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Mental health series helps to open minds about taboo subject See Page B1

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DECEMBER 26, 2014 – JANUARY 1, 2015

VOLUME 22 NO. 52

EE FR

PRESORTED STANDARD MAIL

NOT THIS WAY Civil rights leaders, who have called for non-violent protests, express outrage over the killing of two New York officers. While burying its own, the NYPD grapples with its own internal political issues fueled by the protests. FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

Civil rights leaders are vehemently condemning the assassination-style killing of two White New York City police officers on Dec. 20 by a Black gunman who later killed himself. The shooting of the officers also has reopened a debate about how a police department, often under fierce political strains, can deal with a civilian authority of elected officials. New York Police Department Officers Rafael Ramos, 40, a father of two, and newlywed Wenjian Liu, 32, were both shot in the head and upper torso at point blank range as they sat in their patrol car. The shootings followed mass marches and protests

Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu across the nation against police shootings of unarmed Black men, which had been mostly peaceful. Both youth and seasoned leaders had called for non-violence.

Another victim However, the gunman, identified as Ismaaiyl Brinsley of Baltimore, with a long police record, was described by the NAACP as “a troubled individual” committing an

“act of vigilante justice.” After shooting the officers, Brinsley, 28, then fled and shot and killed himself on a subway platform as police closed in, according to reports. He had also shot his former girlfriend in Baltimore. She is expected to survive. Brinsley’s alleged statements on social media mentioned the chokehold killing of Eric Garner in Staten Island, N.Y. and the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson. Mo. “I’m Putting Wings on Pigs Today,” Brinsley allegedly wrote on an Instagram page, according to police. “They Take 1 Of Ours . . . Let’s Take 2 of Theirs…This May Be My Final Post.” The Garner and Brown cases had sparked mass

DUANE C. FERNANDEZ SR. / HARDNOTTS PHOTOGRAPHY

About 300 people held a “Brown Boys Matter Rally’’ on Dec. 18 in Orlando. Organizers of protests in New York City have rejected a call by Mayor Bill de Blasio to hold off on demonstrations until after the funerals of the two officers. protests, largely encour- cers involved in either killaged by authorities and ings, which had nothing to even President Obama as do with Ramos or Liu. long as they remained nonviolent. The outrage had es- Prayer, patience, calated when grand juries sympathy President Obama rerefused to indict the offi-

KWANZAA 2014

Living the seven principles

leased a statement reminding that police “deserve our respect and gratitude every single day. Tonight, I ask people to reject violence and words that harm, See PROTESTS, Page A2

Will clerks marry gays? Lawsuits loom if marriage licenses are denied BY JIM SAUNDERS THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

TALLAHASSEE – With the U.S. Supreme Court clearing the way for same-sex marriages to start Jan. 6 in Florida, gay-rights groups Monday vowed continuing legal fights if county clerks do not issue marriage licenses. Equality Florida, a prominent group supporting legalization of same-sex marriage, issued a news release Monday that said clerks “have a legal obligation to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples – or risk expensive litigation, including liability for damages and attorney fees.”

Clerks hesitant

DON SMITH/THE RECORD/MCT

A local chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority and the Academy of Performing Arts in Paterson, N.J. celebrate Kwanzaa. Jonnie N. DeLoach lights the Kwanzaa candles (called “mishumaa saba” in the African Kiswahili language), which are symbolic of seven principles of successful living (“nguzo saba”). The seven-day holiday runs from Dec. 26 through Jan.1.

The release largely was in response to a memo issued last week by attorneys for the Florida Court Clerks & Comptrollers that advised county officials statewide against issuing marriage licenses. The memo said a federal judge’s decision striking down Florida’s ban on same-sex marriage only applies to issuing licenses in the Panhandle’s Washington County, where one of the gay couples involved in the challenge to the ban lives. But Equality Florida said attorneys and legal organizations that See CLERKS, Page A2

Judge commits van-into-surf mom

Ebony Wilkerson drove into the ocean off Daytona Beach in March with her three children inside.

BY MELANIE DOSTIS ORLANDO SENTINEL / TNS

A Florida judge said a South Carolina mother who drove her van with her three children into the surf in March remains a danger to herself and others and will be committed to a state hospital, according to the court communications officer for the Seventh Judicial Circuit court. Rescuers saved her and her children in a dramatic moment that was captured on video and drew national attention to the family. Circuit Judge Leah R. Case decided Tuesday morning whether Ebony Wilkerson, 32, would be released conditionally to the com-

ALSO INSIDE

COURTESY OF YOUTUBE

SNAPSHOTS NATION | A3

Obama: Black America now ‘better off’ FLORIDA | A6

Inmate’s death by suicide being questioned CULTURE | B4

Revisiting the color of Jesus

munity or involuntarily committed to a state psychiatric hospital. Wilkerson asked the judge to rule on her mental state when she waived her right to a jury trial last week and pled not guilty to three counts of child abuse by reason of in-

sanity. In an agreement, the prosecution, in return, dropped three attempted murder charges. Wilkerson’s mental state and acceptance of what she did was heavily scrutinized durSee MOM, Page A2

COMMENTARY: CHARLES W. CHERRY II: RANDOM THOUGHTS OF A FREE BLACK MIND | A4 COMMENTARY: DR. JULIANNE MALVEAUX: BLACKNESS AND POVERTY NOT THE SAME THING | A5

FOCUS

DECEMBER 26, 2014 – JANUARY 1, 2015

What’s the future of The Gantt Report? Happy holidays to all of the fans, readers and followers of The Gantt Report! Even though The Gantt Report is merely one man’s opinion, I take pride in writing a column that has been unadulterated and imitated, but never duplicated! I think it is time for some young columnists to take the torch, rise up and write the columns that the people need to and want to hear. It’s not that older, more experienced writers like me are out of touch. We’re more out of energy.

Travel, money My international business opportunities appear to be better than ever before and I expect to be traveling a whole lot more than usual. No, I’m not going to say the “R” word (“retire”), but I will say I feel like I’ve earned the right to write some things other than columns before my candle has expired. I want to write more poetry. I want to try my hand at stage plays. Who knows? I may even be

LUCIUS GANTT THE GANTT REPORT

able to write a screenplay for a future movie. If there are young people reading this week’s column, I want you to know that whatever media field you chose to enter, writing will be necessary and critical to your success. Whatever I am, or more precisely, whatever people think I am, The Gantt Report helped make me this way!

Unknown to known One of my first Republican political clients, former congressional candidate John LaCapra, suggested that I start a political publication. I asked, “What should I call it?” Without hesitation, he told me to call it “The Gantt Report.”

At that time, journalists and politicians knew me, but hardly anyone else had a clue who I was. Twenty or thirty years later, people say they know “Lucius Gantt” in every county in Florida, in many states, in several foreign countries and on the majority of the world’s continents!

Can I help you? I encourage students or nonstudents who think they could stand the grind of writing newspaper columns every week for little or mostly no pay to contact me and if you convince me you’re serious, I’ll help you get started. Ask my friend Andrea Giggetts. I helped her get in a few papers and now she is a regular writer on one of Florida’s major Black news websites where thousands of people read her unique columns every week. Don’t expect The Gantt Report on a weekly basis. It may show up weekly and it may not. I may not write when you want me to but just like the media God, The

Gantt Report will always show up right on time. Whenever the senior citizens that read TGR call me, it is impossible for me to say I won’t write. At the same time, they know college administrators, radio show hosts, preachers and civil rights leaders sometimes hold on to jobs, positions and titles too long. But Lucius Gantt is not the one.

Greatest hits coming I’m going to try and publish my final Gantt Report book, “The Light Is The Truth,” in 2015. It will be a collection of “greatest hits,” so to speak, and will include twenty or so new, unpublished columns that may be considered too hot for family newspapers. I want to especially thank Florida’s and the world’s newspaper publishers and media owners for supporting TGR. I know at least once or twice a year, some closet Klansman or neo-Nazi will ask you not to run my columns. You run them anyway, and I love you and appreciate you for that.

My friend Alonzo Hardy, now publisher of Ocala Unite, was with me from The Gantt Report beginning and has promised to do some illustrations for TGR and my upcoming book in the last regular days. Our community needs writers that will stand up and speak out issues of interest in our community. New writers will rise up as older columnists fade away. I’ve been told I’ll be in London to coordinate a mega-business deal the first week of 2015. If I don’t see you or talk to you, after the holidays have a very happy prosperous new year! The Gantt Report loves you and loves our community!

The perfect holiday gift is Gantt’s book “Beast Too: Dead Man Writing” online or at any major bookstore. Contact Lucius at www.allworldconsultants.net. Click on this story at www.flcourier.com to write your own response.

CLERKS

low gay couples to wed. “We realize that it may seem to many that Judge Hinkle’s federal district court ruling that Florida’s same-sex marriage ban is unconstitutional and violates fundamental rights would permit all Florida clerks of court to lawfully issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples,” the lawyers wrote. But, they also wrote, “our review of the law indicates that an order and injunction issued at the federal trial level is not binding on any person, including a clerk of court, who is not a named party in the action.”

from A1

support moving forward with same-sex marriage will provide pro-bono services to clerks concerned about the memo. Also, the group warned clerks that they will face legal battles if they do not issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. “Clerks can stand in the doorway and try to block equality or they can welcome gay couples who have waited for decades for this moment,” Nadine Smith, chief executive officer of Equality Florida, said in prepared statement. “We expect every clerk to uphold their oath and protect the constitutional rights of gay couples seeking marriage licenses. No legal firm’s memo overrides their clear legal obligation.”

Marriage ban prevented U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle in August found that Florida’s voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional. Hinkle’s ruling came amid appeals in sim-

PROTESTS from A1

and turn to words that heal — prayer, patient dialogue, and sympathy for the friends and family of the fallen.” In a statement, the Rev. Al Sharpton said, “We have stressed at every rally and march that anyone engaged in any violence is an enemy to the pursuit of justice for Eric Garner and Michael Brown. We have been criticized at National Action Network for not allowing rhetoric or chanting of violence and would abruptly denounce it at all of our gatherings. Sharpton, who led tens of thousands to the U.S. Capitol last Saturday, demanding an end to the killings of unarmed Black men by police, added, “The Garner family and I have always stressed that we do not believe that all police are bad, in fact we have stressed that most police are not bad.”

Critical, necessary role An NAACP statement stressed the mental state of Brinsley. “In no way does the NAACP support this act of vigilante justice by a troubled individual. While our criminal justice system is not without deep and divisive flaws, we know that police officers, which risk their own safety for ours, play a critical and necessary role in keeping every community safe. Our sincerest sympa-

‘Wrong side’

STEPHEN M. DOWELL/ORLANDO SENTINEL/MCT

A crowd cheered in Orlando in July after a federal judge’s ruling struck down a ban on gay marriage. ilar cases from other parts of the country, and he placed a stay on his decision. That stay will expire at the end of the day Jan. 5. Attorney General Pam Bondi sought an extension of the stay, but the U.S. Supreme Court late Dec.

19 turned down her request. In a prepared statement that night, Bondi said her goal was to have “uniformity throughout Florida” until final resolution of numerous challenges to the same-sex marriage ban.

“Nonetheless, the Supreme Court has now spoken, and the stay will end on January 5,” Bondi said in the statement. The memo last week for the Florida Court Clerks & Comptrollers was issued by four attorneys with the

firm Greenberg Traurig. They advised clerks statewide not to issue marriage licenses “until a binding order is issued by a court of proper jurisdiction” and warned the clerks that they could be subject to criminal prosecution if they al-

thies go out to the friends and the families of the slain officers. “The loss of any life at the hands of violence ‎is tragic. We who believe in peace and freedom, fairness and equality, understand that progress can only be achieved by intimate and intentional collaboration of law enforcement and community members.”

MOM from A1

ing last week’s hearing.

In denial?

Seeking open dialogue A joint statement from the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law said despite the sorrow of the deaths of the officers, justice is still the goal in the deaths of unarmed Black men around the nation. “While some may suggest a causal link between these killings and the recent protests and activism focused on the serious issue of police violence against unarmed AfricanAmericans, we caution against escalating an already tense national state through rumor and conjecture,” they stated. “Whatever motivation lay in the apparently troubled mind of the now deceased shooter of these officers, there is no connection between the peaceful protests of thousands of people of all races all over the country and, indeed, around the world, and this hideous act of violence...As stewards of civil and human rights, we continue to seek a productive and open dialogue about ways to improve relations between communities of

But the news release Monday from the groups supporting same-sex marriage blasted the memo. “Any Florida clerk who refuses to follow the Constitution’s command and who withholds marriage licenses from couples once the stay expires is on the wrong side of history and the wrong side of the law,” Shannon Minter, legal director for the National Center for Lesbian Rights, said in a prepared statement.

“We are in a very difficult moment. Our focus has to be on these families,” New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said Monday at police headquarters. “I think it’s a time for everyone to put aside political debates, put aside protests, put aside all of the things that we will talk about in all due time.” color and law enforcement and remain unwavering in our demand for accountability when any innocent lives are taken.”

A New York truce New York Police Commissioner Bill Bratton took to the airways Tuesday morning to defend his department as some disgruntled police and Mayor Bill de Blasio called a truce in their battle over responsibility for the shootings and recent anti-police protests to allow New York to mourn its dead. “We’re in a very difficult place at the moment,” Bratton said on “CBS This Morning,” adding, “in the sense of officers’ feelings about the demonstrations, about the anti-police mood that seems to be

sweeping the country of late, and it’s not easy being a cop in America today, the dangers that still exist despite crime having gone down fairly dramatically over the last 20 years.” Bratton defended both his department and the man who rehired him, De Blasio, whose standing with police has never been high and has ebbed in the last year as programs such as stop-and-frisk were ended. “It’s a tough job, as we’ve seen, in some instances, a thankless job,” Bratton said. “Despite that, I’ll speak for my city — they’ve done a remarkable job, they’re keeping crime down, they’ve been restrained when face-to-face with demonstrators, you know, ‘Kill the cops’ and

the language that’s directed at them.” In the case of Brinsley, Bratton said the NYPD is investigating questions including, “Where did he get his money? Who does he hang out with? He doesn’t seem to have been employed; he’s a couch crasher as they call it. He doesn’t seem to have a residence, he just crashes on somebody’s couch. But he did seem to have money—cash in hundred dollar bills. So we’re checking very closely all of his relationships. What was his world like?”

This story was compiled from reports by Hazel Trice Edney/Trice Edney News Service and Michael Muskal of the Los Angeles Times/Tribune News Service.

The prosecution argued tests showed Wilkerson was in denial of her mental problems and that many triggers, such as domestic abuse and stress, could still cause her to suffer a break in sanity again. Defense witnesses, from a psychiatrist to a counselor and therapist, all said Wilkerson showed no symptoms of the psychotic break that plagued her when she, while pregnant with a fourth child, drove into the Atlantic Ocean. Doctors for Wilkerson tied her psychotic break in early 2014, and a similar episode in 2005, to hormones from pregnancy. She was sterilized last week to avoid future problems, according to her defense team. “I understand now that there was no angels, there was no demons. I understand now. I don’t have voices in my head. I know right from wrong,” Wilkerson testified.

DECEMBER 26, 2014 – JANUARY 1, 2015

NATION

Obama: Black America ‘better off’ now President cites creation of jobs, health insurance and housing equity BY HAZEL TRICE EDNEY TRICE EDNEY NEWS WIRE

President Barack Obama says Black America is better now than it was six years ago when he first took office. “Like the rest of America, Black America in the aggregate is better off now than it was when I came into office,” he said in response to a question during a year-end press conference on Dec. 19. “The jobs that have been created, the people who’ve gotten health insurance, the housing equity that’s been recovered, the 401 pensions that have been recovered – a lot of those folks are African-American. They’re better off than they were.” However, as the president answered the question from April Ryan, White House correspondent for the American Urban Radio Network, he had to concede that major ills still exist. “The gap between income and wealth of White and Black America persists,” he said. “And we’ve got more work to do on that front. I’ve been consistent in saying that this is a legacy of a troubled racial past of Jim Crow and slavery. “That’s not an excuse for Black folks. And I think the overwhelming majority of Black people understand it’s not an excuse. They’re working hard. They’re out there hustling and trying to get an education, trying to send their kids to college. But they’re starting behind, oftentimes, in the race.”

OLIVIER DOULIERY/ABACA PRESS/TNS

During a year-end press conference on Dec. 19, President Obama lists strides he has made for Black America.

On race issues The president has been forced to become increasingly outspoken on race issues, especially over the past two years as killings of unarmed Black males by authority figures, mainly police, have dominated news coverage. Upon the jury’s acquittal of neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman, the killer of unarmed teen, Trayvon Martin, he stated, “If I had a son, he would look like Trayvon.” Recently he has spoken out strongly amidst mass protests around the nation against police killings of a string of Black unarmed men, including 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., and Eric Garner, a Staten Island father of six, killed in a chokehold.

Despite the recent uprisings that have spread around the world, Obama said, “We’ve seen some progress.”

Reforms with progress He pointed to initiatives by his administration that he says have had “measurable results.” He listed education reforms, increase in high school graduation rates and a “record numbers of young people attending college.” Obama added, “In many states that have initiated reforms, you’re seeing progress in math scores and reading scores for AfricanAmerican and Latino students as well as the broader population.” The president also listed

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criminal justice reform as among his successes. He said, “Last year was the first time in 40 years where we had the federal prison population go down and the crime rate go down at the same time, which indicates the degree to which it’s possible for us to think smarter about who we’re incarcerating, how long we’re incarcerating, how are we dealing with nonviolent offenders, how are we dealing with drug offenses, diversion programs, drug courts.”

‘More work to do’ But the president could not ignore the past four months of roaring protests over police killings. Referring to the incidents in Ferguson and Staten Island that have spotlighted obvi-

ous racial tensions that remain, he added, “But we’ve still got more work to go.” The president’s comments focused on racial tensions that still remain beneath the surface in America despite general progress. He said the Ferguson and Staten Island cases have caused “a growing awareness in the broader population of what I think many communities of color have understood for some time, and that is that there are specific instances at least where law enforcement doesn’t feel as if it’s being applied in a colorblind fashion.”

Task force formed He pointed to the Task Force on 21st Century Policing, headed by Philadel-

phia Police Chief Charles Ramsey, and Laurie Robinson, a former assistant attorney general, now a professor at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va. That task force will return with recommendations March 2. “The task force that I formed is supposed to report back to me in 90 days not with a bunch of abstract musings about race relations, but some really concrete, practical things that police departments and law enforcement agencies can begin implementing right now to rebuild trust between communities of color and the police department.” He said he intends to implement the recommendations as soon as he gets them. The press conference was held for the president to close out the year as he prepared to spend Christmas with his family in Hawaii.

‘Healthy conversation’ Despite the fact that the protests have sometimes turned violent, particularly in Ferguson where fires were set in the wake of a grand jury’s decision not to indict Officer Darren Wilson, Obama says he think the conversation has been good for America. “I actually think it’s been a healthy conversation that we’ve had,” he told reporters packed into the White House Press Briefing Room. “These are not new phenomenon. The fact that they’re now surfacing, in part because people are able to film what have just been, in the past, stories passed on around a kitchen table, allows people to make their own assessments and evaluations. And you’re not going to solve a problem if it’s not being talked about.”

Ex-Milwaukee cop won’t be charged in Black man’s shooting death BY KURTIS LEE LOS ANGELES TIMES (TNS)

A Milwaukee police officer who shot and killed a Black man in April will not face charges, the city’s district attorney announced Monday, calling the officer’s use of his gun “justified self-defense.” Police Officer Christopher Manney, who is White, encountered Dontre Hamilton while Hamilton was sleeping in a downtown park on April 30. Manney, who was fired in October, was patting down Hamilton when a physical encounter ensued. About a dozen witnesses said punches were thrown and Hamilton eventually got a hold of Manney’s baton, according to the district attorney’s report on the case.

Shot 14 times The officer then fired 14 times, killing the 31-year-old Hamilton with shots to the chest. “I believe there can be little serious doubt that P.O. Manney was justified in firing at Dontre Hamilton, who was attacking him with a deadly weapon (baton),” Milwaukee District Attorney John Chisholm said in a statement Monday.

Another accuser: Sammy Davis Jr.’s ex says Cosby raped her FROM WIRE REPORTS

Katherine McKee alleges Cosby raped her in a Michigan hotel room in the early 1970s when she was on tour with Sammy Davis Jr., according to a story in the New York Daily News. The actress and former Vegas showgirl said she partied regularly with Davis and the notorious Rat Pack in the late 1960s. McKee said she had known Cosby for eight years when the alleged assault took place. “Back then, I was Sammy’s road wife. He had an open marriage, and we were lovers. That’s how it went,” she told the Daily News. McKee said Cosby ambushed her one night after she decided to extend her stay around a Detroit gig so she could visit family. Cosby was also in town and invited her to a party on a boat, she said. “He was a buddy. He knew I was Sammy’s girl,” she said about accepting the invitation.

Milwaukee Police Chief Edward Flynn fired Manney in October for performing what he described as an inappropriate pat down. Hamilton’s family has said he suffered from mental illness. “My decision has nothing to do with whether it was OK for Officer Manney to pat down Mr. Hamilton,” Chisholm noted while speaking to reporters on Monday. “My decision dealt with the use of force.”

Before Ferguson The shooting occurred several months before other high-profile incidents in which White police officers killed unarmed black men. In Ferguson, Mo., a police officer killed 18-year-old Michael Brown. In New York, Eric Garner died over the summer after a White officer placed him in what appeared to be a chokehold. Grand juries in both New York and Ferguson declined to indict the officers. The Milwaukee case was not heard by a grand jury. “This was a tragic incident for the Hamilton family and for the community,” Chisholm said. “There are deep concerns whenever an officer applies force. I’m confident of my decision.”

‘He was a different man’ McKee, now 65, said Cosby asked her to get some ribs from local hotspot Checker Bar-B-Q and then pick him up at his hotel. “I remember I walked in the door, and he had a robe and cap on. He took the ribs from my hands and just grabbed me,” McKee said of Cosby. “He spun me around, pulled my panties down, and just took it. We were still standing at the door when he attacked me. It was so fast and so shocking and so unbelievable.” “To me, there was a different personality involved. He was a different man. It felt like a different person performing that act,” she said. McKee says she never said a word about what happened, not even to Davis. She says she decided to speak up now after more than 20 women have come forward with accusations against Cosby since November. “I was mad at my own self for not saying, ‘What the f---?’ Why didn’t I stop it and get him away from me? But it happened too fast. I was absolutely flabbergasted,” she says. “And I had the guilt. I questioned myself, ‘Why did I go there? Why did I bring him those ribs? Maybe he thought that’s what I wanted too?’”

EDITORIAL

DECEMBER 26, 2014 – JANUARY 1, 2015

Is Obama that naive? We all pity the people of Cuba who have lived under tyranny and deprivation most if not all their lives. The things we take for granted they can only dream of. Therefore any help offered to them must be welcomed, provided it is offered in principle and in such a way that it will help them and not their oppressors. President Obama is rightly sympathetic and wants to help the people of Cuba; and for that we must commend him. However the way he going about doing so shows a naiveté which is frightening in a President of the greatest county on earth; for there is no reason to believe that what he wants to do will help the people of Cuba.

ty year old trade embargo against the Castro regime. He thinks this will begin to end tyranny and communism and help the Cuban people. I think he is being naive in the extreme. Like many misguided people he thinks that the woes of the Cuban people have been caused by the United States embargo: “In the most significant changes in our policy in more than fifty years, we will end an outdated approach that, for decades, has failed to advance our interests, and instead we will begin to normalize relations between our two countries. Through these changes, we intend to create more opportunities for the American and Cuban people, and begin a

EWIN JAMES GUEST COLUMNIST

Obama’s plan He has decided to restore diplomatic relations with Cuba; in doing so he has directed the State Department to open an embassy in Havana, review Cuba’s designation as state sponsor of terrorism, allow the export of software, medical devices and telecommunications equipment, and ordered an expansion of travel between the two countries, though only Congress can restore it to the full and lift the fif-

VISUAL VIEWPOINT: NORTH KOREA HACKS FREEDOM

GARY MCCOY, CAGLE CARTOONS

Random thoughts of a free Black mind, v. 238 NYPD cops murdered – Condolences to the families and to all law enforcement officers. It’s a tragedy for ANY cop to get killed or injured on the job. But it’s time for real talk. Everybody wearing a badge assumed the risk that they could get killed on the job when they decided to become a law enforcement officer. This new generation of cops must have forgotten that. Not only will they shoot first out of fear, they expect not to be held accountable to the point that they don’t even “respect the office,” i.e., their line of authority, any more. (I’m seeing the same thing with some active duty military’s disrespect of the current commander-inchief.) Look how the New York Police Department union is going after New York Mayor Bill deBlasio to the point of publicly turning their backs on him and claiming he has “blood on his hands” regarding these officers’ murders. Too many younger, scared, arrogant, entitled cops want to protect and serve themselves and each other rather than the people. If they can’t handle the risk, they should get out. Being in law enforcement is a higher ‘calling’ than ministry because you are

QUICK TAKES FROM #2: STRAIGHT, NO CHASER

CHARLES W. CHERRY II, ESQ. PUBLISHER

legally authorized to instantaneously execute another human being when necessary. But like ministry, everybody who’s ‘called’ ain’t able. If you are a preacher who’s gotta “slip and slide” with women in the pews, get out the pulpit; you’ve lost your moral authority to lecture other sexual ‘sinners.’ If you are a fearful cop who values your own life and lives of other cops above the lives of the people you proclaim to serve and protect, take off the badge and turn in your gun. You are a threat to the people themselves and to an otherwise honorable profession…

Contact me at ccherry2@gmail.com; holler at me at www.facebook.com/ ccherry2 and ‘like’ the Florida Courier and Daytona Times pages. 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.

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

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new chapter among the nations in the Americas,” he said on December 17 as he announced his plan.

Not the president’s fault The person who is responsible for the misery of the Cuban people is Fidel Castro. It was he who overthrew the government of his country then led by Batista; who nationalized all American businesses and paid not one cent for any of them; who took his country into the camp of the Soviet Union; who crushed all opposition; who cut off his people from the world, jailed thousands of them who dared speak out against his tyranny, murdered thousands more, made himself dictator for life; who outlawed the formation of any political party and resisted all overtures from home and abroad to relax his tyranny

and enter the modern world. All that the United States has done is stood on principle and said that as long as you continue to take that stand we won’t trade with you and treat you as a normal government. That’s like the teacher telling the bully on the playground that as long he continues to harass the other children he won’t be included in their games. That is the principled position to take.

Cuba’s bullies For over fifty years Fidel and his brother have played the bully with their own people, and have given no hint that they are willing to change. But president Obama believes that holding out the olive branch of restored diplomatic relations can turn them into friends. That is a pipe dream. The Cuban regime has given no

hint that it has acknowledged the pain it has caused to its own people. So why does President Obama believe that restoring normal relations will weaken repression and benefit the common people? More likely he wants to go down in history as the American president who ended the estrangement between Cuba and the United States, as the president who offered all Americans healthcare whether they can afford it, or the president who opened the door the widest to foreigners wanting to come and live the American dream. But he should first dip his ideas into plausibility.

Ewin James is a freelance journalist living in Longwood. Write your own response at www.flcourier. com.

Blacks should support normalizing relations with Cuba President Obama’s historic announcement that the U.S. is restoring diplomatic relations with Cuba, after more than five decades of strategic political and military opposition, is today resonating positively throughout Black America. It is in the economic, cultural and political interests of 42.7 million Black Americans across the United States to focus on the new emerging opportunities to strengthen relationships with the people and government of the Republic of Cuba. President Obama stated, “In the most significant changes in our policy in more than 50 years, we will end an outdated approach that, for decades, has failed to advance our interests, and instead we will begin to normalize relations between our two countries. Through these changes, we intend to create more opportunities for the American and Cuban people, and begin a new chapter among the nations of the Americas.”

Prospective business A key question that needs to be asked is: How will the changes President Obama highlighted about Cuba afford Black Americans in particular more opportunities to establish joint ventures and other business relationships with the people of Cuba? Too often some of us limit ourselves to lengthy debates about our changing world, but miss out on a chance to participate in helping to actually shape and build new world realities. Our worldview about has always included international perspectives. Our consciousness is informed not just by what might be popular domestically at any given moment in time, but also how we see the international struggle for freedom, justice and equality. In Black American education, literature, music, sports, business, religion and other cultural realms we have witnessed the benefits of defining and securing the interests of African people throughout the world. I vividly remember James Baldwin encouraging me to understand better what it meant by the slogan “Viva Cuba!” Baldwin helped me to see the relationship between the Cuban Revolution and the African Liberation Movement against imperialism, colonization and the sufferings of neo-colonialism in the 1960s and 1970s.

Blacks should support Cubans “Viva Cuba” became synonymous Viva

DR. BENJAMIN F. CHAVIS, JR. NNPA COLUMNIST

Africa!” Angola and Namibia, as well the African National Congress (ANC) in South Africa, all benefited from the enormous sacrifice and support that Cuba rendered to southern Africa during the 1970s and 1980s. Now that Cuba is once again the subject of solidarity for some and renewed ridicule from others, I believe it is important for Black Americans to actively support for our brothers and sisters in the island nation of Cuba. More than 11 million people live in Cuba. The 2002 Cuban census puts the Black population at 10 percent, mulatto 23.8 percent, Asian 1 percent and Whites at 65 percent. Most estimates place the people of color figure at 40 to 60 percent of the population. I have been to Cuba many times and each time I am reminded how African culture and Latin culture have fused together extraordinarily well in Havana, the capital city, and in the other urban and rural areas of the nation.

Silence is not golden I thank Harry Belafonte and others for helping to inspire the current generation of Cuban poets, writers, musicians and hip-hop artists in Havana who will certainly now have a stronger chance to spread their artistic genius throughout the world. We should remain vigilant because the forces of repression and ignorance are still active. Predictably, some conservatives have already announced plans to have Congress block Obama’s plan to designation a U.S. ambassador to Cuba. The economic blockade of Cuba is a matter that only the U.S. Congress can end through legislation. But the will of the people can force Congress to do the right thing regarding Cuba. Let’s continue to stand up and speak about Cuba and the rest of the world. This not a time for Black America to be silent.

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

Wealth of unfair criticism for Obama I had an interesting, though brief, discussion with a rich friend about President Obama. He is quite conservative, politically. He made the point that this has been the longest economic recovery since World War II. His point was that this was President Obama’s fault. I have many criticisms of President Obama, as you know. But what unsettles me about conservative criticisms of Obama revolves around issues of context and facts. Anyone who has been watching the price of oil drop over the last weeks may have guessed that the global economy is having a great deal of difficulty recovering from the Great Recession. In fact, some parts of the world remain in recession or have returned to recession. Japan, for instance, has been economically stagnant. The U.S. has edged out of the recession.

‘Economic malaise’ The problem in the U.S. goes beyond any one presidential administration. Since 1975, the living standard for the average working person has been stagnant or dropping. This is a documented fact. It relates to several factors, including the changes in the global capitalist economy (specifically what we refer to as globalization); changes in economic policies, e.g., privatization; and de-unionization, i.e., the attacks on workers and their right to organize. The combination of these factors has led to an economic malaise.

BILL FLETCHER, JR. NNPA COLUMNIST

Wealthy enough My rich friend does not believe in anything approaching wealth redistribution, but that is precisely what we need. As the Occupy Movement pointed out, the wealthiest 1 percent are seizing a vastly disproportionate share of the wealth of the country. That happens when workers don’t have unions. That happens when politicians are elected based on whoever can pay them the most for their campaigns. That happens when people despair and, instead of struggling collectively, struggle against one another, such as falling prey to the race card. People like my rich friend have done very well under President Obama, which is what makes it ironic that they hate Obama as much as they do. I guess they feel that they are actually not wealthy enough? Go figure.

Bill Fletcher, Jr. is the host of The Global African. He is a racial justice, labor and global justice writer and activist. Write your own response at www. flcourier.com.

DECEMBER 26, 2014 – JANUARY 1, 2015

Power-tics, not politics Writing has been a catharsis for me since my “angry days” in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. I used to write “Last Poets” kind of stuff and just put it away afterwards. Writing was a release to lower the pressure in my mind about the state of our people. It’s much the same for me today, after nearly twenty-three years of writing Blackonomics. The larger context of my writing this column has evolved into a desire to inform, to educate, and move our people to progressive economic action. I share ways and means through which we can achieve true freedom — economic freedom — in this nation. I don’t write to impress; I write to express. That is to say, I do not intentionally use fifty-dollar words; rather, I make every effort to assure that my readers understand and will be moved to act on the information I share. It seems my frustration from the 1960’s and 1970’s has reared its ugly head in the 21st century.

‘Worn out shoes’ What bothers me most is our view of politics and those who constantly force feed us with their political rhetoric and their “politics-only” solutions to our problems. Instead of espousing economic solutions, they keep telling the young people to vote and

EDITORIAL

VISUAL VIEWPOINT: OBAMA CLAUS

politics, and whether we are willing to use our economic leverage to solve our problems. We are indeed a conflicted JAMES people right now. It seems we CLINGMAN are willing to walk up to the line NNPA COLUMNIST but not cross over into the arena where the real battle must take “maach.” Marching is fine but place. It seems we are willing to without an end game, or if it’s do- settle for so little in response to so ne just for grandstanding and set- much tragedy and injustice. ting up VIP sections by the Marcher-in-Chief, Al Sharpton, what do No room for Al we get from it except worn out Read some of the quotes from shoes? We must go from politics the march for justice in DC on Deto “Power-tics.” Economic and political lever- cember 13, 2014: “If they don’t see this and make age cause benefits to accrue to those who know how to play the a change, then I don’t know what game. Black folks, so emotional- we got to do. “I’m here because police bruly invested in politics-only stratetality, racial profiling, this just will gies, will never get what we say we want and need from politicians. not be tolerated. I hope people They are too busy meeting the de- come today and go back home mands of the corporate moguls with the sense that what we really and their lobbyists, who know all need to do is vote.” “This is a history-making motoo well how to play “Power-tics.” ment.” “Today, 15 years later (after the Symbolism over death of Amadou Diallo), we are substance standing together and demandThe frustration and anger I feel ing the same thing. Think about when I see the continuous daily that for a moment. Think about parade of Facebook videos show- all the young men taken from us.” ing someone getting beat down, “Why should it be that when tasered, kicked, or killed by po- something happens we should allice officers is overwhelming. The ways see your face? (referring to difference lies in whether we will Sharpton) We need older people, continue to accept symbolism their wisdom, because younger over substance when it comes to people can wild out without guid-

RANDALL ENOS, CAGLE CARTOONS

ance. But we need them all the time, not just when something happens.” Our young people are the ones fighting for justice; many of our older folks are just talking about it. That’s why many young people walked out on the speeches, turned their backs on Eric Holder, stormed the stage in DC to speak, despite being told they had no “VIP” passes, and walked away when Al Sharpton started to speak. Do our young people know something we don’t know? Are

they willing to fight where we are not? I believe they do and I believe they are. They know it will take “Power-tics, not politics, to make the changes they want to see. Folks I am working with have an end game, a plan, a solution. Contact me; I’ll share it with you.

James Clingman is the founder of the Greater Cincinnati African American Chamber of Commerce. Write your own response at www.flcourier.com

Blackness and poverty are not the same thing African-Americans are overrepresented among the poor, but it would be a mistake to conclude that all African-Americans are poor. We are all aware of the seven, eight, and even nine figure incomes of luminaries like Oprah Winfrey, Beyoncé and Jay Z, hundreds of athletes, tech leaders, and many others who are “living large.” It is equally important, though, to acknowledge those African-Americans who, while not wealthy, are earning more than simple survival wages. While African-American families have a median income of about $33,000, White families have a median income of about $54,000. With median wealth of $113,000, the average White family has wealth at 20 times that of African-Americans, or about $5700. Several historical and contemporary factors contribute to these income and earnings gaps. African-

DR. JULIANNE MALVEAUX TRICEEDNEYWIRE.COM

Americans have less education, higher unemployment, less intergenerational wealth, less spatial access to employment opportunities, among other things. While there has been significant progress since the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, from an economic perspective some gaps are widening instead of narrowing.

Silent wage earners Still, it is important to note that more than a third of all AfricanAmericans have incomes of more than $50,000 a year. These incomes would be considered, by

some sources, middle class incomes. Fewer African-Americans than Whites have these relatively comfortable incomes, but too many conversations about race and economic status proceed as if all African-Americans are either poor or, as in the case of our superstars, extremely wealthy. Those African-Americans who have comfortable incomes are often overlooked from the policy perspective. Also, too many are simply silent. One of the reasons this is a relevant topic during this time of the year that ‘tis the season to be giving. If your mailbox looks anything like mine, it is chock full with requests to contribute to a myriad of causes. Some are causes I’ve given to before. Others suggest that the sender has done absolutely no research on me. Contributions for dogs? Please. It would be politically incorrect to

Add economic justice to Black agenda The groundswell for criminal justice reform has become nearly daily headline news. Demonstrations spanning the nation and many parts of the globe have demanded justice for those lives taken by questionable and fatal police behavior. Yet, Black America also suffers from another kind of injustice that is economic in nature and as pervasive as it is cruel. According to a new analysis of the Federal Reserve’s Survey of Consumer Finances, White household wealth stands at 13 times that of Black households. Similarly, when White wealth was compared to that of Latino households, the wealth gap was more than 10 times.

Six-figure difference After accounting for total household financial assets such as savings, investments, and business equity, the Pew Research Center then subtracted all indebtedness, including mortgages, installment loans, credit cards student loans and more. The results in dollar values determined that the median net worth of White households in 2013 was $141,900. For Blacks and Latinos, however, median net worth was only $11,000 and $13,700, respectively. The authors of the report, Richard Fry and Rakesh Kochhar, wrote, “[F]inancial assets such as stocks, have recovered in value more quickly than housing since the recession ended. White households are much more likely than minority households to own stocks directly or indirectly through retirement accounts. Thus, they [Whites] were in better position to benefit from the recovery in financial markets.” This reasoning may apply post-recession; but America’s racial wealth divide has exist-

CHARLENE CROWELL NNPA FINANCIAL WRITER

ed throughout most of the nation’s history. For example, for more than 200 years enslaved Africans and their descendants worked with no wages. Emancipation freed former slaves; but few opportunities for immediate gainful employment existed. Although Reconstruction led to some short-lived economic gains, the “Black Codes” that soon followed with Jim Crow laws and practices reversed most financial gains. America’s ‘colored wages’ continued for several decades until 1960s federal civil rights legislation called for equal employment and banned racial discrimination in employment, public accommodations, housing and voting.

Systemic practices It is also noteworthy to remember that early federal homeownership programs were structured in ways that discriminated against Black borrowers. For example, the FHA and GI Bill’s housing programs had severe biases against urban homes and neighborhoods with large numbers of minorities. These policies and practices led to the virtual exclusion of Black families in obtaining affordable and sustainable mortgages. At the local level, restrictive covenants banned people of color from neighborhoods, regardless of their ability to afford homes. Some restrictive covenants existed even in communities that did not officially mandate racial segregation.

The Community Reinvestment Act (CRA), enacted in 1977, requires depository institutions such as banks and credit unions to use safe and sound practices to meet the credit needs of communities where they operate – including low and moderate-income neighborhoods. In May 1995 and again in August 2005, CRA’s regulation was substantially revised and updated. Even with CRA, however, predatory lenders consistently targeted consumers of color in their own neighborhoods. Often in the absence of full-service, mainstream financial services, these fringe lenders arrived to exploit financial needs in urban areas. In the process, valuable dollars have been drained from wallets and livelihoods. For example, 2012 research by the Center for Responsible Lending (CRL) found that: • Black and Latino families bore $1 trillion of the nation’s $2 trillion in lost wealth due to the concentration of subprime mortgages in communities of color; • Auto loan interest-rate markups cost consumers nearly $26 billion each year; and • Borrowers in lower credit tiers pay up to 68 percent higher monthly payments on private student loans than on safer federal loans. If economic injustice is allowed to continue, America’s disturbing wealth gap trends will underscore what the 1960s Kerner Commission report predicted: two Americas divided by race. As a New Year begins, a different kind of resolution is in order: Economic justice for all.

Charlene Crowell is a communications manager for the Center for Responsible Lending. Write your own response at www.flcourier. com.

lower, the percentage of those giving is comparable, or even higher, than the giving among others. We must be strategic with our giving. It makes more sense to target two or three organizations or causes that are important to us than to send a few dollars to a series of causes. If we are affiliated with an organization as a board member, that organization should be one of the top three organizations we give to. It doesn’t matter how much we give, though. It matters that we give. All black people are not poor, and we ought not behave as if we are. We can afford to tithe to our Generous people churches, and we can afford to African-Americans are gener- give to our institutions. If we don’t ous people. We are most likely to support ourselves, who will? give to our churches, but are also Julianne Malveaux is a Washlikely to give to education, to social service organization, and to ington, D.C.-based economist civil rights organizations. While and author. Write your own rethe amounts of giving may be sponse at www.flcourier.com. suggest that my position on dogs is that they should not be allowed to populate the earth. The United Negro College Fund? Worthy, but I’d rather give my money to individual colleges for scholarships. I also believe every African-American who did not go to an HBCU needs to adopt one. The Rainbow /PUSH Coalitions, the NAACP and the Urban League? Absolutely. These organizations are fighting for our rights and they deserve to be supported. Our sororities, fraternities, or alma maters? Of course, but only when they “do the right thing.

Cuba: It’s about time! At President Obama’s first inauguration, my sister (Bettye LaVette) sang “A Change is Gonna Come” with Bon Jovi. Well, change has come! President Obama just made the insightful move to normalize relations with Cuba! Say what they will, his critics cannot say he doesn’t keep his promises. He is still receiving major pushback, but he is doing what he promised voters he would do. He doesn’t just talk. He acts! What a refreshing difference between Congress and the President! The embargo of more than 50 years has done nothing to resolve U.S. differences with the Cuban government, and has only hurt the Cuban people. Now, President Obama has announced plans to re-open a U.S. Embassy in Havana, Cuba. In the words of Vice-President Joe Biden, this is a big ####### deal!

Difference of opinion Although both are too young to actually remember the corruption of the Cuban dictator, Fulgencio Batista, sexual deviance/debauchery, and criminal connection with the Mafia(We still have our share!), allowed in Cuba under his rule, Senator Marco Rubio and Soledad O’Brien — both of Cuban descent -have vastly different outlooks about re-establishing diplomatic relations with Cuba. Senator Rubio wants to continue Cold War tactics that’ve failed the interests of the United States and the general population of Cuba. He opines that, “All this is going to do is give the Castro regime, which controls every aspect of Cuban life, the opportunity to manipulate these changes to perpetuate itself in power.” He holds onto to these antiquated views despite the fact that as far back as 2009, a Washington Post — ABC News survey told us that twothirds of the American people supported restoration of diplomatic relations with Cuba. That number has increased.

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

O’Brien, whose mother is Cuban, puts a human face on the harm of the embargo. She tells the sad story of her mother having to miss the funerals of five of her siblings because of the restrictions on travel to Cuba through the years. How truly sad this is when our diplomatic policies fly in the face of our “family values” rhetoric. What the President did will normalize family contact between Cubanos on the island with those residing in the U.S. His actions won’t heal over 50 years of denials, hurt and unimaginable pain, but the act goes a long way in preventing such tragedies in the future. The embargo cannot be completely lifted until Congress takes reasonable action, but I applaud President Obama for opening travel and trade opportunities, education and artistic exchanges, family visits and more. Unfortunately, lifting the embargo will not be an easy task; history and traditions influence the objections of many legislators who stand in the spotlight of hypocrisy as they demonstrate little difficulty in dealing with larger nations with more resources, yet worse human rights records. Their righteous indignation ends where BUSINESS begins. Reality should tell us there are no perfect nations. Our own battles with police-community relations, gun tragedies, racism, gender discrimination, immigration issues and congressional relations demonstrate that we have a long way to go before we can cast stones.

E. Faye Williams is president of the National Congress of Black Need for normalcy Women Inc. Write your own reOn the other hand, Soledad sponse at www.flcourier.com.

FLORIDA

TOJ A6

DECEMBER 26, 2014 – JANUARY 1, 2015

Inmate’s death by suicide questioned Jerry Washington, other prisoners had warned about racism, brutality, negligence and sexual harassment at Panhandle institution BY JULIE K. BROWN MIAMI HERALD (TNS)

Jerry Washington’s terror began shortly after he filed a grievance claiming that a corrections officer at Santa Rosa Correctional Institution in Milton had grabbed his buttocks and called him “sweet cheeks.” Within days of his filing a sexual harassment complaint, the officer and two others told Washington that they were going to kill him, Washington wrote in another grievance. On Sept. 10, 2013, he sent his sister a copy of the grievances and warned her that if anything happened to him, it would be no accident. Seven days later, Washington was dead. The department’s investigative summary into Washington’s death is so heavily redacted that no one reading it — including his family — would know what happened to him before he died. The report doesn’t say whether he was taken to a hospital or whether anyone did anything to help him. But Washington’s words, and those of his fellow inmates, allege a climate of racism, brutality, negligence and sexual harassment at Santa Rosa, which is located at the tip of the state’s Panhandle.

Food poisoned In letters to the family, two of Washington’s fellow inmates claimed that several corrections officers warned the inmate that they were going to “f--- him up” when they returned to the prison for their weekend shift. “They were going to get him that weekend, which would have

been on pick-a-n---- Friday,” one wrote Washington’s family, using a slang version of the n-word. “It’s a saying that the officers have ... that comes from slavery when the master goes to the slave quarters on Friday to pick a n---- to hang.” In detail, the inmate, whose name is being withheld by the Miami Herald, claimed that one of the sergeants placed drugs in Washington’s food that day and an orderly served the 5-foot-8 inmate his poisoned meal that afternoon. By dinnertime, Washington was seriously ill, inmates told Department of Corrections inspectors. He was found sprawled in his cell at 9:20 p.m. on Sept. 16, but he was still alive, and officers and other staff reported he was able to sit up and talk. The next nine hours are a mystery.

Heavily redacted account Here are excerpts from the inspector general report: “Later in the evening, (redacted) stated she was instructed by (redacted) and report to (redacted) D-dormitory. (redacted) and the infirmary officer [later identified as Officer William Hopkins] went with her to D-dormitory. When they arrived at D-dormitory, inmate Washington was sitting (redacted). Inmate Washington was assisted (redacted) by officers. “(redacted) and officer Hopkins took inmate Washington (redacted) and placed inmate Washington (redacted) inmate Washington, who appeared (redacted).” A nurse told investigators that she overheard Washington tell of-

PETER ANDREW BOSCH/MIAMI HERALD/TNS

Earlene Washington reads letters her son Jerry Washington wrote while he was in prison. Jerry was found dead on Sept. 17, 2013, at Santa Rosa Correctional Institute near Milton, Fla. ficer Hopkins that Officer Chad Pugh had threatened to take him out of his cell and beat him, the DOC report states. Nine hours later, about 6 a.m. Sept. 17, Washington was inexplicably dead. What isn’t redacted from the report are most of statements provided to the DOC’s investigator by seven inmates — most of whom told the same story: that Washington feared for his life and that Sgt. Marcus Stokes, Pugh and Officer Charles Asbel were conspiring to harm him because he had filed complaints against them.

‘Never suicidal’ One inmate, Aaron Porter, went further — stating to inspectors that he overheard Stokes, Pugh and Asbel planning their revenge on Sept. 16. After Washington fell ill, inmates said, he began asking for medical attention. Sometime between 10 and 11 p.m. on Sept. 16, Porter began kicking on his cell door to alert officers that Washington was in distress.

Officers placed leg restraints and handcuffs secured at the waist on Washington, the DOC report said. “Stokes told (Washington’s) roommate to pack up or he was going to get it too,” the inmate who wrote to the Washington family said in a letter. “That part is on camera too,” the inmate wrote. “After lunch they started showers and day room for us. They tried to trick (Washington) to come out of his cell, as he was walking toward the showers, he was staggering unsteadily.” Washington’s sister, Naomi Washington, who lives with their 80-year-old mother in Fort Lauderdale, recalled: “The chaplain called me and told me that Jerry had taken 50 pills. I can tell you that Jerry was never suicidal. Jerry never would have committed suicide.”

Policy changes Washington’s death, like many at the prison, was never investigated by outside law enforcement. The DOC didn’t notify the Flori-

da Department of Law Enforcement. McKinley Lewis, a spokesman for the Department of Corrections, said Washington’s death was thoroughly investigated, and the agency has recently changed its policies. FDLE is now called to review every prison death. Washington was serving several life sentences for various crimes, including attempted murder, armed robbery and burglary. Earlene Washington, his mother, said he had a drug problem that led him into a life of crime. His last letter, written on Sept. 10, says an investigator from the prison system’s inspector general’s office had visited him about his sexual harassment complaint. He was worried that officers would retaliate. “I just want you to know how they are playing,” Washington wrote. “I got real, real, real bad blood pressure, and if they gas me and jump on me (and) I happen to have a stroke or a heart attack ... don’t ya’ll believe nothing they try to tell y’all.”

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IFE/FAITH

Academics’ new book examines young Black lives See page B2

SOUTH FLORIDA / TREASURE COAST AREA

DEC. 26, 2014 – JAN. 1, 2015

SHARING BLACK LIFE, STATEWIDE

Will Elba be first Black James Bond? See page B5

WWW.FLCOURIER.COM

SECTION

OPENING UP ABOUT

MENTAL HEALTH

Series explored stigma in the Black community

FROM STAFF REPORTS

ver the course of 2014, the Florida Courier offered readers an introspective view of both mental health and mental illness among African-Americans in Florida and nationwide. Senior Editor Jenise Griffin Morgan led the publishing campaign by penning a series of stories that explored the stigma, misunderstanding and lack of information about the sensitive subject. Morgan was among six American journalists chosen as 2013-2014 fellows for the Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism.

YEAR IN REVIEW “This subject is near and dear to my heart because I have a brother living with a mental illness,” Morgan explained. “I am honored to have been selected for this prestigious program. I’m also grateful to those living with mental illnesses who shared their stories this year. Their goal was to let Courier readers know that it’s critical to talk about the subject and get help. We have to stop suffering in silence. “Although my fellowship work is over, I will continue to write about mental health and provide information on re-

sources. We need to know that it’s not just OK to get help – it’s critical that we do so.” The fellowship program works around the world to provide the public with accurate and balanced depictions of those with mental illnesses to reduce stigma and discrimination. The program also seeks to increase access to mental health services and inform mental health public policy. Morgan is an awardwinning journalist who has worked at newspapers and magazines in Florida and Georgia. She is an alumna of Florida A&M University and current president of the Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists.

THE HEADLINES

Suffering in Silence

1. Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter poses with Jenise Griffin Morgan at a fellowship meeting at the Carter Center in Atlanta.

The social stigma associated with mental illness too often renders everyday citizens silent with regard to seeking mental health treatment. Mistrust of the health care system and fear of “putting my business in the street’’ are additional factors specific to African-Americans and is a leading culprit that prevents them from getting the help they need. Published Feb. 27, 2014. Link: http://flcourier.com/2014/02/27/suffering-in-silence/

2. Regulars at Shear Excellence Barbershop in Tampa discuss mental health.

Here are the headlines and links to the stories published in the Florida Courier newspaper this year, including a December 2013 feature that highlights a St. Petersburg woman’s account of living with schizophrenia. Some of the stories also were published through the National Newspaper Publishers Association’s news service and appeared in publications around the country.

Men & Mental Health

3. Swiyyah Muhammad has written a novel titled “Don’t Call Me Crazy.’’

Black males at a Tampa barbershop get real about why brothers don’t seek help. Mental health is an uncomfortable subject they had never tackled, even though recent headlines have highlighted a number of brothers living with serious mental illnesses, including major depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Published Feb. 27, 2014. Link: http://flcourier.com/2014/02/27/ men-mental-health/

See MENTAL HEALTH, Page B2

“Strong Black Woman’’ Zakeya Foster takes her dog Summer out for a walk. Foster was diagnosed with clinical depression.

4. Donald Dowridge shares how his life changed from one of sorrow to one of success.

CALENDAR

DECEMBER 26, 2014 – JANUARY 1, 2015

TONI BRAXTON

The “Un-Break My Heart’’ singer is a scheduled artist for the 2015 Jazz in the Gardens, which takes place March 21-22 at Sun Life Stadium.

STOJ

FLORIDA COMMUNITY CALENDAR

Satellite Beach: See Afroman on Jan. 3 at Sports Page Live and Jan. 7 at the Bottoms Up Bar & Grille in Fort Pierce.

GunPlay, Kkutta, FatTrel and Duece Poppi are scheduled at Morocco Shrine Auditorium on Jan. 17.

Jacksonville: Catch Doug E. Fresh and friends on Jan. 10 for an 8 p.m. show.

Jacksonville: Tickets are on sale for the 70s Soul Jam featuring The Spinners, The Stylistics, Jimmy Walker, Cuba Gooding Sr. and 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.

West Palm Beach: Tickets are on sale now for a Jan. 4 show featuring Vanessa Williams at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts.

Miami: DeLou Africa, educational and performing arts organization focused on West African culture, and Community Builders HDC will present a free Kwanzaa program and concert on Dec. 28 at 4:30 at the Little Haiti Cultural Complex, 212 NW 59th Terrace.

CEDRIC THE ENTERTAINER

The Black and Brown Comedy Get Down featuring Cedric the Entertainer, Mike Epps and Eddie Griffin is Jan. 23 at the Amalie Arena in Tampa and at the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena on Jan. 24.

Jacksonville: Maze featuring Frankie Beverly will perform Jan. 15 at Florida Theatre Jacksonville.

TREY SONGZ

The Between the Sheets Tour with Chris Brown, Trey Songz and Tyga takes place at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 12 at the BB&T Center in Sunrise.

Fort Lauderdale: Audra McDonald and Seth Rudetsky are booked for the Parker Playhouse on Jan. 8. The concert begins at 8 p.m.

‘Cultural Matrix’ examines lives of Black youth DR. GLENN C. ALTSCHULER SPECIAL TO THE FLORIDA COURIER

Growing up in the projects of Crown Heights, New York was “normal living,” according to Juan, a 27-yearold African-American who works in the civil service sector. “I mean street drugs, bodies, murders, I mean to me all of this was the typical lifestyle out there.” Of course, all AfricanAmericans do not grow in such circumstances. Even in Black ghettoes, Orlando Patterson, a professor of sociology reminds us, a middle class constitutes about 25 percent of the population. That said, in “disadvantaged neighborhoods,” where so many Blacks live, school dropout rates, unemployment, and violence are endemic. In “The Cultural Matrix,’’ Patterson and about two dozen other academics try to understand the persistence of segregation, social isolation, poverty and crime

BOOK REVIEW Review of The Cultural Matrix: Understanding Black Youth. Edited by Orlando Patterson with Ethan Fosse. Harvard University Press. 688 pp. $45. among Black youth.

16 essays In 16 essays, on a wide array of topics, including hiphop, the impact of religious participation, occupational schools, the West Indian “exception,” parental influence and self-respect, they acknowledge that structural forces, including discrimination, toxic stress, and the disappearance of blue-collar jobs from inner cities, help explain the crisis. But, while they do not invoke the victim-blaming language of “pathology” and dysfunction” associated with the “culture of poverty” thesis of the 1960s and ‘70s, these scholars main-

MENTAL HEALTH from B1

From Sorrow to Success Donald Dowridge, a Florida man who was suicidal as a boy, now devotes his life to empowering others and building hope. The founder and CEO of DLD (Determined to Learn and Develop) Enterprises, Dowridge shares his experiences during the many seminars and presentations he facilitates around the country. Published March 13, 2014. Link: http://flcourier. com/2014/03/13/from-sorrow-to-success/

Suffering in Silence Part II The faith-based community has accepted a more responsible role in the African-American mental health crisis in recent years. However, an overwhelming number of Black pastors and their congregations remain either uninformed or in denial about the reality of mental illness. They believe that healing can occur only through prayer, fasting and Bible study. This story highlights how there are a growing number of Black pastors who are employing measures to change the way mental illness is perceived by the AfricanAmerican church and its members. Published April 17, 2014. Link: http://flcourier.com/2014/04/17/suffering-in-silence-2/

Prayer – and Partnerships This installment shares how progressive churches are building partnerships with state government and “secular’’ organizations to bring mental health care to

people in need. Published May 22, 2014. Link: http:// flcourier.com/2014/05/22/ prayer-and-partnerships/

Struggling to Survive This story explores how Gov. Rick Scott’s veto of state money designated for the National Alliance on Mental Illness will make it tougher to provide mental health care to people in need. Published June 12, 2014. Link: http://flcourier.com/2014/06/12/struggling-to-survive/

‘Strong Black Woman’ Opens Up A personal testament from a woman on the front lines of mental health treatment helps make the illness palatable and real. Television and social media fans of talk-show host Zakeya Foster of Miami were shocked last year when she announced she has been diagnosed with clinical depression, she has a therapist and has taken prescribed medication. She shares her story to give hope to other “strong Black women.’’ Published July 10, 2014. Link: http://flcourier. com/2014/07/10/strongblack-woman-opens-up/

Did He Have to Die? The shooting of an unarmed Black man once again ends in tragic circumstance. Tinoris Williams’ life ended violently on April 7 when he was shot in the head by a Palm Beach County deputy sheriff. The family of the 31-year-old said he had an extensive history of mental illness and needed treatment. This story explores how com-

tain that the beliefs and attitudes of Black youth are relevant “to the major predicaments they face.” Although the essays in the book are not always an easy read, “The Cultural Matrix’’ provides an important framework for understanding an urgent issue that should be a public policy priority.

Impact of hip-hop The authors try to highlight some positive components of the cultural matrix. Although its “mix of cartoonish violence and selfproclaimed realism,’’ makes for “an intoxicating but toxic cocktail, Wayne Marshall points out, hip-hop’s “remarkable reign” over American popular culture is also testimony to its “uncontainable dynamism,” technical competency and media savvy, communal engagement around shared texts, and its call to individuals to produce or reproduce themselves (and their sense of self). munity institutions are building partnerships with law enforcement to prevent needless killings of people with mental illnesses. Published July 24, 2014. http:// flcourier.com/2014/07/24/ did-he-have-to-die/

Cooked to Death Dade Correctional Institution inmate Darren Rainey, who was mentally ill, died after allegedly being locked up for hours in a scalding hot shower. In August, then-Florida Department of Corrections Secretary Mike Crews announced system-wide reforms, including better training of corrections officers in handling mentally ill inmates. Published Sept. 5, 2014. Link: http://flcourier. com/2014/09/04/cookedto-death/

And a quartet of scholars demonstrate that religious participation mitigates some of the long-run negative impacts of living in a disadvantaged neighborhood: it has a buffering effect on educational outcomes but not on income.

Culture and structure West Indians, Van C. Tran indicates, use parenting strategies and engagement with a local peer network to help their children create a family-friendly and shelter environment within their dangerous, segregated neighborhoods. This approach meant that Mark, whose parents are middle-class professionals, barely realized that he lived

Miami: The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County will present a program of culture, dance, drumming and more by DeLou Africa on Jan. 24 at 1:30 p.m. Fort Lauderdale: Aaron Neville is scheduled for an 8 p.m. show Feb. 12 at the Parker Playhouse. Jacksonville: Rick Ross,

five blocks away from public housing in East New York. A graduate of the City University of New York, Mark works as a system administrator for a bank. Nonetheless, the authors seem to agree that “the interplay of culture and structure” often has a potent and tragic meaning. Exposed to the “numbing reality” of economic inequality and segregation, Robert Sampson indicates, many Blacks “become cynical about human cooperation and legal systems of justice – which can in turn lead to feedback loops that reinforce those very disadvantages.”

Demand more Only a combination of substantial structural and cultural change, Patterson concludes, can end the vicious cycle. Inner cities must be detoxified and re-

Boca Raton: Catch the Four Tops, Supremes, Temptations, Miracles and Marvelettes. Tampa: Candy Lowe hosts Tea & Conversation every Saturday from 2 to 4 p.m. at 3911 N. 34th St., Suite B. More information: 813394-6363. Fort Lauderdale: Wale is scheduled Feb. 11 at Revolution Live. St. Petersburg: Tickets are on sale for a show with Smokey Robinson at The Mahaffey Theater on April 12. structured, with expanded provisions of prenatal, postnatal, and preschool care, better schools, workingclass jobs that pay a livable wage, and an end to mass incarceration and the failed War on Drugs. At the same time, Black teens and young adults must not only accept responsibility for their own condition, they must be willing to change “the socioeconomic aspects of their lives within the limits allowed by their circumstances,” limits which are severe “but not totalizing.” AfricanAmericans, then, must demand more from their government – and from themselves.

Dr. Glenn C. Altschuler is the Thomas and Dorothy Litwin Professor of American Studies at Cornell University.

WINNER TOP 10 LIST

ONE OF THE BEST FILMS OF THE YEAR AFRICAN-AMERICAN FILM CRITICS ASSOCIATION

AWARDS

ONE OF THE BEST FILMS OF THE YEAR TOP 10 LIST

ONE OF THE BEST FILMS OF THE YEAR PETER TRAVERS

WINNER

ONE OF THE BEST FILMS OF THE YEAR NATIONAL BOARD OF REVIEW

UNIVERSAL PICTURES AND LEGENDARY PICTURES PRESENT A JOLIE PAS PRODUCTION A 3 ARTS ENTERTAINMENT PRODUCTION MUSIC “UNBROKEN” JACK O’CONNELL DOMHNALL GLEESON MIYAVI GARRETT HEDLUND FINN WITTROCK BY ALEXANDRE DESPLAT PRODUCED EXECUTIVE BY ANGELINA JOLIE p.g.a. CLAYTON TOWNSEND p.g.a. MATTHEW BAER p.g.a. ERWIN STOFF PRODUCERS MICK GARRIS THOMAS TULL JON JASHNI SCREENPLAY DIRECTED BASED ON BY JOEL COEN & ETHAN COEN AND RICHARD LAGRAVENESE AND WILLIAM NICHOLSON BY ANGELINA JOLIE THE BOOK BY LAURA HILLENBRAND A UNI V ERSAL PICTURE VISUAL EFFECTS AND ANIMATION BY INDUSTRIAL LIGHT & MAGIC THIS FILM CONTAINS DEPICTIONS OF TOBACCO CONSUMPTION

SOUNDTRACK ON PARLOPHONE RECORDS

Don’t Call Her Crazy Diagnosed with schizophrenia years ago, Swiyyah Muhammad of St. Petersburg shares her story to help others understand the illness. She also has written a novel titled “Don’t Call Me Crazy’’ that chronicles the life of a young woman diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. Published Dec. 5, 2013. Link: http:// flcourier.com/2013/12/05/ dont-call-her-crazy/

Jenise Griffin Morgan can be reached at Jmorgan@f lcourier.com . A short video that includes the voices of some of those interviewed can be assessed at http:// yout u .be/eg EEV0 rU Ts?list=UUZbcvGf4uKnd LUK2H2JUO6Q

CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS FOR THEATERS AND SHOWTIMES

TOJ

DECEMBER 26, 2014 – JANUARY 1, 2015

FOOD

Dress up your party for the

FROM FAMILY FEATURES

elicious food, fine wine, friends and family. These are a few of everyone’s favorite things during the holiday season. Luckily, there are a few ways to help you host the ultimate party with family and friends this season without breaking the bank. Shoppers who switch to ALDI can save as much as 50 percent on products such as wine, cooking and baking necessities.* A menu consisting of mulled wine and beautifully presented appetizers can make your holiday gatherings truly special. Consider these tips from food stylist and loyal ALDI shopper Janice Stahl: • Choose a Theme: Introduce a conversation-starter and create excitement amongst guests by choosing a party theme. Host a “Winter White” party that asks guests to wear only white and offer white and sparkling wines and light-colored foods like shrimp, cheeses and shortbread cookies for dessert. • Set the Mood: Decorate to create an ambiance that goes with your theme. Bring a winter wonderland indoors with artificial snow sprinkled on tabletops and evergreen branches painted gold and silver placed throughout to create an experience for guests that goes beyond a typical dinner party. • Dress Up Your Cheese Tray: Put together a simple but spectacular cheese platter by providing a selection of 3–5 cheeses that have different textures and tastes. Soft cheese, like goat, pairs well with crackers and semi-hard cheese, like manchego, can stand up to the flavors of tangy jams or jellies. Serve smoked cheeses with nuts, such as walnuts, and aged cheeses, like Parmesan, with fresh,

crisp vegetables such as celery or cucumber to highlight the flavors that develop during the aging process. • Infuse European Charm: Create your own unique version of European mulled wine, a classic combination of red wine and spices that warm together to make a festive drink. Add a bit of French flair by serving savory crepes as an appetizer or sweet crepes for dessert. • DIY Dessert: Create a candy buffet in lieu of serving dessert. Use clear glass containers to hold a variety of chocolates, sweets and hard candies, mixing and matching different shapes and sizes for an eye-catching display. Provide small bags and twist ties so guests can customize their dessert and even take some home for later. These simple tips and affordable, easy-to-make recipes will help you get ready for the holidays. Visit www.aldi.us for more entertaining ideas. *Based upon a price comparison of comparable products sold at leading national retail grocery stores.

Shrimp DeJonghe Bites SHRIMP DEJONGHE BITES $2.92 per serving at ALDI Recipe Courtesy of Chef Alyssa, ALDI Test Kitchen Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 30 minutes Total Time: 40 minutes Servings: 8 1 1/2 cups San Zenone Bianco wine 1 cup Countryside Creamery Unsalted Butter, divided 1 head garlic, minced 1 teaspoon Stonemill Essentials Iodized Salt 1 teaspoon Stonemill Essentials Ground Black Pepper 12 ounces Sea Queen Jumbo Easy Peel Raw Shrimp, thawed and peeled

2 cups Chef’s Cupboard Italian Breadcrumbs 750 milliliter Herres Brut Sparkling bottle 1package (5.3 ounces) Specially Selected Rosemary Flatbread Crackers Preheat oven to 350°F. In small saucepan, combine wine, 1/2 cup butter, garlic, salt and pepper; simmer 5 minutes. In 9-by-13-inch pan, lay shrimp in single layer. Pour wine sauce over top. Melt remaining butter and mix together with breadcrumbs. Press over shrimp and bake for 15 minutes or until shrimp is pink and breadcrumbs are lightly browned. Pour glasses of Brut Sparkling. Carefully place shrimp atop bitesize cracker and balance on top of champagne flute. Serve.

Apple and Berry Tartlets

Fresco Cheese Crostini with Pumpkin Mojo

CREPE CREATIONS

For an appetizer, dessert or even a midnight delight, offer your guests a crepe creations station, allowing them to try their hand at creating new, interesting and fun flavors on a classic European dish. • Offer different types of crepes by adding flavors to the crepe batter such as chocolate, toffee, lemon or even beer. • Get creative with unique fillings like almond butter, fruit preserves or roasted pumpkin. • Provide toppings like hazelnut spread, whipped ricotta or applesauce for the adventurous guests, but make sure to have more common toppings like powdered sugar, chocolate sauce or whipped cream available as well.

APPLE AND BERRY TARTLETS $0.12 per serving at ALDI Recipe Courtesy of Chef Jonathan, ALDI Test Kitchen Prep Time: 20 minutes (plus 30 minutes to chill) Cook Time: 25 minutes Total Time: 45 minutes (plus 30 minutes to chill) Servings: 24 tartlets Crust: 2/3 cup Millville Old Fashioned Oats 1 cup Baker’s Corner All Purpose Flour, plus extra for rolling 1/4 teaspoon Baker’s Corner Baking Soda 1/4 teaspoon Stonemill Essentials Iodized Salt 1/2 cup Countryside Creamery Unsalted Butter, chilled and cut into cubes 1 teaspoon Tuscan Garden White Vinegar 3 tablespoons ice water Filling: 1 orange, zested 1/2 teaspoon Stonemill Essentials Pumpkin Pie Spice 3 tablespoons Baker’s Corner Brown Sugar 3 tablespoons Baker’s Corner Corn Starch 2 tablespoons Berryhill Raspberry Preserves 3 cups peeled and diced gala apples, (about 3 small apples) 1 cup cranberries, frozen Preheat oven to 375°F. In food processor, process oats, flour, baking soda and salt. Add chilled butter; pulse until butter resembles the size of peas. Add vinegar and water slowly. Mix to form firm dough. Chill pastry dough in refrigerator for 30 minutes. In medium bowl, combine all filling ingredients. Place oatmeal dough on lightly floured surface and roll to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out 24 three-inch rounds. If dough becomes too warm to work with, roll into ball and refrigerate until chilled. Place dough rounds into muffin cups. Prick each dough round with fork and bake for 10 minutes; allow to cool. Place 2 tablespoons of filling in each tartlet and bake for 15 minutes, or until crust is golden and filling is bubbly. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

FRESCO CHEESE CROSTINI WITH PUMPKIN MOJO $0.52 per serving at ALDI Recipe Courtesy of Chef Michelle, ALDI Test Kitchen Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes Total Time: 40 minutes Servings: 25 crostini 1/2 Specially Selected French Baguette, sliced into 1/4-inch slices 1 cup Carlini Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided 1 teaspoon Stonemill Essentials Chili Powder 2 teaspoons Stonemill Essentials Pumpkin Pie Spice 1 tablespoon Baker’s Corner Brown Sugar 1/2 teaspoon Stonemill Essentials Iodized Salt 1/2 teaspoon Stonemill Essentials Ground Black Pepper 3/4 cup Baker’s Corner 100% Pure Canned Pumpkin 1 orange, zested 1/3 cup fresh orange juice (about 2 oranges) 1 lime, zested 1/4 cup fresh lime juice (about 3 limes) 5 ounces Benita Fresco Cheese, sliced into 10 rectangles 2 1/2 cups SimplyNature Organic Baby Arugula Preheat oven to 400°F. In large bowl, combine baguette slices and 1/4 cup oil, toss until coated. Place in single layer on baking sheet. Bake for 6 minutes. Reserve. In medium bowl, combine chili powder, pumpkin pie spice, brown sugar, salt, pepper, pumpkin, orange zest, orange juice, lime zest and lime juice. Gradually whisk in remaining oil. Reserve. Heat non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Sear fresco cheese on each side until golden brown. Remove from pan and cool. Slice each rectangle on diagonal. Arrange baguette slices on serving platter. Top each with few pieces of arugula followed by slice of fresco cheese. Drizzle with pumpkin mojo.

CULTURE

DECEMBER 26, 2014 – JANUARY 1, 2015

STOJ

Revisiting the color of Jesus Faith leaders discuss lack of Blacks in ‘Exodus’ movie, traditional portrayals of Jesus as White BY JOEY MATTHEWS TRICE EDNEY NEWS WIRE

Editor’s note: At the close of the National March Against Police Violence in Washington, D.C. on Dec. 13, the Rev. Jamal-Harrison Bryant declared that Jesus is Black. “Hollywood didn’t get the memo. Jesus is Black,” he proclaimed as he announced Black Solidarity Sunday, encouraging people to wear Black to church the next day to send the message that “Black lives matter.” This unrelated story, featured recently in the Richmond Free Press, hashes out the oft-occurring discussion on the historic race and complexion of Jesus. ’Tis the season for depictions of baby Jesus and other biblical figures in movies and plays,a on cards and in churches. In response to a Richmond Free Press query, several Richmond, Va.-area faith leaders said it’s time to convey the truth — that pictures of a White Jesus with long flowing locks adorning the sanctuaries of many churches are not accurate. Nor is the portrayal, as in many Christmas plays and re-enactments, of a White baby Jesus surrounded by a Caucasian Mary and Joseph and White travelers from afar coming to worship him in Bethlehem. Further, those faith leaders said, it’s time for Hollywood to get its act together as well. They point to the latest Hollywood movie, “Exodus,” featuring a cast of mostly White actors, including Christian Bales as Moses, in which people of color are relegated to lesser roles such as servants of the pharaoh.

‘Exodus’ panned “The use of mostly Caucasians for the movie ‘Exodus,’ and as the historical Jesus, is historically incorrect and a fabricated myth,” said Dr. Michael A. Sanders, pastor of Mount Olive Baptist Church on South Side Richmond. “The Bible and authentic biblical scholarship have proven so. “From a public policy perspective,” he added, “It justifies unequal and unfair treatment for certain people, especially African-American men. This pervasive attitude and practice has prompted a national protest to show that ‘Black men matter too!’ The Rev. Phoebe A. Roaf, rec-

Forward, who pastors Mount Level Baptist Church in Amelia County, seconded that point. “Ancient depictions of Jesus greatly differ from today’s figures, actors in Hollywood and those used in many churches despite the race of the congregation,” he said.” Careful study of the historical Jesus described in the book of Revelation 1:14-15 — and archaeological and temperate zone data readily available via Google search — could not be clearer that Jesus was a Black man. “For both Blacks and Whites, things are slow to change to reflect a true description of Jesus — and other Biblical figures — based on history and reality versus today’s biased depictions done to suit whatever purpose and profit motivations,” he stated. “As a society, we have come a long way and have a long, long, long, way to go.”

tor at St. Philip’s Episcopal Church on North Side, stated, “People relate to images that are familiar to them, either because they look like them or they have always seen things presented in a certain light. It’s an emotional choice and subconscious for many people. “Many of the famous depictions of Christ come from European painters in the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries, who painted Christ to look like that period of time,” she added. “Anyone who has been to the Middle East knows that Semitic people are darker and have curly hair, so I am most comfortable with images of Christ that look Semitic.” She noted, however, that Christmas provides the opportunity to focus on the significance of Jesus’ birth, not so much on the color of his skin.

Deliberate exclusion? The Rev. Delores L. McQuinn, associate minister at New Bridge Baptist Church in Highland Springs and a state delegate representing Richmond, shared the view that “Exodus” only mirrors the majority of Hollywood biblical films that historically have reflected a pro-White slant. “Mostly White casts — and in some instances all White casts — are typical for Hollywood’s mode of operation,” she said. “Many people have expressed that it appears to be a deliberate effort on behalf of Hollywood to not shine positive light on people of color.” She said those misrepresentations have rallied the Black church to “celebrate our culture, educate our people, commemorate our contributions and convey the message that we matter to God, and He will continue to use us.” She said she expects to see more accurate images and portrayals of Jesus and other figures as public awareness grows and calls increase for historical truths to be told.

Gospel icon’s message Larry Bland, a Richmond gospel music icon, said he is perplexed that some churches with Black congregations portray Jesus as White. “With the vast amount of information we now have that substantiates Jesus’ skin color being other than White, how Black churches can continue to perpetuate this incorrect image is beyond my comprehension,” he said. He reasoned: “Why waste time trying to describe what Jesus looks like. Clearly, those of us of

‘More pressing issues’

This depiction of Jesus, called “Jesus of the People” was painted by artist Janet McKenzie. In 1999, it won the National Catholic Reporter’s contest, seeking a “new image of Jesus.’’

The Rev. F. Todd Gray, pastor at Fifth Street Baptist Church on North Side Richmond, said he’s not surprised by the overwhelmingly White bent of Hollywood films such as “Exodus.” “It is as old as Charlton Heston as Moses, Liz Taylor as Cleopatra and as recently as Ewan McGregor as Jesus in ‘Last Days in the Desert,’” he said. “It is important to try to be more historically and ethnically accurate, but it is more important that our people see themselves reflected as participants in the human and divine drama. “Right now, we have much more pressing issues than Hollywood’s casting,” he added.

Not blond, blue-eyed

A traditional photo of Jesus is pictured above. A pastor notes that historically, Jesus would have been Palestinian and probably not blond and blue-eyed. faith — Black, White, Red, Yellow, Brown – believe that we are made in his image. And so, if there were a picture of him, it would have to be all-inclusive, whatever image that would be. Why waste time trying to create a picture that is, obviously, way beyond our comprehension.”

Doesn’t change facts Dr. Lance D. Watson, senior pastor at St. Paul’s Baptist Church in Henrico County, sounded a bah humbug note to those who depict biblical characters in European-centric fashion. “Historically, both Jesus and

Moses share the commonality of being born into cultures shaped by African heritage and history. Yet both figures are often recast in the image of Western Europeans,” he stated. “This is historically inaccurate and all of us, regardless of our ethnicity and culture, should be concerned that history is accurately reported and conveyed to future generations. To distort it for whatever reasons does not change it.”

History lesson Dr. Charles Shannon, president of Faith Leaders Moving

The Rev. David J. Stanfill of Holy Rosary Catholic Church in the East End said, as a White pastor of an African-American Roman Catholic parish, he tries to best represent those he serves. “Almost all of our artwork at the parish is done from the Black perspective, which I feel is very unique and special. Our baby Jesus is Black. Our crucifix was hand carved in Africa,” he said. The Rev. Shay Auerbach, pastor at Sacred Heart Catholic Church on South Side, serves a predominately Latino congregation. “Actually, we have to remember the White baby Jesus itself is an accommodation,” he stated. “Historically, Jesus would have been Palestinian, probably not blond and blue-eyed. “When Christianity got to Europe, it was natural for them to want a Jesus that looked like them. Of course, through colonialism, that White Jesus was taken to the Americas, Asia, and Africa,” he said. He concluded that for Christmas celebrations among Latinos today, baby Jesus has a variety of skin tones “ranging from White to Black.”

This story is special to the Trice Edney News Wire from the Richmond Free Press.

Students compete to wear ties in class focusing on integrity all patterns, widths and colors. The solid red neckties are a different class. These require points — 100 of them. Points can be earned or lost daily depending if a student is in uniform, on time, or participating. Devin Davis had 96 points. He’s almost there, he said smiling. “Tomorrow I think I’ll get it,” he said. “I want them to see I have integrity.”

BY ELISA CROUCH ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH (TNS)

ST. LOUIS — There’s a ritual to the morning in Jim Triplett’s fifth grade classroom – a class of all boys at Gateway Elementary School. The fifth-graders greet their teacher and shake his hand. They sharpen their pencils. And then they put on their ties. Striped ties. Bow ties. Paisley ones. Multi-colored. A few in solid red. Not all of the fifth-graders have earned the right to wear one, but those who have go about the task of putting them on immediately. “You have to earn it,” Clarence Boykins said, sticking his chest out as he adjusted a solid red tie around the collar of his white polo shirt. “People know you have a certain amount of integrity to wear one.” He adjusted the two ends to make sure the wide end was lower. Then came the twist from behind. “This is how you make a double Windsor knot,” he said, demonstrating. Ties symbolize success in Triplett’s classroom, on the second floor of Gateway Elementary, a magnet school of mostly African-American students northwest of downtown.

Integrity is key The word “integrity” is said often here. It’s defined on a waisthigh sheet of paper in the front of the room as, “Doing the right thing when, even if it’s hard to do, and when no one’s looking.” But even when it seems like no

Thrive on competition

DAVID CARSON/ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH/TNS

Gateway Elementary School fifth grader DeMarco Jones, left, helps classmate DeAndre Garrett get his tie adjusted properly at the start of the school day on Nov. 20. The students have to earn the privilege of wearing ties by displaying integrity and doing the right thing, even when no one is watching. one is looking, “I tell them that the world is watching,” Triplett said. It’s a message that the 23 fifthgraders understand, even in a world where pre-adolescents find basketball players and rappers cooler than men in suits. And so, they go about their day as if every moment counts. They thank the door holder for holding the door. They cheer when another classmate successfully does a math problem on

the interactive white board in the front of the room. And they help each other put on neckties.

A motivator Even when tied properly, Ahmad Muhammad’s black-andbeige tie hangs below his waist. After all, it’s a “real” tie and not a little boy’s clip-on. When asked who typically wears neckties, Ah-

mad listed them without hesitation: “teachers, doctors, businesses, the president.” “Many people wear ties to work so they can do a good job,” he said, sitting at his desk. This is also the case in Triplett’s classroom. Neckties have become a motivator to learn and to do well on tests. Scoring 80 percent or higher on an end-of-unit test earns the right to wear a regular tie — the ones that come in

Triplett has had nearly all of these children since they were in third grade, shortly after Gateway Elementary began experimenting with single-gender classrooms. The school has also begun “looping” a few teachers — keeping them with the same students for several years. Triplett knows his fifth graders well. He knows they thrive on competition. The ties have created a pecking order through a meritocracy that any of them can join, if only they work hard and make the right choices. He hopes the lessons stay with them. He came by teaching as a second career, earning a bachelor’s degree in education and then becoming a Teach For America corps member. He remembers growing up in St. Louis, navigating the public school system as an African-American. He went to Clark Elementary, a city school that is now closed, and then went to middle and high school in University City. “I know what kind of things they’re going to be dealing with,” Triplett said.

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DECEMBER 26, 2014 – JANUARY 1, 2015

FINEST & ENTERTAINMENT

Meet some of

FLORIDA’S

finest

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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.

More than 4,000 cruisers joined nationally syndicated radio talk show host Tom Joyner on the 13th annual Tom Joyner Foundation Fantastic Voyage 2012 aboard Royal Caribbean’s “Navigator of the Seas,” one of the world’s largest cruise ships. The Florida Courier spotlights some of the best-looking people on board. Dione, a native of Atlanta, was on her second Tom Joyner cruise. Ross of Portsmouth, Va., was on his third Tom Joyner cruise. He was previously featured as one of Florida’ Finest after the 2010 cruise. DELROY COLE / FLORIDA COURIER

dione ross

‘Belle, ‘Birdman,’ ‘Selma’ among year’s best movies The fictional Belle (Gugu MbathaRaw) is shown with her cousin (Sarah Gadon) in the film “Belle.’’

BY DWIGHT BROWN NNPA FILM CRITIC

As 2104 draws to a close it’s a perfect time to reflect on noteworthy films, strong performances and the strides that Black artists made this past year. It’s also a good time to spotlight the top-quality movies that will vie for Oscars and be released in theaters and on DVD/VOD in weeks to come.

‘Belle’ A mind-boggling story based on fact about a biracial female being raised in a White aristocratic home in 18th-century England. Actress extraordinaire Gugu Mbatha-Raw lights up the screen in a very romantic and surprisingly socially relevant tale. Lavish production elements. Nice acting all around. Strong writing by Misan Sagay. Smart direction by British director Amma Asante. (***1/2)

‘Beyond the Lights ‘ This ode to chanteuses fighting personal demons (Rihana-types) is the brainchild of writer/ director Gina Prince-Bythewood, who made the most romantic film of the year. A wayward pop/hiphop singer (Gugu MbathaRaw, “Belle’’) is rescued by a stoic, virile cop (Nate Parker). A sweet, modern love story set in the soul-eating, kinetic music industry. Well written, di-

rected and acted. (***)

‘Birdman’ It’s not like Michael Keaton’s career was kaput, but it seems like he raised himself from the dead with this invigorating performance. Mexican director/writer Alejandro González Iñárritu gave Keaton a plum role as a hasbeen actor and ex-super hero trying to make it big on Broadway. The line between reality and fantasy is blurred. Excellent acting from all involved including Ed Norton and Naomi Watts. (****)

‘Boyhood ‘ Shooting a film over the course of 12 years takes patience and imagina-

tion. Writer/director Richard Linklater had that in abundance as he followed the life of a small boy into young adulthood. Patricia Arquette as the stalwart mom is superb and Ethan Hawke as the bungling dad is pretty good too. (****)

‘Dear White People’ The narrative follows the plight of four Black students at an almost allWhite Ivy League school. Biting satire plays havoc with race relations. Credit filmmaker Justin Simien with a brilliant view of a complex subject and for equating Quentin Tarantino’s Django with Birth of a Nation and Gone With the Wind. Bravo. (***)

Sony emails: Studio head wants Elba as first Black Bond EURWEB.COM

The leaked Sony emails just keep on coming. From the same leaked Sony Pictures email trove that revealed an unidentified producer who said international audiences

are racist and wouldn’t support a film with Denzel Washington comes another email saying the opposite about Idris Elba. Elba, a popular British actor, is being seriously considered as the first Black James Bond. “Idris should be the next Bond,”

‘Grand Budapest Hotel ‘ Wes Anderson’s quirky films (“The Royal Tenenbaums”) have been an acquired taste only a few could love until this whimsical story about a snowy mountaintop hotel in the fictional Republic of Zubrowka. To hell with conventional storytelling, just throw in a confusing plotline, a bazillion cameos and wait for the dust to settle. Sweet ensemble acting. Tony Revolori, as the quirky bellboy Zero Moustafa, steals the movie. (***1/2)

‘St. Vincent’ Something about saying grouch and eccentric and

Sony Pictures chief Amy Pascal wrote nearly a year ago in an e-mail to Elizabeth Cantillon, a former executive vice president at Columbia Pictures, ac- Idris cording to dthe Elba Daily Beast. That email, among thousands of others that includes salary re-

Bill Murray seems redundant. Murray is a Brooklyn neighbor who babysits the vulnerable kid next door. His idea of teaching the boy how to be a man involves betting on the horses, drinking in bars and beating up the class bully. Cool. Nicely directed by Theodore Melfi. Melissa McCarthy, Naomi Watts and Terrence Howard chew up the scenery in the year’s best comedy. (***1/2)

‘Selma’ It’s as if David Oyelowo was born to play Martin Luther King. Same nose, skin tone and cadence. Carmen Ejogo as Coretta is perfectly cast too. Smartly directed by Ava DuVernay,

ports and bits of script and rough footage was released by hackers believed to be from or representing North Korea.

Craig ready to quit Daniel Craig, the current Bond, is signed on to one more “James Bond” installment, “Spectre,” due out on Nov. 5, 2015. That film might be held up from completing production because of the email leak and the resulting

who steps out of the shadows of small indie filmmaking to create an Oscarcaliber, historical film that depicts the bravery of a civil rights activist and a fiery reverend who out-smarted LBJ and got the Voting Rights Bill passed. Inspiring. (****)

‘Starred Up’ A violent British adolescent (Jack O’Connell, Unbroken) gets sent to a tough prison where his dad (Ben Mendolsohn) is a career jailbird. This brutal film makes Oz look like Sesame Street. Stark realism is so gruesome you can’t look at the screen. Director David Mackenzie gets under the grimy skin of prison life in a way that will make you never one want to get arrested. (***1/2)

‘Whiplash’ Who knew band practice could be equated with emotional abuse? Young actor Miles Teller plays a very ambitious drum student at a prestigious music school who is tormented by an instructor (J.K Simmons), who is more sadistic than Satan. Damien Chazelle’s script takes you places you didn’t dream you’d go and his direction doesn’t give you a way out. You’ll stay until the best man wins. (***1/2) For more on the year’s movies, visit DwightBrownInk.com.

problems. Interestingly, Craig has been trying to get out of the role ever since he agreed to star in it. “I’ve been trying to get out of this from the very moment I got into it. But they won’t let me go, and I’ve agreed to do a couple more, but let’s see how this one does, because business is business, and if the sh*t goes down, I’ve got a contract that somebody will happily wipe their a*s with,” Craig told the Daily Beast in 2012.

DECEMBER 26, 2014 – JANUARY 1, 2015

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