches to nearly 150 churchBanks began to “compete” for es comprising 175,000 members the churches’ business by coming and its desire to involve itself in to the leaders of the CEG to make other business relationships. The
VISUAL VIEWPOINT: DR. BEN CARSON
Plan vs. speeches A review of Twitter – the virtual nation in which Campaign Zero spokesman DeRay McKesson resides – shows that #BlackLivesMatter co-founders Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullurs and Opal Tometi made no mention of the Atlanta demonstration. Among the hundreds of tweets generated by McKesson in the days after the protest, there is one comment on the #AUCShutItDown action. “So, when I saw the protest at the Hillary rally in Atlanta, I think they were essentially saying, ‘Where’s the plan?’ vs. more speeches,” he tweeted. McKesson’s impression is essentially correct. Avery Jackson, a spokesman for the Atlanta University Center activists, was interviewed by CNN’s Don Lemon, who asked if Jackson was pleased with Clinton’s offer to ban the check-box for criminal records on job applications and eliminate the differential in crack cocaine penalties. “That’s what we are on board for,” the student leader replied. However, his group is concerned that Blacks “really are at the priority and center of this conversation.” That’s not a demand. The young activists are willing to confront Power – including Black minions of Power, which is perhaps the most urgent task – but they have not formulated demands to be made of Power and around which the people can coalesce. DeRay McKesson and his Campaign Zero crew have made no demands on Hillary Clinton, and neither has the #BlackLivesMatter network. Or rather, it ap-
havior than love and a sense of connection. • Highlight steps to keep school safe. As a teacher, note strong school safety measures and explain that school is one of the safest places in our communities. As a parent, learn about new safety protocols, professional training, and building security for your own comfort, participation and messaging. Help children play and learn together in a relaxed manner. • Know what to do, as much as possible, in a disaster. Develop emergency plans that include roles for the children. Ensure they know adults are thinking about their safety. • Direct children to a school or community counselor who serves children and families if you perceive that the response they are showing might benefit from a professional conversation. Counseling, often short-term and focused, can be tremendously helpful when needed. Signs might include prolonged trouble eating or sleeping, bad dreams, or aggressive play. Find out what mental health supports are available at
Can I get an ‘Amen’ for the CEG? On December 3, 2015 the Collective Empowerment Group (CEG), formerly known as the “Collective Banking Group (CBG) of Prince George’s County and Vicinity,” will celebrate a milestone achievement: its 20th anniversary. The CEG was established in 1995 by 21 churches in response to discrimination and mistreatment by banks, some of which had financed church buildings but refused to make loans thereafter for renovations and business development. Instead of wringing their hands and begging the banks to change, Jonathan Weaver, pastor of Greater Mt. Nebo A.M.E. Church, rallied a few of his fellow ministers to respond appropriately. They used their collective leverage via the members of their respective congregations to obtain reciprocity from the banks that they chose to be “in covenant” with.
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ble to impose a mass Black incarceration regime so pervasive that one out of eight prisoners on the planet is an African-American.
Helping children cope with crisis Connecticut Commission on Children Executive Director Elaine Zimmerman helps meet many child needs in her state, including sharing advice to help children cope with terrible events. Some of our nation’s largest tragedies have hit Connecticut’s children close to home. Many lost family members who worked in New York City on September 11, 2001. Then there was the unimaginable heartbreak and horror of the mass shooting in Newtown, Conn., when 20 first graders and six beloved teachers were murdered in their elementary school. Connecticut children are far from alone in their fears of violence and terrorism. Epidemic gun violence has shattered schools, colleges, and movie theaters and streets and homes all over America. Constant stories about wars, desperate refugee parents and children, worries about attacks on places of worship, and the cumulative natural and unnatural devastation can make the world seem like a very scary, unpredictable place. So Zimmerman has shared
EDITORIAL
CEG’s aim was to be more holistic in its approach to the myriad of issues affecting the daily lives of Black people. Thus, as a result of CBG leadership recognizing the possibilities of doing even more business with other retailers, i.e. furniture stores, carpet outlets, and organizations involved in health, politics, insurance, professional services, and supplies, the name was changed along with the organization’s scope of service.
For mutual benefit Not-for-profit entities were also invited to work with the CEG, again creating mutually beneficial relationships and opportunities not ordinarily available. The CEG Strategic Partners, usually small business owners and service providers, not only gain access to the individual members of the CEG with whom they can do business. They respond by offering discounts and other special considerations to the CEG members. Having helped start a chapter of the CEG in Cincinnati, Ohio, I can personally at-
NATE BEELER, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
pears their underlying demand all along was to be welcomed into the Democratic Party’s internal processes, which they achieved with the Democratic National Committee’s endorsement, this summer, and the offer of a town hall campaign event.
Defined by demands
al system within a given time period. And then there are “reforms” that amount to tinkering around the edges without effecting real change in the essential status quo. Such “concessions” may actually make the prevailing order more palatable, and give a false impression of progress and popular empowerment. Examples include more training for police – without altering the core police mission in the Mass Black Incarceration State. It’s not as if the people don’t have demands. In countless demonstrations since Trayvon Martin was murdered in 2012, brothers and sisters in the streets have voiced a common demand: “Killer Cops Out of Our Community” – meaning the exit of the despised occupation army from “our” selfdetermining communities. The people have already spoken. Let’s make our demands, accordingly.
Movements are defined by their demands – a truth that appears to have been widely forgotten in the two generations since Black America experienced a mass movement. There are Revolutionary Demands, such as for the abolition of prisons, which cannot occur absent a thorough social transformation. There are genuine Reformist Demands, which can be achieved without an overthrow of the rulers, but restrains them, while enhancing the power of the people and materially improving their actual conditions. An example: a demand that the U.S. Justice Department bring the number of Blacks incarcerated on Glen Ford is executive editor drug charges down to the level of White drug offenders in the feder- of BlackAgendaReport.com.
school and in your community. • Show antipathy to violence and hatred. Bullying and racial bias in school are local forms of the cruelty we see on the world stage. When children learn to respect each other, they begin to make their environments safer. • Honor heroes. In the attack on Sandy Hook Elementary School, there were many heroes, including teachers, the principal, the police, neighbors, and many children. And there are many heroes every day. Help children see them and recognize them in our daily lives. Ask children who their heroes are. Mention yours. Talk about heroes together. • Honor good works and deeds. Pointing to the accomplishments of others creates examples for our children and youths. It also instills respect, caring, and hope. • Help children become everyday heroes. Give them purposeful ways to give back and realize their impact on the world. • Get back to normal. Do not let a tragedy leak into play, routine and normal activity. A most healing activity is the comfort of routine with other children and adults. It is the familiarity of the daily way of moving through the day, with all its ups and downs that comforts like a blanket.
• Bring hope back that change can happen. For many, current events have put hope in a back drawer. We owe it to our children to reclaim it. Children need hope if they’re to lead in constructive, creative ways.
test to the benefits offered by CEG Strategic Partner businesses. CEG churches do not continue to complain about how they are mistreated despite spending significant amounts with businesses and depositing large sums of money into banks that do not reciprocate. CEG churches take the issue into their own hands, first by understanding the power of leverage and then by being willing to address any inequities that exist in their business relationships via their collective clout.
The CEG demonstrates what can be done collectively, and it graphically illustrates that there is, indeed, power in numbers. I am thrilled to write about this outstanding organization, and I will continue to sing its praises for spreading the gospel of economic empowerment.
Follow the money Just imagine the economic progress we would make if hundreds and even thousands more Black churches throughout this country would form CEG chapters and replicate what has been done. Although I have written several newspaper columns about the CEG, I never tire of doing so because it has done such great work in the area of economic empowerment. And because I hear so many of our brothers and sisters asking, “What are the churches doing?” I share CEG with any and all who will listen. Many churches across the country are doing some fantastic things on an individual basis.
Kids need adults Children desperately need adults to help them process and cope within the violent and uncertain world we have created for them. They also need to see adults working with and for them to create a better, safer nation and world for tomorrow. Zimmerman reminds us that “[Children] want to repair the world. From the youngest to the oldest child, there is a stark awareness of the plight of others . . . To them, our world is unsafe, violent, hateful – and yet good. This is a healthy sign in a complex time.” Adults should join our children with urgency in repairing and building a world safe for every child.
Marian Wright Edelman is founder and president of the Children’s Defense Fund (www. childrensdefense.org).
Join in You can celebrate with the CEG and learn more about it by attending their 20th anniversary gala in Bowie, Md. For more information, go to www.collectiveempowermentgroup.org, or call 301699-8449. Kudos, congrats, and bravo to the CEG, its visionary, Pastor Jonathan Weaver, and its current leadership, President Anthony G. Maclin and Executive Director Dr. Diane H. Johnson. Just as important are all of those who followed their leads, locally and nationally, to establish what has now become a two decades-old successful organization. Can I get an “Amen?”
James Clingman, founder of the Greater Cincinnati African American Chamber of Commerce, is the nation’s most prolific writer on economic empowerment for Black people.
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NOVEMBER 13 – NOVEMBER 19, 2015
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Nearly 600 men received degrees at a commencement in 2006 from Morehouse College. The Atlanta-based college has traditionally graduated more African-American men than other school.
NEARLY 150 YEARS OF PRODUCING LEADERS Morehouse College seeks rebound in finances and enrollment as it prepares to celebrate sesquicentennial. BY JANEL DAVIS ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION (TNS)
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TLANTA — When Philip Rucker told people he was going to Morehouse College this fall, his announcement was met with the kind of admiration typically associated with the revered historically Black institution. “Everyone congratulated me and talked about how smart the students at Morehouse are,” said Rucker, an 18-year-old freshman. For more than 100 years, a degree from the private school has been synonymous with success: Graduate from Morehouse and great things happen. As the college prepares to celebrate its 150th anniversary in 2017, president John Wilson faces challenges on his mission to continue that reputation. The first is to continue righting the school’s finances, which have taken a hit, leading to layoffs. And, as college options are plentiful and the need for historically Black institutions has been challenged, another task facing Wilson is to make the school even more ap-
Students walk to and from classes on the Morehouse College campus on Oct. 20.
pealing as a destination for Black men. “I want to make the case for the next 150 years and ensure we can remain productive, and look like we’re ready for the future,” Wilson, 58, said.
HYOSUB SHIN/ATLANTA JOURNALCONSTITUTION/TNS
Hurt by federal rule Wilson is in his third year as president, taking the helm in 2013 after a four-year stint leading the Historically Black College and University initiative in the Obama White House. In October, he was granted a one-year extension to his Morehouse contract, originally set to expire in 2016. Morehouse’s financial struggles have come to light as Wilson has publicly addressed them. Changes to federal student loan rules hit students at Black colleges hard, officials said in 2012, leading to employee furloughs. Wilson followed by cutting 75 jobs and $2.5 million in operating costs the next year. At the time, Morehouse was losing students and the fees and tuition See MOREHOUSE, Page B2
MOREHOUSE BY THE NUMBERS
HYOSUB SHIN/ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION/TNS
Dr. John Wilson, Jr. is the 11th president of Morehouse College.
Enrollment: 2,200 (97 percent Black) Tuition: $24,565 Six-year graduation rate: 54 percent First-year retention rate: 80 percent Average starting salary after attending: $40,900 Students receiving federal loans: 76 percent Students receiving federal Pell Grant: 50 percent Typical total debt on graduation: $27,000 Source: Collegescorecard.ed.gov; Morehouse College
MOREHOUSE COLLEGE TIMELINE 1867
1957
Augusta Theological Institute founded by Rev. William Jefferson White, an Augusta Baptist minister. The institute eventually became Morehouse College.
Morehouse receives full accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
1968
1879
Moved to basement of Friendship Baptist Church in Atlanta and renamed Atlanta Baptist Seminary (renamed Atlanta Baptist College in 1897).
1888
Morehouse president Dr. Benjamin E. Mays delivers the eulogy for alumnus Martin Luther King Jr.
COURTESY OF MOREHOUSE COLLEGE
Martin Luther King Jr. received his Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology from Morehouse College on June 21, 1948, at age 19.
Purchased 14 acres at $7,500 to relocate campus to Atlanta’s West End community.
Morehouse becomes the permanent custodian of the Morehouse College MLK Jr. Collection.
Dr. John Hope appointed college’s first AfricanAmerican — and fourth — president.
1913
2013
School renamed Morehouse College in honor of Henry L. Morehouse, corresponding secretary of the Northern Baptist Home Mission Society.
Martin Luther King Jr. graduates from Morehouse with Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology at age 19.
Morehouse School of Medicine becomes an independent institution.
2006
1906
1948
1981
U.S. President Barack Obama delivers the 129th commencement address. CURTIS COMPTON/ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION/TNS
President Barack Obama congratulates valedictorian Betsegaw Tadele for academic excellance at Morehouse College on May 19, 2013.
2017
Morehouse will celebrate its sesquicentennial. Source: Morehouse College
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Plenty to do during Florida Classic weekend B-CU, FAMU event kicks off with job fair, Battle of the Bands SPECIAL TO THE COURIER
Tens of thousands of fans both near and far will descend upon Orlando this month for the big game with a big impact supporting educational opportunities and having an annual economic impact of about $30 million for the Central Florida region. Billed as the nation’s largest HBCU sports event, the Florida Blue Florida Classic annual matchup played between the Bethune-Cookman University Wildcats and the Florida A&M University Rattlers returns on Saturday, Nov. 21 at the Orlando Citrus Bowl. FAMU and B-CU will meet for the 70th time and the 36th in the Florida Classic. “The Florida Blue Florida Classic is always exciting for both universities because of the funds it raises for our scholarship programs and the significant impact it adds to the Central Florida economy,” said Milton Overton, FAMU’s athletic director. “It’s more than just a game and is part of our multi-layered approach to partner with the community.”
Plenty of jobs In addition to the football game, the weekend lineup of
FLORIDA COMMUNITY CALENDAR
FILE PHOTO
B-CU quarterback Quentin William Williams (3) runs with the ball during last year’s Florida Classic football game at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando. events emphasizes community partnership. The Career Expo and Job Fair presented on Friday, Nov. 20, at the Amway Center is a collaboration with Orlando Jobs to connect job seekers with employers hiring for over 4,000 jobs across various sectors. Among the recruiting list of companies includes the City of
Orlando, Orange County Sheriff’s Office, Visit Orlando, Verizon, Florida Virtual School, Marriott International, Region’s Bank and Orlando Health. On the same day is the Florida Consortium Kickoff Luncheon presented by Florida Blue and brings together community partners, supporters and local organizations. Other events
Comedy Tour stops at the James L. Knight Centr on Nov. 25.
Orlando: The Orlando Classic Tastemasters Official After Party is Nov. 21 at 10 p.m. Guests: Jagged Edge and Kid Capri. St. Petersburg: “The Family Blessing,” featuring local performers, will be at the Mahaffey Theater on Dec. 19 at 7:30 p.m. and Dec. 20 at 2 p.m. Jacksonville: On Nov. 18, the Ritz Theatre will host Chante Cann as part of its Jazz Discovery Series. Tampa: The Weeknd’s Madness Fall Tour stops at the Amalie Arena on Dec. 17 and AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami on Dec. 19. Jacksonville: The “Hop Hop Nutcracker’’ featuring Kurtis Blow will be at the Ritz Theatre on Nov. 29 for a 7:30 p.m. show. Tampa: Comedienne Sommore will be at the Tampa Improv in Ybor City Nov. 13-15. Miami: Martin Dixon’s I’m So Hood
Opa-Locka: The city’s 19th Annual Turkey Giveaway is Nov. 23 at City Hall, 777 Sharazard Blvd. More details: Call 305-953-2800 ext. 2801. Fort Lauderdale: The Soweta Gospel Choir makes a stop at the Parker Playhouse in Fort Lauderdale on Nov. 22. The concert starts at 6 p.m. Miami: Christmas in Jazz: A Holiday Show takes place Dec. 11 at the Miami Dade County Auditorium. Coral Gables: The Legends of the Old School tour stops at the BankUnited Center on Nov. 20 and Dec. 5 at the Germain Arena in Estero. Performers include Vanilla Ice, Salt N Pepa, Coolio, Rob Base and 2 Live Crew. Tampa: Candy Lowe hosts Tea & Conversation every Saturday from 2 to 4 p.m. at 3911 N. 34th St., Suite B. More information: 813-3946363. Fort Lauderdale: Tickets are on sale now to see stage and screen star Audra McDonald perform Jan. 2 at the Parker Playhouse.
MOREHOUSE from Page 1
The college has also
“We continue to enhance the
CHARLIE MURPHY
BISHOP BULLWINKLE
Betty Wright, Clarence Carter, Shirley Murdock and Bishop Bullwinkle will perform at the 1828 Southern Soul Music Festival at 2 p.m. on Nov. 28 at Water Works Park, 1710 N. Highland Ave., Tampa. More information: 813-444-2986.
FILE PHOTO
Brighter fiscal outlook
New head coaches
Tickets are still on sale and available for purchase starting at $15 at Ticketmaster or at www.FloridaClassic.org.
The Comedy Get Down tour stops at the AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami on Dec. 11. The tour features D.L. Hughley, George Lopez, Cedric the Entertainer, Eddie Griffin and Charlie Murphy.
Trustee C. David Moody, Jr., right, presented a presidential chair to newly installed President John Wilson on behalf of the college in 2014.
they brought with them. By 2012-13, Morehouse had 500 fewer students than in 2008-2009, Wilson said. Further examination of enrollment data shows Morehouse’s enrollment has dropped about 30 percent over 10 years, from a fall 2005 head count of 3,029 students to 2,106 students last fall.
include the Florida Blue Battle of the Bands on Friday night, a pre-game FanFare with activities for the entire family, and the McDonald’s Halftime Show featuring the Marching 100 and the Marching Wildcats.
game experience to drive value for our fans and to create greater impact for the community each year,” shared Lynn Thompson, BCU’s athletic director. “Last year’s game was the first played at the newly renovated Orlando Citrus Bowl, which enhanced the game experience for fans. This year’s game is significant because both teams are playing under the leadership of two new head coaches – Coach Alex Wood with the Rattlers and Coach Terry Sims with the Wildcats.” The Florida Blue Florida Classic is a game of tradition with a long storied history dating back to the first Classic played in 1978. Since then, more than 1,500,000 fans have attended the game. In addition to the economic impact the game has on its host city, Orlando, proceeds continue to support educational opportunities at both universities. Last year’s game was the first played in the new Orlando Citrus Bowl Stadium and featured a better fan experience with larger, more comfortable seats with chair backs, an additional six inches of legroom in the lower bowl, multiple club suites and lounges, better concessions, new team facilities, and video displays on each upper deck.
seen a 15 percent decline in its fundraising over the past five fiscal years. “What sometimes happens when you become president at an institution is you find out pretty quickly that the icing on the cake might have been covering up some things,” said Marybeth Gasman, director of the Penn Center for Minority Serving Institutions at the University of Pennsylvania, a former Atlanta resident. In August, credit-rating
agency Moody’s kept the college’s bond rating at a negative outlook for a second year. Moody’s lowered Morehouse’s rating in 2014, noting the enrollment decline and citing insufficient cash flow to cover its debt service. This year, the agency noted Morehouse had improved its operating performance, cash flow covered debt service for the first time since fiscal 2011, and the school was projecting record enrollment levels this fall.
The ‘Big Five’ In September, Wilson’s buoyancy was hard to con-
tain as he announced new members of his senior leadership team during Morehouse’s annual fall convocation. The group he called the “Big Five” are a collection of business and higher education professionals hand-picked with the goal of implementing academic and fiscal improvements. “There has been a pattern in Black higher education of hiring from within,” Wilson said. “In the same way I feel I’m bringing different thinking to Morehouse, I want other people to bring in different thinking.” An enrollment push led to Morehouse welcoming Rucker and his classmates in one of its largest freshman classes ever this fall, with 702 students, all part of a plan to boost enrollment by another 200 students, to 2,400 over the next two years. Along with the enrollment push there is a move to increase the number of students who can afford the tuition, $24,565 this school year. The school’s recruiting staff has been doubled with a focus on getting the right mix of students. These tasks have taken up Wilson’s time so he wasn’t in the public eye as much as his predecessors. “You would see (past president Robert) Franklin out here on the quad talking to students, encour-
TAMELA MANN
The gospel singer and actress will be at the Bradenton Area Convention Center on Nov. 21 for a 7:30 p.m. show.
aging students,” said accounting major and senior student Michael Calicott, 21. “With President Wilson he wasn’t as visible, but then you realized that he was behind the scenes handling business.”
Focus: Boosting endowment Wilson has worked to improve the experience at the school with amenities today’s college students have come to expect. Wireless Internet connectivity has been improved throughout the campus, new dining choices are available and more relationships with the corporate community are being created. He also wants to increase the institution’s endowment, which is about $138 million, according to school information. Wilson has said that an endowment less than $200 million makes a school “unhealthy,” noting that Morehouse’s Atlanta University Center neighbor Spelman College’s endowment is almost three times as much at $367 million. “I think Morehouse’s endowment could be more significant, but (the college) could be much more engaged with alumni,” Gasman said. “The only way that happens is if Morehouse men step up. There should not be a one of them not giving in a
substantial level on a regular basis. It is rare to meet a Morehouse man that is not successful. I would have a problem with a Morehouse alum that didn’t give back.” Morehouse’s alumni giving rate is about 29 percent, compared with Princeton, the top-ranked university for alumni giving, with a rate of 62.9 percent. Spelman’s rate is about 37 percent.
Still relevant Morehouse alum Nelson Bowman, class of 1984, has heard the concerns about Black institutions, specifically his alma mater, many times. But Morehouse’s quality and its retention and graduation rates have remained constant, he said. “I just think that the opportunities for those students who initially would have gone to Morehouse have gone up, so you have options,” said Bowman, who now lives in Houston. “So now they are competing for those same students,” and Black colleges are often unable to offer the same top-notch amenities as better-funded predominantly White institutions. “I think the product that Morehouse produces continues to be above the status quo,” he said. “It’s up to people like me to do more.”
STOJ
NOVEMBER 13 – NOVEMBER 19, 2015
HEALTH
B3
How diabetes can lead to heart disease BY LESLIE MANN CHICAGO TRIBUNE (TNS)
His diabetes diagnosis in 1990 was a slap in the face for Robb Ensign, 47, who recalled that “it came out of nowhere; no one in my family had it.” From Day 1, though, he decided “to control it instead of letting it control me.” Ensign, of St. Joseph, Mo., began by educating himself about diabetes, which makes him two to four times more likely to develop heart disease. In fact, heart disease is the No. 1 cause of death for people with Type 2 diabetes. Symptoms can be apparent, like angina (chest pain), or silent, like atherosclerosis (narrowing of the arteries). Diabetes strikes one in 10 Americans, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). By 2050, the CDC projects, one in three Americans will have the disease. Ensign has the most serious form of diabetes, Type 1, so he needs frequent insulin injections. (With Type 1, the pancreas fails to produce enough of the hormone insulin to regulate blood sugar. In Type 2, the body develops insulin resistance, especially because of excess weight and lack of exercise.) “I have to leave a lot of meetings because it’s time for a shot,” said Ensign, vice president of a cleaning-products manufacturer. A Type 2 patient doesn’t necessarily need insulin. A minority of diabetes victims develop Type 1.5, which has characteristics of Types 1 and 2.
Living by ‘ABC’ When people are diagnosed with diabetes, “ABC” becomes the acronym they live by. Otherwise, they increase their odds of having heart disease and other diabetes complications, such as vision loss and neuropathy. “A” is the average glucose level over the last three months, measured by the A1C test. If it’s higher than 7 percent, the heart can suffer damage. “B” stands for blood pressure,
FOTOLIA
People with diabetes should pay strict attention to what they eat. which should be 130/80 or lower. If it’s too high, the heart has to work harder to pump blood, and the person is more likely to have a heart attack. If diet and exercise alone do not lower blood pressure, a doctor may prescribe medication. “C” is for cholesterol. Unchecked, diabetes makes “bad cholesterol,” or low-density lipoprotein (LDL), too high. This jeopardizes the heart by clogging arteries with plaque. If a clot forms, a person could have a heart attack or stroke. The goal is to keep LDL under 100 mg/dl. If diet changes do not lower cholesterol to safe levels, a person may have to take medicine such as Lipitor.
Moderate exercise helps Diabetes complicates Ensign’s life, but managing it is his priority. “I check my glucose 10 to 15 times a day,” he said. “I give myself insulin shots five to seven times a day.” Because obesity would endanger his heart, he keeps his weight down.
“Even moderate exercise, such as gardening, makes a difference,” said Dr. Robert Eckel, professor of medicine at the University of Colorado and spokesman for the American Heart Association. “Exercise can delay the onset of Type 2 diabetes or even prevent it. But, too often, people are sedentary. There’s a lot of sittin’ going on.” Doctors urge smokers to kick the habit, whether or not they have diabetes, because smoking taxes the heart. To help plan a diet, diabetes sufferers should see a registered dietitian who has “certified diabetes educator” credentials. Also, see an endocrinologist, Eckel added, for an individualized plan, because every patient’s circumstances are different. Meals for diabetics should include more fiber and fewer fats, salt, sugar and processed foods. Most of all, diabetes turns a person into a carb counter because carbohydrates greatly affect the disease.
of Retrofit, which was partially subsidized by his employer. (Individual enrollment costs $248 a month.) Retrofit also provides online classes and a patient-support group. Monica Loewi, 77, a retiree from Vancouver, British Columbia, uses an online diabetes-management system called Glooko, which costs $59.95 for a year’s subscription. She consults the Glooko app about sodium, fat and carb content of foods. Like Meyer, she enters her daily data onto her account. “My endocrinologist loves it because it shows him everything in one place online,” Loewi said. “My father had heart disease, so I didn’t want my diabetes to lead to heart problems, too,” said Loewi, who manages her Type 1.5 diabetes by eating meals regularly, measuring her glucose every few hours and being religious about her walking and stretching routines.
Help from Fitbit
Online assistance At one time, diabetics went nowhere without their log books, where they recorded their glucose, blood pressure and LDL levels, meals and exercise. Now they can do this electronically. Jon Meyer, 49, an Arlington, Texas IT consultant, credits www. retrofitme.com. Through twice-monthly video consultations with Retrofit’s physiologist, behavioral coach and dietitian, Meyer learned to keep heart disease at bay by altering his exercise, lifestyle and diet. A Retrofit-provided scale transmits Meyer’s weight electronically to his advisers, while he uses his cell phone to relay his food choices. “I haven’t changed what I eat as much as how much I eat,” Meyer said. “Now I eat half of a restaurant meal and take home the other half for lunch the next day.” Meyer can still indulge in his favorite foods — chocolate cake and milkshakes — as long as he has small amounts. “It’s well worth it,” said Meyer
Loewi and Meyer both use Fitbit activity trackers, which measure steps taken, then transmit this information to their online accounts. “I always walk for at least an hour before or after work, but wearing the Fitbit reminds me to walk during the day, too,” Meyer said. “I’m walking while I’m talking to you now.” Beyond diet and exercise, “new diabetes drugs are promising,” Eckel said. “And metabolic (weight-loss) surgery has evolved, so we’re more often looking at it as a way to stop the obesity/diabetes/heart disease cycle.” But most patients can protect their hearts, he said, by viewing diabetes management as their new part-time job. You can resign yourself to die young, Ensign said, or weave diabetes management into your routine. “One man I met through a diabetes fundraiser said, ‘I’m going to die anyway,’” he said. “But it doesn’t have to be that way. Follow the rules, and you can prolong your life.”
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B4
NATION
NOVEMBER 13 – NOVEMBER 19, 2015
STOJ
tive investigations into the attempted murder of three individuals, the repeated sexual abuse of a child, an ongoing sex trafficking ring, and numerous assaults and robberies, among other everyday crimes. She said not every disrupted crime will be unsolvable, but says the delays experienced by investigators can keep criminals in communities for longer periods.
Pedophiles catching on
COUTESY OF MILLS FAMILY
Police are convinced that clues to the murderer of Brittany Mills, above, is inside her iPhone.
Police: Encrypted evidence is crippling criminal investigations Law enforcement agencies say they are losing critical tools to track and arrest criminals because of the technology on cell phones. BY MARK GREENBLATT AND ROBERT CRIBB SCRIPPS NEWS AND TORONTO STAR (TNS)
WASHINGTON — Barbara Mills, a retired nurse in Baton Rouge, La., has been tormented for seven months by questions no mother should have to ask: Who killed her 29-year-old daughter Brittney in cold blood, and why is new privacy technology allowed to potentially stop the police from finding out? Brittney’s murder is only one of many serious crimes in the United States and Canada that could go unsolved because Apple and Google are deploying strong encryption on cell phones and messaging applications that even the cops can’t break through. The advanced privacy technology, introduced after Edward Snowden revealed the NSA’s warrantless surveillance, is designed to keep all prying eyes away from files or messages if the correct password is not used. In a joint investigation, Scripps News and The To-
ronto Star have found the very encryption that has become so prized by technology firms and many consumers is also becoming a critical tool for child molesters, drug dealers and other criminals who can hide evidence the authorities say they can no longer access, even with a search warrant. Even a law-abiding citizen who loses a loved one, like Barbara Mills, is now unable to recover files stored on the fully encrypted phones if they didn’t obtain their relative’s password in advance.
Police losing battle It’s a battle being waged between law enforcement in the U.S., Canada and other countries and privacy advocates, with both sides claiming they’re trying to protect your safety. Police agencies contend they are losing critical tools to track and arrest criminals. Privacy advocates argue that governments around the world have lost the trust of the public, while arguing encryption protects vulnerable groups. They often say that investigators have other tools at their disposal to solve crimes and do not need access to text messages or stored data. At this stage of the battle, law enforcement is losing. Scripps and the Toronto Star made numerous requests over several months across all levels of government asking for specific cases where investigations
were thwarted because of encryption. Law enforcement agencies had many anecdotes, but are just now starting to collect data.
Diary in phone But in Baton Rouge, local authorities have no hesitation blaming Apple’s latest encryption for bringing their search for the person who shot Brittney Mills to a near halt. Mills, a single mother who was eight months pregnant with her second child, opened her apartment door late one evening last April. Police believe she knew the killer. She refused to let the still unknown person borrow her car, they believe, and was shot shortly after. Her unborn but nearly full-term baby boy clung to life for a week before dying. Mills leaves behind a daughter, now 10 years old. Police are convinced clues to the murderer’s identity lie inside the victim’s Apple iPhone. “She did say she had a diary in her phone and that everything negative that happened to her was in that diary,” her mom Barbara said. “If that phone could help solve that case then I think law enforcement and law enforcement alone should be able to go into those phones and access whatever it is they need to access. You have two murders here. Not one, but two.”
No password But like many consum-
ers, Brittney Mills never shared her phone’s password with anyone. Baton Rouge authorities obtained her family’s permission to look inside of it but could not get past Apple’s encryption even after reaching out to the FBI and the Secret Service for help. “I’m at a dead end right now and I need that information to make sure we fully investigate this case and try to bring justice to this family and our community,” East Baton Rouge District Attorney Hillar Moore said. Compounding the problem, if police or any user enters the wrong password in to an iOS device six times in a row, a message will display saying the device is disabled. So with the Mills murder case going cold, Baton Rouge authorities obtained a search warrant this September in an attempt to force Apple to help them break through the company’s encryption. But two days after receiving the court-ordered search warrant, Apple’s Privacy & Law Enforcement Compliance team delivered the bad news to homicide investigators, concluding in a brief email that stated, “Since the device is running iOS version 8 or a later version, the iOS extraction cannot be completed.”
Apple won’t help Investigators were able to successfully retrieve a trove of information from Brittney’s Apple iCloud ac-
count, but they say the last time a backup of her phone occurred was months before the crime, meaning her most recent communications and activities remain unknown to police, and her personal diary was not included in any of the files recovered from the iCloud backup. “This encryption just tells you, tells drug dealers, tells killers, (to) do what you want with impunity because law enforcement can’t get into your phone,” Moore said. Apple declined repeated requests to comment on the record about the Mills killing, or any related issues. But in an open letter to customers that addresses the topic more broadly, Apple’s CEO Tim Cook explains on the company’s website, “We respect your privacy and protect it with strong encryption.”
More inaccessible iPhones Google has announced full-disk encryption in its newest Android 6.0 Marshmallow operating system, which was launched in late October. Law enforcement officials remain in the early stages of collecting information about the impact of Apple’s iOS8, released one year ago, but in some jurisdictions the numbers are beginning to trickle out. In Manhattan, the office of District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance Jr. says that in less than 12 months “roughly 111 iPhones running iOS 8 or newer were inaccessible” to its staffers. Joan Vallero, a spokesperson for Vance, says the time period tracked was from last October 2014 to this September. Vallero says the lack of access disrupted ac-
The battle over encryption crosses international borders. The Toronto Police Service revealed to Scripps News and The Star how pedophiles are catching on and even coaching each other on how to use the latest encryption advances to conceal evidence from authorities. Toronto Detective Paul Krawczyk of the child exploitation division entered one of the “boy love” online communities he regularly monitors that he says is one of many virtual meet-up spots for pedophiles. From his desk, he located a conversation taking place that explained how American “boy lovers” have an advantage over those in some other nations, noting how no U.S. laws exist that compel criminals to hand over their private passwords that police would use to decode their files. The online user wrote, “in the U.S. (not turning over passwords) won’t get you jail time. It will get the cops to abandon the investigation against you without filing charges. Just invoke the 5th Amendment and that’s the end of it.”
SaveCrypto launched Another user provided advice to another “boy lover,” instructing him to begin using a specific text messaging service that encrypts text messages, so that if police ever come knocking with a search warrant “they won’t get anything off of your phone when it comes to chat.” The Federal Bureau of Investigation has been trying to raise the alarm in the United States with repeated trips to Capitol Hill, but has so far been rebuffed. Technology firms and privacy advocates pushed back strongly, launching a number of campaigns, such as SaveCrypto. The initiatives petitioned the White House to side against groups advocating for a key for law enforcement to unlock encrypted devices if officers have a search warrant. In September, Twitter signed on to the petition, joining Dropbox and others. Last month, the White House signaled it would not, for now, push for the legislation.
D.C. leaders hope to change Ryan’s mind about statehood BY JAMES WRIGHT TRICE EDNEY NEWSWIRE
Following U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan’s election by the House of Representatives as Speaker of the House, District of Columbia Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton said she “will reach out and look forward to working with our new speaker, Paul Ryan” - including on the issue of D.C. statehood. “Paul is a friend who I have worked with in the past,” Norton said. “I first got to know him from his relationship with my good friend, the late representative and former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Jack Kemp, who was Paul’s mentor. I see Jack Kemp’s continuing influence on Paul in his outspoken leadership on a Republican approach to poverty, a subject that other Republicans often neglect.” The delegate said Ryan’s vote on District statehood “in recent years has not been unlike others in
his [Republican] caucus,” meaning that he isn’t in favor of statehood. “However, I believe Paul understands the importance of self-government, and I do not think he is unreceptive to our demands for home rule,” Norton said. “He has not been tested on the degree to which he would respect the District’s right to self-government.”
Partisan vote Ryan, a Republican from Wisconsin, was elected to lead the House Oct. 29. The only Congressional Black Caucus member to support Ryan was U.S. Rep. Mia Love (R-Utah), stating that she likes his “commitment to family.” The Democrats in the House, including the party’s CBC members, voted for U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), a former House speaker and the present House Minority Leader, which was to be expected. The vote for speaker is always along party lines. Statehood is of particular
interest to D.C. representatives and leaders. Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat, had a conversation with former House Speaker John Boehner earlier this year and she expects to talk with Ryan, as well. “We will reach out to the new speaker,” Bowser told the Afro American Newspaper on Nov. 2. “We haven’t made contact with his office yet.” Nevertheless, it is a courtesy on Capitol Hill for the speaker and District mayor to meet at least once while either is in power. When they do meet, District statehood is always a point in the discussion.
No GOP support Anise Jenkins, the coleader for Stand Up for Democracy!, a pro-statehood organization, admits she doesn’t know very much about Ryan but is sure of one thing. “I know that he is not a co-sponsor of the present D.C. statehood bill that is in the Congress,” Jenkins said.
U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, left, shares some thoughts with his colleagues on Oct. 29, prior to being nominated as Speaker of the House. RON SACHS/ DPA/ZUMA PRESS/TNS
“There are no Republican lawmakers who support the bill at this time. However, we will lobby him on the issue like we’ve lobbied other speakers.” Despite their caution, some CBC members wished Ryan well in his new role. U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore (D-Wis.), who has disagreed with Ryan regarding welfare and pub-
lic assistance issues tweeted “Congratulations to my friend, colleague and fellow Wisconsinite Speaker Ryan.” “Best of luck, Paul,” the tweet said. “Let’s get to work.” Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) said, “Speaker Ryan is an outstanding public servant with a long record of service.
“He has the potential to be an effective leader that works with the whole House to move our great nation forward. I look forward to continuing to work with him in the House of Representatives.”
This story is special to the Trice Edney News Wire from the Afro American Newspaper.
STOJ
NOVEMBER 13 – NOVEMBER 19, 2015
FINEST & ENTERTAINMENT
Meet some of
FLORIDA’S
finest
submitted for your approval
B5
Think you’re one of Florida’s Finest? E-mail your high-resolution (200 dpi) digital photo in casual wear or bathing suit taken in front of a plain background with few distractions, to news@flcourier. com with a short biography of yourself and your contact information. (No nude/ glamour/ fashion photography, please!) In order to be considered, you must be at least 18 years of age. Acceptance of the photographs submitted is in the sole and absolute discretion of Florida Courier editors. We reserve the right to retain your photograph even if it is not published. If you are selected, you will be contacted by e-mail and further instructions will be given.
These masqueraders participated in the Seventh Annual Miami Broward One Carnival’s Parade of the Bands at the Dade County Fairgrounds on Oct. 11. The Florida Courier staff selected them as this week’s Florida’s Finest – for obvious reasons. PHOTOS BY CHARLES W. CHERRY II / FLORIDA COURIER
Black art matters: Set decorator explains how she creates look of ‘Empire’ BY JOHN OWENS CHICAGO TRIBUNE (TNS)
When “Empire” protagonist Lucious Lyon meets with his three sons in his plush New York mansion, or when Lyon’s ex-wife, Cookie, holds court with the hiphop mogul in his gleaming Manhattan office, the main focus is on the implausible-yet-entertaining plot and the scenery-chewing performances from Terrence Howard’s Lucious and Taraji P. Henson’s Cookie. But the environment that surrounds the actors in the hit Fox drama is almost as flamboyant as the actors, from the paintings by New York-based artist Kehinde Wiley in the Lyon mansion to the grand piano in Lucious’ office designed by Warren Shadd, the nation’s only African-American piano manufacturer. One woman who shares responsibility for creating this look is Caroline Perzan, the set decorator for “Empire,” now in its second season. Perzan, 46, was born in suburban Chicago and went to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She is a Hollywood veteran who has spent 25 years working primarily as an assistant set decorator or set decorating buyer on TV shows like “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” “Breaking Bad,” “Hawaii Five-0” and “Knight Rider,” along with movies including “Frost/Nixon,” “Public Enemies” and “The Horse Whisperer.”
Shot in Chicago But she welcomed the chance to move back home for “Empire,” which, despite being set in New York City, is almost entirely shot in Chicago, at Cinespace Studios in the city’s North Lawndale neighborhood and dozens of area locations. “I originally came back to Chicago to work on (the Superman
reboot) ‘Man of Steel’ and stayed here when ‘Empire’ launched,” said Perzan, who lives in the city with her 13-year-old son. “It’s allowed me as a single mom to leave LA and come back to my roots. It was a dream come true to bring my child back to raise him here.” On “Empire” Perzan works closely with show co-creator Lee Daniels, executive producer/ showrunner Ilene Chaiken and the various directors and production designers who work on the show to develop the overall look on standing sets, which occupy four soundstages at Cinespace, as well as other locations where “Empire” shoots.
JOHN OWENS/CHICAGO TRIBUNE/TNS
Caroline Perzan, the set decorator for the Fox television show “Empire,” walks through the nightclub set for the drama on Sept. 28, which shoots at Cinespace Studios in Chicago. Perzan holds a binder full of sketches and portions of scripts.
Scenes of Black art A key component of this look is the African-American-themed art that graces many of the sets. Original works from well-known artists such as Wiley, Walter Lobyn Hamilton and Mickalene Thomas are prominently displayed at Lyon’s mansion, office and other standing sets. “We were conscious about using these artists from the start of Season 1, when we created Lucious’ office — we knew that we had to have contemporary African-American art in there,” Perzan said. “That was all Lee’s influence, because of his passion for art. When he directs some of the ‘Empire’ episodes, he’ll start a shot focusing on a piece of art, then pan to an actor. It’s rare for a TV director to do this.” But show colleagues credit Perzan for taking Daniels’ ideas and running with them. “The world of Lucious Lyon is one of art and extravagance and taste, some good and some bad,” Chaiken said. “It’s an over-thetop world, which Caroline totally understands. She gets Lee’s sensibilities and understands how we care about authenticity and provenance.”
FOX TELEVISION
Here’s a scene from “Empire” on the nightclub set. Caroline Perzan, the set decorator for the Fox television show, was responsible for decorating this set. “I gave Caroline a lot of creative say,” added Cece Destefano, production designer for the first season of “Empire.” “I would usually do research on a script, show her the research and let her run with it. If she says ‘I found this great fabric or great piece of furniture or great piece of art that will add to the set,’ then I’ll defer to her, because she has a great eye.”
Favorite location In a recent interview on the “Empire” set at Cinespace Perzan talked about her duties.
Q: What’s the role of a set decorator? A: A set decorator is someone who fills everything inside and outside the set, except the walls and the architecture. The set decoration team does everything from the drapery, the carpets, artwork, lighting, books — you name it. Oftentimes, we don’t build the set; we’ll go to a location and completely alter the location. We’ll go into a coffeehouse and it might not have the right look. So we’ll clean it out and bring in our
own pieces. But my favorite sets are the permanent sets, like Lucious’ mansion. It’s one of my favorite sets because of the art on the walls. The art is inspired by our (co-)creator, Lee Daniels, and his love of art. I’ll present to Lee many pieces of art, and we’d determine what needs to be in the room. We’ve changed a few pieces of art from Season 1 to Season 2, and we build on the existing sets. As the shows become mature and we get more money for the sets, we add to them. Q: What was your favorite location shoot on “Empire”? A: I loved shooting at the Tribune Tower. We were there during Season 1 and shot in (former Tribune publisher) Col. McCormick’s office on the 24th floor. We used it for the office of Beretti (a rival record industry mogul to Lucious Lyon, played by Judd Nelson). We changed everything in the room. We took out a conference table and brought all of Beretti’s world into there. We weren’t allowed to hammer a single nail next to the Colonel’s fireplace, so we hung 30 gold and platinum albums, since (Beretti’s) supposed to be a big music producer. We made this amazing rig of cable and hung each album so they were perfectly aligned.
FOOD
B6
FROM FAMILY FEATURES
With all the hustle and bustle of the holidays, great tasting foods that feature healthy ingredients, such as whole fruits and vegetables prepared in unique and interesting ways, can help deliver healthful indulgence fit for a celebration. Grapes from California are naturally beautiful and come in three vibrant colors that add a pleasing crunch and FETA STUFFED CHICKEN BREASTS WITH GRAPE-PORT SAUCE Servings: 4 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 6 ounces each) 1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled feta cheese 4 teaspoons olive oil, divided 1/4teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided 1 cup thinly sliced onion 2 cups red California grapes 1/4 cup port wine 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary Make pocket in each chicken breast by cutting horizontally from thickest side almost to opposite side. Spoon cheese into each pocket. Secure pockets with wooden skewers, if desired. Brush chicken pieces on both sides with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and red pepper flakes. In large nonstick skillet, heat 2 teaspoons of remaining oil over medium heat. Add chicken. Cook uncovered for 12 minutes, turning once. Carefully add 1/4 cup chicken broth to skillet. Cook covered for 3-5 minutes more or until chicken is no longer pink. Remove chicken
NOVEMBER 13 – NOVEMBER 19, 2015
S
light touch of sweetness to main dishes, sides, salads and desserts. The recipes included here showcase the unique way in which fresh grapes can help create palate-pleasing dishes. Heart-healthy grapes are also an ideal snack on their own and a refreshing break from the indulgent holiday fare present at many celebrations. California grapes are available throughout the holiday season and into January. For more delicious grape recipes, visit GrapesfromCalifornia.com.
from skillet. Cover chicken to keep warm. If any liquid remains in skillet, gently boil until liquid evaporates. Carefully add remaining 1 teaspoon oil to skillet. Stir in onion. Cook uncovered over medium-high heat until onion is soft. Add grapes. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes or until grapes begin to split. Remove and set aside about 3/4 of grapeonion solids, leaving liquid and remaining grape-onion mixture in skillet. Stir remaining 1/4 cup chicken broth, port wine and vinegar into grape mixture in skillet. Bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered 3-5 minutes or until liquid portion is reduced to about 1/3 cup. Stir in reserved grape-onion solids. To serve, remove wooden skewers from chicken, if using. Place chicken on serving plates and spoon grape mixture over chicken. Garnish with rosemary. Nutrition information per serving: 368 calories (28% calories from fat); 11 g total fat (3 g saturated fat); 42 g protein; 20 g carbohydrate; 2 g fiber; 108 mg cholesterol; 378 mg sodium. BEETS, GRAPES AND WALNUT SALAD Servings: 4 6 small beets (a mix of red, Chioggia and golden), washed well
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 small clove garlic, minced 1 tablespoon rice vinegar 1 teaspoon tamarind concentrate 3 tablespoons walnut oil 3 cups arugula 1 cup halved green California grapes 1/4 cup toasted walnuts Heat oven to 400 F. Peel beets, cut into 1/2inch wedges and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper, keeping red and yellow beets separate. Place beets on foil- or parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast until sharp knife pierces beets easily, about 35-40 min utes. Let cool. While beets are roasting, whisk together garlic, vinegar, tamarind, walnut oil, salt and pepper, to taste. Toss beets with some dressing. Divide arugula among 4 serving plates and top with beets. Sprinkle with grapes, drizzle with more dressing, sprinkle with walnuts and serve. Nutrition information per serving: 257 calories (63% calories from fat); 19 g total fat (2 g saturated fat); 4 g protein; 21 g carbohydrate; 4.5 g fiber; 0 mg cholesterol; 247 mg sodium.
FRESH FRUIT PIZZA TART Servings: 10 16.5 ounces sugar cookie dough, prepared 4 ounces nonfat cream cheese, softened 1/4 cup low-fat sour cream 3 tablespoons granulated sugar 1 1/4 cups black California grapes 1/2 cup red California grapes 2 kiwifruit, pared and sliced Heat oven to 350 F. Pat cookie dough into bottom of greased 10-inch tart pan. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely. In electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sour cream. Grad ually add sugar; beat until completely mixed and fluffy. Spread mixture over entire surface of each pan of baked cookie dough.
Arrange grapes and other fruit as desired, covering entire surface with fruit; press gently. Refrigerate until chilled. Nutrition information per serving: 275 calories (35% calories from fat); 11 g total fat (3 g saturated fat); 4 g protein; 41 g carbohydrate; < 1 g fiber; 20 mg cholesterol; 214 mg sodium. ROASTED SQUASH AND GRAPE SALAD WITH TAHINI Servings: 4 1 medium butternut squash (about 2 pounds), peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2-inchthick slices 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons sesame tahini 1 small clove garlic, minced 1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 1/2 tablespoons hot water pinch of cayenne pepper 1 cup halved red California grapes 1/2 teaspoon za’atar spice blend Heat oven to 475 F. Toss squash with oil and spread on baking sheet lined with foil or parchment. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and roast until squash is tender, about 20 minutes. Transfer to platter. In small bowl, whisk together tahini, garlic, lemon, water, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper, to taste. Sprinkle grapes over squash and drizzle with tahini sauce. Sprinkle with za’atar and serve. Nutrition information per serving: 225 calories (44% calories from fat); 11 g total fat (1.6 g saturated fat); 4 g protein; 31 g carbohydrate; 5 g fiber; 0 mg cholesterol; 238 mg sodium.