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VOLUME 22 NO. 49
DECEMBER 5 – DECEMBER 11, 2014
www.flcourier.com
DOES BLACK LIFE MATTER?
A paramedic and police officers stand by in the aftermath of a struggle to subdue and arrest Eric Garner, who was later pronounced dead.
A grand jury in New York declines to indict officer in chokehold death of Eric Garner, continuing a systemic failure to hold cops accountable for killing Black men.
BY TINA SUSMAN LOS ANGELES TIMES / TNS
COURTESY OF YOUTUBE
Garner died July 17, three weeks before a White policeman shot and killed Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo. The two cases became symbols of what protesters called a tendency by White officers to overreact when confronting African-Americans.
NEW YORK – A grand jury Wednesday declined to indict a White police officer in the death of Eric Garner, an unarmed Black New Yorker whose last words – “I can’t breathe” – were caught on video and became a rallying cry Ruled a homicide for protesters demanding police The 43-year-old Staten Island reforms. man stopped breathing after Of-
Obama pushes ‘body cams’
ficer Daniel Pantaleo, 29, put him in what appeared to be an illegal chokehold while trying to subdue him. The city’s medical examiner ruled Garner’s death a homicide resulting from compression of his neck and chest, but the grand jury did not find reasonable cause to charge Pantaleo with a crime. See LIFE, Page A2
CHRISTMAS SEASON 2014
‘The most wonderful time of the year’
Video didn’t matter in Garner case BY CHRISTI PARSONS AND KATHLEEN HENNESSEY TRIBUNE WASHINGTON BUREAU / TNS
WASHINGTON – Ever since a Missouri grand jury decided not to indict a White police officer who killed an unarmed Black man, President Obama has been under pressure to use his bully pulpit to criticize the outcome and take the lead in a national conversation about race in America. But on Monday, he met with law enforcement officers, young activists and politicians, and mostly avoided talking publicly about the case. Instead, he focused more broadly on the tensions between police and those they’re sworn to protect, proposing a three-year, $263 million spending package to expand training and increase the use of body-worn cameras for monitoring officers’ interactions with the public. “Ferguson laid bare a problem that is not unique to St. Louis or that area, and is not unique to our time, and that is a simmering distrust that exists between too many police departments and too many communities of color,” Obama said. His comments came amid a debate among White House officials about whether the president should address Ferguson headon, perhaps with a major speech on race or a trip there, advisers say. Although Obama hasn’t ruled
OLIVIER DOULIERY/ABACA PRESS/TNS
First Lady Michelle Obama hosts military families at the White House to view this year’s holiday decorations on Wednesday, Dec. 3, in Washington, D.C.
See BODY CAMS, Page A2
SNAPSHOTS FLORIDA | A3
Hurricane lucky streak continues
Florida gay marriages may begin next month BY JIM SAUNDERS THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA
NATION | A6
Whites prefer AfricanAmerican over Black FOOD | B6
How to brighten up holiday events
ALSO INSIDE
TALLAHASSEE – A federal appeals court Wednesday rejected Attorney General Pam Bondi’s request to at least temporarily extend Florida’s ban on gay marriage – possibly setting the stage for same-sex marriages to start in January. In August, U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle ruled that the voter-approved ban was unconstitutional but placed a stay on his decision to allow time for
appeals. That stay is scheduled to expire Jan. 5. Bondi last month asked the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to keep the stay in place until appeals of Hinkle’s ruling are finished. But a three-judge panel of the court issued a short decision Wednesday turning down Bondi’s request and saying that the stay entered by Hinkle “expires at the end of the day on January 5, 2015.” The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida, which has represented a group of plain-
tiffs challenging the ban, said Wednesday afternoon same-sex marriages will be able to start Jan. 6 if no other attempts at extending the stay are successful. Also on Jan. 6, same-sex marriages from other states would be recognized in Florida, the ACLU said. “Today, in denying the state’s request to further delay the ruling, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the state’s argument that allowing samesex couples to marry and have their marriages recognized will cause harm to the state and refused to make these families wait any longer,’’ ACLU attorney Daniel Tilley said in a prepared statement. “The court effectively ruled that the state does not have a likelihood of succeeding
in its appeal.” A series of federal appealscourt decisions have struck down similar gay-marriage bans in other states, and the U.S. Supreme Court in October declined to take up the issue. But in asking the appeals court for an extension of the stay, Bondi pointed to a decision in November by the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that upheld bans in Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee. “This court should extend the stay because, on balance, it is in the public’s best interest to wait for an appellate decision before implementing an order of this significance,’’ Bondi argued in a document.
COMMENTARY: CHARLES W. CHERRY II: RANDOM THOUGHTS OF A FREE BLACK MIND | A4 COMMENTARY: HARRY C. ALFORD: WE NEED MORE MARION BARRYS | A4
FOCUS
A2
DECEMBER 5 – DECEMBER 11, 2014
Violence must be a consideration There are many Gantt Report fans that were born at night...but not last night! In Missouri and across America, African-Americans and others are protesting the killing of unarmed teenager Michael Brown by a Missouri law enforcer. Police supporters, Fox News reporters and others have suggested that many protesters are hooligans, arsonists, thugs and thieves! It is not unusual for the imperialist press to describe victims of injustice as perpetrators and people that brutalize, hurt or shoot innocent people as “victims.” When Black Americans are oppressed, exploited and mistreated, what should they do?
Lawsuits, prayer Well, trial lawyers who stand to make huge sums of money off of the pain and suffering of others suggest peaceful protests. Some religious leaders, seeking television and radio fame at the expense of brutalized or murdered churchgoers suggest prayer. The Gantt Report has no problem with either of those suggestions but The Gantt Report also says violent action, in self defense of person or property,
LUCIUS GANTT THE GANTT REPORT
should also be a consideration! Why? Violence should be a consideration because violence has always been a consideration in times when violent acts have been done to innocent people.
Can I prove it? Yes! When biblical pharaohs and other law enforcers of those times victimized the biblical Hebrew people, they used violence to stop violence. David didn’t throw a prayer at Goliath. He used a slingshot to hurl a stone at the law-enforcing giant! Even today, when non-Israelis kill Israeli citizens and soldiers, no one tells Jews to peacefully protest or to pray. It is acceptable for Jews to send hit men to find and kill people that kill and/ or hurt Jews. In America, when Great Britain law enforcers patrolled American colonies, colonists didn’t say if
we march and pray, soldiers from England will stop mistreating us and taxation without representation would cease. American colonists said, “Give me liberty, or give me death!” When terrorists killed innocent people in the 9-11 attack on the World Trade Center, no one said, “Let’s march peacefully and pray for Osama Bin Laden.” Americans said this country would not rest until Al Qaeda terrorists were captured and/or killed!
Follow their orders African-Americans are always told they can protest. But they can only protest injustice, inequality, police brutality, terror and murder of unarmed children in the way that red-necked bigots, closet Klansmen and police agencies want Black people to protest. I say African-Americans have to defend themselves like Floyd “Money” Mayweather does, and protect themselves and Black communities at all times like Malcolm X says, “By any means necessary!” When law enforcers and African-Americans are involved in physical confrontations, in many cases the law enforcer says he was attacked and shows some minor
bruises – perhaps self-inflicted – but the many Blacks in confrontations end up dead and can never tell their side of the confrontation story. When some law enforcers use deadly force and are questioned about it, oftentimes they are instructed to say they were in fear or that they were assaulted. Have you ever wondered why no Black officers are accused of killing unarmed White kids? Have you wondered how Klansmen, neo-Nazis and skinheads can be hired by police departments but no Black Panthers, Black nationalists or members of the Fruit of Islam can even dream about being hired as law enforcers to patrol White neighborhoods or join police forces at all? A Black pre-teen, a 12-yearold child, was recently killed by White cops after police were told that the gun held by the child was probably “fake.” Did they ask questions about whether the gun was fake, or did they just seize an opportunity to gun down a very young Black child?
Defend yourself! Everyone, especially AfricanAmericans should obey the law, respect law enforcers and car-
ry themselves in a law-abiding manner. But we cannot sit back and allow Black child after Black child to be gunned down by triggerhappy cops, lying neighborhood watchmen and other beasts with badges day in and day out! Don’t plot and plan to throw rocks or start fires or snipe people shooting at innocent children. But you must keep all of your Black community options open as considerations! And don’t act like you don’t know about law enforcement or non-enforcement involvement in slave patrols, lynchings, hangings, whippings, beatings, Rosewood, Tulsa, and killings of Black men, women and children. Rodney King did not beat himself. The 12-year-old child with a toy gun did not shoot himself! Again, protect Black children and defend yourself!
Buy Gantt’s latest book, “Beast Too: Dead Man Writing” on Amazon.com and from bookstores everywhere. Contact Lucius at www.allworldconsultants.net. “Like” The Gantt Report page on Facebook. Click on this story at www.flcourier.com to write your own response.
BODY CAMS
On Monday, President Obama met with elected officials, community and faith leaders, and law enforcement officials at the White House to discuss how to build trust to strengthen neighborhoods.
from A1
out traveling to the town, he has concluded so far that there’s not much he can say about the shooting of Michael Brown, 18, by Officer Darren Wilson that would bridge divisions, according to a senior administration official familiar with internal discussions on the matter. The facts in Ferguson are too disputed to address, with eyewitnesses offering divergent views about what led to the Aug. 9 shooting, according to the prevailing view among Obama’s aides. The White House is also mindful not to appear to be meddling in an ongoing federal civil rights investigation into the shooting, nor to let Ferguson consume Obama’s agenda as he eyes the legacy-forming steps he’ll take in his final two years in office.
Limited action Sweeping reforms might prove to be “too late for a lame-duck president with low approval ratings and a Republican majority in Congress,” said Fredrick C. Harris, a professor of political science who directs the Center on African-American Politics and Society at Columbia University. Obama opted for bureaucratic moves focused on law enforcement in general. As part of his broader spending plan, he proposed $75 million to outfit officers in local police departments with body cameras. He also directed his staff to come up with a new executive order within four months to require addition-
LIFE from A1
The New York branch of the American Civil Liberties Union reacted swiftly to the decision: “The failure of the Staten Island grand jury to file an indictment in the killing of Eric Garner leaves New Yorkers with an inescapable question: How will the NYPD hold the officers accountable for his death? And what will Commissioner (William) Bratton do to ensure that this is the last tragedy of its kind?” said Donna Lieberman, executive director of the New York ACLU. “Unless the Police Department aggressively deals with its culture of impunity and trains officers that they must simultaneously protect both safety and individual rights, officers will continue to believe that they can act without consequence.”
Same distrust Unlike the protests in Ferguson, which erupted after the Aug. 9 killing of Brown by Police Officer Darren Wilson, the New York rallies that followed Garner’s death did not turn violent. But marches in both cities reflected distrust of the police among many Blacks, and the demands were the same: prosecution of the officers involved in the deaths.
OLIVIER DOULIERY/ ABACA PRESS/TNS
al training for local police who get military equipment from the Pentagon. He believes that policy changes can take hold in the long run and help solve larger social problems, one aide said. Although Obama acknowledged that previous commissions and task forces have not solved the problems, this time will be different, he said, “because the president of the United States is deeply invested in making sure that this time is different.” The policy response drew mixed reactions. Jim Bueermann, president of the Police Foundation, a nonpartisan nonprofit that studies policing, applauded the indication that Obama’s executive order would encourage greater civilian oversight of what equipment local agencies could obtain.
The Ferguson grand jury decided not to indict Wilson, who said he shot Brown in self-defense. Pantaleo had no such defense, and his confrontation with Garner, and Garner’s struggle as he died, were captured on video by an onlooker. The video, which quickly went viral, showed Garner becoming visibly edgy as several officers surrounded him on the Staten Island sidewalk where he was allegedly selling cigarettes illegally. In the video, Garner accuses police of harassing him and tells them: “I’m tired of it. It stops today.” “I’m minding my business,” Garner says as officers move closer. “Please just leave me alone.”
Had backup As Garner says, “Don’t touch me,” Pantaleo grabs him around his neck from behind. Several other officers join in restraining Garner as he falls to the ground. “I can’t breathe,” Garner can be heard saying at least seven times as the officers hold him down and as Pantaleo pushes his head into the sidewalk. Pantaleo was placed on modified leave and stripped of his gun and badge after Garner’s death. His partner, Justin D’Amico, was assigned to desk duty. New York’s police commissioner, William Bratton, said Garner’s death showed the need for better training of officers, especially in use-of-force tactics.
Communities should have some say over whether they want bayonets, grenade launchers and armored vehicles in town, he said. Body-worn cameras can improve police relations with their communities, he said, citing research that shows the cameras settle common disputes. “If what we’re trying to do is increase the legitimacy of the police and the sense of confidence people have in the police and their side of the story,” Bueermann said, “then removing the obstacle to widespread adoption of body-worn cameras – the cost – is absolutely appropriate.”
Catching on Cameras have raised privacy concerns but are slowly catching on. Last month, the Los Ange-
Banned for years Chokeholds like the kind Pantaleo was accused of using have been banned by the New York Police Department since 1993, but the city’s civilian complaints board, which hears allegations of police abuse, says there have been at least 1,022 complaints alleging chokeholds since 2009. Nine of those were substantiated, the board said. The city’s police union said Pantaleo did not use an illegal chokehold, and it blamed Garner for instigating the confrontation by resisting arrest and forcing officers to try to subdue him. “Not wanting to be arrested does not grant an individual the right to resist arrest nor does it free the officers of the obligation to make the arrest,” Patrick Lynch, president of the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association, said after Pantaleo was taken off the streets. In a later statement, Lynch said police welcomed training that would improve safety, but added, “What we don’t need is training that only tells us what we can’t do when a person resists arrest.”
Tragic incidents Garner’s death was the first in a series of high-profile cases over the summer and fall, including Brown’s, that ignited firestorms over police tactics and race relations and which continue to generate controversy.
les Police Department wrapped up months of testing with a decision to purchase hundreds of a model from Taser International, the company best known for stun guns. Private donors kicked in more than $1 million to help outfit the police force. Others said Obama’s proposal was notable for showing that the White House doesn’t intend to stop providing equipment to local forces, but simply will shift more responsibility for keeping police in check to communities. Law enforcement officials in Ferguson escalated the tensions after Brown’s shooting by appearing in riot gear with assault rifles and an armored vehicle to face a crowd of peaceful protesters. Peter B. Kraska, chairman of the School of Justice Studies at Eastern Kentucky University, said he’s skeptical that local lead-
ers can rein in police practices. “Pretending as if each locality is going to be able to police the police is exactly what got us into the problem in the first place,” he said.
On Aug. 5, police in Beavercreek, Ohio, shot and killed a man in a Wal-Mart who was carrying a toy gun he had picked up from one of the aisles. On Nov. 18, a police officer shot to death an unarmed man in a Brooklyn apartment building in what Bratton called a tragic mistake. On Nov. 22, Cleveland police shot a 12-year-old boy waving a toy gun outside a recreation center. The boy died the next day. In each case, the slain male was Black. The Garner case bore some striking similarities to the Brown case in the anger it aroused and in the district attorney’s response.
and leaving jurors to sort through mounds of often-contradictory statements. The breadth of material presented to the jurors in the Pantaleo case was clear from the amount of time they needed to make their decision, and it fueled anger among activists and Garner’s family. “There is no reason both grand juries should be taking this long,” the Rev. Al Sharpton, whose National Action Network organized rallies for Garner and Brown, said Nov. 19 as both panels continued their deliberations.
Ferguson similarities Staten Island District Attorney Daniel Donovan convened a grand jury in September to review the evidence in the Garner case, just as St. Louis County prosecutor Robert McCulloch did after Brown’s death. The Staten Island jury began meeting in September and deliberated far longer than grand juries usually meet to consider cases. The St. Louis grand jury also met for a long time, convening Aug. 20 and announcing its decision Nov. 24, which in turn triggered days of unrest across the country. In both cases, jurors heard directly from the police officers, giving Wilson and Pantaleo the opportunity to tell their sides
No cure-all Police chiefs can easily persuade local leaders to approve the acquisition of riot gear by raising the threat of a terrorist attack or school shooting, he said. And although requiring more training sounds useful, it may only bring about more frequent use of the equipment and create a “warrior mentality,” he added. Instead, the federal government should examine the culture that creates a demand for such equipment and trying to “de-emphasize the threat mentality,” he said.
Unusual presentations The presentation of so much evidence also drew criticism from legal experts, who said the material was sure to overwhelm jurors and make it more difficult for them to find reasonable cause to indict. Many critics in New York and in Ferguson also said prosecutors in high-profile cases involving police could not be counted on to ignore their own biases in favor of law enforcement and pursue charges against officers. Donovan especially faced political ramifications from the Garner case. The 57-year-old Republican, who was elected district attorney in 2003, faces reelection next year and would benefit from the support of the police unions that said Pantaleo did nothing wrong.
DECEMBER 5 – DECEMBER 11, 2014
FLORIDA
A3
‘This remarkable streak will come to an end’ No hurricane has hit Florida in the past nine years BY JENNY STALETOVICH MIAMI HERALD (TNS)
MIAMI — The 2014 Atlantic hurricane season, which ended Sunday, extended Florida’s increasingly remarkable run: For the ninth straight year, the longest stretch on record, not a single hurricane struck the state. It’s the kind of lucky streak residents love and forecasters fear. Forecasters worry about growing public complacency because when it comes to hurricanes in Florida, calm never lasts. The longest previous respite lasted only five seasons, from 1980 to 1984. “I would love to set another record next year ... but that is not realistic,” said National Hurricane Center spokesman Dennis Feltgen. “This remarkable streak will come to an end, and we have to be prepared that it could happen in 2015.”
Atlantic also quiet The 2014 season also was the second year the Atlantic has remained relatively quiet, said Gerry Bell, lead hurricane forecaster for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center. That raises the question of whether the tropics are finally easing into a less-active cycle after nearly a decade of pumping out some of the busiest seasons on record, including a high of 28 named storms in 2005. Florida was pummeled repeatedly in 2004 and 2005. “Is it possible we’re coming out of this high-activity period? I don’t know,” Bell said. But the 2014 season, he said, could provide clues that he’ll be looking at. He also cautioned that “even if the overall season is suppressed, you can get a major hurricane if conditions are conducive for even a week.” Andrew is the scariest example.
TIFFANY THOMAS/CONDIE SENTINEL/TNS
Shown above is a Punta Gorda home destroyed when Hurricane Charley blew through in 2004.
Eight named storms The monster Category 5 storm of 1992 occurred in a year that produced just seven storms and only one hurricane — Andrew. But that one storm killed 44 people, destroyed 63,000 homes and caused $25 billion in damage in Florida alone. In contrast, the 2014 season wrapped up with eight named storms. Six became hurricanes. Only one, Gonzalo, grew to a Category 4 storm — the first in the Atlantic since 2011 — but it remained far from the U.S. coast. In May, forecasters had predicted a slow season of eight to 13 storms, with three to six becoming hurricanes and only one or two strengthening to a major
storm with winds stronger than 111 mph. But forecasters were nervous coming off a 2013 prediction that overshot the season: They had predicted an active season with up to 20 named storms, between seven and 11 hurricanes, and up to six major hurricanes. But that year produced just 13 named storms. Only two, Humberto and Ingrid, became hurricanes — although Ingrid and Tropical Storm Manuel were blamed for 192 deaths in Mexico and damage estimated at $5.7 billion.
Review of season This season got off to a boisterous start with Arthur, the first named storm, which strength-
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE FOR BLACK STUDENTS. NO EXCUSES.
ened to a hurricane as it glided up the U.S. coast. By the time it hit land, dashing Fourth of July celebrations in North Carolina, it had strengthened to a Category 2. On Aug. 1, Hurricane Bertha crossed the Lesser Antilles as a sloppy, disorganized storm, but grew as it moved across the ocean and hit western Europe with winds over 100 mph, triggering widespread flooding. In late August, Hurricane Cristobal slammed Hispaniola, where four people drowned. Cristobal was blamed for another drowning in the Turks and Caicos as well as two more off New Jersey and Maryland, where swimmers were lost to rip currents. Dolly hit Mexico as a trop-
ical storm, but quickly fizzled in early September. Within a week, Edouard formed and grew to a Category 3 hurricane. The storm remained far from shore. Fay followed, growing to a minimal Category 1 storm and causing a mess in Bermuda, downing power lines and trees and triggered flooding. Just as the island was cleaning up, Gonzalo struck. The season’s biggest storm, Gonzalo grew to a Category 4, but weakened to a Category 2 by the time it reached Bermuda. Hanna was the last tropical storm of the season, soaking Nicaragua and Honduras in late October. The monsoon season off West Africa, where Atlantic hurricanes are born, was also mild, as expected.
Nelsen says he never ‘seriously considered’ governor’s seat in the wings if Democratic gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist stumbled. Republican Gov. Rick Scott won a second term Nov. 4 by defeating Crist.
The classic guide from Florida Courier publisher, lawyer and broadcaster CHARLES W. CHERRY II
Dems evaluate election
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
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JOE BURBANK/ORLANDO SENTINEL/MCT
Florida Sen. Bill Nelson celebrates during his campaign party in Orlando on Nov. 6, 2012. Nelson defeated challenger Connie Mack. THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA
Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson said he “never really seriously considered” a 2014 campaign for Florida governor and that he now looks forward to working with Republicans as they become the majority party in the U.S. Senate. “I made the right decision and I never really se-
riously considered, even though you all loved to speculate about me getting into the governor’s race,” Nelson told reporters during a conference call Tuesday morning. A year ago Nelson repeatedly told reporters he didn’t have plans to run for governor while at the same time sending messages to potential supporters that the three-term senator from Orlando could be waiting
Tuesday’s conference call followed the initial meeting of members of the Leadership Expansion to Advance Democrats, or LEAD, Task Force, which Democrats set up to determine what went wrong this year and how they can do better in 2016. Nelson, the only Democrat currently elected statewide, is a co-chairman of the task force. During the call, Nelson, who sits on the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, said he looks forward to working with U.S. Sen. John Thune, RS.D., the ranking Republican member who will become chairman in January. “The two of us have a good personal as well as professional relationship,” Nelson said. “So I’m actually looking forward to getting something done in the next four years.”
Plan offered to expand health coverage THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA
With state lawmakers rejecting an expansion of Medicaid, a coalition including business groups released a proposal Wednesday that would extend private health insurance to hundreds of thousands of low-income Floridians. The proposal, backed by groups such as Associated Industries of Florida and the Florida Hospital Association, would target people who otherwise would be
part of a Medicaid expansion. The proposal would be largely funded through billions of dollars in federal money available under the Affordable Care Act. But it would use a state-operated private insurance "marketplace," where eligible people could choose among health plans. Also, it would require participants to be involved in such activities as job searches, job training or educational programs. The proposal, issued by a coalition called "A Healthy Florida Works," also says that
extending coverage would allow the state to end the Medically Needy program, which provides costly care to people who have debilitating illnesses but don't qualify for Medicaid. Some elements of the proposal, which would need state and federal approval, are similar to a plan pushed by Senate Republican leaders in 2013. House leaders refused to approve the Senate plan or a Medicaid expansion, arguing in part that the state could not rely on promises of federal funding.
EDITORIAL
A4
DECEMBER 5 – DECEMBER 11, 2014
Requiescat in pace, Mayor Marion Barry “I’ve come up hard, baby, but now I’m cool, I didn’t make it surely, playin’ by the rules, I’ve come up hard, baby, but now I’m fine, I’m checkin’ trouble, sure movin’ down the line...” – “Trouble Man” by Marvin Gaye I awakened last week to learn that Marion Barry, a civil rights legend and longtime Washington, D.C. mayor and political figure, has died. Barry was 78. I always had an affinity for Barry because at the time he was elected mayor in the late ‘70’s, I was a child already fascinated with the news and politics living in nearby Oxon Hill, Md. Suffice it to say that like many young blacks growing up in the D.C. Metro area, Barry was definitely a hero of mine and a role model.
CHUCK HOBBS, ESQ. GUEST COMMENTARY
When reading retrospectives of Barry’s life on several news sites, while the same are filled with some of the typical encomiums due a public figure, I have noticed that the primary theme of most has been the more negative episodes in Barry’s life, including the time that he was arrested after smoking cocaine in a D.C. hotel in 1990, through other federal investigations involving alleged ties to drug dealers or failure to file tax returns. These events, mind you, were indeed news, but the litany
of negativity for a deceased politician of Barry’s stature is disappointing to me.
A regular guy Such reminds me of what former Republican Congressman J.C. Watts explained to me once about one of his favorite talking points, that “you don’t wanna meet your hero,” meaning, that when you revere or look up to someone from childhood, it can disappoint you to learn how ordinary – and human – they truly are in person. And while some will disagree with how I inject the race card in my next averment, I strongly suspect that when said court of public opinion is convened on social media, comments sections and message boards, that the failings of Black public figures seem to be dissected and condemned far more frequently than White public figures, with few exceptions.
Double standard For example, when former
VISUAL VIEWPOINT: NO INDICTMENT
ADAM ZYGLIS, THE BUFFALO NEWS
Random thoughts of a free Black mind, v. 235 Eric Garner – America is in deep trouble. Social media was ablaze after the refusal to indict the cop that killed Garner. (Younger Black folks run Twitter; older folks are on Facebook.) When educated, middle-aged, middleclass Black people conclude that various systems in America (education, criminal justice, financial) are rigged, and they start to believe that WAR has been declared on Black America – especially Black men – the end of America’s experiment in democracy is in sight. That’s what I’m hearing, and it’s no joke. When people like me who worked in the criminal justice system lose faith in the system to operate fairly where Black folks are concerned, America better pay attention. Generally, White America only sees problems when the problems directly impact them and theirs. They only seem to listen to Black people when we have metaphorical bricks in our hands to throw though plate glass windows. I’m warning you. Bricks are now in the hands of people you least expect to throw it… What’s next? Folks in my generation have been dishonest. Most didn’t tell our kids that 250 years of infused, systematic racism and devaluation of Black life couldn’t change with 50 years of civil
QUICK TAKES FROM #2: STRAIGHT, NO CHASER
CHARLES W. CHERRY II, ESQ. PUBLISHER
right laws and 20 years of affirmative action. From birth, they’ve believed in an America which judges them “by the content of their character” and not by the color of their skin. There’s no MLK or “Big Six” leadership of today’s Black youth. The NAACP, Urban League and other organizations aren’t credible anymore to them. Nonviolent social change is largely foreign to them. They aren’t listening to us (maybe for good reason – what have we done lately to protect Black life in America?) So what happens when Black youth discover what anybody over 45 already knows – that any of us can be treated like a “nigger” in America, no matter who we are and what we do?
Holler at me at www.facebook.com/ ccherry2. Click on this story at www. flcourier.com to write your own response.
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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President George W. Bush’s life is analyzed, you rarely hear him being lambasted for alcohol and drug abuse as a young man. Even if it is discussed, it is done so from a “redemptive power of Christ” reverential perspective. When former President Bill Clinton’s life is discussed, yes Monica Lewinsky and other affairs from his serial philandering are mentioned, but such has never rendered him a political pariah. Truth be told, if Clinton could run again, he would be wildly popular among many Democrats and Independents.
Not for Barry So my point is whether it was President Ike Eisenhower’s affair with Kay Summersby, President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s alleged sexual affair, Grover Cleveland fathering an extramarital child, Abraham Lincoln allegedly being involved in a homosexual romance, or Thomas Jefferson fathering children with his enslaved mistress Sally Hemings, while
these private issues are discussed, they are not THE focus when retrospectives of their public lives are provided. But not Marion Barry. Nope, until Barry is lowered in the ground, those who love or looked up to him can expect the media to repeat his personal failures ad nauseam at the expense of his public successes in civil rights and in establishing D.C. home rule. That said, I mourn Mayor Barry and pray for his eternal peace. Lest we forget what Jesus Christ once taught a righteously indignant mob who wanted to execute a woman for adultery: “...let he who is without sin among you cast the first stone.”
Chuck Hobbs is former prosecutor who is now a Tallahassee-based defense attorney in his own firm, the Law Office of Charles Hobbs II. Contact him at chuck_hobbs@yahoo.com. Click on this story at www.flcourier.com to write your own response.
We need more Marion Barrys Last week we lost an American icon, the honorable Marion Barry, who changed this nation in ways most don’t understand. I remember coming to Washington, D.C. for the first time back in 1964. It was shocking to me, as I never realized that D.C. was a deep Southern city replete with Jim Crow segregation. The housing was totally segregated and we rarely saw Whites. We were told to not drive into Prince Georges County, especially Silver Spring, as the White police force was prone to beating Blacks. One year later in 1965, Marion Barry, a civil rights activist from a small town in Mississippi, would arrive. Barry and other activists started to make change – big changes. Marion earned his “stripes” in the local political circles and when the opportunity came for him to elevate from the city council to the mayor’s office, he seized it.
For the people To everyone’s pleasant surprise, he became a mayor of his people. He was totally committed to the economic future of D.C. Marion was one of the first Black mayors to realize that while in office, he could make a difference in terms of Black economic development. He recognized opportunities that good, bonafide and certified Black-owned businesses could perform contractually for cities and create massive employment for the Black residents of each city. Black businesses started to grow in D.C. because their mayor demanded it. There was no opportuni-
HARRY C. ALFORD NNPA COLUMNIST
ty too big for Mayor Barry to intercede on behalf of Black-owned businesses based in D.C. When cable television started to expand in our cities, Marion decided that the D.C. franchise for cable would be awarded to a Black resident of D.C. He also encouraged Mayor Coleman Young of Detroit to do the same. This was the beginning of Bob Johnson’s quest to build Black Entertainment Television. In Detroit, it was Don Barden’s entry to a very large business empire. From these two companies, many Black millionaires would evolve.
Encouraged others Seeing the impact of his networking Black firms into the city’s procurement opportunities, Mayor Barry started encouraging all Black mayors to emulate what he and Coleman Young did for their cities. Harold Washington of Chicago and various mayors of Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Los Angeles, Atlanta, San Francisco, etc. would step up to emulate what the genius of Marion Barry had done. Marion was just a pleasant person with a continuous smile at all times. We had a fall summit in New Orleans after the Katrina tragedy. We were all surprised to see Mayor Marion Barry walking through the W Hotel to attend our event. He came at the invitation of one of our board
of directors and all attendees enjoyed his presence and participation. Despite all of his ills, he remained focused on civic participation and the inclusion of Black business. We could see that trait shining like a new moon during our summit.
A true hero Yes, Marion Barry is a hero of mine. There aren’t too many like him and I believe we should be a little more impatient with our elected officials who do not understand their power and the ability to use it to the benefit of their constituents. Ask your current mayor how many Black businesses have expanded as a result of his/her leadership. Most will not be able to answer that. When that happens, you should encourage them to emulate the great Marion Barry. The majority press, FBI and Congress did their best to destroy this man for what he did for the Black economy. That is the price for Black leadership in this nation and it is a price our leaders must pay. Farewell, Mayor Barry. You made your mark and will be sorely missed. Rest in peace. Will the next Marion Barry please step forward and show the example of what a difference Black business development can make?
Harry C. Alford is the co-founder and president/CEO of the National Black Chamber of Commerce. Contact him via www.nationalbcc. org. Click on this story at www.flcourier.com to write your own response.
Marion Barry: The people’s mayor Washington, D.C. just lost an icon. In the early morning hours of November 23, D.C.’s Mayor for Life succumbed to some of the health challenges that have plagued him for several years. Even in ill health he was, as he had been all his life, an icon to the people, especially those in the poorest part of the city. He distributed turkeys to the poor every year. More importantly, he pushed legislation that would not punish felons when they applied for jobs. Barry had a knack for championing for the least and the left out, the youth and the seniors, the homeless and the hungry. There are few politicians who are as consistent in their focus as Marion Barry.
Brought economic development As mayor, Barry was the architect of D.C.’s economic development, making city contracts available to minority businesses – that just needed a chance so they could thrive. Of course, he is rarely acknowledged for his role in the city’s economic development, although it has been one of his key accomplishments. Barry’s brilliance is also frequently unacknowledged. He was a dissertation away from a doctorate in chemistry when he joined the Civil Rights Movement. That accomplishment was exceptional given Barry’s impoverished background. His parents picked cotton for a living and few expected him to rise to the heights that he did. Marion Barry mentored countless
DR. JULIANNE MALVEAUX NNPA COLUMNIST
young men, embracing the concept “each one teach one.” Their association with him transformed dozens of young men. His summer youth program hired any youngster who needed a job – in the private sector or in the public sector. Even today, people credit Barry with helping them secure their job. Many will focus on Barry’s weaknesses instead of his strengths. Some have reported on his transition with mean headlines. Their reporting ignores the fact that the only person Marion Barry really hurt was himself. They ignore the fact that in the course of his life, Marion did more good than bad. TMZ, how dare you besmirch a good and faithful man, an unwavering warrior for African-American people? One of the tallest trees in the forest has fallen and the remaining trees are shaken and disturbed, even as the earth shifts and the environment has been altered.
Julianne Malveaux is an author and economist based in Washington, DC. Click on this story at www.flcourier. com to write your own response.
DECEMBER 5 – DECEMBER 11, 2014
A day in the life of Ghana Life in the fast lane is much less stressed and a lot more relaxed in the Motherland. It’s always summertime and the living is easy. It seems like the days are longer and – even though, basically, we have 12 hours of day and 12 hours of night here on the buckle of the equatorial belt – the clock ticks an unhurried tock. While life is abuzz with wallto-wall people in traffic, markets and streets with urgent deadlines to meet and schedules to keep, being “busy” here can scarce compare to the multi-tasking, clock-racing mad dash of urgency so common over yonder. I’m from down-home Louisiana where even the flies buzz slowly; but Ghana takes “laid back” to a brand new level. I’m sort of a hermit these days, and home is definitely where MY heart dwells. However, the allure of the Continent won’t allow me to stay holed up for too long. There is always some intriguing adventure up ahead and it’s fruitless to try and resist the call of the wild.
No wasted minds Because there are SO many children in need of educational opportunities, helping out with their education seems like a great place to begin an adventure in Africa! I love to sit out on the front porch to watch the folk go by and, there, I see absolutely too many school-aged children passing by during the school hours. These children are not able to attend classes due to the lack of monetary tuition fees. While elementary and high schools are free in the “Land of the Free,” it is quite costly and unaffordable for the average Ghanaian family – especially those with more than one child to nurture. The equivalent of a couple of lunches at Burger King plus a Happy Meal or two at Mickey D’s can send a child to school for a trimester, including school uniforms and school supplies. For the cost of a night out on
EDITORIAL
A5
VISUAL VIEWPOINT: HATE
You can’t beat the fun CASSANDRA DIANE BACK TO THE HOMELAND
the town, you could send the entire brood. They thirst for leaning and will not hesitate to ask for help to go to school. A small investment can make a huge difference in a child’s future here in Ghana. “A mind is a terrible thing to waste,” no matter where it is!
Plenty to do You can’t beat the fun and excitement of just hanging around on the beach. Ghana’s 347 miles of beautiful, glittering shores seem endless. There are cozy inns offering quaint thatch roof chalets on the sands and scrumptious restaurants offering shrimp as big as your hand, lobsters as long as your arm, and fish fresh enough to make Charlie Tuna green with envy. There are luxurious hotels with day and night entertainment and enjoyment. For those of you who love a good tee time, there are golf courses so close to the Atlantic, you could line drive a ball right into the deep blue sea! There are tennis and basketball courts, volleyball nets and saddled horses awaiting your welcomed arrival to the Gulf of Guinea. Colorful chaise lounges recline under enormous striped umbrellas in the shadows of high-rise luxury hotels at Labadi, as a hammock swings lazily between two palm trees in a quiet, secluded lagoon at Elmina. Deep-sea fishing excursions launch off early each day at Ada, and Pram Pram restaurants are the best. Too, there are the sobering tours of the many slave dungeons along Ghana’s coastline recapping and recalling the atrocities of the trans-Atlantic slave trade to nonstop crowds of visitors from
and excitement of just hanging around on the beach. Ghana’s 347 miles of beautiful, glittering shores seem endless. There are cozy inns offering quaint thatch roof chalets on
BOB ENGLEHART, THE HARTFORD COURANT
the sands and scrumptious restaurants offering shrimp as big as your hand, lobsters as long as your arm, and fish fresh enough to make Charlie Tuna green with envy. around the world…lest we forget.
Nighttime energy
not like you’ve ever had them before; OR kabobs of juicy chicken gizzards dusted with hot, hot cayenne pepper; OR kelewele – fried ripened plantains seasoned just right and deep fried on an open fire ‘til they float. You can get kelewele at a few commercial eateries during the day but the REAL kelewele only comes out at night! Neon lights blaze and highwattage speakers blare. The latest “high life” hits – that’s like our rock and roll – vibrate the evening air as nightclubs open their doors to a packed house almost every night! You can enjoy an elegant evening at hundred-dollar-awhop dinner clubs, or drink fruitflavored akpeteshie – Ghana’s version of moonshine – in popular bars and grills; or you can drop it like it’s hot at a roadside club whose designated dance floor is on the busy highway median or whose beer-bottle-burdened tables and butt-burdened chairs set out in the middle of the street. From swanky to sweaty, Ghana’s got it… allll night long.
The night scene is utterly unbelievable! As the sun sets in the west, the daytime merchants give way to the night shift. Lanternlighted kiosks and roadside stands fire it up with fried rice speckled with crunchy chunks of carrots, onions and bell peppers tossed in palm-oiled woks, or crispy fried chicken right out of the grease, Activities galore or grilled tilapia fresh out of the There are art shows, historocean; OR Indome’ concoctions, ic exhibits, museums, movie also known as ramen noodles but screenings, stage plays, concerts,
amusement parks, hiking trails, hang gliding, wind surfing, boating, fishing, festivals, food and cultural fairs – (taking a breath) – fitness clubs, shopping, sports events, sightseeing, conferences, seminars, workshops, tournaments, competitions, looking, seeking and finding more and more super stuff to do in the Motherland each and every day! You can even donate charitable time as a volunteer to schools and community ventures; OR you can make your dreams come true by opening your own business, bringing job opportunities, skills and training to help soothe the pangs of economic growth in this great 21sr Century re-birth of a nation. …OR you can just “chillax,” grab a cup of coffee and a keyboard and write stories about your endearing, exciting and exceptional experiences in the Motherland! Like I do!
Contact Cassandra at Back to the Homeland Tours on Facebook, or www.weregoingtoghana.com. Click on this story at www.flcourier.com to write your own response.
Mental health and the African-American community The lack of attention given to mental health (illness) is astonishing in the United States. With so DR. many people suffering from variSINCLAIR ous forms of mental illness, unGREY III less we (as a country) take this epidemic very seriously, we will find GUEST COLUMNIST ourselves suffering physically and emotionally. All too often, people don’t like to talk about mental ill- Mental health is not ness because it’s a touchy subject. Why? Because it requires people something we should to examine themselves. In addition to this, it forces people to put aside negative stereo- take for granted. types. Let’s take for example many people within the African-American community not willing to Caring for people is see a psychologist or psychiatrist because they’re still holding on more than physical, it’s the notion ‘I don’t need to see a whack doctor because prayer will mental and emotional. fix it.’ Yes, prayer is important, so I don’t want to discount that, however, failure to address mental and more likely to report serious psyemotional issues will only compli- chological distress than adult cate matters in the future. Whites. Adult Blacks living below povBlacks suffer erty are two to three times more likely to report serious psychomore frequently In a recent study published by logical distress than those living Mental Health America, it was above poverty. Adult Blacks are more likely to concluded by the US HHS Office have feelings of sadness, hopeof Minority Health: Adult Blacks are 20 percent lessness, and worthlessness than
are adult Whites. And while Blacks are less likely than Whites to die from suicide as teenagers, Black teenagers are more likely to attempt suicide than are White teenagers (8.2 percent v. 6.3 percent) African-Americans of all ages are more likely to be victims of serious violent crime than are nonHispanic Whites, making them more likely to meet the diagnostic criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Children face illness also Adults are not the only ones who suffer from mental illness. Children and adolescents also suffer. In raising our children, we must be mindful of what seems normal to what appears abnormal. No longer are we permitted to forgo the mental and emotional health of our children. Let’s look at what recently transpired in Ferguson, Missouri with the killing of an unarmed Black teenager by a White police officer. Just the killing alone sparked tension among many with the African-American community. Now, after hearing that the officer (Darren Wilson) responsible for killing Michael Brown will not be in-
Clergy urge limits on payday lending More than 80 members of the clergy from 22 states, representing multiple denominations, converged on Capitol Hill from November 17-19 in a unified advocacy effort. Following two days of training that included discussions about the negative impact of payday lending in their communities, updates and key data points, clergy on the third day urged lawmakers to enact legislation that extends to all consumers the same protections now benefiting military members and their families – a 36 percent interest rate cap. The efforts take aim at the triple-digit interest rates now charged by payday lenders across the country. Although 14 states and the District of Columbia have enacted double-digit rate caps, the rest of the nation is subjected to lending rates that can reach as high as 600 percent or more.
CHARLENE CROWELL NNPA FINANCIAL WRITER
strong bipartisan support to limit interest rates on consumer credit to no more than 36 percent. Costs and fees for add-on products were a part of the rate cap. Underscoring the need for its enactment, the Department of Defense (DOD) earlier found that predatory lending undermined military readiness. At that time, Senator Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) said, “These lenders often count on the fact that borrowers will be unable to pay the loan in full when due, forcing borrowers to seek additional loans, which generate more fees.” The DOD proposed new rules in September that would add More is needed more protections for military The Military Lending Act families. Many of the clergy noted how (MLA), passed in 2006, received
their respective congregations are surrounded by payday lenders who prey upon poor people caught into a cycle of debt that becomes harder to break with each loan renewal. As co-chair of the event, the National Baptist Convention’s Rev. Willie Gable, Jr. said, “As clergy, we have a moral duty to vigorously oppose what we know and believe to be sinful. Those who prey and profit from our most vulnerable in the community cannot be allowed to continue to take from those who have the fewest financial resources.”
Churches asked to ‘step-up’ Similarly, Galen Carey, vicepresident of government relations at the National Association of Evangelicals, told The Christian Post, “We think it is an injustice so we’re asking churches to step up their help to people in need and also asking the government to regulate the lending so that these
dicted, more tensions have risen. While anger is a natural emotion, what must be addressed in the mental health of all those involved. From the parents of Michael Brown to those who have and are currently protesting, the importance of one’s mental health cannot be overlooked.
Others speak out On November 24th, I was pleased to have Lisa Flagg, the CEO for The Fulton-Dekalb Hospital Authority on my radio show to discuss their upcoming Mental Health Summit on December 8th in Atlanta, Ga titled, ‘Mind Matters: Who Does Mental Illness Affect?’ During our conversation, we talked about why mental health is important to all community stakeholders from those who work in the school, in the hospital, and within faith institutions. ‘Everyone is affected by mental health,’ says Flagg. In a real sense, we can no longer label someone as crazy or deranged because to do so, we are unjustly categorizing them without finding help for them. That’s why on December 8th in Atlanta, Ga, the Fulton-Dekalb Hospital Authority is setting out to make a difference. Flagg went on unfair practices are not allowed. “Teachings about lending are found in Christianity, Judaism and Islam,” said Rachel Anderson, the Center for Responsible Lending’s Faith and Credit Director and coordinator of the event. “All three faiths condemn excessive interest. The moral voice of the religious community is crucial to payday reform efforts.” “We would like to see interest rates capped at 36 percent and strong regulations from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) that would require loans to be made on the basis of an individual’s actual ability to repay” continued Anderson. “We also urge CFPB to limit the length of time a household can be kept in high-cost debt.” This recent faith-based advocacy adds to the growing momentum for payday loan reform at the state and federal level. In March 2013, after analyzing 15 million transactions, the CFPB found that the cycle of repeat lending drives the bulk of payday loans. Seventy-five percent of all payday loan fees are generated from borrowers with more than
to say, ‘we must be proactive instead of simply reactive.’ As we approach this holiday season, many people will be facing mental and emotional challenges. You name it, someone will be dealing with it. What we cannot do is act as though everything will work itself out, because the truth of the matter is without intervention, someone will suffer. It will have a rippling affect and the question left to be asked will be, ‘what could we have done?’ Mental health is not something we should take for granted. Caring for people is more than physical, it’s mental and emotional. We cannot simply talk about it; we have to provide resources in every city for persons who need help. It’s time that we (as a people) recognize the importance of mental health.
Dr. Sinclair Grey III is an activist, speaker, writer, author, life coach, and host of The Sinclair Grey Show heard on Monday’s at 2 p.m. on WAEC Love 860am (iHeart Radio and Tune In). Contact him on www.sinclairgrey.org or Twitter @drsinclairgrey. Write your own response at www.flcourier.com. 10 loans a year. This summer, the CFPB reached a $10 million settlement with ACE Cash Express in response to allegations of using aggressive debt collection tactics to flip its borrowers into new loans. The firm operates in 36 states and in the District of Columbia with 1,500 storefronts, 5,000 associates and online loans driven by a business model premised on flipping customer loans. In October, 467 consumer advocates representing every state in the nation and more than 1 million consumers called for specific minimum standards in the small-dollar rulemaking. As CRL President Mike Calhoun, has said, “We need to end the debt trap model to make more room for affordable and responsible loan products that both benefit lenders and leave their customers better, rather than worse, off.”
Charlene Crowell is a communications manager with the Center for Responsible Lending. Write your own response at www.flcourier.com.
NATION
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DECEMBER 5 – DECEMBER 11, 2014
Whites prefer African-American over Black New study shows how labels impact the way people of color are perceived TRICE EDNEY NEWS WIRE
A new study suggests that Whites make clear distinctions between Blacks and AfricanAmericans. The study, which challenges the myth of a post-racial America after the election of President Barack Obama, found that Whites are more accepting of African-Americans than they are of Blacks. Interestingly, the study’s findings were released just weeks after a controversial interview during which actress Raven-Symoné told Oprah Winfrey that she is Black, not African-American. Researchers concluded that the way people of African descent are labeled can significantly impact how they are perceived by mainstream society.
Analyzing the labels In the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, a research team led by Atlanta-based Emory University’s Goizueta Business School Dean Erika Hall contends that “the racial label ‘Black’ evokes a mental representation of a person with lower socioeconomic status than the racial label ‘AfricanErika American.’” Hall “The content embedded in the Black stereotype is generally more negative, and less warm and competent, than that in the AfricanAmerican stereotype,” the researchers write. “These different associations carry consequences for how Whites perceive Americans of African descent who are labeled with either term.”
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Entertainer Raven-Symoné said last month on “Oprah: Where Are They Now’’ that does she’s tired of being labeled. “I’m an American. I’m not an African-American; I’m an American,” she told Oprah Winfrey. did not significantly differ in perceived negativity from that of Whites.”
Hall and her colleagues demonstrated this phenomenon, and its implications, in a series of experiments. In the first, 106 White respondents were given a list of 75 traits such as “athletic,” “aggressive” and “bold,” and asked to choose the 10 they felt were most descriptive of a specific group of people they were randomly assigned to evaluate. Onequarter of them selected the best traits for Blacks, while others did the same for African-Americans, Whites and Caucasians. “The stereotype content for Blacks was significantly more negative than for African-Americans,” the researchers concluded. “In contrast, the stereotype content for African-Americans
Negative emotions In the second experiment, 110 Whites were randomly assigned to view, and complete, a profile of a male Chicago resident who was identified as either Black or African-American. They estimated the Black person’s income and education level to be lower than that of the African-American’s, and were far more likely to think of the African-American as being in a managerial position at his workplace. In another experiment, 90 Whites “expressed more negative emotions” toward a 29-year-old
crime suspect when he was identified as Black rather than African-American. The results suggest “the label Black elicits more negative emotions than the label African-American,” the researchers observed, “but African-American does not elicit positive emotion.”
Labels and sentences Hall and her colleagues noted that their findings have strong implications for the criminal justice system where justice advocates say people of color and lowincome defendants are routinely given harsher sentences than their White counterparts. “The choice of racial labels used in courtroom proceedings
could affect how jurors interpret the facts of a case and make judicial decisions,” the researchers said. “Black defendants may be more easily convicted in a court of law than African-American defendants.” The association of blackness with evil and a host of negative characteristics is a phenomenon that dates back to the days of William Shakespeare when the famed writer associated the color black with filth, treachery and bestiality in his plays and sonnets. The color white, on the other hand, was associated with purity and virtue.
This story is special to the Trice Edney News Wire from the Louisiana Weekly.
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DECEMBER 5 – DECEMBER 11, 2014
SHARING BLACK LIFE, STATEWIDE
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Exploring the wonder of CAP-HAITIEN
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Country hopes the beauty of its north coast will draw visitors BY JACQUELINE CHARLES MIAMI HERALD (TNS)
CAP-HAITIEN, Haiti — Amid its woes, Haiti offers a striking rugged beauty that is obvious to adventure travelers — rolling hills, steep mountains and rocky terrain that make backpacking or mountain biking just as good a heart pumper here as in any mountainous Caribbean island. But the country also offers a quality that’s often overlooked and even dismissed: a slice of paradise. This was certainly the offering during a recent weekend jaunt to northern Haiti where I joined a group of curiosity seekers on a boat excursion around the country’s picturesque coast. The area is better known to Royal Caribbean cruise passengers and well-heeled yachting enthusiasts than to your average visitor. Haiti’s second-largest city, Cap-Haitien, I dis-
GETTING THERE
American Airlines (www.aa.com) flies nonstop from Miami, a two-hour trip, with roundtrip airfare starting around $288. Tortug’ Air, (www.tortugair.com), a Haitian airline, also operates flights from Fort Lauderdale that start at $438.50 roundtrip and IBC Air, (http:// flyibcair.com/) runs daily charter service from Fort Lauderdale and Miami, starting at $596 roundtrip. A Haitian airline, also operates flights from Fort Lauderdale that start at $438.50 roundtrip and IBC Air, (http://flyibcair.com/) runs daily charter service from Fort Lauderdale and Miami, starting at $596 roundtrip.
TRAVEL covered, is more than just a historical find. Our day began with a 30-minute bus ride from our hotel, the Mont Joli, at the top of a hill overlooking the historic city, past streets with their faded grandeur, up another mountain, past a village that not even this native realized existed. (When you’re Haitian, rarely do you come here as a tourist. Vacation usually means visiting family in a farflung rural village and going home.) We finally arrived at Labadie Beach, driving around the security fence that separates the locals from the weekly cruise passengers who lounge on the private stretch of Labadie that Miami-based Royal Caribbean leases from the Haitian government.
WHERE TO STAY
Amiga Island Our tour guide, Mike Trimble of Labadee Charters, guided us aboard his 26-foot fishing boat. Born in Haiti, Trimble is an American who grew up here. His dad, Joel, a pastor, is well-known to Haitians here and abroad for his TV show, “La Bonne Nouvelle.” Mike launched his excursions with his business partner, Maxim Laroche, in February. Since then, the business has expanded from fishing excursions for cruise passengers to include private tours for the few tourists who do trickle in. Mike revved up the boat and took us out five miles into the Atlantic around Labadie Bay. About 30 minutes later, we arrived at Amiga Island or as the natives call it, Ile Ara, a small uninhabited island that legend says was a renSee TRAVEL, Page B2
Hotel reservations can now be booked online for several local hotels and at Hotwire.com. The city is walkable but transportation is required to get to the beach or the historical sites. Habitation Jouissant: 202 Route Habitation Jouissant Cap-Haitien; 011-509-3124-2400/ 305-6350938, ext. 3004; www.habitationjouissant.com. The 13-room boutique hotel is close to Place d’Armes and Cap-Haitien Cathedral. Hotel Mont Joli: Rue 29b, Cap-Haitien, 011-5092943-1110 / 011-509-2260-5847. http://hotelmontjoli.net. Auberge du Picolet: 90 Boulevard Carenage, Cap-Haitien; 011-509-3438-6357 / 011-509-28101111; https://www.facebook.com/AubergeduPicolet. Hotel du Roi Christophe: Rue 24B, Cap-Haitien; 011-509-3687-8915 / 011-509-3709-0556; http:// hotelroichristophe.com. Cormier Plage Resort: Route de Labadie Bande du nord, Cormier; 011-509-3702-0210. http://www. cormierhaiti.com/.
WHAT TO DO
3. 1. Amiga Island is a small uninhabited island that legend says was a rendezvous point for Christopher Columbus and a local lover.
4.
While historic sites such as the Citadelle Laferriere and Palais San Souci are accessible on your own, the best way to get the full experience is through a tour company that can also put together a package that includes a traditional Vodou ceremony and other visits. Here are a few: Agence Citadelle: www.agencecitadelle.com or info@ agencecitadelle.com. www.agencecitadelle.com or info@ agencecitadelle.com. or info@agencecitadelle.com. Belle Vue Tours: bvtourshaiti.com or travel@bvtourshaiti. com or 867-677-1657. bvtourshaiti.com or travel@bvtourshaiti.com or 867-677-1657. or travel@bvtourshaiti.com or 867-677-1657. Labadee Charters: info@labadeecharters.com or 011-5093701-9559. http://www.labadeecharters.com/. Tour Haiti: www.facebook.com/TourHaiti or email info@ tourhaiti.net or 011-509-2812-2223 or 011-509-2813-2223. Voyages Lumiere: www.voyageslumiere.com or email voyageslumierehaiti@gmail.com; 011-509-4805-8289 or 011-509-3607-1321 Voyages Plus Cap Haitien: vpcap1@gmail.com or agencevpcap@yahoo.fr. or agencevpcap@yahoo.fr.
2. A massive mountaintop stone fortress, the Citadelle Laferriere was built by newly freed Haitians to deter the French. 3. Lakay restaurant, the “It” place in the city, offers large portions of authentic Haitian dishes such as Creole conch and fried goat as well as hamburgers and pizzas. 4. Palais San Souci was once the home of King Henri Christophe I of Haiti, a former slave who became a key leader in the 1804 Haitian Revolution, when the small nation gained independence from France.
CALENDAR
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FLORIDA COMMUNITY CALENDAR 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. 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. Orlando: A show with The Isley Brothers featuring Ron Isley and special guests is set for 8 p.m. Dec. 26 at the CFE Arena. Fort Lauderdale: An Evening with Kenny G starts at 8
DECEMBER 5 – DECEMBER 11, 2014
S
p.m. Dec. 11 at the Parker Playhouse. 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: 813-3946363. 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.
AUDRA MCDONALD
Audra McDonald and Seth Rudetsky are booked for the Parker Playhouse on Jan. 8. The concert begins at 8 p.m.
GINUWINE
A Dec. 20 show at the James L. Knight Center in Miami titled One Night Stand will feature Ginuwine, Lyfe Jennings, Jon B and Case.
JIMMY WALKER
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.
Obama’s grandmother honored; advocates education during US visit BY CHARLENE MUHAMMAD SPECIAL TO THE FLORIDA COURIER
COURTESY OF DAVID NORRIS
Priest-in-Charge Simeon Newbold stands behind members of St. Kevin’s Episcopal Church, a sponsor of the carnival.
Opa-Locka hosts first carnival in 10 years SPECIAL TO THE COURIER
On Thanksgiving weekend, Amusements of America brought 12 rides, three concession stands, entertainment booths and competitive games with a gamut of prizes to Ingram Park in OpaLocka. It was the city’s first local carnival fair in over 10 years. It was co-sponsored by St. Kevin’s Episcopal Church.
TRAVEL from B1
dezvous point for Christopher Columbus and a local lover. Awed by the trees, shallow green water and white sand encircling the entire island, my traveling companions wasted no time changing into their swimming trunks and jumping in. The water, which is great for snorkeling, was warm and amazingly not too salty.
Cadras Beach Lounging around in the ocean makes you hungry. Lunch was a seafood affair, courtesy of local fishermen who came up to us in their wooden canoes with freshly caught fish, lobster and octopus that cost between $5 and $10 a person. Mike’s mate Pierre Jean-Baptiste, who brought his own special sauce that he prepared the night before, started a fire on the beach and grilled the seafood, using a variety of local peppers. With our stomachs filled, we climbed back aboard the boat and continued our
Entire families emerged to enjoy the fun festivities. “A family event such as this was a positive and electrifying addition to the area during this holiday season, for the young and the young at heart,” referring to himself, who took a ride on Pharaoh’s Fury,” said David Chiverton, assistant city manager and public information officer. “The youth in this community, many who weren’t even born the last time a carnival was stationed in Opa-Locka, cherished having the fair literally positioned within walking distance of their own backyard.” The Amusements of America began assembling the rides and attractions on Nov. 24 in time for the fair opening, which ran from Thanksgiving Day through Sunday night.
tour, which soon brought us to Cadras Beach. The stunning whitesand beach has a natural cove where fresh and salt water meet. From the moment you step into the waist-high turquoise water, the scenery and calmness grab you. You feel like you’re in a gigantic swimming pool until you see the lush tree-lined landscape dotted with private homes accessible only by boat and owned mostly by wealthy Haitians and some French ex-pats. As we enjoyed the tranquility, Mike pointed out where British airline mogul Richard Branson stayed during a 2012 visit. Some owners, he said, rent out their bungalows to vacationers seeking to expand their experience beyond his four-hour boat excursions. I didn’t think much could top Ile Ara, but the detour to Cadras really made the trip as we lounged in the water drinking Prestige beer, the local brew, and sipping coconut water out of the shell, freshly plucked from a tree.
Dining at Lakay Dining options in Cap-
Haitien are limited beyond the hotels. However, no visit is complete without a trip to Lakay restaurant, the “It” place in the city, situated along the oceanfront boulevard in the Carenage neighborhood. An openair restaurant, Lakay offers large portions of authentic Haitian dishes such as Creole conch and fried goat as well as hamburgers and pizzas. Started in 1999 by Philippe “Fito” Zephir and his wife, Anne-Claude, Lakay has its share of highprofile clientele. The day before our visit, Haitian President Michel Martelly lunched there, his visit shutting down the boulevard. Cyril Bourlon de Rouvre, a French politician and sugar refineries heir, has been a frequent guest. In fact, Zephir used to keep a special stock of Veuve Clicquot champagne just for him. While you shouldn’t count on getting Veuve Clicquot, you can count on sipping champagne in a laid-back ambience with cultural performances on some evenings. There is also a DJ whose repertoire of konpa, reggae and American pop mixes had us
Mama Sarah Obama, the sole living grandparent of U.S. President Barack Obama, recently launched the Mama Sarah Obama Foundation (MSOF) in Kenya after a lifetime of service to orphaned children and impoverished families. During her recent trip to the United Nations and several schools in New York and Washington, D.C., the stepmother to the president’s father raised awareness about her legacy plan featuring a school campus and hospital project for her community in Kogelo, Kenya. Specifically, the plan consists of an early childhood development center, a primary and secondary school, a vocational training school and a hospital— all on one campus. On Nov. 19, during the Global Women’s Entrepreneurship Day founded by animal advocate Wendy Diamond, Mrs. Obama spoke on the importance of education. She was presented with an award at the Women’s Entrepreneurship Day at the United Nations for her decades of work to aid poor Kenyans, particularly widows and orphans.
Major challenge Mrs. Obama told the rapt gathering of female entrepreneurs that the bigdancing through the night.
Citadelle Laferriere For years, Cap-Haitien was mostly cut off from the world, accessible only to those willing to fly in on daily charter service from South Florida, or a smaller aircraft from Port-auPrince. But a newly renovated international airport with a 7,500-foot runway now allows for large commercial jet service. American Airlines recently became the first U.S.-based carrier to land here, and now operates daily nonstop service from Miami. This is the city where Haiti as a nation was born. Visitors should climb either on foot or by horseback to the Citadelle Laferriere, about 45 minutes away in the town of Milot. A massive mountaintop stone fortress that overlooks the city, the Citadelle was built by newly freed Haitians to deter the French. In 2012, while vacationing with my mom, I visited the fortress on horseback. That day, Michaelle Jean, former general governor and current UNESCO spe-
CHARLENE MUHAMMAD/ SPECIAL TO THE FLORIDA COURIER
Mama Sarah Obama, President Barack Obama’s 94-year-old grandmother from Kenya, is shown with Oscar-nominated actress Quvenzhané Wallis at the United Nations in New York City. gest challenge for her community is getting fees for women and girls to attend school. The biggest challenge is because their parents died, especially from her country, their parents died from HIV/AIDS, so these kids are orphans. There’s really nobody to take care of them,” she stated through her translator, Debra Akello, executive director of the MSOF’s U.S. office. “That’s what she’s saying. She picked up that task of getting these girls, these young women, education. [Through] the Mama Sarah Obama scholarship funds, she’s saying that some of these girls now, some of them are doctors. Some of them are engineers. There are some who are in the
university so that’s the biggest challenge,” she continued. The Rev. Marcia Dyson, founder and CEO of Women’s Global Initiative, a forprofit entity to enhance the lives of women via wealth, education and civil participation, helped to facilitate Mrs. Obama’s visit to the U.S., and particularly several private sessions in Washington, D.C. Visit http://vimeo. com/72117366 for a short PSA about the Mama Sarah Obama Foundation and http://vimeo. com/84165094 for a sixminute short documentary on Mrs. Obama. Charlene Muhammad, a print, radio and Internet journalist, wrote this article for the Florida Courier.
cial envoy for Haiti, was touring the site. Jean has been a leading promoter of protecting historical sites such as the Citadelle and the Palais San Souci, the royal residence of Henri Christophe, that is located just below the fortress. Jean was treated to a local dance performance and a meal of artichoke and duck with guava, cooked by Jules Joseph, chef at Le Trois Decks in Fermathe in the hills of Port-au-Prince. Another one of my favorite eating spots, the restaurant is owned by Jean-Lionel Pressoir, whose company Tour Haiti arranged Jean’s visit.
a full experience, it is best to go with a tour company that can arrange everything from hotel stays to tours to a Vodou drumming and ceremony. Unlike Port-au-Prince, which offers a few namebrand hotels and South Beach-type restaurants, Cap-Haitien remains in an organic stage. The city has fewer than 1,000 standard hotel rooms. One of the newer hotels is Habitation Jouissant, a 13-room boutique hotel and a favorite of the country’s president. There is a telescope in every room and on the vine-shaded veranda, enticing guests to take a visual tour of the city. The furnishings are modern and reminiscent of South Beach, which isn’t an accident. Owner Fred Beliard bought an entire floor of South Beach’s Palms hotel before it was renovated by its new owner and had everything shipped to Haiti, right down to the bathroom fixtures. Like others here, he’s excited about the new direct flights from Miami and tourism opportunities. As we all should be.
Tour packages In addition to Tour Haiti, another company that offers tour packages is Agence Citadelle. Trimble said he too is working on a three-day, two-night package that will include his boat excursions and visits to the Citadelle and SanSouci Palace. Once a leader in Caribbean tourism, Haiti is only now trying to re-enter the scene. Places still aren’t equipped to deal with individual travelers. To get
STOJ
DECEMBER 5 – DECEMBER 11, 2014
BOOKS
B3 meat from cargo trucks that had overturned on the interstate “was simply an act of survival’ that would ensure that her children would never see a hungry day.
No one sang Blow has a lot to say as well about racial role-playing in the Deep South. Like many older Black people, he indicates, his uncle Paul “suffered from a chronic reflex racism” that was born of “so many horrible things done at the hands of White folks. In Gibsland, folks “danced around each other, moving to a tune that everyone knew but no one sang – warm smiles sharing space with cold stares, public platitudes dissolving into the ugly things that found voice behind closed doors.”
Helped by White family
Charles Blow opens up about his bisexuality in “Fire Shut Up in My Bones.’’
New York Times columnist writes about poverty, spirituality, race, sexuality in new book BY DR. GLENN C. ALTSCHULER SPECIAL TO THE COURIER
The day after his cousin sexually abused him, Charles Blow sat outside of his “House With No Steps,” in Gibsland, La., inside the maze one of his brothers had mowed in the tall grass. Decades later, he is not sure he can describe the sound of his world crashing down. “Maybe there is no sound,” he writes, “just a great emptiness, an enveloping sorrow, a creeping
BOOK REVIEW “Fire Shut Up In My Bones: A Memoir’’ by Charles M. Blow. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 228 pages, $27. nothingness that coils itself around you like a stiff wire.” A few months after the assault, Blow contemplated suicide, took a bottle of aspirin from his pocket, and was saved by the sound of his mother, parked in a car just outside, singing “Take My Hand, Precious
Lord.” He was 7 years old.
Powerful account In “Fire Shut Up In My Bones,’’ Blow, who has been a columnist at the New York Times since 2008, describes his coming of age as a dirt-poor Black kid in the Deep South in the 1970s and ’80s. Exquisitely written, and powerfully, painfully, and poignantly honest, the memoir is an illuminating, and, ultimately, uplifting account of poverty, spirituality, race and sexuality –
and of the lies boys tell, to themselves and to others.
Jed and Big Mama Blow brilliantly recreates his world – and the people who inhabited it. Consider, for example, his portrait of his surrogate father, Jed, the fourth husband of Charles’ grandmother, Big Mama. A chain smoker, who died at a young age from lung cancer, Jed had maple syrup sweet eyes, with “a hint of grey around the edges, sunrise yellow where the whites should be; deep
enough to get lost in.” Those eyes “saw down into the dark of you and drew up the light.” They forgave “secret shame before it scarred the throat on the way out. It would take a man with eyes like that to make Big Mama move to the middle of nowhere [Kiblah, Ark.] and bathe outside.”
‘Act of survival’ And Blow understands human complexity. Billie Blow, Charles’ mother, packed a pistol, kept brass knuckles in her glove box, went to college, and became a teacher. She resolutely refused to accept charity from anyone, especially government welfare, Blow points out, and she found stealing unacceptable. But Billie Blow believed that scavenging paper towels, potatoes, onions and
Although most southerners had learned to hide their hate, Blow reminds us that the “n–word” remained a weapon “when it was in the wrong mouth – a missile that could be launched from the back of a passing truck.” That said, he reveals that he was saved “from the covert racial warfare” by a White family who ran a gas station and convenience store , employed Big Mama, and showed the door to customers who insisted that a White person cut their meat. The matter-of-fact kindness the Beales showed his family helped Blow “conceive of the beauty beyond – and the humanity between – Black and White.” It’s one of several messages, simple and yet profound, that adorn his elegant and eloquent memoir.
Dr. Glenn C. Altschuler is the Thomas and Dorothy Litwin Professor of American Studies at Cornell University. He wrote this review for the Florida Courier.
Chang examines rise, fall and selling of multiculturalism in ‘Who We Be’ BY CHRIS VOGNAR DALLAS MORNING NEWS (TNS)
Jeff Chang remembers the first time he saw the comic strip Wee Pals and the jolt it gave his young mind. Right there, on the comics pages that were generally colorless even when they ran in full color, was an Asian-American face looking back at him. “I could relate to it,” he says by phone as he drives to a reading of his new book, “Who We Be: The Colorization of America” (St. Martin’s, $32.99). “I thought, hey, I’m on the funny pages.” Wee Pals, Morrie Turner’s strip about the adventures and observations of a multiethnic group of kids, takes pride of place in the first chapter. But “Who We Be” is far from a victory lap or a chorus of “Kumbaya.” In tracing the rise, fall and growing commodity status of multiculturalism in America, Chang casts a skeptical eye on the country’s rhetoric and dreams of reaching across color lines and accepting difference.
Where are we now? Provocative but steady — Chang is too good a writer and thinker to resort to bomb-throwing — “Who We Be” asks the kind of questions too often swept under the rug: What does racial identity mean? How do you assert it in the stew of the melting pot? What have the culture wars cost us? And where are we now? The heart of Chang’s study resides in the ’70s and ’80s, when marginal-
ized groups, emboldened by the civil rights era, increasingly stood up and demanded to be recognized. The idealized melting pot, once viewed as the ideal, was boiling over. “You had this notion that everybody is going to melt into one unified, assimilated American culture, where everyone will conform to this norm,” Chang says. “Multiculturalists really challenged that in the ’70s and ’80s.” Their message, as Chang puts it: “We’ve always been a whole bunch of different cultures, and the vitality comes from the exchange in all of that.”
Unfixable divisions Venomous response, including dire predictions of unfixable divisions and the dilution of Western civilization, ensued from the left and right. Presidential candidate Pat Buchanan declared a culture war at the 1992 Republican National Convention. The phrase “politically correct” gained currency. Chang can be very funny writing about all this: “Charging someone with ‘political correctness’ was like putting on white-guilt deodorant — smells like freedom of expression!” But the undercurrent is dead serious. Reading these pages, you’re reminded how far we remain from finding answers, with or without fantasies of a post-racial America.
Deeper dive Chang’s first book, “Can’t Stop Won’t Stop,” focused on hip-hop culture and won a 2005 American Book
The heart of this study by Jeff Chang (right) resides in the 1970s and 1980s, when marginalized groups, emboldened by the civil rights era, increasingly stood up and demanded to be recognized. Award. “Who We Be” takes a deeper dive that includes fine arts; one chapter goes inside the kerfuffle generated by the racially charged 1993 Whitney Biennial art show. But hip-hop still has a presence here, as it must: “Who We Be” is particularly astute on how multiculturalism was bought and sold back to the public (a process that includes the famous 1972 Coke ad that exhorted the world “to sing in perfect harmony”). “Hip-hop was not in the avant-garde,” Chang says. “It didn’t have a manifesto. It was wide open to being politicized and commercialized. All the things multiculturalism wanted — better representation, hearing the stories of poor folks of color — hip-hop made all of that happen.” It’s still happening. It’s hard to say we live in perfect harmony in an era that brought us Trayvon Martin, Ferguson, Mo., and all manner of Islamaphobia. But it’s not difficult to find the world multiculturalism made. You’re sitting in the middle of it.
‘Blue Avenue’ by Jacksonville author channels classic noir BY OLINE H. COGDILL SUN SENTINEL (TNS)
Jacksonville author Michael Wiley takes a measured walk on the dark side in his intriguing thriller “Blue Avenue” that channels classic noir author James M. Cain and the Coen Brothers’ debut film, “Blood Simple.” While Wiley’s fourth novel launches his new series about Jacksonville police detective Daniel Turner, “Blue Avenue” belongs to shady businessman William “BB” Byrd, whose obsessions drive the plot. Turner’s role as more of an observer allows Wiley to explore an edgy plot in which motives often are undiscernible and few people are as they seem to be. BB is determined to find out who murdered Belinda Mabry, who was his first lover more than 25 years ago. Racial and social pressures pulled apart the young couple and shortly after they broke up, Belinda, who was African-American, and her family moved away. BB and his enigmatic and brutal sidekick, Charles, prowl Jacksonville’s slea-
BOOK REVIEW “Blue Avenue” by Michael Wiley; Severn House (224 pages, $28.95) ziest areas, uncovering nasty secrets about the area’s politicians and leaders. BB’s determination to find Belinda’s murderer threatens to break apart his already fragile family and forces him to look at some unpleasant truths about his life. Meanwhile, Turner’s investigation sometimes conflicts with BB’s interests. While “Blue Avenue” is subtitled “A Daniel Turner Mystery,” the detective is practically a minor character, allowing Wiley a different view in exploring the characters. Wiley’s expert twists conclude with a finale that would make Cain and the Coens proud.
HOLIDAYS
B4
DECEMBER 5 – DECEMBER 11, 2014
Crayola Virtual Design Pro
STOJ
Hot Wheels RC Street Hawk
CRAYOLA, $29.99 EACH SET AGES 6 AND UP iOS AND ANDROID
Two words say it all: flying car. This remote-controlled dragster kisses land good-bye and soars up to 200 feet in the air. Light yet resilient, it goes from doughnuts on the driveway to aerial loop-the-loops – and back again. amazon.com
Hand-drawn artwork goes high-tech in two fully loaded activity sets. With the Fashion Collection, our testers delighted in designing clothes using the kit’s stencils, pencils, and markers. But the real thrill came in bringing those designs to life in a virtual world. Kids use the free app to scan their creations into a tablet or smartphone (not included), then customize each model’s look and accessories before sending them down the runway. With the Car Collection, kids use the art materials to design autos that they can then race on a digital stunt track. crayola.com
DigiBirds SPIN MASTER, $29.99 AGES 5 AND UP
These three interactive birds with cheerful songs are a pick worth tweeting about. Controlled by a whistle ring that doubles as a perch, the chirpers come programmed with 20 melodies and can be set to sing solo or as a choir. “I’ve heard my girls humming the tunes the birds play,” reported one mom. digibirds.com
MATTELL $29.99 EACH AGES 8 AND UP
Paper Style: Hairdos CHRONICLE BOOKS, $16.99 Each AGES 8 AND UP
Gyrobot THAMES & KOSMOS, $49.95 Each AGES 8 AND UP Put a spin on the science of gyroscopes by constructing this kit’s seven cool motorized models. Tester favorite: a robot who rolls across a tightrope. thamesandkosmos.com
This quirky craft book introduces 15 characters, including a mermaid, clown, vampire, and pirate, all in need of a haircut. Each comes with a paper sheet of hair that kids can cut, curl, braid, and crimp into mod makeovers. chroniclebooks.com
Lego Juniors Max Tow Truck JAKKS PACIFIC $59.99 EACH AGES 6 AND UP When monster-wheeled bad boy Max exclaims, “Load me up!” he’s not kidding. Equipped with a powerful electric motor and sturdy plastic chain, Max hauls up to 200 pounds. As to what this feat might look like, a 5-year-old tester offered, “I love that Max can tow me and my dad on a skateboard!” toysrus.com
Creature Clash!
CHRONICLE BOOKS, $14.99 EACH AGES 6 AND UP This wildly clever card game battled its way to the top of our tester picks. Players take turns creating fantastical animals by picking three cards: a front, middle, and back. Next, they choose a player to attack, who then makes her own critter. The winner is determined by adding up the numerical strengths of the various creature parts. Translation? Math is fun! chroniclebooks.com
LEGO $9.99 to $49.99 AGES 4 TO 8 You might call this line of new Legos the missing link — or brick — between little-kid Duplos and more advanced sets. Each themed pack, such as Construction (shown here), contains regular-size bricks alongside larger preassembled pieces, meaning easier and faster builds. Next on the tester wish list for Lego: “Pairing the sets with a small handheld broom and dustpan!” shop.lego.com
Splish Splash Sink & Stove LITTLE TIKES $19.99 EACH AGES 3 TO 8 After cooking a tasty pretend meal on the stove top, kids wash the included dishes and utensils in the sink with a working pump faucet. We won’t tell if you try to slip in a few of your family’s actual dirty dishes. littletikes.com
Record & Learn KidiStudio VTECH $39.99 EACH AGES 3 TO 10 Imagine a hip-hop or a techno version of “The Wheels on the Bus.” Now throw in a record for scratching, a whammy bar, a pop-up mic with voice-changer, and you’ll see why this interactive music studio was a tester favorite. Aspiring DJs can compose and record their own songs in freeplay mode, or choose from 20 melodies and a variety of sound effects. vtechkids.com
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FINEST & ENTERTAINMENT
DECEMBER 5 – DECEMBER 11, 2014
Meet some of
FLORIDA’S
finest
submitted for your approval
B5
Think you’re one of Florida’s Finest? E-mail your high-resolution (200 dpi) digital photo in casual wear or bathing suit taken in front of a plain background with few distractions, to news@flcourier. com with a short biography of yourself and your contact information. (No nude/ glamour/ fashion photography, please!) In order to be considered, you must be at least 18 years of age. Acceptance of the photographs submitted is in the sole and absolute discretion of Florida Courier editors. We reserve the right to retain your photograph even if it is not published. If you are selected, you will be contacted by e-mail and further instructions will be given.
Thousands of cruisers join nationally syndicated radio talk show host annually on his Tom Joyner Foundation Fantastic Voyage. During a past cruise, the Florida Courier captured some of the people from around the country who were on board. Will, who lives in Chicago, was on his first Tom Joyner cruise. Cybil, a Houston resident, was on her sixth Tom Joyner cruise.
will Barkley sides with Ferguson grand jury Retired pro basketball player Charles Barkley recently went on Philadelphia’s 97.5 Fanatic radio (WPENFM) where he spoke about the decision not to indict Darren Wilson in the shooting death of Michael Brown. “The true story came out from the grand jury testimony,” Barkley said, indicating that he believes Wilson’s version of the events and that the shooting was ultimately justified. “We have to be really careful with the cops man because if it wasn’t for the cops we would be living in the Wild, Wild West in our neighborhoods. We can’t pick out certain incidentals that don’t go our way and act like the cops are all bad.” “Do you know how bad some of these neighborhoods would be if it wasn’t for the cops?” Barkley asked. “I can’t believe anything I hear on television anymore,” Barkley said later. “That’s why I don’t like talking about race issues with the media because they love this stuff.” “There is no excuse for those people to be out there burning down people’s businesses, burning up police cars,” Barkley concluded. “That serves no purpose whatsoever.”
cybil
An odd character for Angela Bassett Actress delves into challenging role on ‘Freak Show’
Angela Bassett as Desiree Dupree in “American Horror Story: Freak Show.”
BY LUAINE LEE TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE
LOS ANGELES — Actors love playing all different kinds of characters, it is their grand passion. But Angela Bassett was dumbfounded when she discovered she was going to play a gender-challenged creature on FX’s “American Horror Story: Freak Show.” “I didn’t have a clue whatsoever what the part might be, what it might encompass when I signed on,” says Bassett, who played an entirely different character on the show last season. “I just knew I had a great time the previous year, and if that was any indication, it was going to be a wild ride. I think it was about two weeks before I was scheduled to come down to start shooting that I got the hot-off-the-press script. I sat down to read it to see. And I remember wondering, ‘Now, HOW I am going to know who I am?’ “Then you read the stage directions: ‘African-American woman in her 40s, hermaphrodite, three breasts, and a ding-a-ling.’ You’re like, ‘Oh, my gosh!’ You immediately close the pages, and have to walk around and process that for a minute. You’re thinking, ‘What does that mean? Oh, my gosh. If they thought I was crazy demonic last year, what are they going to think this year?’ “I just knew that it was absolutely going to be something that I had never done before. What does an actor crave but new challenges? This certainly was going to be one of those.”
On juggling characters Bassett, 56, is best known for her touching portrayal of Tina Turner in “What’s Love Got to Do with It?” and roles in “ER,” “Spike Lee’s Malcolm X,” “How Stella Got Her Groove Back.” She says the hardest thing for her on “Freak Show” was the time it took from filming to actually seeing the character. “As an actor you’re used to putting on characters, taking them off, becoming someone else, doing your re-
FRANK OCKENFELS/FX/ TNS
search, working on that,” says Bassett. “I think what I found most challenging about television and shedding one character and having to come up with another, is that there’s this lag time before I get to actually see what the characters are looking like, or sounding like, or how they’re coming across,” she says. “We start filming in July and maybe, the first episode’s in October. As an actor who wonders if you’re getting it right because you don’t have the immediate reaction of the audience just yet; that’s the little caveat. I can’t say it’s a real crazy frustration. If there were something that you had to call that (frustration), that would be it for me.”
Determined to ‘survive’ Bassett, who earned a master’s degree from the Yale School of Drama, says achieving that goal so young was a matter of determina-
tion. “I wanted to be an actress and wanted to survive,” she says. “I wanted to be in the number of actresses who work all the time. How could I assure I’d be in that number? Well, if I wanted to be a doctor, I’d go to school. If I wanted to be a fireman, I’d train. Why do I think I can be an actress and just jump out there? So I applied to drama school. ‘What’s the best drama school? Yale drama school is touted as the best.’ I applied to the best and had faith about it and prayed about it and tried to increase my chances and got in.”
‘Intersex’ role Since she graduated she has essayed a staggering variety of roles, but none quite like this one. “What they’re called is ‘intersex,’ today. In the 1950s, of course, the term was ‘hermaphrodite,’ but today the terminology is considered passe, especially in that community,” she says. Prepping her physically for the
role is complicated. “I go into my regular makeup artist. She applies the appliance (the additional breast) to me, so that it’s there, basically. Then I go over to the special effects trailer where her husband makes sure the edges and everything sort of blend seamlessly. . . From there, he and the other special effects gentlemen will begin to apply the paint. They’ll start with brown. They spray it on. They’ll go to the red, and yellow, and green. It’s amazing these colors and undertones that they claim you possess. “You’re like, ‘Oh, those are weird, weird colors.’ Then he’ll take a photograph of it to make sure that it appears as if it’s my own and based on that, he’ll maybe go in, and do some more painting, and carry on. …. That’s it. It takes maybe from start to finish about an hour — just enough time to check out a Netflix episode of ‘Orange is the New Black’ or something.”
B6
FOOD
DECEMBER 5 – DECEMBER 11, 2014
TOJ
FROM FAMILY FEATURES
The holiday season is upon us, so celebrate by serving unique dishes and drinks bursting with flavor. The holiday hostess has a lot on her plate. But preparing for the big event doesn’t have to be a challenge — this holiday, focus on special dishes and refreshing cocktails guests will remember for years to come. Use these tips to make your holiday events shine: 1. Shake It Up. From cool drinks, like the Pineapple Upside Down Mocktail, to delicious tropical twists on classic martinis, punches and warm ciders, canned Dole Pineapple Juice has recipes to shake things up this season. Made from 100 percent juice, free of GMO’s (genetically modified or engineered ingredients) and containing no added sugar, it’s also a good source of vitamins A, C and E. 2. Captivating Courses. To celebrate the season, serve up recipes for delicious entrees, small plates and desserts that bring a taste of the tropics to any occasion. Start guests off with a Holiday Kale Salad and then serve them juicy Jamaican Chicken & Couscous, followed by divine Pineapple Pumpkin Pie. 3. Party Planner Extraordinaire. Looking for bright ideas on how to turn your next party into paradise? Visit dole.com/sunshine/holidayrecipes to find refreshing new ways to make your party the event of the season, from eye-catching invitations to delightful decor tips. JAMAICAN CHICKEN & COUSCOUS Servings: 4 2 tablespoons dry Jamaican seasoning 1 tablespoon curry powder 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided 1 cup canned Dole Pineapple Juice 1/4 cup water 1 package (5.6 ounces) toasted pine nut couscous mix 1 1/2 cups Dole Frozen Mango Chunks, thawed 1/3 cup green onion, sliced 1 tablespoon lime juice 2 teaspoons black sesame seeds
Combine Jamaican seasoning and curry powder in small bowl. Place each chicken breast between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and pound (with meat mallet) to 1/4-inch thickness. Remove wrap. Brush both sides of chicken pieces with 1 table spoon oil and sprinkle both sides with curry mixture. Cook chicken in oil over medium-high heat, 3 to 4 minutes per side or until brown and no longer pink in center. Meanwhile, stir together juice, water and pine nut seasoning mixture from package in medium saucepan; bring to boil. Stir in couscous; remove from heat. Let stand, covered, 5 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Fluff with fork. Stir in mango chunks, green onions and lime juice. Cut chicken in 1/2-inch slices and serve over couscous mixture. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. PINEAPPLE PUMPKIN PIE Servings: 6 1 can (8 ounces) Dole Crushed Pineapple 1 1/2 cups canned Dole Pineapple Juice 1 envelope unflavored gelatin 1 1/2 teaspoons granulated Sucralose sweetener or sugar 1 cup canned pumpkin pie mix 1 cup thawed whipped topping 1 (9-inch) low-fat graham cracker pie crust Ground cinnamon, optional Drain pineapple well; reserve juice. Combine reserved juice with pineapple juice in measuring cup. Add water to make 2 cups. Combine juice mixture and gelatin in saucepan. Let stand 1 minute. Stir over low heat until completely dissolved. Stir in sweetener. Pour into bowl. Chill just until starts to set, about 1 hour. Fold in pineapple, pumpkin and whipped topping. Pour into graham cracker crust. Chill 5 hours or overnight. Serve with whipped topping and ground cinnamon, if desired.
PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN MOCKTAIL Servings: 2 (3/4-cup) 1 cup canned Dole Pineapple Juice, chilled 1 tablespoon caramel sauce Ginger ale, chilled 2 teaspoons grenadine syrup Brown or turbinado sugar and maraschino cherries, optional garnish Wet just the rim of a martini glass with a little water; dip rim in brown sugar or turbinado sugar for added garnish. Combine pineapple juice and caramel sauce in shaker over ice. Shake vigorously; strain into martini glasses or other favorite glasses. Top off with ginger ale. Slowly pour in grenadine. Garnish with cherry, if desired. Note: For alcoholic variation, combine 3 ounces cake-flavored vodka or vanilla vodka, 1 ounce Frangelico or amaretto liqueur, and 6 ounces canned Dole Pineapple Juice in shaker over ice. Shake vigorously; strain into martini glasses. Slowly pour in grenadine; garnish with cherry, if desired.
HOLIDAY KALE SALAD Servings: 4 1 package (4.5 ounces) Dole Baby Kale and Greens 2 ripe firm pears, halved, cored and sliced 1/2 cup red onion, thinly sliced 1/4 cup dried cranberries 1/4 cup pistachios, chopped 1/4 cup olive oil 1/4 cup canned Dole Pineapple Juice 1 teaspoon minced garlic 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger Salt and ground black pepper, to taste Combine salad blend, pears, red onion, cranberries and pistachios in large bowl. Whisk together olive oil, pineapple juice, garlic and ginger in small bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour over salad mixture; toss to evenly coat.