Florida Courier - November 15, 2013

FC

U.S. POSTAGE PAID DAYTONA BEACH, FL PERMIT #189

www.flcourier.com

Read us online Like us on Facebookwww.facebook.com/ flcourier

EE FR

PRESORTED STANDARD MAIL

A birthday salute to Courier matriarch Julia T. Cherry Page B1

Follow us on Twitter@flcourier

VOLUME 21 NO. 46

www.flcourier.com

NOVEMBER 15 - NOVEMBER 21, 2013

A LONG TIME COMING

Mental health advocates applaud a new rule requiring health insurers to cover mental health and substance abuse care. Still, Blacks are expected to lag behind in getting services. president of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) in Orlando.

BY JENISE GRIFFIN MORGAN FLORIDA COURIER

U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius meets with Obamacare ‘navigators’ Ebrun Crowder, left, and Anjanette Culbreth as they assist patients at the Southside Medical Center in Atlanta on Nov. 8.

A landmark “final rule” decision was issued this month by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services stating that health insurance companies must cover mental illness and substance abuse just as they cover physical diseases.

While she applauds the decision, Central Florida mental health advocate Muriel Jones is among those who say it’s still not enough to help the many people living with mental illness.

“It’s a shame it has to be a rule. That should be something already in place. Everyone knows mental illness is on the same level as physical illness,” remarked Jones, executive director of Federation of Families of Central Florida and vice

Lack of services She cites a myriad of problems: Lack of community services in Florida. The state’s hard line on extending Medicaid to more low-income residents in the state. And for African-Americans, their refusal to seek care.

“The demand will be there, but the supply won’t be there...Some of these service delivery gaps could be established and implemented if there were the Medicaid dollars,’’ she told the Florida Courier.

Florida ranks 49th in the nation in per capita mental health funding, at $39 per resident.

Jones, who also serves on a variety of other See MENTAL HEALTH, Page A2

VETERANS DAY 2013

‘Thank you for your service’

Legal weed?

Court to determine if marijuana makes ballot in 2014

BY JIM SAUNDERS THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

TALLAHASSEE – To supporters, the wording of a proposed constitutional amendment to legalize medical marijuana in Florida is clear.

“The proposed medical marijuana amendment poses a single and unified question to Florida voters,’’ attorneys for a group backing the measure said in a legal brief last week.

“Should an individual with a debilitating disease or medical condition, who has been so diagnosed by a licensed Florida physician, be lawfully allowed to use marijuana for medical purposes so long as they meet a number of conditions?”

Proposal unclear?

But to Attorney General Pam Bondi, Republican legislative leaders and some politically powerful opponents, the proposal isn’t clear enough – and should not be allowed on the November 2014 ballot.

“The proposal hides the fact that the amendment would make Florida one of the most lenient medical-marijuana states, allowing use for limitless ‘other conditions’ specified by any physician,’’ Bondi’s office said in its brief.

“With no ‘condition’ off limits, physicians could authorize marijuana for anything, any time, to anyone, of any age. But rather than tell voters of this extraordinary scope, the summary uses language to prey on voters’ understandable sympathies for Florida’s most vulnerable patients – those suffering ‘debilitating diseases.’ “ The Florida Supreme Court will try to sort through the conflicting arguments during a hearing Dec. 5, a key step in deciding whether voters will see the issue next fall.

Title and summary

OLIVIER DOULIERY/ABACA PRESS/MCT

Richard Overton, who is believed to be the oldest living World War II U.S. veteran, is acknowledged by President Obama during a ceremony to honor veterans at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery Nov. 11.

Justices are not supposed to consider the merits of constitutional amendments, such as whether decriminalizing medical marijuana would be a good thing for the state. Instead, they look at the ballot title and summary – the wording that voters see at the polls – to determine whether the proposed constitutional See WEED, Page A2

Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter is shown in front with 2013-2014 fellows.

Standing in the center of the last row is Florida Courier Senior Editor Jenise Griffin Morgan.

COURTESY OF THE CARTER CENTER

ALSO INSIDE

Courier editor to write mental health series FROM STAFF REPORTS

Seventeen years ago, one of the nation’s staunchest and most effective mental health awareness leaders, former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, established the Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism.

Florida Courier Senior Editor Jenise Griffin Morgan was one of six American journalists chosen from a highly competitive international pool of applicants for this year’s fellowships.

Her class of Carter Fellows also includes two journalists from Romania, and for

the first time, two teams from Colombia.

Over the next year, Morgan will explore the stigma, misunderstanding and lack of information about mental health and mental illness among African-Americans in Florida and around the country.

Personal issue ‘The subject is near and dear to me because I have a brother who was diagnosed with schizophrenia nearly 20 years ago,’’ she said.

“It is my goal to provide African-Americans, espe-

SNAPSHOTS FLORIDA | A3

Proposal raises speed limit NATION | a6

Sarah Palin compares federal debt to slavery ENTERTAINMENT | B5

A new chapter for Michael Baisden

See SERIES, Page A2

COMMENTARY: GLEN FORD: THE TRAGI-COMEDY OF BLACK POLITICS IN AGE OF OBAMA | A2 COMMENTARY: CHARLES W. CHERRY II: RANDOM THOUGHTS OF A FREE BLACK MIND | A4

FINEST | B5

Meet ‘Finest’ cruisers

FOCUS

A2

NOVEMBER 15 – NOVEMBER 21, 2013

The tragi-comedy of Black politics in the age of Obama Since the beginnings of Obamamania, we at the Black Agenda Report have traced the appalling disintegration of Black politics at its most fundamental level: the evaporation of critical thinking when it comes to the actual policies of The First Black President.

In speeches and in articles, I have often noted that much of Black America has ceased expressing their own political convictions on issues of war and peace and social justice, in favor of upholding whatever position Barack Obama seems to be taking.

A blind eye It is not that Blacks have embraced Obama’s aggressive militarism, his intimate relationship with

GLEN FORD BLACK AGENDA REPORT

Wall Street, or his relentless assaults on the social safety net. Rather, most African-Americans are willfully oblivious of the nuts and bolts of what this president has wrought, or in the details of his plans for the future. They are wholly unconcerned about Obama’s actual legislative and executive agenda.

The subject hardly comes up. As we wrote just two months ago, “The topic of Black conversation is usually not ‘What is Obama doing,” but, rather, “How is

he doing?’”

So it was somewhat disconcerting to see, on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live,” a recent skit about a fictitious Black public affairs program called “How’s He Doing,” which the host described as “the show where the Black voter takes a frank and honest look at President Obama and asks, How’s he doing?”

Always right In the sketch, Obama could do no wrong. Actors playing a writer for Ebony magazine and a political science professor from Spelman College came up with comical rationalizations for the NSA spying revelations and the shaky start of Obamacare. They could not imagine break-

ing with Obama, whether he chose to become a Muslim, a Jew, a Scientologist or even an atheist.

Was there anything that Obama could do that would cause him to lose these Black folks’ support?

Apparently not.

It was a well-done skit – and funny, in the moment. Then, at commercial break, deeply sad – not because it reflected the truth, but because the truth is much worse than a comedy sketch.

It is not just that Obamacare’s web site is a disaster, but that his healthcare plan is a Republican scheme that will condemn additional millions of Americans to an early death, especially Black and poor people. The NSA spying revelations are more than an embarrass-

WEED

Not fictional Those who are caught up in Obama’s spy web will have no recourse to the courts, under his “preventive detention without trial” regime. Obama maintains a “Kill List” and is as eager as any Republican to massacre tens of thousands in aggressive wars. He has already gone public with his plans to cut Social Security, on which Blacks disproportionately depend. None of this is fiction, and it’s not a bit funny.

At the end of the “Saturday Night Live” skit, the ment would deliver.’’

‘Flawed interpretation’

from A1 changes are accurately described. Also, justices look to make sure the proposals deal with single subjects.

Even if the Supreme Court signs off on the proposal, that does not mean the medical-marijuana amendment will go on the ballot. The group spearheading the proposal, People United for Medical Marijuana, still would need to get 683,149 valid petition signatures.

Opponents line up Bondi and Republican legislative leaders gained more legal firepower Friday when a coalition of influential groups filed a brief with the Supreme Court seeking to keep the measure off the ballot. Those groups include the Florida Chamber of Commerce, the Florida Medical Association, the Florida Police Chiefs Association and the Florida Sheriffs Association.

The briefs outline the key issues in the legal battle. Perhaps the biggest issue focuses on whether the wording accurately describes the breadth of the proposed changes.

The summary says, in part, that the amendment would allow the “medical use of marijuana for indi-

ment; they reveal plans for a police state such as the world has never seen – and we know what American police states do to Black people.

ANTHONY SOUFFLE/CHICAGO TRIBUNE/MCT

Jars containing various strands of medical marijuana sit behind a display case at the River Rock Medical Marijuana Center in Denver, Colo., where voters legalized sale and possession of limited amounts. viduals with debilitating diseases as determined by a licensed Florida physician.” The full text of the proposed amendment defines a debilitating medical condition by specifying diseases such as cancer, Crohn’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis and also includes “other conditions for which a physician believes that the medical use

MENTAL ILLNESS from A1 boards advocating for mental health, said there are just not enough community services in Florida. She was part of a group of mental health professionals invited to the White House in August for a briefing on the Affordable Care Act. Health care in the United States has been at the forefront of national news since Congress passed President Barack Obama’s Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in 2010.

Informally known as “Obamacare,” scores of registered Americans will profit from the law’s benefits and avoid penalty for pre-existing conditions.

Blacks and stigma Unfortunately, scores of others who endure mental health illnesses will continue to suffer in silence due to the associated stigma.

Among the most underserved, undiagnosed and misdiagnosed are African-Americans of all ages and gender.

More than 45 million U.S. adults suffered from a mental illness in 2011, but just over 17 million of them received treatment, according to a 2012 report by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Studies show that less than half of AfricanAmerican adults with mental illnesses seek treatment for mental health problems. And less than one third of their children receive treatment even though suicide is the third cause of death among African-American males between ages 15 and 24.

Jones believes Blacks won’t seek help, even if their insurers cover it.

“I don’t think it will make a difference. I still think it’s a part of the culture, that it’s a badge of shame,’’ she noted.

She said it’s time for Blacks to get over it.

“Your child is being suspend in school twice a month (for behavioral issues). At that point, you have to say, ‘It’s time I put aside my pride and get the kid some help.’’’

‘Crowning achievement’ U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius called the Nov. 8 rule the “largest expansion of behavioral health coverage in a generation.” She made the announcement at the 29th annual Rosalynn Carter Symposium on Mental Health Policy held at the Carter Center in Atlanta.

of marijuana would likely outweigh the potential health risks for a patient.”

Bondi’s office has focused on that final part of the definition, contending that it would open up “unfettered” authority for physicians to approve the use of marijuana. The attorney general’s brief Friday said voters would not know that from the wording of the ballot title and summary.

“Although Florida’s Constitution allows sponsors to propose such an expansive and permissive marijuana law, it also requires that they inform voters of the proposal’s ‘true meaning and ramifications.’ …

This summary does not do that,’’ the brief said. “Instead, it promises a narrow and limited marijuana program – the precise opposite of what the amend-

“This final rule breaks down barriers that stand in the way of treatment and recovery services for millions of Americans.

Building on these rules, the Affordable Care Act is expanding mental health and substance use disorder benefits and parity protections to 62 million Muriel Americans. This historic exJones pansion will help make treatment more affordable and accessible,” Sebelius said.

NAMI’s campaign to end unfair discrimination led to the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act in 2008. The organization called the parity regulations “the crowning achievement” of a 20-year campaign, but as Jones notSwiyyah Muhammad ed, the regulations don’t cover managed care plans through Medicaid or the state Children’s Health Insurance Program. That excludes about 15 percent of Americans covered by health insurance.

“Some of our most vulnerable people are still being left behind,” said Michael Fitzpatrick, NAMI’s executive director.

Don’t call her crazy That’s also a concern of Swiyyah Muhammad, a 37-year-old in St. Petersburg, who was diagnosed in 2003 with paranoid schizophrenia and has been hospitalized six times.

“I think this is really great. It will open the doors for more people to get help,’’ she told the Florida Courier this week.

“Organizations like NAMI are trying to end the stigma,” said Muhammad, who wrote a novel that features a female character diagnosed with schizophrenia titled, “Don’t Call Me Crazy: I’m Just in Love.’’

Muhammad, who has a degree in psychology, also is an advocate and speaks in Tampa Bay about mental health and mental illness.

But she also worries about those who can’t get the best care.

Muhammad said she has had to skip taking her medication because of the cost and has a hard time getting a good therapist. She calls the lack of services a “really big bump in the road” for so many who need mental health treatment.

Some concerns Dr. Charles English, a Black psychologist in

But attorneys for People United for Medical Marijuana wrote that the attorney general’s office has a “flawed interpretation of the initiative” that does not take into consideration a series of requirements that a patient would have to meet before receiving medical marijuana.

Along with having a debilitating medical condition, those requirements would include undergoing a physical examination, getting a written certification from a physician and obtaining an identification card from the Florida Department of Health before being able to buy marijuana from a “registered treatment facility.” “(The) medical marijuana amendment does not attempt to define all possible debilitating conditions, nor should it because the Constitution is a document for now and the future,’’ the group’s brief said. “The text of the Constitution should not try to list all debilitating diseases and conditions, but should and does allow proper scope for medical judgment.”

State vs. federal Another potentially important issue before the Supreme Court could be

Orlando, also was pleased to hear about the rule but has his concerns too.

“From a psychological perspective, it will make a difference just in knowing that if they need this kind of assistance, insurance will pay for it,’’ he told the Courier.

About half of his clients at his Multicultural Counseling Centers in Central Florida are Black.

Mixture of emotion and conduct “The question is: Will African-Americans take advantage of the mental health coverage?” he asked.

English noted that the majority of his clients are diagnosed with “some sort of adjustment disorder – depression or anxiety.’’ Like Jones, he’s also concerned about kids, especially Black children, falling through the cracks. He sees a lot of children from broken homes.

“Some are children of mothers who were abused by their significant others. They lived in poor neighborhoods, witnessed a crime or have been the victims of crimes. Their behavior is oftentimes a reaction that happens out of their excessive anxiety – a mixture of emotion and conduct.”

English said many of the Black kids are quickly diagnosed with attention deficit disorder. He’s careful not to rush to that label.

“I give them a minimal diagnosis to continue to work with them under their insurance coverage,” which he said has been effective with children and adults.

‘Let’s do it here’ While an estimated 62 million Americans are estimated to gain by the expansion of the mental health and substance use disorder benefits and parity protections, a fraction of African-Americans will still fall by the wayside.

“Money should never be a reason why you stop serving people with mental illness and children,’’ stated Jones, whose grown son lives with schizophrenia. He lives in a facility in New Jersey because services are better there than in Florida, she says.

She is ready to join other advocates in March when the Florida Legislative goes back into session. They will appeal to lawmakers for more funding. Jones also wants Florida to look at other states that are successful in providing mental health services.

“We don’t have to reinvent the wheel,’’ she said. “Let’s do it here. Let’s bring these services up a notch.’’

actors have a huge laugh at the very idea that things might have been better under Mitt Romney.

Black people and most of Saturday Night Live’s White audience would have resisted a President Mitt Romney if he had sought preventive detention and more U.S. foreign wars and cuts in Social Security.

But they let Barack Obama get away with it – which is why he is the more effective evil, and why Wall Street and the Pentagon have the last laugh.

Glen Ford is executive editor of BlackAgendaReport.com. Email him at Glen.Ford@BlackAgendaReport.com. Click on this story at www.flcourier.com to write your own response. wording related to federal law. The ballot summary says the amendment “applies only to Florida law” and does “not authorize violations of federal law.”

Bondi’s office contends that the language is misleading because it suggests that federal law allows medical marijuana.

“For decades, marijuana use – including for medical purposes – has been a federal criminal offense,’’ the attorney general’s brief said.

‘On notice’ But supporters of the amendment have a completely different interpretation of the language, saying it places voters “on notice” that the proposal does not authorize violation of federal marijuana laws.

“The nature of federal interaction with state laws allowing medical marijuana, especially in the enforcement area, is evolving at this time,’’ the supporters’ brief said. “However, Florida citizens are entitled to change Florida law, as many other states have done. The title and summary for the medical marijuana amendment place voters on notice that any change provided by this amendment affects only Florida law, and that federal laws are unaffected by this change.”

SERIES from A1 cially those in Florida, with the information and resources they need relating to mental health. We need to know that it’s not just OK to get help; it’s critical that we do so.’’

Previous Carter Fellows have produced more than 1,300 mental health-related stories, documentaries, books, and other works during and after their fellowship year.

Their projects have garnered multiple Emmy awards, nominations for the Pulitzer Prize, an Edward R. Murrow award, and awards from Mental Health America, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the American Psychological Association, American Psychoanalytic Association, Amnesty International, and the Association of Health Care Journalists.

Accurate info The fellowship program works around the world to provide the public with accurate and balanced depictions of those with mental illnesses to reduce stigma and discrimination. The program also seeks to increase access to mental health services and inform mental health public policy.

A graduate of Florida A&M University, Morgan also is president of the Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists and an award-winning journalist who has worked in a leadership and editorial capacity for newspapers and magazines in Florida and Georgia.

For more information about the series, contact Morgan at jmorgan@flcourier.com.

NOVEMBER 15 – NOVEMBER 21, 2013

A3

FLORIDA

Proposal: Bump up highway travel to 75 mph Two lawmakers propose increasing speeds on interstates and rural highways

BY JIM TURNER NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

TALLAHASSEE – A bipartisan measure filed Tuesday could shorten the more than 800-mile drive from Pensacola to Key West to less than half a day of travel.

Senators Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, and Jeff Clemens, DLake Worth, proposed a bill (SB 392) that would allow a 75 mph speed limit on some highways and also boost speeds on other roads. Brandes said the idea is to adjust speed limits on interstates and certain rural highway to accurately reflect what most motorists are already driving.

“If people are driving within rates they’re comfortable with, we need to adjust the minimum and maximums speeds to what 85 percent of people are already driving,” Brandes said. “That’s what this bill would allow.”

70 since 1996 The proposal would direct the state Department of Transportation to determine the safe mini-

Florida’s highways have had a 70 mph maximum since 1996, the last time the speed limit was reviewed. mum and maximum speed limits on all divided highways that have least four lanes.

The DOT would then be able to increase travel on the state’s “limited access highways” to 75 mph and raise the maximum posted limit on divided four-lane highways in sparsely populated rural areas from 65 mph to 70 mph.

The DOT could also hike speeds by 5 mph, to 65 mph, on other roads they deem safe.

Florida’s highways have had a 70 mph maximum since 1996, the last time the speed limit was

reviewed.

In a news release from the senators, they pointed to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration numbers that indicate the fatality rate per 100 million vehicle miles traveled has consistently declined since 1996.

More crashes?

However, the proposal will face safety questions.

Raising speed limits above 70 mph, as 16 states have done for select roads since the national

speed limit was lifted in 1995, has led to more deaths from speeding accidents as reaction times are reduced and the severity of injuries is made greater, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in Arlington, Va. “Higher speeds make crashes more likely because it takes longer to stop or slow down, and the crashes that happen are more likely to be deadly. It’s physics 101,” said Russ Rader, a spokesman for the Insurance Institute.

A 2009 study by the American Journal of Public Health found a 3 percent increase in road fatalities attributed to higher speeds after the 1995 repeal of the national speed limit, with the increase growing to 9 percent on rural interstates with higher limits, Rader said.

Pushing it More importantly for those questioning the increases, motorists have continued to go above the posted limits as other states have raised the minimum and maximum limits.

In the decade after the speed limit was raised in Nevada and New Mexico from 65 mph to 75 mph on rural interstates, the proportion of passenger vehicles exceeding 80 mph tripled in Ne-

vada and nearly tripled in New Mexico, according to the Insurance Institute.

The Journal of Public Health study was conducted before Maine increased the speed limit to 75 mph for the northern end of Interstate 95 in 2011. The increase made that section of road – between Old Town and Houlton – the first to top 70 mph east of the Mississippi River.

Louisiana allows 75 mph on sections of Interstate 49, which is west of the Mississippi River.

Proposal for 2014 Brandes admitted he had some early reservations about adjusting the limits, but the senators said they are comfortable allowing state engineers to determine if any increase is warranted.

“Allowing professionals to determine safe speeds based on the engineering standards of individual highways is simply common sense,” Clemens said in the news release. “A five mile per hour increase is unlikely to have an impact on road safety, but we’ll let the experts do their job.”

The proposal will be considered during the 2014 legislative session. Currently, there is no House sponsor for the proposal.

Kimbrough executed Medical marijuana group raises $230,000 for 1991 murder Convicted murderer Darius Kimbrough, 40, was put to death Tuesday at Florida State Prison near Starke. Kimbrough was executed for the 1991 rape and murder of 28-year-old Denise Collins in her Orange County apartment.

A judge imposed Kimbrough’s death sentence after a jury voted 11-1 to recommend execution. In a last-ditch appeal, Kimbrough’s attorneys argued Florida’s death-penalty law is unconstitutional because it does not require a unanimous jury recommendation in death cases.

The Florida Supreme Court on Oct. 31 denied Kimbrough’s argument Florida’s death-penalty statute violates the Eighth Amendment.

A group backing a proposed constitutional amendment to legalize medical marijuana raised nearly $231,000 during October as it tries to collect enough petition signatures to get the measure on the November 2014 ballot.

People United for Medical Marijuana, which is headed by prominent Orlando trial lawyer John Morgan, has raised a total of about $845,000 this year. Much of the money collected during October – $169,000 – came from The Morgan Firm P.A., according to information on the state Division of Elections website. The group needs to collect 683,149 petition signatures to get the measure on the ballot. As of Wednesday morning, it had 124,938.

FLORIDA HOUSE PHOTO

Rep. Daphne D. Campbell, D-Miami, debates on the House floor on April 12.

Miami lawmaker’s son convicted in Medicaid fraud scheme hold wrongdoers accountable.”

Gregory Campbell, convicted of one count of organized fraud and one count of Medicaid fraud, both first-degree felonies, faces up to 45 years in prison. No sentencing date was set.

Campbell was accused of conspiring with Percival Wignall and Enid Salmon in an illegal billing scheme at three adult care facilities for services never rendered, according to Bondi’s office.

Wignall has already pleaded guilty on related charges, while Salmon is wanted as a fugitive. The Herald also reported that Bondi’s office has been examining Rep. Campbell in an unrelated alleged scheme related to group home companies she runs with her husband, Hubert Campbell.

Appeals court backs fire union in pension fight

ployee contribution. The court said Scott’s submission of the proposed budget, by law, created an impasse in contract negotiations.

FRI 11/8 FRI 11/15 1/4 PG. (4.93") X 10" MR ALL.BMH.1108.FLORCOURemail

A son of state Rep. Daphne Campbell, D-Miami, was convicted on Nov. 8 of defrauding Florida’s Medicaid program out of nearly $300,000, The Miami Herald reported.

Attorney General Pam Bondi’s Office of Statewide Prosecution earlier announced the successful prosecution of Miami-Dade County billing agent Gregory Campbell, 29.

“We will not allow these criminals to defraud the Medicaid program, a program funded by taxpayer dollars and intended to help people in-need,” Bondi said in a prepared statement last week. “My Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and Office of Statewide Prosecution will remain relentless in their efforts to pursue Medicaid fraud and

NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

SOUNDTRACK ON RCA RECORDS

© 2013 UNIVERSAL STUDIOS

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

FLORIDA COURIER

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

BY STANLEY CLARKE PRODUCER PRESTON HOLMES

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

WRITTEN AND A UNIVERSAL PICTURE DIRECTED BY MALCOLM D. LEE

An appeals court Tuesday found that the state violated the collective-bargaining rights of fire-service workers when it moved forward in 2011 with a requirement that employees contribute 3 percent of their salaries to the state pension fund.

The 1st District Court of Appeal backed the Florida State Fire Service Association, IAFF, Local S-20, in the long-running dispute. The union, which represents state firefighters and other fire-service workers, had a contract that said its members would participate in the Florida Retirement System at no cost.

But in a Feb. 4, 2011, email, the state informed the union that it wanted to reopen the pension issue, according to Tuesday’s ruling. A few days later, Gov. Rick Scott submitted a proposed budget to the Legislature that included the 3 percent em-

‘Last-minute’ proposal Lawmakers resolved the impasse by requiring the 3 percent contributions. A three-judge panel, overturning a ruling by the state Public Employees Relations Commission, found that the “last-minute” proposal by the Scott administration amounted to a denial of collective bargaining.

“The governor’s proposal appears to be passive in the sense that it left the issue of pension benefits up to the Legislature,’’ the ruling said. “However, the budget the governor submitted to the Legislature included a provision that would require all state employees to contribute a portion of their pay to the retirement fund.

“Thus, while it is correct to say that the governor did not directly remove the existing provision regarding the pension benefits in his dealings with the association, that was precisely the result he was advocating in the Legislature. The net effect of the proposal was to shift the issue of pension benefits from the process of negotiating a contract to the process of enacting legislation.”

EDITORIAL

A4

NOVEMBER 15 – NOVEMBER 21, 2013

The NAACP needs a woman leader The NAACP needs a woman leader. I’m not the one. I love the NAACP. I’ve been a member since I was 10 years old. I sizzle at the history and at the historic leaders (WEB Du Bois, Walter White, James Weldon Johnson, Medgar Evers, Ida B. Wells, and many others).

With its 30-year campaign to stop lynching to its more contemporary work in voting registration, the NAACP has always been involved in the struggle for justice and equality. Once upon a time the NAACP was considered so “subversive” that southern teachers who belonged to the organization were fired.

Today, many consider the NAACP “respectable,” forgetting that different times call for different tactics. Thus, when I first heard that the presidency of the NAACP was available I was excited. After all, which civil rights leader, policy

DR. JULIANNE MALVEAUX TRICEEDNEYWIRE.COM

activist, speaker and writer would not want to lead our nations’ oldest and premier civil rights organization.

As if I was playing with a Rubik’s cube, I was twisting the squares to make them fit. They don’t. The NAACP leadership would have been a perfect job for me 10 years ago, or even five. Right now, I am playing to my “sweet spot,’’ lecturing, writing and empowering young people.

Count me out People I don’t even know have asked me if I’ll be the next presi-

dent of the NAACP. They don’t understand process. There's a search firm, hundreds of applications on file, criteria that have not been shared. Could I compete? Absolutely. Do I want to compete? No. Why would I not consider taking the helm of a beloved and historic organization? In addition to talking and writing, NAACP leadership includes fundraising. Ben Jealous set a high bar raising tens of millions of dollars to move the organization forward. That's a record it will be difficult to top. The person to improve on the Jealous record will be a sister with indefatigable energy, fundraising acumen, board management skills and more.

Poverty stifles economic growth.

Forty-five years after Dr. Martin Luther King’s Poor People’s CamMy wish for the NAACP is that paign, some of the same challeng-

ADAM ZYGLIS, THE BUFFALO NEWS

Random thoughts of a free Black mind, v. 194 quick takes from #2: straight, no chaser

Charles W. Cherry II, Esq. PUBLISHER

twice as good, with little margin for error, and work twice as hard to get half as far in America.

We deserted our neighborhoods and moved out to the suburbs, to only come back for church and “soul food.” That weakened the small businesses that could hire local kids and took our most activist parents and prospective role models out of schools in our communities.

We left our aging parents (with mortgage-free homes but paying property taxes on fixed incomes) in communities that were becoming slummed and blighted, with nobody to defend them against political and economic tricknology, apathy and hopelessness.

More failures next week.

Contact me at ccherry2@gmail.com; holler at me at www.facebook.com/ ccherry2.

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

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

W W W.FLCOURIER.COM Central Florida Communicators Group, LLC, P.O. Box 48857 Tampa, FL 33646, publishes the Florida Courier on Fridays. Phone: 877-3524455, toll-free. For all sales inquiries, call 877352-4455; e-mail sales@flcourier.com.

Subscriptions to the print version are $59 per year. Mail check to P.O. Box 48857 Tampa, FL 33646, or log on to www.flcourier.com; click on ‘Subscribe’.

SUBMISSIONS POLICY SEND ALL SUBMISSIONS TO NEWS@FLCOURIER.COM. Deadline for submitting news and pictures is 5 p.m. the Monday before the Friday publication date. You may submit articles at any time.

However, current events received prior to deadline will be considered before any information that is submitted, without the Publisher’s prior approval, after the deadline. Press releases, letters to the editor, and guest commentaries must be e-mailed to be considered for publication. The Florida Courier reserves the right to edit any submission, and crop any photograph, for style and clarity. Materials will not be returned.

Issues still to be faced

Qualifications for new president

VISUAL VIEWPOINT: WORKPLACE DISCRIMINATION

Miami Dolphins, Richie Incognito, Jonathan Martin – Word is that Incognito, who’s White, was designated “an honorary brother” by some Black Dolphins teammates. That allegedly gave him authority to say “nigger” in and around the Dolphins’ locker room.

Some historical perspective. My generation (“baby boomers”) is responsible for desensitizing the word “nigger,” starting with Richard Pryor's “That Nigger's Crazy” album that we all listened to in high school in 1974. Like most young brothers and sisters who were thrust into newly desegregated Southern school systems back then, hanging out with “my niggers” was honorable (and a self-defense mechanism).

White kids heard us, but knew not to cross that line.

Just like Pryor convinced me to use the word, he persuaded me to stop using it when he went to Africa in 1979, announced, “I didn't see any niggers there,” and quit using it in his routines.

Hip-hop has blurred the lines. Nevertheless, my generation bears much responsibility for not enforcing cultural limits.

We relaxed and focused on ourselves: corporate jobs, big houses, cars, etc. We fell for “integration” (an American myth), and stopped telling Black kids they still must be

they will find a mature, well-prepared and solidly grounded woman who is a great fundraiser, an eloquent speaker, and an efficient manager. She should be willing and able to commit at least 10 years to the organization. She should be a sister with a steep learning curve.

And she must love people and abhor injustice with a passion.

Economic justice is still a subversive concept. While the economy is the doldrums and unemployment rates stuck above seven percent, our Congress prefers to subsidize agriculture and cut food stamps, not examining the injustice that will affect between three and four million people.

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

es face the contemporary poor.

One in eight Americans, and more than one in four AfricanAmericans and Latinos live in poverty. Lyndon Johnson’s War on Poverty of the sixties has become a war on poor people in the 21st century.

Most inequity issues, ranging from inequality in education, to inequality in incarceration, are economic issues. These are the issues the contemporary civil rights movement must tackle. One of those leaders will be the woman who will lead the NAACP. She deserves our enthusiastic support!

Dr. Julianne Malveaux is a D.C.-based economist and writer, and president emerita of Bennett College for Women.

Click on this story at www.flcourier.com to write your own response.

Stand up to bigotry of ‘states’ rights’ In 1980, after receiving the nomination of his party, Ronald Reagan kicked off his presidential campaign in Philadelphia, Miss., at the Neshoba County Fair.

Neshoba County is not someplace you just drop into; you have to want to go there.

It’s a small town remembered largely for being the site of the horrid 1964 murders of three young civil rights volunteers, Andrew Goodman, Michael Schwerner and James Chaney.

Reagan went to Mississippi to give a speech that focused on states’ rights and the dangers of big government.

He went to send a message — and it was heard clearly across the South.

States are rightly hailed as laboratories of democracy, places that can experiment and try out programs and ideas that, if successful, spread across the country.

But from the earliest days of the Republic, states’ rights has always been the doctrine of reaction. It has been invoked to stop national reform and to protect local privilege. States’ rights was invoked by slave owners to protest abolition, even to the point of seceding from the union.

States’ rights was then used to defend segregation from national reform. Later, it was trotted out to oppose integration of schools, as demanded by the U.S. Supreme Court in Brown v. Board of Education. To

Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. TRICEEDNEYWIRE.COM

this day, it is used to justify state restrictions on voting, often imposed to constrict the right of the minorities and the poor to vote. America has one of the weakest systems of social support in the industrial world.

And the right of states to make their own decisions — on food stamps, on Medicaid, on public schools, on welfare — contributes directly to how bad it is.

Health care reform And now we’re seeing the same doctrine — states’ rights — used to undermine health care reform.

Empowered by the same Supreme Court decision that upheld the Affordable Care Act as constitutional, Republican governors across the country have refused to participate in creating their own health care exchanges. They’ve even turned their backs on billions of federal dollars in Medicaid funding to keep lower income Americans from having access to affordable care.

The combination of conservatives who invoke states rights to stop or weaken change, and so-called “progressives” who embrace state and public-private partnerships to make

programs more “efficient” led to the complexity that’s built into health care reform with its state level “exchanges” and its partnership with private insurance companies.

Enforce federal rights At the end of the day, real reform will come when the claims of states’ rights are denied, and federal rights are enforced. That was true in school desegregation, in voting rights, in welfare, and with the minimum wage.

Presidents Roosevelt, Kennedy and Johnson all had to assert federal authority to enforce the law against resisting states.

That burden now rests on President Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder concerning the provision of affordable health care for all. In this rich nation, every person should have access to comprehensive, affordable and high quality health care.

And that won’t get done until the federal government exercises its full weight on the side of the poorest Americans, the “least of these” that most need a hand up.

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

Recognize all of America’s soldiers The Gantt Report wants to wish a happy holiday to all of America’s soldiers! I especially want to thank the courageous women and men that served in a branch of the American military forces.

Often called the world’s greatest military fighters, soldiers I honor and respect you. Lucius Gantt served in the Army. No, not me, my father, I was told, was an aircraft mechanic for the famed Tuskegee Airmen.

I’ve seen pictures but my Dad never spoke about his military exploits. Looking back at it, I imagine he was angry about how easily other aircraft mechanics left the military to go on and work for airlines and other companies and Black military airplane mechanics did not.

He never encouraged me to seek a military career but he did prefer Joe Frazier over Muhammad Ali because Ali “didn’t want to “serve” his country.”

Anyway, my father was a fighter on and off the battlefield. His nickname was “Scrap” and he was known far and wide as someone that wouldn’t hesitate to slap or fight his boss on different jobs.

Because of my Dad, the

Lucius Gantt THE GANTT REPORT

military veteran, I wanted to be a soldier too. But instead of fighting in Korea, Vietnam, Grenada, Kuwait, Iraq, Afghanistan or on some other foreign soil, I decided to fight wherever I was.

Fighting for justice I was not in a world war, a Middle East war, a European or Caribbean conflict. I have been, I am and I always will be a soldier in God’s Army fighting for freedom, fighting for justice, fighting for community self determination, fighting for better schools, fighting for affordable health care, fighting for seniors and fighting for our youth!

On this holiday for military veterans we need to pay a big tribute to the military soldiers and also a little tribute to the community soldiers.

members, Masonic brothers, sorors, fraternity brothers and strangers that go out of their way to stand up for you when you want to run and hide deserve your respect and appreciation.

Those people that stand with you when you are being harassed or mistreated in the work place need your gratitude.

And, those people that risked their reputations fighting for you, risked their jobs and careers fighting for you and even risked their lives for something that YOU BELIEVED IN deserve your utmost and heartfelt thanks.

Happy Holiday Week veterans and happy holiday to all of America’s soldiers fighting on far away battlefields as well as those fighting on the highways and byways and in the ghettos and barrios right here in North America!

Buy Gantt’s latest book “Beast Too: Dead Man Writing” online or at any major bookstore. Like The Gantt Report page on Facebook and contact Gantt at www.allworldconsultants.net. Click on this Community soldiers story at www.flcourier.

Those family members, com to write your own refriends, neighbors, church sponse.

NOVEMBER 15 – NOVEMBER 21, 2013

EDITORIAL

Blacks taught that Whites are to be protected and cared for On June 22, 1996, a small group of Ku Klux Klan members gathered for a rally in Ann Arbor, Mich., only to be outnumbered by a much larger group of Black and White protesters.

A White man in the crowd, Albert McKeel, Jr., was not wearing a KKK hood but had an SS tattoo on his arm and a shirt decorated with a Confederate flag. He was on the verge of being assaulted by the larger group when he was saved by Keshia Thomas, an 18-year old Black woman.

This story was forgotten but recently came to public attention again thanks to a BBC online series about teaching kindness. The little known event gained new life and so did a standard meme which is treacherous for Black people.

Forgive any harm In a recent issue of the Black Agenda Report this columnist wrote about the inexplicable determination of some Black people to forgive any harm done to them

by Whites.

Jonathan Farrell was shot to death by a White police officer in Charlotte, N.C., yet his mother and fiancée forgave his killer. When I discovered their comments I was perplexed, but I should not have been. The reaction to the Keshia Thomas story explains it all quite well.

Michigan newspapers called her “courageous and kind.” The Huffington Post said the tale will

ings and evisceration.

Women like Keshia Thomas were not spared from KKK terror either. There are at least 150 docMARGARET umented cases of Black womKIMBERLEY en being lynched. If Thomas and BLACK AGENDA REPORT her compatriots had not felt compelled to help McKeel they should “restore faith in humanity.” Me- not have feared condemnation. dia outlets not only in the United States and the U.K., but as far White supremacist terror away as Australia, felt compelled It is interesting that in their zeal to bring the story from obscurito exalt Thomas that no one in ty into the bright light of day and to breathlessly extol the virtues of the media attempted to give voice saving a man who didn’t deserve to any justification for the angry crowd. Neither the Huffington saving.

“No one in the media attempt- Post, nor the BBC, nor the New ed to give voice to any justifica- York Daily News felt compelled to remind readers of the White sution for the angry crowd.”

This level of adulation isn’t or- premacist terror that went on for dinarily directed at Black people. decades in this country.

There was a time in America Usually our actions are called into question, our successes are ig- when the KKK paraded openly, nored and our missteps are pun- and not only in the South at the ished disproportionately. What scene of a lynching murder. In does a Black person have to do to Washington D.C. they carried out be praised? Apparently, saving a large marches in the late 1920s, redneck from a beating is the on- with numbers as high as 50,000 participants. The KKK initiatly out.

Thomas says she was motivated ed members in church ceremoby her own experience as the vic- nies and ran candidates for oftim of violence and that she didn’t fice. Members of Congress and want the man to be killed. An ar- the Senate, governors and maygument could be made for her ac- ors, made no secret of KKK affiliations but one could also be made tions. Senator Robert Byrd of West for letting the racist get a stiff dose Virginia had been a klansman and was still serving in office when he of comeuppance.

Black people chased by mobs died in 2010. of White people nearly always end up dead. History is replete White skin privilege with the gruesome documentaThe media who carried this restion of shootings, hangings, burn- urrected tale had an agenda, and

Those who do not vote do not count Two issues weigh heavily on my mind. The first issue is that of hunger in America and the reactionary Republican effort to apply an even greater amount of downward economic pressure on the poorest of Americans by reducing supplemental food assistance. Republicans seem not to be bothered that they are increasing poor people’s collective misery.

The second issue is my concern about a decrease in those voting when no Presidential candidate is on the ticket. Republicans tend to

Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq. TRICE EDNEY WIRE

make voting more difficult since Democrats have found a way to get more people to the polls that tend to support more progressive outcomes. That’s a good thing!

In view of the first critical issue that’s plaguing our country and flooding our media, some may have missed the news that

House Republicans have allowed the stimulus funding for SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, to expire.

Making ends meet On Nov. 1, monthly benefits for SNAP households decreased. A family of four, for example, now receives $36 less each month to help put healthy food on the table. These cuts come at a time when many hardworking American families are still struggling to make ends meet in the wake of the

Armstrong Williams makes inroads into media ownership If you weren’t paying attention, veteran conservative commentator Armstrong Williams is becoming a “media mogul” having purchased a trio of TV stations in transactions that were part of a number of larger TV acquisition deals brokered by Sinclair Broadcasting Inc. Much could be said about how Williams’ connection to conservative Republicans enhanced his entrance into the realm of media ownership. Over the years, Williams has become a multi-media manager and now an owner.

Williams is a third-generation Republican.

A Williams’ company, Howard Stirk Holdings, LLC, announced that it has completed negotiations to acquire TV stations WEYI in Flint, Mich., WWWB in Myrtle Beach, S.C. and WMMP in Charleston, S.C. The name “Howard Stirk” is taken from Williams’ mother’s maiden name, Howard, and his father’s middle name, Stirk.

Right place, right time The deal shows a lot about being in the right place at the right time. The Stirk Holdings acquisitions were announced simultaneous with Sinclair Broadcast Group’s purchase of Barrington Broadcasting.

The deal reinforces Sinclair as the nation’s largest independent owner of broadcast TV stations.

Currently, Sinclair owns

WILLIAM REED BUSINESS EXCHANGE

and operates the largest number of local television stations. Headquartered in Hunt Valley, Md., it owns or operates stations across the country – in nearly 60 primarily small and medium markets, many located in the South and Midwest.

Sinclair CFO David Amy said, the station group will guarantee Williams’ loan and become a “service provider” to Williams’ stations, presumably through stations Sinclair has or is in the process of acquiring in various markets.

The key to the deal is that Sinclair is acquiring stations in markets where it already owns stations, and is therefore, attempting to divest itself of one station in each of those markets to comply with Federal Communication Commission (FCC) ownership rules.

The Smith family of Baltimore is Williams’ business and political benefactors. The family retains a majority interest in Sinclair. All four Smith brothers serve as executives or directors. David Smith runs the business with three brothers: Frederick, Robert and J. Duncan. The Smith brothers are major Republican donors.

The deal represents an excellent example of how Blacks of the Republican

persuasion can get a “leg up in life.” Williams’ Republican roots helped him get the deal.

Williams qualified There’s little question the 54-year-old Williams is qualified for the venture.

Williams has enjoyed good sponsorship from media’s moguls over the years. He got his start in talk radio from another Republican, Radio One founder Cathy Hughes. Williams said his new acquisitions “were financed by JP Morgan in the amount of $60 million.”

The Sinclair-Stirk Holdings pact offers promise for other such ventures, and may create new business connections and enterprises between Blacks and Whites. As of 2011, Whites owned 69 percent of 1,348 television stations, while Blacks owned 0.7 percent of all commercial TV stations.

Williams may add a Harrisburg, Pa. television station to his collection. All the acquisitions are subject to approval by the FCC and antitrust authorities.

William Reed is head of the Business Exchange Network and available for speaking/seminar projects through the Bailey Group.org. Click on this story at www.flcourier. com to write your own response.

A5

VISUAL VIEWPOINT: TYPHOON HAIYAN

PAT BAGLEY, SALT LAKE TRIBUNE

informing the public wasn’t on the to-do list. They see their role as protecting and upholding the privileges of the powerful and the number one power on earth is still White skin privilege. One cannot give license to that privilege and also tell the truth.

The truth is that there would have been nothing wrong with McKeel getting a bloodied nose that day in 1996. The so-called mob wasn’t nearly as bloodthirsty as his compatriots had been historically. If they had been, one teenaged girl couldn’t have stopped them from doing McKeel harm.

We are taught that White people are to be protected and cared

for and that we might get a little praise when we put their needs before our own.

The merits of Thomas’s actions can be debated. But there is no debate about the inclination to act as she did. She saved the White man and was called good and worthy because she did so.

Margaret Kimberley’s Freedom Rider column appears weekly in Black Agenda Report.

She can be reached via e-mail at Margaret.Kimberley@BlackAgendaReport.com. Click on this story at www.flcourier.com to write your own response.

worst recession in decades.

A study by Moody’s Economy.com looked at the potential impact of each of these eliminated dollars.

The study shows that the fastest way to infuse money into the economy is through expanding the SNAP/Food Stamp program.

“If someone who is literally living paycheck to paycheck gets an extra dollar, it’s very likely that they will spend that dollar immediately on whatever they need – groceries, telephone bill, electric bill,” said economist Mark Zandi.

nally it goes to the farmer who grows the crops. USDA research shows that each $5 of federal SNAP/Food Stamp benefits generates nearly twice that in economic activity. Last year, the support provided by SNAP lifted 4 million people out of poverty.

Instead of reducing the number of SNAP recipients by providing realistic training opportunities for those under-employed or passing a comprehensive jobs initiative for those prepared to enter the workforce, but, lacking a job opportunity, this Congress is doublingdown on their dramatic reOut of poverty That single dollar helps moval of nutritional supto pay the salaries of the port. grocery clerks, the truckers who haul the food and pro- Changing Congress duce cross-country, and fiIf more voters were em-

pathetic to human need and understanding of the real damage inflicted by these cuts, there’d be real change in Congress.

That’s why I have such great interest in all elections. In the past week, the differing choices had never been clearer. Those who voted in places like Virginia seemed to do so with the clear understanding that each opportunity to vote has evolved into a basic act of self-defense.

Dr. E. Faye Williams is national chair of the National Congress of Black Women. She can be reached at www.nationalcongressbw.org. Click on this story at www.flcourier.com to write your own response.

Race, income affect parent engagement, student achievement “Every parent wants their child to achieve, thrive and succeed. Too often though, negative perceptions of children of color and their parents can influence the ability of parents and children to get the supports they need.”

- Chanelle P. Hardy, Executive Director, National Urban League Washington Bureau In recent years, the debate about ways to close the achievement gap and adequately prepare primary and secondary African-American students for success has focused on such remedies as ensuring resource equity, expanding pre-school opportunities, and raising teacher quality.

While all of these are necessary, one area that is often overlooked is the importance of parental involvement. No one disputes the fact that children are more likely to perform better, graduate from high school and be better prepared for college and the world of work when their parents are actively involved, both at home and at school, in their education.

But for many low-income African-American parents who may be single and struggling to make ends meet, finding the time and energy to help with homework, volunteer at school and communicate regularly with teachers, can be especially challenging. They need help.

And schools and districts that serve low-income students and students of color

MARC H. MORIAL TRICE EDNEY WIRE

must do more to overcome greater barriers to effectively engaging parents. These and other findings are revealed in a new National Urban League survey, “Engaged to Achieve: A Community Perspective on How Parents are Engaged in Their Children’s Education.”

Awareness, involvement The survey solicited the views and opinions of K-12 teachers, school administrators and volunteers in communities across the country about their perceived differences in parental awareness, parental involvement and opportunities for student achievement and success based on race and economic background.

A joint effort of the National Urban League Washington Bureau and the National Voices Project with support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the study shows that when there was a difference in how parents were perceived, African-American parents were more commonly perceived as being less aware and less involved in their children’s education than White parents.

Report authors suggest that when these perceived disparities are not addressed

constructively, they may affect the type and depth of parent engagement efforts directed to low-income parents and parents of color.

Though most respondents felt that students and parents typically understand the connection between education and economic opportunity, they felt that race and income played a significant role in students’ access to the experiences that help to promote success.

Engage parents Educational requirements should be clear and easy to understand for all parents, regardless of their educational background.

Parents must be regularly updated about their children’s academic performance in a manner that provides clarity about how students are meeting, or not meeting, specific requirements.

Efforts to engage parents must take into account practical barriers to entry that parents may face and tailor such efforts accordingly.

In communities where racial and ethnic disparities are pervasive, there must be targeted investments and customized approaches to improving parent engagement.

Marc Morial is president/CEO of the National Urban League. Click on this story at www.flcourier.com to write your own response.

TOj A6

NATION

NOVEMBER 15 – NOVEMBER 21, 2013

Sarah Palin compares federal debt to slavery Former Republican VP candidate makes comments at Iowa fundraising event Speaking at a conservative fundraiser in Iowa on Nov. 9, former Alaska governor and Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin compared the United States’ debt to slavery, claiming that younger Americans will be shackled by the country’s spending.

The Des Moines Register’s Jennifer Jacobs reports that Palin, speaking at the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition’s fall fundraiser, warned of the allure of “free stuff” offered by the government.

“This free stuff, so seductive. Why do you think marketers use free stuff to bring people in? Free stuff is such a strong marketing ploy,” Palin said. “But didn’t you all learn too in Econ 101 there ain’t no such thing as a free lunch?

Our free stuff today is being paid for by taking money from our children and borrowing from China.”

Not the first time Palin continued, “When that note comes due – and this isn’t racist.. but it’s going to be like slavery when that note is due. We are going to be beholden to a foreign master. Because there is no plan coming out of Washington, D.C. to stop the incurrence of debt.”

Palin has previously in-

Postal Service, Amazon teaming up for Sunday delivery

BY TIFFANY HSU LOS ANGELS TIMES (MCT)

KEITH LANE/MCT

Sarah Palin is shown meeting with participants of the Million Vet March in D.C. on Oct. 13. voked slavery in criticizing President Barack Obama and his policies. In March 2012, she told Fox News’ Sean Hannity that Obama is “bringing us back...to days before the Civil War, when unfortunately too many Americans mistakenly believed that not all men were created equal.”

“What Barack Obama seems to want to do is go

back to before those days when we were in different classes based on income, based on color of skin,” she said.

During the Iowa speech, Palin also took her fellow Republicans to task for not standing behind the party’s conservative wing during the government shutdown fight over the Affordable Care Act.

“Remember their promise that they would do everything in their power to fight against socialized medicine, against Obamacare?” Palin said. “When it came time to stand and defund it, they waved the white flag of surrender and they threw under the bus the good guys who did stand up and fight.”

Giant online retailer Amazon.com Inc. is turning up the heat on rivals this holiday season and beyond under a new deal with the U.S. Postal Service for delivering packages on Sundays.

Starting this week, the postal service will bring Amazon packages on Sundays to shoppers’ doors in the Los Angeles and New York metropolitan areas at no extra charge. Next year, it plans to roll out yearround Sunday delivery to Dallas, New Orleans, Phoenix and other cities.

Getting packages on Sundays normally is expensive for customers. United Parcel Service Inc. doesn’t deliver on Sundays, according to a spokeswoman. And FedEx Corp. said Sunday “is not a regular delivery day,” though limited options are available.

The deal could be a boon for the postal service, which has been struggling with mounting financial losses and has been pushing to limit general letter mail delivery to five days a week.

No extra workers Spokeswoman Sue Bren-

nan said that letter mail volume is declining “so extremely,” yet package volume is “increasing in double-digit percentages.”

The postal service’s Sunday package delivery business has been very small, but the arrangement with Amazon for two of the retailer’s larger markets, Los Angeles and New York, should boost work considerably.

To pull off Sunday delivery for Amazon, the postal service plans to use its flexible scheduling of employees, Brennan said. It doesn’t plan to add employees, she said.

More delivery news Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is testing same-day delivery service in northern Virginia, Philadelphia, Minneapolis, Denver and the San Francisco and San Jose region. Last month, EBay Inc. agreed to acquire Shutl, a London start-up that uses a network of same-day couriers to deliver goods ordered online in hours, even minutes.

In March, Google Inc. said it would test a sameday delivery service called Google Shopping Express for online purchases in the Bay Area. Specialty sporting goods store Sport Chalet Inc. began offering a similar service in April.

But adding Sunday service takes the competition to a new level. In addition to using its own employees for everyday deliveries, Amazon normally relies on the postal service, UPS, FedEx and smaller couriers to deliver goods on the day they’re ordered.

In the past, the world’s largest online retailer has offered Sunday shipping on a “very small scale” for goods sold through its main website, said Dave Clark, vice president of worldwide operations and customer service.

WOW! pass

EXTRA SAVINGS ON ALL SALE & CLEARANCE APPAREL! (EXCEPT SPECIALS & SUPER BUYS)

EXTRA 2o% off

selecT sale & clearance apparel for hiM, her & kids, plus fine & fashion jewelry, Extra 15% off all sale & clearance waTches, coaTs, suiTs, dresses, iMpulse, inTiMaTes; Men's suiT separaTes & sporTcoaTs and selecT shoes & hoMe iTeMs Also excludes: Everyday Values (EDV), Doorbusters, Deals of the Day, furniture, mattresses, floor coverings, rugs, electrics/electronics, cosmetics/fragrances, athletic shoes for him, her & kids, gift cards, jewelry trunk shows, previous purchases, special orders, selected licensed depts., special purchases, services.

Exclusions may differ at macys.com. Cannot be combined with any savings pass/coupon, extra discount or credit offer except opening a new Macy’s account. EXTRA SAVINGS % APPLIED TO REDUCED PRICES. tExt “cpn” to 62297 to gEt coupons, salEs alErts & morE! Max 3 msgs/wk. Msg & data rates may apply. By texting CPN from my mobile number, I agree to receive marketing text messages generated by an automated dialer from Macy’s to this number. I understand that consent is not required to make a purchase. Text STOP to 62297 to cancel. Text HELP to 62297 for help. Terms & conditions at macys.com/mobilehelp Privacy policy at macys.com/privacypolicy

VAlid 11/15-11/17/2013

Now - SuN, Nov. 17

3-day spectacular sale

3o%-75% oFF storeWIde plus, use your Macy’s card or pass & take an

eXtra 2o% or 15% oFF †eXclusIons apply; see pass.

Free online Shipping every day + extra 2o% or 15% oFF! Free shipping with $99 purchase. use promo code: PREV for extra savings; offer valid 11/13-11/17/2013. exclusions apply; see macys.com for details.

3-day spectacular sale prices in effect 11/15-11/17/2013. MercHandise Will Be On sale at tHese & OtHer sale prices tHrOuGH 1/4/14, eXcept as nOted.

OPEN A MACY’S ACCOUNT FOR EXTRA 20% SAVINGS THE FIRST 2 DAYS, UP TO $100, WITH MORE REWARDS TO COME. Macy’s credit card is available subject to credit approval; new account savings valid the day your account is opened and the next day; excludes services, selected licensed departments, gift cards, restaurants, gourmet food & wine. The new account savings are limited to a total of $100; application must qualify for immediate approval to receive extra savings; employees not eligible.

HEALTH FOOD || HEALTH TRAVEL | |MONEY SCIENCE | BOOKS | MOVIES | TV | AUTOS LIFE | FAITH | EVENTS | CLASSIFIEDS | ENTERTAINMENT | SPORTS | FOOD COURIER

IFE/FAITH

Spencer to star in NBC’s new ‘Murder, She Wrote’ See page B5

November 15 - November 21, 2013

SHARING BLACK LIFE, STATEWIDE

Singer joins NAACP to fight for voting rights See page B5

SHARING BLACK LIFE, STATEWIDE www.flcourier.com

|

SECTION

B

TOJ

‘May the work I’ve done speak for me’ The family of Florida Courier Senior Managing Member Julia T. Cherry wishes her a happy 86th birthday on November 16.

• Ma, you’ve been advisor, protector, investor, advocate, physician, mediator, counselor, and ‘road dog’, among the many other roles you’ve played in the life of our family. You’ve been our anchor when the seas got stormy. I’m so glad that God has shown us grace and mercy to allow us to “give you your roses while you can yet smell them.” Happy 86th, and many more! Love always, Chuck.

• Dear Grandma Julia, Happy Birthday!! We love you so much and know that you’ll have many more to celebrate with us. You’re a treasured gem that only comes around once in a lifetime. Enjoy your special day! Love, Chayla, Lisa and Wig.

Miss Staley High School (Americus, Ga.) 1944 at her 80th birthday party.

• Dear Mom, on this special day, I celebrate all that you are and all that I am because of you. I celebrate your unconditional love and your love for family. I’m sending my love on your birthday and want to tell you how special you are to me today and always. Thank you for just being you – my dear loving Mother! Happy Birthday! Love, Glenn.

• Wishing you a day full of loving thoughts. A day as warm as your heart and as joyful as your smile. Happy Birthday to a special mother-in-law! God bless you today and always. Love, Valerie.

• Dear Grandma Julia, I am sending this birthday wish to tell you how very special you are and to thank you for your love and support. With a Grandma like you, I have truly been blessed. Wishing you a very Happy Birthday! Love always, Jamal.

• Happy 86th Birthday to my mother, Mrs. Julia T. Cherry. I love you! Your daughter, Cassandra Cherry Kittles.

• Happy Birthday to my mother-in-law, Mrs. Julia T. Cherry, from Willie.

With Charles, Sr. at their 50th anniversary party, 2003.

Family portrait, 2005, with Charles III, Charles II, Lisa Rogers-Cherry, Valerie Rawls Cherry, Glenn, Cassandra, Jamal, and Chayla, 2005.

With all three grandchildren, 2013.

With nieces, nephews, and other relatives in Atlanta, 2012.

From the children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren of her sister, Mrs. Bobbie Rose Troutman Harper: • Roslyn “Cherrie” Harper (niece) – HAPPY 86TH BIRTHDAY SOROR AUNTIE!!! Thank you for your wild and wise “Juliaisms,” loving spirit, and motherly concern. There is none like you! May God continue to bless you and keep you in health and peace. Have a wonderful birthday and I’ll see you soon. I love you!!

• Charlyn Harper Browne (niece) – I always look forward to our times together –laughing at the family stories you’ve told a million times as if it’s the first time they’ve been said; teasing you about the nutty things you’ve done; staying up all night talking until one of us falls asleep; even sharing our sorrows. In being present for many important events in my life and in sharing yourself so fully with me, you have not only enabled us to have a very special and enduring relationship, but whenever we are together I think we both feel the presence of my mother/ your sister. Happy Birthday “Miss Cherry!” You’re loved and greatly appreciated…I hope you know that.

• Charles “Al” Harper III (nephew) –Happy Birthday, Aunt Julia! Thank you for your beautiful spirit! You are a true matriarch and the ultimate example of charm, grace, and beauty! May God continue to bless you and grant you good health and peace!

• Althea Harper (niece) – Happy Birthday To You Auntie!!! You are an amazing person and I thank God for you being in my life. I wish you many more Happy Birthdays. I LOVE YOU. • Evelyn Harper (niece) – What can I say about a woman I will always look up to –not just because you are a tall, beautiful woman and I am 5’ 3”; well maybe 5’ 2” –but because we have shared some wonderful “one-on-one tea-time talks.”

I will always cherish your words of wisdom and hilarious family tales. Your warm, loving, and giving spirit will always hold a very special place in my heart. Thanks “Auntie” for just being you!

I love you.

• Eugene “Buddy” Monroe (nephew) – Aunt Julia, Here’s wishing you a very happy, healthy, and prosperous birthday.

I love you so very much and can never forget the kind things that you and Uncle Charles did for Ros, Bam, and me. Please believe me when I tell you that both you and Uncle Charles were two of the most inspirational and warm persons who I have known. God certainly blessed me when the two of you entered my life. After all of these years (more than 45) you should know that your personal touch has not grown dim and that you will, forever, remain a very special person in my life. Love you, your boy Buddy!

• Wendi Harper (niece) – Happy Birthday to my favorite “Auntie.” I love you!!

• Bobbi “Bam” Monroe (grand niece) – Aunt Julia, I appreciate you and our relationship so very much! You have, through your stories and memories, kept me connected to my grandmother Bobbie. You have no idea how much that means to me. We’ve also developed a unique bond spiritually that I treasure.

We have sat for hours and talked about God and His Word. Happy Birthday!

Please know I love and appreciate you and what a huge blessing you are, have always been and will continue to be to me!

• Charles “Champ” Harper IV (grand nephew) – Ever since I can remember I’ve always considered Uncle Charles and you as royalty; the King and Queen of our family. There is so much that can be said about the examples you have set for your children and the rest of the family that I don’t feel words can do it justice. When I see my Aunt Julia, I see a strong woman with class. True to your sorority, your giving heart, love, and compassion speak volumes without you saying a word. I love you dearly and like Chaz we WILL be in Florida soon!!! :) • Keri Harper (grand niece) – Aunt Julia, you are the most courageous, loving person I know. As a child, you were the center of my best memories because of the yearly family trips. As an adult, for me you are the family historian and a constant supporter and encourager. You have a smile and laugh that lights up any room.

• Erin Harper (grand niece) – Aunt Julia, it is hard to express just how much you mean to me. As the matriarch of our family, your kindness, intelligence, and level of self-care are my greatest inspirations. You’ve continued to live a life of joy, generosity, authenticity, and love for which I am so grateful to experience. I love you, Aunt Julia. Happy 23rd Birthday!

• Rembert Browne (grand nephew) – Hey Auntie, it’s Rembert and I love you.

But you know that. But I don’t tell you that enough, so I’m here to say it again.

If our family were English royalty, you’d be the Queen. The Queen that needs to wear 19 layers of clothes when it dips below 50 degrees. The Queen that tells the best stories in the world. The Queen that sometimes says stuff out loud, not realizing she just said it out loud. And most importantly, the Queen that loves everyone in her family, and beyond, tremendously. Happy birthday, Aunt Julia. We love you.

• Charles “Chaz” Harper V (greatgrand nephew) – I think Aunt Julia is always supportive of everything I do and whenever we need her, she is there. And I promise ONE DAY I will come to Florida, lol.

• Cole Williams (great-grand nephew) – Happy Birthday, Aunt Julia. I hope you have a good one this year. You are nice, kind, and loving too. I love you.

CALENDAR

B2

NOVEMBER 15 – NOVEMBER 21, 2013

TOJ

A new chapter for Michael Baisden I want to really make a Popular talk show was released as an ebook day. on Oct. 22 and the hard- difference – don’t want to host and author cover book will be in stores just toot horn and be quiet,” he continued.

Nov. 19. fully engaged in mentoring ‘One Dream ‘A story to tell’ program for One Team’ Baisden said he not only talks to the kids but brings Along with those projboys in Orlando others into the classroom

BY JAMES HARPER FLORIDA COURIER

For years during the 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. time slot, Michael Baisden’s syndicated radio talk show was the show to listen to for many Blacks around the country.

His show came to a halt last March but that hasn’t stopped him from reaching out and making a difference.

“People know my brand, my reputation, they know my work,” Baisden recently told the Florida Courier.

“I am a person that doesn’t dwell on the past.”

Baisden squelched the rumor that he walked away from the negotiating table on his radio show because the company wouldn’t agree to his terms.

“It didn’t work out. You have to move on. The lesson is don’t put yourself in a position where someone can fire you. The lesson has been learned. It’s time to start working on the next chapter,” Baisden remarked.

That next chapter, eight months later, is working to get back on the radio again, a television pilot and scripts for movies based on novels he has written.

Another project dear to Baisden at this time is his new non-fiction book, “Raise Your Hands If You Have Issues: If You Didn’t Raise Your Hand You’re Lying and That’s An Issue!’’ It

ects, Baisden is mentoring young Black boys.

In June, Baisden moved to Orlando and has made a two-year commitment to mentor a classroom of 28 boys at Evans High School.

Baisden meets with the students every Tuesday at the school and says he is committed to do so until they graduate. At that time, he will help raise money to pay their college tuition Baisden launched the “One Dream One Team” mentoring initiative in a nationwide effort to help recruit mentors for the 12,000 Black boys on the Big Brothers Big Sisters waiting lists.

‘City chose me’ He chose Orlando as his new home after visiting the city last year for a mentoring summit.

“I said, Wow! There are thousands of men up at 10 o’clock in the morning for the sole purpose of talking about being responsible as mentors and fatherhood,” he said coming to the conclusion Orlando is where he needed to be, “where my passion is. The city chose me.”

Baisden said he is committed to the youth. He was initially asked to speak to the boys at Evans High School for a one-time guest appearance.

“After the class was over, I said we cannot have impact on these kids after one

from a wish list of people the youth said they wanted to meet, including a homicide detective from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.

“We got to start pulling together for these kids. We talk a good game. We are not stepping up enough for the brothers. The people who are least mentoring Black boys are Black men,” he said.

“We are losing them. It doesn’t take a lot of money. … We all don’t have a silver spoon in our mouths.

There are men who have been abused, have a story to tell. There are men who have been locked up who have a story to tell. Men who walked away from their kids have a story to tell. The guy who started a small business has a story to tell,” Baisden elaborated.

Stopped playing games Baisden said it is time to teach children how to think and not what to think.

“That’s why we are being taken advantage of by other cultures. They come in and make money off of us, be it through religion, that’s a game if it’s not the right kind of pastor,” he said, adding that Black people also are being taken advantage of economically and politically.

Baisden said the turn-

FLORIDA COMMUNITY CALENDAR Orlando: Bethune-Cookman and Florida A&M University take to the gridiron on Nov. 23 at the Florida Classic in Orlando. For details about the Florida Classic weekend, visit www.floridaclassic.org.

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

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

Jacksonville: SaltyLight Productions will present the Jacksonville Community Unity Festival, a family reunion-style atmosphere, on Nov. 16 at Brewster’s MegaPlex from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m. Sponsors, volunteers and vendors are needed. For more information, visit www.theCOREtour.org or call 904-610-5426.

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

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

Hollywood: Legend Gladys Knight will be at Hard Rock Live Hollywood on Nov. 22.

Tampa: The Metropolitan Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority will host its Sixth Poinsettia Ball Dancing through the Decades on Dec. 7 at the Tampa Airport Hilton Westshore, 2225 Lois Ave. Cocktail hour begins at 6 p.m. More information: www. tampametrodst.org, call 813778-5212 or email poinsettiaball@tampametrodst.org.

Miami: Tickets are on sale for Pitbull’s New Year’s Eve event at the AmericanAirlines Arena.

RICK ROSS

Rick Ross is scheduled at The Mahaffey Theater on Nov. 22 in St. Petersburg and the James L. Knight Center on Nov. 23.

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF COLUMBUS

Michael Baisden (wearing yellow tie) is shown with the students he mentors at Evans High School in Orlando. ing point in his life began when he started reading books, turning off the TV and stopped playing games with women.

Investing in others Baisden, who was in the Air Force for a short while, also went to college.

“I would have completed it had my business not necessitated me leaving college. I tell my young men I will pay your way to college, but if you invent the next Apple computer, I’ll invest in that and you can leave school and make that money. But until you master that, your butt is going to finish school,” he remarked.

Baisden said his latest book “Raise Your Hands If You Have Issues” was written because he also has issues.

“I’m not standing on the stage and looking down on people. I have been a father who did not take care of his child. Been a man who cheated on women.

I’ve been the guy afraid to step out on faith and living my dream. I understand decisions people make,” Baisden related.

Dealing with issues Issues he faces today include trying to make a difference and problems with people who are “dream killers.”

“I have issues with negative people,” he said.

“I’ve got issues [with people] who think you have to be in a relationship. There is a chapter called ‘Being single is not a disease.’ We are not born married, in a relationship. Being in a relationship is not mandatory for happiness,” he said.

Baisden said too many girls and women are out there compromising their principals – not setting boundaries and ending up in abusive relationships.

Originally, Baisden said the name of his book was to be called “Whatever Works.’’

“Experience life for yourself and find out what works for you. I’m not disagreeing with your objective; it may not be mine,” he said.

Philosophy on success Baisden said he wrote the book to engage people

in conversation.

“I don’t want to tell people what to do. I give you my perspective and give you the perspective of people I’ve encountered all of my life. Don’t take anybody’s word as absolute,” he declared.

“There are closed minds because we live in a box.

We don’t get outside of our communities. We don’t read books that take us outside of our country. We are easily manipulated when people tell us they got the answer,” he remarked.

Baisden said the only person that was in his way of being successful was himself. And his advice to others who may have thought like him is to open their minds.

“You have more control than you think. A lot of people are afraid to make the right choices. Afraid to be alone. You’ve got to be okay with upsetting people.

People want to be approved by everybody. You have to be willing to make people hate you. People are going to hate you when you are successful. Name me a successful person that is not hated on,” he concluded.

asolo repertory theatre in sarasota, next to The ringling museum

“ AmericAn The great

musical”

IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION FILE NO: 13 CVS 001031

New York Times

DON W. VIETS, JR., as Administrator CTA of the Estate of MARIO DERAN LEWIS, JR., . . . Plaintiff vs.

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

CORNELIUS LEWIS

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

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

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

This the 22nd day of October, 2013.

JOHN ALAN HIGH, PLLC By:

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

now playing through december 29

Michael James Leslie & E. Faye Butler, Photo by Daniel Kelly

sHOW BOat

Music by JEROME KERN | Book and Lyrics by OscaR HaMMERstEiN ii Based on the novel by Edna Ferber | Directed by ROB RuggiERO | choreography by NOaH RacEy LOCAL NEWS TheHomeTeam

800.361.8388 | 941.351.8000 | asolorep.org

Stoj

NOVEMBER 15 – NOVEMBER 21, 2013

B3

SPORTS

Exploring the Dolphins’ culture clash Bullying, hate speech allowed to thrive inside sports bubble

BY LINDA ROBERTSON MIAMI HERALD (MCT)

Players in the National Football League make a living in a workplace unlike any other. They tackle and block in practice — encounters that can boil over into fistfights — then shower together as if nothing happened.

On game days, they perform their job duties with orthopedists, neurologists and ambulances ready to intervene. They evaluate their success or failure while standing half-naked in the glare of TV cameras.

Inside the locker room, they play cards and needle colleagues with profane language banned at office water coolers. When they clock out, changing from gladiator gear to flipflops under the nameplate on their cubicle, they exit an insular world where the rules of interaction are much different than those in civil society.

Behavior boundaries are so elastic, in fact, that Miami Dolphins players don’t expect outsiders to understand why they are defending offensive lineman Richie Incognito, who was suspended for sending insulting, threatening and racist messages to teammate Jonathan Martin, while offering no sympathy for Martin, who left the team Oct. 28 under emotional duress.

But the Dolphins and the NFL are being criticized for allowing a machismo culture to thrive to the point where bullying and hateful language were accepted under the guise of brotherhood building.

‘Dirtiest Player’ Incognito, 30, who is White and was once voted the league’s “Dirtiest Player” by his NFL peers, was considered an “honorary Black man” by teammates who were amused and not offended by his use of a racial slur, but Martin, 24, who is Black, attended an exclusive prep school and Stanford, and is the son of Harvard-educated lawyers, was considered soft and called a [“half-nigger piece of shit’’] by Incognito.

Conduct in the Incognito/Martin imbroglio is being investigated by Ted Wells, a New York attorney appointed by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, even as the Dolphins try to regroup in the midst of a controversy that has cost the team two starters, cast aspersions on franchise leadership and inflamed a national nerve.

It’s ‘ignorance’ Harry Edwards, a leader of the civil rights movement and consultant for the San Francisco 49ers since 1985, said the extremes of a hypercompetitive environment where “guys are dependent on each other to avoid winding up in a wheelchair” do not excuse the use of racist or homophobic epithets.

“You’re looking at a group of young men who do not understand their own history or the path by which they arrived to enjoy the opportunities they possess,” Edwards said. “Dropping n-bombs on each other or granting license to some member of another group to say that word is not a generational thing.

It’s an ignorance thing.”

Edwards, professor emeritus at the University of California who has also worked with the Golden State Warriors and in-

side Major League Baseball clubhouses, said the NFL must find a way to resolve the Dolphins crisis in the wake of the concussion issue and New Orleans’ “Bountygate” if it wants to maintain its status as America’s favorite sport.

“Black parents are saying, ‘If a White man has latitude to demean a Black man in a throwback to Gone With the Wind, and Tony Dorsett is losing his mind, and the league has a team nickname (Redskins) so revolting even its home city has rejected it, maybe I don’t want my son playing football,’ “ he said.

“Athletes may be defending each other but what many perceive as a dysfunctional and borderline barbaric culture is not playing well with the general public.”

PHOTOS BY JOE RIMKUS JR./MIAMI HERALD/MCT

Then-tackle Jonathan Martin, right, is shown in his stance before the ball is snapped during a Miami Dolphins practice in Davie on July 23.

Trying to fit in

Haunting memory

Joaquin Gonzalez is among those who unapologetically defend Incognito while blaming Martin for being oversensitive to the manly mores of a cutthroat environment where military vernacular is often employed.

Gonzalez, 34, is a Cuban-American who was an offensive lineman at Miami Columbus High, the University of Miami, the Cleveland Browns and Indianapolis Colts. He said Incognito, an acquaintance, is no bigot but rather a player trying to fit in with Black teammates.

When Gonzalez first arrived at the University of Miami, his nickname was “Mexico.” It was changed to “Spic” when he explained to his teammates that his parents immigrated from Cuba.

“I embraced my nickname and my teammates did not use it to imply I was a lower form of human,” he said.

Lapchick himself was affected as a youth by the [“nigger lover”] hate calls his father, Joe, received as coach of the New York Knicks when he signed the first Black player — Nat “Sweetwater” Clifton — to an NBA contract in 1950.

Lapchick also saw his father hung in effigy across the street from his house.

In 1978, as a leader of the U.S. anti-apartheid movement against the South African government, Lapchick was attacked by three white men who used scissors to carve the N-word on his stomach (they misspelled it). He was hospitalized for three days.

“What my father went through was a major influence on my values and choices,” Lapchick said.

“In the Dolphins case, someone felt intimidated enough to leave the game he worked at his entire life to reach the NFL level. Bullying can be so devastating that people commit suicide to escape it.”

‘Term of endearment’ The n-word was commonplace, he said.

“It’s not [nigger, it’s nigga,] and it doesn’t have a negative connotation; it’s a term of endearment,” he said. “Black guys used it, some white guys could use it. You would talk about guys’ mothers, sisters, dogs. No holds barred.

You caught the hot potato and passed it on. You can’t show you are hurt or you’ll get ridden.”

Gonzalez, chief marketing officer for Tire Group International, said Incognito is being unfairly vilified. Martin, he said, should have settled any conflicts in-house, echoing the omerta no-snitch code cited by many NFL players.

In a violent game, there is no crying game.

“To quote a few of my coaches, you’ll find sympathy in the dictionary between the words sh — and syphilis,” Gonzalez said.

“Football is not the real world. Jonathan Martin couldn’t hack it. Go play golf.

People in the NFL are playing for their lives.”

‘Daily vulgar comments’ Martin, nicknamed “Big Weirdo,” was not only verbally abused with “daily vulgar comments,” but the victim of a “malicious physical attack” by a teammate, according to his lawyer, David Cornwell. Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland told Martin’s agent after Martin left that Martin should have resolved the problem with physical retaliation, according to ProFootballTalk.

But Martin might have felt trapped in a no-win situation. His discomfort

Miami Dolphins Richie Incognito sits dejected on bench after the game with the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium in Phoenix, Arizona last year. The Arizona Cardinals defeated the Miami Dolphins, 24-21.

with racial slurs might have been deeply embedded during his upbringing, said Richard Lapchick, director of the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at the University of Central Florida.

Cooper’s drunken slur Although the locker room is often celebrated as a model of harmony it is not immune from ugly power games, said Lapchick, who grades diversity in sport with his annual Racial and Gender Report Cards.

“I think sport is better than society, yet the locker room evades scrutiny precisely because athletes keep what goes on inside to themselves,” he said.

The Dolphins’ reaction to Incognito’s use of the nword contrasts with that of the Philadelphia Eagles’ reaction to receiver Riley Cooper’s utterance of it in July when he was prevented from going backstage at a concert by a Black security guard.

“I will jump that fence and fight every [nigger] here, bro,” said Cooper, who later apologized and admitted he was drunk.

Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said he was “shocked and appalled,” fined Cooper and sent him to sensitivity counseling. Teammate Cary Williams, citing his grandmother and greatgrandmother, said: “There’s no place for that word ... off anybody’s tongue.”

Condemned by Campbell Luther Campbell called Dolphins players’ defense of Incognito “a copout, an excuse and a spin job.”

Campbell learned about the power of language when he was a rap star and the sexually explicit lyrics of his record “As Nasty as They Wanna Be’’ were at the center of a free-speech debate, which he won in a 1992 Supreme Court case.

That was entertainment, a

ribald parody, he said.

But as coach of youth league and high school players, he does not tolerate cursing or use of the nword.

“There is nothing cool about using a word that disrespects your mother, your community, your friends and yourself,” said Campbell, founder of the Liberty City Optimist League. “The Dolphins weren’t performing a comedy club routine.

“In the context of calling a teammate on the phone and using that word — that’s hardcore. Honorary Black guy? I don’t believe it. It sounds like a bunch of gutless Black men, which was a culture shock for Martin, and which explains why that team is so sorry.”

It gets worse More unflattering stories about Incognito’s behavior have emerged, such as an Aventura police complaint from a female volunteer at a Dolphins golf outing who said he poked at her private parts and knocked sunglasses off her head with a golf club, and a National Football Post report that he held offensive line meetings at a strip club and fined players who did not attend.

Incognito was dismissed from the Nebraska team at the start of his senior year and from the St. Louis Rams three-quarters of the way through the 2009 season. The Dolphins were not planning to re-sign him after 2013.

Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill said the boisterous Incognito treated Martin like a “little brother” and receiver Brian Hartline said Martin and others laughed about the antagonistic voicemail.

But Martin, a classics major at Stanford, might have thought that befriending Incognito and playing along was unsustainable when the hijinks turned into harassment, said a former Incognito teammate who was bullied by Incognito at Nebraska.

“Richie had trouble knowing when not to cross the line,” said Jack Limbaugh, who was once blindsided by Incognito during practice and chose to walk off the field rather than fight Incognito. “A core group has to recognize the severity of his actions, stand up and say, ‘This isn’t funny, it’s hurtful, and it’s damaging team chemistry.’’’

The Dolphins’ Bryant McKinnie said race has not been an issue on any of the NFL teams he has played for, but that certain words can be misinterpreted.

“Everybody looks at each other as one color, or as brothers, because at the end of the day we’re all here fighting together to accomplish one goal,” he said. “Things can be said in a joking manner, but if it’s put out there in the wrong way, it can come off wrong.”

Local athletes in other sports expressed surprise that Martin’s ability to coexist with Incognito deteriorated to the point that he left the team.

Outside opinions Miami Heat forward Udonis Haslem said BlackWhite interaction on the Heat has never been an issue. He and former Florida teammate Mike Miller were so close he used to say Miller was his “brother from another mother.”

“I guess you build a bond with guys and guys joke and mess around and kid each other a little bit, but it’s never to a level where it becomes disrespectful,” Haslem said. “We never take it that far.”

Mike Lowell, who played on Florida Marlins and Boston Red Sox World Series teams, said he never has witnessed racial or ethnic tension in the clubhouse.

“Was there a divide?” he said. “Yeah, but it was a language thing. The Japanese (in Boston). The Latin guys hanging around with each other a little bit more.

But this seems like it goes a lot further than that. It’s something that’s way over the top. It seems a little ridiculous.”

Hockey player Gregory Campbell, formerly of the Florida Panthers and now with the Boston Bruins, said the bar for teasing is high in sports but players should police themselves and each other to prevent it from becoming a degrading tone.

“It’s a culture in dressing rooms where the word we use is chirp, or talk trash,” he said. “But we all have morals, have grown up with values. The everyday banter — you have to get accustomed to it. But there certainly is a line you cannot cross.”

Time for change Incognito and Dolphins teammates either failed or refused to recognize Martin’s growing distress, especially as pressure increased on the offensive line, which was failing to protect Tannehill and on pace to allow a record number of sacks.

Incognito, bullied as an overweight kid, preyed on what he perceived as weakness in Martin. But his efforts to “toughen up” the second-year player backfired.

Camaraderie, in Martin’s eyes, disguised cruelty.

He walked away from the fraternity, broke the code and now finds himself more ostracized than ever.

“Martin has chosen to fight back, but in a way that’s outside the 20thcentury tradition of punching back and keeping locker room secrets,” Edwards said. “It’s time to take a hard look at football culture. That’s why I always find hope for our society in sports — hope for positive change.”

Miami Herald reporters Adam Beasley, Joseph Goodman, George Richards and Clark Spencer contributed to this report.

TOj B4

HISTORY

STOJ

NOVEMBER 15 – NOVEMBER 21, 2013

President Abraham Lincoln drew inspiration from the Declaration of Independence when he penned his famous speech, the Gettysburg Address, delivered Nov. 19, 1863, at the dedication of the Soldiers’ National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pa. Focusing on the hallowed words “all men are created equal,” Lincoln equated the catastrophic suffering caused by the Civil War with the efforts of the American people to live up to such an ideal.

Before Lincoln gave his speech, prominent orator Edward Everett spoke to the crowd for two hours. The next day he wrote to Lincoln, “Permit me also to express my great admiration of the thoughts expressed by you, with such eloquent simplicity and appropriateness ... I should be glad, if I could flatter myself that I came as near to the central idea of the occasion, in two hours, as you did in two minutes.”

Myths and misconceptions Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation or any nation so conceived and so dedicated can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field as a final resting-place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live.

It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground.

On the 150th anniversary of Lincoln’s brief but straightforward Gettysburg Address, there still remains many myths surrounding it.

Lincoln himself said no one would remember the speech: FALSE • Weber: “There is so much packed into 272 words. It’s so short and so eloquent ... (Lincoln) sums up what the war is about, what the goals of the war are ... and he also really lays out in some ways the American mission. He was a big fan of the Declaration of Independence but he put a twist on it. … He thought that all men are created equal.”

The speech was written on an envelope: FALSE • Vorenberg: “We will never know the exact origins of this myth, but it’s clear that Mary Raymond Shipman Andrews is the key player.

Her (widely read) fictional story involving the Address, ‘The Perfect Tribute,’ appeared in 1906 and had Lincoln drafting the speech on some brown mail-package paper while on the train to Pennsylvania. ... Another mystery is how Andrews came up with the story.”

People instantly cherished the speech: FALSE • Vorenberg: “It took some weeks before leading intellectuals and politicians recognized it as a great speech, and then a few years before Americans in general saw its greatness.

An unimaginable number of men died: TRUE • Vorenberg: “It had a devastating human toll — nearly 10,000 dead and more than 25,000 wounded — with no objective achieved. (Confederate Gen. Robert E.) Lee’s goal of terrorizing Washington, D.C., was thwarted, and President Lincoln’s goal of capturing Lee’s army went unmet.”

• Weber: “It’s really unimaginable to the modern American mind, really unfathomable that you would lose so many men in three days. …

I can’t imagine what the American public would say about losses like that now.”

The brave men, living and dead who struggled here have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced.

It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us — that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion — that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain, that this nation under God shall have a new birth of freedom,

Library of Congress

The Nicolay Copy is the earliest known draft of the Gettysburg Address. The first page is on White House (then Executive Mansion) stationery, supporting the theory it was drafted in Washington, D.C. The second page, written on common lined paper, suggests Lincoln rewrote the final paragraph in Gettysburg, Pa.

Gettysburg ghosts: FALSE (or is it?)

• “The ghost stories are entirely an invention to pry money out of the wallets of tourists,” said Lincoln biographer James McPherson.

• From phantom cries of the wounded to apparitions of soldiers, many tourists and ghost hunters claim to have proof of paranormal activity on the Gettysburg Battlefield. Beyond the killing fields, there are various inns who claim their own specters. The Farnsworth House Inn claims to be among the most haunted locations in America with ghosts ranging from civil war soldiers to a young woman who is thought to be Mary Virginia “Jennie” Wade, the only civilian causality of the battle.

— David Oliver and Jennifer Pritchard, MCT SourceS: Library of Congress, farnsworthhouseinn.com

and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth.

— President Abraham Lincoln, Nov. 19, 1863 Timothy H. O’Sullivan/Library of Congress

Dead Confederate soldiers gathered for burial following the Battle of Gettysburg, July 5, 1863.

Jennifer Pritchard/MCT

STOJ

NOVEMBER 15 – NOVEMBER 21, 2013

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.

Florida Courier photojournalists were onboard Royal Caribbean ships with thousands of Tom Joyner Morning Show fans on the Fantastic Voyage 2011 and 2012.

We’re featuring some of the “Finest” cruisers.

TONY LEAVELL/FLORIDA COURIER

DELROY COLE/FLORIDA COURIER

‘We need the melodies of freedom and justice’

Octavia Spencer is shown after winning an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in “The Help” in 2012. Spencer has starring role in new ‘Murder, She Wrote’ series.

John Legend partners with NAACP to promote voter rights, registration

BY ZENITHA PRINCE TRICE EDNEY NEWS WIRE

ALLEN J. SCHABEN/LOS ANGELES TIMES/MCT

Lansbury’s unhappy about new ‘Murder She Wrote’ EURWEB.COM

“Murder, She Wrote” star Angela Lansbury is not happy with NBC’s planned reboot of her CBS series “Murder, She Wrote,” and says “it’s a mistake” for NBC to keep the original title.

News broke last month that Oscarwinner Octavia Spencer would topline a remake of the popular series, which aired on CBS from 1984 to 1996, earning Lansbury 12 consecutive Emmy nominations

‘Divorce Court’ judge returning to television EURWEB.COM

Judge Mablean will return to television next year in a new syndicated court series.

Mablean Ephriam, who presided as judge for seven seasons on “Divorce Court” from 1999-2006, will return to

and international acclaim.

Lansbury, who will accept an honorary Academy Award later this week, said the show was her “greatest doorway to the world.”

“I suddenly became a worldwideknown character as Jessica Fletcher and really built an enormous audience, which I have to this day,” the 88-year-old told The Hollywood Reporter. “That was the thing that really made me a star in the minds of everybody.”

Light, contemporary take NBC’s take, which has been granted a pilot commitment, is described as a reimagining of the series with a light, contemporary take a la the CW’s “Bones” and the feature film “Fargo.” Lansbury is not feeling it.

“I think it’s a mistake to call it ‘Murder, She Wrote,’” Lansbury said, “because ‘Murder, She Wrote’ will always be about Cabot Cove and this wonderful little group of people who told those lovely stories and enjoyed a piece of that place, and also enjoyed Jessica Fletcher, who is a rare and very individual kind of person. … So I’m sorry that they have to use the title ‘Murder, She Wrote,’ even though they have access to it and it’s their right.”

TV in “Justice With Judge Mablean” for Byron Allen’s Entertainment Studios.

Allen’s company has four other court shows: “Justice For All With Christina Perez,” “We The People With Gloria AllMablean red,” “America’s Court Ephriam With Judge Ross” and its newest series “Supreme Justice With Judge Karen.”

“Justice With Judge Mablean” is slated to debut in broadcast syndication in fall 2014.

John Legend is no stranger to politics or activism. He was an unabashed supporter of Barack Obama during his 2008 campaign, contributing to will.i.am’s campaign video “Yes We Can,” performing at benefit concerts and appearing front and center at the Democratic National Convention, where he performed his song “If You’re Out There,” a call for voter participation and civic engagement.

Now, the Grammy Award-winning artist is turning his eye toward voting rights, which has been bombarded from many sides in the past few years.

This month, Legend formed a partnership with the NAACP to launch a nationwide campaign to promote voting rights and register eligible Americans to vote. The campaign was launched at his recent concert in Durham, N.C., where he asked his fans to join him in taking a stand for voting rights by texting “LEGEND” to 62227 and helped eligible concert-goers register to vote. North Carolina is infamous for having one of the most restrictive voter ID laws in the country.

Taking message on tour “Launching in North Carolina, a state feeling the brunt of new restrictive and discriminatory election laws, will set the tone for concert goers across the country in states where some of the most egregious law changes have been introduced or implemented,” said the Rev. William Barber, president, NAACP North Carolina State Conference. “As in the past once again we need the melodies of freedom and justice to inspire movement.”

Legend said he will continue this advocacy throughout his “Made to Love” tour.

“It is maddening to know that there are some who would enact legislation that limits the ability of some Americans to exercise their right to vote,” said Legend in a statement. “Generations have fought hard and even died for this right, and now is not the time for our country to move backwards. All of our leaders should seek to have inclusive elections that reflect the true will of the people, no matter who they intend to vote for. The politics of exclusion are unacceptable. It’s time for all of us who believe in democracy and equal rights to take a stand.”

John Legend is taking a stand for voting rights.

Voter suppression Since President Obama was elected the first African-American commander-inchief in 2008, GOP-led state legislatures have unleashed a wave of laws with the sum impact of suppressing minority votes.

Those changes included fewer early voting days, restrictive voter ID laws, purging of voter rolls and more.

And, a July 2013 Supreme Court ruling that invalidated Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act – essentially crippling Section 5 of the same statute, which has long served to protect minority voters against discrimination – has further emboldened those anti-voting rights efforts.

Major influence NAACP interim President Lorraine C. Miller said Legend’s involvement will boost their efforts to combat such measures. In 2012, the NAACP mobilized 1.2 million people to the polls on or before Election Day and worked with other civil rights groups to legally challenge – and defeat – some of the proposed laws.

“We are excited that John Legend has joined with the NAACP in the fight to defend the right to vote,” Miller said in a statement. “His influence as a world-renowned artist and activist will be a catalyst to spread the word that it is not enough just to exercise your right to vote. We must also protect our right to vote for future generations.”

This story is special to the Trice Edney News Wire from the Afro American Newspapers.

TOj B6

FOOD

Baked Ziti with Pumpkin & Sausage Prep time: 20 minutes Cook time: 25 minutes Serves: 12 Nonstick cooking spray 4 cups dry regular or whole-wheat ziti 1 can (15 ounces) Libby’s 100% Pure Pumpkin 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg Pinch cayenne pepper 1 can (12 ounces) Nestlé Carnation Evaporated Fat Free Milk 4 links (12 ounces) fully cooked Italian-seasoned chicken sausage, cut into 1/4-inch slices 1 package (6 ounces) or about 4 cups pre-washed baby spinach 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim or 2% milk reduced-fat mozzarella cheese 1/2 cup (1.5 ounces) shredded Parmesan cheese Preheat oven to 425°F. Spray 4-quart baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Prepare pasta according to package directions.

Reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooking water and set aside for later use. Drain pasta; return to cooking pot.

Meanwhile, combine pumpkin, flour, garlic powder, salt, nutmeg and cayenne pepper in medium skillet over medium heat. Slowly add evaporated milk, stirring until smooth. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 to 3 minutes or until mixture begins to thicken slightly. Pour over pasta in pot. Add sausage and reserved pasta cooking water; stir well.

Spread half of pasta mixture into prepared baking dish. Top with spinach. Cover with remaining pasta mixture. Lightly spray piece of foil with nonstick cooking spray. Cover ziti with foil, greased side down.

Bake for 20 minutes or until heated through.

Combine mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses in small bowl. Remove foil; sprinkle with cheese mixture.

Bake, uncovered, for an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Enjoy your favorite produce

ALL YEAR LONG FROM FAMILY FEATURES

Even though the cooler weather has arrived, you can still enjoy mouth-watering peaches, juicy tomatoes and sweet corn — all your summer favorites — thanks to the can. Fruits and vegetables are picked at the peak of their ripeness, when they’re at their best, and canned just hours after picking.

The canning process, therefore, locks in their nutrients, freshness and flavor naturally, without the need for preservatives. So, they’re available and in-season all year long.

Additionally, many canned fruits and vegetables have equal or more nutrients than their fresh

Pineapple-Peach-Pear Skillet Crisp Prep time: 5 minutes Serves: 8 Topping: 4 ounces (1 cup) chopped pecans 1/3 cup butter 24 gingersnap cookies, coarsely crushed Base: 1 can (20 ounces) Del Monte Pineapple Tidbits or Chunks, undrained 1 can (15.25 ounces) Del Monte Yellow Cling Sliced Peaches in Heavy Syrup, drained 1 can (15.25 ounces) Del Monte Sliced Pears in Heavy Syrup, drained 1/2 cup dried cranberries or raisins 1/3 cup sugar 2 tablespoons cornstarch Salt, to taste 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional Heat large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pecans and cook 2 to 3 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring frequently. Add butter and stir until melted. Remove from heat, stir in cookie crumbs until well coated with butter and set aside on separate plate.

Combine pineapple, peaches, pears, cranberries, sugar, cornstarch, and salt, if desired, in same skillet.

Bring to full boil over medium-high heat. Boil 2 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasion ally.

Remove from heat, stir in vanilla, if desired, and sprinkle evenly with cookie mixture. Serve immediately or at room temperature.

Toasted Almond Green Beans Prep time: 5 minutes Cook time: 10 minutes Serves: 6 3/4 cup (3 ounces) slivered almonds 3 tablespoons butter, divided 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice 1/4 teaspoon cumin 2 cans (14.5 ounces each) Del Monte Cut Green Beans, drained Salt and pepper, to taste Heat large skillet over medium-high heat.

Add almonds; cook 2 to 3 minutes or until browned,stirring frequently, being careful not to burn.

Add 2 tablespoons butter, Worcestershire, lemon juice and cumin. Cook until butter has melted, stirring constantly. Set almonds aside on separate plate.

Melt remaining butter in same skillet over medium-high heat. Add beans, and cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; season with salt and pepper, if desired.

Sprinkle almond mixture over beans. Toss and let stand 5 minutes before serving.

toJ

NOVEMBER 15 – NOVEMBER 21, 2013

and frozen counterparts. Canned peaches, for example are more nutritious than fresh, according to an Oregon State University study, because they have higher levels of vitamins A, C and E, as well as folate and antioxidants.

These delicious recipes will allow you to enjoy the flavors of summer, no matter what time of the year it is. Remember, your favorite fruits and vegetables are only a can away.

For more recipe inspiration and to learn how you can get cooking with cans, visit: www.Facebook.com/CansGetYouCooking www.Pinterest.com/CansGetUCooking www.YouTube.com/CansGetYouCooking.

Leftover Turkey Tortilla Soup Prep time: 30 minutes Cook time: 20 minutes Serves: 4 Vegetable oil 1 can (14.5 ounces) tomatoes 32 ounces chicken broth Coarse salt (sea salt or kosher), to taste 1 can (15 ounces) Allens Butterfield Potatoes 1 can (14.5 ounces) Freshlike Crinkle Sliced Carrots 1 can (15.25 ounces) Allens Whole Kernel Corn 1 can (15.5 ounces) Allens Pinto or Allens Black Beans, drained 2 cups cooked turkey, shredded 6 ounces bite-size corn tortilla chips 1 cup cheese (queso fresco, feta or Monterey jack) shredded or diced 1/2 cup scallions, chopped 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (optional) 1 lime, cut in wedges Heat vegetable oil in saucepan over medium high heat. Cook tomatoes for a minute, stirring frequently; add broth and salt.

Heat to boiling. Add potatoes, carrots, corn, beans and turkey; simmer gently until all ingredients are hot.

To serve: Ladle soup into bowls. Top with tortilla chips and cheese; garnish with scallions and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

Pasta Fagioli Soup Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 50 minutes Serves: 8 2 cans (14.5 ounces each) Red Gold Diced Tomatoes 1 can (15 ounces) great northern beans 1 can (14.5 ounces) chopped spinach 2 cans (14.5 ounces each) chicken broth 1 can (29 ounces) Red Gold Tomato Sauce 2 cups water 2 garlic cloves, minced 8 slices crisp cooked bacon, crumbled 1 tablespoon dried parsley 1 teaspoon garlic powder Salt and black pepper, to taste 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil 8 ounces seashell pasta Parmesan cheese In a large stockpot, combine all above ingredients except pasta and cheese.

Bring to a boil; cover, and simmer for 40 minutes. Add pasta and cook uncovered until pasta is tender, about 10 minutes. Ladle soup into individual serving bowls and sprinkle with cheese.