Florida Courier - November 28, 2014 by Central Florida Communicators Group, LLC

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VOLUME 22 NO. 48

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Pioneer Black golfer among Medal of Freedom recipients See Page B6

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NOVEMBER 28 – DECEMBER 4, 2014

STATE PRISONS IN CHAOS Florida corrections chief Michael Crews suddenly quits, leaving newly re-elected Governor Rick Scott to grapple with hundreds of prisoner deaths, widespread corruption, and a federal investigation.

BY DARA KAM THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

FLORIDA COURIER FILES

Florida prison guards are accused of working with street gangs to smuggle cell phones and drugs inside numerous Florida prisons.

Not a ‘crack mayor’

agency head to step down since Scott’s re-election Nov. 4 and is retiring after 30 years of employment with the state. Crews told Scott in a resignation letter dated Monday that he decided to leave his Department of Corrections post “after much deliberation, discussion and prayer” with his family.

Gov. Rick Scott’s corrections chief, Mike Crews, announced Monday he is retiring from the agency grappling with reports of abuse by prison guards, allegations of retaliation against whistleblowers and a multimillion-dollar deficit. Crews, who ended months of speculation about his de- ‘Significant issues’ parture during a conference In a telephone interview call with high-ranking staff with The News Service of FlorMonday morning, is the first ida, Crews acknowledged that

he has “dealt with some significant issues over the last few years.” He also offered some advice for his temporary successor, Tim Cannon, a deputy secretary of the agency who will take over as interim secretary after Crews leaves Sunday. “Stay the course on the things that we are doing and have implemented and that we’re doing right,” Crews said. “The most important thing is don’t ever stop caring about doing the right thing and caring about each other. When you have an agency as large as we are, you’re going to have challenges…But there are some of the most incredible men and women that work for that department that do See PRISONS, Page A2

2014 FLORIDA CLASSIC

Wildcats win in soggy Orlando

Black activist Marion Barry dies FROM WIRE REPORTS

Marion Shepilov Barry Jr. was one of Washington, D.C.’s most beloved figures, despite a scandal during his tenure that rocked the nation. Barry’s resilience and support from the African-American community earned him the distinction of being known as the city’s “Mayor For Life.” The venerable former four-time mayor and civil rights activist died at age 78 early Sunday, Nov. 23, at D.C.’s United Medical Center, just hours after he was discharged from Howard University Hospital. According to his spokeswoman LaToya Foster, Barry had collapsed outside of his home days earlier and was hospitalized. Barry was a survivor of prostate cancer and battled diabetes and other ailments. He had been hospitalized several times this year. As Black social media networks attack the TMZ celebrity website for a headline exclaiming “Crackhead Mayor Dead” in response to Barry’s death, others are focusing on his decades of unceasing activism on behalf of Black America.

Activist at early age Born March 6, 1936 in Itta Bena, Miss. to Marion and Mattie Barry, he was raised in Memphis, Tenn., after the death of his father, a sharecropper. The third child of 10 siblings, Barry became politically active early on, protesting the fact that See BARRY, Page A2

SNAPSHOTS FLORIDA | A3

Fullwood gets some help from Democrats SPORTS | B2

A roundup of HBCU games

TRAVEL | B3

Misconceptions about finding low airfares

ALSO INSIDE

CHARLES W. CHERRY II / FLORIDA COURIER

The Bethune-Cookman University Wildcats defeated the Florida A&M Rattlers 18-17 in a thrilling overtime game before a crowd of 41,126 at the new and improved Orlando Citrus Bowl. The game also marked the return of a smaller FAMU Marching ‘100’ Band. See more pictures on Page B1.

Social media makes Ferguson a global story BY JOHN TIMPANE THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER (TNS)

FERGUSON, MO. – Tuesday night, as an initially peaceful protest in the St. Louis suburb turned to violence, with a dozen buildings burned and 60 arrested, Ferguson became more than a neighborhood demonstration over a grand jury decision: It expanded into a national night of witness and protest. This night had been prepared for months. According to the Pew Research Center, more than 1 million tweets with Ferguson hashtags were traded between Aug. 9, when Michael Brown was killed, and CNN’s first prime-

time story on Ferguson, on Aug. 12. In the months since, Ferguson community leaders used social media to urge peace and organize crowd-minders.

Trending worldwide According to tracker site Trendsmap, as of Monday morning, the hashtag Ferguson was buzzing all over the world, with major spikes in Missouri, but also along the I-95 corridor between Philadelphia and New York, and in Florida and Southern California. People were ready. In Philadelphia, a demonstration wound from City Hall

through South Philadelphia. In New York, Al Sharpton gave a speech in Harlem, and a large crowd marched from Union Square to Times Square – where police chief Bill Bratton was sprayed with fake blood. In Chicago, hundreds marched from the police station through town. Brooklyn Bridge and the Triborough were briefly shut down in New York, as was Lake Shore Drive in Chicago. In Los Angeles, protesters shut down Interstate 110, backing it up for miles. In Oakland, Calif., demonstrators shut down Interstate 580. Forty people were arrested and there was widespread property damage. At the White House, Jennifer Bendery tweeted: “At least 200 ppl chanting at the WH right now. ‘How many black kids will you kill? Michael Brown! Emmett Till!’ ”

Posted, tweeted According to the tracking site Topsy, more than 3.2 million tweets using (hashtag) Ferguson were posted between Monday and Tuesday afternoons, more than 771,000 for (hashtag) FergusonDecision, and hundreds of thousands more for (hashtag) MichaelBrown and (hashtag) BlackLivesMatter. A survey of hundreds of tweets from all over the world suggests that the no-indictment decision of the grand jury was yet another racist episode in American history. French justice minister Christine Taubira tweeted: “How old was (hashtag) Mickael Brown? 18. (Hashtag) TrayvonMartin? 17. (Hashtag) TamirRice? 12. How old next? 12 month? ‘Kill them before they grow’ Bob Marley ChT.”

COMMENTARY: CHARLES W. CHERRY II: RANDOM THOUGHTS OF A FREE BLACK MIND | A4 COMMENTARY: BENJAMIN CHAVIS: WHY BLACKS SHOULD SUPPORT IMMIGRATION REFORM | A4

FOCUS

NOVEMBER 28 – DECEMBER 4, 2014

There’s fear in Ferguson Don’t be surprised at the recent grand jury findings in Ferguson, Mo. If you are in America, wherever Black people live, they live in “Ferguson!” A grand jury is a legal body that is empowered to conduct official proceedings to investigate potential criminal conduct and to determine whether criminal charges should be brought. A grand jury may compel the production of documents and sworn testimony of witnesses to appear before it. A grand jury is separate from the courts, which do not preside over its functioning. Currently, only the United States retains grand juries, which perform both accusatory and investigatory functions. The investigatory function includes obtaining and reviewing documents and other evidence and hearing the sworn testimony of witnesses. The accusatory function is to determine whether there is probable cause to believe

LUCIUS GANTT THE GANTT REPORT

that one or more persons committed a criminal offense.

Prosecutors control Grand juries almost always find the indictment or non-indictment that prosecutors want them to find! Grand jurors are not selected the same way trial jurors are selected. The devilish suggestion that grand juries are groups of randomly selected, fair and impartial citizens is more joke than justice! How many times have you served on a grand jury? Who do you know that has served on a grand jury? When was the last time a grand jury was needed

to investigate whether any person of color should be indicted to face charges for killing a scary White person? The Ferguson lawman that killed Michael Brown was not indicted by a grand jury because he was without blame in the deadly encounter between a White man and a Black teen. He was not indicted because he was White. And unarmed, defenseless Michael Brown was shot multiple times because he was Black! Any time a White cop wants to shoot a Black, Hispanic or another person of color, all he has to do is say he was “afraid” or he was “attacked!”

Different rules In 1989, I was charged with felony assault on a law enforcement officer. A North Florida cop told a court of law that I attacked him and beat him so severely the cop had to have neurosurgery. I believe I would have been shot

BARRY from A1

as a Black paperboy he had less rights to rewards and perks than his White counterparts. This streak of resistance would remain a part of Barry’s psyche as he became an adult. While attending LeMoyne-Owen College in Memphis, Tenn., Barry joined the local NAACP chapter and became its president after experiencing segregation at every turn. He became even more engaged in activism as a graduate student at Fisk University, joining the Nashville sit-ins and getting arrested in nonviolent protests. In 1960, Barry became the first chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and began organizing voting rights protests across the South. He moved to Washington, D.C. in 1965 at the urging of a mentor, in a bid to help citizens in the “Chocolate City” earn political leverage. Barry embraced the city, most especially its Black residents. This would help make his transition to political office a seamless one. CHUCK MYERS/MCT

Marion Barry spoke at the Full Democracy Freedom Rally and March in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 15, 2011. plishments was the Summer Youth Initiative, which gave thousands of jobs to teenagers. The majority of Black Washingtonians received their first job because of this program, which still exists. Barry is considered

PRISONS from A1

things that would astonish most people. And they do them during a time when it has been some of the most difficult times that our agency has ever had.”

Timothy Cannon

Michael Crews

Third in four years Crews, 53, was the third Department of Corrections secretary appointed during Scott’s first term in office. Crews launched a crusade to clean up the corrections agency this summer after reports of inmate deaths and abuse at the hands of prison guards. Crews, who began his career as a prison guard, fired dozens of prison workers, initiated new standards for conduct and asked the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, where he spent nearly three decades before becoming the corrections agency’s deputy secretary in 2012, to investigate more than unresolved 100 inmate deaths. Black leaders are asking the U.S. Department of Justice to expand an investigation into wrongdoing at several Florida prisons. And a group of corrections investigators who work for Scott’s inspector general filed a lawsuit against Crews, Scott and others earlier this year, alleging they were retaliated against for exposing the death of an inmate that opened a floodgate of questions about inmate abuse. Scott’s first prison chief, Ed Buss, was forced to step down after less than a year on the job after being at odds with the gover-

Scared and slow

Darren Rainey

Rick Scott

nor’s office over contracts and a massive privatization attempt that the Legislature failed to endorse. Buss was replaced by Ken Tucker, a longtime Florida Department of Law Enforcement official and one of Crews’ mentors. Tucker stepped down two years ago as part of a longtime plan to participate in the state’s retirement program.

Debt, lawsuits In December 2012, Crews took over an agency with a $2 billion budget that was $120 million in debt and was tied up in a court battle over privatization of inmate health services. Crews initiated a variety of cost-cutting measures, including having inmates sew their own clothes, make their own laundry soap and wash dishes by hand. Crews said he hoped to whittle the deficit down to $15 million this year. Crews urged the next secretary

the first civil rights activist to be named mayor of an American city.

Young government “Despite D.C. being a very

to advocate for raises for corrections workers, who have not received the same increases that have gone to other law enforcement employees such as Florida Highway Patrol officers. “While those people deserve it, leaving out correctional officers and our probation officers out of that discussion, that’s a tragedy. For at least 12 hours a day, they’re inside a closed-in fence with the same people that committed the crimes that the officers who are stopping and making arrests and subjecting themselves to life-and-death situations. They’re in the same environment where they’re closed in with them for at least 12 hours a day, every day. To not recognize that and put them at the forefront of consideration, I think is a tragedy,” Crews said in an interview Monday.

Boiled to death But Crews’ major headaches came this summer after the Miami Herald reported that Darren Rainey, a mentally ill inmate at Dade Correctional Institution, died after guards allegedly forced him to shower in scalding hot water as punishment two years ago. Rainey’s death prompted Crews to fire the warden at the prison and clean house at other institutions where inmates have died under questionable circumstances. The FBI is reportedly scrutinizing Suwannee Correctional Institution, where an inmate-led riot injured five prison guards in October. The April 2 death of inmate Shawn Gooden at the facility is one of more than 100 inmate deaths being investigated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

They are slow to respond, reluctant to stand up and speak out and have little desire to fight for their children and their community. Victims and parents typically say that Black community violence is not the answer. But history says the opposite. There is no one on earth more violent than the American White man, and no one more violent in America’s Black neighborhoods than the White law enforcement officers that use tasers on old Black women, sic dogs on Black children, and gun down Black teenagers in broad daylight! If the police won’t protect you, your family and your neighbors, there is nothing wrong with protecting yourself in Ferguson and wherever else you feel threatened by racists in uniforms that are out to kill you!

I have no idea what happens now in Ferguson but I do know some Blacks in Missouri. The Missouri Blacks that I know are scared! Not just afraid of cops; they are timid in general.

Contact Lucius at www.allworldconsultants.net. “Like” The Gantt Report page on Facebook. Click on this story at www.flcourier.com to write your own response.

old city, it is very young in governing itself due to it being the capital of the United States and the only city in America not attached to a state,” said D.C. native Kyle Yeldell of the National Newspaper Publishers Association. “And these nuances are why many of its natives are very passionate about what goes on and who cares about the people in its city limits. “In a city that has only had a mayor for 39 years, Barry was mayor for 16 of them, was a city councilman for eight of them – a total of 24 years of service. Not many mayors begin as councilmen, go to the top and become mayor, and then go back to being a councilman. “This is why Washingtonians love Barry. Barry’s drug use, although a major flaw, will never supersede his positive effect on the city,” Yeldell explained.

‘A political genius’

Down, but not out

Self-government D.C. didn’t have a mayor until 1975 with the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, allowing the city to govern itself. It was previously run completely by Congress. Barry was elected to D.C.’s first city council in 1975, then defeated D.C.’s first mayor, Walter Washington, after his term was up. One of Barry’s major accom-

dead myself if there were not so many African-Americans that witnessed the whole confrontation. There was no grand jury verdict for Lucius Gantt. I was taken straight to jail and handcuffed to the jail bars, torture-style! Police are told when to and how to lie by legal counsel to prevent lawsuits and subsequent damages to government and government budgets. What’s worse is the “code of silence” where officers look the other way or cover up crimes when unjust arrests or wrongful killings of suspects take place. I don’t think you can march away police misconduct that takes place in Black communities. Prayer is good, but God helps mistreated people that help themselves!

During Barry’s third term, rumors of drug use spread like wildfire and his disheveled appearance in the late 1980 did nothing to help matters. In 1990, a FBI sting caught Barry using crack cocaine with his girlfriend on videotape. Barry’s fall from grace tarnished his reputation and made the city the butt of jokes, but he continued to have the support of voters. After serving a prison sentence, Barry’s political comeback began in 1992. He won a city council seat representing the mostly Black Ward 8, and in 1994 he was re-elected to the mayor’s office for a record fourth term. In 2002, Barry returned to the city council and held the position until his death.

In the lawsuit filed by the group of investigators, the whistleblowers claim they started a probe into allegations of prison guard misconduct at Franklin Correctional Institution in 2013. That investigation revealed that an earlier probe into the 2010 death of inmate Randall JordanAparo, who died in solitary confinement after being repeatedly gassed with noxious chemicals, “was false and misleading.” Several of the guards involved in Jordan-Aparo’s death have since been fired.

Guards and gangs Crews has also wrestled with widespread gang activity aided by corrupt guards. As an example, two former prison sergeants are awaiting trial after being accused of ordering an inmate to be killed last fall to protect the guards’ role as kingpins of an institution-wide gang operation at Taylor Correctional Institution in North Florida. For more than a year, at least five guards allegedly helped the “Bloods,” “Folk” and “MPR” gangs by smuggling drugs, cell phones and cigarettes into the prison in exchange for thousands of dollars in payments, according to probable-cause affidavits. Cell phones, which can sell for up to $600 inside prisons, are a problem in correctional systems throughout the country, Crews told The News Service of Florida last month. “You have individuals who say, ‘If I bring in 10 of those, I’m probably sitting on $5,000 or $6,000.’ Some people can’t turn down that temptation,” he said. “Yeah, we have gangs in prisons just like are out on the street right now. It is a constant battle to make sure

Current D.C. Mayor Vincent C. Gray expressed sadness after learning of the passing of the Ward 8 council member. “Marion was not just a colleague, but also was a friend with whom I shared many fond moments about governing the city,” Gray said in a statement. “He loved the District of Columbia and so many Washingtonians loved him.” Council member Anita Bonds called Barry “a political genius, community outreach expert, champion of the overlooked and the left-out.” “He was a warm, compassionate human being and proud public servant who was the only D.C. politician with coattails,” Bonds said in a statement. “While his history of accomplishments began decades prior to his entry onto the D.C. political scene representing the [Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee] in the 1960s, even today, he remains the city’s favorite politician and truly loved by most, and many across the nation. “I’ll remember him for his capacity to turn the [other] cheek, forgive and move forward no matter the adversity. He was a remarkable, powerful, proud leader of people that will be hard to forget.” Barry is survived by his wife Cora Masters Barry and his son Christopher. Plans are being made for a citywide tribute in December.

Reports by Avis ThomasLester and Ruben Castaneda of the Washington Informer, NNPA News Service and D.L Chandler of BlackAmericaWeb.com were used in compiling this article.

we keep monitoring those and try to minimize their effectiveness inside the institution, and outside the institution, honestly.”

Only jobs in town Crews also struggled to change the culture of the prison system, which oversees more than 100,000 inmates, and which is the best – or only – job in many rural counties, especially in North Florida, where the institutions are located. In some areas, guards are third-generation employees of the corrections department whose family members and neighbors also work at the prisons. Crews tried to convince prison staff to report wrongdoing, but fears of retaliation and shunning are common in the system. Crews assured workers that he would protect them if they expose abuse or corruption. “There’s no doubt there are still people who work in this agency that are fearful of coming forward for doing the right thing. There’s no doubt in my mind about that. We didn’t get into the position that we’re in today overnight. We’re not going to get out of it overnight. This takes time. And when you’re trying to change a culture you have to do it from the top down and the bottom up,” he said in an October interview. In September, Crews threatened to stop payments to Missouri-based Corizon, which won a five-year, $1.2 billion contract to provide health care to the majority of the state’s prisoners. Crews accused Corizon of failing to follow through after audits revealed shortcomings in multiple areas, including medical care, nursing and administration.

NOVEMBER 28 – DECEMBER 4, 2014

FLORIDA

State lifts ban on silencers for hunting game BY JIM TURNER THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

TALLAHASSEE – Florida hunters can now muffle their shots when hunting deer, gray squirrels, rabbits, wild turkeys, quail and crows. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission agreed last week, with little comment, to issue an order that immediately removes a prohibition on the use of noise-suppressors, or silencers, with rifles and pistols. Florida becomes the 33rd state to allow the noise-suppressors

Gun bill could recharge debate on school safety THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

After the issue drew heavy debate during the 2014 legislative session, a House Republican is bringing back a proposal that could lead to some public-school employees or volunteers carrying guns on campus. Sarasota Republican Greg Steube last week filed the proposal (HB 19) for consideration during the 2015 session. Under the bill, a school superintendent, with the backing of the local school board, could authorize a “school safety designee” to carry a concealed weapon on school property.

for game hunting. Florida had been the only state in the Southeast to have such a ban, which was lifted at the request of hunters, said Diane Eggeman, director of the agency’s Division of Hunting and Game Management.

‘Significant noise’ Eggeman said silencers cut noise by about 30 decibels, and it’s a common misconception that such noise-suppressers eliminate sound from the weapon. “You can hear it from a long way away,” Eggeman said. “It’s a significant noise.”

Florida already allows the use of suppressors on shotguns for game hunting. A suppressor can also be placed on a rifle or pistol when hunting on private lands for non-game wildlife, including hogs and armadillos. During the commission meeting, held in Key Largo, Fish and Wildlife staff and a couple of hunters defended the proposal as a means to protect hunters’ hearing, lessen the impact of hunting on others and help while introducing people to the sport.

Uptick in sales Buck Holly, an owner of C&H Precision Weapons in LaBelle,

told the commission that silencers also improve communications among hunters in the field, and he noted his 17-year-old daughter prefers using a silencer on a rifle as it reduces the recoil and sound. “None of my kids are afraid to hunt with rifles because there is no longer the loud bang,” Holly said. “There is not a lot of recoil, they all think it’s fun.” Holly added there has been an uptick in silencer sales in Hendry County in anticipation of the prohibition being lifted.

$200 registration fee Concerns have been expressed

Then State Rep. Reggie Fullwood debates on the House of Representatives floor in April 2013.

The designee could be an honorably discharged military veteran, an active-duty member of the military, National Guard or reserves or an active-duty of former law-enforcement officer. The designee would have to be licensed to carry a concealed weapon, complete a school-safety program and pass a background screening.

Failed in Senate The bill says the Legislature would not mandate that schools have such designees but that it is “the intent of the Legislature to prevent violent crimes from occurring on school grounds. The Legislature acknowledges that the safekeeping of our students, teachers and campuses is imperative.” House members voted in April to support the 2014 version of the bill, but the proposal did not pass the THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA Senate. Critics argued that CODE: SBS-14-4E The Florida PUB/POST: USSPI 10x10; Various Pubs; Due month PRODUCTION: D. Hanson in the state should spend monDemocratic Party this chipped DESCRIPTION: On$10,000 November 29... WORKORDER #: 006910 Dey to put more trained lawto help former state Rep. Reggie Fullwood, enforcement officers, known Delivery Support: 212.237.7000 FILE: 01A-006910-11D-SBS-14-4E.indd #: AP.APSBS.14043.K.011 Jacksonville, try to win back his HouseSAPseat in a special as school resource offielection, according to a newly filed campaign-finance cers, on campuses instead report. of moving forward with the Fullwood raised $25,500 from Nov. 1 to Nov. 14, giving designee idea. him an overall contribution total of $51,400. The latest

Democratic Party helps Fullwood in primary

COURTESY OF FLORIDA HOUSE

batch of contributions included a $10,000 check on Nov. 10 from the state party. He faces a Democratic primary challenge Dec. 16 from Jacksonville City Council member Johnny Gaffney, who reported raising $2,950 from Nov. 1 to Nov. 14 and an overall total of $33,865. The primary winner will face Jacksonville Republican Lawrence Jefferson in the Feb. 17LIVE: special general election. None Jefferson raised $50 during the latest period, giving 10” x 10” him anTRIM: overall total of $2,200. BLEED: Nonedid not face opposition as he planned to Fullwood run for another term during this month’s elections. But paperwork errors prevented him for qualifying for the November ballot, leading to the need for the special election.

ON NOVEMBER 29 You’re Invited

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EVERY DAY, SMALL BUSINESSES ARE THERE FOR US. WILL YOU BE THERE FOR THEM? GET UP, GET OUT, AND SHOP SMALL .®

NOV 29

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to the commission that lifting the ban would reduce safety and increase opportunities for illegal activities. But Eggeman said wildlife officials from other states haven’t reported an increase in illegal activities as few hunters use suppressors because they are expensive and highly regulated. To purchase a silencer, a hunter must pay a $200 registration fee with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and pass an FBI background check. The cost of a rifle suppressor has been estimated between $450 and $2,000.

EDITORIAL

NOVEMBER 28 – DECEMBER 4, 2014

Why Blacks should support immigration reform As I watched President Barack Obama address the nation on his “controversial” Executive Order on immigration reform, I was reminded of the evening that I was inside Riverside Church in New York City on April 4, 1967 when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr gave his courageous sermon in opposition to the Vietnam War. Even some of the supporters of Dr. King questioned his theological audacity to link civil rights injustice in the United States to human rights injustice in Vietnam. Decades later, history has proven Dr. King to have been right in his vocal opposition to the Vietnam War. What will history say 50 years from now about President Obama’s leadership on immigration and his determination to fix the system?

DR. BENJAMIN F. CHAVIS, JR. NNPA COLUMNIST

Using your voice Leadership is about speaking out against injustice. But it is also about taking action to correct injustice. Civil rights leadership, as exemplified by Dr. King, was audacious with the courage to take action to challenge injustice in a manner that inspired millions of people to join the cause. In his Riverside Church speech, Dr. King stated, “An injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” I know that there are many in the Black American community who might not understand how the issue of immigration for La-

tino Americans and others is linked to the issues of racial and economic justice for Black Americans. The goals of racial equality and economic empowerment are not exclusive or limited to Black Americans. With the “browning of America” steadily changing the racial and ethnic demographics of the population of the U.S., it important for Black Americans to be supportive of immigration reform. We should be in solidarity with our Latino sisters and brothers because it is the moral and right thing to do. Also, supporting immigration fairness and equal justice is a strategic step forward for Black America. We know what the sting and pain of racial prejudice and injustice feels like. The political context and timing of President Obama’s executive action that will help possibly 5 million or more Latino and oth-

VISUAL VIEWPOINT: COSBY SWEATER

JOHN COLE, THE SCRANTON TIMES-TRIBUNE

Random thoughts of a free Black mind, v. 234 Ferguson – Unfortunately, I predicted George Zimmerman’s acquittal and no prosecution in Mike Brown’s death. In Ferguson, THE FIX WAS IN. It was all show from the beginning (a grand jury by a tainted longtime local prosecutor intimately involved with local cops instead of a direct file from a “disinterested” prosecutor appointed by the governor) to the end (a delayed nighttime announcement to bait the youthful crowd, giving cops an excuse to crack heads and justify the fearful “violent Black thug protestor” narrative). What's next? (1) Economic direct action. America is built on capitalism. Want change? Move your dollars around. We did nothing in Florida when Trayvon was killed. Stevie Wonder called for an economic boycott after Zimmerman’s acquittal. The NAACP, Black journalists, and Black lawyers all met in Florida anyway. The Rev. Jamal Bryant is now calling for a “Black Friday” economic protest: #handsupdontspend. How much traction will that get? Will Black folks still bust doors down at Wal-Mart this week? (2) Local voting and political activism. Think nationally/globally, act locally. Local is where the political impact is; local races are tougher to steal and gerrymander through redistricting. (3) Get legally strapped, especially

QUICK TAKES FROM #2: STRAIGHT, NO CHASER

CHARLES W. CHERRY II, ESQ. PUBLISHER

in “concealed carry” states like Florida. I'm Black, male, 6 feet 4 inches and 225 pounds – a walking “physical threat” to some people. But they better think twice before “standing their ground” with me as I pass by, as I'm legally packing what they are legally packing. That's what life in America has become in 2014 – the possibility of Mutually Assured Destruction as armed people pass by in the streets. So am I now forced to defensively raise “Wig,” my 10-yearold Black boy who may grow into a “physical threat” like his dad, despite his loving and gracious personality? My good friends in “darkest Africa” think America, with 300 million guns in private hands and 30 gun deaths a day, is the most savage nation on earth. How ironic. Are they really wrong?

Contact me at ccherry2@gmail. com.

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

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er undocumented people who have lived in the U.S. for at least the past five years should not be under estimated. This was a major leadership move by the nation’s first Black president. Like health care reform, immigration reform had been debated for decades without any significant progress until this president made it happen.

Say something Yes, there is going to be a big political fight over immigration. Black Americans should weigh in on this debate from an activist perspective rather than from the position of disinterested spectators. As President Obama affirmed, “What makes us Americans is our shared commitment to an ideal, that all of us are created equal, and all of us have the chance to

make of our lives what we will.” Equality in a democracy where are people are treated fairly and justly is a moral and noble goal that we all should strive to attain. Yet for 45 million Black Americans, we also know the bitter taste of centuries of oppression, discrimination, injustice, violence and racial hatred. In fact it is because of our ongoing struggle for freedom, justice and equality that still continues to this day is the reason why we cannot afford to be silent on the issue of immigration equal justice. I am prepared to stand with the president of the United States on this matter. Are you?

Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. is the president and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association. Write your own response at www.flcourier. com.

Building a spirit of gratitude from within Has our society forgotten how to be appreciative? Many people are too busy running the rat race to say, “Thank you.” I remember sitting in a Sunday school class of young students during my college experience at Southern University. One student was saying how ungrateful he had been toward his parents. I also felt guilty. My parents bought me my first car while I was in high school; most students did not have cars. I had envisioned receiving a brand new car. Well, I did not. I got an old 1973 Dodge Charger. I was disappointed. But, I ended up falling in love with that old car which I later called “The New Wave Cruisemobile.” My car was far more dependable than most automobiles. I remember never having said “Thank you” for my car - I had also taken my parents for granted. Our society does not teach us that being appreciative is a virtue. This article examines the importance of developing a spirit of gratitude as a competitive advantage toward employability.

All about character Developing a spirit of gratitude separates an individual from the rest of the pack. This attribute is all about character. Gratitude can be defined as the quality of being thankful; it is a readiness to show appreciation for and to return

DR. DARYL D. GREEN GUEST COLUMNIST

kindness. In the fast pace of industrial living, people are not saying “Thank you” to anyone. Most people feel they deserve any kind act done for them. In fact, a selfish society creates a generation of ungrateful children.

A new Attitude In my book, Don’t Be An Old Fool: Common Sense & Gratitude, I mock popular culture that provides solutions that do not make common sense. In my world, I define a fool as an individual who is unwilling to listen and heed wise advice. When you show someone some gratitude after they assist you, that individual will likely continue to help or do more for you. However, if you are ungrateful, many times people will not do any more for you. Here are some things you can do to help produce this act of kindness: • Count your blessings. Give God thanks. • Tell your parents “Thank you” for their support. • Give back financially to your university. • Visit past teachers who have contributed to your good character.

• Support high school and college alumni organizations. • Send your church Sunday school teacher a greeting card. • Thank the person in your community who serves as your role model.

Perfect timing Is the economy continues to spiral downward, people are looking at various ways to differentiate themselves from the competition. The holiday season is the perfect time to add some gratitude into the character-building process. If a person is honest, he or she can probably think of at least one person who has helped him or her in some way. It is easy to get into a trap of only looking at the negative side of life. Can you afford to acknowledge these acts of kindness, no matter the size? Make your holidays the best ever! Spread your appreciation across your community. Showcasing a spirit of gratitude can be very rewarding and can transform an individual’s situation.

Dr. Daryl Green is an author of several books including Breaking Organizational Ties: How to Have a More Fulfilled Life in Your Current Job. Write your own response at www.flcourier.com.

Five ways to stop negative stereotypes about Black-owned businesses African-Americans don’t have a problem with complaining about Blackowned businesses that lack credibility and good customer service. Let’s face it: Too many African-Americans make it a habit of discrediting so many of their own businesses that they consciously and subconsciously send that message to other groups. Whenever negative messages are sent out about Black-owned businesses, it’s difficult for those who do own a Blackowned business that provides great products and/ or services to overcome the negative stereotypes. I’m amazed at the mindset many people have about Black-owned businesses but fail to take a stand and voice their displeasure and dissatisfaction when it comes to non-Black businesses that treat them unfairly. Let’s take, for example, many Chinese carry-out stores within Black neighborhoods. You’ll find many (not all) of the establishments dirty, unkempt, and not professional looking at all. In addition to this, you have to pass your money through a bullet proof window. Yet, these businesses continue to thrive within our communities. Where’s the outcry about the appearance? Where’s the demand for cleanliness

DR. SINCLAIR GREY III GUEST COLUMNIST

and professionalism? I submit to you if a Black-owned restaurant and/or carry-out would look or act like such, they would not be in business long.

Undo the stereotype The African-American community must undo the negative stereotypes associated with Black-owned businesses. You know the stereotypes – open late/ close early, poor customer service, and high prices, just to name a few. These comments along with other detrimental sayings will continue to make it difficult for new and existing Blackowned businesses to thrive. Here’s what we can do as a community to crush the negative stereotypes of Black-owned businesses: • Support and promote those businesses that provide excellent products/ services • Speak with business owners about any concerns • Stop accepting inferior treatment from other businesses (non-black) • Refuse to adopt the

Black-owned business stereotype. As soon as someone begins speaking negatively about Black-owned businesses, don’t feed into it. Counteract it with talking about the value of Blackowned businesses and name some of them • Start your own business and lead by example Collectively, we can undo the myth that many of our Black-owned businesses face day after day. If we really care about keeping businesses open and thriving in our communities, it’s up to us to speak life into it. So many people like to say, ‘Be careful of what you say because what you say will manifest itself.’ Well, let’s begin by saying ‘The negative stereotypes associated with Black-owned businesses is over.’ I declare that we must support one another to create opportunities for those in our community. Also, we must accept the best from these businesses as we do other businesses.

Dr. Sinclair Grey III is an activist, speaker, writer, author, life coach, and host of The Sinclair Grey Show heard on Monday’s at 2pm on WAEC Love 860am (iHeart Radio and Tune In). Write your own response at www.daytonatimes.com.

NOVEMBER 28 – DECEMBER 4, 2014

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is without a clue In response to what he calls the president’s “war on coal,” Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell says, “I’m going to war with him.” For McConnell, the historic agreement that the president signed with the Chinese, committing them for the first time to dramatic reductions in their greenhouse gases, is an outrage, an assault on “my state.” McConnell has just been reelected by the citizens of Kentucky, albeit a small minority of them. (In a state where fewer than half of those eligible showed up, McConnell won with the votes of about ¼ of the eligible voters). But seldom has a leader so clearly demonstrated that he will allow ideology and special interests to overrule both common sense and the common good. For McConnell, architect of the Republican scorched earthobstruction against all things Obama, going to war with the president is an old hat. Among other things, he led the repeated Republican efforts to repeal Obamacare. Only, it turned out that health care reform is remarkably popular in Kentucky where the governor embraced it and hundreds of thousands have benefited, particularly from the expansion of Medicaid that McConnell is against.

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

Deep pockets In the campaign, McConnell tried to square this circle by suggesting inaccurately that the Kentucky program could continue even if health care reform was repealed. In part to make up for that foolishness, he was forced to run one of the most expensive Senate races ever to save his seat in a deep red state. Now McConnell is proving that he is a man of the past, not a leader for the future. No matter how much he may stick his head in the ground, climate change is already a real and present danger. Even the Pentagon acknowledges that. The berserk weather that is already roiling the world has concentrated the minds of responsible leaders in governments, militaries, businesses and societies across the globe. Senator McConnell may promise to use his post as Senate majority leader to stand in the doorway and try to block change, but he will find that he is on the wrong side of history.

Play by the rules In the President’s address to the nation, he detailed the action he is taking to help fix our broken immigration system by increasing ac-

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

countability and ensuring everyone plays by the same rules. Republicans agitate for a secured southern border. The President’s plan meets that while giving the undocumented an opportunity to achieve a legal status. Although they must pass a criminal background check and pay a fine, his plan will allow the undocumented to “come out of the shadows,” work, and pay their fair share of taxes. The President waited for Congress to act. He has assured Congress he will continue to work with them on a comprehensive, bipartisan bill like the one passed by the Senate over a year ago. He’s not trying to make his Executive actions permanent. The House could have avoided his action by

Special interests at heart He could demand investment in new hospitals and public health facilities, both to care for the miners afflicted from their work in the mines and to be a source of employment and good health in the future. He could be the leader who launches a long overdue renaissance for the region, rather than trying to hang on desperately to its no longer sustainable past. But of course to do that, McConnell would have to represent the common good of his constituents rather than the special interests — the oil and coal com-

The people speak Another Election Day victory that has not gotten much attention was the passage of a major gun safety measure in Washington State and the elec-

MARC H. MORIAL TRICE EDNEY WIRE

tion of national and state legislators who openly supported common sense gun safety legislation in the face of vigorous opposition by the National Rifle Association (NRA). In the only state where voters had the opportunity to directly cast a ballot for or against a specific gun safety measure, the people of Washington State voted to require background checks for all firearms sales, including at gun shows and on the Internet. This was an historic victory that may pave the way for other states. As with the minimum wage, states are not waiting for federal gun safety legislation. They are leading the way. According to a recent report on MSNBC.com, on November 4, Washington State became “the seventh state to require background checks on all gun sales and the fifth (after Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware and New York) to do so since the shooting inside Sandy Hook Elementary School.” Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy, who in the wake of the Sandy Hook shooting signed one of the nation’s toughest gun safety bills in 2013, was among a number of gun safety champion midterm election winners. In Maryland, Attorney General-elect Brian Frosh made no secret of

VISUAL VIEWPOINT: HANDS UP TURKEY

GARY MCCOY, CAGLE CARTOONS

panies — that helped pay for his campaign. He’d have to accept that in a time of national and regional emergency, his conservative anti-government ideology should take a backseat to vital public investment and planning. Like Lyndon Johnson embracing the cause of civil rights, or Ronald Reagan reaching out to Gorbachev on nuclear disarmament, he’d have to have sufficient vision to ignore the brickbats of his allies on the right. McConnell shows no sign of rising to the historical opportunity before him. Instead he will

howl at the rising tides, deny the reality around him, and continue the unrelenting partisan warfare that has brought him to his current position. A war on coal? Senator McConnell will fight for the interests of the coal companies and the oil interests. But the greatest damage inflicted on the people of coal country will be done by its newly re-elected Senator who simply doesn’t have a clue.

as is often portrayed on the news, but it also impacts our brothers and sisters of Caribbean and African descent.

real accountability. We shouldn’t breakup families and send innocent children back across a border that only promises dangers and no quick return for them. The President wants a permanent solution and has pledged to work with the GOP to find it. They need to do their job and pass the bipartisan Senate bill to provide a permanent fix – at which point the President can move on to fixing other problems. The people want action on this issue. We’re sick and tired of hearing threats of suing the President for doing his job, of defunding programs, of shutting down the government and of impeaching the President. The Senate passed a bipartisan bill more than 500 days ago, and while the country waits for the House to vote, the President rightly has acted-- like Presidents before him -- to fix our immigration system by the authority invested in him.

The President wants a No cheap labor permanent solution and Additionally, businesses will lose the benefit of hiring cheap lahas pledged to work bor using undocumented workers, with the GOP to find it. making it easier for our commuto compete for jobs that curThey need to do their job nity rently only accept undocumented and pass the bipartisan workers who have no choice but take the low pay that’s offered Senate bill to provide a to them. permanent fix – at which All of the lawyers and legal scholars I know agree that Presipoint the President can dent Obama has broad discretion use his executive privilege to do move on to fixing other to what Speaker John Boehner has refused to do. Action by the House problems. bringing the bill already passed by the Senate to a vote We have so many things to think about in our community just to keep our heads above water, so many of us have not paid attention to the issue of immigration reform and how it impacts our lives. Well, it does. It’s not just a Latino issue

Gun safety and minimum wage big winners in Midterm Elections “The midterm elections have upended the old tropes about what you can or can’t do or say about guns during campaign season…This year gun sense champions around the country were re-elected. And campaigns around the country showed that candidates can run on the gun issue, not away from it – and win.” Everytown for Gun Safety memo There’s no getting around it. November 4th was not a good day for many of the ideals and policies supported by the National Urban League and the communities we serve. In the coming months, we can expect to see renewed battles over the Affordable Care Act, immigration, voting rights and a host of other issues affecting jobs and opportunity for middle and working class Americans. But all is not lost. There were a few bright spots on Election Day. For example, four states passed legislation to raise the minimum wage – Alaska, Arkansas, Nebraska and South Dakota. This follows a growing trend, considering that as of August 2014, 23 states and the District of Columbia had minimum wage rates higher than the federal rate of $7.25. More states are expected to follow as the debate over a federal minimum wage remains deadlocked in Congress.

Imagine what a more responsible leader of “coal country” would do. McConnell could easily go to the president and demand a major program to transform the region, a Tennessee-Valley-Authority-sized program that would make coal country a center for manufacturing windmills and solar panels and other renewable sources of energy. He could demand funds for rebuilding the region’s energy infrastructure, for investing in its schools, for retraining its workers. He could argue that any just transition must include a real promise of jobs — with the government as the employer of last resort if necessary.

Immigration reform - finally! Immigration reform has finally arrived! How is it that people who stole this land from another group can now think no one else is worthy of living here? I’m not naïve enough to think President Obama’s executive action is the end of it because nothing is ever resolved with the current GOP, but President Obama sure did make a great start on bringing about much needed changes to our immigration laws. The GOP talks a great game about family values, then proceeds to do everything they can to keep families apart. I can’t help but wonder what is taught in some of these churches they attend. Some of them will tell you that America is a Christian nation, then proceed to violate every tenet of Christianity!

EDITORIAL

his support for common sense gun safety measures, and in Colorado, Minnesota, Nevada and Oregon, winning state legislative candidates highlighted their gun safety records throughout their campaigns.

Americans want safety Everytown for Gun Safety, the organization backed by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and for which I serve on its advisory board, has been in the forefront of many recent state efforts to pass common sense gun laws. The organization mounted a vigorous campaign in support of the Washington State gun safety bill. It has now set its sights on Nevada where it has already collected hundreds of thousands of signatures in support of a 2016 background check ballot initiative. According to a post-election memo from the group, “For decades, the gun lobby has held the field to themselves. We’re finally meeting them on their turf and showing them – and the legislators in their pockets – that Americans will stand up for public safety. If elected officials won’t change the laws that make it all too easy for dangerous people to get guns, we’ll change our elected officials…”

Marc Morial is president of the National Urban League. Write your own response at www.flcourier. com.

could have stopped mass deportations and breaking up of families, but Boehner chose to just block President Obama from signing a comprehensive immigration reform bill into law. For more than half a century, Presidents have used their legal authority to act on immigration. President Obama has now taken another common sense step. What he’s done is fundamental to

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

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

Democrats still don’t get the message Since the November 4 elections, there has been a broad and needed discussion concerning what the Democrats did wrong or, to put it better, why they were unable to turn out their base. Among other things, many African-Americans felt taken for granted by the Democratic candidates which, to a great extent, was true. Nevertheless, the problem runs deeper. In addition to the historic fact that midterm elections tend to run badly for the party that controls the White House, it is also the case that the Democratic Party has a strategic problem; a problem that is frequently—and incorrectly—limited to what is called “messaging.”

Unequal outcomes During the run up to the election, many Democrats were making the point that the economy was improving, yet they found that this assertion was not resonating with the electorate. While it is true that by almost all standards the economy is improving, for the bottom 90 percent of the population, their income has either stagnated or continued to decline, a pattern that started in the 1970s. The foreclosure crisis, which appeared to have ended, actually has not and, as a result, we continue to face the ramifications of the collapse in the housing market in 2008. The Republicans addressed this situation by blaming Obama. This was actually quite irrational on many levels since the Obama administration helped prevent the USA from entering a depression. But the Republican argument mixed with white racial resentment and, presto, conservative, white voters turned out. Democratic voters, except in a few states, largely felt uninspired.

BILL FLETCHER, JR. NNPA COLUMNIST

missing is a recognition that the bottom 90 percent of the population needs a voice and it needs someone willing to speak out on the reality of life in this country. To do that, however, means that the Democrats would/will have to address Wall Street’s domination of the economy and the fact that we continue to witness a polarization of wealth in this country even while the economy– by the stats–improves. The Democratic Party officialdom is fearful that such a message will strike terror in the hearts of those rich, Wall Street funders who have supported the Democratic Party in the past. As a result of this ambivalence, the Democrats either tried to speak to part of the problem, e.g., the need to raise the minimum wage, or they channeled Michael Dukakis from his 1988 run for the presidency and attempted to argue that they were sane and competent managers of government in comparison with the Republican extremists. Neither argument worked; neither was compelling. A progressive force is needed within the Democratic Party that is actually prepared to articulate the message and build the constituency that needs to be created. Some of the leaders we need are already in elected office, and some are in mass struggles, e.g., the Moral Mondays. In either case, we need a very different sort of politics. Inspiring people will necessitate more than good speeches.

Bill Fletcher, Jr. is the host of The Global African on Telesur-English. Voice for the voiceless Write your own response at www. What the Democrats have been flcourier.com.

NATION

TOJ A6

NOVEMBER 28 – DECEMBER 4, 2014

Lessons learned about Ebola scare in US More funding sought

Health professionals concerned that training and preparation will| continue to wane

In addition to some states’ designated “Ebola hospitals,” federal authorities are seeking funding to create an Ebola treatment center in every part of the country to make it easier for authorities to funnel seriously ill patients to highly qualified facilities, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. That’s good for patients, who will receive specialized care at institutions like Emory University in Atlanta and the University of Nebraska, but bad for overall hospital preparedness, experts say. “Some hospitals will take this outbreak very seriously,” Toner said. “But many will see it as a one-time event, and think they dodged the bullet.”

BY MATT HANSEN TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE

WASHINGTON — As nationwide alarm over Ebola fades, hospital officials and public health professionals are trying to ensure that lessons learned don’t disappear along with it. After a Liberian man carrying the disease died last month in a hospital in Dallas and two of his nurses became infected, facilities stepped up training and planning for Ebola cases. “The mantra is, ‘Don’t be the next Dallas,’ ” said Dr. Andrew Pavia, chief of pediatric infectious diseases for the University of Utah health system. But as the situation abates, so does the urgency to act. With a quarter of American hospitals losing money in day-to-day operations, according to the American Hospital Association, expensive and time-consuming training for unknown future outbreaks is not always a top priority, experts say. Hospitals seek a balance between preparation and overreaction when planning for the possibility of an outbreak of a deadly virus like Ebola, the spread of a pandemic flu or the emergence of another little-known infectious disease, according to hospital and healthcare officials.

Evaluating the mistakes In an era of high costs, constrained budgets and tight profit margins, many hospitals struggle to determine what resources they can spare to prepare for an epidemic that may never come. “You have to walk that fine line between an event happening and not saying the sky is falling

Lessons from flu

DAVID WOO/DALLAS MORNING NEWS/TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE

Amber Vinson, the nurse that had Ebola and is now Ebola free, got a hug and a kiss from Former President George W. Bush at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas on Nov. 7 in recognition of the official end of the Ebola outbreak that started there in late September. all the time,” said Dr. Katie Passaretti, head of infection prevention at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, N.C. Her hospital helped isolate and test one of the first suspected Ebola cases in the country in July. But many say the mistakes made at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas — where staff said they had not been properly trained to handle an Ebola patient — could have happened at virtually any hospital. “There was 99.9 percent no planning for this one,” said Dr. Lisa Brosseau, who studies occupational health at the Univer-

sity of Illinois. “I think we are still pretty much playing catch-up.”

Not well-prepared Only about 6 percent of hospitals said they were “well-prepared” for an Ebola patient, according to an October survey by the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology. And 51 percent of the respondents said their hospitals had one or no full-time infection control professional on staff. Public health experts say they understand why hospitals struggle to keep themselves ready for disease outbreaks: Epidemics are

relatively rare and often hard to predict, preparation and training are costly and time-consuming, and the consequences of previous outbreaks aren’t always remembered. “The level of activity that’s required to be a fully prepared hospital is pretty extraordinary,” said Dr. Eric Toner, who studies medical preparedness during outbreaks at the University of Pittsburgh Center for Health Security. “If there’s not a comparable epidemic in another decade or so, a lot of the progress we’ve made will be lost.”

Ebola follows other major health concerns in recent years. In 2009, an outbreak of H1N1 swine flu, a pandemic influenza, resulted in about 60 million cases nationwide. Congress provided $6 billion in funding that helped create a vaccine stockpile, and now flu shots help contain the strain. In 2006, bird flu led President George W. Bush to request additional federal funding to ramp up vaccine production and detect outbreaks overseas. Earlier in his term, in 2003, the SARS outbreak killed more than 700 people worldwide, including several doctors and nurses in Canada. “We’re getting better every time we’re faced with this,” said Dr. Melissa McDiarmid, a professor of medicine at the University of Maryland. “If there is any kind of blessing from this Ebola outbreak, it’s that we need to stop making excuses regarding preparedness.”

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NOVEMBER 28 – DECEMBER 4, 2014

Host an ugly sweater party See page B4

SHARING BLACK LIFE, STATEWIDE

Recipes for easy holiday entertaining See page B5

SOUTH FLORIDA / TREASURE COAST AREA WWW.FLCOURIER.COM

1. Bethune-Cookman quarterback Quentin Williams carries the ball while Rattlers advance toward him.

WILDCATS SQUEAK OUT FLORIDA CLASSIC WIN OVER RATTLERS IN OVERTIME

FROM STAFF REPORTS

Diehard fans of Bethune-Cookman University and Florida A&M University looking for a thrilling Florida Classic clash got their wish, but it came really late in the game. Fans endured an afternoon of intermittent rain and sat through a fairly uneventful first half during the Florida Blue Florida Classic last Saturday at Orlando’s Citrus Bowl. The halftime battle of the bands between the B-CU Marching Wildcats and the FAMU Marching 100 gave many of the 41,126 spectators some thrilling moments. But many of those spectators made a mad dash for their cars to escape the drizzle right after the bands did their thing. B-CU livened up the game when it scored the first TD of the Classic in the third quarter, then FAMU came back and had a 10-7 lead. The teams went into overtime at 10-10 – a first in the teams’ intrastate rivalry. In the end, the Wildcats converted a two-point try in overtime to win the game 18-17. It was B-CU’s fourth straight win against the Rattlers. B-CU will share the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) title with North Carolina Central, North Carolina A&T, Morgan State and South Carolina State.

6. 2. It’s four years in a row for B-CU Coach Brian Jenkins, right, and his football team. 3. The 14 Karat Gold Dancers of B-CU perform with the band during the halftime show. 4. FAMU President Dr. Elmira Mangum speaks as a smiling B-CU President Dr. Edison Jackson looks on.

SECTION

B-CU gets bragging rights for fourth year

5. B-CU fans support the vendors at the Florida Classic. 6. Marching 100 members watch the B-CU Marching Wildcats perform. 7. The rain didn’t dampen this FAMU cheerleader’s spirit. PHOTOS BY KIM GIBSON/ FLORIDA COURIER

CALENDAR & SPORTS

FLORIDA COMMUNITY CALENDAR

STOJ

special guests is set for 8 p.m. Dec. 26 at the CFE Arena.

Fort Lauderdale: South Florida Jazz presents the Sublime Saxophone Summit on Dec. 13 at 8 p.m. at the Rose & Alfred Miniaci Performing Arts Center. Orlando: The 2015-Model Central Florida International Auto Show will be at the Orange County Convention Center through Nov. 30. Hundreds of the latest vehicles will be on display. More info: www.AutoShowOrlando.com. Miami: Nicole Henry will perform at the Colony Theatre in Miami Beach on Dec. 13. Orlando: Gospel legend Andrae Crouch takes the stage on Dec. 15 at the CFE Arena for a 7 p.m. show. Tampa: Daman Wayans and Daman Wayans Jr. are scheduled Dec. 13 at Hard Rock Café Tampa for shows at 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. Jacksonville: Anthony Hamilton: Home for the Holidays show takes place on Dec. 4 at the Florida Theatre Jacksonville. Special guest will be Mali Music. Orlando: A show with The Isley Brothers featuring Ron Isley and

NOVEMBER 28 – DECEMBER 4, 2014

LAVELL CRAWFORD

Miami: A Dec. 20 show at the James L. Knight Center titled One Night Stand will feature Ginuwine, Lyfe Jennings, Jon B and Case.

The Black Friday Comedy Jam takes place Nov. 28 at the Fillmore Miami Beach at the Jackie Gleason Theater. The show will feature Lavell Crawford, Melanie Comarcho and Aida Rodriguez.

Miami: Usher takes the stage on Dec. 13 at AmericanAirlines Arena. Performers include D.J. Cassidy and August Alsina. A Dec. 14 show is at the Amalie Arena in Tampa. West Palm Beach: Tickets are on sale now for a Jan. 4 show featuring Vanessa Williams at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts. Tampa: Candy Lowe hosts Tea & Conversation every Saturday from 2 to 4 p.m. at 3911 N. 34th St., Suite B. More information: 813394-6363. Jacksonville: Catch R&B singer Avant on Dec. 20 at the Ritz Theatre & Museum for an 8 p.m. show. Coral Gables: The Ultimate Holiday Experience is scheduled Dec. 27 at Bank United Center featuring Angie Stone, El DeBarge, Ron Isley and the Isley Brothers. Fort Lauderdale: Audra McDonald and Seth Rudetsky are booked for the Parker Playhouse on Jan. 8. The concert begins at 8 p.m.

THE STYLISTICS

Tickets are on sale for the 70s Soul Jam featuring The Spinners, The Stylistics, Jimmy Walker, Cuba Gooding Jr. and the Main Ingredient. Shows are Jan. 8 at the Florida Theatre Jacksonville, Jan. 9 at the Kravis Center in West Palm and Jan. 10 at the USF Sun Dome in Tampa.

KENNY G

An Evening with Kenny G starts at 8 p.m. Dec. 11 at the Parker Playhouse in Fort Lauderdale.

Five-way tie for MEAC conference title; Morgan state gets FCU playoff berth within three points again. The loss ended Tuskegee’s eight-game winning streak.

Alabama State 30, Stillman 27 The Alabama State Hornets held on to beat the Tigers in the 91st Turkey Day Classic in Montgomery, Ala., in what may well have been embattled coach Reggie Barlow’s final game. The Alabama State Board

North Carolina Central University senior C.J. Moore, above, was named the MidEastern Athletic Conference Co-Special Teams Player of the Week after recovering a punt that he blocked in the end zone for the game-winning touchdown at Norfolk State. FROM WIRE REPORTS

North Carolina Central 21, North Carolina A&T 14 North Carolina Central University earned a share of the MEAC football championship, as the Eagles battled the Aggies of North Carolina A&T State University in a 21-14 victory on Nov. 22 in O’KellyRiddick Stadium. NCCU produced its first MEAC co-championship win since transitioning to Division I athletics in 2007. NC A&T was ranked No. 24 in the nation, and the Eagles earned their first win against a nationally-ranked FCS opponent since the Division I transition. The NCCU defense stood strong with redshirt senior Ty Brown contributing six tackles, three sacks, and a forced fumble. Theo Livingston and Ryan Smith also added eight tackles to the Eagles’ defense. Eagles’ running back Andre Clarke obtained his 30th career rushing touchdown and his 15th of the season, placing him second in career and single-season categories at NCCU. On the air attack, quarterback Malcolm Bell threw for 121 yards, with 195 total offensive yards, including a rushing touchdown. NCCU’s defense shut down the Aggies on their last two drives of the game, leading to the Eagles’ victory. Tarik Cohen gave NC A&T 203 rushing yards and two touchdowns, while Landis Shoffner added to the Aggie defense with nine tackles. The NCCU football

HBCU FOOTBALL ROUNDUP team ended its season with an overall record of 7-5 and a MEAC co-championship record of 6-2.

Morgan State 69, Delaware State 7 Quarterback Moses Skillon threw a school record six touchdowns and the Bears set a school record for points in a victory that gave Morgan State a share of the MEAC championship and its first-ever FCS playoff berth. Skillon, who completed 16 of 24 passes for 261 yards, also rushed for 64 yards. The Bears tied Bethune-Cookman, North Carolina A&T, North Carolina and South Carolina State for the conference. They claimed the playoff berth by virtue of the MEAC’s tie-breaker procedure.

South Carolina State 30, Norfolk State 20 The South Carolina State University Bulldogs earned a share of their sixth MEAC championship in Buddy Pough’s 13 seasons as coach with a home victory. The game was delayed for 25 minutes following a fourth-quarter fight involving players from both teams. Quarterback Adrian Kollock led the Bulldogs (8-3) with 232 passing yards, giving Pough his seventh season with at least eight victories.

Virginia State 28, Long Island Post 17 The Virginia State University Trojans advanced

to the second round of the Division II playoffs with a home victory that extended their winning streak to 10 consecutive games. The Trojans (10-2) trailed 1714 at half but shut out Long Island (8-3) in the second half. Running back Kavon Bellamy ran for 131 yards and two touchdowns for the Trojans. Virginia State’s defense came up with three critical turnovers on pass interceptions. Virginia State will play at Bloomsburg in the second round.

West Georgia 20, Tuskegee 17 The Golden Tigers of Tuskegee University ran out of comebacks as they suffered a home loss in the Division II playoffs. Tuskegee rallied from14-point deficits to beat Albany State and Miles in its two previous games. But the Golden Tigers (9-3) couldn’t dig themselves out a 13-point hole against West Georgia (10-2). The Wolves scored second-quarter touchdowns on Seth Hinlsey’s one-yard run and quarterback Dallas Dickey’s 13-yard touchdown pass to Earvin Anumgba for a 13-0 lead. Tuskegee got in the scoring column on fullback Michael J. Thornton’s two-yard run with 3:18 remaining in the third period. Trevor Wylie added a 45-yard field goal early in the fourth-quarter to make it a three-point game, 1310. However, Dickey connected with Shaq Hall on a 26-yard touchdown pass to give the Wolves a 10-point cushion at 20-10. Thornton scored on another twoyard run with 2:37 left to bring the Golden Tigers

of Trustees voted on Nov. 20 to rescind a three-year contract extension for Barlow, who was asked to resign earlier this year when the Hornets (7-5) were in the throes of a four-game losing streak. The Hornets’ victory against Stillman, their third in a row, gives Barlow five consecutive seasons with at least seven wins, the longest streak in school history, and a 49-42 career record in eight sea-

sons. Alabama State running back Malcolm Cyrus ran for 106 yards on 33 carries and ended the season with 1,662 yards, 43 shy of Brad Baxter’s single-season record (1,705) set in 1986. Cyrus finished his career with 2,904 yards.

This report was compiled from BlackAmericaweb.com and MEACsports.com.

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

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

Facebook ccherry2 excellencewithoutexcuse

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

Twitter @ccherry2

STOJ

NOVEMBER 28 – DECEMBER 4, 2014

FINEST & ENTERTAINMENT

Meet some of

FLORIDA’S

finest

submitted for your approval

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

courtney

brandon

Courtney McKenzie represented Jupiter (in Palm Beach County) in the Miss Florida USA 2009 pageant. She originally appeared as one of Florida’s Finest in August 2008.

ETHNICITYMODELS.COM

Brandon McRoy is a member of ethnicitytalent.com. He originally appeared as one of Florida’s Finest in May 2008. If you think you have what it takes to become an Ethnicity Model, log on to www. ethnicitytalent.com. To book an Ethnicity Model, go to www.ethnicitymodels.com.

CHARLES W. CHERRY II/ FLORIDA COURIER

The biggest misconceptions about finding low airfares BY GEORGE HOBICA AIRFAREWATCHDOG.COM (TNS)

There’s a “magic” hour (like 3 a.m. on a Tuesday) to find the best prices: This is the biggest myth of all. Airfares can change minute-by-minute and day-byday, as can seat inventory at the lowest fares. This is especially true now that consumers can put nonrefundable fares on hold for 24 hours with no-penalty cancelation. If someone buys the cheapest seat on the plane at 11 a.m. on a Thursday and cancels at 10 a.m. on Friday, that seat might go back into inventory and can be yours if you happen to be searching at 10:10 a.m. The trick to finding low airfares is to sign up for free airfare alerts and to search several times a day. Fares are lowest on Tuesday and Wednesday: While it’s true that if you fly on a Tuesday or Wednesday you’ll get the lowest fares, it’s false that you can only buy on those days to get the best deals. True, many airlines launch advertised sales on Tuesday but

the unadvertised sales are much better and they can pop up route-by-route at any moment. Last minute fares are always more expensive: That’s usually true, but not always. Especially for travel to foreign destinations, you can sometimes nab huge fare reductions at the very last minute. A great place to track these deals is on Google.com/flights/ explore. All airlines match each other’s sale fares: Simply not true. Often, one airline will have a fare on a given route for hundreds less than all the rest. Airline mergers mean there are no fare wars anymore: Although fares have gone up somewhat with airline consolidation, there are still fare wars. United will lower fares to Hawaii, for example, from American’s hub airports such as Dallas and Miami, and the American will return the favor from United’s hubs. Travel agents are useless for finding low fares: Travel agents have tricks up their sleeves that automated websites have nev-

GARY PORTER/MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL/TNS

Lori Schulpius gives big hug to flight attendant Trena Milline, who talked to her throughout a flight that helped keep her calm as part of a fear of flying class taught by Dr. Michael Tomaro, a clinical psychologist on October 25. er heard of. For example, if New York to St. Barts fares are $800 round-trip, a good agent will sell you a $250 fare to St. Martin and then a cheap high-speed ferry to St. Barts, or a separate airfare from St. Martin to St. Barts at big savings. Non-refundable airfares are always non-refundable: In addition to being refundable without penalty within 24 hours of booking, non-refundable fares are fully refundable if the flight is canceled or if it’s significantly delayed, or if the airline makes a significant schedule change before you depart. You have to buy a roundtrip fare or stay over a Saturday night to get the best

deals: That used to be true, but no longer. Many airlines now sell one-way fares for exactly half of the lowest round-trip fare. Clearing your browser’s cookies results in lower fares: I’ve never seen any solid evidence of this. There are still bereavement fares and senior and child discounts: Most airlines have gotten rid of these, and where they still exist the discounts are so paltry that they’re a joke. Lap children fly free on international flights: Lap kids fly free on domestic flights, but they’re required to pay 10 percent of the applicable adult fare on international ones. And another surprise: if you’re flying on

a free award ticket in business class, you’re bundle of joy will cost you 10 percent of the business class fare, which could be hundreds of dollars. “Check one and done”: No booking engine always has the best deals. None of them has fares on Southwest or Allegiant. If there were one site or booking engine that always had the best deals, then the others would be out of business by now. The same goes for websites that claim to predict whether fares will rise or fall. Booking direct with airline websites always gets you the best fares: United. com won’t tell you that it’s cheaper to fly out on Unit-

ed and back on American, but an online travel agency like Orbitz, Travelocity, or Expedia will, and they’ll let you book the trip in one transaction. Smaller airports are more expensive to fly from than large ones: Sometimes true, sometimes not. It’s always a good idea to check a fare from, say, White Plains to Orlando vs. from JFK or Newark. You might be surprised at the savings. And you’ll usually save big flying out of Trenton on Frontier rather than on United out of Newark or US Air out of Philly. George Hobica is founder of the low-airfare listing website Airfarewatchdog. com.

Turner, Dish Network restores CNN, Cartoon Network, others LOS ANGELES TIMES (TNS)

CNN, Cartoon Network and other Turner Broadcasting channels are returning to Dish Network’s satellite television service. Dish and Turner said last week they had reached an agreement to temporarily restore service of CNN, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, truTV, TCM, HLN and several other channels. Dish re-

moved the channels in October when the two companies could not agree on a new contract. The companies also agreed to extend carriage of cable channels TBS and TNT, Turner’s most popular channels. The agreement is not a longterm deal. The companies’ extension, which lasts for several months, according to a person familiar with the matter, will al-

low the parties to continue negotiating a deal and will prevent TBS and TNT from going dark on Dec. 5 when the current contract expires. In a joint statement, Dish and Turner declined to comment further.

Contentious dispute The

development

comes

shortly after CBS Corp. and Dish Network agreed to a deadline extension for a new contract, temporarily averting a blackout of CBS-owned television stations. The dispute between the Dish and Turner, owned by Time Warner Inc., has been a contentious one. Dish Chairman Charlie Ergen had told Wall Street analysts that he wasn’t sure that CNN was still

a must-carry network. Turner Broadcasting Chief Executive John Martin returned fire during a conference call to discuss Time Warner’s earnings, calling Ergen’s comments “very antagonistic and aggressive.” The issue was not inconsequential for Turner. Dish has more than 14 million subscribers, making it one of the largest pay-TV providers in the country.

FOOD

NOVEMBER 28 – DECEMBER 4, 2014

STOJ

Peppermint Hot Chocolate Ugly Sweater Cake

PEPPERMINT HOT CHOCOLATE UGLY SWEATER CAKE Servings: 10–12 1 package (16.25 ounces) Devil’s Food cake mix 1/4 cup hot cocoa mix 3 eggs 2/3 cup water 1/3 cup vegetable oil 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract Buttercream icing Red Decorator Preferred Rolled Fondant White Decorator Preferred Rolled Fondant Primary Colored Fondant Multipack Piping Gel String licorice Sprinkles: Sugar Pearls, Trees, Yellow Colored Sugar Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray Ugly Sweater Cake Pan with vegetable pan spray. In large bowl, beat cake mix, hot cocoa mix, eggs, water, vegetable oil and peppermint extract with electric mixer at low speed 30 seconds. Scrape bottom and sides of bowl; beat at medium speed 2 minutes. Pour batter into prepared pan, spreading to even thickness. Bake minutes 44–47 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Cool in pan on cooling grid 10 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely on grid. With spatula, lightly ice cooled cake. Roll out red fondant 1/8 inch thick; cover cake. Knead small amount of white fondant into remaining red fondant, white with small amount of yellow

FROM FAMILY FEATURES

The holiday season is all about making fun memories. Why not wear something no one will soon forget at your own ugly sweater party? Hosting one is simple — have everyone show up in the tackiest holiday apparel they can find, whether from their closet, at a thrift store or something they “blinged” on their own. With the party attire planned, try these easy and ugly dessert ideas from Wilton: • Soft, sweet and so ugly cakes: If your guests’ apparel doesn’t grab attention, your cake sure will. Use the Ugly Sweater Cake Pan to bake the cake. Style the decorating after your own garment — use buttercream or fondant, holiday-shaped sprinkles and icing decorations to add some ugly to your cake. • Cookie decorating fun: Bring the classic seasonal activity to your party by having guests decorate their own sweater cookies. Set up a decorating station with the Tacky Sweater Cookie Kit. With 12 pre-baked vanilla cookies, a dozen of your friends can have a blast decorating with the included green and red icing and sprinkles. Set up a photo station so guests can take pictures of their silly cookies to share online. • Warm up with lattes: Who doesn’t love sipping hot beverages by a warm fire with friends? Brew delicious Spirit of the Season Mocha Lattes to toast a merry Christmas. Offer assorted liqueurs for an adults-only party. • It’s time to judge: At the end of the party, hold a contest for the ugliest sweater — both real and cookie. Award winners in different categories, such as All-Around Ugliest, Most Original, Funniest, Most Non-Ugly or Most Ridiculous. Get creative with the prizes, too. Find an inexpensive and unique white elephant gift, or hand out little first place ribbons. Your party will be one to remember with these ideas. For more fun and festive party ideas, visit wilton. com.

Eggnog Ugly Sweater Cake

Set up a sweater cookie decorating station. SPIRIT OF THE SEASON MOCHA LATTE Servings: 8 2 cups very hot strong brewed coffee 2 cups Wilton Dark Cocoa Candy Melts Candy 6 cups milk 1/2 cup chocolate syrup Assorted liqueurs and spirits (optional), such as: peppermint schnapps, Irish cream liqueur, creamy rum liqueur, chocolate-flavored liqueur, cinnamon schnapps, caramel-flavored vodka In large bowl, pour coffee over dark cocoa Candy Melts candy; let sit to melt. In large microwave-safe bowl, heat milk and chocolate syrup until steaming, about 4 minutes. Whisk milk vigorously to froth. Whisk in candy mixture until combined. Divide lattes evenly between eight mugs. If desired, add 1 ounce of your choice of liqueur to each drink.

Spirit of the Season Mocha Latte

fondant, small amount of yellow fondant with green fondant. Roll out all colors of fondant separately, 1/16 inch thick. Using holiday cutters, patterns or cut freeform, to make collar, orna ments and sweater neckline, cuffs and bottom band. Use piping gel to attach licorice ornament hangers, sprinkles and sugars. EGGNOG UGLY SWEATER CAKE Servings: 10–12 1 package (16.5 ounces) yellow cake mix 2/3 cup eggnog 1/3 cup vegetable oil 3 eggs 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg Buttercream Icing Icing Colors: Juniper Green, Christmas Red Holly Mix and Candy Cane Sprinkles Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray Ugly Sweater Cake Pan with vegetable pan spray. In large bowl, beat cake mix, eggnog, oil, eggs and nutmeg with electric mixer at low speed 30 seconds. Scrape bottom and sides of bowl; beat at medium speed 2 minutes. Pour batter into prepared pan, spreading to even thickness. Bake 39–42 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Cool in pan on cooling grid 10 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely on grid. With spatula, ice cooled cake. Using tip 233 and green icing, pipe tree on cake. Using tip 46 and red icing, pipe outline neckline, sleeve cuffs and bottom sweater band. Attach sprinkles.

STOJ

NOVEMBER 28 – DECEMBER 4, 2014

SALTED CHOCOLATE TART WITH CHIP CRUST

FROM FAMILY FEATURES

For many hosts and hostesses, planning a holiday gathering involves many details and careful planning of everything from the tablecloths to the dessert plates. Free yourself from this stress, and focus your attention on creating a holiday menu that includes plenty of tasty bites, sweet eats and flavorful drinks. Focus on the food and watch all the details fall into place, making your festive celebration the most memorable event of the year. GRILLED SALMON NACHOS WITH CILANTRO LIME SOUR CREAM Servings: 4 (or 20 chips) 2 tablespoons jerk marinade 1 package (6.3 ounces) Gorton’s Classic Grilled Salmon Fillets 1 fresh mango, diced 2 tablespoons minced red onion 2 teaspoons minced jalapeno 1 teaspoon honey Salt, to taste 2 tablespoons fat free sour cream 1/2 teaspoon lime zest 1 teaspoon lime juice 1 teaspoon fresh chopped cilantro 20 tortilla chips

FOOD

Servings: 9-inch tart Recipe and image courtesy of Gaby Dalkin, author of “What’s Gaby Cooking” For crust: 1 “Sharing Size” bag Kettle Brand Chips, Sea Salt flavor 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 1/4 cup all-purpose flour For filling: 1/4 cup heavy cream 10 ounces semisweet chocolate chips 2 large eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/8teaspoon salt For topping: 1 cup heavy cream 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips Flaky sea salt, for garnish To make crust, first preheat oven to 350°F. In food processor, pulse potato chips until finely ground. Add melted butter and flour and pulse for 30 seconds to combine. Press potato chip crust into bottom and sides of 9-inch tart pan.

Cilantro leaves and lime wedges (for garnish) Spoon marinade over fillets and cook according to package instructions. Mix mango, red onion, jalapeno, honey and pinch of salt in medium bowl. Set aside. Mix sour cream, lime zest, lime juice, cilantro and pinch of salt in small bowl. Set aside. Arrange tortilla chips in single layer on platter. Top each chip with mango mixture. Cut cooked fillets into approximately 20 pieces and place one piece on top of each chip. Top with lime sour cream and garnish each chip with cilantro leaf. Serve with lime wedges. For more recipes, visit www. gortons.com. BRIE WITH CHILEAN GRAPE SALSA AND TORTILLAS Servings: 4 1 1/2 cups quartered fresh Chilean red seedless grapes 1 small mild red chile pepper (jalapeno), chopped 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice 1 tablespoon honey Pomegranate seeds (optional) 4 ounces wedge Brie cheese 6 (6-inch) flour tortillas Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine quartered grapes, chile pepper, lime juice, honey and pomegranate seeds (if using). Stir well. Keep chilled. Upon standing, salsa generates delicious grape “juice.” Cut tortillas into triangles. Place on baking sheet and bake for 8–10 minutes, until brown and crispy. Bake Brie until soft and melted about 5–8 minutes. Serve grape salsa from bowl or spoon it over top of warm Brie. For more recipes, visit www.fruitsfromchile.com. APPLE PIE IN A GLASS Servings: 2 12 ounces fresh apple cider 2 cinnamon sticks 2 thin slices fresh ginger root Freshly grated nutmeg 2 teaspoons firmly packed light brown sugar 3 ounces dry sherry 2 ounces apple brandy Put cider, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and brown sugar in small saucepan over high heat. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and divide between two Irish coffee glasses or mugs. Transfer cinnamon stick to each. Top each with half the sherry and brandy. Serve hot. For more recipes, visit www.usapple.org.

Transfer to pre-heated oven and bake for 12 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool. To make chocolate filling, combine cream and chocolate chips in medium pot over medium heat; warm cream until chocolate starts to melt. Whisk both ingredients together until completely smooth. Add eggs, vanilla and salt and continue to whisk until smooth. Pour chocolate filling mixture into cooled tart shell and place back into oven and bake for 22–25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 30 minutes. To make chocolate ganache topping, heat cream in small saucepan and add chocolate. Whisk together over medium heat until mixture is smooth and all chocolate has melted. Pour mixture over middle of chocolate tart and use offset spatula to spread around evenly. Let entire tart chill over night in refrigerator. Dust with flaky sea salt before slicing and serving. For more recipes, visit www.kettlebrand.com.

NATION

NOVEMBER 28 – DECEMBER 4, 2014

TOJ

2014 PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL OF FREEDOM Pioneer Black golfer Charles Sifford and slain activists among the prestigious group honored BY LESLEY CLARK MCCLATCHY WASHINGTON BUREAU

Charles Sifford withstood a torrent of racial slurs and death threats more than five decades ago to break the color barrier in professional golf, becoming the first AfricanAmerican to earn a PGA tour card. On Monday, a beaming Sifford sat center stage in the ornate East Room at the White House as President Barack Obama, the first African-American president — and an avid golfer — lauded the Charlotte, N.C., native as one of the country’s “trailblazers who bent the arc of our nation toward justice.” Minutes later, Sifford was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, along with 17 other Americans, including singer Stevie Wonder, actress Meryl Streep and slain civil rights activists James Earl Chaney, Andrew Goodman and Michael Henry Schwerner, who were posthumously honored.

75-minute tribute First lady Michelle Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, members of Congress and outgoing Attorney General Eric Holder were among those in the audience for what Obama called “one of my favorite events.” “Once a year, we set aside this event to celebrate people who have made America stronger and wiser, and more humane, and more beautiful,” the president said. In a 75-minute ceremony, Obama paid tribute to each recipient, including Sifford, whom the White House said “just wanted to play golf” and persistently challenged discrimination in the face of constant insults.

‘Plenty of guts and grits’ “On the tour, Charlie was sometimes banned from

clubhouse restaurants. Folks threatened him, shouted slurs from the gallery,” Obama said. And, Obama noted, hostile fellow pros sometimes kicked Sifford’s ball into the rough. “Charlie’s laughing about that,” Obama said, prompting a round of laughter as he added, “My ball’s always in the rough.” Sifford often has been compared to pioneering baseball player Jackie Robinson. But, Obama noted, with golf a solitary sport, Sifford didn’t have teammates to lean on. He had his late wife, Rose, Obama said. “And he had plenty of guts and grit and that trademark cigar,” Obama said.

Activists remembered Sifford had won six National Negro Opens in the 1950s, and by the time the Professional Golfers’ Association of America revoked its “Caucasian-only” clause in 1961, “most of his best golf was behind him,” Obama said. He still won on the tour twice, both after age 45. “But it was never just about the wins,” Obama said. “As Charlie says, ‘I wasn’t just trying to do this for me; I was trying to do it for the world.’ ” Other trailblazers were honored, including civil rights activists Chaney, Goodman and Schwerner, who were killed in Mississippi by the Ku Klux Klan in 1964. Family members accepted on their behalf, earning a long and sustained round of applause.

Award for Ethel Kennedy Obama helped Ethel Kennedy, the widow of Robert Kennedy, to the front of the stage for her award, honoring her human rights advocacy and the founding of the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights. “You don’t mess with Ethel,” Obama said, adding

PHOTOS BY OLIVIER DOULERY/ABACA PRESS/TNS

A jubilant Stevie Wonder accepts the Medal of Freedom from President Obama during Monday’s ceremony.

President Obama presents the Medal of Freedom to golfer Charles Sifford during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House on Nov. 24 in Washington, D.C. The Medal of Freedom is the country’s highest civilian honor. that she’s “gone to extraordinary lengths to build support for the causes close to her heart.” That included pouring a bucket of ice water over her head this summer to raise money for ALS re-

search. Kennedy nominated Obama, he said, but he chose to write a check. “I grew up in Hawaii,” he said. “I don’t like pouring ice water on top of my head.”

Alvin Ailey among honorees The other recipients honored Monday: choreographer Alvin Ailey, honored posthumously for founding the Alvin Ailey

American Dance Theater; Chilean author Isabel Allende; former “NBC Nightly News” anchor Tom Brokaw; Massachusetts Institute of Technology physicist Mildred Dresselhaus; Rep. John Dingell, DMich., the longest serving member of Congress; Native American writer and activist Suzan Harjo; former Illinois Congressman Abner Mikva, who also served as chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit and White House counsel for President Bill Clinton; former Hawaii Congresswoman Patsy Takemoto Mink; the late Edward R. Roybal, the first Mexican-American to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from California in nearly a century and founder of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials: economist Robert Solow and actress Marlo Thomas. Composer Stephen Sondheim was unable to attend and will be recognized in 2015, Obama said.

Black Friday not necessarily the best day for holiday deals BY ALEXIA ELEJALDE-RUIZ CHICAGO TRIBUNE (TNS)

CHICAGO — Those who would rather choke on a wishbone than forgo pecan pie for Thanksgiving Day sales or venture into the Black Friday madness might be happy to hear that the weekend’s deals may be just the tip of the iceberg. “The 2014 holiday season is shaping up to be the most promotional holiday season on record,” said Steve Barr, retail and consumer leader at PricewaterhouseCoopers. Though the pre-planned Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday deals offer steep discounts on select items, retailers adjust prices constantly through the season in response to demand and competition, and the frequent sales happening since the beginning of November suggest there’s more to come, Barr said. “The early promotional activity is a very strong indicator of the retailer not achieving their sales objective and we would expect that to increase into the remainder of November and into the holidays,” Barr said.

Worth the wait? While several surveys, including the widely cited National Retail Federation report, say spending during the holiday months is expected to grow by 4 percent, Barr said a more nuanced economic picture is driving prices down. His company’s holiday survey divided consumers into those making more

DON BARTLETTI/LOS ANGELES TIMES/TNS

Shoppers armed with borrowed umbrellas and bags of sale items walk through South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, Calif., on a rainy Black Friday morning, Nov. 29, 2013. than $50,000, who plan to spend an average of almost $1,000 on holiday shopping, and those making less than $50,000, who on average plan to spend less than $400. The latter represent 67 percent of shoppers, so retailers have to act aggressively to grab their limited dollars before they run out, Barr said. For shoppers wanting to seize the best deals, when is the best time to shop? In addition to Black Friday weekend, the final two weeks before Christmas are among the most promo-

tional, Barr said, as retailers vie for the wallets of lastminute shoppers. Super Saturday, the Saturday before Christmas, also tends to offer steep discounts, said Pat Dermody, head of Chicago-based Retale, a location-based mobile circulars platform.

Best December days Several deal-tracking sites try to pinpoint the best days for savings more specifically, based on advertised promotions as well as discounts from prior years. Savings.com, for exam-

ple, analyzed 1.5 million deals from 25,000 retailers over the past five years and found that, historically, sales have peaked an average of six to seven days before Thanksgiving. Projecting for 2014, the report said that while Black Friday is one of the best days for discounts on electronics, they are similarly discounted on the day before Thanksgiving. Discounts on toys are expected to be best on Wednesday, Dec. 8 and Dec. 19, and shoppers seeking apparel should wait for

Dec. 1, the online deal day known as Cyber Monday, or Dec. 11 or 18. Books and novelties should have their best deals Dec. 15, 22 and 23, Savings.com said.

Misleading price cuts TrackIf is among many Web and mobile services that monitor price shifts to help people snag the best deals. Shoppers flag products they want and get an alert when the price drops (it also alerts customers when an item is

back in stock). People can keep tracking an item once they’ve purchased it so that if the price drops again, they can seek a price correction from the retailer, Berg said. Users also can see what the prices of the product were historically so they know how good of a deal they are getting. Price cuts can be misleading when compared to the suggested retail price, as many items are never listed at that price, Berg said. For example, Target is promoting the popular Zoomer Dino toy for a holiday price of $79.99, down from the suggested retail price of $99.99, but TrackIf’s technology found that the toy was priced at $79.99 through the summer and in October was at $89.99, making it less of a dramatic deal, Berg said. How retailers will fare after such a promotional holiday, especially as shoppers arm themselves with data-crunching tools to maximize their discounts, remains to be seen. To ensure profits don’t take a severe hit, as they did for many retailers during the last holiday season, retailers will need to employ the data they collect on their shoppers to display desirable, higher-margin products that people will buy once they’re lured in by the sales. “The good retailers execute on this very well,” Barr said. “For those that don’t do this well, it will be a challenging holiday from an overall profitability strategy.”