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Meet the Rattlers Thursday, October 25, 2018 6:30-8:30pm The Black Academy of Arts and Letters 1309 Canton St Dallas, TX 75201

MY TRUTH By Cheryl Smith Publisher

Loving and Forgiving I was already prepared to focus this week’s column on the life of a dear friend, Mr. Dick Gregory, who transitioned last August.

October 12, was his 86th birthday. I valued his friendship when he was alive and over the 24-plus years I knew him and got to know his beautiful wife, Lillian, and other family members.

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JOURNAL

Gipson aims for constable seat Election Update

“I have served as a Senior Sergeant Criminal InvestigaBill Gipson is the 2018 tor in the Juvenile Division Democratic nominee for of the Dallas County District Dallas County Constable Attorney's Office. In this Precinct 2. This precinct role, I was responsible for a covers much of northrange of tasks, from collecteastern Dallas County: ing evidence, to conducting Garland, Mesquite, Sunnyinvestigations of criminal vale, and East Dallas, incases, to participating in jury cluding parts of Rowlett, selection. I have also worked Sachse, and Balch Springs. in various roles as a Deputy “I am running because I Sheriff for the Dallas County am committed to fair and Candidate Bill Gipson with wife, Latonya and children Ki- Sheriff's Office, ranging from efficient government, and mora, Josiah, and Jazmyne. traffic and patrol, court serI know I have the work ethvices, and jail operations,” he justice and law enforcement expeic and skills we need in this office,” rience, I will bring integrity, strong added. he explained. “As a military veter- management skills, and Servant A 3/381st Training Support Batan and experienced community Leadership to the office of Dallas talion HHC First Sergeant in the leader with 20 years of criminal County Constable Precinct 2.

United States Army Reserves, Mr. See GIBSON, page 3

Doris Newsome

Then I arrived back in town from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University’s (FAMU) homecoming, to find that an old friend, a fellow Warrior, Doris Newsome had transitioned. I met Doris about 28 years ago and I always thought of her as a sweet, compassionate, fun-loving and supportive person. She was also really cute! She was a joy to be around.

I knew Doris was battling cancer and it appeared she was victorious.

I followed her on social media but life was happening over in my arena and we hadn’t been in touch in years.

Which brings me to my truth.

While at homecoming, I saw people I hadn’t seen in decades — some were friends and others had to remind me who they were. But it was all good.

I had just exited FAMU’s convocation where the dynamic mayor of Atlanta, my sorority sister Keisha Lance Bottoms was the keynoter and she was introduced by the first female drum major in the history of FAMU’s incomparable Marching 100 Band, Cori Bostic.

I was celebrating my 40th anniversary as a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, initiated through the Beta Alpha Cori Bostic C h a p t e r FAMU's Marching 100 (BADST) where dentist extraordinaire, Dallas’ own Dr. Kera Collier celebrated her 15th; songbird, educator and former Lancaster, TX first-lady Tengemana Hill Knight (who has a birthday on the 20th) and Queen Bee Shewan Foster celebrated their 25th; and actress supreme Tkeyah "Crystal" Keymah celebrated her 35th.

I also got to see local students Erika Johnson, my nephew Michael Black, Sidney Fleeks and Carrington Whigham; and super alum Royle King, who is the basileus of the Chi Omega Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity.

Then I saw her.

We have not spoken in at least 30 years. But 40 years ago she was known as my little sister, around FAMU’s campus.

I looked at her as she purchased items from a vendor.

See MY TRUTH, page 6

Gillum shocks political world, sets stage for three Black U.S Governors

By Lauren Victoria Burke NNPA Newswire Columnist

Wildly outspent by a billionaire challenger and the daughter of a former Florida Governor, Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, 39, shocked the political establishment to win the gubernatorial primary in Florida on August 28.

Gillum defeated former Congresswoman Gwen Graham 3431 percent to win the Democratic nomination. He will now face pro-Trump Congressman Ron DeSantis in the general election on November 6. Gillum's victory caught many political observers by surprise. The 39-year old Mayor was polling in fourth place less than a month ago. But recent polls showed an upward movement to second place. Gillum and his sup-

porters completed that upward movement by coming in first on election night.

Gillum's victory sets up a historic opportunity for there to be three sitting African American Governors in the U.S. for the first time in history. Former Georgia lawmaker Stacey Abrams is the Democratic nominee or Governor of Georgia after a decisive July 24 primary victory. Abrams would be the first African American woman to be a Governor from any state should she win. Former NAACP President Ben Jealous is running for Governor in Maryland against moderate incumbent Republican Larry Hogan.

There are also four Black candidates for Lt. Governor running this year for the first time in history.

Gillum's progressive victory was

Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, 39, shocked the political establishment to win the gubernatorial primary in Florida on August 28th

cemented in part by a late visit by Sen. Bernie Sanders in support of his candidacy.

Though he did not win, the Independent Vermont U.S. Senator who ran for President in 2016, foSee GILLUM, page 6

OCTOBER 17, 2018

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VOL XVIII ISSUE 4 OCTOBER 17, 2018

Weinstein charge dropped, Cosby supporters cry foul

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia

Harvey Weinstein (Photo: Wikimedia Commons / David Shankbone)

Is Bill Cosby paying the price for all of the sins in the #MeToo era, even though his conviction was based on something outside of that protest?

It certainly appears that way, supporters argue.

And, that argument grew louder when prosecutors in New York announced they were dropping portions of the criminal charges against disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein.

The tossed charge — count six — involves allegations made by one of the three accusers in the case, Lucia Evans, who was among the first women to publicly accuse the disgraced movie mogul of sexual assault, according to Page Six. In an exposé published in The New Yorker a year ago, Evans accused Weinstein of forcing her to perform oral sex when they met alone in his Tribeca office in 2004 to discuss her fledgling acting career.

At the time, Evans was a 21-yearold college student.

Assistant District Attorney Joan Illuzzi-Orbon told the judge this See WEINSTEIN, page 6

2

OCTOBER 17, 2018

October 19

GARLAND JOURNAL

GARLAND COMMUNITY CALENDAR

”My beauty is Deeper Than What You See” Hosted by: I Me Apparels by K. at Little Elm Rec. Center 303 Main St. 2:30 pm-5:30 pm. A workshop for High School age young ladies. Educating them on self-awareness, embracement of self, health, & fitness and finances.

WWW.GARLANDJOURNAL.COM

October 28

November 3 Final Championship Rodeo for Cowboys of Color at Mesquite Championship Rodeo 1818 Rodeo Dr. Mesquite. 7:30pm. Calf Roping, relay, steer riding, barrel racing, and etc. Half time show included.

Community Health Fair at Fresh Oil Point Ministries Church 2930 S. Peachtree Rd. Balch Springs Free

The Exchange- DFW African American Market and Vendor Showcase Host: YBEN & D Group at Martin Luther King, Jr. Recreation Center 2901 Pennsylvania Ave. Dallas 12 pm-5 pm.

STATE FAIR FOOTBALL

SHOWDOWN –

November 6 ELECTION DAY November 7

November 2

State Fair Football Showdown College Fair at Cedar Valley College 8:30am - 1:30 pm

November Women’s EmPower Brunch Hosted by: The Every Heart Project at The Egg & I Restaurants 3328 E. Hebron Parkway Ste. 100, Carrolton. 11 am-1 pm.

October 20 Texas Southern University vs. Southern University Cotton Bowl 2 pm.

November 8 Art & Wine Walk Downtown Plano Host: Plano Magazine. 998 E. 15th St. 5 pm-9 pm Recurring events thru 12-13-18 Tickets: www.visitdowntownplano.com Theme for November: Neon Night.

Nina Garcia, bka as Mo'Ka of the dynamic duo Mo'ka and Co'ka, celebrates her birthday today!

AND EVERYDAY! 24-7 she is the hard-working, dedicated member of the I Messenger Media Team!

October 25

The Market Place In Downtown Garland at 105 N. 6th St. 9 am-2 pm. Come down to Downtown Garland Square for the Marketplace every 1st & 3rd Saturdays of the month from April through October from 9 am-2 pm The Marketplace is an outdoor market with fresh local produce, culinary items, craftsman vendors and local artisans displaying their crafts, jewelry, pottery, wood home decor, and wood carvings. For more information, go to http://www.themarketplacedfw.com. Vendor SUBMISSIONS CONTACT Email: Kirk.Eventive@live. com : 469-275-9616.

The Florida A&M National Alumni Association, Dallas-Fort Worth Chapter is hosting a Meet the Rattlers: Florida A&M University Informational.

Meet the Rattlers Thursday, October 25, 2018 6:30pm-8:30pm The Black Academy of Arts and Letters 1309 Canton St Dallas, TX 75201 This forum will provide students, parents, counselors, and school administrators with information on the academic programs offered at the university, as well as the enrollment process, scholarships available, and admissions procedures. We will be joined by Dr. William Hudson, Vice President of Student Affairs at FAMU, local alumni, and other University officials. Share with your networks and invite and encourage students to attend. Have students visit https://meettherattlers2018.eventbrite. com to register and RSVP.

October 27 Teen Summit Hosted by: Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Collin County Alumnae Chapter. L.I.F.E.- Learn, Inspire, Focus, Engage at Collin County Community College Preston Ridge Campus 9700 Wade Blvd.

Frisco 8:30 am.

SLAVERY AT JEFFERSON’S MONTICELLO PARADOX OF LIBERTY S E P T E M B E R 2 2 – D E C E M B E R 3 1 , 2 01 8 African American Museum at Fair Park

Presented for the first time west of the Mississippi River, this landmark exhibition uses objects from museum collections and archaeological excavations to examine slavery through the lens of Jefferson’s plantation and the experiences of six families living at Monticello.

FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO PURCHASE TICKETS, GO TO

MonticelloInDallas.com

44th Harambee Festival at MLK Jr. Community Center 2922 Martin Luther King Jr., Blvd. Dallas 11 am-5 pm

.

BUY YOUR TICKETS TODAY!

www.statefairshowdown.com

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GARLAND JOURNAL

Change is on its way

By Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson

Sadly, on two occasions in the past twenty-seven years two justices have been seated as members of the United States Supreme Court despite serious allegations from highly-credible professional women that they both participated in acts of sexual misconduct, including assault.

The claims and sworn public testimony of the women were ultimately dismissed and belittled by those who backed the justices.

One of them was even ridiculed by the president who stated his blatant disbelief even

after calling her a credible witness days before. The president’s remarks were crude, rude and in extremely poor taste.

U.S. Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas and Brett Kavanaugh now sit together on the nine-member United States Supreme Court. They will help decide the constitutionality of laws that will govern our nation and its people for decades to come.

It is all quite sad!

Interestingly, both Justices Thomas and Kavanaugh were appointed by Republican presidents and appeared before Senate panels that were overwhelmingly male. In some instances, individual members on the committee were openly hostile to the two women, and even displayed sympathy to the accused nominees. It was as if what the women said did not matter.

In the most recent case involving now

Justice Kavanaugh, the woman bringing the accusation, Professor Christine Blasey Ford, a research scientist, was deliberate and highly believable during her testimony. Her demeanor was profoundly impressive.

During portions of his testimony before the Judiciary Committee Justice Kavanaugh was bombastic, caustic, and highly partisan, qualities that are contrary to the demeanor that any judge on any court should have or display.

In fact, his presentation was so unusual that retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens commented that Justice Kavanaugh should not become a member of the Supreme Court, citing his temperament as a disqualifying factor. I agreed with the former justice without reservation.

While a very slim Republican majority may have won the confirmation battle in

OCTOBER 17, 2018

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the Senate and witnessed their candidate taking the oath of office, they should not be jubilant. Millions of fair-minded people witnessed the hearings and believed Dr. Ford whose character and truthfulness was sacrificed by the majority.

Women were especially hurt by the treatment of Dr. Ford by some of her detractors who are office holders. These women will roar like lions on November 6th when the nation goes to the polls to choose members of the House of Representatives, and the United States Senate.

They will not forget the treatment of Dr. Hill or that of Professor Hill nearly three decades ago. Women are weary of being trampled upon and dismissed like leaves in the wind. They will demonstrate their disapproval and change the face of Washington, and its behavior.

Never too early to get flu vaccine Fall not only marks the beginning of shorter days and cooler temperatures, it signifies the start of flu season.

And providers at Parkland Health & Hospital System are reminding Dallas County residents about of the importance of getting vaccinated for the flu.

“It's never too early or too late to get your flu vaccine,” said Pranavi Sreeramoju, MD, Chief of Infection Prevention at Parkland and Associate Professor of Internal Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center. “Although the season generally lasts from October through March, it can be different from year to year. Since it's so unpredictable, we want to encourage everyone to get vaccinated as soon as possible.”

Although most people infected by the flu recover, it can be a serious illness especially for young children and older adults. In addition, people with certain preexisting conditions are at higher risk for flu complications, including those with asthma, diabetes, heart disease, HIV infection, cancer, history of stroke, adults 65 and older and those who have family members at high risk.

Still, Dr. Sreeramoju said people often don't get immunized because of a lack of information about vaccines or a fear based on misinfor-

mation and myths. “Some people believe getting the flu shot will make them sick, but that's not the case,” she said. “After receiving the vaccine some patients may experience symptoms like a low-grade fever, but the symptoms usually go away within a day or two.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends a yearly flu vaccine for all persons aged 6 months and older even when the virus has not changed from the previous season. “A person's immune protection from vaccination declines over time so an annual vaccination is needed to get the best protection,” she said.

“Each season is unpredictable, but what is predictable is protection,” said Karla Voy-Hatter, RN, Director of Infection Prevention at Parkland. "Annual flu vaccination is the most important measure we have to prevent infection."

Voy-Hatter said following a few simple steps could help reduce the risk of catching the flu: • Clean your hands often using soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer • Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve when coughing or sneezing to help keep from spreading germs • Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth • Keep your distance from others who are sick • Stay home when you are sick to avoid passing the virus to others • Practice good health habits • Drink plenty of fluids and eat nutritious food • Get plenty of sleep and exercise • Manage your stress Parkland's Community Oriented Primary Care health centers offer flu vaccines as part of its Walk-In Wednesday's program. Dallas County residents can receive flu vaccines without making an appointment from 9 am to 12 pm and 1 to 4 pm every Wednesday throughout the fall and winter months. Appointments can be scheduled by calling 214-266-4000.

Gipson, continued from front page

Gipson Family

Gipson touts significant staff manage- LULAC #4220, American Legion Post ment, budget, logistical and manage- #504, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc., Dalment responsibilities, as well as over- las County Peace Officers Association, seeing training operations. He has also the North Texas Crime Commission, been honored with two Army Achieve- Garland Area Democratic Club, Dallas ment Medals and two Army Commen- County East Democrats and Rowlett dation Medals.

Democratic Club.

In addition to a Master's Degree in According to Mr. Gipson, “We need Public Administration a qualified, experienced from Texas Southern leader who cares in the University and a Bacherole of Constable for Prelor's Degree in Criminal cinct 2.

Justice from Stephen "I know I can do this job F. Austin State Univerwell and make you proud. sity, he holds a Texas I ask for your support in Commission of Law Enthe November General forcement Master Peace Election in 2018.”

License, Master Jailer LiMr. Gipson is married cense and Basic Instructo the former Latonya MiBill Gipson tor Certification. chell Brown of Pine Hill, In the community, Mr. Alabama. They have three Gipson is the Founder and President of children Kimora, Josiah, and Jazmyne.

Southern Greens Community Outreach, an active member of NAACP Garland.

Neither the military information nor photographs imendorsement by the Department of Defense or the He is also a member of Kiwanis Inter- ply particular Military Department) national - Garland Chapter, Mesquite

4

OCTOBER 17, 2018

GARLAND JOURNAL

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EDITORIAL/OPINION

Dawn Blair is passionate, prepared, persistent

QUIT PLAYIN’

By Vincent L. Hall Let me begin by clearing up a few things about my friend, who is the best of the outstanding 13 candidates vying for the Dallas City Council District Four seat that was recently vacated.

Dawn Blair is a member of the Blair family, and that’s where the confusion begins.

Let me end it.

There are at least three very notable Blair families steeped in the history of Black Dallas.

Some of you will recall the former City Council member and State Representative icon, Fred Blair. The same Fred Blair owned a real estate company

that bore his name.

Dawn ain’t related.

You cannot be a history minor and not know that there was another Blair whose newspapers have covered almost every church in Dallas for the past 40 years or more. The late publisher, Negro League baller and iconic historian who founded the Elite News was William “Bill� Blair.

And although Dawn knows the paper’s publisher, Darryl Blair, and the family; she ain’t related to that Blair family either.

The Blair, Meshack, Starks and White families that Dawn does belong to are also a legend in this city. They were thriving entrepreneurs in South Dallas and the Black community for decades. In fact, it was traveling with her grandmother, Mabel White and her Aunt Alberta Blair that ignited a passion in her that has finally come to the surface.

Dawn’s great-great-great

grandmother Emma Starks, was among the six founders of the Dallas’ historic New Hope Baptist Church. She has learned the value of public service by pretext and example.

take this underserved district to the next level. I want you to meet someone who is ready to go to work‌.Today!

Dawn was born and raised in South Dallas, a product of Phyllis Wheatley and St. An-

Candidate Dawn Blair with Congresswoman Eddie Eddie Bernice Johnson

District Four of the Dallas City Council needs a new Day. Its diverse residents deserve a new Dawning. And there is a candidate who has the passion, preparation and the persistence of character who can

thony Elementary Schools.

She graduated from DISD’s Business Management High and later from Bishop College, which once stood among the tallest of the HBCU campuses.

As I proudly admitted pre-

viously, there are a lot of very good candidates in this race, but Dawn Blair, a real estate professional, is the only candidate with 20-plus years management experience at 1500 Marilla. She has spent over two decades in the Economic Development, Housing and Real Estate departments.

These departments just happen to be the areas that need the most attention in District Four. She can also address the pothole problem that is prevalent in District Four and all of Dallas.

To her credit, Dawn has won the full and unfettered endorsement of Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson. Rep. Johnson did not weigh in for Dawn on the strength of the Blair, White and Meshack names alone. She knows Dawn as the type of person who has the background and the beliefs that leadership requires.

As she drives daily through the heart of the district that

she has lived in for the past 15 years, she has become well accustomed to the errors and the opportunities that are so prevalent in the district. The drive from the Cedar Crest area to the Glen Oaks neighborhood serves as a stark reminder of all that must be done.

All council members have to create bonds with the others. However, there are few instances where a candidate at any level can go in with the level of experience and contact that Dawn can provide.

I rarely get into Council District races, because there are just so few that I can, but don’t let this opportunity pass you. I believe what Dawn says.

She says that she has the Passion, Preparedness and Persistence that can bring about a “New Day.�

I’m with her!!

Vincent L. Hall is an author, activist and award-winning journalist.

Don't Believe the Hype — Vote, our lives depend on it

By Derrick Johnson NAACP CEO and President In the 2016 U.S. presidential election, we were wrong. Political forecasters, pollsters, elected officials, and even media told us that the 45th President of our nation would be a woman named Hillary Clinton, but they were wrong.

In many cases, the margin between who became president and who lost the race was a slim few thousand votes. For example, in the 2016 Presidential election, the winning margin was less than 2 percent in Michigan, Florida, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and two other states. Though the popular

vote was won by Hillary Clinton (in excess of 3 million votes) and the margin between victory and loss was small in many states, the “near victory� serves as cold comfort to those communities whose civil rights are slowly being rolled back under the ominous weight and rise of racism and White nationalism.

Today, like in 2016, we hear the predictions of a powerful political shift in the House of Representatives and possibly the Senate. While these predictions are promising, they alone will not ensure that the interests of the Black community will be affirmed by the winners of the midterm elections.

The only way we will get the respect we deserve is to show up and show out at the polls in November.

When we take our well-deserved seat at the table, we know our impact is always

powerful.

We've seen the collective power of Black women impact key races for office in special elections and primaries. Black women, according to our recent poll which analyzed the 61 most competitive midterm races, are tired of feeling disrespected by the Tr u m p Ad m i n i s tration and have made it a much higher priority to voice their displeasure at the polls. Black men are not far behind them.

They too, along with other communities of color, are tired of the relentless racism permeating our nation and fueled by

politicians.

As we approach November, we hear the faint yet consistent refrain—elections have consequences—ringing in our ears.

Today, as we fight against the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh, we are reminded of the harsh reality that his presence would remake the Supreme Court of the United States into a bastion of conservatism reminiscent of yesteryears when access to our democracy was parceled off according to skin color.

For the Black community, November is a watershed mo-

Early Voting: October 22- November 2

ment. If we fail to vote in numbers respective to our actual political power, future generations will suffer for our apathy.

We don't have to tell our people how to vote, only that we must vote as if our lives and our children's lives depend on it. Because it does.

The NAACP has decided to fight back and we ask you to join us by using your ballot as the weapon of choice.

We ask you to visit NAACP. org to download and share resources to help those you know get registered and mobilized to vote.

We are asking you to reach out to five people in your personal or social networks and bring them with you to the polls.

If you understand the importance of this year's elections, we know that you will sound the alarm, connect with

others, and express your power by casting your vote.

Voting is not just about politics, it's about fighting police brutality, preserving civil rights, providing public education, protecting the right of workers to organize, and giving those who need healthcare access to it. But most importantly, voting is about our ability to live as equals in a society that doesn't always view us as such.

For resources on getting out the vote in your neighborhood and community visit: https:// naacp.org/campaigns/fighting-for-democracy/ Stand strong and voteĂłour lives depend on it! See you at the polls.

Derrick Johnson is the President and CEO of the NAACP. Follow him on Twitter at @DerrickNAACP or @ NAACP. Pledge to vote by Texting NAACP to 40649.

Election Day: November 6

President Laughingstock Last Word

by Dr. Julianne Malveaux Our 45th President rushed back from his United Nations meeting in New York to watch the hearing of his Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, and his accuser Dr. Christine Blasey Ford. Reportedly, he was impressed by Dr. Ford, but excited by Kavanaugh's belligerently offensive session with the senators.

From my perspective, Kavanaugh was disgraceful. He attacked Democratic senators, at one point asking Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar if she had a drinking problem! His angry, entitled temperament was inconsistent with Supreme Court service. But by the time this is published he is likely to have been voted onto the court.

While the Supreme Court

deliberations have dominated the news, it is essential to consider the way that 45 appeared on the world stage.

First, he was inexplicably and rudely late to the UN, signaling his own contempt for the organization and its members. Indeed, according to New Yorker reporter Robin Wright, the UN had to scramble to find another speaker to fill in 45's assigned time.

Then, just minutes after 45 began talking, the assembled group started laughing at him. Undoubtedly they were amused about his assertions of having done more than any other Administration in US history. 45 was speaking to more than one hundred and thirty heads of state and dozens of other delegations. They laughed because 45 is truly funny.

As he ran for President, 45 constantly scolded that our country was the “laughingstock� of the world. Then he stood in front of other world leaders and proved them correct.

Our nation is not a laugh-

ingstock, but President Trump surely is. He is out of touch with the rest of the world, out of order in his dealings with others, and out of control with his myopic “America First� philosophy.

We may still be the most powerful nation in the world, but we are holding onto that perch only tentatively. We're not the largest country in the world.

The population of India, at 1.35 billion, or the population of China, the world's most populous nation, at 1.41 billion people, dwarfs our population of roughly 326 million people.

We are a scant 4.3 percent of the world population. India is 17.7 percent of the world population, and China is a whopping 18.5 percent of the world population. Population size is not necessarily an indicator of power, and most concede that the United States remains an influential world leader. But we are a world leader now led by a clown, the laughingstock of the world.

And in embracing an “America First� doctrine, we isolate ourselves from others and di-

minish our own world power.

Our power has come from our ability to play well in the world. It has come from our embrace of globalism. Indeed, our economic growth has often been a function of our global role. People want to come to the United States, to study the United States, to vacation in the United States and to enjoy the products and brands of the United States (McDonald's and Nike are but two examples).

Our President's behavior repels people from the United States instead of attracting people to us. His jingoistic "America First" speech belied decades of international cooperation. His notion that nations are better off going it alone than working in collaboration is isolationist nonsense. His speech would have been better delivered to his sycophants who drink his Fool-Aid than to a thoughtful international audience of his peer world leaders. “America is governed by Americans,� 45 said. “We reject the ideology of globalism, and we embrace the doctrine of

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patriotism. Inside everyone in this great chamber today, and everyone listening all around the globe, there is the heart of a patriot that feels the same powerful love for your nation, the same intense loyalty to your homeland.� It is possible to be a patriot and also embrace globalism, especially if we are thinking of our nation's well being in the long run. In other words, the world is interlinked, and our countries are intertwined. What would we have to give up if we “went it alone?" I don't think 45 is capable of thinking this through.

What if countries decided to stop doing business with us?

What products would we have to give up?

At the United Nations meeting last year, 45 ridiculed North Korean President Kim Jong Un as "Little Rocket Man." Now Mr. Rocket Man is his new best friend, worthy of 45's praise.

45 heralded his June summit with Kim Jong Un as a success, but there has been little or no progress made toward denuclearization. Now he says he wants another summit with

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the North Korean President. No wonder the world is laughing at him. He doesn't know which way is up!

Thus, he has jeopardized our relationship with Canada, with his "renegotiation" of NAFTA. He has alienated our allies with his insistence on withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal, even as Britain, China, France, Germany, and Russia affirm their agreement to the deal.

And he has continued to coddle Russia, barely mentioning proven Russian interference in US elections.

The world is watching, and the world is laughing. The disastrous display of US jurisprudence in the Kavanaugh case illustrates the breakdown of our democracy.

Further, the amusing performance that our President offered to the United Nations cemented his place as the world laughingstock and disgraced us all!

Julianne Malveaux is an author and economist. Her latest book “Are We Better Off? Race, Obama and Public Policy� is available via www.amazon.com for booking, wholesale inquiries or for more info visit www.juliannemalveaux.com

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Cosby lawyers take first step in appeal

By Stacy M. Brown

NNPA Newswire Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia

Citing doctored evidence, including an exclusive NNPA Newswire report last month that revealed tapes used to convict Bill Cosby were doctored, attorneys for the comedian have formally begun the process they hope will win his release from a Pennsylvania prison where he has spent the past three weeks.

More importantly, Attorney Joe Green and the other members of Cosby's team are hoping their motion for post-sentencing relief is just the start of clearing the comedian who was found guilty of three counts of aggravated indecent assault in April.

Montgomery County Judge Steven O'Neill sentenced Cosby to serve three to 10 years in state prison.

In their new court filing, Cosby's attorneys said the “Verdict was against the weight of the evidence with respect of whether the offense occurred, if at all, within the 12-year statute of limitations.”

The defense introduced business records demonstrating that Cosby was not present in the place alleged during the time that Andrea Constand asserted. O'Neill refused to rule on the statute of limitations and, almost inexplicably, referred the matter to jurors to decide but the jury panel never considered it.

Green also highlighted in his motion that tape recordings between Cosby and Gianna Constand, Andrea's mother, that were used to convict Cosby were doctored or altered in some way. “After discovered evidence in the form of a forensic examination of the Gianna Constand tape discloses that the excerpt played at trial was not authentic,” Green wrote in court filings this weekend.

“Had this information been known at the time of trial, the tape evidence would not have been admitted, or if admitted would have come in subject to powerful challenge leading the jury to doubt its reliability. A different verdict would likely result if a new trial were granted,” he said, citing other cases in which doctored evidence caused a verdict favorable to the defense.

Cosby's lawyers argued that the imposition of the sentence of three to 10 years of total confinement, which is the maximum consistent with the standard range of crime, was not necessary to address the nature and circumstances of what happened between Cosby and Constand in light of the “history, character and condition” of Cosby.

The references of history, character and condition spoke to Cosby's philanthropic efforts, previously spotless record and his blindness. “The court abused its discretion by giving undue weight to retribution over rehabilitation, deterrence and incapacitation,” Green argued.

Bill Cosby's mugshot, taken after being sentenced and remanded for the three counts of aggravated indecent assault he was found guilty of in April.

“As a result, the sentence was not commensurate with incapacitation to protect the public from an 81-yearold, blind defendant who had not even been accused of any criminal conduct occurring within the past 10 or more years.” Green also argued that the court was wrong to consider and rely on, as relevant to sentencing, allegations of uncharged, similar misconduct.

Several legal experts maintain that there are many obvious appealable issues that should have influenced O'Neill to allow Cosby to remain on house arrest on bail while the legal process continues.

“Bill Cosby was tried and convicted without any actual evidence that his crimes had ever been committed, no police reports, no medical records, no collaborating witnesses, just the accusations of women recalling events that occurred 30 years in the past,” said Bob Law, the chairman of the National Black Leadership Alliance.

“And that is in opposition to the legal principle that the accuser cannot bring the action and also be the witness without any collaborating evidence,” Law said.

Lawyers and representatives for Cosby have pointed out a large listing of trial errors, including: Judge O'Neill failed to dismiss the case once Cosby's team proved that the 12-year statute of limitations had expired. O'Neill instead asked the jury to decide whether the statute had expired, and the jury did not consider it.

• Judge O'Neill refused to permit the jury to hear former District Attorney Bruce Castor's testimony that accuser Andrea Constand was “not credible,” and had “repeatedly changed her story.”

• Judge O'Neill did not disclose personal grudges and non-professional interactions between himself and Castor. A past affair between O'Neill and a former assistant district attorney, serving under Castor (who is currently a judge presiding in the same Montgomery County courthouse), was thought to be revealed to O'Neill's wife by Castor.

• In 2005-2006 Castor refused to bring charges against Cosby.

• Judge O'Neill refused to remove a juror who openly said Cosby was “guilty, we can go home,” before testimony in the trial had begun.

• Judge O'Neill refused to penalize two racially-charged comments made by both assistant district attorneys.

• On several occasions during the trial, Judge O'Neill admonished and berated Cosby's lawyers in front of the jury and at times, praised the prosecution.

• A juror admitted to an unspecified personal relationship with one of the detectives assigned to the Cosby case.

• O'Neill took no action as two jurors openly flirted with prosecutor Kevin Steele's media representative, Kate Delano, and attorney Lisa Bloom during the trial.

• O'Neill took no action as another juror repeatedly winked at other Cosby accusers seated in the courtroom.

• O'Neill took no action as attorneys Gloria Allred and Lisa Bloom appeared to give instructions to their clients, seated in the courtroom's gallery, including motioning to them when they should cry.

• The new filing includes additional grounds for which Cosby should receive a new trial. Other appealable infractions include: • Trial Judge Steven O'Neill allowed testimony from other accusers who had nothing to do with the case.

• O'Neill refused to allow Cosby's team to call witnesses who had given sworn testimony that Constand planned to “shake down” Cosby and lured him into a relationship to do so.

• Despite compelling evidence presented by Defense Attorney Thomas Mesereau that appeared to show that the statute of limitations had expired on the more than decade old case, O'Neill refused to rule, instead asked that

the jury consider it which they did not.

• O'Neill didn't disclose an ongoing feud he had with former District Attorney Bruce Castor, who convinced Cosby to waive his Fifth Amendment rights and sit for a deposition. In exchange, Castor agreed that the deposition could never be used against Cosby in any Pennsylvania criminal proceedings.

The deposition was the primary tool used to convict Cosby.

• O'Neill refused to recuse himself even after it was discovered that his wife donated money to a women's group that protested against Cosby.

• Several jurors were allowed to remain on the jury despite revealing that they were either neighbors of court officials or had personal relationships with detectives on the case.

• Portions of Cosby's civil deposition were admitted as evidence even though defense attorneys argued that the deposition shouldn't be admitted at all. They also argued that if the judge was going to admit the deposition, he should allow the entire 87-page document to be presented to the jury, instead of the portion allowed, which was presented without context.

“The deposition transcript does not show Cosby drugged women without their knowledge in order to incapacitate them so that he could rape them,” said Oxford alum Jonathan Farley.

“But, a juror admitted that he voted to convict Cosby based on this false belief.”

If Castor hadn't promised Cosby that the deposition could never be used against him, Cosby could — and likely would — have exercised his Fifth Amendment right to remain silent, said Davis. “Years later, [Kevin Steele,] a new trophy-hunting District Attorney, decided to violate the promises of the prosecutor's office and filed charges against Cosby,” he said.

Castor testified during a preliminary hearing in the Cosby case that he did indeed have what he called a binding agreement with Cosby and that the deposition should not be used.

The new DA, Kevin Steele, argued that the portions of the deposition that are damaging to Cosby should be used. O'Neill sided with Steele.

“That is tantamount to the judge ensuring a conviction by sneaking evidence in the back door that suggests Cosby is a bad man who has sex outside of marriage and who does drugs and provides drugs to women who are having a relationship with him.

Cosby never said in his deposition that he gave them drugs so that they would be unconscious so that he could rape them. This is a pure lie and fraud committed by the mass media,” Davis said.

Time stopped for me on September 27th

By Bill Fletcher, Jr. I did not intend to watch Dr. Christine Blasey Ford's testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee regarding her allegations of sexual assault on the part of Judge Brent Kavanaugh.

I was busy preparing to head out of town.

I figured that I would get the relevant parts of her testimony later in the day on-line.

And, at the end of the day, I knew what she was going to allege.

For reasons that I cannot

explain, something led me to turn on the television to watch the testimony. I found myself glued to the screen.

Everything else seemed to get blocked out as she spoke, very convincingly and very passionately, about her experience. I fumed when she was asked questions by Republican hired gun and prosecutor Rachel Mitchell.

Despite her pretend appearance as a sympathetic inquisitor, at the end of the day, as demonstrated this past Sunday in her memo on the case, she turned out to be anything but sympathetic.

Due to my schedule I was unable to listen to Kavanaugh's response. Yet what

Newest Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh

struck me was the immediate response to Dr. Ford's testimony by so many people across the political spectrum.

Several commentators immediately noted that her testimony was devastating for the Republicans.

Despite that, and true to form, the Republican pro-

paganda machine went to work at once attempting to reverse the current, suggesting that Dr. Ford's testimony and other allegations against Kavanaugh, were aimed at destroying the reputation of a good man.

But what about the good woman? What about someone who is facing death threats for coming forward? What about the person who has been ridiculed by the political Right?

As I wrote last week, the continuous suggestion that there must have been something wrong with Dr. Ford and others who have brought forward allegations against Judge Kavanaugh because they failed to raise their concerns

earlier is specious. It is an allegation that can only be made by someone(s) who has not faced ridicule, harassment and self-doubt in response to their experiences with sexual harassment or assault.

And, to top this all off, Trump worries that the #MeToo movement and those who aligned with it, constitute a threat to powerful men.

Maybe Trump is correct.

Indeed, maybe rich and powerful men who believe that they are the masters of the universe and masters over the bodies of women should be worried.

Bill Fletcher, Jr. is the former president of TransAfrica Forum.

Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and at www.billfletcherjr.com.

Dallas-Area Assistance for Survivors of Sexual Trauma and Violence Dallas Area Rape Crisis Center Crisis Phone Number: 972-641-7273 Email: info@dallasrapecrisis.org Phone Number: 214-712-4900

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OCTOBER 17, 2018

5

Ask ALMA By Alma Gill

Wild, Wild West Dear Alma, My college roommate came to visit my husband and me and our new baby. She lives in another state. My husband has a daughter from a previous relationship, she's seven. She spends every other weekend at our house. My college roommate is our baby's new Godmother. We're all very happy about that, and the fact that she'll be visiting with us more often. Problem is, her husband came for the weekend with his gun. I saw it on the side table in the guest room. He's a police officer and I understand he uses it for work, but I wasn't happy about the gun being in my house.

How do I broach the subject without having it out with her husband?

J.T.; Baltimore Hey J.T., Allow me a moment to remind you, you are the architect of your ìhouse rules.î Those of us, including a new godmother, SIL or coworker of your neighbor's brother, when visiting your house, must abide by your rules.

The argument of carrying a weapon off duty has been a lively topic for decades and fortunately we're not here to resolve that issue. The only answer that you need clarified at this moment is what works in your house.

Understandably, you don't want firearms lying around with little ones in the house, and I feel you on that one. Here's what you do, call your girlfriend and let her know you noticed the gun during their last visit.

Tell her you're concerned about your stepdaughter's safety and would prefer they not bring it next time. If it turns out that he has to carry his weapon because he's a police officer, I'd suggest you invest in a lock box.

Put the lock box in the closet of your guestroom.

I get the impression guns are not your thing, and this is a fish you'd prefer not to fry, and again. Let me reiterate: you're in control of what's cooking in your house. But since he's an officer, he may not have a choice.

I understand your concern, you're a new mom with a million other things to deal with. He's not your husband, so you don't have to live with something that makes you uncomfortable. If you're so inclined to add some potato salad to this fish fry, ask her how she thinks it would be best to handle the situation. That way, you've allowed her some input. I'm sure you two will come up with a solution that satisfies all involved.

This my dear, is a situation that can be resolved amicably, with the two of you remaining the best of sister-friends.

Alma Alma Gill’s newsroom experience spans more than 25 years, including various roles at USA Today, Newsday and the Washington Post. Email questions to: alwaysaskalma@gmail.com. Follow her on Facebook at “Ask Alma” and twitter @almaaskalma.

6

OCTOBER 17, 2018

GILLUM, continued from front page

cused on bread and butter issues many Americans identified with as he ran against Hillary Clinton.

Sanders' issue focus included income inequality, money in politics, corporate greed and raising the minimum wage. Despite the Democratic Party's support of the moderate blue dog style of former U.S. Representative Gwen Graham, voters had other ideas and a progres-

sive shift has likely been spurred by Donald Trump's policies.

Gillum, a graduate of Florida A&M University, is viewed as the continuation of a progressive surge and a shift away from the establishment also seen in the victory shocking victory of Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez over longtime Conrgressman Joe Crowley in a primary for his New York House seat.

WEINSTEIN continued from front page

week that prosecutors wouldn’t oppose dismissal of the count in the case involving Evans.

Weinstein’s lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, told the judge he believed Evans had lied to the grand jury. He also said he believed a police detective had corruptly tried to influence the case by keeping a witness from testifying about her misstatements.

“The integrity of these proceedings has been compromised,” he said.

Weinstein’s attorneys and prosecutors had been wrangling over the part of the indictment concerning Evans’ allegations over the last few

Though her victory is not necessarily a symptom of a widespread trend, it is a signal that a political wave in the opposite direction of Donald Trump is on the horizon in less than 70 days on November 6, 2018.

Lauren Victoria Burke is an independent journalist and writer for NNPA as well as a political analyst and communications strategist.

She may be contacted at LBurke007@gmail.com and on twitter at @LVBurke

weeks in closed-door meetings and sealed court papers, Page Six reported.

In Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, about 90-minutes from the Norristown courthouse where Cosby was convicted in April on three counts of aggravated indecent assault, some individuals approached by NNPA Newswire said they believe the entire Weinstein case will ultimately be tossed.

“The difference between Cosby and Weinstein is quite simple,” said Walter Cohen of Harrisburg. “Even though they are both rich and famous, Weinstein is white, and Cosby is Black. I know that sounds too simple, but the problem people have today and with this #MeToo movement is reading far too much into

A Way Out of This

Do you

Out of the darkness, be drawn to the light.

know this

It will warm and comfort you and turn your day from the night.

man?

GARLAND JOURNAL

MY TRUTH, continued from front page

I could have easily turned away and went on my merry way as though I hadn’t seen her at all.

Actually I stared at her for what seemed like five minutes but was probably only one.

She never noticed. But during that time, I thought about Bishop T.D. Jakes, who talked about forgiveness in his bestselling book, “Let It Go: Forgive So You May Be Forgiven.”

My little sister and I both felt wronged, last century, and we walked away from one another never to speak again.

For all intense purposes, our bridge had been burned.

Was it burned upon repair?

I don’t know if I could say that, but what I do know is that while she has crossed my mind several times, I never did anything to try and repair the relationship.

Here was my time.

While some forget what they

things,” Cohen said.

Samantha Devers pointed out that Cosby’s accusers were mostly white and the woman he was convicted of was also white. “A Black man, white woman. They had to teach not just Bill Cosby a lesson, but they had to send a message to all Black men — and those who don’t get it better quickly wake up,” said Devers, an African-American woman.

Sean Boyd, another Harrisburg resident, said Cosby is paying for the sins of Weinstein and others. “Look, on the day Cosby was sentenced, [Comedian] Louis C.K. did a comeback show and [Filmmaker] Roman Polanski announced a new movie,” Boyd said.

Louis C.K. had been embroiled

were mad or upset about, I hadn’t. Was it important to me today, in 2018? Not at all.

So I called out her name.

She turned and looked. A big smile came across her face.

She stopped her purchase and came and gave me a hug.

We talked with others around us and did a quick catch-up making a promise to reconnect, sharing contact information.

As we took a final embrace, it was a long one. She told me she loved me and I told her I never stopped loving her.

I’m back home now and she’s back in Atlanta (does everyone migrate to Atlanta?).

I am going to call her once I get off deadline.

Do I want to discuss what happened? Not really.

If she wants to, I will though.

What’s important is that we have an opportunity to right a wrong, to grow from our missteps. in a sex assault scandal of his own and Polanski famously pled guilty decades ago to charges involving sodomizing a 13-year-old girl. Polanski fled the country and has never served time, yet has went on to win an Oscar and, until the recent #MeToo movement, the support of Hollywood heavyweights.

“When you look objectively at Bill Cosby’s case, he was dating this girl and she wanted what he couldn’t give her, so she cried foul and got millions of dollars from Cosby and yet, years and years later, they come with what I believe were bogus charges against Cosby and the judge and prosecutor made sure they sent him away,” Boyd said.

It’s also no secret that after Cosby’s sealed civil deposition was

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Everything imaginable rearranged by death.

Weep if you must but keep moving towards the light.

La Juana and Patricia Barton

authors of Faithful Remembrances Volume I

released in 2014, attorney Gloria Allred brought forward at least 30 women with claims against Cosby.

Allred asked that Cosby put $100 million in a trust for the women and allow a magistrate to decide if they could get the money.

Allred’s daughter, attorney Lisa Bloom, initially represented Weinstein. She said, “everyone deserves the benefit of the doubt,” and that Weinstein was “repentant.” After some backlash, Bloom dropped Weinstein as a client.

“She never tried to give Cosby the benefit of the doubt,” Boyd said.

“That’s what this whole thing has been about. It’s like out of the Jim Crow era. They will stick up for their own and they will make sure that a Black man pays.”

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It will show, without a doubt, that your strength comes from Him.

Although weakened by sadness, muster all you might.

Bishop Jakes, said, ““Forgiveness does not exonerate the perpetrator. Forgiveness liberates the victim. It’s a gift you give yourself. It has less to do with what somebody else did as much as it does with your decision to move on with your life and not be continually victimized by rehearsing that issue or incident over and over again.”

For me and my little sister, there is no room for the blame game. Instead I’m focusing on the future.

I’m sorry for the hurt I caused her and I forgive her for the hurt she caused me.

We live, we grow, we evolve, and guess what? We die. As I live, grow and evolve, I want to make sure it all has significance.

That’s what Dick Gregory and Doris Newsome did.

Dick Gregory always asked if you could be lovable.

Forgiving helps.

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OCTOBER 17, 2018

7

Hollywood Hernandez LIVE

By Hollywood Hernandez

Venom special effects are amazing "Venom" is the new Marvel Comics movie that has everything you expect from a Stan Lee extravaganza, including a cameo appearance by Stan Lee. In "Venom," Tom Hardy (from "Dunkirk") plays an investigative TV news reporter who lets his journalistic curiosity get the best of him when he gets an assignment to do a "fluff piece" on a shady businessman who's involved in space exploration.

His experiments with out-

er space lifeforms threaten the planet with superpowers that could take over Earth's human population.

Riz Ahmed plays the corrupt businessman who puts his company's profits over the safety of the people of Earth.

One of his spaceships crashes in Malaysia and one of the symbiotic creatures gets away and infects people until he travels all the way to San Francisco.

Reporter Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) gets infected with

the space creature and becomes Venom who, while far from a "hero," does heroic things in his battle with the wealthy business man's henchmen.

The special effects in "Venom" are amazing and the special effects fight scenes are amazing but the movie gets off to a slow start. The movie has a run time of 1 hour and 52 minutes and it seems like it would have been a better movie if it had been tightened up to about 90 minutes. It's ironic that

the real bad guy in the movie is the wealthy businessman and not the alien.

"Venom" has some pretty good dark humor; however, it's nowhere near the laughs in the Deadpool movies. This next round of Marvel movies is off to a slow start. How good future Marvel movies will remain to be seen.

(Also, remember to stay until the end of the credits for a bonus scene.)

On my "Hollywood Popcorn Scale" this PG-13 movie rates a LARGE.

THAT CELEBRITY INTERVIEW: Debra Nixon-Bowles

The Valder Beebe Show The Valder Beebe Show broadcasts on radio and streaming TV. This platform affords me the opportunity to intersect with today's luminaries, the next big star and women who are on top. To me,

Women on Top defines itself as Women Operating in Total Power.

In Dallas, Women Called Moses founder Debra Nixon-Bowles is a Woman on TOP, not for herself, because her faith shines through but for the women shattered by domestic violence in their homes, family and even places of work.

Women Called Moses, is a non-profit created to assist victims of domestic violence. This "do good" organization seeks to prevent and end the cycle of

Debra Nixon-Bowles is the founder of the Dallas-area organization Women Called Moses

violence against women.

To expand her mission, Nixon-Bowles opened a house in Cedar Hill [Southern Dallas] for those needing refuge from domestic violence because there were no large facilities in southern Dallas County to take in women and children fleeing abusive situations.

Recently Debra shared with me the good deeds from Dallas Mavericks Owner, Mark Cuban. Cuban's $10 million pledge to boost female leadership programs, a commitment

made after a sexual harassment investigation into the Mavericks' organization, will include $100,000 for Women Called Moses.

VBS: Debra stated in our phone interview "this contribution is for the victims of domestic violence and for southern Dallas County."

More Award-Winning Valder Beebe Show THAT CELEBRITY INTERVIEW ValderBeebeShow.com, Youtube.com/valderbeebeshow, 411RadioNetwork.com SoundCloud.com/valderbeebeshow, PChatman Network.com and VBS affiliate broadcasters.

Pilgrimage to the Ancient City of Ile-Ife: The Real-Life “Wakanda”

By Jeffrey L. Boney

(NNPA Newswire Contributor)

When it comes to what it means to celebrate the richness of African tradition and culture, you don’t have to wait for the next blockbuster Hollywood theatrical production to experience it – the real “Wakanda” is located on the continent of Africa and can be found in Ile-Ife, Nigeria.

This is the real “Wakanda!"

No… there is no Vibranium (that we know of) or any other state-of-the-art things that were featured in the Black Panther movie, but there is a spiritual energy and connection to African tradition and culture that far supersedes anything you can read in books or see on television.

When most people think of Nigeria, the city of Lagos usually comes to mind, primarily because it is the largest city in Nigeria and is considered by many to be the financial, industrial, commercial, educational and technological epicenter of Nigeria. However, the ancient city of Ile-Ife is widely regarded as the cradle of human existence based on the collection of historical information, empirical facts and science.

According to Yoruba myth, Ile-Ife is celebrated as the original source of all mankind and is widely known for its many sacred shrines and spiritual sites that are meant to regularly highlight, promote and remember the Yoruba race and its cultural identities.

The National Newspaper Publishers Association, which represents over 200 Blackowned media companies across the U.S., recently traveled to the ancient city of Ile-Ife for a cultur-

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The Olojo Festival is celebrated annually as the spiritual confirmation that God created the world and deposited the elements of creation in Ile-Ife.

ally impactful inaugural trade mission, which included attending the Olojo Festival.

The Olojo Festival is celebrated annually as the spiritual confirmation that God created the world and deposited the elements of creation in Ile-Ife. Thousands of dark-skinned and light-skinned people of African descent – both natives and tourists – descended upon the Royal Palace of His Imperial Majesty, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Babatunde Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, The Oonirisa (Ooni) of Ife, for this annual celebration to commemorate the dawn of creation and to highlight the historical and spiritual ties of Ile-Ife being the cradle of human existence.

Although many different languages were spoken (African dialect, French, English, etc.), there was one common denominator that connected the vast majority of attendees of the festival – they were Black, and they were beautiful.

Uttering the Yoruba word, Ase (Ah-Shay), festival attendees were often seen placing both of their hands on their heads, as The Ooni of Ife professed a blessing over them, seemingly allowing his words to enter through their ears while allowing the words to capture and arrest their receptive minds. The word Ase means “So let it be/May it be so” and is akin to the word “Amen” that we most often use in America to provide affirmation at the end of a prayer or spiritual declara-

tion. The spiritual encounters that were manifested during the festival were life-changing for some and awe-inspiring for others.

The sounds of the native drum, coupled with the melodic voices of the natives of Ile-Ife, captured the ears of everyone who attended the Olojo Festival, from start to finish. People were seen bowing, dancing and directing uninhibited praise and sincere adoration towards the king, The Ooni of Ife, as he greeted the people throughout the festival.

One of the hallmark moments of the Olojo Festival was the annual crowning of The Ooni of Ife with the sacred “Aare Crown”, which is the only physical symbol of authority the Ooni of Ife has inherited from his ancestors. It is the oldest crown in the history of crowns.

According to tradition, the “Aare Crown” is believed to weigh roughly 132 pounds and is very heavy spiritually, but The Ooni of Ife is spiritually empowered to wear the crown during the Olojo Festival. The “Aare Crown” is extremely colorful like a rainbow and is made of 151 items, part of which are a cutlass, a hoe and other undisclosed objects. The crown is only worn by The Ooni of Ife once a year, during the Olojo Festival, and is always kept in a separate room in the Royal Palace under the watchful eyes of those assigned to that task. History dictates that the reigning

District 7-5A Standings McKinney North (5-2) Mesquite Poteet (5-1) Sherman (2-4) Texarkana Texas (2-5) Tyler (4-2) West Mesquite (2-3) Wylie East (1-6)

Ooni of Ife must not look inside the crown, because any attempt to do so would result in him joining his ancestors. The “Aare Crown” serves as a traditional legacy from one reigning king to another.

The honor bestowed on The Ooni of Ife during this spiritual experience is a site to witness.

Such honor is rarely seen towards people of African descent in America. The only thing that comes close but still pales in comparison, would be the adoration and praise usually given to entertainers, athletes and other well-known celebrities.

Black people have always

appreciated entertainment, showmanship and enjoy a good party. The Olojo Festival was all of that and more. It was pomp and circumstance to the fullest The Olojo Festival is not just a festival – it is a spiritual journey.

It is a pilgrimage. It is Coming to America on steroids. It is definitely something to add to your bucket list.

If the millions of African American people who went to see Black Panther truly want to see “Wakanda” in its most authentic form, they would make it a point to go to Ile-Ife, Nigeria for the Olojo Festival and witness this authentic African festi-

val that was completely devoid of White supremacy or European influence.

Everyone across the African Diaspora should strive to make a pilgrimage to Ile-Ife, Nigeria for the Olojo Festival in order to experience African tradition and culture in a way that no book or no movie could ever allow you to experience it.

Jeffrey Boney is a political analyst for the NNPA Newswire and BlackPressUSA.com and the associate editor for the Houston Forward Times newspaper.

Jeffrey is an award-winning journalist, dynamic, international speaker, experienced entrepreneur, business development strategist and founder and CEO of the Texas Business Alliance Follow Jeffrey on Twitter @realtalkjunkies.

SLAVERY AT JEFFERSON’S MONTICELLO PARADOX OF LIBERTY S E P T E M B E R 2 2 – D E C E M B E R 3 1 , 2 01 8 African American Museum at Fair Park

Presented for the first time west of the Mississippi River, this landmark exhibition uses objects from museum collections and archaeological excavations to examine slavery through the lens of Jefferson’s plantation and the experiences of six families living at Monticello.

FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO PURCHASE TICKETS, GO TO

MonticelloInDallas.com

District 9-6A Standings

District 8-6A Standings

Allen (6-0) Dallas Jesuit (2-4) McKinney (1-5) McKinney Boyd (2-4) Plano (2-4) Plano East (5-1) Plano West (0-6) Prosper (5-1)

Berkner (1-5) Duncanville (5-0) J.J. Pearce (5-1) Lake Highlands (2-4) Molina (0-6) Richardson (4-2) Skyline (3-2) W.T. White (1-5)

courtesy of maxpreps.com

District 10-6A Standings Garland (1-5) Lakeview Centennial (3-2) Naaman Forest (1-5) North Garland (4-2) Rowlett (5-0) Sachse (3-3) South Garland (2-4) Wylie (2-4)

District 11-6A Standings Longview (6-0) Mesquite (4-2) Mesquite Horn (0-7) North Mesquite (3-2) Rockwall (4-2) Rockwall Heath (2-5) Tyler Lee (2-4)

8

OCTOBER 17, 2018

GARLAND JOURNAL

WWW.GARLANDJOURNAL.COM

D I S T R I C T AT T O R N E Y

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