The Westside Gazette

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PERMIT NO. 1179

In Observance of Labor

Day,September 1, The Westside Gazette Office Will Be Closed.

We Will Re-Open On Tuesday, September 2

Civil Rights Groups Push Ferguson Residents To The Polls PAGE 5

How To End Police Brutality In Your Community PAGE 6

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An eyewitness account of violence in Ferguson, Mo.

I raise my hands ... 2 Hear the voice of my supplications when I cry to You for help, When I lift up my hands toward Your holy sanctuary...7 The Lord is my strength and my shield; My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart exults, And with my song I shall thank Him..”

Psalms 28:2-7 (NASV) Please read the entire 28 Psalm

By Bobby R. Henry, Sr.

By Jazelle Hunt NNPA Washington Correspondent WASHINGTON, D.C. (NNPA) – At noon on Saturday, Aug. 9, 2014 Michael Brown, 18, and his friend, Dorian Johnson, crossed paths with Ferguson, Mo. Police Officer, Darren Wilson. By 12:04 p.m., Wilson had fatally shot Brown six times. His body was left out for hours as other officers responded to the scene.

The next evening, his family and community gathered at the site of his death for a vigil in his honor. After a while, they decided to march down West Florissant Ave. to a QuikTrip gas station/convenience store.

After that, the details of what is happening in Ferguson become murky, depending on the source.

“We are on a whole other level now, people don’t even know.

Don’t believe what you’re seeing on mainstream TV. We are in a state of emergency here in Ferguson, so the government basically has the right to make the rules up as they go,” says Danie Rae, a St. Louis resident. Rae has been demonstrating on and off in Ferguson since the initial vigil.

On that day, she arrived just before sunset. Rae remembers

Yaya Bey after being beaten in Ferguson, Mo. (Photo courtesy of Yaya Bey) officers were already in place in full riot gear, trying to constrain the peaceful crowd of about 2,000, by her estimate.

“The police were threatening the crowd, they wouldn’t let us move,” Rae says. “The city limit of Ferguson is Ferguson Ave. [at the intersection of West Florissant Ave.], and maybe they were trying to keep us from going into [neighboring] Jennings, is the only logic I can come up with. But who says we can’t demonstrate in Jennings?”

(Cont'd on Page 5)

In memory of all those who have “Raised their hands” in the symbolic gesticulation of surrendering and giving up the ghost, remember death is God’s way of calling us home no matter how we leave this place.

By the time that you read this, we would have placed some people into new leadership positions and aligned others for hopeful quests.

As the tear gases settle and the tears yet still flow for the pitiful treatment suffered by an almost broken people, we raise our hands not in submission to man but in our faith in God. (Cont'd on Page 9)

Florida Primary Election: More absentee voters but low overall turnout expected

Trayvon Martin’s mom writes open letter to Michael Brown’s family saying, ‘Neither of their lives shall be in vain’ NATIONWIDE — Sybrina Fulton, mother of Trayvon Martin who was killed two and a half years ago by a volunteer neighborhood watch captain, has penned an open letter to the mother of Michael Brown, who was killed recently in Ferguson, Mo. by a police officer.

Fulton’s compelling letter from one mother to another was printed exclusively in Time magazine. The letter reads: To The Brown Family, I wish I had a word of automatic comfort but I don’t. I wish I could say that it will be alright on a certain or specific day but I can’t. I wish that all of the pain that I have endured could possibly ease some of yours but it won’t. What I can do for you is what has been done for me: pray for you then share my continuing journey as you begin yours.

I hate that you and your family must join this exclusive yet growing group of parents and relatives who have lost loved ones to senseless gun violence. Of particular concern is that so many of these gun violence cases involve children far too young. But Michael is much more than a police/gun violence case; Michael is your son. A son that barely had a chance to live. Our children are our future so whenever any of our children – Black, white, brown, yellow, or red – are taken from us unnecessarily, it causes a never-ending pain that is unlike anything I could have imagined experiencing.

Further complicating the pain and loss in this tragedy is the fact that the killer of your son is alive, known, and currently free. In fact, he is on

paid administrative leave. Your own feelings will bounce between sorrow and anger. Even when you don’t want to think about it because it is so much to bear, you will be forced to by merely turning on your television or answering your cell phone. You may find yourselves pulled in many different directions by strangers who may be

well-wishers or detractors.

Your circle will necessarily close tighter because the trust you once, if ever, you had in “the system” and their agents are forever changed. Your lives are forever changed.

However with those changes come new challenges and opportunities. You will experience a swell of support from all corn-

ers of the world. Many will express their sympathies and encourage you to keep fighting for Michael. You will also, unfortunately, hear character assassinations about Michael which I am certain you already have. This will incense and insult you. All of this will happen before and continue long after you have had the chance to lay your son to rest.

I know this because I lived and continue to live this. I have devoted my life to the comprehensive missions of The Trayvon Martin Foundation – including providing support to families that have lost a young child to senseless gun violence regardless of race, ethnicity or gender.

(Cont'd on Page 3)

... Hundreds of people poured out of churches after services in South Florida’s historic Black neighborhoods Sunday to march to the voting booth. By 4 p.m. Sunday, more than 19,000 had cast ballots in Broward County, according to county election officials., (File photo from Oct. 29, 2012 elections of 2012)

By Jessica Palombo/ WFSU News Twenty-two percent. That’s the benchmark voter turnout Florida’s elections chief says we can expect for today’s primary.

Secretary of State Ken Detzner

says although more people have been voting absentee since the election night snafus of 2012, overall turnout usually isn’t high in non-presidential primaries.

(Cont'd on Page 5)

Students of color now match white school enrollment

By Jazelle Hunt NNPA Washington Correspondent

Sybrina Fulton, mother of Trayvon Martin.

Pleading Our Own Cause

WASHINGTON, D.C. (NNPA) – As the nation’s families head back to school, they may notice that for the first time, elementary and middle school students of color

WWW. thewestsidegazette.com Westside Gazette Newspaper

will equal the percentage of white students, according to Department of Education projections.

White student enrollment has steadily declined, as have birth rates among white families.

Hispanic-American students have, and will continue to have,

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the largest presence in public elementary and middle schools.

Asian and multiracial student populations have also grown in that time, although much more modestly.

In recent years, Black public school enrollment has remained steady at around 17 or 18 percent of all students. It began to decline in 2006, falling to 15.3 percent of all K-8 public school students in 2011.

That’s the most recent actual enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES); but the Department of Education predicts Black enrollment continued to decline in 2012 and 2013, will plateau for the next few years, and will begin rising again in 2017.

(Cont'd on Page 5) MEMBER: National Newspaper Publishers Association ( NNPA), and Southeastern African-American Publishers Association (SAAPA) Florida Association of Black Owned Media (FABOM)

Page 2 • www.thewestsidegazette.com • August 28 - September 3, 2014

Broward County's Oldest and Largest African American Owned and Operated Newspaper

The best reporting on federal push to militarize local police

By Hanqing Chen Special to the NNPA from ProPublica Protests have continued for more than a week since the fatal police shooting of 18-yearold Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo. Police officers initially met protesters with full riot gear, armored vehicles and assault rifles, escalating tensions and

leading Gov. Jay Nixon to replace the St. Louis County Police Department with the Missouri State Highway Patrol, saying the St. Louis suburb looked like “a war zone.”

The militarization of St. Louis and other local police departments can be traced to two major sources – the federal 1033 Program, a section of the National Defense Authori-

If you have not yet seen the billboard on the northwest corner of Sunrise Boulevard and Northwest 27 Avenue, take your children and friends to see it before Aug. 31, 2014. The billboard, which was created by the art students at Dillard High School and sponsored by readingpaysmore.com, depicts the powerful image of teamwork, romance and the love of the reading among our girls and boys.

Attorney Georgia Robinson, founder of readingpaysmore.com, states that we should look out for other such images on billboards, bench ads, and public art in our communities which will inspire our children to develop a love of reading and to promote the financial and other

benefits of reading. The mission of readingpaysmore.com is to create a culture of reading in our communities so that every child is reading at or above grade level.

Reading is the foundation of learning. Up to third grade, children are learning to read so that they can grasp concepts and complex materials in future learning environments. Studies show that a child who is not reading at grade level by the third grade is four times more likely to drop out of school because they lack the basic foundation skills to learn and comprehend concepts.

In the state of Florida, students may advance through grades first and second based on each school district’s standards, but must meet the state’s Reading assessment require-

in federal grants, CIR reported.

Even in remote cities like Fargo, North Dakota, rated one of the safest cities in America, police officers have traveled with military style assault rifles in their patrol cars. We talked to one of the reporters behind the story, G.W. Schulz, about his findings on a MuckReads podcast in January 2012.

Department of Homeland Security spending on domestic security hit $75 billion a year in 2011. But that spending “has been rife with dubious expenditures,” the Los Angeles Times reported, including $557,400 in rescue and communications gear that went to 1,500 residents of North Pole, Alaska, and a $750,000 “antiterrorism fence” that was built around a Veterans Affairs hospital in North Carolina.

(Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com)

zation Act passed in the 1990s, as well as federal homeland security grants to states. Here are a few facts that you might have missed about the Pentagon pipeline and the rise of military equipment and tactics in local police departments.

Federal Pipeline The Defense Department has provided tens of thousands

Gunshot toll: Public foots bills, uninsured die more

Billboard created by Dillard High School students inspire their fellow students to read more, earn more, and love more

By Georgia D.N. Robinson

an effort to arm police during the drug crisis.

of pieces of military equipment to local police departments for free. As a “long season of war” draws to a close for the U.S., surplus weapons meant for foreign battlefields are finding their way into police departments across the country, the New York Times reports. The free supplies provided to local law enforcement include machine guns, magazines, night vision equipment, aircraft and armored vehicles. Local news outlets have investigated the flow of military-grade weapons and equipment into police departments in Utah, Indiana, Georgia and Tennessee.

The DOD program, known as 1033, has provided $4.3 billion in free military equipment to local police. The 1033 program allows the Pentagon to transfer weapons to local police departments on permanent loan for free. The program first started in the 1990s as part of

ment before being promoted beyond the third grade. In essence, a student will be held back if he or she cannot read at grade level in the third grade. Therefore, it is no coincidence that in Florida and other states, the prison population forecast is determined by the third grade dropout rate.

Students, parents, educators and community members are urged to visit readingpaysmore.com to learn and share successful tips and strategies to help students read at or above grade level, regardless of their economic or social status.

At readingpaysmore.com, we believe that every child can read and comprehend above grade level. Yes they can!

We are asking everyone to read with a child and take her or him to a bookstore or local library today.

We are also asking every school to have monthly and yearly reading contests. We will feature the winning boy and girl, each year, on our website.

For further information, please visit readingpaysmore.com or email us at info@readingpaysmore.com.

How it all started The Justice Department, working with the Pentagon, began to pay for military technology in police departments during the Clinton years. In 1994, the Justice Department and the Pentagon funded a fiveyear program to adapt military security and surveillance technology for local police departments that they would otherwise not be able to afford. Even then, the technologies raised concerns with civil rights activists, according to the Christian Science Monitor.

States received at least $34 billion in federal grants to purchase military grade supplies in the decade after 9/11.Thousands of local police departments across the country went on a “buying spree” fueled by billions

By Dan Mangan The public is paying hundreds of millions of dollars in hospital costs for gunshot victims who lack private insurance, according to a new study issued Tuesday.

The study, which focused on six states, also found that uninsured gunshot victims are more likely to die from their wounds at the hospital than victims with insurance.

According to the Urban Institute study, in 2010 the public footed at least 64.8 percent— and as much as 85 percent—of the hospital costs for treating firearms assault injuries in Arizona, California, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina and Wisconsin.

In California, for example, the public picked up the tab for $56.6 million of the total hospital costs. Nationally, $487.8 million, or almost 73 percent of the total hospital costs, were paid for by the public, the study said.

The public’s share of those costs comes from governmentrun insurance programs, such as Medicaid, or the patient being unable to pay, causing their costs to either be passed along to the government for reimbursement or to consumers in the form of higher prices.

“In a time of restricted public resources, these findings suggest that significant public resources could be saved or redirected if effective gun-violence prevention strategies could be identified,” the authors wrote.

An Urban Institute study last year found that gunshot victims who lack any kind of insurance are significantly more likely to be treated in the emerency room and then discharged, as opposed to victims with insurance, who are more likely to be admitted for inpatient treatment.

This led the organization to examine whether uninsured gunshot victims were more likely to die from their wounds at the hospital.

The new report found that in Maryland, for example, 21.1 percent of the victims of gunshots who were uninsured died at the hospital, compared with 12.2 percent of the victims who were on government-run insurance such as Medicaid. In California, uninsured gunshot victims had an 11.9 percent mortality rate at the hospital, compared with 7.6 percent for those on public health insurance. New Jersey and Arizona also saw similar disparities.

Even in North Carolina, where the overall gunshot mortality rate among victims brought to a hospital was quite low, 6 percent of the uninsured victims died, compared with 3.5 percent of those on government health insurance plans. Only in Wisconsin was the mortality rate for uninsured gunshot victims in line with that of those patients with insurance.

“We’re raising this issue because there could be a quality

difference” in the care given the uninsured gunshot victims, said Embry Howell, a senior fellow at the Urban Institute and a co-author of the report.

“It’s something that should be investigated further.”

Howell also said that broadly speaking the study underscores the fact that “some populations are very disproportionately affected” by assaults related to firearms.

In all the states studied, males ages 15 to 24 made up at least 38 percent of all gunshot victims admitted to a hospital.

Men 25 to 34 years old made up at least 23.9 percent.

African-Americans were, by far, much more likely to go to the hospital with a gunshot wound. The disparity between the races also held up among women, the institute found.

In every state but Arizona, African American women in the 15-to-34 age group went to the hospital with gunshot in-juries at a higher rate than white males in the same age range.

Dan Mangan is a reporter covering health care for CNBC.com.

U.S. flying surveillance missions over Syria for possible airstrike From Jim Miklaszewski and Courtney Kube The United States military is flying surveillance missions over Syria to analyze targets for potential airstrikes against militants from ISIS, U.S. officials told NBC News.

The airstrikes would be aimed at ISIS forces, weapons and critical supply lines between Iraq and Syria, a border that has effectively been erased as

U.S. surveillance planes fly over Syria ISIS has advanced and seized territory this year.

The officials stressed that no decision had been made about airstrikes. They hinted that a decision could come by the end of the week.

President Barack Obama already authorized strikes against ISIS inside Iraq earlier this month. But U.S. officials have signaled over the past week, since the ISIS beheading of an American journalist seized in Syria, that stopping ISIS would require action in Syria, too.

The Syrian government said on Monday that it is ready to cooperate with countries fighting ISIS, including the United States, and would consider any strikes inside Syria an act of aggression unless Syria was consulted.

U.S. officials, who oppose the government of President Bashar Assad, said explicitly on Monday that they would not seek Assad’s approval for strikes inside Syria.

Broward County's Oldest and Largest African American Owned and Operated Newspaper

August 28 - September 3, 2014 • www.thewestsidegazette.com • Page 3

U.S.-Africa relations: Beyond the summit

By George E. Curry NNPA Editor-in-Chief First of Two Parts WASHINGTON, D.C. (NNPA) – The recent conference of African leaders convened by President Obama in the nation’s capital demonstrated that the U.S. is finally recognizing what China, the European Union, India and the rest of the world have known and acknowledged for years: The future of humanity is increasingly African.

A report issued earlier this month by the United Nations, titled, “Generation 2030: Africa,” made that unmistakably clear.

“Africa’s population will double in just 35 years to 2.4 billion in 2050, and is projected to eventually hit 4.2 billion by 2100. About half a billion will be added already by 2030. More than half of the 2.2 billion projected rise in the world’s population between 2015 and 2050 will take place on this continent alone. As a result of chang-ing global population dynamics, and with Asia’s population growth set to slow markedly, A-frica will increase its share of the world population to almost 25 percent by midcentury and 39 percent by the end of the century, up from just 9 percent in 1950 and 16 percent in 2015.”

And as capitalists, U.S. business leaders see dollar signs.

“I think they should have called it the US-Africa Business Summit, that’s what they should have called it,” said Bill Fletcher, Jr., former president of TransAfrica, the nation’s oldest African American policy organization dedicated to a fair U.S. policy for Africa and the Diaspora. “If they had called it that, they would have been honest.”

At the summit, held Aug. 46, President Obama announced that the federal government and U.S. companies are investing $33 billion in Africa – $12 billion in new commitments – as part of an overall plan to “take our trade with Africa to the next level.”

There are enormous needs on the continent. According to a research brief by the African Development Bank: • 40 percent of the population lacks access to safe water; • 60 percent of the population lacks basic sanitation; • Only 30 percent of the rural population in SubSaharan Africa has access to all-season roads; • Transport costs in Africa are among the highest in the world; • Only 30 percent of African population has access to electricity; • Africa has the lowest telephone penetration – 14 percent (the world average is 52 percent).

• Africa has the lowest Internet penetration – 3 percent (the world average is 14 percent).

Coupled with those enormous needs is the realization that Africa has six of the top 10 fastest-growing economies in the world: Angola, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Chad, Mozambique, and Rwanda. Moreover, from 2011-2015, Africa is expected to hold seven of the top 10 spots: Ethiopia, Mozambique, Tanzania, Congo, Ghana, Zambia and Nigeria.

With China investing more than twice as much annually in Africa as the United States – $200 billion versus $85 billion – the U.S. has some major catching up to do.

“Africa cut a deal around infrastructure – we need railroads, we need highways, we need ports, we need airports and the Chinese have no problem delivering this stuff,” said Mel Foote, president of Constituency for Africa, an Africa support group founded in 1990.

“They delivered billions of dollars in development dollars that we were reluctant to do. They built the African Union headquarters, which is the most spectacular building on the continent. We’re sitting back twiddling our thumbs while China is looking out for China’s interests.”

Congresswoman Shelia Jackson Lee (D-Tex.) shakes the hand of President H.E. Goodluck Jonathan, Federal Republic of Nigeria, at the dinner in his honor, at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, on Aug. 6, 2014 in NW DC. (Photo (c) Roy Lewis)

(Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com)

Blacks suffer because of shortage of organ donors

Everett Lee (r) with his wife and daughters in 2012. Lee’s leukemia has been in remission 12 years, thanks to a bone marrow transplant.

(Photo courtesy Everett Lee)

By Jazelle Hunt Washington Correspondent WASHINGTON, DC (NNPA) – At the start of 2002, Everett Lee, 57 at the time, considered himself “healthier than all get out.” So when he found himself winded with the smallest tasks, he knew something was wrong.

He scheduled a physical with his doctor as soon as possible,

including blood work, EKG, and x-ray. “[My doctor] said, ‘the blood has to go to the lab, I’ll give you a call back Friday.’ Well, he didn’t call Friday,” Lee says.

“He called me Saturday morning at 9 a.m. – and you know that’s a bad sign – and said, ‘Everett you need to go to the hospital, right now.’”

Trayvon Martin’s mom writes open letter to Michael Brown’s family saying, ‘Neither of their lives shall be in vain’ (Cont'd from FP) I will support you and your efforts to seek justice for your Michael and the countless other Michaels & Trayvons of our country. The 20 Sandy Hook children. Jordan Davis. Oscar Grant. Kendrick Johnson. Sean Bell. Hadya Pendleton. The Aurora shooting victims. The list is too numerous to adequately mention them all. According to The Children’s Defense Fund, gun violence is the second leading cause of death for children ages 1-19. That is a horrible fact.

Facts, myths, and flat out lies are already out there in Michael’s case. Theories, regardless of how ridiculous, are being pondered by the pundits. My advice is to surround yourselves with proven and trusted support. Through it all, I never let go of my faith, my family, or my friends. Long after the overwhelming media attention is gone, you will need those three entities to find your ‘new normal.’ Honor your son and his life, not the circumstances of his alleged transgressions. I have always said that Trayvon was not perfect. But no one will ever convince me that my son deserved to be stalked and murdered. No one can convince you that Michael deserved to be executed.

But know this: neither of their lives shall be in vain. The galvanizations of our communities must be continued beyond the tragedies. While we fight injustice, we will also hold ourselves to an appropriate level of intelligent advocacy. If they refuse to hear us, we will make them feel us. Some will mistake that last statement as being negatively provocative. But feeling us means feeling our pain; imagining our plight as parents of slain children. We will no longer be ignored. We will bond, continue our fights for justice, and make them remember our children in an appropriate light. I would hate to think that our lawmakers and leaders would need to lose a child before protecting the rest of them and making the necessary changes NOW...

With Heartfelt Support, Sybrina D. Fulton Since the untimely death of her son, Fulton has become an activist fighting against Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” Law. She is also the founder of the Trayvon Martin Foundation (www.TrayvonMartinFoundation.org), and can be followed on Twitter at@SybrinaFulton

Lee received an emergency blood transfusion over the weekend, and by Tuesday, he had been diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia. He started chemotherapy the following day.

Blood illnesses such as leukemia and sickle cell anemia can be cured through bone marrow transplants. But African Americans are least likely of all racial groups to find a viable donor, according to the National Marrow Donor Program. The nonprofit runs the world’s largest blood-cell database, known as the Be The Match Registry.

The dearth of donors of color affects all transplants, from blood-related procedures, to tissues such as corneas, to organs such as skin and kidneys. In fact more than 37,000 Black patients are awaiting organ transplants today – that’s 30 percent of the national organ transplant waitlist, according to the federal Organ Procurement and Transplant Network (OPTN).

There are only 16,014 stillliving and still-registered African Americans who have donated an organ over the last 26 years. Last year, only 17 percent of posthumous donors were Black.

The organ and tissue donor registry is both federal and state based. Every state has its own registry, usually via the motor vehicle department. The OPTN keeps track of all of the donors registered nationally, and helps states coordinate matching, donation, organ transport, and transplant.

Signing up to be an organand-tissue, or bone marrow donor are simple, but separate processes. To be a posthumous organ and tissue donor, one must sign up through the state’s department of motor vehicles, or using DonateLife.net. A wallet-sized donor card will be issued through the mail. To become a living organ or tissue donor one must register with the federal United Network for Organ Sharing, and undergo a full physical and psych evaluation. To join the marrow registry as a potential donor, one can request a cheek-swab DNA kit and application from BeTheMatch.org.

(Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com)

Corrections In last week edition Thursday, August 21 Wednesday, August 27, 2014, the article entitled AKAdemic Foundation, Inc. Announces The Scholarship Recipients, the author's name was misspelled. It should have been by Afrah J. Hamin.

BANKUNITED PARTNERS WITH HOUSING AUTHORITY TO TEACH FINANCIAL LITERACY -- Moving beyond the broad-based lessons of typical financial literacy group workshops, approximately 10 BankUnited executives have been working one-on-one with residents of the Fort Lauderdale Housing Authority who are enrolled in the Step Up Apprentice Program, a two-year, state-certified program aimed at providing apprentices with education, training, and employment skills to increase their potential for permanent employment and economic self-sufficiency.

L-r: Recent graduates of the Fort Lauderdale Housing Authority Step Up Apprentice Program received personalized financial literacy education from BankUnited volunteers. The program is ongoing.

Broward County's Oldest and Largest African American Owned and Operated Newspaper

Page 4 • www.thewestsidegazette.com • August 28 - September 3, 2014

Community Digest

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Rally

Dr. Marcus D. Davidson, Senior Pastor of New Mount Olive Baptist Church, South Florida Pastors, elected officials, law enforcement leaders and the Westside Gazette newspaper will host a Prayer Rally for Peace.

The Rally will be held Thursday, Aug. 28, 2014 at 6 p.m., in the Main Sanctuary of New Mount Olive Baptist Church located at 400 N.W. Ninth Ave., Fort Lauderdale Fla. Dr. Davidson states, “In light of the recent events in Ferguson, MO, we must come together to address the issues as a community and provide our support through prayer. We must ensure that peace prevails among our people and in our community.

This is not just a Prayer Rally for Ferguson, Mo.; this is a call for peace nationwide.” Dr. Davidson is encouraging the community, parents and youth to participate in this Rally.

PICK UP YOUR COPY OF THE WESTSIDE GAZETTE TODAY! IT'S YOUR VOICE IN YOUR COMMUNITY

Voters' Registration Drive

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Chi Psi Omega Chapter’s Connection Committee will sponsor a voter registration drive Saturday, 10 a.m. until 4 p.m., Aug. 30, 2014, Wal-Mart Super Center, 3001 North State Road 7, Lauderdale Lakes, Fla. This event is for community persons in need of a new voter registration, card replacement and for address/ signature update or party/name changes. For additional information, contact the Connection Committee at (954) 410-6673 or visit the chapter’s website, Chipsiomega@info.org or on Face Book.

Calendar of Events

Calendar of Events, September 2014. Find It All - At a Broward County Park. For more info call (954) 357-8143. * Monday, Sept. 1 - Delevoe Civic Assoication Meeting, at Reverend Samuel Delevoe Memorial Park (Fort Lauderdale, Fla., for all ages, from 7 to 8:30 p.m., free. * Wednesday, Sept. 3 - After School Program Open House at Franklin Park (Fort Lauderdale, Fla., for all ages, from 5 to 6:30 p.m., free * Wednesday, Sept. 4 Central Broward Regional Park & Stadium, 3700 N.W. 11 Pl., (Lauderhill), at 7 p.m. For more info call (954) 357-8100.

STAYCONNECTED www.thewestsidegazette.com LIKE US ON FACEBOOK Westside Gazette Newspaper FOLLOW US ON TWITTER@_Westsidebiads

Retreat Top Ladies of Distinction, Inc., Miami Chapter Fourth Annual Weekend Retreat, Friday, Sept. 12-14, 2014 at Hampton Inn & Suites, 11600 N.W. 41 St., Miami, Fla. For more info contact Lady Mary L. Walton, at (305) 635-0504.

Tribute Old Dillard Museum presents Not Forgotten, Cannonball Birthday Tribute, Saturday, Sept. 13, 2014 at 7 p.m., at 1009 N.W. Fourth St., Fort Lauderdale, Fla. For tickets and additional info call (754) 32208828.

TO HAVE YOUR COMMUNITY EVENTS POSTED CALL (954) 525-1489 OR FAX (954) 525-1861 FOR MORE INFO

BROWARD MEGA REUNION CLASS OF 73' THRU 77' Piper Alumni is hosting a Broward Mega Reunion Class of 73" thru 77" Schools, Dillard, Boyd Anderson, Plantation, South Plantation, Ely, Fort Lauderdale, Stranahan, Nova, and Piper on Friday Night Friday, October 17, 2014: Meet and Greet -- $25; Saturday Night, October 18: Formal Banquet cost $60 and Sunday, October 19: Church Service - First Baptist Church Piney Grove, 4699 W. Oakland Park Blvd., Lauderdale Lakes Fla., DEADLINE FOR MONEY FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2014. Other classes are welcome to participate.To receive Registration Forms you can email me at Browardmegareunion75.76.77@gmail.com or send a Self Address Stamped Envelope to c/o Cecelia Armstrong Edwards- P.O. Box 120242 Lauderhill Fl., 33312.

Forum Chi Psi Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated will sponsor its annual political forum on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2014, from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Kathleen C. Wright Community Center, Joseph C. Carter Park, 1450 W. Sunrise, Blvd. Marlon Hill, Esq., of delancyhill P.A., will serve as moderator. This forum is opened to all community participants and the public is invited to attend.

Saba Temple #186 and Saba Court # 172 presents a "Strike For A Cure of Diabetes with a Bowling Tournament on Sunday, Aug. 31, 2014 held at the Striker Family Center Bowling Ally, 8500 N.W. 44 Street, Lauderhill, Fla. The cost/ donation is $20.00 per adult, $10.00 for ages 7 to 17, and $5.00 for children 6 and under.

The donation includes food, non-alcoholic beverages and shoes. The bowling hours are from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. There will be prizes given to teams and individuals in different categories so come out and have some fun while supporting this worthy cause at the same time.

For more info call David Nuby, Jr. at (954) 275-2579, Dosica Johnson at (954) 980-4107 or Ed Gibbons at (954) 336-8726.

YOU HAVE READ THE REST, NOW, READ THE BEST

Meeting Lauderhill Women's Club, meets the first Thursday of each month, at 7 p.m., at the Sadkin Center, 1176 N.W. 42nd Way, Lauderhill,Fla. For more info call (954) 739-6941.

United Way of Broward is looking for volunteers: We are looking for volunteers that can dedicate one hour per week, for 25 weeks to read to first grade students for the 2014-2015 school year -- No experience is necessary; just a love for children. Volunteers must complete and pass a background check.

ReadingPals takes place during school hours.ReadingPals runs from September 2014 to June 2015.

Through the ReadingPals initiative volunteers read with children at 14 public schools and 6 childcare centers throughout Broward County. For more information about volunteering, training dates and volunteer requirements for the ReadingPals initiative please contact Lola Jordan at (954) 453-3738.

ATTENTION RADIO LISTENERS We have free gifts for everybody who calls into the show and shares their opinion. Listen every Saturday at 4 p.m. to Spiritual Downloads with Anna Stephenson on WWNN Radio AM 1470. It’s a live Call in talk show that discusses everything from Spiritual Matters to what matters to you. The show can also be heard on the Internet at wwnnradio.com; just click on the listen live button. Your voice is the most important part of the show. So call in and let us hear what you have to say. The toll free call in number is 1-888-5651470. Also e-mail Anna Stephenson at annasmiami@aol.com with a subject you want to hear discussed on the show. The show also interviews special guests Like Jessica Reedy from Sunday Best. Shelia Raye Charles, Melba Moore and different preachers and gospel musical artists and politicians.

Broward County's Oldest and Largest African American Owned and Operated Newspaper

August 28 - September 3, 2014 • www.thewestsidegazette.com • Page 5

Civil Rights groups push Ferguson residents to the polls

By Freddie Allen, NNPA WashingtonCorrespondent WASHINGTON, D.C. (NNPA) – In the aftermath of the shooting death of Michael Brown, an unarmed, Black teenager by a white police officer in Ferguson, Mo., and the social and political unrest that followed, civil rights leaders have urged citizens of the St. Louis County suburb to transform their community at the ballot box.

The revelation that Ferguson, a town that’s nearly 70 percent Black, was represented by a white Republican mayor and a city council that was more than 80 percent white, shocked outsiders and many believed the lack of political voices contributed to the largely non-violent protests that erupted in Ferguson. Darren Wilson, the sixyear veteran police officer who shot and killed Brown on Aug. 9, served on a Ferguson Police Department that is more than 90 percent white.

“What is troubling about Ferguson is the lack of voting representation of African Americans within that government and that has to change,” said Barbara Arnwine, the president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights under Law. Less than 12 percent of eligible voters in Ferguson cast ballots in 2013.

“Turnout is especially low among Ferguson’s African American residents, however. In 2013, for example, just 6 percent of eligible Black voters cast a ballot in Ferguson’s municipal elections, as compared to 17 percent of white voters,” according to ThinkProgress.Org. Even the voter turnout rates for the national midterm elections in 2010, which are usually

lower than the turnout numbers for presidential elections, were nearly nine times higher than Black voter turnout in Ferguson, Mo., during the last election cycle.

According to the Associated Press, Blacks outvoted whites in both 2008 and 2012.

“We are all wholeheartedly committed to making sure that political power, meaning voting, by people of color in the city of Ferguson becomes a vital energetic and strong reality and that the next election, including November 2014, will see a new day in African American voter turnout and participation,” said Arnwine.

After President Obama drew sharp criticism from political pundits on the right and the left for his response to the killing of Michael Brown, and the disconcerting images of St. Louis County Police firing rubber bullets and tear gas at protesters, Pamela Meanes, the president-elect of the National Bar Association, said that President Obama can’t win for losing.

“If he was too passionate, individuals would say, ‘he’s [interfering] with the investigation,’” explained Meanes. “If he’s too calm, people would say, ‘he’s not passionate enough.’”

Meanes added: “The real issue is whether or not his words touched the people of Ferguson.

I think they did.”

Last week, more than a dozen civil and human rights groups released a statement and list of recommendations for community stakeholders, law enforcement officials and lawmakers in an effort to address the killing of Black men at the hands of police officers across the nation.

The group called for “an independent and comprehensive federal investigation by the Department of Justice of the fatal shooting of Michael Brown, an

An eyewitness account of violence in Ferguson, Mo. (Cont'd from FP) After nightfall, someone broke into the QuikTrip. Police grew more aggressive, directing the crowd to disperse. At this point, Rae attempted to return to her car to go home.

“When I got to my car, where the police barricade was, there were about 50 or 60 police cars blocking you in,” she says. “So you couldn’t get out.”

According to her, the police then began a methodic advance, with officers firing gas at the front, and armored, gasmasked officers bringing up the rear. No one was allowed to move in the opposite direction of police, even if that was their way home. Anyone caught between the two police groups, would be stuck in the acrid cloud.

Rae was one of those people stuck. “[Tear gas] burns instantly.

It burns your face, your eyes, and your throat when you breathe in,” she says. “You can’t get away because the cops are threatening you. There’s no choice but to go into the tear gas.”

By the end of that first night, 32 people were arrested (some for looting), two officers were injured, the QuikTrip was a charred hull, several stores in the area had been broken into, and West Florissant Ave. was strewn with debris. Starting the next morning, Monday, Aug. 11, demonstrations and gatherings resumed, most notably in front of the police department headquarters. The first day of school was postponed for the Ferguson-Florissant School District.

The schools would remain closed for the rest of the week as protests continued. Throughout the week, West Florissant Ave. in general, and the QuikTrip in particular, remained the central meeting point for demonstrations. Several blocks north, the Ferguson McDonald’s served as a relief point.

On Sunday, Aug. 10, 17, Yaya Bey, an artist and teachers who lives in Alexandria, Va., and Erika Totten, a stayat-home-mom and activist and former teacher in Washington, D.C., arrived in Ferguson. They had come with a group of three others from the D.C. metro area to help organize and agitate with Ferguson/St. Louis community leaders and social justice groups.

“When we were there, it was like a family reunion at the

QuikTrip,” Bey says. “There were activities for the children, people giving away food, people asking people to register to vote…it was a really peaceful protest.”

After dark, she and Totten walked through the crowds to McDonald’s so Totten could call her mother.

“As we were on our way to McDonald’s we passed a line of police with sticks, and I walked up to one and asked, ‘What are the sticks for?’ He said, ‘To beat people.’”

Still, Totten says things at the McDonald’s were calm at that point. But around 8:30, well before the mandated midnight curfew, police attempted to disperse crowds by using force.

“This is when they say some looters smashed the windows, but... they were tear-gassing block by block,” Totten recalls.

“People were so caught off guard and didn’t have anywhere to go. Someone just wanted to get in because they were choking.”

At this, she and Bey prepared themselves to leave the McDonald’s and return to the foggy streets to help the injured, “spraying them down” with a milk- or Maalox-and-water mixture said to relieve the burning.

“There were a lot of young people out there, a lot of people from the hood out there, willing to be on the front lines. Not only that, but they’re there without information... didn’t know anything about how to diffuse tear gas,” Bey says. “We ran into two kids, they were 15... [one] said, ‘I didn’t even plan to be here, I was on my way home and got trapped out here.’”

At some point, police began firing into the crowd. No one knew the bullets were rubber.

People ran from the gunfire, some hiding in residential yards, garages, and sheds. In the melee, Bey was assaulted.

“I was running from gun shots...running for my life at the time. [Totten] was a few feet in front of me. A white man came in between us, and it took me a while to realize he was running toward me,” she says.

“By the time I realized it was too late. He hit me in the face and told me to sit the f— down.”

She clarifies that he wasn’t an officer. Totten adds that there was a group of people down there “not down for the cause,” taking advantage of the chaos to stir trouble.

(Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com)

unarmed African American teenager shot by police in Ferguson, Mo.” The recommendations, crafted by the civil rights groups, included comprehensive reviews of excessive use of force reports and killings by police officers on unarmed minorities and the adoption of national standards on use of force for all law enforcement officers.

Students of color now match white school enrollment (Cont'd from FP) This year’s “majority-minority” demographic shift is speculation for now – the Department of Education won’t have the actual enrollment figures for fall 2014 until at least 2016.

Still, it is a matter of when – not if – schools will be the first sector of society to reflect changing American demographics.

But it doesn’t seem as though public education is in-step with the nation’s steady transformation.

“What’s concerning to me as a consultant is that we have an increasing student population of color and declining percentages of teachers of color,” says Jawanza Kunjufu, a Chicagobased education consultant and author. “Unfortunately, most school districts have one to three days of training for teachers, and most of that is not around multicultural training.”

Less than 7 percent of the nation’s public school teachers are Black. Taken together, teachers of color are only 18 percent.

Kunjufu says that some university education programs, particularly those in urban areas, are attempting to prepare incoming, mostly-white teachers for classroom diversity.

But this alone may not be enough to create effective schools that reflect their students.

“We’re looking at 2014 when students are going to be 50 percent White and 50 percent nonwhite, but the curriculum is still Eurocentric. The learning styles are still more left-brained.

We still have tracking – the AP, honors, Gifted and Talented, and IB classes are still predominantly white and Asian,” he explains.

Discrimination also remains a problem, despite increased diversity. In fact earlier this year, the Department of Justice stepped in to issue a set of school disciplinary policy guidelines in line with civil rights law. The guidelines were in response to widespread suspensions of Black students of all ages, and also in response to increased law enforcement in school settings.

Florida Primary Election: More absentee voters but low overall turnout expected (Cont'd from FP) As of 9:30 Tuesday morning, Detzner said voting was going smoothly. The only exception in the state’s 6,222 precincts was one Orange County poll worker who overslept and opened a few minutes late. (No voters were affected, Detzner says.)

And before polls opened Tuesday, he said 296,902 people had voted early and 856,378 voters had cast absentee ballots.

He says he’s heard sporadic reports from Lee and Orange counties of “dramatic” increases in absentee voting compared to previous elections.

“I think the long lines of 2012 sent a message to people that it’s easy and convenient to call in and get your absentee ballot, so I think it’s worth noting that people are responding to that. Plus it’s just so convenient. I voted absentee,” Detzner says.

But despite that trend, Detzner says if the 2010 primary is an indication, voter turnout isn’t expected to be high. That year, just 22 percent of registered voters showed up.

“The tragic killing of Michael Brown is not an isolated incident. This is emblematic of deficiencies disparities and discrimination in the American criminal justice system,” said Janai Nelson, the associate director-counsel for the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund. “ It’s a system that has been marred by racial profiling, by over-policing by excessive force by law enforcement and the killing and the extreme frustration that we see surrounding not only Michael Brown’s death but the deaths of three other unarmed persons in little over a month.”

A New York City police officer killed Eric Garner, 43, with a chokehold during an attempted arrest in July. On Aug. 5, John Crawford III, 21, was fatally shot by police as he walked around a WalMart talking on his cellphone and carrying a toy gun in Beavercreek, Ohio.

Attorney General Eric Holder Two days after Michael Brown was killed, police shot and killed Ezell Ford, 25, a mentally disabled man in Los Angeles, Calif.

Nelson said, “We call on the Department of Justice not only to conduct a formal and independent investigation, but also to enact much needed structural reform of the United

States criminal justice system and to address the pervasive and long-standing deficiencies in police practices and supervision and the widespread failure to deal with issues of racial bias in the criminal justice system, both implicit and explicit that result in the tragic deaths and mass incarceration of Americans of color.”

Little River Saints of the Miami Pop Warner Youth Football League were featured on the field during halftime of Cowboys-Dolphins pre-season game this past Saturday. Little River Saints were the youth football Team of the Week.

(Photo credit Dave Cross)

Broward County's Oldest and Largest African American Owned and Operated Newspaper

Page 6 • www.thewestsidegazette.com • August 28 - September 3, 2014

Opinion

The Westside Gazette, under the Management of BI-ADs, Inc., reserves the right to publish Views and Opinions by Contributing Writers may not necessarily reflect those of the Staff and Management of The Westside Gazette Newspaper and are solely the product of the responsible individual(s) who submit comments published in this newspaper.

How to help end police brutality in your community

By Charlene Carruthers and Terrance Laney President Barack Obama’s statements on the killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., left many young Black folks feeling that the Administration was either unwilling or inept at addressing racial injustice in the United States.

While the focus on America’s first Black President is understandable, it has unfortunately provided every mayor, city council and police department with the cover they need to continue to refuse to implement common sense reforms that would keep everyone safe from police misconduct and abuse of power.

The truth is that the presidency, a federal office, has limited authority over local government agencies like police departments.

Local elected officials hold the most power to create the kind of change we need. While pressuring an unknown city councilman may not earn activists national recognition and Twitter stardom, doing so effectively may end stats that show a Black person is killed by police, security officers or vigilantes every 28 hours in the U.S. Young people are crowding streets across America, confronting local police, screaming, “Don’t shoot!” and boldly asking “Am I next?” — But clear policy demands directed at the appropriate targets have been lacking. While

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the media directs our attention to Ferguson, we should also be organizing to create real policy change in our own communities.

1) Your Mayor: Mayors are the top elected officials in virtually every city in the U.S. In cities like Chicago, New York and Washington, DC, the mayor hires or appoints the Chief of Police and has the power to hold police departments accountable for their actions. Does your mayor have a plan to prevent your city from becoming the next Ferguson?

In most cases, probably not. Currently, the U.S. Conference of Mayors — the leading organization dedicated to providing mayors with guidance and support to make good policy — has not provided mayors with any significant guidance to prevent your city from descending into the chaos that one bad cop can cause.

2) Your City Council Representative: If you want laws that provide your community with a more powerful role in holding local law enforcement accountable, then those laws will undoubtedly come through your city council. Many advocates are proposing “Mike Brown’s Law,” which would require police officers to wear cameras and record their interactions with citizens. If you believe that laws like this would benefit your community and save Black and brown lives,

then start by asking your city council representative to introduce this legislation.

3) Your Chief of Police: In some cities, the Chief of Police is known as the Police Commissioner or the Superintendent of Police and is the top law enforcement officer. This powerful executive has the authority over every police officer in their departments and can discipline police officers.

In many cities, this role is directly accountable to the people because it is an elected position, and in other cities the Chief of Police is held accountable by the mayors who appoint them. The Chief of Police in your city should have a plan to protect you from police brutality, and their process for disciplining officers who commit violence against citizens should be transparent.

4) Community Review Boards/ Police Accountability Boards: Community Review Boards or Police Accountability Boards are intended to provide an opportunity for citizens to hold police accountable. They were established in many cities in the 1970s and 1980s in response to widespread police brutality faced by those in the Civil Rights and Anti-War movements.

Over the years, the power of these boards has been eroded or undermined by police tactics. If your community does not have a board, then consider

From ‘hands up, don’t shoot’ Differences in Black and white

By George E. Curry to ‘hands up, vote’

By Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. NNPA Columnist Out of every momentous national tragedy that Black Americans CHAVIS have continued to endure in the United States, there has always emerged a redeeming moment to push harder and further on the long journey toward freedom, justice and equality. The continuing unrestrained fatal police killings of Black American males in St. Louis County, Missouri is now described as part of a national “open season” to kill Blacks in America. What should we do now? What is the redeeming action that should be taken?

In the aftermath of the murders of Michael Brown, Eric Gardner, Trayvon Martin, Jordan Davis and so many others, what should be our next course of action? Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., writing in his last book, pointed the way.

Writing in Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community? Dr. King stated in 1967: “The persistence of racism in depth and the dawning awareness that Negro demands will necessitate structural changes in society have generated a new phase of white resistance in the North and South.’’

Dr. King’s prophetic words, written 47 years ago, are equally true today.

With the “browning of America,” there has been a steady increase in raciallymotivated police violence against Blacks and Latinos.

The tragic murder of Michael Brown by police officer Darren Wilson in the St. Louis suburb of Ferguson has reverberated around the world. It is just the latest example of a society that refuses to end racial oppression or acknowledge its racist past.

(Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com)

NNPA Columnist Public opinion polls confirm a fact that has been documented in instances ranging from CURRY the O.J. Simpson verdict to recent events in Ferguson: When it comes to race, Blacks and whites largely view events through a different set of lenses.

Several recent polls provided yet more proof of this disheartening trend.

According to a recent New York Times/CBS News poll, more than half of Black Americans polled – 57 percent – said the killing of the unarmed, 18year-old Michael Brown by Ferguson, Mo. Police Officer Darren Wilson on Aug. 9, 2014 was “not justified.” Among whites, 25 percent said the shooting death was unjustified.

In addition, 31 percent of white Americans, and 71 percent of Blacks, said they think police are generally more likely to use deadly force against a person of color than a white person.

The performance of Gov. Jay Nixon, a Democrat, also received mixed reviews, so to speak. He mobilized the Missouri State Highway Patrol and then activated the Missouri National Guard after declaring a state of emergency and imposing a curfew. Blacks were twice as likely as whites to say involving the National Guard only made matters worse.

Only a quarter of Blacks nationally are satisfied with Gov. Nixon’s actions, while nearly half said Nixon’s performance in the aftermath of the shooting was unsatisfactory. In contrast, whites were divided: A third were satisfied and a third dissatisfied Not surprisingly, Blacks, Obama’s most loyal bloc, continue to back him by large margins.

(Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com)

Demonstrators protest the killing of teenager Michael Brown on August 19, 2014, in Ferguson, Missouri. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) starting a campaign to establish one.

If your community has a Community Review Board that doesn’t have the power it needs to hold police accountable and keep your community safe from bad police practices, then organize a campaign to strengthen that board.

Young leaders are also encouraged to join groups like the Black Youth Project 100 (BYP100), Ohio Students Association and the Dream Defenders and build power in their own cities at the local level. It is their commitment to building such power which can be used to end police brutality and the criminalization of Black youth.

Charlene Carruthers is national coordinator of the Black Youth Project 100 (@BYP_100), a national memberbased organization of Black 18-35 activists. Charlene is an organizer and writer born and raised on the south side of Chicago, where she currently resides.

Terrance Laney is public policy chair of the Black Youth Project 100 (@BYP_100). Terrance is an organizer, born and raised in Georgia and currently living in Washington, DC. You can follow him on Twitter @publiusterrance.

My Dream

By Yolonda Reed The most recent, apparently senseless death of another African REED American male has our community in an uproar. The shooting death of Michael Brown by Ferguson, Mo. Police officer Darren Wilson has ignited racial flames that always lay simmering just below the surface. We are doing a great job of killing ourselves with Black-on-Black violence, HIV/AIDS, drugs, etc. We don’t need any help from our so-called enforcers of the law!

Yes, I said it – we are doing a fabulous job of genocide all on our own without the help of those sworn to protect and to serve us lending a hand.

Undoubtedly this statement will upset some folks; well, the truth hurts, doesn’t it?

I’ve heard so many Black men’s grievances about the system and how hard it is for them to find a job, let alone a good job. I’ve witnessed the struggle of Brothers who have been incarcerated try and get reintegrated into society. I’ve seen the “By Any Means Necessary” mentality of putting food on the table that some men have resorted to for their families. In short, I’ve seen the good, the bad and the ugly - from a Black woman’s perspective.

The most feared species walking the face of the earth is the educated Black man. Why else would white men spend hundreds of years attempting to break their spirits? Who else can endure the trials and tribulations, the back-breaking bondage and the inhumane atrocities?

(Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com)

The Gantt Report Thinkers in Ferguson

By Lucius Gantt I have no idea why but many Gantt Report readers have asked me what I think about events taking place in Ferguson, GANTT Mo. Well, I think if you’re a Black teenager, a Black woman or a Black man wherever you are, no matter what city you’re in you are in “Ferguson”!

I’ve said many times over the years that you need serious solutions to serious Black community problems. The cookie cutter approach to addressing issues of concern to African Americans has never worked well and that approach never will.

If all your so-called leaders can tell you to do is pray and march, Black community members will continue to be falsely accused, wrongfully charged, beaten and sometimes shot down and killed in broad day light!

I also said that just because your remarks are “politically correct”, watered down, simmered down versions of messages accepted and approved by the devilish powers that be it does not mean that the words of preachers, lawyers and community charlatans are the only voices that should be heard whenever bad things happen in Black neighborhoods.

The truth is always the best defense! Give the people the facts. If you want to know what the future holds for the residents of Ferguson, Mo. start by looking at Ferguson’s past.

Ferguson won’t change until the people of Ferguson change!

(Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com)

The killing of Black men continues

By Ron Daniels NNPA Columnist When will it stop? The police killing of Michael Brown, an unarmed DANIELS teenager in the streets of Ferguson, Mo., coming on the heels of the killing of Eric Garner, an unarmed Black man by a policeman’s choke hold in Staten Island, N.Y. is yet another painful, traumatic reminder of the long history of occupation, torture, abuse and killing of Black people in America, particularly Black men.

Indeed, within hours of the killing of Michael Brown, Ezell Ford, an unarmed Black man with a history of mental problems, was killed in Los Angeles under suspicious circumstances. It doesn’t matter that there is an African American president of the United States or that Blacks are mayors of major American cities, run Fortune 500 companies or are pace setters as high paid and adored hip hop moguls, entertainers and athletes, the killing of Black men continues.

Once again legions of Black people and people of conscience and goodwill are in the streets in Ferguson, Mo. and in solidarity rallies across the country.

But, to add insult to injury, in scenes reminiscent of the brutalizing of civil rights protesters in Birmingham and Selma in the 60s, St. Louis County Police units with sharpshooters, sniper squads, mine-resistant trucks and a “Bearcat armored truck” unleashed a ferocious assault on peaceful marchers, firing tear gas, stun bombs and rubber bullets into the ranks of terrorized protesters.

(Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com)

History often unfolds the politics of political injustice Profiting from the grief in Ferguson

By Derek Joy Check this out. . .

The aftermath of Michael Brown’s shooting by Ferguson, Mo., police officer Darren Wilson has ignited a barrage of public sentiment and media attention.

Brown was an unarmed Black American teenager. Wilson is Anglo.

Hence, local attention focused even more when WPLG/Local 10’s This Week in South Florida hosts Michael Putney and Glenna Milberg embraced the topic with guests.

One by one, Fort Lauderdale Police

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR GUIDELINES The Westside Gazette welcomes your letters. Letters must be signed with name clearly legible along with a phone number and complete address. No unsigned or anonymous letters will be considered for publication. The Westside Gazette reserves the right to edit letters. The letters should be 500 words or less.

Chief Frank Adderley, Major Delrish Moss, public information office commander for the City of Miami Police Dept., community activist Brian Dennis and El Nuevo Herald Executive Editor Myriam JOY Marquez weighed in.

“I wouldn’t say we’re over armed,” replied Adderley, when Marquez pointed out the heavy artillery armored personnel carriers police departments work with. “When you’re the person waiting to be rescued you want them to have every advantage.”

No doubt about that. And absolutely no doubt about Moss’ assessment: “Sensitivity training is key. Being sensitive is an extension of my ability to help. If you can’t respect the people you police, then you can’t police them.”

History shows as much.

Arthur McDuffie, Neville Johnson and a number of other unarmed Black Americans who were killed by police the very people sworn to protect and serve. Curiously, most of them continued working in law enforcement.

(Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com)

By Chris H. and Gloria Bennett to NNPA from Seattle Medium We are all outraged by the shooting death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo. People all across the country have taken to the streets, social media Chris H. and Gloria Bennett and many other forms of protest to show their outrage.

The one question that I have as I watch video accounts of what is happening on the ground in Ferguson is: Who is profiting from the tragic loss of life that has occurred in this community?

While people are taking to the streets, tearing up their neighborhoods and destroying businesses in Ferguson, there are hundreds of visiting journalists who are staying in hotels (outside of Ferguson), renting cars, buying gas (probably outside of Ferguson) and buying food (outside of Ferguson if they want to eat in peace).

(Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com)

A Black life is worth less than a $50 box of cigars?

By Bill Fletcher, Jr. NNPA Columnist Under other circumstances one could simply ridicule the explanations offered by the Ferguson police regarding the killing of Michael Brown. To suggest that the killing was the result of the alleged theft of a $50 box of cigars or, for that matter, an angry exchange in connection with jaywalk-

ing, defies belief. To think about the number of people in this country who, in their youth, enFLETCHER gaged in some degree of shoplifting or who have jaywalked suggests that there would need to be mass executions on a scale never before seen in the history of humanity.

(Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com)

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AF amily T hat Prays T ogether, Stays T ogether Family That Together, Together

Church Directory

August 28 - September 3, 2014 • www.thewestsidegazette.com • Page 7

St. Ruth Missionary Baptist Church

Bethel Missionary Baptist Church 2211 N.W. 7th Street, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33061 Church: (954) 583-9368 Email: bethelmbchurchfl@att.net

Reverend Jimmy L. English PASTOR WORSHIP SERVICES Sunday Worship ............................................................. 8 a.m. & 11 a.m.

Sunday School ........................................................................... 9:30 a.m.

Wednesday (Prayer Service & Bible Study) ............................... 7:30 a.m.

Saturday (Women Bible Study) ............................................................ 8 a.m.

"Baptized Believers working together to do the will of God"

First Baptist Church Piney Grove, Inc. 4699 West Oakland Park Blvd.

Lauderdale Lakes, FL 33313 Office: (954) 735-1500 Fax: (954) 735-1939 fbcpg@bellsouth.net

Rev. Dr. Derrick J. Hughes, Pastor SUNDAY SERVICES Worship Services .......................................................... 7:30 & 10:45 a.m.

Children's Church ........................................................ 7:30 & 10:45 a.m.

Communion (First Sunday) ......................................... 7:30 & 10:45 a.m.

New Members' Class .................................................................... 9:30 a.m.

Church School .............................................................................. 9:30 a.m.

Baptist Training Union (BTU) .................................................... 1:00 p.m.

Wednesday (Bible Study) ...................................... 11:15 a.m.. & 7:00 p.m.

Harris Chapel United Methodist Church Rev. Juana Jordan, M.Div E-MAIL:juana.jordan@flumc.org 2351 N.W. 26th Street Oakland Park, Florida 33311 Church Telephone: (954) 731-0520 Church Fax: (954) 731-6290

SERVICES Sunday Worship ................................................. 7:30 a.m. & 10:30 a.m.

Sunday School .............................................................................. 9:00 a.m.

Wednesday (Bible Study) ........................................... 11a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Mount Calvary Baptist Church

800 N.W. 8th Avenue Pompano Beach, Florida 33060 Church Telephone: (954) 943-2422 Church Fax: (954) 943-2186 E-mail Address: Mtcalvarypompano@bellsouth.net

Reverend Anthony Burrell, Pastor SCHEDULE OF SERVICES SUNDAY

New Member Orientation ........................... 9:30 a.m.

Sunday School ................................................ 9:30 a.m.

Worship Service ........................................ 11:00 a.m.

WEDNESDAY Prayer Meeting ............................................... 6:00 p.m.

Bible Study ..................................................... 7:00 p.m.

"Doing God's Business God's Way, With a Spirit of Excellence"

New Birth Baptist Church The Cathedral of Faith International Bishop Victor T. Curry, M.Min., D.Div. Senior Pastor/Teacher 2300 N.W. 135th Street Miami, Florida 33167

ORDER OF SERVICES Sunday Worship ........................................................ 7:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m. & 7:00 p.m.

Sunday School ....................................................................................................... 9:30 a.m.

Tuesday (Bible Study) ......................................................................................... 6:45 p.m.

Wednesday (Bible Study) ............................................................................... 10:45 a.m.

1-800-254-NBBC * (305) 685-3700 (o) *(305) 685-0705 (f) www.newbirthbaptistmiami.org

New Mount Olive Baptist Church 400 N.W. 9th Ave., Ft. Lauderdale 33311 (954) 463-5126 ● Fax: (954) 525-9454 CHURCH OFFICE HOURS Monday - Friday 8:00 - 4:00 p.m.

Dr. Marcus D. Davidson, Senior Pastor WORSHIP SERVICES & BIBLE STUDY Sunday .................................................... 7:15 a.m. 9:00 a.m. & 11:00 a.m.

Sunday School ............................................................................ 10:00 a.m.

Wednesday Noonday Service .................................. 12:00-12:30 p.m.

Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting ............................................ 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday Night Bible Study ................................................... 7:00 p.m.

Where the kingdom of God is increased through Fellowship.

Leadership, Ownership and Worship F.L.O.W. To Greatness!

Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church 1161 NW 29th Terr., Fort Lauderdale, Fla. 33311 (954) 581-0455 ● Fax: (954) 581-4350 www.mtzionmissionarybapt.com

Rev. Dr. James B. Darling, Senior Pastor WORSHIP SERVICES Sunday Worship Service .............................................................................. 8:00 & 11:00 a.m.

Sunday School ............................................................................................................... 10:00 a.m.

Communion Service (1st Sunday) ......................................................................... 11:00 a.m.

Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting ........................................................................... 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday Night Bible Study ................................................................................... 7:00 p.m.

Saturday (2nd & 4th) Growth & Orientation ........................................................... 9 a.m.

But be doers of the Word - James 1:22 nkjv - “A Safe Haven, and you can get to Heaven from here”

On Saturday, Aug. 23, 2014 we lost a huge icon in our community, Willie James McNair the founder and president of De’Angelo Development.

Born on Aug. 26, 1965 and married to Angela Benefield McNair with three children: Willie De'Angelo McNair, Wesley De’jon McNair and Amber Rai’je McNair.

Viewing: Friday, Aug. 29, 2014, 5 - 9 p.m. at McWhite’s Funeral Home, 3501 W. Broward Blvd. Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Funeral service will be held Saturday, Aug. 30, 2014 at 11 a.m. Mount Olive Baptist Church, 400 N.W. Ninth Ave., Fort Lauderdale Fla.

McNAIR

neral Home Chapel with Rev. James Ray officiating. Interment: Eastman Cemetery, Eastman, Ga.

neral Home with Willie J. Chance II officiating. Interment: Sunset Memorial Gardens.

SHEPARD Funeral services for the late Dorothy Jean Shepard – 44 were held Aug. 23 at James C. Boyd’s Memorial Chapel with Pastor James Polk officiating.

JACKSON Funeral services for the late K h a m a r i Nehemiah Jackson-2 months-old were held Aug. 22 at McWhite’s Funeral Home Chapel. Interment: Sunset Memorial Gardens.

TYSON Funeral services for the late Dorothy Tyson were held Aug. 23 at McWhite’s Funeral Home.

THOMAS Funeral services for the late Evangelist Michelle Loraine Thomas - 49 were held Aug. 23 at Lighthouse Worship Center with Pastor Ron Harper officiating. Interment: Sunset Memorial Gardens.

JILES Funeral services for the late Ira Jiles – 78 were held Aug. 23 at McWhite’s Funeral Home Chapel. Interment: Sunset Memorial Gardens.

145 NW 5th Avenue Dania Beach, FL 33004 Office: (954) 922-2529

Bishop Victor T. Curry Senior Pastor/Teacher

Worship T his and Every Sunday at the Church of Your Choice This

WORSHIP SERVICES Bible Study (Wednesday Night) ...................................................... 6:45 p.m.

Sunday School .............................................................................. 8:45 a.m.

Sunday Morning Service ............................................................. 10:00 a.m.

Williams Memorial CME “PRAYER IS THE ANSWER” 644-646 NW 13th Terrace Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33311 (954) 462-5711(Ministry Office Line) (954) 462-8222(Pastor’s Direct Line) Email: wm_cme@bellsouth.net (Church} pastorCal50@yahoo.com (Pastor)

Rev. Cal Hopkins.

M.Div) Senior Pastor/Teacher

The WITNESS of “The WILL” Sunday Worship Experiences ................................................................ 7:45 and 11:00 a.m.

Sunday School ................................................................................................................. 9:30 a.m.

Tuesday Night Triumph {Prayer, Praise and Power} Prayer Meeting ................................................................................................................ 7:00 p.m.

Bible Study ........................................................................................................................ 7:30 p.m.

We STRIVE to PROVIDE Ministries that matter TODAY to Whole Body of Christ, not only the Believers, but also for those stranded on the “Jericho Road”!

“Celebrating over 85 Years of FAITH and FAVOR! Come to the WILL ... We’ll show You the WAY: Jesus the Christ!”

Obituaries Elijah Bell's Funeral Services DAVIS Funeral services for the late Beverly Davis.

JOHNSON Funeral services for the late Norman Mae Richardson-Johnson.

JONES Funeral services for the late Brandon Jones.

MATTIS Funeral services for the late Leonard Mattis.

LEMONTE Funeral services for the late Venetta Lemonte.

TRAVIS Funeral services for the late Norma Travis, Jr.

James C. Boyd Funeral Home COLSTON Funeral services for the late Mother Rosa Lee Colston 70 were held Aug. 23 at Judah Worship Word Ministries International with Dr. Willett Mitchell officiating. Interment: Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens (Central).

New Bethel Primitive Baptist Church is prayerfully searching for a Minister of Music to lead and develop our music ministry. Our music ministry currently consists of two adult choirs, one young adult choir, one youth choir, and one male chorus.

We currently have two worship services (7:45 AM and 11:30 AM), and the Minister of Music will work on average 12-15 hours weekly. You can find more information about New Bethel Church, the qualifications, and responsibilities of this opportunity at our website www.newbethelpbchurch.org If you are interested in applying you may mail your resume to 1100 NW 29th Terr., Fort Lauderdale, FL 33311 or you may email your resume to newbethelpbchurch@gmail.com.

For specific questions you may call our church office at (954)792-2440 and leave a message if no one is available.

Willie James McNair succumbs

McWhite's Funeral Home ALLEN Funeral services for the late Sylvia Rose Marie Allen 73 were held Aug. 23 at Christian Community Church of God with Bishop Christopher Lewis officiating. Interment: Sunset Memorial Gardens.

HALL Funeral services for the late C h a r l e s “Charlie” Hall - 70 were held Aug. 23 at McWhite’s Fu-

KENNEDY Funeral services for the late Mary Ann Kennedy - 57 were held Aug. 23 at Cathedral of Prayer Ministries COGIC with Sup. Kenneth Washington officiating. Interment: Sunset Memorial Gardens.

JORDAN Funeral services for the late John Jordan – 79 were held Aug. 25 at McWhite’s Funeral Home.

Interment: South Florida National Cemetery, Lake Worth, Fl. MILLER Funeral services for the late Osbie Miller, Jr. - 65 were held Aug. 23 at McWhite’s Fu-

WILSON Funeral services for the late Catherine Brown-Wilson – 78 were held Aug. 23 at Mount Bethel Baptist Church with Rev. Kwame D. Alston, THM officiating. Interment: Forest Lawn Cemetery.

Roy Mizell & Kurtz Funeral Home HARRISON Funeral services for the late Pauline Veronica Harrison – 74 were held Aug. 23 at Roy Mizell & Kurtz Worship Center with Rev. James B. Darling officiating. Interment: Pinelawn Memorial Park, Farmingdale, NY. JACKSON Funeral services for the late Johnny Jackson, Jr. - 66 were held Aug. 23 at Roy Mizell & Kurtz Worship Center with Rev. James B. Darling officiating. Interment: Sunset Memorial Gardens.

Broward County's Oldest and Largest African American Owned and Operated Newspaper

Page 8 • www.thewestsidegazette.com • August 28 - September 3, 2014

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IT PAYS TO ADVERTISE IN THE WESTSIDE GAZETTE CALL -- (954) 525-1489 FOR MORE INFO

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In the heat of summer having a bucket of ice water thrown on you may not be a bad thing. It’s a phenomenon that’s sweeping the nation – contagious fundPearl and Mel Shaw raising spurred on by social media, sports celebrities, television hosts, movie stars and international performers. Everyone – it seems – is in on it. Well, except for the two of us. We are enjoying the summer heat with no ice water – but we’re giving to ALS anyway. Here’s the reason: We want to be “in with the in crowd.”

We’ve known of ALS – otherwise known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease – for decades. But no one has ever asked us to give to The ALS Foundation. There are so many worthy non-profits to give to, and like most people we have a limited budget. But, how could we not give when the nation is gripped with the ice bucket challenge?

In case you don’t know, here’s a quick overview of the challenge: someone challenges you to give to ALS. If you don’t, you have to have a bucket of ice cold water dumped on you. Even better: have it video-taped and posted on social media. Once you complete the challenge you have to challenge others to give or get wet. Here’s the thing: many people are doing both. It’s fun.

The videos are hysterical. And the money is pouring in. The numbers from their recent press release are astounding. “As of Tuesday, Aug. 19, The ALS AsMINIMUM Q UALlFICA TONS QU ALlFICAT sociation has received $22.9 million in donations compared to Bachelor of Music Degree Preferred $1.9 million during the same time period last year (July 29 to Aug. Must Be Able to Read Music and Play Organ & Piano 19). These donations have come Must have at least 3 years Administrative/Supervisory Experience from existing donors and 453,210 new donors to The Association.”

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Broward County's Oldest and Largest African American Owned and Operated Newspaper

August 28 - September 3, 2014 • www.thewestsidegazette.com • Page 9

What to look for in dueling autopsies of Michael Brown

By A.C. Thompson From ProPublica.com In the next few weeks, separate teams of doctors will issue autopsy reports about Michael Brown, the unarmed African American shot to death by a police officer in Ferguson, Mo.. If history is any guide, they will differ, perhaps significantly, on how to interpret the gunshot wounds on his body. Michael Baden, the veteran medical examiner chosen to autopsy the

body by Brown’s family, has released the preliminary results of his autopsy and both the St. Louis County Medical Examiner and U.S. Justice Department have announced plans to conduct or commission separate post mortems.

As a journalist, I’ve read roughly 1,000 autopsy reports and spent much of my career reporting on fatal encounters between police officers and civilians. Here’s some of what Baden found and what experts

will be looking for as they examine Brown’s corpse: 1. Evidence that Brown was fleeing from the officer who shot him, Darren Wilson. Shots to the back are a red flag, indicating the victim may have been running from the officer rather than attacking. The basic law on use of force turns on whether a police officer acted from a “reasonable belief” that he or she was facing a lethal threat.

Baden — who was hired by Brown’s family — believes

The great Broward awakening Countywide prayer unites Christian leaders in Fort Lauderdale

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL -- Beginning Friday, Aug. 29, 2014 in Broward County, ministry leaders of all denominations will participate in Broward County’s first monthly gathering of leaders solely for the purpose of prayer according to Apostle Frank Lloyd, a GBA participant.

Deemed “The Great Broward Awakening” or “GBA”, participants will be seeking the guidance and blessings of the Lord over Broward schools, communities, businesses and ministries.

The event will take place at the Universal Palms Hotel, 4900 Powerline Road. Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The prayer event will

begin at 7:30 p.m. and is open to all ministry leaders serving from Boca Raton to North Miami.

“The GBA event is structured to overcome struggles that typically prevent ministry leaders from uniting.

"We believe that the need to pray, in unity, for Broward County far exceeds our minute differences. This is structured as a recurring event rather than a new ministry.

The event is hosted and sponsored by its participants with Jesus Christ as the head,” Apostle Jason Jackson told reporters.

For more information or to register, visit the following

website address: www.browardawakening.org or call the hotel at (954)7764880 for directions.

Jesse Jackson will expand Silicon Valley initiative to other sectors

Brown was shot at least six times with all the bullets striking him from the front.

2. Signs of a physical altercation. Forensic pathologists study the exterior of the body for bruises, scrapes and lacerations which can be signs that a scuffle preceded the fatal shots. Witnesses have said Brown and Wilson wrestled in the moments before the killing.

On Baden’s diagram of Brown’s body, the doctor does not appear to have noted any significant injuries other than the gunshot wounds. Baden did not find gunpowder residue on Brown’s hands, one piece of evidence that would likely be present if the two men were struggling for control of a gun discharged at close range.

3. Bullet trajectory. Shots fired at a downward angle may indicate the officer fired while the victim was on his knees or laying on the ground. A person in those positions generally poses less of a physical threat.

Baden said a shot to Brown’s head appeared to have come from above; he believes this was the fatal shot 4. Number of shots. Baden voiced concern over the fact

that Brown was hit by at least six shots. The doctor, who served earlier in his career as chief medical examiner for New York City and as an expert for the New York State Police, was quoted by the New York Times as saying, “In my capacity as the forensic examiner for the New York State Police, I would say, ‘You’re not supposed to shoot so many times.’” The number of shots may or may not be significant. Training on lethal force varies from department to department. Many forces train officers to continue firing until the suspect has been completely subdued. Some experts say that incidents in which a civilian has been hit with a single shot are more suspicious than those with multiple shots: The lone bullet could have been fired accidentally or in a moment of rage.

5. Gunshot residue. The presence of gunshot residue (GSR) on the skin or clothes of the victim may mean that the person was shot at very close range.

Baden found no GSR on Brown’s body, but said he did not scrutinize his clothing. Additionally, bullets fired from a few inches away leave distinct

wound patterns on the flesh.

Baden’s report suggests the shots were fired from further away.

6. The presence of alcohol or drugs. Baden has not reviewed the toxicology tests, but results of those tests should be available soon (though it could take the authorities months to release them). Forensic pathologists typically fill vials with bodily fluids — urine, blood, or vitreous humor, the fluid within the eyeballs — and send them off to outside laboratories to be screened for alcohol, prescription drugs, and street drugs. If drugs or alcohol are discovered Brown’s system, that information might provide some additional context to the fatal events.

In some police-civilian clashes, the evidence discovered during an autopsy turns out to be crucial. In the case of Michael Brown, it’s not clear how useful this trio of autopsies will be. As the nation tries to understand what happened on August 9, the autopsy results may well not prove conclusive on the key questions.

I raise my hands (Cont'd from FP) I raise my hands free from weapons and unballed fists in a sign that’s non-threatening and it makes me vulnerable. I even drop to my knees in a position to beg and my purposes are to gravel you until you recognize and see me as a humanjust like you.

From all of your unconstructive indications since our unwanted voyage to this country, you have blatantly shown no intentions of ever being on familiar terms with our God-given rights. I raise my hands in protest but not in a pugilist stance of defense nor to offer any offense for your sticking blows, but humbly ask that you see me as a man.

I raise my hands to wipe away my tears that have caused me to bleed through eyes of mounting detestation of a people devoid of any understanding outside of their diluted lives.

I raise my hands to tear down walls that falsely incarcerate me and to lay foundations that will support houses of hopes for my children and my children’s children.

I raise my hands to reach up and grab hold to hands that will pull me from the quicksand of despair.

You have tried to eradicate me as if I were some plague carrying insect designed to wipeout your ill-fated kind.

I’ve survived the Middle Passage stacked like sardines in the hull of slave ships, surrounded by death, bathed in sicknesses, fed with hopelessness and drank the waters from the fountain of hate and yet God saw fit that I would live to tell the tale; and you think that you can stop God’s plan.

I raise my hands for you to scrutinize and discover my human form.

I raise my hands to show you that I am still alive.

I raise my hands to offer you a hand to understanding that if we die you die.

Even though I raise my hands in the air you shoot me down, insinuating that you just don’t care!

Now, all that is left for me to do is to raise my hands to God asking Him to forgive you; “For they know not what they do.”

“God I raise my hands to you confessing all my sins and humbly surrendering to You and only You. Knowing that my trials here on this earth are but my stepping stones along the pathways to my eternal home.” Amen WHEN YOU RAISE YOUR HANDS TO GOD IN SUBMISSION YOU ARE FREE

Jesse Jackson at SCLC 2014 convention in Birmingham, Ala. (Photo by Ann Ragland)

By George E. Curry NNPA Editor-in-Chief BIRMINGHAM, ALA. (NNPA) – After he completes his campaign for more diversity in Silicon Valley, Jesse Jackson plans to expand the pressure on technology companies in other regions of the country and then go after other sectors of private industry, including financial services, banking and advertising.

In an interview after speaking at the annual convention of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) here, the Atlanta-based civil rights organization co-founded by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. that gave birth to Jackson’s Operation PUSH and Rainbow PUSH, the civil rights leader was already eyeing other targets.

“As I looked at everybody’s fight for who can make the smallest government, I thought about our being basically a government-created middle class – policemen, firemen, teachers.

As you cut down on the civil service jobs, those jobs disappear.

Where are the growth industries? Silicon Valley for starters, the automotive industry next, banking next – the whole private sector. You fish where the fish are.”

(Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com)

LEGENDARY PICTURES AND UNIVERSAL PICTURES PRESENT AEXECUTIVE LEGENDARY PICTURES/BROTHERS DOWDLE PRODUCTION “AS ABOVE/SO BELOW” PERDITA WEEKS MUSIC PRODUCED BEN FELDMAN EDWIN HODGE BY KEEFUS CIANCIA PRODUCER ALEX HEDLUND DIRECTED

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LOCAL LISTINGS FOR STARTS FRIDAY, AUGUST 29 CHECK THEATERS AND SHOWTIMES

Page 10 • www.thewestsidegazette.com • August 28 - September 3, 2014

Soul of the US Open: Serena Williams

By Gerald Radford EurWeb The world’s most attended sporting event (one million fans expected this year) has officially begun. The top tennis players in the world from both the ATP and WTA tours, 128 total from each organization, have all ascended on New York City to fight and scrap for arguably the most rewarding prize of the tennis season, the 2014 US Open trophy.

The US Open, the last of the four annual Grand Slams, is held at the Billie Jean King Tennis center in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park and is considered by many of the players as the most challenging to win. The fans are rowdy and obtrusively passionate, planes continually fly overhead disrupting concentration, and the weather is wholly unpredictable – from intense heat to intermittent rain,

SERENA WILLIAMS making for a tumultuous road to the finish line.

Blackonomics

Symbolism without substance: From Jena to Ferguson

By James Clingman NNPA Columnist Remember the Jena Six? Some 15,000 to 20,000 protesters went to Jena, La. in 2006 to demonstrate against injustice. After all the speeches, threats, marches, and church rallies, the people went home and nothing really changed. The prosecutors did their thing and the system rolled right over Mychal Bell and the other five defendants. It was business as usual. Did we learn

LEGAL NOTICES PUBLICATION OF BID SOLICITATIONS Broward County Board of County Commissioners is soliciting bids for a variety of goods and services, construction and architectural/engineering services. Interested bidders are requested to view and download the notifications of bid documents via the Broward County Purchasing website at: www.broward.org/purchasing.

Aug. 7. 14, 21, 28, 2014

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS Florida Department of Transportation Project Bids will be received by the Tallahassee Office until 10:30 A.M. on Wednesday, September 24, 2014, for Proposal ID T4380.

The improvements under this contract consist of extending the left turn lane, replacing the existing strain pole signal with mast arms, roadway lighting and other miscellaneous work on SR 848 in Broward County. This is a Business Development Initiative (BDI) project, and Certification of Qualification is not required for this project. Budget Estimate $477,452.00. Complete letting advertisement information for this project is available on our website at http://www.dot.state.fl.us/cca d m i n / L e t t i n g s / Letting_Project_Info.shtm or by calling (850) 414-4000.

Aug. 28, Sept. 4, 2014

anything from Jena that we can apply in Ferguson?

What will take place in Fer- CLINGMAN guson when the protesters leave? What happened in Sanford, Fla. after they left? What has happened in Staten Island since Eric Garner was choked to death and the marches have gone?

The latest report says the prosecutor is still trying to “collect the dots,” much less connect the dots, and most have forgotten about Garner and his family and moved on to Ferguson, as it now becomes the crisis du jour for Black people.

Eleven years ago, Kenneth Walker was shot and killed by a police officer on I-185 in Columbus, Ga. He was in a car that was pulled over by mistake. He was on the ground, unarmed, when a police officer shot him twice in the head.

After protesters and marchers went home, the officer was acquitted.

There are many instances of Black men killed by police with impunity. So what’s my point? Well, as I watched the church services and listened to the speeches in Ferguson, I eagerly awaited the speakers’ solutions. I could have missed it, but I never heard a solution that centered on economics. I heard the obligatory voting solution, in light of an embarrassing 12 percent turnout among Black voters, but an “I Voted!” sticker will not stop a policeman’s bullet, and voting alone will not change our condition in this nation.

(Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com)

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Aug. 28, Sept. 4, 2014

Only the strong survive.

And speaking of strong, lead

Broward County's Oldest and Largest African American Owned and Operated Newspaper ing the field on the women’s side as the number one seed, defending champion and 2014 United Emirates US Open series winner is Serena Williams. The 17-time Grand Slam champion’s resume’ speaks for itself, but on her way to amassing that impressive number of Slam wins, she’s conquered New York five times. She’ll open this year’s bid against fellow American Taylor Townsend, a former US Open junior champion whose expected to be among the WTA elite in the future.

Serena Williams is coming into the week riding a wave of momentum. After a disappointing year of Slam performances thus far and a zany 2014 Wimbledon bid, she turned things around by winning “Road to the US Open” tune-up titles in Stanford and Cincinnati and by reaching the semifinals in Montreal before being taken out by her surging sister, Venus Williams. Her recent turn in for-

tunes also earned her a chance to win an additional one million dollars in prize money if she’s the last woman standing at the end of these next two grueling weeks.

On the men’s side, in the absence of last year’s champion and world no. 2, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic will lead the field as the current ATP world no. 1 and the tournament’s no. 1 seed. Djokovic currently owns a single US Open title and is looking to claim no.

2 to cap off a topsy turvy season that has some questioning his resolve. He’ll open the 2014 US Open against Argentinian, Diego Schwartzman to begin proving one way or the other.

Novak Djokovic’s fortunes haven’t been so great in 2014, coming into the week having been bounced early in his most recent tournament, leaving him very little match-play preparation for this last push of the season in terms of Grand Slams.

In his favor, however, is his ability to grind his way to Slam finals despite performance otherwise and the fact that the man he’d typically meet on the other side of the net of a final, Rafael Nadal, is out nursing a wrist injury he sustained during practice. As a result, Novak becomes this year’s favorite by default.

There are a number of dark horses, sleepers and “favorite adjacents” on both the men’s and women’s sides, including Venus Williams, Petra Kvitova, Maria Sharapova, Victoria Azarenka, Sloane Stephens, Eugenie Bouchard, Simona Halep, Andy Murray, Roger Federer, Milos Raonic, Stan Warwrinka, Jo-Wilifred Tsonga, Tomas Berdych, Grigor Dmitrov etc, who all have their compelling narratives, but most bets are on the number one seeds on both sides.

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Broward County's Oldest and Largest African American Owned and Operated Newspaper

August 28 - September 3, 2014 • www.thewestsidegazette.com • Page 11

Black voters in the south face new threats

By Freddie Allen NNPA Washington Correspondent WASHINGTON, D.C. (NNPA) – Despite major advances to access to the ballot box nearly 50 years after the passage of Voting Rights Act of 1965 (VRA), Blacks, living primarily in the South and Southwest, continued to face challenges at the ballot box, according to National Commission on Voting Rights (NCVR) report.

“Though protection under the Voting Rights Act has produced significant gains, African Americans are continually subjected to new threats to their full enfranchisement,” stated the report. “The ongoing protection of the Voting Rights Act is vital to the inclusion of this community.”

Last summer, the United States Supreme Court invalidated the Section 4 coverage formula in the Voting Rights Act that required jurisdictions with a demonstrated history of voter discrimination to “preclear” any changes in voting laws with the Justice Department of a federal court. The ruling effectively neutered Section 5 of the VRA. “Four states formerly covered by Section 5 of the VRA – Texas, Louisiana, South Carolina and Georgia – rank as the worst offenders,” according to the report. The study found that, when it comes to voting discrimination, Texas was the worst state in the country, “including multiple state-level violations.”

Last August, Attorney General Eric Holder filed a lawsuit against Texas over a restrictive voter ID law that went into effect after the Shelby decision, and also sought to support groups who took the Lone Star State to court over redistricting policies.

Following the Shelby v.

Holder ruling, civil rights lawyers have increasingly used Section 2 of the VRA to defend voters’ rights across the nation, but the report acknowledged the limitations of Section 2 lawsuits.

“While Section 2 provides important and considerable safeguards against discrimination, it does not provide the same level of protection that Section 5 afforded minority voters,” stated the report. “Section 2 litigation is often complex and can be slow, time-consuming, and expensive,” especially for poor, minority voters with access to limited resources.

Under Section 5, covered jurisdictions had to prove that new laws didn’t create added hardships for poor and minority voters. Section 2 reverses that burden of proof, placing it squarely on the shoulders of the voters and civil rights lawyers.

Since the Shelby v. Holder decision, new, controversial voting laws have been passed, forcing civil rights and Justice Department lawyers to expend resources battling over whether those laws hurt thousands of voters.

The report covered a number of forms of voter discrimination, including minority vote dilution, voter challenges and intimidation, felony disenfranchisement, voter purges and restrictive photo ID requirements.

“The findings show that contrary to the court’s assertion voting discrimination is still rampant and that states and localities previously covered by Section 4 and Section 5, the [Voting Rights Act] provisions struck down by the court, continue to implement voting laws and procedures that disproportionately affect African Americans, Latinos, Asian Americans and Native Americans voters,” said Arnwine.

From 1995-2013, redistricting changes made up 58 of 113 Section 5 preclearance denials, the report said.

“Redistricting plans that dilute minority voting strength typically submerge minority voters in overpopulated districts, divide minority population concentrations to prevent them from comprising the majority of a fairly-drawn district (“fragmentation” or “cracking”), or unnecessarily over concentrate them in a minimal number of districts (“packing”),” stated the report.

Robert Kengle, co-director of the Voting Rights Project at the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, said that redistricting is the reallocation of political power and there is

always a temptation to make minority voters the pawns in that process.

“Whether you’re talking about disputes between political parties or disputes between incumbents or one faction or another it’s tempting to dilute minority voter strength to achieve your political goals,” said Kengle.

Kengle added: “Sometimes it’s just as simple as saying, ‘We don’t want minority voters elect-

ing candidates,’ and the district lines are drawn to prevent that.”

Jurisdictions that pass plans are usually more discreet today than they were in the 1960s or 1970s, but when you look at the results, sometimes the results are very similar, observed Kengle.

Leon Russell, the vice chairman of the NAACP Board of Directors called redistricting ‘a partisan tool.’

“For legislatures that are dominated by one particular party, it’s that party that usually draws those lines to protect its political power,” said Russell.

“If you can control who votes and where they vote, you can control the power.”

Following the Shelby decision, the Justice Department made severe cuts to its federal observer program.

(Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com)

Page 12 • www.thewestsidegazette.com • August 28 - September 3, 2014

Broward County's Oldest and Largest African American Owned and Operated Newspaper

Agent provocateurs?

‘Revolutionary’ whites tried to incite unarmed crowd in Ferguson The crowd applauded and raised their arms shouting, “Hands up, don’t shoot!” as the tension faded and officers retreated to their vehicles.

“We are not going to allow infiltrators to destroy this movement,” said Malik Shabazz.

“We’re not going to see women get hurt. I am not going to see this end in a disaster tonight.

We need more men to step up and keep the peace. These kids will listen to us,” Shabazz said during an interview with CNN. Further down the street, barricades were erected and stun grenades, then tear gas was fired, the scene was near the burned out Quik Trip convenience store. CNN reported at 11:05 p.m. that someone had

By Richard B. Muhammad From The Final Call FERGUSON, MO. (NNPA) – The National Guard has rolled in and out, but the pain and passion of people in the streets, in homes and in businesses remain and broken hearts still ache. Tear gas, rubber bullets, gas masks, gas canisters and armored trucks were deployed at night along Florissant Avenue, where demonstrators marched, sang, grieved, clapped, hugged and cried.

There was a new order before and after sundown Aug. 18, the day the Guard arrived, though security was still overseen by the Missouri State Highway Patrol. The new tactic was to keep everyone moving on the side-walks and no cars were allowed to drive down the street.

“Hands up! Don’t shoot!” was the cry of parents and children.

“No justice, no peace!” shouted demonstrators expressing anger and anguish over the killing of an unarmed Black teenager

and what many saw an overreaction by law enforcement.

By about 10 p.m., a White man with a gray ponytail, who was part of a group wearing shirts with slogans about revolution, tried to rally people in the middle of the street. “We have the right to protest!” he shouted. “You can’t tell us how to protest!” The group was about four or five people and police put on gas masks. Then armored vehicles started to move forward, blocking the street, telling people to get out of the street.

Black activists, led by Anthony Shaheed, who had been working night after night to avoid violence, moved to defuse the situation as the crowd surged toward police officers.

The men ejected the troublemakers.

“They came into your community like infiltrators, trying to rally our people to stand up against these heavily armed people. They were trying to get our babies killed. They saw a situation and tried to take advantage of our community.

We had women out here. We stopped it, we told them you go somewhere else and do that,” said Shaheed, a longtime St. Louis activist and adviser to the family of Michael Brown, the 18-year-old gunned down by a Darren Wilson, a White Ferguson Police Department officer.

Another longtime activist, Zaki Baruti of the St. Louisbased Universal African Peoples Organization, also walked the streets just before the clash.

Protestors young and old, male and female, Black and White, said the few late night looting incidents and confrontations with police were the exception, not the rule of conduct for demonstrators.

“There is nothing going on that merits this scene out of Bragam,” said CNN reporter Jake Tapper, referring to the war in Iraq. “This doesn’t make any sense.” He had cameras pan to show how far away protestors were from heavily armed police. The police are not facing a threat, he said.

been shot. When the governor’s troops moved in Aug. 18, what had been ground zero for protests after officer Darrin Wilson’s fatal shooting of Michael Brown was no longer a place to congregate.

When the governor sent in the National Guard, he lifted the 12 midnight to 5 a.m. curfew.

“Women, babies, children screaming, yelling – and those smoke bombs were in these babies’ faces trying to flee from the smoke,” recalled local resident Paulette Wilkes, a mother of two sons and a St. Louis school teacher.

“When the police antagonize them (youth) say they will die for the same streets they should have the right to walk up and

down,” she said.“…You don’t just wake up today angry. Something has made you angry. That was when that police talked to you like you was a ‘boy,’ or like you was a child these are grown young men that should be talked to as such.”

A major reason for Wilkes and thousands at ground zero Sunday evening Aug. 17 was a positive church gathering at Greater Grace Church featuring Rev. Al Sharpton, Martin Luther King III, TV judge Greg Mathis, actress Keke Palmer and State Highway Patrol Capt.

Ron Johnson, who was put in charge of security by Gov. Jay Nixon.

Capt. Johnson, who is Black and grew up in the area, pulled back from the heavy military armored vehicles and heavy weapons. He engaged the community, answered questions from the media and ordinary people and eased tension.

(Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com)

AKADEMIC FOUNDATION, INC. ANNOUNCES THE SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS --The AKAdemic Foundation, Inc. announces the recipients of its eighth Annual Scholarship Awards who have been selected to receive awards up to $1000, in aid for the 2014-2015 collegiate academic years. The Scholarship Sip was held on May 17, 2014 at the Jim Ward Community Center in Plantation. This year’s Scholarship Sip was co-chaired by Dr. Caranita (Kim) Rhone and Marqueta James. The students, some of which will be attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and private colleges, represent some of Broward County’s prestigious public and private schools. Pictured is Zeta Rho Omega Chapter President of the AKAdemic Foundation, E. Pearl Covington Maloney and and Chapter President Joe Ann Fletcher and Corresponding Secretary, Vernika Blakely Simmons, the program speaker-presider with the Class of 2014 recipients from Execu-Prep, the Broward County Public Schools, and the private schools in the Fort Lauderdale, Fla., areas. For more information contact Zeta Rho Omega, P.O. Box 9811, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. 33311.

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It’s time to save. publix.com/save