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NATIONAL WEEKLY | THURSDAY, JAN 11 – JAN 17, 2018 | VOL. 15 NO. 2
N E T W O R K T H E
M O S T
W I D E L Y
C I R C U L A T E D
C A R I B B E A N
A M E R I C A N
N E W S P A P E R
I N
F L O R I D A
REALLY? FIRE, FURY & OPRAH by Garth A. Rose
Like other communities in the US, since last week, some people in South Florida's Caribbean community have been caught up in the feverish backlash to a book, and a speech. It was on Wednesday, January 3 that excepts of the book, “Fire and Fury” began circulating on social media and on several broadcast networks. The book, authored by Michael Wolfe, consisted of a series of interviews the author conducted at the White House during the first nine months of Donald Trump's presidency. It's described as “the inside story of the most controversial presidency of our time.” Public attention to the book was spiked when the first news circulated was of caustic criticisms made by former White House advisor Steve Bannon against Eric Trump, the president's youngest son. According to the book, Bannon said the younger Trump committed treason during a meeting with a Russian at Trump Tower during the 2016 presidential campaign. But, excerpts of the book also questioned the president's mental stability. Although the White Hose attempted to stop distribution of the book with a “Cease and Desist” order, the publishers advanced publication to Friday, January 5. Several Caribbean-Americans in South Florida, admitted to CNW that “through curiosity of what was going on in the White House,” they attempted to purchase either
Kindle or hard copy versions of the book through Amazon, and other book-selling websites. Megan Dennis, of Davie, said she tried purchasing a copy around noon on Friday, but learned the book was sold out. “But I tried again later, and my copy is on its way. I simply can't resist finding out what seems to be fascinating details from this book.” By Saturday people were redistributing the PDF version of the 321-page book on social media platforms like Whatsapp. Not surprisingly, since the overwhelming majority of registered voters in South Florida's Caribbean community are Democrats, the reaction to the book is divided along party lines. Democrats revel in the reported findings by the author, while Republicans and Trump supporters are skeptical of the book's content,
Media hype surrounded Oprah Winfrey for a possible presidential run in 2020, following her inspiring speech after winning the Cecil B. de Mille award at the Golden Globes. and the motives of the author. Dr. Bertram Belnavis, a retired corporate behavioral specialist, cautions people not “to be carried away by the author's claim that President Trump is mentally unstable. One's mental fitness cannot be assessed by simply observing one's behavior patterns. This conclusion, either way, should be based on a thorough psychiatric examination.” Belnavis, who have accessed a copy of the book says several excerpts “puzzles” him. “For example, why would Brannon, a key member of
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MLK's Jamaican Connection by Garth A. Rose
Despite being consumed with the demands of securing civil rights for the black population in the United States, the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. took time out for recreation. According to his former aide and former US Ambassador to the United Nations, Andrew Young, Jamaica was one of Dr. King's favorite places to get away to. In an interview that has recently been circulating on social media, Young said that he visited Jamaica on several occasions with Dr. King. “Jamaica was one of Dr. King's favorite places to visit,” Young said. “He would visit Jamaica almost every year. In fact, most of Dr. King's books were written in Jamaica.” Personally, I wasn't privy to those visits by Dr. King, but I vividly remember, almost 53 later, Dr. King's visit to Jamaica as a guest of the government and the University of the West Indies in 1965. At the UWI graduation ceremony on June 20, 1965, Dr. King was invited to present the valedictorian sermon. A student at the university of the time, I was fortunate to be a guest of the Department of Government Studies and had a very good seat to see and hear the great man speak. To be frank, although Dr. King was at the center of American Civil Rights movement by 1965, there were some of us on the university campus, and throughout Jamaica, who had not been following his achievements closely and were not overly excited about his pending address at the graduation continues on A8 MLK
continues on A4 – Fire and Fury
WHAT’S INSIDE NEWSMAKER
CARIBBEAN
ENTERTAINMENT
SPORTS
THIS JAMAICAN ACTOR IS COMING TO STARZ’ POWER A3
T&T COULD ELECT FIRST WOMAN HEAD OF STATE A4
RHYTHMS OF AFRICA RETURN TO MIRAMAR B2
CAN YOU GUESS WHY USAIN BOLT IS NERVOUS? C1